So, even though my findrobertpattinsonandmakehimmyloveslave campaign has been thwarted,  I am still left thinking about ‘what if’???  What if I had met him?  From the looks of the meet/greets I have seen online, it looks like the celebs just glance at you (barely), sign your crap and move on.  First of all, I just don’t get the whole autograph business.  What’s the purpose?? I mean, sign my boob…but a piece of paper?  What would I do with it??  I saw him in that clip from Ellen saying some girl asked him how she could get his attention and he said ‘take off your clothes’ and she DID.  Ballsy move.  Guess she got dragged out by security tho  I would have said ‘you first!’ LOL

Anyway, here’s the extensive list of celebs I have seen in person:

• James Avery. The Dad from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air.  On a shuttle bus in Bermuda going to a wedding…I sat and stared mutely.
• Judith Light (mom from Growing Pains). In Starbucks in Georgetown. Stared mutely.
• Tim Russert (RIP, Big Guy) JPauls in Georgetown. Stood right next to him and did NOT stare.  Laughed overly loudly at the Frug’s jokes to seem like I wasn’t aware the Tim was standing there. So cool of me. sigh.

That’s it. Oh, I saw Nancy Reagan’s tiny head atop her red suited tiny body at an event back in college. She was about 20 feet away.

Wow. Impressive, no?  lol  Anyway, was wondering what you should do if you see someone famous? Other than staring mutely, obviously. One friend who I won’t name said she would ‘hump his leg’ if she saw Robert Pattinson in real life.  I think I would do NOTHING and then come up w/20 million hip/cool things I coulda shoulda said/done.   I sometimes always daily obsessively read Twilight blogs. Here’s a link to a post that was on Twitarded with the one gal’s thoughts about what she would do if she met Rob. She calls it: “I want to row RPattz like a boat”! LOL

Anyway, leave some comments about celeb sightings, what to do if one is spotted (probably nothing – be cool and let them be like normal people?? Fat chance! haha), etc.

Universal Artists, Int'l. Supports Our Troops

As the United States comes close to the end of yet another year mired down in what appears for all purposes to be a fruitless and senseless pursuit of security and freedom without solid basis or foundation in Iraq, it must ask itself, how much longer to wander aimlessly down this road without without clear end in sight? Swept into a dream state, a nightmare of neither sleep nor rest, it wanders pointlessly throughout a hostile land which hasn’t changed in culture or resentment since the close of the second world war and the dismantling of the days of naked colonialism.

In America’s blind pursuit of economic latitude, and longevity of the securement of reasonably priced crude, it has inadvertently fallen pray to a foe it had once believed itself worthy of side stepping the second time around, entrenchment and siege, such as it had experienced on the level of Vietnam. In spite of the U.S.S.R.’s history of similar suffering and beleaguer in their occupation of the troublesome and perilous nation of Afghanistan, the US continues its drive into the region, threatening to ignite the ire of a people legendary in defiance of any power which fails to recall its opposed mindset in search of its own sovereignty and freedom since the days of the Khyber Pass.

Throughout the sixties and early seventies, Generation X suffered the daily bombardment of images of the Vietnam War broadcast from pitch battle and directly piped into their living room’s television sets. The throngs of protestors, largely known today collectively as baby boomers, sought freedom from propaganda, secrecy, and war. They proceeded so loudly and defiantly, they unwittingly forced the proverbial powers behind the throne to take notice to the extent they would pay heed to such lessons and censor future generations of Americans.  Perhaps they’ve reverted to secrecy to stave the threat to national peace given the reality of polar extremes of political,  moral, and ethical thought, but their public reasoning seems veiled and questionable.

Again, as the year draws close to the end, we are left to ponder the question of an end to all of this. Do we truly believe this will draw to a close with any Congressional Act for withdrawal given the seeds we’ve planted throughout the region? Yes, for all purposes it will appear we’ve weathered the storm, but have we truly, and at what future cost? What does destiny hold for generations to come in a region notorious for religious, cultural, racial, and political conflict since the beginning of time.

Does the cradle of civilization reside within the borders of Iraq, or is it the bath of chaos, the source of churning conflict, and the slaughter mill of not only our youth but theirs?

