Over the Blues

Here it is the day after Thanksgiving and I'm finally back to writing. Of course, the doldrums that were left over after the Tigers lost in 5 are finally starting to subside. At least the team made a trip to the World Series after more than a dozen years of ineptitude. Michigan came thisclose to earning a trip to the BCS game. Well, maybe not that close, but close enough that they should be considered to play OSU again. More on that on another day.

There are the lingering effects of the elections to consider. The thought of four more years of Blago in office is enough to frighten many people, including me. The national elections took a "throw the bums out" mentality. Now that the Democrats have control of the House and the Senate, let' see if they can live up to their promises of bipartisanship or block everything that President Bush tries in the final two years in office. I'm betting that it will be the latter instead of the former, but maybe a wake-up call was needed for the Republicans that couldn't keep their hands out of the trough. The Dems may be looking to share in a larger portion of the pork, though it would be nice to find some real reform in politics. The odds are it isn'g going to happen.

Black Friday. Time for the retail industry to turn a profit. It would be better for our community if we had a stronger retail market. Super Wal-Mart and Big Menards will offer some shopping alternatives, but what about a higher end retail store, like Kohl's or even Target. The declining purchasing base, mid-level and high-level managers are leaving like geese flying South. These jobs will not be returning anytime soon, however. Newell-Rubbermaid, Honeywell, Titan Tire, General Casualty are each showing effects of mangement or ownership changes. The tax base is weakening and we keep incentivizing the big-box retailers.

Waiting is the Hardest Part

When a team is on a roll like the Tigers have been it is tough to sit back and watch the other teams playing to get into the World Series. Detroit, however, should benefit from the week's rest, especially Sean Casey and Joel Zumaya. They are two very integral parts of this team's success and its projected fortune once the series starts against... either the Mets or the Cards. Watching the pitching of both of the National League teams must have Detroit chomping at the bit to get back out and hit the baseball.

Much like last year's White Sox, there is the waiting while the National League Championship series goes longer and potentially wears out the starting pitchers. Detroit's young guns and old rifle, Kenny Rogers, have time to re-energize and come out slinging in the Series opener in Detroit on Saturday. The biggest question going in, once it has been decided who they'll play, is the weather. Colder weather tends to favor the pitchers, because most batters don't relish the thought of hitting a ball thrown at 100 m.p.h. when the temperature hovers around freezing.

I'm sure that the media and the folks at Fox are rooting for the New York Mets with their larger potential television audience. It would be fun to play a new team in the Series for the Tigers, but the lingering smell of success against the Cards in 1968 is sweet, also. The Carloses, Delgado and Beltan, scare me with their ability to reach the fences, but the walls at Comerica Park are quite a distance from home plate if the ball is hit anywhere but directly down the lines. Albert Pujols seems to be the biggest threat for the Cards. Neither team, however, has a pitching staff that holds up against the Detroit aces.

Another rainy day and night here at Tigers' Central in Freeport, Illinois and this doesn't bode well for the weather the next few days in Detroit as they usually have our weather 24-48 hours later. I look forward to the Series even though I can't be there or see the first game live on TV. There are at least four good reasons to believe that Detroit will once again be World Series champions and they are... Nate, Kenny, Justin, and Jeremy, and of course there is Joel, Jamie, and Todd out of the bullpen... and Placido, Pudge, Maggs, Brandon, Carlos, C-Mo, Curtis, Sean, Marcus and the rest.

Detroit in 5.

Celebrate, but Keep the Ultimate Goal in Sight

Seven games in a row for the formerly beleagured and now beloved, Tigers. I can't remember a home run as sweet as the one that Magglio Ordonez hit last night in the bottom of the ninth inning. One pitch. One swing. Delirium in Detroit and for Tiger fans everywhere.

Destiny is often overrated when it comes to sports teams. Over the last three years, however, three of the oldest teams in baseball, Boston, the Chicago White Sox, and Detroit have each made it into the World Series. Of course, Boston and Chicago had been waiting much longer than Detroit for World Series championships. Detroit has been so dismal over the past decade plus that it seems like 1984 was an eternity ago. Face it, when your team loses over 400 games in four years, it seems as if time has stood still.

Now we are there once again. Does Jim Leyland keep the same lineup for the Series? Can he bring Chris Shelton back as a first baseman with Sean Casey injured, or is he stuck with the players that he brought to the ALCS? What about the pitching rotation? Does he stay with what is working and start Nate, then Justin, then Kenny, and finish with Jeremy? Or does he tinker and put his post-season ace, Kenny Rogers, as the starter for game one now that the series will start at home in Comerica Park?

These and more questions will be decided, but first we have to find out who Detroit is going to play... St. Louis or the New York Mets? For now it is the infamous TBD.

