Random Alien Musings

No Retreat, No Surrender!

2011-10-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

I know how we all felt when Gov. Palin made her announcement because I felt that too, in the deepest parts of my being. But I've had time to think and process and I believe, especially given Kevin Ainsworth's recent editorial that this sets up for something more dramatic than any of us has ever witnessed.

Gov. Palin is a person of principle. We who support her do so because of this. She has demonstrated in the midst of the fiercest criticisms and trials to be rock-solid and immovable in her principles. She has "the stuff" we've longed for in the person we want to see lead our country. She has done everything and more to prove herself worthy to be the one that is truly capable of leading our country to greatness it has yet to see. But for this to happen, it has to happen beyond the norm of convention and party politics. As she said, it's going to take a seismic event for her to run.

She's doing what God has called her to do. She's speaking out and her voice is resonating around the world, literally. This world is thirsty for this United States to be the shining city on a hill. It's not that now and we see a world that is on the brink. I'm not saying the US is the answer for the world's ills but we can provide the example that brings back stability to a world in desperate need of it.

I see very clearly our role is to be the hands and feet of that seismic shift. We can make this happen if we mobilize and see this opportunity for what it is. By Gov. Palin listening to God, we have been given this chance to do something unprecedented. It'll make 2010 look like child's play.

This is our moment; our time to do what is believed to be impossible. Seize this moment. Remember why we decided to support Gov. Palin in the first place and put to action what we know to be true in our hearts and souls.

She was made...we were made...for such a time as this. Let us rise and be the earthquake that rocks the foundation of the corrupt party system that has squandered our resources for their own selfish motives. We have the authority to shake this backward system to the ground to hold it to account for what it has done. We have been empowered by the Almighty to fight for what is right. It is up to us to do what needs to be done so that the America our children inherit is better than how we found it.

It's not time to settle for the person either party puts in front of us as a candidate. “We The People” have our candidate. We choose now what happens...whether we allow them to pick for us or whether we flex our muscle, exercise our God-given rights, and decide who leads us.

I say we can do better. Gov. Palin has done her part. It's time to do ours. It's time to move the earth beneath our feet and lead this country out of the darkness into the light of its true destiny!

And with that, let me leave you with a word of encouragement:

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Therefore we do not lose heart.
Though outwardly we are wasting away,
yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
For our light and momentary troubles
are achieving for us an eternal glory
that far outweighs them all.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,
but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.

The Fighter

2011-10-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

I just watched “The Fighter” with Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams and Christian Bale last night. It’s not a kid-friendly movie but one I would recommend to anyone. It’s the true story of Micky Ward, a blue-collar boxer with an interesting family legacy hailing from Lowell, Massachusetts who beat long odds to ascend to the Welterweight Championship back in the mid 90’s. Much of the film is centered around the dynamic between Micky and his older brother, himself a local legend due to his infamous bout with Sugar Ray Leonard during the prime of his boxing career in the 80’s. For those of you who haven’t seen it and wish to see it, I won’t give away many more details. I’ve left out plenty so that you can still enjoy it for what it is…an incredibly moving and inspiring story. I think though it serves as somewhat of a symbol for what is going on now. I know I’ve compared Gov. Palin before to Rocky Balboa. Yes, this is another boxing reference but just hear me out because with all due respect to the Rocky series, it lacks what “The Fighter” has…authenticity.

Authenticity is something that comes at a premium nowadays. I think when people see it they know it because there are a lot of “packaged goods” that are on display. Take your pick…from what we watch to what we eat, there’s a lot of “repackaging” to choose from. As it relates to the Presidential race, specifically to the field of GOP candidates, the majority of candidates look and sound like something we’ve all seen and heard before. Because of that, Herman Cain is shooting up in the polls right now. People are hungry for a candidate that actually believes what they say, someone that doesn’t just spout talking points with a glazed look in their eyes. They want to know that their candidate is not a cybernetic being but a real person who can look them eyeball to eyeball and relate to their world to effect change in it.

Much has been made about Gov. Palin’s delay in making an announcement. Apart from a recent appearance on On The Record, she has been largely silent. I know part of that is prep for her upcoming appearance in South Korea. But I honestly believe she’s preparing for her run at the Presidency. And I wholeheartedly believe that she’s going to run as an Independent candidate. I have actually believed this for some time now, even before Adrienne and Nancy put thought to post with their excellent writings. Unconventional means a lot of things, but think about it. Specifically within the sphere of politics ask yourself this: What is the most unconventional thing you can do to run as a Presidential candidate within the structure of a two-party system? Add to that the potential gamesmanship being played with the moving up of key states’ primaries and what it does is set up well for an unconventional run to be made by probably the only person that can actually pull it off.

The fact is, Gov. Palin is a bonafide star. And if we think about this for a moment, in the celestial and social sense, stars have gravitational pull. Objects move in their direction as they move. There are millions awaiting her official announcement – those of us who will do what we can to provide her support in whatever way we can as well as those who make their living covering news. And regardless of what those in the news media would like for us to believe - that her announcement wouldn’t mean much at this point because it’s “so late” in the race - they will be scratching and clawing their way to get in line to follow her every move. Her star power in a very real sense allows her to not only run an unconventional campaign but to run a successful unconventional campaign. And does it not fit her like a handmade, tailored suit? She’d run and while doing so be able to do so without help or support from the very system that’s broken in the first place. Our two-party system is broken and corrupt at both ends. This way it allows her to run unfettered by that brokenness and corruption and plays to her strength which is running on the support of the people she relates to…those of us (conservatives, moderates and even some liberals) who have been long disenchanted with ineffective Party politics.

There’s a pivotal part in “The Fighter” when Micky Ward decides how he’s going to train for his championship fight. I’m not going to say what he decides to do but I will tell you he uses his instincts despite incredible outside pressure. And that makes all of the difference because it leads to powerful moments where the people closest to him have some come-to-Jesus moments with themselves and each other. They realize what’s at stake and are willing to have the tough conversations and confrontations to get past their issues to focus on the task at hand.

It’s setting up the same way. Our candidate is preparing for the fight of her life. And as a result those of us who say we’re supporting her have to look at ourselves in the mirror and identify the things we need to deal with to be effective for her. In some instances, we’re going to have to deal with each other and have some tough conversations to get to a place where we be the type of support she needs for us to be.

Don’t lose heart because we’re waiting. Use this time to get right and understand what’s at stake. Because we know our champion is going to go with her instincts. We have to be right and ready to move when she’s ready to move.

Dear Sarah

2011-08-09T15:14:00.000-07:00

I've been busy for the past couple of weeks trying to get some things going. I've been occupied with my current job search while keeping up with cleaning, my kids and the dog. I feel hopeful that good things are to come...I've redoubled my efforts and have employed some other options that I believe will yield good results. As they say, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Hopefully this will prove my belief to be true...that I haven't descended into madness quite yet.

Even while being caught up in trying to improve my current situation, I am aware with what's going on out in the world. Beyond the sweltering heat here in Dallas, there is the 14 trillion lb. gorilla in the room named "Downgrade"...or my recently Tweeted tongue-in-cheek jab at our current President "Downgrayed - the newest product from Just For Men inspired by Barack Obama." Hardly a joking matter, it's something I've been unable to stop thinking about. Even in the moments when I think I forget, it lingers still like white noise.

It concerns me like many millions of Americans who like me are trying to improve their station in the midst of so much uncertainty. It seems at times daunting but it's not the first time many if not all of us have been presented with long odds or challenges. It seems rather more the rule than the exception that this is so. And while that is the case, we as Americans still have much to be thankful for. Despite the many challenges we face, we still represent the best, last hope on Planet Earth. It reminds me of another saying, "To whom much is given, much is required."

That statement places upon me a burden. I KNOW that which God has given me I must share and use for good. I am guilty of letting people and what I think people might think dictate whether or not to follow through on my end of the bargain. To my detriment, I put off working constructively to put myself in a position to share my thoughts, feelings, talents, voice. I'm actively working towards a construct of how sharing what I have to share plays out. I don't have it all figured out but I'm getting there. I have good people around me who love me and who are supporting me. I know you know full well how important that is. It has a way of steadying you like nothing else can.

I believe you feel the burden of that statement as well. Despite all of the things you and your remarkable family have had to endure, it hasn't polluted your ability to see things more clearly than any of your contemporaries. You have demonstrated that over and over again, providing an especially stark contrast to the tone deafness of President Obama and Washington political leadership across both aisles. You did it again with your last Facebook post. Your words stirred inside of me and it struck me how often that happens to me when you speak. I know there are many like me who share my sentiment.

Real leadership is more than uttering stirring words but it's having the guts to do the right thing even when it means getting flack for doing so. I can't think of anyone in recent memory who has exhibited that very trait like you have. Many in the crucible of public life have succumbed to far less. I know you have a hobbled ankle but I'd never know it if you hadn't shared it otherwise. Your strength, tenacity and focus in the midst of our great national tempest is a source of strength for many of us. It's why those of us who support you are anxious, maybe even a bit fearful that you are thinking of possibly skipping this election cycle, ceding your candidacy to another amongst the field of contenders.

I can only speak for myself in this although I'm sure I'm not alone by saying that I firmly believe not just anyone else other than President Obama "will do". This coming election isn't about an alternative but about THE alternative. And you, Ms. Palin, are THE. You are THE antithesis and THE anecdote all at the same time. I don't pretend to elevate you to an unreasonably high status...I simply see that you are uniquely equipped to lead us during a time perhaps like no other. You see clearly when others don't. The other so-called contenders simply don't stack up. All of us who aren't blinded by special interests, ivory tower theoreticals and lefty MSM bias see this for what it is.

In the days to come, you will make public a decision that will put to rest all manner of speculation and rumor. It is my sincerest desire that you come to a decision that when all voices cease, is one that you believe addresses that burden I talked about a bit earlier. I can't imagine having to decide something with so many ramifications not only for your family but for this country. I don't say this with the intention of leaning you one way or the other, as if anything I said deserved that much weight. What I do believe is that your instincts are good ones. I do believe that this decision will be made like the ones you had to make in times past - with healthy doses of prayer, reflection and counsel.

And just in case these words do reach you where you are, I'll end this letter quoting a man whose words are much weightier than mine who posted a fairly famous newspaper want-ad many years ago:

Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful - honor and recognition in case of success.

Awaiting your decision...and ready to serve,

Kunta Evans

The Adult In The Room

2011-07-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

I grew up as the middle brother of three while my mom worked ungodly 12-hour shifts as an ER and pediatric nurse. That meant me and my brothers, one older and one younger, spent a lot of time by ourselves. And you can imagine that we found ways to entertain each other. For the most part, we were able to stay out of trouble . I think I was the one between the three of us that got in trouble the most which isn't saying much. We all had a healthy fear of mom because she demonstrated on a few occasions that "crazy" was just one idiotic decision away from showing itself...and let's just say "crazy" wasn't pretty. To be clear, mom=pretty; crazy=not pretty.

I know Mom spent many nights on her knees praying for her boys. That, and my older brother, kept us out of a lot of trouble. Kalvin was the constant male influence/older brother/imagined antagonist that looked out for us when we didn't know better. I gave him a lot of grief and made things hard on him at times because I resented what I perceived to be his status. He got to do things and go places which made me envious. What I didn't realize until later was the pressure and responsibility he had to bear by virtue of our home situation. He couldn't just be a kid...he had to be the responsible one most of the time because of Mom's work schedule. He was the de facto adult in the room.

As I watch the debt ceiling fight unfold, it's remarkable to see the gamesmanship going on both sides of the political aisle. There's a lot of posturing, positioning and demagoguery taking place while the rest of us try to press on with our lives knowing a boulder is hanging overhead, much like the one in the Nationwide Insurance commercial. That proverbial boulder would be the $14 trillion debt monster that's been amassed through reckless, irresponsible spending. And instead of treating this with the gravity it deserves, we get this kabuki theater of sorts. Being someone who thoroughly enjoys both games and theater, this is a time for neither.

Congressional Republicans resemble the keystone cops by presenting plans that compete with each other. Democrats have produced a lot of hot air. They've controlled both houses of Congress in addition to the Presidency and managed to not pass a budget in over 800 days. Leading by example is President Obama who seems to add even more dimension to the term "weakness" with each television appearance. While taking a condescendingly professorial tone, he blamed Congress for running up the "credit card", offered no plan of his own AND threatened to veto any budget plan that came to his desk which contained a short-term raising of the debt limit. If there was ever a time to exhibit leadership, it's now. But ever the class-warmonger, he's been spending considerable time making the case that if we would just pin higher taxes on corporate jet owners and hedge fund managers, we could pull out of this financial mess we're in. He manages to say all of this with a straight face while NEVER addressing the fact that almost 50% of Americans don't pay taxes. It's odd because I remember him saying something about shared sacrifice. Hmm.

If there was ever an example that showed the desperate need for principled leadership, this is it. We have a lot of unserious wannabe adults playing games during a time that requires someone with a steady hand and the ability to lead the discussion in a way that builds consensus. The answer to our debt problem isn't safely locked away in the brain of some ivory tower elite or entrenched career politician, neither of which has much to do with the real world that the rest of us inhabit. Answers to problems like this are meted out in very common places...like the kitchen table. Whatever resolution is hashed out between the President and Congress will have less to do with what's truly good for the American people and more to do with political calculus. Given the nature of the very people in charge of coming up with the solution to a problem of this magnitude, how could we reasonably expect otherwise?

I believe Americans are hungry for someone from the outside who can truly effect change that's rooted in the world most of us live in, the REAL one. We don't need someone who passes blame elsewhere and uses it as an excuse to continue pushing policies that have their basis in liberal academia. Instead we need someone who leads the effort of creating policy that really works, yes even the exhaustive work of vetting it from every possible angle to ensure it achieves the desired result. We need someone that truly understands the importance of transparency when it comes to crafting legislation that affects all of us. We need someone who knows that there has to be a clear line of division between business interests and governance. We need someone who actually has done the work of balancing a substantial budget and knows what it means to make cuts based on priorities even if they are unpopular. We need someone who understands the gravity of spending other people's hard-earned money and takes the veto pen to paper to cut programs that aren't worthy to be supported. In short, we need someone who knows the difference between sleeping well and eating well and chooses the former consciously.

The pre-pubescents occupying the halls of government are dreading August and September. They know that it is going to signal the ending of their schoolyard reign because a certain adult outsider will announce her intentions to run for the Presidency of the United States. Of course the "kids" won't like it...they'll resent her for her adult ways and thoughts. Should they be fortunate enough to have the scales fall from their eyes, they'll grow to admire and appreciate her for being the adult that gave them the direction they needed.

Time and perspective have given me a lot of admiration for my older brother. His adult influence was a lifeboat for me. Sarah Palin will be the same for this country.

"A ship in harbor is safe but that's not why the ship is built."

