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 Holabird AdvocateProviding all the news we see fit to print since 2002!Wednesday, December 21, 2011 I'm not sure how long it's been going on, but for the past 5 years or so, I've noticed a definite split in this country toward people who say "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Holidays". It seems that some well meaning people have crafted the saying of Happy Holidays in order to wish people well without the risk of offending people who don't celebrate Christmas. Trouble is these same people have started to offend the people who do celebrate Christmas. Certain people get offended easily, there is no way to avoid it. The rift between these two camps keeps getting wider. There is noting I can do to stop people from getting offended. I can only stop myself from joining them. I have it easy, because I don't have any close friends who celebrate Hanukkah. I observe it myself, but I don't celebrate it like I do Christmas. Nor do I celebrate the Saturnalia debauch, or this new thing called Kwanzaa. If someone were to wish me a "Happy Hanukkah", "Happy Saturnalia", or even "Happy Kwanzaa" I could take it in the spirit with which it is given. It is too bad that those who don't keep Christmas can't do the same.
Irving Berlin, a man of Jewish faith wrote "White Christmas". Does that take away from either faith, by no means. I say it makes both faiths all the richer. People who find or take offense at anything, not just Christmas, but anything, are paling into Satan's hand. So go ahead and wish me "Happy Holidays". Just remember that the Magi were not even Jewish, and they travelled two years to see the boy who was King of the Jews. As for me I'll just say a Clement C. Moore said 189 Christmases ago, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night"! If that offends anyone, I'll apologise, but NOT until I've actually offended someone. Sunday, December 18, 2011 This morning in church, Pastor Lou was reading a new version of the gospel of Luke. It was from the Contemporary English Version (CEV) of the Bible. This translation is so new that it just came out last summer. In this version it is said that Mary laid her firstborn son in a manger, "Because there was no place for them in the guest room". This new phraseology got my attention right away. This new way of telling the story opens up an interesting take on the story. The translation suggests, just from that one little change, that it was not a cold impersonal innkeeper that put Joseph and family in the stable, but his own family. As you recall, Joseph went to Bethlehem to register and pay his taxes, because it was his hometown. If you think you have difficult in-laws imagine how Mary felt. Here she is away from home,pregnant and, as we say back in Holabird, ready to pop.On top of that, her husband's family puts them out in the cold smelly stable. This doesn't take away from the traditional wonder of the story, in fact it lends a whole new true to life layer to it. Joseph's own family had no room for Jesus in their home! Powerful stuff! It helps me to cherish my own family all the more! We don't always get along, words get said, feelings get hurt, but when family comes to the door, they are always welcome. At least I always am! I hope this Christmas, we can all welcome Jesus into our homes as a part of the family. God be with you and do the best you can! Tuesday, December 06, 2011 In the interest of fairness, I should give equal time to my other Grandma, Bergit Hinkle. Grandma died 17 years ago this very afternoon. As I said in my previous article, I had a spare, but it was never quite the same. Her loss created a void that has never been quite filled. Grandma was a truly remarkable lady. She had, with her 8th grade education, more sense than anybody I've ever known. Grandma never sought greatness, which is what made her all the more awesome. She was a true master in the kitchen. The Keebler elves could not make better cookies, and her milk gravy was the gold standard as well. But more important that her cooking was her compassion. For every time she would say "it's a long way from your heart" when I was hurting physically, she was always kind and understanding when I was hurting in ways that couldn't be seen. She was dependable. When she left this world all too soon 17 years ago, I honestly didn't see that coming! I couldn't imagine the world without her. All of the sudden, it was happening. The worst part of that was that I felt so alone. As time went on, I got used to having her gone, and all I had was memories. I'd like to think that I've become as kind hearted as she used to be. There are times that my temper comes back, but when I realize it, I try to pull back. I have indeed been truly blessed, twice blessed in fact! Both of my grandmothers were the best! It's sad that there aren't more ladies like them in the world, but I guess we're doing OK. Where they are happiness abounds, so why should I be sad. There are so many people in the world that never experience that blessing. I'm glad that I am one that did, and I am also glad that I wasn't alone after all! God be with you and do the best you can! Friday, December 02, 2011 Grandma's pretty much rock! We only get one mother, but God gives us two Grandmothers. A spare in case we lose one I guess. Well I lost both of mine, so I'm pretty much screwed. In fact I lost my Grandma Bergit nearly 17 years ago, much too soon. As painful as that was I still had Grandma Agnes! So I've been coasting since December of 1994. In February of this year, I lost Grandma Agnes. As hard as it was to lose her, a lot a changes that I started making in my life made it necessary to grieve by myself. Like the first time, this death took me by surprise. I mean Grandma had a broken leg! People don't die from that! I guess they do! To me, and I reckon a lot of other people that knew her well, Grandma Agnes WAS Christmas! When I was growing up, not going to Christmas Eve at Grandma's house was unthinkable. It was as much a part of the celebration as singing "Away in a Manger" or "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing"! And Grandma threw her heart into Christmas! She celebrated all of the holidays, but Christmas was all hers! I went back "Home" earlier this week. It was a little shocking to see Grandma's wise men on my mother's counter, but If someone else had to display it, I'm glad those 3 kings were kept in the family! I hope that all of the uncles, aunts and cousins have part of Grandma's Christmas treasury! I'm sure her lose is just as keenly felt by each of them as well! On a trip to Pierre gave the chance to hear the Capitol City Carolers. When they sang "Up on the Housetop", it was hard to sing along. That song was ALWAYS in the Christmas mix at Grandma's! I've sung that song for nearly 40 years by heart, but my voice faltered as it dawned on me that Grandma was gone and she wasn't coming back! The next day, my mother got a package in the mail. It was a Christmas Tree ornament, an angel with Grandma's name engraved on it. The irony hit me. Grandma truly was a Christmas Angel! Her family might not gather at her earthly home to celebrate the holiday, but she will be with all of us. As we use this Advent season to prepare for Christmas, she is looking down and smiling on each of her friends, neighbors and family members. Losing Grandma has been a mixed blessing, especially as Dec. 25 looms ever closer. But just like Christmas snow, she will never go away completely. As the original Christmas Angel in Luke's Gospel tells us, "Don't be afraid, for I have good news of great joy" If it were possible I'm sure that is just what Grandma would say to me and everyone else who is missing her at this time! Tuesday, November 01, 2011
