Its an Uncle John Wednesday

Happy Memorial Day. Happy Memorial Day observed. Happy Indy 500. These used to be one date. Now they are three different dates. This is another example of improvements made by mankind during the past 50 years.

The St. Louis Post Disgrace (I mean Post Dispatch) had a page one plug saying "Unlike Muslims in Europe, US Muslims are overwhelmingly opposed to Islamic extremism." In the article on page three it disclosed that 51% of Muslims in the US are "very concerned about Islamic extremism." This is not quite what I'd call "overwhelmingly opposed." Further, over one-fourth of US Muslim males under 30 say suicide bombing is an acceptable way to "defend Islam." I am just as shocked by these results as I am by the journalism acumen of our paper's staff.

The fine Gov. of Arkansas said, "Congress spent money like John Edwards in a beauty shop." If your TV ever happens to be tuned to the Cspan channel and if the Senate is in session and if Senator Byrd is speaking, do yourself a favor and start pushing buttons on your remote. I never thought much of his politics but I must admit he was once a fine orator. Now he is ridiculous. He can only speak about 10 words a minute, he repeats almost everything he says. The keywords are repeated several times each. He reads from a notebook on the podium and the letters must be about 4 inches tall because he turns the page after every dozen words or so. To see this spectacle is as sad as if fans had to watch a teetering Stan the Man who still insisted on taking his turn at bat in the Cardinal's lineup each day.

If you had a dollar for each of the 100 billion seconds of human history, you could pay for the US gov't budget for about 12 days.

The value of real property equity in the US exceed the value of all stocks/bonds/etc.

I'm very confused and conflicted about the new immigration reform proposals, but it seems like the political parties are also. The strangest alliances I have ever seen have emerged over this deal. One highly touted point is that "There will not be a hit on our welfare costs because this bill stipulates that the person be employed at least 90% of the time." This is magnificently incorrect. Our welfare programs may have at one time been intended for unemployed folk but the programs are absolutely aimed at low income employees now and virtually all of the people in question will surely qualify for virtually all the welfare programs. I am almost convinced to stand against the proposal unless its proponents can deliver a grain of honesty on this aspect.

I feel like the old codger I heard on the TV sit com who said he was just waiting for the new Internet fad to pass.

The Gov of IL wanted to tax the gross receipts of businesses in that state rather than just the profits. Seems to me this would be a huge hit on the low profit margin operations and a great boon to the high profit margin operations. The measure failed (at least in the opening round). This guy's name is Blagojevich or something of that ilk. I wish voters would reject candidates with names that I can't spell or pronounce.

A fellow in a neighboring county got arrested and convicted for having 359 marijuana plants growing in his basement. A peculiar facet is that his wife was a county prosecutor at the time. She said she knew nothing about the 359 plants in the basement. A special prosecutor from the big city (that's us) was assigned to look into this situation. He said he believed her. End of story. I bet the folk in DC wish the special prosecutors that descend on them were as easily persuaded.

I see tobacco usage is now a factor in the ratings assigned to a movie. I hear some of the old movies will be edited to delete tobacco usage scenes. There doesn't seem to be a boundary on this subject.

NBC has decided to change the airing of "Friday Night Lights" from Wednesdays to Fridays this year. Now that makes more sense. ABC was all over this concept back in 1970 when the introduced Monday Night Football and aired it on Monday nights.

Currently the US Postal Service is selling some 41 cent stamps for current usage and some 41 cent stamps that are said to be good for all future postage. It seems to me that all rules of economics would say that the "forever stamps" must have greater value than the current stamps, so how can they charge the same for each?

The Cardinals played 27 innings in San Diego and scored in one of them. The bats then came alive but the pitching went sour as they lost 5 of 6 in LA and Detroit. When trailing the Tigers by 9 runs in the 5th, our announcer said "there is still a lot of baseball to be played." He was right. The Tigers scored 5 more times in that very inning.

I have not seen or heard a media report on it, but an anecdotal account has it that a purveyor of gasoline in WI was ordered to discontinue his attempt to sell gas at a discount to certain customers.

How's that for free enterprise? W's approval rating is 33% (awful). Congress' approval rating is 29%. It seems like I hear a lot more about the former than the latter.

The last lyric challenge was from Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The vocabulary word was "scofflaw" and (as the parts suggest) it is one who scoffs at the law, usually minor laws. The trivia question was about the yachting prize, The Americas Cup. Robin, Mary Jo, Rob, and Betsy got it.

The new vocabulary word is "sleazoid." The trivia question is: Over what river canyon did Evil Knevil attempt to jump his motorcycle? The lyrics challenge is: "Buddy you're a big boy,/ make big noise;/ Playin' in the street,/ Gonna be a big man someday./ You got mud on your face,/ You big disgrace,/ Kickin' your can all over the place."