There's a battle going on in the States of Ohio and Arizona that you may have not have ever even heard of. It's not a battle with guns. It's not a boxing match. You may have participated in it without even knowing it, yet this battle is sure to spread across this nation effecting every state in the near future.
The battle has to do with smoking, but just not any smoking. It's smoking in public places. Some people want there to be smoking in public places, while others do not want this to happen. The non-smoking groups have started petitions to let people know that they don't want there to be smoking in public places. They want to ban smoking in almost every place possible that is on public property. The smoking parties are totally against this so they have started their own petition to keep smokers rights protected and keep smoking in public places.
Here's the problem. Because it's a petition, the title of the petition does not have to go along with the text that it is imposing. For example, in Arizona the smokers group is passing around a petition that is being called the Non-Smokers Protection Act. While the title sounds like it is for non smoking Americans, the text that it is implying is to actually keep smoking in public places and almost anywhere that alcohol is served. That's right, it's not in favor of protecting non-smokers at all. So why does the title sound so appealing to non-smokers? Easy. 99.9% of Americans are not going to sit down and read every page of a petition. They think that the title is enough to tell them all they need to know about the cause for the petition therefore they just go ahead and sign it. The truth of the matter is that they are signing a petition that is totally a 180 degree turn from what the title says. The title, in this case, must sound like it's for non-smokers. They make it sound even better than the actual non-smoker petition to lure people into signing their petition. They even go as far as to lie to the general public to get signatures. So when people are thinking that they are doing a favor for the non-smokers, they are actually helping smokers keep smoking in public places.
This is a trend that is soon going to effect almost every state as the battle for smoking in public places gets underway. Therefore, if you are approached by someone with a petition that says they are trying to get smoking banned in public places, be real sure that you know what you are signing. This goes for any petition. Just remember that it's not against the law to make the title of a petition sound different from what you are actually signing. Make sure that you take the time to read about what the petition is actually for because it is the law for the petition to actually state what it's for.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Friday, July 28, 2006
The 50/50 Misconception
We've all heard it. The 50/50. It's a chance. But not just any chance. It's every chance. And that's where the 50/50 is confused with any other chance. The 50/50 is the simplest chance that anybody can take. You always have a 50/50.
The thing that amazes me about the 50/50 is when people use it in the dumbest ways. Like boxing matches. All boxing matches have commentary before any big game. One commentator says to another, "Who do you think is going to win?" and the other says, "Well boxer A has 3 inches on Boxer B and a longer arm reach but boxer B is quicker with a meaner jab. I'll give Boxer B a 50/50 chance." That's a no brainer. Of coarse Boxer B has a 50/50 chance. He's either going to win or he's going to lose. Simple. Both boxers have a 50/50 chance. It's so simple yet people use it like they're so dumb. Common sense people. Let's put it to work.
Here's where it gets confusing to some people. Let's say that your at work. Your boss just posted a position that you really want so you apply for it...And so do 19 other people. What are your chances of getting it? Most people without even thinking would say 5%. Why? Because there are 20 people. Your one person so therefore you only have a 5% chance of getting it. However, that answer is wrong. Some people will tell you in that situation that the chances are against them and that chances are that someone else would get that position in that situation. Yet, the truth is that everybody in that situation has a 50/50 chance of getting it. If your one person going up against 19 others it doesn't mean that you have a 5% chance of getting that job. It doesn't mean that chances are that someone else will get that job. That's where the misconception comes into play. You and the 19 people you are going up against all have the same chance of getting that position, therefore you all have a 50/50 chance of getting that job.
If you think about it the 50/50 is used in every part of life. You always have a 50/50 chance. You have a 50/50 chance of going to work today. Either you will or you won't. You may take a shower today, or you may not. It's a 50/50 chance. The 50/50 is used everywhere. Just think about it. So no matter what, you always have a 50/50 chance. Always.
The thing that amazes me about the 50/50 is when people use it in the dumbest ways. Like boxing matches. All boxing matches have commentary before any big game. One commentator says to another, "Who do you think is going to win?" and the other says, "Well boxer A has 3 inches on Boxer B and a longer arm reach but boxer B is quicker with a meaner jab. I'll give Boxer B a 50/50 chance." That's a no brainer. Of coarse Boxer B has a 50/50 chance. He's either going to win or he's going to lose. Simple. Both boxers have a 50/50 chance. It's so simple yet people use it like they're so dumb. Common sense people. Let's put it to work.
