I have found a new friend and his name is Roland S. Martin. He has written a striking article on the Republican base and McCain: here.
The 'Phant talking heads are in an uproar over the inevitable McCain victory and America shouldn't be happier. Why? Simply put, the Reagan 'Pubs have run their course and the party needs to be redefined. As the article points out, McCain has "conservative" positions that he holds dear. The problem, as also noted, is that McCain isn't a slave to party agenda. How many 'Pubs are of an environmental bent only to be told that is a "liberal" platform? What defines a party platform has for so long been opposite ends of the argument that for a constituent it is all or nothing. The likes of Limbaugh, Hannity, etc have for too long spoon fed the lemmings of the party and cast out those who considered themselves more "moderate" with respect to the party platform. In McCain there is hope that reason will win over rhetoric.
The most distressing part of this McCain dilema is the given reaction. Dr. Dobson told McCain he wouldn't vote for him. Will Beck really vote for Hillary? The basic premise here is that a moderate 'Pub is worse than a Dem. Not good logic. And what of the Religious Right forming their own party? I have three words for you: Green Party Failure. I, for one, wold be ecstatic. Get the zealots out of the party and allow it to be driven by reason and not the bible. If I wanted to live in a religious state I'd move to an Islamic country.
The 'Pubs are being tested here. They are going to have to decide whether they can be happy with some and not all. They are further going to have to accept that the mantra spewed by the likes of Limbaugh all these years is not the mantra of the populace. If McCain continues to show his popularity the 'Pubs will have to accept that America may like the conservative platform sans the zealotry and extremism. McCain has no issues doing what it takes to get things done, even if that means working with the hated left. If this perception of McCain is accurate, bad for the dogmatists. Good for the America.
Showing posts with label Rambling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rambling. Show all posts
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Jaded
The pain of another football season passing isn't as severe as the past years. A certain degree of change is in the air (the ground water, your food, etc) or maybe it is age and the perception the manifests from it. I read Vic Ketchman on Jaguars.com regularly and he notes a sense of anger and hate within the modern fan. The idea of fun and entertainment has been replaced with a greater need. Message boards and blogs foster that environment and feed the need. Confrontation to prove something and be part of something, which itself is empty and pointless. Being right, aka. correct.
Taking a stance and putting forth an opinion walks hand in hand with the fan's favorite team. Whether criticizing or applauding the fan isn't able to escape the self importance of their opinion. It would be like arguing the acting of a movie and getting pissed off about it. Or taking a business plan and trashing the person who wrote it. Lost is the entertainment of even the talk itself. It begs the question of "who cares?". The fan becomes part of something that doesn't want him. The fan forgets that he is not only a spectator but an investor. You buy the tickets, you but the merchandise and you support the team. You don't play. You don't get hurt. You don't get a trophy.
It really begs the questions of "what else do you do?". Passion is one thing. Having a favorite anything lends to the ups and downs of the emotional switchback. But defining yourself by the team to the extent that you become engraged when you're challenged about an opinion is different. The simple idea of respectful discourse is lost, mostly because it is hidden behind a keyboard and a monitor. So when asking "what do you do?" the underlying sentiment is that whatever is, you aren't really satsified. You seek out ownership in a virtual world. That is sad.
The curious stat is found in asking how you would converse when your "opponent" is directly in front of you. I have argued this for gamers and it fits fan as well: you are losing your humanity. The virtual world safeguards you from dealing with the confrontation. It gives you the false sense of power you need. In my experience the more educated blogger or poster tends to distance themself from an emotive response and focuses on reasoned responses. I see those less often.
This is why I believe I don't miss it as much. I dislike fan almost as much as high school parent. Surely nothing brings me more disgust than going to a University Christian and Trinity Christian football game and watching "family fan" acting as if they were auditioning for hell. I've coached football for 4 years and this past year had the gift of simply watching my son play middle school ball. It was great. Pure enjoyment without all the calories. Fan needs to remember to enjoy the game and to enjoy other fan. That is why they call it a game.
...end of word salad...
Taking a stance and putting forth an opinion walks hand in hand with the fan's favorite team. Whether criticizing or applauding the fan isn't able to escape the self importance of their opinion. It would be like arguing the acting of a movie and getting pissed off about it. Or taking a business plan and trashing the person who wrote it. Lost is the entertainment of even the talk itself. It begs the question of "who cares?". The fan becomes part of something that doesn't want him. The fan forgets that he is not only a spectator but an investor. You buy the tickets, you but the merchandise and you support the team. You don't play. You don't get hurt. You don't get a trophy.
