The Tribune Online, Page 11

The Mice That Roar

The whole world knows what two mice we are talking about, by now. Yes, the sociopathic countries in the mid east and far east...Iran and North Korea. What these two nations, led by fools, are threatening is no less than the total destruction of their countries and annihilation of their populations with this ongoing saber-rattling. If these two fools can't see this, then they are truly insane beyond belief and their nations should do everything within their future to survive by calling for their removal...now.

Just for the sake of discussion, from offshore the US could destroy both nations in a day's time with defensive nuclear fury. The results would not be any immediate threat to the USA homeland. Of course, the world would suffer especially China and Russia, for civilization in these theaters would be thrown back decades which could take a century or more to repair. What will Iran and North Korea have accomplished by their course of action? Not much...except the extinction of two noble and great peoples in the mid east and the far east.

Get real and join the progress of diplomacy instead of being potentially destroyed by those who are far more sane and rational than your two lunatic leaders. China and Russia...step up or witness a possible catastrophe brought on by your minions.

Conservatives...Labelists du jour

I listened in on the Mark Levin talk show this evening and heard him label his political beliefs as that of a "Reaganist" kind of like a believer in Jesus Christ who calls himself a "Christianist" to which we don't know what that means, considering all the un-Christlike activities of which they participate...from gambling to genocide. 

Levin has openly pronounced his Judaism a number of times, but has expressed much more often that as a "conservatist", a right wing believer and supporter of Limbaughism, Hannityism, and Beckism, all of whom are primary promoters of hucksterism. You see, Mark was not too long ago, a Palinist, then became T-Baggerist, then a Rand Paulist, but an anti Ron Paulist, because he feels the father, Ron Paul, is supported by anti-semites. 

How can you be a supporter of the son and not support the father?  Mark...like your other conservative allies, you sound like a mixed up "Christianist"...and this is the following you want to take over the reigns of leadership of the USA? Reaganist!! Please!!

Bartonized!!

A columnist for the Roanoke Times described it as a "WTF" moment in history. Let's see if I can give a less expletive explanation. Joe Barton from Texas said in so many words, Mr. Corporation, although you have virtually destroyed the Gulf Coast of the US and its inhabitants' welfare for at least a generation, I apologize to you, for I don't want to be in a nation whereby the US Gov't that is sworn to protect this nation and its people has stepped in and made you come to the table to take responsiblity for this liability with initial financial coverage...just in case you decide to pull up stakes...making it a real "WTF" moment.

Mr Barton has now become the philosophical face of the T-Baggerists. To Mr. Barton and others of a like mind, I respectfully reply, "Pack your bags and hit the road"!! Maybe you can join up with the likes of Rush Limbaugh who has made known his desire at some point in the future to flee to New Zealand. After all, fools "Rush" in where angels fear to tread...in this case the US Gov't backed by the Obama Administration is truly the guardian angel overseeing this mess.

See you...in November

You, the voter will choose between "noblesse oblige" or "laissez faire". Now, if you are not aware of their definitions, I would say do a little research before making your choice this November; for one course will mean a bright destiny and the other a gloomy disaster.

You might want to look at the advocates of the various political outlooks. Consider Warren Buffet and Bill Gates who are asking American billionaires to support the future of this great nation by giving half of their wealth to the nobler destiny of our future's success. Then, there are those like Rush Limbaugh and other right wingers advocating "run amok" capitalism, buying gold instead of bonds, of which the true patriots and members of the entertainment industry promoted during the "great war". Likewise, these so-called patriots look for the right time to scurry off to New Zealand or some other place with their paltry millions. 

Don't be deceived by their rhetoric...make the right decision, for the safety of our children's future will depend on it. Oh, I forget..."Blubber Butt" doesn't have any...just simply "ball-less", no matter how you look at him. 

2 "Big Mac's" with too much mouth

One of these big Mac's fought during WW II and let the best of his imperial notion get out in front of his duty as a US Army General, responsible for the lives and security of his nation. You know what happened to him as quoted by President Truman...the buck stops here! Thus, big Mac #1 got canned despite his military capability.

Big Mac #2 is on the carpet or will be by this time tomorrow for doing almost the same thing; except his situation is far more stupid in releasing his personal feelings to a pulp outlet...just downright stupid. One thing I remember about the military was that if you decided not to stay within the chain of command, you could opt out by going "absent without official leave," of which they would find you, landing you in the brig after a court's martial. So the best thing to do was to shut your trap and grunt it out, no matter how capable an individual you perceive yourself to be.

The slogan is "an Army of one" not an Army of one man expressing his mood feelings at the indiscretion of his command or Commander-in-Chief.              

