Yes, I know the woman below appears to be standing in front of an Arabic Pepsi banner, but she's still a beautiful symbol of all the good that has come from America's liberation of Iraq.

This will just be a quickie post since I have tons of work and real work to get done before Christmas. But I have to add, with regard to today's phony NY Times story about our government having listened in to some international phone conversations after 9/11, that any President who did not take the steps taken by President Bush would have been negligent in his duty to protect our national security. Moreover, it's important to know that the Foreign Intelligence Security Act permits the government to monitor foreign communications, even if they are with U.S. citizens -- 50 USC 1801, et seq. A FISA warrant is only needed if the subject communications are wholly contained in the United States and involve a foreign power or an agent of a foreign power.

Had to get that in. Bye for now.

November 29, 2005

More from Senator Joe Lieberman

From today's Wall Street Journal

"Here is an ironic finding I brought back from Iraq. While U.S. public opinion polls show serious declines in support for the war and increasing pessimism about how it will end, polls conducted by Iraqis for Iraqi universities show increasing optimism. Two-thirds say they are better off than they were under Saddam, and a resounding 82% are confident their lives in Iraq will be better a year from now than they are today. What a colossal mistake it would be for America's bipartisan political leadership to choose this moment in history to lose its will and, in the famous phrase, to seize defeat from the jaws of the coming victory."

Joseph Lieberman, US Senator (D), Connecticut.

November 28, 2005

Some Brief TV & Movie Reviews

It's Monday morning, I'm back to work, 17 pounds heavier, heartburn like a spike up my spine, and with five hours sleep. Ain't life great? Anyhow, let's begin.

On Thanksgiving Day, I was able to watch a made-for-TV film, "Paper Lion II: The Most Pathetic Football Team of All Time." All I have to say was that although it did capture the real essence of what it's been like to be a Detroit Lion fan for the last nearly half a century, the acting was not what it should have been. I lost interest toward the end of the movie and turned my attention to making the perfect bloody Mary.

A couple of days before that, Eva Mei and I saw "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." Though I read the book, I kept wondering what it would be like for someone who hadn't. My sense is that many details would seem a bit confusing. For example, in the world of wizards and witches, which side is really evil? I mean, on one side you have, of course, a guy named Voldemort who wants to kill millions of people. On the other, the "good" side, you have people who are willing to risk the lives of innocent children for some stupid contest--I'm talking about tying up Ron, Hermoinie, Cho, and whatshername's little sister under water, knowing that they would probably drown should any of the contestants fail. I'm half joking. I'm sure Dumbledore had a "Plan B." The final segments of the film were great, however, and I eagerly await the next installment, "Harry Potter and the Wayne County Board of Water Commissioners."

Friday evening we settle in to watch a DVD--that soon-to-be holiday classic, "War of the Worlds" starring Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning. (That name--Dakota Fanning--sounds like some kind of Native American initiation ritual.) It was still just as good as I remembered, though it's a shame not to be able to experience it in a theater. Now, I did spot a couple of strange things I hadn't thought about before, especially near the beginning. I mean, these gigantic tripods have just spawned out of the ground, destroyed dozens of buildings, and killed hundreds of people. But there's the neighborhood auto mechanic working on the SUV, calling out cheerfully to Tom Cruise, "Hey! You were right about that solenoid!"

Saturday the three of us got in the car and drove to cineplex to see "Walk the Line." I've been a Johnny Cash fan since the first time I heard "Ring of Fire" on the radio at about age 9. But I really had no big interest in seeing the film until I heard that Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon sang their own songs. I like that kind of authenticity and it's what's drawn me to other films like "Coal Miner's Daughter" and "The Buddy Holly Story." Anyhow, it's a good flick, worthy of an Oscar (this coming from someone who hardly ever sees any Oscar winning film), and I can't think of anyone who could have played the two lead roles better than Phoenix and Witherspoon. After seeing it, you'll have "berm bucka berm bucka berm bucka berm bucka berm..." going over and over in your head for several days.

I have more to say. I want to talk a bit about that rat bastard of a pathetic scum of a man I heard at the end of "Face the Nation" on Sunday. No, not the host. Some look-at-me-how-smart-I-am hubris filled "historian" who claimed that 9/11 had not been, relatively speaking, a major threat to US national security. He said it with one of those pompous grins that only a left wing intellectual can muster. But if I write more about this, my heartburn will get worse.

But what I will do is, for those interested, provide this link to an article titled "Urban Legends about the Iraq War."

Bye for now.

November 15, 2005

Senator Joe Lieberman

Given the ongoing lie campaign of many Democrat "leaders" and their mainstream media water boys regarding so many things related to President Bush and the war in Iraq, I thought it would be informative to present here the statement made on the Senate floor yesterday by Connecticut Democrat Joseph Lieberman.

*************************************************

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN: "It is no surprise to my colleagues that I strongly supported the war in Iraq. I was privileged to be the Democratic cosponsor, with the Senator from Virginia, of the authorizing resolution which received overwhelming bipartisan support.

"As I look back on it and as I follow the debates about prewar intelligence, I have no regrets about having sponsored and supported that resolution because of all the other reasons we had in our national security interest to remove Saddam Hussein from power, a brutal, murdering dictator, an aggressive invader of his neighbors, a supporter of terrorism, a hater of the United States of America. He was for us a ticking time bomb that if we did not remove him I am convinced would have blown up, metaphorically speaking, in America's face. I am grateful to the American military for the extraordinary bravery and brilliance of their campaign to remove Saddam Hussein.

"I know we are safer as a nation, and to say the obvious that the Iraqi people are freer as a people, and the Middle East has a chance for a new day and stability with Saddam Hussein gone. We will come to another day to debate the past of prewar intelligence. But let me say briefly the questions raised in our time are important. The international intelligence community believed Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Probably most significant, and I guess historically puzzling, is that Saddam Hussein acted in a way to send a message that he had a program of weapons of mass destruction.

… "[The political leaders of Iraq] have done something remarkable in a country that lived for 30 years under a dictator who suppressed all political activity, encouraged the increasing division and bitterness among the Shia's, the Sunnis, the Kurds. These people, with our help and encouragement, have begun to negotiate like real political leaders in a democracy. It is not always pretty. What we do here is not always most attractive. That is democracy. Most important of all, 8 million Iraqis came out in the face of terrorist threats in January to vote on that interim legislation. Almost 10 million came out to vote on a constitution, which is a pretty good document, a historically good document in the context of the Arab world.

"What happened when the Sunnis felt they were not getting enough of what they wanted in a referendum? They didn't go to the street, most of them, with arms to start a civil war; they registered to vote. That is a miraculous achievement and a change in attitude and action. They came out to vote in great numbers, and they will come out, I predict, again in December in the elections and elect enough Sunnis to have an effect on the Constitution next year.

… "I had other concerns about Senator Levin's amendment, including particularly the last paragraph which I believe creates a timetable for withdrawal, and I think that is a mistake, particularly in the next 3 to 6 months as the Iraqis stand up a new government. It may not be the intention of the sponsors, but it does send a message that I fear will discourage our troops because it seems to be heading for the door. It will encourage the terrorists, and it will confuse the Iraqi people and affect their judgments as they go forward."
***********************************************

I am not holding my breath waiting for any network (other than Fox News) to replay Joe Lieberman's remarks.

Bye for now.

November 9, 2005

I may have gone “0 for October,” but I won’t go “0 for November!”

First things first, a bit of advice that many of you will find important. Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese makes an excellent dry dog food enhancer. If your dog doesn’t like his/her kibble and consistently waits for you to bring out the “real food,” simply sprinkle a light amount of Kraft Grated Cheese over the top. Your dog will love it! (“Thanks, Mr. Hurlahee!”)

My second bit is to state that I realize how much “politics” has passed through the mill over the last month, and I realize I have been silent about it. No one should equate my silence with confusion or disillusion. I’ll refrain from posting many of my strongest opinions about what is going on in the nation and the world, and instead simply offer a link to an article by Norman Podhoretz that succinctly reveals the bankruptcy of the anti-war attacks on President Bush. Just to highlight the key point, Iraq was attempting to develop weapons of mass destruction and was trying to obtain uranium from Niger. Click here to read Podhoretz’s well documented arguments.

My mom goes in for another chemo treatment today. All your prayers are greatly appreciated!

Bye for now.

September 12, 2005

Monday Morning Wheelchair Quarterbacking

Just some thoughts for the day.

1. If Katrina’s death toll remains relatively low (as it’s beginning to look), shouldn’t we simply say, “Hey! We all did a great job after all!”

2. Did I forget to mention that Red’s Steamed Cheeseburgers has the best chili I’ve ever tasted? It just noses out Detroit Coney Island chili, my old favorite.

3. Asparagus, Next Left, by the British band, “Half Man Half Biscuit,” has become my and Eva Mei’s favorite song of the moment. They make terrific “driving to soccer” music. (Thanks to Scott Brewer for sending me their CD!)

4. Speaking of soccer, Steven Chow’s film, Shaolin Soccer, is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in some time. A great send up of Chinese society and kung fu movies!

5. I’ve come to believe that schools and universities (like PSU) spend far too much time trying to solve problems that don’t really exist. Endless streams of meetings sap the energy of teachers and faculty. “Continuous improvement” is a recipe for failure.

6. There is no such thing as “education for the 21^st Century.” Education is timeless.

7. My wife, Lillian, makes the world’s best pot stickers.

8. Hi, Mom!

9. Hi, Dad!

10. I’m not getting enough work done today.

Bye for now!

September 4, 2005

“Get Off His Back!”

Ben Stein has done a great job of expressing how I feel about Hurricane Katrina and about the increasing effort of the mainstream media and their partners on the left and in the Democrat Party to play politics with a national tragedy. You can read his full essay here, but here are a couple of good excerpts:

Why is it that the snipers who shot at emergency rescuers trying to save people in hospitals and shelters are never mentioned except in passing, and Mr. Bush, who is turning over heaven and earth to rescue the victims of the storm, is endlessly vilified?

and

Where did the idea come from that salvation comes from hatred and criticism and mockery instead of love and co-operation?

Essentially, the sad truth is that much of the media, the left, and the extremists in the Democrat party have a basic template for anything involving George Bush. The template is that he’s not as smart as they are; that he stole the 2000 election (and probably the 2004 election as well); that he’s blind to the suffering of the poor, of minorities, and women; that he only cares about the wealthy; that he’s responsible for high oil prices; that he’s basically a despicable politician and human being.

So, if he waits to gather information about Katrina, he’s “invisible and uncaring.” If he takes steps to get Louisiana’s governor to request federal troops, he’s “trying to gain political advantage.” If he stays away from New Orleans, he’s “not showing leadership.” If he flies to New Orleans, he’s “seeking a photo op” and “tying up important resources.”

But this time the mainstream media may have gone too far. People are no longer buying their line of bull. Two key polls (one by CBS, another by ABC) indicate that a majority of Americans do not place blame on President Bush for the aftermath of the hurricane. And, because media political polling has become such a sham in recent years, if a poll shows that “54% don’t blame Bush,” you can bet that the actually percentage is much higher.

I told myself I’d keep away from politics for awhile on this blog. I guess “awhile” is long enough.

Bye for now.

September 1, 2005

Words Fail

After three days of watching Katrina’s horror unfold on TV, I finally lost it last night. That is to say, I stopped trying to hold back the tears. What did it was perhaps not the most awful image one can imagine, but simply the sight of a family stranded in its station wagon; no gas, flat tire, nothing to eat or drink, and with small children clutching the only stuffed animals they could manage to save from their now gone homes. A stranger passes by and hands them a bag of food and a few books for the kids. Another brings some gasoline. A local store owner offers some Fix-a-Flat. They’re happy and on their way again. But to where?

If you can spare anything, please send it to the Salvation Army or some other disaster relief charity.

Now, here’s some words that don’t fail. For those of us fortunate enough to live in State College, a word about some restaurants.

Okinawa is a new Japanese restaurant downtown on College Ave. They have excellent sushi and sashimi, and for just change over $10 you can get salad, soup, rice, and a huge plate of the best shrimp tempura within who-knows-how-many miles.

Reds Steamed Cheeseburgers, across College Avenue from Houts, has the best burgers and fries I’ve had since the last time I ate at Johnny Rockets in Chicago. In fact, I think the burger bearing their name is the best I’ve ever had. Go eat there. Cash only.