I took this video with my JTV when I first got it. As for The exact date, I have no idea. But My nephew, Cade sure had a fun time! I don't understand this Occupy movement! They seem to be protesting anything they want with no real sense of organization whatsoever. The movement seems to be gathering in groups of around 500 and demanding various things, such as an end to the Federal Reserve and something called the Fractional Banking System, whatever that is. Despite the fact that the so called liberal press is labeling this band of misfits as heroes of some sort, some of them want Ron Paul for President next year. Not sure what that's about. It doesn't make me want to pack up and join them. To be fair most of what I know about this is what I read on the web and see on YouTube. One rant in particular that made no sense and went on longer than a pointless SNL sketch had a young lady telling the rest of the group through the courtesy of a bullhorn that she had a job, but she was still in debt. Right away I was thinking that if she had a job, she should go to it and get to work like the rest of us do and get the debt paid down. It doesn't help that Micheal Moore and Ben and Jerry of Ice Cream fame are supporting this! Not that I have anything against those 3, but they are part of the problem. Interestingly enough Ben and Mr. Jerry sold their business for a whopping $400 million to a soap company whose name I'll not mention. Kinda hard for me to believe they are anti corporate! Mr. Moore, on the other hand is reportedly worth a paltry $50, and doesn't even have the sense to admit it when called on his BS. I hope that the Occupiers either get whatever they want or give up before winter sets in, because that would be a mess! Tuesday, October 25, 2011 During Old Settlers weekend on the summer that Grandad turned 102, I went to a used book sale. I found a book by Art Linkletter called "Old age is Not for Sissies". It was the perfect gag gift to the man who has everything! The joke, as it happens, was on me. The print was too small for him to read! But it was the thought that counted. I've been thinking of Grandad a lot lately vis a vis the aging process ever since a friend of mine of Facebook was wondering how to stop it, or at least slow it down. I was reminded of what the great philosopher Red Green said about getting older being better than the alternative. Then yesterday I realized that we really had no choice in the matter. Grandad's younger brother, Uncle Don has been the oldest living Hinkle ever since God punched Grandad's time card 5 years ago. Last may Uncle Don turned 95, and it hasn't been easy. I suspect it's harder for the rest of the family to watch, just as it was hard for me to see Grandad go into the winter of his life. I remember the way he'd lament his old age, having to live out his last days in a body that was falling apart and not being able to do things that used to be "duck soup" as he called it. I recall the trips to the bathroom, rejoicing when he got there on time, and cleaning up when he didn't. Mr. Linkletter was right! Old age is NOT for sissies. Grandad was always my hero! I had others, of course, there was something different about Grandad. He was tough when he had to be, he was kind and gentle when he could be, but he was usually always fair. That is,or rather was, more often than not the case. The only time Grandad ever really disappointed me was when he choked on that "corn starch pudding" that he loved so much! Only 6 days later, he was gone! Grandad lived through some mighty hard times. The hardest time he had was most must assuredly when his child bride of 63 years parted with him. He used to tell me that he even missed the sound of her snoring. Uncle Don faces that same prospect of losing his child bride of 60+ years as well. That is something so painful that I could not even imagine it! Grandad held onto Grandma's hand until her life was over, he later told me that he couldn't have let go if he hadn't believed that God was holding her hand. That kind of faith is rare, and it carried him through those lonely years as much as possible. That may have been why I was able to keep it together when he left me behind. As my mind goes back to the day he choked on the pudding, I recall panicking and shouting "Don't do this to me!", which I regret now. At that moment I realized that Grandad was not going to make it to 105, and 104 was going to be long-shot as well. In my Death and Dying class at DWU Dr. Blumer said that when people mourn, it's not really for the departed, they mourn for how the departure impacts themselves. As I see Grandad's history repeating itself in Uncle Don's branch of the family, I find myself feeling helpless as how to help out. All I can do is pray that God will be with them as he was with us. But make no mistake, I will be impacted as well, albeit at a lesser extent. We all get older, and whether or not that is better than the alternative is not important. The fact is that until we die, we get older. But as long as God is with us, it doesn't matter where we are. Unlike Grandad and Uncle Don, I won't face the loss of a child bride, but when I reach the end of my life, whether it's at age 120, 105, or even if I never see tomorrow, God will be with me. I hope I never lose sight of that! Monday, October 10, 2011 People seem to find offense at nearly anything these days. People kissing in public, or wearing the wrong message on a t-shirt, and even some things said on TV or the radio have all been in the news recently. So has the negative reactions to those respective actions. Is it just me or are people becoming more and more intolerant? Nobody seems to want to live and let live, unless it suits their purpose. There was a certain amount of anger directed toward Hank Williams Jr. for his indirect comparison of President Obama to Hitler, but when similar statements were directed at W during his presidency, nobody even blinked, especially those paragons of truth and justice in the media. The shoes sure switched feet in a hurry. Not that I'm saying Hank was right. Clearly both times this was uncalled for, but only one instance gets the attention. I heard "Prairie Home Companion" Yesterday. During the "News" segment host Garrison Keillor mentioned that the minister of the Lutheran church was struggling over whether or not to do a sermon about a passage of scripture in Matthew's gospel about a parable where a man slits the throats of some people. Don't bother looking for this passage, as it doesn't exist. When I heard this part of the monologue I was shocked. Obviously Keillor was playing it for laughs, but it didn't seem funny to me. This is not to equate what he did with Hank Jr. After all, Keillor was on NPR, which won't fire him for distorting gospel. In fact they'll probably give him a raise! Fact is as upset as I got, I realized that his core audience is made up of the same staunch conservative Lutheran folks that he lampoons on the show, and they can take a joke. As soon as the Lutheran half of my upbringing reconciled that with my Methodist half it was OK. THIS TIME! Actually this will not stop me from listening to and enjoying PHC. I just hope that nobody who heard that story thinks ill of Matthew's gospel. Perhaps there were some people just curious enough to look up that passage and started reading what was really there. I hope so, as it's a well written book! And hopefully I didn't offend you the Reader! If you read up to this point let me remind you that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. I got my hair cut for charitable purposes today in honor of 3 of my aunts, who survived breast cancer. I would have had my hair dyed as well, but they never asked, and I never told! I hope and pray for a cure soon, as I'm sure we all do! Tuesday, September 27, 2011 I went to he Luxury last night, armed with a free movie pass. The flick I saw was "Dolphin Tale". The story about a boy and his dolphin. This was nothing like the "Flipper" that I grew up with. The movie was in 3D, which meant that I had to don Buddy Holly glasses to see the thing