There’s a biblical passing in the Gospel of Luke (18:18-23) where a man approaches Jesus and asks what is necessary for him to gain eternal life. After a brief verbal exchange, Jesus tells the man to sell all his possession and give the money to the poor. Luke’s passage ends with a note that upon hearing Jesus’ words, the man became filled with grief, because he was very wealthy.
Yesterday, I was reminded of that passage in Luke’s gospel when I was reading an article posted on CNBC (www.cnbc.com/id/101302230 ) entitled, Pope’s Sharp Words Make a Wealthy Donor Hesitate. CNBC’s chief international correspondent, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera reported in the article that Ken Langone, the billionaire-investor spearheading Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s $180 million dollar campaign to restore St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City has hit a snag with a potential seven-figure donor. Apparently, the unidentified potential donor is reluctant to make a donation in light of Pope Francis’ recent criticism of greed, wealth and the dark side of capitalism and the Pope’s exhortations that the wealthy should focus more on improving the lives of the poor. Like the man in Luke’s gospel, the potential donor is filled with grief upon hearing the Pope’s words, because he is very wealthy.
It’s not surprising that Pope Francis’ remarks would cause such grief among the world’s wealthy individuals, or that potential wealthy benefactors would become reluctant to donate to Catholic Church projects, but after reading the CNBC article I was disappointed by both Cardinal Dolan and Ken Langone’s response to the situation. Langone essentially told Dolan that the Pope ought to tone-down his message if he expected the wealthy to donate to the church, and Cardinal Dolan, in an attempt to assuage the potential donor’s concern and keep the monetary donations flowing, responded that the potential investor had simply misunderstood the Pope’s recent remarks. Both men should know better!
The potential donor in the CNBC article didn’t misunderstand the Pope’s words. He knew full-well the import of the Pope’s retelling of Jesus’ message, and the donor didn’t like what he heard, so he’s likely to keep his money and walk away. That’s fine. That’s his choice.
I’ve argued repeatedly that the Catholic Church has abandoned Christ’s social gospel and allowed itself to be corrupted by a narrow-minded focus on campaigning against homosexuality, contraception and abortion. That’s not a message a lot of Catholics want to hear, especially the wealthy ones, but it’s the truth. The Catholic Church is at a crossroads. It can follow Jesus, or it can follow the wealthy donors, but not both!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Monday, December 30, 2013
RUSSIA REAPS WHAT IT SOWS
Monday’s bombing of a bus in the Soviet city of Volgograd, Sunday’s terrorist attack at the Volgograd train station and last Friday’s car bombing in Pyatigorsk ought to have taught Russian authorities a lesson about not supporting countries who support terrorism, but that’s probably not going to happen. The Soviets have been more interested in thwarting American anti-terrorism efforts than in becoming an active partner in the drive to stop terrorism at its source. In their zeal to give the United States a black eye, the Russians have continued to ignore the fact that we are fighting a common enemy. As a result, thirty-four Russians died this past weekend in terrorist attacks and scores more were wounded. Sadly, Russia has reaped what it has sown.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
GOING POSTAL OVER CHRISTMAS
While the United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express (Fed-Ex) have spent millions touting the speed and accuracy of their world-wide shipping services, it was the United States Postal Service that actually delivered on its promises this Christmas Season. While UPS and Fed-Ex dropped the ball and left thousands of families without parcels that were promised to be delivered before Christmas, the United States Postal Service left no promised package undelivered, and did so for a cheaper price than its two privatized competitors.
Leaders of UPS and Fed-Ex can blame the weather and a glut of last-minute packages on their company’s respective failures, but the United States Postal Service encountered the same two hurdles and remained true to the Service’s motto – We deliver! It’s time to own up to the fact that the United States Postal Service is second to none, despite the fact that it carries out its mission without the freedoms that its major competitors enjoy.
You see, the United States Postal Service is subject to Congressional oversight, which hinders the Postal Service’s ability to operate effectively and efficiently. If fuel and transportation costs increase, the CEOs of UPS and Fed-Ex simply raise rates they charge for shipping packages to offset their rising costs. The United States Postal Service, however, cannot act unilaterally to deal with market force; it is at the mercy and whims of Congress. Earlier this year, the Postal Service asked Congress for permission to stop Saturday deliveries as a cost-cutting measure to stem the tide of monetary losses posted by the service over the past five years. Congress declined that request, essentially forcing the Postal Service to continue the current level of services at a financial loss. Congress would never mandate private companies to act in a similar manner. If UPS and Fed-Ex wanted to stop Saturday delivering, they’d just do it, and nobody would suggest that Congress could mandate otherwise.
Despite the operating obstacles imposed by Congress, the United States Postal Service found a way to get its mission accomplished this Christmas season. That’s a testament to the dedication and commitment of the men and women who work for the Postal Service. They deserve our praise and support!
Leaders of UPS and Fed-Ex can blame the weather and a glut of last-minute packages on their company’s respective failures, but the United States Postal Service encountered the same two hurdles and remained true to the Service’s motto – We deliver! It’s time to own up to the fact that the United States Postal Service is second to none, despite the fact that it carries out its mission without the freedoms that its major competitors enjoy.
You see, the United States Postal Service is subject to Congressional oversight, which hinders the Postal Service’s ability to operate effectively and efficiently. If fuel and transportation costs increase, the CEOs of UPS and Fed-Ex simply raise rates they charge for shipping packages to offset their rising costs. The United States Postal Service, however, cannot act unilaterally to deal with market force; it is at the mercy and whims of Congress. Earlier this year, the Postal Service asked Congress for permission to stop Saturday deliveries as a cost-cutting measure to stem the tide of monetary losses posted by the service over the past five years. Congress declined that request, essentially forcing the Postal Service to continue the current level of services at a financial loss. Congress would never mandate private companies to act in a similar manner. If UPS and Fed-Ex wanted to stop Saturday delivering, they’d just do it, and nobody would suggest that Congress could mandate otherwise.
Despite the operating obstacles imposed by Congress, the United States Postal Service found a way to get its mission accomplished this Christmas season. That’s a testament to the dedication and commitment of the men and women who work for the Postal Service. They deserve our praise and support!
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
LET IT SNOWDEN! LET IT SNOWDEN! LET IT SNOWDEN!
I’ve been rumination over this Snowden business for a long time, and it keeps rearing its ugly head every time my teen-aged daughter brings up the subject. Unfortunately, she brings up the subject a lot. She also thinks that what Snowden did was an admirable thing. I don’t!
Don’t get me wrong. I think our National Security Agency (NSA) has been acting way outside the limits of its constitutional power when collecting private emails and cell phone records of U.S. citizens without a special warrant authorized by a judge. After the terrorist attack on September 11th, a special court was created to deal with government requests regarding sensitive surveillance requests when national security is involved, but the NSA has apparently been bypassing our judicial system. The NSA has routinely acted without first presenting evidence to the special court that there is probable cause to believe that the persons whose emails and cell phone records were collected were engaged in terrorist activities. That circumvention of established procedures has been illegal and must stop!
Enter Snowden, the man who revealed to the world the NSA’s illegal surveillance. There is something admirable in Snowden’s desire to reveal an injustice when he learned of it, but Snowden chose a course of action that went way, way, way, way beyond the act of revealing the NSA’s illegal surveillance. Snowden stole the keys to the Kingdom, too!
To put this in better perspective, imagine a bank employee discovers that the bank has been keeping slaves in the bank’s vault on behalf of a customer who is involved in human trafficking. Over a weekend when the bank is closed, the bank employee sneaks into the vault, takes pictures of the slave and also takes ten million dollars belonging to the bank. The employee then sends the photos of the slaves to a newspaper, along with information about the bank’s role in facilitating the human trafficking, and then leaves the country with the bank’s ten million dollars. Revealing the bank’s role in illegal slave trade is admirable. Stealing the bank’s money is not! The employee’s theft is not justified by the admirable revelation of the bank’s illegal activities.
That is Snowden’s crime. Snowden revealed the NSA’s illegal activities, but he has also stolen massive amounts of data and information regarding the entire surveillance capabilities of the United States, and when that information falls into the wrong hand, and it will despite whatever Snowden claims, people, both here in America and abroad, will die because their covers will be compromised. Those deaths will be on Snowden’s hands…and there’s nothing admirable about that!
Don’t get me wrong. I think our National Security Agency (NSA) has been acting way outside the limits of its constitutional power when collecting private emails and cell phone records of U.S. citizens without a special warrant authorized by a judge. After the terrorist attack on September 11th, a special court was created to deal with government requests regarding sensitive surveillance requests when national security is involved, but the NSA has apparently been bypassing our judicial system. The NSA has routinely acted without first presenting evidence to the special court that there is probable cause to believe that the persons whose emails and cell phone records were collected were engaged in terrorist activities. That circumvention of established procedures has been illegal and must stop!
Enter Snowden, the man who revealed to the world the NSA’s illegal surveillance. There is something admirable in Snowden’s desire to reveal an injustice when he learned of it, but Snowden chose a course of action that went way, way, way, way beyond the act of revealing the NSA’s illegal surveillance. Snowden stole the keys to the Kingdom, too!
To put this in better perspective, imagine a bank employee discovers that the bank has been keeping slaves in the bank’s vault on behalf of a customer who is involved in human trafficking. Over a weekend when the bank is closed, the bank employee sneaks into the vault, takes pictures of the slave and also takes ten million dollars belonging to the bank. The employee then sends the photos of the slaves to a newspaper, along with information about the bank’s role in facilitating the human trafficking, and then leaves the country with the bank’s ten million dollars. Revealing the bank’s role in illegal slave trade is admirable. Stealing the bank’s money is not! The employee’s theft is not justified by the admirable revelation of the bank’s illegal activities.
That is Snowden’s crime. Snowden revealed the NSA’s illegal activities, but he has also stolen massive amounts of data and information regarding the entire surveillance capabilities of the United States, and when that information falls into the wrong hand, and it will despite whatever Snowden claims, people, both here in America and abroad, will die because their covers will be compromised. Those deaths will be on Snowden’s hands…and there’s nothing admirable about that!
Monday, December 23, 2013
HEADLINE NEWS ROUNDUP
If you haven't been keeping track of national and world-wide news lately, there's been a raft of funny stuff happening that you should know about. For instance, the other day North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un sent a fax to the South Korean government saying that he's going to rain fire down on them if they don't stop demonstrations in South Korea denouncing the North Korean regime. I guess the North's leader is a bit touchy about criticism! It's also been reported that the North Korean leader is paranoid about the use of email in his country, so he chose a fax instead. Pundits express worry over Kim Jong Un's intentions, but I figure that if fax is the best technology they've got nobody should really be worried about him...well, unless he's part of your family tree. Kim Jong Un's recent execution of his uncle was a bit over the top, even by North Korean standards, but the old uncle surely had it coming. Did you see pictures of the uncle? He must have used two gallons of oil to slick back his hair in the morning. Plus, in addition to sedition and having delusions of grandeur, the uncle was accused of womanizing and using dope. Even with a regime as oppressive as North Korean's, you simply can't tolerate womanizing.
