Obama appoints Washington Insider as Social Secretary
Wasn't this supposed to be the administration of change.
Don't look at Turkey as a source for moderate Islam
Its really a shame as the country now seems to be turning its back on its Kemalist past.
David Cameron turns up the rhetoric on Gordon Brown
The hope of course is that he doesn't blow it by going soft in the run in.
Although why is William Hague still the shadow Foreign Secretary? I thought he was a political has-been.
Could Israel be inviting an Israeli attack?
Seems ridiculous but then again.... look who is in power in Tehran.
California in an economic shambles....worse than Greece
Even the Terminator looks impotent here.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Forty Football players that I have enjoyed watching
...when of course they were not scoring goals against Liverpool...All are retired (not in any order). Although I didn't see all playing live I have enough info to reach this positive conclusion.
1. Gianfranco Zola
2. Kenny Dalglish
3, Bryan Robson
4. Alan Hansen
5. Eric Cantona
6. Matt Le Tissier
7. Frank Worthington
8. George Best
9. Jimmy Greaves
10. Diego Maradona
11. Andy Gray
12. Trevor Francis
13. Tony Woodcock
14. Kevin Keegan
15. Steve Heighway
16. Emlyn Hughes
17. Mark Hughes
18. Roy Keane
19. Liam Brady
20. Peter Beardsley
21. John Barnes - one of my all-time favourites
22. Stan Collymore
23. Denis Bergkamp
24. Franz Beckenbauer
25. Peter Osgood
26. Marc Overmars
27. Johan Cruyff
28. Zinedine Zidane
29. Marcel Desailly
30. Michel Platini
31. Roger Milla
32. George Weah
33. Gerd Muller
34. Graeme Souness
35. Ian Rush
36. Gary Lineker
37. Paul Gascoigne
38. Chris Woddle
38. Hristo Stoichkov
39. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
40. Glen Hoddle
1. Gianfranco Zola
2. Kenny Dalglish
3, Bryan Robson
4. Alan Hansen
5. Eric Cantona
6. Matt Le Tissier
7. Frank Worthington
8. George Best
9. Jimmy Greaves
10. Diego Maradona
11. Andy Gray
12. Trevor Francis
13. Tony Woodcock
14. Kevin Keegan
15. Steve Heighway
16. Emlyn Hughes
17. Mark Hughes
18. Roy Keane
19. Liam Brady
20. Peter Beardsley
21. John Barnes - one of my all-time favourites
22. Stan Collymore
23. Denis Bergkamp
24. Franz Beckenbauer
25. Peter Osgood
26. Marc Overmars
27. Johan Cruyff
28. Zinedine Zidane
29. Marcel Desailly
30. Michel Platini
31. Roger Milla
32. George Weah
33. Gerd Muller
34. Graeme Souness
35. Ian Rush
36. Gary Lineker
37. Paul Gascoigne
38. Chris Woddle
38. Hristo Stoichkov
39. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
40. Glen Hoddle
My England Squad - South Africa 2010
Goalkeepers: David James, Joe Hart, Robert Green
Defenders: John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole (if fit else - Wayne Bridge), Wes Brown, Matthew Upson, Glen Johnson, Lleyton Baines
Midfield: Gareth Barry, Steven Gerrard (should be captain), Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Jamie Milner, Aaron Lennon, Shaun Wright-Philips
Forwards: Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, Theo Walcott, Gabriel Agbonlahor
On Standy: Ashley Young, Paul Robinson, Phil Neville, Stephen Warnock
Defenders: John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole (if fit else - Wayne Bridge), Wes Brown, Matthew Upson, Glen Johnson, Lleyton Baines
Midfield: Gareth Barry, Steven Gerrard (should be captain), Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Jamie Milner, Aaron Lennon, Shaun Wright-Philips
Forwards: Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, Theo Walcott, Gabriel Agbonlahor
On Standy: Ashley Young, Paul Robinson, Phil Neville, Stephen Warnock
Sunday, February 14, 2010
13 Hypocrites
1. Toronto TTC chief Adam Giambrone - As a hardcore NDPer Giambrone wore the Women's right sleeve on his jacket. Unfortunately this did not extend into the realm of cheating on his live-in girlfriend with a 20 year old student....Ethics courtesy of such other Women's rights champions as John Edwards/Ted Kennedy/Bill Clinton and others.
2. Toronto Mayor David Miller - Was vaunted into power as the NOW Magazine mayor. Miller championed transparency in contrast to the perceived Lastman era. After a disastrous tenure as the City's chief Poopah, what was left of Miller's self righteous pose (of clean government) dissolved in his uncritical backing of his buddy Giambrone.
3. The loathsome Paleo-conservative movement- as exemplified by Pat Buchanan and his cronies - who rally against immigration and the coming of a 'non-white' America but have no problem offering lip service to 'non-white' groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah in their killing of Jews.
4. Naomi Klein, Code Pink and other wackos on the far left - Claim to be a Women's right champion - but have no problem bashing Israel (which has an exemplary record on both women and gay right issues) while at the same time doing damage control for the various Islamist organizations that detest Western Civilization and would be the first to abolish both systems of right should they ever seize power.
5. Chris Matthews - Claims to be a serious journalist - but continues to act like a juvenile grade school reporter with comments of the following ilk:
'I forgot he was black.....' (after Obama's State of the Union Address)
'thrill in my leg'..........) referring to the sensation he felt after another Obama speech
Not to mention his comparison of Republicans to the Khymer Rouge with this moment of emptiness
What's going on out there in the Republican Party is kind of a frightening, almost Cambodia re-education camp going on in that party, where they're going around to people, sort of switching their minds around saying, if you're not far right, you're not right enough.
