Sassafras Gazette

A Taxing Drug War...That Should Be Axed & Taxed

2012-01-24T12:00:00.000-06:00

The United States needs to face the truth: the self-styled "War on Drugs" died in its infancy. Long before modern crusades against both recreational and illicit drugs, humanity has sought ways to escape the realities of existence. With little to no success at stemming that cultural tradition even in recent decades – wasting billions in the futile attempt to enforce and thwart it – politicians, law enforcement and citizens nonetheless are naïvely surprised by statistics that continually verify the fact. When the U.S. ratified the Eighteenth Amendment (1919) that ushered in Prohibition, it set off an unprecedented, if not unexpected, era of criminality – from the average citizen frequenting an illegal speakeasy to the amateur and professional bootleggers running the liquor to them.

People were willing to violate the law to have a drink, the government be damn!

The same is true when it comes to more exotic drug use. After Prohibition failed, the crusaders again turned their attention to a consistent target: marijuana. From the early 20th century, the environmentally-friendly (no pesticides needed), naturally-growing economic staple – in the United States, industrial hemp production for use in uniforms, canvas and rope peaked at the height of the Second World War – steadily went from a recreational drug of choice to an illegal “gateway” ripe for abuse. With the earliest policies emphasizing that position shaped by overzealous bureaucrats, threatened industrialists and "yellow" journalists like Harry J. Anslinger, the DuPonts and William Randolph Hearst, what has been the consequence? Ironically, the criminalization, rather than the drug itself, has become a gateway to other illegal activities and drug use. There is a direct correlation between not only the illegalization of marijuana, but also that of cocaine and heroin, to the more destructive yet cheaper and easily man-made scourge of the past few decades: crystal meth. In areas that once harbored basement greenhouses, now house ad-hoc labs.

From this...

Even if it means combining household items purchased legally from the local store – rather than using a natural plant, like marijuana or even cocoa – people will always find a way to get a high.

To this...

All one has to do is look at the tobacco industry as an example. Study after study points to tobacco use as a leading cause of cancer, and, by law, cigarette makers are required to carry such warnings. Politicians continually call for higher taxes on tobacco products, as a two-fold means of stamping out smoking and funding cancer research. Have Americans quit purchasing these products? Absolutely not. From Jamestown to the Founding Fathers and the American Revolution, the U.S. can trace its heritage intertwined with tobacco production. Hyperbole aside, tobacco has practically single-handedly funded this nation, and despite lawsuits and steeper regulation, the industry is still a multi-billion dollar revenue stream for both producers and government.

Today, both alcohol and tobacco are heavily enforced, regulated and taxed by layers of bureaucratic and enforcement agencies. Precedent exists for recreational drugs as well, from the Harrison Narcotics Act (1914) to the Marihuana Tax Act (1937). No matter the price, people will continue to use; sometimes, whether socially or otherwise, life dictates it. It is time the government stops wasting billions in taxpayer money on a “war” that, as history shows, cannot be won. Instead, there needs to be the realization that if you cannot beat them, join them – through strict enforcement, regulation and taxes.

After all, revenue generation from taxed drugs is better than an open faucet taxing a lost cause. Just ask any pharmaceutical company. Or Australia, Germany or the Netherlands, which have seen positive results from instituting regulated, decriminalized drug laws.

If You Can Keep It

2012-01-18T09:00:00.000-06:00

This week's Newsweek cover asks, "Why Are Obama's Critics So Dumb?" A better question, why are Obama supporters so delusional? Three years in, with one to go – what exactly is the plan? Continue a path that replaces free-market capitalism with a system that redistributes wealth to those who have not earned it, socialized medicine without choice and nationalization of private business? The housing market – which ignited the economic collapse in the first place – is still an upside down disaster, business owners still fear investing in new ventures, including job creation, due to market and regulatory uncertainty and Wall St. is still hedging its bets against another major downturn. Not to mention questions over border security and foreign policy that makes our allies nervous and emboldens our enemies.

If that is the plan, the president can keep it.

Rather than any intellectual deficiencies, critics of the Obama Administration are aptly critical because of…THE PLAN. To say otherwise calls into question the intellect of those critiquing conservative-minded Americans. Moreover, it highlights a consistent leftist misunderstanding of the difference, and divide, between conservatism and liberalism in the United States. Of course, the liberal establishment is prone to such idiosyncratic thought, constantly demanding civility in political discourse while hypocritically hurling insults and violence against their conservative opposition. As much as liberals want conservatives to be liberals, it will never happen. Why? For one major reason: conservatives are conservatives, who disagree with liberal ideology. Duh.

Frankly, the Founding Fathers would find the current political climate unrecognizable from their vision, if not repulsive to their ideas. Even in their heated partisanship – particularly between Adams and Jefferson – none ever went so far as to threaten the very nation for which they had sworn so much and fought so hard to create. They rendered public service as a virtue to be defended and preserved by generations to come, setting aside personal differences in the cause of unity and liberty against tyranny. It would seem, 225 years later, that cause is no longer as important as the cause of our personal differences.

Perhaps that is why, at the close of the Constitutional Conventional in 1787, Benjamin Franklin prophetically stated, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

You're Welcome...Now Go To Hell!

2012-01-10T09:00:00.002-06:00

As a born and bred red-blooded American – whose ancestors immigrated to the United States in pursuit of the freedom and opportunity it afforded – I am sick and tired of the bashing the U.S. receives, and takes, for existing. While it has its imperfections, it is closer than anything else ever offered in the history of civilization. Who oppresses free speech, and routinely murders their own people when they do speak out? Certainly, not those bastions of freedom and opportunity like Iran or Venezuela…yeah, MUST be the big "evil" US! When the world goes to shit next time – a la 1914, 1939, 2001, etc. – how about not bothering to call us? We will see how well that works out for the world. And how long it takes before the call rings out for American blood to once again spill upon the alter of freedom in sacrifice.

Who is going to man that wall though? Russia? China? Maybe the Useless Nations, an entity that has a stellar resume as a beacon of freedom and opportunity. Just look at Korea (originally, and still on-going, U.N.-sanctioned “police action”), Darfur and even pre-war Afghanistan and Iraq.

You're welcome. Now, go to hell.

Choice Is Yours

2011-12-24T12:00:00.002-06:00

Increasingly each day, I draw closer to believing that life is similar to a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book. Remember? Reading page after page of treasure hunts and haunted houses, periodically reaching a series of choices from which to continue. What if life is the same? A guiding hand turning the pages of assured paths laid out, while we, the individual must choose from the choices presented to us. Predestination and freewill, combining to create something whole? Creationism and evolution, working together? I know, what madness.

Unfortunately, unlike a fictional book, you cannot cheat and return to the list of choices (because we all did!) to take a different path. In life, the path one chooses from those presented is no less than a leap of faith.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Clowns To The Left, Jokers To The Right

2011-12-16T14:00:00.004-06:00

In previous posts, I endorsed Herman Cain for president. Cain was a true non-political outsider seeking to upset the standard corps of nominees trotted about by our two-party system. While I still have another potential conservative horse, it is not a perfect match. Thus, I have again looked beyond the usual suspects and turned to third-party nominees. I know – why even vote if I am potentially throwing it away on a long-shot third-party candidate? That is exactly the thinking that entrenched politicians from the ranks of the Democrats and Republicans want voters to have, in order to maintain the current, tired two-party system that pits only the frontrunner from each.

Time to change it up. With my classical liberalism leanings – limited government; individual liberty; free markets; freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly – many have pegged my conservatism more in line with Libertarians than Republicans. I would not disagree with that assessment. As such, Libertarian Party nominee RJ Harris is a candidate I feel best fits that idea. Again, like with Cain, check him out, and see how he fits for you.

Keep in mind that if we continue to elect the same, tired politicians while asking for change, we have only ourselves to blame. For more, see - RJHarris2012.com

If Only Their Pants Were On Fire

2011-12-01T00:00:00.002-06:00

Today’s campaign managers should avoid the conventional wisdom in running a political candidate’s campaign. At least until they have been forthright with their candidate: what skeletons are in your closet, no matter how trivial? From previous scandals involving claims of inappropriate behavior and sexual misconduct, particularly those of former President Bill Clinton, there is one lesson learned: you do not lie about it, and you do not try to cover it up. In the modern age, no one passes the scrutiny test with so much information so readily available. As the late George Carlin observed, voters want their politicians to be honest about being full of it.

In the current scandal involving GOP candidate Herman Cain, only two possibilities exist once you eliminate that both sides are telling their version of the truth:

Scenario #1: Herman Cain is lying.

1) What is the benefit?

Staving off the allegations to focus on his candidacy and pressing his agenda for addressing the issues facing the United States.

2) What is the drawback?

Being caught in the lie. End of campaign, end of political career.

Scenario #2: Herman Cain’s accusers are lying.

1) What is the benefit? (Or, more aptly – who benefits?)

Herman Cain’s campaign collapses, highlighting the follow-up question of who benefits from such a scenario. Certainly, the other GOP candidates. But at this stage, why concentrate energy deceitfully attacking the character of a single candidate? Those candidates leading the polls do not need to, and those behind would only slightly gain a few percentage points. If not sabotage from party ranks, then whom does that leave? Whom does a successful, black conservative threaten?

2) What is the drawback?

Again, being caught in the lie, and possibly something more nefarious. Herman Cain’s campaign soars on the false allegations. Again, why would any GOP candidate potentially sabotage their own campaign in the attempt to do the same to another? Again, who does that leave?

The problem with the second proposition is the conspiracy. Why, at this stage, against a candidate who is one of several leading contenders? If that leaves only the first proposition, the question remains – why? Lying about events only hurts Cain in the end, while setting the record straight – either by denying the allegations in earnest, as he has, or by acknowledging the legitimacy of the allegations – moves beyond to the real issues. Either way, it is too late for whoever has set in motion an apparent web of lies.

Fool For Thought

2011-11-28T12:00:00.004-06:00

Nowadays, I typically do not use the drive-thru. For one, I drive a truck and wish not to exhaust any more fuel than necessary. Secondly, I have come to find the convenience of the drive-thru impersonal. Sometimes, taking the added time to go inside gives a person, on both sides of the counter, the human need for personal interaction.

Recently, I needed a new fuel pump installed on my truck. Using a can of starter fluid, I was able to determine that this was in fact the cause of my troubles. Cost = $2. Typically, I try to do my own repairs, mainly because I am capable enough and to save labor costs. Occasionally, as in the case of a fuel pump stupidly designed into the fuel tank, I have to use a repair shop for the work. There was a time when a mechanic – one you knew by name from years using them – could diagnose a problem just by looking at your vehicle. Now, drivers shell out hundreds of dollars for a mechanic to hook up a diagnostic computer to do it. What happened when I took my vehicle to a mechanic? Even though I had told them the specific problem, they needlessly hooked it up to a computer to determine the problem. Cost = $95.

On Thanksgiving, I decided to participate in “Black Friday.” By participate, I mean drive (thanks to the new fuel pump) to a mall, park and observe the chaos. No serious shopping for me, though I did peruse the electronics for deals. Nothing caught my eye that was so necessary for me to have camped out for days – missing my turkey dinner – or wait in line for hours. As I aimlessly meandered through the dense crowds, I overheard an associate radio another at one store, “there’s no place to do returns for a couple of hours.” Presumably, the situation dictated that those registers be used for checking out customers, but would there really be an overabundance of them trying to return an item at midnight? Who is standing in line for hours to purchase something, only to turn around and stand in another to make a return? Guess people really do go loony on Black Friday. Or, just want more time interacting with others.

Now, it’s “Cyber Monday,” the catchy name given to the online version of frenzied consumerism. As impersonal as it may be, hidden by the veil of cyberspace, it is a day that can draw even the most anti-shopping person. For starters, unless a shared computer, finding a parking space is no problem. Second, no fuel is wasted driving store to store – averting, for a time, the necessity of a costly new fuel pump. Moreover, even with shipping costs, one can save money while checking yourself out. Without having to stand in line(s).

A House Divided

2011-11-06T12:00:00.060-06:00

“History doesn’t repeat, but it does rhyme.” Oh Mark Twain, how true your words ring. Many pundits are comparing the Obama Administration to that of former President Jimmy Carter, and for good reason: economic woes, social unrest and political activism. All bundled together by a general malaise over the divergent path of the nation. Both periods also have witnessed Afghanistan and Iraq in the throes of uncertain transition, Israelis and Palestinians in conflict and Iran a foreign-policy nightmare. Sound familiar? And while these conditions have the appearance that 1979-’80 is recurring three decades later, it is more the variety of commonality than repetitive.

Yet, in many stark ways, it is not 1979. Even as drivers grow angry over the price of gas while continuing to drive all over creation – ostensibly to purchase the latest electronic gizmo that they absolutely MUST have – there are no lines or quotas at gas stations disrupting our daily lives. When President Carter left office, unemployment was at 7.5%, with a truly dismal jobs report on opportunities for American workers. (Again, with an unemployment rate sustained above 9%, sound familiar?) Today, unemployed protesters besiege Wall Street, however justifiably, over their role in the economic collapse, yet do nothing themselves to revive the allegedly worsening economy by filling the thousands of unfulfilled jobs purportedly taken by illegal aliens or shipped overseas. “Job creation” is nothing more than a buzz phrase used by politicians to push their economic agenda. Peruse any classifieds of any city and you will see jobs available, just not ones Americans deem suitable for achieving the self-proclaimed right-by-birth “American Dream” – a prime example of prosperity breeding indifference, and any threat, real or otherwise, to that accustomed level breeding indignation.

Frankly, I have never been a sign-making, camping-out protester, leaving it more to private and written rants. Feeling accomplished without paying the issue another thought. In high school, I once dragged my friends Pete and John to a rally sponsored by a local radio station protesting the censorship of rock lyrics – a campaign spearheaded by the Parents Music Resource Center, whose committee members included none other than former Vice-President Al Gore’s wife, Tipper. We woke up, drove down and basically stood around listening to people decry government intrusion on individualism and choice. The rally, while an enlightening experience that allowed us to lend our voice to a cause, failed to accomplish anything other than the continuance of our teenage angst against the establishment. In the end, the opposition eventually won out with warning labels on controversial music albums still seen today.

There are those individuals whose sole purpose in life is to rally against every trivial issue. As that trend escalates, there is a dangerously growing divide in this country among political ideologies, perhaps on a scale not seen since the Civil War or Civil Rights eras. With the dramatic gulf between liberals and conservatives, civility in political discourse has taken a backseat to escalating hostility and bitter, unabashed polarization. As if two nations exist, with either side no longer willing to compromise egoistic hegemony for magnanimous accord. Or acknowledging fault for missteps that have heightened rather than alleviate the socio-economic crises the country continues to face, instead choosing to politicize and demonize the other side in blame.

In placing blame, many have fallen back on tired language and stereotypical rhetoric. Surprisingly, this comes more from liberals than conservatives – even though conservatives endure the brunt of accusations for such perpetuation – who bring up these issues with no other purpose than to change the focus of discussion, marginalize the opposition and draw attention away from the real issue. Ironically, the continual mention of race, gender, disability and/or age maintains, rather than alleviates, the societal stigma that liberals are so keen on eliminating, thus preventing the extinguishment of such biases despite efforts otherwise. If we abandoned the need to mention such demographics, society would no longer associate the long-ingrained negative connotations of those terms. That, of course, is optimistic. The first three – race, gender, disability – have long histories of bias, examined in depth by numerous scholars. Age is particularly strange, though, as older members of society used to be associated with wisdom and experience; now, it is seen as a drain on resources and out-of-touch.

Many, including myself, like to blame the media continually giving voice to these deluded extremists. In certain cases, this is not an unwarranted indictment. Let’s face it, though, human bias has played a role since humanity first began recording events eons ago. Until our robot overlords begin reporting the news – and in some instances, hasn’t this already begun? – such bias will continue to be an influence. It simply comes down to filtering the irrational from the reliable. What the United States needs – what it must do – is to return to its core principles. Principles defined in our aged, yet enduring founding documents. We, the People, are exactly one year away from the next presidential election, with the hope that it can bring change that moves us from the brink rather than irrevocably pushing us over the edge. For as President Abraham Lincoln wisely, if not prophetically, stated, “a house divided against itself cannot stand.”

Pardon Me, Do You Have Any Vaseline?

2011-09-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Wall Street,

Obviously, the TARP bailouts, financed by our tax money, did not make you change your ways or make you learn the lessons of your greed. Hate to say we told you so...but we told you so. Simply stated, we would prefer you go fuck yourself, rather than the reverse happening again to us and the country.

Sincerely,

American Taxpayers

"Banks Plan New Fees for Using Debit Cards" (Wall Street Journal)

"Banks To Make Customers Pay Debit Card Fee" (New York Times)

"Consumers Lose With New Debit-Card Rules" (The Atlantic)

"Watchdog: Regulators Bowed To Banks On Bailout" (AP)

Real Hope & Change: Cain Is Able

2011-09-27T15:00:00.007-05:00

Herman Cain has been my choice since day one, even before he officially threw in his hat. Check him out, see how he fits for you.

"Why Herman Cain Resonates With Voters," by Jedediah Bila (The Daily Caller)

"Dennis Miller Endorses Herman Cain, Plans To Headline A Fundraiser" (Yahoo! News)

"Herman Cain 2012 Campaign Sees Payoffs From Decisive Victory" (Politico)

"Herman Cain: What You Need To Know About the GOP Presidential Candidate" (The Washington Post)

[Campaign website - Herman Cain for President www.hermancain.com]

When The World Changed

2011-09-11T08:46:00.005-05:00

Ten years have passed since September 11, 2001, and the terrorists attacks that ushered in a new era for the United States and the world. At the exact time of their occurrence, I was sleeping. A night owl by habit, and choice, I have never been a morning person. After the second plane struck the World Trade Center, my sister frantically awakened me; she, like most others, had believed the first plane nothing more than a tragic accident. When I turned on the television and an attack on the Pentagon became evident, the situation was irrefutable: terrorists had declared war not only on western civilization, but also on the United States.

