Monday, January 09, 2017

THE POLITICAL SUICIDE BOMBER



Bombs have been around for nearly one thousand years.  Countries  use them against their enemies to do harm without themselves getting harmed.
We used them in both World Wars, Vietnam and Iraq.
Japan employed the pilot as bomb…the  Kamakazi, who committed suicide by crashing his  explosive-loaded plane  into a military target…usually a ship.
In recent years, a new type of Kamakazi weapon emerged... the suicide bomber…the man as weapon.

The suicide bomber, wearing a vest filled with explosives,  sacrifices his own life in the process of taking the life of the enemy.

We now have the era of  the “Political Suicide Bomber.” Although this  PSB is not trying to kill  anyone, he is angry and vehemently  opposed to  the principals, practices, and politics of the perceived “enemy”. 
He therefore votes for a candidate who champions policies that  harm   the opposition,  while unintentionally sacrificing his own self-interest in the process.

Friday, December 16, 2016

                                                          For Want of a Nail




Hillary Clinton had spectacular credentials. She was first lady of Arkansas for 9 years and the first lady of the United States for 8. While technically not jobs, they were compelling learning environments for experiencing local and national politics up close and personal.
Afterwards, she became a two-term United States Senator from New York, abbreviating the second term to run for president in 2008.
She competed  against a community organizing black man who served a few terms in the Illinois Senate, less than one term as a United States Senator, and had a terrorist sounding name. Barak Hussein Obama.
The democrats rejected Hillary and her deep resumé, selecting Obama and his spare one. That might have been a clue.

President Obama appointed her  Secretary of State. A position she held for 4 years.
Detractors said she did a terrible job. Proponents claimed she was spectacular. Neither side could convincingly back up their claims off the cuff.

As Obama was departing, Hillary decided to run again. Vice President Joe Biden also considered running, but he was recovering from a family tragedy, and might have sensed the imminent Party coronation. He declined.


During all her public years Hillary accumulated baggage…luggage. She claimed that she was the target of a vast right wing conspiracy. Probably.
Some of her actions and decisions made the targeting easier.
Polls indicted that fairly or not, she was a polarizing figure…adored by many, despised by as many.

During the primary campaign we discovered through leaked emails that Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Chairwomen of the Democrat National Committee, was plotting to undermine Hillary’s one serious opponent, Bernie Sanders.  The scandal forced her resignation.
Then we learned that the interim replacement, Donna Brazile, through her affiliation with CNN, obtained questions which were to be asked during the upcoming primary debate.
The questions were forwarded to  Hillary’s staff.
Bernie had no such advocate or advantage.
Brazile resigned from her CNN position and Hillary did nicely in the debate, having prepared in advance for  questions that were asked…verbatim.
She might have won the debate. She clearly won the nomination.


It came down to last man and woman standing;
two people with near historic negative ratings.
Trump was caricature-ish with the citrus color, unusual hair, vulgar and aggressive remarks, and spastic gestures.
Hillary was groomed, poised, intelligent, and soft-lit.
Trump said outlandish things. Often.
Hillary was articulate and on script. Always.

The polls indicated not who, but by how much.


Days before the election a letter was released by FBI Director, James Comey, stating that the FBI found new potential evidence on a laptop computer relating to Hillary’s email server.
It ultimately led to nothing…except intense media attention.

After losing the election, Hillary pointed to the Comey letter as the reason she lost momentum and the election.

Hillary explained, “There are lots of reasons why
an election like this is not successful  but, our analysis is that
Comey’s letter raising doubts that were groundless, baseless,
proven to be, stopped our momentum.”
She went on to say that a second letter from Mr. Comey, clearing
her once again, which came two days before Election Day, had
been even more damaging.
The letters created enough drag…a final straw…to whittle away
the critical votes.

Epilogue

The new evidence Comey referred to was discovered during an unrelated inquiry into former Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner regarding an allegation that he sent illicit, sexual text messages to an underage girl in North Carolina. In the course of that investigation, agents seized a laptop computer Weiner shared with his wife, Huma Abedin, Hillary’s closest aide.




Friday, January 08, 2016

                CONVICTION

Some of the presidential candidates  fully support  the National Rifle Association's policies and advocate an unrestricted interpretation of the Second Amendment.
Furthermore, they suggest that several of the recent mass killings might have been prevented, or reduced in scope, if more people were carrying guns.
Each of those candidates could exercise   their conviction by  making a pledge to the American public, stating that if  they become president,  they'll sign an executive order stating that whenever they make a public appearance,  the Secret Service and all other security agencies will not do weapon screenings.


Saturday, December 19, 2015

Venetian Blinds


CNN is so adorable.
Their coverage of the much-promotedDecember Republican Debate was a hybrid of the Korean People’s Army and Let's Make a Deal.
Tune in at 8:00 for the main event, we were told.
Like trailers and concession promotions at the Lowes, the main event started later than advertised, the better to sell some bonus airtime...at 40 times the going rate.

