john f kennedy Archives - Where Is The Outrage?

A couple of things – Fats, MLB, JFK

Fats Domino was unique talent. It was only after I read his obituary that I really figured out how big Fats Domino truly was (no pun intended). This guy ruled the 50s like no one else. He was second only to Elvis Presley in record sales. That’s incredible. Yet, by the time that I came of age and started listening to music and buying music on my own, Fats Domino was not even in the picture. Yes, I knew all the words to Blueberry Hill and I knew the melody to Ain’t that a Shame and I’m Walkin’ but that’s it. Now, if you slow down and pay attention, you can hear Fats Domino in a lot of tunes like Paul McCartney’s, Lady Madonna. Rest in peace Fats. Here are 12 essential Fats tunes.

I know that there are a lot of baseball fans that wanted to see some other team but, I, for one, am happy that the best teams in baseball actually got to the big show. The Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers have been the best team in baseball since the opening pitch. They won more games and probably have the best pitching roster. And, the best part, is that they are truly showcasing great baseball. Tonight, they’re locked in the pitcher’s dual. It is a great thing to watch.

There are lots of things to distract us these days. Like, the fact that Donald Trump and Republicans continue to try to dismantle affordable healthcare for all Americans. Oh, wait, that’s important. Or possibly the fact that four Americans were killed in Niger. Hold on, we have troops in Niger? This is important also. This is not a distraction. We need to pay attention to this. Then there is the fact that Donald Trump really wants all of those JFK files released. Oh, yeah, right that’s the distraction. There probably hasn’t been an event in the last 75 to 80 years which is been more written about then the Kennedy assassination. It’s been written about from almost every angle possible except from outer space. Since the president is being so open and forthcoming, it would be nice to know why we can’t get fresh, clear drinking water in Puerto Rico? Why can’t we get an all-out effort to restore power?

By ecthompsonmd|2017-10-29T01:14:40-04:00October 28th, 2017|Military, Party Politics|Comments Off

Ronald Reagan and economics, Part 2

So a couple of days ago, I discussed Ronald Reagan and the economy because many Americans are under the impression that life was better under Reagan. I discussed real GDP per capita per year and found that Ronald Reagan wasn’t the best, nor even the second best. He was the third best president if we look at this economic indicator. So, today, I would like to get into something a little more personal than the GDP. Let’s look at real income.

Real median income is median income adjusted for inflation.

Just from the naked eye, we can see that it looks as if real median income took off during the Kennedy/Johnson administrations. Americans also did well during the Clinton and Reagan administrations. Again, if we look at real median income per capita per year, we come up with exactly what the naked eye is seeing in the above graph. John F. Kennedy/ London Baines Johnson came in first with 3.48 percent per year. Bill Clinton came in second with 2.49% per year. Finally, Reagan came in third with 2.45% per year.

So with these two real world measures of the economy, Reagan doesn’t come in first or second. He was the third best president in the last 50 years with regards to economic performance. Third. (Check some more facts in the book Presimetrics.)

By ecthompsonmd|2012-08-03T19:58:30-04:00August 2nd, 2012|Economy|Comments Off

Wednesday Morning News Roundup

Tornadoes rake across the Mid-West. There are several reported deaths.

Federal court in San Antonio has released an interim redistricting plan for Texas. This plan, of course, is set in stone, unless any of the nine parties who were contesting the last plan decide they would like to appeal it. I think this again points out how corrupt, disjointed, confusing and unfair political redistricting has become in this country. This is what you fight for. You fight to be able to control the redistricting maps, which really controls the houses of your state legislature and Congress. You can protect your friends. You can punish or eliminate your enemies through redistricting. We must go to a better system nationwide.

James Murdoch, son of Rupert Murdoch, has relinquished his post as executive chairman of News International. This continues to be a big story.

North Korea has agreed to IAEA inspections and a nuclear moratorium. Raise your hand if you’ve read this before.

Economic numbers were revised upward for the fourth quarter.

Fox News continues to peddle sour economic news.

Rick Santorum lost both Arizona and Michigan. I think that he is done.

I’d like to spend just a moment thinking about Rick Santorum’s statement on John F. Kennedy’s classic speech on the separation of church and state. (Complete transcript here.)

Rick Santorum stated that he read the speech on religion and it made him want to “throw up.” He stated, “I don’t believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute. The idea that the church can have no influence or no involvement in the operation of the state is antithetical to the objectives and the vision of our country…. ” Now, of course, Rick Santorum was pandering for votes. He was desperate. He was in the final days of trying to rally his troops in Michigan and somehow eke out a victory. He was grasping for straws. Yet, I don’t believe that this excuses such over-the-top rhetoric. Every now and then, we truly need to hold our politicians accountable for what they say. It is clear to me that John F. Kennedy, the former president, wasn’t talking about running the presidency in a moral vacuum. President Kennedy understood, just as you and I understand, that Americans who come from a religious background carry their religious morality with them everywhere. This is a fact of life. The fact that you are cordial and treat others with respect is a reflection of your religious beliefs. The fact that you listen to other points of view or don’t listen to other points of view, again, is a reflection of your religious beliefs. What John F. Kennedy was talking about was central to what was on Americans minds at the time – the president should not answer to the Pope. Although some may laugh now, that was a real fear in 1960. If we elected a Catholic president, it would the same as electing the Pope as president. What John F. Kennedy was talking about was that he was going to be a president for everyone. He wasn’t going to take his marching orders from any religious figure, but that his religious upbringing, his moral character if you will, was still going to be the same. This is a nuanced argument. In 2012, nuanced arguments cannot be distilled down the talking points and bumper stickers so that they are belittled by folks like Rick Santorum. I find it disappointing that more people haven’t taken Rick Santorum the task. To be complete, Rick Santorum has backed away from his original statements.

By ecthompsonmd|2012-02-29T11:57:35-04:00February 29th, 2012|Economy, Environment, Party Politics, Religion|Comments Off