Balance of Power: Essential for the Safety of Democracy

Balance of Power is a doctrine that appears to be forgotten and perhaps even repudiated by many in the forward movement toward the disaster called "Globalism." I am no expert on international business or foreign affairs, but it seems to me that we should take a closer look at the "BOP" theory to better ensure the well being of our nation and allies. Those advocates of complete "free trade" in the international business community are perhaps in the forefront leading political theory and practice at this time, and I would suspect the doctrine of "BOP" is anathema to them. Realists on the other hand know damn good and well that the world is a dangerous place and major conflicts and wars have occurred in the last century regardless of economic entanglements. Our enemies and potential adversaries must be contained economically, geographically, and militarily if possible.

There are many levels in the Machiavellian game of ensuring balance of power. Our nation should look to our own interests in this game and ensure that a potential adversary does not; can not; achieve a level of regional supremacy that allows it to escape "regionalism" and become a major player on the world scene. At this time there are nations that threaten the free world and are on a quest for global competitiveness and perhaps dominance. The following are some trouble nations that threaten our country. There is urgent need to keep them contained by military and economic competitors.

The second invasion of Iraq may or may not have been a wise idea on the part of the United States and partners. It is undeniable that Saddam was an evil dictator and was a threat to regional stability. Attacking and occupying Iraq the second time had to have been a tough call. If there were indeed weapons of mass destruction or if the Iraqi government was a sponser of Mohammedan terrorism, then it was probably necessary to destroy the regime. I fear, however that the major long term effect of our military venture will be to strengthen the hand of Iran in the region. In the 80's Iran/Iraq war both nations fought each other to a near stalemate, and while this was horrific, it worked to the advantage of the free nations. The war ensured that neither nation would gain the upper hand in the region and threaten our "allies" in the area thus putting our necessary petroleum at risk. In the First Gulf War, the coalition left the Iraqi regime in power, with just enough of a military to remain a counter to Iran. It does appear that then President Bush had some understanding of the importance of a military balance in the region. The current situation is very different. We are in fact, but not in name, occupiers of Iraq but will not stay for the long term. What will happen is simple for any observant person to predict. We leave and various factions in the country begin a campaign of butchery directed at their political and religious adversaries. Why? Because this is what they do. Iran will then step in and dominate Iraq and thus strengthen her hand in the region. At this time the coalition has become the counter balance to Iran and this fact will tie down troops and naval forces for a long time to come; playing the role that Iraq played under Saddam to some extent. This is physically dangerous to our forces as Iran very well may have the capability to conduct missile strikes on the Western Naval Fleet that is required in the region. It might be argued that it would have been better to leave Iraq alone, but as I noted, it was and is a double edged sword.

China is a potential, no not potential, a factual adversary of the United States and like minded nations. Her march toward economic dominance and military parity is very apparent and is ironically being aided by the international business, globalist community in the United States and other nations. That unfortunately will not change in the foreseeable future and I fear it will be extremely damaging to free nations everywhere. It is imperative that the democratic nations contain this threat before it is too late. Luckily at this time China does not have the military potential, or more accurately, the force projection capabilities, to seriously threaten her ocean seperated neighbors, exclusive of nuclear strike. We should endeavor to keep this a fact. China is historically frightened of Japan and for good reason. Look at the history between the two nations. We should ensure that Japan and China distrust each other and foster our relationship with the Japanese nation to keep this so. The Republic Of China is a thorn in the side of the Peoples Republic and we should ensure that she stay well armed and continue to be a "pebble in the shoe" of China. The Republic of Korea is useful in containing China as well. This is offset to a great extent however by North Korea. North Korea serves a useful purpose to the Chinese by being a proxy military threat to the Republic of Korea, Japan to some extent, and as an annoyance and potential military threat to the United States. More than one can play the "Balance of Power" game.
India, another developing nation that bares watching, also serves a useful purpose as an economic competitor and potential military threat the China. We should foster our relationship with this nation, although realize that her potential to become an adversary is not out of the realm of possibilities. Her naval forces could become a problem in the future. It is hoped that it will be used for containment of the Chinese threat, but that is not a given.
Even the small country of Vietnam serves the purpose of being somewhat of a "pebble in the shoe" of the dangerous Peoples Republic, and as much as it would be unpopular, it is important to foster relations with this small nation.
It is doubtful that Russia, at least at this time, will play a role in containing China. There is historical animosity, but Russia will most likely willingly come under Chinese dominance and become a threat again to Western Democracies and their allies around the globe.
Other nations in the region also look upon China as a potential threat and should be considered as playing a part in keeping the PRC contained.

