Are Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin looking for Spiritual Answers? (Coldplay’s spiritual search Part 4)jh62

 

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin (CP)

I wrote this article a couple of years ago.

Are Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin looking for Spiritual Answers?

Just like King Solomon’s predicament in the Book of Ecclesiastes, both of these individuals are very wealthy, famous, and successful, but they still are seeking satisfying answers to life’s greatest questions even though it seems they have experienced all the best the world has to offer.

Gwyneth Paltrow is an Academy Award winning actress and in 2003 she married Chris Martin who is the leader of the musical group Coldplay (currently one the most successful bands in the world today).

On July 9th it was revealed that the Rupert Murdoch owned paper The Guardian in London had secretly paid more than 1.6 million dollars to cover up legal cases involving celebrities (including Gwyneth Paltrow) who had their phones bugged. It is ironic to me that the press wants to find pieces of information about what Paltrow and Martin are doing with their spare time when to me what they are saying in their music and art is so much more interesting.

It is a little known fact that Gwyneth Paltrow is an descendant of Rabbi David HaLevi Segal of Krakow through the Russian rabbinical family Paltrowitch, which produced 33 rabbis over several generations. Even more surprising are the lyrics that Chris Martin wrote for his latest album.

Unlike many the past grammy winners of “Best Rock Album,” this year’s winner Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends by Coldplay is filled with songs that deal with spiritual themes such as death, the meaning of life and searching for an afterlife.

Lead singer Chris Martin notes, “…because we’ve had some people close to us we’ve lost, but some miracles — we’ve got kids. So, life has been very extreme recently, and so both death and life pop up quite often” (MTV News interview, June 9, 2008).  In 2005 the song “Fix You” was written by Martin to help his wife deal with the death of her father Bruce Paltrow, and it has become one of Coldplay’s most popular songs of all time.

The subject of death is prominent in the songs “Death and All His Friends,” and the “Cemeteries of London.” Then the song “The Escapist” states, “And in the end, We lie awake and we dream, we’re makin our escape.” In the end we all die. Therefore, I assume this song is searching for an afterlife.

The song “Glass of Water” sheds some more light on where we could possibly go: “Oh he said you could see a future inside a glass of water, with riddles and the rhymes, He asked ‘Will I see heaven in mine?’ ”

Coldplay is clearly searching for spiritual answers but it seems they have not found them quite yet. The song “42“: “Time is so short and I’m sure, There must be something more.” Then in the song “Lost” Martin sings these words: “Every river that I tried to cross, Every door I ever tried was locked..”
Solomon went to the extreme in his searching in the Book of Ecclesiastes for this “something more” that Coldplay is talking about, but he found riches (2:8-11), pleasure (2:1), education (2:3), fame (2:9) and his work (2:4) all “meaningless” and “vanity” and “a chasing of the wind.” Every door he tried was locked.

Overshadowing it all was  Solomon’s upcoming death which depressed him because both people and animals alike “go to the same place — they came from dust and they return to dust” (3:20).
In 1978 I heard the song “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas when it rose to #6 on the charts. That song told me that Kerry Livgren the writer of that song and a member of Kansas had come to the same conclusion that Solomon had. I remember mentioning to my friends at church that we may soon see some members of Kansas become Christians because their search for the meaning of life had obviously come up empty even though they had risen from being an unknown band to the top of the music business and had all the wealth and fame that came with that. But just like Solomon  before him and Coldplay after him, Kerry Livgren realized death comes to everyone and “there must be something more” than just these material possessions of this world.

Livgren wrote:

“All we do, crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see, Dust in the Wind, All we are is dust in the wind, Don’t hang on, Nothing lasts forever but the Earth and Sky, It slips away, And all your money won’t another minute buy.”

I am glad to report that both Kerry Livgren and Dave Hope of Kansas found the answers they needed eventually. Kerry Livgren first tried Eastern Religions and Dave Hope had to come out of a heavy drug addiction. In 1981 I saw both gentlemen on The 700 Club in a clip (available now on youtube) that can be summed up by Blaise Pascal’s quote: ” There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man that cannot be filled by any created thing but only by the Creator made known through Jesus Christ.”

Livgren lives in Topeka, Kansas today where he teaches “Diggers,” a Sunday school class atTopeka Bible Church. Hope is the head of Worship, Evangelism and Outreach at Immanuel Anglican Church in Destin, Florida.

Are Paltrow and Martin looking for spiritual answers? Clearly the facts indicate that they are, but they have not found them quite yet.  Russ Briermeier of Christianity Today observes that the latest work by Martin’s musical group Coldplay is “often provocative, spiritual, and seemingly on the verge of identifying a greater truth, asking and inspiring many questions without providing the answers.”Solomon’s experiment in the Book of Ecclesiastes was a search for meaning in life “under the sun”(1:3). Then in last few words in Ecclesiastes he looks above the sun and brings God back into the picture: “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”

You can hear Kerry Livgren’s story from this youtube link:

(part 1 ten minutes)

(part 2 ten minutes)

Coldplay – Cemeteries of London ( FULL VIDEO)

The brilliant video for Cemeteries of London. It’s the perfect mix between music and image, Coldplay sold around 8 million albums with Viva La Vida.

Other posts that deal with Coldplay:

Three tings that do not bring lasting Satisfaction, (Coldplay’s spiritual search Part 5)

Coldplay – 42 Live Coldplay perform on the french television channel W9. I wrote this article a couple of years ago: The Spiritual Search for the Afterlife Russ Breimeier rightly noted that it seems that Coldplay is “on the verge of identifying a great Truth” and their latest CD is very provocative. Many songs mention […]

Are Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin looking for Spiritual Answers? (Coldplay’s spiritual search Part 4)

  CP I wrote this article a couple of years ago. Are Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin looking for Spiritual Answers? Just like King Solomon’s predicament in the Book of Ecclesiastes, both of these individuals are very wealthy, famous, and successful, but they still are seeking satisfying answers to life’s greatest questions even though it […]

Insight into what Coldplay meant by “St. Peter won’t call my name” (Series on Coldplay’s spiritual search, Part 3)

Coldplay seeks to corner the market on earnest and expressive rock music that currently appeals to wide audiences Here is an article I wrote a couple of years ago about Chris Martin’s view of hell. He says he does not believe in it but for some reason he writes a song that teaches that it […]

Will Coldplay’s 2011 album continue on spiritual themes found in 2008 Viva La Vida? (Series on Coldplay’s spiritual search, Part 2)

Views:2 By waymedia Coldplay Coldplay – Life In Technicolor ii Back in 2008 I wrote a paper on the spiritual themes of Coldplay’s album Viva La Vida and I predicted this spiritual search would continue in the future. Below is the second part of the paper, “Coldplay’s latest musical lyrics indicate a Spiritual Search for the […]

Will Coldplay’s 2011 album continue on spiritual themes found in 2008 Viva La Vida? (Series on Coldplay’s spiritual search, Part 1)

Coldplay performing “Glass of Water.” Back in 2008 I wrote a paper on the spiritual themes of Coldplay’s album Viva La Vida and I predicted this spiritual search would continue in the future. Below is the first part of the paper, “Coldplay’s latest musical lyrics indicate a Spiritual Search for the Afterlife.” Coldplay’s latest musical […]

The wait is over, Coldplay single “Every Teardrop is a waterfall”

Coldplay – Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall (Official) The new single – download it now from iTunes at http://cldp.ly/itunescp (except in the UK, where it will be released to download stores at 12.01am on Sunday June 5th). Written by Berryman / Buckland / Champion / Martin / Allen / Anderson. Produced by Markus Dravs, Dan […]

June 5, 2011 – 8:56 am Categories: Current Events | Comments (1)

Francis Schaeffer was prophetic about culture of death that Jack Kevorkian thrive in (Series on Jack Kevorkian’s legacy of death Part 4)

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What Ever Happened to the Human Race?

