Los Doyers....Dad would be happy

The Dodgers are in the play offs. The sad part is they got there by beating the Cubs. I have been a Dodger fan since I was a kid. My father grew up listening to Baseball on the radio in St. Louis. The Manager for the Cardinals way back when my Dad was a boy was Branch Rickey. Rickey had been a poor baseball player but as Manager of the Cardinals he invented the current "Farm System" of minor league teams.

Rickey left St Louis in 1942 to go to New York with the Dodgers. It was here that Rickey went on to develop "Spring Training" and "Batting Helmets". On August 28, 1945, it was Rickey who signed Jackie Robinson to become the first Black Baseball player. Many credit Robinson with "breaking the color barrier" in baseball. My father gave that credit to Branch Rickey because he was the guy who made the decision and took the criticism from white players. My Dad and I listened to the Dodger games on the Radio when I was a kid in the 1950's. I remember when we heard the news that they were moving to Los Angeles in 1957.

Now, Jack and I watch the Dodgers. It's been over 50 years from radio to HDTV, from my Dad to Jack. Now the Dodgers are in Los Angeles...and so are we. They changed from Trolley Dodgers to "los Doyers" in LA Spanglish. But as I sit with Jack, and watch the game, I can remember my Dad explaining a double play to me. Big wheel keeps on turning.........I hope Dad and Branch Rickey are watching with us.

Omaha....somewhere in middle america

The Counting Crows make it sound lonely and empty:

Omaha

Somewhere in middle america

Get right to the heart of matters

Its the heart that matters more

I think you'd better turn your ticket in

And leave your money right at the door

I grew up in Omaha as a young Boy. I attend Blessed Sacrament School on 30th Street across from Miller Park. My Dad and I played golf at the Park. I almost drown in Miller park lake, ice fishing. Tim Martin pulled me out. I fell through the ice into the cold water. I think he saved my life.

It's been a long time since I was back. I drove through in 1972, past my old house at 6513 North 33rd Street. I still remember the address my mom made me memorize. We moved to Germany in December of 1960. I remember my last day, saying good bye to friends, boys I grew up with. I never saw them again. Our teacher, a Nun, took up a collection for a going away gift. Bobby Krocker told me about the collection and I said....get me a Catchers mitt. The Nun bought me a Prayer Book. She was right. I still have it 48 years later. I probably would have lost the catcher's mitt.

Next week I am going to Omaha to work. I rented a car and I am going to drive by the old house one more time. It's the heart that matters more.

Thanks Dad........again

Last Thursday night I was watching Baseball with Jack. The phone rang. It was Colleen. Her tire was "making a noise" on her drive home from work. I asked her where she was and drove to meet her.

Colleen did nothing wrong. I'm writing this to explain what a FATHER does for his children. There has been some Blog comments about me over at Meredith's site and, like FOX News, I want to be fair and balanced.

So I met Colleen in the parking lot. She has a 2005 Mini Cooper Convertible. Yes, Pam and I pay for it, and her car insurance, and the maintenance, which includes the run flat tires. It looked to me like her tire was flat. I drove her car home and she followed me in my car. I offered to let her drive our BMW home but she said no and I dropped her off at her Mom's.

The next day I called the tire guy. He told me to bring in the car and they would fix the flat if possible. I was working so I could not take the car to him. We agreed to drop it off on Saturday morning. Jack and I went to the tire store on Saturday. Jack likes the BIG tires and the the wheels. We dropped the car and went to Costco.

Later, I went back to pick up the car. Turns out it had two flat tires. One had been driven on too long and had a rip in the side wall. The other had a nail in it. They sold me one new run flat tire for $171.00 and fixed the flat for free. Jack and I drove to the "Red" car wash and had Colleen's car cleaned. Then I drove home and touched up the chips on the paint.

Finally, I took the car back to Colleen's apartment and parked it in the garage. All clean, New tires and ready to go. Colleen....oh she was out of town at a Lovefest with her sister. I'm sure Meredith was telling her what a "ass clown" I am as a father. Funny isn't it...unless your the father.

Oh no...now what do I do?

Colleen called Sunday evening. I called her back, four calls to her mobile phone and three to her apartment. She called me again today and told me she got a ticket. It's no big deal really, wrong way on a one way street. I've done it. She had a cop follow her, so she got a ticket.

I suggested she go to court. I will go with her and teach her how to "fight the system". I did this with Meredith and everyone needs to learn to defend themselves.

