Wednesday 10.31.01 (Halloween)

Can somebody please tell me why Vanessa Leggett is still in jail?? Is the FBI too lazy to conduct their own investigation, or are journalists now considered by default to be adjunct detectives? We are all in trouble if the federal government is allowed to determine who is a journalist. Where is PEN through all of this?

The Fox News Channel has apparently decided that fawning over President Bush is the best way to increase ratings. A question for you who trumpet yourself as "fair and balanced": whatever happened to objective journalism?

Am I the only one wondering what Saudi Arabia is up to? Lost in the hysteria following 9.11.01 is the fact that most of the hijackers were Saudi nationals. How long can we allow the Kingdom to have it both ways?

Equal insurance coverage for mental health care? Mandated by law? What a novel concept....

It's good to see that President Bush still has his changeup. Now, if he can work on getting his fastball over the plate, the Astros might have a place in their bullpen for him when he is through saving the free world.

Allergy season can end anytime now, thank you very much. I want to be able to breathe again, damnit!!!!

Tuesday 10.30.01

Susan and I just saw "The Last Castle". A entertaining movie, certainly, albeit rather unsatisfying. I'm a former Military Police officer, and I've worked in confinement facilities, specifically Ft. Leavenworth, KS. There is nothing quite like wondering if someone is going to dump a cup of urine on your head during nightly stack inspection- or being locked (unarmed) out on the exercise yard with 600+ testosterone-hyped inmates. I couldn't shake the feeling that the movie was a shockingly unrealistic portrayal of a military prison.

For several weeks now, I've been wondering what will become of the zillions of dollars people have donated to various and assorted 9.11.01 victim relief funds. Now we learn that confusion indeed reigns, that there is in fact no centralized system for getting money to those who need it. The former head of the Red Cross, Dr. Bernadine Healy, resigned last week over just such a dispute with her board of directors. How DO you pass out $550 million? It seems no one can agree on just how to dispense those dollars or who to dispense them to. Meanwhile, there are mortgages to pay and mouths to feed. Rome burns while Nero fiddles....

Michael Jordan returns to the NBA tonight. Yawn....

Apparently, Americans are beginning to doubt whether the government can protect the country from terrorism. Well, folks, it's tough to fight what you can't see. There is no need to live in fear, but I think we do need to realize that the government is not going to provide the safety blanket we'd all like to have.

Oh, by the way, Slobodan Milosevic is still at it. The noted despot, party animal, and suicide threat is accusing the Hague tribunal of "acting on the level of a retarded seven-year-old child". He is also accusing the tribunal of inciting terrorism against Serbs. Apparently, the "Butcher of the Balkans" is not finding his new playpen to his liking. It's a damn shame. I hear the Hague is lovely this time of year. Of course, given what I saw of his reign during my time in Kosovo, I'd like to set him adrift in a lifeboat with a platoon of armed Albanians....

Monday 10.29.01

Someone once told me that fundamentalism is the sound of a mind slamming shut, closing itself off to reason and reality. The problem with fundamentalism and religion is that they are too often at opposite ends of the spectrum. Islamic fundamentalists in Pakistan stormed into a Christian church yesterday and gunned down 16 worshippers. What could cold-blooded murder possibly have to do with religious beliefs? How does slaughtering innocents because they hold different beliefs further praise and worship?? In any religion, murder is considered beyond the pale.

Fundamentalism- whether Islam, Christianity, or Judaism, serves only to divide. When you marginalize and devalue others simply because of their belief system, you have lost sight of the value and purpose of religion- and of the inherent value of human life. All that is left is evil.

Except for a few militant anti-abortion nutjobs, fundamentalist Christians have been reluctant to take up arms in this country. I can foresee a day when that might the next logical step. What, then, is left of "loving thy brother as thyself"? Religion becomes little more than a shroud with which one can use to "justify" whatever political violence serves the cause.

I do not begrudge anyone their political or religious beliefs. One of the things that makes this country such a wonderful place to live is the freedom to worship and vote as your conscience dictates. The bottom line of all religions is largely the same: the desire to live in peace and harmony and to maximize happiness, both our own and for those around us. I refuse to believe that my beliefs are better or more valid than anyone else's. That "live and let live" attitude is basic to any religion- Islam included.

At the root of any fundamentalism is a lack of education about and understanding of the world as a whole. Ignorance is all too often the breeding ground of fear and evil. Yesterday's massacre is testimony to that. How sad that there are people out there who are willing and able to manipulate that fear and ignorance.

