This is, to me (being Jewish) the quintessential Christmas song. To all my Christian frends and followers, Merry Christmas:

Met my old lover in the grocery store
The snow was falling Christmas Eve
I stole behind her in the frozen foods
And I touched her on the sleeve

She didn't recognize the face at first
But then her eyes flew open wide
She went to hug me and she spilled her purse
And we laughed until we cried.

We took her groceries to the checkout stand
The food was totaled up and bagged
We stood there lost in our embarrassment
As the conversation dragged.

We went to have ourselves a drink or two
But couldn't find an open bar
We bought a six-pack at the liquor store
And we drank it in her car.

We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to now
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness
But neither one knew how.

She said she'd married her an architect
Who kept her warm and safe and dry
She would have liked to say she loved the man
But she didn't like to lie.

I said the years had been a friend to her
And that her eyes were still as blue
But in those eyes I wasn't sure if I saw
Doubt or gratitude.

She said she saw me in the record stores
And that I must be doing well
I said the audience was heavenly
But the traveling was hell.

We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to now
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness
But neither one knew how.

We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to time
Reliving in our eloquence
Another 'auld lang syne'...

The beer was empty and our tongues were tired
And running out of things to say
She gave a kiss to me as I got out
And I watched her drive away.

Just for a moment I was back at school
And felt that old familiar pain
And as I turned to make my way back home
The snow turned into rain --

This and That

A Bay Area attorney filed a complaint on behalf of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in San Francisco Thursday claiming the Hooters restaurant chain violates state and local laws by marketing itself as an adult-oriented business while selling food and products to minors. It seems the folks at NOW are in a tizzy over youngsters being exposed to the scantily-clothed waitresses.

While in theory, I can see their point, in reality I have two real big issues with this. First of all, what these youngsters are exposed to on TV, at beaches and certainly on the Internet and the movies, are far more revealing than anything you will find at a Hooters restaurant.

The second issue has to do with the organization itself. While NOW sanctimoniously comes out in defense of the children - and also calls itself the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States, nary a word is spoken by them in defense of women being tortured, abused, murdered and enslaved in Muslim countries around the world. Until they prove they are anything but just another leftist front group that treats ALL women equally, I'll pay them no mind.

*******************

So the Senate voted to end "Don't Ask Don't Tell." It should be noted that this policy was not of the Republicans making. It was Bill Clinton who proposed this law and it went into effect in 1993.

Now personally, I don't understand what the hubbub's about. DADT simply stated that the military does not want to know the sexual preferences of their soldiers. If someone was Gay, he simply kept it to themselves. The advantage was to allow homosexuals to serve in the military without duress.

By removing this law, while on paper it frees Gays from having to hide their sexual preferences, the Senate has opened up a whole new can of worms. Just yesterday, a special Defense Department working group appointed by Defense Secretary Robert Gates has recommended that the military should “expressly prohibit” heterosexuals from using separate showers, bathrooms and bunking facilities from homosexuals when the repeal of the law banning homosexuals from the military goes into effect.

What this means is that heterosexuals will not be allowed to NOT share a shower, or bathroom facilities with homosexuals. Considering homosexuality means being sexually attracted to members of their own sex, how is this not going to cause more problems than before?

I'm all for acceptance and tolerance. But I see no difference in allowing heterosexual men and women to shower together than in allowing them to share bathing facilities with homosexuals. If one isn't proper, than clearly the other isn't either. In addition to the awkwardness this creates, I truly believe the abuse Gay soldiers will be forced to deal with will be astronomical.

At least the lawyers will be happy.

*******************

Lately, I've heard in a number of places that Christmas is under attack by the government. In my view, it's not just Christmas, but Christianity in general. And it isn't just under attack by our government. All over the world, governments everywhere are silent to the global crusade by Islam to destroy Christianity. On a daily basis, I read countless articles about Muslims torturing and murdering Christians throughout the Arab world (and in many cases, in western countries as well).

It's never been a secret how Islam treats the Jews. And considering worldwide antisemitism, it isn't all that surprising that the governments of the world don't care what happens to the Jews. But considering the enormous number of Christians throughout the world, I'm stunned by the lack of outrage regarding the constant ethnic cleansing of Christians in the world.

Regrettably, I believe that the rise of European socialism has been the main culprit of this apathy. Once Europe began eliminating G-d from the mainstream - through art, prayer and teaching - strength that comes from faith all but perished. In addition, the void that was left after the decline of Christianity has been filled with Islam. Since Islam is completely incompatible with freedom and democracy, the future of a free Europe is is fading fast.

