Indulging in Heartfelt, Heady, Conservative Banter ... In An Attempt To Put The Light Back Into America ... And Perhaps Some Life Back Into This Frost-Bitten Mitten State Turned Blue ...
I am semi-retired after spending 30 years turning cartwheels in the backyard of Corporate America. I'm happily married, and between my wife, Andrea, and I, have 8 children and 9 grandchildren. I recently released 12 songs on the Touch Em All Production's CD "The Passion's Back". For info please visit: http://touch-em-all.net/. This blog, "Rouge Revival", pertains to my core belief that our nation's founding father's had it "right" and that the success of the auto industry was one of the many direct results of their vision. "Rouge" is French for the color "Red", which also symbolizes the color indicator for Republican states. Rouge is also the name of an historic river, here in SE Michigan, as well as, the name of the largest integrated factory complex in the world, which at one time employed 100,000 Ford Motor Workers. The "Revival" is my vision for both a successful rebound of the auto industry, along with a Republican Party led State of Michigan and Country!
Oh yeah, and I hope to have and share a bit of fun within the process ...
The day the music was born, for me personally, was on that Sunday evening, February 9, 1964. At nine years old, having just watched the Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show, I told my father that I wanted to be like Lennon and play the guitar. Even after 44 years, you can find me most any night, either strumming the guitar or playing the piano, singing the songs of the Beatles and John Lennon.
What was so special about John Lennon and how do you explain it so many years later? To sum it up, there was nobody like him. He said exactly what was on his mind and never feared the consequences because he spoke the truth from his heart and everybody knew it.
Lennon captured me without even trying. His poems, his lyrics, his unique way to turn a phrase, his unforgiving British wit and sacrcasm. And his music was simply irresistable.
John Winston Ono Lennon was born in Liverpool, England on October 9, 1940. This English rock musician, singer, poet, songwriter, artist, actor, and peace activist gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of 'The Beatles.'
Lennon along with Paul McCartney, formed one of the most influential and successful songwriting partnerships and wrote some of the most popular music in rock and roll history. What else is there to say about the Beatles, which included George Harrison and Ringo Starr, that hasn't been said.
When he sang I almost felt his voice coming from my own chest and throat. That was how my voice should sound. His songs were my songs, where I could share his feelings and he could feel mine. A lot of us felt that way. Rarely does a popular artist speak to and for a generation. The Beatles reflected their times but they also had the largest influence in shaping those times. They went from a simple tight little bar band writing catchy ditties to serious musical artists blending many musical forms and creating new ones.
Along with his second wife, Yoko Ono, Lennon used their honeymoon at the Amsterdam Hilton, in March 1969, as a "Bed-in for Peace" that attracted world-wide media coverage. At the second "Bed-in" in Montreal, in June 1969, they recorded "Give Peace a Chance" in their hotel room. The song was sung by a quarter million demonstrators in Washington D.C. at the second Vietnam Memorial Day on 15 October 1969. When Lennon and Ono moved to New York City in August 1971, they befriended peace activists Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman.
Lennon performed at the "Free John Sinclair" concert in Ann Arbor, Michigan on December 10, 1971. Sinclair was an antiwar activist and poet who was serving ten years in state prison for selling two joints of marijuana to an undercover policeman.
In 1972, the Nixon Administration tried to have Lennon deported from the U.S., as Nixon believed that Lennon's support for George McGovern could lose him the next election. Republican Senator Strom Thurmond suggested, in a February 1972 memo, that "deportation would be a strategic counter-measure" against Lennon. The next month the Immigration and Naturalization Service began deportation proceedings against Lennon, arguing that his 1968 misdemeanor conviction for cannabis possession in London had made him ineligible for admission to the U.S. Lennon spent the next four years in deportation hearings.
While his deportation battle continued, Lennon appeared at rallies in New York City and on TV shows, including a one week hosting of the Mike Douglas Show in February 1972, where Jerry Rubin and Bobby Seale appeared as his guests.
On 23 March 1973, Lennon was ordered to leave the U.S. within 60 days, while Ono was granted permanent residence. In response, Lennon and Ono held a press conference at the New York chapter of the American Bar Association, on April 1, 1973 to announce the formation of the conceptual state of "Nutopia"; a place with "no land, no boundaries, no passports, only people", and all of its inhabitants would be ambassadors. The Lennons asked for political asylum in the U.S. while waving the white flag of Nutopia; two white handkerchiefs.
In June 1973, Lennon and Ono made their last political statement by attending the Watergate hearings in Washington, D.C.
Lennon's order of deportation was overturned in 1975,. After Lennon’s death, historian Jon Wiener filed a Freedom of Information request for FBI files on Lennon. The FBI admitted it had 281 pages in its files on Lennon but refused to release most of them, claiming they were national security documents. In 1983, Wiener sued the FBI with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. The case went to the Supreme Court before the FBI settled out of court in 1997; releasing all but 10 of the contested documents.
The story is told in the documentary The U.S. vs. John Lennon, by David Leaf and John Scheinfeld. The final 10 documents in Lennon's FBI file were released in December 2006.
In 1976, Lennon's U.S. immigration status was finally resolved favorably, and he received his green card. Nixon's successor, Gerald Ford, showed little interest in continuing the battle. When Jimmy Carter was inaugurated as president on 19 January 1977, Lennon and Ono attended the Inaugural Ball.