Sunday 10.28.01

The lead story in today's Houston Chronicle was War Bears Little Fruit in Afghanistan. The US had been bombing Afghanistan for three weeks now, and the media is already questioning the results. It makes sense, I suppose, given our I-want-it-now, immediate gratification culture. The reality, though, is that this is not like getting a DVD player or a new car. Gratification- victory in this case- will be neither immediate nor obvious.

I suppose the Persian Gulf War spoiled us to a large degree. Now we expect our wars to be played out on television in real time, and we expect immediate and quantifiable results. The problem is that wars just do not work like that. Even if US air power has turned what is left of Afghanistan into a parking lot, that doesn't begin to solve the problem. The coalition will likely have to put troops on the ground at some point, and that is never a speedy process. This is especially true when you are talking about subduing a country the size of Texas.

Just for some perspective, let's try to keep a few things in mind. World War II lasted six years, the Korean War lasted three, Vietnam (at least our part of it) nine. You cannot reasonably expect a war of any sort to be wrapped up in three weeks.

Let's try to remember that the mission the US military is trying to accomplish here is a risky, slow, and tedious process. We're likely in this for the long haul, and we (and the media) would do well to remember to temper our expectations.

Saturday 10.27.01

Another beautiful day, so I went and played golf. Sadly, I played as poorly as I can ever remember playing, but the weather was so perfect, it balanced things out nicely....

Adam came home from college on Thursday, and he'll be with us for a week and a half. We haven't seen him since mid-August, and college seems to agree with him. It's great to see him happy and enjoying some success (and carrying an "A" average so far...). Welcome home! It's nice to have you back home again....

Lest I leave Eric out, he is excelling in his first high school varsity debate tournament. As I am writing this, he has qualified for the elimination rounds after going 5-1 in preliminaries. Impressive for anyone, but particularly since both he and his partner are freshmen and very inexperienced. Congratulations, Eric! I'm very proud of you!!

Friday 10.26.01

From the Why I Hate Local News Dept.: KPRC (Channel 2), the local NBC affiliate, has, over the past few years, turned it's local newscasts into tabloid television (the local equivalent of the Fox News Channel...don't get me started on that again....). As if the anthrax scare hasn't already reached fever pitch, KPRC has apparently decided that their mission is to discover new angles that people can fret about. Last night they showed a story about a hidden camera investigation into how prepared Houston doctors are to treat anthrax. Surprise! They're not! Quick, who's to blame????

I imagine if you asked the right questions, you'd find that doctors are equally unprepared to treat things like Ebola, of dengue fever, or disestablishmentarianism. Does that mean the medical community is to blame for inadequately protecting the populace? Heads will roll!! We should bow down in gratitude to KPRC for exposing the weaknesses, inadequacy, and incompetence of our medical personnel.

A suggestion to the news director at KPRC: more news, less sensationalism. More dispassionate coverage of real issues, less fear-mongering. Scaring the populace may increase ratings, but you are doing us a disservice by ratcheting up the public's fear of enemies they cannot see.

Tonight at 11, only on 2: "Are fast food restaurants prepared to deal with the threat of Anthrax? Our hidden cameras tell you what REALLY slides between those buns. Also, breaking news on the Cindy Crawford Baby-Naming Blunder."

Thursday 10.25.01

North Dakota and parts of northern Minnesota are under two-foot snow drifts this morning. Meanwhile, I was sitting by the lake in our backyard this morning, drinking coffee and watching Salem chasing cats. Frankly, I think I got the better end of the deal....

After going on about spending (wasting?) money on flag paraphenalia, I should remember to hand out kudos where they are warranted. American Golf Corporation, which manages several very private and exclusive golf courses in the Houston and Dallas areas, opened their courses to the "unwashed masses" on Tuesday. For $50, I was able to play golf on a course I would normally not be able to get near. All of the greens fees went to the New York Police and Fire Widows and Children's Fund. Judging by the turnout at Bay Oaks Country Club, where I played, they brought in a substantial amount of money. I applaud the company for finding a way to do something meaningful while also reaching out to the community. Of course, the fact that it gave a bunch of golfers a chance to play hooky on a beautiful, sunny October afternoon didn't hurt!

Wednesday 10.24.01

North Dakota and Minnesota got hit with the first snowstorm of the season today, getting several inches of snow and blizzard conditions. Meanwhile, it was 92 degrees here in Seabrook. How much do you think I miss northern Minnesota??

