IS THIS ANY WAY TO LIVE?

It seems this is the way we live according to the RNC, living in FEAR! Is this anyway to live? You'd think inflation was 17.8%, unemployment was approaching 25%, the Gross Domestic Product was shrinking, and the crime you read about in Batman was what was happening. Is this any way to live?

For one, we don't live like this. We don't. Life isn't perfect, not by a stretch, but if all we do is watch the new on TV (and it doesn't matter what your brand is) you're going to be scared to death. It's how they keep you coming back for more. Between the 24-Hour news cycle, the pundits who feed it, and the politicians who fuel it up, keeping us living in fear keeps them in power and wealth. Do you think they'll give any of that up easily? No.

Unplug. Read The Atlantic Monthly, read The Economist. Read stuff with tables and without pictures. Get a magazine that doesn't have articles about Kardashians in it. If we don't, we'll end up living in a world Lenny warns about...

Conditioned to hate and them to blame
Their search for God is just the same
Machines for hearts, how warped a view
Forgetting that they're human too
Waiting like a branded steer
Who first will launch the burning spear
When every day may be your last
You think we'd learn from our past

I living in fear, I living in fear
I can't tell you no lies
I living in fear, I living in fear
Ouh yeah yeah yeah yeah

People say history repeats itself. The joke that comes from that is that's not true, historians repeat each other. Actually, the quote is "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

In this case, it's true, historians do repeat each other... because history has repeated.

Is this any way to live? No, it's not. Beware

Telemarketing and DirecTV

As many of you know, the church that I was serving chose to close. This was traumatic for everyone involved. As for me, there have been many changes. One of them has been moving from our home of two-and-a-half years. We are now renting a room from a friend. Thank God for good friends who are willing to lift a helping hand! As a part of moving, I had to shut off the utilities. Obvious, eh?

Telemarketing has become an art unto itself. Each time I called to cut off a service the person at the call center would ask why. I would tell them that I was moving because I had lost my job. Most were sympathetic, some just went on with the day. Not DirecTV.

When I called them they asked why and I told the why. So the call center attendant asked if the place where I was moving had DirecTV. Really? I lost my job, found a room, and you want to know if the woman who owns the house where I will live has or wants DirecTV? I was in shock, but I just said she was happy with her service.

Then a couple of days later I got the follow up call asking why I was dropping the DirecTV. I decided to be a little more direct. I said "I lost my job. I am unemployed. By the grace of God we found a room to rent but that meant I had to end my DirecTV service." Not to be deterred, she asked if our new landlord was interested in DirecTV. Really? Really again? I couldn't believe it, but I was polite again and said no.

I was sure I had to share this with you my blogging audience but hadn't gotten around to it... until I checked my email this evening and found this...

This is just a part of the image, but you get the point, I am still getting begging from DirecTV.

So, here's the deal, we liked DirecTV. We liked it very much. But when the time comes again, I will remember this experience, and when I was unemployed they still wanted to sell me what I could not use.

A "Suitable" Ending to House M.D.

House M.D. is a long running show on the FOX Network. Over the past eight seasons, Dr. House has led a misanthropic vendetta against disease and civility at the fictional Princeton Plainsboro Hospital in New Jersey with a dedicated if not dysfunctional group of doctors (and one med student).

The show was created and produced by David Shore, Paul Attanasio, and Katie Jacobs. Attansio worked with Tom Fontana on the NBC show Homocide: Life on the Streets.

On a side note, this is one of my favorite all time TV shows and yes, I got the box set for Christmas a few years ago. Thanks to my niece Vallie!

Fontana is also the creator of St. Elsewhere. This is where the whole thing comes together...

The last episode of St. Elsewhere ends with, well, I'll use a description from TVAcres.com.

During the life of the series Dr. Donald Westphall (Ed Flanders) worked at St. Eligius Hospital in Boston and had to juggle a busy schedule that included tending to the needs of his hospital patients and Tommy, his physically-challenged autistic son (Chad Allen). 

In the final surreal scene of the series Ed Flanders is shown as a blue-collar construction worker retuning home to his autistic son and his father (Norman Lloyd - who played Dr. Auschlander on the series). 

Sitting in the comfort of his home's living room, Tommy stares into a small crystal globe -- the kind you turn upside down to make it snow inside.

