Global Warming Propaganda

Let me preface by saying that I am not a scientist. But I am a politician and the recent declaration that the debate over global warming is officially over, thanks to the United Nation's report, is not a scientific statement but rather a political one.

The pro global warming crowd's argument is circular nonsense. It goes something like this: There is consensus that global warming is caused by humans so it must be true. Therefore no one can express another opinion because it goes against the consensus. And of course if nobody is allowed to express a different opinion it just builds the argument that there is consensus on the subject.

It is particularly scary to see how willing they are to intimidate and strong arm anyone who dares go against the so called "consensus". Heidi Cullen from the Weather Channel wants any meteorologist who disagrees with global warming to lose their credentials from the American Meteorological Society. In Oregon the Governor wants to strip the title of state climatologist from George Taylor because he believes global warming is occurring due to natural effects and not due to humans. In Delaware, the state climatologist is being vilified because he may have taken money from Exxon mobile and therefore he cannot be trusted on this issue.

I always thought liberals were supposed to be the tolerant wing of the political and social spectrum. But I guess that only applies if you agree with them. Otherwise watch out. And for all people who claim those that oppose global warming must be backed by the oil companies, how come they never doubt the claims of those scientists who get funding from the Sierra Club and other environmental groups. These groups have just as much an agenda as the oil companies to steer their studies in a particular direction.

One last thought; the very notion that the United Nations is the driving force behind this latest "consensus" should on its own be enough to raise doubt about that report. Somebody please tell me one time when the United Nations has been right. Not just on global warming but on any issue.

Freezing

Okay Winter has officially arrived and it is dang cold. This morning when I came into work it was -2 degrees. It was so cold that my eyes were watering and I had a headache. Thankfully by the time I had to go out again it warmed up to 7 degrees. It's amazing how just being the positive numbers makes you think it's that much warmer out. I guess I shouldn't complain considering we've had a mild winter to this point. But I sure do hope Al Gore is right.

Da Bears

This year's Superbowl is completely different to me from Last year's game. This time last year I was an anxious mess worrying about my Steelers. This year I hardly have a rooting interest. Although, I do really like Tony Dungy. He is a former Steeler himself and he hails from Mid Michigan. But the main reason I like him is because of his Christian witness. To me, very few other men live out their faith in such a positive way as Coach Dungy does. If more of us followed his example the world would be a much better place.

As for the actual game, the keys are run defense, turnovers and special teams. Everybody knows the Colts run defense is the worst to ever reach a Superbowl. Although they have played much better in the playoffs I trust Chicago's defense much more. Give this edge to the Bears.
Both quarterbacks are prone to make mistakes and the question is which defense is best equipped to capitalize on those turnovers. I'd say this area is a draw but whoever wins the turnover battle wins the game. Finally, who will be the special teams star? Will it be Adam Vinateri kicking another game winning field goal or will it be Devin Hester returning a punt for a touchdown. This is just a guess but I think Hester has the best return game since Desmond Howard won the MVP. Give the edge to the Bears.

As much as I am rooting for Dungy and the Colts, I have gut feeling that the Bears are going to win the game this weekend. I thought from the very beginning of the season that the Bears were one of the best teams in the league and I never got that same impression from Indy. The bears are not always pretty but they find ways to win and I think they scrap their way to a Superbowl title this year.

My new look

Over the Christmas holidays I decided to stop shaving and grow a beard. I always thought it would be a manly thing to do but had never taken the time to do it. I had originally anticipated shaving it off once I got back to work but so far my boss hasn't complained about.

What's interesting is that I get a lot of comments on my new look. In the past when I would grow a goatee or whatever nobody would really say much. Now I have complete strangers commenting on my beard. I would say it's a mixed reaction so far but yesterday I did get a compliment from a young woman whom I have a crush on. Her compliment whether genuine or not has sealed the deal at least for this week.

Seinfeld

Last night I saw Jerry Seinfeld give his stand up comedy routine in East Lansing. He was fantastic. I had been wanting to catch his act for quite a while so when the opportunity for tickets came around I grabbed them quickly and despite the price I am glad I did. I took my friend Joni and we had a lot of fun. We were laughing so hard that are throats were dry and our stomach muscles were sore.

His act covers a lot of subjects and it boggles my mind that someone could find something witty to say about all those things and then link them together in an hour and a half routine. What I liked most about the show was that it relatively clean compared to other stand ups that I have heard in the past. He did swear occasionally but it wasn't as offensive as I thought it might have been. A the very end he does a great bit about bathroom stalls and why the doors don't go all the way to the floor. To me that was by far his best material.

Another comic named Mario Joyner was his opening act and his bit on Home Depot might have been the funniest thing I have ever heard. He said they should change their name to you're on your own and that the employees wear the aprons to keep work off of them. I would pay to see his act again all on his own.

It's too bad the Seinfeld isn't still making TV shows. His ability to find humor in everyday scenarios trumps all the other so called comedies on prime time combined. At least his show is still on syndication.

Why don't we all run for President?

Over the weekend three new candidates jumped into the presidential race. Hillary Clinton got all the coverage but Sam Brownback and Bill Richardson both all announced respectively. Brownback is a Republican senator from Kansas and Richardson is the Democratic Governor of New Mexico. Both could be interesting characters in the presidential storyline. It was interesting to watch how all three decided to announce.

Hillary launched her campaign on-line with a warm fire side chat kind of feel. I thought hers was the best of the three as it shows she understands the role the internet will play during the election. She also had a soft appeal to her announcement that I think will resonate with voters. This softness is in direct contrast to the hit job she has contracted against Obama. Over the weekend, Obama's cocaine addiction and his enrollment in Muslim schools were reported and I have no doubt that both came from Hillary's camp to bloody him up.

Brownback's announcement was more old fashioned or should we say conservative as he announced at a campaign rally in Topeka. Brownback is a great guy and I agree with him on several issues especially abortion and our involvement in helping Africa. But his event was too conventional and he didn't offer anything with flare that the media could report on. Plus the fact that he announced the same weekend as Hillary shows he may not be ready for prime time.

Richardson appearance was more statesmen like as he announced on This Week with George Stephanopolis. His announcement was better than Brownback's but he should have chosen a more watched show than This Week. When Brinkley was host it was a must watch but since he retired does anybody watch that show anymore. The compelling thing about Richardson, other than his being the only Hispanic in the race, was that he seems to want to push the race towards more policy debates as opposed to personality and soundbites. I welcome that.

These three entries make a total of 17 candidates between the two major parties that have already announced. Another 5-10 could still announce in the coming months. Pretty soon there will be people lining up outside convention halls just for the chance to be president. Oh wait that's American Idol.

Who is Mike Tomlin?

Well the Steelers surprised me over the weekend and hired new coach Mike Tomlin. He is the former defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. To be honest I had never heard of him until the Steelers began their coaching search. As part of the NFL rules all teams must interview at least one minority candidate and I guess I just assumed that Tomlin's interview was a courtesy to comply with the NFL rules. It was all but assured that the Steelers would hire one of the assistant coaches. Tomlin supposedly interviewed very well and he is an up and comer as they say and he blew away the Rooney family.

I for one am excited about the hire. Yes Tomlin is an unknown commodity but then again so was Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher and they turned out well. I am relieved as well that they didn't hire Russ Grimm. As the search went on I thought all signs pointed to going with Grimm who would have been the safe choice. Grimm is a fine man but I don't think he would have been a great coach. His specialty was the offensive line and well let's just say that the line was a big part of Pittsburgh's problems and so why reward him. Plus I think the city and the team needed a shake up and the charismatic Tomlin will do just that.

My friend CJ

My good friend CJ is having a very difficult week. His 2 year old son Aidan has been in the hospital following a seizure. He has since been diagnosed with epilepsy but while being checked out by the doctors they also noticed irregular sounds in his heart. The tests came back and Aidan is in need of a heart transplant. It's not clear what the next step is but they sent him home this afternoon.

CJ is pretty shaken by the news and since many of you who read this blog know him, I wanted to pass along the information. I would also encourage you to pray for him and his family. The following is his email address. I am sure he would appreciate hearing from you as well. goods_us@yahoo.com

Romney and the Right

Much has been discussed about the vacuum in the Republican presidential race created by the lack of true conservative. Gov. Romney has been avidly trying to fill that void and it is working to some avail even in the midst of his changing his mind on certain cultural issues. At first I thought Romney's strategy was a very good one as he could stake out his ground in contrast to McCain and Guiliani who are both seen as moderates. Lately, I wonder if staying in the middle would not have been a better fit for him.