Re., another unnamed restaurant. This is an Asian place, neither Chinese nor Japanese, on North Atherton. We ate there a few times over the past year and enjoyed the food and service very much. But after a recent visit we decided not to go back. It was a Sunday evening. They were moderately busy, but apparently had just two people waiting tables. I can usually overlook slow service, but I’m bothered quite a bit when I see a non-Asian couple come in, sit down, get menus, and then get totally ignored for the next 35 minutes. No waitress came to their table or, as far as I could tell, even looked at them during that time. They finally walked out.

After handing over my MC to pay the bill and after waiting 15 minutes, I was told that there must be something wrong with my card and I should give them another. Well, I don’t have another and there’s nothing wrong with my card. We had to leave, get cash and return. It’s too bad, because the food is very good. So, if you go, either take cash or take at least three or four different credit cards—and have at least one Asian in your party.

Bye for now.

August 1, 2005

Harry Potter and the Half Priced Book (and other stuff)

Here it is August already. No entries for July. I know you’ll forgive me.

On Harry Potter: Here’s the thing about the latest Harry Potter book. The first chapter is filler. The second chapter is terribly depressing and seems to give away the whole story. Everything from here to the last chapter is mostly fluff along with a lot of embarrassing unrealistic adolescent foo foo. (Don’t ask me what “foo foo” means.) I guess I learned a lot about Tom Riddle, the young Lord Voldemort. That is, I would have if I had actually read the pages instead of simply skimming them looking for something interesting. The story picks up steam when you get to the part where Harry dies and…..just kidding.

Our investment in badminton: After spending a bunch of money at Dick’s Sporting Goods (the name really fits) on a Spaulding badminton set with really bad rackets and birdies, I’ve been investing lots of time and money looking for and buying superior equipment. First there were the new birdies and rackets from Target. These worked for a while until one of the superior rackets broke. Then I made a trip to Rapid Transit Sports, a really terrific store downtown, where not only did I discover high quality birdies, but also that you could spend as much as $50 on a badminton racket! When you pick it up it feels like a stick of healthy butter has been attached to your arm! Smooth, fluid, and good for you! So I’m really tempted to pop for the thing, but that would be so wrong…. They also have a $25 badminton racket, which is not quite as wrong. All I need now is someone to actually be able to hit the birdie back over the net to me. (Just kidding, Eva Mei!)

MLS British Soccer Camp: Although our nation doesn’t invest nearly enough in badminton, attention to soccer is increasing. And while there’s no way I’ll ever play the game again, there is tremendous hope for Eva Mei. She spent a week attending the Major League Soccer British Camp, here in State College. Each evening she spent three hours being expertly coached by young men who sounded either like race car driver Jackie Stuart, Michael Palin of Monty Python, or the lead singer from the band Half Man Half Biscuit. After watching for about 30 minutes each night, I, myself, began speaking in a British accent saying things like “Roit! W’ass owl this then?”

The boat situation: Ok, so I finally decide it’s time to use the rowboat and trailer that’s been sitting in my back yard for several years now. On the appointed morning, as I’m brushing my teeth and thinking about fishing and other boat things, Lillian says, “Rog! You are really going to be upset!” Wanting to reply, “so how does that make this different from any other morning,” I instead ask, “why?”

“Ross has chewed up all the wires on your trailer,” she answers.

Now, Ross is a dog. At least he used to be. Just kidding, he’s still a dog, one who while loveable can be ever so annoying at the worst possible times. So I go out and inspect the damage and it’s really awesome—an astounding feat from a dog’s perspective. The wiring had been pulled nearly completely out of the trailer. Still wondering if perhaps squirrels had done it, I did my usual doggie damage test.

“Ross,” I said in my sweetest voice, “c’mere boy!” Because he started to come, but then stopped quickly about 9 feet from the trailer, I knew it hadn’t been a squirrel. Believe it or not, I did not beat him. It does no good. And Ross, being the dog that he is, knows that I cannot punish him, because he knows that I know that he has already forgotten what he did.

So, I’m off to Wal-Mart where I spend another $10, having spent $25 there the night before on a stupid fishing license. (The “non-stupid fishing license” costs $30 and is reserved for those who will actually catch fish.) After arriving back home it takes me, with the thoughtful help of Eva Mei, about four hours to re-wire the trailer. Now we’re cooking, I think to myself, and everyone will be eager to head out to the lake. But now Lillian is taking a nap and Eva Mei is watching something like “Yoogio” or “Loogio” on Cartoon Network. So, I bide my time, knowing that there’s no way they can long resist the attraction of an aluminum rowboat on a 93 degree day.

Around 5 PM I’ve finally overcome all resistance and we are ready to go. We drive about 10 miles to a place called Whipple Dam. I actually manage to back up the boat to the lake without much problem. I get the thing slid out onto the bank and tell Eva Mei to get in first. As I’m pushing the boat out a bit into the 8” deep water, Eva Mei starts in with “Dad, the boat is leaking!” To which, of course, I reply, “Knock it off! There’s always a little water!” And while I’m turning to tell Lillian how to push the boat out after I get in, Eva Mei says, “Dad, there’s a lot of water in here!”

“Shut up!” I explained.

“No, really Dad!”

So I take a look and yes there’s about 2-3 inches of water in her end. But damn it, we’re going out anyway. I tell her that I’ve never seen a boat sink and when she protests I tell her that “Titanic” was just a movie.

We do go out for about half an hour and it’s fun, even with wet feet.

Bye for now!

June 29, 2005

War of the Worlds

Ignore the bad reviews and go see War of the Worlds as soon as possible. I don’t advise waiting for the DVD because you’ll miss half the fun, half the terror. Yesterday, Lillian, Eva Mei, and I headed off to the 3:00 matinee. It’s good if you know a bit about the plot in advance, I mean, beyond the basic story line of the H.G. Wells version and its assorted revisions. Tom Cruise is a divorced dad, unreliable and barely tolerated by his young daughter and older son. But when their mom and step-dad take a weekend trip they’re forced to stay in his sloppy apartment. The scene is set, then hell breaks loose.

In single-minded tourniquet fashion, Cruise spends the rest of the film trying to protect his kids from the surrounding devastation. Other than that, there is very little “story line” to note. The film is about terror, amazement, destruction, and fear, portrayed the way that real people would actually experience it. The special effects are like no others I’ve ever seen. The sound is incredible, so try to see it at a decent theater.

For those of you who know me, it may mean something to you if I say that War of the Worlds is one of those “once in a lifetime” films, one you’ll never forget. We left the theater feeling thoroughly satisfied, but edgy, full of nervous laughter. We talked about it in the car and wanted to call are friends when we got home. If you want a pulverizing, emotionally draining, and completely terrifying experience, go see War of the Worlds.

Bye for now.

June 6, 2005

A Brief Encounter with a Serial Killer?

I’m a bit hesitant to write this story today because I could be totally wrong about who that was I met that afternoon in the early 1970s. But let me start with the present and work my way back. Over the years I’ve seen a number of TV documentaries (most always on MSNBC) about Aileen Wuornos, the blond man killer executed in Florida in 2002, and recently portrayed in the film “Monster.” Most recently, I watched one again this past Friday night. Wuornos’s MO was that of a hitchhiking prostitute, and gained her infamy by killing truckers with whom she had initiated sex.

She had a terribly abusive childhood and adolescence—in Michigan, around the Detroit area. She was born in 1956, two years after me.

Flash back to a cold day in Ann Arbor, 1973 or 1974. I was turning from State Street onto S. University. I see a blond woman hitchhiking and she looks a bit like a friend of mine who was also attending UM at the time. As I pulled over, I realized it was not my friend but picked her up anyway. What harm can it bring?

After she got in she behaved a bit strangely, not really telling me where she wanted to go, staring at me with a slight grin. As we neared the light at E. University, she smiled a clever-like-a-fox smile directly at me and said, “I know who YOU are!”

“What?”

“I said, I KNOW who you ARE!”

“Who do you think I am?” I replied, feeling half amused, half creeped out.

“YOU are MR. GOODBAR!”

“Who?”

“MR. GOODBAR!”

“Here’s a good place for you to get out,” I said, in a friendly sort of non-judgmental way.

She got out. But I never forgot her face, her threatening eyes, her slightly toothy smile. And that’s the face I’ve seen all these years on all those documentaries.

I did a Web search. As far as I can figure out, Wuornos stayed in Michigan until she was 18-ish and after that hitched back and forth a bit between Michigan and Florida. My hunch tells me that if you were setting out as a teenaged hitchhiking prostitute, you would be pulled to Ann Arbor, with its alternating current of drugs and cash. Now, I could be wrong. There could have been more than one blond psycho hitcher back then and there. But the Goodbar remark is telling, for it references a novel and a movie about a woman who picks up men in bars, gets abused, and eventually killed. The remark fits hauntingly, like a well worn piece in some tasteless jig saw puzzle.

Bye for now.

May 6, 2005

Human Spirit

I’d like to tell you about three fascinating films I’ve seen in the past week. Two deal with children, one deals with a child killer. The first two portray the power of the human spirit, the third depicts the complexity of the human condition. I’m going to start with the last of these, the Fritz Lang’s 1931 classic, M. M is the tale of a series of child killings in an unnamed German city, of the killer, of the ensuing panic, and of the organized response by both police officials and the criminal underground. Peter Lorre, in a role you’ll never forget, plays the psychopathic killer, a man apparently unable to control his deadly desire. M is a masterpiece of style and substance. Fritz Lang’s direction, cinematography, and editing give the film an eerie semi-documentary feeling. Lang mixes the critical, the mundane, the human, and the bureaucratic elements of the story into a cocktail of complexity and irony. The story in a nutshell. Police, unable to catch the whistling killer, stage a tight crackdown on the city’s “low life” and criminal underground. Other than the horrible killings, all criminal activity is squeezed to a halt. This being unbearable to the underworld, its leaders organize their troops into action against the killer. His whistling is recognized by a blind balloon man just as he’s about to kill again. He’s chased, marked with a chalk letter M, and eventually cornered inside a train depot and office complex. Watch Lorre’s eyes moments before his capture; they’re as big and shiny as half dollars.

The mobsters take the killer to an abandoned warehouse where they stage a kangaroo court. The scene where Lorre realizes what’s in store is truly chilling. But listen to Lorre’s emotional explanation for why he kills. And listen to his “attorney’s” defense. Amazing. In the past, American viewers could only see scratchy, edited, and abridged copies of M. But the 2004 digitally processed DVD version is complete and clear as a bell.

The other two films, Not One Less and Rabbit Proof Fence are entirely different from M, though Rabbit Proof Fence does deal with evil. Let me start with that. This is a true story that unfolds during 1930s Australia, part of a period when official government policy required “half caste” Aborigine children (those with one white parent) to be taken from their parents and placed in far away camps to be trained as domestic servants. Molly, her sister, and her cousin are stolen from their mother one day and shipped 1500 miles away. Kenneth Branaugh (an actor who I’ve come to appreciate more and more since seeing him in the second Harry Potter film) plays the government official Mr. Neville (called “devil” by the girls in the camp) who talks about racial engineering with the same dry sense of pride and purpose, I suppose, in which the Smith Brothers would talk about their cough drops. But after a few days of forced civilization, Molly has had enough. Hearing thunder from an approaching storm, knowing it will cover their tracks, Molly escapes with her sister and cousin. Through sheer determination and quite a bit of cleverness, Molly eludes the camp’s “Tracker” and soon realizes that she can follow the continent spanning “rabbit proof fence” to return home. I don’t want to spoil too much, but at the end of the film we learn details of the aftermath and we see the real life Molly and her sister as elderly women. We also learn that this kind of thing occurred in Australia up until 1970.

Not One Less is the story of a 13 year old Chinese country girl, Wei Minzhi, who is selected as a substitute elementary school teacher in a far flung village. The regular teacher must leave on family business for a month and there simply is no one else to fill his shoes. She is promised 50 yuan if she does a good job and 10 more if all her children are still in school when the regular teacher returns. She’s simply not prepared for the task and can merely write lessons on the board for her rambunctious class of students to copy. But when one of her worst trouble making boys leaves the village to find work in the city, her pride (and her desire for the 10 extra juan) drive her to find some way to bring the boy home. Many of her schemes fail, but her tenacity gets her to the city to search. Again she fails and all looks lost. I cannot tell you what happens. I’ll just say that the film delivers laughs, heartbreak, and inspiration.

We can’t help but admire the courage shown by Molly and Wei. It’s a courage born out of rebellion and a refusal to accept unfair authority. How do children acquire this kind of spirit? What do we do in our schools today to nurture it? Or, is our real hope that we can squeeze compliance out of them? I’d like to tie this in to some events occurring in my department here at Penn State. I won’t go into much detail now (I’ve got to have something to write about later on!), but it concerns directives handed to faculty about the way we teach and evaluate our students, and about our apparent unwillingness to resist.