Kathy Griffins clothed sidekick, Anderson Cooper, the song n dance newsman, along with two other talking heads, explained to the viewers what they'd be viewing rather than just let them struggle with original thought.
Maybe it was a wise decision because when the camera actually focused on the stage...and staged it was…we saw the audience coordinator… the warmer-upper, showing the crowd how and when to applaud.
A clapping coach.
Viva Las Vegas.

Wolf Blitzer welcomed the crowd and used his “this is serious” voice to introduce the 9 candidates as they crossed the stage for the talent competition.

O say could you see that they each sported a white shirt, blue suit, and red tie?
Yes… Red Ties Matter.
Note: The renegades, Kasich andCarson wore blue ties
Blue
Big mistake. 
Hey, it’s not brain surgery.
Carly, the lone woman, wore a red dress, standing out like a strawberry on a blueberry tart.
With the exception of Kasich, they all proved their patriotism by wearing anAmerican flag lapel pin.
Ok. Carly wasn’t wearing a lapel pin, but in fairness, she had no lapel. 
She compensated by wearing a Flavor Flav sized crucifix.

During  the stylized version of our national anthem  (whose daughter scored that gig?) the candidates appropriately held their right hand tolapel, except for Carley, who, remember, was lapel-less.
No wonder we’ve never had a woman president.
First Point went to Ted Cruz…who held his hand under his lapel, closer to the heart than the others.

After a few candidates made opening statements, Carson made up for the blue tie by invoking a moment of silence for those killed in the recent terrorist attack in San Bernadino.
He closed his eyes a bit longer than usual.
Carson slam dunk!

The debate began.
Hugh Hewitt started asking questions. Hugh who?

No chairs need apply.
There would be no sitting.
This 2+ hour marathon was no  place for sissies…or FDR
The debate centered on carpet bombing, walls, immigrants, war, andthe need of a president who said ‘Islam’ and ‘terrorism’ in the same sentence.

Christy scored when he said that we’d shoot down Russian planes if they didn’t do what we say.

The war-ready crowd seemed to love it.
Or was it just following the clap coach?
Anyway, the debate had a bit of everything.
The only thing missing was an 
Army recruitment kiosk.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

The Epiphany Epiphany




He was so easy to mock, with that Looney Tunes bulls-eye stenciled on his face.
He colored himself Smurf on the outside and vodka on the inside. 
Rumor said it was Merlot.
He might even have been liquor less, but the watery eyes gave him that piano-lounge look.
He carried the label ‘The Weeper of the House.’
Merely the word ‘nostalgia’ moistened his eyes.
He’d start to speak but finished blubbering. 

And that intransigent party made his life hell.
They tormented him and ridiculed him.
The democrats weren’t much help either.
He claimed that for years he had been telling his wife that he’d surrender the post. 
But he didn’t.

Then the amazing man came to America.

He was so easy to love.
He smiled, was gentle, cared for the needy, and cared for the planet. 
He was not about wealth and power.

John was touched by the man … both, his arm and his mind.
The man asked that John pray for him.
He realized so clearly, that the man had it right. 
It was not about trench warfare.
It was human welfare.
Yes, his eyes watered up.
He decided at that moment that he was struggling with the wrong struggle.
He was free.




Bruce Stasiuk
Sent from my iMind

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

A Few Good Apples


A Few Good Apples

When we are in danger, or desperately need assistance, we call the police.
Without an organization of well trained, abundantly equipped  and  disciplined officers, our communities would turn into Mad-Max chaos.
That’s why we have a police force. 
It’s no accident we call it a  FORCE.

We give each officer extraordinary  power, support, and authority in order to maintain safe conditions in our society. 
In return, we expect that the power and authority provided to each officer be used in a fair and judicious way…realizing and allowing that  mistakes could happen and mis-judgements could be made.

But  when an officer blatantly and deliberately abuses that vested authority, especially in a life-threatening way, a most serious crime has occurred.
Furthermore, when a police officer commits a felony that is covered-up by another police officer, duel felonies have been committed. 
It’s not professional courtesy, it’s complicity.
Yes, body-cameras might help, but the best remedy would be breeching the blue wall of silence.

