Month: March 2010

Some things I learned/saw from watching WVU beat Kentucky at Syracuse:

1.  Hard work does pay off

2.  The coach matters

3.  In a team sport, the second tier players often make the difference

4.  Seeing Kentucky players yelling angrily at each other told me the Cats were in trouble

5.  In B ball, teams catch fire and have runs.  In this game WVU had the squirt gun to put out the Kentucky fire – that is what it takes to win

 

 

The Democrats are going to pass the current version of health care through some shall we say non-traditional procedural methods.  That means there will be court challanges.  The “mess” will end up in front of the US Supreme Court where health care will be “gutted” or “saved” by a 5-4 vote.  Remember Bush vs. Gore?  What a mess.  All this uncertainty for political reasons alone.  Makes one want to vote against any incumbent no matter what the party affiliation.  Unbelivable really.

The actor Peter Graves just died.  In the 1960’s he starred in “Mission Impossible.”  Remember that?  Private contractors doing secret work for the government.  If they were caught or killed, the “secretary would disavow” any knowledge of their activites.  That was apparently cool considering the great ratings.  Now, flash forward.  We have Blackwater.  Boo, hiss, evil.

The whims of the populace are seldom anchored in any sense of reality, are they?

The leader of Group A told his aides he thought they ought to build a road.  So they assembled the group and handed out talking points for the upcoming rally.  The talking points included (a) the fact that building the road would create jobs, (b) people could ride quickly rather than walk, (c) if a person was ill or injured an ambulance could use the road and (d) people could establish businesses along the road.

The leader of Group B heard about the planned road, talked to his aides, assembled his group and handed out their talking points.  These included (a) people could get injured building the road because of all the blasting and heavy equipment, (b) accidents will happen on the road and people will die or be seriously injuried, (c) building the road will destroy natural habitat for animals and (d) dust and noise will accompany the construction.

At the rally Group A people held signs and chanted “We need jobs”, “Help the Ill and Injured” and “Pro Business Pro Road.”  Group B had signs too and chanted “Road Building Kills”, “Don’t Let Our Children Die – Stop the Road” and “Save the Environment – No Road.”

Two visitors on a nearby hill were watching all this.  “Can they afford to build the road?”  “No.” “Is there a need for the road?”  “Not really.  The traffic would be minimal.”  “Why are they doing this?” “It’s what political parties do.”

 

How can all the nations of the world come together at the Olympics and create a wonderful, friendly and cooperative event when the governments of the world can’t seem to agree on anything productive?  I guess the interests of your country are more serious than a gold medal but I still feel that somehow we are not communicating globally.

How could health care reform become such a train wreck?  When I saw Speaker Pelosi calling incremental change something about an “insy weensy spider” I saw part of the answer.  Then she said the existing bill was really bipartisan even if no Republicans voted for it because it had “Republican elements” either in it or omitted from it.  Now that is pure spin.  I have come to the conclusion that Congress is a large part of the problem.  We desperately need leadership not showmanship. 

Here in West Virginia there is an ad to “reform PEIA” sponsored by teachers and unions.  At the end it says something like “an worst of all employees being hired now have no health care benefits at retirement.”  I find that offensive.  My employer is not providing me with health care when I retire and I bet that is true of most of the folks out there.