PROUD TO BE CANADIAN ???

Some time ago I received an e-mail listing of thirty reasons why the sender was Proud to be Canadian (his title) with the request to, “please send it on.” The article was written in Arial Bold font, Bolded and at up to 36 points so it literally screamed at the reader.  It appeared to be created with an angst of pride and patriotic fervor though one that belied reality.  It was obviously intended as more of a United States Bash than a history lesson or even an attempt to up Canada. No doubt it could have been written anywhere in the world with the intent to get sideways with someone.

This missile was forwarded by a great Canadian Friend and later acknowledged with some amusement by other Canadian Amigos who suspected that I would take the bait and research each and every claim. I swallowed the bait – hook line and sinker.  Note that while putting together this post, I did not care who invented what nor where they came from.  My motivation?  I was initially embarrassed by the piece as I truly respect Canada and with invitation in hand even thought years ago about emigrating to the far North.

This writer’s manifesto was so far off base and my reaction so visceral that I know I can, again, be accused of tilting at windmills, I think that this yahoo needs to be held accountable for his inaccurate claims with my big fear that without protestation and clarification, history might concede his ridiculous assertions. My rehash/response is long only in that it relates to his specific assertions.  My apologies.

First, this thirty point manifesto failed to include points 16, 18 and 19 revealing the writer’s less than perfect math skills. We might surmise that somewhere along its journey someone may have deleted some of the more absurd and inflammatory assertions (they are legion). With that in mind let’s address some of his points which basically attribute certain products, inventions, etc. to the Canadians.  Mind you “Canadian” is someone born or naturalized in Canada and embracing a legal relationship with Canada involving allegiance on the part of an individual who has invented an item, in Canada.

1. Smarties: For the uninitiated Smarties are an extraordinary sugar-coated chocolate confectionery invented by Rowntree’s (now owned by Nestle’s) of York, England. The product is not distributed in the United States but is widely available in Canada, UK and other present/former Commonwealth countries and Europe. Their largest manufacturing facility is in Canada with about a third of that product now manufactured in Germany.  While they are to me the best candy in the world, they were regrettably not invented in the Far North and are hardly unique to Canada. Pants on Fire, give the English credit!

4. Canadians Invented Baseball: Modern baseball is uniquely American in origin though its development appears to be a blend of many ancient games to include the English/Irish rounders and the more formal game of cricket. The Scots also had their version of a bat and ball game. As my anthropology DNA kicks in we need note that there is also evidence that the Romans played a similar game and in more recent history (the 14th century) the Russians had a bat and ball game they called Lapta.

There is no doubt that whoever invented the game probably borrowed from many different versions of previous "bat and ball" games and that appropriately reflects both the Canadian and American distinguished pool of émigrés from all over the world. Frank Ceresi in The Origins of Baseball (Baseball Almanac, 07-2004) stated, "In truth, the game evolved over many decades, if not centuries, and its roots are, in reality, a tangled web of bat and ball games brought to this country by immigrants." The earliest reference we found to “baseball” in North America is a 1791 bylaw in Pittsfield, MA which only four years after the US Constitution was ratified, "banned the playing of baseball within 80 yards of the town meeting house."

While there was some controversy about the inventor of modern baseball it certainly still appears to be an all-American show with Alexander Cartwright of Hoboken, New Jersey being so credited with its invention in 1845. The US Congress officially acknowledged Cartwright with the invention of baseball in 1953. The earlier claims by proponents of Abner Doubleday of Cooperstown, NY have been discredited. Pants on Fire!

5. Lacrosse is Canadian: It is also American and while the Hurons were known to have been playing the game in the 1400’s there is evidence that there were other Native Peoples also playing the game. The Cherokee and Creek claim the game as ancient and played the game well before recorded history in the southeastern US. Unfortunately no European was there to document their activities before then.

Since there was no Canada or America then the whole issue may be moot though the French documented the sport. I do concede that Canadian dentist George Beers standardized the game though we need note that the first college to adopt the sport was New York University in 1877.  I prefer to give North American First Nations the credit!

6. Ice Hockey is Canadian: While the modern game of hockey was invented and evolved by the Canadians it certainly appears that the precursor of the modern game was brought to Canada by the Irish, Scots and English via the British military in the late 18th century. The Scottish field game of Shinty and the Irish Hurling uses similar sticks and a ball and was eventually taken to the ice by soldiers looking for recreation and competition. I have read a British military log that described the game in the mid 1700’s. Now having said all that, the MicMac First Nation played a similar game prior to the arrival of the Europeans. The game of Ice Hockey evolved and even to this day a recreational version of the game is still known as Shinny. The effect of this game on the development of Ice Hockey was a given considering the many Scottish settlers in Nova Scotia and other parts of Canada.

As ice hockey's popularity grew, many are now attempting to claim credit for the game's origins. In his book Halifax: Warden of the North, author Thomas H. Raddall comments, “In Canada, where shinny on ice had been reshaped by merging aspects of Mi'kmaq hockey with the 1813 Boys' Own Book Rules, a number of English and Canadian individuals conveniently announced themselves as the game's originators. Some went as far as to write and publish their own versions of the so-called "official rules" in order to aid in their questionable declarations.”

Thusly, the great myth evolved. Many folks I know give the MicMac the credit especially considering the existence of ancient MicMac vocabulary that included words for skating, passing and to come on the ice.  While Canada did not exist at that time, they surely invented the modern game. Let’s consider ice hockey as Canada’s gift to the world with a nod given to the MicMac.

7. Basketball is Canadian: While Dr. James Naismith is Canadian-born and the eldest son of Scottish immigrants, his childhood duck-on-a-rock game bore no resemblance to and was not the literal precursor of basketball. The game was invented in Springfield, MA while he was employed by the YMCA and looking for an indoor winter sport for his students. We are assured that Naismith who became a naturalized American citizen in 1925 would not have thought to make this distinction.

8. Apple Pie is Canadian:  As much as it pains this American of Scottish origins, apple pie was probably first conjured up by the English and the cooks of Richard II in the 14th century. The limited use of the then very expensive and rare sugar probably made this a somewhat tart offering.  Let’s chalk this one up to the English.

9. Mr. Dress-up Kicks Mr. Rogers Butt: No doubt that American-born children’s entertainer Ernie Coombs as Mr. Dress-Up had a lasting impact on Canadian children for thirty years. He and the soft spoken Fred Rogers as the host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood complemented each other and none take precedence over the other.

Our less than scholarly author failed to note that the Mister Rogers Neighborhood show was developed by Fred Rogers in 1963 while working with the Canadian Broadcasting Company in Toronto. Yes, it’s Canadian!  Rogers bought the rights to the show in 1966 and moved it to WQED in Pittsburg and then ultimately on to PBS.  Did I say that Coombs was American born?