A sheriff's deputy in Pennsylvania was busted for trading guns in order to satisfy a drug debt. He was also nailed for buying crack and paying with a county-issued credit card. Since when do crack dealers take credit cards?? I can see the commercial now: "At Crack World, you can get everything you need to get f*#@&d up, but they don't take American Express"....

Tuesday 10.23.01

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that some businesses have now turned patriotism into a money-making activity. We did, after all, put the "C" in Capitalism. Much of the advertising I see and hear strikes me as nothing if not distasteful, though. Every day, I get to hear "Mattress Mac" spew forth on how you can save money and support America by buying furniture from him. Far be it from me to call the man's patriotism into question, but when does patriotism cross over to opportunism? How does buying furniture do anything but line his wallet?

I am all for supporting efforts to get life back to "normal". What I fail to see is how turning patriotism into a cheap marketing ploy will accomplish that. Every time I see the TV ad for car flags and window stickers, I want to throw up. Don't misunderstand me; I am proud to be an American. I should not have to spend money on flag paraphenalia to prove it. What I see is people capitalizing on the general atmosphere of fear and xenophobia that exists in this country in order to make a quick buck. Sure, it's the "American Way", but have people lost sight of what is really important? Buying flags and yard signs and window stickers may make us feel better about ourselves. It does nothing, however, for those people and organizations who are trying to make a difference in the aftermath of September 11th.

If you want to show your patriotism, donate to the Red Cross or other worthy organizations. Spending money on flag paraphenalia is ultimately a self-absorbed waste of money that could do so much more elsewhere.

Monday 10.22.01

It is certainly true that first casualty in war is the truth. It is interesting to hear the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan accuse the US of "genocide". His government is harboring a man whose minions killed between 5,000- 6,000 people on 9.11.01, and he wants to talk about genocide? Apparently the irony and hypocrisy is completely lost on the ambassador, but then the Taliban has never been noted for their sense of humor....

The house in Miami where Elian Gonzalez lived before he was returned to Cuba has been turned into a museum. Here is some simple advice for those who felt the need to create a museum dedicated to a six-year-old boy: GET OVER IT ALREADY. Elian is in Cuba, you lost, time to move on. End of story. Or are you so determined to stick it to Castro that you've lost all perspective? Perhaps Cuban refugees really are crazy enough to want to see Elian's underwear drawer, but does it bring you any closer to your stated goal of toppling Castro?

Sunday 10.21.01

It's about 5.30am, and I've been wide awake since about 4. Don't ask me why; but I have the house to myself for awhile....

I wonder if people in the Islamic world who have made Osama bin Laden into a hero of the faith realize what they are doing? Since when does Islam condone mass murder? Have these people actually given any thought to the person they profess to idolize? Or does their hatred of the US blind them to what should be obvious: that bin Laden and his ilk do not in any way represent Islam. It is one thing to cloak evil in religious garb. It is truly sad when people come to view those who purvey evil as heroes.

Susan and I were finally able to go out last night to celebrate our anniversary. It was nice to be able to have some time to relax with her. We went back to the restaurant at the Waterford Yacht Club where we were married last year and had a leisurely dinner. Last year, we were exhausted from planning the wedding. This year, it was just the two of us. The wedding was wonderful, but it did feel great to be able to be able to sit down and enjoy the food. Last year, I don't think I even had any of the wedding cake....

Saturday 10.20.01

It's another beautiful day, and it's been nice to be busy enough so that I need only worry about the more mundane and meaningful things in life: haircuts, buying video games for Eric, mowing the lawn, going out to dinner with Susan. No stories about anthrax, or bombing Afghanistan, or terrorism. I know those things are still out there, but today I'm choosing to exclude them from my thought processes. I'm taking today to tend to the things that are most important.

My golf game is finally coming along. I've managed to get my handicap down to 18, and I feel as if I'm hitting the ball better than I ever have. Maybe, just maybe, I can get the hang of this game. It's surprising sometimes just how challenging it can be. I just hope that my back will hold up....

Friday 10.19.01

Another glorious morning here on the Texas Gulf Coast. I love watching the sunrise over the lake in our backyard....

For all of you Astros fans: pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in just four short months....

Forty people on the Manhattan-Staten Island ferry went to the emergency room looking for Cipro because the saw dust on the ferry and mistakenly assumed it was Anthrax. You know, the vanity in our bedroom could stand to be dusted. Hmmm, do I need to go to the emergency room prior to tackling that? Or should I just call a HazMat team? Decisions, decisions....