Of course, several salvos had already been aimed at the United States throughout the 1990s. The first bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, perpetrated by the nephew, Ramzi Yousef, of 9/11 mastermind and al-Qaeda member Khalid Sheikh Mohammed; the bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya in 1998, perpetrated by the closely-affiliated Egyptian Islamic Jihad and al-Qaeda; and the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000, again by al-Qaeda operatives while anchored in the Gulf of Aden, Yemen. The Clinton Administration’s response consisted of ineffectively stern warnings and the occasional missile strike against al-Qaeda as part of "Operation Infinite Reach." Targets included the Sudanese Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory, characterized as a WMD-related facility producing chemical weapons that could fall into the hands of al-Qaeda. [Of particular note, Clinton’s former Secretary of Defense, William Cohen, testified under oath to the 9/11 Commission to connections between the factory and Iraq’s chemical weapons program.]

On the face of it, al-Qaeda had been waging war against the U.S. long before 2001. We, as a nation, seemed not to understand that until tragically reminded.

News reports soon came in during the morning of September 11 about the plight of another plane, United Airlines Flight 93, and an apparent revolt engineered by its passengers. I remember crying at the news, but not tears of sorrow for yet another hijacked plane. They were of joy and patriotism. As the first response in the war against the terrorists, ordinary citizens had stood up and fought against them. No different from the defenders of Thermopylae, The Alamo or Bastogne, holding their ground against insurmountable odds. Thinking about it ten years later, a lump still develops in my throat as my eyes well-up at the thought of their heroics and ultimate sacrifice – the same felt for those citizens and emergency personnel who gave their lives at the other two sites in New York and Washington, DC. Never forgotten, forever patriots. [At least, one would think not forgotten - "First Responders Not Invited To 9/11 Ceremony In NYC."]

At the time, I was 29 years old – the same eternal age as Gotham City’s fictional superhero, Batman. I had just started graduate school. Both my parents had been born, raised and worked for a time in New York City. My paternal grandfather had a successful medical career in the city for forty years, while my maternal grandfather had worked, retired and passed away in the city. On a lesser scale than New Yorkers who experienced it first-hand, I felt an immediate confused anger to the attacks due to those connections. Like many Americans wanting to fight back, I attempted to take up the gauntlet. Having once considered attending Annapolis and pursuing a Navy career, specifically as a naval aviator, I revisited the idea by talking and applying to several recruiters. Educated and degreed, my desire was to join Naval Intelligence. Curiously, and dishearteningly, I never heard back from them.

In the spirit of Thomas Paine and Elijah Lovejoy, I instead took to the pen in my dual roles as an editorial writer and a historian. Indeed, the pen (“ideas”) being mightier than the sword (“action”), a notion exemplified countless times throughout human history. After all, al-Qaeda itself started as an idea motivating extremists to action, culminating in the September 11 attacks. Nonetheless, possessing a pro-military attitude combined with unrelenting support for sustaining the War on Terror, I continue to believe in total war: enemies driven into unconditional submission, and destroyed. No quarter given. For as even Mahatma Gandhi, the preeminent advocate of non-violence, stated, “It is better to be violent if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence.”

Yet how do you destroy an enemy that is like a cockroach, concealed in secrecy and scurrying from place to place? (Or, in the case of Osama bin Laden, not to mention many other high-ranking al-Qaeda leaders, apparently in a not-so-hidden Pakistani compound.) You burn down the forest, preferably by unleashing the might of the U.S. military. That's how former President George W. Bush saw it, and President Obama even has recognized, reluctantly, the importance of taking the fight to the enemy. And it's worked out pretty well so far. Forests will grow back; a dead enemy stays dead.

Alas, some of these terrorists, like 9/11 masterminds Ramzi bin al-Shibh and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, still draw breath at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. Meantime, a decade later, the families of their victims’ continue to await justice for innocent lives never to be lived. That is why we fight, and must continue to as the world recognizes the 10th anniversary of the attacks, so that the voices of those lost - at the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, and on the four hijacked planes (American Airlines 11, United Airlines 175, American Airlines 77 and United Airlines 93) - are never silenced. So say we all!

Rub Some Dirt In It

2011-08-30T16:00:00.000-05:00

There have been, and continue to be, lawsuits filed against the National Football League and equipment manufacturers over player injuries. Specifically, head injuries sustained by now-retired players that have caused all sorts of health problems. They contend that the league and manufacturers are in cahoots to hide the truth concerning these types of injuries. As a person who entertains the occasional conspiracy theory, I will not comment one way or the other the truth of those claims.

While sympathetic to the plight of injured former players, who should have their full pensions and health benefits paid by their former employer, my sympathy only goes so far. Did gladiators of ancient Rome sue the Empire over its failure to warn them about the dangers of the games and traumatic limb loss? No. For any participants of contact sports, there should be a certain understanding that injuries will occur. To think otherwise is to be naïve, if not stupid.

My grandfather and his brother played semi-pro football in the 1920s, back when they wore leather “helmets.” It was nothing more than a skull diaper, designed more for collecting your brain matter than for protection. Both had served during World War I as well, sustaining injuries from mustard gas attacks. Neither ever complained about it or gave a thought about suing someone for it, because these were their choices. (They also, allegedly, split a bottle of Wild Turkey – no chasers, no mixers – before my parents wedding, though you would not have known it.) I just guess these two stout Irishmen came from a different generation. A generation when men were men, who took a lick and kept on ticking.

Something Wicked This Way Cometh?

2011-08-23T21:00:00.015-05:00

Six possible explanations for recent weather/seismic activity:

1. Nothing more than natural occurrences. Boring. (And don’t say man-made global warming is the cause. Earth has been volatile for billions of years, long before humanity came along. We as a species only wish we were important enough to be an influence. Either way…boring.)

2. The Apocalypse. Now we are talking Michael Bay action flick: the planet consumed by and in the throes of an extinct-level event, people panicking in mass hysteria as society collapses, and utter destruction with stuff blowing up. Not to mention one lone guy in his bunker waiting for it all to calm down, so he can have some peace and quiet for a change without people annoying him every second of every day. Plus, there’s stuff blowing up. ‘Nuff said.

3. Time travel. According to Timecop, a time travel device could cause seismic disturbances. After all, you are breaking through the space-time continuum; there must be planetary/universal consequences for doing so. However, this scenario we really do not want, because it could mean someone is going back in time and potentially screwing up the timeline. Making for a bad commute to work…if you even still exist. (And yes, I quoted a Van Damme movie.)

4. Stargate program. Certainly not to mean the movie and three subsequent series spawned from it? Nothing but propaganda to disinform the public concerning the program. Classic subterfuge. Duh. The stargate is shown to cause seismic disturbances and climate anomalies when activated. This is the scenario we want, because it means traveling to other worlds and possibly gathering advanced technology. Technology that is gradually rolled out by the likes of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. Again, classic subterfuge.

5. A weather machine. For nefarious purposes, an entity – either government-sponsored or terrorist-linked – has invented a weather machine. Crazy, like something out of a superhero cartoon or James Bond novel? Perhaps. Conceivable? Absolutely, given our technological advances [see #4] and understanding of weather patterns and seismic activity. This one is kind of a cool scenario on the surface, but quickly dissolves once the realization hits that there is no superhero or James Bond to thwart them.

6. Alien invasion. This one may prove Scientology correct, or not, and the volcano-encased essences of thetans – from the Galactic Confederacy ruled by the tyrant Xenu – who seek to do harm against humanity. Or something like that. Again, a scenario we do not want, all of us non-believers (e.g. sane people) having to eat crow. Battlefield Earth? God help us…and not your “god” L. Ron.

Downplaying the Downgrade

2011-08-12T12:00:00.010-05:00

In his press conference on Monday, President Obama was correct on one point: our economic crisis is not from a lack of plans or policies. Realistically, it is from a lack of leadership over the past two years to implement ones that work. Standard & Poor’s specifically mandated that for the U.S. to maintain its “AAA” credit rating, spending on entitlement programs had to be cut with a demonstration that those in place could be funded. How much of this was addressed in the self-congratulatory debt bill that was passed by Congress at the 11th hour? Absolutely none of it. Simply because Democrats, more so than Republicans, were unwilling to sacrifice certain so-called “sacred cows”; instead they sacrificed the nation’s credit rating for a higher debt ceiling, which is little more than an increased spending limit.

S&P Downgrade Not Likely To End Partisan Gridlock

Congress Needs To 'Cowboy Up' To Fix The Economy

A Debt Call We Should Have Seen Coming

To hear the politicos on the left – despite having control of Congress for two years, failing to pass a budget and aware of potential economic troubles down the road if nothing were done – none of this is their fault. It’s the fault of those opposed to the agenda of the left, an agenda in which bureaucracy, entitlements and the deficit grow beyond control and stays the course to economic collapse. Again, it’s the fault of George W. Bush. That is what a society of entitlements breed: placing responsibility on others, instead of on yourself. Rather than attack a predecessor who left office over two years ago, the current administration would be better served in highlighting its achievements to stymie existing economic woes – no matter on whose watch they occurred. Yet, that is the only viable option for the Obama Administration, because there are no highlights: unemployment that continues to hover over 9%, after inheriting a rate under 6%; Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at a paltry 1.30%, which stood at 5% just a year ago; and a federal deficit that has grown by over $4 trillion in just two years, which only stands to go higher with the aforementioned increase to the debt ceiling.

And so, the president must fall back on the age-old mantra that the problems of today are the problems of yesterday, rather than being a leader who has led the country out of the crises.

Of course there are echoes of the past in the current economic climate, but not of recent memory. The calendar may read 2011, but it feels a lot like 1931. Used loosely, the term “feel” even seems overblown because it certainly doesn’t “look” like it: everyone on their mobile phone playing games despite being “so busy at work” or “looking for a job”; people still driving around in their gas guzzlers while complaining about the price of gas; and going out for dinner because “there’s nothing to eat at home” or “I didn’t feel like cooking.” Not exactly The Great Depression, where you passed your unemployed time staring at the wall while bouncing a ball, standing in the soup kitchen line for scraps or actually looking for a low-paying but honest days work. There is still the sense though – that “feeling” – it could all happen again in an instant.

The question is when global markets collapse again (and they will) and global conflicts erupt again (and they will), who saves the world this time? Or, in a haze of apathy and inaction, has the world already been lost?

Top Ten Annoying Words

2011-08-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

This is my top ten words and phrases that, in my opinion, are thrown around and overused by those trying to sound impressive and/or intellectual:

1. Visceral
2. Synergy
3. Paradigm
4. Cerebral
5. Pontificate
6. Forward-thinking
7. Mission Critical
8. Discourse
9. Hegemony
10. Postmodern

Ex. - “There was a visceral synergy in the paradigm that made it very cerebral, to pontificate such a forward-thinking approach that is mission critical to successful discourse concerning hegemony in a postmodern world.”

Sounds pompously smug, does it not? Frankly, I have no idea what I just wrote. Or even what “postmodern” is supposed to connote. (How can the modern world be in a postmodern state??? That doesn’t make any sense.) And now my brain hurts.

(That said, there is a word, newly created, that should be in your vocabulary: "awesomer," defined as the state of being more awesome. Ex. - "Iron Man, Thor and Captain America were awesome, but The Avengers preview was awesomer." Please use this term whenever appropriate.)

My Kind of Sports Town

2011-07-29T12:00:00.001-05:00

Let’s talk sports. Particularly baseball, but maybe hockey as well. Born and raised in St. Louis, membership in Cardinal Nation is pretty much automatic; you just have to love the “Birds on the Bat.” Frankly, I could not see myself as anything other than a fan of the Redbirds. When I was younger, there was the chance we would move to Kansas City and Milwaukee, respectively, for my dad’s work. Thankfully, that never happened. Royals? Brewers? Yuck. I love being a Cardinals fan – the great teams and players, the storied history and championships. This is the city of The Rajah, Dizzy, Ducky, The Man and Gibby. Damn the Yankees, and their Babe, Clipper, Mick, Chairman and Mr. October. (Sports certainly has its nicknames!)

I was also lucky as a kid. I had two parents – originally from New York – who were baseball fans. Dad, though growing up in the heart of New York City, became a Red Sox fan, while mom rooted for the Brooklyn Dodgers in opposition to her Yankee-loving father. Of course, all three hated the cross-town Giants – a familial sentiment that still exists. As the stories go, grandpa, Yankee fan or not, always enjoyed attending a baseball game whenever his travels brought him to St. Louis. Fenway, Ebbets Field and Sportsman’s Park…now that’s old school tradition!

Starting in 1967, when the Blues joined the National Hockey League, St. Louis also became the home of Red, The Battling Plagers, Bernie, The Golden Brett and Big Mac. (There it is again, with the nicknames.) Unfortunately, my dad was a football and baseball guy. Frankly, despite being an accomplished ice skater and growing up near an “Original Six” team in the New York Rangers, I don’t think he understood hockey – at least, to the point of being able to pass any knowledge on to his children, like he could with football, baseball and even skating – and thus never developed an interest in it. Consequently, I turned to hockey on my own in my early teen years.

Depending on the month and/or post-season situation, a St. Louisan can attend a baseball game in the afternoon and a hockey game later in the evening. What other cities can provide that kind of sports entertainment? A few, but your main choice of poison is New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago or Boston. Or boast of legendary broadcasters like the late Jack Buck and the late Dan Kelly, who at one point in their careers did play-by-play for both teams. The mere mention of the name Buck or Kelly conjures only one of two things: Cardinals baseball or Blues hockey.

Thanks, but I’ll stay in St. Louis – it’s my kind of sports town.

Taxing The Taxed With Proper Representation

2011-07-18T12:00:00.007-05:00

The British colonies, as the United States was called prior to independence, fought for "taxation with representation." Guess what, we won the right...and for the last two centuries into the third we have since debated exactly how much everyone should pay. There is little argument that everyone - from the lower to the upper class - should pay taxes in support of our "great experiment" in democracy and capitalism; it's a matter of what constitutes a fair share, flatly across the board. (See what I did there? Fair Tax/Flat tax. Never mind.) Until the politicians in Washington heed the calls for change, American taxpayers will continue to suffer from the hardships of the current tax system and the bankrupt economy.

"Pro-Con: Should The United States Adopt A Flat Tax" (Kansas City Star)

"How The Debt Tussle Can Help Move Toward A Flat Tax," by Thomas Miller (The American Magazine)

"Would Adopting A Flat Tax Benefit The United States: Yes," by Peter Rush (Deseret News)

"Entitlement Reform And Tax Structuring," by Robert Bennett, former U.S. Senator (Deseret News)

"I'd Replace The Income Tax With The Fair Tax," by Herman Cain (The Daily Caller)

It's Your Money, And You Should Keep It Now

2011-07-13T12:00:00.012-05:00

The economic landscape has changed drastically since the 1930s. At the time, there were few options, let alone the means, for saving for the future and retirement, especially for the lower class; that is no longer true in today’s virtual world of 24/7 internet trading and investment. Implemented at the height of The Great Depression, Social Security's original purpose was as a “social insurance” program for senior citizens facing poverty caused by the likes of retirement, unemployment and spousal disability or loss. Though amended over the years to include more people, qualifications and benefits, the concept is still the same today.

Obama: Social Security Checks 'Not Guaranteed' (CNN Money)

GOP Says Obama Resorting To Scare Tactics (Washington Times)

Since the first payout in 1937, total benefits paid have risen from $35 million in 1940 (adjusted for inflation, equivalent to roughly $538 million) to $702 billion in 2010. The money comes from the individual workers and employers who pay into the system in the form of payroll taxes, an increasingly-shrinking funding base due to current economic conditions and early retirees – a key argument in the dispute over the future of the program, seen as reaching its zenith as it goes bankrupt.

Payroll Taxes, Costs & Benefits Paid By Employers (AccountingCoach.com)

Social Security: More Going Out Than Coming In (CNN Money)

2010 Social Security Trustees Report Continues to Show Urgency of Reform (The Heritage Foundation)

How can the government fix the situation? Easy – eliminate Social Security. Return what has already been collected from workers and employers to fund the program, and allow them to keep what would be collected to invest in private savings and business. Almost like a stimulus plan. A stimulus that would not cost the government – because, unlike income taxes, it’s not their money in the first place – while decreasing the federal deficit and stabilizing the economy through new investments.

After all, it’s no longer the 1930s.

Trashing Future Energy

2011-07-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

McDonald’s UAE Forms Venture To Make Biodiesel From Recycled Vegetable Oil (Bloomberg)

Sustainability: Renewable Energy (Waste Management)

Jobless Recovery, Biofuels, Eency-weency Balance Sheets And You (Biofuels Digest)

Waste The Answer To Biofuel's Ethical Dilemma Say Researchers (Waste Mangagement World)

Constitutional Matters

2011-07-04T09:00:00.066-05:00

"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor." -U.S. Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776

Perhaps it is time to renew the Founding Fathers' pledge set forth 235 years ago today, rather than questioning with a self-righteously modern attitude the relevancy of their principles and ideas that spawned from it.

"TIME on the Constitution: 'Does It Still Matter?'," by Mark Alexander

"July 4th," by Thomas Sowell

Since Days Gone By

2011-07-01T12:00:00.004-05:00

My 20th high school reunion is in a few weeks. Surreal not only from feeling so far removed from that period, but because I do not feel that old. I also know how much I and the world in general has changed since even the 10th reunion. Nowadays, I think in terms of “pre-” and “post-”: ten years ago, it was a pre-9/11 world; today, and probably forever, it is a post-9/11 one. (Presumably, a similar mindset will come to pass after December 21, 2012, in a pre- and post-apocalyptic world, but that’s for a later discussion.)

