AliveAndKickN

What Message Are We Sending?

This week, due to budget constraints, NJ transit funding will be cut by 30%, causing a reduction in staff, bus routes, and train schedules.  This all means that more and more people will once again return to their SOVs (single occupancy vehicles).  Just a few years ago, when gas was $4/gallon, a bunch of people left their SOVs and switched to public transportation.  Those who could afford it, stayed in their cars.  Those who couldn't, switched, and so far haven't gone back.  But now when we need it most, Trenton won't raise gas taxes to compensate for the shortfall even though NJ has the one of the lowest gas taxes in the country and hasn't seen an increase in decades.  Trenton won't put taxes on sin "foods" such as soda and fast food even though the federal government is subsidizing cheap food anyway.  Raising tolls or putting tolls on other major highways is unacceptable.  I've recently heard a commercial stating that "cruising was a God-given right." 

However, alternatives to raising taxes on gas to raise revenue include installing gambling in the Meadowlands.  How about this - install video gambling on seats in buses and trains?  Lose your money while commuting!!  I'm sure the gaming companies would install the systems for free and share the profits with NJ Transit.  Every challenger politician claims the incumbent is to blame for companies/people leaving NJ.  Think about the math.  NJ is the 40th largest state yet has the 10th largest population.  Mathematically, there's no where to go but down.  And just imagine if you have a distribution business.  The cost of electricity in NJ is 3 times the cost of Pennsylvania (and every other state in the coal belt).  Move your distribution across the Delaware into PA, fill up on gas in NJ each time, and there you go.  No tolls on Route 80 or 78, so it's free to deliver to the NY border.  Meanwhile, the trucks beat up on the highways, and the NJ taxpayers pay to fix them. 

Once again, I don't accept the double standard.  Pissing away your hard earned money on gambling is ok.  Polluting is ok.  Gay marriage is unacceptable????  If you want to jump start the economy, let gay people get married.  My wife does invitations, and I can't remember one invitation created for a "civil union."  People spend tens of thousands of dollars on weddings, providing income and jobs to a host of industries.  Oh, and if you want to reduce waste in healthcare, go to a healthcare conference and walk the exhibit hall.  If more than half of the vendors are selling the same type of product, chances are pretty good that the margins from Medicare are way too fat.   

Tigers, Rhinos, Gorillas, Elephants, Bears, oh My!

Caught the last few minutes of Gorillas in the Mist last night, after the Olympics, where once again, the announcers were disapointed in one thing or another.  Everyone's a critic.  Like I've said previously, if you as a talking head, weren't a player, you've got no right to critique others.  Anyway, Gorillas in the Mist was about Dian Fossey who gave her life to try to save Gorillas in Africa from poachers.  All they wanted was the gorilla hands.  Serioursly?  Killing tigers for bones and skins.  Killing rhinos and elephants for the horns and tusks.  Maybe someone can start a rumor about the sexual power of squirrel tail.  We have plenty of them to kill.     

The Japanese have indicated that they will reject the UN ban on fishing for Bluefin Tuna, regardless of the studies showing that they are an endagered species.  In New Jersey, we're doing a black bear hunt to cull the amount.  After all, they're infringing on our territory.  I've supported the Humane Society, so I'm against cruelty to any animal.  But once again, I ask the question about double standards.  Why is it ok to kill off the predators just for doing what they are supposed to do?  Yet, kitty and puppy mills are ok, adding more pets into the system?  We can't use horses that are past their prime for meat in the US. 

On Bill Maher's season debut this week on HBO, they discussed the catastrophe in Haiti.  As much as we should be proud of the outreach and the money raised to try to rebuild Haiti, he brought up the situation in the Congo.  Several hundred thousand died, and millions were displaced in Haiti.  In the Congo, millions were killed and tens of millions were displaced, and thousands still die every day.  Too far away to make a difference?  Or is it because it's man-made, not nature?     

