QOTD - the truth

"I don't spend a lot of time worrying about what the procedural rules are in the House or Senate"
- President Obama on the rule-bending being considered to get ObamaCare passed

And you gotta love a bald-faced lie.
Right there on the national TV.

QOTD - the whopper

"That provision, which I think should remain in, said that if a state has been affected by a natural catastrophe, that has created a special health care emergency in that state, they should get help"
- President Obama on "The Louisiana Purchase", ObamaCare pay-off to get the vote of LA senator Blah-blah

Whew. What a whopper. Big fat greasy Obama-whopper!
sucks... yow, bill

Labels: healthcare, politics, qotd

1. Ozzie
I remember this old post: I Heart Ozzie
Ah, so great.
Well, I still heart Ozzie.

QOTD

"That (bleep)! (Bleep) the (bleep) (bleep)! Don't go to Venezuela for two days, surrounded with bodyguards, look around, and say, 'It's good!' It's not good!' ''
- Ozzie Guillen, on Sean Penn's girlish crush on Venezuela dictator Hugo Chavez, source

Ozzie is Venezuelan, BTW.

2. Intolerance
As your average 40-something can tell you, everything is better in America than 40 years ago... cars, houses, health care, food, racial harmony, less drugs, technology, etc.

The only downside: we live in a time of great intolerance, prohibition, and political correctness:


In this case, prohibition of "scented products, including but not limited to colognes, after-shave lotions, perfumes, deodorants, body/face lotions, hair sprays or similar products." And all this accomplished by gaming the American with Disabilities Act.

Reality is stranger than fiction. Jeez.

3. The Worst
And I still heart Investor's Business Daily... here's there editorial on "the worst bill ever":


I don't know if this is the worst bill ever.
But I don't recall such a corrosive piece of legislation and president.

4. And the Oscar goes to...
Movie: "The Hurt Locker"
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... OK.

My expectations were too high for this film. I accredit this to a) other people's comments, b) won "Best Picture" at the Oscars, and c) I just saw some "Private Ryan" on the tube.

Hey, it was OK. There were some long stretches that were slow. You could easily have shaved time from the 2 hour, 15 minute movie.

I was glad it wasn't a political/anti-war movie. I'm even gladder to see that yet another anti-war movie, "Green Zone", is failing at the box office. Hate to wish people ill, but huzzah to that!

En homage to Ozzie... Venezuela bikini
huzzah once more... yow, bill

Labels: healthcare, politics, qotd, sports

Party #1 - The Dude
Pretty funny... Jeff Dowd has a website: www.jeffdowd.com
Jeff Dowd is "The Dude" in real life.
It looks like he's making some dinero on the whole deal. Why not?

Movie: "The Big Lebowski"
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... the best!

Could be a top 10 Bill-movie.
I can't come up with a funnier movie off the top of my head.


Party #2 - Trekkie
Excellent.
http://video.yahoo.com/network/100063489?v=7086116&l=100063517

The "Tholian Web" episode was on last night... 40+ years and still the BEST!

QOTD

"Bones, Spock. Since you are playing this tape, we will assume that I am dead and the tactical situation is critical and both of you are locked in mortal combat.

It means, Spock, that you have control of the ship and are probably making the most difficult decisions of your career. I can offer only one small piece of advice for whatever it's worth: use every scrap of logic and knowledge you have to save the ship, but temper your judgment with intuitive insight. I believe you have those qualities, but if you can't find them in yourself, seek out McCoy. Ask his advice, and, if you find it sound, take it.

Bones, you've heard what I just told Spock. Help him if you can, but remember he is the captain, his decisions must be followed, without question. You might find that he is capable of human insight and human error. They are most difficult to defend, but you will find that he is deserving of the same loyalty and confidence each of you have given me.

Take care."
- Capt Kirk's, taped message for Spock & McCoy in the event of his death, imdb source

Party #3 - Ripping Al a new one
Great article... props to Steven F Hayward for the writing and to the Morning News for the link:


"In Denial" is pretty long. But worthy.
The interesting part is not just the rebuttal of the science, but also the outright (and justified) attack on the selling of science and its politicization by Al Gore and his ilk.
warm this... yow, bill

Speaking of Star Trek... this is the girl who played Uhura in the new Star Trek movie. Jeez. And Yow!

Labels: 5stars, fun, globalwarming, movies, qotd

I heart hockey and the Chicago Blackhawk and Adam Burish.

QOTD1

"Burish, my grandma is pregnant."
- sign at the Stadium celebrating Adam Burish's return to the Hawk after a knee injury

Excellent.


QOTD2

"I don't know what that means. I skated by it and said, 'it's not mine.' "
- Adam Burish, on pregnant grandmas

shoot the puck... yow, bill

Labels: qotd, sports

1. Education Dollars in Illinois
Nice. The top 100 paid teachers in Illinois:



That list is an image, so I can't spreadsheet it up, but by visual inspection:

• 17 of the top 100 paid teachers teach Physical Education
  
• 4 teacher Driver's Ed

And please, humble reader, don't forget the most obvious of facts.