In the sad, telling music video, “Johnny Get Your Gun,” written, directed, produced, and edited by Joe Stern-McGovern, and performed by A-Dub and Lil’ Chase, the story told is that of a youth of today swept abroad into the conflict in Iraq. The video shows the progression and doomed fate of Johnny as he transitions from fear, insecurity, despair, and then oddly boldness, only to find his end at the conclusion story’s end. Narrated by his grieving friend (Lil’ Chase), Johnny’s (A-Dub) sad letters home are read to his worried mother throughout the song’s chorus. It’s touching, heartfelt, and inevitable conclusion to a story thousands have come to realize in this tangible world.

Please join us now as Joe Stern-McGovern and Universal Artists, International, accompanied by Shaka Productions, present to you the beautiful and haunting music video, “Johnny Get Your Gun,”  a recurring theme which seems to trail America since the days of its inception. 

When will we, or anyone else, ever truly be free? How long will this violence continue? Where is end in sight? How many more of our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, and friends will continue to bear this senseless grief in a muddied and oft questioned conflict? Support our troops, but who in their right mind could support a concept so miserable as war, by definition a pall on the blighted soul of mankind? 

“Disconnected realities without proper analysis or sufficient information, blindly defended through violent means under questionable circumstances, and born on the backs and blood of our children in a distant land…Farewell Vietnam, hello Iraq, goodbye to our sons…and with a stroke of the brush, the world was painted red!”

Joe Stern-McGovern    

Support our troops, but think before you blindly support the cause. Ask yourselves, in a world with civilizations as advanced as ours, isn’t their any other means than war?

For more information, or to view the video, please visit us at www.myspace.com/universalartists or www.youtube.com/universalartistsintl.

Coming soon! The debut of the Black Flock Gang: BFG! For more information, please visit them at www.univeralartists.net under talent or at www.myspace.com/blackflockgang.

For more information regarding booking any of our acts, here or abroad, please write to universalartists@myspace.com or info@universalartists.net.

A-Dub & Lil' Chase

A must watch: Jeremy Scahill and Glenn Greenwald, two of our most respected voices speaking truth to illegitimate power, on GRITtv with Laura Flanders, Wednesday. Mr. Scahill and Mr. Greenwald discuss the media elite and how—in their own words—form the “political debate” by not reporting facts, but an ESPN-esque play-by-play of what those in power are asserting. They go after the major TV networks and print media, Chuck Todd, Tim Russert, Tom Brokaw and others on how they ‘manufacture consent’ for torture and immoral war in this 60 minute video, but the segment with Mr. Scahill and Mr. Greenwald ends at the 29:30 mark:

On January 20, 2009 it snowed in Oxford, MS.  As my family gathered around the tv to watch the change happen in America, the snow fell softly outside and the world felt peaceful. I certainly, with many others, had a sense of relief and optimism.  The country had an atmosphere of hope and empowerment. The world focused on Washington D.C. not just for the ceremonies but for the beginning of a new time in our country and world. With President Obama stepping into the highest leadership role and the Democrats finally being completely in the majority, most Americans felt like power had returned to their individual hands. I find it ironic that my Republican friends think Democrats want to take control from them and give it to the government, when it is just the opposite.  We want ALL Americans to be empowered.

Greed and Convincing Lies – The Formula for Control of the Common

In the recent past, our country experienced a different type of dictatorship.  This dictatorship was ruled by a tiny but powerful percentage of Americans who are the extremely wealthy and make decisions based on greed.  For many years (and still today) they manage to convince other Americans that they are the good and moral ones.  These much less rich Americans, and in many cases poor Americans, support these sneaky dictator types.  The dictator types love this support  because they continue to thrive and the supporters continue to support in hopes that they will get more one day too because they are following the suggestions of the greedy but “moral” citizens.  Sad, that these Americans do not realize that greed does not speak the truth. Greed speaks what helps greed.

The Democrats get their reputation slandered by the dictator types with many brainwashed Americans chanting the statements they have been told to chant.  Disagreement is fine but unfortunately the disagreement today is getting violent. People are viciously angry over myths.  They are fighting  over problems that do not even exist or matter to the progress of our country.

