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Sunday, September 25, 2011

Acorns

  It is autumn in the central plains. The leaves are beginning to fall, red, yellow then brown, some solitary furls others attached to stems. The acorns too are dropping from the giant oaks that surround the house, they fall to the roof then roll down to settle on the guards of the gutters. The sound first sounds like a knock at the door, then further away from the door, nearer to the bedroom. Drop, drop gravity pulling them closer to the soil.
 
   Then with a crash, hundreds of nuts drop at once, they bounce off the roof and fall to the deck, specks they are not. This year, the almanac predicts, unsettled, storms, cold and snow for the central plains. If the nuts already gathered from the deck is any prognosticator, it will be a cold winter. Again, Drop, drop, drop, on cue hundreds of acorns fall all at once. Then silence. Hurry, outside to sweep them into a pile to later gather in a bucket to throw in the woods for the squirrels, before the next drop on cue of hundreds of acorns.
 
  Strange, acorns acting in concert, singing together, the coming of winter, their rush to the soil for next years sprouts. Some are very small, almost the size of peas, others look like marbles, then the largest almost an inch long. We have never seen so many, a carpet, like the comedy skits of the guys walking and sliding on marbles. On close examination their color is not just brown, there be yellow, red and some orange mixed with a little green. Crunch, crunch, the ones missed by the broom fall underfoot.
 
   The green lawn is spotted with acorns, drop, drop, some solitary nuts fly through the air. Quiet. The ears are waiting for the next rush from the tree limbs, the automatic free fall to earth. Should have clocked the first two drops. Didn't think of it. Wonder how long the intervals between drops. Not like the guys who drop out of planes and gracefully glide to land, straight down, fast, the sound is solid, not soft or gentle, louder than a thud. A direct hit, bullseye, they all hit a target, hard. We won't go out without being careful, we won't look up.
 
   This has been going on for days, drop, drop then a very big drop. Looking out the window up through the trees I see one two three, not very many, then drop drop another big drop.
 
    Many acorns, many we see, what does it fortell the winter to be, we shall see.
 

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Republican Presidential Debate +++++FOX NEWS GOOGLE DEBATE

      What to you is obvious.
 
Fox News and Google have preempted the Republican Presidental Candidates Debate, they have taken over the country.
It is no longer the United States of America it is now the Fox News Google Republic.
 
If you are not offended by the headline you should be.
 
In addition, they, fox and google had the nerve to distract voters with the  most often google searches, coupons, forclosures and best choices for suv/gas savings.
 
It was nice to have the people vote on their choice for questions, eliminating any ambiguity.
 
 
What they should have said was fox and google present..... or the Republican Presidential Debate brought to you by....
 
The majority of the debate time was between Mr Romney and Mr Perry. It sure looked like Mr Perry was Mr Romney's shill [the person in the audience who sucks in the audience to pay attention to what the other guy is selling] or [the guy who places the first bet and wins, playing the shell/bean game]
 
Every time Mr Perry wanted to insult Mr Romney he called him by name thereby giving Mr Romney thirty second rebuttals.
And they attacked each other for much of the debate, too bad they didn't have gloves, we would have been saved at least an hour.
 
There was a new candidate, Gov Gary Johnson NM, with his platform, lower taxes, regulation reform and tort reform, aimed at small business hiring. He was refreshing.
 
Mr Cain was celebrated for surviving liver and colon cancer, and he attributed his success to being able to get the needed medical treatment as soon as possible, even though he had a thirty percent chance of survival five or six years ago.
 
Mr Huntsman wants energy independence by subsidising natural gas, with a rapid phasing out of the subsidy.
 
Mr Gingrich again has warned us about Pakistan's nuclear weapons falling into the hands  of anti American forces, reinforcing the need for America to support her allies.
 
Mr Santorum wants to stay in Iraq until it is/and to be sure it is stable.
 
There was overwhelming agreement for the need to show support for Israel.
Cuba was mentioned as a country supporting terrorists.
 
Mr Perry appears to be an emotional candidate.
Mr Santorum the angry candidate.
 
Ms Bachman the least visable during the debate, either because she waisted her time speeching or blaming Obama, as opposed to saying anything concrete.
 
Mr Huntsman was also lacklustre.
 
There appeared to be three winners of the debate,
Mr Cain
Mr Gingrich
Mr Johnson,
and one follow up Mr Paul.
 
All four gentlemen were addressing the issue of America and what needs to be done for America's health instead of why they should be president. They gave of themselves readily speaking to the American People about the country and what HAS to be done to repair the economy to create jobs.
 
Removing the federal government's involvement in business, education, healthcare and returning the state's autonomy.
 
Seeing the politicans and seeing the statesmen was obvious.
American needs some statesmen, and stateswomen instead of politicans
and news agencies that report the news instead of being the news.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

THE SWISS CHEESE EFFECT

   An article in the Economists Science and Technology Section, September 10, 2011, reports misconduct by research scientists at Duke University. The article notes the scientists faulty data reporting claiming to be able to predict the course of an individuals illness and to be able to predict treatment which was lauded until other scientists researching the research by the scientists at Duke proved the claims false. The article also states that little furor arose until it was discovered that the scientist with the faulty research data falsified his credentials, claiming he was a Rhodes Scholar in Australia. The Economist Article states that Rhodes Scholars only attend Oxford in England.
 
