a pattern

Hotline picked up on an insensitive trend:

As the MA SEN race looks to be headed to a photo-finish, several pols and pundits have used a similar, albeit unfortunate metaphor, to describe the prospect of a GOPer taking the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)'s seat:

Earthquake.

All of the following comments were made over 24 hours after the devastating 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti:

FNC's Sean Hannity: "What a political earthquake, though, that would be" ("Hannity," FNC, 1/14).

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), on MA state Sen. Scott Brown (R): "I know if he wins, then, obviously, it will have a seismic effect on American politics" ("On the Record," FNC, 1/13).

Ex-Speaker Newt Gingrich, on whether there's a Dem effort to stall a swearing in if Brown wins: "If the earthquake happens and if you have this sudden, stunning, unbelievable result, I think it would be impossible for the Democrats in the Senate, for the president to block the seating of the Republican candidate" "On the Reocrd," FNC, 1/13).

NPR's Juan Williams, on a GOP win: "I know the prospect is boy, that would be something. That would be an earth shaker. Talk about an earthquake. That would be one right here in American politics. No doubt about it" ("Hannity," FNC, 1/13).

The comments offer a contrast to the sensitivities to the term "tsunami" after the late '04 Indian ocean earthquake were still so strong during the '08 pres. primaries that networks abandoned their use of the term "Tsunami Tuesday" to describe the Feb. 5, 2008 primaries.

What do they all have in common? That's right, all appeared on Fox on the 13th and 14th. I am sure it is just a coincidence that they all said the same thing and these "pundits" and politics were not talking from the same script.

a new chapter in the annals of cluelessness

Well it seems that my least favorate State Senator, Chris Buttars, has an ingeneous way of cutting the state's budget to make up some of the $700 million dollar gap:

A state senator says school districts should stop busing high school students as way to save money.

Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, told the Legislative Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee on Monday the move would save as much $75 million.
...
Buttars noted that 75 percent of the state's student population is along the Wasatch Front.

Yes, because (a) the other 25 percent of the state doesn't count to Buttars and (b) high school kids in urban/suburban areas can somehow get to school without a school bus.

As the head of the Granite School District noted, high school administrators have enough trouble keeping teenagers in school without having the lack of busing as an excuse. Moreover, how in the world are kids in rural school districts going to get to schools miles and miles away?

As Gubinatorial candidate Peter Carroon said the other day,

"Our state leaders have talked about education as their No. 1 priority for decades and Utah is falling in national standards," Corroon said. "They've cut hundreds of millions of dollars out of our education system. If that's priority No. 1, I'd hate to see priorities 2 and 3."

Buttars' solution will cause more problems which will cost more than the money he seeks to save. Why is this guy on the Senate Appropriations Committee again?

2.5 Million Dollars and a Good Pair of Shoes

The quote of the day:

Corroon, who raised over $225,000 in the final three months of 2009 and is carrying over about $77,000 from his 2008 mayoral campaign, recognized he has a long way to go in building the bank account, and reaching the voters, to mount a competitive race.

It's going to take $2.5 million," Corroon said. "And a good pair of shoes."

In those shoes, Corroon said, he will take his message to all corners of the state — a task necessary for a man whose name is not well known outside the Wasatch Front.

For those of you inclined to donate to Peter Corroon's gubinatoral campaign, here is the link.

the fortune cookie chronicles (my life)

So yesterday I go out to dinner and get a fortune cookie (which by the way were originally Japanese cookies that, thanks to internment camps during World War II became Chinese "fortune cookies"). That "fortune" said that (and I am paraphrasing here) I have a "major talent" that I am not using. Somehow, this struck home.

And I know this sounds prideful and arrogant, but I do feel like my abilities are not being fully utilized. Don't get me wrong, I am so lucky to have a job, especially a good one where I have as much fun as possible when you work 8-13 hours a day. And it is intellectually stimulating; I also have learned so much in the past year or so. Yet somehow, there is this sense I have that I am missing something. Perhaps this is related to my sudden desire to have a hobby.

Has a fortune cookie ever struck a chord with you?