On Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs (and Shepherds, too)

I received a copy of the following via e-mail from one of my Bible Study buddies. It’s a fascinating read, but I wanted to verify the source before posting it here. Apparently, this has been posted in several places over the last year or so. I’m unsure as to whether or not the exchange between General Dula and the U. of Washington student is legit (though, I would suspect that it is given that it mentions Dula by name). But the lengthy article which Dula then quotes is legit. It’s a journal article written by retired LTC Dave Grossman (apparently along with Loren Christensen). The title of the article is listed on Grossman’s website under the publications section. With the background established, I hope that you will read the following and contemplate what Grossman has to say. It certainly needs to be said, and often repeated as a reminder in today's post-9/11 society.

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In brief, Jill Edwards, a junior math major at the University of Washington, and a member of the UW student senate, opposed a memorial to UW grad "Pappy" Boyington. Boyington was a U.S. Marine aviator who earned the Medal of Honor in World War II. Edwards said that she didn't think it was appropriate to honor a person who killed other people. She also said that a member of the Marine Corps was NOT an example of the sort of person the University of Washington wanted to produce.

What follows is Gen. Dula's letter to the University of Washington student senate leader. Read and comprehend what is being said and decide if you want to be a "sheep".

To: Edwards, Jill (student, UW)
Subject: Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs

Miss Edwards, I read of your 'student activity' regarding the proposed memorial to Col Greg Boyington, USMC and a Medal of Honor winner. I suspect you will receive a bellyful of angry e-mails from conservative folks like me. You may be too young to appreciate fully the sacrifices of generations of servicemen and servicewomen on whose shoulders you and your fellow students stand. I forgive you for the untutored ways of youth and your naiveté.

It may be that you are, simply, a sheep. There's no dishonor in being a sheep - - as long as you know and accept what you are. Please take a couple of minutes to read the following. And be grateful for the thousands - millions - of American sheepdogs who permit you the freedom to express even bad ideas.

Brett Dula
Sheepdog, retired

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ON SHEEP, WOLVES, AND SHEEPDOGS
By LTC (RET.) Dave Grossman, RANGER, Ph.D., author of "On Killing."

Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is, finally, about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always, even death itself. The question remains: What is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for? – William J. Bennett – in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy November 24, 1997

One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me: "Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." This is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one another.

Some estimates say that two million Americans are victims of violent crimes every year, a tragic, staggering number, perhaps an all-time record rate of violent crime. But there are almost 300 million Americans, which means that the odds of being a victim of violent crime is considerably less than one in a hundred on any given year. Furthermore, since many violent crimes are committed by repeat offenders, the actual number of violent citizens is considerably less than two million.

Thus there is a paradox, and we must grasp both ends of the situation: We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.

I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me, it is like the pretty, blue robin's egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell.

Police officers, soldiers, and other warriors are like that shell, and someday the civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful. For now, though, they need warriors to protect them from the predators.

"Then there are the wolves," the old war veteran said, "and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy." Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

"Then there are sheepdogs," he went on, "and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf."

If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf.

But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero's path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed

Let me expand on this old soldier's excellent model of the sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools.

But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.

Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports, in camouflage fatigues, holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa." Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.

The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them. This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door.

Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word hero?

Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed, right along with the young ones.

Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference." When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.

There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population.

There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: Slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself.

Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.

Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When he learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd dropped his phone and uttered the words, "Let's roll," which authorities believe was a signal to the other passengers to confront the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers – athletes, business people and parents – from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.

There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men. – Edmund Burke

Here is the point I like to emphasize, especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn't have a choice. But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision.

If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

For example, many officers carry their weapons in church. They are well concealed in ankle holsters, shoulder holsters or inside-the-belt holsters tucked into the small of their backs. Anytime you go to some form of religious service, there is a very good chance that a police officer in your congregation is carrying. You will never know if there is such an individual in your place of worship, until the wolf appears to massacre you and your loved ones.

I was training a group of police officers in Texas, and during the break, one officer asked his friend if he carried his weapon in church. The other cop replied, "I will never be caught without my gun in church." I asked why he felt so strongly about this, and he told me about a cop he knew who was at a church massacre in Ft. Worth, Texas in 1999. In that incident, a mentally deranged individual came into the church and opened fire, gunning down fourteen people. He said that officer believed he could have saved every life that day if he had been carrying his gun. His own son was shot, and all he could do was throw himself on the boy's body and wait to die. That cop looked me in the eye and said, "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself after that?"

Some individuals would be horrified if they knew this police officer was carrying a weapon in church. They might call him paranoid and would probably scorn him. Yet these same individuals would be enraged and would call for "heads to roll" if they found out that the airbags in their cars were defective, or that the fire extinguisher and fire sprinklers in their kids' school did not work. They can accept the fact that fires and traffic accidents can happen and that there must be safeguards against them.

Their only response to the wolf, though, is denial, and all too often their response to the sheepdog is scorn and disdain. But the sheepdog quietly asks himself, "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself if your loved ones were attacked and killed, and you had to stand there helplessly because you were unprepared for that day?"

It is denial that turns people into sheep. Sheep are psychologically destroyed by combat because their only defense is denial, which is counterproductive and destructive, resulting in fear, helplessness and horror when the wolf shows up.

Denial kills you twice. It kills you once, at your moment of truth when you are not physically prepared: you didn't bring your gun, you didn't train. Your only defense was wishful thinking. Hope is not a strategy. Denial kills you a second time because even if you do physically survive, you are psychologically shattered by your fear, helplessness and horror at your moment of truth.

Gavin de Becker puts it like this in Fear Less, his superb post-9/11 book, which should be required reading for anyone trying to come to terms with our current world situation: "...denial can be seductive, but it has an insidious side effect. For all the peace of mind deniers think they get by saying it isn't so, the fall they take when faced with new violence is all the more unsettling."

Denial is a save-now-pay-later scheme, a contract written entirely in small print, for in the long run, the denying person knows the truth on some level. And so the warrior must strive to confront denial in all aspects of his life, and prepare himself for the day when evil comes.

If you are warrior who is legally authorized to carry a weapon and you step outside without that weapon, then you become a sheep, pretending that the bad man will not come today. No one can be "on" 24/7, for a lifetime. Everyone needs down time. But if you are authorized to carry a weapon, and you walk outside without it, just take a deep breath, and say this to yourself..."Baa."

This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other.

Most of us live somewhere in between. Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. The degree to which you move up that continuum, away from sheephood and denial, is the degree to which you and your loved ones will survive, physically and psychologically at your moment of truth.
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I have a nephew who is a police officer, an old family friend whom we call “uncle” who’s a retired police officer, a brother who’s an EMT with his wife who’s an ER nurse. I have a brother-in-law who’s a Vietnam vet, several uncles who fought in WWII. And, of course, my Dad who served in the Navy during WWII and who was there at the Battle of Iwo Jima. Needless to say, I am well aware of the Sheepdogs in our midst.

If I were to add anything to this fine article it would be that Grossman left out one additional (and crucial) piece of this sobering parable of a commentary. And that is the role of the Shepherd. Our ultimate Shepherd is Jesus Christ, and He charges His disciples (from St. Peter and the Apostles all the way down to JPII & B16 and all of the priests and religious to the present day) to continue in this precious and important role as Shepherds of His Flock. For it is these Shepherds who watch over us, tend to our spiritual needs, nourish us with the Word of God and with the Eucharist, continue in their missionary work of feeding, clothing, tending to the sick and brokenhearted, and fervently praying while guiding us on our spiritual path.

So, to all of our Sheepdogs ~ thank you for your selfless service and sacrifice in diligently protecting us from those wolves in the physical realm.

To all of our faithful Shepherds ~ thank you for your selfless service and sacrifice in the name of God, protecting us from the wolves in the spiritual realm.

To all of you Sheep ~ WAKE THE FRELL UP!!!

