Saturday, May 9, 2015

About Politicians Who Rip Us Off

Good Day World!

I’m one of those people who believe Democrats and Republicans – for the most part – are corrupt.

After a 20 years career as a newspaper editor and publisher, I’ve written and ran hundreds of stories about corrupt politicians.

Despite all of these stories, and thousands more, nothing ever seems to change. It makes me wonder if it’s the voters fault for picking such sleazy representatives.

TWO LATEST EXAMPLES:

New York State Senate leader Dean Skelos and his son were recently arrested on federal corruption charges, about three months after NBC 4 New York first reported on the investigation into state government’s most powerful Republican.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Democrat, lined his pockets with nearly $4 million in bribes and kickbacks in a stunning abuse of power dating to at least 2000, federal authorities charged last week.

Every time one of these douches get caught the rest of the pols all scramble about and start spewing platitudes like “We are deadly serious about taking down corrupt officials.”

So what can be done about scum bags who work the system?

Nothing.

Corrupt pols go back to ancient civilizations. They’ve always infected governments like parasites, sucking out the people’s money and rights.

The only thing we can hope for is that one gets caught, and convicted, now and then.

I still think part of the problem lies with voters being uninformed, or slavishly following party brands despite their sleaze factor.

In addition, our high tech world of social media and the mainstream media lures voters with partisan sound bytes (because they don’t have the time to research anything).

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Friday, May 8, 2015

Will Residents Have To Re-Name Ferguson, ‘Webville?’

Good Day World!

Talk about smash and grab burglaries.

The citizens of Ferguson, Missouri are paying someone to loot their state treasury!

Brian Fletcher, a Ferguson council member elected in April, said the city faces a $2 million to $3 million budget deficit for the fiscal year ending June 30, and will likely face a similar deficit next year.

But that didn’t stop them from hiring a lawyer who is charging double Missouri's highest attorney billing rate last year.

Dan K. Webb (photo above) is getting $1,335 an hour to help the St. Louis suburb negotiate and possibly litigate reforms pressed by the Justice Department since Michael Brown's shooting death by a police officer there last summer, according to a newspaper report.

Web is a legal thief taking advantage of a city in distress.

Ferguson's city manager, police chief and municipal judge have resigned. The municipal court clerk was fired for racist emails. And the current city council apparently lacks any fiscal sense because their $2 to $3 million budget deficit doesn’t even account for Web’s pay!

For the record, while Web will be busy getting richer, he’s not the only one. That tab doesn't include the expenses and fees of any lawyers or paralegals in Webb's firm who may work on the case.

See what I mean? Stupid.

The city council is eventually going to find themselves sued over lack of payment to Mr. Web. Then what? Ferguson gets re-named Webville?

Time for me to walk on down the road….

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Tom Brady is a cheat and a liar - but who really cares?

Umpire Carl Paganelli  holds a ball during the 2015 AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium on January 18, 2015 in Foxboro. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

A few thoughts on cheating champions today.

Despite being caught for cheating, the New England Patriots will not have their AFC Conference Championship win nullified.

The win that set them up for the Super Bowl.

Ted Wells' investigation into the possibility that the New England Patriots were involved in deflating footballs for the AFC championship game has found that it's more likely than not some of the Patriots were guilty.

"Based on the evidence developed in connection with the investigation and summarized in this Report, we have concluded that it is more probable than not that New England Patriots personnel participated in violations of the NFL Playing Rules and were involved in a deliberate attempt to circumvent those rules," the report, released Wednesday, said.

For years the Patriots have had a culture of cheating. It’s been the most open secret in the NFL.

Quarterback Tom Brady is not only a cheater, he’s a liar.

After news of the possibly deflated footballs broke in January, Brady had a news conference in which he denied any wrongdoing and said about the game balls, "I don’t want anyone rubbing them, putting any air in them, taking any air out."

Busted! Read the report here. The report said it is more probable than not that Brady was "at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities of McNally and Jastremski."

Read: Report: NFL To Consider Disciplining Brady

Despite what penalty is handed out to Brady, he still got away with cheating. But that won’t bother Patriot fans whose memory over this little Deflate Gate blip will be short and sweet.

In today’s society, cheating is accepted, quickly forgiven, and sometimes admired. It’s all about winning at any cost…including integrity, and honesty.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Idealogy over Humanity: GOP Presidential Candidates Turn Clock Back on Science

Good Day World!

At one time the earth was considered flat, and to deny that absurdity meant imprisonment, or worse.

Here we are in the 21st century with presidential candidates who apparently can’t make up their minds about basics of modern science –

(Photo - Ben Carson)

that the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old, that humans evolved from earlier primates over millions of years, and that people are making the world dangerously warm. 

Somehow, in the twisted minds of some GOP presidential hopefuls, science is bogus. Instead of rational enlightenment, these wannabes pass off religious myths that are really more about values than reality.

Outdated values to be sure, that don’t reflect facts. And each one thinks he/she should lead the free world.

Wow.  

EXAMPLES:

You have a neurosurgeon who believes the human brain is too complex for anyone but God, an ophthalmologist who refuses to talk about the age of the Earth, and a Harvard-trained lawyer beloved by creationists.

Each one raises the prospect of an election without science. A leader who rejects known facts about the world we live in.

Retired doctor Ben Carson joined senators Rand Paul (the ophthalmologist) and Ted Cruz (the Harvard alum) on the campaign trail recently, vying for the Republican nomination against each other and other confirmed and likely candidates including Senator Marco Rubio, former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Wisconsin governor Scott Walker.

How do these candidates get away with denying science?

