I'm Beginning to See My Problem with Colin Kaepernick

I think I've begun to figure out what bothers me about Kaepernick's protest and especially the followers...

When I got out of school in 1985 I couldn't find a job in my field, Reganomics decimated hiring in Higher Ed. Does any of this have to do with my "winning personality?" Maybe, but five years later, after throwing drunks out of bars for a few years I found an entry level job. Thank you David Shellberg and Lamar Community College.

I worked eight and a half years in Lamar and three more at the University of Arkansas, ten years of that was spent working with low income students and students who would be the first in their family to earn a Bachelor's Degree. Statistically speaking, people who qualify for these programs are more likely to be people of color, but don't believe for a minute that there aren't a lot of white children who fulfill those qualifications too.

So here's the deal. These programs, and the nearly 2,800 like them are a part of the United States

Click here for the Department of Education TRIO Homepage

Department of Education's TRIO programs. These programs include Talent Search, Upward Bound, Veteran's Upward Bound, the Talent Search Math Science Initiative and a few others. They help students whose families are less likely to get their kids into higher ed into Higher Ed and on toward graduation and even graduate school.

These program's are a part of President Johnson's War on Poverty. That's right, that "Redneck Som-Bit from Texas" Johnson, the President who made sure the Civil Right's Act didn't die with Kennedy on a Sunny day in Dallas worked to make sure kids who never considered higher education not only considered it, but had the support and the tools to succeed.

These problems have existed for hundreds of years in America. So why in the world are we paying so much attention to this guy? I'm sorry, he's a Johnny come lately to the party with the assets, the charisma, and the authority to do more than just whine. I've done more for race in America after someone called one of my regular customers who was black "The N-Word" in the bar I managed than he did and that took fifteen minutes.

I have sat in rooms full of people who could do more with what he makes in a single game sitting on the bench to further justice in America than he has ever dreamed. I've done more working ten years in higher education working with students and working to secure the jobs of the people delivered services to these students.

People aren't actually talking about race or society or justice, they're talking about Colin Kaepernick. He's more of a distraction. Colin Kaepernick doesn't need to keynote a discussion on race, he needs to go to a regional or national TRIO convention and see what people are doing to move toward a just society. He doesn't need to talk, he needs to listen, he needs to pay attention, and he needs to get involved and maybe put some of that money where his mouth is.

By the way, these are federally funded programs, you know, the federal government, That thing he protests by taking a knee. And I thought taking a knee was how a football player gives up on a play. All hat, no cattle. All protest, no action. Sorry Colin, spend ten years as an Upward Bound counselor helping kids get into college, which you seemingly took for granted, then you might have a better idea what the problem is.

Then you can go to your gated community and your swimming pool and tell the world how bad life is for people of color.

Public Faith and Tim Tebow

I have never posted anything about Tim Tebow as a collegiate, professional, or post-professional human being. Today I felt it was about time because of what I read from the Orlando Sentinel on msn.com.
The article titled "Tebow Hate Reaches New Low" deals with his recent plane trip from Atlanta to Phoenix where he comforted a woman and her friend with prayer as her husband laid dying from a heart attack on a Delta flight. Really that's the whole story. All you need to add it the heroic action of the Delta flight crew as they tried to resuscitate the man. Add too Tebow taking the woman and her friend in the car waiting for him to the hospital and waiting until the doctor gave her the bad news.

The author of the Sentinel article, Dan Whitley, said he was reading the comments about how Tim Tebow had reacted and what he had done. They were about 60% positive and about 40% negative. The 40% were telling the world (via the Interwebs) how Tim Tebow imposed himself upon a situation and put himself in the way of a heroic rescue by a Delta flight crew causing readers to become physically ill, a condition the author calls "Tebow Derangement Syndrome."

Well, no, he didn't get in the way. If he had the flight crew or a Federal Marshall would have put him back in his seat. Second, the woman could have sent "Ol' Time Religion Timmy" back to his seat if she were so inclined, she did not. Finally, if Tim Tebow was a media whore, he would be exploiting this, not me.

I think what Dan Whitley says about commenters says it quite well:

If all that makes you want to throw up, it says a lot more about you than it does Tim Tebow.

