I don’t know why youtube doesn’t have a live performance of this great tune. Listen to the way that Al Jarreau injects joy into this tune. Oh, and his trademark scat singing has never been better than this solo. Once I heard this tune I simply loved Al Jarreau.
My news roundup in just a second.
Artist: Al Jarreau
Tune: Better than Anything
The death of Steve Jobs is very sad. I discussed his resignation here and the amazing products that Apple/Steve Jobs developed here.
I found this on youtube. Steve Jobs in 2005 giving the commencement address at Stanford University. He is funny, thoughtful and insightful. He doesn’t spend hours droning on and on. It is almost a perfect commencement address.
When I was in my late teens and felt kind blue I played this tune –
Artist: Tom Scott
Tune: Shadows
I know that I don’t usually post music during the week, but I just thought that I needed to post this one.
Artist: the timeless Tony Bennett and Diana Krall
Tune: Diana Krall
I’ve worked ever since I graduated college.
I willingly pay all my taxes.
I vote in every election.
I write a political blog so I can be part of our democracy.
I spend much of my free time reading and following baseball.
Maybe I’m the conservative.
Maybe my friends are the conservatives.
Maybe the Occupy Wall Street folks are the conservatives.
We just want a decent society where playing by the rules and working hard is rewarded.
What we don’t what is a nutball free-for-all of corporate criminals owning our politicians, endless war based on lies, and treating people like crap because they may be gay or of color.
This is why I’ll be attending the Occupy Houston event you see described below.
I think we need to be—working together—the source of our own hope and change.
The work of freedom and democracy is up to each of us.
Here is the Occupy Houston website.
Here is the Occupy Wall Street website.
Here is a great view on the protests from the liberal magazine The Nation.
Here is a Daily Kos post with links to Occupy efforts all across the country. This is a great resource.
Below is a poster for the Houston event— [Read more →]
I was 13 – 2 and 1 last week!! Give it up! (I called a toss-up on the Vikings – KC game.)
Hits
Calvin Johnson
Matt Hasselbeck: I don’t think that I’ve seen a quarterback, so late in his career, turn things around so much. The last several years Matt Hasselbeck has looked terrible in Seattle. I guess having a porous offensive line does that to many quarterbacks. Currently, Matt Hasselbeck has thrown for 1152 yards, eight touchdowns, three interceptions and has a quarterback rating 104.7. He is the fourth highest rated quarterback in the league. He is on fire.
Houston Texans: Last week, in my predictions, I said that Houston had to win this game. Although it wasn’t pretty, they came away with the win. It is time for us to begin to think of the Houston Texans as one of the best teams in the AFC. The Texans are playing pretty well on both sides of the football. Unfortunately, one of the best receivers in football, Andre Johnson, was injured. His status is uncertain. Arian Foster was outstanding in his debut. The Texans need a couple of their receivers to step up big time if they’re going to continue their winning ways.
Green Bay Packers/Aaron Rodgers: These guys didn’t even look like they were trying. Is hard for me to find another team that is playing in the same stratosphere as the Green Bay Packers. They’re playing both offense and defense extremely well. Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the league right now. He has an outstanding receiver core. His offensive line is giving him enough time. The defense for the Packers is creating just enough turnovers and pressure on the quarterback to make it difficult or impossible to keep up with the high powered offense of the Packers. If they can stay injury free, these guys have an excellent opportunity to hoist the Lombardi trophy once again.
Baltimore Ravens: On national TV, the Baltimore Ravens took the proud New York Jets and gave them a spanking that we haven’t seen in several years. The Baltimore Ravens turned in one of the best defenses performances that we’ve seen all year. As a matter fact, it was one of the best performances I’ve seen in the past several years. Now the question is whether the Baltimore Ravens continue to play defense at this high a level. If they’re going to go deep in the playoffs, their defense must play exactly like this.
Matt Forte: Where has this guy been? I guess his performances have been overshadowed by both the good and the bad of Jay Cutler. On Sunday, he carried the Chicago Bears to victory. 25 carries for 205 yards! That’s an amazing performance.
