--The country of Georgia, under its president Mikhail Saakashvili, decided to invade its secessionist province of South Ossetia, prompting a Russian counterattack and offensive against Georgia. The volatile Saakashvili apparently instigated this outbreak of hostilities with South Ossetia, but now the danger is in his small nation being overrun. Georgia has been one of the United States’ biggest allies in the region, even having sent soldiers to Iraq. But their president is unstable and provocative. The population of South Ossetia is more pro-Russian and favorable to the idea of union with its neighboring giant. This war is very dangerous and could ignite into a broader conflict. Will cooler heads prevail? Georgia has announced that it has withdrawn its forces from South Ossetia and is proposing a cease-fire. Now it remains to be seen how restrained the Russians will be in their response. So far, they seem intent on crushing their small neighbor.
--Tragedy has marred the Beijing Summer Olympics, with a Chinese man stabbing the parents of the U.S. volleyball coach at a historic tower before jumping to his death. The father died while the mother is in critical condition. The attack seemed to be completely random and unprovoked.
--It’s not fashionable to say this, but I believe that the Chinese and the Russians have a great deal more to fear from terrorism than does the United States. Although seen as dangerous rivals by some, even enemies, American leaders need to express their willingness to support these two nations as they try to legitimately protect their own people. I read something recently about how stringent China’s Olympic security measures were. But they weren’t any more severe than those taken by Greece for their Olympics four years earlier. But then again, China is way too touchy with its sensitivity to criticism by others (noting their refusal to admit an American former Olympic athlete for supporting Darfur human rights).
--Ellen Nakashima reports for the Washington Post that a vast database of Americans’ prescriptions records has led to the formation of “health credit reports” that determine how much health and life insurance companies charge prospective customers. The two biggest health “big brother” data collecting companies are Ingenix and Milliman. This is completely outrageous! How much more abuse by the health care and insurance industries are we going to put up with before we dump this horrendous system in favor of publicly-funded universal health care?
--The Miami Dolphins began their preseason schedule by losing to Tampa Bay 17-6. Touted as a new-look team, rebuilding from last year’s pathetic 1-15 version, the Dolphins’ one bright spot was the performance of veteran running back, marijuana enthusiast, and former retiree Ricky Williams. When I read that Williams played, I was astonished. I thought the Dolphins had gotten rid of him a long time ago!
Showing posts with label Headlines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Headlines. Show all posts
Monday, August 11, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 7/21
--Only six months before his long run as U.S. president ends, George W. Bush has changed his direction in dealing with Iraq and Iran, at least on the surface. Bush has acquiesced to the idea of a “time horizon” (love that language) for American troops to leave Iraq, while the U.S. is now sending a negotiator to directly talk with the Iranian government over its nuclear enrichment program and is also setting up an “interests” section in Tehran to officially represent the U.S. there. Critics of the Bush policy in Iraq had long maintained that the Iraqis would not move seriously toward the reconciliation of its feuding political and religious groups until the Americans left them to solve their problems on their own. Nouri al-Maliki, the prime minister of their democratically-elected government, wants the U.S. troops out, and we’re supposed to be there in support of Iraq’s democracy and sovereignty. So why do we keep acting as if we owned the place? As for Iran, there had been a great deal of fear in 1979 that the U.S. would seek to reinstall the Shah in power there (as it had already done in 1953, overthrowing the democratically-elected prime minister Mohammed Mossadegh). When the Shah was allowed to enter the U.S. for medical treatment, the fears culminated in the desperate taking of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, and the rest is history. Those circumstances don’t exist today, and it’s no use for each successive administration in Washington to shun Tehran as they have been doing. We don’t have to agree with the Iranians' policies and ideology, but we should be talking with them just the same.
--Barack Obama, along with two other U.S. senators, is on his announced trip to Afghanistan and the Middle East. Republican opponent John McCain can only keep criticizing Obama for making a policy address before actually visiting the area. But why should visiting these places change his policies? You know he’s going to be heavily protected and surrounded by U.S. troops. None of the Afghanis, Iraqis, Israelis, and Palestinians that he does come in contact with are going to change anything. I don’t really see the necessity of this trip, as far as Obama becoming more enlightened regarding our foreign policy in this area is concerned. But it does serve the political purpose of showing him in a foreign policy role and that he is listening to the various parties involved and will make reasoned, informed decisions as president.
--My local newspaper The Gainesville Sun had an article about the eight University of Florida buildings that have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. One of them is Weil Hall (for computer science and engineering), an utterly ancient and foreboding place (next to their nuclear reactor) where I suffered in 1977 through a thoroughly frustrating computer class featuring key-punch machines (a torture device of sorts) and feeding in stacks of punched cards repeatedly (sometimes for hours on end) while continually getting error message printouts. I also took a Polish language class in spring 1978 that was held in Weil’s basement (UF was known for putting classes in strange places). Held in the first class period of the morning, the classroom was right next to a small lounge, where some kindly soul would leave some boxes of glazed doughnuts each morning. There was a small basket placed next to them for anyone who wanted a doughnut to throw some money in (honor system). I rapidly became a doughnut junkie, but I paid for every one. I noticed over the days, though, that most of those taking the doughnuts wouldn’t deposit any money, but would instead just throw in slips of paper saying “IOU” (without identifying themselves, of course). Kind of reminds me how our government works on the national level!
--Barack Obama, along with two other U.S. senators, is on his announced trip to Afghanistan and the Middle East. Republican opponent John McCain can only keep criticizing Obama for making a policy address before actually visiting the area. But why should visiting these places change his policies? You know he’s going to be heavily protected and surrounded by U.S. troops. None of the Afghanis, Iraqis, Israelis, and Palestinians that he does come in contact with are going to change anything. I don’t really see the necessity of this trip, as far as Obama becoming more enlightened regarding our foreign policy in this area is concerned. But it does serve the political purpose of showing him in a foreign policy role and that he is listening to the various parties involved and will make reasoned, informed decisions as president.
--My local newspaper The Gainesville Sun had an article about the eight University of Florida buildings that have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. One of them is Weil Hall (for computer science and engineering), an utterly ancient and foreboding place (next to their nuclear reactor) where I suffered in 1977 through a thoroughly frustrating computer class featuring key-punch machines (a torture device of sorts) and feeding in stacks of punched cards repeatedly (sometimes for hours on end) while continually getting error message printouts. I also took a Polish language class in spring 1978 that was held in Weil’s basement (UF was known for putting classes in strange places). Held in the first class period of the morning, the classroom was right next to a small lounge, where some kindly soul would leave some boxes of glazed doughnuts each morning. There was a small basket placed next to them for anyone who wanted a doughnut to throw some money in (honor system). I rapidly became a doughnut junkie, but I paid for every one. I noticed over the days, though, that most of those taking the doughnuts wouldn’t deposit any money, but would instead just throw in slips of paper saying “IOU” (without identifying themselves, of course). Kind of reminds me how our government works on the national level!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 7/7
--Barack Obama is apparently trying to appear more centrist by expressing more caution about removing U.S. combat troops from Iraq, as well as trying to sound more sympathetic to the pro-life/anti-abortion movement. But what he seems to be accomplishing right now, at least the way I see it, is simply to confuse his supporters. I believe that the greatest danger of a serious, campaign-derailing gaffe can be when any candidate steps outside his/her ideological comfort zone and makes statements that either go against that candidate’s political creed or expose ignorance on his/her part. Obama needs to be extremely careful treading on this ground. For if he goes too far, he may just lose some of his most ardent supporters when they either stay home on Election Day, go over to vote for Ralph Nader, or even pick John McCain as the lesser of two evils.
--Former North Carolina senator Jesse Helms, an extreme right-wing conservative, died this past Friday at 86 of natural causes. I respect those elected office-holders whose strong political leanings (left or right) do not impede them from acting with dignity and respect for others who differ with them. For example, Alabama senator Jeff Sessions is currently one of the most conservative senators today. He speaks for his causes articulately and passionately. But I have never seen him display anything like the meanness of spirit that Senator Helms showed at times in his career. Helms was strongly against federal funding for AIDS research simply because the victims (in the U.S.) tended to be gay or illegal drug users. Although being a staunch opponent of abortion, he also opposed federally-sponsored low-income aid programs for poor families with children. Just from spite, he used his position in a senate committee to kill Bill Clinton’s nomination of former Massachusetts governor William Weld to be ambassador to Mexico. And he ran a racist campaign for re-election against his African-American Democratic opponent in 1990. I know that I’m not supposed to knock the recently deceased. So someone please tell me how great this guy really was (with reasons)!
--Atlantic tropical storm Bertha is expected to become a category-one hurricane within the next day or two. Its projected path has it passing just north of the Leeward Islands. Eventually, a developing high pressure area in the southeast U.S. should deflect it in a more northerly direction. By Thursday Bertha, although probably far out at sea, will also probably be close enough to north Florida beaches to cause bad surf and rip tides. And I’ve been planning to take my family to Jacksonville Beach the following day! Phooey!
--In the “out of the blue” department, Kent Couch successfully floated high in the eastern Oregon sky and safely landed, all while sitting in a lawn chair, supported by 105 big helium party balloons. On a whim, I had written an article about this exact type of endeavor back on June 15! It turns out that the original “chair-trekker” was Larry Walters, who lifted up three miles into the sky over Los Angeles in 1982 using the balloons/lawn chair/bb gun combo. So my question has been answered: this was no urban legend! But I heard that Couch invested about six thousand dollars on his “simple” device, most of it for the helium in his balloons! Well, back to the drawing board!
