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FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - Junior: The most common name suffixes are "senior" (Sr.) and "junior" (Jr.), and are far more frequently applied to men than to women. What do you think it says about a person (or a couple) who chooses to name a child after himself or herself?
Q2- Parking Meters: In the state of California, automobile drivers with handicap parking permits are allowed to park anywhere except in private lots and in designated no-parking zones. In addition, drivers with handicap permits do not have to put anything into that device used to collect money in exchange for the right to park a vehicle in a particular place for a limited amount of time. In other words, people with handicap permits get to park for free, even in metered spots. How do you feel about this?
Q3 - Language: How do you feel when you're surrounded by people, all of whom speak a language you do not understand (e.g., in a nail salon, a restaurant, beauty supply store, someone's home, etc.), and there's no one there to translate?
Q4 - Seatbelt: Edward J. Hock invented the seatbelt first used by the Ford Motor Company as standard equipment, while he was on active duty with the military as a flight instructor. In 1955 the U.S. Navy accepted his idea, and Hock was awarded $20.50 for his invention. The original schematic and blueprints shows he utilized scrap parachute strapping to implement his idea. He was never awarded anything other than the $20.50, a letter of recognition, a picture with military brass, and a newspaper article to his credit. When you're driving a car, do you start the car first and then fasten your seatbelt or do you do it other way around?
Random Thoughts - Barack Obama on The Role of the United States
CNN is reporting that Presidential contender Barack Obama told CNN's Wolf Blitzer (in an interview scheduled to air later today on "The Situation Room") that the most important thing he could do as President of the United States would be to "deal with Iraq and the threat of al Qaeda in Afghanistan while improving our influence around the world."
Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Obama running for the Democratic nomination? Sure sounds like a Republican to me.
From CNN:
Obama said he thinks the United States' influence around the world has been diminishing.
Really. Ya think?
"The world wants to see the United States lead. They've been disappointed and disillusioned over the last seven, eight years." ~ Barack Obama"I think there is still a sense everywhere I go that if the United States regains its sense of who it is and our values and our ideals, that we will continue to set the tone for a more peaceful and prosperous world." ~ Barack Obama
Did he just say "the world wants to see the United States lead?" Please, not in his wildest dreams does the rest of the world want the U.S. to lead. I have friends living all over the globe--from Germany to Australia and from India to Ireland--and from everything I have heard for the last 25 years, the rest of the world just wants to be left alone, isn't looking for a hero, and cannot stand the role the United States' plays in foreign affairs, environmental stewardship, and capital markets.
The only countries with a need for the United States to lead are those overrun by warlords, absolute dictatorships, and natural disasters, and even then, it's not the countries themselves that often want our help... instead, it's the citizenry on the ground/in country that need us to lead. The people of the Sudan, for instance, readily come to mind, as do the famished and malnourished in Chad, Ethiopia, Bolivia, the occupied Palestinian territories, and elsewhere.
More from Obama (again, from CNN):
Americans want to succeed, he said, "but we're going to have to make some investments and ensure that the dynamism and the innovation of the American people is released." "It's very hard for us to do that when we're spending close to $200 billion a year in other countries, rebuilding those countries instead of focusing on making ourselves strong," he said.
Not that I'm abdicating an entirely black or white approach to political leadership, but unless CNN just did a really awful job of editing Obama's interview, it sure sounds like the candidate is trying to be all things to all people. From that latest quote, he sounds like a Democrat.
When asked to respond to John McCain's supporters who have said Obama is not ready to be commander in chief, Obama said he thinks what people are looking for is "good judgment."
"I think I've consistently displayed the kind of judgment that the American people are looking for in the next president." ~ Barack Obama
Really? Seriously? Do you call ignoring your responsibilities as an elected member of the U.S. Senate just so you can run for higher office "good judgment"? I certainly do not, and to everyone else out that thinks there's noting wrong with an elected official running for another office other than their own while still in office, it's time to get your head out of the sand and get a good whiff of the political halitosis that's mucking up the very air we breath. These people will say anything to get elected, including the absurd, like the rest of the world wants the United States to lead.
