Another reason to dislike Katie

The other night Katie Couric interviewed John Edwards and his wife about the recent announcement that her cancer had come back. Instead of being warm and understanding as you would expect from a former Today Show host, she went on the attack as if she was paid for by Sen. Clinton's campaign. I have no intention of voting for Edwards but he and his wife are decent people that deserve better treatment than what they received from her. Doesn't she have something better to do than badgering a cancer patient? Surely there is a celebrity trial that she could cover instead.

To listen to her go on and on and on follow this link: http://www.ifilm.com/video/2836152

True March Madness

The division 2 championship game between Winona St. and Barton was a real classic. In fact, it might be the best ending to a basketball game I have ever seen. I would encourage everyone to watch the last minute of the game on youtube. Even non-sportsfans will enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFYnersg2Us

Fred

A potential new candidate for President has many people a buzz in Republican circles. His name is Fred Thompson. Most people will not recognize his name but those same people will recognize his face because he is a moderately successful actor. He is a former senator from Tennessee and has starred in such movies as Hunt for Red October and In the Line of Fire. He now plays the D.A. on Law and Order.

The reason people are talking about him is that he is a conservative with experience in Washington politics but isn't necessarily a Washington insider type. He is charismatic, well spoken and would be attractive with southern swing voters. And of course he reminds people of the last actor to run for President who turned out to be a pretty good one.

If Thompson jumps in, I think he immediately replaces Romney or Gingrich as the conservative alternative. Because of his acting career he carries a sort of star quality that none of the other conservative candidates in the race possess. It remains to be seen if he could score enough conservative votes to challenge either McCain or Giuliani.


Despite the hype surrounding his candidacy a couple of things don't fit. First of all he and John McCain are close friends. Thompson was one of the few senators to endorse McCain in the 2000 campaign. I find it hard to believe that he would challenge his good friend for President. Second, he faces an enormous organizational disadvantage. Most of the top talent in the key primary states has already been hired by the other candidates. Third and most importantly he has younger children and is not seen by many to have the energy or commitment to run for President. He likes raising his family and a campaign would definitely cut into that.

Here is what I think is really happening; The McCain camp encouraged Thompson to throw his name out there to change the story away from Giuliani's rise in the polls and hopefully halt Giuliani's momentum. Thompson agreed because they are friends and he probably enjoys the favorable reaction he is getting but I doubt he is entirely serious about running. It is possible that Thompson could begin to coalesce conservatives around him without even running similar to Gingrich. Or he could run for a couple months then drop out and endorse McCain and hope that his conservative support follows over to McCain.

While we can hope that Thompson does run, my guess is that he is just acting.

Final Four

It was hard to decide on my final four this year. I am in multiple different pools and in every one I have some different picked to win. But when I first filled it out Sunday night, here were my initial teams and I am going to stick with my initial gut instinct.

Maryland
Kansas
Texas
Ohio St.

I like Kansas over Ohio St in the finals

Yeah I am probably crazy for Maryland over Florida but everybody is picking Florida and I am sick of Joakim Noah and his bunch.

Oh and my sleeper to get to the final eight. UNLV - Which means they will lose to Georgia Tech in the first round.

I hate Kroger

I went to Kroger last night to pick up a few groceries. When I got to the check out I realized that I don't have my Kroger card on me. I hate carrying those cards around and usually they just swipe a generic card if I don't have mine. Not last night. Instead the cashier tells me that I have to fill out a new application for a new card. After arguing with her for a few minutes, a whole line has settled in behind me and I am in no mood to fill out their stupid application. I was very tempted to just walk out and leave all the groceries there to make the point that I think having to use a card is stupid. But I was in a hurry and didn't want to have to drive to another store. I finally wrote some chicken scratch on the form with the wrong name and address and figured to heck with them. It is so irritating that they won't simply put their products on sale without having to use the card. Without the card the prices are much higher than say Meijer or Walmart. The only reason they have the cards is to keep track of my shopping habits. I wonder if their card is the forerunner to the mark of the beast. Well as of today I am officially boycotting Kroger until they change their policy.