Tonight's the Night

It's deja vu all over again. Back to 1972. The Detroit Tigers against the Oakland A's. Back then, however, the A's would win and go on to three World Series Championships. The Tigers wouldn't make it back to the Series until 1984, the "Bless You Boys" year of Sparky Anderson and that amazing 35-5 start to the season. Now here we are again. Detroit has just taken game 1 of the ALCS 5-1 and turned a record-setting five double plays in the game. And this was with their number 4 starting pitcher, Nate Robertson.

That is now four games in a row in the playoffs. Those of us who long for another championship watch actively. Hanging on every pitch. Holding our breath during the tense moments and wanting to be there to congratulate the players, like Brandon Inge, who had more hits tonight than in the entire Yankees's series.

This was never meant to be a sports blog, but at this time of the year and the Tigers still playing in October, I am fantasizing about another World Series title. I see the Tigers beating the Cardinals in 7 games like 1968. I imagine the Tigers beating the Mets, whom they've never played in the post season. I wear my Tigers jersey and remember my week at fantasy baseball camp with players from the '68 team. I close my eyes and relive my one at bat against Mickey Lolich and the hit down the first base line that drove in a run.

Most of us will never know what it is like to face a 100 MPH fastball or what it is like to hit a home run or make the winning play in a major league game. Very few in life ever do. We live vicariously through the exploits of our favorite teams. And as a lifelong Tigers fan, this year the exploits have been much more enjoyable.

Game one down. Three more wins to go before the Series. Let's go, Tigers!

Free Falling and Bouncing Back

Okay, so it has been years since the Tigers were in the playoffs. Once they clinched a spot they went into a season-ending free fall losing their last five games when a single win would have clinched the division. Was it a major league choke or was there a method to their madness? Now that they have bounced back with a win against the vaunted Yankees it appears that maybe, just maybe they have a chance to win one or both games at home. This is especially true if Randy Johnson is not up to his normal self and Kenny Rogers can keep his head in the game.

So, this was not intended to be a sports blog and in essence it isn't, however, as a lifelong Tigers' fan it is too exciting playing in October to not be enjoying the moment and sharing thoughts about it. This has been such a turnaround season after more than a decade of futility that I find myself sneaking away to read about the team, watch as much of the game as possible, and then read some more when not catching the latest sports talk radio or internet buzz.

It would be great to see Detroit face Oakland for the ALCS and then the Tigers to take on the Cardinals like it was 1968 all over again. And any Tiger fan recalls the first championship since WWII that happened that magical year of Mickey Lolich, Denny McClain, Al Kaline and the entire '68 team. For now, it is taking it one game at a time and praying that the pitching holds out and keeps the Yankees to three runs or less in at least 2 of the next 3 games. Besides, Al Kaline will be throwing out the first pitch tomorrow.

GO TIGERS!

The 20 Year Cycle

It seems that it happens about every 20 years or so. Sure, there was the blip in the system when they made the 1972 and 1987 playoffs without going to the World Series, but the Detroit Tigers have won the Series about every 20 years at least since 1945. They beat the Cubs that year then for the first time in my lifetime, they won in 1968 and again in 1984. Figuring that they are due after more than a decade of udder futility, the Tigers are in the playoffs again this year. Of course, it appears that they are trying to give away first place, a position they have held since early May. Now that the Twins, who just happen to have eliminated them from the 1987 playoffs, have caught them.

Detroit only has to win three straight against a Kansas City team that they have dominated this season in order to maintain first place and a date with the Oakland, the team that beat them in the 1972 playoffs. Either way, the goal is to win first place and not have to face the Yankees during the first round.

The hope is that in a short series the Tigers pitching will prevail. They have been strong all season with a few down weeks. The team chemistry should return to early season levels with the return of Placido Polanco at second base. He was sorely missed during the late August/early September swoon.

So, let's win three and then head to the Playoffs with home field advantage at least for the first round and possibly the second round and World Series. Of course, the success they have had on the road this year means that maybe it would be better if....

Nahhh, let's not think about that.

A Tiger in the Tank

I've been following the Detroit Tigers all season. Unbelievable start for a team that lost 119 games just a few years ago. Here they were 10 games up at the beginning of August and looked like a sure bet to make it to the playoffs, most likey with home field advantage. Then before we know it they start looking like the 1969 Chicago Cubs. They went from winning at almost a .700 clip to dropping 2 out of every 3 games.

I have been watching the games over the internet and I don't think I've seen a victory in a month of games that I have been able to watch. What happened? Is it the pressure of playing in a pennant race among a group of young players who are short on experience? Is it that the pitchers aren't used to pitching that many innings, even though Justin Verlander, the phenomenal rookie, has been the team's best pitcher since the swoon started? Maybe it is that the novelty of Jim Leyland has worn off? Or perhaps the Twins are really the better team?