My concern is....with the awful things being said about me.........will this come back to be thrown in my face? I hope not. Colleen has never treated me badly. I told her recently how proud we are of her. She has two jobs and attends college. This is the first ticket she has ever had.

What should a father do? I asked Kelly. Do you think I have been "hard on my daughters?" She laughed at me. Should I yell at them or "ground" them for making simple mistakes? I have never believed in that. Still, maybe I have been too nice a guy. I just don't want to be accused of teaching them the wrong stuff. Like how to beat a ticket.

On the road again......

I'm working in Seattle this week. I had to leave Jack and Pam [Camp Counselor] back in Irvine and fly to Seattle. I hate being away from home. I think it is separation anxiety.

Flew from SNA on Alaska Air......it went ok this time. The flight was on time and they serve Seattle's Best Coffee. It was better then flying Southwest. Not crowded and we arrived early.

Rented a cheap car. It's a crap shoot when you get here. I got a Chevy Cobalt. It doesn't matter what kind of car you rent in Seattle. Everyone drives about 45 miles per hour...even on the freeway. They should rent 10 year old Volvo's, so you would fit in when you get here.

I'm staying downtown at the Sheraton next to the convention center. It's old and smells funny. It's also across the street from the Convention Center.

People Drink here. I'm going to Kell's. It's an old Irish bar and I like to eat dinner sitting at the Bar. Check out Kell's http://www.kellsirish.com/

I wish I was home with Jack, watching baseball.

Dear Meredith

And one last thought............
I am tough. Tougher then you ever realized. I have led a remarkable life. I was trained by tough mean crazy people. You only knew them after they got old. You never saw them in their prime. With their "A" game. Anyway, it takes a lot to hurt me. Julie tried. Kate landed a few good punches. Your in there swinging. Got to give you that. But Meredith, I love you and you can NEVER break that bond. Say what you want. You are part of me. Nothing can change that. Nothing. Nothing...No Nothing.

Meredith . . . an UPDATE

After nearly 50 attempts, Meredith, the "only real adult" [see a recent photo as proof to the right] answered my call. She is "over it". This is her way of saying she does not want to be told to grow up or accept responsibility for her decisions. Meredith prefers to hide from the truth. She says I have "screwed her over" for the last time. It's hard to type this, and not fall off my chair laughing. I asked her what have I done? She quickly jumps to another subject and yells out..."I'm done with you and your wife."

So, Meredith is going to "show" me and NOT take the money from the Loan that she applied for in my name. Damn, that hurts. The good news is I won't have to chase her down over the next 120 months for the repayment. The REAL good news is this has worked out just fine. Meredith is accepting responsibility for herself and her decisions. Even if it means she is blaming me for everything.

I'm still concerned that she is much too volatile. Meredith likes to explode and over react without a complete understanding of the situation. It's sort of like taking your car to a mechanic who only has a hammer. Regardless of the problem, he beats the engine to fix it. Sounds silly doesn't it.

[Scott used to say add oil to fix every problem....remember?]

Well, Meredith has only one solution to her problems. Regardless of the issue or the facts, Meredith explodes, gets mad, swears, makes crazy claims, and over reacts. In cases where it is remotely possible, she blames me, her father, for the problem. As a Psychologist, I think this is learned behavior.

Meredith grew up watching Julie solve problems the same way. I still remember when Julie wanted to buy a sweater and waited in line to check out. It was taking her longer then she liked. After a few minutes, she threw the sweater in the air, swore and stomped out of the store. This should have been a sign for me. I ignored it and married her anyway.

Meredith has seen this same behavior dozens of times. Now she is copying Julie and solving her own problems the same way. Throw the sweater Mere....maybe that will help. You won't have the sweater, but try not to think it through. Or, Swear at somebody. Or, better, blame DAD....Julie has told you for 20 years he is to blame for everything.

That no good asshole, DAD. He gave you your furniture and rented a truck to move you to San Francisco. Then he took you and Shaun to dinner and gave you cash to help you settle in. Worse, he took you to the VW dealer and said "pick the car you want." You picked the white convertible and drove it off the lot. Then, when you hit the guy at school, he fixed the car for you. And, when you hit the police car....that sorry sack of shit for a father,...he fixed it again. Yes...blame DAD. He deserves it for all these awful things he did over the years. Like the time he took you and your limp ass boy friend Scott skiing. Rented you equipment, bought lift tickets, and you guys sat in the lodge all day drinking coffee. Turns out Scott did not know shit about snow boards. Or when you and Scott had a fight and you needed help skipping out on your apartment lease.....who did you call.......sorry ass DAD.

