Stay Positive

It is the eve of the New Year.
A look back...

Dec. 31 1862
The forces to keep the Union together and smash the chains of slavery look in complete disarray

Dec. 31 1914
The guns of August have given way to the glacial trench style warfare that threaten the lives of millions of Europe's best

Dec. 31 1941
A nation still in shock over the wanton destruction at Pearl Harbor wonders what the future will hold

Dec. 31 1963
A young president just laid to rest a month earlier; where will inspiration come from?

Dec. 31 1999
Is is the end of the world? A computer meltdown will scramble the financial information of millions

Dec. 31 2007
A war with no end continues in Iraq and a world feebly takes small stabs at a growing environmental catastrophe

Pick a year. Any year. It does not matter. Mankind has always been faced with major problems as one year melts into another. Pick a place. Any place. Pakistan - where a brave woman's assassination puts a fragile democracy at risk. Iowa - whose snowy fields and hardened folks will give birth to a season of change or reactionary policies. Oakland, California - where four young men were brutally killed in street crimes over the last weekend of 2007.

No matter the problem. No matter the crisis. No matter how dark. Time goes on and we adapt to the situation. We are here today looking into tomorrow. With God's help we will take small and large steps towards solving our problems and making sure that many more new years will be ushered in for those who follow after us.

The Celebrity Conception

"A savior was born in the town of Bethlehem. And his name will be Jesus." It is Christmas time. A season when many, Christian and non-Christian, reflect upon that famous birth in a far away manger that took place some two thousand years ago. A young couple, Joseph and Mary, had endured much criticism over the pregnant bride. In an era when stones were used to kill an unmarried woman with child, the two stoically followed their destiny to allow the "Immaculate Conception" that promised that God himself would live among us and show mankind the way to peace, humility, and eternal life.

But now, two millennia later, comes another conception that is overshadowing much of this season of warmth and hope. It is the story of a sixteen year old from the royal family of Spears who has found herself with child. The older princess in the family, Britney, has always had much of the spotlight upon herself. But she will have to dig deep within to forgive baby sister, Jamie Lynn, for becoming the brightest star in the modern constellation.

In a world lost in war, environmental damage, and distrust among the peoples, all have turned towards this unseemly story. The virginal Jamie Lynn, adored by young ladies who watch her popular "Zoey 101" show on Nickelodeon, are in danger of learning that teenagers actually do have sex and can get pregnant. Never mind that high schools throughout the nation have classes with young mothers enrolled; the pregnancy of the younger Spears is a dagger through the heart of American decency. Columnists and TV reporters are weighing in on the horrors of what Jamie Lynn has done and are taking pains to talk to ten year olds about the dangers of sex.

But the reason Britney is so jealous is that this story will turn quickly. Good old Jamie Lynn is from Lousiana and her nineteen year old partner, Casey Aldridge, is from a small town in Mississippi. Gee, he even likes to ride dirt bikes and go deer hunting. The two of them are just too picture perfect to hate for long. Why, Jamie is really a good soul as she bravely has rejected abortion and will bring the child to term.

Those in the media who are scorning the couple will follow every move in this swift moving story. They will comment on Jamie Lynn's stomach size and maternity clothing. And how many will be camped out at the hospital when the "Celebrity Conception" is fulfilled and the adorable little Spears child is shown to the world. What happens then? Will the child be stoned and exiled off in embarrassment. Or will a forgiving, celebrity starved nation, swoon over the precious bundle of joy. Then what message is the media and the country's parents sending to those who used to (and probably still secretly do) worship the young princess, Jamie Lynn Spears.

Oprah Winfrey Presents Barack Obama

Oprah.
She can run a TV show. She can run a magazine. She can run a bookclub. She can sometimes run her weight way up the scale. But lets look at who she really supports: Rachel Ray, Dr. Phil and now Barack Obama.

Do you really like Rachel Ray and her 30 minute meals? Would you really place your emotional center with Dr. Phil? Can Obama really be the best candidate for president?

Rachel Ray can barely cook but she runs a TV show to a specific audience. Dr. Phil also runs an Oprah endorsed talk show. And Obama events are kind of like talk shows. His proposals are like a vapid thirty minute meal and his continual chant for change is as empty as a Dr. Phil life recommendation.

Oprah had a great idea for a girls' school in Africa. However,Oprah has no real background in educational administration. Lets just say she has no experience in the everyday teaching and other unique aspects of a boarding school. So when she started her academy in South Africa, it was not that startling to see the headlines of abuse just a few months later. Her idea was great, but obviously she put her name ahead of a well thought out program.

Mr. Obama is a close clone of Ms. Winfrey. If he is nominated, he will need to win overwhelmingly in the presidential race to achieve any of the things he is talking about. He also puts his name ahead of intellligent policy. Will our country under an Obama administration be just like the Oprah academy in South Africa: hailed as a great movement, only later to be found with controversies that could have been avoided by gaining more experience?

If Mr. Obama wins the nomination, how will most Democrats feel when Hillary Clinton comes to the podium on the second night of the Denver convention to give her speech? Ms. Clinton's plans are not that different than Obama's. But she knows about political realities and how to deal with friends and enemies. Once it is too late, will the party insiders realize that Clinton is truly the right person to handle the problems and guide the future of our country? Or when blunders are made affecting millions of people and dollars, will they concede that they should not have voted for for the guy Oprah picked?

Christmas in Connecticut

Or should the title read Christmas in New Hampshire? You have to give it to John McCain - he knows how to continually attract the Geritol vote. In a surprise twist (well not that much of a surprise), turncoat Independent Democrat Joe Lieberman of Connecticut has publicly endorsed the Republican McCain for President. And this has happened before any voting has taken place!

This posting is not about the Arizona Senator. The focus here is on the man from Connecticut. What more can Lieberman do to his former political party? He has paid back Al Gore and the millions who supported the Gore/Lieberman ticket in 2000 with a continual rush to the Far Right. It would be better for all concerned if he just dresses up in a Santa outfit to declare his affinity for the "Red Side".

The venerable men and women who make up the U.S. Senate are living examples of political loyalty. While countless citizens forsake the official parties for the non-threatening Independent tag, the old boys' club stands for a world far removed from the internet flash that most now live in. Whether an illusion or not, one would think that the most veteran Senators (the Rockefellers, Kennedys, Warners, Lotts, and Liebermans) live in a more nuanced slower sphere. One could imagine them pouring through the pages of the Washington Post and New York Times each morning as they sip their non-latte coffees. They probably meet in the Senate gym for workouts and some light basketball. They eat at the most expensive steak houses and dutifully deal with the K Street lobbyists.

The point is that none of the senators are pure and most of them are motivated to one degree or another by greed and power. But it is the essence of the eternal orgy of back door maneuvering that has kept our nation afloat all these years. The loyalty to one's party is the cement that keeps it all together. Two political power groups trading leadership positions every four, eight, or twelve years. An unwritten code to look the other way and to stay anchored in the home of the party that has always helped to bring them to the pinnacle of power.

But once in awhile there is a breach in this protocol. And now Mr. Liberman is the one that is breaking with this system. His defeat in the Democratic Connecticut primary has allowed the Senator leeway to move towards the opposition in ways that just are not tolerated. His undying defense of Bush's War and his votes to give billions of tax monies to the defense industries who profit from the killing fields, has shown how right the Connecticut primary voters were in rejecting the Senator.

No one is praising the lies and hypocrisy that all senators must live with as they navigate their Washington careers. But the beauty of the American system is that the anchor of the political party keeps each senatorial member from straying too far from his or her moorings and keeping the nation closely split so that one side can counteract the other. Senator Lieberman has broken the rules one time too many by going out of his way to vote for McCain. Connecticut recall the traitor and put him out to pasture. Independent or Democrat or a combination of the two, Mr. Liberman you are no Republican!! Or are you?

Obama & Drugs

Reporter: Mr. Clinton, did you inhale?
Clinton: No!!

