The Chronicles of M. P. Andonee

The New York—Stupid—Knicks

2011-02-18T20:57:00.000-06:00

I have had it with this team. The last time it won a championship I was a toddler. Now, it can't complete a trade for a top 5 NBA player like Carmelo Anthony? What is wrong with these people? Give Denver everything they want! Everything, except Amar'e Stoudemire. He's the only untouchable. Then build the team around Anthony and Stoudemire.

When did Gallinari, and Felton, and Chandler became such great players? The Knicks have not had a good team since Isiah Thomas destroyed them... I yearn for the joy days of Patrick Ewing and John Starks and the NBA Finals. With Stoudemire and Anthony we'll get there. With Stoudemire and a supporting cast? I don't see it.

Toomer's Corner Trees: Auburn Police Arrest Dadeville Man In Toomer's Corner Tree Poisoning - WHNT

2011-02-18T02:31:00.001-06:00

Toomer's Corner Trees: Auburn Police Arrest Dadeville Man In Toomer's Corner Tree Poisoning - WHNT

I wonder if this story has anything to do with the current "poisoned" climate in the United States. I mean, really, this appears to be one deranged sports fan who acted out on his sports-hatred... and nothing more than that. For years, sports violence has been an epidemic in Europe an even in some countries in Asia and Africa, even at times in South America. Never really been a problem in the U.S. of America. England (the UK in general really), has been struggling for years with hooliganism,which has been exported to places like Italy, Spain and Greece and even some of the Arab countries. They tend to do a better job of suppressing the violence, but violence persists.

The causes of the violence are many and varied, but in sports it usually manifests in clashes between rivals of two opposing Football (Futbol) clubs. Such matches, are sometimes called the local derby (known here in America as the "cross-town rivalry"). Of course, no-one wants heated passion to escalate to the point of violence, but very often, in European matches this happens.

This has been something that sporting world has NOT experienced in the U.S. Opposing team buses have not been attacked by crazed fans. Oh, objects have been thrown on the playing surfaces of basketball games, or Football stadiums (snowballs come to mind in Philadelphia and New York/New Jersey), but I don't think that things have ever gotten so far out of control in the way that some matches oversees have... where officials needed to be escorted of the pitch in soccer games. Still. This violence epidemic in the sports world spoke of something deeper in the psyche of the common person on the street. Most people on the street were dissatisfied with their lot in life, and sports is just an outlet for this dissatisfaction. Sports attendance is very approachable in Europe, etc...

So, entertainment is the opium for the masses, and Sports has become a sort of Entertainment. It is a drug to keep the masses pliant and acquiescent. Of course, in the U.S. sports events are not accessible by the wider public. They have become too expensive for the median income family to attend. You have to belong to the upper middle class and above, before you can afford them. So most of America are spectators from afar, meaning they have only their TVs to watch from. And it is these same TVs and the TV talking heads who inflame and prod, constantly analyzing everything and anything. They have made the moment an athlete goes into the bathroom an event worthy of analysis: "What did he have for breakfast? How long did he spent in the bathroom? Is he OK? Did he wash his hands after-wards? Did he have contact in that bathroom with someone he should not have?" In other words, if something improper occurred in that bathroom, you better believe it those talking heads will find it, discuss it, and tell us about it.

It does not help either that the country is currently going through the toughest political period it has ever faced. The old timers will tell you things were bad in the 1950s under Jim Crow, or the 1960s with the Civil Rights and Vietnam War marches. History might even tell you that things weren't that good before then either in our history, go further back. What's important to understand is that we're traversing a difficult time, with people with diametrically opposed viewpoints sometimes shouting at each other across a great chasm. Is it any wonder then that people get inflamed in such an environment? Is it possible that a lunatic got crazy enough in an environment toxic enough by the rhetoric to try and assassinate a sitting US Congresswoman? Lots and lots has been written about this, much better than my effort. Ignore my effort. I am only making a roundabout point...

My thesis is this: In a toxic environment, people turn to sports for release. I've seen it happen in Europe. In places like England and Italy and Greece where people feel they have no other say, and can't get their way, they get their release through sports. They do just about anything for their sports team. People HAVE DIED for their sports team, and have attempted murder for their team. Is this acceptable? No, of course not. But, especially, during tough economic conditions, and when the preachers of doom and hate preach their nastiness on TV 24/7, people feel frustrated, and then they react.

This is the way one man reacted. He killed some trees. What will the next "crazed" fan do?

Is the media culpable? Yes, 100%. Both the regular media for preaching hate, and pushing regular people into corners where they find release in such horrible ways, and the sports media--do you have to analyze everything so much?

MEMO to MSNBC Producers, Could Everyone Please Stop Pissing Me Off?

2010-11-09T16:04:00.000-06:00

MEMO to MSNBC Producers, Could Everyone Please Stop Pissing Me Off?

I feel exactly like this!

The most important Human Interest story in years, or recent history and MSNBC mucks it up. What is up with that? Are these people stupid? Don't they understand this is what we want to watch? I ended-up watching Sean Hannity on Fox News, and I normally never watch this program. If MSNBC wants us to take them seriously, how do they expect us to do so when they won't even cover such an important story? Over 1 Billion people around the planet were watching, and MSNBC chose NOT to cover it? Come-on!

So when important events do happen, you're telling me to switch away from MSNBC, right....? I get the message.

This is what I twitted to Keith Olbermann yesterday after his show:

@KeithOlbermann Major Fail at #MSNBC. Chile Miner Rescue most important story in the whole world and not one mention on #CountDown OR #TRMS

But that's life in the news business. The news executives know best, I guess. And I, the consumer of their product, I am highly disappointed!

The World Cup

2010-07-02T23:19:00.000-05:00

Which World Cup do you think I am talking about? There is only one that matters, and there is only one Football, no matter what Americans like to call their game, played using "hands". So, you call it Soccer, so what? That word comes from "Football Association" anyway! The real problem here is all the Soccer haters out there, specifically:

A Kick In The Head: Soccer Is Not The Game That ‘The Rest Of The World’ Loves

and,

Introducing: Sports Wonks

Now seriously, after the wonderful drama of the first two Quarterfinal games you want me to waste time on this subject? It is true that the United States DID NOT make it past the Round of 16. But people in the know, people who appreciate the game, have other teams that they cheer for and therefore are still watching the games. Maybe the ratings will not be spectacular (20 Million viewers for the USA - Ghana game), but I believe they will still be respectable.

So let me make a couple of points here. Ethan Epstein over at True/Slant, proposes that other sports are more popular than Soccer in other countries not just the US, so why should it be popular here where sports like American Football, Basketball, and Baseball dominate? Well sure, pick a country, even World Soccer powers like Brazil, Argentina and Spain. You know what, those countries love other sports. It might surprise you to know that Basketball is really really popular in those countries. In fact, their very best players, are actually playing over here, in our league, the NBA, and their national teams, are going to give the US Super Team (made of NBA All Stars) a run for its money this summer at the FIBA World Championships. So what has your argument proven? Here are some soccer powers that can also play basketball. All we're saying is that over the whole world, taking into account every sport, the most popular sport IS SOCCER.

So the Sports Wonks over at FrumForum argue that the "tie" in soccer is Un-American. My friends you're wrong. The "tie" in soccer can be a strategic weapon when used properly, and of course it can therefore be a win. There are competitions in which a tie, means that an away goal gives you the edge. In the early rounds of the World Cup, the tie ensures a so-so team, the chance to advance to the next round of the competition, where it can prove its mettle, by improving its game. And sometimes, if you're playing with 10 players due to an ejection, or red card, you try to hold on to a tie, so that you can still get a point, and maybe then advance out of your group.

It really comes down to understanding the game. Millions of young children in the US play the game of soccer due to its accessibility. Yet, as they grow-up they forget it and gravitate to other games such as American Football, and Baseball. I love these other sports. I wholly embrace them and completely enjoy them. But yet, I do not understand the vitriol surrounding the World Cup tournament which comes around every four years. Just like the Olympics, it is a spectacle. It provides highs and lows. It provides drama and story lines to tell your kids. I still remember fondly the World Cup from 1982 and some magical football games played by Italy, the eventual winners that year. Aah, those are the memories!

Soon, this year's version of the World Cup will be complete. A Champion of the World will be crowned. We will move on to other pursuits. Will Americans watch more games on the MLS? Who knows? I don't dislike the MLS. I just don't think it's a World Class League yet. The best American Players go overseas to play. And the only good foreign players that come here, are past their prime. David Beckham, has been injured for most of his time with the L.A. Galaxy and now Thiery Henry is coming to NY. Until the spectacle improves, I'll watch the occasional game. Until then, it's the World Game I am still in love with. And to you haters I say:

"Get over yourselves!"

The Cult of Personality (Part 2)

2010-06-05T02:26:00.003-05:00

Honestly, I don't hate Rachel Maddow. I leave such feelings of hate (that word is such a powerful word, I don't like using it) to people on the right of the political spectrum, who call her names and attack her constantly, for her views, her lifestyle, her appearance and a myriad other things that they find wrong about her. She has a TV show to do, particularly, TRMS, otherwise known as "The Rachel Maddow Show". Her show is on the MSNBC network every weeknight at 9:00 pm Eastern or 8:00 pm Central.

Rachel's Show has various segments during its hour-long run. Sometimes, the writer and former Air America host, Kent Jones, appears on Rachel's show to discuss pop-culture or other items. Of course, I am sure, none of these appearances are unscripted, or without the approval of the producers and of course Rachel Maddow herself.

On June 1st, 2010 for the second consecutive year, Rachel Maddow and Kent Jones proceeded to launch into what could only be described as a "light comedic satire" of the just transpired Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo, Norway. This was not the first time that Rachel and her team had made fun of the Eurovision Song Contest, previously "liking it" to American Idol "light" and "a bunch of musical wannabees without talent". When she did it the previous year (2009), she had described the Greek Singer as "dressed like a porn star". This, of a man, Sakis Rouvas, who is #1 in sales in his own country, and very successful at what he does. Yet, Rachel Maddow and Kent Jones decided to mock him and all the other singers representing their respective countries.

This year, their mockery was no different. They attacked the songs, they attacked the costumes, they attacked the stage direction of the performances themselves. And why? In order to provide a 3 to 4 minute segment of what they thought was entertainment to their viewers. In the half-hour news show that I watch in the afternoon by Katie Couric, she normally finishes with something uplifting, something about the human condition that not only informs us, but let us know that we're not alone. Katie Couric and the CBS Evening News does journalism correctly.