10. Tim Hortons Kicks Dunkin Donuts Butt: Tim Hortons is the largest purveyor of fast food (let alone doughnuts) in Canada. I like their stores and happy to see some springing up in the United States. Not surprising that Canadian hockey player Tim Horton founded the company then brought in Ron Joyce, a former Hamilton, Ontario police constable in as a co-owner.  No doubt that Joyce elicited the support of law enforcement across Canada. The recent resurgence of Dunkin Donuts to include Canada is noted though Hortons is also getting competition from Krispy Kreme and Starbuck’s. I like them all though drink Dunkin Donuts coffee every day.

11. War of 1812, “Started by America, Canadians pushed the Americans back...past their 'White House'. Then we burned it...and most of Washington”:  Here we go again.  You would think that we would stop fighting this war by the 21^st century.  This may be a technicality but the Americans didn’t invade the Canadians, they invaded the British-held colonies of Upper and Lower Canada in order to remove a British strategic military advantage and, yes, they probably wanted some of that soil north of the border. The war was very unpopular in America with many American states initially refusing to send troops into the fray.

Our errant author states that the war of 1812 was started by the Americans though history documents that the British impressed/kidnapped thousands of US seamen into British service, restricted trade by third parties with America and supported/encouraged Indian revolts against American interests prompting the US to declare war.
British troops and Canadian Militia didn’t push Americans back anywhere as the various major conflicts were disjointed and based on strategic objectives. The Americans won many of the major engagements including most of the naval battles.
It surely does appear that the modern day belief by some Canadians that the “Canadians” won the War of 1812 discounts the greater participation by the mostly British regulars and their American Indian allies and is more based on the fact that the United States didn’t "grab" any “Canadian land”.

The alleged “Canadian” burning of Washington, DC would most likely be contested by General Robert Ross and his force of 2,500 British regulars who were assisted by some Canadian Militia. The British burned the White House, the Treasury Department, buildings that housed the Senate and House of Representatives, the Library of Congress and several other government buildings. They tore down the Washington DC newspaper, National Intelligencer which had been critical of British Admiral Cockburn. In fact, the British spared many buildings including the US Patent Office and all residences.

What the War of 1812 did accomplish was the formation of a Canadian identity though Canada didn’t officially exist until 1867 when the union (confederation) of three British North American colonies occurred.

While the ending of the war saw no boundary shifts, the Americans can probably lay claim to some degree of victory as the British stopped their impressment of American sailors, lifted their trade embargos and were never again any influence in the agitation of Native Peoples against Americans.  A real positive was that the Canadians can claim from that point a sense of national identity and pride.  Were it not for that war the US wouldn’t have the Star Spangled Banner and her, “land of the free and the home of the brave …” Yes, the song is American and the tune is English.  Can’t we all be Friends?

17. World’s Oldest Company: The author claims that the Hudson’s Bay Company is the world's oldest continuously operating family business. That just isn’t true. Up until 2006 the world's oldest continuously operating family business was the Japanese temple builder Kongo Gumi, in operation by the founders' descendants since 578. Many, many other businesses are older than HBC and include Hoshi Ryokan Innkeeping of Komatsu, Japan which was founded in 718, Château de Goulaine Vineyard, in Goulaine, France was founded in 1000, Fonderia Pontificia Marinelli Bell Foundry of Agnone, Italy was founded in 1000 and Barone Ricasoli Wine & Olive Oil of Siena, Italy founded in 1141. I could fill this page and scores of others with the names of firms in continuous existence well before 1670. I think we have five Hudson’s Bay blankets and we love The Bay.

20. Canadians Don’t Marry Their Kin: I guess that our writer saw Deliverance too many times.  I know first cousins in Canada who are married. Their children are all apparently normal and they are absolutely delightful folks.

21. This section claims that Canadians “invented ski-doos, jet-skis, velcro, zippers, insulin, penicillin, the telephone and short wave radios that save countless lives each year.” This section has many inaccuracies to include the following.
Penicillin: The inventor of Penicillin was Alexander Fleming from Ayrshire, Scotland while at St. Mary’s hospital in London.

Insulin: No doubt that Dr. Frederick Banting of the University of Toronto along with Charles Best, biochemist J. J. R. MacLeod and Dr. James Collip isolated insulin in 1921-22. However, Nicolae Paulescu of Romania developed and held a patent on an aqueous pancreatic extract eight months before the Canadians who even referenced Paulescu's discovery. Well done all, Aye.

The Telephone: The invention of the telephone remains a controversial issue though the invention of a version is now generally credited to Antonio Meucci in 1860. Others, to include a French telegraphist, English electrician, German scientist, Italian surveyor, American Engineer, Danish inventor and Alexander Graham Bell who lived near Brantford, Ontario following his emigration from Scotland.The first successful bi-directional transmission of clear speech was made by Bell in the United States. Bell permanently moved to the United States and became a US citizen though he always maintained a summer home in Nova Scotia.

The Zipper: The inventor of the zipper as we know it today was Gideon Sundback who is sometimes claimed as Canadian, as his Lightning Fastener Company, an early manufacturer of the zipper, was based in St. Catharines, Ontario. We need to note here that while Sundback frequently visited the St. Catharines factory as president of the company, he was never, in fact, either a permanent resident or a citizen of Canada. Sundback immigrated to the United States from Sweden in 1905 and lived in Meadville, PA.  The zipper was invented in the United States.

Velcro: The hook-loop fastener was invented in 1941 by George de Mestral, a Swiss engineer in Switzerland. At one time he collaborated with a French company in France. No reference to Canada found.

The Ski-Do: The rear tracked snowmobile was invented by Ray H. Muscott of Waters, Michigan, USA on June 27, 1916 with U.S. Patent # 1,188,981. The differing snow conditions in Quebec motivated Joseph-Armand Bombardier of Valcourt, Quebec to invent a different caterpillar track system suitable for all kinds of snow conditions in 1928. Bombardier refined the design and with many other firms the modern snowmobile was born in the mid to late 1950’s.

The Jet Ski: was invented by Arizonian Clayton Jacobson II (sometimes spelled Jacobsen) to include both the sit-down and stand-up models. Canadian Company Bombardier approached Jacobsen and they manufactured the Ski-Do until 1971. Jacobsen also did business with Kawasaki and Yamaha with the lawsuits to prove it. With the success of the product Canadian Bombardier started to again manufacture the Jet Ski as the Sea-Do.
Short Wave Radio? Claims by this author get more and more dubious. I suspect that he may have forgotten about Marconi. Frankly, the invention of radio can be attributed to the work of many people to especially include Nikola Tesla the Serbian/Croatian/Austro-Hungarian/American inventor who is regarded by many as one of the most important inventors in history.

