God is a free agent

Game 6 of the 2011 World Series has already been designated as one of the most exciting in the annals of World Series games. Baseball sportswriters have something to write about all winter long. I'm going to write a little about Game 6 and this years World Series. I know that Texas was only one strike away from winning Game 6 and the Series. So why didn't they? Josh Hamilton did his part with a home run. Of course he has been quick to say that on his way to the plate God talked to him (I wonder if God had a batting hemet on). God interrupted his busy schedule to tell Hamilton that he was going to hit a home run.  Hamilton was careful to say that God did not tell him that Texas would win the game. As I watched Hamilton  approach the plate I thought he was talking to himself, trying to get himself psyched up. I didn't realize that he and God were having a conversation. If I had I would have checked to see if either of them had a Twitter account so that I could join the conversation. Hamilton got his home run to put Texas ahead but Texas lost the game in the 10th. What went wrong?

Ron Washington , the Rangers' Manager had the answer.  Washington has been quoted as saying, “The Lord just didn’t want this game to end in six". I would hate to think that the Lord didn't know that there are nine innings in a game and neither him nor the Baseball Commissioner had any authority to end the game in six. I'm sure that Washington was misquoted and meant that the Lord did not want the Series to end in six.

I bring this all up to make my own point as to why the Texas Rangers did not get their World Champions rings.  Mistakenly, key personnel like Washington and Hamilton thought that the Lord and/or God were on their roster. Wrong! God told me in no uncertain terms that he is a free agent too busy looking for ways to save the World from itself.

Enough about baseball until Spring Training. By then God should have made a shambles out of the Superbowl.

To have or to have not, that is the question.

Lately the term class warfare has  surfaced in political discussions. Republicans especially get up on their hind legs and spout out a negative spin on the term. They would have us believe that class warfare is like the plague and should be avoided at all costs. They angrily proclaim that class warfare is a tool of the liberals.  The solution according to the righteous right  is the capitulation of the middle class. The chosen few they say, will trickle down enough favors to insure the survival of some semblance of a  middle class. The middle class they say should work their butts off to insure that the chosen few have the resources  to part with those favors.

I submit that the class warfare that we witness in a democracy is nothing more than classes being at odds with each other. It has been thus for ages. For one class to quietly submit to the wishes of another is not called for in our society. For one class to call for a redress of their grievances is a right granted by the founders of our Republic. Class warfare is only to be feared when one class uses any overwhelming power that it has gathered , to beat another class into submission.

I further submit that we will always have classes. We will unfortunately always have the "haves" and the "have nots". It is the responsibility of government to attempt to blur the lines between classes. It is the responsibility of government to give the "have nots" a realistic chance of becoming "haves". Failing to do so, only gives root to violence.

Let us have our class warfare until injustices are eliminated. Let us have our "Occupy Wall Street", "Occupy Cleveland" until government responds to the needs of society. To do less would only give credence to what some believe - only the chosen few are fit to govern.  The middle class has a right to be heard even at the risk of their actions being labeled as class warfare.

The Morning After

Yesterday I published a blog post highly critical of Time Warner. God only knows how many times I was tempted to use the delete button on the post. A little voice within me kept saying that my rage had gotten the best of me. Another voice kept reminding me that I had a valid gripe and publishing the post was one way to maintain some self respect. A third voice interrupted and said I should thank God for giving me an idea for this post. If God did that for me I'm in lots of trouble.

God only knows? Voices speaking to me? You would think I was running for President. I don't want to mention names but Rick Perry and his spouse have a private line to God or so they would have us believe . Hold it, that voice is tormenting me again. I didn't want to mention names but I did. Now that other voice is coming in loud and clear. It's reminding me that the Perry's special relationship with God has already been dealt with in the media.

Exactly what are these voices that choose to use my mind as a forum for debate? Beats the hell out of me. I know it's not God or the Devil. They are much too busy communicating with people who have a larger ego than mine or a more creative imagination. If it's not the aforementioned  perhaps it is what we refer to as a conscience.

 ( I thought I'd use aforementioned just to lend some class to the post. I'm not quite sure what it refers to either, but it sounds good. Besides the Devil made me do it.)

I suspect that all of these voices are something called conscience.  I can understand the  confusion of the Perry's when it comes to getting messages from God. The fools have a conscience that is telling them to get the hell out of the presidential race. They in turn rationalize that it is only God testing their faith and God is really telling them that the country needs them. That's why they came up with the flat tax. The joke is on them. It was the Devil's doing and they will soon be retiring to that ranch of theirs which uses the "N" word in its name.

