Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Overpayment and athletics, but in a different sense...

There was a most interesting article in the paper (Springfield,MO News-Leader 07/27)  from a national columnist Donald Kaul.  I may not agree with everything he says, but he seems to be more well-read and/or informed than me, so I feel comfortable quoting from his article.

He was admonishing the government for spending so much money trying to prove that professional athletes are using banned (from sports) drugs, and lying about it.    As he put it "...lying to congress...was a crime..."? 

We're spending millions of dollars trying to get to the bottom of all these allegations against various professional athletes.  "Six million dollars..." on Barry Bonds alone!  And it wasn't proven "...that he actually lied...just that he was evasive."    Shouldn't that be the job of the governing bodies associated with the sport?  Why don't they spend their millions on litigation?

At a time when we're having a "budget crisis," we need to look into areas that are truly frivolous, and these law suits appear to be just that.   Besides, I think we already know that steroid use, etc, etc has been in play, and that too many athletes are using them.  So, they're consenting adults, and if they want to screw up their bodies, that's their business.  If they're cheating the public, then let their governing bodies take care of that.

I do suppose we're trying to keep them from setting examples to our children, that these drugs are okay, but shouldn't that be the responsibility of the parents, guardians, coaches and other adults?  NOT the US government?  Don't most people want "less government" in their lives?  Or is that only when it comes to taxes, and not when it comes to making us be more responsible human beings?

We all need a reality check today and after... Day 157!



Job killing taxes?????

What does that mean, anyway?  The push to remove tax breaks, aka tax loopholes, has some people apoplectic.  Can't be done, shouldn't be done, will elminate jobs! 

When I posed that question to a friend of mine, he answered that if we get rid of tax breaks for people who buy corporate jets, cabin cruisers, and the like for personal use, and take off the maintenance as a business expense, those people will stop buying those high ticket items.  And that in turn will eliminate jobs for those people building such stuff.

I asked my husband what he thought of that argument, and he replied, that it wasn't only the US citizenry who were buying those goods, but also plenty of wealthy people abroad!  Probably true enough, so there will always be a market.

I also wondered how we could justify those arguments when we just stopped the NASA space program, and that left 9,000 people out of a job!  And companies like Cisco and Abbott are laying off hundreds, perhaps thousands, and they have nothing to do with pricey executive toys.

But let's take the real estate tax break away?  I'd bet that the wealthy would then have their houses listed as "executive retreats" and again, another tax break.  

But there's more, so read on...after Day 156!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Here we go again...

...and no, this is not about Congressman Wu who just stepped down due to a sex scandal.  If I were to write about those, I'd already have my 365 Days of Andy Rooney filled up.  I'll bet every time another politician falls, there are so many more in the wings, shivering and wondering when their turn will come!  And they know it will!

No, this is about racism!  And, for once, we're not talking about Obama.  We're talking about a black girl in Little Rock, Arkansas, of all places, who got the best grades of her class and was named valedictorian of her class.  Press releases went out and everything and then...  The powers that be decided to have a "co-valedictorian" who of course got good grades, etc, but not on the same par as the black girl.  The other student is white

The article did mention that the school was predominately white (54%, not much of a majority, if you ask me) but still, she won the honor fair and square, from what I read.   If the school decided that the two were so close in honors, they should have announced a co-valedictorian before they even announced anything about the graduation ceremonies.  To let the press release out, and then change their minds, smacks of some disgruntled parent, whose child may or may not be important to the school (i.e. football star?) to question the Board of Directors, or whoever oversees this sort of award.  Of course this is purely speculation on my part.

Saddened yet again about our seeming regression into covert racism, on Day 155!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

R.I.P. Amy Winehouse

I hate hearing about any deaths of people I know or like, and its even more sad when it's a young, talented person.   I was not an Amy Winehouse fan, but my husband was really enamored with her.  And he's not one of her "young" followers either.  So I guess I'm really sad for him.

Indeed she seemed to have a very troubled life.  She was beset by demons of drugs, alcohol, and life itself.  Too much fame, too quickly, no really good support system in place.  As with other famous people who are addicts, I do not understand how their entourage appears to look the other way.  I guess if they don't they lose their meal ticket?  But why not just help them for the humane reasons that it's a human being you're dealing with, and they should know better? 