Here's where it gets confusing to some people. Let's say that your at work. Your boss just posted a position that you really want so you apply for it...And so do 19 other people. What are your chances of getting it? Most people without even thinking would say 5%. Why? Because there are 20 people. Your one person so therefore you only have a 5% chance of getting it. However, that answer is wrong. Some people will tell you in that situation that the chances are against them and that chances are that someone else would get that position in that situation. Yet, the truth is that everybody in that situation has a 50/50 chance of getting it. If your one person going up against 19 others it doesn't mean that you have a 5% chance of getting that job. It doesn't mean that chances are that someone else will get that job. That's where the misconception comes into play. You and the 19 people you are going up against all have the same chance of getting that position, therefore you all have a 50/50 chance of getting that job.
If you think about it the 50/50 is used in every part of life. You always have a 50/50 chance. You have a 50/50 chance of going to work today. Either you will or you won't. You may take a shower today, or you may not. It's a 50/50 chance. The 50/50 is used everywhere. Just think about it. So no matter what, you always have a 50/50 chance. Always.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Out Of Control
There are literally hundreds of places that you can but a pipe. Grocery stores, tobacco shops, even convince stores carry some. Just about anywhere tobacco is sold, there's sure to be a pipe nearby. However there are many other pipes that you can buy, such as glass pipes, but only at specialty shops. If you want to see what I'm talking about click here. Not your ordinary pipe is it? We all know what these pipes are most likely going to be used for. Check out the title of the website. Grasscity.com. Grass. And what's grass? Weed. Of coarse. Did you see what else that web site offered? You can easily say that these pipes are going to be used for weed or whatever other drug can fit in there. They can be sold legally you can have them on your posession anytime, anywhere and the cops can't do anything about it UNLESS...! There's only one way that the cops can really bust you for having it and that's if it has resin from weed or any number of other drug in it. It doesn't matter how drug related it looks...no resin or drugs in it, you can't get busted. Plain and simple.
So why am I telling you this. Here's why. Hollywood, California. A heroin addicts paradise. Or anybody that used needles for that matter. That's right. There's a program in Hollywood called, "Clean Needles Now". What is Clean Needles Now? It's a program for drug users. Clean Needles Now is a program where needle users can bring in their old used needles in and exchange them for new "clean" needles. Not only do they get new needles, they also get alcohol swabs so that their arm can be clean when they stick themselves, and rubber straps so that they can make their veins pop out without the assistance of a belt.
What's this have to do with the pipes in the first paragraph? Simple. People that smoke weed or whatever can get busted for merely having resin of that drug in their pipe, but drug users in Hollywood can exchange their old needles, which have tons of resin in it, for new needles without the threat of being busted. That's right. That's why Hollywood is the heroins paradise. Free needles. Free supplies. What's better than that?
While you might find this hard to believe, it's 100% true. If you don't believe me, just ask the city itself. Hollywood not only sponsors the program, but pays for 50% of the costs to keep this program running. That's right. Sponsored and paid for by the city. How much better does it get? This is just one reason that the U.S. is out of control on it's drug policies and I mean Out of Control.
So why am I telling you this. Here's why. Hollywood, California. A heroin addicts paradise. Or anybody that used needles for that matter. That's right. There's a program in Hollywood called, "Clean Needles Now". What is Clean Needles Now? It's a program for drug users. Clean Needles Now is a program where needle users can bring in their old used needles in and exchange them for new "clean" needles. Not only do they get new needles, they also get alcohol swabs so that their arm can be clean when they stick themselves, and rubber straps so that they can make their veins pop out without the assistance of a belt.
What's this have to do with the pipes in the first paragraph? Simple. People that smoke weed or whatever can get busted for merely having resin of that drug in their pipe, but drug users in Hollywood can exchange their old needles, which have tons of resin in it, for new needles without the threat of being busted. That's right. That's why Hollywood is the heroins paradise. Free needles. Free supplies. What's better than that?
While you might find this hard to believe, it's 100% true. If you don't believe me, just ask the city itself. Hollywood not only sponsors the program, but pays for 50% of the costs to keep this program running. That's right. Sponsored and paid for by the city. How much better does it get? This is just one reason that the U.S. is out of control on it's drug policies and I mean Out of Control.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
OKC Up For Grabs
When Hurricane Katrina nearly took New Orleans off the map the Hornets had to find a new place to play basketball. With many cities doing the bidding just for the chance to get a pro basketball team in their town Oklahoma City, Oklahoma came out with the victory and thus the Hornets were off to the Ford Center. The Hornets ended up playing almost the entire season in the Ford Center throughout the 2005-2006 season and will once again return to the Ford Center to play most of the 2006-2007 season there as well. So what happens after that?
It should be obvious to David Stern that OKC isn't going to let go of the Hornets without a fight. It was extremely exciting for OKC to get an NBA team even if it was for a short time but you can bet that OKC doesn't want them to leave and if they do then they want a team for themselves and why not. OKC proved that their basketball fans just as much as the next city. If OKC doesn't get to keep the Hornets you can bet that they'll be bidding for either an existing or an all together new NBA team. However, with that said they might be getting one sooner than later.
