Mark,

I actually wrote a different posting before I wrote this posting. Been away for a few days, so I'm just getting caught up. So many questions, so little time. Here's one: How come we are still in Bosnia? How many of our soldiers were killed there? When is Clinton going to call them home? Oh, wait, different President. Yeah, it's Bush's fault. Okay, we got that out of the way.

It seems Mr. Kerry is planning on turning over to the UN control of the whole Iraq situation. Hey, great. We all know what a great job they did with the oil for food program. Some of those boys got themselves rich. It's amazing to me that some of the members of the UN, especially those from Africa and the Middle East, are lock step with Kerry-well actually it really isn't a surprise. After all, genocide, racial cleansing, and harboring terrorists are allowed in their countries, but the US retaliating against anyone is not to be tolerated.

Here's a story for you, not often published.

**Gilbert Tuhabonye was born on November 22, 1974, in the southern county of Songa in Burundi, a small mountainous country in east central Africa. He is the third of four children. His parents were part of the Tutsi tribe and were farmers by profession. They kept milk cows and raised potatoes, peas, corn and beans.

His love of running was forged early. Gilbert loved to run everywhere. He ran to the valley's edge to get water for his family. He ran to school, five miles away, and he loved to race his friends. His favorite thing to do was to chase his family's cows. He was baptized as a Catholic in the sixth grade and moved 150 miles away the next year to board at a Protestant school in Kibimba.

While attending the Kibimba School, Gilbert began running competitively. Running barefoot, he won an 8K race while only a freshman. As a sophomore, he met a man who taught him how to change his running technique by getting his knees up and holding his arms correctly. The coach encouraged him to work hard and try for the Olympics. Gilbert became national champion in the 400 and 800 meters as an 11th grader. As a senior, Gilbert was already an extraordinary runner whose goal was to get a scholarship to an American school, get an education and return home to Burundi. Fate had another plan for Gilbert.

On October 21, 1993, the centuries-old war between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes erupted in horrific reality one afternoon as Gilbert and his classmates were in school. The Hutu classmates at the Kibimba school, their parents, some teachers and other Hutu tribesmen, forced more than a hundred Tutsi children and teachers into a room where they beat and burned them to death. After nine hours of being buried by the corpses of his beloved friends, and himself on fire, Gilbert used the charred bone of one of his classmates to break through a window. He jumped free of the burning building and ran into the night, on charred feet, the sole survivor of one of the most horrible massacres in the long Tutsi-Hutu war. He ran from that horror into a new life.

Now, 10 years later and more than 8,000 miles from Burundi, Gilbert Tuhabonye is a celebrity in the world of running. He went on to graduate college at Abilene Christian University where, despite being covered with scar tissue from his extensive burns, he was a national champion runner. He is now, by all accounts, the most popular running coach in Austin, Texas, where he and his wife, Triphine and daughter Emma live. Gilbert coaches runners at Run Tex in Austin where they call themselves Gilbert's Gazelles.**

Yes, as you can see, the UN has done so much to help the folks of Africa, but we don't sign the Kyoto Treaty or retaliate, and these same folks that are allowed to kill each other under the watchful eye of the UN cry, "Foul!" Funny that there is now more woodland area in the US than in Africa. Yep, we would be in good hands with the UN.

We heard all kind of grades about the first 100 days for the new Mayor. Our buddy Walter "Vote for me you fools" Griffith gave the Mayor a grade of ZZ-. These types of comments, and comment in Sayso, are coming from people that can't even pay off their credit card bills in 100 days let alone have to worry about 20 million in debt from eight years of neglect. Get a life, better yet, get a job. Arrogant, ignorant, and lazy.

How about the pro-abortion march? Marching for abortion rights. I thought it was already legal. Did anyone catch David Limbaugh's column. Here are a few snippets.

