Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas To All

A few weeks ago, when Thanksgiving Day rolled around, I cited my basic awareness that on major holidays, individuals and families often opt to abandon many of their typical leisure pursuits, such as TV viewing, reading, hobbies, crafts, etc, in favor of family/group-based endeavors. Gathering kith and kin for large meals, arranging family outings to see the latest movie releases, and reviewing and assessing newly enhanced toy and/or gadget collections (for kids of all ages), are activity types that will dominate schedules on Christmas Day, and in many cases, for several days to follow.

To wit, awareness is a beautiful thing. I can foresee no great hue and cry for a Day-after- Christmas blog.” In my pre-Thanksgiving Day post, I revealed the Top 10 Things about which I was thankful. Not to worry, I will not bore you to tears by enumerating a similar list of my Christmas gifts. Rather, in penning this final 2007 offering, I encourage you to reflect upon and contemplate, not mine, but your own gifts.

Not the presents someone gave you, of even those you gave to others. No, I’m speaking of those things that you truly value most. And do not worry; this is not a treatise on the de-commercialization of Christmas. In fact it is not a treatise of any sort.

Quite simply, I am asking you to devote a few moments to thinking about the sources of your happiness, and contentment. Chances are, if you made a list comprised of 5 or 10 items, family, would appear in a prominent place on your list. More than likely, at least one friend would make the list. Perhaps having a sense of safety and security…is on your list.

All or none of these items may be on your list. The point is, while we may seldom think of them in this specific context, for most of us there are key drivers to our satisfaction in general, and more pointedly, to our happiness and contentment. Typically, they are not found at Belk’s, Wal-Mart, Nordstrom, or even Neiman-Marcus. They are often not bought at all, or simply are not for sale, regardless of price.

Frequently they are people, accomplishments, and/or memories. They are things you would be reluctant to place a price on, even if you could. We all have them; what are yours?

The items that appear on our list, be they few or many, are things that define us. They tell who and what is important to us, and just as often, to whom we are important. If you like your list of gifts, regardless of the presents you received, or did not receive for that matter, you are apt to have had a very Merry Christmas.

I am done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/ , or by Googling thesphinxofcharlotte. A new post is published each Wednesday.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaxDGfA7evA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Christmas_Song

http://www.history.com/minisites/christmas

http://www.santas.net/aroundtheworld.htm

http://books.google.com/books?q=christmas&source=citation&ots=K5gM-L4uhX&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title&cad=bottom-3results&hl=en

http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/thischristmas/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEETviNu_VM

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Holidays-and-Events/Christmas/Main.aspx

http://www.soon.org.uk/christmas.htm

http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/ethnic_relig/christms.html

http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Total Loss: Nothing Lasts Forever, R.I.P.!

Life has an interesting way of intervening in the course of human events. To paraphrase Robert Burns, "The best-laid schemes of mice and men often go awry." I had efficiently queued-up the topic for this week’s post, but the fates derailed my efforts.

Last Thursday, former Senator George Mitchell released a 409-page report of his findings on steroid use in baseball. Suddenly, while Barry Bonds may still be a villain, he is certainly no longer baseball’s Lone Ranger of “juice.” Apparently, if Barry was playing dirty, he had a significant amount of company, including other baseball heavyweights.

This past summer, when the Bonds’ storm was moving with gale-force strength, and the speed of a category 5 hurricane, I opined that fierce competitors in baseball and many other popular sports have long sought, and used the source of the keenest competitive edge available. The Mitchell Report seems to confirm that, at least in baseball, by implicating some of the sport’s beloved royalty, including Roger Clemens. Nevertheless, I digress.

“Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.Juliet Capulet uttered those famous lines to Romeo Montague at the end of Scene II in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

I lost a dear, loyal, and long-time acquaintance today. As these things so often go, even though it was not totally unexpected, the moment was sobering, still. In spite of the fact, I saw it coming; the advanced information simply neither prepared me for, nor neutralized the brutal sting of finality.

It all began a couple of weeks ago when my friend suffered severe internal damage, and lost a significant portion of vital fluids. As the primary caregiver, I contacted an expert, of course. He reported the prognosis was not good, and laid out the list of options available to me. Like any savvy individual, faced with such uncertain circumstances, I requested a second, and then a third opinion.