Or how about some parental intervention; although she was out of the house and on her own.  There should have been some way to keep her institutionalized, even against her own will, to help her get her "head together."  If she had hurt someone, she would have been in jail, and perhaps getting treatment, but the only one she hurt was herself, so there was no "outside interference."

I feel the same way about Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and even Elvis.  I didn't like Elvis, but his team should have kept him alive and well! Whoops, I forgot Michael jackson...another prime example of letting someone get his own way, to his extreme detriment!  He had young children, and still his handlers did him no good!  Unfortunately in this instance I think his (adult) family was duplicitous also.

Maybe these famous people should give their lawyers power of attorney so the attorney can keep them sane and alive, if necessary?  I supose that could be abused too, but if the celebrity were clean and sober, they could make that decision, as they should be more aware of their surroundings.

It's too late for Amy, but maybe we can strive to save someone else on or after this Day 154!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Headlines you only see on the internet

"They" say the newspaper industry is dying.  Gosh, I hope not!  I read the paper every single day.  I also read the internet news, but not with the same intensity as the newspaper, as I find that the majority of internet postings are just fluff, or stuff I'd really rather not know about!

I don't care about Paris Hilton or the Kardashians.

I do not care how much Candy Spelling sold her mega-monstrosity-mansion for.

I'm tired of reading about the bad behavior of over-paid atheletes.

Oh, I do care that Texas seems to be going backwards in the quest for higher quality education, by revisiting creationism vs. evolution.  

I also care that Michelle Bachman is being portrayed as a potential catastrophe because she has migraine headaches.  I am not a Bachman fan by any means, but so what if she gets migraines!  We all get migraines, some more than others.  I feel sorry for her, but I know they can be kept at bay by medication.  Would we be even more concerned if she admitted to being menopausal also?   

Okay, Ms Bachman's "condition" will probably be in the daily paper (as it is on the TV news) but the other items I mentioned...probably not.  And if I didn't read them there, I don't think I would have missed much.  As for Texas, that's more humorous, to me, than newsworthy. 

Overall, the majority of information on the internet is not that interesting, and it's not local either.  I could go to the local news channels' websites and see what's going on, but I think I spend too much time on the computer anyway, and I can get more accomplished at home with the TV news on in the background.  Leisurely reading the newspaper with my morning coffee is also a routine I would miss.  I don't care to take my laptop to McDonald's with the potential to spill coffee on it.

I plan on having newsprint on my fingertips today and many more days after Day 153!



Monday, July 18, 2011

Politcally correct?

I am so tired of hearing that a decision is or is not being made, by the president, and/or other members of congress, because it may put their reelection in jeopardy.  I thought when they were elected, it was because they wanted to "do the right thing by the people" and let the chips fall where they may. 

I thought Obama would be a one-term president for two reasons.  First, and most noticeable, is that he's bi-racial, or as some people think...black, period!  End of story.  My second theory is/was that he cannot turn the economy around in four short years.  It would take a minimum of eight.  It took more than that to screw it up in the first place!  Therefore, the next president (the one who gets in the "second four years" after the economy tanked), will get all the credit for turning it around, because it's already beginning, or at least appears to be.  I'm no economist, so I have no firm predictions on that outcome.

But still my biggest beef, is that politicians do and say what they have to so they get elected, and then they say and do what they have to if they want to get reelected.  How about doing what you think is right???  Not politically correct???  Do you think the American public can't see through the crap we're being fed by the opposing parties?   Can't you hire better "spin doctors" to show you did do the right thing?  Or how about just saying "I did what I thought was right, and if I'm not reelected, my conscience is clear?!!"

Recently there was a "retired" local politician who was making a negative statement about something going on locally, and he admitted "I can now say these things because I'm out of office."  Huh?  So when you were elected, you did not say those things because it would shed you in a bad light?  To whom?  Aren't you elected to tell the truth, and to right the wrongs?

Politcally correct or not, I do know who I'm voting for already, on Day 152!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Separation of church and state?

Recently, I was told by a usually reliable source, that a local mega-church wanted to know a person's income when they joined the church.  I thought he meant W-2 forms, and I thought why would a church need to see that?  And of course, that's none of their business anyway!  The government...yes, taxes are taxes, but the church?  No!

He then amended the statement to mean they wanted to see your proof of income such as a pay stub.  Again, this is a strange way to conduct "the Lord's work" if you ask me.  When I asked why he thought that mattered, he said he assumed that they wanted to know how much you could/would/should tithe!   I'm also told the going rate is 10%.  Personally, it sounded like if you're not wealthy enough to really give, then you don't need our religion. 