CPAC

Every year a large group of conservatives gather in Washington DC at a convention called CPAC. I used to attend these meetings in college and they are great fun. The conference usually draws the top Republican leaders in the country to give speeches and hold receptions. I have several great memories of CPAC but two stand out in particular.

My friends and I were on our way up to the hotel suite for Congressman Dornan's reception and we ended up sharing the elevator with Frank Gifford. At this time, Gifford was still on Monday night Football and still married to Kathy Lee. The only problem was he was with another woman which made us all a little uncomfortable. My friend CJ tried to make chit chat with him by talking about the Chargers but you could tell he wasn't interested in us.

My other memory involves CJ as well as he and I were running late for the keynote breakfast. I think Alan Keyes was the speaker. When we got there the whole room was full except for two seats near the front. So he and I head up there and sit down. Well up comes Tim Russert and Ted Koppel and apparently we had taken their seats. It was a little embarrassing to retreat to the back of the room in front of the entire crowd but to their credit both Tim and Ted were very nice about it.

Anyways this year's CPAC just finished and it was interesting to watch as most of the leading candidates for President attended. The conservatives are without a clear choice in the contest and this meeting was a good place for lower tier candidate to make up ground. What I noticed however, was that none of them took advantage of the opportunity. Instead the event was dominated by the big three including Romney, Giuliani and McCain. Romney did what he had to do as he won the straw poll. But he spent a lot of time and money on staff and volunteers to win that poll and he only barely beat out Giuliani. And for the record, the CPAC poll is not the best barometer of success as last year's winner was Sen. George "beaten incumbent" Allen.

Giuliani did okay as he stayed away from the topics that conservative oppose him on. He instead focused on the war and on school choice. That was smart but at some point, conservatives are going to want to know why he disagrees with them on abortion and gay marriage. Does he have contempt for people who are pro life and anti gay marriage or will he respect that opinion? We are still waiting to find out. But he finished second in the poll and got out of the conference without having to pander to the right and I think that's a good weekend for him.

McCain was the other story even though he didn't even show up to the event. The more I get to know McCain the more I don't like him. He turned down an invitation to speak but then went behind the back of the conference to try and schedule a private reception to woo conference participants. Basically he didn't want to be seen in public with conservatives but still wants their support. That is stupid politics for a Republican. Conservatives already feel disrespected by him and this just added fuel to the fire. Even though McCain has a huge institutional advantage, the end is very near for McCain.

But real loser over the weekend was Ann Coulter. She called Sen. Edwards a faggot and tried to pass it off as being a joke. I used to read her column and her books but frankly she doesn't really add anything to the political debate other than name calling and ridicule. I think she just uses the free publicity to advance her cause of selling more books and could care less what she does to the reputation of conservatives. CPAC should not invite her back next year and conservatives should boycott her books until she gets the hint that her actions are more trouble than what she's worth.

March Madness

I love this time of year. The tournament is about to start and I am finally getting into the basketball season. This past week there were quite a few good games and here are my thoughts a week before selection sunday.

1. Michigan's win against MSU was nice but the loss against Ohio St was more reflective of the true status of the team. They are mediocre on the cusp of being able to score the occasional upset. But they haven't scored that upset yet in all of Tommy Amaker's seasons. Who was the last top 10 team they have beaten? While it was disgusting to see them give away the game yesterday with Simms' missed dunk and Harris missing his free throw, part of me is glad that they lost. If they had won the pressure would be off to fire Amaker. Now there is really no excuse to keep him around. Unless they think making the NIT every year is the goal. If they do fire him, I hope they go after Tom Crean from Marquette.