--Former North Carolina senator Jesse Helms, an extreme right-wing conservative, died this past Friday at 86 of natural causes. I respect those elected office-holders whose strong political leanings (left or right) do not impede them from acting with dignity and respect for others who differ with them. For example, Alabama senator Jeff Sessions is currently one of the most conservative senators today. He speaks for his causes articulately and passionately. But I have never seen him display anything like the meanness of spirit that Senator Helms showed at times in his career. Helms was strongly against federal funding for AIDS research simply because the victims (in the U.S.) tended to be gay or illegal drug users. Although being a staunch opponent of abortion, he also opposed federally-sponsored low-income aid programs for poor families with children. Just from spite, he used his position in a senate committee to kill Bill Clinton’s nomination of former Massachusetts governor William Weld to be ambassador to Mexico. And he ran a racist campaign for re-election against his African-American Democratic opponent in 1990. I know that I’m not supposed to knock the recently deceased. So someone please tell me how great this guy really was (with reasons)!
--Atlantic tropical storm Bertha is expected to become a category-one hurricane within the next day or two. Its projected path has it passing just north of the Leeward Islands. Eventually, a developing high pressure area in the southeast U.S. should deflect it in a more northerly direction. By Thursday Bertha, although probably far out at sea, will also probably be close enough to north Florida beaches to cause bad surf and rip tides. And I’ve been planning to take my family to Jacksonville Beach the following day! Phooey!
--In the “out of the blue” department, Kent Couch successfully floated high in the eastern Oregon sky and safely landed, all while sitting in a lawn chair, supported by 105 big helium party balloons. On a whim, I had written an article about this exact type of endeavor back on June 15! It turns out that the original “chair-trekker” was Larry Walters, who lifted up three miles into the sky over Los Angeles in 1982 using the balloons/lawn chair/bb gun combo. So my question has been answered: this was no urban legend! But I heard that Couch invested about six thousand dollars on his “simple” device, most of it for the helium in his balloons! Well, back to the drawing board!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 6/30
--Florida is scheduling its first execution in eighteen months, after a previous execution (using lethal injection) was “botched”. This time they’ve supposedly taken steps to ensure that the victim (whoops, I mean convict) is unconscious before the fatal doses are administered. This idea that the state has to prove that the “procedure” used in killing somebody isn’t cruel and unusual punishment, while the actual killing is acceptable, makes me question the entire moral underpinning of our legal system. Here is what I think about capital punishment.
--Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe has declared himself the winner of that country’s corrupt runoff presidential election, after his chief opponent dropped out and sought sanctuary during widespread pre-election violence and threats. I remember back in 1981, when the first (then legitimate) election was held. Mugabe easily beat out his main rival Joshua Nkomo, an election split not by ideology, but rather by ethnic identification, with most of the country’s majority Shona population supporting Mugabe. Now nobody ever reports on this obviously important factor in Zimbabwe politics. I know it hasn’t gone away. It’s just being ignored. I remember how, in an earlier election in Ukraine, one candidate was chiefly supported by the Ukrainian population while the other was supported by the Russians in eastern Ukraine. This doesn’t justify holding rigged elections, but it is still something that the press needs to inform us about. After all, you don’t need to look past the calamities in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia to see how strongly ethnic identification means to many people in the world. And the passions, violence, and tragedies that can result from suspicions and disinformation about others.
--Florida is purchasing back 187,000 acres of land, on the south side of Lake Okeechobee, owned by the sugar industry and used for sugarcane growth and sugar refining. The intent is to redirect water overflowing from the lake during the wet season back down through the Everglades in the “River of Grass”. The process of renewal may take many years, especially since Lake Okeechobee is itself very polluted with runoff from refining. Also, with such a large-scale change as this, many in the area who were involved with sugar will lose their jobs. But hopefully, south Florida will once again get their share of fresh water that they need (although I think this area is severely overpopulated).
--Ever since I wrote an earlier article about the “Great Florida Desert”, we in Gainesville have been drenched almost daily in heavy rains and storms. Although it isn’t fun getting caught outside in the rain, this is truly a most welcome development in our area!
--Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe has declared himself the winner of that country’s corrupt runoff presidential election, after his chief opponent dropped out and sought sanctuary during widespread pre-election violence and threats. I remember back in 1981, when the first (then legitimate) election was held. Mugabe easily beat out his main rival Joshua Nkomo, an election split not by ideology, but rather by ethnic identification, with most of the country’s majority Shona population supporting Mugabe. Now nobody ever reports on this obviously important factor in Zimbabwe politics. I know it hasn’t gone away. It’s just being ignored. I remember how, in an earlier election in Ukraine, one candidate was chiefly supported by the Ukrainian population while the other was supported by the Russians in eastern Ukraine. This doesn’t justify holding rigged elections, but it is still something that the press needs to inform us about. After all, you don’t need to look past the calamities in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia to see how strongly ethnic identification means to many people in the world. And the passions, violence, and tragedies that can result from suspicions and disinformation about others.
--Florida is purchasing back 187,000 acres of land, on the south side of Lake Okeechobee, owned by the sugar industry and used for sugarcane growth and sugar refining. The intent is to redirect water overflowing from the lake during the wet season back down through the Everglades in the “River of Grass”. The process of renewal may take many years, especially since Lake Okeechobee is itself very polluted with runoff from refining. Also, with such a large-scale change as this, many in the area who were involved with sugar will lose their jobs. But hopefully, south Florida will once again get their share of fresh water that they need (although I think this area is severely overpopulated).
--Ever since I wrote an earlier article about the “Great Florida Desert”, we in Gainesville have been drenched almost daily in heavy rains and storms. Although it isn’t fun getting caught outside in the rain, this is truly a most welcome development in our area!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 6/23
--Several Florida Republican politicians, including Governor Crist, are reversing their previously-held opposition to oil drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The headline article about this issue in Sunday’s Gainesville Sun mentioned not a word about the reputed drilling in the same area, either planned or already underway, by China and Cuba. To me, it’s one thing to regulate our own companies. But if other countries, not subject to our safety and environmental regulations, can fill in the vacuum created by the eastern Gulf ban, then that is not only preventing us from producing our own energy, but it is also endangering our environment more than if we had permitted regulated exploration and drilling in the first place!
--Republican presidential candidate John McCain took his campaign northward to the steps of the Canadian capital, Ottawa, as he discussed there the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and criticized Democratic opponent Barack Obama for his reservations with that treaty. So far, no one has yet had the heart to tell the poor, misinformed Arizona senator that Canada is not part of the United States, although, perhaps if he is elected President, that may be how he treats our neighbor to the north, anyway.
--I have heard several people, including political commentator Arianna Huffington, express opposition to Barack Obama asking Hillary Clinton to join him on the ticket. I realize that, in the midst of a campaign for a party’s nomination, the different sides and their supporters naturally will tend to get a little hot under the collar about each other. That happened earlier between the McCain and Romney camps on the GOP side. But as people have a little time to chill out, more should see the advantage of having a united ticket like this. I support an Obama-Clinton ticket. If Clinton is not the VP pick, then I wish Obama would select California senator Dianne Feinstein.
--There has been an enormous amount of flooding along the northern Mississippi River, with Iowa losing a large percentage of its grain harvest this year. I wish those involved in this widespread disaster a speedy and full recovery. It appears that local, state, and federal authorities are doing what needs to be done to assist those stricken by flooding.
--I recently saw my first WNBA game, which was between the Connecticut Sun and the Seattle Storm. This was a very close and exciting game. I noticed that women’s professional basketball is just as aggressively played (if not more) as the men’s NBA. There seemed to be fewer open shots, due to tenacious defenses. I’ve come to believe more and more in the importance of passing in basketball offense. The men, to me, still have the advantage in that area (with Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash being the master of this aspect of the game). Still, one game is just that: one game, and I’m bound to change my view of the WNBA the more I see.
--Republican presidential candidate John McCain took his campaign northward to the steps of the Canadian capital, Ottawa, as he discussed there the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and criticized Democratic opponent Barack Obama for his reservations with that treaty. So far, no one has yet had the heart to tell the poor, misinformed Arizona senator that Canada is not part of the United States, although, perhaps if he is elected President, that may be how he treats our neighbor to the north, anyway.
--I have heard several people, including political commentator Arianna Huffington, express opposition to Barack Obama asking Hillary Clinton to join him on the ticket. I realize that, in the midst of a campaign for a party’s nomination, the different sides and their supporters naturally will tend to get a little hot under the collar about each other. That happened earlier between the McCain and Romney camps on the GOP side. But as people have a little time to chill out, more should see the advantage of having a united ticket like this. I support an Obama-Clinton ticket. If Clinton is not the VP pick, then I wish Obama would select California senator Dianne Feinstein.
--There has been an enormous amount of flooding along the northern Mississippi River, with Iowa losing a large percentage of its grain harvest this year. I wish those involved in this widespread disaster a speedy and full recovery. It appears that local, state, and federal authorities are doing what needs to be done to assist those stricken by flooding.
