HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! GOOD-BYE 2008, HELLO 2009!!!

AULD LANG SYNE - FROM "THE BOSS" AND THE E-STREET BAND


It's that time of year. Ring out the old year and bring in the new year, full of hope and promise. Time to think about resolutions to be made for the new year. What kind of changes can we make to bring about positive change in our lives and those around us?

I don't mind seeking advice from minds greater than mine, so here it goes. First from one of my favorite organizations, Character Counts.
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http://charactercounts.org/michael/2008/12/

The key to a better life: Complain less, appreciate more. Whine less, laugh more. Talk less, listen more. Want less, give more. Hate less, love more. Scold less, praise more. Fear less, hope more.
– Michael Josephson

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man.
– Benjamin Franklin, Founding Father (1706-1790)

Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.
– Mark Twain, author, humorist (1835-1910)

A Flower unblown,
A Book unread,
A Tree with fruit unharvested
A Path untrod,
A House whose rooms lack yet the heart’s divine perfumes.
This is the Year that for you waits
Beyond tomorrow’s mystic gates.
– Horatio Nelson Powers, poet (1826-1890)
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I especially like the first one from Michael Josephson, the founder of The Josephson Institute and Character Counts.

These guidelines come fairly very close to from Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of the spirit.

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!"


Our pastors wife breaks these qualities down into an easy to remember phrase, "One (1 syllable) Package (P-K-G) of Figs (F-G-S)".

The first three qualities (Love, Joy and Peace) are one syllable each.

P-K-G or "package" represents Patience, Kindness and Goodness. All are two syllable words.

F-G-S or "figs" represents faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. All are three syllable words.

PRETTY COOL, HUH?

This makes these qualities easy to remember and easy to implement in our daily lives. And if you don't get them all or practice them all the time, fret not, the Mark Twain cynical quote above notwithstanding, we're all works in progress. It's all about redemption.

The other two I might add to my own personal list is to:

Resolve not to let money master me, but I will turn to the Master with my money.

Especially after the cataclysmic events in the financial world these days, it's easy to see how fleeting some of the things we treasure can really be.

Resolve to open my eyes more to the opportunities to care for the world.

Especially those less fortunate. It's hard to conceive when we're going through hard times that there are others going through even greater challenges and difficulties. Perspective can be important during challenging times such as this.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

WHERE DO THE GIANTS GO FROM HERE?

Now that the smoke has cleared from the initial free-agent signing blitz and the Rule 5 Draft has been completed, where do the Giants currently stand going into next year and how can they improve their chances before spring training?

The rapid-fire signings of Jeremy Affeldt, Edgar Renteria and Randy Johnson plugged some obvious weak spots, but many remain. First base, Third base and Second base are still question marks. Geez, that's all of the bases!!! At best, we have elevated to a team that may challenge the .500 mark. That leaves fans hoping that like last year, .500 is good enough to challenge for the division crown. Maybe GM Brian Sabean should set his sights a little higher.

The Rule 5 Draft cleared a few items up. First, what was gained. The Giants picked RHP Luis Perdomo from the Cardinals in the Major League phase of the draft, which means Perdomo has to be on the roster next year. He's a 25 year old relief pitcher, 6-0, 170 lbs. with a reported 93-94 MPH fastball and a "dastardly" slider according to Baseball America that allowed him to hold RH hitters to .153 average in the minors last year. A situational reliever. Maybe means bye-bye to Kevin Correia, Merkin Valdez or Jack Taschner.

The Giants lost OF Ben Copeland to the A's in the Major League phase. He was a AA player at Connecticut who was dropping off the radar as a prospect due to his age (25). They lost C Elio Sarmiento to Texas and 2B Kyle Haines to Philadelphia in the AAA phase. Not a highly rated prospect in the bunch.

The Giants did not lose 3B Jesus Guzman (24), recently acquired from the A's, after knocking around the last couple of years in AA with the A's and Mariners. Guzman's bat has blossomed in Venezuela this winter enough to attract other teams attention as a Rule 5 prospect. The fact that he was not snatched may indicate that his recent development is considered a bit of an anomaly, but he should replace 3B Ryan Rohlinger as a challenger to either Conor Gilaspie or Pablo Sandoval at third base.