Ultimately, however, the subject matter experts agreed, and rendered parallel opinions. The collective conclusion was, resolving the matter required a costly procedure, which in turn might reveal even more serious damage, which could require additional costly procedures. This conundrum screamed triage.

Pressed to a last resort, after taking a symbolic deep breath, I reluctantly consulted the insurance carrier. Yesterday afternoon, the carrier's representative called with the news. He patiently detailed the list of maladies and the cost of correcting them by using the proposed treatment alternative. He then restated my friend’s profile, including age, and specific condition. Clearly, he had done the cost/benefit analysis. At the end of his spiel, he rendered the news in a clear and measured tone, perfected by practice, “Your car is a Total Loss.”

Yes, if you have not figured it out by now, this is an allegory. By any reasonable assessment, it is just a car. But to me…well, having owned that 1986 Kalahari (Gold, if you must) Porsche 944 since it was new, 21 and ½ years ago, let me just say, I am unable to bend my mind to the point of making a reasonable assessment of the matter. I can stipulate that!

Today, it was time for the solemn death march. I drove out to the funeral home, excuse me, I mean the repair shop, to remove my remaining personal effects, and the license plate. Over two decades of memories washed over me as I gathered my belongings. Although in need of a wash, the car…scratch that, the automobile still looked good. Of course the sporty stance belied the puncture in the oil pan that had allowed all the oil to escape. And who knows if there was any residual engine damage?

Not I. In fact, I prefer not to know, and instead remember that the last time I drove the Porsche, two weeks ago today; it operated like the precision machine it had been, since 1986. As I left the repair shop, taking one last glance in my rear view mirror, I contemplated the Porsche’s next move, to the auto graveyard, more familiarly known as the salvage shop. I thought to myself, having lasted 21 and ½ years was quite an accomplishment. That is 99 years in dog years for all the pet lovers, PETA members, and Michael Vick haters out there.

Finally, in retrospect, while driving away, I whispered, “I derived more than 21 years of driving pleasure, covering 229,633 miles. Really, it as not a Total Loss: Nothing lasts forever, R.I.P.!”

That’s it for me today; holla back!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_944

http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z9948/default.aspx

http://www.carsurvey.org/modelyear_Porsche_944_1986.html

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/noframes/1740.shtml

http://www.automotive.com/1986/09/porsche/944/index.html

http://www.automobilemag.com/am/1986/porsche/944/recalls.html

http://www.carsforsale.com/used_cars_for_sale/1986_Porsche_944_40863372

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Porsche-Repair-829/1986-Porsche-944-oil.htm

http://www.internetautoguide.com/auto-recalls/99-int/1986/porsche/944/base-coupe/313/index.html

http://www.944central.com/

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Countdown To Election '08

In less than 11 months, 328 days to be exact, millions of Americans, me included, will dutifully proceed to polling places in virtually every city, town, and village to purposefully execute one of the most solemn and celebrated of civic responsibilities. We will vote for, or against, and elect, the next Commander-in-Chief, the 44th President of the United States of America.

For residents of the Sunbelt Region, the Carolinas, and especially the Palmetto State, this past Sunday was a day that served to emphasize the coming drama in a special way. In what amounts to the crowing testament, thus far, of Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement of Illinois Senator, Barack Obama, the duo; trio really if you count Mrs. Obama – Michelle, came to William Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina to rock the vote.

Over the years, Oprah fans and observers have come to know and read Oprah’s favorite books, be gifted with Oprah’s favorite things, and this year the electorate will be afforded an opportunity to vote for Oprah’s favorite candidate, Barack Obama. Sunday’s mass rally attracted nearly 30,000 people. It was by a significant margin the largest event to date for the Senator and his campaign.

Presidential elections are routinely filled with an array of twists, turns, and high drama. Looking at a small subset of the field of candidates, and potential candidates vying for the democratic nomination, it is already clear ’08 will not prove to be the exception. Most polls show the top 3 contenders to be Senator Barack Obama, Illinois, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York, and John Edwards, former North Carolina Senator, not necessarily in that order.

In Iowa, where the January 3rd Caucuses will kick-off Campaign ’08, Obama recently held a slight, statistically insignificant, lead over Clinton, who held a similar lead over Edwards. In South Carolina, where the Democratic Primary is scheduled for January 26th, Clinton has led Obama, with Edwards trailing there as well.

