Safe Haven

The weather has been scary the past few hours here in St. Louis. Thunder I have never liked, as I am easily startled. I played some poker, (badly) read some politics, and just sat around. I should pray, or read the Bible. We’ll see if I actually do this. I am hopeful that the Cardinals do not suffer another soul-crushing defeat like last night; 10-9 to the Washington Nationals they fell, on a sudden two-run homer from Elijah Dukes. And that after clawing back into the game down 7-0, capped by a Joe Mather home run (good on ya, rookie) to make it 9-8 Cards in the top of that same 10th inning. I feel for poor Ryan Franklin. It wasn’t that bad a pitch, from what I could tell, and it was a fastball with something on it, you might say. Dukes hit it to straightaway center; it was not a “Crawford box” (let the reader understand) shot by any stretch. The boys need to put it out of their minds before tonight’s contest, a series-opening game against the hated Astros in Houston. My grudging respe...

Brief thoughts on McCain's speech: The delivery was horrid. Bush on his worst day is better than this. But ignoring the juvenile 'gotcha' games so beloved by uneducated opponents of President Bush, which are given occasion by his well-known verbal inacuity, I'd say it was pretty good speech by McCain. Though he demonstrated he is no movement conservative, he will find plenty of opportunity to punch holes in Obama's statist dreams. He gave an able defense of non-withdrawal in Iraq (whether persuasive or not) and gave a decent critique of "big government" and our attendant loss of freedom. I must be a genius, because McCain pointedly emphasized the oldness of the proposals coming from the young Senator. I am skeptical of McCain's commitment to lower tariffs, taxes, and regulations, but at least we know that Obama will either ruin our economy, or lie to his own base (if he has any sense, that is).

Update: I have now watched McCain’s address from last night. More thoughts to follow…

Barack Obama gave another soaring speech last night in claiming the Democratic nomination, as we have come to expect. Whatever you think of him, I think he’s proven that his prepared speeches are must-see TV. I actually didn’t watch John McCain’s speech; I did see Senator Clinton’s. But I digress. Indeed, after the “shock and awe” of an Obama speech, after the emotion fades, several questions are going to be asked and criticisms leveled. Such as those articulated by Karl Rove, asking whether Obama had the ability to “make” oil companies use their profits in the way he wants (to say nothing of the morality/constitutionality of such a move), and whether it was possible to provide healthcare to every American. (And there remains that same moral/constitutional question, which deserves an excursus) [Sidebar: The means of arriving at a desired good, and the opportunity costs of the various means, are exactly at issue in politics. Obama ought not expect that his opponents simply lack in comp...

Who might Babyface vote for in this election? I could guess, but that would be slightly unfair to Mr. Edmonds. Anyway, before you dismiss the question [yeah, this is a shallow exercise that cheapens politics and the political process.—ed.] consider 1) how truly awesome Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds’s music truly is [sorry, couldn’t help myself!], and 2) what the pop culture sensibilities of our presidents might say about their relation to us. For example, President Bush’s favorite TV show is Baseball Tonight . I’d be lying if I said that factoid had no impact upon how I view him. (And that’s why they tell us those things, surely) It is almost beyond question that we care about such things, despite our claims to make decisions on “the issues.” Al Gore lost in 2000 essentially as the incumbent, in a robust economy, in a time of peace, because we just didn’t like him. Though it was extremely close, the “With whom would you hang out?” polls were very telling. And they’ll be telling again, I’...

Karen Carpenter “O for a thousand tongues to sing…” But yours is silent. We mourn again, Even those who are young, Because there is no glory in death. The songs now are knives to us. We are reminded There is no glory in death, And you will not sing for us In the land of the living. Even now, I hope Through the pain. Hope in the Resurrection. I wonder aloud: Will you sing for Him again?