It's About Damn Time, al-Maliki

Iraq's PM finally came to the blatantly obvious conclusion that anyone with eyes could see: namely, that Shiite radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's militia forces were mostly made up of sectarian death squads committing mass murder, mostly against Sunnis. Not that I don't understand the Shiite desire for revenge after decades of brutal oppression by the Sunnis under Saddam (and there were probably some really bad Sunnis taken out by the death squads too), but if there is to be a multi-ethnic society in Iraq based on order and the rule of law, such killings just can't be allowed to happen. I don't know why it took President Bush so long to tell him to quit protecting this terrorist and his band of killers or else we'd leave him to the tender mercies of the Sunni inurgents/terrorists, but thankfully it finally happened late last year. Now, maybe we can get down to the important business of wiping out the killers and terrorists of every stripe, building up the army and police forces, and rebuilding Iraq overall. I just hope this hasn't come too late to save Iraq and our mission there.

"BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki decided to drop his protection of the feared Shiite militia of a radical anti-American cleric after U.S. intelligence reports convinced him the armed group was deeply infiltrated by death squads whose actions were isolating him both in the Arab world and among moderate political forces at home, two government officials said on Sunday.

Al-Maliki's turnaround on the Mahdi Army was puzzling because as late as Oct. 31, he had intervened to end a U.S. blockade of Sadr City, the northeast Shiite enclave in Baghdad that is headquarters to the militia. It is held responsible for much of the sectarian bloodshed that has turned the capital into a battle zone over the past year.

Shiite militias began taking revenge after more than two years of incessant bomb and shooting attacks by Sunni insurgents."

Concussions are to the NFL What Steroids Were to MLB

For the longest time, no one would even admit that steroids existed in professional sports, especially baseball...well, at least not until second basemen started hitting 50 home runs a season and the sluggers started looking like Popeye. I don't think the issue of steroids is something the federal government should become involved in, especially with the idea of sending people to prison. The manufacture and use of steroids by private citizens, is, in fact, legal, and until it isn't, no doctor or MLB player should be subjected to jail time over it. The NFL has acted a lot like MLB and the smoking industry (there's no conclusive evidence linking cancer and death to cigarettes) when it comes to the issue of concussions. Football is a violent sport that produces tons of collisions and more than its share of concussions. Some of the men who have played the game have reported depression, decreased mental function, and even brain damage after their playing days. I know it would make for bad PR, but the NFL owes it to the men who played the game and made the sport what it is to at least see what honest, unfiltered scientific data says about the link between conccussions and mental problems suffered by pro football players.

"Sad but true: You didn't have to actually read the comments by the NFL or the doctors on its concussions committee to know how they were going to respond to the Andre Waters case.

In a New York Times story on Thursday, forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu of the University of Pittsburgh says that former NFLer Waters had the brain of an 85-year-old man with signs of Alzheimer's disease before he killed himself on Nov. 20, and that multiple concussions caused or severely worsened Waters' brain damage.

And as usual, you could count on the league and the scientists conducting research for its committee on mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) to channel South Park's Officer Barbrady, who likes to say, "OK, people, move along -­ there's nothing to see here." For years, the NFL has maintained there is no scientific evidence connecting concussions to lasting injuries or brain damage while also asserting that its committee is about to look into the matter. ...

After more than a dozen years of studying concussions, the NFL is -- still -- just getting around to examining the long-term effects of head trauma but still -- still -- refuses to acknowledge the validity of outside research on the subject. As Julian Bailes, chairman of neurosurgery at West Virginia University, told ESPN The Magazine, the MTBI committee "has repeatedly questioned and disagreed with the findings of researchers who didn't come from their own injury group."

What gives?

The explanation is straightforward, if depressing. The NFL has used the work done so far by its concussions committee to justify league practices. And if that research turns out to be flawed, and those practices turn out to be dangerous, the league could face massive liability, financially and legally. ...

