Tuesday, November 09, 2010

decision breakdown

Lots of great discussions on Morning Joe this morning, all generated from analysis of President Bush's interview by Matt Layer. Good to see he recognized a few "mistakes". Very good point made by Joe re Waterboarding vs. Massive drone attacks that show no discrimination. More to follow...
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Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Rand Paul and the New Bohemians

random thoughts about last night's election results...
Who would you rather be -- Christine O'Donnell's opponent (who won), or Rand Paul's opponent (who lost)? I only mention Chris Coons in this example because, prior to the primaries, he was labeled as a very weak choice to run for the Dems, everybody knew it, and yet here he is, Mr. Senator-elect, thanks to being the more-sane option in the statewide election. He should be thanking his lucky stars today. Then again, if you are a student of political science, you would know that the U.S. political history is full of stories about how certain winners came to be because of the weakness or blunders of their otherwise heavily-favored opponents. We do know one thing: he can't blame witchcraft! And how about Jack Conway in Kentucky -- dude, not only did you lose your election, but you just lost to Rand friggin' Paul! Now, I'm not either for or against Paul, and I really wish him (and all the other winners) well -- they have a huge weight of expectations on their shoulders today going forward -- but Conway should have (and could have) run a more effective campaign that what he did, especially given his opponent. Paul and his fellow tea-partiers are fringe at best, and they still have not come up with alternative and specific solutions to the problems they rail against. If you have read my previous posts, you would know that this is a pet peeve of mine, especially in the past two elections when the Dems were all too caustic against President Bush, but had no specific solutions of their own. Now we see why -- it's not as easy to solve issues as it is to point them out and complain about them.
In my opinion, I believe the American voters have seen and felt this, too, and have finally expressed their displeasure via their votes. The Dems knew we were in crisis mode when they came into power two years ago, and yes, they have accomplished a few things, but in this day and age of "instant gratification" and "what have you done for me lately", immediate actions speak much louder than words. Gone are the days when Washington can sit on an agenda and take their time to iron things out. We are used to having things NOW: The tv is instant-on; just about every kitchen has had a microwave in it for years; refrigerators and/or freezer are stocked with microwavable foods; we support one-stop shopping for clothes-groceries-banking-dry cleaning-etc; our creditors expect immediate payment (and have no tolerance for slack); the world of information is not only at our fingertips via our computer, but our computer has the ability to operate with the latest, fastest broadband width conceivable (and then some); we all have mobile phones that do much more than just make phone calls, making us instantly available...and I can go on. The point is that we have this mind-set in our sub-conscious and therefore we no longer tolerate slack from anything, whether it's our vendors, our neighbors, or our politicians. So Good Luck, you new Tea Party peeps -- just be sure to understand that you are not beholden to all of your agenda, you would be wise to pick your battles. Good Luck, John Boehner -- personally, I believe that you will be a huge improvement over Nancy Pelosi (the bar is very low to begin with), just don't make the mistake that Newt Gingrich did and let it all go to your head. The nation awaits -- but remember, don't take too long to act!

Monday, November 01, 2010

The New Version of the Old Scene

So I heard on Morning Joe this morning (of course) that if Sarah Palin runs for President in 2012, then the Democratic Party will resurrect from the pit of despair by way of this single event. The Dems, you see, have been in a bit of a slump lately, and with the mid-term election only hours away, the gloom is starting to take over the doom that surrounds the conjecture of the massive losses they will incur at the voting booth. Most of this malaise comes from the consistent inconsistency that we see daily from the White House, in addition to the low approval ratings tied to the public's dissatisfaction with politician's ineffectiveness during an economic crisis within our country. Having someone as polarizing as Palin run for POTUS would rally the troops a la 2008 and would be a much-welcome pain reliever. That got me to thinking: Palin is so polarizing...wait, I've seen that word used before, for another political target...oh, that's right, it was when every political wonk in 2007 was talking about Hillary Clinton's run for POTUS! Yes, I remember it well. The 'publicans were all up in arms about how dare this woman even think she's qualified for the top job, grab your pitchforks and torches, this just cannot happen!! And yet, as we moved into the 2008 campaign, we saw just how humanizing Hillary became, to the point of being driven to tears (gasp! the horror!). The longer we saw Hillary on our every-day televised events and commercials, the more subdued we became and the more we began to like her as a person. Many of us were starting to accept and legitimize her candidacy as a viable option to some of the ultra right- and left-wing zealots. It all ended during the primaries when Obama just out-ran her, but for one shining moment, she reached the top of the credibility mountain, after what seemed a lifetime of fighting to clear her reputation and show her viability. Flash forward only two years later and we are here again, only this time with a GOP version in the form of Sarah Palin. Watch out, 'publicans -- karma is a bitch (no pun intended)!

Friday, October 22, 2010

The Dem's Beautiful Nightmare

As we enter the final weeks before mid-term elections, the rhetoric increases daily about how the Democrats will lose a lot of ground to the GOP because of voter sentiment and dissatisfaction. It's no secret that Americans vote their pocketbooks, but don't think this election is in the bag for the majority party. There's still a slight hangover from the previous administration and the Dems are doing all they can now to remind voters of it. Is it too little, too late? You may think so at first, but I believe it's a well-planned effort by the DNC to not be so quick to point fingers so as to give the RNC more ammunition to fire back. Both parties want to be on the defensive because voters like to see the responses, and he who laughs last usually wins the fight. The RNC knows this and that's why you see continuous "baiting" from them on any/all fronts, whether it's the Don't Ask, Don't Tell issue (funny how that just came up this month) or the economic downturn (but not too fast -- we don't want voters to remember how it all started...or do we?). DNC, on the other hand, has their own baiting with the recent Foreclosure Moratorium (again, funny that it just came up this month) and the economic downturn (but not too fast -- we don't want voters to remember how's it been going in the past two years). It's a bob-and-weave scenario that will play out for another couple of weeks. We see that former President Clinton is now starting to stump, and the current POTUS is positioning himself for his own last-minute stumping, too. Frankly speaking, it's the "quiet" consensus among the pundits that the best thing for Obama is to have the GOP regain the majority in the House, reason being that (1) history has shown more success when the Legislative Branch and the Executive Branch are controlled separately, and (2) this will give each of them a "legitimate" target to blame if things take too long to resolve or initiate. Fact is that voters want to see results that both parties worked on, and no more bitching about the other side. Sure, there's always room for complaints, but remember that those complaints are usually designed to get the other side to compromise and move stuff forward. Of course the DNC will never admit that this is what they want, and it's so funny to see Obama come out now with weak admissions of failure to get out the true message and trumpet the successes of the administration in the past two years (and yes, there have been a few). If the Dems keep control of Congress, hurray, the voters have spoken and we get more of the same. If the GOP regains control of Congress, hurray, let's see you put your money (well, actually, our money) where your mouth is and get off the pot! Just know one thing, as we head into the 2012 general election: be careful what you wish for.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Guest Writer Time!!

Today's contribution comes from Ms. Andrea Aldrete. Hope you like it as much as her proud Dad did...

"Do you remember when you were in elementary school and your teachers would have you write an “essay” and you would think it was the hardest thing to do? But in reality it was really only two paragraphs long. Then when you got older and went in to high school and an “essay” suddenly became three pages. I was the kid who had no idea what to write and would just sit and look around not even thinking about what I should write. Here and there a thought about what I should write would come to mind, but I never put that much thought into it because I'd much rather think about what mom would be making for dinner, or when the teacher would tell us it's time to go to recess. Then there would be the kids who would always start right away and then five minutes later when you would look back at their paper they were already done. I always hated that...always. Not much has changed since elementary school to be honest. Actually now, even though I'm in high school, if we're given time to write the essay in class, I'm still that same kid who just looks around and can't think of anything to write... I'll be honest with you I just stopped typing and started looking around for about ten minutes before I started typing again. The point in what I'm writing isn't about elementary school and how hard we thought it was to write an “essay”. The point in what I'm writing is the fact that people are given simple tasks to do each day, for example “the essay”, and we always make such a big deal about how our teachers suck because the gave us “really hard work”. Then when you think about it the “paper really wasn't that hard or that long...I think that people take themselves way to seriously most of the time, when we should be grateful for the things that we do have, because if you compared “your hard work” to somebody else and their actual hard work, you wouldn't have even thought about saying your work was hard at all. Think about the people who's everyday life is being in the war, seeing things that you wish you could have never seen, or the people who's life is just trying to find scraps of food to survive... But we bitched and moaned about how hard it was writing an “essay”. Seriously, was it really that hard? Life is meant to be difficult, if it wasn't there wouldn't be a point in going through all that we do. Everybody has their own problems and everybody thinks that their life is the worst it could ever be at one point. I know because I've been there. I've been to the point where I wished I could just stop time around me, pack up my things and leave without anybody knowing. That way I could go somewhere else and just start over. Start a new life with new friends and meet new people, but then I realized, that new people are only new for a day. Then when tomorrow comes, they aren't new anymore. I've been to the point where I just wanted to end my life completely because I didn't want to go on anymore in misery. Then one day my dad told me what I still look back on today and will never forget. He said “Andrea, each day will get a little easier. Tomorrow will be just a little bit better than today was.” I thought he was an idiot for saying that and that he had no idea what he was talking about. But then again what child thinks that there parents are right I mean really? In the end, he was right, and personally, I think that it was the best advice that anyone had ever given me, only because, it's so true. The point in you knowing what I just said was that if a fifteen year old girl is saying this now because she got through it just like her daddy said, and I was fourteen when I was going through it, that anybody should be able to pick themselves back up and eventually get back on the right track, eventually."

