CARDS & LETTERS, The Becky Saga continues....

It has been over a year since we last saw Pam's "family". In all honesty, it should not be called a family. Regardless, the good news is we have not visited them and they have not come to visit us.

The bad news is that Becky has sent cards. Becky is Pam's "mother." Again she is only a mother is the very strict biological definition. Becky resents Pam, and their unresolved conflict is at the heart of our dispute. So, Becky sent a card at Valentine's Day to Jack. I got the mail, saw the card, and decided it was more stupid bullshit from Becky. I put the card away thinking I would do something with it later. I did not. Months passed and I forgot about the card. It is very easy for me to put Becky out of my consciousness.

Then after months of happiness came Mother's Day. Pam felt like she had to call her Mom for Mother's Day. I was opposed to any contact. In my view Becky and the Ebola virus need to be handled the same, the less contact the better. Pam called Becky for a very short conversation that met all the requirements of "A call on Mother's Day". Again, on Father's Day, Pam felt like she needed to call her Dad. I like Pam's father, Jim, and feel sorry for him. He is married to Becky after all. I did not agree with calling him for Father's Day. Regardless, Pam called, Becky was screening calls, and Pam went to voice mail. Pam left a message and never heard back. Jim either feels he has no role as Pam's father or was fearful of calling back. It is difficult to understand, being a father myself, how Jim views this situation.

Then Jack started Kindergarten. Becky sent another card. Crap! I took the card and put it away with the Valentine card for Jack. I still did not have a resolution as to how to handle these cards. Like spent nuclear fuel rods, I decided out of sight was out of mind. I was committed to dealing with them later, whenever that was.

Next came "The Birthdays". Jack and Pam have the same date for their Birthday, October 12. Becky called our home phone which was linked and transferred to my mobile phone. We were at the Ritz Carlton on Maui for "The Birthdays". Jack answered, "Hi Becky". I was so proud of him. Jack has almost forgotten who Becky is. I refer to her as "Becky" and he knows the name much like small children know that Satan is evil even if they have never seen him. Pam and Becky talked briefly and Pam told Becky we will be having a second son next April. Then good bye. No card was sent and nothing more happened.

Yesterday, a Christmas card came for Jack from Becky. Crap, again! I found the card and decided that I needed to resolve this card issue. I had a choice of hiding this card with the others, or, discussing this with Pam. I believe, as mentioned above, that zero contact with Becky is the best course of action. I see these cards as Becky's attempt to use the emotion of a holiday or event to continue to make her point. That is: She is unwilling to discuss Pam's concerns and will continue to gossip about us among family members. The cards come addressed to Jack or Pam with no mention of my name. It is Becky's way of saying that I do not exist. But, I do.

Becky makes this dispute about me. It is not. Pam had conflicts and concerns with Becky prior to meeting me. I have only provided the support for her to voice these concerns. I see Becky for the self centered, status seeking gossip that she really is. In pointing out Becky's obvious character flaws, I have given Pam the confidence to express her own concern. Becky refuses to discuss these concerns with Pam.

So I gave the cards to Pam. I told her she needs to resolve this dispute with Becky. Pam agrees and is sending a letter to Becky asking her to meet and talk. Now it is up to Becky. Is she half the mother she thinks she is?

A Day that will live in infamy

Roosevelt, like Lincoln at Gettysburg, picked a short speech to deliver the impact of situation. Pearl Harbor had been attacked and we were at war with the Empire of Japan. December 7, 1941, a day that will live in infamy. My Dad and millions of other Americans could never forget the day and what they were doing when they heard the news. It changed their lives our country and the world. It was 69 years ago today. Like 9/11, this is a day for all Americans to remember.

On the other hand..............

In an odd way, I enjoyed the recent Wiki Leaks because they show me that BIG Government is not as stupid as it appears.

In the past, every time there is an international crisis, like the recent shelling by North Korea, I waited to see the reaction by BIG Government. Over the last fifty years Amerika, through BIG Government, has repeatedly been on the "wrong" side of international issues. Amerika supported numerous dictators going back to Batista in Cuba. In almost every case these were bad guys who exploited their citizens. In my view our support was always at odds with our founding principles. Doesn't Amerika stand for self determination and popular democracy? Why did we always side with the minor league "Hitler" clones? Vietnam, Iran, Panama, the list is long and completely stupid from my point of view.

Now, along comes Wiki Leaks and we discover that our leaders have better sense than we thought. Our elected leaders seem to see many of these foreign politicians as the dolts they really are. I am especially pleased to see that Hillary Clinton is asking the right questions and directing the State Department like General Patton.

Yes, I know the Wiki Leaks are terrible and they are embarrassing etc. But really, isn't it good to know our leaders are not as dumb as they appear?

BE PREPARED

I have been watching The Walking Dead on AMC since it began on Halloween. I am not usually captivated by Zombie shows but this one is so well written that I think it should be a MUST SEE for everyone.

There have been other post apocalyptic zombie shows. Dawn of the Dead from 1978 established a cult following and The Walking Dead uses Dawn of the Dead as a starting point for its plot. Zombieland took the same basic concept but made it into a dark comedy. In The Walking Dead there is the familiar global epidemic and people are dying, only to become reanimated as flesh eating Zombies. It is a farfetched idea. But, given the spread of viruses, this not a completely crazy idea. In most of these movies the zombies attack and the remaining humans try to escape. In The Walking Dead it's more complicated and far more interesting.

In The Walking Dead the writers have expanded the characters to create a morality play about the meaning of life and the choices we all make. The Zombies are a back drop for bad decision making and evil. At the core of The Walking Dead is the idea that to be human is to be selfless. Team work, sharing, planning, and cooperation are essential to survival. Deputy Rick Grimes explains this with the line, "We don't kill the living".

Regardless of the Zombie premise, The Walking Dead is a great morality lesson. It teaches the importance of being prepared, team work, and doing the right thing because, it is the right thing to do. It reminds me of the Boy Scouts is an odd way. There is nothing wrong with being prepared. Mom always said, "You need to buy a hand gun BEFORE you need a hand gun. You don't want to try to buy one the minute you need it." Mom would have liked The Walking Dead.

OUR SUITCASE

It was 47 years ago today. We went to see a movie and suddenly the lights came on. A Captain walked out in front. He said, "The president has been shot in Dallas Texas. All Military personnel are to report for duty. We are on full alert. Dependents are restricted to housing."

Not a word was said. Everyone knew their job. I walked home to meet my parents. Dad had brought out "Our suitcase". He told me he had to report for duty and Mom was in Charge. Then he handed me the suitcase. We all knew this was bad. In the suitcase was $500 in cash, $500 in Deutsche Marks, our passports, medical records, other documents and a loaded 32 automatic hand gun. Dad said he would call us with more information, but we were prepared to drive to France. The East German border and Russian Tanks were just 40 kilometers away. We had often discussed with our German friends that nothing could stop the Russians if they wanted to invade Western Europe. Kennedy's assassination was seen by many as the first step in World War III.

In the hours that followed we waited and listened to AFN and the BBC. By morning Dad came home. The base returned to standby. We joined the world grieving for John Kennedy. It wasn't War. The Russian Tanks did not cross the Border.

That was the day I grew up. I was never a kid again after 11/22/63. Life became bigger and more real. Tonight I checked "Our Suitcase". Passports, $20,000 in gold, $5,000 in cash, and a loaded Sig 40. Dad taught me to be prepared.

