Happy New Year!

Hong Kong went all out for 2009.

London always has a great display.

But the numero uno New Year's Eve celebrations are always held in NYC of the USA.


I think I'll skip the craziness this year just because I hate going to things solo and I just got off work and everyone else is no doubt already drunk and getting louder by the minute.

Happy New Year; a joyous ending of the annual calendar to you!

:-)

JibJab: Never a Year Like '09

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

A Liberal’s Survival Guide

I recommend picking up a copy of Newsweek for yourself. The cover story for the issue of the week of November 2nd 2009 is an excellent piece on President Barack Obama. Anna Quindlen has put to words what I felt to be true since early in the 2008 Presidential Campaign:

Barack Obama campaigned as a populist firebrand but governs like a cerebral consensus builder. The Founding Fathers wouldn’t have it any other way.

…

Campaigns are bad crucibles in which to forge the future. They speak to great aspirations; government amounts to the dripping of water on stone.

…

The president is a person of nuance. But on both ends of the political number line, nuance is seen as wishy-washy. There’s no nuance in partisan attacks, soundbites, slogans, which is why Barack Obama didn’t run with the lines “Some change you might like if you’re willing to settle for” or “Yes, we can, but it will take awhile.”

…

If the American people want the president to be more like the Barack Obama they elected, perhaps they should start acting more like the voters who elected him.

In my personal estimation the liberal-left mainstream view of Barack Obama was overly optimistic as to his clearly stated positions. This situation has altered since the campaign but still seems to maintain elements of previous misconceptions.

This president is entirely unique.

I was adamant about this in the first few months of The Obama Presidency when the media-punditry were attempting to compare Obama to another American President of the recent past. The only comparisons to draw are poor ones.

Many attempt to call The Obama Presidency a “centrist” presidency. I believe this is only in part true and better descriptions would be “staunchly bipartisan” or “consensus builder” as to what we see of The White House of 2009.

Ultimately, I myself am far too left-wing to support every Obama Policy. I am certainly left-wing enough to vote for him, but in the instance of national health care reform I would seek to isolate the insurance giants in the face of the bipartisan concept of bringing them to the table.

I would seek to remind readers that The Founders had many ideological differences between them and while they surely would approve of the goal of consensus building, I believe some would argue that party loyalty or campaign kick-backs mean nothing in the face of protecting the general welfare of the people of The United States.

Allow me to put forth my view on The Founding Fathers as it applies to the proposed health care reform in the U.S.:

A single-payer bill, like H.R. 676, might be scientifically approved but does not incorporate the spirit of incrementalism that is key to sound reform. If one was to augment the “single-payer” model of this bill into a national health care insurance option for citizens ages zero to sixty-five, included the Dennis Kucinich Amendment in which states can opt-in to a single-payer system, and included the Harry Reid Proposal in which the states can opt-out of the national option within a single piece of legislation; this unwritten bill would be within the true desires of the framers of The U.S. Constitution.

--

I can only see two clear flaws in Barack Obama as president, thus far.

Handing health care to the Congress was a bad move.

Isolating the giant of media-misinformation when there are other offenders within the spheres of foe-news.

Both of these are purely strategic flaws and amount to simple criticism and nothing more on my behalf.

On the matter of his appointments I believe what I was speaking on before comes around once again. It’s not a fair assessment to call it a “liberal” cabinet but rather a “bipartisan” cabinet, or “centrist” if you must.

We didn’t elect the liberal-firebrand that came to destroy the GOP and tear down the corporate empire.

We elected Barack Obama.

Obama Health Care Speech

Rep. Wilson calls The President of The United States a "liar" at this point in regards to the legislation effecting illegal immigrants; if you failed to hear the audio that caused the interruption.







This was an excellent Address on Health Care by President Obama. All significant issues were cogently addressed, but I found the president should have expounded further upon the specifics of the budget and the concept of "deficit neutrality." Perhaps it is my own failure in understanding but I do not fully understand this notion as it pertains to health care.

I also think this clear explanation was needed much closer to the onset of the national debate instead of at this point in time and also hopefully prior to the town hall debate setting, but I see the issue of Health Care Reform as being underlined and placed in the foreground.

Those who chose not to listen and refute every word Obama speaks will most likely continue to do so.

The issue of a 'failure to sell' Health Care Reform and explain the proposal is put to rest, in my view.

Alan Colmes on The O'Reilly Factor

Find more videos like this on Alan Colmes Radio

Reality Check: Economics in America

Let it be said that I am not bought off and not invested in how much money you make one way or the other.

