Iowa Caucus: We, the People...

"We, the people, in order to form a more perfect union..." Our country was founded by people who gathered together, bringing with them their experience and foresight, to build our nation into what we are today. The Iowa Caucus continues that vision of gathering for the future tonight, as people around the state come together in small meeting halls and living rooms, bringing their experience and foresight, to show their views of the best people to build our nation into the future.

Many people wonder why all the fuss about the Iowa Caucus? Well, let me tell you why so many presidential candidates are willing to stomp through this midwestern state right in the middle of the coldest months.

The Iowa Caucus is unique in its approach to selecting a presidential candidate worthy to hold the office of President of the United States. As in any primary or caucus, each person eligible to vote in the presidential election can caucus for their preferred candidate. Okay, so the other primaries and caucuses are pretty much the same in that regard.

Unlike most primaries, the Iowa Caucus is not like voting. There are no government officials overseeing the process, and there are no voting machines employed. Each political party is responsible for their caucus.

So, who decides who can run as a presidential candidate in a party's caucus? Well, as an Iowan you do! If you want to caucus for someone, anyone, you can do that.

"There is no ballot for caucus. So we have no petitions, registrations or fees," according to a spokesperson from the Iowa Republican Party. Basically, on the Republican side, you can caucus for anyone. It is a sort of free-for-all with Republican presidential candidates and the Iowa Caucus. Of course, they would like to get people to caucus for them, but if they only get a few in each precinct, they will still get some sort of showing in the caucus results. This is most likely why Republicans just don't canvass the state campaigning to small localities like the Democratic presidential candidates have been doing for the past year or so.

That's because the Democratic side of the Iowa Caucus is a bit more complex. Anyone can get Iowa delegates for their presidential campaign, according to Chris Allen, press secretary for the Iowa Democratic Party. The catch is that the candidate needs to get enough supporters in the democratic precinct to be viable, which is 15% or more support. The all important distinction of viable candidate happens at each precinct in the Iowa Democratic Caucus. It is up to the Democratic people of Iowa to say if a presidential candidate is viable. And the viability distinction is vitally important to a presidential campaign, as only viable candidates get results in the Iowa Democratic Caucus. This is why all the ground work campaigning is needed in Iowa. Presidential candidates are vying to be viable in Iowa, and the way to do that is to get caucus supporters.

Luckily, the state of Iowa is one of the best places in the country to campaign. With it's uniform grid of counties and highways that criscross each other in linear simplicity on mostly flat topography, navigating the state is easy. Iowa's rural population is one of the largest and most evenly distributed in the country. Iowa holds on to its traditions, and the Iowa Caucus is one of those traditions of people gathering to make key decisions for our future. The caucus is a reflection of Iowa's value of education.

The ground work and grassroots campaigning is critical, not only to make a candidate viable, but it is also effective in gaining momentum for a presidential campaign. Campaigning around the state of Iowa, presidential candidates can educate Iowans on their political stance on a variety of ideals, from domestic issues to international relations. As a state that prizes education, Iowans do not take their role in the presidential race lightly, and many choose to see all the candidates as they venture through their communities. As citizens in communities across Iowa band together in alliance with their personal views of what they value for the future of our nation, they look to find the presidential candidate that best reflect the way to attain that vision for the future. Once there is a group of people willing to caucus for a candidate, that momentum can continue into caucus night.

Caucus night is a fascinating experience in Iowa. The Iowa Caucus shows the passion of our people as we gather together on caucus night. During the night, presidential candidate supporters get a chance to speak for their candidate at the caucus. It is a time for caucus participants to hear the concerns of their neighbors and learn more about the political policies that affect the heart of their community.

The Republican process allows for more anonymity, according to past Iowa Republican Caucus participants. During caucus night, Republican caucus-goers will support their presidential candidate by putting that candidate's name on a slip of paper and placing that piece of paper into a hat. Pretty easy.

The Democratic process for caucus participants is a bit different. After comments are made for the presidential candidates, the precinct's participants then split up to areas of the room designated for each presidential candidate represented in the precinct. Neighbors often encourage undecided people to join their group at this time. Precinct officials then count how many people are standing for each presidential candidate and calculate if a candidate has enough supporters to be deemed viable. That viability threshold is 15% of the precinct's participants.

For example, the fictitious Soda Bar precinct in northwest Iowa has gathered 43 participants on caucus night. Five participants each speak about the presidential candidate they support: Stephen Colbert, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, and Jon Stewart. Once the speeches are over, participants gather to support their candidate. Colbert has 12 supporters in his corner, Leno has 10, Letterman 3, O'Brien 6, and Stewart 8. There are three participants undecided, and one supporting Carson Daly. Colbert (28%), Leno (23%), and Stewart (19%) are viable candidates. The Letterman camp persuades three to join their side and one goes to O'Brien. O'Brien becomes a viable candidate with 7 supporters (16%). Letterman, with six supporters, still is not viable with only 14% of the precinct participant's support. Those six Letterman supporters can either go to a viable candidate's camp, or end their participation in the caucus. Of course, the other candidate's camps encourage the six to join them. One Letterman supporter decides not to support another candidate. All five believe comedy is king, with two deciding to join the Colbert powerhouse to give him 14 supporters and 33% of the precinct, and three going with Stewart camp giving him 11 supporters and 26% of the precinct.

The results of the Soda Bar Caucus show Colbert (14) with 33% of the precinct, Stewart (11) with 26%, Leno (10) with 23%, and O'Brien (7) with 16%. Daly and Letterman are not viable candidates in this fictitious caucus.

You can see how the results change somewhat dramatically from the beginning of the Democratic caucus to the end. Even a previously unviable candidate can become viable during the Iowa Democratic Caucus if they have enough persuasion to get undecided and other supporters of unviable candidates to come over to their camp. This is precisely why it is so vitally important for presidential candidates to educate caucus-goers in Iowa, because on caucus night results rest not on the candidates themselves, but on their supporters who advocate for them on caucus night. Results of the Iowa Caucus is about the people.