Aside from the people I already mentioned, the only other people who want to see the United States position as a world power full restored are those U.S. citizens who live in the past and hold onto the notion that we as a people are somehow better than everyone else manning the globe. It's time those people and our political leaders face facts. The world's a different place today than it was five, 10, 15 and 25 years ago, and it's going to be different tomorrow than it was today. Living in the past--or making public statements to appeal to those who do--is foolish.
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - You Choose: History starts now... what kind of world do you want?
Q2 - Counting: Do you count the money you receive from ATM/cash machines or do you trust that the machine provided the correct amount?
Q3 - Dying to See: What entertainer--dead or alive--would you give your first born or left arm to see in person (not literally but you know what I mean)?
Q4 - Read Me a Story: For some weary travelers, the perfect antidote to a sleepless night might be a warm glass of milk or, perhaps, a bedtime story. Now guests at London's Andaz Hotel can order just that... a personal reader to come to their room for an hour and read them a story. There's even a menu of books to choose from. If this service were offered by the next hotel you visited, would you take advantage of it?
Allergic Reaction - Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)
Last night, against my better judgment, I ate a tortilla-wrapped sandwich from KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) that I believe is the cause my swollen left eye (above) and smaller hives near my right wrist and on the bottom of my left foot. I took a look at KFC's website, and they do a fairly decent job of providing nutrition information and safety warnings for their menu items. From the site, I'm able to see the ingredients that went into preparing my sandwich (it's called the Toaster Wrap with Tender Roast Chicken): lettuce blend, tomatoes, chicken, wheat, MSG, gluten, soybeans, and something called pepper mayo.
Since people in my family have similar reactions to pepper and MSG, I'm going to go with the combination of both as the cause of my reaction, but since I hardly ever have such a reaction to either ingredient, I'm wondering if it could have been something else. For example, is it possible that KFC uses an over-the-top amount of MSG or perhaps uses Splenda in preparing the Ranch Dressing that was slobbered all over my sandwich/wrap?
Has anyone else experienced similar allergic reactions or food intolerance with KFC products?
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - Your Job: What's the best thing about your job? If you do not have a job, what's the best thing about not working?
Q2 - Health Insurance: Whirlpool Corporation's refrigerator plant in Indiana has suspended nearly 40 production workers suspected by the company of continuing to smoke despite claiming on health insurance forms they were nonsmokers. Additionally, the company charges smokers an extra fee for health insurance. Do you think companies should be allowed to deduct higher amounts of money from employees paychecks for health insurance if the employee smokes cigarettes?
Q3 - Borders: In its quest to secure the 2,000-mile-long U.S.-Mexico border, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has embarked on a construction project to build a 15- to 18-foot high wall along large swaths of the territory. But a lot of south Texans are mad about the plan. The proposed path of the fence cuts directly through some residents' backyards and even a local golf course. Do you think the United States should be erecting such a wall?
Q4 - Deterrence: A wall-mounted gadget designed to drive away loiterers with a shrill, piercing noise audible only to teens and young adults is infuriating civil liberties groups and tormenting young people. Nearly 1,000 units of the device, called the "Mosquito," have been sold in the United States and Canada, which according to its manufacturer, is a completely harmless solution to the problem of unwanted gatherings of youths and teenagers in shopping malls, around shops and anywhere else they are causing problems. Background: it seems that there is a very real medical phenomenon known as "presbycusis" or age-related hearing loss which, according to The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, "begins after the age of 20..." It first affects the highest frequencies (18 to 20 kHz ) notably in those who have turned 20 years of age or older, which means, there's real science to this Mosquito gizmo. How would you feel about the Mosquito's use in areas you or children frequent?
