Month: November 2010

Why does National Public Radio have segments on museums?  No one can see what they are talking about and spoken descriptions of visual art is about as communicative as a book about music.

In keeping with the above, I think “Dancing with the Stars” should be a radio show.

Along the same lines, I find it truly amazing that people actually listen to car races on the radio.

 

 

Now, here’s what we should do about the issue of Acting Governor Tomblin and what the people want.  Let’s have a special election to see if the people want a special election to fill the Governor’s seat.  Then, if the people want a special election, we can have special primary for governor followed by a special general election.  Now, if Natalie Tennant or Treasurer John Perdue wins the Governor’s seat then we need another special election to see if the people want to vote on the new treasurer or secretary of state.  If they do then we have a special primary followed by a special general for that vacant position.  That would be a maximum of six special elections which would only cost about 20 million dollars.   

The talk continues that “we” have to get rid of Bill Stewart.  Why?  Is there any proof whatsoever that but for Bill Stewart this team would have a better record?  Not that I know of.  Is there any report that the players don’t want Bill Stewart as their coach?  Not that I know of.  Is there any allegation that Bill Stewart is not putting in the hours that his job as coach requires?  Not that I know of.  Such being the case, we need to keep Bill Stewart. 

When WVU starts to have its every four years run at the top ten and a possible national championship (could be next year), a guy like Bill Stewart is going to prove invaluable.  He won’t freak out and get everyone tied up in knots like Rich Rod did.  He won’t throw any players under the bus.  He’ll just get the job done.  

Recently, there has been a great hue and cry about the “invasive” pat down searches being employed by TSA at our airports.  This is nothing more than elitist belly aching.  Obviously, those complaining have never been arrested.

Maybe logic has nothing to do with anything, but if you don’t go through the new “nude image” scanners then you are subjected to the full body pat down search.  OK.  Now for years we had no body scanners other than metal detectors and many airports still don’t have the new scanners.  So if there is no body scanner available then you don’t need a pat down search?  But if one is available and you refuse then you get frisked?  In other words, why weren’t the pat down searches necessary before the government deployed the full body scanners?

 

So the Mountaineers played pretty well against Cincinnati.  That’s good.  Bill Stewart is such a fine, likable fellow that I just hate to see him taking heat.  Unlike Rich Rod you know in your heart that Bill Stewart is 100% devoted to the Mountaineers.  So what’s the take away on this year’s season?

To me what this year shows is how small the difference between a number one team and a team ranked 25 really is.  A play here, a fumble there.  In the great scheme of things there are probably only two kinds of college football teams – those that win more games than they lose and those that lose more than they win.

Really now, college football is about entertainment and playing a game.  It is not about life and death.  Nobody likes to lose but without losers there would be no winners.  Does that make any sense?

There is a lot of noise concerning the will of the people and how they desparately want to vote on everything.  What a bunch of horse hockey.  If people really wanted to vote, voter turnout would not be so pathetic year after year.  So the noise is really about political insiders wanting to advance their own specific and usually personal political fortunes. 

Now the question is whether we should have an election for governor or should Earl Ray finish out Joe’s term and then everyone can vote in 2012.  Considering the fact that a special election for governor would cost somewhere between six and ten million dollars, there is good reason to say no.  We just can’t afford all that money (not to mention the time and energy devoted to running as opposed to governing). 

 

Sara Lee just announced the sale of its baking business to Mexican food giant Grupo Bimbo.  That’s right.  Grupo Bimbo.  You can’t make this stuff up.

1.  With the election of Joe Manchin to the U.S. Senate, the political “kabuki dance” to succeed him will now begin.  It should be fun to watch.  There is a veritable phone book of interested candidates:  John Perdue, Rick Thompson, Jeff Kessler, Brooks McCabe along with “unannounced” possibilities such as Natalie Tenant and Betty Ireland.  And the race hasn’t yet begun.

2.  On a national front, are we witnessing the agonizing death throes of the two party system?  It appears that registered independents now equal registered Democrats or Republicans.  The Republican gains appear to be because of dissatisfaction with some Democrats not enchantment or necessarily support for Republicans.  I anticipate a third party or independent candidate for the White House in 2012 or 2016 and the appearance of a third yet small national party garnering around 10 or 15 percent of the vote.

3.  Why does no one bemoan the low interest rates in terms of how that affects those on fixed incomes primarily the elderly?  For the retired person who relies on earnings from his or her savings, the last two years have been basically a “no return” environment on bank CD’s, savings account and similar no risk investments that folks usually make.