I missed Duane "Dog" Chapman's appearance on Hannity & Colmes last night...actually I never wanted to see it in the first place. However, just like having to gawk at a car wreck, I took a peek at a follow-up article on msn.com. And there it was. I tip my cap to his "handlers". With enablers like Hannity, et. al, I would say ol' Dog should…
Random thoughts & observations.... Duane "Dog" Chapman's obscenity laced taped phone conversation has unleashed (again) the typical "vultures of talk"; and their deliciously pecking of every maggoty morsel left from his road-killed carrion. Before you pass judgment against the son that likely "ratted him out", consider that there is not much more of a hurt then to be spurned by a parent- except maybe a cheating spouse. As for…
(for part 1 click here) Humanity; what a trip. Do you define yourself as "Italian", Irish", Spanish", or "German"? Have you ever thought about why you define your heritage or ethnicity the way you do? Because your parents did? Maybe its where your great-grandparents lived before immigrating to America. I'll grant you that defining details such as language, recorded history and (ugh) physical traits are natural points of reference.…
I've wanted to touch on the subjects of ethnicity, nationality, heritage and race for awhile now so I should thank Nobel Prize winning DNA pioneer, James Watson, for the kick in the pants. While no one would, could, or should, mistake me as a student of any scientific discipline (outside of figuring poker odds), I am still qualified enough to have my own opinion on his "learned" opinion: He's a…
I was completely shocked today after reading that Lucky Dube had died during an apparent car-jacking attempt. He was just here last month and performed at the Mesa (AZ) Convention Center. Losing him is on the scale of Bob Marley's death from cancer. Both of these artists, along with Fela Kuti, were struck down in their prime. But they were beyond artists. They were poets/prophets…
"The fish in the water that is thirsty needs serious professional counseling." (Kabir) It is likely a paraphrasing or translation into contemporary verse, but the above line, credited to Indian poet Kabir 500 years ago, has much to say about current conditions. How prolific our society is in seeking professional help to perform adequately in our daily lives. Counseling groups, weight loss groups, psychologists, life coaches, nutrtionists, psychiatrists, physicians all…
If you are already making ends meet, what is the point of working so much overtime? Where's the joy? Who benefits and how? The answers are likely shallow when it comes to "Type A workoholics". Strive to accumulate more stuff. Pay it off, insure it, polish it, fix it, store it. Never dispose of it. Can it bring anything but mind-numbing, time consuming attachment to meaningless things? Try buying…
It took about 15 months, but I can honestly say the makeover is done. I have successfully disposed of every reminder of my previously superficial, dramatic, more-of-everything-based existence. The metaphor of the rising Phoenix is appropiate, if too easy to use, but the timing of it is perfect. As the end of September signals, The Valley of the Sun has risen from the deadly heat of summer just as I have risen from the toxic misery of materialistic living. …
Fox News just broke in that OJ has been released on bail: "BREAKING NEWS ...ATTORNEY: SIMPSON WILL RETURN TO HOME IN FLORIDA" ...this is un@#$%^&*believeable. the coverage could not be thicker if it were the assasination of George Bush. this is insane...choppers, reporters on all 4 sides of the building. national anchors. local anchors. ex-judges, prosecuters and defense attorneys."experts" old and new picking up…
Some great quotes/citations I have encountered.... "I do not have an excess of anything. Some would say I have too little. Yet each day I try to get rid of something else. I will not indulge." -Siji Tzu Rules for Living "We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in…