I don't doubt Rachel Maddow's geek credentials. I don't want to debate her. She has awesome debating skills. She understands arguments better than the average human being. But she does not understand her audience. She does not understand that it's NOT "all about her". This is NOT the "The Rachel Maddow Show". This is an informative, news and commentary and analysis show. But, who am I to try to tell her this. She has achieved cult status, and thinks she has surpassed our tastes and can dictate what we want to see and hear. Even Keith Olbermann is more of a newsman than she is. Maybe, Ms. Maddow believes that commentary continues past politics into the world of entertainment, and anything that goes on oversees is fair game, we can make fun of foreigners.

All I know, is that her attempt at humor in mocking or satirizing the Eurovision Song Contest was poorly thought out and poorly executed.

Did it personally bother me? Of course! Have I stopped watching her show because of it. Yes. I understand nothing "mean" might have been "meant" by this exercise, but Ms. Maddow, this is the second year in-a-row that you have performed this stunt. At some point coincidences stop being such, and a pattern emerges. One wonders if you believe in such things as Journalistic Integrity and Professional Ethics. Making fun of the Europeans and their quaint little song contest, might seem amusing, but it is a heritage that some of us have grown-up with and enjoy. Maybe you'd be better served "mocking" American Idol and its voting patterns?

In the end, a journalist who is a TV Personality is only as good as the people watching him or her. Presenting the information of the day requires some perspective. I have always appreciated the ideas and perspective that you have offered, but not anymore. What you seem to be saying to your audience is, "I have a large spoonful of Cult, for those who want to follow me, and I spurn those who don't." I am NOT going to take that bargain.

I'd rather take an apology from you, if offered.

Last Night’s Vote By The Numbers – What Health Care Can Teach Us About Voting, Insurance, and Campaign Contributions - Chris Thomas - Politics on the Rocks - True/Slant

2010-03-22T13:28:00.000-05:00

Last Night’s Vote By The Numbers – What Health Care Can Teach Us About Voting, Insurance, and Campaign Contributions - Chris Thomas - Politics on the Rocks - True/Slant

Wow!

Eye-opening! Read at your own risk!

Young (and not so young) and without a Plan

2010-03-19T16:42:00.000-05:00

It's fascinating when certain thoughts are percolating in your head and then you read an item on the web that validates your thinking. Just today, I read this article:

An American Mutant: A Three Part Series on the Man-Child (Part 2)

This was only the second part of a three part series, but this was the part that really caught my attention.

Here is Part 1: An American Mutant: A Three-Part Series on the Man-Child

And Part 3 here: An American Mutant: A Three Part Series on the Man-Child (Part 3)

It's a fascinating look into the culture of the man-child, of the perpetual adolescent who does not want to grow-up, like the old "Toys 'R 'Us" commercial used to say in its jingle.

I will not repeat here what the Author, David Masciotra discusses in his article (or rather series of articles), but rather I want to expand on his theme. I believe that a lot of his points are not only valid, but illuminating about today's culture. I have seen the man-child in action. But the man-child is not a symptom of only this generation -- it exists in Generation X, it also blossomed in Generation Y also known as Millennials. What scares me the most is that I have some first hand knowledge of the man-child. I have seen him in action. And I am writing this in hope of preventing the "man-child" from passing unto the next generation.

The man-child has his own hours and his own schedule. The man-child does not believe in the same productive hours that the rest of society functions in... Is that really a description of a modern day "slacker"? What is a "slacker" after all, but a man-child wanna-be? But the "slacker" has been identified as one who could be suffering from depression. And the man-child? David Masciota says:

"...[they] have no plans for their lives, and the most terrifying part of that is that no one seems to care enough to do anything about it. Their parents reportedly bicker at them but refuse to levy any threats or ultimatums."

Could it possibly be a lack of self-esteem? Many years ago, I was lucky enough to be given a set of these powerful tapes by self-help guru Jack Canfield. Their title was: "How to Build High Self Esteem.". I realized then one of the biggest problems facing me was the man looking back in the mirror. The lack of self-esteem can be a major hindrance going forward in life. It stops you from having goals, whether positive or negative, any kind of goals. It sometimes robs you of the will to live a normal life -- all you want to do is just get by. It can lead to depression pretty easily.

Is it any wonder, with the world we all have to deal with today and the problems that we have to face how some otherwise sane people choose to "tune out" the world around them and how the same world in kind treats them:

"Political and social institutions ignore them, which is not surprising considering they also ignore the unemployed and undereducated who desperately want a college degree or fair-paying job, and the surrounding community seems to take an apathetically tolerant position regarding their presence.

This may not seem catastrophic, and it certainly is not when compared to people who are forced to live in the margins of inner city or rural poverty. However, the rising number of middle-class males who voluntarily accept roles as fringe figures, misfits, and aimless snails signals deep trouble for a nation undergoing cultural decay, economic collapse, and communal breakdown. The Wall Street Journal reported before the super-recession that the current young generation of men is the first that will be less successful than their fathers.

The financial collapse and unemployment epidemic raises the stakes for the current generation, and may result in a pyramid future where the few upper and middle-class born men with drive and ambition rise to the top, and the rest—the poor and working-class who are uncounted by the powerful, along with the man-child section of the middle-class—fill the bottom."

There is a pattern here. A self-perpetuating pattern. If you want to live in mediocrity, those around you will let you be part of their tribe. The institutions are geared towards allowing you to be "buried" in this mediocrity, and your parents... well, even if you were lucky enough to have immigrant parents, there is only so much they can take. Their walls have chips and cracks in them and they are crumbling. They have given-up trying to prop you up, to build you up to help you gain a leg-up that ladder of success that is America, because America has wore down on them as well. The land of opportunity is calling in its chips and its collecting, and a lot of people are coming-up short.

When after so much struggle, after you have achieved your goals, or even some goals, and you have reached some level of relative success, the collapse of what used to be the American Dream is starting to affect even those who can not be categorized as a man-child or "slacker", then something somewhere has gone terribly wrong. Yes, it has affected me... Oh, I won't say that I am exhibiting the symptoms of the man-child in all its glory: For example, I won't be out, until all hours of the night, keeping to a night-owl schedule that would lead me to being compared to a vampire. Nor would I drink myself into a stupor; but just maybe I get my kicks from some wonderful prescription pain meds, or even over the counter ones. Or for a change of pace, I have zero motivation to achieve anything new in my life, to progress beyond where I am right now. After all I say, in this current climate, "what would that get me?"

The powerful and the rich have everything locked-up in this world, and those in authority, those in the corporate world tell the rest of us what to think and what to do. In light of this, what can I do? But dammit, I think I can still make a difference with the younger generation. Maybe I can influence a nephew or a niece, maybe I can influence someone reading this blog to change their way. I certainly thought better of myself once, and succeeded mightily, broke past the family traditions and achieved things beyond what would have been possible. Now, this success is not uncommon for this family, is not uncommon for immigrants like us at all. But the lesson here is this: Standing still is not the answer. Playing the video game, watching TV, drinking that drink, taking that pill, that is not the answer. The way forward is make a positive step every day, is to say:

"Today is another day, a better day than yesterday, and today, I will do ONE thing more that I did not do yesterday."

I promise to change.

I hope those who can change, those that have read David's seminal 3-part series and my blog, will also change for the better.

After The Health Care Apocalypse: Analyzing The GOP’s Strategy For What’s Next - Chris Thomas - Politics on the Rocks - True/Slant

2010-03-19T14:52:00.000-05:00

After The Health Care Apocalypse: Analyzing The GOP’s Strategy For What’s Next - Chris Thomas - Politics on the Rocks - True/Slant

Is this what will happen, once Health Care reform passes?

Read the fantastic article I have linked to here and let's discuss.

My position? I completely agree with this article. Even if the Republicans make major gains in 2010, even if they somehow come back and regain the presidency in 2012, the "die" has been cast. Is this why they are fighting so hard against it right now?

BBC News - China unveils homemade AC313 large civilian helicopter

2010-03-19T11:40:00.000-05:00

BBC News - China unveils homemade AC313 large civilian helicopter

As I mentioned in an earlier post about their mystery bomber, China continues to grow, both as an Economic power and as a world power. Meanwhile the West? Well, the West is sleeping, engaged in trying to recover from a self-imposed economic disaster and trying to pass Health-Care for all.

One of these days we're all going to wake-up and China will be the world's ONLY economic super-power. How far away is that day? I don't know. But news like this bring it closer.

And of course, lest we forget, the economic bailout came at the hands of China.

Somewhere, someone is asleep...

The Arrogance of the Germans

2010-03-05T11:49:00.000-06:00

Yes, it is true that Greece is suffering some economic woes recently. And yes, it is also true that a lot of what is going on can be attributed to reasons both internal and external. It will take a very long post to discuss everything that has been going on with Greece's Debt Crisis. All you have to do is perform a Google search and then read a bit on it. Unfortunately, you won't have the advantage of being able to "Read" the Greek Language, and therefore, read the Greek Perspective on these news.

Still, despite that handicap, and despite some of the misinformation that exists out there among the general public, information exists for people to have a general understanding of this issue; (As an aside, isn't that the general rule? - as people, get less and less inclined to do their own research and learn everything there is to know about an issue, they become trusting of dubious sources, who are very likely to misinform, sometimes due to ignorance, but most of the time due to a willful decision to promote an agenda).

So among the debate as to what Greece must do to overcome this crisis, comes an article in the German Language magazine "Bild" quoting several German MPs , that Greece must sell part of the country in order to pay off it's debt. They propose not only selling the Acropolis, but also selling some of the uninhabited Greek Islands. This logic, comes from the same minds, and the same people who provided the world with the Nazi Party and the world's greatest mass murdered - Hitler. Is it any wonder that Greeks all over the World are up in arms over this suggestion?

The truth is that there is a certain arrogance that superpowers, whether economic or otherwise, have always displayed when dealing with small countries such as Greece. The truth is that this arrogance is one of the reasons Greece "lost" Asia Minor to the Turks in 1922, and over 2 million Greeks were displaced and thousands were killed. The truth is that this arrogance is what led to the partition of the island of Cyprus in 1974, when Turkish imperialist designs went unchecked by the USA and thousands of Cypriots were displaced. We see this in play today in Darfur, we saw it in play in Rwanda, and in the ongoing wars of Iraq and Afghanistan. Superpowers can come-up with any kind of excuses they want when they want to justify the means by which their foreign political goals are achieved. And don't for one minute think that this doesn't have something to do with Economics and Geo-Politics.

