Byline News

A Sad Story Plays Again, Again, Again,...

2012-02-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

A story breaks across the news boards. In a California Federal officers; agents trained and duly authorized to carry weapons and then something goes tragically wrong.

It's a sad story and these were Federal employees required, authorized and trained to carry weapons , but here we will go again with another round of discussion about guns and how wonderful it is to carry one. The bottom-line is that guns are deadly weapons and humans, whether professionals, average citizens or criminals, are fallible - that part of human nature is very well documented.

Put a gun in the hands of a human being and you've got a bigger risk - a much bigger risk, of a deadly outcome than if there was no gun. This is really simple stuff, but we keep going back to our right to bear arms as if that makes any difference to those who've suffered at the wrong end of the trigger. Guns have purpose, but most people shouldn't have one because their purpose is not compelling enough to outweigh the risk that they'll suffer a momentary bout of depression, anger or miscalculation.

A bullet travels with purpose to its target and it can't be taken back - it is the final solution - it can't be taken back. And that's really a critical point, because so much of our human interaction is flawed and we so often find ourselves apologizing for something we'd said or done at a weaker moment, but with the bullet there's no going back unless you believe in a second chance in the life hereafter.

For Constitutionalists a better effort would be to defend life.

MLK In Our Hearts

2012-01-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

There's a special place in our hearts for the man, Martin Luther King, Jr. The man who gave so much of himself to us.

MLK, as he has come to be known, was a man with big ideas. He spoke of mountain tops and valleys evoking messages of biblical proportions. His words rang through our souls.

There it is. Martin Luther King, Jr spoke words to enlighten humanity. He spoke of a timeless and tireless dream - words of inspiration.

On the grounds of the Nation's Capital rests a monument among many monuments to commemorate MLK, not so much to a man, but to the words. We shouldn't forget the words are more powerful than any man. Nearby is a similar monument to FDR. There again, a monument to the words.

The question is what makes the words and what brings forth such words from some one? Where did the words come from? Was it divine intervention?

As in MLK's time, there's a new day dawning around the globe. There is unrest and there are protests around the globe responding to imbalances of power and wealth. It's too bad MLK isn't here today to share his wisdom, to console the masses, to counsel in the doctrine of peace and resistance to tyranny and to help us find our way forward to become a better society.

It's sad that MLK is gone; that he had to go. Was it his destiny? Was it really his time to go? And why does he remain in our hearts with such splendor? Is it the man that we love and cherish, or the words?

The legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr lives today and forever not only because he was a great man, but because of the power of his words - words that will never grow stale, because the establishment never seems to learn the lessons of history - that money and power and greed are on the wrong side of history - that you can kill, but the words will live on forever.

Celebrate the words of MLK today and forever.

Occupy Movement: The Riddle

2012-01-14T00:00:00.001-08:00

Occupy is a necessary political process and Anonymous is a brilliant means of pushing back on the forces of tyranny, but is there a riddle in its connection to Vendetta? Is there a hint of anarchism or even violence?

The Occupy movement began as a quiver of energy spun off from uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East. It's an important political process, but dangerous. As with any movement it runs along the margins of societal tolerance. By nature the establishment will only tolerate so much change and the movement will press on for more. The greatest risk is that the movement presses even when the wheels of progress are beginning to turn in their favor. When that happens the movement is actually in the way, acting merely to make a name for the itself and running the risk of loosing sight of its cause -- the cause to progress society.

There have been brilliant moments in the Occupy movement. Moments when protesters have pushed back intelligently almost as if a high-level consciousness had taken over. Whenever that happens the result is that the protesters appear more civilized and more intelligent than those who confront them.

It's undeniable that what's been done within Occupy is powerful and draws our attention to the brilliant ways of Ghandi, King and Mandella. We should be reminded that there's no connection between any of these brilliant movements and anarchism.

Warriors and Humanity: A Struggle With Evil

2012-01-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Are we surprised by the recent video of U.S. Military Personnel pissing on corpses? Surprised by pictures of Abu Ghraib prison guards playfully abusing prisoners? Should we venture to guess what fun and games were played out behind closed doors during water boarding sessions?

There's a story unfolding here and the U.S. Military doesn't want to talk about it. In reality it's a fallacy to call it rouge behavior, because the troop behavior really is the result of a mindset being passed down through the ranks - that the enemy are not human. After so many years of floating these sentiments all throughout the rank and file you can expect to see this kind of behavior. Let's face it the U.S. troop are tired and frustrated by a mission obviously gone on too long and going nowhere. They've seen or heard of comrades wounded or killed and they really no longer believe in the mission.

Part of the problem is circumstantial and the other part is poor leadership from the top command. The result is a mean-spirited armed forces and any notion that these were the actions of warriors in the "heat of the battle" overrun by a blitz of emotions is just bunk. No, these were actions perpetrated in times of relative calm, for fun and with nothing but evil intentions. Evil intentions and evil outcomes.

Nonviolent Resistance 101

2011-11-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

History at UC Davis. The Occupy Movement is taking an important "one small step...one giant step" moment. This video is an important lesson for Occupy protesters everywhere - how to effectively engage without violence. Of course nonviolence is not a new concept, but it's so well executed here. You'll see how the police engage in tactical intimidation and force, but the group responds with a chorus of "Shame On You." What the chanting has done is remind the police that they are human. It's visceral and that's significant because the police are trained to act as a unit while suppressing their individual empathy - in other words they're not allowed to make a human connection with demonstrators. But the reprimands continue with repeated chanting and the police appear disoriented. Deep in the brain are subconscious channels which promote human feelings such as empathy and that's when they're vulnerable to making a human connection - an oh what have I done moment.

Highlighting this video is not really about the police at all. It's about a phase change in the Occupy Movement. It's about a learning moment for the movement.