Calvin Johnson: Eight touchdowns in four games. Calvin Johnson was one of the main reasons, see more of my rant below, that the Detroit Lions were able to humiliate the Dallas Cowboys at home. His first touchdown catch against triple coverage was truly a thing of beauty. This guy is one of the best receivers in the league. He reminds me of a young Randy Moss with his jumping ability and his ability to stretch the field.
Misses
Curtis Painter
Indianapolis Colts: Last night, on Monday Night Football, the Indianapolis Colts almost looked like an NFL team. Their quarterback, Curtis Painter, did not look completely inept. I’m still extremely disappointed in the Colts offensive line. They don’t seem to have the ability to move anybody off the ball. The Colts special teams are mediocre. I wish I could blame the Colts defense, but I can’t. The Colts defense was designed to stop an offense once or twice a game.
Philadelphia Eagles: I must start off by saying I’ve never liked the Philadelphia Eagles. I’ve had something against the Philadelphia Eagles since the early ’90s. I can, though, appreciate both good and bad football. Lately, the Philadelphia Eagles have been playing bad football. The formula for victory in the ’90s for the Eagles was a suffocating defense with an opportunistic offense. Since Andy Reid became head coach, the Eagles have had an explosive offense and a hard-hitting defense with some holes. With patience, you can beat the Philadelphia Eagles defense. Now, they are simply playing that well on either side of the ball. The offensive line for the Philadelphia Eagles is mediocre at best. Michael Vick, their multimillion-dollar quarterback, just doesn’t seem to be making the thoughtful pinpoint throws he was making last year. This may be due to his porous offensive line. There is no reason that a team with all of this talent should lose to the San Francisco 49ers. By the way, do the Eagles have any cornerbacks who actually like to tackle?
Dallas Cowboys: Oh my goodness. Some things have to be seen to be believed. How can you possibly lead 27-3 in the third quarter and lose the game? I wish I could blame Tony Romo for the Cowboys’ collapse, but I simply can’t. When you look at the game in total, you begin to see the Cowboys not being able to put this game away very early. The first hint came when the Cowboys had three chances inside the 10-yard line to score in the first quarter and decide to go for it on fourth down. (Now, remember the Dallas Cowboys let Marion Barber go. He was a beast on the goal line. The Cowboys have no back, that I’m aware of, who is able to hit a linebacker in the hole and run over him.) The dive play up the middle into the strength of the Detroit Lions defense was curious at best and stupid at worst. The Cowboys come away with no points. I don’t understand how you don’t get the ball to your best goal line player, Jason Witten. Week after week, the Dallas Cowboys secondary gets torched. Last year, the Dallas Cowboys secondary got torched. In the off-season, the Dallas Cowboys did nothing to shore up their secondary. So, it should be no surprise that our secondary is completely inept. The Cowboys need to call up Darren Sharper. We need a safety you can cover and hit people. We probably need another cornerback also, since Michael Jenkins has forgotten how to play that position. Finally, I need to say something about throwing three interceptions in the second half. It is simply mind-boggling. Tony Romo was nearly brilliant in the first half. What was he seeing? He throws in the triple coverage once. He throws the ball outside when it needed to be inside on his third interception. And on his second interception he throws the ball inside when the Detroit cornerback had an inside position in order to take away the slant with which the Cowboys had killed the Detroit Lions on the whole first half. Simply mind-boggling. No team needs a week off more than the Dallas Cowboys.
Now, like many Americans, I have watched Hank Williams, Jr. start off Monday Night Football for years. It is a fun four- or five-minute segment. I’m not sure what he or his publicist were thinking when he decided to go on FOX and Friends.
From TP:
ESPN dropped Hank Williams Jr.’s well-known “Are You Ready for Some Football?” opening song for Monday Night Football last night after the country singer compared President Obama to “Hitler” earlier in the day and called the president and vice president “the enemy.” Shortly after Williams made the comments on Fox & Friends yesterday morning, ESPN said in a statement, “We are extremely disappointed with his comments, and as a result have decided to pull the open from tonight’s telecast.”
