Vick is obviously a fine figure of a man. Wealthy, in excellent shape, very capable at his chosen profession. Is that the definiton of a “man”? Perhaps I am rationalizing. I am not an athlete, certainly not wealthy (retired private school science teacher), was good at my profession but nothing like Vick’s capability.

In my formative years, the role model that I remember is the man in the white hat. A dusty West Texas street. Two men face each other. The one in the white hat, the good guy with God on his side, had certain rules. He did not slap leather first (like the U.S. did in Iraq). Earned every penny he had through good honest work. He did not lie nor cheat nor steal nor tolerate those that do (the Honor Code). Did not allow abuse of any critters – the handicaped helper at the corral, the drunk at the saloon, the filthy cur sleeping by the porch, the uncooperative mule, the bronco refusing to be ridden, the squatter down by the creek.

A lot of the news anecdotes paint Michael as a pretty decent guy. Do not know that much about them but he seems better than his brother, Marcus (Google Marcus Vick). But then, Michael lied to the Falcons and the NFL. And the things he and his buddies did to those dogs. That does not fit into my definiton of a real man.

How much do these things weigh in the balance against his accomplishments? There is the possibility that Vick will go to jail and his football career has gotten a real setback. The endorsements have probably gone forever. The news this morning said that number 7 jerseys that used to sell like hotcakes are now being used as bedding and rags at the Atlanta animal shelter (how is that for justice?) It does seem that God is not on Michael Vick’s side.

The five year old son of a black (Is that the politically correct indentifier? Why do we have to be so careful?) good friend mentioned the accomplishments of George Washington Carver. I asked about George Washington but he had never heard of him. He knew of Martin Luther King but not Abraham Lincoln. There was not a chance to discuss it but it has been in my thoughts. They had obviously been going over famous black men. All well and good. I learned about famous Virginians (transplanted here) and Pennsylvanians (grew up there). But we did Washington, Lincoln, etc. first. Their accomplishments and place in our history are so very great. Carver and King are also famous and accomplished and all kids need to learn about them. But Washington is the Father of Our Country and did so many great things that affect our everyday existence and kids should learn about him first. Likewise, the greatest contributor to emancipation of African-Americans is Lincoln.

Now, is this racism? A little iffy.There is certainly nothing wrong with learning about your heritage or your selection of people who are admirable. Christians should admire good Christian heroes. And Virginians admirable Virginians (and there are so many of those.). Etc. But there should be some priorities, too. First things first. We are all in this together. And choosing one race to eliminate others is …… well ….. racism. And selecting because of race rather than accomplishment is …..? The basic racist mindset that is taught to our next generation, blatant or hidden, can not bode us well.

One news event that was definitely blatant was the reaction of some black ministers to the Vick dog fighting story. Maybe it is because the local Hampton Roads news has had considerable detail about the story and that Vick’s involvement is a baseball bat to the forehead. And the story is really horrible. To these ministers, it is not Vick’s guilt or innocence, it is about his race. To make it even worse, those ministers are using racism to forward their own financial and political interests. From one side of their mouths comes accusations of others racism while from the other side comes statements like this.

We are all tribal creatures. See my previous entry. And there is that basic animal reaction that “my tribe is better than yours!”. And that is very much a good thing for us human beans. As is sex, accumulating wealth, etc. But we need to use our cerebral abilities to control these instincts. Our strength is our ability to use our God-given fantastic brains and our God-given honed-over-millions-of-years animal drives. And we need our tribe to be global. Times are rough and we need all of us to work together.

My problem with the episode this past Sunday is that it started out with what must be the most important issue, abortion. Why that, George? Coverage today (Monday) mentioned only that and Romney’s Mormonism.

With so many problems that need to be dealt with in the United States and the world, why is abortion the pivotal issue? I agree that it is significant. But I also know that even if a candidate is pro-women’s-right, he or she is not really advocating killing or death, like in attacking another sovreign nation. I consider myself against any form of abortion but I do not march in demonstrations. Should one of my daughters tell me that she wants one, I would express myself even if it meant that I, at 71, would have to take the child with all that it involves. But would I vote based on that? How about health care, education, corruption, international relations, war? Is this another case of righteousness (see #10 in my previous entry)? Are we having to get another idiot President because a group of U.S. Citizens is trying to be superior than everyone else because they are going to Heaven and the rest of us are not?

It certainly does not bother me to have a Mormon as a President of our melting pot nation, either. I might worry about an anarchist or a complete nonbeliever-in-any-beliefs. But a Catholic or a Mormon or even a Muslim as long as their religion is not going to be shoved down my throat or control policies and decisions. Romney seems to be relatively honest and wise for a politician (an oxymoron?). If that is because of his religious beliefs, well done to him.But for his Mormonism to be a deciding factor? Once again, a tribe amongst us Americans is trying to be better than the rest of us ’cause they are going to Heaven and we are not.

