All Things West Virginian

Former WV Supreme Court Justice “Spike” Maynard has become a Republican and has decided to run against Nick Joe Rahall for Congress.  Now that corporations can promote issues and candidates without limits or restrictions other than disclosure of the source of funds, it should be “interesting” to see how Massey and Don Blankenship choose to become or choose not to become involved in this campaign. 

I am told if one adds up the numbers on a roulette wheel, the total is ……….  666.

The fact health care reform can be derailed with a switch in one vote is a bad sign.  Something as important as this needs more than a razor thin method of passing.  Why would our politicians make such a mess of something this important?  The real tragedy is that I sense there is broad support for some improvements to health care.  But now those good features may be lost to the arrogance of politicians who appear to adopt the creed “my way or the highway.”  We as Americans deserve better than this.  Our leaders (this includes the president, the Democratic leaders and the Republican leaders) should be ashamed of themselves. 

 

Why are folks so afraid of speech?  Hollywood can advertise a bad movie all they want – it will still flop at the box office. Remember Ishtar? Candidate A outspends Candidate B and yet Candidate B wins – it happens all the time in every election cycle.  What disturbs me most is this  automatic distinction some folks have between corporations (bad actors) and people (good actors).  Apparently anything that a corporation supports is without further consideration to be opposed as bad and evil.  Where this comes from is beyond me.  I guess the problem lies in the fact that almost everyone has been frustrated to the point of wanting to scream in dealing with a credit card company, a bank, a hospital, a phone company, an airline, etc.  But on the other hand we have all run into people who are dangerous, evil, mean-spirited, ignorant, hateful and abusive.  Corporations and people should be judged on their actions not on whether they are a corporation or the holder of a birth certificate.   The bedrock of our democracy is two-fold.  It consists of common sense and fairness.  Americans don’t “buy” doublespeak nonsense whether it comes from corporate American or individual leaders.  Americans also want the underdog to get a chance to succeed whether that is a small corporate business or a talented human being willing to work and strive.   

politics is one of the few areas where telling the truth can be (a) unwise, (b) get you in trouble and (c) cause you to lose a race or be impeached?

there are three types of buildings where the architecture does not match the function?  Now a garage looks like a building designed to house a vehicle.  An office building is designed to have the maximum amount of offices with windows.  Most people building things don’t want to pay for space or room that is not needed to perform the function housed within the structure.  But there are three exceptions to that.

There are three examples of architectural types where that much space and height is definitely not needed in order to perform the function of the building.  They are:  banks, churches and capitol buildings.  Banks are generally huge, imposing buildings meant to inspire confidence.  In reality, the machinery needed to run a bank could fit in a much smaller edifice.  The same is true for vaulted churches and domed capitols.

I guess this is the same reason that some people live in houses with more rooms than they need.  I guess in some areas we want to imply importance in areas where we have doubts.

 

Just about everybody has seen the ATandT wireless vs. Verizon wireless TV ad with the red and blue maps showing the gaps in the ATandT coverage.  What depresses me (in addition to getting tired of seeing these ads so much) is that on BOTH maps West Virginia practically stands out in its total and recognizable outline because of LACK OF COVERAGE on both maps.  Geez.  The only place with less coverage appears to be west Texas. 

We are supposed to go to the dentist every six months.  Here’s what you do.  When your appointment approaches, call in and reschedule.  Push it off a month if you can.  Now when you go to your appointment that will occur in month seven.  But here is the key.  They will reschedule you FOR SIX MONTHS LATER NOT FIVE!!  So you see if you keep doing this you can avoid the dentist for two extra months a year and still be able to pretend that you are going every six months just like you are supposed to.

Now if you do this for forty years that is eighty months of avoidance.  THINK ABOUT IT.  YOU WILL HAVE AVOIDED THE DENTIST FOR SIX AND SIX TENTHS YEARS.  Brilliant.

Not being unmindful of the blessings associated with what I have, there are some things I could definitely do without.

1.  The Fox Sports mechanical (?), armor clad (?) robot (?) warrior (?) which does Karate moves and jumping exercises during channel breaks.  Not sure what that has to do with football and boy it is getting irritating.

2.  Loud commercials.  I read where Congress is passing a bill to regulate that. Figures.  Still no law concerning keeping passengers trapped on sitting airplanes for hours but Congress wants to lower the volume on commercials.

3.  Local news teasers acting like some big weather disaster is coming.

4.  People who sincerely believe that if they have never heard of something then it can’t possibly be true.  Also known as being in denial that you are basically uninformed because you are too lazy to read papers or listen to the news.

5.  Politicians who preface their answers by saying “look.”

 

1.  The Mountaineers are going to a good bowl.

2.  Bill Stewart.

3.  The health care reform bill may have flaws but at least the issue is being addressed.

4.  America has soldiers willing to go into harm’s way even though the nation has doubts about the mission.

5.  The swine flu epidemic seems to be much less severe than predicted.

6.  The WVU basketball team is great.

7.  Although America has a bad economy, it is still better than 99% of the other nations in the world.

8.  Murders, accidents and crime still make the news.  If we ever reach the point where such things are too commonplace to grab headlines, we are in real trouble.