Monday, September 06, 2010

Dodger Blues

It's not looking good for LA's favorite baseball team to make the playoffs this year. And no, I'm not talking about the Angels -- as far as I'm concerned, they'll always be from Anaheim. The Good Guys in Blue seem to be hitting a wall just at the wrong time. Wrong time because the front-running Friars of San Diego are hitting their own improbable skid, creating the best opportunity all season to take over the division (or at least get the wild card). But no, not this Dodger team. They seem to want no part of it. There's speculation that the team is suffering under the psychological weight of the just-started divorce proceedings between the owners of the club. Frank and Jamie McCourt bought the team several years ago, mostly by credit and IOU's (a questionable financial arrangement, even by then-credit standards, approved by Major League Baseball in an equally questionable fashion). The once-happy couple is now at odds with each other, accusing each other of infidelity and irreconcilable differences as they wash their public laundry on the front pages and 11 o'clock news. The team itself is currently managed by a former skipper of the recent New York Yankee dynasty, but even he seems to have had enough and may retire at season's end. The general manager is in his first stint at this position, hired by the club from the arch-rivals to the north and therefore will always has his allegiance questioned with every losing streak, and there's been plenty of those to go around. Nothing heals wounds as fast as a winning streak, and if the Boys In Blue pull a 180 and show some actual fight as the month ends, the city will re-embrace these guys as bold heroes that faced adversity like no other -- well except for the Padres to the south, who are (and have been) leading the division by way of smoke and mirrors, having to work with a fraction of the payroll the Dodgers have; or except for the Giants to the north, who are in a close second place with the same payroll challenges, aided by players that were also-rans and cast-offs from several other clubs and therefore are vulnerable to rising (or should I say lowering) to their own Peter Principle. If the Dodgers don't make the playoffs, several huge changes will be in store for them, and we fans (at least the less-emotional and more rational ones) will not be shocked to see surprise moves and/or trades of some of the regular players here that have not lived up to expectations. Not to mention the result of the divorce and the answer to the question of just who will be the owner of the team, and, more importantly, how deep are the pockets the club will be left to work with as they try to field a winning team next year and beyond. And who will be the manager of that new team? The club has a great candidate available and ready in their minor league system, but there's also talk that the current skipper will anoint his protege (and current hitting coach -- did I mention that the hitting has slumped badly lately? but let's not go there) to take over the team, as a return favor to the skipper for agreeing to take over the team in the first place. Only time will tell how this year will affect the club long-term, but in the short-term, there's lots of 'splaining to do...

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Happy Hour (fiction), Part 1

The bar was hopping as it usually does at Friday Night Happy Hour. Terry's Tavern was located in a great spot downtown, at the corner of Mega-Banker & Uber-Attorney streets. All the up-and-comers came to Terry's after work, from both the legal and financial professions. It was like the neutral site for the white collar worker bees to commingle after a long week of endless negotiations, dispositions and meetings. Alex was parked at a great seat at the end of the long granite bar counter, showing a small smile as he mentally congratulated himself for being so quick to get here just before the crowds started to rush in and create the usual Standing Room Only predicament. Sitting beside him was Carlos, the Tavern's barback, busboy, waiter and all-around guy that always seemed to be there whenever Alex stopped in. It was a smart move to sit next to Carlos -- he wouldn't be moving until the place started to get busy, and this was a way for Alex to "hold" a seat for his buddies without being obnoxious or arrogant. Alex knew Carlos would not get up from his chair until he absolutely had to, and it always was just about the time the rest of the gang came in and were standing around Alex. Carlos was on his cell phone, conversing in Spanish with what Alex guessed was Carlos' wife or girlfriend, and the conversation didn't sound friendly. Alex turned his back to Carlos and faced the rest of the tavern, as if to give Carlos some privacy, and to hopefully signal that either Carlos take it somewhere else or Alex gets a drink quickly so as to dullen his senses enough to tolerate it. Just then, he heard a glass being set on the bar in front of him, and he turned back around. "Hey, Guy", came the words so sweet to Alex' ears. Her name was Marta, and she was Terry's regular bartender, especially when it came to important (translate: money-making) shifts. Marta looked like she stepped out of a Greek travel ad -- she was average height and weight, had a smooth olive-colored complexion with thick anc curly raven black hair, and she was well-endowed but she never dressed to accentuate it. She was a wiz when it came to remembering "the usual" drink orders of her regular customers, and she was easy on the eyes, but it was her smooth, velvety voice that Alex noticed the most. She met him with his Dewars and Tonic, with a lime wedge, just the way he liked it. "Thanks, Doll", he responded, "I've been thinking of this baby all day". Marta smiled while her eyes were darting all around -- she was assessing the incoming crowd and saw that it was going to get busy, but she wanted to be sure give some attention to one of her better customers while she had a few seconds. She was not a fool, she knew where her bread was buttered, and Alex was one of her better-tipping customers. Plus, she knew he would be coming in with friends and they, too, would be taking care of her as long as she was there to take care of them -- besides, Alex wouldn't let his friends stiff her of her tips. Alex enjoyed talking to Marta when it wasn't busy -- she had a great head on her shoulders that went very well with her quasi-flirtatious personality, and he considered her equal to a good friend, even though they never spent a minute outside of work. He would wonder at times how she would be outside of this environment, and he loved the mystery she presented. He knew she was married but had no children, and rarely spoke of her husband, good, bad or indifferent. "Tough day at the office?", she asked, focusing her maple brown eyes just on him. "Same as it ever was", he responded, and she laughed as she quickly walked to the other end of the bar to fill more orders. Alex took a long, slow sip -- he always enjoyed the first sip of the night, as if it was the perfect remedy to wipe away the sins of the world...or of the work-week.
Next to show from the office was Jake, followed by Kristina. Jake was Alex' best friend, but he wasn't well-liked by many guys in the office. What made Jake unique was that he was the type of guy that was ready to push the envelope and always on the make; he had a great way of talking to women that held their interest, which didn't always go over well with boyfriends or husbands of Jake's targets, but it was a trait that Alex always envied. Jake thought Alex made a great wingman, and there were a few times that Alex was needed to pick up the pieces (when things didn't go so well with Jake's flavor-of-the-night) or be the reliable ride home (when things did go very well and Jake was too busy or drunk to drive). What Alex didn't know was that Jake used Alex as bait because the girls always seemed to flock to Alex and his good looks, which was something that Jake did not possess. Once the girls showed up, Alex was in over his head 9 times out of 10, and Jake, with his womanizing personality and silver-tongued charm, was there to clean up. It was a friendship that worked for both of them...for now.
Alex waved to them from the end of the bar, and Jake, after turning around to show Kristine where Alex was, let Kristina go in front of him as they moved through the crowd. "Typical", though Alex -- it was a move he'd seen many times. Jake used the opportunity to check out Kristina from behind while also checking out the rest of the crowd in the bar. Alex slightly smiled and thought, "that's my boy", then showed a bigger smile to Kristine as she shoved her way through the sea of pinstripes and worsted wool. Kristina was a paralegal for a top law firm, and she clearly dressed the part in her Brooks Brothers blue business suit separates and a button-down white silk blouse. The petit-sized suit went well with her long, straight strawberry blonde hair and green eyes. She was your typical Girl Next Door and was a workout princess, but she worked equally hard to be taken seriously in her job. "TGIF!", Kristina shouted to Alex as she gave him a quick hug. He noticed she smelled great as always; it was not your usual perfume, and he thought he recognized it but it never came to him. It was part sweet and part exotic, as if it was a portal to a naughty side of her that you would not immediately expect. Alex turned back to the bar to get Marta's attention, but Marta had beaten him to it -- Jake's bottled Budweiser was already on the bar, along with Kristina's Bourbon and Coke with stemmed cherry. Alex wondered how many drinks will it take before Kristina does her obligatory tie-it-into-a-knot trick with the cherry stem, which was something all the guys (and a few girls) enjoyed watching. Jake winked at Marta as he hoisted his beer -- Alex noticed that she caught it and gave him a wink and a smooch right back at him before hustling off. Alex shook his head slightly and laughed before turning back and lifting his glass to his friends for the first toast of the night. The fun was just about to begin.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