1. TV ads that are obnoxious, are repeated over and over, and are obviously just after our hard earned cash. The ones for Head On and its derivatives are the most obvious but most ads fit into this category. Head On has no active ingredients. It is purely the placebo effect. And the numerous ads just snow ball the whole thing. Plus be so irritating that the button to go to another station gets pushed.

2. TV ads for prescription medicine and for legal services. I fail to understand why someone would ask a doctor to prescribe something when the doctor has not diagnosed the problem and determined what is needed. Also fail to understand why the millions for these numerous ads are not used for research and for cost reduction. And isn’t there already too much suing? Why provoke more and run up medical cost even more? And why provoke the get-something-for-nothing attitude that seems so prevalent? Lawyers and pharmaceutical companies ought to be above this.

3. Political candidates that blatently are using the win-at-any-cost campaign. I remember the quote “The end justifies the means”. I think it came from Adoph Hitler. Spin doctors and political hit squads. Hillary seems the most obvious. A real nasty campaigner and a political killer. And then there is Dick! What is wrong with candidates expressing what they do that is good? And being straightforward and honest?

4. Dogs that bark incessantly. Not that they bother me so much as make me feel sorry for an animal that is basically unhappy all day and night. The dog is trying to tell their owners something.

5. Competitive drivers. I always drive 5 mph over the speed limit. Mostly because I am cheap and know that wind resistance increases exponentially using up lots of gas. All the beamers and benz’s come zooming up behind me and swirl around like I was holding them up or something. And all they really want to do is get ahead of me and everyone else. All to get to the finish line a couple of minutes sooner. I am glad I am confident in my masculinity.

6. Wiregrass. I know it is smarter and meaner than I am. On purpose and because it hates me, it grows under the hardware cloth, under the geraniums, the pinks, the phlox, everywhere I can not get at it and where the weed killer can not be used.

7. Politicians, wantabes, etc., who use racism for their own benefit. Like in the Vick dog fighting stuff. And like in the OJ case. Anything that comes up that can be manipulated for personal gain.

8. Chili, pizza, anything that is not spicy and hot.

9. People who cut in line.

10. Anyone who thinks they are righteous. Especially those associated with those businesses (churches) which dispense righteousness.

11. All of those who can come up with more than ten good ones when I can only think of that many.

 A couple of my blog entries have been about some of my favorite things. Like our Grand Marquis and my family. Another of my favorite things is my Neuton lawn mower. A Neuton is a battery powered mower (http://www.drpower.com/TwoStepCategory.aspx?Name=NeutonMower2Step). It is quiet, starts right up, easy to push, environmetally friendly, needs no gasoline or oil, etc.

They say it is for smaller yards. My yard is about a half acre. I just mow it in three sessions. The front one day, the side the next, then the back. It takes me between a half hour and forty-five minutes each session. Not because of the battery but because I run out of steam. Even on the hottest days, I can do that much. And one of the joys of retirement is that I can mow any day I want, any time I want. Early in the morning if I want ’cause it is so quiet. And the Neuton is never hard to start or get going. Just unplug the charger and push the button. I like to collect the clippings and use them for ground cover. It comes with a catcher so another plus.

Of course, there are things that could be better. Wet and tall, course grass needs some special attention. The blade and mower bed is not very wide. And, after about four summers, the battery needs replacing to the tune of about eighty bucks. I thought my latest one was going bad after just one year but found an electrode that needs cleaning. I can do that and I am a clutz. Fixing gasoline engines is a much different matter. I fixed the Neuton without any bad words and with just a fifteen dollar voltmeter from Ace Hardware and a bit of sand paper found lying on the floor of my shed. Tells you something about my cleanliness and storage system. But it works just fine.

Check out the Neuton. It certainly works for me.

In pre-revolution France, of course, it was the monarchial system that kept ordinary people in subjection. In turn of the century, it was the barons of industry who profitted from the misery of the working class. In the time between the two situations, the situation for a vast majority of humanity had not changed a whole lot. Filth and abject misery.

And here we are in 2007. We most surely do not have the conditions that those two movies displayed. Us ordinary folks have it pretty good in comparison. When folks in the future look back on us, what will they say about our situation? Will it come out that big business still has us under subjection? Has governmental corruption and misdirection done to us what royalty used to? Will the genocides and the religious fanaticism be the topics that they make movies about then?

That brought thoughts which have come to me often. So many great unrequited or lonely love songs. “Yesterday”, “He Stopped Loving Her Today”, “La Boheme”, do this also. So many. And my thought is how wonderful it is to have, and still have after fifty years, a really good love affair. How many times I have thanked my lucky stars, having grown up in the good old days, my parents, God, all those things which came together to make this come to pass and to continue. In my list of successes and failures, this and our family stand well at the tip of the very short successes side.

