Sunday Morning Coming Down

Yesterday was a good day.  I finished work in time to go to Hialeah Park to watch Did I Zoom run.  I've watched this horse many times from his first race and then on the Minnesota and Iowa and now back to South Florida.  He finally won a race.  Many owners want their horses to be race horses, the attrition is great.  Good breeding is no guarantee, it helps but it seems there's always something and that can keep a horse from even getting to a race.  The expenses of owning a horse in training can range from $1800 to $3000 a month, so the pressure to run and make enough money to cover expenses can be intense.  The economics of the sport almost guarantee failure for all but the few that are fortunate enough to have a horse good enough to win stakes races.  If it wasn't fun and a form of entertainment that is unique it would have been extinct like the dinosaurs long ago. Don't bet a lot to win a little, but do go to the races.

We as a country have put ourselves in a position where the issue of leadership is being confused with being able to assign blame, avoid responsibility, and continue to be able to raise money to continue in political office and avoid having to actually have to vote in a manner that relates governing. President Obama has some leadership issues.  John Boehner and Mitch McConnell have similar leadership issue on the Republican side of the aisle, as do Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.  This does not excuse the 535 that are elected to represent the other 307,000,000 of us.  If the median family income ranges from about $40,000 in Mississippi to about $66,000 in Maryland and the poverty level for a family of four is $23,000 and 200% of poverty for a family of four is $46,000 nationwide there are lots of people that are struggling to meet their financial obligations. I get it.  I'm willing to say that there is too much money being spent on keeping this ...

The CW is that there will be a deal on taxes, spending, and entitlements.  If there is going to be a deal both sides will need to contribute something to the deal.  One part of a deal would be to structure increases in social security payments in a manner that would favor lower income recipients more than upper income folks.  Medicare taxes which will need to increase if we are to avoid a default on this program and it would be helpful if the taxes were more progressive, rather than the 2.9% of wages.  Everybody would be wise to address this issue sooner rather than later.  I'm of the opinion that there are not enough rich folks to pay the bills we are all running up for services we want. If that means that more than just the top 2% pay more, receive less, and wasteful programs are cut, let's get on with it.  

Picking up  Lisvey at school yesterday was usual for her but something very different for me.  The routine questions about school, dinner, grades, homework, the weekend, since it was Friday were not quite as routine.  I've taught school as a sub over the past few years and have experienced lock downs and evacuation drills and walking my class to art, music, lunch, and to the bus at the end of the day.  Honestly, I worried when I gave kids permission to go to the bathroom and they had to actually leave the classroom was relieved if there was bathroom in the classroom so they did not have to go down the hall. I was always told by family members in the profession, that if nothing else, it was vital to think about safety before anything else.  Sometimes even that doesn't work out.

I've lived in Florida for my entire adult life.  Florida is a right to work state and I doubt that will change.  The State of Michigan is considering legislation that will make it a right to work state.  This will reduce the power of unions in the state and it will make it easier for the state to compete for new jobs.  Wages in right to work states are lower.  The race to lower costs a la Walmart continues.  Maybe it will increase the number of jobs available for people who need jobs.  The availability of jobs in America is important and the people in Michigan need to remember that the jobs at lower wages may go to Alabama, Tennessee, or Mississippi. Not only are we competing with the world, we are competing for jobs within the United States and a job is a good thing to have.

The Learning Channel has had  program some programs about the morbidly obese.  These folks get so big that they eventually become homebound and in extreme cases bedbound.  Hoarders is a similar view into some very extreme behavior and the show American Pickers has some similarities but there are some exceptions when the "stuff" is organized. My overarching question(s) is how does this happen?  Do people actually decide that it is too difficult to get up and get out of bed one day and from there things spin out of control?  Obviously the folks that eat too much, get no exercise, ... and eventually have their meals delivered to them have some psychological problems beyond just their diets.  Similarly people who buy lots of stuff find it difficult and then impossible to take out the garbage have some issues. When too much becomes not enough, there is going to be some rough sledding.

Hunting Deutsch, executive director of the Department of Economic Opportunity resigned abruptly after disclosures that he collected unemployment benefits while traveling in Europe.  Deutsch refused to answer questions saying frankly it's a personal matter.  The former executive director collected benefits for 91 weeks from 2009-2011(some of which) when he was traveling in Europe with his wife.  He did  however say, "I'm fortunate enough where I've worked for very successful companies for a very long period of time and luckly sold all my bank stocks- most of them at the right time, at the right price and quite frankly did not have to work.  So my wife and I took some time off and travelled a great deal. The Florida Senate President said it was the right thing to do and Governor accepted the resignation effective effective December 9, 2012.  According to the Miami Herald, his salary at the Department of Economic Opportunity was $140,000 annually. B...

I'm good with NIU coming to the Orange Bowl.  I hope a lot of their fans are good with coming to Miami as well.  FSU fans will have yet another possibilty to visit Miami and the stadium known this year as Sunlife Stadium. The Orange Bowl Committee does a lot of things to get visitors to come to Miami during the holidays and fill hotel rooms before winter season really gets going.  Somebodys got to do it, we will need tourist dollars to pay for our new baseball stadium and every little bit helps. Two really good college teams, Penn State, and Ohio State will be spending the holidays up north.  The University of Miami will also be laying low this year.  Sanctions or the potential of sanctions from the NCAA have had an adverse impact on the bowl situation this year.  Regrettable but this may be the new normal as the NCAA sifts through what is becoming just another merky part of our sports culture.

There are many cautionary tales.  This is one of them.  I only know part of the story, I don't know the details but there are things you should not do in public. I stopped to get a Cuban sandwich at a place near my house.  South Miami in an effort to be trendy allows cafes to put tables and chairs on the sidewalk so people can eat outside at lunch or dinner.  This is mostly dubious if you walk in downtown South Miami.  Walking the gauntlent of diners is inconvinient for pedestrians and diners.  The sidewalks were not designed as additions to restaurants. A pretty young girl in her 20's is speaking on her cell phone to a relative(probably) loudly but not angrily, the other person at the table is listening intently, he is older,greying, they have a nice BMW, dressed casually but the tee shirt and shorts did not come from Kmart.  A couple you might see in the Grove, South Beach, or as extras on Burn Notice. After getting my sandwich at Moj...