On the night of December 8, 1980, Mark David Chapman shot Lennon in the back four times (the fifth shot missed) in the entrance hallway of the Dakota Apartents in New York City. Lennon had autographed a copy of his Double Fantasy album for Chapman earlier that same evening. Lennon was pronounced dead on arrival in the Emergency Room at Roosevelt Hospital at 11:15 p.m. On the following day Ono issued a statement: "There is no funeral for John. He loved and prayed for the human race. Please pray the same for him. Love, Yoko and Sean.
Chapman pleaded guilty to second degree murder and sentenced to 20 years to life. He is still in prison, having been denied parole five times.
Two days after his death, Lennon's body was cremated at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. The whereabouts of Lennon's ashes are known only to his wife Yoko and son Sean.
On 14 December 1980, millions of people around the world responded to Ono's request to pause for ten minutes of silence to remember Lennon: Thirty thousand gathered in Liverpool, and the largest group—over 100,000—converged on New York's Central Park, close to the scene of the shooting.
Lennon continues to be mourned throughout the world and has been the subject of numerous books, movies, memorials and tributes. Principal among these is New York City's Strawberry Fields, a memorial garden area in Central Park across the street from the Dakota building. Shortly after Lennon's death Ono donated $1 million for the memorial's maintenance. It has become a gathering place for tributes on Lennon's birthday and on the anniversary of his death, as well as at other times of mourning, such as after the September 11th attacks.
On 9 October 2007 (what would have been his 67th birthday and his son Sean's 32nd birthday) the Imagine Peace Tower in Videy Island, Iceland (off the coast of Reykjavik) was lit for the first time . The idea for the monument was originally conceived by Yoko Ono in 1965 and construction began in 2006. The tower is lit annually from October 9th, Lennon's birthday, to December 8th, Lennon's date of death. The words "Imagine Peace" are carved into the tower in 24 different languages.
John's life had been hard from the beginning. He had no father and an estranged mother who was run over by a drunk driver when he was ten. He came from nowhere and rose to the heights of the material world, yet his success did not kill him. He went beyond the pleasures of the flesh and into the realm of spiritual values. He may have been sarcastic and skeptical at times, but he wasn't ultimately mean.
He was a seeker, a thought-provoking Shaman Troubadour. He affected millions of us and left us some great memories. There won't be another one like him. I recently saw a twenty-something-rocker on Politically Incorrect who said "I think pop music has sucked for the last twenty years."
Perhaps it's been twenty-eight years ago today ... the day the music died.
As the United States slowly recovered from the great depression of the 1930s, there were few more exciting opportunities for a young man than a career in the United States Military. It offered a stable income, warm meals, a semi-comfortable bed, and the chance to "See The World!" Exotic ports of call awaited those who chose to spend a few years of their youth serving their country.
Pearl Harbor in the territory of Hawaii was the homeport of the Army Air Corp (AAC 7th AF) and the Navy Pacific Fleet, a wonderful "home away from home" for the men who preserved America's interests abroad. Though the European continent found itself embroiled in a bitter world war in the latter days of the 1930s, in the Pacific there was no hint of trouble. American ships and planes made routine patrols, practiced drills that most men thought would never be needed, and then returned to Pearl Harbor for periods of rest, relaxation, and recreation.
Although AAC personnel were still referring to themselves as the Army Air Corp, in fact, effective June 20, 1941, the ACC had then become known as the combat wing of the AAF (Army Air Force). Then just a few years later, on September 18, 1947, the United States Air Force (as we know it today) was born.
Hickam Field was completed and officially activated on Sept. 15, 1938. It was the principal army airfield in Hawaii and the only one large enough to accommodate theB-17 bomber. In connection with defense plans for the Pacific, aircraft were brought to Hawaii throughout 1941 to prepare for potential hostilities. The first mass flight of bombers (21 B-17Ds) from Hamilton Field, California, arrived at Hickam on May 14, 1941.
The B-17 was one of the major offensive weapons of WWII with the G model playing the major role in Allied bombardment. By December 1941, the AAC Hawaiian Air Force had been an integrated command for slightly more than one year and consisted of 754 officers and 6,706 enlisted men, with 233 aircraft assigned at its three primary bases (Hickam, Wheeler, and Bellows). During the war years, these bases played a major role in pilot training and aircraft assembly work, in addition to seeing as a supply center for both air arid ground troops. Hickam served as the hub of the Pacific aerial network, supporting transient aircraft ferrying troops and supplies to and evacuating the wounded.
The weekend of December 6 and 7, 1941, promised to be a great time for all Airmen, Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Coast Guards, as well as the crews and support personnel. There wasn't the slightest hint of trouble; even the weather seemed to be smiling on the tropical port. However, for ten days prior to that weekend, Hickam Field was on full alert. It seemed as though they were expecting something to happen. No one was allowed to leave the base during this alert. Suddenly, for some unknown reason, on Saturday, December 6, 1941, the alert was lifted. Saturday night a wealthy Japanese banker held a big party for the officers at the Hickam Officer’s Club. Looking back, it appears as if that party were all part of a bigger plan.
When the sun rose that fateful Sunday morning, a 21 year old Military OCC Airplane Maintenance Technician from the State of Michigan, had little opportunity to be homesick; there was too much to see and do.
