Not Too Shabby. More like Alley Cats.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=323640097

All in all I can't really be too disappointed.  I thought the Cats dealt with old time Pitino ball quite well and made some things quite difficult for the Cards.  It was a fast paced game and lots of missed calls but I can't say anything was unfair.  I am really pleased to see this team begin to play with some intensity, especially Cauley-Stein.  Wiltjer needs to learn to be something besides a three point shooting statue.  I watched people run by him all day.  That white boy needs schooled.  Goodwin was a bit more under control and Harrow, who I just can't quite trust yet, did pretty good.  Noel is very close but is getting no help.

Louisville is a team that will be there when the championship is decided.  Dieng came back today and UK still was respectable.  No complaints here.  Got to see Pitino ball again and UK dealt with it better than I expected.  Time to get real and play some good ball in the conference.

More evidence of the real problem

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/businessdesk/2012/12/capital-wins-labor-loses-but-a.html

Texas Man Takes Last Stand Against Keystone XL Pipeline : NPR

Texas Man Takes Last Stand Against Keystone XL Pipeline : NPR



The objections to this pipeline are many.  Here is one who does not want his property taken and destroyed.

4 firefighters shot, 2 killed at Webster, N.Y., fire

4 firefighters shot, 2 killed at Webster, N.Y., fire

So, according to NRA logic we should arm firefighters, teachers, preachers and maybe pack a small weapon in our kid's backpacks.

Down the Tubes

The story behind Mitt Romney’s loss in the presidential campaign to President Obama - Nation - The Boston Globe


For watchers of the political process like myself this is fascinating.  With only a couple of exceptions the Obama team performed flawlessly throughout the campaign.  The were successful at defining Romney early on and forced him to defend his qualities throughout the primaries.  Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are to be greatly thanked and also their billionaire supporters who kept them alive.  After the first debate was the only time that Obama seemed vulnerable and it took about three weeks to recover from that but the Obama team kept on track and finished with a strong push.  This article reveals the value of community organizing in an astonishing rebuke to those who made light of the President's community organizing experience.

If you are a political watcher this is an article to pique your interest.

More Guns!!

Only 'A Good Guy With A Gun' Can Stop School Shootings, NRA Says : The Two-Way : NPR

Good God!!  Save us from ourselves.  Are we just determined to create a police state?  There is another way.

McConnell highly unpopular - Public Policy Polling

McConnell highly unpopular - Public Policy Polling

Alert!! Agreement in D.C.

Conservatives blast Boehner's Plan B - Ginger Gibson - POLITICO.com

In a rare example of bi-partisanship the Tea Party conservatives agree with President Obama that the GOP's Plan B is dead on arrival.

Guns and People

I don't know what the allure is of guns. I know that I am subject to it and own two that are very rarely fired other than my .22 for shooting at varmints. I hardly ever hit them. Maybe it is something about the power, I just don't know yet. I can understand sportsmen who enjoy hunting and I can even understand collectors but I have a difficult time understanding why anyone would actually need an assault type weapon. Why does any law abiding sportsman need a 30 round magazine. First, if you can't hit your target in 5 or 6 shots you need some practice. Secondly, if you empty the magazine you have endangered everything and everyone in your vicinity. By the same token, why would anyone ever require more than an 8 or 9 shot magazine in a handgun. If you haven't protected yourself by the time that clip is expended you are more than likely dead. Sure, arguments can be made in favor of those large clips but not very good ones. The question is whether or not we are willing to give up a little to mitigate the chances of such a massacre as the one in Connecticut. Notice I did not say “stop” because smaller magazines do not insure a cessation of multiple deaths. It only lessens the chance that 26 will be killed. Just like the shooting when Gabby Giffords was shot and that little girl was killed. Someone would have gotten shot anyway but someone might have not been shot. The large clips are just not necessary.

