Slow Joe

Switched off "Morning Joe" because the baby-faced guy wouldn't stop talking about the Jets.  Clicked onto blog postings, instead.  Best of the bunch so far is E.J. Dionne's pre-analysis of State of the Union.  Especially liked these lines: "... The next election hangs on whether jobs are coming back to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin." ... and "... Obama should have the guts to call, at the very least, for a ban on those large gun magazines that made the slaughter in Tucson worse. Even Dick Cheney says he is open to that."

Speaking of guts, I wonder if any Arkansas legislators will call out Rep. David Meeks for his ludicrous legislation calling on Arkansas to disregard the federal health care law when the time comes for uninsured individuals to purchase insurance (with subsidies as needed), or face a fine.  This is why we elect U.S. senators and representatives, Mr. Meeks.  Health care and the lack thereof are national problems, although particularly acute in Arkansas where an estimated half-a-million are uninsured.  The Patient Protection and Affordability Act is the law of the land.  Whether changes are in store will be up to the balances of power at the federal level.  A state's rights issue, this isn't.

As for voices worth heeding, I hope state lawmakers will listen to the likes of University of Arkansas Chancellor G. David Gearhart when debating any proposed legislation or constitutional amendments affecting state aid to higher education, tuition costs and scholarship programs.  The folks in the field can be enlightening.

Enablers

I didn't know Glenn Beck's mother committed suicide when he was 13.  Judging from his interview on The Today Show this morning, he probably thought I knew that.  He told interviewer Meredith Viera that everyone knows the things he has said when she began to list a few in asking whether he regretted any vitriol he may have spewed.  Obviously, Beck fights a lot of demons, real or imagined -- and feels compelled to do so in public.  NBC et al are more than happy to set the stage.

Over on "Good Morning, America," Joan and Melissa Rivers were holding forth with George Stephanopoulos.   I was in the dentist's chair, so I couldn't hear what was being said.  Can't imagine needing to.  "The Early Show" has a soup chef, too. A shot across Chris Wallace's bow?

In Washington, Jackie Chan subs for John Boehner at tonight's state dinner with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

In Little Rock, the Arkansas legislature spun wheels talking about a bill to reclaim "Land of Opportunity" as the state motto, ditching "The Natural State."   Missed the livestream on that, darn it!

Empty vessel

Sarah Palin continues to speak out about Sarah Palin continuing to speak out ... about Sarah Palin.
A report of her hard-hitting interview with Sean Hannity was on "Fox and Friends," to which the YMCA TV was tuned this morning.  Poll results out today indicate she was preaching to her choir.

Also chatting with with Steve Doocy et al was Chris Wallace and his wife, who reportedly makes tasty soups.  I like Chris Wallace (as a host and interrogator).  I like soup.  But I can't imagine reading a book about it, much less buying one.

Meantime, let's hope the young people of Haiti, in their desperation, find time to read about the menace who returned to their country this week.  There are reports late this morning about Baby Doc's imminent arrest.

Go fly a kite

The fellow at the YMCA saw a need to remind me that today is Robert E. Lee's birthday.  (Not clear why; he's from Iowa.)  This after the local TV morning show ran down a list of events planned to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.  I noted for wont of a pithier reply, that it's neither of their birthdays.  But we don't honor the Francophile.
The newspaper's business and technology section informs of a $30 million robotic spy plane capable of scanning a country the size of Afghanistan in a single pass.  Here's hoping what's described as the Pentagon's "unblinking eye" can catch sight of the bearded one.

Ordinary People

On the one Sunday I attended Mass in San Antonio, Texas, the priest and homilist urged those in attendance, no matter how far their minds might drift, to try to remember one word or phrase that summed up the sermon.  I've tried that since, with varying degrees of success.  This morning, for example, our African missionary priest at Our Lady of Holy Souls both penned (he types his sermons for distribution in the pews) and voiced a memorable sentence:  "There is much greatness in being ordinary."  His inspiration drew from the Gospel reading on St. John the Baptist, who cast himself as an ordinary man  making way for one whose sandals he was not fit too lace.

Returning home, ABC's Sunday morning talk show, "This Week with Christiane Amanpour," featured a town hall meeting that dealt, in large part, with the heroic acts of ordinary people who subdued the gunman outside the Phoenix shopping center a week ago Saturday.  Ironically, the one town hall participant who called attention to himself by uttering a public threat was hauled off by the police.

Meantime, also listening to a homily this morning, as one of the crowd.

Where's Tunisia?

Must admit I couldn't remember, other than north Africa somewhere near Libya.   (I need to find that map of the world National Geographic sent me when I was still a subscriber.)  Turns out Libya is its eastern neighbor with Algiers to the west.  Sicily a stone skip across the Mediterranean.  Ben Ali, ruling autocrat for more than two decades, has gone to Saudi Arabia leaving behind a successor, who was deposed within 24 hours.

Much ado about nothing in Arkansas General Assembly

Arkansas Legislature appears preoccupied with live texting, live-streaming of committee meeting, crawfishing on pay raises for judges and prosecutors in first week of session.  One legislator said he had broad public support for banning use of cell phones by members and all other attendees during committee meeting.  I can't imagine anyone outside the Capitol cares.