I’ll be honest: I don’t like President Obama. I didn’t vote for him. I don’t agree with his policies and I think he’s bad for America… but I’m going to try to not let that influence how I really feel about him being awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

The whole of my remaining realizable estate shall be dealt with in the following way: the capital, invested in safe securities by my executors, shall constitute a fund, the interest on which shall be annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind. The said interest shall be divided into five equal parts, which shall be apportioned as follows: one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery or invention within the field of physics; one part to the person who shall have made the most important chemical discovery or improvement; one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery within the domain of physiology or medicine; one part to the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction; and one part to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses. The prizes for physics and chemistry shall be awarded by the Swedish Academy of Sciences; that for physiology or medical works by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm; that for literature by the Academy in Stockholm, and that for champions of peace by a committee of five persons to be elected by the Norwegian Storting. It is my express wish that in awarding the prizes no consideration be given to the nationality of the candidates, but that the most worthy shall receive the prize, whether he be Scandinavian or not.

— Excerpt from the last will and testament of Alfred Nobel

The last time I looked, a will was a legally binding document by which a person declares how their estate is supposed to be managed and disposed of upon his death. I suppose it’s possible that Mr. Nobel’s will has been challenged at some point, but I’m going to assume it is currently deemed to be valid since these awards have been given to deserving individuals since 1901.

What I have a problem with is that the NNC has deliberately ignored the guidelines set forth in the will:

… and one part to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.
… in awarding the prizes no consideration be given to the nationality of the candidates, but that the most worthy shall receive the prize…

I’m not aware of anything President Obama has actually done to promote peace. Perhaps what he hasn’t done is better than what the other 204 candidates actually did? Or maybe all of the 205 candidates were being considered because of their hopes and promises instead of recent accomplishments?

That said, I have to give credit where credit is due. Had the Swedish Academy decided to give President Obama the Nobel Prize in Literature, I’d have no issue whatsoever. One only needs to listen to a few of his many speeches to know that our President is quite skilled at spinning a captivating yarn.

References:

Excerpt from the Last Will & Testament of Alfred Nobel
The Norwegian Nobel Committee

Buy a Mac.

Seriously… some spammer just sent me an email with that subject line advertising a product that will identify and eliminate errors, restore performance and stabilize Windows.

Here’s what I really don’t get.

Say you go spend your hard-earned cash for a new oven… or a new washing machine — doesn’t really matter what it is. But it’s manufactured by Acme, Inc. and every six months it starts giving you trouble… and every six months, you need to go through some routine to eliminate problems that should never have occurred in the first place.

Next time you need a new oven or washing machine, are you really going to buy another Acme? Do you really believe you’re stuck with Acme because you don’t know how to operate another brand?

Wake up people… if it hurts when you bang your head against a wall, stop banging your head against the wall.

How come Acorn is allowed to endorse presidential candidates and keep their federal funding?

If you criticized George Bush, it was called freedom of speech. If you criticize Obama, they call it racism.

I can’t believe anyone would actually consider doing this. Studies show that texting while driving is as dangerous as driving with a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit.

When you get behind the wheel of a car, you should be concentrating on driving. If you feel the “need” to text, get off the road. If you can’t resist the urge to text and drive, you should probably seek professional help.

Introduce a new restriction in the 2010 elections barring all incumbents from running for re-election.

Prior to the 2004 Presidential election, the law in Massachusetts required unexpectedly vacated Senate seats to be temporarily filled by choice of the Governor. John Kerry’s seat would have been vacant if he were elected President, so the Massachusetts legislature simply changed the law — preventing Republican Governor Mitt Romney from possibly appointing a Republican.

Shortly before the late Senator Edward Kennedy’s death, he asked the state legislature to change the law back to what it was — allowing current Democratic Governor Deval Patrick to possibly appoint a Democrat.

In the weeks before Senator Kennedy’s death, he argued that the state of Massachusetts deserved to be fully represented in the U.S. Senate. I agree completely. But the Senator was diagnosed with brain cancer in May, 2008. If he was so devoted to Massachusetts, why didn’t he pressure the legislature to hold a special election in January, 2009 at which time he would step down?

The good justice better damn well be sairy for what’s he’s done. Did he stop to think for even a second how dispassionate his actions would be to the families and friends of those who lost their lives over Lockerbie, Scotland on December 21, 1988?

I have house guests coming this weekend so I’m freshening up the guest rooms. When I was laying out the towels, I grabbed my favorite set just like I always do… and I spent a few seconds checking for frays — just like I always do.

You see, my favorite set of towels is 21 years old. I bought them when I purchased my first home. I fell in love with them as soon as I saw them, but I couldn’t afford them — so I bought one set out of one paycheck and another set out of the next one. For ten years, they were used daily and went in the washer and dryer weekly. They’re Martex Liberty of London, just in case you’re curious.

Since then, they’ve been used by guests several times a year. I’m sure they’ve faded a little, but they still look brand new.

I’ll bet you my favorite set of towels there isn’t a manufacturer out there today — including Martex — who’d promise their towels would last for 2 years, let alone 20.

According to Dr. Barbara Starfield, health care professionals in the US are responsible for 225,000 deaths per year from iatrogenic causes, making doctors, nurses and hospitals the 3rd leading cause of death behind cancer and cardiovascular diseases. That doesn’t include the number of patients who simply experience complications stemming from poor decisions made by care providers, resulting in more physician visits, more prescriptions, more emergency room visits, more hospitalizations, more long-term visits and even more deaths — all adding up to an additional $77 billion in unnecessary expense.

The United States came close to ranking dead last out of health indicators measured for 16 countries… and further studies show that the poor rating can’t be correlated to bad health habits or lack of technology.

Introducing another 40 to 50 million people into a health care system that’s already struggling is a recipe for disaster. You want to redistribute wealth? Find a way to recover that $77 billion and put it to better use.

References

• Journal of American Medicine, July 26, 2000
• Doctors Are The Third Leading Cause of Death in the US, Causing 225,000 Deaths Every Year
• Medical Errors, the FDA, and Problems with Prescription Drugs