Sunday Morning Coming Down

The Governor of Indiana isn't Lester Maddox and Indiana isn't 1960's Georgia, or at least that is what we would like to believe about them and about ourselves. Lester Maddox of autographing pick ax handles fame after chasing out three black patrons from his restaurant did so to protect the rights of private property and his personal beliefs. I read this in an article by John Avlon for the Daily Beast. Lester denied his actions had anything to do with race, and somewhere along the line, intolerance goes on the down low and the argument is re framed as an attack on personal property and government taking away liberties. As I remember those arguments, Faulkner's comment about the past never being dead or even past. seem to apply.  Liberty versus the tyranny of a despotic government. This controversy about religious freedom in Indiana is just more of the same, the targets for intolerance may be different, instead of property rights, religious freedom can be substi...

I have been a Cubs fan for a long time.  And this year it looks like the Cubs are going to be a fun team to watch.  A new manager, good young players, and John Lester.  I'm still waiting for the Cubs to make it to the playoffs.  This year it looks possible and it actually might happen. From Yahoo Sports I read the following regarding Kris Bryant. Baseball’s service-time rules dictate this conversation. They are stupid, worthy of the finest minds in the sport getting together before the next collective-bargaining agreement and figuring out how to allow teams to break camp with their finest 25 players and without being penalized for it. They are the rules, though, and they are rather simple: While there are 183 days in a baseball season, a player accumulates one year of service time with 172 days on the major league roster. A player with six full seasons in the big leagues earns free agency. Thus, by waiting just 12 days to promote Bryant, the Cubs will delay his ...

This was the headline of a recent story on NPR.  Amazingly I heard it shortly after having my doctor prescribed statins for me.  My "blood work" has been within normal ranges but I have a history of high blood pressure and so the risk/reward ratio says I should take this drug along with several others to reduce my chances of having a heart attack in the next ten years. Going to the race track is a gambling proposition.  The Doc says I have a less than 10% chance of having a heart attack or stroke given my current profile.  The statin should lower the percentage to 5%.  1-9 versus 1-19 both seem like betting on a favorite.  Personally, there are lots of other risk factors at the race track and in life.  More of something isn't always better and these days maybe more sleep and vegetables would also have a positive effect on my longevity. "Don't fall off Ronnie" is what Lucien Lauren was reported to have said as Secretariat won the Belmont in 197...

A high school neighbor posted an article in Facebook about the benefits of playing Bridge.  I guess the benefits of playing the card games is the mental exercise that is provided.  On the other hand sitting a table for a Bridge marathon might not be as good as taking a brisk walk.  The article was in the AARP Magazine and highlighted that Bill Gates and Warren Buffet as brainy Bridge players. My father played Bridge and was probably a binge player.  When his group got together the game lasted well into the next morning and usually included adult beverages.  There were never short Bridge games. The comments on Facebook applauded the benefits of the game and the need to attract new players and brought out derisive comments about the AARP which may well be a really good marketing tool for folks wanting a vehicle to sell stuff to those of us that have retired. I know Alan Simpson called them an insurance company in disguise. I enjoy playing cards.  I enjo...

Aaron Schock should go to jail for asking for mileage reimbursement for 170,000 miles on his personal automobile.  The odometer had only 80,000 miles on it when he sold it.  This isn't partisan. This is financial fraud.  This isn't an innocent mistake, although I'm sure somebody will try to explain it away.  This kind of chiseling sends all the wrong messages to everybody.

The rail, bus, and horizontal elevator known at Metromover exist in Miami and are supported by the fare box and money from the county that comes from sales tax and grants from Washington. One of the reasons that public transportation is "public" is that private transportation can be very expensive.  Taxis, Uber,  Lyft, and Zipcar are not cheap.  Parking your car costs money even if you don't pay for it.  The cost of capital to buy a car, insurance, gasoline, and maintenance and it doesn't take long chew up a pay check.  Building roads also cost money Driving isn't fun, commuting can get old in a hurry, and traffic from sun up to sundown and after dark does nothing to make driving attractive. Without a robust public transportation system and an alternative to driving, the problems of the car culture only multiply. For the last two months I've driven very little.  I walk more.  And in some ways I am transitioning to a place where public transit w...