It can't be overstated that protesting is a dangerous business. In this video you'll notice that at times the police appear disoriented and fearful. Fear and weapons can lead to tragedy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjnR7xET7Uo with YouTube credits to Uploaded by OperationLeakS on Nov 18, 2011.

Goodbye Andy Rooney

2011-11-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Andy Rooney has died. It was Andy's honesty and signature from the gut style that won him notoriety and deserves our attention. He was a champion of free speech; a brave soul. Thank you Andy.

Political Blood. Sweat & Tears

2011-10-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

10/9/11 to Whitehouse.gov
Mr.Obama,
In the office of the Presidency, are you really able to follow your conscience and choose good over evil? The Occupy Wall Street/DC protesters assume that you do not have that power to choose. They're calling for an end to the proverbial tail waging the dog. They know that neither you nor the legislature has enough blood, sweat and tears to invest in fixing the machine. How many boom busts cycles wrapped in corporate bailouts and excessive government debt can our system withstand. How many times must Americans endure plans that lack accountability; lack real and meaningful punishments for those who rape our democracy both at home and abroad. In times like this, much as it was in the civil rights era, it is in the hands of the people. The protestors say it's about the 99%. Shamefully Congressman Eric Cantor says they are the mob. They are not the mob, --they are the American People. You too should resist the temptation to marginalize them as anything other than Americans. They're also not just a group of unemployed either. Clearly that's no longer all of it. It's becoming less about economics and more about social justice; about cozy politics and big money interests. We should ask ourselves today what side of history we'd like to be on.

Whose Glory

2011-10-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

10/4/11 comments on Yahoo News article on Gov. Perry and Confederate symbols
A sincere southern gentleman once said to me, "the south will rise again." I must admit I'm not entirely sure what he meant and I haven't spent too much time thinking about the Civil War era. The more I hear about the Southern Confederacy the more I'd like to assume it's a purely academic study of history, but I'm afraid there's more beneath the surface. I've driven along the western hills of Virginia and seen pleasant neighborhoods with modest homes along the way flying Confederate flags. It seems a little weird to me. I can understand a historical plaque or a history textbook, but flying a newly woven cloth in the Confederate colors seems like a current affirmation of something and just like flying Old Glory I think of it as a symbol of allegiance. I grew up pledging allegiance to the flag of the United States of America..., and that's it; just the one flag and one nation under God. I also remember pledging one nation...indivisible. So my question is whether "the south will rise again" really means there is hope the Confederacy will rise again. Tongue in cheek of course, I ask myself will that mean that a southern agrarian economy built on slave labor is in our nation's future? I can't say whether southerners have a legitimate gripe this many years after that terrible war, but if anyone in this country, whether northern or southern born, believes that the Civil War was glorious or that sedition against the U.S. Government is a noble and viable political option or that a slave economy is a sustainable and logical system, then I'm afraid we have real and deep social problems to deal with as a nation.

No Progress

2011-09-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

9/23/11 to Whitehouse.gov
All Americans are grappling to understand a new normal political environment. We should remember the shameful misguided policies of the Bush administration so fundamentally flawed in their understanding of the middle east. The Obama administration of late seems equally flawed. U.S. tolerance and defacto support of Palestinian oppression by our unwavering support of Israel compromises our credibility. Recently the President said Israel and its neighbors must determine their own fate, but no matter what we say peace CAN'T happen if we unconditionally support either side during the process. Our unconditional support emboldens Israel causing an imbalance and "un-justice", but it will never bring conciliation. It's clear that the same Bush policy advisors are alive and well in Washington.

Altered Reality

2010-08-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

8/16/10 letter to Whitehouse.gov

Dear Mr. Obama,
The two prong approach. Prong 1): Speaking out loudly with facts reminding Americans of the most aggregious policies of the prior administration. Your ideological opponents would like nothing more than to forget; white-wash and dilute this ugly past, because one thing politicians rely on is the public propensity to FORGET. The pain exists NOW and all you have to do is remind Americans of the causes and effects - the FACTS. Holocast survivors have for good reason continued to chant the mantra, "lest we never forget." You do us a great disservice by quietly "taking the political high road." You must remind Americans often.

Prong 2): It's time to insist on the facts. We're living in a para-reality as pundits and opinionites spew unsubstantiated "news" everywhere. Many Americans believe whatever quasi-authoritarian rant they hear. It's time to draw out reality by engaging these opinionites in factual dialog. This is not an adversarial tactic. The strategy is simply to ask for factual references whenever someone comments as if quoting fact. The intention is to expose the ridiculous and encourage people to start asking questions themselves. Being on the side of truth and reality is a position of strength in a time of rampant fantasy because although it is easy to spin with untruth, it's ultimately easier to support the truth with references.

What's New Here

2010-08-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

8/13/10 comment posted on Yahoo News 8/12/10
"In their own words: Tea Party activists speak out"

And so the "Tea Party" is a widely varied collection of Americans. It's not a new concept and I agree that we need a great deal of discussion to take place outside of Washington. Kudos to them for that. What concerns me is that a group, of let's say non-partisan thinkers, who want to engage in a dialog about the future of America is really behaving as if they're struggling for power. Why else would they complain about how the media portrays them? If you're not seeking any recognition and just kicking around ideas, then the media portrayal isn't important. It'll be interesting to see if this group begins to gel under a more unified, maybe even homogeneous, political party as we near elections. Maybe when the rubber meets the road this once think tank of an organzation will morph into a political force. Hey,-then they'd become just like Dem and Repubs. Hmmm.

Let's face it the more things change; the more things tend to remain the same.