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Philosopher and Theologian, Francis A. Schaeffer has argued, “If there are no absolutes by which to judge society, then society is absolute.” Francis Schaeffer, How Shall We Then Live? (Old Tappan NJ: Fleming H Revell Company, 1976), p. 224.

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Francis Schaeffer and C. Everett Koop could see that people like Jack Kevorkian would be coming down the road. Read Schaeffer’s words at the first of this article below. I put them in bold letters.

Below is a portion of an article from the Jeremiah Project:

The Slippery Slope

Once government begins to define life and humanity, there is no end to the possibilities for subjective and selective determination as to who will be allowed to live.

At one time, blacks were not recognized as human beings. This was the rationale behind the slave trade that brought black Africans to the United States. They were transported in slave ships that held them confined in the same manner that livestock is confined when shipped to the slaughter houses. In Nazi Germany, only the Aryan race was considered human, and we know the consequences of that thinking. The treatment of Jews and other non-Aryans was similar to that of animals. And the Nazi genetic experiments remain a source for horror stories even today.

Will a society which has assumed the right to kill infants in the womb – because they are unwanted, imperfect, or merely inconvenient – have difficulty in assuming the right to kill other human beings, especially older adults who are judged unwanted, deemed imperfect physically or mentally, or considered a possible social nuisance?

The next candidates for arbitrary reclassification as non-persons are the elderly. This will become increasingly so as the proportion of the old and weak in relation to the young and strong becomes abnormally large, due to the growing antifamily sentiment, the abortion rate, and medicine’s contribution to the lengthening of the normal life span. The imbalance will cause many of the young to perceive the old as a cramping nuisance in the hedonistic lifestyle they claim as their right. As the demand for affluence continues and the economic crunch gets greater, the amount of compassion that the legislature and the courts will have for the old does not seem likely to be significant considering the precedent of the non-protection given to the unborn and newborn. [Francis Schaeffer, Whatever Happened to the Human Race?]

Euthanasia
Joseph Fletcher, the popularizer of “situational ethics,” in his 1973 discussion of death with dignity gives this argument for euthanasia:

It is ridiculous to give ethical approval to the positive ending of sub-human life in utero as we do in therapeutic abortions for reasons of mercy and compassion but refuse to approve of positively ending a sub-human life in extremis. If we are morally obliged to put an end to a pregnancy when an amniocentesis reveals a terrible defective fetus, we are equally obliged to put an end to a patient’s hopeless misery when a brain scan reveals that a patient with cancer has advanced brain metastases. [Joseph Fletcher, “Ethics and Euthanasia,” American Journal of Nursing, 1973.]

One is reminded of the slave holders who devoutly espoused the theory that slavery was really for the good of the black man and that in the end he would be thankful for the opportunity to share in the white man’s culture, even from the distance of the garden shed. The Nazis also argued that their victims were being sacrificed for the high end of the general good of society. Many well-meaning people are attracted to what might seem to be the beneficial aspects of some sort of euthanasia program, because they think they can be free of the guilt of responsibility.

The “right-to-die” movement is not calling for a right to die, they’re mostly talking about a right to kill. The advocates of euthanasia are asking the government and courts to step aside and allow people who are feeble and elderly to be snuffed out.

Consider the people who were “assisted” in ending their lives by Dr. Jack Kevorkian. He wasn’t killing terminally ill patients – they had Alzheimer’s and were in a lot of pain, but they were alive and walking around. Dr. Kevorkian portrays another basic belief of humanist ideology – the extermination of the old, useless, and the infirm. Kervorkian believes that he has the right to help people out of their pain if they want to die. He claims to render “a medical service,” and his lawyer is clear that “he’s not going to stop … doing the right thing.” Already the suicide doctor has had an impact on our society’s views regarding suicide and euthanasia.

Language is an important tool in convincing others of your position. Euthanasia advocates have been skillful in masking their true intent with slogans like “death with dignity” and “a right to die.” These phrases easily capture people’s attention. Everyone believes in a death with dignity.

Though I’m sure the medical community is well intentioned, it is still a fact that their idea of mercy is increasingly to dehumanize their patients, to disguise the helpless person so that not even their family recognizes them. In time, the family’s love turns to pity, which turns to horror until, to our warped hearts, murder becomes mercy.

But these slogans take on new meaning when they are interpreted by our courts. The right to die may sound wonderful – until we realize that legally it means that you can kill yourself or someone can kill you, even if you don’t want to die. Language is powerful. But when it is interpreted by the courts it becomes much more than mere slogans. It becomes the law of the land, and often that interpretation is not at all what we expected.

  • Daily, senior citizens and accident victims are starved to death because their families have been convinced that even food and water are extraordinary means to preserve their life.
  • Over one-fifth of Medicare expenses are for persons in their last year of life. Thus in fiscal year 1978, $4.9 billion dollars was spent for such persons and if just one-quarter of those expenditures were avoided through adoption of living wills, the savings under Medicare alone would amount to $1.2 billion. [ WASHINGTON POST, June 22, 1977]
  • The drug company, Hoescht AG, has been granted the first patent for a euthanasia drug developed by Michigan State University. The drug is intended for use on animals but the patent is worded to include humans. (Source: UPI)

Critics of the U.S. Supreme Court’ Roe v. Wade decision have long claimed that legalized abortion would lead to legalized euthanasia. Supporters of Roe have often scoffed at the idea, insisting that decisions to eliminate a human fetus in no way devalue the lives of born persons. Yet recent court cases in Michigan and Washington have reversed the debate: Euthanasia supporters are openly citing Roe as precedent for a constitutional right to “rational” suicide. In the case of People v. Kevorkian, a trial judge has relied partly on Roe and the later abortion case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, to find a consitutional right to assisted suicide. Jack Kevorkian’s attorney, Geoffrey Fieger argues that such a right is even better grounded than a right to abortion, because no unwilling ‘third party’ is involved.

Citing Planned Parenthood vs. Casey, on May 3, 1994, Washington U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Rothstein struck down the Washington state law that banned physician assisted suicide. Judge Rothstein stated that the terminally ill “have the same right to hasten death that they have to choose an abortion…” “Like the abortion decision, the decision of a terminally ill person to end his life involves the most intimate and personal choices a person may make in a lifetime,” the judge wrote in her decision.

June 5, 2011 – 1:21 am Categories: Francis Schaeffer, Prolife | Post a comment

Will Maria Shriver’s marriage survive Arnold Schwarzenegger’s admission of infidelity? I hope so (Part 23)

Maria Shriver Asks – How Do You Handle Transitions in Your Life?

Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted to his wife several months ago that he had fathered a child about 10 years ago with a member of their household staff. Maria moved out, but has not filed for divorce. In the you tube clip above she comments:

“Like a lot of you I’m in transition: people come up to me all the time, asking, what are you doing next?” she said, adding: “It’s so stressful to not know what you are doing next when people ask what you are doing and they can’t believe you don’t know what you are doing.”