Lloyd Walter Grieve (Born: January 2, 1920 - Died: September 10, 1996) was called out early that morning, due to extensive morning drill exercises and maneuvers planned for the fleet of B17 Bombers stationed at Hickam.
Technician Grieve reported to Hickam Field on March 9, 1941, upon completion of his preliminary round of Mechanics and Maintenance Technician Training, at McChord Field near Seattle, Washington.
He joined up with the 880th Bomb Squadron, 383rd Bomb Group, and became a certified technician for most of the big bombers utilized by the AAC in WWII, including the B-17 and B-29 Bombers.
Glamour of the Air Corpe is usually consigned to flight personnel, but the fact is, it takes seven ground crew men to keep even pursuit ships in flying shape. Although the Bomber/Fighter Mechanics were little known or generally appreciated, it is their responsibility to maintain the power, accuracy and deadliness of each plane in the air forces' rapidly expanding armada. Though short on glamour, these men are long on what it takes to keep'em flying. For most, but unfortunately not for Lloyd Grieve, there was limited duty on this beautiful tropical Sunday morning, which was affording ample opportunity for most of the men to enjoy their brief stay in Paradise.
Out on the airstrip, the mighty B-17 Bombers that remained at Hickam Field, were being rolled out for preparation of the day's activities. And that is precisely why Grieve was already gathering his equipment for the day, at the break of dawn, while others were either sleeping in, preparing for Sunday service, breakfast, an early morning softball game, or simply to go down to the beach for a glimpse at the sunrise.
Like many who served in World War II, Grieve loved his country, respected his job, but never regarding himself as especially brave. Years later, whenever anyone would ask what had he done to receive so many commendation medals, Grieve would jokingly reply: "For being a damn fool!"
Grieve had, at one time or another, worked on many of the aircraft that were on hand at Hickam that morning, whose inventory included:
33 Douglas B-18 Bolo 2-engine standard bombers 12 Boeing B-17D Flying Fortress 4-engine bombers 13 Douglas A-20A Havoc 2-eng attack bombers 2 Douglas C-33 (DC-2) 2-engine fighters * One of Hickam Field's Hangers on Dec. 6, 1941 A half mile away from Grieve's location, in the harbor, there were ninety-six ships that morning and no reason to expect any trouble. After all, the Honolulu Advertiser, that very morning, stated how Japanese Ambassador Nomura was going to meet with Secretary Cordell Hull in Washington that very morning to talk about peace.
As the hour 8 o'clock hour neared, just moments from the raising of the colors, all was peaceful and relaxed. On the USS Nevada the band was beginning the first strains of the National Anthem for the hoisting of the flag. The USS Tennessee reported very slight wind ripples on the water, and winds from the NE at 12 mph. The USS Oklahoma reported clear skies with "intermittent moving fleecy clouds."
It was now exactly 7:53 A.M. and events were about to unfold that would propel the United States into a World War that would ultimately cost more than a quarter-million American men and women their lives. On this day alone more than 2,400 men, women and children would die in Paradise.
Back at Hickam, Grieve was now on the Airfield, methodically reviewing his checklist prior to inspection and applying whatever adjustments were required. The ground crew was readily preparing for the arrival of the remaining B-17s which spent the previous days flying reconnaissance throughout the Pacific theatre.
Grieve and the others heard the distant roar, assuming the boys were now returning. Coming in at about 10,000 feet, those on the field could begin to see the shadows of a tremendous number of aircraft. This was the first sign that something was seriously wrong.
Just as that thought was sinking in, a black object could be seen exploding from the lead plane. As Grieve watched it turn its wings up, he then realized, these were not the B-17s. In seconds, the Rising Sun could be clearly seen on the side of the planes, indicating they were under attack from the Japanese.
The men couldn’t remember that they’d ever had any training on what to do in case of air raid. Some of the guys ran across the street into the parking lot. One was shot in the rump and, strangely, later died. The Squadron CommanderMajor Laverne G. “Blondie” Saunders, who was overseeing the preparation by the mechanics, came running from the officers quarters and slid under the belly of one of the B-17s, alongside the barracks, just as a Jap plane strafed him. He yelled to anyone that could hear him to get to the ‘flight line’ and to “get those planes airborne!”
A M/Sgt., in the 26th Bomb Squad, ordered his men to line up in formation to march to the hanger, but a Jap plane dropped a ‘Frag’ bomb and splattered many of them onto the walls. Immediately the 23rd Bomb Squad guys took off running on their own. As it was now, throughout Pearl Harbor, there was mass chaos everywhere.
At precisely 8:08 a.m. a searing flash and tremendous blast could be seen, heard and felt as one of the Jap planes fired an armor-piercing bomb, which detonated in the forward magazine of the USS Arizona. The ship crumpled and sank, with nearly a thousand men trapped below, including Rear Admiral Isaac Campbell Kidd and the Arizona Captain Franklin Van Valkenbergh. Like many others, Grieve had taken cover under the belly of one of the B-17’s, however, anything that resembled a plane or a hanger was now under fire by the Japanese attackers.
Somehow, despite numerous bullets and bombs, Lloyd Grieve found himself alive but buried up to his neck in the debris. Above all the noise and confusion, he could make out T/Sgt. “Shanty” O’Shea (who was hiding in the concrete bombsight vault, just outside the radio shack near the airfield, drunkenly yelling: "The Flag's Still Flying Fellas!"