Survival On The Right Side

2010-08-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

8/2/10 letter to Whitehouse.gov

Thank you Mr.Obama, for finally invoking the "history lesson" I've been begging for. It is for good reason that the Jewish people recant, "lest we never forget." I appreciate your recent characterization of "AMNESIA," because we do tend to forget. Forgetfulness is a natural survival mechanism and by the way as is our willingness to be brain-washed. They're both natural mechanisms of survival. One allows us to carry on in the face of adversities, the other is a social mechanism enabling society to come together, unify, join in consensus, fight for a common cause and survive. We need to be reminded of the events of the past administration that have brought our nation the suffering we face today.

Tell It

2010-07-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

7/12/10 letter to Whitehouse.gov

NOT "seen on TV or Newspaper". Tell us the story about how we got in these economic straits. Modesty will get the country nowhere and deception is evil even if your administration is trying to take the high road. Take the gloves off and let the American public and the World know the facts. These facts are easily forgotten, easily manipulated and twisted. Use the pupit and preach the facts plain and simple. Facts about how we got into the mess we're in today. Jews repeat the Holocast stories often saying, "lest we never forget" the unjustices. I'm tired of the pandering of this administration. For the sake of our country, let's never forget. TELL THE FACTS.

Are Palestinians Occupied

2010-06-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

6/9/10 comment posted on Huffington Post 6/8/10
"Helen Thomas' Sad News Legacy"

Let's not reduce this situation to silly talk. Ms. Thomas stated a valid humanitarian viewpoint. She believes that no people should live under the oppression of another people. I'm absolutely certain that she'd have taken a stand against the WWII Nazi occupation of Poland or South African apartheid. These were some of the great injustices in world history. The Israeli occupation of the Palestinian people will someday be written into the history books too.

Her comment was that the Palestinians are an occupied people. And if we, the world, knows that the Palestinians are an occupied people, then her comments seem valid. And the occupiers should get out of there, she said. When asked where they should go, well, that was obviously an afterthought for her and let's face it a question of great complexity and not one she's qualified to answer. But back to the point, did anyone else hear her say that the Palestinians are an occupied people? And she identified the fact that Israelis are the occupiers, but since she referred specifically to Jews in her comment I will agree that when calling the heterogeneuos Israeli population Jews things can get a little confusing and might even open you up to risk of being labelled anti-semetic. But simply having said the occupiers should get out of the occupied Palestine isn't evil - it seems like a humanitarian viewpoint.

Unmistakable

2010-06-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

6/4/10 comment posted on yahoo in response to Associated Press article 6/4/10
"New aid ship heads to Gaza, Israel vows to stop it"

I've long believed that the U.S. support of Israel has enabled such aggressive behavior. It seems strange to say, but you might call it a nation with a "Napoleon Complex." The real crime is not that Israel may act out of fear, but that the U.S. stands tall behind them. The most natural human events are playing out there. Imagine a small kid on the block gets beat up often, for no good reason, just for being himself. The kid learns to distrust and fear everyone. Instead of becoming more empathetic towards others the kid develops a mean streak and a propensity to inflict pain on others. As if that weren't bad enough the kid develops a friendship with a bigger kid. The friendship provides a degree of comfort for the little guy and in turn gives a greater degree of license to pick on other disadvantaged kids. The U.S. is this big kid. As an enabler the U.S. bears a great deal of the blame for Israel's behaviour. I believe if given the opportunity to stand alone without the unwavering, effectively unconditional U.S. support, then Israel would behave in a more conciliatory manner toward its neighbors and although some eyes might be blackened, noses bloodied and egos bruised in the process the end result might be a more balanced distribution of power in that region. It's difficult to imagine this in reality given the tremendous military might, including nuclear power, that Israel has built up thanks to U.S. support.

Israel has a very well developed national agenda. Number one is self-preservation as we should expect, but it is more than their "right to defend themselves." I believe it is much more than that. Israel has long been the thorn in any effort for peace in the region. Recall the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a fundamental "right-wing" radical Orthodox Jew on the eve of what seemed to be a break through of relations with Palestine. See also the many tales of injustice in the West Bank settlements. See also the common reference to an "Occupied Territories." If you can find reference to it you'll recall the Israeli army's faux pas and public relations nightmare when they wrote indentification numbers on the arms of their captives and paraded them in the street - an act eerily reminiscent of Nazi numbering concentration camp captives. As we ponder the Napoleon Complex theory as way to better understand Israel's history of bad behavior we should be reminded often that the U.S. is culpable as an enabler if not accomplice - past, present and future.

Surf And Turf

2010-05-20T00:00:00.001-07:00

5/20/10 letter to Whitehouse.gov

The Coast Guard Commandant says we're on entirely new ground with the Gulf oil spill. The translation is that we don't really know what we're doing. James Carville can't believe BP is trustworthy. I can't believe the Obama administration or anyone else could be seriously considering offshore oil drilling on the East Coast of the U.S. We've heard that the Bush administration was evil and now I'm waiting for some pundit to straight out categorize the Obama's Presidency as an administrative failure. Don't misunderstand these critical comments to be all just about the BP spill. NO! This is really about the stupidity of supporting East Coast offshore drilling as if the risks are a known quantity. No! The risks are unmeasurable and the Obama administration knows that and ignores that. It's shameful to play chicken with our environment. Shame, shame, shame.

We Can

2010-05-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

5/20/10 letter to Whitehouse.gov
Dear Mr. Obama,
As President your power to unilaterally affect change is minimal, but your influence on Americans is tremendous. I've campaigned on the benefits of social equality in America for a long time. As you know Black Americans have lagged and you can do more to help. By any measure Black Americans are not making enough progress and that impacts the entire country. As a country our success depends on all citizens participating. Your legacy can include an era of great awakening for the American Black community. The awakening involves the message of "yes you can", yes you can participate, yes you can respect yourselves and others, yes you can live responsibly, you can learn from the past but cannot progress unless you leave that past and act in the present. The message to Black Americans is that "NOW IS YOUR TIME" to become all that your forebearers had dreamed of. In fact, it is a familiar American mantra and of potentially great historic significance that it may just be the right time for Black Americans to carry that torch/carry that message by example to all Americans. Our success as a country depends on the fully functioning participation of all.