In order to emerge as the Democratic Party nominee for president, the winner must garner a majority of the 4,046 delegate votes available. There are 56 democratic caucuses and primaries, including one for each of the 50 states, and Washington, DC, as well as one each for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and Democratic Voters Abroad.

There is a term used in chess, which may also apply to politics, called denouement. Loosely translated, it means the outcome or final resolution of a complex sequence of events, such as chess moves. It is an understatement to say, we have a ways to go before reaching the final resolution to Campaign ’08.

Each member of the triumvirate referenced above has some perceived edge, as well as liabilities that are sure to be highlighted during the Primary Season, and for the survivor elevated exponentially during the General Election. Let us consider the candidates, and a few of their strengths and weaknesses.

Senator Obama, who was born August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii, established himself as a cogent communicator with a superbly delivered Keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and went on to win his maiden campaign for the United States Senate with a stunning 70% of the vote. He has proven to be a surprisingly adept and successful fund-raiser, and of course, as we know, he is Oprah’s favorite candidate! The Senator has greatly energized a large segment of the black electorate, and is expected to attract significant numbers of black voters.

Alternately, he is frequently characterized by his competitors and detractors as lacking experience. Expect this point to be made with increasing frequency, and ferocity as the campaign unfolds.

Senator Clinton, born October 26, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois, is the wife of former President Bill Clinton, and of course spent 8 years as The First Lady. She benefits from a large and seasoned network of party regulars who supported her husband in his stints as Arkansas Governor and two successful bids for the White House. Many will view Mrs. Clinton’s run as the natural evolution of former New York Representative Geraldine Ferraro’s run for Vice President, as Walter Mondale’s running mate during their ill-fated 1984 Campaign. However, in addition to enjoying a strong feminist base, Senator Clinton also expects to hold a strong appeal to black voters, challenging Obama in some circles in that regard.

On the flip side, despite her experience as a Washington-insider, her key role in the Clinton Administration will be viewed and exploited as a negative by many. Moreover, aside from any policy fallout; anticipate her role as the Number 1 FOB (Friend of Bill) to surface as fodder for attack.

Former Senator Edwards, born June 10, 1953 in Seneca, South Carolina, served one term as a United States Senator from North Carolina. He declined to seek reelection in order to run for President. In July 2004, John Kerry announced Edwards as his running mate. The two went on to lose to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney in what would become Bush’s second term in office. Edwards currently serves as Director of the Center on Poverty, Work, and Opportunity, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law School. Of the three front-runners, He holds the distinction of having negotiated the rigors of the Democratic Primary as a candidate. Edwards’ work on issues of poverty and his moderate to liberal social agenda, pro Affirmative Action, but also pro Death Penalty, will be used to a leverage support.

Conversely, his ties to Senator Kerry and their failed bid, in the most recent 2004 Presidential Election, will be cited as a key negative. Also, like Obama, Edwards was a one-term Senator, whose lack of overall experience will be highlighted.

The choice to address only 3 contenders here, or a single Party, is not a tacit nod to any of those candidates, or that party, but a function of time and space. In other words, it would take much more of both to have done more. It is likely someone not in the top 3 will surge. Oh yeah, the other Party could also win it all.

I will offer one additional element of food for thought. Each of these candidates is a United States Senator, or former United States Senator. The last President elected while serving in the Senate was John Fitzgerald Kennedy, in 1960. The last former Senator elected President was Richard Milhous Nixon, in 1968, and 1972. Depending upon how one chooses to view it, either the current crop of Democratic front-running contenders is futilely engaged, or…one of them is destined to become the architect of a huge victory that breaks a long dry spell.

As I draw this post to a close, I am left with one bit of lingering curiosity. Are any of you affected at all, either drawn to or repelled by Obama, due to Oprah’s endorsement? She is a phenomenal person, capable of making a larger than life impact in some areas. Is your choice for President one of those areas?

