Wednesday, February 10, 2010

DC Snow Job - A metaphor for SBIR reauthorization?

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Washington DC is shut down this week, buried in a couple feet of snow! Nothing much happening in Congress this week. That's probably a good thing, over all.

The only thing of interest this week is the SBIR Gateway's Matching Service for the new DOD STTR Solicitation. Read all about it on the Gateway: http://www.zyn.com/sbir/sttr_partnering.htm. This is a very effective way for small businesses and universities to find STTR partners -- always a challenge. Check it out!

Nothing's happened with SBIR reauthorization for months, so I guess we won't notice any difference there. Besides the snow job done by the VC lobby and their BIO compatriots still has the House Small Business Committee immobilized. Guess they gave away all of their shovels to the Stimulus -- remember "shovel ready" -- and just can't dig out of their offices to discuss the still secret Senate's SBIR reauthorization compromise. It does take two to compromise. So far it's just one-sided.

Hmmm... Come to think of it the situation may not be an incongruity. If con is the opposite of pro, Congress must be the the opposite of progress!

And speaking of incongruities, my lovely daughter-in-law, Kelly, gave me the biggest smiles this week with a list of them. Since there's nothing much else to talk about, I thought I'd share:

  • Why do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front?
  • Why do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a Diet Coke?
  • Why do banks leave vault doors open and then chain the pens to the counters?
  • Why do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage?
  • Why are hot dogs sold in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight?
  • Why do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering?
  • Why does the sun lighten our hair, but darken our skin?
  • Why can't women put on mascara with their mouth closed?
  • Why don't you ever see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?
  • Why 'abbreviated' is such a long word?
  • Why is it that doctors and lawyers call what they do 'practice'? (Lawyers I can understand, but doctors???)
  • Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dish washing liquid made with real lemons?
  • Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
  • Why do your feet smell and your nose run?
  • Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?
  • Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?
  • Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?
  • Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?
  • Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
  • Why do we park on driveways and drive on parkways?

Thank you, Kelly! We needed the smiles!
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2 comments:

Carl Nelson said...

Fred,
Grab a shovel and come dig us out. It's as bad as what used to happen twice every winter in upstate NY.

- Fred Patterson - said...

You wish, Carl! At least you have snow shovels there. We got a foot of our own snow here in the Dallas area this week! Not a single snow shovel can be found here. I unburied my car with a broom! But our snow will all have melted by the end of the weekend anyhow!