Ya, blame DAD. He hasn't done anything right. I only hope you live long enough to have children who treat you this same way. Oh, and nice photo of you in your underwear, on the floor, chugging vodka.....real adult...ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Julie should be proud.

Meredith wins the Oscar...as Drama Queen

So last month I wrote about Meredith's melt down. She got mad because I told her she was a liar. Everyone she knows thinks she is a liar. The most recent Gallop poll ranked her just behind Barrack Obama on lying. Regardless, my job is to be her father. For the last 10 years I have tried to get her to accept responsibility. She prefers to have fun and "no thanks" on responsibility. She has had her share of problems. Running into the police car was just one incident. Return with me now to those thrilling days of shop lifting, skipping on her apartment, speeding tickets, and my all time favorite...caught in a parked car with three under aged boys smoking pot.

The most recent was..... I was at the Dentist office getting my teeth cleaned. We got new dental insurance and it meant finding a new dentist who would accept the insurance. I was very picky. I want a dentist who spoke English. Pam found a guy near our home and I went to check it out. While I was there they asked if anyone else needed an appointment in our family. I called Colleen...but she doesn't "do" answering the phone. Meredith did answer. She has a rule only to answer every 29Th call I make to her and I hit it just right.

Meredith said she wanted an appointment and I asked when. She was coming back to SoCal in August and agreed to 11:00 AM on a Monday after she got back. Well, she never went. Turns out she stayed up drinking until early in the morning and overslept...hung over. The Dentist was pissed and since I made the appointment, he charged me $50.00.

Meredith thinks this is just fine. Here again Daddy comes along trying to help her and she is irresponsible...then it hurts me. Like her parking tickets in San Francisco. She doesn't pay them. I technically own her car because I was stupid enough to sign for it. So, the tickets are sent to me with past due amounts. Again, no problem Meredith...let Dad cover them.

So after Meredith's recent melt down, where she swore at me and blamed me for massive inflation in the third world, bird flu, and alien abduction. She asked me to "CO-Sign" on her student loan. I agreed. Since it was her loan, I wanted her to do the work and get the details. She went to the bank and looked on line. Time ran out and she had to get back to San Francisco. [There was a BIG Concert in Golden Gate Park she just could not miss.] We finished the loan up on the phone with her entering the information for me. She "CO-Signed" for me.

When I asked about the loan a week later. Meredith said everything was fine and the money would be coming. Then I got a Disclosure Notice in the mail. The loan was NOT Meredith's it was MINE. I apparently did not "CO-Sign" for the loan on line. I applied for a loan for myself. The only hang up.....the money was being sent to me.

When I asked Meredith about it. She said this was all my fault. She had to "do the loan this way" because I claim her on my taxes. If I didn't claim her, she could get a loan on her own. Boy, did I fuck up! I gave her money, a car, a mobile phone, furniture, and moved her to San Francisco. Then I really screwed her by claiming her on my own taxes as...a DEPENDENT. Clearly, I am the dumb shit.

My view of this is somewhat different. It looks to me like Meredith signed me up for a loan to get the money sent to her school but did not realize they would forward the money to me.

I tried to discuss this with Meredith's Mother, Julie the Queen of Darkness. It did not go well. In her view...I want to get this right. I am cheating my children out of a college education because I divorced her happy go lucky self, to marry Pam.

Julie called Meredith and they completely agree, I am evil and Pam is to blame. Meredith sent email and swore at me on the phone to make her point clear. I think I get it.

Questions remain. What about the loan money? Meredith won't sign a Promissory Note to repay the money. Julie says she would rather go hungry...which would help her....then let her daughter suffer. She says she will apply for a loan and give the money to Meredith. How does this teach responsibility?

Summer time

So, summer is coming to an end and life will return to "normal". The Big Event of this past summer was Meredith's tantrum over being talked with like an adult. She much prefers to be treated like a child when it comes to frank or honest discussion. Maybe we all do.

More about Meredith later. For now I want to discuss the lack of quality laundry services. I have spent much of the summer trying to find a Cleaners who can starch and iron shirts. Growing up with Dad in the military meant that I learned to wash, starch, and iron shirts at an early age. I am really good at it but it takes time and it is hot work. I prefer to have a "Cleaner" do my shirts and return them to me on hangers.