Though an enjoyable evening reconnecting with old classmates, I admittedly was at a crossroads at the ten year reunion. A defining juncture in that I had ended any intentions of pursuing a teaching career, and had only just entered graduate school and barely commenced a writing career. In essence, despite the paths that were open to me rather than closed, I was in a state of limbo about my life. Having continued on that path and accomplished much over the last ten years – becoming a published journalist, historian and writer – oddly I am feeling the same a decade later. In a different, post-9/11 way though; not so naïve or optimistic, more chagrined and disillusioned.

Again though, I do not feel all that changed. After all, I am still me. Perhaps more grown and experienced, as opposed to more mature and responsible, yet at times regressing back. My smug, almost pseudo, intellectualism alone a pretense for the dictates of my age and educational achievements, in the attempt to allay doubt as to my faculties only because I believe myself to be smarter than I was ten or twenty years ago. I still do stupid things though, only at a more sophisticated level of stupidity because, rather than in spite, of my self-alleged superior development both intellectually and socially.

The real question bothering me I think, more so than at the ten year, is whether there still exists a sense of commonality, and perhaps even a familiarity, with former classmates of yesterday who have now become the parents, educators and business leaders of today? As I fit into none of those categories, yes and no; it all sounds impressively mature and responsible. Absolutely, I still cherish the friendships that have endured, and have been reconnected, over the past twenty years. Just seems that it already has been a complex journey since days gone by, and an extensive path ahead yet to traverse – without any clear indication how or when that occurred.

Repeating History

2011-06-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

Deplorable. That is the only way to describe the latest on history education in the United States.

History-Test Scores Show Scant Progress (Wall Street Journal)

Having excelled from elementary school all the way through earning two degrees in the subject, and having considered teaching high school history at one point, it is often disheartening to cross paths with people who possess not even a basic familiarity. From my dad’s own interest, I inherited a fondness for history. Together, the two of us would dissect movies based on historical events, encyclopedias – hard-bound, printed versions, in the way back time before Wikipedia – in hand to check and correct them. (Thus, explaining why friends, and occasionally family, are contemptuously reluctant to ever watch such movies with me.) Throughout my formal education I was always inspired by my teachers and professors, drawn to the individuals, events and lessons of the past. Taught to think critically in interpreting the topics, issues and themes in a logical and objective manner – a point that could be applied to other subjects as well.

Teacher Is Taught A Tough Lesson (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

In failing to properly teach an understanding and appreciation of the past, we are losing the future. A future in which critical thinking and rational objectivity cannot exist. How could it, when those same qualities barely register today? Click over to YouTube, or any similar website, and see what I mean – few winners, a whole lot of losers. Unfortunately, not simply just as a desperate subconscious group plea to garner views and be justifiably mocked; at some point, genes play a role.

Critical Thinking:

Not So Much:

The future is not lost though. Not yet. As the Roman orator Cicero stated, “History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illumines reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of antiquity.” If future generations fail to embrace such sentiment concerning the past, they will, as Winston Churchill warned, be doomed to repeat it.

Must Be The New Math

2011-06-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

How does a company decrease cost and increase efficiency without sacrificing jobs? For starters, reduce and consolidate your products. As example, which are many, Colgate-Palmolive sells Palmolive dish soap in several sizes; they also sell a 50 ounce refill, obviously for refilling the other sizes. Here's the kicker: the larger 50 ounce cost less than the others, yet functions similarly and just as easily. With a convenient handle even. Why not get rid of all other sizes and simply sell the 50 ounce? Perhaps increase its price a bit to compensate. Not only would such a move decrease the cost of shipping (packaging, trucking, etc) the various sized products to stores, it would make the manufacturing more efficient. None of which would sacrifice a single job; everyone involved – from the employee overseeing production, the trucker transporting it and the worker at another company who produced the packaging – would still be needed in their current roles.

After all, Henry Ford’s business model for manufacturing the Model T didn’t have aesthetics in mind; it was about increased efficiency and lower costs. He was even ahead of his time as a “green” company, recycling unused materials into the development of Ford Charcoal, better known today as Kingsford. Would seem the development of "clean" coal technology, a goal since the 1980s, goes hand-in-hand with re-embracing Ford's other business ideas. Ideas from an era when “Made In America” wasn’t a hyperbolic punch line.

I digress...

Merger With Continental Costing 1,500 United Jobs In Houston (Houston Chronicle)

1,300 More Jobs Coming To Chicago On Wings Of United Airlines Merger (Chicago Tribune)

Certainly, there can be bipartisan agreement that this is not the definition of job creation. By my public school math, the United-Continental merger actually will result in a net loss of 200 jobs; the "new" jobs are simply relocation of existent ones.

Unemployment Benefits Little Changed For 2nd Straight Week As Economy Generates Less Hiring (Washington Post)

President Obama’s Phony Accounting On The Auto Industry Bailout (Washington Post)

Editorial: Obama's Job-Killing Jobs Council (Investors Business Daily)

If such trends continue, unemployment will reach 100% and the country will be insolvent in no time. Enjoy your work week…that is, if you’re one of the lucky ones (i.e. suckers) with a job.

"Victim" Citi Hacked

2011-06-10T12:00:00.008-05:00

Actually, 200,000+ Citi card holders - and some debit card holders - are the victims. Not much mention of their victimization though. Then again, most account holders aren't the ones who are too big to fail and able to lobby for a government bailout for their bad decisions. I would be stunned that Citi took weeks before notifying customers about their account status, if only it were not par for the course.

Citi Admits Customer Data At Risk After Breach (Financial Times)

Citigroup Breach Raises Disclosure Questions (The Street)

Citi Data Theft Points Up a Nagging Problem (The New York Times)

This Isn't The First Breach In Citigroup's History (CSO Blog)

Reaping Toil Sowed

2011-06-07T18:00:00.001-05:00

Growing up, kids are, or at least were, taught that good behavior and deeds result in reward. The opposite was true of bad behavior and deeds, resulting in punishment. Has that reward/punishment system gone to the wayside in a post self-esteem culture, where everyone is a winner? Or is it just the ones with enough influence?

Over the last decade, I, like millions of average citizens, diligently established an admirable credit history and a decent, above-average credit score. What has been the reward? Nothing, except being a number to Wall Street. Beholden to their idea of what makes, and who receives, a rewarding life – with compounded interest, of course. Never a late payment? Enjoy an increased annual percentage rate! Pay off the balance on-time, all the time? Enjoy a continually decreased credit amount! Collapse the world economy? Enjoy billions in federal bailout money, and continue business as usual! Frankly, I am tired of it.

Credit card companies are the worst offenders, even after the economic collapse and subsequent regulations against them. They did not learn their lesson because they were not given the proper punishment. In fact, Wall Street companies – like Citi and Bank of America, two of the worst – were rewarded with billions for their bad behavior, which they have continued because, rather than in spite, of it. They know they can get away with it because they know they will not face any punishment. Just like a kid rewarded for bad behavior.

Most especially, automakers bailed out by American taxpayers should not demand tax increases that will affect American taxpayer wallets, which are still feeling the pinch, in order to sell more cars:

GM's CEO Makes A Case For Gas Tax

Atlas shrugged? More likely, doesn’t care – as long as it reaps what the toil of others has sowed.

Jesus Was A Carpenter

2011-05-11T20:22:00.000-05:00

Finished building some shelving from scratch. While feeling fulfilled and accomplishment for doing it, it was nonetheless a labor-intensive task. And that’s how, while washing the sweat and dirt away in the shower, the (true) story of Jesus revealed itself to me…

As the story goes, Jesus was a carpenter. “Was” being the operative word. One day while in the shop, no doubt working on something for a father’s day gift, he was pouring all his sweat and time into a project. Stopping to take a drink of water, he whined, “Christ, walking on water would be easier than this!” And that’s when the telephone game began. Another carpenter in the shop, hearing Jesus, passed it onto his friend, who told another friend, so forth and so forth. Until the narrative became that Jesus, who was a carpenter, became Christ, who turned water into wine and walked on water.

Blasphemous? Probably. True story? I’ll let you decide.

Pakistan: Friend To The Enemy?

2011-05-09T15:00:00.001-05:00

Fine. Pakistan's outrage over the U.S.'s bin Laden raid was staged. An agreement no doubt meant to allow them to save face as a sovereign nation. That, however, does not explain away either their incompetence or complicity in the global manhunt for Osama bin Laden. Undoubtedly, there was a little, i.e. a lot, of both.

Osama bin Laden Mission Agreed In Secret 10 Years Ago By US And Pakistan

Osama bin Laden Must Have Had Pakistan Support Network, Says Obama

Pakistani PM: Failure To Locate Bin Laden Not Incompetence Or Complicity

Where Next For US-Pakistan Relations?

In related news, why does Pakistan keep exposing C.I.A. station chiefs? Allies are supposed to have each other's backs, not stabbing each other in it. Something to think about. After all, we are still prosecuting a War on Terrorism; it would be reprehensible if they turned out to be an enemy harboring terror suspects.

al-Qaida's Continuing Threat

2011-05-06T14:00:00.007-05:00

Osama bin Laden Death: Al-Qaida Vows To Carry Out Revenge Attacks On US

Dear al-Qaida et al,

Skin that smoke wagon and see what happens.

Sincerely,

USA

Editorials: Killing Osama bin Laden

2011-05-05T15:00:00.002-05:00

Some good reads for the week on the hunt for and death of international public enemy #1:

"Death of a Madman," by Christopher Hitchens

"Osama Bin Laden's Burial At Sea: Obama Administration Made Right Call To Show World Our Good Faith," by S.E. Cupp

"Obama’s Ground Zero Hypocrisy: The Left Cheers Barack After Jeering George," The Washington Times

"U.N. Human Rights Chief Asks U.S. to Explain Bin Laden Killing - Okay, Fine," by Doug Powers

"OBL's Termination: Geronimo-E KIA - A Short-Lived Victory in a Long War," by Mark Alexander

"Truth vs. Ideology," by Bill O'Reilly

Complacency Has No Children

2011-05-03T12:00:00.005-05:00

I am seriously beginning to believe that we indeed live in Bizarro world. Despite his reprehensible humanitarian record and abuses against the Catholic Church in his country, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, who oddly is a Catholic, attends Pope John Paul II's beatification in Rome. Pope John Paul II must have turned over in his catacomb when the guest list was published. Meantime, N.A.T.O. has come under fire over allegations of targeting Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi during humanitarian/no-fly zone/non-intervention support operations in that country. Then there is the continual international coddling of menacing regimes like North Korea and Iran. When did the bad guys become the good guys?

There is a grain of solace: Osama bin Laden is dead, and at the hands of the U.S. military. Chalk one up for the good guys, whose credit is due for staying the course and tracking him down.

Even with bin Laden dead, must we remain as vigilant globally as the past decade? Probably evermore so. Critics of the Bush Administration argued that by invading Iraq we were distracting from the real mission, that capturing or killing bin Laden was the end game. Yet, it was the resolve of President Bush in pursuing terrorists and those, like Saddam Hussein, who would harbor them that ushered the inevitable day of reckoning for bin Laden under President Obama’s faithful continuation of that resolution. For ten years we have taken the fight to them; and while the head of the snake is gone, the body is still present. We can, and should celebrate, but with vigilant caution – killing one villain has not, and will not, stop the others existent in the world.

Opinion: Bin Laden May Be Dead, But His Ideology Lives On

On Army Anniversary, North Korea Threat To Destroy US

Syria, Iran, and Losing a Strategic Opportunity

Where do we go from here? In the board game Risk, the only true way to win is by sweeping across the board and annihilating your opponents; fall short in Asia, and the person who has stockpiled a gazillion pieces in Australia will sweep back across and annihilate you. The real world is no different. We either sweep the globe of enemies to freedom and peace now, or we get swept by them later. Because while victory has many fathers and defeat is an orphan, complacency has no children.

Birther Be Wary

2011-05-01T12:00:00.021-05:00

Now that President Obama has released his birth certificate in long form, can we now move beyond the controversy over his place of birth? Not a chance. Like any conspiracy, even when faithfully debunked, it will persist forever in the annals of U.S. history. Is he a foreign-born, and thereby an illegally-elected, president? Do his sympathies lay with a foreign nation? Is he a foreign agent positioned as part of a foreign plot to overthrow the United States? And so forth.

Obama Releases Long-form Birth Certificate (USA Today)

Obama's McCain Resolution Demands 'American' Parents (World News Daily)

Was Young Obama Indonesian Citizen (World News Daily)

The Birther Movement: Immune To Facts? (CNN)

This recent controversy/conspiracy goes beyond the current president though. The concern, while legitimate, should not be whether President Obama was foreign born or at one point held foreign citizenship. There is the broader issue of presidential candidates’ birth certificates not being released publicly in the first place when running for the office. After all, American citizens – whose birth certificates must be presented in certain instances for even the mundane – essentially are electing the foremost citizen of the nation in the president. Should it not be a requirement that their “natural-born” citizenship, and that of every federal officeholder, is publicly verified before holding such a key position of power and authority?

Atlas of Sherwood

2011-04-21T09:00:00.006-05:00

Is there a Robin Hood somewhere out there? Perhaps a modern-day Internet highwayman stealing from the digital Sheriffs, giving to the less-fortunate residents of digital Sherwood. Hacking financial institutions in order to pay people's bills rather than stealing from them. That is one hacker I would be willing to give my passwords and account information.

Do not misinterpret, as I believe in free market capitalism. The problem is the selfish hubris of corporations and politicians, at every level, that makes it ever harder to defend it. Outrageous fees for services (what is the cost to them for me to print on my printer using my ink and paper???), prices on products skyrocketing with no end in sight and legislation that burdens more than aids. Simply to garner more profits and taxes for them from us.

What is the alternative though? Feudalism, communism and socialism are no answers, their evils well-documented by history. Capitalism has done and created great, unimaginable wonders for humanity. Yet, it too has its evils, economic hardships as devastating to lives and livelihoods as any war. To quote Ferris Bueller – “Not that I condone fascism, or any -ism for that matter. -Isms in my opinion are not good. A person should not believe in an -ism, he should believe in himself.”

Is there an –ism still to develop that can progress humanity beyond such a dichotomy? A product always has a specific shelf life, as capitalism itself dictates, particularly if another comes along to corner the market.

Perspectives: The Federal Budget

2011-04-01T12:00:00.033-05:00

No April Fools' joke - I laughed, I cried...I mostly cried.

Preliminary Analysis Of The President's Budget For 2012 (Congressional Budget Office)

Lowlights:

"Federal debt held by the public would double under the President’s budget, growing from $10.4 trillion (69 percent of GDP) at the end of 2011 to $20.8 trillion (87 percent of GDP) at the end of 2021." (p. 3) [Future generations pay the burden for current budget proposals.]

"In particular, net interest payments would nearly quadruple in nominal dollars (without an adjustment for inflation) over the 2012–2021 period and would increase from 1.7 percent of GDP to 3.9 percent." (p. 3)

"Compared with the Administration’s estimates, CBO’s estimates of the deficit under the President’s budget are lower for 2011 (by $220 billion) but higher for each year thereafter (by a total of $2.3 trillion over the 2012–2021 period)." (p. 4) [Current budget proposals leave the economic consequences to future generations.]

"For the 10-year projection period as a whole, the deficit that would result under the President’s proposals — $9.5 trillion, or 4.8 percent of GDP — would be $2.7 trillion greater than the cumulative deficit projected under current law. About $2.2 trillion of that difference stems directly from proposed policy changes; the other $0.5 trillion reflects additional interest payments resulting from increased borrowing." (p. 5)

Reducing The Deficit: Spending And Revenue Options (Congressional Budget Office)

Four Observations About The Federal Budget (Congressional Budget Office)

Defending The Affordable Care Act (Department of Justice)

Finally A War For Oil?

2011-03-29T15:00:00.006-05:00

I am a proponent of what the United States & N.A.T.O. are doing in Libya, but wasn't this simply supposed to be a humanitarian mission to setup a no-fly zone to protect civilians? One where we were not taking sides or getting involved in an apparent non-war civil war? The establishment of this no-fly zone seems wholly different from ones of the past, Kosovo and Iraq during the 1990s instantly springing to mind. The U.S. and N.A.T.O. have become little more than air support – an essential component in any modern military action – in obvious support of and benefit to the opposition forces, bombing strategic installations of government forces separate from the requisites of establishing a no-fly zone.

Obama Backs Libyan Political Pressure To Oust Gaddafi

Obama On War, Then and Now

Now we are going to arm rebels, who coalition forces admittedly know nothing about???

US Paves Way To Arm Libyan Rebels

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan faced Congressional investigation over the Iran-Contra affair, in which the administration faced allegations of illegally funneling arms to Iran – who at the time was involved in a six-year old conflict with Iraq and under a U.N. arms embargo – and funding Nicaraguan Contras from those arm sales in violation of U.S. law. Flash forward to 2002, when President George W. Bush was accused of illegally involving the U.S. in the internal struggles of Iraq as part of the broader "War on Terrorism." Now, the Obama Administration appears poised to do both – send arms to rebels, and involve the U.S. in an internal conflict. Openly, and still without Congressional consultation or approval. Guess one must have a short memory as a politician.

Like a majority of people, I am simply confused as to what exactly is the mission in Libya and the apparent hypocritical disconnect in undertaking it. Why only Libya? Why not other places whose governments are slaughtering their people? Is this precedent for future interventions, or a blind eye to those situations? In 1990, President George H.W. Bush formed a coalition against Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, touted by opponents as an alleged “war for oil” conflict due to that country’s oil production. In 2002, his son, the aforementioned George W., led another coalition against Iraq, and again opponents labeled it a “war for oil” conflict. As evidenced by history, neither affected the oil industry such nomenclature would dictate; examining gas prices throughout both, quite the opposite in fact. Now, the U.S. finds itself involved in Libya whose primary export is oil, which begs the question – is third time the charm?