The Car of a Thousand Days

Today, I said good-bye to my car. It was a 2006 Honda Accord, with all the bells and whistles. Unfortunately, last Friday, as I was driving my normal route that I've driven on a daily basis for the past 2.5 years, I was involved in a traffic incident. Wasn't really an accident in that no one or no vehicle besides mine was affected or damaged. A lady in a commercial van in front of me had suddenly stepped on her brakes, and, to avoid rear ending her, I swerved off the road to the right. The good thing is that I didn't hit her, because she had three little boys in the back seat. The bad thing is that I hit a concrete driveway culvert cap, head on, and the collision was hard enough to deploy my driver's side air bag. As I skidded to a stop 65 feet later, I knew it was bad but I also knew no one was hurt. I assessed the situation, confirmed that I was ok, then proceeded to get pissed off because this was the third incident I've had in the past 18 months. The first two involved hitting deer in the road. I've driven in Northern Maine for years and never saw a deer, let alone hit one. I've driven in Arizona for years after that -- no coyotes, no cows, no deer. Been in North Carolina for over 12 years and never hit anything...until this past year. What's interesting to me is that, shortly after I hit the first deer, my life changed in a bad way. Lots of changes in my personal life. Lots of family hurt psychologically. Lots of emotional pain and suffering. Lots of different emotions coming from heretofore unexpected sources -- some very good, some not so much. Then my life changed back to the way it was before. And guess what? I hit another deer. It's like it was meant to be metaphorical book-ends to mark this year in hell that I just went through. And now, as if to say it has served its purpose, I had one more accident -- this time to finish the deal and kill the car for good. At first, I wondered if this is a "sign" that I'm about to start another volatile chapter in my life. Hard to imagine what else is on the horizon for me. The good news is that I wasn't hurt in this accident -- if that happened, it would have spelled disaster for me and the family. Ok, I get it, I'm very lucky and I should be thankful, and I am. What you may not know is that I really loved my car. It was fun, fast (for me), sporty, had lots of gadgets, and it fit me perfectly. And I had plenty of fun memories with that car, so many times, so many ways. Certain passengers in that car made for very memorable moments that I will never forget. I'll have to incorporate them somehow in my next book, I guess. Let's just say it wasn't all "G" rated. No, nothing like High School Days, but pretty close. On the flip side, I have many great memories of driving down the road, radio blaring, sun roof open, loving life while taking sharp turns or singing along with my kids in the back. It introduced me to Satellite Radio, and I'll never go back if I can help it. Maybe that's why the Universe found a reason to end it -- as if to confirm to me that I need to move on from the past and evolve to the next stage of my life. And I'm good with it. In a way, it reminds me of my youth: I had a great time, and I always knew, when I was having a great time, that these times were not forever and all good things come to an end. And so the book closes on the Mighty Honda. I don't know what is in store for me for the next car, but I look forward to whatever it is, and I hope it's more good than bad -- as I drive just a few miles per hour slower...

Monday, June 14, 2010

Bring in Chuck Norris

Today's commentary centers on the mystery surrounding the President's handling of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Not that this is a new issue -- the talking heads have been yammering on this topic for weeks now. What's making news is the perception that, because we are now in Day 54 of the oil leak, there is still no viable solution to the problem, nor is there anything being done to do something...anything...to fix it. Americans, whether they admit it or now, love the "Chuck Norris" mentality: we want to see someone kick butt, take names, and solve the problem. Unfortunately for us, this paticular problem has many caveats, known and unknown, and the solutions are not so easy to fix. Not making excuses here, but what we do know is that the leak is over 5000 feet below sea level, creating many logistics issues with pressure and distance that requires precise engineering and movements. One can make a point that we should NOT be allowing deep sea drilling if we don't have the capability to fix problems like this that the surrounding environment creates, but remember that BP had several redundancies in place and they all failed. To that, I say the President should immediately demand that all existing deep sea wells submit to thorough independent inspections so that this does not happen again. The President should also be doing several face to face meetings with the CEO of BP, so that we all see he's being a part of the resolution to this issue plus be our "spokesperson" to BP so that they see just how serious we are and that we want action. By taking a quiet, unassuming position in the background, the President is losing our confidence in his ability to carry a big stick (we know he can speak softly, but that's only half the solution). And who knows? He may not be able to handle a crisis like this, but he still needs to make appearances and give us the perception that he's engaged, even if he has one or more people actually running the day-to-day operations. It's the same SOP that is used for Military Operations -- we know he's not calling the day-to-day shots, but he's still briefed every day on them. Why not institute this policy here? But the main key is that he needs to SHOW us that he's doing something. I don't know if he's concerned about accountability down the road, or if he's just flat out getting bad advice, but he's very late to the party and it has started to erode confidence on both sides of the political spectrum. The President needs to shake his impotent team of advisors and bring in Chuck Norris to fix this issue and show BP just how serious we are about getting this done -- oh, and we're not paying for it, either.

Friday, June 11, 2010

What Does It All Mean?

OK, fans, I'm going to try something new, hope it works: taking The Gang world-wide via blogspot and/or FB, which means we're opening it up to scrutiny, more discussion, and hopefully not a lot of derision...

1) USC Trojan-busters. The mighty NCAA has handed down a 2-yr bowl ban and yanked 20 scholarships because of conduct unbecoming by a couple of superstar college athletes on campus 3-5 yrs ago. As an ASU fan, and being very cognizant of the fact that the NCAA allows other schools to "poach" student-athletes of schools that are currently on bowl ban, I have mixed feelings on this, but I do agree with most of the "better" sports minds that believe the punishment should be directed at the money and not at the current/future student/athletes. You want to send a message to the university? Dock them of some of the MILLIONS they received from their bowl games and other successes. Don't penalize today's players and coaches for the indiscretions of former players and coaches. I've never understood the logic of that penalty. Don't be myopic, either: these schools are doing it for the money, nothing more. To quote the great Billy Ray Valentine: "You know, it occurs to me that the best way you hurt rich people is by turning them into poor people."
2) Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup! Oh, baby! It's only been 49 years, but who is counting? As a young Blackhawk fan that idolized Tony Esposito and died a slow painful emotional death at the end of the 1971 Stanley Cup Finals (against the hated Montreal Canadiens), I can finally smile and be at peace. Granted, I was silently hoping for the Canadiens to beat the Flyers so that I could have full payback, but still, it's great to see the current ownership make the right moves to bring this proud franchise back to national prominence where they belong. The current owner of the team, Rocky Wirtz, is the son of the late Bill Wirtz, and it was the latter that had broken my heart many times because he would persistently refuse to make any moves to advance the team via free agent acquisition or signing young talent to long-term contracts. When Wirtz senior died last year, the son took over and made it a powerful team, and, for that, I say THANK YOU!
3) NBA Finals. Was it just me, or did the Lakers seem bored last night? Looked to me like the Lakers knew they could turn a switch any minute and blow out these pesky 'Tics, but I believe they prefer to win it all at home this year and threw the home crowd a bone. I still stand by my prediction of Lakers in 6 games. The 'Tics looked old and tired, and they needed all the effort of their inconsistent bench to pull out a meager win last night. If you don't know by now, I love L.A...This series is over.
4) Cavs' Coaching search. Tom Izzo was in Cleveland yesterday, but it was also reported that Byron Scott (FROM...Arizona State!) was interviewed via phone. I love Coach Izzo for his passion and hoops knowledge, but I was scratching my head about the idea of bringing in a new guy that has no NBA experience to replace the former guy that was fired after winning NBA Coach Of The Year two years ago. Maybe Izzo could be a great NBA coach, but why take a chance when you know your super-duper star is in dire need of better NBA coaching guidance, and Scott has proven he can get troubled teams turned around to play the NBA way successfully.
5) AND FINALLY...The World Cup starts today! Who ya got? Good Luck to Mexico today, they get the tough draw of playing the host country to start the games. Here's the real question: our brave lads will be playing those BP-slimed Brits tomorrow at 1:30 EST -- will you stop what you are doing to watch this match? Lots of different opinions on this. I think that, given the level of competition here, and given that Brits' fans remind me of those delusional die-hard NYJets fans at the NFL Draft -- you know the type: always vocal, always loyal, always heart-broken in the end -- I'm going to watch it. Memo to World Cuppers: We Americans like high-scoring games. If you're looking for more support for your sport, I gotta tell ya, these 1-Nil matches are not gonna do it. And God help you if we have another tournament come to the end via shoot-out. Are you serious? You're going to run, kick, grab, sweat, clutch, suffer pain, all for a shoot-out? Not a good idea.
OK, your turn to respond. Bring It, but be sure to Come Correct! OUT

Monday, May 31, 2010

Splitting Hairs

There seems to be some confusion, on this Memorial Day, about just what we as a nation should be recognizing. In the past several days, I have seen many shameless promotions of public "shout-outs" to "our service men and women, past, present, and future"...wait, what? In my opinion, Memorial Day is to honor those that served our country and gave the greatest sacrifice; not to be confused with Veteran's Day, which honors all that serve in the military. If I'm misunderstanding this concept, then feel welcome to correct me. I have never served in the military, but I would like to think that, if I had, I would not associate myself with Memorial Day -- it should be reserved for those brave soldiers that didn't make it back home. I hope you have a safe and restful holiday, and remember those that have fallen in honor of defending our country. I leave you with the following D-Day prayer from FDR (thanks to MND Commentary):
"June 6, 1944

My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.

And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:

Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.

Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.

They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.

They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest-until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.

For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.

Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.

And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas -- whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them--help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.

Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.

Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.

And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.

And, O Lord, give us Faith. Give us Faith in Thee; Faith in our sons; Faith in each other; Faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.

With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.

Thy will be done, Almighty God.

Amen."

