What is news?

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I've spent a lifetime devouring news from every source the world had to offer.  Newspapers, magazines, books, libraries, specialty magazines, radio, television network, television cable, wire services, Internet, world newspapers, cell phones, satellites and the pulpit.

Add to that the unlimited number of social, cultural and educational resources and the list becomes rather enormous.  Most of my life I was a freak with my obsession for news sources and compassion for reading.

One thing is quite clear, everyone has their own opinion of what is news.  That is rule number one in understanding what is news.  The second is people use news for a variety of reasons only one of which is to be informed of current events in the world.

Some people want to project an image of being intellectual.  Maybe they want to impress their parents, teachers, girl friends or whoever.  Maybe they were like me who had a grandfather who gave me Time or Life magazine, gave me an hour to read and absorb it, and then expected me to debate it with him.

Now had I been in high school when I was on the debate team I might have enjoyed it more but this started when I was six or seven and became a Sunday ritual whenever I saw him.  To me I had two choices in life at that early age. Listen to my grandfather tell me Irish stories or debate the world news with him.

As much as I loved and appreciated the Irish stories, my thirst for information was just as intense and at that young age not too many people were going to take a seven year old too seriously when it came to world affairs.  So I loved the intellectual challenges he gave me having no idea I was in danger of becoming a total nerd.

If I asked any of my brothers what they thought of the Cold War they looked at me like I was a freak.  Girls, cars, sports and entertainment all were far more important to them than intellectual pursuits.  I could always count on my grandfather to appreciate what I went through to stay informed.

Of course there is a great deal of problems that arise when you have an endless quest for information, you may actually learn a lot.  I thought I did.  And I also thought it was my universal responsibility to correct my teachers, most often nuns and priests, when they tried to teach my classmates inaccurate information.

Let's just say I was a perpetual candidate for an exorcism to drive the demons out of me who made me challenge authority.  It was never my intent to challenge authority but to help it be better.  Somehow their humiliation was more important to them than the truth.

At any rate, after all I've seen I think "news" should be information that helps the readers understand life, find their purpose in life, discover the truth for themselves in life, and helps lead to a better life for all.  Why else would we be here?

The stories I write are intended to serve that purpose.  It is up to you to find the real meaning of what I offer.  I must say, truth is most often not obvious but buried within a code of sorts.  Real insights come from the degree of effort given by the reader to be open to what is not obvious.

Finding people that want to make a difference in the world, that want to do what is best for all people, animals, the environment and Mother Earth, is a difficult process.  Finding people open to new truth, new definitions, no boundaries and no prejudice is the most difficult of all.

They are out there, scattered and hidden amongst us, and they need to be inspired, encouraged and heard.  So many people listen, so few people hear.

My goal in reporting my version of the "news" is to write stories to stimulate you to consider the impossible, appreciate the fantastic, never limit the potential and to seek the good for all creatures and inhabitants, whether man, animal, fish, vegetable or mineral, of this magnificent planet and gift from God(s).

 

Mostly it is to awaken within you your potential and to find or reassure your faith in a higher purpose we all must learn to serve.

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Can the Big Tuna Save the New Orleans Saints?

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Will Bill Parcells help out former assistant and Saints?

When the NFL decided to punish head coach Sean Peyton for not stopping the "bounty" program of injuring opposing players by suspending the coach for the next year they probably did not consider one potential consequence.

Today it became clear Parcells is in talks to take over as head coach for the next year while Peyton is suspended.  What would that mean for the Saints?

They would be trading in an assistant for the master and mentor.

The New Jersey native Parcells is one of the greatest coaches in NFL history leading the New York Giants to two Super Bowl wins, taking the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl, and winning the AFC championship with the New York Jets.  

The Big Tuna as he was affectionately known in Jersey when I was there and got to meet him at Giants stadium was AP Coach of the Year twice and is the only coach to take four different teams into the playoffs.  It appears he may want to make that five.

In addition to being a future Hall of Fame Coach, he was a lock this year if he stays retired, his real legacy is how many of his assistants went on to become top coaches.  Three have won Super Bowls themselves for the Patriots, Jets and Saints.  Look at a partial list of the Parcell's disciples.

Bill Belichick, New England Patriots

Tom Coughlin, New York Giants

Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints

Romeo Crennel, Cleveland Brown

Eric Mangini, New York Jets

Al Groh, University of Virginia

Charlie Weis, University of Notre Dame

Nick Saban, University of Alabama

In his most recent stint as an NFL head coach, Parcells helped rebuild the famed Dallas Cowboys franchise, leading the team to two playoffs appearances (2003 and 2006) and compiling a 34-32 record in four seasons, becoming the first head coach in NFL history to lead four different teams to the playoffs. He stepped down in January 2006 after leading Dallas to a Wild Card playoff berth – the team’s last postseason appearance.

