Not entirely sure how to move forward

It's a Friday evening and even after spending this entire day doing as little as possible, I'm still exhausted.  Under normal circumstances at this point in tax season, I wouldn't be all that concerned.  I'd have four of the next seven days off.  My usual work schedule is Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, allowing me to live within the limits I try to set for myself...and that my doctors want me to live within.  There are usually two peak periods between January 5th and April 15th where I will have to work five or so straight long days, and normally I get two or three days off after those cycles to recover.

But because I am more in demand than I have been in the past two years (and I'm not complaining about this fact), that's not what is happening in the next few days.  I'm scheduled to work 11 hours tomorrow with only a 30 minute meal break, an eight hour day on Sunday, five hours on Monday and 10.5 hours on Tuesday.  Mercifully I'll be off on Wednesday and Friday, and the following week I'll be back to at least three days off per week until that final peak period.

I know I can do this, and get it all done.  Part of my problem in trying to figure out what to do is that I know I can't make up the time to serve my clients who I would have to reschedule if I were to try to take an extra day off in the next four days.  Losing clients means losing revenue.  It might mean losing them for the long term, although I strongly suspect that my clients wouldn't be angry if my health forced me to reschedule them.

My manager would try to get me to allow other tax professionals to handle these clients, but that's a nonstarter in my mind.  I've worked too hard to hone my skills and enhance the reputation that is bringing me new clients to just hand them off to others.  So, I already know I'm going to just suck it up and get it done.  I know I can and that aside from needing some extra rest, will probably suffer no ill effects from doing so.  What I'm wondering is if I'm making a bad decision in doing this.  Will this continue to be a growing problem in the future?  As I gain more and more clients, my ability to find hours to serve those I already provide service to isn't going to increase.  Not unless I recover in ways that are highly unlikely.  My disabilities are all almost certainly permanent and unlikely to improve in any significant way.

One of the things that is being neglected a bit during this time is this blog and for that, I apologize to my loyal readers. 

* * *

A drag race in a section of the San Fernando Valley known as the Canoga Speedway resulted in the deaths of two spectators.  One spectator who spoke to television news crews about the incident has received threats.  People involved with the specific event and drag racing in general in that area are posting statements that no one should cooperate with the police.

As I've mentioned before, I'm not a lawyer and I don't play one on television.  But my understanding of California law is that the action of failing to provide information to the police that damages their ability to investigate a crime can result in a charge of obstruction of justice.  So can encouraging others to refuse to provide information.

I'm not advocating that the cops pull out this weapon and twist the arms of those who were there to force them to step forward and speak up.  But I am wondering why in the world anyone would want someone who is potentially responsible for the death of another to face the justice system.  Be it vehicular manslaughter or murder, someone died.  Someone must be held to answer.  We can argue about assumption of the risk because someone was dumb enough to stand on a street without any protection just to watch people racing.  Sitting in the stands at a track may not be as much fun, but it's a damn sight safer.

Hey, I was young and stupid once.  I went to and watched these races.  That no one got hurt in the ones I watched was just plain dumb luck.  If watching those races floats your boat, keep on watching.  Take the risk.  Just know it is there.  But don't prevent justice from being done.  The dead have families who will never get closure unless those responsible for those deaths are held to answer.

Snubs

Nadia Brunson - Marketing Executive
Alan Hirschfeld - Executive
George Little - Costume Designer
Paul Apted - Sound Editor
H. R. Giger - Designer
Sanford Reisberg - Marketing Executive
Dick Smith - Makeup Artist
Charles Champlin - Film Critic
Pennie Dupont - Casting Director
Frank Yablans - Executive

Ten names that were included in the In Memoriam Segment of Sunday night's Oscar telecast.

Names that were omitted, conspicuous by their absence:

Joan Rivers
Richard Kiel
Taylor Negron
Jan Hooks
Polly Bergen
Donna Douglas

 

I'm having trouble understanding something.  I get it that the Oscar telecast can't pay tribute to every single person who acted, wrote, directed or produced a film; who died in the year before the telecast.  What I can't wrap my head around is why marketing executives and film critics would be honored ahead of people who stood in front of the camera and performed in films.  Hell, Joan Rivers didn't just act in films, she wrote and directed one.  Polly Bergen appeared in nearly two dozen feature films.  Richard Kiel is a lot more iconic in the minds of many than Geoffrey Holder, who was honored on Sunday's telecast.  Unless of course, the AMPAS powers that be think this commercial is more important that being one of the best-remembered villains in the James Bond franchise.

 

If AMPAS wants to honor some actors over others, fine.  But honoring people who market films over actors is just plain wrong.

* * *

On the CBS Evening News With Scott Pelley on Wednesday evening, 2/25/2015; an investigative report will uncover another scandal at the VA, this one truly frightening.  The VA's Benefits Administration division administers programs that provide $95 billion in benefits to veterans.  The CBS investigation reveals that over 13,000 informal claims for benefits that the VA received between 1996 and 2009 were stuffed into filing cabinets at the VA's Oakland Veterans Benefits office without being acted on. Informal claims are letters from veterans who are seeking benefits.  Federal law mandates that such claims be responded to with a formal application for benefits and instructions on how to file that application.  In July of 2014, the VA sent out a letter that thanked a veteran for submitting a disability claim.  Problem is, he submitted that letter in 2004 and then died in an accident seven years ago.

Worse yet, when this massive pile of unprocessed claims was uncovered in 2012, VA management instructed the administrative staff dealing with these claims to mark them "no action necessary" and then set them aside again.

Half of the veterans who had filed claims had died before their request was ever processed.  The widow of the Army veteran who filed in 2004 and died seven years ago lives in a home without electricity today. 

This is unconscionable.  Horrific.  It is evidence that what was uncovered at the VA facility in Arizona involving secret lists of veterans who were being denied access to care is just the tip of the iceberg.

Please watch the report on tonight's news and then write your congressperson and U. S. senator.  Let them know this is unacceptable.

* * *

In the wake of these new revelations, one cannot help but wonder if Robert McDonald, the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs is the right man for dealing with this task.  Clearly honesty and integrity have been lacking at all levels of this government agency and a man who lies to a veteran; even with the best of intentions, may not possess those qualities in sufficient supply to deal with this massive mess.

Brian Williams is a journalist and his employer considers his veracity so critical, he was suspended for six months for lying about his deeds in war time.  Bill O'Reilly is a pundit and his honesty is seriously in question at the moment as he squirms to try to justify his alleged falsehoods.  So why is President Obama giving Secretary McDonald a pass on this?