I know that as Americans we are not going to give up personal ownership of firearms. We are just not made that way. I know that it is the shooter who does the act and not the gun. But it only makes sense that we can do some things that can help. In almost all of the mass murders we can think of there are two commonalities, large clips and irrational or mentally disturbed people. In a free society it will be hard to eliminate acts of mentally disturbed people but we can eliminate large clips. Will it stop the shootings? Probably not. Will it decrease the numbers of casualties. Probably so. We will not know until we try. I read recently that Japan had only two gun deaths last year. We had 177,154. Now, you tell me what the difference is. Can we cut that in half?

The other thing is we have no idea where the guns are going. One thing I am absolutely certain of is that large corporations understand their markets if they are successful. When was the last time you heard of a gun manufacturer going out of business? They know that immense numbers of these weapons are being diverted to illegal uses but they still do nothing to control that and we do nothing to legislate that control. We would have to be idiots to think that all those guns are being stashed for family protection and hunting. But, just as the drug companies are in the business of making money so are the gun manufacturers in the business of making money. I don't know if one of the answers is a more efficient accounting of weapons or if gun registration would work but I do know that it would help. Look, it goes against my grain to have to register firearms but it just could be that we will have to make that a part of the defense of our public. If you are still harboring any hopes that you could use your Bushmaster to defend yourself against an intrusive government you need to wake up. That is just not going to work any more. It is too late for that. You might be able to take a few pot shots at a drone before it dropped a hellfire missile in your pocket but you will still be dead.

Fact is, we are going to have to do something and it is not going to be just one thing. There is no magic bullet that will turn us into a nation of rational, non-murderous beings. We are just going to have to try some things to see if they work. If they do then great. If not, then we will have to do something else but what we can't do is accept the carnage that is going on at this time. The greater harm is that we will expect a more intrusive police presence and will gradually allow our freedoms to be eroded. Already we have cameras on the streets, eyes in the sky, monitoring of e-mail and social networking sites all done in the name of assuaging our fears.

Possibly our schools will become more fortified. It is a shame because schools have long been considered community property and have served as the focus of community activities. We are more disturbed when our children are threatened. They hold the keys to our futures and our aspirations but the schools are not the only venues for acts of violence. Movie theaters, shopping malls and any other place where people gather to make an easy target serve the crazed gunman quite well. In our cities the streets of depressed neighborhoods make a fertile ground for gang related shootings. There will not be one solution to this twenty first century bane. Better control of weapons, better access to mental health counseling, school security and improved economic opportunity can all be parts of a plan to reduce violence. Unfortunately, we crave simple solutions but such solutions are rarely successful or even available.

In the case of the murders in Connecticut the weapons used were appropriately bought and registered. The handlers of those weapons were well instructed in the safe and appropriate use of those weapons and those weapons were used for the purpose for which they were constructed. Acts of killing. We can argue about weapons being used appropriately for protection, hunting and other recreation but it remains that their purpose is destructive. Adam Lanza had been instructed by his mother in the proper use of firearms but it remains that without access to those weapons the deaths would not have occurred.

It is not possible for us to discern the proclivities of every troubled mind and a free society has to accept some risk. It is possible for us to take the many steps we can in order to create a more peaceful society. Our society accepts violence as a remedy and even glorifies it if it suits us. Many things in our society inure us to the use of violence. I won't try to enumerate them here but we must look inside ourselves to find what violence we can root out. Whatever we do, it still will not be enough to protect us from ourselves.

What Can We Do?

Getting a handle on our 'culture of violence' - chicagotribune.com

I am often reluctant to jump in on these issues that carry so much emotional baggage.  I am subject to the same anger and hurt as anyone else but that just can't be the way we respond.  We have to be smarter than that.  So, I will have something to say but not just now.  I join all of you in our grief.