Ethics awry?

I just completed my six-month physical with my medical advisor at the local Veterans Administration Medical Center and of course submitted my blood/sugar readings over the past months. My readings were a bit higher than normal and I was chided for not being more attentive to the regimen.  We also had a pointed discussion about this issue of diabetes. I don't know, but I might be slightly more subjective about this matter. 

I have noticed more and more commercials in promoting diabetic care from equating it to overly needed monitoring of blood sugar with free meters to a "death sentence". In other words, the media has been swamped with the commercialization of this chronic illness with what might be called "subliminal deduction" going from simply informing to inducing fear. As a matter of fact, when I was diagnosed with diabetes, my first mental reaction was that of someone being "handicapped" with an early "death sentence."

For those individuals, with type 2 diabetes and without affordable insurance coverage for healthcare and prescribed meds, it becomes an expensive financial proposition...very expensive. Thank goodness for my being a veteran and able to go to the VA. Being a small business owner without health insurance, I would be up the proverbial creek without a paddle. Consequently, I am in deep gratitude that because of my military service, my government has come to my aid during what might be an otherwise sooner than expected "death sentence".

I likewise chided my medical advisor on too much emphasis being placed on "death". I stated in an earlier article, that I firmly believe that a veteran who feels he or she is no longer productively functional, and possibly disabled to the point of not being able to take care of himself or herself, or in insufferable pain, should be able to opt for medical assistance in ending his or her life. The medical advisor recoiled with "ethical concern" responding by saying the VA will never consider voluntary euthanasia...of which my rebuttal was, that's the oath each military personnel undertakes when swearing in for defense of this nation. In essence, I voluntarily put my life on the line...welcoming death in pursuit of this defense...so help me God.

You virtually turn your life over to the security of the nation with the prospect of getting wounded or killed in carrying out this oath. Death should be approached as a civil right for those who are mentally capable of making this decision and never by anyone else without that individual's sworn oath about his or her destiny in a standing will.

Crime, Cynicism, and Civil Rights

A recurring theme in the black community for decades, "If you love Jesus then give your money when you go to church so that the preacher and his minions can live in a nice home, drive nice cars, and have their families enjoy the niceties of life while the condition of the community that you reside shows no improvements economically, socially, or otherwise." Thus, the term "jacklegs". Too cynical? Let's begin from another vantage point.

When initiating my business in healthcare, I did a door-to-door survey with the homes in the communities as well as churches whenever they may have been open, normally two days out of the week, Wednesdays and Sundays...part-time business operations. I noticed in some communities, police cars in front of homes of which the officers resided. In completing my survey with various healthcare questions, I asked, "Do you feel safer knowing that there is a police officer on your block?" The overwhelming answer was yes and in some instances...Lord, yes!

After doing an analysis of my findings, I concluded, better or improved health was based on a combination of factors of which an individual is unable to accomplish alone. That's just in knowing all of the complexities of what's involved in maintaining good health, in terms of healthcare visits to a medical outlet, being able to pay for prescribed meds, having a decent income to support oneself and family, reducing stress from being a potential victim of crime due to being elderly or surrounded by poverty, and just an overall sense of healthy communal existence.

Crime tends to be higher in poorer communities because of economic vulnerability, and likewise police protection by being on every block is economically unfeasible. A city or town doesn't have that sort of financial base to levy the amount of money for such needs, considering other factors from emergency services to street cleaning. You know how most of us feel about raising taxes, and with that said, I don't think there is a tax base large enough to cover all of these areas in any city or town.

I have chided most of these churches, especially in the black communities as being no more than jackleg operations, for they can show no empirical or viable results in taking care of or improving the community in which they are located. This is based on my also having some face-to-face interviews about these general concerns with a few of the preachers.

Not only are these ministers at fault, but the churches who select them to lead their churches are culprits as well. This culpability doesn't end within the churches and their congregations, but the civil rights organizations with members who are ministers from these very same churches.

What's apparent to the overall citizenry of virtually every city and town throughout the USA, is the cry from the black communities for more and greater attention to their needs economically, socially, and otherwise, when a major part of the solution is right there in front of them...sort of like the lady seeking water from a well other than the one in her own yard.

I stated before, that every church should demand that its minister reside within eyesight of that church, not out some place disconnected from the needs of the community of which that church exists. Civil rights organizations should promote this among churches before running to elected officials with recurring themes from the past decades.

Church staffs should be able to do an independent audit of financial intakes and reveal in the form of a prospectus to the congregation of how those funds are being used with reasonable compensation for the staff including the preacher...being that governments can't oversee or intercede in how much and what's done with the tribute. Short of this, you are not true advocates of Jesus Christ...but simply a "jackleg continuum" and "your hell" is not good enough for you. 

