THE RACE CARD

Taking a public position on health insurance, the propriety of the government bailouts, the American military situation in Afghanistan (or for that matter, Vietnam), or any other issue, is free speech protected by the First Amendment. I have a right to disagree with you. You have a right to disagree with me. But what in the “you-know-what” does race have to do with anything? Huh? How dumb is injecting race into debates? Very.

Dumb is one thing. But if someone plays the race card on an issue, when they know better, that’s not dumb. It’s political cunning. It’s an insult to intelligence. And it’s despicable. It matters not if the race card is played by a former president, or any other big shot.

PATIENT SIMULATORS

There were no complaints from the “patients” at the UAA School of Nursing today. That’s because patients were high tech simulator mannequins eye blinks, pupils that dilate, pulse, heartbeat, temperature, and sound effects including respiration and heart beat, and more - all controlled by teachers via computer. As students examine a “patient,” the computer can induce various medical conditions and emergencies - to which the students can respond. Mistakes are learning opportunities, and don’t kill the ”patient.” All this is similar to flight simulators used by commercial airlines and our military.

It makes me proud of our university and the School of Nursing. Two of my daughters registered nurses, Debra in California, and Mary at Regional Hospital here in Anchorage.

Photos show the nurse instructors operating the simulated patients by computer, a student checking the patient's eyes, and me with UAA Chancellor Fran Ulmer.

ANCHORAGE TEA PARTY

It was wet and rainy. But weather didn’t put a damper on the speakers and about 100 participants of the Anchorage Tea Party - which was part of a national Tea Party event including at least 60,000 to 70,00 folks in Washington DC. Among the speakers here in Anchorage radio talk show host Eddie Burke, and former Judge Joe Miller from Fairbanks. The emphasis of the Anchorage Tea Party rally was national security and individual responsibility - something we need more of. Photo shows me with Eddie Burke.