Reflections on March Madness 2010

For the past 2 years, I have entered a bracket challenge contest hosted by CBS Sports. I find that it makes following the NCAA tournament a little more enjoyable. This year, over 40 people entered the group. Of these, only one other entry matters at all. It seems there is a disagreement on who the College Basketball Ninja of the family would be. After this year, there should be no doubt.

Last year I squeaked by my in-family competitor by one point. It was enough to claim the title for the entire year. This year, my competitor entered two bracket submissions to double his chance at winning. It did not work. I beat both handily and will retain the family title for at least another year.

The talent might be genetic since my youngest daughter Allison is tied with my competitor and may end up beating both of his brackets also. Allison knows very little about college basketball as she proved by picking Marquette in the Final Four.

As is typical for every tournament, this years has been entertaining. This year has also been more surprising than most. I have only seen one person select Butler in the final four. That person is the overall winner for our group's bracket challenge. Obviously KU's early departure surprised me and most others. I really thought they would hang around longer than Kentucky. Kentucky wins the award for most improved team. Last year they were an NIT also-ran. This year they regained powerhouse (near glory) status and made the Elite Eight. It remains to be seen whether they can become national title contenders on a consistent basis. Losing Demarcus Cousins and John Wall to the NBA will not help them.

I think the biggest surprise to me was the poor performance by the Big 12 conference. I really thought they had 4 Final Four caliber teams in KU, Baylor, Kansas State and Texas A&M. Yet, the Big 12 is not represented next weekend. Texas, and Texas A&M lost due to horrible late game coaching and not because their opponents were better. Kansas State could have won, but melted down in the last 4 minutes - an exact opposite performance from 2 nights before when they shone in regulation and 2 overtimes against Xavier.

KU will remain a mystery. It appeared their performance in the second round was similar to other close games during the season. They seem to think that they can turn it on when needed, so dominating a team was not necessary. They squandered an opportunity to get to the Final Four only facing a single top ranked team as the early favorites in their region bowed out early. Those opportunities only come around every once in a while.

There is always next year. KU will again be tough, but Kansas State may be tougher. The guard may be changing in the Big 12. Only one thing is certain - the family College Basketball Ninja. That would be me.

My Very First Job

I was 14 years old. An older friend was turning 16 and wanted to start applying for work at local businesses. He asked if I wanted his paper route. I did, and thus begun the most entrepreneurial employment of my life. I owned the local turf for delivery of the Kansas City Kansan newspaper. They printed issues every afternoon except Saturday, and also printed a Sunday morning edition. To get the job all I needed was a bicycle, motivation, and $15 to buy the paper bag, coin changer and subscription book.

It really was an entrepreneurial job. I owned the customers. I bought the newspapers, rubber bands and plastic bags. I collected the subscription fees door to door. My income was whatever was left over from collected fees after expenses. I think I netted about $15 per month. If I wanted to increase my income, I found new customers to subscribe to the paper. There was very little interaction from the newspaper. I would tell them how many copies of the paper I needed, and they would drop them at the end of my driveway. I would roll them, and either band or bag them depending on the weather, and then set out on my route to deliver to each customer. I delivered the paper from my bicycle each week day after school. My father drove me on Sunday mornings so that I could finish in time for church. Once a month I would visit each house and collect the monthly subscription fee. Some of my customers would pay several months ahead. I liked that. Others were deadbeats.

One in particular was a family that eventually gained a level of notoriety. Their last names were Chiaverini. Their son Tony, became a middle weight contending boxer. He fought for the title at least once, but that was after I delivered papers to his family. All I knew about them then was that they repeatedly stiffed me on the subscription fee. I always wondered why anyone would not pay a kid for the newspapers they read. Every month I would knock on their door to collect the subscription fee, and they would never answer. I think I carried them for nearly a year. Subscription fee for the KC Kansan was $1.50 a month so they were into me for over $15 - a entire months profit.

Then one day I knocked on their door, and the father answered. I told him what I was collecting for and the total he owed. To my surprise, he didn't even blink. He pulled out two $20 bills and told me the excess was to pay ahead. Wow! I had $40. I don't think I had ever held that much before. I was rich!

Occasionally, the KC Kansan would incent their carriers to increase subscriptions. They would offer increasingly valuable gifts for hitting certain levels of new subscribers. It was up to me to figure out how to sign them up. I would usually badger family acquaintances first. If that did not get me up to the level of gift I wanted, I would then ask current customers if they knew anyone who might like to subscribe. However I went about it, I always found myself one subscription short of the gift I coveted.

I remember one instance when I was reaching for that last new customer that would result in the gift of my dreams. I approached a family I vaguely knew from church and went through my sales spiel. They said no, they were not interested. I pressed harder. They said no again. My voice broke and a tear ran down my cheek. They said yes. I got my transistor radio. I haven't used that tactic since, but it is still in my repertoire.

Gone are the days of paper boys. I am not sure it would be safe in today's environment. The days of home delivered newspapers are also going away. Soon, print media will only be available on the Internet. But when I was a kid, it was not a bad gig. And it taught me much about business.

I Like to Watch - Breaking Bad

Terri and I did not need an addiction to another TV series. We currently follow around a dozen series. Nearly all are watched via DVR on our own time so we can zip through the commercials that make up 25%-33% of the run time. But last weekend, we started watching Breaking Bad on AMC. Sunday night we watched 6-7 season 2 episodes in preparation for the season 3 premiere later that evening. I remember when AMC only aired old movies, but they are now on par with TNT in presenting original dramas that are highly regarded Emmy award winners. Both Breaking Bad and Mad Men earn more than a fair share of awards and are well worth the time commitment.