At a wedding back in the summer of ’58, a few weeks after my graduation from the Naval Academy, I was a sword at a local classmate’s wedding. At a rehearsal dinner at Army Navy Country Club, I looked up the stairs at one of the bridesmaids and it was truly love at first sight. My God, what a beauty she was and is. Three weeks and four days later, we were married (my ship was about to go to sea). How and why this came about is a mystery. All of it was really done in a fog and completely without any cerebral activity. Somebody was watching out for me. Of course, it helped that back then, if you wanted to “do it” with a nice girl, you got married. And how much I wanted her.

And it worked. Forty nine years later and five splendid children. Lots of love, hard work, prayer, everything it takes to make it come to pass. Not a great love story but certainly a good one. Not that it is an example of how this is the way things ought to be. But I am glad mine went the way it did. Most certainly something to be thankful for.

 A couple of thoughts that came together today. I was reading the July issue of National Geographic. The cover story is on malaria. And what a terrifying disease it is. Everyone should read it. One half of all of the people who have ever lived died of malaria. In the Pacific war in World War II, there were more casualties from malaria than from combat. A million Union soldiers died of it in the Civil War. It killed Alexander and ended his empire. In Zambia today, the malaria rate in under five year olds is 135% – a lot of the kids get infected more than once. Unimagineable loss and suffering, not just in times past but in the 21^st Century!.

With this plus all of the other onslaughts that Mother Nature has given us, it is a wonder we survived at all, much less had the energy and health to develop our modern civilization. One of my favorite books is Blood, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. Read it a number of years ago and still think about it a lot. Something else every one should read. It is about the civilizations that thrived and spread and why. One of the main weapons Europeans had in their overthrow of the American civilizations was the diseases they brought, especially smallpox and measles. What a factor malaria must have been in shaping the directions that have ended up with the civilization we have today. Sometime I would like to read a good scientific and anthropological study of malaria and its impact on civilization. If we did not have to spend so much time, energy, so many lives given to malaria, where could we have been by 2007? And why is it not controlled in 2007? More than a million die of it each year A self defeating impasse in which the countries hit by it are are so debilitated that they can not develop the means to help themselves.

And why have we not evolved a better natural defense other than sickle cell? But wait, we have. It is called technology. We have just not evolved the common sense to put our time and effort into saving millions of lives.

 Today is, en France, mais oui, Bastille Day. I have had my tricolor out front for a few days in commenoration. Not that I am in particular a francophile, but because I spent a few months teaching in Provence. So this is for the nice folks in Garbejaire, Sophia Antipolis, Antibbes. Also for Lafayette (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_du_Motier%2C_marquis_de_La_Fayette) and De Grasse (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Joseph_Paul%2C_marquis_de_Grasetilly%2C_comte_de_Grasse). True, France helped us a lot in our Revolution – something to be very grateful for – but they did it for their own benefit, not out of the generosity of their souls.

Bastille Day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastille) should bring on many thoughts about democracy and the long hard road to it. Especially these days when Iraq and Russia are working out their versions of it.

Our Revolution brought about our Articles of Confederation. How close it was that those could have caused democracy to come crashing down in massive civil unrest or a military overthrow. Those great men who had the wisdom to set that fledgling nation on the right track and get us through to the Constitution. And the great men who got us through our War for States Rights, should that be the War to Restore the Articles of Confederation? Decades of conflict.

The British democracy definitely went through a lot of trauma and lives in the road from the 7^th century Anglo-saxon Witenagemot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witenagemot), the Curia Regis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curia_Regis) that William brought with him in 1066 and Magna Carta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta) in 1215, through Parliament (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament) in 1295, 18^th century prime ministers, to a 20^th century consitutional monarchy. Centuries of conflict.

Russia’s revolution in 1918 and the road to their still struggling democracy certainly set off decades of trauma and at a cost of millions of lives.

Bastille Day and the France’s Revolution (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution) really redid the history of Europe. “These changes were accompanied by violent turmoil, including executions and repression during the Reign of Terror, and warfare involving every other European power. Subsequent events caused by the revolution include the Napoleonic Wars, the restoration of the monarchy, and two additional revolutions as modern France took shape. Over the next 75 years, France would be governed, variously, as a republic, a dictatorship, a constitutional monarchy, and two different empires before 1900.”

And now, in the 21^st Century, a revolution in Iraq, caused by us, is supposed to establish a democracy in a few months. In a country with no culture to support the concept and built in civil unrest. Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it. And this struggle for democracy has the ability to involve not just the region but us and much of the rest of the world.