clearly. Here is my perception! This was my second 3D experience, so I was expecting the same cheesy special effects that usually come into play. They were there, alright, but there was a 2 dimensional quality in some of the acting mostly by actors I've never seen before. For instance, the boy in this movie who was sent to Summer School because he had all D's and F's on his report card. If you followed the movie close, you noticed that the teacher spent two separate class periods trying to teach this kid the basics of prepositional phrases. I was glad the mother, played by Ashley Judd, when the director felt like it, arranged to have him home-schooled along with the daughter of the Vet at the animal hospital where the whale is convalescing . There are several plot points that need to be followed in order to make sense of this movie. If pay attention, it'll be OK. Morgan Freeman was very low key in his role as a designer of a prosthetic tail for the Dolphin named Winter who lost her own tail in a crab trap. Harry Connick Jr as the vet at the animal hospital lent support as well. It was nice to see Frances Sternhagen as administrator. She is still remembered fondly by me in the role of Ma Clavin on "Cheers". Kris Kristofferson had some good scenes as Connick's father, churning up a well of emotion designed to tug at the old heartstrings. The real kicker for me was finding out that this seemingly impossible plot-line was in actuallity a true story and that Winter the Dolphin has her own website, give it a look if you are so inclined! http://seewinter.com/ Monday, September 26, 2011 Mitchell Fusion held it's first service yesterday at the DWU Sherman Center. There was a respectable turnout for this contemporary service of the Methodist faith. The service itself was energetic, very uplifting and informative. The problem with any event being held at the Sherman center is parking. I had to park in the LBW parking lot and walk over to the center. Once there, I was handed a bulletin (they call it a program, which I guess is what it was). As it happens, I was 4 minutes late (my fault) but was greeted by the lively music that usually starts out a service of this type. Because I was worried about being late for work, I sat on the edge of the row. When we were compelled to group up, I moved in closer to some other people. We were told to say something we were glad about, something we were concerned about, and choose someone to pray over all of those things when the discussion was over. It was difficult for me to talk freely, being shy, but that can be overcome. Pastor Brandon Vetter had some interesting statistics. The average American is 35 years (which made me feel old) The average Methodist is 57 ( which made me feel young) and the average Methodist pastor is 52 (which made me feel middle aged). Fusion, as I understand it, is taking two different things, having them come together and making something totally new come about. This sort of brought to mind what Paul told the Colossians concerning that in Christ we are all One. We may be male and female, young and old, rich and poor, red, yellow, black, and white, but Jesus sees us all the same and loves us and there's not a thing we can do about it. That may not have been the message he wanted to bring about, but it's still a good thing to know. Satan seeks to divide us because of there differences, but Jesus wants us to come together to make something wonderful happen. Wouldn't it be amazing if that caught on? After it was all said and done. I was 7 minutes late for work, but I got a lot done, so it's all good. Fusion is going to be once a month. The next service is scheduled for October 30. If you're in the neighborhood, drop by! Sunday, September 11, 2011 It's hard to believe that 10 years ago, I woke up to see that an airplane had crashed into one of the World Trade Towers, a few minutes later a second plane crashed into the other one while I was looking down at my bowl of Cheerios! That Tuesday Morning started out as any other day, but it ended one era, and began another. Every year since then, a sort of involuntary recall of those events take place, even without the media prompting those same memories. I remember the NYC Red Cross putting out a call for blood donations and in just a few hours time they were turning donors away. I also remember reports of people on those ill fated planes calling loved ones to say their final "I love you" I remember this sense of dread as the Pentagon was crashed into. I started wondering what was next. Was this some sort of invasion? How many planes were there? Was one headed for Mt. Rushmore? What else could happen? It was a completely different world back then. That event was one of the things that prompted the creation of the whole Holabird Advocate/Jerry Hinkle Program. The war on terrorism had started, so I made fun of it by declaring war on ignorance with this website. I gotta tell you that both wars are far from over. Saddam is dead, the war is still going on. Osama is dead, the war is still going on. we even have a different President in the White House of the opposition party, and the war is still going on. I gave up my fight against ignorance, both my own, and that of others. It may be time for us, you the Reader, and I the Publisher, to take up the fight again. Both on this website and off. I didn't want to publish anything about this day, I anyone does read this I hope I made the right choice. I'm sick of the media coverage of this day, it's the same old stuff all the time every year. This year, it's getting real old quick, yet here I am joining in the rehash. I guess it's just because I'm not sure how to feel. I'm glad we aren't turning this into a holiday just yet. If it becomes one, I hope it's a working holiday. Not a day to stay home and watch TV all day like we did 10 years ago. And I hope people stop calling it Patriots Day! I'm sure if this day needs a name, we can come up with something less lame than that! Some good things came out of that horrible time. People turned to God and each other for healing. They started respecting this country and it's flag just a little more than before. As British Prime Minister at the time, Tony Blair, declared, "We are all Americans today!" The Brits even played "The Star Spangled Banner" during their changing of the guard. When Broadway came back they closed each performance with "God Bless America", and the ACLU let it happen! It was an interesting time to be sure! And that should do it for this year! I hope I didn't go to far with this post. By the same respect, I hope I went far enough as well! Let me know what you think, one way or the other, please! Tuesday, June 07, 2011 The other day at work, I heard a couple of people discussing a band called Skillet. Right away I judged their music as lame. Later on I googled the band, and I must say they has a sound that was not too bad. So why the rush to judgement? The name! Skillet sounds like something you'd put on the stove and cook breakfast in. Look at all the other lame bands out there. They all have lame names like Korn and Limp Bizkit, which sounds like something I'd throw in a skillet to make breakfast. I liked the band Moldy Peaches until I heard the name. There is definitely a lack of imagination when it comes to naming the musical entertainment of the next generation. I really like this local cover band in Mitchell called the Manhattan Bulge. The name, while bordering on the ege of good taste, is not lame! It's a better name than Bowling for Soup, and they even do a better job on "The Bitch Song"! Monday, June 06, 2011 Last week, James Arness, who played Marshall Matt Dillon for more than 2 decades died at age 88. When I heard on the radio last May 26 that it was his birthday, it reminded me to call my uncle, Don Hinkle, since they had the same birthday, even though Uncle Don is 7 years older. When I heard Arness had died, it came as a shock. Marshall Dillon was a groundbreaking character on TV. Back in 1955, when Gunsmoke was introduced to the small screen by John Wayne, ( who was also born on May 26, back in 1907) westerns were for kids, boys mostly I expect. Gunsmoke was the first adult western. It showed more mature themes. It seems tame by today's standards but back then, it was pretty violent compared to, say the Lone Ranger. Matt Dillon was not the traditional cowboy hero. he could get hurt, even shot by the bad guys, but he never stopped fighting for justice. The first scene shows it all. Matt is on Dodge City's Front Street about to have a showdown with the bad guy. He didn't take the first shot, but his aim was always true. Matt Dillon was about as American as could be. Times have changed though. America no longer sees itself as the law and order straight shooting cowboy. We've become more like Barney Fife. Yes, we have good intentions, but it just doesn't quite work out like we hope. We need more people in this country like John Wayne, Matt Dillon, and Don Hinkle. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, Uncle Don and many other American fighting men and women became heroes, reluctantly. But they were right, their aim was true, and yes they did get hurt. Some even died in order to see justice done. When the WTC and the Pentagon were attacked almost 10 years ago, something like that happened, but it hasn't quite turned out like we had hoped. Yes, we got Saddam and Bin Laden, but nothing has really changed. The threat is out there, and it isn't going to leave if we ask it nicely either. We need heroes like Marshall Dillon to get this country to live up to the words of our creed. I hope they are out there! The problem is we won't know who they are until they get the job done. Let's hope we find them soon! Wednesday, May 11, 2011 I have been very critical of the President and some of his policies for some time now. I was disappointed at the time because, at least to me, Obama hadn't been the kind of Chief Executive that I expected that he would be. But that all changed on May 1! Did he change? No, not quite! But my expectations did! When the President announced that Osama Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, it was a real shot in the arm for an otherwise lackluster presidency. I'm not alone in this. Obama's job approval jumped from 48% to 60%. This bump in the rating was obviously caused by the ending of Bin Laden's life. It did that and more! People are no longer questioning his birth, or his religion. At least not in the public arena. Yes at first there was doubt that Bin Laden was truly found and killed, but reality is setting in. Don't get me wrong! I know that this so called War on Terrorism is not nearly over. As Lewis Carol observed in his poem "Jaberwocky" Slaying the monster really didn't change things.But that Mayday was an important step in helping this country heal from the attack at the Twin Towers and the Pentagon 10 years ago! True, Al Qaeda and other hostile forces have vowed revenge, but this time we as a nation will be ready for it. If Rush Limbaugh can say "Thank you" to Obama, anything can happen in America! Mayday has 2 different meanings. Deep distress, or a celebration of new life. Osama Bin Laden has caused us both. Now, it's someone else's turn! Wednesday, April 20, 2011 Sometimes when I see the way this world is going I have to wonder how much longer this can go on. Then the other day I saw a notice at church that some students from DWU were going to be making a presentation to the Outreach Committee. That presentation took place last night, and I watched. I was very much impressed! More than that, I was inspired! The University is starting a local chapter for Universities Fighting World Hunger. It will be interesting to see what becomes of that. The President of the Universities SIFE chapter is also starting a project that is simple, but has a massive potential for growth! It seems to be like the Heifer International Project, except it's to do with rabbits. This "Rabbit Project" loans 3-4 rabbits, a hutch, and a supply of rabbit food to a Kenyan woman who lives alone, except for children. She, and I would suppose the children, raise the rabbits for food and profit, and then once she is able, sponsors another such Kenyan woman to do the same. And there is where the growth comes in. How wonderful for DWU to be involved with something like that. Interesting that this was brought up during Easter Week! It's nice to see young people interested in making a positive difference in the world instead of raking in a pile of money or digging the next groovy music star. I hope and pray those young folks keep using their energy to built the world up and do the noble work of Jesus. The sooner they make the world a better place, the sooner I can stop using this website to complain about stuff, and use it to highlight more of the good things going on in the world. To close, I want to thank all six of the readers that voted in the last poll. I hope that there are more readers than that out there, and that the reason they didn't vote was because the whole issue is rather silly. Still, those that voted unanimously saluted our current state flag. Is the current design perfect, maybe not, but it's just fine until there is a true need for such a change. It would be difficult to conceive a design that could suffieciently contain the essence of our great state better than the current design. That doesn't mean it can't be done,it just means that I haven't seen it yet! Wednesday, April 13, 2011 When I saw that "Soul Surfer" was at the Luxury, I decided to make plans for another night out. "Soul Surfer" is a movie based on actual events in the life of Bethany Hamilton. Hamilton became a media darling after having her arm bitten off by a shark when she was 13 years old. The film has been a while in the making, but the final product was worth the wait. The story seems unbelievable, almost miraculous. Yet, when one thinks of it, is there anything that could be more incredible than the story of someone who has their arm bitten off by a shark, loses 60% of her blood, lives to tell about it, and goes on to pursue professional surfing despite having only one arm. Bethany Hamilton IS a living miracle! I heard about this movie on KLOVE Radio. However I never thought that a movie with such a small budget ($18 Mil) would play in Kornfield County, but 2000 theatres were selected, and Luxury was one such movie house. I'm glad I got to see it. The studio had some concerns that too many faith based elements in this movie would keep secular audiences from wanting to see it. I must say that the film didn't overdo on those faith based elements as some so-called Christian movies do. Carrie Underwood plays Bethany's youth pastor, and the role called for her to quote scripture. This caused some controversy, but after all, that is part of what a youth minister would do. Dennis Quaid as Bethany's father reads from the bible, which was another scene that almost didn't happen. I'm glad that the Hamilton family fought for those scenes, because it shows the true life faith that they lived out. The movie didn't shy away from some of the more difficult parts of adusting to the way things had become. There was no typical Hollywood style happy ending, because the story hasn't ended yet. This movie inspires withput getting preachy, that that is it's best quality. Well that, and the lovely Helen Hunt! Bad things happen, and we deal! This movie shows that if you can't get over your troubles, then surfing around them is a good Plan B. I read one critic who noted that there are people who have bad things happen, but don't rely on "an imaginary deity" to get them through it. I wonder if anyone would want to watch a movie like that! Anyone who watches this movie will be blessed, whether they want to be or not! I was! One of the best lines in the film was after her father told her that