Ever since that little mongrel in North Korea shot off his mini-nuke, there has been prolonged debate and innuendo about what it really was that exploded over there.

First, it was a nuke. Then it was a hoax, a conventional explosion. Then it was a dud.

The only dud in all this is the media for allowing itself to be strung out.

The coverage continues onward and will, you can bet, until the elections are over.

This administration knows exactly what went on over there. It also knows that by sending Condi Rice to China and Russia, it is choreographing all the right moves to appease the world and make the proper superficial diplomatic outreach.

However, Rice's trip to China and Russia is a sham. Does anybody really expect it to bear fruit? If so, I have some beachfront property for sale here in St. George I think you'd be interested in.

We cannot embrace a six-party summit on this issue. A real meeting between China, Russia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan and the United States, where everybody lays their true cards on the table, would result in more hostilities. Japan and the U.S. are the hardliners on one side, North Korea, China and Russia the hardliners on the other, with South Korea stuck in a woeful No-man's Land.

Rice's shuttle diplomacy efforts amount to nothing more than tripe and a reason, aha! to continue the nuclear discussion in a fearful direction. The crisis will continue as an effort to guide voters back to the Republicans who are, as the popular lie goes, the vanguard of defense of this country's principles and freedoms, ultimately securing their case to develop more new and terrible nuclear weapons.

This time, there really are WMDs. This time, there really is a threat. This time, there is a real coalition of the willing.

Let's not allow arrogance to blind us. And, for all our sake, let's not politicize this growing crisis.

Posted by Ed Kociela at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBacks ( 0 )

For a change of on-track pace, we saw a pretty amazing race at the UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega on Sunday. The newly-paved track was a sight to behold and the racing groove wasn't in its usual place. Shock of shocks, the leaders were riding near the wall as opposed to the bottom of the track.
There weren't many yellow flags - only six over 188 laps - and only three of the flags involved wrecks, including a 13-car Big One on Lap 139.
But the last yellow came out on the last lap. It should never have happened.
As a result, Brian Vickers' first NASCAR Nextel Cup win rings as hollow as a restrictor plate.

As I sat at home watching with anticipation, the three-car battle that unfolded between Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Vickers, and his soon-to-be-former teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, Jimmie Johnson was a marvel. No one taking real risks, but the drivers know what's involved in the insane speeds that exist on Talladega's 33-degree banks.
Then came the final lap. It was time to go for Johnson and Vickers. They waited until they reached the backstretch.
Only Vickers waited just a beat too long to execute the bump draft he claims he was trying to do. The resulting wreck knocked out Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. and gave Vickers a win only he and his crew were celebrating.
Phooey. Shame. Vickers said his move wasn't intentional. What a ridiculous joke.
I was having visions of what Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth pulled off at Dover two weeks prior. For 25 laps, the pair raced each other like there was no tomorrow, with Burton desperately trying to pick up his first win in nearly five years and Kenseth trying to simply hold on with the No. 31 breathing down his back bumper like a wild bull on Sunoco racing fuel.
Although Kenseth eventually gave up the lead and ran out of gas with two laps left, I was impressed. It was real racing that was a lot of fun to watch.
On Sunday, I got a complete dud.
Thanks, Brian. May you choke on the trophy - if Johnson doesn't choke you first.

Posted by Tom Zulewski at 05:38 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBacks ( 0 )

Today's report about a spike in heroin use among the young people of Washington County is shocking.

If that's happening here, in one of the most orderly corners of the country, what's going on in urban America?

I shudder to think.

It's time to get a new strategy for this nation's floundering War on Drugs.

It's becoming clear that the gateway drugs are not the illicit substances being smuggled into the country. They are coming from the medicine cabinet.

Lortab, Oxycontin and Vicodin are the entryway to addiction for our young people.

The government needs to rethink things and quickly. Enforcement doesn't seem to be doing the job, perhaps educational efforts will. It certainly has worked in getting kids away from cigarettes as fewer and fewer choose to use tobacco. It's sensible, honest and, apparently, working.

It's time to rework this system.

First, emphasis should be rooted in the realities.

