“This holiday season, the retail industry estimates stores will lose a whopping $3.5 billion from “return fraud.”

So the media reported. Then, tonight, I watched a programme portraying certain scenarios, cameras and actors set up to see how the public would respond. One depicted a young man on a busy street in the middle of the afternoon, supposedly the worse for alcohol yet attempting to get into his car and drive off. We watched and waited to see how many passers-by, if any, would make an effort to stop him. Heartening to see that most did.

Another was a young Caucasian couple in the park, the guy intimidating the woman, striking her, verbally abusive towards her then the actors were changed to an African-American couple. Many more people stopped to assist the Caucasian woman than they did the black woman but when it came to a young woman abusing her male companion in a like manner, barely anyone paid any attention. Most interviewed later said they “figured he could fight back”. That makes a difference or is abuse still abuse?

The next example was a cashier in a restaurant giving back more change than the patron should have had. Good to see most brought the “error” to her attention while a few walked out with extra money in hand. But we all know that if a cashier gives us less change back than she should we bring it to her attention immediately.

The last scenario took place in a taxi-cab with the driver running racist, homophobic commentary by his passengers, most of whom agreed with him and adding their own like comments, perhaps two who openly did not agree and spoke their mind. Yet all…bar none…swore they were neither racist or homophobic when asked about their responses, later. The programme did take a poll throughout the show, www.abc.com and ended with what the “right responses should have been”. But it’s not that hard, is it? Whether deliberately trying to defraud a retailer with bogus returns, accept more change than you know you are supposed to receive, walk on by someone…anyone…who is verbally or physically abusing another/being abused or listening to the bigot/homophobe dogmatically lay down his/her “law”, isn’t there only one bottom line? If we…each of us…choose not to participate in the solution then we are surely a big part of the problem.

Week #17, the final week of the season:

Giants @ Redskins: The ‘Skins are gelling and the Giants are falling, apart! However, this is a must win for the G-men, so I think they will squeak one through the Redskins porous defense. Giants

Browns @ Texans: Coming off of a big win over the Colts, I see the Texans continuing on a high against the lackluster Browns. Texans

Lions @ Cowboys: The ‘Boys were drilled last week by the Eagles who played a near perfect game. This is a must win for the ‘Boys, and they will win. Cowboys

Patriots @ Titans: The Pats have already clinched their division and home field advantage, but the Titans have a must win game at home. On paper, the Pats are the better team, but I think the Titans can rise to the occasion. Titans

Seahawks @ Bucs: In spite of their recent slide, it is hard to discount Holmgren’s Seahawks with Hasselbeck and Alexander weaponry. They need to prove themselves before the playoffs begin, and they will. Seahawks

Steelers @ Bengals: Roethlisberger has not been sharp; turnovers have killed the Steelers. Besides, the Bengals have a shot at a wild-card. Bengals

Raiders @ Jets: The Jets are by far the superior team to the hapless Raiders; they are on a roll, and need this win to get into the playoffs. Jets

Panthers @ Saints: Coming off an impressive win over the Giants last week, and with impressive offensive weapons, the Saints are in the playoffs, whereas the Panthers have to win this one for a playoff spot. I don’t think they are up to it, unless the Saints take a rest. Saints

Rams @ Vikings: A must win for the Rams against a rebuilding Vikings with a little tested QB. Rams

Jags @ Chiefs: Both teams need a win and some other help to make the playoffs. This one is a toss up; I’m going with the home team an Trent Green. Chiefs

Cardinals @ Chargers: The Cardinals can surprise with Leinert, but no way against the potent Chargers who, if they win, will be first seed in the playoffs. Chargers

49ers @ Broncos: Sea level to one mile high, and more snow too, no way for the 49ers, especially with a win putting the Broncos into the playoffs. Broncos

Falcons @ Eagles: Philly will be a madhouse on Sunday as the Eagles play to seal the NFC East title behind an equally crazy Jeff Garcia. Vick has never been up against this before, even though a win could possibly put the Falcons in the playoffs; I don’t see that happening. The Eagles played a near perfect game against the Cowboys last week, as they peak. Eagles