Two of the mechanics, Bill Hamilton, and Lee Benbrooks, managed to dodge the fire and debris, and headed back to the barracks for pistols and helmets. They each grabbed a .30 caliber machine gun and ammo from the armament shack and ran out to install them in dispersed B-17’s. Lee got his gun going first and, not having tracer rounds in his ammo belt, was firing at Jap fighters without drawing return fire. But when Bill opened up with tracer fire, the Japs dove on them, and a bullet went thru the fuselage right between Lee’s legs.
The low-level attack eased up, but then silver planes, coming in over the mouth of the harbor, starting their bomb-drop at the far end of Hickam’s Hanger Row. They hit every hanger down the line including the 31st Bomb/4th econ squadrons’ hanger. The bombs meant for the 23rd and 72nd Squad’s hanger drifted off toward the barracks. Consequently the 23rd only had seven men killed during the raid.
Suddenly a plane came zooming down the line from the direction of the mountains. It was a P-40 fighter from Wheeler Field and was completely silhouetted by a hail of tracers from machine guns on top of the Marine Barracks at Pearl. The pilot kept dropping down, trying to keep the buildings and trees between him and those guns, until he was 10 feet off the ground. Some of those bullets fell around Grieve, still buried under the debris, on the airfield.
When it seemed the attack was over, Grieve was pulled out, and assumed KP duties, serving much needed nourishment to those who survived. Others were given permission to go back to the barracks. The Mess Hall in the center of the barrack wings had been hit by bombs and many died there.
By late morning, rumor had spread throughout the Harbor, that the Japs were mounting a follow up attack and that some planes had actually landed. For fear of hand to hand combat, orders were given to start digging fox holes. For Lloyd Grieve, his KP duties were abruptly ended for the time being as he joined the many others in the big dig.
The men stayed hunkered down in those fox holes for three days. They were instructed to 'shoot at anything that moved!'
It was intended as a preventive action to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from influencing the war, which Japan was planning to wage in Southeast Asia against Britain, the Netherlands, and the United States. The attack consisted of two aerial attack waves totaling 353 aircraft, launched from six Japanese aircraft carriers. These attacks sank four U.S. Navy Battleships (two of which were raised and returned to service late in the war) and damaged four more. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, and one minelayer, destroyed 188 aircraft, and caused personnel losses of 2,402 killed and 1,282 wounded. The power station, shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building (also home of the intelligence section - which they did not appear to have too much of this day - were ironicially not hit). Japanese losses were minimal, at 29 aircraft and five midget submarines, with a mere 65 servicemen killed or wounded.
Hickam suffered extensive property damage, aircraft losses, and personnel casualties totaling 139 killed and 303 wounded. The bombing and strafing of Hickam Field was an important objective, because the success of the Japanese attack on the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor was dependent on eliminating air opposition and precluding US planes from following their aircraft back to their carriers and bombing the task force. Once the threat was confirmed to be over, Grieve was approached by his superiors, who handed him a gun and told him to “start practicing son, we need a Tail Gunner and you’ve got the job!”
For the remainder, of the conflict in the Pacific, Technician Sgt. Lloyd Grieve assumed the position of Tail Gunner, on first the B-17s, and then later on the amazing Flying Fortress of the B-29s (which were introduced two years later). The B-29 Superfortress bomber was the single most complicated and expensive weapon produced by the United States during World War II.
The Tail Gunner's prime purpose was defending against enemy fighter attacks from the rear, or "tail", of the plane. For Tech. Sgt. Grieve, there was no time for extensive studies, his would be purely on the job training. As a gunner, he operated a flexible 1x20 mm cannon, or a 0.50 inch M2 Browning mounted machine gun emplacement, at the tail end of the aircraft, with a generally unobstructed view.
Over the next three and one-half years, Grieve would see duty as a gunner in some of the wars most famous battles, which includes: the Battle of Midway (1942) and the Solomon Islands campaign (1942-45).
It was a well known phenominom that the same complete crew never went up twice, due to one or more of the crewmen being killed. On one particular bombing mission, Tech. Sgt. Grieve was using an empty amunition crate as a seat situated at his Tail Gunner position. This particular battle had been intense and Grieve, as he was that December day on the airfield at Hickam, once they landed realized that he was lucky to be alive. The very crate, he had been using as a seat, now contained bullet holes, mere inches from Grieve 'buying the farm.'
As to his having survived all of the incredibly intense missions he flew on, as well as, the two near-death experiences, his surviving wife Barbara claims today that "it just wasn't his time!"
In early May 1945, while the most famous of the B-29 Bombers, was being testing and prepared for its maiden voyage to North Field, Tinian, in the Pacific, Tech. Sgt. Grieve, along with seven others, was originally named to the crew of this historic plane.
However, just two weeks later, Grieve was placed on sick call and sent back to Pearl Harbor for observation and treatment at Tripler General Hospital at Fort Shafter. It was on June 4, 1945, just two days prior to allied troops storming the beaches at Normandy, that the decision was made, based on a undisclosed injury/llness and 'demobilization' , to end his distinguished military career.
Meanwhile, on August 5, 1945, somewhere in a Top Secret location in the Pacific, the Little Boy (Ll1) Atomic Bomb was being loaded onto the very same aircraft to which Tech. Sgt. Grieve had been assigned just three month previous. After 'Little Boy' was fully loaded, the name 'Enola Gay' was painted onto the nose of that B 29 Bomber.