It is clearly shown that marijuana is much less of a danger than tobacco and alcohol. It's psychologically addicting, but so is chocolate. Instead of wasting time by making criminals out of casual pot smokers or those who use it for medicinal purposes -- yes, it has many -- it's time to legalize it. It would provide a healthy tax base that could be turned around and invested in a realistic educational program. And, as we are seeing, it is no longer the gateway drug we have believed it to be for so long.

It is clearly shown that methamphetamines are the most insidious drugs on the black market. They're cheap to produce and purchase. They ruin lives. Emphasis should be placed on removing all types of speed. The addictive properties are fierce and lingering.

It is clearly shown that opiates are a danger. They have high addictive properties -- whether they are prescription medications or back-alley recreational drugs. The problem, of course, is that there's nothing recreational about addiction where the next score is more important than paying the rent.

The recidivism rate of those who go through rehab is disappointingly low. More programs, more educational efforts and more medical treatment will help prevent the abuses and give support to those who wish to kick.

And, while we're at it, let's also do something about one of the most dangerous drugs out there: alcohol. The physical, mental and emotional damage from drinking perfectly legal, but potentially lethal, alcoholic beverages is more widespread than any of the other abuses going on.

No, I'm not for alcohol prohibition, just a realistic attitude toward how dangerous it really is. Ask any cop and they'll tell you they'd much rather deal with a pot smoker than a drunk.

Controversial? Of course.

Bold? Absolutely.

Sensible? It's difficult to argue with facts.

Posted by Ed Kociela at 09:03 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 ) | TrackBacks ( 0 )

My heart literally sunk and my stomach churned at the images of a burning apartment building in New York. It was reminiscent of five years ago, when I instantly feared for my children’s future and shed uncontrollable tears for innocent civilians and emergency workers who lost their lives in the worst terrorist attacks ever to hit American soil. The world changed on 9/11. I changed.

Learning that a small aircraft had crashed into a high rise in the Big Apple today at 2:45 p.m. (EST) was a scare, but my hardened heart from past wounds was not so much as in shock as it was angry that once again America was targeted – or was it?

The FBI said there's no indication that the plane was flown intentionally into the 50-story building, although federal agents were sent to the scene. The Pentagon didn’t take any chances. Fighter jets scrambled over U.S. cities as a precaution.

Later this afternoon, the pilot of the plane was revealed. I felt sorrow for the loss of New York Yankee’s pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor who died in what appears to be an accident. I also felt guilt for being angry. I’m probably not the only one to question the images flashed across the TV screen, Internet and on the news wires for print media as another terrorist attack. Especially since the U.S. is at a crossroads with North Korea and their nuclear tests while still being entrenched in wars abroad.

The guilt comes from the lack of trust I have in our government and its ability to protect its citizens. I’ve realized from this unfortunate incident that I’ve acquired skepticism and disbelief over the years since 9/11 that homeland security is effective and useful. I’ve never been this insecure before, but I have no comfort in the protective arms of the FBI, CIA, homeland security and federal government.

I want to regain that sense of security I once had. However, after attending the debate between Sen. Orrin Hatch and Democrat candidate Pete Ashdown, I’m not so sure that will ever happen again. Both men seemed passionate about serving the American people, but both men did not give me any assurance that the future would hold any less vice.

The challenges are getting more cumbersome and complex. I feel hopeless. What can I do? It’s a sad day for baseball. It’s a tragic day New York. In my own little microcosm here in Southern Utah, I’m devastated by the fact that I’m not the same person I once was, full of hope and optimism. I’m cynical and suspicious. That makes me angry. That’s why I’m expelling that negative energy out in this blog. Any one care to join me?

Posted by Jennifer Weaver at 05:33 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBacks ( 0 )

I've lived in Cedar City for 15 months now and I'm about to say something I have never said until now: I'm proud of the Iron County Commission.

At its Monday meeting, the commissioners decided not to reappoint four members to the controversial Central Iron County Water Conservancy District board.

It's about time that this board, which consists of too many good 'ol boys, was broken up. They've served the longest four-year terms in the history of politics, and a facelift will do nothing but send a positive message to the hundreds of angry residents who have hurled rocks at the board for the past several months.

