Art Buchwald died January 01, 2007 and until I read about his death I was, regrettably, unfamiliar with him and his work. I’ve heard his name over the years, but must confess his last column was the first Art Buchwald column I had ever read.  I believe I have missed out on a great satirist who possessed a benevolent genius to satirize Washington’s political factions.  Columns I am sure I would have enjoyed while he was alive and will now read posthumously.  I did enjoy his last column written in his witty, humorous and slightly self-degrading style.  Mr. Buchwald remained true to character.  I may have read more into his column or saw things written between the lines that aren’t really there and were just my imaginations.  Regardless, I felt emptiness in the words penned by this man.  If a writer’s words are a look into their souls, than Mr. Buchwald’s last column was a peek into his soul and I noticed something missing.

What was missing was any indication Mr. Buchwald believed in God.  More importantly there is no hint he believed in Jesus Christ as his God and Savior.  He lived his life on his own terms and in the end seemed to wonder if he had wasted it all along.  Despite the richness of his life, and the experiences that provided the material for his columns, Mr. Buchwald summed up his life in a few short paragraphs limited to his tennis game, éclairs, and the hope his writings will be remembered for at least three years after his death.  He meant this to be taken with a grain of salt, a last laugh at his expense, but I couldn’t shake the impression he was unsatisfied with the outcome of his life and unsure if it mattered.

He last book titled Too Soon To Say Goodbye and subtitled by one of his quotes seemed to confirm my impression of the emptiness I felt in his words.  He said, “I don’t even know where I’m going.  I don’t know why I’m here.”  What a sad, hopeless summary of all his journalist contributions to the world.

Whether or not Mr. Buchwald came to terms with Jesus will forever be unknown while we still live and breathe.  Who knows what transpired during those last few minutes of life.  Maybe some long lost passage of scripture he heard as a young boy sitting in Sunday School popped into his mind out of the blue.  Maybe before he drew his last breath the remembered verse compelled him to confess his sin to Jesus, who is faithful and just to forgive all who will ask.  Perhaps, Mr. Buchwald was welcomed into eternity by Jesus who stood up from his throne of grace with outstretched hand saying, “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your lord.”  Maybe, Mr. Buchwald with hands thrown upwards, jokingly says, “Now you tell me.”

Unlike Mr. Buchwald I am confident of why we are here and where we are going.  It is written in scripture and penned by the author of Ecclesiastes who, after experiencing all that life and wealth had to offer, came to one conclusion.  Our only purpose, he writes, is to “fear God and keep his commandments.  For this is man’s all.  For God will bring every good work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”   This is our purpose and the answer to the “why are we here?” question.   All other purposes are vain pursuits.

The author of Ecclesiastes tells us our purpose in life while the author of Revelation tells us where we are all going in the end and what really mattered.  “I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it…and I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God.  And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.  And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books...And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast in Hell.”  All will enter Heaven and see God and learn whether all their accomplishments mattered and were worthy enough to have their name written in the Book of Life.  Those who have failed to surrender their lives and call upon the name of Jesus Christ to forgive them of their sin will stay.  All others will be cast into Hell for their willing rejection of him while they lived seeking their own path and their own meaning for their lives apart from Jesus.  Revelation revels the only “work” that mattered was Jesus’ work on the cross and his resurrection and our response to it.

Our only purpose in life is to personally know Jesus Christ and make him God and Savior of our lives.  He alone can make sure our life is meaningful.  And when we draw our last breath on earth we can have the confidence we have lived purposeful lives as we take our first breath in Heaven.   A confidence Mr. Buchwald could have had and probably would have written in his last column.  Instead he sums up his life in the form of a lyrical question “What’s it all about, Alfie?”  Mr. Buchwald couldn’t answer Alfie and seem to doubt whether his life had meaning in the end.

Mr. Buchwald, I may have missed the wit and humor of your articles while you lived, but I hope to meet you in Heaven and enjoy your wit and humor in person.  And I hope you found an answer for Alfie.

I’ve been reading a few articles about Cuba. One was about the election which I can’t imagine is credible. The other is about Italian photographer Roberto Fumagali’s exhibit hosted by UCR/California Museum of Photography where he catches some amazing images of Cuban life. These articles provoked a few thoughts and feelings about the tiny, island country and a proposal.