As horrible as it sounds, I fear it will be in our lifetime the overthrow (and beheading) of the Queen in Trafalgar Square. As Muslims continue to immigrate to Britain, and as London continues to overlook (and in many cases support) the Islamization of England, it is just a matter of time.

*******************

Worldwide temperatures continue to plummet and records are being broken daily. Snowfall totals are exceeding record amounts and not a has gone by over the past few years where you don't see further proof that Global Warming is a complete and total hoax. And yet, Janet Napolitano - our less-than-esteemed Secretary of Homeland Security - has announced that her department is creating a new task force to battle the effects of climate change on domestic security operations.

I have an idea for you, Ms. Reno, I mean Napolitano, how about creating a task force to stop illegals from pouring over our borders and murdering our citizens? At least that one is a real threat.

I've said this before and I'll say it again - if the Obama administration meant to destroy this country all along, they couldn't have done a better job that what they're doing now. What a joke. Too bad it isn't funny.

*******************

So, it's Cowboy-Redskin week. It sure has lost it's luster over the years, hasn't it. With Dallas at 4-9 and Washington at 5-8, the only meaning this game has is who will end up in last place for the season. The last time I recall a Cowboy-Redskin game to have lesser meaning was in 2001, when both teams went into a Monday Night matchup tied at 0-4. What a special game THAT was (Dallas won a "thriller" 9-7).

This year, the talk is all about the underachieving Dallas Cowboys and the Redskins' benching of Donovan McNabb. I've mentioned it before, but I believe McNabb has been one of the most overrated quarterbacks in league history. Yes, he led his team to a Super Bowl (they lost) and also, he led them to four NFC Championships. Pretty much the same thing could be said about Danny White. Yet I don't see him being compared to the all-time greats, like I do McNabb.

Rush Limbaugh once said McNabb was overrated, and he was called a "racist" for it - which just goes to prove my point. I've been watching McNabb for a long time now. While he certainly has had his moments in the sun, he has more often than not proven to a reason the Eagles have never won it all. The last two games last season (both against Dallas) proved this better than anything.

Andy Reid, the Philadelphia coach, had seen enough to get rid of McNabb and replace him with Kevin Kolb. Kolb was so good that he isn't even the starting quarterback anymore. Philly fans - a group who either loves you or hates you with a passion - were equally ready to see the QB go. It was believed that all McNabb needed was a change of scenery. But really, when has that ever been enough? I can't recall another successful NFL quarterback who really succeeded after changing addresses. Even the great Joe Montana - who arguably had a decent season with Kansas City - really only went to the Chiefs for one more shot at glory. Like Brett Favre, he didn't go to his new team to turn his career around.

And now it looks like McNabb's career in Washington has reached the end. Will he try to latch on to another team? There are franchises who will take him with open arms, regardless of his diminished skills. I could see he playing in Oakland next year. Couldn't you? He'd certainly be an improvement over what they have today. And how ironic that he would replace the man (Jason Campbell) whom he replaced in Washington just a year ago?

*******************

I'll leave you with a link to a post by the esteemed Professor William Jacobson, from Legal Insurrection blog. This is sure to make your blood boil.

We're afraid she's gonna let you down
Take your money and drop you to the ground
Wouldn't want to see you messed around
After all the love you think you've found
She's gonna let you down

Doesn't matter what we say
Love's the stubbornest game to play
Given time you might see it our way
And we'll be sorry boy until that day
She's gonna break away

Remember all the times you helped us through
Now here's our chance to do the same for you
Guess the thing to do is wait around
Lend a hand when you are on the ground
She's gonna let you down

The Fire Is Out

When I last wrote on a regular basis, the NFL season had not yet begun.

What the hell happened? As a die hard Dallas Cowboys fan, I had tremendous hopes built into this season. Granted, I wasn't a fan of the head coach (I remember rolling my eyes in disgust when I found out Wade Phillips was hired). But they had proven over the end of last season that their goal of being the first host team to go to the Super Bowl wasn't far-fetched.

Of course, there were holes in the lineup that needed addressing - most notably at safety and on the offensive line. But every team, in the age of parity, had some issues that needed to be addressed. And the ones that Dallas had seemed no more daunting that any other.

So again, what happened?

