Scott Galloway Interview: Confronting Tech's Titans: Schooling Wall Street on Silicon Valley

Scott Galloway of NYU business school is super smart.  Made some excellent  points on stocks, politics ( US, China, Europe) as well as tech.  Even pushed for breaking up of "big four:  Amazon, Netflix, Apple, Facebook.  ".His statement   on 33 year old Zuckerberg being more powerful than Putin long term since Zuckerberg could live for another 70 as CEO of Facebook Galloway  states how Zuckerberg and  Facebook taking advantage of the morons in Congress's by running out the clock with the hearings is insightful.  Galloways discussed that Bitcoin goes up when institutions in US are perceived as failing and under siege; he gave example that Bitcoin went up when it looked like pedaphile would be elected to senate then down when it became clear he would lose.  Galloway explains why whole foods was bought by Amazon and how they may dominate the other four major players (Netflix, Apple, Facebook and Disney) in raw numbers because 80 percent of households own their products.  Lots of other insights including how 4 major companies (sans Disney) appeal to brain, heart, guts and genitals  of average consumer.  

I may post a larger review of the interview but for now here's the link so you can see it yourself.

Check out this video on YouTube:

Confronting Tech's Titans: Schooling Wall Street on Silicon Valley | Scott Galloway Interview

https://youtu.be/pTzCGV1w-ng

Run Warren Run!....?

There is a moving video on the RunWarrenRun.com web site looking to draft Elizabeth Warren to run for president in 2016.  Video includes excerpts from her run for the Senate and her speech at the DNC... I would LOVE to hear a debate between her and Hillary over _anything_.  I believe her just showing up to the debates in the primaries would help push the democratic party to the left and push the republicans to the far right and this can only be good for America since ANY Republican in the White House means more conservative nut jobs on the supreme court, more business-friendly wars, less freedom of choice for women everywhere (especially poor women), more businesses raping our economy and the continual destruction of our system of government .  There's a petition on the site to request Warren to run.....go sign it....you know you want too.  :-)  Thanks - Josh

Drug test welfare recipients and other distractions!

Friend on Facebook posted article on drug testing welfare recipients.  Again, the rich are working hard to distract us.  Here is my response:  

"I would agree as long as we drug test the CEOs of companies who get corporate money from the government in the form of tax breaks they've received by working as defense contractors, Wall Street investment groups or the construction industry.  I agree that it "seems" important to go after the poor on welfare but this is exactly what the .01% who have 99% of th wealth WANT us all to focus upon.  Do you know that congress and Obama just gave the banks the ability to et OUR MONEY in the futures market again??!  They keep the profits an the fed pats f they loose!  Same thing that caused the bank meltdown in 2008!!!   The rich want us all to fight each other so that we do not fight them!  Wake up!  Let's PUBLICLY fund elections, outlaw private money in politics and get our government back!!!     Congress is OWNED by the rich!  We can change it!  Founding fathers allowed for constitutional amendments bypassing federal government if 3/4 of states vote to have a constitutional convention.  See wolf-pac.com for more info or my blog http://joshweisbuch.blogspot.com for future postings.  "

Rizzo Strong!

I'm not one to bandy about the term "hero" lightly. I feel it should be reserved for a very special people including soldiers, firemen, EMTs police, FEMA, and other emergency workers.  My cadet class colleagues from Boston EMS who ran into the chaos at the marathon bombing instead of running away are heroes but they have years of training and experience.  They understand the calculus of emergency medicine and use training and equipment to balance the odds in their favor.  They accept the risks every day when they don the BostonEMS uniform. My friend  John Rizzo was not trained in EMS or in fire but he did extraordinary work and saved his family and neighbors when their homes were engulfed in the six alarm fire in East Boston. He helped others to the detriment of his own family and lost all his worldly possessions including the video equipment he uses for work. It's an amazing story and you can read about it in the Boston Herald through the following link.  Please repost, retweet & pin the following link so we can help John and his family in this, his  time of need.  If you can help financially, all the better.   

http://www.gofundme.com/cdiodg

A heartfelt thank you to all the people who have already helped through the site.   - Josh Weisbuch 

Apple: feature request: Confirm send!

