B-I-N-G-O!

I've know for years that gambling, especially sports gambling, was big in Alabama. Now it looks like electronic bingo is giving it a run for the money -- but legally, and without any effective regulation or enforcement.

The Birmingham News published a special report on this rapidly-growing phenomenon on Sunday. News staff writers Kim Chandler, Charles J. Dean and Kent Faulk created a series of articles for the report. They did a great job focusing on the problems the state faces because of the lack of regulation. They described how the industry works, the major players, and how local communities are bring affected by the games. Other articles focused on the rift between Gov. Bob Riley and Attorney General Troy King over how the law regarding gambling should be interpreted, how the gambling industry lobbies politicans in Alabama, and how the Creek tribe in wants to bring actual slot machines and table games to their operations.

So it looks like the state has a choice: Either declare it all illegal and shut it all down (and they can't do it all; the Creeks can do as they wish on their lands for the most part), or regulate and tax the industry. With the current economic climate, it would seem that the choice is clear. Maybe Alabama can tolerate a little sin so it can pay its debts.

Enough whining already!

When my eldest daughter was but a tot, she had a horrible habit of whining incessantly when things did not go her way (as they so often do when you are four years old). I would tell her "no" for something -- a toy, a snack, whatnot -- and then she would begin. Pleading, whining, sometimes even tears.

My standard response to this behavior was to say, "I can't hear you when you whine," and then I would go about my business until she stopped whining and settled down. Only then would I address whatever it was she wanted.

What brings this to mind is the latest attempt by conservatives in general (and Republicans in particular) to bring some sort of attention their way.

The current (and now hopefully almost over) dust-up over David Letterman telling a joke about Sarah Palin's daughter is the most recent attempt for the right to get some media coverage. Unfortunately for them, it is getting about as much response as my daughter's whines. A scheduled demonstration yesterday brought out approximately 15 people -- fifteen! -- to rail against Letterman and CBS. The demonstrators were outnumbered by media, and were often out-shouted by a few vocal counter-demonstrators.

I can understand their frustration -- even Obama swatting a fly gets coverage these days, and I suppose it seems quite unfair to those on the right. But I believe there is a larger issue that conservatives just don't get -- the public, more and more, understands that there are significant problems to be addressed, that the status quo doesn't work, and we need people who are trying to create solutions.

The right isn't doing that. Conservatives seem only to want to pander to the electorate (such as bringing in Palin as a VP candidate to try to win over Hillary supporters), show token evidence of inclusion (making Michael Steele chairman of the Republican party -- "hey, we've got a black guy too!"), or distract people from the real issues of the day (Letterman and most of the Clinton years).

I think people are tired of it. At least I hope they are.

Back to my daughter: Sometimes, the whining wouldn't stop. Those times I would just mostly ignore her. But on occasion, if she was being particularly bad about it, the whining session would end abruptly with a smack on the butt.

One would think that with the smacking the Republicans got in November that they would stop whining, too.

At least I'm not the only one

So I'm not the only person in the area who thinks Davis Cup tennis and transit funding are related.

In this article from al.com, John Archibald also links the two. If we can do such a great job on a small thing like a tennis tournament, why can't we do it with the big stuff?

Ah, questions that deserve answers.