READ PEGGY NOONAN’S GREAT, INSIGHTFUL MESSAGE TO START THE NEW YEAR
She always hits exactly the right tone in these messages. I hope you will open and read this WISDOM FOR 2020, first.
THE BAD NEWS—THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES LOSE TO CLEMSON AMIDST CONTROVERSIAL OFFICIATING & RULES MIS-INTERPRETATIONS.
There was more the the game than the blown calls—especially the reversed call on a fumble run back for an Ohio State TD. Justin Fields knee injury clearly hampered him, and kept him from running as freely as usual. But injuries are part of the game. J. K. Dobbins was spectacular in the 1H running the ball, until he injured his ankle. (But, he did completely muff a screen pass catch that would have been an easy OSU TD.)
Dobbins diving catch that was ruled "not a catch" by the 2nd worst rule in the book, the one requiring receivers to maintain absolute control of the ball "to the ground"—period. If a runner crossed the goal line in possession of the ball (like Dobbins did), and only when tackled the ball was knocked loose—it’s a TD. The NFLand NCAA have both been plagued by erratic interpretation of the "control a pass to the ground" rule for several years.
BUT--The worst rule in the book is the "targeting rule." "One strike and you’re out"—period—even if the opposing player ducks his head down and causes the helmet to helmet contact (in a bang-bang play). (Soccer has it right: “yellow card” first time. Red card & out, next time.)
Rules that can’t be applied fairly and consistently and are too often poorly enforced, are stupid rules.
As far as other points, it's easy to argue that if OSU can’t get a TD out of 3 trips to the red zone—maybe they don’t deserve to win.
Who was the better team? Ohio State. But the better team doesn’t always win. That’s why they play the games.
Now we will root for another Ohio State Graduate—Joe Burrow—to cap a remarkable season by leading his team to a win.
THE BAD NEWS:
PART I—NEWS BULLETIN: THE VENDETTA AGAINST TRUMP WILL CONTINUE UNABATED
Pelosi, Schiff, Schumer, et. al. now want to stall while they "cook up” or at least "witch-hunt" for additional accusations/fabrications upon which to feed the liberal media their failed case. IT WILL NOT END…UNTIL THE SENATE STOPS IT! WHICH THEY SHOULD DO VERY QUICKLY. WHY? The results of Trump's policies (and not his irresponsible personal behavior & Tweets) are working far too well. No viable Democrat candidate is emerging. What else to do? “SLING MUD” BECAUSE SOME OF IT MIGHT STICK.
PART II—DANGER!: I’VE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR 20 YEARS: A CYBERWAR IS THE MOST AWFUL KIND OF POSSIBLE WAR & COMBINING IT WITH THE EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse) FROM A NUKE IS THE ABSOLUTE WORST POSSIBLE COMBINATION
As rogue states like Iran and North Korea (and others less publicized like Pakistan) grow in their ability to use one or both of these cataclysmic forms or warfare—the people of the earth are in greater danger than ever. The US Electric Power Grid is just one of the secondary casualties of such attacks. These would take us back to the “Dark Ages” —before widespread electricity and communications even existed.
Identify your elected representatives in both the House and the Senate and vigorously communicate with them. Meet with them. Write, call and email. Only with concerted efforts by the US government, and the help of US technology companies to devise solutions, can this danger be averted. MAYBE.
NEW NEWS:
1. TRAINS RUNNING AT 150-220 MPH IN THE USA?
I grew up, and lived just two blocks from the Santa Fe RR main line, I later worked on the Santa Fe RR while in college. Back half a century ago, the Santa Fe Chief— "Chicago to LA" passenger trains would often go by at 60-90 mph. If you’ve ever stood near (not too near) a train going that fast, you WILL remember it. The ground shakes, the wind swirls, and the noise is fearful. Now the Federal Railroad Administration is planning to allow trains in the US to run at up to 220 mph, but in the near term—2021—speed will be limited to 160mph due to track limitations. These trains are being built in a 160 year old factory in NY by Alston SA, a French company—28 are due to be finished by next year. Track limitations were problems when I worked on the Santa Fe as a youth almost 60 years ago; so were errors of controls, signals and drivers (engineers was what we called them. Be careful with these high speed trains.