What a legacy coaching some of the top franchises in NFL history, New York Giants, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets.

If the Saints can recruit Parcells there could be yet another Super Bowl ring and NFL championship in his already impressive resume.  Now what about the Saints being punished by having to suspend their head coach for a year?  Leave it to the Saints to land a Big Tuna for a savior.
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Washington DC - Supreme Court Considers Legality of Obamacare

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Coltons Point - People's Court Considers Insanity of Obamacare

The US Supreme Court is listening to an unprecedented 6 hours of debate over the  Constitutionality of Obama's health care program.  It is another face off of biblical proportions between David and Goliath with the all powerful US Attorney General representing President Obama and a group of State Attorney Generals representing state's rights and the people.

The classic confrontation between a strong central government versus a division of authority between states and the federal government.

Federalism versus decentralize government.

More loss of individual freedom versus the government's right to control you.

Boy did we ever need this Supreme Court action in the middle of a presidential election, as if we didn't have enough problems with the staggering economy, the confused foreign policy and the breakdown of morality in government, in most institutions, and in life.

So I say the Supreme Court should declare the whole thing unconstitutional on the grounds:

The name alone is just plain deceptive or stupid.  This is the legal name of Obamacare, the health care reform program, "Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872)".

Does that say anything about improving medical services, lowering medical costs, eliminating fraud, corruption, conflicts of interests, bribes or kickbacks rampant in the health care industry?

Before we adopt some smorgasbord of medical regulations that will increase the already too high cost of medical care and health insurance don't we need answers to a few questions?

1. Should the government be doing this?

2. Why do we stay sick if we can get well?

3. Will it bring down the spiraling cost of medical care and prescription drugs?

4. Will it help strengthen the body and make it self-sustaining?

5. Will it make the best use of medical knowledge learned throughout time?

6. Does it give incentives to make people well rather than keep them sick?

7. Does it eliminate the conflicts, fraud, corruption and abuse in the industry?

None of this is really addressed in the Obamacare or any other health care program of the government, proposed by the government or even being considered by the government.

Therefore the judgment of the People's Court should be Rejection of the program on the grounds of Insanity, and rejection of the arguments both for and against Obamacare as neither is relevant to the desperate wellness, health care and anti-corruption needs of the people of America.

The Supreme Court would do well to adopt a similar ruling.

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America can't seem to get enough of Kentucky

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As if the NCAA Battle of the Bluegrass between UK and Louisville is not enough - Kentucky natives carry Hunger Games on film and Missing on TV to astounding successes.

I, for one, can't get enough of Kentucky as you may have noted in my earlier prediction that Hunger Games starring Jennifer Lawrence of Louisville, Kentucky would make history and bring female action leads to the forefront in Hollywood.

But it is even better than that.  Both young leads from Hunger Games, Jennifer Lawrence from Louisville and Josh Hutcherson who was born in Union, Kentucky have put the state firmly on the map as the film stunned Hollywood with a blockbuster $155 million opening weekend.  Not bad for a film that cost $80 million and the first of four films in a series.

Estimates are the film could generate over $400 million in domestic sales alone and the sequels could keep making a small fortune for the next seven years.

Yet there was another Kentucky actress also making headlines as UK's number one fan, Ashley Judd, premiered her new ABC series last week and finished in the top ten shows in spite of going head to head with American Idol.  Over 10.6 million watched Ashley bring Missing to life.

Here is what the media had to say about the Kentucky stars and shows.

The Washington Post

By Cara Kelly, Monday, March 26

The much anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’s book, “The Hunger Games,” surpassed expectations on its opening weekend, pulling in $155 million. The total earned the film several impressive distinctions, including third-biggest opening weekend of all time, the Associated Press reports.

"The huge haul marks the third-best debut ever in terms of revenue, behind the $169.2 million opening for last year’s “Harry Potter” finale and the $158.4 million opening of 2008’s “The Dark Knight.”

“Harry Potter” and “Batman” were well-established franchises. “The Hunger Games” set a revenue record for a non-sequel, taking in more than twice what the first “Twilight” movie did with its $69.6 million opening weekend.

“This is the birth of a franchise. To launch in this fashion is mindboggling,” said David Spitz, head of distribution at Lionsgate, which now also owns the “Twilight” franchise after its purchase of Summit Entertainment.”