For the last five years we took our "cleaning" to Rich at Martinizing. The shirts were fair and as time wore on I tired of Rich. His son, Richard, was the better contact but he could not work with his Dad and moved to Denver. That left me dealing with Rich. It was too much work. When we moved to our new Home last October, I decided to switch "Cleaners'.

During the winter, Pialago was acceptable. They were close by and the shirts were fair. As warm weather began the limp shirts just did not work. I asked them for EXTRA HEAVY Starch. Each time I came to pick them up I was less impressed. Turns out they use spray starch on the shirts. I told the Manager, Crystal, that I wanted real starch in the wash water. For about four weeks it went well.....then Crystal went on vacation.

I have tried other "Cleaners" they all suck. In almost every case they tell me the price for shirts. I told them, I don't care about the cost, I want them starched. Today I pick up my "cleaning" form the newest trail "Cleaner"

Why can't I get what I want? Hmmm, that leads back to Meredith. I would really like her to discuss her issues with me like a grown up. As I told her during her recent rant: "I may not be perfect. Please tell me who the better father is out there. I want to call the mother fucker up and learn how to improve." She hasn't got back to me on that yet. Now she is back at school. All I want is to be understood and appreciated.

White Men

About 12,000 years ago immigrants from Asia crossed the Beringia [Bering land bridge] into present day Alaska. There is genetic evidence that these migrant tribes were the foundation from which all American native populations descended. The Navajo and Apache Indians of the Southwest speak an Athabaskan language similar to that of natives in Alaska and Western Canada.

These first foreigners were the original immigrants to come to America. Over the next 11,500 years they spread throughout North, Central and South America forming tribes. Some of these became Inca, Aztec, Mya, Sioux, Apache and hundreds of smaller tribes. Beyond America, they set a drift from Peru and Chile to populate Polynesia including Hawaii, and other Pacific Islands. As the original settlers, America became their land. By our year of 1500, this all began to change.


The arrival of Europeans brought new technology and a change of ownership of the land. Vast areas of the Americas were claimed for Spain, England and France. Settlements were built and villages renamed using European terms. Conflicts developed between the Europeans over land ownership and by 1850 these had been resolved into the present day countries we know as America.

Some of the best examples of these changes took place in the Southwest United States. The land and it's human settlements had been named by the Indians who first arrived. The Spanish came and renamed many of these places for christian saints only to lose the land to the new United States in the Mexican-American War of 1846. The Mexican states of Alta California, and Nuevo Mexico were taken from Mexico by the treaty of Hidalgo. Today, great American cities like Los Angeles, [ The Angeles] and Albuquerque [The Cork region in Spain] have Spanish names. Albuquerque was originally the Navajo [Dine'] city of Bee'eldiildahsinil, long before the Spanish came. Ancestors of the Kumeyaay, who lived in present day San Diego, today operate the Barona, Sycuan, and Viejas casinos.

Many of these original native Seri, Cucapa, Opata, Yaqui, Kumeyaay, Paipai, and Cochimi have been renamed as "Mexicans". These people are seen as immigrants or worse as "illegals" and foreigners who have invaded the United States. The reality is their ancestors have lived in this region for over 10,000 years.

When we read about the "Illegal Immigrant problem" we should ask ourselves; Who are the illegals and who has the original right to the land? The people we call, "Mexican" or other Hispanic names are really 90% native Indians who have lived the Americas long before Christ. The "white man" is not native to the Americas.

Time has come today.........

In 1675 the Royal Observatory at Greenwich established GMT [Greenwich Mean Time] and the system of Longitude to aid mariners. This system divided the world into 360 degrees with 15 degrees equal to one hour of time.

The issue was less a concern about time, [all time was called "local time" and kept by a town clock], but more about location of ships at sea. A prize was awarded for the solution to finding accurate longitude within 30 nautical miles. This was the Longitude Prize of 20,000 pounds [about 6 million Euros today]. The prize was won in 1827 by John Harrison with the invention of Marine Chronometer, the first accurate marine clock. Setting the clock to GMT on board ship allowed the Captain to know how far east or west of London he was compared to local time at noon, solar mid day. If the local time was Noon but it was 3 PM in London then he was 45 degrees longitude west of London. The Earth is divided into 24, 15 degree zones.