“I’d like to hear from other people who are in transition,” she said. “How did you find your transition: Personal, professional, emotional, spiritual, financial? How did you get through it?”

Mrs. Shriver has asked for spiritual input and I personally think that unless she gets the spiritual help that she needs then she will end up in the divorce court. I am starting a series on how a marriage can survive an infidelity. My first suggestion would be to attend a “Weekend to Remember” put on by the organization “Family Life” out of Little Rock, Arkansas. I actually posted this as a response to Mrs. Shriver’s request on you tube.

Below is a portion of the article, “Infidelity’s Warning Signs:
Be on guard for your spouse … and yourself,” by  Nancy C. Anderson:

Gruard Yourself

Affairs begin in many ways and for many reasons, so we must be always on guard for the slightest hint of temptation.Corinthians 10:13 says that God will always provide a way of escape, but we have to make a decision to run toward the door.

When you’re  Because hints turn into flirtations, flirtations turn into attractions, attractions turn into affairs, and affairs turn into disasters. 1st guarding your marriage, you’re not guarding just your spouse, but guarding yourself too. I rationalized my way into a boatload of trouble because I thought, The rules don’t pply to me. I’ve been to Bible College, I’m smart, I have self-control, and I can stop before it gets too far. All lies!

My affair began at work, so I’m an expert on workplace temptation. Once, the most common type of office infidelity was between male bosses and females who were lower-ranking employees, but that’s changed in the last ten years. With more and more women working, the most common office affair is between coworkers. The man I had my affair with (Jake) was not my boss; we were both sales reps—equals.

My relationship with Jake started innocently. I noticed that we laughed at the same things, and he noticed that we liked similar music, so we started to sit together at lunch. We were just friends … until we weren’t.

I remember the first time we went out of the friendship zone and into the danger zone. We were sitting next to each other at a sales meeting when his leg brushed up against mine. I felt a spark at the contact point and was a bit disappointed when he pulled away. A few minutes later, he shifted slightly in his chair and his leg, from knee to thigh, pressed gently against mine. I liked it, and I didn’t pull away.

I should have. But because I didn’t, I sent him a signal that I was unguarded. We both began to look for excuses to be together. If I’d not responded to his flirtations, I would have avoided the biggest regret of my life.

Dealing with Attraction

Coworkers sometimes work on projects or solve problems together, and the resulting closeness can build teamwork—but it can also build a feeling of intimacy. If you feel an attraction to someone in your office, consider a transfer to a different department, a different position, or maybe you should quit. No job is more valuable than your marriage. I knew that I could not continue to work with Jake without being tempted, so I quit my job the same day I confessed my affair to my husband.

Be honest with yourself. If you’re dressing to please someone at work or lingering in the parking lot hoping that person will ask you to lunch, stop now, before you’ve gone too far. If you’re in doubt as to what conduct is inappropriate, ask yourself, Would I do this in front of my spouse? And if you’re still not sure, ask yourself, Would I do it in front of the Lord? (You are, you know.) Here is a simple rule to keep you on the straight and narrow: If you’d have to hide it or lie about it—don’t do it!

The key to growing effective guarding hedges is to be honest about your weaknesses, both as individuals and as a couple. Set up distinct boundaries and enforce them. If your spouse reminds you of the rules, don’t be defensive or point out your mate’s faults; accept his or her correction because it’s for the greater good of the marriage. Some of the most difficult phrases to say—you’re right and I’m sorry—can save your marriage—and your love.

When Secret Service agents guard the President, they regard the President’s life as more important than their own individual lives. Guard your marriages in the same way. You may be required to sacrifice part of your individual life—hobbies, profession, TV time, computer time, sports activities—to strengthen your marriage. If you’re both willing to make your marriage a priority, however, and guard it from internal and external dangers, your home will be a safe haven.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 “It is God’s will that you should be holy; that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like those who do not know God.” (NIV)

Adapted from Avoiding the Greener Grass Syndrome: How to Grow Affair Proof Hedges Around Your Marriage (Kregel Publications 2004)

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Requirements to Resolve Conflict (pt 4)

To resolve conflict effectively and Biblically there are two absolutes that both parties must agree on – do you know what they are? Without this framework, you can try all kinds of things to avoid or resolve conflict in your marriage and relationships, but you probably won’t be successful. Listen and discover the common ground that can literally transform even the most challenging points of conflict. Want to learn more? Download the full message from guest speaker Tim Lundy for free at: http://www.venturechristian.org/files/sermons2/t032011.mp3

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The clip above has some material that originally came from a video from Family Life. I have mentioned this organization several times in this post. Contacting “Family Life” (out of Little Rock, Arkansas) would be a great place for Arnold and Maria to begin their recovering. I am hoping that Maria realizes that this family is worth saving. It will take a lot of forgiveness and she will have to turn to Christ for his supernatural help to make it happen.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver and their family photo

Weekend to Remember Story – Dennis Rainey

June 5, 2011 – 1:20 am Categories: Current Events | Post a comment

Kate Middleton and Prince William: Marriage made in Heaven? (Part 47)

[2011] The Royal Wedding – MARRIAGE part 2
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The Official Royal Wedding photographs

The Royal Wedding Group in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace on 29th April 2011 with the Bride and Groom, TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in the centre.

Front row (left to right): Miss Grace van Cutsem, Miss Eliza Lopes, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, HM The Queen, The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Lady Louise Windsor, Master William Lowther-Pinkerton.

Back Row (left to right): Master Tom Pettifer, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, HRH The Prince of Wales, HRH Prince Henry of Wales, Mr Michael Middleton, Mrs Michael Middleton, Mr James Middleton, Miss Philippa Middleton.

Prince William and Kate moved in together about a year ago. In this clip above the commentator suggested that maybe Prince Charles and Princess Diana would not have divorced if they had lived together before marriage. Actually Diana was a virgin, and it was Charles’ uncle (Louis Mountbatten) that gave him the advice that he should seek to marry a virgin.

I really do wish Kate and William success in their marriage. I hope they truly are committed to each other, and if they are then the result will be a marriage that lasts their whole lifetime. Nevertheless, I do not think it is best to live together before marriage like they did, and I writing this series to help couples see how best to prepare for marriage.

MYTH #1: Living together is a good way to “test the water.” Many couples say that they want to live together to see if they are compatible, not realizing that cohabitation is more a preparation for divorce than a way to strengthen the likelihood of a successful marriage — the divorce rates of women who cohabit are nearly 80 percent higher than those who do not. In fact, studies indicate that cohabiting couples have lower marital quality and increased risk of divorce. Further, cohabiting relationships tend to be fragile and relatively short in duration; less than half of cohabiting relationships last five or more years. Typically, they last about 18 months. (Janice Shaw Crouse PhD, from the article, “The Myths and Reality of Living Together Without Marriage” as posted on Crosswalk.com)

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I have mentioned above a lot about Family Life. Here is more info below that comes from Family Life originally. I am starting a series today that talks about conflict in marriage and how to resolve it.

 

Chip Ingram – Why Conflict is a GOOD Thing (pt 1)

 

 

We finished a five part series about marriage at Venture Christian Church this weekend. As I shared God’s plan for marriage, I could sense it stirring up a lot of questions and even some conflict among people. I’d recently heard Tim Lundy share a powerful message about resolving conflict … so I invited him to join us. The good news is that conflict in your marriage or friendships doesn’t mean the relationship is bad, it means it’s alive! When you learn to recognize conflict as an opportunity you’ll learn how to push through tough conversations and actually come out better for it! I wanted to share some of Tim’s key points about resolving conflict and invite you to listen to the full message for free athttp://www.venturechristian.org/files/sermons2/t032011.mp3 – it should be available by Monday.

