MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM SANTA, LIL'MAN AND www.jeffartis.com
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MY COLUMN FOR THIS WEEK: "ACCOUNTABILITY, RESPONSIBILITY & THE WORD"
CHRISTMAS AT ARLINGTON
CHRISTMAS AT ARLINGTON
XAVIER THOMPSON AT CHRISTMAS
THE ARTIS BLOG
12/21/07
Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love the children, the decorations, the fellowship, the shopping, getting together with family and friends, the food and a host of other things. I also love to celebrate the birth of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without Christ, I am nothing. I'd like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays.
I'd also like to thank you for all that you do. www.jeffartis.com recently started it's fourth year. Without you, my readers, www.jeffartis.com never would have made it. As I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, I'd also like to say, "Thank you." Thank you for your support. Thank you for making www.jeffartis.com a success.
I also ask one other thing. As you sit around the table getting your grub on, please take the time to bless and remember those who are less fortunate than you are. And please don't forget about the men and women in our military who are making the great sacrifice in keeping us safe from those who want to destroy us. Again, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I'll see you Wednesday, January 2, 2008. Happy New Year. Take care.
* The two pictures posted above were sent to me by Mr. Mac McCadden. The wreaths were donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine. I'd just like to tell those folks, "Thank you." I know the families of those buried in Arlington National Cemetery appreciate this genuine act of kindness.
* There's a new page on jeffartis.com. It's called, "BEING DAD." Check it out. You won't be disappointed. To read, "BEING DAD," please click on the, "BEING DAD" link at the top of this page.
* I ran into some technical difficulties editing and uploading last week's "SCLC RADIO SHOW." I'll have the 12/13/07 "SCLC RADIO SHOW" on line in the next few days. The main topic of the 12/13/07 "SCLC RADIO SHOW," was the jack legged Roanoke, Va. Democratic Party Meeting that took place on 12/11/07. Talk about a mess. To read more about this interesting meeting, please click on the following link.
* Let me be perfectly clear on this. There is only one reason why Roanoke, Va. City Government is interested in addressing Roanoke's so-called homeless problem. Roanoke City Government doesn't want the homeless any where near the "Yuppyville" it is attempting to create in downtown Roanoke, Va. The truth of the matter is, Roanoke, Va. should be proud of the services it offers to people who are down on their luck. For more on this story, please click on the following link.
* What's with American Electric Power; failing to send people their monthly electric bills and then turning off their electricity when these people don't have the money to pay their full electric bill after receiving a 24 hour notice that their bill has to be paid? Hell of a way to do business if you ask me. And public utilities wonder why people don't much care for them.
* West Virginia University blew it when the school didn't give former football coach Rich Rodriguez the sun, the moon and the stars to try to keep him at WVU. It appears Rodriguez wasn't asking for more money for himself. Rodriguez wanted WVU to follow through on the promises the school made to him last year to keep Rodriguez from going to coach football at Alabama. Those promises included better practice facilities, more money for his assistant coaches, reduced ticket prices for West Virginia high school coaches to see WVU football games and a sideline pass for his wife. WVU needs to learn that top college football programs must pay top dollar to keep top notch football coaches. First Bobby Bowden, now Rich Rodriguez. Will WVU ever learn?
* The Mitchell Report. With all of the current and former Baltimore O's listed in the Mitchell Report, you'd think the O's would at least be a .500 ball club, not one of the worse teams in the American League.
* I live in the real world. So I don't have a problem admitting this. If I played pro baseball and taking certain things were not against the expressed written rules of baseball, and I could potentially make millions of more dollars, save my career from injury or prolonged my career a few years, I'd have probably taken steroids and/or HGH, also.
Because what these athletes did wasn't against the written rules of baseball, I don't view these folk as cheaters. I view these folks as smart businessmen. And let's be honest. Owners, sports writer and fans looked the other way as ball players were getting bigger and stronger. Shot, only a fool would think Jose Canseco wasn't on something during his heyday in the last 80's.
* Baseball is not in trouble because of the Mitchell Report. My guess is baseball will set another attendance record in the upcoming season. Why? Baseball fans are ready to move on and are willing to put the steroid mess in their rear view window. The only people who think that baseball is in trouble over the Mitchell Report are those who don't follow the game. Me? I can't wait until Spring Training.
* Funny how all of the Barry Bonds on steroid talk had died down now that the Mitchell Report has come out. Allegations of Roger Clemens on steroids seems to have shut everyone up about "cheaters" in baseball.
