Sunday, September 30, 2007

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!

Friday, September 28, 2007

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.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

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.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

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.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

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.

Friday, September 21, 2007

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.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

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.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

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?

Sunday, September 16, 2007

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.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

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.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Dr. Zaius - General Petraeus


There is a great Simpsons musical interlude where the Planet of the Apes' Dr. Zaius is lauded. Basically the good doctor's name is intoned over and over again... "Dr. Zaius Dr. Zaius Dr. Zaius Dr. Zaius..." Why think about this? Because Bush has pushed forward a similar sounding leader "General Petraeus General Petraeus". Already MoveOn.org is rhyming his name with "betray us". Chris Matthews has compared him to a Roman Centurion crossing the Rubicon and acting like a Caesar. So another entire year of this insane war has fallen on the shoulders of this career soldier. President Bush will speak to the nation Thursday night and hide behind his general's views as the troop levels will remain high deep into 2008. Knowing that he is no longer credible, Bush has thrust Petraeus on center stage. When the good general had no answer for Senator Warner's penetrating inquiry on the war's relationship to keeping America safe, the gig should have been up. We are fighting for truth, justice, and the American way! If this means dragging our noble soldiers into more of harm's way - so be it! If this means making things even more complicated for a new administration in January 2009 - let it be! Bush is hell bent on seeing this war to no conclusion at all. Maybe we should throw up our hands, see the absurdity that the Simpsons shined on the original Doctor and sing "General Petraeus General Petraeus". At least we can smile and keep some of our sanity.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

September 11

Six years ago. We all lived through that terrible day. We were glued to television to become eyewitnesses to the most horrific one day tragedy in our nation's history. We cried, we cringed, we feared. Yet we were never truly defeated. Collectively we vowed to rebuild and to take down those who perpetuated the evil destruction that cost over three thousand lives. Looking back to such an event does not emote nostalgia but it does reflect on an innocency that no longer is there. Democrat or Republican. Blue or Red. It did not matter. We cheered for the firefighters and police. We were initially led by a courageous Rudy Giuliani who we put much of our trust in. Although absent at first, we even ran to President Bush's side and followed him as he embraced those toiling in the remnants of the trade towers. He said we would find the guilty ones and bring them to justice. We believed. We prayed that he would be the one to help us in the physical and spiritual rebuilding. But now six years past and how we were deceived. Deceived into a wrong turn into a war that might never end. Deceived into allowing almost four thousand more to die in a country which had nothing to do with the infamous act. Deceived into letting thousands more bear the marks of war while we partied and played and followed Paris and Britney. To imagine that on this very day, the long awaited war report from General Petraeus would be heard. How did Congress fall for this? Should there not have been a solemn closing of the government for the day? Instead Bush has gotten his wish. By holding the Iraq hearings on September 11, this new American holy day, the President hopes to permanently link and sear into our brains that his Iraq policy is one and the same with the tracking down of bin Laden and the real criminals of 9/11. The question now is will enough of us be fooled into believing his twisted logic and fall prey to his deceit. If we don't awaken from these lies a whole generation will be defined not by September 11 but by a needless war in Iraq.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Discounted Echoes Books On Sale


Ken Aven's highly acclaimed novel is now on special sale for a limited time.

Connie Vines, noted author of native American stories, calls Chavez Ravine Echoes "...a delight of a read. A powder-keg of a secret, romance, and baseball. What more could readers want?"

Echoes reveals the hidden world buried underneath Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium and its enormous parking lots. The tale shines a light on the social injustice that uprooted a two thousand strong ethnic community and how government through the use of eminent domain can impact the lives of the people that it is supposed to serve and protect.

Autographed copies of Chavez Ravine Echoes can be bought direct from the author for $16.50 (including postage). Send a check payable to Ken Aven and mail to:

Ken Aven
P.O. Box 4445
Ontario, Calif. 91761

Who Has Family Values?


The old adage is practice what you preach. Why? So that when you point out a problem/concern about someone else, that person should be able to look to you as an example. Jesus was aware of this. He said not to chastise your neighbor if you yourself were just as guilty. With this common knowledge it is amazing how many Republican leaders continue to paint themselves as virtuous family men while chiding the Democrats for destroying the traditional family structure. The last I looked, the top three Democratic presidential candidates were still married to their original spouses and have been so for a long time. Obama, Clinton, and Edwards have preserved their nuclear families. John Edwards' situation is particularly poignant as Elizabeth is in the final throes of cancer. Even Hillary is a champion of the family as she refused to leave/divorce from philandering Bill. Whatever her motive, she has preserved her marriage and is an excellent mother. Meanwhile those who proudly and publicly call out their virtuous ideas to the nation seem to fall short in this area. Rudy Giuliani is on wife number three and from what many can ascertain has little to do with his children. John McCain is a divorced man who married someone younger. Newly minted candidate, Fred Thompson got his high school sweetheart pregnant, did marry her, but also ended up in divorce. Thompson was famous in Washington circles for escorting many younger women and now is married to Jeri, who is twenty-five years younger. There are others but I do not want to belabor the point. Going back to Jesus, he said to pray and do your good deeds silently and in private. Politicians and political movements who beat their chests and loudly claim righteousness need to look in the mirror and see their own reality.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Labor Day Baseball - National League