While I'm on the subject of North Korea's leader, have you seen his picture lately? North Korea has a population of about 30 million people, and the only overweight person in the country is their leader. The rest are emaciated. Maybe somebody should fax Kim Jong Un a pamphlet for Jenny Craig.
Next, we have the Duck Dynasty brouhaha to consider. I'm sure you're a huge Duck Dynasty fan, seeing as you're reading drivel on a liberal blog. Apparently, the patriarch of the Duck Dynasty clan Phil) went on an anti-gay and racist rant during a recent magazine interview, and the cable network who airs the show - A & E networks has suspended him from the show. Sarah Palin is in an uproar, although let's be honest, it doesn't take much to get her panties bunched up in a ruffle. Palin claiming that the A & E network and liberal pundits everywhere are destroying everyone's first amendment freedom to say whatever is on anybody's mind or whatever one thinks. Well, let me be the first to exercise my first amendment rights in the manner she suggests and say that Sarah Palin is a dim-witted, piece of trailer trash with an intellect lower than that of a dung beetle...no offense meant to dung beetles...or trailer trash.
FOX network has won the 2013 cable TV ratings war, though I read an editorial the other day explaining why FOX has lost the so-called "War on Christmas." And everyone wonders why our kids don't fare well on education tests when compared to kids from other countries. Maybe if their parents stopped watching FOX news, they could regrow some grey matter in time to help their kids with their homework. Just remember, Stupid is as Stupid does! - Forrest Gump's mom.
Still agonizing over what to get some of your gay friends for Christmas? Have you considered Mattel's new 'Drag Queen' Barbie? Oh yeah, the company is reportedly trying to make headway into the guy market, which I think is their way of saying "gay guy market" without using the word gay and offending the Evangelical movement. Drag Queen Barbie is apparently a knock-off of the 1959 Hollywood Glamour Barbie, but that's just 3rd-hand gossip as far as I'm concerned.
Everybody who gets into Harvard is supposed to be the brightest of the bright, but that might not be so. Last week a Harvard student phoned in a bomb hoax to avoid having to take a test. You'd figure a kid with enough smarts to get into Harvard would know a little something about covering his tracks, but the cops were already waiting for him at his dorm room 15 minutes after the bomb hoax was phoned in. I hope he wasn't a computer science major; that kind of ineptitude would be downright embarrassing.
Another headline screamed, Would-be Reagan assassin John Hinckley Gets More Time Out of Mental Hospital. My gut reaction to that story was that Hinckley should have been declared a national hero instead of being insane, but I guess society is not yet prepared to recognize that people with mental illnesses can be actually be ahead of their time. Yeah, I know...the guy supposedly had a crush on Jodie Foster, but let's be fair to Hinckley...that was way before Jodie Foster came out of the closet.
Here's another headline I liked: Mom Worried About Meningitis Sends Son to London to Get Shot. Either that mother is one cruel woman or nobody ever told her that bullets could be just as deadly as meningitis. In any case, I'm glad I'm not HER son!
Let's go back to the Duck Dynasty story for a moment. MSNBC on-line carried this headline...'Duck' Family Can't Imagine Life Without Phil. That's the problem with having an ensemble cast of idiots with single-digit IQs - nobody's got an imagination!
MSNBC posted another dumb headline: Group Vasectomy - The Ultimate in Male Bonding? Uh, how do I say, "NO" loud enough? I didn't even click on that tag line to read the story. Some stuff is better left unread!
There was an obituary in The New York Times worth noting: Harold Camping, Dogged Forecaster of the End of the World, Dies at 92. Finally, he was right about something!
The BBC ran a piece entitled, Neanderthals Could Speak Like Us. One day, somebody will unearth a Neanderthal newspaper with a Nostradamus-like prediction that, In the Future, Homo Sapiens Will Talk Like Us.
Consider yourself informed
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
CONSERVATIVE CATHOLICS AT ODDS WITH POPE FRANCIS' CALL FOR CHANGE OF PRIORITIES
When the Catholic Church abandoned the Christ-given moral imperative of caring for the poor and oppressed in favor of crusading against abortion, contraception and homosexuality, the Church ceded its soul and moral legitimacy to the Devil in exchange for political wealth and power. Bishops and priests denied communion to faithful Catholics with opposing political views, all while cozying up to politicians who sought to deprive the poor of food, shelter and access to health care. It's no wonder Pope Francis has taken his Church to task for its misplaced priorities, nor is it surprising that many conservatives in the Catholic Church are opening criticizing the Pope's call for a change in focus. There's no political power or prestige to be gained from caring for the poor and less fortunate, whereas opposition to abortion, contraception and homosexuality guarantees a steady stream of supporting and adoring fans. When a Roman Centurion asked Jesus how he could gain salvation, Jesus told him to give all his possessions to the poor and then follow him. It was written that the Centurion walked away despondent, because the man prized his possessions. The same can be said about conservatives in today's Catholic Church. They have amassed great power and a large following through their crusade against abortion, contraception and homosexuality, with little capital spent in the process, but Francis' call for a change of focus means jettisoning much of that power and having to expend material wealth as well. It's no wonder Catholic conservatives are despondent. They prize their power and possessions, too.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
GREEN EGGS AND SPAM
I do not like the sick and poor;
I'll state that on the Senate floor.
I would not like them in my house.
I would not feed them beets or souse.
It's not my fault they're in a jam.
Senator Cruz is who I am.
I would not give the poor some pills,
To help them overcome their ills.
It's not my job to bring them health.
I'm all about protecting wealth.
Helping the poor is just a scam.
Senator Cruz is who I am.
I don't care about hungry kids,
They can lick their jelly lids.
It's just not right to give them hope,
You know they'll go right back to dope.
My party pals don't give a damn!
Senator Cruz is who I am.
I loathe the senior's monthly check,
I'd like to break Obama's neck.
I would not care if grandma dies,
At fairs back home, we'll still have pies.
It's time to jam-up Uncle Sam.
Senator Cruz is who I am.
They say that Jesus liked the poor,
But didn't he forgive a whore?
He never held a steady job,
And now, my taxes he would rob.
My friend is FOX, his pet's a lamb.
Senator Cruz is who I am.
Let's not be nice or hold the punch,
My schedule says I've got a lunch.
The funding source, it needs a stroke,
So what if government is broke?
The poor can eat green eggs and Spam.
Senator Cruz is who I am!
I'll state that on the Senate floor.
I would not like them in my house.
I would not feed them beets or souse.
It's not my fault they're in a jam.
Senator Cruz is who I am.
I would not give the poor some pills,
To help them overcome their ills.
It's not my job to bring them health.
I'm all about protecting wealth.
Helping the poor is just a scam.
Senator Cruz is who I am.
I don't care about hungry kids,
They can lick their jelly lids.
It's just not right to give them hope,
You know they'll go right back to dope.
My party pals don't give a damn!
Senator Cruz is who I am.
I loathe the senior's monthly check,
I'd like to break Obama's neck.
I would not care if grandma dies,
At fairs back home, we'll still have pies.
It's time to jam-up Uncle Sam.
Senator Cruz is who I am.
They say that Jesus liked the poor,
But didn't he forgive a whore?
He never held a steady job,
And now, my taxes he would rob.
My friend is FOX, his pet's a lamb.
Senator Cruz is who I am.
Let's not be nice or hold the punch,
My schedule says I've got a lunch.
The funding source, it needs a stroke,
So what if government is broke?
The poor can eat green eggs and Spam.
Senator Cruz is who I am!
Monday, September 9, 2013
FIFTY SHADES OF GREY
It's a shame that fifty shades of grey has become synonymous with hot, steamy sex, because it's the perfect phrase to describe the dilemma over what to do about the current Syrian crisis. Syria's dictator, Bashar al-Assad deserves a place in Hell for authorizing the use of chemical weapons on his own citizens, hundreds of them innocent children, but tens of thousands of innocent women and children have suffered just as agonizing deaths, via rape, mayhem and dismemberment, in various African countries over the past two decades and scarcely little has been done by this country to stem those atrocities. Are the lives of African children worth less than Syrian children? We invaded Iraq to prevent Saddam Hussein from using weapons of mass destruction; now we hesitate to take action against a brutal dictator who actually used that weapon. The stench of our hypocrisy wafts in the wind. It's no wonder that a majority of countries across the globe want no part of our efforts to make al-Assad pay for his depravity. After the debacles resulting from our invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, they recognize that America has lost its moral authority, and it's hard for me to see how bombing Syria will help us get it back.
That said, doing nothing against al-Assad would be just like doing nothing against Hitler, which is exactly what we did at the beginning of WWII, despite the atrocities Hitler was committing against European Jews. We should feel equally ashamed now if we fail to act as we should have felt back then.
In the movie Ben-Hur, Esther chides Judah by remarking that violence begets violence, just as dog begets dog. I know in my heart she's right, but figuring out a proper response over Syria is still fifty shades of grey.
That said, doing nothing against al-Assad would be just like doing nothing against Hitler, which is exactly what we did at the beginning of WWII, despite the atrocities Hitler was committing against European Jews. We should feel equally ashamed now if we fail to act as we should have felt back then.
In the movie Ben-Hur, Esther chides Judah by remarking that violence begets violence, just as dog begets dog. I know in my heart she's right, but figuring out a proper response over Syria is still fifty shades of grey.
Friday, February 15, 2013
THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN'S ACT HITS A ROADBLOCK
The United States Senate passed the Violence Against Women's Act this week by a 78-22 margin. The Senate's action was a bipartisan effort to correct Congress' egregious failure to renew the Act last year. It was House Republicans who derailed the Act's renewal last year, and though Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) has indicated that he will allow the House to vote on some form of legislation on the matter, it remains unclear whether Boehner is simply playing lip-service to the women in his party or is genuinely serious about working towards a cease-fire in the ongoing Republican War on Women. Time will tell.
Linda Rubin, a counseling psychology professor at Texas Woman's University wrote an editorial that appears on the AlJazerra Internet website at the following address:
www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/02/20132111438741599.html
Rubin's editorial is a "must-read" for those interested in stopping violence against women. Contact your local Congressional Representative and demand that he or she vote to reenact the Violence Against Women's Act. There is simply no excuse for saying 'yes' to violence!