Series description from the web site: Breaking Bad follows protagonist Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a chemistry teacher who lives in New Mexico with his wife (Anna Gunn) and teenage son (RJ Mitte) who has cerebral palsy. White is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of two years left to live. With a new sense of fearlessness based on his medical prognosis, and a desire to secure his family's financial security, White chooses to enter a dangerous world of drugs and crime and ascends to power in this world. The series explores how a fatal diagnosis such as White's releases a typical man from the daily concerns and constraints of normal society and follows his transformation from mild family man to a kingpin of the drug trade.

My thoughts: The acting is utterly superb, and the entire story line is knitted expertly together. Current episodes provide riddles, clues or glimpses of what future episodes will reveal. One recent plot twist occurred when Walter White learns that his cancer is in remission. He then must decide whether to continue the criminal life he only entered to provide his family with financial security after he was gone. He attempts to walk away, but is then offered $3 million for the next 3 months of his time supporting a business partner in crime. What would you do?

Season 2 ended with Walt entering his accomplice's apartment and finding he and his girlfriend in a state of near heroin overdose. The girl had earlier black mailed Walter to handover her boyfriend's cut of the drug money. Walter was holding his partner's share knowing they would binge on heroin if he handed it over, but reluctantly he agreed to hand over the money to maintain his cover. As he watched, she began to aspirate on her own vomit. Will he turn her so that she can breathe? Or do nothing and watch his black mailer die? These are the types of moral and ethical dilemmas explored by the series plot line, and the reason that Breaking Bad is a thought provoking TV series with few rivals.

Stupid Letter of the Week

With the passage of the health care bill earlier this week, the selection of stupid letters has never been greater. However, for this week I selected one that follows up on a recent posting concerning the leadership of Dr. John Covington, President of the Kansas City Missouri School Board.

School closings’ many faces

The president of the Kansas City school board laments that the school closings approved by the board are "not something for celebration." On the contrary, this is one more success for the conservative movement. Its philosophy has been dictated by stated intentions to "starve government," a wider program they have successfully accomplished by massive tax cuts.

When conservatives cry for us now, they are not living in the same world in which they systematically promoted the idea that taxes are "stealing," social programs are to be underfunded and then declared failures, and corporations and their lobbyists are given license to pig out at the public trough. The free market is worshipped with all the deregulations that have ruined us all.

Conservatives should be celebrating the consequences of their unchanging program, as some undoubtedly are doing privately.

Don Hedrick
Manhattan, Kan.

Does Don really think that conservatism shrunk the enrollment in the KCMO public schools by 50%? Could he really believe that raising taxes to maintain half full buildings is a better option? I think that Don is not paying attention and just looking for an opportunity to snipe at conservatives. His note contains no logical thought. I am picturing a raving lunatic that has little connection with reality when he skips his medication. He probably has difficulty balancing his own checkbook and believes when the checking account is empty, a conservative boss is at fault for not giving him a raise.

Do probably has a hard time making difficult decisions in his own life, and chooses to blame his problems on those who do show leadership by making tough decisions. Don is an airhead.

Painting Broadly

Since passing the Health Care bill that most Americans did not want, supporters have begun a tactic intended to discredit the conservative, republican and tea party members who have the gall to protest. They are broadly painting all of us as radically militant in our opposition. You may have noticed what is now reported in the mainstream media.

First, house members Emanuel Cleaver (the reverend) and John Lewis claim that anti-Health Care bill protesters shouted racial epitaphs their direction immediately following the vote. None of the alleged audio was captured on tape. Did it happen? Maybe. Both sides have radical fringes that make unfortunate statements and occasionally act irresponsibly. It is really a brilliant tactic. Nobody can prove the words were not spoken, just as nobody can prove they were. By claiming to a willing subservient press the words were actually shouted, they effectively paint all opposition as racist hate mongers. That means you and I are being painted with the same brush.

Seeing the press pick up the story, bill supporters are now releasing voicemail recordings of unidentified individuals making threats to certain representatives who were instrumental in passing the bill. Again, this is a brilliant tactic. The press dutifully reports the releases as news, painting conservatives as horrible people. But no one knows who is leaving the voicemails. They could be folks who oppose the bill, or they could be supporters of the bill whose actions are now blamed on the opposition. There is really no way to prove who is doing it, yet the press reports it as if it is factual news. Sad. This country is more divided than ever. I thought Obama was supposed to be the post-partisan healer?

Hope and Change We All Agree On

I am hoping for a change very soon. The weather this winter has been as brutal as I can ever remember. In Kansas City, we set monthly record low for average monthly temperature, and most days with at least 1" of snow. Snow totals for the year have not been seen since the early 1960's. Until earlier this week, we had not seen a 70 degree day since early November. Last Friday night and Saturday we received almost 10 inches of new snow. I AM READY FOR CHANGE! I HOPE IT COMES SOON! Do you sense a little cabin fever?

And if the local forecasters are correct, that change is on its way. Last Tuesday we reached 70 degrees in the afternoon. I briefly stood in a protected area at the campus, surrounded by piles of snow letting the sun warm my face. It was surreal but very enjoyable after what we have endured this winter. By Wednesday, the warmth had retreated, but more is expected next week. There are signs that our temperatures may hit 80 by mid-week. We just need to make it through the weekend. By the way, the forecast for Sunday is more cold with a slight chance of snow.

Elections Have Consequence

The most impactful change of the Obama administration is now law. Our elected representatives were successful in passing a bad law that most Americans did not want. A purely partisan law negotiated in secret, loaded with new spending, and including special deals used to buy votes. The President signed the bill yesterday.