As independent research continues to paint a different picture, the NFL is finding itself pushed further and further out on a limb. It's getting harder to deny the assertions of outside doctors and former players that concussions are linked to lasting problems. ...

Yet it also would be difficult for the NFL to turn its back on its own research and admit it has a long-term concussions problem. The league is well-known in legal circles for tenaciously fighting even minor disability claims, and the last thing it wants to face is a flood of lawsuits by athletes who suffered head injuries and kept playing.

"There is the potential for bankrupting the league pension and disability plan if the NFL had to honor claims of disability brought by players who have concussions," says Michael Kaplen, a New York lawyer who specializes in brain injuries.

Some doctors and former players have long suspected that the NFL has always intended to use the MTBI committee's work as a bulwark against just such liability. One of the scientists who reviewed the committee's work for Neurosurgery told ESPN The Magazine: "They're basically trying to prepare a defense for when one of these players sues. ... They are trying to say that what's done in the NFL is OK because in their studies, it doesn't look like bad things are happening from concussions."

But as the concussion committee's studies turn out to be flawed or incomplete and outsiders are linking concussions to serious illness and even death, the NFL is going to need a new strategy. Its same old dismiss-and-wait statement on Andre Waters shows it's still looking for one."

A Glimmer of Hope for Agents Compean and Ramos...?

I've blogged repeatedly about the fates of decorated, veteran Border Patrol agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos, each sentenced to more than a decade in prison for doing their jobs. The government contends they violated the "civil rights" of an illegal immigrant drug smuggler (as if such a thing even exists) by shooting him in an attempt to apprehend him. These men were also denied the opportunity to remain free on bail pending the disposition of their appeal by the trial judge...more than a little ironic in light of their combined almost 30 years of service to their country between them. Hundreds of thousands of citizens have signed petitions asking the President to pardon these men, as have more than 50 legislators. While the pardon may or may not yet happen, it at least appears that the President has heard the uproar. President Bush has at least promised to review the agents' case and consider a pardon. While I am not encouraged given this President's unfortunate and ill-conceived ties to and spinelessness in the face of Mexico, at least there is now some hope for these men. I pray that the President, who once seemed to have a pretty clear idea of what doing the right thing looks like, rediscovers what that means and sends these good men home to their families.

"The Border Patrol or law enforcement have no stronger supporter than me,' Bush said in an interview with an El Paso, Texas, TV station. 'There are standards that need to be met in law enforcement, and according to a jury of their peers, these officers violated some standards.'

The Daily Bulletin obtained a transcript of the interview from the White House.

'On this case, people need to take a hard look at the facts, at the evidence that the jury looked at, as well as a judge. And that's ... I will do the same thing,' Bush said."

What I've Learned

I've learned that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I've learned that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I've learned that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I've learned that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I've learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I've learned that you can keep going long after you can't.

I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I've learned that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I've learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

I've learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I've learned that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I've learned that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.

I've learned - that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.

I've learned that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I've learned - that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

I've learned - that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learned - that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I've learned - that sometimes when my friends fight, I'm forced to choose sides even when I don't want to.

I've learned - that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I've learned - that there are many ways of falling and staying in love.

I've learned - that no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves get farther in life.

I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them, and less to do with how many years you have lived.

I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I've learned that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other; and just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other.

I've learned - that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

I've learned - that it's not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.

I've learned - that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you'd better know something.

I've learned - that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do but to the best you can do.

I've learned - that it's not what happens to people that's important. It's what they do about it.

I've learned - that there are people who love you dearly, but just don't know how to show it.

I've learned - that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance...same goes for true love.

I've learned that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I've learned - that although the word "love" can have many different meanings, it loses value when overly used.

I've learned - that it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people's feelings and standing up for what you believe.

I've learned that two people can look at the same thing and see something totally different.

I've learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I've learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I've learned - that writing, as well as talking, can ease emotional pains.

I've learned - that the paradigm we live in is not all that is offered to us.

I've learned that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I've learned that the people you care about most in life are sometimes taken from you too soon.