Sports radio has been discussing the use of alderall by football players and their suspension by the league for using performance enhancing drugs.  I think this is an issue that needs to be discussed and the application of the term performance enhancing may need some modification. The long term use of drugs and many other modern conviniences in the name of sport, entertainment, business, education, medicine is almost impossible to fathom.  While I may live longer and with a better quality of life according to some I find my self rebelling against some aspects of progress as it currently practiced. Lance Armstrong is a posterboy for bad behavior when it comes to doping in his sport and he has only been convicted after the fact by improvements in the methodolgy of testing for banned substances and confirming testimony by teammates. The use of steroids in baseball has made a mockery of records related to homeruns and pitching and more than a few players each year are suspen...

I was looking for a school book on Saturday, Homeless Bird, by Gloria Whelen for Lisvey who is in 6th grade at Carver Middle School in Miami. Before buying the book I read the reviews on the intenet.  I don't remember reading anything like this in school and especially in sixth grade.  This was a watered down story of an arranged marriage in India, before it became one of the world's largest economies.  Usually, I walk to Barnes and Noble, they were sold out of the book and offered to order it for me, the clerk said it was available at their Coral Gables Store.  Fall weather even if it doesn't get to Miami until Thanksgiving, made the walk back home pleasant.  Saturday morning at the bookstore these days includes some one reading to kids, or a quick stop at the cafe which is in store and a good place to download something for your reader.  The next closest place that said it had the book was Target.  Parking wasn't as bad as I thought but they...

I survived yesterday.  Food was really good.  A bottle of red wine helped the process along.  We were three and a small turkey breast, sweet potatoes and a Dominican potato salad were enough for yesterday and there is plenty left for sandwiches today.  I said thanks for all my gifts yesterday but probably don't say it often enough.  I work enough, have plenty to eat, a roof over my head and can pay all my bills.  I wish I would sleep a little better but that is a tiny issue in the scope of things. Rather than football on TV or going to the mall to shop, I watched people in California and across the country chase a pick six carryover at Hollywood Park on TVG.  I was a tiny part of action on a pool that totaled over 3.2 million dollars.  I had four winners out of six races and had the satisfaction of breaking even for the day on my gambling.  Most gamblers would call that a reasonably good day. I've written about this many times....

On November 16th 2012 at about 8:05 AM, on the corner of SW 56 Street and 92 Avenue I had a Florida Lottery moment.  Strewn on the grass on the corner lot were a lot of CASH 3 lottery tickets.  I immediately went into race track stooper mode to see if there were any live tickets(doubtful) but who knows. There were at least 25 $1.00 tickets all using 672 for the selected number on November 15th 2012.  There may have been other reasons for this improbable wager but my initial reaction was: Dude! What were you thinking?  There are other ways to blow $25.00?  Why didn't you chose 25 different numbers for a better but still very small chance to win $500 rather than blowing it all on one number.  I realize $12,500 is a lot of money if it had hit but according to the odds you should have been paid $25,000.  Still a lousy bet.  This is not a good use of venture capital, rent money, or milk money and you threw your dead wood out the window. Further res...

I know you can't go backwards on many things.  However if I had known that the building of a the new baseball stadium would have lead to the Miami Marlins dumping almost all their starting line up, firing their manager and who knows what else since the end of the season, I think we would have been better off not building a new stadium and maybe living without a major league baseball team. I watched the demolition of the Orange Bowl and the building of the new ballpark.  So much for build it and they will come. At least the old Orange Bowl with all its faults and lacking sky boxes, inadequate plumbing and other issues had some history behind it. Whether it was the focus of New Years Day, University of Miami Football, the glory days of the Miami Dolphins, or other big events in Miami, the place had good history in a place that needs good history. Instead for a lot of people and for a long time this is going to be a place where the people in Miami were screwed around, tak...

From the New Yorker Magazine we learn that a switch of 142,262 votes in five swing states, Florida, Ohio, New Hampshire, Nevada and Colorado could have meant a Romney win in the Electoral College and a 3,082,474 popular vote victory by President Obama.  In 2008 McCain would have needed to switch a little more than 500,000 in seven states to change the outcome of the race. The election that now seems to have been not so close, was closer than many who will look at the results and see Obama 332 - Romney 206. I don't think the country would take kindly to even one more presidential election where the loser of the popular vote could be trumped by a challengers victory in the Electoral College. We need to fix this.

I would like to thank everyone that serves in this country's military services.  They have done things I am unable to do.  Thanks might also be given to first responders that run towards problems rather than away from them. The country would be will advised to look at the need to institute some form of public service available for everyone.  Registering for the draft has an interesting facet.  If you don't register, you are not eligible for student loans, Pell Grants, and some other public services. Serving in the military, teaching in under served areas, helping provide services to our increasingly elderly population or other areas of service that benefit the public should be acceptable public services to qualify for governmental services.  Opting out of service, could mean opting out of governmental benefits. There is one intangible benefit to a program like this.  Everybody has some skin in the game.  More than a few policy fail...

I've heard that 30% of advertising is a waste and that it is hard to determine what part of the 30% is the waste.  Maybe the amount of money spent in political advertising will self correct because of the lack of response it got or maybe not much will change because the opposition also advertised to counter act the other.  They cancelled each other out.  Nobody will disarm unilaterally. 

I think the first think the parties should be able to agree on is making voting more convenient by extending early voting and doing it in a consistent manner.  Nobody should be made to stand in line for hours.  The game playing with the vote as practiced by the Governor of Florida must stop, in not accommodating the voters of Florida, the electoral process in Florida is suspect and will continue to be until corrected. The lines caused by the shortening of hours for early voting and the logistical problems of long ballots did not take a rocket scientist to predict and could have been minimized with a few timely decisions by the Governor.  Why did we go backwards in Florida?  Why did we elect Rick Scott?

There are a bunch of political science ideas floating around these days.  One of the simpler ideas would be to make it easier, quicker, and more convenient to vote.  Instead, it is more difficult, takes longer in some ways, and may not be as convenient as it might be.  Sadly this seems to be something partisan about the way "the vote" is interpreted. It is clear that the way rules are interpreted regarding voting do not apply evenly.  Some places give an hour off with pay to vote during working hours, others do not.  I've had to work in places where that was interpreted that the employee has an hour off and it did not matter whether they voted or not.  All lines are not created equally and it would be nice if the people in charge of running elections tried to make the process a lot easier.  Some polling places in Florida did not have enough parking for the lines they experienced and parking tickets were issued in the area.  There is somethin...