--I recently saw my first WNBA game, which was between the Connecticut Sun and the Seattle Storm. This was a very close and exciting game. I noticed that women’s professional basketball is just as aggressively played (if not more) as the men’s NBA. There seemed to be fewer open shots, due to tenacious defenses. I’ve come to believe more and more in the importance of passing in basketball offense. The men, to me, still have the advantage in that area (with Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash being the master of this aspect of the game). Still, one game is just that: one game, and I’m bound to change my view of the WNBA the more I see.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 6/15
--Now that the Internet has grown as much as it has, with all of the businesses and consumers depending so heavily on it, some of the biggest service providers (including Time Warner) are threatening to begin metering usage and charge heavy users for going over their imposed "limits". How utterly stupid of these providers. All this will do is ruin the growth of the Internet and its merging with television and telecommunications! This is not the time to play a "zero-sum" game. Investment in growth is called for instead. I feel, with this breaking story, that many businesses, such as Netflix and Blockbuster Video, are feeling as if a rug is being jerked out from under them.
--Several University of Florida professors from across the academic spectrum are packing up and leaving in pursuit of positions with institutions that believe in investing in the future instead of planned decline. It's not just about those who are leaving, either: in a university dedicated to new ideas, it is of paramount importance to continually bring in new talent. But with hiring freezes and cutbacks, how is this going to happen?
--The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that those imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay (euphemistically called "detainees") have legal recourse in American courts to legally challenge their confinement. For those who disagree with this ruling, I would like to ask how they would like for a foreign country to come over here, arrest their children, and confine them in isolation on some remote island somewhere without any criminal charges levied against them and any way for them to challenge their arrests and detention. The shoe fits differently when it's on YOUR foot.
--I am still wondering when I am ever going to be able to sit down and watch a WNBA game on television. Hopefully, with this dreadful NBA final series between the Celtics and the Lakers approaching its completion, there will be more attention paid to the WNBA. But maybe not.
--Several University of Florida professors from across the academic spectrum are packing up and leaving in pursuit of positions with institutions that believe in investing in the future instead of planned decline. It's not just about those who are leaving, either: in a university dedicated to new ideas, it is of paramount importance to continually bring in new talent. But with hiring freezes and cutbacks, how is this going to happen?
--The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that those imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay (euphemistically called "detainees") have legal recourse in American courts to legally challenge their confinement. For those who disagree with this ruling, I would like to ask how they would like for a foreign country to come over here, arrest their children, and confine them in isolation on some remote island somewhere without any criminal charges levied against them and any way for them to challenge their arrests and detention. The shoe fits differently when it's on YOUR foot.
--I am still wondering when I am ever going to be able to sit down and watch a WNBA game on television. Hopefully, with this dreadful NBA final series between the Celtics and the Lakers approaching its completion, there will be more attention paid to the WNBA. But maybe not.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 6/9
--Rock n' roll pioneer Bo Diddley passed away this past week. He was a commonly seen figure in and around Gainesville, being very active in volunteer community work, especially in the area of keeping kids on the straight and narrow (and away from drugs and violence). I met him once at Sam's Wholesale (he was buying some tires and I was getting one of mine repaired). Bo was one of those special celebrities who was thoroughly unpretentious as well as being naturally friendly and likable. At the memorial held for him in Gainesville, Eric Burdon of Animals fame came and performed in tribute to this legendary musician.
--So Hillary Clinton has finally conceded the race for the Democratic nominations to Barack Obama and publicly endorsed him. But not before she projected an image of him being weak among white working-class voters by persisting in the race long after it had become clear that he would win the nomination. And what's with many of her supporters saying that they would vote for McCain rather than Obama?! As far as I can tell, the only "bad" thing Barack ever did to Hillary was to defeat her in the campaign. He has been an incredible example of grace and restraint in the face of vicious personal attacks coming at him from all directions. Still, I recognize that Clinton would be a good vice-presidential running mate choice and hope that this possibility is realized.
--It looks as if tin-pot dictator and all-around bad guy Robert Mugabe is going to try to intimidate and bully his way to "win" the runoff for Zimbabwe's presidency. Can't Saudi Arabia or some other despotic nation offer to give this jerk sanctuary and thus liberate this formerly prosperous southern African country from his clutches (it worked with getting Idi Amin out of Uganda)?
--The price of oil rose one day this week by eleven dollars per barrel in just one day. Economists say that the marketplace and supply and demand cannot account for this rise, and many claim that unregulated oil speculation is mainly responsible for the recent sharp price hikes.
--Thoroughbred horse Big Brown failed in his bid to be the first horse to win the fabled Triple Crown since 1978 when he couldn't keep up with the leaders in the long and hot (92 degrees) Belmont Stakes this past Saturday. His jockey, seeing victory slip away in the race, slowed him down in the interest of protecting him from injury. But Big Brown had already sustained a hoof injury and would never have been run in this race had greed not been such a major factor.
--So Hillary Clinton has finally conceded the race for the Democratic nominations to Barack Obama and publicly endorsed him. But not before she projected an image of him being weak among white working-class voters by persisting in the race long after it had become clear that he would win the nomination. And what's with many of her supporters saying that they would vote for McCain rather than Obama?! As far as I can tell, the only "bad" thing Barack ever did to Hillary was to defeat her in the campaign. He has been an incredible example of grace and restraint in the face of vicious personal attacks coming at him from all directions. Still, I recognize that Clinton would be a good vice-presidential running mate choice and hope that this possibility is realized.
--It looks as if tin-pot dictator and all-around bad guy Robert Mugabe is going to try to intimidate and bully his way to "win" the runoff for Zimbabwe's presidency. Can't Saudi Arabia or some other despotic nation offer to give this jerk sanctuary and thus liberate this formerly prosperous southern African country from his clutches (it worked with getting Idi Amin out of Uganda)?
--The price of oil rose one day this week by eleven dollars per barrel in just one day. Economists say that the marketplace and supply and demand cannot account for this rise, and many claim that unregulated oil speculation is mainly responsible for the recent sharp price hikes.
--Thoroughbred horse Big Brown failed in his bid to be the first horse to win the fabled Triple Crown since 1978 when he couldn't keep up with the leaders in the long and hot (92 degrees) Belmont Stakes this past Saturday. His jockey, seeing victory slip away in the race, slowed him down in the interest of protecting him from injury. But Big Brown had already sustained a hoof injury and would never have been run in this race had greed not been such a major factor.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 6/2
--The Discovery space shuttle "successfully" took off Saturday to deliver an important Japanese section to the International Space Station, as well as parts to facilitate repairs to its faulty toilet. However, once again, some debris from the shuttle was lost not long after launch, although authorities claimed that this shouldn't be cause for concern. But how would you like to be on a jet plane that just took off, only to find that a little part of it came off on takeoff? Transfer that concern to the shuttle, with the enormous heat involved in its reentry through Earth's atmosphere, and you may understand why the application of the word "successful" to describe its launch can only be accurately applied once it has safely returned!
--The Florida and Michigan primary disputes were settled, with the Democratic National Committee halving each delegation's votes as a punishment for their violation of party rules. Which is what they should have done earlier, as the Republicans did with little fallout. Leaders of Hillary Clinton's campaign, which had counted on a windfall of Michigan delegates by seeking to retroactively change the decision to not count the votes in that state (on whose ballot Barack Obama's name was not even entered), were furious when her opponent was awarded 29 1/2 votes, based on different estimates of his support then in Michigan. But I credit Obama's willingness to leave Clinton with advantages in both states as a generous concession that he did not have to make. If the rules had been overturned as Clinton had wanted, no one would ever have been able to trust the Democratic National Committee in the future. Why do I get the feeling that, if Clinton and Obama's roles were reversed, that Obama would not be behaving in such an unseemly, vindictive way? Hillary most definitely feels entitled to the nomination by dint of her having been married to President Bill, even though she has held but one elected post in her lifetime. Why can't her supporters see that? Why couldn't we have had instead a more experienced and dignified woman candidate such as California Senator Dianne Feinstein?
--Steve Newman's Earthweek feature picked up an article in Nature magazine featuring UC Riverside's Martin Kennedy's piece warning of impending, greatly accelerated global warning should the vast amounts of methane currently trapped in polar ice be released into the atmosphere (through the ice's melting). The resulting warming could dwarf even the most dire scenarios depicted by activist Al Gore in his movie An Inconvenient Truth.
--Hurricane season has begun in the Atlantic and already the first tropical storm, Alberto, has formed and gone inland around Belize. After erroneous projections for the last fews years, all bets are off as to how severe this year's batch of storms will be (or where they will strike, for that matter).
--I'm disappointed to report my inability to be able to watch any WNBA games so far this year. Most of them that have been televised were shown on a channel that comes in poorly on my TV. Hopeful, after the NBA playoffs end, ESPN and ESPN2 will show more of them on their channels. As for the NBA, I am thoroughly dejected at the failures of the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons to play up to their potentials as they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, respectively. Well, for all the good it's going to do, I'm picking the Lakers to knock off the Celtics in the final series!