As for the current roster and positions, here's my current take:

Starting Pitching: STRENGTH
Lincecum, Cain, Randy Johnson and Barry Zito backed up by the pick a lefty combo of Noah Lowry and Johnathan Sanchez (loser traded?)

No need to look at RHP Paul Byrd as an option anymore.

Relief Pitching: STRENGTH
Brian Wilson as the closer, backed by Affeldt, Bobby Howry, Sergio Romo, Alex Hinshaw and Perdomo with Taschner, Valdez and Correia looking for new addresses.

Affeldt signing removes LHP Will Ohlman as a free-agent to look at. If closer were an issue Jason Isringhausen and maybe Trevor Hoffman would be options, but too pricey given the mileage IMO. Howry removes Braden Looper as a potential signee.

CATCHING: STRENGTH
Either Molina and Sandoval split duties (close to ideal) or Buster Posey proves he is the real deal in spring training and forces a Molina trade (be still my heart <3). I think we are OK here going forward.

INFIELD: NIGHTMARISH
The signing of Edgar Renteria takes care of the need at SS. I could live with the winner of Eugenio Velez and Manny Burris at 2B (both are switch hitters) with Kevin Frandsen maybe in the mix as well. Unless Conor Gilaspie is the REAL DEAL at 3B, this is a problem. I'd settle for the second coming of Bill Mueller or even Al Gallagher at this point. Guzman and possibly Sandoval or Frandesen could compete here as well. I'm rooting for Gilaspie on the basis of upside. First base will be a glorious competition between Travis Ishakawa, Sandoval, John Bowker and journeyman Josh Phelps (that's how bad it is).

Signing Joe Crede would help 3B for now, but would delay Gilaspie's development. Sean Casey might help at 1B or Erik Hinske. Pat Burrell could help either at 1B-3B or LF. Hinske is a flex player as well.

OUTFIELD: SOMNOLENT
Freddie Lewis in LF, Aaron Rowand fixed in CF and Randy Winn in RF with Nate Schierholtz competing for a starting spot in right or left and Dave Roberts cashing $6.5M per to backup. Between his salary and Zito's $14.5M, we're paying $21M in salary to guys who suck and are living off their glory days.

Burrell in LF would be an improvement. Bobby Abreu will likely end up elsewhere. Eric Hinske would be the economic option. Burrell and Abreu would lend some credibility to the worst OF group in MLB.

Well, there you go. Get to work Mr. Sabean, the clock is ticking. It won't be long until we hear those magic words, "Pitchers and Catchers Report".

MERRY CHRISTMAS - SILENT NIGHT

STEVIE NICKS SINGS "SILENT NIGHT"

If there is a song that better epitomizes the season, I'd like to know what it is.
And if there is a better rendition of a Christmas Carol anywhere, I'd like to hear it. If this song is indeed "The Song from Heaven" as it was once called, then this is as close as we will all get to hearing an angel singing it while we are still here on earth.

The birth of a new consciousness through a Holy infant child.
Keep Christ in Christmas.
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While the mainstream media and the financial press will focus on the affect of the economic mess on the retailers--the impact on the mall--this Christmas, there are some stories that show that contrary to what you may hear, this in fact be one of the best Christmas seasons ever.

How so?

The Daily Herald's Harry Hitzeman reports that locally "the Elgin Salvation Army was predicting gloom and doom this month and early next year as the number of families in need grew and the agency's food supply dwindled."

The groups 2008 Christmas Campaign goal was a lofty $175,000. Given the recent economic data, this goal seemed insurmountable. But a Christmas miracle happened and shoppers who were spending less on gifts and presents dug down deep to help those less fortunate.

As of December 24th the group collected $183,000, nearly 20% more than 2007's total of $153,709.

This happened even though the number of large donors (checks of over $1,000) dwindled compared to last year. The number of smaller donations increased significantly however.

That's simply amazing to think about. Those that have less, gave more.

The number of families requesting assistance grew from less than 1,000 last year to over 1,700. Major Ken Nicolai of the Salvation Army said the surge in donation will allow the organization to aid those in need without turning anyone away for a few months.

Truly a Christmas miracle and an example of what can happen when we Keep Christ in Christmas.
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For a more powerful example from history, I don't think you could top the story of the "Christmas Truce" from World War I.

