Taking Stock

Time for a new entry

Every once in a while, I like to review my recent blogs and see if there's anything that needs to be elaborated, retracted or corrected. As a matter of fact, I do have some addendums to my recent posts. Nobody goes back and reads old topics, much less new comments so here are my comments all in a new blog. No scrolling necessary.

Bah Humbug - I said the most Grinch-like things and then my Mother gave me some really nice Nautica shirts that I like. Maybe the Christmas gift exchange can serve to dress those of us who need to shop more or freshen our look. Also, this past Christmas was almost Norman Rockwell in quality. We had a fun family gathering and nobody made a scene. I guess the Grinch needs to put Christmas back, at least somewhat.

Looking for an Exit - I must be Nostradamus, because Iraq is unfolding (unraveling) as I thought. The past few days have been among the most violent in recent years, even after elections (especially after elections, where extremists prevailed). Despite Bush's public penitence and Rumsfeld's holiday visit to Iraq, America's place there is highly questionable.

A Full set of Golf Clubs - I had previously defined a 'set of golf clubs' where race (20 points) was replaced with these criteria:
Age under 40 - 10 points
Athletic, interested in team sports - 10 points
This set of clubs is in some ways even more 'Darwinian'. Scoring high means that society will open every door – and not question one's motives. Doesn't necessarily mean that the high scorer is a 'better human'. Don't score 100 -- that makes you as exciting as a stale vanilla wafer.

Does Laura Miller Hate Dallas - Shortly after I said that the W Hotel was the only construction crane on the skyline, several more cranes popped up. Downtown Dallas is probably having the biggest building boom it's had since the 1980's. But the jury is still out on Laura Miller. The Cotton Bowl may move to the new Arlington stadium, taking away one of our best celebrations.

Animation Domination - "Family Guy" crossed a serious line for me in its latest episode. It displayed animal cruelty (a partly dismembered bleating sheep) as a joke. Few things on planet earth raise my ire as much as animal cruelty -- I also hate unnecessary depictions of violence. Human institutions that are proud and smug deserve to be lampooned. But defenseless creatures should be off-limits. “Family Guy” has fallen off of my must-see list.

The New Apprentice - Martha Stewart's show is now kaput. The genre was overdone, but she has several other venues in which to shine. Martha will do just fine.

In sum, I got a few wrong and I got a few right. I enjoy making the comments no matter what -- what good is an opinion if you can't air it and stir things up? And I hope my readership of about a dozen people will continue enjoying an occasional read. If you don't agree, just wait and see. I might come around the next time I 'Take Stock'.