COLOR AGAIN - OH NO, SAY IT ISN'T SO.

SAD BUT TRUE
It may be true that President Obama never really gets down and dirty into the depths of black fright and mistreatment, to put it mildly, because of color.  In many ways it may be that he really can't believe it and somehow tends to overreact when it comes. Example: the incident in Cambridge with the white policeman and the black professor.
I also think that it is probably the reason the far right, and the fractured spin-offs are all over the race issue.  Not only may they be prejudiced to begin with, but they are smart enough to see how they can GIN up the rhetoric to their advantage.
It may also be true that the members of the administration have sub-conscious prejudices against blacks and over compensate to protect themselves, thinking they are protecting President Obama from a racial backlash.
You have to hand it to the far right fringe.  They know exactly how to turn the screws to their advantage, whatever the administration does.
It is my opinion, the answer is: Fight back with aggressive, new thinking ways, that will resonate with the public as being honest and true. It's a tough battle.  It's up to you.
THINK ABOUT IT!  

WORLD PEACE

RELIGION AT THE CORE?
  Ultimate world peace depends on coming to grips with religious and racial prejudice.
The problem is it lies below the surface of any, and I mean any, intelligent discourse. 
Top leaders, commentators, analysts, and other important contributors dodge it.
Listen to conversations between news analysts and important world figures.
When ever the question is even approached it is neatly dodged.
     .People in United States are worried that white will disappear as a color
      (how many times do you hear that mentioned out loud?)
THINK ABOUT IT!

COMPLAINING, COMPLAINING

Instead of always complaining about the media politicians should be able, in their heart and mind, to give out factual information instead of always worrying about getting re-elected.
Reminds me of the story of the middle manager who had two boxes on his desk.  An in-box and an out-box.  He would take something out of the in-box; read it.  Ask himself the following question. "If I answer this will it affect my career?"  If the answer is yes the next question he asks himself is: "Who do I route it to?"  Can you imagine elected officials being that insecure?
THINK ABOUT IT!

HISTORY NOW, ACCORDING TO ME, OR?

Is it possible that Jim Baker, and President G.W.Bush finally got into the mix and convinced President G. Bush to marginalize Vice President Dick Chaney in order to start a new strategy in Iraq.  I want to give the Bush family credit for doing that.  It will be interesting to see what history tells us.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

BANKER'S HOLIDAY

Did we miss the boat?
Did the financial experts not understand the effect of zero interest rates.  We needed low rates to stimulate credit but the unintended consequences of allowing banks and hedge funds and wall street firms the ability to borrow at next to zero % and, if nothing else, invest in US Government bonds yielding upwards of 4%, for a quick profit seems to have been overlooked.  We could have prevented it.

PERSON TO PERSON

YOU AND YOUR WORLD
It’s good to talk with a person you like
while, you tell another to go take a hike.
Sometimes you wish to be alone;
then you simply turn off your phone.
(In life you should move toward, against or away from people
from time to time to keep things in balance)

LEADERSHIP ELECTED

LEADERSHIP DEFINED
A leader watches out for you.
That’s why he’s looked up to.
He’s fair and disarming!
He’s firm, yet charming!
He understands your position
for he surely knows how to listen.
He is respected and cheered
held accountable; yet feared!
This we want in President Obama,
for everyone knows he certainly has Karma.

CLEAR, BEAUTIFUL RUNNING WATER

I AM THE RIVER OF LIFE
I am a life giver.
I am a clean river.
Where do I run?
Where do I flow?
Why am I always on the go?
What do I really have to show?
I give you a fresh stream
Healthy plants, healthy bream.
What hurts are unnatural intrusions.
Chemical wastes and other infusions.
Can’t we all get along
before hearing death's song?

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

NOT UNTIL:
  We understand that the world's problems are based on color and religion.
  Consider this:
       That is the hidden agenda. No one is willing to say it right out.
       Why?  No one is willing to take it on so it's a loser politically.
  If we ever get over that problem we can solve all the world's problems.
  I am perhaps smart enough to understand the problem but not solve it.
  Hopefully there are enough other folks in the world who feel the same way.

BUBBLES AND TROUBLES


BUBBLES AND TROUBLES
We all know a bubble
ends up causing trouble.
Some players get wealthy.
Some end up unhealthy.
Try to remember from the past
what happens when they crash.
South Sea, Tulip craze and now sub-prime
come plummeting down in their own time.

GREED AND ENVY

             
GREED AND ENVY 1
Envy is as powerful as greed.
Each feeds on it’s own need.
They bleed into each other
like they know one another.
Together, they compete
to see who’s accomplished the greatest feat.


GREED AND ENVY 2
You can have greed without envy
and envy without greed.
One often provides the seed
on which the other feels compelled to feed.

HEALTHCARE

A DOCTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY

Doctors must get tougher
or everyone will suffer.
If after counseling and understanding
a patient thinks you’re too demanding
let them know the bottom line!
You can make better use of time.
If you can’t help them get started
 it’s time you departed
to see if your help can
extend another’s life span.

SELF PRESERVATION CAN BE DEADLY

THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE
Are we facing a danger in life today
that self preservation will have it’s way?
When we find things that are tough
reactions get very rough.
Families fight with one another.
Father against his son.
Brother against brother. 
Sister against mother.
All become centered on self preservation.
This leads to wars, nation against nation.

A RETREAT FOR REGROUPING

CAPE SPEAR LIGHTHOUSE - NORTH AMERICA’S MOST EASTERLY SPOT.

If you lived in that lighthouse in that easterly spot,

what would you do with all the time that you’ve got?