Our church's senior pastor, James L. Nicodem, told the story at our Christmas service and I couldn't believe it.
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FROM WIKIPEDIA:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce

The "Christmas truce" is a term used to describe several brief unofficial cessations of hostilities that occurred on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day between German and British or French troops in World War I, particularly that between British and German troops stationed along the Western Front during Christmas 1914. In 1915 there was a similar Christmas truce between German and French troops, and during Easter 1916 a truce also existed on the Eastern Front.
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FROM THE AMERICAN STORYTELLER:

Listen to free mp3 stories by The American Storyteller!

http://www.theamericanstoryteller.com/story-details.cfm?story=116

.....The war had started several years before the American entrance, 1914 to be exact. And at the onset, both sides confidently predicted, even promised, there victorious soldiers would be home with their families by Christmas. Before this four year bloodbath would end, nine million men would die.

Soldiers on both sides must have been lamenting that broken promise as the held their positions in the muddy trenches that had frozen solid there on Christmas Eve 1914. British soldiers could hear it coming from the German lines. They didn't recognize the words "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht" but the melody was recognizable.

The Brits looked through their field glasses and could see the enemy soldiers holding up pine trees illuminated with lanterns, dancing out in the open where they could easily be shot. The British soldiers could hardly believe what they were seeing and hearing. They put down their weapons. Slowly and cautiously, only and a few at first, crawled out of their British trenches. Then more and more would put down their weapons. Both sides were now walking for the middle ground with the British soldiers joining the song in English, "Silent night, Holy night."

With some immediate trepidation, the enemy lines moved closer and closer. They reached out their hands, wide eyed and curious, greeting one another with Christmas cheer. Soon both sides worked to find whatever they could, erecting a bon fire. Men sat around it exchanging gifts: candy bars, rations, buttons, badges, whatever they could find in their meager belongings men, who only an hour earlier, were trying to kill one another.

Many of the Germans spoke perfect English. Most of the conversations were about how everyone just wished this war could end and all could go home to their wives and children, back to those simple days filled with hopes and dreams. Their once boring, mundane lives now seemed like a Utopian fantasy.

Finally, after a few hours of camaraderie and laughter and good fun, the unofficial truce would end. The commanding officers from both sides stood respectfully and saluted one another. The soldiers returned to their trenches, and the bloody business of killing one another would begin again.
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CROSS PLACED AT THE SITE OF THE "CHRISTMAS TRUCE"

from the Wikipedia story the caption reads:
A cross, left near Ypres in Belgium in 1999, to commemorate the site of the Christmas Truce in 1914. The text reads 1914
The Khaki Chum's Christmas Truce
1999
85 Years
Lest We Forget.
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Keep Christ in Christmas - Keep the Christmas spirit in your hearts 365 days of the year instead of just one day....one week...one month.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

GIANTS ADD THE BIG UNIT

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FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS:
Adding one of the most prolific pitchers in Major League history, the San Francisco Giants have signed free agent left-hander Randy Johnson to a one-year contract, club Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Sabean announced today.

Randy Johnson and the Giants reportedly agreed to an $8 million, one-year contract, allowing The Unit to go for his 300th win with a new team.

"We are extremely excited to bring Randy Johnson to the Giants organization," said Sabean. "Randy continues to be one of the most intimidating and competitive pitchers in baseball today. He commands respect and will have a dramatic influence on the way the 2009 team conducts business."

The five-time Cy Young Award winner has 295 victories after going 11-10 with a 3.91 ERA in 30 starts last season. He can earn an additional $5 million in performance bonuses.

The Giants offered several things on Johnson's wish list: spring training in the Phoenix area, and a chance to stay on the West Coast and in the NL West so he can pitch near his current home in Arizona.
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This gives the Gigantes Randy Johnson, Barry Zito, Jonathan Sanchez and Noah Lowry as starting pitchers from the left side. If Lowry proves that he is healthy, it seems like he would be the most likely to be traded. Sanchez is probably more in demand of the two however. It seems like the Giants have much in terms of quantity of left-handers, but one or more of the group will have to step up and prove that they have some quality from that side as well.

TEBOW RISES ABOVE THE REST

This kid just gets it. He understands his role as an athlete, a role model and more importantly, as a human being. Humanitarian work in the Philippines? Spending time with inmates and orphans? Not on the resume of your typical college athlete.