Last week's New Hampshire poll has McCain slipping among independent voters. He is down almost 20 percent since the last poll was taken. The obvious reason for this is his firm support of President Bush and Iraq war. While I agree with McCain on this point, it is not smart politics to tie yourself to a drowning president and a seemingly hopeless war. Thus the door has been opened for those precious independent voters. Romney may have missed his chance to go after these voters. Afterall he was a popular governor from a Democratic Northeastern state. Add that to the problems he is facing with evangelicals because of mormonism and it looks like he may have taken the wrong path. Rudy on the other hand is filling that moderate independent void very nicely which says he may have more staying power in this race than people give him credit for.

Most pundits argue that you go for your base during the primary and then to the middle during the general election. This thinking is old school and does not recognize the power of the new media. Whatever you say or do in the primary will be well documented during the general and makes it very difficult to moderate or change one's positions. People want authenticity and one clip on youtube of a candidate pandering to the right can ruin any attempt to try and get back to the center without looking like an opportunist politician. This old school thinking also fails to recognize that even Republicans are willing to look above ideology in pursuit of a winner. Given the choice between nominating a moderate who can win and a conservative who will lose, the party is leaning towards choosing the former. Instead of compassionate conservatism, let's call it pragmatic conservativism.

This mindset is what makes John McCain the current front runner. Whether or not you agree with him he has drawn independent voters in the past and that makes him look like a winner. But now that McCain is losing those independent voters there is a new dynamic that might lead other candidates to run toward the middle instead of to the right. Romney however has already hitched his candidacy to the conservatives. For his sake let's hope he made the right decision.

Dobson's Decision

Yesterday James Dobson told reporters that he will not support John McCain for President because of his position on gay marriage and because he wrote the campaign finance law that tried to muzzle groups like Focus on the Family from participating in politics. Dobson also made comments recently that he had concerns about Mitt Romney presumably because of his being a Mormon. Who does that leave to support?

I think Dobson is backing himself into a corner. Unless there a last minute alternative the race looks to be shaping up between McCain and Romney and Guilani. Will Dobson support Giulani? No chance as he is more liberal than McCain. Dobson needs a conservative but there are very few strong conservative challengers out there and if they haven't started yet they will never have time to catch up.

Here is my bold prediction. Dobson is setting himself up to run as the conservative candidate. He already has the name ID, at least among Republican primary voters, and he has a good grass roots base to raise money and volunteers. If he doesn't get behind another candidate shortly, look for him to throw his hat into the ring. Hey if Pat Robertson could do it in 1988 why not James Dobson today? If nothing else it would be interesting to watch.

Obama is In

Well Obama made it official today that he is running for President. And really how could he not run? The media loves him and he will never be more popular than he is today. However there is one story that is being overlooked and it is his relationship with the so called leaders in the black community. I watched Al Sharpton last night on hardball and he was less than supportive of Obama.

At first I thought the reason for Obama's lukewarm reception was because many of the black leaders have invested their time and efforts into Clinton's campaign. But I have begun to think that maybe the real reason they are nervous about Obama is because they are jealous of him and fear they will lose their influence and power over the black community if he is elected president. You will never hear any of them say that but how do you think Jesse Jackson feels after he has led that community for years and he never once got the same favorable coverage that Obama gets. Now Obama shows up late to the party and he gets all the attention.

Watch this story as it unfolds. My guess is that unless Obama gives them the signals that he can be bought or controlled by the traditional black leadership, they will turn on him very quickly. Depending on how he responds to those attacks, Obama could end up coming out ahead and be seen as a new black leader that appeals to the white middle class. I am anxious to see what happens.

Risk

While in Pittsburgh last weekend I watched a movie on the Omnimax called Adrenaline Rush. It follows the lives of several skydivers and cliff divers. Watching them jump was amazing if not nauseating. During the movie they discuss why people jump and they suggests that it is because all people are born to take risks. What's more, they go on to claim that humans are the only animal that seeks recreational risk that puts their lives on the line for pleasure. I find that point fascinating.

I agree that we are all made to take risks. It makes us feel alive. But many of us do not embrace the dangerous and in fact most people I know run from risk. Myself included. My observation is that most of us live lives of comfortable mediocrity and are terrified of giving up our security. Sometimes I think our eagerness to avoid risks reveals our limited faith in God and in ourselves.

But the deep urge to take risks still exists within us yearning to come out. This is what causes some people to jump out of planes. Others sneak around participating in immoral behavior because they love taking the risk of getting caught. Some love the risk of experimenting with drugs and alcohol thinking they can control it. Lazy people even experience risk vicariously through watching characters on TV and movies.

But we were not born to use our risky nature to simply indulge our passions. Our desire to take risks should be what drives us to achievement and success. Risk taking is the common thread among all great leaders. Many leaders placed their ideas and lives on the line only to achieve failure but they persevered and their ideas and inventions live on today. The movie discussed how Da Vinci actually designed the first working parachute. In his day, people must have thought his idea was crazy. How many of our ideas today are as crazy? Without trying them we will never know.

Without taking a chance and risking failure, there can be no change and without change how are we supposed to improve our lives and our communities. If we avoid taking risks at all costs or if we channel our risk taking into absurd or unhealthy hobbies we are merely settling for the status quo life. While that life is safe, it is also boring and not deserving of our souls.

Family Part 3

I just returned from Pittsburgh. My nephew David and I took a short road trip to visit my Grandpa and my Aunt Nancy. Earlier this summer when my Grandpa came to Michigan he did not look very healthy and he reminded me of how my Grandpa Cobb looked shortly before he died of a heart attack. I was prepared to see him in poor health again but he really surprised me. He was upbeat and relatively energetic for an 82 year old. He took us out to eat and to the Carnegie Science Center.

One of the big changes in his life is that he recently started a part time job at a car auction. I was worried that working would be hard on him but I think having a job has been very good for him. He spoke about it constantly and for the first time in several years I got the impression that he had renewed purpose for living. Sometimes I think the lure of retirement is overstated and that not working actually hinders older men more than it helps them. Yes our bodies slow down but men are created to work and without a job many men lose interest in life.

Sunday morning he and I got up early and shared breakfast and the morning paper. It was one of those memories that I knew I wanted to remember even as it was unfolding. We talked about family, Pittsburgh sports and politics. At one point he told me he was worried about Wednesday's weather and how cold it would be to work that day. My aunt suggested he take the day off but he told me that he wanted to honor his obligation because his employer was counting on him. This old fashion notion is so contrary to what I see everyday at work. I hope that some of his work ethic has rubbed off on me over the years.

Minimum Wage

I see that the Democrats in Congress started out the year by voting to raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour. While this a very popular proposal it is not particularly sound economic policy.

The main argument for raising the minimum wage is that it helps lift people out of poverty. This is a spurious argument at best and cynical at worst. If this argument were true we could go to all those poor countries in Africa where poverty runs rampant and simply have their governments pass laws establishing a fair living wage. According to the proponents of such laws this would end poverty in those countries but we all now that such a law would not work. Fighting poverty is much more complex than setting a floor for wages. The reality is that raising the minimum wage does very little to lower poverty rates.

Another argument I often hear is that nobody could raise a family making minimum wage. The problem with this argument is that the facts do not suggest that many people are raising their family on $5.25 an hour. The truth is that less than 5 percent of all US workers make the current minimum wage and a majority of those workers are high school and college age. These students are unlikely to be in the position of having to raise a family. And even for those older workers who are earning minimum wage, almost all of them will eventually either earn a raise or take their acquired job skills and work somewhere else for more money. Virtually no workers start at minimum wage and end there.

The truth behind minimum wage laws is that they hurt the people that they claim to help. Low skilled workers are only worth a certain amount of money to a job provider. If a worker at McDonald's is worth 6 dollars an hour in terms of productivity it makes sense for McDonald's to hire that worker at $5.25 an hour. But what happens if McDonald's has to pay them $7.25 an hour. Now it makes no sense for them to hire that person and instead of making $5.25 an hour and learning job skills to make him more productive that worker is now unemployed. This trend has a disproportionately higher impact of young black males who are trying to enter the workforce for the first time. This is also why proponents do not set the minimum wage higher because they don't want to potentially put their own jobs at risk. They assume they are worth more than $7.25 an hour but what if minimum wage were $20 an hour. If the goal is to raise people out of poverty wouldn't that make more sense because who can get by on $7.25 an hour? But under that scenario many middle class workers who were only worth say $15 hour would lose their jobs.