And to all of you Wolves out there ~ our Sheepdogs will sniff you out and hunt you down ceaselessly. And our Shepherd, Jesus Christ, will prevail. You can count on it!

Flying to Philly soon, and then to ......Alabamy (yeap!)

Yeap! I'm heading back to Philly for several days this month, to visit family and a bunch of old friends. From there I'll be briefly visiting the Charlotte, NC, airport on my way to......................... Birmingham, Alabama!

"Why Alabama?" you may ask.

Well, it's sort of a spiritual pilgrimage/retreat. The great and vibrant Catholic cable network, EWTN, is just outside of Birmingham (in Irondale, AL). And the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament (the cloister/monastry where Mother Angelica - the founder of the network - resides is just north of the network in Hanceville).

Both places have pilgrimage tours of the grounds, the shrines, the network itself, plus I'll be in the audience for Fr. Mitch Pacwa's TV series, "Threshold of Hope" on the evening of May 16th. In that series, Fr. Pacwa systematically goes through the late Pope John Paul II's encyclicals. I'm hoping to also snag a ticket to get into the Wednesday evening broadcast of "EWTN Live". If not, then I'll probably spend the early part of that day in Hanceville, then head back to Birmingham to check out a museum before flying back to L.A. on the 18th.

Anywayz... for about 10 days mid-month I'll be away from internet action.

So... you say you're giving 110%, huh?

I got this from a friend, and I laughed my a** off. The whole "I gave it 110%" phrase has always been one of my pet peeves. So, without further ado...

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What makes 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 103%? What makes up 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

and

H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

But,

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

And,

B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T
2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103%

AND, look how far ass kissing will take you.

A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G
1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7 = 118%

So, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that while Knowledge and Hard Work will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it's the Bullshit and Ass Kissing that will put you over the top.
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File this under: "Quid Pro Quo"

Polipundit has a comment from one of its readers on the illegal immigration issue here. Tongue in cheek, of course... but oh, so dead-on target. (heh!)

Meanwhile, I've updated my blog roll to the right. Feel free to enlighten yourself by reading them regularly.

Also, two movies I will definitely want to see in the theaters over the next two weeks:

"United 93" and "The Lost City"

Charlatan in the Church...

Unfortunately, there are some in my local parish who praise this guy and his writings . His name is Fr. Richard Rohr. I've read some of his writings, and listened to a set of his audio CDs. There was a period in my life when I strayed a bit from my Catholic upbringing into the New Age arena, though I never went off the deep end. And, since then, I've returned to the Catholic Church and her teachings. Because of my spiritual diversion, I'm well-tuned to abhorrent spirituality. Red flags started waving when I read some of Rohr's "words of wisdom." Granted, there are some decent nuggets of Catholic theology in his writings, but you sometimes have to dig through quite a bit of questionable stuff to get to it. Upon hearing him speak via his audio tapes/CDs, I got (in my opinion) a certain picture of the type of person he reminds me of - a charlatan. I know that sounds harsh, but if you read or listen to some of his stuff with a clear set of eyes you may be able to discern this. If you want a recent summation of this guy's teachings and affiliations, read this to get a clearer picture.

The OSV Interview with Archbishop Chaput...

(Hat-tip to Hugh Hewitt)

Here is an indepth interview with Archbishop Charles Chaput (Denver Diocese), covering the issue of the abuse scandal within the Church inside the U.S.

You can also find more tough yet fair and impartial commentary by Fr. Richard Neuhaus in past issues of First Things.

Another bit of immigration info...

From Redstate, here's an interesting excerpt quoting Rush (yeah, that Rush):

Ironically... in Mexico immigrants [meaning those who immigrate to Mexico] are not allowed individual property rights, must speak Spanish, must have job skills, have no right to vote or run for office, and have no right to government welfare programs. Immigrants must also invest in the country in an amount equal to forty thousand times the daily minimum wage. Further, immigrants are not allowed to protest the government.

It goes on to list some suggested solutions to the illegal immigration issue here in the US. Some interesting points are made, though I don't agree with abolishing the minimum wage (as quite a few comments also iterate).

UCLA vs. Florida??? (ugh!)

The only way the NCAA Championship Game match-up could've gotten any worse than tomorrow's UCLA vs Florida (the team that defeated my beloved Villanova Wildcats) is a match-up of Georgetown vs any Bobby-Knight-coached team. (ugh...... UGH!...... groan)

I'm begrudgingly rooting for Florida.

On the issue of border security and illegal immigration...

Here are several links to some great reads on the subject at hand - dealing with legal vs. illegal, guest worker programs, border security, the type of jobs and who will or won't do them, etc. etc. etc.

Polipundit has a post on border security here. They also have another post on the subject here.

Rich Lowry at NRO tackles the topic of "jobs that Americans won't do" here.

The Buffalo News has a story on problems with the guest worker projects of the past.

The Washington Times has an in-depth article here on the ratios and the positions of an overwhelming majority of Americans.

And RWN has a detailed 13-point compendium on the variously related issues here.

Chomsky - Thy Name is "Hypocrite"

Hat Tip to American Thinker for two great recent reads (here and here) on the infamous Noam Chomsky, his convoluted theories, and his blatant hypocrisy. While the second commentary shakes down one of Chomsky's theories, the first commentary links to an article in Canada's National Post which exposes the man for doing what he criticizes others of doing:

The iconic MIT linguist and left-wing activist frequently has lashed out against the “massive use of tax havens to shift the burden to the general population and away from the rich,” and criticized the concentration of wealth in “trusts” by the wealthiest 1%. He says the U.S. tax code is rigged with “complicated devices for ensuring that the poor—like 80% of the population—pay off the rich.”

But trusts can’t be all bad. After all, Chomsky, with a net worth north of US$2-million, decided to create one for himself. A few years back he went to Boston’s venerable white-shoe law firm, Palmer and Dodge, and, with the help of a tax attorney specializing in “income-tax planning,” set up an irrevocable trust to protect his assets from Uncle Sam. [...]

Over the years, Chomsky has been particularly critical of private property rights, which he considers simply a tool of the rich, of no benefit to ordinary people. "When property rights are granted to power and privilege, it can be expected to be harmful to most," Chomsky wrote on a discussion board for the Washington Post. Intellectual property rights are equally despicable, apparently. According to Chomsky, for example, drug companies who have spent hundreds of millions of dollars developing drugs shouldn't have ownership rights to patents. Intellectual property rights, he argues, "have to do with protectionism."

Protectionism is a bad thing -- especially when it relates to other people.

But when it comes to Chomsky's own published work, this advocate of open intellectual property suddenly becomes very selfish. It would not be advisable to download the audio from one of his speeches without paying the fee, warns his record company, Alternative Tentacles. (Did Andrei Sakharov have a licensing agreement with a record company?) And when it comes to his articles, you'd better keep your hands off. [...]

Chomsky has even gone the extra mile to protect the copyright to some of his material by transferring ownership to his children. Profits from those works will thus be taxed at his children's lower rate. He also thereby extends the length of time that the family is able to hold onto the copyright and protect his intellectual assets.[...]

Read the entire revealing article here.

What I'm currently reading (or attempting to)...

I'm smack-dab in the middle of three vastly different books.

The first is a dog-earred copy of "Shadow Divers" by Robert Kurson (non-fiction) lent to me by my Dad. It's a fascinating telling of the discovery of a WW-II German U-boat found off the coast of New Jersey by a group of deep sea divers. I'm about a third of the way through the book, and it's gripping reading. Chapter by chapter, Kurson describes the dangerous details of wreck diving, the backgrounds of the individuals involved, their histories amongst each other, and the research necessary to help uncover the mystery that's over 230 feet below the surface of the Atlantic - all while carrying his readers along the journey of this incredible discovery. Two of the main divers, John Chatterton and Richard Kohler, can be seen on their History Channel series, "Deep Sea Detectives."