And as they say the rest is history!
August 6: First Atomic Bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan August 8: Soviets declare war on Japan August 9: Second Atomic Bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan August 14: Japanese agree to unconditional surrender September 2: Japanese surrender, VJ Day September 8: Japanese forces in China surrender September 12: Japanese forces in southeast Asia surrender October 24: United Nations officially comes into existence October 25: Technician Sgt. Lloyd Walter Grieve is presented with a complete and honorable discharge.
When the war ended Lloyd W. Grieve was honored with a multitude of decorations and medals; which included:
* 4 Overseas Bars * Silver Star Medal 23976 * GO #4 * Good Conduct Ribbon * American Defense Service Ribbon * 1 Battle Star * Distinquished Unit Badge * DFC GO #79 HQ USAF ISPA * Lapel Button Star # 80 HQ USA * DB Air Medal GO 13 USAF ISPA * Among many others
He shall forever be remembered as a Great American, a Patriot (having been honored as part of the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C.), and he also just happens to be my beautiful wife Andrea (Andy's) father.
Throughout his entire life, Lloyd Grieve would never talk about the events of that dark day in Pearl Harbor. One can only imagine how horrific and traumatic it truly was.
Any chance at obtaining a complete account, from his perspective, was taken to the grave with him on September 10, 1996. He was survived by his wife Barbara (who resides in the City of Au Train in Michigan's upper peninsula); his sons Russell, Jeffrey and James; along with his daughters Andrea and Sheila. His memory has been blessed with many grandchildren and a growing list of great-grandchildren.
The research gathered for this rememberance, and tribute, was based on the limited information his wife Barbara and children have learned over the years, as well as, from accounts of those who were there that day, either as a Mechanic (who probably knew, and was working beside him) or crewmen at Hickam Field. I also utilized many military and army web sites which provided a vast knowledge of fact and information verification, including his missions throughout the Pacific Theatre, as well as his Enola Gay assignment.
In addition, as an important footnote, his son Jeffrey Grieve proudly served in the capacity of Search and Rescue for the U.S. Navy. And just like his father, Jeff was stationed in Hawaii at the Kaneohe Marinecorp Air Station at Kaneohe Bay, which just happens to be on that same island of Oahu.
While Lloyd's oldest son Russell (who himself proudly served in the U.S. Air Force) saw his own son enlist in the Army a few years back. Tony Grieve has now proudly servced in both Bosnia and Iraq (two tours of duty). Tony, like his grandfather, is a Mechanic for the Kiowa Aerial Recon & Attack Helicopters. At this time, he is considering making the military his career. He is now assigned to Military Police. We all thank Tony for his dedicated service to our country; asking for 'God's Blessings' and to keep him safe.
One final important and historical note regarding Tony, as he too was stationed in Hawaii, at the Wheeler Army Air Field, on the island of Oahu.
As we remember the events of 67 years ago today, I present this article and testament, on behalf of the entire Grieve family, in the loving memory of Lloyd Walter Grieve. And he would be so very proud to know that three generations of the Grieve Family, have now been stationed in Hawaii, with the sole purpose of protecting and defending these United States of America.
But only with, just maybe, a slight hint of feeling a 'damn fool!'
Within the past week, we here at the Rouge Revival Blog have posted two articles pertaining to: 1. An attempt by Atheist to undermine Christmas, as well as yesterday’s piece on; 2. The sad state of our nation's state governors.
It appears that one huge story, coming out of the State of Washington, unfortunately covers both topics and provides us with today’s update.
Governor Christine Gregoire (D), has insulted Christians all over the world by allowing Atheists to invade the state’s traditional holiday display, which features a Christmas tree and the Nativity scene (perfectly appropriate since the Christmas Federal and State holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem).
“But what to my wandering eyes did appear?” Standing alongside the baby Jesus is a giant placard designed by atheists that reads, "There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."
Those words are not sugar plums dancing in your ears, no-no, you’ve read the sign correctly. The governor of Washington State has permitted an attack on religion to be displayed in her State Capital Office Building as part of a ‘Christmas’ presentation.
Would somebody please get Andy Williams back in the studio. He needs to record a new secular middle eight to his holiday classic: “The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.”
“There'll be gay pride for hosting
Terr-o-rists for toasting
And Atheists out in the snow
There'll be Supreme Court stories That’ll kill all the glories of Christmases long, long ago”
Democrat Christine Gregoire’s election to the ofice in 2004 over Republican Dino Rossi was the closest gubernatorial race in American history. Rossi led after two machine counts by 261 votes and 47 votes, respectively, before losing a final manual count by 129 votes. One can only imagine how many homeless, illegal aliens and dead people provided Gregoire the authority to mock and marginalize the United States Christmas tradition.
Fox News TV personality Bill O'Reilly called the display "political correctness gone mad" and urged viewers to call Gov. Christine Gregoire's office to complain. If you are interested in doing so, I have included her contact information, at the end of this article.
Gregoire spokesman Pearse Edwards says the office has been getting about 200 calls an hour, as well as e-mails. The Capitol has had a holiday tree, provided by the Association of Washington Business, for 19 years. In 2006, it was joined by a menorah sponsored by a Seattle Jewish group. That prompted a lawmaker from Spokane to stage a protest at the Capitol, demanding the holiday tree be called a "Christmas tree." It also led a local real estate agent to sue the state to allow the nativity display depicting the birth of Jesus.
