Kwame's Kover-up

The Mayor of the fair city of Detroit has now broken his week-long silence on the text-message sex scandal that was exposed last week.

We have seen many of these contrite, public apologies from politicians, celebrities, athletes, televangilists, etc. that haven't been able to keep their pants zipped. They almost always parade the downtrodden wife out in front of the lights to stand behind him and try to look re-devoted.

But in what I think was a brilliant move by Kwame, he actually had her speak. She did a fine job, and was likely very sincere in what she said.

So as far a the personal issue goes, he has said his piece and probably was successful in getting that part of the issue into the rear-view mirror. Personally, I had not a care in what he or Carlita are working out between them, and how they will try and move forward. It's good for the children involved, and so best of luck to them.

So as the sun came up this morning over Detroit, many will feel OK about the Mayor. The problem is, the real issue isn't about Kwame's Konquests or how he makes amends for it at home. The problem is that he could have done this same exact thing a year ago, and not cost the city nine million dollars trying to cover it up, and clearly committing perjury in the process.

So the process that plays out from here will be an interesting one. Will Prosecutor Kim Worthy be worthy of the job that needs to be done to uphold the law? Will anyone make her accountable if she doesn't? Knowing the people that hold power over the city in government, business and even the churches, the answer is probably no.

And again, the people of Detroit will get exactly what they deserve.

Too High Higher Learning

A recent report lists 75 of the country's largest universities as having endowments in excess of 0ne-billion dollars each! Thats's EACH, and yes, that's BILLION with a "B"!

On average, a year's worth of education at any of these universities will cost over $33,000. Since very few families can really afford that kind of tuition, and since even fewer are awarded scholarships towards this, most will have to attend some lesser school or take on a debt that will take decades to pay back. That's assuming that they are even accepted. Of course, many are not.
Tuition has been rising at rates way beyond the average annual inflation figures for years.

Major universities win millions in federal grants every year for important research into all areas of science, but also for a long list of pork projects that reflect some of the most obscene waste of taxpayer money you can imagine.

Most of these 75 universities run huge and very profitable athletic programs. Some stadiums and arenas outdo anything you could find at a professional sports venue.

So why do these institutions sit on these huge sums of money? They aren't benefitting anyone sitting in bank accounts and stocks. Can't more of these funds be used to assist our bright, young people?

More and more students are leaving the U.S. to study in India, Russia or eastern Europe, where the same education (maybe?) cost tens of thousands less. Do we really have to watch our students go overseas just to get the education we should all want them to have?

I think it's time to develop some not-for-profit higher learning in this country. I'm not talking about a government-run, secondary education system. But maybe we need a get-back-to-basics approach to higher learning, where the dollars currently invested in monsterous endowments, super stadiums and pet-pork, instead go back to reducing the cost of educating those that want, and can advance their brains to the benefit of all of us.

We need more advanced mathematicians, physicists, doctors and chemists. The rest of the world is educating a higher and higher percentage of their kids in these areas, and slowly leaving us behind. The cost to the individual is one important reason this is true. We can do better in that regard.

The Problem With Pakistan

Recent events in Pakistan are leading me to the opinion that this country may be rapidly deteriorating to a point where it becomes the single biggest threat to freedom and security in the world. I put it ahead of both Iran or North Korea. I wonder what the various Presidential candidates would say about that?

Pakistan is an Islamic nuclear power. This is not a case of Islamophobia; it is much more than that. When instability grows there, which no one can question that it is, this tiny nuclear power can tip to a nation of Muslim extremists who would then posess an estimated 100 warheads! Not only that, they also have the missles to deliver them at least several hundred miles beyond their borders.

The U.S. has trained the Pakistani military in the security measures to care for these weapons, and yet we don't even know their locations. We do know that they are scattered throughout the country, including the Afghan-border region where just this week, al Qaida fighters literaly ran off the Pakistani military troops at two different mountain outposts! Let's hope these particular soldiers were the "B" squad, and more hardened warriors are stationed next to the warheads!

In 1998, India's nuclear race with Pakistan "went to the mat" when India detonated a fairly decent size warhead underground. Pakistan responded with five! Following that, the quote from then Foreign Minister, Sardar Asif Ahmed Ali was, "...today was a triumph for Islam!" His words are ringing in my ears tonight.

We fear what Iran may be growing in their basement, but a model of what they could become might already be here in Pakistan, unless stability returns. Right now, that is in the hands of President Musharraf. Comforting, isn't it?! How far can we trust him? He probably murdered Bhutto last month. His al Qaida answer to that was almost too easy. What is the real story with him? Friend can blur into foe very easily when you study that man.

Pakistan is a Wal-Mart nuclear power. A low-budget program which gathered parts and technology from every corner of the world they could sneak it out of. But they had experts to put it together. Now it's going to take much more to take it apart. There may not be a lot of time.

Michigan Shaped Like a "Mitt"

It proved to be a dogfight, but Michigan has chosen it's Republican candidate. Mitt Romney is the man. He now leads the party with his total number of delegates.

The fight is only beginning, and the southern swing might be very tough for him, but I believe that he is emerging as maybe the most likely nominee. McCain is not "Republican" enough. Guliani is one dimensional. Huckabee is...______?? (well, no one's quite sure). Ron Paul is too wacky.

The big question is, "Can Romney be elected?" I think he can. I hope so, because he may be the one who can gather up the most from all factions of a fractured Republican party.

A Room With a Viewpoint

A British man who has just turned 100 years old, has slept in the same bedroom for all of those years! Born in the back bedroom of his parents home on January 5th, 1908, he used it all through childhood, shared it with his wife Mabel starting in 1934, and stayed in it after losing her in 1996. He still sleeps there today. I have a feeling he'll take his last breath there.

I'm not even sure why this story intrigues me, but it does. Such a neat story of steadfastness, I guess. Of being satisfied. Of being content. Of feeling that this is just right, and all that one needs. Americans are not raised that way as a rule.

As an exercise, I think I can count one dozen bedrooms that have been my home over half the years that this man spent. Not that it's a bad thing....just a contrast, and a lot more complicated.

A "Shot" In The Dark

The Supreme Court has ruled on a petition to decide whether or not lethal injection as a death penalty amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.

Lawyers for two death row inmates claim that the deadly cocktails injected are not always administered accurately, and that the result is that the condemned are not always unconscious, or unfeeling as the lethal (and presumably painful) drugs hit the system. There is a concern that those who have the responsibility to administer these things may not be properly trained. How exactly do you train to kill people properly??

The Court has rejected the suit, basically claiming that all manner of administering death is subject to human error, and carries the risk of discomfort to the condemned. Lethal injection is certainly no worse than other forms of capital punishment.

Firing squads do not always mean instant death. Bullets don't always react the same way upon impact. Every body's physiology is different.

Electrocution can be messy and inexact. Even the gallows have had their failures with the prime directive.

Didn't Dr. Jack have great success with his death contraption? Maybe he should teach instead of do! And don't we put thousands of animals painlessly to "sleep" every day? Or perhaps we are all under an illusion that this is always a peaceful and painless death?

All of this points to the idea that we are probably not really that well equipped to correctly put people to death. Is there a correct way? Should it be a surprise that this doesn't exactly come naturally to us? Oh well, if we are going to do it, better get on with it and quit trying to be so fussy about it.