By for now.

April 22, 2005

Hi Ate Us

Yes, I’ve been on hiatus for a while. Partly due to having changed computers and having to wait for the delivery of new Web site editing software. I’m now using something called “Dreamweaver.” Let’s see how it works with this latest assortment of odds and ends I have to report. I gave a speech last night for the Pennsylvania School Study Council Leadership Coloquium on “How to be a Savvy Consumer of Educational Research.” I guess it went ok. I started out by telling the audience, “I’d appreciate it if you’d hold your questions until after I’ve safely left the building.” They laughed.

Last weekend we went to the circus, the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus! It was a cannon shooting highwire blast. I love Bello, the guy with all the hair, and Eva Mei got to pet an elephant. As the guy once said, don’t miss it if you can !

Grass seed is one of the greatest hoaxes ever perpetrated on the American people. Grass seed is not actually “seed” at all, but tiny synthetic pellets manufactured out of Elmer’s Glue, Grape Nuts, and Fiberglass. Yet, tens of millions of us spend hundreds of millions on the product each year. If Congress can ever get off its butt and stop wasting time on UN ambassadors, Appeals Court judges, and Tom DeLay, perhaps it can look into this ongoing fraud of a mockery of a sham.

I finished my talk yesterday with the following words: “I struggled to find the right words, some meaningful words, to summarize and conclude this talk. (Pause) And I couldn’t come up with a darn thing!” Those words seem appropriate today.

Bye for now.

March 28, 2005

Somehow...

We had a nice peaceful Easter weekend. This was in no small part due to our avoiding the cable news networks and the Terri Schiavo story. I’ve been tempted to write something on this, but held back because it’s such an emotional and divisive issue. Surrounding the sadness I’ve felt over this case is a whole cloud of distress related to personal issues in my life. I won’t write about those either. Instead, I’ll print the words to a song I wrote while living in Taiwan. We were going through stressful times then as well, and the scribbling of words seemed to help a bit back then. Anyway, this song is called “Somehow” (and for those who need to know these sorts of things, it’s copyright 2002 by Roger Shouse and Plum Girl Music).

Hope sings from a window,

Fear shouts from the stair,

Faith turns every corner,

Still broken hearts lay bleeding everywhere.

Trust rides in the back seat,

Doubt clutches the wheel,

Tomorrow waits by the roadside,

Yelling, “Buddy, how’d you like to make a deal?”

Now comes the serious part of the song

We sing in a minor key,

Of life and love or a message from above,

But somehow those words never came to me.

Soon, no doubt, to be a major top-40 hit. Bye for now.

March 17, 2005

Green Fear; Democrat Hypocrisy on Judicial Nominations

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Senate Democrats (with a few exceptions) are green with envy (because they’re out of power in the Senate) and green politically (because they’ve been pulled solidly to the left by the “MoveOn” group). They’re also (again, with a few exceptions) baldly hypocritical in their opposition to allowing a straight up or down vote on President Bush’s judicial nominations. Despite these nominee’s approval by the Senate Judiciary Committee, they’ve been denied a vote on account of the Democrat’s dubious and disingenuous filibuster strategy. But let’s take a look at what the loudest of the Democrats said in the past regarding the judicial appointee confirmation process:

Barbara Boxer – 5/14/97: “It is not the role of the Senate to obstruct the process and prevent numbers of highly qualified nominees from even being given the opportunity for a vote on the Senate floor.”

Dick Durbin – 9/28/98: “If, after 150 days languishing on the Executive Calendar that name has not been called for a vote, it should be. Vote the person up or down.”

Tom Harkin – 1/5/95: “I do not believe that I as a member of the minority ought to have the right to absolutely stop something because I think it is wrong, that that is rule by minority.”

Ted Kennedy – 3/7/00: “The Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court said: ‘The Senate is surely under no obligation to confirm any particular nominee, but after the necessary time for inquiry it should vote him up or vote him down.’ Which is exactly what I would like.”

Pat Leahy - 6/18/98: “If we don’t like somebody the President nominates, vote him or her down. But don’t hold them in this anonymous unconscionable limbo, because in doing that, the minority of Senators really shame all Senators.”

Other Dems have made similar statements in the past, most notably Joe “Let Me Copy that Down” Biden when he stated years prior to Robert Bork’s nomination that he would have to vote to confirm Bork to the Supreme Court because of his excellent qualifications. The words just scream for themselves. These Dems aren’t concerned about any so-called Senate or Constitutional tradition; they’re purpose is to prevent, by whatever means necessary, the appointment of conservative jurists to our federal courts.

Bye for now.

March 9, 2005

Three Angels

Three of our students became angels this week. On their way to New York for a birthday celebration, three lovely young Korean women, Djung Tchoi, Hyeonhwa Lee, and Joo-Ook Kim, were tragically taken from us in a car crash. Hyeonhwa Lee was from our department, a doctoral student in the Education Theory and Policy program. So, last night, Lillian and I attended the memorial service honoring these three women. At the front of the hall rested three coffins, each with a photograph. The hall was packed with friends, family, and faculty. By the end of the service, the entire funeral home was standing room only. I hope that these women could look down and see their friends and teachers and hear the beautiful words they spoke. I hope their families will know how many people came out to say goodbye. And, I hope God will take these women in his loving arms, comfort them, and bring some peace to the hearts of their loved ones.

Bye for now.

March 2, 2005

Assorted Sandwiches

Ok, I know this seems to be turning into a monthly rather than a daily, weekly, biweekly, or semi-biweekly journal. Sorry. I got stuff going on, you know? Anyhow, why the title, “Assorted Sandwiches”? It was going to be “Assorted Thoughts,” but I got reminded of my early days at Oxford School in Dearborn, Michigan and Mrs. Patton our school’s cook. She and her partner (whose name I don’t remember) used to prepare wonderful lunches for us—homemade southern kinds of things that made all the boys run for “seconds” whenever they were available. But about once every two weeks she’d serve “Assorted Sandwiches” and since I couldn’t stomach canned tuna I always opted for peanut butter. These had about two inches of government peanut butter inside them and there was never enough milk to wash them down.

But I digress.

I’ve got a couple other things on my mind today, the first being the Supreme Court’s ruling yesterday that barred juvenile murderers from receiving the death penalty. Let me say that while I don’t see this a necessarily terrible ruling, it does bother me. Frankly, I believe that some murderers under the age of 18 do deserve to die and that executing them is not a cruel or unusual form of justice. We have a handful of kid kid killers here in Pennsylvania who a few years back lured their victim to a back lot and beat him to death. The killers still don’t appear to be sorry for what they did and I doubt that life in prison will change this. Along with this, I’m blown away by Justice Kennedy’s argument that we ought to somehow substitute world opinion for American law in deciding this. Finally, it is bizarre to assert, as I believe the court implicitly did, that 15, 16, and 17 year old kids lack the moral compass necessary to stop them from committing premeditated murder.

On another matter, I’ve watched some movies lately. No, not the ones showing at the theater, not the “brilliant, but ultimately stupid” films touted recently on the Oscars, but rather, some older films on VHS and DVD. Let me list them:

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Self absorbed Scottish girls school teacher creates a cult-like following of students whom she misleads with some disastrous results.

A Face in the Crowd. Southern hobo (Andy Griffith), aided by local radio celebrity (Patricia Neal), ascends—bursts, really—into the public consciousness via cracker barrel homespun witticisms and social commentary. The problem is he’s a sociopath. A must see film, far ahead of its time (1957).

Never Cry Wolf. Based on a true story of a Canadian Biologist assigned to study Arctic wolves in their natural habitat. He eats mice. Interesting story, a bit one-sidedly preachy at the end. Worth the watch, especially for wolf fans.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Instead of describing this 1939 Jimmy Stewart classic, I’ll use this occasion to tell you that I find West Virginia’s Senator Robert Byrd to be a despicable slime ball of human being. I feel better now.

The Cat Returns. Actually, I watched the Japanese version of this soon-to-be-released-in-English animated film by Miyazaki. Cats have a secret kingdom. They want to steal away a teenage girl, force her to wed the king of cats. But there are other cats who want to save her from this fate.

Porco Rosso. Another Miyazaki masterpiece. Pre-war Italy; war pilot transformed into a pig via mysterious curse; lives life as bounty hunter of sea plane pirates. Yes, I know; it’s the “same old story.”

I think it’s about time I did some real work around here. Did I mention that I’ll have a new article published soon in the Journal of Educational Administration? It’s called “Taking Lulu Seriously: The Meaning of ‘To Sir With Love,’” or something very similar to that.

Bye for now.

February 4, 2005

The General Needn’t Apologize

Speaking yesterday, Lt. Gen. James Mattis, commander of troops during the war in Afghanistan said the following:

“Actually it’s quite fun to fight them, you know. It’s a hell of a hoot. It’s fun to shoot some people. I’ll be right up there with you. I like brawling. You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn’t wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain’t got no manhood left anyway. So it’s a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them.”

So what’s the problem? What’s not to like about that statement? Yes, it may be quite offensive to pansies, wusses, towel chewers, anti-American types, and other sorts of confused individuals, but I found it refreshing. Having said that, I wish he hadn’t used the word “fun”—no war can be “fun” when your life is at stake. But how about “satisfying?” I imagine it would be extremely satisfying to whack the sorts of knuckle draggers to which the General refers.

Are Americans no longer allowed to feel the same things they felt decades ago at the newsreels, the movies, even the cartoons, for crying out loud, showing American soldiers altering the body temperatures of large numbers of enemy soldiers during WWII? Hell, even as a kid growing up in the 50s and 60s, I laughed and felt great satisfaction watching Popeye toss around those Japanese planes and German subs.

War is terrible. But despite all the cute bumper stickers to the contrary, war is sometimes the answer. And there’s no reason not to feel pleased when we get the answer right. This war is not “Shenandoah.” This war is not “brother killing brother.” This war is about stopping a group of thugs who believe they have the right to return us to the stone age.

More

Jeanine Garafalo says that showing “blue fingers” at the State of the Union address is tantamount to raising the Nazi salute. Mass. Senator Ted “Time to Withdraw from the Oldsmobile” Kennedy suggests that Iraqis have not spilt enough blood. NJ Frank Lautenberg argues that the fact that U.S. senators have the right to opt out of Social Security and invest their retirement funds elsewhere is “irrelevant” to the issue of denying that right to ordinary citizens. The point? Well, it’s simply that we are watching the political left self destruct before our eyes. And this, too, is satisfying.

Bye for now.

January 17, 2005

The Day I Met Dr. Martin Luther King...Sr.

Yes, that’s right, my Martin Luther King Jr. number is “2,” right? Meaning 2 degrees of separation? It was a summer day, about 1982. I was living in a flat on St. Anne St. on Detroit’s southeast side. I’d known since the time I’d moved there that Martin Luther King Jr.’s aunt lived across the street from me. I had always made a point to smile and say “good morning” or “hello” each time I saw her on her porch or in her front yard. So, on this warm July afternoon she called out to me and waved for me to come up to her porch. There were a few people seated there including one elderly man whom she introduced to me as “Dr. King.” We shook hands and I smiled and said something about what an honor it was to meet him. He smiled, then asked me where I was from.

“Dearborn,” I replied. “I grew up in Dearborn.”

Dr. King responded, “Dearborn!? Then you must be a white man!”

“Yes, I guess I am!” I replied. There was a pause. Then I said, “Well, it was certainly good to meet you sir. Best wishes to you!” I exchanged smile with my neighbor and was on my way.

On reflection, I suppose this isn’t a really interesting story. Perhaps you’d all preferred to have heard about the time I met Jack Nicholson. But that’s not so interesting either.

So, I’ll just say “bye” for now.

January 11, 2005

One Month Later, Pop Culture and Other Notes

Where does the time go? I know, but I’m not telling. Let me start with the observation that Dan Rather was “all but” fired according to yesterday’s report of the independent investigation of CBS/Memogate. Ah, “memogate”! The very mention of that phrase got the older member (I can’t remember which is which) of the Woodward/Bernstein team’s undies all in a knot on last night’s Hannity & Combs show. He was like, “how dare anyone compare this with “Watergate?’! Let me tell you something, Carl or Bob—Metamucil works wonders for me and it will work for you, too!