So, as tiny flakes of shimmering snow fell inside the snow globe, we get a close-up of the building inside...a likeness of St. Eligius Hospital.

The thrust of this is that everything that happened at St. Eligus Hospital was from the fertile imagination of Tommy Westphall. By extension, everything that ever happened in any TV show that is even marginally connected to St. Elegius/St. Elsewhere is from the fertile imagination of Tommy Westphall.

Tom Fontana was quoted saying "Someone did the math once, and something like 90 per cent of all television took place in Tommy Westphall's mind. God love him." In total, there are 282 shows, including St. Elsewhere, connected to Tommy Westphall's mind. This website even has a link to a wonderful grid of the whole Tommy Westphall Universe.

So what's this to do with "House M.D."? Isn't it obvious what's on my mind by now? Tommy Westphall grew up and became Gregory House. The Fontana/Attanasio connection is there. I believe Fontana would love to see Tommy all grown up as House. It would also be a twist no one has seen coming for seven years. It would open up and mess up a whole new generation of people who never knew of Tommy. This could work.

Honestly, I'm probably wrong, but it would be cool if I'm right.

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.

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.

September Newsletter Article

Here is my newsletter article for September:

Dear Friends in Christ,

As a fan of Star Trek, one of the things that always amused me about the Original Series was the ship’s chief medical officer and surgeon, Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy. He was smart and capable, but he was also a fish out of water. When situations got out of hand, he would say, “I’m just a simple country doctor.” Capable yet flustered, the writers began having fun with putting the doctor into situations that did not call for a doctor leading to “Bones” telling his Captain who he is and who he is not. These sayings are collected into a piece of the Star Trek pantheon called “I’m a doctor, not a…” Some of these (with some mild variations) include:

“I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer.”

“I'm a surgeon, not a psychiatrist.”

“Look, I'm a doctor, not an escalator.”

“I'm a doctor, not a mechanic.”

“I'm a doctor, not an engineer.”

“I'm a doctor, not a coal miner.”

“I'm not a mechanic, Spock...”

“I'm not a scientist or a physicist, Mr. Spock...”

“I'm not a magician, Spock, just an old country doctor.”

“I will not peddle flesh! I'm a physician.”

“What am I, a doctor or a moon-shuttle conductor?”

You get the idea. This joke became so important to the Star Trek mythology that every doctor in every Trek show has had their own “I’m a doctor, not a…” lines.

The other day, I was chatting with a member of the congregation who told me, “I’m not a theologian.” As soon as I heard this, that wonderful Star Trek line came back to me. 

“I’m a teacher, not a theologian…”

“I’m retired, not a theologian…”

“I’m a mom, not a theologian…”

“I’m a mechanic, not a theologian…”

“I’m a clerk, not a theologian…”

“I’m a carhop, not a theologian…”

“I’m a (insert your label here), not a theologian…”

Again, you get the idea. Well I’m here to tell you that as a child of God you are a theologian. Anyone who says they aren’t is selling themselves short. Anyone who says they aren’t is saying that Sunday School and worship hasn’t informed them at all. And I don’t think that’s true.

While I can’t speak for everyone who has ever said “I’m not a theologian…” perhaps one of the most likely reasons people say this is out of modesty. I honor this, but don’t sell yourself short because we have all answered the greatest theological question in scripture.

In Matthew 13, Jesus asks his disciples “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Jesus then asks them, “But who do you say that I am?”

It is our answer to this very question that begins our road to being theologians! Of course we answer this question like Peter, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Then Jesus answers Peter saying, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.” We are blessed together knowing that Jesus is the Lord, the Christ, the Messiah—the Son of the living God.

But being theologians is more than this. Being theologians, being the children of the living God is more than what we say with our tongues, it is also what we do with our hands, our feet, our lives.

How we respond to these blessings together as the Body of Christ, that’s the next step in being theologians together. Paul tells the Philippians how important this step is when he tells them, “Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

This is what we are called to do, work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, which is not the same as trying to earn our salvation. We can’t earn our salvation, but we can respond to the gift of salvation we have received by the grace of God. We are saved by grace and we respond by faith, faith that is met by action. This is how we work out our salvation, by letting God use us to fulfill his purposes.