Undefeated Thoughts

2011-07-18T17:54:00.000-07:00

I had the honor and privilege of attending the 9:50 showing of "The Undefeated" in Grapevine last Friday night and I can tell you that I was warmed on the inside by the folks that were in attendance to see the film. And that was just the beginning of my insides being warm.

Before the film started, I had the opportunity to meet several people who were there as part of different chapters of O4P which was inspiring to see. They were there handing out bumper stickers, informal questionnaires, buttons and other items of which I took several copies of each. After getting seated, I heard someone call my name and it was someone who recognized me from the article I wrote just a couple of days earlier. We talked a bit and it opened up the opportunity to meet more people who were sitting in the row behind me which was great fun. One of them suggested that I stand up, announce that I was going to be live-tweeting during the movie as well as announce my Twitter handle so people could follow along.

I was overwhelmed by how many people decided to follow me and the response I engendered during the showing of the film. Everything went by in a blur - but I can tell you as a first time live-tweeter, it couldn't have been a better event to capture in real time.

I've thought a lot about the film since Friday night just processing it to try to put it in its proper context. In full disclosure, I haven't seen Steve Bannon's other films so I can't really compare it to those. I've seen my fair share of films - I've seen really good films, really bad films and one film - The Passion of the Christ - that moved me beyond mere words. Seeing that wasn't like seeing a movie, it was like seeing something else wholly different, like seeing something that "lived" or resonated in a way that other films I've seen don't. For me, The Undefeated was more like The Passion because of the way it resonated with me and others who were in attendance as well.

This is a film that moves you. It doesn't give you the out of just letting you sit there. Moving through the first section, which gives you but a glimpse of the hate that has been directed at Gov. Palin, there was not a sound from the audience. It was eerily quiet...it seemed as though people were shocked by the level of hate and brutality shown her. I have to say that it was shocking to me. I had seen some of it but there were a lot of things I hadn't seen. It made me consider how I would react if I were her having to deal with that. And then being a parent, it led to me think about how I would try to explain that to my kids as she has no doubt had to do to hers.

What makes this section so effective is that immediately after it's over, you see home movies and pictures of her growing up in the natural beauty that is Alaska. It drives home two things - the evil nature of the things that have been said and written about Gov. Palin as well as the extraordinarily ordinary nature of her upbringing. Sans the otherworldly beauty of Alaska, her home footage was something akin to Wonder Years with Fred Savage. Normal has many faces and interpretations nowadays but if you were to assign a set of moving images to it, you'd probably choose that footage.

From there it moves into the seeds that were planted in her that blossomed into full-blown activism during the Exxon Valdez disaster back in 1989. She wasn't trying to get rich or see her name in lights. Very simply, she wanted to make a difference to benefit not only her family but those who would come after her. What can't be overstated enough is that she was rooted by her faith in God, her family and her community from the very beginning and those things were what kept her focused and immensely effective from her time as mayor of Wasilla to her days as Governor of Alaska. Ironically, it was the time spent at the kitchen table with her family that drove so much of the innovation inherent in the policies crafted during her political tenures at the local and state level. What was plain to see was that her time as Governor was benefited by her time as Mayor. She was able to take what she learned as a two-term mayor and translate that into effective governance over the entire state. Simply put, she was a very good mayor and an even BETTER governor.

It was also interesting to see the political environment in which she had to operate and how it's a mirror image to the one that's operating in Washington. The Corrupt Bastards Club, or CBC, is not something that pertains only to the all-boys club that was Alaska politics pre-Palin. It is an accurate depiction of Washington politics today. The elephant in the room wasn't the GOP establishment corruption but the grittiness Gov. Palin displayed in the midst of the firestorm surrounding her as she took it on. It's important to note that she had people around her, a small group of warriors every bit as gritty as she. They're called the Magnificent Seven and they reminded me of an elite special ops unit. They were small in number but each of them had a unique skill set and each was as fearless as their leader. They were tireless in their efforts to right the system that had wronged the people they were called to serve and when the dust settled, they ousted a 26-year GOP godfather as well as the Democratic incumbent to win the governor's seat. That by itself is a remarkable story, one made for the movies - a mom of 5 kids, born of two schoolteachers, launches a bid for public office from her kitchen table that reaches beyond the desk of mayor and chairman of the most powerful state-wide commission to the Governorship of Alaska while defeating entrenched, seemingly unbeatable political special interests along the way. But as we all know, there's much more to the story.

The film did a great job of pointing out the fact of how much momentum Gov. Palin's addition gave to the GOP presidential ticket. Her RNC speech fired the imaginations of many millions of people and that began to build upon itself as she traveled the country and spoke to sold out crowds. She invigorated the McCain campaign and propelled it past the Obama/Biden campaign by a significant margin in the polls which I forgot about (I'm sure I'm not the only one) and which the media never mentions. It could be argued that had it not been for the economic meltdown that occurred shortly before the election that we'd be talking about President McCain and Vice President Palin instead of the current occupiers in the White House.

What is also shown plainly is what Gov. Palin had to face when she returned to Alaska and how her administration was ground to a halt due to frivolous ethics charges, all of which were thrown out. I think anyone who watches this film comes to a better understanding of why Gov. Palin decided to step down to allow Lt. Gov. Parnell to continue the work they had begun. She had become the focus of left-wing hate and as such knew the only way the people of Alaska would be served is if she stepped down. She did it knowing what it could potentially cost - but as she said earlier in the film "in politics, you either sleep well or eat well". Stepping down was by all intents and purposes the end of her political career but it turned out to be one of the best things she could ever do. No one has had more of an influence in the political landscape than Sarah Palin has and she's done it using of all things, Facebook, Twitter and well-timed public speeches.

The moment in the film that seemed to encapsulate what she's all about is the footage of her giving the "Game On!" speech up in Madison, WI back in April. There she was, speaking from her heart, shouting over the artificial noise of wingnuts protesting the Tea Partiers gathered, in the frozen rain, focused eyes peering through glasses covered in frozen mist. Despite the hostile conditions around her, there she stood, on the side of the people delivering a fire from her belly that rang in the ears of those in attendance. History was repeating itself all over again because with every political office she's campaigned for, she's battled adverse conditions and hostilities from all sides only to come out of it all stronger for it because her cause was the right one - her cause was and is the people's cause.

The light from her star casts a shadow that extends all the way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and they cannot even escape it. Her cause is true. Her record is unmatched and unmistakable. Her spirit, like the spirit of so many Americans, is Undefeated. That cold drizzly day in Madison was a shot across the bow of the current Corrupt Bastards Club in Washington, D.C. that a reformer was on her way to reclaim the White House and this country back on behalf of the people.

She's done it before...and she's going to do it again.

History

2011-07-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

From the time I was a little boy, I was enamored by Michael Jackson’s music. I remember racing home in anticipation of watching the world premiere of Thriller on MTV. I had butterflies, anxiety, nervousness – all of it, bubbling just below the surface as I plopped down on the floor in front of the TV to watch something unlike anything I had ever seen.

As it turned out, that video forever changed the way music videos were produced, financed and created. It was the first video on MTV featuring a Black artist. In case you were wondering, the year was 1983. It still is the longest music video in duration ever to air on the network, now infamous for many things among others not playing much music. The fact that music videos now have taken on, artistically, a life all on their own is related directly to the bigness of Thriller – the scope, the budget and choreography of it was beyond what had been done before.

Fast forward twenty-six years and the Thrilla from Wasilla entered the room of the country’s collective conscience. It was a seminal moment in American politics and pop culture. Her announcement as Sen. McCain’s running mate generated a lot of skepticism and curiosity. Who was she and why did he pick her seemed to be the $25,000 questions on everyone’s minds. And then she gave the speech at the RNC that ignited the campaign and the imaginations of so many people, me included.

I felt myself transfixed to the screen as she spoke; much like that night so many years ago that Thriller debuted. I was too young then to fully appreciate what it was I was watching at the time. Thankfully watching Gov. Palin that night, I was old enough to realize that I was party to another piece of history, watching her star being born as she spoke with clarity, conviction and contagious passion. As I took in her speech, it made me think about what it was that made me the conservative I had become. There wasn’t a moment that stands out to me but rather resembled more of an evolution over time.

It all started in high school. I went to a small private school on the Southeast side of Houston that taught Biblical principles and for me I had to start with the fundamental question of life and its origins. I had come to believe as a young person that Christ was above and over all and that He was the Creator of all living things. If that was the case, then I imagined that it must move Him to sadness to see our treatment of the millions and millions of unborn babies who were never given a chance at life. What about them and what did it say about us that our policy towards abortion was a signal of the kind of progressive, secular society we had become?

Perhaps it was too simplistic but I noticed that many who belonged to the Democratic Party supported women having abortions and I didn’t agree with that stance. On the flip side, it seemed that many who believed that abortion was wrong associated themselves with the Republican Party. Something else I had to consider was that Dr. King quoted Abraham Lincoln – the Emancipation President - in his “I Have A Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial. Those factors were plenty enough for me to fall on the side of the pachyderms. Then as time went on and I learned more about conservative principles – limited government, low taxes, free markets, fiscal discipline, strong defense, and individual responsibility – it seemed sensible to me. It. Just. Made. Sense.

Back to Gov. Palin – it was her plainspokenness that stood out to me beyond her striking looks and exuberance. She didn’t speak like a normal politician much like another unconventional political figure who came before her and revolutionized the Republican Party with his aura and substance. Like him, she didn’t talk around you. She talked TO you. She made sense. There are a lot of things that have happened to her and her family since that night that haven’t made sense…the attacks, the cruelty, the threats. But with EVERYTHING she’s endured, here she stands on the ready to inject herself into the 2012 Presidential race and make it as compelling as any monumental long-form genre-bending music video.

Speaking again of the King of Pop, there was another song he penned in the mid ‘80s. It was a song he and his brothers performed during the infamous Victory Tour of 1984 called “Can You Feel It”. It’s actually my seven-year old daughter’s favorite song. She’s got good musical taste, what can I say?

Should Gov. Palin throw her 50-gallon hat in the ring, November 2012 won’t begin an ill-fated victory tour. It will mark another revolution in the Republican Party, fitting of her luminary GOP predecessors. She will usher in a new era that will bring back America’s vitality, restore our hope in the future of our country and unleash the greatness of the people she’s been called to serve.

THAT will be something to see.

Exposure

2011-06-20T22:25:00.000-07:00

People often say that their biggest fear is public speaking. For many people, the very thought of it is enough to bring on an anxiety attack. There are those that even have nightmares of standing alone on a stage in front of a large audience to deliver an important speech only to forget their words from fear of the moment. It is something that has a way of exposing you that can be very uncomfortable and for many, something that inspires all-out dread.

It's kind of hard for me to understand. In full disclosure, I've always been a bit of a showboater. As a kid in 1st and 2nd grade I was the kid that was not only faster than you but to prove how much faster I was, I would turn front handsprings and run backwards while you were chasing me just to erase any doubt. As I grew older and played athletics, it morphed into an ability to be able to perform well under stress. It carried over into over activities involving presentations and public speeches. Sickly enough, I relished those times. It was, as in my athletic days, something I took on as a challenge to prove to myself and to those in attendance that I had what it took to perform under pressure.

Exposure is tricky and big media wields it like a weapon. But unwittingly, they have participated in their own undoing especially in the last few years coinciding with the rise of a relative unknown from a little town in Alaska. Sarah Palin burst onto the scene in 2008 at the Republican National Convention and, this is key, the MSM didn't know who she was. Oops! She wasn't even a bleep on their radar. Of the potential VP candidates, she wasn't anywhere the top of their list of those that would be chosen. And since they were, you know "the smartest people in the room", they surely had the inside track since that's their job and all.

They were caught with their proverbial pants down. So when she gave that speech and wowed all of us, of COURSE they had to marvel at it. They played nice at first because, well, to characterize her speech as anything short of brilliant would've been insane. It was there for all the world to see. She was fresh, beautiful, magnetic, commanding, passionate - AND a genuinely proud wife and mother. It was hard to get more Norman Rockwellian than that.

But that goodwill lasted about 12 hours, if that. Many began to descend upon Alaska to dig up what they could. The attacks came viciously...first target was her uterus, then her family, then her intellect - all in rapid succession. As she traveled the country with John McCain and energized the Republican base, the media scrutiny grew each day. Then the Katie Couric interview came and SNL was close to follow and before you knew it, a new caricature began to emerge, the not-so-flattering one that many people hold onto even to this day.

That caricature cemented itself after the VP campaign was over and she had to return to her duties as governor. The frivolous ethics charges ground her administration to a halt and as a result, decided to resign instead of spend her time and political capital fighting these complaints to the detriment of the people of Alaska. Add to this toxic cocktail was the shooting tragedy that unfolded in Tucson which claimed the lives of several people and very nearly a US Congresswoman. Who was to blame? Well Sarah Palin of course...because of a map her PAC used on a website preceding the 2010 midterms "targeting" strategic districts for the GOP to capture back from Democrats. There were several in the media who blamed Gov. Palin for what happened that day because her "violent" rhetoric was the reason for all of the vitriol in the political conversation and somehow motivated the actions of a murderer.

You can imagine that all of this would create a healthy sense of skepticism within her when it came to MSM coverage. And yet, this exposure to such hostility reinforced in her a valuable lesson. She learned that the best way to handle the MSM was to use her starpower against them by going straight to the people knowing they would be close behind following her every move. Her books and her recent One Nation Under God bus tour allowed her to get in front of normal, everyday people to talk to them without her words or persona being distorted. She even used the bus tour as a way to show the media she wasn't afraid of them by holding 17 off-the-cuff interviews. She spent enough time answering the media that some of them even ran out of questions to ask.

On the heels of all of this is the release of the 24,000 pages of e-mails during her time as governor which have been all too hastily poured into by big media and their hired help so desperate to find more fodder to spread to the masses. But all they've seemed to uncover is overwhelming evidence that she was a hardworking, fiercely loyal, tough, savvy chief executive that had total command of the issues facing the people of her state. None of this was a surprise to me or anyone else that have decided to throw our support behind Gov. Palin. It was a treat though to get to hear reporters say as much, perhaps surprised at what they found.

The same is occurring as The Undefeated is released nationwide as word spreads and demand dictates that more theaters buy rights to show it. It gets to the truth of who Sarah Palin is and what she stands for. It vehemently contradicts the slanderous, libelous, trashing of a rock-solid, honest, servant-hearted warrior. I, for one, can't wait to see it and will drag as many people as I can to see it with me - even people who are convinced she and Tina Fey are one and the same.

What an interesting piece of irony that the increased exposure of Sarah Palin during the last few months is creating momentum for her that defies the concerted smear campaign waged by the MSM, the very same MSM who's being exposed for forsaking among other things fundamental American decency.

Exposure is a double-edged sword, is it not?

