10 thoughts for November 7, 2013

I have a lot of thoughts going through my head, all the time.  Here's some of the minor ones.

1. The FDA has officially moved towards a ban on trans-fats from manufactured foods (first comes the proposal then a comment period, and a final ruling).  The writing was always on the wall for trans-fats, which cause clogged arteries.  Which of course means that when many of us switched from butter to margarine in the 70s, we were screwing our future.
2. Tea Party Republicans -- I'm of course speaking of Virginia's Ken Cuccinelli -- have thrown away etiquette and decided that it's okay not to call your opponent after losing.  Up next: Football players will be allowed to give the winning side the finger at the end of the game.
3. The Miami Dolphins team is a mess, from the top on down.  That's nutty that the GM would suggest Martin retaliate by punching him...a team doesn't win by fighting.  Was Martin bullied?  This is what I've learned over the years: It's not what you think, it's what that person thinks.  It's called empathy, and in an alpha-type world, it's not part of the lexicon.
4. Speaking of the Dolphins, somebody please contrast the Dolphins locker room with the Seattle Seahawks'.  The team from the top on down, is focused on being positive, not infighting and demoralizing each other, as it appears the Dolphins organization fosters.
5. The US economy (GDP) expanded at a 2.8% annual (year over year) rate, in Q3.  Of course you know what this means: If we hadn't had that government shutdown, Q4 would have probably matched that 2.8%, but instead, we'll end up with something closer to 2.2~2.5%.  A lot of lost GDP.
6. Tonight's Oregon - Stanford football game could be epic.  It's in Palo Alto, so the home team gets a big nod.  However, Oregon's engines are in overdrive right now, so the game feels like a toss-up, but I'm going with Oregon, 41 - 38.
7. My Nexus 5 comes today.  Per usual, I'm probably going to chase down the UPS driver to grab it early.
8. USC's going to beat Cal on Saturday -- this I have no doubt, after watching the Trojans control both sides of the ball in the second half against Oregon State.  Cal's a pass-happy team, so I fully expect about 4 or 5 interceptions on Saturday.
9. The US Senate, by a 2/3rds ratio, voted to support equal rights in the work place for gay and transgender folks.  This means that about a dozen Republicans crossed the aisle and voted with Democrats.  Interesting.
10. There are many conflicting definitions of the Tea Party.  Here's mine: A loosely-associated group of people, antagonistic to the changing demographics of America.  The rise of the Tea Party wasn't a reaction to the NSA snooping or the loss of liberties, but a reaction to an African-American president taking over at the nadir of a major economic downturn.