Lifelong Learning...

That's what life is...being challenged to learn and re-learn while improving oneself along the way. The day we are no longer faced with that challenge and to approach it with the desire to improve is the day that we are in a rut...a grave with both ends kicked out.

In getting a collegiate degree, I had to do an experiential assessment, a white paper brief, if you will. I chose the topic of "The Individual vs the Corporation". I was the individual and IBM was the corporation, of which I have expounded upon a number of times, and will probably do so for the rest of my life...for this was a poignant lifelong learning experience.

Nevertheless, the emphasis was on the fact that even major corporations have to change or re-learn or eventually be wasted by competitve individual concerns such as the ones you see today from Microsoft, to Apple, to Google, etc., etc. Refuse to accept the challenge and you'll end up in a spiral of despair. The point being, you the individual have to be constantly vigilant when these challenges occur, whether it be education, the economy, worship, or any other facet of life's journey.

I, personally don't believe in tenure in education, unions in employment, or extended unemployment benefits of which the Republican party shot down...a move of which I agree. I stated my reasons for doing so on the opening page of my online publication at http://theroanoketribune.com.

I have never been tenured in the field of education but was at one time in a union when I worked as a Marine Electrician for a large naval facility. Another union went out on strike and the other unions had to go out to show unity. We were told to show up for a pittance at some union hall. When I arrived, there was this long line for pennies, of which I could not support my family. I, instead, went out and got hired by a land-based construction crew. That was my disgust with unions. Instead of relying on the actions of some group, I relied on my God-given liberty as an intelligent individual. 

I have also received unemployment compensation before, but not for very long. Again, this dissipates an individual's desire to take on the challenge of seeking an income for honest work due to being softened by a weekly check...which can be addictive. Now, there are many people who say, I have been looking for work for six months or a year, but this is not altogether truthful or accurate. What they are really saying is that I have been looking for the kind of work and compensation with benefits that probably doesn't and will not exist anymore.

Learning my lifelong lesson in working for a major corporation and being a member of a union, I decided I would develop my own business and haven't looked back.  Many of you can do the same. If you want, go to my home page http://theroanoketribune.com and I will show you how. If you don't, we might as well kick the dirt on that open-ended grave that you allowed yourself to sink.

The Ascendancy Of Conservatism...When Right "Wing-Nuts" Fly Off the Handle

From the "The Daily Progress" of Charlottesville, VA (6-30-2010): UVa lawyers: Investigation is 'unlawful'. (Cuccinelli inquiry denounced) by Brian McNeill  bmcneill@dailyprogress.com 

  "Lawyers for the University of Virginia on Tuesday denounced an investigation by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli into a former climate change scientist as 'unlawful' and an 'impermissable intrusion on academic and scientific speech and research.'   Cuccinelli, a Republican and prominent climate change skeptic, is seeking to subpoena a trove of documents, correspondence and data related to the research activities of former UVa climatology scientist and global warming expert Michael Mann. Cuccinelli has said he is investigating the possibility that Mann defrauded Virginia taxpayers when he sought four federal reserach grants and one state grant totaling $466,000 while working at UVa between 1999 and 2005."

This is where I chime in as a layman and a taxpayer within the state of Virginia...are you crazy??... or simply one of these right wing conservatists with a fool's agenda, and you desire to make a mark for yourself as well as leave a legacy that's more than likely coming to fast approaching end in about three more years?

It will cost almost as much money in doing a discovery trying to prove it in a court of law with massive appeals, going more than likely to the US Supreme Court. And what it boils down to is that a state is trying to promulgate its right to override the Federal Government. This is taking place in two cases Mr. Cuccinelli is trying to develop, the other being healthcare. The same thing is taking place in Arizona, just as it pertains to immigration. Think of the chaos, if states are allowed to act willy-nilly when it came to Federal laws or statutes for their own independent concerns. I'm no scholar on this subject, but I believe that's how we got into a civil war.

However, I don't blame these right "wing-nuts" for what they are doing, for they made it loud and clear. I do blame people like Mayor  Doug Wilder of Richmond for sitting back during that election, as well as Delegate Onzlee Ware of Roanoke for letting this so-called "ascending conservancy" gain power as well as the other lethargic(let's make it plain: lazy ass) Democrats for not being more active. Sit back, come November and I bet the "T-Baggerists" will have a shaft for you that won't be pleasant.

