End of an Era

Last night, Senator Edward Kennedy succumbed to brain cancer at the age of 77. It truly is the end of an era as it is the passing of the last Kennedy brother. Below is a re-posting of most of my blog entry published on Friday, May 23, 2008, entitled "A Remarkable Life":

This big news in the world of politics this week was obviously the health of Sen. Edward Kennedy. His seizure earlier this week led to the diagnosis of a malignant brain tumor, and has brought into question not only his future, but also the future of the United States Senate: what will its make-up become? What direction will it take once this giant of politics is lost?

But this week's news has started me thinking about the journey that Sen. Kennedy has traveled. It truly has been a remarkable life, no matter how you view the man politically. He's a Kennedy -- a name that has been held in the highest esteem in the eyes of Americans for more than 50 years. He comes from the era of Camelot, which many of us know only through the words of history books. He has been able to stand up and stand out among a group of larger than life personalities.

People's lives fascinate me -- how long they've lived, what they've done, where they've been. Sen. Kennedy is a member of an extraordinary family, and more specifically a member of a group of three brothers that have not only changed this country, but the world as a whole (his eldest brother, Joseph, was killed during World War II). His second eldest brother John held the highest office in this land. His brother Robert was John's closest confidant, and made his own run for president. Both were cut down by the bullets of assassins, 45 and 40 years ago, respectively. That amazes me. Losing one brother in such a fashion would be traumatic enough, but losing two, and then choosing to continue to live the same kind of public, exposed lifestyle that led to their murders clearly shows the depth of commitment that Sen. Kennedy has for this country. He has served in the United States Senate since 1963 -- 45 years.

Sen. Kennedy has truly lived a blessed life, despite the trials and tribulations -- both professional and personal -- that seem to come along with the name 'Kennedy.'

Slick Willie

On Henry Rollins' live spoken word album, A Rollins in the Wry, he makes the following observation:

"...he is just like an eel in the weeds in the ocean, man. He's like an eel going through the Sargasso Sea, man. You know? He's slick and slippery; you can't get to the guy. And he's not Teflon, he's just oily. He's like a Dukes-of-Hazzard-kinda-yahoo guy, and he's getting it, you know?"

Who was Henry speaking of? Why none other than former President Bill Clinton. And though this quote was in reference to Clinton's 5-hour Monica Lewinsky testimony, I believe that the description is just as relevant today...and I mean that as a compliment. A week ago, Bill Clinton accomplished what I think was a magnificent feat: he walked into North Korea -- probably the most unstable and unpredictable country in the world -- slipped through the weeds, and walked out with Laura Ling and Euna Lee, two North Korean-convicted U.S. journalists. And this was not a covert mission. He went, he met with leaders (including the elusive Kim Jong Il) out in the open, he got it done, and he left saying, "This is how it's done, folks. Sit down and take notes."

Now, there are some who feel that Bill Clinton's meeting and photo-op with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was a mistake because it legitimizes Kim in a way that should not be allowed. I, however, disagree. Situations like this are how things change. A world-renowned dignitary travels to the doors of an enemy with a request, and the enemy acquiesces. This could be the beginning of a whole new dialogue between our government and North Korea, and you never know what might come of that.

Slick Willie, at it again.

Asinine

Over the past week and a half, this country has been subject to a constant news story that is insulting when you consider our two wars, economic crisis, push to pass healthcare reform, and various other problems. I am, of course, talking about the arrest of Professor Henry Louis-Gate in Cambridge.

Now, race is a major issue in this country despite the fact that we now have an African-American president, but in my opinion this story should be no more than a footnote, and not worthy of the hours and hours of coverage that it has gotten. Of course this was propelled by the president wading hip-deep into the issue when he should not have. But it is stories like this that really brings out the stupidity of some people, along with asinine statements and ides.

Take, for example, Congressman Richard E. Neal of Massachusetts, and his objections to the selections of beer that are going to be served at the White House meeting between President Obama, Professor Louis-Gate, and Sgt. James Crowley. Rep. Neal recently wrote a letter to the president urging him to serve Sam Adams, or another beer from an American-owned brewery.

Oh, come on. The story is already blown out of proportion. Do we really need to care about what beer they drink?

Born in the USA

Months after President Obama's inauguration, conspiracies still abound about the legitimacy of his U.S. citizenship. Incredible, but not surprising. I don't know that there is much that could surprise me anymore when it comes to politics and stupidity. Check out Roland Martin's short piece from CNN.com.

Sotomayor vs. SVU & CSI

Right now on USA, there is a Law & Order: Special Victims Unit marathon. On Spike, there is a CSI marathon. And on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and PBS, there is day two of the Sonia Sotomayor marathon -- special all day coverage of the Supreme Court nominee's confirmation hearings. Can you say exciting? Yeah, me neither.

