Hussein calls Bush out.

Did you see that? Unbelievable. On CBS last night, with the aid of Dan Rather, the president of Iraq challenged the president of the United States to a debate. A live, televised via satellite throwdown. Hussein said we can go man-to-man, pardner. Heads up. You ask me some questions, and I’ll ask you some questions. You explain why you want to go to war, and I’ll explain why I want peace. In front of the whole world. Uncut. Uncensored. Straight up.

What was Bush’s response? According to CBS, the White House said no way, Jose. They said Hussein wasn’t serious. Is that the sound of chickens clucking?

Okay, seriously, if I were the president, I wouldn’t take Hussein serious either. Joining that guy in a debate puts him on an equal level, something that he is not. Or is he?

It is very hard for a human rights loving country like ourselves to argue that another human being is not worthy of being debated, especially when the topic is something as important as national sovereignty. Yes, it can be argued that Saddam Hussein’s heinous actions against the Kuwaitis and his own people disqualify him from being considered an honorable opponent worth of debate, and that’s my point. But that’s not what the White House said…at least yet. So far, the spin controllers haven’t done their job.

Like I said, if I were president, I wouldn’t honor Hussein with a debate. But I’m not president, and I would find a Bush-Hussein debate fascinating. I’d love to see it happen, mostly because I don’t think Bush would win. Mostly because Bush is crappy when talking off the top of his head. But also because the real U.S. policy towards Iraq is secret, and all the posturing over Weapons of Mass Destruction and aiding terrorists is a smokescreen designed to placate an American public that’s still touchy over the events of 9/11. Bush knows this, Hussien knows this, and THAT’S why there’ll be no debate about it. Hussein would ask too many questions that Bush won’t be able to answer.

One thing is certain: if anyone ever thought Hussein was stupid, they have been emphatically proven wrong. He may be a murderous, lying, out-for-himself dictator, but he made Bush look like the cowardly warmonger. Yikes.

More later…
Paul

When is a War not a War?

Back in the '80's, then-President Ronald Reagan stood before the White House press corps and said the following: "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I have just signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes."

It turns out that ol' Dutch was just joshing, but what he didn't know was that the microphones were turned on, and somebody recorded the whole thing. That quote was later sampled by an enterprising dance music producer, syncopated with some hi-energy techno funk, and released as a reasonably successful dance hit. A classic example of making a silk purse from a sow's ear.

So that was the light-hearted section of today's entry.

I just read an Associated Press article that said US warplanes have been bombing Iraqi military communications installations, and that we have conducted at least 4 bombing raids over the past two days.

Does that mean the war has already started? I cannot imagine that if any Western country had another nation's warplanes fly over and intentionally bomb military installations that that country would not consider itself to have been attacked. Yet in that very same article (which is titled "Bush Mocks Saddam on Weapons Disclosure"), it says that the U.S.-British-Spanish resolution is "…seeking U.N. authorization for War", while the French-Germans-Russians have a proposal on the table to continue weapons inspections at least into July.

Might not be much left to inspect by July, if we continue bombing runs.

What does all this mean, really? I think it means that we, the American people, have NO IDEA what the heck is going on over there, and we probably won't find out until years after the fact. Son of Bush brings us Son of Operation Desert Storm: The Big Payback. Somebody oughta make a dance record out of it.

More later…
Paul

The Gangs of New York.

Martin Scorcese is a great filmmaker. A GREAT filmmaker. So why is "Gangs" such a crappy movie? As an example of the filmmaking art, it is incredible: the period costumes and art direction are perfect, the craft of cinematography is stunning, and the movie successfully conveys the look and feel of 19th century New York City, a veritable battle zone between the so-called "Native Americans" (no, they're not Indians) and the newly immigrated Irish.

But the story? What the heck is this thing about, really? Is it a revenge drama, the story of a young boy (Leonardo DiCaprio) who, after watching his father die in a skirmish at the hands of Bill "The Butcher" (Daniel Day-Lewis), grows up to avenge his father's death? Or is it about the mean times that these folks lived in, and the ethnic tensions that engulf the entire city?

