Athletic indifference: Iraqi soccer feels the pain

On Aug. 4, the Iraqi soccer team returned home to Baghdad as winners of the Asian Soccer Cup -- an impressive feat given their lack of a stable training environment.

According to news reports, the Iraqi team hasn't played a home game in 17 years, basically since the first Gulf War.

Not on hand were three stars: Team Captain Younis Mahmoud, Nashat Akram and Hawar Mulla Mohammed. Each were undoubtedly fearful for their lives should they partake in the celebrations back home. It's a twist to other sports culture around the world where the losers may receive death threats or be the target of violence in other ways.

Since the Iraqi political situation remains impotent, however, even winning the Asian Cup couldn't ensure political foes would put their petty bickering aside to enjoy the moment. Instead, fans and the average Iraqi alike felt obliged to forgo the "party" as they assumed such a gathering would be targeted by, you guessed it, another suicide bomber.

The fact is, it may take a withdraw of U.S. troops before political heavyweights in Baghdad feel the need to step up and take control. It's also clear that once they do, they won't be playing by the same rules concerning civil rights that the U.S. tries to adhere to -- they will, for a time, return to stomping out violence by any means necessary. But then again, sometimes you have to step back a few yards to ultimately gain a mile. And maybe, just maybe, the end will justify the means.

Korean Hostages and the Taliban

In late July, the Taliban kidnapped 20 Koreans who were in Afghanistan as part of a Christian outreach program -- their goal nothing more or less than helping the unfortunate.

Their strength in spirit, however, is matched by their naivety: Afghanistan, like much of the Middle East today, is full of Islamic zealots who disregard any attempt by outsiders "trying to help out."

Since their kidnapping, the Taliban have executed two of the male hostages. The 18 that remain, mostly women, now find themselves as pawns in the political process which is unstable at best. The international community, of course, typically adheres to a "non negotiating" stance with who they deem terrorists. The Taliban, and Al-Qaeda, don't see themselves as terrorists, but freedom fighters looking to create a Islamic state -- a caliphate based on the strictest interpretation of Islamic teachings.

To date, the Taliban have demanded release of their brothers in arms, a demand the Afghanistan government and western leaders have ignored. So, as the days continue to pass more innocent Korean Christians will most assuredly turn up dead, the victims of a no-win situation.

The news is important since Christians world wide are, more than ever before in modern times, susceptible to the wrath of radical Muslims -- as experienced in the Philippines, the Russian satellite states and Middle East nations. It's important for those in the civilized world to realize that, even with good intentions, the world is a dangerous place. That caution should be taken and a great deal of foresight used before venturing out on good-will trips to help the impoverished. Having a good heart is not, as many hostages have found out, a shield against terrorism.

Everything is a disease or syndrome

Everything is a disease or syndrome nowadays; so apparently, we're not responsible for much of anything we get into.

And there are plenty of drug companies lined up to fuel our rationalizing of
disorderly behavior, overindulgence, promiscuity and, well, you name it and
there's probably a syndrome, disorder or disease associated with it by now
that some pill pushing pharmaceutical company can treat.

Alcoholism: You drink too much --- in the mornings, afternoons and at
night; you're either hung over or on your way;

Wrestles Leg Syndrome: Your body twitches at night making it difficult
for you and your better half to get to sleep;

Alien Hand Syndrome: You lose control of your hand; it gesticulates
uncontrollably or unbuttons your clothes while your other hand is
trying to put them on. Also known as Dr. Strangelove Syndrome.

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome: Also called micropsia, this condition
distorts visual perception so that objects that are close appear
disproportionately tine, as though viewed through the wrong end of a
telescope;

Foreign Accent Syndrome: Usually following strokes or other brain
trauma, victims suddenly start speaking with a French, Scottish,
Italian etc. accent without warning.

Pica Syndrome: You have a compulsive appetite for non-edible items
including clay, stones, cigarette ash, paint, glue etc.

Riley-Day Syndrome: The syndrome makes its victims especially accident
prone because they simply don't register warning signs of tissue damage
such as wounds, bruising and burns. They are even oblivious to oxygen
deprivation, which means they'll hold their breadth until they black
out.

Genital Retraction Syndrome: Victims are convinced that their genitals
are disappearing into their bodies.

Many more are advertised on TV and the radio, playing on our propensity
to avoid responsibility.  

Imigration answer simple

For the past two decades or more America tends to kick around
the idea of preventing illegal immigration during the run-up to elections.

Each time the political leadership looks at the same problems and offers
the same solutions. Yet nobody has mentioned the obvious:

We're all the offspring of illegal immigration; that's if you're
looking at the problem from the perspective of our Native American
Indian population.

The only answer is to let our economy implode, the dollar sink below
that of the peso and open our borders so that we -- the newly
impoverished -- can flood Mexico in a quest for better paying jobs.

Friends, we are victims of our own success including economic
development, political stability and military might. The fact that
those from nations offering little opportunity to better their lives should
seek out the American Dream should surprise no one. It is the
liabilities of being a super power.

And as is the case with the European Union, open borders hasn't meant
national identity problems or rampant crime. Maybe it's time we look at a
similar solution here.