Market Mania

The Dow marched past 13,000 today. This is quite a feat especially when you consider that only a couple of months ago the Dow took a one day 400 point plunge. I've often felt like that many market milestones are an excellent proof of mass psychosis. A bunch of fat old goats circle the old watering hole, taking their alcoholic gastritis out for a ride, and the talk turns to how close we are to the next mile marker (13,000). The next thing you know the market herd goes thundering past it. Tomorrow there will be a fair amount of back patting and self congratulation. Then some number will come out that reminds us the market is based on actual economic fact, and common sense and reality will return. As a capitalist from way back, I'm delighted to see the markets progress no matter the cause.

Loftin Staying In Orange!

WBIR is reporting that Chris Lofton will be retuning for his Sr. year! Bert Bertelkamp will have a lot to hollow about this year. Sweet! Money!

A Day That Will Almost Live in Infamy!

On this day in 1985 my life changed forever, for on that day Coca Cola changed its formula, and I became a Diet Coke drinker. I can still remember that horrid taste. (He shudders as he types.)

Boris is Dead

Boris Yeltsin is dead. He seems to be remember more fondly than I would have imagined. The Economist has a good piece on the Russian catalyst.

Vintage Vinyl

One of my former youth group members, Russell Smith, is now a DJ on Knoxville radio station 105.3 WFIV. He's got a great show on Sunday nights Vintage Vinyl. For a man of such few years, his taste and knowledge of good rock and roll is incredible. Give him a listen.

Trying to make Imus look good?

Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin have heaped abuse upon their daughter that would make even Drew Barrymore flinch. While Alec was ripping his "rude little pig" a new one, Kim was making sure that her daughter got to share her pain with the entire planet for all eternity. What was previously believed impossible by the thinking world, Baldsinger has accomplished in one brief instant - they made Don Imus and Mel Gibson look not quite so bad.

It's one thing to hurl despicable comments at some vague mass or group of unknown strangers, but its something completely different to rip the heart out of a little girl that you know and supposedly love just so her pain might be used as a weapon in a divorce.

In the words of Gomer Pyle "Shame shame shame shame shame!"

Just say "Yes, Dear"

After you read this, don't go waving it in your wife's face. Being right is rarely worth having to sleep outside. Repeat after me - Yes, dear.

Playing Games with Massacre

Yesterday's tragedy at Virginia Tech is still fresh on the hearts and minds of us all. With a daughter who is a college freshman, this horror sent an especially unpleasant chill down my spine. Sadly, these events seem to bring from the woodwork people who are willing to use death for political gain. Almost before the echos of the last gunshot faded away, various lobbyists, politicians, political action group lunatics begin posturing to leverage the death of these innocent people for their own purpose.

Gun control, media violence, and immigration are all on the table. Political cockroaches of all stripes will attempt to use these unfortunate dead as martyrs for their cause. While these issues are all important and should be given thoughtful debate and review, I hope that we can maintain respect for those whose lives were lost and their families, and squash all those who seek to play games with massacre.

Duke President Responds

Shortly after North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper tagged the Duke Rape case as "a tragic rush to accuse" Duke University President Richard H. Brodhead issued this statement:

"Hey, did you hear about that Imus guy? What a dick!"

Following the president's statement 88 Duke University professors jointly issued the following statement:

"Don Imus is a social disaster....and a dick!"

Durham District Attorney and life long Democrat Mike Nifong could not be reached for comment. According to his office, he was on his way to Pascataway, New Jersey to charge Don Imus with being a dick in front of black people. Nifong's office denied that he is simply trying to garner African American votes.

Diddy, Ice-T, Ludacris and 50 Cent issued a joint statement "We gonna kill that mutha#@*#ing cracker! Ain't nobody dis our ho's!"

Al Gore released a statement claiming that issuing statements is a contributing factor in global warming.

President Bush was said to be considering invading the Imus Ranch in an effort to locate weapons of mass destruction.

What did Don Imus say?

"My goal is to goad people into saying something that ruins their life. "

(He really did say that!)

Life well lived

Forgive me father, for I have sinned. According to Technorati it has been 55 days since my last post. Like my good friend Barry I have had difficulty lately finding the motivation to post. Barry laments a life that he fears may be boring, but having known Barry and the Swiss family Wallace since 1994, I find it more inspiring than boring. I have watched Barry grow as a husband, as a father, as a musician, as a Christian, as someone who loves his work, as an artist, and simply as a man. The cool thing about Barry's blog is watching him simply enjoy the things and people he loves.

A few days ago a long time family friend, Hugh Willson, passed away. Cousin Hugh was my father's mentor, my Papaw's fishing buddy, and a man who loved his family and community. As his son Paul mentioned at his father's funeral, Hugh was known to introduce himself as "a national banker, a farmer, a Southern Baptist, and a Democrat!" He found the things that he loved, and lived to love them.

Watching a man's life I expect is much like watching a tree grow. Watched on virtually any given day there is nothing at all to see, but viewed over time one is amazed at the miracle of its transformation, and the gifts it has grown to provide. Like any tree, a man's life becomes spectacular when it points to the awesome wonder of the one created it.

Move over Lord Byron

From time to time I come across something created by one of my children that just blows me away. Each of the kids has produced a song, a photograph, or a drawing that has displayed a talent I can't explain and am overwhelmed by. Now unlike other parents who might somehow overestimate the talent of their children, or boast and brag about even the slightest accomplishment, I've never been accused of such hyperbole.