Saturday was another day for the numerologists: 3.1415 is Pi to four places and at 9:26 am and 53 seconds it's to 9 places. I don't really care if this ever happens again. Sunday the teams in the NCAA Basketball Tournament were announced. The University of Miami isn't going to the big dance, but will have a home game in the NIT playing North Carolina Central at 7:00 pm Tuesday. Beating Duke at Cameron was a signature victory.  Losing to Eastern Kentucky at home was a bigger signature loss. If Miami wins the NIT is will be proof that they should have gotten an at large bid to the NCAA Tournament and as of Sunday Evening I think the Tournament should be expanded to 96 teams. I think I will back Kentucky, not because they symbolize the best in college sports, but because they have played well enough to go 40-0.  Whether they will is an open question?

In a more perfect world things would be different.  Is a flag lapel pin a fashion statement or a political prop?  I read with more than a little interest a commentary about a picture about a baby posing with his military father (in uniform) being held in an American Flag.  I was not shocked, this picture didn't drive me crazy, and given what goes for communication these days this is pretty tame stuff.  As a matter of flag etiquette, this doesn't follow the rules.  Some feel this doesn't treat the flag with respect, that is a matter of opinion.  Using the flag in art probably crosses the Rubicon for some, but making a federal case over it is something akin to folks feeling like they are justified in executing cartoonists, or feeling like burning certain books will solve anything. I personally feel that folks that fly a ratty, old flag that is tattered and worn would show more respect for the flag if they burned the old one respectfully and bought a new one...

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has warned its employees about using the term climate change and global warming in official documents.  The reason for doing this is probably partly political and for other more obscure reasons as unwritten policies are more easily denied. Just because the bureaucrats can't talk or write about it doesn't mean the bureaucrats and public won't be affected by climate change. A rise in sea level can make big changes in Florida's coast line and beach front. Tristram Korten of The Florida Center for Investigative Reporting should be saluted for following up on this troubling issue.  This is what oversight by the press is supposed to do.  Our elected officials would rather ignore or deny that there are issues in the Sunshine State that might need a little attention. If you live on Miami Beach or along A1A in Fort Lauderdale coastal flooding during certain high tide periods already exists.  Millions of dollars are be...

The AARP Magazine suggests that you should not use an AOL email address if you are looking for work because it will immediately send out the message that you are probably or becoming a senior citizen. Charitably, maybe you were just an early implementer and you had a different email address for work.  Can't hurt to use a different address for employment related stuff, but where does this kind of algorithm stop.  Your zip code says a lot about where you live.  Employers can use credit scores, educational background and lack of previous experience to disqualify you from even getting an interview.  This doesn't even include social media sites that were once new and now are only used by those over the age of forty to keep up with friends, family and communicate with others. What if your phone would qualify for being exceptional because you pay as you go.  About all that means to me is that the daily commute does not include staring at your phone and hanging out ...

Spike the racehorse finished last in the AQHA Maiden Challenge Stake, Tuesday at Hialeah Park.  My only thought after the race was: When are we ever going to get a clean break?  The horse got back to the barn with no issues and will go back to being the eating machine she seemed to be this season. The Tuesday Race Day was a make up day for the races that were cancelled on Saturday.  All said, I'm pretty sure changing the race day not had no impact on the results, but that is something to file away in the excuse drawer  We got thumped. Live racing ends, the horses move on to Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana, New Mexico, Louisiana or back to the farm or ranch.  The schedule of races for the next year isn't set in stone at Hialeah but short of the usual weather concerns quarter horse racing will come back to South Florida when it gets cold up North. A funny thing happened at the races on Monday, which was supposed to be closing day. A former trainer comes into the ...