6. Robert Kennedy, Jr for calling Rush Limbaugh an 'idiot' - for doing the same thing he did.
Read Hypocrite
7. Conservatives who champion family values but then rally against the notion that corporations should give more leave to their employees to spend time with their families.
8. Liberals who oppose discrimination but then have no problem championing injustice when it is crouched in the pc language of affirmative action.
9. Death Penalty advocates who claim to be Pro-Life.
10. Various Atheists - Who Claim that G-d doesn't exists as there is no scientific proof for G-d's existence...however any understanding of the true nature of science would realize that science does not extend into this region of philosophy as science is by its very nature materialistic.
11. Libertarians - Often Rally against government intervention in business to the point of championing anarcho-capitalism while negating the rule of law as exemplified by government that makes the platform for fair business possible in the first place.
12. Liberal such as Michael Moore - who castigate George Bush for not anticipating 911 but then rally against intelligent efforts (such as the Patriot Acts) that would allow for a mechanism that would thwart terrorist events in the first place.
13. The Canadian and Australian Governments in the 1980s - they opposed South Africa's apartheid policies despite the ongoing, less than satisfactory treatment of their respective native and aboriginal populations.
2. Toronto Mayor David Miller - Was vaunted into power as the NOW Magazine mayor. Miller championed transparency in contrast to the perceived Lastman era. After a disastrous tenure as the City's chief Poopah, what was left of Miller's self righteous pose (of clean government) dissolved in his uncritical backing of his buddy Giambrone.
3. The loathsome Paleo-conservative movement- as exemplified by Pat Buchanan and his cronies - who rally against immigration and the coming of a 'non-white' America but have no problem offering lip service to 'non-white' groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah in their killing of Jews.
4. Naomi Klein, Code Pink and other wackos on the far left - Claim to be a Women's right champion - but have no problem bashing Israel (which has an exemplary record on both women and gay right issues) while at the same time doing damage control for the various Islamist organizations that detest Western Civilization and would be the first to abolish both systems of right should they ever seize power.
5. Chris Matthews - Claims to be a serious journalist - but continues to act like a juvenile grade school reporter with comments of the following ilk:
'I forgot he was black.....' (after Obama's State of the Union Address)
'thrill in my leg'..........) referring to the sensation he felt after another Obama speech
Not to mention his comparison of Republicans to the Khymer Rouge with this moment of emptiness
What's going on out there in the Republican Party is kind of a frightening, almost Cambodia re-education camp going on in that party, where they're going around to people, sort of switching their minds around saying, if you're not far right, you're not right enough.
6. Robert Kennedy, Jr for calling Rush Limbaugh an 'idiot' - for doing the same thing he did.
Read Hypocrite
7. Conservatives who champion family values but then rally against the notion that corporations should give more leave to their employees to spend time with their families.
8. Liberals who oppose discrimination but then have no problem championing injustice when it is crouched in the pc language of affirmative action.
9. Death Penalty advocates who claim to be Pro-Life.
10. Various Atheists - Who Claim that G-d doesn't exists as there is no scientific proof for G-d's existence...however any understanding of the true nature of science would realize that science does not extend into this region of philosophy as science is by its very nature materialistic.
11. Libertarians - Often Rally against government intervention in business to the point of championing anarcho-capitalism while negating the rule of law as exemplified by government that makes the platform for fair business possible in the first place.
12. Liberal such as Michael Moore - who castigate George Bush for not anticipating 911 but then rally against intelligent efforts (such as the Patriot Acts) that would allow for a mechanism that would thwart terrorist events in the first place.
13. The Canadian and Australian Governments in the 1980s - they opposed South Africa's apartheid policies despite the ongoing, less than satisfactory treatment of their respective native and aboriginal populations.
The Winter Olympics are off...
The Winter Olympics in Vancouver are up and running and despite the unfortunate death of Georgian luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili, the games are set to promise much. As always the Canadian media are gearing up for double medals in both the men and women's hockey event. Since women's hockey is generally a two-horse race this is entirely probable. On the Men's side the calculus is not as simple - I wouldn't write off the Yanks, Swedes or Russians, nor the Czechs, who proved the value of a hot goalie when they emerged with the gold in 1998.
American Hannah Kearney (who has a Canadian mother) edged out Canuck Jennifer Heil in the freestyle moguls, but it was still great to see a Canadian on the podium. Further congrats to South Korea for picking up a short track skating medal (they really have emerged as a powerhouse in this event).
The Olympics offer a much needed sanity break from the regular sporting calendar and despite the protest of some of my friends - who see it as all pomp and circumstance - I am looking forward to embracing this celebration of the human spirit.
American Hannah Kearney (who has a Canadian mother) edged out Canuck Jennifer Heil in the freestyle moguls, but it was still great to see a Canadian on the podium. Further congrats to South Korea for picking up a short track skating medal (they really have emerged as a powerhouse in this event).
The Olympics offer a much needed sanity break from the regular sporting calendar and despite the protest of some of my friends - who see it as all pomp and circumstance - I am looking forward to embracing this celebration of the human spirit.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Obama takes more heat from the once faithful
It had to come....but I suspect that if he heeded the advice of some of these critics he would most likely further worsen the situation
President Barack Obama is starting to look like the second coming of Jimmy Carter. If he's going to avoid that fate, the president had better take radical action -- and fast.
That means doing more than offering belated talk about jobs, or waging ineffectual on-again, off-again bank warfare. What, after all, is the point of bashing Wall Street only to then blow bonus kisses to JPMorgan Chase & Co. chief Jamie Dimon and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. head Lloyd Blankfein?