By 1847 British Railway had adopted GMT as "Railway Time" to maintain the schedule for trains. In 1880 it became Britain's legal time. Time keeping on American railroads was much different with each railroad keeping their own time based on their headquarters. Large railroad stations had multiple clocks for each railroad. In 1863, Charles Dowd purposed a system of one hour Time Zones the first centered in Washington 75 degrees west of Greenwich.
The railroads adopted a similar system with local resistance until 1918 with the Standard Time Act.

However, Sanford Fleming proposed a single world time zone with a 24 hour clock in 1876. Such a "universal day" was widely discussed and in 1884 The International Meridian Conference agreed to the use of the 24 hour clock beginning at Greenwich at midnight but also agreed .."shall not interfere with the use of local or stand time where desirable"

In effect we are using GMT, now called UTC [Coordinated Universal Time], today and converting to local time to accommodate custom. As we become more global and through use of the internet, the use of UTC will increase until we all accept Universal Time as the standard. The US Military has switched to Zula Time, UTC, as their global standard.

Kids

I like children. I have four daughters and one son. Jennifer isn't really my daughter but I love her like my own. She was Connie's daughter, who was living with her grandmother when I brought her to live with Connie and me. She was about 8 years old when she started living with me. Kate is my "real" daughter. She is very similar to me in the way she is social and has a temper. She almost knocked me out once with a punch. Kate never really lived with me full time. Her mother and I separated when she was a baby.

Kate and Jennifer spent several summers growing up in St Louis. Kate would come to visit for the summer and Jennifer would play big sister for 90 days. One summer is bought them a computer and sent them to computer camp. Jennifer was old enough to drive and they skipped camp and drove around. I tried every summer to take their picture and it almost always ended in a fight. They never understood how much I wanted to save those summers. Kate and Jennifer are great mothers.

Meredith and Colleen are also my daughters. They grew up living with me and Julie. I remember all the times we played tickle fish in the pool. I have hundreds of photos of them growing up. I taught them to swim, ride a bike, and swing on a rope swing. They are great kids and will soon be adults.

Two years ago, Pam and I had Jack. His real name is William Jack May and he is very much like me as a boy. Jack is sweet and hateful. He is very vocal and doesn't miss much. His verbal skills at two are as good as most adults. His personality is like Kate's, Colleen's, and my own. Jack is all boy. He loves to wrestle and fight. Almost every night he and I roll around on the bed while he try's to climb on me. Then as he gets tired, he snuggles next to me before he falls asleep.

I love these children. I miss Jennifer and Kate. They never call or come to visit and it hurts me. Meredith is in San Francisco going to school. Colleen is really busy with work and school. I think about them every day and wish they still lived with me. Jack does, and that is very special.

Chicken Liver

Imagine not liking something and then having it forced upon you. Like Chicken Liver. You don't like it and it is everywhere. Regardless of where you turn, somebody is trying to get you to eat it or accept it, or "just try it".

I don't discuss chicken livers very much. I don't like Chicken Livers. Even the smell of cooked chicken livers can make me feel like I am going to spit up. If I am at a party and they serve chicken livers, I don't say anything, I just pass them up. In general, we keep our distance and this seems to work well for me and the chicken liver. Still, somebody always wants me to try them.

Just because I don't like Chicken Livers doesn't mean I carry on about them. I rarely mention chicken liver and this is the only time I have ever written about them. For me, Chicken Liver is like God.

I know you think I am crazy, but think this through with me. I think God is a myth. It's a carry over from primitive human development. The old Sun God thing reworked into the invisible man in the sky idea. Clearly, if there were a real god he would not hide out. You would be able to prove his existence just like you can prove a chicken has a liver.

Like Chicken Liver, somebody always seems to be pushing to get me to try god. Over the last 50 years it has been exhausting. Recently, as a result of these increased incidents, I have become outspoken. Not that I was ever very shy, but I used to handle god like chicken liver. I would just pass or make an excuse. Anything to be polite and avoid the stigma of being an ATHEIST.

Eight years ago, my boss took me to lunch and asked about my relationship with Jesus. This is 100% true. He came by my office and said, "do you wanna get some lunch?" I said OK and off we went. We were talking and he stopped in the middle of a bite. He told me he wanted to speak with me about something important. Then he said, "Tell me about your relationship with our lord jesus christ." I almost gagged. I looked him in the eye and said, " I'm Irish and was raised catholic. We believe in drinking to solve our problems." He did not say another word. 60 days later I quit.

