Staying In Shape…

…is better than getting in shape. This morning I was a good boy. I got up, put on my circa 1950 sweats, my running shoes, went out and did my 4 miles. And before I did my 4 miles I tried to do push-ups again. For the first time in two years. I did three … Read more

Inherit the Wind – Again

Cabrillo College Theatrical department is doing a production of Inherit the Wind for its spring play. An interesting choice given that we’re revisiting the issue from the other side of the coin. In 1925, the question was whether or not public schools should be permitted to expose students to theories which ran counter to the … Read more

Freedom of Speech

Whatever else you might say, Iraqis are quickly figuring out this freedom of speech thing. Muqtada Al-Sadr speaks out against Mr. Rumsfeld with a tone and outspokenness that he never would have survived under Saddam Hussein. Likewise, we have seen the Iraqi equivalent of Joe Six-Pack freely speaking out against all manner of things that, … Read more

Saddam – Osama Connection Revisited

I found this article pretty interesting. It talks about a number of things. It is interesting that the Russians may have given away U.S. War plans but more interesting is that the article also talks about – and tries to play down – documents that point to a direct connection between Osama bin Laden and … Read more

Give Peace a Chance??

I am glad that the three Christian Peacemaker Team members were found and freed. I am sorry that one of their members was killed. However, I quite honestly do not understand what they hoped to accomplish by going to Iraq nor do I understand the logic of peace activism. In the end, one who is … Read more

The 5 Browns

I always check out the new albums on iTunes 25 New Releases. I am often introduced to artists or albums this way. So, today I was cruising through the list of 25 new releases. An album piqued my curiosity because it was a group called The 5 Browns. The album cover looked like a release … Read more

The Birth of Freedom of Religion

The new government in Afghanistan is at an interesting crossroad. I have to wonder why this particular man has been brought to trial and that trial is being made so public. Surely this is not the only Afghan who has converted from Islam to some other religion. While I think the International community most definitely … Read more

Freedom Is Not Free…

Iraqi’s are discovering the cost of freedom, the difficulty of democracy, and the hard work of getting along. Reading the quotes from Iraqis in this article, I am struck by what seems to be an underlying notion that everything is the fault and responsibility of the United States. It seems that only Sardar Muhsin Maheed … Read more

Da Vinci Code

This book and the subsequent movie reminds me of “Rising Sun” (Michael Crichton). I had lived in Japan and was an Asian Studies major at Cal State Long Beach at the time the book was published. Crichton sought to capitalize on the popular notion that Japan was bent on ‘conquering’ the United States by buying … Read more

American Politics: The Ultimate Popularity Contest

This article cites poll after poll almost as if they represented factual references. One gets the impression that impeachment is the political equivalent of getting the gong on the old 70’s TV show, “The Gong Show”. It’s a pity really. It’s easy to do whatever the polls suggest will be popular. However, I am not … Read more