Let me address another problem with raising the minimum wage; increased prices. Here in Michigan we raised the minimum wage to $6.95 an hour last October. Since then I have noticed a hike in prices in every industry that hires entry level workers. So while minimum wage workers may have more money to spend the cost of living has gone up for every Michigan worker. One small example: before the wage increase you could buy a bottle of soda for roughly $1.29. Today it is sold for $1.79. Fifty cents doesn't seem like much but then that cost is added to multiple products the costs add up quickly for low and middle class workers.

To sum up; minimum wage laws do not decrease poverty, they lead to higher unemployment and raise prices for the consumer. Somebody please tell me why these proposals are so popular.

Questions for Obama

Here are some questions I have for Senator Barack Obama:

How do you define winning the war in Iraq?

Is it possible to still win the war and if so what specific steps would you take to achieve victory?

Do you agree with the recent military action in Somalia? Would you support ground troops in Somalia to track down Al Queda members? What makes our action in Somalia different from our mission in Iraq?

What action (if any) taken by another country warrants our military intervention?

Is there any scenario where unilateral military action is appropriate? If you were President would you ever act militarily without the backing of the United Nations?

What is your overall strategy to win the broader war on terror?

Do you believe that democracy can take hold in the middle east? If so how should our country help that type of government spread in that region?

Would you use military force to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon?

Is securing our borders a national security issue? If so, how would you deter illegal immigrants from entering the country?

The media often confers upon you the image of being a centrist. Your voting record suggests you are as liberal as Sen. Kennedy. How do you reconcile those differences? Are you a liberal or a centrist?

Name one policy initiative supported by Republicans that you agree with?

Your mother was Christian and your father was Muslim. What religion do you consider yourself today? What role does your religion have on your public life? What specific policy areas are effected by it?

What is the greatest moral issue facing our country and what can government do to address that problem?

Your book talks about your history of drug and alcohol abuse during college. Are you actively engaged in helping fight drug and alcohol abuse on college campuses? What advice do you have for young people who are tempted to go down the same path you went?

What is the greatest economic problem facing our country and what can government do to address that problem?

Without spending more money on the problem, how would you improve our public educational system?

Do you share Al Gore's view that global warming is occurring? If so what is the appropriate government response?

Besides getting elected to public office what is your life's greatest achievement?

What other jobs besides holding elected office have you had in the past?

Of all the legislation that you have sponsored and passed into law, which bill are you most proud of?

If elected President what would be your first public policy priority?

Show me the money

Mitt Romney announced that he raised over $6.5 million yesterday in his first day of fundraising for the upcoming presidential race. That is a very good start but should not be overestimated as he will need to raise 15 to 20 times that amount over the next twelve months. You also have to take into account that he used alot of his top contacts on day one and that each day forward will be harder and harder to raise money. He has successfully lined up a stellar fundraising team and he has a huge advantage of raising money in the Mormon community. All I know is that raising this much money in one day is a sign that he is definitely going to be a serious contender for the nomination.

A couple questions remain about Gov. Romney. Can he keep the support of the conservative movement with tales of moderating his positions on abortion and gay marriage? Personally, I don't care that he has changed his mind on these issues as I think many people re-evaluate their political positions as they get older. But these charges do allow McCain to call him a flip flopper and question his credibility. They also open the door for a lifelong conservative to outflank him on the right. Sen. Brownback would like to be that person but he has not proven up to the task just yet.

The larger question still remains is whether or not Americans are ready to vote for Mormon candidate. A recent survey suggested that 37 percent of the public is not willing to even consider voting for a Mormon. This is a really bad sign for Romney as more people are willing or least say they are willing to vote for a woman or black person for President. About the only thing worse than being a Mormom might be running as a Muslim.

Having laid out both barriers, I think there is still time for Romney to overcome them and win the nomination. In fact a leading Michigan pollster predicted this morning that Romney will be the nominee. The key will be defining himself before the other candidates define him. The race is already on as I constantly get annoying emails from the McCain campaign disguised as GOP updates that highlight all of Romney's problems. The emails are working as many conservatives who were on the Romney bandwagon in Michigan are beginning to fall off. Michigan a key state for Romney as his Dad was a popular Governor here, and he needs to win this state to have any chance of winning the nomination. I would hate to see his candidacy derailed before he even gets started. Hopefully he can spend some of that $6.5 million here and help get his message out.

End of an Era

Last week Bill Cowher resigned as coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I was a sad day but entirely expected as word began to leak out month's ago that he wanted to spend more time with his family. Cowher is one tough SOB and he was a great fit for Steeler football. His personality epitomizes what Pittsburgh is all about and the city may miss him more than the team does.

One short anecdote about Coach Cowher. His daughters went to school with cousins in Fox Chapel. Apparently he was just as passionate about watching his girls play basketball as he was about coaching football and would make his opinions known at the games. I guess he couldn't seperate his competitiveness from the rest of his life.

With his resignation, the Steelers begin only their second coaching search since 1969. It's great that my team has only had two coaches my entire life and both Chuck Noll and Cowher have been hugely successful. It is an of an era in Pittsburgh as they look for a new coach but it also signals the end of an era when one coach would stick with his team for a long period of time. Since Cowher was hired just under 100 other coaches have come and gone in the NFL. Shoot the lions have had half a dozen coaches all by themselves. With free agency players change teams frequently and it makes it tough to find the face of a franchise. Coaches can fill that void but now they seem to switch allegiance more than the players do. I call this trend the Nick Sabanization of football.

Cowher was a great coach. He has more wins than any other team in the league during his tenure. He ranks 13th all time in coaching victories. He also had his team play in 6 AFC championship games and 2 Superbowls including winning last year's championship. He can proudly walk away from the team because he has nothing left to prove.

The next coach has big shoes to fill. I am a little nervous about who they will select. The two in house candidates are current assistant coaches Russ Grimm and Ken Whisenhunt. Both are highly respected but neither one are proven head coaches. I guess I have to trust the Rooney family as they hired an untested 34 year old coach named Bill Cowher to replace the legenday Chuck Noll and that turned out okay.

MASH

TV land has begun showing old Mash episodes and I have been staying up late each night to get my fix. Growing up MASH was my favorite show and to this day I still enjoy watching it even though Ihave seen almost every episode three or four times. For some reason this particular show has stood up to the test of time.

My Co-worker and I were discussing MASH earlier today and having the usual discussions over who are favorite characters were or if we liked the Trapper John/Henry Blake era or the BJ/Col. Potter era. Both have their good points but I think I liked the earlier ones better as they were a little less preachy or more comedic. Although I do like Col. Potter as he is the kind of man most boys would love to have as a father. Plus Harry Morgan is from Muskegon, MI.

Some of my favorite episodes are Adam's Ribs where Hawkeye orders ribs to be delivered from Chicago and the Long John Flap where the camp trades hawkeye's long johns to each other. Tuttle is a great episode as well. And of course who could forget the episode when Col. Blake dies.

What I like most about the show is how multilayered the show was. There was laughter, sadness, anger, romance, politics, competition, envy and friendships all wrapped together as one. That's hard to write and even harder to act and they nailed that balance very well. That's what makes MASH the best TV show of all time.

Family Part 2

Saturday my nephew Jacob celebrated his 17th Birthday. To commemorate the occasion my Mom invited the family over for dinner and cake on Friday night. While it's strange for me to realize I am old enough to have a nephew that is 17, it was fun to celebrate with him and the family. What we lacked at Christmas we shared Friday as everyone was more relaxed and engaging.

One thing that cracked me up is a relatively new family tradition that we happened to stumble upon. A few years ago at my Brother's birthday party my step dad Mike forgot Vince's name during the middle of the prayer. In the dead silence Jacob whispered out Vince's name to remind him and we all broke out laughter. Now at each birthday party at the beginning of the prayer both my nephews remind Mike who we are praying for. I laugh out loud every time. It's not much as far as family traditions go but it's unique and it's ours.