Dolphins @ Colts: The Colts have to prove to themselves that they can compete in the playoffs, so their putrid defense has to step up. The Colts offense will win anyway. Colts

Bills @ Ravens: The Ravens are my pick to win the Superbowl! A win will help, giving them home field advantage. Ravens

Packers @ Bears: The Bears have nothing to gain but their pride with a win, and I am not too sure how much pride there is the way their defense has been playing lately. On the other hand, the Packers defense has been improving, and Grossman has not steadied himself out yet. I’m predicting an upset by Favre & Co. Packers

The appeal has been lost, Saddam Hussein hangs before January is over. Of course, it’s right and is just (is it…really?). He ill-treated his own people…once we had managed to get him in power. Accused of oppressing and even slaughtering Kurds and Shiites, waging war on Iran …all with weaponry, wink and a nod we had provided; went to war with Kuwait (once he’d advised us that was his intent and to which we promised turning a blind eye before taking our troops to assist the Kuwaitis) and then the inhabitants of that country were punished, by the West, with years of sanctions. Sept. 11, 2001 happened…nothing to do with Iraqi’s, by the way…several nations were enraged by and mourned the loss of almost 3,000 souls of varied nationality. To this heinous act a confession of sorts was made by one Osama Bin Laden. Not an Iraqi, did not live in Iraq, though oddly enough was leader to what is now considered to be an unholy band of assassins which we helped set up and encourage with Afghanistan to combat attempted invasion by Russia. We made a half-hearted attempt at revenge by shipping sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers to Afghanistan amidst macho promise to get the man…and others…responsible for this terrible deed and bring them to justice while greater plans were in the pipe stream to squelch terrorism further in…Iraq???

But wait a minute…what did Saddam Hussein and Iraq have to do with Sept. 11? Saddam had been a dictator imposing fear to many..but not all..his people, some destruction and terrorizing of his countrymen with, perhaps, a touch of paranoia and, perhaps, lived a life-style that left westerners cold but, refresh my memory, when did he last attack a Western nation, commit an act of aggression against us? There were many official “reasons” offered for an attack on him and his country, many others conjured up, unofficially, by those who opposed this pre-emptive strike and believed it to be wrong but which went unheeded. More than five years later Bin Laden is still roaming the all-concealing mountains (so they say), there does seem to be a handle on stemming the resurging poppy/drug problem but the Taliban are returning in large numbers; Iraq is a total mess with Iraqis slaughtering each other…it‘s a civil war which did not exist before we of the West arrived and the rest of the region is in turmoil; religious violence and destruction has now reared it’s ugly head; we now mourn more Western lives lost in this battle than we did in New York City on that frightful September morning. For many the world no longer turns on it’s axis but around what goes on day by interminable day in Iraq. And in less than thirty days a proclamation will come forth…”The Dictator Is Dead! Long Live…….???” Sometimes it IS “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t…”.

FDR, year end 1939, in which Hitler invaded Poland: “The old year draws to a close. It began with dread of evil things to come and ends with the horror of another war.”

FDR, one year later, 1940, as American isolationism prevailed, as Europe became further ‘Hitlerized’: “Sometimes we who have lived throught the strifes and the hates of a quarter century wonder if this old world of ours has abandoned the ideals of the Brotherhood of Man.”

FDR, in December of 1941, with Churchill present, was able to say: “We have joned with many other nations and peoples in a very great cause. Millions of them have been engaged in the task of defending good with their life-blood for months and for years.”

We Americans were no longer safe by our “protecting oceans”, as Churchill said of us.

Note that Bush-43 was not able to build a coalition with “many other nations” for his Iraq War, a major shortcoming that is growing worse as other nations reduce or drop out.

FDR, after D-Day, before the Germans had surrendered, said this: “We may hasten the day of their doom if we here at home continue to do our full share.”

What sacrifice has President Bush asked from all of us? Nothing; only a few have sacrificed! This is dead wrong, if we are right!

Truman, on Christmas 1945, having achieved the surrenders of the Axis, said this: We must strive without ceasing to make real the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more’”.

Yet five years later, Truman was trying to rationalize his invasion of Korea on moral grounds claiming that “Communism was godless” whereas Democracy was “faith in the brotherhood and dignity of man under God”.