It really begs the questions of "what else do you do?". Passion is one thing. Having a favorite anything lends to the ups and downs of the emotional switchback. But defining yourself by the team to the extent that you become engraged when you're challenged about an opinion is different. The simple idea of respectful discourse is lost, mostly because it is hidden behind a keyboard and a monitor. So when asking "what do you do?" the underlying sentiment is that whatever is, you aren't really satsified. You seek out ownership in a virtual world. That is sad.
The curious stat is found in asking how you would converse when your "opponent" is directly in front of you. I have argued this for gamers and it fits fan as well: you are losing your humanity. The virtual world safeguards you from dealing with the confrontation. It gives you the false sense of power you need. In my experience the more educated blogger or poster tends to distance themself from an emotive response and focuses on reasoned responses. I see those less often.
This is why I believe I don't miss it as much. I dislike fan almost as much as high school parent. Surely nothing brings me more disgust than going to a University Christian and Trinity Christian football game and watching "family fan" acting as if they were auditioning for hell. I've coached football for 4 years and this past year had the gift of simply watching my son play middle school ball. It was great. Pure enjoyment without all the calories. Fan needs to remember to enjoy the game and to enjoy other fan. That is why they call it a game.
...end of word salad...
15 Seconds of Fame
So I'm listening to my favorite AM radio station (1010XL) and I hear that they are giving away 2 club seat tickets to tomorrow night's Hannah Montana show. All you need to do is wait for the queue song (Girls Night Out by HM) and call in.
But it doesn't stop there.
You then have to sing for 15 seconds, any song of your choice, at which point the hosts (Jeff Prosser, Dan Hicken and Tony Boselli) will vote who is best. It is 7:48 am at the Fullford House and I am mandating Mrs. Fullford and I pay close attention on our way to drop off Sara and work, respectively, so that we may dial in.
At 8:51 am I hear the song and quickly start pressing digits. 6 busy signals pass by but I am committed until I hear them come back on the air. On lucky 7 the phone is answered and I become one of three at this opportunity. First goes a guy who sings a country song...are you kidding? You have to go with the HM song. He sounds good, though. Next goes I. I had decided to go with Best of Both Worlds, but only the line right before the chorus and the chorus since that is all I can remember. But thanks to nerves I can't recall the line and sure enough I'm starting from the beginning. I know about every other line but can make it up as I go along. Thankfully they don't know the lyrics and as I break into "Rock out the show" I give it that extra UMPH!!!
I'm feeling good as they show their appreciation of my extra passion. Then I find out I'm going up against an 11 year old girl. No chance in hell at this point. Add to that, my wonderful cell signal drops. I call in quickly (first time and they remember me) to hear the girl sing. She is a bit off key but she is a kid. I'm a goner.
Then they start debating. The want to stay true to the process (as they are trying to be as professional as American Idol), but how can you go against a kid! Then the votes come and somehow I get the Boselli and Hicken vote (Prosser you must be on the only moral person on that show).
So tomorrow morning at 7:00 am I am going to the studio as one of 6 finalists. I have to believe there is some mom or kid amongst the finalists but it will be cool just to be there.
But it doesn't stop there.
You then have to sing for 15 seconds, any song of your choice, at which point the hosts (Jeff Prosser, Dan Hicken and Tony Boselli) will vote who is best. It is 7:48 am at the Fullford House and I am mandating Mrs. Fullford and I pay close attention on our way to drop off Sara and work, respectively, so that we may dial in.
At 8:51 am I hear the song and quickly start pressing digits. 6 busy signals pass by but I am committed until I hear them come back on the air. On lucky 7 the phone is answered and I become one of three at this opportunity. First goes a guy who sings a country song...are you kidding? You have to go with the HM song. He sounds good, though. Next goes I. I had decided to go with Best of Both Worlds, but only the line right before the chorus and the chorus since that is all I can remember. But thanks to nerves I can't recall the line and sure enough I'm starting from the beginning. I know about every other line but can make it up as I go along. Thankfully they don't know the lyrics and as I break into "Rock out the show" I give it that extra UMPH!!!
I'm feeling good as they show their appreciation of my extra passion. Then I find out I'm going up against an 11 year old girl. No chance in hell at this point. Add to that, my wonderful cell signal drops. I call in quickly (first time and they remember me) to hear the girl sing. She is a bit off key but she is a kid. I'm a goner.
Then they start debating. The want to stay true to the process (as they are trying to be as professional as American Idol), but how can you go against a kid! Then the votes come and somehow I get the Boselli and Hicken vote (Prosser you must be on the only moral person on that show).
So tomorrow morning at 7:00 am I am going to the studio as one of 6 finalists. I have to believe there is some mom or kid amongst the finalists but it will be cool just to be there.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Faith is a 5 letter word
I'm not sure humans, as whole, take the time to understand why things are. Profanity is one of those things. Is it the case that all things we, in America, consider to be profane words are such in all areas of the globe? Of course not. In turn, context is a critical component. Ass is in the bible. Bitch is used in the "dog world".
