Considering Fans

I was biting my nails, metaphorically, during the final minutes of last night’s Celtics-Magic game 4 as it came down to the wire.  CavWife tried to tell me something, but I reminded her- last minute of an important playoff game.  Considering that we didn’t watch most of the game, I thought I wasn’t asking too much.

I was surprised that Paul Pierce didn’t force the last shot, choosing instead to pass off to Big Baby Davis, who was the only Celtic to hit a FG in the last 6 minutes of game time.  He drained it, and in his exuberance raced down the sideline, bumping into a ref, and then into a young courtside fan who was close to the action.

I hope I am never this kind of parent:

Orlando Magic fan Ernest Provetti, whose son, 12-year-old Nicholas, was nearly run over by Glen Davis after his buzzer-beating, game-winning shot last night, is demanding an apology from the Celtics forward.

According to a report at Orlando Sentinel.com, Provetti sent an e-mail to the NBA League office this morning, saying that Davis crossed the line and embarrassed his son. Provetti said his son had to dive into his courtside seat to get out of the way, though that does not appear to be the case in the video.

In the e-mail, Provetti said Davis conducted himself like a “raging animal with no regard for fans’ personal safety.”

In a telephone interview with the Sentinel, Provetti said, “How do you like to be a 12-year-old and see a raging lunatic coming at you?”

He said noted that Davis should never have been so close to the fans in the front row.

Apparently this man has never seen an NBA.  It’s the NBA: Stuff Happens, including players diving for balls, and celebrating significant last-second victories.

But, this man’s son is embarrassed.  CavWife notes that is a common emotion for 12 year-olds.  This adult is trying to teach his son the wrong lesson.  The world will not bend to our embarrassment, it does not revolve around us.  Yet, this guy is trying to make it all about his son.  E-mails to the NBA office?  Demands????

Nor is an excited, happy, delighted man who accomplishes something he has yet to do qualify as a “raving lunatic.”  I suspect he has the wrong “raving lunatic”.  This parent is the one acting irrationally.  Davis was not angry, violent or dangerous.  No harm was intended to his son- even embarrassment.

When you sit courtside, the action may get a bit too close for comfort.  If you can’t handle that- don’t sit there and put your son “at risk”.  But a good parent will teach his son to enjoy the game, remember that the unexpected can happen, and that you’re on national TV so don’t sweat it.  Teach him to have fun rather than be self-conscious.  Teach him to calcuate risk and act accordingly.  In short- teach him about being a man.

Oh, and may the media should pursue such silly stories….

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Considering MLB Team Salaries

While fixing the kids’ lunch today, I was watching the Sports Reporters.  They were talking about the economy’s effect on salaries, and just about every team but the NY Yankees.  The salary cap was mentioned, and one of the reporters repeated an oft mentioned error.  I can’t stand it when supposed experts (like this guy and Colin Cowherd) don’t know the facts.  I think Cowherd also passed on this bit of incorrect information.

2008 MLB Salaries

1. NY Yankees  $209 million
2. Detroit Tigers  $138.6 million
3. NY Mets  $138.2 million
4. Boston Red Sox $133.4 million

It will be interesting to see how it all stacks up come the beginning of this season.  Both the Red Sox and Tigers have dumped salary.  Lots of teams have.  The Red Sox spent more the first few years of John Henry’s tenure as owner.  But these knee-jerk reactionaries refuse to face facts.  The Red Sox have been implementing their plan of player development in order to reduce their salary (they spent more than $143 million in 2007).  They don’t want to depend on high priced free agents.  To compete until they could develop guys like Lester, Pedroia and Papelbon, they spent money.  But to think they ever actually competed with the Yankees salary-wise is silly.  John Henry knew that the Red Sox could not sustain a system where they spent ever-increasing amounts on free agents (as the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes showed, they picked targets and set limits- just as with the A-Fraud trade which the MLBPA, not Bug Selig squashed [sorry Colin]). 

Henry doesn’t want the Yankees to be in a completely different stratosphere when it comes to salary (they may near the $100 million gap this season).  But they also don’t want those team who receive revenue sharing to just pocket the cash.  They want them to spend money on players’ salaries so ALL teams are better increasing the competition and the MLB product.  As a result, I don’t find the talk of a salary zone by John Henry to be disingenuous.  Whether or not it is good for the game is up for debate.  But to take the comments out of context, including historical context, is unfair, and not solid journalism.

