Michael Jackson - Homicide

After reading the news article on Google about Michael Jackson's death being ruled a homicide, I was really shocked at how many drugs his doctor gave to him to help him sleep.  He had 7 different drugs in his system that all contributed to his death.  Unbelievable!  At the very least Jackson's doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray should be stripped of all medical licenses and never allowed to practice medicine again.  The LA Times article that I read indicated that Dr. Murray may not be prosecuted for manslaughter because of Jackson's history of drug usage and other health problems.

Let me get this straight.  Dr. Murray administered 7 different drugs to Jackson on the same day within hours of each other and that's not considered some type of manslaughter or murder?  Wow!  Isn't it the doctor's responsibility to make sure that they know the potential drug interaction consequences before administering any drugs?  I could understand perhaps that Dr. Murray could be off the hook if he had written the prescriptions and then Jackson on his own negligently took the drugs, but that's not what happened here based on what I've read. The doctor physically administered each of the drugs to Jackson over several hours.  I'm actually writing this blog at 1:36 a.m. because I'm having trouble sleeping.  If I called my doctor now and asked her to prescribe something for me (other than the Tylenol PM I've already taken), I sure wouldn't expect that they would keep giving me drug after drug especially the ones Jackson received such as lorazapam, diazapem and propofol all of which have a variety of side affects if misused.

I was a Michael Jackson fan and believe like many that "Thriller" is the best album of all time.  I don't agree with everything that Michael did in his life, but I was saddened to hear about his death.  And now to find out that it was actually a homicide due to his doctor's negligence is a real shame.  Let's hope that Dr. Murray gets what he deserves and that should include some jail time in my humble opinion.

Senator Ted Kennedy Dies at age 77

This morning we lost a great American and the legacy of one of the most powerful families in the history of the U.S. is mostly likely at an end. Senator Ted Kennedy succumbed to the brain tumor he had been fighting since last year. At times of the years I have wished that I lived in Massachusetts so that I too could vote for Senator Kennedy over and over again. He drafted more than 2500 bills in his lifetime in the U.S. Senate. Unfortunately, what he will probably be most know for was the tragic accident at Chappaquiddick. A recent poll this morning on a local news website verifies this. I think he should be remembered more for his work with health care, civil rights and his overall liberal record. Whether or not you agree with the Kennedy's politics there is no denying that the had in shaping many of the issues that have shaped this country for the last 50 years. He was a true bipartisan legislator and he will be missed. Let's hope that someone else in the Democratic party can stand up to fill in where he left off.

Tiger Blows 2 Shot Lead - Loses PGA Championship

For now, Jack Nicklaus' 18 major wins is still safe after Tiger Woods blew a 2-shot lead in the 2009 PGA Championship and lost to Y.E. Yang of South Korea. Yang became the first Asian male to win a major in the history of golf. The Korean women have been winning majors for years so I guess it was about time that one of the men stepped up to the plate. I don't think that Yang beat Tiger so much as Tiger really played lousy both yesterday and today.

This was the first time that Tiger lost a major championship after having the 54-hole lead. His putting over the last two days was very bad and today he was just awful. He kept over-reading the break in the greens and missed about 6 or 7 putts that he should have made and that in the past two weeks he did make. His win at the Buick Invitational and the WGC win at Firestone were awesome (although Padraig Harrington did screw up by triple bogeying the 16th hole).

I was very impressed with how Y.E. handled himself considering the magnitude of the tournament, since it would have been Tiger's 15th major win and would have put him that much closer to breaking Jack's record. Tiger looked tenative and played way too conservatively over the last 2 days. I think this loss was good for him because everyone thought he was automatically going to win since he held the lead after the first 3 days of the tournament. Tiger is not infallible and he just proved that he too can hit some lousy putts.

I've won a couple of tournaments in my day and it's because I putted well and was not tenative in my play. Tiger could learn a thing or two from me! I think he'll still tie or beat Jack's record but at age 33, things just became a little bit harder and more difficult for the world's best golfer. Maybe he is human after all!