The nation of Russia has thankfully been neutralized for the most part. She is now surrounded by potential adversaries which are populated by people who hate her. This works to the advantage of the Western and allied nations. Her access to a warm water port is now severely again restricted and it can be seen that she continues to endeavor to have this access with recent overtures toward Syria. If necessary she could forcibly take Ukraine to have further military access to the Black Sea, but would still be confronted by the Turkish nation that may deny her access to another constricted ocean. This is not a bad scenario for the free world to find Russia in at this place and time in history. It is imperative that she not gain access to warm water to again become a major naval power. It is further imperative that she continue to be surrounded by those who hold animosity toward her. This most likely pushes her into a subservient partnership with China, but that is a price that probably must be paid to ensure that she stays relatively weak.

We now come to extreme Mohammedism. This has of course proven to be very dangerous to Christendom and Hinduism and nations so subscribed. It is not however, a culture altering threat. They can and will continue to conduct terrorist operations, but they are no threat to destroying the democratic way of life. They are a dangerous annoyance much like a rattlesnake to the hiker. Keep a sharp watch and crush them before they strike. It can also be argued that extremists can be useful in the containment of our adversaries. They are at this time a cause for concern to both China and Russia, as well as a concern for their "brethren" in Iran. The United States, after all, utilized Muslim extremists to cause severe difficulties for the Soviet Union in Afghanistan with satisfactory results. Unfortunately we are now currently fighting these same Mohammedans.

Balance of Power is unfortunately a real world "solution" to dangers present and future. It is not without some moral issues that again unfortunately, must be overlooked. There is and will be a time when unsavory characters must be supported and if necessary supplied to contain the greater threat. That is a shame from a moral standpoint, but it can be, will be, and is a necessity to defending our nation and like minded states.

Common Ground With The President

I am not a fan of President Obama. I did not vote for him in 2008 and will not in 2012. The main problem now is that it is hard to picture who will run against him with any success in 2012. Palin is a loon. Huckabee is interesting but probably does not stand a chance. Romney reminds me of Texas Governor Rick Perry for some reason. I can't stand Perry. I don't know; it is a conundrum as they say. Bring back George I or America's first Black President I say and just forget his abrasive wife. America needs to also forget about that psycho Howard Dean. How about Alan (not Johnny) Keyes. That would be a kicker. If the Liberals disagreed with him, could the conservatives call them racist? Would Reverand Al, a great man of God, say that Mr. Keyes was not Black enough and therefore it is ok to criticize him? That would be funny as hell. Speaking of Al, just exactly where does he conduct services? Does anybody really know? Oh well, no matter. At this point the current President has over three years left to do his little part in damaging our great country and I thought that as a patriotic American, I should try to find some common ground somewhere with him and his administration. Turns out I have. Let's look:

The other day our President was in Mexico and noted that America's immigration policy was broken. How right he is and I have a quick and easy fix. Put up the fence and do it now. Guard it tightly with troops, border agents and other immigration officials. It would not be necessary to completely eliminate immigration from the south, but it it could be controlled by having "entry points" that are staffed by immigration professionals. It would be of course necessary to ensure that all those desiring entry be disease free, have a certain educational level or marketable skill, be sponsored, and have at least a working knowledge of the English language; both verbal and written. They would only be allowed to stay for a certain length of time, and there would be provisions to become American citizens if they so desire, provided of course they meet the requirements. Seems simple enough to me. I wonder what President Obama meant by "broke" however.