Well, hell, at least there were some fine performances. Liam Neeson played Qui-Gon, er, "Priest", who was Leo's father. I mention his "Star Wars: Phantom Menace" character because it was pretty similar to Priest….ol' Liam is getting pretty good at playing these wonderful father-figures who get killed by the bad guy early in the film. I think he even used the same accent in both films! In the opening scene, he gives young Leo (no, I don't remember his character's name, and you won't either) a lesson about shaving…or was that a lesson about cutting oneself? It's hard to say, because it didn't have any bearing on anything else that happened in the movie. What was the lesson? "Leave the blood on the blade." Right then you knew he wasn't a butcher…or at least you hoped he wasn't.

Daniel Day-Lewis absolutely CRUSHED his character, a murderous butcher who was also the de facto boss of the slum they all shared. In fact, he is the only good thing about the whole movie…he stole every scene he was in, and a few that he wasn't. I hear that Cameron Diaz was in this film, too, but I don't remember seeing…oh wait, was she that mousy, mouthy chick with the tummy scars? Talk about forgettable…I still haven't figured out what her character added to the story, other than give Leo a pseudo-romantic interest, and perhaps another recognizable name on the poster.

My guess is that Scorcese loves his town of New York so much that he even wanted to explore and expose this particularly sad chapter in the history of the city. What he shows us in the movie is rampant crime and corruption, terribly unsanitary living conditions, wretched poverty and unabashed hatred….and the thought that kept running through my mind is that not much has changed since then. I'm pretty sure that was at least one of the points Scorcese was trying to make. My only question is why? Seeing this movie made me want to go out and rent "Age of Innocence", just to console myself with one of his better films. "The Gangs of New York" is cinema as emotional punishment, not enlightenment.

More later…
Paul

Breaking down War.

These are strange times we live in. We have moved from a "potential" war with Iraq, to a "probable" war, the stated reason being that Iraq's dictator has lied about stockpiling so-called "weapons of mass destruction", thereby violating any number of UN resolutions and agreements.

But we really need to be clear. We cannot afford to fool ourselves about this, or any war. War simply means killing other people to take their shit.

Now, a lot of money has been spent, and television airtime wasted, to dress up war and make it appear to be some sort of valiant undertaking. However, that doesn't change the reality of war, which again, simply means killing other people to take their shit.

How did Operation Desert Storm get started? Iraq sent its troops into Kuwait, killing people and taking their shit. In response, we sent OUR troops over to kill Iraqi people and take THEIR shit.

Hitler kicked off WWII by killing a lot of people and trying to take EVERYBODY'S shit.

Some will argue that defensive actions can be justified, such as our taking on Hitler and Hussein. Well, justification notwithstanding, the reality of war doesn't change: we killed a bunch of Germans and Japanese and Italians and took their shit. And that's what we plan to do in Iraq this time around.

When will we (and by we, I mean the entire human race) EVER learn that killing people and taking their shit NEVER SOLVES ANYTHING? Here in America, we have amassed the world's most powerful army supposedly to defend our American way of life. We've got more and better guns, missiles, tanks, ships, submarines and jets than anybody. Our armed forces were built not to take offensive actions against other countries, but to deter aggressors and defend our Nation. That's wonderful, but the only problem is that the method to do this is to kill other people and take their shit.

The old saying still holds true: If you live by the sword, you'll die by the sword. Is that what we really want for our children?

More later…
Paul

The Michael Jordan Conspiracy.

Yesterday I watched the 2003 NBA All-Star game, broadcast from Atlanta by the TNT network. Now, I'm not the biggest basketball fan in the world…in fact, I fairly suck at the game, but I like watching it and I'm very appreciative of the artistry displayed by the phenomenal athletes of the NBA. I was watching the game with some diehard B-ball boys, and I was quite surprised at the disdain these guys had for Michael Jordan, the undisputed King of Basketball.

My co-watchers were making constant sarcastic comments about Jordan; his age, his diminished abilities, his many "retirements". Most telling, though, was their conviction that the NBA was pulling strings to make sure Jordan achieved three major accomplishments in what was to be his last-ever All Star game: First, he would break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time All Star scoring record. Second, he would score the last basket to win the game in the final seconds. And finally, he would win the MVP title. The hat trick, as it were.

