America's Infatuation With Sports

I'll be the first to admit, I love my sports. As an American, organized sports are a part of my own individual make up. Still, it is a bit moronic to suggest that a guy who catches a football or hits a baseball should make more money than the guy who performs brain surgery or puts his/her neck on the line to save lives on a daily basis. My general question, I guess, is are we (society) a bit confused in organizing our priorities? Not to take away from the individual athletes talents, which are not to be argued wth, but it angers me when a sports star making millions utters the words "I need to feed my family". Americans of all lines of wealth are dishing out tons of money to attend a sports event, so the team owners and players become overwhelmingly wealthy. What ever happened to good old fashioned family fun? This is a prime example of when Capitalism goes too far. Arguing for government interference to curb this is said to be both anti-capitalist and big government socialism. Is there any common ground? I understand that this is also, in many ways, a global issue.

Really Nancy?

Democratic Superwoman Nancy Pelosi made another smart comment on Saturday, blaming the Bush Administration for the whole BP oil spill fiasco. She says "Many of the people appointed in the Bush Administration are still burrowed in the agencies that are supposed to oversee the oil industry". Well Nancy, President Bush can be blamed for a lot of things. The financial crisis, the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are just an easy few. However, blaming Bush for such a disaster is absolutely ludicrous. It's becoming more and more evident that whenever something goes wrong, the Democrats seem to blame it on Bush. Such a remark from Pelosi is somewhat comical, especially when she says that the Democrats are free from any of the blame in regards to the oil spill. The bottom line is, put politics aside for a minute Nancy. This is an issue that could very well effect the whole country, as well as the lives of millions of Americans. Comments like that only strengthen the divide between the two parties and make the Democrats look foolish. I do not say this very often, but leave the poor guy alone.

Global Warming: Here and Now

(click to open full diagram in new window)

Here are some of the leading stances on global warming:

Ron Paul: "The greatest hoax I think that has been around for many, many years if not hundreds of years has been this hoax......global warming". November 4, 2009

Barack Obama: "This is our generation's moment to save future generations from global catastrophe by creating a market for clean-burning fuels that can stop the dangerous transformation of our climate".

Regardless of what many think, global warming is a very real issue. Many people fail to realize or accept it as an issue. A great deal of these people are in the pockets of the oil companies who stand to lose the most, should green legislation be passed. Look over the above chart outlining the potential causes and effects of global warming. Comment and let us know what you think.

Politics In America

The United States of America is indeed a beacon of hope for the rest of the world. It offers freedom and liberty to all, and the ability to achieve anything. However, the country is ravaged by political corruption. Politicians that we elect are taking advantage of their positions at the publics' expense. Very few people in Representative office have overcome the dangerous greed that seems to corrupt all in the political field. As an American citizen, all that I ask is that our government does whats necessary to promote the common good, not that of the individual. As a society, we must pass over any individual come election season who has not upheld the interest of the public to the best of his/her ability. Representing the citizens of the United States is not only a right, but a privilege. One must take that responsibility seriously. I know its a bit much to ask to, but the American public must begin to hold these individuals responsible. Democrat and Republican should not come before American. As Jack Shepherd says on ABC's Lost "We must learn to live together, or die alone". Our founding fathers did not imagine a United States so corrupt and divided along political lines. Yes, politics were aggressive in the days of Adams and Jefferson, but today they have reached an all time low. When watching the news we see not the good our country is doing and has done, but the bad. The issue is, everyone seems to have an agenda and most of the time the American public is left in the dark. We need to come together before we drive ourselves apart.

Universal Health Care: Necessity or Expense?

The idea of Univeral Healthcare is something that has been discussed for decades here in the United States. The argument is that a country that presents itself as the beacon of democracy and freedom, should at the very least offer all of its citizens legitmate health care. The system in place is ubdoubtedly corrupt, earning health insurance companies billions of dollars at the public expense. President Obama has made it his platform to pass some form of health care bill to take care of those Americans who desperately need it most. The question then becomes, is the President pushing this bill to establish a firm legacy for himself or is it what the American people truly need? The proposal would, as an estimate, cost approximately 940 Billion dollars. The burden of paying for this bill would essentially come out of the American citizens' pockets. Whether you argue the rich shoul contribute more to the general good, which I do, this bill is a substantial burden on the backs of American wallets. We are in a deficit as it is, yet more spending is taking place. Let's make it clear, that I voted for Obama, I want universal health care. Still, it seems as though we are undertaking the process of establishing it blindfolded. We must first realize that something must be done to stop insurance companies from denying health care to those who need it most, while stuffing their pockets with income from premiums. It is clear that Obama wants to get this bill done so he can move on to other measures and because it will be one of the most significant bills passed in a very long time. However, we must consider all aspects of this bill. Not rush it, just for the sake of getting it done. Bipartisan support is not going to happen, that much is clear. This bill could very well make or break Obama's Presidency, making it crucial he does what is necessary to insure its long term success.

Limbaugh and Beck are Morons

While I agree with Glenn Beck and Limbaugh in the sense that I was not particulary fond of Chicago getting the 2016 nod, this video demonstrates that Limbaugh and Beck take it way too far. They label our Olympic loss as Obama's fault and it is very clear that these guys just cannot stand the guy. Are their statements un-American? It is clear that they are anti-Obama and want to bring the guy down any chance they get. We were not going to get the nod regardless of who our President was, so labeling this Obama's loss is a bit much. Rush Limbaugh is a bonified jackass, he sees everything in one dimension. When America needs bipartisanship to get ahead, people like Limbaugh further the divide.

*Video can be found at www.theyoungturks.com

The Brett Favre Show

There's just something about Brett Favre that everyone seems to either love or loathe. His story is notorious: one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer with the Packers. He retires, then comes back, retires then comes back and you get the drift. Everybody is going to be watching tonight when he takes on his former team as a member of their numero uno rival, the Minnesota Vikings. I personally think he should have stayed retired the very first time he announced he had turned in the cleats. However, he has proven to be effective late into his 3o's. He is an iconic figure in sports that every kid knows and looks up to. If you want to be an NFL quarterback, Brett Favre is the guy to look up to. I like to think that this may be his last season, but then again he is Brett Favre. Really when you look at the news we are used to (sex scandals, crime, embezzlement), it is refreshing to see some get criticized for just not wanting to get old.