With Immigration Law Enforcement Comes Job Opportunities Americans Will Take

The MSM, both parties in Congress, and the illegal alien lobby would have you believe that illegal immigrants are simply doing jobs Americans won't do. If that's so, the how is this even possible? It's because when illegal immigrants are removed from the workforce, employers are required to pay legal American a fair, decent wage along the lines of what the work is actually worth. It might cost corporate America a few pennies here or there, but by American citizens being able to get jobs that pay a decent wage, they can get off the welfare rolls and provide for themselves and their families, saving taxpayers millions and millions of dollars in the long run. Overall, this trickle down effect of enforcing immigration laws decreases the size of government and increases the prosperity of American citizens, both goals worthy of striving for.

"...for local African-Americans, the dramatic appearance of federal agents presented an unexpected opportunity. Crider suddenly raised pay at the plant. An advertisement in the weekly Forest-Blade newspaper blared "Increased Wages" at Crider, starting at $7 to $9 an hour -- more than a dollar above what the company had paid many immigrant workers. The company began offering free transportation from nearby towns and free rooms in a company-owned dormitory near to the plant. For the first time in years, local officials say, Crider aggressively sought workers from the area's state-funded employment office -- a key avenue for low-skilled workers to find jobs. Of 400 candidates sent to Crider -- most of them black -- the plant hired about 200.

Interestingly, there was a lot of friction between these new workers and the Crider management. Two sides to the story, I suppose, but it seems to me that Crider was disappointed to work with actual employees who could demand their rights and speak up and who expect an ice pack when they get injured on the job. It's much easier when your processing plant is staffed by powerless, compliant drones who you can threaten to send back to Mexico and who therefore dare not organize or even gripe."

A Story to Live By

A Story To Live By

by Ann Wells, Los Angeles Times

"My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and
lifted out a tissue-wrapped package. "This," he said, "is not a slip.
This is lingerie." He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip. It
was exquisite; silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The
price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached. "Jan
bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years
ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion. Well,
I guess this is the occasion." He took the slip from me and put it on
the bed with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician. His
hands lingered on the soft material for a moment, then he slammed the
drawer shut and turned to me. "Don't ever save anything for a special
occasion. Every day you're alive is a special occasion."

I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that
followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores
that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane
returning to California from the Midwestern town where my sister's
family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or
heard or done. I thought about the things that she had done without
realizing that they were special. I'm still thinking about his words,
and they've changed my life.

I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting on the deck and admiring
the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden.

I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in
committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of
experience to savor, not endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments
now and cherish them.

I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every
special event-such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the
first camellia blossom.

I wear my good blazer to the market if I feel like it. My theory is if
I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of
groceries without wincing.

I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware
stores and tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my
party-going friends'.

"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my
vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and
hear and do it now. I'm not sure what my sister would have done had
she known that she wouldn't be here for the tomorrow we all take for
granted.

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew
that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good friends
whom I was going to get in touch with-someday. Angry because I hadn't
written certain letters that I intended to write-one of these days.
Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and daughter often enough
how much I truly love them.

I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that
would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I
open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every
minute, every breath truly is...a gift from God."

John Elway for Senate?

Redstate.org floats an interesting rumor that appears to be gaining some steam. There is precedent for this, given that former Nebraska head football coach Tom Osborne ran for and won a House seat after he retired from coaching. Elway is a Republican, he's as close to a sports deity as there is in Colorado, and he is from outside the political establishment, so I think he'd at least have a shot if he decides to run...I for one hope he does.

Elway Seen As Potential Senate Candidate

Legendary Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway would be heavily recruited by the GOP to run for Senate in Colorado should Sen. Wayne Allard (R) choose not to run again, former GOP Rep. Scott McInnis tells the AP. McInnis said that if Allard doesn't run, and Gov. Bill Owens (R) opts not to run, he would enter the race, but added that at that point, there would be a "substantial effort" to recruit Elway. McInnis added, "I think Elway could clear the field."