I’ve noticed over the past couple of weeks I’ve been feeling under the weather, and just have not had much of an appetite. Since last Wednesday, things have gotten progressively worse, and after having spent the weekend feverish and sweating and not being able to eat much and in and out of lucidity (I couldn’t even make it through watching my beloved Tigers rout the Cornhuskers), I now know why — I have a pneumonia. So, by doctor’s orders, I am confined to home for a while until I recover, so I may be posting a lot more frequently just to keep my mind, whatever there is of it, sharp.
Archive for October, 2007
A “New”monia Experience
Monday, October 8th, 2007New Archives
Thursday, October 4th, 2007What Part Of “Illegal” Don’t You Understand?
Thursday, October 4th, 2007Mr. Schrader’s thoughts on the illegal immigration issue.
A Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy
Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007As I listen to the right-wing talk radio, I have noticed of late that the right-wingers are getting concerned that the Democrats may bring back the fairness doctrine, which would require stations to provide equal amounts of time to both sides. Of course, they tie this into Hillary Clinton and her watchdog group, media matters, and claim it is a witch hunt. Although I enjoy listening to some of the talk radio personalities, I may just stop because of this incessent whining. You see, what goes around comes around….
I remember back in the early nineties, right after Clinton was elected, the right-wing, especially Rush Limbaugh, was cruel in his treatment and constant attacks on Hillary. In fact, he got so bad, I stopped listening, because I did not think it was fair or right, and I still don’t. The right revelled in their ad hominum attacks on the Clintons. The right even expanded their scope, and any Democrat was fair game for ridicule.
Well, now the Democrats have finally grown some spines and are fighting back, and guess what, the right-wing wackos don’t like it much. Hillary and her allies made a reference to Limbaugh’s drug addiction, and the right is mad about it, crying foul! I never heard one right-wing voice criticize Limbaugh for his nasty attacks on Hillary when she was the First Lady, a position that should be respected, not ridiculed. Ah, but now that Limbaugh and O’Reilly and others of their ilk are being attacked, now it’s not fair. Hey right wingers– don’t start something if you can’t take it yourself! What a bunch of pompous loons….
Proud to be an Okie….
Monday, October 1st, 2007As if being one of the poorest, fattest, most uneducated, and least healthy states isn’t enough to make one burst with pride….
Now we have America’s coach, Mike Gundy! Yes, the Oklahoma State football coach who distracts our attention from another bad season by going on a tirade against an OKC columnist? Her crime? She wrote a column about the ex-quarterback being a prima donna sort. How dare she criticize a sweet, angelic 21 year old?
One Good Deception Deserves Another….
Monday, October 1st, 2007We are having a vote here in Tulsa next week on whether to add 4/10 % sale tax for river development. The Yes people have made some elaborate commercials starring children with the message being that if you don’t vote YES, then that is akin to child abuse, because you will be denying your child a bright future. (We all know that the wolrd will not come to an end and our children will not starve if we pass the tax…) On the NO side, they tell you that you don’t need one bloddy cent of goverment money to spur development, that that private sector will develop it, and enumerate the litany of “so-called” private development. What the nay-sayers forget to say is that the government “greased the skids” for those private developments with infrastructure improvement, TIFs etc. It will be interesting to see which line of b.s. the uneducated Oklahoma electorate will consume…..
The Truth About Tort Liability
Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007I heard yet again this morning on the radio blather about how because Oklahoma does not have tort reform, we are business unfriendly. Of course, that is a bunch of baloney! Why is Oklahoma business unfriendly? Ahh, let me count the ways….
First, we have one of the worst public education systems in the country. Our two flagship public universities are know for their sports, not their academics. When you sday “University of Oklahoma” to people, the first thing they think of is “football”, as in, they have a good football team. I have yet to meet anyone to respond, “the have a top notch academic program!” (And that is a shame, since they do have a top-notch meteorological program…) As for the other university, Oklahoma State University, they are proud that they have won more wrestling championships than any other school in the country! It is not just the top tier of education that suffers. In Tulsa, we have two school districts, Union and Jenks, who are more than happy to recruit football players from other school districts. Union is so adsurd that it’s basketball fieldhouse is large enough to host the Mid-Continent Conference (NCAA Division I) basketball tournement — it is larger than many of the college fieldhouses! The union football stadium holds thousands– and this is a high school stadium! Who cares about academics — sports rule!
Two weeks ago, the Tulsa area high schools changed their football date to Thursday to accommodate the Universities of Oklahoma and Tulsa playing on Friday, because: a) they were concerned about a drop in attendence; b) they wanted their players/coaches to be able to watch the OU game. Of course, it didn’t matter that they inconvienced a bunch of students (i.e. the athletes, band members, etc.) who didn’t get home until midnight on a school night! Because, football is king!
I pulled two of my kids out of the public schools and put them in the private schools, and the difference was awe-inspiring, to say the least. Schools whose focus is academics — imagine that! But I digress…
Another reason that businesses do not locate in Oklahoma is that the typical Oklahoman is in poor health. Obesity is rampant; so is diabetes; so are a host of other medical problems. I know people in their fifties who have the bodies of eighty-year-olds. With all of those health problems, comes lots of expensive medical bills. Employers can hardly afford the insurance! In addition to the high insurance costs are the high absentee rates due to frequent sickness. It is hard to produce something when all your employees are home sick.
No, the reason why businesses do not come to Oklahoma has nothing to do with the lack of tort reform; it has everything to do with the fact that we have an uneducated and unhealthy populace. Don’t let anyone fool you that we need tort reform; they are lying. Existing Oklahoma tort laws are the only recouse the poor have to get justice from the rich. The best way to get someone’s attention is to hit them in the pocketbook. The reformers want to cap awards at a limit like $250000. That sounds like a lot, but if you are a multibillion dollar corporation, $250000 is like a penny to you and me; they won’t even feel it, and if they don’t feel it, they will not have any incentive to change bad behaviors. As the laws exist now, those multibillion dollar corporations can be sued for millions and ten of millions of dollars; enough for them to feel a financial pinch.
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