Sure, there is media that can put a spin on the presidential pickings for primaries and caucuses held across the nation. Media cannot spin the fact that no other presidential caucus or primary in the United States compares to the Iowa Caucus. The nature of the Iowa Caucus is all about the people, not the candidates. Unlike other primaries or caucuses, no committee decides who can be a presidential candidate, and there are no fees for the candidates to run in the Iowa Caucus. It is up to the people of Iowa to decide who they believe is a worthy presidential candidate to caucus for on January 3rd.

No other political process in the country gives a greater proving ground for candidates like the Iowa Caucus. In other presidential picking processes in the country, candidates just need your vote. That can be done easily through advertisements and media coverage. In Iowa, not only do candidates need your vote, but they need you to know them as a candidate and where they stand on issues important to you, so you can caucus for them and convince others to support them on caucus night. Presidential candidates in Iowa are much more than a pretty face on TV, responses in a debate, or a few sound bites on the news. Presidential candidates in Iowa must prove they are the country's catalyst for a better future.

The results show how a gathering of educated, well-informed people in a small, midwestern state hold such a large stake in choosing the next President of the United States. In Iowa, the caucus is about people. The Iowa Caucus: We, the People...

Caucus Turkey

I was working last Wednesday at the radio station when I was supposed to have the day off and thusly, I was in my more casual attire. Yeah, you know, the Wednesday before Turkey Day, aka Thanksgiving. As I diligently worked to get done to be home with my family, I looked out my office window to see the suit coat of some guy that looked to be some presidential hopeful. I could not quite make out the man's face through the glare of the glass and wondered who would possibly humble themselves to stump at a small radio station. I thought, could it be Mike Huckabee, as I had mentioned his like-ability on the air a few times? Or, be still my beating humor, Stephen Colbert? I stood up at my desk to see who it was and if it were worth my "vacation" time to actually get up and speak with this suited man.

Oh, my dear Tsar! He looked like Ukrainian leader Viktor Yushchenko as he was poisoned! This beckoned my curiousity beyond my better judgment. So, I walked out of my office to get a better look, and, of course, he came up to me and introduced himself. I'm sure he said his name, but "just another no-name cheap presidential wishful thinker" came out. I thought how sad that he could not get up the energy to shave before stumping at my station. Then, his trophy wife came out of the restroom, and I thought, huh, he really thinks that if he can lay a good-looking wife, then he can run for president?! Oh, yeah, Kucinich.

The presidential hopeful gave me his brochure that pretty much said nothing about him. It had his name, which I actually caught for the first time as Cap Wingdig, or something like that. He even had a website at electcap.us. He was running under the Republican Party stage (just be careful of the horses' hooves, Cap). He asked if I'd be interested in doing an interview with him. No, on my vacation time, no you are not worth it, I thought. Now, if you were Mike or Stephen, damn, I'd drop everything.

As he left with his trophy blonde, I returned to my office, doused my hands with hand sanitizer, and thought dreamily about Huckabee or Colbert walking through the radio station to stump me for the caucus. Damn, Huckabee, I'd convert to Republican if you did that!

Campaign of Truthiness

Apparently, the South Carolina Democratic Party has decided that Stephen Colbert's campaign isn't truthy-enough.

Doesn't it seem that the campaigns of many presidential candidates are just big charades? This is all too cheesy, anyway. All the candidates are characters, and believe what you may, Colbert's campaign is chocked full of just as much truthiness as the next. Colbert's just a little too honest about it sometimes.

Westboro Baptist Church Gets Some Discipline

The Westboro Baptist Church, outside of Topeka, Kansas is finally seeing some discipline after protesting at the funerals of soldiers who gave their lives fighting in Iraq.

I blogged on this church's rude and cruel activities a while ago.

It is one of those WDJD issues. What Did Jesus Do? I never read any accounts of Jesus at a soldier's funeral with a protest sign that read "Thank God for dead soldiers."

Presidential Candidates Just An Act??

News Satirist Stephen Colbert is running for president! In South Carolina. Yes, I know this is old news. The newsfolk have a way of regurgitating old news and Colbert for President continues to be the news pet. In fact, I am pretty sure this is the most Colbert has been stroked, ever. I wouldn't be surprised to see Stephen doing silly pet tricks on Letterman some night. (Okay, he's been there...10/10/07)

Some reporters wonder if we should take Stephen Colbert's run for the president seriously, and if perchance Stephen Colbert were to become president, who would actually be running the country: the character or the real Stephen Colbert?

Why do they wonder? These concerns seem so... strange. Look, Stephen Colbert is a satirist and a patriot who wants the best for his home country. His stage character is an uber-patriot, and isn't that the kind of president we want? Colbert uses comedy as his medium to get us citizens to think and to do our patriotic duty. We should take his run for president satirically, not so much serious, and enjoy every last bit, because life without humor is sad.

Why worry if the character or the real Stephen would run the White House if elected? Why think Stephen is only out for the drunken college student vote? Why treat him any differently than any other candidate for president? Just because he is out to make you laugh?! Think about it. Colbert is a character. Clinton is a character. Obama is a character. Edwards is a character. Romney is a character. Guilliani is a character. Okay, I admit, these guys make me laugh, too, but I don't think that is their intention. They are all acting. Do you think these candidates act this way in privacy?

The whole charade of the presidential campaigning season is all an act. Colbert exemplefies that whole notion. At least Colbert is honest about his act. The rest of the candidates I would be more leary. So, let's just call it even and have a few laughs together.

Long Time, No Commentary... Or, I Haven't Quit My Day Job, Yet

Sorry about the delay in posting on this blog. I am sure all one of you have waiting on baited hook, wondering when I would write some great epic journal entry. Well, keep wondering. I have no idea when I will ever write anything that could be considered epic. However, I am glad that you have decided to continue checking in on my blog ever so often. I do appreciate your interest in my zany, off-the-wall thinking and my odd flair for words.