The second book (another non-fiction) is Tom Standage's "The History of the World in 6 Glasses." He approaches history in the light of six important libations (three alcoholic, three caffeinated) and their affect on civilizations. He starts with beer, then wine, and then on to spirits - describing how they were discovered or invented, and how each changed the course of history. He then picks up a glass of tea, continues with coffee, and then concludes with cola. I've soberly read the alcohol section and am ready to express my way through the caffeine chapters. The book starts off a little dry (no pun intended), and his constant usage of BCE and CE as historical tags are a bit forced. He short-changed the "spirits" section - he concentrates on brandy, rum and whiskey, but barely touches on rye and bourbon, and gives no mention of vodka, gin, tequila, saki, nor the monks of the Middles Ages. It's an interesting read, nonetheless.

The third book (more non-fiction) is the "The Sermons of St. Francis de Sales - for Lent." I'm a couple chapters behind on this one, but this 400-year-old compilation of instruction by this holy Saint is filled with nuggets of truth that gets savored in the mind. Good reading for this time of the season. I've underlined certain passages from his sermons on Faith and on Eternal Happiness. I'm sure I'll be doing more of that as I continue to read.

I've finally settled on a name for my guitar...

~ FABIENNE ~

She's long, tanned, curvaceous, sleek, sexy, and tempermental ~ like a French model.

She's a single-cut semi-hollow Canvas-CSC70 electric with a gorgeous brown sunburst maple body. Maple neck with rosewood fretboard and custom bow-tie mother-of-pearl position markers. And two black Alnico5 humbucker pickups with black hardware.

A picture of the model design can be found here.

A picture of the color of the model can be seen here.

After occasionally picking and plunking on her, I think I'll finally start taking real lessons sometime after I get my tax refund check.

Perusing recently bought CDs...

Had a $50 gift certificate from Amazon.com and decided to buy some CDs with it. Picked up an interesting collection of stuff. Nothing brand new, though.

I picked up Vertical Horizon's "Live Stages" CD which is a live performance before they made it big with their more rocking/electrified sound. They were a bit more of a folky duo before they broke out into the mainstream. It's an interesting collection, and their opening track ("The Man Who Would Be Santa") is an awesome tribute to Dad's everywhere. Other tunes of note are "On the Sea," "Falling Down," "Heart in Hand" and a 12-minute jam of "Wash Away."

I also bought Duncan Sheik's "Daylight" CD. It's really grown on me. I've always liked parts of his debut CD with the hit "Barely Breathing", and this one (his third release) is well done. "Good Morning," "Half Life," "Such Reveries," "Start Again" and "What's On Her Mind" are all great tracks. He does tend to be a bit too maudlin and self-absorbed with his occasional sparseness, though. Plus, politically he's an idiot (a frelling Noam Chomsky-ite fer cryin' out loud). But I'm able to overlook those shortcomings in order to enjoy some nice tunes.

Got Better Than Ezra's latest, "Before The Robots." I still need to listen to this one a few more times to make a judgement, but so far I'm a tad disappointed. They had two great first CDs ("Deluxe" and "Friction Baby"), but then somehow went off the rails. This fifth release gets them back on course, but barely so. I think they've lost their touch.

Art Garfunkle's "Everything Waits To Be Noticed" (from 2003) is a surprise. It's kinda like a long-lost Simon & Garfunkle record, and Art wrote some of the material (a first for him). His voice is angelic as ever, though his vocals sometimes get lost in the mix with two other singers. Perfect for those quite moments to relax and to dream.

I also had to get Steve Winwood's 1980 classic, "Arc of a Diver." Four great slices of music are on the CD: "Arc of a Diver," "Slowdown Sundown," "While You See A Chance," and "Night Train." Still holds up after 25 years, though that classic early-80s Prophet-5 keyboard sound is now a bit dated.

My brother sent me a copy of Burton Cummings' "Up Close and Alone" - a live CD from 1996, with just Burton and a piano. INCREDIBLE! This guy still has his chops, vocally. He performs some of his popular and a few obscure solo tunes, as well as the main hits from his former band, "The Guess Who." "Laughing," "Undo," "These Eyes," "Stand Tall," "Timeless Love"... it's a treasure-trove of one of the great rock voices of the 60s and 70s.

MARCH MADNESS TIME!!!!!!!!!

Okay... I've got my brackets finally filled out... How about you?

I have a couple first round toss-ups:

Georgetown vs. Northern Iowa
Seton Hall vs. Wichita State

The two “favorites’ in these games don’t impress me, especially against who they’re playing in the first round.

My 1st Round upsets:

#9 Bucknell over #8 Arkansas
#9 UAB over #8 Kentucky
#10 NC State over #7 Cal
#11 San Diego State over #6 Indiana
#12 Utah State over #5 Washington


MY SWEET 16 (* advances to Elite Eight):

*UConn beats Illinois
(UConn is too complete a team, here)
*North Carolina beats Tennessee
(Tennessee is playing waaaaaaay over their heads)

*Villanova beats Nevada!!!
(Nevada’s big man inside will knock off BC in 2nd Round)
*Florida beats Ohio State
(Florida is young, but has strong defense, while Ohio State has no perimeter shooting)

* Pitt beats Memphis
(Pitt is huge, and they have a deep bench, while Memphis is young with no perimeter shooting)
* Gonzaga beats Marquette
(by a fuzzy mustache whisker)

* Texas beats West Virginia
(Texas has big, big D; WVa is only a 2-man team that's scored above 71 pts only twice in last 15 games)
* LSU beats George Washington (or Duke beats LSU)
(LSU is young but with the best rebounding in nation, if they play GW. If Duke gets past GW in the 2nd Round, they’ll handle LSU)


My FINAL FOUR:

UConn vs Villanova
Pitt vs Duke/LSU


CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

VILLANOVA BEATS DUKE/LSU

Remember... you heard it here first!

Regarding all of this "The Duh!-Vinci Code" nuttiness...

I'm just waiting for the movie to come out, and then all the people who've read the novel and think it's "all just so believable, don't you know" will witness the flurry of convoluted ideas and conspiracies swirling around in their heads suddenly thrown right up there on the big screen for all to see. And it will appear so truly absurd (just like the film "National Treasure") that most people won't help but laugh and realize that the whole theory is nothing but a lame joke.

On immigration... (something Cardinal Mahony should review)

From Jimmy Akin:

The subject of immigration is heating up. With the presence of more than ten million people illegally in the United States--or three percent of the total population--many citizens are concerned enough that we seem to be building toward a breaking point on this subject.

As a result of all the news stories on this topic, I've had requests to explain the Church's teaching in this area.

Sometimes folks receive the impression that Church teaching requires essentially an open-border policy where people can come into a country with no restraints, but this is not true. If you read the actual Church documents on the subject, they contain important qualifiers that are often dropped out of the discussion when presented by some individuals.

Here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say:

2241 The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection of those who receive him.

Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants' duties toward their country of adoption. Immigrants are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens.

I've highlighted three important qualifiers that are often dropped out in this discussion.

The first recognizes that there is a limit to the number of immigrants that a nation can absorb. Common sense tells you this: No nation can absorb an unlimited number of immigrants...

The second qualifier that I have highlighted recognizes the state's right to set legal requirements that must be met for immigration...

The third qualifier that I have highlighted reflects the duty of immigrants to respect the laws of the nation to which they are immigrating...

... Of course, what the Catechism has to say cannot in such a brief space represent all that moral theology would have to say about this topic.

For example, this passage of the Catechism does not mention another humanitarian endeavor that is incumbent on prosperous nations, which is teaching underdeveloped nations how to grow economically so that all of their citizens may benefit and not just the lucky few who can immigrate.

