The Oh Lympics!

Oh as right! Once again, the National Hockey League shuts down in the middle of its' season in order that key players can play for their home countries in the winter Olympics. I do NOT agree with this at all. Why?, some of you may ask; the reason is very simple. Possible season ending injuries. Should an NHL team that is experiencing a good season, and have a favorable standing which could lead them into the Stanley Cup playoffs, lose a key player to injury in the Olympics? Everyone knows my opinion. I'm willing to wager that there are a boatload of hockey fans who aren't too crazy about it as well.

They Ripped My Heart Out.......

and then they put it back in. So much for my method of escaping shoveling snow! As many of you probably know, I was recently in the hospital to undergo open heart surgery. Showed up at 6 am Friday for the operation, got prepped and before I knew it it was Saturday night, I had no idea how to dial my phone, I couldn't figure out the television remote, and there was a couple of feet of snow on the ground. My family didn't make it into the hospital to visit me because of the snow, but the silver lining came Monday, when Lord behold, my wife appeared. That was her surprise, mine was that I was being discharged.

Now I Know!

This is for any New England Patriots fans out there. After last night's horrible performance by the New England defense against the New Orleans Saints, one thing was getting a little more obvious as the game progressed. It further justified Bill Belichick's going for it on 4th and 2 in Indianapolis!

'For thou art with me;....'

........except when it comes to my views on abortion! And that, my friends pretty much sums up the position of the Roman Catholic church in this matter. This morning, the Providence Journal reported on their website that Representative Patrick Kennedy has been barred from receiving communion by Bishop Thomas Tobin because of his views on abortion. What ever happened to the church, and by the church I mean ANY church, being there for everyone who are children of God? They serve communion to incarcerated murderers, rapists, embezzlers, and just about every criminal out there, but God forbid an individual have different views about issues! And then there is the separation of church and state; remember that one Bishop......or did you really flunk history? The Roman Catholic church should stop trying to be something that they cannot be......perfect!

4th and 2

Was it arrogance or confidence; you be the judge. For what it's worth, here's my thoughts. I have come to the conclusion that Belichick did not want the ball back in Peyton Manning's hands after he had gone the distance of the field on his previous possession and scored a touchdown, all in less than two minutes. By picking up the two yards, the Patriots win the game. I'm quite certain that he along with everyone else felt that Tom Brady was more than capable of picking up two yards. The problem is they failed, and the inevitable happened, giving Indy the win. In conclusion, I personally would have punted the ball to at least put the Colts back on the other end of the field. Oh, by the way, any other coach in the league would probably have been dismissed on Monday morning if they had made that call!!!

Number 27

They won their first World Series title when the old Yankee Stadium opened, and not to be outdone, this year's team matched the feat. Congratulations to the New York Yankees on winning their 27th World Series. After game 1, I actually felt that the defending World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies could win it all, but it was not to be.

Just Get Over It!

And so with the flip of a calendar page, football is back, and so are they. Many people absolutely hate them. Despise their ways. Jealousy abounds their success. Superior confidence on their part is mistaken for arrogance. Their secrecy is longed for by other teams. They've been called cheaters, the favored team, the commissioner's pet team, cocky, unsportsmanlike, just to name a few. But all of this and much more not even worthy of mention cannot take away from the cold, hard, unmistakable fact that the New England Patriots are back. Whether they have a successful season or not will be determined on the field. Experts say they are the favored team, but getting past all that, they have to play the games. All the talk in the world won't change this, and like any of you reading this who may have your deserved allegiances to YOUR team, I still maintain MINE for Tom Brady and company.

"You Lie"

And with those two words, President Obama's speech the other evening was interrupted rudely by South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson. The President, while taken by surprise, continued on as he should have. Of course, this is not anything new, as previous Presidents were also subjected to this kind of rudeness. Now, while I may not be an Obama supporter, and disagree with his methods of rule, he is still my President and the office itself should command respect. I hope these incidents serve as lessons to Obama supporters, many of whom probably were on the giving end towards previous administrations. Joe Wilson issued an apology for his rudeness, and while being caught up in the emotion of the moment, Mr. Wilson should never forget that it's about the office, not the individual.

An Unforgetable Day

Today begins as it customarily does for me with a 9 am wake up in order that I may take the first of five pills in the morning. A half hour later, I make my way down to the kitchen for breakfast, after which the remainder of my medication is popped. Today I manage to find myself off from work, so I can adjust my gears into the relaxation mode. With rain infesting our part of the country, the mode will remain lazy throughout the day. But all of this seems minuscule when compared to how many people in the rest of the country will be spending their day.

Today marks the eighth anniversary of the horrific attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, The Pentagon in Washington, and that peaceful field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It will be a day of remembering for many; of how some of them suffered on that beautiful September day with the loss of a loved one, or the loss of innocence when it comes to our children. Maybe it's the reminder to all of us of what the true meaning of life really is, and how precious our short time on this earth can be.

For whatever reason we chose to remember 911, we should do so by taking a few moments to refocus our views on how more than a thousand people were condemned to death on that day for simply going to work and living their lives. Along with time, memories can fade, and the 911 attacks should never become part of that equation.