All So Dirty

2010-05-17T00:00:00.001-07:00

5/17/10 letter to Whitehouse.gov, Contact Mr.Bob Jindal(LA), Contact Mr.Bob McDonnell(VA):
Dear President Obama, Governor Bob Jindal (LA), Governor Bob McDonnell(VA),
When it comes to public policy, or politics for that matter, I very,very rarely frame my thoughts with such absolute conviction, but I can't contain myself any longer. I'm asking which one of you wants to stand up first when asked, "...and do any of you know of a jerk that still believes offshore drilling is a good idea?". Unfortunately, each of you have egg on your face now, because this time the events have not simply disappeared into the American public's distant memories which would have saved you from disgrace. These are current events; real, up close and they are dirty. Dirty for the ecology, dirty for American energy policy, dirty for the Obama administration's policy flip-flopping, dirty for the short-sighted Virginia Governor's greed and dirty for the Louisiana Governor's selfish political ambitions. The politics we are witnessing and the missteps of government have been astounding. You should all be ashamed for your misguided ambitions. Now let's let this terrible event be a lesson. And by the way, you all should have known better (and by damned it you all did). Only if a greater measure of common sense were to prevail and if you'd placed your responsibilities for the care of our environment ahead of your short-term and selfish ambitions... Shame on you.

Congress Versus Collaboration

2010-05-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

5/17/10 response "comments" to Senator Eric Cantor's "YouCut" campaign
[YouCut is designed to defeat the permissive culture of runaway spending in Congress. We need your help in identifying which program and spending cuts should be featured on this website each week. Use the form below to submit your ideas for YouCut - by working together, we will be able to change Washington's culture of spending into a culture of savings.]
Comments:
We should stop paying the salaries and benefits of partisan belly-achers, power-mongers, thieves, and evil-doers. You know who you are. Those in government who do not work the democratic process in good faith and on our behalf. Those who do not work to promote bipartisan solutions, be they republicans or democrats, should not expect a paycheck from the citizens of this nation. Bipartisan collaboration is a win for the American people. Any politician who thwarts that collaborative process primarily seeks power, not the solutions we need. Let's start a movement to get rid of the republican bums, the democratic bums, --all of the bums.

Costly Politics

2010-04-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

4/29/10 letter to Whitehouse.gov, Contact Mr.Bob Jindal(LA), Contact Mr.Bob McDonnell(VA):
Dear President Obama, Governor Bob Jindal (LA), Governor Bob McDonnell(VA),
All of us will agree that today is a very sad day along the Louisiana coast. Tonight an onslaught of oil will begin to destroy the coastline and this may continue for many weeks, possibly months. In 1979 an oil well off the Mexican Gulf Coast continued to spill out of control for 9 months! For those of you who fall to the political right of center and prefer to "let the free market work," let's take a good look at what offshore drilling really means. And while we're at it why not throw in a little comment about no new taxes, "read my lips," defending "states rights" and "hands off Federal Government".

Mr. Jindal no doubt wants to have the free market work it's magic as his state faces an emergency at a magnitude we can't yet imagine. He'll want those capitalists at BP and Transocean to pay, pay, pay for damages. Ummm, until they can't or won't? Until their attorneys set into motion a series of well orchestrated diversionary tactics. And Mr. Jindal will accept the Federal Government's immediate emergency response $$ to the crisis. And when it's all said and done, Mr. Jindal will continue to ride the foolish politcal rhetoric that suggests he can have it all and not pay for it, meaning he'll promote lowering taxes and maybe evoke the infamous "read my lips."

Mr. McDonnell and Mr. Obama, strange bed-fellows as they would be, seem hot on the idea of drilling off the eastern seaboard very near the deep and swift moving gulf stream. Imagine a spill of these proportions (millions of gallons) surfing hundreds, maybe a thousand miles reaping destruction in one of the most important sealife highways in all of the world.

Mr. McDonnell a good free enterprise loving fellow will need to make it clear to these oil companies that they're on the hook for any disaster costs. And Virginia will have to pay it's way for such costs as well. In fact, it will have to be Virginia and not the Feds who underwrite these costs if the oil companies can't or won't pay up. Think about it, all the revenue benefits you're proposing to the Virginia citizens will turn negative resulting in a huge state deficit. Imagine the embarrassment Mr. McDonnell will feel when faced with having to grovel for Federal assistance or go to the Virginia taxpayer.

Conclusion: Neither of these good and fiscally conservative capitalists can honestly afford the risks associated with offshore drilling. You can't be a fiscal conservative and make such a potentially costly mistake because you simply can't pay for it if the unthinkable, the current reality for Louisiana, happens again. Let's all be honest on this topic, screw the politics because our world is depending on it.

Don't Say Ixtoc Oil Spill

2010-04-27T00:00:00.001-07:00

4/27/10 letter to Whitehouse.gov

I'm angry and saddened to think about drilling along the east coast near the gulf stream. HOLBROOK MOHR and CAIN BURDEAU, Associated Press write: The last major spill in the Gulf was in June 1979, when an offshore drilling rig in Mexican waters — the Ixtoc I — blew up, releasing 140 million gallons of oil. It took until March 1980 to cap the well, and a great deal of the oil contaminated U.S. waters and Texas shores.