Having lived through one disaster and more than a few hurricanes in Miami I have a lot of sympathy for what the folks in New Jersey, NewYork and maybe even West Virginia have gone through and what they will continue to experience for a while for some and a long time for some others. What you once took for granted may now become something of a matter of survival.  Gasoline for cars, electricity for a lot of other things, water, and maybe a cup of coffee.  Others have had their houses destroyed or severely damaged.  I listened on the radio to houses being tagged for demolition while others may "only" need repairs.  This is the beginning of a complicated process and you will need patience and a little bit of luck because what you think your insurance company or the government will do might not meet your needs. I'm sure my church will have a special collection for hurricane relief.  I added some money to my grocery bill for the Red Cross.  The New ...

One of the more interesting aspects of having a 6th grader in the house has been the books she is reading.  The last few weeks have been filled with The Giver and the next book is Facing the Lion. I'd read The Giver before on the advise of my sister a teacher who prides herself on reading all the books on the Florida reading list.  My nephew commented that the book had been banned in several school districts.  The view of life in the book are not much different from Brave New World by Huxley, but I read that book in college and not in 6th grade.  Fifty years ago is a long time and the stirrings I remember probably did not kick in until 7th grade. And probably the biggest difference is access to the Internet, that has swallowed up so much time for everybody from the time kids get access to their first computer.

I'd never heard this before I read Craig Johnson.  This may become my new rejoinder for most requests I get.  Or maybe not.  With the right tone of voice I think it's funny but I think more than a few folks may not understand the remark let alone the humor in it. The UU religious part of me agrees with the following: Unitarians think they are too good to go to hell and the Universalists think god is too good to send them to hell. This is not a very important post, but it actually triggered a google search about ice water in hell.

There were still people waiting in line to vote at the Coral Gables Library at about 4:30pm on Sunday 10/28/2012.  Yesterday, I believe about 28,000 people voted at early voting stations throughout the county on the first day of early voting.

Sandy has moved away from South Florida.  It's still breezy but the sky is blue and it's cooler.  Thankfully it was not as rainy as Issac.  Miami has broken records for the amount of rain this year. Today is also the first day of early voting in Florida.  I thought I would get up early and vote.  The lines were long at 7:30 AM.  I had originally planned to get up really early and be one of the first to vote.  I guess a lot of people had the same idea as the parking lots around the Coral Gables Library were full.  My impression from the people in line is that this election is going to be much closer than the election four years ago in Florida.  It took almost 2 hours fifteen minutes to vote. I would guess that for many people it is easier to vote absentee, but I just feel a liitle bit more engaged in the process even if it takes some time waiting in line.  I had a little bit of a chuckle as I saw the sign where pol...

George McGovern died on Sunday.   I’ve thought about his candidacy for the presidency in 1972   often over the last 40 years.   He spoke out against the Viet Nam War before it was popular.   He served in the military during WWII as a bomber pilot but did not make his military experience a big part of his campaign.   He is quoted as saying that he wanted to be President in the worst way and he succeeded. I think he was a populist and a liberal and while his political campaign in 1972 was soundly rejected and the country voted overwhelmingly for Richard Nixon, I think he spoke for many people who eventually understood and agreed with the need to end the war. One of the more profound comments he made after losing the election and returning to the Senate was the need for the campaign and the campaigning to end.   This is something the current political class has forgotten.   Bob Dole and George McGovern worked together on farm policy and trying t...

The debate last night is getting a lot more like the crap we hear from congress.  For all the talk about needing to be aggressive and make points, stir up the base and what ever the chattering heads are saying, and fighting back, and back biting the debates so far have been lacking serious, substantial discussion of policy from both sides. I would have liked a little more dignity from the candidates.  Stepping on each other the way they did last night was more like McLaughlin Group or the NFL Pregame Shows or Sports Talk Radio talking about the Yankees. Mercifully the election will be over in about twenty days.  And somebody somewhere is already visiting Iowa and New Hampshire getting ready for 2016.

The Miami Herald gives me a rather unique opportunity two survey parts of two neighborhoods in Miami Dade County.  This survey done weekly and it consists of a passive visits to about five hundred residences.  I deliver advertising flyers to houses that are not subscribers to the Miami Herald. The neighborhoods range from modest 1-2 bedroom condominiums that were converted from rentals to really nice and big houses that circle Lake Catalina and Blue Lake.  Both neighborhoods are centrally located, near parks, expressways, and shopping. I have delivered Herald Values to these neighborhoods for almost four years and have watched the housing market, advertisers interested in the area, and talk to more than a few people who live in neighborhood regularly. My next few posts to this blog will give my opinion on what seems to be happening in these typical Miami Neighborhoods. In 33155 properties along Lake Catalina are receiving major makeovers.  At the corner of Mi...

This is one time I wish I could vote for someone from Massachusetts.  Kerry and Dukakis got my votes in early presidential votes but I was less than inspired and I thought their candidacies were somewhat doomed. Elizabeth Warren in spite of charges about her ethnicity, which I equate to posturing about the Viet Nam War by candidates who did not serve in that war is running her race and I hope she wins. I think she is speaking truth when she reminds people about the interdependency of people in the private sector and the public sector.  Infrastructure be it roads, education, police, fire and the common defence all contribute to the well being of the country. Too often the augments are either/or, take it or leave it, my way or the highway and other extreme ideas that are holding this country back. The way things are going it isn't leading it's misleading. 

First I bought a computer, then a second computer, then I connected to the internet (dial up), bought a cell phone, then I got connected to the cable, then I bought another computer, then I bundled cable, internet, and telephone, then I bought a wireless router and now a kindle fire... I'm not an early implementer and the process of changing is difficult.  Washing dishes and cooking, doing laundry and cleaning are not foreign concepts to me. But the way I am reading books will never be the same.