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Considering Lone Survivor

I’ve been wanting to read Marcus Luttrell’s book Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10 since hearing Marcus talk about it on the Glenn Beck show one day while doing hospital visitation.  It is a moving, and powerful story that I enjoyed greatly.  I recommend people read it to gain a better understanding of how crazy our Rules of Engagement are.  This is the underlying message of Marcus’ account.

For those who don’t know what I’m talking about: Operation Redwing was an attempt to capture or kill a high ranking Taliban leader in the mountains of Afghanistan in 2005.  A Seal team of 4 men were dropped into the mountains to locate and attempt to capture him.  They were discovered by some goat herders.  Militarily, you can’t be sure they are not connected with the Taliban and make your presence known so that a much larger force drops on you like a ton of bricks.  With the strange ROE in this War on Terror- terrorists don’t wear uniforms, and may not be holding a rifle- they knew they could face criminal charges while at least being crucified in the press if they killed the goat herders.  They set them free … and only Marcus lived to regret it.  These 4 men took on 150-200+ Taliban soldiers for 90-120 minutes.  Seal Team 10 and a Rapid Response team answered their call of distress, but the helicopter was shot down and all were killed.  Badly wounded, Marcus was able to escape until finally taken in by a village elder who swore to protect him.

It was a very good book and interesting read, but here is what I’d change (as if anyone cared):

• Move the material about ROE and the press to a separate chapter.  Since it is interspersed as part of the narrative, it loses some of its rhetorical power to more of a soap box feel.
• Double check the material on the training.  I was confused with varying accounts of how many guys dropped out when and how long various things took place.  I thought they might be errors, but I’m not sure.

This does not diminish what Marcus is doing here.  It is a book that needs to be written, and read.  Prior to getting to the ill fated mission you hear about Marcus’ background and how he and his twin brother were preparing to become Seals even as a teens.  You gain a better understanding of how difficult it is to become a Seal- the most elite fighting force in the world.  And you learn about how the press bungled the post-battle coverage.  You learn about the mammoth vigil that took place spontaneously at his parents’ ranch, and the generosity of so many fellow Texans.

In describing the battle itself, I wondered if this Texan was telling some tall tales.  It just seemed incredible to read what these 4 men did, and persevered despite serious injuries.  But it all makes sense when you take into account their training which identifies and selects men who can’t give up.  Their bravery and perseverance humbles me.  If you have half a heart, you too will weep when he is finally rescued, says ‘goodbye’ to his friends and comrades in arms, and is reunited with his distraught family.  You also get a taste of Seal culture, for better or worse (yes, lots of bad language and what I would consider blaspheme from the mouths of men who are Christians).  But you also gain a better understanding of how politics and the mainstream media make the task we ask these soldiers to perform most difficult, put their safety and our in unnecessary jeopardy.

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Considering WMD

I must have been sleeping, because I missed this headline.

For some time now we’ve been hearing about how the CIA (and other intelligence gathering agencies among our allies) was wrong.  Sadaam did not have weapons of mass destruction.

Yet ….

They discovered over 500 tons of low-grade uranium (yellow cake)  that is used to manufacture nuclear weapons.  It has since been shipped to Canada where it will be used in nuclear reactors.  Hey, shouldn’t it have been sold to our nuclear power facilities????  Just a thought since we dumped so much money and blood into this thing.

Anyway … where are the “mea culpas” from those who continue to claim we entered under false pretenses.  I think the ability to accumulate 500 tons of the stuff for future use is shocking.  The Atomic Commission did nothing, which does not bode well for the developments in North Korea.

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Considering Obama’s Pastor & Primaries

ABC News decided to check into some rumblings about controversial statements made by Rev. Wright in his sermons.  It is easy to see why Barak has such a dismal view of America: Wright is obsessed with what is wrong with America.  Well, selectively.  In talking about how we treat black citizens & the problem of crime, he talks about how we slaughter innocents.  I don’t think he was talking about abortion (and Obama is clearly the most pro-abortion candidate- please don’t use the ‘gospel’ to justify social programs & simultaneously reject the right to life).  It is difficult to listen to Rev. Wright and not think he’s anti-Semitic and beyond bitter to racist.