If I wanted to write a book, or if under stress

that would a peaceful place 

To watch the view;  get out of the rat race.

That ‘s where I would want to be

To determine what’s inside of me.

That surely would be my guess.

before returning to civility.

I’d want to meet  who’s living there

To compare our life and daily fare.

I wonder, would I learn a lot?

Some things I’ve probably forgot?

Things that are important in life’s scheme.

Things coming to me in my nightly dream.
THINK ABOUT IT!

HILLARY CLINTON

I think Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will go down in history as a woman of character, courage, understanding and deep conviction of the value of Democracy and our Country.  She will be considered a "woman for all seasons".  She will be known as one of our most effective Secretaries of State.  I take my hat off to her now.
THINK ABOUT IT!

SNIPERS

There are snipers in war.
There are snipers in business.
Snipers in war fill a need.
Snipers in business fill a need,  for greed.
THINK ABOUT IT!

A FUN CONSPIRACY THEORY ABOUT THE FINANCIAL CRISIS

These CDO lawsuits almost sound like another "Pelican Brief" movie plot.  Although it's not possible get these cases before the Supreme Court soon enough, and no one can be killed, the conspiracy theory would be to spend mega bucks (under the recent ruling about Corporations being able to donate money to candidates) to get a conservative back in the White House so that the new President can make sure to appoint justices to give the oil companies the edge.  There certainly is enough  money and enough time. 
THINK ABOUT IT!

DEMOCRATIC GRIDLOCK

    Why not form a small 6/8 member committee of an equal amount of conservative and liberal Democrats challenged with the proposition to seriously debate their major differences; report to a larger caucus of their group for agreement of each item they agree on until a firm understanding of each item is at hand and all the Democrats can vote as a block?

MY TAKE

History will show that President George Bush's father and James Baker finally were able to get to him to stop listening to Vice President Cheney and to develop the surge in Iraq.  Our best chance of recouping the losses and misdirections up until that point.  
It's also important to recognize that President Obama was smart enough to understand that approach and to continue that strategy.  I hope it works, but from a political point of view I take my hat off to both of them.  Hopefully one day they may collaborate, writing about that.  
THINK ABOUT IT! 

THE HOUSING BUBBLE

Everyone got a piece of the pie But the pie wasn't evenly cooked.
The baker's cronies got the slices that were hot and sweet
while those less knowledgeable got the crumbs to eat. 
THINK ABOUT IT!

GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS

It's the Governments job to make the playing field level.
It's the entrepreneur's job to maximize capital return.
Why can't we do better understanding that?
THINK ABOUT IT!

POLITICAL PARTY UNDERSTANDING

The conventional wisdom is:
Republicans understand money and Democrates understand people.
The division between them boils down to how to protect what they stand for.
Democrates want to protect people and Republicans want to protect wealth.
Neither seems to understand the importance of the other.
Protecting wealth too much can lead to greed and revolution which in turn can lead to socialism to protect people.
Protecting people too much can lead to laziness and possessivness which in turn can lead to greed and we are right back where we started from.
It behooves both parties to work together to understand the importance of both.
THINK ABOUT IT!

IT'S JUST THE POET IN ME

THE WONDERFUL CYCLE OF SEASONS

Why do I like rain and a warm breeze?

   It thaws the freeze.

A crocus in bloom, a sunny room.

Nature is waking.

My heart is aching.

Spring is breaking.

Why do I like the sun's heat?

 The steam on the street. 

 A nice rocking chair while

   a/c cools the air.

  I enjoy that pair.

  Summer’s everywhere.
What about a cool afternoon?

 A late evening moon?

 The colors are changing.

  Autumn's re-arranging.

Why do I like winter's coldness? 

 Saying good-bye to the oldness?

 The dying leaf weeps

 In winter all sleeps.

Why do I like changing seasons?

I give you many reasons.

ENJOYING LIFE

HOW TO ENJOY LIFE
How to enjoy life
and minimize daily strife.
At the start of each day
be happy at what you do.
It should always be that way,
so that good things can come to you.
At night it will feel like life is a game
and tomorrow it will be more of the same.
If your job doesn’t provide that
don't take a pill.
Throw in the hat!
Get one that will!
THINK ABOUT IT!

PUBLIC FOLKS THAT IMPRESS ME

CABLE
   Charlie Rose (for one on one interviews)
  Farek Zakaria (for international interviews) 
   Shepard Smith (for even handed news)
  WRITERS
    Any author writing
intelligently about any
subject that makes me
want to read it.
COLUMNIST
   Arthur Friedman
INVESTOR
    Warren Buffett
PHILANTHROPIST
    Bill Gates
THINK ABOUT IT!

SPRING GREETINGS

MY GOOD LUCK

I Have a picture of an orange daisy

with a background kinda hazy

peaking out of a blue bottle vase

With water at its base.

I found it in a trashy field

near this settled urban city.

It was in a place that shouldn’t yield

a flower quite so pretty.

Imagine my surprise for

it made me realize

that nature offers no disguise

that is easy to recognize.

PREDICTIONS - JUST FOR KICKS

Predictions are not too trustworthy but they are fun. So I predict:
   .The President will sign a healthcare bill before election recess and subsequent polls will show that the public is happy that congress finally got something done.
   .Dow Jones will hit a new high by Christmas after taking a good downward hit. Also, by then or perhaps further down the road: 
   .The economy will really start growing; China, India, South America and United States will lead.
   .The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will start to show good results and Russia will support them.
   .China will be very instrumental in solving the North Korean nuclear problem.
   .North and South Korea will start the healing process to reunite. 
   .Further down the line we will really start to see major improvements in healthcare and longevity.
THINK ABOUT IT!           
           