Family

Over the holidays I was able to spend quite a bit of time with my family. It was nice to see them but somehow something was missing this year. I am not sure if it was my attitude or what but my expectations fell short during Christmas. I sense that my Mom had the same feelings. My Brother's divorce played a role I think and I was reminded that divorces impact the entire family. This was our first year without his wife and step children and while it was cheaper to not have to buy them gifts I missed having a big group of people around. But more than that I can tell Vince is not doing well being on his own. Unlike myself, he has never had to live very long without a women in his life. (I think maybe he and I overcompensate for each other in this area.) Anyways, I worry about him and my Mom worries about him. Compound that with the fact that my nephews are making poor choices lately and it makes it difficult to have the Thomas Kincaid family Christmas. Both Jacob and David are immensely talented and smart and primed to rise above the status quo and it is frustrating to watch them make mistakes. I so want them to see the big picture and realize the consequences of their actions but my words seem to fall flat. It's like they live and think in an entirely different worldview; one that scares me but apparently doesn't raise any alarms with them at all. Then add to the list my Stepsister Tina who is struggling to find a job and having a tough time coping and the weight of my family's misfortune took it's toll on celebrating Christmas.

Finally after Christmas, I was able to relax and enjoy the family a little more. My Stepdad and I were able to go to Michigan basketball game which was fun. When he and I go the games we get a chance to talk the whole way there and I enjoy that. Then my nephew David came to watch the U of M game with me in Lansing which was a terrible game but a great time hanging out with him. He likes coming to Lansing and I always try to make it a resting place away from the rest of things in life. A couple nights ago my Mom and I met downtown to view President Ford's body. But once we were down there, we realized it was a 6 hour wait in line and decided we needed to sleep that night more than we needed to stand in line. It was the right decision but I wish I could have had that time to talk with her and catch up one on one. Maybe later this month. I guess I write all this to say that even though my family doesn't always seem to function like I wish it would, they are still family and that's enough for me.

Friends

Over the past two weeks, I was fortunate to have some time off from work as we moved into a new office. I took that time and was able to visit several friends of mine in the west Michigan area. It was great to catch up with all of them. Sometimes I get frustrated that I don't yet have the level of friendship here in Lansing that I do with my longer friendships. But then I realize that many people don't have either the number or depth of friends that I have. I easily have a dozen people in my life that I would consider a close friend. Occasionally, I wish they lived in town or that they knew each other so my relationships were less one on one but more community based. Having said that, I do appreciate each and every one of them. I find that each brings something different to my life. Sometimes it is wisdom, sometimes it is laughter, sometimes it is encouragement, sometimes it is intimacy and often times is it just somebody to listen to me bitch about my dating life. I need all these things and my friends help fill that role for me.

The myth of Notre Dame

I hate Notre Dame. That's why last night's game was so enjoyable to watch. Last night's loss points out yet again just how overrated and overhyped Notre Dame has become. Yes I will grant that back in the Lou Holtz era, even while I hated them then, at least they were somewhat worthy of the special treatment they receive from college football. But now? Please. They are at best a top 20 program and many years that status is only based on past reputations.

I thought Robert Smith had it right yesterday when he explained Notre Dame's pitiful bowl record of losing 9 straight games and not winning a bowl since 1994. He noted that because they are overrated each year, they end up being picked for bowl games that they do not belong in. This year is no exception. They did not deserve to play in a BCS game. Rutgers should have been the team selected but they don't carry the same weight as Notre Dame does. So I say keep putting them in the BCS and that way I will get to keep watching them get their butt kicked year after year after year.

One other stat I heard this morning was that since Lou Holtz retired, they have not beaten one team that has ended the season in the top 10. They are 0-16 against those teams. Does that sound like a top tier team to you? If they were named anything other than Notre Dame there is no way they would be ranked so high and given their ridiculously unfair TV contract year after year.

A final note, Charlie Wiess is way overrated as a coach. I listened to Mike and Mike this morning on the radio and they tried to make excuses for him but he got out coached by Les Miles last night and even by Lloyd Carr earlier this season. So far in his first two seasons, his best game was a loss to USC. He doesn't have a big win under his resume so why do people think he is such a good coach. Ty Willingham's tenure at Notre Dame is beginning to look awfully familiar to the current regime. But I bet they won't fire Weiss. Hmmm?

Gerry Ford

It was a sad week as Michigan has lost their famous son Gerald R. Ford. Some of my earliest political memories revolve around Ford.

During the 76 election, my Dad was undecided who to vote for. He was a lifelong Democrat but Ford was from Grand Rapids and my Dad liked him. He was so undecided that he took me into the voting booth with him on election day and had me pull the lever on his behalf. As a precocious three year old, I didn't have the same political savvy that I have today so I voted mistakenly voted for Jimmy Carter. One can only assume that the reason Carter won that election were the votes of many other ignorant three year olds across the country. By 1980 we had all matured enough to not vote for him and that was his downfall.

One interesting thing that I learned only a couple years ago was that Ford was actually born Leslie King, Jr. His mother got pregnant out of wedlock by Leslie King, Sr. when they lived in Nebraska. She would keep the baby and get married to King, Sr. but he was an abusive drunk and threatened to kill her and the baby early into the marriage. Ford's mother would quickly divorce him and eventually migrated to Grand Rapids where she would meet Ford, Sr. who would marry her and raise her son as his own.

Much is made of Ford's startling rise to the presidency. He is often referred to as the unexpected or accidental president. This title is usually given because he was appointed Vice President and then became President without ever being elected. I maintain that his achievement is all the more unexpected given his early childhood. What if his mother did what many women of that day did and stayed with her abusive husband? Would Ford have become President or merely been a King instead? What if Ford Sr. hadn't truly embraced him as a son? I find it fascinating that his success in life was partly the result of choices made by other people.

But Ford made the most of his opportunity and that is why I consider him a model of the American spirit. Regardless of how he came to power, history has proven him to be the right man at the right time to lead our country. I know that many of my conservative friends look down on Ford because was moderate and bi-partisan and they view both of those characteristics as four letter words. But those traits were needed to help bind up the wounds that resulted from Nixon's disgrace. How much more would those traits help heal the nation's divide today? Who will be the next Gerald R. Ford?

Christmas Persecution

Every year during the holiday season, there are several stories that highlight the growing incursion against celebrating Christmas in the public square. In the past it has focused on whether nativity scenes should be displayed on public property or if school's should give students "Christmas break" or "holiday break". This year's big story revolves around whether or not Seattle's airport should display Christmas trees.

Often, accompanying these stories are howls from the Christian community who fear that we are being discriminated against and that these incidents are signs that are culture is becoming anti-Christian. While I agree that communities should be allowed to celebrate Christmas, I wonder if this is really an issue we as Christians should get so worked up about. Trust me, nobody has more animosity for the secular elitist that want to purge Christianity from our culture than I do, but what difference does it make if airport has Christmas Trees or not? Or if Walmart wishes their customers Merry Christmas vs Happy Holidays?

Sometimes in our zest to not be treated as second class citizens, we lose track of the important issues that we should be upset with; sexual promiscuity among young people, increased violent crime, rising poverty, the AIDS epidemic, just to name a few. Regardless of what we may choose to believe, the ship has already sailed when it comes to our country being Christian. While, there is a still a Christian residue in the country, our culture is mostly filled with moral relativism and materialism. Ironically, Christmas tends to feed that materialism more than deter it.

I understand the frustration that many of my Christian friends express this time of year. But let's not over exaggerate the situation as if we are really being persecuted. Real persecution is happening around the globe where Christians are actually dying and being jailed for their faith. When American Christians complain about these supposed mistreatments, we only cheapen their hardship by comparison. Yes, we want to be respected by our culture. But Christ himself was not respected by his culture. Why should we feel more entitled than Him?

We do have a message to share with our country and the Christmas incarnation is a key component of that story. But that message isn't shared by simply placing a nativity scene in a public place or by wishing people Merry Christmas. The true message of the gospel is much more about love, sacrifice and service to our fellow neighbors. Maybe if we spent as much time serving others as we do complaining, more people would actually understand the true Christmas spirit.

All about Power

Nothing more exposes the real agenda in Washington DC than the recent events surrounding Sen. Tim Johnson. Within minutes of his stroke/brain aneurysm, the headline was not about his health or his record of service but it was about how this situation would impact who controls the US Senate. This ghoulish behavior was shared equally by both Republican and Democrats as each side rushed to stake out their claim to power.

