Curb My Enthusiasm

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has become a huge phenomenon recently not only for his late-game heroics, but also for the specific prayer ritual he conducts during football games. The religious faction of the world has become so enamored with the praying motion, in which he drops to one knee and lowers his head, that it has garnered its own name: “Tebowing.”

While it may be nice to see a celebrity openly share his spiritual communion with God, before people start regularly kneeling down to emulate him, it might be nice to first find out what it all truly stands for.

The frenzy surrounding Tebow has been astonishing. Yet, while the fourth-quarter comebacks are thrilling, it’s just as much the overpowering Denver defense and the play of others as it is the quarterback. While kudos are certainly due, no other one player in recent memory has received so much credit for leading his team to victory than Tebow has.

After the win against the Chicago Bears, despite the fact that the 59-yard field goal was much longer than Tebow’s “pivotal game-winning drive,” the media thrust all responsibility for the outcome onto the quarterback’s shoulders.

The praise is like no other seen in the National Football League (NFL). Not even experienced veterans such as Peyton Manning or Tom Brady have received such lofty acclaim for a successful outcome without mention of other teammate’s valuable contributions.

One of the reasons for the extraordinary attention may be because many pundits have called Tebow a sub-par thrower at best and, thus, the outcomes have them scratching their heads and eating their words. The NFL, however, is filled with excellent quarterbacks, past and present, whose skill sets out of college were never expected to garner them an iota of success at the professional level.

In the end, it is his success coupled with his public devotion to God that has “Tebow Mania” firing on all cylinders. Since his actions and feelings are extremely popular in an overly pious world, the media knows it can exploit this and greatly raise ratings by expanding into an otherwise untapped viewership.

The networks are businesses, so the constant mention on the radio, television, and online is understandable. What is extremely perplexing, however, is how the world has responded. All because a young football player likes to stop, drop, and have a quick one-way converstation with God, he has become beloved by the masses.

“I really like Tebow,” said one of my friends during the recent Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers playoff game. “All the experts wrote him off and I like a good underdog story. Plus, the NFL is filled with thugs, it’s about time a good guy got some attention.”

When I inquired as to why he believes Tebow is any better of a person than all the other guys playing professional football, he quickly and excitedly retorted: “Come on! He prays! Of course he’s better!…What a ridiculous question.”

While the energetic reply was surprising, the statement was anything but as it is the same feeling shared by millions of others worldwide. Despite not knowing much about him or what he’s requesting of God each time he drops to one knee, viewers are enraptured by him simply because he’s taking the time to request it.

When Tim is “Tebowing” as Matt Prater lines up for a potential game-winning field goal, is he asking the Almighty for world peace or to help end world hunger? Or is he requesting his aid in the hopes that a tiny oblong “pigskin” soars through two yellow posts down field?

Since we’ve seen him jump to his feet all smiles and full of joy after the football sails over the 10-foot cross bar and in between the 18 1/2-foot separated uprights, the answer is most likely the latter. Even though people continue to struggle to make ends meet and others are dying of starvation, cold, disease, and at the hands of evil despots across the globe every day, Tebow is begging the Lord for his help in a little old game of American football.

And the world loves him for it.

There is probably little doubt that Tim Tebow is a good-hearted person. His track record of charitable work throughout his young life is most likely reason enough to root for him. It is also refreshing to hear and see someone without barbed wire tattoos all over his body clearly put together a non-selfish interview without the use of curse words or double negatives.

While everyone has favorite sports players and we’ll all continue to root for them, to support someone emphatically simply because he prays may be more “ridiculous” than my initial inquiry.

The bottom line is before people start having regular conversations with God by “tebowing,” it’s important to first take a stand on what really matters in life.

To ensure Americans follow a brighter, sunnier economic path in the future, perhaps we need a little Frost.