training for pro surfing would not be easy with only one arm, Bethany said, "I don't care about easy, but give me possible". That's a good message for anyone, even those with no faith at all! Tuesday, April 12, 2011 I watched the remake of "Arthur" last night. Needless to say, it was not as good as the classic with Dudley Moore and Sir John Gielgud. Still I spent $8 to see the movie so I could come to you here and let you know how terrible it was. Trouble is, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. There were three people at the movie house. Two people on a date, and myself. There wasn't much laughter among us to justify calling this movie a comedy. Most of the funny moments were brought on by the lines that the original movie had, although some of the new material did show these characters that we came to love 30 years ago and show them in a different light. The late, great Dudley Moore who delighted his audience with the lovable drunk Arthur Bach 30 years ago was replaced by Russel Brand, who apparently is the best they could come up with. Brand gave a great impression of Moore, but didn't quite make Arthur lovable enough for me. Helen Mirren, as Hobson was spot on as the English Nanny type, as opposed to Gielgud's butler Hobson, but the same spirit was there in her wit. It was perfect casting, as she took the role that made Sir John an Oscar winner, and made it her own. The rest of the cast was made up with a collection of nobodies with the exception of Nick Nolte as Burt Johnson and Jennifer Garner as his daughter Susan. Nolte's take on the self made billionaire was inspired. A man so tough that he shot with a nail gun and pull the nails out with his bare hands is certainly going to be intimidating. Garner however was wasted in her role as she is just to beautiful and likable to play a nasty girl. Brand as Arthur said to her character "You deserve better than this" Indeed she did! Arthur was forced to marry this girl in order to keep his $950 million trust fund. I'd have done it for a whole lot less! Possible Spoiler alert! This movie is not as bad as I thought it would be, but if you never saw the first movie, go ahead and give this one a go. Then rent the classic "Arthur". If you liked this movie, I can guarantee you'll love the classic. If you saw the original, I suggest you wait for this to be released on video, which I'm sure it will be in a few weeks time. It was a noble effort, the writing was there, but the acting was too sub-par! Saturday, April 09, 2011 I was watching video of the "Good Morning America" show. Diane Sawyer was reporting that Patrick Kennedy was retiring from the house, which means that for the first time since 1946, there will not be a Kennedy in United States Congress. She seemed to almost be in mourning as she said that. The Kennedy mystique is nothing new. I'm not exactly sure why it is still part of American culture. At any rate the current family dynamic can never quite compare to JFK, Jackie, and the kids, back in the Camelot days. JFK was rich, young, and as I understand it handsome and charming. The perfect example of Babylonian culture. Closer to home For the fist time since 1926, a Hinkle will no longer be on the Valley Township board. My Great grandfather was the Justice of the Peace. I still have his seal in my Bedroom back home. Grandad was on the board as a Supervisor. My Dad was a Supervisor as well as Chairman, and then as Clerk-Treasurer. Now he is leaving that last position. I'm sure that the Congress will get along without a Kennedy presence. They did before! And I'm sure that Valley Township will get along without any Hinkles on the board as long as they wish it to be so. I'm sure the Ponderosa will still serve as the Township hall, since there is nobody in the whole township that can bake or frost a cake as good as my mother. Of course we all get replaced at one time or another. Life goes on. That goes for Kennedys as well as Hinkles. Both families served their voters well. It's time for other families to have a go at it! Both families can make a comeback if they have to! Friday, April 08, 2011 Yesterday I went to the Stark lecture at Wesleyan. It was a different kind of lecture. Al Staggs is a speaker that combines his two passions, justice and theatre into a one man show. Those present beheld a myriad of characters, from the founder of Habitat for Humanity, to Dr. Martin Luther King, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and even a brief appearance from Redd Foxx. Part one of Staggs lecture took the audience on a journey through the mind of Dr. King as he interprets what the late Nobel prize winner might say if his spirit could speak to us. The second part takes us to Bonhoeffer's prison cell in Germany where he talks to "the future" on the church's role in the events of his day. I did not always agree with what he said, nor in how he said it, but it was presented in a very unique way. Before the second part of the lecture, I was asked by a student what my thoughts on the Electoral College were. I shared those same thoughts, as well as why I thought that way, as well as shared some examples of the other point of view. As an extinguished-I mean distinguished- Alumni, it's my duty, I feel to show support for Old Wesleyan at any time I can in any way I can. I am glad that so many students and members of the Mitchell community did that at the Stark lecture. And I'm also glad that students still feel they can come to me for guidance or even just a little inspiration. I hope they don't ask it of me too often, but I will do anything that I possibly can for DWU. I wish that I had the ability to put on a one man show like Mr. Staggs. If I could write one, It would most likely be something about my Grandad's life. The triumph, tragedy, and all of the life's journey that only a centenarian could tell. He always said that I knew his life better than he did. Of course I could write it, but we'd never find an actor that could play Grandad like the original. It would be like having Donna Reed play Ms. Ellie on Dallas. Perhaps, when my own life becomes interestingly enough, I could play myself in a one man show. Of course, who has time to wait for that. At any rate, I doubt anyone would be interested when they can read it for free here anyhow. Monday, April 04, 2011 Last week, Floyd Meek, one of my neighbors back in Holabird, died at the age of 89. He was well known and respected in business and the community, but his greatest fame came from the fact that he was a survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack nearly 70 years ago. When I heard that Floyd had passed, I mentioned that fact on my Facebook page last night, along with a remark that "Time had done what the Japs failed to do 70 years ago. One of my Friends on Facebook took offense to my use of the work Jap, which can happen as people take offense to nearly anything these days. My friend equated the work Jap to the N word. I decided to study on this and see if this was a valid criticism. Black people object to the N word. Polite society really hammers those who use it. I used to use that word myself, but my experience with the DWU MCC showed me that it was not the best choice of word. I have stopped using it, and will not use it out of respect of my brothers and sister who are people of color. It bothers me to hear friends and family members use that word, but not enough to speak up. I just consider the source and pray that they will see think better of it someday. Jap is a term used in the WWII era to denote people from the Japanese Empire. There were other terms used, which to me were more offensive than Jap. The way I used the word on Facebook may have been offensive, and indeed was offensive to at least one person, but in the context used was historically correct. At that time and place Jap was the proper term. In this day and age however, things have changed. The United States are no longer at war