Flash forward to October 2008

Reporter: Mr. Obama, did you inhale?
Obama: Yes, I did. I wrote about this in my book.
Reporter: At what age did you stop taking drugs?
Obama: Well, it is in my book that I took some drugs
while at Occidental College. You know, almost all
students were taking stuff in those days.
Reporter: Did you ever share some pot with others?
Obama: (Getting a bit red and peeved) What do you think.
Obviously, when you have a joint people pass it
around.
Reporter: Did you ever sell or procure drugs for others?
Obama: Well...
Campaign Spokesperson: Okay, that is enough questions for
today.

Sooner or later, the issue was going to come up. Who knew it would come from a fellow Democrat and before any votes had been cast in the long primary season. New Hampshire political boss, Bill Shaheen, a prominent Clinton co-chair, brought the issue up before anyone else. Peering into the dark future, Shaheen claimed that Obama's admitted use of drugs would become the hammer the GOP would use to drive Obama's candidacy into a coffin.

A politico like Shaheen (the husband of former New Hampshire governor, Jeanne Shaheen), does not make such sweeping and drastic statements without some encouragement from top Clinton national advisers. The issue is cutting two ways. First, the Clinton campaign sensing a loss of momentum, has gone quickly into panic mode by attacking statements Obama made way back in kindergarten and scaring people with the specter of a black man taking drugs. This low ball approach is way off the mark for a prominent person such as Hillary. Indeed, Shaheen has been thrown out of the campaign and Clinton had to make a personal apology to Obama.

But secondly, and at a much deeper level, it does bring up an attack line that the GOP will most definitely use if Obama is the Democratic candidate. Obama has not held executive positions, so the "Willie Horton" scare tactic will not work on him. However, the Republicans will look back to the recent Tennessee senatorial race where African-American Harold Ford Jr. lost all momentum when the opposition threw on the screen an ad of a white woman calling out to Ford. Just the scant reminder of cross race sexual hi-jinks was enough to stop Ford from victory. The GOP will scan all of Obama's admitted offenses in his two well received books and play up the black man angle.

The horror of this story is that fellow Democrats (Clinton's campaign team) have planted this possible seed of destruction upon one of their very own.

Shootings In Colorado

It is Christmas season. It is especially sad to report the murders that have taken place in Middle America. As we wrote about in our last post, nine lives were lost in the Omaha shopping mall. Now, just yesterday, five more (including the gunman) have been killed in two church related shootings in Colorado.

I will briefly state once again that it is impossible to stop people from becoming cold blooded murderers. The young man in Nebraska seemed to have a troubled family life. How many people come from similar dysfunctional family situations? The killer in Colorado had been home schooled and briefly involved with both the missionary group, Youth With A Mission, and a Christian college. How many people have flirted with a dedication to Christianity?

On a micro level, we would hope that police and community and religious counselors can keep track of those with potential to go over the edge. But on a more realistic macro level, there will always be those who slip through the proverbial cracks and end up doing such horrific damage.

My last posting called for a curb on rapid fire weapons. Even with that reasonable request having little chance of becoming law in the current socio/political climate we live in, more needs to be done. The purchasing of weapons has to be coupled with a much stronger vetting system and a cooling down period so that people who are emotional do not get their hands on a weapon while in an agonized state. Bullets needed to be coded...

On and on I can go. Opponents of any gun control will call this bleeding heart liberalism. Lives of innocent good American citizens are being blown away. We must start somewhere to end this madness.

Who Was Robert Hawkins?

Who Was Robert Hawkins?
12/7/2007 8:49:34 PM
Does it really matter who he was? Do we need to know the "profile" of the Stockton, California rifleman? Or the Virginia Tech murderer? The answer is a resounding NO!!

No matter how much so called counseling and intervention is done, there will always be psychopaths in our midst. Whether young or old, there will always be those who want their "fifteen minutes of fame." A wrong turn here, a put down there, and there will be those who seek revenge on the world. The fact is that there will always be potential mass murderers awaiting their turn to make a warm day within a popular holiday destination, a day that will live in infamy.

It is a simple plea that I and many others are making during this so called December season of warmth and peace: Remove the automatic weapons from our streets, homes, and cities. Pro or con on guns, people will always stock rifles and pistols. They are too numerous and in many parts of the United States, too culturally embedded to get rid of. But we must face the reality, that in a society peopled by over three hundred million souls, weapons of mass destruction must be totally eliminated.

Trying to analyze the reasons for Omaha or Columbine is a fruitless exercise. Legislate all we want but there will always be victims of bullying, alienation, and disenchantment. The question is not how to stop these people from killing (of course, on a case by case basis, many hurting people need to be helped), but how many innocent lives can we keep from dying. If the lonely souls that decide to go out in a blaze of gunfire are prevented from carrying rapidly firing weapons, the total number of dead will dramatically decrease.

Automatic weapons need to go!!

Mitt Romney & The Mormon Question

Danny Ainge, Billy Barty, Laraine Day, Jon Heder, Dean Jagger, Orrin Hatch, Wally Joyner, Harmon Killebrew, Marie Osmond, Gladys Knight ... Wait a minute!! Gladys Knight!!! Yes Gladys and all those named above and five million more in the USA are all members of the Latter Day Saints (aka Mormons).

I am not a Mormon. I am not a fan of Mitt Romney. But damn it if I'm not going to come to his and anyone else's defense when it comes to the current insidious religious test that is bedeviling Mr. Romney's campaign to become the GOP nominee for President.

In my last posting I reacted to the Bible question posed on the CNN/YouTube debate. With the recent announcement that Mitt Romney is going to make a "Kennedy" style speech this Thursday, I wanted to keep the heat on this issue. None of the men (and one woman) running for the presidency should have to be put to any test whatsoever that calls into question their religious integrity. It is none of our business. Period!!

But in an open society with media hanging out everywhere, it seems that people have come to expect to know every minute detail of these politicians' lives. What is their wife like? Have their children stayed out of trouble? What diseases are they susceptible to? And on and on until religion is now being brought into the public square.

Did you recognize any of the names above. Perhaps you know the acting small person, Billy Barty? How about Napoleon Dynamite, Jon Heder? If you follow baseball, you should recognize former Twins slugger, Harmon Killebrew. And yes, Ms. Knight has been a Mormon for some ten or so years. You know about these people but you probably did not know much about their religious convictions. Did it matter? Did you root for the Killer when he was knocking out homers in the sixties? Did you enjoy the small town ambiance that Heder brought to the screen? Most assuredly, you have swayed to the tunes belted out by Gladys.

The point is, that these Mormons are no different than you or me. The names listed above are some of the more famous ones. There are others. There are even millions of others who are you neighbors, your children's teachers, your postal carriers, etc. And yes, there are some who have resorted to crime and drugs and have failed as good citizens.

Let us stop prying around to find the perfect candidate. We should base our votes on policies espoused by the contenders. We should look at their public records to see their potential as leaders. There needs to be an outcry to stop this sectarian persecution.

YouTube, the GOP, and the Bible

Actually we should place the blame on CNN. The YouTube "debates" that have aired on the news channel are really nothing more than "man in the street" questions. Even with some computer technology thrown in, the questions are selected by CNN's news staff. There had to have been inquiries on almost all the subjects that interest American voters. But the thirty plus that were chosen was an attempt by CNN to steer the debate the way they wanted it to go.

Even though the desert warrior who threw his automatic weapon on camera, got a lot of buzz, the truly important question was asked by a seemingly angry young man who wanted to know how literal the Republican candidates took the Holy Bible. That each politician on stage seemed to follow many of the Bible's precepts is to be commended.

However, why would CNN allow such a pointed sectarian question to pass through their screeners and take up valuable time in the two hour presentation? The real issue is why should the population at large need to know the theological views of those seeking the secular office of president. What if one of the candidates was Jewish? Would he or she have to announce publicly that he does not believe in the New Testament accounts of Jesus? How about a Hindu or Muslim? How would they fare with such a pointed question?