Cakes and Circuses

2011-06-09T21:44:00.000-07:00

The Roman Empire was perhaps the greatest empire the world has ever seen. It doesn't take a trained eye to see how Roman civilization has impacted the world over and still does. You can see Ancient Rome's fingerprints all over our culture here in the States. Our very government and rule of law has its foundations in Rome - i.e. division of power between branches, election of representatives (Senators), the courts, passage of legislation, political campaigns, etc. We even imitate Roman architecture in our State and National seats of power (i.e. capitols).

The similarities with Rome don't end there. Our successes as empires have been unique in our respective human eras. Other empires before Rome paled in comparison in terms of power and size. For the last 234 years, there has been no other nation on the face of the Earth like the United States of America. Have you ever heard of people flocking to Europe to pursue "The European Dream"? And with that uniqueness comes a burden of a different sort. We, like the Romans, had to contend with rising powers from without regularly. Unfortunately for Rome and maybe our society as well, the Achilles heel lies within our borders. Rome's success and lust for power made it into a bloated, drunk animal vulnerable to a neighboring enemy desperate enough to topple it (Gauls). It became slovenly in large part because those at the top of the political food chain realized they could have all the power they wanted by simply giving the people enough "cakes and circuses" to keep them occupied, content with the way things were. Their plan worked to perfection but it paved the way for an unintended consequence - the fall of their beloved empire.

Fast forward a couple of millenia and we have, seemingly, the same thing playing out again in the US. As of right now, we are the world's lone superpower. We are the standard for what a functioning, democratic society looks like. Our soldiers have spilled blood for the cause of freedom the world over and has fought back against tyranny, oppression, fascism and terrorism. Our soldiers continue this effort to this very moment so we can enjoy the freedom and liberty our founders so wisely framed via the Constitution (not too bad for a bunch of White guys eh Clare Shipman?) We would do well to mimic the resolve of our fighting forces to take on those within our society who wish to consolidate power for themselves to achieve their self-serving purposes. I believe there are influential, powerful people both in politics and the media that have an agenda that is destroying this country from the inside out. They, like their Roman predecessors, know that they can hold sway over the great unwashed masses with the modern-day version of cakes and circuses called entitlements and entertainment.

And it is this that could be our nation's undoing if we as citizens allow it to be. Our future is at stake because our economic situation is in dire condition. We are in the midst of a debt crisis with a President and a Democrat-controlled Senate at the controls who feel we need to spend more to right the ship - the very same side of the aisle who have made it their mission to deride Paul Ryan for putting forth a serious plan to deal with our debt and excessive entitlement spending without coming up with a plan of their own. Couple that with the sensational nature of our media and it makes for a cocktail of destruction. Instead of holding our elected officials accountable for the fact that there are now 44 million (almost 1 in 6) Americans on food stamps, the MSM is spending countless hours diving through 24,000 pages of a certain non-elected citizen's e-mails.

There's nothing we can't do as Americans. We proved that time and time again. But if we think we can take our way of life for granted by choosing to focus on what fills our bellies and keeps us entertained, our fate will be no different from the Romans. Noted philosopher George Santayana stated, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
We must take seriously the responsibility that comes with the freedom we enjoy by being vigilant and understanding the part we play in ensuring that the America our children inherit is determined by what we do today.

Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Matt 4:4

Inspiration

2011-06-05T22:09:00.000-07:00

It's a feeling that is hard to put into words - it's something you know more by feel than anything. When I see greatness, it creates a buzz within me that finds a way to bubble out. I can't sit still or stay quiet. I jump, yell or laugh until I make myself cry. Art and beauty inspires me more than anything I can think of. There's something about a one-of-a-kind performance delivered by some uniquely gifted talent that creates a sense of awe and wonder within me that inspires me to do the same.

I would consider myself a Sylvester Stallone fan. He has managed to create an incredible career by creating believable characters that are very human. They bleed, they hurt, they lose - but if you push them enough, they'll kick your ass. One of my favorite movie experiences was going to see Rocky IV as a preteen with some of my extended family - an uncle and a few of my cousins. The Rocky-Drago fight goes down for me as one of the best movie fights of all time. Sure the outcome was predictable, but the drama during the match was choreographed masterfully. By the end of the fight, me and my uncle and cousins were standing up with other people in the movie theater shadow-boxing as Rocky took it to Ivan Drago, the unbeatable, 'roided Russian. That moment had a magic to it that I'll never forget. Can you imagine if something like that happened during a movie today?

There is something about underdogs that Americans love. It speaks to us at a place deep within us. I think we can relate because we've all been there at one time or another. Each of us can probably recall a time in our lives, whether long ago or more recently, when the odds were not in our favor. That usually doesn't portend great and wonderful things for us but characters like Rocky give us hope that normal people like us, unremarkable in a lot of ways, can beat the odds and do what most people would consider impossible.

I have to say that watching Sarah Palin this last week has been a thing of beauty. She is a phenomenon in the most literal sense, effectively dragging the media along for the ride of a lifetime armed with her beautiful family, charisma, wit and yes, her smarts. What she's doing is very unconventional - waging a multi-front war campaign against the media machine that was caught unaware back in 2008 and has been trying to play catch-up by smearing her good name and record ever since. One front, the obvious one, is the bus tour. She's dictated the terms of engagement by not telegraphing to the media her every move. They've had to play along and oddly enough have seemingly found a new level of respect for her. Sure they've whined and complained a bit and at times have resorted to their old bag of tricks but overall have treated her with more fairness lately than at anytime since the 2008 campaign.

The second front of this kinetic military action would be the upcoming full-length feature helmed by Stephen Bannon called "The Undefeated". Mr. Bannon himself, a former Goldman-Sachs lawyer turned filmmaker, decided to finance the project out of his own pocket after meeting Gov. Palin and learning about her story. Preliminary screenings have revealed this piece of filmmaking to be a potential game-changer for Gov. Palin's presidential ambitions as it effectively presents her as a person and as a public servant from those who have served with her and have seen the effects of her principled leadership firsthand. It tells her remarkable journey from PTO board member, to city council, to mayor, to governor and finally to Vice Presidential nominee as well as the obstacles she faced at every stop along the way.

Things seem to be lining up nicely for our modern-day Rocky. She's waging a very effective campaign to wrestle the narrative back from the media who have tried mightily to delegitimize her from the start. My sense is that she sees her momentum gathering against the backdrop of a grossly incompetent President whose policies have done nothing but create 9+% unemployment, a looming double-dip recession, a record-setting run of declining home values, record levels of debt, gas nearing $4/gallon and a precipitous erosion of credibility within the rest of the world. Oh he's had help and I'm not talking about GW43. The assist goes to the MSM who through their soft bigotry of low expectations has literally pushed open the door of the Oval Office to a gross incompetent - a person that has no business occupying the office in which he sits.

What awaits for him in a few months is a challenger that in stark contrast is worthy of the office of President, who has paid a price few, if any, has politically. She has defied the odds and has seen her share of battles. She's been hurt, she's been bloodied, she's even been left for dead. And yet the courage of her conviction gives her steady legs and an unbowed heart. Her unlikely story will inspire many millions of people all over again to support her in her path to the Presidency.

My apologies to Rocky Balboa but there's another underdog who has captured my imagination. I'm thinking she's going to be creating some magic of her own between now and January 2013.

Agendas

2011-04-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

Everybody has an agenda. It's like that joke that says, "An opinion is like a (insert certain bodypart here), everyone has one." We're human - it's just part of the territory, a by-product of who we are. Businesses have agendas. Governments have agendas. Organizations - whether they be charitable, non-profits, etc. - have them too. The media - who has been front and center in what seems to be an ongoing culture war - is not exempt. There are many folks, on the left and right, who decry certain news organizations who lean one way or the other. For instance, Fox News and MSNBC are easy targets for those of opposing ideologies. As it stands, Fox News consistently dominates cable news ratings on a nightly basis because this country is predominately center-right, although they do enjoy viewership from a growing number of Independents and even some who identify as liberal.

Having an agenda isn't an inherently bad thing. It's not a bad thing for a business to have the agenda of making a profit. What makes that agenda bad or good is how they go about accomplishing that agenda. What is the nature of their business practices? How do they treat the people that they employ and their customers? Charities should have the agenda of raising money for the cause they endorse as well as growing awareness among the populace as to the issues confronting the cause for which they fight. The press' agenda SHOULD be to inform the public about the issues confronting them, reporting on issues that are meaningful to all of us. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what issues are meaningful to American citizens.

Progressives decry Fox News because they resent the fact they have opinion journalists that lean to the right. Conservatism represents an affront to their very existence. Progressives want everyone to follow them down the memory hole. The problem is, conservatives like myself are stubborn enough to not make that mistake as well as remind them with history how progressivism does nothing but leave a path of scorched earth in its wake. Conservative principles, what this country was founded upon, have shown throughout history what it's meant to the propagation of freedom and hope throughout the world. Does that mean that the US is without its closet skeletons? We all know the answer to that question.

Let's go back to the press for a second. The press is deemed "the third rail of our democracy". Their role is vital to providing a check and balance on government by being an instrument of impartiality and reporting on newsworthy items that affect all of us, directly or indirectly. If there is rampant collusion between the press and government, then you have something resembling state-run media instead of a free press operating in a democratic society. One could make the argument that the press has always had a liberal-leaning undertone. Back during the days of Cronkite and Murrow, there was more of a concerted effort to report the news without delivering ideological slant. But modern politics has outed the MSM to its liberal leanings and the populace has seen it for what it is. As evidence, I submit the rise of Fox News, particularly on-air personalities like Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck. There is no surprise that as ratings for network television have plummeted, cable news - namely Fox News - has been the biggest beneficiary, receiving the lion's share of those choosing to get their news elsewhere. In it's simplest form what we see at play is an inverse relationship between network news and cable news. As one has fallen (network news), the other has risen (cable news i.e. FNC).

There are types of stories that don't get the kind of play among the MSM that makes viewers question their intentions, their agenda. Case in point is this story from Nigeria where at this very moment Christians are being massacred en-masse at the hands of Muslims (WARNING: link shows graphic image) as they protest the result of their recent presidential elections. What is going there is utterly horrific. Go look at Google for yourself to see the coverage this story has enjoyed from the major news networks. What you will also notice is that this story arc (Muslims and their actions/intentions towards other non-Muslims) does not get much attention from the MSM. You might ask why that is. You might also ask why the White House has been silent on this issue. Sure, the White House is very busy and has a lot on its plate with two wars plus an ongoing kinetic military operation, high unemployment, a disastrous housing market, an ever-weakening dollar, a mostly stale economy, unrest in the Middle East spreading at a dizzying pace and countries like China and Russia growing more powerful by the day. But when you combine what the press is neglecting to do by not giving voice to stories like the one mentioned above with the silence from the White House on this issue and others like it, people are going to start drawing conclusions.

What certainly doesn't help the growing perception problem the White House and the MSM currently suffer from is when they both take part in going to war with Fox News. It's one thing for FNC's competitors to directly go after them by making accusations or exaggerations to slander and defame. It's entirely another issue for the Administration of a sitting President to engage in a full-on attack of a network, trying to isolate and marginalize it because it doesn't play the same game the MSM has played with the White House - that is, sacrificing their fundamental agenda of accountability at the altar of access.

The best thing news networks like ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN can do as they continue to shrink in the shadow of Fox News is to go back to reporting the news with journalistic integrity. Short of showing more deference to the center-right, it's the best thing they can do to slow the erosion of viewers to Fox News. The best thing the White House could do is not demonize center-right leaning networks/news outlets like Fox News because of their wide viewership. By doing so, they end up insulting and alienating the voter blocs they need for support - most importantly Independents - who somehow always seem to decide the outcomes of major elections. Don't marginalize the people that have the power to vote you in or out of office. In more simpler terms, don't bite the hand that places the ballot in the box. It's the surest way to have your agenda traded in for one that more closely matches their own.

15 Minutes of Fame

2011-04-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

Most people seek out fame and the spotlight for their "15 minutes of fame". Reality TV is filled with such people. The embodiment of this is the cast of Jersey Shore - the oily, tanned New Jerseyites whom viewers can't seem to get enough of. Famous and headline grabbing for all of the wrong reasons, they inspire those of us desperate for attention to follow in their footsteps to gain their share of fame. They are the proverbial flash in the pan...the antithesis to substance.

Speaking of substance, I just finished listening to Sarah Palin's speech today in Wisconsin. It was electric. I got goosebumps listening to her address the Tea Party patriots in Madison. She projected strength, intelligence, confidence and a command of the issues that confront our country. She took the establishment GOP to task for their budget compromise, the MSM for their ineptitude and the President for his dangerous and reckless policies.

She was pitch-perfect. She sets the tone that the other GOP front-runners struggle to consistently create. But this is what she does. Time and time again when the MSM talking heads collude to attempt to bully, intimidate and corner her, she takes the air out of their lungs by delivering leadership from a place of substance that they can't do anything with. She stands up and speaks clarity in a way that none of the other front-runners can. Dana Perino, I have a lot of respect for you, but you're wrong. She wears authenticity like a well-fitted jacket. She's taken the slings and arrows that others have done little to defend her from. It's no wonder that so many women believe chivalry is dead. Watching her male counterparts stand idly by while she gets teed up by the media is stomach-churning. Men should be inspired by strength, not intimidated by it. But when you're a pretender, that's what you do.

I don't know if this speech is her announcement to run for the White House in 2012. If it was, it was one heck of a way to do it. Talk about a perfect convergence of style and substance. If there was ever a textbook example of this, it's Gov. Palin - glamorous AND doggedly determined to stand and fight as the day is long. There has been no one in American politics like this Sarah Palin. She and those familiar to sports have knowledge of the term "eyeball test". There are athletes that make it difficult at times to articulate their greatness - you just know it when you see it. In other words, they pass the eyeball test. Sarah Palin does that and more. When you watch her or listen to her, she reminds you in case you forgot that she's something special. She doesn't just pass the eyeball test, she crushes it.

Her detractors only wish she had just fifteen minutes of fame. Unfortunately for them, this is no Jersey Girl. The "Thrilla from Wasilla" is no sideshow. She's got staying power...and her eye on the prize in 2012.

Identity Crisis

2011-03-03T08:47:00.000-08:00

Even if you truly do live under a rock, you'd still know that we live in perilous times. Here in the US and abroad are real threats to our very way of life. Countries all over the globe are having to deal with struggling economies, high unemployment, political unrest and radical Islamic terrorism.

The US is no stranger to these issues as they are front and center in the minds of all of us. Even in spite of these issues, there is a tremendous opportunity for us as a free, democratic nation to lead the rest of the world. Unfortunately we seem to be squandering the opportunity because we have leadership within government that is apparently of the belief that our exceptionalism is nothing special. I guess turning the tide in two world wars, rebuilding nations, freeing people from despotic tyranny and being the most generous and prosperous nation the world has ever seen doesn't count for much these days.