2. "BUY IT AND RETURN IT" HAS BECOME EPIDEMIC AS ON-LINE SALES BOOM:
Talk about wasteful: UPS estimates it will handle 1 million return packages per day in December. This pace is expected to set records as it continues into early Jan., peaking Jan. 2. That’s up 26% from last year. If you’ve ever shaken you head it dismay when the box you get from amazon.com is about 4-5 times as large as needed to contain what you ordered—you are not alone. Now multiply that waste and add the wasted human effort (time to ship, restock or dispose) and fuel, wear and tear on highways, air pollution and on and on. Maybe Congress should quit fighting about a phone call between two government leaders, and do its job, (based on common sense) to reduce waste, save energy, improve productivity, etc.
2. "BUY IT AND RETURN IT" HAS BECOME EPIDEMIC AS ON-LINE SALES BOOM:
Talk about wasteful: UPS estimates it will handle 1 million return packages per day in December. This pace is expected to set records as it continues into early Jan., peaking Jan. 2. That’s up 26% from last year. If you’ve ever shaken you head it dismay when the box you get from amazon.com is about 4-5 times as large as needed to contain what you ordered—you are not alone. Now multiply that waste and add the wasted human effort (time to ship, restock or dispose) and fuel, wear and tear on highways, air pollution and on and on. Maybe Congress should quit fighting about a phone call between two government leaders, and do its job, (based on common sense) to reduce waste, save energy, improve productivity, etc.
3. WHILE I’M ON “WASTE”— IF ANY PART OF GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY AUDITED THE FRAUD AND WASTE IN MEDICARE AND MEDICAID — THE NUMBERS WOULD BE STAGGERING.
There are medical companies and people (doctors, and other medical service providers) who are purposely defrauding the system of billions each year. Some of it is criminal and malicious; some of it is purely stupid systems and processes, and some of it is driven by the fear of legal actions.
4. YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD THE TERM “SPENDING LIKE A DRUNKEN SAILOR.” THAT’S DEMEANING TO SAILORS…IT SHOULD BE “SPENDING LIKE A DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL”
It’s hard to believe that aa bunch of supposedly intelligent candidates to lead the USA do not realize the total lunacy of the spending levels required by the programs and policies they are espousing… Or am i alone is seeing and thinking this?
SHORT TAKES:
—The answer given by someone on an expedition if he brought a med kit? He said yes, Aspiring, Whiskey and Duct Tape—one of mankind’s greatest inventions.
—Chocolate is a $161 billion industry growing at 7%/year, and it relies totally on farmers. Love that Chocolate!
—Nancy Pelosi and her Democrat accomplices are trying to create a “Potemkin Impeachment.” A Potemkin village is any construction (literal or figurative) built solely to deceive others into thinking that a situation is better than it really is.
—What could slow or derail the US economy? Slowing in growth of wages & income. Less income (wages & salaries) means less money to spend, and with consumer spending at about 70% of GDP, the whole economy could slow down. Also low unemployment (fewer available workers) and/or lower productivity could exacerbate the effect of such a slowdown.
—What’s happening to music genres? The are blurring so much, the age-old categories mean little. One performer might perform kin 3-4 different types of music. (e.g., Kacey Musgraves in country, pop, disco, & psychedelic—whatever that is?)
INCREDIBLE NEWS!
1. MEDICARE FOR ALL, GREEN NEW DEAL, AND OTHER LUNACY….FUTURE LEADERS? REALLY? THEY MAKE OLD RE-TREADS LIKE JOE BIDEN, OR HIGHLY EDUCATED (BUT LIGHTLY EXPERIENCED) CANDIDATES LIKE PETE BUTTIGIEG LOOK GOOD.
4. RATS BEING TRAINED TO DRIVE? REALLY?
Bernie Sanders (78), (has never seen someone else’s money he wouldn’t like to spend), Elizabeth Warren (70) (has never seen anything she wouldn’t like to tax or regulate) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (30) who has never seen anything but wild ideas to be responsible for (the youngest woman to serve in the United States Congress, at age 29). All three are self-avowed Socialists who believe in taking money from people who earn it and either wasting it on insane, hopelessly expensive projects, projects, projects, or giving it away to others who will waste it in even more ridiculous ways.
Ocasio-Cortez advocates a progressive platform that includes Medicare for all, a federal jobs guarantee, a proposed Green New Deal, abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, free public college and trade school, and a 70% marginal tax rate for incomes above $10 million.