Since the latter humanitarian endeavor cures the problem at the source, it is the one that would be preferred by moral theology. Orderly, regulated immigration is a stopgap for cases in which this doesn't work, but the goal must be primarily to help other nations shake off the problems (such as corruption and legal barriers to starting and maintaining businesses) that keep their populations in poverty..."

Full details here.

What to make of the muslim cartoons and the rioting fallout...

There are three points of note about the whole mess:

1) When someone paid with federal tax money in the form of an "artistic" grant plops a crucifix into a jar of urine and calls it "art"... or if someone graffitis a swatstika on a jewish synagogue... you get appropriate righteous indignation and condemnation as a response. When a newspaper in Denmark publishes a mildly profane cartoon five months ago about Islam... you get riots, bombings, burnings, and calls for holy jihad.

2) Two wrongs don't make a right. Just because you can insult someone or enflame their passions doesn't mean you necessarily should do so, especially given the current situation in the world right now.

3) I'm not one to read the rag known as the L.A. Times, but this week there was an interesting article that put things in historical perspective. Below is in excerpt of note:

"Whatever the religious sensitivities involved, reactions such as these may strike you as threateningly — even viciously — irrational. That's because they are, and there's a reason.

"Back in the High Middle Ages, the three great monotheistic religions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam — reached one of those fundamental forks in the historical road. For centuries, a series of Islamic scholars had preserved the works of Aristotle that one day would lay the foundations for the secular logic and science that have made the modern world possible. Their "rediscovery" by medieval scholars provoked a crisis. They recognized that reason was a powerful tool, but were fearful that using it would undermine faith, which was the basis for authority in all three communities.

"What to do — or, more precisely, how to think?

"Three intellectual giants rose to the challenge. Two of them — the philosopher and jurist Abu al-Walid Ibn Rushd, known to the West as Averroes, and the great rabbi and physician Moses Maimonides — actually were contemporaries, both born in the Spanish city of Cordova. Tradition has it they even met and befriended each other while on the run from the Almohads, Islamic fundamentalists from the Maghreb, who had captured Andalusia and destroyed its storied culture of tolerance. The third was Thomas Aquinas — of whom his admiring coreligionists one day would say, "He led reason captive into the house of faith." Recall that this was an age in which the literate West, not unlike today's Islamists, still regarded theology as "the queen of the sciences."

"Averroes' exposition of Aristotle was so widely admired and influential that when Aquinas took it up a century or so later at the University of Paris he referred to Aristotle simply as "the philosopher" and to Averroes as "the commentator." But while Maimonides and, later, Aquinas — who also read and admired the philosopher rabbi — held that there exists a single truth and that faith, properly understood, never can conflict with reason, Averroes took the other fork. He held that there were two truths — that of revelation and that of the natural world. There was no need to reconcile them because they were separate and distinct.

"It was a form of intellectual suicide and cut off much of the Islamic world from the centuries of scientific and political progress that followed."

Recovery from NAMM...

My head felt like one big bloated sinus. Was on the tail end stretch of a bad cold last week. Finally got past the runny nose, sore throat and sneezing stages. Then I was in the "someone please stick a pin in my head and burst this balloon in my head" stage.

NAMM was interesting. And hectic, as usual. Not as busy as it normally is, though. They've been cracking down for the last couple years on not letting people in without proper badges and matching IDs. Plus, the Sundance Film Festival was on the same weekend this year, and there's usually a cross-over of music people from the film industry who had to flip a coin as to which event to attend.

This was the first NAMM show in recent memory that was Sinbad-free. (Inside joke... Sinbad, the comedian, is ALWAYS showing his mug at NAMM every year with his entourage in tow). I did see Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (guitar player extraordinaire from Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan fame) at the Gibson and Fender display rooms. Quite a few notables were out and about, though I didn't get much time to seek them out: George Duke, Dick Dale, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, T.M. Stevens, Bootsy Collins, Ronnie Wood, Terry Bozzio, Nikki Stix, Kelly Clarkson (why???), BT, and many others.

In Exhibit Hall "E" (the downstairs section where you find all the strange, new instruments and technologies, up-start companies, and small international entities) I blinked my eyes a few times when I came across one company displaying their florescent orange flying-V ukelele (...yes... you read that correctly).

The last 3 months in 3 minutes flat...

So… it’s been awhile since I last made any major posts in here. Let’s see if we can sum things up a bit:

* Well, the Chatsworth/Simi Valley brushfires in late September thru early October burned thru 24,000 acres. Luckily, no one was killed, and only a few homes were damaged or destroyed. The smoke and ash were extremely thick where I work, and we were closed for two days, but all was well, otherwise.

* In mid-October we had an actual thunderstorm along the southern California coast. What’s the big deal about that? Well, oddly enough, although I’m used to thunder and lightning having grown up in Philly, it’s actually a rare event over here. Sure, we get rain… but thunder (for whatever reason) doesn’t make its voice heard much in this region. It brought back fond memories.

* My nephew, Vinny (the bass player from the now defunct band, The Writ), ended up working for us in the warehouse for a few weeks at my place of business. Things got really hectic at the office, and he needed cash. It worked out well. I’m sure we’ll call on him again when things get crazy again.

* One of the guys from my bible study group died suddenly of a massive heart attack. Shocked everybody. Granted he was in his 60s, but he was fit and healthy. What made it even more shocking was the fact that his daughter’s husband had just died 40 days earlier after battling brain cancer. His son-in-law was in his 20s, and left behind his wife and a 1-year-old son. Everyone was devastated at the double tragedy for that family.

* My Dad (who just turned 80, by the way) and my oldest brother Ray (who just turned 50, by the way) came out to visit me. It was the second time my Dad has flown out in the last few years, and it was the fourth trip for my brother. It was a great 4-day visit, and I was happy to see their faces again. We went to the President Reagan Library & Museum while they were here, and had the chance to see the new Air Force One exhibit (damn, that Boeing 707 wingspan is huge!). I'll probably be visiting family and friends back east later this year.

* By mid-November, the Santa Ana winds kicked up (they usually do this time of year), and started another brushfire – this time a lot closer to where I live! My place wasn’t in harm’s way, but one of my colleagues from work lives just a few blocks from the edge of that blaze. He and his wife were a bit frantic that first morning, but thankfully the firefighters did another excellent job in containing the fires. Once again, no one was harmed and no property was damaged.

* I went to the Farscape convention for only one of the three days in Burbank @ the Hilton, and had the chance (although briefly) to meet up with some good friends from on-line. Saw actress Gigi Edgely up close (damn, she’s so cute!... even though I tend to like brown-eyed brunettes).

* My neighbor and good friend of 11 years moved up north. I’ll miss her.

* My nephew and I went to an L.A. Kings hockey game at the Staples Center (first time there). They certainly don’t give you much room to sit, let alone move, in the upper level. The game was good (Kings 4 – Coyotes 1), but way too many ticky-tack penalties were called (18 total) throughout the game. It’s a trend this entire season throughout the league, and it’s starting to make the game boring if the refs don’t let up.

* I spent waaaaaaay too much money for Christmas gifts this year, but hey… it’s Christmas, right? Besides… I got a pay raise and a nice Christmas bonus.

* Over the course of the last several months I saw a handful of films (either in the theaters or on DVD). “Sin City” is visually stunning in somewhat the same way that “Sky Captain” was. Both were done as a mix of live action and computer generation - the former in graphic novel black and white, the latter in Buck Rogers-esque sepia-tone. “Sin City” is quite violent and the dialogue is at times very lame, while “Sky Captain” was dry and boring. The extras on the DVDs definitely add to the experience, and I’d give both films 5 wine bottles out of 5 for stunningly unique eye candy, but only 2 bottles out of 5 for storyline and dialogue.

* “Wicker Park” was a bit predictable, and “Garden State” was okay in parts, but neither rose above 3 wine bottle level.