In his famous poem “The Road Not Taken,” Robert Frost writes about an autumn traveler who comes to a fork in a path and has to decide which one to take. While a meaningful and metaphoric poem regarding life and the path we all choose to follow in it, it could easily apply to our modern-day housing situation as well.

“I blame Bill Clinton and Janet Reno for this whole mess,” a friend of mine blurted out the other night as we talked about all the foreclosed homes in his neighborhood.

When asked why, the reply was: “They set the ill-guided policies that led people to get in over their heads.”

In times of incredible wealth and profit, it is the duty of our leaders to make sure all Americans have the opportunity to share in the economic gain. It is what separates the great United States of America from your common oligarchy.

The bottom line is we the people care less about polices that will help us 10 or 20 years from now and more about what will help us in the here and now. After all, it’s all we know – it’s what’s real and tangible.

Policies that seem ideal for today may actually prove otherwise come tomorrow. It’s just the nature of the financial game all our experts play, conservative or liberal, which we all hope balances out to economic growth in the end.

In terms of the current housing crisis, for argument’s sake, let’s say everything my friend said is true. In their grand desire to help every citizen share in the American dream, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Janet Reno were the ring leaders who paved the way for the creation of private financial institutions that ultimately allowed unqualified individuals to buy homes they can’t afford.

Are they still to blame? Are polices that make it much easier to qualify for a home loan really the core issue of the current housing crisis?

The answer is no.

As Gordon Gecko states in “Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps: “It’s greed that makes my bartender buy three houses he can’t afford with no money down. And it’s greed that makes your parents refinance their two hundred thousand dollar house for two fifty. Then they take that extra fifty and go down to the mall.”

While technically it does boil down to greed, it’s also a power issue – a “Keeping up with the Joneses” mentality that is intrinsically woven into our fibers. Thus, before my friend and others start pointing their angry fingers at our past leaders, they need to point them at the nearest mirror.

And I at my own mirror.

About 12 years ago, I received daily calls from another friend of mine. The call always came in soon after the stock market closed. The conversation was usually quick, he would update me on how much he made as a day-trader, then hang up. I remember one day in particular because it was the day I opened up my own E-trade account. The excitement he displayed after announcing he had “earned” $8,000 was the final straw that broke my back.

Over the course of the next several years, as I followed his tips on “dot coms” I never heard of and nobody else ever will as they all folded, I lost close to $40,000. I was, to put it mildly,  ”upside down” on my investments. Yet, these were investments I could not simply walk away from. The money was gone and not coming back.

In my effort to keep up with the Joneses, or the Dougs to be more specific, I lost almost my entire life savings.

When it comes to the current housing situation, perhaps it’s true our past leaders set “ill-guided” policies. Yet, simply because the credit authorities allow us to buy a second home, a boat, several plasma TVs, etc., doesn’t mean we should.

In the end, our own common sense needs to prevail and we need to realize our income coming in has to equal – or be greater than – our expenses going out. That $400,000 house that was supposed to be flipped for $600,000 but is now worth just $250,000, is not the fault of Carter, Clinton, Bush, Reagan, or our good friend – it’s the man or woman in the mirror.

As I told my friend the other night, just because a path is smooth and worn down by much use, it sometimes pays to take “the one less traveled by.”

Several nights ago, while watching a movie that depicted a slaughterhouse employee cutting up the flesh of a recently deceased cow as pieces of its carcass moved down the conveyor belt, a visiting family member exclaimed, “That’s so sad! And so gross!”

The next day at lunch, the same family member, as she wolfed down a medium-rare cheeseburger, uttered, “Now, that’s tasty.”

The situation dripped with irony. Along with a little grease.

How someone could conform to two such contrasting principles was baffling. As dumbfounding as the double standard was, however, it actually epitomizes society’s mindset on the matter perfectly.

If given an open, unrestrained tour of a modern-day slaughterhouse in operation, almost nobody would make it to the end without cringing, gasping, screaming, crying, and in many cases puking. It would be a downright horrific experience for most.