Ignoring Only Makes It Fester

2011-03-22T09:00:00.008-05:00

In March 1960, President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved covert action against the Castro regime in Cuba, with the stated primary objective to "bring about the replacement of the Castro regime with one more devoted to the true interests of the Cuban people and more acceptable to the U.S. in such a manner to avoid any appearance of U.S. intervention." In April 1961, President John F. Kennedy then approved Operation Zapata – more infamously known as the Bay of Pigs invasion plans – in order to carry out that objective. Regrettably, the Kennedy Administration, in a half-hearted attempt to both lead and maintain anonymity in its role, failed to provide adequate – and pledged – support in personnel, supplies and logistics. Accordingly, the invasion failed miserably.

The Bay of Pigs invasion is a lesson of history that has haunted every administration since. It would seem, however, that the current administration is not heeding the lessons of such half-hearted attempts at regime change, particularly as concerns Libya. In fact, vacillating statements concerning the role and objectives of the U.S. in dealing with Libya and the Qaddafi regime makes the U.S. and its president look impotent, and only serves to strengthen a third world dictator. A dictator who has ruled for 42 years, and is a well-documented advocate, harborer and sponsor of terrorists. Administration officials – including the president and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – have directly called for the removal of Qaddafi, citing it as U.S. policy, and then contradicted, and thus weakened, that position by advocating the limited objectives of the so-called humanitarian-only mission of the international coalition arrayed against Libya. There is no way to reconcile and interpret such dynamically opposed pronouncements, other than to see them as yet another administration beset by a practically non-existent foreign policy rooted in timidity and indecisiveness.

Rather than doing nothing or, worse, leaving it to the international community, i.e. the Useless Nations, to (mis)handle international crises, many are open to the United States being the policeman of the world. Like the motto of the U.S. Navy says, “as a force for good.” Others do not agree, advocating a U.S.-first foreign policy that leaves it to international diplomacy, i.e. the Useless Nations, and that does not embroil the nation in the conflicts of other countries. A Neville “peace in our time” Chamberlain attitude, it was the same before both World Wars, before the first Gulf War and even, by some advocates, as the ashes of the World Trade Center still smoldered. Such opposition to U.S.-led military interventions – unilateral or otherwise – is not a modern phenomenon, going as far back as the Barbary Wars – ironically, a series of conflicts off the coasts of North Africa, involving current embattled states Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. Indeed, Mr. Twain, history sure does like to rhyme. As the world has become a global one, opposition has only intensified on an international scale both home and abroad in the wars of modern day.

Yet, if we fail to help those hard-pressed in advancing egalitarianism or do not offer assistance to those who attempt to do so, we are nothing more than accomplices in the global suicide caused by oppression and despotism. It was true for Afghanistan, true for Iraq and it is true for the likes of Libya. And it is true for any future hotspot that becomes a focal point in casting off the yoke suppressing life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That much is certain, and indeed – through toil, blood and sacrifice – has always been the destiny of the United States since its inception to aid those seeking similar ideals. As President Kennedy stated in his Inaugural Address on January 20, 1961:

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

Fifty years later, are we, as a nation, no longer willing to honor that call? Are we once again going to put on blinders to the threats of the world, just as we did after both World Wars, after the first Gulf War and even as we continue to prosecute the War on Terrorism?

That Crazily Karmic Synching Feeling

2011-03-17T00:00:00.011-05:00

Typically, I am a logical skeptic. Yet, in two previous posts (“Coincidence, Synchronicity, Karmic or Crazy?” & “What Would Jack Shephard Do?”), I noted a weird, if not crazy, phenomenon repeatedly occurring to me. It centered around sporadically, if not consistently, seeing the numbers “222” and “343,” usually on a clock in the form of “2:22” or “3:43.” [For further info, check out www.222mystery.com, www.1111angels.com or www.greatdreams.com/222.htm] Frankly, it was driving me nuts, along with other peripheral coincidences explained in the aforementioned blogs.

I may have found an explanation. As an experiment, I fiddled with the ideas found in Numerology. Breaking the numbers down to their basic, I correlated them to their numerological representation. If I haven’t lost you yet or you haven’t phoned the psychiatric hospital to see if a patient is missing, this is what I came up with:

Taken as a whole:

222 (2 + 2 + 2 = 6)

343 (3 + 4 + 3 = 10 = 1 + 0 = 1)

61 (6 + 1 = 7)

In numerology, 6 = Responsibility; 1 = Individual; 7 = Thought & Consciousness

Divided into parts:

2:22 (2 = 2; 2 + 2 = 4)

3:43 (3 = 3; 4 + 3 = 7)

2437 (2 + 4 + 3 + 7 = 16 = 1 + 6 = 7)

In numerology, 2 = Balance & Union; 4 = Creation; 3 = Communication & Neutrality; 7 = Thought & Consciousness

Is it coincidence that George Washington was born on February 22 (2/22), and thanks to his perseverance and leadership that the United States came into existence under the newly adopted Constitution in 1789 – 222 years ago? Further, that 343 New York firefighters lost their lives in the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001, and that there are 343 commandments related to the Temple of King Solomon - the last known location in the historical record for the Ark of the Covenant - and for worship therein? Of note, the Temple is laid out in a pattern similar in design to the Kabalistic “Tree of Life.” In relation to this, the Mayans’ Long Count Calendar is predicted to “end” on December 21, 2012. Interpreted as either a new beginning in human consciousness or the biblical “end of days,” it is to coincide with an alignment of the Sun, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy and the outer universe that will form, as described by the Mayans, a cosmic “Tree of Life” with the Sun at its heart.

Crytalinks – December 12, 2012

So The Maya’s Were Right After All

Last Wave of the Mayan Calendar

Now, if I still haven’t lost you and you haven’t even thought about the phone, this is my interpretation: individual balance and unity through communication and neutrality leads to the creation of responsibility in thought and consciousness. More concise, thoughts are aligned with the truth, and “as a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Bhagavad Gita, 2:22) Could this be the approaching destiny of humanity? A unity of consciousness that sees the casting off of the old world for a new enlightened one?

Again, I ask...coincidence, synchronicity, karmic or crazy?

Proper Punishment = Balanced Budget

2011-03-09T16:00:00.009-06:00

Excuse me if my math is wrong; I did attend, proudly, public school. The justice system in the United States is pathetic in terms of actual justice. From the ordinary citizen to law enforcement, this is not a revelation. John Q. Nobody serves a mandatory maximum sentence – commonly without the possibility of parole – for felony possession of a few grams of recreational-use marijuana, while child murderers and cop killers plea bargain lighter sentences and walk free after a few years thanks to “good behavior.” How is it that the crime of murder, especially those confessed and unremorsed, do not carry an automatic death penalty?

With Eye Toward Savings, Assembly Takes Up Prison Terms

Life Without Parole For Shepard; Jury Decides Against Death Sentence In Killing Of Officer

Father of Murdered 5-Year-Old Says He'll Make Sure Killer Suffers Same Fate

Across the nation, local and state governments are in the midst of budget crises, as the federal government attempts to prevent a shutdown thanks to its own financial woes. Want to balance these budgets? First, stop spending taxpayer money on incarcerated murderers guilty beyond any reasonable doubt, and do to them what they did to their victims. Such scum deserves neither to live nor benefit from society’s moral goodwill. In this way, we can literally kill two birds with one stone: balance the budget and thin the population of those who forfeited their lives the second they took another’s.

A balanced budget is what taxpayers want; justice is what society demands. Frankly, the argument that a sentence of “life in prison” is cheaper than a one-time execution has never seemed economically sound. Must be the new math. Before the 20th century, there was no such thing as the national deficit. At least, people did not concern themselves with it. Justice was also swift, and unremitting for the most heinous. Probably because rope and bullets are cheap. As Charlie Sheen might say, sounds like a winning proposition.

Presidential Pardon

2011-02-25T12:00:00.006-06:00

Even though I am conservative, I have never understood the love affair with Ronald Reagan. Yes, he came across at times as a humble man who loved his country. But the greatest? Debatable, especially if one lived during his days in the White House or have read accounts of his administration. Recently, I finally got around to reading historian Michael Beschloss' Presidential Courage, languishing on my bookshelf for a few years now, which chronicles major issues and decisions presidents since Washington have had to face. The final chapters discuss Reagan, an objective and critical analysis of his administration in dealing with the Soviet Union and the “end” of the Cold War. Certain points Beschloss raise are indeed frightening, including indicators that Reagan indeed suffered from the onset of Alzheimer's while still in office.

Americans Say Reagan Is the Greatest U.S. President (Gallup)

Embarrassed Republicans Admit They've Been Thinking Of Eisenhower Whole Time They've Been Praising Reagan (The Onion)

Of course, the overall point is that it is a stressful and, at times, pitiless job being president. As Beschloss’ title suggests, it takes courage. Currently, 44 men have held the distinction; a plethora of others have declined even running for the position. As our second president, John Adams, said, “No man who ever held the office of president would congratulate a friend on obtaining it.” His own son, John Quincy Adams, preferred a return to Congress than to seek the presidency again – a sentiment Lyndon Johnson also hailed when he became president.

Who is the greatest president? I have my favorites, and I am glad to see that all five make Gallup's poll. In no particular order:

      1. George Washington
      2. Abraham Lincoln
      3. Theodore Roosevelt
      4. Dwight D. Eisenhower
      5. George W. Bush

Why these five? All leaders who withstood pressures from the opposition concerning their policies, and all maligned during their presidencies. Yet, three (Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt) overlook the Dakotas from atop Mount Rushmore in tribute of their greatness. Two (Eisenhower, Bush) were considered aloof and affable during their presidencies, yet one (Eisenhower) has since been vindicated by history as a not-so-aloof effective leader during multiple crises. Undoubtedly, it will not be long before the tide of history turns for the other, whose due credit for influencing current events in formerly oppressed regions has been eschewed by mainstream media and revisionists solely in favor of the current administration. The fact that love ‘em-or-hate ‘em George W. Bush comes in at #10 on Gallup's poll – out of 44, and higher than his more admired, and latest Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, dad George H.W. Bush – seems at least an indicator.

Remake Reboot Ridiculousness

2011-02-23T21:00:00.004-06:00

I am officially tired of remakes. Apparently, there is the need in Hollywood to remake/reboot EVERY movie - classic, cult or otherwise - that has ever been made. There are so many screenwriters (and writers in general *wink* *wink*) with ORIGINAL ideas that never even get considered. Instead, they redo drivel that, in some cases, didn't need to be done the first time!

75 Movie Remakes And Reboots Currently In The Works (Den of Geek)

Are Film Remakes Worth The Risk? (Starpulse.com)

A non-comprehensive list of movies that didn't/don't need a remake/reboot, which were made or are currently at some stage of development:

3:10 To Yuma
Akira
Alien
Arthur
Barbarella
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Capricorn One
Child's Play
Cliffhanger
Dune
Escape From New York
Evil Dead
Excalibur
Footloose
Heavy Metal
Hellraiser
High Noon
Highlander
Jason and the Argonauts
Lethal Weapon
Nightmare On Elm Street
Overboard
Pet Semetary
Piranha
Planet of the Apes
Police Academy
Robocop
Romancing the Stone
Slap Shot
Sleeping Beauty
Spider-Man
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Birds
The Bodyguard
The Crow
The Dirty Dozen
The Karate Kid
The Neverending Story
Tombraider
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Yellow Submarine

A non-comprehensive list of movies that didn't/don't need a remake/reboot, but I gave/will give them a chance:

Alice in Wonderland
Clash of the Titans
Conan
Dawn of the Dead
Flash Gordon
Ghostbusters
Judge Dredd
Mad Max
Night of the Living Dead
Predator
Red Dawn
Star Trek
Superman
The Black Hole
The Crazies
The Mechanic
The Shadow
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Total Recall
True Grit

Happy Birthday, Famous Dead Person!

2011-02-22T12:00:00.002-06:00

A weird phenomenon, celebrating the birthday of a person who long-ago passed away. This is especially true of celebrities and historical figures, succumbing to the mortal coil years, decades and even centuries ago. It is understandable wanting to commemorate through remembrance the life lived, but is it necessary to expound upon the abstract of “had they lived…”? To ponder about this or that in terms of such seems ridiculous, and for one reason: the individual in question is dead.

Take Jules Verne, and what would be his 183rd birthday this year. Some have entertained the idea that had he lived to see 2011, the prolific writer of science fiction would notice many of the incredible creations of his imagination having come to fruition. That’s fine, speculating on the merging of fiction and reality. What would be even more fantastical though is Verne reaching his 183rd birthday, and living to see 2011! Frankly, it takes away from Verne’s foresight in his time that has seen the development of those ideas in our time. Had Leonardo da Vinci lived to the 20th century, he would have seen many of his inventions as well; he also would be over 500 years old. That though is why men like da Vinci and Verne are recognized as visionaries, because they never saw the fruits of their imaginations in their own time. Instead, generations have passed the torch as a natural progression of human existence to make it happen.

In the case of some, rather than celebrate their birth we reflect on their death. This seems more natural, if not more reasonable. Remembering how they were, rather than how they might have been had they lived. When was John Lennon born? Off the top of my head I have no clue, but I can tell you he died December 8, 1980. Forever 40 years old. (I looked it up.) Had he lived, he might have been a Justin Bieber fan; we will never know though, because a deranged stalker murdered him before the pop sensation was even born. The same is true of many others whose death overshadows their birth in remembrance – John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King instantly springing to mind, as well as the 27 Club. Shortened lives whose impact is recognized more in their passing than in their beginning. We cannot know what might be had they lived.

Definitely, the world would be a different one had any deceased person lived to celebrate more birthdays. The truth is every birthday reached also reminds that we are all one year closer to the greatest equalizer. If you care to celebrate thereafter…just make sure you get me something nice. After all, it’s the thought that counts.

As for George Washington…happy birthday Mr. President, 279 years old today had you lived!

Class Warfare...Minus Class Distinction?

2011-02-21T00:30:00.001-06:00

The headlines speak for themselves...

"Why Isn't Wall Street in Jail?" by Matt Taibbi (Rolling Stone)

"Why I Changed My Mind About Unions" by Michael Filozof (American Thinker)

Road To Democracy?

2011-02-14T00:00:00.003-06:00

No, it's not the latest Hope/Crosby flick...

"Egypt's Military Rulers Dissolve Parliament, Suspend Constitution" (AP via USA Today)

"Egypt's Generals Impose Martial Law," by Craig Whitlock and Sudarsan Raghavan (Washington Post)

"Observers Unsure Egypt's Military Will Keep Promises," by Jim Michaels (USA Today)

"Protesters Press For Voice In Egyptian Democracy" (AP via USA Today)

"Ideology Shadows Fight To Rule The New Egypt," by Oren Dorell (USA Today)

(Who knows...Moroccans could follow the lead of their neighbors.)

Giving Due Credit For Mideast Uprisings

2011-02-12T09:00:00.089-06:00

Could not have said it better myself. Not Chris Matthews idiotic statement; Noel Sheppard's, of NewsBusters, argument for its idiocy. As Sheppard astutely points out, the seeds of today were planted long before the Obama Administration. Matthews obviously has not kept track of the President's, and equally his predecessor's, record on the issue of democracy in the Middle East, nor considered the internal factors throughout the region for current events that has caught the entire world by surprise. The typical political clamoring for credit - by no means, nothing new in politics at any level - is akin to those who maintain Ronald Reagan toppled the Soviet Union and won the Cold War. Reagan gets credit because he was president at the time it happened, and not necessarily from any influence of his administration. Only people with a narrow understanding of history and the forces at work make such absurd generalizations.

Sheppard makes another valid point on the situation: taking credit, publicly on record no less, means taking the blame as well if things go against expectations. Again though, it depends on one's viewpoint.

"Chris Matthews On Egypt And Mubarak: 'It Took Obama To Have This Happen'," by Noel Sheppard (NewsBusters)

"The Egypt Warnings Obama Ignored," by Jackson Diehl (Washington Post)

"Social Media Sparked, Accelerated Egypt's Revolutionary Fire," by Sam Gustin (Wired)

Toxic Consumption

2011-02-11T12:00:00.016-06:00

Recently, I have become conscientious regarding the ingredients of certain consumer goods, specifically food and cosmetics. By no means am I fanatical about it, just more aware. Still, I have taken to read the labels of items more closely…discovering that curiosity truly does kill the cat. Unbelievable some of the ingredients listed in even the purportedly nutritious foods, giving credence to theories concerning links between certain products and health conditions. If it is not out of my way or perhaps a few dollars more in price, I will gladly sacrifice for the seemingly healthier choice. That said, there are limits to my quest – working within a budget so as not to spend a fortune, and not running all over town trying to find items free of these questionable ingredients.

After watching Morgan Spurlock’s 2004 documentary Super Size Me, I completely stopped eating McDonald’s®. A choice on my part, which I do not seek to instill in others. In my youth, I was able to eat it; as I have aged, not so much. The last few times eating it I had similar reactions as Spurlock when he first started his experiment: discomfort in my stomach, and especially in my chest. While food naturally can give upset stomach and indigestion from time to time, it should not feel like a heart attack every time only minutes after consuming it. If given the choice of fast food joints, I prefer somewhere like Subway®, where I, at the very least, feel that I am getting a fresh product with nutritional value.

The two areas I have become seriously adamant about are bath products and pet food. Read the ingredients on a majority of either of these daily-use products, found in abundance at most retailers. Like millions of people, I have had sporadic skin problems (redness, dry skin, etc.) over the years, trying numerous products and altered diets in search of a permanent solution. Some worked for a time, most did not. Then, a few months ago I read about sulfates in bodywash, shampoos and other bath products; essentially, you might as well wash with sulfuric acid. Researching deeper, I found that EVERY product in the local grocery stores contained these highly toxic chemicals. Perhaps explaining how no matter what I switched to, the skin irritations continued. Currently, I am trying my hand at sulfate-free bath products, difficult as it may be to find and on a budget. (One that I am currently experimenting with is Nature’s Gate®, which I did find at a conveniently located grocer for a modest price.)