As far as I can tell, after watching these past 13 weeks, the problem(s) were there all along. However, whether it be by luck, smoke and mirrors or some other unnatural source, these problems all came together at once. And when you through in a hyper-meddlesome owner, who really can't help but micromanage, well that is a recipe for disaster.

The holes in the lineup became very obvious from the start. Somehow, someway, the offensive line got very old, very fast. What was a Pro-Bowl laden line, just two short years prior, seemed to completely fall apart all at the same time. In some instances, age took it's toll. In others, injuries deleted their talent. However, that alone doesn't make these players as inept as they've shown. My believe is that, aside from the age and injury factor, these players also began believing their press clippings and started to feel entitled to the championships they were sure to come. This led into motion a piss-poor work ethic that permeated the entire roster.

Of course, no player will consider himself anything less than the best at what he does. Therefore, it is up to the Head Coach to keep these men motivated towards shared glory, and not personal triumphs. Of course, as well all well know, Wade Phillips was never the kind of coach who excelled at that.

I often compare Wade to another undeserving Cowboy Head Coach - Barry Switzer. Sure, Barry was an outstanding college coach. But his style of coaching doesn't really work in the NFL. While Barry was a great motivator, he was not a great "coach." Wade, on the other hand, is a great "coach" but an awful motivator. Certainly, the players loved playing for Wade because he never challenged them to go the extra mile it takes to win at this level. For that reason, he was an exceptional defensive coordinator - where it was his job to teach the defense how to run the plays. But when it came to managing and motivating the squad, he fell woefully short.

But the offense really wasn't the demise of this team. After all, since Jason Garrett took over a few weeks ago, the Cowboys are once again in the upper echelon on offense - even with their quarterback being sidelined for much of the season.

The other side of the coin is the defense - which had become extremely efficient at the end of last season. They were so go, in fact, that they pitched consecutive shutouts (over the last two games) for the first time in franchise history. Now considering that the only real diffence between the defensive roster at the end of last year and this year is the replacement of a starting defensive back, who was widely considered the weak link, how could this unit go from one of the best to one of the worst so quickly?

Well I have a theory. My belief is that the coaching staff refused to adjust for the fact that the rest of the league studied what the team did last year and figured them out. Instead of creating an adjustment, they doubled down and made excuses for the poor play.

In addition, because of the lax atmosphere - which I attribute to both the Head Coach AND the owner - mindless mistakes, costly errors and lack of focus (leading to the team only making 4 interceptions through the first 6 games) ended up costing them the opportunity to win games. In the NFL today, there is not a whole lot that separates the haves from the have-nots. Any little edge can be the difference between 11-5 and 5-11. We saw it early in the season when a much more talented Cowboy team went 1-7.

Bill Parcells used to say "you are what your record says you are." To an extent, if taken literally, I guess that's true. But no one can tell me they believed this year's Dallas Cowboys had 1-7 talent. But then, no one really knew the depths of the lack of heart this team had, or the fragile psyche it carried over.

So when the chips were down, because this team believed they were "entitled" to win (and why? After all, all they had done was win one stupid playoff game in 15 years), they simply gave up. The 45-7 loss to Green Bay, in week 8, was all the owner needed to see before he finally accepted the teams fate. They had not so much given up for Wade Phillips, but they had given up for themselves. They truly deserved the ridicule bestowed upon them by their fans and enemies alike.

So what now?

I would love to say that since under Jason Garrett, the team has shown some life, therefore he should be retained. However, two things come to mind - wasn't he in complete control of the offense when they were 1-7? What has he done that is any different that before Phillips was fired? In reality, he has since tried to change the culture to the point that personal responsibility is now expected. That is a great thing and it has shown in the effort on the field. Perhaps the embarrassment and the realization that no one is safe from losing their jobs will motivate these guys to get working.

My problem is why now? As professional athletes, these guys get paid obscene amounts of money to play a game. If they really were this talented all along, why the hell did they give up so early?

To me, this leads me to this conclusion. It really doesn't matter if Jason Garrett is rehired for next year, or not. As far as I'm concerned, the same brain trust that hired Wade Phillips (and also the previous mentioned Barry Switzer) is still running the show. Unless Jerry Jones hires someone to run the whole show, as he did with Jimmy Johnson, arguably the two most successful coaches in the post-Tom Landry era, nothing at all will change.