Williams, a staunch conservative who is reportedly considering a GOP Senate run in Tennessee, said his comments were “misunderstood,” yet he seemed to stand by them:
“Some of us have strong opinions and are often misunderstood. My analogy was extreme – but it was to make a point.” [...]
Williams Jr. adds, “Every time the media brings up the tea party it’s painted as racist and extremists – but there’s never a backlash – no outrage to those comparisons.”
This has to be a deliberate ploy. He must be gearing up for a run for Senate. From an entertainment standpoint, this was a disaster. On the other hand, if you want to whip up the Tea Party so that you have support behind a Senate bid, this has to count as brilliant.
As a doctor, I live and breath healthcare. I’m one of those doctors who is smack dab in the middle of healthcare. I can’t do my job without a hospital. As a trauma surgeon, I need the support structure that a fully equiped hospital provides. Because I live in the Blue Ridge mountains, I take care of people from all around this beautiful country. Thousands of people come here to see the mountains. Thankfully, only a few injure themselves while they are here.
Currently, I’m taking care of a young man who lives in Florida. He crashed his motorcycle. He had a terrible head injury which required emergency neurosurgery in order to evacuate an expanding epidural hemorrhage. The patient has insurance. He is now much better and we need to figure out how to get him back to Florida. Here’s where the “fun” begins.
So, for 3 days the hospital social worker is trying to find a rehab facility to take care of this patient. Then we need to make sure that this facility takes the patient’s insurance. Next, we have to make sure that the insurance company will pay for the patient’s rehab and transport to Florida. Finally, and this is really choice, the facility requires the sending doctor to find a receiving doctor. Have you ever tried to get a single MD on the phone? Now, try to get two doctors together at the same time. (I have been waiting for a return call for more than an hour. Just waiting…)
This is nothing but a huge waste of time. All of this needs to be streamlined so that the patient is taken care of effectively. We need a system that is designed around the patient.
Photo from Occupy Wall Street taken yesterday 10-2-11
A couple of days ago, I mentioned that I like the spirit of Occupy Wall Street. I immediately got an e-mail from a friend of mine who wanted to know if I supported some of the more radical things that were written on protest signs at the rally in New York. All I can do is smile. This is the game that the left/right play in order to distract attention away from the core issues. Yes, I said the right and the left because there are those on the professional left who play the game exactly the same as those on the professional right. (James Carville comes to mind.)
So, in order to increase clarity and decrease confusion, here’s what I like about Occupy Wall Street. First of all, this is an organic movement. This was not started, like the Tea Party, by some fatcats with millions billions of dollars bulging from their pockets who wanted to protect their wallets. Instead, this was simply started by several people who were fed up with Wall Street.
Secondly, one of the major reasons for America’s economic downfall was the shenanigans that went on on Wall Street. This was illegal (and no one has been held accountable). Let me type that again – the actions which led to the 2007 crash were illegal. Illegal activity took place on multiple different levels. The machine was fascinating to watch. You have the loan originators who were encouraged to fraudulently fill out loan applications. Now, this was not one or two seedy characters who simply increased the assets on a couple of loans. This was systemwide fraud. Loan originators weren’t paid for accuracy. They were paid by volume. Next, you have Wall Street. They bought these toxic mortgages, applied some sleight-of-hand and then sold these mortgages to investors. Wall Street told the investors that these were incredibly safe investments. Thirdly, you have the rating agencies. They only got paid if Wall Street used their ratings; therefore, there was an incentive to fudge the ratings. (Fudge is really too kind a word. Perhaps we should use “fraudulently take garbage and stamp a AAA rating on it.”) These guys cranked out billions of dollars worth of these toxic mortgage derivatives. They sold them to everybody, the world, as safe investments. After all, they were home mortgages.
Almost everyone with a couple of dollars to rub together invested in this garbage. Everyone from small-time investors to cities and counties, even countries invested in this stuff. Wall Street has simply crippled the world economy by selling these toxic, malodorous securities.
Finally, the stranglehold that Wall Street has over our politics must be changed. There’s simply too much money in politics. Our politicians are bought and sold just like those toxic securities. The only way to make the system work for us, the American people, and not Wall Street is by removing the money. Somehow, someway, we have to take the money out of politics. These are the reasons that I’m supporting Occupy Wall Street.