.Public faith is a dicey thing, for believers and non-believers alike. For the devout of either ilk it really doesn't matter though. Non-believers are just fine being the 40% trolling articles saying prayer is worthless, the man died anyway. What the non-believers don't know is the comfort Mr. Tebow brought to the widow. Nor the help he gave putting his faith into action by taking care of the luggage and taking the woman and her friend to the hospital.

His quiet departure also speaks volumes. He didn't even offer up the good old,"Hey, this is a difficult time, give them a little space and I've got a try-out with the Cardinals (or whatever he was doing in Phoenix--I have no idea what he was doing in Arizona)."

Never been a real fan, but never been a real detractor either. Heisman Trophy winners just never seem to translate into the pros, so, oh well. My opinion of this, he had the faith and the confidence in his faith to do something and the resources to do a little more than that. Isn't that what we want professional athletes to do? Isn't that what we want men to do?

on the death of Robin Williams

Here's a conversation I've had lately with many people:

Others: Paul, you've lost so much weight, how are you doing it?

Me: Poverty, mental illness, and exercise. Sure, two out of three aren't that good but I have lost over 180 pounds.

As regular readers of this blog know, I suffer from Type II Bi-Polar Disorder. In short, when not properly medicated, I suffer from strong depression with times when I become obsessively focused on matters or engage in risky behaviors. For me, risky behaviors have taken the shape of alcohol abuse (that ended in my early 30's more than 20 years ago) or using humor in situations that is not proper.

That came to a head last November when I considered living out a line from the Supertramp song Goodbye Stranger, "Feel no sorrow, feel no shame, come tomorrow feel no pain." Suicide has that going for it--the end of today's pain.

I can't say I understand what made Mr. Williams do what he did. This I do understand, when there is too much pain, suicide seems like the only way out.

It must have made some sense to Megan when she did it. It must have made sense to Sandy when she did it. It sure made sense to Carlos when he disconnected his feeding tube--dying that way rather than from AIDS in 1988. A permanent solution to a temporary situation? Well, not to Carlos, not in 1988. But in the middle of that situation, after years of being in the middle of that situation, it makes a certain sense.

As for the number of comics who have gone before Robin Williams--Chris Farley, John Belushi, Lenny Bruce, Socrates--all lived on that razor's edge and died tragically. All were incredibly smart and used an incredible sense of humor to overcome what they thought were their own personal deficiencies.

As for me, I'm just glad I've got good medications for the Bi-Polar disorder and the dog to get exercise. As for poverty, well, that's a story for another day and the lives of Williams, Farley, Belushi and the rest show that fame and wealth don't equate to happiness and mental health. But that's another post.

Ending this, I loved Robin Williams. My favorite memory of him was on the Dennis Miller Show on HBO when Miller was still funny. Miller's monologue was great that night then Williams came out.  That's when the whole show came off the rails. Robin Williams was outrageously funny. He finally asked Miller if he wanted to ask more questions and Miller said something to the effect that there was no way he was going to stop what was happening. It was the fourth episode and it was magic. Pure magic.

I'll miss the humor. I'll miss the wit. I'll miss the brilliance of the connections he made to create and weave a tapestry of wonder and love with humor. I knew it masked pain. I knew it from his life. I knew it from his biography. I knew it from his addictions. I knew it from my life. But still, the wonder is now gone, but it's not lost.

Via con Dios.

Snark, my Sense of Humor, and American Politics

Dear Friends,
Those of you who know me at all know I have a tremendous and vast sense of humor. I find all sorts of things funny and look to find humor in every situation, usually successfully. Those of you who know me well know that from time to time my sense of humor can be snarky. Or sarcastic. Or downright dark. I try to keep those down to a minimum. I tend to keep that part of my sense of humor out of my professional life.

Side note: Those who know me socially are asking "That's a minimum?" My best answer is "Yes, now imagine what I self edit... Now imagine what I only share with my wife... " This is when we all nominate the wonderful Marie for sainthood.