Mediocrity. Professional sports are being massaged so that as many teams as possible have a chance to win championships. On the surface this seems like a good thing. Level the playing field by forbidding big market, deep pocket clubs from purchasing the best players. Thus fans in Minnesota and San Antonio have just as much to root for as patrons residing in New York and Los Angeles. Salary caps and revenue sharing are some of the ways that modern sports leagues police the big spenders. But is this the real way to go? Currently, the only sport that has not fully reigned in the rich organizations is major league baseball. Thus, teams like the Yankees and Red Sox, spend what they need to do to ensure ongoing success. These teams have big followings and strive for excellence on the field. Obviously big money is being spent by most major league teams but the level playing terms have created very average clubs the opportunity to stay in the hunt for October and beyond. Last season, a sub par Cardinals squad caught fire at the end of the year and went on to win the World Series. This season, a similar scenario seems to be playing out again. In the National League Central, three barely .500 teams, the Cardinals, the Cubs, and the Brewers are battling for division honors. A similar situation is taking place in the west where teams with no name hitters - the Padres, the Diamondbacks, the Dodgers, and the Rockies - are trying to get into the playoffs. Finally, in the east, the three deep pocketed teams - the Mets, Phillies, and Braves - are fighting off injuries and assorted problems. Where the American League has teams full of superstars, perhaps only the Mets and Phillies, are also rich in top drawer talent. Sports should be about achieving greatness. Whether individually or collectively, players and management should strive to do all they can to award their loyal fans and reach for their dreams. Why else would one follow a professional sport?

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Labor Day Baseball - American League


Tradition calls for baseball fans to pause at three prominent holidays during the long season to take stock of where the pennant races stand. The first measure is taken during Memorial Day. Two months into the season can give a glimpse into which teams have gotten off to a quick start and which are already buried with lousy records. Halfway through is July Fourth. Teams that are in contention that deep into the season have to make hard decisions about whether to go for broke and pick up veterans to bolster the roster for the stretch run. Finally, there is Labor Day. The dog days of August are over and one last month (thirty games) are left. With the holiday just having ended it would be fun to see who really has a shot at postseason action. In the American League things are a bit more settled than in the senior circuit. The Red Sox despite being swept by the Yankees are still in a commanding position to win the east. The Angels are running away with the west. That leaves the Indians and Tigers battling in the central with the Cleveland nine having the upper hand. As always, the Yankees are in the mix, but this time for the Wild Card spot. Seattle is playing the Bombers as this is being written but probably will fade. The Yankees pitching could still self destruct allowing the Tigers to slip in but this would be a real upset. So as things look now, it will be the Red Sox, Indians, Angels, and Yankees. Many years ago sports fans would be arguing over this in a passionate manner. But with the preponderance of televised sports and the current popularity with football (both professional and collegiate) one wonders how many followers of the nation's once proud pastime are that emotionally involved with the standings.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Wal-Mart

The battle in my area is over a twenty-four hour Wal-Mart. After three years of reports and meetings, the city of Ontario, California's planning commission unanimously voted to approve the project and send it to the five person city council for final acceptance. Despite over three hundred outraged local residents who showed up at a Thursday night meeting, Wal-Mart is very close to winning this battle. It is obvious that in a growing San Bernardino County, Wal-Mart will have many shoppers drooling to get inside its doors and snap up the low price merchandise. The issue in this battle was not the residents hatred of Wal-Mart's predatory practices and its low salary structure and poor health benefits for employees. Most of those who spoke out against the giant chain did want the store to built in their most residential area. With Ontario busting as the seems and growing into former dairy lands, the residents could not understand why a twenty-four hour superstore had to be put so close to their homes, churches, schools, and parks. North Ontario is home to many older folk who have lived in the city since the 1950's and 60's. These are the people who literally built the city and were Ontario's economic backbone for many years. I went to the planning meeting and was disheartened and brought to a tear or two to see regular hard working folk publicly pour out their hearts only to have a callous planning commission vote against them. There can be no doubt that Wal-Mart is using its power and wealth to pull the strings in this situation. You always hear about corporations and developers getting their way but to see this happen at such a close distance makes one wonder what our democracy has come to.