Where can I join this

Non Sequidur comic strip can often say things I can only wish of doing, the Sunday strip is one of them, enjoy, especially on a Monday morning.

A lighter side of things

The weekend is starting and so here is some light sports reading from Mike Penner at the Indian Express newspaper. It seems the US baseball team lost to Mexico so the US will not have a team in the 2004 Olympics. I can’t tell if the writer is laughing or crying over the state of affairs of US teams in international sports (the US isn’t bringing as many metals home as we used to or could). I hope he’s laughing, at least I find it hard to take sports seriously. I hope the blog master will not excommunicate me for saying that. Have a good weekend.

Where Do You Rank on the Generosity Index?

There has been a survey done that ranks states by a "Generosity Index". The index is calculated as the differential between the state's ranking (1-50) of AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) and the state's ranking (1-50) by the percentage of itemized charitable deductions compared to AGI. Interesting:

California is ranked 6th in AGI, but 17th in giving

New York 4th in AGI, but 25th in giving

Mississippi, ranked dead last (50th) in AGI, but 6th highest in giving

The index is also interesting because it measures relative generousity in terms of the ability of the contributer. Thus, those who have more are expected to give more in absolute terms (as implied by the generosity index). This is a proposition that I tend to agree with, for to whom much is given, much is expected. God gives to each man resources that are to be used to provide for oneself and for others. We are not to bury the talents in the ground.

Politically it is interesting as well, take a look at this version that color codes the states by the way they voted for Bush in 2000. Hat tip to Andrew Sullivan for pointing this one out. Sullivan uses this as some fodder to try to show the reality about what he says the left calls "callous, selfish rich Republicans".

The color coded table really is a thought provoker; I'm sure that Dems will pull out some sort of rationale about absolute giving being the standard, economic factors in differing regions, yada yada. I'm unconvinced by the suppositions that Sullivan and (presumably) Glenn Beck make at this time, only because the Generosity Index is such a simplistic formula; I'm still trying to unpack what it means. I know this sure gives us some pause, doesn't it?

What is haunting is that in Scripture, Jesus considered the widow's mite more than the Pharisee's treasure.

Democracy Held Hostage

From the c-span.org site:

A Filibuster is the term used for an extended debate in the Senate which has the effect of preventing a vote. Senate rules contain no motion to force a vote. A vote occurs only once debate ends. The term comes from the early 19th century Spanish and Portuguese pirates, "filibusteros", who held ships hostage for ransom.

A Dem filibuster has halted the nomination of three federal judges: Priscilla Owen (for the 5th Circuit in New Orleans), Carolyn Kuhl (for the D.C. Circuit) and Janice Rogers Brown (for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco).

Yahoo provides some commentary and history back in 2001:

A filibuster is a "shameful" and "under-handed" action employed by a "long-winded" "obstructionist ringleader." At least according to some political critics. It's actually a parliamentary tactic used to stall legislative proceedings or to thwart an opposing bill that would otherwise pass.

A filibuster invoked for any purpose is not right. It is the imposition of a different standard of majority upon a particular vote than originally intended. In today's example, if the judges had been advanced for an up or down vote before the entire senate, a simple majority would have confirmed their appointments; however, a parlimentary loophole has effectively bound a 60-40 majority to judicial appointment. Actually this standard is true for any issue. I suspect that the only thing that holds a filibuster in check is the negative press generated by the filibustering party.

UPDATE: As I sat eating my lunch, I realized that in principle, a filibuster is not democratic, as the delaying tactics stop a particular matter from ever reaching a vote at all. Ending a filibuster requires a 2/3rd vote to end a particular speaker's debate--thus the larger majority required.

MLB to have mandatory steroid testing

Pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) signed by the players and owners in 2002, there will be mandatory steroid testing if there were greater than 5% positive random tests in 2003.

The results are in. All precincts have reported. The number in 2003 was between five and seven percent. A lot of players that are clean, most notably pitchers and the Chicago White Sox, were willing to intentionally fail the test (by not submitting their sample) in order to trigger this clause in the CBA. Punishment will be moderate: treatment for a first offense, 15 days for the second positive, 25 and 50 days and one year for each subsequent offense.

The embarrassment and stigma attached to a cheating player may be greater than the actual punishment doled out by MLB. Then again, who really remembers and cares that Sammy Sosa used a corked bat last summer? People forgive and forget players they like, such as Sosa. They will lynch players they don't such as Barry Bonds.

Some player who is probably innocent will have an inexplicably horrible year next year. And guess what will be to blame? They don't even need testing. People will judge anyway. Yes, I'm looking at you Rick Reilly.

The pool is open for the first player to be caught with a positive test. I nominate David "Poppy" Ortiz. Or Jason Giambi. Giambi is getting hurt enough now to suggest he may be on the juice. I honestly don't think either Bonds or Sosa is juicing up because they've been relatively durable and healthy, unlike other players rumored or confirmed to have taken steroids such as Ken Caminiti, Jose Canseco and (just a guess) Juan Gonzalez.

An interesting column on race

Shelby Steele at the OpinionJournal.com has an interesting take on why Howard Dean made his comment "guys with Confederate flags in their pick-up trucks," and why that caused such outrage in the country. I don’t know if I agree with everything said here, but it will certainly make for interesting reading and discussion.

Its sad this is news instead of the norm

The Pueblo Chieftain newspaper has a story which is noble, but also represents a sad commentary on our society today because it is unusual enough to be news.

High School senior Nate Haasis, the quarter back for the Springfield Southeast High School football team has requested the final pass of his high school career be nullified and the record it set, more the 5,000 yards of completed passes in his career, be removed from the record books.

Why would a student (or anyone for that matter) ask to have the record stripped from themselves like that? Well his coach made a deal with the opposing coach to not interfere with final pass of the game (his team was losing by a large margin) so Nate could get the record. That a STUDENT did the honorable thing while the two ADULTS who should have known better, did wrong by fixing the game and allowing the record to be broken unfairly.

While Nate doesn’t get his name in the record book, he retains his ethics and honor. That the two coaches have not been fired or disciplined in anyway is another sad comment on the message we adults are sending to the kids of today.