Linda Rubin, a counseling psychology professor at Texas Woman's University wrote an editorial that appears on the AlJazerra Internet website at the following address:
www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/02/20132111438741599.html
Rubin's editorial is a "must-read" for those interested in stopping violence against women. Contact your local Congressional Representative and demand that he or she vote to reenact the Violence Against Women's Act. There is simply no excuse for saying 'yes' to violence!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
THE PASSING OF A GOOD BARBER
Ernie Barber died yesterday, on the eve of the feast of Saint Valentine, a third century Roman whose mission it was to spread a message of love. While millions around the globe celebrate Saint Valentine's life with traditional red hearts, Ernie's children and family will mourn his passing with broken hearts. Neither cards, candy nor presents will ease their pain, but Ernie's love for them will never die. That's because love is its own legacy, and the warmth it spreads lasts far beyond the boundaries of a single earthly day.
Ellen & Frank, you have my deepest sympathy at the passing of your father.
Ellen & Frank, you have my deepest sympathy at the passing of your father.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
THE GUY IN THE WHITE FORD F-150
On most mornings during the academic year, I drive my teen-aged daughter, Rachel to the high school she attends. She could ride the bus, but the fifteen minute commute gives us time to chat about any number of topics and I treasure the time we spend together. I know how time flies, and before I know it Rachel will be skipping off to college and our daily chats will become a thing of the past, so I'm taking advantage of every opportunity I can get. It's my own version of carpe diem.
The junior high school that Rachel previously attended is located next to her high school, but each of the schools has a separate access road that empties onto Bannister Street. Junior and senior high school students ride the same bus, so every morning a bus drops off junior high students first and then proceeds to the high school to drop off the older students. As a bus leaves the junior high school, the bus makes a left hand turn from the junior high school access road onto Bannister Street and then makes a second left hand turn into the high school access road. The result is a log-jam of buses attempting to make left-hand turns against a solid stream of traffic flowing in the opposite direction. It's not unusual for seven or eight buses to be stacked in a line waiting to make a left-hand turn at either intersection.
Whenever I'm driving on Bannister Street and the buses are stacked up waiting to make a left-hand turn across my lane of traffic, I've gotten into the practice of stopping at the intersection and signaling the line of buses to make their turns before I continue through the intersection. The practice saves the bus drivers a lot of time and energy and insures that the students get to school safely and on-time. I'm sure the bus drivers appreciate my gesture and I think a lot of driving parents do too, but the guy in the white Ford F-150 pick-up truck doesn't appreciate the gesture and he's let me know on several occasions exactly how he feels.
At least twice, maybe three times a month I've found myself driving in front of the same white pick-up truck, and the truck's driver has cursed out his window at me, flipped the finger at me and given me several loud blasts from his horn whenever I've stopped to let the waiting buses make the left-hand turn in front of me. Last week, he started blasting his horn before I even made it to the intersection or slowed down. I figured it was a preventative blast. The driver of the Ford F-150 is in a big hurry and my good deed apparently sends him over the edge.
I wonder if I'm being rude by delaying the pick-up truck driver, even though my act facilitates the prompt arrival of students at their own destination. Do I have a right to do a good deed at the expense of someone else? I'll have to give the matter some thought.
The junior high school that Rachel previously attended is located next to her high school, but each of the schools has a separate access road that empties onto Bannister Street. Junior and senior high school students ride the same bus, so every morning a bus drops off junior high students first and then proceeds to the high school to drop off the older students. As a bus leaves the junior high school, the bus makes a left hand turn from the junior high school access road onto Bannister Street and then makes a second left hand turn into the high school access road. The result is a log-jam of buses attempting to make left-hand turns against a solid stream of traffic flowing in the opposite direction. It's not unusual for seven or eight buses to be stacked in a line waiting to make a left-hand turn at either intersection.
Whenever I'm driving on Bannister Street and the buses are stacked up waiting to make a left-hand turn across my lane of traffic, I've gotten into the practice of stopping at the intersection and signaling the line of buses to make their turns before I continue through the intersection. The practice saves the bus drivers a lot of time and energy and insures that the students get to school safely and on-time. I'm sure the bus drivers appreciate my gesture and I think a lot of driving parents do too, but the guy in the white Ford F-150 pick-up truck doesn't appreciate the gesture and he's let me know on several occasions exactly how he feels.
At least twice, maybe three times a month I've found myself driving in front of the same white pick-up truck, and the truck's driver has cursed out his window at me, flipped the finger at me and given me several loud blasts from his horn whenever I've stopped to let the waiting buses make the left-hand turn in front of me. Last week, he started blasting his horn before I even made it to the intersection or slowed down. I figured it was a preventative blast. The driver of the Ford F-150 is in a big hurry and my good deed apparently sends him over the edge.
I wonder if I'm being rude by delaying the pick-up truck driver, even though my act facilitates the prompt arrival of students at their own destination. Do I have a right to do a good deed at the expense of someone else? I'll have to give the matter some thought.
THOUGHTS TO PONDER
~~Does how the world got started matter half as much as where this world is headed?
~~If we can't be honest about our past, is there any hope for being honest about our future?
~~Which is a greater moral failure: leaving our children swamped in debt or leaving them swamped in ignorance?
~~If government is so awful, why are so many anti-government zealots running for public office?
~~If every religion dictates that all non-believers are destined for Hell, who will keep God company in Heaven?
~~If we can't be honest about our past, is there any hope for being honest about our future?
~~Which is a greater moral failure: leaving our children swamped in debt or leaving them swamped in ignorance?
~~If government is so awful, why are so many anti-government zealots running for public office?
~~If every religion dictates that all non-believers are destined for Hell, who will keep God company in Heaven?
TAKE THAT CHALLENGE, MR. PRESIDENT
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, John Boehner (R-Ohio) called on President Obama to "man-up" and cut federal spending. Boehner's maschismo challenge was nothing more than a cheap political stunt in advance of President Obama's State of the Union message, but I think the President should accept Boehner's challenge and tell Boehner point-blank that he doesn't want to hear any Republican cry-babies when he does exactly what Boehner asks!
Then, and this is what I would do if I were in Obama's shoes, I'd announce that I was permanently closing every military base in states that voted for G.O.P. presidential candidate, Mitt Romney. Every dime of savings from those closures would be applied to the National Debt.
At first blush, such a plan sounds vengeful, but if one is being fair and serious about cutting federal spending, those states that get more dollars in federal spending than they pay in federal income tax should be the first places where spending cuts are made. You see, the top-ten states that get more federal spending than they pay in taxes are all states that voted for the G.O.P. standard-bearer, Mitt Romney. That's where I'd start, and see if Boehner has the balls to "man-up" and be true to his words. I highly doubt he would!
Then, and this is what I would do if I were in Obama's shoes, I'd announce that I was permanently closing every military base in states that voted for G.O.P. presidential candidate, Mitt Romney. Every dime of savings from those closures would be applied to the National Debt.
At first blush, such a plan sounds vengeful, but if one is being fair and serious about cutting federal spending, those states that get more dollars in federal spending than they pay in federal income tax should be the first places where spending cuts are made. You see, the top-ten states that get more federal spending than they pay in taxes are all states that voted for the G.O.P. standard-bearer, Mitt Romney. That's where I'd start, and see if Boehner has the balls to "man-up" and be true to his words. I highly doubt he would!
SOCIAL SECURITY AND GLOBAL WARMING
Let's face it! We're never going to solve the Social Security insolvency problem until we get this whole global warming thing under control. As long as the arctic ice is receding, there won't be enough room to set our old folks adrift on an ice floe and watch them float away into oblivion.
Actually, America doesn't have a Social Security problem. What it has is a political will problem. By that I mean that there are not enough political leaders who are willing to place their own political careers on the line to do what is necessary to honor America's long-standing social contract that was established to take care of our retirees and disabled citizens. The Social Security ledger sheet could be placed in order for the next hundred years without raising the current social security tax rate in one simple step: require citizens to pay social security tax on all their earned income, without exception.
Right now, a person who works a 40 hour per week minimum wage job earns $15,080 per year. The Social Security tax is 6.2%, and on an income of $15, 080, the wage-earner pays $935.00 in Social Security tax. Wage earners making $20,000, $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 and $60,000 per year pay the same 6.2% of their earned income (earned income = income from working) in Social Security Tax. So does every other wage earner making up to $113,700 per year in earned income.
This is where things get interesting…or unfair…depending on how you view the situation. Once a wage earner starts making more than $113,700 per year, the percentage of Social Security Tax that wage earner pays actually decreases, and the more a person is paid the lower the percentage a person pays. For example, the Social Security Tax rate on a person having earned income of one million dollars in a year is seven/tenths of one percent. In real numbers, a millionaire will pay $7,049 dollars per year in social security tax. When you compare the millionaire to the minimum wage worker, the millionaire makes 63 times more money, but only pays 7.5 times more Social Security tax. Where's the fairness in that system? Why should a guy working at a minimum wage job pay a higher social security tax rate than a guy earning a million dollar per year salary?
Social Security was created as a financial safety net, but for the wealthiest earners in our society, it's actually a financial windfall. Assume a millionaire pays $7,049 dollars into Social Security for forty (40) years. The millionaire will have paid $281,960 in social security tax over that time span. Now, assume that same individual collects social security for 20 years following their retirement. At the current top rate of $2,162 per month, the millionaire will have collected of total of $518,880 dollars. That's a tidy sum considering the millionaire already had forty million dollars in earned income. This is one place where Republicans never, ever talk about an across-the-board flat tax rate.
If one Social Security tax rate applied to all earned income, Americans would never have to worry about the insolvency of the Social Security Trust Fund. The baby boomer generation would come and go without bankrupting the security net that has protected seniors since the days of the Great Depression. This fix is not rocket science. It just takes something we're in short supply of lately: political will!
Actually, America doesn't have a Social Security problem. What it has is a political will problem. By that I mean that there are not enough political leaders who are willing to place their own political careers on the line to do what is necessary to honor America's long-standing social contract that was established to take care of our retirees and disabled citizens. The Social Security ledger sheet could be placed in order for the next hundred years without raising the current social security tax rate in one simple step: require citizens to pay social security tax on all their earned income, without exception.
Right now, a person who works a 40 hour per week minimum wage job earns $15,080 per year. The Social Security tax is 6.2%, and on an income of $15, 080, the wage-earner pays $935.00 in Social Security tax. Wage earners making $20,000, $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 and $60,000 per year pay the same 6.2% of their earned income (earned income = income from working) in Social Security Tax. So does every other wage earner making up to $113,700 per year in earned income.