Yet, a tour of an American restaurant would reveal red meat laying on a majority of its patrons’ plates.

Prime rib, rump roast, filet mignon, tri-tip, London broil, hamburger, roast beef, Philly cheesesteak, Salisbury steak, meat loaf, pastrami – the bovine-based popular menu options are endless. As are the chicken- and pork-based dishes.

It might be easier for some to watch the head of a chicken or pig get sliced off rather than a cow’s, but most would still go running straight to the closest trash can to involuntarily rid themselves of those chicken fajitas or that ham sandwich they had for lunch.

So, why do most Americans continue to live by such contradictory standards when it comes to the way they eat?

Is it because it’s what their parents ingrained in their heads? And their parent’s parents before them? Is it because the taste offsets any remorse one might have for taking the life of another living creature? Maybe it’s simply the fact that it’s easy not to think about such things. As the popular saying goes, “out of sight, out of mind.”

Words such as “organic,” “grass-fed,” and “free-range” certainly make it easier since it invokes a warm feeling that the animal lived a happy, carefree life roaming the endless, beautiful pasture before its sudden and timely death.

A popular belief is God – or Mother Nature – created these lower intelligent animals only as a food source for predators, such as humans, higher up the food chain. Thus, if Mankind can raise and kill these slow-witted beasts to nourish its existence, by all means go for it since that’s the whole higher-power intent.

While that may have some merit, even those who cling to that theory still can’t bring themselves to kill these “inferior” creatures – let alone watch someone else do it.

But, for whatever reason, if it’s done behind closed doors, it’s tolerated. And once it’s skinned, shucked, deboned, fried, or grilled and finds its way onto the dinner plate, it’s relished.

There is, obviously, a faction of society who can kill certain game without regret. Whether one agrees with it or not, those who hunt legally for the purpose of feeding themselves and their families – and not just for sport – have earned the right to serve and eat their bounty.

While the truth may not be as tasty to swallow as a cheeseburger, the reality is anyone who finds the slaughtering of cattle disheartening should refrain from wolfing down red meat.

Otherwise, the “sad” and “gross” conveyor belt events will only continue to occur. And the irony – and bloody animal fat – continue to drip.

Considering how many plastic bags fly out of its doors everyday in shopping carts, chances are the one you see blowing across the street or stuck endlessly in the branches of a nearby tree has a Walmart logo on it.

It was only my second time ever to the popular shopping destination, but I was immediately struck by the massiveness of the store. It was the size of a football stadium with rows of product as far as the eye could see. From produce to televisions, it really provides anything a consumer needs.

If you want it, you can bag it at Walmart.

As I stood there in line struck by the whole scene, it was hard not to notice how smooth and efficient the cashier was operating. In order to keep the flow of customers moving at the fastest pace possible, Walmart management installed a fantastic, easy-to-use plastic bag system. Resembling a lazy Susan, the carousel device has three separate locations in which open plastic bags hang. All the cashier has to do is drop the items into the closest open bag, twirl the unit, and then start filling the next one.

As the cashier spins the unit, the circular motion brings the bagged contents to the customer so he or she can easily put it in the cart. Once removed, another open plastic bag is revealed underneath, which comes right back to the cashier be filled with the next batch of goodies.

The invention is extremely basic, yet marvelous – a cashier’s and customer’s dream. But also an eco-nightmare.

As the woman started ringing up my order, I politely said I didn’t need a bag. She must not have heard me as she went through her motions, dropped the three items into a bag, and spun it right over to me. I quickly plucked them out.

“What are you doing?” The lady asked with a confused look.

“Oh. I don’t need a bag. Thanks though,” I replied.

I nodded and smiled at her, but it was returned with a quizzical and angered stare. It was if I was breaking some unwritten law or going against the creed that might shut down the whole well-oiled plastic bag Walmart machine.

She finally rolled her eyes as if I offended her. Perhaps she thought taking out the items she went out of her way to bag was disrespectful. Although that is highly doubtful as she can bag in her sleep thanks to the innovative carousel.