 Heck, God anticipated the problem of individuals claiming to communicate with God and decided to give us all a conscience. The problem faced by most of us (especially the Perrys) is that we don't listen to our conscience.

At this point a disclaimer is in order. I know next to nothing about the inner workings of communicating with God. I do know something about my conscience. I do feel better about yesterday's post. This post has taken my mind off of it which does not say much about my mind. My conscience tells me to call Time Warner as soon as possible and cancel some of my current services before I'm forced to have my Social Security check direct deposited to my Time Warner account.


There you have it , my morning after blues. I have solved nothing and probably confused a lot of things but my conscience is clear and the delete button on my keyboard is off limits.

When I'm President

I wasn't feeling well last night so I decided to watch the Republican debate from Las Vegas. What's the connection? None - when one is not feeling well , all kinds of weird choices are made.

Two hours later I felt much worse. What was originally a toothache developed into a pain in the ass. Watching these presidential hopefuls debate was like watching a bar room drunken discussion except these guys, and lady, were sober.

It also became obvious to me that these "debaters" were a bit confused. They evidently think that the President of the United States has dictatorial powers. Repeatedly I heard words like, " When I'm President I will repeal Obamacare", " When I'm President I will simplify the tax code with my 9-9-9 plan", "When I'm President I will build a wall to keep out all illegals". They might as well have said, "When I'm President I will dissolve Congress, dismiss the Supreme Court, get myself a fancy uniform with lots of medals and rule the United States of America". Why can't they settle for, "If elected President I will work with Congress to implement my programs". I know the answer to that - it's all about politics and appealing to voters. How naive can I be!

Before going any further this disclaimer must be made. Running for Dictator of the United States is not confined to Republicans. Remember "Yes We Can"? It sounded awful good but Congress had other plans - "Not tonight, I've got a headache!" Barack Obama found out that ideas are nice but implementing them is another thing. His motto more accurately should have been, " Yes We Will Try" but that would never have passed Madison Avenue muster.

One more thing about running for President of The United States. Since when is having business CEO experience a plus. CEO's have essentially dictatorial powers. Makes one wonder, do these clowns think we are fools who do not recognize the limitations of Presidential powers?

Baseball At Its Worst

Champagne Celebration

I look forward to the baseball playoffs and World Series. The games are exciting and unpredictable. The managing goes beyond expectations. All is first class until inevitably a league division champion emerges , followed a pennant winner, followed by a World Champion. Each of these championships demand the mandatory champagne showers in the locker room. The problem with baseball champions is that all of a sudden they become juvenile bush leaguers. How so? What else can you call the celebrations in the locker room with the required dousing of players with cheap - I hope - champagne. What kind of a message does this send to our youth? A better question is why does the Commissioners Office allow such sophomoric exhibitions with alcohol? One of these days some millionaire's eyes will be seriously injured. Maybe that's why swimming goggles as alcohol-related celebratory protective eyewear are prevalent at modern day celebrations. In the meantime , I'll ignore the celebrating part of the game but I will drink a toast to the champion. I promise not to spill a drop.

Teaching Revisited

 Picked up the above image from my son's Facebook page. A picture is worth a thousand words. Wish I had it when I wrote the following months ago.

The noblest profession of them all and perhaps the most maligned is teaching! As we celebrate the landing of the first man on he moon, kudos go to the engineers, scientists and astronauts who made it possible. Let us not forget that somewhere in the background of every engineer, scientist and astronaut there was a teacher who planted the seeds which later matured into a harvest of entrepreneurship and scientific accomplishments.

Somewhere in the background of a Pulitzer prize winner was a teacher who introduced the writer to the magic of good literature.

Somewhere in the background of Academy Award winners was a teacher who ignited the spark propelling them to venture before an audience.

Let us not forget the impact of the ultimate teachers --- Aristotle, Jesus Christ, Mohamed and Buddha. Their teachings have formed the foundation of our civilization.

Teachers give of themselves to others so that others can have a chance of enjoying productive lives. I am proud to have a daughter, son, sister, niece, sister-in law and grand nephews who made teaching an important part of their lives.

The next time someone gripes about teacher's pay and how easy they have it, they might do well to reflect on what life would be like without having someone to teach us to read, write and think.

