THE BEGINNING OF THE END. We went to see the band march last night. Yes, I know most people say they went to the high school football game. I can't help them anymore.

It was poignant. It was the last game the Baby will direct as drum major, for the last game of the season is just an introduction of the seniors. I announced the band from the pressbox, then ran out into the open where I could yell "Go Claire". I wanted to add "one last time", but I didn't.

I may today. We are going to an invitational marching contest, which will truly be the last show. All things must pass.

Life is full of "last times", I warn you if you don't know. This is especially true if you have children. But, it is also true if you have family at all, or even friends. Sometimes you do not see it coming. It dawns on you only as it unfolds before your eyes and you think or say "Oh no, this is the last time..."

Sometimes, like last night, you know it is coming and you try to prepare. This is important if it involves your child, for the child never feels it with the same intensity. If you show it, it distresses them. So you smile and keep going. But, on the inside, your mind is screaming to you "THIS IS THE LAST TIME, THIS IS THE LAST TIME".

Even that screaming is better than what comes next, which is the whisper that says what you do not want to hear, and that is "what I am going to do without it?"

RESPECTING WICCA IN WASHINGTON. In Puyallup, Washington, the school district now forbids coming to school in Halloween costumes. Has Washington been taken over by Christian Fundamentalists? Hardly. The District says ugly witch costumes are insensitive to practicing Wiccans. Karen Hanson, spokes person for the sensitive district, said: We work really hard to teach our students to be respectful of traditions and cultures that are held by people other than themselves. The Wiccan religion is one of those religions." No one knows if there are any Wiccans in Puyallup. They found one in Tacoma. She thinks the District should let the kids celebrate Halloween.

I think the District did the right thing for the wrong reason.

I CAN'T HELP MYSELF. John Owen said "To suppose that whatever God requireth of us that we have the power of ourselves to do is to make the cross and grace of jesus Christ of no effect." John the Apostle said "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children ofGod, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:18-19) Paul, the Apostle, said "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift ofGod." (Ephesians 2:8)

RUN GEORGE RUN. With a week to go, the Presidential race is still close. There are only about 4% of the voters undecided.

CNN Sunday showed Bush ahead 51-46 percent. Nader is hanging in there at 1% and seems unembarrassed by it.

Zogby calls it closer with Bush ahead 48-46 perdent.

There are ten battleground states. Bush is ahead in Florida and Ohio, which may be enough since they together have 68 electoral votes. Bush is also ahead in New Mexico.

Kerry is ahead in Michigan.

The rest of the states show small leads within the statistical margin of error, making them really too close to call. Of these, Kerry appears ahead in Colorado and Minnesota, with the President ahead in Iowa, Nevada, and Wisconsin.

Kerry is feeling the heat. He has gotten Bill Clinton out of bed to campaign for him. Oh wait, Bill always is getting out of bed, isn't he. No word on whether Monica Lewinsky has been invited. Or Gennifer Flowers. Or, well you get the idea.

KERRY'S IRANGATE. While you were easing into your work week on Monday,Mr. Hassan Nemazee, was having his deposition taken. Mr. Memazee admitted he had raised over $500,000 for the John Kerry Kampaign. Why, you ask, should you care, other than to be impressed with his fund raising skills? The reason you should care is that Mr. Nemazee is an Iranian-American. He is not one of those Iranian Americans who thinks his homeland is messed up and is glad to be here where it is different. He is one of those Iranians who believe the homeland is doing a good thing and is working to get America to cease its opposition of Iran’s plans in the Middle East.

You know, plans like making nuclear bombs to blow Israel off the map.

Iran also supports terrorism around the world. The 9-11 Commission describes Iran’s assistance to Al-Qaeda. Iran sends insurgents across the border into Iraq to cause instability and kill American troops. And John Kerry is in bed with them.

John Kerry, right on national television, in the debates, stated his position that the United States should supply Iran with nuclear fuel. He said: I think the United States should have offered the opportunity to provide the nuclear fuel, test them, see whether or not they were actually looking for it for peaceful purposes.

Of course, Iran has rejected all attempts to limit or inspect their nuclear program. As usual, the United Nations has done nothing about it.

Interestingly, Mr. Nemazee, in his deposition, stated that the Iranian Islamic regime cannot be trusted but to have any intention other than to build nuclear weapons. He agreed that the current Iranian government is a terror-exporting regime.

Remember Bill Clinton traded missile technology for campaign funds? We called in “Chinagate”. I guess this is "Irangate".

The mainstream media have completely ignored the issue. I cannot overstate my revulsion for ABC, NBC, CBS, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, who have refused to print any story questioning Kerry so they can sway the election, having even admitted their bias.

By the way, Mr. Nemazee was deposed because he sued Iranian freedom advocate, Aryo Pirouznia, who heads up the Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran.
Remember that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has told his scientists "We must have two bombs ready to go in January or you are not Muslims."

Iran has already developed a satellite-launching rocket with a range of 2,000 kilometers. That reaches Israel. Iran's nuclear power plant at Bushehr is completed. It just needs nuclear fuel to be operational.

Mr. Kerry is either a fool, or an enemy of Israel. Maybe he is both. Either way, he is willing to trade the security of our ally, Israel, the security of this country, and maybe the world, for $500,000 in campaign contributions.

TEENAGERS FOR BUSH. Nearly 1.4 million teens voted in the nation's largest mock election. They gave President Bush 393 electoral votes and 55 percent of the votes.

Their most important issues, according to an exit poll: (1) 44 percent said that the war in Iraq was the most important issue, so they obviously favor the President's handling of the war; (2) the economy was the first priority for 22 percent; (3) education by 14 percent; (4) national security by 12 percent of those voting; and (5) 8 percent said health care was the most important issue.

It is telling that those who are so close to the age of military service find the war the most important issue, and support the war. The same holds true for those currently serving. 70 percent of those serving in Iraq support the effort and the President.

Somebody tell John Kerry the '60s are over.

Stress Management. From Avoiding Evil:

Picture yourself near a stream.
Birds chirping in the cool, crisp mountain air.
Nothing can bother you here.
No one knows this secret place.
You are in total seclusion from that place called the "world".
The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity.
The water is so clear that you can easily make out the face of the person whose head you are holding under the water.

There now...Feeling better?

He calls it stress management. I call it behavior modification.