This is where things get interesting…or unfair…depending on how you view the situation. Once a wage earner starts making more than $113,700 per year, the percentage of Social Security Tax that wage earner pays actually decreases, and the more a person is paid the lower the percentage a person pays. For example, the Social Security Tax rate on a person having earned income of one million dollars in a year is seven/tenths of one percent. In real numbers, a millionaire will pay $7,049 dollars per year in social security tax. When you compare the millionaire to the minimum wage worker, the millionaire makes 63 times more money, but only pays 7.5 times more Social Security tax. Where's the fairness in that system? Why should a guy working at a minimum wage job pay a higher social security tax rate than a guy earning a million dollar per year salary?
Social Security was created as a financial safety net, but for the wealthiest earners in our society, it's actually a financial windfall. Assume a millionaire pays $7,049 dollars into Social Security for forty (40) years. The millionaire will have paid $281,960 in social security tax over that time span. Now, assume that same individual collects social security for 20 years following their retirement. At the current top rate of $2,162 per month, the millionaire will have collected of total of $518,880 dollars. That's a tidy sum considering the millionaire already had forty million dollars in earned income. This is one place where Republicans never, ever talk about an across-the-board flat tax rate.
If one Social Security tax rate applied to all earned income, Americans would never have to worry about the insolvency of the Social Security Trust Fund. The baby boomer generation would come and go without bankrupting the security net that has protected seniors since the days of the Great Depression. This fix is not rocket science. It just takes something we're in short supply of lately: political will!
Monday, February 11, 2013
POPE BENEDICT XVI RESIGNS
Good riddance!
You can make a good argument that my comment is mean-spirited, but all the ill-will bundled into those two words pales in comparison to the callous disregard this Pontiff has exhibited toward the suffering of victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by the priests he leads. And while Pope Benedict has spent most of his religious capital railing against abortion and other reproduction-related issues, his leadership has been grossly lacking in focusing world attention on the needs of the poor and the oppressed. When it came to advocating Christ's social gospel, the head of the Holy Sea was a dismal failure. He might be missed by millions around the globe, but I won't be one of them!
You can make a good argument that my comment is mean-spirited, but all the ill-will bundled into those two words pales in comparison to the callous disregard this Pontiff has exhibited toward the suffering of victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by the priests he leads. And while Pope Benedict has spent most of his religious capital railing against abortion and other reproduction-related issues, his leadership has been grossly lacking in focusing world attention on the needs of the poor and the oppressed. When it came to advocating Christ's social gospel, the head of the Holy Sea was a dismal failure. He might be missed by millions around the globe, but I won't be one of them!
Saturday, February 9, 2013
HATING THE DALLAS COWBOYS
Now that the professional football season has ended and half of America is going through pigskin withdrawal, a recurring question keeps gnawing at my mind: why so do many sports fans hate one or two particular teams? For example, why do Washington Redskin fans hate the Dallas Cowboys, and vice versa? Why do Boston Red Sox fans hate the New York Yankees, and vice versa there, too? Don't tell me it's because the teams are rivals. That's the obvious answer, but it doesn't address the real question I've been pondering. What drives the hatred? What turns regular opponents into bitter rivals, and why does that bitterness fuel mass hatred of certain teams that exist among die-hard sports fans?
My dad hated the Dallas Cowboys. He hated them with a passion, like the Jews hated Hitler, but at least the Jews had good reason for doing so. The same could not be said about my dad. He claimed he hated the Cowboys because they played on the Sunday following President Kennedy's assassination, but that assertion was pure nonsense because the entire National Football League played games that Sunday, including his beloved team, the Baltimore Colts. He could have said he hated the Cowboys because Dallas is where President Kennedy was shot, but that wouldn't have been a rational explanation, because President Lincoln was shot in Washington, D.C., and my dad also rooted for the Washington Redskins, especially when they played Dallas. I guess we'll never know what drove my dad's hatred of the Cowboys, but whatever it was, I'm sure it wasn't something rational.
My daughter, Abby went to college in Boston. I borrowed a van to haul her belongings when she moved into her first dorm room. The van's owner was a die-hard New York Yankee fan, and attached to one of the van windows was a Yankee sticker with half of a foam baseball attached. While I was moving my daughter's belongings into her room in the heart of Red Sox country, a die-hard Yankee hater vandalized the van and ripped the sticker off the window. I know it sounds trite, but some force of ill-will motivated that act of vandalism, and I call that hate.
In November of 1998, I attended a Monday night football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. The game was held in Philadelphia, but it wasn't what you'd call a pleasant evening for Eagle fans. The Cowboys shellacked the Eagles, 34-0, but what really stands out in my memory of that game is the verbal and physical abuse one particular Dallas Cowboy fan was subjected to by the sea of screaming Eagles fans that surrounded her. As bad as it was to watch the Eagles play that evening, it was ten times worse to have to listen to the constant stream of deleted expletives that fans were screaming in her direction. At one point during the contest, so much popcorn, peanuts and other trash was being thrown at the woman that scores of stadium security personnel had to intercede to prevent a full-blown riot. It was downright ugly! Since that night, I've heard many sportscasters comment that Eagles fans are the most hostile of any fan base in the NFL, but none of those commentators ever offered an explanation as to where that hostility originated. That's what I want to know? Where does the hatred come from?
One inquiring mind wants to know!
My dad hated the Dallas Cowboys. He hated them with a passion, like the Jews hated Hitler, but at least the Jews had good reason for doing so. The same could not be said about my dad. He claimed he hated the Cowboys because they played on the Sunday following President Kennedy's assassination, but that assertion was pure nonsense because the entire National Football League played games that Sunday, including his beloved team, the Baltimore Colts. He could have said he hated the Cowboys because Dallas is where President Kennedy was shot, but that wouldn't have been a rational explanation, because President Lincoln was shot in Washington, D.C., and my dad also rooted for the Washington Redskins, especially when they played Dallas. I guess we'll never know what drove my dad's hatred of the Cowboys, but whatever it was, I'm sure it wasn't something rational.
My daughter, Abby went to college in Boston. I borrowed a van to haul her belongings when she moved into her first dorm room. The van's owner was a die-hard New York Yankee fan, and attached to one of the van windows was a Yankee sticker with half of a foam baseball attached. While I was moving my daughter's belongings into her room in the heart of Red Sox country, a die-hard Yankee hater vandalized the van and ripped the sticker off the window. I know it sounds trite, but some force of ill-will motivated that act of vandalism, and I call that hate.
In November of 1998, I attended a Monday night football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. The game was held in Philadelphia, but it wasn't what you'd call a pleasant evening for Eagle fans. The Cowboys shellacked the Eagles, 34-0, but what really stands out in my memory of that game is the verbal and physical abuse one particular Dallas Cowboy fan was subjected to by the sea of screaming Eagles fans that surrounded her. As bad as it was to watch the Eagles play that evening, it was ten times worse to have to listen to the constant stream of deleted expletives that fans were screaming in her direction. At one point during the contest, so much popcorn, peanuts and other trash was being thrown at the woman that scores of stadium security personnel had to intercede to prevent a full-blown riot. It was downright ugly! Since that night, I've heard many sportscasters comment that Eagles fans are the most hostile of any fan base in the NFL, but none of those commentators ever offered an explanation as to where that hostility originated. That's what I want to know? Where does the hatred come from?
One inquiring mind wants to know!
Friday, February 8, 2013
ESCAPE FROM WESTBORO
America's most hate-driven cult, the Westboro Baptists Church in Kansas is back in the news again. This time, it's because the granddaughter of Westboro's leader, Fred Phelps, Sr. came out publicly and declared that she ran away from the church four years ago and has been shunned by her church family ever since. You'll recall that the Westboro Baptists have been picketing military funerals for years now, waving their "God hates fags" and "God hates crippled soldiers" posters in a vicious attempt to rub salt into the wounds of grieving military families.
Westboro Baptist is a disgusting group of hate mongers who wouldn't know the Word of God if the Almighty appeared and spoke to them directly, but here in America we cherish our freedom of speech and freedom of religion, so putting up with the Westboro clowns, as loathsome as they are, is a price we all have to pay.
Libby Phelps Alvarez, the granddaughter of Phelps who escaped the evil cult, related in an appearance on the "Today" show that Westboro church members frequently prayed for people to die. Talk about sick!
I feel sorry that Ms. Alvarez is suffering from her inability to have any contact with her former family, but I'm happy she's free to lead a life of her own choosing. In the end, she'll be better off because of it.
Westboro Baptist is a disgusting group of hate mongers who wouldn't know the Word of God if the Almighty appeared and spoke to them directly, but here in America we cherish our freedom of speech and freedom of religion, so putting up with the Westboro clowns, as loathsome as they are, is a price we all have to pay.
Libby Phelps Alvarez, the granddaughter of Phelps who escaped the evil cult, related in an appearance on the "Today" show that Westboro church members frequently prayed for people to die. Talk about sick!
I feel sorry that Ms. Alvarez is suffering from her inability to have any contact with her former family, but I'm happy she's free to lead a life of her own choosing. In the end, she'll be better off because of it.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
WHO DECIDES WHEN VIOLENCE AGAINST GOVERNMENT BECOMES JUSTIFABLE?
Who decides when a government has become so tyrannical that it's okay to rise up with firearms to overthrow it? How do we distinguish between gun-toting wing-nuts and pistol-packing patriots?
I raise those questions because, as I type these words, there's an ex-cop, ex-Navy reservist (Christopher Dorner) running around southern California with an arsenal of weapons shooting at cops. He's already killed one, wounded others and killed two innocent bystanders. Dorner feels that the government of Los Angeles is tyrannical and has exercised its power in an arbitrary and despotic manner by firing him from the police force. So Dorner intends to fight back…by killing cops.
Make no mistake; what Dorner has done is despicable. I think it's indefensible too, but there's a sizable crowd of anti-government sympathizers in this country who are pumping their shotguns in a show of solidarity. They're praying that a military uprising is just around the corner. If you think I'm wrong, check out what the militia websites are saying about Dorner's rampage. The stuff ain't pretty, and it's definitely not pro-government.
The N.R.A. and gun control opponents justify their stance on firearms by stating that individuals need firearms in case it becomes necessary to overthrow our government. Okay, I understand that argument, but that doesn't answer the practical question I posed at the beginning of this post. Who decides when the individuals who run our government have become so tyrannical that the second Amendment justifies using firearms against them?
I've posed that question to several gun owners, and all of them essentially gave the same answer: it's up to the individual to decide.
That sounds like a great answer, until you recognize that Christopher Dorner believes that he's justified in bearing arms against a government he considers tyrannical. If you follow the prevailing government overthrow argument, you'd have to conclude that Dorner's actions were justified by his honest (albeit deranged) belief that the government is tyrannical. That's not a conclusion a gun-control advocate like me would reach, but it's the logical conclusion to the government overthrow argument advanced by the N.R.A. and its gun-toting followers.