What is disconcerting is to see our government completely tone deaf to the very issues of our time. Every day we see and hear more evidence that they just don't get it. When it comes to our border with Mexico, our policy towards illegal immigration, our stance on the war against terror, our foreign policy, our fiscal policy and our energy policy, we seem to cut off our nose to spite our face. We're told by our President and his administration that the way we're proceeding is the best way forward. But is it?

Looming ever-present is the mortal danger faced by those on the southern border and those who cross into Mexico. It seems that every week we hear of our citizens going missing or dying at the hands of the warring drug cartels. We have an on-going drilling moratorium in the Gulf which has forced people out of work and companies to go elsewhere. And as the drama unfolds in the Middle East in oil-rich countries upon which we are dependent, we pay an ever-growing price at the pump. We can't tap into our own natural resources like ANWR and the Natural Petroleum Reserve, a separate area in Alaska the size of Indiana, and instead are having to finance the pursuit of energy sources that are expensive and inefficient. We are presented with a federal budget that doesn't even pretend to address the massive debt burden we've accumulated amidst the backdrop of 9+% unemployment and 17% underemployment as far as the eye can see.

I believe there's a better way. We are at a crossroads in our history as a nation, a watershed moment in time if you will, that will say a lot about our future. We have to decide whether or not we deserve better than our current trajectory. We have to decide if our current leadership is our best option to position our nation to succeed and lead the world moving forward. Say what you will about "American exceptionalism" but the cold truth is if we don't lead, someone will. So we have to ask ourselves, what will the world look like with countries like China and Russia in the driver's seat? Is this in the best interest of our nation or world?

If there was ever a time for decisive, sensible leadership, it is now. We literally cannot afford another four years of reckless domestic and foreign policy dictated by a worldview completely disconnected from the reality of the world we live in. We need someone with common sense, practical wisdom regarding the world as it is, legitimate business savvy, respect for allies and a mindset to hold enemies to account, the mettle and toughness that only comes from fighting against corruption and special interests and the humility to truly serve the people governed.

There's one person in my mind that is uniquely positioned to deliver on these qualifiers. Her name is Sarah Palin. She's not perfect but is ideally suited for a time like this. Despite being dissected and vilified in every way possible, left for dead politically more than a handful of times and attacked in sometimes coordinated fashion by those who wield the power of pen and opinion, here she still stands - immovable, rugged, battle-tested, steely. She is the embodiment of what has defined America's greatness for the last 220 years. And it is that and nothing less that is required of our leadership if we are to move through this time of peril in our history to greater heights yet unknown.

We just have to make the decision that our greatness as a nation isn't something to be ashamed of but something we should be inspired by because we live in a world that needs it. It's the very reason why we need her.

What Have We Become

2011-01-29T07:01:00.000-08:00

DC Talk was a group I discovered during my high school years. Considering what they accomplished as a Contemporary Christian group is remarkable...even more so is how they did it. They started out creating cheesy Christian dance, hip-hop tracks and then as time passed, they evolved their sound, polished it and created something that was substantive with the kind of crossover sound that afforded them mainstream acclaim.

Their landmark album, Jesus Freak, featured a track titled "What Have We Become". The words of the chorus seem to provide an accurate description to our world's current climate:

What have we become?
A self indulgent people, what have we become?
Tell me where are the righteous ones?
What have we become?
In a world degenerating, what have we become?

The lyrics above seem particularly prescient considering the recent news coming out of Philadelphia regarding Kermitt Gosnell and his abortion house of horrors. If for whatever reason you don't know who he is, go here. Read every word...even take time out to read the report attached to the link that details out the charges made against Gosnell.

What you will find is beyond disturbing. The level of brutality and the duration of it is staggering, especially considering that this monster was allowed to practice "medicine" for over four decades and reap a considerable fortune off of poor, inner city residents while the Philadelphia Department of Health looked the other way knowing what was going on.

In case any of you weren't aware, I don't see abortion as a matter of women's reproductive rights. I see this issue as a matter of life and death, a matter of protecting those who can't protect themselves. That, by itself, is enough of a reason for me to see this issue the way I see it. But I also see this in another light. I view this issue through a racial lens. And I hope that by the end of this post, you'll understand why.

You might have noticed that Mr. Gosnell is Black. If you followed the link I provided above, you might notice that there's another Black abortion practitioner out in California that's being investigated for committing similar acts to Mr. Gosnell's. Make no mistake, there are more stories out there waiting to be told. Time will unfold these stories and bring to light even more unspeakable horror. For me, it's not just that these incredibly brutal acts are being committed under the guise of reproductive choice. What makes this even more repulsive to me is that these acts are being committed by Black men, whose ancestors were brutalized in much the same way at the hands of their White slave masters.

Please know I don't point this out to engender more White guilt. Lord knows there's plenty of that going around. What's done is done. The savage acts of White slave masters hundreds of years ago does not need to be carried on the shoulders of present-day White Americans. There will always be racism because of the condition of men's hearts. But by and large, we live in a very diverse society with more people of color in positions of power and influence than at any other time in our nation's history. This could not happen in a fundamentally racist country.

What I contend is that Blacks - who not that long ago were brutalized, tortured, even murdered because they were deemed as not fully human - should be especially sensitive to the plight of the unborn and the inequality shown them. There was a time when we could not speak to make our case for why we deserved equal protection under the law. Thank God that there were people who decided it wasn't above their pay grade to see our cause as a worthy one to take up. They saw a part of Creation that was stamped, like they were, with the very fingerprint of God Himself.

These little babies are no less stamped as we are. We, like them, were knit together in our mother's womb. They are just as deserving of equal protection under the law and they deserve, as we did, for someone to come to their rescue and speak for them in a way that they can't do themselves. Before this can happen, we have to wake up out of the malaise we've been in for the last 40+ years, conditioned to believe the promises of a political party that was to deliver us our balancing of the scales after years of inequality. It has helped create the conditions now seen in much of the Black community - disproportionate rates of single-parent families, paternal abandonment, teen and unwed pregnancy, incarceration, violent crime, unemployment, under-education...and last but not least, abortion. Blacks, while they compose 13% of the US population, represent 40% of babies being aborted.

What have we become? We (Blacks) have, in large part, become a people that have swallowed whole a debilitating mindset that has created far-reaching consequences that are destroying us. And to make matters worse, we willingly participate.

What we must become? We (Blacks) must awaken to this reality and grab hold of a better destiny than the one we believed for so long was entitled to us. We must fight for ourselves in a way that does away with giving credence to people and organizations we cede leadership to who are only interested in lining their own pockets and centralizing power at the expense of everyone else.

Towards the end of "What Have We Become", DC Talk asks:

What about love?
What about God?
What about holiness?
What about mercy
Compassion and selflessness?

So then...what's it gonna be?

Sticks & Stones

2011-01-13T22:01:00.000-08:00

You remember the nursery rhyme don't you?

Sticks and stones may break my bones
but words will never hurt me

What is it about certain people that have no regard for other people's feelings and just spout off at the mouth?! I can't begin to try to understand it.

I suppose some people just feel like they're smarter than everyone else in the room and that what they have to say is so important that it just has to be said, regardless of what's being said and how its being said. They just don't care. Their vast, expansive knowledge and self-importance trumps all of the rest of us mere mortals so we are just privileged to hear what they have to say. Because, again, they are so vitally important to the rest of us.

We all know what happened in Tucson, whether the MSM ever gets it right or not, we don't need them to tell us what happened. Six people died, including a precious 9-year old little girl. Many, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords were shot at point blank range at the hands of a likely paranoid schizophrenic who was fond of such literary works as Mein Kampf and The Communist Manifesto.

Before the spilled blood of victims had dried on the pavement in the Safeway parking lot, Sheriff Dupnik, the presiding law enforcement officer over the case, began the narrative that this was an act caused by heated political rhetoric courtesy of the Tea Party. From there the political hot potato was carried by the likes of The New York Times, The New York Post, The Huffington Post, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC and MSNBC but shifted more specifically to Sarah Palin who was instantly made into Public Enemy #1 because of a map produced by her political action committee during the most recent election cycle (the same kind of map created by Democrats on numerous occasions). That became her "Scarlet A" and had every liberal talking head's finger pointing in her direction as the ultimate cause for the rampage that occurred. As Markos Moulitsas (founder of The Daily Kos) so eloquently quipped via Twitter, "Mission Accomplished Sarah Palin".

And not to be outdone, progressive sympathizers have littered the social media universe with pleasantries like:

"When will the crosshairs fall over Palin?"
"Sarah Palin and her family are the #1 choice to get dic* cancer this year"
"I hope Sarah Palin dies an ugly death..."
"Sarah Palin's website kills people; I hope she dies gnashing her teeth"
"I hope Sarah Palin dies and gets cancer in the next two years"
"Got your wish bitc*. Join us in praying to God that Sarah Palin contracts cancer and dies!"
"My hatred for Sarah Palin continues to grow. I think this woman should be assassinated."
"I hope Sarah Palin dies a slow and painful death. That c*nt has blood on her hands."
"Abort Palin"
"She's gonna get gang-raped by my big black brothers!"
"Turncoat bitch"
"Whore"

Ding dong the witch is dead!

And despite all of this, Sarah Palin still exhibited grace, dignity and restraint in the face of absolute cruelty and vile. Despite the fact that there isn't a shred of evidence remotely linking anything Sarah Palin has done with the Tucson shooter, still the MSM falls short of setting the record straight to absolve her of any responsibility. They smear, gawk and libel her without remorse because of their utter contempt for her.

The progressives and MSM don't seem to understand, while held hostage by their own arrogance, that Sarah Palin connects with the rest of us in a way that they simply can't. Besides grow up in a small town in Alaska, play high school basketball, win a beauty contest, marry her high school sweetheart and have 5 kids together (and actually decide to give birth to a child she knew would have Down's Syndrome), graduate from college, join the PTA, become a city council member, get elected mayor of a small town, become governor of Alaska, take on big oil and corruption even within her own party, receive the Republican VP nomination, run a successful fishing business, pen a couple of best-selling books and challenge the establishment by standing for her convictions, what great evil has she perpetrated to warrant such venom?

What we've seen happen to Sarah Palin is on par with nothing we've seen in the history of modern politics. It's precisely the reason why she is uniquely positioned like no one in the field of candidates today to take up the mantle of leadership for our country during this crucial moment in history. It is this kind of leadership that will be necessary to restore our position in the world in the face of growing threats on our borders and elsewhere. She won't bow in deference to others, she won't shy away from the tough decisions whether it be concerning social security or budget discipline, she won't play political games at the expense of people's livelihoods and she will use her words...wisely.

Because few people in modern history know the distinct impact of words like she does.

Sticks and stones.

I Hate MTV

2011-01-03T21:31:00.000-08:00

I remember watching MTV as a kid and loving it because they showed Michael Jackson videos. It didn't get much better than that.

That was another lifetime ago. I couldn't have more contempt for Music Television at the moment.

It's because of a special that recently aired on an on-going reality series...16 and Pregnant. They recently did a special, "No Easy Decision", in which they profiled a teenager who decided to have an abortion.

I didn't think I could hate a show anymore and then this happened. As if it isn't enough to give so much camera-time to these teenage girls, the MTV think-tank decided to dedicate a show for one of the "safest, most common medical procedures in the U.S." In case you were wondering, those were Dr. Drew Pinsky's words in quotes. Dr. Drew was the host of this "special". Great to have a doctor give such good advice isn't it?

Safe for whom, Dr. Pinsky? Safe for the babies that are dismembered, burned and sucked from the warmth of wombs in which they were forming due to the actions of two willing people? Safe for the mothers who now have to cope with the promise of a life never to be made known, whose bodies and minds now and forever bear the scars of a deadly choice? Safe for fathers who live with the regret of not providing the protection only they can give their children?

It's disgusting. Our culture has rebelled against a culture of life. We take the things of God and regard them less than the waste we flush down the toilet. We choose, instead, to believe the lies of the enemy who, for instance, makes girls and women believe that their nurturing, life-giving nature is something of a burden to be cast aside for more lofty goals/ambitions like a career or education. For men, it's that manliness is something evil and it's better for everyone if we're, well, more like a woman (go see a Tyler Perry movie if you don't believe me).

For my culture (Black men and women), it's the lie that we're owed something, that we're entitled to money and opportunity to balance the scales of hundreds of years of oppression. And somehow, this will finally right so many wrongs. And while so many in Black communities wait for this tipping of the scales, they continue to suffer at their own hands via rampant crime, drug abuse, single-parent families, low-graduation rates, high incarceration, disproportionate levels of unemployment and teenage pregnancy. Oh and all of this while the NAACP and race hustlers like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton continue to line their pockets by filling itching ears with rhetoric that further entrenches this slave mentality. I just wish one time someone would ask Mr. Sharpton or Mr. Jackson how they feel about the fact that 40% of all abortions are on black babies when Blacks only make up 13% of the population. Maybe one of these days, I'll get my chance to ask.

In the meantime, I won't be watching MTV. Nothing worth watching really. They don't play Michael Jackson videos anymore anyway.

Transition

2010-10-02T12:53:00.000-07:00

It's been an interesting time of transition these last few months.

We just moved from Northwest Arkansas to the Dallas area where Lisa was raised. Honestly, it's nice to be closer to family. Although we have so many amazing friendships up in NWA, we missed being close to our families. And though we grew fond of NWA, we always thought we'd somehow end up back in Texas. It's always felt like home to us. We just wish we could bring all of our friends from Arkansas with us. That's the part that is the hardest to contend with...not being surrounded with all of the people that over the years have become very important to us. We will, in time, form new relationships with people we have yet to meet. It's a little scary. I can't speak for Lisa but it's kind of exciting too...exciting to know we are going to meet new people that we'll form strong bonds with. That, like anything, will come in time. Until then, it feels a bit like being in a strange place although this area is very familiar to us because we've visited so often and because this is where Lisa grew up for 17 years.

To say our family has been on a roller coaster ride these past few months would be an understatement. Life and the choices you make can make for some really tough times. One day we might have to sit down and write a memoir of some kind to pass along the things we've learned along the way. There are SO many things Lisa and I would do differently if we had the luxury of that time machine thingy Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite so often wished for out loud. Through our own mistakes and through the things we've endured, we've often found ourselves grapsing for straws, wondering out loud if God was truly there, if He truly cared about us and what we were going through. Anyone who would have you believe trying to live out an authentic Christian walk is easy is lying, delusional, faking or a combination of all three. I don't know that I've felt as big of a failure as I've felt these last few months than at any other time in my life. This walk has a way of stripping you down until you are confronted with the sobering reality of who you are at your core. Who am I at my core? A broken, needy person who knows much less than what I thought I knew and completely dependent upon a loving Savior who knows much more and better than I do.