PESSIMIST OR OPTIMIST?

Different polls have indicated we are pessimistic about our children having a better life and that we think our country is in decline.  This is about the same as polls in the late 70's and early  80's.  Here is one possible answer: Our technical and economic advances out pace our ability as a people to understand and absorb them.  Is it possible that the better educated and more talented people do better than the rest of us thus creating a greater divide between the have's and have not's that leads to an economic downturn thus creating the pessimism before another up turn.

If so, what will be the primary drivers of another up turn in optimism?  I suggest the following:

     .Rapid increases in medical science and related technology vastly increasing our lifespan and a much broader concensus across all political spectrums for signifcantly better healthcare for all people as we come to realize we will live that much longer and good health is important for all,  to serve all.

     .A more progressive understanding and application of the three factors of production: land, labor, and capital in such a way as to diminish the inequalities existing today.  For example, other countries have much higher tax rates for citizens than we do yet it doesn't seem to stifle inginuity or technical advances.  Look at Nokia and Airbus.  (By the way I believe studies have also been made concluding that individual income tax rates do not affect productivity until they exceed 70%)

     .An increased importance of the environment, in large part do to a longer lifespan, will create another industrial surge as all levels of society come together to participate.

THINK ABOUT IT!  

     .

     .  

  

CALCULATE YOUR BMI INDEX FOR FUN AND GOOD HEALTH

BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)
   Multiply your weight, nude, by 703 and divide by your height in inches squared. 
        18.5 to 24.9 is normal
        25 to 29.9 is overweight
        30 to 34.9 is obese
        over 35 is just too high.

GOOD FOOD

GLYCEMIC INDEX, SUGAR SPIKES AND WEIGHT GAIN.

   Is it hard to get away from white potatoes, no matter how cooked, white rice, white bread and regular pasta? 
   White potatoes is easy.  Just forget potato chips.  If it's a baked potato just eat the skins. I really like them and use to trade the skins for the potato with my three sisters when much younger.
   White rice is also easy.  How about buying black wild rice?  You can cook it with either beef or chicken powdered broth then freeze it in reasonable portions.
   Pasta is another no-brainer.  We all feed on pasta, macaroni and cheese.  Most of us like pasta and sauce (also called gravy).  We all know athletes load up on it for marathons, long swims, and bike events. You might try whole wheat pasta.
   Now for bread. This is my biggest problem.  How senseless is it to load up on bread, rolls and butter at a restaurant while waiting for the meal?  I am trying different whole wheat breads (not enriched wheat) and so far find them unappetizing.  The best way for me to enjoy it is to let the bread get pretty stale and crunchy then toast it.
   If you are interested in more on Glycemic index and Glycemic load try the following web sites:
:www.mendosa.com
:www.mendosa.com/common_foods.htm
THINK ABOUT IT!

POLITICAL DISAPPOINTMENTS

GIVE A GUY A BREAK
A little over a year into his Presidency Barrack Obama is getting a lot of criticisms from all spectrums of the political arena.  Folks complain he's not accomplishing things promised and others complain that he is trying to do too much.  Seems hard to have it both ways.  It reminds me of a ditty I wrote for my grandchildren:

OUR POINT OF VIEW

I hear your point of view

and I think it is right.

Then I hear the opposite point

and I think that is right.

Someone says can they both be right

and I say that’s also right.
Someone also said everyone is entitled to their own opinion
but no one is entitled to their own facts.

THINK ABOUT IT! 

TIGER TEXT

Tiger text.
What comes next.
Now you can have sex on the net.
But, don’t worry you can forget
it with the hit of a button
and in an instant it will be forgotten.
It will be erased so know one can see.
Will it still be in your memory?

THOUGHTS FOR ECONOMIC EXPERTS

Are political parties tearing apart our country for selfish reasons?  Their own narrow benefit?
I am phrasing it as a question with the hopes feedback will come my way after checking out the facts.
Someone said: Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts.  Please - facts!
Here we go:
   .Why are grades one through twelve in school so lacking in the capitalistic principles of:
      :Land, labor, and capital?
         /Own a home - Teach us when it is ready and affordable.
         /Work habits - Teach us to work hard but under fair employers
         /Accumulate - save & safe. Teach us to avoid bad debt at credit card rates.
   .Why are we falling behind other countries in beginning education,  health and health care?
   .Is there a glass ceiling?
      :Women vs. men
      :Upper class vs. everyone else.
   .Are we still minority prejudice and if so why?
      :Ingrown growing up.
      :Middle protecting standing against lower groups
      :Upper enterprenurial class protecting their status:
         /Provide enough education so that the people will buy products.
         /Provide enough pay for that purpose but no more.
I don't know the answers but am posing the questions I hear asked.  Facts will be great.
THINK ABOUT IT!


         
         

THE GOODNESS OF GREED AND CORRUPTION

IS DEMOCRACY ALIVE?
Democracy will survive 
when there is a complete reduction
in non democratic greed and corruption.
I don’t think I will be alive.

SPEECH CRUTCHES

I admire actors.  It is amazing to me how they can memorize their lines, although even they have cribs and other devices to help them sometimes.  The more I think about it the more I realize that that is their business and their main responsibility.  
Now, you can always admire a politician who is a gifted orator, and there have been many.  However,  I find it hard to criticize them if they read from a prepared manuscript or if they use a device like a teleprompter.  My feeling is that the politician's business is to serve the people providing the  proper tools for safety, budget management, and what ever is considered the government's responsibility to help with just good old living.  So, if the President feels he does not want to spend precious time memorizing speeches so as to have more time to spend on the important things, I have no objection.  Anyone that does is being somewhat sillly in my judgement.  They should stick to criticizing actors who are not learning their lines properly.
THINK ABOUT IT!

