A Painter, A Code, And A Traitor

Since I started this site a month or so ago, most of my posts have been fairly light-hearted, focusing on things that, in the big scope of things, aren't the most important in the world. Baseball....gas prices...idiotic liberals in Hollywood...Outside of writing about having to have my dog put to sleep, the topics haven't been super-heavy. However, between all of the hoopla surrounding the release of the movie version of The DaVinci Code, and a post I read on a blog published by my wife's cousin, I actually would like to try to open up a serious dialog on here regarding these topics. Granted, a dialog may be difficult, as I think I only have about 5 regular readers, but it is what it is! I gotta think big!

Going back to the post I referred to above, I read a few sentences regarding The Lost Gospel of Judas, and was prompted to leave the following comment on her site:


"The Lost Gospel of Judas. Wow. I can't believe someone is actually talking about a religiously-based piece of fiction OTHER than The DaVinci Code! I've not read either, and though I've heard a million things about The DaVinci Code, I haven't heard much about The Lost Gospel of Judas, so I certainly do not claim to be an expert. However, just to play devil's advocate for a moment...which is a bad choice of words, come to think of it, as what I'm about to type advocates NOT reading these....hardly the devil's position, I would think.....

I think you are on the right track by saying that if your faith is solid, reading this will not change it. However, everyone's faith CAN be shaken...whether it will or not, is very difficult to say. Look at the disciple, Peter, who is often referred to as the disciple with the strongest faith. Jesus Himself was standing mere yards away from him, yet Peter lost his faith when he attempted to walk on the water toward Jesus. Can we compare ourselves and the level of our faith today to someone who lived with, traveled with, physically saw on a daily basis, Christ? I don't know the answer to that. I DO know that although we/I may believe we have a strong faith, I also believe that we are entrusted with a certain level of responsibility as to what we take in and ponder on.

You wrap up your post by saying that you have the highest hopes that we can discover our reason for being. For those of us that consider ourselves Christians, don't we already KNOW our reason for being? Personally, I believe we know that our reason for being is to glorify our Creator in all that we do. So, coming back to my original point....looking at the other side of the issue.....shouldn't we consistently ask ourselves if what we are doing, reading, listening to, etc. IS bringing glory to our Creator?"



So, here's what I would ask of those of you that are reading this....

1. Take a moment to tell me what you think about the controversies surrounding The DaVinci Code, and The Lost Gospel of Judas. If you consider yourself a Christian, are these things that you feel you should read/watch? Why or why not? What if you do not consider yourself a Christian? Do you even care?? Are you simply tired of hearing about it?
   
2. Please refer this post (heck, the whole SITE would be nice) to anyone you know that may be interested in commenting on this. Outside of the fact that I'd like to expose myself (or at least my writing) to as many people as possible, I'm particularly curious to hear many opinions on this.

Thanks for your time reading and responding to this. I promise after this I'll do my best to get back to the really important stuff in the world, like who's going to win the World Series this year, how Jack Bauer is going to escape the evil Chinese that kidnapped him at the end of season 5 last week (reference to the TV show 24, for those of you that are still living under a rock and not yet watching the best thing to happen to television since...well, quite frankly, ALF), or even like why Taylor Hicks never should have won American Idol since everyone knows Chris Daughtry was better (OK...that one was for my wife.)

"I'm sorry, sir. The poodle can go on board with you, but you'll have to check the axe and the pool cue."

As some of you already know, I'm travelling to Philadelphia/Delaware tomorrow for a job interview. What many of you might NOT know is that this is the first time I will be on an airplane or inside an airport since before 9/11. So, in order to be as prepared as possible, I recently visited the website for Pittsburgh International Airport to check out security guidelines, info for carry-ons and the like. I quickly navigated to the security tips section of the site and found all the standard stuff along with some things that were pretty amusing.

Let's start with the standard, even pre-9/11 question that everyone that flies is asked. "Sir/Ma'am, has anyone that you don't know asked you to carry anything on board the flight?" How many things are wrong with this question?? If you look at it from the point of view of someone who happens to be a terrorist and is hoping to wreak havoc on the airplane, I hardly think Mahmood (yes....I'm profiling.....get over it) is going to say, "well, the dude that gave me the underwear bomb is someone from a cell I never worked with before, so, yes...". On the flipside, if you look at it from the point of view of an innocent traveller, you've gotta question whether this person is smart enough to even buy an airline ticket if he's allowing complete strangers to give him items to take on the plane. Is this question REALLY necessary?? (To be fair, I spoke with someone in the airline industry, and he did give me some examples of how this question could be helpful to ask.)