The Express - The Ernie Davis Story

Last night Fig and I watched "The Express", which is the story about Ernie Davis, the first black Heisman Trophy winner. I grew up in a family that did not show any prejudice for black people so whenever I see a movie that has racism included, I get really angry. Ernie Davis was an incredible athlete and put up with the ridiculous notion of racism. He went to Syracuse University and took them to a National Championship title in 1961 by beating The University of Texas in the Cotton Bowl. The team was ranked #1 and received two invites to bowl games. They could have gone to the Cotton Bowl and played #2 Texas or they could have gone to the Orange Bowl and played a lesser team. They decided to play Texas in Dallas. What a challenge. They were booed, a fight broke out and Ernie Davis came back in during the 4th quarter after literally getting the #$#$# knocked out of him, along with a bad hamstring. He caught a long pass and ran the ball in for the winning touchdown. Unfortunately, racism continued throughout the South and it is still alive and well in 2009.

The movie was truly inspirational and makes any of my problems that I experience on a daily basis seem really small in comparison. Ernie Davis was drafted by the Washington Redskins but was traded to the Cleveland Browns so he could be in the backfield with his icon, Jim Brown, who also played at Syracuse. But, Davis never ran a play in the NFL. He contracted leukemia and died at the age of 23. What a loss of a great young man.

The next time you hear someone making a crude remark about another person because of their race, religion, or sexual orientation, you need to call the person on the carpet so that we can stop racism and discrimination in its tracks. We are the only ones that can make a change so all persons are created equal, as described in the Constitution.

Multiple Observations - I'm Back

Sorry I've been gone for so long but I've been traveling to and from Ohio over the last week. Lots has gone on since I've been gone so let me summarize my OBSERVATIONS for you:

1. Delta Airlines actually ran on time for all of my flights through Atlanta both last Thursday, August 6 and yesterday. That's almost a miracle but I think things went so well because there were no weather delays. But, it's ridiculous that I had to pay $15 to have the airline carry my bag back for me yesterday. I'm not going to complain too much since my flight was free (I used mileage) but that's really the only reason I flew Delta. Southwest is a much better airline and they don't charge anything for the first checked bag.
2. My nephew Kyle was married last Saturday and I almost had to go to the wedding in my jeans or shorts! I had brought a nice suit with me but at the hotel I had separated the pants from the coat and shirt so that the pants would not wrinkle. However, when I grabbed the coat and shirt I forgot that the pants were not hanging with them. The wedding was at 6:30 p.m. so at 5:00 p.m. I went to get dressed and came running down the steps saying "I've got a problem". I decided that I had time to go shopping for a pair of pants and all I can say is thank God for Walmart! I found a pair that were a decent match and my embarassing wedding mishap was no more. I even beat my parents, sister and cousin to the wedding! I'm glad that Uncle Jack is no longer roasting people at the family picnic because I would have been a prime candidate!
3. I found out that I'm not as young as I used to be when it comes to roller coaster riding. My best friend Sharon and I went to Kings Island last Sunday and made an attempt to ride all of the roller coasters. I made it through 8 and Sharon hit 9 but let me tell you, I have bunches of bruises in places I didn't even know I could get them! Best ride: a tie between Firehawk and Flight of Fear. Firehawk was quite intriguing since I was able to truly see the earth below as I was inverted upside down and experienced twists and turns at over 50 mph. The lure was that we could be "test pilots". After standing in 92 degree heat for 45 minutes, I was really just looking to get some fresh air. Boy, did I get that and then some! This is not a ride for the faint of heart but I survived and decided that flying to the moon with the new NASA program is not for me. Flight of Fear was great mainly because it was the only ride that was inside an air conditioned building. After waiting almost an hour and having to endure a very young teenage couple trying to determine how many ways they could hug and kiss, I was ready for the 0-60 mph launch ride. It was truly awesome and was glad that the ride was mostly in the dark so I could finally get a break from the kissing freaks. I also road the old wooden roller coasts, the Blue Racer and the Beast, and now know why they make the newer coasters out of steel rails. At 52, I imagine this may be the last time I'll tackle the coasters, but who knows, I may take to the coasters once again, at least before I turn 70!
4. Is Tiger Woods amazing or what? Once again he proved that he is the best golfer in the world by winning the WGC by Bridgestone at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, OH. I did feel a slight pang of angst and sorrow for Padraig Harrington as he triple bogeyed #16 on the South Course, but that only lasted a few seconds. Tiger has now won 70 tournaments and is only behind Jack Nicklaus by 3 for total wins in a career. Sam Snead holds the lead at 82, but I imagine that Tiger will shatter that record since he's only 33! I'm also betting that he'll come through on top for his 15th major this weekend at the PGA Championship. He's in the lead at -5 after his first round today and guess who's on his Tigertail once again? Padraig! I'm hoping for a start to finish lead and win by Tiger and then he and Roger Federer can both be tied again with 15 majors. If Tiger wins he will only need 3 mor major wins to tie Jack at 18 major wins! It's getting very exciting now!
5. Last observation....It's a bitch going back to work after being off for 7 days.
   
