"Hiding" Hillary's Health

The conspiracy theory that the mainstream media is "hiding" major health problems for Hillary Clinton is getting more traction this week after the former First Lady collapsed while leaving a 9/11 memorial service in New York over the weekend.  The official statement from the campaign is that Mrs Clinton is suffering from pneumonia (which would also explain the coughing fit at the podium last week) and being "overheated" on a hot day.  That diagnosis doesn't pass muster for anti-Clinton types, who--using video showing just the back of her head as she is helped into an SUV--are diagnosing her with every neurological disorder in the book.

While I doubt there is a media conspiracy afoot to withhold information on Hillary's health (because each news department knows the ratings gold it would be to have an "exclusive" or to be the "first to report"), it certainly is not without precedent for the American people to be kept in the dark about their elected leader.  In fact, intentional suppression of a President's health is an American tradition.

Abraham Lincoln suffered from debilitating bouts of depression--especially after the death of his son, Tad--yet there were never reports at the time that he may be unfit to serve.  Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke in his second term that left him unable to speak.  Many historian concur that his wife became his "mouthpiece" after that--perhaps scooping Clinton as our "first female President"--and making many of Wilson's decisions for him.  And yet, none of that was reported at the time.

The most famous case is President Franklin Roosevelt's handicaps caused by polio.  It was agreed upon between both the White House and the press corp that pictures of FDR in a wheelchair were not to be published.  The same for shot showing the President using two canes and heavy leg braces to walk.  There were a few shots that snuck out showing the difficulty that Roosevelt had in getting around--but for the most part, Americans had no idea.

Dwight Eisenhower suffered mild strokes while President--but the extent of his neurological damage was never fully detailed.  And while it was mentioned that John Kennedy suffered from back pain, the treatment of prescription painkillers and the wearing of a brace was never fully detailed in the press.  The one time a candidate's health record was publicized--involving 1972 Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Thomas Eagleton and his history of hospitalization for depression--it forced him to resign the ticket and pretty much torpedoed the George McGovern campaign.

The first time a President's health report became national news was during Ronald Reagan's tenure--and that is because he was "so old" when first elected.  For some perspective, almost 70-years old when he was first sworn into office.  That would make him a whole two years older than Hillary Clinton--and actually YOUNGER than Donald Trump.  When Nancy Reagan announced shortly after he left office that Ronald had Alzheimer's Disease, every piece of video from press conferences was closely examined--and everybody then "recognized" the signs of early dementia every time Reagan forgot a name or lost track of his thoughts while talking to the media.

To expect the elderly folks running for President this time around to be of fit body and mind is a stretch as well.  They are Baby Boomers after all--and they are part of the group that is serving to be the biggest drain on the health care system--not to mention Medicare and Medicaid.  And they won't be getting any healthier.

9-11 Memories

Sometimes I'm asked what memories I have of 9/11.  From a news reporter standpoint it was the biggest story of my lifetime--but when the anniversary of that day comes around every year, I choose not to think about the video footage, the press conferences or the mood of the people that day.  Instead, I always focus on just 19-men:

Hani Hanjour--in the US illegally on an expired student visa
Khalid Al-Mindhar--on the US terror watch list and in the country on a tourist visa
Nawaf Al-Hamzi--in the US illegally after overstaying a tourist visa
Salem Al-Hamzi--in the US on a tourist visa
Majed Moqed--in the US on a tourist visa
Mohammed Atta--in the US as a work trainee visa
Satam Al-Suqami--in the US illegally after overstaying a tourist visa
Waleed Al-Shehri--in the US illegally after overstaying a tourist visa
Wail Al-Shehri--in the US on a tourist visa
Abdulaziz Al-Omari--in the US on a tourist visa
Marwan Al Shehhi--in the US on a student visa
Fayez Banihammad--in the US on a tourist visa
Ahmed Al-Ghamdi--in the US illegally after overstaying a tourist visa
Hama Al-Ghamdi--in the US on a tourist visa
Mohand Al-Shehri--in the US on a tourist visa
Zaid Jarrah--in the US on a tourist visa
Saeed Al-Ghamdi--in the US on a tourist visa
Ahmed Al-Haznawi--in the US on a tourist visa
Ahmed Al-Nami--in the US on a tourist visa

In thinking about those men, I imagine them praying the night before and the day of the attacks praying that there small weapons get through the security checkpoints at the airport, or that their passports won't be denied at check-in, or that the passengers on the flights won't put up much of a fight, and that they are able to fly the planes that they only had experience with in simulators to their intended targets.  And except for the case of the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania, those men's prayers were answered.

