Cheese puffs with a purpose...

I was pleasantly surprised to see a Gospel message on the packaging of Brim's cheese puffs. It's a neat little company and their cheese puffs are actually really good. They even have an evangelistic message on their company website. Go out and try some.

The very real dangers of "soccer moms" and "helicopter parents"

This is a good article on some alarming trends emerging as the first generations raised by "soccer moms" and "helicopter parents" enter adulthood. I guess I can understand why so many parents of my generation feel an overwhelming need to do everything in their power to raise "perfect kids." At the risk of dabbling in some stereotypes, I do believe that this issue is more pronounced in the Asian-American community. I see Asian-American parents throughout America's suburbs pushing their kids to be straight-A students, prodigy musicans/artists, world-class athletes and influential leaders. In the process of trying to develop unreal, flawless children, these parents are unwittingly raising a generation of adults with little creativity, little capacity for hardship, and the inability to fail and come back stronger. Bernard's article is a great introduction to this very real problem and I can say that these issues are relevant and we will be dealing with them soon as children raised by today's soccer moms and helicopter parents become our society's leaders, movers, shakers, and producers.

Also check out the InsideWork site - it's an innovative site that brings Christian thought to the real-world marketplace.

My sports head is exploding...so much sporty goodness

It's a great time right now in Sam's magical sports land. The Mavericks are headed into the playoffs, the Wings are starting their Cup run, the Michigan hockey team is in the Frozen Four, the Rangers are now out of the gates and running, the Masters is starting tomorrow, the NFL draft is coming up, and March Madness just ended with a bang. So much to follow, so much to track, my sportshead is just spinning in high gear...
The Mavs are not going to win the title this year. There, I said it. I would love to be wrong, but when I put on my objective analyst cap, I just don't see them winning it all. There's a simple truism that works against the Mavs - number 7 and 8 seeds simply do not have long, successful playoff runs because they are number 7 or 8 seeds for a reason. Unfortunately, the Mavs are in that category this year. They are showing signs of life and I'm really enjoying the way they're playing right now. A few weeks ago I really thought that they were dead in the water because of a major case of gutlessness. I've changed my tune a bit. They are still a little short-handed in key places, but Dirk has really shown up huge and the rest of the team seems to be manning up at the right time. They are fun to watch, they don't give up, they fight hard, and they are now starting to win some big games (see Phoenix). I don't see a title this year, but I am going to enjoy the playoffs, nonetheless. The Mavs will be a dangerous lower-seed team and they'll at least go down fighting. I can get with that.

• The Wings are in quite a different boat. They are the number one seed going into the playoffs and they are very much in the mix to win the Cup. Still, they are a classic Ken Holland/modern Wings team - great puck-handling and possession team, solid system, incredibly skilled offensive stars, fundamental on defense, and fast. Historically, these types of teams struggle a bit in the Stanley Cup playoffs because the ice suddenly "gets real small" and refs suddenly tend to forget how to blow a whistle. Big, physical, grinding, dirty teams tend to do well against finesse teams. I think we have a good shot to win it all and will really be looking good if we can catch some breaks along the way in terms of matchups. I'll be rooting very hard for the Stars because I'd rather see them than Anaheim in the next round. The Wings earned their number one seed and hopefully they can reap some good out of it. If they can avoid playing both Anaheim and San Jose on the way to the Cup, they are my pick to lift the greatest trophy in sports once again.
• Hail to the Victors! Ok, our hoops team is in the midst of a long rebuilding process and they do stink. Still, there's some great maize n' blue action going on these days thanks to our hockey team. Michigan is in the Frozen Four and is in position to add to its record 9 NCAA titles. Porter and Kolarik are clear big-time college hockey stars and Michigan has benefited from Sauer's solid goal-tending and surprising contributions from freshmen and other young players. Red Berenson is a hockey legend and is as good a college hockey coach as there is so we are in definitely in the driver's seat. Of all my teams, the Wolverines are in the best position to end the season as champions. My big dilemma is going to be on Thursday night when Michigan vs. Notre Dame in the NCAA semifinal is at the same time as Wings vs. Predators, Game 1. The Wings should be playing a bunch more games becasue I don't see their run ending early this year so I'll probably watch a lion's share of Michigan since they just have 2 games left until they can sing, "Hail to the Victors" in Denver. Go Blue!
• Speaking of victors, the Masters starts tomorrow. I am a big fan of Tiger Woods and this may be the magical season where Woods gets a single-season Grand Slam. I think Tiger has legitimately won a Grand Slam because he had all four major trophies in his paws at once, but I understand that it was not technically in the same season. I think it's still a legitimate slam, but a lot of golf pundits still insist on calling it a "Tiger Slam." Whatever. I think Tiger can win the single season Grand Slam this year. He's playing as well as he ever has. His driving is still mysteriously erratic, but he has hit his prime in just about every other aspect of his game. His iron play and putting are just on a totally different level right now. He is winning just about every tournament he enters, no matter how meaningless. His maturity, physical maturity, and knowledge of the game have come together to make this year's version of Tiger the most dangerous yet. I'll be rooting for him to take the Masters, add another green jacket, and send him on the way to a spectacular season. The Masters, a tradition like no other (cue cheesy piano interlude).
• The Rangers. Sigh... No matter how hopeless things seem for Texas (and they do), I continue to love opening day and the excitement of a new baseball season. Maybe it's because baseball was my first real sports love when I was a little kid, but for whatever reason, I just can't give up on baseball, the great game. The Rangers actually got me very excited by going 3-3 on their season-opening road trip to Seattle and L.A. Their pitching is what's most surprising. We should've been 4-2 with only one bad outing out of seven starts. We even got a complete game out of one of our starters, something we didn't see once last season. I think the Rangers actually have some talent - Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, and Kevin Millwood are returning stars and we added Milton Bradley and Josh Hamilton. If Bradley can just keep his head right with ball and if Hamilton can stay clean and healthy for a full season, they should be big contributors. Add that to some marginal players, we should be better than last year. If our pitching can give us just a bit more, maybe we can actually play some meaningful games in August. I don't see the Rangers seriously competing in the near future, but they're still my team and baseball is still one of my sports loves.