29. The Zamboni – A Canadian Invention: The Zamboni was created by Frank J. Zamboni who was born in Eureka, Utah in 1901. He grew up in Utah and Idaho and evolved into an entrepreneur and inventor. When Frank moved to Southern California he opened up an ice rink, Iceland, in Paramount, California and conceived the Zamboni to resurface his ice surface. The Zamboni factory is located nearby.

The Zamboni is a lot better than the two, fifty-five gallon drums with hot water bolted to two skids with towels to apply the new ice surface at Lenox School on our outdoor rink in 1959.

23. Superman-Created by a Canadian: Jerry Siegel (aka Joe Carter) of Cleveland, Ohio and Joe Shuster [born in Toronto and immigrated to the United States (naturalized citizen)] created Superman in 1938. Shuster moved to Cleveland when he was ten and helped created Superman as an American. We can certainly give Shuster credit for his birth place.

We humbly concede claims made for Coffee Crisps and only sometimes, better beer commercials.

So, that’s the last of it.  Really no big deal though we can thank all the inventors of the world – whatever their nationality - for their imagination, creativity and drive in making the World a better place to live.

Progress, eh?

Aye,

Ned Buxton

CHANGE IN NEW ORLEANS-TWO YEARS POST KATRINA-ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE

Many of us have well-defined perspectives about New Orleans and the heroics of many of her citizenry who were motivated by the good of the many during Hurricane Katrina, witness many of her health care workers and loyal police officers in a department which had been rocked by successive scandals who remained on duty during the calamity. Likewise, Hurricane Katrina exposed her vulnerabilities – especially her infrastructure and the attitude of entitlement that characterized many of her citizenry.

This writer recently received a forwarded letter written by a long-time resident of New Orleans that puts another face on this disaster.

“It’s easy to take supermarkets for granted. Prior to Katrina, the closest supermarket, ie, large grocery store was Winn-Dixie, 12 miles away. It was a dirty store, food often not fresh, fish smelling bad, with a particular clientele--a clientele that would drive you into a rage, blood boiling, as they stood at the checkout and demanded coupons they did not bother to clip themselves, proclaimed that they did not have enough money, decided to change some item for some other item and thereby shut down the cash register as the cashier walked away to make the exchange, or just acted out the total bitches they were as they verbally abused the employees and everyone else in the vicinity.

It was, I think, a New Orleans thing, revenge on the world for their plight, which included the burden of stupidity and poverty exacerbated by the stupidity, and the welfare state attitude, and revenge on any Whites who happened to be involved. I would hope that few people know what I am talking about.

Homes throughout many square miles of New Orleans were flooded. Everything in the vicinity of this store got four to six feet of floodwaters. Some a bit further away got water into the attics. Everyone had to go somewhere else, and for many, there wasn’t much to come back to, no resources to fix it, no way to sell it, no way to live in it, no utilities, no stores, no transportation. Closest supermarket even as of yesterday was 18 miles away.

There have been all sorts of conspiracy theories about large scale machinations by the power elite of this area to create bureaucratic institutions that would exclude certain types of people from returning. The mayor, now world famous for his importunate comments, said he was going to change New Orleans into a “Chocolate City”. That went round the world in 24 hours. The Chocolate folks, the Black ministry foremost among the outspoken, were the theorists proclaiming that the White man was going to keep the Blacks from returning. Obviously competing and contradictory accusations, a self-defeating situation overall, no matter which lie a person wanted to support.

Then, some public figures with more smarts and common sense than the conspiracy theorists pointed out that the power elite of this area do not have the organizational skills or acumen to accomplish such a thing even if they wanted to, and that is a fact, we might say a proven fact, seeing how they handle more simple things, such as a building permit or a parking meter.

Well, what got me onto this is what a wonderful day this has turned out to become, wonderful in a way that the unflooded would not understand.

That same Winn-Dixie was reinvented, reorganized, rebuilt, restocked, cleaned, now brimming with upbeat people, wonderful looking food, fresh fruits and vegetables, well designed, well serviced, up to California standards, and now back to 12 miles from home. The parking lot was jammed. People were jubilant, smiling, in celebration.

And, this is about a supermarket. It speaks to the deprivation that has been going on here for a long time. And another peculiar thing, there were Whites and Blacks in abundance, but not a single soul causing any problem whatsoever. Something has definitely changed…”

Aye,

Ned Buxton

LUCIANO PAVAROTTI: QUITE SIMPLY THE BEST

This commentary is an imperfect attempt to express my sorrow at Pavarotti’s passing, gratitude at his incredible gift of music to humanity and perhaps response to another cathartic moment. At any rate, my emotions tell me I have to do this, for me.

Ever since Luciano Pavarotti passed on last Thursday, I’ve found myself humming, whistling and singing Nessun Dorma, that wonderful aria from the final act of Puccini’s opera Turandot and what evolved into Pavarotti’s signature song. Appropriately, Nessun Dorma was the song Pavarotti sang in his final performance, the finale of the Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics in his home country. No one interpreted it better than Luciano.

I also especially remember that incredible televised 1988 concert in Montreal at the Notre Dame Cathedral where in this ethereal setting Luciano sang Christmas carols with Les Petits Chanteur du Mont-Royal and the Disciples de Massenet. Of special note was that great Gesu Bambino duet with the young soprano chorister that brought back many memories for me. Those of you that have the VHS tape of the concert consider yourselves very lucky! Pavarotti was wonderful in that venue.

In fact, Pavarotti was for me, and a great many more, probably the greatest tenor of all time whether they be lyric, spinto, dramatic or Wagnerian tenors. I’m not diminishing the accomplishments of all the other great tenors that include but are not limited to The Great Caruso, Di Stefano, Lanza, Corelli, Del Monaco, Giacomini, Wunderlich, Domingo, Carreras and no, while I enjoy him immensely, not Bocelli. In my opinion Mario del Monaco or Fritz Wunderlich probably most closely approached Pavarotti with their ringing voices though they failed like the others to manifest the subtlety, richness or range of Pavarotti and his interpretations. In deference to Wunderlich, he died young in a pre-Nazi Germany.

It’s obvious that I’m not a music scholar or academic. I just know what I like, period. For me, these other great artists failed with more exaggerated, fleshy, labored vibratos; blurred intonations/diction and an emotional detachment that relegated them all to a grand second place. Many failed to properly enunciate, slurring like a novice ventriloquist stumbling over his “b's” and “d's”. Having said that, each have had their day in the sun with almost flawless performances that approached perfection.