Friday, May 14, 2010

The Trouble With Tiger

Well, it seems that the news about Tiger's marriage is dark, indeed. Looks more and more like his wife is about to file for divorce (if she hasn't already). Granted, from this POV, it looked inevitable, given the level of infidelity and questionable characters he was tied to during his many dalliances. As this celebrity soap opera unfolds, I am reminded of those days when it was announced he was going to marry -- many prognosticators, both professional and amateur, were surprised by the news and were wondering if he was going too fast, too soon. Now, if he was happy with it all at the time, then I was in full support of the decision, but I still had to question why he felt it was so important to do it so soon. I remember reading about Jack Nicklaus' family and how they were "challenged" by his career while he was rising to the top, and that was in the 50's and 60's, not nearly the small fishbowl that the world is now. I always wondered if Tiger took the time to look at how other champions fared in their early years, so as to maybe learn from their mistakes. Doesn't seem like he did -- or maybe he felt he was above it all and could ride through it better than they did. As Tiger rose to prominence, his world was getting larger and he was exposed to many, many distractions, both on and off the course. The off-course distractions are nothing new, really -- every professional sports era has had their own Jezebels or other vices that would take down many potential stars. Case in Point (albeit fictional) is one of my favorite movies, "The Natural": rising star, kid out of nowhere, huge upside, brought down by a mystery woman because the straight-arrow kid took an uncharacteristic step outside the lines and suffered the consequences. If I was lucky enough to have a beer with Tiger, off camera, off the record, I would ask him: "why get married so soon? Everyone knew you had all the potential to break -- no, shatter -- the existing records and forever be remembered as the Greatest Of All Time, and you could have easily done that in the prime of your life, giving you plenty of quality years (and quality money) to live out the rest of your life...what's the rush"? Tiger fell victim to one of the classic blunders of all time -- besides "never get in a land war in Asia" -- he thought he was invincible and could do it all. We see how he just loved to get his freak on, and there are many women in the world who have many talents and are "programmed" to excel at it; it's just too bad his inner circle was not strong enough to help him and guide him through it. I don't know if Tiger will ever survive this meltdown. Sports History is littered with many stars that hit their peak and then fell just as fast because they made a huge mistake in their personal lives, and it took a huge sacrifice to make it all the way back, but they lost their youth, they lost their energy, they lost their innocence, and worst of all, they lost their fan's allegiance. Good Luck, Tiger, in your comeback, but I'll be honest: As a Phil Mickelson fan from Day One (and that means the ASU days), I don't wish you too much luck. More importantly, as a fellow Dad, I hope you make it right for your kids from now till the end. You will find the true meaning of "blood is thicker than water", and your focus should be all on your kids. You can't do much with your wife anymore, you've already burned that bridge and you'll find that if you spend so much time and energy repairing that bridge, you'll be taking energy away from the time with your kids and your career. But what do I know...

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

You've got questions...

Larry in Liberalville: I have a problem with Arizona's new law about immigrants. I think it's racist and demeaning, and there's no place for it. I don't like the idea of LEOs having the right to pull anyone over just because they match a certain profile. I support the sports teams that are doing their part to protest this, too.
PA: First, let me start by saying I have never been in support of any discrimination, for any reason, and I believe that people should not be held back just because of Race, Color, Creed, National Origin or Sexual Orientation (to name a few), but hold the phone, Larry. Did you take the time to fully look in to the issue that brought AZ to this conclusion? Did you actually read the legislation? Did you see the explanation of Reasonable Suspicion that AZ LEOs must abide by in order to move on this legislation? If not, here it is, and after you read it, let me know if you think it's fair:

"Reasonable suspicion is someone who is approached by an officer of the law because they have committed a traffic violation or are involved in or in the vicinity of a crime. If an officer questions someone (and they always ask for ID when they question a witness, suspect, etc.) and they lack proper ID (drivers license, state ID card, Social Security card, SOMETHING) then they are suspect of being in this country illegally. This isn't just aimed towards latinos. It would involve ANY citizen. In this day and age you have to have ID. Who can function in this world of debit cards without an ID? Who can operate a car without an ID? Who can get a job without an ID? If you are legal....you would have ID.

There will be no gestapo raids, no roadblocks, no ratially-motivated shake downs. The officers of this state will go about their regular patrols and now they will have the ability to detain persons suspected of being in this country illegally. They will be suspected of this because they cannot produce ID. If I get pulled over without a license I fully expect to get in some trouble. If I give them my name they will be able to pull up a computer-version of my ID which would verify who I am.

This law will not become active until (at least) this summer. All officers in the State of Arizona will undergo proper training regarding how to carry out this new law. I have every confidence that they will be able to carry out their duties without stepping on too many toes. Did you know a lot of police offiers in this state are BROWN? Did you know that a lot of them SUPPORT this law because they see the crime that occurs within the latino communities...illegal on legal. It isn't just the "whitey" that wants this law supported. A lot of latinos are tired of the violence, crime and "line jumping" that the illegals are participating in." Credit is given to an AZ local group for posting this information.

There you have it, Larry. And I see that AZ has since tweaked the bill to the point that LEOs cannot move forward unless a crime or violation has been committed. Sounds fair to me -- does it to you? What strikes me as funny is the number of people that are quick to support the other side, without having any vested interest in it. Before jumping to conclusions, why don't you talk to the BP agents that patrol the border on a regular basis -- I guarantee you would find out things that would blow your mind and question why something hasn't been done before now, either on the state or (especially) the Federal level. Also, how about talking to people that have lost loved ones because of home invasions (many in broad daylight, and in AZ, the daylight is very bright) -- did you know that Phoenix leads the nation in kidnappings? Why do you think that is? Having lived in Phoenix metro for 22 years, I believe that I can emphasize with the locals that are being inundated with illegal immigration of criminals and other people of suspect backgrounds, and there's not enouogh help to support the good guys. You can't really be taken seriously until you see both sides of the issue, up close and first-hand. I respect all sides, and I am thankful that people are so serious about this issue; all I ask is that you take an equal look at the cause before you spout off about the effect.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

The Financial Crisis Misunderstanding

Stormy weather has returned to Wall Street this week, thanks to the latest testimonies from several key players in last year's mortgage meltdown. If I didn't know better, I could swear that this was a well-intended ploy to distract John Q Public from the current tea-party ramblings as we approach Tax Day tomorrow, but I'll leave that for another post. Partisanship has once again reared its ugly head as both sides restart their finger-pointing at endless and pointless arguements about who's to blame, instead of focusing on effect as well as cause. This conincides with a lot of useless rhetoric about how evil the TARP idea was for America and how it benefited nobody but the big banks. Oh, Really? If you believe that, you seriously need to buy a clue. America stands to make HUGE profits from the TARP repayments, as nearly all of the major players have already repaid their loans, and at a high premium. But do you see any of that on the headlines? Oh, hell no -- all we hear is how it wasn't fair to bail out the Wall Street bloodsuckers and banks and yadda yadda yadda. Well, Guess What, America? The bailouts are working! The Treasury Department is expected to make a PROFIT from the repayments on the TARP funds. This goes clearly against the bitter thought process of the so-called economic experts who were quick to jump on the "it will kill us all" bandwagon. Now, they're slowly backpedalling, and because why? They're now armed with the FACTS. As for the rest of the anti-TARP crowd -- well, they know better than to get the truth get in the way of a good story.

Friday, April 02, 2010

The Big Tease

There was a slight edge of excitement creeping within the sub-conscious of the bank operations center; "Cube World", as the natives jokingly referred to it, was experiencing the normal increase in chatter that usually accompanies a late Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend. Alex noticed a higher-than-average of loitering by the mostly all-female staff, but it didn't bother him. He was focusing on completing a last-minute transfer request from his contemporary in Las Vegas. "Cindy must have hit a big account again", he grumbled under his breath. That would make 3 in four weeks to his 1 -- and his was a lucky one to get at that. He knew what was coming next: a phone call from Cindy, to, you know, follow up and confirm he got the email request. She didn't need to make the call -- he and she both knew their emails had return receipt acknowledgement turn on -- but he knew she couldn't go without talking to him about it. Plus, he enjoyed her call anyway, even if it was to tease him about the current standings in their contest. She would be sure to remind him of the stakes: Loser travels to Winner's city for a night on the town, courtesy of the Loser. Little did she realize that he was secretly hoping to lose the contest anyway, because he was very curious to finally meet Cindy in person after carrying on a friendly working relationship via phone for over a year. Cindy gave great phone, as they say in the biz, and she knew it. Alex would look forward to her calls, especially on Friday afternoons, it put him in the mood for when he hit the happy hour circuit with his friends after work. If the bank only knew how nasty the conversations were on the phone; he sometimes wondered if the phone lines would melt from the subtle heat. Cindy left no doubt about her intentions -- or maybe she was playing it strong because she had the physical distance between them act as her buffer zone. Alex didn't mind, since he always had Stacey at home to take care of any wandering urges brought on by the "hot topic" of the day. Stacey didn't mind when Alex came home in an armorous mood, especially if the result was physical satisfaction for her, and Alex would hardly ever disappoint. If Stacey only knew that it was Cindy who was responsible for getting Alex going...
"ring-ring"...Right on cue. From the Caller Id, he could see it was Cindy. "Trading Desk", he answered, trying to sound as indifferent as possible. He heard a girlish yet seductive chuckle on the other line, the same one he's heard for several months now, the same one he's enjoyed for just as long. "Hey, You...I think you're going to lose the bet!", she said, laughingly. He loved how she just knew his voice and avoided the formalities. She made him very comfortable with her loving-like teases, and she was only too happy to oblige. "What are you talking about, girl?", he replied, smiling. He was sure to turn away from eye-shot of the other co-workers. Alex's desk on the 14th floor was positioned so that his back was to the floor-to-ceiling glass, but he faced another desk -- Jillian, who, per rumor, had a thing for Alex but would never admit it to his face. Alex knew it was prudent to not rock the boat with his co-workers, especially the ones who were so nice and willing to make his life easier, and in return, he was careful not to burn any bridges by acting like an ass or showing off his interstate friendships for all to see or hear. He turned to the window. "There's still one more week to go, my dear -- and I'm a late charger. You'd better be saving your pennies -- Phoenix can be very expensive." Then came that laugh again -- she wasn't having any of it. "Oh, really?", she immediately replied. "Hey, I'm not worried...and last I looked, you were two trades behind me! Hope your bags are packed...and your wallet, too!" Her voice was light and breezy, like a sea breeze, and he could see his smile in the window reflection. He just loved her voice. "Phoenix is boring anyway -- you would love it here in Vegas", she continued. "I'll show you all the sights that tourists don't see -- and I promise it'll only be a little expensive!" It was his turn to laugh. (to be continued)

