Sunday Morning Coming Down

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...