Senator Obama’s response? 

“In a campaign appearance earlier this month, Sen. Obama said, “I don’t think my church is actually particularly controversial.” He said Rev. Wright “is like an old uncle who says things I don’t always agree with,” telling a Jewish group that everyone has someone like that in their family. “

Senator Obama needs a reality check if he thinks mainstream America wouldn’t find the views of his now-retired pastor controversial.  This is a church he once said reflects his views (though I don’t think he meant every little jot and tittle) since he did research.  I would say that he probably supports the main agenda items of this church and pastor.  If my pastor was saying crazy stuff like this, I’d be long gone.

Yes, many of us have a crazy uncle.  But if that guy is your pastor, you can’t just brush it off to being eccentric.  As a pastor he is in a position of power and influence.  That isn’t the job for a crazy old uncle.  He was never held accountable for his anti-American rants (including blaming us for 9/11).  Or his blind eye to much of the good America does in Africa as recently discussed by Bob Geldoff in Time.  He’s no apologist for Bush, that’s for sure.  But he’s honest- I’d like Rev. Wright to find another country that has done more to help people in Africa.  Yes, not all of our actions have helped.  Some have hurt, but to focus on only one side of the ledger makes you essentially a propagandist, whether pro or con.

Senator Obama has spent the last 20 years willingly under the spiritual authority of this man.  I think that says something about Senator Obama, and his view of America.  Unfortunately for him, the media has decided to check into him more, and they are uncovering more questions about his associates.  It really has to stink to be the frontrunner.  The spotlight reveals things you wish would remain hidden.

Now we’ll see if it matters.

On a related matter.  If the DNC can’t even run their own party, why should we think they can run the nation?  The debacle over the primaries is laughable.  They put themselves in this corner, and have no one to blame but themselves.  But they come off looking rather foolish and incompetent.  But this is another reason for my sane plan to have all the primaries on the SAME day.  Stop the insanity!

Update: Obama has now ‘denounced’ his pastor’s comments on 9/11.  Only took 6 1/2 years.  Rev. Wright has also been removed from his position on the campaign staff.  There are some interesting comments over at the Institute, including connecting Identity Politics with a search for political (and more) Messiahs.

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Considering a Global Warming Conference

Surprisingly the media is not flocking to this Global Warming Conference even though it is being held in New York City, in a hotel near all the big media outlets (one is across the street).  The reason why?  It is a gathering of hundreds of Global Warming Critics, including climatologists and meteorologist among scientists of other related specialties addressing the topic.

Among those who spoke is Anthony Watts, a meteorologist who discovered that many of the newer stations used to read temperatures are compromised by poor placement (a few feet from an A/C vent which blows out hot air, next to the radio transmitter which creates heat, a car parked 2 feet away from one with the radiator giving off heat at times, to name a few).  Most of the stations his volunteers have visited are not in compliance with the NOAA’s published specifications for weather stations, including the 100 foot rule (no asphalt, concrete, cars, buildings etc. within 100 feet).  This process has been documented at here. 

In an ironic twist, Weather Channel founder John Coleman is also a critic.  About a year ago TWC’s Heidi Cullen advocated removing the credentials of any meteorologist who denied global warming.   He is wondering if a class action suit for fraud is in order since Al Gore is selling carbon offsets despite knowing CO2 does not cause global warming.  Perhaps this way the scientific evidence might actually see the light of day.

Here’s a snippet from his interview with Glenn Beck:

COLEMAN: Think about this. If we have runaway global warming as the alarmists have told us, if CO2 has continued to build in the atmosphere through this whole time, we’re burning our fossil fuel, CO2 is burning up in the atmosphere. If it were a pollutant, which it is not, if it were the driving force of global warming, which it is not, our temperatures would be climbing and instead they’re cooling. We’re seeing steadier cooling and their case is falling apart. And we now have almost 500 scientists who have spoken out in the last year calling this global warming a scam. It’s coming.

GLENN: You know, I have to tell you, John, I’ve been so impressed with these guys that I have met because it’s not just a science to them. It is not — I mean, a lot of them are saying the good name of science is —

COLEMAN: Let me tell you the great hurricane forecaster who we always hear forecasting the hurricanes from the University of Colorado made the most marvelous speech at our breakfast this morning. The president of the Czech Republic made an incredibly good speech and totally debunked global warming. These are meaningful important people. How can the media ignore us? How much longer can it ignore us?