Putting Sports in Perspective

The Bergen Record interviewed me the other day.  Apparently, I'm different in that not only do I coach, but I'm also on the Council, etc.  So youth sports aren't my entire life.  I gave them my perspective on youth sports, professional trainers, and some of the unwarranted pressure people put on their kids.  Do I think professional training is a bad thing?  No, having someone there regularly who knows what they're doing is a good thing.  Too many parents don't know how to teach youth sports, and/or they can't be there due to business responsibilities.  However, I think one-on-one pitching coaching for a 6-year old is exorbitant.  I tell my parents that the odds are against their child becoming a professional athlete.  However, if they truly do feel that their child has the potential, I'm not the coach for them.  I was asked what's changed since my playing days.  I think the availability of pro trainers as a business is different.  The pressure put on kids by parents is the same.  The reporter was surprised by the lack of animosity from the different sports in town.  Apparently in her town, animosity among individual sports and parents gets to the Council level on a regular basis. I was candid with the atmosphere in my house growing up.  My father always blamed the coach, the referee or a combination thereof for everything.  It got to a point where I wouldn't let him come to games.   

As I watch the Olympics, I once again can't help but feel disappointed in the perspective.  To be top-10 in the world at anything, and then to lose by milliseconds is somehow disappointing.  Regardless of the fact that many of these sports are bizarre in nature, how do you do that to teenagers? 

We'll see if the article is published and how it turns out.   

But the Trains Ran on Time

Yesterday, we had the "blizzard of the century," or at least of the month.  Got about 12-18 inches of snow in a 24-hour period, which even by Canadian standards, is pretty significant.  And even though DPW is not my portfolio, I got the earful from the people on the roads that didn't get plowed until about 20 hours into the storm.  It was like Sadie the wonder-beagle.  She's all sweet and cuddly, but put a can of tuna fish in front of her, and something just snaps.  Anyway, I guess I'm only as good as the DPW's plowing prowess.  No one seemed to believe me that every time an emergency takes place, the trucks get pulled into action.  Make sure the street is plowed, the driveway is plowed to an emergency vehicle can get close, and then make sure a pathway is plowed for stretchers. 

Anyway, I'm proud of the job the DPW guys did.  Around 8:00, they took their first break since 5:00AM, so I brought them dinner.  My stuff was significantly more appealing than what was leftover from the convenience store's morning creation, especially the coffee. 

I thought of a new word - snohawk.  It's the snow left on the top of a car after cleaning off the sides only. 

Supposedly I "Get It."

Frequently, people in town, AKA my peeps or my constituents will tell me that "I get it," which is one of the reasons they voted for me.  I can't help but wonder what that means, and why me, of all people, is one of the few that gets it.  Tonight was the installation dinner for the new fire company officers.  This is a group of volunteers dedicating several hours a week, offering to put their own lives in danger in order to save someone else's property or their lives.  The brotherhood mentality was apparent, as the list of volunteers who have been with the company for 10, 30, even 40 years was read off.  My father was a volunteer fireman way back when.  Like many other things, it didn't last, as he never "got it."  I think it was just easier to dismiss it, rather than try to understand it. 

Last night, my wife attended services where the book "Have a little faith" was discussed.  Cantor and good friend Lenny Mendel quoted the one paget that struck a chord with me - the page about why people seek to become famous.  Do people become famous to be remembered, or to get rich or both?  Good question.  I think both.  Hopefully you can be rich in this lifetime and remembered in another lifetime.  I, fortunately or unfortunately could not attend as I had a basketball game and a practice to coach.  Some members of the congregation admitted that they "didn't get" the book.  Go figure.

Headlines are swirling that this was the worst week ever for the Obama administration.  They lost the Senate seat in Massachusettes, the Fed chairman Ben Bernanke may have a harder time getting re-nominated to his position, and the market closed down 5% for the week.  Why can't a correction be just a correction?  Health care reform is now out the window, climate change is no longer an issue, and it's all about jobs jobs jobs.  I don't get it sometimes.

