STUPID DOES AS STUPID IS-
October 30, 2004
It’s November and that means SWEEP weeks for all the networks. In other words, how far out can you get? How dumb, how bizarre, or how stupid can the shows be so as to attract the curious and up the ratings?
I think by now everyone has heard the CBS approach. Make one of America’s most popular and cherished presidents look like an idiot, who let his wife run his life by consulting tea leaves. Oh, and there’s so much more to get everyone excited about. You just have to see this mini (mindless) series now.
Not to be outdone, ABC is going one notch up the ladder to hopefully preempt CBS. From President, you go to God. So, ABC is doing a little program on Monday wherein Jesus is married. Oh yeah, that’s cute. Better yet, he’s married to a prostitute (Mary Magdelene) who runs off with his child after Jesus is crucified.
Let’s see, which gospel is that in, or was it Paul’s epistles? Maybe the “lost” books of the Bible? Okay then, how about in the mind of the author of the book, “The Da Vinci Code”, Dan Brown? Some mind! Hey no one said truth had to be considered. This is show-biz after all.
I can’t wait to find out what NBC will do. Hey, here’s an idea if it’s not too late. Let’s have Barbara Streisand play the first woman president of the United States. She pulls all of our troops out of every nation in the world, dismantles the DOD, brings to an end all of our major military units, and we all live happily ever after. We’d have plenty of money to go around so no one would have to work. We’d just all love one another. It could be a mini series entitled, “People Need People”.
Well, maybe not, but I am sure they’ll come up with something almost as spectacular on this season when nothing is sacred: not a living and ill president, or Jesus Christ!
Forrest Gump’s mama had it right after all.
DEMOCRATIC DIFFICULTIES
October 29, 2004
Imagine you are one of the nine Democrats running for president. There have been two major issues on all nine’s talking agenda: Iraq and the economy.
Yesterday, Fox started showing some exclusive film footage of the incredible atrocities by Saddam Hussein. It’s almost too difficult to watch the brutality, to which I will not go into here. The point is simple though. Those who have been against any war (Dean), and those who want to pull our troops out immediately (Sharpton and others) are coming up against some tough realities.
Saddam needed to go, and we can’t go because to do so would open up the nation and people to more of the same. We have to finish the job and that’s probably going to mean the re-election of Bush since none of the nine would do it.
Then there’s the economy, stupid. Well, then there was the economy before yesterday when the GDP bolted forward by 7.2% showing the strongest growth is NINTEEN YEARS. Now, it’s hard to go back on the political trail today and harp on the economy after that number was released.
One statistic doesn’t make a recovery and a couple of films don’t end a controversy; however, here’s the real point. When your program or agenda is just ‘anti’ whatever Bush is doing, you are in trouble. And when the two major planks of all of the candidates have been Iraq and the economy, well, today’s a tougher sell.
SAN ANTONIO BREVITY
October 28, 2004
I’m in San Antonio til Thursday night and my laptop is doing weird stuff - on slow as molasses phone lies, so I’m going to be brief, have been, etc.
The thing that’s been rolling around in my mind for several months now is WHEN we would see some of the terrorist bombings like we’ve seen in Israel, and now in Iraq. Maybe this week is the first of it but from a different front.
Many believe that the forest fires in California are domestic terrorist doings. What we do know is that there have been six attempts in California and Oregon to topple major electrical line grids by loosening or removing bolts to hold them up.
It’s going to get weird and one day we’ll understand just how the Israeli’s feel and just maybe we’ll espouse a different philosophy. The war on terrorism is indeed a long one and it will take many twists and turns to which we cannot currently fathom.
That’s it til Friday morning at which time I’ll be back on a T1 line with my desk top friend! 
CBS AND ‘THE PEOPLE’
October 27, 2004
It started out as a slow simmer and has finally reached the boiling point. I’m talking about the CBS film on Ronald Reagan; otherwise known as the liberal fictionalized view of the popular ex-President.
Those that have seen the script say that it is the one of the most blatant ‘hatchet-jobs’ on a politician they’ve seen- let alone a living, loved ex-President. He curses, he blasts sinners, and Nancy is worse. Nancy runs the White House, is on drugs, seeks counsel from voodoo new-agers, and slaps her daughter across the face.
In other words, the liberal producers decided to re-write history. It’s nothing new. On the other side of the coin, when producers DON’T re-write history, to accomodate the enlightened thinkers of the day, they catch hell. Ask Mel Gibson. He’s producing an honest film and the world, particularly the church, can’t handle it.
