Nobody 761

Sunday, March 22, 2009
Nobody # 761

Nobody Asked Me But:

(Let's hope that the President is better at selecting bailout winners than basketball winners.)

CNN QUESTION LAST TUESDAY

Do you agree with Fed Chairman Bernanke's prediction that the economy will begin to recover next year?

Yes – 68% (Including my vote)
No – 32%

Follow-up question:

If it does, do you agree that Obama will be primed for reelection in 2012?
Yes – Unanimous minus 1
No – Rush Limbaugh

How would all of you answer the first question?<<<

I am not sure but I think it was Saint Augustine who first said – “Moderation in all things – except tacos.”<<<

LATEST FROM THE MORAL MINORITY:

We demand a small government that– bans abortion, impedes gay rights, prohibits stem cell research, outlaws using marijuana for medical purposes, cracks down immoral entertainment.<<<

I didn’t say it first, but I like it: Chavez Latrine – where the Dodgers will go into if Manny gets hurt.<<<

Did you know: that the fastest-growing religious choice is “None,” up from 8 percent to 15 percent?<<<

CHANEY WARNS AGAIN

CNN.com -- Cheney repeats warning about new administration's terror policy: Says Obama’s refusal to use terror threatens the country.

Cheney (and I am paraphrasing a little here): “Freedom is for sissies.”

I mean does this guy love his country or what? Come on! Let’s have a shout-out for the Big Dick!<<<

Mr. President. You are correct. Public education is in crisis and desperately in need of reform. And your heart is in the right place in your desire to make kids and learning the priority. But if you think that testing should be at the center of these reforms, you are wrong. Go back to your Yeats.

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”
William Butler Yeats

Give me students who graduate with their love of learning intact, and I will take my chances with their test scores every time.<<<

How old am I? Old enough to remember when local television news was all about news and nothing about shilling for entertainment shows on the parent network.<<<

I received a letter from the University of Arizona this past week. It referred to me as a former student athlete. I am not sure whether they were referring to my prowess in boxing where for my class exam I failed to land even one punch on my opponent or my beginning swimming where I repeatedly swam 61 yards before sinking. Or perhaps they found out that I was the penny-pitching and ping pong champion of the Presbyterian Student Center.<<<

For all of you who are keeping count: I added a new Starbucks last Wednesday. New ones don’t come too fast lately, but this one is number 350.

UP ARROW – George Bush for these two quotes:

“There are plenty of critics in the arena. He deserves my silence."

"I love my country a lot more than I love politics. I think it is essential that he be helped in office."

Do you believe a computer can predict the winner of the NCAA tournament?

Yes – 16%
No – 84%

When asked the follow-up question – Do you believe Jim Turner can predict the winner of the NCAA Tournament the NO response jumped to 99.9%.

So here I am – ready to prove them wrong. These are being written on Thursday morning, March 19. How do you know I am telling the truth? Simple. Check out my first round misses.

MIDWEST
Round 1 - Louisville, Siena, Arizona, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Kansas, Boston College, Michigan State
Round 2 – Louisville, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Michigan State
Sweet 16 – Wake Forest, West Virginia
Elite 8 – Wake Forest over West Virginia

WEST
Round 1 - UCON, BYU, Purdue, Washington, Utah State, Missouri, Maryland, Memphis
Round 2 – UCON, Washington, Missouri, Memphis
Sweet 16 – UCON, Missouri
Elite 8 – UCON over Missouri

EAST
Round 1 – Pitt, Oklahoma State, Florida State, Xavier, UCLA, Villanova, Minnesota, Duke
Round 2 – Pitt, Florida State, UCLA, Duke.
Sweet 16 – Pitt, UCLA
Elite 8 – Pitt Over UCLA

SOUTH
Round 1 – North Carolina, Butler, W. Kentucky, Gonzaga, Arizona State, Syracuse, Clemson, Oklahoma
Round 2 – North Carolina, Gonzaga, Syracuse, Oklahoma.
Sweet 16 – North Carolina, Oklahoma
Elite 8 – North Carolina over Oklahoma

FINAL FOUR

Wake Forest over UCON, Pitt over North Carolina

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP – Pitt over Wake Forest

FRIDAY MORNING THOUGHTS:

I went 12-4 Thursday which ranked me number 32,617 in the NY Times Bracket challenge. But it was better than Obama’s 11-5.

