Today's Tids Issue 2,170
Opening Stuff:
Donald Berwick, the latest nutcase from Harvard to bring romanticized academic theories to an important government department, has said he is emotionally addicted to British style health care. In fact he admits that when it comes to government controlled health care, he some what of a romantic. How romantic will it be when some of his insane medical rationing theories have oldsters dying or living in misery prematurely and loved ones mourning the losses? And the real tragedy in this appointment is that the gutless leader of the world’s greatest free nation snuck him in under the cover of a darkened national capital.
Amused at the Tids guy’s heat induced befuddlement yesterday, a loyal reader sends in his own most confusing moment – “Standing there looking down at a rope in my hand I couldn’t remember if I had found a rope or lost a horse.”
The Question:
As a kid I was always enthralled by the exploits of the great Portuguese explorers – Magellan, de Gama, Prince Henry the Navigator. Naval heroes all. That led me to follow naval officers in general (Or should I say “In admiral!”). Name ten great American Naval officers.
The Headlines:
--Buffet Seeing A Better US Economy Ahead; IMF Upping World Outlook On Healthy Asia.
--Three al-Qaida Bombers Arrested In Norway; Terrorists Allegedly Plotting Attacks In New York And England.
--New Jobless Pay Requests Drop More Than Expected.
--Heat Down; Humidity Steady.
--Mortgage Rates Drop To New Low.
--Geithner Says Taxes To Remain Business Friendly; White House Reacting To Unkind Comments By Former Ally Imelt And Other Biz Leaders.
--Merck Closing 8 Manufacturing Plants And 8 research centers WorldWide; Two Of Shutdowns In US.
--TV’s High School Musical Comedy “Glee” Tops Emmy Nomination List.
Back to More Stuff:
Of course, you don’t have to sneak things past Congress. You can do it out in the open and they won’t see it. For instance, the new financial services law eliminates Auto Dealers from regulatory scrutiny. Of all people, Auto Dealers! Did you ever feel you are getting a straight story from an auto dealer? Especially when it comes to financing. I haven’t. And Congress thinks it’s ok to give them a free pass. It is probably one of the greatest, latest examples of just how inept our government has become. And why our national system of special interests is broken.
It Happens Every Time Department:
Bristol Rhode Island, which was proclaimed “America’s Most Patriotic Town” on the cover of last weekend’s Parade Magazine, was just named by “Family Circle” Magazine as one of the Ten Best Places to raise children. Rats. Now everybody will want to move there and the Town fathers will be besieged by developers with plans that will eventually ruin the fabric of the town. Great places are far better off remaining unknown.
Subway sandwiches are designed by accountants.
It took a power blackout to enlighten me. I walked into a Dunkin Donuts Sunday to get a few munchkins for a 4th parade sideline get-together, only to find a power outage and a line of eager customers out the door. And there wasn’t a donut to be found. Nor could they cook a sausage-egg-biscuit. But everybody was happily ordering and overpaying for some elaborate coffee concoction. These shops don’t care of they sell their main product. They are just like restaurants that make their real money on booze. I propose that the these stores start making edible bakery products and have BYOC Wednesdays – Bring Your Own Coffees. (Sounds like a theory from a nutty Harvard professor.)
Basically, the only difference between eaters of organic foods and those eating the crappy regular stuff is that the organic people are eating happier chickens and asparagus. A new study proves conclusively that there are absolutely no health advantages to eating organic eggs over regular eggs. The organic eggs are just laid by hens with smiles on their faces. Oh yeah, and the organic eggs cost more.
Through the Same Eyes: Chapter 81 continues. –Isabelle took her time. She carefully placed the folder before and slowly opened it, taking out a very legal looking page. She feigned reading it for a moment, and then looked up. She smiled, but not the smile of a person I have begun to enjoy as a friend.
“I’m not going to read the legal black magic wording. What this essentially says is part of what we have been discussing internally.” She looked into my eyes. It was one of those unemotional, robotic stares. She was trying to eliminate all feeling. “Our lawyers are seriously concerned with a potential conflict of interest between our financial sources and a leading technology supplier.”
That would be me and Paul. Obviously. I didn’t react. I just became as robotic as she.
“I don’t want to go into the rest of this note. It is pretty obvious,” her face lightened a little, thinking she had taken control, “that business operations and complications are the norm. And, I know you understand that.”
“So basically,” I started without flinching, “You are threatening the people who have taken the risk to underwrite the unknown output of your potential.” Her eyes moved quickly. But, she didn’t back down.
“No, it is just the opposite. We are only trying to be open and honest with our most important business partner.” She is good I thought. But, I also know that they really need what Paul’s company has to offer.
“Nor did I come here to threaten you, so I’m surprised that you would dive so quickly into a legal sounding cover before listening to what I had to say.” I waited a few beats. “We think you should look more deeply into an event which remarkably benefits your future. Where there is now suspicions about a suicide of a major BiEm player in the event. I came to talk to you as your partner. Obviously, you overreacted.”
I stood up, “I have to get back to the office.” As I turned to leave I saw Kent Middleton at his desk staring -- Was it angrily? – into Isabelle’s office. I didn’t turn as I heard Izzy say “Sarah?” I just closed the door, gently.
Despite all of this hand wringing over the appointment of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, nothing is going to change for a long time. Justice Kennedy has stated that he expects to be around for a long time, and the rest of the more conservative leaning side are even less apt to be leaving. So, perhaps the next to go would be Ginsberg, which of course would bring another Obama appointment probably similar to her. So all that has happened or will happen is a change in the personalities on the liberal side, which is to say that nothing has changed. Kennedy was the Liberal hope, and he likes his job.
So, if Ginsburg hangs on but finds it necessary to exit, say during the Palin administration, then the courts could be quite conservative for a long, long time.
The Answer:
Many Naval Heroes like John Paul Jones are household names. Other’s are Oliver Hazard Perry (Lake Erie), Commodore Matthew Perry (Opened Japan to the West), Thomas Truxton (Revolutionary War and first to trade with China.), John Rogers (Senior and Junior), Thomas McDonough, James Lawrence, Isaac Hull, Stephen Decatur, William Bainbridge and Joshua Barney.
The United Sheep of America:
One thing you can be sure of in this unstable world is that TV networks are commissioning new TV programs to emulate Fox’s “Glee”.
No comments:
Post a Comment