Obama needs to ditch his professorial, community-organizer mien and start cracking some heads. Unless, that is, he is intent on paving the way for a Palin presidency in 2013.
Supporters are crying out for Obama to pull out of his tailspin. In an article in Politico, Douglas Wilder, the nation's first African-American governor and an early Obama supporter, urged the president to get his act together.
"Getting elected and getting things done for the people are two different jobs," Wilder wrote
Source: Delaware Online
President Barack Obama is starting to look like the second coming of Jimmy Carter. If he's going to avoid that fate, the president had better take radical action -- and fast.
That means doing more than offering belated talk about jobs, or waging ineffectual on-again, off-again bank warfare. What, after all, is the point of bashing Wall Street only to then blow bonus kisses to JPMorgan Chase & Co. chief Jamie Dimon and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. head Lloyd Blankfein?
Obama needs to ditch his professorial, community-organizer mien and start cracking some heads. Unless, that is, he is intent on paving the way for a Palin presidency in 2013.
Supporters are crying out for Obama to pull out of his tailspin. In an article in Politico, Douglas Wilder, the nation's first African-American governor and an early Obama supporter, urged the president to get his act together.
"Getting elected and getting things done for the people are two different jobs," Wilder wrote
Source: Delaware Online
More Stupidity from Chavez
Chavez says U.S. occupying Haiti in name of aid
Chavez is the quintissential meddler himself - look at Colombia and Honduras. He also would be the first to make a comment if the US had not acted at all...like his supporters amongst Western Radicals the man is overflowing with BS.
"I read that 3,000 soldiers are arriving, Marines armed as if they were going to war. There is not a shortage of guns there, my God. Doctors, medicine, fuel, field hospitals, that's what the United States should send," Chavez said on his weekly television show. "They are occupying Haiti undercover."
"On top of that, you don't see them in the streets. Are they picking up bodies? ... Are they looking for the injured? You don't see them. I haven't seen them. Where are they?"
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60G2DW20100117
Chavez is the quintissential meddler himself - look at Colombia and Honduras. He also would be the first to make a comment if the US had not acted at all...like his supporters amongst Western Radicals the man is overflowing with BS.
"I read that 3,000 soldiers are arriving, Marines armed as if they were going to war. There is not a shortage of guns there, my God. Doctors, medicine, fuel, field hospitals, that's what the United States should send," Chavez said on his weekly television show. "They are occupying Haiti undercover."
"On top of that, you don't see them in the streets. Are they picking up bodies? ... Are they looking for the injured? You don't see them. I haven't seen them. Where are they?"
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60G2DW20100117
Saturday, February 06, 2010
40 Great Songs
Time – Pink Floyd
Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie or Bauhaus version
London Calling – The Clash
Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits
The Wall – Pink Floyd
Lust for Life – Iggy Pop
Electricity – OMD
Highway to hell – AC/DC
Satisfaction – Rolling Stones
Spanish Train – Chris De Burgh
Sunday Bloody Sunday – U2
Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
True Faith – New Order
Bizzare Love Triangle – New Order
Suburbia – Pet Shop Boys
Boys Don’t Cry – The Cure
Bullet the Blue Sky – U2
People are Strange – The Doors
Lovecats – The Cure
Space Oddity – David Bowie
China Girl – David Bowie
Riders on the Storm – The Doors
We are the Champions – Queen
Our House – Madness
Goodnight Saigon – Billy Joel
Sometimes - Erasure
Angie – Rolling Stones
All Along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix
Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
Nena-99Luft Balons – Nina Hagen
One Night in Bangkok – Murray Head
Rock me Amadeus – Falco
Shout – Tears for Fear
A Little Respect – Erasure
Rebel Yell – Billy Idol
Me and the Farmer – Housemartins
Break on Through – Doors
Hotel California – Eagles
Eye in the Sky – Alan Parsons ProjectStarman – David Bowie
Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie or Bauhaus version
London Calling – The Clash
Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits
The Wall – Pink Floyd
Lust for Life – Iggy Pop
Electricity – OMD
Highway to hell – AC/DC
Satisfaction – Rolling Stones
Spanish Train – Chris De Burgh
Sunday Bloody Sunday – U2
Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
True Faith – New Order
Bizzare Love Triangle – New Order
Suburbia – Pet Shop Boys
Boys Don’t Cry – The Cure
Bullet the Blue Sky – U2
People are Strange – The Doors
Lovecats – The Cure
Space Oddity – David Bowie
China Girl – David Bowie
Riders on the Storm – The Doors
We are the Champions – Queen
Our House – Madness
Goodnight Saigon – Billy Joel
Sometimes - Erasure
Angie – Rolling Stones
All Along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix
Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
Nena-99Luft Balons – Nina Hagen
One Night in Bangkok – Murray Head
Rock me Amadeus – Falco
Shout – Tears for Fear
A Little Respect – Erasure
Rebel Yell – Billy Idol
Me and the Farmer – Housemartins
Break on Through – Doors
Hotel California – Eagles
Eye in the Sky – Alan Parsons ProjectStarman – David Bowie
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Roger Federer wins Australian Open
As if there was any doubt that Roger Federer is the greatest tennis player of all-time the Swiss genius won his 16th Grand Slam title. He now has six Wimbledon's, five US Opens, Four Aussie Opens ans one French Open to his credit.
Tough luck for Scot Andy Murray as the hurt for British tennis conrtinues.
For more go to: Globe and Mail
Tough luck for Scot Andy Murray as the hurt for British tennis conrtinues.