The advertisers are going to pay a big price for sponsoring the film and I’m afraid CBS is going to find out that the ‘will’ of the people is stronger than they thought. Maybe David Hume had it right after all.
A RED HOT REAL ESTATE MARKET
October 26, 2004
For years people have been saying how HOT the California real estate market was. Well, I don’t think they had in mind the devastation going on there now. There’s never a good place to have a fire, especially your home. I try to not write about what I don’t know. What a philosophy, eh?
Many years ago our house burned to the ground in less than an hour. It wasn’t the Santa Ana winds, but 40 mph eastern Texas winds. As I write this Monday afternoon, close to a HALF MILLION acres have burned, 1,000 homes have been destroyed, 13 people have lost their lives and another 10,000+ homes are in harms way.
But to my point. Greenspan keeps saying he’ll keep rates low and that there is no inflation. So, you want to buy a small 2,200 sq. ft. four bedroom home with 2 baths? Well, in LaJolla California, you’ll pay $1,362,000 on average. California in fact has 3 of the 4 most expensive markets (Palo Alta and Beverly Hills being the other three).
The latest figures show the national average for the above is $318,172: up 9% in nine months and the Fed lending rate is 1%? It can’t be done- for much longer. Today, the average new home for the whole of our nation was reported to be $256,200. Who can afford a QUARTER MIL for an “average” new home?
So, there’s no inflation? If you believe that, then I’ve got some desert land in Arizona that won’t burn that I’d like to sell you. Better yet how about some alligator infested land in Florida?
BACK TO THE ASIAN DILEMMA!
October 24, 2004
I keep looking for Wall Street, Fox, or some Investment program to talk about the vice that Asia and our unions have put the American economy in; however, I guess I should just give up. By the way, I never expected CNBC to fess up.
Houston, we have a PROBLEM! And it extends to all of these United States. It’s not just China that’s supplying 85% of all the goods that Wal-Mart sells, it’s the tech sector that India is beginning to take over as well. Most people are not aware of it but India is on course to overtake China in total population a few years down the road. You thought China’s 1.3 billion people was big? Check out India’s demographics.
And you think Bush has a big problem with 3 million workers that have become unemployed since he became president? How’d you like to be Hu Jintao, president of China? Each and every year, some 22 million Chinese come of “work age” and enter the work force, or hope to. Annually!
America has a short term and a long term problem and it’s being enhanced by our labor unions that continually ask for more! The only way that I see out of this is by delay, and that delay can only happen with tariff wars, and tariff wars are always bad for all economies.
So, what’s a nation to do? It’s a good question isn’t it. The answers are simple. One, we can lower our lifestyle. Two, we can quit shoring up the stock market and let it correct bringing evlauations back to normal. Third, we can revert to the gold standard and get away from the fiat money letting the dollar fall 70%.
But, do you think any politician would actually recommend ANY of those? So, we’ll just ride this pony until she can’t run any more- and that time is a lot sooner than we think.
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES….
October 23, 2004
I’m sure you can finish that phrase but let’s put a post-modern slant on it: maybe post 9-11. What goes around comes back with a loud BANG!!
It’s hard to find a better place to visit in Napa than Opus One. There are lots of great vineyards but few, if any, can rival the “tasting facilities” of Opus. Some places will give you three to five tastes for ten bucks. At Opus One you pay $35 for one.
So therein we have my analogy. Got it? Okay then, let me explain. Opus One has the logo of two faces on each bottle that stands for the combined efforts Robert Mondavi (who’s vineyard is right across the highway) and Philippine de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton Rothschild of France. Now have you got it?
Here it is then. Saudi Arabia is about to get their come-up-ins! They’re the rich kids of the neighborhood who are as two-faced as Opus One, probably more so. They’ve been supporting and underwriting terrorism and lying about it. Now, it appears, if the British are right, that the Saudi Princes are about to be on the other end of the terrorist bomb.
British nationals are advised not to travel there. They are serious! Australia issued a similiar warning the day before but of course they don’t have 007 working for them. There sure is a lot of “noise” going on that says something is up and I don’t think the nuclear agreement with Pakistan is going to help the Saudis.
What goes around does come around and sometimes it makes a loud noise!
WILD & CRAZY STUFF
October 22, 2004
Watching the meeting between Gray Davis and the man who terminated him for governor, Arnold, was a bit bizarre Thursday. I wonder how it was for them. However, after catching up on the news for the day, I see the California story was just normal stuff.