The answer, I fear, is simply partisanship. If the brand stands for myths as opposed to facts, the candidates become slavish followers to get money from the national party.

Perhaps even more scary, they are the people who put ideology above humanity.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

At What Point Does Free Speech Become Hate Speech?

Good Day World!

Hate groups grow like weeds in our society. And like weeds, they need to be rooted out in every generation.

Hate for Muslims in America reached an all-time high after the 9-11 attacks, and little has changed since then.

(Photo-Pamela Geller)

Muslims are not all extremists, but many people toss them into the same trash heap as the terrorists who are spreading a perverted version of Islam. These terrorists are often “lone wolves.”

However, their not all loners looking to become martyrs. Organized terror is now a problem throughout the planet. Radical groups like ISIS and Al-Qadea have grown in recent years.

Amid that backdrop, why would anyone do something to purposely piss off Muslims in America?

The answer is simple; America has it’s hate groups and one of the leading one’s against Islam is the American Freedom Defense Initiative.

The group hosted a "Draw Muhammad” contest in Texas that ended with police killing two armed gunman. Pamela Geller, executive director of the American Freedom Defense Initiative, told NBC News that "we should be holding these meetings every month."

In Geller’s world, every opportunity to create chaos in our society is eagerly taken. Hate begets hate.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has listed the group as an anti-Muslim hate group since 2010.

"We absolutely must have other events like this to stand up for free speech...," Geller said. "I will not abridge my freedoms so as not to offend savages."

Among the problems Geller cited was that the daily Muslim prayers curse Christians and Jews in Arabic.

That’s an outright lie according to Zead Ramadan, the chair of the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, who called Geller's assertion "absolutely asinine."

He said the daily prayer, the Salat, calls for God to "bring peace upon and bless the children of Abraham," which, according to Biblical tradition, includes Christians and Jews.

But truth doesn’t matter when someone is blinded by hate and bigotry.

"She likes to cause chaos and hatred and have people die," Ramadan said. "She's hiding behind the skirts of our liberties.

"She lies and then says, 'I have the right to lie'"

We must ask ourselves, at what point does free speech become hate speech?

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

What’s Right, and Wrong, in a Black and Blue Society?

                                 Good Day World!

It’s a black and blue world.

On one hand, there’s been a series of cases where white police officers have shot and killed black men. On the other, there’s been a series of cases where black men have shot and killed police officers.

In the most recent case a NYPD officer who was shot in the head while sitting in an unmarked patrol car in Queens over the weekend, died on Monday.

In the Baltimore case where Freddie Gray – a black man – was killed while in police custody, there’s been six officers arrested and charged with contributing to his death while he was being transported in a police vehicle.

Three of the six officers involved were black.

I could go back and forth – tit for tat – in both cases, but that would get me nowhere. The next option; I’ll ask you a few questions regarding blue and black relations.

I need some input here.

ON COPS

1) Would you be a cop in today’s society?

2) Do we even need cops?

3) Because of the recent racial protests – if you were a cop – would you hesitate to shoot a black man committing a crime?

4) Are MOST cops racist?

5) If you saw a cop being attacked would you help him/her?

ON BLACKS

1) Should young black men be afraid of the law?

2) Are black men who commit a crime treated the same as white men?

3) Should Blacks protest nationally every time a black man is shot by the cops? 

4) Why are there more blacks in prison than whites?

5) Is it understandable when blacks loot businesses during racial protests?

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

 

Monday, May 4, 2015

GOP Presidential Hopefuls: ‘You’re not running against Obama’ and something else you should know

                               Hello GOP hopefuls!

If one of you hope to win your party’s nomination, there’s two things you need to know.

First; stay focused and try to remember that you’re not running against Barak Obama in 2016. Your opponent has yet to be chosen.  

I realize that it was a chance to throw out “raw meat” during the recent South Carolina Republican convention when five presidential hopefuls outdid one another in attacking Obama.

The rhetoric — similar to what other potential GOP nominees are saying in early voting states — plays well at GOP venues where Obama is a reviled figure: the audience whooped, hollers and occasionally shouted "Amen" in response to the candidates.

Just remember, the Obama punching bag will eventually give way to real issues (hopefully), which leads us to the…

Second subject: at some point in your campaigns you’re going to have to actually spell out what you stand for, and what you can offer the American public …details…details…details

Most people are feed up with your rhetoric - based upon elitist ideology - and your obvious ties to corporations and king makers like the Koch brothers.

I don’t care who the Democrats put up, they’ll clobber you unless you convince Americans that your not full of hot air, or a corporation puppet, and that you really do have detailed plans to address the many challenges a president faces.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

  

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Religion in the News: Bible becomes state book, Pope can admit mistakes, and more

Good Day World!

This Sunday I thought it would be interesting to take a look at news events that have to do with religion:

* Pope Francis admitted that even he can be fallible while apologizing to a group of 7,000 Cursillos in Christianity for rescheduling their meeting. (Video)

* A handful of change and a short note left in a Charlotte church's collecA shackled detainee is transported by guards, including a female soldier, at Camp Delta detention center, Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base, Cuba, in this photo from December 2006.tion plate has parishioners talking. (Video)

* Citing Religious Beliefs, Muslim Gitmo Inmates Object To Female Guards (listen to, or read article here)

* How Rachel Held Evans became the most polarizing woman in evangelicalism (read article here).

* Christians who use the language of Jesus being uprooted by Islamic State ( read article here)

* Tennessee House votes Bible as official state book (read article here)

 

It's Time to Pay Up Donnie!

It's looks like there will be some prime real estate going on the market soon in New York City. Convicted rapist and former president ...