Upon my departure, I turned around to take in the whole Walmart operating system one last time. Check-out aisles up and down the huge indoor coliseum, all twirling and dumping bags into waiting shopping carts. At a stand right in front of me, an elderly woman won the gold medal for utilizing the invention the best. She placed each and every item into its own bag, forcing the customer to plop a whopping 22 plastic bags into his shopping cart.

It truly was unbelievable. One item per bag and when the rather rotund gentleman headed for the door, his cart was overflowing in plastic. In just 5 minutes of standing by the exit, more than 20 carts filled to the brim with bags pushed past.

While I personally avoid big stores because of the crowds and the extra time needed to finish shopping, the efficiency displayed at Walmart was quite impressive. The company receives lots of negative press on a variety of different issues, but never do we hear about the positive, amazing inventions, like the Lazy Susan Plastic Bag Dispenser, that make the lives of its employees and the shoppers so much easier.

Maybe that will change as we see more bags blow across our roadways and fly high like company flags in our treetops above.

A recent poll indicates a majority of Americans blame President Barack Obama for the current sluggish economic conditions. While it is easy to point fingers at others, especially our leaders, the truth of the matter is fault –  as Michael Jackson put it – “starts with the man in the mirror.”

It is reported that the economic downturn is, in many regards, worst than the Great Depression. Considering the decline of the 1930s took 11 or so years before America started to seriously rebound, is it really any surprise that the country is still in the midst of stagnant growth? On top of that, since the economy was in a downward spiral when he took office, can we honestly and without equivocation find the president culpable of the present-day inertia?

By doing so, we are erroneously blaming someone for simply inheriting a horrendous situation and not having the miraculous, magic pill to remedy it. Sure we can voice our displeasure on how he may be handling things since he took over, not that most of us have a clue when it comes to the complex inner-workings of capitalism, but to flat-out blame him for the economy’s continued torpidity, is ignorant of us.

It’s the equivalent of a child dropping his lunch tray and spilling food all over the floor, then turning and blaming the cafeteria manager for the accident. It’s one thing to expect the lunch-duty teacher to clean it up, but to accuse him or her of making the mess in the first place? Well, that’s just childish.

The analogy doesn’t stop there because it turns out the kid who dropped the tray was simply following suit. For various reasons, those that went before him in the lunch line unwittingly spilled their milk and food all over the place, too, basically leaving the cafeteria in shambles.

Translation: When it came to managing our money, we basically behaved liked spoiled children. And the current disarray that we are in is not Obama’s fault. As some liberals would like to believe, it’s not George W. Bush’s fault either. It’s our fault.

It’s mine for refinancing the house for that remodel project and vacation. It’s my neighbors fault for buying that boat and jet ski on credit. It’s my friend’s fault for thinking he could flip that home on near zero budget. It’s my colleague’s fault for purchasing that Lake Tahoe vacation condominium without having the salary to cover two mortgage payments.

Bottom line, this economic stagnation was – and is – caused by the actions of every one of us. It is a simple, true fact. It’s not one we need to beat ourselves up over, though. While sad, it’s human nature to want to live the high-life and ”keep up with the Joneses” as they say. After all, back in the late 1990s the Joneses, Smiths, and everyone in between were making money hand over fist.

Or so it seemed.

Back then, my brother’s “dot com” was trading at a whopping $175 per share. My friend’s company went from $8 to $50 per share in just two months. Both were millionaires – on paper. Another friend sent daily email updates letting me know how much money he earned as a day-trader. With so much net worth out there, it’s no wonder everyone went a bit nuts and started purchasing second homes, cars, boats, and other items with their invisible money.

I mean everyone else was doing it, so it must be OK, right?

Well, all things that go up, must come down. And that’s just what happened. Unfortunately, since we were all living in the stratosphere when it came to spending, when gravity finally took over – aka reality – the free fall back to earth was extra far and hard.