This could be the new Scopes trial, potentially ridding us of the dogma of global warming before all the political solutions to a non-problem create bigger problems for the average person.

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“A Lot of Coaches Did It”

Arlen Specter take note of this interview with 2-time Super Bowl winning coach Jimmy Johnson on reportedly on WFAN during Super Bowl week (he reiterates much of what he has said earlier on national TV, but apparently not everyone was listening).

Q: How about the spying thing Jimmy. You’re a coach does that bother you what Belichick did?

JJ: Oh please. I’ve said it on our show. Eighteen years ago a scout for the chiefs told me what they did, and he said what you need to do is just take your camera and you go and zoom in on the signal caller and that way you can sync it up. The problem is that if they’re not on the press box side you can’t do it from the press box, you have to do it from the sideline. This was 18 years ago.

Q: You think the NFL came down too hard on them?

JJ: No, no, I said it on the show. He was wrong for doing it for the simple reason that the league knew this was going on not just in New England but around the league. And the league sent out the memorandum to all of the teams saying you cannot do this. And so that’s when Bill Belichick was wrong. After he got the memorandum saying don’t do it any more, he did it.

Q: Did you ever steal signals?

JJ: Oh in a heartbeat, yeah. Yes I did.

Q: Via video, Jimmy? Or no?

JJ: Oh yeah, I did it with video and so did a lot of other teams in the league. Just to make sure that you could study it and take your time, because you’re going to play the other team the second time around. But a lot of coaches did it, this was commonplace.

Q: But did you do it by taping the signal caller?

JJ: Yeah.

Q: Oh you did.

JJ: That’s what I’m saying. I was saying one of Marty Schottenheimers scouts, Mark Hatley, who has passed away now, Mark told me that’s how they did it, and Howard Mudd their offensive line coach with Kansas City, who now coaches for Tony Dungy, he was the best in the entire league at stealing signals.

Q: Where’d you put your guy who was videotaping? Where was he?

JJ: My guy was up with my camera crew in the press box. So you’d just put an extra camera up with your camera crew in the press box who zoomed in on the signal callers. That’s the best way to do it, but anyway you can’t always do that because the press box camera crew might be on the same side as the opposing team. If they’re on the same side as the opposing team that’s when you need to do it from the sideline.

It is time for Specter, and some former NFL players to put all their righteous indignation aside.  This practice has been going on for years, and was done by many, if not most teams.  It doesn’t make it right, but let’s get this notion that ONLY the Patriots did it to rest.  Perhaps this is why Specter feels “stonewalled” by the Patriots, Jets and other teams.  Most teams of have done this, and it really is a league matter.  It does not involve the health of our youth, but league rules.  The league therefore determines the proper penalties.  I still don’t understand why Specter feels the need to stick his nose in this, aside from his perspective of a private citizen who is an Eagles fan.  He should not abuse his political power in such a matter.

Now, if it is proven the Patriots taped the Rams last practice (and that would be the Patriots, not Matt Walsh doing his own thing and taping it), which means there is a tape of the practice, and documentation that the organization or a superior had prior knowledge and consent, then the NFL should impose additional penalties.  Here we are dealing with something more than the actions of an individual, but an organizational conspiracy that must be proven.  The existence of a tape does not prove that the Patriots’ coaching staff told him to do it, or used it in preparation for the Super Bowl.

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Kudos and Disgust Before the Big Game

Hats off to Patriots’ great Andre Tippett- he’s in the Hall of Fame.  He was a monster linebacker when I was a kid.  He’s the Patriots’ all-time leader in sacks.  Injuries kept him from being even more of a force.  It was a long time coming for Andre, and Patriots nation celebrates with him.

Definitely not a hats off to the story that ran yesterday in the Boston Herald, and is now being run to death by ESPN.  It really disturbs me when you have scandals based on unnamed sources who produce NO evidence.  As was once said, “the media is a hungry dog- feed it or it will eat you.”  As if the historic march to 19-0 was not enough (maybe since so few think the Giants can stop them) this has to rear its ugly head.