My friends were convinced that the fix was in. And judging by the number of times they ran that "triple Jordan" commercial during the breaks, it seemed that they had a point. But Michael was struggling. He missed his first seven (!) shots, and had to really work to score 20 points. The scoring record was his. But his shot was so off that he missed his final shot in regulation, and the game went into overtime.

The score remained tight throughout the overtime period, and with about 5 seconds left on the clock, Jordan went up for a jumper and scored what should have been the winning two points. But just a second or so later, one of his teammates committed an idiotic foul on Kobe Bryant while he was attempting a 3-pointer. Kobe made two of three free throws to tie the game again. Now, if there REALLY were a conspiracy, Kobe would have missed all of his free throws, right? Well, Kobe told reporters after the game that "he had a job to do" but he did think about just giving it to Michael. Hmmph.

So the game went into DOUBLE overtime, the first time in history that an All-Star game has taken so long to decide. Unfortunately for the Jordan cabal, their man did not come out to play the entire period. At this point, the West All-Stars had seen enough, and decided to put the game away for good. Final score: 155-145.

Jordan did NOT shoot the game winner. Jordan did NOT win the MVP trophy. If there was indeed a "Michael Jordan conspiracy", it failed. But let there be no doubt who left Atlanta last night STILL the richest, most well-known professional basketball player in the world. Need I say his name?

More later…
Paul

Saturday, February 1, 2003....ouch

It was a normal morning around the McDaniel house in the Dallas suburbs. My wife was out and about, my daughter had a chocolate milk mustache, and I was lying on the couch watching her...watch cartoons. Then my windows shook and my alarm on my car went off. It sounded like the whole block fell into a sink hole." What the heck" I muttered? My daughter took another drink of chocolate milk and I surveyed our property. Everything seemed in order. Like I have said before, we live in the most boring neighborhood in all of America. I found nothing unusual.

So I took back to my perch on the couch and watched my daughter giggle and mimic the television. As soon as a commercial came on, I turned the channel to check the days weather so I could decide if I was going to moto practice that afternoon at Mosier Valley. Needless to say, my attention was deverted from the days weather and my daughter....to one of complete horror.

My heart ripped as our local Dallas/Ft. Worth channels kept showing the Space Shuttle Columbia shred into pieces just 40 miles above my house. At first I didn't even realize it had broken apart in Texas, or over the Dallas area. I didn't put the two together, that they were showing footage shot by our own TV crews? Then it dawned on me! I was horrified, saddened and confused. I thought, " Oh Lord not again, I just remember sitting in Mrs. Deputy's 8th grade Algebra class watching the Challenger explosion like it was yesterday". As the morning progressed, I realized that I had heard the sonic boom that the doomed Columbia had delivered as it dove into the atmosphere at 12, 500 mph. Even at that point, I was hoping against all hope, science, logic, common sense, that somehow the 7 astronauts were able to eject. You just don't like to automatically think the worst, even though in the back of your mind you know that to be the case.

As the morning turned into noon, I was glued to the TV. I cried and sobbed as the reports kept coming in, each one more bleak than the last. People were already finding debris in their front lawns, and Air Force helicopters were flying overhead all day. The electronic highway signs read, " Please report all Shuttle Debris to the local authorites". That was very surreal. It's a funny thing living here in Texas, we are all very close to the Space program. Nasa itself is only a 3.5 hour drive from my house. It was just very sad.

I soon realized that out of the seven astronauts, 6 of them were married, and 5 had children. That is when I put myself in their shoes for those last horrific 90 seconds when they realized that they were doomed, and there wasn't one damn thing they could do about it. They were all eager to get home and see their families. Can you imagine your last 90 seconds on earth? Can you imagine looking out of the window of your spacecraft and see the left wing fall off? At that point, you know that you just died. You have 90 seconds to reflect on your past, even though you don't because you are in a panic mode. You have 90 seconds to scream, hold your breath, close your eyes, squeeze your cockpit seat. 90 seconds of pure hell. Pure hell.

Knowing that, we also know that each of these heros are very well aware of the risks they take. They are strapped to an experimental, rocket powered aircraft with 28 missions under her belt. A Southwest Airlines 737 does 28 flights every 2 days. These astronauts are very special people. They are hands down some of the brightest minds in the world, doing a job that not many people have the drive to do. I guess for an astronaut, going out in a ball of flames at 17 times the speed of sound is just about the way they would want it. That is what I tell myself anyway.