Of course, it doesn't help that as I watch the game, write for this site for the first time in more than a month, and turn to see that the Lions have lost on a last second field goal...yech! Oh well, they are only games. No life and death situations, but the third triple hit today by the Twins definitely hurt.

It is hard to believe that tomorrow is the 5th anniversary of 9/11. I wonder what we have learned as a nation. Do we feel any safer? or have we gone back to our complacency of worrying about the more mundane things in our lives? It is hard to imagine that five years ago today how much our lives would change within the next 24 hours of September 10, 2001. There was no indication to the general public that we would not be able to look at the world in the same way, travel freely, look at other cultures the same, or consider what the future holds for our children without some sense of dread. May tomorrow be remembered for the innocent lives that were taken on that day, for the families that were personally affected and for a nation that must now keep a constant vigil of its borders from both sides.

The Journal-Standard

The Journal-Standard

It was nice to have the J-S write a positive story about children with special needs. This is a great program which was started through a collaborative effort. It was in the formative stages over the past few years and really meets a community need. We have been fortunate to be the beneficiaries of several endeavors through Malcolm Eaton Enterprises. It was an honor to serve on their board for three years. This is one non-profit entity that deserves the praise that it receives.

WTVO.com - Rockford, IL

We were fortunate enough to receive our service dog, Shia, for our daughter at the same time as the Diamond-Tsingos family. It is inconceivable that a corporation that is supposedly as forward-thinking as Bally, would have the audacity and temerity to deny admittance to Robert and his dog, Anna. We have encountered few problems with acceptance of our dog and the one company whose manager did give my wife a hard time, no longer does hair cuts for our family. Most people and businesses have been very courteous and accepting of our daughter and her dog.

It would seem that a major fitness corporation would be progressive enough to realize that their acceptance of this family who has been members of their club for many years would be an act of goodwill (even knowing that it is legally mandated that they be allowed to be on the premises). Their unwillingness to follow the standard, legal guidelines only hurts their image in the community. There is enough discrimination in the world. Maybe, this Bally club is in need of new management or else they need a refresher course on sensitivity and common sense in the work place.

For more about the situation read the following from WTVO.com from July 21, 2006:
A Local Family Says Its Autistic Son Faced Discrimination by a Local Corporation

Rockford, Illinois- Susan Diamond-Tsingos had planned a trip to the gym, but says Bally Total Fitness said no because she wanted to bring her son, Robert, and his service dog.

Robert is autistic.

"It was the first time I had ever felt discriminated against and it hurt," says Diamond-Tsingos. "And it wasn`t just me; it was my son, so it was more magnified."

Diamond-Tsingos says Robert’s dog, Anna, keeps him from having panic attacks; she`s necessary for him to go out in public. Diamond-Tsingos says she explained that to the manager at the East State Street Bally Total Fitness.

"She’s not just a regular pet dog, she`s my son`s service dog and he said, `There’s nothing I can do, we don`t allow animals in the health club,`" says Diamond-Tsingos. "And I was left speechless."

Matt Messinger is a spokesman for the company.

"Bally Total Fitness is working with the family to accommodate the needs of its members," says Messinger. "The health and safety of our members is our number one priority."

But Julianne Taylor, who trains service dogs, says it shouldn`t be a matter of working things out. She believes both federal and the state`s "White Cane Law" are being violated.

The "White Cane Law" reads: "Any person or corporation who interferes with admittance of the public facilities shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor."

"If Bally`s doesn`t allow access to Anna, the next step would be to file criminal charges with the State`s Attorney`s Office," says Taylor.

"Having a child that`s autistic is enough of a challenge; you`d like to think the public is on your side," says Diamond-Tsingos.

Bally Total Fitness reps say they`re doing everything they can to accommodate Robert and Anna.

"It felt awful, it really did," says Diamond-Tsingos. "But I’m just a little person, what I am going to do."

WTVO.com - Rockford, IL

Chicago Tribune news : Print Edition - Sunday Perspective

Chicago Tribune news : Print Edition - Sunday Perspective

This is one issue that has been around for a couple of decades now. It not only involves the concerns of parents who are worried about the mercury in vaccines, but also about the mercury in dental fillings. "It is only a trace amount," "There are no conclusive studies to prove it," are just a couple of the refrains that are often heard. Our special needs daughter began having seizures within six weeks of exposure to mercury through breastmilk. We have no way of knowing for sure whether this was the causative factor. No doctor would consider this as a cause. It is much easier to say that a condition is of unkown origin than to consider the possibility that a know toxin could lead to a life-altering condition, including brain damage and seizure disorder.

