May 2008

The Democratic Party approved a compromise over the Michigan delegates, granting Senator Clinton 34.5 delegates and Senator Obama 29.5.

Although, based on the ratio of votes, it appears to be a fair split based on the primary votes Clinton actually won, but the Michigan Democratic Committee took it one step further using the result of exit polls to determine the final tally. This left Clinton with four less votes than she would have had otherwise.

But still, a compromise?

Obama gets 29.5 delegates???

WTF?? He wasn’t even on the ballot!!!

Why was there a compromise at all? After all, Obama had the opportunity to place himself on the ballot in Michigan and he chose not to; Clinton, on the other hand, had the foresight to get her name on the ballot, and just happened to be the only democrat in the Michigan primary. Now, I’m no fan of Obama or Clinton, but I think all the delegates should go to the senator from NY.

Clinton vows to take this issue up with the DNC Credentials Committee, but I have a feeling the Supreme Court is going to get an earful.

MORE: Hot Air; Flopping Aces

Major League Baseball is putting the screws to little leaguers who play under the names of the big league teams. How ridiculous is that? Essentially, MLB is telling uniform makers that not only are the big league logos trademarked, but the actual team names, as well. Which means, if the little leaguers wanted to use the name “Red Sox,” for instance, it would be required to pay a licensing fee to MLB. Not only that, they would be required to buy their uniforms from the big league team’s “official” supplier.

So, gone are the days of community baseball where local sponsors support local kids enjoying the great American pastime. Gone also are the kids who grow-up standing in the shoes of baseball greats like Mantle, Ruth, DiMaggio and Gehrig.

I suppose I can understand MLB’s point-of-view. After all, who wants a kid to establish an affinity with a specific major league team? Who needs a life-long fan?

Obviously, MLB doesn’t! They should be ashamed of themselves!

I would be interested to see how lawsuits such as these, brought against the innocent, will affect MLB’s antitrust exemption? The big league should tread lightly, as I have warned before, baseball stands to loose a great deal more than licensing fees should Congress decide that baseball is, in reality, a multi-billion dollar industry and not just a game.

An opera by Al Gore? Are you serious? Well, Gore won’t actually be writing the opera, but an Al Gore opera is actually being written for La Scala’s 2011 season (h/t Opera Chic):

“[A]n opera has been commissioned to composer Giorgio Battistelli for the 2011 season, based on An Inconvenient Truth, the best-selling book by Al Gore (Gore had recently been hired by Milan’s Mayor to prepare a presentation supporting the nomination for Milan as host city of the 2015 Expo, arguing that the shockingly gray, polluted, bike lane-deprived city is in fact a paragon of green virtue).”

(words fail me)

Earlier this week, Presidential hopeful Barack Obama, received an endorsement from Fidel Castro. That means, in addition to the 1,978 delegates he currently holds, Obama has been endorsed by:

• Castro
• Hamas
• Hugo Chavez
• Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
• The New Black Panthers
• Louis Farrakhan

With friends like these, who needs enemies?

…wherein my granddaughter asks me to open a box of candy band-aids:

Granddaughter: “Bee-Pa, would you open this for me, please?”

Me: “Now you know your mommy said you couldn’t have any more candy…”

Granddaughter: “But they’re not candy, Bee-Pa.”

Me: “They’re not? What are they?”

Granddaughter: “They’re band-aids; you put them on your arm and then you eat them.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that Iran is withholding information relating to its nuclear program. The report actually accuses the Iranians of a willful lack of cooperation based on, among other things, their refusal to answer allegations that their nuclear program may be intended for military use, rather than the generation of energy.

According to Western intelligence agencies, the Iranians have “ventured into explosives, uranium processing and a missile warhead design.” Not the normal activities one would associate with a peaceful energy program. The IAEA has presented this evidence to the Iranians and asked for an explanation.

The Iranians, always the honest brokers, dismissed the evidence as “forged” or “fabricated,” claiming their experiments were peaceful in nature and have nothing to do with a nuclear weapons program. Of course, Iran refused to provide any documented proof to support their claims and denied the agency access to its scientists.