The reason I haven't updated this blog recently is because I haven't had much to say, and the things that I thought I might share were best self edited. Readers who have experienced recent postings, especially the "Lies my father/mother told me" series, are wiping their brows in gladness. This is one of the few times the phrase "thank you for not sharing" is appropriate. It's not a proud moment, but still.

I will never lose my sense of humor. Nor will I lose every element of my sense of humor, but here's something very important-- I am sick of the level of snark I have seen in the past ten years. Let me make this very clear, if I've had it up to here with snark it's probably drowning mortals. What pushed me over the edge? The current debate on the Affordable Healthcare Act.

I find much of it disingenuous. Before President Obama was inaugurated Congressional Republicans publicly declared their goal over "the next four years is to make President Obama a one-term president." While the strategy didn't work that doesn't prevent its continuation.

But don't let Congressional Democrats off the hook. They're just as bad, nobody has cornered the market on "disingenuous." The party of my inclination is just as able to brew a tempest in a teapot. The reason I don't list any is that I have read so many Facebook posts and memes about how Democrats impede government sending America into poverty that I don't need to. If you disagree with my politics you have your own laundry list.

Important point! I don't hate the people who disagree with me! I need the people who disagree with me! People who challenge me and what I believe give me perspectives that challenge what I believe and make my beliefs stronger. You may make me either affirm or change what I believe, and either way it still makes me stronger, not weaker!

But the level of snark from both sides of the Congressional aisle don't challenge me. They now disgust me. As for me, on this day, I believe there's enough blame to go around. Again, enough blame to go around. As Shakespeare said, "a pox on both of your houses. Both of your houses!"

About fifteen years ago my father had an epiphany in Missouri state races. All of the men running for office, Democrats and Republicans both, were acting like idiot blowhards. The women on the other hand were measured and constructive. Today I look at Michelle Bachman and Hillary Clinton and wonder what happens once you reach a certain point. It's the Peter Principle of American Politics. I despair this once workable solution is now improbable.

If you want to accuse me of being snarky right now I want to plead "not guilty" but will probably settle for "no contest." I'm trying to express myself without going over the edge right now (and on a second reading too out things that were too close to the edge of snark for my comfort), but that is the tight rope I now choose to walk. That's the abyss I'm not going to throw myself into anymore, God help me.

So friends, please know that my sense of humor will remain sharp. My stories will still be funny. My puns will still be flowing like a river. And I seek to quit wasting my time and yours on snark, especially political snark. Now that's a load off my chest.

Love you all,
Paul

Bobby Petrino--YOU'RE OUTTA THERE

Bear with me, I'm going to take you on a long, convoluted explanation about why University of Arkansas Head Football Coach Bobby Petrino was fired.

The cover up.

Kind of a big build up for nothing, wasn't it.  Check this out...

• Bobby Petrino wasn't fired for having an affair. If people got fired for having an affair the unemployment rate would go through the roof.
• Yahoo! reports Coach Petrino gave his mistress $20,000. It is also reported that this was a gift from his personal accounts, not the University nor the Razorback Foundation which supports and funds Arkansas Athletics. So he wasn't fired for this either.
• Coach Petrino did not get fired for making a false report to the police because technically he did not make a report. As for lying to the police in general, well, that's "an error of omission, not commission."
• He wasn't fired for hiring his mistress. The violations of employment law was enough to get him fired, but it wasn't why.
• He wasn't fired for misuse of state employees. The local newspaper reported Coach Petrino contacted his personal game day security day man after the accident to get him to the hospital and keep things on the down-low. This man is an Arkansas State Trooper. This too could have gotten him fired, but it wasn't why.

What Bobby Petrino was fired for was lying about all of this to Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long. I believe all of this could have been swept under the inappropriate rugs if it were not for the lies. 

What Coach Petrino was despicable, I'm sure his wife would agree. But it's nothing a state university, athletic department, or team couldn't live with. And while I find that sentence despicable, I also believe it's true especially in the football crazy SEC.

In the end, it was lying to Jeff Long that made Bobby Petrino's stay at Arkansas untenable. If it weren't for the cover up, it could have all gone away.

The moral of our story is, as usual, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Look at Watergate, Iran-Contra, Whitewater, and any one of a million other political scandals since time began. It's not the crime that gets you, in the end it's the cover up.