There's also the NFL draft coming up and UEFA Champions League going on across the pond. So much good, good sports. Gotta' love it.

This & that...

• Agonizing a lot these days over Hebrew. Old Testament studies, theology, ancient Hebrew - I'm trying to get this stuff down so that I can take this year's doctoral entrance exams later this year. It's tough sledding, but technology has produced an unexpected, cool study aid that I found the other day:

iVocab! That's right, a Hebrew vocabulary study aid for your iPod and mobile phone. So now if you see me hooked into my iPod, I'm not necessarily listening to U2...

• I hate traffic laws and enforcement in America today. It's corrupt, it's dishonest and it's hypocritical. We always hear about "safety" and the "protection of the public," but I know that it's really all about quotas, profiling, and large amounts of money. Well, here's a condemning piece about the numerous red light cameras found throughout the Dallas area. Funny, it sure sounds like it's all about the money.

DALLAS - Dallas has turned off about 15 red-light cameras used to monitor busy intersections. The city said the cameras are failing to generate enough red-light-running fines to justify their costs.

Dallas lawmakers originally estimated a gross yearly revenue of about $15 million for the system. The city is about $4 million below that estimate.

This kind of stuff drives me crazy (no pun intended). I've never been busted by a camera, yet (I'm sure I will eventually), but I know others who have (sorry Jimmy) and these types of stories just make it so much more frustrating.

On top of the money-grubbing basis for red light cameras, it turns out that evidence indicates that these stupid cameras actually increase the frequency of accidents at enforced intersections. Ironically, a recent study in Florida shows that cameras actually cause drivers to make more unsafe, sudden stops at intersections because they would rather risk an accident than get a citation (in fact, there are many studies that have shown this). Hunh?! Does anyone think this is just plain criminal? So let me get this straight - red light cameras actually cause more accidents so they can't be about "safety" or "protection." However, they are NOT about the money according to the authorities. Ok, why do we have them then? I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.

• Ok, just saw the Mavs lose again to the Lakers (minus Pao Gasol). I was tempted to see a positive in the way the Mavs battled back from 25 down, then I realized, they should never have been 25 down. Besides, we're way past the point of moral victories anyway. You know the old saying - "if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, etc..." Well, it's time to concede that the Mavs are just a good team and not an elite contender. They are not bad, they will make the playoffs and they will be a tough team to beat for anyone. That being said, I think they're still a level below the Spurs, the Lakers, and even Phoenix. I think they can compete with Utah, Houston, and New Orleans, but they would be in a pretty even brawl with those teams. I also hate to say it, but they probably don't want any piece of Golden State. So realistically, we're looking at a middle-of-the pack playoff team in the wild, wild west. I'm not conceding defeat or giving up on the Mavs, but they will need some breaks and some luck to advance far in the playoffs. They are simply not better than half the teams in the playoffs right now. Now if they can get better in the chemistry department with the new players (I'm still a fan of the Kidd deal and I like the underrated addition of Lue), if they can win down the stretch and sneak into the top 4, and if they can get a favorable match-up in the playoffs (say, Houston), I think we can advance. But, those are some big "ifs." I'm kinda' pressing the panic button, but not really hard. I'm just being realistic - we just seem to be a few notches shy of true contender status.