   The Article also states that the Vice Chancellor in charge of clinical research at Duke blames the "Swiss Cheese Effect"[fifteen different things go wrong] as the cause. That is the creative accounting coverup of the scientific/academic world of Duke University. That no one is responsible is typical corporate skullduggery. And he, the head of the clinical research department at Duke U. will probably get a raise, for fabricating that coverup. That is even better than, "the devil made me do it."
 
   Will he, the head of clinical research at Duke U. state that claim, in a face to face meeting with the patients who participated in the clinical trials which were begun, based on the Swiss Cheese Effect research, or will he slip through the hole on his way to meet with them.
 
   What is also interesting about the article is the last line, in which the writer excuses the swiss cheese scientist because of the realization that he, or more specifically scientists, are human too. Again, there is no accountability demanded.
 
   Scientists are not blue collar workers and therefore, are excused from the accountability code. The swiss cheese scientist will simply fade into the wilderness and the University will carry on as if nothing ever happened and the stigma will blink away, because there were no blue collars involved.
 
   Of course, we uneducated or less educated have to accept that we are living in an illusion if we believe that people are responsible and accountable for their actions. We must see that this is typical behavior in the corporate structure when above the pay grade of the janitor. It is the swiss cheese rotting their teeth or creating an imbalance in their precious bodily fluids so they are not responsible. They can not be held accountable and life goes on, except for those in prison for doing drugs or selling drugs or stealing and getting caught.
The swiss cheese scientist was stealing and got caught, and there was no mention of criminal charges pending, nor any sanctions against the University.
 
   This report may be the pivot to unrest in America, the final insult to the working class of blue collars who struggle every day to survive while the elite err and are forgiven, and the blue collars have only one collar that is frayed and wearing away. This inequity is symbolic of division of the classes in America, the haves and the have nots. And it will take a knight or lady in shining armour to fight the fight and win the battle of the inequality of right and wrong in America.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Toothpaste

  To cleanse the mouth, it must first be open
 
To open the mouth first begin with a smile
Next, look in the mirror to see the correct positioning of the tool to be used
Remember, the image in the mirror is opposite of reality
or it is the reality you are viewing,
of the reality you are experiencing
 
Morning mouth can best be described as sand paper
or sand withouth the paper
as, sleeping on the beach with one's mouth open
 
Technology has advanced considerably
from the days of using fingers to cleanse the mouth and it's inhabitants
 
Salt in warm water is used
and is still the recommended treatment for sores within the gums
 
Baking soda also, is an inexpensive cleanser for the teeth, moistened with water
 
lemon alone or shared with H2O can remove odor and refresh the breath
 
Colgate, before it's marriage with Palmolive, had and probably still produces a powder to use to cleanse the teeth,
if you can find a store that carries it. A little powder placed in the palm of the hand, then with a moistened tooth brush
dip into the powder, the brush will pick up just enough powder to use for the teeth. It was/is marketed in a tin the shape of a small rectangular bottle, not a round shape, easier for a wet hand to hold.
 
In today's market, there are varieties of color, flavor and texture for pastes to squeeze onto a toothbrush of choice, including clear gels, stripes, and solid white.
 
Most paste manufacturers prefer the white product, to match the teeth.
 
What is interesting about some or most of the products on the market today is the flavor, an overwhelming assault on the tastebuds changing the flavor of every fruit, vegetable, grain edible that enters the mouth, leaving one to wonder, what in fact is entering the oral cavity. Even after reading the list of ingredients on the package one has no idea what the product is, only what it says it will do. And after the assault on the taste buds it is an assumption, that the product is in fact doing the job it claims to do. There seems to be the question of what is in the product that has to be drowned out so strongly with flavors that last beyond brushing. And why in fact have they, the toothpastes been made that way. Why do we have to have a taste in our mouth that we do not want, as the price, besides the cost at the store, we are forced to pay. Can they not make a polish for the tooth that has no flavor. Even the grit the dentist uses has a flavor. Like shampoo. Why does shampoo always smell like food, do they want us to eat it besides wash with it.
 
These products have branched out, besides cleaning, they can desensitize the teeth. One does not realize that each tooth feels and reports their findings to the brain, we never give it much thought until, that special message, called the toothache, that special pain that reaches the brain and overtakes all functioning, even chicken soup won't help.
 
Anyone who has had caps placed over their teeth can report that they eat food and have lost half of the message enjoyed with a good meal. Much like someone else is chewing for you. But of course, being able to chew at all is better than having to eat mush most of your life. Chewing is like yoga meditation, the brain focuses on the teeth and their motion masticating.
 
Besides pastes there are now also rinses which used before toothpaste, as a preparation, will/ are supposed to whiten the teeth after being brushed by paste and toothbrush.
 
Toothbrushes also have advanced, in stead of one size fits all - which was a choker for all children, they are soft, medium and firm bristles, manual or machine agitated.
 