According to Marc Stein of espn.com, the Hornets might be trying to stay in OKC after all. Not only that, but Seattle might be looking into moving their precious Supersonics to OKC and why not? You can read that article here. They have the fan base and it's obvious that they want a team in their city. I think that if I was David Stern I would just go ahead and open up the NBA with a couple more teams and make everybody happy. That, to me, would be the smart move. The more basketball the better. After all, there's nothing that basketball fans want more than more basketball.
It should be obvious to David Stern that OKC isn't going to let go of the Hornets without a fight. It was extremely exciting for OKC to get an NBA team even if it was for a short time but you can bet that OKC doesn't want them to leave and if they do then they want a team for themselves and why not. OKC proved that their basketball fans just as much as the next city. If OKC doesn't get to keep the Hornets you can bet that they'll be bidding for either an existing or an all together new NBA team. However, with that said they might be getting one sooner than later.
According to Marc Stein of espn.com, the Hornets might be trying to stay in OKC after all. Not only that, but Seattle might be looking into moving their precious Supersonics to OKC and why not? You can read that article here. They have the fan base and it's obvious that they want a team in their city. I think that if I was David Stern I would just go ahead and open up the NBA with a couple more teams and make everybody happy. That, to me, would be the smart move. The more basketball the better. After all, there's nothing that basketball fans want more than more basketball.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Why Tim Why?
One of the strangest moves this off season to me is the movement of Tim Thomas from the Phoenix Suns to the L.A. Clippers. Although it was his choice to move, it's my personal opinion that he would have done better playing for the Phoenix Suns. It's not that he's a better player with them, but I think that he would have more of an impact there. The Suns are going to be an amazing team this year especially with the return of Amare Stoudemire. There's no doubt that Tim Thomas will make an impact in L.A., however I personally think that he was one major factor in Phoenix doing so good this coming season. I guess Phoenix won't be doing so good after all. Oh they'll do good, but they could have been great.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
How Much Is Too Much
With the NBA contract signings only days away, there has been recent debate over how much is too much for a player to be making. How much is too much money? This debate happens every year and in every sport. Sure, we can say that some players make too much money but the question becomes how much is to much is too much? Who sets these limits? When does it become too much? The truth is that no matter how much these players are being paid, it will always be too much. If the best player in the NBA only made $250,000 a year, you know that there is somebody out there saying that they make to much money. It will always be a debate that will never stop.
So where do these players salaries come from? You, the audience. If it wasn't for you there wouldn't be any basketball and players wouldn't make so much. The money comes from ticket sales, product sales, memorabilia, etc. Same thing goes for TV Stars. Their salaries come from you. How much does it cost to rent a movie? A couple of dollars if that. Now, how much does it cost to go see the same movie at a theatre? Probably triple what it costs to rent it. But we as a society are willing to pay it, so why are we complaining about how much they make? I've paid what most people would say was a lot for a Mavericks game but I didn't have any problems forking out the money because I love the game so much. I have no regrets for paying what I did and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
If you read my last two posts you might be thinking that I have a problem with how much money players make but let me clarify. It's not how much they make that bothers me. It's when it seems like the players are concerned more about money over the love of the game. I want players to be about heart and soul when they play. I don't like it when players demand more money or make the game all about money. That, to me, isn't cool. I tend to look down on players like that.
A few years back, Emmitt Smith, then on the Dallas Cowboys football team, refused to play football for them until he got at least a 5 million dollar a year raise. That's what I'm talking about. Emmitt was demanding that he be paid more or he wasn't going to play. If I was Jerry Jones, owner of the Cowboys, I would have cut him in a heartbeat, because I don't want players on my team that are all about money, but I'll take anybody who is all about the game no matter what their salary.
The bottom line is that most players are not greedy with their money. Most give back hundreds of thousands, even millions, to their community to help them out. Most players help out their families with the money that they make. Most players do a ton of good. Let's stop looking at all the negative and start looking at all the positive that these players are doing.
I guess that the real question should be...Would you turn down 16 million dollars a year, and what would you do with it?
So where do these players salaries come from? You, the audience. If it wasn't for you there wouldn't be any basketball and players wouldn't make so much. The money comes from ticket sales, product sales, memorabilia, etc. Same thing goes for TV Stars. Their salaries come from you. How much does it cost to rent a movie? A couple of dollars if that. Now, how much does it cost to go see the same movie at a theatre? Probably triple what it costs to rent it. But we as a society are willing to pay it, so why are we complaining about how much they make? I've paid what most people would say was a lot for a Mavericks game but I didn't have any problems forking out the money because I love the game so much. I have no regrets for paying what I did and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
If you read my last two posts you might be thinking that I have a problem with how much money players make but let me clarify. It's not how much they make that bothers me. It's when it seems like the players are concerned more about money over the love of the game. I want players to be about heart and soul when they play. I don't like it when players demand more money or make the game all about money. That, to me, isn't cool. I tend to look down on players like that.