David Mamet newsflash: no longer a "brain-dead liberal"

David Mamet, noted playwright, screenwriter, and author is not exactly the poster boy for conservatism. Ok, let's face it, David Mamet writing in the Village Voice would be the last place I'd expect to find any thoughtful musings on conservatism but here it is. Mamet gives us plenty of really insightful food for thought regarding the actual process/phenomenon of politics while also doing an admirable job of moving out of the realm of political rhetoric and actually reflecting on the nature of the conservative vs. liberal divide in the West.

I took the liberal view for many decades, but I believe I have changed my mind. As a child of the '60s, I accepted as an article of faith that government is corrupt, that business is exploitative, and that people are generally good at heart.

These cherished precepts had, over the years, become ingrained as increasingly impracticable prejudices. Why do I say impracticable? Because although I still held these beliefs, I no longer applied them in my life.

Mamet's entire essay is worth reading, but one of the highlights for me is his ability to put his finger on the divide between theoretical ideals and real life AND the way this divide is scrutinized in the context of liberalism. In particular, one of the underlying planks of liberalism seems to be a persistent disenchantment with the establishment, especially corporate America, corrupt government, and the military (see the '60's). Mamet notes that liberalism almost requires one to feel that everything is always "bad" and that everything is in need of "fixing." I was struck by Mamet's recognition that in the real world, not everything is "bad" and not everything is in need of "fixing." He recognizes the disconnect between liberal disenchantment and practical reality - a huge realization, an epiphany if you will.

...the synthesis of this worldview with which I now found myself disenchanted: that everything is always wrong.

But in my life, a brief review revealed, everything was not always wrong, and neither was nor is always wrong in the community in which I live, or in my country. Further, it was not always wrong in previous communities in which I lived, and among the various and mobile classes of which I was at various times a part.

Another plank of liberalism is the "benevolent man" view of humanity (funny how liberals believe in the basic goodness of man except when it comes to conservatives). Mamet surprisingly acknowledges that humanity is fundamentally flawed (sounds almost like a nod to "original sin" and "fallen humanity"). Furthermore, he actually defends America's political system and the way it wisely accounts for man's failings and provides us with a form of government that makes the best of an imperfect situation. A "liberal" thinker actually defending Americans? Refreshing.

I'd observed that lust, greed, envy, sloth, and their pals are giving the world a good run for its money, but that nonetheless, people in general seem to get from day to day; and that we in the United States get from day to day under rather wonderful and privileged circumstances—that we are not and never have been the villains that some of the world and some of our citizens make us out to be, but that we are a confection of normal (greedy, lustful, duplicitous, corrupt, inspired—in short, human) individuals living under a spectacularly effective compact called the Constitution, and lucky to get it.

For the Constitution, rather than suggesting that all behave in a godlike manner, recognizes that, to the contrary, people are swine and will take any opportunity to subvert any agreement in order to pursue what they consider to be their proper interests.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
I recognized that I held those two views of America (politics, government, corporations, the military). One was of a state where everything was magically wrong and must be immediately corrected at any cost; and the other—the world in which I actually functioned day to day—was made up of people, most of whom were reasonably trying to maximize their comfort by getting along with each other (in the workplace, the marketplace, the jury room, on the freeway, even at the school-board meeting).

And I realized that the time had come for me to avow my participation in that America in which I chose to live, and that that country was not a schoolroom teaching values, but a marketplace.

"Aha," you will say, and you are right. I began reading not only the economics of Thomas Sowell (our greatest contemporary philosopher) but Milton Friedman, Paul Johnson, and Shelby Steele, and a host of conservative writers, and found that I agreed with them: a free-market understanding of the world meshes more perfectly with my experience than that idealistic vision I called liberalism.

Read it all!

A classic ethical dilemma for lawyers and "car guy" excitement

Eugene Volokh (good blogger is you're into politics, law, etc.) reveals a classic ethical and moral conundrum for lawyers. In a nutshell: what if you're defending a client who admits that he committed a crime that someone else is being sent to prison for. Do you speak out and violate the sacred attorney-client privilege or do you keep the code of the law community and watch an innocent man go to prison? I don't think this question is as 2-dimensionally simple as you might think. Read the post and check out some of the comments - interesting running discussion/argument.
So what would you do?