I don't know about you, but the whole question makes me nervous, especially when the folks on the other side of the argument are armed to the teeth and feel entitled to decide for his or her self when government is being tyrannical and when it's not!
I raise those questions because, as I type these words, there's an ex-cop, ex-Navy reservist (Christopher Dorner) running around southern California with an arsenal of weapons shooting at cops. He's already killed one, wounded others and killed two innocent bystanders. Dorner feels that the government of Los Angeles is tyrannical and has exercised its power in an arbitrary and despotic manner by firing him from the police force. So Dorner intends to fight back…by killing cops.
Make no mistake; what Dorner has done is despicable. I think it's indefensible too, but there's a sizable crowd of anti-government sympathizers in this country who are pumping their shotguns in a show of solidarity. They're praying that a military uprising is just around the corner. If you think I'm wrong, check out what the militia websites are saying about Dorner's rampage. The stuff ain't pretty, and it's definitely not pro-government.
The N.R.A. and gun control opponents justify their stance on firearms by stating that individuals need firearms in case it becomes necessary to overthrow our government. Okay, I understand that argument, but that doesn't answer the practical question I posed at the beginning of this post. Who decides when the individuals who run our government have become so tyrannical that the second Amendment justifies using firearms against them?
I've posed that question to several gun owners, and all of them essentially gave the same answer: it's up to the individual to decide.
That sounds like a great answer, until you recognize that Christopher Dorner believes that he's justified in bearing arms against a government he considers tyrannical. If you follow the prevailing government overthrow argument, you'd have to conclude that Dorner's actions were justified by his honest (albeit deranged) belief that the government is tyrannical. That's not a conclusion a gun-control advocate like me would reach, but it's the logical conclusion to the government overthrow argument advanced by the N.R.A. and its gun-toting followers.
I don't know about you, but the whole question makes me nervous, especially when the folks on the other side of the argument are armed to the teeth and feel entitled to decide for his or her self when government is being tyrannical and when it's not!
R.I.P. "Fe"
Iron is the twenty-sixth element on the Periodic Table of Elements. Its chemical symbol is "Fe". Iron is a naturally occurring solid element, except that under pressure and extreme heat, it also exists in a molten liquid state. The Earth's core, for example, is a sphere of molten iron with a diameter of approximately 760 miles and a temperature of 7,800 degrees Fahrenheit. That iron core is responsible for the electromagnetic waves that encircle our Earth and helps protect Earth's inhabitants from the sun's deadly radiation. Without iron on Earth, life as we know it would simply cease to exist.
I mention those factoids because Hasbro, owner of the popular board game Monopoly ®, just announced that the iron, a token that's been around since the 1930's has been voted off the game board. Monopoly's® iron token is being replaced by a cat. Hasbro allowed the public to vote on which game piece would get the "heave-ho" and which new token would take its place. The cat won. The iron lost, fair and square.
I have no beef with how the voting took place. My beef is with all who voted against the iron. Don't they realize how critical iron is to continued human existence here on Earth? I guess not; but they'd better not complain to me when solar radiation rains down and people start dropping over like shriveled-up flies. I didn't invite Armageddon by voting to ditch the iron.
In fact, the iron was my favorite Monopoly ® game token. It's always been the least flashy token of the lot, and that characteristic meant that the iron had an innate quality missing in its more flamboyant counterparts – invisibility. You see, when my iron slid across a Monopoly ® board and had the unfortunate stroke of luck in landing on Boardwalk or Park Place with hotels on both properties, and those properties were owned by one of my opponents, the iron's invisibility was the only thing that stood between me and bankruptcy. That iron got me through a number of pretty tight spots over the years, and I certainly appreciated its worth. Apparently, that's more than can be said about the folks who chucked it out in favor of a silly kitten.
I hope they all go directly to jail…and don't collect $200 in the process.
I mention those factoids because Hasbro, owner of the popular board game Monopoly ®, just announced that the iron, a token that's been around since the 1930's has been voted off the game board. Monopoly's® iron token is being replaced by a cat. Hasbro allowed the public to vote on which game piece would get the "heave-ho" and which new token would take its place. The cat won. The iron lost, fair and square.
I have no beef with how the voting took place. My beef is with all who voted against the iron. Don't they realize how critical iron is to continued human existence here on Earth? I guess not; but they'd better not complain to me when solar radiation rains down and people start dropping over like shriveled-up flies. I didn't invite Armageddon by voting to ditch the iron.
In fact, the iron was my favorite Monopoly ® game token. It's always been the least flashy token of the lot, and that characteristic meant that the iron had an innate quality missing in its more flamboyant counterparts – invisibility. You see, when my iron slid across a Monopoly ® board and had the unfortunate stroke of luck in landing on Boardwalk or Park Place with hotels on both properties, and those properties were owned by one of my opponents, the iron's invisibility was the only thing that stood between me and bankruptcy. That iron got me through a number of pretty tight spots over the years, and I certainly appreciated its worth. Apparently, that's more than can be said about the folks who chucked it out in favor of a silly kitten.
I hope they all go directly to jail…and don't collect $200 in the process.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE
Chris Kyle was a former Navy Seal, a trained sniper with a much-heralded track record among those in the Pentagon who keep track of such things. He was also an accomplished author, penning "American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History", a book that made its way to the New York Times best-seller list. Chris Kyle took his civic duty seriously, and towards that end began the FITCO Cares Foundation, a foundation dedicated to helping combat veterans re-assimilate into civilian life following their tours of duty overseas. He knew what it was like to deal with post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), a product of his own tours in Iraq. He recognized the difficulties many of his fellow veterans faced as they tried to adjust to their old lives back home. Chris Kyle was not just a hero in the field. He was a hero at home too.
In an ironic twist of fate, Chris was killed yesterday at a Texas shooting range, along with another man, Chad Littlefield, by a veteran with a troubled history of mental illness; the very kind of vet Chris dedicated his life to helping. This story is not about guns. It's not about mental illness either. It's about an American public who all too often fails to recognize that the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform are not always confined to the field of battle. Many of those sacrifices are made here at home, and all too often end in bloodshed.
Three hundred and forty-nine soldiers in the military committed suicide last year, a figure that continues a growing trend among active-duty servicemen and women. When the number of retired service personnel who committed suicide is added to that figure, the picture becomes even more alarming. Service personnel need America's help and the first step in providing that help is a collective commitment on the part of all Americans to do whatever it takes, to pay whatever it costs, to provide whatever is needed to return our vets to a healthy state of body and mind.
Our soldiers made their sacrifices. It's time we make ours!
In an ironic twist of fate, Chris was killed yesterday at a Texas shooting range, along with another man, Chad Littlefield, by a veteran with a troubled history of mental illness; the very kind of vet Chris dedicated his life to helping. This story is not about guns. It's not about mental illness either. It's about an American public who all too often fails to recognize that the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform are not always confined to the field of battle. Many of those sacrifices are made here at home, and all too often end in bloodshed.
Three hundred and forty-nine soldiers in the military committed suicide last year, a figure that continues a growing trend among active-duty servicemen and women. When the number of retired service personnel who committed suicide is added to that figure, the picture becomes even more alarming. Service personnel need America's help and the first step in providing that help is a collective commitment on the part of all Americans to do whatever it takes, to pay whatever it costs, to provide whatever is needed to return our vets to a healthy state of body and mind.
Our soldiers made their sacrifices. It's time we make ours!
Friday, February 1, 2013
LOOK OUT WARREN AND BILL. HERE I COME!
Today I feel like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, two of the richest men in the world. No, I didn't win the Powerball jackpot, but I can honestly say I've finally reached a financial milestone that only men like Buffett and Gates can boast of achieving. The milestone is this: I have more money in the bank than one particular country has! That's right. The bottom line of my checking account is greater than the checking account of the government of Zimbabwe. As of this past Tuesday, Zimbabwe had $217 on deposit. My account had a few dollars more.
Don't expect me to open my coffers anytime soon, or think that my new-found financial status will alter the way I approach monetary decisions, but know this: I'll expect Forbes to list my name above Zimbabwe's name on its wealthiest depositors list, and my appearance fee to speak at a financial seminar is now $50,000 per appearance, plus expenses. If I'm going to be a financial mogul, I'll have to start acting like one.
Don't expect me to open my coffers anytime soon, or think that my new-found financial status will alter the way I approach monetary decisions, but know this: I'll expect Forbes to list my name above Zimbabwe's name on its wealthiest depositors list, and my appearance fee to speak at a financial seminar is now $50,000 per appearance, plus expenses. If I'm going to be a financial mogul, I'll have to start acting like one.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
SADNESS FACING THE END
During the last few years of my Grandpa Z's life, he became somewhat obsessed with finding a way to lose weight as his doctor had suggested, without having to diet, exercise or give up the vices he enjoyed most – booze and smoking his pipe. He constantly searched the classified ads in the back of his favorite magazines for companies that promised instant weight loss in a pill, and the top of the chest-style freezer that sat in my grandparent's kitchen became littered with the various products he purchased in a futile attempt to ward off the cessation of his life.
Whenever a new package of pills would arrive in the mail, my grandmother would complain to me about the folly of my grandfather's purchases, as if I held some mystical sway over his line of thinking, but I never heard her criticized my grandfather to his face about the pills. In fact, she was the one who routinely set the latest pill-of-the-week on my grandfather's breakfast plate each morning. She knew the pills were useless, but I suppose she figured there was nothing to be gained by fussing over an old man's folly, so she threw up her hands and went along for the ride.
I remember feeling sad watching my grandfather taking the pills that I knew could never deliver as promised, but that sadness was not born from the knowledge that my grandfather had been taken by snake oil salesmen. It came from the recognition that my grandfather was facing the stark reality of nearing the end of his mortal life. He'd led a long and productive one, but he was frightened by the prospect of having to let it go.
The sports world has been abuzz over the past few weeks over reports of pro athletes using performance enhancing substances banned by their respective sports. According to allegations published in an article in Sport's Illustrated, Baltimore Raven's star linebacker, Ray Lewis supposedly used "deer antler spray," a banned performance enhancing substance, to aid in his recovery from a torn triceps injury. Lewis, whose football career will end this Sunday after the Super Bowl in New Orleans, vehemently denied the allegation. Some time ago, aging pro golfer, Vijay Singh admitted using the substance. So did New Zealand golfing pro, Bob Charles, though both Charles and Singh indicated that they did not know the substance was banned. Meanwhile, aging slugger Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees has been named by the Miami New Times as one of many professional athletes who recently received HGH, a performance enhancing steroid banned by baseball, from a Miami clinic. Rodriguez, who is also nearing the end of his professional baseball career, denied the allegations too. And then there was the Lance Armstrong fiasco; need I say more!