I pray for the families and for their kids. None of these astronauts will ever be able to get up on Saturday morning and drink chocolate milk with their kids again. But on the other hand, their kids know that their parents were some of the most elite, heroic people in the world. It's a trade off, but only at a different level that someone like myself could never understand.

God bless the Columbia crew, their families, and God Speed to all of them.

Now then let's fix the problem and get our asses right back up there and continue what these wonderful people were doing...... moving forward.

Super Sunday in San Diego.

Egad. The Oakland Raiders were handed their asses by the TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS?! Who would have thought, 20-odd years ago, that Tampa Bay would even GET to a Superbowl, much less blow out a team like the Raiders? It's a mind-blowing concept similar to the idea of the Los Angeles Clippers winning the NBA title; most folks just shake their heads and say, "it'll never happen."

Tell it to the Raiders fans: it happened. Black and Silver gave up 48 points. The number one rated offense in the world could only manage 21 points. Oh, it was ugly…and beautiful at the same time. I pitied the fools that paid $1,000 a seat, then dressed up in black and silver grease paint.

I watched the first half of the game in a room equally divided by Buc and Raider fans. Early in the game, when the score was tied at 3, those guys and gals were so loud I couldn't hear myself think. One Raider fan had a lot to say about certain Buccaneers:
"Sapp is too fat to do anything"
"Jurevicus had only one good catch in his life"
"Alstott is gonna fumble it away"
"Keyshawn is gay"

On and on it went…until the first Tampa Bay interception. By the time the half rolled around, and the Bucs were up by 17 points (uh, that's two touchdowns and a field goal for those that don't know), the Raider side of the room had quieted considerably.

By the end of the third quarter, it was quite clearly a ridiculous blowout. Oakland had their clocks cleaned, their lunch stolen, they were chumped in front of the second-largest television audience to ever watch a Superbowl.

Ouch.

Well, at least the commercial for the next "Matrix" movie was cool.

More later…
Paul

Laci Peterson

This story first broke right after Christmas and it was a local (SoCal) story only. Now it has gained National status. The more I watch the media reports surrounding this case, the more I can't believe what I am seeing.

It is a horrible case. A "who-dunnit". Hubby goes fishing on Christmas Eve, by himself, and 180 miles away. While his wife, whom happens to be 8 months pregnant at the time, supposedly sits at home by herself on Christmas Eve. Now normally Christmas Eve, Christmas, and Thanksgiving are Holidays that really lean towards family and friends time. Well Mr. Peterson decided to leave his darling, pregnant wife at home...or I guess you could say, Mr. Peterson decided to get out of the house. Either way, the wife is missing, the baby is missing, their house was later broken into, but somehow through all of this, the dog made it back home. Nobody actually witnessed Mr. Peterson at the lake, however, he produced a single receipt from the marina.

Now we are hearing that Mr. Peterson had an affair with another woman. She supposedly didn't know that hubby was married. She claims as soon as he found out that hubby was involved she immediately called Modesto Police. Hubby had both sides of the family supporting him until his fling came out. Now of course the family is evenly divided. But wait just a damn minute...now hubby says that his lovely wife knew of the affair. Wow! This is getting good! We have got ourselves a true movie script in the works! This is prime time 6:00pm "Dirty Laundry" News. The reporters are giddy with the excitement over this case. The Pink Panther himself couldn't ask for a better mystery. Or maybe, just maybe, we could get Thomas Magnum to fly over to the mainland for one last bout with the clues. It makes for great watercooler fodder for sure. Producers are happy, ratings are up, and the newspapers are flying off the shelves. Will Hubby confess? Will the mistress confess? What about the witness that has yet to come forward? And why did someone break into the house in question? Was it staged to throw the police off? Did someone plant something? Will the truth ever surface? I am sitting at the edge of my seat!

