Please say tehillim (prayer) for Yechiel Yaakov Tzvi ben (the son of) Devorah Esther. He is the pitcher for the softball team I coach. Unfortunately, he is in critical condition following being hit by a car across the street from his school.

Damn Chicago drivers all feel like the road rules don't pertain to them. I'm sure there are a lot of places this fits, but of all the cities I've been to (at least in the US), Chicago has some of the worst drivers.

Please say tehillim (prayer) for Yechiel Yaakov Tzvi ben (the son of) Devorah Esther. He is the pitcher for the softball team I coach. Unfortuntaly, he is in critical condition following being hit by a car across the street from his school.

Damn Chicago drivers all feel like the road rules don't pertain to them. I'm sure there are a lot of places this fits, but of all the cities I've been to (at least in the US), Chicago has some of the worst drivers.

It was a hot one today. The temperature was around 90 degree and the "heat index" was at least 326! Now, it's the middle of a long holiday weekend, which for me means one thing - the kids are home and I have to work. Ugh.

In honor of this first day of summer (at least it feels like summer), I present my latest TOP 10 list. I've decided to go back to what I know best and - for a while anyway - my lists will be about music. So, without any further delay, here it is:

TOP 10 FAVORITE SUMMER SONGS
songs that remind me most of summers past

10. Afternoon Delight - The Starland Vocal Band
In 1976, I had no idea what this song was about. Now that I do, doesn't it seem odd that they would make a TV show about it - a comedy/entertainment show? And they considered Soap too riske?

9. Rock The Boat - The Hues Corporation
Don't know who they were, but in 1974, I didn't care. I consider this to be oe of my guilty pleasures - cheesy Motown songs. But infectious, nonetheless.

8. A Matter of Trust - Billy Joel
1986 was a lousy summer, but this was a good song.

7. Close To You - The Carpenters
I was going on 9 in 1971 and had no idea what love was (as if I do now). But I knew what Karen Carpenter's voice did to me.

6. Easy - The Commodores
The summer of 1977. The summer of Sam. The summer I left home. The summer I was free. Easy like Sunday morning.

5. Fine, Fine Day - Tony Carey
MTV actually played music video in 1984. This was one of the best.

4. Hero - David Crosby
In 1993, I was entering into one of the best times in my life. It had to end a few years later, but the memories will last a lifetime.

3. You Can't Change That - Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio
Summer of 1979. See #9.

2. Magic - Pilot
Summer of 1975. She was 11, I was 12. Alas, it was never meant to be.

1. Sailing - Christopher Cross
The water, the waves, the endless summer of 1980. I was just 17, if you know what I mean...

I wasn't sure what I was going to write about today. My choices were American Idol, the NBA playoffs, Kenneth Lay, Lloyd Bentsen, Al Gore, or the fact that Cate Blanchett is set to play Bob Dylan in a movie.

Hmmm. Decisions, decisions.

Aw, who am I kidding?

How 'bout that Taylor Hicks? Yes, I know I said that Chris Daughtry would win. But if you remember, back in February, I did pick 4 of the final 6 correctly. And if you remember, at the same time I said my favorite is Taylor Hicks. I ain't no bandwaggoner!

I know a lot of people dislike the show. However, I find it to be quite entertaining. I disagree with critics who pan the contestants for their perceived lack of talent. Most critics I've read wouldn't know talent if it bit them on the ass - especially Doug Elfman, of the Chicago Sun-Times. Elfman rails on Hicks and Katherine McPhee, but was impressed with Prince and Mary J. Blige. Not meaning to insult Blige, but was she even sober? Prince was, well, Prince. But since the release of Purple Rain, 22 years ago, does anybody even care about him? And speaking of being inebriated, did Elfman even hear Toni Braxton's voice? All I heard was the guttural sounds of a career in the toilet. She sounded horrible.

Elfman is that kid you knew growing up who would always take the side of the "cool" kids, regardless of who was right. He waxes poetic about all things safe and preaches righteous indignation about things unpopular. He's the one who builds up the tower just to watch it fall and then tells everyone that they're idiots for falling for it.

I truly hate people like that. Okay, hate is too strong a word. I truly dislike people like that.

