Please try the Kool Aid

Have you seen the TV Commercials for SCIENTOLOGY? Is it me or are they just too weird?

Let's clear the air....I am a non believer, with the one exception for Santa. [He brought me a bicycle] All other gods, ghost, bogey men, aliens, and assorted myths are just crap and the fabrication of the human mind. I live in a real world with more than enough bad guys and unexplained events. I don't try to dream up imaginary friends or some invisible man in the sky. I also do not try to "prove" I am right. It is impossible to prove the non existence of people or things.

Back to Scientology. I think they are classified as a religion. The word CULT comes to mind as I listen to their commercial and read their information. It's like having a commercial with Jim Jones selling Kool Aid...just too strange. Please, when the commercial comes on your TV, please explain to the people in the room that this is a CULT designed to steal your money with promises of false hope and personal enlightenment. I read that these commercials are banned in Europe.

FREEDOM of the PRESS

Last night I watched the 60 Minutes interview with Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks. Frequently we listen to news reports and develop opinions based on the thinking of those who report the news. I made this mistake regarding Julian Assange and Wikileaks. However, the 60 Minutes interview with Steve Kroft was very powerful and surprisingly informative. Julian Assange is NOT a crack pot or terrorist. He is a PUBLISHER much like Rupert Murdoch or William Randolph Hearst. If you missed the interview you can watch it on 60 Minutes.com.

Assange's point is that the free flow of information is critical in a free society. He believes that the so called "Free Press" is not free and that the raise of internet publishing creates the opportunity for Global Free Press. Assange says, WIKI LEAKS does not solicit information. They only publish the information sent to them. They do not edit the information but only publish it for others to evaluate. Assange gives an example: He says WIKI LEAKS does not take a position on whales. They publish all the information sent to them so that informed people can make informed decisions on whaling. Likewise, Assange believes that support for WIKI LEAKS and he, is based on those who send him information and those who donate money to his organization. In his view, he is working for them and Global Freedom of the Press.

As I listened to him discuss his views calmly, in spite of Steve Kroft's belligerent style, it became clear that Julian Assange is really on to something important. Freedom of Speech and Free Press are critical to free society. If Assange is wrong, society will stop reading his site. BUT, like Matt Drudge before him, I think Julian Assange has created a whole new wave of Free Press beyond the bounds of traditional print or broadcast journalism. It seemed almost silly to watch Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes attempt to discredit Assange. 60 Minutes has made its reputation on doing exactly the same thing Assange is doing but using an older form of publishing, TV.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzC9invn4Ko

CHECK ENGINE

If you have ever been driving your car and the Check Engine light comes on, you know the feeling. UGH, what does this mean to me? Likewise as you reach your "golden years", you need to go in for the 60,000 mile check up. In my case, a growth developed on my shoulder and it served as my "CHECK ENGINE" light.

I first noticed the rough spot on my skin about 60 days ago. I believe strongly in self care and home surgery so I attempted to sand the rough spot off my shoulder. That did not work. It bled and became infected. Then I tried all kinds of chemical treatments to kill the growth. Nothing worked. Pam quietly watched over about a week as I kept trying to cut the growth off. Then, well after she was near crazy watching me, she suggested I go see a "DOCTOR".

We have the BEST Health Coverage on Earth, KAISER. Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care consortium found by Henry Kaiser to cover his employees. Today Kaiser covers over 8 million people with full service integrated healthcare. We have been in the Kaiser system for eight years but.....I have never seen a Doctor. I did get my eyes examined once but I did not have a Doctor assigned to me. So I went to Kaiser and saw Dr James Sandys. I picked him because he is an old white guy who can identify with my style.

Dr Sandys looked at my shoulder and asked if I had been "messing with it." I told him I tried home surgery and he asked what I did for a living. I told him I sold food. He said, "I promise I won't try to sell food if you let me take care of the surgery." He sent me to the Lab for some Tests. They cut the growth off my shoulder and I waited for the results.

Turns out I am in great shape. See test results below. The growth was a simple keratosis and not cancer. I need to end my all bacon diet to bring my lipids down a little but I passed the 60,000 mile check up.

My test results:

PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN (PSA)
Component Your result Standard range Units
PSA 1.18 < or =" 4.5">

Component Your result Standard range Units

CHOLESTEROL 205 <200>

TRIGLYCERIDE 159 <150>

HDL 44 >/=40 mg/dL
LDL CALCULATED 129 <100>

COP KILLERS RUN FREE ......details at 11:00

I grew up with a very healthy disrespect for authority. Authority figures, like teachers and the police did not seem to be very smart. Their strategy was to use force or threat of force to motivate people. I never understood why they could not earn the respect they demand through the use of force. In my view, society selected these persons to teach us and keep us safe. Why did they need to then threaten the society in order to gain respect and support?

On January 19, there was a report of a Police Officer shooting in a suburb of Los Angeles. The Officer, Jeff Stenroos, was on School Patrol at El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills. The shooting occurred at about Noon on Wednesday. The LAPD reacted very quickly. It must have been a slow crime day. 350 police officers responded closing off seven square miles and "locking down" nine area schools. The Children in those schools were prevented from leaving their class rooms....even to use the toilet. For eight hours the LAPD searched for the shooter. He was described as a white male in his 40s with a bomber style jacket.

They did not catch the shooter. They searched door to door with police dogs. The LAPD used multiple helicopters to sweep the area. The next day they held a press conference and showed a composite sketch of the shooter. A $100,000 reward was offered to catch the guy. Parents who complained about their children being locked up for hours were told, "WE NEED TO TAKE THIS ACTION TO KEEP YOU SAFE." Parents and children just don't understand how the Police need to work...for our safety.

