The Way I See ItBy cj pollickBiltmore Hotel And Cabana Club To Close - On June 1st the Belleview Biltmore Hotel and Cabana Club on Clearwater Sand Key will be closed for redevelopment. Even though there are ongoing legal issues to resolve, the closing of the historic hotel and Sand Key beach restaurant will close as previously announced. However, the Biltmore Golf Club will remain open. California Court Rules In Favor Of Voters - Unlike the Florida Supreme Court that ruled against Pinellas County voters when they voted for Eight Is Enough (term limits on county elected officials), the Court in California voted to affirm the California voter initiative called Proposition Eight (ban same-sex marriages.) Gay and lesbian groups in California immediately stated they would begin the fight for another voter initiative to support same-sex marriage. "We will continue the fight," said one protestor outside the courthouse. What is perhaps surprising about the California vote is the fact that a few other states have recently supported same-sex marriage such as Maine, New Hampshire and Iowa. GM May End-Up In Bankruptcy Court - GM has reached a deal with the UAW union to swap 20% of GM stock ownership to the union health plan trust for concessions from the union. The union health plan would also obtain a seat on the board of directors for the $20 billion owed to the retiree health plan. GM bondholders, however, are not as excited about the offer made to them. GM owes about $27 billion to bondholders and the offer by GM was only 10% ownership of GM stock. Not acceptable, said bondholders to GM. Thus, and until the bondholders are made happy, GM might end-up in bankruptcy court, where a judge would decide the fate of GM plans for restructuring debt. If GM can structure a deal with bondholders, the federal government plans to offer more "bail-out" funds to GM. Does all of this sound amazing or what? Our Education System Is Letting Us Down - If you follow comments made by former Gov. Jeb Bush, then you know that he believes our education system is letting us down. Our US student test scores in math and science are below countries such as Hungary and far from scoring with the top nations of the world. According to Bush, we must reward good teachers, fire bad teachers, and implement better education programs in math and science. With Pinellas County now allowing shorter class time on Wednesday's for teachers, hence more planning time, one might infer that national test scores will improve in Pinellas County. Time will tell if student test scores improve. Women Who Have Tried To Compete With Men - Over time there have been great women athletes who have tried to compete with the men. In every case, the result was the same, there is a wide gap between great women athletes and male athletes. For example, and as expressed by one news organization, top women athletes have tried to beat men in various athletic events such as tennis, ice-hockey, football, basketball, golf, etc. Back in 1938 the greatest female golfer of all-time, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, played against the men in a PGA event, Babe missed the cut. Again, Babe tried to beat the men in a 1945 PGA event, she missed the third-round cut. Later in 2003 Annika Sorenstam, number one in women's golf, tried to beat the men in a PGA event, missed the cut. Same for Michelle Wie who tried to beat the men in no less than 14 PGA events, missed the cut in all but one minor Asian tour event. Talented Hayley Wickenheiser is clearly one of the best female ice hockey players of all-time, yet she remains at a 3rd Division European Men's League, unable to advance to the "Big League" of ice hockey. Then there is the former substitute field goal kicker for Colorado, Katie Hnida who transferred colleges and ended-up playing college football for New Mexico and, in limited play, kicked two extra points. Margaret Court, then the number one female player of the world, played a 55-year-old tennis hustler named Bobby Riggs, Court lost. Billie Jean King then challenged the elder hustler Riggs and beat him. Of course, there was the time Martina Navritilova, number one female player, played a retired Jimmy Conners in a tennis match. Conners gave Navritilova the doubles alley and still won. Same for Venus Williams when she played the number 296th ranked men's player and lost 6-1, 6-0. Suffice to say there is still a giant divide between the best of female athletes trying to compete with male athletes in those sports. Perhaps the one female athlete who had the best chance to compete with men (in golf) was Babe Didrikson Zaharias, arguably the best female athlete of all-time. Waterboarding And Interrogation - Much has been said about an act of interrogation referred to as "waterboarding." This is not a form of interrogation that many people would want to happen to them. However, and on the other hand, in a war against terrorists who have bombed America and stated they would try to bomb Americans again, about 80% of Americans support this act of interrogation if it would help to save American lives. President Obama has opined that this form of interrogation against captured terrorists is torture and will be stopped, regardless of whether it might save American lives. Former vice president Dick Cheney stated that because of that interrogation technique, terrorist plots had been revealed, and stopped, resulting in many American lives saved. Cheney considered the tough act of interrogation as something done in a time of war against America and Americans. One could debate the merits and faults of interrogation and never reach a united consensus. However, after the 9-11 attack on America, most Americans have supported the vice president's opinion on waterboarding. Perhaps the best example is being in a fight. How nice should one hit back when hit by an opponent? America is in a fight against terrorists who would kill, decapitate or perform any unconscionable act to harm the people of America. How nice should we defend ourselves? The way I see it, 80% of Americans have it right and Obama is wrong. If Obama is right, Harry Truman should never have dropped atomic bombs on Japan to end WWII and save many tens of thousands of young American soldiers lives. Interesting note … Strange so many folks that are totally against “torturing” our enemies support abortion and even late term abortion! Go figure! Democracy – In free countries, every man is entitled to express his opinions – and every other man is entitled not to listen. – G. Norman Collie |