By the end of Star Trek, Dr. McCoy discovers that he will be called upon to be brave and do things he never imagined. So smile, be of good cheer! We are theologians! It is through being active theologians that God can use us. This is true whether you’re a mechanic, a stay at home mom, a teacher, or even a doctor. We are called to the work of good theologians. To God goes the glory!

See you in church!

Paul

My Super Bowl XLV Halftime Show Review

Well, I reviewed the halftime show for Super Bowl XLIV, so why not XLV?

Like I started last year, congratulations to the Green Bay Packers and their fans. They have certainly showed the world that the team building strategy begun three years ago was the right way to go.  Congrats again.

As for The Black Eyed Peas, can a set list be more derivative than this one?  People have complained that since the "Justin Timberlake creates a wardrobe malfunction" incident that the Super Bowl halftime show went safe, calling on classic rock stars who have a following, but won't create an incident.  (How Prince made that list is beyond me, but maybe he was the exception to prove the rule.)  So how about that Peas song that is lyric thrown onto a classic surf song.  I know it's a surf song because the tune is on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack.

Slash doing "Sweet Child of Mine"?  Love Slash!  This was just misplaced.  Fergie is no Axl Rose.  On a side note, Axl must have had a heart attack.  He hates it when Slash uses their music, but at least Axl got paid.  Axl doesn't know whether to hate it or cash the check, thus the coronary.

Usher?  Why?

The dancers, I saw a blog that said it was Tron inspired.  Derivative?  Dancers based on a 2011 movie remake from the 80's.

What was that thing on will.i.am's head and did it protect him from ice falling off the Jerry Dome?

Autotune?  STOP IT!  Singing that doesn't have to be scrubbed is so much better.

Did Daltry sound like his voice was blown out last year?  I think so.  Tom Petty in a beard looking like a mountain man?  Leave that for the cameo in "The Postman."  Springsteen singing "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" for six hours?  How many times can you chant "Tenth" before it sounds like you're trying to clear your sinuses?

Still, these performers gave us original music without contrived vocals or dancers.

My final critique: The show just had the originality of a Domino's Pepperoni.  Sure, you like it all right, but what do you have when it's done?

On a side note, for anyone who wonders if I am just some old guy who doesn't like "new music" and everything was better "when I was your age," you may be right.  But then again, the songs the Peas sampled were from my time, so look out where you're pointing.

Let me just say my dad is laughing his butt off at me from beyond the grave.  We had this same chat more than once.

John Stewart on Saturday's Arizona Shootings

The monologue from Monday's episode of "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central.

Arizona Shootings Reaction

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog</a> The Daily Show on Facebook

Once again, that's all I have to say about that.

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.

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.

Kanye, W, and Matt Lauer

This would have been a good week to watch The Today Show. I am guessing that this clip was The Today Show's response to the W and Kanye interviews earlier this week.

The Tom Cruise Pantheon now has two new members. What is it about Matt that makes people want to fight and then say stupid things? I got a big laugh at Meridith's "Doesn't sound like much, but..." comment at the end. What's much adoo about nothing to Meridith is the world to someone else. Oh well, go get 'em Matt.

This would have been a good week to watch The Today Show.

Take a Step Away from the Song

According to Wikipedia, Leonard Cohen, author and original singer of the wonderful song "Hallelujah" once said about his creation, "I was just reading a review of a movie called Watchmen that uses it and the reviewer said 'Can we please have a moratorium on "Hallelujah" in movies and television shows?' And I kind of feel the same way... I think it's a good song, but I think too many people sing it."

If the proof is in the pudding, well, here's the pudding...

You Might Have Been in Northwest Arkansas...

Last Wednesday I went to a meeting of the Marshall, Texas Ministerial Alliance. When they asked where I came from, most of them commented that they had been in my neck of the woods. Whether in Branson or in Eureka Springs they were familiar with northwest Arkansas, especially the fact that the roads are a straight as a ball of yarn.

One of them mentioned that he turned on the news hoping to hear the score of the Texas Rangers game from earlier in the evening to be struck that the only sports news in NWA was the Razorbacks. He was positively dumbfounded that a full sports report could revolve around this one topic.

I have just two comments: First-Well, yeah, welcome to northwest Arkansas. Second-If you think that's bad check out the sports report from Austin.