Despite the challenges we've faced and are facing, we have reason for hope. There are yet unrealized opportunities that lay beyond the horizon, seen and unseen. Lisa is excelling in cosmetology school and establishing herself as a top student in her class, which I'm very proud of. It's exciting to see her do so well, finally following a long-held dream. I know she's going to be an exceptional stylist so it's going to be fun to see how that takes shape over time. Kaylise has transitioned to 1st grade in a new school very well. I think it helps that two of her cousins attend the same school. She and Isaiah LOVE being close to their cousins and one of their Grannies. We're just dealing with trying to get them to understand that although they live in the same town now, it doesn't mean they get to visit them every day. Good luck to us on that! I've picked up a part-time job working when I'm not in research, which has been nice since I haven't had much research in the past 3 months (1 project to be exact). That has been a great source of frustration to say the least but I know God knows my situation and my need for work. The pain of not feeling productive as a man who is responsible for providing for his family is a very taxing, solitary pain that's hard to describe. And yet I know this is but for a season. This will not always be. I know I have to be diligent and focused on what I can control as a professional and leave the rest to God. He's shown us grace through family that has had to step in and provide us help with finances in amazing ways. I look forward to the times when we are the ones providing relief for those who need it.

My sincerest thanks to those of you, our friends and family, who have given their support, whether that be through prayer, phone calls, texts, e-mails or finances during this time of transition in our lives. We owe you so much more than the support you've given. We pray that you would be blessed seventy times seven for what you have done for us.

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Rom. 8:28 NASB

Ground Zero

2010-08-18T22:04:00.000-07:00

We live in very interesting times.

This Ground Zero mosque issue has exploded before our eyes and shows that there are still great and immeasurable hurts because of 9/11. What happened that day is unprecedented in our nation's history. And precisely because the trauma of that day has no parallel, the pain resulting from those actions will not ever completely go away.

What's really maddening to me is the reaction by some towards people like me who don't think the Park 51 project should go forward at the proposed site. We're being called "islamophobes", "bigots", "racists", even "un-American". Really? So does that mean almost 70% of the country is composed of such people (among which are those like Debra Burlingame who lost loved ones that day), this same country that just elected its first "black" President? Of course, the talking heads are saying this from the comfort of their nicely decorated television studios. It's easy to call people names when you don't have to look those people in the face. Channeling that famous broadcasting legend Ron Burgundy, "You stay classy San Diego."

The President's weighing in on this issue has been a profile in disaster. Full-throated and confident, he took time during a White House iftar dinner celebrating Ramadan to insert himself into the controversy. A couple of things stood out to me beyond what he said last Friday versus Saturday; first how he decided to deliver those remarks between those same two days and secondly, the content of the official statement from the White House concerning the celebration of Ramadan. Symbolism, decorum and delivery say a lot - especially when remarks come from the President. As smart as many elites would like for us to believe he is, it's remarkable that 20 months into the job he still gets tripped up by this. He gets so eager to kowtow to the Muslim world that he forgets about the people he's sworn to protect.

What this episode does is perpetuate the narrative that Democrats just don't get it. Let's go back to that official White House statement regarding their celebration of Ramadan (if you wish, you can read it in full here). The President stated, in part, that "Ramadan is a celebration of a faith known for great diversity and racial equality. And here in the United States, Ramadan is a reminder that Islam has always been a part of America..." Islam has always been a part of America? How so? To say this is an attempt to erase the intentional influence that Judeo-Christian principles played in our founding. It's an attempt to undermine the abundant Christian faith of our forefathers. Go back and read the words written by those who signed and authored the Declaration of Independence as well as the Constitution. Take a trip to Washington and go to the monuments - read the words etched in stone at those sacred places. You won't read about Allah, Mohammed, hadith, jihad or shariah. But if you were able to examine the cap of the Washington Monument, you would read "Laus Deo". If you were at the Jefferson Memorial, you would read "Almighty God hath created the mind free..." At the Lincoln Memorial, you would read that "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether".

It's not just the President "stepping in it". You also have Nancy Pelosi saying just yesterday she supported the government investigating those who oppose the Park 51 project. Really Ms. Pelosi?! Do you not have better things to do other than trying to intimidate Americans who have an honest, substantive problem with a mosque being built at Ground Zero? I've got an idea. Why don't you instead take time out to truly look into who Imam Rauf truly is and why he can't bring himself to say that Hamas is a terror organization, why he says Usama bin Laden is made in the USA and why the US was an accessory to what happened at 9/11? Why take a chance to embolden the millions of radical Muslims around the world by allowing this mosque to be erected on sacred ground knowing that Muslims have a penchant for building victory monuments at places of conquest?

Regardless of what Robert Gibbs says, this mosque controversy is a lot more than just a local issue. This is bigger than New York, city and state. People know that this issue reverbs throughout the country. Almost 10 years ago, Lower Manhattan was Ground Zero to the worst terrorist attack in our history. Today it serves as Ground Zero for the battle lines being drawn again as our continuing legacy as a nation hangs in the balance. We can't ignore the fact that our way of life is under attack by radical Islam and by those who wish to stifle and intimidate those who oppose this mosque.

Listen to the words of Raheel Raza, a truly moderate Muslim who in a recent interview with Bill O'Reilly said this: "I can't begin to imagine how they would even conceive of an idea that building a mosque there, which is an exclusive place of prayer for Muslims, would in any way build tolerance and respect."

Wisdom and the courage of conviction - thank you to Ms. Raza and those families of 9/11 victims standing on the front lines in this fight exuding these very traits so many in this discussion lack.

Unintended Results

2010-06-17T00:06:00.000-07:00

It's now been a little more than 24 hours since the President gave his speech from the Oval Office concerning the ongoing disaster in the Gulf. What strikes me is the collective outcry from those on the left and the right against last night's speech. Considering the times in which we live, when so much division prevails between liberals and conservatives, accidentally this speech has done what thus far Obama intentionally has been unable to do - create common ground for people that have completely different ideologies.

Then again, we've seen this play out before. Obama is making this kind of thing the hallmark of his Presidency - creating unity as an unintended byproduct of his efforts. You don't have to look very far back to see this playing out - the takeovers of AIG, Chrysler & GM; passing the $862 Billion stimulus package; passing ObamaCare into law, opposing the AZ immigration law and now the BP oil spill are just some of the instances where the net result of these realities was the collective mobilization of people from both liberal and conservative modes of thought.

I think what people are starting to see more than ever, regardless of political affiliation, is that the federal government has become a stammering, imposing, incompetent beast that wreaks havoc on anything it touches. Fifty-seven days into the largest environmental disaster the US has ever seen, we received a speech from our President that was about fifty-two days late. Not only that, a significant portion of it was a tutorial in political posturing. It was about making the spill and BP the enemy - and using that to promote a fundamental pivot in energy policy. It should've been all about stopping the leak, what efforts have been attempted to date, why those methods didn't work, what makes an operation like this so complicated, what solutions were being brought to the table and what was being done specifically for the residents of the Gulf Coast who are paying such a heavy price in the midst of this disaster - a region that still bears the scars from a little storm called Katrina.

What all of this does as a whole is shatter the argument that big government works. It also exposes President Obama to be lacking in what times like this require - decisive, irrefutable command and control - unintended results from a man and his administration that seem to be giving under the weight of present realities made with their own hands.

Amateur Night at the Apollo

2010-06-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite shows to watch as a kid growing up in Houston was "Showtime at the Apollo". For a long time in modern pop culture, it was THE place to go not only for Black entertainers but any entertainer that wanted to make it in the "biz". If they could hold their own at the Apollo, they could make it anywhere. The audience was legendary for it's brutal honesty. Many well-known entertainers have cut their teeth on the Apollo stage. Many of them had performances they would like to forget while others found favor with the crowd and with it, stardom. "Amateur Night at the Apollo" was for many entertainers the starting point of their careers...and for many more it signaled the end of their dreams. For those unfortunate acts, the crowd would hoop and holler until the famous "Sandman" Sims would come out with his hook and entertaingly usher them off of the stage. "Sandman" always played it up for the crowd. I likened him to a rodeo clown - part performance art, part diversion, part compassionate intermediary. When you saw him, you knew your time was up.

I wish he were still alive. We have some "acts" that need to be pulled from the stage so-to-speak.

The "act" I'd like to focus on for the time being is the NAACP. Yes, THAT NAACP. You may ask why I think such. Look no further than this latest story courtesy of Fox News. The Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP has created a furor over a Hallmark card that's been out for THREE years because some organization members have complained that the card uses derogatory language against Black women. For those not familiar with this story, the card features Hoops and YoYo, two very famous cartoonish characters that have an entire line of cards within the Hallmark brand. This particular card is for student graduates. The characters are putting the universe on notice that graduates are coming to take it over. The particular phrase that has caused an uproar is, "And you black holes, you are so ominous. Watch your back."

Like any upstanding, PC-conscious public company, Hallmark has pulled the card from stores as a result of the backlash. It's disappointing to me that Hallmark didn't stand their ground on this. I don't believe myself to be a marketing guru but I doubt the powers that be at Hallmark wanted to use a Hoops & YoYo card to slander a segment of the population from whom they seek business. Maybe I'm giving them too much credit, but I think they're smart enough to realize that only select Black male hip-hop artists have been given permission to slander and denigrate Black women to be merely sexual objects with which to toy and have their way.

But I digress! My beef, for the moment, is with the NAACP and with those members that decided to make this an issue to begin with. Correct me if I'm wrong but last time I checked there were bigger, legitimate issues to tackle like the disproportionately high rates of teenage pregnancy, divorce, violent crime, incarceration, single-parent homes and unemployment among those in the Black population. And I haven't even BEGUN to talk to the mostly ignored eradication of generations of Blacks due to pro-abortion organizations like Planned Parenthood targeting predominantly Black neighborhoods as places to set up shop.

The obvious inference from the NAACP's foolish act is that the Black community is in good shape - there's really no need for their organization any longer because the "dream" has been realized. We have a Black president after all, we have Oprah and Black culture's influence permeates pop culture here in the US and throughout the world. Sadly, nothing could be further from the truth. There are BIG problems the Black community faces, mostly of our own doing (or not doing), that can be solved only if we choose to make the kinds of choices that give us the future we desire - the kind of future our Creator had in mind for us before we were breathed into being.

For the Black community, there are still very tall mountains to climb and strongholds to break through. If the NAACP chooses to raise hell over insignificant trash like this, then I have a message for them. The message is simple - step aside. There is much work to be done, too much change to be made to allow an organization like the NAACP to continue to hold the sway and influence they have over the Black community. The hard, necessary work of a society is done by its common citizens - and it is up to them and only them to do that work. No one can do it for them - not an organization, not a political party, not even a President.

The time has come to put our tap shoes on and show the NAACP off of the stage. Amateur Night is over. It's our duty to show them the way out and get to work.

Two Horns and a Sarah

2010-01-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

There are just some things that strike a nerve with me, like hearing a bunch of trash come out of the mouths of Arkansas Razorback fans after my Longhorns lost last night. You'd think it was the Razorbacks that played in the title game last night. But no, living vicariously through another team because theirs isn't good enough, I get to hear all of this riff-raff which tires me.

Enough about that. :)

Like I was saying before, there are some things that just strike a nerve with me. Sarah Palin is someone I really admire. I have to admit I hadn't heard of her before John McCain picked her to be his running mate for his unsuccessful 2008 Presidential bid. But seeing her the night she delivered her speech at the RNC opened my eyes. I saw someone beautiful and strong, capable and genuine - a woman unafraid of who she was and willing to accept the role she had been chosen for. I was a fan from that night. And I'm a bigger fan now than I was then. I have not EVER seen any political figure treated the way she's been treated by the media and never imagined that I ever would. Not surprisingly though, despite the vicious and unwarranted attacks upon her and her family, she's still standing tall and continues to gain popularity.

Remember those 11 AP journalists that were commissioned to scour her book (yes I bought it and am reading it, unlike my lib friends who criticize without reading) to find all of those wild inconsistencies? I do. Do you remember the HUGE press conference that was assembled to reveal their findings? I don't. For all of you that are awake, you know there wasn't one. There was no announcement because the AP and the leftist media doesn't have the stones to admit that they're wrong about Sarah. She's the anti-Obama and for as much energy as they've devoted to making their man they've devoted an equal amount of energy to destroy her. Too bad the attacks haven't worked and instead are having an unintended effect - they're making her stronger and more popular among Independents and undecideds. I heard a saying once that certainly illustrates this point - liberalism accomplishes the opposite of what it intends.

Speaking of which, I came across a great article written by a "recovering liberal" called "The Wilding of Sarah Palin". It's a great read...not a long article but really well-written, thoughtful and introspective. Give it a gander...you'll be better for it.

Oh by the way, Hook 'Em!

Livin' The Dream?

2009-12-08T07:51:00.000-08:00

In one of the most famous speeches ever delivered, Dr. King in his "I Have A Dream" speech famously stated:

"I have a dream that one day that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Today I stand on the shoulders of his and his contemporaries. Any success I enjoy today is in large part because of the cost they paid for taking a stand for freedom and liberty in the face of unadulterated racism and discrimination. There is no doubt in my mind that their sacrifice has opened doors for me that just 50 years ago, I would not have access to. Beyond me, blacks who enjoy huge amounts of fame and success today also do so because of the sacrifices made by Dr. King and other prominent blacks of his time who were what I would call "the tip of the spear".

Tiger Woods, no doubt, is one of those luminaries that has benefited from those aforementioned individuals like Dr. King who sacrificed so much. Multi-racial yes as we all are. His predominant ethnicity, because of his father, is Black. Again, do you think Tiger makes the imprint on golf and sports worldwide 50 years ago he makes today? Sadly, he finds himself currently in a very public and humiliating undoing because of the details of his marital "transgressions". I came across an interesting piece written by the AP titled, "Tiger's trouble widen his distance with blacks". I'd recommend it just because it's an interesting and provacative perspective on this unfolding story. The article supposes that Tiger's current predicament has alienated him from the Black community. One section in particular caught my attention. It is as follows:

"The color of one's companion has long been a major measure of 'blackness' - which is a big reason why the biracial Barack Obama was able to fend off early questions about his black authenticity.

'Had Barack had a white wife, I would have thought twice about voting for him,' Johnson Cooper said." (emphasis mine)

Maybe it's just me, but I find the quote I highlighted above extremely disturbing. Even more so than the paragraph before it talking to a long-established belief within the Black community, one I have personal knowledge of because my wife is White. Never mind that both of my parents are Black and that I've seen and experienced more instances of racism and bigotry than I care to remember. That is, as is often said, an entirely different story. What I can't get past is that we have an obvious instance where a Black man cops to voting for someone because of their perceived "Blackness". The President, for this person, passed the Black sniff test because of his Black wife. And therefore, he felt Mr. Obama worthy of his vote. Really? That's all it took? This decision didn't merit more thought, more gravity, more consideration than that?