 

 

Weekend to Remember Story – Dennis Rainey

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June 5, 2011 – 12:08 am Categories: Current Events | Post a comment

Top Ten List of greatest soccer players: E. Hatcher’s list v. W. Hatcher’s list (Part 6)

Today’s discussion is about who the fifth best all time player is.

Wilson Hatcher’s pick:

Zinedine Zidane Born in France in 1972, even Pelé considered Zidane to be one of the greatest midfielders to ever play the game. During his 18-year career he played for Juventus, Real Madrid and represented France in three World Cups, helping them win the 1998 World Cup. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000, and 2003. He is one of only four players to have scored goals in two different World Cup finals, and is certainly among the best soccer players of all time.

Everette Hatcher’s pick for the fifth best player. 

The below list has Ronaldo the fifth best in the world and that is what I have on my list too.

Ronaldo This legendary Brazilian striker was born in 1976 and is one of the best soccer players of all time. He has played for FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan and represented Brazil in three World Cups. During the 2006 World Cup he became the World Cup All-Time Leading Scorer. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1996, 1997, and 2002

10 Best Soccer Players of All Time

By: Paul Goss

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Naming the 10 best soccer players of all time is a difficult task. The first World Cup was played in 1930 and a large number of amazing soccer players have played since then. There are many other players who could arguably deserve a place on this list, but here you go: the top ten best soccer players on all time.

  1. Pelé Pele was a Brazilian champion of legendary talent and skill. He was born in 1940 and joined the Brazilian national team at age 16. In his 21-year career, he represented Brazil in four World Cups, helping them win three of them. While Pelé played, Brazil held a record of 67 wins, fourteen draws and only eleven losses. He was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999. In 2000, he was named FIFA Player of the Century along with Diego Maradona. Pelé is without a doubt one of the best soccer players of all time.
  2. Diego Maradona Born in Argentina in 1960 he enjoyed a 21-year career with teams including Boca Juniors and FC Barcelona and represented Argentina in four World Cups. He led Argentina to a World Cup victory in 1986. He was named FIFA Player of the Century along with Pelé in 1999.
  3. Ronaldinho Born in Brazil in 1980, Ronaldinho is one of the best soccer players of all time. He has played for FC Barcelona and AC Milan and represented Brazil in two World Cups, including Brazil’s victory in 2002. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year in both 2004 and 2005.
  4. Zinedine Zidane Born in France in 1972, even Pelé considered Zidane to be one of the greatest midfielders to ever play the game. During his 18-year career he played for Juventus, Real Madrid and represented France in three World Cups, helping them win the 1998 World Cup. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000, and 2003. He is one of only four players to have scored goals in two different World Cup finals, and is certainly among the best soccer players of all time.
  5. Ronaldo This legendary Brazilian striker was born in 1976 and is one of the best soccer players of all time. He has played for FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan and represented Brazil in three World Cups. During the 2006 World Cup he became the World Cup All-Time Leading Scorer. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1996, 1997, and 2002.
  6. Cristiano Ronaldo This Portuguese striker possesses amazing talent and speed. Born in 1985 he quickly proved his talent and has played for Manchester United, Real Madrid and the Portugal national team. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2008 at the age of 23.
  7. Zico Born in Brazil in 1953, Zico was known to possess amazing dribbling and finishing skills and is one of the best soccer players of all time. He represented Brazil in three World Cups and was recognized for his vision and organization abilities.
  8. Franz Beckenbauer Born in Germany in 1945 Beckenbauer is one of the best soccer players of all time and made his name by playing sweeper. He was known for being a versatile, elegant and dominant player with leadership skills. In 1999 the International Federation of Football History and Statistics voted him third in a World Player of the Century election.
  9. Johan Cruyff This Dutch player was born in 1947 and is famous for pioneering a strategy called Total Football. He scored 371 goals in his career and was named European Footballer of the Year in 1971, 1973 and 1974.
  10. Michel Platini This French midfielder was born in 1955 and is one of the best soccer players of all time. He is regarded as one of the best passers in history as well as one of the best finishers. He helped France win the European Championship in 1984 and was named European Footballer of the Year in the same year.
June 5, 2011 – 12:05 am Categories: Current Events | Post a comment

Insight into what Coldplay meant by “St. Peter won’t call my name” (Series on Coldplay’s spiritual search, Part 3)

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Coldplay seeks to corner the market on earnest and expressive rock music that currently appeals to wide audiences
Here is an article I wrote a couple of years ago about Chris Martin’s view of hell. He says he does not believe in it but for some reason he writes a song that teaches that it exists:
Belief of Eternal Punishment in Grammy Winning Song
By Everette Hatcher
Chris Martin of the rock group Coldplay wrote the song Viva La Vida, and the song just won both the grammy for the “Song of the Year” and “Best Pop Performance by a duo or Group with Vocals.”
In this song, Martin is discussing an evil king that has been disposed. “I used to rule the world…Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes…there was never an honest word and that was when I ruled the world, It was the wicked and wild wind, Blew down the doors to let me in, Shattered windows and the sound of drums, People couldn’t believe what I’d become…For some reason I can’t explain, I know Saint Peter won’t call my name,  Never an honest word, But that was when I ruled the world.”
Q Magazine asked Chris Martin about the lyric in this song “I know Saint Peter won’t call my name.” Martin replied, “It’s about…You’re not on the list. I was a naughty boy. Its always fascinated me that idea of finishing your life and then being analyzed on it…That is the most frightening thing you could possibly say to somebody. Eternal damnation. I know about this stuff because I studied it. I was into it all. I know it. It’s mildly terrifying to me. And this is serious.”
I have been following the career of Chris Martin for the last decade. He grew up in a Christian home that believed in Heaven and Hell, but made it clear several years ago that he actually resents those who hold to those same religious dogmatic views he did as a youth. Yet it seems his view on the possibility of an afterlife has changed again.
Chris Martin is a big Woody Allen movie fan like I am and no other movie better demonstrates the need for an afterlife than Allen’s 1989 film  Crimes and Misdemeanors.  It is  about a eye doctor who hires a killer to murder his mistress because she continually threatens to blow the whistle on his past questionable, probably illegal, business activities. Afterward he is haunted by guilt. His Jewish father had taught him that God sees all and will surely punish the evildoer.

But the doctor’s crime is never discovered. Later in the film, Judah reflects on the conversation his father had with Judah’s unbelieving Aunt May during a Jewish Sedar dinner  many years ago:

“Come on Sol, open your eyes. Six million Jews burned to death by the Nazi’s, and they got away with it because might makes right,” says Aunt May.

Sol replies, “May, how did they get away with it?”

Judah asks, “If a man kills, then what?”

Sol responds to his son, “Then in one way or another he will be punished.”

Aunt May comments, “I say if he can do it and get away with it and he chooses not to be bothered by the ethics, then he is home free.”

Judah’s final conclusion was that might did make right. He observed that one day, because of this conclusion, he woke up and the cloud of guilt was gone. He was, as his aunt said, “home free.”

The basic question Woody Allen is presenting to his own agnostic humanistic worldview is: If you really believe there is no God there to punish you in an afterlife, then why not murder if you can get away with it?  The secular humanist worldview that modern man has adopted does not work in the real world that God has created. God “has planted eternity in the human heart…” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This is a direct result of our God-given conscience. The apostle Paul said it best in Romans 1:19, “For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God  has shown it to them” (Amplified Version).