As my readers, you do an excellent job reading my posts, even more so than I in writing. Continue the great work. And, remember, much of my writings are about as rooted in reality as the ghost stories we have told around the Halloween bonfire. Okay, some may seem more serious, and maybe they are. It is all in perspective. There is always truth somewhere, and each perspective holds a different, valid and intriquing view of the reality we call life.

See you in the next post, and please don't forget to post your comments! I love to read your thoughts in words, too.

Am I America?!

The 80s gave us "We Are The World", a strange rendition of charity sung by pop star sensations (USA for Africa). How can you, rolling in money rich celebs, be the world, and yet cannot overcome world hunger? Are there just not enough Burger Kings and McDonalds in Africa to satiate our world? Sad, indeed.

Being the world was way too much to shoulder in the 80s. Just look at the effect it has on our pop stars, even today. Rehab is becoming a booming industry. Maybe we are expecting too much from our celebs.

Luckily, this decade is giving us I Am America (And So Can You). I applaud that Stephen Colbert is America. It takes a lot to be America. And I don't know if I could do that. This offer that I can, too, is a bit scary. I don't know if I want that. To be America, or not to be, is that a question we really should be asking? The thought just scares me.

So, the book I Am America was released this week. A mix of uber-ego and self-help. For some reason, I read the title as either a bold American hero claiming his 'right'ful (conservative exulting) title, or America in a 10-step program.

I haven't purchased it, yet. Don't know if I will. I recall a famous person once said "I don't trust books. They're all fact, no heart."

Is this a fact book? I think it is the work of fiction, because there is no way I can be America. Ironically, all I hear on the radio as I type this is Bryan Adams' "Straight from the Heart." Maybe this could be the first heart book ever published. Irony doesn't work in a vacuum, so it has to be true. "Behold the only printed word to be trusted." Yes, it must be.

I must think too much. And thinking leads to fear. This is not a book to think about. The title says it all: I Am America. A bold statement. No thought whatsoever behind it. Yet, even more bold is the statement in parenthesis: (And So Can You). It's just like the Dr. Pepper commercials from the 80s: "Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too?" Why, if you put it that way, yes, I would.

Am I America? Sure. I Am America. Free and brave. I think...

Someday I might get up the courage to buy the book, but reading it? That's another story. A hero's story.

Enjoy the Silence

It's been almost a week since the 6th anniversary of 9/11. The day that changed the world.

Enjoy the Silence

This video is the most spectacular and, yet in light of 9/11, the most eerie thing I have seen to date of the WTC towers. It was a 1990 French promo video of Depeche Mode's song "Enjoy the Silence."

An innocent video with words that strike to the core of my own thoughts on 9/11. I think of the souls we lost, those who lost loved ones that day...

Words are meaningless...

Bad Vibes

Do you ever get a bad feeling about something? Yeah? Well, I do.

I had a bad vibe about the mining cave in at Crandall Canyon Mine near Huntington,Utah . A terrible situation. I pray for those lost souls and the survivors of that disaster. And I pray the mining owners stop such risky mining exercises.

I also have a bad vibe about the return of the Space Shuttle Endeavour coming back to Earth. Sigh. I always hope in the back of my mind that everything will be fine, but sometimes that doesn't happen. It would be sad if Endeavour experienced a similar fate to Columbia, and even sadder to see the second teacher with her venture into space end in tragedy.

The issue with the space shuttle's small, but deep gouge troubles me, and the last time NASA said it'd be okay, it wasn't. Officials say the risk to do further damage just to repair the deep cut is what causes them to be cautious about fixing it in space, and apparently outweighs the risk of re-entry explosions from the shuttle's exposed surface igniting. Sigh. It's their judgment call. I just hope they are right.

Heaven is a Soul Filled with God's Love

Psst.... Don't we all know that salvation has come? Salvation is not something for us to be achieved or earned. It is a gift. It is given by the grace and mercy of God. Let us then stop seeing Heaven as a self-righteous goal that we must earn for eternal life.

Rather, let us "yearn" for God and His love. All that great loving stuff we do for each other, then, is just an outpouring, a reflection of God's love in us. As we "yearn" in God's love filling our soul, we are with God, and really, this is Heaven.

Condition of Your Soul

I've been wrestling with the concept and need of God's grace in a growing culture and church where we are so task and goal oriented. I believe this is similar to the wrestling match Martin Luther faced personally and professionally.

Anyhow, the convention is that God and His love is unconditional. Yet, instance after instance God threatens civilization and in some instances destroys communities due to their evil deeds. Then, tells later evil civilizations that the community he destroyed previously stands a better chance on the day of judgment than the current evil community. How can this be unconditional? God says through Jesus that if someone wrongs us that we should turn the other cheek. Forgive them seventy times seven. Vengence is mine, says the Lord. Sigh. What is God trying to say?

Okay, this is how I see it. We only have two cheeks (or four, depending what you deem to count), so basically that's like giving the benefit of the doubt twice (or four times). After that, consequences are needed. Sometimes, people need to know they did something wrong, so after a couple of times for those wronged to let it slip and give that proverbial benefit of the doubt, it's time to allow the consequence to correct the wrong-doer, if you will. Consequences are not vengence, in my humble opinion, which should rightfully be left to the One who judges.

So, in the situation of the evil deeds of a civilization receiving destruction, it is a consequence, then? Sure. I think vengence is much more personal. Something between the individual and God. Just my perspective anyway.

Now, onto those who think that if I only repent and accept Jesus, then I will be saved and attain Heaven at the end of my days. I really contemplate this sometimes, because we as a society are so pressed by that equation of "if, then" in our daily lives. If I work hard at my job every day, then I get paid and I can support my family. It's an equation that we understand, know, and live by every day.