I am one of last people on the web that is willing to tell the truth and attempt to remove all the shadowing and spin that resides over all that is the media.

Allow me to plain:

We are headed for a depression.

I repeat this as a man with three businesses and a successful career in marketing said this statement to me.

A math teacher of high credentials has said to same to me in the past year.

You won’t hear this from the bought and paid for economists who sat on their hands and let our economy crumble beneath us as they remained mute.

While the word ‘depression’ in regards to economics is about to appear on the FFC Banned Words List there is much to be understood about what awaits us.

I’ll remove as much jargon as I can.

The economy will go up. But then it will come back down again.

They call me a “W” in terms of my economic perspective in that I believe we will regain strength in the market in coming quarters. But I think these will be temporary gains and ultimately we will fall back into a recession cycle that will lead to a depression.

Most media economists tell you that they are a “V” which to me just denotes that they are blindly optimistic or much more likely bought and paid for.

Some maintain that there will be no improvement and they are labeled the “L‘s”.

And some still think we will have gradual and slow recovery that is unhampered and they are labeled as “U‘s”.

Anyone like myself who speaks of a forthcoming American Depression would squarely fit into the “W” or the “L” camps.

However, the notion that all hope is lost is a false one.

Most of us ‘money-savvy’ people already know that fortunes can be made in depressions and that the wealth of the nation will not dissolve into thin air but rather will be distributed down to the people who have the intelligence and the foresight to take advantage of the downturn.

This is just a sliver-lining though. Each family should take real steps right away to build up the value of your home, maximize your portfolio and be prudent about major expenses.

But it’s important to realize that if we are going to prove me, a math teacher and a successful business man wrong that this nation will have to refocus itself on consumer spending.
If all of America continues to tighten it’s belt in this endless fashion then you begin to see why some predict this outcome at a latter date. Most say about three years and I would estimate a little longer span of time but the same end result.

Iran Explodes with Unrest

Huffington Post has the latest updates on the Iranian situation.

I would draw your attention to the final video on the post: "12:17 AM ET -- Awe-inspiring courage."

Dispelling the Myths of 'Secret Societies'

Whatever ‘facts’ and ‘patterns’ that conspiracy theorists claim to see in global economic and political events the burden of proof remains on the people presenting this idea to the public. Every logical retort and request for scientific evidence of an active ‘secret assembly’ between geopolitical leaders across the world and markets is met with vague facts and illogical responses.

The method of debunking this is, in view, best done with an example of how easy it is to fabricate these myths by creating my own:

:: The Creed ::

The Creed are as old as human history. They met in secret to agree on principals and social standards at the beginning of every human society; their numbers dictated by bloodline. Every person you see today in the media or in politics belongs to the Creed. They set the standards of speech, manners and ethics in every society. They make history and all political movements out of there desires and whims, on any given day.

The Creed is sworn to silence over this. They will never admit that when you didn’t hear them speak that they were speaking with another of the Creed. You can’t get any journalist nor academic nor politician to ever admit to the truth of the Creed.

Only the just and righteous common man, like myself, may bring you this ultimate truth. Only we the repressed and abandoned by our tyrannical government could possibly know this truth and accept it into our beings.

::::::::::::::::::::::

However, I am not without realization of what this means to present this idea to someone who has already invested themselves into these theories and possibly even money into the entire conspiracy. I am essentially saying that they were duped.

This no doubt stings and makes some rationale toward a person being defensive. But the fact remains that any person subscribing to this illogical thinking is being mislead by members of a ’Creed’ that makes money from drumming up people’s fears about government.

Let there increased profits in this atmosphere of political hate burn their fingertips.

There is no need to plant a ‘crisis garden’ or build a ‘fallout shelter’ now, than there ever was in any previous scare-tactic campaign. These groups seek to use the use of non-hybridized seed cultures as political tool but it is simply true that non-modified food is better than modified. It has nothing to do with anything except food quality.

In conclusion, while figures like George Noory of Coast to Coast AM support the theory of a New World Order Conspiracy with dignity and respect the majority of the proponents are hostile, illogical men like Alex Jones. The Anti-Obama partisan Jerome Corsi and Jones tried to get Noory to denounce the presidency of Barack Obama on air. They were rightly rebuffed in this attempt to demean the career of George Noory with their disrespectful lies. By ignoring the issue the mass media only allows the whole matter to get out of hand. I would like to see a deep exposé on both Jerome Corsi and Alex Jones done by a reputable news agency.