We know that the rate of autism has increased drastically in the past couple of decades and that as mandatory immunizations are forced on children there has continued to be a manifold increase in autism and autistic-like conditions. It is like swimming upstream, though, to find physicians who will even consider the possibility that mercury, even in trace amounts, can have deliterious effects on the developing brain. There is most likely something to it, at least to those children that may be more susceptible to mercury. Is there an adequate way to screen for those children? Not that is known to date. And there won't be as long as the major medical groups continue to promote the immunizations at all costs... even though the parents are the ones that have to live with it on a day to day basis.

Chicago Tribune news: Daughter's murder puts focus on toll of autism

The strains of parenting a special needs child go much deeper than most people realize. It is almost impossible to find qualified help in order to give the parents a break. It is often all-consuming of time, energy and patience. There is no way to condone what the mother did in Morton, Illinois. There are definitely mitigating factors, though, that explain the stresses that parents of special needs children are under and the overall lack of support and understanding that they deal with in trying to help their own children.

I think most people who are dealing with children with autism or autistic-type conditions have felt the stress, strain and despair of feeling as if there is little hope in coping with a child whose brain does not process social cues, does not reason, and has self-destructive or oppositional tendencies and behavior.

There is no need to jump on the advocate bandwagon and hitch a cause to the trauma of a little girl's death at the hands of her mother. There is a great need, however, for people to realize that there are thousands of mothers, fathers, siblings, and other family members who are struggling daily just to keep our own sanity.


By Meg McSherry Breslin
Tribune staff reporter

June 9, 2006

MORTON, Ill. -- For several weeks, Karen McCarron had been making teary phone calls, despairing over her 3-year-old autistic daughter's future.

Unable to get Katie to settle down for a nap on a Saturday afternoon, McCarron took her for a drive. Police say the respected Peoria-area physician and advocate for autistic children parked, put a plastic bag over the little girl's head and smothered her to death in about two minutes.

McCarron, 37, is alleged to have confessed to the crime a day later--Mother's Day--telling police she 'just wanted to end her pain and Katie's pain.' On Thursday afternoon in a Pekin courtroom, McCarron bowed her head and remained silent as her lawyer entered a plea of not guilty on first-degree murder charges.

In the last month, Katie's death has sparked a heated discussion among advocates for Illinois' disabled. Many argue that the tragedy demonstrates just how underserved the rapidly growing community of autistic families is.

'Whatever comes out of the McCarron case, it is already clear that many, many people in our community have seen something of themselves in it,' said Christopher Kennedy, legislative director for the Autism Society of Illinois and the parent of an autistic child. Concerned parents 'have communicated the feelings of despair and isolation so many of us have felt at different times in our lives with autism. ... We cannot ignore the bigger picture and the context within which this and other such acts occur.'

Yet others complain that some are exploiting Katie's death to further their agenda of expanding funding for autistic "

For the full story click on the following link:

Chicago Tribune news: Daughter's murder puts focus on toll of autism: "chicagotribune.com

Not a Day Goes By

I finally had the chance to see "United 93" last week. It was a very inspirational movie, which was done in such a way that it felt like I was watching a documentary. The real-life type depiction of the events of that day were not played for effect with the overbearing crescendo of music to let us know that a plot turn was about to take place or that the monster was lurking in the swamp. No it was played out as if the events were taking place, in real-time, right in front of our eyes. It was emotional to hear the final calls of the passengers or see the Todd Beamer character saying the Lord's Prayer with the telecommunications operator.

To know a little of the families that these people left behind made it even mor heart-wrenching when the pilots were slain or when the flight attendants were talking about their plans for the week ahead. It appeared at first just like most of the flights that I have been on that were headed to California. People sleeping, talking, working, or just lost in thought. And then within seconds there routine flight to San Francisco became a nightmare or epic proportions.

I don't know if you have seen the movie or if you even plan to. I do know that it was time well spent and that it made me proud of my fellow Americans, who took matters into their own hands, when there was no government to look to for help.

To read a follow-up, look for The Journal-Standard on Thursday, June 8, 2006 in the Pulse section.

Two Week Update

It used to be that on Saturday Night Live the Weekend Update was just one of the best parts of the show. The past several years it has been the lone consistent bright spot. I feel like I am only getting to the sight about every two weeks for an update. Any readers out there may think that that is more than enough. Others may think that it too often. And a few of you may actually like to read more frequent updates.

The news recently caught my attention. Of course, I'm talking about the big news! The Runaway Bride, Jennifer Wilbanks, has called off her engagement to... what'shisname. I know, that's not as big of a deal as say Iran's nuke capabilities, or a new government in Iraq or even making English the national language, but hey! who could have seen it coming?!