with the Japanese Empire. There are more Toyotas being built on American soil than any other kind of car. I have an uncle, who is a WWII veteran himself, who sold one of his houses to a Japanese family. I have two cousins who married Japanese gentlemen. If I were to go out into the world and point to a Japanese person and yell, "JAP!", that would be wrong. However, if I point to Pearl Harbor on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941 and say that the Japs did that, it would be 100% correct to do so. Anyone who says otherwise is itching for a fight. The big difference between Jap and the N word is that Japan was the antagonist. The black people were enslaved by the white Europeans simply because they found a passage in the Bible that they said gave them permission. Just as racism is a form of ignorance, so is political correctness. Words can be used as weapons, they can also be used as a teaching tool. Hopefully we've all learned something today. Friday, April 01, 2011 Those of you who have read my reviews before may want to skip to the next paragraph, unless you need a review. For those still with us, let me just say that DWU Theatre is extraordinary. If I forgot that, I was reminded of that at opening night of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamboat" yesterday evening. I forgot to "expect the unexpected" as the saying goes. I'm not saying that I expected the show to be bad. I was prepared for good, or even near great, but this was a truly awesome performance. Donny Osmond was not in this show, but he wasn't missed! Neither was Joan Collins as Potiphar's wife! From the Overture to the final bows, "Joseph" was a Broadway caliber performance. Most of the entire show was sung, except for a brief interlude with Dr. Patrick as Robert P. Snodgrass, and other assorted moments, which was spoken. The music was overpowering at times, but the singers did superb work, especially those who did solo work. The level of excitement and enthusiasm was catchy, and consistent! The choreography was fantastic! The casting of Jason Zehr as Pharaoh Elvis was inspired. People who have never done so for an extended period of time have no conception of how difficult it is to Impersonate "the King". Had Elvis himself been alive to perform this show, I'm sure he'd have done it just that way! Alex Smith in the role of Joseph worked wonderfully. He WAS Joseph! Every note he sang had the same raw emotional quality from his tragic moments to his eventual triumph! The cast of dozens was still not enough to fill all of the roles in this production. Some actors were allowed dual roles, which gave those actors a chance to showcase a versatility that has been unknown to me before. It worked brilliantly! The house was packed last night! Like me, the audience wanted to see how musical theatre is done! We were shown! If possible, anyone who reads this needs to be shown as well. The $10 ticket price is well worth it. After all, how often does a slice of Broadway come to Mitchell! Tuesday, March 22, 2011 "When you come to a fork in the road, take it.", said Yogi Berra. It's one of his most quoted lines, and quite possibly the funniest. The Cheshire Cat in Lewis Carol's "Alice in Wonderland" was asked by the title character which direction she should take when she came to a fork in the road. the cat just smiled and said that it didn't matter, because both roads would take her to where she was going. In this Lenten season, I'm reminded of the choice that Moses made when after the Exodus, he led the Hebrew children to the promised land. Had he taken them on the direct path, through the land of the "giants" (Gath?) it would have taken a mere 11 days. Because of lack of faith, and many other wrong choices, but primarily lack of faith, the journey took an extraordinary 40 years to complete. And Moses himself, while he could see the promised land, was not allowed enter into it. Now a journey of 11 days vs. 40 years seems like a no brain-er. But let's look at this from their point of view. See, David taught us that God would deliver the giant into our hands if we believed. Moses did not have that knowledge. He also did not have the faith to lead his people through that way. How many of us spend 40 years going what we could have done in 11 days but were too fearful to face it head on, I know I've taken the long way around a few times. Peter and Andrew were fishing all day, but didn't catch a thing. Jesus told them to cast the net one more time, and even though they doubted, they did as he suggested, and so great was their catch that James and John had to come over and help them haul it in. They didn't have much faith in Jesus, but just enough to do as he told them. That was all it took. I used to wonder why it worked when Jesus had them do it when it hadn't before. Then I realized, Jesus told the fish to go into the net. Those dumb old fish never doubted Jesus at all, just hopped right in the net. I wish I had that kind of faith. I, like Moses, see the impossible. Joshua and Caleb saw the possible, and they were the only ones of their generation to walk into the promised land. We really can do all sorts of things when we see the possible instead of the impossible. maybe I need new glasses! Monday, March 21, 2011   Well here it is, 1400 episodes in the can. When I started the Holabird Advocate back in 2002 I never really thought I'd ever take things this far. Surely someone would get offended and demand I be shut down! But no here I am, 9.25 years later doing what I have been doing off an on, making it up as I go. As the Holabird Advocate died and the Jerry Hinkle program raised from it's ashes back in 2009, it was a different format, but the same driving force. Fighting ignorance by embracing wisdom and killing hate with love. I've detoured from the mission somewhat. Sometimes the truth was mixed with some fictionalized humor (or as my dad would call it, several times, "fantasy BS") to make the truth a little easier to swallow. The fact is that when I started blogging, not many were doing it, at least not in South Dakota. After I started, it became a worldwide trend. When I stopped actively blogging, other forms of social media took over. I have Facebook and twitter, but I love going back to my roots when I can. You readers have been with me through a whole lot of triumph and tragedy. We've seen births, deaths, and other kinds of miracles in between. My favorite story was and continues to be our series on Hunter Mees. Both you and I made a huge difference in that young man's life. Thank God, he's still cancer free! If I could do anything over, it would have been to do more audio blogging when that was available. Especially with Grandad, my interviews with him still make me smile when I think of them. That was the past! Now to the future! Take a look at the top of the page. You see to your left our current state flag. To your right is a possible new design for our state flag. Is it out with the old and in with the new? Or is it winner and still champion? Please weigh in! Saturday, March 19, 2011 Yesterday The South Dakota Magazine's Facebook page touched the third rail: Change. It started with the first sentence, "South Dakota needs a state flag". OOPS We have one! But that's not important right now! They posted a photo of a possible alternative flag, created by artist Dick Termes. A proverbial, "run it up the flagpole and see who salutes it" kinda thing. Some have done just that, others have not. I'm caught in the middle. I love the present, it has been our flag since 1963 or so, with the the only change being in 1992, when South Dakota let Florida become the lone "Sunshine State" and we became the "Mount Rushmore State". The flag we have is good enough, and better than most! Do we need to change it? I hope not. I do like the design that was displayed, but the case for change has not been made in my opinion. If it should come to that I'm sure any design will