He shouldn't.  If you're dealing with a veteran, telling him or her that you also served is enough to make that connection to establish common ground.  I never saw a shot fired in anger (except perhaps one time when I was pissed at myself for nearly failing to qualify as expert with the M-16 rifle) and so I don't have the experiences of those who saw 'action.'  I don't need to do this to talk to them:

 



But okay.  The president wants to give Secretary McDonald a pass on this.  Fair enough.  Clean up this mess and I'll give you one as well.

* * *

News Headlines and thoughts on them:

Three Americans tried to fly to the Middle East and join up with ISIS.  Reporter's note:  While we have lots of freedoms in this country, the freedom to betray the nation and kill others on behalf of terrorists isn't among those freedoms.

Doctors treating Bobbi Kristina Brown tried to take her off of some of the medications she is receiving, but she suffered seizures.  Doctors resumed medicating her.  However she continues to breathe through a hole in her throat.  Reporter's note:  They say she has little to no brain activity.  If a family wants to continue to hope for a miracle and pay for care, they should be allowed to do so.

Eddie Lee Routh, the former Marine convicted of murdering American Sniper Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield will spend the rest of his life in a Texas prison.  Reporter's note:  If Kyle's friend and fellow SEAL Marcus Luttrell (he's the guy who was portrayed by Mark Wahlberg in "Lone Survivor") has it right, it may be a short life for Routh.  Luttrell thinks that Routh's fellow inmates will not take kindly to the fact that he killed an American hero.



* * *

Only One Random Pondering today:

This is one way to steal the spotlight from the bride at a wedding reception:

White-wash Sunday

Twenty-five people are nominated in the four acting categories, and in the best director category at the 87th annual Academy Awards; scheduled for Sunday, February 22nd.  Unless I've missed something, 24 of the 25 are Caucasians.  The sole person of color among these nominees is Alejandro González Iñárritu, who is Hispanic.  There will be protests outside of Sunday's ceremonies, decrying the lack of diversity once again among the nominees this year.  Loading the stage with a "diverse" array of presenters doesn't begin to address the whitewash that Sunday's ceremony represents.

Why is it that David Oyelowo was good enough to garner nominations for Best Actor at the Golden Globes and at the Independent Spirit Awards, but not for an Academy Award?  Is it the voting membership of the Academy's overwhelmingly old, white membership as detailed in the Los Angeles Times?  Were the five Best Actor nominees that much better than Mr. Oyelowo?  I don't believe that for a moment.  I'm not saying he was better than any of the five nominees, all six of them (and the others who some claim were snubbed),  all did outstanding work in their 2014 performances.

So how do we address this problem?  Simple.  Change the rules.  Allow members of the Acting Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to vote for any five performances among actors, and five more among actresses.  With a caveat.  Unless the voter has actually seen the film, they cannot nominate it for any awards.  It wouldn't be all that difficult to ensure the voters were in compliance with this rule.  Limiting the so-called reminder lists to just ten actors and ten actresses for consideration to become a nominee seems more than a bit unfair.

Do the same for every other award once the nominations are announced.  If you didn't see all five nominated performances in an acting category, you can't vote in that category.  Same with directing, original screenplay and so on.

There shouldn't be diversity nominations in awards based on merit.  But a complete and utter lack of diversity strongly suggests that something is wrong with the process by which merit is being analyzed.

* * * 

According to Mother Jones, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly has his own "Brian Williams problem" and his response to the allegations isn't helping.  Rather than answer some questions that would be easily answered were Mr. O'Reilly's prior claims truthful, he's resorted to name-calling and saying something many (including me) consider to be a threat of some kind.

Mr. O'Reilly is on the record as having said he was in a "war zone" during his time covering the Falklands War for CBS News.  But no correspondents were actually given access to the areas in the Falkland Islands where the fighting was going on.  Mr. O'Reilly was over 1,000 miles away, covering the war from Buenos Aires.  That city was not in a war zone.

Fess up, Mr. O'Reilly.

* * *

Oscar predictions for tomorrow night:

Best Picture - Birdman will probably win. Tough category with other outstanding films.
Best Actor - Michael Keaton will win.  Benedict Cumberbatch should win.
Best Actress - Julianne Moore should and will win.
Best Supporting Actor - J. K. Simmons should and will win.
Best Supporting Actress - Patricia Arquette will win.  I'd call this one a tie between Laura Dern and Patricia Arquette

Best Original Screenplay - The Grand Budapest Hotel will win.
Best Adapted Screenplay - The Theory of Everything will win.
Best Director - I feel less strongly about this one than any other prediction, but Richard Linklater will win.

* * *

Someone I follow on Twitter was tweeting excerpts from their own "dream" Oscar acceptance speech so I decided to write my own.  So at an Oscar ceremony, some year in the future, Kate Bosworth is at the podium and after the obligatory joke says "the nominees for Best Original Screenplay are:

Wes Anderson, for Mushroom Cloud Soup,
Joel and Ethan Coen, for Vertigo in Fargo,
Me, for Once a Cop,
Charlie Kaufman, for This is Your Brain on Life,
Quentin Tarrantino, for Kill Bill, Vol III,

And the Oscar goes to me."

There is a round of applause for me, as this is my first nomination and the only one for this little indie film that almost no one bothered to see.  In my rented tux and shiny shoes I stride toward the stage, with my portable oxygen tank in tow.  Somehow I manage to get up the steps without falling or gasping for air, and I shake hands with Ms Bosworth.  She kisses me chastely on the cheek, thanking her lucky stars I'm not going to pull an Adrien Brody on her and hands me the golden statuette.  I move to the microphone and say:

"Let me begin by thanking all 239 of you who took the time to see the movie during its limited theatrical release.  If someone will send me a list of your names, I will be happy to send personalized thank you notes.  Thank you to the members of the Academy, the producers who somehow found the money ([sotto voce ]you guys still owe me that twenty grand I lent you), and most of all to my mother and father.  Without those two, someone else would have won tonight.  To the director, cast, crew and others involved in the production, my undying gratitude.  You put every single word on the final draft, and some that didn't make it that far up there on the screen for the audience to see.

To my agent, publicist and attorney, a quick thanks since you've already been compensated for your efforts on my behalf.  I don't have a wife to forget to thank, which is something I am thankful for in and of itself.  Since my ex-wives and I haven't had anything of substance to say to one another for at least 20 years, I have no further comment on them.  To every single woman who I dated and who chose to dump me, I bet you're wishing you were sitting out there in the audience tonight, smiling up at me.  Truth be told, most of you aren't wishing that and those who are probably found the proper man to satisfy their avaricious nature.  To the teachers and supervisors who said I'd never amount to anything, I guess I showed you.  You didn't say it to motivate me, you said it because you suck as teachers.