AFGHANISTAN - THE NEW WAR

Inspection, detection, ID's hide in the weeds.
Afghanistan, where it is hard for any man to understand this new kind of war as we have been able to understand wars before.  Hopefully we will with General McCrystal's model of clear, hold and build.
THINK ABOUT IT!

BOND HOLDINGS AND DEBTS

So far China is not being unreasonable - look! they could really start liquidating their US bond holdings and cause havic for the world economy.  Why would they do that?  Perhaps there is common ground, for in the long run growth of all countries springs from the principle of absolute and competitive advantage.  Each country will tend to produce those things where they have an absolute advantage and each country will tend to produce those things where they have a comparitive advantage.  This is the foundation of free trade and trade is the essence of world prosperity and the advancement of peace on earth.  Perhaps the Chinese Government understands these principles very well and wants to make sure all the apples stay in the apple cart.
THINK ABOUT IT!

REGRESSIVE TAXATION AND HEALTH

Most folks, from any political persuasion, are not happy about regressive taxation.  Sales taxes, usage taxes and taxes on basic commodities that take a much bigger chunk, percentage wise, of a lower or middle class budget.  However, the discussion about taxing sugar in drinks really hits me as sensible.  First of all sugar drinks do add to the increase the incidence of diabetes, overweight, heart and blood pressure problems as well as overall good psychological wellbeing. 
So, I am in favor of taxing sugar in any reasonable way but if we don't make the tax high enough it will do little to help solve the health problem and bring down healthcare costs.  It didn't work with tobacco until the tax got big enough to get everyones attention.  It really hasn't had much of an effect on liquor. I'm afraid the businesses involved will not fight a small tax too much but a large one will run into all kinds of lobbying with all kinds questionable reasoning.
THINK ABOUT IT!

INTERESTING FOLKS

David Brooks was on Charlie Rose on Tuesday February 8th.  He talked about the power of the unconscous mind and how important it is and how little we know about it.  I liked the interview.  My thought is: Who knows? Maybe the mysteries that psychoanalysts work so hard to help people solve will eventually be solved with the understanding of the brain making it much easier for the analyst to help you understand your unconscous mind.   If you are interested maybe you can get a copy of the interview  from the Public Broadcasting Station.
THINK ABOUT IT !


I heard Amy Walters, the editor and chief of the Hotline, the other evening for the first time and was most impressed with her straight forward and articulate discussion of the issues.  No Um's and Ah's and a non committed discussion.  I will watch for her.
THINK ABOUT IT !

WINTER OLYMPICS ARE HERE

Michael Ignatieff has written a wonderful article about the winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia starting next week.  I highly recommend it.  It appeared in the New York Times on Sunday February 7th. and I would assume you can read it on line.   

WHAT SHOULD A YOUNG PERSON DO IN LIFE?

My grandson came to visit.  He is in his young twenties, an excellent student, has been accepted into a good training program with a well known company, is working hard on his masters, and is not quite sure what he wants to do in life:
 I gave him my best two ideas:
     .Take a course in speed reading to help you cover a lot of material about everything.
     .Whatever you decide make sure you enjoy getting out of bed every morning to do it.

A COMMON BLIP TO THE FUTURE

Many times in the past world progress has been slowed because the advances in all sciences, including social, economic and psychological, have progressed faster than the average person has been able to absorb it.
This may be true today for it seems possible that President Obama's view of our capabilities to absorb all this change, especially when the electorate, and most of the people from many countries, have been so supportive of his mandates, including yours truly, has been overly optimistic.
So, we may have to take a step backwards before taking more steps forward.  
It is sad that many people who should understand people would rather take advantage of it in order to stall progress for their own selfish reasons.  Let's hope everyone understands this so we can quickly get back to furthering the world's future destiny.
THINK ABOUT IT!

HAITI

Why can't we get together a consortium of countries in our continent to really do a long lasting job of putting Haiti on it's feet. After all if it wern't for the Haitian Revolution and Napoleon's lost interest in an Empire in our part of the world we never would have had the opportunity for the Louisiana Purchase which created the middle of the country and double the size of United States.  Let's really work on getting a group of countries together to do it.
With that thought in mind here is an outline for starting long range plans:
HAITI-REBIRTH: MY TAKE ON PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE.
     LAND, LABOR AND CAPITAL
 I. LAND:
A. Stop deforestation
B. Select land for small farms
C. Move Capitol out of maximum danger from weather
D. lay out plans for living units on suitable land.
II. LABOR
A. Teach engineering, farming, building and manufacturing to
      locals.
B. Use Haitians for practically all work with supervision by 
      locals and others where necessary.
III. CAPITAL
A. Plan and organize business ventures: Manufacture, 
      healthcare, farming, tourism etc.      
B. Raise seed capitol
1. Appropriate division of profits for land, labor and capital.
C. Excellent budget, expense, cost controls and periodic reviews.
IV. POLITICS
A. United States plays minimum role in background
B. Heavy involvement by western hemisphere countries such as:
1. Canada, Brazil, Columbia, and others.
C. Involvement of United Nations for security and peace keeping.
THINK ABOUT IT!

IS PROPAGANDA WITH US NOW?

