Situation in Sudan Deteriorating

What's worse than genocide? How about genocide coupled with mass starvation? If you've never read Britain's Economist, here's a fine introduction...

http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3436203

Bad Day At Notre Dame

Notre Dame fired head football coach Tyrone Willingham today, after three years, in what can only be viewed as a mistake. ND appears stuck in the mud of its past glory days; schools with admissions standards like Notre Dame's simply cannot field consistently outstanding Division I football teams. This is not an indictment of Notre Dame's admissions standards -- they are Ivy League, and should remain so. The indictment is of certain Notre Dame alumni who don't understand that the system has changed, and that to remain on the level of the USC's, Miami's, and Oklahoma's (while all fine schools), admissions standards have to be bent to accomodate "student" /athletes who are treating the college experience like an NFL developmental league. If you look at schools with similar academic standards that play Division I football, such has Stanford and Northwestern, what you see is a fluctuation between good, bad and mediocre seasons -- there simply are not enough true scholar-athletes to populate the rosters of schools with high admissions standards. Coaching certainly matters -- an outstanding coach may add a win or two a year to a team's total. If you look at ND's record since Lou Holtz walked away, though, how many truly special seasons does that add? God help the Irish if they think a reincarnation of Dan Devine or Ara Parseghian is the answer to their football woes of late.

A Little Constructive Give and Take

My friend and fellow Oak Parker, who also happens to be a Republican, recently plugged my site on his blog, and I'd like to return the favor. While we disagree on some of our political views, I think the fact that we can discuss our differences and comment on our disagreements (as well as agree on a number of topics) lets me know that there is hope for agreements on a range of topics in the center, and potentially the moderate right and left.

http://midwesternmugwump.typepad.com/midwesternmugwump/

History of Thanksgiving

Interested in a bit more history about the holiday -- here's what the History Channel has to say...

http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/thanksgiving/

Thanksgiving

I just got back from my three and four year old girls' Thanksgiving pageant at their school. They made pilgrim and Indian costumes, had a traditional banquet, and then gave thanks at our church by bringing food to donate to a local shelter, saying a prayer and singing songs. Watching the kids put their all into this pageant was inspiring -- it's impressive to see what an investment of heart and soul such little people can put into an undertaking. It also exemplifies true thankfulness -- I wonder how many times I, and others really stop to think about why we should be thankful, rather than just saying it by rote because it's expected in polite company. Many of us are blessed with material wealth, such that we've never experienced what it means to go without in a meaningful way and I wonder whether that dulls our sense of humility and appreciation. This Thanksgiving, I want to make it a point to consider the and hows and whys of my thankfulness and to truly understand the ways in which I've been blessed.

Remember Where You Were in 1979?

Just read an incredible article on the aftermath of the Iran hostage crisis from the perspective of the hostage takers. You can too.

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/prem/200412/bowden

Anarchy in Detroit

You know the variations on the old joke -- I went to a fight and a basketball game broke out. What happened in Detroit this past weekend? How does a fight on a basketball court turn into a riot where players are fighting fans? There's more than enough blame to go around. Ron Artest didn't need to commit a hard foul in the last minute of a blowout. Ben Wallace didn't need to blow up at Artest and incite the crowd to back him. The crowd was clearly out of line throwing objects and raining down epithets on the Pacers players. And Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal absolutely had no reason to go into the crowd and start beating on fans. In the aftermath of the NBA suspensions, it seems to me that the Pacers got about what they deserved, but Detroit got off lightly. Detroit, in particular, receives almost a free pass -- the loss of Wallace for six games certainly isn't a crippling blow for the team and Detroit fans, aside from the few season ticket holders who may lose their seats, get to enjoy watching the Pacers flounder. Why not hit the Pistons and their fans where it hurts by requiring the Pistons to play a few games without a crowd?