* The latest “Cube” flick is out on DVD, called “Cube Zero” and it’s a prequel to the successful independent sci-fi franchise. For those who are unfamiliar, I’d highly suggest renting all three films: “Cube”, “Cube 2: Hypercube” and “Cube Zero” (in that order). Granted, some of the various death scenes are violent in their ingeniousness, and the dialogue gets a bit stilted at parts. But it’s a unique concept that's perfect for those who like “Pi” and “Momento”. For the whole Cube series, definitely 4 wine bottles out of 5.

* I also checked out “The Chronicles of Narnia” during the holidays, and it is wonderful! The young actress who plays the lead role is fabulous. For those of you who liked the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, this is right up your alley. It’s less epic and more fairytale, but then that’s the direction that C.S. Lewis took with his novels back in the ‘50s. He and Tolkien were good friends and encouraged each other to continue with their fantastic literary universes. It's another film worthy of 4 wine bottles out of 5, with more films in the series to come.

* I’ve seen three other movies worth mentioning: “Broken Flowers”, “The Jacket” and “The Exorcism of Emily Rose.” I want to re-watch “Broken Flowers” again (now that it’s out of DVD) before commenting on it. I’ll also give a brief write-up of the other two films later.

* I’ve been extremely busy with work since mid-October. Exhaustingly so! We’ve been short-staffed as well, which doesn’t help.

* And, I haven’t touched my new guitar in, like, two months!!! It sits there on it’s guitar stand right by my TV and it mocks me every time I sit down on the couch. I feel guilty for neglecting her. I haven’t even named her yet. But things at work continue to be crazy

*... especially with the annual NAMM Trade Show at the Anaheim Convention Center (Jan. 19-22). Imagine anything and everything ever manufactured for making and performing music in one place at one time. It’s like the largest music mall in the whole world, and it fills up practically the entire convention center: Guitars, keyboards, pianos, drums, cymbals, violins, saxophones, trumpets, microphones, mixing boards, lighting, rigging, recording equipment, amps, monitors, speakers, sound systems, sheet music, strings, straps, stands, sticks, cables, cords, computers, sound cards, software, hardware, samplers, sample libraries, virtual instruments, promotional items, clothing… it’s endless. With various famous, non-famous, and infamous musicians signing autographs and performing songs. And businesses making contacts, signing contracts, making deals, introducing new products, pressing the flesh with dealers and retailers. It’s insane. And I was there during the weekend smack-dab in the middle of a 12-day straight work stretch.

Well… that’s more than 3 minutes of reading, but that’s my life these last 3 months (give or take). All that’s missing is a beautiful woman (and a slightly higher pay check to pay off my Christmas debt). (Hah!)

‘Til next time...

The Last 3 Months in 3 Minutes Flat…

So… it’s been awhile since I last made any major posts in here. Let’s see if we can sum things up a bit:

* Well, the Chatsworth/Simi Valley brushfires in late September thru early October burned thru 24,000 acres. Luckily, no one was killed, and only a few homes were damaged or destroyed. The smoke and ash were extremely thick where I work, and we were closed for two days, but all was well, otherwise.

* In mid-October we had an actual thunderstorm along the southern California coast. What’s the big deal about that? Well, oddly enough, although I’m used to thunder and lightning having grown up in Philly, it’s actually a rare event over here. Sure, we get rain… but thunder (for whatever reason) doesn’t make its voice heard much in this region. It brought back fond memories.

* My nephew, Vinny (the bass player from the now defunct band, The Writ), ended up working for us in the warehouse for a few weeks at my place of business. Things got really hectic at the office, and he needed cash. It worked out well. I’m sure we’ll call on him again when things get crazy again.

* One of the guys from my bible study group died suddenly of a massive heart attack. Shocked everybody. Granted he was in his 60s, but he was fit and healthy. What made it even more shocking was the fact that his daughter’s husband had just died 40 days earlier after battling brain cancer. His son-in-law was in his 20s, and left behind his wife and a 1-year-old son. Everyone was devastated at the double tragedy for that family.

* My Dad (who just turned 80, by the way) and my oldest brother Ray (who just turned 50, by the way) came out to visit me. It was the second time my Dad has flown out in the last few years, and it was the fourth trip for my brother. It was a great 4-day visit, and I was happy to see their faces again. We went to the President Reagan Library & Museum while they were here, and had the chance to see the new Air Force One exhibit (damn, that Boeing 707 wingspan is huge!). I'll probably be visiting family and friends back east later this year.

* By mid-November, the Santa Ana winds kicked up (they usually do this time of year), and started another brushfire – this time a lot closer to where I live! My place wasn’t in harm’s way, but one of my colleagues from work lives just a few blocks from the edge of that blaze. He and his wife were a bit frantic that first morning, but thankfully the firefighters did another excellent job in containing the fires. Once again, no one was harmed and no property was damaged.

* I went to the Farscape convention for only one of the three days in Burbank @ the Hilton, and had the chance (although briefly) to meet up with some good friends from on-line. Saw actress Gigi Edgely up close (damn, she’s so cute!... even though I tend to like brown-eyed brunettes).

* My neighbor and good friend of 11 years moved up north. I’ll miss her.

* My nephew and I went to an L.A. Kings hockey game at the Staples Center (first time there). They certainly don’t give you much room to sit, let alone move, in the upper level. The game was good (Kings 4 – Coyotes 1), but way too many ticky-tack penalties were called (18 total) throughout the game. It’s a trend this entire season throughout the league, and it’s starting to make the game boring if the refs don’t let up.

* I spent waaaaaaay too much money for Christmas gifts this year, but hey… it’s Christmas, right? Besides… I got a pay raise and a nice Christmas bonus.

* Over the course of the last several months I saw a handful of films (either in the theaters or on DVD). “Sin City” is visually stunning in somewhat the same way that “Sky Captain” was. Both were done as a mix of live action and computer generation - the former in graphic novel black and white, the latter in Buck Rogers-esque sepia-tone. “Sin City” is quite violent and the dialogue is at times very lame, while “Sky Captain” was dry and boring. The extras on the DVDs definitely add to the experience, and I’d give both films 5 wine bottles out of 5 for stunningly unique eye candy, but only 2 bottles out of 5 for storyline and dialogue.

* “Wicker Park” was a bit predictable, and “Garden State” was okay in parts, but neither rose above 3 wine bottle level.

* The latest “Cube” flick is out on DVD, called “Cube Zero” and it’s a prequel to the successful independent sci-fi franchise. For those who are unfamiliar, I’d highly suggest renting all three films: “Cube”, “Cube 2: Hypercube” and “Cube Zero” (in that order). Granted, some of the various death scenes are violent in their ingeniousness, and the dialogue gets a bit stilted at parts. But it’s a unique concept that's perfect for those who like “Pi” and “Momento”. For the whole Cube series, definitely 4 wine bottles out of 5.

* I also checked out “The Chronicles of Narnia” during the holidays, and it is wonderful! The young actress who plays the lead role is fabulous. For those of you who liked the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, this is right up your alley. It’s less epic and more fairytale, but then that’s the direction that C.S. Lewis took with his novels back in the ‘50s. He and Tolkien were good friends and encouraged each other to continue with their fantastic literary universes. It's another film worthy of 4 wine bottles out of 5, with more films in the series to come.

* I’ve seen three other movies worth mentioning: “Broken Flowers”, “The Jacket” and “The Exorcism of Emily Rose.” I want to re-watch “Broken Flowers” again (now that it’s out of DVD) before commenting on it. I’ll also give a brief write-up of the other two films later.

* I’ve been extremely busy with work since mid-October. Exhaustingly so! We’ve been short-staffed as well, which doesn’t help.