Brainwashed Robots

The amount of furious ignorance resonating in some of the staunch right groups right now is petrifying.  Will we end up like some of the war torn countries that most of us only witness on the evening news?  We are not immune to that kind of conflict.  We as Americans like to think we are more civilized than a culture that allows that kind of societal discourse but when I see the fury in the eyes of fellow Americans protesting against healthcare, claiming that President Obama is not a citizen, and believing ridiculous proganda generated to cause this type of upset, I wonder what will happen if the mindless robot types of people grow in numbers?

Change is difficult and whatever direction we choose will result in heated disagreement but I hope Americans will think.  Disagreement is acceptable and welcomed – it helps us see perspectives.  But the people I worry about are the ones who stopped reading this blog the moment I spoke in positive terms about the Democrat Party.

We Have to Help God Bless America

I am not a Democrat because I want to control others – just the opposite. I want to share. I want to help others so we can all have the opportunity to live the good life.  I believe as a Christian, I am called to help others, to share, and to recognize need. I believe I am not called to judge why someone else has less than me.  God can decide if that person is honest. I just need to do my job and that is to help.  The late Tim Russert use to say that it is our responsibility to help others, it is in helping others that we see God. With all of us helping and serving, we can truly help God Bless America.

The father of the late ” Meet the Press” moderator Tim Russert has died in Buffalo, NY.  He was 85.

The family of Timothy J. Russert Sr. issued a statement saying he died of natural causes.

The elder Russert, known as “Big Russ,” grew up in South Buffalo and drove a city sanitation truck and a Buffalo News delivery truck to support his family.

The younger Russert, who died of a heart attack at 58 in June 2008, paid tribute to his father’s blue-collar values in the 2004 best-selling book, “Big Russ & Me.”

The book was a series of lessons the journalist said he learned from his father, who was a World War II veteran.

Yesterday, we highlighted the heroics of Thomas Edward Brady Jr. in Monday’s night 25-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills.  But for every hero, there is also a goat, and that yoke on Monday belonged squarely to Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin (pictured), who fumbled late in the contest with Buffalo up by five, setting up Brady and the Patriots’ unlikely comeback, and causing many a Western New York schoolboy, and some adults, to head to bed with tears in their eyes.

But last night, one local jackass fan took his frustration with McKelvin too far by going to the cornerback’s home and defacing his front lawn.  According to media reports, the perpetrator spray-painted a graphic depiction of the male anatomy along with the score from Monday night’s game on McKelvin’s property.  Bills players were obviously shaken by the event leading linebacker Kawika Mitchell to post on his Twitter feed, according to reports, “W/ all the safety issues n the NFL its not funny at all. We have Fam at our homes to protect. If u show ur face on my prop Ill make sure I do everythin to keep my Fam safe.” (Btw, we know that this is a new media age, but journalists and athletes alike just look stupid when a player’s Twitter rants are published as news.  That said, follow us on Twitter at acasualfan!) McKelvin later today was in a forgiving mood.

“It’s just one little incident. I hope it doesn’t happen any more,” McKelvin said following practice. “I was mad, I was kind of like angry in a way, but I was laughing a little bit for what they put on there.”

That was awful big of McKelvin, but whoever did this is still a jackass. Now Bills fans are among the most long suffering yet loyal fans in the country (the late-great Tim Russert once prayed on national television for Buffalo to win the Super Bowl from his bully pulpit on Meet the Press … We miss Tim Russert). Western New York has some of the most passionate fans in the country, and they have a developed a reputation for being respectful of athletes and of their privacy. That said, the fool who did this has done a great deal to damage said reputation.  Stay classy, Buffalo.

Bruce Springsteen participera le 17 novembre prochain au 5e concert contre l’autisme, qui aura lieu au légendaire Carnegie Hall de New York.

Cette soirée de charité est destinée à rassembler des fonds pour l’organisation Autism speaks (“l’autisme parle”), dont la mission est de favoriser l’étude des causes de ce trouble, la prévention et les traitements. Elle sera animée par Dick Gregory, qui a succédé à Tim Russert (grand fan de Bruce Springsteen, décédé en 2008) comme animateur de Meet the Press sur NBC.