--The Florida and Michigan primary disputes were settled, with the Democratic National Committee halving each delegation's votes as a punishment for their violation of party rules. Which is what they should have done earlier, as the Republicans did with little fallout. Leaders of Hillary Clinton's campaign, which had counted on a windfall of Michigan delegates by seeking to retroactively change the decision to not count the votes in that state (on whose ballot Barack Obama's name was not even entered), were furious when her opponent was awarded 29 1/2 votes, based on different estimates of his support then in Michigan. But I credit Obama's willingness to leave Clinton with advantages in both states as a generous concession that he did not have to make. If the rules had been overturned as Clinton had wanted, no one would ever have been able to trust the Democratic National Committee in the future. Why do I get the feeling that, if Clinton and Obama's roles were reversed, that Obama would not be behaving in such an unseemly, vindictive way? Hillary most definitely feels entitled to the nomination by dint of her having been married to President Bill, even though she has held but one elected post in her lifetime. Why can't her supporters see that? Why couldn't we have had instead a more experienced and dignified woman candidate such as California Senator Dianne Feinstein?
--Steve Newman's Earthweek feature picked up an article in Nature magazine featuring UC Riverside's Martin Kennedy's piece warning of impending, greatly accelerated global warning should the vast amounts of methane currently trapped in polar ice be released into the atmosphere (through the ice's melting). The resulting warming could dwarf even the most dire scenarios depicted by activist Al Gore in his movie An Inconvenient Truth.
--Hurricane season has begun in the Atlantic and already the first tropical storm, Alberto, has formed and gone inland around Belize. After erroneous projections for the last fews years, all bets are off as to how severe this year's batch of storms will be (or where they will strike, for that matter).
--I'm disappointed to report my inability to be able to watch any WNBA games so far this year. Most of them that have been televised were shown on a channel that comes in poorly on my TV. Hopeful, after the NBA playoffs end, ESPN and ESPN2 will show more of them on their channels. As for the NBA, I am thoroughly dejected at the failures of the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons to play up to their potentials as they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, respectively. Well, for all the good it's going to do, I'm picking the Lakers to knock off the Celtics in the final series!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 5/26
--Today is Memorial Day in the United States. We express our appreciation for those many brave Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedoms and way of life here in America as soldiers during times of war.
--Hillary Clinton has been lambasted for making a comment about Robert F. Kennedy's assassination in June of 1968 as part of her justification for remaining in the campaign against Barack Obama. Many have taken this as a statement meaning that Obama might be suddenly (and possibly tragically) "taken out" of the presidential race, leaving her in a position to assume the Democratic mantle. But I think that Hillary was only trying to refresh people's memories (or educate them for the first time) that in the past, campaigns for nominations often went on strong into the month of June. Her slip-up, as I see it, was to utter the word "assassination", although it was obviously (to me) only intended to point out the month (June) and not to imply anything potentially calamitous about the present campaign.
--Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor with a poor prognosis. Although his personal life has been pockmarked with scandal at various times over the years, I have grown to respect Kennedy for his advocacy for the poor and the middle class, workers' rights, the environment, and his talent for reaching across the senate aisle and working with his Republican counterparts on legislation. His absence will be heavily felt. On a side note, after long-time (more than four decades) senate colleague Robert Byrd cried on the senate floor regarding Kennedy's terminal diagnosis, acerbic political radio host Michael Savage cruelly derided the West Virginia senator. And yet millions of American listen to Savage and subscribe to this obviously disturbed man's worldview! Scary!
--An unmanned NASA craft landed in the polar region of Mars yesterday with one of its main tasks being to extract some water in hopes of possibly determining conditions for (or existence of) life there. Unlike the recent landing of a probe using air bags to cushion the landing, this craft, called the Phoenix Mars Lander, used rocket thrusters and parachutes to make a soft landing. There had been concern due to previous Mars landing failures using this system, but the craft made it safely to the red planet's surface. Of course, there are many other things that need to "go right" in the next few days as well.
--In the "thanks but no thanks" department, Steve Newman's Earthweek feature reported that an Australian professor, Tim Flannery (field unspecified) who is a climate change activist, advocated gradually injecting sulfur into the atmosphere (through jet emissions) in order to deflect the sun's heat back into space. This would purportedly counter the carbon dioxide-induced increasing greenhouse effect causing our global warming (as well as turn the sky a yellow color). Flannery stated that he was unaware of how any negative effects could arise from doing this. To which I say, "Are you crazy, dude?!" Just look over to the next planet, Venus, and its sulfuric acid-enriched atmosphere to get a taste of what the future holds for us if loony ideas like this hold sway.
--Hillary Clinton has been lambasted for making a comment about Robert F. Kennedy's assassination in June of 1968 as part of her justification for remaining in the campaign against Barack Obama. Many have taken this as a statement meaning that Obama might be suddenly (and possibly tragically) "taken out" of the presidential race, leaving her in a position to assume the Democratic mantle. But I think that Hillary was only trying to refresh people's memories (or educate them for the first time) that in the past, campaigns for nominations often went on strong into the month of June. Her slip-up, as I see it, was to utter the word "assassination", although it was obviously (to me) only intended to point out the month (June) and not to imply anything potentially calamitous about the present campaign.
--Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor with a poor prognosis. Although his personal life has been pockmarked with scandal at various times over the years, I have grown to respect Kennedy for his advocacy for the poor and the middle class, workers' rights, the environment, and his talent for reaching across the senate aisle and working with his Republican counterparts on legislation. His absence will be heavily felt. On a side note, after long-time (more than four decades) senate colleague Robert Byrd cried on the senate floor regarding Kennedy's terminal diagnosis, acerbic political radio host Michael Savage cruelly derided the West Virginia senator. And yet millions of American listen to Savage and subscribe to this obviously disturbed man's worldview! Scary!
--An unmanned NASA craft landed in the polar region of Mars yesterday with one of its main tasks being to extract some water in hopes of possibly determining conditions for (or existence of) life there. Unlike the recent landing of a probe using air bags to cushion the landing, this craft, called the Phoenix Mars Lander, used rocket thrusters and parachutes to make a soft landing. There had been concern due to previous Mars landing failures using this system, but the craft made it safely to the red planet's surface. Of course, there are many other things that need to "go right" in the next few days as well.
--In the "thanks but no thanks" department, Steve Newman's Earthweek feature reported that an Australian professor, Tim Flannery (field unspecified) who is a climate change activist, advocated gradually injecting sulfur into the atmosphere (through jet emissions) in order to deflect the sun's heat back into space. This would purportedly counter the carbon dioxide-induced increasing greenhouse effect causing our global warming (as well as turn the sky a yellow color). Flannery stated that he was unaware of how any negative effects could arise from doing this. To which I say, "Are you crazy, dude?!" Just look over to the next planet, Venus, and its sulfuric acid-enriched atmosphere to get a taste of what the future holds for us if loony ideas like this hold sway.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 5/19
--So far, it has been estimated that more than 30,000 people have died in the China earthquakes that chiefly affected heavily-populated central China's Sichuan province. The country has begun an official three-day period of national mourning. My condolences go out to all affected by this terrible tragedy. Unlike the case with Burma after its cyclone calamity, China has welcomed international relief, to its credit.
--As I went through yesterday's Gainesville Sun, I was struck by the absence of articles about the presidential campaign. All that I saw was a piece about how women looked to the future in presidential politics and another article about the use of gas tax relief as a campaign gimmick. Which I think is kind of funny, given that we have almost come to the threshold where Barack Obama secures the nomination. Maybe the Sun recognized what is about to happen and is planning to drown us in political news next week (especially after tomorrow's Kentucky and Oregon primaries)!
--When President Bush, while speaking in Israel last week, made critical comparisons between appeasers of Hitler and those who would "negotiate with terrorists", all of the media seemed to immediately jump to the conclusion that Bush was referring to Barack Obama. But, to me, it seemed pretty obvious that the President, with whom I have had serious differences about his foreign policy, was alluding to former President Jimmy Carter's recent meeting with officials of Hamas, an organization commonly depicted as "terrorist" and today's most direct threat to Israel. Still, I think that Bush should have saved his criticism for when he was back in the United States. I agree with MSNBC's Chris Matthews for his assertion that using diplomacy with your opponents is not appeasement: you need to talk with your enemies in order to be able to lay the law down on them clearly!
--About one third of American corn is now being grown not for food, but rather for ethanol production. What happened to the United States as the world's "breadbasket"? I really don't think this diversion from food production to ethanol is a very good idea! In our gluttony for energy resources, we seem to have taken for granted that our collective food supply is secure when, in reality, it is in a very fragile state.
--In watching the NBA playoffs, I am continually amazed how differently teams play at home than when they are the visitors. Why should the game's location be any kind of factor at this level of play? And yet, regardless of who's playing, the home team seems to play like world champions! How can one team (the Atlanta Hawks) beat another (the Boston Celtics) by three points at home and then lose the next game by 34 in Boston?!!
--As I went through yesterday's Gainesville Sun, I was struck by the absence of articles about the presidential campaign. All that I saw was a piece about how women looked to the future in presidential politics and another article about the use of gas tax relief as a campaign gimmick. Which I think is kind of funny, given that we have almost come to the threshold where Barack Obama secures the nomination. Maybe the Sun recognized what is about to happen and is planning to drown us in political news next week (especially after tomorrow's Kentucky and Oregon primaries)!
--When President Bush, while speaking in Israel last week, made critical comparisons between appeasers of Hitler and those who would "negotiate with terrorists", all of the media seemed to immediately jump to the conclusion that Bush was referring to Barack Obama. But, to me, it seemed pretty obvious that the President, with whom I have had serious differences about his foreign policy, was alluding to former President Jimmy Carter's recent meeting with officials of Hamas, an organization commonly depicted as "terrorist" and today's most direct threat to Israel. Still, I think that Bush should have saved his criticism for when he was back in the United States. I agree with MSNBC's Chris Matthews for his assertion that using diplomacy with your opponents is not appeasement: you need to talk with your enemies in order to be able to lay the law down on them clearly!