Progressing past that question, I then found a list of things that were acceptable and unacceptable to pack in your carry-on for inside the plane. Many were self-explanatory and made a lot of sense, and you would expect to see them on the list as the assumption is that at some point, someone tried to take one of these things onto a plane. Examples here would be "all guns and rifles", "automatic weapons", and "knives". However, as I looked farther down the list, I began to wonder if the FAA is trying to be pre-emptive, or if people are really historically bringing these items onto planes:

• axes - c'mon.....there's really THAT many lumberjacks that actually are flying places?
• baseball bats/cricket bats - as many of you know, I'm a HUGE baseball fan, but even I can take a multi-hour flight without feeling the need to start a pick-up sandlot-style game in the middle of the plane. I wonder if I can at least bring my glove and play catch in the aisle with one of the flight attendants?
• bows and arrows - is there really a need to practice your archery skills at 30,000 feet? Furthermore, does anyone NOT on an Olympic archery team actually OWN a bow and arrow?
• dog repellant spray - this one confused me a little, as "pets" were mentioned as items that actually WERE approved to bring as a carry-on. So....the guy sitting in 11B can bring his man-eating pit bull with him, but I can't have a little, tiny bottle of dog repellant spray, just in case?
• dynamite/plastic explosives - I'm sorry, but I actually disagree with this one. If someone is going to bring explosives onto an airplane, I don't want them down in the cargo hold where no one can see them....I want them right there in first class where they can be properly monitored. Do the airlines actually think that the dynamite will do less damage if it explodes in your checked luggage, as opposed to your carry-on?
• hammers/screwdrivers/portable power drills/portable power saws - Darn! I was planning on finishing that addition to my kitchen during my "down-time" on the flight.
• hockey sticks - see "baseball bats/cricket bats", but pretend I said I liked hockey instead of baseball
• pool cues - I can live with this one because a) I don't play pool, and 2) unless you're flying on Air Force One, I mean, c'mon....is there really gonna be a pool table??
  
• road flares - is there REALLY a problem with people trying to bring these as a carry-on item? Can you think of ANY possible reason for having this with you on the plane? If my plane breaks down en route, I really doubt my biggest concern is going to be putting flares out to warn other planes to slow down and go around.
• ski poles - I've been on some flights where it was pretty cold in the cabin, but does it really get cold enough to SKI???
• tear gas – so, you mean to tell me that if I swing by the airport gift shop and pick up a jug of tear gas AFTER I’ve already checked my luggage, I’m out of luck, and I can’t take it with me??

Now, obviously, I'm just having a little fun with this list, as I can certainly understand the reasoning behind not allowing these items on an airplane. It's just that I come from the school of common sense, and common sense tells you that even if you are travelling with items from that list, that you shouldn't try to take them to your seat with you.

On a serious note, please keep me in mind, and, if applicable, in your prayers as I head to this interview tomorrow. I'm really getting tired of this unemployment gig, and am extremely anxious to get back to work, wherever that may be, and once again resume my life as a productive member of society. And oh yeah, pray that I can get my carcass out of bed on time for my 6:40 am flight! I'll report back on Friday as to how things went, unless I'm in jail for smuggling dog poo or some other contraband onto the plane.

Can we PLEASE change the subject?!?

What’s the "subject" I’m referring to? Gas prices. So, here’s the part where I contradict myself. The title implies that I want to stop talking about gas prices, and then I promptly spend multiple paragraphs talking about gas prices. I get a little confusing that way sometimes. Bear with me.

I saw a poll online recently. Now, I typically don’t pay much attention to polls and surveys, as the results can be completely swayed based on how the questions are worded. But, I paid a little attention to this one. The survey went something like this:

"Which of the following is most important to you as we approach the upcoming primaries and elections?"

1. making income tax cuts permanent for all taxpaying Americans
2. continuing the war on terror
3. reducing gasoline prices
4. investigating Major League Baseball due to the steroid controversies

5. ensuring that fair, impartial judges and justices are appointed that will uphold the Constitution as law
6. work toward establishing health care for all Americans

Like most other things I read in the media, the results frustrated me. Approximately 50% of those that responded said that reducing gas prices were the most important issue to them heading into the elections. (Although, I think a few people from Florida voted twice and had their votes thrown out.) FIFTY PERCENT! That’s frightening to me. Never mind that permanent tax cuts would lessen the pain at the pump, as we'd have more of our own money to work with. Never mind that we have American soldiers fighting right now to keep us safe from evil regimes such as Saddam Hussein's, and to establish a foothold in the Middle East for America and democracy. Never mind right-thinking justices. Americans care about gas prices.