FROM WIKIPEDIA

Propaganda is a form of communication aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position. As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense, presents information primarily to influence an audience. Propaganda often presents facts selectively thus possibly (lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or uses loaded messages to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a change of the attitude toward the subject in the target audience to further a political agenda. (During WWII the Germans were experts at it - Remicksmind)

Propaganda is neutrally defined as a systematic form of purposeful persuasion that attempts to influence the emotions, attitudes, opinions, and actions of specified target audiences for ideological, political or commercial purposes through the controlled transmission of one-sided messages (which may or may not be factual) via mass and direct media channels."

—Richard Alan Nelson, A Chronology and Glossary of Propaganda in the United States

THINK ABOUT IT! 

DO THESE POEMS RESONATE?

THINKING OF ONE ANOTHER
What does it mean to be thoughtful?
How do you know you are kind?
Do these thoughts ever enter your mind?
How does it feel to be gentle and patient
 and not really understand but still know,
 that these feelings are very important
 to help a relationship grow.


PLAYING LIFE'S SONG
When I think of the end of life
 I always think of living.
And when I think of the joys of life
 the end seems remote and forgiving.
I never really believe my age 
 nor the limits it implies.
And I'm often told I seem younger
 in other’s eyes.
But, the true beauty of life's song
 is how you hear it and the truth about death 
 is how you bear it.
THINK ABOUT IT!


.

RACIAL SLURS EXPLORED

LET ME START 70 YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS 15.


   I remember standing outside a Chinese laundry with friends and running our fore finger against our upper teeth while looking at them ironing clothes through the window.  Wow! that got them upset and until today I really don't know why.  During my Navy tour in WW II a good friend, Ah Ho Lum, was the Chinese cook aboard ship.  (Does that qualifies me to say that one of my best friends was Chinese - another dangerous statement).  I should have asked him about that childhood demonstration but never thought of it until now.  Maybe I am lucky not to have been a politician in which case someone might have found that out about me.


   Fast forward to today and the current furor about Senator Lott and Senator Reid.  I decided to look at Wikipedia for a listing of racial slurs.  Boy, there are a lot of them.  Here are the ones you  may remember over the years, some of which I have used in the past.  Let me preface the list with my feeling about the use of slurs.


   If the person you are slurring or who is slurring you are very good friends you can always get away with it.  I could call my Chinese friend, when he beat me at cribbage, "you lucky Chink".  I could call my Italian wife a "Ginny" when I was teasing her to come to bed. The point is you better know how good a friend you have before trying it.  That aside we have to be careful.        


   Sometimes, I guess,  we may not really mean anything by it, particularly if it is taken out of context. Maybe Senator Reid was talking about Barack Obama's chances based on his under- standing of the voting public as a whole, knowing that there still is a lot of prejudice out there.


   Maybe he was expressing the voters hidden desire to make amends for it by electing him.  No?


   You can look them up - there are a lot of them.  Here are some that were in vogue as I grew up Coolie -Chinese; Coon - Negro; Cracker - Poor Southerner; Frog - French; Dago - Italian; Limey - English; Nigger - Black; Wop - Italian; Kike - Jew; Shiksa - Non Jewish woman; Gringo - Spanish or Latin American; Bog - Low class Irish; Jew down - Derogatory remark about Jewish business methods.


   One last thought.  In this country we say a black person is an African American.  What do say in other countries?  In Africa, for instance, I would guess you say a black person is an African. Isn't a white person also called an African?  I did not research that but it seems to get "kinda-what ever". 


   That's enough.  I sure you get the point.  You have to look into your own soul and psyche to determine what you mean if you use a description thought to be derogatory, or make an otherwise politically inappropriate remark.
THINK ABOUT IT! 

WHERE ANOTHER PEBBLE DROPPED

     Let me first state two positions.  First, I was originally against the war in Iraq, feeling that it would be much better for NATO to support the IAEA in their pursuit of "weapons of destruction" than to draw our attention away from Afghanistan.  Second, I have always been a friend of Israel and the Jewish people for their suffering and the final creation of their lost homeland with the help of Britain and the United States and many in the world community.
     I now feel that even President George Bush (perhaps with the help of his father and Jim Baker, but not Vice President Cheney), late in his presidency, came to the conclusion that nation building has a definite roll to play when he sent General Petreous in to Iraq with the surge. 
     President Obama now is applying that same technique in Afghanistan where it should have been applied originally.  
     I feel we must build confidence in the people, infrastructure, schools, security, etc. if we are to get them to the point where they do not have to turn to terrorism or terrorism's deliverers.  At the same time we must know how to convince them that nation building, in the final inning, is their task, so that we withdraw before being accused of Colonialism.
     However, as part of that solution we must solve the Palistinian Israeli problem. Somehow we must get the Arabic Nations and the Israili Government to realize the importance of their joint participation in the eradication of terrorism before it becomes a REAL REAL problem.

I LEARNED A NEW WORD

ANTIPODES APPLIED TO REASONING*
Our life is full of antipodal points
Hard facts vs. the language of the Gods.
Should you believe one and not the other?
Or, are both intertwined in the womb of your mother?
Hard facts are hard to deny. 
But in life, you’ll learn bye and bye.
That the thoughts of the Gods can make you laugh and cry.
So, both are needed to keep you together.
To keep you focused for now and forever.
*(In mathematics, the antipodal point on the surface of a 

   sphere is the point which Is diametrically opposite it) 

THINK ABOUT IT!