Remembering 911

On September 11, 2006, the fifth anniversary of the 911 attacks, the Tear Drop Memorial pictured here was dedicated in Bayonne, New Jersey just across the Hudson River from the New York skyline. Donated by Russian artist Zurab Tesesetei and the Russian people, the memorial serves as a reminder of the struggle against world terrorism. Today we observe the eighth anniversary of the attacks, and I have chosen to feature this memorial as the focal point of my posting. I personally have found that its' design helps promote both healing and peace. In addition to the teardrop being aligned with the Statue of Liberty, the base wall is adorned with the names of the victims who lost their lives on that tragic day.

What Teleprompter?

My customary stint at the keyboard this morning yielded me an exceptional e-mail. My thanks to my dear cousin Joan for passing this one on to me. This You Tube video features an eleven year old young lady delivering an American Freedom speech in Florida this past July 4th. There is clearly no teleprompter being used, and it even looks like she has no script. If liberals are afraid of Sarah Palin, they had better add this young lady to the mix. If she is this passionate and well versed at this age, imagine the future that could be awaiting her as a public servant. I have attached the link to this incredible video below for your listening pleasure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHieqM1hKsg

Too Little Too Late

I read in this morning's news that the exact location of Michael Jackson's tomb will be kept secret 'forever'. Well, don't you know that really is a bit of news that I couldn't live without knowing. The reason given by an unidentified source is that it will keep away paparazzi and the like. Isn't this whole CIA tactic being implemented in a 'cart before the horse' manner? Why would so much effort go into protecting him from harm's way now when the time he really needed this was when he was still alive? No one seemed to pay much (if any) attention to his critical needs then. Now that the autopsy results have painted a rather clear picture of Michael Jackson's life behind the scenes, getting him the help he really needed is a rather mute point. I'm not stating that this would have been an easy thing to do, after all he was a 50 year old adult who should have known right from wrong. But with his celebrity status always getting in the way of conscientious decisions, he should have been protected from his number one enemy....himself! All the security and attention to protecting him at this stage in time is now and forever will be proving to be too little too late.

Compassion?

This week the government of Scotland released the lone person convicted of bringing down Pan American flight 103 over Lockerbee Scotland over 20 years ago. Hundreds of innocent travelers, many of them Americans, lost their lives in this horrific incident. The bomb was carried aboard the flight in a suitcase and was set to detonate over the ocean. However, because the flight was late, it wound up being brought down over the Scottish town destroying many homes and killing people on the ground as well. The convicted terrorist was diagnosed with colon cancer which has been classified as terminal. Because of this, the government of Scotland approved the release on compassionate grounds. Compassion, really? Has the criminal shown any compassion on his own part? His arrival in Libya to cheers and confetti doesn't show me any remorse, let alone compassion. Has he even voiced his regret......to anyone? What about the families of the victims....any compassion thrown in their direction? The law has been mocked big time! And last but not least comes the victims themselves. When is their release to their families expected? Oh, that's right, their remains have already been released to their families. Not very compassionate, if you ask me.

Do You Sense?

Does anyone in this reading audience sense that something is terribly wrong here? Things just aren't taking a turn for the better of late. The health care issue currently haunting the current administration is taking all kinds of turns, and mostly in the wrong direction. Seems that it really is a difficult sell to the American public, who are not buying it one bit. The thousands of pages only have tons of legal jargon to offer even the most degreed professionals. And if this is not enough to make anyone uneasy, today it was reported that since July 1st, 60,000 members of AARP have cancelled their memberships. When the old and wise take such a stand, we had better pay attention!

A Second Chance

By the time halftime arrived in the preseason game between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles, the announcement about Michael Vick's signing with the Eagles had been made. While it may have struck many as a surprise, the knowledge that he would soon wind up being a part of a team was never in doubt. But how do people really feel about this, and can they justify it in their minds? Michael Vick, once the star quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, was an up and coming athlete with multiple talents that only few young men dream about. His love of professional football would resonate in his ability to do things on the field that few of his caliper could. However, all this would take a back seat to the revelation that would one day shock the sporting world. Vick would eventually be tried and convicted of funding and operating a dog fighting ring at his Virginia home, where in addition to the fights, dogs would be killed as a result of their poor performance. For this horrific crime, he was sentenced to two years in prison. But this was only the beginning of Vick's fall from grace. The Atlanta Falcons would release him, heavy fines were imposed upon him, and his endorsements either stopped coming or were terminated. He would soon become bankrupt, and the National Football League suspended him indefinitely. With all of this, probably the worse punishment would be his inability to continue to play football. Vick served his sentence quietly and without appeal for eighteen out of the twenty-four months he was sentenced. Once released, he served an additional period of house arrest, working a $10.00 an hour construction job during this time. Eventually, his road back began to take shape. While incarcerated he had plenty of time to reflect on his actions and made the commitment to make amends for his short comings. He joined up with the Humane Society and PETA and became a spokesman for them, speaking to inner city kids about the consequences of his mistakes. The NFL then decided to partially reinstate him, clearing the way for him to sign with a team. While many teams expressed no interest in his services for fear of public outcries, a few teams actually entertained the possibility of having Michael Vick on their roster. Today, as I drove to work, I listened to Michael Vick's news conference and was taken by his sincerity and openness about what he had done, and his taking responsibility for it. We as Americans are a forgiving nation that generally believes in giving people second chances. The rest is up to Michael Vick!