Couldn't one consider faith a profane word? The whole idea behind a profane word is that one finds it offensive. Belief not based on proof, faith, can be offensive based on the actions of those employing it. This isn't an attack on any one Religious faith: it also goes to those who follow what I call Eco-Religion. (Now I know that some will argue Global Warming is a proven thing. I do not wish to run that race. All I can say is that it is totally accepted and the cause\effect of humans on the environment is still open to much speculation. Eco-Terrorism is a component of the Eco-Religion that operates under a "faith" in the belief system.)
Back track...when the zealots of ANY system employ tactics that are oppressive, the idea of their "faith" becomes an offensive position. Denying gay's the right to be married because your "faith" in the Christian God and the Bible say they are sinners? Such an example shows how an unproven position affects others.
I surely didn't mean to attack this in detail or with any passion demanding quotes and other such research. Lets just say I'm running with this off the top of my head. Who knows, I may have to edit this later.
Couldn't one consider faith a profane word? The whole idea behind a profane word is that one finds it offensive. Belief not based on proof, faith, can be offensive based on the actions of those employing it. This isn't an attack on any one Religious faith: it also goes to those who follow what I call Eco-Religion. (Now I know that some will argue Global Warming is a proven thing. I do not wish to run that race. All I can say is that it is totally accepted and the cause\effect of humans on the environment is still open to much speculation. Eco-Terrorism is a component of the Eco-Religion that operates under a "faith" in the belief system.)
Back track...when the zealots of ANY system employ tactics that are oppressive, the idea of their "faith" becomes an offensive position. Denying gay's the right to be married because your "faith" in the Christian God and the Bible say they are sinners? Such an example shows how an unproven position affects others.
I surely didn't mean to attack this in detail or with any passion demanding quotes and other such research. Lets just say I'm running with this off the top of my head. Who knows, I may have to edit this later.
Friday, November 2, 2007
The Hero With A Thousand Faces
I'm not sure what this title means but I'm looking at my bookshelf and that one just stood out. Let me see if I can tie this in....
Youth football season is closing as the JWJ Trojans play their final game this Monday night at Stanton. After a crushing 26-0 loss to their arch rival Darnell Cookman, the Trojans managed to defeat Kirby Smith 16-14. Kirby hadn't lost a game in 3 years and I believe JWJ has never beaten them. As it stands Kirby, DC and JWJ are all with 1 loss (Kirby beat DC, DC beat JWJ, JWJ beat Kirby) so if they all finish with wins it is a 3 way tie. This will be the best ever finish for JWJ. Evan, as you know, struggled with where to play and his decision has given him great strength and pride in himself.
In addition to this success, my friend Philip's son Jacob's PCPW team made it to the playoffs only to lose to AFA last night 21-12. They played AFA, the 1 seed, very tough.
Sara continues to work hard at cheerleading. She is discovering how to work through the little aches and pains of life which I feel will go a long way in strengthening her character. Last Tuesday I watched her workout on two scraped knees, which with all the jumping, kneeling, etc put her in positions to quit or cry. She stuck through it! I think we will be doing soccer in the spring. We've started kicking the ball around and I'm beginning to see a bit of a competitive streak in her. Either that or she just likes to run and hit on her dad and brother.
Kerry and I are dealing with a down housing market. It is always good for the spirit to get your focus narrowed and this has done just that. There is stress that is relative to where we are in life but it allows us to look for sun drenched beaches and not washed out ones.
We are really enjoying watching our friend Julie Hadden on The Biggest Loser. She and Michael are such wonderful people and I'm hoping that this brings them to new forks in the road with gold at the end of each.
The Schoonmakers did not move and for that we set off some fireworks. Chuck is quite possibly one of the most down to earth guys I know. We're both very busy but our friendship remains strong.
There are other things of note that are probably more private, but lets just say there are some close to me that need your prayers (if that is what you do).
I think I see the title manifest itself. I hope you find the hero in these comments as well. There are many.
Virtual hug to all my family and friends.
Youth football season is closing as the JWJ Trojans play their final game this Monday night at Stanton. After a crushing 26-0 loss to their arch rival Darnell Cookman, the Trojans managed to defeat Kirby Smith 16-14. Kirby hadn't lost a game in 3 years and I believe JWJ has never beaten them. As it stands Kirby, DC and JWJ are all with 1 loss (Kirby beat DC, DC beat JWJ, JWJ beat Kirby) so if they all finish with wins it is a 3 way tie. This will be the best ever finish for JWJ. Evan, as you know, struggled with where to play and his decision has given him great strength and pride in himself.