Finally, the most important question -- where does all this anger come from at a sporting event? Why is it that a basketball game in America can incite more passion than the war in Iraq, or a presidential election, or a genocide in Sudan, or the burgeoning number of homeless in the richest country in the world? When did our priorities get so skewed? And how are we going to pull ourselves back from the brink of such stupidity?

Desperate Housewives and The Decline of Western Civilization?

After spending a week listening to pundits prognosticating on the fall of Western Civilization given the flap over the Desperate Housewives beginning to last Monday's Monday Night Football game, here are two words to both sides of the argument -- SHUT UP. For all of those who were shocked by the racy opening, save your righteous anger for things that matter more, such as actual pornography, racism and violent sex and talk to your kids about what they saw, rather than talking at them about it or around the situation. For people on the other side, don't pretend the opening was not problematic, because it was. Football should not be marketing sex, whether it's on the sideline with cheerleaders in skimpy clothes, on team websites with cheerleaders in provacative poses, or anywhere else.

Was the opening troubling? Yes. Should we be discussing it as a society as much as we are? No. With all of the serious issues we have to consider involving sex, including rape, abortion, teenage pregnancy, and hypersexuality in our society, I have a hard time believing the Monday Night Football opening is worth more than 10 minutes of our time. Let it go, because continuing to talk about merely proves the point of the marketers -- Sex Sells...

Uncle Tarzan!

On November 19, my brother and sister-in-law welcomed a daughter, Catherine, into the world, making them parents, and me an uncle, for the first time. What a life-altering experience having a baby is. It's incredible that something so little can make such an impact on your life, both physically and emotionally. I've been blessed with three children, but holding that little girl in my arms for the first time was about as exciting as it was to do the same for my three kids. There is something about a baby that is just unparelled -- the hope, the newness, the innocence, the idea that this tiny little life has endless possibilities -- all packed into a tiny bundle of sweetness that you just can't get out of your head. Children are a gift, despite all the sleepness nights and tough times that may follow, and there are few responsiblities greater than for a parent to love their children, to nuture their talents, and to do all they can to make the path straight for their kids to grow into adults who give some of that love and strength back to theirs.

Hot Stove League Cold in Early Returns

The baseball offseason is just starting to heat up with Chicago's baseball teams and local media stoking trhe flames of their fans' free agent hopes, once again only to be let down. The way the Tribune and Sun-Times were playing it, Omar Vizquel and Troy Percival were no-brainers to sign with the Sox and Cubs, respectively, who turned around and signed with San Francisco and Detroit (Detroit?!!) without any visits to the Windy City. Who is at fault here? The media driving expectations with mere speculation, or are the Cubs and Sox just talking a good game, as they've done for years? Either way, I can't believe that the Cubs couldn't attract Percival, unless they saw something in the MRI on his elbow or otherwise just flat out refused to make a competitive offer to one of the better closers in free agency. Hope there's a plan here, but I've experienced about one-third of nearly a Century of Futility...

A Man of Honor

It was with great disappointment that I read that Colin Powell is stepping down as Secretary of State. I have a great deal of respect for the Secretary's military record and distinguished life of public service. Mr. Powell was publicly loyal to the administration, but appears to have engaged in a lot of debate over the administration's post 9/11 involvements in Afghanistan and Iraq, it's lack of engagement in Africa, and the administration's misguided "my way or the highway" approach to foreign policy. Mr. Powell had a great deal of tact and subtlety to his diplomacy, which is an indispensible skill to possess as the point man for the administratin's foreign policy. While many Democrats may fault the Secretary's argument for the invasion of Iraq in the UN, Mr. Powell made his case with what he believed were the best available facts, but more importantly, continued to argue for a go slow approach within the administration. In the end, it makes little difference whether his exit was planned, or whether her was pushed -- the administration is losing its most important voice for reason and moderation in its foreign policy.

A grateful nation thanks you for your service.