Finally, to those out there who have dreamt of standing where I am now.  Dreaming is good.  Dreaming can be wonderful.  But rather than spend you life dreaming, as I nearly did, put that energy into the keyboard, into the pen and paper and fulfill your promise.  With all of their positive attributes, dreams alone can't get you one of these (hold up the Oscar).  Thank you and good night."

* * *

Random Ponderings:

If people want to pay to see Bill Cosby perform, that's their prerogative.  If people want to protest outside venues where he is performing, that's also their prerogative.  He should rebrand his next tour as the "I Did Not Grope Those Women Tour."

The Oscar "swag" bags for acting and directing nominees are worth more than $160,000 this year.  Every single nominee should donate the entire contents of their bag to charity.  Well, except maybe for the vibrator and condoms.  Those might come in handy.  BTW, just what do two 2-packs of condoms possibly do to make their value $56???

Apparently someone stole video of a nude Kris Jenner at some point.  Why is beyond me.  All I care about is ensuring I'm never struck blind by an accidental viewing of this video.  If you're willing to code a custom solution to prevent that from ever happening on any computer or smartphone I ever use, please contact me.

I don't have my Lincoln Log yearbooks handy, but the thought of one particular photo in them just flew into my mind.  The vending machines on the left, the trash cans that we filled with debris from the products inside those machines on the right; with the caption, "if you don't like the trash on the right, try the trash on the left."  Classic.

Perhaps one of the nominees at the Oscars award ceremony should be Spanx, for Best Supporting of Actresses.

They just don't get it

We are coming up on the seven week mark of the 114th United States Congress and the Republican leadership is apparently convinced they need to do things to let the American people know that they haven't learned a damn thing from recent history. 

These so-called leaders allowed the federal government to grind to a halt in October of 2013.  From October 1st through October 16th, non-essential government functions were shut down.  It was the worst of politics as usual in this era; an exercise in the futility of our fractured system of government.  No money was saved, because the employees who were ordered not to report for work were ultimately paid for their time not working.  In fact, money was wasted.  This action accomplished nothing.

Now Speaker of the House Boehner and his cronies want to allow the Department of Homeland Security to run out of money.  Ostensibly to prevent the Executive Order signed by President Obama to modify current immigration law enforcement; but in point of fact, if DHS shuts down, nothing related to the President's order will change.

Challenging the decision by President Obama to take action by Executive Order in the court system is the proper avenue.  If his move is a violation of our constitutional system of checks and balances, that is the arena for the Republicans to seek redress.  Not by getting into a pissing contest serves no useful purpose.

The years 2015 and 2016 are critical if the party of Lincoln is to have any hope of putting anyone other than another Democrat into the Oval Office.  Doing dumb things like this damages those faint hopes.  I guess these days the GOP should adopt the dunce cap as their emblem.  It fits.

* * *

California State Senator Holly Williams has introduced legislation into the Senate to preclude cases involving police officer shooting deaths from being sent to a grand jury.  The purpose of the legislation would be to prevent such cases from being examined in secret.

It's a good first step but it isn't enough.  The alternative would be to hold preliminary hearings in such cases, and while they wouldn't be behind closed doors; the problem of the close relationship between prosecutors and police officers remains.

The answer is simple.  Do as Senator Williams wants to do while providing for the investigation and prosecution of such cases to be done by the State Attorney General's office. 

* * *

John Belushi
Chris Farley
Gilda Radner
Phil Hartman
Jan Hooks
Don Pardo
Bernie Brillstein
Andy Kaufman
Danitra Vance
Charles Rocket
Michael O'Donahue
Elliot Wald
Herb Sargent

Ego, Delusions of Superego and the Idiocy of the Id

My life, in a YouTube clip.  I've been up since before 5 a.m. for at least the fourth straight day.  I think my cumulative sleep total during that time is between 14 and 16 hours.  To call me utterly exhausted isn't even close to an accurate description.  Yet, here it is my scheduled day off and I have a full slate of work and clients.

Normally, to comply with the limited resources my physical infirmities have left me with, I only work three days a week on a regular basis.  If I don't do something, I will work every single day this week except Wednesday, although I have only one client scheduled for Friday and again on Saturday.

This cannot continue.  I will be right back in a hospital bed, or worse.  The question is, do I suck it up for another day, ignore the fatigue and what it is doing to me?  My plans to have some fun and play trivia tonight will almost certainly have to be canceled.

I'm going to move the clients scheduled on Friday and Saturday to other days.  I'm going to move the clients scheduled the following Saturday to other days.  I'm going to make sure I get a minimum of three days a week off, after this week; until April 10th (I can work five or six straight full days, knowing I have ten weeks off after April 15th).  The question is, what to do about today?  Do I go in, or do I call in sick?  Frankly, I don't know what to do.  Feedback would be greatly appreciated.

So why is this such a struggle?  Because I absolutely loathe telling people "no."  I don't like hearing it myself.  I sometimes think the reason I'm not more aggressive about pursuing writing as a profession is that I don't want to have to deal with the rejection letters.

* * *

Last November, we had elections in California.  470 superior court judge slots were up for grabs.  Or might have been except for the fact that 450 incumbent superior court judges ran for reelection without opposition and did not appear on the ballot.  Only two incumbents who were opposed lost their seats.

This system needs to change.  The people need to have the right to recall judges who no longer deserve to be on the bench, but making them stand for election on a regular basis dilutes their ability to be impartial arbiters of the judicial process. 

Fast forward this video to just past the 16 minute mark and watch the judges rip apart the assistant attorney general who attempts to defend a prosecutor who lied on the witness stand.  Judge Alex Kozinski, a member of the panel in this video, has talked about what he describes as an "...epidemic of prosecutorial misconduct..." and he claims that California's trial judges won't act on it because it could harm their chances to remain on the bench.

Fine.  Make judges able to act appropriately on the bench and not have to worry about appearing to be "soft on crime" because they hold prosecutors to the appropriate standard.  Let judges who go too far down the wrong road be recalled by the voting population. 

* * *

A few years ago, when I was between full-time jobs outside of doing taxes, I took a position with a small, family-owned business.  They needed someone for one season, as the person I was replacing would be back the following year, as he was doing a short term in jail.  Guess the best way to get job security is to be the son of one of the owners of a business, as he was.

In mid-March, I got a job offer in my primary field at the time and I wanted to take it.  The owners called me into a meeting when I mentioned I'd be giving notice.  They wanted to change our deal.  They were going to invest in me.  Buy a book of business and make it so that I could earn more money the following year by staying with them, rather than working full-time year-round.  It sounded good, so I passed on the other position.