Truth

2010-04-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

4/27/10 letter to Whitehouse.gov

What has happened to us in America? Citizens have been swept up in a whirlwind over the past decade. So much has passed before us that we're confused. A recent neuroscience study describes how animals "generate" memories. Yes, memories are generated and not entirely factual. Americans are facing the same phenomenon. We're losing touch with the facts especially related to the actions of the past administration. It's time now to remind the American people about this past. What did George Bush and his posse do? What was Rice's role; Cheney's, Rumsfeld's, Rove's, Ashcroft's. Were they intentionally fleecing America? What lies were the American people and Congress told about Iraq, and 9/11? How did that administration affect deregulation policies, banking and financial markets; energy markets? Remind America of the economic policy mistakes, international trade mistakes, the administration's relations with Saudi oil princes, Mid-East policy mistakes, the willful, self-serving, disingenuous and aggregious bending of civil rights and constitutional statutes, the over-reaching of Presidential Executive powers orchestrated and carried out by the office of the Vice-President along with the Justice Department rewriting the rules, etc, etc. I remember those ugly dark days as I traveled the world and would be asked, "what are you American's doing?" And yes I asked myself that everyday, but now even my memory of those terrible times is waning! It's being rewritten by the outspoken. If you don't do this campaign you'll give up on one of your greatest resources: THE TRUTH! Keep the truth ALIVE!!

What Is Right

2010-03-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

3/31/10 letter to Whitehouse.gov

Dear Mr Obama,
When I heard about possible East Coast offshore drilling I wanted to begin this email by exclaiming, "ARE YOU CRAZY?" Can't you see that once again you've forgotten the method by which you won the Whitehouse. Remember that your ability to connect with the American people is what got you elected. What is the message? I'm sure that you're aware that an oil well can leak? If you're not, then recall years ago they said tankers couldn't possibly spill because of their double-hull. You know about such assurances. I'm also sure that you're aware of the ecological importance of the gulf stream. The impact of a spill in this region, a fast moving river of spilled oil in the North Atlantic, oil traveling hundreds and thousands of miles.

Nobel Prize

2010-03-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

Our President:
Rarely am I so proud. The President, clear of mind, good of conscience, bold and forthright. He is truly deserving of our respect and admiration. Congratulations America, your President is a Nobel Laureate.

2009-12-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

12/7/09 Whitehouse.gov
A supporter need not be blind

Dear Mr. Obama, Your Presidency is becoming one of the most ineffective presidencies of all times. The fifth grade history book translation would be that your Presidency was a failure to actually put forth any meaningful change, but so much talk of wonderful possibilities. Obviously the graduate history major would delve deeply into the geo-political, economic, legacy problems, broken government agencies, inequities, etc. In short, the grad student would probably conclude that you did ok given the environment. An editorial comment here: I am one of your biggest supporters and fans, if not just for your having broken a racial barrier. For that accomplishment alone, because I believe that America could never become a "modern" nation until that wall came down, I thank you. Against all hope, the headwinds you face are probably too great to accomplish much else. With the menacing likes of Boehner as well as aforementioned problems, the probability of your administration's success is becoming miniscule. Some may say that healthcare reform and the wars are your failures, but I suggest that the power of the Presidency is limited to persuasion. Most importantly, what you can and should control is your administration and keep your house in order. Your strength is undermined, diminished and diluted when your White House staff does stupid things and you must admit that your administration has generated a slew of stupidity news of late. Noone can place confidence in an organization that can't manage it's own internal affairs.

2009-11-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

11/20/09 Whitehouse.gov
It's time to STOP the stupidity before it creeps into every nuance of this President's legacy. I mean it, the stupidity has to stop. Think government screwups and imagine just how many insults we can take. Suggesting women shouldn't use the most conservative approach to breast cancer detection because the few women it saves are statistically insignificant. "My mother is dead", thank you. Announcing a number of jobs created down to the single job is impossible as the erroneous details reveal, but to suggest the number was compiled with jobs from districts that don't exist? It is just plain stupid administration. Finally, though not stupid but just as damaging, we should be concerned about our nation's warrior mentality. Plain and simple we've been at war for too long. We've got a whole generation of children who know American as a warrior nation. Death, destruction, policy, strategy, and rallying around the war is becoming who we are. A strong nation we should be, but a pervasive warrior mentalitiy will destroy us. A healthy, progressive nation should focus on art and education, health and happiness, not bombs and bombing, not implements of destruction. Your administration is entering the period by which history will judge it best. Will it be great progress or greater destruction. Will it be governing for the people or will it be a bemoth administrative mess. Will it be a visionary presidency or a mix mash of untenable aspirations. Remember never to insult the American public, don't take on more than the administration can handle with confidence and give us a healthy outcome to strive for.

2009-08-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

8/18/09 NFL.com blog
Yea, like many of you I also believe that Michael is a changed man. In fact, he didn't know what he was doing was wrong. It was something in his upbringing that caused him to take a minor detour in life. He's really a sweet guy, very compassionate and loving, wouldn't hurt a flea kind of guy. All this dog fighting stuff is really just not his fault. I think it was something in his past that caused him to veer off the right path. I've got it, yes I've got the explanation. His father didn't take him to a ball game when he was a youngster. No, maybe his mother didn't read him a bedtime story. Yeah that's it. Ok, I saw the 60 minutes interview. I also remember seeing Vick deny that he had any involvement with dog fighting before his conviction. I heard stories that he pointed the finger of guilt at his own family member rather than take the heat himself. But through it all, I like many of you believe that this is an upstanding guy, someone who deserves our support. Hey, here's one for you. Anyone can say anything. Let's say a really evil person rapes, maybe kills your family member. Ouch! Well that person "serves their time" and they come out to say they've remorsed - they're really sorry. They say on TV and with a very long face. They even admit to crying over it while in prison. Now what's wrong with you for still hating them. What's wrong with you for not forgiving them, after all they're really sorry --- and they've changed. They've really changed.