do. The post sure did stir up a lot of emotions. Some tried to make political hay out of the issue, but there is more to it than that. Change, especially for no reason, is hard for some people. If this story has legs, I'll be walking close behind! On Monday I plan on posting the 1400th episode of the Jerry Hinkle Program. For this milestone I'm going to dust off the Pollmaster General and have the readers weigh in on the flag issue, I'll see about getting photos of each design and see if we can build some consensus on the need for a new flag! Wednesday, March 09, 2011 The Come Hahn Inn was a term coined by my Aunt Jo in reference to Grandma's house. Grandma was prone to take in strangers who became family the minute they walked in the door. There is a fellow called "Basement Ken" in there now, but here have been many others who rented Grandma's basement for a spell who became like family, at least for her. One man that sticks out in particular was this traveling salesman from Bemidji, Minnesota. It was harvest time and both of Highmore's motels were full. He was sent to Grandma's house. He also asked where the best place to get a steak was. He was told where, but he was also told he wouldn't need it, and he didn't use it as it turns out. He happened to be there just as Aunt Jo, Uncle Ken and Cousin Anne were visiting after their big adventure in Tanzania. Grandma had all the home folks over for fatted calf, or whatever was close enough to it at the time, and he joined us. He watched the home movies along with the rest, and seemed to enjoy it. One things is for sure, he went back to Bemidji with one heck of a story to tell! That kind of legacy is hard to live up to. So yes, this episode is brought to you by the Come Hahn Inn, where love is always on the menu and the leftovers are just as good the next day! Grandma may be gone, but it is my hope that the Come Hahn Inn doesn't close down! I hope it just changes management like when Sam Walton died and left Walmart to his kids. I hope that even if the someone outside the family buys that house, they will carry on her spirit. And as far as that goes, may there be other locations added, such as Holabird, Yankton, Forrest City, Fridley, Aberdeen, Faulkton, and other places outside Highmore where if someone needs a place to stay, they will find that kind of hospitality. Yes it will be hard to live up to the standards set by Grandma, but as E.E. Hinkle used to say, "Do the best you can" Tuesday, March 08, 2011 Happy Mardi Gras everyone! Let those people in New Orleans raise their shirts for beads, but it's too cold to do that here in beautiful downtown Mitchell! After a week like the one I've had, I'm ready for some pancakes and sausage! The Methodist church here is having a pancake feed tonight from 4-7 pm. For $6 you can eat your fill of pancakes and sausages! I need to find something to give up for Lent! Any ideas? As you recall, a week ago last Saturday, My Grandma Agnes died. At the time I was at the local Cracker Barrel Session and turned my cell phone off. My family tried to get hold of me all day long and as a last resort called me at work. I was not to happy about that, but I'm sure it wasn't exactly a picnic for my mother to call and tell me that her own mother had passed away. I went back home last Monday, the family services were a week ago last week, and the funeral was a week ago tomorrow. It hasn't been easy for anyone, but as hard as it's been for my family, I personally can't complain. I was very blessed to have Grandma in my life for as long as I did, more than 40 years! Not everyone on earth was as blessed as I to have a grandmother or any other relative that wonderful or for that long. Still I was glad to to have a speaking part, since my voice started faltering while we were singing "In the Garden". Grandma wanted, as she often did, for those who sang in church to do so with "gusto". It was hard to do that, but many rose to the occasion, even though I was not able to do the same! My cousin Susan, was the soloist for "eye on the sparrow" She tried to find a recording with gusto to show her how it was done, but didn't find one. She winged it, and I must say she did beautifully. It's a shame that more singers don't give it the same treatment. When someone belts out "I sing because I'm happy", they should sound like they are indeed happy. I suppose that now Grandma is happy, because she is free. That's why I'm ready for pancakes! It's time to start living, and to accept the gift that God gave us in this day. Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness are ours! So on this Mardi Gras, I'm going to live with as much gusto as I can. I could dwell on my loss, but Grandma would not approve! Where she is now, misery is not allowed, so why should I be miserable? Because I know Jesus cares! Tuesday, March 01, 2011 Last Saturday morning, My grandma, Agnes Leona Haiwick Goehring Hahn, died. When I heard about that, I was not prepared. Nobody really is prepared I guess. I've had many ideas on what I could write about Grandma, but I don't want to write too much, and I don't want to merely repeat what everyone already knows. So I came up with a fictional situation, and how I imagine she'd react to it. Imagine if Grandma had been the innkeeper in Bethlehem at the time of the Christmas story. Would she have turned Joseph and Mary away? I doubt it! She'd have seen to it that Mary had the best bed in the house. She would have sat Joseph down at the table and gave him a cup of coffee right after he staked the donkey out in the back yard. When the shepherds showed up, she'd have made them take their boots off, but she wouldn't turn them away. Grandma would have even put up with that drummer boy as long as possible before taking away his drumsticks. How do I know this? I don't, really! This is just how I'd imagine it! But, I do know that she was a kind loving person that would never turn down someone in need. That's what made her a good daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great great grandmother. She even touched the lives of her neighbors, and the neighborhood children also called her grandma if they felt so inclined. It has been my privilege to be the grandson of such a wonderful grand lady. To share her with the world, while at times difficult, was an overall pleasure. I was blessed to have her in my life, and to keep someone as wonderful as her to myself would have been unthinkable! And yet, what God has given, he as also called back. Hers was a life well lived, we should all do likewise! Tuesday, February 22, 2011 Some time ago, Rosie O'Donnell put her 2 cents worth in concerning some comments made by Billy Ray Cyrus concerning his daughter (Lucy, what's the daughter's name again?) Oh yes, Miley. It seems he's concerned that she's gonna go down the wrong road, or so he said in GQ magazine. The backlash has been all over the Internet. Young Miley is rather upset that her father made his disappointment publicly available. A lot of folks are taking her side too! One shocking example, at least to me, is Rosie O'Donnell. It seems like every time there's a slow news day, someone puts a TV camera in her face, lets her talk, and things get cooking again. Her whole "kids will be kids" attitude is amusing. We'll see what happens when her kids grow up. (Lucy, get me the ages of her kids, please). Her oldest son, Parker, being 15, might cause her to eat those words. Where did Billy Ray go wrong? I don't know. But before his daughter turned the magical age of 18, she did some pretty questionable stuff. The whole topless magazine cover, that he was supervising himself, letting her do that pole dance, which Lucy tells me was not her best moment. There was also a time that she took pictures of herself in various stages of undress and they somehow got all over the Internet. If she does this in her teen years, it is reasonable to think she'll do other things even more disturbing