--About one third of American corn is now being grown not for food, but rather for ethanol production. What happened to the United States as the world's "breadbasket"? I really don't think this diversion from food production to ethanol is a very good idea! In our gluttony for energy resources, we seem to have taken for granted that our collective food supply is secure when, in reality, it is in a very fragile state.
--In watching the NBA playoffs, I am continually amazed how differently teams play at home than when they are the visitors. Why should the game's location be any kind of factor at this level of play? And yet, regardless of who's playing, the home team seems to play like world champions! How can one team (the Atlanta Hawks) beat another (the Boston Celtics) by three points at home and then lose the next game by 34 in Boston?!!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 5/12
--In the aftermath of the tragic cyclone hitting southern Burma, it does sadly seem that this country's military government is only interested in holding on to power and cares very little for the welfare of its people. Its intransigence in allowing relief aid to enter the country, along with widespread accusations that it refused to give preventative warnings to the people about the cyclone's impending strike, says all that I need to know about the moral bankruptcy of this regime.
--After last Tuesday's North Carolina and Indiana primaries in which Barack Obama convincingly defeated Hillary Clinton in the former and essentially broke even with her in the latter, the momentum has sharply shifted over to Obama. The tide of superdelegate support is overwhelmingly going in the direction of the charismatic young Illinois senator. I agree with the pundits I've read who state that Hillary's behavior over the next few weeks will determine her political future within the Democratic Party on a national level. A lot more tact and a lot less sideswiping would appear to be the right course of action for the New York senator.
--The local news is full of the woes of the University of Florida as it tries to figure out a way to implement a $47 million budget cut. Not only will faculty and staff be severely cut, but degree programs will also be affected with some eliminated, leaving some students stranded in the middle of targeted programs. I agree with one of the letters to the Gainesville Sun's editor, which raised the question: since the UF administrators knew for a while about the impending cuts, why didn't they take earlier actions to both warn people as well as to look for alternative private sources of funding?! UF President Bernie Machen, with his multimillion dollar salary, comes out of this appearing totally incompetent and insensitive.
--The first Walmart Supercenter in Gainesville opened this week, so naturally it looked as if this store was the "place to be" this weekend. I went there and liked how the grocery store looked. However, judging by the chronically sloppy appearance of the other Walmarts in town, I think I'll wait a while after the initial hoopla has settled before rendering any kind of judgement about the new store. Only that, with the deliberate placement of the store in sparsely populated eastern Gainesville far away from everything, coupled with the skyrocketing cost of gasoline, I don't see myself making the crosstown trip very often to save money on merchandise.
--After last Tuesday's North Carolina and Indiana primaries in which Barack Obama convincingly defeated Hillary Clinton in the former and essentially broke even with her in the latter, the momentum has sharply shifted over to Obama. The tide of superdelegate support is overwhelmingly going in the direction of the charismatic young Illinois senator. I agree with the pundits I've read who state that Hillary's behavior over the next few weeks will determine her political future within the Democratic Party on a national level. A lot more tact and a lot less sideswiping would appear to be the right course of action for the New York senator.
--The local news is full of the woes of the University of Florida as it tries to figure out a way to implement a $47 million budget cut. Not only will faculty and staff be severely cut, but degree programs will also be affected with some eliminated, leaving some students stranded in the middle of targeted programs. I agree with one of the letters to the Gainesville Sun's editor, which raised the question: since the UF administrators knew for a while about the impending cuts, why didn't they take earlier actions to both warn people as well as to look for alternative private sources of funding?! UF President Bernie Machen, with his multimillion dollar salary, comes out of this appearing totally incompetent and insensitive.
--The first Walmart Supercenter in Gainesville opened this week, so naturally it looked as if this store was the "place to be" this weekend. I went there and liked how the grocery store looked. However, judging by the chronically sloppy appearance of the other Walmarts in town, I think I'll wait a while after the initial hoopla has settled before rendering any kind of judgement about the new store. Only that, with the deliberate placement of the store in sparsely populated eastern Gainesville far away from everything, coupled with the skyrocketing cost of gasoline, I don't see myself making the crosstown trip very often to save money on merchandise.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 5/5
--A terrible cyclone swept into Burma causing deaths in the hundreds and possibly the thousands. Quickly, reports came out of the public's dissatisfaction with the military government's slow response to the disaster. Which makes me wonder how much of this sort of thing is real news and how much is contrived to serve an end (in this case, the end of Burma's military dictatorship and return to democracy).
--Tomorrow, for the Democrats, here we go again: another "crucial" primary that's supposed to have a critical effect on who gets the nomination. This time it's North Carolina and Indiana. There has been a problem dogging the Democrats, which is that since the Republicans already have decided on their nominee, many Republican voters are crossing over to vote (usually for Clinton) in the Democratic primaries. Hopefully, this won't happen next election season if party rules are made stricter, to eliminate this cynical manipulation (supported by Rush Limbaugh) of the nominating process.
--Both John McCain and Hillary Clinton have supported a summertime lifting of the 18-cent/gallon federal gas excise tax as an election-year ploy to attract more voter support. Barack Obama, to his credit, doesn't support this tactic. Instead of encouraging consumption, we should be investing in alternative, clean, and renewable sources of energy. Otherwise, we're going to be talking more than five dollars per gallon! All that temporarily lifting the gas tax will do is increase demand, which will in turn increase the price of gas right back up!
--I am enjoying the National Basketball Association playoffs, but I have to admit to quite a bit of disappointment at seeing my Phoenix Suns bowing out so early, losing to San Antonio four games to one. Now I'm on to other teams, and I am very impressed with the New Orleans Hornets this year. And in the East, although I live relatively close to Orlando, I can't help rooting for the scrappy, feisty Detroit Pistons!
--Tomorrow, for the Democrats, here we go again: another "crucial" primary that's supposed to have a critical effect on who gets the nomination. This time it's North Carolina and Indiana. There has been a problem dogging the Democrats, which is that since the Republicans already have decided on their nominee, many Republican voters are crossing over to vote (usually for Clinton) in the Democratic primaries. Hopefully, this won't happen next election season if party rules are made stricter, to eliminate this cynical manipulation (supported by Rush Limbaugh) of the nominating process.
--Both John McCain and Hillary Clinton have supported a summertime lifting of the 18-cent/gallon federal gas excise tax as an election-year ploy to attract more voter support. Barack Obama, to his credit, doesn't support this tactic. Instead of encouraging consumption, we should be investing in alternative, clean, and renewable sources of energy. Otherwise, we're going to be talking more than five dollars per gallon! All that temporarily lifting the gas tax will do is increase demand, which will in turn increase the price of gas right back up!
--I am enjoying the National Basketball Association playoffs, but I have to admit to quite a bit of disappointment at seeing my Phoenix Suns bowing out so early, losing to San Antonio four games to one. Now I'm on to other teams, and I am very impressed with the New Orleans Hornets this year. And in the East, although I live relatively close to Orlando, I can't help rooting for the scrappy, feisty Detroit Pistons!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 4/28
--The report is out that our Florida state government is having to make major cutbacks in its budget that will cause reduction in some services, layoffs of some employees, and increases in fees (like college tuition). Unlike our federal government, Florida must balance its budget each year and doesn't have the luxury of incurring a debt, so its representatives have a more sobering (and realistic) task to perform than our sometimes "head-in-the-clouds" national leaders in Washington.
--Reverend Jeremiah Wright is now making speeches and delivering sermons at other churches. This is noteworthy news, but it certainly doesn't merit the excessive, continuing headline coverage that the cable networks are giving it. There's no doubt to me that Reverend Wright is this election year's version of the 2004 "Swiftboat" movement contrived to defame John Kerry enough to prevent his election.
--In the NBA playoffs, the Denver Nuggets are looking like the most entertaining team to me. Not that they're doing well: they're probably going to be swept by the vastly improved Los Angeles Lakers. No, I just like to watch the show that a couple of their prima donna stars put on late in the game by arguing with the referees and incurring technical fouls. It's kind of like watching John McEnroe's antics in the good old days of tennis. Good circus!
--It looks as if Robert Mugabe is finally going to be out of power in the southern African nation of Zimbabwe, which he ruled since 1981. I believe that, for many years, Mugabe got a "free ticket" from international criticism because he had originally been the first democratically elected leader there upon the relinquishing of power by the (very) minority whites, who had controlled the country (then called Rhodesia) since 1965. I think some were afraid of criticizing him for fear of sounding as if they were racist in some way. This in spite of the fact that many who had allied themselves with Mugabe to bring down white-ruled Rhodesia were in bitter opposition to his regime, often from exile.
--Reverend Jeremiah Wright is now making speeches and delivering sermons at other churches. This is noteworthy news, but it certainly doesn't merit the excessive, continuing headline coverage that the cable networks are giving it. There's no doubt to me that Reverend Wright is this election year's version of the 2004 "Swiftboat" movement contrived to defame John Kerry enough to prevent his election.
--In the NBA playoffs, the Denver Nuggets are looking like the most entertaining team to me. Not that they're doing well: they're probably going to be swept by the vastly improved Los Angeles Lakers. No, I just like to watch the show that a couple of their prima donna stars put on late in the game by arguing with the referees and incurring technical fouls. It's kind of like watching John McEnroe's antics in the good old days of tennis. Good circus!