Worst basketball but best wrestling– Morgan State’s Ameer Ali flipping Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin over his back. He was ejected from the game, as he should have been, and later received an invitation from the World Wrestling Association to join its ranks. And what’s with all the Griffin hate? Earlier this season $SC’s Leonard Washington deliberately punched him in the crotch.

SATURDAY MORNING THOUGHTS

I moved up after Friday – missed more but moved up. I was 11-5, which makes me 23-9 for the first round. That ranks me number 13,168.

Over-seeded
Illinois
Utah

Under-seeded
Nobody

There have been only two significant upsets so far – Wisconsin beating Florida State on double overtime and, of course, Cleveland State’s shocker over Wake Forest.

Luckiest draw – Arizona, which probably shouldn’t be in the T, now has only to beat Cleveland State to get to the Sweet Sixteen.

Cinderfella – Russ Pennell. A good guy wins.

SUNDAY MORNING THOUGHTS

I was 6-2 yesterday, and I am 29-11 to this point. I fell 4,630 places to number 17,798. One of the 2 losses, of course, was UCLA, which brings me to:

BIG DOWN ARROW: UCLA – Like most people, when my teams lose, I don’t like it. But as long as they give their best effort I will applaud them and love them. This year’s Bruin basketball team did not do it. They are nice young men who seem to have little passion. Their attitude can be summed up as "no big deal, it's just a game."

Confession time - Even though they are PAC-10, I shed no tears for the Huskies. To me they are a bad combination of cockiness and thuggery.

The teams I least hope win it all: UNC, UCON, Memphis, Louisville.

The team I least want to EVER win another game: $SC.

Over-reaction of the week

"Somebody said that we're not in President Obama's Final Four, and as much as I respect what he's doing, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets." Coach K.<<<

Or rather, it was until I read this by a feedback poster:

“All the executives and their families (of AIG) should be executed with piano wire — my greatest hope.”

Nobody 760

Sunday, March 15, 2009
Nobody # 760

Nobody Asked Me But:

Can you believe it? After being bailed out to the (off key) tune of $170+ billion, A.I.G. is going to pay $165 Million in Bonuses – to the same executives that took the company to the brink of collapse.

I think it is safe to assume that these incompetents will laugh their way to the bank.

As part of Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer USA, it is tough being the butt of their joke<<<

THE PRESIDENT’S WEEK

UP – For his frequent FDR-like talks with the American people about what he is doing and trying to do.

DOWN – for reconsidering his campaign opposition to taxing employee health benefits.<<<

“Chicken Every Sunday.” No. That’s not a Turner House menu. It is a book that was given to my mother by her sister. It is a very interesting and funny story about life in Tucson in the early 20th Century. One fascinating tidbit is that the author’s paternal grandmother was the second American woman to live in Tucson.<<<

“The Bruins (are) in Ruins.” So proclaimed the cover story of Sports Illustrated in 1980. Larry Brown was the first year coach, and UCLA had lost more games at that point in the season then since Coach wooden started winning national championships in 1964. By season’s end, the Bruins had made the story a lie by finishing runner-up to National Champion Louisville.

Friday night UCLA again looked in ruin, as they were totally out-played and out-toughed by cross-town rival USC who competed while the Bruins merely watched. Once again, after three years of excellent achievement, expectations are high and disappointment higher.

Will this year’s team provide the same almost perfect ending as the 1980 team? I hope so but doubt it.<<<

Is it true: that Israel excels in war but has no talent for peace? I know that it takes two to make a lasting peace, and the Palestinians have failed to do their part, but as long as Israel’s Radical Right is allowed disproportional influence, Israel will continue to partner in the failure.<<<

And as long as American politicians bow so low to American Jewish conservatives we will be ineffective in our efforts to be a peace mediator.<<<

Have they no shame? Obviously not! The main thing we are hearing from Republicans is - “We know our policies caused this economic crisis, but it’s the Democrats/liberals fault.”

WHY WOMEN ARE THE SUPERIOR SEX

If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.

If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla and Four-eyes.<<<

CRITICS CORNER – THE MOVIE I WILL WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN

Joe Morgenstern – Wall street Journal - Jules and Jim
David Ansen - Newsweek - – The Third Man
Manohla Dargis – New York Times - – The Wizard of Oz
Todd McCarthy – Daily Variety – Lawrence of Arabia
Ella Taylor – LA Weekly - – Rules of the Game
Kenneth Turan –LA Times - The Earrings of Madame de……

Jim Turner – Hannah and Her Sisters.<<<

I used to be an absolutist, but then I got older.

