1.21.2003
OPINIONS AND SPHINCTERS
Blah. That is how I woulod describe the last week. Overall low energy, both physical and mental. I hate weeks like that, feels like I'm dragging my ass through molasses. Any way, not a lot has been going on in my personal life lately, so I have been watching a lot of TV and surfing the net even more that the usual. SO with that in mind here are my opinions on some of the "issues" of the day.
LeBbron James - The next in an increasingly common line of high-school-to-th-pros athletes that the NBA seems to be quite enamored with. LeBron is going to be drafted high, given an insane bonus, and probably a long term deal. The man is set, and barely 18 years old. Good for him I say. LeBron James has also been driving around in a new Hummer H2 that as equiped, is likely around the $75,000 dollar mark. This has many people up in arms about the ethics involved, where the money came from, and how this may taint the image of high school athletics. Well I'm calling shenanigans on anyone who is in that camp, and not screaming about all the other crap that has been going on for some time now surrounding LeBron's soon to be professional endeavours. See LeBron's games are often televised, which is not unheard of, but on PAY PER VIEW? The kid is on Sportscenter as often as Michal Jordan. Tickets to his HIGH SCHOOL GAMES come at $20 a pop. He and his team have been FLOWN BY JET to other parts of the country to play OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS. Apparently the exploitation of James is fine, so long as James himself does not benefit from his exploitation. We often see young people, often much younger than James reach amazing heights of success in other professions. A child can act, sing, play an instrument and rake it in hand over fist - not a peep from anyone - and why should there be? If you have the skills use them. Of course the world seems unready for 16 year olds in pro basketball, and I'm not saying there should be, but considering that many of the people in a position to critisize an 18year old driving a $75,000 SUV around, are the same ones that apparently had no problem with the rest of the circus surrounding this young man, should really just suck it up and keep quiet. Because at the end of the day, there is nothing that is quite as offensive as hypocrisy - which is exactly what we are talking about here. Oh yeah, for the record, I think Basketball is a pretty stupid game.
The Bush Tax Cut Plan - I'm not an economist, never claimed to be one. That said, aside from the class warfare rhetoric that blinds us from the meat of the issue, and sadly comes part and parcel to any tax relief package, we really have no clue if this will stimulate the economy. Seriously. How can you trust a man that has been saying for over the last year that the economy is "strong", while billion dollar companies file for bakruptcy, and thousands are laid off, to fix it? How can you trust a congress that never fails to take care of itself, yet allows unemployment benefits to lapse, to make the right choice for the citizenry? Basically, I expect the US economy to bleed a while longer, while the debt spirals back up to unseen levels. Call it a hunch.
Affirmative Action - I'm all for it, but I would make one adjustment. Base it on socio-economic factors. That is not to say that there is not race bias in our society, there is without question. But there are countless people who could use a leg up, of all races. And since the unfortunate fact is that there are a large number of minorities below the poverty line, they should still benefit the most from afirmative action type programs.
War in Iraq - SO I guess what you are saying, is that is where Osama Bin Laden is probably lurking? In fact when is the last time Bush, Ashcroft, or that insipid little twit Ari Fleischer even mentioned Bin Laden? War on Terrorisim? More like a war on rational thought.
Fortunately, I noticed that it is "Awards Season" when the rich and famous get together to glad hand themselves on how well they entertain the masses, and an amalgam of half wits makes fun of their fashion choices. So at least we can continue to be distracted by more nonsense a while longer.
go and tell me all about it
Blah. That is how I woulod describe the last week. Overall low energy, both physical and mental. I hate weeks like that, feels like I'm dragging my ass through molasses. Any way, not a lot has been going on in my personal life lately, so I have been watching a lot of TV and surfing the net even more that the usual. SO with that in mind here are my opinions on some of the "issues" of the day.
LeBbron James - The next in an increasingly common line of high-school-to-th-pros athletes that the NBA seems to be quite enamored with. LeBron is going to be drafted high, given an insane bonus, and probably a long term deal. The man is set, and barely 18 years old. Good for him I say. LeBron James has also been driving around in a new Hummer H2 that as equiped, is likely around the $75,000 dollar mark. This has many people up in arms about the ethics involved, where the money came from, and how this may taint the image of high school athletics. Well I'm calling shenanigans on anyone who is in that camp, and not screaming about all the other crap that has been going on for some time now surrounding LeBron's soon to be professional endeavours. See LeBron's games are often televised, which is not unheard of, but on PAY PER VIEW? The kid is on Sportscenter as often as Michal Jordan. Tickets to his HIGH SCHOOL GAMES come at $20 a pop. He and his team have been FLOWN BY JET to other parts of the country to play OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS. Apparently the exploitation of James is fine, so long as James himself does not benefit from his exploitation. We often see young people, often much younger than James reach amazing heights of success in other professions. A child can act, sing, play an instrument and rake it in hand over fist - not a peep from anyone - and why should there be? If you have the skills use them. Of course the world seems unready for 16 year olds in pro basketball, and I'm not saying there should be, but considering that many of the people in a position to critisize an 18year old driving a $75,000 SUV around, are the same ones that apparently had no problem with the rest of the circus surrounding this young man, should really just suck it up and keep quiet. Because at the end of the day, there is nothing that is quite as offensive as hypocrisy - which is exactly what we are talking about here. Oh yeah, for the record, I think Basketball is a pretty stupid game.
The Bush Tax Cut Plan - I'm not an economist, never claimed to be one. That said, aside from the class warfare rhetoric that blinds us from the meat of the issue, and sadly comes part and parcel to any tax relief package, we really have no clue if this will stimulate the economy. Seriously. How can you trust a man that has been saying for over the last year that the economy is "strong", while billion dollar companies file for bakruptcy, and thousands are laid off, to fix it? How can you trust a congress that never fails to take care of itself, yet allows unemployment benefits to lapse, to make the right choice for the citizenry? Basically, I expect the US economy to bleed a while longer, while the debt spirals back up to unseen levels. Call it a hunch.
Affirmative Action - I'm all for it, but I would make one adjustment. Base it on socio-economic factors. That is not to say that there is not race bias in our society, there is without question. But there are countless people who could use a leg up, of all races. And since the unfortunate fact is that there are a large number of minorities below the poverty line, they should still benefit the most from afirmative action type programs.
War in Iraq - SO I guess what you are saying, is that is where Osama Bin Laden is probably lurking? In fact when is the last time Bush, Ashcroft, or that insipid little twit Ari Fleischer even mentioned Bin Laden? War on Terrorisim? More like a war on rational thought.
Fortunately, I noticed that it is "Awards Season" when the rich and famous get together to glad hand themselves on how well they entertain the masses, and an amalgam of half wits makes fun of their fashion choices. So at least we can continue to be distracted by more nonsense a while longer.
go and tell me all about it
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