Category: In the News

it’s time for some research funding!

Some of us on the Buffet o’ Blog staff have joked that we should start a research project and find a way to get funded by the government.   After glancing over just part of the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act / spending bill, I’m convinced that we should actually do it.  Initially we were just joking, but people are getting big bucks for projects that our government probably shouldn’t be supporting.  Here’s a few examples:

* $360,000 to the “NOAA National Weather Service Pacific Region Headquarters to purchase, install, and maintain rain gages”.   Okay, maybe this one should be funded.   But $360,000 for rain gages?!?  I know, they have to pay someone to install and maintain them.  Still, you can buy a LOT of rain gages and pay quite a few salaries with that kind of money!   And that doesn’t sound like a full-time job for several people…  (On a side note, I was taught “gauges” is the correct spelling, but apparently both are acceptable.  Silly English language!)

* $1,000,000 to “Rhode Island Coastal Resource Management Council for the development of a comprehensive habitat restoration and protection plan for Narragansett Bay and nearby water bodies”.  But that’s not all.  Here’s a related one: another one million dollars to “Save the Bay for a middle-school youth program to study, cleanup, and preserve Narragansett Bay”.  Really?!? A million bucks to a professional group just to DEVELOP a plan seems WAY high, but then to add another million for a middle-school program?  Where’s that money going???   It’s not going to the kids.  It’s probably not going to the teachers.  Someone should watch that program.

* $2,150,000 to Wisconsin for the “Wisconsin Height Modernization Program”.  Is the height of Wisconsin out-of-date?  I don’t know what that’s about…

* $5,600,000 to “The JASON Project”.  I have no idea what that is.  But I’m thinking there should be a “Buffet o’ Blog Project”!  We can call it “The BoB Project” for short.   Our state senators should just put it in there for something small, like $100,000.  Who reads these bills anyway?  I don’t think our congressmen do.   This bill is 1,122 pages long, and they had less than 36 hours to read it before it was voted on.  I need to make some phone calls!

* $400,000 for “Horseshoe Crab Research”.  I wonder if this will involve the eating of any…  I’d like to participate in some type of research that involves lots of eating (as long as it’s not vegetables).

* $1,500,000 to “Auburn University for research”.   Some of the earmarks explain what the research is for, but to put “for research” is very generic.  It seems like there would be difficulty in maintaining accountability for that money…   Hmm…  that gives me an idea for my future “research” project(s)…  🙂

The list goes on and on and on and on.  You get the idea.  If you want to look over the plan, here’s the link.  (Be forewarned it’s a 12MB PDF file.)

Enough rambling about all that.  I’ve got to go now, so I can think up some type of “research” I can do to get lots of money.  Apparently this is the American way, and now that Pelosi and the Democrats are spending money like two-year-olds in a candy store, it’s time for me to get in on the redistribution of wealth!

the state fish (or lack thereof) for Arkansas

I just learned that Arkansas doesn’t have an official state fish.   I don’t suppose that matters too much really, but there’s all kinds of other official state items, so why not?  The state legislature is currently debating the issue, trying to choose one, but things are getting political.  I know, over a fish?!? That’s a prime example of why politics are stupid…

Anyway, one of the TV news stations in Arkansas recently had a poll on what the state fish should be.  So far the top vote-getter is the blue catfish.   Also worthy of mention is crappie, bass, and trout.  But receiving 25 percent of the vote was “fried fish”.

I don’t know that “fried fish” should count as a state fish, because that’s very ambiguous, but then again, we are in the South, and deep-frying food is like a pastime to many people.  Also, another reason why I can see a vote for that is because they taste great!  🙂   I realize you probably won’t find fried fish in fancy restaurants, nor would you find catfish, but it makes for some great eatin’!  Add some fries and hushpuppies, along with lots of ketchup, and you have a feast!

Burris is adamant about being transparent

I was watching the news on TV for a few minutes yesterday, and I saw part of a press conference with Senator Roland Burris of Illinois (D), where he was answering questions about his controversial appointment to fill Obama’s vacant Senate seat.  He was appointed by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who is in some deep trouble right now.  Burris has repeatedly said he’s innocent and he’s been transparent, but it’s not looking too good for him, either.   We’ll find out when the taped phone calls are released.

Anyway, I found this video online so you can laugh at it, too.  I wouldn’t ask you to watch it all, so here’s what to skip forward to.  At certain times, Burris has a friend / lawyer / bodyguard / somebody answering questions for him.  Around 10:42 in the video, his friend is explaining how they’ve been “transparent”, and Burris keeps repeating that word after him.  To me, it was funny, because it looks like he’s trying way too hard.   Reminds me of a Shakespeare line, “Me thinkest thou protests too much.”

Also in the video, at around 11:20, his friend says, “We cannot speak to that.”  A reporter asks, “Why not?”  And the guy responds with, “Because I said we can’t!”  I was surprised by that.   When you’re a parent telling your children what they can’t do, you might be able to get away with that line.  But facing a group of professional reporters, that line just doesn’t work the same way.

Here’s the link to the video: Burris defends remarks to committee.

While searching for this, I also found when Roland Burris had said this a while back: “We are hoping and praying that they will not be able to deny what the Lord has ordained.”  Someone should tell him if the Lord ordains something to happen, it will happen.  But he should be careful that he’s not just saying that.  God doesn’t like it when folks falsely speak on His behalf…

woman has failed the driving test 771 times

Today I heard about a South Korean woman who has failed the written exam of the driving test 771 times.  She’s 68 years old, and she’s been taking the test almost every day since April 2005.  The minimum passing score is a 60, and she’s gotten as high as 50.  There is a cost for each test, and she has spent over $3,000 so far on fees.   She’s hoping that attempt number 772 will be it.

I will say this — she’s determined!  But perhaps she should study some before taking it again.  You figure she would’ve gotten that message by now.   I have to wonder, though — does she speak the proper language?  Or can she read and write?  It seems like just marking random answers would eventually score high enough in 771 tries.

But through all this failure, she now has fame.  She has set the world record for number of times to fail the driving test.  And now she’s being talked about in the news all around the world.  She has received her 15 minutes of fame, and she now holds a world record.