EDUCATION FIX

   Michelle Rhee, Chancellor of the D.C Public School system talked about having lunch one day with Warren Buffett.  She asked him for advice and he told her that the way to fix the D.C school system was to make all private schools illegal and to reassign the students, based on a lottery, to all the public schools in the district.  That would immediately shift all the financial resources around so that every school would get a fair share and the education would improve dramatically.  
   I understand that principal very well.  During the Civil Rights movement in the '60s, at a benefit on Long Island, I was asked to drive Ruby Dee  to New Rochelle where we both lived.  We discussed education during that drive.  Although in agreement about the overall need, when I  suggested that,  if we were able to integrate the schools there would be a period of adjustment. It would be necessary to recognize the theory of the "least common denominator", that is:  the overall quality of education at a school would take a temporary setback while those who had  poor education for so long caught up with those who had had better education opportunities.  I was all for integration but thought it would cause a lot of political problems. She didn't say anything but I felt that although she probably thought what I said was correct it was a hurt for her. 
   Unfortunately, until we understand that, no one is going to like the correctness of  Buffett's answer.

A REASON TO BE OPTIMISTIC

    Gordon Wood, a Nobel Prize winner for literature was on the C-Span book channel Saturday talking about his new book "Empire of Liberty".  During the Q & A he pointed out that we have fewer problems today than we had in our Country during the 18th and 19th Centuries when our form of life and Government was forming. For example, back then 
     Many wars, horrible, biased press coverage, much greater consumption of alcohol; much more domestic violence; and many more homicides per capita, not to mention the verociousness of campus  demonstrations.  Wow!  That gives me further cause to be optimistic about our great United States of America and our future.

GROWING SMART

THINKING OF ONE ANOTHER

What does it mean to be thoughtful?

How do you know you are kind?

Do these thoughts ever enter your mind?

How does it feel to be gentle and patient

 and not really understand, but still know,

 that these feelings are very important

 to help a relationship grow.

THINK ABOUT IT!

TIGER'S PROBLEMS - IN AN OLD MAN'S OPINION

Tiger Wood's problems may well be related to the intense, military like devotion of his father to the development of Tiger's golf skills at the expense of well rounded life experiences as a child.  Did that result in inculcating within him an "indispensable attitude"?  In other words, was he too big, too important and too needed by the PGA tour and his sponsors, to ever be questioned about his activities?  Just like the financial meltdown did we miss the potential of a character flaw, not necessarily of his making?  I sure did.  It's a shame,  for his skill and his business success were certainly his.  To those of us who enjoy golf and enjoyed watching him perform let's hope that his comeback will be heavily weighted with understanding and humility and above all, a more complete family life first and then even a  greater golf game.  Let's hope the lessons he learns are as powerful as the ones his Dad taught him.
THINK ABOUT IT!    

WORLD STABILITY - FUTURE OPTIMISM

Fareed Zakaria writes a great article in Newsweek:
     Three reasons for optimism when thinking about world stability:
          1. The spread of Great Power Peace.  No Great Power competition in geo-military terms.
          2. Victory over the struggle of high inflation rates eroding everyone's capital.
          3. Technological connectivity.  Everyone is talking to everyone telling everything. 
THINK ABOUT IT!

OLD BUT TRUE

God give me the strength to accept those things I can not change;
the courage to change those things I can and;
the wisdom to know the difference.
THINK ABOUT IT!

PROGRESS IN AFGHANISTAN?

I'M IMPRESSED

Richard C. Holbrooke, our special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan has been at it for about 40 years and is considered one of the best negotiators we have had in a long long time.  Both President Bush and President Obama have complete confidence in him and he has been working closely with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to forge alliances and contacts throughout the world.  He understands the back room negotiations and the need to read between the lines to understand the special considerations of each Country.  I just heard him on the Charlie Rose program and am so impressed with the progress he is making.  Let's hope we hear more from him.

THINK ABOUT IT!

CHRISTMAS

CHRISTMAS

Christmas comes but once a year.

For many it’s a time of fun and good cheer.

For others it’s not the happiest season.

Many celebrate it for the wrong reason.

Although I’m not religious

I celebrate the birthday of Jesus.

He was a very, very great man.

A philosopher, teacher and a salesman.

A psychiatrist who understood humanity

better than anyone can.


THINK ABOUT IT!

A FUN POEM

Quail

Have you ever seen a bevy of quail,

running along the farm fence rail?

The baby squealers are right behind.

Although the same the're not one of a kind.

The father’s a cock, the mother’s a hen.

Look quickly or you may not see them again.

THINK ABOUT IT!

MILITARY SERVICE

If we are not careful we will have to give serious consideration to reinstating compulsory military service at some point.  It certainly would make sure that a cross section of the population will be trained to serve.  Maybe it's not such a bad idea.
THINK ABOUT IT!  

POLITICAL PAYBACK

President Obama was instrumental in preventing the investigation of dubious goings on by the Bush Administration so when do the Republicans reciprocate and stop this nonsense of pushing for an investigation of anything and everything they can conjure up like the push to investigate Senator Backus, coming down on Senator Reed, and dragging the climate change issue thru the mud again.

MONEY

I am in favor of anyone making tons of money as long as it adds to the enjoyment or enrichment of society. Baseball  players and other athletes, actors and actresses, writers, venture capitalists and enterpreneurs who fashion something out of their brain sitting in a classroom or a garage, just to name a few.  Even those who make tons of money that really doesn't add to the progress of society help their image by giving back.  


What I find difficult is the money being made on Wall Street by traders and others who then get such large bonuses based on the money they made in the short run.  I know  you can argue that that gives the organization more capital to invest otherwise.  However, what happens if they show losses the following year?  Do they give the bonus back? I am not sure how it all plays out.

THINK ABOUT IT!

VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY FOR PRESIDENT IN 2012?