This incident is revealing because it shows that maintaining or regaining power is the most important goal even above public service or the well-being of the country. If the politicians are more concerned with power than they are with the health of one of their own, how much less can they care about the health and well-being of their constituents when it conflicts with their quest for power?

No wonder most Americans are so cynical about politics.

Stem cell horrors

This morning there is a chilling headline on the Drudge Report that the BBC has learned that newborn babies in Ukraine are being stolen and used for stem cell research. Just reading the article made me sick to my stomach. Unfortunately, Ukraine is a hotbed of stemcell research and the high demand for stemcells cannot be filled solely with aborted fetuses. If you believe the mainstream media you would assume that stem cells only come from frozen embryos that will be disposed of anyways. They use this argument to justify their position. This article exposes this to be simply untrue and I fear that these revelations are not uncommon. The scientific community must act quickly to condemn these practices and send the message that life still has some inherent value.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6171083.stm

Was Jesus White?

I was just reading an article in Newsweek about the Nativity. This movie is the story of Mary and Joseph and how they come upon Bethlehem as the place where Jesus was to be born. One of the interesting facts about this movie, is that the cast is made up of largely dark skinned actors and actresses. Their dark skinned appearance would fit historically with the ethnicity in that time and region. But why then is Jesus normally portrayed as a white man?

The Newsweek article explores this dilemma and comes to the conclusion that one would expect. Our white-American culture wants a Jesus that looks like us. I find this answer to be simple yet very profound and revealing. Rather than seeking out an accurate portrait of Jesus, we are content to assume that he was one of us. This may not have much impact when we are talking about skin color but what if we take that approach to other parts of Jesus' life?

Have we reinvented Jesus in our own image? Do we want a Jesus who not only looks like us but also acts like us as well? This gives me great pause to imagine how much damage that type of thinking has done to the true person of Jesus. This idea would explain why we largely accept his teachings and actions which seem to comply with our own culture but then ignore certain others that seem out of place with our view of the world. It's a slippery slope, that begins with how we view the physical Jesus but it certainly has implications with how we view the whole Jesus.

This Christmas as we remember his incarnation, let us not celebrate an American Jesus that is a product of our own finite culture. Rather let us worship the true Jesus who transcends all cultures and nationalities.

Iraq study group

Let me preface by saying that I have not read the Iraq study group's report directly. My opinions are taken from several other media sources who presumably have read the report. Having said that, I am not convinced that the recommendations contained in the report are in the best interest of winning the war against radical Islam. It appears to me that the report is a plan for retreat disguised as being the only realistic solution.

What strikes me most about the report is the premise. That we are losing the war and the only avenue is to find an exit strategy that will not leave Iraq a complete disaster. Rather than spending time on finding this proposed exit strategy maybe they should have been examining ways to actually win the war. I fear that our country has learned very little from our previous conflicts. When we do not pursue absolute victory we end up defeating ourselves and we leave the countries we were trying to liberate in worse shape than when we started. Our enemies do not view our retreat as a good will gesture or a as a means to political diplomacy. Rather, they see at as it is; weakness and lack of will to see our fights through to the finish line.

The Iraq people will not be in the streets cheering when we leave. Instead they will be in their houses hiding from the ruthless thugs that will be left unchecked without our troops in place. On top of this, we will lose all credibility with our allies as they will no longer trust us. They will realize that when the going gets tough, the US is predisposed to find a quick exit strategy with little regard to long term peace.

I hope that President Bush rejects this report as he examines other solutions to win the war. I support McCain's idea to double the amount of troops and Sen. Biden's idea of splitting Iraq into separate countries should be given serious consideration. Retreating is not the only answer.

Yes, the current war is not going well but History should remind us that all wars do not go well. During World War II we suffered many defeats and setbacks including D Day where we lost thousands of men. Did we form a study group to look for ways to get out of the war? No! We pushed forward as a country and by doing so liberated an entire continent from tyranny. We should do no less today.

BCS Mess

College football is very frustrating. It's a great sport full of passion and tradition and great rivalries. But each year the whole season is ruined by a corrupt and antiquated system that decides the champions based on votes by coaches and computers. It is hard to justify why the protectors of college football continue to fight for the status quo in the face of disaster after disaster. Two years ago it was Auburn that got screwed and this year it is Michigan and a host of other teams. Why shouldn't Boise St get to play for the championship? They won all there games but they are locked out by a system that protects the big conferences ensuring that they get to divvy up a majority of the money.

But more importantly it's the college football fan that gets cheated out of a true playoff system. While I could write pages and pages why Michigan is more deserving than Florida to play for the championship, I shouldn't have to. I should be able to watch them settle it on the field. The problem isn't that Florida was picked over Michigan, it's the system itself that is the true villain. The current system is based on greed and money and how it doesn't violate the law is beyond me. If I were Boise St or another jilted school I would sue the NCAA for collusion and they would definitely have a case. But instead the NCAA tried to buy them off by giving them an invitation to the Fiesta bowl which is nothing more than a glorified exhibition game.

We need a playoff system. There are no more excuses. Saving the bowls and tradition doesn't work anymore. For all the hype about the bowls, nobody cares about these games outside the teams that play in them. TV viewership is down, game attendance is down at a majority of them and yet we keep getting fed the line that the reason we don't have a playoff system is to protect the bowl system. Quick, tell me who played in the cotton bowl last year or who played in pointsettia bowl. Better yet try to name 10 bowls that are not part of the BCS. My guess is that you can't answer any of those questions. The worst part about the bowl system is that I won't get to watch a meaningful game until January and then the game will be played by teams that have had over 6 weeks off from football. They have all this momentum from the regular season and yet they just put it on hold for no good reason. You couldn't design a worse system if you planned it.

So while yes I am pissed that Michigan didn't get picked for the championship game, but I am more pissed that we still don't have a real playoff.

Stem Cells

During the recent election there was a lot of talk about stem cell research. What got lost in much of that debate was the bright line between using embryonic stem cells and other types of stem cells.

Today, the Michigan Senate passed legislation that encourages the use of umbilical cord blood stem cells. Before we introduced the bill, I had very little knowledge about this topic but the science is pretty amazing. Basically, the blood in the umbilical cord is rich in productive stem cells that are used to treat dozens of diseases. During testimony in committee, a family explained how their son's sickle cell anemia was cured by transplanting the stem cells from his brother's umbilical cord.

Currently in Michigan there are several private banks that families use to store their umbilical cords for potential future use. However, there are only a handful of public banks in the state. There is a need to expand the number of public banks to increase the chances of finding matching donors. Our legislation is part of a package to create a statewide network of public banks and provide tax credits for donating umbilical cord blood to these banks. Our bill specifically requires the state to educate the public on the science of umbilical cord stem cells and the benefits of donating umbilical cords.

The legislation passed with bi-partisan support but of course one Democratic Senator attempted to amend the bill and link it with embryonic stem cell research. It's frustrating that she couldn't just support the bill on its own merits. Instead she felt the need to score political points and muck it up with what she knows to be a matter of personal ethics for many Senators. It reminded me of what a friend of mine once told me about Democrats. He said there slogan should be if we can't help everyone we shouldn't help anyone. This was a good example of that mentality.

Leaving out the ethical concerns of using embryonic stem cells there are practical problems with this type of research. While there may be some long-term potential in that area, the existing science has not demonstrated any results especially when compared to using umbilical cord stem cells or adult stem cells from bone marrow. To date the latter stem cells have helped treat or cure over 70 diseases while embryonic stem cell research has not cured one disease.

Yet despite the lack of scientific of results and the ethical concerns raised by using human embryo's many people still prefer to fight for embryonic stem cell research. Usually in science, the money and the efforts follow results and progress, yet it seems like the debate in moving in the opposite direction. Why doesn't the scientific community put their efforts more firmly behind the stem cell science that actually works? And if the embryonic stem cells are so promising why isn't more private money pouring into that research? Why do they demand that public money be spent on unproven results knowing that many people have ethical concerns over the research?

Thankfully her amendment failed and despite the attempt to muddy up the debate it was a good day in the Michigan Senate. The fact that we were able to help people address the very real medical problems they are facing is a positive step forward. Sometimes, even government gets it right and today was one of those days.

Bond, James Bond

Friday night I finally got to the theater to see the new James Bond movie. I have been a fan of the bond movies since the early 80's. With the risk of offending many older Bond fans, Roger Moore will always be the original Bond to me. My first movie was For Your Eyes Only and I remember running around my Grandparents house afterwards pretending to be James Bond.

