Editorial
Front Page - Monday, February 08, 2010
It must be true
Jay Edwards
Comments on topics I saw in “The Week.”
For every dollar that the United States government brings in, two dollars go out, reports USA today.
While at the same time FOX News says the Obama administration projects the number of employees on the government payroll will grow to 2.15 million this year, reportedly making it the largest federal workforce in modern history.
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I had a driver’s license, or learner’s permit when I was 15. I couldn’t wait to start driving, nor could any of my peers. The Washington Post reports that just 30.7 percent of 16-year-olds got their licenses in 2008, down from 44.7 percent in 1988. When I was 15, in 1972, we had three TV stations and Al Gore had yet to come up with the Internet. Nowadays I guess communication can take place with much less mobility, which doesn’t bode well for the automobile industry either. On the bright side, maybe pollution will decrease.
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If you were born in 2005 you weighed, on average, two ounces less than those babes in 1990. The average in ’05 was 7 pounds and 7.54 ounces according to The Wall Street Journal. No one can figure out why this is but if you look at kids today walking around at the mall, it seems they more than make up for the difference in later years. I weighed 7-11 at birth in 1957. Dad called me crapshoot that first year.
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Some positive news from USA Today is that the number of bank robberies last year was down about 20 percent. You would think that in this economy there would actually be more, but law-enforcement tools are much more advanced, making it a hard life for thieves.
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The first lady of South Carolina has a new book out called “Staying True,” where she says her husband, Gov. Mark Sanford, of the Appalachian Trail, asked her advice about his romance with the lady from Argentina. It makes me wonder if Tiger will want advice from Elin on how to extract a pitching wedge from his noggin. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
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When your census worker shows up at your front door you may be looking at a former boss or college professor. According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, because of widespread job losses the U.S. Census Bureau has hired the most highly educated workforce in decades. So try and be kind when they knock on your door.
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Price cuts. The Washington Post reports that NASA is slashing the prices on the out of service space shuttles from $42 million to a shade under $29 million. It’s never too early to begin your Christmas shopping.
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When you tune into the big game this Sunday between the Saints and Colts, don’t worry too much about missing any actual action. The Wall Street Journal says that in the 174 minutes of an average football telecast, viewers see about 60 minutes of commercials, 75 minutes of players huddling or milling about between snaps, 17 minutes of replays—and just 11 minutes of actual football.
Don’t feel bad, golf is much worse. Say the swing takes two seconds (it’s actually less). If a pro shoots 70, then you see him in action for about 140 seconds, or 2.33 minutes over a five-hour round.
Which means that Jimmy Walker, the guy who finished 2009 at #125 on the money list, made over $230,000 an hour for his 74 rounds played. Tiger, at #1 on the list, averaged $4,378,401 an hour over his 62 rounds.
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