2. Living in Lansing I have developed a lot of respect for Michigan State and Tom Izzo. But anybody who thinks they are a good team this year is sadly mistaken. They do have a couple of good wins against Texas and Wisconsin but both were at home. Unfortunately for the Spartans they have to play the tournament on the road and I fully expect an early exit if they get there at all. If they lose in the first round of the big 10 tourney they are firmly on the bubble and probably a 10 or 11 seed. The good news is that Raymar Morgan is a stud and if sticks around the future looks pretty bright for MSU.

3. It was sweet to watch Maryland beat Duke on their home court. At the game this week the cocky fans at Duke starting chanting the Maryland was not their rival. I guess the idea was to say that Duke was so much better that they don't even respect Maryland as their equal. In a sense they are correct in that Maryland Duke is a one sided rivalry but Maryland is actually the one who keeps winning. In fact they have beaten them 5 of the last 7. Take that you stuck up Duke fans.

4. On the issue of while Duke can anyone explain to me why they are in the top 25? They are a pitiful team offensively and their vaunted defense is based solely on the past reputation of other Duke teams. If this team wasn't called Duke, they wouldn't be ranked higher than forty. Maryland on the other hand is playing great basketball and they are not even ranked. It's a travesty but thankfully it doesn't matter what the polls say because unlike in football, basketball actually settles in on the court.

5. I have been a huge Greg Oden fan all year and have argued that he is better than Kevin Durant. Well I admit that I was wrong. After watching Durant play the past couple of weeks, I am amazed at how good he is. He probably the most dominant player I have seen in a decade. Yesterday he put up 25 in the first half against Kansas but unfortunately sprained his ankle and wasn't effective in the second half. If his ankle is healthy, book Texas in the final four. He's that good.

6. Big 10 basketball sucks. Period. Yesterday I was flipping the channels between Wisconsin-MSU and Texas-Kansas. The contrast in play between the two games was startling. Texas and Kansas are in a completely different league. They actually know how to shoot and score points. MSU Wisconsin was an awful game to watch. MSU had like 4 points after the first 10 minutes of play. How is that fun to watch and don't tell me it's because Wisconsin's defense is that good. The Big 10 is going down in the tourney this year. I don't expect any team to make the final four and this further illustrates just how crappy Michigan's season has been. If they can't win in this league, then what's the point?

Whatever happened to shame?

Last week Tom Brady's ex girlfriend Bridget Moynahan announced that she was pregnant. Brady acknowledged that he was indeed the father, thanked everyone for their support and expressed his excitement. But nowhere did he mention exactly how he was going to be involved with the baby and nobody expressed any sense of moral opposition towards his behavior. It was as if getting his ex girlfriend pregnant was no big deal.

I find this to be very troubling. Study after study find that children are better off being raised in a two parent home. Children raised by single parents are more likely to struggle in school, have a higher propensity towards drug and alcohol abuse and generally are worse off financially than those children raised by married parents. I realize even by stating these facts that some people will be offended. But with the data so clear, why do we as a culture not seem to care if another kid is born out of wedlock?

Have we really lost our way in terms of right and wrong? And its not just this instance but even when I look at my teenage nephews who have no sense of shame about taking drugs or fooling around with girls. When I speak with them about these issues it's like they simply don't care that I don't approve. The same could be said for the rising number of couples that live together before marriage. It's all but common place now even within the church. It's the odd couple that chooses to try and stay pure before getting married.

I try not to be judgemental in these cases because I have my own sin in my life. But I also understand that when I do sin, I know that I am wrong and seek forgiveness and try to make things right. Most people in our culture just keep on sinning either for lack of knowledge or because they just don't care. Their conscience has become so dulled by the relativism that many people truly think there is nothing wrong with their behavior.

Say what you want about religious fundamentalism but at the very least, it helped maintain some sense of decency in our culture. Even the people who didn't agree with the black and white rules at least kept their behavior in check because they thought somebody might judge or shame them. Unfortunately there was such little grace involved that people got sick of being told what to do and they grew up vowing not to tell others what to do. As a result, today there are no such checks against immoral behavior. In fact, it is often celebrated and encouraged.