Oakland, California has blocked Wal-Mart Superstores, limiting stores to something like 1/2 the sq. ft. that Wal-Mart builds. Now there’s a novel way to keep the unions strong.
Then there’s Mel Gibsons’s Jesus film that was struck by lightning twice: even Jesus himself was struck by lightning and survived. Why not! And then Mel decided that he’d be the distributor of his own film. Why not?
With the times being what they are, it’s a bit unusual that the U.S. Senate decided to raise their pay. Did I mention it’s the 5th year in a row that they’ve raised their pay? It must be nice to be able to grant yourself a pay raise any time you want.
Bush gets heckled down-under. The Florida legislature decides to pass a bill to save a life while denying life to thousands of Cubans each year. Rumsfeld get’s his mail read- by the entire world. And, so on.
You know, it’s a strange world we live in and getting more wild and crazy by the month!
PS. An aerospece engineer in Russia makes $650 a month/ $6,000 in the U.S. An architect makes $250 a month in the Philippines and $3,000 a month in the U.S.
COUNT THE COST NEXT TIME!
October 21, 2004
I was blown away when the YWCA said that they were hiring Patricia Ireland to head up their organization. Did anyone check to see that she was the former president of NOW? Were they aware of her close ties with Planned Parenthood and other radical groups?
I am fine with Ms. Ireland supporting her cause(s). We do have freedom of speech in America, unless you’re a Christian: and then you better be really careful. The Supreme Court is taking up the “God” thing. Can we mention Him: or is He a SHE?
Listen I support Women’s rights, causes, and privledges; however, do we want what NOW and Planned Parenthood espouses to be taught to our young daughters at the YWCA? Well, I guess the YWCA board finally figured that out too. As they released Ms. Ireland (fired her after she refused to resign) only six months, they said, “the YWCA has proved to be the wrong platform for her to advocate her social issues.” Duh!
And why didn’t they think about that six months ago? Did they really want the YWCA to be more politically active and assertive? For her part, Ms. Ireland simply said, “In recent years the YWCA has been more focused on restructuring than on advocacy and my enthusiasm for advocacy might have raised some disquiet in some quarters.”
Let me say DUH, again. Raised some disquiet in some quarters? You mean like putting a bull in a china closet, an ADD teenager in a library for eight hours, or Sean Hannity at a Democratic fundraiser?
Some things are just too obvious, but I guess these days nothing is too obvious, and being politically correct takes precedence over competence and integrity. Maybe, just maybe the YWCA will do it right when they find a replacement. Better count the cost in advance. The YWCA doesn’t have that kind of money to pay off such high salaries (their mistakes).
A DECADE LATER & SMILING!
October 20, 2004
It was the late summer of 1992 when I found myself standing across from Planned Parenthood along with 51 other pastors who were being ordered to go before a judge for PRAYING on the streets. Yes, I was praying that abortion would be stopped, but I wasn’t stopping traffic, interferring with a person’s “right” to have an abortion, or being a public nuisance (except and unless praying is a nuisance).
We were to be let go without having to go to jail; however, I’ll always remember that year. I and four other pastors went on to form GHUM (Greater Houston United Ministers) and we opened an office across the street from Planned Parenthood for a season to pray and help the down and out. Can you imagine such an organization? Ministers United? What a novel idea.
Many people got saved that year and the next. I will particularly remember two prostitutes who were making more than $500 on some days that gave it up for the Lord. One came to church at LRC for a year before moving acrosss town to be with her mother: I believe her name was Judy. The other one married one of our workers and then died a short time later.
So, on this day when The U.S. Senate voted to ban “partial birth abortion” (which has been a seven year fight in the Congress), I can smile and though the victory is a minor one, no child’s life that’s saved can be called a “minor act.”
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif) called it “An historic day” but only because as she went on to say, “Congress is banning a medical procedure that is considered medically necessary by physicians.” The 64-34 vote follows the House vote of 281-142.
Maybe once again, we can take back some of the civility that our moral conscience has abdicated. Maybe, we can build on this first step. Maybe all those people who have fought (righteously) for the life on the unborn, will one day see this incredible wickedness of man removed. Maybe once more unborn children can be as valued as much as birds and mammals that one can go to jail for killing, shooting, or even maiming.
It’s a decade later, but it’s better late than never! I’m smiling.