For more go to: Globe and Mail
Obama reaches out to small business
Not sure if this will morph into more hot air but I will give Barry O. the benefit of the doubt for the time being.
By Jennifer Heldt Powell
The small business community is thrilled that President Obama spent a good chunk of his State of the Union speech making proposals to help tinier companies thrive and grow
His words were a significant recognition of the crucial role small businesses will play in the ongoing economic recover. The actual proposals, however, have drawn mixed reviews. Some say anything is better than nothing, while others contend that the effect will be so minimal the money should be spent elsewhere.
The important thing is that something is done, said Ed Shapiro, a local business adviser.
“There are any number of ways that one could precede, but failing to try something isn’t going to work,” he said
Source: Boston Herald
By Jennifer Heldt Powell
The small business community is thrilled that President Obama spent a good chunk of his State of the Union speech making proposals to help tinier companies thrive and grow
His words were a significant recognition of the crucial role small businesses will play in the ongoing economic recover. The actual proposals, however, have drawn mixed reviews. Some say anything is better than nothing, while others contend that the effect will be so minimal the money should be spent elsewhere.
The important thing is that something is done, said Ed Shapiro, a local business adviser.
“There are any number of ways that one could precede, but failing to try something isn’t going to work,” he said
Source: Boston Herald
Haitian Death Toll over 180,000
It has been difficult to obtain a reliable tally of the death from this tragedy but so far 180,000 seems reasonable.
Source: News 24
Port-au-Prince - Haitian President Rene Preval Saturday apologised for his long silence during the two and a half weeks since a mammoth earthquake destroyed the capital city of this Caribbean country
The death count had reached 180 000, a government spokesperson said, adding that new victims were being found every day. Haitian elections scheduled for the end of February were to be postponed for two years, officials said.
For the rest go to the souce above.
Source: News 24
Port-au-Prince - Haitian President Rene Preval Saturday apologised for his long silence during the two and a half weeks since a mammoth earthquake destroyed the capital city of this Caribbean country
The death count had reached 180 000, a government spokesperson said, adding that new victims were being found every day. Haitian elections scheduled for the end of February were to be postponed for two years, officials said.
For the rest go to the souce above.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
An Introduction to Obama speak
Source: Townhall
Obama seems to use the same phrases over and over again...this is what they really mean
Failed policies of the past": Don't blame me! Blame Bush!
"Teachable moment": I screwed something up, now I'll brag about it.
"Tax cut": Redistribution of money from those who pay a disproportionate amount of taxes to those who pay none.
"Transparency": Deliberate opaqueness, hiding crucial facts from the American public.
"Accountability": Don't worry, I'll fire someone.
"Stimulus": Payoffs to friends.
"Shovel-ready jobs": Jobs that no one wants and that last for two months.
"Green jobs": Imaginary jobs.
"Saved or created": Old Obama language used to futz the numbers on jobs.
"Recovery": Continued economic stagnation.
"Jobs funded": Jobs Obama will take credit for, even though he has done nothing to either save or create.
"It won't happen overnight": It will never happen.
"Progress": Redistribution.
"Cynics": Anyone who doesn't believe in the Obama radical agenda. Obama uses this word to disparage his critics as angry and lacking in basic qualities of human kindness.
Obama seems to use the same phrases over and over again...this is what they really mean
Failed policies of the past": Don't blame me! Blame Bush!
"Teachable moment": I screwed something up, now I'll brag about it.
"Tax cut": Redistribution of money from those who pay a disproportionate amount of taxes to those who pay none.
"Transparency": Deliberate opaqueness, hiding crucial facts from the American public.
"Accountability": Don't worry, I'll fire someone.
"Stimulus": Payoffs to friends.
"Shovel-ready jobs": Jobs that no one wants and that last for two months.
"Green jobs": Imaginary jobs.
"Saved or created": Old Obama language used to futz the numbers on jobs.
"Recovery": Continued economic stagnation.
"Jobs funded": Jobs Obama will take credit for, even though he has done nothing to either save or create.
"It won't happen overnight": It will never happen.
"Progress": Redistribution.
"Cynics": Anyone who doesn't believe in the Obama radical agenda. Obama uses this word to disparage his critics as angry and lacking in basic qualities of human kindness.
In the News LXVI
Judge Alito makes his views heard...apparently
Looks like the Judge seems to think that Barry O is full of hot air..he is not the only one
Scott Brown praises Obama...sort of
.....The calm before the storm perhaps...then again he could morph into a RINO like so many before him.
US Economy still has a long way to go
...it is possible that there may be an illusionary recovery but what will happen if Obama and co. raise taxes in the not to distant future?
More lies from Hamas
......they claimed to have targeted military sites...I guess nobody told them that the Israelis don't locate their military sites in hospitals/schools/civilian facilities as Hamas do....
Northern Ireland Deadlock
Northern Ireland was one of Tony Blair's successes.....Brown may have to play hardball on this one as well....not sure his up to it though.
Mugabe digs in his heels
The Zimbabwean despot has run the country into the ground but seems unlikely to lose power as the West and the Rest of Africa are not nearly as focused in bringing down his government as they were with the White Regime in South Africa. The people of this landlocked country will suffer as a result of such a selective bias.
Looks like the Judge seems to think that Barry O is full of hot air..he is not the only one
Scott Brown praises Obama...sort of
.....The calm before the storm perhaps...then again he could morph into a RINO like so many before him.
US Economy still has a long way to go
...it is possible that there may be an illusionary recovery but what will happen if Obama and co. raise taxes in the not to distant future?