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Check out these pix:


Am I excited because it's a Ferrari, a new STI, a new EVO and a new GT-R? Not exactly.
Am I excited because the STI is ahead of the EVO? No.
Why are these pix so exciting? Because they are screenshots from the new Gran Turismo! Gran Turismo 5: Prologue!!

I've been pretty ambivalent about the PS3 and XBox 360, but now I'm interested. I want a PS3 just so I can play GT5 when it drops. Man these shots look so good. I can't wait to see how well the game will play and what kind of features will be unveiled. I'm not much of a gamer, but the Gran Turismo franchise has always been video game gold for me and it looks like the latest edition of the franchise will be worth all the hype. Niiiiiiiice.

Quick hits: Facebook dangers, Hugo Chavez takes some, and Moses might've been high

• Over the last few months I have discovered the joys of Facebook. However, this blog post - Enraged by Facebook (found via Instapundit)- is worth reading if you're a pretty active facebooker. I checked some of the privacy settings after reading this and it turns out that Sarah Pullman is right, you have to really double-check your privacy settings because they can definitely default to some pretty open settings. Facebook is a good networking system, but you might want to double-check your settings so that you're really showing what you want to whom you want.
• Here's a positive story, "Unfulfilling stations," about the power of the American people. Well, I guess it speaks as much to the power of the dollar as it does to the power of the people, but in any case, it's good to see Americans make a statement that actually impacts questionable world leaders like Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. With Hugo Chavez slowly turning Venezuela into a communist mess, his grandstanding against the U.S. and hostile policies are actually causing American consumers to speak out by shunning Venezuela's state-run petroleum giant, Citgo. One gas station owner lameted that people were coming in to buy food, drinks, and other groceries, but refused to buy gas because it was Citgo. He has since changed distributors to Marathon and even proclaimed on his signage that, "Hugo Chavez You are out of here!" This is not just a sentimental gesture. 7-11 who had a 20 year contract with Citgo to supply 2100 gas stations has moved to another distributor. Many independent Citgo stations have changed to some other supplier within the last year. Americans are letting their dollars talk and Hugo is taking some in a painful place - his pocketbook. I guess money really talks and B.S. really walks.
  
• A cognitive psychologist, Benny Shanon of Hebrew University, claims to have figured out the true story behind Moses' encounters with God at Sinai - Moses was high. Yes, Prof. Shanon is convinced that Moses was using the bark of acacia wood in a manner that D.A.R.E. (Drug-abuse resistance education) and Nancy Reagan would not have approved of. He is also convinced that the burning bush was also a psychedelic vision similar to those caused by various psychotropic plants found around the world. Now, how does Prof. Shanon know so much about this phenomenon? Turns out he's pretty well-versed in the world of substance-induced psychedelic experiences. In other words, Shanon likes to get his own groove on by "dabbling" in such substances himself. He stated that he was familiar with different psychotropic substances by personal experience. Hmmmm. Can you really trust a paper written by a guy who basically admits that he likes to get down with hard-core drugs? I mean, I highly doubt that Moses and some crazy weed could have somehow overthrown Pharaoh and the mighty Egyptians, unless Moses got Pharaoh high enough to get him to release the Israelites. I also doubt that an entire nation would simply stake their fate on the drug-induced trip of one old man. Does Shanon think that several thousand people were somehow able to get baked on some acacia bark and then have the same exact vision? Another problem with Shanon's claim is the fact that there wouldn't have been enough food at Sinai to satisfy several thousand people with the "munchies." There were no 7-11's back then so no one could satisfy their munchies with Hostess Sno-balls or hot dogs rolling around on one of those grills. There were no pizza delivery joints that could send you an extra large 'za in time to satisfy your crazy hunger. Nope, Shanon's story just doesn't hold up and he should know better than anyone. Excuse me while I go look for God in a bottle of cough syrup.