It’s no wonder, then, that one of Allen’s fellow humanists would comment, “Certain moral truths — such as do not kill, do not steal, and do not lie — do have a special status of being not just ‘mere opinion’ but bulwarks of humanitarian action. I have no intention of saying, ‘I think Hitler was wrong.’ Hitler WAS wrong.” (Gloria Leitner, “A Perspective on Belief,” The Humanist, May/June 1997, pp.38-39). Here Leitner is reasoning from her God-givne conscience and not from humanist philosophy. It wasn’t long before she received criticism. Humanist Abigail Ann Martin responded, “Neither am I an advocate of Hitler; however, by whose criteria is he evil?” (The Humanist, September/October 1997, p. 2.). Humanists don’t really have an intellectual basis for saying that Hitler was wrong, but their God-given conscience tells them that they are wrong on this issue.

Evidently  Chris Martin who said he resented dogmatic religious views a few years ago, has now written a grammy winning song that pictures an evil king being punished in an afterlife. Could it be that his God-given conscience prompted him to put that line in? Or do men like Hitler get off home free as Woody Allen suggested in Crimes and Misdemeanors?

Bob Robinson had some good insights:

7/20/2009

Coldplay’s Viva La Vida – The Will to Power vs. Shalom

A Christian Interacts with Viva La Vida, Or Death and All His FriendsColdplay’s latest hit was one of my top ten albums of 2008. In it, lyricist Chris Martin explores the subject of death from different angles. As I listen to this wonderful album, I wish Chris was sitting next to me. I’d love to understand what he would think of my opining about his lyrics. In future posts, I’m going to do that, with you, here in the vanguard.Viva La VidaIn the most famous song from the album, the main character is a man reflecting on lost power and prestige, a king who no longer rules but rather lives a very humble and humiliating life.I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to ownThis king was able somehow to overtake the previous king, but his power was fleeting –One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sandJust as he had taken power, others were seeking to overthrow him –Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?So now, after the “wicked and wild wind” had allowed him to have power, he finds himself no longer “ruling the world.” And he is now wondering about his eternal fate. What will happen to him? In the chorus the king sings –

I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing
Roman cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
I know St Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Why does he feel that “St. Peter won’t call his name?”

Throughout the song, there is a clear indication that the character understands what philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche called “the will to power,” that most of us will often allow our need for achievement to outweigh our desire to be good to our fellow human beings. Our ambition and our striving to reach the highest possible position in life often does incredible damage to the harmony and love that should be the standard for our human existence.

The main character understands this. It was not right that he took power; it was also not right that he lost power. It was not right that he once ruled the world; it was also not right that he now sweeps the streets alone. It was not right that there was “never an honest word” while he “ruled the world.” And now, “for some reason,” he knows that St. Peter won’t call his name.

This concept of peace and harmony between human beings, where we do not will to have power, but we submit to one another out of love, seeking the very best for others, is an old biblical concept. It was what the Hebrews called “Shalom.”

Nicholas Wolterstorff says that a society characterized by shalom combines peace, justice, and enjoyment of all relationships so that all peoples can flourish in their lives, and that they can also delight in their relationship with God(Wolterstorff, Until Justice and Peace Embrace). Writing on shalom, Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.embraces and expands Wolterstorff’s definition:

“We call it peace, but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight…the webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be.” (Plantinga, Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: The Breviary of Sin, p. 10)

So what the character in the song Viva La Vida is experiencing is this: the lack of SHALOM. Plantinga has it right: Things are NOT the way they are supposed to be. There is evil where Shalom is supposed to be. I like the way Plantinga describes it:

“We might define evil as any spoiling of shalom, any deviation from the way God wants things to be. Thinking along these lines, we can see that sin is a subset of evil; it’s any evil for which somebody is to blame – sin is culpable evil… Sin grieves God, offends God, betrays God, and not just because God is touchy. God hates sin against himself, against neighbors, against the good creation, because sin breaks the peace… God is for shalom and therefore against sin.” (Plantinga, Engaging God’s World, p. 51)

So why does the character feel that St. Peter won’t call his name? Because he has a deep-seated understanding that his life was full of sin, that he was culpable for his will to power. And, if God is just, there must be consequences to the destruction of shalom.

Fascinating song.

1 comments:

Larry said…
Just found your page on a search as I prepare for a sermon on Ecclesiastes for next week. Going to play Johnny Cash “Hurt” against/with Coldplay’s “Viva”(Thanx for the YouTube link).Yeah, not sure what to make of “I know St. Peter won’t call my name.” At first I thot it was our typical human arrogance that “death will never happen to me”. Perhaps from an earlier time in his life.Seems like the story in Eccl 4:13-16 has some fit with the picture of the story in the song as you describe it.Can’t help but wonder as I think about how to package this for the sermon, that good music is like good art … trying to deconstruct it takes away from the beauty. So maybe when I preach I need to let my words be few.
Other posts that deal with Coldplay:

Three things that do not bring lasting Satisfaction, (Coldplay’s spiritual search Part 5)

Coldplay – 42 Live Coldplay perform on the french television channel W9. I wrote this article a couple of years ago: The Spiritual Search for the Afterlife Russ Breimeier rightly noted that it seems that Coldplay is “on the verge of identifying a great Truth” and their latest CD is very provocative. Many songs mention […]

Are Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin looking for Spiritual Answers? (Coldplay’s spiritual search Part 4)

  CP I wrote this article a couple of years ago. Are Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin looking for Spiritual Answers? Just like King Solomon’s predicament in the Book of Ecclesiastes, both of these individuals are very wealthy, famous, and successful, but they still are seeking satisfying answers to life’s greatest questions even though it […]

Insight into what Coldplay meant by “St. Peter won’t call my name” (Series on Coldplay’s spiritual search, Part 3)

Coldplay seeks to corner the market on earnest and expressive rock music that currently appeals to wide audiences Here is an article I wrote a couple of years ago about Chris Martin’s view of hell. He says he does not believe in it but for some reason he writes a song that teaches that it […]

Will Coldplay’s 2011 album continue on spiritual themes found in 2008 Viva La Vida? (Series on Coldplay’s spiritual search, Part 2)

Views:2 By waymedia Coldplay Coldplay – Life In Technicolor ii Back in 2008 I wrote a paper on the spiritual themes of Coldplay’s album Viva La Vida and I predicted this spiritual search would continue in the future. Below is the second part of the paper, “Coldplay’s latest musical lyrics indicate a Spiritual Search for the […]

Will Coldplay’s 2011 album continue on spiritual themes found in 2008 Viva La Vida? (Series on Coldplay’s spiritual search, Part 1)

Coldplay performing “Glass of Water.” Back in 2008 I wrote a paper on the spiritual themes of Coldplay’s album Viva La Vida and I predicted this spiritual search would continue in the future. Below is the first part of the paper, “Coldplay’s latest musical lyrics indicate a Spiritual Search for the Afterlife.” Coldplay’s latest musical […]

The wait is over, Coldplay single “Every Teardrop is a waterfall”

Coldplay – Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall (Official) The new single – download it now from iTunes at http://cldp.ly/itunescp (except in the UK, where it will be released to download stores at 12.01am on Sunday June 5th). Written by Berryman / Buckland / Champion / Martin / Allen / Anderson. Produced by Markus Dravs, Dan […]

June 4, 2011 – 1:43 pm Categories: Current Events | Comments (1)

Brummett praises Dale Bumpers for raising Arkansas State Income Tax, Brantley accuses Huckabee of being “tax fugitive” for moving to Florida

John Brummett wrote today:

If you start ranking the great governors of Arkansas, you talk about Win Rockefeller on seminal reform and on brave advancements in race relations. You talk about Dale Bumpers on raising income taxes and reorganizing government and advancing free textbooks and child immunizations and two-year community colleges.

