Thanksgiving

It has been a while since I said I was thankful. I am glad to be living in this great country. We have so much and take a lot for granted. While I understand the need to protect the environment and the need to reform things like health care I also know our country has a rift and half the people will never be happy. It would be so much better if we agreed on things. I know this is difficult as my family can't even agree on what to have for dinner. I am thankful for the opportunity to voice my opinion, even if nobody listens or agrees.

UNLV beat Louisville in basketball and Tennessee beat Kentucky in football. Seattle Seahawks just won too. All this helps make me thankful.

Football

My Seahawks are struggling. The Tennessee Vols are barely bowl eligible. If they beat Kentucky then they will go somewhere. UNLV is not bowl eligible, but the UNLV basketball team is 3-0. They have a big game against Louisville at home on Saturday. Its Thanksgiving week. Which is a football week. I just wish my teams were doing better. My Heisman ballot would be as follows.

1. CJ Spiller - Clemson
2. Kellen Moore - Boise St.
3. Colt McCoy - Texas

Heisman for CJ Spiller

This is part of the fun and problem with opinions. In politics everyone has an opinion and it is hard to prove who is right and who is wrong. I would disagree with many of the guitarists on this list.
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1916544_1921867,00.html

I do agree with some people on the list, but Gene Simmons and Eddie Van Halen are missing. I am a big Hendrix fan also. Politics are similar. Some people would agree while others would not. For instance Solar energy is expensive. Some day the price will drop. I have a 19" TV I bought in 1993 and a 27" TV I bought in 1999. Guess which cost less. Yep the 27" was cheaper and they are the same brand. Solar and wind power could have the same cost improvements, but only if used enough. I think this is why discussions have to occur. In government the big problem is if there is a mistake they won't cut funding and end it. Or will spend so much that they might as well finish. So overspending is never a good thing.

CJ Spiller for Heisman. Of all players I love watching him play. Lets get it right. Moore of Boise St. would be ok also, but if I had a vote I would give it to Spiller.

FAA

The FAA had a "glitch" that caused some issues. I read where they said they needed upgraded systems. Why doesn't an important system have a fail over? Computers can have backup systems that step in when a problem occurs on one and then everything runs on the other. If these systems are way behind then why didn't we upgrade them as part of the stimulus? Charge each passenger an additional $1 FAA fee and you will pay for your systems. I've been hearing these complaints since I can remember. Whenever a situation occurs the FAA says "we need more funding."

Its been good working. It is good for my development of patience. Tomorrow is my last day on the contract I am working. The feedback I get is I have done good work. I wish it was good enough to get me a job.

Medical Suggestions

Well here is an article I find troubling. It suggests that mammograms should not be given to younger people. My wife died of breast cancer at the age of 36 and was diagnosed at 33. This is not a great approach. The younger you get it the more deadly it is. Is this part of the death panel approach? Mistakes are not to be made when it comes to lives. This article shows that the government would rather save money than a few lives. I think younger people should get them every 5 years or so starting at 25, not wait till they get older.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_med_mammogram_advice;_ylt=AtNmS4hJmomWf5L3CsEmsY9H2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTJxMjgwbW9mBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkxMTE3L3VzX21lZF9tYW1tb2dyYW1fYWR2aWNlBGNwb3MDNQRwb3MDNQRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3JpZXMEc2xrA3NraXBtYW1tb2dyYQ--

Conservatives vs Liberals

I look at everything going on in this world. Why do people let others form their opinion for them? With the environment can we clean it up? Yes. Are there causes other than human activity? Yes. But we let one opinion squash the other and that usually doesn't lead to the best solution. Iraq, Afghanistan? 80% of the population wanted to go to war, now they claim to have been misled. In today's world a politician is going to do what 80% of the population wants. We take our opinions from the media and let them funnel us to a belief. The liberal media blasts the conservative media and it works the other way too. The people of this world need to determine what is best and stop letting others influence the way they think. Do we want the hole in the Ozone to grow? No. What if we can create jobs while fighting this? Great. How about nuclear power and reprocessing since it is clean energy? Sounds good. Why do some things and not all things? Because we let a few people ruin it for the whole. Its time we worked on solutions that benefit the majority. I always wonder about cell phones. How many people are upset with the environment and use them along with cars and have 4 legged mammals for pets? Each of those things is bad for the environment. Gore buys offsets instead of sacrificing his lifestyle. He is not doing one thing for the environment personally. He is a spokesman who will leave a huge carbon imprint compared to me. If he was truly fearful of the catastrophe then maybe he would cut down on his own personal pollution.

College basketball is starting and that is a good thing. I look forward to a great college basketball season from UNLV. They have a lot of talent. Its young and should mature when they get to conference play. The schedule will be tough, but I think they will get good quick. They have a lot of new starters, hopefully they gel together quickly.

Gay Rights

It is going to be difficult for elected officials to pass gay marriage bills. Most people are straight and the other issue is that it is still a minority issue within the democratic party. African Americans vote democratic, but are more conservative as a group. So they can't be counted on for these votes. I understand why Obama is pushing for a few things for the gay community. He needs their votes. Gays vote and donate in a block. This way they have a voice as a group. In talking to my daughter who is in High School more and more kids are saying they are gay. I personally don't believe that you are born gay. I think it is a personal preference and therefore a choice.

While gay marriage is something I personally am against sexual orientation is something else. Gay people should be protected against discrimination. The same way sex, race, and religion are. This would mean that harsher punishments should occur if it is proved that a crime was committed against an individuals sexual orientation. Marriage is between a man and a woman. Read the Bible. Churches who say it is OK to be gay are going against their teachings 200 years ago. God doesn't change, people change. So I am against gay marriage, but I am for fair treatment of all humans.

Time

I wish there was more time in a day. How come when you are working there is not enough time and when you are not working you can never fill a day? How life changes. I now have no time for anything. Can we get an extra two hours into a day and not lose sleep? I think that is Obama's education reform. I just think teachers will demand more money.

Global Warming

Is the earth getting warmer? Yes. Is it caused by humans? I would be careful drawing that conclusion. Why is it that when someone suggests that it is not human caused congress and environmentalists throw them under the bus? Environmentalists are are out for their own cause. In the US we don't build factories, nuclear power plants, oil refineries, or much else because of them. They haven't seemed to stop the building of cell towers though. In some area's they complain about windmills. Now they have most people believing we are heating up the earth. Temperatures on Mars and Pluto are rising too. Why can't scientists study this? The learning about the temperatures in the solar system and how they interact with the sun may have more value.

http://seoblackhat.com/2007/03/04/global-warming-on-mars-pluto-triton-and-jupiter/

I have longed learned never to trust everything you hear, because these people are being paid to have an outcome. That is the biggest crime. They are being paid to support a point of view. What they need is to have a true love of the science and curiosity to determine an undetermined outcome. That isn't what is happening.