I doubt that the University of Miami could have done a better job of disappointing their fans than with last night's turkey of a game.  The Golden Domers crushed the "U" so badly that Golden will need to do something to restore the team's confidence.  Dorsett, a hero last week dropped two passes that could have been touchdowns.  The "U"s defense tried but could not get the job done. Georgia Tech lost another one, this time against Clemson, lackluster, but the shocker of the weekend was the Noles with their fizzle out against North Carolina State.  This game shouldn't have even been close,   The Noles blew a 16-0 lead and lost in the last minute of the game. Meanwhile in the Swamp the Gators beat LSU in a tough and close game.  I attribute this to a homefield advantage. Meanwhile, the MOUNTAINEERS of Morgantown took their offense and offensive defense to Austin.  Geno Smith threw four more passes for touchdowns but needed to recover...

Most people that are unemployed or underemployed that live in high unemployment states don't need someone to tell them that there are problems in the economy.  The statistics are what they are.  There are two surveys, one of households, the other of employers.  I'm sure people in North Dakota know there are more jobs available and the economy is good.  Nevada and California are having problems putting people to work, but it is difficult in this real estate market to just sell your house and move to North Dakota. So the unemployment rate got down to 7.8% nationally.  Next month it might go up a bit or it might stat the same, or it might go down a bit.  We are living in the American economy that is part of the global economy and the condition of those economies, the housing market and lots of other things can affect the numbers. It was almost a certainty that the people in charge of conspiracies would scream about the drop in the unemployment rate....

Once again I feel the need to comment on something I saw on Morning Joe.  Scott Brown is quizzed about which Supreme Court Justice he likes and Elizabeth Warren is asked about who in the Senate she could work with. Scott Brown who seems moderate and is attempting to portray himself as a moderate says he like the most conservative of the Supreme Court Justices, Justice Scalia and then mentions about half of the rest of the court.  Maybe the first thing you say is what you really think.  Justice Scalia is not a moderate. Elizabeth Warren is asked if which Republicans she could work with if elected to office.  She mentions Richard Lugar, a moderate from Indiana that was defeated by a Tea Party Candidate in Indiana.  The  upshot being that she had no one to name and said it would depend on the issue. Politics these days means getting elected and has little to do with legislating. This is not sustainable.  We need politics that can legislate an...

Per Morning Joe, if we are spending our entire federal tax revenue on social security, medicare, medicaid and the interest on the debt and have to borrow the rest of the money to pay our bills for all other discretionary expenditures including defense, things need to change for the better really quickly. The United States of America can't wait and politicians of all stripes need to be prepared to do something beyond posturing, raising campaign funds and running for office.  The problems facing this country were created by bi-partisan neglect and bi-partisan policy failures over a long period of time.  Tax reform and modification of entitlement programs and more strictly means testing eligibility for expensive programs all need to be acted upon. We can't keep kicking the can down the road.

Two weeks in a row the Hurricanes have pulled one out.  This week's victim was North Carolina State.  The game was back and forth but this week there was no need for overtime.  Morris to Dorsett was the key.  Morris's Numbers were out of this world.  He set an ACC record with 566 passing yards and five TDs.  Dorsett was the reciever for a 62 yard completion with 19 seconds remaining. As a long time Canes fan the last two games have been remarkably like the Canes of old.  Even if they got behind in a game I always felt there was a good chance that they would come back and win. I know that North Carolina State is not FSU.  A win is a win and a heart stopping victory that is entertaining beyond belief should make the fans come back with a vengeance.  Although the team is young they are learning fast and have some composure that has been lacking. And what can I say about the West Virginia University Mountaineers.  This team i...

There are a few different points of view regarding the lockout of the NFL referees.  The owners think "their" game is bulletproof.  Maybe it is to most, but to some there are issues that make this lockout troublesome. In the catechism of sports the refs or umpires are best if they are not involved in the outcome of the game.  I thought that was what replays were all about.  Get the call right rather than having the judgement of the referees affect the outcome of the game. The MNF game showing one ref signaling touchdown and the other one indicating incomplete pass will go down as an iconic moment in NFL history.  The Seahawks victorious and the Packers crushed. A pass caught by two players at the same time goes to the offense according to the rules, I think it's possible that the locked out officials might have a similar call. I think it is ironic that the governor of Wisconsin called for an end to lockout and an end to replacement refs.  This is ...

Political correctness does matter in you are a candidate for the presidency.  This is a given and there probably should be rules that are agreed upon so that how much money you make and how much in taxes you pay does not become a political issue. There are more than enough rich people serving in high political office but that should not ban them  from from serving in office.  They more than anyone else should probably be restricted using their wealth to buy political office or more influence than is healthy. Reasonable people would probably agree with me.  Others might have issues with limitations on what is ultimately political speech.  Wealth and political speech are not the same.  The Supreme Court and the tax code not withstanding may have decided that wealth and political speech are the same but many others know different.  Current office holders complain about how much time they need to spend raising money to run for office.  These sam...

I'm definitely not part of the one percent but I am getting much closer to being part of the newest group in this country.  Next year I will be old enough to start receiving social security benefits.  I'll be 62 years old.  God willing and if the river don't rise too much I will continue to work at a job that doesn't pay much but $300-$400 a month will pay the cable bill and the electric bill and maybe for a stop at the gas station.  At least I won't need to use my savings as quickly as I might by continuing to work.  If possible I think I will wait a while to receive social security benefits.  My friends think I should take the money and run.  I have some time to think about that question, and while mostly retired I like the idea of working so I don't have to worry about retiring completely. I've worked in the public sector a long time and saw many people without jobs through no fault of their own.  I've worked with welfare mothers wh...

The weather seems a little cooler, but afternoon showers and rainy mornings have not left yet.  Mike Renieri used to comment on skunk smell on the Palmetto Expressway as being a tell that cooler weather is not far away.  I notice the days being shorter and it takes longer for it to get hot.  90 degrees by noon, but that is an improvement over August mornings when it seems to be hot 24/7. And gracefully this year there has been only only one hurricane drill for Issac.  Wet, wet, wet.

I wish the horse race for the presidency would be over.  I'm not an undecided voter.  Things are not hunky dory but they are getting better job wise for some and I'm not waking up in the middle off the night to see which brokerage house had gone out of business and who might be next.  Former President Clinton said it best when he said that neither he nor any of the predecesors could have done better than President Obama given the situation he faced.