Wonderful irony and the futility of "change and hope" in the REAL world

In Ecclesiastes it is said that there is nothing new under the sun. This truth is no more apparent than it is in the realm of politics. No matter how hard candidates, media and the populace try to perceive change in each new electoral cycle, the more things seem to stay the same. In fact, this current free-for-all between Barack and Hillary is so intriguing because it is just overflowing with irony, conundrums, and revelations about us.
Isn't it ironic that Barack Obama's focal point and battle cry is "change and hope?" I hear it constantly on tv ads, radio spots, in the media, etc. Young people seem to be embracing Obama with an almost religious zeal (note stories about people actually swooning at his rallies) because he is resonating with their desire for change in Washington and an upheaval of the establishment in America. Minorities are enamored with Barack because he is could be the first black president. In one current radio spot, Obama eloquently rallies the faithful by highlighting the incredible disparity between the income of some rich CEOs and the average American working person. Michelle Obama is the flavor du jour and a media darling because she is eloquent, strong, and representative of an African-American woman who has succeeded. She makes headlines by stating that only now with Barack being accepted as a legitimate presidential candidate can she finally be proud of her country. The media and the populace have fallen under Barack Obama's spell as he uses his charisma, intelligence, presence, and eloquence to give people a sense of hope. Perhaps this man can do so much more than be the first black president, perhaps he can truly "change" Washington, America and the world. Perhaps because of him we can finally have "hope." He is currently on the verge of putting Hillary so far behind that this race may be over with many laps to go.
So why is this ironic? Well, who is the opponent that Barack is burying under a flurry of "hopes" and "changes"? Hillary Rodham Clinton, face of feminism, symbol of strong womanhood, former first lady and the wife of one William Jefferson Clinton - the "Man from Hope!" How ironic that the Obama-Clinton battle is really just a repeat of essentially the same narrative that played itself out over a decade ago when Bill Cllinton took the nation by storm and rode a crest of "hope and change" all the way to the White House! One could almost write the stories and just change the names - Back in 1991 there was a young, charismatic politician taking the nation by storm. The young people embraced him because he ran on a campaign of "hope." He eloquently called for "change" and promised "hope" to Americans tired of the establishment in Washington. He was the breath of fresh air we needed. He was even hailed by minorities as their man. Toni Morrison even anointed Bill Clinton as the "first black president," and his dysfunctional background (astroturf in an El Camino, "I didn't inhale"?) was a touchstone for the new America enamored with pro wrestling and Jerry Springer. Clinton captured America's imagination as he played his saxophone while wearing shades. However, Clinton was also a man of impressive educational credentials and he had a wife that was hailed as the face of feminism, an American woman of strength and capability. Hillary was going to be so much more than window dressing in the White House, she was going to be the first "co-president." America was under the spell of Billary. Isn't this essentially the Barack Obama narrative? Isn't Barack really just Bill Clinton redux? How ironic that the Obama camp has successfully taken the mantle from Bill Clinton and actually cast Mrs. Clinton as a quasi-representative of the stale, stodgy Washington establishment. In fact, it is shocking to me to see Bill Clinton being painted in the media as a desperate, bitter, cynical politician. The darlings of the "Clinton News Network" (CNN) are now being painted with the same "bias brush" that once blacked out Clinton opponents. This is Shakespearean irony. It is rich. The "Man from Hope" and his "co-president" wife have now been cast as the old guard with Barack and Michelle assuming the role of revolutionaries, change agents, purveyors of hope. It is too rich. The same young people who are out there swooning and passionately campaigning for "hope and change" Obama would have been front and center for Bill Clinton had they been around in 1992. Oprah probably would've been a Clinton backer had she been more politically active in those days and now she is an out-spoken Barack backer. Irony of biblical proportions. Toni Morrison now supports the man who would be the true "first black president." Rich. The Hollywood literati (I use that term very ironically) have embraced Obama when just a few years ago they were practically falling over themselves to fawn over Billary. Oh such sweet irony.
I wonder how Hillary, Bill and their camp feel about this incredible twist of fate? I do not believe in karma but this sure has a karmic feel to it. What comes around goes around. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Turnabout is fair play. etc., etc. Barack and Michelle Obama have taken the Billary playbook and run every single play to perfection. They've actually played the Clinton game and played it better. Perhaps when all this is done and the Clintons have had time to distance and process, they might even issue a bitter chuckle at how this story played out. Maybe Slick Willie and Hillary might even one day tip their hats to Barack and Michelle for a hand well played. Then again, probably not.