I have friends, close friends, that feel very differently than I do about Barack Obama. They believe he is a great President, worthy of the office of POTUS and that under his leadership, America is in and will forever be in better shape. I think he's a weak President, has done damage to the prestige and weight of the office of POTUS and that America is weaker and the global community is on shakier ground because of his leadership - to date. No doubt I could sit down with my friends who see things differently from me and we could both articulate why we feel the way we do. I respect that...the ability to intelligently debate and discuss why they view the President the way they do. What I don't respect, and actually am disgusted by, is the willingness to vote or come to a decision that important with no intelligence or weight behind it. I have no doubt in my mind that many in the Black community, like Mr. Cooper quoted above, voted for Mr. Obama simply because of the color of his skin. It's appaling, especially in the light of Dr. King's speech and everything he stood and sacrificed his very life for and those like him. They didn't march, do sit-ins, go to jail, get lynched, get fire-hosed, have their houses burned, have their churches bombed and die just so 50 years later, the very people who have benefited from all of that work could just practice the very thing they fought against - judgment based on one's skin color instead of the content of their character.

They (Dr. King and the like) deserve better...the Black community deserves better...the world deserves better. Instead, the current plights that plague the Black community still - rampant unemployment, high rate of teenage pregnancy, high rate of violent crime, high rate of broken families, rampant fatherlessness, high drug abuse, high rate of incarcerations - will continue to do so as long as we are beholden to the idea that everyone else is responsible for our situation except us, that we're just victims of a larger crime still being committed against us.

The day we decide that no political party will hold sway over us and tell us we need the gov't to intervene on our behalf will be the day that changes our current destiny. The day we decide to collectively commit to thinking for ourselves without regard to petty partisan politics and culturally accepted schools of thought will be the day when history will be made. The day we decide that we aren't entitled to a handout or owed something by the gov't or any other entity will be the day that changes our current trajectory. The day we decide to expect greatness from ourselves because we feel like that's a reasonable expectation for us, the day Black men decide to collectively step up and deliver the goods for their families the way they were created to will be the day not only the Black race but the world will be better off.

That and nothing less will be the day when we, when everyone, will finally start living the "Dream".

The Sleeper Has Awakened!

2009-10-09T08:05:00.000-07:00

For those of you that know me, you know I LOVE movies. It's long been a pipe dream of mine to somehow get paid for watching and commenting/critiquing movies. Maybe one of these days! Until then I'll just keep watching movies...and talking about them...for free. :) One of my favorites is not a popular one. "Dune" came out about 20 years ago and was a big-budget sci-fi epic set in the very far future. The star-studded cast featured Kyle MacLachlan, Jurgen Prochnow, Patrick Stewart, the ageless Sting, Linda Hunt, Virginia Madsen, and Jose Ferrer.

In short the film is about the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy, speaking to one who would rise up and bring life back to an ailing planet and galaxy. Paul Atreides (Kyle MacLachlan) is this movie's Neo, the one of prophecy speaks of. The moment he realizes he's "The One", he utters probably the most notable line in the movie, "The sleeper has awakened!"

This morning's announcement regarding President Obama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize has awakened me from my blogging slumber. Before this morning, I was convinced that the award was given to people that actually accomplished something of legitimate global significance. I would love to understand what he's done to deserve this award beyond give a few speeches, give legitimacy to a regime that killed people who opposed it (Iran), support a democratically ousted dictator (Zelaya), waste the pretige of the Presidential office with a hugely unsuccessful Olympic bid, burden the US economy with an anti-stimulus stimulus bill, work to push through hugely unpopular legislation (cap and tax - pending, health care - pending), appoint wacko extremists for czars (Van Jones, Cass Sunstein, Kevin Jennings, John Holdren - to name a few) and drag his feet on the most important theater in the war against terrorism (Afganistan).

And interestingly enough, not even the mainstream media thinks Obama deserves this award. The audible gasp that went up in the room in Oslo where the announcement was made is quite telling. The Washington Post, The New York Times, Matt Lauer and notable liberal blogger Peter Beinart all said what the majority of people here in the US think as well as what most of the rest of the world thinks about this decision. This is a joke - but of the unfunny, embarassing variety. Ironically this decision diminishes the Nobel society. Now anyone that can capture the world stage by gifted oratory and charisma without really accomplishing anything significant can win a Nobel Peace Prize. In my opinion, he doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Martin Luther King. It's actually a slap in Dr. King's and his family's face to award this Prize to someone that comparatively has done so little.

Well too bad for Chicago he hadn't won the award before addressing the IOC to pitch for the 2016 Olympics. Maybe it would've improved our showing and allowed us to make it to the SECOND round before getting the boot.

I guess my views make me a racist - it's his 50% whiteness I must be opposed to. :)

Sometimes Less Is More

2009-08-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

A couple of items of note...Michelle Malkin on The View this morning was something to see. She is a powerhouse and just leaves people in her wake...just ask Matt Lauer and now Joy Behar.

On an unrelated note, I came across this story concerning a very chilling, recent incidence of Christian persecution in Pakistan. A good friend of mine recently noted a shirt they saw that said, "Science flies you to the moon; Religion flies planes into buildings." It's a sad but accurate commentary on the world we live in today. The silver lining in this cloud is that in these times, Christians have the immense opportunity to show off a living, breathing Savior who loved this world enough to die for it. I pray the Lord steels all of us Chrsitians around the world in these uneven times. We need His strength now more than ever.

Open Our Eyes

2009-08-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share something with all of you.

The link below is to a series of blogposts from a team of young people that recently went to the African country of Rwanda. What has happened there within the last 10-15 years is staggering beyond words. Despite the incomprehensible cruelty of men hell-bent on committing all manner of evil, it is very apparent that God's great power is on display in those whose lives have been spared.

I hope everyone that comes across this post takes the time to read the blog entries. I hope it stirs something in you as it has in me.

Be blessed today.

http://www.saturdaynightstudents.blogspot.com/

What's A Beer Among Friends?

2009-07-27T22:54:00.000-07:00

What's a beer among friends right? I mean, I'm trying to remember the last time I accused someone of acting stupidly before I knew all of the facts, then offered a pretty lame excuse for an apology to them, then invited them over for beer, along with my friend who hurled racial accusations towards this someone and for good measure, insulted their mother. Please tell me I'm not the only one that sees the incredibly condescending and disingenuous nature of this whole shameful debacle.

As a black man, I am ashamed and appalled at the careless attempt to paint this whole episode as one more instance of black victimization at the hands of an angry white police officer. Prof. Gates is a race-baiter who happens to be a well-respected intellectual and icon within the Black community. He uses his prominence within Harvard and within the Black community to play upon the fears, real or imagined, that Blacks have concerning the police, specifically white police officers, by painting himself a helpless, bewildered victim of deep-seeded white racism. What is more troubling to me is the irresponsible, careless, and reckless nature with which the President inserted himself into the middle of this whole situation. He's used the Presidential office as a way to verbally put a load of bricks on someone trying to do their job, while fully admitting he didn't have all of the facts. Now as a Harvard law student, I'm sure he had some courses that covered proper decorum regarding how to speak to and properly address a case or legal incident pending full disclosure of the facts.

Trying to soften the blowback from his previous statement, he comes back later to talk about how all of this has become a teachable moment while never saying the two words that would've sent an enormous message..."I'm sorry." For all of his brilliance, it baffles me how he could so carelessly offer judgement on a situation and on a person he knew nothing about while refusing to offer a sincere apology that could've spoken volumes to so many people directly and indirectly involved in the situation. And now, the President has invited Prof. Gates and Sgt. Crowley to the White House for a beer to talk things over and put things aside. Frankly, the one person I believe that has acted the most professional and most befitting of his stature and station is Sgt. Crowley, who has been vilified and demonized by two people who know full well the cruelty that is baseless accusations and slander.

No, this won't be a beer among friends. Rather, this should be an instructional for President Obama and Prof. Gates as to how to act in a way that's befitting their respective stations. Someone should take notes...they could probably learn something from a true professional.

The Grand Canyon

2009-07-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

It is certainly something everyone should have the opportunity to see at least once in their lifetime...the Grand Canyon. Lisa and I saw it from a birds eye view when we went to Las Vegas a few years ago with some friends of ours. Even from our cozy plane seats thousands of feet in the air, you couldn't help but be in awe of the size and scale of it. It's amazing to see.

It is also that (The Grand Canyon) which separates rhetoric from reform. Here's the context. Unless you've been living under a rock for the last few months, you know that other than Michael Jackson's death investigation, the story getting the most air-time is the push from the President for health-care reform. He has pushed all of his chips to the middle of the table...he has put the pressure on Congress to pass a measure before the end of the year. Well, that was after the Senate Majority Leader and the House Speaker both said it won't happen before Congressional recess in August which was the original timeframe. We had the primetime pseudo news conference a couple of nights ago called by the President to pitch his plan one more time to the American people. A blind person could concede that the President has no lack of charisma or style. But what really counts right now is substance. It's the stuff that should be there when you pull away all of the pomp and circumstance. And instead of Americans coming away with a better sense of the plan itself and how it's going to be paid for, more Americans now disapprove of the plan and it's direction. Not helping things is his own admission a few days ago concerning his lack of knowledge of certain provisions in the bill itself. You don't have to be entrenched in the workings of the law to know that to push and pitch for a piece of leglislature that self-admittedly you don't have full knowledge of is fool-hearty and careless. It will also prove to erode his ability going forward to push major pieces of his agenda through Congress because he won't have the politcal capital or the power of his appeal to push policy forward.

In an effort to be solutions-focused instead of merely critical, what I would propose as an alternative to this bill is one that allows for the choice for medical care to fall in the hands of the citizens instead of the government. Are the citizens not smart enough to make their own choice regarding medical care? Give everyone without medical insurance a medical spending account. Lord knows there's enough money out there to give each of the approx. 50 million citizens without health care money in their respective accounts to get the medical care they need. Create a credit card, much like the one given to those who qualify for unemployment assistance, so that those funds are used for what they're intended. The card can be programmed in a way that would allow it to only be recognized at medical care institutions. Moreso, if the aim is to truly drive costs out of the health care system, put in place substantive tort reform. Doctors are forced to purchase all kinds of malpractice insurance before they can actually get to the business of the Hippocractic oath. The costs doctors incur to protect themselves from frivolous lawsuits is passed down to you and me and guess what folks, those costs don't decrease over time...they increase, which means that our medical costs continue to go up.

But to do this, it would mean that Democrats and Republicans would have to cut their ties to the special interests that allow them to profit from the exorbitant money gained by trial lawyers as a result of malpractice suits. I do find it interesting that the President mentioned going after these insurance companies that are posting record profits as medical costs go up...basically demonizing them for turning a profit when that's what effective business does. And all the while never even remotely mentioning that maybe, just maybe, the ridiculous amount of malpractice lawsuits and those monetary judgements may have some tie to the rise in medical costs. But then that would mean he'd be bringing scrutiny on a group of people with which he has close ties to (trial lawyers). He could if he wanted to. And if he decided to do so, it would probably affect some change which is duly needed. He still has quite a bit of political capital, which in this case, could be used to bring about true reform that could greatly impact all of us.

But therein lies the picture...the canyon-wide difference between rhetoric and reform.

A Healthy Dose of Perspective

2009-06-26T23:39:00.000-07:00

I gotta say I was pretty saddened to hear of Michael Jackson's death yesterday, as well as Farrah Fawcett's. I was also saddened to hear of Ed McMahon's passing last week.

What makes me even more sad is the fact that our President made his statement of condolence via Robert Gibbs so quickly (less than 24 hours) after Jackson's death when it took him three days to offer his statement of condolence to the family of Pvt. William Long (army recruiter based in Little Rock) who was shot and killed by a crazed Muslim jihadist.

Look, I understand the knee-jerk reaction to gush on someone as luminary as Michael Jackson in the wake of his untimely death.

But what happened to Pvt. Long should be seen as infinitely more tragic and disturbing. Our soldiers deserve to be given their due, as they actively serve and absolutely in the face of their ultimate sacrifice.

If there is anyone who should understand this, it's certainly their Commander-in-chief.

Are We Paying Attention?

2009-06-22T23:33:00.000-07:00

As the revolution in Iran unfolds, as we watch beautiful people like Neda die in the streets for freedom, I hope we're all paying attention to ourselves, our representatives, our President. Because in moments like these, seminal moments in human history, the way we act and react says a lot about us, about what we're made of, deep down in places only we and God know about. Do we realize right now that countries like England and France have issued stronger statements regarding the unrest in Iran right now than we have? Did you see the signs the Iranian protesters were holding up that were written in ENGLISH?! Did you notice that? Who's attention do you think they were trying to get? President Obama, for all of his oratory giftedness and potential, has offered up so far the semantic equivalent of milk-toast. If he has any sense for history, he would see this as a pivotal moment as leader of the free world to stand up in boldness for the Iranians that are revolting against a totalitarian regime that seeks to silence them.

So then, this is what I want to say to the Iranian people revolting in the streets of Tehran and elsewhere:

I am but a man, a husband, a father, living comfortably in the land of the free...one citizen of hundreds of millions in the United States of America. But I have been moved in my soul by your actions, your young and old standing and fighting in the streets against the regime that seeks to silence you. I know many of you respect history and understand it well. I am a student of history myself...our country's history isn't perfect but is proud and substantive. We were founded because of revolution...we were at one time thirteen colonies, an extension of the greatest empire at the time the world had ever seen. Who would've ever thought a little band of colonies would ever dare take on the might and braun of the British Empire? More than that, who would ever think those thirteen colonies would stand a chance against them? But guess what, for all of the power and muscle of the British Empire, there was something they underestimated. They underestimated the cause for which the colonies stood...freedom, pure and simple. They didn't want to be dictated to or controlled...they wanted to own their own destiny, to forge their own path, to write their own story in the course of human history. And that is what you wish to do. You yearn for freedom, to loose yourselves from the bonds of tyranny, to have the opportunity to be governed in a way that represents the very best of you. It is good...freedom is good. But as we paid for it with blood, so you are doing so even now...and it resonates in a place deep within me. Know that I along with many others in our country stand with you and are praying that freedom wins out. Not only that, but we will press our leaders to produce the type of response on your behalf that is commesurate with the cause for which you are fighting. It is the least we can do - we must understand fundamentally that there is no greater threat to our civilization than that threat posed by tyrants and dictators who seek to oppress and dominate. It is to this end that we must fight and stand with those who seek freedom. I can give you only words, but I pray these words get to you somehow and that you find strength and hope in them, that they encourage you to fight for what's worth fighting for.
Freedom.

Interesting Coincidence?