You could in fact, maintain oral hygiene without toothpaste, if you brush after each meal, or snack, besides morning and night and if you avoid all sugar, including soda pop - here in the center of the US it is called pop- candy and cake.
And if your teeth are solid strong and free from stress, grinding avioded.
 
The industry has made many things for us to buy to put into our mouth, things they promise we can not live without. Yet, when necessary, salt, baking soda with water and a finger and some floss, will still not erase the flavor of onion or garlic, lemon is still the best choice for them.
 
And as the saying goes, brush on.
 
 

The Age of Obama addendum two

If the baby boomers still remember when they were in elementary school, they will be able to adapt with the presidents new plan to decrease Medicare and Medicaid.
 
There will be more persons in hospitals with less staff to care for them.
Nursing homes will especially be difficult since their funding cow will have dried up, and since they are in business to make money, two to a room will become four to a room, if they have the beds. Instead of teachers in demand it will be doctors in demand, and the funds will give the md's a good reason to drive slower and move slower and take vacation and guarantee an eight hour shift with no overtime, or is it a six hour shift.
 
The boomers again will be neglected.
 
 
Is the Obama Administration the new Tammany Hall and is he the Boss Tweed of the twenty first century.
 

Friday, September 16, 2011

Age of Obama Addendum

   Yes, the medical services industry will also have to make adjustments to contribute to the scaling down of expectations. Drug companies, medical equipment and doctors will be assumed to suffer along with the rest of us. But their life styles will see a dramatic shift, because, people will be forgoing the necessary treatments that would make their lives better. The economic difficulties will cause despair to overcome the logical decisions that were the impetus to seeking medical attention. Instead, the general public will adapt to the physical discomforts and deformities of the progression of diseases and live with the ailments. Mds will be a luxury after food and shelter and therefore irrelevant to the multitudes. Very few will be willing or able to take advantage of the knowledge and skill.  The new third world country will look and smell like the older third world countries. Thus then, the population will be reducing, except of course for the ignorant, who will be reproducing inspite of the limited resources afforded them.

The Age of Obama

 
 
 
     A charming young lawyer, who some say is attractive, well spoken and motivated runs for the office of President of the United States of America. He, who is call a black man, although in fact, his father is black and his mother is white campaigns around the world for the job.
     He woos the black vote, entices the female vote, and enthralls the minority vote, winning the majority to become the FIRST African American President of the United States of America. History is made. Foreign nations and people of foreign nations embrace this man. He is the changing factor in how the world perceives the USA. Relations with Arab and African nations wait to welcome him and his family, to their countries.
 
      It is an amazing event, the future is bright and beautiful. He can bridge gaps and heal relations. The world and the nation are optomistic. The new face of the White House and then business becomes usual.
 
       It appears that this young charmer has been charmed. He surrounds himself with what appears to be incompetence or out right dishonesty. The new color of the Administration is green. Agencies appear to be swaying contracts to companies who are unable to do the work, or are skimming (stealing) funds allocated to public works.
 
        Besides that, it appears that he has no allies in Congress, that he cannot or will not become a team player and negotiate with members of Congress to work for the good of the people. Can it be that the members of Congress, black and white alike, do not want this black president to succeed at the cost of the nation. Can it be that the Congress has sabotaged his administration, because the majority of the congress does not want a black man to succeed. Mr. Obama, it is said, made a deal with the majority leader and then reneged on the deal. From the look on the speakers face, it appears true. If true then Mr. Obama is in a position to make no changes to the economy. If he, the President, can not keep his word, then he can not be trusted, and is therefore a lame duck president, sitting on a list of coulda shoulda woulda's bigger than any person whom one can call a failure. As a lawyer, he would know the value of a verbal contract.
 
        So now the problem is the country, the President has to bend to the opposition to achieve anything. He must give the opposition what they want in order to give the American people anything to look forward to, or we will be faced with a depression deeper than anything recorded in history. He will personally have created a rift between the races that will turn the country back to the civil war days. He must surround himself with professionals who know what is going on and who know what must be done, and who will recommend strongly to the President to convience him to take the necessary steps to put the economy of the country back on track toward full employment. Without full(of course there is no such thing as full employment) employment, without the country allowing the people the self respect of earning a living, we all will sink into a mailaise that will change the future generations for the worse. Without education ignorance will breed fear, without food, want will breed anarchy. And with anarchy the  country will revert to the days of the old west when people took what they wanted with the force of a gun.
 
         If the country changed its direction for a little while, and focused on education for all citizens who chose to be educated, no jobs or a slow economy would right itself. If America, besides feeding children who attended school, pay the unemployed to go to school and learn, either a new skill or to speak the American language. There would be a greater demand for teachers, who would have to negotiate a new contract with the country, the unions would have to contribute to the effort, either by reducing wages, reducing vacation or reducing medical benefits. This of course is not what the unions want to hear, but this is a way to jump start the economy, giving Americans an opportunity to increase their self esteem, and feed themselves.
 
        Government, the size of government is an issue. Bloat, there is no way civil servants can avoid changing. Either they produce more, therefore earning a fair wage for services performed or they too must renegotiate their contracts.
 