Thursday, April 01, 2010

The Big "Kick Ass" difference

Happy One, my peoples! It's the first day of a new month, the first day of a new business quarter, the first day of a new commission cycle...everything starts all over, like Groundhog Day. And, in keeping with that mindset comes an ad campaign for a new movie, "Kick-Ass". Think "Fight Club" meets "Watchmen". The premise (from what I can gather from the previews and ads -- and you know they just about give everything away in those things) is that a small group of Ordinary Joes take it upon themselves to become vigilant Ordinary Joe superheroes, thereby taking the time to disguise themselves in full costume to go out and fight the bad guys, albeit with absolutely no superpowers, all (it seems) just for the thrill of it, as well as for justice. Don't know if there's an intention sublimial message involved, but it got me to thinking about one anyway: just what are we trying to say here? Are we all fed up with too much petty crime and not enough justice (i.e. car thefts, burglaries, etc.) because the Po-Po is more interested in the bigger fish? And if law enforcement denies it, does this mean we are disappointed in the results we see in bringing these petty criminals to justice in a timely and effective manner? If you saw "Watchmen", you would have seen how this street-level crime-fighting ended up in a corruptive state, because it's only human nature that we eventually lose sight of the forest from the trees. I liked what they did there -- it exposed our fallibility, our weaknesses, our All-Too-Human nature. And in the end, is that a bad thing? We know that we are not perfect, but we also know we are driven (most of the time) to fight for justice and to see good win over evil. It doesn't always go our way in the end, but it takes a lot for most of us to get overwhelmed by continual disappointment. We love to see the good guys win -- but please hold the sappiness, after all, we're watching calories!
My other question is, what is Hollywood trying to convey via this topic? I realize it's all for entertainment purposes only (no wagering), but it still begs for some discussion of the prevailing social mores within our society. I wonder if there are other trends or movements that the general public would like to see "cleansed" by do-gooders fighting for the common man -- maybe Washington political stalemate unclogged by Captain Drano? Or global religious zealots crushed by Major Reason? I'd like to see that -- along with child abusers physically eliminated from the face of the earth by General Consensus. What would you like to see?

Thursday, March 04, 2010

Strange perspective

I was more than a little surprised the other day when I heard and read about Sen. Bunning's one-man embargo of a much-needed funding legislation. The appropriation from that legislation was earmarked to cover, among other things, unemployment benefits and COBRA benefits to those in need. Bunning's issue with the legislation was not because he was being a heartless curmudgeon, but rather because he was unhappy with the way the legislation would be funded -- per Standard Operation Procedure, the funding was to be added to the deficit. Bunning and supporters wanted the bill to be funded by unused stimulus dollars. The POTUS would have no part of that option because that's his own special fund that is to be applied to, in my opinon, "hero"-like matching appropriations, natch. Previous discussions between political party teams were met with very little net progress, and in the end, they were at an impasse. The consensus was that the POTUS administration and/or Senate majority was expecting the Senator from Kentucky to blink, yet he stared them down until they did. In the interim, certain mechanisms ground to a halt, and many Federal employees were furloughed because of the loss of appropriated funds expected to be there from the legislation.
The perception from the average citizen was that of another crusty old Republican Senator that has no clue how average America lives -- another elitest reigning high from his ivory tower. Dems pounced at the opportunity to show Bunning as a modern-day Potter, insensitive to the needs of thousands of Americans who cannot make ends meet because they will not be receiving their unemployment checks. As one that has personally experienced the anxiousness and stress involved with living paycheck to paycheck (and even unemployment check to unemployment check), this is not a pleasant feeling to experience. One wonders if Bunning has ever been in those shoes -- if he had, he would not have forgotten the feeling and would have a different perspective on how his actions affect the welfare of thousands. I appreciate his strong convictions to stand his ground to make his case, but I object to him doing it at the expense of those much less fortunate than he. Surely there must be a better way to make his point. Surely there must be a better way to conduct the business of America's fiscal management. Surely there must be a way to present the issues to the people for all to understand and accept -- most of us who are living on a budget while trying to provide as parents of teenage children can relate (albeit on a much smaller scale) -- we understand how easy it can lead to trouble if we "rob Peter to pay Paul", and how it would be so much easier to swallow if we decided we would pay the bill by using the "rainy day" money we've already set aside instead of ringing up more debt. Tell us ahead of time, let us know what's going on, tell us your frustrations, and most likely we'll change our perspective on the issue.

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Strange Parade

Am I the only one that's noticed how our "also-ran" politicians are constantly in the media spotlight, whether as prognosticators or quasi-comedians? Mitt Romney is pushing his new book (always a valid excuse to get on the air) and took the opportunity while on Morning Joe to add his two cents' worth about why he believes Obama could have used better judgement. Meanwhile, Anchorage Barbie a/k/a Sarah Palin was seen on Jay Leno the other night, doing a weak stand-up impression as only, well, Sarah Palin can. I wonder who we'll see next? Harry Reid on SportsCenter? Nancy Pelosi on American Idol? If nothing else, these pols know one thing: always stay in front of American people, one way, shape or form. It used to be the exception to the rule whenever national politicians showed up on mainstream tv, but in this day and age of uber-competitive one-upmanship, any and all talk shows are grasping at straws to gain an advantage. I, for one, don't mind the extra exposure of these pols, just don't pull an ABC and over-do it like they did with Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, and kill the goose that laid the golden egg. I gotta run -- I heard that Dick Cheney is going to pile-drive Jon Stewart...can't wait!

