Is this a new Low for Democracy?

Saturday, November 21, 2009, every Republican in the U.S. Senate voted against allowing a discussion of Health Care Reform on the floor of the U.S. Senate!

Almost everyone, by any accounting system, agrees that the U. S. health care system is a disaster, but every Republican senator voted against discussing the problem.

But, of course, they personally have the "Cadillac" of health care insurance--a government sponsored program--the kind of program they do not want the rest of us to access.

Kindle vs. "Real" Books

According to some, the arrival of the Kindle and e-books is going to be the end of civilization as we know it.

Please! Give us a break. I am sure that something similar was said about the Gutenberg's printing press. But, somehow we the world survived that evil technology. Then we were warned that radio would be the end of newspapers, and people would no longer go to concerts, purchase records, or attend sporting events. And then, horror of horrors, television came along and tolled the death-knoll for radio, live theater, and the cinema--all of which have since flourished, possibly because of TV.

And now, the Kindle is going to be the death of "real" books. The printing industry will be destroyed, libraries around the country will become mausoleums, librarians will be flipping burgers, and book stores will disappear except for one which will be moved to Greenfield Village next to the blacksmith's shop.

In fact, I suspect e-books and traditional paper-and-ink books will co-exist quite nicely. There is a place for both. Whereas the computer/internet made printed encyclopedias obsolete, the e-book is not going to replace paper-and-ink book anymore than radio replaced live concerts. There will always be readers who want the experience of sitting on the beach, turning pages, although, at other times, perhaps on an airplane, they will choose the convenience of a best-seller downloaded to their Kindle.

And then of course, there are children's books. It is difficult to foresee that either a parent or child would choose to read these books with their various sizes, engaging illustrations, and creative print on a Kindle.

Since the advent of the computer/internet more people than ever before are reading and writing. Let's not presume that an alternative method of reading is the end of paper-and-ink books.

US Catholic Bishops' Power Grab

According to Associate Press and Georgetown University paper, Vox Populi, the U.S. Conference of Bishops has formed a task force to examine what actions they could take to increase their oversight of Catholic colleges and universities.

Cardinal Francis George (Chicago) said the task force is researching what church law says about the bishops authority over schools.

It seems to me our bishops would be much better off serving the pastoral needs of their dioceses, taking steps to eliminate their pedophilic priests, and making an efforts to keep the Catholics we have, than trying to govern U.S. Catholic colleges and universities.

Our Catholic colleges and universities are doing just fine, thank you; they do not need power-hungry bishops snooping around their campuses.

Who Will Replace Charlie Weis at ND?

After the loss to UConn, there is no question that Notre Dame must remove Charlie Weis. Charlie's career record is 35-26, a .573 winning percentage. That's worse than the.583 percentage of the previous ND coaches, Ty Willingham and Bob Davie.

And this time, Notre Dame has to get it right. They need to find another Lou Holtz--somewhere. Perhaps in Cincinnati. Brian Kelly has worked wonders with Central Michigan and the Cincy Bearcats. Of course, he can't even think about ND until the bowl games are completed. Some are suggesting Bob Stoops. Perhaps. Other suggest Urban Meyer. Not likely, since ND "low-balled" him last time around. Stanford's coach, Jim Harbaugh, a former Michigan quarterback, is considered by many to be the "hottest" coach around; but of course, he says he is staying where he is--how many times have you heard that line?

Since other schools like nearby Northwestern are out there beating the bushes, presumably ND realizes Charlie's ship has sailed and is already searching for a new captain.

As in Soccer, So in Life

Wednesday (11/18/09) evening France defeated Ireland in extra time in the World Cup qualification playoff series. France's Thierry Henry deflected the ball to William Gallas who scored. The only problem was that the whole world saw that Henry clearly brought down the ball with his hand inside the penalty area. The other problem was the official did not see the infraction and allowed the goal, sending Ireland home for another four years and France on to World Cup competition.

Most agree that Ireland outplayed France for much of the second leg; nevertheless, just as in 2006, they will fail to qualify. Although, after the game Henry admitted that he used his hand, it's up to the official to make the call.

Ireland filed an appeal, and many thought the match should be replayed, but the Federation ruled that the result was final. A similar situation occurred in the 1986 World Cup. Diego Maradona scored the "infamous Hand of God" goal which gave Argentina a victory over England. Just as in other sports, the officials are an integral part of the game as are their mistakes.

It's much like life itself; mistakes are made, but we do not get to go back and have a "replay".

On the other hand, technology in the form of video replay would have rectified this mistake. Perhaps, in the future, soccer should make use of technology in order to assist officials who are not able to make the correct call.