Mike Huckabee recently moved to Florida? Why? The answer is easy. Huckabee wants to avoid Arkansas’ high state income tax. Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times wants to call Huckabee a tax fugitive, but who can blame him.

Liberals like Brantley and Ernie Dumas want to praise former Arkansas governor Dale Bumpers for raising the state income tax to 7%, but that is the reason our state has the highest state income tax in the area (all bordering states have either lower state income taxes or no state income tax).

Is it any surprise that during the last census that the seven states that do not have an income tax grew in population?Arkansas has suffered from bracket creep and in 1929 you had to make 5 times the average wage to pay any state income tax at all, but now over 66% of tax payers in Arkansas pay at least some of their income at the 7% level.

Ernie Dumas in his article “Arkansas” A tax myth-maker too,” Arkansas Times, April 13, 2011 asserts:

Until Gov. Dale Bumpers raised income-tax rates and other taxes in 1971, Arkansas had by far the lowest per-capita state and local taxes in the United States. Afterward, we were still 50th but within shouting distance of 49th.

Here are the real facts  according to Greg Kaza of the Arkansas Policy Foundation:

(June 2006) Democratic Gov. Dale Bumpers and the General Assembly raised Arkansas’ top income tax rate to “broaden the tax base” in 1971(1). Yet Arkansas’ per capita income, expressed as a percentage of the U.S. total, has barely improved, moving from 71 (1971) to 77.7 percent (2005) over the 34-year period, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The 1971 income tax increase reversed a decades-long strong growth trend and left Arkansas with the highest income tax rate among bordering states (Mississippi, Missouri, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas).

Income Stagnation: The 1930s
One has to turn to the 1930s-the decade of the Great Depression-to find weaker income growth than in recent years.

Arkansas per capita personal income was 44 percent of the U.S. in 1929, the first year data was compiled in the BEA time series. The Great Depression started that year, and by the time it ended in 1933 Arkansas per capita income had fallen to 41 percent of the U.S. By decade’s end (1939) it had returned to 44 percent.

Growth Decades: The 1940s, 1950s & 1960s
Arkansas per capita income increased as a percentage of the U.S. in the next three decades.
In 1941, at the onset of World War II, Arkansas per capita income was 47 percent of the U.S. It was 59 percent at war’s end in 1945 and again in 1949. It was 56 percent in 1950, 62 percent a decade later in 1960, and 68 percent in 1969. If this growth rate had continued Arkansas would have exceeded 100 percent of the U.S. average in the current decade (2000-2009).

To summarize, Arkansas per capita income increased from 44 to 71 percent of the U.S. total between 1939 and 1971.

Anemic Income Growth (1971-2005)
The trend in recent decades is anemic growth in Arkansas per capita personal income. Fiscal policy changes affect economic behavior with a time lag. Arkansas per capita income was 71 percent of the U.S. in 1971 and 76 percent in 1973. Income growth stagnated for the rest of the decade, reaching 77 percent of the U.S. in 1979. It fell to 75 percent in 1989, and was 76 percent in 1999. Today, Arkansas per capita income, at 77.7 percent of the U.S., is barely above its high point of the 1970s.

 

Recently I read the report “A short history and recent trends in the Arkansas income tax,” by Richard Sims, Arkansas Business and Economic Review, December 22, 1993 and here is a portion of it:

Introduction

Since its introduction in 1929, Arkansas‘ statutory income tax structure has changed very little. However, due to changes in the economy and in inflation, the real effects of that tax structure have changed substantially. This report looks at the effects that rising incomes and inflation have had on the Arkansas income tax structure. In addition, the report looks at the changing profile of Arkansas taxpayers in recent years, and provides a brief comparison ofArkansas taxes in relation to other states and the federal tax system.

Arkansas‘ Income Tax Structure: Original and Revised

In 1929 Arkansas became 12th among the states to adopt an individual income tax. The structure contained five rates and net income brackets with a top rate of five percent applying to net income over $25,000. That original structure remained in place until 1971 when a new middle-income bracket was added and the rate on net income over $25,000 was increased to 7.0 percent. The rates and brackets revised in 1971 remain in place today. The 1929 original and the revised current tax structure are shown in Table 1.

Table 1 Arkansas Individual Income Tax Structure

 1929 Original Net Income Rate first $3,000 1.0% 
next$3,001 to $6,000  2.0% 
next$6,001 to $11,000 3.0% 
next $11,001 to $25,000  4.0% 
over $25,000 5.0% 
1971 Revision (Current) 
Net Income Rate first $2,999 1.0%
 next$3,000 to $5,999 2.5% 
next$6,000 to $8,999 3.5% 
next$9,000 to $14,999 4.5% 
next $15,000 to $24,999 6.0%
 over $25,000 7.0%

Source: Arkansas Legislative Tax Handbook, 1992, Bureau of Legislative Research.

In 1975, the earliest year for which records on income tax collections by income group is available, only the top 4.0 percent of Arkansas taxpayers would have had any of their income subjected to the top 7.0 percent rate. By 1991, around 66.0 percent of the state’s taxpayers would have had some of their income subjected to this top rate–a rate once reserved for only the highest income earners.

The 1929 tax structure provided for exemptions of $1,500 for a single person and $2,500 for married individuals. In 1947 the state raised the exemption to $2,500 for singles and $3,500 for married persons. In 1957 the personal exemption was converted to a credit of $17.50 for singles and $35.00 for married persons. In 1987 the credits were increased to $20 per person. Finally, in 1991, low income Arkansans were exempted from paying income tax if their gross income did not exceed $5,500 for an individual or $10,000 for a married couple. For most taxpayers, the $20.00 credit remains in effect today.

The Value of Exemptions as a Share of Per Capita Income

Table 2 shows how the value of the personal tax exemption or credit has diminished over time. The figures shown represent the personal exemption or credit for a single individual as a ratio of the per capita personal income in the year in which the credit was first enacted. In 1929, for instance, an individual would have been exempted from any tax until their income reached a level which was equal to 490 percent of the Arkansas per capita income for that year. In 1947 with the first statutory change in the exemption, that individual would have still been exempted up to an amount equal to 340 percent of the per capita income level. By 1957 the value of the exemption (which was changed to a tax credit that year) had declined substantially, falling to 130 percent of per capita income. At the time of the next change in the personal credit (1987), the value of that credit was only 17 percent of the per capitaincome level. For most taxpayers (all those not officially classified as low income) in 1992, the value of the personal credit was only 13 percent of per capita income.

Table 2 Personal Exemptions and Credits As a Percent of Per Capita Income

 Arkansas Year of Value of Per Capita Enactment ExemptionIncome Ratio 1929 $1,500 $ 308 490% 19472,500 737 340% 19571,6001,247 130% 19872,000 11,980 17% 19922,000 15,439 13%

Source: Arkansas Legislative Tax Handbook, 1992, Bureau of Legislative Research; Per capita personal income data is from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, unpublished data, April, 1993.