BIG BROTHER IS BIG GOVERMENT

In George Orwell's fictional, but all too true book, 1984, he exclaims that "Big Brother is Watching You". It all sounded so silly in 1948. Constant surveillance by "telescreens". Only a member of the lunatic fringe could come up with such nonsense.

Jump forward 60+ years to now. Does it seem so crazy that BIG BROTHER aka Big Government is watching you? My guess is they are watching everyone, or will be in the next five years. The current extensive body search and scanners at airports are justified for the sake of safety. This is a slippery slope and Al Qaida knows it. By creating the potential for a threat, Al Qaida has discovered the weakness in Democracy.

The reasoning goes something like this: If a threat exists to the population, it is Big Government's job to protect us. In protecting us, any and all measures are acceptable.

Sounds crazy but it all began with Motorcycle Helmet and Seat Belt Laws. Big Government could not get the stupid population, US, to understand we were in danger. So, they passed laws demanding that we wear Motorcycle Helmets and Seat Belts. A few free thinkers cried foul but the masses said..."If it makes us safer, I guess it's a good idea." This was just a short intellectual walk in Big Government Thinking to the TSA and current searches.

The next steps will be made in much the same manner. Here is my vision of the future. There will be some terrorist event. My guess is the smart thing for Al Qaida to do is bomb a shopping mall. This will result in new full body searches at Malls across America and it will also damage retail sales. Then the TSA will begin to focus on people not at the Mall but begin random searches of people walking down the street. This will be justified by the need to PREVENT bombings and after all..."if it makes us safer....it must be OK" Not long after this, we will hear of random searches of people's homes. Again all in the name of safety. Nobody wants a bomb maker in their neighborhood.

The flaw in this thinking is that in the history of terror events, the TSA, and FBI have not PREVENTED any events. They have not caught anyone. They searched the 9/11 high jackers and allowed them to board planes. The Time Square Bomber was "caught' by a tee shirt salesman who called the police. Even the Fort Hood shooter, who was in the Army, was not prevented from acting by Big Government.

These searches and invasions on our civil rights do not catch Terrorist. Al Qaida knows this. They only want us to become the POLICE STATE we are today. In this way, they have won the war on terror and we did the work for them.

VISIT THE CATO INSTITUTE WEB SITE

The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Institute was founded in San Francisco in 1977 by Edward H. Crane and initially funded by Charles G. Koch, Chairman of Koch Industries, Inc., the second largest privately held company (after Cargill) by revenue in the United States. Libertarian economist Murray Rothbard was a core member of Cato's founding group and coined the institutes's name. Rothbard served on its board until leaving in 1981.

The Institute is named after Cato's Letters, a series of British essays penned in the early 18th century by John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon expounding the political views of philosopher John Locke. The essays were named after Cato the Younger, the defender of republican institutions in Rome. Cato relocated to Washington, D.C. in 1981, settling first in a historic house on Capitol Hill. The Institute moved to its current location on Massachusetts Avenue in 1993.

If you are wondering how America or the World can work our way out of the current economic mess, take the time to read up on the ideas from the CATO Institute. This isn't FOX News or some other sensational, over the top crazy stuff. These are practical ideas on using government to solve problems. LINK: http://www.cato.org/

TAX ALL INCOME FOR SOCIAL SECURITY

I have been working for 45 years. This year I became concerned that BIG Government would change "our Deal" on Social Security and decided to apply for early retirement. I wanted my name on the list before they made any changes. My best guess is that my employers and I paid nearly $300,000 into Social Security over the last 45 years. Assuming even a jack ass could have invested this money; they had to have made an additional $25,000 in interest on the money. In my view the Government is holding $325,000 of my money, give or take twenty bucks or so.

Now we hear Social Security is going broke. BIG Government is considering an increase in the retirement age. It is currently at 66 years old. Seems OK to me but if they change the deal, it has to be with the new people coming into the system. Nobody 50 years old will be happy with any changes. The big question is why aren't ALL wages taxed for social security?

The current limit is $106,800. After you reach this annual earnings limit they stop taking Social Security out of your pay check. We always saw this as a yearend benefit or Bonus when we reached this limit and had the extra 6% in take home income. But, when you think about it, this doesn't seem fair. Shouldn't all income be taxed for Social Security?

Nobody seems to be discussing this subject. Not President Urkel or Ron Paul. If every dollar of earnings were taxed for Social Security, maybe the program would not be in such bad shape. BIG Government doesn't seem to know how to do the logical things that make sense to most Americans.

ARE WE BECOMING SHEEP?

I have heard from my wonderful wife and a few dear friends that I am "carrying on" about some of my gripes. Clearly, I like the iPad and hate the strip search by the TSA [Try Standing Around]. I am also concerned that our government has a leadership void. The Kalifornia Election is over and Jerry won, even if Prop 19 did not pass. I guess my underlying concern is that I am alone in these concerns.

Most of Amerika does not know their congressman or congressperson. Many of the people with whom I have worked think Washington and Washington are the same place....like near Seattle. Nobody seems too concerned about most of the issues I write. Are we becoming sheep? Should I focus on Dancing with the Stars and not BBC World News?

What does it take to make Amerika care about politics, economics, or personal freedom? One good point about 9/11 is it was a cold slap in the face. Do we need a crisis every ten years to keep the attention of the masses?

The TSA....another BIG Government work program

CONSIDER THIS: BIG Government cannot close the Mexican Border were gangs are killing people and immigrants cross freely into the USA. BUT, they spend millions to search travelers going to visit relatives over the Holidays.

Does this make any sense? Do grandmothers and children need to be screened at US Airports? Even the most recent so called "threats" have come from either foreign sources or were unrelated to air travel. If you buy your ticket in advance....with a credit card.....doesn't BIG Government already know everything about you before you come to the airport? Why waste millions of dollars searching the LEAST threatening people to society?

SPEAK OUT - Demand an end to unreasonable and costly airport screening.

The TSA has become another BIG Government make work program for poorly educated minorities formerly employed at HUD, the Post Office, and DMV.

FROM GUTENBERG TO JOBS

We often miss the changes that impact civilization because we are too busy living. This was true for my parents who were born before airplanes, television, computers and mobile phones. It is also true today, as we witness the global transformation from the printed page to digital media.

Johannes Gutenberg gets most of the credit for the printing press. In fact, the Chinese printer, Pi Sheng, invented movable type about three hundred years before Gutenberg. Regardless, Gutenberg changed the world. His press could produce 3,600 printed pages per day compared to 40 per day at the time. By 1500 Europe was producing over 20 million books a year. This expanded literacy led to growth of the middle / merchant class and the ultimate liberation of peasants from the Monarch system. One could draw a line through time to say: Gutenberg improved human literacy to make the American, French, and Russian Revolutions possible. No small feat. Today, printing is in decline. Newspapers and magazines are struggling to maintain readers. For over 25 years I have subscribed to USA Today. USA Today was always the "People Magazine of Newspapers". Nothing to gritty just simple news. Perfect for an Airplane trip or to read with coffee. This week I let my subscription go. Like many other people I have moved on to digital media.

I currently get the Wall Street Journal and USA Today on my iPad. I also have National Geographic, Road & Track, and Los Angeles Magazine delivered via Zinio to my iPad. I'm sure I am not alone. Others are making this switch to reading books and newspapers on their mobile phones and iPads. By the holidays we will see dozens of new tablet style computers on the market. All of these will offer digital content.