In my view, that is where Truman went wrong, and where Bush, an admirer of Truman, has gone wrong in the same vein. We have no monopoly on God, assuming that there is one in the first place.

Lyndon Johnson deluded himself in 1965 at Christmas when he said about his Viet-Nam war: “We would not have it so. We have not sought the combat in which they are engaged.”

Of course we all know about the Gulf of Tonkin to justify his Viet Nam war, as Bush did again in 2002-2003 to justify his Iraq War. Both lied to us!

We Americans have yet to learn the lessons of History right before our eyes.

At Christmas 1968 after Nixon had been elected, Johnson was still trying to justify his actions when he said: “To you [and me] fell the hard duty of preserving freedom in the agony of war, during a restless time of doubt and of division. But you [and I] have stood as the rock of our resolve that freedom shall endure on this earth.”

Cannot you hear Bush saying the same thing in 2008, like Johnson wishing to be viewed as a “rock of resolve”?

Bush was on target on Hanukkah 2001 when he said: “And while we celebrate peace and lightness, I fully understand in order to make sure peace and lightness exist in the future, we must bring him [Osama bin Laden] to justice. And we will.”

But we have not. Instead of focusing on Osama, he has diverted himself and us into a quagmire, a quagmire from which we may never honorably extricate ourselves.

Perhaps Bush forgot, or never read these words of FDR given at Christmas 1941: “Our strongest weapon in this war is that conviction of the dignity and brotherhood of man which Christmas Day signifies … Against enemies who preach the principles of hate and practice, we set our faith in human love and in God’s care for us and all men everywhere.”

George Bush has not been true even to the Faith in God that he professes, because his faith in human love has been constricted to narrow partisan political ends, justified by any means that achieve these ends. So now it is up to the American people to restore the values that he has so distorted.

It might do well for us and George Bush too to heed the words of Churchill when he urged: “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never — in nothing, great or small, large or petty, never given in, except to convictions of honour and good sense.”

{My thanks to Jon Meacham and John Kerry for quotes used.}

Delaware Senator Joe Biden has made official what we already knew; he’ll seek the nomination of the Democrat Party in a run for President of the United States.  A survey of Dan Gaffney Morning show listeners gives us the early line on Biden’s chances:

13%

Notable answers: 

“Carter likes him?  Negative 35%”

“I hope it’s 100%, so we can get a new Senator”

“His chances?  Slim and none, and slim just left town” 

 

From abcnews.com: At churches, schools, community centers and homes, people are gathering to see a film that promises revelations that will change their lives. It’s called “The Secret,” and it can’t be seen in theaters. Thanks to an ingenious viral video marketing campaign, using grassroots, word of mouth and the Internet, its producers say that millions of people have already learned a secret that has existed, but has been suppressed, for centuries.

So… What, my friends, is the secret? Is this a humanist revolution that only the likes of John Milton would be proud of? An attempt to quash God and raise the human to his level? Or is it something more? A True new way to live your lives? Let’s take an in depth look inside: “The Secret”

In the book, author Rhonda Byrne uses a slew of authors and contributors to illustrate her point, from Jack Canfield (author of Chicken Soup for the Soul) to Einstein to Robert Collier to Physicist Fred Alan Wolf to Neale Donald Walsh (author of Conversations with God) to even Matthew and Mark from the New Testament.

What is the Secret? Simply Put “The Law of Attraction”: As Author Bob Proctor told ABC News it’s “Everything that’s coming into your life you are attracting into your life. And it’s attracted to you by virtue of the images you’re holding in your mind.”

According to the book by keeping a positive attitude and “acting as if you already have your desire” you can obtain or attain anything in life. from The Secret: It is the Law that determines the complete order in the Universe, every moment of your life, and every single thing you experience in your life. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are, the law of attraction is forming your entire life experience, and this all-powerful law is doing that through your thoughts. You are the one who calls the law of attraction into action, and you do it through your thoughts.

Sound like hippie mumbo-jumbo to you? Very simply The Secret tells you “If you see it in your mind, you’re going to hold it in your hand - Bob Proctor. The book tells you to repeat the phrase “My thoughts create My Universe” - and they use a quote from Winston Churchill to illustrate the point: “You create your own universe as you go along.”