While I applaud the commissioners, their work is not done. I hope the commissioners will make every effort to talk with local folks about their concerns AND communicate with the remaining water board members to gather their input and to ensure a smooth transition.

I've always believed that change is a good thing. In this case, however, I believe change is a GREAT thing.

Nice work, commissioners.

Posted by Steve Kiggins at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBacks ( 0 )

Every election year, the most popular topic of conversation stems from discussion of how "the good ol' boys" control everything.

Who are these guys and what kind of power do they hold?

Are they the "ins?" Are they forces behind the scenes pulling the strings?

What makes them "good," are all of them "old" and are all of them "boys?"

Or, is it simply sour grapes among the "outs?"

I can never really figure it out. I know that during my 10 years in Cedar City, all I heard about was how the "good ol' boys" ran everything, how so-and-so really runs: a.) the university; b.) the city; c.) the economic structure; or d.) all of the above.

I heard about illegal meetings held in places other than city hall, but nobody knew exactly where. Either that, or they were too afraid to talk publicly.

I heard about connections that go back more than a century between kith and kin that seemed odd. Again, you could never get beyond the surface.

Until the Dennis Stowell controversy erupted in Iron County, I had heard how deals were made among local politicians that seemed a bit far-fetched. That one, however, has taken on some credence.

But, I was also told once that because I am a "move-in," nobody would ever let me in on what really takes place behind the scenes. It made me feel like I was trying to unlock the secrets of Area 51, which, we all know doesn't exist (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).

So, if you want to talk about the "good ol' boys," please indulge those of us who aren't insiders with a little more than rumor.

Posted by Ed Kociela at 09:08 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 ) | TrackBacks ( 0 )

Florida Atlantic Week: News and Notes

SUU plays its first I-A team in three years when the school takes on Florida Atlantic this Thursday.
Not only is it a chance for the T-Birds to get some national exposure on a nontraditional college footbal night, but SUU desperately needs a win after heart-breaking losses to Cal Poly and McNeese State the past two weeks.

Can the T-Birds win? Absolutely, but they've got to get a handle on turnovers. Nine turnovers in two games is unbelievable and impossible to win with.

Props to Johnny Sanchez for a great effort in Louisiana on Saturday. Sanchez's 161 yards rushing was the best running effort by a T-Bird in four years. Sanchez was named Great West Offensive Player of the week for his performance.

You hate to talk about moral victories at the college level, but you've got to like how SUU came back from a 17-0 deficit to briefly take the lead in the fourth quarter against the Cowboys. On that same note, it's bothersome the T-Birds haven't found a way to win the close one on the road yet.

He hasn't received a lot of press (I'm pretty much the only one to blame on that front) but Joey Hew Len is quietly having a great year. The senior receiver caught his sixth and seventh touchdown receptions of the season agaisnt the Cowboys. That puts him in a six-way tie for the third-best mark in SUU history. Bob Stockley holds the T-Bird recored with nine TD catches during the 1990 season.

Posted by Beau Eastes at 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBacks ( 0 )

Though the T-Bird football team will be in Florida on Thursday, there is plenty going on for SUU fans in Cedar City this weekend.

Hoops fans finally get their wish as the T-Birds officially open basketball practices. The men will open at 7 p.m. on Friday.

The women, meanwhile, will have their first practice under new head coach Steve Hodson on Saturday morning.

Cross country has a busy weekend. The top men's runners will be at prenationals in Indiana, while the the team has its only home meet of the season. The event will be at Cedar Ridge Golf Course, with the women's race starting at 9 a.m. and the men at 9:45.

New SUU career leading scorer Brooklyn Phillips and the T-Bird soccer team is off this weekend but plays host to Oakland in a pivotal Mid-Continent Conference matchup on Monday. SUU can clinch its second straight Mid-Con tourney appearance with a win.

The rodeo club will play host to the Thunderbird Stampede on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 6 p.m. at Cross Hollows Events Center. Teams from all over the Rocky Mountain Region wil compete, including in-state rivals Salt Lake Community College, Weber State, Utah Valley State, Utah State and Dixie State.

Posted by Rich Johnson at 02:22 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBacks ( 0 )