At least that's my opinion. Here's Jeff Long's...

Ozzie and Miami

When he was manager of the Chicago White Sox, Ozzie Guillen was known for putting his foot in his mouth. He would say the most absurd things! This was a part of the reason the Miami Marlins were so happy to land him, and why it was so easy for the Sox to let him go.

The Miami Marlins, formerly the Florida Marlins, have two World Series Championships and no fan base. It's almost impossible to get a house for a game in Miami! Between the weather (rain at 5PM anybody?) and, well, it's Miami people, the Marlins never drew much of a crowd.

This year was the first big step in changing that. There's a new baseball stadium on the site of the old Orange Bowl. There's a retractable roof so there's no more problems with the rain. There's a change from a generic "Florida" name to a new "Miami" vibe. The last piece of the puzzle was Ozzie. Venezuelan by birth, it was hoped Ozzie could speak to the Latin population of the city in ways others could not.

Whoops.

ESPN reports Guillen told Time magazine for an article published last week that he loves Castro and respects him for staying in power for so long. If you want to alienate Miami's Cuban population, with a stadium in the heart of Little Havana, that's the best way to do it.

I think this analysis says more about what Ozzie meant to say than the quotes. Ozzie has always seen himself as a rebel. He's willing to do or say what ever it takes to win games and championships, his way of staying in power. He said he deplores Castro's politics, but loves his chutzpah. He loves the fact that a man so despised by the world can be a "success." He is still President-for-Life after all. Maybe that's the title Ozzie wants, President-for-Life. Forget these silly front office people. Forget the press. Forget the crowds. All that matters is the number of wins. Fidel is a winner and Ozzie backs the winner... even though he hates his politics.

I know little of Florida or Miami politics, but this much I have learned: There is no way of extolling love for Castro in South Florida that even comes close to being appropriate. Ozzie committed the first sin of trying to get Miami's Latin and specifically Cuban population to follow. That's all.

Ozzie has apologized. Whether it's because he "betrayed his Latin community" or for causing such a storm that he might lose his job we'll see. In my opinion he'd be a fool not to be sorry for both of these things. In both of these things he seems sincere.

In the meantime, he begins a five game suspension. Will he be fired? I suspect it depends on whether or not the storm subsides and people go to the stadium or not. We'll see next week.

Standing Up for a Super Model

Yeah, I'm defending a super model. You've seen this somewhere either on the tube or online, I'm sure. Here's the take from TMZ...

Well, let me make a couple of points.

• It was a private moment in a public space.
• Yes, she was being goaded.
• She didn't "know" she was being recorded.
• Yeah, she should have known better thank to think she wasn't being recorded but...
• Frankly, she wasn't completely wrong.

In the end, she was doing what any guy can hope his Brazilian super model wife would do for him. She was standing by her man in the face of rowdy hooligans (an American football version of hooligan, mind you). If your teammates can't handle that your wife doesn't know "the code" of not talking down your teammates then apologize for her. Tell them you're sorry she lit the fuse, but she's just a feisty, long-legged, hot-blooded Brazilian super model and you can see her apology "in full" in the next Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.

So in honor of Gisele standing by her Tommy, I give you The Blues Brothers. Enjoy.

My Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show Review

First, congratulations to the New York Giants for their Super Bowl victory. Congrats too to Eli Manning as MVP. While he deserved the acclaim and the award, I want to throw some love to Giants Defensive End Justin Tuck. Tuck had three tackles, two sacks, and forced the Safety on the first Pat's offensive play of the game. Justin Tuck did much to set the tone of the game and deserves props.  Now for the Halftime Show Review...

Two words: Hated it. Again, let's give props--it was a spectacle. If you were looking for a spectacle this was for you. As for me, I prefer when performers perform, give me Roger Daltry (whose performance I reviewed here) crackly voice and all over spit and polish.

If you want Cirque de Madonna, then just have the dancers to Madonna music. Having Madge there "performing but not singing" was just redundant.

One more note, an informal poll of my facebook friends loved the Halftime Show. As for my friends who are professional musicians, they hated it. As far as I'm concerned, that split says it all.