Thus, it seems humanly logical that salvation can only be attained if we do something to achieve it. And, many churches also give that ultimatum to members, either outright or subconsciously. You must repent and accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior to attain God's graces. In this equation it is up to you, basically, to work for your salvation. And in our humanly minds we accept this conditionality of salvation. Humbly, I do not think this is God's salvation. This is humanity trying to save itself.

"If, then" statements work great for a computer. God is no computer. I don't think God is a conditional freak. He is not about "if, then". That is what we are as humans. But what about Sodom and Gomorrah? He basically was giving them the ultimate "if, then" statement, right? No, I don't think so. I think that was a consequence of sin.

God's salvation came through death on the cross with Jesus. Remember when Jesus said, if your arm (or eye, or whatever body part it was) causes you to sin, cut it off so that you may be right with God again (it was something like that). It is not the act of cutting something off that saves one from sin, but the ability to stop the sin, to keep the soul healthy and in essense keep it from death in sin. So, death also carries salvic value to those who face the consequence of sin. Death in many ways may be the ultimate band-aid for our sin. It is quite possible that death is the ultimate cut-off from our souls to sin. And, in a strange perspective, quite fitting for Jesus' blameless death on the cross to take sin from us.

You think that we still need to act to be saved? If God forced humans to act for their own salvation, then why the whole fuss about Jesus and Jesus' death on the cross? What need is there for God's grace and mercy if the things we do as humans, to "accept Jesus", to "repent our sins", to "pray", to "be good and love your neighbor", our own actions to personally save ourselves and attain heaven? It seems most Christians think if we just repent and accept Jesus as our personal savior and do good, that we will win our ticket to heaven. There's that whole "if, then" equation that seems to trip us up.

It's not about that. It is about the condition of our hearts/souls/spirits that God has made for us, and entrusted in us. True Christians do the things they do because of the condition of their soul. True Christians repent because their soul yearns for God. True Christians show the love of God because of the condition of their soul is filled with God's love. It is the act of God alone that fills them. It is the act of God that saves them. Nothing in our own power alone can save us. We are helpless by ourselves in our salvation.

Thus, it is God's grace and mercy that transforms our souls to reflect God's love. It is the condition of your soul God will judge at the end of the day, as only God knows who we really are.

And, why are you so concerned about the end times? The end times will come, at a day and time we do not know. God's beloved will be called for service and we will see light that has not been seen before. It will be then that the light will either be absorbed in the darkness of the soul or reflected out and radiating from the soul, depending on its condition. That is why we all must be ready, but not worried. God promises to protect His own.

And don't be worried about your own salvation, as salvation has already come. Prepare ye the way of the Lord.

Woo Hoo! A Legend of an Amusement Park

Wooooo! Yeeeeeeah! Let's do it again! One more time!

There is just something to love about those old wooden roller coasters, and the "Legend" at Arnold's Park makes you love it. At first glance you notice its small imposing curved posture as you walk to the park's entrance from the parking lot. You may think this is just another small, old coaster. The coaster's train rumbles overhead, almost in slow motion, and you think there could be no thrill left in that roller coaster. It's a classic white wooden coaster, with distinctive red rails and railing.

As you walk through the entrance of Arnold's Park, you walk under the station house of the Legend, and notice the old Tipsy House built into the coaster's infrastructure. Although it seems old and outdated, you enter out of curiosity. Walking around, you feel as though you drank too much at a college kegger, and somehow your mind has been completely flipped and you can't decipher up from down. Finally, you get to the "balcony" of the Tipsy House, hoping to find some relief from the topsy turvy feelings beginning to rumble in your tummy. Grabbing hold of the railing, you look out at a spectacular view of Lake Okoboji and feel the cool breeze through your hair. Yet, the sloping floor beckons you to finish the tour of the Tipsy House.

Finally, you exit the architectural antics of the Tipsy House and find yourself in front of the Mirror Maze. You enter, thinking two things: this is a kiddie attraction, and so was the Tipsy House, so you never know. Walking in you think that to make it difficult you will not look down. BAM! Okay, so it's not so easy. You make it to the back of the Mirror Maze, and the wacky, wavy mirrors in the back make you wonder why we have diets when we ought to replace conventional flat mirrors with these.

Managing to make it out of the Mirror Maze mostly unscathed, you view the elevated station for the Legend roller coaster and notice the short line for the ride. You begin to walk over to the plank for the coaster when the horn from the park's train honks in your direction. You are again sidetracked glancing over at the park's train, with its nostalgic engine, coaster cars moving past you, and the ding of the railroad crossing sign warning pedestrians to get out of the way.

You then become determined to ride the Legend as it calls you to ascend the ramp to the station. Balancing yourself against the strip of wood on the plank to the station, you wait in anticipation as the train comes into the station with shouts of satisfied coaster riders. You wonder how such a coaster could make people scream like that.

You sit in the car, the fourth row from the front, and notice both a lap bar and safety belt. You think, there's probably a reason for the safety belt, and you tighten the strap across your lap. The train leaves the station and dips below the exit of the Tipsy House before hooking up with the chain drive that leads the coaster up to the first summit. Clinkety, clankety sounds echo like an amusement park bell choir and the air seems oddly still for a moment. Then, the breeze comes up again, catching the leaves of the surrounding large, old oak trees that thrive in this area. The branches bend down as if they were trying to high five the thrill-seekers in the coaster cars. Looking up around the rustling branches, you see at the peak an ominous sign: The Point of No Return.

The car begins to go past the sign as the coaster sends you downward and you gulp to catch your breath for a moment. You let out a whoop of excitement as you pass under a section of the roller coaster you have yet to experience. The train leads you up to the curve and you feel as if you are flying. Nothing extreme. Pleasant. As if you are a hawk flying among the grand oak trees that frame the coaster.

Once you feel that this is a nice, tame coaster, you plunge downward, then feel airborne as if you are about to be ejected from your seat. Not so tame after all. You scream and now know why people love the Legend at Arnold's Park.



(Thanks to the Youtuber Greiman23 who made this video.)

