Archive for June, 2008

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I must be getting old: Television technology has me stumped

The last time we got a television was one my son gave us about six years ago — maybe seven? It’s a nice but very heavy digital television with a 28 or 32 inch diagonal screen, I don’t even recall that much. I do know it’s heavy, and that it takes up a lot of depth setting in the corner of our living room on the entertainment center where it perches.

I absolutely do not understand new television technology. What, in terms that really MEAN something to me, is the big difference between a plasma TV and an LCD TV? If I get a plasma TV, and find a plasma TV mount to hang it from the ceiling on along one of my old house’s walls — why is that better or worse than a flatscreen LCD TV? And, is there a difference between flatscreen TVs and LCD TVs??

I’ve watched some news features on various television shows comparing all the TV technology and talking about buy and giving them for gifts. But I really don’t understand any more about it than I did before I watched the so-called “explanations.”

All I can conclude is this: It’ll be a few years in this economy before I can get the money for a new TV anyway.

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Here’s my best, revolutionary diet ‘plan’ that works for ANYONE

I’m going to give you the secret to weight loss and better health. I won’t charge you anything for this, and you won’t need to buy special foods. You’ll never need diet pills or some sort of lists requiring you to follow special food choices. With more and more Americans developing diabetes and pre-diabetic conditions because of overweight and bad eating habits, hey, I owe it to you all. So here’s the 100% safe, 100% effective diet I have for you:

Eat less food and be more active.

Yeah, I know, revolutionary, ain’t it??

Fact of the matter is, I am one of the biggest offenders, being considerably overweight and far, FAR less active than I should be.

But the reality is, any diet, dietary supplement, group health plans, etc., only work if you DO them or USE them. So why not just face reality and get on with it? Most of us, the absolutely overwhelming majority of us, have no medical problems, glandular problems, etc., which make us overweight and limit our activities and make us unhealthy. We simply eat too much food and exercise too little.

Here’s an idea: I invite you to join me in a “Half Year’s Resolution” (since there’s still half of this “New Year” left, get it?): I will eat only one moderate sized helping of food at each meal and I will get out of the chair and/or away from my desk and move around — walk, jog, swim, bicycle, whatever — for at least 10 minutes each day.

Good luck to you — and to me.

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Never forget what the election is REALLY about — the economy

It seems wise, as we look forward now to the November presidential battle between Deep Pockets Obama and War Hero McCain, to remember what people who vote in presidential elections REALLY care about: The bottom line always has and always will be the bottom line.

We find ways to fool ourselves into thinking that national security is the major issue. The war on terror, the body counts in Iraq and Afghanistan, spreading democracy throughout the world, and keeping our nation free — sure, sure, right. All that’s important. At least we tell ourselves all that’s important.

But as soon as the average pump price for gasoline topped $4 a gallon nationwide, and with crude oil topping $130 a barrel headed toward $150 (some people say) — what are you and your friends most concerned about, REALLY?

We’re most concerned about 1) getting and keeping a job and the income we need for living, 2) finding ways to afford outrageous gasoline prices and rising food costs, and, 3) very little about the war on terrorism.

As Bill Clinton’s campaign managers said in the now classic phrase from the 1990s — “It’s the economy, Stupid!” The “steering rack” that guides the Engine of State in America has and always will be Americans’ perception of good times and bad times. When jobs are good, prices are down (or at least tolerable), and Americans can continue to live the good life, THEN we take serious looks at terrorism, just and unjust wars, the spread of democracy, saving the environment, etc.

Don’t kid yourself: The new president will be the guy who best convinces voters he can turn the economy around.

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And here I thought all along that swing sets in parks were a GOOD idea

Remember the swing sets you played on in your local park or playground when you were a kid? I do.

Among my earliest memories are swinging in the local park in the small Nebraska town where I grew up. It had an old, dilapidated set of swings consisting of board seats hanging from chains fastened to a metal pole structure which may or may not have been solidly set into concrete anchors. I know there was sand directly below the swings, with lots of grass, trees, and bushes nearby in the town park.

I just saw a story out of Toronto, I believe it was, about some people in a neighborhood halting the construction of a swing set in a “parkette” built in the 1970s on the site of an abandoned warehouse. Seems the swing set would eliminate the last bit of green space in the parkette. (I’d never heard of a “parkette” before reading that story.)

I think, perhaps, we’ve lost some perspective here. Swing sets ought to be fun equipment located with lots of green space around them — not equipment that eliminates the last green space around them.