2009-08-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

8/17/09 Eagles contact
It's all very unfortunate if Michael Vick did these terrible things. These are things normal people would never contemplate much less act on. To torture and kill; to not only join in , but to promote and celebrate such a torturing says everything about the constitution of this man. By constitution we're not talking about learned behavior, we're talking about the soul a person is born with, their core. It's unfortunate if Vick is so flawed at his core. It's unfortunate that dogs were abused in such a hideous manner. It's unfortunate that Philadelphia will be the place to welcome this behavior. It's most unfortunate that such a great franchise as the Eagles will overlook the moral character of its player. I haven't heard of any other Eagles players who have done such terrible things and for that matter I believe Vick will not play out well for the Eagles. Why? Because Vick has deep inner troubles. Ask yourselves, isn't that obvious? If not, ask yourselves how many people you know who would enjoy watching dogs tear flesh from flesh; blood splattering everywhere, howls of pain and anguish long into the night and the smell of blood permeates the air. Or how many do you know who would electrocute or drown a dog. Who do you know who would do these things? Not one single person, right? That's because it's just not normal behavior. You can't wish it didn't happen, you can't make statements of remorse, you can't spin a good marketing campaign to make it all go away and performance on the field won't change any of the underlying problem. My point is that Vick may speak about remorse and change, but he has no control over these deeply troubled regions inside himself. It is truely unfortunate that the Eagles have chosen to align with this person. It's poor judgement which over time will almost certainly prove to degrade the Eagles image and become known as a poor business decision.

2009-08-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

8/7/09 to Whitehouse website contact
I'm concerned about what's transpiring around Health Care Reform. It's becoming a mob environment and it's not healthy. Debate and information sharing is healthy. Don't just blame the right, because that sounds like you're saying it's not real. Maybe it's not completely genuine, but believe me it's real. And I'm concerned that you, Mr Obama, are losing your mojo. I'm asking you to regroup now and remember how you got to the Presidency. If there's a time you'd like to get back to campaigning, I would say it's now, RIGHT NOW! Let's take a look back and rediscover how you won the American heart. First, Bush was a miserable failure, and then you shared a message with Americans. You reached out in a grassroots effort to get into the lives of Americans, to meet them in their homes, streets, schools, churches, text messaging,... You and they seemed to simultaneously discover that government didn't have to separate. Note well, the miracle for many was that discovery and that we seemed to go through it together, you and us. Let's do that again (and again and again).

Health Care Reform isn't reaching the people. It's not a process that we're discovering together. We're divided and it's getting worst and I know that's not what you want.

Let's do something really crazy. Let's put the HCR to a vote. No, not a Congressional vote, an American popular vote. I know. It's risky at best, but if it's voted down then you'll have to run another campaign, and maybe another before it's passed by the people. Can you imagine the impact of that? Can you imagine just how empowered Americans will feel. Can you imagine how creative your folks will have to be as they once again put on their campaign shoes like they mean it!

2009-08-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

8/6/09 to squawk@cnbc and powerlunch@cnbc
Hey guys, what do say we break this story wide open!

For wide release: CNBC is not a financial news reporting medium.

They've been infiltrated by Fox, and we all know what kind of reporting that mentality leads to. On July 23, 2009, a blogger at gawker.com writes about "How CNBC Dennis Kneale Begged For Blogger Bile". The article isn't important except to say that in that article Ryan Tate writes, "After Kneale's repeated on-air outbursts against bloggers, ..., Kneale told our sources who spoke privately with him that the crusade [to beat up on bloggers] was dreamed up by his [CNBC] producer, former Fox News man Jerry Burke ..."

First of all, isn't NEWS as in fox news really a quite a euphemism? I'd prefer to think of news as in unbiased reporting of the facts. Therein I suggest we at CNBC stop hiding in the shadows and just come out.

I've been writing on occasion to complain about the likes of Larry Kudlow and his tainted partisan ranting. I've never questioned his intelligence, but he's about the farthest thing from a reporter and he's a very poor facilitator. While interrupting and even shouting over his guests, I say he's down right rude. He'll cut them off and cut to his final comments when he doesn't like their point of view, which is distastefully similar to Bill O'Reilly's behavior.

So, if we're not reporters at CNBC and we're really just sounding boards for the far right, then let's be honest about it. I don't ever feel quite this way about Bloomberg, hmmm.

In fairness, there are plenty of very good reporter/anchors at CNBC. Becky, Carl, Joe, Rick, Steve, Bill and Sue are among them. These folks aren't there to push a political agenda. A hint of their bias may peek through, but that would be done tastefully and I've NEVER heard any of these aforementioned rudely interrupt a guest! Check my facts for yourselves, just run the tapes. Do it, because your program's success depends on it. You can take your choice, do you appeal to the intelligent investor or some other class of viewer. I can tell you that many of us are way too busy to be fed partisan garbage. Get off it and get back to providing real information to your viewers.

2009-07-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

7/24/09 to Whitehouse website contact
Dear Mr. Obama,
You're doing a phenomenal job and health care reform is, as you say, needed, but -- You haven't gotten individual Americans to join the party. Sure you've been hearing from people asking for help and their stories are compelling, but --
You're campaign for health care reform speaks little about individual responsibility to participate. Individuals must be called on to sign on with a commitment to taking control of their lives, a commitment to living more healthfully. It's pretty well known that medicine and medical science is improving our lives while individual health is declining. I'm referring to controllables like smoking and obesity at near epidemic levels, just two of the most threatening ailments facing Americans and our economy. Without a campaign to get Americans to participate in this health care bill with their personal commitment by taking responsibility for their health, this and any other bills will be doomed. Let's make education a key component of this bill.

Finally, I can't agree more with your mission. WE need a healthy population in order to have a fully functioning society. There, I said it, and you should too. You should say it loudly and clearly and often so there's no mistaking your motivation in promoting health care reform. Say that we need a healthy population in order to have a fully functioning society. Health Care Reform as well as education reform and equality reform are as important as healthful food and public safety. These are essential elements underlying a "Fully Functioning Society". There's no debate here, we will all benefit. I hope you'll see how this message is being lost in the political debate we hear about every day.

