January 2010 Archives

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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