Both the Patriots & NFL have denied there is any substance to these accusations.  Sounds like someone with an axe to grind, or they’d offer their identity (like McNamee) and/or some actual evidence.  So ESPN is sending Fish to pester Matt Walsh, who sadly perpetuates the speculation by neither denying or affirming the accusation.  ESPN is spinning this as he’s got something to hide.  Maybe he just doesn’t know anything, because there is nothing to know.  Now Arlen Spector is sure to press this issue.  I’m growing weary of the endless need to have hearings and probes into every suspected wrongdoing.  We are navel gazing while big problems that will affect us, our kids and grandkids are continually ignored by politicians.

Something like this would throw off any team, except maybe the Patriots who seem to thrive on stuff like this.  This may not bode well for the Giants.

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Considering the Episcopal Split

The California diocese voted to secede from the Episcopal Church (US).  But the press, and the EC (US) both haven’t figured out why.

The media reports this as resulting from “years of disagreement over the church’s expanding support for gay and women’s rights.”  These issues are just a symptom of a bigger problem which conservative Episcopalians will tell you.  The real issue is the denomination’s departure from historic Christianity which include the idea that Scripture, not a bishop, is our final authority.

Episcopal forms of government have this problem.  Churches having this form of government include the Roman Catholic Church and the United Methodist Church too.  They place authority in the Bishop as the final arbitor of what Scripture teaches, or what the Church is to believe and do.  The problems occur when the Bishop(s) begin to hold doctrines and practices that are not in harmony with Scripture.  Protestants like me believe this is why the Reformation had to take place.

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Considering When Nations Die

When Nations Die- America on the Brink: Ten Warning Signs of a Culture in Crisis by Jim Nelson Black was written published in 1994, near the beginning of the Clinton Presidency.  That is a bit important.  But I think the cover says it all.

Black uses the research of others to identify the common factors in the demise of the great empires in history.  This is something we should be aware of, and they are:

Increased Lawlessness

Loss of Economic Discipline (both personal and corporate)

Hyper-Bureaucracy

Decline of Education

Weakening of Cultural Foundations

Disregarding of Tradition

Materialistic Mindset

Immorality run amuck

Destruction of (traditional) Religious Beliefs

Devaluing of Human Life

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Considering Fear and Horror

I read the first chapter of Ed Welch’s book Running Scared this morning.  You can read chapter one for yourself here.  He talks about how we don’t need to be taught to be afraid.  From our earliest days we know fear.  How we respond to it changes over time, and with our own experience.  There are some scary experiences we enjoy (amusement rides, scary stories).

He talked about how fear is used by others.  Many of the old fairy tales use fear to teach moral lessons.  When we hit our teens we move from story to movie.  Horror movies enter our experience.  He seemed to think they didn’t involved morality.  I disagree.

I think horror movies are often/usually morality plays.  At least the ones I am familiar with are.  The hero/heroine is the person of some moral virtue, the voice of reason & courage (there is no courage without the presence of fear).  In the early Friday the 13th movies, it was the promiscuous, foolish or wimpy kids who got killed.  In a sense, their death is an intrusion of the eschaton for their foolishness or evil.  In Aliens we see another theme, the guy YOU want to see killed.  Paul Reiser plays the man who betrays the whole team.  He wants to bring the alien back to Earth to study it (he takes the place of the android in the original). 

The morality play is even more explicit in the I Know What You Did Last Summer series.  A group of young adults cover up an accident, and are then slowly killed off.  In the original Saw (I didn’t see any of the others), he is exacting his own form of justice against people who did something wrong.  They ‘deserved’ to be caught in his trap.  Fear is used to communicate that wrong choices have worse consequences.

Fear, of course, ends up being a really bad motivator.  But it is the easiest to use, so it is quite popular (it is used by politicians, the media and zealots of all kinds- they want us afraid of Islamic domination, global warming, health care crises, and the list goes on).  The possible price of promiscuity merely in terms of health should frighten people to keep their flies zipped.  Most of those nasty viruses can go through latex, folks, including the one that causes cervical cancer.  But the promise of fleeting pleasure overrides people’s common sense and they place themselves at risk rather than pursuing fidelity and monogamy.

Love is a better deterrent.  Most who live monogamous lives of fidelity do it because they love their spouse (present or future).  Jesus says, “If you love me, you will obey my commands (John 14).”  Love produces obedience- disobedience reveals that we love something else (usually ourselves) more than we love God.