Adios, Joe Pa

It has been reported that former Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno has died from complications due to lung cancer. God bless Joe Pa.

Joe Pa did many wonderful things. He was the King of State College, Pennsylvania. He led the Penn State Nittany Lions football team to many wins and championships. He funded significant advances not to the athletic department that paid him so well but to the Penn State libraries which support all academic endeavors. Joe Pa's world was Penn State and ultimately this was his undoing.

He was undone by age and status. It's hard to tell an icon that a trusted aide is forcing himself sexually on underage boys. It's even harder to say it in a way that makes everything clear to someone old enough to be you great-grandfather while trying to parse words so no one feels uncomfortable. If you think it's easy, say "your trusted aid rapes children" to your grandmother. This is how he was undone.

Ultimately, Penn State decided that while Joe Pa fulfilled his legal requirements to report what happened, he was morally obligated to do more. In a society that tries to follow laws only to the letter and not the spirit--and moral obligations seem to matter less--Joe Pa's vilification is a shame. Maybe this is why no man should be an icon.

We do need to do a better job of protecting those who are in danger, but we need to do a better job of defining "those who need protection" too. Children are obvious. But when we forget the poor and the elderly many get lost in a dream that values the rugged individualism of boot-straps over community efforts to truly lift every boat in the bay.

Yes, Joe Pa did what he was supposed to do. No, he did not do enough--but he trusted that those who he told would do what they were supposed to do. That is why several of those folks are under criminal indictment.

But before anyone says what Paterno did was bad or evil, remember that none of us are truly good enough to cast the first stone, especially at someone whose position, God willing, we will never share.

Adios, Go with God Joe Pa.

America Loves Tim Tebow, Just Ask ESPN

According to the ESPN Sports Poll, Tim Tebow is America's favorite athlete. When asked "Who is your favorite athlete?" 3% answered Tebow. This may not seem like much, but considering the number of sports and athletes Americans follow, this is huge. The next closest athlete, Kobe Bryant, has only half of Tebow's numbers. Statistically speaking, that's a huge difference! Tebow beat out the rest of the current top 5--Bryant, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. He also beat old favorites like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Brett Favre, and LeBron James.

As for me, what do I say about this as a sports fan? His current mechanics cannot maintain his current output. The way he throws the ball will not thwart NFL Defenses for much longer. And so what! Right now what he's doing is amazing, so enjoy the ride everyone.

What do I say as a person who is a Christian, Presbyterian Minister, and purveyor of popular culture? He lives what he believes and lets the rest of the world judge him by his words and his life, which is all any of us will ever be judged upon. Gotta love that.

Timmy T will join the likes of Michael and Tiger soon enough. I just hope he doesn't join them in the scandal their personal lives later displayed. In a society that puts people on pedestals just to throw them down nobody lasts forever. So enjoy the game and if he throws another game winning 80-yarder like he did last Sunday, marvel some more.

How popular is Tim Tebow? Rocky, the mascot of the NBA Denver Nuggets "tebows" in a #15 Jersey. Face it, when your name becomes a verb, you've done something.

Hank Jr. and High School Civics

Hank Williams, Jr. recently told Fox News that for his political money, President Obama is as big an enemy to his way of life as Hitler was an enemy to the Jews. Because of this comment, ESPN did not play the intro Hank recorded for Monday Night Football. This was the first time in over 20 years that some rendition of "all my rowdy friends..." didn't precede MNF. Hank apologized, but that doesn't mean all is done.

This morning ESPN reported that they have parted ways with Hank, Jr., though Hank says he didn't get fired, he quit them. He quit them because: "By pulling my opening Oct 3rd, You (ESPN) stepped on the Toes of The First Amendment Freedom of Speech, so therefore Me, My Song, and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE. It's been a great run."

I'm not here to debate the politics. Let me simply say Hank and I will never be seen at the same political fundraiser and that should just about do it. But for my point...

Hank Jr. says ESPN, a private company owned by the Disney Corporation infringed on his first amendment right to free speech. Hank, the first amendment says:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. (emphasis added)

Hank has just said that the Disney Corporation is Congress. Only Congress can infringe on that right, so Disney must be Congress, right? Wrong, of course. Disney isn't Congress, no matter how powerful Disney is, it still isn't Congress.

