The World Around You

This race just got 100 times more interesting. Arnold as Governor of California? What a trip! We thought Jesse Ventura was fun, this is at a whole other level.

Go Arnold!

I would love to bring some more people in on the discussion I’m having with Jeremiah on his site. We seem to be honing in on the idea of morality.

This is absolutely astounding and could be exactly the impetus that this plan needed. From this afternoon’s Huntsville Times,

Gov. Bob Riley’s tax and reform package got a badly needed boost today from an unlikely source: the Christian Coalition of America.

Coalition President Roberta Combs endorsed the $1.2 billion plan during a news conference this morning at Signature Aviation next to Huntsville International Airport. Her Huntsville stop was one of four planned in Alabama’s major cities.

“We are urging our members and all people of faith in Alabama to support (Riley’s) bold and courageous initiative,” Combs said. She said she hopes Alabama voters “will seize this transforming moment” and approve the package in a Sept. 9 referendum.

The proposal furthers two causes central to the coalition’s philosophy, Combs said: helping the poor by making taxes more fair and preserving programs designed to help families. But the Christian Coalition has traditionally opposed higher taxes. Indeed, John Giles, president of the group’s state chapter, has been one of the chief spokesmen against the Riley plan.

Combs promised that the national group will work to pass the measure, although she said the group has not decided what form that will take.

As you may know, the state chapter has been one of the most vocal opponents of Ammendment One. John Giles will hold his own press conference this afternoon. We’ll see how he responds.

I hope the Alabama Partnership for Progress is able to take full advantage of this endorsement.

Another list I can get into. Kevin has already done his. As has James. I am also going with stand-up comedians as opposed to comedic actors or writers (Mel Brooks, Monty Python).

Here’s mine:

10. Steven Wright
Has his own style that always captivates.
9. Jonathan Winters
The model for many comedians to follow, most notably, Robin Williams.
8. Dana Carvey
Only saw one stand-up special (over and over again on Comedy Central), but he was great and his impressions are outrageous.
7. Dennis Miller
Obscure references anyone?
6. Denis Leary
I own more of his material than anyone. Speaks his mind and its hilarious.
5. Steve Martin
Has never been afraid to walk on the edge.
4. George Carlin
His bits are some of the most cohesive I’ve ever heard. Has a great ability to take things to the illogical extreme.
3. Richard Pryor
Great! Actually enjoyed him the most when teamed with Gene Wilder.
2. Bill Cosby
I taped his special “Bill Cosby: Himself” and watched it til the tape wore out. “Noah” is one of the funniest bits of material I have ever heard and his family comedy is outstanding.
1. Robin Williams
From his early stand-up on forward. A genius in every sense of the word.

Another George W. caption contest is up at OTB. Participate at your own risk.

“My friends, that’s trickle-down economics, and I believe every worker in America is tired of being trickled on by George W. Bush” - Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), during last night’s AFL-CIO forum in Chicago (NJ Wake-Up Call)

Jacob Sullum at Reason has an article discussing the burgeoning anti-obesity movement and its similarities to the anti-smoking movement. Being a member of both of these “movements”, I always value Mr. Sullum’s critique of the arguments involved. This is the heart of his case,

In addition to the confusing state of disability law, cases like this one highlight the ambivalence of the burgeoning anti-obesity movement, which views fat people with a combination of pity and impatience that recalls the anti-tobacco movement’s attitude toward smokers. On the one hand, fat people are victims, seduced by sinister corporations like McDonald’s into eating more than they should. From this perspective, the chain’s shabby treatment of Connor added insult to injury, rejecting him for practicing the gluttony on which the company depends.

On the other hand, fat people are leeches, costing taxpayers tens of billions of dollars a year in health care subsidies. They are raiding our wallets as well as the pantry. That charge, which is based on calculations that do not take into account long-term savings on health care and Social Security, may turn out to be just as specious in the case of obesity as it is in the case of smoking. But even if it does, it will no doubt remain a conspicuous theme in arguments for a government-led war on obesity.

The problem is, the ambivalence that Jacob sees doesn’t exist. It’s not a dichotomy of victims vs. leeches. It’s the principle that people are human (how novel!). They are influenced by an environment created by a variety of entities (corporate America among them) and those influences lead to consequences (costs on the healthcare system).

Exposing the influence of advertising and corporate profits on the eating habits of Americans is one way of attempting to reduce the epidemic of obesity in this country. There is a huge difference between INFORMED decision making and UNINFORMED decision making. I have no problem with allowing people to make choices, but they need to be getting all the information when the make those decisions. If people were presented with the caloric and fat content of everything on the menu in the same way they are presented with the price, we would see people making different decisions. The “value” meals would be seen for the “value” they bring to your waistline, not just your pocket book. The more healthy dishes would be seen for the bargain they really are, not for the extra dollar that comes out of your wallet.

The arguments surrounding cost are presented merely as a means of getting the general public to recognize that there is a problem. I am not an advocate for a “junk food tax” or a “weight tax”. However, something needs to be done to wake-up America. We are too sedentary and we eat too much food! People need to be informed and the FDA should do their job to be certain consumers are informed.