The current economic situation is unfortunate. Yet, while it’s easy to point fingers, the only finger pointing should be in front of a mirror. Once we’ve confidently done that, the next step is to help our leaders clean it up and remember to be a little more careful in the future.

After all, as one famous moonwalking singer once said - ”If you really wanna make this world a better place, take a look at yourself, and then make that change.”

On a sidewalk, adjacent to a stop light, stood a middle-aged man. He was slightly hunched over with no emotion on his face. While the demeanor and posture was quite odd – it was the extra large costume he was wearing that looked even more bizarre.

Despite it being a Slurpee outfit, the image was hard to swallow.

I quickly glanced at the outside temperature gauge on the car dashboard as we waited at the stop light. It read 101. Triple digits.  Perfect weather for a cold drink – but certainly not for an older gentleman to be dancing and prancing around in an attempt to garner attention to himself and the human billboard. (OK – so he was doing no dancing, or much movement at all for that matter, but same point.)

While this advertising angle makes no sense, it seems to be a huge trend over the past few years. New home developers and real estate agents find this kind of advertising the most attractive as most sign holders – and mascots – standing on random street corners are holding signs letting us know a slew of homes, apartments, and condos are for rent or sale.

Instead of simply staking something in the ground and finding a batttery- or wind-powered option, for some reason, business owners think hiring a human being to stand outside for 8 hours a day will attract more positive publicity.

It doesn’t. By placing these people outside for hours on end, it makes them look more like sweat-shop owners. Or better yet,  feudal lords.

Yes, these people get paid for their advertising efforts. But the price tag is not worth it – for either party. The business taken in by this publicity stunt has to be far less than the amount of business driven away from this modern-day form of human cruelty. Because bottom line is – we feel sorry for these dancing people.

In this case, a motionless, elderly Slurpee. As I stared out the window at the giant, depressed sugary beverage, I came to the conclusion that I would never buy anything from this company again.

Then the kids in the back noticed him. “Hey! Look at that guy! He’s a Slurpee! That’s so cool! Dad can we have one! Please? Please?”

One glance in the rearview mirror at the excitement is all it took. That and the 101 temperature.

“You bet,” I said and made a U-turn into the 7-11 parking lot.

Throughout history there has been a philosophical battle regarding Mankind’s inherent nature. Is it generally righteous with the occasional immoral urge or mostly evil with traces of benevolence mixed in? While most would band together and say it is good, the recent downturn in the economy and the war of words and accusations that has ensued, suggests it may be intrinsically breaking bad.

Not long ago, most everyone was extremely happy with their local, regional, and national elected officials. While there has always been a few corrupt individuals, politicians were generally viewed as hard-working representatives of their constituency.

What a difference a few years make – and few less dollars in people’s wallets.

Today, just about everybody in office is considered greedy, inept, untrustworthy and downright nefarious.

“I can’t believe these people,” someone shouted at her husband the other day while standing in line at a local supermarket. “It’s unbelievable what they get away with! Our government is so corrupt, I hope they all get their walking papers.”

“Politicians are all crooks! They should all be put in jail,” another lady emotionally told a reporter on television last week when asked what she thought about the current American economy.

Again, what a difference a few years make.

In the roaring ’90s when the economy was humming along, new start-ups were becoming IPOs on a daily basis, and portfolios were growing robustly each week, apparently the government could do no wrong. Now, as they all work hard to turn around the worst economy since the Great Depression – they are all not just disliked, but flat out hated.

Why? Because they make pretty good salaries and the economy hasn’t turned around overnight?

It’s true, times are extremely tough for a lot of people – especially those who have lost their jobs and are desperately searching for a stable income generator. But, to hear such acrimony and venom spew from certain people’s mouths is downright perplexing.