         Lobbyists, aka salesmen or salespersons should have a watchdog agency, not related to the government, maybe headed by Ralph Nader, how is Ralph Nader, we have not heard  from him, he, I would expect should be boiling right now, unless there are other more pressing issues that he is facing besides the USA, like his health. We wish him well. He, Raplh Nader, had served the Republic and we thank him for that.
 
          America is hurting, twenty five percent of the men are unemployed. The trickle down effect of US unemployment to other nations is a far more dramatic disaster. We in America, have had it good, we have had food and shelter, and we have taken it for granted. Now we are in a positon where we must feel grateful for having a roof over our head, except of course for those in Joplin and the east where Irene has taken away what they had.
 
          In Hati they are living in tents. We must consider the new AGE of Obama, not that it is all his fault, not necessarily that any of it is his fault, just that he is the president at the moment and it is under his watch that our world has caused us to become "Strangers in a Strange Land". The world to us now is new, but the fear and greed, the ignorance and want are the same. We can overcome the fear and the greed and the ignorance and the want. We can do it, and yes, the money must come from somewhere, Besides China. Used to be, companies invested in R & D, research and development, haven't heard much about that lately. How about all the money they say in overseas needing to come back to America, the government giving corporation the incentive to invest in America in the form of Research and Development, which would give employees the motivation to learn. Learning is what keeps people young and healthy, learning something new opens the mind to new horizons, eliminating stagnation.
 
          FDR put people to work, now besides the government investing in its people, corporations must give something back if they want to survive. We are now in survival mode, thanks in part to Bernie and the rest of the thieves who have stolen instead of earning their wealth.
 
         Survival mode is a very dangerous place to be, people do not think, they reach for what they want and take it. The Rule of Law is what is at stake, and we, all of us, no one excluded, must choose not to be in survival mode. We must live. Being alive and living is the way the new generation of human should advance. We must at all costs, avoid war.
 
         All of a sudden I am thinking of the Pope and the Catholic Church, and for that matter allllll the other Religions that have been supported by the people, they too must give up the good life and take up the struggle with us. Why not tax the Religions instead of giving people a way to hide money. Let the churches, synagogues, mosques and every other roof share the burden of healing the nation.
 
          Before it is too late. 

Thursday, September 15, 2011

BABY BOOMERS

bORN out of the bombs and blasts of WWII
 
BABY BOOM ERS are the present generation of humans
who wondered worried and wanted to know
how people could go to war
how could humans kill humans
 
they devoured books and articles on the subject
and still they could not comprehend
the horror
and the will to inflict the horror
still
they read
they asked
they wondered
 
what caused Germany to follow that man with the funny mustache
 
WWI
 
when germany lost WWI it was punished
for losing
when germany lost WWI it was punished
becaused the winners wanted what germany had
when germany lost WWI the winners
stripped the nation and the people of everything
they were left with no self respect
no pieces to pick up
no self worth
neither financially nor emotionally
they were the bad guys
and the winners punished them with revenge
they took all the marbles
and beat them black and blue
 
and instead of leaving them dead
they were left
starving
for self worth
 
slowly, they, germany, rebuilt
slowly, their anger at having no illusion of self worth
festered
 
to paraphrase Lady Chatterly's Lover
 
'after the fair, the master beat the slave
and the slave beat the cow
and the cow went into the field to cry'
 
and the man with the funny mustache sold to a people
downtrodden with their face burried in the mud,
a reason to feel good about themselves
 
and someone to pick on
and they picked and picked and picked
 
and the poverty lingered
and the madness spread
 
to paraphrase Charles Dickens
 
'beware this child
this child is ignorance
and beware this child
this child is want'
 
and still,
the BABY BOOMERS
did not understand
 
time passed
life went on
 
the boomers lived the love age of Acquarius
with the flowers and long hair
 
the peaceniks or is it peacenicks
peaceniks like sputnik
 
and the Russians won the race to space
and the cold war was on
 
and the separated germany's
part of the punishment for losing the war,
although it was stated
punishment for starting the war
 
lived walls apart
until the actor/president
played the part of challenger/knight in shining armour.
 
Japan meanwhile, was punished
with the shock and awe treatment
favored by the red white and blue
 
hitting them below the belt
with an anger and rage
so uncontrolled
it wiped out two cities
 
And because there must have been so much guilt
the red white and blue
gave japan the technology
to do cheaply mass produce
what the red white and blue
used to do
 
And still,
the BABY BOOMERS
in their naievity(sp?)
could not and would not believe
how could war happen
 
Then,
there were the war crimes trials
at
NUREMBERG
 
Richard W. Sonnenfeldt, the Chief American Interpreter
said of those on trial, "They were average guys."
 
And thinking about all the people involved,
there was a movie
showing the trial of a woman
who
because she needed a job
became a warden for female prisoners
 
and it was her responsibility to guard the prisoners
and when a fire broke out where the women were
held,
 
this person, did not unlock the door
because it was her responsibility
to guard the women
to prevent their escape,
her comment was,
"I was just doing my job."
 
In the book,
"Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds"
there is the tale of the "Tulipomania"
where it is reported that in 1637 Holland
someone bid twelve acres of land for one rare tulip bulb.
 