The Immigration Issue and One Veteran's Perspective...Mine

With this hot-button issue, I enter my perspective as a military veteran to the so-called conservatives from the T-Baggerists, to the Libertarians, to the LaRouchites who all are calling for the "impeachment" of the President for his effort in trying to resolve this matter...of which many have no military service, just a sense of entitlement from those who may have made the ultimate sacrifice. Those who are native born, primarily descendants of European immigrants along with a smattering of non-European descendants who are now naturalized citizens, rage with indignation against those who are considered "illegal" at this juncture...when in fact they did no more than non Native Americans did, and that was to find a better life for themselves and their families. It is only human nature to want to survive and thrive and in some instances by whatever means necessary.

I believe for each military veteran, there is nothing in this universe that can have the most profound awakening for an individual than coming close to losing your life, seeing death almost face to face and coming out of it in less than a second...okay and unharmed. If you didn't believe in God before, you certainly will from that point on. Prayer with gratitude becomes a pleasure as opposed to being a traditional religious chore. Life has more meaning in defining who you are and that there is no challenge that you might confront from that time on that is near the experience of almost losing your life.

I equate this life and death experience to another situation whereby a man takes upon himself the importance of providing for those he loves. Upon getting out of the Navy, I started work in a shipyard, for I was married with two young sons.  I went to work from the bottom up, literally, for I was assigned to shooting studs in the inner bottom of the USS Tarawa, a marine helicopter carrier. I eventually moved up to doing the electrical layout for the engine room, of which I received a commendation from the US Navy for a job well done. This was over a five year period of time. I read somewhere that working in shipyard was one of the most dangerous occupations that one could be employed. Well, that turned out to be true, for each one of those years, I came near to losing my life at least once per year, to the extent that I almost did not want to go back into the yard again. However, when I got home to my wife, the laughter and hugs from my sons, I knew my life had absolutely no meaning if I didn't continue to go out and risk it for their sake. I believe this is in the hearts and minds of those potential citizens hazarding the desert just to get here.

Let's get to the point of this entry. I believe any person that comes here(primarily male) and wants to serve in the military for the defense of this nation and to provide for his family should be allowed to do so. I make this exception only for those who choose this option, for there is no greater show of one's loyalty and patriotism to his country and home than this sort of service. All others should be obligated to take the suggested route for immigration reform as briefed by the President. Those who refuse and are caught (male or female) should receive the stiffest penalty the law provides including imprisonment.

Is it me or the hot summer sun?

If Arizona currently has ordinances to deal with violators of their laws whether it be driving offenses, felony offenses such as rape, robbery, murder, etc., why does it need another law that says be extra cautious of those individuals that look like Mexicans and ask for passes? Of course, this could be anybody south or north of the border...just as long as they look Mexican.

Let's drift back to the days of the "black codes" in Alabama...my former home, whereby not only could you be asked for a pass, you could be incarcerated without so much as a court appearance and foisted away to some chain gang in the swamps, without a family member being the wiser. It was all based on race and the discretion of the circuit authorities.

This sort of activity fell under the jurisdiction of states' rights...why I so adamantly oppose the "T-Bags" in what they really stand for. Forget all this "bullsh*t" about taking back their country. Again, taking it back for whom...non-Jewish white folks? Therefore, to you Mark Levin, a "T-Bag  boy"( a kinder, gentler aspersion) and the dumb, lazy ass minorities who won't vote this November...you had better be grateful that the Obama Administration is opting to block this Arizona state's law, before it sets a precedent for other right-wing, state bureaucrats who have or may get a wild hair up their you know what.

Right Wing Christianist slams Right Wing Mormon

From a post by Cynthia Tucker, 7-8-10:

"Bill Keller, who calls himself the head of an 'internet ministry,' has attacked (Glenn) Beck because he is a Mormon." Keller states, "Beck likes to call out people for their lies and deception, yet he portrays himself daily as a Christian. The fact is the beliefs of the satanic Mormon cult are totally inconsistent with Biblical Christianity. He uses the words 'god' and 'jesus,' yet the god and jesus of the Mormon cult are NOT the God and Jesus of the Bible!"

My assessment:

Is this poetic religious justice for this political demagogue  who spews discord to any sap who will listen to his flame-throwing rhetoric? I would say absolutely. However, there's a much greater and quite destructive under tow to all of this religious bashing, be it coming from Jews, Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, Mormons, Agnostics, Creationists, Hindus,  Buddhists, Atheists, etc.

If you took time to analyze every religious faith or non-faith known to mankind, you will discover deception and distortions. Mix this with politics and you have a deadly philosophical brew used by con-artists that benefit themselves at the peril of the fools who follow.

Consequently,  intelligent, free-thinking humans will not allow themselves or their nation to fall prey to the shysters of religiosity...a poisoned pill, no matter how you swallow it.