The President wants to close the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station's terrorist detention facility. He does not think that it should have ever been created and utilized in the first place. I believe exactly the same thing. I do not think those interned there should have ever reached that destination. Those that are housed there are not real soldiers of a nation that were captured in war. They are not really "enemy combatants" and therefore not really prisoners of war. Since they wear no nation's uniform, they are to be considered terrorists. It is not clear that there is protection under the Geneva Convention for this vermin. I do not think so. It is totally different from the Abu Graib incident where unfortunately American troops were filmed humiliating Iraqi military prisoners. That was clear violation of the laws of warfare, but non uniformed Mohammedan terrorists can arguably be captured, interrogated and eliminated. I wonder what President Obama's reasoning concerning this facility is.


While on the campaign trail, then Candidate Obama made a statement that maybe Americans should learn Spanish. I could not agree more! I think that all Americans so inclined should learn a foreign language. In Europe, most people have at least a working knowledge of some language other than their native one. Americans should also do the same. Go ahead and study to your heart's content. Enrich those at Berlitz and Rosetta Stone. Add more foreign language instructors at the high school and college level, put more people to work as private tutors etc. It would be good for the economy. Do not however go about your lives conducting your daily affairs with toleration for those that refuse to even attempt the English language. When ordering in a restaurant, speak English (even if you have knowledge of Spanish Farsi, etc. etc.). Point at the number on the menu if the waiter/waitress refuses to attempt to communicate in English. The same goes for any other daily endeavor, exclusive of "life or death" emergencies. Visitors to this nation can get a pass to some extent, but think of this. Would you go to France or Russia and expect their citizens to accommodate you because you can not communicate with them? Of course, chances are the persons you contact in those countries will have a working knowledge of English anyway, but you get my point. Those that came before us learned the language of this country which is, (like it or not Johnny Mata), English. They were forced to to communicate and make their way. There was no "bilingual" education. There were no "bilingual required" job advertisements. People learned English and that is the way it was. Is it so wrong to require adherence to our common language? It is small sacrifice for living in this great land. America is a melting pot but it is not, or at least should not be, the "Tower of Babel."
I wonder what then Candidate Obama's reasoning for Americans to learn Spanish was.

Common Sense from the Cab

Not too long ago I was having a conversation with a couple of relatives about current events, etc. etc. and I believe they thought I have some liberal tendencies. I was not offended as I am an avowed Centrist and know that moderation can sometimes be the best course. Having mostly Centrist viewpoints does not however mean that one can not be passionate and hold even some far right or far left views. Our conversation included such issues as gay marriage, gays in the military and national defense.

I consider myself a social liberal or, more accurately, a social libertarian. The issue of gay marriage does not disturb me. I could not care less. Go for it I say. If a person finds another person to spend their life with, does it really matter if they happen to be gay? Will it affect my life any? Will it affect yours? No, of course it won't. Why not just leave well enough alone and let people live their lives.

A related issue is gays in the military. Well, as a veteran, I can tell you that the military is full of gay people. I have known some that I would trust with my life in an emergency situation. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

I also let it be known that I believe that all health care in this country should be free. A public service, if you will. That would also include provisions that there would be no rationing of any kind by any overseeing entity. All health decisions would be between you and your doctor. Of course we would have to eliminate a good many federal agencies, many of which are useless or redundant anyway, and perhaps quit spending so much money overseas. After all, is it in the strategic interest of the United States to fund various projects in Africa, Central America, etc. etc?Are federal agencies such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs useful? Of course not. A waste of money. I also know that this scenario would never happen, but it is a nice dream after all.

I also know that a good deal of the "war on drugs" is a waste of time and money. In the case of Marijuana, at least, we should legalize it and the federal government collect the tax revenue. We can then waste it by sending dick rubber to Africa, fund literacy programs in Honduras or wherever, etc. etc.

Some of the above thoughts fall into the realm of "Liberalism" and a some of it is pretty Libertarian I think. That is what Centrism is about. Pick and chose the side on an issue which makes the most sense. I think all of the above makes sense, except perhaps the health care issue. That is just what I would like to see happen, but it is unrealistic.

Now we come to the flip side of Centrist thought, at least in my case.

