The GOP's Great Northern Hope

What a fool believes

Reason #42 not to kite surf in a hurricane

This Evel Knievel/Hancock/Superman impersonator tried to take on mother nature and was trounced thoroughly in the process.

Forewarning: This may hurt a little.

$20 gasoline formula

Here is what we have. Iran, a middle eastern sovereign democratic, (like it or not) nation with mega oil. A president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, that has spoken out against Israel (God forbid, the "chosen" people), and testing rockets to defend themselves against all enemies. They have clearly seen what happens to countries (Iraq) in the region that the U.S. has claimed having Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Here is the problem. When Israel has military exercises to show their strength, the world barely notices. However, when any other country (that isn't considered a U.S. ally) in that region of the world especially does the same thing - it is said that they are preparing to attack. I have no problem with Iran having nuclear weapons at all - they should be able to defend themselves against anyone (including the U.S. and Israel). If they want to blow each other off the face of the globe, let them. The U.S. clearly has too few gasoline refineries (no ones fault but our own, we've had a gas crisis before with a 30 year period to to find new sources of energy). To quote my President, "we have an addiction to oil" and higher than ever demand for oil around the world. To complete this perfect financial storm, we also have a rapidly falling dollar, and a floundering U.S. economy (change may not come quickly enough).

The likelihood of Iran attacking anyone is absolutely minuscule at best. They have one export that they rely on and the world relies on. They won't jeopardize their own ability to survive (both literally or financially). If war between a nuclear armed Israel and Iran started, it would surely be mutual destruction for both. So why they may practice these war maneuvers, they both should know that it does not benefit either countries.

Here is what we can't do and here's why. A strategic strike (if you think $5 gasoline in the U.S. is bad, it would quadruple overnight) would not go unanswered. We have too many financial interest in that region of the world and Iran clearly knows this. Sanctions clearly have not worked just as they haven't against Cuba, or practically any other country we imposed them on. A long drawn out preemptive war with Iran while engaged with Iraq and Afghanistan is plain stupid and most likely suicide for an already depleted military force. We won't even have a "coalition of the willing" on our side in that one.

Here is what we should do. We should engage Iran directly through diplomacy instead of the crazy rhetoric we hear everyday from Condi Rice. In fact, I argue that we have an even greater interest in protecting Iran from Israel (last I heard, they didn't produce any barrels of oil per day). That's right, you did read that correctly. Let Iran know that we will defend them against any military attack, including Israel. When we show the Iranian people that we can be fair and trusted and treat them as allies - they will not have a need to build weapons and hurl baseless threats against any nations. We have had enough weapons to destroy the world since 1945 and only one country has ever used them in war. While many other countries have acquired them, we all know that it would be lights out for us all the next time one is used - even George Bush can't be that naive.

Soon, within 50 years, this supply of limited natural resource will run out and what will do then. Perhaps, Agent Smith (Matrix reference), was right - perhaps we are the worlds virus, or our behavior is virus like.

How far we've come (or more aptly, How far have we come?)

Last night, while driving home, I had the pleasure of listening to C-Span's broadcast of a focus group out of York, Pennsylvania. While they may not be quite the 21st century average cross section of America that I imagined (at least I hope not), I was both pleased by their honesty, and frightened by the groups overall tone at the same time. The host of the discussion panel was Peter Hart. I was impressed with his impartiality throughout the forum. His questions were very well thought out. The panelists I think were all Caucasian and mostly female. Most had fairly strong opinions, even if some of them were baseless in how they were formed. Some panelists gave me the impression that they were just following the whim of what everyone else did before them (be it right or wrong, usually the latter). Check it out for yourself.

rtsp://video1.c-span.org/archive/c08/c08_062408_hart3.rm

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/29/AR2008062901875_pf.html

Doing his part

I recently heard that George Bush was "sacrificing" golf for the war. Yes, I really do mean golf, that game that Tiger Woods has mastered. You know the war, that one that he started and we can't get out of war with Iraq claiming their ties with (as he pronounces it) Al-kay-da and Weapons of Mass Delusion (I meant Destruction). I never truly understood what "pride goeth before the fall" meant before this guy came along. You might think self sacrifice means sending a love one off to fight for a war they didn't believe in or perhaps even going yourself. If the war was really as important as he once claimed, he would have at least one relative there, or at least Condi. He didn't even do his stateside duties during the Vietnam conflict, so what gives him the right to let 4000 other american lives and however untold Iraqi lives to be lost there. If he calls himself a christian, I am feeling really sorry for him on judgement day. And to think my fellow Americans voted this guy into office twice.

Golf, can you believe that?

Carter and Hamas

Thank God for people like Jimmy Carter. If the Bible is correct in saying "Blessed are the peace makers", then his soul will dance in heaven. He agreed to talk to people who were duly and fairly elected as the representatives of the Palestinian people. Both he and I agree that what the Israeli government have done to the Palestinians cannot be looked upon favorably by any rational person. And if you are one of those few, that think it is, then kindly just switch the roles of the two parties. Almost the entire Palestinian population depends on Israel for their mere (or should I say meager) existence (water, medicine, commerce, you name it). If that isn't as close to slavery as it gets, I don't know what is. Former US President Carter is constantly trying to bring people together and I can do nothing but applaud him for it. If there isn't such a thing as the Jimmy Carter Humanitarian award - there certainly should be. I know we have the Nobel Peace Prize, but he has even exceeded that.