In the meantime, there is a beautiful young lady, Laci Peterson, whom may be out there still alive (if she is extremely lucky, and beating all odds and statistics). There is also a beautiful unborn baby that remains unaccounted for. Also left in the wake of this fast moving news story, is Laci's parents. The same parents that raised her from a baby to the beautiful young mother she is today. Their lives are destroyed. I pray for Laci, the baby, and her family, but chances are we will never see Laci or the baby again. Chances are much better that the media circus will continue all of the way through this and eventually into a courtroom. It makes for great TV! I can already see a made for TV starring Kate Jackson and the Life-Time Movie Network in the works. I am sure they have already started pre-production (just as soon as Scott Peterson signs off on his lucrative contract and gives up all rights..of course)

As I wonder, at what point do we ever regain the humanity that we as a people lost forever and a day ago? When is enough, enough?

-WadeMC

Disarm or Destroy?

What do they mean when they say they want to disarm Saddam Hussein?

Think about what would be necessary for someone to disarm YOU. Many of my gun-owning friends subscribe to the phrase "they'll get my gun when they pry it from my cold, lifeless hands" or words to that effect. Okay, so it's pretty clear that we'll need military force to "disarm" the Iraqi dictator, and the buildup of our forces in the Persian Gulf pretty much point to that eventuality. But why the focus on one man?

The president said the other night, "…let there be no misunderstanding: If Saddam Hussein does not fully disarm, for the safety of our people and for the peace of the world, we will lead a coalition to disarm him." The president even made an appeal directly to the citizens of Iraq, saying that the day Hussein is removed from power "…will be the day of your liberation." Those, my friends, are very strong words.

To put my question another way, if Saddam suddenly went into exile in another country, would we no longer be concerned about the thousands of tons of bioweapons supposedly in Iraq's arsenal? Are we really silly enough to believe that the ouster of Hussein will signal the end of the problems in Iraq? Well, of course not. It's the entire government in Iraq and most, if not all, of their military that needs to be replaced, if the claims by Powell and Bush and Cheney are to be believed. My question is, why won't they just come out and say it? "We're taking over Iraq, dammit! It's for their own good!"

Go ahead, call me naïve. I never said I was good at this global diplomacy stuff. The problem is that I'm starting to suspect that the guy who lives on Pennsylvania Avenue is not so good at it, either. You see, I value personal integrity and apparently that's not a good trait for a world leader.

More later…
Paul

The (oil) Drums of War.

I keep telling people not to believe everything they read, especially in the mainstream press. Why? Well, mostly because I harbor a deep distrust in the motivation of the so-called Fourth Estate, but also because some of the stuff they print is, basically, unbelievable.

Case in point: I fired up my browser this morning to check out the news and the first story I came across is a Reuter's story with the headline "Iraq Intends to Damage Own Oil Fields in War - U.S." The story went on to explain that an "anonymous" Pentagon official has learned that if we go to war with Iraq, they will "cause damage or destruction" to their own oil fields.

More telling is the planned U.S. response to such a move. The source said U.S military planners "have crafted strategies that will allow us to secure and protect those fields as rapidly as possible in order to then preserve those prior to destruction, as opposed to having to go in and clean up after."

What about those alleged weapons of mass destruction? See, if I believed everything I have read so far about this potential war, I would believe that the reason we're sending troops to Iraq is to disarm Hussein and keep him from stockpiling nuclear and biological weapons. Now I read that we have "crafted strategies" to protect the oil fields from sabotage. Hard to believe, isn't it?

Or is it?

Is this war about Iraq's weapons or Iraq's oil? Or, and this is probably more germane to the entire situation, is Iraqi oil their primary weapon? Certainly to a nation addicted to (relatively) low gasoline prices, foreign oil has more of an impact to our day-to-day lives than the implied threat of nuclear weapons that may or may not exist.

And if I were a betting man, I would bet that if YOU grew up in a family that made it's fortune in the petroleum business, the idea that your sworn enemy would torch his own oil fields (to keep them out of your hands?) would probably incite you to action.

We'll soon see if this story can be believed.

More later…
Paul

Long live the King.

The word has spread throughout the motocross industry like a wildfire: the greatest indoor motocross racer that has ever lived, Jeremy McGrath, has decided to retire. This news comes just 12 days before the start of the U.S. indoor motocross championships (known as "Supercross").

