The above is the title of an AP article in the online Winston-Salem Journal. While the "Journal" does not appear to mind my lifting material from the "Readers' Forum," the AP specifically says "No copying and pasting," or words to that effect. Thus the article is here: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_CAR_CRASH_SCIENCE?SITE=NCWIN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Lousy drivers are a pet peeve of mine. Having driven in large cities in all 4 corners of the US, and in Europe, and having lived in the L. A. area, I am astonished at the incompetence and rudeness of the local driving population, and the indifference of traffic enforcement thereto. I wish the doctor well in his research, and hope he might relocate it to WFU Baptist Medical Center.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Friday LTE and Sum It Up 20110715
Good Friday AM to all! Below are the two LTE's and the Sum It Up question from earlier this week, copied from the Winston-Salem Journal. I did not bother to post Journal readers' responses to the SIU question since the responses were the same: yes, too much Casey Anthony coverage. Fire away, and encourage others to join.
Modern-day Jim Crow
FLEMING A. EL-AMIN
Winston-Salem
Without jobs
FRED MOENCH
Clemmons
Sum It Up:
Modern-day Jim Crow
The attempt to require voters to have a state-issued ID instead of the current required ID issued by the local board of elections reminds me of a modern day Jim Crow.
All registered voters are issued cards with their elected districts, name and address of the voter, etc. The number of violations is minimum and should be carefully examined before we are burdened as taxpayers with the cost of this additional state agency.Are we encouraging greater participation in our democracy with this effort? Or are we giving birth to a veiled Jim Crow attempt to discourage participation in our democracy? We need all the qualified voters to actively participate in electing accountable representatives. We need to bury Jim Crow and all his descendants.
FLEMING A. EL-AMIN
Winston-Salem
Without jobs
Speaker of the House John Boehner's assertion that to tax the people making jobs is detrimental to the economic well-being of our country appears on its face to be odious. If his statement is true, why do we have an unemployment rate over 9 percent? Why are corporations hoarding funds instead of hiring?
The people who drive a majority of the economy are consumers. Without jobs, there won't be spending and economic growth. The economy will continue to stagnate, and the congressional leaders will continue to have delusions about why America is becoming an example of how not to restart the economy. Just saying ...
FRED MOENCH
Clemmons
Sum It Up:
The Sum It Up question from Sunday was: Do you think the media placed too much emphasis on Casey Anthony's trial in Florida on the charge that she murdered her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee?
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Thursday LTE's 20110714
Good AM, folks! Please note below the LTE's lifted from the Journal's site on which we may comment, unless the Journal informs me that I am violating copyright laws. Please render unto the Journal and look at the original source (and its advertisers, he piously said). Comment away.
Seeking solutions
Seeking solutions
Your excellent front page story " 'Demographic tsunami' " (July 3), about the aging of our local population, highlights an issue that is building nationwide and has been forecast for many years.
Over the next 10 years, the first segment of the post-World War II "Baby Boom" generation will be attaining age 65. At 65, they will immediately qualify to participate in Medicare, and some months thereafter, depending upon their date of birth, they will qualify for Social Security.
Medicare appears to be the most immediate funding challenge, with a projection that, unless changes are made, the Medicare Trust Fund will be insolvent by 2024.
It appears to me that every attempt to craft a solution to the Medicare funding problem is rejected by the Democratic leadership in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. First, the Ryan plan by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and, more recently, the bipartisan plan authored by Sens. Joe Lieberman and Tom Coburn and described by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as "a bad idea".
Most rational people realize that a solution to this funding problem will require changes in Medicare — changes for people like me who participate in Medicare today and changes in how health care will be delivered to those not yet in the program, understanding that doing nothing is not an option.
It would be interesting to hear what your readers, both those presently in Medicare and those wondering what is ahead for them health-care-wise, say about this.
CHARLES DONOHOE
Winston-Salem
A paradox
The current North Carolina legislature is a paradox. It allows the gas tax to increase to provide good roads; however, it cuts education spending so that the sales tax can be reduced by a penny. Good roads are important. A good education system is more so.
Rep. Thom Tillis, speaker of the N.C. House of Representatives, in the article "House speaker Tillis promises more overrides in July session" in the Raleigh News & Observer (July 7), states that many children who have not received the education they need in early life are being wasted as productive members of society. "They didn't have early childhood development opportunities," Tillis said. Yet, as speaker, he presided over the dismantling of programs that address this: More at Four, Head Start, the Teaching Fellows program and classroom assistants.