Of course there are bad teachers. I'm tempted to say that behind every bad doctor, engineer, writer , lawyer was a bad teacher. That would not be fair. Suffice to say that being bad at what one does is not restricted to teachers.

If everyone was good at what they did , we would not need anyone to lead the way. I don't have any statistics to support this, but I daresay there are many more good teachers than bad teachers. How else would I be typing this on a gadget called a computer?

Much Too Scary!

The high primal and I sometimes engage in a debate over what's worth watching on TV. There was no debate tonight. In fact by a unanimous vote we decided not to watch the New Hampshire presidential debate. The deciding factor was that the people debating were much too scary for an elderly couple. It's not even Halloween yet and these clowns are up to the old Conservative tricks. We'll read all about it tomorrow morning. Hope Obama watches - he might pick up some ammo to use in the debates next year .

Speaking of Obama, he and his team must be doing something right lately. Their performance on job creation is not so hot but how about the job they are doing on going after the baddies. First bin Laden bit the dust, then al Awlaki and now they may have Ahmadinejad  where they want him. The a-hole thinks he's a mafioso and  ordered a hit on the Saudi Ambassador to the United States. Hasn't been proven in a court of law ( the al Awlaki hit indicated this is a superflous step), but it sure looks good right now. This whole thing about assassinations is very,very scary. Almost as scary as the Republican presidential candidates. Watch your ass Obama!

What did we decide to watch on TV? The ALCS game number 3 of course. Watching Detroit and Texas play is exciting and scary at the same time. The pre-game show had a segment which really makes you want to root for the Tigers. With tears in his eyes, Jim Leyland paid tribute to the Detroit fans  especially the unemployed ones (there is no truth to the rumor that Rick Perry offered to move those fans to Texas which has all kinds of minimum pay jobs available for them).

How about Leyland's comment about the postponed  Sunday game 2 - Around here if someone buys an umbrella they close the schools.

In spite of Leyland's tears , the Tigers are off to bad start. It's only the fourth inning but Texas has the lead. There would be nothing scarier than Texas winning the World Series. Well, Rick Perry becoming President would really scare the shit out of me.

HOLD THE PRESSES!!! Curiosity got the best me  - tried to find the debate on TV but it is AWOL. Whoever said that the Republican debate was being televised tonight? Me? I was wrong again. That's been happening a lot lately - really scary!

 Tigers have taken the lead. That's not scary.

Columbus Gets No Respect These Days

Christoforo Colombo

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue! In honor of this historic trip, we choose to observe Columbus Day today. This is a bit traumatic for me, since in my youth we always observed Columbus Day on October 12th. It used to be an important holiday complete with a parade followed by a speech at monument erected in his honor. For some reason or other the Christopher Columbus monument was in East Utica. It may have had something to with East Utica being heavily populated by Italian Americans. Columbus got a lot of respect in those days. After all  he was credited with discovering America. Now it seems some Viking preceded him and Columbus was an also ran. Columbus still gets some respect as a navigator and so far a pseudo holiday is still named after him. About the only business shut down today is the U. S. mail. That's not surprising, rumor has it that the USPS will be celebrating a lot of mail holidays. All is not lost as far as celebrating Columbus Day is concerned. The high primal has a celebration all planned. We're off to Macy's for the Columbus Day sale! Thanks Chris, for nothing.

( Worth a read - Whatever Happened To Columbus Day?)

Spanish ballots and a 64-cent poll tax: Ay, caramba!

Papeletas Bilingues

He recibido voto per correo de hoy. Translation -  I received my absentee ballot in the mail today.

Bowing to the wisdom of the Justice Department, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections promised to have bilingual ballots for this fall's general election at 71 precincts with large Latino populations. I was surprised to learn that I live in a precinct with a large Latino population. Maybe it's because everyone around me speaks English -- at least some version of it.

The damn ballot is confusing and expensive enough. When it comes to filling in the oval, do you do it in English or Spanish? How do I know that the Spanish version of the ballot is an accurate translation of the English version? For that matter, is the English version an accurate translation of the Spanish? Does it matter? Estoy muy cofundido. I like to read every word before I vote. I've already spent an hour trying to comprehend the Spanish. I'm sure my Latino fellow voters would recommend that I learn to speak and write Spanish.