Their ideas and plans are so outrageously expensive that no serious study can pinpoint just how high is up? Warren’s $20-$35 trillion, $40 trillion, Sanders at $97 Trillion … and AOC's at a number so big most people cannot even calculate (or comprehend) it. (Thank God she’s not running for President too.)
2. HAVE THESE CANDIDATES, (SOME OF WHO CLAIM DAMAGE TO THE CLIMATE IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE), NEVER MENTION CHINA’S ROLE?
As Beijing struggles with its weakening internal growth, and spending on infrastructure, and US trade worries, it continues to foul its own atmosphere, soil and water. This problem is so severe, it may never be possible to remedy it. China is literally allowing polluters to poison its people. After a short-lived (3 year) effort to “clean up” its coal based power plant emissions, China has resumed development of coal fired plants and the coal needed to fuel them. The "trade war” with the USA over its anti-competitive practices (e.g., stealing intellectual property from American companies), China’s drive for energy independence is back to reliance on coal. And despite claims to the contrary, there is no such thing as “:clean coal.” (It’s just a less dirty version of coal!)
3. I’LL SAY IT AGAIN: "WHAT THE HELL WAS BOEING’S MANAGEMENT—NOT JUST THE CEO—A BUNCH OF THEM, THINKING AND DOING" (OR "NOT THINKING” & NOW PLAYING “CYA”)
Getting fired is insufficient. If a terrorist brought down a couple of airliners full of people, what punishment would they get?
You know the answer. Criminal penalties, prison time, and huge fines—both company and personal. . Otherwise, why should anyone be responsible if they can just say “OOPS” and walk away. RESPONSIBILITY MUST BE ASSIGNED AND SEVERE CONSEQUENCES SUFFERED.
In a new experiment, scientists (at the U. of Richmond, VA) actually taught (conditioned) rats to drive a sort of wheeled vehicle. The rats steered by touching different parts of a copper wire and were rewarded with Froot Loops. YES, Froot Loops. After months of training (conditioning) the rats became fairly adept at “driving” and seemed to enjoy the experience. So many inappropriate comments are flying through my mind now, I have to stop writing on this one.
NEWS TO WATCH FOR:
1. HEADS UP: RETIREMENT SAVING & INCOME RULES ARE GOING TO CHANGE—TAKE TIME TO STUDY THIS AS IT HAPPENS
Typical large 401(k) fund investment managers/administrators charge very low fees, of around 0.25%. Ideally, retirees with such investments would be able to set them up as annuities that pay set amounts regularly over a person’s lifetime. These are typically offered by insurance companies, who charge between 2% and 4%—10-15x as much cost—taken out of retirees funds. New rules are coming, but it’s not clear exactly when or what the will require. Some likely changes: will allow retirees/employers 401(k) plans to save more, set aside 15% of pay, vs. 10%, the current maximum and much higher than the 8% most annuities allow. Required distribution age (now 70-1/2, and taxed then) could move up to 72. Inheritance rules will also likely change. Do your homework on these changes as they become law.
2. HOW BIG IS TOO BIG part I—ASK CARNIVAL CRIUSE LINE
It’s latest ship, the Mardi Gras, will weigh in at 180,000 TONS, and carry 6,641 passengers. The show lounge will hold 600-800. Interior walls will be curved to give a more open feeling. Of course it will be divided into “neighborhoods!”
