"This and That"

Hi readers! I was going to write a funny blog in the format of letters to the editor, but events of the last week (earthquake, Hurricane, heat in Texas) seem to make a funny blog inappropriate somehow. Maybe I'm just not in a humorous mood. So I thought I would tackle some items in the news. Letters to the editor will show up one day.

#1:President Obama travels in style! Seems the U.S. Government ordered (2) specially equipped, state of the art busses for Pres. Obama's 3 day "trip through the midwest". The cost of EACH bus was 1.1 million dollars. That's 2.2 million tax dollars for two,huge, totally black (windows as well)busses for a 3 day swing through the midwest where Obama did some speeches about the perils of the economy and our need for vigilence as we near the 10 year anniversary of 9/11.
COMMENT: Are you kidding me! 2.2 million dollars for 3 days of being the mystery man superstar emerging from a big black bus? The busses don't say "power" they say "stupid"!!

There are several bad ideas at work here: the first one is the waste of money. Wouldn't it have been MORE EFFECTIVE if the President announced that he would do the tour on a regular Greyhound bus BECAUSE that would be cost effective at a time when America needs to be cost effective? That is what leaders are supposed to do.... lead the way. Also, his message was lost because all the attention was on the BUS. That's not even a smart political move. It's like delivering your State of the Union Address while wearing a Mickey Mouse tie. Finally, the message itself wasn't really worth the time and money.
We are in economic peril? Really? I guess no one realized that before his 3 day trip. President Obama thinks the Republicans are to blame for the economic mess!? Nope, didn't see that one coming. We need to be vigilent as we approach 9/11 anniversary?! I told my classes that 3 years ago. We need to be vigilent all the time.

#2: I had a panic moment yesterday while watching the new "cliche riddled" movie Rise of the Planet of the Apes. In the movie, John Lithgow, a terrific actor, plays the father of James Franco's character. (Franco is the star of the movie) John's character is first on screen saying, "Where are my car keys"? "I can't find my car keys"! Then we discover he has Alheizeimer's. Realizing I couldn't find my car keys just 35 minutes before I came over to the theater, I thought, "Oh no"! "oh shit"! But I soon calmed down when I remembered I couldn't find my car keys when I was 35 years old and every year since. That is normal for me. Whew!

#3 The San Diego Padres baseball team is the perfect example of goof-ball thinking. They trade the best 8th inning relief man in the game for "pitching prospects". Sports teams do this all the time, trade an all pro wide receiver for a draft choice and then need to use the draft choice to draft a wide receiver. I've never yet seen a prospect win a game.
However, there is one area where this thinking could be of use and that is politics. I would love to trade one obnoxious former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi(Lugosi) for (2) untried rookies. We could give Grover Norquist an unconditional release. How about put Eric Cantor, and Harry Reid on waivers and bring up two uncorrupted rookies from the minors? We might get lucky, one of them could be Mr. Smith going to Washington.


#4: Finally G.E. announces thousands of american workers to be laid off as they takethose jobs overseas. This company is famous for it's 30-40 billion dollar profit in 2010 and for paying NO taxes. They reward the largesse of American tax loophole law by shit-canning american workers. They were apparently tired of paying those pesky 15 dollar an hour wages and having to pay benefits when they could go overseas and pay 5 dollars an hour and the benefits would be an id card and use of the company computer. With a 30+ billion dollar profit in one fiscal year shouldn't they be raising their american workers salaries and/or making their benefits better? Greed and capitalism made this country great, I hope it doesn't now ruin it.

Your comments are appreciated at rhobbs9@yahoo.com