A few years back, Emmitt Smith, then on the Dallas Cowboys football team, refused to play football for them until he got at least a 5 million dollar a year raise. That's what I'm talking about. Emmitt was demanding that he be paid more or he wasn't going to play. If I was Jerry Jones, owner of the Cowboys, I would have cut him in a heartbeat, because I don't want players on my team that are all about money, but I'll take anybody who is all about the game no matter what their salary.
The bottom line is that most players are not greedy with their money. Most give back hundreds of thousands, even millions, to their community to help them out. Most players help out their families with the money that they make. Most players do a ton of good. Let's stop looking at all the negative and start looking at all the positive that these players are doing.
I guess that the real question should be...Would you turn down 16 million dollars a year, and what would you do with it?
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
All About The Benjamins
I was waiting and waiting to see if Ben Wallace, of the Detroit Pistons, was going to take an offer that was rumored to be coming from the Chicago Bulls. I finally saw a news conference, non-official, from outside his Detroit home, where Ben was explaining why he had chosen to take a deal with Chicago.
In the interview, Ben Wallace was saying how Chicago was a great team and how they could be a great contender for an NBA title. You know, all of the usual things that all players say when they try to explain why they upset their "true fans" by going else where. Especially the fans that are for sure that their player is going to stay another few years.
At the very end of the interview, Ben Wallace went on to say that, "In the end, Chicago just gave me an offer that I couldn't refuse." Right, and by that I'll assume that you mean money. After all 60 million for 4 years is one hell of a deal. I actually wonder if there was any other reason that Ben might have been willing to go to Chicago. Maybe the City offered to name a street corner after him. Or maybe they offered to name a shopping mall after him. Can you imagine shopping at the Ben Wallace Galleria? Maybe the Bulls offered to name a star after him. The Star Registery has become popular within the last few years. I mean what, if anything besides money, could pursued Big Ben to leave one of the best teams in the NBA. Ben already won 1 ring with Detroit and came within points during to '04-'05 season. They almost made it back to the Finals this year. Detroit is a great team. Why Ben would leave that team for a team that has a worst record is beyond me. Could it be...The MONEY?
Unlike my last Blog, this is the opposite of that, in that my personal opinion says that Big Ben chose to take a better offer, by that I mean money, from a worse team. It shows that there are people in the NBA that would rather take the money than play basketball. Now I'm not saying that Ben won't play because we all know that he will. What I mean is that he's not dedicated to the fans like Jason Terry is. Terry opted to stay in a city that loved him even though he knew he could get more money else where. Big Ben isn't willing to stay in a city that loves him because they're willing to pay him more money else where. That's the difference.
In the end this new deal made by Ben Wallace truly shows that it's not about the fans, the city, the team, the game, or even the ring. It just shows that it's all about the Benjamins.
In the interview, Ben Wallace was saying how Chicago was a great team and how they could be a great contender for an NBA title. You know, all of the usual things that all players say when they try to explain why they upset their "true fans" by going else where. Especially the fans that are for sure that their player is going to stay another few years.
At the very end of the interview, Ben Wallace went on to say that, "In the end, Chicago just gave me an offer that I couldn't refuse." Right, and by that I'll assume that you mean money. After all 60 million for 4 years is one hell of a deal. I actually wonder if there was any other reason that Ben might have been willing to go to Chicago. Maybe the City offered to name a street corner after him. Or maybe they offered to name a shopping mall after him. Can you imagine shopping at the Ben Wallace Galleria? Maybe the Bulls offered to name a star after him. The Star Registery has become popular within the last few years. I mean what, if anything besides money, could pursued Big Ben to leave one of the best teams in the NBA. Ben already won 1 ring with Detroit and came within points during to '04-'05 season. They almost made it back to the Finals this year. Detroit is a great team. Why Ben would leave that team for a team that has a worst record is beyond me. Could it be...The MONEY?
Unlike my last Blog, this is the opposite of that, in that my personal opinion says that Big Ben chose to take a better offer, by that I mean money, from a worse team. It shows that there are people in the NBA that would rather take the money than play basketball. Now I'm not saying that Ben won't play because we all know that he will. What I mean is that he's not dedicated to the fans like Jason Terry is. Terry opted to stay in a city that loved him even though he knew he could get more money else where. Big Ben isn't willing to stay in a city that loves him because they're willing to pay him more money else where. That's the difference.
In the end this new deal made by Ben Wallace truly shows that it's not about the fans, the city, the team, the game, or even the ring. It just shows that it's all about the Benjamins.
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