Sounds pretty simple right? Man is given the power to create anything he wants using simply the power of his own positive thinking. Because what you focus on the most, the universe will draw it to you like a magnet… They liken it to a genie in a bottle. “Your wish is my command” the universe tells you. However, in so doing, the genie grants all your wishes… even your negative one. “I’m broke,” you tell the genie… “your wish is my command… than ye shall stay broke” — “I’m going to fail,” you tell the genie… “uh-huh, wish granted cry-baby.”

The book stresses that you need to remain positive at all times. And convince yourself that what you wish has already come true. To paraphrase the gospel “When you pray, trust that God has already answered you” - Same story… You want that new job… Trust that you already have it… Act like you have it and the universe will grant you your wish. They urge you to try it yourself… Make a game out of it….

The books states, this book has come to you for a reason… this secret has come to you for a reason.. use it now… you are living during the greatest time… a time when the secret has been revealed.

However, How can you pretend you have something… when that nagging reality is begging you to keep your feet on the ground? Ah… by me saying that, I’ve already betrayed The Secret.

The book basically explains away prayer and magic and everything else. It suggests that it all comes from the same source… the mind… it likens people to a mass TV transmission tower (or in my case radio!) - where you broadcast your inner-most thoughts for the entire universe to hear and deliver. The same as if you are saying to God, “Dear God, I wish to be healed.” — but, it takes away God (unless you see that God has created the Universe) — you are basically replacing God with yourself.. instead of praying, you say to yourself “I am healed. I am Healthy.” - if you believe it and feel it… the genie will deliver.

However, then comes The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. from The Secret: The only reason why people do not have what they want is because they are thinking more about what they don’t want than what they do want. The book says that if you get sick… it’s your fault… because you focused on getting sick. If she doesn’t love you anymore… you brought it upon yourself by doubting her love.

How do you do it? Well, buy the book or DVD of course www.thesecret.tv is the place to go. They say in the book that if all that comes out of you reading the book or watching the DVD is a shift in thoughts, than good… at least you’ll be a more positive person… which can’t be all a bad thing… let me know what you think, my friends.

Currently reading : The Secret By Rhonda Byrne Release date: By 28 November

What started as an on air conversation asking about “Delaware’s most expensive restaurant entrée” (8oz. Dry Aged N.Y. Broil…..$53.95 at 1776 Steakhouse) quickly led to discussion about the difference between a 12 dollar steak versus a 54 dollar steak.  It’s all about quality.  This led to talk of my interest in grass fed beef.  The cows eat only grass, as God intended, resulting in a much healthier, and natural cut of beef, rich in beneficial Omega 3 fats.  I was about to order from All Natural Beef Company, when I discovered that here in Sussex County, C&J Farms ( west of Seaford on the Woodland Ferry road) is one year into selling  their very own grass only fed Black Angus.  Mr. Carlton Jones tells WGMD he switched to all natural grass fed cattle farming three years ago, and is very pleased with the results.  He is selling steak at his farm, 302-629-8194.
I’ll taste test it, and the All Natural Beef Co. and report back.  I’ll be serving it with this for maximum impact!  (Relax, it was a gift!)

Hey, Rosie was on the money lambasting “The Donald”! Okay, perhaps going too far when she began a more personal attack (though not necessarily a bad visual) but he took it a step further in his own personal assessment of her…(and his was certainly a tad more venomous).

But was she wrong in saying his championing of Ms. USA was out of order for her alleged behaviour? What sort of a message does it send when someone such as Trump raps a knuckle, allows this young woman to continue her “reign” and smoothes it over by mollifying the public that the condition is she goes into rehab? We have parents and friends of this young woman’s peers struggling with them not to break laws, not to drink and to steer clear of drugs…many often fighting a losing battle. They try to impress on those young people how such behaviour can cost them jobs, perhaps an education and ruin a career, family, etc. The real heartbreak is when everything they try to teach those youngsters disappears to the air, it all goes wrong and getting them help is a fight in itself. But there stands Trump…making light of the matter, soaking up the ensuing publicity like a tired old sponge and treating Ms. Connor like a hero because she has a “good heart, made something of herself and deserves a second chance”. At what? He could have been just as…or more…lauded for stripping her of her crown and status, paying for her rehab and getting her back on track. That might have sent a better message than the one he just did. We tell our younger family, friends, colleagues that to participate in behaviors such as Ms. Connor’s has consequences and he tells them “Nahh!”??