Let’s put things into perspective. Everyday Americans pay $1.29 or so for a 20 ounce bottle of Coke or Pepsi and don’t bat an eye. No one’s in an uproar over $8.25 a gallon for soda pop. Not to mention the fact that people pay that much for bottled water everyday as well. Water. Mind you, this is the stuff you can go get for free (more or less) in your kitchen. No, no one complains about these things, and there’s one reason for it. The national media is not screaming at us everyday that PepsiCo is making billions of dollars in profit. We aren’t hearing that CocaCola’s CEO received a huge bonus based on profit last quarter. But we ARE getting ExxonMobil’s profits shoved in our faces day after day after day as if we are to believe that it’s a BAD THING that the company is profitable! We’re supposed to be ticked off that “big business” is sticking it to us. Never mind that the reality is that it’s TAXES that are sticking it to us in gasoline prices (see chart on right), as only 9 cents a gallon go to oil company profits. Do you really think we’d feel better if gas was $2.91/gallon instead of $3.00/gallon? Some have even said that we need to have Congressional Hearings on gas prices so that we can make sure the government sticks it to the oil companies if it's determined that they're making "too much" money. I can't even list all the things wrong with that line of thought. (I wonder if those same people would want the government to subsidize the evil oil companies if they were LOSING money?)

Americans, as a whole, are short-sighted. Many vote for or against candidates solely on one issue. Many look only at how something is going to effect them, not the nation as a whole. We don't look at the big picture. The government has a responsibility, according to the Constitution, to provide for the common defense of the nation. It does NOT have a responsibility to limit the profits (or losses) of companies. It does NOT have a responsiblity to ensure that products are priced at the liking of every American citizen. American citizens have that responsiblity. If it costs too much to buy something, don't buy it. Or at least, buy less of it. Instead of making 2-3 trips to the store in a week, make one. Instead of letting your kids drive to school everyday, have them take the bus. (Yes, I know it's not cool, but desperate times....) If it's really that bad, buy a car with better gas mileage (although I strongly support the right of anyone to drive big, SAFE, huge, fuel-burning SUVs if they desire....just don't complain about your gas mileage). In short, take responsibility for your own actions and the effect they have on the world around you, and quit expecting the government to do it for you!

NOW can we change the subject?

A Disappointing Day

Well, once again I'm completed disappointed in the American justice system, and am more convinced than ever that we need to have professional, trained well-paid jurors. (They can be paid out of the LARGE sums of tax dollars generated from gasoline sales everyday.) Of course, I'm referring to the sentencing in the trial of 9/11 Al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui yesterday. The same jury that only a month ago found Moussaoui eligible for the death penalty decided yesterday to sentence him to life in prison instead. How they got from point A to point B is beyond me.

Oh yeah....in case that wasn't bad enough, the Pirates lost....again. Ian Snell pitched a relatively solid 5 2/3 innings against his boyhood idol, Pedro Martinez, striking out NINE Mets, but gave up three runs. The Pirates scored twice to tie it up with two outs in the ninth inning to force extra frames. Three pitches into the Mets' half of the twelfth inning, the leadoff batter planted a Mike Gonzalez pitch firmly into the outfield seats for a walk-off home run. To add to the disappointment, the home run was hit by Carlos Delgado, the man who historically has refused to stand with thousands of fans, players, coaches, and umpires during the playing of "God Bless America" at ballgames, because of his opposition to the war in Iraq. Why, oh why, must someone stoop to politicizing BASEBALL?!?!?

What is this world coming to?

Jonathan, T-Ball Superstar!

Well, Jonathan has followed in big brother Joe's footsteps, and is now officially a Little Leaguer! (T-Baller, in this case, but close enough!)

Yes, that does say "podiatrist" on his jersey. The league that the kids play in don't use team names like the Pirates, or Angels. Instead, they are simply referred to as the local business that sponsors that particular team. In Jonathan's case, he's a member of Team Carnvale (Dr. Carnvale is a local podiatrist.)

His pants were a size or two too big....his jersey is big enough to fit half of the team in, but who cares?!? He's ready to....PLAY BALL!

After only one practice (he joined late) Jonathan played in his first game this morning, and went 2-2, with 2 runs scored! With a swing like this, is it any wonder???Don't look for him on Sportscenter anytime soon, but he may make it on to a Wheaties box or a baseball card this year. You never know!

Another Reason We Homeschool Our Kids

This post could be subtitled "Reason # 173 Why We Don't Want Our Children Anywhere Near A Public School", but that wouldn't have fit in the title section above.