Ron Brownstein wrote a column last week for the National Journal entitled “The Indulgence of Absolutism,” in which he sounded the alarm about liberals following the bad example of conservatives by trying to purge their party’s moderates.

Are they such slow learners or lousy historians that they do not know that in America radical politics, right or left, is a quick trip to the loser’s circle?

It is all right to have large ambitions as long as you remember to take small steps.<<<

Quote of the Week: “We’ve seen a race to the bottom. States are lying to children. They are lying to parents. They’re ignoring failure, and that’s unacceptable. We have to be fierce.”

President Obama’s education reforms: David Brooks writes that the President, when formulating a reform plan is naturally inclined to be data driven. I think this is fine if not taken too far. Measuring data is a tool, not an answer. Good teaching is an art as much as it is a science.<<<

TWO MORE RUSHMORES

Chicago – Ernie Banks, Michael Jordan, Mike Ditka and George Halas.

Michigan – Joe Louis, Gordie Howe, Al Kaline and Magic Johnson.<<<

I am a huge fan of “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington,” but it is time for the Senate to do away with the filibusters. In a democracy, minority shouldn’t rule except when protecting The Bill of Rights.<<<

I was shocked, shocked I tell you when I read last week that Bristol Palin and Levi Johnson are not getting married after all. I thought there’s was a love match made in Far-Right field.<<<

And while on the subject of Palins, did you read where Governor Sarah billed Alaska $17,000 per diem while she was living at home instead of the governor’s mansion.

She would have charged more, but she knew we were in the midst of a recession.<<<

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!<<<
























Education Secretary Arne Duncan

Nobody 759

Sunday, March 8, 2009
Nobody # 759

Nobody Asked Me But:

“…a game of catch -- to this day, the best free activity the world has ever known.” Chris Erskine, LA Times

Ain’t it the truth! I grew up playing catch. And those times were simple and beautiful and true. Excuse me while I get my glove, wake up my wife and head out to the back yard.<<<

NO BAILOUTS WITHOUT STRICT REGULATION AND TIGHT OVERSIGHT!<<<

If, as the Right says, Obama and the Democrats are waging a war on Capitalism, then it seems to me that most of our banker and business capitalists are begging to be made prisoners of war.<<<

Diogenes and Obama - Both have dreamed the impossible dream: Diogenes, that he can find an honest man, Obama, that he can find a cabinet appointee who has paid his or her taxes.<<<

I see where another Republican leader (Republican National Committee, Michael Steele) has apologized to Rush Limbaugh. While I am no Republican, it is time that I, too, do my duty.

Rush, I’m sorry I called you an overweight, overwrought, bigoted, self-worshiping idiot. You are not as overweight as you used to be.<<<

All right. Now that I have had my fun, I think that I and my fellow Democrats should remember that Rush is simply a less talented and paler Cedric the Entertainer and ignore him.<<<

I take second to no one in my admiration for Princes Diane - except for the British, that is. In their poll of history’s 100 greatest Brits, the wondrous Di finished THIRD!

THEIR TOP 6

1. Sir Winston Churchill, (1874-1965)
2. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, (1806–1859) - engineer, creator of Great Western Railway and other significant works
3. Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997)
4. Charles Darwin (1809–1882)
5. William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
6. Sir Isaac Newton (1643–1727)

MY TOP 6

1. Queen Elizabeth I – England’s greatest monarch, she started England’s primacy which would last for over three centuries.
2. William Shakespeare- Did for the English language and English literature what Elizabeth did for English politics.
3. Sir Isaac Newton – Started the revolution in which science challenged God for authority.
4. Charles Darwin – Did for natural science that which Newton did for physical science.
5. Queen Victoria – Ruled long and well over England’s greatest days.
6. Winston Churchill – Kept Hitler at bay.<<<

And did you see where the once computer-challenged John McCain is doing a lot of tweeting these days? My guess that if Walt Disney were still alive he would probably call Senator John twitterpated.<<<

TWO MORE SPORTS RUSHMORES

New York – (uniquely, all are baseball players) Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio.