Cliquez ici pour plus de détails.

     Modern day political structure and ethics astound me. Even the garish expectations with the new president.  Sure, each new dictator brings about some sort economical change, but at what cost and in what direction?   Furthermore: Settle down black community. There’s a black president. Well, half black, half Amish, and the amount of melanin in his skin gives him a milky cocoa veneer at best. He’s the Tiger Woods of the liberal neo-political agenda. Makes you wonder what I mean when I say that he is a sub-par figurehead. But, please, settle down.

    The Sara Palin sex tape came out recently. It’s pretty hot, and unremarkably, off-topic. During climax I swear I heard her panting about how her earrings were made from genuine Inuit toes. Her luxury micro-fiber fleece pinstripe pantsits were made by real Inuit sweatshop workers at the local village L.L. Bean factory. Sara…watch out for snow snakes and Eskimo bears…and by that I mean Joe Biden.

    Now, on to Tim Russert. The one honest, straightforward, family-oriented moderator and political consultant who wasn’t obsessed with his ‘down-home’ roots (Blow me J. Carville) was found murdered to death by his own heart attack late some morning quite some time ago. I’m still mourning the fact that I don’t get to watch Meet The Press anymore.

    Has George W. Bush even spoken since November? I can’t recall hearing him talk, can you? However, it makes my heart smile to know that there will plenty of room for all of us once they finish with the new expansions. A tenth circle is being added to our rapidly growing hell.

Big Russ and Me: Father and Son–Lessons of Life by Tim Russert

I have to preface this by saying that I was a huge Tim Russert fan.  Timmy Russert as he was called  at my house was king of the political interview and Sunday morning’s Meet the Press. I liked him, his interview tactics and his ebullient down to earth personality. I miss him, and mourned his early passing.

OK, so on to the book. This was a mixed bag for me. I found it to be sweet to the point of sugar coated, and light to the point of being superficial, it glanced over way too many subjects that should have been dealt with in a more serious and complete manner. On the other hand, I found myself tearing up over the absolute love and affection he felt for his father; it showed in every way possible that this man had not so much a close relationship, but a deep love for this hard working, uneducated, highly moral man. But the flip side of that coin, is that I don’t think his mother is mentioned 5 times in the entire book, I think if he had had a kind housekeeper there would have been more mention. Even though his father worked 2 and 3 jobs through Tim’s childhood, and by association, the kids must have spent a lot of time under mom’s care and tutelage, she’s just not mentioned. His two sisters are barely mentioned as well. Now I realize that the name of the book is not Big Russ, Mom and my sisters and Me, but come on! If there was a problem, it wasn’t mentioned – so was she “mommie dearest”?

This is where Tim Russert shined!

And then, his Catholic school upbringing. Tim made it sound all wonderful. I too went to Catholic School, and it was anything but wonderful. Most of the nuns were clueless as to real life, there were a couple who were cruel and bitter and old and shouldn’t have been in a classroom. Didn’t Tim encounter one of these nuns? Or were they just all sent to my school? And what about the priests? He went to school in the 1960’s in the heyday of the clergy molesting altar boys – it was glanced over very superficially.

What I did like was the ending, the letter to his son. Beautiful, heartfelt and genuine and made me shed a tear again. I will always have a soft spot for Timmy Russert and we miss his political commentary which was so much on the money – but I can’t say I’ll remember reading this one fondly!

View all my reviews >>

     Rep. Joe Wilson’s (R-SC) outburst during President Obama’s address to the joint session of Congress last night will cost him dearly. Already, his opponent’s coffers have increased overnight. And Rahm “Dead Fish” Emanuel was siad to have been scouring the floor immediately looking for the culprit (hope Rep. Wilson has no dirty laundry for Emanuel to clean). And the talking heads like Olbermann and Bill Maher will have a field-day with the disrespectful comment.

      What is being missed though, is the fact that Obama’s speech last night was a “last chance” effort on his part to present his ideas for the legislation, and to try to bring all sides together. Instead, as has become the nature of most of his speeches (he is speaking again now, 13 hours later, speech 265 on day 234, or something like that!), Obama spoke in “campaign mode” and not in “leadership mode”. The very partisan nature of the speech, and the attacks on the Bush administration showed that this White House, for all the wonders of its campaign strategies, lack the qualities and the “character” to lead.