Sure, they will continue to compete, because these guys really are a talented group of players. But it takes a whole lot more than talent to win at this level. It takes a commitment that Mr. Jones wants to believe he has, but is truly fooling no one. As long as he continues to treat the head coach as a puppet - with the clear understanding of who really is in charge - and as long as he makes decisions based on marketing strategy, instead of what's best for the team's ultimate success, this team will continue to disappoint and fall way short.

The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the most successful franchises in the history of professional sports. But aside from a 4 year stretch in the early to mid-90's, have never really won championships consistently. Yes, they had 20 consecutive winning seasons. But how many of those teams seemed to lack a killer instinct? They won a Super Bowl in 1971 with a team that should have won 4 or 5 in a row, from 1967-1972. But were always beaten by a hungrier team. When they won again in 1977, they were so much better than all the other teams, there was little doubt they would win it all. But even then, they played a lackluster game on offense (the defence, however, was superb that day).

And then what? With the tremendous talent they had, they lost the next year's game to Pittsburgh and then, after losing in the first round to the Rams the next year, went on the lose in the NFC Championship game three years in a row. The teams that beat them didn't really have the talent that Dallas had. But instead they had the hunger and the drive that Dallas lacked.

That drive was evident once Jimmy Johnson ran the show and he built that hunger into that team - which was one of the best the league ever saw. But once Jimmy was gone, Jerry took over and subsequently sucked the fire out of them. Parcells built it back up and, just when they were about the become the best team in the league, left it in the hands of Jones again. And we know the rest of the story.

So to Jason Garrett, I apologize. I believe you are and will continue to be an outstanding head coach in this league. But as long as the Dallas Cowboys are built in Jerry Jones image, it will ot be with the Dallas Cowboys. For what it's worth, this franchise would be better off gutting this lineup and starting with a whole new staff, and a whole new identity - one that isn't built in Mr. Jones image. But unfortunately, as long as people buy the tickets, Jerry will see no reason to change the personality - his personality - of this team.

And that's my rant.

Yoo-hoo, I'm Back!

Well maybe my long break from blogging has run it's course. Over the past few months, I have toyed with the idea of just shutting this thing down, perhaps blogging under a pseudonym or changing the entire focus of my writing. But something I read tonight reinvigorated my desire to start writing again. It doesn't really matter what it was I read. But it lit the fire that I had believed had gone out.

Instead of writing about any particular topic tonight, I thought I would reintroduce myself and explain why I started this blog in the first place.

A little over 8 years ago, I suffered a massive heart attack that eventually led to a stroke (minor), a 4 week coma and a subsequent heart transplant. Upon beginning my recovery, I discovered a couple of things about myself. Number one, I no longer felt a desire to compromise what I truly believed in, for the sake of other's sensitivities. No, I wasn't about to go beat up on people over their beliefs. However, I decided instead to verbalize what I believed, in the hopes that it would influence and open the eyes of others who either didn't know, or didn't understand.

Another thing I realized was that I loved writing. Never before had I had any affinity to see my words published. But upon receiving this gift of a new life, I became motivated, inspired or whatever you wish to call it, to create. I always wanted to be a musician - or even a lyricist (my sister has that talent). But I was never talented enough to succeed in those endeavors. But suddenly, I discovered I did have a gift. Perhaps I'm never going to be another Jeffery Archer, or Thomas Sowell. But do you really have to aspire to be the best? Can't you just hope to make a difference - even if it's just a tiny one?

Look, I know that my political, sociological and religious views are not the same as everyone else. If they were, there would be no point in any of this. But if I can help just one person to see the world as I see it, and to motivate them to try and make even a small difference themselves, then I can really feel I've made a difference. So what if it takes me 8 years to accomplish what Michelle Malkin does in 30 minutes (by the way, she rocks!). I bet she didn't go through what I went through, either.

So my blog, which really has been consistent since it started back in 2004, is all about what I believe and what I want to say. You don't have to follow it, nor do you have to even agree with me. All I ask is you accept and appreciate the honesty that is embedded in each of my posts. They could be about politics, Israel, the Dallas Cowboys or even American Idol (assuming I'll continue watching). Or it could be about my job as a new restaurant manager, or even the local Chicago weather.

Whatever it is, it is and will continue to be for as long as I am capable of writing it. I make no excuses or apologies about and I refuse to hold my tongue for fear of being politically incorrect. Hypocrisy abounds nowadays and if I can stop one tiny bit of it from spreading, then I truly can say I've made a difference.

So I do hope you'll forgive my absence and indulge and support me. I look forward to feedback and hope I can make something out of my little corner of the blogosphere.