I know that this country needs to maintain military forces that are capable of destroying the society of any enemy that is a threat to this nation and our allies.

I am for torture. Pure and simple. Get information on terrorists plans by any means necessary.
If it prevents another 9-1-1, USS Cole, Madrid or London bombing; Who cares if one terror suspects is deprived of his "rights?" Do you? If you had lost a loved one in any of these events you would not care a whit how we got this information. If we capture, interrogate and eliminate terrorist vermin, so be it. After all, those we capture are not uniformed members of any nation's armed force. They are terrorists and insurrectionists and it could be argued that they have no rights. Even the basic human ones. Sorry if that bothers you.

I know damn good and well that China is an enemy of this nation and western culture in general. I don't want to buy a damn thing from them except for maybe some incense. That has become almost impossible. We not long ago bought a BBQ grill at Lowe's and, not paying attention to the country of origin, found it to be made in China. A BBQ grill for God's sake! That is ridiculous. We should maintain awareness on the military and economic build up of Red China, attempt to keep her surrounded by potential adversaries, and maintain forces to damage her severely if necessary.

I know also that our southern border, in particular, should be secured immediately. There should a double fence manned by troops and border protection agents. Anything less might be stupid.

That is what I like about Centrism. One does not have to be tethered to any political ideology and can decide for themselves what the best course of action is.

Of course this is just my opinion, but you know what they say about opinions. Opinions are like, well you know. Mine is just prettier than most.

If It Puts Money in My Pocket Then I'm a Union Man. If Not, Screw It.

The issue of organized labor is again in on the forefront of political thought, after being almost absent for many many years. Some automatically will tell you labor unions are dangerous to the practice of free enterprise and others point out that unions help the American worker achieve a level of success. It is interesting that there is truth in both perspectives.

It goes without saying that the United Auto Workers are a major player in the demise of the American automobile industry. It is unbelievable that outrageous demands were met by the "Big Three." Now we will see how long Michigan, Ohio and Illinois take to recover from the recession. Longer than most states I will wager. This is a case organized labor that became totally out of control and did their part to damage, not just an industry, but the nation at large.
I am sure that when the UAW first came on the scene, there was good reason for workers to organize. Unfortunately the organization became too powerful. This is nothing more than human nature however. People will almost always take something and run with it as far as it is possible to go.

That being said, there are a great many industries that are in dire need of organization. Have you ever worked in a restaurant or bar? How about in the chemical trucking industry? I have and can assure you that if there were ever industries that needed to "feel the heat" of labor organization it is those two.

I have worked in the food and beverage industry off and on for quite a few years and I can tell you that you are at the mercy of "management." Sometimes that so called management are kids barely out of their teens. Other times it is older guy who owns a club. There is very little more that is scummy than a middle aged guy that runs a nightclub. If you have worked in the industry, have you ever had some owner/manager jack with your tip money? I have and it makes you want to hit them in the mouth with a stick. This is after all how you make your living. If you are in this industry I say go for it. Organize for all you are worth. If some clubs or restaurants can't handle the pressure, well too bad. Make sure you get most of what you want however or it won't be worth it.

An industry that is in even more dire need of organization is chemical trucking. You know, the tank trucks you see running up and down the highway. I worked in this industry for quite a time as both a driver and in lower/middle management. I knew damn good and well that I was being scammed when I was a driver, and when in management, I saw exactly how some of the scams worked. Here is a standard ploy. A trucking company will charge a customer a fuel surcharge, which is reasonable considering the fluctuating price of fuel. The company will then turn around and "charge" the driver a certain percentage of his gross for fuel. They make out on both ends and the driver ends up with a deduction in his check. That is nothing but theft. It is surprising that a lot of these guys don't know about this scam. At some point I may do a little investigative reporting on the issue and write a real piece about it, but then again maybe not. I may have to go back to work in the industry and it is quite easy to be blackballed. There is something that is called the DAC report that any trucking firm can subscribe to that gives the rundown on a trucker's past. Granted there are a good many bad apple truckers out there, and a company has a need to protect itself, but at the same time, it is easy to put information in the system on an individual that can erroneously "paint them in a bad light." It is high time for these truckers to be treated with the professional respect that is deserved. Chemical tank trucking is an exceptionally dangerous business, even more so than "regular" trucking, which is dangerous enough. A tank truck driver often is required to load and unload the cargo much of which is extremely dangerous stuff. Some of it is of the "a drop on your skin will kill or disfigure you variety." This is in addition to driving to the destination in a safe manner. Easier said than done when you are tired and on the road with crazies.