Jeremy McGrath was more than a great rider, he was a great person. He was friendly to both the media and his legions of fans worldwide. He brought to Supercross not only his immense skill, but also his winning personality. Fans would line up for hours just to get a glimpse of his bright smile, and perhaps a quick hug or handshake and an autograph. His impact on the sport will last for decades.

He was the first truly marketable Supercross athlete, and proved that by signing endorsement deals with companies like Mazda, Anheiser Busch and Mattel. He opened sponsorship doors so that other riders would be able to benefit as well.

Thank you, Jeremy McGrath, for years of top-notch entertainment. Best wishes with whatever you do.

Paul

Motorcycle dealerships?

I am fortunate enough that I rarely have to visit any of my local dealers for too much of anything. I have been involved in the "Industry" since I was old enough to eat out of a Gerbers jar. My family owned a distributorship in the South West. If you rode a KTM, Penton, or wore Hi-Point/Alpinestar boots back in the early 80's, chances are greater than zero, that the product came from us. I have quite literally been around motorcycles my entire life. I manage to get parts and clothing out of the left coast directly, without much hassle.

Therefore it astounishes me everytime I venture into a new dealership. Now sure, I do have a local dealer here that I buy my chemicals, air filters and the like from, but never a great amount of product. On occasion, just for giggles, I'll stop buy a new dealer just to see what they have in stock, and what may or may not be selling. It never fails, there is always some punk asshole kid standing behind the counter, not out racing, that thinks he is the new authority on all things moto. He won't ask you, "hey how's it goin today, need some help with anything?" No, the standard "nod" is about par for course. Then they stand there on the phone, talking about last nights beer bong session- you have all heard the same conversation- and about the girlies they took home. It's mostly b.s. of course, except for the beer part. Anyway, if you ask them if they have a certain part, or product, the get mad because they have to look, or they tell you," man that thing is a p.o.s whattda..ya..want that fer?" I didn't recall asking anyones opinion. These hourly soilders believe that since they are working at a dealer, they must in fact be professional racers. It is amazing that the dealers can sell anything to anyone. It is zero customer service, and that seems to be the norm. I wonder how many people have left their cold hard green in their pockets simply because of the jackass that works the counter. No wonder everyone orders out of magazines and off the internet these days. Not to mention that some dealers are now adding an extra 10 to 15% on top of m.s.r.p. I asked one dealer why they were doing that, and he said, "for shipping and handling charges". He even said it with a straight face.

I swore I wasn't going to write about anything moto related. After saying that, I realized that my life is moto related and at times, I may need to write about it. I hate to slam all dealerships and employees of said dealers, but I am sure that you must know what I am talking about. Next time you visit your local dealer, see if you don't notice the "dealer attitude" that could be in place. I am not sure it would do any good to point the attitude out to anyone in charge. I think when people finally do all of their shopping out of the magazines and internet ( and just as soon as you can order a new bike, delivered to your house) the dealers may decide to put some of their "pro racers" through customer service school.

Here's to great riding, great friends, the 75 minute Sopranos season finale, and Happy Holidays!

-WadeMC

Christmas by Thanksgiving!

As I was slowly driving through my suburban Dalls neighborhood last night, I noticed that there were already several houses outlined in festive Christmas (or Holiday) lights. Is it just me, or does it seem that each year the Christmas (or Holiday) season starts just a little earlier? We don't even pull our lights and decor out until sometime after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving use to be its own Holiday. Not any more. Thanksgiving is now the pregame show for the real Holiday season. No time to reflect on anything that we may be thankful for. No sir, must get to the mall for the Holiday sale. You must get your lights and tree up so that you can keep up with neighbor Jones (or Goldstein) next door. I mean you can still do the turkey and football thing on Thursday, just as long as you get it in before heading ot the cinema or club that evening. Reflect on all you're thankful for between trips to the wet bar and the dinner table. I like it like this. Who has time for Thanksgiving anyway? Maybe we should just move it out of the way, and officially start the Christmas (yea or holiday) the day after Labor Day weekend. Come to think of it, who needs Labor Day weekend? What if....