The Boomers
after all their research
finally
resolved
 the why ,
because they wanted to.
 
Because they wanted to millions lost their lives. resources were squandered
and society bears the shame for those who lost control,
because they wanted to.
 
 

glitch

Google has made changes to blogger, or has blogger made changes to google
either way
I am unable to spell check my work
so you now know I am an iffy speller
when I remember I am terriffic
 
then, and also,
sometimes my english is not so good
or
I second guess myself in the middle of the night
either way
 
the newest publication
has not been edited
because I can not find the edit function in the new layout
so I am unable to change the work, word
 
therefore
I am not rereading it until then
because I will not delete it, have I found the delete function?
 
technology is a wonderful thing
technology is a terrible thing
 
the best laid plans of mice and men
often go awry
and I am included here
as a mouse of the system
attempting to appear a giant
 
using all the technology afforded me
and being unmasked
appear as every
other struggling individual
hoping to make ends meet.
 
technology is a wonderful thing
like the calculator
except when it does not work
then,
it is important to know how to add...
 
Summer is almost gone
hooray
winter is almost here
hooray
maybe
indian summer is upon us
we hope,
for those last delicious days of sunshine
and warmth and shirtsleeves.
 
And best wishes to all those whom
have fallen victim to the weather,
may your days be gentler.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

The Tea Party Republican Debate

The question arises, why have the debates for choosing  a leader for The United States of America been only transmitted on pay television, why have the majority of the population been eliminated from the process.
 
Then, watching the second debate fom the candidates and hearing the same things, I did this... I will do this... the current administration is doing this...
and I desperately wanted to turn it off, and I forced myself, more than once, to continue with the punishment, in fear, if I turned it off, I would, really , miss someone saying something valueable.
 
The question still arises, why is the rest of the population excluded. What good reason is there for denying every member of this country the opportunity to see who they believe would be the better choice for running this country.
 
Why have the Republicans and the media community not considered the necessity for ALL the people to be educated, to make an informed decision, when it comes to choosing a leader.
 
What was interesting during the debate, or should I say, what was amusing, not in the funny sense but in the vein of vaudevillian slapstick, was the candidates ganging up on or pouncing with negative fervor on Mr. Perry, for the decision the people of Texas voted for, to prefer educated illegal immigrants over guests  of the state, as in, illegal immigrants going to prison. The people of Texas chose an educated populace. And the also, the other candidates, pounced on Mr. Huntsman for Utah giving illegal immigrants driving licenses.
 
When asked the question, what will you do with the illegal immigrants, if you were president, evasion, with a focus on securing the border, the candidates would not touch the question with a ten foot pole.
 
Especially missing from the debate was anyone saying how they would effect any of the promises they were making. "Promise her anything..."
 
On the topic of health care, someone did throw out the idea of alternative healthcare as a way to decrease health costs. The AMA, the American Medical Association the health care monopoly that through it's schools, limits the number of physicians, as their way of controlling their income, through exclusivity. Plenty of doctors would reduce the costs of health care, but, with fewer physicians, and the AMA the controlling force, there is nothing to be done. Medical insurance is an interesting commodity. It guarantees you medical care if you need it, but if you have ever gone to the emergency room at any hospital you would wait for hours to be treated, and then you and your insurance carrier would be charged a small fortune, more than a weeks salary, never mind a weeks income. If you have a chronic condition and must regularily be seen by a specialist you will again be forced to sit in the waiting room or the treatment room for at least an hour to be seen for three minutes by the specialists, who may suggest a myriad of tests to comfirm the probable, then there where you are tested you again must wait for hours for tests or treatments to help you feel better. Stolen hours of your life, prisoner, you are cared for at their convenience, if you are fortunate enough to have a facility near where you reside, otherwise you also must travel for hours for a three minute viewing with the all powerful member of the AMA.
But I digress, this is not what the discussed.
 
Mr. Perry again, took a verbal beating for his mandate in Texas, forcing young girls to be treated with shots to prevent cervical cancer. Government should not be forcing medical treatments of children. But no one said anything about the law that there are shots children must have before they are permitted to attend school.
 
Then of course there were flying buzz words, leadership, full employment, strong America, eliminate waste, reform taxloopholes, subsidies, regulation reform, energy independence, shrink government, fair tax, consumption tax.
 
Lobbyists were left alone, those salespeople that sway the political arena with their financial contributions to the wealth of the politians ensuring the benificial treatment of the orginazitions or corporations they represent.  If politicians were leaders of the country without the finincial assistance of the lobbying machine, what, would the electorate and the government machine look like.
 
Iteresting facts that were mentioned: it is costing us two billion dollars a week to wage the war in Afghanistan, we, America, has nine hundred bases in one hundred thirty countries. It was suggested to bring them all home, picture it, all those soldiers coming home to be unemployed. There was concern for developing situations in Egypt, Turkey, Mexico and the middle east. No concern was voiced for Africa with her battles and starving people.
 
So the whole debate went, and there was no information about how the candidates were going to implement the promises they were making, no mention about how they, the candidates, were going to convence the Senate and House of Represenatives to agree with and vote for the candidates plans for fixing the economy and everything else wrong with America, nobody said, this is what I want to do if elected, and I will need you, the American Public to participate by calling your represenatives and telling them to vote in favor of my proposals.
 