* And, I haven’t touched my new guitar in, like, two months!!! It sits there on it’s guitar stand right by my TV and it mocks me every time I sit down on the couch. I feel guilty for neglecting her. I haven’t even named her yet. But things at work will continue to be crazy for another month or so…

*... especially with the annual NAMM Trade Show coming up next week at the Anaheim Convention Center (Jan. 19-22). Imagine anything and everything ever manufactured for making and performing music in one place at one time. It’s like the largest music mall in the whole world, and it fills up practically the entire convention center: guitars, keyboards, pianos, drums, cymbals, violins, saxophones, trumpets, microphones, mixing boards, lighting, rigging, recording equipment, amps, monitors, speakers, sound systems, sheet music, strings, straps, stands, sticks, cables, cords, computers, sound cards, software, hardware, samplers, sample libraries, virtual instruments, promotional items, clothing… it’s endless. With various famous, non-famous, and infamous musicians signing autographs and performing songs. And businesses making contacts, signing contracts, making deals, introducing new products, pressing the flesh with dealers and retailers. It’s insane. And I’ll be there next weekend smack-dab in the middle of a 12-day straight work stretch.

Well… that’s more than 3 minutes of reading, but that’s my life these last 3 months (give or take). All that’s missing is a beautiful woman (and a slightly higher pay check to pay off my Christmas debt).

‘Til next time...

It's been quite awhile since I've dipped my toes into the political realm in this blog...

... but this Miers nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court has me to the point of needing to post the following.

Issues of import: abortion (and it irritates me that so many people only mention Roe v. Wade, but never mention Doe v. Bolton), including partial-birth abortion, parental notification for minors, rights of the unborn’s father, and embryonic stem cell research (which gets to the heart of the issue re: personhood). In addition: euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, homosexual marriage, affirmative action, private property rights & imminent domain (the Kelo case), right to bear arms (2nd amendment), the so-called “separation between church and state”, the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform debacle, the improper citing of international laws to supercede the Constitution. There are other issues as well.

It’s not just one issue for me…. it’s the whole slew of issues that matter to me. And I want to be assured (not with a simple “trust me” by one politician) that ANY potential SCOTUS or Federal Appeals Court nominee has a long-standing, well-reasoned and well-articulated judicial philosophy that would lead me to believe that their future decisions on these types of issues squares up with my own position on these same issues. There are opposing judicial and legal philosophies with the Federalist Society one end and the ALCU and it’s ilk on the other. How does any nominee stand up to either of these philosophies?

With individuals like Luttig, Alito, Pryor, Estrada, Garza, JRB, Owens, E. Jones, there is a track record… a written record of previous rulings and other writings from which can be gleaned a particular judicial philosophy to determine not just how someone will most likely rule on a given issue, but more importantly how that person thinks and reasons (wisdom and discernment). There is little or no written record for Miers on these crucial issues. And what little has been forthcoming so far has been conflicting at best, and in some cases very disturbing. Senate hearings will produce nothing more than parsed and well-chosen words from a nominee (any nominee) unless he/she is too stupid to know any better. No track record to peruse and examine? No need to nominate. Period. End of story. Don’t care about the nominee’s gender, or ethnicity, or educational background, or religious persuasion, nor platitudes from friends and family. Just the facts, ma’am!

Ten straight years of giving the Republicans a majority in Congress. The last five years of which with a Republican President. There is NO guarantee that between now and January 19th, 2009, any more SCOTUS members will retire or pass away. With every single opening that occurs, each and every nominee MUST (I repeat, MUST) be to the right of O’Connor and Kennedy on these crucial issues. Senate Republicans don’t want to fight for these sort of nominees? TOUGH! That’s their job. Deal with it, Mr. Spector, Mr. Graham, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Frist, et al. If they’re not willing to do their job, then what’s the point of continuing to vote them (or any other Republican) into office? I'm beholden to my conservative principles, not to the Republican Party.

I’ve supported Bush through the GWOT as well as many, many other issues. But I’ve grown very weary of his (and the Congressional Republicans', I might add) continued stubbornness on three key issues:

• Immigration/National Borders (forget the kowtowing to Mexico, and any amnesty ideas, just pass HR3938 co-sponsored by J.D. Hayworth or anything to the political right of that bill, and then sign it Mr. President),

• Federal Spending (don’t care about percentage of GDP, the national debt is over $6 trillion… I want federal spending for each of the next five years to be LESS then each previous year… with NO tax increases. Don’t know what to cut? Tough! That’s your job, Mr. Congressman. Start with the multi-million dollar pork-barrel Alaskan bridge to a tiny island with only 50 residents, and continue from there. It’s not that hard for figure out. Congress refuses and continues to spend, spend, spend? Veto the bills, Mr. President. Don’t want to do it? Tough! That’s your job.),

• And now the Miers nomination (sorry, Charlie... it's blatantly obvious that she ain't even close to being qualified to sit on the highest court in the land, so don't even try to convince me otherwise).


This link to CWFA is one of the most cogent, detailed and reasoned expression of my concerns about Miers and the entire process of nominating and confirming justices to the federal benches.

It's definitely worth reading!

The arrival of my new "baby"...

She arrived 9/24/05 @ 4:15 PM.
She weights approx. 7 lbs.
She's 40 inches long.
She's my first-born.
She's sweet.
She's beautiful.
She's got a lovely and versatile voice.
It's going to be a challenge to tame her.
But I'm willing to take the time to get to know her.
It'll be slow-going at first.
But I think this will be the beginning of a lasting and wonderful relationship.
And, just like real babies, it's not the kid that's expensive.... it's the baby food, diapers, clothes, doctor's visits, schooling, (cables, strings, amp, instruction books & DVDs, lessons, etc.) that really start to add up real quick.

Confused?

She's a Canvas brand electric guitar with a Semi-Hollow Body (CSC70).
Maplewood body and neck with a gorgeous Brown Sunburst lacquer.
Rosewood fingerboard surface with BowTie MoP position markers.
Two black Alnico5 Humbucker pickups.

I haven't named her yet (that is a requirement, yah know).
Gotta think about it, still.

But, she's mine... and ...(*sniff*)... I'm so proud!!!

Been Busy...

Sorry for the long delay, but I've been busy with stuff. Work's been crazy. Also, two guys from my church have gone through recent tragedies. One had his 37-year-old son die suddenly in his home in the Midwest, and the other just lost his son-in-law to a long battle with brain cancer. Also, my brother-in-law just went through gall bladder removal surgery late last month. And, less than two weeks ago, his own daughter (mt niece) went through the same procedure. As you can see, it's been a bit nuts lately.

I've been meaning to post a couple movie reviews, and I hope to have them up here soon. A DVD review on "Sin City" and how its strengths and weaknesses mirror "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow", and a review of Bill Murray's new flick "Broken Flowers" (currently in theaters).

Tomorrow, I'm goin' guitar shoppin' with a fellow colleague from work. I've been around music for much of my life (stage manager, lighting operator, promotion, etc.), and I was an active lyricist/songwriter for a long period of time. I briefly took piano lessons a couple times, but never really thoroughly learned how to play an instrument. If I don't do it now, I never will.

So I'm looking for a low-end electric guitar (probably a Squier or an Epiphone), and a TASCAM CD-Trainer device. It's a combined belated-Birthday-gift / early-Christmas-gift to myself. Nothing fancy. No visions of Johnny Rockstar in my eyes. Just something for me to pluck at to my heart's content, and also to get back into non-collaborative songwriting again.

'Til next time...

The date was September 6th, 1994...

It was 11 years ago yesterday that I arrived in California, effectively making this state my new home. I was born and raised in the western section of Philadelphia, with family and friends scattered throughout that whole region. But the Golden State enticed me (especially after vacationing out here in ’89 and ’93). So, I boxed up a ton of my stuff and shipped it all ahead of me via UPS. The remains of my belongings I jammed into my car. And with my itinerary in hand, off I went on a one-week journey across the country.