--It looks as if Robert Mugabe is finally going to be out of power in the southern African nation of Zimbabwe, which he ruled since 1981. I believe that, for many years, Mugabe got a "free ticket" from international criticism because he had originally been the first democratically elected leader there upon the relinquishing of power by the (very) minority whites, who had controlled the country (then called Rhodesia) since 1965. I think some were afraid of criticizing him for fear of sounding as if they were racist in some way. This in spite of the fact that many who had allied themselves with Mugabe to bring down white-ruled Rhodesia were in bitter opposition to his regime, often from exile.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 4/21
--Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter met this past Friday with exiled leaders of Hamas in Syria. Hamas, which was democratically elected into power in Palestine, now controls and governs the densely populated Gaza Strip, which is separated from the Palestine-Authority-controlled West Bank by Israeli territory. I’ve heard and read a lot of criticism against Carter for talking with Hamas, which is widely called a terrorist organization. But it makes no sense for President Bush to pretend that he is seeking a comprehensive peace between Israel and the Palestinians while refusing to acknowledge the presence and importance of Hamas in the region. I’m really getting tired of this asinine notion that we can get our adversaries to buckle under and give up by shunning them! Carter is helping us, not hurting us.
--CNN commentator Jack Cafferty is undergoing a lot of criticism from some folks who identify themselves with the Chinese-American community because he called China’s leaders “goons and thugs” and its exports to us “junk”. Those calling for Cafferty’s firing claim that his speech was racist against the Chinese. But although I think Cafferty’s comments were crass and undiplomatic, they were aimed at that country’s political leaders. And his “junk” comment was based on recent scandals about lead in toys and poison in pet foods that were imported from China. What, I ask, does “race” or being a Chinese-American have to do with that? But Cafferty is just one of a increasingly long list of untalented shock-announcers who spew out insults instead of framing and analyzing issues and problems in a constructive and inclusive manner. Aren’t you getting tired of this trend in broadcasting as well as knee-jerk unfounded accusations of racism?
--Pope Benedict XVI continued his successful visit to America, being well-received everywhere he has traveled. May his days be plenty and successful!
--A ridiculous (to me) development project in the heart of an already-overcrowded section of Gainesville has been stalled for more than a year due to a court battle over whether the developers can actually receive certain tax breaks offered by the city to encourage development. Instead of several small businesses that were serving to the surrounding university community, we have, after all the buildings were torn down, a vast fenced-in area of nothingness! But I guess that’s better than what will be when they put up eight-story condominiums after the legal disputes end.
--After the “successful” surge against insurgents in Iraq, the abject failure of the Iraqi government to follow through with reconciliation of that country’s opposing factions is now leading to the inevitable disastrous situation that is now starting to unfold between Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and the government over al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army. And in the north of Iraq, there are signs of Sunni insurgents regrouping as well. So there goes our window of opportunity!
--Tomorrow’s Pennsylvania Democratic primary between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama could help to encourage superdelegates to make their choices public, especially if Obama wins or even just finishes close to Clinton. I may be wrong about this (but I strongly doubt it), but even if Hillary Clinton wins Pennsylvania convincingly, she still wouldn’t have the numbers to wrest the nomination from Obama. So the big question is, after Pennsylvania is over, how is she going to conduct her campaign (if she continues it, as she probably will)? By attacking Obama with increasing desperation and viciousness, or by shifting the targets of her criticism to the November opponents, the Republicans under their soon-to-be nominee John McCain?
--CNN commentator Jack Cafferty is undergoing a lot of criticism from some folks who identify themselves with the Chinese-American community because he called China’s leaders “goons and thugs” and its exports to us “junk”. Those calling for Cafferty’s firing claim that his speech was racist against the Chinese. But although I think Cafferty’s comments were crass and undiplomatic, they were aimed at that country’s political leaders. And his “junk” comment was based on recent scandals about lead in toys and poison in pet foods that were imported from China. What, I ask, does “race” or being a Chinese-American have to do with that? But Cafferty is just one of a increasingly long list of untalented shock-announcers who spew out insults instead of framing and analyzing issues and problems in a constructive and inclusive manner. Aren’t you getting tired of this trend in broadcasting as well as knee-jerk unfounded accusations of racism?
--Pope Benedict XVI continued his successful visit to America, being well-received everywhere he has traveled. May his days be plenty and successful!
--A ridiculous (to me) development project in the heart of an already-overcrowded section of Gainesville has been stalled for more than a year due to a court battle over whether the developers can actually receive certain tax breaks offered by the city to encourage development. Instead of several small businesses that were serving to the surrounding university community, we have, after all the buildings were torn down, a vast fenced-in area of nothingness! But I guess that’s better than what will be when they put up eight-story condominiums after the legal disputes end.
--After the “successful” surge against insurgents in Iraq, the abject failure of the Iraqi government to follow through with reconciliation of that country’s opposing factions is now leading to the inevitable disastrous situation that is now starting to unfold between Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and the government over al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army. And in the north of Iraq, there are signs of Sunni insurgents regrouping as well. So there goes our window of opportunity!
--Tomorrow’s Pennsylvania Democratic primary between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama could help to encourage superdelegates to make their choices public, especially if Obama wins or even just finishes close to Clinton. I may be wrong about this (but I strongly doubt it), but even if Hillary Clinton wins Pennsylvania convincingly, she still wouldn’t have the numbers to wrest the nomination from Obama. So the big question is, after Pennsylvania is over, how is she going to conduct her campaign (if she continues it, as she probably will)? By attacking Obama with increasing desperation and viciousness, or by shifting the targets of her criticism to the November opponents, the Republicans under their soon-to-be nominee John McCain?
Monday, April 14, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 4/14
--One of the front page headlines in yesterday's Gainesville Sun was "Obama's 'bitter' voter comment may revive Clinton's chances". Oh, com'n, people! Barack Obama is an articulate gentleman who thinks on his feet and can speak his mind without prepared statements that have been designed to achieve the desired "buzz" effect among the audiences. So, from time to time, something will come out and it will be mercilessly distorted by Obama's opponents. In my opinion, though, it's a little late in the game for Hillary Clinton to be going at it this hard against the probable Democratic nominee. Who knows, maybe she's thinking that McCain might want her as HIS running mate---NOT! I don't see what's wrong with any of Obama's statements. Especially in comparison with those of his two current rivals.
--It's mid-April and temperatures are dipping at night into the thirties. Here in Florida! I welcome the unusually chilly winter and spring we've been enjoying, but I also feel a little concerned that many will choose to see this very short-term phenomenon as a repudiation of global warming as a real ongoing threat.
--As the Olympic Torch goes from one major world city to the next, it is followed by human rights protesters who are determined to spotlight the deplorable state of human rights in the People's Republic of China, which is hosting this years Summer Olympics. And those protesting are fully within their rights to do so, as long as they don't actually interfere with the Olympic ceremonies. The problem I have with all this is that China's human rights shortcomings have been common knowledge for years, and comparatively very little has been done to protest them. And now, when this great nation is hosting the Olympics, the Olympics themselves are being ostracized as some kind of collaboration with oppression. Politician and celebrities are under great pressure in the media to boycott the opening ceremony events. And there has also been a push to simply boycott participation in the Games themselves. But I remember President Jimmy Carter's decision to boycott the Moscow Olympics in 1980. I felt back then that it was a bad decision and I still feel so. I believe that one of the best ways to liberalize and reform an oppressive society is to engage with it culturally and economically, not by ostracizing it. And it was exactly this sort of engagement that helped to bring down the Iron Curtain in East Europe in 1989 (remember West Germany's policy of Ostpolitik?).
--The annual University of Florida Orange and Blue football game was held here in Gainesville this past Saturday. So what? The football team was split into two squads who played each other. One side won, the other lost. Who cares? And yet this event was considered to be so important that ESPN actually hyped it on the air and actually presented play-by-play coverage. And what about all the other college teams? Why do the Gators merit this mania? I see this as a disturbing trend about UF football, where excessive hype, fan hysteria, and hero worship (of athletes and coach) have distorted the image of my hometown team into something that is, frankly, ugly to me.
--I am sad to report that the cable TV channel AZN, devoted to programming for Asian-Americans (and me as well) has left the air due to financial problems. I enjoyed their morning news broadcasts, especially the one in Chinese.
--It's mid-April and temperatures are dipping at night into the thirties. Here in Florida! I welcome the unusually chilly winter and spring we've been enjoying, but I also feel a little concerned that many will choose to see this very short-term phenomenon as a repudiation of global warming as a real ongoing threat.
--As the Olympic Torch goes from one major world city to the next, it is followed by human rights protesters who are determined to spotlight the deplorable state of human rights in the People's Republic of China, which is hosting this years Summer Olympics. And those protesting are fully within their rights to do so, as long as they don't actually interfere with the Olympic ceremonies. The problem I have with all this is that China's human rights shortcomings have been common knowledge for years, and comparatively very little has been done to protest them. And now, when this great nation is hosting the Olympics, the Olympics themselves are being ostracized as some kind of collaboration with oppression. Politician and celebrities are under great pressure in the media to boycott the opening ceremony events. And there has also been a push to simply boycott participation in the Games themselves. But I remember President Jimmy Carter's decision to boycott the Moscow Olympics in 1980. I felt back then that it was a bad decision and I still feel so. I believe that one of the best ways to liberalize and reform an oppressive society is to engage with it culturally and economically, not by ostracizing it. And it was exactly this sort of engagement that helped to bring down the Iron Curtain in East Europe in 1989 (remember West Germany's policy of Ostpolitik?).