Boston – Ted Williams, Red Aurbach, Carl Yastrzemski, Bobby Orr (Note: Bill Russell would be here but was placed in Northern California instead).<<<

I was watching “30 Rock” on Hulu earlier this week. The show is hilarious. I loved this line in particular. Alec Baldwin is complaining to Tina Fey about how religious his girlfriend, Selma Hayek, is. Fey responds:

“If I had those knockers I’d be thanking God too.”<<<

This quote is from Dan Neil, but it could just as well have come from my wife: “I would rather quaff a flagon of turpentine than drink Pepsi.”<<<

I am sure that you have seen pictures of the two lions guarding the entrance to the New York Public Library. But did you know they have names? It was during the Great Depression when Mayor LaGuardia, the man who, during a newspaper strike, read the Sunday comics over the radio to the kids, christened them Patience and Fortitude.<<<

Another excellent quote, this from Washington Post columnist E. J. Dionne: “The central issue in American politics now is whether the country should reverse a three-decade-long trend of rising inequality in incomes and wealth.”

And another: “If a comet smashes into the earth tonight, there will at least be one positive side effect: The end of A.I.G.”: Henry Blodget – Clusterstock

Here are three more talked about changes in the California Constitution, with my reactions to each.

All statewide executive officials except for governor and lieutenant governor should be appointed and not elected. Agree. As in our national government, the executive functions should be exercised by the governor and his appointees. This fixes responsibility and increases efficiency.

Team candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, as we do for president and vice president. Agree. It makes no sense to have a governor from one party and the lieutenant governor from the opposition. Let the candidate choose his or her running mate.<<<

Operate the state on a two-year budget cycle. Disagree. Economic conditions and public needs can change to quickly. But make the budget passing a democratic process by eliminating the 2/3 requirement.<<<

In his column last Tuesday, David Brooks wrote that Obama’s budget takes the country too far, too fast.

I understand his concern, but I disagree. Every one of Obama’s dreams is legitimate, every fulfillment past due. If the president parcels out his plans over his years in office, many or most will fade as they have with past presidents. Better to go for them all now when the public is most receptive and get “The Moral Deal” started.<<<

And I love Brook’s conclusion - The only thing more scary than Obama’s experiment is the thought that it might fail and the political power will swing over to a Republican Party that is currently unfit to wield it.<<<

In a recent issue of Los Angeles magazine, six film reviewers were each asked four interesting questions. The seven (I’m jumping in here) will answer 1 per week.

Question 1 – What is the first movie you fell in love with?

Joe Morgenstern – Wall street Journal – Betty Boop

David Ansen - Newsweek – The African Queen

Manohla Dargis – New York Times – Jules and Jim

Todd McCarthy – Daily Variety – The Wizard of OZ

Ella Taylor – LA Weekly – Old Yeller

Kenneth Turan –LA Times – Lady and the Tramp

Jim Turner – Nobody (Kidding) - Like most kids I was fascinated by The Wizard of OZ, but the first film I fell in love with was Gunga Din. I laughed and screamed and gasped and grinned while watching this greatest adventure movie of them all.<<<

Did you know: that health problems are behind half the bankruptcies in this country, and three-quarters of those bankrupt people had health insurance when they got sick?

Tell me again that we don’t need health care reform – now! And urgently!

Last minute addition: Now we have congressional Democrats fighting to hold on to farm subsidies for farmers making more than $500,000 per year. Pardon me while I pause to cry.<<<

Nobody 758

Sunday, March 1, 2009
Nobody # 758

Nobody Asked Me But:

Help me out here. I don’t know why it is that every time we have company, whether it be for 5 minutes or 5 days, my wife demands a spotless house – even places that our guest will probably not check out – like the top of the refrigerator or under the washing machine. But at least I now know the origin of the saying:

“Mine not to reason why.
Mine but to clean or die.”<<<

ESPN has a great idea. Each geographical sports center should have a Mt. Rushmore of sports heroes. (Not literally of course.) For California they would select John Wooden, Tiger Woods, Magic Johnson and Jackie Robinson. While these choices are good, and as much as I admire Magic, I would probably substitute Lew Alcindor, aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who reached great heights (pun necessary) both in college (UCLA) and as an NBA giant (again, necessary) with the Lakers. I would also move Tiger to my sports national Rushmore rather than a local one and replace him here with Sandy Koufax.