So why would I only think of those men--when so many Americans died on that day--and the rest of our lives were so greatly altered?  Because if those men had never been allowed into the country--or someone at security had said "there seem to be a lot of men from terrorists hotbed countries bringing box cutters onto planes here today" or if intelligence operations had shared information known about each of these men, all those who were honored at memorial services yesterday would have been back at work or home with their families on September 12th, 2001.

And yet, you heard little mention of those 19-men yesterday.  It's almost as if an effort is afoot to wipe them from the history of 9/11.  President Obama certainly didn't mention them in his speech.  You would have thought those thousands of people had died in a horrible accident or a natural disaster.  And that is why I think about those 19-men--because who they were and what they believed in are the sole cause of 9/11 and the aftermath that has cost thousands more lives.  And that must be remembered (and avenged) as well.

Still Not Good Enough

Last week I gave you my Badgers predictions for the season (and was more than happy to be wrong about week one versus LSU) now it's time for Packers picks you can take to the bank!

Week 1 at Jacksonville--The Jags are getting better, but not good enough yet.  Packers win 27-13

Week 2 at Minnesota--This is the grand opening of the Vikings' new stadium and in the tradition established by that sad sack franchise, they will lose to the Packers on a missed last second field goal 31-30.

Week 3 vs Detroit--The Lions couldn't win at Lambeau with Megatron in their lineup.  Now that he is dancing with the stars, they lose again 28-13.

Week 4--Bye week.  Local sports talk radio is consumed by the questions "will an early bye ruin the Packers' momentum?" and "Will the early bye mean a more tired team at the end of the season?"

Week 5 vs The New York Football Giants--The G-men are always hard to figure out.  Is this the year they miss the playoffs or the year they win the Super Bowl?  I'm guessing it's the former and the Packers win 27-20.

Week 6 vs Dallas--The Cowboys could be down to their fourth-string QB by this time.  Packers win 31-10

Week 7 vs Da Bears--Chicago is headed to a last place finish in the NFC North and they present no challenge at Lambeau 38-7.

Week 8 at Atlanta--Don't the Packers play any good teams this year?  They win on the road 23-20.

Week 9 vs Indianapolis--Finally, an opponent that might actually make the playoffs this year.  The Pack is due for a letdown--so I'll go with the Colts in this one 40-35.

Week 10 at Tennessee--The Titans are no good.  Packers win here 28-16.

Week 11 at Washington--The Redskins will likely be leading the pathetic NFC East again by this time--but just like in the playoffs last year, Green Bay exposes them as pretenders 34-9.

Week 12 at Philadelphia--The Packers win at Washington the week before could elevate the Eagles to the top of the pathetic NFC East--where Green Bay exposes them as pretenders--winning 34-0.

Week 13 vs Houston--Why do I think that JJ Watt is going to have a huge game in his return to Wisconsin?  Texans pull off a road upset 23-21.

Week 14 vs Seattle--Why do I think that Russell Wilson is going to have a huge game in his return to Wisconsin?  Two losses in a row for the Packers 40-34.

Week 15 at Chicato--With fans in panic mode, the Packers get to enjoy whipping up on Chicago again 34-10.

Week 16 vs Minnesota--By this time Joel Stave may be starting for the Vikings.  He does not have a huge game returning to Wisconsin--Packers 27-10

Week 17 at Detroit--Wouldn't it be fun if Aaron Rodgers won this game with a miracle Hail Mary again?  28-27 Packers.

With a 13-3 record, the Packers are the 2nd seed in the NFC, losing the tie-breaker to Seattle.  they get the bye week and then crush the Redskins again (who likely make the playoffs with a losing record again) 41-7.

Then it's off to Green Bay's house of horrors--Seattle--for another NFC Championship game loss to Russell Wilson (this time in less heartbreaking fashion) 24-13.  Seattle then goes on to lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the highest scoring Super Bowl ever 49-45.

Of course, if Aaron Rodgers gets hurt, that 13-3 immediately reverts to a 3-13 record.