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

too strange to understand

I've been meaning to write this for several days now, but just haven't wanted to, for some reason. It's only about a TV show -- more like a storyline within a TV show -- but it hit me hard enough to haunt my mind for what I expect will be the rest of my life. The show in question is HBO's "Big Love", and if you haven't seen it, you're missing a treat. Granted, the topic of the show is not for everyone, and I even didn't give it much thought when it first came on air because I wasn't ready to accept the premise, but after a couple of episodes of the first season had aired, I decided to give it a shot one night during an HBO marathon, and I've been hooked ever since.
"Big Love" is the story of a Fundamentalist Mormon man (Bill Hendrickson) and his 3 wives (Barb, Nikki, and Margene), living in a typical suburban Utah town. You would know the actors from other shows they've done, so right away I was curious to see just what drew them to this project. The writing is spot on, and the acting is very entertaining. I know more than a little bit about the Mormon faith -- having lived over 20 years in Phoenix, Arizona, I've come across more than my fair share of Mormon rhetoric, including a one-week stay in Salt Lake City, courtesy of Mormon hosts that were all too eager to satisfy my thirst for knowledge of their history and culture. Polygamy was banned by the Mormon church many years ago, but like an old blood stain on worn carpet, it still won't go away from the mainstream. Fundamentalist Mormons continue to practice Polygamy to this day, even though it is illegal by law and not accepted by church doctrine. It is the foundation behind this devotion to polygamy that drives the show's storyline in general, and the main characters in particular.
One such character is a controversial young church sect leader that has taken over his recently deceased father's followers; Alby is a vile, juvenile and malicious person masquerading as a devout family man, married to a wife that has wicked ambitions of her own -- they seem made for each other. What the wife doesn't realize is that Alby is a latent homosexual and has been hiding his secret successfully for years. Lately, Alby has been sharing clandestine time with another man, also Mormon and very married with his own wife and kids staked out in a beautiful home in suburbia. Dale, the new man in Alby's life has a job as state-appointed trustee of the church sect's funds, but has been finding it difficult to do his job because of his inner desires for Alby's companionship and love. The two men find the time to meet in secret whenever they can; they both cannot ever admit their relationship to their families and followers because homosexuality is considered a sin to the church and they will be outcast from their rightful place in their eternal home in heaven next to Almighty Father (the most prized goal for all Mormons). Alby is so taken by Dale that he gets a secret apartment that they both can share and to be free from the shackles of the outside world.
In the episode that moved me, Alby believes he has finally found his kindred spirit in Dale, but politics and jealousy from Alby's wife come out of nowhere and the men are threatened with exposure. We see Dale trying desperately to reason with church leaders, talking about how he had done all they asked of him while going through "detox" at BYU, and how he would get physically sick from being forced to watch heterosexual porn. Dales cries out for help because he has constant "set-backs" that he cannot control, but the church leaders continue to insist he pray harder and try harder to drive the evil spirit out of him. Pressure also comes to Dale from other fronts that tell him that this inappropriate behavior cannot be tolerated any longer, given what's at stake politically. Dale is torn between what his job requires vs. what his heart desires, and he hurts because he's been hiding this urge all his life, for the sake of others and for his church. Alby's wife, in a fit of despair, is shown going to Dale's house and outing Dale to his wife and kids, behind closed doors. The last scene shows Alby heading to the apartment, trying to contact Dale by cell phone, and you can tell from the conversation that this is not the first time he's called him, but Dale is not calling back. Alby has a huge smile on his face as he opens the door to their apartment, their place to get away from it all, only to be shocked in horror to find Dale hanging dead from the rafters. Alby is beside himself, lying on the floor crying uncontrollably, as the scene fades to black.
What immediately came to my mind is the question of just how many times has a scene like this unfolded this year? Last year? Ever? How many lives have been shattered by the ultimate selfish sacrifice because this world is not tolerant enough to allow all people to live openly in their own lifestyle? And how can one carry on, knowing that the kindred spirit they've been searching their whole life for is suddenly gone forever, leaving their partner behind to pick up the shattered pieces? How can a church be so two-faced as to not accept Dale and Alby for what they are, yet still condone plural marriages and non-consenting unions between very old men and very young submissive girls, barely out of middle school? The hypocrisy is boggling my mind, and is one of the reasons why I cannot accept organized religion as being anything more than a pox on humanity because of all the wars (small and large, menial and global) fought in the name of "God". It is sad and strange indeed. I hope my children will see a more tolerant world than I have.

Monday, March 01, 2010

STRANGE games

yo, IS ANYBODY ALIVE OUT THERE??

1) Oh-lympic Hockey. Wow, what a great couple of games! Some, like Wilbon, call the Olympic hockey matches the greatest hockey tournament ever. More people watched last night's Gold Medal game (between Canada and USA) than any game of the last World Series between the Yankees and Phillies. More than Game Four of the NBA Finals between the Lakers and Magic. What does that tell you? Well, I think MadDog got it right by saying it has a lot to do with the games being on this side of the globe, whereas in 2014 in Russia, it will be (as the kids say nowadays) an Epic Fail. The great thing was the spirit of nationalism -- do we hate Canada? No -- they may be a pain in the arse, but I know they are harmless, just like my neighbor with her weird ill-timed questions about yardwork improvement (usually just after I finished my 4th beer in 10 minutes). Are they the villain like the old Soviet Union? No, it would be like saying your little brother is as much a menace to society as the High School drop-out gang leader in your old neighborhood -- it just doesn't correlate. And in the end, even though we were all pulling for the Good Guys, the Kid slipped on 5-hole past Ryan "I'm standing on my head here!" Miller to win the Gold Medal on home soil -- the first time since...since...gee, when was that again? And who did that then? We only heard about it, oh, EVERY DAY. Hey, I'm cool with Can-ah-Dah winning, it's no biggie to me, it's their national sport, fer chrissakes! And don't give me that lacrosse argument! It would be like if the USA lost the Olympic Basketball tournament on home soil -- it just can't happen (do NOT talk to me about Munich 1972 -- those cheaters are burning in hell for what they did to us. 2 Do-Overs of the last 3 seconds of the game? WTF). Would have loved to see our girls take the Women's tournament, especially since we had the much HOTTER girls on our team -- Good grief, there was not ONE Canadian girl on that team that was even remotely attractive! C'mon, now! No wonder they drank so much after the game -- they sure didn't have any where else to go, same as any other weekend night, I sure!
EXIT QUESTION: Did the 4-on-4 OT rule "cheapen" the win? Lots of smak talk on that issue -- why not have the best of the best go 5-on-5 in Sudden Death OT? Luongo was shaky at best, Crosby would have been double-teamed like he was all game (Crosby actually sucked most of the tournament, but all is forgotten with that GWing goal). What say you?

2) Curling. Didn't know what I loved more -- the tantalizing matches or the reactions of all the newbies to the sport watching it for the very first time and who had no friggin' idea what it was all about. Actually, I take that back -- the matches were fun to watch, whereas the haters and head-scratching viewers were just annoying. Didn't the matches compel you to watch, like a roadside accident you just couldn't look away from? Couple of comments -- {a} our men's team SUCKED out loud. I heard they were all full of themselves before the tournament, thinking they would be serious contenders. Then the so-called captain of the team outright Doinked on the last throw of several matches in a row, resulting in unexpected losses, and just like that, game over. Real Smooth, frat boy. Thanks for nothing. {b} if I never see another up close shot of Canadian women's captain CHERYL BERNARD, it will be too soon. Uh, NBC, this just in: there are other women on the team besides CHERYL BERNARD. I have a question for you (oh, there are SO MANY QUESTIONS for NBC and their coverage, or lack of it, but I digress): where were all these close-ups when the Danish or other Euro women were curling? Those girls came out with a fundraising calendar, and, well, let me just say, it's on my Christmas list from now on. See deadspin.com if you want to know more. Now, if CHERYL BERNARD (capitalized just in case you forgot her name) and her mates posed like "that" in their own calendar, I'll take back all I said.
EXIT QUESTION: If Curling had a televised league match every weekend like bowling or poker, would you watch it? Co-ed maybe? What Say You?

3) Ice Dancing. Now here's an event that I used to go out of my way to purposely run from, any chance I got. Yours Truly, Mr. Traditionalist, would not accept this event as legitimate over Pairs Skating (cuz, you know, I participated in Pairs Skating in my HS Senior Year Winter Carnival, with the fair L. Sinclair, so I'm a veteran! Doesn't matter that we barely could stay on our skates, let alone in sequence -- we were a part of it, dammit! And her hair smelled so good...I think we finished last, but I blame it on the biased wannbe-Russian judges). But then I was introduced to Tanith Belbin. Sounds like: Soft Porn. Holy Moley, who is THAT and where can I get more of it?? I hope you caught the Ice Dancing prelims -- the couples would panto-mine lust even as they got into position before the friggin' start of their routine! It was awesome! The key to scoring, on the ice, besides the synchronicity, is to stay as close to each other's waist as possible, all while twisting and twirling and gyrating on and around each other. My girl Tanith finished Fourth -- she and her "partner" were too overhyped and underestimated the competition. Between the costumes and the acrobatic grab-ass -- and did I mention the subtle soft porn imagery? -- it was incredible to behold. Sign me up for next time around -- I'm sure in 2014 it will get real dirty in Euro-World!
EXIT QUESTION: Will Tanith Belbin please consider a female partner next time? If that happens, the world will surely end. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'....

4) Half Pipe -- dude, like, that was so, like, righteous, man. Funny to watch all the pretenders take turns trying their best, then Shawn White comes over and NOT ONLY wins it easily, he adds another routine that still has people shaking their heads.
EXIT QUESTION: Does any snowboarder remember what he/she had for breakfast yesterday morning?

5) Lindsey Vonn -- how can I finish without props to America's favorite ski bunny? Hey, she nutted up and not only raced, but she pulled a Tiger and won the Gold easily in downhill, on one leg -- she almost lost it at the end, too, she was on one ski just as she crossed the finish line. Talk about balls to the wall. And Julie Mancuso is no sloppy seconds, either. Props to Bode Miller -- thank you for making up for that disastrous choke job in Turin. He's a winner all around -- sure, he let the nation down in 2006, but he got to party like a God in Italy, then he atoned himself with his performance in Vancouver. That ain't workin', that's the way to do it....

6) Sucks that the Luge dude died -- but really, Vancouver? Who was the mental midget that designed that track? "Hey, lets put up exposed steel beams with no padding just as you come out of a hair-raising turn!" Someone needs to be held accountable. I think I'm entitled to answers! I want the truth!

7) Bonus: how would you like to be that Dutch coach that got his skater DQ'ed because he made him switch lanes at the wrong time? That's what happens when you party all night with the Danish Women's Curling team the night before...hey, now that you mention it...