The impressive revenue also earned the film several other honors, says Jen Chaney of Celebritology.

With just a single weekend under its belt, “The Hunger Games” is already very close to becoming the biggest hit of 2012.

"The Lorax,” which has been in wide release for three weeks, remains the year’s top grosser with $177.3 million in its pro-environment pockets. Expect it to hand over that title to “The Hunger Games” sometime during the next week.

“The Hunger Games” has already earned roughly 2.5 times as much money at the North American box office as "John Carter" has during the past two weeks.

And it did so with a budget well below half of what it cost to make “John Carter.” If only Disney had spent less money and handed Taylor Kitsch a bow and arrow, things could have turned out differently.

The earnings are great news for Lions Gate Entertainment, the production company behind ‘Hunger Games.’ The company bought Summit Entertainment in January, effectively bringing the other teenage smash “Twilight” under the same roof as Collins’s hit, the Associated Press reports.

These two movies could generate about $450 million in profit combined, estimates Cowen & Co. analyst Doug Creutz. The adventures of bow-wielding heroine Katniss Everdeen alone could translate to 6 to 7 years of higher earnings, Creutz says, adding that Lions Gate may post its first profit in five years when its fiscal year ends on March 31.

More than two-thirds of Lions Gate’s revenue comes from the movie business, so its first blockbuster means a lot. It had been getting by with staples like Tyler Perry comedies and the “Saw” horror series.

The rest of Lions Gate’s revenue comes from television productions such as “Mad Men,” which kicked off its fifth season Sunday. Although the company doesn’t reap ad revenue from the hit TV show, success with audiences keeps it in demand as a production company. It also boosts sales of DVDs and licensing revenue from reruns.

The opening figures are also good news for films featuring female action heroes. The success may inspire Hollywood to make more films with female leads, according to Christopher Palmeri.

“The Hunger Games,” which set a record as the biggest opening ever for a non-sequel, illustrates how Hollywood under- appreciates audiences’ acceptance of female action heroes, according to Phil Contrino, editor of researcher Boxoffice.com.

“People were hungry for something like this,” Contrino said in an interview. “Now everyone will be looking for the next ‘Hunger Games’ instead of every male-driven, Will Smith action film,” he said, referring to the star of “Independence Day” and “Men in Black.”

“The Hunger Games” may go on to capture $400 million domestically, according to Contrino.

The movie, which stars 21-year-old Jennifer Lawrence as an arrow-slinging killing machine, sold $59 million of tickets outside the U.S. and Canada, and was first in almost all of its 67 markets, Vancouver-based Lions Gate said yesterday in a statement.

This is what the media had to say about Missing, Ashley Judd's new TV series.

Debut of Judd's 'Missing' on ABC lands in top 10

By David Bauder

AP Television Writer / March 20, 2012

NEW YORK—If your television show revolves around a search for someone missing, it helps to have Ashley Judd looking.

That's ABC's lesson from Nielsen's television ratings. Last Thursday's premiere of the network drama "Missing," starring Judd as a former CIA agent trying to find a teenage son who disappeared in Rome, landed among the 10 most popular series last week with 10.6 million viewers. The strong sampling came despite "Missing" competing directly with Fox's "American Idol."

Go Kentucky...

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The Battle of Bluegrass Thoroughbreds

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Pitino Louisville versus Calipari Kentucky

March Madness and the Midwest Hayseeds - Where are the power conferences now?

East coast sports writers are left stunned after the NCAA round of eight left only Midwestern teams in the final four for national champions.  What happened to the eastern power conferences that dominated the selection process, conferences like the Big East and ACC?

Ashley Judd with UK Wildcat

Kentucky remains the prohibitive favorite and is the only number 1 team left in the tournament.  For the first time in about 50 years two teams from the same state will meet in the final four, Kentucky and Louisville, while the other two contenders are Ohio State next door to Kentucky and Kansas farther west.

We picked Kentucky as the winner and so far no one has come close to them.  Louisville, under the magic of former Kentucky coach Rick Pitino, has pulled off a series of major upsets to get to the final four.  Kentucky played Louisville earlier this year and UK won at home by just 7 points.   No one has come that close to UK in the tourney though they have played all away games.

Louisville Cardinal

Some sports analysts say the championship match will take second place to the semi-final battle between Kentucky basketball giants.  UK is the most successful team in NCAA basketball history while Pitino has made Louisville into the biggest basketball money generator for the school in the nation.