As for pet food, many brand name manufacturers should be ashamed. Brewers rice, corn gluten meal and animal digest – all non-nutrient fillers, and all common ingredients in a majority of traditional pet foods. Brewers rice, though sounding intoxicatingly delicious, is not actual rice but a byproduct of milled rice. Corn gluten meal, while a byproduct of processed corn, can also be an organic herbicide. Yes, herbicide. In pet food. It gets worse. Animal digest – sounding somewhat akin to regurgitated vomit – is a bouquet of specified OR unspecified parts of animals, with no quality control over contamination or the source. Meaning any variety of animals could comprise the contents of the “animal digest,” from euthanized shelter animals to roadkill. Yum. There are even products containing propylene glycol. Though approved as a non-toxic food additive for both animals and humans, data indicates propylene glycol can be toxic to both dogs and cats in certain doses. Any time the words “can be” is used, I simply replace it with “is.” Why? Because it is also used as a non-toxic antifreeze and coolant in industrial applications – certainly any part of a balanced diet, human or animal.

Again researching, I came across Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Pet Foods®. Immediately, I became a fan. Why? Duh – Tom Bradford, Eight Is Enough…the original Dickie V! No, no, no, the ingredients. Reading the label, I am able to discern exactly what is in it without having to investigate further. Here are the first few items listed on the standard formula: Chicken; Brown Rice; Lamb Meal; Oatmeal; Barley; Salmon Meal; Potatoes; Carrots; Chicken Fat (as opposed to the typically unspecified “animal fat”); Tomato Pomace; Natural Flavor. Hmm, natural flavor…what a novel idea. Not once did I need to question any of these ingredients, their function at once recognized and understood. Even the listing of minerals and vitamins, while a bit overwhelming, is understandable without head scratching. No brewers rice, no corn gluten, and certainly no animal digest or antifreeze…er, propylene glycol. All natural ingredients, all understandable upon first read.

Of course, it is up to every individual to choose what chemicals go in and on their body, and to become more aware of the impact. Otherwise, we might just be consuming the poison hemlock without notice.

*Disclaimer: In no way am I affiliated with nor am I being paid by Subway®, Nature’s Gate® or Dick Van Patten. Unfortunately. Claims made are based on personal experience and preference, and should not be construed as advocating an agenda for or against their products and competitors.

Seeing The Hieroglyphics On The Wall

2011-02-02T15:00:00.000-06:00

With Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak announcing he will not seek to remain in power with new elections, an opportunity exists for the United States and its allies, particularly Israel. Despite the genuine risk of an anti-Western government taking power à la Iran in 1979, the U.S., on the heels of Mubarak’s announcement, must now fully embrace the populist revolt that has occurred in Egypt. In spite of setbacks in reforming the governments of both Afghanistan and Iraq from despotism to more egalitarian systems, the U.S. is still the beacon for spreading democratic principles to other nations receptive to them. Egypt, the once-thriving beacon of civilization itself, is no exception to that influence.

An elected official and a pro-Western leader who has provided support in U.S.-led actions in the Middle East, including the 1991 Gulf War and the on-going War on Terror, Mubarak’s regime can hardly be considered democratic. Operating under a referendum election system, the Egyptian constitution restricts who may run against the president. In fact, Mubarak has won successive elections without any opposition candidates since 1987; even after restrictions were amended to allow other candidates in 2005, Mubarak was nominated and confirmed by parliament without facing a single challenger. Further, the country has operated under emergency law since 1967, allowing the extension of police powers, suspension of rights and information censorship (hence, the recent Internet blackout during the current crisis). Even more, political activities including the rights of assembly and unauthorized organization are sharply circumscribed, with the government permitted to imprison individuals without cause or due process for an indeterminate length of time. All with state-run media – three newspapers and television – towing the president’s agenda.

On the other hand, the U.S. must also maintain the delicate diplomacy the State Department has skillfully applied during the course of the unexpected crisis. Reformation of Egypt’s government from Mubarak’s 30-year reign must not be seen as the imposition of the so-called “American imperialist doctrine” that would play into anti-American regimes like Iran, North Korea and Venezuela. Change of the status quo, as it already has occurred, needs to continue growing from the Egyptian people themselves, with the hand of the U.S. firmly yet unassumingly extended in friendship and aid as the country transitions. The odds of the situation developing into another Afghanistan of the 1990s – in which the anti-Western Taliban seized power after a bloody civil war, exasperated by international interference from the likes of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran – is more than just academic.

Ominously, the Egyptian crisis comes as Tunisia and Yemen are experiencing populist revolts against similarly long-standing authoritarian, yet pro-Western governments as well. The question is, when the protests end and the smoke clears will it be the bleak world of 1979 that witnessed the ascendancy of the Islamic Revolution in Iran or the promising world of 1989 that witnessed the toppling of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union? As Mark Twain remarked, “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” Only a matter of seeing the writing on the wall as to the way in which that history will turn.

Sin Citi

2011-02-01T09:00:00.004-06:00

Increasing APRs without warrant after card members opt-out of the changes in terms, distortion of facts to cover up breaches of the Card Member Agreement and outright falsities made in lawsuit affidavits against card members who dispute the matter. This is Citibank, whose parent company, Citigroup, was bailed out by the American taxpayer with $45 billion.

It is time Wall Street is held accountable, same as they demand from their account holders. The recently released report of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission demonstrates that Citigroup attempted to offset their multi-billion dollar losses through such practices like increasing interest rates, while attempting to hide the losses in a scheme, in the FCIC’s own words, “to manipulate its financial statements.” If they were consciously willing to do that unchecked, what else were they willing to do? No doubt, they began raising interest rates and fees in their Citibank credit card division to cover losses of the parent company.

In spite of this, Citibank continues to strong-arm account holders into egregious terms and rates in the face of legislation to curb such practices. By finding in favor of them in any legitimately disputed lawsuit – 1,757 lawsuits filed in St. Louis County alone over the last two years, a 400% increase from the previous nine-year period – courts reinforce the corporate greed and policies that continue to plague the American economy. Instead, they should be, and need, to protect the consumer rights of hardworking American taxpayers who bailed-out corporations, like Citigroup and Bank of America, and still feel the burden.

FCIC Blames Government, Wall St Execs

2011-01-29T12:00:00.002-06:00

The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, established to investigate the economic collapse, released its final report. Not surprisingly (because we all knew who was to blame) they found the crisis could have been avoided, but those who could have done something ignored the warnings and failed to act. Frankly, the names of Robert Rubin, Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke and Timothy Geithner come up far too often for comfort. Not too mention that of Citigroup/Citibank, who are spotlighted more than a number of times as a primary culprit.

Quoting from the report:

"In November 1999, Congress passed and President Clinton signed the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), which lifted most of the remaining Glass-Steagall-era restrictions...The New York Times reported that Citigroup CEO Sandy Weill hung in his office a 'hunk of wood - at least 4 feet wide - etched with his portrait and the words 'The Shatterer of Glass-Steagall.'...John Reed, former co-CEO of Citigroup acknowledged to the FCIC that, in hindsight, 'the compartmentalization that was created by Glass-Steagall would be a positive factor,' making less likely a 'catastrophic failure' of the financial system."

In other words, Citi, by admission of Weill and testimony of Reed, is solely responsible for the removal of legislation in 1999 that could have prevented the economic collapse. Go figure, but we, the American taxpayers, had already figured out what the FCIC has ultimately concluded. Fully thorough but understandable, the report is nonetheless frightening in its scope of what did happen...and what very well could have happened.

"Panel Finds Financial Crisis Was Avoidable" (AP)

(Read the full report here.)

Chuck Heston...And The End Days

2011-01-28T14:22:00.004-06:00

If you haven't read or watched the news in at least the past month, it certainly would seem the beginning of Armageddon is in full swing. :) With that in mind, this seems appropriate...

The State We Are In

2011-01-26T18:00:00.005-06:00

In his Constitutionally-obligated State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama expressed pointedly that the government must unite to freeze spending…and invest in winning the future by spending. Specifically, the touted-since-Eisenhower critical areas of education and the sciences. However one balances that particular ledger – because you cannot simultaneously contain and allocate spending – the president explicitly targeted earmarks. Examining the record of the Democratic-controlled 111th Congress, he certainly must have been speaking directly to his own political party.

In the spirit of bipartisanship, perhaps that was the intention. Even so, neither party is innocent.

Sampling the top ten Congressional earmark “offenders” for both chambers in each fiscal year between 2008-’10, Democrats outpaced Republicans in total number of and total cost for earmarks IN EVERY YEAR. In the House of Representatives, Democrats ranked in the top ten 22 times to the Republicans 8 in both categories over the three year period. The story is similar in the Senate, where Democrats ranked in the top ten 24 times to the Republicans 6 in total earmarks and 19 to 11 in total cost over the three years. In total, Democrats ranking in the top ten from both chambers attached 6,960 earmarks at a cost of nearly $10.2 billion, compared to Republicans ranking in the top ten who attached 2,214 at a cost of nearly $6.6 billion. Those are only the totals for the top tier Congressional members over the past three years; it stands to reason that with the president addressing the issue of cutting earmarks Democrats, more so than Republicans, undoubtedly raised a silent stink. Figuratively, if not literally.

Little surprise that Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) oppose Obama’s call to veto any legislation containing earmarks, both consistently ranking high in pork barrel politics. Business as usual in politics generally and Washington, D.C., especially. (Excepting Thad Cochran, R-MS, who unabashedly led all Congressional Republicans three years running in an exorbitant, if not enthusiastic, charge for earmarks in the Senate, finally topping both categories overall in number of and cost for earmarks in fiscal year 2010. *Sarcasm alert* Congratulations Senator!)

The biggest head scratcher by far is the call to lead the way in innovation, particularly in the context of energy – whether so-called “clean” or not – and technology. Amazing if not bizarre that in the 21st century we still talk of oil exploration (have we already forgotten the BP oil spill?), coal mining (how many hours lost watching the Chilean miner rescue?) and train travel (otherwise disguised as “high-speed rail”). Fossil fuels and trains? Really? Trains, the technology whose expansion is allegedly necessary – at the cost of billions – for the transportation needs of the American people…if we were still living in the 19th century. Scientists have split the atom, developed unprecedented information sharing through the Internet, and mapped the human genome, yet we still utilize the energies and technologies of old repackaged as innovatively new. As if some cyber-warped steampunk surrealism substituting for reality looking to the future through the past.

From where are the innovations to come by such backward-thinking futurism, in order to “out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world”? Nowhere, if we continue using the terms and technologies of our ancestors. (I am STILL waiting for my self-guided flying car scientists…)

As President Obama noted, the United States is indeed at a “Sputnik moment.” With the partisan divide alone in addressing our economic woes and the threats to national security, the state of the union makes that very clear.

Bankers (& Their Lawyers) Bankrupting the Bankrupt

2011-01-25T12:00:00.020-06:00

A completely unscientific poll of occupied barstools shows that Americans are feeling abandoned, helpless and broke. All because of the economy, and the failure of government in their opinion to properly address the issue. Unemployment still hovering over 9%? A $14 trillion deficit, meaning even more from American taxpayers to pay if off? All while the very entities that single-handedly caused the problems in the first place attempt to recoup their “losses” through licentious litigation and added account fees.

For the St. Louis metro area alone, Bank of America and Citibank have filed an unprecedented amount of lawsuits targeting account holders. Citibank – represented in ALL cases by Berman & Rabin, a self-proclaimed leader specializing in creditor’ rights headquartered in Kansas City – is the worst offender, with 2,283 cases filed in St. Louis City/County over the last two years. That is a 325% per year increase from the 2,421 lawsuits filed over the previous nine years starting in 2000; respectively, 1,142/year over a two year period vs. 268/year over a nine year period. No other financial institution that received taxpayer money even comes close to those amounts. Bank of America’s total has actually decreased in totality, from 4,564 lawsuits between 2000-’08 (507/year) to 1,272 lawsuits between 2009-’10 (636/year) – a modest 25% per year increase. Separately, each of these financial giants received approximately $45 billion in federal bailout funds – a combined $90 billion.

The number of lawsuits is telling, and for one reason: Americans are sick and tired of egregious account terms, strong-arm tactics and wholly rampant corporate greed, and collectively as individuals stopped paying their accounts in protest.

In the midst of all this, the banks obviously have not understood the anger:

More Banks Are Yanking Free Checking

U.S. Bank May End Free Checking

If you are able, I strongly urge leaving the credit grid as soon as possible and stop giving your hard-earned money to these assholes. When they are finally allowed to collapse under the weight of their own arrogant hubris – as they should have earlier – only then might they learn a lesson. The lesson that Americans are tired of feeling abandoned, helpless and broke, particularly at the hands of Wall Street.

History Lessons, CliffsNotes Style

2011-01-21T14:00:00.011-06:00

Fascinating...especially for the ADD-prone easily bored by history.

"What I have a problem with, is people using hyperbole to induce an irrational fear of a particular group with the goal of ultimately reducing their numbers." Well spoken Jon Stewart...well spoken.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Word Warcraft

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>

The Daily Show on Facebook

Non Gradus Nihil

2011-01-19T18:00:00.021-06:00

An FYI to publishers, established or otherwise, and any budding writer: there is no such creature as a volunteer writer. While the term “freelance” – used by the most reclusive of the species, in an effort to interact with the fewest humanity has to offer – may connote free labor, it is not the case. Like the taxman, grave digger and private escort, writers like to be paid. Preferably in cold, hard cash. Sort of like a hooker...er, private escort. (In our own way, we are all whores to the business.)

What is the thinking behind this modest sampling of far too many of these type ads, quite obviously placed by those of the most unscrupulous nature? Not to mention the writer so willing to compromise their craft for so little compensation (i.e. none) ? These are real ads calling for writers:

Conservative Writer/Journalist/Contributor (Freelance Volunteer)
A soon to be launched conservative online magazine funded by a prominent anonymous donor, is seeking writers...Contributors will be unpaid, however, may be able to gain notoriety in the world of conservative politics...Those writers contributing to the website will be given special consideration for such paid positions in the event such a magazine comes to fruition.

"...funded by a prominent anonymous donor"? Then they can probably afford to pay their writers, pivotal components to anything coming to fruition.

Journalist/Writer (Volunteer)
We are looking for people who are interested in journalism or writing stories for our website and newsletter. You will be required to travel in different communities to obtain community stories...

Required to travel? For no pay? Thanks, but no thanks.

Article Writers Wanted Urgently!!! $1 Per 500 Words
I need articles writers to begin immediate. Rate is 1USD for 500 words and $0.5 for 250 words. Please kindly submit a sample of your work while bidding. this will enable me to judge the quality of your Job. Daily payment. Please Bid if you are capable of delivery 6 articles daily. If you can deliver 10 that will be preferable. Kindly be honest with your bid, no bluffing. Happy Bidding.

$1 Per 300 Words
I need to hire 2 writers to complete 30 articles each in 3 days. 10 articles per day and the project should be completed within 3 days..Articles must be 300+ words. All articles must pass copyscape 100%, be unique and well written.. They must be accepted in ezinearticles.com. If articles do not pass copyscape, are not well written or do not get accepted in ezine, you will not be paid.. Payment will be through paypal only..Payment will be made daily for every 10 articles. Bid with samples or links to your articles in ezine..Thanks

Articles @$3/500 Words Urgent
Minimum 10 articles(500 words) per day i need minimum 4 writers. should be copyscape passed. payment via paypal/GAF (No escrow please) daily payments after review this is an urgent assignment so if you are busy with other assignments, kindly dont bid. articles sholud be copyscape passed and no plagarism should be there. thanks have a nice bidding.

Urgent? Really? From the typos and grammatical errors, apparently they urgently need editors as well. Guess what...I won't be bidding. I'll be busy on other assignments. Ones preferably paying a decent rate.

Happy Merry Kwanukkah Holiday!

2010-12-24T12:00:00.057-06:00

They do make some valid points. So says the fence-sitting agnostic... ;)

"Forget the Secular Holiday, December 25 Is About the Greatest Gift of All," by Dan Gainor

"A Holiday Message From Ricky Gervais: Why I’m an Atheist," by Ricky Gervais

That's Great...But Citi Still Sucks It!

2010-12-08T12:00:00.007-06:00

Citigroup Stake Is Sold for About $10.5 Billion as U.S. Unwinds Investment

Citigroup Shares Rise After Bank Escapes U.S. Fetters

Glad to hear that the United States government - which bailed out Citigroup to prevent their collapse, thanks in no small part to their own ill-conceived policies - has divested its interests. None of this will benefit the American taxpayers though, whose money it was that bailed them out, or turn the economy around in their favor. Think Citi will treat its account holders better, like lowering their illegally raised interest rates or dismissing suits brought against those refusing to bow down to their strong-arm tactics? Doubtful. Which is why Citi still sucks it.

A Second Thought On TARP's Bottom Line

BofA, Citibank Often Tapped Fed Auctions During Crisis

November 2010 Was Only A Start

2010-11-28T04:00:00.003-06:00

A laughable news story...

Sharpton Wants FCC to Ban Limbaugh

I quote, "America's political discourse is being crippled by talk radio and cable news shows." Really? Seeing how that the majority of mass media are left-leaning these days, that very well might be true. Unfortunately, it seems only the right-wing conspiracy sees it that way. Laughable.

According to Senator Jay Rockefeller, discussing Fox News and MSNBC, "It would be a big favor to political discourse; to our ability to do our work here in Congress; and to the American people, to be able to talk with each other and have some faith in their government and, more importantly, in their future." Really? The Congress has done nothing but screw the American people since its inception, with little concern over discourse concerning their future. Perhaps Senator Rockefeller should not so obtusely bloviate so as to recognize that the American people do not trust their government to act in their best interest. Perhaps Mr. Rockefeller real interest lies in seeing to it that the stature of PBS – a station for which his wife, Sharon Percy, is CEO of its #1 station, and partially funded by the U.S. government – is far more greatly enhanced over all others? Simply to keep the American people in the dark about what their government is doing in order to maintain the faith of their, apparently dictated, future.