Turns out...It was all a hoax. The dumb stupid Cop shot himself playing with his gun and made up the whole story. He was arrested today for making a false report. Really, I'm not kidding. This would be a great joke if it was not so very sad. By best guess, the police spent well over a million dollars trying to catch the shooter. Nine schools were locked down and perhaps 10,000 families were worried and upset about their children.

My healthy disrespect for authority remains safe. Moreover, my question continues: Why do we hire morons to do this important work of teaching children and keeping us safe? How can the Los Angeles Police Department face the public after such a stupid over reaction to a false shooting?

The Teachers Unions, Police Unions, and Homeland Security would have you believe that you are not nearly smart enough to understand how they work. Really? You need to continue to question authority and hold these people accountable.

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs has taken a medical leave of absence from Apple. My wife thinks I talk too much about all things Apple/Jobs related, but this news isn't good. It's not good for Steve Jobs. Not good for Apple consumers. Not good for America.

Steve Jobs is a real American entrepreneur. He is visionary and he has changed the way we think and work. There are almost no words big enough to explain his impact on civilization. Think for just a minute of anyone you know with his history. Steve Jobs was adopted. He dropped out of College in 1972 after just one semester. He got a part time job to save money to take a retreat in India where he became a Buddhist. He shaved his head and took LSD while working part time on a Video game at Atari. Any kid today with this profile would be called a "burnout" or Loser. Then in 1976, four years out of high school, no college, and a Buddhist acid freak, he helped to found Apple Computers. By 1984 Apple had built the Macintosh, while PC computing was still using DOS, C: run.

Jobs was fired from the company he helped to create. Apple we were told, was doomed. But Jobs went on to invent Pixar and digital cartooning. Today Steve Jobs is on the Board at Disney and one of their biggest stock holders. Then Jobs went back to Apple. The company was in trouble and Jobs helped to create the iPod. This led to a shift in the way we buy and listen to music. After inventing the Macintosh Computer, Pixar, and the iPod some people would have quit. But Steve Jobs went on to invent the iPhone and recently the iPad. Both are revolutionary new products that have changed our lives. I believe the iPhone created the entire Smartphone App based hand held business for Blackberry and Android. Now the iPad is creating the digital tablet business for others to follow.

Steve Jobs has the ability to see the potential in things we cannot even imagine. Apple announced their quarterly results for the period ending December 25, 2010. They had record earnings of $26.7 billion up 70% from the same period last year. If Apple were a German or Japanese company we would be studying, "how they did that." But Apple is an American company with a driven visionary leader who did not go to MBA School or climb the corporate ladder.

This is a remarkable American story and I only hope it ends well.

Get to Know China

Today the Chinese President, Hu Jintao comes to America to visit Washington. Much has been written about the "Raise of China" and its competition with the United States. Before you begin to think that China is an advisory, take the time to get to know China. What do you really know about China? Most people know nearly nothing or worse, only what they are told by FOX News.


China, [The People's Republic of China] is over 1.3 Billion people and the second largest country in area. Chinese civilization is the world's oldest, dating back nearly 6,000 years. The Chinese invented gun powder, but only used it to make fireworks. The Chinese invented noodles or pasta and shared this with Marco Polo to bring back to Italy. The Chinese, much like the Irish, Mexicans, and others came to America seeking opportunity. There are many Chinese American families who have lived in the United States for over 150 years. Chinese food, as we know it, is not served in China and is a product of the Americanization of real Chinese cuisine. China has never attacked or invaded another country. The Chinese have spread around the globe, but in every situation the Chinese are peaceful, respectful and model citizens. During the twentieth century China transformed itself from a farming economy into the world leader in manufacturing. Today, China is one of America's best trade partners. More General Motors automobiles are sold in China than in the USA. The Chinese are not Muslim. Officially, China is non religious. Buddhist and Taoist make up nearly 90% of those who identify a religious preference. The largest English Speaking population on earth are the Chinese.

China is America's friend and partner with a similar relationship to that of America and Europe. The Chinese have problems and they prefer that America not try to tell them how to run their country. Take time to learn more about China. It is important that you know and understand this country and their culture.

Comic Books, Blue Jeans, and Mom

Sometimes things are just what they appear. As a kid in grade school at Our Lady of Holy Bingo, I was repeatedly told two things by the "Nones" who taught me:
• Reading comic books was bad because it wasn't "Real Reading"
• Wearing Blue Jeans was bad because it "made" you a juvenile delinquent.

After 50 years of observation I call tell you today that reading is reading and all reading is good for you. Moreover, you can wear jeans to church and you will not be struck by lightning.

The shooting is Tucson has everyone out beating the drum for their own favorite cause. Many say this is a result of one or all of the following:
• Rush Limbaugh
• Republicrats
• Demopublicans
• TV
• Video Games
• Rap Music
• Skateboarding
• Gun sales

Again, I am 99% sure this tragic shooting is a result of a crazy kid who needed attention and did not get help sooner. If there is a lesson here, it is that when you think someone is crazy....they might be crazy. Don't talk about them. Do something to get them help. My mother, Saint Mary-Helen, used to tell me she "would rather go to jail for beating me to death with a broom handle than let me turn out badly." She was "engaged" in child development. She was a "hands on mother". Common fear of her disapproval was enough to keep me from shop lifting, smoking, and staying out after the street lights came on.

The shooting is Tucson is a result of not enough people stepping in to stop this crazy kid sooner. Blue Jeans and Comic Books had nothing to do with this.