The most maddening aspect of the process is that the House of Representatives passed what they acknowledged to be a poor bill on the hope they would be able to fix it later. It is analogous to playing Russian roulette, saying there may not be a bullet in the chamber, and if there is we will fix it later.

But today, we have a new health care law in effect that includes warts, such as new taxes and the Corn Husker kickback. We are to have faith that our Congress, the same one who wrote and passed the current flawed bill will soon pass a bill that will fix it. I don't believe it will be that easy.

What is needed is a bill that repeals the current bill. Since that would also need the President's signature, a repeal bill has no chance for at least 3 years. Elections have consequence. The Obama groupies that propelled him into office are mostly oblivious to the hope and change they have brought on our nation. We can only hope they catch on soon and help us make the 2010 and 2012 elections have consequence also.

1-2 Punch to the Gut

This is how I describe last weekend. For punch #1, my beloved Jayhawks take a dive on another mid-major league team, the University of Northern Iowa. At least I can laugh about it. This loss in the second round ranks right up there with prior NCAA tourney losses to Bucknell, Rhode Island, and Bradley. Bill Self has now coached the Hawks in 4 NCAA tourneys. He won one championship and lost prior to the Sweet 16 in 3 others. ESPN reported that 97% of the brackets filled in on their web site had KU going to the Sweet 16 if not farther. But a deserving UNI team played giant killers by downing the Jayhawks in a game not even as close as the final score. I is hard for me to write this, but KU was thoroughly dominated, and only scratched back to striking distance in the final minute.

Punch #2 came late Sunday when the national health care bill was passed by the House. The bill will give those who are currently uninsured the choice of paying a small fine to remain uninsured right up until they need insurance. It breaks the health care insurance industry. Within 5 years, all health insurance will be written by the federal government. I am so disappointed that public outrage with the bill was not listened to by the elected representatives.

Hopefully, there is no punch #3 coming. Could losses by UK, KSU or Crystal Bowersox be the third blow?

We Have a Problem

It started when I began to find empty bottles everywhere around the house. A couple of empty's in the bathroom wastebasket, another one sitting on the living room end table. I didn't think too much about it. Then I started to notice that instead of purchasing one case at a time we were purchasing two or three. A row of full bottles now occupy our kitchen counter top. And more empties everywhere I look. A couple in the car. A couple more on the bathroom vanity. She isn't even trying to hide it anymore. I have come to terms with the fact that my wife has a drinking problem.

I wish I had the same problem. You see my wife drinks more bottled water than you can imagine. She doesn't drink anything else. I know it is healthier than other liquids. I can't do it. I need flavor. Isn't coffee, tea, juice and soda most water? So why can't I just drink those and get the health benefits? It just doesn't seem fair that the healthier of 2 liquids that are 99% identical is the one that doesn't have a taste. Maybe God also cursed mankind in the garden of Eden with this fact.

It is rare that I will drink plain water. And on in those rare times I do, I drink tap water. I have never understood bottled water. I envision a bottled water factory where all the bottles are filled from the city water supply. I think I remember a 20/20 report that confirmed this. In fact, they said that most city's water is cleaner than some bottled water varieties.

And what is with all the varieties of bottle water. I see Ozark, Aquafina, Nestles, Sam's Club, and many others. I have tried a few, and guess what? They all taste the same! I can tell the difference between diet Pepsi and diet Coke. I prefer diet Pepsi and would pay a few cents more to get it. Do yo know what brand of bottled water I like best? The cheapest one. There is no difference, so how can a bottled water company achieve brand loyalty? That's why you never see a commercial where one brand claims to be better than their competition. They can't! They are both the same!

To me, bottle water remains one of the great mysteries of life.

Rare Sunday Post

I normally do not post on Sunday's, but this one is special. You see, today is my bride's birthday. I always look forward to her birthday because it coincides with Spring. It marks the day when we can reasonably expect the weather to start getting much better.




In case you couldn't tell, this is an old picture. I look much different, but Terri does not. I am fortunate to have a beautiful wife who continues to make me look younger by just standing next to me. She improves me in other areas also.

From your slightly improved husband, I love you and hope you have a great day. I will do what I can to make it so. With love, Frank

Finally

Never has so much good will and trust been so quickly squandered by a leader. On March 19th, 2010 President Obama's job approval rating crossed over. The only surprise about this is how long it has taken. I once believed that his negatives would be higher than his positives late last year. Instead, they began to flatten out and hover around +3%.

The moral of this story is that you should never underestimate the inattentiveness of the American people. Many are just now beginning to understand that health care legislation does not mean they will get free health care. Instead, those who decide not to purchase insurance will be required to and fined if they do not.

Americans are also becoming familiar with the Obama administrations' heavy-handed tactics and don't like it. We all learned back in grade school government class that laws are passed when both the House and Senate vote in favor of a piece of legislation and it is then signed by the president. Attempts to bribe senators and representatives to support bills they do not like has become the norm. And when that does not work, parliamentary tricks that serve only to pass the bill and provide political cover for supporters without actually voting on the bill are used. Even staunch democrats see this process as wrong and dangerous.

I expect Obama's negatives to continue to rise as more people either realize what is happening, or simply jump on the bandwagon. This, and the fact that we will have a new Congress in less than a year, and a new president in less than 3 years are what conservatives can look forward to.

Stupid Letter of the Week

Jim Lulie of Holt, Missouri should remember the advice provided by Mark Twain when he said "Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt". With his letter to the KC Star, Jim has removed all doubt from my mind. Jim asks why Republicans did not filibuster spending bills when George Bush was in office?