Dick Cheney is an American Disgrace

I wholeheartedly disagree with the statement that President Obama has made the country any less safe since entering office. The notion that immoral practices will make us any more safe from terrorism is counter-intuitive to my core beliefs.

The CIA Enhanced Interrogation Program was one of the most effective terrorist recruitment tools and a project expressly advocated by former-Vice President Cheney which is now noticeably absent from terrorist recruitment methods.

The approved torture methods of the Bush administration have presented one of the greatest threats to our continued national security to date.

Not only is it disgraceful for Cheney to criticize the current administration as a member of the former but also as to his own level of personal integrity to turn the issue of national security on it’s head by denying the immorality of torture tactics.

The Politics of Fear remain the only tool left to Neo-Conservative Americans.

I see a land of injustice where prosecutions of some order are not undertaken. Those who wrote the legal opinions used to justify these torture tactics must face consequences.

The Justice Department cannot dispense justice onto itself.

A Special Prosecutor must be appointed.

If anything, President Obama has yet to do enough to restore justice and security to our nation.

Miss California and the Question of Gay-Marriage

Carrie Prejean (Miss California): ”I think it‘s great that we live in a country where you can chose same-sex marriage or [gay-marriage]. .. In my country, and in my house, marriage is between a man a woman,”

I see these words as fair and respectful statements to make, in such a position. In her country, her state and her house she views marriage as an exclusive right for heterosexuals. Unfortunately, the state laws of California currently reflect her point of view over my own. Just as she said herself, I also believe the true beauty of American democracy is the right to chose. The right to chose to repeal the ban on gay-marriage in my case. This battle is yet to fought.

Another vital element of this American Beauty lies in the fundamental Freedom of Speech found not exclusive to this single event, by any means. It can be found all around us.

In the media-aftermath, Perez Hilton (pageant judge) revealed that he desired a more educated response.

Hilton: “What she should have said is: .. ‘We live in a country where the states decide on some laws and the federal government decide on other laws.’”

Hilton is most likely unaware that recent statistics on civic education in America are at all time lows. I doubt he intended to be so, but the question was asking for civics knowledge in a time when such an item is a precious commodity.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Recent Carrie Prejean Interview From Alan.com

Too Much For One President?

Under my understanding of American civics current President Obama is by no means taking on more than is possibly sustainable, in terms of policy changes and economic recovery efforts.

In fact in my estimation he has, in regards to national security and financial stability, done exactly what was and is needed to ensure success in our efforts to revive this bankrupt economy.

The issue of undertaking 'too much' comes primarily from the right wing. Though others may question the wisdom of taking on so many issues at once as wise it is exclusively the right wing that declares this unsound policy.

The concept of 'political capital' is primary in understanding the recent actions of President Obama in his first two months in office. Political capital does not remain in any politician’s favor for long.

The willingness to address major issues like Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Enhanced Interrogation and vigorous fiscal stimulus only prove to those who grasp civics that the President intends in make good on the many campaign promises made to voters like myself.

While many more issues abound, and ultimately I am one who says that Obama is not doing enough, the raw fact remains that the current administration is showing a genuine interest in fulfilling the will of the people beyond simply nationalist fever or populist outrage but to rather try and reach attainable goals in our time.

Eric Lightborn

http://americapress.wordpress.com/

March 29th 2009

The R-Word

Recession; In the span of no more a few months the word is now ‘fair game’ in America.

An American Recession, no less. After only a handful months these two words can be freely connected in advertisements and in public media formats.

This after a time in which any Democrat or liberal spoke of a coming recession they were dismissed as ‘kooks’ and ‘doomsayers.’

I was one of those ’doomsayers.’ And I was right. 

While the prevailing wisdom is to downplay a sick economy and a weak dollar I do not believe this to be the correct course of action.

If the economy is sick, we should know about it.

If the dollar is about to drop, we should know about it.

If a stock is about to devalue, we should know about it.

And on, and on.

I believe that one of the reasons we have suffered this recession is due to this very mentality combining with the ‘greed is good’ mentality.

A broadcaster, a stock quote broker, a banker or an economic journalist has no benefit to being truthful to their audience and every benefit to simply remaining mute. Or worse yet, talking up a business, stock or concept that they know to be unsound.

The idea that saying into a camera or many media outlet the raw truth of the economy as being a detriment to that economy is false.

The investors and consumers need to be able to make informed decisions. If those trusted to give honest and credible advise are proven to simply communicate in a ’one answer only’ situation then the reality of market hazards remain the sole property of those already succeeding in market endeavors.

Leaving us, the common people, out in the rain.