More lies from Hamas
......they claimed to have targeted military sites...I guess nobody told them that the Israelis don't locate their military sites in hospitals/schools/civilian facilities as Hamas do....
Northern Ireland Deadlock
Northern Ireland was one of Tony Blair's successes.....Brown may have to play hardball on this one as well....not sure his up to it though.
Mugabe digs in his heels
The Zimbabwean despot has run the country into the ground but seems unlikely to lose power as the West and the Rest of Africa are not nearly as focused in bringing down his government as they were with the White Regime in South Africa. The people of this landlocked country will suffer as a result of such a selective bias.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Why I write....
This piece, that I wrote in 1998, sums up why I have written speculative fiction
There is much to fear in the world of Existentialism where the dread of oneness to a nothing stands as testament. To escape such baroness of indescribable angst I choose to retreat to a world of my own making. A castle of my ideas where the fractals of mind crystallize into a uniformity creating gateways to 'playthink'….the heaven of my imagination.
It is here that I am a master. A contented deity toying with elements, envisioning scenarios and building story book tales that span the infinity of time.
I live in a peace-like-vapour summoning the greats of history to live in a fantasy with ideas that cry of my making. I am free unbounded by restrictions accosted only by particles that I have exorcised from the demon of idleness to make use in a mechanism of my conception.
The energy that I receive defies physics, crashing limits as it grabs the soul opening up a zest that rekindles a love for my own being.
No longer do I quiver in a dormancy cowered as a prisoner of self doubt. I now can write. An artery linking thought to pen is fused, transporting the sustenance of the pure brain-plan to the reality of the structured form. I am sculpting, developing, churning furrows as I lance continuously into the rich streams of make-believe
There is much to fear in the world of Existentialism where the dread of oneness to a nothing stands as testament. To escape such baroness of indescribable angst I choose to retreat to a world of my own making. A castle of my ideas where the fractals of mind crystallize into a uniformity creating gateways to 'playthink'….the heaven of my imagination.
It is here that I am a master. A contented deity toying with elements, envisioning scenarios and building story book tales that span the infinity of time.
I live in a peace-like-vapour summoning the greats of history to live in a fantasy with ideas that cry of my making. I am free unbounded by restrictions accosted only by particles that I have exorcised from the demon of idleness to make use in a mechanism of my conception.
The energy that I receive defies physics, crashing limits as it grabs the soul opening up a zest that rekindles a love for my own being.
No longer do I quiver in a dormancy cowered as a prisoner of self doubt. I now can write. An artery linking thought to pen is fused, transporting the sustenance of the pure brain-plan to the reality of the structured form. I am sculpting, developing, churning furrows as I lance continuously into the rich streams of make-believe
Saturday, January 23, 2010
My Top Six Interests
I have had many interests over the years - some have faded (genetics, eastern religions, sociobiology, Fortean phenomena) others have grown (parenting philosophy, global warming science, debunking pseudoscience and macroeconomics) but the following big six have been with me some time and continue to excite my passions. These are:
1. Physics
I am a physics teacher and have been enthralled by the science for close on to 25 years now. My current specific sub-interests include concept clarification within classical physics and early modern physics, cosmology, Theories of Everything , the history of physics and the congruence between physics and philosophy.
2. History
I have focused on developing a strong overall understanding of the discipline (see my book) from a generalist perspective since age 6 but even generalists have their preferences. For me it is the History of the Twentieth Century (with particular emphasis on WWII and the Cold War), The French Revolution/Napoleon as well as the Period of Roman History that spans the first 12 Caesars. I also have an inclination towards understanding the development and application of political philosophy (a zest that at times spills over for me into contemporary politics).
3. Psychometrics
Chief interest here is the measure of intelligence as well as the influence of nature/nurture factors on the development of intelligence. This has intrigued me since age 16.
4. The Future of the Human Race
Science fiction sparked my interest in this field, which also drove me to write A History of the Future. Again this has been a long time passion driven by the writings of HG Wells and Jules Verne, the universes of Isaac Asimov and Larry Niven and the dystopias of Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper. Of late I have started looking into the work of Olaf Stapledon.
5. Sports
I have at times (and still do with some) followed baseball, hockey, boxing, rugby, tennis, athletics and cricket closely but none can rival my love for soccer. My specific focus is on the English game but I adore the internationalism of the World Cup, the European Championship and the Champions League.
6. Self Betterment
This involves understanding my purpose for being, developing a relationship with G-d, doing whats best for my family and acting with defined ethics and meaning that demonstrates an extension of my sense of self.
1. Physics
I am a physics teacher and have been enthralled by the science for close on to 25 years now. My current specific sub-interests include concept clarification within classical physics and early modern physics, cosmology, Theories of Everything , the history of physics and the congruence between physics and philosophy.
2. History
I have focused on developing a strong overall understanding of the discipline (see my book) from a generalist perspective since age 6 but even generalists have their preferences. For me it is the History of the Twentieth Century (with particular emphasis on WWII and the Cold War), The French Revolution/Napoleon as well as the Period of Roman History that spans the first 12 Caesars. I also have an inclination towards understanding the development and application of political philosophy (a zest that at times spills over for me into contemporary politics).
3. Psychometrics
Chief interest here is the measure of intelligence as well as the influence of nature/nurture factors on the development of intelligence. This has intrigued me since age 16.
4. The Future of the Human Race
Science fiction sparked my interest in this field, which also drove me to write A History of the Future. Again this has been a long time passion driven by the writings of HG Wells and Jules Verne, the universes of Isaac Asimov and Larry Niven and the dystopias of Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper. Of late I have started looking into the work of Olaf Stapledon.