I also find it so very ironic that someone so hateful and racist as Al Sharpton is allowed to have a radio show to spew his leftist agenda, while calling for the ban of another who allegedly does the same. Simply because it is not aligned to the leftist agenda. How hypocritical, but what else would you expect from the likes of a leftist socialist like Sharpton?

This country is in trouble if we allow such behavior to continue. Political discourse has become nothing more than public bullying. I have never tolerated a bully in my entire life – even when getting my ass kicked in the process of standing up to them. But I stood up to them. And that is what the American people need to do.

Now. Not in the future. Now – before it’s too late.

Whether Fight or Flight, the Threats Still Persist

2010-11-26T03:00:00.025-06:00

What is the next step in the Useless Nations' decades-long, U.S.-led "police action" on the Korean Penisula, not to mention continuing sagas in places like Iran? At least, some people grasp the situation...

"The Irrelevance of START," Charles Krauthammer

"Nuclear Blinders," John Bolton (former U.S. ambassador to the U.N.)

"Why We're Always Fooled by North Korea," Michael J. Green

"North Korea Will Never Play Nice," B.R. Myers

Others, not so much apparently...

"U.N. Secretary General Eyes New Aid, Better PR Campaign, for North Korea" (Former South Korean Foreign Minister, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon)

"North Korea's Conistent Message to the U.S.," Jimmy Carter (former president of the U.S.)

"Crisis in Korea?," John Feffer

Student Body Scan Sham

2010-11-19T12:00:00.024-06:00

Let’s see if I understand this correctly…ILLEGAL immigrants enrolled in California colleges will continue to receive reduced tuition, while LEGALLY-born U.S. students can expect an 8% hike to their tuition? Of course, the “undocumented” students will also feel the pinch to their in-state wallets as well. But let’s phrase the question another way…while American CITIZENS are harassed, manhandled and molested in their daily travels by airport security under the guise of “national security,” ILLEGAL immigrants will continue to be enfranchised with the benefits offered by the United States – that even a number of LEGAL citizens do not enjoy, and no less at the expense of American taxpayers – without so much as a single grope from Homeland Security?

Pardon my confusion, but what the hell is wrong with this scenario??? Did we suddenly wormhole to Bizarro’s Htrae, or more likely into The Twilight Zone? Is this a waking nightmare, from which there is no escape?

If nothing else, it is certainly a wakeup call.

(Okay, maybe not exactly what was meant by “wakeup call.” Now, if Hayden were a TSA agent - legal, illegal or otherwise - you think at least a few members of the "Don't Touch My Junk" crowd might be okay with a pat down?)

A Dose of Humble Pie

2010-11-03T15:00:00.008-05:00

He believed Washington alone could mandate change to solve the problems of the United States and its citizens. He believed one political party alone could dictate that change, whether the American people wanted it or not. He believed he and his party were the voice of the American people. Now that the opposition has taken control of the House of Representatives, and achieved major gains in the Senate, how does that crow taste Mr. President?

With Republican gains in Congress, the agenda of President Obama and the Democratic party ostensibly has been demolished. The American people sent a clear referendum on the direction of the country, with a message that progress promised – by both Obama and soon-to-be former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi – has not been forthcoming. Mainly, because there has been no progress or even the hint of such. A multi-billion dollar, taxpayer-funded bailout of Wall Street, bankrupting public coffers in favor of the very instigators to the economic downturn? A GDP growth rate at a dismal 2%, ranking the largest economy in the world barely 15th – tied with Pakistan – in terms of growth? And the most telling, an unemployment rate hovering over nine percent – peaking at 10.1% in October 2009 – for the last 17 months, the second worse period since 1982? Compare that to 6.3% in June 2003, the highest ever reached during the much-maligned Bush era.

Faced with the political shift, Obama immediately danced the Potomac two-step in an attempt to portray himself as a centrist. A leader willing to compromise in the crafting of policy and legislation – a concept rebuffed during the first half of his term. Yet, by all appearances, he is still failing to understand the disconnect among voters. The lesson of the mid-term is not that his administration has not done enough; rather, that the American people do not approve of what has been done so far. Espousing a more moderate stance in defeat is hardly convincing that, overnight, he truly has turned humbly to the center for setting an agreeably bipartisan agenda, rather than just for his own political survival.

Man, For He Is the Devil's Pawn

2010-09-30T12:00:00.004-05:00

Over the evolutionary history of mankind, humans have purportedly evolved from barbaric primitives to the civilized beings of today. A random scan of the daily headlines on any given day would paint a different picture. Our ancestors are perceived as creatures of lower intellect whose thought processes went no further than animalistic, survival instinct. For all their stone tools and cave art, they were primitives plain and simple.

Yet, modern man is more savage than any other existent human species, and for one simple reason: ostensibly more intellectually aware than our forebears, we still consciously commit acts one would attribute more to our primitive heritage than an industrialized society. Acts perpetuated for centuries, even though by now one would think we would know better. That is why I, like many others, hold humanity in contempt - there's no humanity in it, except perhaps in the distant past.

Perpetuating Intolerance, Post-9/11

2010-09-11T09:11:00.103-05:00

I don't know who scares me more - Islamist extremists or Christian extremists. Frankly, I am not a fan of any fanatical extremism that has no room for alternative views. Especially those who spew hatred in attacking the very hatred they condemn in the other. Yes, the United States was attacked by such extremists on September 11, 2001, but by those submitting to a corrupt interpretation of Islam not shared by the majority who follow the religion. Does that condemn forever all devotees because of the few fanatics among them?

The Founding Fathers, indisputably influenced by Judeo-Christian beliefs, saw to it not to institute a state-mandated religion when establishing our founding principles. Thanks to that wisdom, today the nation is, in theory at least, a beacon of religious tolerance that allows all citizens to worship in their own way without fear of persecution. Even if that means following no religion.

So, as small-minded Pastor Nutjob in Florida advocates literally torching that principle - the Nazis burned books too, including the Bible - and further inflame, perhaps irreversibly, already-tenuous relations with the Muslim world, let us revisit the wisdom of my personal prophet...

Non-Stimulus Stimulus That Probably Won't Stimulate

2010-09-07T18:00:00.015-05:00

"The Obama Economy: How Trillions In Fiscal And Monetary Stimulus Produced A 1.6% Recovery," by WSJ.com

"One Nation, Two Deficits," by Peter Orszag

"Obama's Economy Boost - Just Don't Call It Stimulus," by Jennifer Liberto

President Obama’s Leadership Moment

2010-09-01T12:00:00.011-05:00

On August 31, President Barack Obama addressed the nation concerning the drawdown plans of U.S. combat forces in Iraq. If history does not repeat, certainly it, as Mark Twain observed, does indeed rhyme. On several occasions in the history of the United States, a sitting president, as commander-in-chief, has had the dubious responsibility to conclude military operations initiated under their predecessor: Harry Truman and the Second World War in 1945, following the death of Franklin Roosevelt; Dwight Eisenhower and the Korean War in 1953, having defeated Truman’s designate successor Adlai Stevenson; and Richard Nixon and the Vietnam War in 1973, after Lyndon Johnson’s deferment in seeking a second term. Now, President Obama faces the end of the campaign in Iraq, while remaining focused on the mission yet to be concluded there and in Afghanistan, begun under former President George W. Bush.

President Obama's Address on the End of the Combat Mission in Iraq

No consensus exists, and probably never will, concerning the Iraq War. On the right, it was a justified prerequisite to the overall goals of the global “War on Terror.” Perhaps ill-conceived, but essential nonetheless. On the left, it was needless, unwarranted and costly, particularly in the toll in human lives. Obama, sounding astutely presidential, acknowledged this divide that has existed throughout the country since 2003. Yet, with a clear admission acknowledging his predecessor’s intentions and the immediate outcome in spite of unforeseen challenges and setbacks, history is already turning in favor of former President Bush’s legacy over the Iraq War. Obama, much like Nixon in his “Vietnamization” speech at the height of that war’s divisiveness, outlined exactly what needed to be stated: the United States, having fulfilled combat objectives that must now fall to the Iraqi people, will nonetheless continue an involved commitment to the long-term establishment of self-rule principles sowed by the Bush administration, and for which a new generation of brave men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice.

“In South Korea, A Model For Iraq,” by Paul Wolfowitz

“A Dicey Moment,” by Michael O’Hanlon

“Obama Wrecked Iraq,” by John Bolton

Certainly, there are lessons for President Obama from past administrations that dealt with similar situations. Truman, as newly de facto leader of the free world, helped lay the groundwork in reconciliation toward former enemies Germany and Japan, establishing valuable ties in ensuing decades that still exist today. Eisenhower, despite criticizing the failures and quagmire that had become the Korean War, maintained allegiance to and support for South Korea in its struggle against the North, which continues to this day. On the other hand, Nixon, while adhering to campaign promises to end the Vietnam conflict, abandoned South Vietnam without the same commitment, and North Vietnam quickly overran the South only two years later. All one has to do is substitute North Korea and North Vietnam with Iran – no doubt itching to overrun Iraq, and the Middle East in general, if the U.S. commitment falters in the region.

The Oxymoron: Government & Fiscal Responsibility

2010-08-30T13:00:00.032-05:00

Is there such a thing as fiscal responsibility in Washington? Mort Zuckerman's analysis pretty much outlines that failure, with the Obama Administration egregiously maintaining the legacy. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - people in government do not care and are not looking out for the people who send them there. Plain and simple.

"The Most Fiscally Irresponsible Government in U.S. History," by Mortimer B. Zuckerman

Matters of Principle: Liberty & Fiscal Responsibility

Ground Zero Mosque: Shameful or Essential?

2010-08-05T17:00:00.007-05:00

On August 3, 2010, New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission cleared the way for the construction of Cordoba House, or the “Ground Zero Mosque,” two blocks from the former World Trade Center site. The question being asked of the decision is whether it is inappropriate, and egregiously disrespectful, to construct a symbol of the very Islamist terrorists who attacked the United States on September 11 in such proximity to that hallowed ground? Or whether, in remembrance to those who died in the attacks, it can serve as a symbol of reconciliation and healing toward religious tolerance by such proximity to further and improve relations between the U.S. and the Muslim world?

Strangely, I am conflicted on the matter, maintaining that the many cannot, and should not, be held accountable for the actions of the few or the one. As farmers are apt to say, you don't punish your pig because it saw the fox enter the hen house. Yet, building a mosque so near the WTC site would be similar to constructing a Japanese temple near the U.S.S. Arizona memorial – commemorating those who perished in the Pearl Harbor attacks on December 7, 1941 – not long after the close of World War Two. Since 1945, Japan has become a valuable ally in all manner of speaking, particularly as a trade partner. Yet, except in the land of “what if,” no Japanese cultural center resides at or even near the Pearl Harbor memorial.

Throughout history, many symbols have been assailed and prohibited for their representative negative connotation: the swastika and anything identifiable with Nazism; the pentagram, or five-pointed star, for its prevalence in the occult; and the Confederate flag for its association to slavery. A mosque, an unmistakable symbol of Islam, at Ground Zero is no different from any of these. Nevertheless, where do we, as Americans, draw the line between intolerance of an entire population and the upholding of republican ideals based on political and religious tolerance? Would the allowance of a mosque at Ground Zero differentiate the American spirit from the rest of the world, a negative symbol-turned-positive that speaks to our resolve and unity to adhere to these principles while still maintaining our perseverance and fortitude against those enemies who seek to destroy them?

As many intellects and observers have stated, remembrance of the past is vital to learning the lessons of history, the downside being that continual vigilance of the past is counter conducive to moving beyond it. Are we as a nation ready to move beyond September 11th, our nerves still raw almost a decade later? Are we benevolent enough to embrace a faith that harbors those who still desire to destroy us, and whom we still engage in combat?

Two differing opinions on the subject:

"Liberal Piety and the Memory of 9/11," by Dorothy Rabinowitz

"Broadway and the Mosque," by Thomas Friedman

Citibank et al: Bankers To The "Axis of Evil"?

2010-07-20T12:30:00.003-05:00

We know now that "neutral" Swiss banks were complicit in dealings with Nazi Germany. This is a fact of the historical record. Certainly, it was not the first time in history for such unscrupulous activities, and surely it will not be the last. There should be little surprise then that today's banking institutions "unknowingly" funneled and managed the finances of our current enemies. Nonetheless, we should be diligent in making sure that it will not and cannot continue to occur at present. Especially those institutions, like Citi, who received an outlandish federal bailout from American taxpayers due to egregious activities and practices.

World: Americas Citibank Censured Over Money Laundering

Bank of America, Citibank Funding al-Qaeda Terrorists In US

Corruption: Banks Lending UNSECURED To Terrorists?

U.S. Freezes $2 Billion In Iran Case

$2 Billion In Iranian Assets Secretly Frozen

BP Oil Spill: Is It The End of Days?

2010-07-15T00:00:00.044-05:00

"Sol vingt de Taurus si fort terre trembler,

Le grand theatre remply ruinera,
L'air, ciel & terre obscurcir & troubler,
Lors l'infidele Dieu & saincts voguera."

-Complete Prophecies of Nostradamus, Century IX, 83

Translation:

"The sun being in the 20th of Taurus, the earth shall so quake,

That it shall fill and ruin the great theatre,

The air, the heaven and the earth shall be so obscured and troubled,

That unbelievers shall call upon God, and his saints."

To be honest, I feel prophecy and biblical signs is a crap shoot - it all depends on perspective and interpretation. However, this one, from the master prognosticator Nostradamus himself, is at the very least too compelling not to contemplate. Of course, like a lot of his prophecies, the "20th of Taurus" could have two interpretations: either April 20th, which is the start of the Tauruan month, or May 10th, which is the 20th day of the Tauruan month.

For the record though, the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion which caused the BP oil spill occurred on...drum roll...April 20th. But look at it this way...if this all comes to fruition, we won't have to wait until December 21, 2012. After all, why procrastinate the apocalypse when it can be done wholesale now?

Just sayin'...and thanks for all the fishes!

Doomsday: Could BP Spill Kill All Life on Earth?

Doomsday: How BP Gulf Disaster May Have Triggered A 'World-Killing' Event

Some Say BP Oil Spill Heralds The Apocalypse

(There's also this nice nugget of doom from two years ago - As if Things Weren't Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S.. With the economic collapse, racial hate mongering and general bitter divisiveness that has emerged in the past few years - certainly, the "hope & change" envisioned, and no doubt applauded, by some Americans - it seems almost beyond just a prediction.)

See ya in another life, brotha!

For Kiel Opera House, Redevelopment Saga (Hopefully) Over

2010-07-12T17:00:00.006-05:00

There was always the belief that the Kiel Opera House would be reborn; it was just a matter of when. As these headlines indicate, that day has apparently dawned for St. Louisans who held to the conviction for revitalization of the historic downtown venue.

Kiel Opera House Will Be Under Construction Again (Preservation Research Office)

Curtain Goes Up On Kiel Opera House's Financing (STL Beacon)

Kiel Opera House To Be Redeveloped, Renamed (STL Globe-Democrat.com)

Kiel Opera House Gets New Start, New Name (STL Today.com)

Website: Peabody Opera House

[If interested in a history of the redevelopment nightmare since its closure, see my essay, "Personal Politics: Revitalization of the Kiel Opera House".]

LOST Explained In Long Form

2010-05-26T01:30:00.004-05:00

I was asked by a friend for a literary explanation, and I obliged. And just for the record, I only did this as a writing exercise to see if I could actually summarize the main plot of "Lost." I am not obsessed...okay, maybe just a little.

Okay, here goes my best...

On the way to LA from Sydney, plane crashes on a mysterious island in 2004; crash victims ("Losties") explore the mysteries as their back stories are told through flashbacks, eventually running afoul of two groups vying for control/protection of the island; Losties divide into two groups, one, led by John Locke, stays on the island and the other, led by Jack Shephard, gets rescued; "Rescued Losties," 3 years later, realize they made a mistake (Jack yells, "we have to go back Kate!") and try to get back to the island, while "Left Behind Losties" meanwhile travel through time on the island caused by the island's mysterious energy; a group of Rescued Losties then make it back to the island and meet back up with Left Behind Losties - in 1977 - while the other half of Rescued Losties hook up with members of one of the groups vying for control of the island - in 2007; detonating a hydrogen bomb in 1977, all Losties are reunited - in 2007 (Juliet simply says, "it worked," then dies); Losties do not crash on the island but instead land at their original destination of LA, no longer being Losties - only problem being that the original Losties are still seen on the island as if nothing had changed; Losties, namely Jack, decide to embrace their fate to act as protector of the island, accomplishing that mission with a handful of Losties again leaving the island; in the final act, Losties are rewarded for their sacrifice in the protection of the island.

The End

Think this is a better, more visual recap though from Lostpedia Blog...

Everything You Need To Know About LOST In 8:15 (Seasons 1-5)

LOST Series Finale

2010-05-24T00:34:00.007-05:00

Ever since the first previews and trailers for LOST in 2004, I was instantly hooked. The entire premise intrigued me, and for most of its six seasons it never disappointed. I became a "Lostie" (Evangeline Lilly and Maggie Grace being on the show may have helped a bit), and even helped recruit "Others."

Now it's over. I was uncertain whether the series finale would be satisfactorily pleasing or bitterly disappointing. Would questions truly be answered, or answers left unquestionably vague? And would I be able to appreciate it no matter the outcome? So with those things in mind, this is my take on the finale...