CALIFORNIA UNION REALITY
October 19, 2004
It amazes me that most of the world is just not “getting it”, particularly the grocery union (all unions really) in California. It has to be like the denial of a drunk at all all night party, who just wants a few more drinks before he passes out. The 70,000+ union stock clerks want MORE. They can’t make it on $17.90 an hour (after two years service). Of course, they want all the perks and benefits they’re entitled to as well.
Has anyone told them that Wal-Mart is moving into the neighborhood? You know, that 800 pound proverbial gorilla. I’m talking Wal-Mart who is now in the GROCERY business. Ever heard of them? They’re building Super Stores as fast as they can and they’re coming to California! And they pay their non-union stock clerks $8.50 an hour. So, in essence you union people are forcing your emnployer to go out of business.
Hey, you too can be unemployed! Join the growing ranks of California’s unemployed and draw benefits for not working for a season.
Listen you can’t beat Wal-Mart. They have sales that are nearing one-quarter TRILLION annually. And the equivalent of the entire population of America visits their stores twice a month. They also employ more than 1.4 million people.
So, what’s your union going to do for you next year when Wal-Mart comes to your city? The answer is nada! The reality is the party’s over; however, the drunks are still demanding more booze!
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
October 18, 2004
How about now? Can you hear me now? You’ve seen that commerical, haven’t you? I think UBL or Saddam are using the same PR firm as the phone service provider. Both UBL and Saddam seem to feel the need to be HEARD from with regularity now. Over the week end it was UBL once again.
In the latest tape, particularly to the U.S., he said that he reserved the “right” to send suicide bombers inside the U.S. Now that’s a headline grabber. Who would ever guess that he’d ever do that?
My question is after 9-11 why hasn’t he done something here again already? Maybe his proclamation is just for his soldiers and not for our public consumption here. It’s been more than two years now and it’s not that he cannot hit us here again, but that Bush and team have been doing a better job of protecting us than the Democratic presidential candidates have been saying.
UBL and Saddam are obviously in a much different and difficult spot than they were two years ago. So, yes we can HEAR you. And the message from here is KEEP TALKING because every message is more than just a threat, every message is a potential clue of your whereabouts.
As Bush said, holding the bullhorn at the World Trade Center two years ago, “You’ll HEAR from us soon enough.”
IT ONLY GETS WORSE!
October 16, 2004
I have been writing for about three years now about the incredible future that China has. It’s not just the 1.3 BILLION people, though that’s not a bad place to start. When you begin with about ONE BILLION more people than we have here in America, you know being King Of The Hill can’t last forever.
It’s not just the fact that China has such low labor costs that they have become the manufacturer of the world. China can literally supply the world with all the goods they need- even including America with it’s insatiable greed. As an example, 85% of the things that you buy at Wal-Mart were built and manufactured in China.
When China sent that antiquated looking rocket into space for just fourteen trips around the globe, before falling back to earth from a parachute, most thought how quaint. Think again. Shenzhou 5 wasn’t much compared to our Shuttle or Russia’s Cosmonauts; however, China was the third nation to do it. They did something Japan hasn’t, nor England. Add Germany and France to the list. Get the picture?
Well, they did, they got several pictures. What wasn’t said was that they sent aloft a spy satellite at the same time. And the orbiting rocketship had laser picture taking capacity for spy purposes. Believe me, however crude and antiquated their endeavor was, it was just the beginning of yet another competitive area: one that America cannot afford to lose! But I’m afraid one day we will.
SO, WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
October 15, 2004
United Nations resolution 1511 was passed yesterday and yet another Democratic complaint was taken away. So, back to arguing over the $89B funding.
The victory for Bush really came out of no where. Maybe it’s because the resolution really means nothing but a PR gambit. Be that as it may, it looks good on the front pages of the paper.
The highlights? Well, the U.N. is recognizing the interim governing council that the U.S. set up. Really? So, who else could they recognize? They also said that anyone who wanted to send troops or loan money to the operation could. Really? Do you think France and Germany will?
Last week Japan agreed to a $5B loan and Russia said they might send troops if they thought there was something to gain. Isn ‘t that what it’s all about after all: what’s to gain?
Anyway, Bush is now off to the Far East with a victory in hand, the Democrats are mumbling again, and his poll numbers are back on the rise. Bush stopped over in California on his way out of Dodge to say hello to Arnold and to make some pledges and promises that might at least cause the Democrats to have to spend some funds there in 2004, if not really cause them to worry about losing CA in 2004.
So what did Resolution 1511’s 15-0 vote mean? Primarily an increase in poll numbers for Bush and bad news for the Democratic presidential candidates.
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