Hiding the Anthem

With more athletes joining Colin Kaepernick in his protest against the National Anthem, sports teams are engaging in a game of "Hide the Anthem".  Team USA Soccer star Megan Rapinoe joined the fray this month by "taking a knee" during the Anthem before a game with her Washington women's professional league team.  She announced that she would continue to do that as long as she felt there was injustice in America.  The team decided to circumvent that protest before last night's game--but playing the Anthem earlier than scheduled--at a time when the teams were not on the pitch.  The team then issued a statement saying they did that to prevent Rapinoe's "disrespectful display" from becoming the focus of the game.

That practice may become the norm if athletes are going to use the National Anthem as a platform for their own personal protests.  There wouldn't be much for Colin Kaepernick to do if the song is played while he is in the locker room with his teammates.  Would he or other players come running out in various states of undress just to sit on the bench and make their point?

There is no "law" that requires the playing of the National Anthem right before the start of a sports contest.  It could be played before team introductions--when all of the players are lined up in the tunnel--out of the view of fans and cameras.  It could be played at halftime before the Frisbee-catching dogs take the field or they conduct the Kick For Cash contest.  You could play it right after opening the gates to the stadium, two hours before kickoff.

The National Anthem at sporting events dates back to World War II--and perhaps has outlived its usefulness in today's society.  As I've pointed out before, there are plenty of fans who don't take part in the standing, the hand over the heart and the singing along.  At Chicago Blackhawks games, the fans cheer as loudly as they can--not so much in a show of support for their country--but to get their team fired up for the start of the game (by the way, that is one of the most awesome experiences and I would highly recommend going to a Hawks game for it).  Is that really "respectful"?

So play "Who Let the Dogs Out" or "Jump Around" or "Let's Get It Started" right before kickoff--and give those with grievances (founded or unfounded) less of a venue for their protests.

The Numbers Game

We have added a security lock to the entrance to the Radio Ranch building this week that requires a passcode to open.  For years we had been under the "old school" security procedure in our shared facility--trusting that bad people wouldn't figure out the door was always unlocked and make their way inside.  Each individual suite was locked up at night and on weekends--but access to our bathrooms was available--and apparently the beggars that frequent the Super Walmart next door found out about that and were leaving the nastiest stuff you could possibly imagine in there--so the building's owners decided to lock them out.

So now I have to memorize yet another four digit code to avoid being locked out of my own office every morning.  Of course, the code is different than the four digit one I use for my debit card and the four digit code that I use to unlock my Iphone and the last four digits of my social security number--which many financial websites like to use as a "security question" before allowing you to download your information--and it's not even close to the four digit extension for people to dial to reach my office phone line.

Of course, those are all easier to remember than my five digit employee number at the Radio Ranch, and my five-digit bank account number, or my six-digit WIAA officials number that I have to enter into the scorebook when I work a game--or the different six digit Wisconsin State Golf Association member number that I have to use to register for tournaments or to check my handicap. 

All of those numbers are easier to remember than the various user names that I have for dozens of websites that require registration and security access.  I'm on to my second page of those for use in the office and at home.  And because you are always told never to have the same password for all websites, that list is just as long.  It's a good thing many of those sites allow your computer to "remember" you--or I'd spend half my day trying different combinations of usernames and passwords until I get locked out (and have to reset a password I couldn't remember in the first place) or something finally clicks.  Oh, and when you change a username or password on your desktop computer--you have to do it again on your Iphone--or you won't be able to use those sites or apps on the go.

With all of these numbers, usernames and passwords floating around in my brain, it's amazing I still have room to remember every shot from every round of golf this year, the lyrics to every Beatles and REM song and the answers to about 80% of all the questions on Jeopardy every night.  Just don't ask me what my wife's cellphone number is--that's in my "favorites" on my phone.

The Last Saints

Over the weekend, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was canonized as a saint by Pope Francis.  The nun's canonization comes just a couple of years after Pope John Paul II was given the same honor--on a fast-track basis.  The two may be the last "modern" saints to join the Catholic canon.

The greatest challenge "modern saints" face is that it's a lot harder to perform "miracles" nowadays.  To become a saint, the Church must accept and "verify" two "miracles"--and to be honest, the John Paul and Mother Teresa "miracles" are flimsy at best.  One of the former Pope's "miracles" was a woman being healed of a brain tumor after praying to a magazine cover featuring a picture of the Pontiff on it.  One of Mother Teresa's was a woman being cured of stomach cancer after nuns in Calcutta prayed to former director on her behalf.  The husband of the "cured" woman--who was not a Catholic--initially claimed that his wife's tumor went away after receiving treatment from doctors--not because of any praying.  However, after he converted to Catholicism, the husband changed his story and claimed it was the praying--not the doctors--that healed his wife.