Well, here is the text of the column that first appeared on May 5, 2005. I hope it brings some laughs and enjoyment.

The Runaway Bride from The Journal-Standard

A woman seldom asks advice before she has bought her wedding clothes.
~~Joseph Addison, 1771

For the Love of Community sent forth our esteemed colleague and seeker of truth, Al Bebach, to obtain the first interview with "The Runaway Bride" ...no not Julia Roberts, but real-life runaway, Jennifer Wilbanks. As most of you have most likely read by now, Jennifer left the week of her wedding and called a few days later from New Mexico claiming she had been kidnapped. The following is a partial transcript of her first interview.

Al Bebach (A.B.): Jennifer, you were expecting 600 guests and had 14 bridesmaids. Are you sure you weren’t heading toward Roswell, New Mexico?

Jennifer Wilbanks: Excuse me. Where is Roswell?

A.B.: It’s in New Mexico, you know, where we keep all of the UFO’s and alien stuff. Anyways, what did your fiancé say when you told him the truth?

Jennifer: First, he asked me if I was okay. Then he said, what the #*!! were you thinking or something like that.

A.B.: What happened next?

Jennifer: I just started crying and told him I wanted to come home. I didn’t tell him at first. I said that I was abducted by a couple in their forties, who were driving a blue van, when I went out for a jog. How could I tell him that I ran away? What else could I do?

A.B.: Who else did you talk to?

Jennifer: Well, I called 911 to tell them that I had been released by the kidnappers. Of course, then I had to tell the police the truth. I told them that I needed some time alone. The pressure of the wedding was just too much.

A.B.: Let me get this straight. You expected over 600 wedding guests and had 14 bridesmaids and groomsmen. You caused more than 100 police officers to search for you in addition to hundreds of friends and relatives. I know you are stressed, but what about all of those people?

Jennifer: I wasn’t thinking straight. I just wanted to run away and hide. Unfortunately, I ran out of money and couldn’t call my dad and say, "Could you forward me a little more money so I can keep running away from all of this?" I mean, he had just offered a $100,000 reward for information about my whereabouts. Everyone in Duluth was so concerned for me.

A.B.: I thought you were from Georgia?

Jennifer: That is in Georgia.

A.B.: I thought it was in Minnesota?

Jennifer: Where’s Minnesota?

A.B.: Never mind. You realize that there are a lot of people that are pretty upset with you. Ryan Kelly down at the Park Café said that it was one of the most selfish and self-centered acts he had ever seen.

Jennifer: Aw, he’s just upset ‘cause he had rented a tux and he hardly ever gets out of the café. Everyone’ll get over it.

A.B.: When did you think about running away? Did you plan it out and think up the whole story?

Jennifer: No. I just put on my jogging clothes and went out for a run and well, I just kept running. I took a bus to Las Vegas and then it took me down to Albuquerque. Like I said, then I ran out of money.

A.B.: How is your fiancé taking all of this?

Jennifer: His name is John Mason and he has been very strong about it. Sure, he’s a little, okay a lot embarrassed, as are my parents and my friends and the wedding party and most of the town of Duluth, but I’m sure he still loves me.

A.B.: I’m sure he does. I know a friend whose wife left him waiting at the altar for 30 minutes, but he knew her family and figured she was right on time based on their history. He's a podiatrist and may have a prescription you can take for those "cold feet." Anyways, I should ask what’s a few days away and a concocted story about kidnapping and a blue van among loved ones and an entire nation? So, have you heard of counseling? You know, the pre-marriage kind, as well as the stress reduction kind. We had anxiety awareness last week with free screenings. Something you might want to consider.

Jennifer: We don’t do that kind of thing down here in Duluth, Georgia. We just run and hide or hide our feelings. What is that pre-marriage counseling stuff you were mentioning?

A.B.: Just something that people do when they actually want to focus more on the marriage than the wedding. You know, the plan is supposed to be that a couple plans to stay married for their lifetime together, not just spend all of their energy on the wedding day. It is only the first day of someone’s marriage. Now that you're in hot water, which should help your "cold feet", and may face charges for your actions, has your father given you any advice about how to handle this?

Jennifer: Well, he did say that if I ever again consider gettin’ married he had one word of advice for me.

A.B.: What was that?

Jennifer: He told me that I should think about "eloping."

May your wedding day be the worst day of your marriage. Father Mike Miles, stated at our wedding in June, 1984, which meant that may each day be better than the previous one. So far, I think he’s been right.

If we can offer any advise to Mr. Mason...there are plenty more fish in the sea and not all of them are suckers.

Having Trouble Understanding Myself

There are days when I just don't understand myself. I am usually unabashedly conservative. I believe in social justice, but also that people do better with a hand up than a "handout." I support life in all forms, from conception to the final breath. I don't understand how people can be "pro-life" on the issue of abortion, but for the death penalty.