We all want morally upright people running our nation. People we can put our trust in to make wise and equitable decisions. But the president is not the pastor of a church or a rabbi in a temple. He or she is a flawed human being who most likely has had a successful life and is someone who should be capable of leading us. The specific religion one espouses is a personal journey. Even Jesus himself declared that true religion is praying in private and seeking God in the depth of one's soul.

By allowing candidates to declare publicly their Christian virtues, we are creating potential chiefs of staff who will be using the Bible and the trappings of their religion to push agendas that might benefit themselves and those who narrowly follow their views.

Romney: Throw Momma Off The Train

What do ALL political candidates do when someone they know might have done something that might affect their candidacy? We all know the answer - throw the bum off the train!!! Hillary Clinton's support for New York Governor Spitzer's realistic call for illegal immigration ID's got her in deep trouble in a recent debate. Behind the scenes she forced Spitzer to give up the politically unpopular idea so that her campaign could get back on track. The stumble she took over this issue seems to have led to a slippage in her lead over Senator Obama.

In Clinton's case, the ID concept (and to a lesser degree, Spitzer's reputation) was cast off. Now comes GOP hopeful Mitt Romney, who is in real damage control as he calls for Massachusetts Judge Kathe Tuttman to resign from the judiciary in his home state. Romney is concerned because he must appear tough on crime for the Republican primary voters out for red meat. He is castigating Tuttman as too soft on crime and personally responsible for the shooting deaths of two people in Washington state by a former convict who was recently freed by Judge Tuttman. Romney is trying to get ahead of this story before people realize that he himself appointed Kathe Tuttman to the judgeship while he was governor. It is one thing to bemoan the situation and another to place the entire blame on the judge who apparently was not told all the facts about the former prisoner who went on this horrific killing spree.

Romney and others like to point to their integrity and values in their public and personal lives. But straight forward and honest thinking is not an attribute that many politicians can claim. When trouble comes (as it inevitably will) on the campaign trail, Romney has shown that the shrillest and easiest way out of a mess is to remove the problem and place the blame on someone else. That Judge Tuttman is considered a tough judge means nothing if her action in this situation will cause a shadow to fall upon the perfect world that Mr. Romney is attempting to paint for himself.

All the candidates have skeletons within their own closet and among their associates. When a story comes out about past misdeeds, it is prudent upon the voter to look at the reaction of the candidate to see what values he or she truly holds dear. In this case, Romney has fallen way short of the image he wants to portray.

Thanksgiving 2007

When one approaches the Creator with thanksgiving, one needs to also examine the heart. As a nation we need to take this moment to reflect on what God has given us and what we have collectively failed to do in response. So here are some thanks and requests for forgiveness. May we all grow in the love of God and become better messengers of charity and truth.

Lord, thank you for allowing our nation to be a military power with a track record of helping those who have been trodden upon.
Lord, forgive us for using this powerful military instrument as the preferred sword of offense when dialogue and prayer should always be the best option.

Lord,thank you for the abundance of food, clothing, and housing that we evidently enjoy.
Lord, forgive us for not seeking a more equitable manner to distribute these material necessities and allowing so many to go without.

Lord, thank you for the many doctors and hospitals that dot our communities.
Lord, forgive us for not finding a way to reach the uninsured and not following the rest of the developed world in a common national health program.

Lord, thank you for the legal immigrants who enrich our experience and make us a great nation.
Lord, forgive us for looking at the so called illegal Hispanics as potential terrorist aliens who have come to rob us when in reality they want nothing more than an opportunity to feed their own children.

Finally, Lord, thank you for the media innovations that allow us to communicate and become informed so that we can make wise decisions for our nation and the world.
Lord, may we also seek forgiveness for using these modern means of entertainment and news for our own personal perversions and elevation of the trivial over what is vitally important.

In Christ's Name

Amen

Six For President

GUEST POSTING BY BIG V

Some random observations after viewing what CNN billed as a debate. (Hillary won and is winning so we will leave her alone for now)

Barack Obama has been a professor longer than he has been a REAL Senator. He appeals to that college educated crowd because he is one of them. It seems that he can always give a great intellectually sound speech, but when it comes to debates he has very small pauses and stutters. He doesn't know how to create momentum and he doesn't know how to sustain strong points he may have.

John Edwards is too much of a lawyer when he attacks Clinton. And John Edwards seems more and more like the Mitt Romney of the Democrats.

Joe Biden and Chris Dodd seem like the same guy. They both seem to be that caring gray haired uncle that shows up a few times a year for holiday dinners. Maybe Biden should have run last time around. I still have no idea why Dodd is up there. At least Biden brings in his foreign policy ideas.

Bill Richardson is great. And he is fat and wears some suits that do not quite fit.

Kucinich - well he's there for the UFO factor.

Although having seven candidates during a debate takes away from the real race between Clinton and Obama/Edwards it works out to their mutual advantage because they don't have to make big stands on abortion or gay rights or other issues like that. Time and time again these questions go to the lower tier candidates where they get to finally talk as much as they want. So once these guys make the classic liberal case the top three can just say they agree. Compare that with the Republicans who are still caught up in the "Reagan mantle" debate.

Somewhere Over The Hawaii Rainbow

We screwed up the University of South Florida by publicizing their (at the time) undefeated season and climb to second place in the BCS rankings. Of course once we (and a cover story by Sports Illustrated) were published, the upstart Bulls went on to lose three straight contests and plummet from the collective minds of American sports fans.

Now we have the opportunity to do the same to the nine win - no loss Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. The team led by superstar quarterback, Colt Brennan, is desperately trying to earn a high pay BCS bowl bid. But this time we truly are rooting for Hawaii's best. There is always nothing better than seeing an outsider crash the BCS/ Fox TV billion dollar bowl extravaganza. Until college football has an equitable bowl/playoff system, die hard fans and anti-capitalists should do all in their power to bring the current system down.

Briefly, the BCS championship promises a place in one of their five bowl games to the winner of the six "top" divison one conferences - Big Ten, Big Twelve, Big East, Southeast, Pacific Ten, and Atlantic Coast. The winners of the other five division one football playing conferences - the Western Athletic, Mountain West, Conference USA, Sun Belt, and Mid-American have no guarantee for prime time exposure and a big payday. In fact, the only way one of these poor cousins can even get into the picture is by producing a perfect twelve win season.

Last year, Boise State was the cinderella story. This WAC team not only finished the year with thirteen straight wins but defeated the mighty Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl. Now Hawaii is trying to replicate this accomplishment. The road ahead will not be easy as the Warriors play Nevada, the always tough Boise team, and the Pac Ten's Washington Huskies to close out their year. But if they do ...

The controlling powers are going to make it a tough hurdle for Hawaii. They are ranked outside of the top twelve (the point needed for a non BCS team to get into the big show). There should be no doubt that if Hawaii wins out they must be involved in the bowl system. What more can a team do? If Hawaii and the teams that are in the five non BCS leagues can not gain entry than why should they be allowed to play in the top tier of division one. There is a lower bracket (with a playoff system) for other division one schools. These five conferences are spending great deals of money and effort to play at the top levels of their sport. Congressional inquiries have been held into the practices of the big six in their exclusionary system.

Almost all of us want a true playoff to take place in big time college football. When teams like Boise State and Hawaii knock on the door, it shows the weakness and hypocrisy of a sport often tainted with corruption. College sports should not be controlled by sports cartels and dollar rich television networks. Return to your roots - let the champions be crowned by play on the field and not by a defense set up by players in board rooms who wear suits and ties instead of pads and cleats.

Whole Foods Trickling Down

Trendy Old Pasadena California now boasts the newest, hippest, and largest Whole Foods Market on the planet. With three levels of underground parking (including valet) and two stories holding over 75,000 square feet of merchandise it is a wonder to behold. Fruits, veggies, a fish market, vitamins and fragrances, a juice bar, wine, cheese, Asian and Tapas bistros, aisle upon aisle of health foods, sandwich carving, bakery, and on and on. This new Whole Foods is ground zero in the move towards organic nirvana. No doubt that the citizens of Pasadena will be feeling warm and snuggly after trying so many unique foodstuffs. Based on the opening week crowds, the hospitals and medical centers in the area will have to prepare to lay off workers as the health craze sweeps through the city.