If you get to Mainz Germany, just West of Frankfurt, visit the Gutenberg Museum: Link: http://www.gutenberg-museum.de/index.php?id=29&L=1
Mainz is over 2,000 years old. The Gutenberg Museum is over 100 years old. It was opened to celebrate Gutenberg's 500th Birthday. Maybe one day, 500 years from now, we will be able to visit the Jobs Museum in Cupertino. Like Gutenberg, Steve Jobs is creating change with a far reaching impact on civilization.

Free Market Economics and Cost Cutting

It's over. Those ads are gone. TV and Radio have returned to the new normal. I have watched the news to see what people think about the election and economy. Some of what I see is embarrassing. Others things are crazy. Maybe I just see the whole thing wrong.

It seems to me that we are in the middle of the first World Economic War. The old Twentieth Century rules about countries are gone. Armies have been made irrelevant. Everything depends on growth vs. debt. China, Brazil, and India seem to be winning. Europe and America are struggling to hold on. Japan, Greece, Spain, and Ireland are in very big trouble. Survival depends on our ability to reduce government costs and create real economic growth without inflation. Where is Milton Friedman when we really need him? He passed away in 2006.

Some of the idiots on TV think the election was about DEMOCRATS. Others think it was all about REPUBLICANS. I think their crazy. The real issue is who among use is smart enough to lead our country out of this economic mess. Britain seems to have made the "right" choice by going with a coalition government. We will have something similar with the new Congress in January. One thing is sure. The old rules won't work. We need to cut government cost soon and focus on entrepreneurial job creation. It really doesn't matter which party the career politicians support. The work that needs to be done is economic not political. A quick view of the CATO Institute web site will show you the plan. Do we need NASA?

They say that in 1941 most Americans did not know where Japan was located. After 9/11 we learned more than we wanted to know about Iraq. Now I think the country is getting ready for a class in Economics 401, Keynesian versus Free Market Economics. The next two years will be important. Our Economic future depends on how well we understand these issues.

VOLVO

I recently attend two marketing events for Volvo Automobiles. The word Volvo is Latin and it means to roll. Volvo is an old Swedish Car company dating back to 1927 when Gustav Larson began building cars that could withstand the harsh Swedish climate. These rugged vehicles evolved into one of the safest cars made. Volvo was first to use auto crash test and seat belts in their cars.

Over the years Volvo did not keep pace with German or Japanese auto companies and in 1999 was sold to Ford motor company. Ford worked hard to update Volvo and reintroduce the Brand into the US Market. After ten years of loss, Ford sold Volvo to the Chinese manufacturer Geely.

The first event we attended was a test drive for the new 2011 Volvo S60. It was called the "Naughty Volvo Test Drive". They were trying to make the new Volvos seem "bad" or perhaps interesting. The fact is, Volvo only sold 60,000 autos in the US in 2009 versus 190,000 each for BMW and Mercedes. The Volvo Brand is fading faster than Barrack Obama.

The test drive was held at Santa Anita Race Track. It was very dull and the cars were even duller. Pam drove one and I just watched. If the intent was to build interest in the Volvo line...this event failed. Long lines, too few cars, and very little to see or do, made for boredom and sadly that is what Volvo has become. We attended a similar event in the past for Mercedes and it was fun and exciting. Volvo does not know how to attract high end car buyers or how to hold their attention.

The most recent event was last Sunday. It was a focus group session for Volvo's new models. Six of us were in one group and we did not know at the beginning that the cars we would be seeing were Volvos. We were shown several new designs and asked to select which we liked better. It was sort of like being asked, "Do you prefer cancer or heart disease". It was very disappointing.

Volvo's problem is a lack of consistent direction. Their cars have never performed as well as other European makers. Their engines lack power and the cars are dull. Redesign will not fix what is wrong with Volvo. BMW, Audi, VW, and Mercedes all have been working under strong leadership to develop world class cars. If Volvo will be successful, they will need twenty years to catch up. Their cars in the near future are Camry or Buick copy cats.

Halloween - Employee Test Time

Yes, this weekend is Halloween. Today is the annual Employee Test given by smart managers to see who gets the lowest year end evaluation and no raise.

Years ago we had Halloween but NOBODY came to work dressed in a costume. Then slowly over time, the dumbest of staff members began to ask..."Can we dress up on Friday for Halloween?" I was sure this was a bad idea. I never dressed up for Halloween and always used this day as an informal IQ Test for my staff. Whom among you is the dumbest person working here? Today, that person will reveal himself or herself as in often the case.

If you work in a large Office you will notice a natural pecking order develop today. Clearly one person will shine as the single biggest dumb shit in the place. Then there will be others who will qualify as just plain stupid. Finally, one or two will actually come to work, without a costume. These are your all stars and they deserve the best performance review and biggest raise.

It's nice that Halloween falls this time of year. It makes employee evaluations both interesting and much simpler.

KINDLE & NOOK vrs iPAD

Look at these two devices..............One has a picture.

In USA Today they were comparing the ereaders that are available. These included: The Kindle, The Nook, The Sony eReader, The Libre, and The iPad. It seems crazy to me that they compare these devices given that the iPad is $300 more expensive and does five hundred times more things than any ereader. Then in a related news article, I read where Steve Jobs said the new "7 inch Tablets" coming to market in 2011 were dead on arrival.

There is currently nothing that compares to an iPad. Moreover, nothing I have seen "coming soon" even comes close. Period.

When they compare the iPad to other ereaders they always say it is much too expensive. They always fail to mention that it also gets email, opens WORD and XL Docs, runs games, and plays movies. To call an iPad and ereader is like calling a BMW M3 a CD player, just because it can play CDs.

This is my vision of the iPad in 2011. It will come out with Face Time and you will be able to make VoIP Video calls on your iPad to IPhone 4 users and new iPad users. Try that on your new Kindle DX.

The answer is LEADERSHIP

I was reading on-line today about the ways in which different countries are beginning to address the long term impact of the global economic mess. The BBC World Service asked me to comment about California on their nightly live radio broadcast. We discussed three examples:

"Britain's coalition government announces the biggest programme of spending cuts in decades, with thousands of public-sector jobs facing the axe. "

"French strikers impose new fuel blockades, hours after security forces clear protesters from three depots."

"NBC/WSJ poll: GOP poised for big midterm gains 'Democrats, with two weeks left, are facing very, very difficult arithmetic'."

Clearly, we face a global economic crisis. In California things are much the same as in France, the UK, and across America. There are three questions we need to answer:
• How did this happen?
• What can we do to "fix" the situation?
• Who among us will provide the Leadership to make these changes?

Our current global economic situation is a result of over spending for the past forty years. Following the end of the Second World War, global economies expanded. This growth seemed to be unending and led to overspending. The idea was that we will have more money, either higher salaries or more taxes, in the future and we can pay for everything then. This flawed thinking was fueled by the fall of communism and an additional expansion in Eastern Europe in the 90s. All of this came to a halt with the last big economic bubble in Housing.

Today, we need to face the new 21st century reality. Western economic expansion has reached its limit. Everyone in the developed countries has a car and a TV. All future growth will be driven by China, India, and Brazil. These are the growth markets for the next fifty years. The traditional Western Developed countries need to rethink their economic future and live within their means.