       For all the rhetoric about the “misinformation” which he is guilty of spreading himself, for his poorly disguised attack on Sarah Palin, he failed to address one fundamental item in the healthcare reform debate: We, The People.

      Not once did he acknowledge that he has heard the voices of the citizens at the Town Hall, the supporters and the opponents, and that he acknowledges and accepts their views. Instead, his agenda primarily was to say “we pick up where we left off in July”, and if you try to stop us, we will attack. Ok, he didn’t say attack…. “we will call you out” was his statement.

     These tactics perhaps work in the wards and districts in Chicago or Philadelphia, but the American public will no longer stand for such behavior. We want health care reform, but not on the grand scale that Obama is grasping at. Obama invoked Sen. Kennedy’s passion  for this issue, and all eyes went to his grieving widow with Michelle Obama’s comforting hand and embrace. But what was said many times during the week of memorializing Kennedy was that he himself knew that reform coulkd not be done in a massive and dramatic manner, but would require various phases. Instead of haphazardly and radically creating an unnecessary bureaucratic nightmare, the Presdient would have been better off establishing an agenda and time frame to meet the objectives. For instance, the 47 million unisured became 30 million last night, especially after the President knew he had to remove the concept of insuring the illegal aliens (enter Joe Wilson). He should start there.

       The President and Congress need to get out of the mind set that the nation’s employers ahve a responsibility to provide healthcare. The business owners did not go into business to be the caretakers. Health insurance should be affordable on an individual basis at the same rates that the groups are given. What began as a  benefit to attract personnel has now become a mandated requirement that is strapping every small business.

      So, Mr. President, while Rep. Wilson’s outburst was done in the wrong place at the wrong time because, as he said, his emotions got the best of him, I suggest that you and Michelle take a stroll to the National Mall on Saturday, not to speak about health care, but to LISTEN to the Americans who want you to hear them. They are not Republicans, Democrats, or Independents. They are not racists.  Just as many who voted for your “Hope and Change” will be at the National Mall in opposition to your healthcare reform as those who did not vote for you. Personally, I think you missed the mark with your speech, which should have been the turning point in this debate. Instead, it may just be the defining point of a failed mission. Time will tell.

UPDATE: Rep. Joe Wilson had immediately issued an apology. I think I see another “Beer Summit Teachable Moment” speech on the horizon. But, Sen. Reid’s Alzheimer may be creeping up, because although it was said in a different arena, I know of no apology that he made to President Bush (remember, they keep invoking the last administration):

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6646457/

“MR. RUSSERT:  When the president talked about Yucca Mountain and moving the nation’s nuclear waste there, you were very, very, very strong in your words. You said, “President Bush is a liar.  He betrayed Nevada and he betrayed the country.”

“Is that rhetoric appropriate? “

“SEN. REID:  I don’t know if that rhetoric is appropriate.  That’s how I feel, and that’s how I felt.  I think to take that issue, Tim, to take the most poisonous substance known to man, plutonium, and haul 70,000 tons of it across the highways and railways of this country, past schools and churches and people’s businesses is wrong.  It’s something that is being forced upon this country by the utilities, and it’s wrong.  And we have to stop it.  And people may not like what I said, but I said it, and I don’t back off one bit.”

Bill Moyers Journal: Buying the War
Regular Airtime
Cast: Bill Moyers
US Release Date: 25 April 2007
By James A. Brown

A-

“Journalists are supposed to be skeptical, right?”
- Warren Strohbel, Knight Ridder Reporter

“George Bush is the President. He makes the decisions and you know as just as one American, where ever you want me to line up just let me know.”
-  Dan Rather on The Late Show with David Letterman, Former Anchor CBS Evening News

When it Matters Most

After 9/11, when we as a nation, locked arms, stood in solidarity and didn’t ask questions, with all honesty, its not surprising. The American public has always depended our major news outlets to ask hard questions on our behalf, whether we like those questions or not. We know that these outlets have let us down before, but we always thought they’d come through for us, when it matters most, when our lives are at stake. Bill Moyers Journal: Buying the War chronicles overwhelming failure of our mainstream news media between 9/11 and the Iraq War.