Governor Gregoire and Attorney General Rob McKenna put out a joint statement Wednesday noting that the federal lawsuit led the state to create a policy allowing groups to sponsor a display "regardless of that individual's or group's views." And added: "The U.S. Supreme Court has been consistent and clear that, under the Constitution's First Amendment, once government admits one religious display onto public property, it may not discriminate against the content of other displays.”
Hmmm, “one religious display" … lets take a look at Webster’s definition of the word ‘religion’ … shall we?!
Re⋅li⋅gion - Pronunciation [ri-lij-uh n] –noun 1. set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. 2. a specific spiritually fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Jewish religion. 3. the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.
Atheism is the antithesis of religion. A religion requires a strong faith in a belief system, and atheism repudiates both faith and belief. In religion, faith is a virtue. To an atheist, skepticism is the virtue.
“ … it’s the most con-fu-sing timmmmme, of the year!”
Write Governor Gregoire a Letter:
Governor Chris Gregoire, Office of the Governor, PO Box 40002, Olympia, WA 98504-0002
Give Governor Gregoire's Office a Call:
Governor's Office 360 902-4111 (for the deaf or hard of hearing, please dial 711)
On Wednesday they held the National Governor’s Conference in the City of Brotherly Love, however, Governor Ed Rendell (D) of Pennsylvania inadvertently chose not to spread that love to one of his fellow Governors.
Unaware of an open microphone (how many times have we heard that one), Governor Rendell made, in what he felt was off the record, the following gaffe in speaking about Barack Obama's Homeland Security Secretary pick, Arizona Governor. Janet Napolitano:"Janet's perfect for that job … because for that job, you have to have no life. Janet has no family, perfect. She can devote, literally, 19 to 20 hours a day to it."
Now I’d love to take this opportunity, as a red blooded conservative, to jump all over the liberal Governor, however, while some are insinuating the remarks to be “sexist”, I believe the Governor did not mean for his remarks to sound the way it came off. Although his point was a good one, he just chose a poor way of making it.
There are plenty of Governors to rake over the coals these days, nothing mind you in comparison to the likes of former Governors Eliot Spitzer (D-New York) and Bob Wise (D-West Virginia), but some legitimate questions and concerns.
Speaking of Janet Napolitano … aside from her stance (or lack thereof) on Illegal Immigration, (and correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t she help pave the way for an Illegal alien passing lane on highways that runs from the Mexico/Arizona border through her home state?) … seems I recall a number of questionable moral and ethics violations. But none more memorable then her advising and corroborating on the Anita Hill farce.
You remember, the theatrical storyline, that is, that Ms. Hill had been sexually harassed by her boss, Clarence Thomas. When Susan Hoerchner originally testified that she heard Hill's account of being harassed during a time period that turned out to be before she ever worked for Thomas. Hoerchner’s testimony not only didn't corroborate Hill, it undermined her. But in the middle of this testimony, Napolitano (who was advising Hill) took Hoerchner off the record, and a few minutes later, return to the hearings and testified that she couldn't remember the timing. As David Brock put it in ‘The Real Anita Hill’, “Hill’s attorney Janet Napolitano asked to go off the record, and Hoerchner came back suddenly struck with amnesia.”
I’m afraid that now Barack Obama, and those on the left, have the case of amnesia.
Then there is the case of Governor Ted Strickland (D) Ohio (beginning to notice a trend here?) Seems Governor Strickland has a plumber problem. Specifically, ''Joe the Plumber,'' aka Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher. And if Strickland is not careful, his plumber problem could undermine everything he wants to do in the remaining two years of his term.
In late November, Ohio Inspector General Tom Charles opened his own inquiry into the matter. In addition State Republicans are seizing on the issue, and why not? Strickland set the ethical bar high for his administration when he ran for governor in 2006, and Democrats have justifiably criticized President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for not respecting privacy rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
The pressure applied led Strickland to place Helen E. Jones-Kelley, director of Ohio's Department of Job and Family, on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. The governor also issued an executive order to all state agencies to review and report back within 30 days on their policies regarding access to private data.
"In the absence of credible evidence of fraud or a reliable accusation of delinquency, no Ohioan should be subject to a 'witch hunt' on the whim of a public official,'' State Rep. Bill Batchelder (R) says in his open letter to Strickland. Governor Strickland has tried, unsuccessfully, to convince Ohioans that he had nothing to do with the background checks on Wurzelbacher. And now he faces legal challenges from Joe the Attorney.
Sure hope the governor realizes that it was the cover-up, not the crime that forced Richard Nixon to resign from the highest office in the land.
And from the department of ‘Last But Not Least’, one of my favorite Governors for taking to task, Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) Michigan. It seems that the Cato Institute, a Washington D.C. based and well respected organization nationally, recently took a crack at analyzing the fiscal situation in all 50 states.
The Cato study found that Governor Granholm has presided over one of the slowest-growing states in the nation, “and her tax increases have not helped matters.” The biggest tax change in recent years was to the Michigan Single Business Tax. The tax was generally hated by businesses, and there was wide agreement that it should be repealed.
Michigan’s economy, next to Massachusetts, continues to be the worst in the country. Even so, Granholm continues to drive small business away, as well as, many of its citizens.