Luciano was, however, the absolute best in his prime. Without getting drawn into the wonderful descriptive superlatives I am not qualified to employ, I can state unequivocally that, for me, Luciano Pavarotti most eloquently interpreted the music of the Masters. His honey voice, range, emotion, timing, diction, projection, richness, power and charisma comprise the total interpretation I continue to embrace.

Who couldn’t get drawn into Pavarotti’s exuberant interpretation of Nessun Dorma that left him breathless, eyes high, mouth agape and totally drained of emotion. He left it all on the table and one couldn’t help but to admire his commitment though some of that emotion might have been melodrama for the masses. No mind.

Luciano was the common man who lived life to it fullest. He tried many occupations including elementary school teacher, insurance salesman and others and failing those and his passion, football (soccer to us Americans), he engaged an up and down singing career that saw him ultimately succeed under the tutelage and guidance of that classic dramatic coloratura soprano Joan Sutherland. He did return to the football pitch but to sing in hugely popular concerts prior to the World Cup in 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002. Yes, he also loved tennis.

Pavarotti’s personality literally exploded on every stage he occupied bringing music and rescuing opera for the masses, enriching our lives. His flirtatious and sometimes stubborn attitude got him in trouble but an adoring public (He fiercely reciprocated those feelings) forgave these foibles as the eccentricities of genius and greatness. They adored him.

He endeared himself to people around the world including this Volunteer, by raising money for many charities especially including the Red Cross for which he received the International Red Cross Award for Services to Humanity. He supported the United Nations raising money on behalf of refugees worldwide and Princess Diana’s charity and efforts to eliminate the use of land mines.

I shed a tear or two when I learned that Luciano passed but find solace that in our modern age we are blessed with a huge library of his performances. We will miss his fresh and beaming personality and that mouthful of teeth that never tried to hide a smile.

Thousands of admirers said their final good byes to their native son by filling the piazza outside the Romanesque cathedral in Modena, Italy and watching the funeral service on the big screen. The solemn service included a more mature Andrea Bocelli singing Ave Verum as a tribute to his great Friend, mentor and teacher. A final, tearful standing ovation erupted from the thousands inside and out of the cathedral following the recording of Pavarotti singing a duet of Panis Angelicus. There would be no encore as Luciano had sung that duet with his Father at this same cathedral in 1978. As a postscript, a newer more recent video of the Father-Son Pavarotti duo graphically demonstrates the enduring love of a son for his father who by that time was diminished with age.

The crowd in the piazza erupted in enthusiastic applause when Pavarotti's casket was carried outside by his pallbearers. Thousands more who filled the route to the Montale Rangone Cemetery cried and applauded respectfully as the black hearse bearing Pavarotti’s body slowly passed by.

As the famed Italian film and opera director Franco Zeffirelli stated the other day, "There were tenors, and then there was Pavarotti."

Thanks, Luciano, Aye

Ned Buxton
Choirboy – Soprano to Baritone
St. Mark’s, St. Dunstan’s & Lenox School

MICHAEL VICK: JUST ANOTHER THUG

I’ve been close-mouthed about the Michael Vick case until now, all in the shadow of the tragic Duke Lacrosse Rape Case where it seemed that most of Durham, NC inappropriately prejudged the three Duke students who were eventually exonerated, rating even a “totally innocent” finding from the Attorney General of the State of North Carolina. All that caution and the presumption of innocence is now gone with Vick’s guilty plea and the prospects that he could be spending up to the next five years in Federal prison. Of course, that doesn’t take into account that a Surry County, Virginia Grand Jury will be considering additional charges against Vick on September 25. Vick has been in trouble before,[1] but nothing like this.

The same phenomenon that plagued the three Duke lacrosse players seems to be omnipresent on the back side of the Vick guilty plea, and it seems on the surface to be a Black vs. White perspective.

This writer was floored on September fourth along with a seemingly horrified Joy Behar at Whoopi Goldberg’s statement about Michael Vick on her debut with ABC’s “The View”. The transcript of the show appeared on the website of the Atlanta ABC affiliate, WSB-TV, an icon of credible, objective reporting.

The transcript related (as I do remember hearing it) that Whoopi stated, "You know from his background this is not an unusual thing for where he comes from," said Goldberg referring to the South. "There are certain things that are indicative to certain parts of our country." Co-host Joy Behar seemed shocked at Goldberg's statements. "How about dog torture and dog murdering?" Behar asked. "Unfortunately it's part of the thing," Goldberg replied. "You're a dog lover. For a lot of people dogs are sport," she added. Behar continued to shake her head in disgust.”

“She said if the case had involved somebody from New York City her feelings would have been different. Goldberg pointed out that Vick was raised in the South. "This is part of his cultural upbringing," said Goldberg.”

So, it’s a Southern thang you say? The Animal Legal & Historical Center reports that, “The Humane Society of the United States estimates that there are at least 40,000 dogfighters in America, though that number seems to underestimate the epidemic of street fighting in urban areas. In 2003, the city of Chicago alone recorded and responded to 1093 animal fighting complaints. Virtually all children in high crime urban areas are exposed to dog fighting in their own neighborhoods while American hip/hop culture glorifies the blood sport. Rap singers and urban clothing and toy manufacturers promote dog fighting through their products and advertisements.”

That was quite an indictment for all of us Crackers born in the South that haven’t “condoned /appreciated” dog fighting. By the way, I like my corn likker a little on the peaty side…

So, given Whoopi’s dog fighting attribution to The South and declaration that her attitude would have been different had Vick been a New Yorker, we have a startling revelation for her. James “Jay” Fricchione, the former publisher of Sporting Dog Journal, a magazine serving the interests of the dog fighting industry and subscribed to by thousands of individuals suspected or convicted of dog fighting, some of whom received the publication at their prison addresses, is from Westtown, NY about fifty miles northwest of New York City.

Fricchione was arrested in April of 2003 and later convicted in April 2004 of numerous felonies and misdemeanors for dog fighting-related crimes, including tampering with evidence when he attempted to remove two of his dogs from the Warwick Valley, NY Humane Society's shelter. At the time of Fricchione's arrest, Eric Sakach, blood sports expert for The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), described the charges against Fricchione as comprising "easily…the most significant case ever prosecuted with regard to the crime of dog fighting."