I've been wanting to write something meaningful on here for a few weeks now (it's been nearly a month since my last original post), but haven't been able to decide what to take on. For a week or so I was really fired up over the Cynthia McKinney story. For those of you that don't know, she's the U.S. Representative from Georgia that PUNCHED A CAPITOL POLICE OFFICER IN THE CHEST at a security point, then blamed it on him for being racist. It's a long story, and I'd encourage you to check it out. When I last heard, the situation was before a grand jury, but more than likely she'll get a slap on the wrist when she should already be serving time for assault. You or I would be if it were us.

Then, and I still may tackle this one, I was going to give my take on the illegal immigration debate that's currently sweeping the nation. As you've probably gathered by now, I ALWAYS have an opinion on things. However, I like to have an EDUCATED opinion on things, and I'm still looking into the whole immigration thing and learning more before I jump into talking about where I stand on it.

So, there I was, once again faced with the dilemma of what to write about when, as luck would have it, talk radio came through for me again. I was listening to the Quinn and Rose Show (local out of Pittsburgh....syndicated in a few other cities.....soon to be on XM Radio....check 'em out if you can at www.warroom.com) this week and they happened to be discussing a story out of Massachusetts (big surprise). You can read the story for yourself if you'd like, but here's the main gist. A teacher at Joseph Estabrook Elementary School read a book called King & King to his second grade class. On the surface, that doesn't sound too bad, right? Lots of elementary school classes have storytime. The book starts out telling us about a queen that had ruled for many years. She decides she's tired of the life of a queen and wants to step down and have her son, the prince, take over and become king. Before he does so, though, she wants him to find a wife, so the search begins for the perfect princess. By the end of the story, the prince cannot find a princess he wants to marry, but instead finds...yes, you guessed it.....another PRINCE that he wants to marry. The book ends with a "gay wedding" between the two princes, including a kiss, and the reader is told that the two princes live "happily ever after". Which of course, leads to the aformentioned reason #173 I don't want my kids in a public school.

Why in the world is a public school system indoctrinating SECOND GRADE STUDENTS on homosexual marriage? Kids that age shouldn't even KNOW what homosexuality is, any more than kids that age should know where babies come from. Furthermore, why is a public school teacher indoctrinating 7- and 8-year old children on ANY kind of marriage? Last I heard, it was not the responsibility of school teachers to present different types of relationships as normal, abnormal, or otherwise. When I sent my kids to school, my expectation was that they would learn things like math....reading.....history....geography.....y'know, that outlandish, ridiculous stuff that I learned when I was in school. (Not coincidentally, these are the types of subjects that our country's public school kids AREN'T learning appropriately, as testified by the growing number of illiterate kids that can't even tell you who the current Secretary of State is even though they just graduated from high school.) I spent 17 years of my life in school (and that was just 5th grade! just kidding), and I can't remember EVER being taught about ANY type of marriage or relationship being "normal". And, oh by the way, EVERY year of that schooling was spent in a religiously-affiliated private school. The teachers, principals and superintendents understood that this was something that I should have been learning at home from my parents! It's my responsibility, as a parent, to train my children on moral issues at home, to prepare them for life outside of the home.

Paul Ash, the superintendent of the public school system where this happened defended the teacher's actions, stating that same-sex marriage is legal in Massachusetts, and that the school system is "committed to teaching children about the world we live in". So, Mr. Ash, I have to ask you where you're going to draw the line that divides what you want to teach the children of Massachusetts and what you won't teach them. It's abundantly clear that the line is drawn where your agenda stops, and the beliefs of mainstream America begin. Mainstream America (close to 90%, last figures I saw) believes in God....I'm sure you won't be teaching any theology classes in any of your schools, will you, Mr. Ash?

I know that some of you reading this started calling me a homophobe (maybe even with an adjective in front of it) three paragraphs ago, and if you choose to look at me that way, I cannot control that, nor is it likely that I can change your opinion. I will say, however, that I've never met a gay person I was afraid of (by definition, isn't that what a homophobe would be?) If two people choose to live in that type of relationship, they have every right to make that choice. I disagree with it from a moral, social, and economic standpoint, but I wouldn't shove that opinion in their faces unless they asked me. I think you just have to be concerned about what this kind of behavior from teachers in public schools will lead to next. Will the next story be about a boy that marries his dog because Fido doesn't nag as much as his girlfriend? Will we have books published by NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association) being read to our young children, teaching them that it's OK for a twelve year old boy to have a sexual relationship with an adult man as long as it's "consensual"?