In the words of Governor William J. LePetomane (Mel Brooks character from the movie ‘Blazing Saddles’):
'The affairs of state take precedent over the affairs of state.'
Twenty Six years ago today I inherited, what I consider to be, the most responsible and greatest title a man could ever have bestowed upon him. On December 3, 1982, I forever became known as “Dad.”
And so today I pause, not only to wish my son, Luke James Lewis, a Happy 26th Birthday (Hey! That means you’re now embarking on your second quarter century my son … and you call me “Old Man!”), but I also reflect and give honor to Our Father in Heaven, the founding Father’s of the United States of America and my greatest hero, Herbert H. Lewis … my Dad!
We all know the lessons of the Founding Fathers. The hardship, the battles, the great vision, fortitude, and the incredible qualities, character, perseverance, and brilliance it took to create this great country.
Those are the lessons that my grandfather learned and passed on to my father. Those two generations paved the way, and brought us, some of the greatest inventions known to man. They fought World Wars to protect and secure our freedoms. It was a day when a 40 hour work week was considered part time.
My father and mother raised us in a close-knit Catholic community, where doors were left unlocked at night; backyard were flooded for makeshift hockey rinks in winter; front yards became baseball diamonds in the summer, and the streets were commandeered as touch football fields in the fall.
I never heard my father complain nor utter one single curse word. I’m afraid that’s something my son Luke can never claim about his father. He taught his children to appreciate the values of self-discipline, of respect, and of loyalty to friends and family.
The lessons my Father passed down to me, and I in turn instilled upon my son, were based upon those core principles. They were based upon the same values, preparation, discipline and accountability.
Unfortunately the Baby Boom Generation, which I am a part of, began to take our freedoms and these principles for granted. I saw how hard my father worked and sacrificed for the sake of his family. I began to look at all the things that I could of, and should of, had. I knew how much I missed my father while he was off working, even though he provided me, as well as, my five siblings so much of his very limited and precious time and hard earned dollars.
So even though I passed these lessons on to my son Luke, as well as, my daughter April, and my step daughters Jessica and Amanda, I sometimes ended up being (at times) more a friend than a father. I was way too lenient and bought them far too much. But I did also hug them a lot and, always, told them that I loved them. I realize that I was much more emotional with my son (and daughter), because I knew how much I missed that when my Dad was off working.
Even still, I always set the example of ‘work hard and play hard’. My 30 years, of mostly 50 plus hour work weeks, in corporate America, mixed with playing music on weekends as a second income, all while continuing to be involved with the children’s schooling and activities, were my lessons in action. Which leads me to one of my favorite sayings, as well as, a very important lesson ...
Talk is cheap and action speaks louder than words.
When my son was preparing to join the U.S. Air Force in 2002, I asked him to name for me three main principles, he had learned, that will carry him forward into a successful future. His response brought a tear to my eye, because he nailed it:
“Work and Study Hard, Laugh Often, Keep Your Honor!”
Today, I am also reminded of Tim Russert, who passed away this past June. Russert wrote “Big Russ and Me”, an important book about his father, that opened up a flood of feelings for sons who have fathers who have played an important role in their lives.
His follow up book “Wisdom of Our Fathers” was evidence of the nationwide connection between his experience with his father and so many sons who cherish their relationship with their father. His third book was written about himself as a father and his son Luke.
All three books are worth the read and I recommend them wholeheartedly to everyone.
Now my son Luke has his own son and a long road ahead to pave. Dylan Jacob Lewis, although just over two years old, is already beginning to learn these lessons.
Today, however, they’re calling em “Time Outs!”
If my father were alive today, he’d have a good belly laugh over that one … and then ... in one motion, while whipping off his belt, he’d surely say: “I’ve got a timeout for you!”
Happy Birthday Son!
It has been an eventful and deeply satisfying journey!
I have been a life long fan of the Game of Baseball; from the moment my Father first took me and my brother to see the Detroit Tigers in 1962. That very first moment we walked into Tiger Stadium and I took in the sights, the sound, the smell, the feel … and oh that bright green grass, the golden brown dirt infield, the clean white bases and chalk line … my senses became more alive then they had even been during my previous eight years on earth. I was hooked!
So it goes without saying, while watching ESPN's "Mike & Mike in the Morning" this morning, that my ears perked up when they announced the official 2009 ballot for the Hall of Fame.
It’s been 20 years since the Baseball Writers' Association of America has elected a left fielder into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The 2009 ballot that was released Monday features some prominent left fielders who may very well end that drought. For Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice, there is a case of the first and the last. Henderson is among 10 newcomers to the Hall of Fame ballot. Rice, one of the 13 holdovers from the 2008 ballot, is getting his final opportunity for election by the writers.
There is no question that Henderson, not only deserves but, will be inducted into Cooperstown in 2009. But for one Hall of Fame hopeful, the annual debates begin again.
Jack Morris spent fourteen of his eighteen seasons with the Detroit Tigers. However, he was still able to pick up three World Championship rings on three different teams: the Tigers in 1984, the Twins in 1991, and the Blue Jays in 1992. And despite an illustrious career, that included Morris becoming the winningest pitcher in the Major Leagues during the decade of the 1980’s, plus throwing a no-hitter, 5 All Star appearances, and being named a World Series MVP, he has been unsuccessful in gaining enough votes to win Baseball’s highest honor.