The costs to the local Warwick Valley Humane Society were so substantial that in 2005 Judge Nicholas DeRosa ordered convicted dogfighter James Fricchione to pay more than $130,000 in restitution for the cost of caring for dogs seized from Fricchione by the New York State Police in 2003. The order was issued after Lawyers for The Humane Society of the United States; the Animal Protection Foundation of Schenectady, NY and a broad coalition of animal shelters petitioned the court for full restitution. Enough of Whoopi’s holier than the South attitude! Our thanks to the HSUS for this information.

Not surprisingly, Goldberg immediately drew strong and immediate censure from Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, who disputed that dog fighting was a cultural fixture of the South or any other region. Reality reflects that while there are responsible elements in the Hip Hop Community, it certainly appears that dog fighting is still a major component of the macho American Hip Hop culture.

So, after that flawed entrance it would seem that Rosie O’Donnell might be a preferable foil to the other View co-hosts? Not really! The newspapers and all the media and blogs from here to Timbuktu took Goldberg to task though she took the opportunity to apologize the next day and clarified her statement as one who was trying to understand why Vick did what he did.

That could be possible, but there was a definite spin to the story one day later. Goldberg even stated that folks never even knew her exact words as no one has a transcript of the show. She apparently wasn’t aware of WSB’s revelation on their website. At any rate, it surely reflects the sensitivity that our society has to such outrageous behaviors and especially those that carry the extra burden of setting an example for our kids.

Couple Whoopi’s seeming gaff with recent supportive comments by Jamie Foxx, Stephon Marbury, Preacher (I talk with God) Deion Sanders and Clinton Portis coupled with encouragement by the NAACP and the SCLC (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is spinning in his tomb) and you have an all Black consortium indicting themselves and the whole African-American community. Well, that was my first take until I started to uncover the real feeling of disgust that pervades most of the American Community – Black, White, Red, Yellow and Brown.

I was impressed with the very right-on assessment by Basketbawful on his blog, http://basketbawful.blogspot.com of Stephon Marbury’s incredibly naïve, hip sparking statements that equated deer hunting with dog fighting. Following a huge public outcry Marbury was quickly rescued by the New York Knicks organization who crafted a follow-up statement for him as follows. "What Michael Vick did was wrong, and he has admitted his guilt. He should be punished. However, he should be given a second chance, as others have received for more serious crimes."

Basketbawful at http://basketbawful.blogspot.com/2007/08/blind-defending-blind-stephon-marbury.html offers some great perspectives, dissecting and coming to grips with the real issues of right and wrong. I encourage everybody to read his comments.

These insightful remarks were closely followed by Byron Hurt’s great article, “Vick-tim Of Hypocrisy?: A Former Quarterback Weighs In On The Michael Vick Case” which appeared on his website www.bhurt.com. Hurt, by the way is a former Northeastern University quarterback and director of the award-winning documentary, Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes. This article and his website represent a responsible voice of reason and sanity in an insane world. Well done, Byron.

However, just when you think that the voice of reason has prevailed, you see remarks such as those expressed by monstabuxx on BET.com on August 28, 2007. You see them here as they were written in all caps, literally screaming his vitriol for all to hear.

“ITS JUST WHITES WHO DONT WANT BLACKS RAISING DOGS THAT CAN TAKE DOWN THE GERMAN SHEPPERDS THAT THE POLICE SICK ON POOR PEOPLE, CALLING THEM POLICE DOGS. REMEMBER THEY WANT THEIR NEW WORLD ORDER AND THIS DOG WILL AND DONT MIND FIGHTING AND GIVING HIS LIFE FOR THE POOR. I LOVE THESE DOGS EVERY TIME I SEE THOSE VIDEOS OF THE MARCHERS GETTING THEIR FLESH RIPPED APART BY THE POLICE DOGS WHILE HOLDING A PEACE MARCH. IT JUST SHOWS WHO THE REAL DEVILS ARE, PEOPLE FORGET AND HAVE FORGOT WHAT THE STRUGGLE WAS ABOUT AND WHO WAS THE TRUE AGGRESSOR. WHEN I MAKE MY MONEY RIGHT, I WILL START A FUND FOR ALL BLACK CHILDREN TO HAVE A PITBULL PROTECTION DOG, SINCE ALL POLICE HAVE A RADIO TO CALL A K-9 DOG ON THE SCENE. AND SINCE WE HAVE POLICE FIGHTING AND INFORCING WHITE RACIST ACTIONS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, WE NEEDA COUNTER FORCE FOR THOSE WHO GET OUT OF CONTROL WITH THEIR GOVERNMENT GIVEN POWERS. AND SINCE THEY WIN WITH NUMBERS AT A SITUATION, WE SHALL HAVE NUMBERS AND TRAINING TOO. CAN YOU DIG IT!!!”

This guy received lots of serious support on this thread though he also honestly caught a lot of flack for those comments. Hard to believe someone could/would write this though a tour of BET.com might uncover even harsher sentiments. Have your sedatives ready.

This case has brought out many of the fruit loops in America to include those that question the charges ever being brought since, “Heeeee’s soooo hot!” to some vegetarians one of whom commented, “Do you people realize how you get your hamburgers and your bacon strips? It's not much better than what was going on with Vick (in some cases, it's much worse). Can someone please tell me why it's deplorable for Vick to torture and kill animals for sport but fine and dandy for everyone else to torture and kill animals for cuisine?” No further comment necessary here……… Sometimes I think we should reconsider free speech (only kidding).

The prevailing opinion of many in the Black Community seems to raise up the recent admittedly ludicrous sentences that Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan served for serious crimes as a counter to Vick’s thuggery. The last time I looked that same equal opportunity courtesy was recently extended to Nicole Richie who says of her heritage that she is a "mix of everything", and identifies herself as African-American.

I guess that while we are talking about hospitality being extended to Black Folk, we would have to include OJ Simpson who foully murdered two people and got away with the criminal part of it. As we say, Justice is blind.

So, there I go falling to the same emotional abyss employed by Monstabuxx.

I’m not going to do it anymore. I’m going to hold to the facts of the case to wit that Vick committed the acts, initially denied them (plead not guilty) to the judiciary & law enforcement, the NFL Commissioner, the Atlanta Falcons and the whole world. Vick only plead guilty after his three co-defendants plead guilty and along with four witnesses, agreed to cooperate with the prosecution. His buddies rolled over on him, big time. Vick plead guilty to conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in an animal-fighting venture.

This apparently doesn’t include the most heinous cruelty to animals where Vick admitted to participating in the execution of dogs that were sent to the happy hunting ground for not being vicious enough or losing a match. The dogs were killed by electrocution, drowning, beating, hanging and other brutal means. Gads!