Sure there are some that most likely do abuse their power, but to call all politicians criminals is not only ignorant, it’s wrong. At the end of the day, its OK to take umbrage with certain policies that certain branches and levels of government pass and support, but to universally attack all of them – or just the ones that don’t belong to a specific party affiliate – is a very unflattering human characteristic.

Yet, it’s one that many seem to be gravitating toward more and more of late. Which, in the end makes one think that maybe it’s not “all politicians” that are immoral, but maybe all of humanity.

The urge to spew such repulsive malevolence so freely and quickly, certainly makes one think that the philosophical battle of Mankind’s inherent nature is not going so “good.”

On every walk or jog through the neighborhood, it is hard not to notice the beautiful trees, rolling green hills, and majestic mountains towering upward on the western horizon. While definitely an extremely nice area to live in, for some reason on the casual, weekly strolls, the attitude of most people encountered is anything but.

Perhaps all the negative news and intense, polarized political rhetoric in the media have created a cautious, apprehensive divide between strangers. Maybe it’s the fact that most communication – especially in this technology-driven valley – is now done digitally, which means some have a hard time dealing with direct human interaction. Instant messenger, email, social media, text messages have become such a normal, daily occurrence a few of these fellow walkers and joggers may not know how to respond to a cordial greeting without a computer or cell phone intervening.

Whatever it is, the lack of smiles and return acknowledgments by neighbors is quite perplexing. It’s almost as if the community needs to recruit Mr. Roarke from Fantasy Island to come stand on a street corner and shout out his well-known catchphrase to all passersby.

There is a slight element of reprieve. A majority of homeowners in these suburbs are first-time immigrants that speak little English. For whatever reason, despite having world-renown engineering and technology universities here in America, companies recruit software and hardware engineers from India, China, Sweden, Russia, and other parts of the world to come work here full-time.

With just about every Fortune 500 company in the world having a least some sort of presence here, that has led to quite a few foreigners needing a place to live in the community. This has many advantages and is phenomenal to see on many levels since this country was founded on bringing people of all different worldly cultures and creeds together to form one powerful, symbiotic, benevolent, “melting pot,” American society.

Yet, letting someone off the hook for constantly not returning a smile, a wave, or responding to a pleasant “good morning,” simply because they are foreign is nonsensical. After all, it doesn’t matter if one speaks Korean, Mandarin, or Swedish, the smile and hand wave transcend all language and cultural barriers.

It’s understandable that some may be having a bad day or don’t feel obligated to outwardly show pleasantries while going for a jaunt through the neighborhood – especially in the morning since some still may be waking up and craving that first cup of coffee. The high percentages, however, that flat out don’t respond or stare at you as if you’ve insulted them after a genuine salutation – is baffling.

The heterogenous society – at least in this area – has a long way to go before it starts “melting together” into the homogeneous one we all desire. Perhaps the first big step toward that goal begins with a simple, friendly grin to a stranger on the street. Or, as one distinguished older gentleman would put it: “Smiles everyone! Smiles!”

BizarroGuy

Not long ago, Michael Vick was behind bars serving time for his role in an interstate dog-fighting ring. Today, he is enjoying one of the best seasons of his National Football League career as quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. While the media and fans alike continue to sing his praises, Vick’s newfound success is hardly a redemption song.

Whether someone is successful at his or her job has no redeeming relevance to the positive or negative actions and decisions they make away from the office. In Vick’s case, playing extremely well in football does not vindicate him from the fact that he directly and indirectly took the lives of hundreds of dogs. Yet, for some reason, sports pundits seem to think otherwise.

“This is the ultimate redemption story,” stated Tom Jackson loudly on ESPN referring to Vick after he and the Eagles came back from a 21-point deficit to beat the New York Giants on Sunday. The rest of the sports analysts on the show shook their heads firmly to show their agreement.

We listen to sports broadcasters and former players because they provide insight into games most of us have never played before – especially not at a collegiate or professional level. Their coaching and game knowledge help us better understand the schematics and potential outcomes of each matchup.