than these. Truth is parenting is a hard job. I've seen people do it, and believe me it's not pretty. I was once a child myself, and I can tell you, my parents weren't perfect. Still, I never spent smoked saliva, got drunk enough to wreck a car, or robbed a convenience store. Any defects in my character were probably put there by myself! Most of the times I got into trouble was because I wasn't living according to the way I was raised. It happens! Everybody makes mistakes, but learning from that experience brings wisdom for both parent and child! Monday, February 21, 2011 A 24 hour blizzard dumped 11 inches of snow in Kornfield County. Getting to work yesterday was easily done, but on the return trip, things got pretty dicey. The front wheel drive didn't get me up into the parking lot like usual. I tried to back up, and that wasn't working too well either. I got out my trusty #12 scoop shovel and dug my way out of that. I headed to the home office, but it was closed because of (you guessed it) the blizzard. Luckily we are open today, although not too busy. I heard this morning that "Unknown", staring January Jones was the top movie this weekend. I have a feeling Liam Neeson had more to do with that than Ms. January, but it doesn't matter. I really hope that January Jones does become a household world in Hollywood movies. So do most true Dakotans, both North and South. We always enjoy watching own of our own succeed. We just wish that when one of our own does get on TV, they will do us proud. That didn't quite happen here! But then, there's always next time! Wednesday, February 16, 2011 It would appear that January Jones has gone Hollywood! As far as I'm concerned, they can have her! Last night on a low rated cable TV talk show, Ms. Jones appeared to promote her latest movie. I should say she appeared to be promoting her current movie, since she spent most of her time on that show dumping on the State of South Dakota! To be fair, the "host" of the show was helping her out in trashing the good name of my home state. Now Ms. Jones is not the first "celebrity" from South Dakota to disrespect it publicly, but her appearance did her no favors. The comedy team of Williams and Ree do the same, but they make up for it by being funny, because they know that this is their biggest audience. No matter how bad they bomb elsewhere, they can always come back. Ms. Jones may have to stick to doing porn, or whatever an "actress" named January does to pay the bills! As for the movie she's promoting, I shall not see it! It's not as if I'm missing much! Tuesday, February 15, 2011 Yesterday being Valentines Day worked out rather nice for me. The Public Library, which has become my home office these days, was almost, but not quite full, so I was able to spend the whole day here. It's not always that good here in the big city! For me, it was a good day! Some people hate Valentine's day for whatever reason. I'm not sure why anyone would want to spend that much energy hating a day, especially a day that comes with it's own variety of chocolate and other goodies, but I'm not here to judge. There are people who call February 14 "Single Awareness Day" as if the single life was something to be ashamed about. I'm not sure where they are coming from either. After all, married life is tough! You actually have to share your living space with another person. That may be OK for some people, but I guess I'm one that isn't ready for such things. Even when I am a guest in somebody Else's home, it feels funny. I do enjoy being with other people, but sometimes, it's nice to settle back into some peace and quiet, pop some corn and watch a movie or something. In the movie "My little Chickadee" W.C. Fields tells Mae West, "It is not good for man to be alone!" to which Mae replies, as only she could, "It's no fun for a woman either". I wonder about that sometimes. Not that I hate women, I have a lot of females in my life that I respect greatly. Indeed some of my best friends are women. Still there have been occasions in my life where I started to care too much for one special lady, and her response was to carve my heart like a turkey, and serve it to me with a slice of humble pie. Valentine's Day is a celebration of love! There are many different kinds of love, just as there are many different kinds of people. We all occupy the same living space, planet Earth. Sometimes, things get difficult, but to me love is more than an emotion, it's a duty. God calls us to love one another, no matter what. We are called to love everyone whether we "feel like it" or not. I hope you do! Life is too short to go around hating anyone or anything, especially the day set aside to celebrate love! Wednesday, January 26, 2011 After the shooting in Tucson earlier this month, the divisiveness in this country came to a boiling point. The left wing of this country blamed Sarah Palin, and put her, and the TEA Party on the defensive. Political differences are not new to this country, but that was an extreme case, and one that so far has not been repeated. The State of the Union Address last night was a very enlightening occasion for me. On because of what was going on in Washington, but because of what was going on in Mitchell. I was watching the speech at Java City in The McGovern Library on the DWU campus. The University had "Free Movie Night" downtown, but a small group of young men gave up their chance for a free movie to see democracy in action. There were young men from both the Democratic and Republican parties, and they didn't all agree with what was being said. There were also residents of the Mitchell area in attendance as well, including a wounded veteran who candidly admitted that he "left half of my brain in Iraq". the discussion was lively, but always respectful. Nobody had to leave in an ambulance or a hearse. That's the way it is in South Dakota on Monday we debate, on Tuesday we vote, then on Wednesday we're all friends again. I blame it on the weather! It forces people to be more tolerant. In Arizona the nice weather doesn't really offer any resistance to adversity. As for me, both President Obama and Representative Ryan made some good points last night. We could readily see where the agreed and where they disagreed. As for Representative Bachman ,the one thing those young men from Wesleyan could all agree on was that she looked rather silly. The networks did her and possibly the whole TEA Party movement, a favor by not letting her speak on their airwaves, and CNN should be commended for living up to the promise of the 1st amendment! As I said before, political differences are not new, but it's what makes this unique country so great. You and I don't have to agree, and there no reason why we should. But we don't need to let those differences rob us of the blessing that is America. Monday, January 03, 2011 It was just 2 years ago last Saturday that I converted the Holabird Advocate into the Jerry Hinkle Program. Not a whole lot of people were pleased with either decision, but it was necessary at the time. I've tried my hand at situation comedy and talk. The biggest problem seems to be inspiration. It seems there is just nothing new to write about sometimes. All things being equal, I must say that I prefer to be myself, but when the situation calls for it, I'm sure the courageous, dynamic, Publisher will emerge get back behind the curtain and start raging and thundering like he has done before. The elections in 2010 were really something. Some of the elected officials in this country learned a great lesson. President Obama in particular has seemed less arrogant than he was before the humiliating defeat that the Democrats suffered at the ballot box. Will it last? Who knows? It'll be fun finding out! At any rate, Season 2 is done and as I start the third season, I look forward to writing to whoever is lft out there, and hoping you'll write back! 
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