Seems to me either the city needs to expand the “parkette,” or the swing set needs to be designed with more green space. But, hey, I know little or nothing about city park/parkette/playground equipment requirements these days, and even less I’m sure about zoning and planning in Toronto.

Those were nice days, though, back when kids could play on real grass among real trees in honest to goodness PARKS, weren’t they?

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Storms, flooding hit home in a small way for my wife and me

If you live there, you really need no travel guides or GPS equipment, or road maps, or anything else to help you find “Tornado Alley,” that part of the southern and central Plains area smacked regularly in the spring and summer by, well, TORNADOES, of course.

Yet who would’ve thought the greatest problems roaring up and down Tornado Alley would be almost “tornado-less” torrential rainstorms??

We’ve experienced literally dozens of tornadoes and tornadic storms in my neck of the woods (southwest Missouri) already this year. Many folks in and around our community have lost homes and suffered injuries from tornadoes.

Yesterday we got hit by rains and flooding that were more damaging than any winds, hail, and tornadoes yet this year to our community. We haven’t gone through the terrors of 31-foot flood crests on the rivers like the poor folks in Iowa, but we got a real taste that left our basement flooded, as well as homes flooded and cars stranded all over our city. We had around 4 inches of rain (3.88 measured at the official weather service site) yesterday. I swear most of it came down during the 30 minutes I was trying to get in and out of a bank lobby.

My wife, Shirley, and I truly can be thankful that nothing precious was lost in our brief basement flooding. Our two kids and their homes were spared any trouble. On the whole, the rain and flooding we “suffered” through was just depressing and irritating. But it served to give us a feeling for the misery many, many people are suffering today throughout the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers’ drainage systems across the upper Plains and upper Midwest.

I join the many folks praying for people who have suffered the damages nature’s onslaught has visited upon our country this year.

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What was the object the astronauts saw? Do they still take souvenir stuff into space?

Do astronauts still take souvenir or memorabilia stuff into space then bring it back to earth for friends, family, sponsors, etc.? Maybe that would explain the unidentified object about a foot to a foot-and-a-half long the astronauts reported floating away from the shuttle as they did their routine check for landing on Saturday.

Uh, excuse me — an unidentified flying object? Isn’t that the actual definition of a UFO??

If it were small and sparkly, you might think it perhaps ice crystals, maybe angel feathers or something. (Kidding.) Or perhaps something sparkly and shiny would be some gold chain from a family member, girlfriend, or celebrity friend of one of those celebrity astronauts. Ah, well, my age is showing now — “celebrity astronaut”? Sure, back in the 1960s astronauts were celebrities, were famous enough that the general public knew their names and some of their history. (Remember the book and movie, “The Right Stuff”?)

Nowadays, most people couldn’t name a single space shuttle astronaut. No John Glenn, no Alan Shepard, nobody, really, that the average American would know.

We’ve long ago lost the glamor that was in the U.S. space program. We don’t think of them as “rocket ships,” with all the mythical aura of ancient sailing ships venturing into the unknown. They are “shuttles,” like something we’d take every day back and forth to work.

Maybe angel feathers and celebrity gold chains belong in that mythological past we set aside when the Apollo program ended. Maybe unidentified object, sort of a ho-hum generic nothing, really is fitting for the space program we have today.

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Yikes! Will the same people who fed him help with funeral arrangements?

I applaud Manuel Uribe of Monterrey, Mexico, for getting his weight down to about 700 pounds. After two years of pretty intensive dieting, he’s lost around 550 pounds from his world-record high of 1,200+ pounds. Frankly, I’ve struggled with weight all my life, and I know it’s hard for anyone to lose weight.

But the amazing story here isn’t Uribe’s weight or weight loss. The truly amazing story is this: Since Uribe cannot hardly get out of bed, and can’t stand up and walk at all, SOMEONE HAS BEEN SUPPLYING THE GUY WITH MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF FOOD TO GET OVER 1,200 POUNDS!

(The “yelling” in all caps above was intentional to get your attention.)

Which brings me to the title of this post: Do you suppose the same people who fed the guy to get him so obese are ready to help with funeral arrangements? Do you think they bought him funeral insurance, or chipped in for an advanced funeral plan or grave plot??