It is clear that one of the greatest challenges to healthcare is obesity. Even if you’re not fat or overweight, Americans are getting fatter by the minute. Don’t believe me. Go to any mall, sit down and watch. It shouldn’t take long before the enormity of the problem begins to sink in.
From USA Today:
“Obesity is going to be a leading driver in rising health-care costs,” says Kenneth Thorpe, chairman of the department of health policy and management at Emory University in Atlanta. Thorpe did this special analysis on obesity for America’s Health Rankings, the 20th annual assessment of the nation’s health on a state-by-state basis.
“There is a tsunami of chronic preventable disease about to be unleashed into our medical-care system which is increasingly unaffordable,” says Reed Tuckson of United Health Foundation, sponsor of the report with the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention.
One of the things that we have to do is simply eat better. I understand that’s easier said than done. It is much easier to grab a hamburger than it is to fix a healthy meal. Yet, we have to figure out a way to make it easier and more efficient to eat healthy. Harvard has come up with a guide called the healthy plate – this is a start.
Did you see that Denmark just instituted a fat tax? This is what we need. We need to encourage Americans to eat healthy. In the long run it is best for all of us. (I’m waiting for the usual objections from conservatives – liberals always want to tax x, y or z. This isn’t true. If they have a better idea, I’m all ears.)
Denmark has introduced what is believed to be the world’s first fat tax – a surcharge on foods that are high in saturated fat.
Butter, milk, cheese, pizza, meat, oil and processed food are now subject to the tax if they contain more than 2.3% saturated fat.
Some consumers began hoarding to beat the price rise, while some producers call the tax a bureaucratic nightmare.
Cam Newton
Carolina Panthers versus Chicago Bears – This is an interesting game. Both teams are still looking for their identity. I’m not sure what happened to the Chicago Bears. Somehow, they’ve changed from a tough running football team to a pass first football team. This is fine, except, there’s one problem. Their offensive line is a sieve. I’m not sure that the Carolina Panthers are going to be able to take advantage of this. Cam Newton has really impressed. He’s moving well in the pocket. He’s getting the ball out of his hands very quickly. He’s making good decisions with the ball without the turnovers. I’m giving a slight edge in this game to the Chicago Bears.
Buffalo Bills versus Cincinnati Bengals – Can the Buffalo Bills capitalize on their tremendous win from last week? Simply put, the Bills are playing very well on both sides of the football. Cincinnati, on the other hand, have been stuck in mediocrity for several years. I don’t see this trend changing anytime soon. I think, I hope that the Buffalo Bills put it all together and win another game. Just imagine 4-0, Buffalo Bills. It is pretty mind-boggling.
Tennessee Titans versus Cleveland Browns – Can the Cleveland Browns run the ball against the Tennessee Titans? I don’t think so. This makes the Cleveland Browns a one-dimensional offense. I don’t think that Colt McCoy is ready to carry this team on his back. Matt Hasselbeck is playing almost better than ever. He’s not showing any of the indecision that we saw over the last couple of years in Seattle. His number one receiver, Kenny Britt, is out. Can Nate Washington step up? The Tennessee Titans have a solid defense. I think that Chris Johnson is way overdue for a 100-yard game. I look for the Tennessee Titans to begin to flex some muscle and win this game.
Detroit Lions versus Dallas Cowboys – There’s no doubt about it, the Detroit Lions are playing extremely well. Last week, I bet against, my Dallas Cowboys. I just didn’t think that they would ever be able to put it together to beat the Washington Redskins. I still think that the Cowboys have some problems in the secondary. Terence Newman has been in and out of the lineup. Michael Jenkins, the other cornerback, has also been banged up. He seems to have lost the ability to press cover receivers. We also have some problems at safety. On the other side of the ball, I don’t see how Dallas is going to be able to run, pass, and block the Detroit Lions. The offensive line of the Dallas Cowboys has some issues. (The center seems to have a habit of randomly snapping the ball. This isn’t a good trait.) My mind says to choose against the Cowboys again this week. My heart says the Cowboys are beginning to heal and are playing better football. Putting those things together, I think that Detroit, if Matthew Stafford does not turn the ball over, should win this game.
Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Houston Texans – This is the best that the NFL has to offer. It should be the best game of the day if the Texans don’t roll over and play dead. The Pittsburgh Steelers are still trying to find their groove. Ben Roethlisberger is simply not seeing the field well. He’s thrown some interceptions. He’s held onto the ball and fumbled several times. He simply hasn’t looked good. The Steelers haven’t been running the ball that well either. If the Steelers want to win this game, they have to be able to pound the rock. I simply just don’t know about the Houston Texans. For the last several years, there has been a point in the season when the Houston Texans look almost invincible. Then, without explanation, they fall apart. I thought last week they needed to stand up and play an outstanding game against the New Orleans Saints, a team that really hasn’t put all their pieces together, yet, with a victory. That didn’t happen. I think that this is a must win game for the Houston Texans. If they want to be taken seriously, they need to win this game. I look for the Texans to win this, late in the game with a field goal.
New Orleans Saints versus Jacksonville Jaguars – Simply put, the New Orleans Saints need to travel to Jacksonville, break out a BIG can of woop, get back on the bus and go home. The New Orleans Saints can and should dominate this game. Look for the New Orleans defense to create several turnovers, which could turn this game into a blowout.
Minnesota Vikings versus Kansas City Chiefs – Somebody has to win (unless it is a tie and if it is a tie then both owners should fire everyone). I promise. Somebody has to win this game. I give the edge to Minnesota. By the way, what happened to Donovan McNabb? Too old? Too many hits? Too much time carrying the Eagles without help? It is very sad to see a once elite quarterback struggle to make the simplest throws.
San Francisco 49ers versus Philadelphia Eagles – If there were ever a recipe for the San Francisco 49ers to win, it is the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are having trouble stopping the run. The one thing that San Francisco should be able to do is run the football. How do the 49ers slow down the Philadelphia Eagles? I don’t think the 49ers have a good answer. Will Michael Vick get hurt, again? Will we see Vince Young? I think that Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles will figure out a way to win this game.
Washington Redskins versus St. Louis Rams – I think that the St. Louis Rams will play a more competitive game than they did last week. They need to upgrade several positions. I think the Washington Redskins are going to try to get on top early. If Rex Grossman can avoid turning the ball over, I think the Redskins can come away with a victory.
Afternoon Games
Eli Manning
New York Giants versus Arizona Cardinals – There is no way that the New York Giants should allow Arizona Cardinals hang around. New York needs to take the opening drive and cram the ball down the Cardinal’s throat. They have to establish that they’re not going to piddle around this game. If they’re able to do this and Eli Manning is able to avoid turnovers, the New York Giants should cruise to victory. (By the way, the Giants appear to be getting healthier.)
Atlanta Falcons versus Seattle Seahawks – In spite of the fact that the Atlanta Falcons just don’t have it all together, they should cruise to victory over the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks have so many problems that they need to address. Atlanta should be able to ground out a victory. This is a must win game for the Atlanta Falcons, in my opinion.
Denver Broncos versus Green Bay Packers – I really do not know the identity of the Denver Broncos. Are they a running team? Are they a passing team? Do they play suffocating defense? I don’t have answers to any of these questions. I do know what to expect from the Green Bay Packers. The Packers will spread the field and Aaron Rodgers will pick the Denver defense apart. I look for the Packers to continue their winning ways.
New England Patriots versus Oakland Raiders – This may be one of the best games on Sunday. The Patriots are kind of reeling from their loss last week. You know they want to get back on track and send a message to the league that they are still the most dominant team in the NFL. (I really think the best team in the NFL is currently the Green Bay Packers.) So, can Oakland slow down Tom Brady? I really think this is the key to the game. I do think the Oakland Raiders will be able to move the ball against the Patriots defense. I just don’t think that the Oakland Raiders will be able to hold up to a shootout with Tom Brady. If the Raiders get a few turnovers, especially turnovers early in the game, I think they can win. I don’t think that you can depend on Tom Brady to throw another four interceptions. I think a victory by the Oakland Raiders would really shake up the NFL, but I just don’t see it happening. I look for Tom Brady to figure a way to win this game.