Some of those musings were about Cuban cigars and if they’re really the best in the world? Maybe it’s because they are labeled contraband and the connotation makes them so sinfully good. Scarface was the best stereotyped, Cuban drug czar movie made. Desi Arnez is the most famous Cuban besides Fidel Castro, Elian Gonzalez, and Tony Montana and his little friend. According to Michael Moore Cuba has one of the best health care systems the US should emulate.  How do we get access to Cuba and discover its other treasures and share them with the world? 

 I propose the United States buy Cuba or invade it and remove its Communist dictator and establish the same type of civil government Puerto Rico enjoys. Why not? The US invaded Iraq and removed the infamous Butcher of Bagdad, Saddam Hussein. The country is now in the birth pangs of establishing a recognizable form of a democratic government and posed to become an economic powerhouse in the Middle East. The US could do the same with Cuba.  My proposal is compromised of a three-point plan before a military oust is implemented:

1. The U.S. offers Castro $50 billion and immunity for him and his cronies.
2. The U.S. offers an apology for the failed assassination attempts.
3. Castro is given a deadline to comply or risk invasion.

Obviously, Castro with a snort of defiance and a puff of his Cuban cigar followed by a smug chortle will refuse the offer, presented by US liaison Barbara Walters and self-appointed, global terrorrist peacemaker Jimmy Carter.  Invasion becomes imminent. Fortunately, it will be a quick invasion with minimal collateral damage. A virtually bloodless confrontation likened to taking candy from a snot-nose little kid.

The first week compromises of storming the beaches on both the north and south sides of the island and moving forward to Havana and ousting Castro. The second week will begin efforts to hand power over to the citizens and establishing a commonwealth government by invoking the Foraker Law. Following two weeks of celebration by Cuban and Cuban-Americans as elections are held and a governor is elected. During the fifth week the US divides the $50 billion offered to Castro among every Cuban citizen, regardless of age, as an apology for not invading sooner. Reparations would average $4500 per citizen and those with large families would get a bigger chunk, thereby, stimulating the stagnant economy.

Cuba is now set to become the island paradise the world has imagined and waited it to become for decades. It would be a mega tourist destination offsetting the looming American recession.  It's proximity to the U.S. provides the perfect pathway for an economic invasion as every major hotel, restaurant, and gaming industry rushes to buy land and build major resorts to lure the curious at exorbitant prices. A flat tax would be imposed to offset the cost of the invasion. All major businesses will be extended the courtesy of a tax waiver for five years to encourage development. Wal-Mart will also be invited to build its ginormous super centers on all four compass points of the island to provide inexpensive, made in China goods and act as wind-breakers to lessen the destructive impact of the seasonal hurricanes.

The entire infrastructure would be a contractor’s dream and infusing more cash into the US economy. Decades of tyrannical, communist rule and hurricanes has left Cuba ripe for major reconstruction of all existing utility, transportation, and tobacco farming services. A multi-billion dollar effort to build a chunnel from Florida to Cuba similar to the one between England and France will begin.  Simultaneouly, Disney Cuba will break ground in the heart of Cuba.

A new pool of models, actors and writers will be able to share their talents with the world. They will show us new interpretations of old themes from the hearts and minds of an oppressed people whose eyes have been opened to the world beyond Cuba. Blockbusters and bestsellers are imminent. The fashion world will be all about Cuban influences with all of Hollywood dressing up in the latest island trend and using the latest Cuban phrases. A whole new crop of reality shows will spring up on the broadcast airwaves.  Cuba will be living the la vida loca.  More money, more money, more money!

The opportunities are endless, but the US needs to buy Cuba first or invade it.

California 2003. Gray Davis is governor and the DMV increases vehicle registration fees doubling and in some cases tripling car owner’s cost to drive California’s traffic jammed freeways.

August 7.   Arnold Schwarzenegger announces his bid to run for governor on the Late Show with Jay Leno later promising to repeal the vehicle registration fee hike.

October 8.  Schwarzenegger wins the recall election.

There is the strategy in a nutshell.  John McCain could learn something from the Schwarzenegger strategy and implement a similar plan by promising America he will reduce the gas price and do it during the first 100 days in office.  It’s a sure-fire strategy.   I know oil is a traded commodity and the president really does not have any control over the price of a barrel of oil, but the president can write legislation to tap into all of our offshore oil resources and decrease the U.S. dependency on imported oil.

It would be a landslide victory of historical proportions!  Regardless of which political side the voting public is on we’re all feeling the financial hurt gas prices are putting on our wallets.  Heck, I’d even vote for Hilary or Obama if either candidate promised to do the same, but it would feel like I’ve sold my soul to the devil.