Happy New Year!

I want to wish my readers a happy 2007. May all your wishes and dreams come true. May we all learn from past mistakes and be emboldened in the new year to take chances for a better tomorrow.

Over 40% Viewer increase on MNF

I read in the sports section yesterday where viewership is up about 40% on MNF. Shows what I know. But still, that's probably the coveted 18-34 year old male viewer, which I am not. The article did mention that fighting was expected between Theisman and Kornheiser. Doesn't anyone want to watch football anymore? There's enough hard hitting on the field as it is.

There's enough conflict in the world today without relishing in the fake (yes, I said fake) fights on TV. Just watch the evening news. Enough blood for everyone.

I think that booth is a vain attempt at bringing back a Howard Cosell type character (Kornheiser supposedly in the role) and reasonable facsimilies of the other 0ld booth members. It doesn't work. The chemistry isn't there. Besides, no one sang about turning out the lights, though I'll admit I did it at home sometimes. Does that count?

Three Poems in Star*Line

Three of my haiku are in the Nov./Dec. 2006 issue of Star*Line. For ordering information please go to http://www.sfpoetry.com.

NFL & MNF Week 16

This is the time of year when good teams rise to the top and poor teams sink into obscurity. The Bengals are the latter. They have stars, but too many suffer from arrested development. You can't practice and keep focus if you're suspended or in the pokey. Stupidity and carelessness have also reared its ugly head. How do you bobble a snap in a game you have to win? Who Dey? Who Cares?

The Bengals join the Giants in obscurity. Too bad. I like Tiki Barber and for his sake was hoping the Giants would be in the playoffs. At this rate the Packers have a great shot. The Bears will probably rest their starters.

Last night Romo seemed more interested in Carrie Underwood than the game. Professionals get it together heading into the playoffs. Don't get me wrong, Romo's good. He still has a chance to go far. Learn from yesterday's game and move on.

Whew! Hopefully last night was the end of that MNF booth at ESPN. I noticed they didn't say anything about coming back next year. I still say keep Joe and get rid of the other two. Tirico is ineffective and Kornheiser, in my opinion, is just plain mean. Bring back Mike and Dan.

Kudos to Chad Pennington for leading the Jets to victory. That shows those booth boys up. The booth spent the lion's share of the evening ragging on poor Chad. Who rags a winner? I know. I bet you do too.

Merry Christmas

I wish all of you a very merry Christmas. Always remember the reason for the season.

For my nonchristian friends, happy holidays. May all your wishes come true.

The Minimum Wage Hike

By now you've all heard about the Democrats' pledge to raise the minimum wage in Congress. What good is that going to do? It looks great on paper, but it's only a scam to fool voters. You see, the business owners will just raise prices like they have in years past. If prices go up, then the value of the wage hike is worthless. People pay more for items, taking away the difference between the old minimum wage and the new one. So the working poor is just as poor as before.

So what's the real solution? Raise the minimum wage and have a moratorium on raising prices. Will the new Congress do this? Don't hold your breath. Most, if not all, congressmen and women are wealthy, so a price freeze will hurt their businesses and that of the donors who helped put them in office.

MNF Week 15

Chad Johnson's shoes were awesome. Gaudy, but awesome. What he should do is auction them off for charity. It's obvious he can't ever wear them on the field.

That display was the highlight for the Bengals. They played flat. With Denver and Pittsburgh coming up, their playoff chances, I think, are pretty slim.

The Colts' defense manned up finally. With the defensive injuries, I don't believe they can win against a quality team like the Chargers, though. The team stategy of piling up points to win games is flawed at best. Everyone knows you win championships with defense.

At least the visitor in the booth was football related - Matthew McConaughey from the movie We Are Marshall. It's a great story. I graduated from Marshall University's graduate school and I know how much the movie means to the area. It's like when Kennedy was shot or 9/11 - people there remember what they were doing at the time of the crash or when they heard the news. When someone like Chad Pennington, a starting QB from Marshall, makes it big in the NFL, it brings tears to people's eyes because of how far the football program had to come.

NFL Week 15

The announcers have mentioned (it seems every week) annointing a team as the best. In the NFC, that team changes every week. Just when the Saints were deemed the best, the Redskins, out of the playoffs, beat them. Who is the best? I think we'll have to wait until the NFC championship game.

How about those Eagles? I certainly didn't think they'd win yesterday, but they did. It seems Jeff Garcia is playing like he did in San Francisco when he went to three Pro Bowls. I'm glad for him. It's sad when talented people throw their talent away. Garcia has gottten his life back. If only others would take his example. (TO, for instance)

I didn't watch much of the NBC game, Chargers vs. Chiefs. I saw Yul Kwon win Survivor. I did see the end of the game. The Chargers are for real. Barring injuries, I think we'll see them in the Super Bowl.

A Woman in the White House

I saw the ad on TV that Senator Hilary Clinton was going to appear on The Late Show with David Letterman. Can you say copycat? You always want to be the trailblazer, not the follower playing catch-up. You want to be shown as a leader, and so far Obama's ahead.

She's probably been on by now. I didn't watch it. How many others did?

I long for the day that there'll be a woman president. I don't think it's going to happen in 2008. It'll happen someday, but I'll be surprised if it happens in my lifetime. Women in this country are, for the most part, still treated like sex objects and men tend not to take them seriously. TV has helped some with shows like Closer and Crossing Jordan, but there are still too many jiggle shows out there.