Creating Rural Medical Workers | Daily Yonder | Keep It Rural

Creating Rural Medical Workers | Daily Yonder | Keep It Rural

McCain’s ugly campaign against Susan Rice pays off | Jay Bookman

McCain’s ugly campaign against Susan Rice pays off | Jay Bookman

A lucky day for Susan Rice - CNN.com

A lucky day for Susan Rice - CNN.com

Reprisals on the Way

Rice out ... Kerry in?





the withdrawal of Susan Rice for nomination to Secretary of State is a sad story in our history.  The GOP has blocked several of President Obama's nominations by the threat of the filibuster.  This is outrageous.  Until recently it was conceded that the President should be able to build his team around himself and that his nominations to cabinet positions should be confirmed absent any very prominent concerns.  She adequately explained the situation over the statements about Benghazi and was backed up by other administration officials.  In opposition, John McCain has given up statemanship and moved directly to angry old man.  This can only result in reprisals to GOP nominations when and if they ever regain the Presidency.

Solar Panels for Every Home - NYTimes.com

Solar Panels for Every Home - NYTimes.com

Dan Froomkin: How the Mainstream Press Bungled the Single Biggest Story of the 2012 Campaign

Dan Froomkin: How the Mainstream Press Bungled the Single Biggest Story of the 2012 Campaign

SMACK ALERT!!

Ann Coulter Attacks Latinos In Column, As Conservatives Seek To Reach Out To Hispanic Voters


 I may start an award for the person of the week most deserving of a quick smack.  Just to say, "HEY, get a grip."  Coulter has taken a dive off the deep end here into unvarnished bigotry.  Why on earth does Fox keep her around.  She should be thrown out with the rest of the trash.

Sad Day in MIchigan

Michigan’s governor sides with right to work - Washington Times

It is a sad time indeed when the Governor of Michigan, the home of auto manufacturing, supports anti-union legislation.  The auto industry, perhaps more than any other, has been successful in bringing prosperity to middle class workers and now the unions are being chipped away at.  Sad.

We Need a New Model.

Planetary Endgame | Adbusters Culturejammer Headquarters

Martial Law?

Morsi Extends Compromise to Egyptian Opposition - NYTimes.com

But will this prompt even further demonstrations and will the military do it?

Another Chance

Egypt crisis: Morsi's concession fails to quell anger - Sunday 9 November 2012 | World news | guardian.co.uk

There is perhaps a realization here that another chance has come to allow the people of Egypt to speak.  The more liberal elements of Egyptian society need to come together to present a unified front to the Muslim Brotherhood.  There won't be too many more chances after the Brotherhood consolidates power.

The Real Revolution

As Egypt’s Crisis Deepens, Morsi Turns to Muslim Brotherhood - NYTimes.com

This is the true revolution.  One that will decide whether or not a Muslim country can throw off the yoke of theocracy and achieve true democracy.  As it did during the previous uprising, the outcome will depend on whether or not the people in the streets can muster enough cohesion to alter the vote.  Unity will be paramount.

Morsi is showing his autocratic tendencies by turning to his base of support, the Muslim Brotherhood, rather than openly accepting the participation of the multitudes.

Gay Marriage--In Their Court

Supreme Court to Take Up Gay Marriage - NYTimes.com

This is an informative article on the upcoming case concerning same sex marriage that will be decided by the Supreme Court.  This is a carefully chosen case to attempt to establish once and for all a federal right to same sex marriage.  The lead attorneys in this case are somewhat startling since they are Theodore Olson and David Boies, the two competing attorneys for Bush v. Gore in the 2000 election.

The Vultures at Prey

Preventing Syrian Chemical Weapons Threat From Becoming Deadly Reality | PBS NewsHour | Dec. 5, 2012 | PBS

The great fear is these deadly weapons falling into the hands of radicals willing to use them.

Watch Preventing Syrian Chemical Threat From Becoming Reality on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

The Future is Now

Battleground Dispatches: Norfolk Readies for Future Storms, Sea Level Rise | PBS NewsHour | Dec. 6, 2012 | PBS


More in the vein of climate change and its IMMEDIATE effects on our lives.

Watch Norfolk Readies for Future Storms, Sea Level Rise on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

Farther Down the Rabbit Hole

No Warrant, No Problem: How The Government Can Still Get Your Digital Data - ProPublica

here are further revelations of government eavesdropping.