Anyway, I was very impressed with the medley of Burt Bacharach songs, and was quite taken with the fact that after all these years, Dionne Warwick can still sing. Take away the joke that was Kevin Covais (I bet singing What's Up, Pussycat really helps HIS career take off - not!) and the medley was enjoyable.

I even enjoyed the mock awards presentations. But I do draw the line at seeing tears roil down the face of David Hasselhoff. He should stick to acting with underwater sea sponges and starfish.
All in all, I was happy Taylor won. He seemed to really enjoy himself and was very humble in victory. His smile is infectious and he always had a good time. For the first time ever, I may actually buy a CD from an American Idol performer. 'Course I'd probably do the same for Chris Daughtry as well.

So, who's surprised I didn't write about Enron?

By the way, tough loss by the Mavericks last night. I had a feeling before the game that they might lose game one. But they lost game one to San Antonio as well and they came back. Phoenix played their type of game all night and Dallas never adjusted. I still believe the Mavericks take the series, but in 6 games, instead of 5. Dallas' bench is to strong for the Suns over a long series. While Phoenix goes 7-8 strong, Dallas can go 10-11 and wear out Phoenix in the end.

Oh, and while I didn't vote for the Dukakis/Bentsen ticket in 1988, I didn't because of Dukakis, not Bentsen. Even though he was a Democrat - and you know how I feel about Democrats - he was an honest and selfless politician who stood for all that's right about America (unlike many current Democrats). Of course, most people will remember his favorite quip to Dan Quayle about Quayle not being Jack Kennedy, but as a Texan, I remember more of his career and though I later began to disagree with his politics, I never stopped respecting him.

Al Gore, on the other hand...

And what the heck is Cate Blanchett doing in the role of Bob Dylan? I mean, he looks like a guy, he acts like a guy and he sounds like a guy - at least a guy with a bowel obstruction, but still! Apparently, Blanchett will portray Dylan as he was during his "androgynous phase".

Huh? Must have missed that one. Is that like having Clay aiken perform Elvis in his younger years and Ruben Stuggard as the "fat" Elvis? Darn theses American Idol metaphors!

I don't know I'm getting all upset by it. I mean, after all, the likeliness of me actually paying $10 to watch a movie in which I won't understand a word of dialogue doesn't do it for me. I wonder who Hollywood would get to portray Taylor Hicks.

Celine Dion?

Yesterday was a very tough day for me. In fact, the whole week has been tough. Without getting into too much detail, let me just say that I am feeling a lot better now. Yesterday, I went so far as to attempt to discontinue my blog. I simply felt that I had nothing left to say. I wrote a final post which dealt with loss, depression, disillusionment and confusion.

One of the hardest things I've ever done was to write about my life. While I've never been a particularly private person, I always took a small sense of pride in all that I've been through. Whether it's a life-threatening illness, a move to another town or any one of a myriad of issues, I always found a way to find the good in the bad - the happy in the sad.

That's why I was so surprised by my reaction to a very private issue. Unfortunately, it isn't something I wish to share. But needless to say, it taught me a great deal about myself. Some good and some bad. But in the end, it taught me a valuable lesson. It taught me that I'm not as different as I thought. It taught me that although I have been certain that I am pitied, and thus pitiful, I'm really not. Yes, I've had an enormous share of bad things happen to me over the years - just my health alone could take up volumes in a biography. Yes, I've made some very costly professional mistakes. And yes, I made a horrible decision regarding education. Yet, I'm still here and I'm still appreciated by those who care about me and, may I say, love me.

So I must have done SOME things right. A good friend of mine inadvertently convinced me of this. I must have known it in my conscience, but after all of these years, I lost the confidence in myself that I had when I was younger (and dumber).

So, I changed my mind about ending my blog. It is still a daily challenge for me to open up and it will take time for me to rebuild my confidence. But thanks to some wonderful friends, I know I can do it and not do it alone.

Now, how 'bout dem Mavs?

Well, baby, there you stand
with your little head down in your hand.
Oh my God, you can't believe it's happening again.
Your baby's gone and you're all alone and it looks like the end.

And you're back out on the street
and you're tryin' to remember.
How do you start it over?
You don't know if you can.
You don't care much for a stranger's touch but you can't hold your man.