The National Football League's Personal Conduct Policy allows that "It is not enough to simply avoid being found guilty of a crime. Instead, as an employee of the NFL or a member club, you are held to a higher standard and expected to conduct yourself in a way that is responsible, promotes the values upon which the league is based, and is lawful. Persons who fail to live up to this standard of conduct are guilty of conduct detrimental and subject to discipline, even where the conduct itself does not result in conviction of a crime."

It is the right of any organization to determine what appropriate behaviors are (and are not) and designate them as a bona fide requirement for initial and continued employment. Usually, failure to abide by these standards is punishable by discipline up to and including termination. The NFL is merely enforcing their own well-known and highly publicized rules of conduct. Vick’s involvement in a gambling operation would appear sufficient by itself to engage their Personal Conduct Policy and breach his contract.

Michael Vick’s life is over as he knew it especially if the Falcons are able to successfully recover monies already paid to Vick. Rawlings and Nike have terminated their contracts with Vick while Reebok and the NFL suspended production and sales of all Vick-related products. Apparently both are giving refunds for jerseys already purchased and returned. Upper Deck and Donruss, the two giant trading card companies, who are apparently putting decency, compassion & morality above profit, are no longer producing a Vick card and have decided to pull all current card inventories at great influence to their bottom lines. Upper Deck also pulled a variety of Vick memorabilia and autographs from its website that includes autographed jerseys, footballs and helmets. In addition, Dick's Sporting Goods and Sports Authority stores have also stopped selling Vick-related goods. Where-o-where did my income streams go…?! As of this writing Vick’s website http://www.mikevick.com/ sports a last entry of January 18, 2007 on his home page and features a thoughtful tribute to those killed in the Virginia Tech Massacre. Safe.

Dog chewed and slobbered Vick cards are appearing on e-bay with one recently fetching $7,400. I can just see a manic Vick madly chewing at his own cards and then selling them on the internet to buy food for his family. It may come down to that. The Atlanta Humane Society is using donated Vick jerseys as towels and bedding for their canine populations. Bottom line: Vick is no longer marketable, period. I guess that Vick could go into rehab or (with apologies) become a preacher/evangelist per his revelation, “Through this situation I've found Jesus."?

I can’t do any better than basketbawful in summarizing this whole tragedy.

“I understand that life isn't black and white. There are plenty of shades of grey in plenty of different circumstances. But there are also lines that, once they're crossed, you don't get to just hop back over without consequences. And I'm not just talking about lost salary and jail time. I'm talking about the staining of one's character. Which is not to say that Vick can't turn things around and become a decent human being again. He can experience genuine remorse and take responsibility for what he's done. He can atone for his misdeeds. Nothing is static, and he has the rest of his life to improve the quality of his character. But right now, are his actions in any way justified? Is he a good person? No.”

Maybe Michael Vick’s real character was demonstrated when after a 31-13 drubbing by the New Orleans Saints at the Georgia Dome last November he gave the Atlanta Falcon’s Fans a middle-finger salute as he left the field of Honor. Hmmmm….


Aye,

Ned Buxton
Richardson, Texas

[1] In April 2003 Sonya Elliot, a 26-year-old health-care worker from Georgia, was allegedly infected with the Herpes virus after an unprotected encounter with Vick at the athlete's Duluth, Georgia home. She confronted Vick after testing positive whereupon it was alleged that Vick admitted that he had the virus. It was also alleged that Vick used the name "Ron Mexico" when he was being tested / treated for the virus. Vick settled out of court with Elliot in April of 2005. Since then no further details have been disclosed except that Atlanta Falcon football jerseys sporting the number seven (Vick’s number) and the name Ron Mexico have become popular cult accoutrement, Aye. For an example see http://www.cafepress.com/ronmexico. GEBIII

FOR NIFONG IT’S ALMOST OVER, WELL MAYBE

While Mike Nifong surely did it his, “own way” (synonym for prosecutorial misconduct), he apparently had expectations of a greater pension given his reelection to Durham DA. Nifong reaped the whirlwind and was found guilty for his deceitful and criminal contempt actions. As Associated Press writer Aaron Beard put it, “Nifong charged forward with a strident determination that the guilty would end up in jail. Ultimately, the since-disgraced former prosecutor only succeeded at putting himself behind bars.”

We are nearing the end of this whole debacle with Nifong’s unprecedented conviction for lying to a judge during his prosecution of the falsely accused Duke lacrosse players Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans. We can now honestly insert the label convicted criminal into Nifong’s portfolio. That seems to fit nicely with former district attorney, disbarred lawyer and disgraced, humiliated man.

Superior Court Judge W. Osmond Smith III had the option of sentencing Nifong to as many as thirty days in the pokey along with a substantial fine but opted for a more symbolic one day in jail. I’m OK with that for it still carries the stigma of a convicted criminal who served time.

Even now I can’t get too sympathetic for Nifong who, while now admitting that his DNA report was incomplete, trips the light fantastic around the issue by stating further, "I now understand that some things that I thought were in the report were in fact not in the report, so the statements were not factually true to the extent that I said all the information had been provided." Wow, only from a lawyer! Nifong still continues to dance around the core issue of his dishonest, selfish actions, apparently hoping that in some future life his reputation will be restored.

Well, it ain’t gonna happen with special thanks to several in the media and especially the AP for always taking the high road. They apparently didn’t fall prey to sensationalism, looking to evolve the story in their medium. We can also give great thanks to the stalwart authors of Until Proven Innocent, Stuart Taylor and K.C. Johnson who hit the nail on the head with their thorough, candid, honest assessment of this miscarriage of justice.

We owe a great debt of gratitude to K. C. Johnson, professor of History at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center who with his Durham in Wonderland blog took on Nifong, the Group of 88 and the whole issue of “academic McCarthyism.” This writer strongly recommends some time over on http://durhamwonderland.blogspot.com. You will be able to honestly capture the whole chronology of this affair.

As an Ole Miss graduate I was particularly pleased and proud with the review of the book by John Grisham who opined, “Brutally honest, unflinching, exhaustively researched, and compulsively readable, Until Proven Innocent excoriates those who led the stampede—the prosecutor, the cops, the media—but it also exposes the cowardice of Duke’s administration and faculty. Until Proven Innocent smothers any lingering doubts that in this country the presumption of innocence is dead, dead, dead.” Hotty Toddy, John.

The above photo of Nifong (courtesy of AP) with his hand on the Bible agreeing to “Tell the truth, the whole truth, so help me God” is repulsive to this writer and surely seems at odds with his reality and the ultimate truth. Well, that’s why he went to jail.