Filibuster out of control

Hopefully when the November elections roll around, voters will remember it was that fine Republican senator from Kentucky, Jim Bunning, whose mean spirited, self-centered, egotistical, self-serving attitude was responsible for the unnecessary delay of the extension of unemployment benefits for millions of Americans.

And his reasoning? The extension had to be paid for or he would continue to filibuster. I have gone back and checked the Congressional Record, and nowhere did I find this senator’s objection or filibuster to any Bush administration bill that wasn’t paid for such as the Iraqi war or tax increases to the very wealthy.

Nor have I heard of any Republican senator or congressperson chastising the hypocrisy of this man’s attitude. One can only assume then that the Republican Party is again proving it is the party of “no.” The unemployed are only one Republican filibuster away from being homeless.

Jim Lullie
Holt, Mo.

Hey Jim! George Bush did not claim during his state of the union address to reign in deficit spending by passing a Pay-As-You-Go bill. That was Barrack Obama. Jim Bunning's filibuster was his anemic attempt to hold the democrats accountable to their president's promise. It did not work as they ended up pulling funds from another unfunded bill (the Stimulus package) to cover additional weeks of unemployment compensation. Nothing was "paid" for. I believe Bunning's filibuster was only intended to point out the democrats hypocrisy. From that perspective, it was successful, but lost on Jim.

History of HC Legislative Process

The legislative process began with closed door negotiations. Both the Senate and House bills were written by democrats and special interests without the presence of republicans. The method was 180 degrees opposed to a process described by Obama over the past few years.


11/9/2009 - The House of Representatives vote 220 to 215 to pass the legislation and send it on to the Senate. One republican supported the bill, 39 democrats opposed it.

12/24/2009 - On Christmas Eve while Americans prepared to celebrate the holiday, the Senate largely ignores the House bill and passes their version on a straight 60-39 party line vote, . In order to pass the legislation, the votes of several senators were "bought" with the addition of special language beneficial to their state.

1/15/2010 - Realizing the likelihood of a loss in the Massachusetts Senate race, the White House begins to describe a plan to pass the Senate version using reconciliation, which would only require 51 votes to succeed.

1/19/2010 - Scott Brown, running as the 41st vote against health care legislation wins the Massachusetts Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy, the number one proponent of national health care.

2/25/2010 - President Obama stages a "bipartisan" health care summit and listens to republican ideas on how a bipartisan bill could be developed. Republican unify around the principle that current bills were too flawed and starting over was the best way forward.

3/3/2010 - The White House presents a new health care bill strategy they claim includes republican ideas, such as fraud investigation, medical malpractice reform, increasing medicaid rates to doctors, and health savings accounts. The move is seen as providing wavering democrats the explanation they are voting for a "bipartisan" bill.


3/15/2010 - Democrat wip count indicate they do not have enough House votes to pass the Senate version. All they need is a simple majority.

3/16/2010 - All recent polling indicate the American people do not support of the pending legislation by a 48% to 36% margin. Only 23% strongly favor the plan while 46% strongly oppose it.

3/17/2010 - Democrats suggest they will not directly vote on the Senate bill, but instead vote on a package of changes that will "deem" the Senate bill as passed. The move is designed to give deniability to representatives so they do not have to directly vote the Senate bill up or down.

3/18/2010 - The "bill" has not yet been presented to the House of Representatives. Neither has CBO scoring, so the cost of the plan is unknown.

3/21/2010 - The House will vote on a package of changes to the Senate bill, which will "deem" the Senate as passed (without a direct vote).

Does this sound like democracy in action, or more like lemmings jumping off a cliff. Even when the democrats succeed in forcing through their legislation, the constitutionality of the law will be questioned. Can they require Americans to purchase health insurance? No! Can they legislate clauses in a bill dictating that it cannot be repealed? No! Can they pass a bill without explicitly passing it in the House and Senate? No! So after a year of work nothing is settled, nor will it be in the next few months.

I Like to Watch - Hoarders

A new TV reality show was introduced on A&E late last year. The show named Hoarders, documents a mental disorder that afflicts several million people in the United States. The hoarding disorder is fairly easy to spot - the inside of the afflicted person's home is piled high with trash. The hoarder cannot bring themselves to throw anything away, even items that have no apparent value. The show has become so popular, that the TLC channel just began airing their version named Buried Alive.

After watching the show, I realized that I have come across hoarders but did not know it was a mental disorder. My first exposure to a hoarder was while I worked for the local cable company as a service technician. I would regularly enter the homes of customers to diagnose and resolve problems with their cable service. One home located in a fairly affluent part of the county stuck in my memory. After answering the door an elderly lady escorted me to her TV set. The path routed through a maze of stacked newspaper in what was once her living room. The stacks were at least 6 foot high. My immediate thought was why someone would save every newspaper over many years? Did she think she would eventually get around to reading every word?

After watching the Hoarders TV show, I now understand the hoarder doesn't necessarily expect to use the junk they collect. Instead, they associate a memory to the junk and fear they will forget the memory if they dispose of the trash. The loss of a loved one sometime brings the hoarding tendency to the surface. The Hoarders show typically follows the hoarder as they receive help to clean out their home. In nearly every case, the hoarder is brought to a near nervous breakdown as they see worthless junk thrown out.

I have met other hoarders in the past, but one possible hoarding home has remained a vivid memory. I don't know if the person was actually a hoarder, or simple a incredibly slovenly person. Regardless, the smell of this one house remains as fresh today as it was back then. Again, I was working for the cable company and knocked on the front door of my next service call. A woman answered, I identified myself and why I was there. She stepped out onto the front porch and quizzed me on why I would need inside her home. After convincing her that I needed to see the problem before I could begin work, she reluctantly allowed me to enter.