The idea of living within our means is painful for many. The concept requires individuals to only spend the money they currently have. This leads to reduced credit spending and reduced consumer spending going forward. Likewise, Governments must reduce spending to levels based on current revenues from Taxation and Fees. On paper this is not too difficult. The hard part comes to the prioritizing as to where to spend and where to stop spending.

On an individual basis these decisions regarding how to prioritize spending can be difficult. As Governments begin to make these decisions, the task will be nearly impossible. Britain this week announced its plan to cut the UK budget by 20%. This includes the cut of 500,000 government jobs. In France they are rioting over the decision to move the retirement age to 62 years old. Only the French would do this. The current retirement age is 60 in France and it is the lowest retirement age in the Western World. Only the California State workers, who can retire at 55, have a better deal.

The difficult decisions we face will require real Leadership. As individuals we can help ourselves by making these decisions NOW. We can also use the upcoming election process to pick the Leaders who will make these decisions for Governments going forward. The longer we wait the more painful this change will be for all of us. I'm voting for Jerry Brown to provide the Leadership we need in California. I think we are stuck with President Urkel for two more years and his version of "hope and change".

UNREASONABLE SEARCH

Today is October 6, 2010. It was 34 years ago today that Cubana Flight 455 was hijacked resulting in the death of 73 people. This event, among others, led to the practice of "AIRPORT SCREENING". I am writing this to ask each of you to demand an end to illegal searches in the name of safety. Prior to 1970, US Airports had minimal security. A series of hijackings and the bombing of flight 455 led to increased airport security in the 1970s.

Airport Screening is the popular euphemism for unreasonable [illegal] search of airline passengers. This failed process has led to the collective "ends justify the means" thinking regarding terrorist attacks. Remember, the 9/11 hijackers ALL went through the airport screening process and it FAILED to catch them. In over thirty four years of searching at a cost of trillions of dollars, the TSA and the former private screeners have not caught a single terrorist.

Worse than the illegal insult of constant search and the cost which could have sent every child in Amerika to college, Airport Screening has spawned the NEW SEARCH INDUSTRY. Today you can't go to Disneyland without being searched. Dodger Stadium searches people too. In the coming years, you will not be able to go to a grocery store or be able to take a piss unless you agree to be searched. This costly unnecessary stupid invasion of privacy has to stop.

Every holiday period, Thanksgiving at LAX comes to mind, the TV News shows some dumb lady waiting in a long line to be "screened." They only allow the lady on TV who agrees to say the following: "OH, I don't mind the wait as long as it makes it safer for everyone to fly." In reality they had to reject the 50 other people who complained that Unreasonable Search is protected by the Fourth Amendment.

The Fourth Amendment is pretty clear: " The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Amerikans fought to defend this fundament right and we need to fight again to end unreasonable search and prevent it from expanding.

Freedom of Speech

Be glad you live in Amerika.

AMSTERDAM — Dutch politician Geert Wilders appealed for freedom of expression Monday as he went on trial for alleged hate speech at a time when his popularity and influence in the Netherlands are near all-time highs.

Prosecutors say Wilders has incited hate against Muslims, pointing to a litany of quotes and remarks he has made in recent years. In one opinion piece he wrote "I’ve had enough of Islam in the Netherlands; let not one more Muslim immigrate," adding "I’ve had enough of the Quran in the Netherlands: Forbid that fascist book."

We take Freedom of Speech for granted. Many Amerikans have openly complained about Muslims and their impact on our culture. Imagine Holland with over 6% of the population being Muslim compared to Amerika with a less than 1% Muslim population. The Dutch are really fed up with the "Muslim Invasion" that has change their culture.

Now, the Dutch government, in a move of Krazy Political Correctness, has charged an out spoken critic of "Hate Crimes" for speaking out against the problem.

I wonder what would happen if they built a Mosque at Ground Zero in Amsterdam?

TRINK ES AUS

I spent four wonderful years in Germany as a teenager. I learned to drive on the Autobahn. I learned to speak fair, nicht gut, German from my friend, Axel Becker. And, I learned to drink beer. There are many things about Germany worth considerable praise but German cars and German beer are both the best on earth.

On October 12, 1810, King Ludwig I of Bavaria was married to Princess Therese. This modest five day celebration will once again be remembered this year from September 18 to Oktober 4 in Munich [Munchen, Bavaria]. The Oktoberfest or Okto-Beer-fest as we used to call it, will celebrate 200 years and the longest running wedding party in history. There is a web site: http://munichsoktoberfest.com/ for more information.

Like the Tour de France, the Grand Prix at Le Mans, and the Cannes Film Festival, Oktoberfest is a European experience that everyone must try at least once. BMW World Headquarters and BMW Welt are also in Munich. Porsche has its factory in Stuttgart, just 200 kilometers away. Salzburg, Austria is only 130 kilometers east. And, this is the home of the Autobahn. So think about it. A few days in Bavaria, a rented Porsche or BMW, and the best beer on earth sound good to you? Rufen Sie mich an, wenn Sie entscheiden, zu gehen. Ich kann einen Weg finden, vier Tage in Himmel zu verbringen.

SO MANY THINGS

I just don't know where to begin. I think the Burning of the Quran nonsense has me the most upset. What does book burning say about people? The Nazi's were big on Book Burning.

I am not a believer. I remember as a boy thinking, "So where is this god? If he is so powerful and knows everything, why does he hide out?" I have never gotten a straight answer on any of these questions. People brush it off as "faith". I tend to live with the laws of Physics in a real world. Regardless, this book burning isn't even about religion. The Books are just the written word of beliefs. You can argue that you don't believe in something but still support the idea that people have a right to what they believe, and a right to print it. Book burning says you don't support these rights, or is it writes?

The "preacher", Terry Jones, can't really be a minister or a Christian if he supports something as stupid as book burning. The believers always say, "What would Jesus do?" He sure as hell would not burn books.

I get numerous really dumb shit comments on FaceBook from "right wing Christian patriots" who strongly support burning what they call "COR-RONS". I am just amazed at the ongoing depth of stupidity among people who call themselves conservatives and Christians. Book burning seems to me like the act of a coward, or worse a Nazi.

iPad again...............

I keep reading that Amazon has lowered the price of the Kindle. Great.

Toshiba, Samsung, and Apple already offer a Tablet Computer that is ten times better than the Kindle. The iPad does almost everything except make coffee and they are working on an App for that. Why would anyone buy a Kindle? Does it matter how cheap they get? A free Kindle would be too expensive.

Click on this link to see the new Samsung Galaxy Tab: http://galaxytab.samsungmobile.com/

The iPad still beats every other Tablet Computer for ease of use and Apps.

OUR LONG STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM

How did all this begin? How do we decide what's right?

Today, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker overturned California's gay-marriage ban in a landmark case that could eventually force the U.S. Supreme Court to confront the question of whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to wed. Most people missed the news flash or did not care about the result. But each of us should care, because today's ruling is History in the making and one of similar events that have changed humanity. Things were not always like this. Freedom and Justice were much harder to achieve 800 years ago. Over time, mankind has moved from a position in which our "fate" was thought to be pre-established by god, even before our birth, to the freedom we enjoy today. At one dark point it was argued that Humanity did not have free will to decide things for ourselves.
Make no mistake. We are not free now. If you think you are free, get high, and drive naked at 100 miles per hour. That should cure you.

