GT Softball

So, as part of my service to the school, I serve as a volunteer for the GT Athletics Department as their "official" weather forecaster. I work on baseball, softball, and football games and let them know before and during the game about the prospects of severe weather. This has already proven more adventurous than even I planned when a severe cell with the history of a tornado passed over Atlanta during one of the games. I had to make the call and actually help with evacuating the stadium (nothing happened, thank goodness).

So today I went to work again at the softball game. Believe it or not, this was the first women's softball game that I have ever been too. It sounds a little surprising, but considering the major popularity of men's sports over women's in the collegiate setting, perhaps this isn't so surprising.

One thing I found annoying - the dugout cheers/chants. Seriously, they sounded like they were straight out of little league. It was actually beyond annoying. This was especially true for the opposing team (University of Washington). They had some chant when a foul ball was hit about let's make sure that ball is pulled back and hit around the wall, or something like that. I couldn't do it if I were a softball coach or a regular for the games.

By the way, the GT Yellow Jackets lost their super regional.

Kris Allen - American Idol 2009

There he is - the next American Idol - Kris Allen!!!  I am so happy that Kris won.  He showed time and time again that he had talent, poise, charisma, and altogether great attitude to be the winner for this season.  Many of the newspapers and even people are calling this a "shocker", as fan and judge favorite Adam Lanbert was expected to win.  Now that he lost, there are charges going around that it was because of his homosexuality.

Complete rubbish.

Rather, in my view, Adam was a polarizing performer.  His style, including the infamous "scream" inserted into almost every song and the lavish entrances, ultimately made some people absolutely adore him and other absolutely hate him.  Undoubtedly, he was one of the top vote getters week in and week out (save for that one anomaly when he was in the bottom 3).  However, his fanbase was saturated.  As contestants fell, their supporters likely went to other contestants, and I hypothesize that Adam did not pick up a bulk of them.  The final nail in the coffin was when Danny Gokey went home.  There was no way that his fans would turn around and support Adam.

I for one proudly voted for Kris for many weeks.  I think he could have a good career is paired correctly.  I will likely download his single "No Boundaries" (although the song's lyrics are so cheesy) to show further support.

Headin' Home

Tomorrow I am heading home for the weekend to see my cousin graduate from URI (although, as I found out, the rain will force the graduation to be indoors and so tickets are limited and I can't attend).  However, I feel it might be a good thing to get out of town for a while anyways and visit family and friends.  I hope all goes well.

Documentary: Sicko

Along with I.O.U.S.A., I also rented Sicko from Netflix during my time at home while ill.  First, perhaps it wasn't the best idea to watch a show about the lack of our country to provide healthcare to its citizens and the exorbitant amounts of money we have to pay on health insurance and prescriptions.  But, alas, that is what I did.

I am not a big fan of Michael Moore whatsoever (in fact, the man's a jerk), but I respect the material that was gathered to be put in this movie.  Sicko exposes the failure of the U.S. healthcare industry as one that is aimed to make a profit rather than one that is aimed at providing basic care to its people.  It also explores how other countries handle healthcare.

A few interesting points from the movie:

• The lobbying power of medical insurance and pharmaceutical companies in the federal government is astonishing.  In fact, so much so I wonder if we will EVER get comprehensive healthcare reform (I don't necessarily want the government to run everything, but we need to do something).
• The right wingers always talk about the disaster that is socialized medicine and how if we were to use it, people would have to wait 6 months to get bypass surgery or that ERs would be lax and not willing to help people.  That premise (as you might have guessed) is grossly exaggerated.  The level of healthcare in other countries are even superior to ours.  And there is a correlation between those nations that treat healthcare as a right for all citizens and the life expectancy of those citizens and their overall health (positively correlated).  The key - those nations practice preventive medicine.  In this country, we are reactionary, not precautionary.  When we have diabetes, we deal with it with drugs.  We don't take the time or have the resources to explain to everyone the signs of diabetes and why it's bad and how to prevent it.
• To continue from that point, there is of course some explained variance through the different lifestyles that people live in France and Italy vs. the U.S..  In France, the work week is 35 hours.  Here, the typical work week exceeds 40 hours (often 60+ hours).  I will be highly considering a job in Europe for those reasons. :)
• The cost of drugs in this country is outrageous.  Especially when, in other countries, the same dug is VASTLY less.  At the end of the movie, Moore brings a bunch of ailing Americans to none other than the "Evil" country of Cuba.  Granted, the human rights violations done by the Cuban government in the past have been atrocious (well, so has those committed by the Chinese, but we conveniently still trade with them).  However, the healthcare system there is outstanding.  A woman who needed a special inhaler, which costed $120 per inhaler, bought one at a Cuban pharmacy for $0.05.  And the $120 was WITH insurance I believe, which means the cost is even more.  Folks - when are we going to get a handle on these skyrocketing drug companies?