2009-04-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

4/29/09 to Senator Hutchinson contact
Topic: Demagogy and Ms. Kay Bailey Hutchinson rhetoric
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah is all I ever hear when Ms. Hutchinson shows up on a news broadcast. She often appears on CNBC in the morning. As soon as I see her face I know it's just party line blah, blah, blah.

I know the republican leadership has been struggling to understand why the public has turned against the party, well listen to the likes of Ms. Hutchinson for a clue. I think Ms. Hutchinson may have written the book on how to patronize an audience.

Between Ms. Hutchinson, Jeff Beck and Rush Limbaugh you can really get an idea of where this party is heading. Just read this definition of demagogy which is right out of "The republican party handbook on how to ruin a country in two decades or less."

demagogy: refers to a political strategy for gaining political power by appealing to the popular prejudices, emotions, fears and expectations of the public — typically via impassioned rhetoric and propaganda, and often using nationalist or populist themes.

2009-02-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

On the eve of another do or die decision for the "Big Three" automakers, Congress is poised to act and Phil Lebeau of CNBC is hard at work interviewing automaker executives. Two of the more disturbing interviews were disturbing because of the ineptitude of management and the twisting of truths.

In a February 16, 2009 interview conducted on the floor of the Chicago auto show, a Ford vice President was asked to describe what he understood about the wants and needs of the American consumer. He promptly stated the consumer's desire first for fuel efficiency and then styling. Right on brother, he nailed that one! Next the interviewee turned to present his fleet's pride and joy, a Mustang GT500 and he exclaimed, it packs a 550 horsepower engine! Now aren't you thinking the same thing I'm thinking, --ah, what did he just say?

The second ridiclous and even more annoying interview was with the leader of GM, CEO Rick Wagoner. He was asked to respond to people who ask why they're coming back for more bailout He balked at that, saying people have it all wrong and his facts are that they didn't get all of the money that they and Congress had agreed to and they could come back for more. Well, his response is a little off the mark and maybe he should go back and check his recollection against the transcripts. To borrow a phrase, the inconvenient truth is that Congress didn't really want to fork over the money in December without a recovery plan, but they did with the stipulation that these automakers would come back in March with proof that they'd achieved a level of success as measured by positive net present value. Without that proof it seemed likely that Congress would have little choice but to allow the markets to decide the automakers' fates, because without some measure of success additional taxpayer dollars would be throwing good money after the bad.

Remember that it was these executives who had come before Congress on November 18 woefully unprepared. Watching those hearings you couldn't help but ask what these guys were thinking when they showed up looking for billions in taxpayer assistance with no plan to speak of. Remember question after question being deferred with answers like, 'we'll have to check on that', or 'we'll get back to you.' Other cute answers like 'we'll have to do the research,' and the most numbing of all, 'we didn't prepare anything on that.' They showed up in Congress for a second try on December 4th which did lead to the bailout money. But recall that in that instance the Congress emphasized that the money would come with strings attached. Congress asked that the American taxpayer dollars come with the promise that the automakers would work on a plan. We taxpayers thought this was a bit backwards at the time, because in any loan we've ever applied for the plan had to be presented first. But the belated plan was nevertheless a requirement for the automakers to show that they, in fact, had returned to a positive net present value by March. Ok, net present value is a very subjective number derived in a multitude of ways and basically easy enough to manipulate to tell a story of your chosing. In short, it's an estimate calculated using other estimated numbers. What's more, the agreement didn't place the more stringent and frankly more cut and dry requirement for the automakers to achieve net positive cash flow. That's one that everyone knew they couldn't achieved, too bad because that's one we can all understand. Yes, net positive cash flow is simply what happens when you spend less than your paycheck.

Bottom line as always, these top guys are ruining our industries. Maybe that's unfair to say, because maybe they've already ruined them or maybe they inherited the ruins of their predecessors. Whatever we do, whatever concessions we have to make, all of us, including the Congress, the American taxpayer, the labor unions and the hardworking suppliers must forever hold these top executives responsible and we should never forget that it was they who haven't managed well and, as evident by just two recent interviews, still haven't a clue. The stakes are very high and it's the bad management who must pay.

The children never forget

2009-01-27T19:42:00.000-08:00

Has anyone seen the January 25, 2009 episode of 60 Minutes? Correspondent Bob Simon visited a Palestinian home in Gaza. The most unfortunate situation exists whereby Israeli Army soldiers have taken up residence in this home as if by eminent domain. The soldiers have actually taken up residence in the Palestinian home uninvited. In fact, the soldiers would not speak with Bob Simon, not let him in and forced the Palestinian family to turn him away lest they lock out the Palestinian family's children who were returning from a day at school.

Ack. How disgusting I thought. After thinking a bit more I imagined what this is like for those children. They're just children you know. They haven't created this world, they haven't been here long enough to make a meaningful impact on this world and yet they suffer. They suffer from seeing their parent's dominated, their homes violated and so they learn a lesson of hatred. Who are their teachers? Of course it is the Israeli soldiers. For these children, the Israeli soldiers are ambassadors of bad will. Most unfortunately, it is the young who will not soon forget.

You can see the 13 minute report here at: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4752349n

Watch CBS Videos Online

Praying in War

2009-01-13T07:25:00.000-08:00

I saw a picture of an Israeli soldier praying alone with a book and a cloth over his head. This obviously is the way he was taught to pray. I asked myself what might he pray about or what might he pray for. Might he be asking for an end to bloodshed in his region? Might he ask for forgiveness for having caused bloodshed in his region? Ask that his enemy be struck down so that he and his comrades might go home quickly? Ask that he not be injured? Ask that his comrades not be injured? Ask that his god punish his enemies? Ask that his god punish all enemies present and future? Ask for a good lunch for himself, his comrades, his family and friends? Ask that the enemy might starve, the enemy's families might starve?