QOTD

"And all of that is for a 36-week work-year."
- Top 100 teacher salaries in IL, source

2. Education Dollars in Kansas City
Kansas City is shuttering tons of schools.


That link is to the neutered AP story. (Lordy, the AP sucks)
Here's a blog post with more of the gory details on egregious spending:

Apparently, through some judicial ruling on desegregation, KC received $2B back in 1985.
Since then, the public education spending spree has resulted in... "higher teachers' salaries, 15 new schools, and such amenities as an Olympic-sized swimming pool with an underwater viewing room, television and animation studios, a robotics lab, a 25-acre wildlife sanctuary, a zoo, a model United Nations with simultaneous translation capability, and field trips to Mexico and Senegal. The student-teacher ratio was 12 or 13 to 1, the lowest of any major school district in the country." Source

And the payoff after 25 years... less than 1/3 of the kids perform at their grade level.

3. Education Dollars Everywhere
This KC pol is a great anti-example.

QOTD

"The urban core has suffered white flight post-the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. the Board of Education, blockbusting by the real estate industry, redlining by banks and other financial institutions, retail and grocery store abandonment."
- KC pol, source

Hey, little creepy KC pol... Your problem isn't white people of banks or money or anything, except... self-determination and choice.
KC spent (mis-spent) thousands of dollars per student every year.
If KC pols had given parents the choice of using those dollars to find the school of their choice, this wouldn't have happened.

It don't take no genius to connect the dots from the government monopoly in education to a new Obama-led government monopoly in health care. President Obama is trying to lead us into losing our choice in health care. The results of this change, like public education in KC, will be disastrous.
choice... yow, bill

Labels: healthcare, myphoto, qotd, schoolchoice

Chart #1 - Funding obesity
Hey, this is a great chart.


Ya get it? The feds don't tax obesity; they fund it.
Oh, don't worry they'll tax obesity, and then funnel the money back into more subsidies.

I don't know the real source for this graph, but I found it using this weird Google Reader Play.
I don't think this link will help you, but if you use Reader, try Reader Play. Just for fun though.

Chart #2. Tracking the cult of personality
Looks like Evita, I mean, President Obama is taking a bit of a popularity hit.

Well, huzzah to that.
Hopefully, that Obama approval rating will continue heading due south. ***

QOTD

"Over the last year, we’ve gone through the budget line by line looking for places to trim the fat out of government."
- President Obama fibbing yesterday, source

chart this... yow, bill

*** footnote - I'll bet it doesn't go down much more... the stock market is telling us that jobs are coming around the corner. If that happens, that popularity will pop back up somewhat.

PS - BTW, "hope I die before I get old"... this article is FUCKING BRUTAL!

Labels: fun, politics, qotd

It's almost 60 flipping degrees out. Yow!

1. Cheli!
Cheli (aka Chris Chelios) is back in the NHL!


Well so, Bill... who cares?
I care.
Cheli is 48.
So, I reset the clock on a player my age being in a major professional sport.
It's sort of like remembering the last time you were carded (last year at Buffalo Wild Wings... Ty is my witness) or the last time you touched the rim of a basketball hoop (gulp... I haven't tried that in a while).

Too bad he's not a Blackhawk though.
Anyway, did you read that one... Cheli "has played in more games than any other American-born NHL player."
Huzzah!

2. Choice!
QOTD

"I've never met an apathetic mom of any race or ethnicity.
They all want good schools for their kids."
- Why school choice works, source

One of my all-time fave WSJ articles about charter schools in NYNY...


Choice!
peace out... yow, bill

Labels: qotd, schoolchoice, sports

1. Bill Awards
Zero Academy Awards time for me last night.
And the Oscar goes to... www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/82/nominees.html

Of the "Best Picture" nominees that I saw, here's my ranking:

1. "Up in the Air" 4 bill-stars
2. "District 9" 4 bill-stars
3. "Up" 3 bill-stars (barely)
   
4. "Avatar" 2 bill-stars (barely)
   

Of course, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" was a 5 bill-star effort, so there. Ha!

I'm glad "The Dude" won for Best Actor, and "Crazy Heart" won best song with "The Weary Kind". Excellent!

2. Forbes Shape

QOTD

"One state retiree, 49 years old, paid, over the course of his entire career, a total of $124,000 toward his retirement pension and health benefits. What will we pay him? $3.3 million in pension payments over his life and nearly $500,000 for health care benefits--a total of $3.8 million on a $120,000 investment. Is that fair?"
- Chris Christie, gov of New Jersey, source

Steve Forbes' outstanding article on the New Jersey state government budget and what new governor, Chris Christie, is doing to fix it.


Here's the 2nd (stupefying) anecdote from the article.

QOTD2

"A retired teacher paid $62,000 toward her pension and nothing, yes nothing, for full family medical, dental and vision coverage over her entire career. What will we pay her? $1.4 million in pension benefits and another $215,000 in health care benefit premiums over her lifetime. Is it 'fair' for all of us and our children to have to pay for this excess?"
- Gov Christie on Jersey budget woes

Christie uses the term "fair".
I dislike it.

