Don't Back Down

"Government can do certain things very well, but it cannot put hope in our hearts or a sense of purpose in our lives."

I like that one. Sums it up nicely. There are undoubtedly some things that the government - any government - can do well. Very well even. But it cannot do everything. What I don't get is why people (okay, politicians) continue to insist that government can solve all problems.

Read that again. Government cannot give us hope. It cannot give us a sense of purpose. I agree with these things wholeheartedly. Government is welcome to do what they do well, but those things ought to be in the background.

Read "The Place of Government" »

"Her favorite meal was Fiesta Salad with grilled children"

Ooo... that's an unfortunate typo from the Charlotte Observer. They did fix the article before it hit the web.

"Your security is not in the hands of Kerry, Bush or al-Qaida. Your security is in your own hands."

I've been saying that for three years. It is simply not the responsibility of the government to protect us in every circumstance. There will be events that are not foreseen, and there will be times when we must face the truth that the world we live in isn't always pretty and there may be difficult choices for us to make regarding those truths. No matter how hard they try to worm their way into every facet of our lives, there will be times when the government isn't around to offer their "help".

The varied departments of the government don't do one thing to make me feel secure, much less offer me any actual security. When someone is committed to their cause, it doesn't matter if they are carrying a knife, a box opener, a corkscrew or a pointy nail file. Serious damage can be done with something as mundane as a ring of keys or a ball-point pen, yet they don't (yet) prevent you from carrying these things on board with you. It's simply ridiculous to think that they can throw more and more legislation at the problem, remove more and more liberties in the process, and think that it will all just go away.

The quote? That was Osama bin Laden, though I suspect that he may have meant it a little differently than I do.

Today's quote is courtesy of none other than Jake Delhomme, quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. While not surprising that he references his religion - many players pause to pray after games, providing at least a glimpse of their beliefs - it is unusual that he so openly mentions it in a mainstream newspaper. You may see it during an interview from time to time, but this may be the first time I've noticed it in print.

There's only one person that was perfect and everybody knows what they did to him.

Bravo, Jake.

"If a person is selected to a team like this, it shouldn't even be a question in your mind....It should be an honor to accept. If you grew up in the USA, you need to think of all the things the USA did for you -- how it allowed you to support your family and be recognized as a household name."

Pretty impressive. The source? None other than the unconventional Philadelphia 76ers' guard Allen Iverson on being invited to represent the USA in olympic basketball. Wow. I, for one, am impressed. Too bad the rest of the team doesn't share this attitude.

They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.

Nice. Oh, I'm sure he meant to say something about how they are always vigilant in order to make sure they've thought of everything so that they can defend against the same - but I find it refreshing when the government can be so open and forthright. It's downright refreshing that we have a president like Dubya, who doesn't try and hide his true thoughts from us.

A recent article mentioned that Tamyra Gray, fourth-place finisher in the inaugural American Idol season, thinks that you have to be really careful what you say and do (on TV, presumably). Here's what I don't get. Ms. Gray mentions that when talking about La Toya London, who said she was already a winner. To me, that sounds like positive thinking, and I really don't understand. Sounds catty if anything.

For a better example of watching what you'd say, I'd look to Ms. Gray herself. Near the end of that article, she is asked where she would be if she hadn't been on American Idol. Her answer? Probably Broadway. That sounds much more like a boast to me. She may have gone to Broadway, and she may or may not have made it - she does have some talent - but to simply assume she would be working there? That might be a bit much.

And while I'm talking about Things Idols Say, what is up with Fantasia Barrino? This year's Idol winner said in her acceptance speech that she had worked for everything she had. I'm sorry? I don't begrudge Ms. Barrino anything, and out of the competition she faced, I think she was easily the most talented. But we're talking about a 19 year old who gets picked for a reality show, wins it, and gets a recording contract. Even fourth-place finisher Gray has had spots on TV shows essentially thrown at her. Where exactly does the working part find its way into the story?

Just a few minutes ago, I was intrigued by a headline that said that last year's star wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers, Steve Smith, had given up a $100,000 bonus to participate in an offseason workout program. Uh-oh. Smith's up to his antics again. Maybe a five-year contract wasn't such a good idea.

