Odds & Sods

So little to talk about with so much time. Wait, strike that reverse it. Yes, I never get tired of Willie Wonka.

NEWS
I am not for a complete pullout, but I am also not for "staying the course." There has to be a different strategy in Iraq, which I have wanted to see for quite a while. President Bush is meeting with his top generals this weekend and I am eagerly anticipating what, if anything, comes out of it. October has been one of the deadliest months for the troops in Iraq. Something has to change and right now it is very important for all those who are in power to work together to come up with a solution that makes sense. The time for finger pointing should be over. To read more about our brave men and women serving in Iraq you can click on this website below:

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/

The Islamic Courts, now in charge of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, has banned women from swimming at the local beach. This story was just a little blurb in many newspapers, but I believe this should be headline news. OK I can hear some people saying that no newsroom in the country would take me seriously, that's fine. But certainly the talking heads on television can find time to talk about this. Some people think that since Somalia is on the other side of the world that it is inconsequential. However, I recall a New York politician once saying, "If it happens in Mount Vernon, stop it. Because if you don't it will come to Scarsdale."

His point being that left unchecked the rich are not immune to adverse problems or being oppressed. I really don't think that the world has really grasped the problem of Islamic extremism. I am sick of hearing people saying how popular the US was after 9/11. I recall many people around the world celebrating the attacks on America, and I am not just talking about those in the Middle East or their descendants.

So if the Dems take back Congress or at least the House, do you feel safer with Nancy Pelosi and Charles Rangel having more congressional power? I don't. UBL and company must be salivating at the prospect. This is not a scare tactic, but I believe to be the truth, that the policies of those on the left leave this country more vulnerable for an attack.

So the Democrats are against wire tapping of terrorists, against Iraq, they say Afghanistan is a failure, etc. etc. Just wondering, they support our troops how? They support the War On Terror how?

SPORTS
Supposedly this was the year that we would once again see the Mets and Yankees in the World Series. The guys who love to slam the phone down on people guaranteed it. There was no way that Detroit could beat the Yankees. How dare anyone even question the "phone slammers." So much for guarantees...

By the way I like Detroit in seven!

I wonder if Tiki Barber is trying to get his team more focused then they have been. Perhaps that is why he found it necessary to announce that he was "leaning towards retirement" at season's end. I hope it works...

MUSIC
Montgomery Delaney & The Itchy Nipple Band will be performing Wednesday night at Vintage, 171 Main Street, White Plains N.Y. 10601 beginning at 7:30 p.m. The debut of The Itchy Nipple Band.

Delaney is very talented and his new CD is definitely worth a listen.

BOOKS
I have recently finished Blood and Gold by Anne Rice and am zipping through Blood Canticle, the final book in the Vampire Chronicles. I am looking forward to reading the paperback version of Christ The Lord, Out Of Egypt which is due out November 1.

According to Rice's website, this new introduction will appear in the paperback edition of the book: This book seeks to present a realistic fictional portrait of Our Lord in Time. It is rooted in the faith that the Creator of the Universe became human in the person of Jesus Christ and “dwelt among us.” The magnificent mystery of the Incarnation is accepted and affirmed as fact. Scripture is the inspiration for the emotions and powers of the Child Jesus as they are envisioned here. History as well as the gospels is the source for this picture of a world in which Our Lord might have lived, as a little boy, in war and in peace, from day to day.

I really think her writing is incredible and is guaranteed to improve one's vocabulary. I am always amazed at how Rice blends fiction with history and weaves it into a literary work of art.
Rice is a true genius in our time.

Cheers!