So what is the right answer to stopping to the moral erosion in our culture? I don't know and that's what frustrates me the most.

The empty restaurant

Ever since I traveled to NY City in 2004 I have tried to make a point of going to locally owned restaurants in lieu of chains. There is something unique and quaint about independent eateries and I figure the money stays in the local economy instead of going to some corporate owner.

Around the corner from my apartment there is one such restaurant that is brand new. The name of place is Crumpets which is a lame name but I figured I would try it out for Breakfast. To preface this story, there have been multiple failed restaurants in this same location. They have mostly failed because the service was terrible and the menu limited. The first time I went to one of the closed places, the gay waiter hit on me the whole time and it made me incredibly uncomfortable. It made my girlfriend even more so. Then I went back to try another restaurant for breakfast and when I ordered my eggs over easy they informed me that they only cooked them scrambled. And they only had white toast, no wheat, no raisin. They were not in business for long.

Well Crumpets is a step up from the last two places but the menu is still limited. They had only three selections for breakfast and I got some type of cream cheese and fruit breakfast sandwich. It was good but I really in the mood for eggs Benedict but it wasn't on the menu. While I was there only one other person was in the restaurant. I hope they are able to stay open but with the track record of the location and the skimpy menu, I wouldn't be on their success. It's too bad because I at least like the idea of a local neighborhood restaurant if not the execution.

I hate the academy awards

Tonight is the Academy Awards and I am already tired of hearing about it. I just read on the Drudge Report that they expect tonight's show to be the longest ever. I can hardly wait. The event has become nothing more than rich out of touch elitist congratulationing themselves and sharing with us their wealth of political and social wisdom. And this doesn't even include all the pretentious talk before hand of what people are wearing to the event. Are we all really this bored with our lives that we care about this stuff?

But there are millions of suckers who actually get excited and watch this crap. Why? First they give a bulk of the awards to movies that nobody has ever heard of, let alone watched. This is usually justified by telling us how all us hicks outside of Hollywood simply don't understand good film making. But worse, the evening is usually a crashing bore as they stretch the entire evening out to pat themselves on the back about all the great things Hollywood is doing. I am sure the highlight this year will be something praising Al Gore for his work in battling global warming. Talk about hot air.

Maybe we can hope for a fisticuffs between the Obama and Clinton supporters.

Romney on TV

Mitt Romney just went up on TV this week in some key states including Michigan. You can visit his website to view the ad. It's a good spot and I think you will see his numbers jump sharply over the next couple of weeks. http://www.mittromney.com/

Divorce

My brother's divorce was settled last week. While part of me is thankful that the whole ordeal is over, I know that my brother is not doing well. Financially he took a bath on the sale of their house and now he lives a much smaller townhouse. He is still bitter towards his ex-wife and who can blame him but that bitterness only hurts him and not her. This is his second divorce and he is trying to adjust to living without a woman for the first time in his life. I know he is lonely and that in all likelihood he will begin dating someone else shortly. I just hope that he is able to first find inner peace and happiness instead of seeking it in another woman who will undoubtedly disappoint him again.

Saturday after church I went out to Denny's and got to know one of the men at my church who just finalized his divorce. He has his kids every other weekend and I could tell that he wished he saw them more often. He mentioned that he pays a thousand dollars a month in child support. That seems like a lot especially since he makes about what I make and I couldn't afford that much money. I understand taking financial responsibility for his kids but I can't help but wonder how he will get by.

Over the weekend, I visited with my aunt who is currently separated from her husband and on the road to divorce. On the outside she appears to be doing okay but I know that she has little money and is struggling to get by financially. The accusations are flying on both sides and I have no idea who is to blame for her marriage falling apart but I hate to see the damage that it is causing her family. After she left, my Mom told me about the deteriorating relationship between her and her grown daughter. I used to think that divorce was easier for older children but apparently it is never easy. My Dad's parents got divorced when he was an adult and it only sped up his descent into alcoholism and depression.