I spent the first full day just getting mileage under my tires until I finally arrived at the western edge of Indiana. From that point forward, I followed parts of the old Route 66 for a lot of sightseeing. The first place I felt compelled to visit was the tomb & monument of President Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, IL. From there I drove down Illinois, across the Mississippi River, and under the famous Arch of St. Louis. I then spent some time at the Meramec Caverns in Missouri (the one time hideout of Jesse James and his gang), with its labyrinthine underground passageways filled with massive, intricate stalactites and stalagmites formations.

From there was a serene drive through the Ozarks until I reached the tiniest sliver of a forgotten piece of Route 66 that sliced across the southeastern corner of Kansas. Oklahoma, with it’s endless rolling hills and naturally greenery was a soothing stretch before I finally reached the Texas Panhandle.

As Tom Snyder writes in his handy Route 66 Traveler’s Guide and Roadside Companion, “Without a river or some continental rift, border crossings between states usually pass without notice. But not here. Almost immediately after entering Texas, the land changes. It’s almost as if someone looked carefully at this place and decided, without regard for political interests, that the state line just naturally belonged right here.”

Flatter. Drier. Much less green and a lot more beige and brown. Countless crevices and crags and miniature canyons litter the entire stretch of the upper panhandle of Texas. I can’t fathom how anyone with nothing but rickety covered wagons ever managed to cross this unforgiving landscape. I spent a day near Amarillo, hiking through Palo Duro Canyon and the Lighthouse Trail.

The following day lead me into New Mexico, a pastel portrait of the American southwest. Although it was raining when I finally reached Albuquerque and Santa Fe (incredibly wicked thunderstorms, I might add), this region of the U.S. is so naturally gorgeous. I took time to visit the Acoma Pueblo, the naturally formed Ice Cave and lava flow at the base of Bandera volcano crater, and a post-sunset drive across a ghostly stretch of Route 66 to Canyon Diablo.

I rolled into Arizona like the numerous tumbleweeds that blew across the highways. Spent some time at the infamous Meteor Crater (about a mile in diameter!), drove past an amazing field of marigolds near Winona, and then went up towards Little Colorado (a scenic overlook on the way towards the Grand Canyon). I remember meeting a young boy who was a member of the Navajo Nation. His name was Anthony and he was originally from east L.A. He currently was spending time with family on the reservations, learning his craft with the hope that one day he could move to Denver and become a master silversmith.

A number of Navajo were selling their wares there, and Anthony was a heck of a salesman for a young teen. I bought one of his handmade silver bracelets, with chips of turquoise and blood red coral arranged in the “Steps of Life” design. I wished him well on his own journey. He shook my hand, and with a broad smile said goodbye.

The Grand Canyon! I cannot properly describe it to you. I don’t think it’s possible to do so. The sheer vastness of the region just makes you dumbstruck. It’s God’s playground. With a chisel in one hand and a paint brush in the other, He must’ve had a blast creating this place. I only had the chance to spend the major portion of a day along the south rim, and each turn and vista you come to amazes you, thrills you, beckons you, infuses you, inspires you, calms you, quiets you. It’s one place I would definitely want to return to for an extended stay.

I headed back towards Route 66 and its parallel I-40, and tried to out-race several fierce thunderstorms as they traced their way across the north. Dense clouds of charcoal. Wide funnels of water like streaking quicksilver etching the sky and drenching the parched landscape. Lightning sparking so frequently it was a natural fireworks display traveling east while I continued west towards the California border.

My final day was a long drive through Needles, Barstow, and the Mojave Desert in the heavy summer heat. Through San Bernardino, then across the notoriously perpetual Los Angeles traffic jams. Hopped on the last portion of Sunset Boulevard toward the coast, then up the PCH with the Pacific Ocean glistening in the mid-day sun.

At 3:30 PM I arrived, finally, in my new home town. I asked a stranger to take a photo of me at the beach to mark the occasion. I’m here, I thought. I don’t know what’s ahead, but I’m here. And I’m happy. And those seven days solo across the country was one of the best decisions I ever made in my life.

Eleven years later. Reasons have changed. But I’ve remained. I’ve fully become a Californian, despite it’s sometimes infuriating faults. Yesterday, I had to mark the occasion with, of all things, jury duty (ugh!). I lucked out. I wasn’t picked for a trial, so I’m good for another 12 months before they can pull my name again.

And tomorrow??? Tomorrow I turn… 42 (yikes).

Reminiscing With Glenn

So, getting back to the day I was briefly in Disneyland meeting up with an old friend of mine who was in town on business. The last time I saw Glenn was back in the spring when I was visiting family back east for Easter. At that time I had met up with him and my good friend Paul (he and his twin brother, Phil, were the founding members of the first band I worked for) at the famous Pica’s Restaurant in Upper Darby (affectionately known to the regulars as “Frank’s” - one great Italian restaurant!).

So, there we were. Two guys in their 40s in Disneyland. Granted, we were in the non-amusement-park area, kinda like a large outdoor mall. But there we were. Very odd. Anyways, we just walked around before dinner and caught up on things. Reminiscing about old times. I first met up with all my old buddies when I was in college, back in the 80s. 1983 to be exact.

I remember sitting in the front row of my Western Civ II class in early January – the first day of the winter semester – when this inquisitive guy named Phil sits down beside me and asks “What’s that?” (pointing to a notebook on my desk with some of my poems and lyrics handwritten in it). Turned out that he was putting together a band and he could use a songwriting collaborator. We’ve been best friends ever since.

My finding out that he had an identical twin brother (who was also in the band, and who also attended the same college) was very surreal. Later that semester, I’m walking across campus when I see who I thought was Phil walking in the opposite direction, heading toward the Connelly Center. I yell out his name and wave. He waves back with this strange look on his face, and keeps right on walking right into the building.

“Now that was odd,” I thought.

Phil wasn’t in class that day, so I waiting until the following Monday to approach him about the incident. Come Monday, I see Phil in class and give him hell for how he acted on Friday. Phil tells me he was home sick on Friday.

I said, “Well, that’s bullshit. I saw you on campus just before class.”

Then, in typical Phil fashion, he says, “Oh! That was probably my twin brother Paul.”

“Yeah, right! You just happen to have a twin brother who also goes to Villanova?” I snarked.

“I didn’t tell you I have a twin brother before?” he said obliviously.

“Uhhh, NO!” I exclaimed, realizing he was serious (and Phil is rarely serious. It’s not in his nature). “Well, that explains why your brother gave me that ‘who the f*ck are you?’ look when I waved at him the other day.”

“Yeah, he’s in the band,” he says with a chuckle.

“He’s in the band??? Phil! I’ve known you for two months, and only now I’m finding out that you---?”

Classic!

We spent a good number of years together with the band, which started off as a cover band, but slowly changed to half cover tunes and half original music. I did some songwriting with the brothers (some good, some not so good, and a few that were really, really good), as well as promotion, stage managing, occasional stage lighting. The band went through countless band members: at least six different guitarists, four drummers, two saxophonists, and God knows how many lead and backing vocalists. Paul and Phil were on keys and bass, respectively.

The very first gig they performed (under the second of many permutations of the band) was a dance for incoming freshman at Cabrini College (a small, all-girls Catholic college at the time). Glenn was doing the sound with third rate equipment. He had two large fans going full blast trying to keep his equipment from frying out. I was handling a makeshift lighting panel which was nailed into a bunch of 2x4s.

The place was packed. Everyone was dancin’. Angelo was too afraid of making a mistake, so he’d turned his amp down and just pretended to play guitar through half the songs. The lead singer was reading song lyrics written on the palm of his hand while on stage. And the circuit breakers kept on tripping. It was my task to wad my way through the dance floor and flip the breakers back on within four beats. I had to do this at least a dozen times throughout the night. I got quite good at it, while Dan kept the drum beat going and the crowd sang accapella until the power came back on in perfect 4/4 time.