--The annual University of Florida Orange and Blue football game was held here in Gainesville this past Saturday. So what? The football team was split into two squads who played each other. One side won, the other lost. Who cares? And yet this event was considered to be so important that ESPN actually hyped it on the air and actually presented play-by-play coverage. And what about all the other college teams? Why do the Gators merit this mania? I see this as a disturbing trend about UF football, where excessive hype, fan hysteria, and hero worship (of athletes and coach) have distorted the image of my hometown team into something that is, frankly, ugly to me.
--I am sad to report that the cable TV channel AZN, devoted to programming for Asian-Americans (and me as well) has left the air due to financial problems. I enjoyed their morning news broadcasts, especially the one in Chinese.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 4/7
--President Bush met with "outgoing" Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia Saturday. Interspersed with serious disputes about NATO's role in East Europe and Russia's flagging democracy were photo ops showing the two joking around and acting like long-time congenial good ol' buddies. Putin, scheduled to leave office in May to be replaced as Russia's president by Dmitry Medvedev, wants to rule Russia as its prime minister, reducing the country's presidency to a relatively ceremonial position. Bush is planning to meet with Medvedev, too. For all the difference that's going to make!
--With the Presidential campaign, people are getting all hung up over personalities and the likability of the remaining candidates. Just don't forget that once whoever gets elected is sitting in the Oval Office, the issues that will affect us aren't going to be personality-related. They will be which bills the new President signs and which ones he/she vetoes. And of course, what decisions will come down about international relations and war/peace.
--In the midst of grim announcements that the University of Florida is strictly limiting admissions to applicants, it was revealed that Dr. Bruce Kone, dean of UF's medical school, bypassed school admissions policies and, on his own, admitted a politically-connected applicant whose father raised money for the Republicans and helped organize Charlie Crist's 2006 gubernatorial campaign. To me, this sort of thing needs to be "nipped in the bud" or else we'll be seeing a lot more of this double standard going on.
--In the NCAA championship men's basketball tournament, UCLA and North Carolina, the two teams I had picked to play in tonight's championship game, choked up in a big way in their semifinal games against Memphis and Kansas, respectively. I'm picking Memphis to win the final tonight (not that you should heed my opinion).
--With the Presidential campaign, people are getting all hung up over personalities and the likability of the remaining candidates. Just don't forget that once whoever gets elected is sitting in the Oval Office, the issues that will affect us aren't going to be personality-related. They will be which bills the new President signs and which ones he/she vetoes. And of course, what decisions will come down about international relations and war/peace.
--In the midst of grim announcements that the University of Florida is strictly limiting admissions to applicants, it was revealed that Dr. Bruce Kone, dean of UF's medical school, bypassed school admissions policies and, on his own, admitted a politically-connected applicant whose father raised money for the Republicans and helped organize Charlie Crist's 2006 gubernatorial campaign. To me, this sort of thing needs to be "nipped in the bud" or else we'll be seeing a lot more of this double standard going on.
--In the NCAA championship men's basketball tournament, UCLA and North Carolina, the two teams I had picked to play in tonight's championship game, choked up in a big way in their semifinal games against Memphis and Kansas, respectively. I'm picking Memphis to win the final tonight (not that you should heed my opinion).
Monday, March 31, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 3/31
--When listening to different takes on the “surge” in Iraq, I hear two basically different points of view, both valid, within their limitations. The first, generally espoused by supporters of President Bush, claims that the surge has been a success. By making agreements with Sunni leaders disillusioned by the presence of Al-Qaeda in their midst, the U.S. was able to take back for the Iraqi government territory that had been in the control of insurgents. And that has indeed happened. So to that extent, the surge HAS been successful. But the Iraqi government was then supposed to take advantage of this improved situation on the ground and pass reconciliation legislation that would give all of the major factions within Iraq a sense of participation and security. It is in this area, as detractors of the surge’s effectiveness claim, that the surge is not coming to fruition. And if too much time passes without realizing true reconciliation there, then it all will have been in vain.
--The presidential campaign continues, and after the recent flack about Barack Obama’s pastor and Hillary Clinton’s exaggerations about her experience, not much has changed. Obama is still leading Clinton in delegates, primaries won, and states won. In national polls he leads against both Clinton and John McCain. The only change I am seeing is an increasing number of Democrats beginning to urge Hillary to back out, either now or at least not long after the April 22 Pennsylvania Primary results are revealed.
--A giant 160 square-mile chunk of Antarctic ice just dropped off into the ocean, continuing the undeniable trend of polar ice melting. In the U.S., we had a relatively late winter due to the La Niña effect, causing some (especially folks like Rush Limbaugh) to question the existence of global warming. But friends, it hasn’t gone away!
--The University of Florida Gators men’s basketball team has made the “final four” for the National Invitation Tournament. The next game is tomorrow evening. Florida has shown itself to be an NCAA Tournament-caliber team through its excellent play in the NIT. In the NCAA tourney, I predict a North Carolina-UCLA final next week, with the UCLA Bruins prevailing in that one.
--The presidential campaign continues, and after the recent flack about Barack Obama’s pastor and Hillary Clinton’s exaggerations about her experience, not much has changed. Obama is still leading Clinton in delegates, primaries won, and states won. In national polls he leads against both Clinton and John McCain. The only change I am seeing is an increasing number of Democrats beginning to urge Hillary to back out, either now or at least not long after the April 22 Pennsylvania Primary results are revealed.
--A giant 160 square-mile chunk of Antarctic ice just dropped off into the ocean, continuing the undeniable trend of polar ice melting. In the U.S., we had a relatively late winter due to the La Niña effect, causing some (especially folks like Rush Limbaugh) to question the existence of global warming. But friends, it hasn’t gone away!
--The University of Florida Gators men’s basketball team has made the “final four” for the National Invitation Tournament. The next game is tomorrow evening. Florida has shown itself to be an NCAA Tournament-caliber team through its excellent play in the NIT. In the NCAA tourney, I predict a North Carolina-UCLA final next week, with the UCLA Bruins prevailing in that one.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 3/24
--US and Russian officials have been meeting to discuss possibilities for some agreement regarding missiles and missile defense. The Russians are obviously concerned that we are engaging in treaties and missile defense agreements with nations that had earlier been part of the Warsaw Pact or the Soviet Union itself. Although I support my country's interests, I also concede that the Russians have a point: "defensive" measures can often appear to be offensive. I remember the concern during the Cold War that the Soviet Union had in place a much greater civil defense system than did the West. And this led to the accusation that their civil defense efforts were so much emphasized because they thought they could outlast, and thus win, a massive nuclear exchange between the two sides.
--Comedian Sinbad, who accompanied then-First Lady Hillary Clinton once during the nineties to on a visit to Bosnia, had some of his best lines when he sarcastically deflated her claim that she had braved sniper fire and was on a dangerous mission back then. Hillary's not-so-witty retort was that he was a comedian! I have an idea for a new "fantasy" series: The Adventures of Lady Hillary. There wouldn't be any concern about offending anyone since all of the stories would clearly be pure fiction!
--Legendary science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke died at age 90 this past Wednesday. He was best known for his Space Odyssey series that produced four books and two movies. To me, Clarke's vision of us having permanent moon bases by 1999 always made me feel that we had lost our dream and determination to conquer space after our initial Apollo moon successes.
--One of the criticisms of Reverend Jeremiah Wright has been that he claimed that America had brought on the 9/11 attacks by its foreign policy. And Barack Obama is somehow guilty by letting this guy be his pastor. But I distinctly remember John McCain coddling the late Reverend Jerry Falwell, who claimed that 9/11 was a divine judgement against America's decline in morality. Personally, I think that anything that a religious leader says needs to be taken with a grain of salt. I've heard utter nonsense from those of various faiths as well as some thoroughly asinine statements made in churches I've attended. I've gotten to the point where I just expect those in religious authority to make ridiculous comments, and maybe I've numbed myself a bit to them. Could this also be how Barack Obama has reacted to his pastor's diatribes?
--In college basketball, both the NCAA and NIT tournaments have begun. I've been having a bit of difficulty with enthusiasm for the NCAA tourney, since my University of Florida Gators weren't good enough this year to make it. UF is doing quite well so far in the National Invitation "runner-up" Tournament, having easily won its first two games (making it one of eight teams remaining). The big test will be tomorrow when they head out west to face Arizona State.
--Comedian Sinbad, who accompanied then-First Lady Hillary Clinton once during the nineties to on a visit to Bosnia, had some of his best lines when he sarcastically deflated her claim that she had braved sniper fire and was on a dangerous mission back then. Hillary's not-so-witty retort was that he was a comedian! I have an idea for a new "fantasy" series: The Adventures of Lady Hillary. There wouldn't be any concern about offending anyone since all of the stories would clearly be pure fiction!
--Legendary science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke died at age 90 this past Wednesday. He was best known for his Space Odyssey series that produced four books and two movies. To me, Clarke's vision of us having permanent moon bases by 1999 always made me feel that we had lost our dream and determination to conquer space after our initial Apollo moon successes.