Big mistake.  They reneged on the deal.  They lied, just because they needed me to stay with them through April, as there was no way they could hire a replacement at that point in tax season.  Expensive lesson for me, but never trust the promise of someone where you have no recourse or guarantee they will live up to the commitment.  Get it in writing.  Make it enforceable.

* * *

Random Ponderings: 

Kris Jenner is making noises that she may drop her current last name and be known "professionally" as just Kris, from that point forward.  She's not important enough to be known by a single name, and the Jenner name is currently her sole redeeming feature.  Showing a lack of compassion for Bruce as the transition begins is just one more piece of evidence that she continues to be less than kind to her former husband.

If so-called "sovereign citizens" aren't citizens of the United States, let's deport them elsewhere.

What does it really mean for the future of American Express that Costco isn't renewing their exclusive deal?  It isn't good, that's for sure.

Republicans in Congress are having so many pissing contests I'm beginning to believe they've installed pipes from the congressional urinals leading to the RNC headquarters so they won't run out of piss.

On a related note, allowing the funding for the Department of Homeland Security to run out would be the first misstep by the Republicans in blowing a chance to regain the White House in 2016.

There isn't a single good reason for the California State Senate to be buying new hybrid cars to replace vehicles with less than 13,000 miles on them.

Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson can kiss my ass.  The fact that Bruce Jenner is going to transition changes nothing in terms of the accomplishments of a lifetime.  If he no longer considers Jenner a hero in his mind, that's his problem.

People who think that Eddie Murphy couldn't be funny on the SNL 40 year reunion clearly don't know the man.  He chose to express his true feelings, rather than going for a cheap "Buckwheat" laugh.  For those who needed a cheap laugh, here ya go:

 

I like the fact that while today is known as "President's Day" that is not the name of the federal holiday.  Today is officially Washington's Birthday.  Some states did label the holiday as President's Day at the state level.  George Washington, first in war, first in peace and first to wear a wig and stretch pants. He was wearing yoga pants long before anyone in the U. S. was doing yoga.

At Hometown Buffett, every Tuesday is Fat Tuesday.

The Koch Brothers are planning to produce a steamy sex-filled movie of their own.  Fifty Shades of Gray Flannel.

Even Titans Fall

A blog of headlines and thoughts on them:

Jerry Tarkanian has passed away.  He was 84 and died in the town he grew to love, Las Vegas.  The team he put together that won the 1990 NCAA Final Four might be the best college team of the modern era (I think that John Wooden's squad at UCLA that won three consecutive NCAA Final Four titles and 88 straight games was better).  Controversial, outspoken and afraid of no one.  Tark the Shark will be missed.  Thanks for your kindness to a reporter, coach.  RIP, sir.

60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon was killed in an auto accident.  He was an outstanding journalist and everything that any good reporter would strive to be.  RIP, sir.

2/13 - And now the legendary Los Angeles newsman, Stan Chambers has passed at the age of 91.  63 years as part of the KTLA-TV news team. One of my personal heroes.  RIP, sir..

David Moore (R) is a state legislator in Montana who has introduced legislation to ban the wearing of yoga pants in public.  Reporter's note:  Apparently there is nothing important for Montana's elected leadership to work on.  Must be nice.

As the 70th anniversary of its founding approaches, North Korea is coming up with slogans.  Here's one of them:  "Let us turn ours into a country of mushrooms by making mushroom cultivation scientific, intensive and industrialized!"  Reporter's note:  I read that and immediately thought of this patch:

The brave men of the U. S. military who raided the Son Tay POW compound in North Vietnam back in 1970 got patches for themselves that looked a lot like this.   The acronyms are Kept in The Dark/Fed Only Horse Shit, which is very mushroom-like.

The U. S. Army will be paying for the transition from male to female for Private Chelsea Manning, as she remains jailed in a military prison.  Reporter's note:  Gender Identity Disorder is a medical condition.  If an institution imprisons someone, they have a duty to provide for that person's medical needs.  OTOH, I have to question whether or not Chelsea got proper counseling before making the choice to transition.

Now the investigation into the alleged "conflation" of suspended NBC Nightly News Anchor Brian Williams involves a claim he made that he flew into Baghdad with SEAL Team Six.  Military experts are dismissing his claims as almost certainly being untrue.  Reporter's note:  Lots of military units will allow journalists to be imbedded with them.  SEAL Team Six is not one of them.

Oregon governor John Kitzhaber is resigning his position due to a long-running scandal where his fiancée is accused of briefing state officials on energy policy issues while in the employ of a group that was advocating on the issue.  Reporter's note:  Yet another political career trashed because a man thought with his little head more than his big one.

One of the designers of the "wings" worn by the Victoria's Secret angels is behind a new space suit design being evaluated by NASA.  Reporter's note:  Can Spanx in Space be far behind?

Yahoo Sports' Big League Stew is reporting that James Shields will only net around $40 million from his $75 million contract with the San Diego Padres.  Reporter's note:  Wow, a pro athlete is going to have to pay higher taxes because he signed a deal with a team in a high tax state.   What a dumb story!

Kim Kardashian took North West with her to her husband's show at Fashion Week and was forced to beat a speedy retreat when North wouldn't quiet down.  Reporter's note:  Leave kids at home where they might disrupt an all-adult activity.

A Phelan, CA music teacher has been arrested for possession of child pornography after the principal of the school where he worked caught him watching it in his classroom, partially undressed.  Reporter's note:  On school grounds, in his classroom, just after school hours, partially undressed?  This guy is a future Darwin award nominee.

The University of Southern Mississippi men's basketball game nearly forced double-overtime against Florida International University, even though they played the last 45.5 seconds down one player.  Due to injuries and recruiting violation accusations, only seven players were able to dress for the game.  When two of their squad had already fouled out, and a third player received his fifth foul, they were short one player for the rest of the game.  Reporter's note:  When situations like this come up, the rules should be altered.  The opposing coach should be able to choose which of the disqualified players (meaning they've fouled out in that game) will play, and from that point on, if that player is whistled for a foul; the other team gets free throws and keeps possession.

This just in, Gary Owens just died at the age of 80.  One of my favorites.  RIP, sir.