The Neanderthal Football League

Ines Sainz is a sports reporter for Azteca TV, a Mexican television network with several affiliates in the US, including Austin, Texas where I would occasionally watch. This weekend she was the center of controversy because she was the subject of catcalls and other unwanted behavior in the New York Jets locker room.

Some have said that Ms. Sainz dresses provocatively. I would be one of the first to agree. She's a former Miss Spain and Miss Universe contestant who dresses like someone who knows how to accent what she hopes to accent. And if you have ever seen Azteca TV you would know that this is the style of the network. In fact I have never seen a Mexican or Hispanic TV broadcast that did not include an overabundance of cleavage, and that includes the news! She was dressed in her normal workplace attire, just like the men were in the locker room after the game.

The sideline shenanigans are another story.

This has caused a new storm of sexual harassment in the workplace/NFL Locker room talk. Let's begin here: Nobody deserves to receive cat calls or leering glares or sneering remarks about their appearance in the workplace. Nobody deserves that, regardless of whether they are a woman who dresses to accent her appearance (which Ms. Sainz does) or naked in the locker room (which the players in varying stages are).

But I want to make one thing clear too. Professional athletics in America are the last bastion of the great adolescent male. The great majority of these guys have been made to feel special, they have been catered to all their lives. They have gifts that are the product of testosterone and the training that only fuels primary urges and hormonal drives.

Can they help it? Of course they can. Are they expected to? Often no.

Folks, the genie is in and out of the bottle. They are expected to act like Neanderthals one moment and gentlemen the next. I'm not saying to cut them slack when they cross the line, just don't be shocked when they do.

In America...

This weekend, Marie and I were in Texas to do some work with our move to Marshall. We had some business with the Presbytery, we had some business with the Realtor, and (best of all) we had dinner with the congregation in Marshall. It was a delightful weekend with people who are very important to us.

On Friday night after the Presbytery meeting we met up with Rick and Teri Brooks. Rick is the pastor of St. Mark Presbyterian in West Dallas and Teri works at UT Dallas. Well, on Saturday, we went to lunch with Rick and Teri and Rick's folks Dick and Dot, while there, we ran into this guy:

If you know the story or watched the video, you would know Igor got his own 7-Eleven franchise. His store is in Richardson, Texas, right next door to where we ate lunch on Saturday afternoon. When we got there, he was running around all over the store making sure everything was as neat as a pin. He was cleaning glass and he even held the door for us greeting us as we came though his door.

Let me tell you, his store was the cleanest convenience store on the face of the earth, having worked at a gas station and a convenience store, I know how hard it is to keep clean and his store was clean enough to eat off the floors.

Igor, my wife Marie and I give you our best (and about eight bucks) and I hope you have a wonderful life. You're living the American dream. You come from Kazakhstan with $50 in your pocket, a driving work ethic, and a dream. Congratulations on your dream coming true.

I say "coming" because Igor knows his dream has just begun, he also knows about the hard work it takes to keep it going. If he didn't, he wouldn't be cleaning glass on a Saturday afternoon in the sun and heat of North Dallas. God bless.

Baseball Broadcasters: Please Stop Misusing the Term "Walkoff"

Several years ago, baseball broadcasters started using the phrase "walkoff home run," or "walkoff" for short. The term was used to describe a home run hit by a batter which ended a game.

The walkoff is exciting for several reasons, foremost, the home run is often an epic hit whenever it comes in a baseball game. Sometimes the homer is a huge shot that escapes the stadium. Sometimes, it's a shot that just barely clears the wall, a shot that the fielder is almost able to make a play on, but not quite. Either of these is epic.

Another reason is that the walkoff to end a game can only come in the bottom of the final inning, whether the ninth or in extra innings. In either of these cases, the game will be tied or the home team will be behind. With the home team down, the crowd will be sitting on the edge of their collective seats, this adds to the drama.

To see a recent walkoff, follow this link for Alex Gordon's walkoff against the Orioles last night.

Finally, the entire reason to use the word "walkoff" is that after hitting a home run, the batter doesn't have to run, he can walk around the bases as the opposing team walks off the field.

Now, for the abuse of the term...