Last October we moved into our new condo. In December our new neighbors stopped by to introduce themselves. They didn't have curtains on their windows when they moved in and we could see their life size christ on the cross hanging in their dining room. I was polite. We did see Ray looking at my copy of American Atheist magazine like he had just seen the devil. Since then we see them about once a week, going in or out. Ray always tell us, "We are going to church." Or, he will say, "We just got back from church." It seems like they go to church really far to much.

Is it necessary to express our beliefs publicly? Do I need to say, "I don't like chicken livers?" Why do people who believe god myths insist upon pushing their views on to others? Ray seems to be warming up to a discussion with me regarding his faith. I can hardly wait. I will keep you posted on the outcome.

Natural Born Killer

Yesterday was Memorial Day, May 26, 2008. All the TV coverage reminded me of my Dad. He was the closest contact I have had to a real veteran who served in combat. He was very tough guy.

Growing up with my Dad in the military, we spent a lot of time watching "war movies". My Dad always thought they were silly. I would ask him about the War, he served in the Army as a Tank Sergeant on a Flame Throwing Tank. He landed on the beach at Okinawa. Dad told me about the Japanese fighting to the death, hiding in caves and refusing to surrender. He told me his tank shot napalm flames into to these caves and it either burned the Japanese or burned all the oxygen for them to breath. He was pretty matter of fact about killing Japanese soldiers. In his view, they deserved it.

My Dad's tank was hit by a hand grenade or mortor and it damaged the track. The tank was struck and could not move. My Dad and the other crew decided to abandon the tank. It was sitting still and full of napalm, an easy target. As they ran back to the US lines my Dad was attacked by a Japanese soldier with a sword. My Dad shot the soldier and the sword is in my home. Again, Dad never bragged about what he did, he just talked about it very matter of fact.

Years later when I told him I was going to buy a Japanese car he told me not to bring it to his house. His one big disappointment was not killing more Japanese. I asked him once if he was ever scared in the war. He said, "Yes, I was very scared. We sailed on a ship from San Francisco to Okinawa. The Japanese tried to sink our ship. And, I never learned to swim." He never said he was scared of fighting or of being killed. From what I read one US soldier out of three was killed who landed on Okinawa.

My Dad never had a sleepless night. Never looked back on what he did. He never bragged. He never carried on about how the War had "changed" him or gave him bad dreams. He never joined the VFW or participated in Parades. Dad, said there were two kinds of soldiers. Some were killers and others marched in Parades. Dad was a killer who did not look back. He is buried at the Jefferson Barrack's National Cemetery with thousands of other heroes.

Happy Memorial Day, Dad. I still have the sword.

I heard the news today

I heard the news today....oh boy. The Beatle song...a day in the life, makes me think that Hilary is just about done. Down for the count. Kaput.

But wait, do you really think America is going to elect a left wing black man President? I don't, and I'm not alone. Thomas Sowell agrees and he's black and smarter then me. In his recent [May 7, 2208] article called Random Events Sowell says:

"Like everyone else, I have also been hearing a lot lately about Jeremiah Wright, former pastor of the church that Barack Obama has belonged to for 20 years. Both men, in their different ways, have for decades been promoting the far left vision of victimization and grievances-- Wright from his pulpit and Obama in roles ranging from community organizer to the United States Senate, where he has had the farthest left voting record. Later, when the ultimate political prize-- the White House-- loomed on the horizon, Obama did a complete makeover, now portraying himself as a healer of divisions.

The difference between Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright is that they are addressing different audiences, using different styles adapted to those audiences. It is a difference between upscale demagoguery and ghetto demagoguery, playing the audience for suckers in both cases."

So the question for voters is, are you smart enough to see through the Obama [Wright, Jesse Jackson, etc] left wing agenda. In a country where everyone is a victim, who will pay the taxes to provide all the free stuff?

You can read more about Thomas Sowell at: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/archive.shtml

Thomas Sowell was born in North Carolina and grew up in Harlem. As with many others in his neighborhood, he left home early and did not finish high school. The next few years were difficult ones, but eventually he joined the Marine Corps and became a photographer in the Korean War. After leaving the service, Sowell entered Harvard University. After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard University (1958), he went on to receive his master's in economics from Columbia University (1959) and a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago (1968).