Enough of that. Movies I’ve seen, very briefly mentioned. “National Treasure” with Nick Cage was a great deal of fun. And let me put in a good word for the Lowe’s Cinema people at Fairlane Mall in Dearborn—they gave me free passes to a future film because the theater was so darned cold! Of course, I had to complain, but at least they put out! Watched Bill Murray’s “Groundhog Day” again, on DVD, with family. Just as good or better than I remember it. Eva Mei howled and that’s a good sign.

“Night of the Living Dead,” however, was nowhere near as scary as I thought it was 30 years ago. Although I still love the ratty nervous expression of the little Don Rickles look-a-like and I laughed at the lead character’s observation (as flesh eating ghouls were surrounding the farm house) that “it’s no Sunday school picnic out there!” The only thing that grossed Eva Mei out was the intestines “tartar” served up from the flaming pickup truck.

Miyazaki’s “The Castle of Cagliostro” was an unexpected treat. Purchased with one of them nifty gift cards Eva Mei received over the holidays (Thanks, Rocco!), I figured it would be just sort of ok. The animated film introduced me to the Japanese comic book character, Lupin III, something of an ethical thief with a lot of cleverness and class. In fact, the 1980 film was funny and exciting. Highly recommended, even at the $24 price tag.

Finally, and shifting to TV, I’m glad I have a stockpile of Valium (thanks, Taiwan!), for I’ve needed one after watching each new season episode of “24”. I’d not seen the earlier episodes, simply because I hesitate to get drawn into one more thing that’s going to demand another hour of my time each week. (“Antique Road Show” is bad enough!) Imagine “Le Femme Nikita,” but on amyl nitrate, and you’ll get the gist of “24”. It even has the actress (you can look up her real name, if you want) who played the evil yet sensitive Madyline on Le Femme, this time playing a sort of “CIA-type” section head who is either misfeasant or malfeasant (to be determined in future episodes). We also get the smart looking, upscale Arab terrorist family. A caring mom and dad raising their son to kill people and help destroy the US. Sort of like an evil “Ozzie & Harriet”—hey! like “Bazzi & Harriet”!!!!!

On that note, I better say, “bye for now.”

July 30, 2004

Falling Down

It's not that the just-ended Dem. Nat. Convention left me speechless, far from it. But I took a nasty spill last Saturday night, down my basement steps, and until today typing has been nearly impossible. I hit the bottom step the wrong way, broke my foot, then dislocated a finger as I reached to break my fall. So, I got this big old boot on my right foot and I'm supposed to have a splint on my left hand. I think I can live without the splint, but all you orthopedists out there are welcome to tell me why I'm wrong.

Cripple or not, I had to paint a new room this past Tuesday and Wednesday; primer plus two coats of light aquamarine. New room? Yep. We've spent the last two months dodging workmen who've been busy pushing out our kitchen and the basement beneath it. During this time we managed to entertain two dear friends from Pingtung, Yi Ching and her mother. They are such dear people. Their family took us in as their friends during our stay in Pingtung and helped make our visit wonderful. I hope we'll see them and the rest of their family next summer.

Anyhow, the room got painted and now the floor guys are here putting in the hard wood floors. We have no kitchen now to speak of. The sink is gone, the stove is inoperable, and there's no table or counter space. In fact, most of our house is filled up with our stuff and construction matierial. Our dog, Ross, is being pretty much a trooper, putting up with all the confusion with little more than an occasional barking fit.

I do have a lot to say about politics right now, but I'll save it for another day.

Bye for now.

July 12, 2004

Oh Yeah, and One More Thing

One of the more tragically funny efforts of the left and the media of late is to claim there was no "formal collaboration" between Iraq and Al Qaida. Yesterday's headlines included the assertion that the Senate Intelligence Committee report will state that there were no "formal" contacts. I guess this means that the contacts and the collaboration were "informal." Where I come from, the term "informal" refers to interactions that are not part of some set of rules or structures; things like contracts, treaties, regularly scheduled meetings, etc. The Blame Bush First crown, it appears, needed to see Bin Laden's name in Saddam Hussein's rolodex and a set of Iraq-Al Qaida partnership papers on file at the Baghdad County Clerk's office.

July 11, 2004

Senate Demagoguery

Ok, let's get this straight--again.

1. In the late 1990s and for the first three years of the 21st century, nearly every major world leader and nearly every leading Democrat politician in the US was on record as claiming that Saddam Hussein possessed chemical and biological weapons and was on his way to building nuclear weapons.

2. The United Nations reported that massive amounts of WMD that had been known to exist in Iraq at the time of the Gulf War I were unaccounted for as late as 1998.

3. During Gulf War II, captured Iraqi commanders reported that they believed that chemical and biological weapons would be used by Saddam.

4. Since the fall of Saddam, Allied forces in Iraq have discovered missile warheads designed to carry chemical payloads, missiles designed to hit targets beyond the distance authorized by the UN, and quantities of sarin and cylcosarin gas.

5. Prior to the start of Gulf War II, Russia president Putin warned the US that his intelligence believed that Iraq would launch an attack on the US.

6. Al Qaida operatives were allowed to move freely within Iraq. Foreign terrorists were trained at Salmon Pak, a base near Baghdad.

Now the Senate Intelligence Committee is about to release a report claiming that the CIA engaged in a type of "groupthink" that somehow caused them to exaggerate some evidence while downplaying other evidence. To buy this, we must also buy the idea that this "groupthink" affected every other intelligence agency in the western world.

Deep down in the Senate report, according to the Washington Post, is a report that, in fact, Iraq was seeking to buy uranium in Africa and that Joseph Wilson (the angry Bush critic who claimed the uranium story was false) lied about his knowledge in this case.

Imagine there's some guy in your neighborhood who snaps one day and is standing in his back yard waving a rifle at passersby. He's got a criminal record for having shot his cousin 15 years ago. After giving the creep several warnings, a police sharpshooter hits him between the eyes. But later it's found that the gun wasn't loaded. Now imagine that West Virginia Senator Rockefeller is called on to investigate the events. He will say, "Had I known the gun wasn't loaded, I would never have supported shooting the suspect."

Senator Rockefeller values a November Democrat victory more than he values the security of Americans like you and me. On Meet the Press this morning, he claimed that President Bush "wanted to be a war time president" and that's why we invaded Iraq. It seems to me -- and it ought to be apparent to any fair minded observer -- that regardless of what President Bush wanted, the decision to be a war time president was taken out of his hands on September 11, 2001. Sad that so many Americans seem to have forgotten this.

Bye for now.

June 30, 2004

If Today's Press had Covered D-Day

Here's a link to the article, If D-Day had been Reported on Today. The press would be calling the Nazis "freedom fighters."

June 29, 2004

Yellowcake Redeux

As predicted here last year, it turns out that Iraq did, indeed, attempt to obtain uranium, not just from "Africa," but from Nigeria. What's that, you say? Wasn't this debunked months ago by former diplomat / political water boy Joe Wilson? Well, lies will eventually out and liars will eventually out themselves. In fact, Joe Wilson did just that in his recent attack book. Click here to read what Joe actually wrote about Iraq's efforts to obtain uranium. And we now have further evidence, compliments of Financial Times.

June 28, 2004B

Fun Stuff

Our good friends from Pingtung arrived yesterday. This is the first time Yu Ching and her mother have ever been in the US. It was so good to see them. It brought back so many good memories of our year in Pingtung. Yu Ching has grown so much in one year. They brought some video of their life back there, including some scenes from one of our last dinners together.

On another note, last week we traveled to Michigan. In addition to our stay at my parents' house in Dearborn, we drove to the Tawas/East Tawas area on Lake Huron. The family cottage is about 10 miles from town on a small lake called Bass Lake. I caught some fish and cooked them for breakfast. We had a great time. But I wanted to mention three outstanding restaurants:

Gini's: on US 23. They have a terrific Asian chef, so in addition to the usual faire of steak, perch, and walleye, you can have something quite different. I had Thai Walleye, deep fried and covered in a sweet chili sauce. As one who's tasted this dish at fine Thai restaurants, I can say that it was delicious. They also have wonderful home made egg rolls, much more like the kind I've tasted in China than the ones I've had at Chinese restaurants in America.

Pier 23: on US 23. A very nice bar-restaurant. I can't remember exactly what kind of fish I ordered, but it was delicious.

Desi's: on the River Road between Lumberman's Monument and Oscoda. Formerly "Desi's Taco Lounge," I guess the name was changed in accord with the fact that they serve a wide variety of dishes, including Mexican. The walls are covered in ads, posters, and other memorabilia, including a very famous "subconsciously racy" R.C. Cola ad from the 50s. They're open for breakfast and they serve the very best link sausage you will ever taste in your life.

Bye for now.

June 28, 2004A

Michael Moore, Fascist

More than a mere fathead, Michael Moore is a fascist. I say that because his latest propaganda piece, Fahrenheit 9/11, bolsters the cause of Islamic fascism and lends aid and comfort to its terrorist campaign against against the civilized world. Amazingly, the media dupes of this effort report that in terms of opening weekend ticket sales, Moore's film is the hottest documentary of all time. This is wrong for one or the other of the following reasons. First, it's not a "documentary" because it fails to present its topic in an objective way. But if we must call it a "documentary," then so was the Nazi film, "Triumph of the Will," which, I suspect, was viewed by a much larger audience upon its release.

But let's take a look at "Fahrenheit's" major points. (Alas, we are unable to view Moore's most important point, the one hidden by that ball cap he wears.)

---The Bush family maintained business links with the Bin Laden family. The Bin Laden family is tremendously large and involved in business activity around the world. But the overwhelming majority of its members are not affiliated with Osama Bin Laden in any way and do not support his terrorist activity. By the film's logic, if 20 years ago you bought a car from a dealer whose cousin sells drugs today, you've got a connection to drug dealing.

---President Bush allowed members of the Bin Laden family to fly out of the US in the early aftermath of 9/11. In fact, the persons in question were fully vetted by the FBI and found to have no terrorist connection. What's more, the flights were approved by Moore/media darling Richard Clark. I guess Moore thinks we should have put them all in Gitmo.

---President Bush continued to sit with elementary school children for 12 whole minutes after hearing about 9/11. This one is so silly as to merit little rebuttal, but fair minded people will probably agree that 12 minutes is not a great deal of time to allow Defense and Secret Service officials to map out a plan to protect the President's movements in the wake of the first military attack on American soil in over 50 years. In Moore's world, the President would have immediately begun running around, frightening the children, and ordering missile attacks on dessert tents.

---Iraq was a nation full of happy people before America dropped bombs on them. So was Germany in 1942.

I could go on, but as I type, I have this gnawing feeling that I've made my point and have wasted enough time on this fat slug of a traitor. Please read Christopher Hitchens' review of this film at http://slate.msn.com/id/2102723.

Bye for now.

June 11, 2004

Ronald Reagan

I did not vote for Ronald Reagan the first time he ran for office, I think because in 1980, I was still viewing much of the world through the hazy buildup of years of twenty-something phony intellectualism. My mind was clearing by the late 1970s, however. I cringed during the Iranian hostage crisis each time Jimmy Carter tossed another whimperative at the kidnapper government. On the morning of Carter's failed dessert rescue mission, I stood in front of my seventh grade social studies class trying to explain to my students what had just happened. On one hand I wanted to be patriotic and honor the fallen soldiers. On the other, I wanted to raise with them the rhetorical question, "Just what the &#@% was Carter thinking?!!!!"

So why did I vote for Carter in 1980? I suppose I was still holding a faint torch for the idea that America was equally responsible for the Cold War and that we could find peace through disarmament. I was swayed by friends and commentators that the prospect of nuclear war was so horrible -- and would be so real under a Reagan administration -- that a Carter vote seemed the natural thing to do. I don't think I knew anyone who was openly supporting Reagan. His victory caught me by surprise.

I can't remember exactly how the man won me over. It didn't hurt that our people were released from Iran on the day he took office. It didn't hurt that his words seemed more and more "moving," that is, after I finally began to listen more and more. His words and actions impressed me as thoughtful and confident. Another thing that made a difference, ironically, was that being "underemployed," I had more time to read and think. A local Detroit radio talk show host, Mark Scott, encouraged me to read Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged," Walter William's "The State Against Blacks," and Thomas Sowell's "Knowledge and Decisions." I became increasingly unwilling to make excuses for communist or Islamic thuggery and oppression around the world. It was about time! By 1982 I had it figured that I'd be voting for President Reagan in the next election.

