Most Admired Men/Women of 2009

The latest USA Today/Gallup poll shows it like this:

Women
1. Hillary Clinton
2. Sarah Palin
3. Oprah Winfrey
4. Michelle Obama
5. Condoleeza Rice

Men
1. Barack Obama
2. George W. Bush
3. Nelson Mandela
4. Glenn Beck
5. Pope Benedict XVI

Safe Enough to Fly

I understand that the system broke down with the failed terrorist would-be attack last week, but I hope this doesn't mean the TSA is going to make life even harder for regular travelers. Most of what they do now is for show, to demonstrate they care. People who fly get that there are certain risks, like someone accidentally hitting the "wings fall off" switch. The Department of Homeland Security can look at what happened and what they can improve, but no reason to punish the rest of the country over it.

My 2 1/2 Cents on This Week's Politics

Cent #1 - Jobs have been lost every month for the past two years. What's been the constant during those past two years? Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House and Harry Reid as Senate Majority Leader. Celebration was in order that ONLY 11,000 jobs were lost in November. I'm surprised when I find out how many friends and neighbors are unemployed. It makes me grateful for my own job, but the longer this many people stay unemployed, the more likely more incumbants will be booted, not just in the general election, but in the primaries.

In Utah, we have Sen. Bob Bennett, who is running for his fourth term in 2010. When he first ran in 1992, he campaigned on a pledge to only serve two terms. In 1999, mere months after being re-elected to his second term, he said he changed his mind. He knows how the system is geared toward incumbants. Once he got in, he knew he could stay as long as he wanted.

But something's changed in the political wind. The economy tanked, and we're still fighting two wars where people are asking, "Remind me why we're still there?" If any of Bennett's challengers prove to be remotely serious, he may not even be on the ballot next November.

Cent #2 - The more I read about the history of Israel and Palestine, the more I wonder how the U.S. became allied with Israel. Not saying they should be allies with Palestine instead, but there's been so much bloodshed for so many decades, and Israel, fighting for its right to exist, has committed several atrocies against thousands of people. Now with hardliner Benjamin Netanyahu in there, I don't expect peace anytime soon, but I do believe a two-state solution with an independent Palestine is the only way to go.

To both sides, it's a holy war. Nothing holy about it.

Cent #2 1/2 - Barbara Walters' Ten Most Fascinating People contained some good candidates, but not good interviews. I'd rather have one of ABC's affiliates have a three-hour special, I DVR it, and then I can choose which ones I actually want to listen to. (That would be a big fast-forward on Lady Gaga and Kate Gosselin, for starters). Barbara only interviewed eight of her nominees, but they still made for quick, superficial interviews where I didn't really learn anything.

Revoke Gore's Oscar?

In light of the flurry of evidence the past few weeks that scientists have been fudging the numbers on "global warming", two Academy members are demanding that Gore give his award back he won for An Inconvenient Truth.