Maybe he'll have a nice set of Heisman trophy bookends in the near future as well.
He deserves it.
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http://www.tampabay.com/sports/college/article934989.ece

The Florida junior quarterback repeated as the Maxwell Award winner for the nation's best all-around football player and joined Notre Dame's Johnny Lattner (1952, 1953) as the only two-time winners.

But it was the Disney Spirit Award he received that moved Tebow most. He and his family were the subject of the evening's most emotional moment when Tebow was recognized for his humanitarian work in the Philippines and his countless hours spent sharing the Gospel with inmates and orphans.

"This means a lot, especially for me it means more than winning the Heisman or those (other) awards because it's about what I do off the field, and that's more important," Tebow, 21, said.

The Disney Spirit Award is given annually to college football's most inspirational figure. Tebow said after receiving the award that he sometimes feels the pressure of being a role model, but he welcomes it.

"There are so many athletes today that say, 'I'm not a role model, I'm not a role model,' and they make so many excuses," Tebow said. "Well, whether you like it or not, you are a role model. You're either a good one or a bad one, and unfortunately most of them are bad role models today. For me, I just want to be a good role model, like Danny Wuerffel was for me and several other guys that I looked up to. I want to be someone that kids can look up to in today's society."

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

Add Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D-IL) to the list of governors who have fallen from grace as a result of ethical or legal troubles. First, the self-styled patron saint of ethics in government Elliot Spitzer (D-NY) and now our own governor.

It has reached the point where this type of behavior almost doesn't qualify as news anymore. You remember the old standard for what constitutes news don't you?

According to a quote attributed to New York Sun editor John B. Bogart: "When a dog bites a man, that is not news, because it happens so often. But if a man bites a dog, that is news."

Two governors out of fifty. Four percent. That we know about. Makes you wonder about what is going on with our tax dollars at the national level.

Of course this comes as no surprise to those remotely familiar with how politics works in Chicago, New York, Washington, you name it.

Maybe its just me, but I would like to know when we reach a point where we DEMAND better behavior from these miscreants.




REACTION FROM THE CATO INSTITUTE:

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From the Fiscal Policy Report Card:
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=9709

Rod Blagojevich . . . has been relentless in his advocacy of large tax increases on businesses. In 2007, he pushed for a massive $7.1 billion annual tax increase in the form of a business gross receipts tax and increased payroll taxes, the largest proposed or enacted hike of any governor in this study. Blagojevich has proposed schemes to wallop businesses nearly every year, including plans to raise taxes on refineries, gaming businesses, software companies, and businesses in general through “loophole” closing initiatives. His approach ignores that Illinois is competing against other states and nations for investment in the global economy.
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After looking back at Blagojevich’s record, Michael F. Cannon isn’t surprised:

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2008/12/11/blagojevich-2/

It hardly stretches credulity to believe that a man who fancies himself a monarch might also be guilty of lesser acts of corruption like using his office to enrich himself, which is pretty much what all politicians do.
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Jim Harper isn’t too shocked either, calling the scandal business as usual:
http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2008/12/09/blagojevich-business-as-usual/

Reading over the complaint against Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich (D) ― which is highly entertaining, by the way ― I’m struck not by the brazenness of his attempt to “sell” the Senate seat, but by how typical it is of the horse-trading done in politics.

Fawned over by lobbyists and staff, politicians tend to collapse together the public interest and their personal interests. It is the norm ― not some outrageous deviation ― to exchange political favors for help with attaining higher office, including campaign contributions. It’s only a small step from there to private emoluments.

GIANTS X-MAS SHOPPING CONTINUES, NETS RENTERIA

Another decent signing for the G-men. A playoff caliber SS, decent bat, great glove. He's locked up for only two years, so this gives some of the younger guys, like Manny Burriss, a chance to develop further.

It's still an offense that will struggle, but we have some time before spring training to add another bat or two, if the C.C. Sweepstakes doesn't turn out the way the Giants envision it will.

GIANTS ADD HOWRY, PURSUING RENTERIA & C.C.???

According to ESPN:

The Giants added further depth to the bullpen, signing former Cub RHP Bobby Howry.

Rumors have them also pursuing Edgar Renteria to fill the hole at SS over free-agent Rafael Furcal.

Howry will feel reborn in a pitcher friendly park after years of duty at Wrigley Field. I'm not sure if he's any closer to a World Series berth at this point. He's only locked up for a year it seems, so maybe he bounces to better digs in 2011.