Today I look back and view Ronald Reagan as one of the two greatest presidents of my lifetime. He's number one, of course, and I hope that our current president will someday, somehow catch up. America lost a great deal when he left us the first time back in 1994. Although America lost him again this past week, in Reagan's death we have gained a national recognition of his tremendous contribution.

Bye for now.

May 27, 2004

Gore Finds an Understanding Audience

May 24, 2004

Eva Mei Soccer Star II

It was bound to happen but I just never knew when. Eva Mei scored her first goal yesterday. It was a beauty. I have to tell you that last Thursday the girl played, well, let's say not so sharp. Like a plastic bag full of Jello. She knew it and I knew it. But yesterday she went out on the field like a ball of fire; challenging, stealing, and passing. Maybe it was because of her lucky red bandana, but she looked feisty and intimidating out there. Anyhow, way down at the other end of the field, I saw her on the left side of the net. She got a pass from someone, a near perfect pass, and pounded it into the net from about 15 feet out. The goalie, leaning right, never had a chance.

Now, they did lose the game, but they played an undefeated team really close. And Eva Mei stayed tough for the entire sweaty game.

When I saw the goal, I could barely believe it. My jaw dropped, Lillian screamed, and I could feel my eyes welling up. I looked around just to see if others could confirm what I'd just seen. What a girl! She ran across the field and high fived a couple teammates. Her coach called her "Thunderfoot."

There is a slight downside. After the first game of the year, I had promised her a little something for her first goal. I did this last year. The promise was a Playstation II. She never scored, but she got the PSII for Christmas. This year I got a bit carried away. I promised her a set of drums. Of course, she reminded me right away about this and there was no hope of wiggling out. But I asked her after the game. "Are you more happy about the drums? Or about the goal?"

"The goal," she replied right away.

Now I'm searching E-bay, Musicians Friend, want ads, etc. for something under $300. Send your ideas to rcs8@psu.edu.

Thanks. And bye for now.

May 18, 2004

Cartoon of the Year

The editorial cartoon below just about says everything one could possibly say about the media today.

Yesterday we discovered a warhead filled with sarin gas. Sarin is a weapon of mass destruction. A drop the size of the head of a pin can kill in moments. Like the Nick Berg story, this one was essentially buried beneath the continued blathering over a handful of terrorists having to wear underwear on their heads. Also topping the news was the absolutely chilling story of how Timmy Russert had to wait 45 seconds for Colin Powell to straighten out an overzealous press assistant during a Meet the Press interview. This was played as a major story, not just on NBC, not just on MSNBC and CNBC, but on other networks as well. The talking heads were simply in a dither over the story, in serious need of hugs to get them through the foggy nights ahead.

These are the new war mongers, building scandal where none exists in an effort to build ratings and topple a president during wartime. Today the "9/11 Commission" will hear from family members of 9/11 victims claiming that "a breakdown of communication" among rescue agencies led to their loved ones' deaths. That's funny--I thought psycho Islamic fascists had something to do with it. I'm sure the talking heads will straighten us out this evening.

Bye for now.

May 14, 2004

Eva Mei Soccer Star

Yesterday was a long day for my daughter, Eva Mei. She’s begun getting up at 6:30 so she can dress, eat, practice piano, and still have time to play outside for an hour before the bus comes. At school she plays clarinet in the band and runs on the track team. Yesterday, she had a citywide track meet after school until 5:30 then a soccer game at 6:00.

When we picked her up from the track meet she was red as a beet from running three events and hanging out in the 80-degree sun. I think she kinda didn’t wanna go to her soccer game, but swallowing a double cheeseburger in the air conditioned comfort of our car seemed to perk her up a bit.

During the soccer game she seemed a bit pooped out, along with several of the other players who had also been at the track meet. With a couple of exceptions (the speedy little girls with low centers of gravity who tend to score the most), all the girls looked like they were mainly just going through the motions. Our team finally scored a goal and we held the lead through the third quarter. Holding a lead has been a problem for Eva Mei’s team, which has led, but had not won, any of the games I’d seen.

In the final quarter they put Eva Mei in as goalie. I get real nervous when this happens, not because of her talent, but because of the spotlight that inevitably falls on the goalie. Over the next 12 minutes, Eva Mei scooped up three shots on goal, including one in which she crawled into a scrum of players and grabbed the ball just inches from the goal line. After that, her team managed to run out the clock and win what I’m pretty sure was their first game of the season.

After the game I picked her up and cheered. “Not this again!” she howled. As we walked off the field she gave me this coy look and said, “Dad? Drums?” You see, I’ve told her that if she scores a goal I’ll get her a set of drums. “That’s only if you score a goal!” I reminded. She pouted. I smiled.

Bye for now.

May 12, 2004

Nick Berg

Having stayed home a day trying to beat a bout of laryngitis, I had the chance to witness today’s grave events unfold. First was the media/left wing drum beat backdrop: “Prison Abuse Scandal,” “How could this happen?” “When will Rumsfeld resign?” “Why won’t President Bush accept responsibility?” Next came the refreshing reality check by Oklahoma’s Senator James Inhofe. Echoing the responsible comments made yesterday by Senator Lieberman, Inhofe expressed “outrage at the outrage” while reminding us of the crimes these poor abused prisoners had committed and exposing the hearings for the sham of a show trial they are. Finally came the sobering video showing Nick Berg, a young man from Philadelphia working as a civilian to help restore Iraq’s infrastructure, being hideously butchered by a band of Islamo-fascist cowards.

I continue writing, a day later. In the aftermath of Berg’s murder, I’m struck by a number of questions. Why are the news networks continuing to lead with the prison abuse story? How dare MSNBC reporter Brooke Hart claim that Nick Berg “paid with his life” for prisoner abuse? (The early ABC Radio News stories suggested the same thing-that America was partially to blame for Berg’s murder.) Why do the networks, popping with excitement over the chance to show more photos of guards treating terrorist prisoners like dogs, refuse to show photos of terrorists butchering Americans like hogs?

And why do so many Senators continue their scandal mongering over the abuses of a handful of miscreant prison guards? Why won’t a few more senators say something like, “Instead of wasting more time viewing prisoner abuse photos today, I’m standing here next to a photo of Nick Berg’s last moments on earth.”

And while we’re discussing our politicians, why aren’t a few of them speaking out against the treasonous words of Ted Kennedy? On the Senate floor the other day, Kennedy asserted that Saddam Hussein’s torture rooms were now under American management. Kennedy is a man who has throughout his life distinguished himself as a scoundrel, by cheating his way into law school and by leaving a young woman to drown in his car. In a more civil society, Kennedy would be tarred and feathered or simply beaten up. See below for a look at Kennedy’s own “torture room.”

After all this, like perhaps many of you, my first thought was that we needed to strike out in blind fury against the Iraqi cities harboring these creatures; carpet bombs, small yield nukes, etc. Although I’d shed no tears over a move like this, my second thought was toward a more realistic strategy. First, we need to continue to weed out the enemy, avoid harming innocents where possible, but recognizing that war is war and that some innocents will die. Second, on the home front, those of us who recognize the justice of this war, and that avoiding this overseas war now will simply lead to a war on our doorstep later on, need to speak up, stand up, and react hard against those politicians and members of the media who trade water with the enemy in exchange for short term political power.

I’m not so much talking here about those who are generally opposed to war in principle, those who would have been as critical of a Clinton missile attack as of one by Bush. They’re wrong, but God love them. I’m really referring to those who talked the talk of war when it was expedient for themselves or for their party, but who now work to undercut our troops in hopes of a November victory at the polls. John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Wesley Clark, just to name a few. I’m also referring to those in the media who’s reporting mirrors the way they’ll vote instead of covering the facts as they are. It’s time for a much stronger stand against their lies and distortions.

Here’s hoping for a happier entry next time. Bye for now.

April 26, 2004

Blood, gore, trauma movie fest at Shouse house over the weekend!

At the end of a very tiring week filled with illnesses (daughter, dog, self), I stopped on the way home from work and rented four DVDs; Freaky Friday, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, and Under Siege. Eva Mei and I watched all of these, Lillian had an interest in only one of them (can you guess which?). Before going further, I’ll admit I had qualms about allowing Eva Mei to view some of these. The sexual innuendos, graphic violence, bodily fluids, etc.; nevertheless, I relented and allowed her to watch Freaky Friday anyway.

We began Friday evening with The Meaning of Life, perhaps one of the goriest, most nauseating, and, yet, funniest films ever made. After explaining to Eva Mei (reminding her, actually) what a “sperm” was, she especially enjoyed the “Childbirth in the Third World” song and dance bit. And, like everyone else who has seen this film, she will never forget Mr. Creosote.

We followed this up with Freaky Friday, the third version of this old children’s novel updated with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. They’re both cute as hell and Mark Harmon doesn’t hurt either. Really a very funny film that rocks a lot. Lohan is one of those child performers who you’ll hope makes the transition into adult acting.

Saturday night began with Under Siege. In my opinion, Steven Seagal and his films have received far too little respect. This native Detroiter is always fun to watch and always fun to not watch. By that, I mean that you can have a Steven Seagal movie on in the background and enjoy it even when you aren’t quite paying attention because you can simply trust that lots of bad guys are getting their butts kicked by this martial arts specialist. I also like Under Siege because it was filmed on the U.S. Alabama, a ship that I’ve driven by so many times that’s it’s become a part of my psyche. “Save your pennies for the U.S. Alabama!” (You’ll appreciate that if you’re a boomer from the Heart of Dixie.)

Next came the real viewing dilemma. It’s always hard to tell what kind of film is appropriate for a given age and maturity level. But in this case I decided not to allow my wife, Lillian, to watch Kill Bill. So she went up stairs and Eva Mei popped the disk into the tray. Kill Bill, essentially, is Cartoon Network’s Samurai Jack in a contemporary setting, with people instead of robots, and with a lot of bad language and psycho-adult situations. Once you understand that, it’s easy to rationalize watching it with your not-quite 10-year-old daughter. I mean, she had already seen the last half of Reservoir Dogs, which had that funny guy from Billy Madison and Spy Kids II. So watching another Quentin Terentino movie was just the logical extension. Our favorite part was watching O-Ren Ishii’s fast, furious, yet graceful dance down the boardroom table to slice off the head of an offending gang member.

Remembering how our parents allowed Johnny Kotlarczyk and I go see Goldfinger at the age of 9 and 10 respectively, I said to Eva Mei, “Someday you’ll tell people about how your dad let you watch ‘Kill Bill’ when you were 9 and a half years old!” She smiled. A beautiful daddy daughter Kodak moment.

By for now.

March 15, 2004

My Friend Peach Reveals the Truth about America’s Economy

My friend Peach wrote the following letter to the editor:

“Despite the Democrat’s mantra that the economy is in trouble and that over 2.3 million jobs have disappeared, the truth is considerably different.

“There are two primary measures of unemployment. The Department of Labor conducts a monthly Household Survey, which has always generated the official unemployment rate used by the government. This official survey shows 2.4 million jobs have been added to the work force between November ’02 and February ‘04. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) conducts its payroll survey by phoning businesses. It is unprecedented to use the BLS unemployment statistics when discussing America’s unemployment rate and yet this is where the Democrats are getting their 2.3 million lost jobs figure.

“For example, had the unofficial BLS survey been used in the mid-90’s, we would have had a 12.8% unemployment rate using the same methodology. Instead, in 1996, the unemployment rate was 5.6%, the exact same rate as we have today.

“The government began collecting unemployment data in 1939. Since that time, there has never been positive job growth two years after a recession ended. Never.

“Other economic indicators are just as good:

-- The number of working Americans, 138.5 million, is a level never previously attained in our history.

-- The percentage of families living in poverty today averages 9.4%, a decrease of approximately 1.1% from the 90’s.

-- Home ownership is currently 68.6% which is an increase of 1.1% from the 90’s.

-- A manufacturing survey released in February showed US factories boomed at their highest level in 17 years. The Institute for Supply Management reported more and more factories were reporting hiring although it has not yet shown up in government employment statistics. Manufacturing makes up nearly one-fifth of the US economy.

-- The combined net worth of all US households is $44.4 trillion, the highest ever achieved.

-- Consumer prices (inflation) increased just 1.9% last year.

-- The stock market has advanced 45% in the last 12 months.

--The gross domestic product, the total goods and service produced in the US, increased in the 3rd quarter last year at an annual rate of 8.2% after inflation and 4.1% in the 4th quarter. Growth in the 90’s averaged a little better than 3% annually.

-- The wealthiest five percent of our population pays more than half the taxes, while people at the bottom half pay just 4% of all taxes in the country. Economists credit the recovering economy to the Bush tax cuts as opposed to what an increased regressive taxation on the nation’s wealthiest would have had on the economy.