Finally, my co-worker is caught up in a custody battle over her daughter and our office gets sucked into the drama every time she and her ex husband argue over the phone. It's totally unprofessional but in these type of disputes, better sense is ignored in place of passions. She often complains that the friend of the court system is broken. I am sure it is broken considering that government is not intended to make family decisions. But because of divorce we have no other choice but to wager our families fortunes on an ill suited court system.

I mention all these anecdotes to highlight why I hate divorce so much. And yet it is a welcomed part of our culture today even by those who have been affected by it in the past. I don't understand why there isn't more outrage against divorce. I realize that many people don't want to impose their moral standards on others but the current laissez faire attitude is not working. How many of us have attended weddings where there is no pretense that the marriage will last forever? Or have we been too busy to help troubled marriages resolve their issues and simply figured the easiest solution is to have them get divorced? The easy decisions are very rarely the right decisions.

I don't write this post out of judgement but out of empathy for those who get divorced and their families. I have lived through the damage myself and I know they deserve much better than the bitterness, loneliness and financial ruin that come from divorce.

Quitting their day job

Much has been made about the early start of the 2008 presidential election. With all the attention and activity it seems like we should be voting next month instead of next year. This fast start got me to thinking of how we could slow down the process. Here is my suggestion; we could require currently elected persons to resign before forming an exploratory committee.

Basically under the current rules, dozens of public officials can raise money and campaign without taking the risk of losing their current job. It's a joke to think that any of the sitting senators running have any interest in their current position as they fly from state to state raising money and giving stump speeches. If they had to resign it would at the very least force them to postpone their campaign plans until they were ready to give up their current perks.

While this might give an advantage to candidates who are already out of office, I think many of them would not be pushed into the race as early if they thought the other candidates would also wait. The sole reason Guilani and Romney are out there already is because McCain has been campaigning nonstop since the 2000 election. Besides, I am not that opposed to giving outside candidates more opportunities to level their chances against sitting legislators and governors.

One final advantage my proposal would provide is a way of weeding out the noncommitted candidates. No way do Dennis Kucinich or Duncan Hunter waste our time if they had to resign their congressional seats. They have it too good to risk everything on some long shot presidential bid. This change would limit the field to only serious candidates who have already demonstrated at least some kind of risk and commitment. The only problem with this suggestion is that it would take a sitting elected official to introduce the bill and none of them want to change the status quo that benefits them.

Bad Valentines Day Gifts

Ten Valentines Day gifts that indicate you don't really care about your relationship

10. Leftover Christmas fruitcake

9. A membership to Curves

8. I kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris

7. Mouthwash

6. Weight Watchers cookbook

5. A new vacuum

4. Gift certificates to McDonalds

3. Milton Friedman's Free To Choose

2. Laundry Detergent

1. Cash

Love Stories

In honor of Valentines Day I thought I would share some of my dating stories. I trust that these will highlight and give reason for my bitterness towards Valentines Day:

The Halloween Day Massacre
I had been dating Michelle for almost 6 months. We had started out pretty well but had been on the steady road towards breaking up for sometime. The night before Halloween we are on our way to meet friends for dinner and she decides that this would be the appropriate time to bring up the long term future of our relationship. In my normal manner of evasiveness I tried to change the subject but eventually we broke up just in time to arrive at the restaurant. We had to spend the rest of the evening in pretend mode since we were with another couple. But that isn't the worst part of the story. I already promised her daughter Risten that I would take her trick or treating for Halloween and so I had to go back the next night and see Michelle again and walk the neighborhood with her and Risten. I've never viewed Halloween the same.

You've Got Mail
Ever since college I was infatuated with Laura. We never dated in college but always kept in touch and had an on again off again relationship for the better part of 8 years. This relationship culminated in her visiting me while home from the mission field. We spent the first couple of days in Lansing and then met again in Chicago for a romantic weekend. During that trip we talked about the future and when we kissed goodbye in the parking lot I thought we had taken a serious step forward. Three weeks later she is back oversees and I am in Mackinac Island for a political conference. I go to the internet cafe to check my email and have message from her. In it she explains that she just met another guy and was dating him instead. I can honestly say that I usually know when things are going south a in relationship but that email came as a real surprise. Up until she got married last year, she would still call me but after that email things were never the same.