Also, Jayson Stark is blabbing that the G-men are still in the running for one C.C. Sabathia. It would make for some tough payroll choices down the road when Lincecum has to cash in. But Cain is locked up for a bit and Sanchez still has to show some consistency before they show him any money. Zito would be an expensive fourth starter in this scenario.

But Lincecum, Sabathia, Cain and pray for two days of rain sounds pretty cool to me.

CHARACTER COUNTS

A couple of tidbits from one of my favorite site that promotes the positive values that sports can help deliver to the nations youth. And it wouldn't hurt for some of the adults to re-visit some of the core values as well.
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FROM THE CHARACTER COUNTS WEBSITE:
http://charactercounts.org/
Vol. 8, No. 12 - December 2008

CHARACTER COUNTS! Sports, a project of the nonprofit Josephson Institute, leads the Pursuing Victory With Honor sports campaign, which is endorsed by the country’s leading amateur athletic organizations.

The campaign’s purpose is to help administrators, athletes, coaches, legislators, officials, and parents improve personal and organizational decision-making and behavior in sports.
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The Three Ethical C’s

In seeking to develop character in your student-athletes, focus on the three ethical C’s: commitment, consciousness, and competency.

Commitment. Encourage their desire to do the right thing. Stress the long-term personal advantages of being a person of character (trusting relationships, self-esteem, and peace of mind) and advocate that virtue is its own reward and that a person of good character is an objective that is worthy of attainment regardless of whether or not it produces practical benefits.

Consciousness. Enhance their ability to perceive and understand the moral dimensions of their choices and the applicability of ethical principles to concrete sports situations and to think about how their decisions will affect others.

Competency. Improve their moral reasoning in the way they evaluate facts; distinguish informed opinions from conjecture, speculation, and assumption; predict and consider unintended consequences; and implement decisions with tact and good sense.
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Our Real Character Is Revealed
When No One’s Looking

Although 43-year-old golfer J.P. Hayes has earned $7 million during his career, he struggled last year on the PGA Tour and plummeted to 176th on the money list, knocking him off the exempt list for 2009.

To earn his way back, he had to finish nationally in the top 25 of the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, which takes place in three stages. He had made it through the first stage, and last month was competing in the second stage at Deerwood Country Club in McKinney, Texas.

As he was readying for his second shot on the 12th hole of the first round, his caddie accidentally tossed him a different ball than the one he’d started his round with. Hayes didn’t notice and hit it onto the green. When he marked his ball, he saw it was different. If he reported the error, it would cost him two shots, which could throw his 2009 season into jeopardy.

He didn’t hesitate to call an official over. He finished with a so-so 74. He came back the next day, however, with a 71, which would have been enough to advance him to the third stage at La Quinta, California, in December.

But that wrong ball he’d used wasn’t done with him.

That night he realized that the ball was a prototype ball that Titleist had given him to test a month before. He thought he had removed all of them from his bag. Using a non-conforming ball is an automatic disqualification. If he called an official this time, he would be ineligible to play full-time on the tour next year.

He called an official in Houston that night. “I had no choice but to take my medicine,” he told ESPN Radio. “I have some people looking down on me who would have known.”

He hopes sponsors’ exemptions and his past champions/veteran members status will get him into some lesser tournaments next year. And a lighter year will allow him to spend more time with his family. “It’s not the end of the world. It will be fine. It is fine.”

[Journal Sentinel, 11/18/08; abcnews.go.com, 11/20/08]
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Media Scrutiny Can
Magnify Misbehavior

Is poor sportsmanship worse than ever? Two authorities say no. It’s just more visible.

“Athletes today cannot afford the same misconduct on (and off) the field as they once could,” wrote Nate Barnett, owner of Your Sport Guru, a sports information website. “That is why positive sportsmanship is so much more important in today’s technological society.”

He cites three reasons:
1.
Fifteen years ago, there were no cellphone cameras or YouTube. The capability to capture, upload, attach, and send video clips did not exist then. Today, someone is always is watching – and filming.

2.
Sports such as baseball are more popular today, and college and pro teams are pickier about which players to select. Result: If any phenom with baggage does something dumb, hundreds of kids are poised to take his or her place.