This is not going to make me any liberal friends.  Chicago teachers should go back to work, now and they should have not even taken even a symbolic day off.  The symbolism of teachers on strike takes away much of the sympathy people have for teachers. Things are already difficult.  Public employees are under attack everywhere and striking in the face of the difficulties makes them about as popular as some of the rich folks they want to pay for stuff.  Unfortunately rich folks can send their kids to private schools and this further weakens public sympathy for a hard working, educated, and necessary group of folks. I'm not Sam Gompers, but this kind of behavior is similar to the behavior of congress where it is always my way or the highway.  Parents and the kids who need public schools are not well served by teacher's unions and the leadership of these groups need to understand this. Incidentally, the teacher's union leadership in South Florida, has been a...

I'm not a parliamentary expert but this is clear we need to establish a methodology where the majority can govern and a minority of one senator is unable to sabotage the currant process.  Holds by senators can mess up filling appointed positions.  In practice sixty votes are needed to move anything through the Congress.  A majority used to be 50% plus one.  This is discouraging and obstructionism is fostered. This is no way to run a railroad and certainly not the way to govern the United States of America. A parliamentary system would establish a governing majority.  Those opposed can still bitch and complain but they don't have a veto over doing the country's business.  There can still be regular elections but the running for office stops and the business of actually working on lawmaking and handling stuff can actually take place. In the U.S. we seem to be getting the worst of both worlds.  Campaigns never end, elected officials are a...

The Democrats Convention started last night.  This will be the last convention I watch.  By the end of the evening I'd think I've seen enough.  It might fire up the base and for once I think the Dems should get some votes from people who serve in the military.  This is a long time coming for the party of McGovern, who served in the military.  This country has some difficult issues to deal with and we need more than laundry lists of things. 

Many people receive food assistance from the government.  Some receive cash assistance as well.  I'm positive most people would like to have a job and regular income so that they can pay rent, go to the grocery store, buy gas or pay for a trip on the bus. Even people with jobs and regular incomes feel the pressure these days.  People with extraordinary incomes and capital behind them can cut back without really cutting back on much.  Maybe they just don't grow their assets as much as they used to.  Maybe that's because deferring gratification is easier if you are not on the margin.  At the end of the month or the week, the rent needs to be paid, the light bill, bus fare, and maybe quarters for laundry.  This means different things at different rungs on the economic ladder.  As with most things we have selective memories, but if you have a family and need to scramble for a place to stay, food to eat, and a way to pay for it all, things can ge...

This is a good day to reflect on the value of labor.  It's true that hard work never killed anybody as my Mom used to say, but hard work can be difficult.  We take for granted many of the modern conveniences we have these days and it makes national news when they are interrupted. Flip a switch and the lights come on.  Almost always, they come on and when they don't we are almost crazy after a few hours without electricity.  When will the crews be here to restore power?  We are all dependent on the crews that do this work.  The people that do this work are skilled, but they work in the hot sun, or other conditions like ice storms and we take their labor for granted almost always.  Very few people grow their own food.  Let's skip back a few hundred years and almost everyone had to grow what they ate.  If they were lucky, they had something to sell after the harvest or the picking season.  This too is hard work. Yes capital is necessa...

A "Lost Weekend" Florida style usually includes something in the tropics.  This weekend was no exception.  After  Andrew anything to the south and east of Miami during the hurricane season gets my attention.  Watching doppler radar, mixed with info from weather folks kills more time than a USA Marathon.  I believe the forecasts although I'm sure they should.  Then after the fact people complain because it is almost never as bad as they say it might be.  In Miami Issac barely caused the lights to flicker.  I hope New Orleans is just as lucky, but storms in the Gulf are serious business. Second news item was the death of Neil Armstrong.  I admire the guy for being what he was and not too affected as he might have been being the first man on the moon.  Good luck Mr. Gorsky!

I guess Condi Rice is happy to be one of at least two new members of Augusta National Country Club.  This is a first for women and I guess this is vacine against further criticism regarding being an exclusive enclave.  The idea that a club of this status could have maintained this exclusion of women for so long based on the fact that it "private" makes me wonder.  There are good rules for not discriminating against people on the basis of race, religion, ethnic background, sexual orientation amongst others. This is a step forward.  Not exactly a Neil Armstrong step, but good step just the same based on other headlines of the day.

The house has a different rhythm this day.  It's early.  No more sleeping in until Saturday.  Morning Joe and some coffee.  Sports this weekend were quiet.  The Marlins split with the Rockies and the Dolphins keep experimenting.  The Dog Track was unkind but the food at the food truck was good and the City of Miami has started a car to go plan.  It's an interesting concept for people who might need a car once and a while but not the expense of owning a car.  Similar to renting a car but hopefully less paperwork and you can rent it for as little as an hour or even less.  No check in but you need a smart phone app to see where the nearest car is and the car you will be driving is one of those small small cars which might be daunting for the SUV crowd.

Ochocinco got fired.  The ultimate dynamics of whether it matters rests more on the shoulders of who ever plays quarterback rather than a wide receiver that has a multitude of issues.  Somethings are a matter of convinience rather than what they should be.  His marriage and this story makes the Kardashians look like something out of "Father Knows Best". The new coach made the decision on TV.  Lot's of watercooler material there, and regarding condoms, and storylines regarding his wife of one month.  Football is not a priority for that couple and that is ultimately what cost hime a job with the dolphins.

I've been watching Longmire, a new series on A&E.  I have a secret wish that someone would buy me a cowboy hat like the one Walt wears on the show.  Maybe I wouldn't be able to wear it until fall, but it seems like the story except for the murder and a couple of details could have been lifted from the Miami Herald and their story about some corruption   about our local tribe, the Miccosukkee.  Profits from the tribal casino and corruption in the tribe might be a common story.  What would Chief Seattle think. On a related front I have conspicuously been missing the Olympics and the sporting events.  I used to keep score on how many medals the USA had won.  The medal ceremonies were interesting because I liked to hear the anthems of the various countries.  But this year nothing seems to click.  The opening ceremonies were quirky like the British but not worth the effort.  This is in spite of reports that Americans are watch...