Then there is the cost of mailing an absentee ballot -- 64 cents in postage is required. Smells like a poll tax. I wonder what the Justice Department has to say about that. Let's see, I could drive to my designated polling place -- a four-mile round trip at 30 miles per gallon. Assuming $3.40 per gallon gas , I could drive to vote for 45 cents, a savings of 19 cents. That's more than I'll earn on my savings account next month.

But what if the lines are long? Could my bladder take the stress? Better to pay the poll tax and use the absentee ballot.

Before completing my ballot, I'm going to look for the place where you can make comments. I would like to propose that we give up the territory of Puerto Rico, thus eliminating the problem of its citizens not understanding our English ballots. Failing that, I would suggest that Latinos learn to speak and write English. My father did, and he voted!

Ohio Votes to Hold Primary Yesterday!

Breaking news! According to an unreliable source, the Republican presidential primaries are in chaos after Ohio announced it would hold its presidential primary yesterday! There is a rush to collect yesterday's ballots tomorrow from the landfill in order to determine who won Ohio's primary. Rumor has it that Republican absentee voters did not mail their ballots but stayed home in droves in the mistaken belief that an absentee voter is just that - absent. If yesterday's ballots are not retrieved tomorrow it will only prove that the primary was too late and will not have any effect on the outcome of Campaign 2012 which is rapidly becoming yesterday's news. Hopefully Sarah Palin will announce her candidacy in the far future so that chaos will turn into a Republican Winter of Discontent. When asked to comment, all that Obama could say was, "Yes, we will".

The killing of al-Awlaki

The killing of Anwar al-Awlaki on Friday in Yemen by American drones is being questioned as to its constitutionality. An American was killed without the benefit of a trial.

Al-Awlaki was an American by reason of birth on American soil. Is an American committed to Jihad really an American? One could make the argument that such a person is an American traitor and because of his responsibility in the taking of American lives and his admitted guilt thereof he convicted himself without the formality of a trial. I’m sure it is not quite that simple and the argument over the constitutionality of last Friday’s action will go on ad infinitum.

Before anyone is tempted to raise his voice in anger or shed any tears over the killing of an Anwar al-Awlaki , let them consider the loss of American lives in Afghanistan and Iraq, the loss of American  lives on 9/11, the loss of lives at Fort Hood.  Muslim extremists are dedicated to Jihad and the taking of American lives. They have loyalty only to  a bloody version of their religion. They have no loyalty to a nation. If an American life is taken by our counter terrorism efforts as in the case of  al-Awlaki, let's remember that it was the life of a practising Jihadist not a practising American.

Perhaps it would help if Washington formally clarifies what is meant by the War on Terror and to what extent we are prepared to go in order to protect our national security. Both the President and Congress need to formally approve such a declaration. Any war worth fighting warrants a Declaration of War.  

Food For Thought From Twitter

I found these tweets by @harryfinch in Twitter especially thought provoking:

Sometimes I wonder how long a year actually lasts.

Anyone looking for a sign eventually finds one.

Memo to Tea Party: the American Revolution was not a grassroots movement

My advice is to learn to mark the sun's progress, for only it knows when it is time for the first drink of the day.

He traveled exclusively by train, so when a destination could not be achieved by rail he was rewarded with the comfort of not having to go.

The demise of the book is no big deal, unless you regret the loss of beautiful objects.

If you want to understand America, consider the kitchen island.

Any American with half a brain considers himself an exile.

We are an entire country, a nation, sitting out a war. And it is our war.

The Indians Make the Playoffs (in 2012)

Chief Wahoo likes this

 My beloved Indians will not be in the play offs - no surprise but still a disappointment. That being the case, as far as I'm concerned the baseball season has been over since early September. Call me a poor loser but aren't most losers poor? Supposedly the post season presents an opportunity for fans like me to jump on someone else's band wagon.

 I appreciate the gesture but I’m having a difficult time selecting a team to root for. Looking over the teams that will be vying for the honor of playing in the World Series I cannot help but feel that the post season also for all intents and purposes is over. The Phillies I undersatnd have already been fitted for rings. Regardless I’ll still watch the playoffs and the Series but it will be strictly for entertainment. I can’t envision any team making me rise from my recliner, pump my fist in the air and bellow out, “ Yea -------” (be my guest and fill in the blanks).