You have to admit, those "miracles" don't quite measure up to feeding a multitude of thousands with just a few fishes and loaves--or a boy growing back an amputated leg.  That darn Science keeps coming up with explanations for things that used to be fodder for "miracles".

Another roadblock to sainthood for modern Catholics will be the world's view of their actions on many social issues.  Both Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa were strong opponents of both abortion and the use of contraceptives in any form or for any reason.  The late Christopher Hitchens pointed out that for Mother Teresa, having poor families continue to have children unfettered was "good for her business".  And that the nun often worked to keep her sickest patients away from better medical facilities--as video footage of more dying people in her homes kept the donations flowing in.  And let's not forget that Pope John Paul oversaw a church that first fostered child molesters, then denied and finally challenged in court allegations of priest sexual assaults around the world--and then cried poverty when it came time to pay the victims.

Of course, most Catholics today--especially in the US don't actually "practice what they preach"--so it's possible there could one day be Saint John Kerry Church or Saint Mel Gibson School--whose "miracles" included "voting against the bill before I voted for it" and getting people to see an over-rated sub-titled film about the crucifiction of Christ.

A Down Year

The Wisconsin Badgers kick off their 2016 season this weekend at Lambeau Field--and I'm not filled with as much optimism for this year as I have been in the past.  A killer schedule combined with the first real effects of the poor recruiting from the Gary Anderson years have the Cardinal and White looking at a down year.  Let's get to the annual predictions:

Week 1 vs LSU at Lambeau--Wisconsin doesn't have the best of records against SEC opponents in recent years--and Tigers running back Leonard Fornette is a beast.  If the Badgers can contain him--and force LSU's shaky quarterback to throw a lot, they can keep it close.  Wisconsin loses 24-20.

Week 2 vs Akron.  The Zips are not that good.  Badgers roll 37-17.

Week 3 vs Georgia State.  This will be one of those games that has fans at Camp Randall antsy well in to the 4th quarter--as the Badgers get caught looking ahead to the start of the Big Ten schedule the next week.  Bucky edges out the Panthers 34-30.

Week 4 at Michigan State.  The Spartans will also be down this year with a new quarterback at the helm--but Wisconsin seems to have no mojo in East Lansing.  Costly turnovers will sink the Badgers in this one 21-13.

Week 5 at Michigan.  Back to back road games and coming off a loss, Wisconsin doesn't look much sharper at the Big House and lose to the Wolverines (who will win the Big Ten this year, by the way) 38-27.

Week 6 vs Ohio State.  Who put together this Big Ten schedule?  Badgers fans go into full panic mode following a painfully close loss to the Buckeyes at Camp Randall 34-31.

Week 7 at Iowa.  With the media wondering if Wisconsin will even make a bowl game this year, the Badgers somehow find a way to be an Iowa team that I think will be down this year, 24-20.

Week 8 vs Nebraska.  Feeling good coming off the road win at Iowa City, Wisconsin uses the friendly confines of Camp Randall to roll over Nebraska 30-10.

Week 9 at Northwestern.  Ryan Field has become a house of horrors for the Badgers the past two decades, as shootouts have never seemed to go their way.  The same thing happens again as Bucky gets outgunned 48-44.

Week 10 vs Illinois.  Finally, one of the crappy teams in the conference! Badgers beat the Illini 38-7.

Week 11 at Purdue. In front of what will likely be a nearly empty stadium in West Lafayette, Wisconsin wins 23-10.

Week 12 vs Minnesota.  Now is the time that I like to remind everyone that Wisconsin has retained Paul Bunyan's Axe for TWELVE CONESECUTIVE YEARS--AND 19 OF THE LAST 21 YEARS!!!  And there is no way Goldy is coming into Camp Randall on Senior Day and taking it this year.  13 YEARS IN A ROW!!!!!  Wisconsin 70, Minnesota 0

With a 7-5 record, Wisconsin makes its first trip to the Quick Lane Bowl in beautiful downtown Detroit, the ultimate December destination.  In a game that draws about 8 fans at Ford Field, Wisconsin outmuscles Central Michigan for a 37-27 victory.

Let's hope I'm wrong about that early Big Ten schedule--but I doubt I will be.