-- The average wage of American workers is currently $15.40 vs. $11.80 during the 90’s.

“Despite 9/11 and the over $500 billion it took out of our economy, it appears the economy is booming. I will leave it to the reader to speculate why the media seems driven to repeat unchallenged the Democrat’s unemployment numbers and constant derision of the US economy.” [emphasis added]

[End of Peach’s letter. If you also wonder why this message isn’t getting out, then perhaps you’ll help spread the word.]

March 14, 2004

Spain Surrenders

I guess it’s 1939 again. I’m trying to figure out how it works that a nation gets attacked by an enemy, then votes into office the party that wishes to not fight the war. It’s “Bizarro World” where Bizzaro Superman says, “Me save country! Me wave white flag!”

Al Qaida’s victory in Spain will embolden them to strike again. Italy? Poland? United Kingdom? Will their peoples show courage? Or will all of Europe now come to see Chamberlain as a man ahead of his time?

And what of America? Are our people also ready to give up the fight? Ready to accept a few hundred deaths every few hundred weeks for the sake of “peace?” If we follow this path, then perhaps we, like Spain, deserve everything we get.

March 2, 2004

Who Said the Following?

“The administration is leading. The administration is making it clear that they don't believe that they even need the U.N. Security Council to sign off on a material breach because the finding of material breach was made by Mr. Butler. So furthermore, I think the United States has always reserved the right and will reserve the right to act in its best interests. And clearly it is not just our best interests, it is in the best interests of the world to make it clear to Saddam Hussein that he's not going to get away with a breach of the '91 agreement that he's got to live up to, which is allowing inspections and dismantling his weapons and allowing us to know that he has dismantled his weapons. That's the price he pays for invading Kuwait and starting a war….

…we would have to use the threat of military force because …, these are delaying tactics brought about by the Iraqis and this is very serious. When you're talking about biological warfare and when you're talking about the fact that they've already adjusted the cameras, they've already fooled around with the equipment which gauges the air, they've already moved some of the devices away from the U.N. inspectors. This is a very, very serious situation and I'm saying that we would have to, I think, threaten very severe military action at an early date.”

Click here for the answer

February 29, 2004

Everything I Need to Know about Diversity I Learned in Sunday School

Last Friday, partly out of curiosity, partly as a favor to my department head, I attended a College of Education “Diversity Workshop.” About 75 faculty, students, and staff crowded into a conference room to watch brief theatrical vignettes illustrating various common campus interactions involving race. The actors were entertaining, the skits (though cartoonishly exaggerated) were provocative, and the whole thing at least began with a good sense of open discussion.

Gradually, however, I began to suspect that the “facilitator” had an axe to grind. They say that to a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. I guess it’s also true that to a man with a diversity workshop, everything looks like racial hate. We were told that the outlandishly rude and obnoxious behaviors portrayed in the vignettes were “typical” of people here at Penn State. We were told that if we had any doubt, we could simply read the local papers; or, more pointedly, we could simply tune in the student radio station any weekday from five to six PM to hear this kind of attitude expressed on a show called “Radio Free Penn State.”

That was more than I could swallow. I hear that show not frequently, but regularly, about once a week as I drive to my evening class. I interrupted the “facilitator.”

“I listen to that show and in my opinion it’s not at all the way you describe it,” I said. This was followed by a moment of silence after which the “facilitator” moved on.

I stayed fairly silent after that, listening to other people’s responses. Some were in the same vein as my remark, for example, one woman remarked that in 15 years of teaching she had never seen the kind of behavior depicted in one of the skits. Others, however, found dark “hidden meanings” behind the actors’ words and movements. In one skit, a woman character who clearly seemed to shift from “being comfortable with” to “openly challenging” the racial prejudice of a fellow student was described by one audience member as being “the most despicable of all.” It was the kind of hair splitting intellectual paranoia of which, perhaps, only a postmodernist or critical theorist is capable (I’m half kidding). A few minutes later, at the time the workshop was supposed to end, and despite the fact that the “facilitator” was still talking about our need to “come to closure over this last vignette” (that’s professor speak for “we won’t be done for at least ten more minutes”), I gathered my things and left.

Some may find this kind of activity useful, perhaps cathartic. I find it to be an utter waste of time and I shall not attend another. This isn’t because I see no problems in terms of racial tension here at PSU, but, rather, because I believe that the best way to address the tension is “one person at a time, and from the inside out” using a few very simple messages, the likes of which most of us either learned in Sunday school, elementary school, or at home. The messages I’m talking about are as follows:

1. Treat people the way you, yourself, would like to be treated by others. (Formerly known as “The Golden Rule back in the days when teachers were allowed to speak of “The Golden Rule” in public.)

2. Treat people with kindness and respect until such time you have strong evidence that they don’t deserve these.

3. Forgive.

4. If your words or actions are aimed at hurting or offending someone, knock it off.

5. If you are often feeling offended by the words or actions of others, knock that off, too.

6. Be honest.

Perhaps there are other things that should be on this list. But probably not many, and certainly none having to do with diversity workshops or mandatory coursework in diversity education.

Bye for now.

February 27, 2004

A “Great Myth” for our Time: Rumsfeld’s Response to Kennedy

The following story comes from Scott Ott’s “Scrappleface” web site (http://www.scrappleface.com/MT/archives/001561.html). I’m told that the story is fiction. Nevertheless, it needs to be told and retold over and over, again and again.

Rumsfeld: Kennedy 'All Wet' About Bush Lies (Humor)
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told Sen. Edward M. Kennedy yesterday that he was "all wet" when the Senator alleged that the Bush administration lied about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction to justify going to war.

The verbal clash came during Mr. Rumsfeld's testimony at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing probing the state of pre-war intelligence.

Sen. Kennedy began his questioning of the Defense Secretary by saying, "Don't you think some members of the Bush administration should be held legally accountable for the lies they told about Iraqi weapons, and the subsequent cover-up?"

"First, with all due respect Senator Kennedy, you're all wet," said Mr. Rumsfeld. "The administration has not lied or covered up. However, in general, I do believe that when a man commits a crime he should face the bar of justice. He should not be allowed to serve in positions of power in our government, and be hailed as a leader, when the question of his guilt remains unresolved, if you know what I mean."

"I'm sure I do not know what you mean," Mr. Kennedy said. "But the American people deserve to know why you can't find Saddam's weapons of mass destruction."

"Sometimes things are hard to find, even when you know where they are," said Mr. Rumsfeld. "For example, I've heard of a man who missed a bridge and drove his car into the water, even though he knew where the bridge was. And then sometimes you just keep diving into a problem and despite repeated efforts, you come up empty handed. That doesn't mean that nothing's there. As you know, eventually, the truth comes to light."

Having no further questions, Mr. Kennedy yielded the remainder of his time.

In “Republic,” Plato wrote of the “great myth” – a tale that even if untrue was, for the sake of social ethos, important to repeat. I hope you enjoyed this one. Pass it on. Bye for now.

February 19, 2004

President Bush was Right about Iraq: Here's Why

Last April, President Bush launched an invasion of Iraq to topple the Saddam Hussein’s regime. In the preceding months, the President gave four key reasons for this action. First was his belief that Iraq possessed chemical and biological weapons and weapons programs (including a nuclear weapons program) that could promote terrorist attacks in the Middle East, the United States, or elsewhere in the world. Second, Hussein had not complied with the many United Nations resolutions regarding inspections and the dismantling of weapons and weapons programs. A third goal was to destroy Hussein’s murderous regime that had demonstrated a willingness to kill and torture thousands of its own people over many years.

The President’s fourth reason was the fact we had suffered a terrorist attack on our own soil. We were already at war and needed to respond aggressively to potential threats to our citizens and homeland. Today, this crucial reason for invading Iraq is the most often ignored by the President’s critics. Today these critics speak as if during the months leading up to the Iraq invasion intelligence was readily obtained, time was unlimited, and risks were low. These assumptions, of course, are completely unreasonable. In fact, the cost of failing to act or waiting to act might have been catastrophic.

Critics also point to our failure to find the stockpiled weapons of mass destruction. “Had we known then what we know now,” they ask, “would we have taken the same action in Iraq?” On one hand, the question is bogus, for the only way to have known “what we know now” would have been for Hussein to order his troops, bodyguards, and other henchmen to lay down their arms and submit to the authority of the UN and the US. In other words, today's knowledge could only have been obtained through the unconditional surrender of the Iraqi regime.

On the other hand, it's important to ask, “was the invasion justified?” I believe the answer is yes. Based on our best intelligence estimates (available to all members of Congress at the time), we had no reason to doubt the presence of WMD in Iraq. In the weeks just prior to the invasion, in fact, inspectors found and destroyed hundreds of missile warheads designed solely for use with chemical weapons. Consider also how American political leaders of both parties, including former President Clinton and Vice President Gore had highlighted the Iraqi threat. As recently as February 12, 2002, for example, Vice President Gore stated:

“Even if we give first priority to the destruction of terrorist networks, and even if we succeed, there are still governments that could bring us great harm. And there is a clear case that one of these governments in particular represents a virulent threat in a class by itself: Iraq. As far as I am concerned, a final reckoning with that government should be on the table.”

The former Vice President’s remarks also echoed the sense of the Iraq Liberation Act of 1988. Passed overwhelmingly by Congress, it states, "It should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove the regime headed by Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq and to promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime." As late as 2003, current presidential candidate John Kerry called for the Iraqi dictator to be disarmed and removed from power. How quickly these "leaders" forget.

To really grasp why President Bush made the right decision, let’s ask a different question. Where would we stand today had we not invaded Iraq? Certainly Saddam Hussein would still be in power. And with the assurances of Hans Blix and the political pressure of France, Germany, and Russia, UN inspections and sanctions would be on the wane, if not already gone. Hussein would still have his cadre of weapons scientists and a brutal military to enforce his will. He would likely be gathering whatever weapons he had hidden before the war and retooling and gearing up his weapons programs. America would be left with a disjointed policy of containment via sporadic air strikes and voluntary sanctions. Given the events of September 2001, We could not afford to risk such a policy.

Certainly we’ve paid a price for our action. We’ve lost too many American soldiers and the prospect of their coming home seems far in the distance. But those who remember the Second World War know that its earliest months were marked by high casualties, few results, and tremendous uncertainty. Should critics have blasted President Roosevelt? Called him and his policies a “disaster” or worse? In both logic and tenor, the attacks on President Bush by his harshest critics and rivals lead one to seriously question whether they could be counted upon to do the right thing during time of war.

January 8, 2004

Secret Tragedy and Heroism on Interstate 80

Here's a story that you probably never heard about unless you live in central Pennsylvania. The day before yesterday at about 11:00 AM, a pack of vehicles driving westbound on I-80 came up a hill, out of sunshine, and into a white snow cloud of hell. Blinded and sliding across "black ice," 60 trucks and cars smashed into each other over a period of about 10 minutes. Chemical tankers exploded in flame. Cars were crushed between and beneath huge tractor trailers. Witnesses and photographs revealed the scene as one resembling a pile of giant burnt Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys. Some described it as resembling the Iraqi "highway of death" from the First Gulf War.

At this point, two days later, miraculously, only six deaths have been reported. But I believe they still haven't pulled all the wreckage apart. They only got the fires out late yesterday. This was the largest ever vehicle accident in central PA.

All kinds of heroes emerged from the tragedy, emergency workers and ordinary citizens providing rescue and assistance, but one individual stands out from the others. I won't print his name here (though you can read about him by perusing through the Centre Daily Times website at http://www.centredaily.com), but a 17 year old high school student probably prevented this from becoming a much greater disaster. He was driving to school after leaving a doctor's appointment and was driving carefully enough to avoid the initial crash. He slammed his transmission into park and managed to ditch his truck in the median. He called 911 on his cell phone then ran 200 yards along I-80 waving at trucks and vehicles to stop. He went back and helped several people get out of their cars and up a hill to safety. Unfortunately, there was one man, yelling for help, trapped in a minivan, crushed on three sides by trucks, whom he could not save. After trying his best to free the man, he told him he'd have to wait for rescue crews. But then he watched as the minivan burst into flames.

There isn't much more for me to add. Do you find it strange that no national news network found this story worthy of coverage? Was 60 vehicles not enough to be news? Do you admire and feel for the young man who did not hesitate to risk his life in a scene of danger, destruction, and death?