Dear Apple:   I would like to have a setting where I confirm  outgoing email or text.   Siri is not 100% so I often look like I'm having a stroke.  Worse, I hit the stupid SEND button next to the keyboard accidentally  ALL THE TIME and my emails go out unclear, Siri-FIED and I look like a moron. I have been asking for this feature years ago when I worked with you!  Allow me to confirm send?? damn!  

Maybe it's me.  Am I missing something?  Anyone know how to turn this feature on or have a better email app on iPhone with this feature?  ANDROID?

Ack!   

Examples of LA "Bangers" and "Thugs" fighting in Syria have deeper historical roots?

Friend on facebook posted the following link about video from Los Angeles THUGS and BANGERS fighting in Syria.  :  Los Angeles "Bangers" in Syria

Made me think and post the following:

Ok, like to talk about this.  First, these guys seem like dufusi (…plural for dufus).  I'm unclear for whom they are fighting.  However, if their side wins and these two tatted dummies are honored for generations by those for whom they fought what would you think of them then?  What if their new government offered them land, titles, money? Would your opinion change of these "thugs" and "Bangers"....   History has an interesting view of this issue.  In the late 1770s Bangers and Thugs were also called Hessians and Mercenaries... During the US revolution Hessen-Kassel General Wilhelm von Knyphausen led his german troops against the british.      Colonel Carl von Donop, Colonel Johann Rall both died in the establishment of OUR nation.  Will Syria remember ARMENIAN gang bangers from LA Creeper and WIno?   Other Germans fought for the british and were offered land.   I don't know but regardless of the side they take if their side wins aren't these guys freedom fighters?  History is written by the winners, after all.  What about the "Machine Gun Preacher" motorcycle criminal guy from the movie a few years ago?  He brought food to kids in Africa ...but did it with violence.  What about the US backed Mujahadeen who used our Stinger Missles in the early 80s to bring down Soviet super-choppers…  Osama Bin Lama was part of those groups…. Oh, here’s a fun name….Oliver North?  He was in US uniform when he defied the US consitution ON PURPOSE to help a cause he believed in...the contras....who, many argued, were made up of murders, rapists, thieves and former secret police toruturers.... OF course it's rumored (and I believe it having read books on Salvador and Nicarague from IN the 80s) that those secret police learned how to torture from OUR CIA/DIA and other secret military groups within the US government....   Sorry guys but "bangers" Creeper and WIno from Armeinian Los Angeles gang seem a bit innocuous and amateur after Ollie North sold MISSLES to Iran for cash for his private little war....  oh, not on orders from Reagan of course... just Admiral what's his f*ck....Seacrest???*(….wait, Ryan Secreast??  But that Admiral went Rogue right....?       Look, I don't think violence is ever the only answer but Dan you and I have spoken enough about issues like this where we probably agree that if Mexico or Canada attacked Texas or North Dakota and were killing civilian women and children that you and I might just work together and pick up arms against these invaders.  Armenia is what, 500 miles from Syria.  ???   That's pretty damn close.  I'll write more on my blog at http://joshweisbuch.blogspot.com/ if the fancy hits me but it seems like these videos are merely the modern version of newspapers crying out against Germans/mercenaries/thugs/bangers.... Marine Colonel... Admirals...   :-)  ?
(let the flaming begin!)