As John Clay of McClatchy Newspapers wrote:

ATLANTA — Not even Bourbon Street will know what hit it.

Welcome to what promises to be the wildest, craziest, most hyped, most exciting, most nerve-wracking and sleepless six days leading up to the biggest, most-anticipated sporting event in the history of our little commonwealth.

For a state that lives for basketball, this is a dream and a nightmare all at the same time.

This is Kentucky vs. Louisville in the Final Four for the first time.

This is the top-dog Cats, the NCAA Tournament’s overall No. 1 seed, winners of the South Regional by beating Baylor 82-70 on Sunday, versus the underdog Cards, No. 4 seed and surprise 72-68 West Regional winner over Florida on Saturday, squaring off in the Big Easy for a berth in the national championship game.

This is something that comes along once in, well, never.

It’s UK versus U of L, the state’s two biggest rivals on the sport’s biggest stage.

It’s John Caliapri and Rick Pitino, former coaching friends, now, well, current coaching competitors.

It’s one passionately insane fan base against another passionately insane fan base, that happens to reside within the same borders.

“It’s basketball,” said Calipari on Sunday as if this were a mere sporting event.

No, it’s Kentucky and Louisville basketball.

Oh, UK and U of L have played in the NCAA Tournament before, in the 1959 Mideast Regional semifinals (Louisville won), in the 1983 Mideast Regional finals (Louisville won) and in the 1984 Mideast second round (Kentucky won).

They’ve never met in the Final Four, however, though they came close twice.

In 1986, Louisville beat Auburn to win the West Regional, but Kentucky lost to LSU in the finals of the Mideast Regional.

In 1975, the two actually came within a whisker of playing for the national championship when Kentucky beat Syracuse in the national semifinal in San Diego, then Louisville lost a heartbreaker to UCLA in the second game that day.

Now, finally, everything has fallen into place.

However, don't overlook the other teams, Ohio State and Kansas, who rank among the basketball elite though they will not get the media attention of the Kentucky duo.  I lean toward Kansas reaching the finals against Kentucky with Kentucky winning but any of the four teams is capable of knocking off the others.

It should be a rousing finish to a rather lackluster NCAA season and if you have ties to Kentucky, the semi-final could just be a classic.  This is truly the Battle of Bluegrass Thoroughbreds.

By the way, UK is also still in the running in the NCAA Women's national tournament.  We just can't get enough of the Wildcats.

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Obamaville March 26 - The Preacher Man and President

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Santorum borrows "Obamaville" for campaign video while raging against Romney

Today Preacher Man Rick Santorum released a new video about Obama called, "Obamaville" perhaps borrowing the name used by the Coltons Point Times regular political column for over two years.

Over the weekend the Preacher Man, who is starting to rage like John the Baptist on Prozac, took another step toward political oblivion when he said Romney was the worst possible Republican to run against Obama.  Now what kind of party loyalty does that indicate?  Once upon a time the party candidates pledged to support whoever won the nomination.

It seems in the modern world of politics, at least as far as the Preacher Man (Santorum) and the Professor (Gingrich) are concerned, the new model of candidate decorum is if I lose I'm taking you down with me.  Of course these loose cannons are being encouraged by Obama's gang from Chicago but neither see themselves as being used by Obama as they are above truth and reproach.

Obama Caught Promising Russia if they get him elected he will have more flexibility to cut deals

Then there is our President Obama who is over in South Korea and was caught on tape talking to outgoing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and telling him to remind newly elected Russian President Vladimir Putin that this is an election year and if they help him get reelected he will have much more flexibility after the election to work out a deal involving Syria, Iran and North Korea.

Of course foreign involvement in the American presidential election is illegal but such barriers never seem to bother the Obama gang.  Here at the CPT will pointed out weeks ago that Putin was the key to negotiating peace in Syria, Iran and North Korea and now was the time to encourage the Russian leader.  At least the Obama people seem to be reading the CPT but his effort to get help behind the scenes from the Russians toward getting reelected seems to go way beyond legitimate foreign policy to manipulating the American political system.

Fancy that, a politician manipulating the political system.  Obama has proven quite adept at that so one should not be surprised.  I also doubt Putin would be the least bit fooled into helping Obama get reelected.

Obama campaigns for Keystone Pipeline - maybe?

In yet another public relations attempt to deceive the public Obama was out campaigning last week and said he would speed up approval of the lower part of the Keystone Pipeline, the same pipeline he rejected a few weeks ago.  Of course Obama has no chance of getting reelected if he continues to  oppose the pipeline as gas prices have now reached $3.90 a gallon and it is not even close to the summer driving season.