Airtime, my friend, wonderful airtime. That is what makes them scream, wanting to come back for more. Something too amazing to capture on video. It's not just any old airtime, this coaster makes you fly, float, and you feel your heart soar as the last two hills take your breath away. As the train pulls toward the station, you see the lake, with its waves that twinkle at you. It charms your soul into exhilarating screams of gratitude--Woooo! Yeeeeeah! Let's do it again! One more time!!


The Legend roller coaster at Arnold's Park, Iowa, USA is the 7th oldest coaster in the USA and the 13th oldest in the world. It was built in 1927 as a freeform figure 8 design by John A. Miller, John F. Pierce and Harry Baker, manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Co. The ride time is one minute 12 seconds, a height of 63 feet, and speeds on its tracks at 50 mph. Originally called the Giant Coaster, when I went to the park as I was growing up (1970s and 1980s), it was called the Big Coaster, and around 1995 it was renamed The Legend.

As I grew up, Arnold's Park also featured an indoor skating rink and the Roof Garden that held a dance hall, retail shops, and the Fun House, that had a spinning horizontal barrel, moving planks (back and forth, and up and down), a spinning wooden king of the hill type of ride, and, my favorite, the large wooden slides.

In 1968, the Roof Garden was hit by a tornado and rebuilt, however its days were numbered. The Roof Garden was a popular concert venue (featuring area bands and nationally-internationally recorded groups, including one of the last bands to play: The Romantics) up until its ultimate demise in 1987 when the park closed and many of the buildings were razed, including the Roof Garden, that met its fate with the local firefighters who burned it down as a training exercise. Arnold's Park was reopened in 1989, with a refurbished roller coaster and fewer attractions.

In 1999, Arnold's Park was purchased and threatened to close as the new owners had ambitious plans for a condominium complex. They gave the community an ultimatum that they had to raise around 4 million dollars to save the park. In 30 days, the community rallied to save the park and raised well over 7 million dollars.

They have since added several rides, including a log flume, a kid's play park, and a very nice mini-putt-putt course, along with some nice landscaping around the park. Arnold's Park is alive and well, and in my opinion, doing even better than I can remember.

If you want to experience The Legend and the rest of Arnold's Park Amusement Park, it's located on Lake Okoboji in northwest Iowa, USA, just off Highway 71 on Lake Street in Arnolds Park, Iowa (yes, the town has the same name).

What?! No Holocaust?? Consider the Source...

Sometimes thinking in a humorous or obscure view can eleviate the tension of talking politics with mind-set people like in-laws. I always get a bit annoyed by their bad mouthing former President Clinton, usually because they can't put the blow job episode to bed. So, at our Maine visit with them in July, politics come up.

Now, understand that I have taken the policy to smile and nod my head when controversial issues come up ("uh huh, yeah, right" type blended with a good measure of internal sarcasm). Doing so usually keeps me out of trouble.

However, for some reason it internally disturbs me to see devoted Christians, like my in-laws, talking ill of the policies of former Democratic Presidents Clinton and Carter all due to the Republican mudslinging, and disregarding the humanitarian good these presidents have shown their country and the world.

As expected, the discourse of the terrible Presidents Carter and Clinton came up and somehow (a miracle, perhaps) we got off that topic. Only to go directly to the Iraq Conflict and controversy with Iran. [dramatic music] Holocaust deniers! [/dramatic music] There's no way to make that topic any better, I thought, nor any way to make the leadership of Iran any more at our level of human with that topic. World War III--get ready!

Then, like a dove from heaven, a thought came into my head and before I could think it through, I began to say, "you really need to look at it from their perspective." Oh, dear God! What am I saying, I thought to myself. "Consider how they live daily. Ethnic cleansing is normal, every day stuff to them."

Oh, my. I was looking for my foot to insert in my mouth, but no, I continued to talk. "So, what we consider the Holocaust, it's really nothing new for them." Gasp. Oh, God, you know my mother-in-law's mind is difficult to sway, this isn't good, I thought, as I expected her to rant about how terrible it is for anyone to deny such horrendous torture and death.

A brief moment of silence. Then, my mother-in-law says, "I never thought of it that way. You might be right with that." And with that, the holocaust denial discussion was tucked away and put to bed. Whew. That was GOOD.

I have a feeling that my brilliant conclusion might have come from my diligent observation of the off-perspective views from The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. If so, thank you, gentlemen, and keep 'em coming. If not, I believe TDS and TCR sentiment is there, and maybe they will bring up this point of view about holocaust denial as business as usual, when it surfaces again.

Painting the Pretty Picture

Anyone in business knows that the way to get ahead is to paint the pretty picture, regardless of what reality shows. So, if your business practices are not up to par and you leverage out your competitors, you cover it up to the outside so those who want to be in the know, like investors and customers, only see the best of your product and your company.

Imagine, however, if someone who claims that they only want to help your company comes out and tells the world your inequal business practices? Well, it would be devastating to your product, and eventually might lead to the demise of the company, right?!

For decades, we have been led to believe that Africa is suffering in dire conditions. Most of the African people living in oppressive, famine-like conditions under evil governments that want to enslave children as soldiers, and such. So, imagine my surprise when I read this article about the implied horrors of Africa.

So, what the statistics from this article tell me is that Africa, well, it's not so bad. Not as bad as we were led to believe, anyway. Take this stat: One half of 1% of the population, in each case, die in war each year, are child soldiers, afflicted with famine, died with AIDS, or living as refugees. That's hardly a drop in the bucket. Talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill!

Okay, I do understand things are getting better in Africa. So, why are all these advocates, like Bono and Bob Geldof, not painting the pretty picture? I mean, things won't get better in Africa, until it does get prettier there.

Gotta have that pretty picture so Wal-mart will open there, just like they do here, to help out small, declining rural communities with their economic powerhouses. Just think of all those women and children that previously were forced to be cast as poor, barely clothed and starving (how humiliating and degrading) in all those late night "feed the children" commercials , could possibly be greeters at the new Wal-marts built in Sub-sahara Africa--if only we'd paint the pretty picture.