To apply an on-field performance to off-field morality, however, is irrelevant and ludicrous. It is a prime example that perhaps these so-called experts should simply stick to what they know – sports.

In the end, maybe there is nothing Vick can do that will ultimately make amends for his canine atrocities. He sounds repentant and seems to be on the path to restitution, but only he will ever truly know. As fans, we only see the public side of the person, which is usually just his play as quarterback of the Eagles and a few sound bites before and after each game and practice. It’s in the private setting that Vick will ultimately have to salvage his life and take the needed steps to redeem himself for past actions.

It’s certainly not going to be achieved by zig-zagging through the defense for a first down or throwing a tight spiral for a 50-yard touchdown. While he is extremely fun to watch and having an MVP year, our praises can only be sung to his ability as a football player.

Thus, for a redemption song – at least for now – we’ll leave that to others, like Bob Marley.

Former Republican Vice President candidate Sarah Palin announced the other day that if she were to run against President Barack Obama in the next election, she’d win easily. Considering she left political office before her term was up to make more money, it’s about time Americans told her to “Please refudiate.” Er, please repudiate.

Perhaps it was a creative, back-hand metaphor in an attempt to state that a tree stump could win against Obama since his approval ratings are so low. If she seriously, however, thinks that after her track record she can be elected commander in chief, then she’s more full of herself than anyone imagined.

The reason she is not fit for the highest office of this great country has nothing to do with the fact that she can see Russia out of her Alaskan bedroom window. And it’s not because she thinks evolution is a fairy tale. It’s also not because she doesn’t read newspapers or believes the Vice President runs the Senate. The fact that her made-up words and misstatements make George W. Bush sound like a literary Rhodes Scholar is not it either.

The bottom line is Palin, in the midst of all her newfound glory and fame, turned her back on the residents of the 49th state. And in doing so, she turned her back on this country, which is unforgivable.

Obtaining ultimate financial success is the goal of our free capitalist society, so Americans can’t really fault her for deciding to drop all her political responsibilities to write a novel and hit the road on what seems to be the never-ending book tour. But in doing so, she has lost all credibility and trust when it comes to ever being a political leader again.

Sure we can listen to her advice and opinions on certain issues and events, after all, that is exactly why she wrote the best-seller and continues to market herself from coast-to-coast. But her national politcal aspirations have plunged into a “death panel” all its own.

When fellow countrymen in Alaska needed her guidance and help to find work and a better life after the 2008 election, where did she go? She went running to her own personal publishing cash machine. And to keep that ATM of her’s stock piled, she kept right on running – to Fox News and anyone else who will put a microphone in her face – to plug her conservative ideology.

There is no way the citizens of the United States can afford someone with this type of intrinsic avaricious mentality to ever sit behind the desk in the Oval Office. It’s obvious why Palin supports the Tea Party and limited federal government spending – she’s been chasing and hoarding money ever since she walked onto the national stage. The last thing she wants is anybody taking even a dime away from her cache. When the tax man cometh, she most likely screams, in her best Charlton Heston voice, “I’ll give you my money when you take it from my cold, dead hands.”

Palin never finished her term as Alaska Governor. She left office to pursue a career elsewhere – a much more lucrative career. Like a student athlete leaving college early because he or she knows they will go high in the draft and sign a lucrative professional contract, so, too, did Palin prematurely depart. In this case, though, she didn’t leave early to go to a higher political level, she left the industry altogether. In doing so, she abandoned the populace that desperately needed support. An act of pure selfishness.

There is no question that when it comes to the spotlight, Sarah Palin shines. When it comes to the presidency, however, it’s time she learned she’ll never be the North Star she claims to be. The political pilot light for the self-proclaimed Maverick, even if she were up against a tree stump, has burned out.

Palin has every right to tour the nation like a cross-country big rigger in an effort to fill her personal coffers. As for the next Republican presidential election process, though, it’s about time Americans told her to buck up and stay in the truck.

BizarroGuy