AL QAEDA CHIEF SLAMS MUSLIMS FOR LACK OF SUPPORT
Is it just me or does this headline and story read like it was written by the staff of The Onion? From the pages of Aljazeera.com:
AL QAEDA CHIEF SLAMS MUSLIMS FOR LACK OF SUPPORTAl-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri criticised Muslims for failing to support Islamist insurgencies in Iraq and elsewhere in a new audiotape posted Tuesday on the Internet. Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant also blasted Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas over their reported readiness to consider a peace deal with Israel. "I call upon the Muslim nation to fear Allah's question (at judgement day) about its failure to support its brothers of the Mujahedeen (holy Warriors), and (urge it) not to withhold men and money, which is the mainstay of a war," he said
It's hard not to find humor in that story. Not nearly as clever as "Baggage-Handling Mix-Up Sends Dirty Bomb To St. Louis" or "Howard Stern Organizes Women's Health Symposium," but pretty damn close.
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - Cell Phone Usage: According to an article I just read, there are two types of public transportation passengers: those who hate it when you whip out your cell phone and start yakking away, and the yakers themselves, who feel freedom to communicate is a natural born right. Some cities have instituted no-cell phone zones on trains and buses while others maintain an honor system. Do you think cell phone usage should be limited or banned on public transportation?
Q2 - Keychain: Are the keys on your keychain ordered in a specific way or are they slapped onto the ring in random order.
Q3 - Couch Potato For a Day: What TV-show marathon would keep you on your couch all day?
Q4 - Happy: Someone asked me the other day, "Are you happy?" (and not as in, are you happy right now but in general). How do you define happiness?
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - Moving: If you were forced to leave your home for a location at least 500 miles away for one year, where would you choose to go? Keep in mind that your job would be secure and your financial situation would the same as it is now (mysteriously, your job would follow, and of course, if you're married or have kids or animals, they'd be able to come with you and you'd all live at the same standard as you do now).
Q2 - Recycling: An all-time high of 56% of the paper consumed in the United States in 2007 was recovered for recycling, according to the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), setting an all-time high and achieving an industry goal five years ahead of schedule. In announcing this news earlier this week, AF&PA also set a new goal of 60% recovery by 2012. Do you recycle paper? If so, what percentage would you say goes into a recycling bin?
Q3 - Crime: The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced last week that 63-year-old Louis McGuinn, a/k/a "Lowell Craig McGuinn," was sentenced to one year of probation and one hundred hours of community service for wearing service medals and badges--including the Distinguished Service Cross, a Silver Star, and multiple Purple Heart medals--that he did not earn or have authorization to wear. McGuinn, who was discharged from the Army in 1968 as a private, falsely held himself out as a Lieutenant Colonel. In imposing the sentence, the Judge stated that he took account of the "likely damage the defendant caused to the prestige" of individuals that had legitimately earned the medals, and specifically imposed community service to try to "redress damage to the community because of the defendant's misconduct." Do you think it should be illegal for someone to wear armed service medals and badges they did not earn, and in this case, do you feel the punishment fit the crime?
Q4 - Friends: If you could have prevented one thing from happening between yourself and a family member or a friend, what would that one thing have been?
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - Dogs: Downward-facing dog is one of the most widely recognized poses of the ancient art of yoga. Some instructors are taking that pose literally by inviting canines into the yoga studio for classes with their owners. Do you think yoga can provide real health benefits for dogs, and if so, would you be interested in doing yoga with a dog.
Q2 - Money: If I gave you $175.00, what would you do with it?
Q3 - Life: In the United States, life expectancy is just 78 years, which apparently is too short for those of us opting to be cryogenically frozen after death. If having yourself cryogenically frozen gave you a 50/50 chance of being brought back to life at some point in the future, and you had the money to make it happen, would you go for it, or are 50/50 odds not enough for you? If 50/50 doesn't work for you, what if the odds were increased to a 100% probability of success in restoring you back to life?
