Seeds for Keith

Keith Olberman needs a new career using his logic about journalistic integrity. Here's his address to get him started:

Keith Olberman
Countdown
1 MSNBC Plaza
Secaucus, NJ 07094

The Path to 9/11

Great docu-drama! Simply excellent. Some were howling about it in it was not complimentary to certain political figures shall I say. Whatever. I heard Peggy Noonan panning it on the Laura Ingrahm Show (Sorry Laura, but I miss the Hoguester!) as having been so heavily edited to be irrelevant. Her beef appeared to be the removal of items that really painted the Clinton crowd in especially harsh light if those existed. Now I’m down with a good game of Clinton bashing as much as the next guy, but this wasn’t the place for it. Clinton’s problems are well known. Any first year psych student can tell the guy’s a textbook narcissist, which doesn’t necessarily imply good leadership traits. I’ve found narcissists to be quite charming at first meeting hence having that leadership potential anyway. Clinton had me charmed until he wagged that finger in my face telling me he “did not have sexhual reluhtions with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky.” Liar, liar, liar, pants on fire. He and I were done after that. But all good fun in Clinton bashing aside, I can’t in good conscience pin 9/11 on him due to his pre-occupation with himself.

I walked away from that production realizing that no one in this greatest nation on God’s green Earth was prepared for the depth of evil that struck it square on the chin 5 years ago. It was a staggering what-the-hell-was-that blow and simply incomprehensible to us civilized folk that 19 men could be driven to commit such a horrific act. For some of us, it is still is incomprehensible. These nineteen men were not insane. They were highly devoted and intelligent men far as the leaders (Atta, et.al.) go.

Yet to plan for such a thing for years knowing the mission’s completion would result in just as a bloody a death for them as their victims – what drives a man to do so? 11 September 2001 was a wakeup call to us all that yes evil does exist and is quite virulent and quite powerful. Western culture and American culture in particular has spent the past few decades convincing itself evil is not a real entity. If evil does not exist, that rather tends to render God irrelevant. That led to sort-of belief in God as some sort of New Age guru. But human power was where it was at. There was no wrong that couldn’t be legislated or litigated away was the New World Order. We were incredibly intoxicated with ourselves and our seeming ability to do anything we put our minds to and control any aspect of nature and human nature. Clinton personified everything that mattered to American culture so he was the leader we wanted. Absolute belief in our own power to create whatever we wanted.

The Dark One is nothing if not crafty. The Bible warns he can cast himself as a thing of absolute dazzling beauty is deflect us away from a relationship with God. Our fascination with ourselves and our seeming divine power over the world about us was indeed dazzling wasn’t it? What better strategery to neutralize the one nation on Earth with the capabilities and gifts to best make known God’s grace then to have it focus on itself as the world wallowed in misery and mayhem. God allowed us to take that path because it was what we chose. As a father I know how hard it can be to allow harsh, but necessary lessons to occur to my kids whom I love dearly. The Dark One seeing an opportunity to stake his claim in the world struck out with his deceived followers and bitch slapped us hard figuring we were too weak and self absorbed to do anything about it. God willing, we will ask for His strength to continue the fight against unrepentant evil.

WHAdddaaa....? Canceled?!?!

Below is an email I sent to Eric Hogue regarding his move to 710 AM in the afternoon. I'm really going to miss him in the morning but overall this is probably better for him as he reaches into the Bay Area market.

Hoguester,

Allright, I understand now. Salem is standardizing their broadcast across all the affiliates and Laura Ingraham will be live in Sacto from here on. Does she have any idea what big shoes she's going to have to fill in these parts?!?!? Let her know okay? Better yet, I will. There's a hoary old cliche that sez: "The only constant in life is change." Grrrr, well okay, I guess so. As much as we profess to hate change, we all crave it.

A few years ago I was scanning the dial on my morning commute and heard this "nutcase" holding a live broadcast from the capital steps trying to get people riled up over a "recall" or something like that. I suspected his and the crowd's collective sanity immediately, because who in their right mind would be holding a public rally at O-dark-aclock in the morning?!?! At the time I had no idea what this guy was talking about, but his obvious passion and zeal for the cause were absolutely infectious. It was the first time I heard anybody around this often silly city say, "Yes, you can fight city hall, yes, this is a democracy dammit, and yes everyone in the world wants what we've made for ourselves so let's let them in." versus sounding like a xenophobe as did a certain fellow that used to be elsewhere on the dial in the evenings. Gee, I'll miss him - NOT!

Your Christian roots became very apparent as you covered the local topics that mattered to me as I got ready for whatever the day would bring at my job in local government. The politically correct bureacracy was wearying at times. But, listening to you in the morning, I came to realize that covering up my faith at work was akin to "shame of the Gospel" which Paul fearlessly denounced for himself. Being my hero, I could no longer do less than Paul. I have you to thank for opening my eyes to that cowardice. While I'm not going to broadcast who I and my family are at Stopworrying, since all manner of fool can browse websites in addition to the sane folks out there, no longer do I check my faith at the office door. My eyes are open and I'm awake. Can't say that for everybody I know.

Anyway, I'm going to miss your morning perspective on the bill-mill down the street and other issues we all need to be concerned about. Laura's terrific, but she just isn't going to be the same. California government has been teetering on going totally out of control for several years now. You were (are) a safety valve that partially kept it in check by exposing its often lunacy for all to see. Hearing about those things at 0600 in the morning meant we all had time in the day to do something about it (phone calls, e-mail to our reps) before the inmates woke up down there in the asylum. Your job now in the evening will be to exhort all of us to be better, meaning more active, citizens in this Greatest Nation on God's Green Earth ( I love Medved's sign-off!). "Get off your comfortable butt and down there to that evening city council meeting, or school board hearing!" I figure I'll see you holding live 710 broadcasts at a few of them. Greatness demands duty before rights. Most Americans have forgotten that or just don't want to hear it. Make them hear it my friend.

Good luck and God Bless.