2009-06-21T00:25:00.000-07:00

Hey all...I just happened to come across the following link. To those of you that read my last post, it may look a little familiar to you. The link is to a story written by John Kass of The Chicago Tribune.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass-21-jun21,0,1177440.column

K

The Untouchable?

2009-06-17T22:23:00.000-07:00

A few months back during a random trip to Walmart, I snagged a great deal. I picked up a $13 Blu-Ray disc of "The Untouchables" with Kevin Costner, Sean Connery and Robert DeNiro. It is a true cinematic gem...if you haven't seen it, you should. If you don't know about it, it's about the Prohibition Era in Chicago back in the 1920s and '30s and it tells the story of how Eliot Ness took on Chicago corruption and took down the notorious gangster Al Capone. I believe the key moral to the story is summed up best in one of the lines spoken by Eliot Ness, played by Kevin Costner...

"Never stop. Never stop fighting 'til the fighting's done."

During that time, no one in Chicago dared take on Al Capone. He was ruthless...but he played to the media and they played him up to be a businessman invoking his civic duty to make Chicago better by the day. He was the king of the city. He was a master puppeteer using fear and money to manipulate and control every major city official. Then along comes Eliot Ness, tapped on the shoulder by the FBI to bring Capone to justice. He took down the mighty Capone by getting him convicted on, of all things, tax evasion.

I talk about all of this because I feel that this country is being exposed to Chicago gangland politics all...over...again. The latest and greatest instance of this is President Obama's firing of the AmeriCorps Inspector General, Gerald Walpin. According to President Obama, he had lost confidence in Walpin, who supposedly had become "confused" and "disoriented". Mr. Walpin just last month disclosed a vigorous, very coherent special report on gross negligence and fraudulent use of AmeriCorps funds by newly elected Sacramento Mayor and Obama supporter Kevin Johnson. The President, by law, is to give 30 days notice to an Inspector General being replaced as well as give a full, clear explanation of the firing. I will point out that there is not only outrage coming from Republican ranks but also high on the food chain within the Democratic Party. Democratic Sen. Clare McCaskill stated that "loss of confidence is not a sufficient reason" for Mr. Walpin's removal and that "the White House has failed to follow the proper procedure in notifying Congress as to the removal of the Inspector General..."

The long and short of it is this...Gerald Walpin has being targeted by President Obama and is being smeared for doing nothing less than his job. Mr. Walpin has been removed from his post by the Chicago Gangland machine that has transplanted itself within the Oval Office. If this machine has its way, it will replace Mr. Walpin with people sympathetic to the "machine" who will not blow the whistle on any wrongdoing and who will instead look the other way while taxpayer money is carelessly and fraudulently used in the name of civic and community volunteerism.

So this must be the "hope" and "change" that Obama talked about during his campaign? Really? This is what the American people voted for? This whole scenario typifies the disregard and contempt this President has for the Constitution and for the checks and balances it created between the branches of government. He took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. He's broken that oath. It's up to us as Americans to hold him accountable, despite the efforts of the MSM to treat him as a celebrity and a deity. Each day, polls show that growing numbers of the American people completely disagree with his policies and the way he's running the gov't. What he's creating for himself is a tsunami of discontent and blowback the likes of which he can't even begin to fathom. When it's all said and done, this isn't going to be about the Republican or Democratic party. This is going to be about the undoing of a President at the hands of people from all walks of life, on both sides of the "party" aisle who have decided that the course he's set this country on is, in one of his favorite words, "unsustainable". This fight, the fight for our nation's very identity and future, is one that rests on the shoulders of its citizens to win. We must wage this fight...with our words, our ideas, our letters, our phone calls, our blog posts, our e-mails, our vote.

For all of my friends out there that disagree with all of this, remember this blog post...remember these words. This President has fashioned himself an "Untouchable"...he has replaced his sense of responsibility to all of us with his own delusions of grandeur. His quest for power, his effort to leave his mark on human history is at an already staggering cost to all of us. History hasn't been kind to people who fit this profile, and in the end it won't be any kinder to President Obama.

No Class

2009-06-11T22:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm pretty fired up right now over this Letterman/Palin drama that's unfolding more and more each day. I believe just today David Letterman said that the real issue is that the Palins can't take a joke. It's beyond me to think that anyone...ANYONE...would think making a joke about A-Rod knocking up a 14 year-old girl as even remotely funny. It's disgusting and shouldn't be tolerated. I would love to see all kinds of people and sponsors distance themselves from Letterman for this debacle. And I think the Palin's response has been restrained, yet clear and firm. It's one thing to go after a public official...she along with anyone else that is in the public sphere is fair game. But to go and make a tasteless, offensive joke about an underage girl getting "knocked up" by a grown man shows a complete lack of human decency. I think part of it has to do with the fact that people like Letterman love the opportunity to try to take a shot at Gov. Palin. Now I know that there are those that would say, "Well she's a non-factor anyway, so it doesn't matter." To which I would say, I think that's a load of bull. Charles Barkley has a famous quote - he says "People don't boo nobodies". Gov. Palin for a lot of people, whether they want to admit it or not, is the personification of everything they resent...a strikingly beautiful, God-fearing, shrewd, accomplished, gun-toting, maternal, moose-hunting conversative. A lot of people just don't know what to do with her. For some people, they would rather try to destroy her and her family and make her just disappear. But what these people fail to recognize is that they're dealing with a person that has a lot of character and conviction. She's not a wilting flower...a one-hit wonder...a frail, weak, scared person. She's got moxie...she's withstood the onslaught of the liberal left and has as a result of weathering these attacks accumulated even more polish and respect from conservatives and liberals alike. As time goes on, we're going to continue to see Palin's star rise in the midst of attacks and attempts to break her down. I believe Letterman is going to be a casualty in his attempt to bring her and her family down to his level once it's all said and done. He's languished behind Jay Leno for years and that has eaten at him. He's got a family and a great job and instead of relishing and enjoying that, bitterness has had a tremendous effect on him and it's to his downfall. He should know better as a parent than to go after someone's young child. If the tables were turned, I guarantee you he would be outraged and do WHATEVER he could to defend his child...as he should because that's what parents do. I guarantee you if anyone, ANYONE, decided they were going to come after my little girl like Letterman did that that person would wish that they had never been born once all was said and done. It's just unacceptable behavior that shouldn't ever be laughed at, made light of, or tolerated. Gov. Palin and her husband are parents defending their 14 year-old daughter from the sick and grotesque words of a bitter, run-down, so-called comedian. I do voice my support for the Palins in this effort to defend their daughter and to stand up to Letterman and anyone of his ilk that makes their livelihood trying to tear down and destroy people. If you can't properly engage people you disagree with and instead engage in malicious personal attacks against them, then you should reap the whirlwind. Sooner or later, these types of people will wither away...they will be exposed for who they are and those that stick to principle and conviction will eventually be the ones left standing.

From the Belly of the Fish

2009-06-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

I just read something that I wanted to share. I know of a few folks that are going through some tough stuff in their life and there's something I read just a few minutes ago that I think is worth sharing. My hope and prayer is that this blesses someone right where they're at:

Jonah 2

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. He said:

"In my distress I called to the LORD,
and He answered me.
From the depths of the grave, I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
You hurled me into the deep,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers swept over me.
I said, 'I have been banished from your sight;
yet I will look again toward your holy temple.'
The engulfing waters threatened me,
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you brought my life up from the pit,
O LORD my God.

When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you LORD,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.

Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
But I, with a song of thanksgiving,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
Salvation comes from the Lord."

And the LORD commanded the fish and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

You know sometimes the unfortunate and crappy circumstances we find ourselves in are our own doing. Sometimes we go our own way and do our own thing thinking we know what's best and what's right. I will readily admit that I've done this myself...more than a few times. But what I've found is that irregardless of where we find ourselves, we can't ever go where God can't find us. He loves us right where we are and extends His hand of grace to pull us up back to Himself.

May you all be blessed today.

K

Back in the Game!

2009-06-08T21:31:00.000-07:00

Goodness, it's been too long since my last post. My apologies for being away for so long. There's SO much I want to talk about. So let's see...where do I start...

Blogging award from my good friend Danielle
- Okay so I think back in May 18th I got a note saying that I had received an award from her for my blogging exploits. I have to say I'm honored. Just as a point of reference, Danielle and I were like brother and sister in high school back in Houston. She's a tremendously smart, warm, gifted, lovely person and I was honored to get to share the stage with her to accept the school's highest honor at the time, the Timothy Award. I believe the year we received that award, was the first year the school gave that award out. All of that to say, anytime I could get recognized by a dear friend like her, I'm honored to be mentioned in such a way. Thanks Danielle for the shout out. I wish I were more prolific with my blog posts like you are. I'm gonna have to work on that.

American Idol Results
- So I may be opening a can of worms with this but here I go. You know, I thought it was interesting that Kris Allen won. I'm certainly glad he did. Do I think he's as vocally talented as Adam Lambert, no. At the same time, I think the vote crystallizes a couple of things at least. For one, there can be no on-going legitimate argument that AI is just a singing contest, like the judges, particularly Randy Jackson commonly stated during his critiques of the contestants. The people watching AI, while certainly evaluating vocal talent, use other criteria to judge who deserves their vote. Which leads to my 2nd point. I think the vote in a way was a statement. I think the people that voted wanted to make a statement with the way they decided to vote. You look at the two final contestants and they couldn't be more different. Look, I wanted Danny Gokey to win because my heart was won over from day one with him because of his incredible story as well as his talent. But honestly, I was happy that Kris won because I would prefer to give my vote to someone that embodied the type of person you'd be happy to see as the winner of American Idol - a young, clean-cut, small-town guy who leads worship at his church, newly married and very much in love with his wife, someone with strong roots to his community and loves his family. In other words, a guy that the majority of the people in this country identify with. All of this to say, I've heard that Adam is a super nice, good guy. I know there are questionable pictures of him kissing other guys on-line. My gut would tell me he's gay but I don't know that and that's not really the pressing issue. That particular subject will be it's own post at a later date - it (homosexuality) is deserving of intelligent, truthful and thoughtful discussion instead of the other way around which it seems we see a lot of, especially in evangelical Christian circles. Anyway, gay or not, Adam for me got on my nerves a little with all of the screaming. I don't prefer glam rock so that's what sealed my vote...or in Adam's case, my non-vote. I think he's still going to be successful and get to work on a lot of cool projects. It's going to be interesting to see the type of material Kris puts out. I hope they allow him some freedom and say in this initial album.

Obama's first 100 days
- Okay so for those of you that will read this, you probably know that this is going to be critical of President Obama's performance. So if you think reading this is going to make you mad, stop reading now. Now that that's done, on with the rest of this. You know, something that came to mind in thinking about all of this was something that both Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton mentioned previous to taking their respective roles in the Obama Presidency. They both stated that the office of POTUS was no place for on-the-job training. I think these first 100 days typified that sentiment. For all his charisma and charm, President Obama can't cover up his deficiencies...that is, of course, if you're willing to see them with eyes wide open. Well on second thought, if you believe what the MSM has to say about him, "he's above America, above the world even, he's sort of god." This is the kind of coverage he's getting in the face of such things like startling hypocrisy (i.e. calling on the nation's citizens to tighten their belts and make sacrifices while there are lavish White House parties featuring fare ranging from gourmet pizza flown in from St. Louis to Wagyu steak dinners; pledging to give all Americans 5 days to review the stimulus proposal before it passed only to have released it for public viewing after it was already signed into law), signing into law said package that will lead to the increasing of our national debt by 10 times w/in the next 10 years, undermining the security of our nation by allowing a sitting Speaker of the House question the validity of the CIA briefings they receive as well as going relatively silent on the targeting and killing of our enlisted soldiers by the hands of domestic terrorists, closing Gitmo without a true plan for what to do with those being released, declassifying documents regarding enhanced interrogation techniques (EIT) without releasing add'l documents that would bring to light the plots thwarted and lives saved, using EIT as a political device to continue to demonize the previous adminstration by going so far as to call EIT torture although it was ruled by the Supreme Court as legal and last but not least cozying up to despots like Daniel Ortega and Hugo Chavez. I will say this...I thought the way the Somali pirate situation was handled was one of his best moments. He didn't say much, if anything at all, and let his military do what they were trained to do. However, I do think his European tour was an invitation for all rogue states to test his mettle and we're going to see that play out specifically with North Korea and Iran. With Israel, they are going to challenge Obama regarding their right to defend themselves from some of the countries around them that are ongoing threats (i.e. Iran, Syria, Lebanon). It'll be interesting to see how he tries to placate both Israelis and their enemies. If rhetoric doesn't work (and it won't), what will he do then?

Brain-Challenged Moment of the Week
- I drowned my HTC Touch Diamond phone yesterday. WTH?! I couldn't find my phone for the life of me. I looked everywhere except in the pair of short I put in the washer. I wished I had thought to check that before turning on the washing machine. Thank you to those who offered support and advice yesterday. I am with Sprint and I have insurance so I went to the Sprint store here in B'ville and made a claim so a new replacement phone could be sent. It's being sent via UPS and should arrive here at the house either tomorrow, rather today (Tuesday) or tomorrow. I'm gonna have to manually input all of my contacts...something I had to do not that long ago because I upgraded my phone from a HTC Touch to a Touch Diamond but wasn't able to get my contacts transferred over to the new phone. Thankfully I saved a sheet of paper on which I wrote down all of my contacts and their information. So once I get this replacement model, I'll be back to inputting all of my contacts. The cool thing about all of this is that due to my "Sprint Preferred" status, I still have a discount that I can put towards a phone upgrade, which I could've used today but opted not to so I can upgrade into a Palm Pre when they're available and I have a job. It sounds geeky, but I am excited about that. It'll probably be another couple of months before the stars align on that one. In the meantime, I'm using Lisa's old LG flip phone. It's old but it'll do. She recently upgraded to the LG Rant and she loves it. She loves the slide-out QWERTY keyboard on it - she likes to rub it in my face that she can text better than I can. She's allowed...now especially that I'm using her old phone and see just how far back in the dark ages she was. I'm sorry for neglecting your cell phone needs for so long sweets!

Cool Story of the Day - brought to you by Banana Republic
- Recently Lisa's mom was here (about a couple of weeks ago) and she took us all shopping. One of my favorite stores is Banana Republic and I got a bright red fitted polo and khaki shorts. Needless to say, I was pretty happy about that. Well I think I had worn the shirt once or twice when I noticed two light, apparently bleached spots on my lower left torso. The spots weren't that big, each of them probably about a millimeter or two in circumference. But still big enough to really bug me. So I decided I'd take the shirt back to the store and try to get a replacement. Mind you, I didn't have my receipt and the spots were probably caused by me somehow. Don't you know that they swapped out my stained shirt for a brand new one just like it? The lady that helped me did say that they didn't do that normally but decided to honor my request. So I thought it only fair to blog about my experience today and spread the word around about that BR store's exceptional customer service. For those of you local to the area, it's the store at Pinnacle Promenade Mall in South Rogers. They've found a loyal customer for life...that's for sure. So I'm gonna wear my new shirt tomorrow and tell my little story to whomever is willing to listen. I'm sure the store won't protest too much a little positive PR.