I like the new format for NEWSWEEK.  It is one of the two news magazines I read, the other being THIS WEEK. Management should be very pleased with the results of their new format. 


Jon Meacham's "Top of the Week" article was right on target.  Everything he spelled out is just what our country needs. He postulates that it would finally give folks an opportunity for Republicans to put forth a candidate that stands for their basic principals against a Democrate that stands for theirs. I am in complete agreement, except:  


It will never happen.  Cheney is too smart to fall for that challenge.  He is much more comfortable doing things in secret as he has done during the last eight years or being in a position to take potshots at every democratic party principal. He has done more of that than any Vice President in my memory.  I would bet the farm that he doesn't have the guts to run and that he will use his health, or other pressing personal issues, as an excuse.  I hope I am wrong for it would really be a step forward for our country.


THINK ABOUT IT

NATO MILITARY DEATH RATES

Here is a breakdown on the death rates of different NATO countries in Iraq now that all countries have pulled out except the United States.  


The approximate % ages are based on troop levels and fatalities as published by Newsweek:
     UNITED KINGDOM - 4/10TH OF 1 %
     POLAND - JUST UNDER 1%
     THAILAND - ABOUT 1/2 OF 1 %
     SPAIN - JUST UNDER 1%
     AUSTRALIA - 1/10TH OF 1%
     SOUTH KOREA - 1 FATALITY 
     ITALY - 1%
     BULGARIA - ABOUT 8 1/2%
     DENMARK - ABOUT 2%
     U.S.A. - ABOUT 2 1/2%
Every life is precious but this shows the contribution of each country in a different light.
Denmark and U.S.A. were about the same and Bulgaria was the highest.
     

KIDS GROWING UP

     When I was a teenager we often went to the movies on a Saturday night.  There would be four or more of us at the ticket counter for the evening show.  Right next to the theater was a dress shop with a display of about 8 female mannequins.  (They should have called them womannequins).
     The shop had large tan colored drapes covering the windows.  We looked through the cracks to watch the manager, or a male employee, changing the dresses on these nude mannequins.  We got a big kick out of seeing how mad he got at our gaping.  This went on for several weeks until someone at the store got smart and didn't make the changes until after the evening show started.  Was it our introduction to pornography or was it the fun we got out of getting his goat?


THINK ABOUT IT?

OBAMA - HEALTHCARE AND ELECTRICITY

Obama understands it. Electricity requires us to rebuild our electric grid so we can shuttle all kinds of electricity (oil, coal, natural gas, wind, sun etc.) all around the country to maximize use and prevent loss. This will result in huge savings as well as much less dependence on foreign oil, plus jobs that can't be shipped overseas and a good step towards a greener world.


 Healthcare requires us to rebuild our technology grid so we can shuttle all kinds of health information all around the country so it is not lost, easier to get at, and so that all providers are on the same page as the patient. This will provide better more effective healthcare with fewer errors at a lower cost.


 THINK ABOUT IT?

COLOR IS DECISIVE

Skin color is still in the world's consciousness. Let's relate it to current problems. Someone once told me that problem solving can be compared to looking at a pool of water. You see the concentric circles in the pool and follow them to the center. That's where the pebble was dropped and that's where the root understanding of the problem lies. 
      Let's apply that principle to the international problems that we confront today. What is the nexus of the challenge and what are our chances of really making progress? Color is it;The world is made up of white,copper, yellow,black and probably some other colored folks;The white population is by far the minority yet, exercises a majority of the control over the thinking of United States and six or seven other countries; Where is not important for my point; The future of the world at this time can be traced to our election of a black man as our President. Remember the joke? Do you think an Hispanic, an Indian, or a Woman can ever be elected to the Presidency? No. What about a black? Probably, but never in my lifetime. Well, we proved the joke writer wrong.Therein lies the beauty of the continuation of United States of America's greatness. We even proved our own petty jokes wrong. But back to reality.
      The fact we elected a black man as our President is obvious but the thinking under the surface is hard to decipher and much harder to understand. Here is my take: The world has shown great approval of President Obama. They have embraced him as a clear indication that United States has finally recognized that color has been a deep seated cause of embarassment to our country around the world. This has undoubtedly been the result of the new generation of young Americans who deny color as a barrier to progress and whom he was able to rally around him to help get him elected. That brought a lot of other adult folks, parents and other serious thinking folks along. Now it is payoff time. He must be able to capitalize on this to get the rest of the world involved with us to fight these religious battles. The same types of battles that have been fought for centuries by all factions and all colors. Can he do it? I am banking on his ability, and the backing of the majority of the population of our country, to "getter done". 
     Let's see if he can get NATO and other countries on board to really help by sending troops to Afghanistan and other pressure spots. It is going to be critical. Above all, let's not be squeemish about calling a "spade a spade". We have made tremendous progress and should be very proud of our "commitment to excellence" in overcoming prejudice. 
THINK ABOUT IT!

AH! GOOD FOOD

FOOD ENJOYMENT

Long ago and far away

salad never made my day.

But, now color is here to stay.

I mix the greens with black beans,

sweet white onions, peppers red,

crouton squares of bread,

yellow cheese and a lemon squeeze.

I now enjoy it.  I am in the mood.

   If it weren’t for color- it would be just food

     THINK ABOUT IT!