This is not to say that fear does not exert control over our lives.  It does all the time.  Some of those fears are reasonable (though we may exaggerate the possibility of it transpiring).  Some people are afraid of losing their jobs, losing a big game, being in a car crash or robbed, etc.  We can become obsessed with these realistic fears.

Some of our fears are unreasonable.  Some people are afraid of clowns, or being abducted by aliens.  Not reasonable, but still life dominating.

So while fear does not usually motivate moral choices, it does motivate choices.  I’ve known people who married their spouse because they were afraid no one else would ever ask.  We are all, to some degree, wrestling with fears.  What are you afraid of?  How does it shape who you are, or what you do?

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Red Sox: Objects of Envy

A week ago I offered to pick up a friend at the airport last night.  I had not been paying attention to the Red Sox schedule, for they were playing the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.  This meant 3 straight games on local TV.  But, alas, I had to head to Tampa last night.

So, I got to ‘enjoy’ the Rays’ radio announcers.  Maybe it was the now 11 game losing streak.  Maybe it was the absolute pounding they took last night.  I don’t know- but were those guys bitter!

For instance, in talking about Hideki Okajima being chosen for the All-Star team they commented “the whole world revolves around the Red Sox.”  Yes, he was the 6th Red Sox’ player named to the All-Star game.  Could that be because they have one of the best records in baseball?  Could that be because they have some of the best players?  I guess I’m not sure who on the Rays should be there instead of Papi, Manny (admittedly sub-Manny year), Lowell (having an awesome contract year), Beckett and Papelbon.  Crawford is a great player.

They dug on the Sox for overpaying former Ray Julio Lugo.  The Red Sox fans continue to support him though he struggles, but the Rays’ guys- nope!

They whined about numerous calls, as if the umps favor the Red Sox.  Okay, perhaps high level performers get the benefit of the doubt, so Beckett may have gotten calls that their guy who went 2/3 of an inning didn’t get.  But the umps didn’t give the Sox those hits, like Coco’s grand slam.  The player actually has to hit the ball.

It was an interesting experience.  Sort of how Sox fans must have sounded for years while the Yankees won.  Success breeds envy, and hatred.  Instead of recognizing that your team is not as good (partially due to a number of injuries to key players), it is easier to get bitter and hate others.  That’s what it sounded like to me- sour grapes setting their teeth on edge.

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A-Fraud’s Very Bad Day

I lost all respect for A-Rod in the 2004 ALCS when he tried to cheat and got caught all while declaring his innocence.  Since then I have called him A-Fraud.  Some recently called him April-Rod for his hot start.  He cooled off, and the Yankees are in a very bad stretch of baseball (which I hope continues until after their visit to Fenway this weekend.  btw: Francona is putting up our best pitchers, having reshuffled the rotation with the off-day.).  He didn’t improve his stature with me by a lame, but successful, attempt to break up a double play with an elbow to Pedroia’s groin.  The slide was lame, the elbow a cheap shot.

Yesterday The NY Post pronounced to be Stray-Rod with a pic of him supposedly outside a strip club with an attractive woman who wasn’t his wife.  He refused to address the issue (it’s private) before the game.

During the game A-Fraud was the center of controversy as he shouted while passing the 3rd baseman who was lining up a fly ball.  The Toronto player, thinking the SS was calling for the ball backed off and it dropped for a single.  A-Fraud again protested his innocence in the matter.  The Toronto manager called him “bush league” and the umps had to make sure a verbal altercation didn’t turn physical.   Not all press is good press.

This morning, the NY Daily News Gossip page has C-Rod leaving their apartment with 2 suitcases (destination unknown) in a rush, and tales of Strip-Rod.  He is alleged to be quite the frequenter of strip clubs (both with Cynthia, and with other women when he travels).  The Post followed up their story with additional developments.

It’s all coming apart for A-Fraud.  It’s a sad story precisely because he doesn’t seem to care about his reputation as a player or a husband.  This is what sin can do- make us think we are right and everyone else is wrong.  It convinces us we “deserve” or “need” what we seek.  Unfortunately, with the ever-present press and the advent of camera phones, the private aspects of A-Fraud’s meltdown are now public.  We don’t know the truth, but nothing here looks good for the highest paid man in baseball.  What will be interesting is how this unfolds this weekend in Boston (where I am glad he didn’t end up- the Wade Boggs affair was bad enough).