More Welfare for Corporate Executives

For years, Corporate America underfunded employee pension plans, and eventually we, the government, i.e. taxpayers, were forced to take over the shorted funds.

But now we learn that, in the years prior to government takeover, these corporations cut benefits for retirees by as much as two-thirds while their executives got salary increases, retention bonuses, and other pay in the many millions of dollars. "One airline company missed $979 million in required pension contributions while its top three executives took $55 million in compensation, and another paid four executives $120.4 million amid two bankruptcies." (GAO Report in Bloomberg News Service)

"It is fundamentally wrong that executives were able to line their pockets with millions of dollars from bonuses, stock options, and free joyrides on corporate jets while watching their workers' retirement security slip into peril," Rep.George Miller ( D, Calif.) observed.

Once again, Coporate America was screwing U.S. employees by imperiling their retirement while at the same time paying millions of dollars in bonuses to executives who were not doing their jobs. Sounds like welfare for the rich.

US Chamber of Commerce Opposes Rape Victims

You probably heard this story four or five years ago, and presumed that justice had been done. Unfortunately, justice is still being denied.

Jamie Leigh Jones, in 2005, was employed by a private contractor in Iraq when she was gang-raped by her fellow employees. Since the rape took place in Iraq, she could not file U.S. criminal charges and she cannot file a lawsuit in the U.S. because of fine print in her contract.

Fortunately, the injustice of this situation is being addressed by Congress, but now the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is fighting it. The Chamber has gone so far as to say that it would set "a dangerous precedent" to allow rape victims into court.

Is it any wonder that responsible companies like Proctor and Gamble are withdrawing their membership in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce?

Drug Lobby Manipulates Congressional Puppets

I guess it is no surprise to learn that lobbyists are paying congressmen not only what to think, but also telling them what to say.

Consider the following example:

"“One of the reasons I have long supported the U.S. biotechnology industry is that it is a homegrown success story that has been an engine of job creation in this country.” This written statement by Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina on the health care bill was identical to one by Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer and used language suggested by lobbyists." (NYT, 11/14/09)

The NYT goes onto say : "Genentech, a subsidiary of the Swiss drug giant Roche, estimates that 42 House members picked up some of its talking points — 22 Republicans and 20 Democrats, an unusual bipartisan coup for lobbyists."

We knew the the drug industry was throwing tons of money at these congressmen, but we did not suspect that they were allowing the lobbyists to tell them what to say, word-for word. Is this what our democracy has come to? A bunch of puppets being manipulated by big business puppeteers. Why am I thinking--Miss Piggy?

Sarah Palin's Book of Whines

Sarah Palin, in a ghost-written book, "Going Rogue," blames her disastrous campaign on John

McCain's aide, Steve Schmidt. She was not the problem; it was the campaign's fault.

One of the best comments on Palin's book is that of "MountainPenelope" in the HuffingtonPost.

"MountainPenelope"

Still whining a year later Sista Sarah?

If this woman weren't so pa.the.tic, it would be funny.

The one secret she had to hide was a D in a college course?

She 'had' to get married. Her son went into the military to escape j.a.i.l. Her 'abstinence-only' trained teenaged daughter was pre.gnant. Her husband is a member of a separatist movement. The very house she lived in was mysteriously built with materials provided by the same folk who were building the Wasilla sports complex. She entered office in a Wasilla that was on sound financial footing and left them $20 million in debt...

None of those things bother her?

Thanks America for electing Obama."

FDA: Time to Ban BPA

Every time you drink from a plastic container or eat canned food, you may be exposing yourself and your family to a chemical (Bisphenol A or BPA) that has been linked to breast cancer, prostrate cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Since pregnant women, babies, and small children are most vulnerable, it is especially despicable that BPA is found in many baby bottles, sippy cups, and baby formula cans. While consumer groups are petitioning the FDA to ban BPA in all food and beverage products. the large chemical companies are fighting such a ban--BPA is one of the most produced chemicals in the world.

And to make matters worse, there is no need for BPA!

Although there are some technical questions about the cancer studies, the bottom line is that BPA is injurious to human health. As quoted in the NYT: “When you have 92 percent of the American population exposed to a chemical, this is not one where you want to be wrong,” said Dr. Ted Schettler of the Science and Environmental Health Network. “Are we going to quibble over individual rodent studies, or are we going to act?”"

NCAA Football: Forget Excessive Celebration

On a typical autumn Saturday afternoon, a young college football player makes a great play and scores a significant touchdown in a significant game. He raises his fist in celebration or in his exuberance chest-bumps a team mate--a college athlete enjoying the moment. But then Scrooge in the uniform of a NCAA official arrives, throwing a flag--EXCESSIVE CELEBRATION PENALTY.