Sunday evening I had the opportunity to visit the Miami Airport.  I must admit it has been a long time since I have traveled by plane.  I don't travel much, mostly by choice.  When you live in Miami you are close to a lot of things but also a long way from Georgia. The Airport has some new connections.  Public rail transportation has arrived and it should change many things about the airport. It should be easier to find a parking space if you drive, and for many not having to drive at all will be a big positive. You can park at a metrorail station for a fraction of what it costs to park at the airport and hop on a train to go almost anywhere in the world.  Wow and it only took thirty years for this to happen. Miami is an international city and if you don't believe it just watch the constants streams of people coming and going from the international parts of the airport.  It is quite a sight seeing so many people from so many places. I was impre...

The Miami Marlins are at it again.  In the sports vernacular they are sellers rather than buyers.  It's pretty clear they are not going anywhere and short of a few miracles the team will not be in the playoffs.  The skinny is that Giancarlo Stanton is the only untouchable.  Hanley Ramirez learned the hard way that the Marlins have little patience.  The sad fact is that a new stadium does not success guarantee.  In fact the owners work harder on getting the stadium and had more patience with that process than they have shown with the team. The pitching has been inconsistent, and the day to day players have not been able to hit at anything near their long term averages.  These are a couple of reasons why people are not lining up to buy those prime seats behind home plate.  The Marlins are not the Miami Heat.  Jeffery Loria is not Mickey Arison and David Sampson is not Pat Riley. The fact is that in the face of some questionable decisions ...

The Florida governor said this about the latest health care reform bill.  It over promises, under performs, and in the end costs a lot of money.  This could be said about almost any government program.  Popular programs, safety net programs, and even programs that are necessary have issues that make them less than completely effective and cheap. Cheap is an operative word.  Cheap and effective is a good goal, but that has been driven to why bother.  Clean water, clean air, affordable health care, inexpensive food, public transportation that can compete with automobiles and housing that is affordable all makes the country we live in a better place to be. Something seems to have fallen off the tracks.  The electioneering never seems to stop, the amount of money raised for campaigns is out of proportion to the influence that money should have on elections and people we elect to public office either buy their way into office or spend too much time r...

Many people are upset about issues of relativity.  Maybe you make more money than I do.  Maybe we do different things to account for the difference.  Maybe we do the same thing at different places for different people. It costs more to live in New York City than it does to live almost anywhere else. Yesterday at church the minister commented on inhumane conditions in jails in Maricopa County in Arizona.  I think the conditions for such prisoners could be made better and there is on going litigation regarding the people serving time or waiting for trials at these facilities. Do people agree on minimum standards across cultures, borders, continents or even within states?  This is a difficult question.  There are many standards and then there is the concept of freedom from standards.  Free riders, moral hazards and even discipline colors the thoughts we have about these issues as we live life. A fair days work for a fair days pay makes sense un...

I've watched a few Marlin games of late and have been encouraged by the fact that they have been hitting the ball.  Last nights game was a disappointment because the fielding was lousey.  Zambrano was his own worst enemy and Ozzie really can't do much about bad throws to first. Tiger won the last PGA event on a course that fits his game.  I don't know if it is very important if he wins anoother major tournament.  He is the best player in the game and the crowds that follow him are enough to rattle almost anyone that plays with him. Dwight Howard the second or third best player in NBA wants to play somewhere else.  The Howard behavior is an unfortunate side effect of the NBA star system that too many players have bought into.  This is bad for the player and the teams involved.

The Miami Heat played one of their best games of the playoffs last night and closed out the championship run of the OKC Thunder.  The defense was good and the Heat's shooting was beyond belief, balanced, and timely.  The Thunder got as close as five down but two quick three point buckets by the Heat made the spread eleven and really demoralized a good young team that is going to be around for a while if they don't lose players to free agency. Lebron James played a great game and had a triple double of points, rebounds, and assists.  This doesn't happen very often in the playoffs and that it happened with six players in double digits scoring is pretty amazing.  You could say positive things about everybody and the starters got their due and the bench got some time that will be reflected in the permanent record of the box score. I think Dwayne Wade will be happy playing on a team that will be lead by Lebron James for the next few seasons.  I thi...

I'm pleased with the actions that the Obama Administration took suspending deportation activities for  undocumented youth between the ages of 16-30 if they have been good citizens and are in school or serving in the military.  I'm happy that they can apply for work authorization which is not free.  This is just making obvious what they have been doing for a long time.  They would like to spend their time deporting convicted criminals which might have a positive impact on public safety. Others will dismiss the action as a bald faced political act.  Most things the government does has a political component along with other consequences, some intended and others not intended.  I believe that the government does a reasonable job of keeping the non citizens from voting and this administrative decision does nothing to launch a new path to citizenship and is not amnesty.  I don't think it is a game changer electorally either. Until otherwise demonstr...

The Miami Heat have my full attention these days.  Ever since Lebron announced that he was coming to South Beach I've had a renewed interest in NBA basketball Miami style.  The expectations for this team are over the top and actually even I think nothing less than another world championship will be enough.  (In just about any other sport reaching the playoffs would satisfy me and make the season a success.) Along with high expectations comes a level of scrutany that has made the team the subject seem like a soap opera where each players foibles are reviewed and the result is too much information.  I really don't care about the player's parents, their love life, divorces, girl friends.  I just want the team to win.  I don't gamble on basketball but I do follow the injury reports as a measure of understanding the way the team is playing.  The Miami Heat however could probably use a psychiatrist along with their coaching staff.  Like it or not I'...

Union Rags won the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.  He had been my choice for the Kentucky Derby but had some bad racing luck and never got into the race.  Sadly he never had another chance to meet I'll Have Another.  This tarnished his victory a little bit.  Skipping the Preakness also tarnishes his victory a bit but that seems to be the way in the Triple Crown races these days.  Good horses that don't win the Derby are given some time off and then sent out to beat whoever won the Derby and or the Preakness. Michael Matz has a good horse and I hope he runs at Saratoga and is able to run in the Breeders Cup races this fall.  He felt that I'll Have Another might have over trained for the Belmont leading to the injury that cut his career short.  Horses aren't motorcycles and maybe he did over train but I feel his connections did the right thing by scratching him rather than risking further injury or a really bad race. Given the amount of money invol...