3. HOW BIG IT TOO BIG part II—ASK THE AMERICAN DREAM (MALL) ENTERTAINMENT CENTER IN EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ
450 Stores, an amusement park, an ice rink, a theme park (Nickelodeon), a water park (Dream Works), and aquarium, two mini-golf courses, a ski slope are just a few of the attractions. Cost estimate is $5 Billion. (Next door is the NFL Stadium)
4. BUYING TRASH ON AMAZON? SURE, WHY NOT? (CAVEAT EMPTOR: Let the buyer beware)
This has been all over the news. Dumpster divers and reclaim artists, grab things out of the trash, and “recondition” them for sale on amazon.com. Of course amazon doesn’t monitor or control what it sells, it just gleefully takes its share of the sale to the bank. https://www.wsj.com/articles/you-might-be-buying-trash-on-amazonliterally-11576599910
5. NO, YOU’RE NOT CRAZY—part I: WOMEN’S CLOTHING SIZES HAVE NO STANDARDS
A size 8 means nothing in terms of how own brand or garment compares to another in how it fits. Men are stuck with dimensions like waist/inseam in inches and chest size in inches. Not for the ladies. Whatever the marketers think will sell, that’s how they size the garments. This has been all over the news too, including in the Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/its-not-you-clothing-sizes-are-broken-11576501384
Finally—NOT “FAKE NEWS” AND NO, YOU’RE NOT CRAZY—part II—YOU’RE JUST “SAD"
Finally—NOT “FAKE NEWS” AND NO, YOU’RE NOT CRAZY—part II—YOU’RE JUST “SAD"
It’s time for SAD: Seasonal Affective Disorder: I recall the old Mamas & Papas song that went, “Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down.” Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression and the symptoms typically emerge during the fall and winter months when there is less sunlight, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Here are facts that SAD is real, and a problem in many areas of the USA on grey winter days.People with SAD often experience mood changes and symptoms similar to depression that typically emerge during the fall and winter months when there is less sunlight, according to the American Psychiatric Association. For those with SAD who live in central Ohio, it’s not easy: Columbus is ranked the seventh gloomiest city in the United States, according to the website BestPlaces.net. Pollard has a harder time doing everyday activities because of SAD. “My inclination is to stay home, to stay in bed, just try to hide from the world, so I really have to motivate myself to get up and do the things I have to do, especially when it’s cold,” she said…....People between the ages of 20 and 30 are most likely to struggle with SAD, McCutcheon said. It’s almost like a bear going into hibernation,” McCutcheon said.Seasonal affective disorder is estimated to affect some 10 million people, with January and February usually being the hardest months, according to Psychology Today. It’s different from the winter blues, however. Winter blues typically refer to a condition in which people notice “that their mood dips a little bit or they may have lower energy or they sleep a little bit more, but it’s not to the point where they are having a whole constellation of symptoms that are causing significant impairment and distress,” McCutcheon said.SAD is more complicated and can be more serious than wanting to hunker down and stay in for the night, she said. The disorder can be debilitating. There are three main treatments for SAD: antidepressants, psychotherapy and light therapy, McCutcheon said.Light therapy involves using a 10,000 lux lightbox that mimics natural outdoor light, at the same time every day, typically in the morning for about 30 minutes.“In Ohio, we have so many months where you don’t have great daylight,” Baughman said. If someone is unsure if they have SAD, McCutcheon recommends consulting a health-care specialist. “I think the most important thing to remember is it’s very common,” she said. “You’re not alone if you are experiencing it.From: [email protected]
OK…THAT’S PLENTY TO GET YOUR MIND CHURNING AS WE ENTER THE NEW YEAR.
HERE’S another of PEGGY NOONAN’S brilliant columns.
Read it all because she see things too many of us miss—and explains them so well:
- THINK ABOUT SUCH THINGS AS NOONAN EXPLAINS—in TWO COLUMNS!
- DISCUSS THEM WITH LIKE MINDED FOLKS YOU TALK TO (including a generation younger ones)
- THEN RAISE ISSUES WITH YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES.
- ASK/TELL THEM—QUIT THE (WASTEFUL) POLITICKING & ACTUALLY DO WHAT THEY WERE ELECTED TO DO… GOVERN
- REMEMBER: WE ARE "A GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE”…
- AND THE GOVERNMENT IS SUPPOSED TO WORK FOR US, NOT VICE VERSA.
PLEASE DON’T GET MAD. GET PROACTIVE.
(I’M JUST RAISING ISSUES YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT, SO THINK CONSTRUCTIVELY ABOUT HOW TO BRING ABOUT POSITIVE CHANGE.)
HAPPY NEW YEAR,
JOHN
PS: IF IT DOESN’T ALARM YOU THAT THE US GOVERNMENT IS BY FAR THE LARGEST EMPLOYER IN THE US, IT SHOULD!
(EVEN WALMART, WITH NEARLY 2 MILLION EMPLOYEES ISN’T EVEN CLOSE.)
Have you read my book, ROCKETSHIPS & PARACHUTES ?
It can change your life, and the lives of everyone you share it with. https://tinyurl.com/mariottiR-P
It can change your life, and the lives of everyone you share it with. https://tinyurl.com/mariottiR-P
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