Upon my first step into the home, I was hit with an incredible stench of rotten food and dog crap. I was led to the TV, which was located in what I would describe as a Den. Aside from the clutter, I began to notice what the clutter actually consisted of. Much was old paper plates or fast food containers strewn on the floor - many molding from the food remnants. The carpet looked as if it had never been vacuumed - it was covered with old food, dirt and dog crap. What! Dog crap? Yes, not only was there dog crap, I then noticed the windows that opened to their backyard. There were 2, and each were opened a couple feet with the open door of a dog kennel facing the backyard and set up on bricks so that the bottom of the window matched the bottom of the kennel. These home owners had solved the pesky problem of always needed to get up to let the dogs in or out. They just let them come and go from their kennel to the backyard. Since the floor of each kennel was made of the same wire fencing material as the walls and roof, the dogs would simply take a dump in the kennel instead of going outside. The carpeted area under the kennels has several inches of dog crap piled up.

As I diagnosed the cable problem, I reached for the TV remote control. It sat on a table next to a couple of recliners, a lamp with no shade, and a screened window. Next to the remote was a flyswatter. It seemed the residents would turn the light on in the evening as they watched TV. Since the rear windows were essentially open to the outdoors, moths and other insects would be attracted to the lamp. The flyswatter would be used to kill the insects. The result was thousands of smashed bugs on the lamp, table and floor around the recliners.

I quickly finished my cable work and left the residence which was just a few minutes from where I lived. Even though it was the middle of the work day, I immediately went home and took a shower to remove the stench from my skin and clothes. The memory of the home and the smell still lingers.

Were these people hoarders? Maybe. Or maybe they were just the grossest people to ever walk the earth. The state of the home resembles the homes covered by Hoarders, the TV show that did chronicle one home so gross that 2 dead, decomposed cats were found under the trash in a living room. Or the lady that could not get into her bathroom because of the trash, so started using adult diapers which she stacked on the bathroom floor - for years! The one thing I do know is that I would rather watch it on TV than visit it in real life.

I've Seen this Guy Before

Recently, the news station in town added a weekend meteorologist to their staff named George Waldenberger. From the first day I saw him on the air, I knew that I had seen him before. But I couldn't put my finger on where and when. George has a distinctive smile and squint that tweaked my curiosity. George's publicity head shot is shown to the right. Do you recognize him?

This bugged me for several days, and then ...

It just popped into my head. Terri and I once watched a comedy named "3rd Rock From the Sun". Harry was a character in the show. George Waldenberger could be the twin brother of Harry, played by French Stewart. Here is a picture of French. So the mystery is solved. As I watch George I see Harry, even down to his mannerism's and facial expressions.

American Idol Week 3

Those of us in Kansas City were not able to watch the entire week 3 performances. Halfway through Andrew Garcia's performance a storm took out our local FOX affiliate, so we missed 4 of the guys perform. I still think that Crystal Bowersox's performance would have been hard to beat, so I will call the week 3 winner as Crystal. That is 2 in a row for her.

My pick of the final winner, Didi, did better, but I am questioning her ability to continue to improve week after week. For that reason, I am replacing her in my picks with Crystal Bowersox who is starting to show that she has a musical identity and can preform almost effortlessly within her style.

My picks for the top 12 finishing order is shown below:

1. Crystal Bowersox
2. Casey James
3. Michael Lynche
4. Siobhan Magnus
5. Didi Benami
6. Lee DeWyze
7. Lacey Brown
8. Andrew Garcia
9. Aaron Kelly
10. Katie Stevens
11. Tim Urban
12. Paige Miles
    

I correctly picked 8 of the top 12 on February 27th (those in red are the people I did not pick). Not a bad percentage. I had picked Michelle Delamore, Katelyn Epperly, Lily Scott, and Toddrick Hall. Of these 4, only Lily was a surprise. The other 3 were considered edge players anyway. Lily fell victim to bad song choices. Hearing her sing a classic country tune using her distinctive indie-rock style just didn't work. Too bad she paid for the mistake with elimination.

Of the 4 performers I did not pick to make the top 12 but did, Lacey and Katie were surprises. I believe Lacey made it by selecting good songs that fit well with her style. I believe she will not make it to the top 6 because she just does not have a strong enough voice. To me, Katie making the top 12 was hard to believe. She just doesn't have the voice and has not looked comfortable performing.

I don't see Paige surviving another week. Kudos to Tim for hanging around after not making the top 24. His time is also short.

Stupid Letter of the Week

This week's highlighted letter comes from Charles Burright. Charles and I would actually agree on many things related to his letter. I selected it solely to point out how little most people know about the federal budget and deficit. Charles thinks he has a plan. He might be surprised to find that his plan is little more than a drop in the ocean.

Deep cuts needed to solve federal deficit


The following list will solve the federal deficit problem: Reduce the mostly unearned pay of members of Congress by 10 percent and their top three staffers of each by 6 percent; cut the staff of all members of Congress by 15 percent; reduce the number of congressional committees and their staffs by 35 percent; slash the Department of Energy by 60 percent, Education by 50 percent, Interior by 50 percent; eliminate all so-called "czars" and their staffs; completely ban all earmarks as these are almost all campaign bribe payoffs; stop all foreign aid especially to our enemies; stop any farm program payments to anyone who does not actually earn his livelihood by farming the land; and end all program payments to any agri-business company.