There are many contradictions in the political world.  Contradictions are not limited to partisan issues either.  Winning seems to be all important and yet the very act of making winning the most important thing makes compromise on public issues much more difficult than it needs to be. I am amused by the political class complaining about the lack of certainty.  The Congress keeps kicking the can down the road.  The new health care bill does not really come into effect until after the November elections.  And even that is a maybe situation because the Supreme Court has decided it will decide constitutionality issues soon.   The Debt ceiling comes up as an issue after the elections without a plan to deal with that has much support in Congress.  Meanwhile the economy is not doing very well.  There are plans for government to do more things to support the economy but they cost money.  Money we don't have presently, but money ...

The University of Miami Medical School is cutting back some staff and salaries.  Given that the economy in Miami is still in the slow zone and that the UM has some issues regarding its expansion and the financial problems at JMH this is not surprising.  Charles Dunn MD and graduate of the University of Miami Medical School a long time ago applauded the cuts in administrators salaries in a letter to the Miami Herald.  A few administrators making $800,000 were cut back to $400,000.  I think the UM Medical School and its faculty have made a great contribution to the Miami community but given the situation where money for medical research is in short supply, cut backs are going to happen and care for patients should be the highest priority. The overall situation is that this is what happens when government spending slows.  One of the lagging sectors in Florida's economy is in the governmental sector and that sector is approximately 20% of the employed in Sou...

There have been articles about the problems newspapers are having.  Miami's major metropolitan daily paper today is a prime example.  Section A has the "news and editorials" and 16 full page advertisements in a section of 26 pages.  Thank the dear lord for the sports section.  I'm not sure if the reader or advertiser is getting their money's worth.  Not much to read and unless you are in the market for a car or furniture even the advertising is a waste.

It was a game the Miami Heat really needed.  It was possibly one of the biggest games for the three stars that have dominated the Miami sports scene for the last two years. Could the team rally after the worst game in Dwayne Wade's career and his spat with the coach on the sideline? Would the teams big men be able to replace Chris Bosh in a meaningful way or would the Pacers just jam it down the Heat's throat? Would Lebron James be able to lift the team and carry them like the Miami fans expect him to do every game? The answer was yes to all three questions.  Wade must have gotten a good nights sleep because he played a great second half just like the old days. Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller, and Joel Anthony made key shots, blocks, and free throws to stop the Pacers every time they looked like they might be able to get a run put together. James did carry the team in the first half and kept the Pacers from getting too big a lead and made it possible for the rest of the...

There was an a news item about data mining and algorithms on NPR recently.  I know this stuff happens.  Advertisements about cars show up on facebook after you have been to a car site or look up the price of a used car. What if you listen to a music video a few times.  Is it just a coincidence that the movie related to the music video would show up on a cable movie channel?  Am I that big an opinion maker for the Internet? Diane Lane was the human star of "Secretariat".  I've watched the movie many times since it has hit cable TV.  Sort of like "Easy Rider" in the 1970's.  Then I remember a much younger Diane Lane in a very forgettable except for the music movie "Streets of Fire".  I watched the music videos from the movie a couple of times and mysteriously a few weeks later the movie shows up on a cable movie channel. I think this is pretty weird, but there is something about big numbers.  If I'm doing it probably a lot of other p...

I'll Have Another One won the Preakness and the speculation regarding the Belmont has started.  The connections need to be applauded on their efforts so far.  It's clear they had the best horse in the first two races of the Triple Crown. Winning the Belmont is in reach with a little help from the rest of the industry.  Tell the owners of Union Rags and other fresh horses to stay home.  Fill the field with seven furlong sprinters that have not run a mile, let alone a mile and a half.  The lure of black type is too strong and the winner's share of the pool will tempt owners from all over the world.  More than a few years ago there were bonuses if you ran your horse in all three Triple Crown races.  These days the horses are worth so much and are somewhat more fragile that unless you win the Derby the prudent thing seems to be to save your horse for a later day be it Saratoga and then the Breeder's Cup in November. I'm hoping the in...

Friday mornings I stop at a West Miami Dade Mc Donalds for a sausage burrito and a small diet coke.  The price of $2.14 is reasonable and a change from toast and peanut butter at home.  I work in the neighborhood and the place always has something interesting going on. Today I saw a single Miami Dade Fire Fighter.  Usually they travel in packs when they go buy groceries or are having a meal.  Usually they have travel in a big fire truck and the reason for that is related to response time.  The fire fighter was having oatmeal and coffee.  When I left McDs to go back to work I noticed his vehicle. Venom Response Unit was painted on the side of a county SUV.  This guy specializes in snake bites.  My MPA brain went into overdrive.  I imagine that there are a lot of rescue guys with training about how to deal with snake bites.  This is South Florida and you never know for sure what might be living under your house or near your house in ...

This is a quote from Abraham Lincoln.  I never served in the military.  My draft number was high enough that I did not serve in Viet Nam.  I'm thankful for that and I am thankful for all those that have served this country's military. Not everyone can or should serve in the military. However, I think there is a place for some sort of universal service . Working in health care, the environment, or a local community organization can benefit both the public and the worker.  This would also be a way to take advantage of younger workers that might not be able to find a job and give them some badly needed work experience to make them more competitive in the dysfunctional labor market we are experiencing now.  Working off student loans is a win win situation for college students and parts of the public sector that may need some help. Veterans of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have served this country well and we need to remember their service and fi...

Matt Kuchar wins the Players 2012.  This tournament is a Major.  I'm sure the field is better than the Masters.  Unfortunately, Jacksonville is not Augusta but the course is interesting and it has its signature holes  I like the par three 17th.  Island greens work in Florida.  Other greens have some interesting turns and twists and it always help to stay in the fairway.  Matt Kuchar is an admirable champion.  He has played a long time, since 1998 and this was his biggest victory on the tour and he is moving up the rankings.  275 and 13 under par and a three year exemption to the Masters and the Open and an exemption until 2017 on the rest of the tour. Kevin Na, the current Rick Ankiel of golf faded.  Waggle issues aside, this is just another golf headcase and something probably every professional golfer has had to deal with in some form at some time during their career. The coverage of golf being what it is these days gives too muc...