Well goodness, I've gone on long enough. Don't worry, I'll make my successive blog posts shorter and easier to get through. I just decided to put a few subjects in this one to get caught up on some things I've wanted to blog about. There are a couple of things coming from this blog post I'll expound on and make their own blog post each...so stay tuned! You'll just have to find out what they are! :)

My Feathers Are Ruffled!

2009-04-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

My laptop has been out of commission for a while and now that it's back up and running, I've been going back to look at recent news stories. One in particular grabbed my attention - it concerns President Obama's recent speech at Georgetown University. Apparently, the White House made a request for the university to cover up any religious symbols that would be in view where he was speaking, i.e. a monogram of Jesus' name. DO WHAT?!

I don't even know where to start with this one. But I'll try. Man, I do want to try to give President Obama the benefit of the doubt but I can't with this one. He chose this university, a CATHOLIC university, as the location for a speech he wanted to deliver. Therefore, as a matter of respect, you defer to "house" rules. Georgetown University has been around for 120 years. Sure, you're the President so it pretty much goes without saying that you defer to the needs of the President. But in this case, I believe this request is completely disrespectful and done in VERY bad taste. The White House, in it's statement regarding the request, said that they didn't want the monogram showing for fear it would be seen out of context. Can someone explain that to me? Was the thought that President Obama would be criticized for sharing face time with a monogram of Jesus' name? Better yet, who would even think twice about the monogram in the first place being in display while President Obama delivered his speech? He and The White House make this an issue by making this ridiculous request. What's even more ridiculous is that Georgetown complied and covered up the monogram.

What'll be interesting to see is if he asks Notre Dame to cover up any of their religious symbols and if he does, how the university will respond. I hope if he does make the request to cover symbols and images that they refuse to comply. I think The White House shouldn't be so concerned with people taking religious symbolism (i.e. the name of Jesus) out of context when it's seen in the same space as the President. I mean, he made it very clear, with some help from George Stephanopoulous on his show that he was a Christian, so what would be the confusion or hang-up with the two (the POTUS and the name of Jesus) sharing the same space? I think he is, to his own and to our country's detriment, too eager to prove himself a man of all people. And his administration is out to remake this country as a country of the world, just like any other country. This I believe also is to his and our own detriment. We are the world's superpower. We have been a beacon of hope and freedom for the world for a very long time. Those two things make us different from the rest of the countries of the world. That alone makes us either loved or hated - loved by countries and peoples that yearn for freedom and opportunity and hated by peoples and countries that want to suppress freedom and opportunity. I believe we have a duty to continue to take up the burden that comes with this responsibility. No other country on the planet has the resources or ability to take up this mantle the way we do. And I will say that whether or not we are a Christian nation today, as President Obama contends that we are not, is debatable. There are facts available to support either side of that argument. But there should not be any confusion about the fact that this nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles - it's woven into the very composition and wording of our Constitution. We can deny this no more than we can deny that the Lord has brought unparalleled prosperity to this nation, which I believe is linked to the faith and vision of those that founded this country.

I could be completely wrong about this but I feel like President Obama is trying to remake America into what he thinks it should be. I'm not ignorant to the fact that there have been a lot of things that have happened in this country that are indeed shameful, things that those in government allowed to be perpetrated against Black Americans (i.e. slavery, segregation, Jim Crow laws, Tuskeegee human experiments). I'm also not ignorant to the fact that Black Americans are not alone when it comes to people groups that have been targeted and treated less than humanely (i.e. Japanese, Chinese, Arabic peoples). At the same time, there are a lot of things that this country has stood and fought for when it really mattered, times in history that required our action, our resolve to allow for freedom to win out over tyranny and despotism. It is for these actions that I believe the rest of the world owes the United States a huge debt for the price we've paid to ensure that freedom is a choice for anyone who wants it. And these things deserve consideration by President Obama as he travels and speaks around the country. Instead of covering things up, he should pay the proper respect and homage to the things that make us as a country unique and special. It is this very characteristic that he of all people should recognize he has uniquely benefited from.

Michelle vs. Oprah?

2009-04-11T22:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight, Lisa and I were watching a show on Headline News, Showbiz Tonight. They were talking about a controversy started by Tina Brown, founder and editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast. She published a column back on April 2nd about Michelle Obama's growing stardom on the international stage due to her tour of Europe last week for the G20 summit. In her column, she compares Michelle Obama to Oprah and says that Michelle is surpassing Oprah as the new Black "it-girl". There were two Black female guests that were being interviewed and they went on and on about how it was offensive, and at minimum institutionally racist, for Ms. Brown to compare Michelle Obama to Oprah.

Honestly, these kind of comparisons happen all of the time...ALL OF THE TIME! It's the nature of the world in which we live. People that live in the public sphere are compared all of the time. It just so happens that a white reporter (Tina Brown) is comparing two black women. Big deal. They're in the public eye so that means they're subject to public scrutiny and comparison...period. End of story. I say all of this because the two black female guests on Showbiz Tonight were voicing their displeasure and saying so representing the entire Black population. They were talking as though their opinions represented generally the way all Blacks feel about this story. I don't know if that's the case or not. Honestly, there are plenty of Blacks that look for reasons to use the race card. I am not one of them. And frankly it really gets under my skin when certain Blacks that get the opportunity to voice their opinion publicly suppose to speak for all Blacks. I hate when other people speak for me, as if they know me and know the way I think and feel about things like this.

What really irks me about this is that there seems to be more public outrage about this comparison Ms. Brown made between Michelle Obama and Oprah than what was made about President Obama's comment about the Special Olympics during his last appearance on The Tonight Show. Ironically, I believe that Ms. Brown's article is actually evidence of the fact that strides are continuing to be made regarding how Blacks are being seen and evaluated within the public sphere. Comparison and/or criticism is part of being in the public eye. I don't think it's fair to accuse someone of racism, institutional or not, just because they're comparing two very popular and powerful Black women. Furthermore, if you're going to talk on behalf of the entire Black community about what's racist and what's not, spend the time then to find out how the Black community really feels about it. Don't present your specific opinion and then make it out to be as though you're speaking for everyone. It's not how I think and I know I'm not the only Black person who feels the way I feel.

For the record, I called the toll-free number for Showbiz Tonight to voice my opinion. They may erase my voicemail altogether but I wanted to make sure the producers and hosts knew that there was at least one Black person that didn't share the opinion of the guests on the show. I don't know if it makes a bit of difference or not but I felt better for doing it. There are things I have absolutely no patience for. One of those things is Blacks looking for an opportunity to play the race card. I know what racism looks like...I've stood face to face with a member of the Ku Klux Klan. There are plenty of real instances of racism that deserve more attention, outrage and activism. In my opinion, this comparison between Ms. Obama and Oprah is not one of those instances and should only be debated the way any other comparison between public figures is debated.

As with any other posting, I welcome your feedback and opinions. If you want to read the story I'm referring to, go to the following link:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-04-02/is-michelle-the-new-oprah/

K

Faith Like Potatoes

2009-04-08T18:09:00.000-07:00

Our pastor gave us a movie to watch this past Sunday. The movie is called "Faith Like Potatoes". It's a true story about a white farmer named Angus and his family in Southern Africa trying to survive. It chronicles his evolution as a person, from non-believer to believer and the major ups and downs along the way. Honestly, I thought it sounded a little hokey and was hoping it wasn't another example of a Christian movie coming up short. Unexpectedly, it was a very well-done movie that moved Lisa and me very deeply. We talked afterwards and in the course of our conversation, we both realized we have been harboring unrighteous anger and bitterness towards the Lord. We were convicted of our lack of faith as of late and it produced an overwhelming emotional outpouring from us - we cried like a couple of babies. We've questioned and have been angry with God over our present circumstances. We've felt like our prayers have gone unheard and disregarded. We've questioned whether He truly cares about and knows our hurt. Some days have been absolutely agonizing, like we're smack dab in the middle of a desert with no oasis in sight. But I'm thankful for the Lord using Larry to deliver to us something we desperately needed...an emphatic "I have not forsaken you" in the form of a low-budget Christian film with a weird title.

It is said the Lord works in mysterious ways and that is absolutely true. I'm glad that there are believers making films and allowing the Lord to work through them to make art that ministers to people like me. I believe movies speak to us in a way that few mediums can and when it is used to convey truth in a relevant, artistic way, it is a wonderfully beautiful thing with an unlimited impact. I have been encouraged to see good art coming from Christians within the past few years. When I say "good art", I mean art that would be taken seriously by the rest of the world instead of being laughed at and ridiculed for its lack of quality. I just had a conversation with a fellow believer I recently met and he talked about his want and desire to form a regular time of meeting with other Christian businessmen within the area to pray and work towards making their particular city a "city on a hill" so to speak - a place where Christian excellence within the business world is THE standard for everyone else to follow. I applaud him for that and will pray that he does not relent in his pursuit. I will do what I can to encourage him to persevere because the enemy will come against it and do what he can to discourage him and those that choose to take part in his vision. I believe my friend is right - Christians should be the standard bearers wherever they are. They, we, should be leading the rest of the world and setting the standard for excellence in whatever field of expertise or area of commerce we choose to reside. It should be our striving - it should be our calling...excellence in whatever we do. I do hope and pray that I get to be in movies. It's a passion I've had since I can remember. I know how it's ministered to me and how it continues to minister and invoke hope and wonder in so many people. I want to be a part of a movement within the Christian arts, motion pictures specifically, that makes a statement to the rest of the world that makes them take notice while speaking to them in a way that is relevant and thought-provoking...and yes, something that is entertaining in the process.

I have a lot of big prayers and big requests. They seem big to me anyway. They're not too big for Him. There are so many possibilities...through it all I just need to keep my eyes on Him and have real faith, faith you can hold onto and feel the weight of, something like potatoes. Thank you for Lord for using the seemingly foolish things of this world convey truth and wisdom to me.

Sorry It's Been So Long

2009-03-27T22:44:00.000-07:00

Okay first of all, let me apologize for taking so long to submit a post since my last - I think that was in early January. I've had a major life change - I was laid off from my job in mid-January. That has been quite a distraction to say the least. I've had my days but I firmly believe that the Lord has a purpose in all of this and He will see it through. I'm confident in Him and in Him alone to provide the next step. It doesn't mean I haven't been diligent or that I sit on my hands. I've hit the streets running and will continue to do so as long as this is my plight, or opportunity. I digress. :)

You may have noticed that I changed the title of this blog. "The Evans' World" lacked creativity and thought. Plus it was in my opinion a little stifling. I could do better...and I believe I did though some at first glance may think differently. "Random Alien Musings" hits on some things regarding how I see myself. I do tend to see myself as an alien. As a Christian, my home ultimately is in heaven with the Lord (IN the world but not OF the world). Being a black man with a white wife and "mixed" kids in Northwest Arkansas sometimes is interesting. It could be said that, although I've been here going on 15 years, it sometimes feels like I'd feel more at home somewhere else. And being here after growing up in Texas, considering that I don't do Hog calls like the rest of the state's residents, certainly makes for interesting conversations and comments since I consider myself a Texas fan and probably always will. Strangely enough, the deepest-seeded fervor I have for a sports team would be for the University of North Carolina Tarheels, whom I've followed since I was a boy growing up in Texas. My wife can barely stand to watch a game with me when they are playing. I morph into this out-of-control fanatic that can hardly control his emotions or flailing arms when engaged in watching them compete. In simplest terms, I'm that crazy, painted student section fan times 10 when I'm watching them. With those last few lines, I'm sure you see why "Random" and "Musings" are equally adequate descriptors of this blog as well.

There has been so much that's happened in the news since my last post that it's hard to focus on one particular topic. Well kind of. I keep going back to the report from the Congressional Budget Office I read regarding their projection of the deficit for the next 10 years. The CBO projects the President's budget will add $9.3 trillion to the deficit during that time span. I think it's a number so big that a lot of people don't even want to think about it or worse pretend that it's just a figment of their imagination and they can just wish it away. It's really alarming to me is that that's not as big of a story as it should be. Honestly, the fact that the stimulus legislation was virtually pushed through without being read or examined is alarming. We had the gov't outrage at the AIG bonuses paid out, which was absolutely ridiculous considering the stimulus legislation contained provisions allowing those very bonuses to be paid out in the first place. Then you have Treasury Secretary Geithner proposing that the gov't have the right to take over businesses that they believe are having an adverse affect on the economy. And there's also the proposal to nationalize health care. When has the government ever run anything well - they can't effectively run the Post Office and they want to run HEALTH CARE?! Our country is changing and not for the better. We better wake up because we just can't assume that our elected officials, including the President, have our best interests at heart.

Change we can believe in...yeah it's change alright. And believe it, it's coming.

K

My Drama Queen

2009-01-30T20:51:00.000-08:00

I would be talking about my 5 year old daughter, Kaylise. She's something else. She has quite the vocabulary and the imagination to go with it. Tonight, it was just me and the kids because Lisa went out with a friend of hers to have dinner and then to see a movie. So the kids and I went to Chick-fil-A here in Bentonville for dinner. You can't go wrong with Chick-fil-A - it's cheap, the food is good and the kids can expend their energy playing in the play area. Anyway, when we got home from dinner (mind you it's about 9:30), she's letting me know she wants to see her friends which are next door. Being the mean daddy that I am I told her she'd have to wait until tomorrow because it was too late and they were already in bed. Well of course that set off a series of demonstrations from the little miss to let me know she wasn't pleased (which eventually led to an appearance by the dreaded "wooden spoon"). The crown jewel of this whole episode was when Kaylise uttered, "Daddy...you're just BREAKING my heart!" while storming off into the playroom with her arms folded, face scowled.

Did I mention she's 5?! Anybody out there know Tai Chi? :)

Hello Blogging World!

2009-01-29T09:47:00.000-08:00

So I can't give you a good reason why it's taken so long for us to join the rest of you in the blogging world. But as the adage goes, better late than never...well in this case anyway. But I think I'm going to enjoy this because it'll give me an outlet to write/blog which I do enjoy. There are any number of things going on here in NWA and in the rest of the world that I would have a few things about which to say so why not use this as the medium to say those things. And plus it's a good way to keep those of you our friends that blog and keep up with things like this to follow along on this journey with us.

This will be mostly me posting things. If we're all fortunate enough, we may even have a guest posting from Lovely Lisa. The subject matter will range from goings-on with us to observations on things from pop culture to religion/apologetics and many things in-between. And of course, you are more than welcome to make comments.

So then, here's blogpost #1 down, forever recorded in the annals of blogdom. :) May there be many more to come!

Kunta