Humanity is much freer today than they were in 1215. Prior to 1215 the common belief was in the "Divine Right of Kings". It meant that the King was selected by god to lead us and his will must be obeyed. No voting, no courts, no judges. The King decided everything. It is almost a joke to believe this was common "law" prior to 1215. No joke, the King made all the decisions.

Liberals, those progressives who hate existing norms, pushed for Laws to govern humanity. On June 15, 1215 the Magna Carte was signed. The Magna Carta of 1215 required King John of England to proclaim certain liberties, and accept that his will was not arbitrary, for example by explicitly accepting that no freeman could be punished except through the law of the land, a right which is still in existence today. This was the beginning of the long road to the current level of freedom enjoyed by us and some of humanity.

Other events helped to shape the freedom we enjoy. The writing and signing of the US Constitution, the Abolition of Slavery, the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment, giving women the right to vote, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. On each of these days, History was made in that Freedom was expanded to more of humanity.

Today, History was made in San Francisco and we need to remember it has been an 800 year fight to get this far. Labels, like Conservative or Liberal, have changed greatly over the last 800 years. The one thing that has not changed is the march forward for more and better individual freedom for Humanity. When issues, like Gay Marriage arise, you have a choice. Are you on the side of increased Freedom for Humanity or are you a supporter of restricting Freedom for yourself or others? Throw out the worn out labels and make decisions based on expanding freedom for Humanity.

TEST Blog from Email

As if there isn't enough connectivity with iPhone, iPad, Facebook and Twitter.

Now I can BLOG from my phone directly to my BLOGGER site.

 

Michael

 

JACK's HEART CONDITION

A week ago, Jack complained about his ear hurting. He has had four or five ear infections over the last three years. Pam called Kaiser [https://www.kaiserpermanente.org/] to get an appointment.

Kaiser has been our "Health Insurance" and Medical provider for almost ten years. Regardless of your opinion about HMOs or Corporate Medicine, Kaiser does a really good job. When Pam was pregnant, Kaiser tested her and monitored her progress unlike anything I have ever seen. The entire pregnancy and delivery cost $100 and it was Great Care.

Jack usually goes to see a Pediatrician. Pam got an appointment with Family Medicine with a Doctor we had not seen previously. I took Jack to the appointment. I expected it would take five minutes and we would get a 10 day supply of "Bubble Gum Medicine", the Pink penicillin in liquid. We got there and saw the Doctor immediately. They did the routine checking of Jack's weight and temperature then a quick check of his heart and lungs. The Doctor turned to me and said, "HAS HE ALWAYS HAD THIS HEART CONDITION"?

I have never felt the pain of having a child with a serious illness. Parents who have kids with cancer break my heart. Nothing on earth is a painful as having a child with an illness you cannot fix. You are helpless and as a father, inadequate. I almost fainted. No, Jack has never had any problems with his heart or otherwise. I stood there helpless. I asked, "Are you sure"? Dr. Tan said, "Here listen to this." I put on the stethoscope and listened to Jack's heart. Sounded loud with a swishing sound. Dr. Tan said that sound was a Heart murmur. She ordered an Echo Cardiogram and sent us out with the Bubble Gum Medicine.

Pam tried to set up the appointment for the Cardiogram. Kaiser said Jack needed to see a Cardiologist prior to the test. To me this sounded like a STALL technique and I insisted on the test. This led to several disagreeable phone calls in which I reminded everyone that Doctor Tan had ordered a TEST and NOT a Consultation. My last phone conversation included the threat that ..."if anything happens to this little boy, while we wait for this test, I will hold you personally responsible for acting "Against Medical Advice" of the ordering Physician." I was upset and pissed off. I was worried and Kaiser seemed to be stalling the test.

On Thursday, Kaiser called and said they would do the test Friday morning and we could see the Cardiologist next week for the results. I had won my argument to have Jack Tested. We went to the Hospital Friday and each of us worked real hard to make it as easy and unimportant as possible. During the test, in the dark, Pam cried and hid it from Jack.

Today, just a few minutes ago, Doctor Loo, the Cardiologist, [where do all the German, Irish and English Doctors practice?] called to say we did not need to come in for the Appointment. He had read the Cardiogram and looked at the film. Jack's heart was normal and the sound we heard was normal among children under 10 years old.

You never know how good things are until they change. I love this little Boy and I am so happy he is well....5 more days of Bubble Gum Medicine to go.

THE ONE PARTY SYSTEM

How much do we, as a nation, spend on the Post Office? NASA? AMTRAK? The Dept of Commerce? Best guess, it is over $300 Billion per year. Add to this cost, the cost of a pointless 10 year War in "Effenstan" and you can quickly see a way to save a Trillion dollars. The question is, Why isn't there a politician or party willing to support these cuts in government spending? The answer is the ONE PARTY System. Politicians are there to vote to spend money with their "friends" in Big Business. Nobody wants to cut spending because nobody gets paid off when we DON'T spend money.

Almost Daily I hear that President Urkel is a "socialist" or radical liberal. I am amazed at the way people view US Politics. There is really only a ONE PARTY system in Amerika. It is the party of Professional Politicians. They have tricked you in to thinking there are differences between Demopublicans and Republicrats. There isn't. Urkel said he would end the War.....what happened? He bailed out Wall Street and the Banks.....just like a Republicrat. Go to http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/ to see how we could cut spending on government and balance the budget. Which party supports these cuts? NONE.

The original idea of Representative Government was to have one person go vote for the State or District. This job of voting was seen as a part time job. The Constitution did not plan for the Professional Politician. Today we have people in congress and government who have made their entire careers as politicians. Robert Byrd comes to mind from West Virginia. The only real goal for these Politicians is to make money for their friends who donated to send them to Washington or the State Capitol. Over the last 100 years as the Professional Politicians have established themselves in government, we have seen budgets explode. More and more government money is spent on Departments and government projects. This money they are spending is OURS. Do you really feel like you are getting your money's worth from the Department of Energy?

The Federal Energy Dept spends $38 Billion per year and employs 16,000 workers. This works out to $320 in Taxes to each family in Amerika. In 1977 Jimmy Carter asked that the Department of Energy be created to help Amerika reduce the need for foreign oil. It has not worked and we have spent over $500 Billion on an Energy Department in the last 30 years. The same is true for the Department of Transportation. Since 1967 this Department has cost us over a TRILLION dollars. It will cost each family $700 dollars in taxes this year. Are you getting your money's worth?

Real Change in Amerika won't come until we end the ONE Party system of Professional Politicians and begin to manage the government.

JERRY.....Again

California is a mess. Like Japan, Spain and the UK, California spent more than it earned for the past ten years. California is NOT poor. California has a GDP [Gross Domestic Product] of $1,846,757 millions for 2009. This ranks California as the seventh largest economy in the World. Please see the Chart below for 2009 GDP information. California has more GDP than Brazil.
So the problems facing California [and the US, Japan, and Europe] are less about income and all about how to spend the money they earn in Taxes. Nearly every major country has overspent for the past ten years. This is best compared to the Family who charges too much to Credit Cards and then cannot pay the bills. It cannot continue, and California needs a real Leader who can control expenses.

California has no real choice for Governor. The two major candidates are clear. Meg Whitman for the Republicrats and Jerry Brown for the Demopublicans. I call these parties by these names since, in my view, they are really no different. The "two party system" is designed to fool voters into thinking they have a choice. They do not. There is really only ONE PARTY. This is the party of the Professional Politicians. In almost every other country on earth there are multiple parties and candidates for public office. In the US we have only the PROFESSIONAL CAREER POLITICIAN PARTY.