The following Monday while on campus all the guys christened me with my new nickname (“Madman”) for running around like crazy at the gig three nights earlier. Try as I might, I could never shake that nickname. But only a select few are allowed to call me that nowadays. Six years with that band. And another three or four with another band after that. Countless gigs at local joints in southeaster PA, south Jersey and northern Delaware.

We kicked ass at places like the Rusty Nail in Ardmore, PA, the Stone Balloon in Newark, DE, La Costa in Sea Isle City, NJ, and Margarita’s in West Chester, PA (our old lighting equipment is still there). Of course, there was also the countless nightclubbing, too. From the old Pulsations in Glen Mills, PA, to the Oasis in Wildwood, NJ, to Scandal’s and Samantha’s in Ocean City, Maryland. Summer rentals in Avalon, NJ and OC, MD. And more alcohol than I’m afraid to remember even if I could.

Our years in our 20s were a magical time. Yet, after awhile, that lifestyle starts to get really old. By the time I turned 30 I was pretty much done with the whole scene. While various friends started tying the knot, and others continued to cling to their fading youth, I turned a leaf of my own and headed west. And that happened exactly 11 years ago tomorrow. But that’s for another blog post.

Glenn and I started off reminiscing about the old times and the gigs, the night clubbing, the summers down the shore. And then we started talking about politics, and businesses, and families. Comparing aches and pains, medications, grey hairs and expanding waistlines. My, my how times have changed.

In two days I turn 42. Forty-two! SH*T! There are times I feel younger than that, and there are times when I feel older than that. And there are days when I feel exactly that age. Time has flown and the past has receded like Phil’s hairline (heh-heh).

Twenty years ago I graduated from Villanova and spent most of that summer with sand between my toes, embroiled in the “Great Plastic Pink Flamingo Raid of 1985” (complete with loaded water pistols and numerous pints of beer). I also spent two and a half weeks as an alternate juror on a murder trial (true story). Oddly enough, tomorrow I’m stuck with jury duty again (ugh!). Hopefully I won’t get picked for another trial.

Maybe I should stick a plastic pink flamingo on my balcony for old time’s sake. Instead of a beer, I’ll salute it with a glass of red wine.

ARRRGH!!!!.... just got a rent increase notice!

Frell!!! I know my rent rate is relatively low, and I've been bracing for this notice for the last six months. The increase goes into effect December 1st. Just before Christmas. Very classy of the landlord, huh? An 8+% increase, too. It sucks, especially given that I've have some major problems in the apt for quite a long time. And the new manager has been aware of those issues for a full year (when she first came on board). I stapled to my rent check a nice, long 2-page letter detailing my lack of patience in getting these issues resolved to. I dropped it into the front office's mail slot earlier this evening.

*sigh* I'm pissed... more so about the lack of prompt repairs than about the rent increase. (grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....)

Chapter 16: A Day at Bergamot & 3rd Street

So, what happened to Chapters 14 & 15? Don’t worry. They’re soon to come. This chapter ended up getting written first. Enjoy.


Yesterday I headed down to L.A. to visit some art galleries and museums. The weather was gorgeous, so I decided to drive down the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway). It’s always worth the view, even in poor weather. And there was minimal traffic (always a plus). I reached Santa Monica by 12:30, and decided to visit Bergamot Station (a former train station that’s been converted into some 40 galleries and museums). Tucked away in the east end of town, the buildings are erected in cinder block, dry wall, and corrugated metal (giving the place a somewhat industrial ambience).

Late August is not the best time to go (it’s usually very hot), and several galleries were closed - either due to vacations or due to new artworks being installed for September. But many of the galleries were still open, and it had been several years since I had last been there.

When you go to art galleries (especially those in big cities) you know that you’re going to come across the usual installations of what some people call “art”. You know what I mean. The hard left political statements. Or the brashly thrown together pieces that your basic 5-year-old can muster on a rainy day. It’s inevitable. Basically, what it is is an artist either trying too hard (not stepping back from his raw emotions) or not trying hard enough (unskilled or unschooled).

Some of the first galleries I visited contained just that. One was a large pile of consumer products painted gold. Another was a series of large paintings (clinical, but well done) that were an obvious spoof on those BATF television commercials. (It’s funny… these guys trash mouth capitalism, yet they have absolutely no problem selling their pieces for 4- or 5-figures.) Then, there was the exhibit against capital punishment: a series of paintings and accompanying commentaries depicting various moments of real executions.

Some of the paintings were quite good and riveting. And my own stance on this issue has softened a bit in recent years. But I just couldn’t help but think of the number of executions that have occurred in this country over the last 30 years (less than a thousand, I think). All of whom were found guilty in a court of law of heinous crimes. And I then juxtaposed that number to the over 45 million innocent unborn who’ve been slaughtered in the name of “choice” over the same period of time. I couldn’t help myself. As I was about to walk out of the exhibit I turned to the guy behind the counter by the front door and stated, “It’s a shame you don’t see exhibits like this on the topic of abortion.” And I walked out the door.

But, I was pleasantly surprised that there were quite a few galleries showing a good number of quite interesting (and even at times quite riveting) pieces of art. Even abstract “modern” art. One was an exhibit of abstract polymer wall hanging sculptures by Ron Reihel (link) who used various phosphorescent chemicals in his artwork so that the colored imagery drastically changed when the lights were turned off. They were also time delayed and changed colors over time, so that by becoming interactive with the art you could “paint” a landscape with a lamp and then watch as the minimalist scenery turned from noon to dusk to night.

Another artist by the name of Jen Pack (link) displayed her abstract pieces made from fine silks, transforming them into feathery frames, finely threaded waterfalls, drips of paint, and layered landscapes.

Another huge abstract painting (nine foot wide and 4 foot high) by Andy Moses, (a similar piece is here), entitled "The Magic Land", was a simple yet striking blend of horizontal streaks of various hues of lavender, peach, azure, magenta, cream… pale, and fluid, and with a thick satiny sheen.

Then there were the more complex pieces from artists who’ve challenged themselves and fine-tuned their skills. A pastel piece called “Aparicion II” by Adan Hernandez whose series was a mixture of neo-expressionism and Chicano noir (link). Perfect film noir mood complete with a foreground figure sporting an overcoat and fedora, with a neon motel sign in the background, rain streaking in the jet-black night.

Two artists exhibited at one gallery in particular gave me hope that artists are finally beginning to take their craft seriously. Javier Gil (from Uruguay) (link) displayed a series of pastels on handmade Japanese paper. “Movement of Empire Series” were surreal, urban landscapes of Manhattan - buildings sweltering in heat at sharp angles.

On the opposite wall of the gallery was an absolutely masterful series of oil paintings by Jeff Weekly (from NY & LA) - unfortunately, I can't seem to find a web link of his work. They were stills and portraitures in a clear noir style. Moody, dreamy, haunting, and somewhat sepia-toned with a touch of the surreal. Painting the human face, especially realistically in oils, is the most demanding and also the most unforgiving. Weekly’s paintings of a young girl were incredibly lifelike and engaging. Definitely museum worthy!

After spending several hours walking from gallery to gallery, I stopped by the café for a very late lunch – sitting outside enjoying a turkey sandwich with a glass of freshly made tart lemonade. The sky azure, the breeze cool, the sun screened through the table umbrella. A family eating at a table behind me, their little boy happily playing in the dirt with his miniature plastic dinosaurs.

It was 4:30 when I left, and too late to head over to the LACMA on Wilshire. So I decided to head back west and do some window shopping and people watching on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. A bustling three city blocks closed off to automobiles - foot traffic only. Restaurants and clothiers, cafes and bookshops, movie theaters and knickknack shops. With a cacophony of cultures ambling about. And the inevitable slew of street performers, hucksters and narcissists display themselves like human works of art.

By 7 o’clock it was time to head back home. A nice, relaxing drive back up the PCH. The brilliant sun ahead, inching it’s way toward the horizon. A blazingly orange disc dunking itself into the slate blue ocean.

A day well spent.