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/, or by Googling thesphinxofcharlotte. A new post is published each Wednesday.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama

http://www.charlotte.com/171/story/398986.html

http://www.charlotte.com/171/story/398957.html

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/12/09/506930.aspx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz67XRdqwmc

http://www.wjbf.com/midatlantic/jbf/news_index.apx.-content-articles-JBF-2007-12-10-0009.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-071209oprah-obama,0,394591.story

http://www.latimes.com/la-na-oprahsun10dec10,0,4626272.story?coll=la-home-center

http://www.suntimes.com/news/mitchell/687971,CST-NWS-mitch09.article

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/national/stories/DN-obama_10nat.ART.State.Edition2.2d572a1.html

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=645414&BCCode=BNENTERTAINMENT&newsdate=12/9/2007

http://uncutvideo.aol.com/events/Barack-Obama-2008

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/09/10/the-oprah-factor-and-obama/

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1687526,00.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/04/AR2007090402188.html

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Is Justice Blind, Or Merely Fatally Flawed?

There is a lot to commend about the American system of jurisprudence. It is widely held to be at the top of the heap, as far as sifting through the rubble of mass mayhem that afflicts our society, and discerning with Solomon-like wisdom, when, where, or whether to split baby Justice. Yet, for all our advances, there are times, or more appropriately cases that prompt us to scratch our collective heads, and like Arsenio Hall, say, “hmmmm!”

The case of Lee Wayne Hunt is shaping up as one such instance. Mr. Hunt has spent 21 years in prison, convicted largely on the weight of a now disavowed technique of assaying forensic evidence, known as comparative bullet lead analysis. The theory underlying this now defunct process held that by analyzing the lead composition of a bullet, the weapon used to fire it could be identified.

The FBI popularized and stood behind this science and methodology for years. But recently the Bureau revealed they have determined the process to be flawed, unreliable, and misleading. In fact, they stopped using it more than two years ago. One small (not really) hitch…they did not inform the hundreds of defendants in prison due to the evidence gleaned from the use of the technique. Further, neither did they did not advise law enforcement agencies across the Country, still using the process to leverage convictions.

As if this were not enough to call into question Mr. Hunt’s conviction, his co-defendant, Jerry Cashwell, allegedly confessed to his attorney that he alone committed the double murder for which Hunt was also convicted. That admission was made 20 years ago, the co-defendant subsequently committed suicide 5 years ago while serving the same double life sentence as Hunt, and yet the Court of Appeals denied Hunt a new trial.

Not only did the Court deny Mr. Hunt a new trial, but there are indications Staples Hughes, the attorney who revealed Cashwell’s admission may lose his license for violating attorney-client privilege. This confluence of circumstances has influenced a former North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice, I. Beverly Lake, Jr., to join Mr. Hunt’s defense team.

Former Justice Lake has a pre-existing interest in remedying wrongful convictions. He established the NC Actual Innocence Commission to review and evaluate felons’ claims of innocence. When describing his motivation for creating the Commission, former Justice Lake said, “I wanted to improve the public’s confidence in the system.”

By signing-on with this case, Lake, a long-time republican, provides instant credibility, and underscores the position this is not just a weak case promoted by liberal defense lawyers hoping to expand their agenda. It is still unknown whether Mr. Hunt will prevail in his efforts to secure a new trial, but one thing that is known is his case has attracted a powerful and respected ally. It is courageous and principled acts such as this one by former Justice Lake that model virtue we hope for in our system of jurisprudence.

Indeed, Lady Justice may be blind (as in objective), but many of the operatives responsible for meting out fairness and equality are fatally flawed. This case highlights examples of placing the rigid application of rules before dispensing justice. Former Justice Lake has taken a moment to call out and call upon his former peers to “do the right thing.” I will be watching with keen interest to see how this matter unfolds. I hope you will too!

That’s what I think. What do you say?

Holla Back!


Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/, or by Googling thesphinxofcharlotte. A new post is published each Wednesday.

To read and learn more about Lee Wayne Hunt, click on the links below:

http://www.charlotte.com/opinion/story/377634.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/17/AR2007111701641_pf.html

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/crime_safety/story/804540.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/16/60minutes/main3512453.shtml

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20071202/EDITORIAL/712020343

http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=278633

http://www.wbt.com/news/details.cfm?article_id=34326

http://www.abajournal.com/news/pd_faces_ethics_complaint_for_telling_of_dead_clients_confession
http://truthinjustice.org/lee-wayne-hunt.htm

http://barbarasblogspot.blogspot.com/2007/11/lee-wayne-hunt-i-am-innocent-cbs-60.html