To me there was always something suave and sophisticated about James Bond. He was an international spy who could date gorgeous women and save the world at the same time. But more importantly he was cool and confident which was such a contrast from my own experiences. As I got older I began to realize that the movies were far fetched but that wasn't the point. The point was I got to escape from the real world and live vicariously through this really cool spy. When your young and impressionable, that's about as good as it gets.

As for the new movie, it's above average but a definite departure from earlier bond movies. Gone is the refined, sophisticated Bond and in his place is a rough and tumble replacement. Daniel Craig is still cool but he has an uneven edge to his personality. I think the new Bond is closer to how Ian Fleming originally created him to be. I look forward to seeing how they develop his character in future films.

The plot of the Casino Royale is a little weak and under developed. Yes there are a couple twists and turns but most people in the audience will see them coming. But the biggest disappointment was that I thought the story is supposed to be about Bond in the early years. But the story takes place in modern times which is a little confusing. Plus, they try to take advantage of the latest poker craze by highlighting Texas hold'em poker. It doesn't really work. The real Bond wouldn't play something so pedestrian, he would play baccarat instead.

Despite the flaws, it was still an enjoyable movie. Replacing Pierce Brosnan with Craig works to jumpstart the series. Bronson had gotten a little stale and the change allows them to pursue some new angles to the series. It will interesting to see where they take the new James Bond. I am already anticipating the next movie.

What is she thinking?

I have been watching the incoming Democratic majority from a distance. My initial impression is that Speaker Pelosi is in a little over her head and she should thank her caucus for electing Heney Stoyer as a way of providing some checks and balances to her. If she had gotten her man Murtha elected into leadership it would have been an embarrassment to her party and to the country. Murtha is linked with corruption charges and has been a nominal back bench Congressman with little record of achievement. Yet this was her person to help run the House.

From her support of Murtha as Majority Leader to her pending selection of Rep. Alcee Hastings to chair the intelligence committee, one wonders if her poor judgment will not soon become her worst enemy. Rep. Hastings is a formerly impeached judge who was convicted of taking bribes in return for favorable rulings towards mobsters. He also has several million in debt which makes him the perfect target for corruption again. Why would she want to put him in charge of the nations most sensitive information in a time of war? Hopefully common sense will prevail but it appears common sense will have to be applied externally to deter her own poor decision making ability.

A lot has been made about Pelosi being the first woman speaker of the house but I wonder what happens if she is a colossal failure. If she does prove herself to be a feckless leader how will that effect Hillary Clinton's chances in 2008. Will she unfortunately taint the public's mind that women may not be up to the job of leading this country? I hope not because there are many capable women that are up to the task. It's too bad she isn't one of them.

Women and Coffee

I am not sure when I originally heard this phrase but it goes something like this: I like my women as I like my coffee... hot and black. It's a funny saying when you used in the right context. I can usually get a good laugh out of people.

That comparison between coffee and women has me thinking of other descriptions of coffee and how they might also apply to women. I trust that women will not consider this idea disparaging as coffee is one of my favorite indulgences. In fact it ranks only slightly behind women. Rather, coffee can be a poetic metaphor for all the wonderful attributes women have to offer.

The following are real descriptions of coffee taken from a major coffee seller. I hope you enjoy the comparison.

Sparkling brightness and a huge velvety body

A pure and delicate sweetness, is one of the finest in the world

Unassuming and cheering, starts sweetly and quietly, perfect for slow mornings or those days you have to rush to work

With smooth harmonious silkiness, underneath it all is a subtle yet delightful hint of melon

Possesses a moderate brightness and mellow body, a clean, tart finish, smooth taste makes it a favorite to enjoy every morning

A bold creamy texture reminiscent of a fine burgundy wine

Big-bodied, relaxed complexity and perfectly proportioned with universal appeal, delightful any time of the day or night

Creamy liveliness that is sweet, smooth, and sophisticated, with a powerful flavor that explodes in your mouth

Good for an evening curled up by a fire or with a touch of milk after dinner

Subdued with an aroma like autumn leaves and a taste reminiscent of butterscotch, herbs, and wild mushrooms

A spicy, bittersweet cup laced with hints of wild honey

Wraps you in fragrant aroma and lingers deliciously in your mouth

Blended mix of African and Indonesian from the darker end of our spectrum, wonderful for entertaining or enjoying as the weather begins to cool

Beautiful dark brown, with a smooth, heavy body - an utter indulgence, perfect for chilly mornings

I have to think that Dr. Freud would have a field day explaining the coffee writers sexual repression. But then again, sometimes a cup of coffee is just a cup of coffee.

Porn in Church?

Due to the campaign and then taking a trip out of town I hadn't been to my church in a couple weeks. Last night it was good to be back and catch up with everyone. At first I was hesitant to leave the U of M- Ohio St game at halftime but thankfully the church had a TV in the lobby to keep tabs on the game.

The message last night was on pornography and when I first heard it I was a little shocked and worried about how it would work handling that topic. I had never heard it explicitly preached on from the pulpit. Usually it is couched in terms of sexual purity or some other code word that tries to avoid making people uncomfortable. But Noah to his credit didn't pull any punches. He basically laid it out there that there. There are many people in our church that struggle with pornography and he wasn't going to sweep that subject under the rug.

His blunt approach was a little risky but proved to be the exact right course. Talking to a few people afterwards there was a strange sense that it was about time that this sin was brought out in the open. Even the new couple sitting with me told me that they were glad the church was so up front about things.

What I appreciated most about the sermon was that is done with a heavy does of grace. The emphasis was that we know this is a huge temptation for many men in the church but we don't think you're weird or sinful because of it. Instead the church wants to help people break out of that habit because it destroys the soul and robs people of meaningful intimacy. My gut tells me that true freedom from pornography will begin to take hold in our church because of last night's sermon.

After being away from barefoot for a couple weeks, I gained a sense of perspective on what I appreciate about the church. We are not perfect but I like being part of a body that doesn't mind taking risks. I also like that our church is committed to being more than just surface level religion. It's a bit scary practicing this idea of real life community. My natural inclination is to do what most people do with this type of topic by hiding it somewhere and hoping that it just goes away. I get the feeling that this church is going to hold me to a higher standard.

If you are interested I have link to Barefoot Lansing on the right and last night's sermon is available on-line.

The Next President?

A few days before the election, Sen. Frist from Tennessee did a campaign stop in our district. He is a really likeable guy and I wish him well in his bid for President.

Waiting in Line

I have a funny job some days. The rules of the legislature allow for each incoming senator and representative to draft 10 bills for next year starting this morning. These bills are drafted by the Legislative Service Bureau (LSB) which is a non-partisan team of lawyers. The bills are drafted on a first come, first serve basis and each caucus likes to bundle their requests together.

I got a call yesterday afternoon asking if I would take a shift during the night to make sure that the Senate Republicans were the first in line to have our bills drafted. Since I live downtown, I didn't mind. We had staffers rotating on 90 minute shifts starting at 2:00 am outside the building. The LSB office opened up at 8 am this morning. I drew the 5 -6:30 shift which wasn't that bad. We were the first ones to arrive just beating the House Republicans who slept in until 4:00 a.m. The newspaper delivery person let us in the building around 5:30 so we didn't have to wait in the cold. A few minutes later the House Democrats came by and we decided to be nice and let them in the building as well. We sat in the hallway outside LSB just talking about the elections and who the next leadership would be in both the House and Senate. It was kind of fun. It reminded me of waiting in line for concert tickets.

Thankfully, I got relieved of my duties at 6:30 and went home to take a shower. I never did see any staff from Senate Democrats. Maybe they don't plan to introduce any new bills. Who knows? All I know is that Senate Republicans were first in line.

Election update

I wanted to let everybody know that we won our race late last night with 50.6%. It was another long night as we did not get the vote totals until 3:00 in the morning. Four years ago we fell behind early and had to slowly climb back the rest of the night. This year we got out a decent size lead and held on due to the onslaught of inner city voters. While I do not like it being that close, I am pleased we did as well as we did considering the bloodbath the rest of the Republicans took across the state and nationwide. We lost the state house of reps but we held the state senate pending two recounts. It's weird to win by only 1428 votes and not be the closest race. We now have the nickname of landslide Vanwoerkom.