Behind Closed Doors

Barbara Wagner has been the Head of School at the Marlborough School since 1990.  Marlborough, an exclusive and expensive school for girls has been around since the late 1800s.  What makes Ms Wagner different from most of the other heads of school at the elite Southern California schools is the length of her tenure.  Compare the length of her service to Marlborough with that of the heads of other elite private schools:

Archer – Elizabeth English - 2008
Brentwood – Michael Riera – 2010
Buckley – James Busby – 2013
Campbell Hall – Rev Canon Julian Bull – 2003
Crossroads – Bob Riddle – 2009
Harvard-Westlake – Richard Commons – 2013
Marlborough – Barbara Wagner – 1990
New Roads – Walter Landberg – 2013
Wildwood - Landis Green - 2007
Windward – Tom Gilder – 1987

But last June, scandal hit Marlborough.  An essay was published on the web from a Marlborough graduate regarding inappropriate touching by a male teacher during the time she was one of his students.  Little was done. 

Other past incidents involving this teacher came to light as other Marlborough students heard about and read that essay.  Eventually the teacher was let go, although he got a job at the Polytechnic School.  Days ago, he was arrested and according to multiple sources, charged with four felonies.

The question is, was the investigation into what happened as transparent as those who carried it out claim it was?  No.  The initial reaction to the first incident that was reported to Ms Wagner by the then President of the school's Board of Trustees was not mentioned in the report of the investigation.  John Emerson, someone with serious political connections, said it wasn't necessary to share news of the first allegation with the rest of the Board.  The teacher got counseling and the student and her family got short shrift.

When the new allegations against the teacher arose, the new Board President launched the aforementioned investigation.  It made Ms Wagner the scapegoat.  In fact, the complete and utter lack of communication with the rest of the Board by Mr. Emerson about what was going on was unconscionable.  Yet in some of the elite private schools, that's how things get done.  There is a Board of Trustees, but the Head of School and the Board President make the big decisions; usually just the two of them in the Head's office.

There's more to the story than what the media has reported to this point.  Ms Wagner is one of the best compensated private school heads in the area, but her income skyrocketed in the year that the essay author made her complaint against the teacher.  It more than doubled from the previous year, with total compensation of more than $1.5 million.  Why did she get so much more money that year?  There may be a logical explanation, but given the intense shroud of secrecy that how much heads of school get paid, we will never know what it might be.  I'm sure she will be well-compensated by the school as she heads off into the next phase of her life.

I spent 17 years working at one of those schools.  I saw and heard plenty.  While I did not have first hand knowledge of any of the facts, there were three incidents where employees departed while the rumor mill churned with speculation that they'd been involved in sexual relationships with students.  I was told in one case that the parents actually did not object to their son being involved with his attractive female teacher, and that the two of them moved in together during his first year of college.  Again, I have no personal knowledge regarding these events, but heard about them from people "in the know."

Everything that happens at this type of school goes on behind those closed office doors.  There is never transparency.  No one outside of the administration will ever know that one trustee once "wigged out" when the school's bank mistakenly credited the school's account with $1,000 instead of $1,000,000 as he had given.  When I heard about that, I made mental note to never bank at an institution that could misplace $999,000 for more than 48 hours.

I think Marlborough is making a mistake.  They should have cleaned up the Board of Trustees and kept Ms Wagner on.  She's done an amazing job. 

* * *

Without the aerospace industry, the South Bay of Los Angeles would not have grown like it has since airplanes began to be built on production lines.  Later this year, the last of those lines will shut down and no more planes will be built in Los Angeles.  Probably forever.

Where do the people who built those planes go?  The job market is bleak for people who've spent 20 years doing this vital work, even with the supposed brighter unemployment picture.  They aren't going to head off to other Boeing facilities around the country. 

I think it's sad.

* * *

Santa Monica and West Hollywood have some pretty strict laws regarding rent control.  There is an argument to be made that forcing building owners to rent units to long-term tenants at less than 50% of the current market rate should be considered unconstitutional under the U. S. Constitution's Takings Clause.  Since these landlords are forced to rent at these rates, and often lose money, they aren't receiving the Just Compensation called for in the Fifth Amendment.

But that's not why rent control is on my mind.  We can debate the need to ensure no one is homeless unless they choose to be and are mentally competent to do so, another time.  I'm interested in this today because I like the fact that a tenant in a Santa Monica apartment won the case against his landlord.

He's lived in his apartment for over 24 years.  He made improvements at his own expense when the building owner refused to maintain the property.  Nothing outside the box, just some nice upgrades. Then the owner sued him for violating the terms of his original lease.

I like the fact that a jury ruled that the owner gave up her right to evict this guy long ago.  Even better is the fact the city is suing this property owner for harassing her tenants.  Most property owners I've encountered are fair people trying to make a reasonable return on an investment.  Then there are some, like this woman, who want to ignore the law.  Even if you disagree with a law, you can't ignore it.  Well you can, but you'll pay a price.

* * *

Random Ponderings:

I hate websites that promise to give you information about something you might be interested in, and then all they want is your phone number or email, to try to sell you a product.  Same with these so-called "you just won..." offers.

I don't see any scenario where Brian Williams will be able to return to NBC as managing editor and anchor of the Nightly News.  His credibility is shot.

Can't wait until tomorrow morning when I can get these stupid Unna's boots off, even if only for a few minutes.  Imagine wearing socks that reach to just below your knee nonstop for a week.  Now imagine they are a tad small and squeezing your legs.

Bruce Jenner is trying to keep a low profile for now, which means giving up the ostentatious cars.  Wonder if he hates riding around in a Ford Fiesta as I suspect he does.

Who the hell within the Grammy organization omitted the name Little Jimmy Scott from the "In Memoriam" segment?  Not to mention leaving out the name Joan Rivers on a show where she received a posthumous award.  Just awful!

Looks like this implosion didn't quite go as planned.  Watch the part of the hotel to the far right of the screen:

This is how it is done:

This isn't a building implosion.  It speaks for itself:

Bill Clinton might go on a late-night talk show and play the sax (quite well, btw) but asking a Cabinet member to quack on television???

Sending good thoughts to Jerry Tarkanian, who isn't nearly as gruff in private as he is in public. He's in the ICU unit, where the charge nurse better order extra towels for chewing.   Since he's in the news, perhaps it is time to play this again:

Uma Thurman may look different, but she's still gorgeous.

Will someone who has his ear tell Speaker of the House Boehner that he's dead wrong with this invite to Netanyahu?  Please!!

I understood the creation of Virginia Slims...market to women.  But a $100 million yacht, just for women? 

About time the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau began to crack down on payday lenders.

I'm Depressed

My favorite niece (she is my only niece but I do adore her) made me very proud today.  She wrote a blog post about being diagnosed with depression.  She is doing well, getting the proper medications and she will go on to live a normal life.  Okay, okay, as normal a life someone can have when they're my niece. 

