"This is really getting out of control." MOHAMED OSMAN ADEN, Somali diplomat, after pirates took ship full of military weaponry

Ah, the beauty of the understatment! My temptation is to let the day pass with tribute to Paul Newman resting at the top of the heap, but news continues to pile up so fast that the currency of currency trumps even hero worship. Besides, it is my firm belief that Paul would prefer seeing our efforts at restoring democracy to the singing of his many praises. 1st Debate: How utterly predictable and even amusing that the first comment Obamameister Plouffe could muster in his after action con call was the fact that McCain didn't say, "middle class." It brings to mind the ancient child's game, "Giant Steps," wherein if a player forgot to say, "Mother, May I?", they were penalized. But this is not a childhood game, and the Obama camp's desperation is clearly mounting as McCain swept last night's debate across the board with witty civility, solid solutions and concrete answers to Obama's dithering, hedging digressions ['Yeah...what HE said', from I-Agree-With-You-John Obama]. This, by the way, was no surprise; Obama's inability to function beyond reading the words "Hope" and "Change" off a teleprompter has become legend, as has his failure to ennunciate any real solutions to anything, perhaps out of fear he will be held accountable when he waffles on a vote he can't avoid. But worst of all is the fact that he is tied, lock stock and barrel with Bill Ayres & Co. to ACORN, http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=3416 the entity that has received so much attention for voter registration fraud, and which is now marked for a $140 Billion allocation in the proposed bailout; and with his first choice for VP, Jim Johnson of Fannie May, Goldman Sachs & Lehman fame, Franklin Raines of Fannie Mae and Lehman Bros, who resigned due to "accounting irregularities", from all of whom Obama accepted 49 times more money than Mccain. [Pick of the Week: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5tZc8oH--o] Who else is betting he'll show up for THAT vote and, for that Change he loves to tout, instead of his customary "Present" vote, will push the button for Bailouts-R-US, while McCain toils steadily in Washington this weekend, working for something other than a plan to aggrandize corrupt "nonprofits" and Wall Street alike.

Rest In Peace, My Friend, and Leave Us With Words & Actions To Live By

Today brings the news of the passing of one of our greatest American heros. Paul Newman epitomized the American Ideal in every way, but his model of humility, activism and philanthropy have been a beacon of hope to many of us for generations. His sublime talent for acting craft never prevented him for exploring the many other aspects of himself and humanity, and never blocked his way to an ever-expanding growth and interest in the world as a whole. Paul Newman was a power of example in how to embrace many paths on our journey through this world and, on the way, to put something back.

“We are such spendthrifts with our lives,” he once said.

“The trick of living is to slip on and off the planet with the least fuss you can muster. I’m not running for sainthood. I just happen to think that in life we need to be a little like the farmer, who puts back into the soil what he takes out.”

To list even partially his myriad contributions would take volumes, but perhaps it is just as well to leave this tribute in as simple terms as possible, for that is the way he would like it. He never let his accomplishments interfere with his ability to see himself clearly--an attribute that, these days, so few have and so many need.

And so, I bid you goodbye, dear friend of the Universe. Your stay was brief, your accomplishments long and many. May we all allow ourselves a moment to memorialize you as we continue on our journey in your footsteps, to make the world a better place.