Each year that the federal budget is not balanced, congressional pay and the pay of the top five in each cabinet level department should by cut by 5 percent. Also, stop calling welfare programs like Medicaid "entitlements." And finally, no more bailouts of any private businesses.

Charles Burright
Lenexa

Here is the problem with Charles' logic. He has only called out a percentage reduction to a small fraction of the discretionary spending. Discretionary spending accounts for 30% of the total budget, so if all discretionary spending were cut by 100% we would save around $1 trillion. We would still have a deficit of over $400 billion. You cannot tame the beast unless you also consider cuts in defense spending, Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid. That is the deep hole our Congress has let us fall into.

An Example in Leadership

My 4-word definition of leadership is "making difficult, unpopular decisions". Every leader, from the CEO down to a front line supervisor, is asked at times to make decisions without perfect knowledge. They are certain to endure the wrath of impacted individuals or groups. That's why leaders are compensated at a higher level than those who actually do the work.

This week a story that has been slowly building in Kansas City broke nationally. It involves the Kansas City Missouri School District. The recent history of the district can be summarized by an incapable, overwhelmed school board ineffectively directing and firing a series of district superintendents. The failure of the school boards were taken out on the superintendents - they serve for a year and collect a huge severance package. Over time it has become extremely clear the problem was not the superintendents, but rather the school board.

The current superintendent is named Dr. John Covington. I have watched his leadership over the district during this difficult time. The district budget faces a $50m shortfall next year. The quality of education is deteriorating much as it is in most large urban districts. Covington's problem is how to improve quality and sharply lower expenses.

Covington has proposed his plan to lower cost and improve quality. The school district was built to serve the maximum number of students ever enrolled. Over the past 20 years, that number has declined by 50%. The result is that the school district owns and operates twice as many facilities as the current enrollment can support, hence the $50m budget shortfall. From a cost perspective, Covington has proposed that half of the district's schools be closed. This is the aspect of his plan that caught the attention of national media. A second aspect of his plan is to improve quality by requiring all teachers in under performing schools re-apply to retain their job. This will allow the district to essentially fire teachers who should be pursuing a different career.

Covington held multiple town halls once his plan was communicated. He attended each and stood in the frying pan as members of the community called him names and criticized the plan (without a hint of what they might do instead). Covington calmly listened and even made small modifications to the plan based on what he heard.

The outcry from certain members of the community has been loud and vicious. The teacher's union is coming unglued over the potential release of deadwood teachers. Even members of the city council has criticized the plan, saying it will lead to even more urban blight and the continued deterioration of neighborhoods. Even in the face of this opposition, the school board passed Covington's plan by a 5 to 4 vote.

After considering the problem and his proposal, one would wonder what the 4 no votes had in mind. Were they waiting for their magic wand to be delivered so they could solve the problem painlessly? It is easy to criticize and complain. It is much more difficult to lead. Dr. John Covington has my respect. He perfectly fits my definition of a good leader.

How will the Democratic Party Survive?

Not that I shed tears or lose sleep over potential democratic losses. There is a very real chance the democrats could lose one or both houses of Congress in the 2010 mid-term elections. In the past I have wondered why the democrats in Congress could sacrifice their jobs and power to pass a health care bill that 3 in 4 Americans do not support. In fact, I have predicted that a bill will not pass as these representatives are faced with that vote. My thought was they would vote no instead of casting a career-ending yes vote. Now I think I see the democrats devious plan.

Obama is reported to want an immigration bill on his desk before the next election cycle. The basis of a bill would include a path toward citizenship for the 10.8 million people living in the U.S. illegally. Think amnesty.

While this might not help democrats trying to hold their seat through the 2010 elections, 10.8 million bought votes paid for with citizenship would nearly ensure democratic dominance in the executive branch. This is what America gets when they elect a Chicago-style political thug to the White House.

Camping

After a weekend of nice weather and the rumor of impending Spring, thoughts turn to the outdoors. Many people look forward to warm temperatures and longer evenings 0to walk, run, play sports or do lawn work.

Others like to plan camping trips. I am not one of those people. I have camped a lot in the past. The most enjoyable camping trips where done through Boy Scouts. Canoe trips to Canada, or week long camp outs at the local Camp Naish were favorites. I look back at those camping experiences as favorite memories.

But there were other camping experiences. The worst of which were camping trips with the family. Of those I do not have pleasant memories. In fact, many of the family camping trips of my youth were a lot like standing on your head in a bucket of sewage breathing through a straw, only without the straw.

To understand why our family camping trips were so hellish, you need to picture the scenario. My parents owned a pop up camper with thick plastic walls. Each year we would pull that camper to a fishless lake about 100 miles from our house. We would always do this during the hottest part of the summer. Once arriving at the lake, we would pick out a spot in the treeless camping area to set up our campsite. The bathroom and shower facilities were a mile or more from the campsite. No problem, since personal hygiene is not important during a camping trip and the plastic camping oven was equipped with a chemical toilet - we were livin' large.

So my parents, myself and 2 younger brothers would live in this airless plastic box for a week. During the day we would fish until we were certain there were no fish in the lake, and then return to the camp site to stare at each other the rest of the day. Afternoon temperatures would normally reach into the 90's and there was little shade. I am sure the camper temperature would be well into the 100's during the day. One year I prepared for the absolute boredom by bringing a putter a a few golf balls on the trip. I would lay out golf holes at the camp site, and play them using only the putter.