Although I understand why folks are irate at professional athletes who seek out ways to cheat their respective sports by using performance enhancing substances, I find myself more saddened than anything when I read about their alleged doping activities. I've seen grown men, who like my grandfather face the end of their days and are frightened by the prospect. I know it's hard for professional athletes to let go, to recognize their own physical decline, to climb down from their public pedestal and acknowledge that the sport they knew and loved had left them in its wake. I know these athletes made millions playing a simple game and basking in the afterglow of public adoration, but at the end of the day when one is left with only his own thoughts for company, fear of the end is no less frightening than it was for my grandfather. It made me sad back in my grandfather's time, and it still does today.
Whenever a new package of pills would arrive in the mail, my grandmother would complain to me about the folly of my grandfather's purchases, as if I held some mystical sway over his line of thinking, but I never heard her criticized my grandfather to his face about the pills. In fact, she was the one who routinely set the latest pill-of-the-week on my grandfather's breakfast plate each morning. She knew the pills were useless, but I suppose she figured there was nothing to be gained by fussing over an old man's folly, so she threw up her hands and went along for the ride.
I remember feeling sad watching my grandfather taking the pills that I knew could never deliver as promised, but that sadness was not born from the knowledge that my grandfather had been taken by snake oil salesmen. It came from the recognition that my grandfather was facing the stark reality of nearing the end of his mortal life. He'd led a long and productive one, but he was frightened by the prospect of having to let it go.
The sports world has been abuzz over the past few weeks over reports of pro athletes using performance enhancing substances banned by their respective sports. According to allegations published in an article in Sport's Illustrated, Baltimore Raven's star linebacker, Ray Lewis supposedly used "deer antler spray," a banned performance enhancing substance, to aid in his recovery from a torn triceps injury. Lewis, whose football career will end this Sunday after the Super Bowl in New Orleans, vehemently denied the allegation. Some time ago, aging pro golfer, Vijay Singh admitted using the substance. So did New Zealand golfing pro, Bob Charles, though both Charles and Singh indicated that they did not know the substance was banned. Meanwhile, aging slugger Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees has been named by the Miami New Times as one of many professional athletes who recently received HGH, a performance enhancing steroid banned by baseball, from a Miami clinic. Rodriguez, who is also nearing the end of his professional baseball career, denied the allegations too. And then there was the Lance Armstrong fiasco; need I say more!
Although I understand why folks are irate at professional athletes who seek out ways to cheat their respective sports by using performance enhancing substances, I find myself more saddened than anything when I read about their alleged doping activities. I've seen grown men, who like my grandfather face the end of their days and are frightened by the prospect. I know it's hard for professional athletes to let go, to recognize their own physical decline, to climb down from their public pedestal and acknowledge that the sport they knew and loved had left them in its wake. I know these athletes made millions playing a simple game and basking in the afterglow of public adoration, but at the end of the day when one is left with only his own thoughts for company, fear of the end is no less frightening than it was for my grandfather. It made me sad back in my grandfather's time, and it still does today.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER KID GETS GUNNED-DOWN
You've probably heard by now that a teenaged student from Chicago was shot to death on Tuesday afternoon as she was chatting with a group of friends in a Chicago Park. The young lady, Hadiya Pendleton was an innocent bystander, but her innocence did nothing to protect her from the lethal firearm used to snuff out her life.
Meanwhile, earlier today, former Arizona Congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, a gunshot victim herself, testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and implored the Senators hearing her testimony to take action to quell the rising tide of gun violence in America. Ironically, as Giffords testified pro-gun activists heckled and ridiculed her from the committee hearing room gallery.
It's a sad day when the right to unfettered gun ownership trumps that right to life of an innocent teenaged girl from Chicago, but that's the price gun owners all across America demand that the rest of Americans pay. You'd think they'd at least say thanks; but alas, they're too busy shooting off their mouths and their guns.
Meanwhile, earlier today, former Arizona Congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, a gunshot victim herself, testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and implored the Senators hearing her testimony to take action to quell the rising tide of gun violence in America. Ironically, as Giffords testified pro-gun activists heckled and ridiculed her from the committee hearing room gallery.
It's a sad day when the right to unfettered gun ownership trumps that right to life of an innocent teenaged girl from Chicago, but that's the price gun owners all across America demand that the rest of Americans pay. You'd think they'd at least say thanks; but alas, they're too busy shooting off their mouths and their guns.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
BASHAR THE BUTCHER CONTINUES TO SHED BLOOD
Residents in the Syrian city of Aleppo woke up today to the grim discovery of scores of human corpses dumped in a nearby canal controlled by government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar a-Assad. The corpses of men, mostly in their 20's and 30's, littered the canal, and by local accounts in the aftermath of the massacre, bore bullet wounds consistent with summary executions. Mass executions are nothing new from the regime of Bashar the Butcher, who has already killed over sixty thousand Syrian citizens in an attempt to squash the massive uprising against him, but Bashar's brutality appears to get more and more depraved as days go by. We can only pray for a speedy end to the bloodshed and hope that the Syrian President's days are numbered too. If not, sooner or later, there won't be any Syrian citizens left.
AHMADINEJAD IN ORBIT
BREAKING NEWS: Yesterday, officials in Iran announced that their country was successful in sending a monkey into space. While the pictures released with the announcement showed a small monkey strapped inside a space capsule, those in the know behind the scenes revealed that the rocket's actual payload monkey was none other than Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Iranian President had planned to appear live and triumphant on television upon his return to earth, but that plan had to be cancelled when scientists opening the space capsule found that Ahmadinejad had pissed in his pants and barfed all over the inside of the cockpit.
MORE PROTESTS IN EGYPT
Egyptians flipped their fingers, so to speak at dictator, Mohamed Morsi's curfew and martial law edicts and took to the streets en masse once again to protest the dictator's most recent crackdown. Crowds of protestors in Cairo and Alexandria joined in the struggle demanding Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood's ouster. The leader of the Egyptian military, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned that the state of Egypt could collapse if a political solution was not soon reached, but Morsi remains defiant and the crowds of protestors grow each day. You have to root for those Egyptians who are refusing to submit to yet another corrupt and oppressive regime, and it's heartening to see a people so dedicated to retaining liberty and tolerance. Many here in the United States could learn a thing of two about those subjects.
A POLITICIAN IN NEED OF A LABOTOMY
The other day former Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi managed to confirm what many Europeans suspected – Berlusconi is in need of a frontal lobotomy. The evidence was Berlusconi's praise of World War II Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini and Mussolini's decision to side with Germany's Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.
Berlusconi is currently in the midst of a political come-back effort, despite having been convicted of tax fraud last year. How far his current campaign goes is anybody's guess.
You wouldn't think that backing Hitler, the murderer of over six million Jews would be a popular way to garner political support among Italian voters in this day and age, but apparently there's a sizeable anti-Semitic crowd in Italy and Berlusconi is perfectly willing to stoke that fire if it gains him votes. Of course, when you have the kind of money Berlusconi has, you can pretty much stoke any fire you want. That doesn't make him wealthier, but it does shows how stupid he is.
Berlusconi is currently in the midst of a political come-back effort, despite having been convicted of tax fraud last year. How far his current campaign goes is anybody's guess.
You wouldn't think that backing Hitler, the murderer of over six million Jews would be a popular way to garner political support among Italian voters in this day and age, but apparently there's a sizeable anti-Semitic crowd in Italy and Berlusconi is perfectly willing to stoke that fire if it gains him votes. Of course, when you have the kind of money Berlusconi has, you can pretty much stoke any fire you want. That doesn't make him wealthier, but it does shows how stupid he is.
BOY SCOUTS TO EMBRACE THE RAINBOW?
The big buzz in the scouting world is that Boy Scouts of America, the umbrella group for all boy scouts, is considering dropping the scout's ban on gay members and leaders. If the scouts do take that action, a grave injustice will finally be rectified. It's been long overdue.
PALIN AND FOX DIVORCE
By now you must have heard that Sarah Palin, the former Veep candidate and first mamma grizzly of Alaska and Fox news, America's premier G.O.P. propaganda machine, have parted ways. Both parties called the divorce amicable, but I'm skeptical because Sarah Palin never says good-bye without shooting somebody in the back. Eventually, the real reason for the split will be leaked, though probably not to this blogger, but I'm betting that Palin wanted significantly more air time than Fox was willing to provide. Green Acres and Leave it to Beaver reruns probably brought in more advertising dollars than Palin did for the Fox network, so it's not surprising that Fox would want to jettison Palin, despite the foxy mamma's appeal to the redneck crowd.
Monday, January 28, 2013
INVESTING IN FIREARMS *
I normally don't give out unsolicited investment advice, mostly because the last time I did so the stock I suggested tanked shortly thereafter. Yeah, that was embarrassing, but thankfully none of my friends took my advice, so the only one I know who lost any money was me. Since then, I've been pretty good at keeping my mouth shut when it comes to doling out financial advice…until now!
Here's my latest investing tip: Invest in gun manufacturers and sporting goods companies that sell guns.
Now, I make no secret about being a staunch supporter of gun regulations, and I realize that my investment advice runs counter to my gun control beliefs, but investment advice is all about making money and right now there's plenty of money to be made with guns. Take Olin Corporation, for example. Olin Corp. is the parent company of Winchester Rifle. Since the tanking of the U.S. economy in 2008, Olin Corp. stock has slowly notched its way upward, while many other corporate stocks took a dive and stayed in the basement. Olin's most recent dividend paid a yield of 3.4%, not bad when you consider that most bank CD rates are at 1% or less. Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation stock did even better. When the market tanked in late 2008, its stock dove to under $2 dollars per share. Now, it's above nine dollars per share, a 400% increase over four years. What gives?
Well, despite the gripes and groans denouncing gun control efforts that gun manufacturers put out in the media on a daily basis, liberals talking about guns and mass killings involving guns are good for business; the gun business, that is. Sales of firearms spike whenever a liberal in power mentions firearms, or some wing-nut with a weapon mows down a bunch of innocent people. I know. It doesn't make sense. Firearms are the only product on the market where word that the product killed a bunch of people actually increases the product's sales volume.
That's why, given the prevalence of gun violence in America, it's probably a safe bet to invest in guns.
* Disclaimer: I'm not really advocating investing in guns. At least I don't think so.
Here's my latest investing tip: Invest in gun manufacturers and sporting goods companies that sell guns.