Caps-Lock Engaged America

“populist outcry”

“socialist agenda”

“economic outrage”

We are hear these words connected in the Big Buzz of the Media, lately.

We live in a state of economic chaos. Right now, today.

As an internet-blogger I call this state we exist in “Caps-Lock Engaged America.”

My need to translate everything into internet terminology is no doubt why I prefer this way of describing the current state of affairs in America.

These pundits and talk show hosts of the right wing seek to drum up fear in the public, nothing more.

In the absence of logical arguments they simply wish their audiences to suspend all logic and proceed to believe in conspiracies.

The left wing is busying itself with AIG-Hate while shunning these new Populists as madmen and radicals. We are neither.

These are the very same kind of ‘madmen’ and ‘radicals’ who helped to form the Democratic Party of our day, but I digress.

There is no shame in being upset. But direct your anger.

President George W. Bush spent this country broke as if it was his personal play-thing to abuse and mistreat as he would.

One of the primary functions of a President of the United States of America is to be a Steward of the American Economy.

The previous President not only failed in this, he failed so miserably that his actions in this area specifically are in fact criminal.

President Bush had an obligation to use his position to inform America of the coming recession. Yet he joined in the chorus of conservatives who claimed all was well in the economic seas.

The ’proper’ blame doesn’t stop there.

The major leaders of financial institutions, those chairing relevant boards and countless figures in the media all failed in this exact same respect.

These individuals had a duty to the American public to inform them of an impending crisis that would directly effect their home life and personal budget.

These individuals knowingly withheld information from investors and consumers in a clear effort to destroy any chances we had at mitigating the coming storm.

Some moved funds into bonds instead of stocks. Some transferred funds into foreign currencies. Some bought precious metal portfolios.

But many more simply did not know or would not listen to those like myself who warned of this coming American Recession.

Blah, Blah, AIG, Blah, AIG, Blah

Can you say: media scapegoat? Can you say: easy target?

No fan of AIG or anything. Bunch of suits passing around paper that doesn't move one piece of anything that helps even one worker. Let them all pick crops, I say.

But I am a media-watchdog and have had my eye on the government like a hawk. Bonuses for these jokers is not the right 'aim' of this new American-frustration we are all experiencing.

Bemoaning the continuation of old and backwards thinking will not move us on. We must come to readily expect ourselves for many things and remain unphased. America must quite literally reach a No Bull State of Operation extremely quickly if we are regain any of what has been lost.

We can expect the economic guru's to come out of the wood-works. We can expect our former leaders in business and government to try to interject themselves and contort the matter at hand.

Just as every peoples before us we may use this moment to strive or use this moment to relent.
A demand for accountability is but a beginning. The true goal must always be to bring forth the individuals who will operate as honest brokers and stewards of the economy while tossing aside corporatist and those who played us all for fools.

They are the true enemy of the common person.

Not any specific group but the whole entity of continued corruption.

Common Sense for Michael Steele

New RNC Chair, Michael Steele, claims to stand against obstructionists in his first speech then condones the stagnation of the Obama Stimulus bill in the House by Republicans, shortly thereafter.

This is shameless hypocrisy that reminds me of the previous tactics of Republicans that have done nothing but twist politics into a double-pretzel.

When interviewed about abortion and gay marriage, he explained that certain issues comprised his core beliefs and could not be compromised. In an earlier comment he expressed that he sought to avoid those who simply talked a lot and wanted no resolutions done.

Steele fails to understand that the Democratic Party is easily equal to the Republican Party in terms of members who do not back down on core ideals and core beliefs.

One such core belief is that legislation should pass without a partisan standard of approval in both the House and Senate.

It is obvious that it is nothing more than a partisan agenda of the Congressional Republicans to keep the Stimulus package under a Democratic President from passage due to the fact that the last Stimulus and the equally large Bailout under Republican President Bush received quick and bipartisan support, without any major concessions to the Democratic Party included therein.

The fact that not even one Republican voted for this bill, even after the requested tax cuts and concessions were included, proves beyond all anecdotal commentary on the exact specifics of the package that the opposition is simply against all policy with no need for explanation or discussion.

These actions prove that the current agenda within the RNC is simply to reject all policy proposed or supported by President Obama--in a dangerous game of raw politics.

It is the responsibility of Michael Steele to encourage the Congress to come to a constructive level of progress in this time of great economic instability.

I do not, thus far, share in any level of elation that some have expressed within the Democratic Party with this new chairmanship of the RNC.

There is no more time for these word games and the extremely familiar partisan-stalemating in America today.