The other day I came across a poem written by Clara Grace, and felt sure this was the germination of greatness. The poem talked of love and the angst of not being certain one is loved. I knew right away that one day, and one day soon, she would take her place along side the greats like Yeats, Byron, Keats, Blake, and dear Ole' Uncle Walt.

I went to her to ask what torments of a nine year old heart could bring about such profound languish and suffering. She informed me that it was not a poem at all but rather a song. What or who had been her muse I inquired. Turns out she was trying to right a song like the one she saw on the Naked Brothers Band.

Apparently Byron may be safe a bit longer.

Show Offs!

I hate when people show off. Not only is it rude, it points to the shallowness and insecurity of those doing the bragging. I got my quarterly high school magazine the other day, and sure enough, two such glory hounds had to tell us of their latest accomplishments.

Jamy Wheless was a year behind me and a hack artist at best. A couple of lucky breaks, a chance opportunity to wash George Lucas' car, and bam! he takes his talent for stick figures, and a Cray computer and becomes the lead animator for Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, and The Chronicles of Narnia, among others. I bet the dude roams around Hollywood wearing an ascot.

Then there's Bill Dedman. Bill recently joined MSNBC. Somewhere along the way he found a Pulitzer Prize laying around and claimed it for his own. I bet he hangs out in bars with Keith Olberman trying to pick up wonkettes using words like gravitas, and politico.

Unlike these two who are trying to take more than their allotted fifteen minutes of fame, I have more compassion for my fellow human being. My concern for my co-inhabitants of the planet has allowed me to place the protection of my brother's self-esteem above any petty glory I might achieve for myself. I have forsaken Oscars, Pulitzers, and even a Noble Prize or two so those around me won't feel bad about themselves. I'm just a giver that way.

Now Jamy and Dedman couldn't pick me out of a lineup, but if I do run into them I'll remind them that nobody likes a showoff.

Class Leads to Class

Today we saw two men, inspired by champions, who followed the examples they had seen to become champions. Tony Dungy has often pointed to Eddie Robinson as the man who not only opened the door for him to be a head coach in the NFL, but also the man who illuminated the path.

Peyton has turned being "Archie's boy" from something that most have viewed as pressure, instead into the foundation for his success.

Class leads to class, and Tony and Peyton have shown us class leads to sucess.

Congratulations to them both and all those in the Colts organization.

Do it for Johnny U!

Even better, do it for Art Donovan!

Colts 38 Bears 21

Thank God they didn't name him Nimrod!

The Knoxville News-Sentinel set out the call and got almost 50 kids together that were named after Peyton Manning. Peyton's family is known to be one familiar with the Bible, and all I could think was thank God they didn't give him an Old Testament name.

Not surprisingly many are already setting Peyton up to be a loser. According to Jim Rome and other talk radio shows, Peyton not only has to win, but win in "Manning like fashion" in order to truly win. Remember, these are the same folks that gave Charles Woodson the Heisman.

What those of us who have followed Peyton since 1994 already know is that no matter the outcome of the game, Peyton is a winner. The reason so many young men and women have been named after him is not his arm, but rather his heart. I hope and pray that come Sunday Peyton earns a championship ring to go on one of the fingers attached to his golden arm. But no matter the Super Bowl's outcome, Peyton has already shown us what the definition of a winner is on and off the field.

Go Colts!

Snow Angel

This was today's only snow angel. The four inches of snow we were suppose to get turned out to be just an inch. No snowmen or sledding, but at least we got a daddy/Gracie day to eat waffles and hot chocolate, and watch Narnia and other movies. Gracie didn't get to make any snow angels, but I got to watch one.

Politicos reveal Stupidity

Yesterday, Scott Barker at the Knoxville News-Sentinel had a great piece about Knox County Commission's secret meetings in appointing the new county officers. After all fuss and expense to get us to this point, our great representatives decide to knowingly violate the state's open meeting law. Within a few hours of the votes, Knoxville attorney Herb Moncier had filed suit stating that the appointments weren't valid. Here we go again, and the tax payers get to shell out thousands of dollars to lawyers to sort out the mess. The commissioners themselves should be forced to pay any legal fees resulting from their stupidity. Too bad we can't just impeach the whole bunch for being idiots.

So how long have you been a black quarterback?

Sports Illustrated has a great piece on the dumbest questions asked during all the Super Bowl hype. While Doug Williams wasn't actually asked how long he had been a black QB, the Super Bowl does seem to bring out sports writer's best stupidity.

Free to Choose

PBS is running a documentary on Milton Friedman. He died this past year, and remains my favorite economist. (Oh my God! I have a favorite economist?) He is also one of the inspirations for one of my favorite blogs, the Chicago Boyz. This isn't PBS's first experience with Professor Friedman. For many years he hosted a show on PBS, Free to Choose.

Achievement

Our family is filled with GSD (Genetic Spelling Defick). It has gotten so bad that the entire lot of us spell Wilson with 2 L's - Willson. Though not curable, it can be managed, and I've been working hard with Clara Grace to overcome her GSD. With an N on her last report card, we set out to improve, and today she got her first 100. She was so excited! You would have thought she had won the Super Bowl. I'm very proud of her. Her achievement has inspired me to try to achieve some of my goals like posting at least six times a week. I've got a whole bunch of excuses for not posting in the last month and some of them are even reasonable, but I have a great example in my Gracie woman so I'm going to try to be like her.