There are a couple of teams which may prompt some exuberance from me. I’m originally from New York State and the Yankees were our team. There have been occasions when nostalgia gets the best of my senses and I'm tempted to throw good judgment aside and root for the Yankees. Damn it all, I just can’t do it. It’s not so much the Yankee players as it is the rude, taunting fans that show up in Yankee Stadium. So once again I must revert to my adopted team’s battle cry - DAMN YANKEES!

I mentioned two teams. The other team is the Detroit Tigers. Why would I root for the Tigers? Very simple. I like their Manager, Jim Leyland. Leyland is Mr. Baseball as far as I’m concerned. I could develop some enthusiasm for the Tigers to go all the way but it may take a couple of drinks.

Getting back to the Indians not making the playoffs, it all boils down to this. If the Indians do not have a shot at the big prize, I really could care less about the chances of any other team. I’ll enjoy watching them play but  I’ll leave the celebrating to their fans. Still it would be nice if Jim Leyland got another World Series ring. If that becomes a reality, I wonder if the rings being made for the Phillies will appear on E-Bay?

They say there is always next year but that’s wearing a little thin in Cleveland. If the Indians don’t come through in 2012 with at least a playoff appearance, this blogger may just become a Yankee fan. Ha,ha - don’t bet on it,it would take more drinks than are good for me. They say it's only a game but it would be nice to have a winner again. Go Tribe! ( I still feel that Chief Wahoo has cursed the Cleveland Indians - get rid of him!)

ed note: Detroit will be playing Philadelphia in the World Series. Jim Leyland will start smoking again and Detroit will be the World  Champions. You can take that to the bank but don't expect any interest.

Afghanistan Needs Rudy

The hit TV series “The Sopranos” ended over four years ago. I didn’t get to see the last episode but I understand Tony and his mob are alive and well. According to the New York Times, they are still operating and their activities can be viewed on the TV national news several days a week. It seems that Tony has moved his home turf to Afghanistan.

Tony has changed his name to Jalaluddin Haqqani and is the capo di capo of what has become known as the Haqqani Mafia, a ruthless crime family engaged in kidnapping, extortion, smuggling and even trucking ( Pauli Walnuts insisted on the trucking or he wouldn‘t move). Demanding protection money worked so well in New Jersey that Tony could not help but go after it from businesses building roads and schools with American reconstruction funds . Read all about it in “ Brutal Crime Clan Bedevils U.S. in Afghanistan.

 Of course I have fantasized my take on the story a little ( maybe a lot) but the whole idea that a crime family is sticking it to the most powerful country in the world sounds like a something out of Hollywood. Fantastic as it may sound, I might also conclude that we have been successful at nation building in Afghanistan. When and if we leave, we will be leaving a crime organization which rivals anything we have in our democracy.

The Administration and the Pentagon are at their wits ends as to how to deal with the Haqqani Mafia. Have they ever thought about sending Rudy Giulianni there as a special envoy. He did one hell of a good job as a U.S. Attorney in whittling down the New York Mafia. I bet he would take the job if someone made him an offer he coudn't refuse. How does President Rudolph Giulianni ( like in President of Afghanistan) sound?

In the likely event that Giulianni turns down the opportunity to be a president ( at least of Afghanistan), the Administration has one sure fire solution to the Afghanistan mess. Get out as scheduled if not sooner!   

Rick Perry Exposes Himself

During last Thursday's Fox News Republican debate, Rick Perry exposed himself and was found wanting. Mitt Romney couldn’t help but smile and was quick to make it clear that Perry did not have what it takes to be President. Michelle Bachmann had a look which implied that she had seen better - debaters that is. Santorum’s relentless attack on Perry gave him little cover. All that Ron Paul could do was to look back to his days as a gynecologist. Apparently Perry’s performance has not discouraged his Tea Party supporters who say that they much prefer an earthy candidate than a prim one. When questioned about his performance, Perry could only mumble something about a wardrobe malfunction. Asked for an opinion, an Obama spokesman said he would not touch it with a ten foot pole.

Joined At The Hip Revisited

 In the midst of Campaign 2008 I wrote the post, Joined At The Hip, expressing concern over  how the Jewish vote holds our politicians hostage. Four years later, as Campaign 2012 gets underway, the words in this post hardly need changing. The events going on at The United Nations over granting statehood to the Palestinians is proof of that.

Isn’t it about time we let The United Nations do its job. The world must decide the issue of statehood for the Palestinians, not a third party. Years of peace making efforts by the United States have been fruitless. I don’t think they ever had a chance. It’s unfortunate that in the process, Israel with it’s west bank settlements has created a situation making it impossible for any good faith negotiating. If The United Nations is not the place to settle this issue, I would question the need for an emasculated international organization.