It remains the big secret that "Oil" in some quantities has been discovered under the Aegean Sea. As the Geo-Political situation now stands, the Aegean Sea is Greek Territorial waters. Once in the recent past (1986 to be precise), Greece and Turkey almost went to war, when Turkey decided they wanted to send an oil exploratory vessel out into the Aegean Sea. That attempt was thwarted, as was a later attempt to take over the Islands of Imia by Turkey. What these continuing efforts by Turkey show is an attempt to undermine Greek Sovereignty in the Aegean Sea, to question the Status Quo, and to "open the gates", at least in the international public's mind, that Turkey has a rightful claim both on portions of islands and territories in the Aegean Sea and by extension, the resources present underneath.

I am also reminded that the members of the German Parliament and Chancellor Merkel's government who made the comments they did, are "right wing" and of a background with dubious ties to other right wing agitators and parties in Germany. Let us also not forget two other important facts. Germany has a very high Turkish immigrant population that is very active in the national politics there and in supporting Turkish positions within Germany and in the European Union (EU) in general. And though this link is strenuous at best, and not much can be inferred from a mere glance, I offer it because it does make you think: During the Nazi party's ascendancy and dominance in the early 20th century, they had a friend in Turkey, even though they supposedly maintained a neutral stance until February 1945, when they finally declared war on Germany.

So, would it be a stretch to ask, that with the availability of resources in the Aegean Sea, and with Germany having a friend in Turkey, that what these German politicians are really promoting is the idea of Turkish imperialism under the guise of Greece selling its assets on the open market? This as a way to get at resources, resources that big Nations such Germany, an economic superpower need to continue functioning in the world economy. It makes one think, doesn't it?

Finally, for another perspective on the Greek Debt Crisis, watch this short informational YouTube video:

The Greek Debt Crisis Video

Economic Inequality - Some truths about Health Care Reform

2010-03-05T09:49:00.000-06:00

I recently posted this message as a response to a Blog Post by Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times.

What?

You don't read Roger Ebert Movie Reviews? Furthermore, you don't read his fantastic blog? I highly recommend it. My response was tailored to a specific individual, yet I think it's appropriate to share it with everyone. Feel free to comment on it as you want.

I did make one mistake below. I transposed Toyota and Nissan in the Family Care Segment Sales. Toyota is #1 and Nissan is #4, behind Ford.

Having worked in Manufacturing as well (I feel I had to answer), I can tell you why it's cheaper for Toyota or Nissan or others to manufacture their cars oversees and then import them. Legacy costs, as you briefly mentioned in your piece. These are the things that GM and FORD and Chrysler pay for when a worker retires. But, as union costs have escalated, some of the current worker's costs have also been rolled into this accounting process. So, a $22,000 car becomes a $28,000 car, and the Japanese beat it on price.

But, it is not true that all cars are manufactured oversees. Nissan, Honda and Toyota, respectively, number #1, #2 and #4 in the mid-size car segment (family car) all manufacture that car in the USA. So, how can they do so competitively and still pay the American worker their Health Insurance AND a competitive wage. It's not just the lack of a union.

The answer to the question posed by the first paragraph can be found in the social fabric of the countries were these cars are manufactured - Japan, Korea, etc. They have a social contract with their citizens, and although the companies profit in the great materialistic way that big Capitalist companies tend to profit in, the employees have health insurance that is supported by the National State. They also have some sort of National Pension system that works in conjunction with the company's pension system (sort of like Social Security on steroids). It works so well for them, that the living wage can be a lot more competitive that what an American worker makes. I don't begrudge the American Worker anything. Either alone or through unions, the American worker managed to raise himself to the middle-class and achieve a status that even in the middle of the 19th century it was unheard of. Yet, that drive and that competitiveness did not translate in the boardroom where the CEO and the share-holders, only cared for profits and more money.

Someone stated in a post earlier that companies are leaving certain areas because of higher taxes. That is Government's fault. That is the burden that Partisanship in Washington has placed on all of us. As I have said, CEOs care little for the productive middle class who helped them achieve their results... I am not making an all encompassing statement, not all CEOs are the same, and yes, I think you should earn what you deserve. But how much is too much? Why do you need $20Mil to run a company? I bet I can do the same job for $500,000 and no bonus.

And to answer the question posed by the second paragraph, unions have not ruined America, I don't think that at all. Yet, somehow, in factories that foreign manufacturers have opened in the US whether unionized or not, they managed to build the same or better product than their equivalent American counterparts. Why is that? These are American workers at both places. It must be the underlying economic factors, both at the companies running the places AND in the society. (And please, don't give me any bull-crap about "Government Motors" and all that -- that just happened and does not apply in this situation).

Yes, we don't manufacture anything in this country, but whose fault is that? Each and everyone of us needs to look in the mirror before answering this question, even more so if you're a CEO or a share-holder. I don't advocate the buy-American line, but think about a culture that places such a high-value on the low prices one can find at the "low-price leader" Wal-Mart. How is Wal-Mart to compete AND make a profit for their CEO, board and share-holders without manufacturing everything oversees? Where there is no regulation, or GASP, they don't have to pay the workers "HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS" or "401K (pensions)" and other benefits.

So what can the great equalizer, the Government, do for us? Lots of times I've pondered why they don't slap tariffs, on imported goods, from countries who willing game the system and flood the US market with cheap goods. And then there are times, such as last year when President Obama, did slap a tariff on unsafe Chinese Commercial Truck Tires. But the only way to expose trade imbalances and other such problems is to expose the inadequacies of our own system compared to what the other countries offer.

There are many points, and I won't go over them all, but in summary:
A fair and uniform corporate tax code.
A fair and uniform pension system (including a reform of Social Security).
A robust unemployment system that promotes retraining and values self-reliance.
A national retraining program as industries and technologies shift.
A National Health Care System - Heck, model it after Japan's for all I care. It can be as simple as what it's intended to be: If you have health insurance now, GREAT! Go your merry way, we're leaving you alone, don't even look here. If you lose your health insurance, because of a job change or unemployment, you pick-up a plan subsidized by the government until you get back on your feet.

Now, if we had these things, then you'd see how quickly we'd be able to compete with those foreigners, whether they be Japanese, German or Chinese.

Do I think any of this will happen, including health care reform? I doubt it. People are so misinformed and refuse to get themselves educated enough, by whatever means necessary to impact their own lives, let alone the world around them. How can we expect them to have intelligent opinions about such an important subject. No, it has to be "black" or "white". But it isn't. Sadly, not very much in life is...

The Cult of Personality (Part 1)

2010-01-10T17:40:00.000-06:00

Don't misunderstand me. I like Jeremy Clarkson. He's a funny man. But in one of his recent columns he claimed that "Greece is a toilet".

Now, a lot has been made about this comment on the web. There has been reaction far and wide, mostly from upset Greeks in the British isles as well as Greeks in Greece. They did not take well to Jeremy's comments. Portraying women in such a negative light and on top of that not apologizing for that view.

I am not here to forgive Jeremy Clarkson. I watch his show on BBC America. I don't read any of his stuff, either his column or his magazine writing. I do think he's very funny as concerned the automobile. And that's where the problem lies. Sometimes, this "cult of personality" can develop and a person thinks they are more than they are. Is that the case here? Has Jeremy gotten so over confident in his comedic abilities, that his tackling of subjects outside of his normal purview, leave something to be desired? I hope that's the case.

Personally, I think he's a good television presenter. He's funny when he tears a car apart as useless and just as funny when he says: "Hold on to your spleen everybody". Still, I do wish he'd apologize to Greeks for that unfortunate remark. I know it was in jest, but it was unnecessary.

Creativity Can Save the World

2009-07-10T09:34:00.001-05:00

What I don't understand is what "imaginative" person at the "Huffington Post" gave you a forum to write this drivel.

Oh but yes, changing the name of your channel from Sci-Fi to SyFy was "so imaginative".

And programming hours of wrestling, horror movies and B-movies is "so imaginative".

Sorry, we thank you for what the Sci-Fi Channel used to be. A group of investors and myself will soon launch a new channel dedicated to TRUE Science Fiction and Fantasy. Now, that's true imagination at work.

There is nothing to see here, move along.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Is America's Love Affair with Stupidity Finally Over? | | AlterNet

2009-01-15T14:14:00.002-06:00

Is America's Love Affair with Stupidity Finally Over? | | AlterNet

I don't know... but the article certainly makes some good points, but misses it's target.

As long as the current media landscape maintains it's hold, STUPIDITY will continue to reign supreme. Witness TV game shows like: "I survived a Japanese Game Show", "Wipeout" and other things of this nature.

Are there people who are trying to raise our collective IQ. Sure. But not if we raise them to the level of a cult of personality. That won't work either.

So what's to be done. Frankly, the if people continue to be in love with what's available by the current media, there won't be much change, regardless of who is in the White House. That's why, ultimately, I disagree with the article writer.

Still, the chance exists, for a smarter tomorrow. Who knows. Even Sarah Palin has exited stage left. Maybe things are "turning up"...

Why is the USA Screwed -- Maybe Forever?

2008-12-19T13:23:00.003-06:00

The historical precedent here is apt. The true comparison is the Roman Empire. We're more like them than people realize. I wrote about it in my blog post titled "Distractions" back before the 2004 election touching on many on the same themes that Frank shares with us here. Indeed, it is and has been my belief that this cultural warfare whether waged from the left or from the right is what distracts us from being a great nation like we used to be.

Are we an empire in decline? All the signs certainly point that way, and more and more commentators are starting to believe in what has been proposed in books and articles for some years now. I wonder if even with Obama's leadership this course we're one can be corrected. In other words, I am not as optimistic as Mr. Schaeffer appears to be.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

China baffles world with mystery bomber

2008-03-16T22:39:00.006-05:00

Don't think for a minute that we're not in another 'Cold War' this time with China.

Am I afraid of China? Yes, yes, I am.

Do I hate China? No. They are an old, old civilization. What they have accomplished in the last 4,000 years has not been matched by very many cultures.

But keep these facts in mind before you read this article: 'China baffles world with mystery bomber'

1) Most of the companies I used to work for, have been sold to Chinese companies, with the attendant manufacturing transferred to China. Does that mean, they stole my job? Am I mad at the Chinese worker? No, but I am mad at the "Wealth" and "Power" hungry American CEO who sold out.

2) Most of the stuff you buy at Wal-Mart is made in China a lot cheaper that it can be made in the United States or anywhere else for that matter. People flock to Wal-Mart for these discounted prices. Hell! I am one of them, BECAUSE, I can't afford higher prices. BUT, is that a good thing for America (US)? If we build NOTHING, and we only consume the world's resources, don't we become dependant on the World at Large.