No Field of Dreams
My freshman year of college I met a woman named Crystal. All the guys in my dorm had a crush on her but somehow I was the lucky one whom she chose to take home with her for Thanksgiving. The night before while bragging to my friends we all thought that I would be kissing Crystal in the corn fields of Iowa. Well things didn't go as planned. When I got there, she basically pawned me off on her family while she went out with her high school friends. I remember one night sitting on their hard backed couch with her Dad watching the sound of music while he shared his storied of visiting where the film had taken place. It might have been the worst evening of my life. To this day, I am still not sure why she invited me home with her. The worse part was having to admit that I had struck out to all my friends.

The Not So Great Escape
When I lived in Washington I met a woman name Lila. She was smart, funny and sexy and we soon became friends. After I moved to Michigan I went back to DC to visit and went out with Lila. I had a good time but I wasn't really looking for a relationship especially at the time with me living so far away. So on the day of my flight back home I decided I would call her during the day so I could just leave a message on her answering machine explaining that I had fun but I wasn't interested in dating. Well wouldn't you know, she was home that day from work and she totally caught me off guard when she answered. I have never sounded so stupid in my life trying to explain why I called. I tried to stick with my script but it was a lot harder talking to her in person than leaving a message. Needless to say she wasn't impressed and I haven't seen her since.

Shock and Awe
A couple of years ago I became friends with Sheila. She and I had similar interests and eventually during the summer we spent a lot of time at her parent's pool relaxing together. To everyone on the outside, they assumed we were dating and it felt like it often times but we never really discussed it. I was okay with that type of relationship but apparently she wasn't. I remember one day at work I called her because we were going to concert and I wanted to find out the details. During our conversation she asks if she can bring a friend and I was okay with that until I learned it was a guy named Troy and she was bringing him as her date. I was shocked and I remember thinking so does this mean that she and I aren't really dating. In retrospect I blew it. I really miss her parent's pool.

Wedding Crasher
I met Andrea at work and we hit it off. As usual I like to take things slowly to allow my charm to take effect before making my move. I guess I waited a little too long this time. Just as I was getting my nerve up to ask her out on a real date, she tells me she's getting married. I knew there was another guy in the picture but he was kind of a dork and I never really pictured him as much competition. Fast forward a few months to her wedding. She asked me to sing at the wedding and I have to say I have never sounded better. Apparently I must have made quite an impression on Andrea. As we were dancing at the reception she whispered in my ear how much she loved me. If only we she had been drunk and danced with me 6 months earlier.

Out Of My League
One of my closest friends in college was a girl named Stephanie. We were from the same hometown and we just clicked right away. There was one problem. She had a boyfriend back home. So when valentines day rolled around she was going to the banquet with her boyfriend but I still wanted to spend time with her. So I asked her roommate Ruth out so we could double date. It was big mistake. Ruth was attractive but we didn't have anything in common and during the date she was most annoying person I have ever been out with. Every question I would ask her was responded to with one syllable or less. I am not sure if she was nervous, a mute or if she knew that I was only using her to be close to Stephanie. Either way it was a horrible night sitting in the silence watching Stephanie make out with her boyfriend. Now for the rest of the story. Stephanie and I both graduate and go our separate ways and then I hear through a couple friends that she had gotten a divorce. It's sad I figure but it may have provided me the opening that I finally needed. I look her up in the alumni book and send her an email just to see if she might be interested in getting together. Well it turns out the reason she got divorced was because she was a lesbian. I guess I never really had much chance to begin with.

I could go on and on and on but I need to save some stories for next year's valentines day post. Who knows I might even have a few new ones to share.

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.