February 27, 2011, Huntington Station, New York, around 1:10AM

Two  bar-hopping off-duty cops are driving in their  civilian  cars.
They cut off a cab and  get into a yelling match with the driver.
Both cops, and the cab driver get out of their cars. Realizing he’s outnumbered, the cabbie retreats to his cab.
One cop,  gun in hand, approaches the cab which is backing up. 
He empties his .38 caliber Smith and Wesson, hitting the cabbie twice before he ducks down.
The shooter proceeds to smash the cab driver’s window, starts beating the cabbie with the gun, and breaks  his nose.  
The cabbie backs up, turns, and drives to the hospital. 
The cop calls 911 for help.
Up to 20 police officers correctly race to the scene, fearing that a fellow officer was in dire trouble. The police call an ambulance for the two cops, and arrest the cabbie at the hospital where a blood test is ordered and  administered.
The results are negative.
The cop claims that his life was in danger.  
He says the cabbie was revving his engine in preparation to run him down.
The cab was a Prius…which doesn’t rev.
No blood test is ordered nor did fellow officers perform a sobriety test on the cop, who refused the doctor's request for blood and urine tests
The  medical staff enters notations that he smells of alcohol.  The attending physician’s  medical report states that patient is, "Slurring words at times with smell of alcohol on breath," and that he is sweating and had bloodshot eyes. The doctor’s report  refers  to him as,  "Hostile" and notes that his, "Psychiatric insight and judgment is impaired."
The shooter  later admits   to the district attorney  that  had up to ten drinks before the incident.
Internal affairs officers bring a pre-written statement to the hospital for the cabbie to sign. He has 2 bullets in his body and is on a morphine drip.  
His request for a lawyer is denied.
After being lied to that the statement clears him of responsibility, he signs it.


Where were all the good apples we hear about?

To read the full, ugly story, click below




Tuesday, January 27, 2015

The Triangle Trade




  No, not that one.
This is the Triangle Trade run by Speaker of the New York Assembly, Sheldon Silver.
The triangle was between a doctor, a law firm, and Silver’s bank accounts.
What a clever scheme. 
No wonder he was the speaker for the past 20 years.
Shelly landed himself a $120,000 per annum side job (a non-job, really) with a personal injury law firm.  The firm sought people with mesothelioma… a disease caused by asbestos…because the potential settlements were huge and the practice was awarded the customary 30%.  
It was a gold mine. They even ran TV solicitations for more afflicted clients.




Columbia University had a doctor and researcher who specialized in mesothelioma. People with the dreaded disease flocked to him.
Shelly did the math.
He worked out a special deal with the doctor.
The Doctor would refer his patients to the law firm in exchange for secretly funneled state grants.
The good doctor obliged and was happy.

The plan provided the firm with valuable clients and their lucrative civil suits.
The lawyers were happy.

The speaker received millions in commissions from the law firm, which made him happy.


And we haven’t even talked about the extortion, the tax evasion, or the real estate scams.

Mr. Silver faces many decades of prison time.
The prediction here is he’ll get somewhere between a token punishment or less. 

That 2 party club that calls itself New York State’s government likes to keep a hazy, soft-edge on political propriety, ethical regulations, and convenient escape hatches.
The citizens shouldn’t be happy.


  

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Boxed In

Mom and pop are finished. 
The coliseums of capitalism did them out.
How could a small business with a modest inventory, 
and a few workers,  compete with  big-box,  
stand-alone,  mega-stores?
They can’t.

The   corner bookstore with the creaky wooden floor and the big cat who sat in the window, was run out of town by Borders, and Barnes and Noble.

The local hardware store bolted after being overtaken by Home Depot and Lowes.

The Main Street pharmacy was staggered by CVS, Walgreens and Rite-Aid.
(Duane Reade in urban- speak)

Stationery stores proved to be less than stationary after Office Depot and Staples reamed them out.

Pet stores are endangered by Pet Smart and PetCo.

Doctors'   practices are  going  abdomen-up as they  join Professional Medical Group Management Associations.
A Doc-in-a-bigger-box.

Maybe, in the end, we’ll just have one big box left.


Friday, February 14, 2014

Never Having To Say You’re Not Sorry

Recently, a college basketball player from Oklahoma State, the visiting team, chased a ball into the Texas Tech stands.
A fan screamed at him, “You’re a piece of crap.”
The player went after the fan until he was pulled off by teammates.
The next day, speaking from a podium, the player said, “I really do apologize for it. This is not how I conduct myself.”
The fan, speaking to the media said, “I would like to take this opportunity to offer my sincere apologies…my actions last night …do not reflect myself….”

So, we have both men telling us that they are truly not the people who they apparently are.
Dissected, their apologies explain that they are sorry for the thing that they did, but it wasn’t really them who did it.

The comedian, Flip Wilson, had an explanation for such behavior.
Call it the apology-denial.
It’s  become   big business in America…our newest cottage industry.
Employed like   Houdini’s escape act, finalize any action with an apology, sprinkle on some denial, and expect the straightjacket to drop to the ground.

The drunks who massacre people on our highways, the public servants who get caught with pockets full of illegal cash, the politicians who can’t keep their ethics straight or their pants up (Yes… it’s always pants), the pious who practice things they'd never preach, all use it.

Of course, the ‘Sorrys’ always come after the headlines, never before.

Yes, I rammed a pencil into your eye, but, after all, I did say that if I hurt anyone by my action, I’m truly sorry.

Now the ball is in your court.
Be a patrician and accept it.