1. These teachers and state employees just signed up for the deal they were offered.
   
2. The term is inflammatory, only used to appeal to the emotions.
   

Of course, fair/unfair/whatever are the modus operandi of the left... but to get things fixed in Jersey, maybe it's worth using this crappy tactic.

This is the same setup we find in many programs: social security, medicare, etc.
Many (most) people get more out than they put in, but the price is risk... you're name isn't on the money, so some pol some day might come saying that your deal is not "fair".

OK, last QOTD from Crazy Heart's winning song.

QOTD3

"And this ain't no place
To fall behind
Pick up your crazy heart
And give it one more try"
- "Weary Kind" lyrics from "Crazy Heart"

weary kind... yow, bill

Labels: movies, myphoto, politics, qotd

I heart minor league baseball
Minor league baseball teams really, really want your business. They cater to you. They try hard. This is the exact opposite approach than you see at MLB teams like the Chicago Cub.

Here's a great story about the Peoria Chiefs, the Cub class A minor league team... they're leasing out their skyboxes to fantasy baseball leagues for their draft meetings. For $35 a guy, you get the luxury (cough) suite, all-you-can-eat buffet, beers, and a ticket to a future Chief game. Sweet!


I heart minor league baseball.


I heart my crock pot
RIP Mable Hoffman... author of “Crockery Cookery”, an early and popular crock pot recipe book.


I heart my crock pot... and Mable too, I reckon.


I heart Ronald Reagan
Book: “Tear Down This Wall” by Romesh Ratnesar
Review: 2 bill-stars (out of 5)... meh

This book is very dry and kinda boring. This is hard to fathom, given how interesting the subject matter is. The other irritating thing is the guy sprinkles in his politics into the thing here and there. The big two that bugged me:

1. Reagan's optimism was naivete
   
2. Gorbachev ended the cold war, not Reagan
   

OK, poindexter.
Reagan's optimism and belief in the human spirit defined him.
The author's incredulity likely defines him, and maybe this is a defining trait of your average leftie.

One of the best anecdotes from the book was by a girl attending a talk Reagan gave in Moscow. Russian security officials picked which students would sit where for Reagan's speech. They were told, "Don't make any movements with your body. If you get up, you will be shot." Well, that'll discourage those distracting potty breaks during an event, eh.

QOTD

“General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
- Ronald Reagan, Jun 12 1987, speech at Brandenburg Gate in (then) West Berlin

I believe the difference between Reagan and other presidents was an actual set of values which drove his decision-making. His values: small government, personal freedom, optimism. If you know what President Obama's values are, please chime in and enlighten me.

Reagan was stricken with Alzheimer's a few years after leaving office. He penned a final correspondence, a sort of goodbye, before losing his faculties.

QOTD2

“In closing, let me that you, the American people for giving me the great honor of allowing me to serve as your President. When the Lord calls me home whenever that may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future. I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.”
-Ronald Wilson Reagan, Nov 5 1994 letter

I heart Ronald Reagan


I heart our great sunny weekend!
run faster... yow, bill

PS - A couple photos of Reagan in front of the Berlin Wall on Jun 12, 1987.

...

Labels: 2stars, books, fun, politics, qotd, sports

QOTD

"Coin-operated self-destruct... not one of my better ideas."
- Plankton

yow, bill

PS - Hey, I predicted this. The fall, the changing of Sarah Palin. (Yeah, genius. I know). Too bad.

Labels: fun, qotd

1. Health Care Nonsense
Good, if snarky, article here:


I'm not a big Buffet fan, but he's right here. The issue is cost.

QOTD

"We're just going to focus on costs, and we're not going to dream up 2,000 pages of other things... Get rid of the nonsense."
- Warren Buffet, on scrapping ObamaCare and starting over

I said it a year ago. President Obama could have easily made meaningful, common sense changes to health care in America. But we went down the rabbit hole instead. And here we are.

2. Hot Curlers
I watched some Winter Olympics... more than I thought I would. The USA-Canada hockey matches were both awesome!

Anyway, here's my Olympic wrap... two things:

1. It's a good thing Canada won the gold in men's hockey. The gold medal game was the most watched TV show ever in Canada (source) with 80% of the flipping country watching the game. Jeez! If the US had won the game in overtime, I think Canada would have collectively jumped off a window ledge or something.
2. I still don't understand the rules, but women's curlers were hot hot hot!
   

The hottest women's curler of all is...


Jeez.
pro curling... yow, bill

Labels: fun, healthcare, qotd, sports

1. Retro Sheet
I turned on the tube after the market closed yesterday, and there it was on some MLB channel that I don't know why I have...

Excellent.
So, google, google, google... and giggle, giggle, giggle... here's the boxscore from that game:


Checkout the "Play by Play" section at the end of the file... every batter and move in the game is detailed. Amazing.