And though this next question may seem trivial, does it strike you as ironic that the young man had the alertness and ability to dial 911 on his cell phone? The cell phone he carried on his way to school? The cell phone the possession of which could easily lead to his suspension from school? I want the next school principal or superintendent who says "students should leave their cell phones at home" to read this story.

Bye for now.

December 14, 2003

I'm back, perhaps briefly, because yesterday was so great!

I'm woken up by our dog Ross's morning "yap" at about 6:55. I put on my warm stuff, turn up the heat and stumble down the stairs to let the boy out of his cage. As usual, he won't come out to go pee, even though I try ringing the doorbell. He took a look at the snow and decided he didn't need to to that bad. Oh well, I figure, he'll go when he's ready. Turn on the radio for the 7:00 news. "Sadam Hussein has been captured!" Wow! I turn on the TV and find every network reporting the good news. Isn't that a great thing? When every network is reporting the same good news?

I run upstairs to wake Lillian. We turn on the TV up there. I go back downstairs, walk barefoot through the snow to get the paper, make some coffee, toss a shot of Amaretto in it, and begin taking it all in.

Meanwhile, it's snowing cats and dogs outside. That was the second thing that made yesterday so great. I got to run my big snow thrower! Twice! Later, Eva Mei and I went out and got a Christmas tree. Then she got to go sledding with her friend.

After she came back and drank some hot cocoa, and I had another cup of Amaretto coffee, we put the lights on the tree. Eva Mei is explaining to me about "series" and "parallel" circuits and why some Christmas lights all go out when just one does and why others do not. She knows more than I do about this! I'm truly living in a post-modern world!

That evening, I realized I hadn't eaten since breakfast (when Eva Mei and I cooked hash browns and scrambled eggs). So we ordered a ton of pizza and had our friends Linda and Cindy (from Pingtung!) come over to help decorate the tree. I put on my Landmine Steamhauler and Bing Crosby CD's and we went to work. I love decorating the tree for lots of reasons, but one reason is that every year I discover forgotten decorations and ornaments. So many snow globes and manger scenes, so little time and space.

Yesterday was so cool that I won't even say much about the previous Friday's fiasco over the water heater. Ah, maybe just a little. Let's just say that the guy took six hours to do it, forgot to bring flux, solder, and pipe, lost the solder that I gave him, and nearly blew himself up when one of his soldered pipes burst apart. But he did eventually finish and we finally got our hot water back.

I'll try to write more often. Bye for now. Happy birthday Dad!

September 23, 2003

Why on Earth would Teachers Oppose Charter Schools?

So I turned to the front page of today’s Detroit News to read the following headline: “Teachers asked to skip school to fight charters.” Not only that. The first line of the story reports that the Detroit Federation of Teachers is asking students as well as teachers to stay home from school this Thursday. That’s all Detroit needs; a major educational organization asking its students to stay home from school. With a 20-30 percent absentee rate on the best of days, did the DFT imagine they’d have to ask twice?

In fact, the Detroit Federation of Teachers has about as much to do with education as the Teamsters Union has to do with taking care of horses. As a former member of the DFT, I know that it’s really nothing more than a labor union that rarely – if ever – takes a position on any issue related to educational practice unless it has something to do with how much money its members will take home in their pockets.

Do you ever hear the American Medical Association protesting the construction of new hospitals? Do you see the American Bar Association calling for wildcat strikes because too many new law firms have opened up? Let’s face it. Except for a brief period in the late 1980’s when Albert Shanker experienced a wave of enlightenment, American teacher unions have focused solely on protecting the jobs and maintaining the salaries of public school teachers and electing kowtowing politicians to office.

Years ago, as a teacher at Detroit Southwestern High School, I wrote an op ed piece for the Detroit Free Press titled “Choice is Absent from our Schools.” The piece advocated the use of a voucher system for public schooling. With a few exceptions, the reaction from my fellow teachers was “troubled” to say the least. Later on the day it was published, my department head told me that our principal had called him in for a meeting to discuss what to do about me. My department head (a wonderful gentleman we called “Dr. Williams”) told my principal (a lady we called “the principal”) not to do anything. “If we all agree on everything, we got nothing to talk about,” he told her.

My hope is that thinking members of the DFT will ignore their bosses’ calls for unlawful boycott; that they’ll realize that there can be more than one kind of school for children and more than one choice for parents. Unfortunately, I suspect that many will go along with the boycott (after all, it is a day off, right?). Why do I feel this? I once asked a Detroit teacher I know the following question: imagine that your school could become a charter school, that your faculty could control curriculum and instruction, receive resources directly without a central administration “middle man,” and spend these resources as they saw fit. Wouldn’t you want that? My friend’s response, though it contained many words, boiled down to “no.”

Bye for now.

September 19, 2003

Non-Random Thoughts

I have a new watch. A very nice Swiss Army Watch that Lillian bought me. So, if I need to fight in a war, at least I've got the watch part covered.

This hurricane Isabel was a real disappointment. Our winds barely got up to 30-40 mph gusts. Very few branches down on my street. Ho hum.

But they canceled school anyway. (But not Penn State.)

Ted Kennedy has assumed a number of roles over the course of his career; the drunk, the demagogue, the killer, the somewhat likeable drunk, etc. But now he's taken on the job of being, perhaps, the best known and highest ranking American provider of aid and comfort to the enemy.

Stumbling out of his geriatric fog, Walter Cronkite in his latest column compares the Patriot Act to the Spanish Inquisition and suggests that John Ashcroft could live comfortably during that historical period. He moans about the dangers of the Patriot Act's "administrative subpoenas," but says nary a word about the fact that this tool has been in use since 1997 (who was president then?) in cases involving drugs, child abuse, and various other infractions. The Bush administration simply wanted to extend its use to cases involving terrorism against the US.

I better get that watch ready.

The claim is made by the anti-download people that music is property for which its creators must be paid. I don't buy that, at least not completely. I heard a joke on Seinfeld the other night and I related it to a few friends. Do I need to send Jerry a check?

I am able to write right now because my 10:30 appointment failed to show up. Probably because of the terrifying hurricane and the closing of local schools.

In a recent edition of "The Nation," a writer asserted that what America really needs is to "lose" the war on terror. Why? Well, basically, because we need to be more humble and face up to why so many people around the world hate us. This sort of mentality that would have us constantly evaluate, understand, appreciate, and celebrate the needs and aspirations of those seeking to destroy us really lies at the heart of the anti-war left wing of the Democratic Party.

What time is it?

Bye for now.

September 3, 2003

New Dog, Lost Watch, Too Much Rain, and Politics

We've had Ross for over a month. It took me a while to realize that he must have been named (not by us) after some character on some TV sit-com that some people find funny. But at this point I see no need to change his name, especially since I tend to call him "Bozo," "Goofball," and "Bad Dog." Ross is a Kelpie, which, according to my brother, is a dog that speed freaks become when they die. A friend of mine says we can expect him to settle down after about three years. If he's not careful, he may "settle down" a long time before that!

He's basically loveable, but requires tremendous attention. For example, he seems to be incapable of going out and hunting his own food. He can't use the toilet or engage in independent play for long periods of time. He barks at other dogs and jumps up on people. He peed on the paper boy's foot one day. Certainly the boy deserved it, coming late with the paper and all, but it was embarrassing. Yesterday he ran out the front door, across the street, and jumped up on a first grader on his way to the bus stop. Now the kids call him "Demon Dog." After checking at the local Petco store, I found that the major dog whip manufacturers have largely ceased operation, at least in the US. Oh well, there's always Internet shopping.

I have mysteriously lost two items in the past six weeks. First there was the "Evelyn" DVD that we rented from Blockbuster. Great film. The day it was due back at Blockbuster it could not be found. Under no couch or table, in no shelf, in no car or backpack, nowhere. I was so ashamed to have to call the store and tell them about this. I expected at least a month or two suspension of my borrowing privileges and a hefty fine. Turned out I only had to pay about $10 to replace the thing. But I'm sure it goes on my record.

But last week I lost my watch, and it, too, has completely vanished from our house. This is much more serious. It was a gold Citizens with a separate second hand dial. My wife bought me this just before we were married in 1989. I'd recently replaced the old "Twist 'o Flex" band with a nice "liquid gold" one. I wore it on our drive home from Michigan. We got home on Saturday evening and did not leave the house for the rest of the weekend. By Monday morning it was totally gone. I've racked my brain trying to remember where I was when I took it off. I've searched every room of the house. I've searched the garage and backyard shed. It is also totally gone and I am completely mystified. And very sad.

We've had way too much rain. More rain over a longer period than I've ever seen in my entire life. It's rained five out of the last six days. All my shoes are damp. Of course, Ross is responsible for some of that, but I think it's mostly due to the wet that is everywhere outside.

Politics. A subject I avoid unless provoked. But I'm provoked much of the time these days. Especially yesterday when Monsieur Senator John Kerry announced that although he had voted to authorize Bush's use of force, he rejected the way Bush used force, not creating some grand alliance with France or something like that the way his father had back during the first Gulf War. And yet, back then, John "Did I Mention I Was in Vietnam" Kerry voted against authorizing force.

Apparently, what the Democrats really want (except for Joe Lieberman) is to appease the world. Kowtow to France, don't upset the Islamic terrorists. We know, for example, that the previous administration, despite its tough talk about terrorism, despite the fact that we knew who was behind the first Twin Towers bombing, the Somalia massacre, and the attack on the USS Cole, declined on several occasions to capture or attack Bin Laden. Madeline Albright was one of the chief advocates of this policy of appeasement, and yet she, like John "Jo Jo the Dog-Faced Boy" Kerry, now has the gall to attack Bush for finally taking charge and acting responsibly in the face of the Islamist terrorist threat to our country.

There. I said it. I feel better. Except for my watch.

Bye for now.

July 30, 2003

Random Comments

The first thing I can think of is that I've forgotten all the "random comments" I wanted to make.

To Sir With Love and Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House are two films that I can watch over and over and over again.

Why the knee-jerk opposition by some U.S. senators to the Pentagon's plan to introduce a market approach to predicting terrorist acts? After reading the details and doing just a tiny bit of background research, I found the plan to be a benign and rather creative approach to increasing American security. But the fuss did give Tom Daschle another chance to demonstrate his lack of integrity.

Another fuss is underway in Oberlin Ohio, where a black professor and a black community organization are objecting to a white teacher teaching a black history class in the local high school. Would anyone object to a black teacher teaching a Western Civilization class? I'd say this is another example of black racism.

To Sir With Love reveals more about the craft of teaching than any teacher preparation class I ever attended. This is why I use it in my Educational Leadership courses.

Yes, we apparently had a convicted murderer working as a faculty member in our department. As troubling as that may sound, I think there's some value in having our students be just a little bit afraid of us.

That was intended as a joke.

Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House, starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy, is a terrific and totally under appreciated comedy.

We have a new puppy in our house. I really need to refrain from commenting at this point except to say that I'm losing some sleep.

Everyone has heard Lulu sing the title theme from To Sir With Love. But only those who've actually seen the film (or are lucky enough to own the hard-to-find soundtrack) have seen and heard The Mindbenders perform what I feel is one of the greatest rock songs of all time; It's Getting Harder all the Time.

Speaking of great rock songs, I'm back working in my studio again, albeit only about 30 minutes or so every other day. All I'm willing to say for now is that EMS's next release will be a Christmas carol.

I have to teach in 25 minutes and so far I only have about 1/3 the material I'm going to need. Welcome to my world.

By for now

July 22, 2003

Spirited Away

I need to tell you about a movie I just saw, one of the most spellbinding films I’ve ever seen. It’s an animated feature (read “cartoon”) called “Spirited Away” by the Japanese film artist, Hayao Miyazaki (no, I hadn’t heard of him either, until now). Disney/Pixar has re-released the film with English dialogue and after seeing it on sale in several video stores recently I decided to rent it and watch it with my daughter.

The story is that of a 10 year old Japanese girl, Chihiro, who is moving to a new town with her parents. She’s not very happy about this and really doesn’t seem happy about very much at all. Anyway, as they approach their new home, her father takes a wrong turn and drives several miles into a strange looking forest. Though Chihiro and her mother beg him to turn around, like the man he is, he keeps driving until the road ends at a long dark tunnel through a large fort-like structure.

Despite Chihiro’s warnings about how creepy everything looks, her mom and dad decide it would be a good idea to walk through the tunnel. Of course, this turns out to be a big big mistake. The rest of the story involves Chihiro’s struggle to survive in a ghostly world and to save her parents from an awful fate.