The "Obamania" in America also brought to mind another observation. As I see clips of young Obama backers fawning over their man with stars in their eyes I am struck by how clueless this generation seems. They speak of "change" and the need to get rid of the establishment in Washington. Today's young voters do not realize that their calls for reform are not new. In fact, they don't seem to realize that the same young people who were crying for "change and hope" a generation ago are now the Hillary backers of today. Bush is now a dirty word for reasons other than the old sexual innuendo. Republicans are rich, racist, white old men and we must get them out of office so America can be great again. We must end the oppression that is a shadow over America today. End the war. End the corruption. End global warming. End crime. Fix health care. Fix welfare. Fix education, blah, blah, blah. Don't these young people realize that these are the same things that were being shouted from the rooftops when John F. Kennedy was elected? Isn't this the rallying cry that helped end Nixon's presidency? Isn't this the same political wave that got Bill Clinton to the White House? There is truly nothing new under the sun. I think Obama's campaign and the groundswell of support among the young is just a regular "coming-of-age" rite that takes place every time a new generation of young Americans comes of voting age. It's not so much Obama that is the story here. Young people will clamor for change and be anti-establishment every generation without any true concern for the names and faces involved. In fact, I bet that there will be a day when Obama will be the stodgy, establishment politician that must be kicked out of Washington so that __________(insert any future, fresh-faced politician's name) can become president and bring "change and hope" to America. It's funny how today's young people really seem to lack a sense of history, a sense of context. They seem to think that nothing happened in this universe until they entered it and they seem to think that only they have a monopoly on fresh ideas and revolutionary beliefs. They think that the whole world is just a bunch of old, narrow-minded, incapable establishment fixtures when just 10 years ago, many of those same people were wearing the shirts and crying for change just as this generation is now. Interesting stuff.

One last thought as I just go rambling on Kerouac-style on this stuff. I am more ambivalent than I've ever been about a presidential race. I will probably have to look hard at McCain out of principle - I am a Republican after all. But I really don't feel very strongly about him. In fact, this election may be the first time I don't vote since I turned 18. I don't know. I will probably end up voting just because I truly cherish that privilege and right. Still, I am not really feeling very passionate about things. I think it is mainly because I am enough of a realist to see the writing on the wall. Either Hillary or Barack will be president come November. In light of this seemingly inevitable outcome I've come to almost relish having one of them win. Don't get me wrong, I'm not switching views or changing allegiances. I simply am SO tired of all the Bush-bashing and Republican hating that has gone on for the last 8 years that I almost want a Democrat in office so that they can fail for all the world to see. They just keep harping on how they would do this better, fix that, change this, improve that. All right, already! Go for it! Go ahead and take the oval office and let's see the sun shine on America, the light burst forth from the heavens and the world suddenly become paradise. Uh huh. Go ahead. Let's see Barack or Hillary fix Iraq and the Middle East. Do you think that Hamas and Al Qaeda will suddenly love us because we got Bush out of office? Let's see what Barack or Hillary will do when Russia gets even nastier in rattling her sabers. What will they do when the economy goes into a TRUE recession (a downturn is NOT a recession). Let's see Barack or Hillary fix healthcare. Let's see if they can reinvent taxation in America. Let's see if all of a sudden people stop committing crimes and murders cease. Let's see if cancer disappears and peace comes to the Middle East. Let's see a sudden end to climate change problems. Let's see an end to hurricanes and tsunamis. Let's see an end to unemployment and homelessness. Whatever. Does any Democrat honestly think that all the ills in the world are the result of Republican rule? Come on. America has three branches of government for a reason - checks and balances. Our government is not perfect, but is amazingly effective. No single person can rule America thanks to the foresight and genius of our founding fathers. The president is not the king. The oval office is just one of many offices that help direct this nation. There are congressmen, senators, justices, and a cast of thousands running this country on a daily basis. Bush is really not as much of a factor as people like to think. When he was first elected 8 years ago I was excited. I looked forward to having a Republican in office to correct all the ills of the Clinton era. Guess what? Not much has changed. Bush did NOT fix all of America's ills and he did not make things perfect. You know, this is actually pretty good news. This means that our government works and that power is ultimately spread out in America and some power even resides with the people themselves. This is a good thing. This also means that regardless of which Democrat wins in November, they won't have enough power to completely break America. This is a good thing. So go ahead, Barack. You go ahead and rant on about "change and hope." I actually won't feel like it's the end of the world if you become president because I know you won't be able to single-handedly wreck this great nation. In fact, I wish you good luck. In the end, I would love to hear all these Obamaniacs when he's served for four years and the world is pretty much the same as when he entered office. Hey Obamaniacs! Why are there still suicide bombs in Gaza? Why is Iraq worse today? Why is our economy still struggling? How come my medications cost so much? Where's the "change"? How come I don't have much "hope"?