Black Hawk Down

Mark Bowden's book, Black Hawk Down, about the U.S.'s failed mission in Somalia which was a direct result of the deaths of 18 American servicemen in a raid to capture leaders of warlord Mohammed Farrah Aidid's clan in Mogadishu should be required history reading in every American high school (and maybe in Congress and the White House). Bowden's book, which is clearly written out of respect for U.S. servicemen is a harrowing true story of close-quarters combat in a large city -- circumstances that are similar in some significant ways to what our military faces in clearing out resistance in Iraqi cities such as Fallujah.

Bowden's book is about as in-your-face about the experiences of U.S. servicemen in a suffocating fire fight as any book could be; it is an outlook changing book, similar to war classics such as All Quiet on the Western Front and We Were Soldiers Once...And Young. I think the book goes a long way to help non-military personnel understand the sometimes impossible situations our leaders can put our servicemen, and how a lack of foresight as well as backbone by our politicians can lead to tragedy as well as a serious decline in the morale of U.S. troops.

The most important thing Bowden's book does is to put a face on the U.S. servicemen who fought in Mogadishu and to bring home in this day of sanitized violence how real the consequences of war are. I have posted a link to Bowden's serialized series on the conflict that was published in the Philadelphia Inquirer; the book can be obtained at any good library or bookstore.

http://inquirer.philly.com/packages/somalia/

Apres Moi -- Le Deluge. The Death of Yasser Arafat

Whatever your thoughts on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Yasser Arafat's death opens a power vacuum in Palestinian politics that will likely result in more violence between Palestinians and Israelis, and probably internecine deaths in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as rivals vie for power. Given the hard line the Israelis and Palestinians have taken since Ehud Barak's peace plan was rejected by the Palestinian Authority in 2000, it seems exceedingly unlikely that Palestinian moderates will obtain significant power. This, coupled with the fact that any successor to Arafat will likely lack his "credibility" among hardline Palestinians (and hence ability to rein in, however limited, hardliners) given Arafat's revolutionary or terrorist history (depending on which side of the divide you fall) makes it probable that terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hizbollah will unleash a more sustained and violent wave of attacks on Israelis. Strange that in death Arafat may be more relevant to Israel and the Palestinians than he seemingly was in the last few years of his life.

John Kass

I am a huge fan of John Kass, the Tribune's page two columnist. Kass is funny, doesn't mince his words, and while I think he leans to the right politically, he's equal opprtunity in bashing political corruption as well as stupidity. He's definitely been a thorn in Richie Daley's side, which is a good thing given the fact that Da Mahre believes he's a teflon politician. Kass essentially "replaced" Mike Royko, the legendary Chicago columnist who died on the job, and wrote the scathing "Boss" about the original Mayor Daley. I think we could use a few more like Kass and Royko...

The link is to Kass' article from today's Tribune, which is much more saccharine than normal, I post the link so that you can find Mr. Kass in the future, if you're not familiar with his writing.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-0411100167nov10,1,7273281.column?coll=chi-homepagenews2-utl

If You've Got Kids

Parents magazine is a treasure trove of information for the parents of young children. My wife and I subscribe, and I can't say enough about the useful information the magazine has for decoding your kids. The magazine covers pregnancy, behaviors, developmental issues, relationships -- kid-kid, parents-kid, Mom-Dad, nutrition, fun and games as well as a number of other issues. Articles from Parents are available on-line at the link below. And no, I'm not being paid by Parents for this ad spot!

http://www.parents.com/

Terror Tribunals Unconstitutional?