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Tragedy at Virginia Tech

While checking the start of the Red Sox game I saw a disturbing headline.  If you haven’t checked the news in awhile, you had better.  Reports are saying that 2 shooters may have killed up to 21 people on the Virginia Tech campus.  I’m seeing conflicting stories, so there is plenty of confusion going on there to be certain.  They are unable to airlift victims out due to high winds.  This is the stuff that drives home our utterly hopelessness without Christ.

Update: 2pm. Fox News now reports 32 have been murdered.  Killed is an inaccurate term, unless the police shot and killed the murderer.  Police now say there was only one gunman.

Part of why this is so sad and tragic is the misguided idea that if only people were better educated crime would diminish.  The sad truth is not that the human heart is ignorant, but filled with hate.  I feel sorrow for the families of those murdered today.  My hope is that the churches there will not only assist in the short-term, but pray and preach to see the community of Blacksburg renewed by faith, hope and love through the Great News of Jesus.

3:30  Michelle Malkin’s blog has a link to an article from January in which a law permitting students to carry licensed firearms on campus was rejected.  Students would have had to receive a concealed weapon permit (includes training and safety).  They would not be permitted in student dorms or athletic events (that is wise).  The Virginia Tech spokesperson believed students would now feel safe (that guns were not permitted).  Perhaps things might have been different if a student, trained to use a handgun, had been on site.  No way of knowing, obviously.  But this is an interesting prelude to this very sad day in Blacksburg.

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Amazing Difference in Perspective

Apparently Obama’s pastor is upset with the New York Times.  He’s not the only one, to be sure.

I guess I find it odd that he thinks the Times is the Bush administration’s blog.  Every conservative I know thinks it is a bastion of liberal thought.  I think I can spot ‘middle of the road’, and the NY Times is not that.

I thought it sad that this man arrogantly thinks Obama is the only one who would understand the differences between various types of Islam, Jews and Christians. 

“I told you how important it would be to have a man who not only knew the difference between Shiites and Sunnis prior to 9/11/01 in the Oval Office, but also how important it would be to have a man who knew what Sufism was; a man who understood that there were different branches of Judaism; a man who knew the difference between Hasidic Jews, Orthodox Jews, Conservative Jews and Reformed Jews; and a man who was a devout Christian, but who did not prejudge others because they believed something other than what he believed.”

Bush does some things I scratch my head at, and some things that make me want to scream into a pillow.  But… he’s not an idiot, nor is he surrounded by idiots.  Both men are foolish if they think being President is easy.  It is one thing to know these differences, and another to work with them and their differences.  This is what concerns me about Obama.  In his political life he has only been a legislator.  The executive branch is fundamentally different, and it would be great to see someone with experience in the executive branch of a government running for President.  Call me crazy, but the best Presidents tend to be former governors (Jimmy Carter, HUGE exception).

But Rev. Wright and I can agree that the NYT seems a bit thin on the truth.

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The Global Warming Swindle

Here is a lengthy documentary exposing the great global warming swindle.  The various parts of it are also found on YouTube.  Sadly, you found this in our public schools- just Al Gore’s manipulations of data and alarmist hyperbole.

Update: Apparently an improved DVD version will be released, we think.  The producers are being opposed, and persecuted, for not towing the environmentalist line.  So much for freedom of thought.  I thought it was the conservatives that didn’t like free speech?  Oh, well.  The director was on the Glenn Beck show (CNN Headline News).  He had no agenda, but was asked to do the documentary for BBC.  They are trying to discredit him by calling him a Nazi.  He has met many scientists who have received death threats.

I think it may have been removed from You Tube.

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Inconvenient Inaccuracies

It is always interesting when I agree with the NY Times.  Today is one of those days.  Finally, after Gore and his enviro-lapooza tour film has penetrated many of our public schools and won 2 Oscars… they decide to let the public know that actual, real scientists think the movie is inaccurate and over-heated.  Some portions:

“Criticisms of Mr. Gore have come not only from conservative groups and prominent skeptics of catastrophic warming, but also from rank-and-file scientists like Dr. Easterbook, who told his peers that he had no political ax to grind. A few see natural variation as more central to global warming than heat-trapping gases. Many appear to occupy a middle ground in the climate debate, seeing human activity as a serious threat but challenging what they call the extremism of both skeptics and zealots.”