It's like the Civil War

Six days after the earthquake in Haiti, pictures continue to pour in showing the conditions.  People can't get food, water, medical supplies, and more.  Surgeries are taking place without sterilization and anesthesia.  Somehow the media gets in.  Of course, as is standard when a disaster takes place, the fundraising goes crazy.  No one should feel guilty about only giving in times of need.  Unfortunately, times of need are every day.  Some 50,000 people are presumed dead, with hundreds of thousands displaced.  When you look at other parts of the globe, due to strife, famine and wars that never end, these are average yearly numbers.  It's easier to sell a shock to the system.  It's more difficult to sell a systemic problem that has lasted for years, decades, even centuries.  So here's a question - what do you do with the displaced people?  Take them into the US?  If so, do they immediately become registered voters?  No, I'm not kidding.  Move 50,000 people into the correct state, and it may turn from red to blue, or vice versa.  As someone who lived in New Orleans for 4 years, I was familiar with the terrain, and the structure of the housing.  Adding several feet of water from Katrina, and you have a need for razing entire areas and starting all over with proper planning.  It didn't happen, and because of it, renovations still haven't taken place.  What will happen in Haiti and whose decision is it?   

Of course if you watch the news and get past the bipartisan earthquake story, we get back to the politics as usual.  What's wrong with the country and who's to blame for it?  Obviously the other side.  For the last several weeks and months, the widgets have been moving off the shelf for my business.  Gotta admit that it's enjoyable, but it definitely takes away from the ability to make differences elsewhere.  Hopefully, getting some help on the Sustainable Jersey front will enable things to get done without my time.  Obligations.  There are worse things.     

It's all about the revenue, I guess?

As the New Year comes and goes, there is a flurry of ideas coming before various lame-duck legislators nationwide.  Since I'm in the  NY metro area, NY and NJ make my radar. In both states, same-sex marriage crashed and burned.  Medical marijuana made it through in NJ.  Ultimate fighting is on the docket in NY.  So why does one pass, and another fail?  Big banks get bailed out.  Individuals get nothing.  Wall St gets the big bonuses for failing.  Alcohol is fine, and taxed to the hilt.  Tobacco is taboo, yet still legal, and also taxed to the hilt.  NASA gets the big bucks.  The oceans get the minimum.  Big agriculture benefits from the subsidies.  Individual farmers get enough to survive, if that.  Cell phone usage while driving is illegal.  Drive thrus are fine along with computers in the dashboard.  The lottery?  Think about that one.  State governments pushing people to participate in a game of chance where the odds of winning are so miniscule, that it's rediculous.  War.  I could go on.   

The judge in the Kansas abortion doctor murder is allowing the defense to use the client's justification of murder, as the "prevention" of further murders by performing abortions.  The guy has admitted to the murder.  Sentence him for murder.  Move on.  To even consider the case under the defense of justifiable homocide, or anything near it, is preposterous and creates a really bad precedent.  

Although I don't find Senator Harry Reid a particularly appealing leader, I feel compelled to come to his defense on his book.  He said the same things everyone else was thinking, and President Obama even stated.  If Barack Obama was "blacker" he doesn't get elected.  Comparing Harry Reid to Trent Lott makes as much sense as comparing President Clinton to Governor Sanford.  Of course, once one side starts it, the other side has to come back just as strong; and stupid.  No wonder people don't give a shit. 

Sarah Palin is a reporter now.  Mark McGuire, the professional athlete, admitted to steroid use.  Duh!   

New Year's Wishes

Tonight, we spent a quiet New Year's Eve with a family who had a loved one going through a tough surgery.  Somehow between the eating and drinking too much, we talked politics, kids, and my health.  My health seems to come up in conversation way too much lately.  I kid my friends by saying that we are "c" level invites, but I have to wonder if my health is an uncomfortable topic.  I think it's gotten old, so I have to imagine others agree.  Anyway, the ball has dropped on another new year, and I can't think of any resolutions or wishes for the upcoming year.  I'm not sure what I can change, or even what options I have.  But since I can't sleep, I'm posting and taking more mandated on-line courses for the medical supply business.  I'll probably finish by next New Years, just in time for more mandates and changes in the system. 