Wiki: German troops fight in US Revolution on Both sides

Syria 500 Miles from Armenia

http://joshweisbuch.blogspot.com/

Whoa! Great Mitt Romney documentary on Netflix

I just watched MITT, the documentary done by NETFLIX.    It was excellent.  It showed a side  of campaigning which was fascinating but it also did a great job of showing Mitt Romney and his family as human beings.   I learned that Mrs Romney uses the horse to battle her Multiple Sclerosis, their sons and daughters are very thoughtful and have real pathos for their parents sacrifice of privacy during the campaign but believe their father is a great guy and he should serve the country.   Mitt Romney shows real emotion toward his family and even for "the other 47%" who have been dragged down by a poor economy. There were a few scenes where he showed real intellect when discussing taxes and  govenment; showed how some businesses can pay 65% of their income to government as taxes (added up gas tax, sales, income, etc). He states emphatically  how the problem is that  governemnt  is full of lawyers who do not understand the struggle of building a business.  The most humanizing scenes shows Mitt cleaning up trash.!  The guy is worth billions and he sounds injured when he notices trash blowing about outside his hotel room balcony and quickly goes out there, cleans up, carries the trash through his room and takes it outside of his hotel room passing his staff along the way.   Happened number of times so I don't believe it was scripted. His intellect and self possession were  on display when discussing his great respect and admiration for his father and his very humble beginnings in Mexico. Mitt showed pride and humility when it's guessing house father who was born in Mexico came to the United States, eventually  ran a car company without even a college degree, won for governor and ran for president.  Mitt Romney,  using his hands, showed how his father came a very long distance and how he only came a very short distance.  Mitt Romney showed real understanding and humility.

Pathos, respect, intellect, Street Smarts, humor, love for his family and wife,  all this was on display in this movie ....,

... And lLet me tell you how happy I am that this video or even snippets of this video we're not shown during the campaign.  I understand that some of it may have been planned to be used at the convention but Clint Eastwood went over in time and the video was canceled. Thank you Clint Eastwood for  going bonkers and talking to a chair!  If this video has been shown and Mitt Romney could have spent prime time tv time breaking apart the myth  that he was a rich, unfeeling, flip-flopping billionaire, who mocks the "47% who would never vote for him"and would do anything to get elected then Obama would've had a much tougher  time in this election. 

The documentary is worth watching because it showed that there are more layers to Mitt Romney and the Romney family then were presented by his campaign and by the media. I, for one, am glad the election went the way it did because 

Mitt Romney may be a great guy dedicated to his family and his country who has been suffering for over 20 years under a false public perception but Romney  Presidency would've been disastrous.  In the movie told us why. 

At the end he joked that Republicans have trouble with him because the republican party are a southern party , a babysit party and a party of the poor whites but Mitt Romney is a northerner, a Mormon and rich.  I'm glad he sees it that way because that means he's not focused on the real problem.  The real problem as I see it is that he's a good guy a top a party that is delaminating as we speak.  The prevalence of the tea party, the overt racism, the many antichoice morons in their ranks and the daily gushes of mean-spirited, venom laced idiocy shown by even their "intellectual" leaders shows me that Reagan's dance with the extreme right has finally begun to split apart his beloved Republican Party. Republicans do not even represent the military anymore since they are willing for 1% of the country to fight for the other 99%. Republicans represent big business exploiting environment, are going after a woman's right to choose and killing the poor. Where are the Republicans who have compassion?  Where are the Republicans who are willing to stand up and say "I believe in evolution, in science, in a woman's right to control her body. "Hell, where are the Republicans who stand with the  small business owner against the giant, rapacious corporations bent on creating monopolies, destroying markets and never paying taxes? 

We see that the Republican led Congress and the Republican-led state houses are now waging a real war against human and American rights. Nowhere are any of the positive statements or ideas that the Romney family showed in this movie prevalent in the Republican Party he feels. Pres. Truman Trumann used to joke that "he wasn't part of it organized party, he was a Democrat".  I will take the Democratic disarray anytime over a Republican juggernaut  bent on destroying American freedom for human beings because of their lockstep support of the fallacy of "corporations are people."   The crazies on the Democratic side  believe in free cannabis, single payer health care, abortions for everyone, but will lay down their lives to support some fascists' right of freedom of speech. Although  I worry that the Democrats are beginning to be co-opted by big monied interests thanks to the same Supreme Court to say that corporations are people but I will take our democratic crazies any day over the sexist, racist, fascist Republican separatist morons who don't believe in any science because they were told that their Bible tells them not to. Worse they don't even read the Bible for the positive lessons of Yahweh,  Jesus and the apostles instead they use the Bible as a way to go after peoples rights. 

If this documentary have been shown during 2012 I think many people who were on the fence over Obama because of his wishy-washy weak willed willingness to "work with his friends across the aisle". The allowed the Republicans to set the tone and we have torture, the NSA, so-called Obamacare instead of single-payer and a banking disaster to thank for it. These voters who were frustrated with Obama would have voted for Romney if they thought he was even a little bit of a human being.  And he could've won. 