Then I read the story.

It turns out that Smith has decided to work on his own schedule, which allows him to get up earlier in the morning, turn in a workout, and be done about the time that others are getting to the stadium to start their workouts. This leaves the day free for the family. It also allows for the family to take trips, where Smith can (presumably) work out on his own schedule while out-of-town. Not an option with the team program.

I have to say I'm impressed. Not many people will give up money for their family. Fewer still will give up an easy $100,000 over a relatively short period of time for it. But Smith did. In his own words: I look at it like I'm forfeiting $100,000, but I'm gaining the smiles on my family's faces.

Bravo, Steve.

"For people to go out and say my agent made a mistake is utterly ridiculous and insane."

Even if you're not a sports fan you ought to get a laugh from this one. Apparently it is not only utterly ridiculous, but actually insane, to believe that either San Francisco wide receiver Terrell Owens or his agent could make a mistake.

I don't have anything against T.O. I don't really have anything for him, either. But I do think if I wanted out of my current contract, and to quickly exit a bad situation before it becomes even worse, I'd do everything in my power to get that form filed as quickly as possible.

According to Fox Sports, Owens explains that the filing was planned exactly the way it happened. This article has Terrell Owens explaining that his agent had his best interests at heart. They apparently waited until the franchise deadline passed, and when the 49ers put the franchise tag on another player, they filed.

Tell me: If you're in a bad situation and want out so badly that you make no secret of the fact that you want to be traded at any and every opportunity, why do you wait to see if you get the franchise tag? The franchise designation means a player gets an average of the five highest player salaries at that position. If you're a marquee player entering free agency, most would think to set a new record for high salaries. Sure, the team gets draft picks - but why would T.O. care?

Today is the third day without school in Charlotte. The kids were about to explode.

Unfortunately, the yard is still covered with ice chunks - certainly useful for young boys to play with, but probably not a good choice of toys for a responsible dad, and well, I need all the points I can get on that measurement.

Read "Truth in Advertising" »

"The officer could have taken down a tag number and stopped. You follow them, you don't push them to go faster. I think they were forced into a high-speed chase and they panicked."

An interesting thought, to be sure. Does it merit further consideration? Perhaps knowing the context will help. This quote came from the father of a 15-year-old, who died in a crash following the pursuit in question (free registration may be required). What do you think now?

Rather than engaging in pursuit of a vehicle that exhibits tendencies of an unsafe driver (notably weaving and speeding), should the officer who noticed the erratic behavior have taken down the license number and stopped, letting the vehicle proceed, to whatever end it might find? In a perfect world, where you know everything about every situation and the results that arise from your actions, maybe that would be an option.

But in the real world, our world, which is far from perfect? Absolutely not. The officer had no way of knowing that this was a car full of teenagers out for a joy ride, rather than someone driving after a few too many at the local watering hole. Even if the officer knew that it was teenagers out for a joyride, there would be no evidence that they hadn't been drinking. Even if there was such evidence, it's the responsiblity of that officer to make every effort to keep the streets safe.

If the driver of the vehicle was weaving and speeding, as it allegedly was, the officer had every right to pursue the vehicle in order to maintain safety for other vehicles. That the driver exhibited horrible judgment and took off, rather than stop for the officer, is no one's problem except for the driver of the vehicle.

I'm sorry that these seven teenagers died. It's a tragedy. But blaming someone who should remain blameless - and in fact should receive kudos for doing their job as best they can - isn't going to help. If, instead of crashing by itself, this car had plowed into a loaded school bus a few minutes after the officer stopped, would it be okay, because the officer didn't engage in pursuit? Heck no - at that point, they'd be in the limelight because they didn't stop them when they had the chance.

This is no one's fault but the driver's.

"Some local providers have run out of flu vaccine or have limited supplies. To receive a flu shot, call your doctor or local health department to see if they have vaccine remaining."

Where would you find this piece of wisdom? On the Internet, of course, in an article entitled Where to Go for Shot. Let's just say that I think I could have figured this one out myself.