Voting addresses can be very important.  Senator Lugar sells his Indiana house in 1977 but still used it for voting purposes.  He owns a farm in state but never changed addresses.  He lives in or near Washington D.C.  Why this issue was not resolved a long time ago is a mystery to me.  Florida Representative Allen West lived in Debbie Wasserman Schultz district while representing West Miami Dade County.  Redistricting will probably push him to actually move to his new district should he actually run for election in November.  In Florida you are supposed to update your address when you move and vote in the correct precinct.  Early voting and absentee ballot voting make this a little more complicated but candidates don't really have much interest after they get your vote. Meanwhile they did some matching of records from the DMV(driver's licenses) and voting lists and there maybe some problems in Florida.  It's possible tha...

As a long time Unitarian Universalist this is not a really big issue at my denomination and has not been for a while.  I think most people would believe that people in loving committed relationships should be able to get married.  This has not always been the case in the history of man.  Things do get better.  The concept of family needs to expanded as well.  I'm glad President Obama has evolved on the issue enough to explain his support for this right.  Politically, I hope it doesn't hurt him too much, because sadly I think it might.  Jobs, health care, education, immigration policies, and good government are important to me as well.

Unless you have one in your own backyard or as part of your apartment or condominium there isn't one.  If you live in a house with a small lot there is probably not enough space to build one.  If you live in South Miami one of the biggest and best justifications for building a community swimming pool is to have a place to teach kids to swim.  Recreation on hot summer days, water exercise classes, a place for scuba diving lessons might also be reasonable uses for a pool. Learning how to swim in Florida is a safety issue.  Drownings are too common and the loss of some one's child because they can't swim and it was something that wasn't easily available to everybody.  This issue can also apply to adults.  The South Miami Commission voted to continue the process of designing/ building the pool 4-1.  There are still unresolved issues that might derail the Murray Pool related to grant funding and design issues. The Commission n...

One of the more recent developments in American politics is the "No Labels" idea.  There a few things people in the political class need to understand.  Congress has never had such low poll number and in my opinion there are three reasons for the ultimate contempt of the public for their elected representatives. The representatives play to the true believers in their parties.  Base Republicans believe government is bad, taxes are worse and unless you are a social conservative where women, minorities, gay rights, are at best marginally important.  Guns and the military and reactionary supreme court justices are also issues you can run on. Base Democrats never met a government program they did not like.  Government can solve all of our problems, let's throw some money at it.  The rich should pay all the taxes, the government should protect everybody, without guns or a military. Both Democrats and Republicans now have un...

Last Friday was the last show for In Plain Sight.  It took a little time to get going because of a writers strike the delayed the first season, but as with most things if you get hooked on a show, you realize once it's gone you are going to miss the show and the characters. I've been a fan of the USA Network and their character based shows.  Monk is still entertaining after all these years and by quirks of their schedules eventually you are able to catch up with missed episodes. The writers have worked hard trying to tie up all the loose ends.  Marshall gets promoted, Stan gets promoted.  Mary and her sister are reunited and there is finally some finality with the death of her father who comes in from the cold after a life on the lam. Personally, I thought the way Marshall and Mary resolved their personal issues was just OK.  This stuff never quite gets resolved once the issue is brought up.  However, I think that there have been more than a few ...

 I'm not at the Kentucky Derby.  This is probably a good thing.  I went to bed last night thinking of the contenders.  This year there are probably 15 horses you could make an argument for.  There are probably no horses you can say might not hit the board.  Five sentences and I've used the word probably three times.  I know where I was last night and I remember thinking about the race.  I'm not even sure if I will watch the race at home, in a sports bar, or at the local track and if I will make more than a token bet on the race. The numbers 4,5,6, and 15 will be featured in my wagers.  In any other race I would be called a chalk player with these horses but they will all fetch a good price.  I just think the speed horses will spit out the bit at the top of the turn and the closers will finish quite well. I doubt there will be a Triple Crown winner this year.  This is another easy prediction and I doubt I could get...

Marlins Park has opened and although it took almost a month I have been to my first game in person yesterday.   If I were the beat writer for the team it would have been hard to say many complimentary things about the game they played.   Sloppy baseball, errors a plenty, a poor outing for Mark Behurle, a ten hit game that was snuffed out by double plays, that was punctuated by home runs by the most unexpected players but it was baseball uninterrupted by rain in air conditioned comfort. Lots of schools must have given kids and more than a few teachers the afternoon off after almost two weeks of FCAT tests.   And by the look at the group of folks in the Clevelander   Pool Party in left field, an afternoon baseball game in Miami might be a hot venue for a power lunch by the swells in town or a place to entertain a client.   The fan cams were on fire and it looked like people were having fun but as in all things these days, a little discretion is advised. If...

The Heat played like it was the playoffs.  A laugher that allowed Labron to sit out the 4th quarter.  The Marlins need to start hitting or they may not make it out out the cellar.  The Dolphins draft another quarterback. The biggest change in South Florida is where the Dolphins stand in the sports hierarchy.  They may be third in fan interest until they are able to rebuild and get back on their winning ways.  Season ticket sales may not be set the world on fire this year. Championships or not both the Heat and the Marlins have generated some buzz and the sports dollars in South Florida are in short supply.  Sports talk radio down here isn't very excited about what the Dolphins have done for the last few years.  Stephen Ross is not Joe Robbie and as much as the locals disliked Wayne H., he still seems to be feeling his way around owning what should be a proud franchise.  If things keep going the way they have been Jacksonville and Tampa Bay wil...

This was an almost normal day.   Per usual I woke up at about 3:00 am and stumbled to the bathroom.   At this time in the morning the AM radio is filled with sports or crazy people who think they have been visited by aliens.   It takes a while to fall asleep again, not just this morning but just about every morning and on reflection I miss Larry King.   6:00am is the next wake up call.   Teeth brushed, hair combed, coffee started, and then oh crap my back hurts as I try to pick up the morning paper.   I try to catch a few moments of Morning   Joe before Patty wakes up and changes the channel to Despierta   America. Cuban toast has little or no nutritional value but I like it in the morning with spread and peanut butter. By 7:15am Lisvey and Patty are ready for the morning ride to school.   GW Carver in the Grove isn’t my school of choice and there is a bus but the place seems   to fit Lisvey and she has some friends and does most...