A U.S. District Judge has ruled that the "terror tribunals" established by the Bush Administration as a result of the September 11 terrorists attacks are unconstitutional. While the Administration will certainly appeal the rulings (and probably prevail in a higher court), I think this ruling makes sense. The biggest problem for the Administration, is that it labeled terorrists "enemy combatants" as opposed to "prisoners of war" and allowed the terrorists some, but not all protections afforded by the Geneva Convention. I submit that as a democratic society with criminal laws based on the right to a fair trial, the Geneva Convention should apply to terrorists, despite their despicable actions. I also note that the Constitution doesn't provide an exception for terrorists or enemy soldiers. I think we lose our identity as a democracy that respects human rights when we decide that any persons are not fit to be afforded those rights, even if those people are not Americans. Once we decide to cut slices out of our constitutional protections, I think it makes all of us less secure.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/printedition/chi-0411090226nov09,1,5407287.story?coll=chi-printnews-hed

Nice Team Leader / Hello Bob Brenly Part II

So Kerry Wood had a problem with the Cubs' play as well as Sammy Sosa's selfishness. Nice of him to wait until the season was over to do something about it. Wood has been perceived as a clubhouse leader for the Cubs -- if this is an example of a team leader, it's amazing to me that they won 89 games backbiting like this; it's also indicative of how dominant the team could have been since they won 89 games and apparently were never even on the same page. Two words for you Kerry, given your lack of timing -- Shut Up. It takes no intestinal fortitude to call a guy out when he's thousands of miles away for the offseason. If you had a problem with Sosa or your other teammates, the time to call them out is when it's happening.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-041108cubswood,1,7493252.story?coll=cs-home-headlines


The Tribune also announced today that WGN has hired Bob Brenly, the Cubs' radio color man in 1990-91, and World Series winning manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks. I remember Brenly as a pretty good analyst, though I think he's more of a homer than Steve Stone was. At any rate, I welcome Brenly to the Cubs' fold given the fact that Stoney won't be back. I'll be curious to see what happens the first few times Brenly criticizes a player next year...

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-041108cubstv,1,6077850.story?coll=cs-home-headlines

The Great Sosa Debate

I can't believe there are actually enough Cub fans who think Sosa should stay to create a debate. Even when he was going well, the guy was a team cancer with his me first attitude. Sosa in fact, may be the root of the Cubs' inability to play fundamentally sound baseball. It's hard to believe that a guy who at 20 was touted as a 5 tool player is basically a one tool player at age 36. Good riddance if the Cubs can find a sucker -- he'd be a perfect DH for a team willing to shell out the money. Such a move would be the perfect example of addition by subtraction.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-041108cubsredeyesosa,1,5200692.story?coll=cs-home-headlines

Hmmm, Do You Really Think It's Necessary?

It appears that Mayor Daley is now of the mind that more oversight of Chicago's Departments of Transportation and Water Managment is required in light of the "Hired Truck" bribery scandal. Daley, who acts like Caesar rather than mayor, has a history of denying, denying, denying any knowledge of corruption in city government and disowning known friends and associates involved in such scandals. This particular article is great reading, in particular for the following statement, "[t]he mayor said the measures are intended to ensure 'even better control over projects on a day-to-day basis.'" Better than what, no control?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-041108daley,1,111433.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Good News For Dems -- At Least Until They Name Pat Robertson As the Replacement!

John Ashcroft resigning? Dems can only hope so...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0411050277nov05,1,7819445.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

Un-Bear-A-Bull

I fondly recall the days when Chicago had professional football and basketball teams. Now both teams are pathetic afterthoughts in the third largest media market in the country. The Bears have had one fluky winning season in the last 10. The Bulls haven't sniffed the playoffs since the second retirement of MJ. What gives? Start with ownership that barely has a clue and throws nickels around as if they were manhole covers. Move on to some of the poorest talent evaluation in either league, and when the teams have signed solid rookies or free agents, they've given up on them way too quickly. It's true that some would argue that both teams are finally starting to move towards solid ground with new GMs and better talent evaluation, but the truth of it is that it shouldn't take 6 or 10 years to build a winner in Chicago. I'm tired of losing. Hope other fans are too and finally hold management accountable by forgetting about tickets until we're provided with competitive teams.