Suffering from depression doesn't mean you are crazy, or "damaged" or "broken."  I know.  I've been battling depression off and on (mostly on) for more than 20 years.  I began seeing a therapist when my second marriage fell apart.  For a while, just the psychotherapy was enough for me to function and get through the days.  Even when my 2nd ex-wife chose to announce her desire for a divorce by phone on my birthday, I managed to cope.  I got into one of those so-called transitional relationships and for months that gave me the strength to go on.  To do my jobs and have what I considered a normal life.

I may be a complainer of sorts with the written word, but I'm pretty darn stoic when it comes to keeping things bottled up inside.  I learned that from my father.  Men don't cry.  We aren't allowed to show weakness.  We seek to be the best.  We compete.  I was programmed to be a Type-A personality throughout my childhood and teen years.

Finally I talked to my physician and not my psychotherapist and I found relief through chemistry.  The "happy pills" didn't make me happy, but they enabled me to deal with the emotional roller-coaster that victims of depression find so incredibly overwhelming.

I was still seeing the psychotherapist but not on anti-depressants when I got sick.  When I came out of the coma, they were one of the first drugs my doctors added to my very long medication list.  I take them today.  I am not ashamed to admit I suffer from depression.   Depression is a mood disorder.  it doesn't require psychiatric hospitalization unless the victim is suicidal.  It is not a reason for its victims to be stigmatized; but because there are bullies within every age group, many are afraid to admit they have a problem.

Me, I have so many health problems to deal with, what's one more?  My clients, colleagues and students don't see any signs of this.  I learned to "suck it up" and show no signs long ago.  Having medications merely makes that process easier to do.

Some studies show that victims of depression have shorter life expectancies.  I suspect this is due to the fact that this segment of the population has a higher suicide rate than other population groupings.  This skews the numbers.  People who suffer from depression and receive appropriate treatment will live just as long as anybody else...at least in my opinion.  I intend to be my own best anecdotal evidence of this.

* * *

I saw a tweet today that made me sit up and take notice.  Here it is:  https://twitter.com/jjauthor/status/564111468568666112.  For those who don't want to click the link, the relevant text is:  "#WakeUpAmerica There hasn't been 1 day during the O presidency when as many Americans were working FULL TIME as on the day Bush left office."

That made sense at first glance, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was probably untrue.  So I checked the data on the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) website.  Based on a definition of full-time employment as being 35 or more hours of work per week, there were roughly 113.8 million Americans working full-time on the day President Obama was inaugurated.  Full time employment by this definition rose above that number in August of 2011.  It was above that level throughout 2014.

What the limited data capabilities of the BLS won't tell me is if these numbers are for full-time people working at just one job, or working two part-time jobs and a weekly total of more than 35 hours per week.  So technically, Ms Johnson's contention might be correct. 

But it isn't.  The truth is there has been a recovery.  And while employers continue to try to convert full-time positions to part-time positions providing the same number of labor hours, some employers know that the best way to operate is to pay employees strong wages and benefits; encouraging long-term employment. 

The moral of this story is just because something is on the net doesn't mean it is true

* * *

Random Ponderings:

Jerry Rice has admitted to cheating during his NFL career.  Does this tarnish his achievements?  I think it does.  He is still the best wide receiver of all time. 

Harvard has banned sex and/or romantic relationships between faculty and all undergrads.  Previously the ban only applied to faculty and students they taught.  This is silly.  If there isn't a direct teacher-student relationship and the student is of age; and gives informed consent, it isn't the university's business.

It didn't take long for the jokes about women drivers to hit the net once the news of Bruce Jenner's automobile accident spread.

Speaking of Bruce Jenner, while Zoey Tur is a very courageous woman, she has no business demanding that he make his announcement about his transition so he can become a role model for the LGBTQ community.  It is Bruce's life to do with as he pleases (I'll refer to him with female pronouns once he makes the official announcement).

We know why Dustin Diamond wasn't at the Saved by the Bell reunion.  His fellow cast mates might have lynched him.  But the story from the publicist representing Lark Voorhies was that she had too intense of a work schedule to make the Tonight show.  Work schedule?  She hasn't done anything in entertainment in nearly 3 years and her 2012 video was so bizarre that one has to wonder what she's really up to these days.

AirBNB says host in Los Angeles earned $43 million last year.  That's millions in lost hotel room tax revenue the city lost.  This is one reason why exempting Uber, Lyft AirBNB and others from taxes and regulation is a bad move.

One last Jenner note, after seeing photos from TMZ.com just before and at the moment of impact, I can't help but wonder if the presence of multiple paparazzi cars behind him and beside him at least contributed to the accident.  Hopefully the investigation will make the cause or causes of this tragedy clear.

Taxslayer.com is advertising its online filing with the claim that there is no fee for paying them with your refund.  It looks to me like they don't charge a fee for this service, but their site does say that this service is "...a product of Citizens Savings Bank of Sandusky, OH."  I wonder if the bank charges a fee for this product.  That would be.......misleading, eh?

Does the NARAS have to arrange for Kanye West to be physically restrained in order to keep him from rushing the stage when anyone other than he or Beyoncé is receiving an award?  Seems like it might be a good idea.

 

 

An Accurate Reflection of Who You Are

One of the reasons my blogging has been more sporadic of late is that I've found other ways to waste time in less productive pursuits.  One of them has been participating in the #HashTagWars put on by the comedy program "Midnight".  A recent war required us to #RuinASoup and here are a few of my creations for that:

Crème of Semen Soup
No Soup For You Humble Pie Soup from the Soup Nazi
Campbell's Chunky Monkey Chocolate Soup
Progresso's Puke Green Split Pea Soup
Scooby Doo Doo Soup

As you can see, mindless entertainment for me and little more.  I'm not going to give this pursuit up completely, but I want to spend less time on it and more on substantive writing.  Oh, I forgot my favorite #RuinASoup - Crème of Hemorrhoid Soup.

* * *

Amy Pascal is leaving her post as Co-Chair of Sony Pictures Entertainment. Of course, she landed a four year production deal and will continue to have offices on the Sony lot, so she isn't going very far.

She wouldn't be going anywhere if she'd realized you can write what she wrote in some of her emails.  Business email, personal email, text messages, it's all the same.  But what really bothers me is this statement from Ms Pascal:

"“The content of my emails were insensitive and inappropriate but are not an accurate reflection of who I am,” she said in a statement, adding that “although this was a private communication that was stolen, I accept full responsibility for what I wrote and apologize to everyone who was offended.”