I did this..., I will do this... if I am elected I WILL....
 
And if you believe that, I will sell you a bridge.  

Sunday, September 11, 2011

The 9/11 Memorial

The PBS radio station from the campus of the University of Missouri at Columbia, Missouri, last night, Saturday night, as usual played some Jazz music. What was different was a tribute to New York City and a remembrance to all the victims of 9/11.
They found music about Coney Island, Avenue A and artists who have written and performed their feelings after the attacks. It was a walk through the streets of New York, transported to specific places, areas inhabited with working people, laughing and playing children. Summertime with open hydrants and short sleeve shirts, warm asphalt and a closeness of people spending time out of doors.
The radio station also reported the many trees planted at the memorial site, including one pear tree that had survived for the World Trade Center Site.
Then, the mood changes to personal. Canaries in their cages, voicing their emotions touching ours. Every pluck of the strings, every tap of the ivories hitting the chord, the place where we all have been.
With head resting on the pillow, eyes closed and ears perked with every stroke reawakening the trauma felt those ten years ago. It still hurt, the scenes replayed before closed eyes, the collective wave of sadness engulfing a nation, a planet, a people. Some tears on the bedlinen and then asleep.
Waking to the news, the memorial service is soon to begin, and again a tear touches the pillow.
Familiar Faces, the mayor, the president, the first lady, the former first lady, the fountain with its water shimmering down in waves, a velvet blanket swaying down into the pool that descends into nowhere, the pool that does not wash away the pain, the pool, a place to see and feel the pain, more tears.
The first couple of hours on television, with the cameras panning the dignitaries, the families and the guards behind the family members reading the names of the fallen, was a sombre gathering with the cameras recording and reporting all that is new at Ground Zero.
Then, all the stars left except for Mayor Bloomberg, the crowd thins and the scene changes, the tv anchors have to be seen and heard, they, in their abstraction removed us from participation, they change the focus of the watcher, they made it about them. And then the discontinued transmission of the memorial service, except for CSPAN. CSPAN did not leave the rest of the alphabet of names unheard, the channels continued to the end, standing by the sides of those who chose to honor and remember with all suffering, the lost. Thank you CSPAN for the kindness and respect you showed all today.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Fw: O'Reilly v Bloomberg

 
 

Dear Mr. O'Reilly,
 
The 9/11 memorial is not about you. That you do not like that Mayor Bloomberg did not invite clergy, police and fire personnel is a very local view.
 
Besides the families of 9/11 victims, representatives from each of the countries that lost victims must be represented as well as all nations that stand with us in the battle against the tyranny of terror, and of course representatives from the United Nations and N.A.T.O.
 
That the New York City Police and the New York City Fire Departments were not speciffically invited show that the memorial is about the people who were  and still are affected by the events of that day, and not institutions.
 
About the clergy, if clergy is to be singled out then the clergy that represents every individual that was lost, should be invited.
 
9/11 is not just about New York City, or America, or people, it is about the human race and its struggle to raise itself above the classification of animal and peoples willingness to coexist in peace.
 
We abhor the assault we endured and must find common ground to ensure or hope to ensure that all peoples feel as we do, that we must find a better way to resolve our differences.
 
Yours truly,
 
MiceLLe
 
 

Thursday, September 8, 2011

The American Jobs Act and the President's Speech

The bill will be paid for... next week we'll tell you how
There will be modest adjustments to Medicare and Medicaid
All will pay their fair share
There will be spending cuts
The best way to grow the economy
tax breaks so teachers can go to work
we will change the way we do business
the govt will help people refinance mortgages
countries with whom we have trade agreement
must play by the rules
cut wasteful spending
regulation review
collective bargaining
congress, it is time to meet our responsibilities
elections fourteen months away
What a con!
Does this guy and his handlers think the American people want to
buy a bridge?
What the guy did not say, and I am calling him a guy because I am
at this point angrier than I was last night.
This guy does not deserve my respect.
It was more a cheer leading rally we heard
rather than a plan to save America
and then to boot, they announce information they new four months
ago, about a threat to New York or Washington by a car bomb,
information found when they wiped out OBL.
The what if segment was a good touch, Abraham Lincoln and his
achievements, and the Internet.
POOH!
What the guy did not say, is that unions, the Longshoremen and
the Teacher's union are in trouble. There will have to be adjustments
in the way we do business. Union members know they have been
receiving the cream off the top of the milk, for you youngsters who don't
understand that statement, in the old days, before homogenized and
pasteurized milk, the cream would float to the top of the bottle.
You union members will be forced to change contracts, to adjust to
the way things are now. Scaling down.
He did say that our trading partners were going to have to play by the rules,
how will he threaten China to revalue their currency, not sell them any more
of our debt or drop a bomb. Silly, that he thinks he can get them to do anything
when he can not even get his congress to do something.
Ah, congress it is time to meet our responsibilities - is he implying that the
congress has been fooling around- those individuals with ten percent approval
of the American Public.
Made in America
who would buy anything willing, from America, we are right now priced out of the market.
The banks will be forced to refinance loans, forced, the operative word here.
The banks should have refinanced loans before. They should have realized, of course
they did realize, what was going on, but the first stimulus was what they were waiting
for, and used those funds wisely(perhaps). Now, they are sitting with a bundle of
real estate, that is basically worthless, because no one has any money to buy it.
Fools that they are. They chose to steal money, along with the Freddie and Fanny.
History always repeats itself, and we fool ourselves into thinking it will be different.
Double dip recession, oh no, they say.
The Great Depression ran for ten years with the stock market experiencing
volatility of up days followed by down days followed by up days, followed by down days.
Sound familiar.
Sometimes, we let ourselves be conned, is this one of those days.