All of the poeple in Times Square who haven't urinated for hours are now making out.  What do I want to be when I grow up?  Good question.  How about not being a patient for a while.   

What are we supposed to believe in?

Back from visiting my side of the family in Flalala.  After two days of Biblical rain, I was able to get out fishing with my father and the boys, including my twenty-something cousin and even my seventy-something aunt.  We managed to catch a dozen or so, but we threw back half as they were too small.  Also took the boys to the Loggerhead Marinelife sanctuary, the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Miami MetroZoo.  All of these places had one thing in common - their necessity due to humans.  The Metrozoo had over 40 endangered species, and the sanctuaries get 90% of their "patients" due to fishing nets, gunshots and/or cars.  Fortunately/unfortunately, the Biblical rain traveled up the coast and turned into Biblical snow, keeping us in Florida an extra day and a half.  At least my wife got to enjoy a house without testosterone for a while.  While the younger two were in the car sleeping, I had "the talk" with eldest.  I gave him several rules - never talk about your sex life (true or made up) with your friends, be open with us about underage drug and alcohol use and abuse among your friends, and always wear a condom.  Boy was that weird, but I think he can handle it. 

With the downtime, I was able to finish my second Freakonomics book, Super Freakonomics.  Obviously it's a book, but I do find the concept intriguing.  It does make you think about things.  One component is the issue of climate change.  If human nature is any indication, we're not going to stop any potential climate change with altruistic behavior anytime soon.  Bringing colder ocean water to the surface where hurricanes form might mitigate major storms.  Will the oceans be the answer be the answer to climate change overall?  I'm not sure, but on the plane home, the Discovery Channel was showing an episode about colder water being pumped to the surface to increase phytoplankton, absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.  Will pumping huge amounts of cold water to the surface be a good thing or have unintended consequences?  Once again, the question is priority of spending.  Should we spend $6billion/year on NASA and less than 10% of that budget on our oceans?  I still think we'll need our oceans much sooner than we'll need a space station. 

In North Carolina, an atheistic councilman refused to take an oath of office by swearing on the Bible.  Apparently, the constitution in North Carolina, as well as several other states, offer opportunities for religious conservatives to try and oust him, although the US Supreme Count in 1961 barred states from requiring religious beliefs to serve in office.  The fact that he built his own house with solar panels and rainwater collectors isn't enough.  Doesn't Mother Nature count as almighty? 

It's been four full months since my shoulder surgery and it still hurts too much to sleep without painkillers. 

I Agree with Rick Warren (sort of)

On Meet the Press (or as I call it, Be Depressed), Pastor Rick Warren talked about service, giving back to the community, and of course life.  As he put it, there are millions of villages accross the globe where the only building is a church.  I agree with almost all he had to say, except the concept of abortion being akin to genocide.  The number he threw out was 47 million since Roe v Wade.  If being spiritual means caring for life throughout the course of life, not just as a fetus, we need to understand the implications.  How many of those 47 million would have been a ward of the state or federal government, either in prison or on some sort of assistance/welfare?  Again, in a world of 4 billion, do we need 47 million more that were unwanted, even in the cases of rape?  After Rick Warren, Bill Gates and his wife came on, talking about their foundation, and the good that has come from it.  Cell phones can tell people when to take their meds, remind them of when meds are available for distribution (especially where there is no electricity to keep meds cold).  Capitalism works.  It brings innovation, and cures, and more.  It also brings things like the Congo, where blood diamonds have now become blood gold and more.  When the value of a mineral outstrips the value of human life, there's a problem.  Everyone agreed that government needs to lead. 

Started reading Super Freakonomics, the sequel to Freakenomics.  So far it has explained that pre-marital sex is the reason why prostitution isn't more prevalent.  Apparently, a hundred years ago, when people waited to have sex after marriage, prostitution was bigger.  Still, prostitutes have a greater chance of having sex with a cop than get arrested by one. 

Played 2 hours of soccer for the first time since the summer.  Feels good but going to be sore.