So, since we have no real choice, whom do we vote for as Governor of California? I cannot support a Mormon for public office. Meg Whitman is part of the vast Mormon conspiracy to take over America. I simply cannot trust anyone who believes the crap the Mormon Church calls "faith." It's simple for me: Any person who believes in holy underwear and god on another planet is a cult member and a nut case who should not lead us.

So, I am voting for ex-Governor "Moon Beam". Jerry Brown has experience and he is just crazy enough to make this work. I have said this before: "What does it say about the Two Party System when the best Candidate for Governor is a 70 year old Hippie?"

THE PURSE

Call off the search. After several weeks of looking and numerous sketches on napkins, the PURSE has been found.

We went to Dooney & Bourke to buy a purse and ended up buying two. But, they did not meet the exact need. Now the new Kate Spade is here and things are back to normal.

Dear Dad,

Happy Memorial Day. I know how you always felt about Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Veteran's Day. They all made "your ass hurt." You used to tell me there were two kinds of soldiers, Parade Soldiers and Killers. I understood that you did not like Parades.

I been reading a book that reminds me of you: SHIT MY DAD SAYS. It is so funny to read the crazy stuff Dad's tell their kids. I laughed my ass off thinking of the things you used to say. I only wish I had wrote them all down.

Anyway, Thanks. Thanks for fighting in World War II. Thanks for landing on Okinawa. I still have the sword. Thanks for spying on the Russians when we lived in Alaska and Germany. I think you made a difference. Neither the Japanese or the Russians ever invaded. Thanks for trying to get me into Air Force Flight school. Sorry I was color blind. I have the flag that covered your coffin. That was a real sad day for me. I still miss you.

I tell Jack all about you. We come visit when we are in Saint Louis. Thanks again for all those Breakfasts you cooked, the times you walked me to school, the tree house we built, the 22 rifle, and the time you took me to the doctor. I guess it wasn't a urinary tract infection....but you never brought it up. I love you Dad, and I'm working hard to be as good as the example you set.

Michael

IMMIGRATION - Again

I keep hearing about the Arizona Law. Let's be clear; The New Arizona law is just an extension of exiting Federal Law.

The bigger questions that need answers are these:

• Why doesn't the Federal Government enforce the existing law?
• Why doesn't the Governor of Arizona send Arizona National Guard Troops to patrol the Arizona boarder with Mexico?
• Why do these illegal immigrants come to America?

First, this current immigration "blow up" is a hoax. It is designed to rally the far right anti government crazies to come out and vote this fall. Nobody really cares about illegal immigrants. Yes, I wrote it: NOBODY REALLY CARES ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. If anyone cared this would have been stopped twenty years ago.

EXAMPLE: Arizona cares about speeding on the Highway. They have hundreds of speed cameras set up on the interstate highways designed to catch speeders. Arizona has ZERO cameras or troops on the Mexican Border. If Illegal Immigration is so important, send troops to the border. Or better, send the Highway Patrol. They don't care or they would do something.

Second, George Bush tried to fix the Illegal Immigrations problem with a guest worker program. Nobody would support it. Why? Because we need cheap non union labor to run this country. The Hotel and Foodservice business in America depends on cheap labor. Construction likes cheap non union skilled labor. Agra-Business likes cheap farm workers and plant workers.

EXAMPLE: If we want to stop this problem. Business needs to pledge that it will not hire illegal workers. Has MacDonald's, Marriott, Tyson Foods, or Conagra come out to say this? NO!

Third, Hispanics come to America because of two things. California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas were all part of Mexico until we stole the land. Europeans moved into this land and then voted to become part of the United States in 1848. This land was originally Mexico. Most of it looks like Mexico. Many of the local families can trace their ancestors back prior to it being the United States.

In 1942 America was at War and we needed cheap labor to help with Farming. Most able bodied men were in the Army fighting. So we began the Bacero Program with Mexico. This was an approved Guest worker program that did not end until 1967. For over twenty years we had an official program with Mexico to import cheap labor into the United States.

EXAMPLE: Families in Mexico grew up sending relatives to the United States to work in the Bacero Program. Many later settled in the original Mexican areas of Texas, Arizona, and California. Now we say they should not be here after we asked them to come for over twenty years to help us.

Who would you like to do the non skilled service work in America? Landscaping, farm work, cooking food, making beds in hotels. In Europe it is done by Muslims from Turkey, Pakistan, and Morocco. The truth is we are too far into this situation to turn back. America wants and needs these workers and the current talk is designed to get votes this fall. Don't be fooled by talk radio. Real Conservatives can think for themselves.

Oh Baby

Yesterday was Mother's Day. Pam spent time with Jack playing in his room and at the park. They really like each other. Pam is a great mother and Jack is a wonderful boy. Two things happened related to mother's day and I'm concerned about both. First, Pam told me she would like to have another child. Second, Pam called her mother, Becky.

When I met Pam, I was 46 years old with four daughters. This was in the summer of 1994. Pam had recently graduated from University of Illinois. She told me then that she did not want to have children. She saw children as "getting in the way" of having an interesting life. That was Ok with me. I had four girls and they were each wonderful, but yes, they can spend money and take up your time. I was looking forward to semi retirement and spending time riding the motorcycle, skiing and traveling. I had raised four children and felt fulfilled.

Later, after 9/11 and while on Vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Pam said she wanted a child. We did the math and it seemed clear that I would die and Pam would be alone and 60. She felt like she wanted a "family" of her own. So, we had Jack. Jack is the son I never had, and the boy who is expected to grow up and care for his mother after I am gone.

Now I'm 62. Pam will be 39 and Jack will be 5 this fall. I am past semi retired and heading into full on retirement. A new Baby would be 20 when I'm 83, if I live so long. I'm not Larry King or Donald Trump. I have five children and a wonderful wife. I don't really need more work or additional expense. I have a dozen good books I would like to read and there is that motorcycle sitting in the garage. Please call Pam and tell her this is crazy. We really do not need another child. We are too old and too lazy to start over. I love Pam and want her to be happy but this is a bad idea.

Speaking of bad ideas, Pam called Becky. I did not know she planned to call. I think any contact with Becky is like touching the ebola virus. Since last Thanksgiving, I have been happy not to talk with or visit Becky. In my view Becky is a gossip who discusses family members who are not present, in an effort to make herself look good. I prefer we never see them or speak to them again. Pam wanted to "do the right thing" and call Becky on Mother's Day. I believed it was unnecessary since Becky is a very poor excuse for a mother, and may not qualify for Mother's Day.

Strange, Pam is a great mother and wants more children. Where could she have learned about being a mother? Clearly, not at home growing up.

It is only a matter of time.

These guys are terrorist. All three tried to kill Americans. Two are US Citizens. Nothing...Nothing, the US government did protected us from these three, or from the hundred like them that are coming to kill us. It is just a matter of time before they succeed.

Since 9-11-2001 we have spent a "Ka-zillion dollars" fighting terror. We are strip searched at the airport, Disneyland, and Baseball games. We are told there are secret "NO FLY" list and every passenger is screened prior to coming into America. Our mobile phones are tapped and email is scanned by the government. You have heard all of this bull shit for years.