For Moyers, this is a continuation of a theme that he’s followed for the better part of a year. His two most recent series, Faith & Reason and Moyers On America focused on the culture wars that grip our nation, its entertainment, and its politics in the years since 9/11. The two series methodically explained the effect of the losing network neutrality, how modern storytellers handle religion, and the dark truths about the Jack Abramoff/Tom Delay scandal. Buying the War follows that template.

Moyers zeros in on the near-immediate effect of post 9/11 hyper-patriotism on reporters, from a tearful Dan Rather admitting on Letterman, to MSNBC ordering Phil Donahue to have two pro-war supporters for every one dissenter. Moyers also interviewed multiple reporters, and media critics all concurring that there was a sea change that overwhelmed modern American journalism.

Walter Issacson, Former Chairman and CEO of CNN claimed that the news outlets fell victim to a “Patriotism Police”, a combination of corporate bigwigs, viewers, Bush Administration officials, and Fox News applying constantly applying pressure on the rest of the media. These forces would pounce if any story offered a dissenting view or could be misconstrued as unpatriotic. Dan Rather admitted to working in fear of a pro war “slime machine” and believes the fear that machine inspired, forced him to ease his questions in times of war.

But the most intriguing interview was that with CBS News’ very candid Bob Simon. Simon who worked for most of his career in the Middle East revealed a quiet murmur between Middle East based journalists. According to Simon, it was a commonly held belief that the Washington Press Core got the story wrong. Yet these journalists kept quiet. Simon also admitted caving to the unsaid consensus that dissenting views needed to be softened.  In response, Simon buried his facts about the lack of a connection between Iraq and Al Qaida in a 60 Minutes piece about, ironically enough, how the White House marketed the war in Iraq.

Moyers also praises “shoe leather” reporters, like Knight Ridder’s Jonathan Landay and Warren Strohbel, who got the story right. His reasoning for these Knight Ridder’s success was because Knight Ridder reporters aren’t part-celebrity and operate primarily outside the Washington DC bubble. Moyers uses Knight Ridder as a counterbalance to the proliferation of pundits, and reporters who were driven by top level access to Washington’s power class.

Landay’s research and sources inside and out of the government, led him to the correct conclusions about the Bush Administration’s erroneous claims. The work of Knight Ridder’s reporters was largely ignored, because their conclusions ran contradictory to larger more influential news outlets like the New York Times and The Washington Post.  But in the end, those few journalistic bright spots were just that, few and far between.

War is painstakingly well crafted, convincing, and well researched. Its only flaws are due to those within Washington Press Core who refused to be interviewed. And the only major player within the core, Meet the Press’ moderator Tim Russert, was used sparingly and provided little insight caving objectivity of the mainstream press during the lead up to the Iraq War. He like so many other reporters featured seemed powerless as if they helpless, falling victim to an awful accident.

In the wake of any trauma, we become a bundle of fried nerves. We deal with shock and grief and are at our most vulnerable. In these situations, when it matters most, we need to trust to those charged with asking hard questions even in hard times. Whether naive or not, every journalist and reader, viewer, or listener have quietly agreed to a sacred trust, that trust requires that they at least get the facts right. If that trust isn’t already shaken, Buying the War will do it.

Whether or not you agreed with his politics, Senator Ted Kennedy was truly one of the great U.S. Senators of all time.  He knew how to work with Senators on both sides of the aisle to get needed legislation passed.  It was a shame that his illness happened at a time when his leadership was needed on an issue he was so passionate about, health care reform.  I hope our leaders can set aside their differences and work together to create a reform package that will honor the memory of Kennedy.

It does seem a little strange that when the Senate reconvenes after the August recess, it will do so with Al Franken, and without Ted Kennedy.  I mean no disrespect to Senator Franken or his Minnesota constituents.  Actually it seems strange that about half of the Senators are in office. 

I had actually planned my blog to be about the topics below, but felt I wanted to say something about Kennedy, even though thousands who were closer to Kennedy and speak to far more people have already done so.  I admired his work as a Senator, and the country will miss him.