Who Else Celebrates the Red, Beige & Blue??

So, the president recently commuted I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby from his prison sentence, saying it was too much. Who didn't see that coming? *waits* Okay, so it was pretty much imminent that this was going to happen. However, it seems a bit in haste, doesn't it? Was Scooter Libby guaranteed no prison time, or was the president pressed to do it now to cover something instead of waiting to give a full pardon at the end of his presidential term?

It would seem that the president's commuting Scooter Libby now, would give even more ammunition to the Democrats on the campaign trail, and further hinder the credibility of the Republicans and their stance on morals and ability to uphold the law. You'd think, right? I don't know, and I don't have a crystal ball (no, I didn't get one with my bachelor's degree, although it seems many bosses in my past seem to think that I have one that works with extreme clarity). Who knows?

Well, among those outspoken critics of the president's actions is Hillary Clinton. How dare she, right?! Just look at what her husband did! [whisper] He lied under oath about a blow job. He pardoned and commuted sentences for, like, a bunch of people at the end of his last presidential term. Yeah, even a former Clinton cabinet member who apparently made false statements to authorities. [/whisper]

See, the difference here is that all this pardoning and such was done at the end of Bill Clinton's presidency. It did not affect Al Gore's aspirations with his presidential campaign, and it did not affect the former president's ability to do his job at the White House while he was there. Bill Clinton did some of his dirtiest work at the end of his White House stint (kept the White House as clean as he could for as long as he could, because who wants to be the president living in the Beige House?). Maybe the current president should have taken note of this (and maybe he did).

However, it seems if Hillary does make it to the so-called White House, she'd better be armed with lots of house cleaners and Formula 401, because she's got a lot of cleaning to do. (Probably one of the best reasons to elect a woman president, they usually know how to clean house. Figuratively speaking, of course! Off my back, women libbers!! It's just a silly social stereotype, anyway, 'cause if any of those social stereotypers knew me, they'd rethink their stupid stereotype.)

Watching the Wind Blow By

Sometimes, as the battles of life tend to overwhelm us, it is good to sit and watch the wind blow by. The leaves on the tree branches waving in the breeze. Maybe they are waving "goodbye" to all the problems of the day?

The wind feels cool against the heat of the sun on my face. It is as if the heat is like all the negative challenges in my life and I am holding on to them, for what reason, I don't exactly know. Then, the gentle wind comes up. I don't want to give up the heat and I hold onto it for a slight moment. And then, I release my grip on all the frustrations of day and let the wind carry it away, drifting aimlessly into the blue sky to dissipate into nothingness. It's gone.

I smile as I admirably gaze into the vivid blue sky. I sit up smiling and feel the renewed power of the release. Carpe Diem!

It's All About RESPECT

"Yes! He's gone. He's history!" The first words of the character Sid Philips in Toy Story. Someday I, too, will echo those words... when 'Sid' and his parents, our neighbors in the adjacent rental property move out.

A parent's worst fear we have realized, as our neighborhood Sid has a penchant for disrespect and destruction. Even the images of skull and cross bones are everyday neighbor sights from our backyard.

It is one thing to experience Sid watching Toy Story, and wince at his evil antics. It is another to deal with a Sid character and his parents in real life. When we first met Sid's parents, we were sympathetic to their plight: one just laid off from a minimum wage job, while the other working another low-pay job. They seemed like young parents having difficulties getting a good paying job to support their family. So, we allowed Sid to play with our two boys.

I realized early on that allowing Sid to play with our boys was beginning to have a negative impact on our boys' innocent and polite dispositions. Sid would be mean in his play, and his coarseness was rubbing off, especially on my youngest son.

I also noticed the relationships between Sid and his parents, and it caused me to pause. Their way of handling misbehavior with Sid was to get into a yelling match about it, profane words used by both sides, and Sid trying to talk his inappropriate actions into something that should be acceptable. In the end, usually Sid got away with whatever he did, or he was told to go inside, and he'd yell all the way, calling his mom a "bitch" (and his mom would do nothing about it) as he'd walk inside.

However, Sid's antics made me more of a hawk over my kids when they would play together outside. Finally, it came to a head about a month ago. Here's a forum post I made at a mom website (this is lengthy, but you may get a better understanding of the situation) about that time:

Sometimes I would just like to be able to have neighbors that can respect me and my family, and to respect our property. Neighbors that would stay on their own property and when we are outside, to ask before coming over. (We do not allow our children to go playing in our neighbors or any other person's yard without first asking.) Neighbors that encourage their child to play nice with our children, and when they don't, to have the grace to take their child back to their own yard to play. Is that asking too much?

[begin rant] Apparently so, to our neighbors. A couple of weeks ago, it was a typical scenerio where the neighbor boy, I'll call him Sid, was over playing with our two sons and ever so often doing mean things to them. Well, he brought over his skateboard and was laying on it to go down a dirt hill in our back yard, and let our kids do that, too. The first time he yanked the skateboard out from under my 3 year old, his mom yelled at him and they did their usual yelling match. The second time, he yanked it out from our 5 year old as he was just descending down the hill, and my husband came over and told Sid that it was time for him to go play in his own yard. Well, Sid's mom had this look of "how dare you say that to my son" as if her son had magical rights to play on our yard. Sid then proceeded to argue his point why he yanked the skateboard from under my son, and I said told him he didn't need to use words. He said he hated us, and I told him that he made those choices and he needed to play in his own yard until he was ready to apologize and play nice again. His mom yelled at him to get inside at this point, and he did.

Now, mind you, similar behavior was going on previously with Sid, and we would ask him not to do the behavior and to play nice. It got to the point where our 5 year old did not want to play in our yard anymore because he didn't like playing with Sid. This really upset me, because this is our yard, and my son shouldn't feel like he's bullied in his own yard, to the extend that he avoids playing in our own back yard!