In spite of the money and time spent on counter terrorism, these three [and hundreds more] have traveled to terrorist camps, sent emails to terrorist leaders, flown into the US, and become US citizens. They could not be more obvious. The Major on the right repeatedly expressed anti-American and anti military comments while in the Army. NOTHING was done. He was issued a gun and allowed to continue to serve. He went on to kill people.

We need to face facts: Our government is not capable of fighting terror while they continue to want to be seen as politically correct. Obvious terror suspects are not being watched. The latest Times Square Bomber was an idiot. Still, it was a "Tee Shirt Vendor" who pointed out the car bomb to police. No FBI or Homeland Security personnel were even watching this guy. He flew to Pakistan several times. He brought over $18,000 in cash back to the US. It could not be more clear that he should be watched.

My point is, these guys are stupid and poorly trained. Still they were not watched or prevented from acting. The really good terrorist, who are planning to blow up the Superbowl or White House are not going to get caught. Our government can not catch a Muslim Major in the Army who is emailing terrorist leaders and saying anti American crap. They could not stop a guy in New York who tried to blow up a car bomb with fireworks and left his keys in the car. He almost got away on an airplane.

Each of us need to be more like the "Tee Shirt Vendor" in Times Square. We need to watch out for our selves and our families. Sooner or later one of these nuts is going to blow up a shopping mall and we need to be prepared. Our government can not protect us from these guys. Watch what goes on around you. Know where the exits are located. Learn first aid. There is a day coming when you will need to know how to save your own life.

Chicago May 22-23

It's that time again. Spring is in the air and the National Restaurant Show is May 22-25 in Chicago. Pam, Jack and I are planning to attend. Pam and Jack are going to the museum of science and industry while I walk the Show floor. We hope to meet up with Amy, Pam's cousin and have a great dinner at Spagia.

I will post photos for the NRA Show. Let me know if you plan to attend.

Mother's Day

This coming Sunday is Mother's Day. You must be wondering, "whatever happened to Pam's mom"?

Nothing. She never called or wrote again. I personally believe she was called back to her home world for refitting with an emotion module. Regardless, It has been almost six months and NOTHING.

It's like a dream coming true for me. Like never having to shop at Wal-Mart again. Let's hope my luck holds through Christmas.

Is it just me?

Big news out today. Microsoft announces the release of their new phones the KIN ONE and KIN TWO. Both use the KIN software.
I read the news report searching for some scrap of "newness" about these phones. They use a type of cloud computing that sets up a web site for your phone and stores all data pictures and music at this site. Nice, but similar to iTunes.

What I came away with was this: Apple is the world leader at game changing technology. All these other companies are trying to catch up and throwing out new devices to attempt to catch a piece of the growing market. Nothing....nothing compares to the iPhone and iPad for fresh new ideas and great execution.

Yes, long ago I drank the Apple Kool Aid. It began with Mac. Then came Powerbook and Mac II. I admit I lost my way for a time. I had two Treo phones. But since iPhone 3G I am back. Our new iPad is just short of breathtaking. Jack loves it and even Pam......a Blackberry user at heart, likes the iPad.

Show me your papers

Are you a US Citizen? Can you prove it? Show me your "Papers"

Like the line from an old Nazi War movie, America is becoming increasingly more like the evil empires we have defeated. The recent passage of the Arizona law requires proof of US Citizenship. My guess is that over 50% of all Americans cannot prove their citizenship if asked.

The Arizona law is an extension of US Law which defines citizenship by showing proof in one of three ways.
• By certified birth certificate
• By Naturalization Certificate
• By US Passport

It is currently estimated that less than 25% of all Americans own a US Passport. I believe even fewer have a certified copy of their own Birth Certificate. It would seem that only Naturalized Citizens have the documentation needed to prove US Citizenship. Is it just me or does this whole thing seem silly and completely unnecessary.

Who cares about citizenship? Some say we elected President who has trouble proving he is a citizen. Is this issue of citizenship all that important? Almost anyone who wants to can buy a ticket and fly to America to visit Disney World. Once your here you can blend in and soon become as American as Hot Dogs, Pasta, and Tacos. This is a big country full of foreigners. The only "real Americans" were the natives we stole the land from.

My solution is to set up offices at ports of entry for people to register, get finger printed, and have a photo taken. Then like they did at Ellis Island, turn them loose to go make a better life for themselves and their families. This is what America stood for, for over a hundred years. It was a place where the Italians, Irish, Germans, Chinese, and many others could come to make a better life. So what's changed? What have we got to fear from the "New Americans" who are following in my grandfather's footsteps? Nothing. Over 12 million illegal's are here now and they are all around us. I say we should make them welcome and thank them for picking strawberries, making beds, and cleaning my house. I can't find any "real Americans" who want those jobs.

Show me your Papers!

It's Just Math

For the past five years we have been paying for Colleen and Meredith's cars. Meredith has a VW Cabrio [Convertible]and Colleen a Mini Cooper Convertible. Each car has been costing about $300 per month and with repairs included, almost $10,000 per year for the two cars. To pay about $10,000 per year for cars you need to earn about $12,500. Ya, it's a lot of money. I made a promise to both Meredith and Colleen that I would pay for their cars and we have.

Well things have changed. Meredith's car is finally paid off completely and we signed the car over to her. It is her car now to care for. This left Colleen and the Mini Cooper for Pam and I to pay off. Pam has driven her 2002 BMW 325i Convertible for 8 years and loved it like a baby. It looks almost brand new and remains one of the coolest cars around. I decided, if we have been paying $800 per month to keep Meredith and Colleen's cars running, why not buy a new car for Pam and let Colleen have the BMW 325? Meredith and Colleen really don't understand how much these cars have cost and they don't really appreciate what we have done. Moreover, they have never taken good care of these cars. I think they see cars like CDs, shoes, or magazines. Sort of disposable.

BMW has a deal in March to try to sell more cars. They are offering $1500 credit if you buy a new car. We took Colleen's Mini Cooper over to Irvine BMW and after three days we have a new BMW 128i Convertible. The lease if $474 per month. This is much lower than the two car payments we were paying. They took the Mini Cooper in trade. Colleen agreed to drive Pam's paid off 325 Convertible and Pam....the Saint in all of this.....drove her new 2010 BMW 128i to work today.

Pam has supported me and everything I have agreed to do for Meredith and Colleen. She spent thousands of her own dollars to help me pay for trips, cell phones, clothes, and cars so I could fulfill my responsibility to Meredith, Colleen, and even Julie. I think it's time that Pam gets something out of this deal for herself.

Pam, I hope you like the new car. You deserve it for all the years you put up with crazy stuff from me and the girls. I want you to know that I appreciate everything you have done and the new car was not....just about the math.

BOSTON SEAFOOD SHOW

I went to Boston on Saturday night March 13. I flew JetBlue from Long Beach to Boston Logan on a Red Eye flight that got me into Boston at 7:00 AM. Weather was awful. Storms almost kept us from landing. Still I made it.

Once I landed I went straight to the Westin Boston Harbor. It is attached to the new Boston Convention Center. The Westin was great. The let me check in at 7:30 AM. I changed cloths and met Charlie Decker.

Charlie and I have similar Businesses. He is a Seafood Broker in the New York market and he sells the same items I sell. Charlie is also a great guy. We had several appointments set up and met with many seafood importers. These companies are interested in Charlie and me selling their seafood in the US.

I spent Sunday and Monday meeting people and flew back to LA on Monday evening. It was a good opportunity to meet new clients and to work with Charlie.