When Obama took office gas was $1.84 a gallon meaning it has more than doubled during his watch.  On the more important diesel cost, which fuels all the over the road trucks and most of the buses in America, the cost was $2.27 when Obama was elected and now is $4.21, an increase of $1.85.

Of course the White House mouthpieces say no one can do anything about gas prices overnight so we can't blame Obama yet Obama blamed President Bush for the price increases when Bush was president and Obama a candidate.  Guess that is fair play to the Chicago gang.

More important, no one expected Obama to do anything overnight.  What we did expect is that with total control of the House and Senate when he first got elected, why didn't he do something during the three years he has already been president when Congress could not have stopped him?

Now he can't do anything until after the election because he made too many promises to the environmental activists who helped get him elected four years ago.  Watch for him to sell out the green movement if he gets reelected as political expediency has always been a more forceful policy tool than public good for this administration.

The energy independence movement and Keystone Pipeline are  positions advocated by the CPT since before Obama was elected the first time.  We viewed them as crucial in order to start the long process of actually doing something positive to reduce our foreign dependence on oil and our slavery to the energy futures market.

President Obama must decide whether he will cross the bridge toward responsible energy management or continue double crossing the bridge as he now seems to advocate.  We will see if he adopts the CPT positions of energy independence and lower gas prices or decides, once reelected, that he is free to finish killing off the oil industry and make the big green fat cats the new power brokers and privileged class.

That is the true result of his redistribution of wealth philosophy.  Take from the old rich to make his buddies the new rich.

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Kentucky Derby Countdown - 43 days 8 hours 17 minutes

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Early spring brings early interest in 138th Run for the Roses

As the days, hours and minutes count down to the fastest 2 minutes in sports a picture is starting to develop of the strongest contenders to get into the Derby.

We give you the top four below but 250 horses are hoping to qualify for the Derby.  At the same time we are reprinting an article from the official Kentucky Derby website explaining about the entry process for horses in the Derby.

A number of people have expressed an interest in how the system works.  I hope this helps.

2012 Graded Stakes Earnings List

Updated Through Saturday, March 17, 2012

The Kentucky Derby 138 Graded Stakes Earnings will likely determine the participants in the 138^th running of the $2 million Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) on Saturday, May 5.

The Kentucky Derby field has been limited to 20 starters since 1975, and graded stakes earnings accumulated in prestigious races on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” have helped determined the field for the 1 ¼-mile classic since 1986.

The Kentucky Derby 138 Graded Stakes Earnings List includes all 3-year-olds – colts, geldings and fillies – who were made eligible to this year’s Triple Crown at $600 per horse when the early nomination period closed Jan. 21. A late period for nominations at $6,000 each will close Saturday, March 24.

Twenty horses have entered the Derby every year since 2004, and 11 of the last 13 years. The 20^th and final spot in the starting gate – a.k.a. “the bubble” horse – has varied year to year. The final horse to make the field last year, Derby Kitten, had $120,000 in graded stakes earnings. Two years ago, it took a record $218,750 for eventual fourth-place finisher Make Music for Me to make the Kentucky Derby lineup.

Over the last five years, the final horse to make the field has earned an average of $132,650 in graded stakes races. In the case of a tie for the final entry position or the determination of all remaining starters, preference is given to horses that accumulated the highest earnings in non-restricted stakes races. If a tie still remains, the final spots in the starting gate will be determined by lot or a “shake.” For the first time since 1984, there will be an “also eligible” list with as many as four horses eligible to draw into the field until scratch time on Friday, May 4 at 9 a.m. ET.

In addition to Triple Crown nomination fee, owners must pay $25,000 to enter the Derby by 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, May 2, and an additional $25,000 to start. If there are less than 20 Triple Crown nominees entered, a horse may be supplemented for $200,000.

The Kentucky Derby post position draw – a tradition “pill pull” in which horses’ entry blanks are pulled simultaneously with a numbered pill to determine what stall a horse will break from the starting gate – will be held at Churchill Downs on Wednesday, May 2, at 5 p.m. ET (Live on NBC Sports Network).

The Derby winner will receive gold trophy plus an estimated $1.24 million payday. A total of $400,000 will be awarded to the runner-up, $200,000 to third, $100,000 to fourth and $60,000 to fifth.

Current Top Derby Contenders - Winnings to date

1.         Hansen                          $1,400,000

2.         Union Rags                  $1,070,000

3.         Creative Cause               $686,000

  4.         Sabercat                           $601,429
 

http://www.kentuckyderby.com/

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