I seem to spend much more time with my blogs, Twitter, and Facebook than I do watching TV these days.  Maybe that will change when the networks start new programming, but I wonder.  I think millions of other people must be Tweeting and Facebooking, because I doubt I am no the cutting edge.  I may have given up on TV, but I have not given up on reading books.  I am currently reading three different books-“On The Border With Crook,” by John Gregory Bourke, “The Invasion of France and Germany,” by Samuel Eliot Morrison, and “Big Russ” by Tim Russert.

I seem to become fascinated by a topic and try to read all there is on the subject.  Thank goodness for libraries and used book stores.  Bourke was an officer serving with General George Crook during the Apache uprisings, where small bands of Apaches held troops of the U.S. Army at bay for years.  I am not quite sure why, but the naval battles of WWII have been an interest of mine since I was a child.  Maybe it is memories of watching “Victory At Sea” on our old black and white TV set.  I was a big fan of the late Tim Russert, and I suspect my Dad’s death this summer has something to do with me finally reading his acclaimed memoir.

I try to read a chapter in each book every night, though “On The Border” was written 100 years ago and is sometimes a tough read.  “Invasion” is full of footnotes documenting sources, which makes it something less than light reading.  Russert’s book is full of childhood memories similar to mine, so that obviously goes fast.  Anyway, some nights it is an entire chapter in each book, other nights it might only be a few pages in one of the books.  Even though the electronic age is changing what we read and how we read, I will never lose my love of the printed word. Written words have been a powerful force in my life for well over 50 years, and that is not going to change.

Thanks for stopping by.

During the (2007-present?) Presidential campaign, my old lady expressed serious contempt for NBC’s ineffectual Chuck Todd.  I often found myself defending him – mostly because I never liked Tim Russert, the Beltway’s quintessential, go-along “journalist.” 

But last night, Colbert nailed it.

From Greenwald’s article today, a reader makes a great point regarding the dangerous precedent of refusing to investigate and prosecute the architects of Bush’s torture program:

The huge problem here is precedent. In specifically directing an investigation of those who exceeded Bush’s torture authorization, our Justice Department is actually giving legal credence to Yoo, Bybee, and the Bush gang who sought to legalize these clearly illegal methods. Investigating only those who went beyond Yoo’s memos affirms, as legal basis, Bush’s detention and torture policies as the backdrop to be measured against; in effect establishing those practices listed in the memo as the legal standard.

It is less damaging to investigate no one at all than to use the Bush standard to measure those few who exceeded even those most grotesque of practices against. All we’ll end up with is a few more Charles Graners in prison, everyone above middle management getting away without so much as public acknowledgment of having done something wrong, and a de facto Justice Department affirmation that not only will Bush’s team not be investigated for having done something wrong, but that they never did anything wrong at all as those same standards become accepted baseline to measure future prosecutions against.

This is far worse than Obama’s previous “look forward, not backward” stance. This is looking backward and establishing crimes and indignities against humanity as solid legal footing.

Major League Baseball took its annual mid-season break for the All-Star Game this week, but there was no break in the action in New Jersey’s 2009 campaign for governor.

Two days after throwing out the first pitch at the All-Star Game in St. Louis, President Barack Obama headed to New Jersey to campaign with Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine.  And earlier in the week, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele visited the Garden State for an appearance with GOP challenger Chris Christie.

In political campaigns, the stakes are high and time is always short. A brief hiatus, such as baseball’s three-day All-Star break, appears – at least at first glance – to be unwise and impractical. But think about it for a moment.

Baseball takes a three-day break while teams are competing for first place, players are chasing records, and milestones are approaching – and it does not diminish interest in the sport or the intensity of competition.  In fact, teams, players and fans can be re-energized by the break, making for a more exciting second half of the season.

The All-Star break does something else for baseball that would benefit politicians: It humanizes the players. True, they are superstars with tremendous physical skills, but we also see how much they are just like us. Like fans, they take pictures and videos of the players and festivities. We see them with their wives and children (and in some cases, parents) at events such as the All-Star Red Carpet Parade and the Home Run Derby. And when they meet the President of the United States, their faces exude the same sense of excitement, nervousness and honor that any American would display.