News prints and blogs never suggests that Israelis pray for conciliation between themselves and their neighbors. And that raises another question regarding the problem with a religious state like Israel; of course not unique to Israel. When a religion is applied as the supreme underpinning of a state we see two very different functions lose their individuality. Both religion and government are very necessary for human existence. A religion is for our souls. It is for our highest thoughts.

How then can a government be a religion? A government is to deal with necessities. It must protect its population and may justify a means of doing so on practical grounds. The military government easily fulfills this definition. The military acts out of necessity in protecting the people under its domain. The military can be brutal and can act without remorse for the terrible things it does. After all, it is a functional institution.

A great problem arises when a government is sanctioned by a religion. When government becomes the pragmatic arm of the religion we sing psalms of our glory to the heavens, for it becomes righteous to fight and kill our enemies. In fact, it becomes our duty and our greatest honor to serve our religion in this way. It becomes our point of entry into fanaticism, an unwavering belief that we are correct, righteous and just in all that we might do in the name of our religion. We are expected to act beyond mere words. In a modern day we speak these truths in bombs and bigger bombs; bombs so powerful they could make even god blush with shame.

So today we are once again faced with children dying in the Middle East. Does it matter why or by whose hands? We kill humans and we should be ashamed. Maybe it is the shame that Israeli soldier was praying about.

For The Love Of Israel

2009-01-09T11:42:00.000-08:00

I will admit that the complex history of U.S. and Israeli policies have been a mystery to me. Since Israel's inception there has been a tangled web of controversy and boat loads of money provided to ensure the survival of that state.

I'm concerned now more than ever that the U.S. is over-spending on Israel. The question need not be whether Israel has a right to exist, instead whether it has a duty to do so under its own volition. Whether the existence of a state is more or less about rights of the state to exist or rather more about its duties in how it manages its interrelations and affairs.

Israel's behavior has often been the target of great controversy. The fact that Israel is a strong U.S. ally in the middle-east region is a compelling reason to support them. For the pleasure of this relationship the U.S. sends Israel great sums of money every year. With U.S. help Israel has developed one of the world's most advanced military and are quite capable of protecting their territory. With additional assurances by way of standing backup support from the U.S. in case of an invasion, Israel faces no overwhelming threat. If Israel were to take a more aggressive posture in the region, say settling in areas outside their territory, taking new territory or simply controlling the territory of others, we might ask ourselves what it is that we are helping to protect.

At a minimum, the U.S. should not support a military regime bent on controlling the region. If the U.S. provides support and assurances to support such a regime under all circumstances, then we may well be the cause of their overzealous ambitions. In fact, those ambitions might be far less aggressive in nature had they to think more and act more on their own volition.

Why I Blog

2009-01-08T19:13:00.000-08:00

Harold Pinter is dead now (1930 - 2008). I didn't know the man and yet, after seeing this video I somehow feel a great kinship.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005 and recorded this acceptance speech in lieu of actually attending the ceremony in Stockholm. He was dying.

Possibly only a man facing death would speak with such honesty, but Pinter was known to speak his conscience. His speech is about the horrors and the audacity by which the U.S. government has executed its policies throughout the world, especially with respect to South America and the Middle East of late.

I began this blog with Pinter in mind. He calls on us as citizens, to find what he calls the real truth of our lives and society.

You must see this video. Please follow this link to NobelPrize.org

The Plague Is Next

2009-01-08T15:28:00.000-08:00

What else? It'll just have to be something big. Lately news has been bad, bad and badder. A slurry of bad news. Automakers on Capitol Hill, layoffs on Wall Street and Main, unemployment approaching 8%, consumers unhappy, retailers less happy and just in time for the New Year, voila Israel and Hamas are at it again.

I'm not certain about how we get through these days, but we do and the news, well it keeps us amused. So thanks for tuning in and I hope you enjoy the banter.

Auto Industry History Stinks

2008-12-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

Remember this day. December 12, 2008 a referendum on behalf of the American taxpayer to hold GM, Chrysler and Ford management accountable for their own transgressions. Auto Workers unite and hold these managers accountable. Don't lose site of the miserable management that got your companies where they are today. It's a big mess that will hurt the line worker, so let's press the managers to take their hits too. Don't forget that mismanagement got you into this mess.

It's not the line worker who for many years ignored consumers. It's not the line worker that approved inferior designs and resisted conventional wisdom to produce more fuel efficient vehicles.

Unfortunately, the auto industry, as with airlines, is an industry Americans can love to hate. Polling Americans would likely reveal a large percentage of disgruntled consumers of these industries. It's the arrogance we hate. Both industries continue to treat their customers as problems rather than the life blood of their existences. In the short haul this arrogance is stupid, but in the long run it's deadly.

It's done. The leaders of GM, Chrysler and Ford should be held accountable now. It's on them to make this better from here on. It's a tough thing to say, but they'll need to make the market forces work for them or they'll simply fold. It's not unfair as some might have you believe, it's market forces bearing down on these poorly managed companies. What is sad is as always, it is unfair to the line worker, but had the taxpayer simply paid good money into these failing businesses the management would never have been called upon to own up and there's little evidence that any of these managers would have used the monies to make meaningful changes.

So don't anyone lose sight that these managers are the guys who came before Congress ill-prepared. They came ill-prepared for the most important interviews of their lives. They knew that the results of these interviews would impact a great number of innocent people and they ignored that fact by showing up unprepared, without restructuring plans. They had apparently given little thought about how they got into the mess or about admission that their history stinks or about the ways in which their foreign competitors have been doing it better or about smarter hedges against rising costs or about fuel efficiencies or about customer service, and on and on. Isn't that enough to show incompetence in their leadership?