Until the NCAA can define "excessive celebration" in a fashion that every player recognizes, the penalty is a subjective call by an individual official. In fact, on a particular Saturday afternoon, the vary same action may be a penalty in one game, but not in another.

And what is the problem with players celebrating? Why is this a penalty?

"In-your-face" taunting is offensive and deserving of a penalty, but players celebrating a significant touchdown is not.

The NCAA should allow young college players to celebrate a significant touchdown if the celebration is not an "in-your-face" exhibition. In that case, both the players and officials will know exactly what constitutes a violation.

Inconvenient Truths for GOP

On a day on which the House Republicans rallied with their "Teabaggers" in front of the Capitol, they were confronted with some inconvenient truths (my apologies to Al Gore):

1. Both the AMA and the AARP voiced their support for the Democratic health care plan. Immediately, Eric Cantor (R-Virginia) attacked both groups and their integrity.

2. Alan Grayson (D-Florida) gave a speech on the floor of the House in which he quoted the Harvard Study that reported 44,789 Americans die each year because they have no health insurance. When Mr Grayson began listing how many constituents die in each Republican District due to lack of health insurance, House Republicans spent over an hour trying a variety of procedural moves to stop him. After the delaying tactics, he was able to finish his speech.

3. The Polls indicate the American people favor health care reform.

These facts are quite inconvenient to a party trying to maintain the status quo.

John Boehner's Boner

Are we surprised that John Boehner (R-Ohio) does not know the difference between the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution?

But that's okay; John is a conservative congressman. Thank God he is not an immigrant. If he were, he would not be able to pass the citizenship test.

Chrysler Turnaround?

At Chrysler Headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, company executives explained how they expect to move from bankruptcy to profitability in five years, and apparently the Jeep brand is going to be a significant factor in that turnaround. The plan calls for boosting Jeep sales by 60% in that time.

Unfortunately, there are no plans for new products. The nearest indication of anything new is a "major modification" of the Wrangler in 2010. The Nitro may be "refreshed" in 2012, and the Liberty is scheduled for "a refresh" in 2010.

"Modification" and "refresh" sound to me much like "more of the same." I suspect the purchasing public is not going to be too excited by that prospect.

Perhaps Sergio Marchionne, CEO of both Chrysler and Fiat SpA, has a few tricks up his sleeve, but it will need to be more than "refresh" and "modification." Even if they have nothing "new,' they could, at the very least, make a concerted effort to improve quality.

Senate Fails to Appoint Judges

In an unprecedented effort to thwart the will of the people, the conservatives in the U.S. Senate have blocked nearly every Obama judicial nominee. They are using "the single senator anonymous hold" procedure to deny dozens of Obama judicial nominees an up-or-down vote.

The question is: why is Harry Reid allowing this? Why are Obama's nominees not receiving the same treatment the majority Democrats gave George Bush's nominees?

Since the conservatives can not sustain a filibuster, Mr Reid should force an up-or-down vote, treating the Obama's nominees the same way they treated Bush's nominees.

St. Augustine on Travel

St. Augustine extolled the value of travel when he wrote: "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."

The NFL Myth

For years there seemed to be some truth to the NFL's claim that "on any given Sunday" a lower-ranked team could defeat a higher-ranked team. For the last several years this propaganda has had no relation to reality at all. The Detroit Lions will not defeat the Minnesota Vikings this season. Everybody knows that, and we also know that the score is not going to be close. CBS, Fox, ESPN, and the NFL all know that the "on-any-given-Sunday" line is bull crap, but they would like for us to think it is still true, even though they have the statistics to demonstrate the fallacy. Not only are the fans not likely to see an upset, they are not likely to see a close game. The margins of victory have continued to increase steadily over the last several years.

Why then would fans invest 3 hours of their Sunday afternoon to watch less than 1 hour of actual football, all the while knowing which team will win? Why do fans pay big bucks to attend NFL games? The fans of winning teams probably enjoy watching their teams win, even though it is a foregone conclusion. Why do fans of losing teams attend or watch NFL games? The answer to that is football's dirty little secret: either 1) the fans are gambling on the game and their only interest is to cover the spread, or 2) they are involved in a fantasy football league and are interested, not in a team's success, but in an individual player's success.

The NFL has to be thankful that so many of us gamble on football or are playing fantasy football, because their product is not what it used to be.

No Thanks, Howie Long

It is amazing that General Motors is still using Howie Long in its auto/truck commercials. The guy comes across as an arrogant, self-centered bully. I suspect GM has some quality products, but if they want to identify themselves with Howie Long, I would not choose their company. On the other hand, I suppose that he does appeal to immature, self-centered, nineteen-year-olds.