If everyone would just take it easy, and be Thankful and celebrate Thanksgiving for what it is ment for, then maybe we wouldn't all be in such a hurry to get the Gap. That is what I was thinking as I continued my trek home. I couldn't wait to tell my wife how we weren't going to be like everyone else in our little suburbia. As I entered our house, my wife and daughter were proudly hanging lights on our Christmas tree. Oh well, there is always next year. And Happy Thanksgiving!

Facelift in progress!

Our regular readers (basically, me!) will have noticed a few changes on the site. We've recently upgraded our server space to allow for multiple pages and images.



This page will be the "home" page, and will contain general comments on the state of life. The other pages will feature topic-driven commentary. Currently there is a Television page and a Politics page. Coming soon: Movies, Sports, Fashion and...? Well, you'll just have to come back and see.

Our team is slowly growing as well. WadeMC, from somewhere deep in Texas (don't mess with 'em!) has posted his thoughts on the HBO series, "The Sopranos". Hopefully we'll soon hear from the other members of the team.

Also note the "ServuStat" logo on the top of the home page. If you click on the logo, you'll be able to see how many visitors we've had, along with a bevy of other information. Try it, it's fun!

Thanks for dropping by, and as always, feel free to tell us what you think...because we're CERTAINLY going to tell you what WE think!

Paul

File sharing is not theft.

Technology giveth and technology taketh away.

Remember when dual-cassette decks were all the rage? What you might not remember is that just before these devices became popular, the music industry was very concerned about the potential impact on pre-recorded cassette sales…until they realized that the future was in Compact Discs. Indeed, CDs were just starting to rise in popularity when the dual-cassette recorders became a standard fixture in boomboxes and stereos across the nation. So the music industry didn't really care if you borrowed your friend's Steely Dan cassette and helped yourself to a copy. The industry was well aware that an analog dub would be sonically inferior to the original tape, so they weren't too worried.

Now the technology exists to make a virtually identical copy of any CD. So I can have a copy of my friend's AC/DC CD without paying for it. How can this be considered theft? My friend lent me the thing, and I copied it. That's what friends are for!

Now say my "friend" lives in Iceland, and he has the latest Bjork CD, and I want a copy of it (don't ask why). File sharing makes this possible, using the Internet. But is it theft? Of course not, it's the same damn thing! What if it's not really my friend? What if (shudders!) I NEVER MET THE PERSON BEFORE IN MY LIFE…but I can still access their music database and download a copy of, say, Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run"? Should we both be locked up? I think not. But according to many in the music industry, this is a very, very bad thing.

Well, as a businessperson, anything that adversely affects my profits, either real or potential, is a very, very bad thing. And that's the deal with file sharing as we know it.

The real fact of the matter is this: CDs are too damn expensive. You can buy a blank CD for about 50 cents, and you can buy an artist's biography for about $12, so why in hell should the pre-recorded CD cost 20 bucks?

Let me make myself even clearer here. I have yet to download a single music file. I actually prefer to go to traditional record stores like Tower and Virgin, and spend hours at the listening stations, carefully selecting music that appeals to me. Then I silently curse under my breath that I can't afford all the CDs I want to buy, make my selection, and pay the cashier.

I am not the typical music consumer, though. Pre-recorded music sales are driven by adolescents, teenagers and young adults…the same group that is driving the file sharing phenomenon. People with little real income, other than what mommy and daddy give them, or maybe what they earned at part-time, low-paying jobs. They'd rather spend that money on something they CAN'T get for free…like the latest video game cartridge...or gas for their car. This is the market that joins the fan clubs and attends the concerts and calls the radio request lines and BUYS THE OVERPRICED CDs, even after they have downloaded some of the songs for free. The music industry needs these people, so it doesn't make sense to continue to exploit them as badly as they do.

If CDs cost $5, file sharing wouldn’t even be an issue.

More later…
Paul

Using a Geiger Counter to grocery shop.

What do you think about irradiated food? Is this a good way to ensure safe food or another hidden danger, like cancer-causing cellphones? My sister Cortina tells me that a supermarket chain in the Washington, D.C. area is now promoting irradiated beef as being "free from harmful bacteria". But she brings up a good question: will the radiation itself be harmful, especially after years of accumulation?