   

President Clinton Meets with Kim Jong II

Former President Bill Clinton went to North Korea on Tuesday to talk with Kim Jong II to try and secure the release of two U.S. journalists , Euna Lee and Laura Ling, being held there since March. Recently, the U.S. and the United Nations have enacted sanctions on a wide range of North Korean arms companies, including senior North Korean officeials involved in its nuclear program.

It appears that President Obama did not send former President Clinton to North Korea. But, I think that it helps that President Clinton is married to the current Secretary of State. I think he will have enough clout to bring these young ladies home. I'm glad to see that the U.S. is using more diplomacy in trying to deal with North Korea rather than trying to send more troups.

Let's all say our prayers that he can bring a peaceful end to this dispute and bring the women home safely.

Tiger Wins the Buick Invitational

Well, from almost missing the cut to winning the tournament! Tiger went 20 under par and beat his next competitor by 3 strokes. He took the lead on Saturday and never looked back. He has an incredible record when he is leading a tournament after 54 holes, 36-1. It's his 69th career win and he has to be considered one of the greatest closers of all time. This tournament really didn't showcase the best golfers in the world, except for Tiger, but he still showed that he just cannot be beat when he has the lead on a Sunday morning.

I took this photo of Tiger at the CA Championship at Doral Country Club in Miami, FL a couple of years ago during a practice round. I was also able to get his autograph (one of the few he gives out) and it resides in the Tiger Shrine in our home.

Next week, Tiger plays in the Bridgestone Invitational, which is a World Golf Championship event held in Akron, Ohio at the Firestone South golf course. Since Fig and I will be in Ohio next week for my nephew Kyle's wedding, we are planning to go to the tournament on Sunday with our friend Sharon and get to see Tiger in person! For those of you who may not know, Fig is Tiger's #1 fan, even though she has never played golf. Let's hope he makes the cut and is in contention again. He has now won 4 tournaments this year, more than anyone else and we'd love to be there to see him win #70!

Wyland the Artist

Fig and I started collecting Robert Wyland art in 2000 after a trip to Hawaii. We purchased Spouty and Friends as shown above. We also were able to get a copy of each of the characters in the painting, which we have hanging in our living room. We get lots of great compliments on them when we have visitors. His paintings and sculptures are brilliant but Wyland's biggest accomplishments are his commitment to marine conservation. I want to bring to your attention that you can get a first hand look at Wyland, his art and his conservation efforts. See below from his website at www.wyland.com.

Wyland along with Detroit Public Television bring to you the beginning of an amazing public television series where in each episode Wyland will teach you how to paint his favorite subjects from whales and dolphins to rivers, oceans and wetlands.

Wyland focuses to raise awareness of the beauty of life on our blue planet. He draws and paints in the same motion, blocking in the shape of the animal, keeping everything in perspective with his light source.

Using Ecco friendly nontoxic art materials, now the whole family can paint together. With ecological tips at the end of every show you can't help but be inspired to paint the beauty of the earth with Wyland in his art studio!

I made our most recent purchase while I was in San Diego in May, which is a Chinese Brush Painting, the koala bear that is shown at the top of this post. This series of artworks features some of the world's most threatened species, such as the koala bear, the polar bear, the white tiger, the bald eagle and the panda. Wyland uses only environmentally friendly "green ink" on renewable bamboo. The painting is just gorgeous and we are pleased to have it hanging in our home.

The Wyland Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1993 by environmental marine life artist Wyland, is dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the world’s oceans, waterways, and marine life. The foundation encourages environmental awareness through education programs, life-size public arts projects, and community events.

I encourage you to watch the TV series and to visit a Wyland Gallery if you get a chance. I also encourage you to purchase one of his pieces so you too can be a part of making our world more "green".