Read, read, read... the guys that pour in the time to do this are:


QOTD

"Retrosheet was founded in 1989 for the purpose of computerizing play-by-play accounts of as many pre-1984 major league games as possible."
- Mission statement of RetroSheet, source

Couple observations:

• Jack Brickhouse was the broadcaster... perfect guy for a simpler time.
• The Cub crowd was decidedly younger... the voices chanting "We want a run" sounded like a school choir.
• I remember that game... or I think I do... because I would turn the Cub on after coming home from school. When you come home, and the score is 22-22, there's a good chance you'll remember it.
  
• The Cub today are not as much fun as those ever-losing Cub of yesteryear. Either that, or I'm an old goat. Who can tell?
  

2. Financial Fasting
Certainly, confusing economic times... tough tough tough, and then you can't get into a restaurant on a Tuesday night. I don't know what the heck is going on.

This is a fun article on a 20-something doing a "financial fast" for 21 days... basically cutting back on all discretionary spending.


3. Bumper Sticker of the Day (BSOTD?)
Saw this (too funny) bumper sticker last week:

He he.
peace out... yow, bill

Labels: fun, politics, qotd, sports

1. Hoosiers
Yea another idea better than ObamaCare...Indiana has health savings accounts:


This goofy QOTD sums the problem up pretty dang well.

QOTD

"A fast-food meal costs most Americans more out of pocket than a visit to the doctor."
- Mitch Daniels, IN gov, source

If President Obama rams his crappy health care reform through using the (previously called) nuclear option, then it will be bad, but interesting. For these obnoxious shenanigans, what will be the price in November? Got me.

2. Hosers
Hockey quiz: The Chicago Blackhawks have 23 guys listed on their roster... how many of these players are American?

Olympic hockey: USA lost in OT to Canada... after tying the game 2-2 with 24 seconds left.
This is the best outcome.

• USA gets the fun and excitement of tying the hosers, yet
• Canada doesn't fall into a spiral of depression losing the hockey gold

And huzzah to all the Blackhawks on each team: Kane, Toews, Keith, and Seabrook.

here come the hawks... yow, bill

PS - Hockey quiz answer: Only 3 of the 23 Blackhawk players are American: Kane, Burish, and Byfuglien.

PPS - Blackhawks ice girl... don't care where she's from either:

Labels: healthcare, qotd, sports

1. Health Care Summit
The "Health Care Summit" was yet another setback for President Obama. He had hoped to sway public opinion by talking rings around the repubs on national TV for a few hours.

Oops.

QOTD

"And I've got to tell you, the American people are engaged. And if you think they want a government takeover of health care, I would respectfully submit you're not listening to them."
- Paul Ryan, Wi repub, to President Obama, source

Will he still try to cram crappy Obamacare through the Congress?
We shall see.

Paul Ryan is a Congress dude from Wisconsin. He's doing well, but he's not nearly as highly-regarded as the Packers bikini girls below:
2. Earthquake!
The Richter scale is base 10 logarithmic (wikipedia). So, a mag 5 earthquake is 10x more powerful ("seismic energy") than a mag 4.

Earthquakes like these:

• Illinois 2010 - We had an earthquake earlier this month in Illinois. It was early in the morning. I felt it, but I didn't realize it was an earthquake. That was a magnitude 3.8 quake (source).
  
• San Jose 1989 - My favorite earthquake was the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake... because I was there. It was magnitude 6.9. So, the 1989 quake was roughly 1,000x more powerful than our little Naperville shake.
  
• Chile 2010 - My earthquake theme is because there was a big quake in Chile today, mag 8.8. That's roughly 100x more powerful than 1989... or 100,000x more powerful than Naperville's baby quake. Yow!

3. Bill48
God bless February 27... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_27
Wikipedia says I was born on the same day as:

• Adam Baldwin - I don't think he's a "Baldwin brother". I remember him most in "My Bodyguard" from back in the day, and more recently, from "Serenity"... a movie I heart.
• Grant Show - who I don't know from Adam... um, any Adam, not just Adam Baldwin.
  

I got a fish for my birthday (the Christmas fish already, um, passed on):

We'll name him:

• Flint... main character from "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs", or
• Ryan Miller... if the USA hockey team wins Sunday
  

Stay tuned... and GO USA!

48 is OK.
Sure, things are slowing down, but nothing's fallen off yet. He he!
Birthday poker party at The Castle today... then family dinner at Domo tomorrow.
happy birthday... yow, bill

Labels: fun, healthcare, qotd

QOTD

"All I need are some tasty waves... a cool buzz... and I'm fine."
- Jeff Spicoli, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", audio

WSJ article on reforming health care:


I'll paraphrase their very simple proposal:

1. Eliminate tax code bias of health insurance over out-of-pocket expenses
   
2. Remove state barrier on health insurance and services
3. Tort reform
   

The idea is... you pay for your own stuff, then you'll shop around.
Like I said... simple.
tasty waves... yow, bill

Labels: healthcare, qotd

Great story about a successful charter school in Harlem:


The place is called Harlem Village Academies: www.harlemvillageacademies.org

QOTD

"Because it’s not allowed."
- Harlem Village student on why there is no fighting at the school

choice... yow, bill

Labels: qotd, schoolchoice

This won't go anywhere, but here's a black guy in Chicago pushing for school choice:


QOTD

"Only eight out of 100 Chicago public school students will graduate from a four-year college."
- jeez, man

Hard to get your head around that one.
choice... yow, bill

Labels: qotd, schoolchoice

1. Killer Weeners
Sigh.

Pediatricians call for a choke-proof hot dog

I heart Janet Riley...