Listen, I know it’s really hard, as a parent, to deny my kids anything they want if I’m at all able to get it for them. Even things I know might not be good for them, I’ve been known to “cave” and get them, just because I can’t stand that pleading look of desperation in their eyes. (Okay, I’m speaking “past tense” here, as both my kids are grown adults on their own now and rarely come around begging with the old, “Oh, please, Daddy, please Daddy …” line anymore.)

But as God is my witness, no amount of begging or desperation would make me give either of my children the amounts and/or types of food that would put them in the 300+, 400+, 500+, etc., weight range. Nor would I do that to a friend.

On the other hand, I need to reflect — we probably ALL need to reflect — on those little things we may do every day, those well-meaning little things, that hurt our families and friends because they are over indulgent or seemingly harmless yet may have lasting consequences.

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Democrats have a long road to travel to achieve unity

I was reading a report online about Hillary Clinton’s big speech today in which she enthusiastically endorsed Barak Obama and urged her supporters to get behind Obama’s presidential candidacy.

According to the report I read, many present were willing to cheer Obama, others not so much: Hillary’s endorsement drew some boos and the story told of two women who had worked long and hard for Hillary Clinton and felt somewhat betrayed. They seemed just about ready to pack up their political a href=”http://www.luggageuniverse.com”>luggage and move out of the Democratic Party.

Will Obama win in November? Does John McCain have some advantages, based on his greater experience and “war hero” reputation? We’ll see.

One thing’s for sure: If the Democratic Party can’t rally behind Obama and show genuine unity, we’ll be looking at a sort of modified “Bush III” presidency. (Strictly personal note: I was honestly hoping that former Gen. Colin Powell would be the first African-American president. But Obama works for me, too.)

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My personal suggestion for Sen. Hillary Clinton’s future

It doesn’t look as though Hillary Clinton will need to call on any New York moving company to help her get her furniture back into the White House. She may not concede to Barak Obama soon — or she may? — but short of ripping the Democratic Party apart, it seems as though she will concede.

Clinton and her supporters seem open to the idea of her running as vice president with Obama. That seems a logical possibility. But it would be the WRONG thing to do for someone with the talents, experience, “clout,” and support Hillary Clinton has. Anyone who knows anything about routine American politics knows that the VP is largely a “ceremonial” position. The VP does only two things, really: 1) remains available to step into the White House if the president can’t, and, 2) acts as president of the Senate. As president of the Senate, when that body is closely divided between Dems and Reps, that can be a crucial tie-breaking role. So I don’t take it lightly.

Here, in my opinion, is what Hillary should do: She should use her political “clout” or “capital” right now to gain a pledge from Obama to make her either Secretary of State or Secretary of Health and Human Services. (If she cannot get an ironclad guarantee from Obama, she certainly should push for the VP post.)

Her entire career, her experiences in the Senate, as First Lady, the whole works — have prepared her to be incredibly effective in either Cabinet post. She could push for honest, REAL health care reform in this country like no one else could. She has the goodwill of most nations of the world and would be an outstanding, tough, smart Secretary of State.

Think about it, Hillary supporters. Think about it, Hillary. Don’t “settle” for VP. Make an incredible difference in the world in one of those two Cabinet posts. Then, when Obama has had his run in the White House, you will be incredibly well positioned to become Madam President.

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Health insurance blues — why so much cost for so little benefit?

I’ve got a confession to make: I have been walking a tight rope without a safety net — self-employed for about eight months with no health insurance.

The good news is, I have gotten by just fine. The bad news is, I’ve started a job that offers health insurance, but it’s really very poor insurance for costing so much money.

Whatever happened to the ideas of health insurance reform? Have you noticed the way none of the presidential candidates have continued talking about health care? Universal health care? Health care no matter what state you live in? I mean why can’t we get a national plan going so you’ve got MO health care, MI health insurance, NC health insurance, SC health insurance — something like just plain good old U.S.A. health insurance??

Canada did it. Great Britain does it. France, Sweden, and most other industrialized nations have done it. So why in the world can’t America find a way to do it — guaranteed, useful health insurance for everyone in the country?

I don’t know much about the problems and pitfalls of national health insurance, especially some form of free or nearly free universal health insurance. But I’m sure it really CAN be done. And if Canada and France can do it, shouldn’t the U.S. be able to do it and do it BETTER? (Kidding. Just kidding, all you French and Canadian readers out there.)

Come on, politicians, insurance companies, HMOs, and all you rich folks out there in the U.S. Get your acts together and help us all out, whatta you say??

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