This is the stance for a government with nothing to hide?

The Internet, as a growing innovation, touches nearly every part of our lives. It improves communication, eliminates physical barriers, enhances education, stimulates commerce and keeps us connected. The Internet is a wonderful tool, full of information on practically any subject and disturbingly, practically any person. The Internet, though generally accepted by most, is still largely unregulated and the societal rules protecting one’s privacy in the physical world, may not necessarily apply to the digital world. Is Internet privacy something society should expect?

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I remember when a speeding ticket was a flat rate of $25, which didn’t amount to much more than an inconvenience. Now a speeding ticket can run you a couple hundred bucks or more. In a recent issue of Wired there was an interesting “how-to”…this one discussed how to beat a speeding ticket and is too good to keep secret:

1. Play Dumb. “Do you know why I stopped you?” is a trick question. Saying yes is basically an admission of guilt

2. Prepare. Request the officer’s notes from his department, and research the statute in question at the library or on FindLaw.com. Many traffic laws have wiggle room. An “unsafe lane change,” for example, is a snap judgment made by the cop–which you may successfully challenge.

3. Stall. Two weeks before your trial, request a continuance from the court clerk. The longer you delay, the more likely the officer won’t be able to attend, which should result in a dismissal if you ask for one.

4. Argue. Bring photos, diagrams, even distance-over-time calculations (radar guns are not infallible). Any reasonable objection may reduce the charge and your fine. The judge might even throw your ticket out. According to the National Motorists Association, about half of all drivers who fight their tickets in court win their cases. It’s the American way.

(knowledge is power!)

Barack Obama on why he’s trailing Hillary Clinton by 27 points in Kentucky:

“What it says is that I’m not very well known in that part of the country” … “Sen. Clinton, I think, is much better known, coming from a nearby state of Arkansas. So it’s not surprising that she would have an advantage in some of those states in the middle.”

Not very well known in that part of the country? Doesn’t Kentucky border your own state of Illinois, Senator? Arkansas is a couple states away! Kentucky is more your part of the country than Senator Clinton’s.

(you can’t make this stuff up!)

Moore’s Law would suggest that information technology (IT) used to build systems today is superior to yesterday’s technology. However, new is not always better. Certainly, today’s IT is smaller and faster, but that doesn’t necessarily make it superior to the technology used in legacy systems. In fact, implementing new IT systems carry inherent risks that may outweigh the drawbacks of modifying or converting existing systems.

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In a comical response to President Bush’s (Barack-attack) comment “…some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists…” Barack Obama in pure Kerry “I was for the war before I was against it” flip-flopping style said, “George Bush knows that I have never supported engagement with terrorists.” Referring to the President’s comment as a “false political attack,” Obama did what comes naturally…he lied!

(say it isn’t so!)

In a piece entitled, “Renewing American Leadership”, Mr. Obama wrote,

“Throughout the Middle East, we must harness American power to reinvigorate American diplomacy. Tough-minded diplomacy…could bring success even when dealing with long-standing adversaries such as Iran and Syria…we should not hesitate to talk directly to Iran.” (emphasis mine)

So, Mr. Obama, how exactly does one “not hesitate to talk directly with Iran” without negotiating with terrorists?

There is still a great deal of controversy surrounding the role of cell phones in cancer development. The cell phone industry insists that cell phones are safe, and conflicting scientific evidence hardly refutes their claim. Only time will tell if the cell phone is the new cigarette. So, what does the research tell us?

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The controversy surrounding the teaching of intelligent design alongside the theory of evolution in our schools is simply remarkable to me. I also don’t understand why Christian activists think that if creation can’t be taught exclusively, it must be must be taught in tandem with evolutionary theory. Truth be told, I’ve never had a problem separating the teaching of secular idioms in the public school and leaving the proper teaching of Christian principles and ideals in the home. Don’t get me wrong, I believe Christian teaching has a place in public school and is in line with the beliefs of the Founding Fathers, but also concede to the powers-that-be in its disallowance in the public arena of reading, writing and ‘rithmatic. But why can’t it?

