Weekend Short Takes

Rum Bay closed on Saturday night. No tears from this corner. One of the security people there predicted problems at other bars as the Rum Bay crowd migrated in search of thumping techno and hip hop music, a cheap beer buzz, or a liaison that would probably not be approved by eHarmony. No great loss.

Maybe if the folks who would normally spend their money going to a place like Rum Bay spent an evening reading a good book or a couple of newspapers over coffee at Borders, we might make some progress as a society.


I've decided that hands down, without a doubt, Palisade High School has the coolest looking football uniforms of any school in the area. One heck of a game and a tremendous effort, guys. You should be proud.

Daily Sentinel photo (Christopher Tomlinson)

"Taxes are always a redistribution of money. Most of the taxes that are redistributed go back to those who paid them, in roads and airports and hospitals and schools. And taxes are necessary for the common good. And there is nothing wrong with examining what our tax structure is or who should be paying more, who should be paying less. And for us to say that that makes you a socialist, I think is an unfortunate characterization that isn't accurate."

- Colin Powell, remarking on criticism of Barack Obama while endorsing his candidacy

There was a most engaging speaker this weekend at Canyon View Vineyard Church. Lynn Green is one of the International coordinators for Youth With a Mission, and briefly described his group's efforts to establish a dialogue and understanding with Muslims around the world. One or two things he said stuck out in my mind:

"We have to realize that the world is 1/3 Christian and 1/5 Muslim, and if we don't establish some common ground and understanding, the world is going to explode."

"Our enemies are not God's enemies."

His ministry attempts to reach out to Muslim groups by recognizing and showing remorse for the acts of Christians during the Crusades.

We need to have a leader who will help us to re-establish respect among other leaders around the world. Isolationism (one reason McCain uses 'Country First' instead of 'America First') and Manifest Destiny are ideas long gone for those who realize that we must collaborate to thrive.


The new Grand International Buffet at 25 Road and Highway 6 & 50 is a trough of the highest order. Not only a vast hot food selection along with salads, fruit, and desserts, but an included Mongolian grill and sushi bar. A nice treat to read the newspaper by this morning after church.


Even though I am lamenting tonight's loss by the Red Sox, I am solidly behind the Tampa Bay Rays in their upcoming World Series battle with the Phillies. There is a parallel of sorts between the Rays' run this year and the improbable path the Red Sox took to the championship in 2004.

Red Sox fans before that season would chant "YANKEES SUCK" at every home game, regardless of who the Sox were playing. Bumper stickers and t-shirts bearing that sentiment were plentiful outside Fenway Park after games.

I noticed during several trips to Boston in 2004 that these things were much harder if not impossible to find, replaced instead with "REVERSE THE CURSE" or other slogans not as geared toward enmity of the Evil Empire (earned or not).

This is the first season that the Rays have played after dropping the "Devil" from their name. They were officially known as the Devil Rays before this season. Perhaps adjusting focus and energy from a perceived negative or other distractions, and toward the goal at hand, is a key to success that both the Red Sox and Rays share. Paging the McCain campaign....


Tomorrow should be a fun day for many of us, with the arrival of Governor Palin and Bocephus.
I hope that many of you can navigate the organized chaos with a sense of grace and tolerance for others.

If someone unfurls a banner at the top of the bleachers behind home plate at Suplizio Field (on the northwest corner) that says RUSSIA IS THIS WAY, it wasn't me.

Have a good day.