In a prime location just blocks south of Colorado Blvd., one would think that the diverse Pasadena population will be thrilled with the new market. But a closer look at the store's operations would lead an observer to conclude that only an upper class clientele will be shopping at the modern marvel. The juicy fruits and crunchy locally grown organic vegetables are priced more than double what customers can expect to pay at traditional supermarkets. Except for some Whole Foods branded boxed and bottled items, the healthy offerings found on the store's shelves are destined to be purchased by the small percent of Pasadena's residents who make upwards of $100,000 and more in annual income.

Many of the Whole Food patrons are dedicated to a holistic lifestyle. These lucky souls can afford to buy the vitamin mixes, fresh meats and fish, and top quality wines that are available. But what about those who need and would like to partake of the Whole Food horn of plenty? By shopping at this high end gourmet extravaganza, the save the world bunch are really all about saving themselves and leaving the spoils for the less fortunate.

"Oh well, the poor only have themselves to blame. We worked hard and we are going to get the best of the food. We call for saving rain forests, ending global warming, and working for world peace. That poor nutrition is causing discomfort and sickness right here on our American streets is not really our concern. Hey, at least some of the locals can find employment sweeping the floors of the $1.89 muffin crumbs we have dropped on the store's second floor eating area. Thank God I'm rich and using my dollars so a few pennies and some farm raised fish can find their way to the wallets and dinner dishes of the underclass."

Baseball Instant Replay

The powers have already compromised our nation's game. World Series starting times have been pushed back to 8:30 EST and had this season's Series gone seven games, baseball would have played its first November date. With commercial breaks and other add-ons, one of the Red Sox-Rockies games took well over four hours (and it was only a nine inning affair!).

Mediocre utility players are receiving salaries in excess of two million a season, while super studs like Alex Rodriguez, are pushing the thirty million milestone. Organ music is being replaced by piped in rock and rap and sophisticated computerized scoreboards entertain with inane between innings contests and advertising that are virtually the same from one stadium to the next.

The good news is that owners are demanding baseball only parks and stadiums are becoming unique in their field dimensions and various quirks. Unfortunately, baseball's young set of general managers see this lack of uniformity as an opportunity to bring the next adjustment to the grand old game - instant replay.

The basic argument is that the seating arrangements and differing lengths and heights of outfield fences have made it very difficult for umpires to get homerun calls correctly. Even with six umpires in postseason, there was controversy on some possible long hits. So the GM's are pressing for baseball to get into the new millennium and institute replays for home runs. Perhaps with television cameras at every game this might be a good idea. Who would not want the correct call to be made?

But if instituted, where will it stop. Did a fan reach out and touch a bouncing ball for a ground rule double? Did a third baseman reach into the stands and actually hold on to the foul fly for an out? Did a pitched ball just hit the loose sleeve of the hitter? Did a runner actually go out of the base path?

Once in, it will always be there. Umpires will delay games and talk to league officials in some sealed off office in New York who are monitoring every play and every move of the umps. In football, it is obvious that officials know that if they make a close call, there will be backup so their call is no longer the final one. The official is given way to a nameless techie as the final arbiter of right and wrong.

Why do we love baseball so much? Because of its timeless nature and pastoral grandeur. There is a sense of good and evil and of a world that was once just a bit simpler and slower than what we are experiencing today. Put the instant replay in the game and baseball will lose its uniqueness and a bit of its soul.

A Halloween Rape

It could have happened in any college community. It could happen again. It did happen and a young woman's life has been shattered and a young college student is looking at a long prison sentence and life as a sex offender. But it did not have to happen.

A coed and her roommates returned from a night of Halloween fun and crashed in their off campus house. As they were nodding off, a college acquaintance came into the unlocked house and asked for the girl by name. The student who slept in the living room pointed to the door of one of the bedrooms and fell back to sleep.

Just minutes later she heard noise, a window shattering, and the sobs of her roomie. In this short span, the body and soul of a young college woman was shattered. Thankfully the rape was officially reported and the perpetrator of this awful crime was arrested. That of course is the only good news out of such a horrific crime.

The story is true but we have decided to leave out the name of the city and college where this happened. Because it could happen in any university setting at any moment. Our society has sold our young people a false moral code. College dorms are now occupied by young people of both sexes. These are students who are barely eighteen and nineteen and just out of their homes and high school where most of them lived in their families' apartments and houses and resided in a girl's only or boy's only bedroom.

All the rules have been thrown out in the majority of our state and private colleges. There was a time when each dorm was reserved for one sex only. Now most schools have floors reserved by sex, floors divided in half by sex, or rooms set up one against the other with communal bathrooms.

When did young and healthy adolescents become expertly adept at holding back their sexual urges? No one is calling for a return to chaperoned dates but the intermingling in on and off campus housing has become epidemic. No doubt young men were often allowed in the Halloween girls' house. In almost all cases the guys were probably invited in and were polite and became good friends with the girls. But this open door policy brought a sense of false security to vulnerable female students. It took one person to take advantage and bring ruin to an innocent and raise a sense of fear and a need for security to a community.

The rape suspect will get his day in court and if found guilty will get his due punishment. The girls will remember forever the night when they left their door unlocked. But the real blame falls on the adult administration who have bought into a myth of utopian openness and understanding that flies in the face of reality.

A Blue Andy Griffith

Who knew? Watching two vintage 1963 episodes of The Andy Griffith Show on TV Land, the truth struck me. Andy and his town of Mayberry were a vanguard of liberal progressivism in an area that most of us would call politically bright red.

In one short hour we witnessed the following:

School teacher Helen Crump proclaiming that she could not cook and did not like to cook. Furthermore she would not learn to cook even for any future husband.

Crump also declared that she would not be a stay at home wife and would keep working in the educational field. And golly, Andy not only agreed with this sentiment, but chose Helen as his steady girl friend over dozens of other hot young Mayberrian beauties.

Andy seemed to enjoy his role as single dad. He felt very secure in bringing up Opie and was in no rush to turn to a woman to help in his parenting. It was only after constant badgering from Barney that Andy decided to go on a long long engagement with Ms. Crump.

Town drunk Otis was reassured by the Sheriff and Deputy Barney that he would always have a warm prison cell (complete with food service from Aunt Bee's kitchen)when he went on a drinking binge and could not go home to his long suffering wife. The law enforcement officers never put any guilt trip on Otis and saw his alcoholism more as a disease than something he was doing wrong (i.e. sinful).

Barney favored the involvement of state government over any private fund raising. The police department needed building funds and Barney wrote to the state commission to get the needed money. Even though Andy and himself were held in such high esteem by the Mayberry citizenry, the thought of holding a local charity drive never entered their mind. No free enterprise for those two!

Finally, one stands in awe that Sheriff Andy Taylor would patrol the dangerous environs of Mayberry without a trusted gun by his side. Yes, there was a rifle rack in the police HQ, but Andy almost never used the rifles or packed a pistol. In fact he would later become famous as the "Sheriff Without A Gun". Imagine what the NRA would do to Andy today. He would not stand a prayer of a chance to be reelected with his anti-gun stance.

Double Teaming On Hillary

Illegal immigration is perhaps the most complex issue facing America. A hardcore right wing minority would like nothing more than to wave a magic wand and have the millions of illegals disappear from the U.S. Short of a Nazi style regime, that will not happen. Even President Bush to his credit realizes the complexities and has called for a workers' program and some form of legality and citizenship for the illegals.