They're Watching

'Everyone in US under virtual surveillance' - NSA whistleblower — RT

Didn't we already suspect this was going on?  At least to some extent.

NBC news this evening featured a story on a patent being issued for a device that would watch us as we watch TV.  It would record facial expressions, cuddles, etc. to determine how to target advertising to the viewer.  Is that creepy or what?  What is really creepy is that the technology exists to do it.  Be afraid, be very afraid.

 

The television show "Person of Interest" explores this possibility.

Higher Education....and I mean higher.

Resort Living Comes to Campus - WSJ.com

more indications that higher education is being priced out of reach for the average Joe or Joan.

Morsi addresses Egypt amid ongoing unrest - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Morsi addresses Egypt amid ongoing unrest - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

The repression evidenced by President Morsi is likely to exceed the level of repression that Mubarak showed when his regime was overthrown.  The Muslim Brotherhood wants an Islamic state and that excludes many of the other groups in the rebellion such as Christians and women.  The authoritarian excesses of this regime show little of the promise of democracy that the revolution of last year held forth.  Pressure must be kept on to force the rule of law and equality for all.

Janie's got a gun.

U.S.-Approved Weapons Transfer Ended Up With Libyan Jihadis - NYTimes.com

A certain militaristic element in our society has howled for the United States to directly supply armaments to the Syrian rebels but the administration has wisely been reluctant to do so.  The reason for this is clearly shown in this article in which it is revealed that arms provided to the Libyans for their overthrow of Qadaffi have found their way into Islamist hands.  The potential for this is even greater in Syria where much of the fighting force for the rebels is aligned with Al Qaeda.  This also poses a critical problem for the United States when it comes to who will gain control of the chemical and biological stockpiles belonging to the Assad government.

Even as we speak the Qataris are supplying the Jihadists with weapons in Syria.  They did so in Libya and are an arms supplier to Hamas.  Oh yes, they are considered an ally of the United States.

The Serious Side of Deficit Reduction

The Perilous Politics Of The Health Insurance Tax Break : Shots - Health News : NPR

When it comes to dealing with tax expenditures the two gorillas in the room are the home interest deduction and the exclusion of taxation on health care benefits.  These two have enough money in them to knock a huge hole in the budget deficit.  Rather than put the burden on the poor perhaps we should look at these two things that allow income to go untaxed.

Hope or Pipe Dream

For the poor, 'recovery' is a mirage

This is a lengthy column but, like the article says, the issue of poverty does not lend itself to quick fixes and 30 second commercials.  Problems like these will require programs that work together rather than isolated from one another.  For instance, we should be able to allow people to work and still have access to medical and economic assistance until they become self supporting.  We should abandon the principles that encourage people to forgo work rather than lose benefits and I don't mean by taking away the benefits of people who want to work.

This is in Ohio.  The state that had the most influence on the last election and where economic desperation is rampant and the voters still vote against self interest due to cultural issues.  We simply must get past the ideological barriers that prevent us from renewing our people.

Take the time, read the article and let it sink in.

Extinction Event

Voyager discovers ‘magnetic highway’ at edge of solar system | Inquirer News


The added value of these Voyager spacecraft has been exponential.  Their original mission long since accomplished they continue to send back information about the nature of space.  Which brings to mind another premise.

The existence of humans here on Earth has been but a blip in the history of our planet.  Various cataclysms have occurred that wiped out almost all species many times in the past and there is no logical reason to assume that it won't happen again.  As long as we are prisoners on this planet we will be forever held in hostage to the capriciousness of nature.  Mankind can never fully evolve until we are free from the threat of easy extinction.

In light of that premise, should we not be doing much more to achieve the capability to move off this orb rather than being absorbed in petty squabbles over its wealth?  I am certainly not the first to point this out.  This has been voice many times before but we are always willing to neglect the survival of the human race in favor of exigent crises.  What will it take?  Or are we doomed to meet our demise in the same manner the previous occupants of the planet did?

