TAKING A SECOND LOOK, ON SEPTEMBER 18

HOLLYWOOD & THE CHECKOUT COUNTERS AGREE WE'RE IN BIG TROUBLE!

Two parallel events with parallels message: This week's International Film Festival in Toronto and this week's latest delivery of celebrity magazines to the local supermarkets...!

Oh, you don't see the connection? Well, let me elucidate. A large segment of the new films up there have a decidedly apocalyptic undertone. Dark themes about dark times. Doomed people operating in doomed situations, reflecting America's zeitgeist panting to maintain its moral equilibrium. Anger, divisiveness and existential bitterness all explode on the screen.

It makes some of us recall the divisive bitterness of the late 60s -- anti-war, anti-black, anti-government. The body politic was wrenched during this era of dissent. Sometimes into progress, often into bloodshed. To listen to many of today's angry cablecasters, bloggers, congressmen and organized dissenters, our country is plunging leaderless into an age of authoritarianism (defined as socialism, fascism or madness, depending on the day of the week).

If they're still writing histories a hundred years from now, the historians may sort this all out. Much like they have with other decidedly chaotic presidencies such as Jackson, Lincoln, FDR and Truman. On the other hand, if you scan these supermarket magazines, you may wonder if they're not already reflecting the historical judgment. Behold -- today's pop role-models in various splashy stages of exhibitionism, drug abuse, mate- swapping, sex orgies, and tummy tucks, all spiced with vacuous quotes from vacuous people explaining which latest herb or husband has just brought them eternal serenity.

From Toronto to the checkout -- things here aren't looking good these days! But not to worry -- gun sales have never been better!

LOOKS LIKE GOD IS IN TROUBLE AGAIN.....

While our times seem furiously stirred by do-it-yourself controversies from quarterbacks to death
panels, there really are matters that matter. For instance: Is all this sound and fury in the capricious hands of evolution or in the caring hands of God....?

Two new books try grappling with this question. Well, neither one is a flashy tell-all memoir by some disgraced official, but it still strikes me their concerns are concerning. If not now, they will be whenever we find ourselves in a hospital or at a cemetery where you can't be as easily distracted by the minutiae of your times.

Today's lion of atheism -- Professor Richard Dawkins -- has just authored "The Greatest Show on Earth" in which he carries on his hubristic campaign to make God irrelevant to our lives. A religious scholar -- Karen Armstrong -- has authored "The Case for God." They come at this question from decidedly different vantage points.

You'll have to decide for yourself their merits on their merits. But given the authors' past records, here's what they may be once more saying. Dawkins: We can only understand what we can understand. In other words, if the rational mind can't conceive and demonstrate a God, then God is impossible, and Evolution is its replacement. Armstrong: The history of religions demonstrate that God is not something facilely found with the rational mind and its words alone. God can ultimately be found mainly with mythos not logos!

In a twittering age, these two authors may not get tweeted very much. Too bad. Somewhere within the dynamics of their debate rests what will really matter to each of us. Considerably after quarterbacks, death panels, and gotcha journalism will have lost their salt and their relevance.

A LITTLE MORE HONESTY ABOUT OURSELVES MIGHT HELP THE DEBATES

Ever since Americans over-threw King George III, we've had this angry anti-government DNA. The Constitution reflects this with its limitations on governmental powers. However...!

However, while this systemic suspicion rages whenever it's tweaked, our history suggests sociologists and psychologists more than constitutionalists may have something to say here. It might be useful to put aside the instant and lurid tales about "government graft, corruption and inefficiency," because they apply to private enterprise as well as public. That's a human problem more than a government problem.

Instead, it might be useful to listen to the socio-psychological case that suggests the teacher/student, boss/employee syndrome.That's the one most of us suffer from be we Democrat or Republican, white or black, rich or poor. Lets face it - we simply don't like anyone telling anyone what to do. Unless, perhaps, we're the ones telling!

Now...! If we could start with this simple, verifiable assumption about ourselves -- well, our arguments just might become a little more honest. A small thought for a very large problem....