3) 'Marketplace' from American Public Media, did a whole two week series from China a couple of years back, touting all the economic improvements and jumps forward of the Chinese miracle. Yeah, Chinese miracle performed on American middle class dollars. And once the miracle is finished, and the dollar is worthless, What will China do?

4) China still has the world's largest population, even if Indian IS catching up. And what does a country like that need? RESOURCES! What has the competition for resources caused in the past? Wars!!! In a way of course, I am oversimplifying. There a lot more complicated factors involved. The optimist in the American side likes to propose that there is a rise of a middle-class in China, and the Middle-Class has always been the instigator of transformations in countries, either through revolutions or other means. But the pessimist sees over 800,000,000 working Chinese that have to have resources and food... AND THAT has to come from somewhere.

5) Throughout this 'Chinese miracle' one thing has remained a constant: China's inappropriately bad human rights record, it's abuses in Tibet (do I really need to provide you with a link to what is happening there today?) and it's political system. It's all connected. China's political system, is old style, Stalinist communist. My grandfather and my uncles fought against it. My aunt and my cousin were in communist prisons. Years of an ingrained system do not fade from power overnight. The new money of the 'Chinese Miracle' and the new technologies being procured legally and illegally are being funnelled straight into China's defense programs.

So, how long before China overcomes the USA in terms of technological superiority in the battlefield? Remember, America is no longer the World's # 1 economic power, and doesn't have the world's strongest currency. That currency is called the Euro. And the technological advantage that America enjoys comes from employing engineers who want to work in the defense industry or associated industries. But when those industries or jobs end-up going to China, where will these people work? How will the US maintain it's technology advantage?

One last point. The US is rapidly becoming a service oriented economy. Can such an economy generate enough research and development funds to keep us ahead of the Chinese? Even if we had enough available, trained engineers?

So, read the article, and ponder this:

We are in a Cold War with China. One we are rapidly losing. How long before they get ahead of us?

2010?
2020?
2030?

You make the call.....

Another good article....on Hillary's "BIG" Wins

2008-03-07T17:10:00.003-06:00

Dr. James Zogby, had another very good argument about what Hillary's big wins means in the context of the democratic primary race. In effect and in summation, Hillary is expecting to go the National nominating convention and come from behind to overturn the WILL of the PEOPLE.

Does that sound right to you? It doesn't sound right to me either.

Another View on Hillary's unelectability

2008-03-05T18:28:00.002-06:00

Although this is more of a problem about math, Jonathan Alter of Newsweek discusses how Hillary simply can not catch Barack Obama based on current delegate projections.

Is he right?

I will let you read the article and make your own determination, but I personally think that we're heading for an unfortunate showdown between a political "Machine" (the Hillary Clinton political Machine) and a novice Presidential Candidate who has the right ideas and the right solutions, but maybe can not overcome twenty years of two families running our country.

So, what to do? Suggestions?

Why Clinton can't win the General Election

2008-03-05T16:18:00.003-06:00

I thank Marc Cooper for his thoughtful post following yesterday's Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island primaries. So Hillary Clinton won three primaries, but without such an overwhelming margin to get enough of the available delegates to start "eating" into Barack Obama's delegate lead. And if this trend continues, we will end in a situation where neither candidate has enough delegates before the Denver Democratic Convention -- in September no less -- rather late in the game.

Now, a lot of the pundits are already predicting that the Clinton Machine has a way to finagle the delegates and the numbers into Hillary's favor, so that Hillary ends up winning the democratic nomination. But that's just the problem--we're talking about a "Machine". And what this country needs now is not a "Machine", but a real leader -- not the same old and tired ideology, but the inspiration to change the way the political landscape operates. Since the Reagan years we have had 20 years of the same two families dominating politics in this country. Don't you think it's time for that to change?

I am not even going to start on Hillary's negatives. She has too many. But, in many of my discussions with Republicans, her negatives come to the forefront. I actually live in a Red State (yeah, a bummer, I know). Here is an interesting discussion I had recently with a female voter who voted for Obama in the primary:

"If Clinton wins the nomination, I am not going to vote in the general election in November," she said.
"Why," I asked her? "Aren't you tired of the War, and the Republicans and all the mistakes?"
"Yes, I am, but...."
"Well, what is it about Clinton, that turns you off about her? What would prevent you from voting for her in November?"
"She's married to an adulterer. I am all for forgiveness and second chances, but this man, cheated on her, and in order to save her political career and future, she stayed with him. That is the only reason she stayed with him."

And that folks describes the feelings of many Republicans that I know who live in Red States, who would be prepared to vote for a Democrat in November, but simply refuse to vote for Hillary Clinton. I know others, a lot more savvy than me have adequately described her other high negatives. And we have already seen her run a negative campaign. Is this the sort of campaigning we want? At one time, I actually believed in John McCain (oh, about eight years ago), before the George W. Bush Machine led by Karl Rove tore him down and destroyed him during primary season. It appears that John McCain has (a) learned his lessons well from eight years ago, and has adapted negative campaigning, and (b) IS NOT the same candidate he was then-- supporting all sorts of things that seem opposite to what he stood for just eight years ago.

This race then is wide open... It's wide open for someone like Barack Obama to win it. Unfortunately, the political machinery in operation today seem to have greased their wheels behind candidates that offer the wrong choices for America. I will keep supporting Obama, and I will keep hoping this primary campaign remains fair, but who knows what can happen.

Geneva 2008: Production Toyota iQ unveiled, smart in sight - Autoblog

2008-03-04T12:30:00.000-06:00

Geneva 2008: Production Toyota iQ unveiled, smart in sight - Autoblog

Is it coming here? As gas prices continue to escalate, America's thirst for big SUV's and trucks has not subsided. If I could afford a new car, I would buy a much smaller one, but since I am currently unemployed, I barely impact the environment, heck, I am not driving at all! What I am currently driving has a V6, but is not really a gas guzzler as such.

But small cars fascinate me. For two reasons: Their form factor and and maneuverability. A lot of people complain that they can't cram their kids into the small cars and take them to soccer practice. That's balloney. Soccer (er..., futbol) moms in Europe have been doing that for ages without any difficulty. And small cars are just as safe as large cars. But how would small cars hold up in the battle against a large SUV. Well, if they are build pretty well, they should pretty well, but that is the wrong question. If everyone is driving a large SUV, then the battle is lost. But if everyone switches to a small car, then, there should be no problems.

Understand, I am no kind of environment activist, environment terrorist, or anything like that. What I am is sensible. And I look at gas prices going up and I wondering, when will people realize, there are no new oil deposits, we're running out of oil, these promised new technologies HAVE NOT materialized, Hybrids cost more to manufacture, operate and recycle than even a small car, so it is time... It is time to wake up and start living sensibly. Buy a smaller car. Buy a a four door sedan instead of an SUV. Buy a station wagon or small SUV. I lived and drove with a small hatchback for practically 12 years. I loved that car. And it got me 30 gallons to the mile. What's wrong with that?

So, Toyota, are you bringing this to the USA, and where can I get one?

Has it been that long?

2007-05-11T17:38:00.000-05:00

Has it been that long since I last posted? WOW! So much has changed in my life! For the best? For the worst? Where is my life heading? Scoot over to my job search blog to find out how about that part of my life has been going. Worked for 8 months and got laid-off again! Is it me? Is it the job market? Is it my chosen profession? What the hell is wrong with the world?

Then again, there might not be anything wrong with the world! You might not think so reading my previous posts. Oh yeah, and you might think that I am left-wing nutter. Well, I am neither a left-wing nutter or a right-wing puke brain. I think politics in this great nation of ours today (and I mean the United States of America) are so screwed-up, there is no way out of the desert. At fault? A lot of these die-hard commentators who masquerade as journalists.

But from here on, unless I see something completely wrong, I am going to try to stay out of politics, unless the damn things intrude into my life.

Make this blog my life I won't, but keep it entertaining, I'll try to!

2005-10-11T17:37:00.000-05:00

The Hero: Pavlos Melas

Does it really matter?

2005-09-22T00:22:00.000-05:00

It matters that thousands of people died unnecessarily in New Orleans...

It matters that the President did not care enough about those people to cut his 5-week vacation short, until after everyone started criticising him...

It matters that Hurricane Rita is the second Category 5 Hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, in the last 4 weeks...

It matters enough that nature is still stronger than us human beings...

But I don't care. It has been 4 years since I had meaningful employment. It has been 5 years since I thought that my earning potential could only go up and I could afford the American Dream, my own house. It has been that long, since I thought that if my work performance continued to be as high, I would soon be promoted.

Where do I stand now? I have a part time job and I am collecting unemployment--for the fourth year in a row. I have no medical insurance. And I am depressed.

And the fat cows in Washington are worried about their little pork belly highway programs. Hypocrites...

I don't know how many people are in my position, but I do know that the future is "not what it used to be."

Frank Rich: Bono's New Casualty: 'Private Ryan' & The New Reality.

2004-11-23T16:12:00.000-06:00

Here is more coverage of the censorship of "Saving Private Ryan". The New York Times > Arts > Frank Rich: Bono's New Casualty: 'Private Ryan' (registration required).

I recommend that people read this to get a better understanding about the Censorship being imposed on the masses. The bad thing is that most people don't realize this is happening. One day, people will wake up and realize that they are that much less free and it is too late to have these freedoms restored.

Freedom is being eroded in this country, and the questionable electoral victory by the right wing has now put freedom on the run. Read Frank Rich's article. READ to preserve your freedoms.

NewsCentral.tv (Censorship & propaganda)

2004-11-19T09:45:00.000-06:00

NewsCentral.tv

This is the pathetic little entity, that NOT only censors news, but also slants it any which way it wants. Two days ago, I watched an attempt from them to explain why the US government recognized F.Y.R.O.M. with its constitutional name, a name that is not accepted by neighboring country Greece (Hellas to those of us in the "know").

I am going to have more about this action later. But my post today is about the way "NewsCentral" slants the news. You know, in totalitarian regimes this is called "Propaganda". I find it hard to believe that most Americans can not believe that "Propaganda" can happen in the USA. It is what happens when the WOOL is PULLED over peoples eyes, and when most people are too fat, dumb and happy to know any different.

People who are not involved, who are not informed and who make no attempt to "know" are condemned to live in ignorance, even as their country crumbles around them.