“While reviewers tended to praise the book and movie, vocal skeptics of global warming protested almost immediately. Richard S. Lindzen, a climatologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a member of the National Academy of Sciences, who has long expressed skepticism about dire climate predictions, accused Mr. Gore in The Wall Street Journal of “shrill alarmism.””

This next one is particular interesting since people weren’t using fossil fuels 400 years ago-

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Absurd Story of the Day

This is from the AP Wire in an article by Juan Carlos Llorca:

“Mayan priests will purify a sacred archaeological site to eliminate “bad spirits” after President Bush visits next week, an official with close ties to the group said Thursday.

“”That a person like (Bush), with the persecution of our migrant brothers in the United States, with the wars he has provoked, is going to walk in our sacred lands, is an offense for the Mayan people and their culture,” Juan Tiney, the director of a Mayan nongovernmental organization with close ties to Mayan religious and political leaders, said Thursday.

“Tiney said the “spirit guides of the Mayan community” decided it would be necessary to cleanse the sacred site of “bad spirits” after Bush’s visit so that their ancestors could rest in peace. He also said the rites — which entail chanting and burning incense, herbs and candles — would prepare the site for the third summit of Latin American Indians March 26-30.”

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When the Shoe is on the Other Foot

A very interesting, but sadly pathetic article in the SFGate about the Castro District.  If one were to substitute nearly any other people group (homosexual, black, hispanic, illegal immigrants) when they use “heterosexual” there would certainly be an uproar.  But, no one seems to be concerned that some people are afraid that straight people moving in would ruin a neighborhood.  Isn’t being PC great!? 

Some parts of the story:

“But some gay and lesbian residents of the Castro are worried that the culture and history of their world-famous neighborhood could be lost in the process, and they have started a campaign to preserve its character. The city, meanwhile, is spending $100,000 on a plan aimed at keeping the area’s gay identity intact.

“Heterosexuals “are welcome as long as they understand this is our community,” said Adam Light, a leader in the Castro Coalition, a group formed eight months ago to address the shifts in the neighborhood in recent years.

“While evidence of the change is largely anecdotal, estimates based on census data from 2000 and 2005 show that San Francisco and other major cities in the United States are losing gay and lesbian couples, while Oakland, Berkeley and San Jose gained couples, according to a UCLA demographer.

“The Castro’s gay and lesbian residents need to be actively involved in neighborhood planning if they want to see the area maintain its identity, said Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, chair of the School of Public Affairs and Urban Planning at UCLA.

“I think the only gay neighborhood that is going to survive is the Castro,” said Don Reuter, a New York writer who has spent the past seven months documenting the status of gay enclaves in 12 U.S. cities. “In every city this is going on. We’re unraveling. Our gay neighborhoods are unraveling,” he said.

So, … are these people guilty of heterophobia?

(HT: Jerry Dodson)

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The Green President

Al Gore thinks he can explain away his outrageous use of energy by “buying carbon offsets”.  He thinks florescent bulbs will save the environment.  Maybe, he houses are really big and probably have hundreds of lightbulbs :-).

There is a home in Texas that sounds like the home Al Gore SHOULD have if he really cared for the environment.  This house “has 25,000 gallons of rainwater storage, gray water collection from sinks and showers for irrigation, passive solar, geothermal heating and cooling. “By marketplace standards, the house is startlingly small,” says David Heymann, the architect of the 4,000-square-foot home.”

Is it owned by one of the Hollywood enrivo-activists?  No.  A climatologist?  No.  A George Soros wanna-be?  No.  This home is the Crawford, TX ranch owned by President George W. (I’m an Evil, Environment-Hating Conservative) Bush.  Congratulations to George Bush for doing more than paying for offsets.  He actually conserves energy and other resources.  Sadly, this gets NO coverage by the press.  Why?  Is it an inconvenient truth that could destroy the image of him they have created?

Here is the problem: most people can afford to buy offsets like Al Gore.  And most people couldn’t afford to build such an environmentally-friendly home either (though, note he didn’t build it as big as most people with that kind of wealth).  You used to get a tax-break for installing solor panels, a long time ago.  So, what is the average American supposed to do?

(HT: Glenn Beck)

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