I have even more questions. Does this mean that the butchers will have to wear tags like they wear in hospital x-ray rooms, that monitor the amount of radiation a worker is exposed to? Will the butchers have to wear lead-lined aprons? Will this result in a butcher shortage, due to increased butcher work-related injuries from wearing the weighty clothing? And why do the call them "butch" anyway?

And where will the radiation process take place? Will the neighborhood store have to be retro-fitted with lead walls and radiation-hazard signs? Will the presence of radioactive material constitute a threat to community-land security? What if the local gang breaks in and steals it? Will the Crips have the Bomb?! Sorry, I got a little carried away there…

I say it's all unnecessary. If you're a die-hard meat eater, you're used to taking chances. Bacteria, schmacteria. If the grill won't kill it, it's probably not supposed to be eaten.

More later…
Paul

2002 Professional Athlete of the Year.

It's only November, so technically there's still time for somebody to turn in a phenomenal athletic performance and beat everybody else. Barring that, here's my list of nominees for Professional Athlete of the Year. Keep in mind that I'm only picking athletes from the U.S…just because I can.

Tiger Woods - He had everyone believing that he would win the Grand Slam this year, after his dominating performances in the Open and the TPC. His weather-administered British Open comeuppance only made him look human, something none of his competitors have been able to accomplish. On the links, he's the man.

Lance Armstrong - His fourth straight Tour de France win wasn't as exciting as his first and second…but, Good Lord, FOUR STRAIGHT WINS?! He has NO competition. On the road, he's the man.

Serena Williams - This was the year that she fully stepped out of the shadow of her older sister, Venus. Her decisive win over sis at the US Open was only topped by that form-fitting catsuit she wore. On the court, she's the woman.

Ricky Carmichael - He was the absolutely dominating force in the little-known sport of motocross, achieving the unachievable by winning EVERY SINGLE MOTO IN EVERY SINGLE RACE in the Outdoor National Championship series this year. That's 24 races out of 24! To top it off, out of a total of 365 laps run, Ricky led 352! A stunning performance. On the track, he's definitely the man.

And the award goes to…Ricky Carmichael! If you know how I feel about motocross, you probably saw that coming. Let me know who I left out, and maybe I'll post them.

More later…
Paul

It never rains in Southern California. So why is my driveway wet?

Ah ha! There is life out there. My friend Ondine weighed in on the Ryder case, correctly pointing out that one of the members of the jury panel was former Sony Pictures President Peter Guber. How'd he swing that? Are these Hollywood types so powerful that they can influence jury selection, or was it sheer coincidence?

More later…
Paul

Get convicted, go to jail.

So Winona "Moustache" Ryder goes shopping one day at Saks, and decides to do a little shoplifting because she was "preparing for a movie role". Okay, whatever. She gets her day in court and gets convicted of grand theft. Now the prosecutor is saying that she doesn't want Winona to go to jail, just a little probation here and a little community service there and Voila! Justice has been served!

Tell it to the kids serving time for stealing food to eat.

Tell it to the mother of three doing LIFE because her "third strike" was lifting a carton of cigarettes.

Here's a list of items Ms. Ryder was convicted of stealing:

* Gucci dress (white): $1,595
* Marc Jacobs thermal top: $760
* Yves Saint Laurent blouse: $750
* Natori handbag: $540
* Dolce & Gabbana handbag: $525
* Eric Javitz hat: $350
* Eric Javitz hat: $225
* Rhinestone hair band (black): $140
* Rhinestone ponytail holder (black): $120
* Rhinestone hairclip (black): $110
* Rhinestone hair bow (black): $110
* Cashmere blend socks (beige): $80
* Beaded purse, two (black): $55 each
* Saks socks, two pair (cream): $38 each
* Donna Karan socks, one pair (brown): $20
* Calvin Klein socks, two pair (gray): $16.50 each
* Calvin Klein socks, one pair (purple): $16.50

The prosecutor says she won't seek jail time because it's a first offense. I understand that, and I hope, if ever I am convicted of a crime, they'll go easy because I have never been convicted of anything before. But in a case that was so ridiculously visible, what type of message are we sending? That rich Hollywood starlets can steal from ritzy department stores and not get sent to jail?

Oh. Message sent and received.

More later...
Paul