I will have more about the US unilateral decision later, but for now, be assured, we the "Sons of Alexander" are paying attention. And we have fought too long, and too hard for the freedom of the Hellenic nation to allow US imperialism to dictate to us. And as for all the various propaganda arms of the US Christian Dictatorship now in place, we will continue to point out their untruths and distortions and their propaganda. People MUST BE INFORMED.

Censorship in America

2004-11-18T18:01:00.000-06:00

Troubling?

Censorship in America is alive and well. Here is a letter I wrote to my local ABC affiliate (and copied to ABC programming):

"Dear Michelle,

As a loyal viewer of Channel 2 (WKRN-TV) and numerous ABC programs (including "LOST"), I was very disappointed with the decision of Young Broadcasting and Channel 2 on 11 November 2004 to not broadcast "Saving Private Ryan". I have seen this movie a number of times, including the two previous times that Channel 2 broadcast it (as well as when it first came out in the theater), and I do not find it offensive.

I have a number of family members who are veterans and have participated in Wars (WWII and Korea), and my grandfather who retired as a general from the military and fought in WWI. They taught me that war is "hell" and not what some movies depict. "Saving Private Ryan" is a movie that very aptly depicts the tragedy and pain of war. Regardless of any language, or violence depicted, it accurately portrays what veterans experienced.

I am also saddened by your decision because it smacks of Censorship. Fortunately, we still live in a democracy, and any steps to censor or limit free speech like this MUST be met with resolve and resistance, otherwise we will travel down the slippery slope of thought control which quickly leads to Dictatorship. No, I do not want to live in a Dictatorship, as my parents escaped one to come to this country. And I try, where I can, to voice my support for free speech and democracy.

In fact, I would have written earlier this year, when you guys went OFF the air during the broadcast of "Nightline" in an episode where they read the names of dead soldiers in the War in Iraq. I think, this was a wonderful tribute, but as I tuned my TV to Channel 2 to watch it, the picture went OFF the air.

I am saddened and disappointed by the stance of Young Broadcasting and Channel 2 on these two programs. I feel that you have taken the first steps towards censorship and thought control of the audience. I will continue to support democracy and allowing ALL sides to be heard. Many have fought for that right, and it must be defended. I will also make sure to issue a complain to the FCC about the censorship your station has enforced on those two programs.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,"

Does it matter? Yes! We must keep our voices heard, else Democracy will disappear from America, and then the rest of the World will join the US empire. It all matters.

Democracy is Dead in America

2004-11-18T17:45:00.000-06:00

If you have not seen (or heard) this story, you must:

U.S. Detainee Abuse Cases Fall Through the Cracks.

It makes for some interesting reading (or listening, if you caught the story on NPR). This is not a sign of the apocalypse, but yet, it is troubling, that this country that values the law, order, human rights, civil rights, can just do this to anybody. This is why I am against the Patriot Act, and why, as a first step, I am considering moving to a blue state.

Am I afraid for my life and my freedom here in the midst of "Red America"? You bet your sweet life, I am.

I am afraid to speak. I have already had people here, in my workplace, laugh at me because I voted for Kerry. Imagine that! Laughing at somebody because of how they voted.

Yes, this is the America we live in, this is the country that is trying to force Democracy on the rest of the World, and YET, does not practice Democracy at home.

I am afraid....
...a lot more was lost in the election than the presidency;
...civil rights will disappear;
...the Christian jihad will go after anyone who does not believe like they do;
...And, that the 59 million Americans will harass and punish the other 56 million of us.

I am afraid that it all matters and we're in serious trouble in America.

Act, do something, get involved, don't let this happen.

A new social revolution

2004-11-05T08:44:00.000-06:00

I live in a "red" state. I actually hold dear many of the principles that people from the "red" states used as their reasoning for voting for George W. Bush. But, I feel so strongly that these people from the "red" states are wrong, that I am considering moving to a "blue" state or out of the country completely.

In the 1960s, a social revolution took hold of this country and transformed it (or did it?) Black people got their civil rights, and could, at last start living as equal and free citizens of this country. And guess what, one of the leaders of that movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, was a preacher that also upheld these morals, or values that people from "red" states are talking about.

In addition, a segment of the population in the 1960s, succeeded in turning the tide against an unjust war that was killing hundreds of American children on a daily basis. I have often read about that period, that what appeared as a majority movement, was actually, anything but. However, everyone thought that there was "change in the air." We were conquering space, and vaccines were eliminating diseases like polio. Meanwhile, social change was happening, and people were prospering. There was indeed a spirit of renewal.

Since that time a two headed type of backlash has occurred. First, a lot of the people who actually participated in the most visible part of the "revolution", the youth movement, grew up, and either became part of the real world, died of drug overdoses or decided to raise a family -- there is something about that, that changes you. Additionally, changes in the world at large made many issues mute, or damped them down enough over the years that the social scene changed. Those world changes were the rise of terrorism in the world, a 30 year phenomenon now, the importance of oil in world affairs and the rise of the corporate giants, whether multinationals or conglomerates, along with its attendant rise in consumerism.

The "baby boomer" generation wanted a house, with 2.3 kids and 4.3 cars/SUVs in the driveway. Going up the corporate ladder was also the goal for many. In the 1980s, we witnessed the rise of yuppies (Young Urban Professionals) and their ascent into power. We also witnessed the creation of a power elite. I will talk about the power elite at a latter time. But for now, suffice it to say, that the boom times of the 1980s and 1990s would not have happened if these factors had not intervened. But it is also these same factors that helped create the political landscape of today, and nobody in the media is talking about that.

In my college years, I had an amazing history professor who taught me a lot of how the world functions, based on how history has shaped events. One of his principles was that the rise of a middle class in the west created the impetus for change across the western world, and brought about freedom and democracy, sometimes through blood (France and the United States come to mind during the 1780s), but also through gradual change (Great Britain and the transition from Empire to a monarchy). It is also this absence of a middle class that could have the opposite effect (the rise of communism in the 1900s).

In the 1960s therefore, in the United States, we began to see the transformation of the country. The question for me today is what the shape of that transformation was? Did the social revolution of the 1960s affect the middle class in a progressive fashion, or was it a stimulus for the adoption of values that the parents of the 45-60 million baby boomers held? Transformations can also have the reverse effect that they intend.

Why is it that "blue" states only exist on the east and west coast of this country? And why is it, that the people who leave those hubs of progressive thought (and move to "red" states) do so for these kind of reasons:
1) To improve their economic situation, and
2) To live in a more family friendly atmosphere?

In fact, when I graduated from college, I run away, as fast as I could from a big city. I wanted to live where there was less crime, less pollution, less of everything, and where I can live a slower pace of life. And yet, now, I miss the "bad" things (or more appropriately, I miss life in a "blue" state), more so because I miss the underlying forces. The forces of change. The forces of debate. The forces of revolution. Or, are there social, revolutionary forces in "blue" states?

There is definitely a social revolution going on in the heartland of America, and I don't like it. I don't feel part of it. It is a conservative movement that has no room for compromise, and no room for differing opinions. In addition, it is wholly, religious based, and smells like the beginnings of a "theocracy", that odd form of government, that many protestants fled from Europe in the 15th and 16th century, for America. The shoe is on the other foot now... and it's tight.

Some food for thought then as we greet the new "age of God" dawning on the United States of America.

More later.

John Kerry concedes

2004-11-03T10:35:00.000-06:00

Well, it's official and all the websites are reporting it. John F. Kerry has lost.

I voted for John Kerry this year, as I voted for George W. Bush 4 years ago. Since, I live in a highly republican state my vote did not matter one bit four years ago and also this year.

4 years ago I believed that George Bush was a compassionate conservative. He has turned out to be anything, but. In fact, he is so far to the right, he does not represent me anymore. I belong to the middle, the vast, under-represented and silent majority. Some of us in this camp like to think and like to ponder issues. Some of us still believe in Democracy. Yesterday, those of us in the middle probably split enough to let Mr. Bush win.

In the next few weeks, I will discuss all my feelings on this subject, the division in this country, and the direction of history.

Congratulations to Mr. Bush and let's hope for a better 4 years. We shall see...

The election does matter...

2004-11-02T11:10:00.000-06:00

I don't know who is going to win today's National Election in these United States of America, in the year 2004 (although I have my hopes on who that is), BUT everyone that can vote, should VOTE. This is the most important right and responsibility a person has in a Democracy. Ever since, democracy was invented in Ancient Greece, in a place called Athens, people have struggled to improve their lives. Representation has gotten better and better. In ancient Greece, if you were not a citizen, you could not vote (and forget about voting if you were a woman, slave, etc.). Even in the United States, years ago, if you were black, or a woman, or even under the age of 21, you could not vote.

Things HAVE changed. And things will continue to change, as long as people exercise their rights and take responsibility.

I have already voted today and I urge everyone who reads this to do the same. Whatever future you want is available to you, only if you make the effort to make it happen.

Long live Democracy.

VOTE!

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"

2004-10-26T17:15:00.000-05:00

(I forgot to POST: .... Sorry!)

Christopher Boone, the protagonist of the "Curious Incident" is a 15-year old autistic boy. Christopher knows all the countries of the world and their capitals. Christopher is also a whiz at math (he is what sometimes is called an idiot savant but more appropriately called an autistic savant.) Our protagonist has a hard time dealing with the real world sometimes, and in those times he starts screaming or curls up in a ball. Christopher tells us about all the ways he deals with the world around him. Like seeing everything when he looks at things around him. For most people, when we look around us we can focus on just a few things and ignore the rest... But, for Christopher, it is much harder, because when he looks, he sees everything.

This explanation, by author Mark Haddon is one of the many things I liked about this book. He has worked in the real world with Autistic Children and understands their behavior and where they come from. In fact, it impressed me to not only see his knowledge on the subject, but also the level of research on autism. There are some amazing things being learned on this subject, and this understanding is also increasing the understanding of the workings of the human brain. The last fictional depiction of autism I know about, was the film, the Boy Who Could Fly which is an excellent treatise in its own right.

Christopher tries to find out who killed Wellington, his neighbor's dog (a poodle) using a garden pitch fork. His investigation takes him to places he has never been to before, and these new experiences help the reader learn more about autism, and help Christopher deal with the world around him a little better. When he goes on his investigations, we go along with him. I spend most of the time, cheering Christopher to go forward with his quest.

Overall, this is a book that I can recommend without any reservations. It is not intended for children, as I had originally purchased it for my nephew who is only 9. However, I do think teenagers 15 and up will probably get something from this book. Ultimately, this is a book about the search for love, and how even those of us challenged in life can and should go on this quest, this search for love. It is love that holds the fabric of life together, and there is no room for hate in the world. And isn't that a message worth reading about?