Years of research have shown that early intervention in education is the single most effective policy we can invest in. In other words, you need a strong pre-kindergarten program so that children can start school ready to learn.
In addition, the legislature eliminated the Governor's School, a long-standing successful summer program for N.C.'s best and brightest.
I am afraid that N.C.'s decades of progress and national leadership in education has been scrapped for want of a penny — a penny that the overwhelming majority of North Carolinians favored keeping.
The N.C. legislature's new education slogan is "Thank God for Mississippi." After all, it's the only state spending less on education per pupil.
ERNEST V. LOGEMANN
Winston-Salem
Denying benefits
As a registered independent, I look to find the good in both parties. And, as a retired military officer, I am especially sensitive to how our troops and their military families are treated.
It is with great sadness that I read about our Rep. Virginia Foxx introducing an amendment to the House version of the defense spending bill that denies funding for benefits such as housing, education, medical services and transportation to our gay and lesbian warriors and their families. Six fellow Republicans disagreed, but 19 Democrats approved, including Mike McIntyre, Heath Shuler and Larry Kissell.
This comes when many military families are in crisis and we are fighting two wars. How can you tell citizens who are expected to give up their lives that they and their loved ones are specifically denied benefits given to fellow soldiers? I see nothing conservative or patriotic about denying benefits to a class of service members and their families, and I see nothing Christian about joyfully tormenting God's gay children.
FRANK BENEDETTI
Winston-Salem
The people have voted
Just a short note on the July 7 Scott Sexton column, "Debate over library and debt is one for the books." I believe that we may need a lawyer to investigate the reluctance of our Forsyth County commissioners to build a new library. The people have voted to build a new library. How can a few commissioners stop the building? We voted, and now we are stopped by a few who no longer represent us.
GLENN YOKLEY
Winston-Salem
Over the next 10 years, the first segment of the post-World War II "Baby Boom" generation will be attaining age 65. At 65, they will immediately qualify to participate in Medicare, and some months thereafter, depending upon their date of birth, they will qualify for Social Security.
Medicare appears to be the most immediate funding challenge, with a projection that, unless changes are made, the Medicare Trust Fund will be insolvent by 2024.
It appears to me that every attempt to craft a solution to the Medicare funding problem is rejected by the Democratic leadership in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. First, the Ryan plan by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and, more recently, the bipartisan plan authored by Sens. Joe Lieberman and Tom Coburn and described by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as "a bad idea".
Most rational people realize that a solution to this funding problem will require changes in Medicare — changes for people like me who participate in Medicare today and changes in how health care will be delivered to those not yet in the program, understanding that doing nothing is not an option.
It would be interesting to hear what your readers, both those presently in Medicare and those wondering what is ahead for them health-care-wise, say about this.
CHARLES DONOHOE
Winston-Salem
A paradox
The current North Carolina legislature is a paradox. It allows the gas tax to increase to provide good roads; however, it cuts education spending so that the sales tax can be reduced by a penny. Good roads are important. A good education system is more so.
Rep. Thom Tillis, speaker of the N.C. House of Representatives, in the article "House speaker Tillis promises more overrides in July session" in the Raleigh News & Observer (July 7), states that many children who have not received the education they need in early life are being wasted as productive members of society. "They didn't have early childhood development opportunities," Tillis said. Yet, as speaker, he presided over the dismantling of programs that address this: More at Four, Head Start, the Teaching Fellows program and classroom assistants.
Years of research have shown that early intervention in education is the single most effective policy we can invest in. In other words, you need a strong pre-kindergarten program so that children can start school ready to learn.
In addition, the legislature eliminated the Governor's School, a long-standing successful summer program for N.C.'s best and brightest.
I am afraid that N.C.'s decades of progress and national leadership in education has been scrapped for want of a penny — a penny that the overwhelming majority of North Carolinians favored keeping.
The N.C. legislature's new education slogan is "Thank God for Mississippi." After all, it's the only state spending less on education per pupil.
ERNEST V. LOGEMANN
Winston-Salem
Denying benefits
As a registered independent, I look to find the good in both parties. And, as a retired military officer, I am especially sensitive to how our troops and their military families are treated.
It is with great sadness that I read about our Rep. Virginia Foxx introducing an amendment to the House version of the defense spending bill that denies funding for benefits such as housing, education, medical services and transportation to our gay and lesbian warriors and their families. Six fellow Republicans disagreed, but 19 Democrats approved, including Mike McIntyre, Heath Shuler and Larry Kissell.