The game-clock has run out and there is nothing but lasting damage done by such an obvious favoritism for Republican sponsored bills and immediate scorn associated to a Democratic sponsored bill.

To be fair, no Chair can be expected to be able to effect a great many votes in the Congress just after receiving the such a position.

I am simply stating that if the situation reversed, I would chastise the DNC Chair for taking such a narrow view of policy.

Steele was in a unique position to help put an end to Republican-obstructionism in modern-American government.

Instead he chose instead to be vague in his declaration against such a serious matter.
I would have hoped that the broad declarations against Americans and the vague comments eluding to items of a serious nature that often amount to slander would come to a close within the RNC and its members with the losses of 2008, but it appears that the tactics of distraction are not dying out as hoped.

Another unsettling element is that he speaks as if the Republican Party is not in great need of reconnecting its core foundations with its message and representatives after such a serious national defeat.

It is unfortunate that the need for keeping up appearances is keeping what I tend to believe to a genuine and honest man in his convictions from telling the simple truth that he has a lot work ahead of him if he wants to keep "conservatism" within the American dialect of politics in years to come.

I would like to attempt to dispel this term "common sense" from politics, that Steele is so found of.

"Basic knowledge" about civics gives a person both personal political perspective and helps with a debate on policy.

"Common sense" is to not running with scissors and taking good care of your health or things like not swearing in a church and being polite to others.

I see plenty of basic and advanced knowledge in the RNC but very little common sense. This has not changed in any fashion, in my view.

Lastly, the former-Congressman David Duke expressed that he saw Steele’s election as a "dark day" in Republican history.

I think that is simply absurd, and that Duke is a racist.

It is simply more of the same from the past eight, in what I see so far.

I find it difficult to find excitement and relief, at this time.

Safe Since 9/11?

President Bush wishes to express to the people of America that he has kept our nation safe since September 11th 2001 by means of his administration’s Middle-Eastern foreign policy.

It is true that this nation has not suffered any such tragedies in the past seven years and unfair to not recognize that President Bush has held our national security in high regard after the 2001 attack.

The question of his of readiness to assume the responsibility from the out-going Clinton administration in terms of national security and properly assimilating the depth of the known threats to American soil in 2000, is another issue. It is entirely possible and within reason that the Clinton administration failed in their presentation of relevant security matters and did not properly convey the gravity of said intelligence.

The responsibility to prevent an attack on America, if at all possible, still falls under the purview of the Executive Branch even in cases of possible faulty intelligence or possible inadequate representation of facts by previous administrations.

Prior to the 2001 tragedy in New York City often termed ‘9/11’ in mass media we had not suffered an attack to our mainland from a foreign source in more than one-hundred years.

Ultimately, the President is the President in-full from day one and is responsible for that day and every to come until out of office to the safety and prosperity of the American people.

Yet another issue to weigh is the effect of the Bush foreign policy agenda as a whole against the issues of the security of our national allies such as Israel, India and the European nations. The common interest of the American people always extends to their national allies in so far as the interests of commerce and mutual security.

While it is possible the Bush Doctrine may indeed provide the critical and necessary elements of effective national security that our nation must maintain, it is a possible outcome that continued use of this style of foreign policy in future administrations could cause permanent damage to our allies and thus effect the strength of the nation as a whole.

The issue of the responsibility of any current President in national security affairs extends beyond simply guarding against possible foreign attacks but also to guarding against national market failures and against stagnation in our legislature.

Economic strength provides higher quality intelligence services and personnel staying within American interests. Inaction in the branches of our government during crisis or outcry sends a message of instability to foreign adversaries who seek to claim us a nation without legitimacy and without honor.

The Bush White House has not upheld the role of economic steward nor has President Bush personally been a vigorous advocate of significant legislation, with the exception of the credit market bail out totaling $700 billion and the No Child Left Behind Act.

President Bush has taken more total vacation time and made less total vetoes than any President of recent decades. In a televised interview aired tonight he explained that he was concerned about the auto industry crisis but took no significant stance on the proposed bail out negotiations.

Even a lame-duck President holds the power of office and working American families that were promised pensions and benefits under the major American automakers could face an employer contract-breach should the chief legislator continue to straddle the issue.

The House of Representatives and The Senate, to date, have also not upheld their role as intelligent regulators and legislators of our vital markets and industries. Congress is also not without blame in allowing a single branch to become unjustly-powerful in our system of checks and balances between the Three Branches of American government.

Eric Lightborn
http://americapress.wordpress.com
December 18th, 2008