A Book Review

2004-10-26T17:10:00.000-05:00

From time to time, I will post some book reviews here on books that have caught my interest and I would like others to know about. There are a couple of economics books I just finished recently, but today I will start with a Novel. Eventually, I plan to have links for the books I like on the side of my blog. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. (Oh yeah, I used to do book reviews on Amazon.com, and I will always co-post there).

Truth

2004-10-19T08:28:00.000-05:00

I have been wondering about the nature of truth. Is "truth" subjective, meaning, can you, the individual believe something is the truth and be right, when we the majority believe something else is the truth?

Does Quantum Mechanics really explain the nature of "truth"?

Or is "thruth" more fundamental than that? Is "truth" so obvious that sometimes people just don't see it? Or could people believe something as "true" and in believing it make it so?

I have my ideas which I will explain in a near future post. But what do you think? Is "truth" subjective? Or are there some "truths" and then some other "truths"? Are there "grey" areas?

I want your input. Please comment.

Status Quo

2004-10-11T16:54:00.000-05:00

Apart from this being the name of a favorite 70s Rock Band, it can also mean lots of things to different people.

For some people, Status Quo=Security. This is the reason they give me as to why they will vote the way they will vote this year.

For other people, Status Quo=More of the Same, as in, "we don't want more of the same."

For me, making decisions that depend on the phrase: "Don't make changes midstream," (as in in the middle of the war) are dangerous and show no attempt to reason the decision. The owner of this phrase also told me that if this president, after getting re-elected takes us into another war, they will vote Democratic in the next election, as in 2008.

I think, however, that this statement is very dangerous. If you vote for President Bush using this rationale, aren't you in effect telling this president, continue what you doing, and do more of the same? And isn't more of the same another war? And isn't it possible that things could possibly get worse in the next four years of the same president to the extent of not having an election in 2008? And wouldn't that be too late then?

I know this is fear mongering, but, a negative rationale can be a powerful motivator. Isn't that what the right has been using in this campaign from the beginning? Essentially: "If you vote for Kerry, we will be hit again in a 9/11 style attack".

So, while I do not believe in fear mongering, as some people do (who even talk about leaving this country if Bush gets re-elected), I do think that people need to THINK before they vote. Their decisions are long term and they must think of the long term consequences.

Otherwise, it won't really matter.

The truth about....

2004-10-07T14:25:00.000-05:00

Take your pick:

WMD non-existent in IRAQ.

The lying game that is Political polls. This is an excellent article.

Lying is a bad thing. The last president who lied was almost impeached. How about this one?

To Infinity and Beyond

2004-10-04T10:39:00.000-05:00

It's done. It's accomplished. Private space flight is now open to the rest of us. The indomitable human spirit of invention has succeeded. Read: SpaceshipOne Wins the X-Prize.

You can read more about the X-Prize here: The Ansari X-Prize

And the company that accomplished it: Scaled Composites

I can not contain my enthusiasm. I feel as excited as when men first walked on the moon. I feel as excited as when the Columbia Space Shuttle first went into orbit. These actions inspired me to become an Aeronautical Engineer. These actions inspired me to want to go into space myself. Somewhere along the way, I lost that dream. Somewhere along the way, I took my eyes off the dream. Somewhere, something, no longer spoke to me.

But I feel elated. I feel inspired again. I am dreaming again. I love computers, but I love space even more. I love cars, but I love spaceships even more. NASA did not want to hire me. But NASA has taken her eyes of the prize. The future is for those privately funded efforts who are and will be taking chances. I want to be part of that. I want to take what I know and learn more and use it in this endeavor. Because this endeavor gives me hope like nothing else in the world today is giving me hope.

I am, today, rededicating myself to my original dream. It is the dream of space that woke me up and made me successful in school. It is this same stirring of years ago that I now feel in me. I want to be part of it. I want to be a dreamer again.

And maybe that's what society today is lacking. Maybe, we no longer have any dreams left and we need some new ones to inspire, to make us achieve.

So, all together then, let's say: "To Infinity, and Beyond".

Are you living in the REAL world?

2004-10-03T18:21:00.000-05:00

There is a recurring theme in my beliefs and in my writings. In many ways, whether attempting to ascertain this from the spiritual side (coming from a religious background myself), or if I use logic, or some other scientific principles, the question always comes down to:

Why are we here?

This questions takes many forms. One very important form is this: What is the meaning of life? What are we supposed to do with this thing given us called life? If a higher being has given us this, why? What does that being expect from us? If we're just a chance arrangement of atoms, why where those atoms arranged that way? Are we the universe, made manifest, attempting to explain itself?

I wonder these questions, as I wonder about the reasons behind decisions occurring around me. Whether one of those decisions is what I am going to have for dinner (and why is my wife always asking me what I want for dinner, when we've already made a menu for the next two weeks -- but that's a subject for a different post), or who to vote for in the upcoming US election.

Let us instead, direct our thinking to what effect our decisions have on today and the near future. I think the future is very malleable, constantly changing, depending on individual decisions on the here and now in order to be formed.

There was a time when people chose to create a thing called democracy. This experiment began about 2,500 years ago in Athens, Hellas on the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula. It took another 2,300 years for the experiment to be repeated. In order for the experiment to be successful, a number of things are of importance.

1. The people, no matter what their religious affiliation, MUST put aside those beliefs, and work together for the common good.
2. Reason, is more important in this experiment than let's say deciding what color to paint the side of my house. I'll explain this in more detail later.
Finally,
3. The good of the many, sometimes, HAS (by definition) to outweigh the good of the few.

I sometimes like to express these principles using the Heisenberg uncertainty principle which proposes that you can not measure the position and momentum of a particle simultaneously. Extremely smart scientists have made the effort to connect this principle of Quantum Mechanics with the metaphysical questions I posed earlier. In short, their position is that it is impossible for us to tell whether what we're observing around is real at any given point in time. This is important in another respect also. In quantum mechanics, you can affect the position or momentum of a particle by observing one or the other. It is possible that if enough people believe one way, then what exists, what reality becomes, what we experience is what that original belief was.

This then also brings into questions whether there exist certain individuals that can transcend this observation limitation and "suggest" reality to the rest of us. This, in more that one way is really relevant to the world today. It has been suggested that the monster called Hitler for example, was one such individual, who was able to collectively alter reality for millions of Germans in the 1930s and in effect the actions they collectively took, forced WWII on the rest of us.

Similarly, the question arises. Can we alter the world around us. As we're caught in it, as we move through it, as we decide whether to have beans or rice (or both), as we make career decisions.

It has been pointed out to me that in the past 3 years, I have wasted three good job opportunities. I therefore, should not blame anyone else for my predicament. And yet, did I alter my perception of reality to such a degree that this fact escaped me? Or, did I fall prey to those others altering perception around me, and in this way, the decisions today are affecting my perceptions of what is real? In other words, am I leaving in the real world, or in the virtual world of the Matrix? Am I living in the real world, or am I dreaming?

Debate over

2004-09-30T22:17:00.000-05:00

Well, I've made up my mind. How about you? Yes, I know, it's hard to believe that someone who writes here could actually be undecided. Honestly? I probably decided I didn't like this president when I could not find a job after 9/11, when my unemployment run out, and then my extension run out, and then my kind of job went oversees, and then I lost my health insurance AND when this administration decided to attack another sovereign country that had not attacked us... I could go on. I just wanted to be sure that John Kerry could lead. He can.

You might ask, if you're so sure about the lies, why would you be undecided about booting the liar out of office? Excellent point. I concede it. Would I have preferred Howard Dean or Wesley Clark? I don't know. I just wanted someone that could beat Bush. I think Kerry can do that, but he must do a couple of things also:

Bush and the republicans, continue to lie. I wish that John Kerry will flat out call George W. Bush a liar. He did not mislead us into war. He flat out lied us into a war. This is Imperial Hubris (a book, I am by the way, currently reading -- yes, I know, I am a prolific reader -- One day soon, I'll even post reviews on this blog). Kerry should not be afraid to use the "L" word.

You know, the last President who was accused of lying was almost impeached.

Second, John Kerry must not be afraid to stand up to the withering attacks from the soundbites. Bush kept repeating, "the wrong war, at the wrong time, at the wrong place". I have never heard Kerry use that, but even if he did, he's right. The problem is that the spin machine takes these soundbites and twists them. Most people will not (either because they can't, or because they don't want to) think hard enough to see past that deception.

Bottom line. John Kerry said the right things, was consistent and he delivered what I wanted to hear from him. But that is the crux of the problem. Did he deliver with other people, and especially with those who have been lied to by the current administration? I sure hope so, because if he didn't, we have to face four more years of a regime that is bent on oppressing its own people, lying to them, and engaging in foreign wars. Sound familiar? Yes, I am talking about the USA.

Spaceflight

2004-09-30T16:14:00.000-05:00

One of the most important milestones in humanity's quest for the stars is about to be achieved. If Spaceship One manages to successfully fly into space, again, within the coming week, they'll win the X-Prize. This is a prize of 10 million dollars for the first successful, private, spaceship to reach space. In order to reach space, one must go higher that 62 miles straight up, a height, generally considered as the outer edge of the Earth's atmosphere.

There are those who believe that this historic occasion is a more important story than all others today. Read Glenn Reynold's opinion at Slate. I tend to agree.

At the very least, this story gives one hope, something we're severely lacking right now.

And, if someone was to tell me that I am forgetting to mention, poverty, war, famine, elections, prosecutions, debates, unemployment, and all those other things that SHOULD occupy our thoughts and prayers, I will say: You've missed the point.

An event of the magnitude of what Spaceship One is about to accomplish is why there are human beings on this planet and why the future is bright. As long as there is hope, as long as we can reach beyond ourselves and accomplish more than we are, there is a future. As long as a person will help someone in need and as along as people will try the impossible, there is hope. Then, it REALLY does matter.

Debate Time

2004-09-30T16:07:00.000-05:00

It's here. This election's most scripted, best organized, by the book event is finally, tonight. The Presidential Debate. I wonder if we'll learn anything worthwhile tonight. I've already had a bunch of people tell me they won't watch. That tells me one of two things: Either people are disgusted with the whole process, or they have already made up their minds.

Myself? I haven't decided yet who to vote for and I am definitely going to watch tonight's debate.

Asymmetrical Warfare

2004-09-28T19:03:00.000-05:00

The problem in this country is that neither side wants to talk about any issues. All they want to do is smear each other.