While I support the rights for hunting guns and collections, I don't understand how assault rifles, AK-47's, machine guns and other guns of mass destruction should be allowed. I find that the idea of "if they take away one liberty (gun) they'll take away all gun rights." I was an avid hunter many years ago and have no problem with hunting for sport. I took the requisite gun safety courses and enjoyed target shooting, skeet shooting, and hunting. I don't recall a time when a machine gun would have been necessary.

That leads me to my current confusion and dilemma. It seems that many of my favorite musicians tend to skew much farther left than I'll ever be. When I think about my favorite singer-songwriters, from Harry Chapin (God rest his soul), to Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, Jackson Browne, and Neil Young, I have to ask myself, am I being hypocritical? Do I just like the music, or am I a closet social liberal? Or is there something much deeper than just labeling myself?

I don't think that President Bush is a "bad person" like so many hard-core liberals believe. I conjecture that he did what he thought was necessary based on information available. I do think, however, that he has been grossly mislead by his higher-ranking advisors, notably his Secretary of Defense (Why didn't we send in adequate numbers of soldiers to get the job done quickly? How could we so grossly underestimate the insurgencies that ensued? What half-truths and outright lies are we being fed? among other questions) and Vice-President Dick Cheney (How many hands in the pot do you have? Are there still financial interests in Halliburton and why are they involved in everything that even smells of Iraq?)

So now, Mr. Young has his new song "Let's Impeach the President" that has come out on the heels of his "Prairie Wind" album that was life-affirming and soul-searching about how precious life is. Neil brazenly sang "Let's Roll" about United Flight 93 shortly after the tragedy of 9/11, but now he is calling the President on the carpet. Bruce sang his melancholy and deeply personal accounts of 9/11 and its aftermath on "The Rising" but now takes pot-shots at the President any time he is in front of an audience.

I don't know, perhaps as I become older, I am less jaded on some issues and more on others. Life has a way of changing our perspective and maybe I have a certain allegiance to the musicians that shaped some of my life's journey. I do know that the last Springsteen concert I saw in Madison, was my least favorite of his. Way too much politics without offering solutions. At least when I went to the U2 concert I knew where Bono stood and there were some potential solutions offered.

So gentlemen, sing your songs, raise up the chorus, and along the way offer more than just diatribe. I'll still listen to the music, but I don't have to agree with the lyrics or the banter that offers venom, but no antidote.

Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt

It is National Poetry Month, so here is my attempt at some Poetic Justice. For the prose version on this topic see this week's Journal-Standard's Pulse section (For the Love of Community).

Elections belong to the people. It is their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters. –Abraham Lincoln

The charges were starting to mount,
Found guilty on each and every count;
Friends, buddies, cronies, and lies,
We’re the ones who pay, that’s no surprise.

Big Jim covered all of the legal bills,
Friendship can’t cover all of the political ills;
Mr. Warner, Mr. Ryan, and pockets of cash,
Vacations, gambling, do I need to rehash?

“I didn’t do it. I’m innocent,” he said,
Licenses for bribes and six children dead;
Cover-ups, scandals, silence the news,
If we knew the secrets, an election he’d lose.

All the good things like buildings and roads,
But how about the employees on whose backs he rode?
To an election victory with ill-gotten campaign funds,
Christmas gifts to the boss, so for governor he could run.

All of them are crooked, the public says,
Just some of them are caught on given days,
We can’t do better, there isn’t much choice,
We’re only citizens, we don’t have a voice.

But, that is where we so often go wrong,
We have the chance to stand and be strong;
We can say, “Enough is enough!”
We’re tired of putting up with your stuff.

There are good politicians, who go to serve,
There are others, who get what they deserve;
We can’t expect miracles from all of them,
We do seek those we can praise instead of condemn.

Another election will be upon us soon,
Are the choices ones to make us worry or swoon?
The campaign rhetoric will go to depths unknown,
The ads will make sure large sums of money are blown.

No real reform will occur, because people love power,
Once in office, many seek to remain in their ivory tower;
So often, the people who benefit, are the major donors,
And those trying to get by, are treated like wayward loners.

Three of the last six governors have been indicted,
Money, or love of money, has been the reason cited;
Money and power, in our land, go hand in hand,
For the top offices in the state and country are out of hand.

The playing field will never be leveled at our current rate,
Those without money are left at the starting gate;
Look at the campaign “war chest” of Governor Rod,
We know that candidate, Treasurer Judy, will be treated roughshod.

In Illinois, it is called politics as usual for our state,
We tend to accept that as our destiny, our fate;
While more jobs are lost in part for our failure to change,
I think that we let ourselves be shortchanged.