You hear the term "slippery slope" thrown around a lot, probably too much, but in this case that's exactly what this is. If I were to ask my dad (he's 60) if he ever would have dreamed when he was my age (35) that something like this would be an issue someday, I'm confident his answer would be a resounding no! If we do not draw a line in the sand now and "rein in" these public schools today, what will my kids be writing about and dealing with in the schools 25 years from now? It scares me to even think about it.

By the way, if you really want to know the other 172 reasons we don't want our kids near a public school, it'll take awhile, but I can make a list!

Police return $42,000 thrown out with trash

My apologies to Reuters news service for "borrowing" this article from them. Original story is in standard print....my added thoughts are in italics.


TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese man wept for joy this week when he recovered 5 million yen ($42,210) in cash his wife had mistakenly thrown out with the household rubbish.

The 35-year-old man had withdrawn the money from a bank account but, fearing it would be stolen, he hid it (good thinking so far....) inside a refuse bag (ummmm....not so smart) which he placed in a rubbish bin (was this REALLY the best place he could think of to hide the money), Japanese media said.

His wife unknowingly threw out the bag (notice whose fault this was, and I can relate, as my wife unknowingly threw my cell phone away at McDonald's once...although I guess that's better than dropping it in, say, the Gulf of Mexico), which was found last month at a refuse collection point outside an apartment building in Saitama, north of Tokyo.

Local police returned the money after the man was able to give details of the exact amount and where he had withdrawn it.

Many Japanese keep large quantities of money hidden in their homes and cash is often used for business transactions. (Many Americans also keep large quantities of money hidden in their homes for "business transactions", too.....they're called drug deals!).

(So, what have we learned from this story? Japanese very good at making cars and televisions...not so good at hiding money).

How Do They Survive?

I recently received this in an email from my Dad. I don't know how many (if any) of these stories are really true, but after spending more than a decade working in retail, and dealing with the things and people that I've dealt with, I can certainly believe many of them. I think my favorite is #8.....

1. Recently, when I went to McDonald's I saw on the menu that you could have an order of 6, 9 or 12 Chicken McNuggets. I asked for a half dozen nuggets. "We don't have half dozen nuggets," said the teenager at the counter. "You don't?" I replied. "We only have six, nine, or twelve," was the reply. "So I can't order a half dozen nuggets, but I can order six?" "That's right." So I shook my head and ordered six McNuggets.
2. I was checking out at the local Wal-Mart with just a few items and the lady behind me put her things on the belt close to mine. I picked up one of those "dividers" that they keep by the cash register and placed it between our things so they wouldn't get mixed. After the girl had scanned all of my items, she picked up the "divider", looking it all over for the bar code so she could scan it. Not finding the bar code she said to me, "Do you know how much this is?" I said to her "I've changed my mind. I don't think I'll buy that today." She said "OK," and I paid her for the things and left. She had no clue to what had just happened.
3. A lady at work was seen putting a credit card into her floppy drive and pulling it out very quickly. When I inquired as to what she was doing, she said she was shopping on the Internet and they kept asking for a credit card number, so she was using the ATM "thingy."
4. I recently saw a distraught young lady weeping beside her car. "Do you need some help?" I asked. She replied, "I knew I should have replaced the battery to this remote door unlocked. Now I can't get into my car. Do you think they (pointing to a distant convenience store) would have a battery to fit this?" "Hmmm, I dunno. Do you have an alarm, too?" I asked. "No, just this remote thingy," she answered, handing it and the car keys to me. As I took the key and manually unlocked the door, I replied, "Why don't you drive over there and check about the batteries. It's a long walk."
5. Several years ago, we had an intern who was none too swift. One day she was typing and turned to a secretary and said, "I'm almost out of typing paper. What do I do?" "Just use copier machine paper," the secretary told her. With that, the intern took her last remaining blank piece of paper, put it on the photocopier and proceeded to make five "blank" copies.
6. I was in a car dealership a while ago, when a large motor home was towed into the garage. The front of the vehicle was in dire need of repair and the whole thing generally looked like an extra in "Twister." I asked the manager what had happened. He told me that the driver had set the "cruise control" and then went in the back to make a sandwich.
7. My neighbor works in the operations department in the central office of a large bank. Employees in the field call him when they have problems with their computers. One night he got a call from a woman in one of the branch banks who had this question: "I've got smoke coming from the back of my terminal. Do you guys have a fire downtown?"
8. Police in Radnor, Pa., interrogated a suspect by placing a metal colander on his head and connecting it with wires to a photocopy machine. The message "He's lying" was placed in the copier, and police pressed the copy button each time they thought the suspect wasn't telling the truth. Believing the "lie detector" was working, the suspect confessed.
9. A mother calls 911 very worried asking the dispatcher if she needs to take her kid to the emergency room, the kid was eating ants. The dispatcher tells her to give the kid some Benadryl and should be fine. The mother says, I just gave him some ant killer - Dispatcher: Rush him to emergency!