So no Hank, ESPN, Disney and everyone else did not infringe on your first amendment rights. In fact, you exercised your rights to say what you wanted to say. And ESPN and Disney exercised their rights to say we don't want to be affiliated with you anymore.

My dad used to have a word for this, consequences. Sure, go ahead and say and do whatever you want, but don't cry about it when you face the music... and in this case, the music isn't yours anymore. Sorry you've lost the only exposure you've gotten in years, but don't cross the water if you can't swim the tide. Your high school civics teacher wants you back for a refresher.

Now for the next question...Will ESPN find a half-way decent replacement to "All My Rowdy Friends" or have they cut off their nose to spite their face? Sure, they exercised their rights, and may have taken some sort of high road (or did Hank when he "apologized then quit"), but what comes next? That may be better than watching the Chiefs on MNF in a few weeks.

It's been a long time since I just put up a music video, and I'm not quite sure what prompted me to seek this one out, but I'm not sorry. It's hard to imagine that this gem of progressive rock came from a six piece band out of Topeka, Kansas.

One night when I was in college I saw Rich Williams, the guitar player on the left side of the video, playing pool in a 3.2 beer bar in Topeka. Ah, nostalgia...

Congrats to Alan Parsons at the ACM Awards

Plagiarism, it's a nasty word for a nasty theft. Lady Antebellum has made a mint off of this ditty. Good for them. Is the Alan Parson's Project getting any love? Only from people who know where it came from first. Love the song or hate the song, these melodies are way too close to be a coincidence. Vanilla Ice thinks it's too close to be a coincidence.

On another note, I finally heard the whole song all the way though the other night. It's about a couple trying to hook up on a late night booty call. Ah yes, drunken emotionless sex, now that's record of the year material.

Ration after the Irrational

Some of my friends have been trying to make sense of the violence of this weekend. Shoot, I gave it a shot in yesterday's sermon myself. Still, there is a danger in all of this.

These acts yesterday were the acts of a man with real mental trouble. I am not fit to diagnose, not will I ever be called upon to judge his mental health. But after hearing some interviews and seeing his YouTube videos, he did not seem to be in perfect mental health to me.

So when people of good conscience try to make conclusions beyond his actions, there will be some lapses.It's inevitable! What Jared Loughner did was beyond reason. Some political rhetoric in the Cable News Sphere and the Talk Radio Sphere and the BlogoSphere and the Twittersphere and whatever other else spheres are out on the other side of civility too. But to connect the two, trying to create a relationship that says one causes the other is perilous at best.

Friends, don't try to make sense of the acts of a killer. It's not going to help. What we must do is take responsibility for our own actions, our own speech, and our own images. Which reminds me, this isn't the first time a "peace sign" has been replaced by the Mercedes-Benz logo, but can we try to make it the last?

Tucker Carlson Backpedals as the Defense Comes in for the Sack

A few days ago, pundip Tucker Carlson said that Michael Vick should not be a football quarterback but should have been executed for his dog fighting crimes. To this I wrote on facebook:

First, I believe what Michael Vick did to cause his incarceration was deplorable. The length of his incarceration is up for debate, some said it should have been longer, BUT Michael Vick did the time he was given. Having said that, does Tucker Carlson believe that everyone who has ever been in prison should be executed, never allowed the opportunity to make amends? If Michael Vick is treated like this in the media.

Oh, "pundip" is a word I've invented, it's a portmanteau of "pundit" and "dips..." well you get the picture. Feel free to use it at will, there are many pundips out there on both sides of the political aisle. Back to Tucker...

As posted on Huffington Post, Carlson is backtracking from his statement. He says, "This is what happens when you get too emotional."

As for me, I've quit watching TV news for just this reason. "Reporters" and "Analysts" are too emotional. There is no reporting, not anymore. There is rhetoric and there is posing, but there isn't any reporting anymore. Give Carlson this credit, he indicted himself for the crime of all Cable TV pundips, but he still doesn't get it. He says,

"As a friend of mine told me, 'a convicted child molester doesn't get to adopt kids'" Carlson responded. He quickly added that he wasnt comparing Vick to a child molester.