Act of War

AFP: Rich nations alone can't halt global warming: report

How long will it be before some nation decides that another nations pollution is an act of war?  If there is no other recourse then what else remains?  One can't expect a nation to go quietly into that dark night.

The Life of Riley

Facing the fiscal cliff: American taxpayers have had it easy for decades - Economy Watch on NBCNews.com

 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Finally!!  In simple terms the truth.  For the past 30 years we have not been keeping up with our committments.  Now, one can argue that we just spend too much and are to profligate but we have spent according to what he American people have asked for.  The truth has been denied the public by dangling the ghost of increased growth before them.  Of course, we can cut spending but we are going to have to attack the defense budget.  We are going to have to rein in medical costs.  But we really should ask ourselves just how much is the public really ready to give up in social services.  I think it is much less than the budget cutters say.

Well, why not?

Study on rising sea levels likely confirms existence of global warming | Science Recorder


This is the deal as I see it.  Global Warming is real, it is happening.  The only argument is whether or not it is influenced by human behavior or is the result of natural, cyclic forces.  It seems to me that this is an argument without merit.  I can accept from the stastical trends comparing atmospheric carbon dioxide to temperature rise that it is influenced by human behavior but even if it is not what should our response be?

We know that we dump massive amounts of pollutants, including carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and that rising carbon dioxide levels correspond to rising global temperatures.  Even if we accept that cyclic factors can be a part of the problem why does that mean that we should do nothing about our own contribution.  Reducing emissions is something that we can do and, if we are correct, then we have a leg up on the game.  If we are wrong then we have hurt nothing.

Of course, the naysayers say that we can't affford the economic impact right now but if not now then when?  Until we become smarter and develop preemptive strategies for living this could be the best we can do.  A lot of research says that the move to greener energy sources and carbon dioxide reductions could result in more jobs and innovation.  So, why not go for it?

Other than the obvious political reasons I just don't see any other argument holding water.

Rick Majerus: A Real Pleasure.

Majerus’ Hoops Impact, Friendships Transcended NBA, NCAA Lines � NBA.com | Hang Time Blog


Just thinking about Rick Majerus brings goose bumps.  Anyone who can recall his epic games against Kentucky can be enthralled at how he managed to bring a championship team out of Utah to meet the legendary Wildcats.  It is only through the coaching genius of Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith that Majerus was doomed to failure.  The game I remember most was in 1998 in the run to the championship for Tubby's Wildcats, the next season and Tubby's first at Kentucky.  Tubby was masterful at running players in and out until he found the combination that would work against Utah.  Tubby had done the same thing against Duke earlier in the tourney.  This was, in my opinion, the pinnacle of Tubby Smith's career.  Never the ardent recruiter, Smith would never put together a team the way Rick Pitino could.  Majerus worked with much less and was no less a coach.  He exacted the best from his players and always brought good game.

R.I.P.  Rick Majerus.  It is a pleasure to have known you.

Opportunity or Entrenchment. Choices.

Explaining Israel’s Reaction to the U.N.’s pro-Palestinian Vote - Newsweek and The Daily Beast


After the vote to improve the status of the Palestinian nation the future should be clearer for the Israeli government.  The decision to not topple Fatah as the ruling party in the West Bank is a hopeful sign since there will not likely be a more moderate and receptive alternative.  However, the decision to engage in furhter settlements on the West Bank in Palestinian territory can do nothing but cause furor among the Palestinians.

Israel could however use the threat of settlements as a bargaining chip in seeking a genuine peaceful resolution of the decades old conflict that would ultimately lead to recognition of the Palestinian state and the right of Israel to exist.  This has been a dream of many for a long time.

Recognition of the Palestinian nation by Israel with Fatah as its lawful government would pressure Hamas on the West Bank and make peaceful settlement a much more attractive to the people who largely only want to be able to get on with life.

For the United States it would mean a tremendous lessening of tensions between the US and the Arab nations and would result in enormous savings in both military and domestic spending.  In addition, it would allow the United States to complete the pivot toward the Asian theater which promises to be the area of future conflict and profit.