As One Second Passes To The Next, We Greet A New Year

During the leap second we had on Saturday, I decided one posting addressing a potpourri of subject matter would be the optimum approach for an update. Looking back through last years Daytimer pages, it became clear I had far too many notes to create a post for each one.

Photograph by Kilroy_60

ALTERNATIVE VIEWPOINTS SOUGHT RE: THE PRESIDENCY OF GEORGE W. BUSH

The email I have been receiving related to this blog has been interesting. It has not been insightful or informative.

There have been no viewpoints offered or examples provided of outstanding achievements accomplished by the administration currently in power. There has been nothing offered that has caused me to question whether the viewpoints I have shared and the opinions I have expressed may potentially be misguided, inaccurate or wrong.

It has been expressed that there is not appreciation for my criticism of the current administration. There has been a viewpoint expressed as to whether I am consumed by a need to comment negatively on the performance of George W. Bush and his team. Response to my invitation to comment has gone so far as to be qualified as an opportunity best not pursued.

Are there examples of successes accomplished by the Presidency of George W. Bush that I have missed? Has the United States of America undergone improvements since the election of 2000 of which I am unaware? Were there problems that existed prior to the Republicans assuming power at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue which have been eliminated improving the quality of life internally and/or making the planet a healthier, safer place to be?

THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2011

The "News of the Day" is that yesterday the Pittsburgh Steelers knocked off the Detroit Lions making it playoff time in The Steel City. The day was most memorable in that The Bus ROLLED! Jerome Bettis hit paydirt three times tying a career record.

The Steelers official website notes that this might be Bettis' "final game at Heinz Field in a Steelers uniform." The article detailing the victory over Detroit goes on to say, "Bettis acted like a man who was playing his final game in a city that rejuvenated his NFL career 10 years ago and has become a home to him since. He signed dozens of jerseys and footballs for his teammates and posed for pictures in the locker room and on the field for close to an hour after the game ended."

Jerome Bettis is the fifth leading rusher in the history of the National Football League. Once he retires and the mandatory waiting time passes, Bettis - who is now 33 years old - will be in the first class for which he is eligible to enter the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Pittsburgh travels to Cincinnati Sunday to take on the Bengals; both teams posted 11-5 regular season records this season. It has been a decade since the Steelers appeared in the Super Bowl. Before that, after four world championships in six years, there had been a 15 year absence. The miraculous 15-1 record Bill Cowher's team posted last year primarily with a rookie quarterback proved that playing on your homefield is not a guaranteed path to the Super Bowl.

Having Jerome Bettis return to his home in Detroit with the Steelers finally winning one for the thumb would make the victory as sweet as it could be. As painful as it is to say, whether he hoists the Super Bowl trophy or not come February 5th, #36 should retire at the end of this campaign.

On a related note, clearly the Green Bay Packers are not at this point dedicated to bringing a Lombardi Trophy to Lambeau Field. Like Bettis, Brett Favre should bring the curtain down on his career. It would be difficult to imagine a pair of people with more class entering the Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2011.

A CLOSING THOUGHT

It only requires sperm for a man to become a father. He needn't have the balls or the backbone to be there when the life he has created arrives. It takes much more for a man to be a dad...heart and soul. My life has been cursed by the former and blessed by the latter. To borrow a quote, which I shall at this point not purse the attribution, There are no illegitimate children; only illegitimate parents. The sad - the most painful - part is what a man deprives his offspring of sharing when he runs away to create another family. One is denied the opportunity to know a brother, or a sister, nieces and nephews...because a man lacked the will and the courage to take responsibility for doing the deed. Child support payments do not make up for the actions of a coward. No, you do not get to take a mulligan in the game of life without penalty.