NOVEMBER 11 UPDATE
COMMITMENTS
PA Tuff-n-Tuffer GOLD Commitments '07
Kirstin Allen - U Maine
Pam DelPizzo - Elon
Lauren Fry - Bucknell
Ali Henry - Lafayette
Mollie Illenberger - U Pittsburgh
Natalie Mitchell - U Alabama-Birmingham
Courtney Zingle - Mount Saint Mary's
MORE RONALD MACDONALD NOTES
Ronald
McDonald Summary
Texas Heat Gold 11 HV Whitehouse Gold 2
Texas Heat Gold 6 TX Avengers Hirsch 1
Texas Heat Gold 1 DS Stingers 0
Texas Heat Gold 6 Texas Elite Brock 6
Texas Heat Gold 5 Texas Travelers Gold 4
‘08 Lauren Kennewell led the Heat pitching winning 4 games with 17K’s and .31
ERA. University of Tulsa signee Kelly Chapman led the offense batting .625 with
2 triples, 3 RBI’s and 7 walks. ’09 Haley Lemons batted .462 with 6 RBI’s and
’09 Shelby Frierson batted .444 with 3 RBI’s. University of North Texas signee
Courtney Bradshaw belted a 3-run HR in the Traveler’s Gold game. ‘08’s Jordan
Leff and Brittany Meek both had 2 stolen bases.
POTPOURRI
World Trade. In case you didn’t have time to read the Business section, the new trade agreement with Russia has ramifications, far beyond the value of goods – we export nearly $4 billion to Russia but import more than $19 billion. The new agreement should open Russian doors to their banking and insurance sectors, while allowing greater imports of US food stuffs including meat, poultry and vegetables. (Probably not spinach) The deal moves Russia closer to membership in the World Trade Organization – but it should also lower political barriers which have kept US companies from joining in the exploration of new oil and gas fields, and which cost Boeing orders for 22 new aircraft. That new bipartisanship will be tested early. Sen. Baucus, who will chair Finance in the new Congress, praised the accord but he wants Russia to reduce levels of piracy and counterfeiting before Congress agrees to WTO membership for Russia.
Economic Fairness. A big umbrella which means a lot of things, including a number of social welfare and educational programs, but also a more equitable tax system, starting with modification of the alternative tax mechanism, #1 priority on Charlie Rangel’s list.
First at Bat. Henry Waxman, the California bloodhound, is straining at the bit to start investigations of profiteering on defense contracts but his Government Reform committee has a first order of business command from Speaker-to-be Pelosi – setting new ethics standards for Congress which would severely limit free trips, lunches, other booty from lobbyists. But, this will only go so far. The excesses notwithstanding, the special interest groups provide pro and con data on issues which are critical to informed decisions.
Jim Webb. Never liked smug, arrogant politicians like Charles Schumer, Robert Byrd, Lincoln Chafee, John Kerry, and their ilk, and Webb seems cut from the same cloth, an opinion I formed some years ago when lunching at the Army Navy Club. George Allen made a concession speech which even the Post called graceful. Webb, who was one-half of the most vicious campaign in Virginia history, had the gall to respond to Allen by talking about the need for Allen to join him in an effort to clean up political campaigning. Webb has the potential to serve effectively; he should watch and learn from Nancy Pelosi, as smooth a politician as this Capitol has seen.
Only Took Two Days. Inevitable! The Post devoted parts of two pages to describe Nancy Pelosi's choices in attire.
Drivers. A well-dressed man in a Lexus sped down the wrong lane of the approach to Chain Bridge, cut in suddenly to avoid oncoming traffic, and waved his middle finger at fellow commuters who honked. He has done it at least twice in morning rush hour when I’ve been enroute to Sibley Hospital for therapy. Even worse was the broad who pulled out of Sibley behind me on Thursday; I could see in the rear-view mirror that her right hand was wrapped around a cell phone – but the left hand kept shooting out the window to flick ashes off her cigarette. You don’t wish an accident on anyone, even a Look-Ma-no-hands driver like this idiot, but a case of instant diarrhea would suffice.
Worst Halloween Costume. Police were called out in White Plains NY and the county jail went into lockdown for a head-count when a trick-or-treater was spotted wearing the garb of a county inmate. Turns out he was an ex-con and decided to keep and wear the prison clothing as a lark. The police did not laugh; the garb was confiscated and the man was released.
Leno Is Already Laughing. (Des Moines, Iowa-AP) November 10, 2006 - Iowa Democratic Governor Tom Vilsack thinks his presidential campaign is off to a "pretty good start." Vilsack announced his run for the Oval Office just hours after news of his party's midterm election gains. Vilsack says he wanted to quickly declare his candidacy because of the need to raise money and lay the groundwork for his campaign. He's not as well known as some of the expected candidates and will face rivals with a big financial advantage. Talk about your uphill battles! Leno rode Kerry right up to the election. Noting that NASA is preparing another launch to put a new crew in a space station, Leno said the Democrats tried to persuade NASA to take Kerry but NASA refused.
Hospital Humor. After nine weeks of intermittent testing at Johns Hopkins, my arms and hands were showing black and blue marks from so many IV needles. Last week, the tech in Neurology stuck me 5 times before getting a vein. On Wednesday, I was cursing in Russian after four failed tries. The C-Scan doctor insisted they need the iodine contrast to complete a test for pancreatic cancer. During a hiatus, I had talked to a new tech trainee, who had grown up in the rapidly disappearing ghetto around the hospital, and how Hopkins had provided him a way out of the ‘hood. When the doctor prepared for a fifth injection, she looked at my arm, noting scar tissue, and said JHU records don’t show surgery in that area. My new friend from the ‘hood told her, “That’s not surgery. That’s a knife wound.” Then he looks at me, and said very sincerely, “What’s a white guy like you doing in a knife fight?” Everyone laughed. Told him it happened a long time ago in a far away place. Thankfully, on Friday, a tech named Andrea got that needle in on first try. By late afternoon, I was relieved to learn I do not have pancreatic cancer, which one doctor suggested; the four polyps in my colon were removed; I do not have Parkinson’s disease which a neurologist suspected and of course wanted tests; stomach, kidneys and appendix are normal, the lesion on my liver is not threatening; my diabetes has worsened, which is compounding the neuropathy, as is the nerve damage to my spine – but I still don’t know what is causing the intense pain in my lower right side. The great benefit of a uber hospital like Hopkins is that they have specialists who can do more than just the 2.5 year colon cancer checkup; they can eliminate all the things you don’t have. The downside is that the tests are painful, especially the electric shock EMG, and, when there is no obvious cause of pain, like an injury, they scare hell out of you by suggesting all the possible reasons for the intense pain. When I walked into that final diagnostic conference late Friday, fearful of pancreatic cancer, I was already deciding which six friends would be carrying me by the handles. The pain: oh yes, take two Tylenol (in addition to nine other drugs) and call again if it worsens. rfh