5. Sports
I have at times (and still do with some) followed baseball, hockey, boxing, rugby, tennis, athletics and cricket closely but none can rival my love for soccer. My specific focus is on the English game but I adore the internationalism of the World Cup, the European Championship and the Champions League.
6. Self Betterment
This involves understanding my purpose for being, developing a relationship with G-d, doing whats best for my family and acting with defined ethics and meaning that demonstrates an extension of my sense of self.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Ridiculous Comment of the Week
Pat Robertson on Haiti and the 'Pact with the Devil'
See the following You Tube Clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5TE99sAbwM
See the following You Tube Clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5TE99sAbwM
The Economy in Obama's first year
Some good and bad news. My comments in Red.
7,949.09 -- Dow Jones Industrial Average close on Jan. 20, 2009.
10,609.65 -- Dow Jones Industrial Average close on Jan. 15, 2010. (The Bright Spot..but how much of this is due to the natural recovery as opposed to the stimulus plan?)
13 million -- Number of people 16 and older unemployed as of January 2009.
14.7 million -- Number of people 16 and older unemployed as of December 2009. (and now for the bad news...)
7.7 percent -- Unemployment rate January 2009
10.0 percent -- Unemployment rate December 2009 (Wasn't the stimulus plan supposed to help with this?)
$787 billion -- Cost of economic stimulus approved by Congress. (and paid for by the taxpayer...)
$10.6 trillion -- Outstanding public debt Jan. 20, 2009. (A killer for future generations)
Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jan/16/obamas-first-year-numbers/
7,949.09 -- Dow Jones Industrial Average close on Jan. 20, 2009.
10,609.65 -- Dow Jones Industrial Average close on Jan. 15, 2010. (The Bright Spot..but how much of this is due to the natural recovery as opposed to the stimulus plan?)
13 million -- Number of people 16 and older unemployed as of January 2009.
14.7 million -- Number of people 16 and older unemployed as of December 2009. (and now for the bad news...)
7.7 percent -- Unemployment rate January 2009
10.0 percent -- Unemployment rate December 2009 (Wasn't the stimulus plan supposed to help with this?)
$787 billion -- Cost of economic stimulus approved by Congress. (and paid for by the taxpayer...)
$10.6 trillion -- Outstanding public debt Jan. 20, 2009. (A killer for future generations)
Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jan/16/obamas-first-year-numbers/
Saturday, January 16, 2010
It still astounds me...
The following phenomena still astound me in how they defy rationality. Here they are:
1. The Huffington Post as the most popular blog on the Net - The blog run by pseudo-intellectual and new age phony Arianna Huffington is a ranting ground like the Daily Kos (although the Kos is often worse) for the lib/left. Politically it offers very little in meaningful analysis, a lot on Bush Derangement Syndrome and even more........ on such critical issues to world politics as Lindsey Lohan's breasts.
2. Naomi Klein - She is short on originality, long on exaggeration and very quick to grant absolution to human rights abusers in South America and the Middle East - while condemning the US and Israel at every turning point (sort of a Noam Chomsky in a skirt but less of an intellect). I knew her at University and once challenged her anti-Israel bias...she responded in the only way that she could with an emotional outburst...enough said.
3. Oprah Winfrey - She is arguably the biggest ego in television, an oversimplifier of the complex and somewhat of a race baiter...yet millions of Americans live and die by her opinions on cooking, health, life, books and politics. What did they say about the era of idiocracy?
4. Avatar - The movie rehashed the overplayed 'Noble Savage-USA bad guy theme' with special effects and conned the vast hordes to hand over their dollars at the box office. 'Credit' to James Cameron - the Father of the Bloated Movie Epic.
5. Howard Zinn - You could drive a snow plough through the oversights in his People's History Book but don't tell that to the many high school history teachers who see Zinn as a great mind and use his text to uncritically reprogram future generations.
6. Jimmy Carter - He has deceived many into believing that he is a man of peace despite his championing of the terrorist Hamas organization, his free pass to Cuba and the Haitian dictatorships and his downplaying of the genocides in Darfur and Rwanda. Looking forward to the day when Dhimmi C. - the Father of the Iranian Revolution - steps aside and stops providing propaganda for the enemies of the enlightenment.
7. David Beckham - He is a competent player but not a footballing genius...yet more peoplecan identify him on a worldwide basis than the far better talents of Ryan Giggs, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.
8. Ultimate Fighting - Contests almost always devolve into ever so boring grappling matches...yet the public still continues to lap up this quasi-entertainment...Give me Bruce Lee any day
9. World Poker Tour....I'll let the reader be the judge...another yawn manifesting as entertainment
10. Intelligent Design - it has been discredited on so many levels yet it continues to survive....
11. Time Sharing - Its constraining and often sold by scam artists yet its popularity persists
12. Al Sharpton - The man has made a fortune out of exploiting race relations despite being wrong on so many occasions (Tawana Brawley, the Duke Lacrosse Fake Rape Case). Nevertheless he is still the man that Don Imus and Dog the Bounty Hunter sought absolution for with respect to their 'racial sins'...shame on them for bearing their souls to this charlatan (shame as well for Glenn Beck for giving Sharpton credibility by allowing him air time on his show).
13. Hillary Clinton - yes it takes a village or maybe a voting bloc of village idiots...
1. The Huffington Post as the most popular blog on the Net - The blog run by pseudo-intellectual and new age phony Arianna Huffington is a ranting ground like the Daily Kos (although the Kos is often worse) for the lib/left. Politically it offers very little in meaningful analysis, a lot on Bush Derangement Syndrome and even more........ on such critical issues to world politics as Lindsey Lohan's breasts.