And, just curious…was Rosie wrong in her bankruptcy claim which he has denied? No… although I’m not sure it had any place in, or pertinence to, her tirade against his Ms. USA decision. Then again, she said and he denied publicly and I have to wonder on what grounds, exactly, he plans to sue. Slander? Libel? Defamation of character?

With entertainment celebrities, athletes, pro-ball players of every stripe, pageant winners falling from grace perhaps it’s time we took more care in those whom we choose to offer our admiration, honour or model ourselves after as “heroes” or role-models. Sure, perhaps everybody needs a hero, maybe even a role-model. So…make the effort to just be your own.

Certainly it is for Christians world wide, being an important religious celebration for them, although it has moved more and more toward consumerism/materialism — good for the economy, right?

But what about Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, et al? Many are free to celebrate their own religious events.

My point is, however, that there are many who are suffering, suffering because of actions taken directly by our own government. Should I enumerate them? No, it is better to lament them and put a stop to them.

Yet our leaders in the Executive Branch do not appear to be in such a frame of mind as to lament and change course. No, they appear to be doing all they can to find a way to keep us on their course, circumventing/ignoring the political defeat they suffered in the recent election with carefully selected words, as usual, words selected to instill more fear in order to generate their continued military surge, don’t they?

But wait, not only Iraq, but regarding the Middle East in general. We are beginning to be told that we must increase the size of the US Army by about 75,000.

In my view, the reason is that the neocons now wish to threaten Iran, as they appear to see only a military solution to counter the Iranian threat. Diplomacy, suggested by the Iraq Study Group, has already been discarded as an option.

Thus, well before the upcoming President’s speech in January, they have already discarded a diplomatic approach, having dialog with Iran, with Syria. They continue to make no meaningful gestures to get the peace process going again in Palestine. They continue to avoid developing a regional dialog in the Middle East. When will they learn that military solutions are totally counterproductive, providing only suffering and intense hatred of our nation? So what is the prospect for Middle East peace under George Bush?

In the meantime, there are many American families who are suffering this Christmas, suffering at the loss or maiming of loved ones, including those whose heads are now unscrewed, perhaps for life. These and the hundreds of thousands of suffering Iraqis and Palestinians, all suffering partly because of the incompetent policies of George Bush, a man who thinks that being stubborn is a desirable quality in a leader.

Matt Damon said it right on Hardball the other night, when he said all this suffering is so unfair; so few of us carry the burdens of the Bush Iraq War. Not only are most of us not involved, we have not even been asked to pay, as we have had tax cuts; instead, we borrow, from China et al. How prudent is this? How fair is this?

The implied litmus test is this: Would George Bush be able to continue his militaristic violence if we had a draft? The election results are telling as to the true answer to that question. Bush cannot continue to fight this war his way without the political support of the American people. I don’t think he realizes this; that is how out of touch this man is!

The Iraq Study Group had it right when they said the we need a policy that has bipartisan support in order to bring resolution to this failed war.

Bush & Co. do not appear to be listening to the American people, so the result will inevitably be continued strife, self inflicted and inflicted as well on the Iraqis, maybe as well the Iranians in the near future.

Sorry, I cannot trust George Bush; and I continue to think he is incompetent. The only hope is that the new Congress will insert/force sanity into an insane WH. Only then can we hope to play a constructive role in making for Christmas, and for all the other important religious celebrations, occasions permeated with peace, joy, and good will to/for all!!!

I love this report about smokers and littering.  When you listen to it, please remember WGMD reporter Joe Ciccanti actually sat in the parking lot at Midway and counted how often smokers tossed their butts on the ground!  Are smokers this self centered and self absorbed in other areas of their life, or only when it comes to littering?

Hear the report here, and others here.

I agree with the manager of Prime Hook; a five cent deposit on butts to help clean up.