I cannot imagine a person making, for example, $12,000 a year (before taxes we'll assume) to give $1200.  If you're making only $12,000, you're probably below the federal poverty line (actually it's around $10,000 for a family of one, and $14,000 for a family of 2), and to give it away to a church which has everything but valet parking...not such a grand idea, in my humble estimation.

If you're making that little money, there is help available in federal aid to you, but I'm not sure I condone taking from the government, so you have more to give to the church, as that is in effect, what would be happening. 

This is one of the many reasons I'm becoming much less of a "believer" on Day 151!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Cool and yet SOOOOO uncool!

Driving down the road, with the top down on my convertible; how cool is that?

Okay, I was pulling out of a parking lot onto a road that had the third, or middle, lane for turning, etc.  I put on my turn signal to alert people of the direction I was heading.  A considerate motorist let me pull in, to the middle lane, and I had my turn signal on to show which lane I wanted to merge into next.  Got the picture?

So I get into the driving lane, again due to a considerate motorist letting me in, and...forget to turn off my turn signal!!!  I must have driven what seemed, in retrospect, a mile before I turned it off.  You know when you're in a convertible, and the radio is on, and everything seems hunky dory, you don't hear the signal bleeping!

So my "coolness" factor just got halved, if not completely obliterated, by the fact that I was driving with my turn signal on!  An "old person's" habit!  NOT something someone does in a nice convertible!

My "top" is staying up for now, coolness aside.  At least they can't see me, on Day 150!

There are winners and there are losers...

By now everyone and their uncle will have made a comment on the Casey Anthony trial, where the accused was not convicted of a heinous crime, the murder of her daughter.  Although all the media hype points to the fact that she must have known something, there was simply not enough evidence to convict her, probably because the body was found so late in the game, albeit months after the original crime.

People are drawing a lot of similarities between her non-conviction and the OJ Simpson debacle.  Again, there was a lack of evidence, somewhat exacerbated by Chris Darden trying to get OJ to put on a shunken, bloodied glove found at his house, and Johnny Cochran screaming "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit."  Remember all that?  If not, you should try to find the transcripts or the videos!

OJ's evidence was compelling, but incomplete, and it was as fresh as the prosecution could muster.  Casey Anthony's evidence was just plain old, stale, and too far decomposed/removed, to prove anything except the remains belonged to her daughter.  If anything, the prosecutioin proved only that she was a rather unfit mother.

OJ is behind bars now, for a different crime.  Casey Anthony will be behind bars for a short time, for lying to police, but she'll have to live with the guilt forever.  OJ, I believe, thought himself to be
"doing the right thing" in his mind, and so I doubt he ever felt any regret, if he did indeed do the crime. 

This was obviously not a slam-dunk case, and it will be parsed for years, trying to figure out how or what went wrong.  The jurors reached the correct verdict.  They too have to live with their decision.  But for Caley's sake, I hope the real truth comes out, so we as the public, can put aside our anger at this tragedy.  We were rather pacified when OJ finally went to jail, albeit not for the original crime, but jail is jail.  We have not seen the last of Casey Anthony.

I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop...on Day 149!

Monday, July 4, 2011

It's July 4th -Independence Day! How do you feel about that?

I read, on a favored forum of mine, that one of the forum member's neighbors hung the American flag upside down because he does not like this country.  The person hanging the flag upside down is not from this country originally.  The forum member, and his neighbor, both Iraqi war veterans, were going to set him straight, preferably non-violently. 

I have only this to say.  The people who founded this country, left the country they were from, to start a new and better life.  My own grandparents, while not connected to anyone from the Mayflower, also came here to start a new and better life.  I live here now, because I don't think I could find a more favorable place.  I'd love to visit other countries, but permanent residency there does not interest me.

Bottom line is: if you don't like it, leave!  Go back to where you came from, or go someplace else.  But leave us alone!  Sure, we're not the most well-run country...ask any Democrat or Republican...but we're better than most alternatives!  We allow everyone to have a say in what we do.  But we do NOT disrespect our country as a whole! We might not like everyone who comes to our shores, but once you're  here, we will defend you as though you belong.  But if you don't like that, then get out!

As for me, I'm staying put on Day 148!