It seems to me that we all felt that the election of 1992 had some similar issues affecting our nation as we see today, though we do have a foreign war and the threat of terrorism hanging over our heads today. At that time though, we all felt that election was so important. I do not remember, if the media had already anointed Clinton the winner, but I do remember long lines at the polls. I was lucky enough to live at an apartment complex next to the polling station. I got home around 6 pm and the line was wrapped around the block. I got in line and voted around 7:30 pm (the polling station closed at 8 pm). I felt elated to had participated in what I thought was an important election for the future of our country. It was important then for the candidates to address the issues affecting us. Two of those candidates did. Ross Perot, although a long shot, did address all the issues that mattered. Clinton picked up the theme from Perot, addressed the issues and ultimately with that focus, won the election. The elder George Bush, I seem to recall, only had time for attack ads.

Now, this election, pits two candidates that nobody can get excited about, against each other. The one from the right has whittled the issues down to a few points:
1) Flip-flop (I swear, I do not own a pair!)
2) If the other guy wins, we'll get attacked again ("The Russians are coming, the Russians are coming!" syndrome.)
3) The liberals are attacking our country's morals and principals, they are attacking God.
The focus on these three points is intense. People can mimic, exactly, what they hear in the soundbites or on the TV commercials.

Aside: How come, I don't get to see the candidates up close? How come they don't visit my state? How come they've given up on my state "because it is already decided"? Why do I have to learn from the cable channels what the candidates are really saying? Why do I only see the commercials through news items about them?

Anyway, on to the left. They also have narrowed their focus to a few issues:
1) W stands for "Wrong".
2) The war was wrong and we haven't caught Osama yet.
3) It's the economy stupid (all over again).

So, it's strike and counterstrike. During the Democratic Convention, I heard some fantastic things from the Democrats. They actually focused on issues. They actually had some things to say. A month later, I heard nothing like that from the Republicans. They began their convention with an attack. They ended their convention with more attacks. There were no discussions. There were no issues. There were no solutions.

A vast segment of the population of these Great, United States of America have already made up their minds. The 3 points from the Right has already won them over. Without thought, like automatons, like people that can be led around by a leash (or is it a noose?), they have decided to vote for the guy from the "Right". Even my wife. When I sit down and try to discuss the issues with her, try to explain to her what it all means, why the choices we make in November's election will affect our children's futures, she will come back with things like: "Well,
the Heinz company moved all these jobs oversees". This, of course, is a total lie.

But see, through the dumping down of America, the "Right" knows how to push the proper psychological buttons of those people who DON'T REALLY WANT TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES. The "Right" can just say those things that "scare" people about believing anything that the "Right" wants them to believe. The wool is thick and heavy over the eyes of those who do not want to think. It's like pulling a safety blanket on, when it gets cold in a bedroom. It's a reaction the body takes. It's emotional. It is almost primal. But there is NO THINKING behind it. And those who write the attack ads for the "Right" know their art very well.

In this Asymmetrical Warfare, the battle has already been won. Fear has triumphed over reason. And anything I might write in this blog, does not really matter.

Am I addicted to the news? I don't think I am addicted to the news...

2004-09-27T15:16:00.000-05:00

This is an ongoing discussion between me and my wife:

Her: "Turn that mess off, there is nothing good on, they are talking about the same stuff and there is nothing you can do about it."

Me: "This is the most important election of our time."

Her: "You know it upsets you when you watch the mess."

Me: "But I have to know what's going on."

Her: "You know whoever gets into office will be the same as the last guy."

Me: "But, but, but....." (And I have a million "buts" in my head, spinning, always spinning.)

I'll tell you who she is going to vote for later, but I wonder, if there is a segment of politicians, a group, a party that likes this attitude (prefers this attitude) and hopes that more people "feel" like my wife does, and then "acts" on those feelings. I call it voting by emotional proxy.

But that is a subject for another post...because like my wife says, it does not really matter. Or does it?

Distracted but not confused. Are you?

2004-09-27T13:39:00.000-05:00

It is hard to keep your wits about you, what with all the important news going on around the world. I wonder sometimes, if there were no irrelevant news and the only things reported were the things that mattered to us, if we would be too confused to lead a normal life. OR maybe we'd be informed. How does a story about a motorcyclist going fast and getting a ticket for it rate so high in the news? It's on all the websites. Why is that?

Maybe being distracted is like a drug to some people. "Insulate me from the reality of the world around me," they seem to say. "Keep all the bad news away from me." And maybe, those of us in the blogosphere are the ones that are confused, because we try to crunch so much info and to understand so much of what is around us. OR maybe that is the wrong thing to do in today's security conscious world. Maybe we should all watch our manners and keep our mouths shut like good and responsible citizens. Maybe, we should stop trying to understand the world around us. Maybe, we should give up trying to let the truth out. And then, just maybe, our world would be a better place.

You think?

Distractions

2004-09-26T01:53:00.000-05:00

In every period of history, whether we're talking about the Byzantine Empire, or the Roman Empire or the Athenian Empire of Classical Greece there have been distractions. I submit that there is also a movie that was made about the subject of distractions a few years ago called "Wag the Dog". Yes, indeed, in today's world we're being stopped from seeing what really matters. The tail is wagging the dog. Just as in past societies, people stopped seeing the truth, either because they did not want to, or because they were stopped from seeing it by others.

In Roman Times, Emperors, whether insane or simply not fit to command, used the games at the Colosseum as a distraction for the populace. You say that our glorious empire is crumpling about us, well, just visit the Colosseum be entertained a bit. Watch the majesty, watch the courage, watch the strength of the Gladiators. And when the right Gladiator won, the emperor was even known to open the Imperial Treasury and give money to those that attended the games or where Roman "Citizens". This was the perfect way in which to keep people from finding the bad news. Bad news such as that the Empire was crumpling, outpost by outpost. There had not been any conquests for over 200 years. The treasury was actually kind of bare. When the end came, it actually lasted a long time. Great Empires sometimes take a long time to fall apart. But in these accelerated times, I wonder.

For the Byzantine Empire the end came slowly also. It started in 1204 AD during the so called Fourth Crusade against the Arabs. In effect, this was a crusade against Christians. But, in this post, I am not so much concerned with the sacking of Constantinople, but rather with the downfall that action brought about. Within 250 years the Byzantine Empire was no more and Constantinople fell to the Turks. During the fall, distraction was what the last Autokratoroi (Emperors) used to mislead the people into believing that greatness could be theirs again, if only... And there were many ifs during those times. Chief among them was the belief that God would save the Empire.

For the Athenians who founded the Athenian League after the defeat of the Persian fleet in Salamis in 480 BC the future looked bright. The strength of the Athenian expansion and the Classical success was the democracy of Athens. But it can also be said that the failure of Athens and Classical Greece was that same Democracy, a Democracy of limits (or as I like to call it a Benign Oligarchy). Athenians believed that the strength of their success came from the individuals who achieved concesus within the city and who managed to build the strongest Naval Fleet of its time. That fleet was unparalleled in human history up to that time and it essentially gave the Athenians complete control of the Mediterranean Sea. That strength and the win in Salamis also gave Athens the dreams of conquest. A dream of conquest based on the belief that in order to secure the peace, in order for the government to protect the people from any further attacks from oversees invaders, the strength of the republic must be directed outward for a two fold mission. First, to secure allies who would contribute materiel, personnel and moneys to help in a future war. Secondly, to achieve a stronghold of bases to be used in protection of the republic. But military might is not always equivalent to security.

What each one of these periods of time teaches us about today is, I believe, very important:

First, the people can be misled, appeased and placated with entertainment, gifts from the treasury and false pronouncements about the strength of the Republic. I ask you to question whether we have seen this in today's United States of America.

Second, religion can be held up to be both a crutch and a shield. If we believe, then God will protect us from all enemies...as if God is concerned with what happens to another Empire on this planet. In addition, God's strength will shield us and our property from the worst. But if one was to really study God, one would find that God asks to embrace disaster, succumb to the worst, suffer the martyrdom, because only then would our soul be freed from the material world and enter the spiritual plane. God does not wish to shield us from the horrors of war, because God does not wish to shield us from material things. This life is ephemeral at best, temporary at worst. In its quick passage we're asked to prepare for eternal life by not asking for material protection in this life, but by accepting the things that we can not change and embracing the things that can lead us into the next. Somehow, this message has been twisted, and we now believe that God will shield us from those who hate us here on Earth and will protect our possessions. Oh, how many empires (even other than the Byzantine Empire) had mistakenly believed this and have fallen, only to be remembered by history.

Third, and most important, strength does not derive from conquest. Vanquishing our enemies before they attack us does not guarantee security. There is ample evidence to prove that all great empires of history started failing because they simply did not believe that their own strength was not enough to conquer all. There was always one more conquest. But "what does it profit a man to conquer the whole world and lose his soul"? Similarly, what does it profit a country to conquer the whole world and lose its sanity, lose its morals and lose its collective soul. Once, there was a country that believed it had a manifest destiny. It used this belief to gather the brightest and the best people of the world within its boundaries. It used these people to construct the world's most vibrant nation, a democracy, a country ruled by morality and laws. A country for which the price of admission was freedom of expression and freedom of thought.

Now, like those Athenians of centuries ago, those few in power, the Oligarchs, have taken upon themselves that strength that was given to them by the people and turned it into conquest.

We live in a country where I, along with another 45 million people go without medical insurance. Folks, that is 18% of the population. And that figure is growing. Soon, people will start losing their jobs, simply because their employer can not afford to pay their medical insurance. You see their company is worried that the increasing insurance costs will cut into their profit margin and the executive's bonus check.

This week, my doctor who I went to see, asked me if I was working on getting medical insurance. I have been without insurance for almost 3 years now. I told her that insurance eludes me still. With the jobs I have been able to get in this "robust" economy, medical insurance is still outside my grasp. Most of these companies that hire, simply, are not willing to pay me a little more to be a permanent employee and have insurance coverage. Therefore, they hire me as a temp employee, giving them the flexibility to do the work they need without investing in me. This story is repeated millions of times across this vast and powerful country, called the United States of America.

Meanwhile, we're all distracted from this and other facts. We're told to embrace God because our Commander in Chief is guided by him as they share a 21st century direct line. We're told that our futures are being secured, because the richest 1% are receiving tax cuts which they will use to re-invest in society where even "low lives" like me would have a temp job and bounce from assignment to assignment. Finally, we're told that the country is protected from our enemies, because we have taken the battle to him and our nice suburbs are free so that we can drive our nice SUVs to Wal-Mart and buy lots of nice little widgets made in China.