An hour later you are hungry

The old joke about Chinese Food is that you eat, and an hour later you are hungry. The same may be true for China. Over the last few months the Chinese have been quietly eating up, buying, American companies. China is the world's largest holder of US Dollars.

As the dollar has been devalued, China faced a big decision. Should they sell dollars or use dollars to buy America. Selling dollars would have led to futher decline in the global value of the dollar and made their remaining dollars worth less. Instead they have decided to spend dollars to buy US companies or buy stock in US Companies. China was a big investor in the newly formed VISA Corporation.

Globalization takes many strange turns and increasingly the things we believe to be "American" are becoming multinational. Likewise, things we always thought of as foreign are being produce in America. The best example of this are the BMWs produced in South Carolina...not in Germany. That Visa card in your wallet is owned by the folks in Beijing.

It's time to begin thinking less about what defines America in terms of physical things and more about what America really is all about. From our beginning America was about ideas. We are an extension of a philosophy that began in Europe and took root in North America. These basic ideas about freedom and government are the foundation of America.

Today, people are protesting the Chinese Olympic torch relay in San Francisco. People, many who were not born here, say that China is wrong in the handling of Tibet. Protest is an American idea. It would seem that China has bitten off more then it can chew and in the process of buying America it is helping to spread America, the idea, globally.

40 years later and how much has changed?

It was 40 years ago today that the Rev Martin Luther King was shot in Memphis, Tenn. Reverend King was an important leader in the civil rights movement largely because he offered a non violent alternative to the teachings of Black Supremacist, like the Black Panthers. In short, King was acceptable to white America due to his non violent approach and he was acceptable to Blacks because he promoted equality and justice. You may not remember the riots or the call by Black Panthers to kill white Americans. Martin Luther King was a much better alternative to Eldridge Cleaver.

Kings efforts changed America for the better and created true equality for Blacks who had been living a second class life throughout the South. Today, Black voters have exercised these rights to install Black Politicians in numerous offices. Barrack Obama would not be running for President today had it not been for Martin Luther King. This is just one of many examples of how King's life changed America for the better.

Regardless, of the profound positive change, Black America still has not cast off the "victim mentality" promoted by many Black Leaders. Today, 40 years later, there remain many within the Black community who see themselves as victims of prejudice. The reality is that some prejudice does remain but Blacks are no longer victims and they need to move on, to fully realize the King Legacy.

Most white Americans are just plain tired of hearing about Blacks as victims of prejudice, or racial profiling. The harsh facts are that Blacks are no different then any other minority who have experienced similar prejudice. The Italians, the Irish, the Chinese, and Hispanics have all faced similar situations. Regardless, they all have worked to become mainstream participants in the greater society. Today, there are no "special" circumstances for these groups. No National Association for the Advancement of White or Asian People. No Miss Chinese America pageant, or White Entertainment network. These minorities have become mainstream while holding on to their ethnic background. Black America needs to cast off the victim mentality and become mainstream.

So why, after 40 years of incredible social change haven't Blacks become mainstream? The answer is complicated, and very simple. They don't want to be mainstream. They like playing victim and insisting of special treatment. And, if you discuss this subject, you are a racist. They cry about racial profiling and then create "gangsta rap" videos that promote racial stereotypes. They will call each other "nigga" but if a white person says "nigger" those are fightn words. In short, they want it both ways. They want R E S P E C T but refuse to address critical social issues of crime, drugs, and illegitimate child birth within their own community.

Martin Luther King significantly improved equality for Black America. It is time, 40 years after his death, for Blacks to reject the victim ideology and become mainstream.

Geert Wilder

In the last five years there has been considerable debate regarding "What to do about radical Islam". Here in the United States, Muslims are a small portion of our society. In Europe this is different. Just as America has experienced an influx of immigrants from Latin America, Europe has had a similar migration of Muslims. Like in the US, these unskilled workers came to fill jobs that nobody wanted. It is common to see Muslims working in foodservice and lodging in all European cities just as it is common to see Hispanics in the same jobs in America.

The good news for America is, our illegals are Christians. Europe has been flooded with Muslims who have taken nearly all the unskilled jobs and become a critical part of European society. Worse, this group is discriminated against by many Europeans as not being white or European. The response has been increased violence between traditional Europeans and the new immigrants.