After an especially well struck drive, I remember following the path of the ball as it converged with a passing station wagon. If hitting a vehicle was the objective, I had just hit a career shot. The ball dropped down onto the roof of a moving station wagon from around 150 yard. Standing out in the middle of a camping area, I searched for a place to hide. The driver slammed on his brakes, got out of the wagon and looked at what was probably an impressive dent in the roof. Turning his attention to a sheepish 10 year old kid holding a putter, he simply yelled "Don't you know what practice balls are for?" I was thankful he did not kick my butt or try and find out what specific campsite I belonged to. Regardless, it ended my fun and taught me that my golf game was forever doomed to hitting things I should not hit.

Nighttime at the campsite provided little relief. Warm humid nights were spent in a confined space, sleeping next to 4 other people and a chemical toilet (which during the day was more like a crock pot). It was neither pleasant or comfortable. I slept next to my brother who loved to eat bologna. Keeping bologna fresh during a summer camp out was a challenge. One night after eating several slices of warm rancid bologna, his digestive system reached its limit. I awoke to his retching on the bed next to me. The stench and the feeling of warm slimy goo seeping into the low spots of the mattress was enough to make me sick. This was a typical evening during a family camping trip.

Since moving away from home, I have only been camping once. My wife and Dave, the best man at our wedding, convinced me that we should go camping one weekend. We both had 4-wheel drive vehicles, so we used them to find a very remote hill far away from civilization. I don't remember much about the camping trip, but do remember the aftermath. We must have camped smack in the middle of a nest of irritated, poisonous chiggers and spiders. Terri and I both suffered from hundreds of itchy, nearly infectious bites for more than a week.

Later, when recounting our story to Dave, he provided no sympathy. Dave also had been bitten numerous times. One bite to his male member had swollen same to multiples of its original size. While this can be a good thing in certain situations, walking around all day looking excited was not a good thing. Dave made the mistake of freely communicating his experience, which led to good natured ribbing of how from that time on, he would hit the wall when aiming for the toilet.

I think you would agree that my hatred of camping is well-founded and natural. These experiences led to my sheltering of my children from the uncomfortable facts about camping. They do not have family camping memories because we never went camping. They are better people because of it. Both have camped after reaching adulthood, but how is that my fault? Maybe I should have warned them.

A Fiscal Plan

Rarely do I simply provide a link as my daily blog, but felt that this article left little to be said. I rail against the spineless Congress for their overspending that has us near economic collapse. Obama and his big government programs are not helping, but making it much worse. But now, a congressman, Paul Ryan, has put forth a realistic plan that eliminates deficit spending and eventually the national debt. This plan would return America to superpower status. Read it here.

Props

During the Health Care summit that Obama staged a couple weeks ago, he scolded House Minority WIP Cantor for placing the 2,400 page Senate bill on the desk before him. Obama called it a prop. It was actually more than a prop. Cantor referred to it during the so-called summit and at times read directly from the bill.

Question: What are the 4 doctors Obama paraded out, all in identical white coats, to support his bill?

Can I Say Liar!

Modern technology. Nothing a politician says can be forgotten. This is not a bad thing, unless you are a liar. If you always tell the truth, you don't have to worry about what you said in a video a couple years ago. Obama has now been caught twice telling whopper lies related to how he would go about getting a health care bill passed. The first was when he said at least 7 times that legislative negotiations would be held in public and on C-Span. In the following video, the Liar in Chief says that they would only pass a bill with a super majority, not a 50 +1 majority. This from the man who orders a parliamentary trick to get the bill passed.





What can you say other than Liar, liar, pants on fire!

American Idol, Week 2

Another week of American Idol has passed. It is Thursday morning as I write this, but I feel comfortable that my top 12 selections will be safe, so I take the chance of posting a blog that may sound stupid when it is read.

This week belonged to the girls. I thought that from all the guys, only Michael Lynche and Casey James performed reasonably well this week. Todrick and Aaron are the two from my top 6 guys selection that are most at risk of going home.

On the other hand, several of the girls stepped up big. But none as large as Crystal. She provided a rare and memorable performance last on Wednesday, (Long As I Can See The Light). Rarely do Terri and I rewind for a second listen. We have done it a couple times in the past, and once again last night. If Crystal records that song, we will buy it.

There were other good performances from the girls. Lily was again unique and true to her style. Siobhan performed surprisingly well. I had a hard time believing that voice came from a skinny white girl. Katelyn improved again over last week. Didi is still lost. I have picked her to win it all, but the doubts are increasing. She probably has another week or two to step it up or she will go home. From my top 6 girls selection, Michelle is the most at risk to depart early.

Casey won week one. Crystal won week two. Siobhan and Katelyn are the dark horses that could do much better than expected.

Quid Pro Quo?

Watch and see hour representative Jim Matheson of Utah votes on Obama's health care legislation. He voted against it the last time, however on Wednesday President Obama nominated Matheson's brother Scott M. Matheson, Jr. to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

We know that Obama and his minions are now engaged in heavy duty arm twisting. If Matheson suddenly changes his vote, this could be evidence of a quid pro quo, (something for something). You probably won't hear about in the mainstream media because it is illegal and impeachable and they serve to protect their Messiah.

Religion of Hate

A few facts about the Islamic religion:

• Islam is a cult founded by a murderer, torturer, rapist and pedophile called Mohammed. Certain aspects of the religion require that all criticism be silenced.


• Islam claims to worship the same God as Christians and Jews, but in fact worships Allah – a demonic channelling through Mohammed’s psychopathic ego. The Death Cult mixes garbled versions of Christian and Jewish scriptures with pagan practices such as moon and meteorite-worship, and cut-throat blood sacrifice of animals and non-believers.