Women still aren't paid the same as men. Studies have shown that women make about $0.75 for every dollar a man makes for the same job. Women have got to be treated as equals. What happened to the Equal Rights Amendment of the 1970s? The states didn't ratify it then, but why isn't anyone trying to get it passed again?

How men treat women begins at home. It's up to mothers to teach their sons to respect women and how to cook and clean so he can help his wife, who now has to work outside the home. I think most divorces today happen because of unequal distribution of labor at home. A lot of men expect their wives to keep the house and take care of the children like their mothers, plus hold down full time jobs. When the women get tired or don't clean to the men's satisfaction, the fights begin.

I wish Hilary the best of luck. It'll be an uphill fight. As time passes, she'll be an inspiration to those women who come behind her.

Poems Published in The Shantytown Anomaly

Two of my scifaiku, "rings eroding" and "space dust samples" are in issue 3 of The Shantytown Anomaly. You can purchase a copy of the book at http://www.geocities.com/theshantytownanomaly.

MNF Week 14

What a pleasure not to have to hear the ditty "Tony Tony Tony", followed by those stupid emailed questions. They weren't even funny. John Belushi was in the booth, but that was to be expected at a Bears game. I did enjoy seeing the World Series statue.

The Bears were hot and Grossman played well. He had to. The coaches let Griese have more snaps at practice and could have slipped him in at any time. The trouble with Rex is that he's too inconsistent. I think that will affect the Bears' Super Bowl chances.

I think the best NFC team is the Saints because of the stability at the quarterback position. Drew Brees has played for several years. He's experienced and accurate, a great playoff combination.

The most brilliant political move I've seen lately was Senator Obama's appearance at the start of MNF. He looked down to earth, a real everyday man. It's going to take a lot for Hilary Clinton to top that.

NFL Week 14

It's official. The Saints are for real. They even won with starters being injured. The difference, I think, is that the Saints have an experienced QB in Drew Brees. Romo is good, but needs more playing time to become better. Romo has the skills.

A big congrats to LT for breaking the single-season TD record. We'll see him in Canton.

The Panthers' loss to the Giants shows that winning the Heisman doesn't mean instant success in the NFL. Chris Weinke won the award in 2000 and is 1-15 as a starter. Looks like he'll be lucky to stay as a backup somewhere. Reggie Bush, however, plays like a star even as a rookie.

What about Troy Smith? I was impressed with his acceptance speech Saturday night. He seems to have his head on straight and isn't full of himself. That alone will take him far in the NFL. Same for Brady Quinn who was a gracious loser. I can't say the same for McFadden - no congratulatory hug for Troy. The Razerback running back's segment centered on his buying shoes in NYC and not helping others. Still, McFadden is only a sophomore. Maybe he'll grow up in the next two years.

Story in Flashshot Daily Genre Flash Fiction

My story "A Different Shade of Reality" is up at Flashshot Daily Genre Flash Fiction. You can read it at http://www.gwthomas.org/dailyflashshot.htm.

Pearl Harbor Day

Today is the 65th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. They say it's the last reunion for the survivors, since most of them are in their eighties and nineties.

That generation was dubbed "America's Greatest Generation", and, man, were they rewarded. From 1945 to 1995 is what I call America's Golden Age, a period of time when high-paying union jobs were there for the taking. Those who couldn't work were supported by Welfare. Companies during that time provided benefits, such as pensions and health care -that started during the war when businesses weren't allowed to outbid each other for workers, so they offered fringe benefits instead.

Most of those WWII people are dying out and are on Social Security, so the bankuptcies and broken promises don't affect the vast majority. This country is reverting back to pre-WWII days, when jobs were hard to come by and if you didn't have the money for a medical procedure, you just died.

What happened? Greed, pure and simple. Big Business wanted more and more money so they scammed Congress into passing NAFTA and other policies that sent jobs overseas. The only economy massively growing now is China's. Makes you wonder why this country was attacked. It's like robbing the hen house and filling your bag full of chicken shit.

MNF Week 13

Well, the Panthers are much worse than I thought. I was sure they'd win against the Eagles.
Kudos to the Eagle defense.

The Eagles have a tough schedule for December and I don't think they'll make the playoffs. Garcia seems to have peaked in San Francisco and left most of his football abilities there. Of course, there was that DUI in Cleveland, I think, that contributed to his problems there. Hopefully, he's off the sauce.

I don't know what to say about the Panthers. The talent's there, but they just aren't playing well. I hope it's not too late for their season.

Poem Publsihed in AlienSkin Magazine

My poem "Thought Thieves" is up at AlienSkin Magazine. You can read it at http://www.alienskinmag.com/flash12.htm.

NFL Week 13

I wish I got NFL network. That Bengals-Ravens game looked interesting. As it is, I couldn't watch the early game yesterday. I had to get a new battery for my car. I did see the Titans' game-winnig field goal. I'll say it now, the Colts aren't good enough to win the Super Bowl.

My cable company screwed me out of the Cowboys-Giants game. I was stuck with Steelers-Bucs. Ho hum.

Jay Cutler looked good last night. A good rookie coming out. However, the Seahawks can't win the Super Bowl either. You have to be able to stop the run. The Broncos ran all over them. Hasslebeck still looked rusty.