Dan Rather said yesterday that he thinks that the media has somewhat overreported the anthrax scare. Gee, thanks for understating what should be blindingly obvious, Dan. (NutraSweet: low-calorie sweetener or biological warfare agent? Film at 11.)....

CNN seems to be beating the anthrax story to death, and from every imaginable angle. Come on, folks; your role is to inform, not to stir the pot. Surely, there are others stories out there worthy of your considerable resources? Don't even get me started on the Fox News Channel (aka "The Conspiracy News Network")....

Thursday 10.18.01

There is something terribly sad about watching the anthrax scare that is gripping this country. Sure, you can make the argument that the hysteria is being fed by the media. I'm not so sure that is completely accurate. Nonetheless, this seems to be a case of taking a little bit of information and drawing broad conclusions from it. The reality is that the vast majority of us will NOT receive a letter with anthrax in it. It's the FEAR that we MIGHT that is terrifying. In that sense, those who perpetrated these acts have succeeded in knocking us back on our heels.

One of the goals of any terrorist activity is to complicate daily life, to introduce the element of fear and uncertainty where it did not previously exist. Those of us who have lived and travelled in the Middle East know what it is like to live with the possibility of car bombs or the like. Now, we have to deal with that sort of uncertainty here at home. I heard someone on the news a fews days ago, talking about how we now live in Israel. Well, no, not really; not yet, at least. Israel is nothing like the US, for a number of reasons not worth going into here. How far are we away from that? Who knows?

;It appears that we as a country have lost some of our swagger, but I'm not so sure that is such a bad thing. For many years, we collectively have lived with the belief that we were out of range. Even events like the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and Oklahoma City in 1995 didn't shake us out of our torpor. Now we've had to wake up and see the world for what it is. The reality is that a lot of people out there DON'T like us, for any number of reasons. It's time we go used to that idea, and accept that it means we are going to have to be prepared. The question is for what....

Wednesday 10.17.01

I never cease to be amazed at the ability of Americans to take a minimum of information and turn it into widespread panic. Now, I'm as frightened of anthrax (or any other deadly disease) as the next person. What I cannot understand is the sheer gullibility of the American public. A couple of days ago, A Northwest Airlines flight out of Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport was delayed for two hours. A flight attendant was convinced that a white powder she found was anthrax. It was in fact artificial sweetener. How far are we to take this hysteria? Will housewives all over America be calling for HazMat teams because there is powdered soap on the laundry room floor? Or sugar on their kitchen tables?

Of course, there is nothing wrong with taking normal precautions. But let's not be silly and let fear overcome our common sense. Anthrax is not an easily obtainable substance. The odds of it turning up on your laundry room floor or on your kitchen table are miniscule at best. Be careful, certainly, but let's not be stupid about this.

Tuesday 10.16.01

I still feel crummy, and it's getting old, especially with the weather being so beautiful. About all I really feel up to doing is sitting by the lake in our backyard. Getting my brain to work enough to write is a challenge, so I'll leave it until tomorrow....

Monday 10.15.01

Susan told me this morning that our symptoms are identical to anthrax. And I'm supposed to do what with that information?? Well, I suppose I could panic and alert the media, but who needs that kind of bother? Besides, we live on a cul-de-sac, and where would all those satellite trucks park?? Just set me adrift on an ice floe.

One of the joys of being a step-parent (so I'm discovering) is dealing with the elusive ex-spouse. Mine is long since out of the picture, since we had no children. Susan is not nearly so fortunate. Hers tends to be somewhat on the self-absorbed side, his two sons an afterthought who exist only when it is convenient for him and his lifestyle. It's sad to think that he is shutting himself out of the lives of two boys who adore him. The worst thing is that there is nothing I can do but make things worse. Accordingly, my challenge is to keep my opinions to myself, which has never been one of my talents. My tongue is sore from biting it so often.

Sunday 10.14.01

Today is our first wedding anniversary, and you'd think we'd be out celebrating. Wrong! Susan picked up a stomach bug from one of her pediatric patients, and she was nice enough to pass it along to me. We've spent today on different couches in the living room, alternating between sleeping and watching TV. Not exactly what we had in mind, but at least we're together. Happy Anniversary, darling. You're still the best thing that ever happened to me!

Friday 10.12.01

I mentioned the other day that my alma mater is considering disbanding the football team. There is another school in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference facing the same sort of issues. Carleton College, in Northfield, MN, has admission standards every bit as high as Macalester, and the football team has the same recruiting problems.Perhaps we should just play Carleton nine times a season?