Project L.A.R.K.

This is one of those emails that gets forwarded all over the place, and I have my Uncle George to thank for getting this one into my inbox. Makes a great point in a great way....as Rush likes to say...."demonstrating absurdity by using the absurd"



LARK - Liberals Accept Responsibility for Killers

A Lady libertarian wrote a lot of letters to the White House complaining about the treatment of a captive insurgent (terrorist) being held in Guantanamo Bay. She received the following reply:

The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20016

Dear Concerned Citizen,

Thank you for your recent letter roundly criticizing our treatment of the Taliban and Al Quaeda detainees currently being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Our administration takes these matters seriously and your opinion was heard loud and clear here in Washington. You'll be pleased to learn that, thanks to the concerns of citizens like yourself, we are creating a new division of the Terrorist Retraining Program, to be called the "Liberals Accept Responsibility for Killers" program, or LARK for short.

In accordance with the guidelines of this new program, we have decided to place one terrorist under your personal care. Your personal detainee has been selected and scheduled for transportation under heavily armed guard to your residence next Monday.

Ali Mohammed Ahmed bin Mahmud (you can just call him Ahmed) is to be cared for pursuant to the standards you personally demanded in your letter of complaint. It will likely be necessary for you to hire some assistant caretakers. We will conduct weekly inspections to ensure that your standards of care for Ahmed are commensurate with those you so strongly recommended in your letter.

Although Ahmed is a sociopath and extremely violent, we hope that your sensitivity to what you described as his "attitudinal problem" will help him overcome the severe character flaws. Perhaps you are correct in describing these problems as mere cultural differences. We understand that you plan to offer counseling and home schooling. Your adopted terrorist is extremely proficient in hand-to-hand combat and can extinguish human life with such simple items as a pencil or nail clippers. We advise that you do not ask him to demonstrate these skills at your next yoga group. He is also expert at making a wide variety of explosive devices from common household products, so you may wish to keep those items locked up, unless (in your opinion) this might offend him.

Ahmed will not wish to interact with you or your daughters (except sexually), since he views females as a subhuman form of property. This is a particularly sensitive subject for him and he has been known to show violent tendencies around women who fail to comply with the new dress code that he will recommend as more appropriate attire. I'm sure you will come to enjoy the anonymity offered by the burka -- over time. Remember that it is all part of "respecting his culture and his religious beliefs" -- wasn't that how you put it?

Thanks again for your letter. We truly appreciate it when folks like you keep us informed of the proper way to do our job. You take good care of Ahmed - and remember...we'll be watching. Good luck!

Can America sell Hollywood to France???

There's been a few things I've seen and/or read recently that have really irritated me. Yes, I know...I really need to stop watching the news.....it's bad for my blood pressure. Here's a sampling of the nonsense that's ticked me off in the last week or so....

• Richard Belzer, best known as Detective John Munch in NBC's Law and Order series (maybe his first name should be Butt, rather than John) appeared on HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher. Bastion of patriotism that Mr. Maher is, even he became disenchanted when Dickie Belzer referred to our troops in Iraq as "uneducated" and "stupid", citing that the whole reason they're fighting for his freedom is because they are a bunch of "19 and 20 year old kids that couldn't get a job" over here. He then went on to state that they (the troops) don't have any right to have an opinion on the war because they "don't read 20 newspapers a day" to tell them what to think about it. Wouldn't I just LOVE see Belzer on the front line in Iraq. Naturally I wouldn't give him a gun....he's so intelligent he wouldn't need one....he could just threaten to read the New York Times to the bad guys.
• From another Tinseltown Turd....one of my ABSOLUTE favorite actors (didn't you just LOVE him in Fun With Dick And Jane? Wait....you're not one of the THREE people that went to see it???), Alec Baldwin, has been at it again....still.....yet.....he REALLY needs to come through on his promise to move to Canada if George Bush got elected. They probably don't want him either. Anyway, Baldwin got in a verbal feud, and a pretty heated one at that, on WABC radio with Sean Hannity recently. Now, this story isn't quite as bad as the Belzer story, but Baldwin's still a boob, nonetheless. Basically, Hannity asked some very relevant questions in an effort to get Baldwin to explain his previous statements about Dick Cheney being a terrorist, our President being a "mass-murderer", and that they should "stone Henry Hyde". Granted, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but all Hannity wanted was an explanation as to how Baldwin felt those comments were necessary in a time of war with our troops in harm's way. Naturally, Mr. Baldwin gave a calm, succinct, eloquent explanation of what he meant......NOT! He immediately began calling Hannity names, insulted his previous profession (construction work), and eventually stormed out of the studio, cutting the interview short. He's spoiled....should be in France....
• Speaking of France.....how 'bout those riots over there this week?!?!? Makes me proud that I have no French roots in my family tree. In case you missed it, here's the abridged version. A half million French folks, mostly youth, gathered in numerous riots over a potential labor law that may be passed. Essentially, the law would remove a lot of restraints that businesses there currently deal with that hold them back from growing and often having productive employees. In particular, part of the law would state that businesses can hire or fire anyone at anytime for any reason, similar to the laws we have here in America. The rioters are seeking protection in employment that would forbid a company from firing someone within the first two years of employment. Yup...they want guaranteed employment. The real kicker is that most of these spoiled brat kids don't want to WORK....they just want the guarantee of a job. Go figure. The rioters attacked police, ransacked a McDonald's (so much for the burger flippers' jobs), and did other fun stuff, and finally the riot police had to turn the water cannons on them. Good. Maybe they'll smell better now.