I hear the fall of the Empire all around me. I wonder how many people really have their ears unstopped to hear it too.

A note on history: I do not know that much about Empires that flourished in other parts of the world. The reader is welcome to add comments on other examples from history.

Who am I?

2004-09-25T01:13:00.000-05:00

I had to post this for the curious and uninitiated. No, my name is not really Pavlos. Yes, I will eventually reveal my real name.

Who was Pavlos Melas? Well, let's just say he was a man after my own heart, a pure man, an honourable man. At heart, he was a freedom fighter. But though he fought for the freedom of his people, he really, truly fought for his ideals. He proved, that ideals CAN NOT die in the transition from adolescence to adulthood. That the ability exists for one man to latch on to an idea and transform himself, that idea, and those around him with it.

I believe very strongly that we are in need of such people today, therefore, my assumed persona is meant to galvanize in a similar fashion as Capetan Zezas did 100 years ago.

Pavlos died of a gun shot wound sustained in an ambush set-up by his enemies, almost exactly 100 years ago today in the Northern part of Greece near a town called Siatista. His sacrifice inspired a nation.

But for me, I feel his sacrifice on a personal level. He taught me that more can be done with less. He taught me that I should rekindle the idealism of youth. He taught me that what I believe in is more important than the propaganda around me and my beliefs must not be subverted by lies. The truth can be hidden but not suppressed. The truth will liberate you because if you believe that the right way is the way then the answer becomes obvious. The sacrifice has not been in vain. The effort was not only honourable but vital.

I have used and I am trying to use his principals to not only revitalize my life, but those around me. Since, I have not yet added a counter to this site, I have no way of knowing if anyone has read, and if they did, if any of the words here have made an impact. I believe that if you affect even one grain of sand, if you change the flight of even one butterfly, you can change the course of history.

The Web is an amazing medium. The Web in time will become a self-aware medium and then through it we will better understand ourselves as residents of this planet. But for now, I take it as my responsibility to try to unearth some of the truth that I believe is being suppressed. I try, with these words, to be a small Pavlos Melas, to pull the wool from people's eyes, to let them peer into what it all means.

Heavy stuff you say? But the reality is, if I don't do it who will? Those who write blogs to further their agenda? Or those that write simply to stroke their pride?

And what if no one cares, what if no one reads it? I am not as vain as that. Because (and the cliche has been said a thousand times) the effort, the journey is what matters. Would anyone remember Pavlos Melas or Gandhi or Che or a thousand other "freedom" fighters if they had never undertaken the journey?

So I undertake the journey, in the hope that IT REALLY DOES MATTER and maybe some day, I will discover my voice through it all.

Something for everyone...

2004-09-22T14:07:00.000-05:00

You know, I thought I had something intelligent to say today (about politics and such), but my head has frozen up. I have a bad sinus infection and my head feels like it's inside a barrel. So, I am taking these ERY-TAB antibiotics with a warning on the bottle: "DO NOT TAKE WITH CISAPRIDE. And I am going: "Am I taking this medicine, what is this medicine?"

Turns out, I am not taking this medicine, but I scared myself reading this article. I am glad, I am not taking this medicine after all.

The only reality show I watch ended yesterday. The Amazing Race is trully a good show. I wouldn't even mind competing in it.

Conspiracy Theory

2004-09-21T09:09:00.000-05:00

My theory is that this story is true.

Why would I believe such a story? Because I think the following maxim is true (and has been true since the beginning of time): "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely".. I believe, that the current administration in the White House WILL DO ANYTHING within its power (legal or illegal) to stay in power.

Am I being paranoid? Am I buying the hype of this Conspiracy Theory? You decide.

Weekend woes.

2004-09-20T11:13:00.000-05:00

On a personal note, I had a rough weekend. My favorite football team lost this past weekend.

On top of that, I was suffering all weekend long with a head cold. My head is still not clear. Maybe that's why all my posts are so...off?

Or maybe no one cares what I think. Am I like Neo, the only one who can see, and the wool has not been "pulled over my eyes"? Could be.

Lie, lie and then lie some more...

2004-09-20T10:56:00.000-05:00

I am disheartened by the amount of lying going on in the news media. Are you not? The great network CNN is stooping lower than FOX. Two of its commentators (from Crossfire) are on the staff of Presidential Candidate, John Kerry -- even if unpaid. Is that to counteract the huge lies coming from the other "great" network, FOX, I guess? Where can one find truth in these days? Does anyone even know what truth looks like? As long as "truth" is the destruction hurricanes cause where a picture does say more than a thousand words, the TV news people can actually find "it". Otherwise, if truth is what you're searching for regarding IRAQ, Korea, Iran, WMD, War, Vietnam Service, you will NOT find "it" on the TV networks these days.

I am worried that it will all NOT MATTER in the end...

Can it happen in this country?

2004-09-16T09:22:00.000-05:00

Apparently yes....

I have now read a couple of accounts about this story. Another account can be seen here.

And some important commentary is available at Slate.

I never thought that we could live in a country where you can be prosecuted (at work no less) for your political beliefs. It IS NOT the bosses' job to tell me who to vote for, just as it is not government's job to tell me who to believe in. This story shows how in every aspect of society, our minds are being controlled. We're being told what to think, we're being told how to think, and sometimes we're being told when to think. Even worse, sometimes we're being told when to FEEL, and what those emotions should be.

Does anyone else find this disturbing?

Personally speaking...

2004-09-13T16:41:00.000-05:00

No! I am the Batman...

Seriously though, I am very VERY tired as I worked all weekend long. Doing what you ask? Well, it was a festival, and it was sort of ethnic. I leave it up to discerning readers to figure out what kind of ethnic festival it was. Since I am tired, I am not in too great of a posting mood.

On the other hand, does anyone buy all the explanations we've been getting on this Korean (nuclear?) subject. Me? I have two thoughts on the subject:

If it was a nuclear blast, shouldn't some of the government's KH-11 birds have caught a hint of it from space? I am sure N. Korea is the most photographed country from space in the past 10 years or so. Also, don't nuclear blasts register (even imperceptibly) on some seismic monitor somewhere?

But, even if it is as N. Korea says it is...they must have used some huge quantities of explosives, or some rather large explosives. That by itself is scary (they have explosives that can do that?!!!), and I would dare guess, even as you demolish a whole damn mountain, that action should register on a seismic activity monitor somewhere in that region.

So what are we not being told?

And tell me again how this story first broke? Who leaked what? Why?

Is the wool being pulled over our eyes again? What are we missing here? Or am I being paranoid? You decide...

When the truth is being suppressed...

2004-09-10T14:31:00.000-05:00

One more thing...

I am not a journalist, so I have not checked these stories, but someone did.For a more complete story, read this. It makes you think, doesn't it?

Similarly though, this story has some interesting implications. A news organization makes claims, presents a story (I freely admit, I did not watch this story), but does not check their facts. I mean, as far as REAL journalism is concerned, there seems to have been none for this story...

How then, are we to trust journalists?

2004-09-10T14:06:00.000-05:00

What I am talking about has clearly been evident in Paula Zahn's show on CNN all week long. She introduces the subject, then she introduces the guests. One guest is from the left, and one guest is from the right -- how predictable! Then she asks -- essentially -- the same question of both guests. Obviously, each one of the guests will spin away their answer.

Does this accomplish anything? I would suggest that it does not. I would suggest that this kind of journalism is the worst kind. This kind of journalism does not report on anything, does not explain anything, and does not provide viewers with any answers.

I want the Journalist to say: "NO! Mr. So-and-so! You're wrong! Here is what the numbers suggest, here is the truth, here are the statistics that matter." But no! Today's journalist, can only ask the questions, but does not analyze the results. If the guy on the left is wrong, I want to know. If it's the guy on the right, I want to know. I want the so-called journalists of today to stop making up news, to fully investigate their stories, to stop reporting what a press secretary or press advisor has just told them. I want the truth. Do you agree?

All this spinning has my head hurting... Bye for now.

2004-09-09T08:23:00.000-05:00

So, I have been fascinated by the current election process in the United States of America. I am trying to understand what it all means. I am trying to keep up with as many news sources as I can. One of the main news sources I use is CNN. However, a lot of people think that this news organization is too liberal. I also balance my news by reading (and watching) Fox News. Of course, a lot of people think that they are too right wing, too conservative, follow the dictates of the Bush government too closely.

The biggest problem I have with news today is that they try to "balance" all opinions and present all sides to let you decide. The problem with this is that not all opinions are valid, not all sides have merit. In most cases, equality of opinion does not equate to a correct outcome. There is a right and a wrong. Attempting to let people decide what that is can be a huge mistake. Most people want to be told what the "right" side is. They don't want to figure it out for themselves. This is what really bothers me about today's political climate. There is "no" political correctness. To be politically correct is to not offend anybody, even when they are wrong. This does not work in practice. Why? Because people who are wrong, who could be the minority, could influence the majority. And I ask you: Is that morally right?

2003-12-02T21:31:00.000-06:00

So what is it all about? Does any of the stuff going on around us really matter? Or, are we in the Matrix? Aah!, the Matrix -- interesting movie that. It thumbed me hard on the head when it came out and I thought I would never recover! Talk about getting the WOOL pulled over our eyes? -- So, where does this expression come from? -- At the time, I thought this movie was so important, but apparently, even the filmakers lost sight of what they where really trying to say. How else can you explain the FX heavy sequels, made to draw in "Everyone" and not just the people who GOT IT.

See the "Matrix" is all around us...right now, and we don't even know we're in it. We think we know, but then we flip the channel to FOX News or CNN and suddenly....

"We're in control of your TV... We control the vertical... We control the horizontal...", just like in the good old days of the "Outer Limits".

So, was Orwell right in the end? Do the "Puppet Masters" really control everything? Do our lives really not matter?

You decide.

2003-10-18T14:58:00.000-05:00

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

How many of us have had this thought about an event in our lives? Is it possible to go back and undo something done? And, I am not talking about Time Travel. What actions can a person take to undo an action that had undesirable results? And why are there people who have never had this thought cross their minds? Can the rest of us behave like this and change our lives? What does it take to get ahead in life? What does it take to be successful?

Is that what my problem is? Is this why I am writing this blog? And why am I making my thought public?... Why is what's happening to me important to me? Is this a form of therapy maybe? Are there like minded individuals out there who might benefit by what I have to say?

Only time will tell... And it's all about time. Is the Internet going to be so liberating that the old order will be replaced and 'we' will finally have the ability to be people and not just part of the teething masses? I do not know, and I have no answers. I do know that I have some things to say, and so I will.