QOTD

"Ensuring the safety of the foods we service to children is critically important for us."
- Janet Riley, President of the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council

That's right... the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council
Hey, they have a website and everything... www.hot-dog.org
They're a Facebook page too... you'll have to find them on your own though. I'm a fan!

And dang, President Janet Riley looks like a cute little Irish girl...

Who would you rather have babysit your kids?

1. Janet Riley, President of the Weener Council
2. Or some pediatrician who wants choking warnings on your hot dogs

You know my answer.

2. Two more Silly Things

BTW, why do kids have peanut allergies now, and they didn't 40 years ago?

Doctors launch major trials to treat childhood peanut allergy after promising pilot study

QOTD2

"The therapy is the most promising development yet in the search for a long-term treatment for the allergy, which affects 4% of British schoolchildren."
- 4% of British kids are allergic to peanuts?!? Really? Source

There's something fishy (peanuty?) here. I heard a theory this weekend that kids are more sheltered from, well, everything, and that a by-product of this is more allergies to, well, everything... including peanuts.
Maybe.

Finally, have you watched any Olympics?
Pretty good.
I saw some skiing.
They pointed out two parents in the crowd during my short tenure in front of the tube.
Both of them were videotaping their (adult) children as they were performing in the Olympics.
Does that make any sense to you? To anyone?
Well, that "anyone" crack is rhetorical because it obviously makes sense to them, but how about living before videotaping.
I don't know.
peace out... yow, bill

Labels: fun, qotd

Today's Puritans are busy.
I just posted this QOTD on Facebook:

QOTD

"Individuals are prohibited from possessing deadly weapons while performing any services for MLB"
-new (mandated) signs outside every MLB clubhouse. Idiots.

This fucking stupidity is, of course, in response to the Gilbert Arenas gun nonsense. For merely carrying a gun, Arenas will face legal charges and lose millions of dollars as part of his NBA suspension. A number of Arenas' teammates were fined by the NBA for laughing at Arenas clowning about the incident.

Now, this photo got a snowboarder sent home from the Olympics:

Source: www.tmz.com/2010/02/19/olympic-medalist-packs-up-after-biting-photo/

Here's the story: www.abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=9892724

The big winner in the snowboarding, whatever the hell his name is, got slammed for swearing off camera after learning he won the gold.

Did you know that the US Olympic Committee (USOC) has a new required "Ambassador Program" that is "aimed at improving the etiquette of Olympic athletes". Source

Tiger just spent 20 minutes groveling for the world.

Can somebody tell me what the fuck is going on?
What's happened.
What's happening.
It's like we're regressing.
We're progressing in every area, except tolerance for each other.
Tough to figger out, to be honest.
It seems to be bigger than left or right at this point... the sanctimony.

Well, you can always come over to The Castle and swear and drink and take pictures with hot chicks or whatever you'd like.
regress... yow, bill

PS - That's one hot Puritan to the right over there. Oops, that's inappropriate. Jeez, glad I'm not in the NBA... or MLB... or Olympics... or golf... or...

Labels: politics, qotd

Two stories from an excellent investment blog: Crossing Wall Street

The core CPI dropped 0.2% last month... first (real) drop in prices since 1982:


What does that mean?
I assume it's a blip... rather than real deflation ahead.

Second story... the US is only 20th in debt/GDP ratio at 96%.

www.crossingwallstreet.com/archives/2010/02/the_worlds_bigg.html

I still have my copy of "Bankruptcy 1995" from back in the day. I knew that was crap (extrapolate the worst numbers possible out into the future... gasp!), and even though things are worse today, it's still an over-reaction.

That said, it's great to see America reacting BEFORE we become some POS European country.

QOTD

"We'll make a pot of coffee
And you can rest your shoes
And you can tell me them sweet lies
And I'll listen to you
For I'm just a little part of
Of the life you've lived
But I'd rather have a little bit of trouble
Than to never know the love you give"
- "Hello Trouble" by Buck Owens... excellent off the "Crazy Heart" soundtrack

I heart "Crazy Heart".
I gotta go back and change that review to 4 bill-stars. 3 bill-stars... what an idiot!