Now we come to a problem. The trucking company still has to make money. I was once told by a driver from a union firm that he "didn't want the owner to make one cent off his labor." That is of course stupid and I didn't bother to explain economic reality to him. Unfortunately that is the attitude of a good many union people. Some are too dumb to realize that an unhealthy company will eventually fail and leave them out on the street.

The only time that I ever had the opportunity to join a union was in the early 90's when I worked for the City of Houston. A real nice lady name Castro begin to solicit my membership in whatever organization was representing city workers at the time. I asked her if I joined would I get a raise. The answer was no. I asked her if I would be paid a higher overtime rate. Again no. Would I get better health benefits? Again the answer was no. I then asked her what benefit I would get out of paying union dues. She informed me that most of my "comrades" were members. I wasn't sure I liked the sound of that, her last name being Castro and all. Just kidding Mrs. Castro. She was a lovely person to be around and she finally left me alone about the whole thing.

In right to work states, or as an old friend called them, "right to starve" states, becoming a union member seems like a good idea if there is tangible benefit. Otherwise it is just a waste of time and money and may damage your chances of further employment.

I almost forgot to mention the "card check" that is being pushed by major labor at this time. That is not an American concept and smacks of something unspeakable in this country.

Now consider this; If I was the owner of a small or midsized business and some of my employees were agitating for organization, they would be out of a job. I would find a way. Oh Yes!

In this country people generally do what is best for them and theirs. That is human nature.

Apparently My Dog is Miscegenated

Yesterday I introduced my little dog and wrote about his unfortunate altercation with a bicyclist. As Double OO Spool ( the late Jack Nance) said in the David Lynch Film "Wild at Heart:" "Mentally you picture my dog , but I have not told you the type of dog it is that I have. Perhaps you even picture Toto from the "Wizard of Oz." I really can't tell you what type of dog he is. He has also requested that I withhold his name to, as he put it, "protect the guilty." I will tell you that it is always and adventure hanging out with him. He is very funny, smart and pretty darn good looking in an odd sort of way. I guess one could probably describe him as a cross between Pomeranian, Chihuahua and Rat Terrier. He has expressive brown eyes and a little curl for a tail. He loves the cats that he was originally introduced to, but is terrified of kittens. He has no problem chasing people out of the yard, even though it would be very easy to drop kick him 50 yards. A "Doberman attitude with a Chihuahua body" is how a meat salesman described him one afternoon.

He came into our life a couple of years ago. We drove into the yard after a long weekend mini vacation and there he was. He was just sitting there like he was waiting for us. My daughter asked me if she could keep him, and for whatever reason, I said yes. My wife thought I was out of my mind as we already had a handful of cats, not to mention a rodent in a cage living in our home. We really should charge admission to come into our house. At any rate, I said yes, and the dog became ours. I didn't think he would last long however as he had a propensity to take off running across the street. A street on which the local rednecks love to drive 60 mph. The little dog just did not seem to have any fear of traffic whatsoever. I got really tired of chasing his ass around to bring him back to the house and so I finally bought a leash. He had only been with us for a short while when I began to notice that weird episodes were associated with his presence.


The second or third time I took him for his walk an odd episode occurred. I was perhaps two or three blocks from the house when an old man yelled "Careful Corporal, the Germans have some artillery observers somewhere around here. They have been dropping 105's all day long on the road just ahead." Remembering that he was a senile ex WWII infantry officer I said, "Thank you sir, I will be careful." Then, "Boy that goat you have with you is miscegenated" he said, referring to my dog I assume. I could not resist " Yes sir, I know he is, but so is your great granddaughter." He just smiled and nodded then said "We captured us a command Tiger this morning. Did you know those Huns keep beer in the tank with them?" I just said "yes sir" and leaving him with his remembrances, continued on my way.