Q4 - Odors: It's not just the fat and cholesterol in that sizzling bacon that will kill you: The irresistible aroma might too. A recently published study of fruit flies by a University of Houston researcher raises the possibility that even smelling rich foods may reduce the health benefits of dieting. How tempted are you by the smell of food?
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - Research: A study published in 2006 in The New England Journal of Medicine, which claimed up to 80% of lung cancer cases could be prevented with CT scans, has been revealed to have been underwritten, in part, by a cigarette company. An investigation uncovered what some say is an undisclosed conflict of interest in the study, which was authored by the Weill Cornell Medical College. Generally speaking, how much stock do you place in research studies, and do you now question the validity of this one because of who paid for it?
Q2 - Airline Safety : In this post- 9/11 world of ours, airline safety is said to be key, but it may not be Federal Air Marshals who are keeping the nation's flights safe. According to news reports earlier this week, Air Marshals themselves say they are only on about 1% of the 28,000 or so flights that take off or land in the U.S. each day. Are you surprised to learn that so few flights are protected by Air Marshals?
Q3 - March Madness: This is the time of the year that college basketball fans and at least some who could care less join in on what is often referred to as a March Madness Basketball Pool. Whether it's for money or just for fun, did you fill out a March Madness Bracket for this year's Men's or Woman's Division I Basketball Tournament, and if you did, how is your bracket fairing?
Q4 - Which Matters More: In an article in today's BBC News, Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, who depicted the Prophet Muhammad with a bomb in his turban, says he will sue the maker of an anti-Islam film for using his cartoon without permission. According to the BBC, Westergaard told Danish TV that his cartoon was a "protest against terrorism, not Islam as a whole." They have "a right to make [sic: a] movie but.. not permission to use my drawing." Based on what I just you, what do you feel is the most important issue at stake in this story... religious intolerance, intellectual property rights, free speech, or zealotry?
Four For Friday
Q1 - Drinking & Fighting: Debate over lowering the national drinking age is heating up in several states, fueled in part by legislators who contend that men and women who are old enough to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan are responsible enough to buy alcohol legally. Legislation introduced in Kentucky, Wisconsin and South Carolina would lower the drinking age for military personnel only. A planned ballot initiative in Missouri would apply to everyone 18 and older. An initiative in the works in South Dakota would allow all 19- and 20-year-olds to buy low-alcohol beer. Earlier in the week, Presidential hopeful Barack Obama made headlines by telling an underage Army veteran in Connecticut that lowering the drinking age would not be something he would support under any circumstances. What do you think... if someone is old enough to enroll in the armed services and participate in acts of war, should they be also be allowed to drink alcohol even if they're underage?
Q2 - Gasoline & Taxes: A recent poll reveled that 48% of U.S. citizens are unwilling to spend even a penny more in gasoline taxes to help reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. According to the poll's sponsor--the National Center for Public Policy Research--18% of Americans are willing to pay 50 cents or more in additional taxes per gallon of gas to reduce greenhouse emissions, which is exactly what U.S. Representative John Dingell (D-MI), chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, has called for--a 50 cent per gallon increase in the gas tax, used to motivate Americans to conserve fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, transportation accounts for 33% of the U.S.'s man-made carbon dioxide emissions. Over 60% of these emissions--or about 20% of all U.S. carbon dioxide emissions--result from burning gasoline in personal automobiles. What amount, if any, would you be willing to pay in gasoline taxes to help reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions?
Q3 - Email & Interruptions: If you use a desktop email program like Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, Mail, etc., do you have it set to check for mail automatically or do you manually check for mail? If your primary email account is Web-based--like Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo!, etc.--do you have a desktop "notifier" to alert you to new mail or do you check your account manually for evidence of new messages? In either case, do you think people would be more productive at work if email were only available upon manual checks (as opposed to it automatically showing up in an In box and potentially interrupting real work?
Q4 - Charity & Donations: When was the last time you made a charitable donation to an organization other than one with a religious affiliation? What's the name of the organization and do you think your donation eventually went to a worthy cause?