THE FUTURE IS COMING

ABOUT WORK HABITS:
     Don't wait for the ladder of success to be replaced by a moving stairway.
ABOUT THE RULE OF LAW:
     Our Constitution is the bedrock of our Democracy.
     It should be difficult to change.
     But AK47's just don't hack it with me.
ABOUT THE INTERNET:
     Jon Stewart says; "The internet is just a world passing around notes in a classroom."
     I agree, for the world is one big classroom that want's to learn and understand.
ABOUT FOLKS I BELIEVE IN:(for starters)
     Cable interviewers: Charlie Rose and Farek Zakaria.
     Columnists: Thomas Friedman
     Financial wizards: Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger (long term thinkers who are good capitalists and good greed experts)
     A great success story: Bill Gates (from a garage)
     Writers: Anyone who writes with integrity about anything that makes us readers.
     Politicians: Read "Profiles in Courage" for a few. Nelson Mandela is the closest to the real thing. A master politician, philosopher, negotiator, psychiatrist, and unbelievable understanding of people.
     Philanthropy: Salvation Army; Melinda and Bill Gates and Buffetts commitment to them.
     Medical workers: Doctors and Nurses who really believe in the Hypocratic Oath.
ABOUT THE FUTURE:
     We will figure out how to send electricity through the air.
     Cars will run on water as well as other things.
     In United States we will become much more health conscious and get paid for it.
     A super catastrophe will finally prove the importance of a "green world".
     (let's paint all roof tops white - that ought to be easy, even if not yet stylish)
    We will grow body parts for replacement at a reasonable price.
     (they may even be advertised in the Sunday paper)
     Life expectancy will extend to 125 years or even more.
     (and you will have choices. There will even be a stock market in annuity rates)
     Greed,an important element of progress,will always be with us but better defined and controlled.
     Skin color will be tan with a tinge of yellow.  Everyone will blend in.
     There will be less and less poverty and fewer wars as we move forward toward a better life.
     I want to stay alive to see as much of it as possible.
THINK ABOUT IT!

MY CHILDHOOD REMEMBRANCES

MY PET TURTLE
Like most kids I had a pet turtle.
I named it butch. My mother suggested Myrtle.
Maybe she knew something I didn’t know.
Maybe I’d find out as I watched it grow.
He lived in a dish with an island made of stone.
He’d climb out of the water and sit on his throne.
I fed him food about every other day.
I’d put him on the floor so we could play.
He would quickly duck his head 
and pull his feet into his shell.
One winter night I put the dish on the open window sill
The water froze.  What a sight.  Butch laid still. 
He was dead.  I could tell.
I used a match box for a coffin and dug his grave in the yard.
It was quick, it was easy, but at age seven it was hard.

A GOOD FEELING

THINKING OF ONE ANOTHER
What does it mean to be considerate?
How do you know you are kind?
Do these thoughts ever enter your mind?
How does it feel to be gentle and patient
 and not really understand but still know,
 that these feelings are very important
 to help a relationship grow.
THINK ABOUT IT!

HEALTH AND OLD AGE

Those of us who are lucky, have good genes, and have not completely laid waste to our natural body assets can certainly be thankful.  In most cases however, dentistry is needed big time in old age. I was the victim of bad dentistry as a child and am paying a price now with bridges, plates, etc.  
It occurred to me that implants at a young age, to replace the loss of any single tooth is an important investment in the future.  It forstalls bone loss; acts as a permanent anchor for the present and provides a big advantage as you grow older to be used for many purposes. Putting in implants at an old age often requires bone grafts that take six or more months to take hold plus another six months for the tooth implant to take hold. I asked my dentist, Lubomir Manov D.D.S., what he thinks and his response was very positive.  When I asked him about the down side his reply was that it is more expensive in the short run and in addition insurance companies are slow to embrace the idea, but in the long run he seems to say it is a "no brainer".  I wish my dentist knew that when I was younger.


THINK ABOUT IT!  

BREAKING A HABIT

A habit is like an egg.
If you didn't want to break it
you won't be able to fake it.
A habit is like an egg.
If you want to break it
you won't be able to fake it
THINK ABOUT IT!

DEATH PENALTY

HERE IS A THOUGHT Former Senator Alan Simpson takes a position on the death penalty without recourse for a teenager who was convicted of murder. The Supreme Court will try two cases on this very subject. I hope they come down on the side of the teenagers for as Senator Simpson says. Kids are a lot dumber than adults-they do stupid thing but don't think through the consequences. Later on in life they will become a lot smarter. I agree and hope the Court will give it a good show and give the youngsters another chance. I don't think that adults are always smarter than kids but in this context the good Senator is right.
THINK ABOUT IT!

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S DOCTRINE

A Presidential Doctrine doesn't become one until long after their Presidency is over. And, anyone who wants to state one will be long gone before it is recognized or forgotten. Knowing that I want to suggest one:


Conversation trumps confrontation.
Action is the catalyst.

THINK ABOUT IT!

FROM AN OLD MAN'S MIND: PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W.BUSH

FROM AN OLD MAN'S MIND: PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W.BUSH

PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W.BUSH

Because of my respect for former President George H.W. Bush I was most disappointed to hear him weigh in on the cable "news" channels and disparage some of the participants. He has a lot more important things to do than that.

FROM AN OLD MAN'S MIND: HEALTH CARE TAXES

FROM AN OLD MAN'S MIND: HEALTH CARE TAXES

HEALTH CARE TAXES

TAXES ON THE MIDDLE CLASS TO HELP PAY FOR HEALTHCARE IS PROBABLY NECESSARY AS THE RESULT OF INCREASED BENEFITS. HOWEVER, I WOULD NOT BE IN FAVOR OF THOSE TAXES UNLESS THE MIDDLE CLASS IS OFFERED INCENTIVES AND REWARDS FOR IMPROVEMENTS AND CONTINUOUS MAINTENANCE OF GOOD HEALTH.

THINK ABOUT IT!