Shame on My Fellow Democrats

I live in Oak Park, Illinois, which is a Democrat stronghold just outside of Chicago. A few days before the election, I noticed that a number of large Bush/Cheney signs on lawns in the area had been defaced, presumably by fellow Democrats. This is exactly the kind of disrespect for another's beliefs and values that causes the political dialogue to break down, and also shows a surprising lack of respect for the right to freedom of speech. I don't believe in the Republican platform, but at the end of the day, I think we have to listen to each other, even if we don't like what we hear, and try to find some common ground. If in fact, these signs were defaced by Democrats, and local Democrats condone this behavior as hijinks or some harmless prank, then I'd like to apologize to my neighbors whose signs were defaced on behalf of Democrats for conduct that is clearly out of line and not in keeping with what I believe the party represents.

The Little Bears From The Windy Place

Now that the election has been called, I feel I can move on to more important things -- like the Cubs' chances in 2005. In a nutshell, the problem in 2004 was that the inmates were running the asylum -- the likelihood of a position player housecleaning is great -- it's likely the Cubs will say goodbye to Sosa (if there's any takers) Alou, Grudzielanek and Nomah (if the Yankees rumor is true). The 2005 Cubs will also be without Chip Caray and Steve Stone, Stone being a particularly tough loss to swallow given the fact he's one of the best color men in the business.

What the Cubs need for success in 2005 is a fairly simple recipe -- fewer significant injuries, better team chemistry, smarter hitting and baserunning and a closer. Injuries you can't predict. Better team chemistry is a function of creating some respected sheriffs in the clubhouse as well as Dusty Baker putting an end to useless distractions. Smarter hitting may or may not happen, it's a function of talent and fundamentals -- I'd love to see the Cubs make a play for Edgar Renteria and Carlos Beltran, to terrifically talented, smart and fundamentally sound winners. With respect to closers, Troy Percival is available, and he's a winner. Let's see if the Tribune Company continues to reward Cub fans' loyalty by spending like they did last year, or whether we're back to the same old, same old.

In closing, I'm still disappointed in the election results, and the Republicans still need a trip to the woodshed.

Fo' Mo'

The votes have been counted, and the incumbent won. While not a surprising development, it's not an outcome I'm happy with for the myriad of reasons most Democrats would offer. I will say that I'm glad that Kerry conceded today, rather than involve attorneys (of which I am one) and try to prolong the outcome. Kerry's concession was both statesmanlike and realistic, knowing that any challenge in Ohio would merely delay the country's ability to move on, as in 2000.

The end of the current president's second term will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Chicago Cubs' last World Series victory. Eerily enough, the President in 1908 was Teddy Roosevelt, also from a multi-president family (see FDR) , and Roosevelt happened to be a Republican. Coincidence, or a harbinger of future Cubs success? I choose to believe the latter, given the fact I'll have to sit through four more years of presidential mediocrity.

Never Again?

With Election Day here, I think it's time to remember that whoever is elected has a moral obligation as the so-called leader of the free world to end genocide wherever it may be found -- this isn't a Republican or Democrat issue -- it's a moral imperative, and the truth is that both Democrats (Rwanda) and Republicans (Sudan, still ongoing) have turned a blind eye to genocide in Africa. Here's a reminder from the BBC of what's at stake.


Powell Declares Genocide in Sudan

More than a million people have fled their homes in Darfur. The US Secretary of State Colin Powell has said the killings in Sudan's Darfur region constitute genocide.
Speaking before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Mr Powell said the conclusion was based on interviews with refugees who had fled Darfur.
He spoke as the UN Security Council prepared to debate a second resolution threatening Sudan with sanctions.
Up to 50,000 people in Darfur may have died and a million have been made homeless during the conflict.
Mr Powell blamed the government of Sudan and pro-government Arab Janjaweed militias for the killings.
DARFUR CONFLICT