The soundtrack is 5 bill-stars.
hello bikini trouble... yow, bill

Labels: investing, qotd

1. NBA Nerds
Only foreign-born NBA players read... American players play video games. Sigh.


The two causes are obvious:

1. Crappy public schools
2. Coddling of athletes from a very young age

Ah, nuts to that, here are some awesome dunks:

1. Vince Carter literally jumping over some poor schlep in the Olympics: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMrPjl-927Q
2. Michael Jordan, with two hands, dunking on 7'4" Mark Eaton in Utah: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhdMHcI2dRo
3. Kevin Johnson dunking on Hakeem: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kidpegzfFc

2. Obama Malaise
My fave, the Mad Hedge Fund guy, puts the odds at 50/50 for a Jimmy Carteresque ending to the President Obama story:


QOTD

"If you’re over 50, and all of this sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because we’ve been through it all before. Remember Jimmy Carter? Remember the “misery index,” the unemployment rate plus the inflation rate, which hit 30, and catapulted Ronald Reagan into an eight year presidency?"
- the Mad Hedge Fund guy, source

Who knows?
In any case, it may not be the best time to buy and hold in the stock market. IMHO.

3. Poll wording
Finally, it's nice to confirm the obvious... the wording of a poll can dramatically effect the results.

QOTD2

"Seventy-nine percent of Democrats said they support permitting gay men and lesbians to serve openly. Fewer Democrats however, just 43 percent, said they were in favor of allowing homosexuals to serve openly."
- Poll results based on "gay" or "homosexual", source

Good one.
peace out... yow, bill

Labels: fun, politics, qotd, sports

1. Pols, Beautiful Pols
Ah, my fave... pols.

QOTD1

"I know I'm the people's senator, but do I have to hang out with them?"
- John Edwards on attending county fairs, source

Here's a snarky review of a silly book about John Edwards in the WSJ.


It's silly because the author is a knucklehead named Andrew Young, former chief sycophant to pol John Edwards. Neither of these guys is the least bit credible.

It's snarky because the WSJ takes the book semi-seriously.

So, why mention it here at williamt?
A stupid book but these QOTD's are too delicious to pass up.
Pols are different than you and me.

QOTD2

"It used to be civilized.
The media was on our side.
We'd get our work done by one o'clock and by two we were at the White House chasing women."
- Teddy Kennedy, source

pretty crappy myspace site: www.dcbikiniteam.com

2. Health Care Anecdote
Here's an amazing health care anecdote for Australia, where they've had some flavor of socialized medicine for years, I guess.


QOTD3

"But the politicians who pushed through the National Health Scheme are no longer around to see the effects of their good intentions. The very people the National Health Scheme was intended to assist are its major victims. Standing on the sidelines now, observing what has come to pass, I can only wonder if the US will follow the same path as Obama attempts to resurrect his own National Health Plan."
- Ray Barros, source

3. Favorites
It's funny how I'm starting to squirrel away favorite links here... it's easy to search and find them later.

• Cool photos from my birthplace (dop) Joliet, IL in 1914, courtesy the Joliet Historical Museum (huh?): www.jolietmuseum.org/history/jolietphotos-fulllist.htm
• Top 50 cool nerdy, quirky blog posts from 2009 (thank you, Holly): scienceblogs.com/clock/2010/01/announcing_the_posts_that_will.php
  
• Is Google in the process of wrecking gmail? Google adds Facebook-like features to gmail

peace... yow, bill

Labels: healthcare, politics, qotd

1. Mortgage Banker Payback
Funniest story of the day:


Even funnier QOTD...

QOTD

"We have come to the inescapable conclusion that owning our own building was the smartest long-term investment for the association."
- Mortgage Banker's Association in 2007, on buying their building

I guess foreclosure would have been more appropriate, but still... pretty funny.

2. Hopey Changey
Sarah Palin's "Tea Party" speech was chockful 'o Obama zingers.
Back to that in a second.

QOTD2

"Now, a year later, I got to ask the supporters of all that...
how is that hope-y, change-y stuff working out for you,"
- Sarah Palin, source

Hopey, changey... jeez. good one.

It dawns on this addled observer... why is Sarah Palin the only one calling this guy out?
Even this crappy blog pulls punches, I must admit.
Why?
Is it a black guy thing? Or social pressure? Fear of not dating hot 40-somethings?
I honestly don't know.
Processing...

QOTD3

"I think instead of lecturing, he needs to stop and he needs to listen on health care issues, on national security."
- Sarah Palin

Cha.
I read that now Obama is calling for a meeting with repubs on health care.
Now.
NOW!

Fucking idiot.
You've had a year... the Senate... the Congress... 53-47 victory over an 80 year-old stiff... 10% unemployment... few trillions in debt... and NOW you want to talk about health care reform.
Pathetic.

I have a better idea... more talks with Iran.

3. Book Review
Book: "The Night in Question" by Tobias Wolff
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... very good

Good read.
I am much more a novel guy than short stories, but still good.
Thanks, Matt for the rec.

QOTD4

"He was big in every direction - tall and rotund with a massive head, a trophy head."
- Tobias Wolff, "The Night in Question" page 191

BTW, the best short story of the bunch was the shortest and the last, "Bullet in the Brain"... about a guy who... well, just read it.
He he he.
hopey changey not... yow, bill

Labels: 3stars, books, fun, politics, qotd

1. Betty White
Best Super Bowl commercial... Betty White.


Dammit, that's funny.
All the Super Bowl ads are at that link, BTW.
How do young people even know who Betty White is?