After a couple of years, the term "walkoff" was so beloved that it has begun to be used for any hit to to end a game coming in the bottom of the final inning. But here's the problem with this, if the hit is not a home run, the batter, the base runners, and the fielders had better be hauling their tails. They had better be hustling. They had better not be walking off. The history of baseball is filled little quirky endings that would have been different if someone had hustled.

Hence, only a home run (or a bases loaded walk, but that's not quite the same) can be a walkoff. That's it. Please, broadcasters everywhere, please reel in your use of the term "walkoff." If it's not a homer, it's just "a game winning hit" which is pretty good on its own merits.

You may now return to your regularly scheduled broadcast.

Perspective and Priorities

Today ESPN's award winning "Outside the Lines" documentary series did a piece on swim coaches who sexually abuse their young charges, some victims as young as ten years old.

Before the episode host Bob Ley said, "This report contains material of a sexual nature which some may find disturbing." By the way, I am sure this was worded very carefully by the ESPN legal department and not an off the cuff remark by the host.

I find two things about this statement disturbing:

1. So, what we may find disturbing is the sex but not the assault? I say it is a shame that our culture finds more distress about the sexual aspect of this issue than it does the assault aspect. We have become so dulled to violence that it doesn't even get a mention in the warning. Anyone who wants to comment that it is the whole issue, the full sexual assault issue, not simply the sex that is disturbing then I ask why did the warning only mention the sex and not the assault.


2. We are warned that we may find this disturbing. Shout it from the mountaintops people! In a time and place where sexual assault against youth by people in positions of trust and authority has become everyday, we must be disturbed by this report. I hope everyone who watches this wants to vomit because of the ghastly nature of these crimes.

Our priorities, and those of the ESPN legal department, seem to be more attached to the sexual aspect of the story than the perspective of the assault against young girls, and this needs to stop. Both are horrible, but we seem to have become numbed by the amount of violence we see everyday, it no longer disturbs us, this perspective must change.

Praise needs to go to the young girl in this story, a fifteen year old named Julia, who was able to bring to justice a man who had been assaulting girls for thirty-one years. Julia--you are a brave young woman, God be with you and your family.

Cudos to Bob Ley and the entire "Outside the Lines" staff. This is some of the best documentary and investigative journalism done on television bar none. Please follow this link and watch the report, but beware. The nature of these crimes against women should be disturbing, both for their sexual nature and for the violence against these young girls.

My Super Bowl XLIV Hafltime Review

As for me, watching the rest of the game was more important than blogging about The Who. So here it is--Congrats to the Saints, Drew Brees, New Orleans, and all of Louisiana. It was a great game and a great win. Especially in the second half, it was all Saints football. Congrats!

Now, The Who...

Last year, after watching Roger sing "Love, Reign O'er Me," someone told me his pipes were not what they used to be. That same review may be valid tonight too, but may I be able to belt out "See Me, Touch Me, Heal Me" like he did tonight, much less in 20 years. Roger, Pete, Zach, and the rest of the cast, you guys rock.

Now, the set list...

All right, the Who songs used by CBS for its CSI franchise of shows are great songs. Using "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Who Are You" are great choices for procedural detective thrillers. (Baba, not so much...) But c'mon, half of the set list consisted of songs that are being used as theme songs for CBS shows on what network? CBS.

I'm just a little skeptical of who put together the set list.

Loved the game, love The Who, the announcers didn't ruin the game for me, all in all a successful broadcast. But still, that nagging feeling... all that was missing was David Caruso coming out from the video monitor during the two-point conversion challenge, ripping off the shades, saying something off-handed and hearing Roger's scream.

Next year in Dallas? Mazel tov!

Hold That Tiger!

If you have been under a rock, you may not know that the best golfer in the world, one Eldric Tiger Woods, has been part of a scandal due to his alleged infidelity.

Whoopie Goldberg, host of "The View" and moderator of their Roundtable segment, has said that she will not comment on the Tiger scandal because it "does not put food on her table."

Whoopie, I must disagree. You host a chat show, one that deals with celebrity, moderating the segment that is loaded with scandal and inuendo. Whoopie, I'm sorry but it does put food on your table. If there's another reason you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, but please own the fact that you do get paid to talk about this stuff. If you don't want to talk about Tiger's stuff, please find a better reason.