Thus, we decided that 1) neighbor kids can only play in our yard when we are outside in our backyard and they need to ask before playing each time; and 2) if a neighbor kid is not playing nice, they will need to go play in their own yard until they are ready to apologize and play nice again. Now, I think these seem like basic, simple rules to follow, not only in the backyard, but in life in general, as well.

Well, I saw Sid out playing in our backyard last week when I got home from work. I got down on his level, as we always do when we talk with him or our own children, and told him in a normal voice that unless we were outside playing and he was ready to play nice, he needed to play in his own yard. He then went in a tangent about how his mom told him that he couldn't play with our kids anymore. I said that is fine, but if you are not going to play with our kids, then you need to stay in your own yard. Then, he wanted to get in a yelling match to argue his point. I continued to tell him he needed to play in his own yard. He then ran inside his house. Fine, I thought.

This past week Sid continues to play in our yard ever so often when we are not outside. Today I went up to him as he was playing near our dirt hill with several of his toys scattered in our yard, got down on his level and said that since he isn't playing with our kids he can't play in our yard. He didn't say a word to me, left his toys in our yard, and darted to where his dad was working on an engine on their driveway. I waited, then calmly walked over to speak with his dad.

I mentioned that since they decided that Sid could not play with our kids, then Sid needs to stay in his own yard. He told me that was ignorance (I don't think he knows what that word means) and said that it should be okay for him to play in our yard because he's not hurting anything and it's not like our yard where he's playing is anything like a nice lawn that he would be destroying or anything like that. I told him its not about that, it's about playing nice with our kids and if Sid isn't going to play at all with our kids, he doesn't need to be playing in our yard. Apparently, our neighbor doesn't know anything about being respectful of his neighbor's property. He did finally tell his son to get his toys out of our yard and to stay in their yard. Sid just stayed in their yard, so I gathered his toys and nicely put them in Sid's yard and walked away.

Latter in the afternoon, there was Sid again, driving in his battery powered black car (actually the skull monster truck hearse version of the barbie jeep) around our yard. My husband was home and went over to talk with Sid and again Sid ran away into his yard, leaving his monster hearse in our yard. So, he went over to talk to Sid's dad to let him know that we would be putting up a fence this weekend. Then, Sid's mom came out and yelled at Sid to drive his car back into their yard and they got into a yelling match, with Sid finally driving his hearse back into his own yard.

It's one of those deals where I don't understand why they are balking against us so much, when it is OUR YARD in the first place. I just want our backyard to be a place where our children can play nicely and not feel bullied out of it. I think that is reasonable, and most parents should be able to understand that.

What do you think?

(And maybe you are our pesky neighhbors, so tell me why you think your child should have free reign and dominion over our back yard, and be able to play in our yard, even though you told him not to play with our kids? How would you feel if our kids played around your backyard without your permission, played mean to your child, and then refused to play with your child? I'm thinking you'd do exactly the same thing we are doing.)[end rant]

There's plenty of stories where that came from, but I won't bore you with them. (Like the gun play and Sid's "jail" or Sid's car-jacking of our sons' toy Gator vehicle.)

Now, by this time his dad got a job as a clerk at the local grocery store, another near minimum wage job. I can understand the frustration of working near minimum wage, especially when you have skills (like the skill of kindness, politeness and respect) and abilities to earn much more (been there, done that--for a very short while).

However, I also somewhat understand why these parents cannot find good work. They have no respect. They have no respect for each other, as they banter and roughly argue, both the parents and their son, on many occasions about the littlest of things. They have no respect for their own property, as Sid is allowed to smash a hammer against his rusted up, beat up wagon and to run over all his toys with his grave digger power wheels car, as his dad tries in constant vain to work on motors (revving the engines ever so often to destroy their own hearing and whoever's in ear shot) pulled out of their vehicles and banging on other parts in their yard. They show no respect for a neighbor's property, and when they do trespass and are kindly asked to stop, instead of seeing the property line (physically and metaphorically) and staying on their own yard, they badger us with a 'how dare you' attitude.

Now, if I was the boss for either of these two adults, and they talked back to me like that on the jobsite, their time with my company would be very limited. There's only a certain amount of tolerance, before disrespect leaves detrimental consequences for people who come from a low economic level (if you are born into wealth and disrespect, well, they call those mobsters, lawyers, or politicians).

We still see Sid and his parents outside, and sometimes at the grocery store. We don't hold their lack of respect against them. It is a sad state for them. They will likely always feel "victimized" because they lack respect within themselves. And they will always bully others because of their own lack of respect.

And only so much empathy I can give to people who sadly just don't know respect. If anything can be corrected in our society, it is the ability for all people to learn and show respect. Why respect isn't one of the three "Rs" is beyond me. It should be the first thing children learn in school and the last thing they are thankful for as they breathe their last breath.

It's all about RESPECT. Aretha Franklin hit the nail on the head with her aptly named hit song. Oh, and regardless of previous personal thoughts, fences do make great neighbors.

Breath: The Ethereal Existence of Life

Inhale. Exhale. Rest. Repeat. We all breathe. It is a sign of life. It is a sign that our body still has the capacity to live. How do we live, breath after breath? How do we take our life from the everyday mundane, to the extraordinary, to the ethereal existence of life?

Life becomes mundane, because in many senses, we forget our senses. We forget to, say, stop and smell the roses. We forget to slow down and enjoy the breezes from a mild, warm afternoon with the sun peeking through the clouds. We forget to quiet ourselves to hear the sounds of nature all around us.

Instead, we busy ourselves with the mundane. We surround ourselves with materialistic things that dull our senses, and create more mundane-ness in our lives. Listening to surround sound stereos that enclose our senses into an impenetrable egg. Watching TV that saps the energy from our bodies. Working constantly during the day without stopping for breaks. Seemingly escaping with illicit drugs that bring a quick high, but essentially enhances the dulling of the senses. All of these are ways of distancing and dehumanizing ourselves from our vital functions of life. And they all make us slaves to the mundane.

Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. --Genesis 2:7

We all began with a breath.

The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. --Job 33:4

It is our primal instinct to breath, and it is our in survival that we continue to breathe. It is our subconscious duty. Inhale. Exhale. How we easily forget that we continue this vital prayer of life. Breathing is our silent prayer. In speaking, we add words to our silent prayer. In silence, we pray, sometimes with thought, and sometimes thoughtless. Sometimes listening to the breath of the Almighty, many times listening to the dead space of the mundane.

But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. --Job 32:8

Maybe we take breathing for granted too much? Have we forgotten the power of breath? Take a moment, close your eyes, silence your mind, and just breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Rest. Repeat. It feels centering and focusing on the basics. It feels natural and soothing, envigorating, quieting and subtle. Peace. Patience. Understanding.

Next time you pray or go to church, stop first and breathe. As you pray or participate in the church service or mass, be conscious of your breathing. Be aware of the emotions and thoughts, both positive and negative, that escape your being as you exhale, and the renewing senses as you inhale. Feel the presence of the Spirit with each breath.

Whenever life seems crazy and chaotic, or when you feel caught up in the mundane, just breathe. Get away from the mundane. Go for a walk. Go lean against your favorite tree. And breathe.

Soothed by the Rain

Ah... The soothing qualities of rain. There is a magical, ethereal quality about a raindrop that hits the dry, parched earth. The soil clenches up as if shocked by the touch of water drop. Then, it gives way as the rain drops accumulate. The dust is no longer blown away in the breeze, but stays together with the soil it yearns to remain.--Me

Thursday morning, while I was enjoying a lovely dream, I was suddenly awakened by our bedside weather radio alarm. I thought, this had better be good, since it woke me up 4 minutes before I needed to wake up at 4:30 a.m. No, it was a Severe Thunderstorm Watch--not a warning! And, no, it wasn't for our immediate area. It wasn't even for our regional area! It was for Faribault County in Minnesota!! I couldn't believe it! I know that I programmed that weather radio to only alarm for warnings and only for my county and surrounding counties. It must have been an act of God. Or something...

Yesterday afternoon we experienced T-storm watches and warnings, but somehow we just were not fortunate to enjoy more than a few drops of rain. Very disappointing since our lawn looks more like a hayrack spilled its contents all over our yard. However, at 2:30 a.m. this morning, I was awakened by the sound of strong winds and thunder. Thor must have listened to my heartened pleas, because he was out in full force this morning, banging away with flashes of light in an otherwise dark night.

Then, the downpours came. The first one was so soothing and refreshing, however, that was not good enough for Thor. The second storm system converged shortly after the first, and it began with a thunderous boom and then--poof! All the lights were out in our end of town. The lightning darting from the sky seemed to almost leap at us in the dark-black night landscape. As the zags of lightning flashed in the night, I could see the trees bending down, as if they were trying to touch their roots. The sheets of water pouring down from the sky made the scene a hazy blur.

Soon after, the angry Thor god ushered himself onward to the next unsuspecting, sleeping community. The soft, gentle rain continued, massaging the stressed ground, as I dashed from my car to get to the door and into my dry work cave. I am always refreshed by the effects of a good thunder boomer, but this morning I was soothed by the rain.

The Advent of Computers and the "Tubes"

I feel compelled to share this bit of humor with you. I typed it in a forum post discussion on remembering the beginning of the internet, in a humorous context. I hope this will add a bit of a smile to your day.

Yeah, I remember the days of the text only internet.

Oh, you know that reminds me of the first time I saw a computer porn show. Really. Let me take you back. The year was 1985 and I was on my first "date" with this geeky guy, a sort of premonition that I would be destined to love geeky guys. After the homecoming dance, he took me back to his house and it was all dark. 'Pretty sure my parents are upstairs banging away,' he said to me. Great. Then, he said he had to show me something. I'm thinking he's really crazy or really horny. Found out he was both, but that's another story. He took me over to his dad's den and, as we sat in front of the computer, he put a 5 1/4 inch floppy into the drive. 'You gotta see this,' he said. Okay, this better be good, I thought. All of a sudden the drive starts to make this grinding noise, and on the screen it says something like "Oh, baby, yeah. That feels so good." The floppy in the drive starts to make whirling sounds and then more grinding. "C'mon, baby, work it harder," the screen said. More whirling and grinding, and I swear the computer was going to have an orgasm! Either that or it was going to explode! "Oh, Oh, Oh My G-d, Come. Yes! Yes! Yes! Ooooooh! Ohhhhh!" Wow. I don't know if his intention was to turn me on, which it didn't, but I got a great laugh out of that.

You know, I think it was the intention of the designer of the computer and the tubes to make it just a bit suggestive. Think about it. You insert your disk into the drive... and in the old days, disks were huuuuge. 5 1/4 inch was small compared to the 8 inch monsters. It is a bit ironic, too, that they called them floppy disks, because any man who needs viagra would be very pleased if he could be as rigid as a floppy disk. When the 3 1/2 inch floppy came out, it was even more rigid than the 5 1/4, which was great because 5 1/4 inch floppies were just not lasting long in my backpack. Another great internet tool that I miss is being able to "finger" someone online. Kinky, huh? Yeah, I remember posting on the BBS, and if my favorite poster wasn't there, I could "finger" him. It was always fun to get "fingered" online, too. For those who have no idea what online fingering is, I can tell you what it is not: It is not giving someone the online bird, unless after you fingered them you gave them the computer version of the bird; It is not touching the computer screen with your sweaty fingerprints; It is not exploring the inner chasms of the tubes in search of pleasure... Oh, ah, actually, yes that is what it is. Okay, boys and girls, fingering is like ICQ, or instant messaging. Get your mind out of the gutter.

There's some of my odd sit down comedy. My own experiences wrapped in the topic of discussion. If I got you to smile, or even chuckle once or twice, or if you actually learned something, then my typing was not in vain. I kind of think that way about my life, too...