So it was not surprising that tonight in the Philadelphia Democratic Party debate that this issue would become the focal point. Near the very end, Tim Russert brought up the complicated situation by pointing out the New York Governor Spitzer has just signed off on a program that will allow illegals a modified form of a drivers' license. The question was posed to Hillary Clinton who spoke intelligently on the necessity for each state's governor to deal with this issue in the face of the federal government not moving towards a comprehensive plan that would strengthen border security and find ways to bring the millions of illegals out of the shadows and into the mainstream of American life.

Hillary was forceful but balked at giving a 100% thumbs up to her own governor's plan. Rightly or wrongly she supported the concept but did not want to put herself in the position of the New York chief executive who had to finalize the program. And it was at that moment that first Senator John Edwards and then Senator Barack Obama pounced on Hillary for not giving her full blessing to Spitzer. They had tried all night to corner the frontrunner. In fact things became heated enought that Governor Richardson came to Hillary's defense by pointing out that her opponents were trying to make a character issue out of some of Hillary's nuanced positions.

Things have been going poorly for the second and third place candidates and they showed how desperate they were by looking for any opening to attack Clinton. Richardson's point was that it is okay to disagree with someone's positions but it was going too far to make personal attacks. Hillary is attempting to bypass the nomination process and run as a centrist in a general election. She is trying to be careful not to give the Republican enemy too much fodder. I would venture to guess that the vast majority of Democrats and left leaning Independents know that Mrs. Clinton is a left of center candidate. But they should know that to win a general election your words need to carry beyond Manhattan, Chicago, and Los Angeles and resonate in Little Rock, Peoria, and Bakersfield.

After making hay of Clinton, Russert should have point the onus on her two attackers and put them on the spot over this issue. Instead time ran out and we found out that Obama's daughter will dress up as witch and will be trick or treating with a dad wearing a two-faced Mitt Romney mask. For a candidate who said he would stress the issues, Obama has started down a slippery slope that might lead Romney to wear a two-faced Barrack mask.

World Series Snoozer

Even out here on the left coast this current World Series has been devoid of competition. With three games now under our belts, there can be no doubt that the Red Sox are utterly superior to the young Rockies. The Sox have a swagger of extreme confidence that has carried them to easy victories in all of the games. The bright eager faces of the Colorado nine are a contrast with the baggy look of Manny, the power of Ortiz, and the bald sea-fearing appearance of Youklis. Even the Coors Field fans seem to pale when one scans the hardened baseball only attitude exhibited at Fenway.

So there seems to be no real drama for television fans to rally around. But what is making things so difficult is the record length of these games. Saturday's game three went well over four hours and holds the dubious distinction of being the longest nine inning Series game in history. Once again I found myself battling slumber and the temptation to check on college football, hockey, and news while the game was going on. And imagine if I was on the east coast!! Fox has done everyone a disservice by having the first pitch thrown after 8:30. What that means is that by 10 pm (around inning four at the snail's pace these games are moving), an entire generation of little leaguers have checked out. By 11 pm (inning six), the die-hard AARPers have given up and gone to sleep. The only excitement in tonight's game came when the Rockies crept to within one run of the Sox in the seventh inning. Of course, how many fans were still around?

Knowing that the boring pre-game talkfest, Chevy and Taco Bell promotions, and longer commercial breaks would push the game to lengths never experienced before, how could Fox not start the games at least an hour earlier. They still would have captured primetime on the east and have westerners plugged in around dinner time. Ratings have been stagnant this year (even with a popular team like Boston). Then again I am not a Fox programmer nor a MLB executive who has sold out the soul of the game. I'm just a small voice (hopefully multiplied by millions of others) who wishes that our national game could be saved from money counting suits who know nothing about baseball.

Extreme Views

We can't agree on anything anymore. How did the Iraq war really start? Were there WMD's? Did the Bushies know that an imminent strike from Al Quaeda was on its way? More recently, does Hillary's support of a Woodstock museum reveal that she was and still is some kind of lesbian, pot smoking, acid dropping hippie (even though she was a straight and true Goldwater girl for most of the sixties)? Was the rapid response to the still smoldering San Diego fires an example of Republican management strengths as seen against the backdrop of local ineptitude in New Orleans? No matter what the issue, there seems to be no sensible, middle ground.

The problem is exasperated by pundits and media intent on making names for themselves. Books need to be sold. Ratings run television. Pairs of eyes and the touch of a keyboard bring surfers to blog sites. An intelligent discussion does not impassion nor enrich anyone. So on both sides of our great divide we have conspiracy theorists and hate mongers.

A great example is the old KABC radio in Los Angeles. A ratings behemoth in the 1980's, the station's signature talking head was the smooth always informed Michael Jackson (obviously not that Michael Jackson). Jackson had an afternoon show where all ideas were welcome and where few would actually know where the host stood. His job was to draw opinion and fact from his guests. Unfortunately, as right wing radio began to sprout in the later part of the decade, hordes of listeners (i.e. white males) began migrating towards Rush Limbaugh and others of conservative ilk. Quickly Jackson became a dinosaur and the entire station by the mid-nineties became a bastion of red meat.

We applaud those who have bravely started Air America and similar liberal talk stations to counteract much of the misinformation of the righties. But still, that leaves little room for the middlemen who want to discuss things in a more nuanced way. Viewers, listeners, and surfers have so much options that they tend to get their news from sources that they perceive (rightly or wrongly) to be friendly to their ways of thinking. So as issues develop and events take place, everything is put into a he said/she said dynamic and the truth suffers. Politicians see this phenomenon and follow a Karl Rove triangulation strategy of appealing and representing only those who vote and support them and ignore the large minority in their districts whose voices need to be heard so our nation can move forward in a positive manner.

California Fires

FIRE!!! We here at Inland Echoes are safe. For those outside of Southern California the reality is that the great majority of damage takes place in hills and mountains that have an incredible amount of dry brush. When you consider the vast amount of land from San Diego to Santa Barbara and from the Pacific well into the desert, most areas are pretty much immune from the embers that have ignited so much trouble. Most of us are not happy about the ashes that have taken over the sky and the pollution that is engulfing much of the region. Beyond that, schools and offices and freeways have remained open except for where the true hot spots are. We have been getting inquiries from all over the country about the fire and we tell most folk that we know as much as they do because of the excellent television reporting.

Having said all the above, our hearts do go out to those several thousand who have had their homes and memories completely wiped out. With freedom to move about the freeways, it was not that difficult for many to get over to San Diego Qualcomm Stadium and deliver food and other necessities for the displaced. No one should compare this situation to New Orleans where almost all manner of transportation was blocked. Already it is a bit disheartening to see Bushites point to this disaster as an example of the administration's new rapid response. Once again we thank all who are helping to contain the fires and help the victims. But as large as this problem seems to be it pales in comparison to the New Orleans debacle. Other problems will arise and we will see if Bush and FEMA have truly learned their lessons.

Woodstock & The Rat Pack

Joey Bishop passed away today. The versatile comedian was perhaps the least known of the late 50's/early 60's original "Rat Pack" quintet which also included Sinatra, Davis, Martin, and Lawford. The high flying five set up shop in Vegas and have become synonymous with Kennedy era/pre-Vietnam Americana. As the Pack (and Elvis) faded a bit from view, the Beatles ushered in a new season of youthful music and rebelliousness which reached its height with the festival at Woodstock, New York. That both Woodstock and Mr. Bishop would be spoken of in the same newscasts today speak volumes to the cultural divide that still haunts our nation. Senators Schumer and Clinton (both from New York) had attempted to use approximately $1 million in federal funds to help develop a Woodstock museum to commemorate the watershed event. Chicken feed in federal budget realities, conservatives in the Senate seized upon the request to defeat the proposal and to paint Clinton as some sort of drug popping senior citizen hippie. There should be no doubt that the majority of the same GOP senators would have been happy to pass the funds for a "Rat Pack" museum that would celebrate what they would consider a more placid time. That the "packers" were involved in drinking, illicit sex, and gambling would not phase these Senators who still look askew at the drugs, open sex, and revolutionary music that was on stage at Woodstock. Clinton and Schumer both pointed out that their job is to bring jobs and funds to their state (in this case tourism). But just as the "Swift Boaters" painted the decorated war hero, John Kerry, as a radical Vietnam vet, today's Republican cowards were trying to make a similar affront upon Ms. Clinton's image. Perhaps to appease her critics, Clinton should move to Tennessee and ask for funds for the Grand Ole Opry.