Alright....I guess that's enough for now. I was also going to add something regarding the 7-year old African American girl that writes racist poetry, but I'll save that for another time. There's too much to take on at one time there.

The San Francisco Witch Hunt

OK, you already know I'm a baseball fan. As I've stated, I'm one of about 17 true Pirates fans left in the city of Pittsburgh. Yes, it's true that thousands of people turn out for each game at PNC Park, but I think most of them are fans of the ballpark, the atmosphere, maybe even the nachos and beer. But not many real Pirates fans. As a matter of fact, many would say that there's not a whole lot of true baseball fans left out there. Ever since the strike in the early 90's, the game has suffered in popularity. The Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa home run race a few years ago helped to bring some interest back to America's Pasttime, but it's not the same as it used to be. "Fans" complain about the large contracts the players are getting, such as A-Rod's $250,000,000 over 10 years. They're complaining about "unfairness" in the game because small market cities "can't" compete and put together successful teams. I could spend a large amount of time writing about just those two complaints, but my main concern is over the latest "scandal" within the game.....steroids.

Let me get this out of the way....I believe steroid use in sports is wrong because it's illegal. If a player gets caught using ANY type of illegal substance, they should be punished severely. If they get caught twice, they should be banned from the game. Period....end of discussion. Naturally, these punishments should only be dished out if there is unarguable proof that the player is guilty.

All that being said, I'm really concerned over the negative attention that is falling on one of (maybe THE) greatest baseball player in the history of the sport. Barry Bonds. Now there's a book being published that says Bonds began using steroids after the 1998 season and for the next few years after. Bonds has filed a lawsuit against the authors and publishers in response, but the reality is that it's just another bell that can't be unrung. Bonds, of course, has been at the center of this steroids circus for several years now, and it doesn't appear that that will change in the near future.

Did Bonds use steroids during his career? Who knows? I know I don't, nor is it likely that anyone reading this or sitting at home watching sports on TV knows. My argument is, why does this matter? First of all, Barry is being accused of using steroids during a timeframe where they were not outlawed in the game. You can't hold someone responsible for doing something against the rules if it wasn't against the rules when they did it. Secondly, let's leave Bonds out of the equation for a moment. I can't remember people writing anti-Mark McGwire or Sammy Sosa books, articles, or editorials in 1998 when they were battling for the home run record. Sammy Sosa hit 66 home runs that year, which was THIRTY more than he hit the previous season, and 26 more than he had ever hit in a season prior to that. McGwire hit 70 homers in 1998, coming off of 52 the previous season. There were no Sammy Does Steroids or McGwire On The Juice articles because Sammy and Mark were good for the game at the time. There may have been some limited accusations or suspicions, but nothing like we're seeing today. They went out, played the game, hit their homeruns, gave the fans a thrill, put @$$es in the seats, and boosted ratings for Major League Baseball. After that they went to the locker room and welcomed the media for all kinds of interviews and questions. Therein lies the difference. Barry Bonds has a history of being difficult to play with, difficult to coach, and certainly difficult, if not impossible, to interview. He doesn't like the media, and that's no good for him. Whether it's sports, entertainment or politics, we've seen a thousand examples of this....if someone in the public eye doesn't give the arrogant media what they think they deserve whenever they think they deserve it, they will trash that person's performance and reputation, both on a public and private level. Bonds hasn't been kind to the media, therefore he is a target.