In addition to this success, my friend Philip's son Jacob's PCPW team made it to the playoffs only to lose to AFA last night 21-12. They played AFA, the 1 seed, very tough.
Sara continues to work hard at cheerleading. She is discovering how to work through the little aches and pains of life which I feel will go a long way in strengthening her character. Last Tuesday I watched her workout on two scraped knees, which with all the jumping, kneeling, etc put her in positions to quit or cry. She stuck through it! I think we will be doing soccer in the spring. We've started kicking the ball around and I'm beginning to see a bit of a competitive streak in her. Either that or she just likes to run and hit on her dad and brother.
Kerry and I are dealing with a down housing market. It is always good for the spirit to get your focus narrowed and this has done just that. There is stress that is relative to where we are in life but it allows us to look for sun drenched beaches and not washed out ones.
We are really enjoying watching our friend Julie Hadden on The Biggest Loser. She and Michael are such wonderful people and I'm hoping that this brings them to new forks in the road with gold at the end of each.
The Schoonmakers did not move and for that we set off some fireworks. Chuck is quite possibly one of the most down to earth guys I know. We're both very busy but our friendship remains strong.
There are other things of note that are probably more private, but lets just say there are some close to me that need your prayers (if that is what you do).
I think I see the title manifest itself. I hope you find the hero in these comments as well. There are many.
Virtual hug to all my family and friends.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
I'm a convert!!!
I went out and bought an IMAC. After months of debating it and testing the product I decided to make the jump. And I couldn't be happier. Surely the Microsoft folks could manage to package a product in a format as appealing as the IMAC. I haven't tested the virtual component of running Windows nor have I delved into the world of 3rd party applications. The MAC based applications thus far have been simple enough but the learning curve is to come. It is easy enough to hit the Apple store for the free classes. I'm looking forward to the video and photo components. I downloaded last years Pablo Creek vs Mandarin (game 2) and the St. Johns game (post season) with ease. Maybe it is just being on something that isn't 8 years old. Heres to new adventures in computing!!!
Friday, May 4, 2007
Vacancy
The ramblings of a lunatic mind......
I remember when Gene Eugene died and how vacant the music world seemed to be. It truly is special when you find an artist that can objectify the world apart from your own language. Gene was a Christian Music artist who did not preach to you in his songs. He expressed the frustration of the world and of the people (B)eing in the world. Being that I am not a Christian by any traditional standards, it was refreshing to listen to someone express such sentiments while holding to a faith that offered comfort.
Faith in anything can offer comfort but it is a matter of finding something that can comfort you to the extent that your submission to any failures of theory don't bother you. Let’s not kid ourselves, unless you can prove first cause "Everything is a leap of faith". Finding something to believe in provides the frame by which we can make sense of life.
I guess that is what always bothered me about those who choose to define their world by a single emotional state. During the late 80's and early 90's (when I was clubbing) all the Goth's and Industrial's always made me laugh in that they did exactly what they rebelled against. Wore the same clothes, painted their faces smoked the same cloves, etc. There was no real rebellion against another group, merely adopting the same process and decorating it differently.
The vacancy is to belong. The rare instance that one finds one's self as anti-social is almost disingenuous. Even the anti-social finds a way to belong; through art for example.
YZ has filed a vacancy for me. In frankness it has pulled my last tooth that was biting the apple of the Bush Agenda. Specifically the idea that we need to be told to fear "something". We always need to fear "something", the question is how do we respond to that fear. More so, fwhat you fear should not be mandated. If we find that what we thought was right is reversed by a re-evaluation of ourselves, and in turn we are defined as hypocrites...then we all have something in common.
Faith in anything can offer comfort but it is a matter of finding something that can comfort you to the extent that your submission to any failures of theory don't bother you. Let’s not kid ourselves, unless you can prove first cause "Everything is a leap of faith". Finding something to believe in provides the frame by which we can make sense of life.
I guess that is what always bothered me about those who choose to define their world by a single emotional state. During the late 80's and early 90's (when I was clubbing) all the Goth's and Industrial's always made me laugh in that they did exactly what they rebelled against. Wore the same clothes, painted their faces smoked the same cloves, etc. There was no real rebellion against another group, merely adopting the same process and decorating it differently.
The vacancy is to belong. The rare instance that one finds one's self as anti-social is almost disingenuous. Even the anti-social finds a way to belong; through art for example.
YZ has filed a vacancy for me. In frankness it has pulled my last tooth that was biting the apple of the Bush Agenda. Specifically the idea that we need to be told to fear "something". We always need to fear "something", the question is how do we respond to that fear. More so, fwhat you fear should not be mandated. If we find that what we thought was right is reversed by a re-evaluation of ourselves, and in turn we are defined as hypocrites...then we all have something in common.
Your Party will not save you.
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