No Bull - University of South Florida

The University of South Florida Bulls are currently ranked second in the BCS football standings. Halfway through a turbulent college football season, the little known Bulls of the Big East Conference are undefeated and pointing towards a national Bowl Championship Series January game. The commuter college located in Tampa-St. Pete has come from literally nowhere to be counted as one of the top teams in college sports' prestige athletic division. Kudos to the school's administration, athletic department, football staff, and top notch players. Yet one must wonder how such an unglamorous, ordinary, state funded school is being listed with the icons of a sport so steeped in history and legend. Beyond starting a football program in the 1990's, how did USF gain admittance to the renowned Division One Big East Conference. Further, with most top Florida high school athletes opting for Florida, Florida State, and Miami, how did the school round up enough high caliber graduates to join their program. In an era when such stellar football powerhouses such as Notre Dame and Stanford are struggling along, here comes USF (and Rutgers, Louisville, Cincinnati, etc.) into the void. Part of the answer might lie in the unquenchable thirst for big time football conferences to move their membership into heavily populated areas for television revenue. So when the Atlantic Coast Conference raids the Big East for Boston College and Virginia Tech, the Big East responds by taking Louisville and Cincinnati from the lesser Conference USA. Universities are throwing away time honored rivalries and regional affiliations as they chase ever bigger bucks. Since Miami left the Big East, the Conference wanted to keep an imprint in population rich Florida and replaced the Hurricanes with the now successful Bulls. Hoping to gain national prominence through sports, USF has poured the requisite amount of money into a nascent program that is now astounding the college world. Having broken the mold as an "expansion franchise" there should be little doubt that other schools will follow suit and throw money into a sport that seems to be following a pot of gold that continues to runneth over.

Congratulations Al

Global warming. It is serious, it could become catastrophic, it is real. And it now has been officially recognized by the world community as a group of UN scientists and former Vice-President Al Gore have been named this year's Nobel Peace Prize winners. Since the Friday morning (USA time) announcement, sales of An Inconvenient Truth (Gore's DVD) and his companion book have soared. This focus on the message that Gore has been trying to get across to so many is taking place while the media spend their precious airtime speculating on whether Gore will place his name into the Democratic presidential field. None of us are devoid of reality so there should and will be some emphasis on the political angle. Unfortunately, too much time has been spent on this. What an opportunity for the news machines to tap their little used science editors and reporters to explain the global warming phenom and how all of us can help to make a difference. In the midst of this wonderful accomplishment, it must be a bit frustrating for Gore to continuously have to spend his interviewing time talking about his non-planned run for president. That people are reaching beyond the news surface and buying items that can educate them about their dying planet is a refreshing revelation. Thank you Al for your commitment to our planet and to all of us too busy or too lazy to see what ill effect we are having as we use up the finite resources here on Earth.

Move On With Dignity

A GUEST POSTING BY BIG V:

The Yankees have lost and many feel sad. The fans would have loved for them to have gone all the way. But a close look reveals that this Yankees team was always playing to a survival mode. There is no doubt that every game in the Cleveland series reflected that truth.

The Yankees needed to lose this series to move on from the World Series Dynasty nostalgia of the late 1990's. No longer can they expect to use Andy Petite, Roger Clemens, and Mariano Rivera to dominate the new baseball league that is emerging in cities like Denver, Phoenix and Cleveland. A best-of-5 series favors the pitchers. And even when the Yankees had their pitching on track, they couldn't put together the hitting side of their game. Johnny Damon had a great series. He is the lead off guy, the one you look to get things started. Although when he caught on fire, no one else did. His four RBIs were the difference in game 3. No one else on the team was a difference maker in any other game. The last inning of the series we saw why this Yankee team is to be feared with Bobby Abreu hitting a home run and Jorge Posada almost finding the same spot Abreu did. But it was too little too late and the Yankees lost. Even nature was out to make sure that the Yankees faced reality (or did you forget those nasty bugs?).

George Steinbrenner doesn't realize that he can make a great show out of this defeat. He showed little class to Joe Torre by sending Torre a warning message through the media. He could have congratulated the great Yankee core that has been there for all these seasons and send off guys like Torre, Posada, Rivera, and Clemens with dignity. These guys brought home rings and they won the division time and time again. Even this year with such an odd team, they overcame and made it to the playoffs as the Wild Card. Now it's time for some of them to move on to other places as they leave behind a legacy and standard of greatness. Don Mattingly now knows what is expected of him because of Joe Torre...but is it fair for Mattingly to expect to win with Torre's team?

The Yankees have new blood in their pitching, a true ace in Wang, a true leader in Jeter and now they have a new stadium being built for a new era of Yankee baseball. The torch must be passed because the Yankees can no longer live in the past.

Kingdoms

The only true kingdom should be the one that belongs to the Lord. We who follow Jesus are his servants working to bring a message of reconciliation, love, and acceptance to a world in great need. Whether as a lay person, missionary, lower church official, or one blessed with a higher position, all are just caretakers of the Lord's church. No family should attempt to establish an earthly kingdom in Jesus' name. Too often the originating minister grooms his son and other family members to take the reins of the ministry when he is too old to continue. Thus we have a Robert Schuller handing his church over to his son, Jerry Fallwell's son Jonathan now pastors his Virginia church, and of course there is the current hot story: Richard Roberts. Richard took over the presidency of Oral Roberts University from his namesake dad. Now the accusations from three former professors are coming out in full public view. Stories of preferred treatment for family members and friends and misuse of precious school funds for personal use are rocking the ORU campus and causing embarrassment via cable news and other media sources. All of these ministries were started with the best intentions. But if those who build them realize that they are just God's instrument and not the owner, so many problems would not materialize. Perhaps the Catholics do have something in that priests, bishops, cardinals, and popes are forbidden to marry. There is no pressure to earn money for a family and to find cushy jobs for spouse and offspring. On the other hand, a married Protestant minister should thank God for all he (or she) has and pray even more for God's help in discerning the difference in performing ministry and providing for a family. The more one is given the more one must depend on Jesus.

Cackle

New World Dictionary definition of "CACKLE":

to make the shrill broken sounds of a hen

The hidden enemy for Hillary Clinton is her gender. She is a she. All of our presidents have been a he. The intelligence, experience, and coolness that Clinton exhibits in debates, news interviews, and in public appearances is not enough for many in the media. Led by FOX News and echoed by such a mainstream voice as MSNBC's Chris Matthews, Clinton has been brought to task for her slightly long laughs while being interviewed. Instead of praising her for a bit of humor or maybe being a little critical as the laughter might mask a sign of nervousness, the TV pundits are calling her laughs a "CACKLE". Once again we are getting down to coded language. Hillary is just another air headed woman who never ever could stand up to the potential threats that our country faces from countries such as North Korea and Iran. She messed up on health insurance (of course no one mentions that fourteen years later Congress still doesn't have the balls to truly take this issue on) and as a meddling woman she must not have any real handle on Wall Street, the mortgage crisis, and other economic problems. Barring a total collapse, Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee in 2008. Defeating the Republicans will be difficult enough but now the real adversary is rearing its head: wimpy men who twist and turn when they think of a woman having true power and authority. All campaigns end up the same: the vital issues and ideas are pushed to the side as personality and appearance become preeminent. In the end we all become losers no matter who the ultimate winner is. Hillary was just hitting her stride wowing everyone with her debating skills. Enjoying her position and relaxing a bit, a bit of the real person was allowed to leak out with her laughing episodes. Now with all the critical comments, her handlers will reign her in so that she no longer can be loose and be the real person that everyone desperately wants to see.