A few days later we had some rather interesting visitors at the house. We have a neighbor, who is a rather large Black woman with the name of, get this, Aquanetta Jackson. I have never heard of a name quite like Aquanetta and often wondered how it is she came to be called such. She one day, in her normal semi drunken state, told me that her mother loved to use a product called Aqua Net and decided that Aquanetta would be "a pretty name for a pretty girl." She also said that it was not an uncommon name. I thought that was pretty funny and no more stupid than people saddling their children with Travis, Justin, Cletus, and other assorted redneck racecar names. I have often thought that Jeff Foxworthy should include that with his "you might be a redneck" jokes. Something like, "You might be a redneck if you name your kid Travis?" Well, you get the picture. Anyway, we also had visiting us that day a local college professor named Troy who has a habit of partaking in the grape a bit too much, especially on Sunday afternoons. There were also assorted other neighbors with their children running around, playing in the back yard plastic pool, and generally being a pain in the ass. It was a nice day, not a cloud in the sky, steaks on the grill, kids playing, and the beer and ice tea tasted especially good. Then it happened. Our little dog walked into the living room and Aquanetta let out a scream "That dog is miscegenated, Good Lord he's miscegenated." She was so upset that it startled the rest of us into silence. Our little dog just looked at her with his big brown eyes, turned his head to the side slightly as he often does, and charged. He ran at top speed, jumped, then latched himself onto Aquanetta's leg with a full fledged Peter North cock grip. He was pumping for all he was worth and Aquanetta's big ass was spinning like a top on one leg with our little dog just humping away. She was screaming at the top of her lungs and I was afraid that she would spin right into a wall and crash right through. My wife ran to Aquanetta's assistance and was kicked by her flailing leg and fell across the couch. I just sat there stunned. The children and other adults that weren't outside watched just as stunned as I was just waiting to see what would happen next. Finally centrifugal force slung the dog off and Aquanetta collapsed on the floor with a very large thud. She was braying like some sort of barnyard animal moaning "Sweet Jesus" over and over. Then Troy said it. "Madam, that dog might be miscegenated but he certainly is not miscogynated" Aquanetta, finally getting her wits somewhat about her, screamed, "Shut your mouth you evil little white devil or I wont be letting you past my porch evah again." This confirmed what I had somewhat suspicioned for quite some time. Well if that wasn't enough, one of the children, a boy named James, began to move his pelvis back and forth and informed us that "that dog was lumping on Miss Jackson just like Daddy does on the mail lady." General pandemonium ensued. Thankfully James' mother was at work at the hospital at the time or I am sure the police would have been called. Of course, she found out later that night what had transpired and it became a cause for some rather public marital discord. I was grateful that people began to drift home after that. We did have to have a discussion with our daughter concerning the "lumping" that our dog was doing on Aquanetta's leg, but all considered, that was a pretty small consequence of the days' proceedings. Gunplay can be the outcome of such events.

We love our little dog and he often gets involved in funny little episodes. I can't help but wonder, with a sense of anticipation and a little bit of dread ,when he will instigate another insane event.

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My Dog Hates Bicyclists And So Do I

The other day my little dog was out running the yard when a group of those bicyclists rode by. You know the ones with the super expensive bicycles and the ridiculous colored skin tight outfits. For some reason that only he would know, he took out after them yapping at their tires and generally causing a hazard, and then it happened. One of the pink and green clothed riders squirted him in the face with a water bottle. I burst out laughing as he ran back into the yard with his wet ears. I could tell that his feelings were hurt and that he did not understand why anyone would have the audacity to squirt him in the face. I told him that he should stay in the yard and such things were not likely to happen . I don't think it helped however because he sulked about the rest of the day.