2. Naomi Klein - She is short on originality, long on exaggeration and very quick to grant absolution to human rights abusers in South America and the Middle East - while condemning the US and Israel at every turning point (sort of a Noam Chomsky in a skirt but less of an intellect). I knew her at University and once challenged her anti-Israel bias...she responded in the only way that she could with an emotional outburst...enough said.
3. Oprah Winfrey - She is arguably the biggest ego in television, an oversimplifier of the complex and somewhat of a race baiter...yet millions of Americans live and die by her opinions on cooking, health, life, books and politics. What did they say about the era of idiocracy?
4. Avatar - The movie rehashed the overplayed 'Noble Savage-USA bad guy theme' with special effects and conned the vast hordes to hand over their dollars at the box office. 'Credit' to James Cameron - the Father of the Bloated Movie Epic.
5. Howard Zinn - You could drive a snow plough through the oversights in his People's History Book but don't tell that to the many high school history teachers who see Zinn as a great mind and use his text to uncritically reprogram future generations.
6. Jimmy Carter - He has deceived many into believing that he is a man of peace despite his championing of the terrorist Hamas organization, his free pass to Cuba and the Haitian dictatorships and his downplaying of the genocides in Darfur and Rwanda. Looking forward to the day when Dhimmi C. - the Father of the Iranian Revolution - steps aside and stops providing propaganda for the enemies of the enlightenment.
7. David Beckham - He is a competent player but not a footballing genius...yet more peoplecan identify him on a worldwide basis than the far better talents of Ryan Giggs, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.
8. Ultimate Fighting - Contests almost always devolve into ever so boring grappling matches...yet the public still continues to lap up this quasi-entertainment...Give me Bruce Lee any day
9. World Poker Tour....I'll let the reader be the judge...another yawn manifesting as entertainment
10. Intelligent Design - it has been discredited on so many levels yet it continues to survive....
11. Time Sharing - Its constraining and often sold by scam artists yet its popularity persists
12. Al Sharpton - The man has made a fortune out of exploiting race relations despite being wrong on so many occasions (Tawana Brawley, the Duke Lacrosse Fake Rape Case). Nevertheless he is still the man that Don Imus and Dog the Bounty Hunter sought absolution for with respect to their 'racial sins'...shame on them for bearing their souls to this charlatan (shame as well for Glenn Beck for giving Sharpton credibility by allowing him air time on his show).
13. Hillary Clinton - yes it takes a village or maybe a voting bloc of village idiots...
Sunday, January 10, 2010
On Reflection
I stand at one of those political junction points which is not easy to define. It is a position that is driven less by ideology but more about a critical examination of the facts. In a sense I am a rejectionist from both the traditional right and left as I refuse to adhere to a dogma of inflexibility. To many, that I debate, my position is frustrating as it eschews pigeon holing. Just as they have me pegged as a right-winger I provide a multitude of distinctions that separate me from both the conservative and libertarian strata - the two worldviews that appear to define modern rightism. Similarly when chiseled into a leftist framework I stand out like a Cezanne in a Picasso collection.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Events of the Decade
Technically the decade ends on December 31st 2010 but why not jump the gun a bit?
1. Terrorists attack the US on 911. An event that may have been avoided if the Clintonistas had not dropped the ball with respect to Al-Qaeda during their term in office (remember the Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania attacks). Dubya (for better or for worse - methinks for worse) is given the task of cleaning up the meanwhile airline flights will never be the same again.
2. The collapse of GM, Chrysler, AIG, Lehman Brothers and the US housing mortgage industry (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac). Both political parties are to blame but so are greed, entitlements, lax banking and affirmative action driven economics.
3. The continued growth of China into an economic superpower - certainly from a manufacturing standpoint - Is there anything still made in the West?
4. Globalization saunters on driven by the power of the Internet - never in the history of our species have so many bad ideas spread so quickly.
5. Considerable time, money, resources and newsprint is spent on the global warming meme despite the fact that no average global temperature increase has been recorded since 1998. Expect more (much more on this topic) over the next decade as wealth distribution agreements such as that of Kyoto, with little chance of influencing climate change, are thrust down the throats of a naive public.
6. The US becomes an even more significant debtor nation as the false doctrine of spending more to stimulate the economy is followed. Not to mention the equally fallacious doctrine of bailing out failed institutions.
7. His holiness Barack Obama is elected president. Most of the muppets who follow BO would place him at #1. His health policies are noteworthy but on the foreign policy front he still seems like a lightweight.
8. The Iraq War and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. I was lukewarm about the invasion myself as I felt that it detracted from the real war on terror and it wouldn't surprise me if Iraq has another strong man ruling the roost by decade's end.
9. Invasion of Afghanistan and the ongoing fight against the Taliban. This seems like one of those never ending sagas to me. The US erred in not fighting this war with a proper commitment from the beginning - my feeling is that the Taliban needs to be hit firmly with one solid strike - after that NATO should pull out and let regional players such as Pakistan handle what is clearly a situation in their own backyard.
10. The Bolivarian Movement in South America is galvanized by Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales. Each fully intent on padding their egos by the same absolute margins that they deflate their economies.
11. AIDS continues to be a deadly disease in Africa while many Western sufferers enjoy the benefits of life prolonging cocktail of medicines. In little mentioned news George W. Bush ups aid to Africa, but how much of this will reach the most needy is any one's bet.
12. Substantial economic growth in tech obsessed India is ever more the reality despite the fact that a population of over 1.1 billion souls continues to strain resources.
13. The New Left gorgon manifests itself strongly within the growing Environmentalist cult. Just when you thought Communism was dead you have the sequel......