Now, this may not sound exactly like the “feel good movie of the year.” But with its rich and compelling animation and music, the film leads you on a journey that combines the fantasy of “Alice in Wonderland” with the horror of Roald Dahl. Not only could I not take my eyes off the story, but I found myself waiting anxiously for each moment of it to pass to another.

What explains the stunning impact this film had on me? I realized what it was within the first 15 minutes. The opening scenes of “Spirited Away” reminded me so much of so many nightmares I had when I was a little boy. I felt like the film was expressing this ancient world of emotion I’d nearly forgotten all about. As a youngster I had several recurring nightmares, most involving terrible things happening to my family. One of them I call the “going to the movies” dream. In this dream my sister happily tells me she’s going to take me to the movies. We’ll have to walk, of course, about a half a mile to the old Dearborn Theater. But I beg her not to take me, I beg her not to go, for between the “Dearborn” and our house on Gulley Road lies an old stone bridge over a river. And I know from having dreamed this so many times that the water in this river will turn one into stone.

“Don’t worry!” my sister laughs! “Don’t be silly!” We’ll just walk over the bridge! It seems so simple, but each time, as we approach the bridge, my sister runs, trips, falls into the water, and turns to stone.

Another recurring dream involved different kinds of monsters surrounding our house. In one set of dreams it was a group of creatures that resembled some eerie combination of a giant spike of flame and a giant ear of corn. They would grab my mom, dad, brother and sister – but not me – and carry them away leaving me alone. Another set of dreams involved hundreds of mechanical creatures with thin wire bodies and light bulb heads continually riding bikes around our block. Step outside and you become one of them. In both sets of dreams I’d beg my family not to go outside. But they never listened.

I remember the last time I had the flaming corn creature dream. This time I somehow managed to convince my family that we needed to fight back and this time I went outside with them. Using—geez, I don’t even remember what we used—maybe the hose, maybe a rifle, we fought them off. We killed them. We drove them away. We celebrated. And I never had the dream again.

So I empathize with Chihiro and I loved this movie.

Bye for now.

July 15, 2003

Yellowcake

A pattern of deception has emerged over the past few weeks involving President Bush and America's war on terrorism. It's clear that one or more of our nation's key institutions can no longer be trusted to deliver the truth that our citizens need in making thoughtful decisions. Of course, the institutions I'm talking about are the news media and the Democratic Party.

Not all of their members are engaged in the latest effort to undercut the president during time of war, but enough to do damage, enough to give our enemies reason to fight on. Now, you might be thinking that these are strong words. They are. But I believe they are also appropriate, in light of the campaign among many "journalists" and Democrat politicians to twist facts for political gain.

Now, we'd expect the latter to do this in the same way that we'd expect fish to swim. But the pattern of deception being conducted by many members of the news media is truly astounding. Here's an example. ABC Radio News began a story this morning with the following line (I'm paraphrasing); "Spokesmen for the Bush administration are backing the assertion that Iraq may have attempted to obtain uranium from Africa, even after the story has been shown to be bogus."

British intelligence officials, however, claim to have evidence from multiple sources that Iraq did in fact attempt to obtain yellowcake uranium from Niger (which I will continue to pronounce as "Nye' ger," not as "Nee jher' "). According to a report in the British newspaper, the Telegraph, the strongest evidence came from French intelligence officials. France, of course, retains deep connections to its former colony, and it's no surprise that the French government refused to allow Britain from sharing the source of the information with the United States.

It's a huge stretch, in other words for ABC to call the Niger-uranium link "bogus," let alone the idea that Iraq may have sought uranium elsewhere in Africa. But this is just a warm up. Consider the bait and switch con used by NBC's Andrea Mitchell and Katie Couric on two separate broadcasts this week. It goes something like this: "How can the Bush team claim that it was an honest mistake including the Iraq-yellowcake charge in the State of the Union address, when the CIA had asked the president to remove it from an October 2002 speech in Cincinnati? Doesn't this show an intent to deceive on the part of the President?"

Did you spot the bait and switch? As Condoleezza Rice pointed out on CNN last Sunday, the October incident involved a specific reference to Niger (one that the CIA believed did not have enough supporting evidence at that time), not a general reference to Africa. In addition, Rice pointed out that other evidence emerged between October 2002 and the time of the State of the Union address that lent credence to the Iraq-Africa link. But instead of considering Rice's arguments, instead of trying to help viewers understand the complexities of the matter, Mitchell and Couric knowingly helped blur key distinctions. In doing so, they act as cheerleaders for Bush's Democrat detractors.

Here are the key points that need to be understood regarding this brouhaha. First, it is highly likely that Iraq was working to obtain uranium from somewhere. There is no question that Iraq for 20 years has sought to develop a nuclear weapons program. No serious observer denies this. Second, the US Senate authorized the use of force against Iraq three months before the President's State of the Union Address. In other words, the 16 words contained in President Bush's SOTU speech could not have swayed the votes of any Senators.

Finally, the bottom line is that Bush's detractors want you to believe that the case for war against Iraq somehow unravels in the absence of hard evidence tracing Iraq's efforts to obtain uranium. In other words, they want you to forget the other evidence against Iraq. They'd love you to forget how in the 1990's President Clinton and nearly every other top Democrat proclaimed Iraq's weapons programs to be a serious threat to the US. In fact, here's what President Clinton said on February 17, 1968:

What if he [Saddam] fails to comply and we fail to act or we take some ambiguous third route which gives him yet more opportunities to develop this program of weapons of mass destruction? Well, he will conclude that the international community has lost its will. He will then conclude that he can go right on and do more to rebuild an arsenal of devastating destruction. And someday, some way, I guarantee you, he will use the arsenal.

I maintain that when politicians and talking heads continue to ignore facts and evidence, when they insist on painting the false picture in the public mind that President Bush practiced deception in his war policy, at some point they become helpful to the enemy. Tell Florida's Senator Graham I said so.

Bye for now!

July 9, 2003

The Thought Police

So many things to harp about! Let's start with those remarks made by Chicago Cubs Manager Dusty Baker. So, basically he says that he thinks Blacks and Hispanics tolerate heat better than Whites. And the nation explodes into this massive debate -- no it's not a debate, but rather an exercise in collective hand wringing and reprisal. "If a white manager had made these comments, he'd have already been fired," shouts one group. Another group wails that "his remarks are scientifically ignorant," implying, of course, that baseball managers need to be on the cutting edge of scientific research across a variety of academic fields. Still others claim that, "Baker's right, but he should've kept quiet about it."

Here's the deal, folks. I don't know if Baker is right or not. He might be. I know that the people I lived among in Taiwan's tropical region were all worked in the heat much more easily and comfortably than I did. But Baker isn't a physiologist or a biologist or an anthropologist or any kind of scientist at all. We're not going to see him reading up on the latest literature in "Human Development" or performing systematic experiments on the relationship between climate, ethnicity, and athletic performance. Baker is a baseball manager and like other baseball managers we're likely to see him spitting, scratching, and making funny hand gestures. More to the point, we're likely to hear him express colorfully phrased views based on his own experience.

But we can't have that anymore, can we? We can't have people just expressing their opinions without regard to the latest and ever increasing dictates of the thought police. For those who gripe that "a white guy would'a been fired!" I say, "well, the next time a white guy says something like this you ought to defend his right to say it!" Honestly folks, we're getting to a point where our culture, our language, and the way we think is completely rationalized, bureaucratized, and scrutinized by a new-aged citizen's militia of simpering sensitivity mongers.

This brings me to write briefly about Diane Ravitch's latest book, "The Language Police" (Knopf). Diane is a historian and a remarkable writer on all topics related to education and curriculum. Her book illustrates in stunning fashion how "multicultural sensitivity" boards working through state boards of education and through each of the major publishers of tests and textbooks have destroyed the color, depth, and richness of reading materials in our public schools. Ravitch's devastating portrait is accompanied by a loud and clear call to action. Did you know, for example, that one publisher will not allow owls to be mentioned in its books? Why? Because someone on its sensitivity board pointed out that owls were offensive to Navajos. But I'm not even supposed to use the word "Navajo" because some members of that tribe (oops, not supposed to say "tribe" either) prefer a different name (which I can't recall right now).

Is it any wonder, then, that our young people gravitate to books, movies, and TV shows that offer a more hearty "rough and tumble" image of life? Is it any wonder that more and more families are searching for educational alternatives unshackled by the thought police?

Dusty Baker, you rendered a service. I just wish you had said something about 15 years ago when Jimmy the Greek got canned for expressing his opinion.

Bye for now

July 3, 2003

Introduction

My family and I have been back in the U.S. for over a month now. We left Pingtung on May 29th. My last week there became more difficult with each passing day because of the increasing number of people to whom I had to say goodbye. If you are one of my students or colleagues from National Pingtung Teachers College, I want you to know that I am still thinking of you and that I miss you all very much. As I type this, I can look up on my wall and see the beautiful plaque you gave me.

Last fall, when we were grappling with the many unexpected difficulties we faced living in Pingtung, my wife and I often wondered whether we had made a mistake in moving halfway around the world to a strange new place. To be honest, we sometimes thought about giving up and going back home. But at one point I remember saying, "there will come a time when we will miss Pingtung and be proud to have lived and worked there." For me, that moment came much sooner than I expected.

Perhaps this is because of the unexpected culture shock I experienced coming back to the U.S. I mean, nothing had changed that drastically, but I'd become accustomed to a different type of life and had forgotten what life was like back in Pennsylvania. As an example, on my very first trip to Wal-Mart I encountered "road rage" in the parking lot. Some woman had positioned her SUV in such a way that it was hard for me to squeeze by her on the way out of the lot. Though there was easily six inches between us, I could see her yelling at me through the window. I was surprised! The Taiwanese may honk at you (though often it means "thank you!"), but the only person who ever seemed to want to yell at another driver was me (and I learned to stifle the urge!).

Anyhow, amazed at seeing a woman yelling at me, I stopped, rolled down my window, and said "what's the problem?" The 33-ish looking woman said, "If you hit my car, I'll f***ing sue you!" This made me laugh, and although I later thought of two or three better things to say, what came out of my laughter were the words "Eat me!" The words flowed as naturally and thoughtlessly as a "bless you" after a sneeze. I'd forgotten the words, but they came back as if triggered by DNA.

Maybe that's enough for now, but I have to say that my first three weeks back in the States were like "dreamwalking." It was hard to believe I was back in America and I hardly knew what to do with myself.

Oh, the thing I meant to say most was about how hard it was for me to say goodbye on the day we had to catch our plane in Kaohsiung. I had been so tense all day, wondering if we would be packed in time. And then the time came and here were so many friends coming to say goodbye. I held up pretty well until I had to say goodbye to Yi Ching's mother (Yi Ching is my daughter's friend and classmate and her mom had also become a good friend. At this point my eyes just filled with tears (and I'm feeling them well up again right now).

Bye for now.

Answer to “Who Said the Following?”

John Kerry, November 12, 1997, on CNN’s “Crossfire”

December 10, 2004

Godspeed, David Brudnoy

Strange to say, having lived in Michigan most of my life and having never lived in Massachusetts, that it seems like WBZ Radio has long been a part of my life. I’ve always been a radio buff, and I started listening to AM 103 back around 1966 when Dick Summer was their esoteric nighttime DJ. He introduced me to the Doors, Ultimate Spinach, and Alice’s Restaurant, albeit “edited” versions of the first and last of these.

I lost track of BZ for a few years, but again became a regular after hearing David Brudnoy sometime back in the mid-1980s. David was a conservative leaning libertarian talk show host who usually said the things I thought needed to be said, but who also at times infuriated me. A true intellectual, David was not one to suffer bigots, idiots, of general dufuses on his evening call-in show. With sharp analitic insight, he could interview Meir Kahane one night and Ted Kennedy the next without sounding offensive to either.

David passed away yesterday after a long bout with cancer. He worked his show nearly to the end, even speaking live on the air by phone from his hospital bed the night before he passed away. I hope he knows that millions of people will remember him and miss him.

Bye for now.

December 3, 2004

We Was Robbed (By Saturday Night Live!)

This story begins years ago, back when I was in high school, over 30 years ago. After watching way too many made-for-TV disaster flicks, I envisioned one of my own. It’s Christmas shopping season, the malls are packed. Unfortunately, so are the escalators. Between the first and second floor at Hudson’s Northland, one of them comes to a screeching halt and 28 men, women, and children are suddenly trapped. While numerous personal dramas unfold among the victims, a risky rescue scheme is hatched and carried out. At the end all but a few survive the ordeal.