The Republican Candidates Debate

Last nights showing was a bit weak, more along the lines of, 'look at me, look at me'. Not exactly ammunition for leading a country. Ms. and each of the candidates will be referred to as Ms. or Mr. to eliminate some government titles and further reduce the playing field to individuals.
Ms. Bachman repeatedly referred to raising children as a qualification. But, she was not really speaking to all the moms who raised their children while cooking meals, cleaning house AND holding a paying job. So, while she did in fact mother some children and foster mother others, little evidence of her knowing the real world environment of parenting with struggle has been displayed, so, she should refrain from bragging in that arena.
Other times she bragged about sitting down with people who have been thrust into life's catastrophes and commented that she, "knows about that", speaking with and living through are not exactly the same knowing and does not denote qualifications.
She on the other hand, did promise to make things right, BUT without bipartisan cooperation, NOTHING ever gets done. Do you see any evidence of her bolstering Republicans and Democrats to do anything, never mind, the right thing.
And then of course, she found ample time, along with some of the other candidates, to bash, or bad mouth the job BHO was or was not doing.
Funny, how many of the candidates found time to report to us what we already have lived through. As if they had any idea what unemployment, without income was.
They all seem to enlighten us about being one with us, focusing on the middle class struggle, while they have all been living with silver spoons in their mouth.
They all of them, have never put cardboard, if they could find any, in their shoes because the soles were holes meeting their feet with the ground. How many of them have taken a shower in winter and dried themselves with holes and a little towel wrapped around feeling the cold air hit wet skin.
Mr. Cain not very versed on public speaking and not very versed on things other than running a company, was one who offered a plan to get us out of the hole we are in. He has offered us a 9, 9, 9 formula to simplify the tax roller coaster and have everyone paying an equal share. Here then is another BUT, nine percent income tax is a wonderful lure, who of us who make any money would like a nine percent bill instead of thirty five percent, nine percent income tax for corporations may be a good idea but  rather they instead of paying nine percent tax their funds would be wisely placed into research and development, corporations are alive to make money, that seems to be their primary purpose, why not let them do what they do best, it seems in our interest, those of us who have to earn an income to survive. Mr. Cain seems to have our interests at heart, though, I again would think the parties would not lend a businessman a helping hand. I have in fact, been known to be wrong,, on many occasions. If he is president, I hope I am wrong, again.
The other nine percent is sales tax, NINE percent sales tax would cripple those on the lower rung of the ladder, starving them to death. Nine percent sales tax on a pair of shoes is a lot of money, especially when we have to drive to the store to buy them. Unless Mr.. Cain explains what in fact is taxed i protest. We live in a consumer economy, the consumer drives the economy, without our buying goods and services the economy goes no where, unless, the model is going to change soon.
We seem to be a munitions and IT society, military, police, firearms, and information technology employ the highest paid and the most of the nation, where is that taking us.
Mr. Perry, one with a smart mouth, said all the facts he was presented with were wrong.  He celebrated bringing big corporations to work and employ people to his state, but gave little when presented with his removing funds from educating the children. When it comes to cutting spending for running a state there are many nuances that must be addressed, and all have priorities. Roads, moving goods to market is crucial, especially produce, picture the mess. Safety, for all of us who can not protect ourselves, and the boomers are a lot of us, should not be reduced, or should we return to the policy of being responsible for ourselves. Have you ever thought about the idea the sirens are the police warning criminals to run away because the good guy who is very frightened into doing his job is on the way. Religion is a big part of who he is, and religion seems to come first for him, does he not present himself like a preacher. While he does take responsibility for all the progress Texas has made for the cleaning up the environment he did not specify I don't think, what role he played in effecting that.
 