Sorry Tucker, you don't get to drop the "child molester" bomb and follow it up with saying you aren't comparing him to a child molester. You did. Here's the FoxNews feed--

Keep backpedaling Tucker, by the way, I'm not buying that pump fake.

Wuss!

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Wendell has declared us a nation of "Wusses" because the NFL didn't play a game in a blizzard. Well, here's what I have to say about that.

First, if you want to get style points on FoxNews by name calling then pick another city. Philly fans once booed Santa Claus for getting hurt in a parachute stunt. Then Philly fans once booed a guy who fell from the upper deck because he didn't get hurt. Wusses?

Second, if you're paying the contracts of the guys who could get hurt in all of this you might be happy the league (not the team or the city but the league) called off the game.

Third, if you are injured and emergency vehicles are focusing on maintaining Lincoln Financial Field instead of your street you might be glad the game was called.

Forth, if you're a beer vendor you're probably glad you didn't have to navigate snowy steps carrying case after case of bottles for two hours.

Finally Mr. Governor, get out of your limo, ditch your security detail, and tell the good people of the city you once served as mayor that they've become wussified. I'll watch that on pay-per-view.

On another weather related wuss note, an ESPN Radio talking head this morning said that "This wouldn't have happened in Colorado where he lived." He didn't mention that snow doesn't stay on the ground in eastern Colorado. Denver, the front range, the high plains, they can all get snow, but then the winds blow and it's all gone in a day or two. Don't play the "Winter in Denver" card until you compare it to a Philly blizzard.

As for me, I grew up in Kansas City where when winter locked in it locked in. Winds from Alberta made the air temps zero and the wind chills horrible. When it snowed, it stayed on the ground for a couple of months. Oh, that was after the glaze of ice that fell first.

Then I moved to the high plains. Yes it's cold, and yes it's windy (dear GOD is it windy), but while I remember Trick or Treating being snowed out on Halloween three months later I was on the golf course on Ground Hog Day. Wuss this five iron.

Til Death

The New York Times has a column called "Vows" where Debs and their Fraternity President betrothed's tell stories of meeting and courting with cute stories and quippy anecdotes. Not last Sunday.

Here's the story of Carol Anne Riddell and John Partilla as found in the New York Times.

To me, here is the quote of the article: As Mr. Partilla saw it, their options were either to act on their feelings and break up their marriages or to deny their feelings and live dishonestly. “Pain or more pain,” was how he summarized it.

Another good quote: I did a terrible thing as honorably as I could.

Today, Yahoo reports Mr. Partilla "has some misgivings -- about agreeing to let the Times profile him." Still, they say they were honest with each other and their spouses. As soon as they declared their feelings for each other they went to their spouses--they didn't go off and have a tawdry affair, and Mr. Partilla is proud of that.

I think he's setting the bar kind of low on pride here.

This is kind of like the flip-side of Meatloaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light." In that song, the man proposes so he can get physical release. In this case there are two divorces so the new couple can get release, you fill in the blank about what kind of release.

So what do we learn from all of this? Nothing our mama's didn't tell us growing up and we forgot while watching Springer, "Keep your dirty laundry off the line!" The happy couple wanted "one honest account" of their relationship to date. They didn't think of it as dirty laundry, but many comments on the NYT web page seem to differ. I guess they didn't have a tawdry affair, but was what they had-is what they have-so much different?

I believe being proud that as they discarded their vows they did it above board is not enough.

Editor's note: Cases of abuse and abandonment are different from what's going on here. That's a whole different ballgame.

Then again, what do I know...I'm a child of divorce and lies about divorce. My sisters have both been divorced and I have been married 13 years after not getting married until my mid-30's. If you get it, please share. Not just the reason for the divorce but the reason for sharing, I'm kind of stumped.

Cliff Lee to the Phillies

The Hero of the Texas Rangers, Cliff Lee, has signed to pitch for the Philadelphia Phillies for the next five seasons, and one more if the optional year is exercised. The deal is substantial, over five years he will be paid $120 million.

As big as that number is, the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees both offered more money. So why did Lee pick the Phillies?