Kudos

A little inspiration ...

"Courage is not the absence of fear, it is moving forward in spite of it."

Bono excerpt from NAACP acceptance speech

I of course am so truly humbled to share the stage with the great Julian Bond. Just, wow. Cool customer. I’m also – you know, when people talk about the greatness of America, I just think of the NAACP, that what I think of – it genuinely comes to my head. And I’m also honored to be on the same stage as the other honorees, Sold Out, Bill Cosby, Prince. So cool, so cool.

See, I grew up in Ireland, and when I grew up, Ireland was divided along religious lines, sectarian lines. Young people like me were parched for the vision that poured out of pulpits of Black America. And the vision of a Black reverend from Atlanta, a man who refused to hate because he knew love would do a better job. These ideas travel, you know, and they reached me clear as any tune and lodged in my brain like a song, I couldn’t shake that. This is Ireland in the 70’s growing up, people like me looked across the ocean to the NAACP. And I’m here tonight and feels good, feels very very good.

Well today the world looks again to the NAACP. We need the community that taught the world about civil rights to teach it something about human rights. Yeah! I’m talking about the right to live like a human, the right to live period. Those are the stakes in Africa right now. Five and a half thousand Africans dying every day of AIDS, a preventable, treatable disease. Nearly a million Africans most of them children dying every year from malaria. Death by mosquito bite. This is not about charity, as you know here in this room. This is about justice, it’s about justice and equality.

Now, I know that America hasn't solved all of its problems and I know AIDS is still killing people right here in America, and I know the hardest hit are African-Americans, many of them young women. Today at a church in Oakland, I went to see such extraordinary people with this lioness here, Barbara Lee, took me around and with her pastor J. Alfred Smith – and may I say that it was the poetry and the righteous anger of the Black church that was such an inspiration to me, a very white, almost pink, Irish man growing up in Dublin.

This is true religion. True religion will not let us fall asleep in the comfort of our freedom. “Love thy neighbor” is not a piece of advice, it’s a command. And that means in the global village we’re going to have to start loving a whole lot more people, that’s what that means. That’s right. “His truth is marching on.”

Two million Americans have signed up to the One campaign to make poverty history. Tonight the NAACP is signing up to work with us, and so can you. “His truth is marching on.” Because where you live should not decide whether you live or whether you die.

And to those in the church who still sit in judgment on the AIDS emergency, let me climb into the pulpit for just one moment. Because whatever thoughts we have about God, who He is, or even if God exists, most will agree that God has a special place for the poor. The poor are where God lives. God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is where the opportunity is lost and lives are shattered. God is with the mother who has infected her child with a virus that will take both their lives. God is under the rubble in the cries we hear during wartime. God, my friends, is with the poor. And God is with us if we are with them.

This is not a burden, this is an adventure. Don’t let anyone tell you it cannot be done. We can be the generation that ends extreme poverty.

Bono - you have made us all proud.

Go Kofe

Kofe Annan must be part miracle worker as well as super diplomat. I say this because Mr. Secretariat has brought the Kenyan leaders, Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga together. He keeps his cape hidden but we know you are a super hero below that mild mannered appearance of yours. Blessed are the peace makers.

Congrats

Litigious society

To quote Jon B., "What in the world are we doing?" I understand, and fully sympathize with what the Duke men's lacrosse team went through last season by being falsely accused of raping some crazy (to put it mildly - I really would like to call her more, but I'm trying to be nice) woman. But please tell me why is the entire team suing the University itself? Shouldn't they be suing the pants off of Nifong or even perhaps the city of Durham seeing how their police ever even let that get to the D.A.'s office. Certainly any first year law (correction make that, first year Elementary school) student could have shot that case down based on the evidence. There is no way this case should have ever been considered let alone brought to trial.

Who is holding the accuser accountable? Nifong has pretty much lost his livelihood, his assets, and any possible reputation he may have ever had. But this woman, is the one that truly frightens me. It was the second incident of a false rape that she reported. I thought there were laws against falsely reporting a crime in the state of NC. Perhaps I am too judgmental, but her kids needs to be taken away from her because she is clearly not of her right mind. At a minimum, she should either be placed in a mental facility or placed in isolation in/under the most the most remote jail the state has. I am not joking about this. This woman is a danger to society. First she damaged these kids reputation beyond repair, the next time she may just go ballistic and takes someones life. Please get her off the streets immediately before someone else gets hurt. The truly sad part about this great tragedy is that the next time a black woman is actually raped, society may look at her and say "sure, just like the woman in Durham" - and that would truly be a crime.

Valentine's Day Reflections

In America, we celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14. It is essentially a day to spoil your mate/loved one and let them know how much you love them. Unfortunately, like so many things in our great country, we have taken it to extremes. It, like most holidays, is over-hyped, over-commercialized, and under appreciated for its true meaning. Why have a holiday at all to express to someone that you love them, that is something you should express everyday. This isn't something that anyone should ever take for granted. If you are truly fortunate enough to find someone that really loves you and you love in return, the quality of life wherever you are increases ten fold.

There is a huge difference between getting over someone, and not having someone. They both hurt like mad.

Peace & Love