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Dodge, Part II

The call to the Co-Worker confirmed it. Co-Worker seemed hesitant, almost apologetic, but this was no mistake or goof, it was the real deal. He made a passing comment about how swiftly it all had become, and Co-Worker offered no explanation, so they quickly hung up after the obligatory thank you/take it easy sign-off. He continued to drive, into the dark, stunned and perplexed at the same time. So many thoughts ran through his mind. So many memories -- yes, he was aware of the anomaly that it's human nature to easily remember the good times more so than the bad times, so he was sure to check himself before sliding down any slippery slope. The wheels were going round and round, but not coming to any logical conclusion. Of course, this was love (or something like it) we were talking about, and he bought in to it, especially with the knowledge of how she felt about him as expressed in various descriptive and provocative emails, letters and notes. He had kept them all, and as he moved forward, his mind re-opened all of them, recounting every word, noting every connotation and inflection, associating the words to her face, her touch, her heart...and it was all gone, just like that?
It was a good 15 minutes before he realized that the radio was not on. He had been driving in silence, which, given his penchant for always having music whenever and wherever possible, is something he never did. Clearly he was hit so hard, he lost his senses for a moment, and was surprised that he didn't run the car into the nearest telephone pole. Yet there was something about that very thought -- he also noticed, ever so slightly, a calming force in the background of all of it. As if a weight was slowly, quietly lifting off his shoulders. Yes, he was surprised -- she made the most unexpected move; he never saw it coming, but he couldn't be too hard on himself because it was his choice to purposely distance himself from her, by any means, over the past several months. He made it a point to disconnect from anything having to do with her, which was a complete 180 from before when he would do anything to be near her. So, as he reasoned with himself while continuing his driving, he recognized how sad he was, but yet not so much as to be completely ruined. And as he reflected on it, he would realize later that this unexplained background calming force was the foundation for the saving grace -- the guiding light that would pull him out of the abyss. "Was it meant to be this way?", he wondered, again, trying to find reason for it all. It did make some sense -- he was upset that it all ended the way it did, so mysteriously and sudden, and just days after one of the best times of their lives. There was no rhyme or reason to that, too, and he had spent the past several months in free-fall, trying to figure it all out, hoping for some resolution, wondering if it was temporary, hoping she would want to talk to him again the way she used to do. This news was like a cold slap of reality, courtesy of her, and he had to admit it was a brilliant move. But for it to be so, it would have to include pre-meditated motive, which was not unknown to her. And if that were so, it would likely mean he was dealing with an unsound mind, because how else could he rationalize the roller-coaster ride of emotions? This was not logical nor humanitarian by any means -- she made a mentally unpredictable move, lacking in common sense (to him), and in the end, his mind was eased by the all because he firmly believed he was dealing with an unstable person. And he laughed to himself, thinking, Well, if she's unstable, then so is he, especially after these past several months. She made the most unexpected move, and he was now starting to realize (and savor) the best part of all: he was now free.
It took a moment for it all to sink in, but as it did, he could feel the pressure lifting, and a small smile came to his face. It wasn't the end of the world -- it was the beginning of a new world. Tomorrow would be the first day of the rest of his life. It was like a ball and chain was released from his ankle -- oh, the sweet feeling of freedom! And what do you know: he was thankful to her yet again, only this time it was for his benefit, not hers anymore. Suddenly the world looked less dreary, less dark. And best of all, he envisioned a steaming hot bullet flying towards him, but just grazing his forehead before moving past him to another target. He had dodged it just in time, and lived to look back at where it was going...into another abyss. "Poor Bastard", he thought, "Better him than me. Good Luck with that", he thought to himself, wryly, as he continued to drive, away from her world, and for the first time in a long time, actually found himself enjoying the ride. He turned on the radio...

Friday, January 22, 2010

Dodge, Pt 1

He woke up in a mood that was unusual, compared to how he usually woke up for the past several months. It was as if a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. As the alarm from his cell phone bleated incessantly, he did something he normally wouldn't do: he just laid there. The "normal" process was to jolt out of bed as soon as the alarm sounded -- he had this move ingrained in his head for several years because he once had a bad habit of sleeping through alarms (and subsequently would be forever late for work), so he forced himself to make it a priority to get out of bed immediately (but he also had a fail-safe back-up of a second alarm programmed to go off 30 minutes after the first, you know, just in case) -- but on this morning, he just laid there, in the dark and silence, staring straight up at the ceiling. He could tell that this day was different, his conscience no longer clouded by guilt or despair. His mind raced over so many small details (he always was a firm believer that the Devil is in the Details), and, like a merging set of highways, the details always came together to the same conclusion: this day was really the first day of the rest of his life, and it was good.
The alarm shut off automatically after a minute, as it usually does if not turned off manually, and he continued to lay there. He was now conscious of his movement (or lack of it). This is different, but why? He searched his mind for the reason (his life revolved around the tireless quest for reason, and many times it was not always in his favor), and his memory took him back just 14 hours before, when he first heard the news. At that time, he put up a good front, as if to show on the outside he was not bothered by it at all. This was important because he never likes to show his hand if he can help it, so he was quick to move to an unemotional appearance. The news was a complete surprise. He went into scramble mode, thankful that only one other person was in the room, and she was oblivious to past history. She was the messenger, and he was not going to slay her, she had no idea of what she was doing other than engaging in conversation, so he played it off as such. It turned out to be a good decision because she quickly turned the topic towards her own pitiful plight, using it as an example of how one person could unfairly (according to her) be the recipient of bounty while she was more deserving, yet still doing without. He quickly shifted his position to sympathy for the messenger and tried his best to show support. After all, this was a fellow human, in pain, and he knew all about that. The sob story was suddenly ended when a much-anticipated phone call came to him, and he asked for pardon because he had to take it. She left the office, in mid-sentence, but very polite, and he was equally grateful and sorry, but this was business. He anxiously took the call because, well, for one reason, it was a client that wanted to hand him a large piece of business, and besides, it moved his mind away from the news.
After the call (and successful business conversation -- it's all good, it's getting closer to reality), his mind travelled back to the news. He stared at the floor. Is it possible? He couldn't believe what he heard. He was stunned. He was hurt. He was angry. The emotions were flooding his head. The Woman still had control over his feelings, and it would drive him crazy every time he fell down that slippery slope. Only this time, there seemed to be a finality to it all. This piece of news was like a bombshell that exploded over his frail mindset, as if to purposely shatter it and eliminate it forever. Maybe that's what he needed, maybe this was a good thing. Was it a Fade? Was this done purposely, as if sent from the Universe to straighten his ass out? The contrarian view was usually never wrong and existed for a reason, but it isn't popular because human nature doesn't readily accept it. He loved it because it was a deviation from the norm, and that's how he always was, from the beginning -- as Sister Albert told him in 6th grade, he was a Non-Conformist, and he reveled in it. He studied the news, and, as he did, he also recognized a feeling of the weight slowly moving from his conscious. Could it be? Is this a Fade within a Fade? Was he over-analyzing everything? He knew he had to clear his mind quickly, so he left his office (the scene of the crime, ironically enough, for both beginning and end) and walked out to the lobby. He needed validation from another source, just to be sure. But he also didn't want to give the appearance that he was desperate for it. After all, how did he know that it wasn't a set-up? To see how he would react if given news he wasn't expecting? He trusted no one, but was careful not to show it. First stop was to the Messenger -- apologizing for the interruption in the middle of her soul-baring diatribe. He cared about this person and wanted her to know, but she was also very understanding that business comes first, and thankful for the support. He turned to face the only other person he could trust to tell him the truth about what he heard, but that person was suddenly very busy, and he wasn't about to interrupt business just to discuss personal issues. It was getting late, the day was just about over, so his only other option was to pack up and leave, and to call the co-worker anonymously from the road. In the meantime, he had a strong urge to call his Confidant, to tell her about what he heard. The Confidant was very supportive and he leaned on her many times, almost too much, but she never failed him and was always offering support, even when her own world would sometimes fail. He would always be grateful and he promised himself that he would do all he could to return the favor, any time she needed him for equal support, and they worked well together as Confidants to each other. He so wanted to pick up the phone and call her immediately, but what if if wasn't true? What if it was misinterpreted? What if he jumped before being sure, as if his emotions were in control instead of rational thinking? No, he didn't call the Confidant, he had to call the Co-Worker first, to confirm it.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Not your best idea, El Rushbo

-- In the "heavy sigh" department: Rush Limbaugh, the bombastic bumpkin of talk radio, has again created a stir by insinuating that the White House has an alterior motive to be front and center on the Aid to Haiti crisis -- specifically, a political motive for the current administration and the Democratic Party. I have read articles and heard soundbites from both sides, and I have yet to find anyone that supports Limbaugh's position. As a 30-yr registered Republican, I can honestly say that Rush does NOT speak for me or for my fellow conservatives, and he remains more of a problem than Sarah Palin because of his ability to express his opinion to millions of unsuspecting (and unfortunately highly gullible) listeners. At least with Palin, you pretty much know where you stand: she's likeable but lightweight, sassy but lacking in substance, and this is ok for the most part because she's eager to conform to the needs of the many if it suits her best interests. Which is nothing different from ANY other politician, living or dead, and anyone that disagrees has not taken the time or energy to research American political history. Seriously, Rush, what crisis has not been used for political motivation? We saw a ton of it during the POTUS '08 campaign with the Republicans that used their performance after 9/11 as a litmus test of their ability to handle crisis intervention. Same with the Dems in Congress that showed their willingness to work in bi-partisan effort to help Americans in need and come together in a show of force to initiate the war agenda. Rush must either be bored or negatively reacting to his medications, and I would strongly suggest that he team with a partner that may help to check him from time to time so that he can focus on issues that create a net benefit for all Americans, and distance himself from caustic topics that do nothing but substantiate our weak opinion of him as a spokesman for conservative causes.