With Nifong put to bed (will there be civil suits against him?) and with Duke University settling with our stalwart three, that leaves the City of Durham and the enabling Group of 88. The City of Durham may be behind the eight ball and appears to have substantial liability. The Group of 88 whose disgraceful actions substantially helped to fan the flames of racism, bigotry and political correctness tarnished the reputation of a great university.

Of course those crazed, misdirected Duke University students who bought into Nifong and the Group of 88 all characterized by student demonstrations (You Tube – Potbangers) and many posting/carrying wanted posters of Duke Lacrosse players and banners calling for their castration will have to deal with the unexpected truth and reality in their own little spheres. This writer finds solace that some of these students correctly predicted that there would be dire consequences for their actions! May they live with those consequences for the rest of their lives though many will probably excuse/opt out their behaviors as “exercises in academic freedom”. Worse yet, they won’t give a damn and go on to their next “crusade”. We hear that many haven’t faced the truth and in a case of ultimate intellectual and academic dishonesty, now reflect that the lacrosse players would have done it if they could?

The Duke students are well outflanked by the academic dishonesty of some North Carolina Central University students who still believe that Crystal Gail Mangum was “trampled by the justice system”. Many have little faith in the American Justice system with peer and class pressure appearing to be a factor here. After all justice is blind and this is just payback for three centuries of social injustice. By the way, can you say, “OJ” fast, three times?

Moving right along, there has been some talk that the other members of the Duke Lacrosse Team may be contemplating a suit against Duke University. Go for it…

So, this won’t be over until all these folks get their just desserts. Don’t let the flame of righteous indignation be extinguished. Maintain the pressure and we’ll try and keep you informed. Nifong will be serving his jail time on September 7 (coincidentally my brother’s birthday) and I will be celebrating all day…

Aye,

Ned Buxton
An Old Midfielder

OWNED BY A CAT

After I bought my home here in Texas I knew that something was missing (aside from wanting to be in North Carolina). I decided that the missing element was a cat who could become my surrogate child. Since the demise of my beloved mostly Maine Coon Tigger in Georgia, my life hadn’t been the same. Bereft of feline companionship I wandered the earth aimlessly pondering the meaning of life.

Growing up with cats (lots of them) and my most recent experience with Tigger, that erstwhile Maine Coon of up to twenty-one pounds, convinced me that another Maine Coon with their loving nature, kindly disposition and great intelligence or even a like-signed Norwegian Forest Cat (Wegies to cat folks) would be the perfect choice. I contacted some Catteries in Texas and found that most were expensive as hell and wouldn’t sell to me anyway since I had no intention of cloistering the cat inside my home.

After consultation with Friends and Family, I went to the no-kill animal shelter, Dog & Kitty City, operated by the Humane Society of Dallas County near Love Field in north Dallas. I went in and amidst around two hundred cats and a lesser amount of dogs found this very young seemingly mostly Maine Coon standing in the middle of a litter box, back arched, ears flat on her head and spitting and clawing at anybody that would try and get near her. In a nutshell, she was not happy. I decided after looking at some absolutely gorgeous cats that this critter needed me the most. After some intense counseling, scrutiny and some well-pointed questions all intended to determine my suitability for parenthood, I was allowed to pay a reasonable adoption fee (all the animals are spayed and neutered) and that cat became my proud owner!

The orientation period turned out to be fairly short and before long I adopted a suitable (proud and noble) name for my new owner. Sister-in-law Barbara unequivocally noted that the cat was a Sophie and as an unashamed admirer of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle Earth, the Hobbits and the aristocratic Baggins Family, the die was cast. Ms. Sophie Baggins was christened and became a willing accomplice and member of the Buxton Family.

Sophie has proved to be the penultimate cat, using shrewdness and cunning to further her agenda and domesticate her large human. Her Jekyll & Hyde tact is to dominate by kindness and snuggling and, as necessary in the same breath, withhold her affection, the perceived ultimate cat behavior. In short, despite her tendency to regularly grace affection on her human she still retains, by nature, the tendency to occasionally embrace the solitary life. That, however, doesn’t appear to be an overriding consideration as I have found Sophie taking up nearby relaxed positions just “hanging out” and watching me as I work on the computer, watch TV, cook or otherwise engage a wide variety of other domestic activities. She has proved to be my buddy many times jumping up and resting on my desk, behind or beside my computer monitor as I work. She will sleep long periods when tired and in seemingly uninhabitable solitary places to include the empty space in the back of a small chest in my bedroom (how does she get in there?).

Sophie loves to play in water and rarely will drink in traditional cat style from her water bowl preferring to dip her paws in a full sink (no toilets please!) and lick them dry. The guest bathroom sink is usually full and reserved for Sophie’s nautical forays.

Sophie likes to go outside and eat St. Augustine grass which generally later resurrects itself in long, stringy, sticky lumps on my carpets. That by itself is sufficient motivation to keep the lawn cut, not the elusive Richland Yard of the Month prize. Sophie also likes to hunt for the plentiful Texas lizards, chameleons and cicadas though I have not yet witnessed a ritual killing. It would appear that Sophie would rather play with these new though obviously uncooperative Friends. Her ever so patient stalking and the attendant predictable pouncing and lunging is obviously part of some instinctive, primal play and chase activity literally engaged for its own sake (I don’t know why I’m doing it but I like it!). A recent incident seems to epitomize this when I found her cavorting; her head and part of her upper torso in one of my cowboy boots lifting it almost to the vertical in order to retrieve one of her feathered toys which she had no doubt dropped or kicked into the boot. As always, she was successful, emerging with the toy in her mouth. That kind of play is usually prefaced with a soft plaintiff yowl of boredom and plea to be let outside.

Ignoring other primal imperatives she won’t do her duty outside preferring to come back inside and use the litter box. That duty performed Sophie will immediately present herself at the back door waiting to exit the building and once again survey her domain.

I have noticed that my relationship with Sophie has taken on qualities unlike those I have experienced with any other critters (including humans) with the exception of Tigger. I have at times felt that we have transcended that mundane earthly plane and evolved an interspecies communication. Yes, Sophie and I talk with each other.

I am not talking about those “tsk”, clicking sounds or clapping though they are helpful to get her attention. I am talking about the English language along with some appropriate meows and chortles which she invariably returns. These meows vary in tone, volume and rhythm given the various situations Sophie and I may engage and will occasionally include a high pitched trill or chortle when she is in a rousing affectionate mood. Many times I will see her outside relaxing under a chair or a table and she will look at me and acknowledge my presence with a short meow or chortle (sometimes silent) and then go back to her business.

Sophie will communicate by posturing and body contact as well; witness her leg rubbing, nose nuzzling and occasional encouraging nips. I have been marked from stem to stern. I will allow Sophie to sometimes give me liberal baths though I soon discourage this further hygiene as I know where that tongue has been.