It is therefore of no real surprise that Europe is very sensitive to the "War on Terror". In part this is why they did not embrace the Iraq invasion. They do not want to alarm or incite their own Muslim communities who may well raise up against their French, German or Dutch neighbors. In Holland, [The Netherlands] this situation has reached a boiling point. You may remember the Cartoons drawn to show the Prophet Mohammad and the riots that followed. Recently, a new crisis has developed regarding a film by Geert Wilder, a Dutch member of Parliament.

Try to keep in mind that Europe has been VERY ethnocentric in the last 500 years. Here is a short aside: The English and Irish have been fighting each other for 400 years and the are both lily white. The Germans and French fought two World Wars in the last 100 years over something that nobody can recall. If you live in an area, say in Holland, it is very different from America. Everyone around you in Dutch and they all speak the same language. Or, they did for the last 1000 years until the new Muslims showed up and refused to speak Dutch. Resentment and prejudice is everywhere but it is really strong in Europe. Again, Germany killed 6 million Jews because they were different.

By comparison, America is much better at handling multicultural and multi ethnic societies. Any major city in America is 12% Black and 20% Hispanic. Of the so called "white" people there are Irish, German, French and Italians. With few Norwegians and Russians thrown in. On the West Coast, or here in my neighborhood, Asian make up the majority of the population and they include Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai. Only Paris is similar in diversity among European cities.

So Europe has a large Muslim population who are treated badly by native Europeans. This would just be a bad case of discrimination except for......Osama Bin Laden. In the last five years European Muslims have become militant. Remember the 911 Hijackers came from Hamburg, Germany. Europe is under constant fear that some wrong move by their government will spark a local terror attack. London and Madrid have both had such attacks.

In Holland, they have had enough. The new film "Fitna" is a 15 minute indictment of the Quran. The premise is that Islam is a violent religion and anti Western. Passages from the Quran are used to point to examples of intolerance and violence. The film can be seen on the Internet by Goggling Fitna. Geert Wilder is being called crazy and a provocateur by his follow Dutch. His life is in danger and the lines have been drawn between the native Dutch and the new Muslims in Holland.

I agree that it is time for all rational people to take a position on radical Islam. This includes all Muslims. You are either supportive of the violence, or you stand against it. Geert Wilder is brave to point out the situation and demand a resolution. Western civilization is depending on the answer.

Codgers -2 Whipper Snappers - 0

I watched the primary returns last night from Ohio and Texas. It felt good to see both McCain and Clinton win. From the beginning of this drawn out campaign I have picked these two as my favorites. They are both tough fighters who have been in this process for the long term.

As I watched, I began to think about why I do not support Obama. Life for me is made up of codgers and whipper snappers. Codgers are older people, usually guys, who have been around and done that. They know the score and can't be fooled easily. In the Westerns, John Wayne always played the Codger. A whipper snapper is an impertinent, usually a young man, whose lack of proper respect for the older generation is matched only by his high sense of self worth. Obama seems like a whippersnapper to me.

I'm looking forward to a fall Presidential campaign with Clinton and McCain. Such a match up would define for America what is important to us....the old struggle between guns and butter. Do we spend money on a world wide war to fight terror, and destroy our own economy? Or, do we pay for universal health care. To date, we have spent 3 trillion dollars on the War in Iraq. In the process we have borrowed to pay for the war and driven our economy into recession. How much more war can you afford? Everybody wants free or low cost quality health care but it just isn't that simple. Doctors go to school for a long time and expect to be paid well for their knowledge. Regardless of our expectations, health care is a business and it has to make money to continue to attract people to med school. There is no cheap or free solution to this problem.

I'm hoping for a Clinton vs McCain election. These are both strong well educated professionals who have devoted their lives to government. Regardless of the outcome, I can support the Codger who wins.

Tell that to Al Gore

I'm reading about the weather in China. Reports of temperatures below zero and blizzrds stranding travelers trying to go home for Chinese New Year. The weather here has been pretty cold too. Chicago has had snow three times this last week. Does anyone reading this think maybe this whole Global Warming story is a hoax?

In China they are saying this is the worst winter they have had in over 100 years. Wouldn't you expect it to be getting nicer given all the hype about warming and ice melting? Not a week goes by that we don't see a picture of a penguin or polar bear stranded on a shrinking iceberg. How is it getting warmer at the poles but colder in Bejing and Chicago?

I think somebody with a brain has to call out Al Gore and find out what the hell is going on.