Notes From the Cave

America: It's Time Put Our Money Where Our Mouth Is

As all of you are aware by now, the recent tsunami in Southeast Asia has caused massive death and destruction. The affected peoples will require billions of dollars of aid, both foreign and domestic, to assist them in rebuilding their lives, their towns and villages, and their local economies.

Sure, many governments are being very generous in this time of need. However, the mood of the U.S. has swung more away from government intervention towards the private sector taking responsibility for various things, including charitable matters. This disaster presents a perfect opportunity for the American public to prove to the world that it is as generous and caring as it likes to think it is.

I, among others, am throwing down the gauntlet and challenging the American public to get personally involved in this crisis by opening up our wallets and making significant donations towards the relief effort.

I have made a $100 donation to the Red Cross International Relief Fund. If just 10 million others would do the same, we could raise a billion dollars in desperately needed aid, over and above the amount that the U.S. Government is and/or will pledge for support.

For links to various organizations to which you can pledge donations, click here.

These are desperate times for those poor souls in Southeast Asia. Please reach into your pocket in this time of need. If we are not put on this earth to live together and help each other, then what are we here for?

Don't They Do Background Checks?

For today's dose of irony, check out the news report from CNN, noting that the Chairman of Smith & Wesson was forced to resign today when it was disclosed that he had been convicted of armed robbery and spent over a decade in jail.

The world is a funny place, don't you think?

Now, This is a Funny Line

Last night, Mel Gibson went on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to defend himself. Although I did not see the show, CNN reports that Leno mentioned Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ, in his opening monologue. And I quote:

In his opening monologue, Leno joked that the movie, which cost Gibson $30 million to make, was doing so well that "there's now talk of turning it into a book."

Clear Channel's Casablanca Moment

"I'm shocked! Shocked to discover that gambling is going on in here!" "Your winnings, sir." That is one of the most famous quotes from that classic film, Casablanca, as spoken by Claude Rains, playing the part of Captain Renault.

It seems that the president of Clear Channel Radio was having a "Casablanca moment" in his recent public statements about the kinds of programming taking place on his radio network.

Apparently, Clear Channel has just discovered that it has been allowing inappropriate material to be broadcast on its stations. The company fired a DJ who had played some material and suspended "shock jock" Howard Stern.

How any company as sophisticated as Clear Channel could act as if it did not know the kind of material that Howard Stern was putting out on the air is beyond my limits of tolerance. This is hypocrisy, pure and simple.

Be honest. If Clear Channel thinks it went to far in allowing such programming, simply admit it and take it off the air.