To this life long fan of the game ... it’s a no brainer! The numbers speak for themselves:
World Series MVP; 5 All-Star Appearances; Received MVP votes in 5 seasons; Received Cy Young votes in 7 seasons.
Top Ten Finishes:
Wins - 12 Times (Led league in ‘81 & ‘92); ERA - Five Times; Strikeouts - 8 Times (Led league ‘83); Innings - 9 Times (Led league in ‘83); Starts - 11 Times (Led league in ‘90 & ‘91); Complete Games - 10 Times (Led league in ‘90); Shutouts - 8 Times (Led league in ‘86); Winning Percentage - 5 Times.
All these great statistics aside … for me, it comes down to one memorable night in 1991 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minnesota … in what many consider to be, the greatest post season performance of the modern era. It was Sunday, October 27, 1991, Game 7 of the World Series. Jack Morris of the Minnesota Twins vs. John Smoltz of the Atlanta Braves.
The pitching duel lived up to the hype, with neither team scoring through the first seven innings. But in the top of the eighth inning, the Braves mounted a challenge. With veteran speedster Lonnie Smith on first base and 1991 National League Batting MVP Terry Pendleton at the plate, Braves skipper Bobby Cox called for the hit-and-run. Pendleton drove the ball into the gap for a double. Smith hesitated while rounding second base, however, and ended up on third instead of scoring.
Morris then settled down and worked out of the jam, getting the final two outs as Atlanta first baseman Sid Bream grounded into a double play, stranding Smith on third in what turned out to be a huge missed opportunity by Atlanta.
Smoltz was removed from the game in the bottom of the eighth inning after scattering just six hits and striking out four, and more importantly, keeping the score knotted at 0-0.
Morris soldiered on as the game remained scoreless through the ninth. As the game entered the top of the tenth inning (which was the third game of the Series to reach extra innings), Jack Morris returned to the mound and set the Braves down in order. The 18-game winner had now thrown, unbelievably, 10 innings without giving up a run. But he'd thrown 126 pitches on just three days rest. The odds of him continuing for an 11th frame were mighty slim.
He wouldn't need to. In the bottom half of the tenth inning, Twins' left fielder Dan Gladden doubled off Atlanta reliever Alejandro Pena to lead off the inning. American League Rookie of the Year Chuck Knoblauch then bunted Gladden over to third. Bobby Cox then moved the outfielders in, hoping that they could field a short fly ball and throw out Gladden if he tried to tag up. But pinch-hitter Gene Larkin launched a shot over the drawn-in outfield. Gladden jogged home and jumped on the plate as he was stormed by his teammates.
The game and the Series were over. The Twins had won the World Championship and Jack Morris had completed his second win of the series, with a 10 Inning shutout. A masterpiece of Herculean proportions.
That’s the stuff that legends are made of. Although it is merely one reason that Morris belongs in the Hall of Fame, as documented above, the career speaks for itself.
Gone are the days of 300 win careers. With five-man rotations, pitchers just won’t start enough games to reach that plateau anymore. If the voters can’t look past Morris not reaching that mark, maybe they need to realize that starting pitching, in the future, will go the way of the dinosaur in terms of the Hall of Fame. There has to be more to it than just a magic (300) number. If someone is a top five pitcher for over a ten year period, with a history of big games in the postseason, and the winningest pitcher in the 1980s, with unmatched durability ... if he just happened to be from an east coast team (i.e.: Yankees or Red Sox), the Chicago White Sox, Cubs, or the L.A. Dodger, he would most certainly had already been enshrined.
If you think that picture is a bit scary ... and in the spirit of humor as we make the turn into the home stretch at Christmas Time ... then you should find it truly amazing regarding all of the interesting things you’ll learn, when you have your own son(s) ,,, like the following:
1.) A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq ft house 4 in. deep.
2.) If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.
3.) A 3-year old Boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.
4.) If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound Boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 ft. room.
5.) You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.
6.) The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.
7.) When you hear the toilet flush and the words 'uh oh', it's already too late.
8.) Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke. Lots of it.
9.) A six-year old Boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36- year old Man says they can only do it in the movies.
10.) Certain Lego's will pass through the digestive tract of a 4-year old Boy.
11.) Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.
12.) Super glue is forever.
13.) No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water.
14.) Pool filters do not like Jell-O.
15.) VCR's do not eject 'PB&J' sandwiches even tho TV commercials show they do.
16.) Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.
17.) Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.
18.) You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.
19.) Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens.
20.) The fire department in Detroit, Michigan has a 5 minute response time.
21.) The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.
22.) It will, however, make cats dizzy.
23.) Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.
24.) 80% of Women will link this to all of their friends, with or without kids.
25.) 80% of Men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid.
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Lennon continues to be mourned throughout the world and has been the subject of numerous books, movies, memorials and tributes. Principal among these is New York City's Strawberry Fields, a memorial garden area in Central Park across the street from the Dakota building. Shortly after Lennon's death Ono donated $1 million for the memorial's maintenance. It has become a gathering place for tributes on Lennon's birthday and on the anniversary of his death, as well as at other times of mourning, such as after the September 11th attacks.
In early May 1945, while the most famous of the B-29 Bombers, was being testing and prepared for its maiden voyage to North Field, Tinian, in the Pacific, Tech. Sgt. Grieve, along with seven others, was originally named to the crew of this historic plane.