The truth about Haiti

After a month of listening to the awful situation in Haiti, I am finally fed up. I just don't care about Haiti. There I said what most of America is thinking.

Haiti is an awful place. It has been the poorest country in the Americas and it is almost 100% the French who are to blame for this mess. In my view Haiti is in serious problem but it is NOT my problem or the problem for the US Government. I think France should step in and fix the mess they created in 1804. 95% of Americans do not know their own history let alone the history of the world. So here is a crash course.

Haiti was founded by the Spanish in 1504 and called Hispaniola. In 1520 Spain had most of the island's residents move close to the Capital, Santo Domingo, on the south side of the island. French Pirates developed land bases on the north coast which was uninhabited and in 1664 France claimed the Northern half of the island as French territory. France used Haiti to produce great wealth and by 1750 it was producing half of all the coffee and sugar consumed in Europe. This was done on French Plantations which contained an estimated 700,000 slaves. When the French Revolution began in 1789 the slave population revolted against the local French Masters. By 1804 Haiti had declared itself independent of France. France imposed a blockade on Haitian exports and the economy struggled until Haiti agreed, under duress, to pay France 150 million gold Francs in 1825.

This amount of 150 million gold Francs was an impossible amount to repay. It took Haiti over 100 years to pay France and it destroyed the Haitian economy. Haiti is poor today because of French greed, slavery, and the French blockade. It is important to understand this amount paid to France. The United States bought the Louisiana Purchase, most of the Central US, for 60 million Francs in 1804. France forced Haiti to pay an impossible amount and the result has been over a century of poverty.

Today, there is no question that Haiti is poor and needs help. Regardless, Haiti is not an American problem and the French should be held responsible for the last 150 years of poverty and devastation. The recent earthquake is a good opportunity for France to begin to rebuild Haiti. As for the American tax payers....this ain't your fight. Let France pay for Haiti.

V-DAY

It was five years ago today. I was working at Slade Gorton and Pam was working for Cargil. We lived in the Shadow Canyon condo, the "Trailer in the Sky". Pam and I met for lunch at Elephant Bar. I knew somethings was up when Pam sat down and ordered diet coke.

She told me she had tested positive and was going to have a baby. Pam never wanted children. After two days of drinking in Cabo we decided to have a child. Our age differences, carried to the extreme, means that Pam will be alone after I am dead. Pam's family have never supported or understood her. It became clear....she needed to create her own family for her long term future.

Little did we know that on that day, five years ago, we would be having Jack. Today, Pam has the family she has always wanted. A son who loves her more than anything and who tells her, ..."Mommy, we are best friends". Best Friends at the Beach on Valentines Day. I love you both. Thanks Pam for the son who reminds me of myself and my Dad.

WAR CRIMES

Today, February 13, is the anniversary of the Allied firebombing of Dresden Germany. 65 years ago on February 13, 19445 the Allied forces, led by the British Royal Air Force, night bombed Dresden with high explosives and incendiary devices. The result was a fire storm that burned 15 square miles in the city center of Dresden and, by some estimates, killed over 250,000 civilians and refugees. The actual death count is unknown due to thousands of refugees who had fled to Dresden so as to avoid bombing in Western Germany.

For many, the Bombing of Dresden remains a little known example of Allied War Crimes in which the military bombed civilian populations with little or no value as a military targets. At the time of the Dresden bombing, Germany was near defeat and the war ended on May 5, 1945. Among the refugees in Dresden were US Army prisoners of war. The book Slaughter House 5, written by Kurt Vonnegut, tells of living through the bombing. In the introduction to his book he writes; "The Dresden atrocity, tremendously expensive and meticulously planned, was so meaningless, finally, that only one person on the entire planet got any benefit from it. I am that person. I wrote this book, which earned a lot of money for me and made my reputation, such as it is. One way or another, I got two or three dollars for every person killed. Some business I'm in." Kurt Vonnegut

TODAY
German protesters stop neo-Nazi march in Dresden
By Dirk Mueller-Thederan 2-13-2010
DRESDEN, Germany (Reuters) – At least 10,000 Germans formed a human chain in Dresden on Saturday and stopped neo-Nazis staging a funeral march to remember victims of the Allied air raid that flattened the city 65 years ago. About 5,000 neo-Nazis, clad in black, had gathered at Dresden's Neustadt station -- where Nazis once packed trains with Jews bound for the Auschwitz concentration camp -- hoping to stage Germany's biggest far-right march since 1945. In the past few years, the February 13 anniversary of the destruction of Dresden, in which 25,000 people were killed, has become a focus for neo-Nazis who describe the blanket bombardment as a "bombing Holocaust."

Eine Deutchland, eine Welt, Deutschland uber alles.

The Good old Days

Ahhh, remember when your house was worth something and Toyota's were great cars. The only thing to worry about back then was Global Warming. Now it's freezing in Washington and Toyota's are being recalled. And why are we sending millions to Haiti when they won't release those people from Idaho? Where is George when you need him?

Folks in Min-A-Soda put up this sign to make you think. Have you had enough "Hopey Changey" for a while?

Surfs up

Storms out on the Pacific are pushing waves ashore. These storms in the Northern Pacific will bring more rain to California and more snow to the Midwest. It is amazing to see the power of these waves. Laguna Beach was half as wide as it was just two weeks ago. Sand had piled up nearly 15 feet high with waves coming close to the Basketball courts.

PEW RESULTS - Public's Priorities for 2010

This Wednesday, the President will give the State of the Union address. Mr. Obama has been in office for just over one year. He was elected to bring "CHANGE" to Washington. The Pew Research Group has studied the Priorities of Americans for years. Here is a the latest summary below. You can read more at: http://people-press.org/report/584/policy-priorities-2010.

As Barack Obama begins his second year in office, the public’s priorities for the president and Congress remain much as they were one year ago. Strengthening the nation’s economy and improving the job situation continue to top the list. And, in the wake of the failed Christmas Day terrorist attack on a Detroit-bound airliner, defending the country from future terrorist attacks also remains a top priority.

At the same time, the public has shifted the emphasis it assigns to two major policy issues: dealing with the nation’s energy problem and reducing the budget deficit. About half (49%) say that dealing with the nation’s energy problem should be a top priority, down from 60% a year ago. At the same time, there has been a modest rise in the percentage saying that reducing the budget deficit should be a top priority, from 53% to 60%.

Other policy priorities show little change from a year ago. For example, despite the ongoing debate over health care reform, about as many now call reducing health care costs a top priority (57%) as did so in early 2009 (59%). In fact, the percentage rating health care costs a top priority is lower now than it was in both 2008 (69%) and 2007 (68%).

In addition, the percentage placing top priority on providing health insurance to the uninsured stands at 49%. That is little changed from a year ago and off its high of 61% in January 2001. Notably, there is now a wider partisan gap in opinion about this issue than for any of the other 20 issues in the survey: fully 75% of Democrats rate providing health insurance to the uninsured as a top priority compared with just 26% of Republicans.

More than six-in-ten Americans say securing the Social Security system (66%) and securing the Medicare system (63%) should be top priorities for Obama and Congress. About as many (65%) say that improving the educational system should be a top policy priority. For all three items, public evaluations are not significantly different than they were one year ago.

In the wake of the financial crisis, the public does not place increased financial regulation among its top policy priorities. Fewer than half (45%) say stricter regulation of financial institutions should be a top priority for the president and Congress.