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Imagine BHO on Fox’s Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? …

Jeff Foxworthy: “So, Mr. Obama, you’ve chosen 1st Grade Geography as your category and here’s your question: How many states are there in the continental United States?”

Barack Obama: “Well, Jeff, I’ve visited 57 states with one more to go, so that means there are 58 continental United States.”

Jeff Foxworthy: “Wow! You really aren’t smarter than a 5th grader!”

Funny, certainly, if it wasn’t true!

Campaigning in Oregon yesterday, Presidential hopeful, Barack Obama, claimed:

“Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go. Alaska and Hawaii, I was not allowed to go to even though I really wanted to visit, but my staff would not justify it.”

(there’s nothing more I can add to that)

MORE: Hot Air; Webloggin; Power Line; American Pundit; Stop the ACLU; Flopping Aces.

Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera, was voted into TIME’s 100 for 2008! Gelb became the Met’s 16th general manager in 2006, and he immediately launched a crusade to reinvigorate the sometimes stodgy world of opera. His initiatives, most notably the high-definition live broadcasts in movie theaters across the country, and in Europe and Japan has brought opera to a wider audience. Additionally, last September Sirius Satellite Radio started broadcasting Met opera performances 24/7! Anna Netrebko, the stunning Russian soprano, has written the tribute to Peter Gelb in TIME. In the article Netrebko refers to Gelb as “revolutionary and a visionary in the field of classical music” and says what impresses her most is that he has “implemented these new and exciting programs while also elevating the art of great singing.”

Bravo! Mr. Gelb!

photo: www.metoperafamily.org

Abstract

Approximately one million children are abused in the United States each year. The health care worker is in a position to help these children and have a moral, ethical and legal obligation to do so. In the American culture, child abuse is wrong and everyone, including the health care worker, has a moral obligation to report suspected child abuse. However, as a member of a professional society, health care workers are also bound by a code of ethics requiring them to act in the patient’s best interest. Finally, all states and territories have laws requiring certain professions to report suspected child abuse and the health care worker is among those with this legal mandate.

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Conrressman Allen Boyd (D-FL) recently introduced legislation that would require Iraq to use its ($60 billion) budget surplus and oil revenue stream to help pay its security and reconstruction costs. The Iraq Shared Investment Act would consider the U.S. funding of Iraq’s reconstruction and security a loan to be repaid to the American taxpayer; currently this funding is considered a grant (to the tune of over $500 billion).

The bill also provides for a change to the Commander’s Emergency Response Program used for mutually agreed upon reconstruction projects. This change would essentially establish a trust fund, a pool of money to be used for these reconstruction projects and the Iraqis would be required to contribute 20 percent of a project’s cost. If the Iraqis fail to contribute the cash, the money the U.S. contributed would then be used to pay down the national debt. The U.S. currently puts $1 billion to $2 billion into the fund annually. With the change: No Iraqi contribution, no project!

According to Congressman Boyd,

“This legislation is not about punishment; it’s about responsibility. It is time for the Iraqi government to invest in its own future and have a greater financial role in their country’s security and reconstruction efforts,” … “With an expected budget surplus this year of $12 billion and an estimated $56 billion from oil revenues alone, the Iraqi government has the means to step up and pay for some of its security and reconstruction costs, and now, Iraq must show that it also has the will to take control of its own country by shouldering more of these costs.”

I could not agree more! Congressman Boyd is using his position on the Defense Subcommittee to insert his legislation into the $102 billion emergency supplemental funding bill currently under development in the House.

It’s about time someone in Congress (and a democrat no less!) takes a responsible approach to the U.S. involvement in Iraq. This legislation will allow the Iraqi government to assume a joint responsibility for the cost of reconstruction and security without taking anything away from our troops. It also allows the Iraqi government to become more self-reliant by making them less financially dependent on Uncle Sam!