Is this true?  I don't think she's a racist.  But it is the height of stupidity to write anything using a company email account that could cause you to be portrayed in a bad light.  Nothing you commit to paper or tell someone on a phone line is ever completely and totally secure.

Ms Pascal has had a great run as studio head.  She's promoted female filmmakers, brought in a bunch of box office hits, and managed to hold on to her position for much longer than anyone thought possible. 

Her departure isn't just the email scandal.  She's approved movies that didn't do well at the box office.  The actors and directors she's made profitable films with aren't as successful as before.  And yet, were it not for a few stupid emails, she could have probably kept her job.

Compose in haste, repent in unemployment.

* * *

Random Ponderings:

Doing a "where are they now" piece on the Andy Griffith Show was kind of morbid.  Except for Ron Howard and Jim Nabors, the regulars have all died.

I just heard a guest on the Maury Povich show call his baby mama "peanut butter" and when asked by Maury why he called her that, the guest replied "Easy to spread."  That's even better than what Don Cheadle says at the start of this clip:

 



Now people are speculating if the Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) might change Bruce Jenner's sexual preference, and make him attracted to men instead of women.  Older research says no.  More recent research says it is possible.  But the American Psychological Association says,
"Gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same. Sexual orientation refers to an individual’s enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to another person, whereas gender identity refers to one’s internal sense of being male, female, or something else. Transgender people may be straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or asexual, just as non-transgender people can be. Some recent research has shown that a change or a new exploration period in partner attraction may occur during the process of transition. However, transgender people usually remain as attached to loved ones after transition as they were before transition. Transgender people usually label their sexual orientation using their gender as a reference. For example, a transgender woman, or a person who is assigned male at birth and transitions to female, who is attracted to other women would be identified as a lesbian or gay woman. Likewise, a transgender man, or a person who is assigned female at birth and transitions to male, who is attracted to other men would be identified as a gay man."  Since he isn't going to share details until his reality show drops, the speculation is pointless.

I almost feel bad for the people over at TurboTax, as it isn't their fault people are using their software to file fraudulent tax returns.  Almost.

In Brazil, a woman was shot by a man committing a robbery.  But her bra's underwire stopped the bullet, and prevented her from being injured.  Wow. 

I'm wearing the new boots the VA gave me early this afternoon.  They're called Unna's Boots, and they are really no fun to have on.  But I have to get used to them, I may be having them on for weeks.

I am very proud of my niece.

Fanning the Flames of Outrage

I watched the raw video of the Jordanian pilot being burned while alive.  I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with a weak stomach.  The life of 26 year old Lt. Muath Al-Kaseasbeh ended in several minutes of agony we cannot even begin to imagine.  Then his body was crushed by a bulldozer.

One of the most revered clerics in the Sunni faith says that the Prophet Mohammad claimed God alone reserves the right to punish by fire, in the after-life.  The Quran also prohibits the mutilation of bodies, even in time of war.

Once again, ISIS acts ostensibly in the name of the faith of its members by violating the tenets of that faith.  The hypocrisy is only outweighed by the methodology of their acts of terror.

Yesterday, on Fox News (Faux News for those of you who prefer that label) Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke (R) said that ISIS cannot be defeated by aerial bombardment alone.  He has a point.  The question is, do we need to put U. S. military personnel in harms way to carry out the objective of ending the ISIS reign of terror?

I believe we do, but only on a limited scale.  Congressman Zinke is more qualified than most of his colleagues to speak out on military issues.  He served in the Navy for 23 years, retiring with the rank of Commander.  He was a member of SEAL Team Six.  And in his comments he discussed using special operations forces in defeating ISIS.

That's the key.  We don't need to move tens of thousands of infantry soldiers with their thousands and thousands of support forces to the Middle East.  We need to train those ISIS is fighting and support them with limited missions conducted by the operators of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC).  Using components of Delta Force, SEAL Team Six (still the name in the public eye, although their official designation has changed) along with certain Marines Corp and Air Force units, the command structure and communication links of ISIS could be taken out. 

Cut off the head and the snake dies.

* * *

"Business leagues, chambers of commerce, real-estate boards, boards of trade, or professional football leagues (whether or not administering a pension fund for football players), not organized for profit and no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual."

That's from the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U. S. C., Section 501, paragraph (c)(6).  How did that provision get into that code section for only the NFL?  It came about when the NFL and the AFL merged, and was part of the actions by Congress to avoid anti-trust problems regarding the merger.

The fallacy of these memes going around the net is that they're made to appear no NFL entity is paying any taxes on the income (we tax income, not gross revenue, at the federal and state level) earned.  Every NFL team pays taxes on its net income.  The league itself is a not for profit.

I agree that the league's not for profit status is questionable, but only because of the outrageous salaries it pays to its executives.  Were it not for those, the NFL itself would be comparable to any Chamber of Commerce.  An entity designed to help businesses make money.

We need to also remember that the NFL is a gigantic economic machine that generates thousands of jobs.  Not just the highly paid players and coaches.  The people who sell the tickets, who mow the lawns of the fields that aren't artificial, the people hawking concessions among the fans present.  The bartenders and servers in places where fans go to watch games on television.  The reporters and TV crews who cover the games.  The list of people who have jobs because of professional football is almost limitless.  While the hot dog and beer vendors may be merely part-time workers, many of them are moonlighting from other jobs, or making a life out of two or three part-time positions.  How many people would be unemployed if the NFL suddenly ceased to exist?  I don't know and I don't ant to know.

* * *

Random Ponderings:

Someone just said unless you're going to California, chill out about the measles issue.  There are now more than 100 cases, in 14 different states.  This is no time to chill out.  Especially when Westside schools have non-vaccination rates in excess of 75%.  I wouldn't send any children I care about to a school where the danger is so much higher.  Vaccination rates that approach 95% provide what's known as herd immunity.  25% rates are a recipe for disaster.

Following the announcement that Snoop Dogg is going to throw out his "USC drawers" how many people will be digging in his garbage to try to grab them?

If Jay-Z and Beyoncé are paying over $15,000 for half a school year for Blue Ivy to attend a pre-school, the list of potential schools is very short.  I imagine that several of the "A-list" elementary schools on the Westside will be putting out feelers to this power couple.

I wonder if Big Boy will be forced to honor the portion of his contract that allows Emmis to match any offer he receives and remain with the communications group.  He says he's leaving.  Stay tuned.

Elizabeth Paige Laurie is an heiress to the Walton family fortune.  She's currently earning nearly $1 million a month.  Her estranged husband, after only six years of marriage, wants $400,000 a month in temporary spousal support.  For decades, women who married wealthy men got big bucks that way.  Why should this be any different?  If her name seems familiar, she's the one who graduated from USC and then gave back her diploma after her college roommate let the world know she'd been paid to do Paige's homework.