2. Argentina
Ah, the world would be so much better off if hot chicks were running things.
Um. Don't tell that to Argentina, where the girls are just as corrupt as the boys.



I will say this... it looks like they're having fun.
I don't know how much fun hyper-inflation is going to be for your average joe (jose?) in Argentina, but whatever.

3. Milwaukee School Choice
Speaking of corruption... Dear President Obama. Dear Arnie Duncan. School choice is working in Milwaukee and DC and NYNY and...


QOTD

"In 2008 the graduation rate for voucher students was 77% versus 65% for the nonvoucher students, though the latter receives $14,000 per pupil in taxpayer support, or more than double the $6,400 per pupil that voucher students receive in public funding."
- School choice stats in Milwaukee, source

So great that money can't buy results.
So great to see freedom working.

It's a smooth ride... arguing for choice and personal freedom.
How's that anti-freedom argument working... Obama and Arnie and the teacher's unions and other lefties.

All you have to do is allow for a little risk... the risk that people will take care of their own stuff (like kids) better than anyone else.
No risk with the gov plan... you know it will suck.
an easy choice... yow, bill

PS - "bikini school choice"

Labels: fun, politics, qotd, schoolchoice, sports

1. The Global Warming Terrorist
A classic.
Global warming believer, Osama Bin Laden chimes in on cap & trade...

QOTD

"... bin Laden warned of the dangers of climate change and says that the way to stop it is to bring "the wheels of the American economy" to a halt."
- OBL, Bin Laden blasts US on climate change

Applying the Obama doctrine that we're provoking these poor guys, I hope I'm not out of place suggesting that OBL's motivation here may not be pure. It's possible that he's just jealous of Gore and Obama and is gunning for a Nobel Peace prize of his own.

2. The Nuke-ular President
And our leftie dream President chimes in on nuke-ular power:


QOTD2

"I see an evolving attitude on energy by the president... up until now, the administration has been pursuing a national windmill policy instead of a national energy policy, which is the military equivalent of going to war in sailboats."
- Sen Lamar Alexander, source

It'd be "the best" to see nuclear power actually gain traction under President Obama. Hey, I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

BTW, Wikipedia says this about power output:

• Your average nuke plant puts out 500-2000 MW (mega-watts)
• Your average wind turbine generates 1.5 MW
  

So, you pick... one nuke or 1,000 windmills littering the landscape.

Osama global warming and Obama nuclear power... too funny.
nuke me... yow, bill

Labels: globalwarming, politics, qotd

1. Movie Verdict
Movie: "The Verdict"
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... outstanding!

Why 5 bill-stars for this tiny, tiny movie?
Paul Newman, Jack Warden, Charlotte Rampling, James Mason... directed by Sidney Lumet.
Magic.

QOTD

"I know how you feel. You don't believe me, but I do know.

I'm going to tell you something that I learned when I was your age. I'd prepared a case and old man White said to me, "How did you do?" And, uh, I said, "Did my best." And he said, "You're not paid to do your best. You're paid to win."

And that's what pays for this office... pays for the pro bono work that we do for the poor... pays for the type of law that you want to practice... pays for my whiskey... pays for your clothes... pays for the leisure time we have to sit back and discuss philosophy as we're doing tonight. We're paid to win the case.

You finished your marriage. You wanted to come back and practice the law. You wanted to come back to the world. Welcome back."
- "The Verdict", (evil) James Mason on paying Charlotte Rampling to back-stab Paul Newman

I can't find (and snarf) a good picture of Charlotte Rampling from "The Verdict". Dang it.
I did find a fun article on some dude's fave scene in "The Verdict": The Paul Newman Scene I Can't Get Out of My Head



2. Global Warming Verdict
Ah, crazy 2 byte characters: Bjørn Lomborg.
øøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøø

I heart Bjørn Lomborg.
He's a common sense voice on global warming and in today's WSJ points out the obvious: even if you believe in global warming, the answer isn't carbon taxes or caps or whatever... it's innovation!

Lomborg calls for a sort of international research effort. None is needed, of course. As long as big money lies at the end of the rainbow, companies and countries will vie for the prize to the best of their abilities.

Funny one... I saw an op-ed by Joe Biden in today's WSJ titled, "The President's Nuclear Vision", and had a quick flash on President Obama (finally) calling on nuclear power as a part of our energy solution. Dop. No, it was some crap about nuclear weapons. Sigh. Other than the vapid "green jobs" mantra, the Obama administration continues the tradition of not having an energy policy in the US. Dop.



3. Socialism Verdict
Is America in the process of telling socialism's most buxom salesman to pack her bags and hit the fucking bricks? Golly, wouldn't it be great. Almost too much to hope for. But aren't we leaning that way? Just a little?

The President Obama buzz/cult of personality seems to be waning a bit. Not his personal popularity. That will not be impacted by anything. Look at Bill Clinton. But President Obama's agenda is ebbing: health care, can & trade, massive government spending and intervention.

And where are the repubs during this void? I mean, Obamacare has been knocked on its ass... where's the repub retort?!? Competition across state lines. Tax credits for people who can't afford it? Malpractice reform?