It's basically the ending to Titanic, with the sideways timeline actually a self-created purgatory - and not some alternative what-if timeline - where their souls had to reconnect with each other and remember their lives together because of their special bond ("live together, die alone"). Everything that happened on the island was in fact reality, with the Ajira 6 (Kate, Claire, Sawyer, Miles, Lapidus and Richard) getting off the island and presumably living their lives until dying years later. Jack died on the island after doing what he had to do, and presumably Hurley and Ben then protected the island until presumably passing it on to someone else. Everyone else either died/lived during the course of the show as we saw (Shannon, Juliet, Sun & Jin, etc.), and their souls were there waiting for the souls of Jack and the Ajira 6 to join them so that they could all move on together.

Truly, as Desmond often said, "see ya in another life, brotha."

So...a bitterly pleasant ending. In a word, LOST was always about living - living with and for each other, living with our guilt and sacrifices. And living before the end comes, whether in an instant or years thereafter, by making the connections that matter the most. After thinking about it and reading the posts of others who have come to similar conclusions, I'm fine with that ending because of the journey that it told.

(But, in my opinion, they did borrow from James Cameron....)

Un-American Americans?

2010-05-21T09:00:00.008-05:00

As Ms. Malkin and Mr. Powers point out, it would appear ever more the case. Perhaps if President Calderon made Mexico a country where his own citizens would want to stay and the United States federal government enforced our laws against illegal immigrants, then states like Arizona would not have to pass laws to counter the problem. A foreign leader, whose country is the primary facilitator of illegals to this country, publicly condemning the actions of a sovereign state from within the very house of the American people? What gall.

Addressing the issue, two excellent columns for those tired of the America bashing...

"The U.S. Department of Blame America First," by Michelle Malkin

"Dems Stand and Cheer as Calderon Bashes Arizona Law," by Doug Powers

John Wayne and the Pledge of Allegiance

Red Skelton's Pledge of Allegiance

Thwarting the Sheriffs of Wall Street

2010-05-17T12:00:00.002-05:00

Did you really think I was done with this issue? Citibank and its associated Wall Street cohorts have been bad and need to be spanked like any spoiled child caught with their hand in the proverbial cookie jar. Having consulted with a genial attorney sympathetic to the cause, it nonetheless seems a snowball has a better shot in hell than a lawsuit – class action or otherwise – against the infernal region's spawn. Not for any lack of initiative or the odds of success, mind you; rather, the benefit versus the cost of pursuing such on an individual basis. By no means does that mean the fight is over.

If you happen to be in dire straits and at wits ends with a financial institution – say one that has bilked taxpayers and card members alike – file a complaint, as I did, with your state's Attorney General. Then, at least, there is the chance that the gauntlet will be taken up by someone with the authority, resources and legal backing to pursue the crooks. As a taxpayer, you pay for that sort of consumer protection. And even if it ends up going nowhere, there's at least the sense of self-satisfaction in the attempt to fight these modern-day robber barons and the economic servitude they represent.

After all, is this not why we keep fresh the idea in re-tellings and re-examinations of the tales of Robin Hood and his Merry Men? That people feeling pinched eventually will push back against those doing the pinching? Or is that just an untenable, too-idealistic fable passed through the centuries without any true merit?

Missouri - Consumer Complaints

Nationwide - National Association of Attorneys General

Self-fulfilled Apocalypse?

2010-05-13T12:00:00.008-05:00

Sorry, I already saw this movie. It didn't end well...for humans anyway. Scientists colliding energy particles that could generate black holes, the creation of Earth-born stars that could be unstable and nanobots that can work without human input??? These are only a few samples of what science is attempting, and only the tip of the iceberg. Am I rightfully paranoid of life imitating art, or should I just accept the advance of technology for the supposed betterment of humanity??? I've always considered myself a man of science, but I don't know...is it the end of the world as we know it, for good or ill? And should we be just fine with that?

Man-Made (But Very Tiny) Black Holes Possible

Can World's Largest Laser Zap Earth's Energy Woes?

They Walk. They Work. New DNA Robots Strut Their Tiny Stuff

Slow-Roasting the American Flag

2010-05-06T14:21:00.010-05:00

This is still the United States, correct? On May 5 ("Cinco de Mayo"), five students at a California high school were compelled to either remove/turnout their t-shirts depicting the American flag or be sent home, due to an alleged disrespect toward "a Mexican Day and we were supposed to honor them." This is a clear violation of the students' freedom of speech, but since when have school officials ever cared about student rights? Even more, Cinco de Mayo is not even a national holiday in Mexico, being celebrated mainly in Puebla where the celebratory battle occurred, and has only gained commercialized popularity in the US thanks largely to the multicultural sensitivity movement. Frankly, the American flag supersedes all others, especially when displayed on the home front. As for the bigger picture, anyone who is an American patriot should be disturbed and reviled by this story.

American Flag Clothing Stirs Cinco De Mayo Controversy

Arbitration Clause In Credit Card Agreements Illegal

2010-05-05T12:00:00.000-05:00

A recent judgment in a class action lawsuit deems that major credit card companies - including the loathsome Citibank, who has refused the settlement in the belief they did nothing wrong (yeah, right) - "violated federal law by conspiring, with each other and certain non-defendants, to require that their cardholders (a) take all legal disputes to arbitration rather than court and (b) give up any right to participate in class actions against these credit card companies." You would think with the number of lawsuits filed just in the past few years, these institutions would learn that cardholders are fed up with their unscrupulous tactics. Then again, they obviously just don't care about their cardholders or the law.

Citibank Credit Card Class Action Waiver Conscionability Considered

Class Action Settlement Notice Re: Arbitration and Class Action Waivers

We The (Legal American) People...

2010-05-03T15:00:00.003-05:00

There exists the American mythos that the United States is a nation of immigrants, openly welcoming “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.” Half of that idea is true – we are a nation of immigrants, at least as far as the non-indigenous are concerned. Openly welcoming new ones though? Hardly the case, if history is any blueprint. Over the past two centuries, all kinds of laws, regulations, restrictions and quotas have been utilized to limit the downtrodden, and even the privileged, immigrant to our shores – and these measures were geared toward those legally entering the country and seeking citizenship. As with any course of action, the effectiveness, not to mention the ethics, of these efforts brought both positive and negative results. [For more on this, read Roger Daniels’ fantastic history, Guarding the Golden Door: American Immigration Policy and Immigrants Since 1882.]

As for illegal immigration, the issue has been a major one for over a century. Multitudes of lawmakers, lobbyists and citizens groups have campaigned for stricter enforcement, ever since the passage of the Page Act in 1875. Why, then, the shock and outrage regarding Arizona’s newly adopted legislation, “Safe Neighborhoods, Immigration, Law Enforcement”? After all, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (U.S. Code, Title 8) requires “every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him.” Thus, the law simply reiterates and enforces what federal law should already be doing, and what proponents of immigration reform have been advocating for years. According to the Department of Homeland Security report on illegal immigrants, Mexicans represented 62% of the unauthorized population in 2009. Further, the Mexican-born illegal population increased 42% over the last decade, followed by Honduras and Guatemala. Is that profiling, or enforcement of the law?

Consequentially, a national issue has been forced upon local and state officials to act due to the inaction of the federal government to enforce the law. Clearly, the States are sending a message to Washington that it is beyond time to address the issue, rather than yet again turning a blind eye and letting it fester until too late. As usual though, the messenger is killed for delivering the message. Of course, Arizona is not alone, or even the first, to enact state-level immigration reform, nor undoubtedly will it be the last:

Number Of State-Level Immigration Laws Is Growing

Arizona’s Immigration Law Spurs Copycat Legislation

Founding Father Ben Franklin said, “there is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding the government.” Being in this country illegally, no matter your character, is exactly that – a fraud that not only undermines the security of the nation, but also disregards the principles and rule of law to which every native and naturalized citizen pledges and is unconditionally guaranteed. While Franklin also maintained that, “those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety,” the safeguarding of liberty is primary to the continuation of the American people and its founding principles. Securing our borders against illegal immigrants, even if requiring a degree of infringement upon liberties, is not discarding our principles; rather, it is the preservation of those principles, by making certain of adherence to them. The real issue is finding a solution that protects the citizens of this country without allowing the exploitation of our generosity by non-citizens in extending these principles.

Feeling Accomplished

2010-04-25T12:00:00.008-05:00

Proverb 16:18 warns, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."

Nonetheless, I cannot help but feel slightly prideful that the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, tasked with monitoring adherence to the treaty, has cited a piece I wrote about the first atomic bomb in their history of the Manhattan Project. This is not bragging on my part; rather, it makes me feel I have made an indelible mark, no matter how small, as both a writer and a historian. After all, out of all the academics who could have been cited, they chose my words and research. That makes me humbly proud, if only of the compliment.

Unlike these idiots, who have accomplished something entirely different:

Idiots of the World

Roundup: Recent Financial Headlines

2010-04-24T15:00:00.007-05:00

My only comment - former Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin, a major player in the 2008 financial collapse, has been affiliated with both Goldman Sachs and Citigroup in his private sector work. Unlike Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and Washington Mutual - all of whom suffered heavily thanks largely to economic policies of Rubin set during his tenure in the Clinton Administration, particularly the repeal of portions of the Glass-Steagall Act in 1999 - the two financial giants survived the crisis. As of 2008, he received $50 million in compensation/stock options from Citi, who were receiving a $45 billion bailout from American taxpayers at the time. Interesting.

GMAC To Tap Citibank, Goldman Sachs For Advice On TARP Repayment

U.S. Take If It Sells Its Citi Stake To Settle Cost Of Bailout: $8 billion

Citi 'Negative' On Subprime Mortgages As Early As 2006, Yet Firm Continued To Pump Out Subprime Mortgage Products

Goldman Sachs E-mails Show Bank Sought To Profit From Housing Downturn

Citi Distances Itself From Goldman’s Troubles

Bear and Grinning It

2010-04-22T09:00:00.003-05:00

South Park Creators Warned Over Muhammad Depiction

Not an incitement to violence??? Then I must have misinterpreted the Theo Van Gogh reference. And is Muhammad a bear? Because I see a bear, which can only be a blasphemous representation if Muhammad were a bear. This is partly the reason I'm agnostic - organized religions fighting over nonsense that means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Would Muhammad really care? Would Jesus, or even the Buddha? There's been plenty of controversy over the portrayal of other religious figures on the show, particularly Jesus, but freedom of speech is freedom of speech. No one has the right - Constitutional or otherwise - to infringe upon another's right of expression, even if you disagree with what is said. That's part of our individuality, and every individual has their rights.

Again, though, I just see a bear...

Citibank Top Ten List

2010-04-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

Ten reasons why, in my highly biased opinion, Citibank sucks. I am sure there are many more, and you probably have your own favorites as well.

#10 Too busy assessing late fees and increasing interest rates without warrant, Citi never sleeps.

#9 Bank of America already holds the title for "blows."

#8 Easy way to “earn” taxpayer money - but for $45 billion, they'd better do more than just “sloppy yawns.”

#7 No reasoning with customer service, which has only one reason: frontline idiocy

#6 Loyalty means nothing, especially to long-standing account holders.

#5 The U.S. government owns 36%.

#4 Foreign investment firms, mainly based in the Middle East, own 26%.

#3 Even Ticketmaster makes fun of them for their unscrupulous tactics.

#2 With their name on the Mets' stadium, suckage is practically a guarantee.

#1 After suffering through several historic crises, they’re used to being on their knees.

Citibank: Making Gordon Gekko Proud

2010-04-18T22:00:00.003-05:00

If you read this blog regularly, you know that I have been in a dispute with Citibank for the past few months. As an olive branch to them, reluctantly gracious in refunding a few hundred dollars of unwarranted interest as a result of an equally unwarranted APR increase, I was going to make a payment that would bring my account up-to-date. However, their continual attempts to contact me by telephone concerning my now past due account after I informed them in several letters - including a "cease & desist" - that I would not pay due to their violations of the Card Member Agreement, which I have previously expounded upon, and would retain legal counsel over the matter, they also now have violated my consumer rights as governed by the Fair Debt Collection Protections Act. As such, I filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission due to their failure to heed the “cease & desist,” and may seek legal action concerning the violation separate from any class action lawsuit pursued in relation to the aforementioned ones.

What is not surprising throughout this ordeal is the attitude of Citibank, oblivious and unmoved by their actions concerning this matter. Why should they care about the problems of the indebted American people, when they had far worse problems requiring $45 billion in taxpayer money to alleviate them? After all, this is the same Citibank that moved operations to South Dakota in 1981 solely to take advantage of that state's maximum interest rate on loans - which, at the time, was the highest in the country. All in order to circumvent usury laws that made consumer lending an unprofitable business. As well, Citibank has been, and still are today, accused of improper assessment of late fees, settling a $45 million lawsuit over the practice in July 2000; part of the settlement included a proviso that Citibank would not assess late fees as long as payments were made by midnight on the due date. Just two years ago, the company settled a $14 million lawsuit covering 53,000 customers whose accounts were cleared of over-payments and double payments in an "account sweeping program" between 1992-2003. Like the bailout money, they obviously misleadingly believed the money belonged to them and not the people. Little wonder that Portfolio ranked Vikram Pandit, who received a total of $10.8 million in salary and stock compensation in 2008 as his company sank and sought federal bailout funds, the 20th worst CEO in America.

Citibank Shows Why Credit Card Holders Need Protection

If you are feeling squeezed by a similarly unscrupulous creditor, here are some information/resources for fighting back against the greed and corruption that is Wall Street:

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (HTML)

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (PDF)

How to Fight Debt Collectors Series

Editorial: "Nuclear Posturing, Obama-Style"

2010-04-12T10:30:00.003-05:00

An excellent commentary piece from the Washington Post's Charles Krauthammer.

"Nuclear Posturing, Obama-Style," by Charles Krauthammer

Citigroup: Self-Absorbed Apologists

2010-04-08T18:30:00.011-05:00

Citigroup Executives Apologize For Not Averting Market Crisis

Citigroup Executives Admit Regret But No Blame For Role In Financial Crisis

Too little, too late. Apology not accepted. You didn't get your bonus, Mr. Rubin? Boo hoo. The people who lost their livelihoods and their retirement from your admitted failures do not care. Taxpayers who had no say but all the stake in the $45 billion federal bailout do not care. And account holders who have had their good credit affected by unwarranted increases to APRs and unscrupulous strong-arm tactics that have effectively closed their accounts because of those actions do not care. Further demonstrating that Wall Street doesn't care. Not about Main Street. Only about Easy Street.

Citi Execs Apologize for Role in Financial Crisis

Citibank’s New Motto: Citi Never Takes Blame

2010-04-06T15:00:00.018-05:00

In a previous post, I shared a letter sent to Citibank over an unwarranted increase to my annual percentage rate on my credit card. This is a growing occurrence for card members in recent months, even after legislation aimed at curbing the nefarious practices of financial institutions. In brief, I had opted out of any changes in terms to the card member agreement that would have astronomically increased my APRs in November 2009. This effectively closed my account. Then I opened my February statement, which reflected an increased APR at the default rate of 29.99%. Protesting the absurd, and unwarranted, increase, I refused to make a payment for the apparent violation of the card agreement on the part of Citibank. That pretty much catches you up on the story thus far.

After several recent inquiries, I finally received a reason for the increase. In one letter dated March 26, 2010, “S. Larson” (who seems a fictitious persona) states, “the increase was due to your default under the Card Agreement.” According to a supervisor I spoke with on April 3, the alleged occurrence for this default was the October 2009 billing cycle. My November statement does reflect that payment did not post until the day after the due date; nevertheless, when the payment post is not the problem of card members, especially when proper payment arrangements are made by the due date. In fact, in my case, two more payments were made on my part within two weeks of each other following the one in question.

However, a second letter, also dated March 26, 2010, and again signed by the peculiarly epitomized “S. Larson,” states the increase was due to my default for not making payment for the February 2010 billing cycle. This is true, as earlier stated, as I refused to make a payment due to the already increased APR. Nevertheless, as that billing cycle already reflected the increase, this would be impossible as the initial reason for it – which tells me Citibank is trying to cover for their failure to adhere to the card agreement. As such, I maintain, like many other card members also confronted with increased APRs, there was absolutely no justification for the increase, as I have never defaulted nor been late with a payment up to and including all billing cycles in question before it occurred.

A Rhode Island lawyer filed a lawsuit in November 2009 on behalf of a card member who faced the same problem with Citibank. According to the latest, he is trying to make it a class action lawsuit.

Lawyer Seeks Class Action For Credit Card Rates Lawsuit

Citibank Raised Credit Card Rates Without Cause, Suit Says

No matter the case, all card members affected by the unscrupulous practices of credit card companies like Citibank should take up this gauntlet. The United States is known as a land of law; time for Main Street and the American people to take back this country by use of the law against Wall Street and their bailed-out, taxpayer-funded enterprises.

iTunes Bank Card Scam

2010-04-04T12:00:00.028-05:00

Check your bank account(s) - if you do not use Apple iTunes but have an authorization (typically a $1) for "APL*ITUNES," you have been HACKED. This just happened to me. Luckily, I caught it in time and the situation rectified by my bank. Bless them for acting swiftly, before anything major occurred.

Financial institutions are aware of the problem, but it is difficult for them to distinguish between legitimate purchases and fraudulent ones due to the legitimate means by which fraudsters are doing it. Moreover, the means by which hackers are obtaining the information is difficult to safeguard against. The fraud specialist I spoke with said that hackers are guessing card numbers and making small purchases to see if they work by way of "card-not-present." Once the purchase goes through, they start charging larger ones. Nice security on these merchants who allow the practice.

As for iTunes, they apparently do not ask for the security number on the back of cards that has become standard among merchants. For that reason alone, I will never use them. Of course, I will never use their service whatsoever now that I know they are willingly allowing hackers to use their service to obtain financial information from the unsuspecting - particularly those, like me, who have never used their service. Screw Apple. Screw iTunes.

Here's more about it - Beware if the iTunes Fraud

Health Insurance: Do It or Die?