WE THE PEOPLE
I'LL SEE YOU FRIDAY
THE ARTIS BLOG
12/14/07
* If someone would have told me a month ago that the Presidential campaigns of Hillary and Mayor Rudy would be in trouble 3 weeks before the Iowa Caucus, I would have said that person was nuts. It looks like we forgot the lessons of Howard Dean.
* What about the campaign of Mike Huckabee? Huckabee is a flash in the pan. Huckabee will not be the Republican nominee.
* Can we stop the Mitt Romney religion talk? People aren't turning away from Romney because he's a Morman. People are turning away from Romney because he's a flip-flopper. People want leaders, not poll watchers.
* I think THE deciding factor in the upcoming Presidential campaign will be immigration, namely illegal immigration. The American people want those in this country illegally returned to their native country and businesses who hire illegals to be heavily fined. The candidate who can articulate this sentiment the best will be our next President.
* Is the immigration debate based upon racism? In some circles, yes. In most circles, no. Look, most Americans don't mind immigrants coming into this country as long as they come into this country legally. Most Americans don't mind our tax dollars being used to provide services to immigrants as long as those immigrants are in this country legally. It's that simple.
* With 20 days left until the Iowa Caucus, look for a kinder, gentler Hillary Clinton. Her dirty tricks aren't working in Iowa. In fact, Hillary's dirty tricks are blowing up in her face. Look at the decline in her poll numbers.
* You know who Barack Obama reminds me of? Bobby Kennedy.
* The Mitchell Report on steroids in Major League Baseball is out. I agree with its findings. I agree with its solutions. I'm not surprised by the names mentioned in the report. It's time for baseball to move on.
* And can we stop the hypocrisy? How can we be outraged about steroids in baseball while ignoring steroid use in other sports, namely football? We need to stop this double standard non-sense.
* Mike Vick got what he deserved. I don't want to see anyone go to prison. However, no one held a gun to Vick's head and told him to get involved in dog fighting to begin with. No one held a gun to Vick's head and told him to get high while he was awaiting sentencing, which caused him to fail a drug test that he knew was coming. No one held a gun to Vick's head and told him to give conflicting testimony to federal prosecutors about dog fighting after he agreed to tell those federal prosecutors the truth about his knowledge of dog fighting rings. Yes, he got what he deserved.
WE THE PEOPLE
HAVE A NICE WEEKEND, SEE YOU MONDAY
THE ARTIS BLOG
12/7/07
* Today is Pearl Harbor Day. Let's not forget the contributions and sacrifices those brave men and women made to keep America the free country it is.
* Here is the problem I have concerning the latest revelations over Iran's nuclear program. Now, I don't trust the government of Iran as far as I can throw them. Iran is a threat to the security of America and should be treated as such. However, given that President Bush knew about the changes in Iran's nuclear program, I find it reprehensible that President Bush would try to link Iran with the starting of World War III, as he did last week. The world is dangerous enough without President Bush pouring more gasoline on the fire that is raging in the Middle East.
* A number of you have asked who they need to talk to about their concerns over the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Bridge in downtown Roanoke, Va. The contact person is Mr. Luke Pugh. His number is (540)853-1364. His E-mail address is luke.pugh@roanokeva.gov. I ask that when you contact Mr. Pugh, please be respectful.
* Congress is looking into the ministries of Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, Eddie Long, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Benny Hinn and Randy and Paula White. Good. Hopefully, we'll find out that things are on the up and up. If these folks have nothing to hide, they will cooperate with Congress. If these folks have engaged in questionable business practices, these folks will have a chance to explain themselves. Don't get me wrong. I'm not calling anyone a crook. Public organizations deserve public scrutiny.
* If we are going to continue living as a free society, we must do all we can to stand up against the senseless violence that is taking away so many of our young people, especially young people of color.
* To do this, we must first stop the practice of making excuses for violent, criminal behavior. We must call for the removal of any and all public and elected officials who do not do all they can to address the problem of violent, criminal behavior. We must tell those who engage in violent, criminal behavior that their actions will not be tolerated. We must tell those who engage in violent, criminal behavior that there is a better way to do things.
* No, this isn't an attack on young Black and Latino men, as some misguided people like to claim. This is The Word.
* A higher authority than me has written, "Thou Shall Not Steal," "Thou Shall Not Lie," "Thou Shall Not Put False gods Before Me," Thou Shall Not Kill, "Thou Shall Not Covet Thy Neighbor."
* The Word does not say, "Thou Shall Not Do These Things Except Under Certain Circumstances."
* It doesn't get any simpler than that.