Miami Dolphins versus San Diego Chargers – I simply don’t know what happened to the Miami Dolphins. Why haven’t they found a real quarterback? Their defense seems to be getting better, but they need better play from their quarterback. I look for the San Diego Chargers to figure out a way to win this game. I do not think it will be pretty.
New York Jets versus Baltimore Ravens – can the Baltimore Ravens run against the New York Jets? I think the answer is yes. I don’t think that the Jets are playing the same type of defense they played last year or the year before. I think that this is the key to the game. On the other side of the ball, I don’t think that the Jets will consistently be able to move the ball against the Baltimore Ravens. So, once again, things come down to Baltimore’s erratic quarterback, Joe Flacco. Can Joe Flacco protect the football? I think the answer is – maybe. I look for Joe Flacco to limit his mistakes in this game by handing the ball off a lot. I look for the Ravens to grind out a victory on the ground.
Monday Night Football?
Indianapolis Colts versus Tampa Bay Buccaneers – There was a time, back long ago, when Monday night was reserved for the best that the NFL had to offer. That was a long time ago. This game will not be anywhere close to the best that the NFL has to offer. The Indianapolis Colts are struggling to play real professional football. I look for them to get slapped all over the field by the up-and-coming Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I like the way Josh Freeman is throwing the football. I also like the way they’re running the football. If they can protect the football, this game is Tampa Bay’s to lose. I look for the Colts to go 0-4. (By the way, have I mentioned that the Colts are so awful that their owner should refund Colts season-ticket holder’s money? I’m just saying.)
Here’s what I find irritating about Sarah Palin. Here is a series of words, but… Her lips are moving. Stuff is coming out of her mouth. There are several catch phrases thrown in with nouns and verbs, yes, but she says nothing.
You can see the whole interview here.
The more I read about the White Roof Campaign, the more I like it. I like the simplicity of it. I know that those who deny climate change secondary to man’s burning of fossil fuels will state that we can’t fix the problem but just by painting our roofs and roads white – this is true. But, this is not proposed as an all-inclusive fix. Instead, this is one thing we can do in order to bring down the temperature of the planet. This is extremely easy and it will be tremendously helpful.
From NYT:
Relying on the centuries-old principle that white objects absorb less heat than dark ones, homeowners like the Waldreps are in the vanguard of a movement embracing “cool roofs” as one of the most affordable weapons against climate change.
Studies show that white roofs reduce air-conditioning costs by 20 percent or more in hot, sunny weather. Lower energy consumption also means fewer of the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming.
What is more, a white roof can cost as little as 15 percent more than its dark counterpart, depending on the materials used, while slashing electricity bills.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu, a Nobel laureate in physics, has proselytized for cool roofs at home and abroad. “Make it white,” he advised a television audience on Comedy Central’s “Daily Show” last week.
The scientist Mr. Chu calls his hero, Art Rosenfeld, a member of the California Energy Commission who has been campaigning for cool roofs since the 1980s, argues that turning all of the world’s roofs “light” over the next 20 years could save the equivalent of 24 billion metric tons in carbon dioxide emissions.
“That is what the whole world emitted last year,” Mr. Rosenfeld said. “So, in a sense, it’s like turning off the world for a year.”
Please understand, this does not fix the problem. This will delay the effects of global warming. It will help the planet. We still have to develop a permanent solution.
You can find more information on white roofs – here.
There was a time when Al Jarreau was IT. He had three albums (yes, they were albums) and they were simply fabulous. During this time, disco/dance music was sweeping the country. What you do if you are a jazz vocalist and disco is sweeping the country? You make a couple of tunes that try to cross over into that medium. This is one of those tunes. It is fun. It is catchy. Enjoy!
Artist: Al Jarreau
Tune: Boogie Down
Errington C. Thompson, MD, is a surgeon, scholar, full-time sports fan and part-time political activist. He is active in a number of community projects and initiatives. Through medicine, he strives to improve the physical health of all he treats...