More than 1m displaced
Up to 50,000 killed
More at risk from disease and starvation
Arab militias accused of ethnic cleansing
Sudan blames rebels for starting conflict
What is genocide?
Q&A: Has security improved? "We concluded that genocide has been committed in Darfur and that the government of Sudan and the Janjaweed bear responsibility and genocide may still be occurring," Mr Powell said.
Mr Powell's conclusion is based on evidence collected by state department investigators, who interviewed more than 1,800 refugees.
Their testimonies, Mr Powell said, showed a pattern of violence which was co-ordinated, not random.
Three quarters of them said the Sudanese military had been involved in the violence, working with the Janjaweed.
The Sudanese foreign affairs minister, Najib Abdul Wahab, rejected the accusation of genocide.
He said that neither the European Union nor the African Union had used such strong language to describe events in Darfur.
The BBC's state department correspondent Jill McGivering says the use of the word genocide does not legally oblige the US to act, but it does increase the moral and political pressure.
Ten years ago the UN was accused of failing to stop genocide in Rwanda.
The Sudanese government says it does not believe its allies within the UN will agree to any sanctions.
Oil threat
A previous UN resolution was passed in July, calling for the pro-government Arab Janjaweed militias to be disarmed. The new draft resolution - put forward by Washington - says Sudan has failed to fully comply.
If Khartoum has still not complied by the proposed new deadline, sanctions may be introduced "including with regard to the petroleum sector". Sudan currently produces about 320,000 barrels of oil per day.
The resolution also calls for:
the expansion of the number and mandate of the current 300 African Union troops in the country
international over flights in Darfur to monitor what is happening, and an end to Sudanese military flights there
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to assess whether acts of genocide have been carried out and identify the perpetrators.
'Not enough aid'
Critics point out that Colin Powell first demanded Khartoum stop the violence at the beginning of July.
Two months later, they say, the government still has not met key demands, yet the US is proposing allowing it another 30 days.

Epic food convoy The US House of Representatives had already declared the violence genocide, but the state department has until now argued that the word is a legal definition and that the data had not been available.
Meanwhile, aid agencies including Oxfam, Care International and Save the Children have accused three nations of failing to give enough aid to Darfur.
The agencies criticised Japan, France and Italy for giving only $6m, $9.6m and $10.8m respectively.
"These are some of the richest countries in the world and they have been some of the poorest donors," an Oxfam spokeswoman said.
The US contributed $206m in 2004-5, and the UK gave $94m.
The European Union as a whole is a large donor, but the agencies point out that a UN appeal for $531m to carry out humanitarian work in Darfur in 2004 has raised only $276m.

Get Out the Vote

November 2, 2004 -- Election Day is here. If you're an American and of voting age, it's not only your right, but your privilege to vote. Exercise that right and make your voice, however solitary it may be heard. If you don't vote, you've got no excuse to complain afterwards. Make your choice!

Peace, Love & Understanding?

Whatever happened to civil conversation in politics? Why is it that normally reasonable friends, neighbors, co-workers can't discuss the election in polite terms, while agreeing to disagree? I can understand the passion involved, as well as the significant (understatement) and highly combustible issues involved, such as the war in Iraq, the fight on terorrism, stem cell research, abortion, taxes, Social Security, and so on, but it is ridiculous to beleive that the one who shouts louder is the winner. Reasonable people can come to different, yet equally reasonable conclusions. While one has to take a principled stand on the issues, there is no reason not to respect a different, but potentially equally reasonable conclusion. Does this mean one should compromise core beliefs? Absolutely not. However, it seems that failure to respect the other point of view leads to a degeneration of the dialogue, which in turn leads to a breakdown of communication entirely, resulting in the polarization I see between the parties and voters themselves. I may not be able to change your mind -- but if I respect where you're coming from, I guarantee myself another crack at the discussion, and the possibility of moving us closer together.

I'm a Kerry/Edwards backer. But that doesn't mean we can't talk it over...