3.
Bad sportsmanship equates to mental immaturity. As kids progress, the sports they play get tougher and the pressures mount. The more mentally mature a player is, the better his or her chances to stand out and advance.

Hall of Fame quarterback and Heisman Trophy runner-up Don McPherson believes that increased media exposure has actually made college and pro athletes better behaved than in years past. “The athletes in my day would not be able to handle the media scrutiny,” he told the Oregonian.

Where misconduct has gotten worse, he says, is among youths. “If we don’t proactively teach what we expect out of sports, then the message of the larger sports culture is going to teach them something more dangerous.”

[ezinearticles.com, 6/3/08; blog.oregonlive.com, 10/20/08]

SPEAKING WORDS OF WISDOM: NOT YOURS TO GIVE

Although this is a story from an era long ago and seemingly far away, it has modern day implications for all those who feel like the Constitution of the United States of America actually means something.

The authors notes at the end of the story provide provide a reasonable action plan to get this country back on track and heading in the right direction.

It is a track that we never should have left in the first place.
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FROM THE FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC FREEDOM LIBRARY:
http://www.fee.org/library/default.asp?c=books

Not Yours to Give
By Colonel David Crockett
The famous American hero Davy Crockett, who died at the Alamo, colorfully articulates why government has neither the right nor the wisdom to take what others have produced and redistribute it to a politically privileged few in the name of charity.

http://www.fee.org/pdf/books/Not%20Yours%20to%20Give.pdf

Holders of political office are but reflections of the dominant leadership--good or bad--among the electorate.

Horatio Bunce is a striking example of responsible citizenship. Were his kind to multiply, we would see many new faces in public office; or, as in the case of Davy Crockett, a new Crockett.

For either the new faces or the new Crocketts, we must look to the Horatio in ourselves!

—Leonard E. Read
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All we have to do is look to this article to see how far adrift we are from the values our nation was founded upon. Congress builds a monument to its lack of understanding of the very document they are sworn to defend. UNBELIEVABLE.

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/02/scholar-congressional-exhibits-too-liberal/

Scholar: Visitor center edits Constitution
Exhibit mangles, redefines the power, role of Congress
Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Plenty of critics have accused Congress of forgetting the Constitution from time to time.

The 580,000-square-foot underground center provides a dignified, comfortable place to assemble before tours of the Capitol. One of its exhibit areas is seen here. (Joseph Silverman/The Washington Times)

But a constitutional scholar who has toured the new Capitol Visitor Center, a monument Congress built to itself that is to be dedicated Tuesday, goes even further, saying exhibits mangle the founding document by claiming constitutional backing for powers that are still very much in dispute.

Matthew Spalding, director of the Center for American Studies at the Heritage Foundation, says the visitor center selectively cuts passages from the Constitution, weighing in on a long-running debate about the scope and limits of federal power by taking the liberal side of that debate, envisioning broad congressional powers that the Founding Fathers never intended.

"I started looking at this stuff, and it's just patently absurd," he said. "The dominant message when you walk though the doors in this exhibit you're hit with is the role of Congress is to fulfill our greatest aspirations. So the message you're teaching these millions of visitors each year is the Constitution really isn't what we thought it was; it's the open-ended thing that's up to Congress to decide what it means."

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MORE WISDOM FROM THOMAS JEFFERSON:

"The most effectual engines for [pacifying a nation] are the public papers [or the controlled Media in general]... [A despotic] government always [keeps] a kind of standing army of newswriters who, without any regard to truth or to what should be like truth, [invent] and put into the papers whatever might serve the ministers. This suffices with the mass of the people who have no means of distinguishing the false from the true paragraphs of a newspaper." --Thomas Jefferson to G. K. van Hogendorp, Oct. 13, 1785. (*) ME 5:181, Papers 8:632

"I am convinced that those societies (as the Indians) which live without government, enjoy in their general mass an infinitely greater degree of happiness than those who live under the European governments. Among the former, public opinion is in the place of law, and restrains morals as powerfully as laws ever did anywhere. Among the latter, under pretense of governing, they have divided their nations into two classes, wolves and sheep. I do not exaggerate... Experience declares that man is the only animal which devours his own kind; for I can apply no milder term to the governments of Europe, and to the general prey of the rich on the poor." - Thomas Jefferson to Edward Carrington, 1787. ME 6:58