This comes when many military families are in crisis and we are fighting two wars. How can you tell citizens who are expected to give up their lives that they and their loved ones are specifically denied benefits given to fellow soldiers? I see nothing conservative or patriotic about denying benefits to a class of service members and their families, and I see nothing Christian about joyfully tormenting God's gay children.
FRANK BENEDETTI
Winston-Salem
The people have voted
Just a short note on the July 7 Scott Sexton column, "Debate over library and debt is one for the books." I believe that we may need a lawyer to investigate the reluctance of our Forsyth County commissioners to build a new library. The people have voted to build a new library. How can a few commissioners stop the building? We voted, and now we are stopped by a few who no longer represent us.
GLENN YOKLEY
Winston-Salem
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Wednesday LTE's 20110713
Good AM, folks!
I copied my post from the Forum, and have extended my comments slightly.
LTE1: There are bits of truth in this TB rant, but the government does have a right to regulate the air we breathe. I suspect the indignant LTE writer probably would like to see the government telling the operator of a smoking, oil-burning junker about the air we breathe when it is idling in traffic in front of the LTE writer. More of you would join me in dealing with asthma were it not for the Clean Air Act. Incandescent bulbs are very wasteful of energy, at least in warm weather months (90% of the electricity they consume simply makes heat, which is useful in winter), and energy usage is a matter of national security. I don't like inflating our money, but what is the consequence of not doing that (I genuinely do not know). But yes, poor presidential judgment does have consequences, but this is not a profound statement. It is correct whether the Prez is named Obama, Bush, Clinton, and so on.
LTE2: I doubt I share many of the LTE writer's liberal beliefs, but I agree with her LTE, covering this thoroughly discussed subject in Readers' Forum.
LTE3: Handguns to a wedding? Whence came that LTE, Kandahar? How about moonshine to a christening? Or Hustler magazine to a Sunday school class? If I thought I needed to arm myself to attend a wedding, I would send a gift along with regrets. If the person who inquired of Ask Amy was really serious, he needs to see a therapist about the need to strap manhood onto his hip. What a lout.
I copied my post from the Forum, and have extended my comments slightly.
LTE1: There are bits of truth in this TB rant, but the government does have a right to regulate the air we breathe. I suspect the indignant LTE writer probably would like to see the government telling the operator of a smoking, oil-burning junker about the air we breathe when it is idling in traffic in front of the LTE writer. More of you would join me in dealing with asthma were it not for the Clean Air Act. Incandescent bulbs are very wasteful of energy, at least in warm weather months (90% of the electricity they consume simply makes heat, which is useful in winter), and energy usage is a matter of national security. I don't like inflating our money, but what is the consequence of not doing that (I genuinely do not know). But yes, poor presidential judgment does have consequences, but this is not a profound statement. It is correct whether the Prez is named Obama, Bush, Clinton, and so on.
LTE2: I doubt I share many of the LTE writer's liberal beliefs, but I agree with her LTE, covering this thoroughly discussed subject in Readers' Forum.
LTE3: Handguns to a wedding? Whence came that LTE, Kandahar? How about moonshine to a christening? Or Hustler magazine to a Sunday school class? If I thought I needed to arm myself to attend a wedding, I would send a gift along with regrets. If the person who inquired of Ask Amy was really serious, he needs to see a therapist about the need to strap manhood onto his hip. What a lout.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Blog Launch 20110712
Good day, folks!
Forum poster Wordly suggested I set up and moderate a Blogspot blog to provide an alternative site for Forum posting so that we can continue to exchange with those who need a bit more anonymity than Facebook provides. So post away and feel free to vent and rant as needed, but let's maintain the Readers' Forums rules, more or less. That means no restroom acrobats. My email is public. If you feel the need to be unrestrained, go for it. I have a thick skin.
Have at it! Best wishes, Staballoy aka Mike Walker
Forum poster Wordly suggested I set up and moderate a Blogspot blog to provide an alternative site for Forum posting so that we can continue to exchange with those who need a bit more anonymity than Facebook provides. So post away and feel free to vent and rant as needed, but let's maintain the Readers' Forums rules, more or less. That means no restroom acrobats. My email is public. If you feel the need to be unrestrained, go for it. I have a thick skin.
Have at it! Best wishes, Staballoy aka Mike Walker
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)