WE THE PEOPLE
HAVE A NICE WEEKEND, I'LL SEE YOU MONDAY
THE ARTIS BLOG
12/5/07
* Liar, liar, pants on fire. For years, President Bush has said Iran was a huge nuclear threat. Now we find out that's not true. I've lost track of the number of times President Bush has deceived the American people. As far as the Bush Administration goes, the only thing I know for sure is those folks will be out of office very, very soon.
* Now that we know Iran isn't the nuclear threat President Bush said it was, what fear tactics are the Republicans going to use to scare Americans into voting for them on Election Day?
* I know you've seen the nonsense that Hillary Clinton has said about Barack Obama, that Obama can't be trusted because in kindergarten, Obama wrote that one day he wanted to be President of the United States. Next Hillary will be showing us love notes Obama wrote in third grade to try to show that Obama is in love with another woman. I can hear Hillary now.
"Barack says he loves his wife. But, I have proof he really doesn't. I have a love note Obama wrote in the third grade to a girl named Peggy Sue. Peggy Sue turned Obama down. She was in love with another man, an older man in the fourth grade. Obama's been heart broken since that eventful day, waiting on Peggy Sue to become a free woman. That's the only reason Obama married his wife. Obama couldn't get Peggy Sue, his third grade honey, the love of his life, so he ended up marrying another woman. Obama's marriage is a fraud. Do we really want someone like Obama as President of the United States. Can a man like this be trusted?"
That's life in "Hillary Land."
* No word yet on how Hillary is going to spin her vote to support President Bush's war resolution on Iran, now that we know Iran isn't the nuclear threat Bush said it was.
* The Georgetown University NAACP has a new president. Ellie Gunderson, a sophomore, has been elected to the post. Congrats. Not only is Gunderson a sophomore, she's also White. No, I don't have a problem with that.
* Roanoke, Va. House of Delegate member, Onzlee Ware is at it again. You'd think that by now, Ware would have learned not to treat his constituents, even those who disagree with him, like second class citizens. Oh well. Some things eventually take care of themselves. What goes around comes around.
* Sherman Lea has announced he is running for re-election to Roanoke City Council. Good. Lea's a good man who cares about the entire Roanoke community, not just the Raleigh Court and Southwest sections of the city. Maybe Lea can give Ware lessons on how to be a true public servant. Then again, I understand Ware doesn't much care for Lea either. Go figure.
* I hope you got to read Shanna Flower's excellent column in Tuesday's Roanoke Times on deadbeat parents and child support during the Christmas Holidays. To read Shanna's column, please click on the following link.
* Let me tell you something. Any man who doesn't take care of his children or who doesn't provide for his children isn't worth a warm bucket of spit.
* Don't forget to listen to THE SCLC RADIO SHOW, Thursday at 4 P.M. on WTOY Radio, 1480 AM.
WE THE PEOPLE
SEE YOU FRIDAY
THE ARTIS BLOG
12/3/07
* Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Yeah, it's not PC. Who cares? Sue me. Thank you for all of the calls and e-mails concerning my latest health scare. I'm waiting on some test results, but, everything looks good.
* I've got to tell you. I my lifetime there are five sporting events that just plain shook me up. 1) Ali losing to Frazier in their first "Fight of the Century." 2) The Colts losing to the Jets in Super Bowl III. 3) The Mets beating my O's in the '69 World Series. 4) Villanova beating Georgetown and Patrick Ewing in the NCAA Finals. 5) My 'Neers losing to Pitt last Saturday night and blowing a chance to play for the BCS Championship.
* Yeah, I'm a Virginia boy. And I bleed Notre Dame green. However, my family homestead is in West Virginia. And West Virginia, unlike Virginia, was on the winning side of the war. (You know what I'm talking about.) And like all good West Virginia people, I hate Pitt. Can't stand them. Don't want to be them. Wish we could get rid of them.
* But, I had a feeling Pitt would win that game Saturday night. There was just something in the air. So I watched a car crash that lasted for 3 1/2 hours.
* I tried everything to help my team. I changed the channel several times. I tried laying in different positions in my hospital bed. I thought of every hex I could think of to jinx the Pitt players. Nothing worked.
* My 'Neers lost. Pitt won. No couch burning in Morgantown.
* I'll be honest with you. The 'Neers weren't the Number 2 team in the country. Top 10, yes. Number 2, nope.
* I guess I'll have to watch two more overrated teams in the BCS Championship Game, LSU and Ohio State.
* And I'm hoping Oklahoma doesn't blow out my 'Neers in the Fiesta Bowl.
* But, that's cool. Next year, my 'Neers will kick butt and take names. The 'Neers will beat USC for the National Championship.
* Oh well, in my pain, there's one good thing. My 'Neers will destroy Pitt next year. Hide the women and children, West Virginia University will be back.
