Monday, August 27, 2007

News In Brief (And The Usual Opinionated Commentary)

With the negative excitement meter off the chart the last couple of days, a lot of things have happened and a lot things, haven't.

Have Happened:

Greece is burning and they say the fires were started by arsonists. 99.9% of the Platoists in Europe and 99.8% of the ones in the rest of the world, would love to get their hands on this guy. What a mangled mess they would be. Rise up Platoists, exert your influence, and avenge this act of blasphemy. Are you going to let a conspiracy threaten your cherished symbols without a response?


You know? It's amazing. If it's wrong for Republicans to play the religion card (and I believe it is), why isn't wrong for a Democrat? Just asking.

But in all fairness here, just as we slam him when we think he is wrong, we must also say when we think he is right:

It turns out that Sen. Obama would seek the wise counsel of one Sen. Richard Lugar in foreign policy matters, if elected. Regardless of whether he means it or not, it looks good on paper. I firmly believe that there is a good possibility, if Dick Lugar had been elected President in 1996, we would not be in the mess we are in today. He is a smart and wise man that may have been able to prevent or forestall 9/11. But, we'll never really know for sure. He's on the downside of his career, so the pressures of another campaign would not be in his best interests, now. However, he would make a fine Secretary Of State.


Haven't happened:

Michael Vick hasn't disappeared from the front page, yet. Hell, I bet if you'd slept the last two weeks away, you'd never know it when you woke up. Here is a pathetic excuse of a human being stealing the thunder from the usual cast of miscreants that call themselves pro-athtletes.


Two things haven't happened in this story.

1. I didn't win it. If I did, I wouldn't tell you anyway. But take my word for it, I didn't.

2. I haven't even been to Richmond, Indiana. Well, if the truth be known about it, I have. But it was in 1966, I just passed through. I was on my way with my dad to Wright Patterson Air Force Base's Aviation Museum, in Dayton, Ohio. There was no lottery then.

So, unless I was sleep-driving one night and bought a ticket at a Speedway Gas Station, in Richmond, then drove back without incident, I am not the winner. But, just to be sure, I'll keep my eyes out for a strange ticket laying around with the numbers 2-8-23-29-35 Powerball 19 (just in case).

But I have to say:

More than anything, I won my lottery, when I found that my wife was going to be okay. I wouldn't trade her for that winning ticket (or ten more just like it), ever. In fact, so serious am I about never wanting to experience anything like what we just went through again, I have already informed her that if she dies on me now, I will kill her. ;-)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Too much religion in politics today. I remember being very uncomfortable during a Presidential debate in 2000, when GWB did that bit about Jesus Christ. It's even weirder to see the Democrats doing it. And I don't think it's always been this way. Am I wrong, or is it getting worse?

The other thing that bothers me is that religious people don't necessarily vote in a block. Although I heard of a poll that showed that a slight majority of religiously observant people vote Republican, a very large amount also vote Democrat. So I don't understand what either side gains by trying to be more pious than the next guy. Wouldn't it be nice to see one of these candidates say, "I don't discuss my religion publicly"?

A.C. McCloud said...

More than anything, I won my lottery, when I found that my wife was going to be okay. I wouldn't trade her for that winning ticket (or ten more just like it), ever. In fact, so serious am I about never wanting to experience anything like what we just went through again, I have already informed her that if she dies on me now, I will kill her. ;-)

Classy, LA. It's the seemingly little things we need to be thankful for, which in the end are really the big things. The stories about lottery winners' lives getting worse after winning are legend. I've always thought it would be better to just win just enough to pay off my house.

LA Sunset said...

Greg,

//Wouldn't it be nice to see one of these candidates say, "I don't discuss my religion publicly"?//

When the subject of politics and religion come up in the same breath, I am reminded of a passage of scripture from Matthew 22:

17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?

18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?

19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.

20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?

21 They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.


That's where church and state were first separated, in the Christian faith.

LA Sunset said...

AC,

//I've always thought it would be better to just win just enough to pay off my house.//

At the State Fair here, a couple of weeks ago, we went to the lottery tent that sells scratch offs. They were selling a certain ticket called Hoosier Fun for $1 each.

I bought five, scratched them off, and won $5 on one of them. I then bought five more, scratched them off, and won $10. I stashed $5 in my pocket, bought five more, scratched them off and won $50. I stopped. That $50 bought all of the goodies Mrs. Sunsett and I consumed that evening. (Many thanks go to the Hoosier Lottery for buying our food.)

Woody said...

To stop the Greece fire, throw banking soda on it.

LA Sunset said...

//To stop the Greece fire, throw banking soda on it.//

This has been the PYY Helpful Household Hint Of The Week, brought to you this week by Woody, of GM's Corner.