You never thought you'd be alone
this far down the line
and I know what's been on your mind,
you're afraid it's all been wasted time.

The autumn leaves have got you thinking
about the first time that you fell.
You didn't love the boy too much,
no no, you just loved the boy too well.
Farewell.

So you live from day to day
and you dream about tomorrow, oh.
And the hours go by like minutes
and the shadows come to stay.
So you take a little something to make them go away.

And I could have done so many things, baby,
if I could only stop my mind
from wond'rin' what I left behind
and from worryin' 'bout this wasted time.

Ooh, another love had come and gone.
Ooh, and the years keep rushing on.
I remember what you told me before you went out on your own:
sometimes to keep it together we got to leave it alone.

So you can get on with your search, baby,
and I can get on with mine.
And maybe someday we will find
that it wasn't really wasted time.

I just read a posting on a site called OpinionEditorials.com that I thought I'd copy here. I'm curious what y'all think about what Mr. Larsen wrote. Without using the ridiculous "Bush=Evil" tripe, can anyone dispute what the writer posted?

Just curious.

Liberals are Intellectually Dishonest
Jan Larson

Due to the considerable feedback I received in response to my previous article, "Liberals are Insane," I've decided to continue my series of sweeping generalizations of liberals, today on how liberals are intellectually dishonest.

The term "liberal" as used here includes the "progressives," communists and socialists, all lumped together.

Those on the political left, that is the liberals, such as Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean are intellectually dishonest, that is, they know better. Most of your everyday liberals are simply intellectually stupid.

The 2004 presidential campaign was full of intellectual dishonesty and much of it continues today, in particular the notion that "Bush lied" about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.

Saddam Hussein had WMDs and used them, those are the facts, and every Western intelligence agency indicated that he had WMDs at the beginning of the war. With the (apparent) expectation that the U. S. military would simply stumble across huge stockpiles of WMD material in the middle of the desert not fulfilled, the only "logical" conclusion that liberals could come to was that "Bush lied."

Liberals, proud of their ability to understand fine nuances that are over the heads of us common people, still can't see the difference between making a statement that later turns out to be wrong and intentionally making a statement that is untrue.

"Bush went to war for oil" is another example of liberal "deep thinking" that is still being repeated. If the president wanted to go to war for oil, it certainly would have been a lot easier to invade Canada or, better yet, Mexico. It wouldn't take more than five minutes for the American military to take over the Mexican oil fields. Now with oil prices skyrocketing, the same brainiacs that claim the war was over oil are now crying that the president should do something about high oil prices.

Liberals in Washington blamed the administration for the failures in intelligence that could have prevented the attacks of September 11. Today many of those same liberals are up in arms over the NSA wiretapping program that is, of course, designed to gather intelligence to prevent another attack. What would these two-faced hypocrites say if the U. S. was attacked again? That the administration didn't do enough to prevent the attacks, of course.

Liberals say that they are the champions of free expression and free speech. Liberals want no restrictions on what may be broadcast on television and Hollywood liberals are constantly pushing the envelope of decency.

On the other side of the coin (the intellectually dishonest side), there are speech codes and codes of conduct on college campuses across the country that are in direct violation of the First Amendment. These codes are designed, of course, to prevent liberals from being "offended" or "feeling threatened."

When it comes to free expression, liberal college administrators welcome the Michael Moores and the Ward Churchills to their campuses to spew their own intellectually dishonest propaganda but ask a conservative such as Ann Coulter, to name one, how welcome they are on most campuses. Universities are the places where all viewpoints should be debated, not just those that don't offend someone. Liberals can't see it that way.

A common trait of liberals is that when they can't make a logical argument to defend their position (and most liberal positions cannot be logically defended), they resort to attacking the person with the opposing view. When challenged with a logical argument, a liberal's response will invariably include the words "you are a(n)" followed by an obscenity. Any position that cannot be defended is, by definition, dishonest.

Liberals hate so-called "big business" and deplore capitalism but yet cry like babies that there aren't enough "good jobs" that pay a "living wage."

Liberals restrict land use in many areas of the country, the San Francisco Bay area is one example, preventing development and driving up real estate prices, but then decry the lack of "affordable" housing.