Swarming

The pitcher from central casting came into the seventh inning of a must win situation. The large stocky flame thrower from the plains of Nebraska was called on to bail out the heroic veteran starting hurler. With a man in scoring position, rookie phenom Joba Chamberlain, throwing for baseball's most storied franchise, put out the fire and kept the New Yorkers up by one run. The script called for Joba to pitch the ninth and then turn the game over to the ultimate finisher, Mariano Rivera. Oh, if life was just a script, the Yankees would be heading back to their fabled Bronx ballpark with the series tied one to one. Unfortunately, life threw the Bombers a curve ball.

To be more specific, the Yankees did not lose to the Cleveland Indians on Friday night. No, they were done in by a Biblical host of swarming gnats that picked the eighth inning as their chosen moment to emerge from the depths of nearby Lake Erie and descend upon the Yankees. The two all time superstars on the left side of the infield - Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter - were no match for the tiny Mayflies (aka Canadian Soldiers). There they were in front of a huge television audience, using their gloves in a futile effort to get the flies off of them. Luckily, the position players were just innocent bystanders. The same could not be said for the young Mr. Chamberlain. Apparently, the Mayflies are attracted to sweat. The huge pitcher's neck was a repository of perspiration and viewers could see dozens of the little pests hanging on the neck of the Yankee pitcher as he attempted to find the plate sixty feet away. The flies would have their way, as Joba uncorked two wild pitches, hit a batsman, and yield a walk and ultimately a tying run.

Not even the Yankees can fight fate. It was inevitable that once the Mayflies opened the gates, the Indians would find a way to prevail (which they did in inning number eleven). The amazing thing is that the Mayflies live on the bottom of Lake Erie and only come up a few times a year to buzz around for a few hours before returning to their watery home, where the females drop thousands of eggs, and then die. The question all will ask is how did these innocent creatures know to swarm when the Yankees took the field in that fateful eighth inning and zero in on a pitcher who had been overpowering against the entire league for the past two months? An Oriole, a Tiger, and not even an Angel had bettered Joba Chamberlain. Who would have figured there was a team of Flies in the American League?

Who Can We Help?

Last week we focused on Burma. Off and on for the past few years it has been Darfur. When his videos pop up attention turns to Osama. As rich a nation as the United States is, we do have limits to our resources. There are pressing needs abroad and here at home. Who can we send to Burma and Africa to make a difference? It will take a committed and focused effort to bring bin Laden to justice. Our children cry out for humane medical coverage but our president is spooked by his fear of creeping socialistic medical practices and a belated desire to keep a tight budget.

Obviously, the problem lies with Iraq. It is sucking everything out of our country. It is a boat that has too many leaks. It is a football team that is weak on defense, has a sore armed quarterback, and questionable coaching. Because of our incredible use of funds in the Iraqi theater and our stretching thin of an all-volunteer military, we can only pay lip service to a world and nation at great risk. Our highways and bridges need upgrading, our schools need new infusions of energy and money, and our citizens need help with the rising tide of medical financial disaster. People around the world cry out for our help but we can only give them quaint slogans and no real help. Bush is attempting to run out the clock but will he be able to dodge any more potential disasters and permanent damage to the physical and emotional foundation of our great nation?

The Search For A Moral Candidate

Good afternoon sir. I'm James Dobson of the Council For National Security. Well, I'm not supposed to let you know what organization I represent seeing how we are a secret group. But heck, I heard you have some solid credentials and we are looking for a candidate to run on our morality ticket.

Thank you sir. Actually I'm not sure that I want to be president but some folks urged me to come and see you.

Okay, that's fair and good. So fill me in on your positions. You know, on the big issues.

Where should I start?

Obviously, on this war in Iraq. Surely you are for national security.

National? I'm really focused on international. Shouldn't we see all folks as our neighbors and work to meet one another's needs?

Philosophically I could agree with you. But come on, we are facing the fanatical Islamic radicals and this is the war to end that threat once and for all.

I've heard that this war has been going on for many years now. What has been the cost in lives and funds?

Why are you answering my questions with your own queries? Okay, let's try a different tack. How about guns? I, we here at the Council are big proponents of gun freedom. Surely, you agree on that.

Who do I want to kill? I really don't see why I would need such protection if we all can be moving in the direction of love and compassion. I mentioned the international scene. Well, we could boil that down to respecting those who live on our streets.

You know, maybe you were steered towards the wrong political group. Love? Are you from the sixties? Maybe, you should be over at the left wing Democrats. Let me throw out one more issue to you. What about those weird gay people? You would not want them to get married? And while I'm at it, what about all those illegals from Mexico way, who come across our borders and pollute our cities and culture?

Sir, you are probably right. I must have come to the wrong place. I was told that this was a group of people who were looking for cleanliness and decency in society. But all of your viewpoints seem about warmongering, hatred of other peoples,and an intolerance towards those you perceive to be different. Why would I be against the poor and unfortunate who are coming to this country for a chance to better their lives. Isn't that a noble goal?

Man, you are really weird. Hey Grover, Rev. Wildmon, and DeVos, we better cross this guy off of our list along with McCain, Giuliani, and that Mormon Romney. Let's keep praying for the perfect candidate who wants to rid our world. . .

The Medicore Team That Everybody Now Knows

Point the fingers. Start the blame game. Keep booing. A venerable sporting franchise has collapsed over this past weekend: The U.S. Women's World Cup Soccer Team. Before stepping out on the Chinese World Cup pitch, super sponsor Nike proclaimed the team "the greatest team that nobody knows". Well more than a few now know about them. The women were playing the World Cup for the first time without most of their veterans (i.e. Mia Hamm, etc.) All was going along well with new goalie sensation Hope Solo. Inexplicably U.S. coach Greg Ryan reached back to that past by playing the unused former great, Brianna Scurry, in place of Solo in the all important semi-final match versus Brazil. Everything went wrong as Scurry seemed sluggish and the team seemed off its mark and the almost unbeatable American strikers lost 4 to 0. Not that the Americans were playing that great in the tournament but Coach Ryan blinked at the wrong time by losing faith in a goalkeeper who was performing and peaking at just the right time. He basically divided his squad between those wanting the younger Solo to stay in the net and those who backed the coach's move. Wrong time and wrong place for such boneheaded decision making. Solo pointed out the insanity of the coach's decision and might become ostracized by the U.S. soccer federation. By Hope Solo going on record with her feelings this negative story might have turned on the appropriateness of her comments instead of staying fixated on Coach Ryan. Nike wanted publicity for the team and they now have tons of it: All of the wrong kind!

Pray For Burma

"The Burmese Harp" is an extraordinary 1956 Japanese anti-war film directed by Kon Ichikawa. A Japanese squadron is confronted with the surrender of their country while deep within Burma. Surrendering to the British, the soldiers are faced with their imminent return to their defeated nation. What makes this group of soldiers so special is that their commanding officer was a choir director before the war and so they are an unusually lyrical group of warriors. One of the men, Mizushima, has mastered the playing of the Burmese harp. Called on to plead for peace with the last Japanese battalion holed up in a mountain cave, Mizushima becomes separated from his brother soldiers and begins a spiritual journey that ends with him remaining in Burma as a novice Buddhist monk. The film's plea for reason and higher purpose over conflict and destruction is resonant throughout. Had the character of Mizushima been real one would wonder if he would be a master in a Yagon monastary and an inspiration to his younger charges as they demonstrate against the brutality of the military junta that has brought Burma to ruin. The monk who instructs the young Japanese soldier tells him the blunt truth - England nor Japan will ever control the nation as only Buddha can be the only true ruler. Whatever your religious background one must be amazed to see the dedication of the current monks in their struggle to bring freedom to their people. May we all pray for a miracle so that the Burmese people can live in peace and prosperity.