What went wrong?

Okay, I just watched my beloved Steelers lose against the dreaded Oakland Raiders. Just two weeks ago it looked like the Raiders might go winless this season and now my team loses to them. What should have been at least a playoff season is now looking like the dreaded 6-10 rebuilding season.

I just don't understand. The Steelers have basically the same roster as last year's superbowl team but can't seem to put it together this year. Maybe the team over achieved last year. Could the problem be Big Ben and all the health issues he has faced? Could losing the Bus and his leadership really make that much of a difference? Maybe it's that Bill Cowher has already checked out and is looking forward to his new home in North Carolina.

As painful as this season has been, I am still living off the adrenaline of last year and am not as upset as I should be. I feel like I had my great year last year and I can live with a down season. Besides I still have Michigan football to cheer for.

My friend Leonard

A little over 8 years ago during our first campaign, I met my friend Leonard. He responded to a campaign letter that we sent out and he offered to volunteer. At first I was skeptical because he promised to do quite a bit of work but he is mildly retarded and I doubted he would follow through. Boy was I surprised. Leonard has turned out to be my most loyal and hardworking volunteer. In fact, I would guess he works harder than some of the paid campaign staff. Over the past 8 years he has placed upwards of ten thousand yards signs and walked in over a 100 parades. While that sounds like an exaggeration he would probably argue correctly that the numbers are too conservative.

Leonard knows our district better than anybody else I know. Last week as he and I were driving in the most rural part of our district placing signs, I began laughing because he knows all the roads, the address numbers and the townships boundaries. Even people living in those boondocks don't know the area as well as Leonard. When we first started campaigning many years ago I would try to map out our routes but now I just get in the car, hand Leonard our sign list and he tells me where to turn. I think he likes this because we get to spend time together and he is empowered to tell me what to do.

Leonard stands for everything that is right in politics. Because of his service, our campaign and my boss has personally embraced him with open arms. He has become part of the Van Woerkom family and he has ownership of the campaign. He has also experienced plenty of perks including attending fancy fundraisers and meeting Governors, Senators and even Presidents. I am still jealous because my boss gave his extra ticket to Ford's birthday party to Leonard instead of me but at least he is deserving of it. Leonard demonstrates that you don't have to be rich or successful to contribute in politics. He has proven that hard work and loyalty trump all else and I find that refreshing.

Two weeks ago I began to get sad as this will most likely be our last and final campaign together. He and I have been through four tough elections and have grown quite close. He has become more than just a volunteer but a good friend. My goal over the next two crazy weeks is to not get lost in the flurry of activity but to simply enjoy Leonard's friendship along the campaign trail.

What the election is all about

I was listening to the radio this morning and I heard the hosts talking about what it means if Democrats take control of the legislature. They pointed out several ideas that the Democrats have proposed including eliminating the bush tax cuts and retreating in Iraq. The purpose was to scare conservative listeners into voting this election.

If elected, the Democrats will certainly try to advance their left wing agenda after being out of power for so long but this doesn't matter much to the electorate. Even though their agenda is way out of the mainstream, this election is not about issues or agendas. If you listen to the Democrats on the campaign trail, they are not promoting a national agenda like the Republican's Contract with America. Instead they are tapping into the general dissatisfaction of the electorate and urging change. What is driving this dissatisfaction? Some might argue that corruption is the key issue this year but I think most people realize that Republicans and Democrats are equally corrupt. Instead this election is all about competence and a lack of public confidence in our leaders.

For many years, Republicans have been seen as the more effective managers of government resources. The public may not have always agreed with them but at least they trusted them to get the job done. That image has been tarnished fairly or unfairly by several factors including Iraq and Katrina. Most of us see Iraq as a mess that has no end in sight. That's the reality of war but people want to know that we have a realistic plan to win. After all the blood shed "stay the course" rings hollow and serves only as a substitute for a legitimate plan. I realize that the Democrats don't have a plan either but that isn't the point. The public doesn't expect them to have one. They expect Republicans with their traditional foreign policy experience to have one and they don't.

But more than Iraq, the memory of Katrina is what really hurts Republicans. The federal response was totally ineffective and we are still paying the price for that. When disaster strikes, people want comfort and reassurance that somebody is in control and in charge. They need someone or something to believe in. Instead what they got were stories of chaos and violence. This event more than any other cut to the core of Republican dissatisfaction because it demonstrated the government's incompetence. Republicans were once defined as the responsible, competent party but unfortunately they failed that test during Katrina. If would be as if the Democrats were exposed as being intolerant or uncaring because those are the things that define who they are to the public.

Heck, even the Foley scandal plays to the incompetence of how Republican leaders handled the situation. People were equally embarrassed by the cover up and blame game going on in Washington as they were to what actually happened to the pages. The public began to wonder if the Speaker of the House cannot even control his own congressman then how is he going to be effective in turning the country around?

So while there is a concerted effort among radio hosts and internet bloggers to scare people with the upcoming Democrat agenda, I just don't think it will sink it with the voters. Sometimes the issues play second fiddle to the desire to have leaders that we trust to get things done. Right now, Republicans do not fit that description and no amount of late advertising or scare tactics can change that perception.

Miami

I have never been a big fan of Miami football. I hated them in the 80's and cheered when they lost to Penn St in the Fiesta Bowl. The teams back then were made up of punks and while they briefly cleaned up their act, it looks like thuggery has again returned.

I couldn't believe it when I watched the fight that broke out last weekend between Miami and Florida International. I was especially shocked to see the player who was wildly swinging his helmet as a weapon. I assumed like many others that there would be swift and severe punishment for each player involved in the melee. Florida International suspended all the players involved indefinitely which was the right thing to do. But apparently the Miami leadership could care less.

Donna Shalala, the President of the University and former Clinton cabinet member, came out this week and said that the players would only be suspended one game and that she was sick of the witch hunt that was going on. When pressed if she had seen tape of the fight she said she saw the fight in person but did not watch the tape. Watching it in person, I am sure she missed the severity of the situation. That is the only explanation for why she would treat this instance so lightly. But how does the person handing out the punishment not even watch what happened on the field? Her punishment is a joke because the game the players will miss is against Duke which is the equivalent of suspending them during the bye week.

I guess Miami cares more about football and making money off their crooked team than they do about character and conduct. It's not like this is the first time Miami players have stepped out of line. Last year in the Peach bowl they got in a fight with LSU in the tunnel before the game. Then this year they tried to intimidate Louisville by stomping on their logo at midfield. But with leaders like Shalala sticking up for their behavior, it't no wonder the thug mentality continues to grow in college athletics.

To view the fight go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JWeE9KqZjQ

Mainstream Media

I am sick and tired of the mainstream media and their intention on influencing politics. Every time I turn on CNN or CNBC or one of the networks they all speak from the same lame talking points. The past few weeks have been on Mark Foley and how that scandal will hurt the Republicans in the midterm elections. Not that they have any facts to back up this allegation but they think by repeating that argument often enough it will drive done Republican support and become a self fulfilling prophecy. What's interesting is that the polling suggests that Foley's scandal doesn't make much of a difference with evangelicals because they can see the scandal as what it is. The problem is Mark Foley and his inability to control his sexual desires. And since when did Democrats care about that issue among elected officials? What's sad is that these young pages are being disregarded as nothing more than pawns in a political power grab.

Lost in all the Foley discussions is the fact that the Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid has his own scandal to explain. He was in partnership with a crooked Las Vegas lawyer on a shady property deal. Reid made more than a $1 million on a $400,000 investment and then didn't report it to Senate. What's really frustrating is that the mainstream media doesn't seem to care. The Washington Post just assumes it was a reporting oversight and gives him the benefit of the doubt. But when it comes to Hastert they assume he is guilty until proven innocent. Why the difference in approach? Because Reid's indiscretions don't fit the media's talking points that the Republicans are the party of corruption. The reality is that both parties are broken and have deep rooted corruption. But if that story got out then there wouldn't be a compelling enough reason to vote out Republicans.

Maybe I am naive but what ever happened to real reporting and unbias news coverage. All we have today are spin machines for the political powers masquerading as news. No wonder most people just turn off the news and figure they are powerless to change anything.

Winter Already?

