What's Normal?

Today is the 18th of February which to some people means more car bombs went off in Iraq, or that Barack Obama is meeting with liberals across New England, or Brittany shaved her head, or Anna Nicole is still dead, or in the largest sense Nascar held the Pagan ritual of DAYTONA. I had been looking for some kind of relief from Politicians( Who cares if Hillary wears pantsuits?), from Simon and American Idol, and from the incessant ramblings and obsession about Anna Nicole.Soldiers are dying every day and they're just numbers on a growing tally. I went to Washington last fall and Sandy and I visited "The Wall", a poignant reminder of our war. Somehow it is underwhelming to stand for nearly 53,000 lives of my generation. Washington and the whole Mall, which should be our pride and joy is shabby and nasty. The blacktop walkways have cracks and weeds growing up through them . The Lincoln Memorial looks dirty and fading. It seems the National Park Service doesn't have the budget necessary to keep the national monuments the way they should.The Vietnam Memorial is vastly undersized as to what I had a mental image of . The only things I was proud of in Washington were the New WW II Memorial and Arlington. I saw the Eternal Flame and the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier. Somehow the dignity of this event holds everyone spellbound and proud to be an American. I think perhaps that the press and media are vastly overestimating American sentiments and taking themseves, like professional athletes far too seriously. I respect Katie Couric about as much as I do Tim Hardaway and his Homophobic paranoia.In like manner I don't care for the blatant gay people who wear their sexuality like a mantle of righteousness. Spare me any more Rosie O'Donnell and The Donald.A hard day of manuel labor would kill either one of these self-centered flakes. I guess what I'm saying is that most Americans, like me, are somewhere in the middle of red and blue. I'm between O'Reilley and Letterman, although Letterman has gotten totally self-absorbed and lost what made him entertaining. I find myself going over to Leno ,who at least is not cruel in his criticism. I can't get too bent out of shape about global warming , as 5 Billion Chinese and the South Americans have a huge impact on our world. Africans and starving masses somehow do not worry about depleting polar ice caps. Al Gore has never known hunger and Al FRanken has never had to worry about genocide.Yes Most Americans still have the same worries as always, as in why Mitch Barnhart and Tubby Smith receive huge salaries for, at best, mediocre performances and results. Probably enrollment at UK will drop another 10% or so due to Dr. Lee Todd's rising tuition. Top twenty my ass!! It's not going to have students. And this year's basketball team?I think we'll have to become Gator Fans or even Vols if we want any kind of gratification. Americans , like me , worry about work, rising insurance costs, and the huge cost of everyday living. I now dread the monthly arrival of my heating bill nearly as much as I dread the results of my blood work. A new Tahoe costs around $42,000. How can people pay that?? I've been listening to The Eagles Live in Melborne dvd ,and it has helped pass several long and boring winter nights. ,I became acutely aware that they have just gotten better in the 40 years of music making. Don Henley says in the extra features that they had been criticized for not dancing around, and one critic said they "Loitered" on stage during the performances. He went on to admit that they were nearly 60 years old and had to "Loiter". Wouldn't we all be so lucky as to have their talent, dignity, and success??I realized even at my fastest speed I'm Loitering.I also am amazed at the ways that Sandy Kay and I differ in our perception of Groups like the Eagles. She doesn't care for Joe Walsh , say, as he slices his way through "Walk Away", or" Rocky Mountain Way." She likes Glen Frey on "No more Cloudy Days" . She will walk away from anything Van Morrison or Bob Dylan sings. Figure that. I only can testify that the little voice in the alarm control panel stats saying "GLASS BREAKAGE " when I crank up the surround sound . Rod Stewart gets her really talking when he and Ronnie Woods swing into Maggie and Gasoline Alley. Rod Stewart At Albert Hall is the best money you'll spend. Go ahead and do without one meal eating out and spend 30 bucks on the dvd. If you're like me it's been a long winter and your fat ass will appreciate the lack of complex carbohydrates(my mother-in-law's phrase. I still don't know what in the hell she's talking about). They say Brittany is worth about$100 million, so if she wants to shave her head ,so what?From the looks of postings on the internet it's not the first thing she's shaved.I can only say that if she and her little old trashy buddies lived in Stanford they certainly would have been wearing their drawers this past few frigid weeks. And please quit talking about "Wind Chill".