There are no easy answers to our political woes,
We’ll continue in this quandary, if we think that anything goes;
Of course, Mr. Ryan practiced those ideas for years,
Now, he continues to show no remorse, no tears.

A nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize for emptying death row,
He thought his legacy would be secured when it was time to go;
And now a jury of his peers found him guilty for all he’d done,
What does it all get for us in the long run?

A sad, old man who thought he was above the laws,
Whose fancy lawyers will fault the jurors instead of seeing the real cause;
The appeals will last for years, and he’ll appear weak and frail,
Most likely, he’ll never spend a day in jail.

I feel no pity for Mr. Ryan when I think of the Willis children who died,
All because of the cover-ups and the people who lied;
To save a man’s political career who appeared so proper and prim,
And I get disgusted every time I realize that... I voted for him.

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character,
give him power. –Abraham Lincoln

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety. –Benjamin Franklin

Christian Faith Under Attack, Again

It seems that something usually happens around Easter to try and shake the faith of those who believe that Christ really died and was resurrected. This year we have the ever-growing myth of the DaVinci Code. What with the coming movie starring our "everyman" Tom Hanks, how could we not believe that this novelization is based on truth? It may make for a thrilling read much like Celestine Prophecy did a few years ago, but they are both FICTION with real-life locations to add to their fauxthenticity.

Now, we also have the Judas Gospel, which all but exonerates Judas for his role in Christ's crucifixion. I don't think that is what people had in mind when the Aologists were formed. It wasn't intended to make excuses for every bad action that has taken place in the Bible. IF we are to believe that there is a good and evil, then isn't it quite possible, that Jesus knew his fate was not only preordained by the Father, but that Satan might play a role in Christ's death, as well. If Judas were to be a saint and working complicitly with Jesus, why was he found to have hung himself after his act of betrayal?

Each year, or so it seems, there is an assault on Christianity and each year Easter is celebrated as the high point of the Christian faith. This year we were also able to celebrate the 79th birhtday of Pope Benedict XVI on his first Easter as Pope. Will wonders never cease?

God Bless those who just celebrated Easter and to the Eastern Orthodoxy, wishing you a glorious Easter next Sunday. Let us all pray for peace in our lifetime no matter what our religion or belief.

NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT

It has been a time of reflection during this Lenten Season. I haven't had much time to write besides my weekly column and one health column. The past few weeks have taken me to Hollywood for the Global Diabetic Foot Conference and to Nashville to visit my oldest daughter, who is away at school.

Daily life leads to many challenges with children in school, work, writing, and finally fitting in a chance to exercise. Health has taken on new urgency with the onset of high blood pressure, which lead to some personal changes in habits and diet. No more sodas, no more caffeine, minimal white flower or white sugar, more fruits and vegetables and water. Exercise has again become a priority. In the last three months I've seen a drop in weight of almost 25 pounds, a reduction in body fat of 5% and 3" in waist size. The extra benefit has been a drop in blood pressure to normal levels without medication. I've been extolling the benefits of this combination for years, but then I "fell off of the wagon" for enough years to see the waistline expand, the breath become shorter, and the cholesterol and blood pressure go up.

Oddly enough, after watching the movie, "Super Size Me" and then the television show, "The Biggest Loser" in addition to having an antihypertensive suggested... well let's just say that it was the culmination of several things that lead to returning to a healthier lifestyle.

Back to the Global Diabetic Foot Conference: Diabetes is becoming a worldwide epidemic as more people abosrb the Western, fast-food diet. The increase in diabetes is leading to more diabetic-related foot problems and in that vein, we have a senator from Wyoming, Mike Enzi-R, who in his infinite shortsightedness, suggests making podiatric services less available to the general public as a means of reducing the budget. His sugar-coated description of making health care more affordable for small businesses doesn't tell the truth behind the deregulation of making services available. This is another case of our government reducing services under the guise of covering more people with insurance.

I urge readers to write their congressmen and congresswomen to vote against Senate Bill 1955 in order to preserve your state and federal rights to affordable and available foot care.

March Madness

It is that time of the year again when I stay up late to watch basketball, much to the chagrin of my wife. Indiana's fortunate 3 pointer, George Washington's miraculous comeback, Boston College's fortunate recovery, Adam Morrison bring Gonzaga back once again were all bracket savers. I picked 12 over 5 with UW-Milwaukee, but picked the wrong 12 over 5 with Utah State-Washington and didn't pick 12 over 5, Texas A&M over Syracuse. So much for the second round Syracuse win or for that matter, Marquette. Fortunately no money is on the line and 12 for 16 on the first day was okay. If they could all be the Minneapolis section I would have done great.

