Important People

There are important people in the world.  You will not find them on Dancing with the Dim Wits.  I do not figure you will find many of them having anything to do with football or baseball.  There are the unsung associated with these "things" as there are with all endeavor. There are efforts to identify these people throughout the world.  Why?  I have no idea.  If someone has something to offer and they offer it, some will receive it.   Others will want to grab it but hesitate to do so, others will remain suspicious and still others will reject it as "something new."  Important people know this and expect as much.

Apple lured John Sculley away from Pepsi because Apple wanted Sculley to apply his marketing skills to the personal computer market. Steve Jobs successfully sealed the deal with his legendary pitch to Sculley, asking him whether he preferred to "sell sugar water for the rest of your life or come with me and change the world?".  Wikipedia

Important people change the world.  Maybe they only change a small part of the world, say the corner sandlot buried inside a city.  Maybe they only change the hope in one child's heart.  Maybe they say "no, this is wrong" when everyone else turns a blind eye.  Maybe this important person will say "hell yes" just as the fearful crowd runs away shouting "no".   Maybe important people never get noticed, most likely they do not. 

I will not be so presumptuous as to think I am one of these important people.   "Hell, he's a natural-born world-shaker. "  I would hope to recognize important people when I encounter them.  I have followed a few I thought may be important.  I was not disappointed, lost but not disappointed.  I think that faith must play a role in becoming an important person.  The guy that jumped on the train tracks to save another had faith in himself to make such a rash decision.   Every day there are crossroads to be negotiated.  Important people have navigation tools that are different from those of the crowd.  The difference becomes apparent in the choices.  As it should be.

 

Friday Science: Malaria

Bill Gates has been dumping his money into eradication of malaria around the world.  I am glad he is doing it.  Although he has been succeeding while playing the drug research game and costing a ton of money.  Jimmy Carter and his group has almost eliminated the Guinea worm around the world with a simple little straw that filters out the worm while sucking up water through it.  Gates and Carter are taking different paths at the eradication of Malaria.  No longer do they drain swamps and indiscriminately spray poison and oil on water.  The disease which has suppressed societies for thousands of years is being eliminated. 

Sickle Cell disease is a natural adaptation to fight the malaria virus and is the poster child for natural selection in humans.  Natural selection is a distraction here because we must use all resources to eliminate disease and keep ignorance out of it.  I remember in the movie "Apocalypse Now" when the soldiers vaccinated the children in a village and then in the next scene, the witch doctors (religious zealots) said the arms of the children needed to be amputated to remove the devil that was injected in them. 

Ignorance and snittyness is not the answer to world anything, whether it is hunger or employment or health care.  Gates and Carter see the bigger picture on the use of science to solve social issues.  Healthy people are more likely to make healthy decisions.  As it should be.

The Player meets the Tiger

The Player pulls in to a rest stop just outside Johns Creek on his way to Doraville, Georgia for the Allman Brothers Day festivities; a follow up to the Masters Golf Tournament.  He grabs a seat at the bar.  The place is full of post PGA golfer types and lots of babes.

"I'll have a White Russian".  The player looks out over the bar like he owns the place.  There is a couple of ladies in white jeans back in the smoke filled pool table area that looks like they need a game.  He likes the way they hold the sticks.  A man at the bar mumbled, "I had a white Norwegian once".

Hey buddy, you play pool? There are some bitches that need a little attention.  The guy sitting next to the player is obviously drunk and is hanging his head low.  His Courvoisier was looking slim so the the Player motioned to the bartender to freshen it up.

The Player:  "What? Oh hey, Tiger, how's the swingin?"

"Fuck, everyone keeps ragging me about that"

The Player:  "Na, I am not talking about the golf, man.  Hey, those ladies look ripe?"

Tiger jerks his head up so fast his hat flew off showing his bald head and the scar on his cheek.  "Aw shit, sorry, I am kinda sensitive about the whore thing."

The Player:   Let's move to the pool table and places some quarters on the rim.  Eldrick, "I never pay for it, I play for it, there is a difference.  Sure I have to buy a few games of pool or a few drinks.  If you want to squeeze it, ya have to treat her like a sponge". 

Tiger mumbles under his breath while picking up his hat"Are you sure?". He and the Player moved off toward the pool tables. 

While looking only into the eyes of the tall brunette the Player said, "Ladies, can we slide our quarters in here, we need some dangerous competition.  I hear your rack is the best in town!

Ladies:  Sure enough, those are our quarters.  Rack em.

The player grabs a stick and slides over to the chalk table up close to the ladies while motioning Tiger to "rack-em".  With some sort of mystic hand signs, he motions to the bar babe across the way to top up the drinks for the ladies. 

Just as Tiger finished the racking and grabbed a stick, Redneck Willie came over and said,  "Hey, that is our table, we are up next."

Tiger:  Only people with a full sets of teeth play on this table.

Redneck Willie: "Who says you burr headed needle dick"

The Player grabbed Tiger and out the back door they went. 

The Player:  "Tiger, there were too many of them and the ladies were married.  Hey, they Players feel you should have your card reinstated as soon as possible.  I do not think you are ready.  Player Reynolds said you do not have a whole bunch of potential but money makes up for that in the short term.  As you are finding out."

Tiger:  "I am pathetic, I know, but willing"

The Player:  The new card is in the mail.

The Constitution: The twenty sixth Amendment

Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Kids were being signed up against their will to go to war and die and they were not "old enough or responsible enough" to vote.  I think that is slavery.   I do not know how many young people vote because the evil empire is trying to marginalize that age group the same way they marginalize the the minority vote. 

This is my favorite amendment.  The young generations change the world.  Check out Syria, Egypt and Europe for examples.  Our young people protested a war.  We must provide them with the tools like a decent education.  Follow that with the three "L's"; Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness and you have a recipe for credible, lasting change.

Yesterday- October 17

Really, I had nothing to say yesterday.

The "Louder" technique is attributed to Dave Spence.  He was one of those guys that passes through you life and leaves trails of mind dust that float around in your brain for years.    Him and his friend "Stark" used to get drunk and argue in public places.  They have been thrown out of bars, parking lots, all night donut shops and even churches.  I have left them arguing at 2 AM and they tell me the sun came up and they were still arguing.  They will argue about anything.  Sometimes they argue with other people.   They argued with a bunch of Canada dudes about whether or not we Alaska should be Canadian property.  The police had to come break that one up.  There was no violence, just continuous yelling. 

Steve "Stark" and Dave used the technique of repeating their positions over and over again but louder each time.  Dave felt that his particular point sounded more eloquent and clear the louder it was enunciated.   Stark did most of the yelling and Dave just kept repeating it.  I did most of the laughing.  I never took a position in these arguments.  They would get mad at me and call me all kinds of names  but I would not take the bait. 

I do not know what happened to those guys.  Steve got cancer and was cured and moved back up north.  Dave married Margret and I think he is still alive.  Thirty years ago you could argue with someone and scream and holler.  Now it is illegal and someone will shoot you.  I am sure Stark is still arguing with someone.  There was a group of us that spend a great deal of time together in those days.  Mostly playing basketball and golfing.  Being in a group of young people always gave you something to talk and argue about.  As it should be.