Overall, I found this movie to be quite informative and also helped expose some of the faults of our system and why we shouldn't be scared of healthcare reform.  My one criticism is that the movie really didn't present a way of how things could change or what we could do towards that effort.  Not that I would necessarily trust Moore on that front, but it would have been helpful.

In the meantime, I'm taking out the classified ads for jobs in France and England next year.

Documentary: I.O.U.S.A.

During my recent bout with severe sinusitis, I decided to rent a whole bunch of movies through Netflix.  One of them was I.O.U.S.A.  It's a documentary detailing the history of the national debt of the United States of America, explaining why it continues to grow, and what the reprecussions are.  After watching the documentary, I think I am more scared of this than anything the global warming super-activists can throw out there.

The bottom line is this - the United States is headed to bankruptcy.  I know that sounds like some Bill O'Reilly talking point, but it's true.  We have turned from a nation that produces goods we consume to a nation that consumes and doesn't produce.  This in turn has lead to a major trade imbalance, one major component of the national debt.  Furthermore, the national savings rate is currently negative and has been on average negative for decades (there was a time of positive savings in the 1950s and then I believe again in the 1980s).  Folks, we can't do this.  I watch everyday as people talk about how they bought this and bought that.  I watch many financial news shows, including the Suze Orman Show, and I see the financial predicaments that people are in and how they still want to spend lavishly.   What have we done to ourselves as a civilization, folks?

One of the major parts of the program that worried me is - our debt is continually being financed by foreign powers.  What happens when they come to collect?  Many people will say, "oh, they won't do that."  Really?  OK, let's just say that, sure, we aren't going to be harassed by Chinese collection agencies.  But the wealth of the U.S. being held by people abroad weakens our national security and it also increases the influence that other nations have on our country's policies.  For example, the documentary highlights the Suez Canal Crisis that ensued in the 1950s.  France and England were fighting Egypt, who was threatening to close and take over the Suez Canal, a major lifeline for trade between Europe and the Middle East.  The British were ready to attack and invade Egypt to retain control.  However, they needed U.S.-backed funds.  Why?  At that time, the U.S. was financing most of England's national debt.  President Eisenhower was opposed to any more involvement of U.S. troops after just coming out of WWII and also the recent conflict in Korea.  So, what did the U.S. do?  The U.S. threatened to call on the debt owed by the British.  Immediately, if the British continued their aggression in the Suez Canal region.  Days later, the British withdrew.

Don't think that could happen again, with this time the U.S. on the other side?  Absolutely.  Folks - we need to do something here.  People in this country treat money like it just pops out of thin air.  They expect the government to do this and that, provide this service and that service, fund schools and our military and our roads, etc.  But people - we need to realize that we CANNOT do it.  And when the time comes, taxes will be rising.  It's inevitable.  I hate it when people talk about how they are overtaxed as it is.  No you're not.  Not for what is being provided to you.

Anyways, this is a wake-up call for all Americans.  The documentary opened up my eyes to the problem and the crisis, and how it is looming for my generation to handle.  I recommend the movie to anyone interested in the topic.

Sweatin' The Small Things

My mom has a saying - don't sweat the small things.  Focus on the important things in your life.

So what are these important things?

• Finishing my Ph.D.  This is actually something that has come to the forefront recently.  Basically, I have reached the point in my life where I feel like I need to get moving along.  get out of school and get a job.  I also want to leave Atlanta.
• Staying healthy.  I think this is a goal for almost anyone, at some level.  For me, it's more important because of my condition.
• Being happy with who you are.  This is one of those things that people always say.  However, I have yet to find someone who is truly 100% happy with everything in their life.  I guess it's a nice goal to have.

So, those should be my main concerns, right?  But they aren't.  Instead, what am I concentrating on?

• Selling the condo.   OK, I am nowhere near that, but with the housing market the way it is, I am worried about it.  I am worried that we won't be able to sell and the investment will be for nothing.
• Flooring.  After having issues with the first floor laid down in my condo, the replacement seems to have some new issues.  The problem is basically my subfloor is a piece of s*** and it needs to be leveled and severely corrected.  Do I have the money for that?  Of course not.  So that means I have to deal with the moving table and little "Mt. Jason."
• Money.  Yep, the "root of all evil", right?  Well it certainly is the root of all distractions in my head.  I have suddenly been on a "lower my costs" kick and have reduced my spending.  Granted, I have savings and all that, but I just am worried that things will get worse.  Plus, I saw the documentary I.O.U.S.A. (see other posts above), and now I am almost sickened by spending money frivolously.

I fear I will not be able to maintain complete focus on the important things and get done.  But I want to.  I need to.  I think it really is a necessity.  So, I need some new strategy.  Maybe a hypnotist is in my future.