Now, I make no secret about being a staunch supporter of gun regulations, and I realize that my investment advice runs counter to my gun control beliefs, but investment advice is all about making money and right now there's plenty of money to be made with guns. Take Olin Corporation, for example. Olin Corp. is the parent company of Winchester Rifle. Since the tanking of the U.S. economy in 2008, Olin Corp. stock has slowly notched its way upward, while many other corporate stocks took a dive and stayed in the basement. Olin's most recent dividend paid a yield of 3.4%, not bad when you consider that most bank CD rates are at 1% or less. Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation stock did even better. When the market tanked in late 2008, its stock dove to under $2 dollars per share. Now, it's above nine dollars per share, a 400% increase over four years. What gives?
Well, despite the gripes and groans denouncing gun control efforts that gun manufacturers put out in the media on a daily basis, liberals talking about guns and mass killings involving guns are good for business; the gun business, that is. Sales of firearms spike whenever a liberal in power mentions firearms, or some wing-nut with a weapon mows down a bunch of innocent people. I know. It doesn't make sense. Firearms are the only product on the market where word that the product killed a bunch of people actually increases the product's sales volume.
That's why, given the prevalence of gun violence in America, it's probably a safe bet to invest in guns.
* Disclaimer: I'm not really advocating investing in guns. At least I don't think so.
MORSI UPDATE
Taking another queue from the Dictator's Bible, Egyptian strongman Mohamed Morsi declared a month-long state of emergency yesterday. The degree covered three separate cities (Suez, Port Said & Ismailia) in Egypt and banned citizens from taking to the streets in those cities after nine o'clock in the evening. Presumably, violators will be shot because Morsi issued a warning that those who challenge his order will be dealt with as harshly as possible.
Thousands of people in Port Said took to the streets yesterday to participate in the funerals of thirty people who were killed by police and the Egyptian military in that city during two days of protests last week. Morsi did not react favorably to the mass demonstrations that followed and ordered the police to disburse the parading mourners. The police in Port Said moved in and killed seven protestors and disburse thousands more with tear gas. The order imposing a declaration of emergency followed immediately.
Egyptians have seen this kind of reaction to protests before, and I doubt they will stand for Morsi's actions now that they see him for what he is – just another brutal dictator. The people of Egypt were victorious in their efforts to bring down former dictator, Hosni Mubarak, and they know their strength lies in numbers. My guess is that Morsi's days are numbered.
Thousands of people in Port Said took to the streets yesterday to participate in the funerals of thirty people who were killed by police and the Egyptian military in that city during two days of protests last week. Morsi did not react favorably to the mass demonstrations that followed and ordered the police to disburse the parading mourners. The police in Port Said moved in and killed seven protestors and disburse thousands more with tear gas. The order imposing a declaration of emergency followed immediately.
Egyptians have seen this kind of reaction to protests before, and I doubt they will stand for Morsi's actions now that they see him for what he is – just another brutal dictator. The people of Egypt were victorious in their efforts to bring down former dictator, Hosni Mubarak, and they know their strength lies in numbers. My guess is that Morsi's days are numbered.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
MOVIES TO LIVE BY
Over the years, I've been moved by a number of movies I've seen and I frequently find myself pondering the message that each movie contained and how that message applied to my own life. I never tire of watching any of them. You probably have your own list somewhere in your head, but I thought I'd share mine.
Oh, God! (1977)
Out of Africa (1985)
Dances With Wolves (1990)
Regarding Henry (1991)
Philadelphia (1993)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
The Spitfire Grill (1996)
Simon Birch (1998)
What Dreams May Come (1998)
Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)
Amazing Grace (2006)
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
Oh, God! (1977)
Out of Africa (1985)
Dances With Wolves (1990)
Regarding Henry (1991)
Philadelphia (1993)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
The Spitfire Grill (1996)
Simon Birch (1998)
What Dreams May Come (1998)
Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)
Amazing Grace (2006)
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Mubarak to Morsi - Just Another Dictator
Mohamed Morsi, the current President of Egypt and leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in that country has turned out to be a Hosni Mubarak clone, albeit one with a different group of iron-fisted supporters, and Egyptians have quickly come to realize that their initial flirtation with democracy resulted in a simple substitution of dictators. While Morsi has used his presidential position to insert himself on the stage of world diplomacy, his Muslim Brotherhood supporters have used their parliamentary power to impose strict religious law on Egyptian society, a society with a long tradition of social secularism and religious tolerance. Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood have both ignored the bread and butter issues (unemployment, civil services, food access and deteriorating infrastructures) that middle and working class Egyptians are most concerned about, and the growing frustration among the populace has triggered another wave of widespread demonstration across the country.
Tens of thousands of angry Egyptians have taken to the streets in that nation's largest cities this past week, the two-year anniversary of the public protests that led to the end of Mubarak's dictatorship. The marchers have demanded that Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood step down from their positions of power and leave Egypt, the same demands that protestors made of Mubarak two years ago, and the Morsi-led Muslim Brotherhood regime has responded with the same dictatorial show of force that Mubarak employed. It has labeled the protestors as rioters and criminal enemies of Egypt and deployed soldiers and police to disburse the crowds with tear gas and bullets.
If Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood thought they would remake Egypt into a theocracy like Iran, they're sorely mistaken, because despite living under decades of Mubarak's dictatorial regime, Egyptians have come to appreciate living in a society that is not governed by religious extremism. It's not that Egyptians are not a religious people. In fact, they are very religious. They have, however, come to appreciate that religious dictators are just as corrupt as secular ones, and they want no part of either type.
I'm rooting for those Egyptians protesting in the streets. They want a better life for all of their brothers and sisters. They want a life free from dictatorial oppression and religious intolerance. They want to be free to live life on their own terms. I wish them well!
Tens of thousands of angry Egyptians have taken to the streets in that nation's largest cities this past week, the two-year anniversary of the public protests that led to the end of Mubarak's dictatorship. The marchers have demanded that Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood step down from their positions of power and leave Egypt, the same demands that protestors made of Mubarak two years ago, and the Morsi-led Muslim Brotherhood regime has responded with the same dictatorial show of force that Mubarak employed. It has labeled the protestors as rioters and criminal enemies of Egypt and deployed soldiers and police to disburse the crowds with tear gas and bullets.
If Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood thought they would remake Egypt into a theocracy like Iran, they're sorely mistaken, because despite living under decades of Mubarak's dictatorial regime, Egyptians have come to appreciate living in a society that is not governed by religious extremism. It's not that Egyptians are not a religious people. In fact, they are very religious. They have, however, come to appreciate that religious dictators are just as corrupt as secular ones, and they want no part of either type.
I'm rooting for those Egyptians protesting in the streets. They want a better life for all of their brothers and sisters. They want a life free from dictatorial oppression and religious intolerance. They want to be free to live life on their own terms. I wish them well!
Friday, January 25, 2013
A PLUG FOR MICRO-LENDING
I'm putting a plug in for micro-lending this afternoon. It's one thing we can do to improve mankind and the plight of the less fortunate among us.
KIVA.org is just one of a host of micro-lending organizations that connect individuals willing to lend money with individuals and groups in underdeveloped (and some developed ones) countries who would otherwise have no access to lenders willing to finance efforts to improve their lives. To participate as a KIVA lender, a person must be willing to lend $25 or more. Lenders chose from among hundreds of borrowers seeking loans and donate $3.75 per loan to KIVA to cover KIVA's operating costs. For more information on KIVA's micro-lending program, visit www.KIVA.org.
To join my lending group, visit www.KIVA.org/invitedby/steven1170
Actually, my "lending group" is a misnomer, since I'm the only member, but I remain hopeful.
There is one factoid that I'd like to pass along. The highest lending team, lending $9,833,150 dollars to date is the "Atheists, Agnostic & Skeptics" team. "KIVA Christians" rank second with a total lifetime lending amount of $6,184,550. Let's go Christians. Getting beat by the atheists in the charity department is embarrassing!
KIVA.org is just one of a host of micro-lending organizations that connect individuals willing to lend money with individuals and groups in underdeveloped (and some developed ones) countries who would otherwise have no access to lenders willing to finance efforts to improve their lives. To participate as a KIVA lender, a person must be willing to lend $25 or more. Lenders chose from among hundreds of borrowers seeking loans and donate $3.75 per loan to KIVA to cover KIVA's operating costs. For more information on KIVA's micro-lending program, visit www.KIVA.org.
To join my lending group, visit www.KIVA.org/invitedby/steven1170
Actually, my "lending group" is a misnomer, since I'm the only member, but I remain hopeful.
There is one factoid that I'd like to pass along. The highest lending team, lending $9,833,150 dollars to date is the "Atheists, Agnostic & Skeptics" team. "KIVA Christians" rank second with a total lifetime lending amount of $6,184,550. Let's go Christians. Getting beat by the atheists in the charity department is embarrassing!
TWEETING THE POPE
Here's a tid-bit for all you Twitter fans out there. According to the Vatican, the Pope is a big-time tweeter. Between audiences with foreign dignitaries, praying for his wayward pedophile priests and trying to keep a lid on the ongoing Vatican banking scandal, the Holy Father likes to keep in touch with his followers using nine separate Twitter accounts. I'm not sure why the Pope needs that many accounts, seeing as he only has two hands and a limited amount of time to devote to tweeting, but I guess that's one of the perks that comes with being a Pope.
NORTH KOREANS NEED THESAURUS
North Koreans have an affinity for using flowery language to describe their most fearless and wisest leader…that would currently be Kim Jong Un, or so they claim, but I'm of the opinion that what North Koreans sorely need the most, other than food, clothing, heating oil, medicine and habitable shelters, are proper up-to-date Korean thesauruses. It's got to be maddening to constantly have to search for new and different ways to heap verbal accolades upon their new young leader, especially on an empty stomach when the temperature outside is ten below and nobody within ten miles owns a proper coat. That's exactly where a thesaurus would come in handy.
I realize that Kim Jong Un would rather pump what little money North Korea has into building nuclear bombs and missiles capable of hitting the United States, but who would be around to sing his praises if the North sent two or three nuclear missiles our way and we respond in kind with two or three hundred of our own? Probably not too many, which is why I'm kind of focused on this whole thesaurus idea. If North Koreans had a proper thesaurus, they could keep Kim Jong Un basking in the afterglow of continuous verbal adoration, and maybe then he wouldn't feel the need to start a war with nuclear fireworks.