**A pro-abortion marcher in Washington on Sunday said, "I just had to be here to fight for the next generation and the generation after that." I'd like to ask her which generation aborted babies belong to.** Can you imagine this? Fighting for the next generation-abortion-the next generation-abortion. What's wrong with this picture?

**Actress Lynda Carter said, "There is a religious and moral superiority and arrogance that so many, not all, Republicans have. It is the ultimate intrusion by government to tell a woman when she can have children, if she has them at all."** Does anyone know a pro-lifer that is trying to tell a woman WHEN she can have kids? And this statement points out their hypocrisy. You see, being pro-abortion is not about a woman's health. It is about the convenience of having a baby. It's convenient to have sex any time you want, with who you want. But if it's not convenient to deal with the potential results of that sex-so, just remove the result.

A human being is a human being no matter what stage of development it is in. This is why you will never hear a pro-abortion person say the words "human being." It is always fetus or cell mass or whatever word floats their boat at the time.

**Gloria Feldt, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America said, "Anti-choice extremists are not just against abortion -- they also oppose contraception and comprehensive medically accurate sex education."** Another great lie. And this from a company that would be better served being called Planned Abortion. Again, the term "Planned" is used to describe the ability to make the choice to have sex, but not the choice to deal with the potential result. If the kid wasn't planned-scrap it. I know folks that will forever be scarred to their core because of a decision they made-the scrap it choice. It tears at their soul and interrupts their faith and walk with God. And how about the words "anti-choice extremists." Another name for me. I guess that would make her an "anti-life extremist." Cool. I can live with that.

And as far as opposing sex education and contraception, pro-lifers are all for that, even very religious one's. We have done nothing but increase sex education and expand its introduction down to kids in second grade. Mad Maxine (Waters) wanted to extend it to kids that are five years old. This gives new meaning to Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. I guess these days it could be Mr. And Mr. Potato Head or Mrs. And Mrs. Potato Head. The part she really got wrong was that the pro-life crowd also wants to include abstinence in with the education package. You know, every person that has ever tried abstinence has been 100% successful in not getting pregnant. Wow. Imagine that. Not to mention the positive impact it can have on eliminating the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Education great; contraception, okay, but not fail-safe; abstinence, 100% results. Why is Planned Parenthood so reluctant to first, tell the truth about the failures of abortion and contraception, and second, to offer abstinence as another choice?

We also got Elton John calling "American Idol" racist. Let's see: A black man, a Latino woman, and a white guy. Don't lefties like Elton always say that minorities can't be racists? I guess he was probably pointing the finger at Simon. But like Elton, isn't Simon European? I think so. I know what it is. Sorry it took so long. It's the word "American" in the title. How stupid of me. Of course that word automatically implies "evil white guy," so of course the show is racist. See folks, I am figuring it out.

Hey, how about those Pioneers. Man what a good team this year. I have been a season ticket holder since the beginning and this team is really good. Not to mention the fact that Kim Martucci sits right behind me a few rows. Get out there and support the team! It's inexpensive and fun.

Hey, how about those Steelers. Man what absolute luck. Big Ben still available at pick number 11. Great news. And the Steelers, after years of passing over lots of quarterbacks (can you say Dan Marino), finally realized they need a guy for the future. I think Rivers might be up the learning curve a bit simply because of the program he came out of, but I think Big Ben has better skills.

Hey, thanks to the big guy, no, the really big guy, Skrep, who was kind enough to come down to the opening day ceremonies for the Northwest Little League. He threw out the first pitch, a strike. Then he threw out the second pitch, underhanded, softball style-low and away. He gave a nice talk as well as to the importance of sports in his life, his learnings, and encouraged the kids and thanked the parents. A class act all the way. Thanks Skrep.

The kids did well at the Pinewood Derby. We got a first, a second, and a third. The first was for design. My daughter actually won second for speed, but they give out the highest award won, which was first for design. That way, no kid can win more than one trophy. Spread it around-good idea.

As always, Keep the Faith.
Private Sector Dude.