Or, where is the Newt Gingrich for 2010's redo of the 1994 elections?
Where is the dang Contract With America for 2010?

I heart America and her defining tradition of freedom and rugged individualism. I believe!
peace... yow, bill

QOTD2

"Your Honor, with all due respect, if you're going to try my case for me, I wish you wouldn't lose it."
- Paul Newman, "The Verdict"

Labels: 5stars, globalwarming, healthcare, movies, politics, qotd

I'm not a big Sheryl Crow fan. Duh.
Like this shot though... genuine and fun, posed and yet not... and she is a hot 40-something, so there!


Book: "Consent to Kill" by Vince Flynn
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... the best!

Sweet mother Mary... an easy 5 bill-stars with the boffo ending.
What the hell is my problem... boffo start, middle and end!

Couple days ago, I'm looking at the book with less than a hundred pages to go, and I'm thinking, "How the heck is he going to wrap (Rapp!) all this shit up so quickly?"
Oh, that's how. Good lord!

Jeez, a great great guy read.

QOTD

As he turned to head back into the house he found himself staring down the length of a thick black silencer at the face of the last man he wanted to see. Abel dropped the bag of groceries, and said, "I can explain."

"I'm sure you can." Rapp took half a step back and then kicked Abel in the balls, dropping him to the ground.
- "Consent to Kill", Vince Flynn

I've read a couple articles on "Consent to Kill" being Mitch Rapp's first appearance on the big screen (like this one).
Fine.
I'll bet they screw it up though.
I don't know.
I haven't ever watched "24" except as (incessant) commercials during football games, so who knows. I think "24" and Jack Bauer are the closest thing to Mitch Rapp... just watered down.
consent to kill... yow, bill

PS - Oh, and my regards to Lake Geneva. Sigh. Sorry... details are only available on my pay-per-view blog. He he!

Labels: 5stars, books, qotd

I found both of these in Forbes. Great magazine.

QOTD

"Let's face it, we're not changing the world. We're building a product that helps people buy more crap - and watch porn."
- William Watkins, CEO of disk drive maker Seagate, source

And here's a great story that extrapolates the nonsense we find in global warming with socialized medicine.

QOTD2 is the last paragraph from this article.

QOTD2

"Potomac climate medicine will be scientific when every last data point and every last line of code are posted on the Web. When the data and code come out into the open, as they inevitably will, better scientists will quickly demonstrate how very modest changes in the smoothing, fudging and twiddling can jerk the predictions up or down, or turn them upside down."
- Peter Huber, Forbes dude on global warming science

Cha.
upside down... yow, bill

PS - Early, wonderful, 40-something weekend, baby... woot!

Labels: globalwarming, healthcare, qotd

1. Some repub guy won!
So, some repub guy from MA won... hopefully stalling Crappy ObamaCare. I ought to trademark "Crappy ObamaCare (TM)". Who knows if this election is really important, but it certainly garnered the news spotlight last night.

The guy is Scott Brown. He had that great "the people's seat" tag line.
So, pretty big deal.
Pretty big Obama setback.
So, I invested 10 minutes in "legitimate" media.
CNN.
And CNN's coverage:

1. The repub guy won.
2. Showed some bizarre nearly naked photos of him from the 80's (no, I not kidding)
3. Called the guy a few names, like "obscure", "inexperienced", "populist", etc
   
4. Blamed the loss on the guy's dullard dem opponent, Marcia Coakley or something
   

CNN is the Fox News of the left. No diff.
MSNBC is so stupid, I don't think they call themselves a news channel any more. I don't think.

Oh and Teddy Kennedy... who's your Daddy, loser!

Ah, that felt good.
Anyway, I still believe, hook or crook, they're going to pass something. I mean they're not just going to flush the whole first year of hope and change down the crapper. Right, President Obama? Right!!!

2. Buffet QOTD
Warren Buffet, a big Obama guy, chimed in on President Obama's proposed bank tax.

QOTD

“Look at the damage Fannie and Freddie caused, and they were run by the Congress. Should they have a special tax on congressmen because they let this thing happen to Freddie and Fannie? I don’t think so.”
- Warren Buffet, source

Cha!

3. New feature: Recipes!
First off, my fave recipe site is www.allrecipes.com.
Here are my first two reviews.

Recipe: Lasagna Alfredo Rollups... recipe link
Review: 4 bill-stars... excellent!

YUMMY!
I had help from the beautiful and tiny M in preparing this bad boy. Fun fun fun.
Add more garlic next time, but it was great with red wine. Like everything else, I know.

Recipe: Hearty Chicken and Noodle Casserole... recipe link
Review: 3 bill-stars... very good!

Ty and I whipped this one up.
I need to spice it up a little, but it was a good start.
Ty had seconds! And didn't puke!
yow, bill

PS - I watched "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" again last night. 5 bill-stars. Wonderful!

PPS - That hot bikini girl is some actor's girlfriend. Who cares. He he.

Labels: 3stars, 4stars, politics, qotd, recipes