The whole episode was hilarious and the more I thought on the matter I concluded thus: Haven't we all at one time or another wanted to squirt one of these bicyclists in the face with a water bottle?I know I have. In parts of Houston these people will ride their machines in the center of the traffic lane and hold everybody up. If you dare try to pass them and get a little close to avoid a head on collision with another vehicle, these fools become very upset. They obviously believe that they own the road. Don't ever honk at one or you may be the victim of a lot of vitriol and may even be sprayed in the face yourself with a water bottle. God fordid that you actually hit one with a vehicle. They will crucify you in court.

 If that is not reason enough for you to hate these people, the cute little outfits they wear should really tick you off. I guess it is one thing for a woman to wear cutsy little outfits like this, but a man should just have a little more of the "manliness gene" than to wear such. It is just one step up from wearing a skirt, aerodynamics be damned. As a kid and young adult I rode a bike a good bit, but I just wore regular clothes. I have also noticed that the ladies look much better riding their bikes wearing bikinis than those stupid outfits. Now I understand that riding a bike is good exercise and all, but it just seems that these people could avoid holding up traffic on busy city streets and high speed highways.

I myself would not mind having a bicycle and may one day get another one, but it will be ridden on neighborhood streets and perhaps on the Galveston Seawall. I assure you I won't be wearing any fruity getup. You can take that to the bank.

KC And the Sunshine Band Was Great!

Last night I had the opportunity to attend a "KC and the Sunshine Band" show in the Houston area and it was great. If you had told me that on any given Saturday night I would be in the front row (that's right the front row) watching a disco show, I would have told you that you would be more likely to find me painted blue and walking around naked at the Burning Man Festival. I am glad that I went however (to KC's show) as it was very enjoyable.
I was in the 7th or 8th grade when KC was at his peak and I am sure that he drew thousands to his shows. The venue he performed in last night held approx 3,000 people and it looked sold out. Very few empty seat in the house. KC apparently suffered from a cold or sore throat of some kind and he apologized for his somewhat raspy voice a couple of times. Nobody seemed to be disappointed in the performance however. At one point he joked about almost falling down during one of the dance routines and the crowd loved it. It was noticeable, he did trip and almost land on his ass at one point. His self effacing banter concerning his age and mobility was well received by the audience. The whole thing put the march of time in perspective somewhat.

Someone had brought their child to the concert, and KC told the young man that he and the band were the "N'SYNC" of the seventies. He also noted that perhaps N'SYNC would be performing many years from now and the young man would be in the crowd with his children. That drew a laugh of course, and it was then that I really paid attention to the members of the current "Sunshine Band." Some of these folks were not even born when the original band was at the peak of their popularity. What a cool job they have.

I began thinking more about KC on the way home. I do not know what trials and tribulations he has had in his life. I am sure that, like all of us, he has had his fair share. One thing though: Who among us can say that they have made their living doing something that they truly love? Not very many I would imagine. You have to admire that. You just have to.

The Luckiest Man in Television

I was going to write today about Larry Tate from "Bewitched," but due to time constraints, and really just not wanting to really write at all, I have decided to do a short and sweet diatribe.
You often hear a good bit being said about the incompetence of the USPS but I have never really had any major problem. I think a lot of the griping is just people talking to hear themselves talk (kinda like a blog). Recently however something has come to my attention concerning the Postal Service that deserves mention.
Have you seen the recent commercials that are promoting the Post Office' new shipping plan? I assume it is designed to compete with UPS and Fedex. You know the one, the "if it fits, it ships" advertisement. Have you noticed Postal Service guy on the far right? He is the one that does a little talking toward the end of the commercial. Doesn't he look a lot like President Obama, at least at a distance? The first time I saw this I burst out laughing. I caught a glimpse of some android looking lanky guy with jug ears and I thought for a moment our President was moonlighting. Maybe getting a little "real" acting experience so he will have legitimate employment after his defeat in the 2012 elections. It is some other guy though that resembles the President. Now this guy is not what you would call a "fine figure of a man," and I am sure his likeness to Obama got him this gig. I will be willing to bet that this guy hopes that Obama's poll numbers never tank. If the President stays popular, I am sure the commercial gigs will keep coming his way. Maybe even a sitcom appearance or two. He is truly the most lucky man in television.