The Big Three

It must be difficult for Hillary, Barack, and Edwards to share the debate stage month after month with the rest of the Democratic field. As nice and qualified as Biden, Dodd and Richardson are (sorry can't say the same about the rest of the guys), they really have no chance at all of winning the party's nomination. So as moderators ask the questions it becomes a work of art for the viewer to know when to remote over to another station for a short while to avoid the answers of the also-runs. Unfortunately, the die has been cast and this is the way the remaining debates will be run until the early primaries knock some of the contenders out. By having so many responses, the range of topics becomes constricted. Viewers will have trouble discerning the difference between the top three as the responses of the other five get in the way of a good old fashioned give and take debate. Obviously, we are in a democracy and we can't set our candidates' chances on how much money and poll support they seem to have in the early stages. But it would be much more realistic to have the opportunity to hear and see the three top dogs all alone in the center ring.

True Americans

He's fifty-nine years old. His wife is the receptionist for a local dentist. One of their children graduated from a state university while the other works in the construction trade. Their early eighties built home has four years left before the mortgage is completely paid off. He has been active in Little League as a coach and an active VFW member. She is a Sunday School teacher and a volunteer at the public library. He fought for his nation in Vietnam and married his high school sweetheart after returning form the war. He has worked for twenty-seven years at the venerable GM plant that dominates his mid-western town. He has risen to become a foreman and has only called in sick thirteen times in all those years. The two are thinking about moving down to Florida once he can earn a complete retirement. They vote, pay taxes, and for all intent and purposes are bedrock model citizens. They believe(d) in the American Dream: work hard, play by the rules, move ahead economically and spiritually; not asking for handouts. Now as their golden years beckon reality has hit. He is on strike. That secure retirement now does not seem so certain. Will there be enough health coverage as they move on into their sixties and seventies? America once made a promise to a couple like this. That promise held well deep into the last century. Has the global environment, the preeminence of the stock market, and a presidential administration hellbent against any form of expanded health and pension coverage conspired to take away all that they have worked so hard for? Think about these true Americans when you watch tonight's newscasts and see what the GM workers are fighting so hard for.

Notre Dame

Everybody has a down year. Or do they? Babe Ruth knew that he was getting paid more than President Herbert Hoover when he famously stated, "I had a better year than him." Most historians would agree with the Bambino that most of Hoover's time in the White House was a disaster. Babe's Yankees would go on to win over twenty-five world championships over the years. But even the Bronx Bombers would have long stretches of ineptitude in the late sixties and early seventies and again from the late eighties through the mid nineties. The Dallas Cowboys, the Montreal Canadians, and the fabled Boston Celtics have all seen recent years of frustration. Tom Hanks has had his "DaVinci Code", Sylvester Stallone went under in "Over The Top", Kirsten Dunst met an ill fate in "Marie Antoinette", and superstar Tom Cruise should have had his eyes opened before appearing in "Eyes Wide Shut". So as the college football season reaches towards the falling leaves of October it comes as a complete shock that one program, the incredibly successful Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, has finally reached rock bottom. In 119 years of football, the blessed team has compiled twelve losing seasons. Yet their overall victory total is over 800 and they boast of a .743 won-lost percentage. But now reality has sunk in. It took all these years and well over a thousand games before Notre Dame started a season with four consecutive losses. Through a combination of prayer, loads of donors' money, and the hard sweat and toil of generations of tough minded athletes, the school has avoided the ignominy that has befallen on every other type of sports, artistic, and common place institution and person. Instead of admitting defeat and giving up the ghost, the administrators, coaches, and players should be thankful for this sudden rush to humility. For out of the ashes of defeat can spring the seeds of success and the miraculous. With "touchdown Jesus" watching, victory can not be that far off and perhaps a touch of gratitude will touch all those who play and follow the Irish.

MoveOn: MoveOver

When the messenger becomes the message things are out of whack. Even after General Petraeus' testimony, the amount of Americans supporting the war effort has declined. All the White House's carefully crafted advertising campaign was for naught. So with all the momentum being built up along comes MoveOn with their half brained New York Times "Betray Us" broadsheet. Obviously, the American public is not stupid and knew that they were being duped. Yet there is still another strong strain in most Americans that want to believe in our uniformed personnel while doubting the direction of the war. MoveOn could have gotten away with slamming Bush but they went over an invisible line by attacking (even if that is not really want they intended to do)the General. Believe him or not, Petraeus has given his life to defending our nation and there seems little in his resume that would call for such harsh words to be used. As stated in this blog before, it is time for all Liberals to get real. Dennis Kucinich is not going to be elected. We live in a rough, give and take world. We push for equitable and reasonable laws but must make compromises as we slowly move in the right direction. Sitting at a computer (just like I am doing) and preaching left wing purity will not stop well financed Republican candidates. It is time to get a bit dirty and worldly if electable Democrats (yes, such as Hillary Clinton) are going to be voted into power. MoveOn, move over to the side, work quietly, and stop panting for unnecessary attention.

CHIPs

In more innocent times CHIPs stood for the old Erik Estrada California Highway Patrol show. In most episodes, Officers Ponch & Jon (Larry Wilcox) would take up the cause of some unfortunate lost Southern California soul finding the victim a place to live, matching him or her with an estranged acquaintance, or getting medical/financial help to put the person's life back on the road to recovery. In our fast paced new millennium, CHIP now is the acronym for the federal Children's Health Insurance Program. For each year of the past decade the program has been doling about $5 billion to needy children for basic medical coverage. Now with the Dems in legislative power, a bill has been passed that would more than double the monies available to our nation's most important resource - our offspring. Our uninformed president has threatened to veto this vital program in the name of creeping socialism and financial constraints. What needs to be mentioned is that the yearly cost for the program will increase to about $12 billion while the annual price tag of the Iraqi quagmire in the next fiscal year will be about $108 billion. Who will be benefiting from such largesse? Haliburton, Blackwater, and all the other usual suspects. Hard to believe, but the original CHIPs guys, Ponch and Jon, carried a heart a lot larger than the one residing in the man who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall;
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King's horses
And all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again!





A day; a week; a month.
The intervals might stretch or come one
after another. The point is that Iraq is
broken and all of our efforts are futile.
There really is no victory or success in
Mesopotamia. Abu Ghraib, civilian deaths,
roadside bombs, Shiia vs. Sunni, friendly
fire death of an NFL superstar, bombings
of mosques, Blackwater run amok. If its
not one thing it is another. OJ and Britney
can not hide the horrible truth.

Where have all the young men gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Appearances

It really is in the marketing. What looks good will sell. The team behind President Bush will be using all their tools as they continue America's futile struggle in Iraq. Their goal is to bury and entangle us so deeply in the desert soil that no newly elected president (whether Republican or Democrat) will easily be able to pull the plug on the project. With this in mind team Bush will pull off a Christmas card for the entire nation to enjoy. With the current volunteer military, the great majority of Americans do not have a vested interest in the war. When the holidays come around CNN, Fox, MSNBC, etc. will have their cameras rolling at domestic bases as a minute amount of troops (perhaps up to 5,000 from the 160,000 now in the warzone) come home to cheers, hugs, and hero's welcome. The appearance of good will and love will overwhelm us and make it seem like the war is being won and many troops are now home. The cruel reality that 155,000 or so will still be in harm's way for at least another six to eight months will be lost as the media froths over the real and touching photo ops that will desensitize America to what is really going on. The Bush team is brilliant at distortion and their use of a token withdrawal designed to keep us at war will be a cynical Christmas gift.

South Korea Redux

At least there's fun in Korea. For over fifty years American soldiers have been stationed on the Korean peninsula. It is the world's ultimate longest running "Cold War". But what a great place to be stationed - close proximity to the rest of Asia, modern conveniences in a booming nation, good food, nice weather, girls, etc. So President Bush must have his geography wrong when he hinted tonight at a perpetual American presence in Iraq. What good is that going be for the soldiers of this and future generations - nearness to many of the world's dangerous places, run down infrastructure, unfamiliar food, hot, hot, hot weather, no girls, etc. If you are going to pick a place to make a stand at least have a heart and let our young recruits live in some form of paradise and security.