In other words, whereas in the first year of enactment of the income tax, the personal exemption would have allowed an Arkansan to earn almost five times the average per capita income before paying any tax.

June 4, 2011 – 12:23 pm Categories: Mike Huckabee | Post a comment

Gold cup 2011 preview

Wilson Hatcher’s predictions

Group A

1. Mexico

2. Costa Rica

3. El Salvador

Group B

1.Honduras

2. Guatemala

Group C

1. USA

2. Canada

3. Panama

Quarter Finals

Costa Rica 2-1 Guatemala

Mexico 4-1 Panama

Honduras 1-1 Canada

USA 3-0 El Salvador

Semi Finals

Costa Rica 1-1 Mexico

USA 2-1 Honduras

Finals

USA 1-0 Costa Rica

Everette Hatcher has everything the same except that Mexico would play USA in the championship and USA would win 3-2 over Mexico.

Soccer Reports Extra reported:

WRITTEN BY ADAM JOHNSTON ON JUNE 4, 2011 | 2 COMMENTS » 

POSTED IN CONCACAF GOLD CUP, OTHER COMPETITIONS

Adam Johnston is an Economics and Rhetoric and Communications student finishing up at the University of Winnipeg. Specializing in the globalization of sports with a soccer interest, Adam writes on occasion about the world of Americas soccer. His blog is at adamjohnston.blogspot.com

The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup begins on June 5th as a soccer tournament with little yet slowly gaining respect.

The tournament quality has increased, since CONCACAF stopped giving guest invitations after the 2005 tournament. Only competitors within the region have competed since 2007. The tournament allows the teams to get more prepared for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying which will begin sometime either later this year or in 2012.

The Gold Cup may give teams a chance to get a feel for competitive action at the highest level, it still does not mean that countries who do very well at the Gold Cup are odds on favourites to qualify for the World Cup (i.e. Canada 2000/2007 Gold Cups and Panama 2005 finalist failed to qualify for the 2006 and 2010 World Cups).

Let take a look at who are the contenders and dark horses.

Contenders

The United States of America (U.S.A.)

Winners of four Gold Cups, the U.S.A. Along with Mexico are the two top teams in the region.

The Americans by some by some analysts even the top country in the region (even though this would be disputed by Mexican fans). Led by head coach Bob Bradley, who is in his fifth year as coach, has a very solid squad.

Lead by Los Angeles Galaxy attacker Landon Donovan and midfielder Fulham midfielder Clint Dempsey, the U.S. Looks strong offensively.

With Tim Howard as goalkeeper look for the United States be in the semi finals.

Mexico

Champions of the Gold Cup five times, El Tri looks to defend the title with a solid nucleus of young players.

Lead by the likes of Javier Hernandez from Manchester United and America Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, the squad looks to be there right to the end and compete in the final at the Rose Bowl on June 25th.

With head coach Jose Manuel de la Torre, leading the charge, expect Mexico to be proving themselves as the top team in the tournament.

Costa Rica

Tri colores, lead by head coach Ricardo LaVolpe is looking at this tournament to redeem themselves after a disappointing 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, Costa Rica finished second to Honduras in the 2011 Copa Centroamericana.

Despite the recent setbacks, look for Levolpe’s squad to come out of the firing gates and challenge for their first ever Gold Cup crown.

Honduras

One of three teams to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup from the CONCACAF region and 2011 Central American champions, the squad looks to be as competitive as they were during World Cup qualifying.

With impact players like attackers Carlos Costly, who was vital in their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, expect this side to be fighting for a semi final birth.

Dark Horses

Canada

Winners of only one Gold Cup in 2000. Despite not qualifying for the FIFA World Cup since 1986, the squad has had some success in recent years in this tournament.

Canada finished with a bronze in 2002 and lost a heart breaking semi final to the United States in 2007. Lead by head coach Stephen Hart, Canada looks very good as a dark horse.

Talented offensive players like Dwayne DeRosario, Atiba Hutchinson and Julian De Guzman look to provide some fire power, which is apart of the way Stephen Hart has his squad set up.

Lars Hirschfield will provide solid goalkeeping for a team that has always had a strong defence but a slow offense.

The question is will Hart’s squad have the heart to get them through to at least a quarterfinal position.

Anything less than a second round quarterfinal appearance will be disappointing. Anything more than that will be a feather in the cap and a step forward towards 2014 World Cup qualifying.

Jamaica

Winners of the 2010 Caribbean championship, some pundit’s think the team might be one of the most exciting teams this tournament.

Lead by  the Caribbean Cup Gold Boot winner Dane Richards from the New York Red Bulls, the team has the offensive weapons to challenge for a quarterfinal spot.

Tie that along with the strong goalkeeping of Los Angeles Galaxy player Donovan Ricketts and the team has enough to get through to the second round.

However, getting to the semi finals would exceed the team’s wildest expectation.

Panama

Bronze medalist from the 2011 Copa Centroamericana. Once looked as a baseball only nation, soccer has been growing pedigree in the recent decade.

Finalists in the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the squad also reached the final round of 2006 World Cup qualifying. Despite recent success, the team did not reach the final round of 2010 World Cup qualifying.

An attacking player like Gabriel Torres from San Francisco in the Panama League will lead this squad that could throw a wrench into who will be playing in the quarter finals.

With all the analysis said and done, look for a Mexico and Costa Rica final at the Rose Bowl on June 25th.

Mexico will hoist their second straight trophy. Canada or Jamaica will be the biggest surprises of the tournament if one of them makes it to the semis.

Don’t count out a long shot like Guadeloupe either. The biggest disappointment of the tournament could be the United States if they don’t make it to the final.

Let the fun begin on June 5th. I know I will have my DVD recorder on overtime.

June 4, 2011 – 11:53 am Categories: Current Events | Post a comment

Candidate #10,Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin: Republican Presidential Hopefuls (Part C, )

Piper Palin

By Claudine Zap, Yahoo!

Thu, Jun 02, 2011, 3:14 pm PDT

The bus has Sarah Palin’s name on it, but it’s Piper Palin who is stealing the show. The 10-year-old daughter has been at the former governor’s side during the family’s East Coast tour (shown here at Boston’s Old North Church) and even acted as human shield when a reporter was too close to her mom.

The LA Times reported on June 2:

Piper Palin shares her mom’s hot and cold attitude toward the media

Piper Palin, keeping it real

Piper Palin, even at the ripe old age of 10, is skeptical about the media. Who can blame her? The media and the public have shown an unusually strong attraction to her mother, Sarah Palin, despite the fact that the hockey mom no longer holds public office and hasn’t announced that she’s running for president or even vice president.

And yet there they are following her family around the East Coast with their microphones, notebooks and questions.

“Thanks for ruining our vacation,” Piper told Time photographer Dima Gavrysh in Philadelphia.

Gavrysh shouldn’t take it personally. Piper was especially frigid to the media in the City of Brotherly Love when reporters got a little too close to her mom.

But before you think that the youngest of Palin’s daughters has a total distaste for the media, think again. As CNN’s Jeanne Moos discovered, not long after the Palins’ visit to the Statue of Liberty in New York, little Piper glowed when a member of the lamestream media asked her how she enjoyed touring Lady Liberty.

It’s obvious that Piper would prefer to continue her summer vacation with her mom, dad and grandparents, eating pizza with Donald Trump and learning about the country on her family’s “One Nation” bus tour. But while she is learning how to cope with the Fourth Estate on this trip, she’s winning over some typically cynical writers.