14. Decline in standards of Educkashun (sic) across Europe. Tick one for leftist dominated institutions rolling back the progress of the Age of Reason.
15. More Attacks on Freedom of Speech as Political Correctness (Hate Laws and Speech Codes) gain ground across the West. Meanwhile the ACLU pimps itself out as the champion of those who would truly deny free speech and human rights to all.
16. Pakistan is plagued by corruption, poor leadership, civil war and internal strife - this wouldn't be much of a problem if they didn't have nukes as well.
17. Iran's Islamic regime becomes all the more belligerent as it follows a policy of nuclear weapons acquisition and development - while at the same time being controlled by a cabal of apocalyptic fanatics.
18. North Korea (who most certainly have nuclear technology - no thanks to Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton's appeasement) persist as a regional/global menace...if for nothing else than to p*ss off the West and make some money on the side.
19. Vladmir Putin dominates Russian politics and continues to throw his country's weight around internationally as a foil against the US. He bullies poor Georgia but somehow, in this world of relativisms, gets away with it.
20. Israel hands back the Gaza Strip to the Palestinians and is rewarded for its efforts by a battery of rocket attacks. Both Bush and Obama push for a two state solution while Israel's regional enemies refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the Jewish state.
21. South African's elect former thug (and probable rapist) Jacob Zuma as president - soon to be the African Chavez.
22. The Iranian democratic movement fights bravely for human rights for the Persian populace only to be let down by Obama and co. who takes a play from the father of the Iranian Revolution, Jimmy Carter instead of Ronald Reagan.
1. Terrorists attack the US on 911. An event that may have been avoided if the Clintonistas had not dropped the ball with respect to Al-Qaeda during their term in office (remember the Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania attacks). Dubya (for better or for worse - methinks for worse) is given the task of cleaning up the meanwhile airline flights will never be the same again.
2. The collapse of GM, Chrysler, AIG, Lehman Brothers and the US housing mortgage industry (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac). Both political parties are to blame but so are greed, entitlements, lax banking and affirmative action driven economics.
3. The continued growth of China into an economic superpower - certainly from a manufacturing standpoint - Is there anything still made in the West?
4. Globalization saunters on driven by the power of the Internet - never in the history of our species have so many bad ideas spread so quickly.
5. Considerable time, money, resources and newsprint is spent on the global warming meme despite the fact that no average global temperature increase has been recorded since 1998. Expect more (much more on this topic) over the next decade as wealth distribution agreements such as that of Kyoto, with little chance of influencing climate change, are thrust down the throats of a naive public.
6. The US becomes an even more significant debtor nation as the false doctrine of spending more to stimulate the economy is followed. Not to mention the equally fallacious doctrine of bailing out failed institutions.
7. His holiness Barack Obama is elected president. Most of the muppets who follow BO would place him at #1. His health policies are noteworthy but on the foreign policy front he still seems like a lightweight.
8. The Iraq War and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. I was lukewarm about the invasion myself as I felt that it detracted from the real war on terror and it wouldn't surprise me if Iraq has another strong man ruling the roost by decade's end.
9. Invasion of Afghanistan and the ongoing fight against the Taliban. This seems like one of those never ending sagas to me. The US erred in not fighting this war with a proper commitment from the beginning - my feeling is that the Taliban needs to be hit firmly with one solid strike - after that NATO should pull out and let regional players such as Pakistan handle what is clearly a situation in their own backyard.
10. The Bolivarian Movement in South America is galvanized by Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales. Each fully intent on padding their egos by the same absolute margins that they deflate their economies.
11. AIDS continues to be a deadly disease in Africa while many Western sufferers enjoy the benefits of life prolonging cocktail of medicines. In little mentioned news George W. Bush ups aid to Africa, but how much of this will reach the most needy is any one's bet.
12. Substantial economic growth in tech obsessed India is ever more the reality despite the fact that a population of over 1.1 billion souls continues to strain resources.
13. The New Left gorgon manifests itself strongly within the growing Environmentalist cult. Just when you thought Communism was dead you have the sequel......
14. Decline in standards of Educkashun (sic) across Europe. Tick one for leftist dominated institutions rolling back the progress of the Age of Reason.
15. More Attacks on Freedom of Speech as Political Correctness (Hate Laws and Speech Codes) gain ground across the West. Meanwhile the ACLU pimps itself out as the champion of those who would truly deny free speech and human rights to all.
16. Pakistan is plagued by corruption, poor leadership, civil war and internal strife - this wouldn't be much of a problem if they didn't have nukes as well.
17. Iran's Islamic regime becomes all the more belligerent as it follows a policy of nuclear weapons acquisition and development - while at the same time being controlled by a cabal of apocalyptic fanatics.
18. North Korea (who most certainly have nuclear technology - no thanks to Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton's appeasement) persist as a regional/global menace...if for nothing else than to p*ss off the West and make some money on the side.
19. Vladmir Putin dominates Russian politics and continues to throw his country's weight around internationally as a foil against the US. He bullies poor Georgia but somehow, in this world of relativisms, gets away with it.
20. Israel hands back the Gaza Strip to the Palestinians and is rewarded for its efforts by a battery of rocket attacks. Both Bush and Obama push for a two state solution while Israel's regional enemies refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the Jewish state.
21. South African's elect former thug (and probable rapist) Jacob Zuma as president - soon to be the African Chavez.
22. The Iranian democratic movement fights bravely for human rights for the Persian populace only to be let down by Obama and co. who takes a play from the father of the Iranian Revolution, Jimmy Carter instead of Ronald Reagan.
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