I've watched a little bit of the hearings. Democrats are praising her, Republicans keep bringing up the "wise Latina" comments. But the real question is: will any of this make a bit of difference? No. The Democrats hold a 60-40 majority in the Senate (counting Bernie Sanders, who is an Independent), and Sotomayor only needs to receive 51 votes to be confirmed. As Sen. Lindsay Graham put it yesterday, "Unless you have a complete meltdown, you are going to get confirmed."

So what is the point of all this? I think that an appointment to the Supreme Court is an important matter, and public hearings are a great thing. But I just wonder what Senators are hoping to learn in these three days that they have not been able to learn in the past month and a half. Is there really a need to have three hours of opening statements from senators? There is a finite amount of time before Congress breaks for the summer recess, and a seemingly infinite amount of issues that need to be addressed. So, why is all this grandstanding so important?

Anyway, you can watch SVU, CSI, or Sotomayor, Sotomayor, Sotomayor, and Sotomayor. What channel do you want?

Robert McNamara

It was reported today that Robert McNamara, former secretary of defense under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, has passed away at age 93. A very controversial figure, he was not only heavily involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis, but was a key architect of the war in Vietnam. If you get the chance, I highly recommend viewing Errol Morris' documentary, "The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara."

2,870 Miles

I have returned from Las Vegas and my 9-day cross-country trip, and believe me when I say that it was great. We drove 2,870 miles between New York and Nevada, and that includes Day 4, when we went from Oklahoma City, OK, to Henderson, NV. That's right - we went 1,180 miles in 18.5 hours. That's like half the country, folks. We reached hardcore road warrior status. Please allow me to share some of my memories.

Top 5 Best Experiences of My Cross-Country Trip:
1. The Hoover Dam - If you have never seen it, I recommend going. It really is immense and spectacular, even if the water-level is at record lows, and the bridge that they are building over the water to divert traffic from the dam is impressive in itself.
2. The M Hotel/Casino - A fantastic new hotel/casino in Las Vegas located way off the main strip, which keeps it from becoming a tourist trap like New York-New York or Paris. Great ambiance, great dealers, good food, great comps, and a self-serve kiosk with complimentary soda and water so you don't have to wait for a waitress if you don't want alcohol. Yes, you read that correctly. Four guys in their twenties played so much blackjack and poker that we got food comps. We hit the M three nights in a row.
3. The Fiddle & Steel Guitar Bar - Located in Nashville, we got to listen to some real Nashville country music in an easy-going bar. We weren't there for long, but it was a nice little Nashville experience.
4. Attending a Las Vegas wedding - Yes, I attended a wedding while in Las Vegas. No, it was not my own, nor one of my traveling partners', and none of the participants were intoxicated at the ceremony. This was a planned wedding of a friend of mine from college at the MGM Grand. It was short, sweet, funny, and the reception was at the buffet. Boom. It is now a story for life.
5. Standing on a corner in Winslow, AZ - No joke. We stopped. We posed. We took pictures. Talk about a conversation starter!

Top 5 Worst Experiences of My Cross-Country Trip:
1. Hooters Hotel/Casino - We stopped in because they advertised $3 blackjack, and since we were hungry we thought we would grab some food. Pretty shabby, and the food was not worth the price. Two of us ordered sandwiches, and they didn't even come with fries. This is America - what kind of scam is that?
2. Nevada Route 95 - Due to security restrictions, we could not take the rental truck over the Hoover Dam. Therefore, instead of taking Arizona Route 93, we had to take Nevada Route 95, which is a 55-mile straight road through the desert. Which we drove in the dark, at the tail end of our 18.5 hour day. It was brutal, and we were mentally fried. We could see other cars up in the distance coming towards us, but they were literally miles away.
3. Slots of Fun - Slots of fun is an old, dirty casino located across from the Riviera on Las Vegas Blvd. It is worn down and smelly, though you can play cheap blackjack and buy cheap beer. We were there for about 15 minutes.
4. The Music City Hostel - We stayed at this hostel in Nashville because my traveling partner has had good experiences with hostels in the past, and he likes to meet new and interesting people. It wasn't really my style, and even my friend was a bit disappointed in it. We slept, we woke up, we booked it.
5. Trying to get gas in Arizona - The area just past the Arizona state line when entering from New Mexico is heavily controlled by Native American nations, and this includes the gas stations. We must have stopped 4 times before we found a gas station that was open, accepted credit cards, and was less than $3.50/gallon. It was frustrating. I can only imagine getting gas in an Arizona city must be easier, but I cannot say for sure.