Jerry Crowe, in his LA Times column correctly suggests that Northern California should have its own Rushmore honoring Willie Mays, Joe Montana, Bill Russell and Bill Walsh. Again, I would make one change. The “Say Hey kid,” Mays, belongs in New York. My first thought was to substitute San Francisco’s own Joe DiMaggio, but he should be up there with Willie in NY. So I would substitute Jim Plunkett who, like Kareem, was both a college player (Stanford) and pro (Raiders – if they are still considered pro) in the area.

Isn’t this fun? Any substitutes? I am already thinking of two more areas for next week.<<<

PRESIDENT OBAMA’S SPEECH

I thought it was excellent – a profile in daring. Most presidents lack the courage to suggest that the United States could and must take up the huge challenges of climate, energy, health care and educational reform at the same time we struggle to repair our badly broken economy.

However, I have to agree with David Brooks that the President should follow through with specific plans rather than giving Congress full reign to write in the details.

Republican reaction – (Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal) “America must return to a policy of fiscal responsibility.”

Give me a break. To make that statement without being totally hypocritical, Republicans would have to choose Bill Clinton rather than Ronald Reagan as their hero and shining light. The Clinton years of balanced budgets were sandwiched between huge Reagan and Bush deficits.

And if you are thinking that I am alone in my negative reaction to Jindal, David Brooks called the Louisiana Republican's remarks the “worst response to a speech ever.”<<<

And can’t the Reagan/Bush economic philosophy be summarized in five words: Pay low and buy high?<<<

News item: Many Republicans are criticizing the high-speed train between Anaheim and Las Vegas – calling it the “sin express.”

Reaction: All those without a Vegas trip in their past, let them cast the first stone.<<<

CHOOSING SIDES

Let’s see now:

President Obama says that we need to leave 35,000 to 50,000 residual troops in Iraq after the withdrawal.

Speaker Nancy says that’s too many.

Tough choice? Not really. I’ll take………………Obama.<<<

After the latest California budget fiasco, many people are calling for a constitutional convention. Today and next Sunday I am listing the most frequent suggestions for change in the state’s constitution with my reactions/comments on each.

End the two-thirds majority requirement to pass the state budget or approve new taxes. Agree. The current set-up allows a minority of one-third plus one to hold the state hostage. If there was only one change, this should be it.

Abolish the initiative process. Agree. Once useful to curb political corruption, the initiative has become the tool of narrow interest groups who use it to prey on naive voters.

Ask California voters every 10 years whether to authorize a constitutional convention to review the state’s governing document. Disagree. I think the idea is good, but 10 years is too often. I would say every 20 would do just fine.

End or extend term limits for legislators. Agree - to end, not extend. This is another one of the reforms to protect voters from themselves that didn’t work. Term limits result in amateur lawmakers who don’t know what they are doing and who spend too much of their time listening to staff and lobbyists and scouting for their next position.

Reduce the size of electoral districts so lawmakers represent fewer constituents. Disagree. I want the legislature to remain small enough to allow focus and responsibility.

Merge the Assembly and the Senate into one 120-member body. Agree. With the stipulation that there would be a special single-item constitutional convention in 10 years to evaluate it and either ratify its continuation or revert back to a bicameral system.

Dump the winner-take-all system in favor of a parliamentary or coalition system. Disagree. Coalition equals confusion and lack of responsibility. And a parliamentary system destroys the separation of powers concept.

Scrap the two-party system. Disagree. You cannot hide basic differences in philosophy by lumping them into one party.<<<

“I think the stimulus money is wrong and wasteful, and we here in Alaska want our fair share.” Governor Sarah Palin<<<

WHITE COLLAR CRIME

I am sure you read this week that Northern Trust of Chicago, which got $1.5 billion in bailout money and then laid off 450 workers, flew hundreds of clients and employees to Los Angeles last week and treated them to four days of luxury at the PGA golf tournament which they sponsored. Can you believe the arrogance of these guys? Maureen Dowd is right when she says:

“The bailed-out rich are different from you and me: their appetites are unquenchable and their culture is uneducable.”<<<

And did you read about the new topless coffee bar in Vassalboro, Maine? I understand that the baristas rather than saying “would you like me to top it off,” say “would you like my top off?”<<<

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIZABETH! (Yesterday, since there is no Feb. 29 this year.)