Mr. Perry also said Social Security is a Ponzi scheme. Social security is money all workers contributed to fund their old age and of course, the U.S. Government has use of those funds. Therefore, the U.S. Government owes that money to the aging workers of America.
Each of us is responsible for our fair share, yet each of us fall into different sliding scales of ability and net worth so how is nine percent fair and how mandatory insurance fair, or, how do we make the income tax fair and how do we make the medical dilemma fair.
Mr. Santorum is in a fighting mood and I seem not to remember what else he stands for besides his religion.
Mr. Gingrich, along with other candidates, has aligned himself with the dead President Regan. I remember Mr. Regan spent much rebuilding the military might, and then we were in debt. Mr. Gingrich is a bright man with many ideas, a thinker, and his infidelity is an issue.
Mr.Paul is the only person up on the stage who really doesn't want the job, but he is fighting a good fight to fix America. Bringing home the troops is what he especially wants along with shrinking government, government does not add anything to the economy, it should be acting in the peoples interest, but it seems to be growing like a cancer and acting in it's own behalf. Mr. Pall is good to voice many of the issues facing us. He simply wants us to be aware of what is going on and what he believes needs to be done to fix the problems. He is the loudest voice for shrinking government. Whether or not you agree with all he says, you must appreciate his fervor for America, He is the Ralph Nader of the twenty first century, an important voice for integrity.
Mr. Huntsman told us that he was the only candidate who had the votes to make change. He is the only person on the stage to say he had a majority to effect the necessary policies to take government out of the way of the economy. His being ambassador to China, the country sitting with all of our nations outstanding debt is an interesting side to this race. He is familiar with China, the most populous nation on the planet, the nation with the most mouths to feed, the nation selling us most of the goods we wear, and need to make our lives  a bit comfortable. Actually, when you think about it we are China East, and it would serve us to remember that. We are no longer independent, we are no longer isolated. We can no longer think of ourselves as leaders. We are a nation in debt, that can or will, no longer produce our own goods.
Then there is the issue of the approximately twelve million illegal immigrants here. Those person who were hired by corporations at cheap wages to bring them, the corporations, big profits. We can not fault these illegal immigrants who were starving in their own country hiding themselves away here, to be able to eat. It is human nature to fight for survival. For the corporations that knowingly hired them, yes, those entities and their management should and will never be sanctioned or punished, they will continue to thrive.
For those illegal workers, if in fact they do work or have worked and lived productive illegal lives in the good old USA, lets consider a program: On the local level, they present themselves to a board, similar to a parole board, on an individual by individual basis, with two Americans to vouch for them and they, the illegal immigrants, demonstrate that they have in fact lead productive lives here. Then they will be given the opportunity to continue to stay here legally, and earn a living and if the so choose, have the opportunity to learn to become American citizens.
About the border, building a fence, is just something for someone to climb. People always do what they are not supposed to do. If the majority want a fence, then so be it. But then who will build the fence across America and Canada. Anyone who wants to get in can find a way to get in.
If they, the government that is, truly wants to prevent illegal immigration all they need do is warn everyone, they will be shot if they do choose to cross the border illegally, and if they don't believe it they can try crossing. Bullets are cheaper than fences and we already have them.
The other issue, education, feeding students is a very good idea. If you want to convince parents of the benefit of educating their children, promise to feed their kids breakfast and lunch and see how many kids arrive and stay in school. Nobody learns on an empty stomach, you don't believe me try it someday.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

9/11 The Twin Towers

On any given business day, the twin towers
each had an occupancy of one hundred thousand
below the twin towers is a concourse filled with shops
as well as the entrance to the subway station
and the Path train station
When the towers were attacked at about 8.45a.m.
there had to be activity reminiscent of worker ants
busying themselves scurrying in all directions
The Path trains connect New Jersey with lower Manhattan
bringing residents of New Jersey to their employment,
somewhere in New York. The New York City Subway
connects Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens, three boroughs
of New York with Manhattan. Many of the people who live
in those boroughs work in Manhattan and must therefore
take the subway, unless they drive automobiles or take a bus
that travels to Manhattan, to reach their job.
Has anyone questioned the casualty count from the assault on 9/11.
Is it simply a remarkable stroke of luck, or is there more to the story.
Besides the passengers on the four planes that crashes, and the
multitude of fire persons lost at the twin towers site, there seemed to
be few fatalities, mostly the persons employed by Cantor Fitzgerald
and Morgan Stanley, who worked on the upper floors, plus the
people at the Windows on the World restaurant at the top of one of the towers.
Is it possible for tens of thousands of persons to rapidly evacuate.
Ten years later, reflecting back, it seems a remarkable achievement
for all those persons to refocus their attention from the task of
travelling to work to running to safety.
The upper floors of the towers were accessible by using two different
elevators, each going halfway up the building. It would take at least
five minutes by elevator, best time, from top to bottom, assuming you were able to get on both elevators, without crowds forcing you to wait for
another elevator.
From the train station you either walked up stair to the street level or
you rode the escalator, and you usually had to wait your turn to access
the escalator, because of all the people exiting the subway at the same
time.
The statistics of the Twin Towers seem un-believeable.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Dear Diary- A Tome

Dear Diary,

Today I finished reading a book I got from Amazon on Saturday.
It is a four hundred-forty page story by Allen Regar called Lost Cause.
Every page is filled with excitement. It is a journey to everyplace I have ever been.
Mr Regar has described all the locales with an eye for the real and then twists the trip into very many alleys. He segues a life journey touching the facets that spark the intellectual circuits that keep the "grey cells' alive. There is not much that I want to divulge because if you will choose to read the book I would not want to spoil any page for you.

I recommend the book. If you are interested in fiction that stirrs the mind into thinking while taking you on a trip to somewhere you have never been and have definitely have been, consider Lost Cause. It is worth the finincial investment and the time it takes to read it.

That is, if you think books are valueable.

Yours truly,
miceLLe