--One of the criticisms of Reverend Jeremiah Wright has been that he claimed that America had brought on the 9/11 attacks by its foreign policy. And Barack Obama is somehow guilty by letting this guy be his pastor. But I distinctly remember John McCain coddling the late Reverend Jerry Falwell, who claimed that 9/11 was a divine judgement against America's decline in morality. Personally, I think that anything that a religious leader says needs to be taken with a grain of salt. I've heard utter nonsense from those of various faiths as well as some thoroughly asinine statements made in churches I've attended. I've gotten to the point where I just expect those in religious authority to make ridiculous comments, and maybe I've numbed myself a bit to them. Could this also be how Barack Obama has reacted to his pastor's diatribes?
--In college basketball, both the NCAA and NIT tournaments have begun. I've been having a bit of difficulty with enthusiasm for the NCAA tourney, since my University of Florida Gators weren't good enough this year to make it. UF is doing quite well so far in the National Invitation "runner-up" Tournament, having easily won its first two games (making it one of eight teams remaining). The big test will be tomorrow when they head out west to face Arizona State.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 3/17
--On Friday night, right in the middle of the Southeastern Conference college basketball tournament taking place in Atlanta, Georgia, tornadoes ripped through the city, even damaging the site of the games (the Georgia Dome) and sending debris onto the court and the players. Estimates have the damage to businesses and homes around $200 million, but so far no deaths have been reported. Is it just my imagination, or is this sort of thing happening much too often during the past few weeks?!!
--A crusading moralist, former Attorney General and New York Governor Eliot Spitzer showed his utterly base hypocrisy when the facts of his multiple prostitute liaisons came out. Mr. Spitzer, during his reign as NY Attorney General, never seemed to have any compunction about ruining anyone else’s career because of their mistakes. And all the while, the state’s chief law enforcement official was recklessly breaking it himself. Not that I think that his having sex with prostitutes should have been against the law in the first place. To me, that is a matter between him and his wife. If Spitzer hadn’t used his oh-so pious and self-righteous public demeanor to further his political career at the expense of others, I would probably be of the opinion that he should be left alone to sort out his personal problems as a private matter, and to remain as New York Governor. But it was he who placed himself so high on his public pedestal, and now it’s crashed!
--A crisis is developing in western China as violent confrontations have erupted between Tibetan protesters and the Chinese government authorities. With the press as tightly controlled as it is there, reported deaths are hard to confirm, but the figure ranges from 30 to over 100. Personally, I have no problem with the Chinese maintaining that Tibet is a part of their country. But I do object to the suppression of Tibetan Buddhist expression and autonomy in that region, starting with the exile since 1959 of the Dalai Lama. Why can’t they see that a Buddhist Tibet with some autonomy is an asset to their country and not a liability? And this happening just a few months before China hosts the Summer Olympics.
--The University of Florida men’s basketball team has gone into a late-season slump (four straight losses) and missed out on the (already remote) chance to defend their National Championship. But I’m looking forward to seeing how the Gators do in the National Invitation Tournament (starting this Wednesday). As for the NCAA tourney, I’m pulling for teams like Tennessee, Georgia, Vanderbilt, and North Carolina. I suspect, though, that this may indeed be UCLA’s season to win it all! Last night, I was watching ESPN’s “bracketology” program analyzing the tournament’s selections and matchups. Among the analysts were “Mr. Enthusiasm” Dick Vitale and former Indiana and Texas Tech coach Bobby Knight. For some reason, Vitale, who is usually humorous and upbeat, seemed agitated and uptight. And Knight, known for his on-court chair tossing and cursing at press conferences, was very calm, polite, and professional as he expressed his opinions. Who would have thought it?
--A crusading moralist, former Attorney General and New York Governor Eliot Spitzer showed his utterly base hypocrisy when the facts of his multiple prostitute liaisons came out. Mr. Spitzer, during his reign as NY Attorney General, never seemed to have any compunction about ruining anyone else’s career because of their mistakes. And all the while, the state’s chief law enforcement official was recklessly breaking it himself. Not that I think that his having sex with prostitutes should have been against the law in the first place. To me, that is a matter between him and his wife. If Spitzer hadn’t used his oh-so pious and self-righteous public demeanor to further his political career at the expense of others, I would probably be of the opinion that he should be left alone to sort out his personal problems as a private matter, and to remain as New York Governor. But it was he who placed himself so high on his public pedestal, and now it’s crashed!
--A crisis is developing in western China as violent confrontations have erupted between Tibetan protesters and the Chinese government authorities. With the press as tightly controlled as it is there, reported deaths are hard to confirm, but the figure ranges from 30 to over 100. Personally, I have no problem with the Chinese maintaining that Tibet is a part of their country. But I do object to the suppression of Tibetan Buddhist expression and autonomy in that region, starting with the exile since 1959 of the Dalai Lama. Why can’t they see that a Buddhist Tibet with some autonomy is an asset to their country and not a liability? And this happening just a few months before China hosts the Summer Olympics.
--The University of Florida men’s basketball team has gone into a late-season slump (four straight losses) and missed out on the (already remote) chance to defend their National Championship. But I’m looking forward to seeing how the Gators do in the National Invitation Tournament (starting this Wednesday). As for the NCAA tourney, I’m pulling for teams like Tennessee, Georgia, Vanderbilt, and North Carolina. I suspect, though, that this may indeed be UCLA’s season to win it all! Last night, I was watching ESPN’s “bracketology” program analyzing the tournament’s selections and matchups. Among the analysts were “Mr. Enthusiasm” Dick Vitale and former Indiana and Texas Tech coach Bobby Knight. For some reason, Vitale, who is usually humorous and upbeat, seemed agitated and uptight. And Knight, known for his on-court chair tossing and cursing at press conferences, was very calm, polite, and professional as he expressed his opinions. Who would have thought it?
Monday, March 10, 2008
Monday Newsbreak: 3/10
--After being stripped of delegate representation at the national convention because they went against party rules to schedule their presidential primaries early, Florida and Michigan are becoming the focus of intense debate within the Democratic Party. Should they repeat their primaries to give the people in these very important, populous swing states a legitimate voice as to who they want their nominee to be? Of course, I say the answer is YES! This in spite of the fact that holding the Florida and Michigan primaries again would probably help Hillary Clinton to catch up in terms of delegate totals with Barack Obama, whom I support. But we're otherwise talking about 366 disenfranchised delegates in two states that may well determine the outcome of the 2008 presidential election! Unfortunately, there seems to be a standoff between the governors of Florida and Michigan, who do not want their states (and taxpayers) to have to pay the costs of holding the additional primaries, and the Democratic Party leadership under Howard Dean, who wants the states, not the party, to handle (and pay for) any re-voting.
-- The buzz around Florida these days is that popular governor Charlie Christ is "campaigning" to become John McCain's running mate for the general election. And why not? I like him, and he, like McCain, is conservative but pragmatic. Governor Crist is not beholden to the right-wing ideological "correctness" people who, I believe, are dragging their party down toward defeat this November.
--The weather here and across the eastern part of the U.S. has been atrocious this past week, with winter stubbornly refusing to go away. Here in northern Florida on Friday we had tornadoes (causing two deaths in Lake City 40 miles north of me) with heavy rain, thunderstorms, and high winds. On Saturday, the storms had passed over, but the winds just picked up even more. Sunday morning saw subfreezing temperatures across the Gainesville area, something I don't remember experiencing this late in the season since I moved up here thirty years ago. I just hope that the rain that deluged us will help to prevent the outbreak of fires this spring.
--The University of Florida men's basketball team is now down to their last hope for reach the NCAA Championship Tournament this year to defend their National Title, with their close-but-insufficient 75-70 loss to Kentucky at Lexington Saturday. And that hope is simply to confound the experts and win the upcoming Southeastern Conference tournament outright! But I don't see that happening, as much as I want it to be. So, unless a miracle occurs and Florida does prevail, I'll be pulling for the Tennessee Volunteers in the tournament. Tennessee last year had a team good enough to win it all, but were defeated in an extremely close game against Ohio State.
-- The buzz around Florida these days is that popular governor Charlie Christ is "campaigning" to become John McCain's running mate for the general election. And why not? I like him, and he, like McCain, is conservative but pragmatic. Governor Crist is not beholden to the right-wing ideological "correctness" people who, I believe, are dragging their party down toward defeat this November.
--The weather here and across the eastern part of the U.S. has been atrocious this past week, with winter stubbornly refusing to go away. Here in northern Florida on Friday we had tornadoes (causing two deaths in Lake City 40 miles north of me) with heavy rain, thunderstorms, and high winds. On Saturday, the storms had passed over, but the winds just picked up even more. Sunday morning saw subfreezing temperatures across the Gainesville area, something I don't remember experiencing this late in the season since I moved up here thirty years ago. I just hope that the rain that deluged us will help to prevent the outbreak of fires this spring.
--The University of Florida men's basketball team is now down to their last hope for reach the NCAA Championship Tournament this year to defend their National Title, with their close-but-insufficient 75-70 loss to Kentucky at Lexington Saturday. And that hope is simply to confound the experts and win the upcoming Southeastern Conference tournament outright! But I don't see that happening, as much as I want it to be. So, unless a miracle occurs and Florida does prevail, I'll be pulling for the Tennessee Volunteers in the tournament. Tennessee last year had a team good enough to win it all, but were defeated in an extremely close game against Ohio State.
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