It is primary time in Illinois and next week we'll know who will face Governor of Great Hair Blagojevich. Most likely it will be JB Topinka, but wouldn't it be great if there were a major upset and Bill Brady from Bloomington gets the nod. I think it makes for fun alliteration to say Bill Brady from Bloomington. And besides, can we really rally behind an accordion player who isn't on the Lawrence Welk Show?

Let's see how today's tourney goes. Maybe a few of my upset picks will pan out.

Should he stay free or should he go?

The trial is over and the former pharmacist from Kankakee may find that justice is a bitter pill to swallow. Of course, prison food may be hard to swallow, too. Are Illinois' politicians running scared knowing that if Ryan can be convicted, then they are fair game? Or will we see that crime does pay, especially in the Illinois political game? U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitgerald seems like the no-nonsense kind of guy who won't stop with Ryan, or the middle-management cronies of Rich M. Daley.

Fitzgerald has shown a willingness to be bi-partisan when it comes to legal matters, see Valerie Plame and I. Lewis Libby. It would be intersting to see how he would proceed with the Cheney "quail hunting" incident. Is there more to the 24 hour lapse before the sheriff's office was allowed on the premises? Oh well, Atty. Fitzgerald has bigger fish to fry than checking out V.P. Cheney's hunting accident. Besides cocktails and hunting quails go hand-in-hand, don't they?

After the Awards

Well, it looks like the predictions were close. I should have qualified that The Squid and the Whale was my personal choice, but knew that it wouldn't beat out Crash. That's okay, though, because all of the hype for Brokeback Mountain ended up being just that... a lot of hype. The feeling that I would like to see Crash surprise Brokeback Mountain was justified after all.

Anyways, it has been a tough week for those in the acting business. Don Knotts, Dennis Weaver, Darren McGavin, Dana Reeve all within the past 10-14 days. It is strange that all four of their names begin with the letter "D". I'm sure it is just coincidental, but still kind of weird.

Just a few of Don Knotts famous scenes and quotes to end today's entry:

From Episode # 90, "Barney's First Car"
Barney: This is just about the biggest thing I ever bought.

Andy: It's a major step.

Barney: The last big buy I made was my mom's and dad's anniversary present.

Andy: What did you get them?

Barney: A septic tank.

Andy: For their anniversary?

Barney: Yeah, oh they're really hard to buy for. Besides it was something they could use. They were really thrilled. Two tons of concrete, all steel reinforced.

Andy: You're a fine son, Barn.

Barney: I try.


From Episode #91, "The Rivals"
Barney: Nice guys finish last. I know, I went through it. Little Vickie Harms. I wasn't no bigger than Opie. I met her over by the ice cream parlor. Stepped outside one day with my raspberry snow cone, there she was. She just stopped me cold. Head to foot, I was just clammy all over. I knew it was love. Icy chills just run all over me.

Andy: Sounds to me more like your show cone was leaking.

Barney: Boy I sure did like her.

Andy: She didn't like you back, huh?

Barney: Oh well no, it wasn't that so much. I don't know. It was mostly her stuck up attitude.

Andy: Yeah?

Barney: She used to walk around in long curls and print dresses and patented leather shoes and her nose up in the air. Boy she really thought she was hot stuff.

Andy: Why?

Barney: Oh her Daddy was in the civil service. Boy if I knew then what I know now. She used to do one thing that really used to burn me up.

Andy: What was that.

Barney: Well you know how I like snow cones...

Andy: Raspberry.

Barney: Right. Well there wasn't a day went by that I didn't offer that girl a bite of my snow cone. You know what she used to do every single time?

Andy: What?

Barney: She used to bite off the end, sip out all the syrup, and leave me with nothing but the ice.

Andy: The ice?

Barney: Yeah, the ice.

Andy: That's terrible.

Barney: Yeah.

Andy: Today you'd know different.

Barney: Oh are you kidding. Listen if I had a date with Vickie Harms today, and I got myself all shaved, and I went over to her house with my snow cone, you know what I'd do?

Andy: What?

Barney: The minute she opened that door, I bite off the end of the cone, sip out the syrup, and hand her the ice. What do you think of that?

Andy: Well I'll tell you the truth, Barn. If I was Vickie Harms and a thirty-five year old man come up to my house with a snow cone in his hand, I wouldn't even answer the door.


"It's not a whim anymore if you put on clean underwear." - Barney

"Like they always say...the quality of mercy is not strained, it droppeth like a gentle dew from Heaven...well, you're not talking to a jerk you know!" - Barney


"Do you have any idea how hard it is to work with someone who thinks he knows everything?" - Barney

We'll miss you, Mr. Knotts! Glad you never had to use your bullet on anyone. Now go and nip it in the bud. Yes, it is time for a little bud nipping in Mayberry in the sky!