This is a really strange story circulating on Yahoo right now. It seems that a group of researchers at the University of Texas, Austin have studied every called pitch in Major League Baseball from 2004 and 2006 and has decided that umpires are racists, based on their calls. I kid you not. Check it out.
At least 337 people have been killed in a massive, 7.9 earthquake that struck near Lima, Peru late Wednesday. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Peru.
I came across another article that interested me, just because of the pure magnitude of what former Senator Bill Frist wants to accomplish. The New York Sun ran this article on August 10, but again, I think it is well worth reading. The article mentions just a few of the many tasks that Senator Frist is undertaking: " working to overhaul health care in America, researching the origins of animal-borne viruses, performing heart surgery in Sudan, visiting refugee camps in Chad, and going to Bangladesh to work with Save the Children."
As I try to catch up on my reading after being away for two weeks, I came across an article by Peggy Noonan in the Opinion Journal. I know it is old news, but I think it is worth reading again. Take a look at it.
David Broder has an interesting column in the Washington Post. He talks about his interview with former Senator Fred Thompson, and what Senator Thompson intends to try to do when he enters the race. If just half of this is true, it could be a very interesting election in 2008.
If this story by the Victory Caucus doesn't make you proud of our troops, then nothing will. I have always known that our soldiers are the best and the brightest the world has ever known. Now I know they are also the most compassionate. They make me proud to be an American.
Mitch McConnell, who I admit remains a real enigma to me, recently gave a speech calling the Democrats "Old Europe Democrats". Mitch's point seemed to be that Harry Reid and company want to ram through legislation that would turn the government into "Old Europe." Well, I think that has been going on for quite a while, but leaders like McConnell, who say they don't like a piece of legislation, then turn around and vote for it, sure don't help matters. McConnell really needs to get the Republican caucus in the Senate in order. Trent Lott has certainly been no help to McConnell, in fact he has been a big part of the problem. What I would really like to see from McConnell is less of the phony little speeches on the floor of the Senate, all prefaced with remarks about his good friend the Majority Leader, and more action to sock Harry Reid in the nose.
The latest Zogby poll is out. According to Zogby, President Bush's approval rating is at 32%, a slight drop from last month, when it was at 34%. Congress, however, has an approval rating of 15%, less than half of what the President's is. I continue to wonder "Is anybody on Capitol Hill listening to us?"
To those of you not from the Pittsburgh area, this may seem like a curious post. But I have long been concerned with how our government, both state and federal, handle the mentally ill. Mayview State Hospital is one of the few state hospitals left in Pennsylvania to treat the mentally ill. The hospital, which at its peak, cared for more than 350 people, will be closed, and patients who cannot be moved to homes in the community, will be moved to Torrance State Hospital, which handles mentally ill persons who have committed crimes. My problem with the closing of these kinds of facilities is what we do with people who are mentally ill. Releasing them is certainly not the answer. I believe that one reason that we have so many homeless people in this country can be directly tied to the last massive closings of mental hospitals across the country. Now the courts are involved, directing that people with mental illnesses be served, whenever possible, in community settings. Placing the mentally ill in community settings is not fair to the mentally ill or to the community itself. We need to re-examine how we care for our most vulnerable people.
Former NBA Referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty to felony charges related to his activities in betting on games he officiated and accepting payoffs from gamblers. I guess my question is - Is this the end of the story or just the beginning? It will be interesting to see how this turns out.
Ten Minute Misconduct has a terrific story on Rumsfeld. Evidently, Secretary Rumsfeld sent the letter of resignation before the 2006 election, but President Bush did not announce it until the day after the elections. Could it have made a difference? Check out the article at Ten Minute Misconduct.
The Bush Administration is preparing to list Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a Terrorist organization. Well, it's about time.
Newsmax has an article about Fred Thompson and the Fair Tax. The Newsmax article is a little misleading in that the headline says that Thompson embraces the Fair Tax. What he actually said is that the Fair Tax is a good place to start. Read the Article and let me know what you think.
Posting has been sporadic the last couple of weeks since I have been on vacation. I wanted to take a few minutes and reminisce about my trip up North. It was a hectic two week period, but well worth the effort. As we drove north, we stopped in Fayetteville, NC and were able to have dinner with Volpac volunteer and good friend, Alvin Reed. It was a real delight to meet his beautiful wife Donna and their three little boys, Joseph, Jeremiah, and Jacob. Alvin is a lucky man to have such a beautiful family. The boys were so enjoyable and Donna is such a joy to talk to. As we headed North we were able to visit with family in Lancaster, Columbus, Ohio, and Pittsburgh. We were also able to catch up with Volpac Volunteer Parker Novak. I had an opportunity to have lunch with Parker, who will be starting his freshman year at Ohio State University. Parker is already hard at work for Republican candidates throughout the State of Ohio. What a bright young man, and what a terrific future he has. On our trip to Pittsburgh we were able to have breakfast with another Volpac volunteer, Joshua Fellers. Joshua is another incredibly bright guy, with a tremendous future ahead of him. After having the chance to meet with these three guys, I can't help but think that with people like this involved in Republican politics, the future of the Republican party is bright, indeed.
Former Senator Bill Frist has been interviewed by the Associated Press. It's an interesting perspective on where Senator Frist's priorities are, but for those of us who continue to hold out hope that he will re-enter the political process, a somewhat disturbing interview.
Whether you agree with John Sununu's political philosophy or not it is refreshing to see a politician who will not change his political philosophy even when his Senate seat may be at risk.
Iowa's straw poll sounds like more about money then actual popularity.
Senator Frist has expressed cautious optimism on the latest accord regarding Darfur.
A mine collapse triggers a series of seismic vibrations in measuring stations. It makes us have to wonder just how much we are affecting the Earth we we dig this deep.
Congress addresses energy issues with a new tax on
Big Oil, but is more taxes going to be part of the solution or part of the problem?
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