Liberals always think they know what is best for others and liberal always want it "both ways." They want free speech, but not offensive speech. They want affordable housing but no development. They want cheap energy, but no oil drilling or refineries. They want national security but not at the expense of war.

The fact is that no one knows what is best for anyone else and you just can't have it both ways. Every policy, program or action has a cost, like it or not. Liberals are intellectually dishonest because they are either delusional or just plain dumb.

My point is not that Bush is the greatest think since sliced bread. There are some issues that I have a problem with and some questions I'd like answered. But this post isn't about the President or the Republicans.

I will admit that I personally don't consider all liberals insane. That's just rude. I do understand where some of their points of view originate and I truly respect those who debate logically about their political passions. On the other hand, I really have little patience for people who spew moronic soundbites and get their news from the "gals at the beauty parlor", or MTV. If you want to be taken seriously, come up with something original.

On another topic, many of my readers know about my love of all things Dallas Cowboys. Since childhood, I have lived a "Cowboys first" life even after professional baseball came to town in 1972. Well, until 1974 they were less than professional.

Anyway, regardless of my affection for football, there is still something very magical about baseball. That, of course, explains my obsession with the movie Field of Dreams. One thing I love about baseball is the joy I get watching a team I coach come together as a unit. Last year, if you remember, my team (and my son's team) won the league championship. While we weren't the most talented team, we were the best team. The boys - 4th and 5th graders - really worked hard and game from behind to pull out that last victory.

This year, my son graduated into the next level (6th-8th grade softball). Like the wonderful parent I am, I again agreed to coach. So, with a whole different set of boys - with just my son and one other holdover - we began anew. We actually won the first game, but lost the second. I would say the reason was because I was sick and missed the game, but I'm not that conceited.

Then, this past Sunday, we came from behind to win the next one and played again yesterday to make up a rained out game. Unfortunately, only 8 of my boys showed up, while the other team was fully equipped. So, without a catcher, or an extra outfielder (4 in this league), we fell behind 4-1 in the 5th (of 7) inning. But my guys have a lot of heart and scored 5 in the bottom of the 6th, with my son knocking in the go-ahead run for the second time this year. My boys then played outstanding defense and held on to win 6-4, making them 3-1 and in 2nd place.

With the Texas Rangers in 1st place, my Dallas Mavericks just one win away from the conference finals and this, I hope my heart can take all of this excitement.

Go Mavs!!!

Reason #6 why I'm glad I'm not a teacher in Maine!

Not really blogging, I just love this song...

It's a long, long way from here to there
Silent shadows over the dateline
We both stare at the same blue moon
Under the sheltering sky

Some say love is the rarest word
Some say truth's just a point of contention
I know we have a love never mentioned
Under the sheltering sky

Will we wake from an endless dream
Will our worlds come tumbling around us
I can hear a silent scream
Crying in the night

Am I fading in your eyes
Is my memory clear as the day we met
For now we must both remain
Under the sheltering sky
Under the sheltering sky

I'm dealing with some personal issues and need to take a break. Saying/writing everything that's on my mind is not always the right way to go. I'm never ashamed, nor embarrassed by wearing my heart on my sleeve and I don't believe I ever will. But something's involve those we care deeply for and when the two cross paths, it can be a little overwhelming.

I'm reasonable sure this little "break" will not last long. I enjoy blogging too much and love my readers dearly. In fact, I may change my mind tomorrow. So it's not goodbye - just "see you soon".

Ah, immigration.

I'm just going to say one thing in regard to this issue. No one has the right to come here illegally and demand that we change our rules to suit them. This country was indeed founded by immigrants and anyone who wishes to live her should feel free to come here, as long as it's done legally.

Whether the 9/11 conspirators came from Canada, Mexico or anywhere else no longer matters. What matters now is where we go from here. President Bush is at a real crossroads. His final years in office - and perhaps the Republican party's as well - depend on his handling of this issue.

I truly believe that if he goes soft on immigration, he will hand the next election over to the Democrats. Here is his chance to reclaim his popularity and also insure the safety of his population. I agree with his stand on the national anthem, but he must do more that attack symbols.