Of course the United States will veto any resolution  mandating a Palestinian state. When that happens I will refurbish my bike so that I can get around when Arab oil is no longer available( they too would like to hold us hostage). The rich need not worry. Tax reductions will give them that extra cash for an electric car providing China continues to supply those rare earth materials for batteries ( they too would like to hold us hostage).

 Ah yes, that's class warfare and the Republicans would have us believe that class warfare is only a luxury the rich can afford.. So maybe Israel should be a good ally and  settle for being a small country, make peace with the Palestinians and everyone can live happily ever after. That will be the day!

Arab Spring Republican Style

In his speech to a joint session of Congress on September 8, President Obama reminded both parties, "The election is 14 months away." His message was that it is totally selfish for both parties to battle each other instead of joining together to fix the economy. Predictably the message fell on deaf Republican ears. There is no doubt that the Republicans will stop at nothing in their quest to remove Obama from the presidency. Is this the Republican version of “Arab Spring”? If so, it looks like we have 14 months of chaos ahead of us. Hopefully there will not be an “Arab Spring” American style in our future.

Save USPS

It is inconceivable that we would abandon snail mail delivery or at the minimum castrate it. I acknowledge that I have contributed to the financial woes of the USPS  by paying my bills on line (it is important to note that I receive them by snail mail) and using E-Mail rather than buying stamps, but at the same time I do not want the USPS to disappear.  The possibility of its demise or a severe downgrade is unacceptable. Delivery of mail to our individual mail boxes I'm sure was guaranteed  in the Bill of Rights ( exactly where I'm not sure but neither is the Tea Party with some of its outrageous claims about the Constitution). It is up to the stalwart characters in Congress to step up the bar, have a drink or two on me and come up with the money to preserve an American institution.

 Technology has gone too far when it threatens us with the loss of first class mail delivery ( I'm not concerned about junk mail, after all it is junk). Our government owes us at least some reliable form of low tech mail service. I admit that is a tall order but Congress is up to it ( look at our tax code - better yet, don't look at it, just pay your taxes). Everything else in the country is moving at a snail's pace, so what's wrong with having  snail mail even if it must be slowed down ( if that is possible).  It will still be faster than the Pony Express.

 I don't mean to malign the Pony  Express. Had it not been for the Pony Express our flag would still only have a handful of stars on it.

 The mail carrier has been an American hero for decades but lately his image has been tainted. He or she hardly ever smiles and sleet and snow does deter them. He or she no longer walks from house to house but drives a vehicle from box to box . When push comes to pull, they still get the job done and my bills arrive before their payment due date. We need snail mail! On the other hand if the bill is not in the mail I won't need to pay it. Oh yes, I know, I will be asked to go green and opt to receive it digitally. The hell with that. No snail mail, then  I'm cancelling my Internet service unless Uncle Sam pays for it. Don't remind me - getting Washington involved with financing Internet service will start the mail delivery problems all over again except now some aliens in cyberspace will be involved. We can't afford that - save the USPS!

ed note: The high primal read this epic post and reminded me that a sentence should not end with a preposition. I retorted that it can. It's easy, I've done it a countless number of times. As Winston Churchill said when he received the same criticism, " It's my prerogative".

Forget About It!

The art of procrastinating is fertile ground for cliches and jokes. The most familiar cliche about procrastination is, " never put off for tomorrow what you can do today". The cliche is relevant since I often start writing a post and then opt to leave it in draft form and follow Mark Twain's advice about never putting off for tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.

Today I planned to write a post about the the Republican presidential hopefuls, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense not to touch it with a ten foot pole - at least not today. Maybe tomorrow , or better yet, the day after tomorrow if I can find a twenty foot pole. The stench is awful!

From the dust we shall rise again .....

After a day of flag waving, speeches and poignant stories of 9-11-01 it is fitting to have some music to reflect on the past and wonder about the future. Mahler's Symphony No. 2 is the perfect choice.  I'm listening to and watching the New York Philharmonic pay tribute to the victims of 9-11. When all is said and done, music is the perfect medium to stir up memories and at the same time the resolve to put those memories to constructive use. "All that has perished must rise again."

Bravo, Allan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic and thank you WVIZ!