I realize that Kim Jong Un would rather pump what little money North Korea has into building nuclear bombs and missiles capable of hitting the United States, but who would be around to sing his praises if the North sent two or three nuclear missiles our way and we respond in kind with two or three hundred of our own? Probably not too many, which is why I'm kind of focused on this whole thesaurus idea. If North Koreans had a proper thesaurus, they could keep Kim Jong Un basking in the afterglow of continuous verbal adoration, and maybe then he wouldn't feel the need to start a war with nuclear fireworks.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
CONGRESSIONAL PAY PLOY NOTHING BUT POLITICAL THEATER
The Republican's latest approach to the debt ceiling sounds like a sensible first step in trying to get the government's financial house in order, but when the details are examined, it's patently clear that the Grand Old Party's latest scheme is nothing more than smoke and mirrors. The proposal I'm referring to grants the federal government a three-month extension on the government's debt limit, but ties Congressional pay to the passing of a federal budget. There are two very good reasons why this proposal won't work: (1) it is unconstitutional, and (2) at least half the members of Congress wouldn't miss a paycheck.
Article I, Section 6, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution of the United States directs that "Senators and Representatives shall receive a compensation for their services…" That means the members of Congress are entitled to be paid for their work, regardless of whether legislation is enacted or not, and any law passed to deny Congressional compensation runs afoul of the expressed wording of our federal Constitution. Denying members of Congress compensation might be a feel-good proposition for taxpayers, but it's just as unconstitutional as, let's say, banning handguns.
Moreover, it's highly unlikely that many members of Congress would miss their paycheck. The Center for Responsive Politics examined the financial disclosure statements of all members of Congress and found that almost half were millionaires. Two-thirds of the Senate fit in that category. The Center reported that the average net worth of all Senators was $2.63 million dollars in 2011, whereas the average American household income during that same year was about $50,000 dollars. The average Joe living hand-to-mouth might miss a paycheck, but not the average Senator.
A much more effective proposal than the G.O.P. advocates would be one that banned members of Congress from campaigning, conducting fundraisers and accepting political contributions during any yearly quarter where the government is running without a budget. Of course, such a plan would be just as unconstitutional as the one Republicans are now advancing, but Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Public would get some satisfaction out of thinking that members of Congress had their backs against the wall too.
Nothing talks in Congress like political contributions. Shut off that spigot and Congress would surely take notice!
Article I, Section 6, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution of the United States directs that "Senators and Representatives shall receive a compensation for their services…" That means the members of Congress are entitled to be paid for their work, regardless of whether legislation is enacted or not, and any law passed to deny Congressional compensation runs afoul of the expressed wording of our federal Constitution. Denying members of Congress compensation might be a feel-good proposition for taxpayers, but it's just as unconstitutional as, let's say, banning handguns.
Moreover, it's highly unlikely that many members of Congress would miss their paycheck. The Center for Responsive Politics examined the financial disclosure statements of all members of Congress and found that almost half were millionaires. Two-thirds of the Senate fit in that category. The Center reported that the average net worth of all Senators was $2.63 million dollars in 2011, whereas the average American household income during that same year was about $50,000 dollars. The average Joe living hand-to-mouth might miss a paycheck, but not the average Senator.
A much more effective proposal than the G.O.P. advocates would be one that banned members of Congress from campaigning, conducting fundraisers and accepting political contributions during any yearly quarter where the government is running without a budget. Of course, such a plan would be just as unconstitutional as the one Republicans are now advancing, but Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Public would get some satisfaction out of thinking that members of Congress had their backs against the wall too.
Nothing talks in Congress like political contributions. Shut off that spigot and Congress would surely take notice!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Relegating the G.O.P. to the Dustbin of History
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Republican John Boehner of Ohio bitterly complained to members of the Ripon Society the other day saying that President Obama wants to annihilate the G.O.P. and relegate the Republican Party to "the dustbin of history." Boehner's remarks are kind of ironic, because Boehner's leadership partner in the U.S. Senate, Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, famously remarked after the 2010 elections that the Republican Party's primary goal in the two years that followed would be to destroy President Obama and replace him with a Republican. So, instead of working and compromising with Democrats to build better lives for every American, the G.O.P. in Congress wasted the last two years trying to annihilate President Obama. You'll have to pardon me for having no sympathy for the G.O.P. because it deserves none.
There's a second bit of irony in Boehner's words at the Ripon Society gathering, and that irony lies with the folks in Boehner's audience. The Ripon Society is a moderate Republican think tank that promotes social tolerance, conservation of natural resources, a strong public educational system, health and safety for all Americans and increased public participation in our Nation's political system. Boehner's G.O.P. has spent the past two years trying to undermine every one of those goals, and he has the nerve blame President Obama. Wow! That's hubris!
Need I remind anybody that it's been the G.O.P. at the forefront of social intolerance with gay bashing and anti-reproductive rights legislation. The G.O.P. has led the charge in advocating for natural gas fracking, mountaintop removal in coal mining, oil drilling in environmentally fragile areas, easing clean air and water regulations and elimination of the Environmental Protection Agency. The G.O.P. has undertaken a relentless assault on America's public education system and stonewalled all efforts to insure that all Americans have access to health care. Despite the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans each year from guns, the G.O.P. has refused to entertain any government efforts to improve public safety through firearm regulation. Finally, it's been the G.O.P. that spear-headed voter sign-up, voter-ID laws and other election regulations that served to hinder, not increase public participation in our democratic election process. Every one of those efforts run contrary to the stated goals of the Ripon Society.
I wouldn't blame President Obama if he really did want to annihilate the Republican Party, but I'm fairly certain that President Obama has more important issues on his mind. He's also a smart guy, and I'm equally certain he realizes that the G.O.P. is more than capable of annihilating itself without his help. Those who get relegated to the dustbin of history are there because they deserve to be. If that includes the Republican Party, so be it!
There's a second bit of irony in Boehner's words at the Ripon Society gathering, and that irony lies with the folks in Boehner's audience. The Ripon Society is a moderate Republican think tank that promotes social tolerance, conservation of natural resources, a strong public educational system, health and safety for all Americans and increased public participation in our Nation's political system. Boehner's G.O.P. has spent the past two years trying to undermine every one of those goals, and he has the nerve blame President Obama. Wow! That's hubris!
Need I remind anybody that it's been the G.O.P. at the forefront of social intolerance with gay bashing and anti-reproductive rights legislation. The G.O.P. has led the charge in advocating for natural gas fracking, mountaintop removal in coal mining, oil drilling in environmentally fragile areas, easing clean air and water regulations and elimination of the Environmental Protection Agency. The G.O.P. has undertaken a relentless assault on America's public education system and stonewalled all efforts to insure that all Americans have access to health care. Despite the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans each year from guns, the G.O.P. has refused to entertain any government efforts to improve public safety through firearm regulation. Finally, it's been the G.O.P. that spear-headed voter sign-up, voter-ID laws and other election regulations that served to hinder, not increase public participation in our democratic election process. Every one of those efforts run contrary to the stated goals of the Ripon Society.
I wouldn't blame President Obama if he really did want to annihilate the Republican Party, but I'm fairly certain that President Obama has more important issues on his mind. He's also a smart guy, and I'm equally certain he realizes that the G.O.P. is more than capable of annihilating itself without his help. Those who get relegated to the dustbin of history are there because they deserve to be. If that includes the Republican Party, so be it!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
NEANDERTHAL CLONING - JUST SAY NO
If you're a news junkie like me you probably couldn't resist clicking on the recent Internet news headline suggesting that scientists were searching for women to give birth to Neanderthal babies. It sounded like something right out of Jurassic Park, only involving an earlier version of homo sapiens (that's science-speak for humans) instead of dinosaurs. Unfortunately, the article didn't live up to its billing and I felt somewhat duped and disappointed.
Some scientist whose name I can't recall predicted that one day within the next hundred years researchers would attempt to clone a Neanderthal baby by implanting Neanderthal DNA in the nucleus of a fertilized human egg. I'm not sure what the point of such an exercise would be, but it does raise my eyebrows a bit because I think we already have more Neanderthals than are necessary running loose in this world. The last thing we need is to clone more!
Don't get me wrong; I'm all for science. That includes medical stuff on the cutting edge, plus anything the Vatican finds objectionable, but a guy has to draw a line somewhere and I draw mine at Neanderthal cloning.
Isn't it enough that university frat houses churn out more Neanderthal graduates each year than biologist can clone sheep? What good would a few more beer-guzzling bozos do for humanity's ever-expanding gene pool? I just don't see it!
Some scientist whose name I can't recall predicted that one day within the next hundred years researchers would attempt to clone a Neanderthal baby by implanting Neanderthal DNA in the nucleus of a fertilized human egg. I'm not sure what the point of such an exercise would be, but it does raise my eyebrows a bit because I think we already have more Neanderthals than are necessary running loose in this world. The last thing we need is to clone more!
Don't get me wrong; I'm all for science. That includes medical stuff on the cutting edge, plus anything the Vatican finds objectionable, but a guy has to draw a line somewhere and I draw mine at Neanderthal cloning.
Isn't it enough that university frat houses churn out more Neanderthal graduates each year than biologist can clone sheep? What good would a few more beer-guzzling bozos do for humanity's ever-expanding gene pool? I just don't see it!
Monday, January 21, 2013
An Inaugural Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King
Dr. Martin Luther King would be proud, because on this National Holiday saluting his dedication to the civil rights movement, a black man took the presidential oath of office for the second time in four years. President Obama's election would not have been possible, had it not been for the ground-breaking work and sacrifices Dr. Martin Luther King and other courageous civil rights activists undertook in the name of freedom and true equality. It is, therefore, fitting that today's presidential inauguration provided all Americans with an opportunity to reflect on Dr. King's legacy. American was, and continues to be blessed because he lived.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
The National Rifle Association is a Terrorist Group
According to the United States Department of State and the U.S. Department of Justice, an organization can be designated as a global terrorist organization if the organization or its activities threaten the security of United States nationals or the national security of the United States. By those standards, the National Rifle Association is a global terrorist organization and its leaders should be jailed in the Guantanamo Bay prison along with the rest of the zealots of murder and mayhem that are housed there.
The N.R.A. has metastasized from a civic organization whose main goal was the promotion of firearm safety into a cancerous cadre of gun-toting wing nuts who are more concerned with boosting an individual's ability to kill than with improving the public safety. Its policies promote the sacrifice of thousands of innocent men, women and children every year for the sole purpose of maintaining the ability to own a piece of metal.
Now is the time for all Americans to rise up against this terrorist organization. Our future safety depends on it!
The N.R.A. has metastasized from a civic organization whose main goal was the promotion of firearm safety into a cancerous cadre of gun-toting wing nuts who are more concerned with boosting an individual's ability to kill than with improving the public safety. Its policies promote the sacrifice of thousands of innocent men, women and children every year for the sole purpose of maintaining the ability to own a piece of metal.
Now is the time for all Americans to rise up against this terrorist organization. Our future safety depends on it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)