Gawker’s Maureen O’Conner called Piper her favorite Palin. “A master of the stink-eye” who has “the unyielding determination of a young Dick Cheney” tempered with “the barely concealed malice of a young Karl Rove,” O’Conner wrote.

The Gaurdian UK described her as a “most deliciously mesmerising scion.”

And Yahoo says that of the Palin posse, Piper is “the real star of the show.”

Keep that scowl going, kid. It’s working.

 

Other posts that include Sarah Palin:

Candidate #10,Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin: Republican Presidential Hopefuls (Part B, Palin talks about her faith)

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Candidate #10,Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin: Republican Presidential Hopefuls (Part A)

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Philip Martin: Message might have got through to Arizona Shooter

HALT:HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth.com Series:    Is Rightwing Rhetoric encouraging Violence? Part 4 CNN’s Anderson Cooper and his panel discuss the finger pointing and deliberate misinformation among politicians. Probably the most common quote concerning the Arizona tragedy was Paul Krugman’s words spoken just 2 hours after the shooting: A Democratic Congresswoman  has been shot in the head; another […]

Brummett: Politicizing Arizona is Shameful

HALT:HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth.com Series:    Is Rightwing Rhetoric encouraging Violence? Part 3 Bill O’Reilly  on the left-incited politicization of the tragic shooting of Rep Gabrielle Giffords. In my last post in this series I stated,” I just wish that Gene Lyons, Max Brantley, Pat Lynch, Ernest Dumas, John Brummett and every other liberal would come out and […]

Lyons: Conservatives guilty of “delusional rants” about Obama

HALT:HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth.com New Series Part 2    Is Rightwing Rhetoric encouraging Violence? Sarah Palin speaks out about tragedy. Gene Lyons in his article “Run-of-the-mill violence,” (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Jan 13, 2011) asserts: Which brings us back to Sarah Palin. No, it’s not her fault in any legal or moral sense, although if somebody shot Palin herself after, […]

 

June 4, 2011 – 11:05 am Categories: Uncategorized | Post a comment

Rep. Paul Ryan running for president?

Beta News reported yesterday:

cavutoryan

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Thursday night set off a fresh round of speculation about his 2012 plans.

Instead of simply giving his usual emphatic denial when asked if he’s considering a presidential bid, Ryan suggested to Fox News’ Neil Cavuto for the first time that he’s contemplating it based on who ends up running.

“You’ve always said ‘no.’ What could change your mind?” Cavuto asked.

“Look. I think, I want to see how this field develops,” Ryan replied. “I think there are going to be other people getting in the race. You know, I was hoping [Indiana Gov.] Mitch Daniels was going to get in the race. He obviously didn’t do that. But there’s so–there’s such a long way to go.”

Ryan quickly sought to clarify his comment.

“But you’re holding out that possibility if the field doesn’t develop to your liking?” Cavuto asked.

“No. I’m not really thinking like that,” Ryan said. “I’m not giving it serious consideration because to do that you really have to get in this thing full throttle. And I really believe Neil where I am right now as the chairman of the House budget committee leading the fight here in congress. I think I can make a big contribution to that debate. I think I can help finish the debt that i helped start. and it hink that’s doing a great service to this country. And that’s where I feel like I can be most effective at this time.”

We reported Tuesday on a the launch of a draft effort to encourage Ryan to get in the race even though the lawmaker has stated he has no plans to run.

So for now, Ryan will continue to disappoint his fans … well, except for Dick Cheney.

(Screenshot of Cavuto and Ryan: Fox News)

Other posts that include Rep. Paul Ryan:

Bill Clinton: Warned Democrats not to shy away from tackling entitlement programs (Part 1)

Paul Ryan meets Bill Clinton Clinton tells Ryan that he’s glad Dems won the New York congressional race this week, but he’s afraid that Dems will never do the right thing on Medicare as a result. Amazing truth telling. ________________________________- CNN Money reported yesterday:  Bill Clinton had a word of warning on Wednesday for fellow […]

Republicans may compromise with Democrats in order to get control of debt

The Debt Bomb: A Decade of DC Spending is Driving America Closer to an Economic Apocalypse Alexis Garcia reports on America’s exploding debt. Experts blame entitlements like Social Security and government spending. But what is the solution? Can we raise taxes without crushing the economy and the middle class? Does Obama really want to lower […]


Brummett:We must increase debt ceiling or disaster will occur (Part 3) (Royal Wedding Part 7)

John Brummett in his article “Pryor’s words drift in gentle breeze,” Arkansas News Bureau, April 24, 2011 asserted: Raising the debt ceiling is essential to paying our debts and keeping the national and world economy functioning. Spending cuts must be made in the future, not by reneging on debt from the past. It is disingenuous […]

Brummett:We must increase debt ceiling or disaster will occur (Part 1) (Royal Wedding Part 2)

John Brummett in his article “Dear visa, my debt ceiling is capped,” April 25, 2011, Arkansas News Bureau, he observes: The first thing I intend to do is join the tea party. Then I’m going to refuse to raise my debt limit. Then I’m going to call the Visa people. “Y’all have me down here […]

Mark Pryor will not vote for debt limit increase unless there are real spending cuts (Conspirator part 9)

In the article “Mark Pryor: I won’t vote to raise debt limit without reforms,” April 20, 2011, Arkansas Business reports: U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor says he won’t vote to raise the federal government’s borrowing limit unless there is a “real and meaningful commitment” to reducing the nation’s debt by cutting spending and overhauling the tax […]

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Prolife | Edit | Comments (0)

Pryor on possible Government Shutdown (Part 2)(Tess Harper, Famous Arkansan)

April 5 (Bloomberg) — Chris Edwards, director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute, talks about the possibility of a government shutdown if Democratic and Republican leaders fail to reach a budget compromise by April 8, when current funding authority expires. Edwards, speaking with Deirdre Bolton on Bloomberg Television’s “InsideTrack,” also discusses House Budget […]

Brummett: Social Security is fine (part 3)

My sons Wilson and Hunter (on left) visited Yosemite National Park with Sherwood Haisty Jr.  (on right) March 21 to March 27th.   In his article “Harry let us down,” (Arkansas News Bureau, April 4, 2011) John Brummett observes: The liberal is correct when he says Social Security is a separate insurance program that is solvent. […]

Paul Ryan on Social Security Reform (Part 1)

  My sons Wilson  and Hunter  (on left) went to California and visited Yosemite National Park with our friend Sherwood Haisty Jr. (Sherwood on right) They were there from March 21 to March 27. Here you can see all the snow they had to deal with. In his article “Harry let us down,” (Arkansas News Bureau, […]

Pat Lynch: Criticizes Social Security Privatization

HALT: Halting Arkansas Liberals with Truth (Milton Friedman: The People did not want the Social Security Program) Pat Lynch in his September 3, 2010 article in the Democrat Gazette article  notes that “Congressman John Boozman’s plan to privatize Social Security is similar to what President Bush proposed in 2005 and what Congressman Paul Ryan is […]

Mark Pryor supported Failed Stimulus

HALT: Halting Arkansas Liberals with Truth (Paul Ryan outlines what has happened since the stimulus has been passed) Senator Mark Pryor voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 which was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. Both Pryor and Obama thought the economy could be jump started by […]

June 4, 2011 – 10:34 am Categories: Uncategorized | Post a comment