Motown Strong: God Works In Mysterious Ways

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

God Works In Mysterious Ways

THE FINE FIVE:

(1) This image of Pluto, taken earlier today as part of NASA's New Horizons probe, is (I am sure) the new wallpaper for thousands, maybe millions, of computers, smart phones, and tablets across the globe. Not bad for a 9 1/2 year (so far) journey that has boldly gone where no spacecraft has gone before. What's also cool (as if the image alone wasn't cool enough) is that NASA scientists now have a better grasp on the size and makeup up the dwarf planet; at 1,473 miles in diameter, it's somewhat larger than initially estimated, and its density is somewhat lower than previously though.

(2) I have concerns over the United States' nuclear program development deal with Iran. Thomas L. Friedman outlined several of the pro-con arguments in March; these are still valid today, and really don't even address the elephant in the room: U.S.-Israel relations, which have never been very solid under the Obama Administration. Obama, naturally, lauds the deal; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls it "a historic mistake," and contends Iran cannot be trusted with any sort of nuclear program, and says Tehran must be made to stop supporting militancy throughout the region. The Times of Israel published a list of 16 reasons why the deal is a "win" for Iran and a "loss" for Western civilization, and it's hard for me not to agree with everything listed. The devil is in the details; the agreement does not include anytime, anywhere inspections to verify compliance. Without these inspections that give instant access to all possible nuclear sites in Iran, the world can't verify whether Iran is actually complying with the deal. Without anytime, anywhere inspections, we are going to have to rely on promises and smiles. I agree that sanctions do not, have not, and will not work - ever. We've seen that with sanctions placed on other nations throughout history. But pledging to lift an arms embargo on the world's foremost state sponsor of terror under the very loose terms of this agreement is beyond insane. Iran is not only guilty of trying to get a nuke, they have the blood of hundreds if not thousands of terror victims on their hands. I hope Congress shoots this deal down, but don't have much faith in our Washington politicians, either. And if Congress fails to do this ... I really hope this deal works out for Israel and the world. Be nervous, people ... be very, very nervous.

(3) And of course, we saw how well this idea worked with North Korea in October 1994 ...

(4) But U.S. action in the Middle East wouldn't be complete without pondering how much this will reduce fuel costs. It's estimated that the cost at the pump could drop to around $2 per gallon by the holiday season, thanks to the influx of oil Iran could provide to U.S. oil companies.

(5) Tonight's Major League Baseball All-Star Game took place in Cincinnati, where hometown fans loved them some Pete Rose. But all that love ain't gonna get him into the Baseball Hall of Fame any time soon (and by "any time soon" I clearly mean "infinity and a day"). I wrote about this back in July 1990 whilst a reporter/photographer/columnist for the Ogemaw County Herald in West Branch, Michigan. His chances were dead some 25 years ago when I wrote those comments; no way in hell that's changed with his actual admittance to doing the dirty deed and additional evidence being discovered he bet on baseball while still playing the game. One of the election rules for Baseball Writers of America voters to consider is, "Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played." I'm pretty sure that whole "integrity" and "character" thing will continue to be a thorn in Rose's side.

FOODERCIZE:

Weight: 246

Steps Taken: 2,438

Miles Walked: 1.10

CAMPAIGN 2016 NEWS OF THE DAY:

From Right Wing Watch: "Scott Walker Says His Presidential Bid Is 'God's Plan'" - I'm pretty sure a bunch of GOP candidates claimed their God encouraged them to run in 2012, and none of them won. Then again, God does work in mysterious ways ...