I woke up yesterday to Flurries and this morning there was actual snow on the ground. What the heck happened to summer? Just last week I was up in Ludington and it was warm and sunny and I was able to walk out on the pier. One week later, I am ready to go into hibernation. It just doesn't seem right, how cold and dark it gets this early in the fall. Now I have to endure 8 more months of this crap before summer peaks around the corner. Oh well, at least it's football season.

Montana

I realize that most people have no idea who Conrad Burns is but he is the current Republican senator from Montana. He is facing a tough challenge from John Tester and is viewed as the most vulnerable incumbent in the senate.

Because I have no life, I sometimes watch the debates that C-Span plays. Earlier tonight I was watching the Burns-Tester debate and if I were a voter in Montana I wouldn't vote. Burns comes across horribly. He makes George Bush look articulate and fast on his feet. I have a hard time figuring out how Burns got elected in the first place. Not only does he appear to not be very bright but he is also tangled up in the Jack Abramoff scandal. Tester on the other hand is your typical liberal that opposes the patriot act, wants to retreat on the war and wants to repeal the Bush tax cuts. What kind of choice is that for Montana voters? I keep asking myself if this is the best Montana can come up with?

I just read a article on this race by Hugh Hewitt who I usually agree with but not today. He argues that one should vote for Burns to retain Republican majority and because of the Supreme Court. While I am worried about the court, that doesn't entitle Republicans to put up crappy candidates and expect the public to vote for them. As I look at the coming election, maybe Republicans are getting what they deserve. When we send incompetent and corrupt people to DC, it's no wonder the public is getting tired of us.

North Korea

Let me preface this post by stating that I have absolutely no expertise in handling international affairs. Having said that, let me share some amateur thoughts on the recent showdown with North Korea

1. Bill Clinton's policies did not work. Under his administration we gave them millions of dollars and shared technical information in the hopes that they would back down from building a bomb. Obviously they had no intention on following through on their promises and played Clinton like a sucker. This example should demonstrate that we should not trust dictators.

2. North Korea is becoming more and more desperate for money. The reason they set off the bomb was to scare us into coming to the table and offering them more money. They think they can play Bush just like they played Clinton. Why else are they demanding that we have one on one discussions with them? My guess is that if they do not receive a huge influx of cash within the next year, the country will collapse just as communist Russia did.

3. Iran is watching to see how we respond. If we are seen as weak they will be emboldened with their nuclear program. Other countries are also watching to see if they should move forward with their own programs including Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia to name a few. The problem is that we are dependent on other countries to respond to North Korea and cannot directly control what the response will be. This is the downside of multilateralism that all the democrats prefer. Often times are supposed allies have other interests than our own or they lack the political will to stand up to despots. Unfortunately, we don't the strength to handle this conflict on our own.

4. China holds the key to what happens next. If China plays hardball, North Korea's collapse will be expedited because China controls a majority of the fuel coming into North Korea. But China does not want North Korean refugees pouring across the border and their best interest is to continue the status quo. We need to make the case that a nuclear North Korea is a greater danger than taking on refugees. If we can't make that case, then we need to bribe China into action.

5. Is there any doubt that the UN is completely worthless? Whenever I hear that the UN is going to get involved, I know that we have already lost the battle. Despots do not respect the UN and only use it to delay action and influence world opinion. Several countries have obtained nuclear weapons under the UN's watch, so why should we trust them to provide answers to nuclear proliferation? My prediction is that the UN will offer stern words of condemnation, enact a couple of weak sanctions and nothing will be resolved.

6. This issue should play well for Republicans in the upcoming election because it shifts the focus back onto national security. Unfortunately, the republicans don't have a clear response on this issue so it may not help as much as they think. They keep talking about a missile defense system which sounds nice but will not address the real threat. North Korea will never attack us directly with a missile but they will sell their weapons and technology to terrorists and other regimes that would be willing to attack us. A missile defense system wouldn't prevent terrorists from bringing suitcase bombs into Manhatten.

Interesting football facts

I woke up this morning listening to sports radio and they were discussing all the new starting quarterbacks today. With Gradkowski starting in Tampa there are now 5 starting QB's from the MAC. Out of sheer curiosity I decided to look up every QB to see what conference they played in. The results were surprising. Half of today's starters played in 3 conferences. The PAC 10 is the dominate QB factory with 8 starters. The MAC is second with 5 and then the ACC is in third with 4. Although it's a dishonest count because both Vick and Hasselbeck played when their teams were in the Big East. If you count them in the Big East, then that conference has 4 starters. One other startling fact is how pathetic the Big 12 is. There are just as many starters from Division 2 as there are from the Big 12. And that starter is none other than rookie Vince Young. I guess all that wishbone offense held back the conference's QB development. And for you Lions fans, you have the distinction for cheering for the only division 2 starter. His conference was so bad that ESPN doesn't even list them in their conference standings. In terms of Specific teams, I was also surprised that Michigan has only one starter as they are often referred to as a QB factory. In fact the Big 10 has only two starters total. There are actually 4 teams with 2 starters each today and they include USC, AZ state, Washington, and Marshall. The following is a breakdown of the results. I hope you enjoy this useless trivia.

PAC 10 - 8
MAC - 5
ACC - 4 (includes all current teams)
SEC - 3
C-USA - 3
Big 10 - 2
Big East -2
Mountain West
Sun Belt
Big 12
WAC
North Central Conference (Division 2)

Baseball Predictions

Now that the playoffs are started, I am changing my preseason predictions. Since I cannot root for the Pirates I am switching to the Tigers. And for financial reasons I am cheering for the Padres. I am not convinced that either of them will actually win the world series but it could be 1984 all over again. Without further ado here is how the playoffs will play out:

Tigers over the Yankees in 5
Oakland over the Twins in 4
Padres over the Cardinals in 3
Dodgers over the Mets in 5

Tigers over the A's in 7
Dodgers over the Padres in 6

Tigers over the Dodgers in 5

Take these predictions with a grain of salt as I thought this could be the year that Pittsburgh would make the playoffs.

Congressman Foley

It is sickening to read about the illicit emails that congressman Foley sent to a 16 year old male page. His action is such a violation of trust and I pray for the kids that he violated. As the details begin to leak out it appears that many people in Congress knew that something was not right. The page program warned new pages to be careful around Foley and the house leadership was alerted that there was a problem 6 months ago but failed to find anything specific and only warned him to limit contact with pages. My question is if the media could get a hold of these emails why couldn't the Speaker's office find them when they were investigating? The whole situation is a disgrace.

This morning I was listening to the radio and the talk is about how Foley's resignation will impact the midterm elections. With control of the House up for grabs this seat could tip the balance of power to the Democrats. But this discussion just trivializes what happened to these young boys and demonstrates what's wrong with our culture. We are more worried about political power than we are about protecting our young people. Who cares who wins that seat? The real issue is making sure that nothing like this happens again.

Sadly, I doubt this is an isolated incident. When I lived in DC there were often rumors about pages and congressmen having inappropriate relationships but they were mostly ignored as rumor and innuendo. Maybe congress should be more proactive to investigate these rumors in the future. I was going to write that maybe voters should be discriminating when voting for their leaders but how does the public know what happens in the dark hearts of man. We don't but there has to be system in place to reign in these passions but apparently that system is broken.

First Service

Last night we held our first official worship service at Barefoot Lansing. It went very well despite a few technical difficulties before hand and some last minute running around. We have a coffee lounge before the service to mingle and meet new people. I was supposed to be on coffee duty which requires making sure we had plenty of coffee made and such but I kept getting distracted with conversations. My friend Rachel took over thankfully and I don't think I will have that role next week. I enjoyed the coffee lounge idea but an hour is a long time to make small talk.

We had several new people attend which is encouraging and they all had different stories and reasons for being there. One couple recently got married and they haven't found a church that they both liked so they were checking us out. Two married women came without their husbands and were curious about the church after receiving our mailing. I don't think they are believers yet. One younger women was looking for the new church experience. She was already attending three other services weekly and is going to try and add us to the list. After the service, I met two men who are Antioch orthodox who came to the service mostly to criticize it and push their own version of the church. I pray that each of the new people who came were able to see God in the church last night.

The service itself went off without a hitch. I was able to be part of the worship band which was fun. Noah gave a compelling sermon on why we were created and pleaded for us to lead lives of meaning. Next week were are going to be talking about the fall and what to do with sin in our lives. I am interested to see who returns and if we get additional visitors. Starting from scratch it is hard to predict what's next but I have confidence that we are building a firm foundation.