I decided that the "WTF of the week" threads in other forums were usually fun and occasionally even worthy of discussion, so I said to myself: "there are always some serious discussions that can be had from some real WTF? things in the news or current events."
The Senate Chambers is forum for "serious discussion and debate," so the WTF? stories I'll post here each week will include links to news bits and photos or perhaps websites that I or others come across the week prior. I'll try to do a new one each weekend, so PM me with any ideas.
If there's more than one WTF?, I'll number them and give each a title. After the initial post, let the discussions begin! Just refer to the WTF?'s title or number in the thread if it isn't clear in the discussion.
WTF? for week ending 8/28/04
1. Senator Ted Kennedy is initially refused a seat because his name is on the "No Fly List." (
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/08/20/MNGQ28BM1O1.DTL)
At first, my reaction was that it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy! Then I thought, maybe they meant to put him on the "No Drive" list (he's alleged to have an alcohol problem as well as drunk-driving violations).
But as I thought it over, it seems a bit odd that Ted Kennedy's name would end up on such a list. Apparently, he's had problems with getting on aircraft on many occasions and it's taken telephone calls and discussions with management to continue his journey to and from Washington (he's a Massachusetts Senator, in case you don't already know).
As it turns out, "T. Kennedy" is what is on the list. According to the 1990 census information (
http://www.census.gov/genealogy/names/), 0.067% of Americans have the surname 'Kennedy' - given a rough population of 300million, that makes around 200,000 American Kennedys.
Now, also from the above information, 4.25% of the male population and 3.35% of the female population have names beginning with T.
This means that just from that single name on the no-fly list, roughly 7600 Americans could be excluded from flying.
Is it an oversight? The Patriot Act "gone wild?" Coincidence? A Republican somewhere in charge of lists f***ing with his favorite Democrat?
New York Times (
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/20/national/20flight.html?ex=1250654400&en=f0c8707234bed6fb&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland) story of the same WTF.
2.Docs Grow New Jawbone for Cancer Survivor (
http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=6090693§ion=news)
"In a new study, researchers describe a man whose jaw was successfully reconstructed using a bone that was grown from scratch under the muscles in his back."
I first heard this story on National Public Radio yesterday. The German doctors used a titanium cage in the shape of the patient's needed mandible and filled it with bone mineral and marrow harvested from the patient along with some growth hormone. The cage was then implanted in the latissimus dorsi and harvested when growth was complete.
You gotta love science.
3. American Gymnast Asked to Hand Over his Gold Medal (
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200408/200408280004.html).
Paul Hamm won the Gold (
http://www.livingroom.org.au/olympics/event/mens_individual_all-round.php) in Athens this past week, but the head of the Federation of International Gymnastics Bruno Grandi has officially asked Paul Hamm to give up his Olympic gold.
"If ... you would return your medal to the Korean if the FIG requested it, then such an action would be recognized as the ultimate demonstration of Fairplay by the whole world," said the letter signed by FIG president Bruno Grandi and dated August 26.
Interestingly enough, I watched a later event, competing for different medals, and Hamm's execution was flawless. The bemoaning Yang Tae-young made several errors. In fact, I'd say he looked like crap, but this could have been related to the stress of losing big in the earlier meet and taking only a Silver Medal.
Had the event been scored correctly, the medal lineup would have been Gold – Yang Tae-young; Silver – Paul Hamm; Bronze - Dae Eun Kim. Everyone is looking at Hamm and Yang, but nobody seems to give a crap that Dae would have to give up his Silver for a Bronze. The way I see it, if Hamm refuses to concede to the FIG request, two people are winners, if he gives the Gold back, only one is a winner and two go back a notch.
The judges made a mistake. Should the competitors be required to set the record right? Is it fair for two competitors who spent perhaps half of their lives preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime event to be expected to hear "you won! Oh, no wait... not really."?