No, I’m not totally naive. I do understand that Sophie has been able to learn that certain sounds will generate a desired response whether its food or something that’s fun or feels good. She does, however, seem to have a larger language base than the other cats who have owned me. Despite this realization I feel that Sophie and I have developed the ultimate symbiotic relationship. In return for that nuzzling and lying across my right shoulder and chest with full bore purring and kneading, I will probably comply with most of her requests.

Early on, I tried to reward her with people food and she has turned her nose up at everything except Chicken of the Sea Albacore Tuna. She prefers her dry food and an occasional fix of wet food where she will ignore the meat and drink the gravy?

I do not threaten Sophie and try not to engage her too long with direct eye contact. I make it a point to stroke her several times a day and continue to grow the bond that we have developed. While combing her the other day I noticed that she has lost most of her ear tufts and her coat, despite the Texas heat and seasonal shedding, is getting more coarse, typical of a Maine Coon. By the way, on some 100°+ Texas days I monitor her outdoor forays closely as I have been concerned about the threat of heat stroke. I have, however, never seen her in distress and she is always cool to the touch. A smart girl, she frequents the cool, shady spots in my garden.

Sophie has proved to be a valuable companion with each of us giving and receiving in kind. Her affection has been earned and is now freely given without reservation or conditions. I would strongly encourage and solicit your support for the Humane Society of Dallas County and their no kill shelter or the humane society in your own towns.

Sounds like we could all benefit from that support and the friendship of our furry Friends, Aye.

Thanks,

Ned Buxton
Owned by a Cat
Richardson, Texas

FAT AND FRIENDS

Hallelujah! As if Farthingsworth the Pardoner had generated the appropriate Papal indulgence, I have been absolved of any responsibility for my extra thirty or so pounds. You see, I am not to blame - it’s my Friends.

Supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health two professors recently published the findings of their study, The Spread of Obesity in a Large Social Network over 32 Years, in the New England Journal of Medicine, concluding that, “Having fat friends to include those hundreds of miles away can affect a person's weight.”

James H. Fowler, Ph.D., an associate professor of political science at the University of California in San Diego and Nicholas A. Christakis, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., a physician and professor of medical sociology (?) at that bastion of higher learning aka the Harvard Medical School and the principal investigator engaged this 32 year study (1971 to 2003) that involved 12,067 people. Their findings which used information from medical check-ups, suggest that obesity, only recently touted as a disease process (more later), is seemingly spreading through social networks ("is socially contagious") and that, generally speaking, your chances of becoming obese appeared to increase by 57% if your friend was obese.

Christakis continues: having an obese Friend of the same sex increases the risk of you becoming obese by up to 71 per cent. Overweight siblings increase your chances of becoming fat by 44 percent for brother on brother and 67 percent for sister on sister. Christakis noted that obesity in a sibling of the opposite sex did not affect the chance that the other sibling would become obese (must be gender bias). However, that dreaded overweight significant other increases your odds by 37 percent. In short, Fowler and Christakis state that your Friends and Family (same sex) are making you fat.

Dr. Christakis in an extraordinarily obvious “eureka moment” explains that, “Friends affect each others’ perception of fatness. When a close friend becomes obese, obesity may not look so bad.” Yea, yea, I remember when I went and bought my 1978 Chevy customized van and many of my Friends went out and bought one too. Monkey see, monkey do…. though those vans served us and our Families well.

Many with an agenda that just happens to include obesity are reveling in this news that insinuates that obesity is akin to a socially transmitted disease process. Those with agendas seeking economic opportunity under the obesity banner include, among others, academics, Fat is Beautiful lobbyists, medical researchers, anti-discrimination lawyers and skinny teary-eyed liberals wont to embrace their fat opposite numbers.

As an example, the New York Times has reported that Fat Studies are gaining credibility in academia and, indeed, The Harvard Crimson cited a 2006 New York Times report indicating that University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Professor Margaret Carlisle Duncan offers a class on “The Social Construction of Obesity”. The Times has also reported that the University of Pennsylvania’s Anthropology Department offers a class, "Fat and Society," that examines psychological and sociological issues concerning body image. It would appear that the number of people interested in these fat courses is expanding in direct correlation to the waistline of Americans. Maybe that’s not all bad since this issue needs a lot of attention.

We need, however, to put this whole issue in proper perspective. We don’t need to engage what was no doubt an expensive 32 year study to conclude that we tend to emulate the values and life style of those we embrace as Friends. We don’t need to catalogue obesity as a disease process either. By accepting this premise we are failing to hold ourselves accountable for our own behaviors. Through our own government we have become the ultimate enablers.

In 2002 the IRS ruled that for tax purposes obesity is now a disease. This allowed Americans for the first time to claim deductions for health expenses related to obesity, just as they could for those related to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses. However well intended, the IRS with a wink and a nod cast the dice.

Medicare recognized obesity as a disease entity in 2004 reversing a long-standing policy. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mark McClellan, MD stated then that, "From the standpoint of Medicare coverage and the health of our beneficiaries, the question isn't whether obesity is a disease or a risk factor. What matters is whether there's scientific evidence that an obesity-related medical treatment improves health.” We certainly agree though there’s that old wink and nod again.

Conclusion
I’m buying into the simplistic and majority theory that obesity is a symptom of our society and can be attributed to among other factors, poor dietary habits, the development of the TV remote, an overall lazy sedentary lifestyle, a forest for the trees culture that places the almighty dollar over Family and, in some cases, genetics. The Fowler and Christakis study is an almost amusing (if it wasn’t true) reaffirmation of a patently obvious truth.

Seems that some (OK, most) folks just can’t differentiate between the chicken and the egg. Obesity is a symptom and not by itself a disease process. It’s obesity that causes the disease processes that we know as diabetes. Yes, obesity is an omnipresent, insidious condition in our United States. It’s farcical to engage the rationalization that we have to modify our behaviors and start to hold ourselves accountable for the consequences of those behaviors. That truth is as obvious as sweet tea in summer. If we can’t or won’t do so as individuals then the life and health insurance industry, the federal government and many employers will. I am not entreating those overweight folks with causative genetic or health-related problems, rather those of us that had options and chose to be lazy.

I did take a cursory survey of my close Friends and Family, near and far and find that most of my Friends and Family are well within accepted norms though over the last several years two close Friends (both morbidly obese) died of complications from diabetes and a stroke. I noted that two of my brothers are indeed overweight though probably not obese. Their influence on my person is apparently negative and I have engaged the services of a good Fat attorney.

Aye,

Ned Buxton