2010-03-31T12:30:00.003-05:00

Call me anti-authoritarian if you want, but I have never liked being told what to do or what I can and cannot do. Frankly, it bothers me when individuals – and especially groups of them on either end of the spectrum – try to do exactly that. Yes, I have my opinions and ideas on how I want to live, and how society could as a whole; however, that does not give me the right to demand that all have and adhere to the same. That is the compromise between majority rule and individual liberty – live and let live, even if you disagree with how each person does it. Defending to the fullest the right to do it.

Perhaps I have read too much Twain, Cooper or Alger, holding on to the archaic, frontier mythos that individuals, given the proper avenue, can lift themselves up by their own bootstraps. Individuals creating their own destiny, rather than having it decided for them. When society restricts those circumstances, to the supposed betterment of the collective, individual liberty is no longer. Government, especially one of a republican nature, does not exist to dictate our lives, but rather to ensure that we can live our lives. Live our lives as we, the people, see fit. Not vice versa.

With the push for universal health care, the government wants to ensure that we can live those lives. After all, a healthy citizenry means a healthy society. The latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) show that there are just over 2.43 million annual deaths in the United States; heart disease and cancer, the two leading causes of death, account for half of these. Moreover, according to MSM reportage, 45,000 annual deaths are due to the lack of health insurance – touted as a leading reason behind the need for universal health care. But what about the 2.4 million who apparently, by mere deduction, had health insurance yet still ended up dying? How is forcing thousands of uninsured individuals to get health insurance stopping the death of millions?

It isn’t, plain and simple. All it does is allow the government to strip away another layer of our individual liberty in deciding our own fate, while not addressing the genuine cause for those deaths. Instead of billions of dollars spent on overhauling health care, why not fund research to find real cures to ailments like heart disease and cancer? One reason: cures, as opposed to regular treatment and preventive management, are a detriment to the multi-billion dollar industries that treat, not cure, diseases. Can you imagine what would happen if a cure for cancer was discovered? For starters, a lot of medical specialists and vendors would be out of business – half a million people still alive being the only annual side effect.

Fact Check: 45,000 Die Because They Lack Insurance? Not So Much

No, the lack of health insurance is not what kills people. The thinking goes against the Hippocratic Oath that binds medical professionals to attend to the afflicted unconditionally. On the other hand, a federal mandate that forces Americans to have health insurance is yet another fatal blow to individual liberty, and a stepping-stone to the eventual death of the Constitution. But maybe I just do not like being told what to do, or how to go about living my life.

Short Story, "Elysian Forge"

2010-03-26T12:30:00.001-05:00

A little back story for this short story...

A few years back, a friend and I were having breakfast. As we chatted, she suggested I write a story about a princess, hash browns (part of our breakfast) and a dragon. Well, I was able to use two of the three, and thus, that inspiring morning conversation became this:

"Elysian Forge," published on Yesteryear Fiction

Checks & Balances

2010-03-23T21:30:00.007-05:00

With clear-cut committee provisioning still to hammer out, Congress’ passage of “Obamacare” nonetheless initiates sweeping changes to, and the nationalization of, health care in the United States. Nevertheless, in spite of President Obama’s signature signing the health care reform bill into law, it is not the law of the land just yet. For starters, a majority of the measures do not take effect until 2014. Before that fateful date, there are still avenues available to counteract its institution: the initiative process, which is highly unlikely given the historical improbability of success; Congress itself reversing and repealing the law, which can only happen with sweeping changes to that bodies majority makeup in the November elections; and the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the law, which is the most likely if that body so chooses. Currently, the Supreme Court theoretically holds a 5-4 conservative majority, and it is inconceivable that Antonin Scalia, a strict interpreter of the Constitution, is not chomping at the bit for such a showdown of fundamentals.

Fourteen US States File Lawsuit Against Health Reform

14 State Attorneys General File Suit Against Health Care Reform Law

There is precedent. As President Franklin Roosevelt attempted to guide the country out of The Great Depression, the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional six of the eight statutes of the "New Deal" passed by Congress. Just two months ago, decades-old campaign finance laws were overruled, dismantling the McCain-Feingold Act enacted by Congress in 2002. In all, the Court has found just over 150 acts of Congress unconstitutional since 1789.

Though the government will commence immediate collection of taxes as outlined in the new law, four years is a long time for the enactment of intended changes. By then, it is conceivable that those opposed to the reforms will have overturned them. At least, conservative America – and the small businesses that will bear the harshest burden – can hope. Just don’t expect any previously collected taxes to be returned. Undoubtedly, those will have been spent already on bonuses for Wall Street executives, or at least for the government commissars overseeing them.

How Bills Used To Become Law

2010-03-18T15:00:00.002-05:00

Like many kids growing up in the 1970s, I learned early about how laws are made in the United States from watching Saturday morning cartoons. Specifically, School House Rock's "How A Bill Becomes A Law." That is why like a lot of Americans, I am confused by the "reconciliation process" that could possibly allow the healthcare reform bill to be passed without going through proper channels or garnering the necessary votes for passage. Instead, Congress would "deem" the bill to have passed, and thus undermine the Constitution and everything for which it stands. I know Democrats like to tout that these (self-mandated) reforms are "for the people," but does this sound like government "of the people, by the people"? It certainly doesn't to me.

Democracy Denied: Changing How Washington Works, For The Worse (Courtesy, Americans For Prosperity)

Yes, "deem and pass" has been used in the past to push through legislation, and so I agree with the cries of hypocrisy over the current furor. The real problem, for me and for many, stems from its use at all in any issue. Frankly, I don't see how it can even be considered Constitutional, with its circumvention of the legislative process and representative government; perhaps it needs to be judicially challenged. (Supreme Court? Hello?) With something as important as health care, the issue should not be forced by such a process but resolved through a vote of the entire Congress.

As a Wall Street Journal editorial points out, "Article 1, Section 7 of the Constitution says that in order for a 'Bill' to 'become a Law,' it 'shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate.' This is why the House and Senate typically have a conference committee to work out differences in what each body passes...If Congress can now decide that the House can vote for one bill and the Senate can vote for another, and the final result can be some arbitrary hybrid, then we have abandoned one of [James] Madison's core checks and balances."

Perhaps today's politicians need to re-watch some old-time Saturday morning programming.

Schoolhouse Rock - How a Bill Becomes a Law

The Census Cometh (In Case You Haven’t Heard)

2010-03-09T18:00:00.002-06:00

Exactly how much taxpayer money has been spent on getting the word out about the census? Super Bowl ads (knowing the NFL, I doubt they were free), radio spots and letters letting us know the census will be arriving soon. Taxpayer money...wasted again. At the very least, the money could have been spent on job creation - the buzz term of the Obama Administration, mind you - in hiring census workers to do promotional work. I highly doubt Ed Begley, Jr., is hurting for money. That is my criticism: the spending of money on PROMOTING the census. This is not about doing the census, as mandated in the Constitution, because yes, as many point out, you do have to spend money to make money. This is the true point of the census. Nevertheless, $340 million simply to promote something we all know is coming? So many other things that could have gone toward.

The 2010 Census And Its $340 Million Campaign

The Following History Has Been Modified To Fit This Curriculum

2010-03-09T15:00:00.008-06:00

This is the reason I stopped pursuing a high school teaching degree in history. Though I lean toward the conservative viewpoint of the importance in teaching about those important figures and events that shaped our history, I also agree with the counterargument of teaching an all-encompassing history that does not gloss over key but neglected aspects. While in education school, one professor told me, knowing I had an interest in World War Two, that I might encounter a school district where I would not be allowed to teach about the Holocaust. I was flabbergasted by the revelation, unable to believe that such a key component to the subject could be left out of the curriculum. Yet, I eventually came to understand: when the teaching, and subsequent re-writing, of history becomes arbitrary – chosen by "experts" with only certain, sanitized points taught – it is nothing more than an agenda. Plain and simple. It happened before in the fight over social studies curriculum, it is happening now and it will happen again.

"Who Writes Your Kids’ Textbooks?," by Shannon Bream

National Spotlight on Textbook Showdown

An Open Letter To Citibank

2010-03-07T18:00:00.007-06:00

Citibank
Box 6000
The Lakes, NV 89163-6000

RE: Violation of Account Terms

To Whom It May Concern:

As written in a letter dated November 12, 2009, to me concerning changes in terms, of which I have enclosed a copy for your edification, I phoned not once but TWICE in November 2009 to opt out of the changes and have my account closed under the current terms. Those terms were for an annual percentage rate in effect since December 3, 2008 up until the billing cycle ending January 22, 2010.

Nonetheless, my latest billing cycle ending February 19, 2010, reflects the increased percentage rate – at the default rate, no less – as if I were to opt in for the change. Again, I opted out of the change in terms, because quite frankly the increased annual percentage rate is absurdly ridiculous. Further, there is absolutely no justification for the increase in percentage rate, as I have never defaulted nor been late with a payment. You expected me as a cardholder to adhere to these terms, and yet you failed to do it yourself. As far as I am concerned, as is my lawyer, you have violated not only federal legislation aimed at reigning in such devious practices – not least of which is the failure to notify me of the increase in a reasonable timeframe, as mandated by legislation – but also the terms of the account agreement, and have therefore made it null and void.

As a journalist, I have covered many atrocious news items, but never have I been a personal witness to a thing as your practices that are nothing short of modern-day indentured servitude. You take taxpayer money to bail your asses out of financial troubles that were yours alone, and then expect the very same card member taxpayers to continue funding your enterprise through absurd means as astronomical percentage rates. Your company and everything associated with it makes me sick.

A cardholder since 1999, I am appalled at the treatment I have received over these past ten years. As such, you can go to hell before you get another dime from me, and I vehemently refuse to pay any further on this or any future balance due to your violations of the card member agreement. Be advised that my lawyer is currently drawing up papers to put forth a class action suit due to these violations.

Sincerely,

Stephen R. Sagarra

Citi Jacks Credit Card Rates To 29.99% On Unsuspecting Customers

Citibank Raising Credit Card Interest Rates To 29.99% For Customers With Good Credit

Citibank Sticks It To Customers - And Congress

Defining Idealogy

2010-02-12T12:30:00.003-06:00

Whenever socio-economic policies are proposed, certain expressions are tossed around to illustrate the implication of such measures on society. Reflecting on this situation, I thought it would be an interesting exercise to generate a basic meaning for each of the major political ideologies.

So, here goes:

      Communism: You own nothing, and everything belongs to the State.

      Socialism: You own what is granted, and everything given for the State.

      Capitalism: You own what can be achieved, and everything ensured by the State.

Perhaps simplistic, but perhaps that is what is needed in times of socio-economic uncertainty. After all, if one fails to understand the terminology, how is one to understand the affect?

Responsibly Righteous

2010-01-29T15:00:00.005-06:00

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair maintains the stance that, as Edmund Burke stated, "all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Too many times throughout history has such occurred. Thankfully there are, and were, those willing to stand up and do something, rather than questioning the doing of something.

Righteous, Responsible But No Regrets: Tony Blair's Day in the Dock

Iraq Inquiry Hears Defiant Blair Say: I'd Do It Again

Hypocritical Blame Game

2010-01-27T18:30:00.006-06:00

At the one-year mark, President Barack Obama is set to deliver his first State of the Union address. Over that time, Democrats have been apt to use the mantra - aimed squarely at the Bush Administration - that one cannot expect to fix in one year what took eight years to create. A position Obama is sure to utilize in his speech, while maintaining his hope for change rhetoric. Yet, Democrats cried foul on Republicans for the exact same stance at the one-year mark of the Bush presidency, which placed a majority of blame on the policies of the previous Clinton Administration for the state of the economy to the fight against world-wide terrorism. Though just a sampling, the routine laxity to address Iraq’s continual violation of U.N. sanctions, pushing legislation creating the housing bubble that led to the eventual market collapse and the failure to eliminate the threat of Osama bin Laden on multiple occasions when the opportunity existed - all labeled the fault of George W. Bush, not Bill Clinton, after one year in office, despite the facts to the contrary.

Now, with the tables turned, the Bush Administration still gets the blame after a year out of office. How can one administration be blamed for its predecessor AND its successor? To listen to Democrats over the past decade, Clinton and Obama have been the saviors of the United States. If that is not political hypocrisy, then nothing will ever come close again. Under such logic, Democrats want to take all the responsibility of success, and none of the blame of failure.

The thing is, each administration shares an amount of blame. Policies in each have caused problems in the attempt to address issues, and come down to the simple matter of taking responsibility for their failure – something Democrats are hard-pressed to accept. It is much easier to play the blame game than take responsibility for actions (or inactions). It will be interesting to hear what road – either the low or high – Obama takes in summarizing his first year in office, and the course to be taken thereafter. Because in the end, he will only have himself to blame.

Editorial: "A Revolution Begins"

2010-01-20T14:00:00.011-06:00

An excellent editorial expounding upon the Scott Brown victory, from the Boston Herald. I could not have said it any better...which is why I am posting it.

"A Revolution Begins," by BH Editorial Staff

Confirmed: Pat Robertson Is Insane!

2010-01-14T18:00:00.010-06:00

This is so appalling and inflammatory, that there is no satisfactory comment to express the sentiment. I'll let the video, and the counter-arguments of those in it, speak to that. I do know, as I've always believed, that this simply confirms that Pat Robertson and his far-right, Christian-extremist followers are diabolical nutbags.

Controversial Comment Amid Haiti Tragedy

Bucking the Two-Party System

2010-01-09T15:00:00.005-06:00

On the political spectrum, I have always considered myself a Conservative. However, this has never fully translated to being a Republican, despite the fervent belief by some of my more left-leaning friends. For me, I have always weighed candidate over party or issue over platform. Though aligning with the Republican platform on most issues, it has been difficult at times to tell whether the Republican Party is really any different than the Democratic Party. We seemingly get screwed no matter who is in office, with neither adhering to the core, Constitutional principles of the Founding Fathers. Much like Ronald Reagan when he switched parties in the early 1960s, I feel that the Republican Party has abandoned the vision rather than me abandoning them – all in an attempt to be almost Democratic-lite rather than Conservative-strong.

Holding to this idea, I recently seized upon the opportunity and joined a third political party – The American Conservative Party (A.C.P.). Perhaps if you're feeling the same sort of angst over the current political landscape in America, check out their platform and decide for yourself. After all, it's your individual right.

[From The American Conservative Party website:]

We Believe:

• the legitimacy of government exists only as long as it defends human liberty.
• the origin of human liberty predates government, and therefore liberty cannot be repealed by government.
• the existence of human liberty presupposes the right to defend it, and the basic right to live begets the rights of self-defense and free expression.
• the self-ownership evident in human liberty begets basic rights over one’s self and time, and that the right to pursue happiness and self-fulfillment originate here.
• the boundary of human liberty ends where it transgresses the rights of another. Jurisprudence exists to mediate disputes where the boundaries of more than one individual intersect.
• the armed forces and law enforcement exist to bolster private defense, not to supplant it.
• that the American Experiment was born out of these beliefs and that it has resulted in a bountiful gain for the human condition.

Read the rest here – Platform

Richard Jeni – “Political Parties”

Healthcare Reform: Vaseline Is Your Co-Pay

2010-01-05T15:00:00.018-06:00

The Harry Reid-Nancy Pelosi love affair continues. Both are set to convene behind closed doors, without GOP representation present, to hammer out what will be a Frankenstein’s monster of healthcare reform, cobbled together by the bits and pieces of the respective Senate and House bills. An overhaul that is opposed by half the American population, yet trumpeted as a majority mandate by the two. Are they under the delusion that “red state” Americans simply vanished once Democrats won the White House and gained control of Congress?

Democrats Set To Exclude GOP From Final Health Care Deliberations

This is not government by the people, for the people or of the people. Instead, it is government nefariously conducted by a few politicians in the back halls and secluded rooms of the Capitol, to the exclusion of anyone opposed to their ideas and self-anointed mandate. On an issue as expansively significant as healthcare reform, such partisan politics is an ill that will kill the patient – the United States of America.* Once the Reid-Pelosi cabal pushes their bill through, taxpayers and providers alike will pay the burden with its implementation. And there will be no government-issued Vaseline to soothe the pain.

In Health Bill For Everyone, Provisions For A Few

Coal in America’s Stocking

Vaseline Petroleum Jelly

*Operative word: “United”

Let Slip the Dogs of War

2009-12-30T02:00:00.005-06:00

Am I missing something? What good does it do to re-examine security procedures and install full body scanners, à la Total Recall, at U.S. airports to stop terrorists on inbound international flights? Certainly, these measures, in theory, are an attempt to thwart another 9/11, and to present the appearance of addressing the safety concerns of American citizens. However, this is backward thinking at a time when the need exists to think progressively, if not aggressively, of the future unthinkable act. Apparently, it is our allies abroad who need to step up their security – or maybe, at the very least, check the terrorist watch list – to prevent the terrorists from boarding planes in the first place. No passport? No luggage? Hello, red flag calling Amsterdam!

What really needs to be realized is that al Qaeda is indoctrinating and training the next generation of kamikaze bombers. Like their WWII Japanese counterparts, their mission is simple: demoralize our will to fight. Similarly, it says something else – al Qaeda is desperate, knowing they are on the verge of defeat despite their best efforts. The Japanese unleashed the kamikaze upon the Allies out of such desperation, as a last gasp at victory out of the clutches of their eventual defeat. And like that time, there is only one response: perseverance. Only through perseverance can we do what is necessary to win, unleashing hell upon our enemy as no time before. We have the might, and we have the resources. As such, knowing the desperate measures to which the terrorists are resorting, it is time, as even Shakespeare knew in his day, to "cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war."

Otherwise, what are we fighting for?

Beware False Prophets...

2009-12-24T02:00:00.007-06:00

My god, could you stroke yourself a little more?!? Please, try to be humble about the institutionalized socialism set to descend upon the once free, Constitution-governed society of the United States of America.

"How Harry Reid Shepherded Healthcare Reform," by Noam N. Levey & Janet Hook