• Islam cannot withstand rational criticism. It can only spread and maintain itself by ignorance, illiteracy, war, terrorism, and intimidation. Islam has bloody borders and cannot co-exist peacefully with other belief systems. Winston Churchill said that Islam in a man is as dangerous as hydrophobia (rabies) in a dog.


• Islam regards Islamic women as semihuman. Wife-beating, incest and child abuse are encouraged. Regards all unbelievers as ritually unclean subhumans to be killed, subjugated, enslaved, or exploited. Kafirs (unbelievers) are described by the Arabic word ‘filth’. That’s why Muslim hatred of unbelievers is intrinsic to their ‘religion’. A unbeliever doesn’t need to DO anything to offend a Muslim, his very existence is enough of an affront.


• The ethical system applies only to Muslims. Allah encourages rape, pillage, extortion and enslavement of non-Muslims. Morality does not extend beyond the global gang. Muslim ethics are the ethics of the Mafia.


• Allah’s followers are motivated by hatred, greed and lust. There is no love, mercy or compassion. Allah is vindictive, unpredictable, capricious and devious – “Allah leads astray whom he pleases”.


• Islam is the only religion NOT founded on The Golden Rule. Morality is based on Mohammed’s example. If Mohammed did it then it’s OK for all Muslims. Hence the encouragement of rape, pillage, subjugation and murder of non-believers and the institutionalised pedophilia prevalent throughout Muslim society (justified by Mohammed’s activities with Ayesha, his child sex-slave.


• All human relations are defined by Dominance/Subjugation. Muslims have schizoid inferiority/superiority complexes. A well-balanced Muslim is one with a chip on each shoulder.


• Lying and deception of infidels is encouraged. This may take many forms, including outright lies, feigned moderation, and condemnation of terrorist attacks to the unbeliever while rejoicing with fellow Muslims.


• Muslims are forbidden to befriend unbelievers except for purposes of deceit or where conversion may be possible.


• The Koran is Allah’s final word and cannot be changed or challenged. To do so is punishable by death. Consequently, the Death Cult can never change or be reformed. The instructions to murder and rape infidels are just as valid now as the day they were written.


• Treaties and agreements with unbelievers are made to be broken. The word of a Muslim to a unbeliever counts for nothing in the eyes of Allah. Allah is The Father Of Lies.

Do you support profiling of Muslims? What if one were seated next to you during your next flight?

Stupid Letter of the Week

This week I pick a real winner for the most stupid letter to the Kansas City Star. John Martin must be mathematics challenged because he apparently cannot see the difference between a $454 billion dollar deficit during the last year of George Bush's administration, and the $1.4 trillion dollar deficit during the first year of Barrack's. I realize that part of Barack's deficit was due to TARP, initiated by Bush and supported by Obama. Even so, Obama's budget deficit projections grow even larger. Here is John's knowledge nugget:

Democrats blameless

In response to Martin Kaynan’s letter (2/19), I want to contribute this: During the eight-year siege of President George W. Bush the Republicans sent untold billions in cash and material to Iraq and called it "nation building." They never expressed any concern about making our national debt worse.

Now, when Democrats propose plans for programs that will benefit U.S. citizens, the Republicans are concerned that our debt will destroy us, and they call the Democrats’ programs "socialism."

John J. Martin

Kansas City

One can also reasonably assert that Bush's spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could be considered national defense - a constitutional requirement of the federal government. The majority of Barrack spending was used to facilitate a leftist agenda that could never be supported by a majority of the American citizens. John, you are a dork.

I Am Despicable

I am having a difficult day. Maybe I shouldn't believe what others say about me, but it is adding up. Take for instance the Obama supporters that call me and my conservative brethren racist for not supporting his socialist plans. I am also considered a racist by those who believe that illegal aliens should be given health care and amnesty. The fact that I support better border controls and speaking English in America are other proof points of my racism.

By the way, I am also a homophobe because I believe marriage is a sacred bond between a man and a women, and not a social or legal contract that provides tax advantages and other benefits. It doesn't matter that I could care less what adults do in private. Apparently freedom cannot be complete unless a person's sexuality can be openly published and accepted by all.

Last Friday I was asked why I hate this country because I voiced my opinion that using a parliamentary trick to force health care legislation into law was heavy handed, Chicago-style politics. I guess my protective attitude over the quality of my current health care must mean that I hate those cannot afford or choose not to pay for health insurance.

Now Al Gore says that because I am "denier" of the man made global warming religion, I am part of a criminal generation leaving catastrophic climate change for the next generation to clean up.

So my self worth has taken a hit. After all, I am a homophobic racist environmental criminal that hates America. Maybe I need to change?

Just Say No to Health Care

Now is not the time to pass any legislation on health care, regardless of the author or the plan. The reason is simply the budget deficit. We cannot start a new open-ended entitlement if is not fully paid for. Would a family borrow to buy a new car when they owe more that they make in a given year? Only a seriously irresponsible one would. Irresponsible describes our government, but is still no reason to do it anyway.

The current federal budget is hamstrung by entitlements today. There is no mathematical way to balance the budget without including Social Security and Medicare. Not even the constitutionally required expenditure, national defense, can be spared. So why would we even consider adding a new entitlement that is not fully funded?

I continue to hope that a new president or Congress will seriously attack our budget woes. When/If that occurs they would have to slash entitlement spending. My belief is that any health care legislation passed by the current Congress will be the first item cut. So why do it now? Why turn our current medical system inside out if there is a real risk it will soon be returned to normal? The potential for damaging the best system on earth for absolutely no benefit is real. Health care reform should be on the to do list after budget reform.