Friday, March 30, 2007

Where Did We Go Wrong?

(Note: I initially wrote the linked article and mistakenly referred to Generation X instead of Y. Not surprisingly, I offended an entire generation of people because of the vague time frames each generation covers. I apologize and thank the many readers that quickly corrected me.)


Raising a generation of slackers may just be the legacy left behind by a retiring Baby Boomer population. No one really wants to say it out loud, but by giving them everthing they wanted except direction and parenting, Generation Y got a bad deal from their parents. I explore this edgy little phenomenon here.





Most parents aren't going to like what I've written, but if they look at them selves and their children honestly, society has a chance of recovering.

One thing is certain, denying there's a problem won't help anything.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Harley Davidson Threatens 25 Year Friendship


My best friend of 25 years, Courtney, was given a pearl white, 2006 Soft Tail Fatboy last week. Don't get me wrong, he has paid what over the past five or six years, I'm sure is a terrific price for it. He bought it on ebay, went to a town actually named Cumming in Georgia and picked it up last Tuesday, and rode it home. It's beautiful and I'm happy for him.
The problem is he won't let me ride it. I'm sure Cort would take a bullet for me, but he is not lettin' me on the bike. Since we're roommates, I get to hear it, look at it and watch as he takes of on another ride, leaving me standing in the yard in the wake of the Harley rumble.
I remember not too many years ago while Cort was staying at my house in Montana and I gave him the keys to my bike without reservation so he could get around while he was there. Granted, my bike was a Yamaha Virago 550 worth about $500, not a Fatboy worth $15,000, but it's the principle of the thing, isn't it? I'd be careful... Honest.
I'm happy for him and his dream bike, but can't help feeling a little envious and neglected. This too will pass. That selfish asshole.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Scooter Libby and Ollie North Taking Bullets


Scooter Libby, Vice President Cheney's former Chief of Staff was convicted yesterday of lying to a federal grand jury and four counts of making false statements to the FBI. Libby is facing between 1 1/2 and three years in a federal camp for white-collar criminals, if he's not pardoned by the Bush Administration after his appeals are exhausted. The charges come from an investigation of who leaked the identity of an undercover CIA agent to the press.


The CIA officer was Valerie Plame, who is married to one-time ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV. Wilson had accused the White House of using flawed intelligence to justify the war in Iraq, which makes him a hero in my book. He referred to a CIA mission he took to Niger in 2002, which found no merit to claims that Iraq was trying to buy weapons-grade uranium. Plame was outed eight days later.


Here's the clincher. Wilson told reporters after the verdict was announced that the conviction shows even a top White House official is subject to the American justice system. "We see this as a reaffirmation that we are a nation of laws, we live in a democracy. The verdict shows no man is above the law."


There you have it, folks. The husband of the victim doesn't seem to have a problem with the fact that Libby is the only person being held accountable. It is almost painfully obvious that Libby is the Bush Administration's Oliver North. I honestly believe a helluva lot more than one top White House official was involved with this massive breech of security.


According to an article in the Washington Post, Wilson, who with his wife has filed a civil lawsuit against Libby and several top administration officials alleging that they disclosed her identity. Why aren't more officials being charged?


Finally, what's the deal with the 1 1/2 to three year sentence if the guy isn't pardoned by his partners in crime? If you or I were convicted of four felonies involving national security, do you really think we'd get off that easy? There are people being held longer than that at GITMO who have never even been charged with a crime, let alone convicted. And I assure you, GITMO is not a summer camp for white collar criminals.


So Mr. Wilson, good luck with the law suits. I'm glad you think justice has been done and that this proves no man is above the law. If it were my wife whose life had been put in danger, I wouldn't have been satisfied quite as easily. Perhaps that's a flaw in my character.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Colin Powell: American Hero - Should he be President?

Some say Colin Powell is the only chance the Republicans have to hold on to the White House in 2008. Will America overlook his error in judgment before the United Nations in 2003? Can this veteran war hero overcome his history as Bush's Secretary of State? Might Colin Powell be the only man alive who can fix the damage that is done?



read more | digg story