So, what's the answer? I don't claim to be some super-genius on the subject, but I say we should let things happen on their own. If Bonds or any other player is using steroids illegally, more than likely under the new testing policy in MLB, they will get caught and pay the penalty. Look at the other penalties that have been paid....McGwire suffered career-shortening injuries that many say were related to steroid use. Sosa presumedly stopped taking them, and look what happened to his career. Oh wait, he doesn't have one anymore. He hit 64 home runs five years ago....now, no one wants him for a waterboy. And then there's two more words for you about what happens to steroid users....Rafael Palmeiro. If Bonds is guilty, he will pay the price, one way or another. However, he shouldn't have to pay by having his name dragged through the media. He's done too much for the game, and he doesn't deserve it.

And, oh by the way.....could we possibly even THINK about looking at some of the pitchers who mysteriously threw the ball 5-10 mph harder from one season to the next? No one talks about pitchers cheating.....but, that's for another post.....

R.I.P. Samson

It saddens me that one of the first posts on here is going to be about the death of our family dog, Samson, but it just happened yesterday, and we're all struggling with it.

Although we only enjoyed the company of Sam for the last three of his ten years of life, he was most certainly a loved member of the family. He was great with the kids, fairly well-behaved (I'll get to that in a moment), and was a faithful companion.

I spent most of my growing-up years wanting a dog, but never had one until a few years ago. My mom wasn't much of an animal person, so the closest I ever came in childhood was the never-ending parade of goldfish that rarely stayed around very long. In 2003 Charlene brought Sam into our home for a "trial stay". At the time, it was against my better judgment, primarily because I knew this day would come, and I never wanted to face it, let alone put my kids through it. I made up a bunch of stupid reasons that didn't hold water, but that was the reality. But, the trial stay turned into a permanent stay, and Sam quickly became a beloved member of our household (sometimes I think he ran it!)

The biggest problem we had with Samson is that he had this stupid habit of getting into the household trash cans. (We always said he was a dog of little brain.) If there was ANY possibility that he might find a snack in there, he was going to check it out. It got to the point where, if we left him alone in the house for a few hours, all of the bathroom doors had to be closed to keep him out, and my trash can in my office had to be placed on top of my desk where he wouldn't be tempted. Outside of that, along with the seemingly unlimited supply of black fur EVERYWHERE in the house, he was a joy to have around.

We're not 100% sure what happened or how it happened, but Sam contracted some type of food poisoning, possibly botulism, within the last few days, and the symptoms hit him hard overnight Sunday. I'll spare everyone the details, but it was a messy, sleepless night, and what we initially thought was just some type of stomach flu or virus turned out to be much worse. Over the course of only 12 hours, the disease started affecting his nervous system, causing him to shake and twitch, and made it difficult for him to ascend the steps, or even lie down comfortably. No one knows if and what animals think, but everytime he looked at me yesterday, I felt he was trying to say, "please do something to make me feel better." After consulting a local veterinary hospital, and after hours of painful deliberation, we made the decision to have Sam put to sleep yesterday. No question, it was one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make in my life. I knew how Charlene and kids would take it....heck, I knew how I would take it. Turns out I was wrong...I took it (and still am taking it) a lot worse. But, as I keep reminding the kids, his sickness and pain are gone, and he doesn't have to suffer anymore as he was yesterday.

No one knows for sure if there are any animals in heaven. I've always believed that they don't have souls, and therefore when they die, that's just the end. But, there's no way to know for sure. What I DO know is that if there are, Samson's among them.

Samson, you were a faithful companion and friend. I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you. Rest in peace, buddy. You will be missed.

Here we go.....

Well, this is it. I've finally broken down and started my own 'blog. This is something I've kicked around for awhile now. Those that know me well know that I almost always have something to say, so logic would dictate I should do this. The other side of me thought that I shouldn't waste my time. After all, isn't it a little presumptuous or arrogant to assume that there's anyone else out there that really cares what I have to say? (Hence the name of my blog). But, I've had some extra time on my hands thanks to my current (un)employment situation, and I've really felt like writing something, so this is as good as place as any to start.

So, what am I going to write about? Is this going to be something that I'm all fired up about out of the gate, then slowly dies as I find other things to grab my limited attention? I guess we'll find out. My family, friends and acquaintances know what things are important to me: my faith in Christ and things related to theology, my family and friends, politics and current events, and baseball.

Whether or not I stick with this, I suppose remains to be seen. But, at least I can try to have some fun with it in the meantime.