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

When your Best isn't Good Enough

The POTUS must not be sleeping much lately, thanks to recent resurfacing of allegations and admissions regarding the party-crashers, the Christmas Day bomber near-disaster, and the murder of 7 important CIA agents from one Al-Quaeda double agent suicide bomber. Plus, he starts the new year with one of the lowest approval ratings of any President heading into his second year. The POTUS came into office with a strong mandate of the people, most of who were infected with a fever of change, and now he's beginning to realize that it's not as easy as he once thought it would be. It's one thing to work hard to stay in front of everything, but if you ever managed even a small group of people for any extended period of time, you will find that it's not easy to be in control of everything. As a former manager, I would try to surround myself with the best and strongest, and yet still, there'd be something that happens that you never saw coming or got there too late. The key is to try to stay unemotional and stay in front of the problems, all the time. The only problem there is you can't see everything. People do and say the strangest things, at the worst times, and you either stress yourself out trying to stay one step ahead, or something small and trivial slips by your fingers and you don't realize it until it's too late. POTUS is not looking too excited lately, and now I'm wondering if he's second-guessing himself on some of his appointments and cabinet positions. His political party doesn't sound so happy, either -- they just lost 4 more Senators who will not be running again, leaving their seats wide open. It's funny how I remember when the 'publicans had a similar experience during the Bush Administration, and the press was quick to point out that it reminded one of rats leaving a sinking ship. Don't see quite the same reaction from the press this time. It's like watching Superman suddenly turn mortal and be seriously hurt by punch after counter-punch. And not much noise from my Bush-bashing friends, lately, either -- you see, it's not as easy as it seems. C'mon, friends, if you need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here to help. You see, for the past eight years, my back has grown very strong because of all the weight put on it by you bashers, thanks to constant finger-pointing about every little negative thing being wrongly connotated as a F-up by a dim POTUS. Not so now? Is the shoe now on the other foot? Need Athlete's Food powder?

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Ask me about 10

There seems to be a universal underground movement amongst industries that service customers, where the motive is to get feedback on the level of service received or (God forbid) not received. While at a auto body shop yesterday, I noticed that several of the employees were wearing a tag that said, "Ask me about 10". It didn't take a big leap from me to figure out what the motive was behind the message. What else would body shop employees want from everyday, day-in, day-out customers, besides their business? They want feedback. This is the golden information that helps them to determine the liklihood of repeat business, which in turns helps determine their immediate future as a profitable business enterprise. Can't say that I've not seen this before: my own employer has a similar quest for truth, albeit the grading scale only goes up to 5 (hey, cutbacks happen everywhere, it seems, even in the grading scale business). Always being the salesman that loves to hear all spiels, I asked about the "10". The clerk was very professional and very well coached. "We value your opinion and would appreciate you taking a few minutes to answer some questions about the level of service we receive; our goal is to get a '10' from you, and that tells us that you have been given the highest level of service". Very subtle -- she appealed for my help in giving them extra justification for their job, via an outside grading system. Of course, I was willing to comply. In sales, we always want to know how we did for you and what we could do better. Sometimes it matters in that it brings attention to things we may not have been aware of during our sales relationship cycle. Other times (if it comes back very favorable), it's used as a proud banner of achievement, to shamelessly self-promote us as the best thing in this industry since sliced bread. Quite understandable -- feedback is important if used to better oneself. Just ask any psychoanalyst. And then, sometimes, the feedback does not always matter -- the complaints are not anything that can be easily resolved, or maybe something was lost in the translation, resulting in a hopeless cause of a project that was doomed from the start. Yet we know from past experiences that the most successful companies get that way, in part, because they paid attention to their customer's feedback and made changes as needed. Conversely, the feedback is not always used to benefit all parties, because it can also be used as a tool to support claims that the benefactor was unjustly served by the employee, thus putting it on record in the employee's file for future reference. I'm the first to admit that knowledge is power, but as a fledgling self-taught golfer for over 20 years, I also acknowledge that there is such a thing as "Analysis Paralysis", and sometimes too much information is not always the best policy. At that point, it comes down to very simple and basic principles -- if you do your job right, and follow up with your business plan, you should see success come to you, plus your clients will benefit greatly from your performance and dedication to your craft. Makes sense, for the most part, but after a while, we lose sight of this idea (probably because it's too simple), so then we call in the feedback surveys to bring us back to reality. And so it begins...again.

Sunday, January 03, 2010

Like it was yesterday

Given that it's College Football Bowl season, it's the time of year when I recall one of my favorite memories of my life (and the best football game I've seen on the road) -- the 1987 Rose Bowl between Arizona State and Michigan, in Pasadena, California. To date, it's the only bowl game I've been to, and it will be hard to top. In late 1986, the Sun Devil football team was having a terrific year, and all of us fans were enjoying the moment as our team surprised everyone with upset wins (including a road win over heavily favored USC at the LA Colosseum -- another game I attended) on the way to the Pac Ten conference championship. In those pre-BCS days, the champion of the Pac Ten was required to play the Big Ten Conference champion, and that year our opponent was the mighty (and tradition-laden) Michigan Wolverines. It was our school's first Rose Bowl appearance -- we had several chances to make it before, but always stumbled on the last game of the year against our hated rival University of Arizona, thus knocking us out of the game. That was not the case in 1986, and so my (then) girlfriend and I made plans to go to the game. She had family that lived in SoCal, so we made arrangements to stay with them over the holiday break; her cousins and best friends were joining us at the game, so we had quite a group of revelers together to take in the whole experience. And what an experience it was! From the car trip to SoCal, driving with and through caravans of other ASU fans (it was an 8-hr road trip), to the NYE dinner at a subtle-yet-trendy SoCal restaurant, to the game itself -- it was a magical time and I remember telling myself to be sure to take it all in, for future reference, and I'm glad I did. At that time in my life, my youthful arrogance (as we all had at that age) could have easily controlled my mindset of this being the way it will always be, as in To Be Expected Every Year, but for some reason, I was not wanting to take that path, and I told myself to look at it all as if I would never be here again, and it turned out to be the right decision.
The Rose Bowl stadium was an incredible sight to take in -- as we walked towards it from the parking lot, I remember seeing the ouside facade, the same facade that you see on TV whenever a game is broadcast, only this time I was actually there, and it was right in front of me. I remember our seats not being what most would consider to be great, and Critical Me would have been annoyed any other time, but No, not today, this was The Granddaddy of Them All, and I was here, with great friends, all of us immersed in booze-flavored joy, merriment and comraderie, as I had always wanted to be, and I was not disappointed in any of the surroundings. To top it off, the game itself was equal to the task as our Sun Devils rallied from behind to upset the Wolverines and win the Rose Bowl, in front of thousands of gold pom-pom waving ASU fans. It was an incredible sight. I brought the Nikon with me (as I usually did) and took a ton of pictures, but as great as the photos were, they could not match the actual experience. I was glad I was there to see it all, and so was most (if not all) of my fellow ASU fans -- one of the nice things about going to a school that is not a perennial football powerhouse is that, when the rare time comes that your alma mater does make the Big Show, the memory means so much more than if it's an every-year booster-club requirement (and remember what I said before about Familiarity Breeds Contempt). Plus, it helped that we won the game -- I'm sure it was not quite the same for fans that went to the 1997 Rose Bowl game that ASU lost in the last seconds.
Regardless, it remains one of my best memories of a sporting event, and one that I will never forget. It would be interesting to see how my recollections compare to yours and any similar events...

Friday, January 01, 2010

It could be worse

The theme for this month is "best", and thus the challenge begins. What comes to your mind when you think of "best"? Best Foods? Best Wishes? Best In Show? Pete Best? Best I move on...
I'm reminded of the song "the best of all possible worlds" -- I remember hearing it many years ago, on an alternative radio station in Phoenix. I think it's by Todd Rundgren, but I can't find it on the interwebs just yet. The melody has stuck in my head; I liked the layout of the song and I hope I can find it.
What is the Best of all possible worlds? I don't think it's humanly possible to exist in this scenario -- someone will always have a criticism or desire for something a little bit better. It's only when we go through all the rough patches in life and as we approach the downhill years that we yearn for something simpler, something basic. But in the meantime, we are human and thus destined for constant unrest. I guess you could say this is a good thing, in that it doesn't make us settle for less, doesn't make us lackadasical, for as we all know, "familiarity breeds comtempt". The person that wrote that was not oblivious to the human condition of always yearning for more, no matter how good we may have it. The German philosopher Leibniz wrote about something similar, in that there must always be the existence of both good and evil in order to obtain the best of all possible worlds, because one cannot be justified without the other. The optimal solution would be, of course, to have a much larger proportion of good than evil. Evil must exist only to remind us of the benefits of good and why we must use our free will in a positive manner for humanity. This fight for proper proportion has been the albatross around mankind's neck since its beginnings, and it will never end unless we evolve past it. Given that we are now talking millions of years from now, I suggest (as have others) we focus on the immediate and try to make things Better, for now, as we move forward to the goal of Best.