First, he played for them last year and liked playing there.

Second, he is now one of four top flight starting pitchers on the staff. Any team that has two top flight starters is tough, three is a machine. Four? Nobody has four. There haven't been so many good starters on a single team since the Atlanta Braves in the 80's and before that it was the Baltimore Orioles in the 70's. It's rarefied air.

Third, is it the money? Well, other teams wanted to pay him more, but seriously, how much money does one family need. If $120 million can't hold someone over, nothing can... but that leads to

Four, it's not so much money that the rest of the team will be crippled. By going to the Phillies and going for a "little less" money, the Phillies can still pay the rest of their rotation, along with Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez, and others. Not only is he getting paid, but so is a real roster. In Texas, it probably would have been closer to "Cliff Lee and the League Minimums."

Five, Cliff Lee's son has leukemia which is currently in remission. One of the best children's hospitals in the hemisphere is in Philly, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). His son had been treated there and will continue to be treated there without commuting through a timezone to get to his appointment.

Finally, the Philly players have a commitment to youth, and particularly CHOP.

These videos are about a young man named Josiah Viera and his relationship with his favorite player, Ryan Howard. Sure, it's about ten minutes worth of video, but they are worth watching.

In addition, it was my honor to know an Aunt and Uncle of a young woman with a rare form of cancer who was being treated at CHOP. While at the hospital, in what can best be described as an adoption, Phillies relief pitcher Brad Lidge became very close to a young woman named Leah and her family. Brad Lidge was generous with his time and his love for this young woman and her family. I've been praying not only for her family, but for Brad Lidge ever since.

So there it is. There are a lot of teams that have lost out on a great pitcher, but this is one man who has gained much because his choice of who he went to work for was based on more than the money it put in his pocket.

To all of the other teams in the league, particularly the Rangers, I'm sorry, it wasn't fair, you couldn't offer everything that would sway Cliff Lee's decision.

As for the Yankees, I've hated you since the 70's when you beat the Royals for the pennant all those times. I'll never be sorry you didn't get a free agent! You can take your money and go home!

NFL Week 12

Sure, everyone else on earth has been here and so I'm going now. This is the big bru-ha-ha coming to you through the auspices of the World Wide Leader--ESPN.com...

And this gem is from a photo caption on ESPN.com

[Tennessee Titans Safety] Cortland Finnegan and [Houston Texans Wide Receiver] Andre Johnson engaged in a full-blow fistfight late in the Texans' 20-0 victory over Tennessee. On Monday, both players were fined $25,000.

It seems so demure when you express it in a picture caption. What happened was far wilder.

Cortland Finnegan is an instigator. He loves to pick fights with receivers and on Sunday, that receiver was Andre Johnson. Finally Johnson got sick and tired of the whole thing and a fight broke out. Both players lost their helmets, but it was Finnegan who looked like a speed bag during a hard workout and Johnson was playing the role of the boxer.

By the way, Finnegan was giving up a good 4" in height and 40 pounds. You can pick all the fights you want, but look out for when they decide to fight back. Finnegan is a bully and it's just bad logic to bully someone bigger than you are.

Both players were ejected from the game and, as you read, both were also fined $25,000. Was it a just decision, well, I have another idea...

I say, as the player who got his clock cleaned, the NFL should have allowed Cortland Finnegan to set Andre Johnson's punishment. Then I believe the NFL should have doubled it and given it to Finnegan for instigating the whole thing.

Did I mention that the Johnson's team shut-out Finnegan's team? Did I mention that this is the second shut-out in the history of the Houston Texan's franchise? So true...

Hey Cortland--Don't cross the river if you can't swim the tide.

I Pray This Is My Last Kanye/Today Show Update

UPDATE: The Today Show has announced that Kanye will not be performing in The Today Show Concert Series as scheduled. They evidently even used the phrase "as contracted" with all of its legal implications.

In fairness, Kanye tweeted that he would not be performing on the Today Show on November 12.

Welcome to the lamest celebrity feud ever. The good news is that this feud can go on forever because the reputations of both The Today Show and Kanye West will only be enhanced by this war of words so it can go on forever and ever. Wait, that's not good news at all.