Wonder what I'd do if I was offered a lot of money to do someone's homework these days?  To get me to ponder that offer for more than a picosecond, it would have to be north of six figures.

I've told a lot of Bruce Jenner jokes, but all kidding aside...I fully support his decision to do what he is doing.  If that makes him happy, more power to her.

Why not name your cats after television characters?  Taylor Swift did it.  Makes as much sense as any other pet name.

Poker chips are trending as a potential Valentine's Day gift.  What would you do if your love gave you a set of those?

Ellen Barkin, who is getting married for the third time at age 60, looks damn good.  Not just damn good for 60, but damn good.

I guess "conflate" is the newest synonym for embellish, or lie.  Just ask NBC's Brian Williams.

If you were suspended from a job paying millions for 10 months for substance abuse, when your suspension ends, would you drink again within weeks of regaining this great job?  Wide receiver Josh Gordon didn't, and now he will get another year off without pay.  Pro careers end very quickly, but some addictions are hard to conquer.

Welcome to the dog and pony show

During my decade of military service, I learned countless acronyms.  Two of the first few that we were taught were Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge (NCOIC) and Officer in Charge (OIC).  The man who was one of my first military mentors explained the difference between the two by saying, "NCOICs really run everything.  They are the ones who know how things are supposed to work and they do what they have to so the OIC doesn't get into trouble."

I, being a curious young airman asked "so what does the OIC do then?"  The answer was surprising and amusing.  "Well, everyone once in a while the OIC shows up and the NCOIC takes him or her on a tour of the shop.  The OIC asks questions from time to time and the NCOIC explains how things work.  The officer will then shrug their shoulders and say 'oh, I see.'"

One of the things that the OICs were good at was preparing for the visit of an officer that significantly outranked them.  There was a time when I was working for a Lieutenant Colonel who was our squadron commander.  There was a four-star general coming to visit our offices and my CO planned to put on a real "dog and pony show".  We asked for and received students going through training at our base to be detailed to us the weekend before the visit.  We had them clean and paint everything.  They had to buff the linoleum floors of every latrine in the hangar, just in case the general had reason to look inside of them.  Why he might go into either of the women's latrines is beyond my comprehension.  Then again, given the sexual harassment record of the military, perhaps the notion isn't that far-fetched.

Just a few days before the visit date, the boss decided he wanted to paint the front of the 2nd floor walkway that faced the main entrance to the hanger in our squadron color of maroon.  Supply had no paint in stock that was anywhere close to what he wanted.  So he said to go downtown and buy some.  I took the request to procurement who denied it initially.  They said that the "priority" of the request wasn't high enough to warrant bypassing the bidding process.  When the boss heard that, he wigged out and signed off on changing the priority to the highest level short of war.  We got the paint.  The general didn't even see it.

Most of the time, dog and pony shows are a complete and utter waste of time.  When you know the boss is coming, you make sure they won't see anything that will piss them off.  I saw one such dog and pony show at the VA Medical Center.  The U. S. Secretary of Veteran Affairs was visiting that day.  Everything was cleaned.  I'd been there the previous weekend and most of the front area had been closed off for cleaning.  Now that I knew he was coming, it made sense.  Flags were everywhere.  A VA police officer monitored the front entrance, telling anyone who even thought about leaving their car in the red zone to move it.  I'm actually glad I got out of there before the arrival of the VIP and entourage.

If the boss wants to know what's going on, they should show up unannounced.

* * *

In the video below, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee says homosexuality is a "choice."

I disagree.  I was born a heterosexual.  I could never choose to become homosexual.  Just as all of the gay people I know could not suddenly choose to be straight.  Those who are bisexual are also born that way.  We have no "control" over our sexual preference. 

I don't know if Governor Huckabee actually believes the bullshit he's putting out, he's probably just courting the more conservative members of the Republican party as part of his presidential campaign.  A campaign that is doomed to fail.


* * *

There is probably more "Monday Morning Quarterbacking" going on today than ever, because of the absolutely moronic call the Seattle Seahawks made very late in the 4th Quarter of yesterday's Super Bowl. 

Some of those who are second-guessing the call to pass in the middle of the field when so close to the goal line are claiming that on 2nd Down and Goal, with 26 seconds left in the game; the Seahawks had three chances to "punch it in."  Not necessarily true.  They had only one timeout remaining.  They could get one play run, and if it failed, call a quick timeout.  Depending on how long it took the refs to blow the first play dead, the clock could run out following the second run attempt.

When you have the best running back in the league (arguably), defenses are going to expect the run.  Throwing the ball is a good "out of the box" call, if you don't throw into the middle.  The middle is clogged up with defenders who are planning to stop the play at the line of scrimmage and prevent a "leap" into the end zone by a running back.  A flare to either side would be safer, and far less likely to be intercepted.

Bottom line is that the Seahawks had a chance to win and they made the wrong call.

* * *

Random Ponderings:

I have to express my gratitude to TMZ.com for their continuing minute by minute updates on the status of the arrest of NFL Network analyst Warren Sapp.  They might want to considering rebranding at TMI.com.

I'll never understand the logic of Christian Science followers who believe prayer will heal.  Oh wait, I'm trying to apply logic to religion.  Never mind.

There's something weird about seeing Gisele Bundchen in a Pendleton shirt.  Also, big kudos to Bridget Moynahan for her gracious tweet to Tom Brady after the game.  They're an example of how good co-parenting is done (of course, they have the financial wherewithal to make it a lot easier).

Is Johnny Football moving into the rehab room that David Cassidy is vacating?

Parents who insist on the right to not vaccinate their kids against measles should be allowed to do so, provided those children will never be exposed to anyone who might contract the disease from them.  Otherwise, such parents should not have the right to put others at risk.  One carrier is almost certainly responsible for the now more than 100 cases in the U. S.

For those of you who were still hopeful of landing Charles Manson, his planned marriage to a 27 year old woman isn't happening, at least not without getting a new marriage license.  I suspect there are several deluded souls out there who would leap at the chance to marry this particular madman.

If someone sent me a "glitter bomb" I would probably just ignore them from that point on.  But if someone wasted $3.99 to mail an empty envelope to me, I'd probably send them to see a personal financial counselor.

The reporter who complimented Rashida Jones on her "tan," apparently unaware that the beautiful actress is bi-racial needs to be given an easier assignment.

I don't know why I like the 1965 film "In Harm's Way" so much, but I do.  Maybe it is just seeing a rapist getting shot down and bursting into flame.