Politicians often try to paint a similar picture. They strive to humanize themselves because they know there is a value to making voters feel that they are just like them. As Roland Barthes wrote in an essay about photos used by politicians: “A photograph is a mirror, what we are asked to read is the familiar, the known; it offers to the voter his own likeness, but clarified, exalted, superbly elevated into a type. This glorification is in fact the very definition of the photogenic: the voter is at once expressed and heroized, he is invited to elect himself.”

Another significant occurrence that takes place during the All-Star break is the opportunity to see that athletes who are fierce competitors throughout the season can actually appreciate and respect each other’s talents, and work together as a team toward a common goal. Political campaigns, by their nature, rarely allow for such dynamics. Instead, opponents are attacked and demonized in an effort to obtain victory at the polls.

Despite any benefits that may accrue if politicians followed baseball’s lead and took a short mid-campaign break, chances are slim that it will ever happen. But we do have some history that lends additional support to the concept.

After the 9/ll terrorist attacks, politicians – including New Jersey’s gubernatorial candidates – put their campaigns on hold. When they did resume, the tenor was more civil and the debate was more substantive than personal. Granted this was reflective of the mood of the nation at that time, but the different view we saw of the candidates was much like the different view we see of baseball players during the All-Star break.

We experienced a similar moment last year after popular TV journalist Tim Russert passed away during the presidential campaign.  For one day during the hotly contested race, Barack Obama and John McCain were not rivals competing for the highest office in the nation. Instead, at Russert’s funeral at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., they sat side by side, two of many people who had come to pay their last respects to a man they all admired.

Will we see any similar camaraderie in New Jersey during this year’s governor’s race? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean we should refrain from taking inspiration from baseball. As the president said before Tuesday’s All-Star game, “As a sport, baseball has always embodied the values that make America great – hard work, leadership, passion and teamwork.”

Indeed, these are traits that can lead to success on the ball field, on the campaign trail and in virtually all aspects of our lives.

# # #

Early in January of 2008, there were two things that I consistently stated to my friends.

1. I intended to be more involved in this presidential election.

2. I knew little about Barack Obama, a candidate who was increasingly gaining support. 

Shortly after stating this, I ran across a link on the internet to someone who purported to have engaged in sex and drug use with Obama in 1999. The allegation appeared to be nonsense, but I wanted to know more about this mysterious candidate, so I followed up on the story. I listened to Larry Sinclair’s Youtube video and was curious. There was something about Sinclair that appeared sincere. I had to know more.

I next found interviews of Obama by Tim Russert, the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times. There was a pattern in all of the interviews. Obama was asked about his records during his tenure in the IL Senate. In all of the interviews Obama gave evasive answers and refused to provide records. Hillary Clinton late in 2007 asked Obama about his senate records. A pattern was emerging.

I then went to the official IL Senate records for November 4-8 and what I saw next caused my jaw to drop. Obama was not present for the opening fall session of the IL Senate on November 4, 1999. I later found out that Obama was present for a speaking engagement on November 8, 1999, the day after Larry Sinclair alleged that they had their last encounter. The IL Senate is located in Springfield, IL, the capital, several hours south of Chicago.

I then knew that something was wrong with Obama and that Larry Sinclair may be telling the truth.

I have looked through the book. As many of you know, I had already read most of the chapters and covered the Larry Sinclair story more than any other source. The book is true to everything that I know and everything that Sinclair has consistently told me. It is extremely important that as many people as possible read the book and tell as many people as possible. Larry Sinclair has fought against insurmountable forces to get this book written and published. The really big part of his story is the great lengths the Obama camp has gone to to silence him. We must not let that happen.

After I had reached the point of no return in spending countless hours to attempt to expose the usurper, Obama, I resolved to do my part to make sure that Sinclair’s story was kept alive. The Obama camp was not only trying to silence Sinclair, but they were attempting to deprive the American public of the truth about Obama, something they had done so well with the MSM.

I will be providing some detailed reviews and corroborating comments over the next several weeks.

Stay tuned.

Let your favorite book store know that you want them to stock the book.

You can order the book in the interim at:

http://sinclairpublishingllc.com/PLACE-DIRECT-ORDERS.html