Convergence of Relevant Stuff

President Obama continues his  public relations tour in the face of  criticism from the media and political operative who complain about a number of issues.  Americans are an impatient people, and expect miracles to take  place a at breakneck speed, correspondingly they expect Obama to fix the economy quickly and efficiently even though he has been in office less than two months.  Not only is this ridiculously unreasonable, it is blatantly unfair.

No matter what, it seems Obama is being held to an impossible standard, that was not applied to other Presidents.  President  Bush was never held to this type a standard, that is precisely why Obama is left to deal with the mess Bush left and held to an impossible  standard. This type of double standard is seen nearly everyday in corporate America, where some people are given a free ride and others are criticized.

John McCain, has become the resident bitter critic. Criticizing everything that President Obama does. There is no question that McCain is terribly bitter about  his loss in the Presidential election to Obama.  Lets give Obama the time he needs like we afford to everyone else. Healthcare needs to be fixed. The stimulus packages need time to work and more packages are needed and need  to be made available.  Companies continue to downsize and job layoffs are a daily reality

President Obama has only been in office two months and he is cleaning up an economic house that was left dirty, broken and in shambles by George Bush when he left. It takes time and money to fix a comdemed house.

Civil Forum with Rick Warren Pastor of Saddleback Church

Barack Obama . Warren asked who were the three wisest people in your life? Obama said  his wife Michelle, his grandmother,who was a grounded, common sense woman.  He also said he would not restrict himself to three people. He mention Sam Nunn, Dick Luger, a Republican. Ted Kennedy, most prominently . Obama said in his administration  he would have a table that represented many different viewpoints.   The great moral failure in his life?  He had difficult youth, raised by a single Mom, experimented with drugs and drank. Obama said he was  self centered, and had an inner focus on himself. He said everything was about him. He later realized it was not all about me. America’s  greatest moral failure in this  lifetime is that we don’t abide by our principals to  help others in need as much as we should.  He said the Bible says “Whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do not do for me”.  We do not provide avenues of opportunities for people to get into the middle class. We must do more to help.

When asked what is the most significant position that he held ten years ago where he changed his mind?  Obama said a good example would be the issue of welfare reform.  Obama felt that Clinton’s bill signings on welfare reform would have disastrous results.  It worked better than a lot of people anticipated.  So Obama said it opened his eyes and he saw the benefit in the program.

Warren asked what is the most gut wrenching decision you ever had to make?  Deciding to  go against the war in Iraq. Obama said there was not enough evidence of weapons of mass distruction.  Obama felt that we would need to look at these questions. What would a post Iraq , post war,  look like?  What about the young kids who we are asking to give their lives? When  you put kids 19 and 20 years old in harms way, there is a an obligation to get things right before we put our young soldiers life on the line.

Christianity- What does your faith in Jesus Christ mean to you?  Obama said I believe  that Jesus Christ died for my sins and I am redeemed through him.  I do not walk alone. Those sins that I have are washed way. I have an obligation to give back to society through deeds. McCain said he was saved and forgiven.

The question was asked what do you do about evil.  John McCain said, defeat it. Barack Obama said that evil does exist. We will not be able to totally erase evil from the world in it’s many forms. John McCain approached many questions and answered with a  military reference. He answered the question about evil and said the he would find Bin Laden and bring him to justice. Obama sees evil as being significantly broader than John McCain.

John McCain came off, more combative and direct. Not must room to change in him.  McCain’s sole focus was to use the bully stick  and showed a willingness to  use American Troops at the drop of a hat.  McCain’s answers were simplistic at best.  He was not forthcoming on the details of his failed first marriage, when asked about him Moral failures. Again he stuck close  to the  simplistic one word answers. So we know one thing about McCain; he is stubborn, He is not willing to listen to opposing views and he is a war hawk. He stated his hero was Theodore Rooselvelt. He led the United States to victory in the Spanish – American War (Ninety-Day War) and later became the 26th American President. McCain said that Theodore Rooselvelt was his hero (“Walk Softly, but Carry a Big SticK”).   Read up on Rooselvelt and you get a great read on McCain. The question was asked who would you not pick as  a Supreme Court Justice? Obama said  that he would have not pick  Clarence Thomas because of his lack of experience, He also mention Justice Scalia, both taught in law school at the University of Chicago. McCain mentioned Justices Ginsberg, Fryer, Sutter and Stevens.  The problem is John McCain voted for everyone of those justices. A bit of the  flip flop.  He was speaking to win over the evangelicals.

Disco, Soul and  Comtempary singer, Isaac Hayes was unconscious  near a treadmill in his home in Memphis, Tennessee on Sunday.  He was found my a family meber and taken to a hospital, where he later died. Although no one knows the cause of death at this time, Hayes was a Music trendsetter and versatile performer, who changed with the times and created crossover appeal with his music.  In 1969, Isaac Hayes had his first hit album, called Hot Buttered Soul, which made him more than a household name. A few years later, Hayes would  reach ultimate sucess by scoring the the music for the Theme from Shaft, the original black super detective series of the early seventies which paved the way for many more successes to come.

Hayes career started with immediate stardom while working out of the stax record studio with wartist like Carla and Rufus Thomas,  Booker T. and The MG’s,  Sam and Dave and a host of other Stars.  It was hear that Hayes reached stardom with crossover appeal.

Hayes took away a grammy that year for best Album and Best song of the Year “Shaft”.  The song has been a classic and the remakes by many comtemporary artist of the score tunes,  like Cafe Reggio, which along with The Theme From Shaft has become classics.   Hayes was truly a trendsetter and groundbreaker.  He later went into acting , having a number of roles in Television and film.  He made it big in 1997 as the voice of  Chef the school cook in the animated off beat Southpark which appealed to a decidedly young audience.

But Shaft was his signature moment in 1972.  He won an Academy Award for the Song. And two Grammy for the score. The Theme from Shaft.  Even today, Hayes continued to change with the times and found a way to remain relevant when many stars of his era had long since vanished form  the Music scene.

Hayes made a repectable career with voice over for Nickelodeons “Nick at Night” and a number of other projects.  Hayes made a few movies as well, among them,  the  Blaxploitation parody, I’m going to get you sucka”, Reindeer Games, ”It could Happen to You”,  and “Ninth Street”.

Despite all that he accomplished in his life, Hayes will always be best known for his score of The Theme From Shaft. Who can forget the memorable line……”Who is the man, who would risk his neck for brother man? Shaft! Right On”.  Isaac Hayes will be missed.