OK, how many of you could have told me before today what anthrax is? And how many of you are more careful in how you're opening your mail?

Thursday 10.11.01

Just to give you an idea of how much our collective focus has changed in the past month, think about these two names: Gary Condit and Chandra Levy. Remember them? It wasn't that long ago that we were subjected to Fox News Channel's "All Chandra, All The Time" coverage. When is the last time you even saw a hint of a story on TV or in the newspaper about either one? Am I the only one grateful for that? I think not....

Yes, our focus has changed, and thankfully so. There was a wonderful article in today's USA Today, comparing what was normal a month ago and what passes for normal today. The differences are striking, and, as I've observed here before, we live in a much different world. A safer one? Perhaps, but not likely. A more inconvenient one? Without a doubt. Whatever your point of view, there is little debating that we have lost our collective innocence. So much for the Shining City on the Hill.

Wednesday 10.10.01

My alma mater is considering dropping their football program. I was a goalkeeper on the soccer team, so football never impacted me directly during my time at Macalester. Still, I am saddened by the prospect of seeing part of the institution I love possibly pass into history. During my college years, my peers and I viewed football players as knuckle-dragging, socially deviant troglodytes. As far as I was concerned, football players were only useful as targets. We used to shoot water balloons at them from the third-floor hallway window in my dorm. Yes, it was a horribly arrogant attitude, one that I am not proud to have perpetuated.

During my time at Macalester, the football team lost 54 games in a row, setting an NCAA all-division record (since broken, thankfully, by Prairie View A&M). Though the team was the butt of many jokes, I did (and still do) admire those players who stayed the course until they finally won. They continued to believe in themselves when the rest of us had long-since given up on them. Looking back, I admire their conviction now more than ever. Giving up would have been the easy thing to do, but they stuck with it. There is a lesson in there that all of us would do well to listen to.



Tuesday 10.9.01

So Rush Limbaugh is going deaf? Normally I wouldn't be one to revel in another's misfortune, but I'm tempted to make an exception. Limbaugh exemplifies the ignorance and intolerance that makes today's Republican party such a mean-spirited and self-righteous bunch. Given the pompous, self-certain manner is which he has vilified those whose political views differ from his own, one could almost see his predicament as Divine Retribution. That would assume, of course, that God actually cares about politics. Somehow, I think HE has more important things to worry about.

Though it is fashionable for conservatives to equate liberalism with every ill from ignorance to secular humanism to bunions, such disrespect misses the point. Europe would not be where it is today without the Marshall Plan- the product of a liberal Democratic administration. Liberalism, simply put, is the recognition that we are all in this together, and therefore we all have a shared responsibility for one another. Fear- and hate-mongers like Limbaugh would do well to keep that in mind. Remember, conservative fundamentalism is too often the sound of a mind slamming shut.


Monday 10.8.01

It's hard to feel humorous when you realize that we are at war. Still, am I the only who finds it ironic that the first attacks started just around kickoff yesterday? What? Was the US Air Force thinking that Osama bin Laden would be watching the Vikings game (I know I was) and would not be paying attention? Is there cable in Afghanistan??


Saturday 10.6.01

So, Larry Dierker was upset at the fans who cheered Barry Bonds after he hit #70 on Thursday night?? Well, Larry, it's not as if the Astros were putting up much of a fight. It was 9-2 San Francisco in the top of the ninth inning. What were we to cheer for? Even the Beer Man was gone.

No, we were not cheering against the Astros; we were cheering history. Besides, why shouldn't baseball fans be allowed to appreciate someone who had just tied (and subsequently broke) one of the game's most cherished records? I paid for my ticket, Larry, and I'll applaud whomever it pleases me to. Lighten up....


Friday 10.5.01

Susan and I went to the Astros-Giants game last night. We were part of the largest crowd in Enron Field's (short) history- 43,736. We also were fortunate enough to see Barry Bonds hit his record-tying 70th home run. I had chills when it happened. How often do you get to see history made? Oh, and the Astros lost 10-2. That sound you hear is their season circling the drain....



Thursday 10.4.01

I think I'm finally ready to post version 2.0 of my website. It's taken a good couple of weeks of work, but it's a damn sight better than the lame-o thing I had posted before. There are still some cosmetic things I'd like to or need to do, but it's all small stuff now. So here goes....


Tuesday 10.2.01

While the northern climes begin their long, dreary death march into winter...hey, it's golf weather here!

I hear the Kabul Country Club is likely to have some memberships opening up soon....