The problem is that Mitt Romney could not control his own party and with the Republican staffers in the White House, Republicans running Congress and many state houses, our fragile democracy would've been seriously weakened.

   

It would have been a much closer race if this video has been shown during 2012. Movie made me want to have mitt run again but to run as a Democrat the way he should.  Maybe he can play a role in this country where his ideas on freeing up business could be implemented. Unfortunately we will never know because liberal northern Republicans are not going to be a voice in the Republican Party for a long, long time.

See the documentary, it's fascinating. Draft Mitt as a Democrat in 2016 !  

Too Savage a speech?

Friend of mine on Facebook posted a Foxnews article on Dan Savage's speech at a conference on student journalism.

It was an interesting article and i responded on FB. I'm including my response here: Another opinion of the Dan Savage speech by an actual student newspaper, "the urban legend" (link below.)

According to their article, Savage mentioned how the bible is often ignored on numerous issues and should be ignored on discrimination of LGBT youth. He did peppered the statement with the "BS" swear. (see quote below) Article reports that he only chided the students after they decided to walk out on his speech.

Savage is the sex columnist who was so offended by Rick Santorum comparing homosexuality to beastiality that he created a Santorum Google bomb. What did people expect? Did they only attend so they could storm out and make a statement. Weak. They are supposed to be aspiring journalists.

Also, Savage's comments that were true. Many people ignore much of the bible (pork, shellfish, wearing multiple types of cloth together, sale of daughters, etc.). Saying they were offended by his language is a weak argument considering there is more swearing, implied sex and misogyny in the average music video. Besides, they want to be journalists. We need tough journalist in this day and age of pre-packaged BS news. Journalism is a contact sport....wear a cup!


Here's the quote from the student magazine: (NOTE: I added the ' * ' since it was not my original Facebook post.).

"Savage pointed to faith and the tensions it can create for LGBT youth. But he said that religious dogma shouldn’t dictate how parents and educators respond to gay teens. “We can learn to ignore the bullsh*t in the Bible about gay people, the same way we have learned to ignore the bullsh*t in the Bible about shellfish, about slavery, about dinner, about farming, about menstruation, about virginity, about masturbation,” Savage said. “We ignore bullsh*t in the Bible about all sorts of things.”

Whole article can be found here: http://www.urbanlegendnews.org/news/2012/04/14/savage-speech-shocks-inspires-high-school-journalists-at-the-nspa-convention/

Fox news: http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/anti-bullying-speaker-curses-mocks-christian-teens.html

Bin Laden death, the lost trial & Eichman.

Tonight President Obama announced the death of bin-Laden. Much like the president who failed to bring us single payer health care, failed to close Guantanimo, failed to stop the travesties of the Bush administration, Obama has failed the American people and the people of the world with his speech. Read the article. His 2nd line states:

"Tonight, I can report to the people of the United States and the world, the United States had carried an operation that has killed Osama Bin Laden, a terrorist responsible for killing thousands of innocent people,"

Huh? Was bin-Laden tried and found guilty of bringing down the Twin Towers in a court of law? Did I miss it? Did New York or the Haigue find him guilty? I don't think so nd yet you, Mr. President, made the statement that he was "a terrorist responsible for killing thousands". President Obama, why do you disregard the law? You attended Harvard, taught law classes. You've been called a "Constitutional scholar." I am not a lawyer but my understanding is that a person is innocent until PROVEN gulity. It's not good enough for the person just to "take responsibility." Hell, there are thousands who confess every year to the police that they killed Kennedy; it doesn't mean that it's true!

Even Nazi's got a trial...and they killed 6 million jews and MILLIONS of catholics, homosexuals, gypsies, communists, and others and were part of a war machine that killed tens of millions worldwide. The Nazis were brought to trial in Nuremburg at the end of the World War II.

Many were tried in abstentia. President Obama, you remember "In Abstentia"... That's a legal term that according to the wiki means:

"In absentia is Latin for "in the absence". In legal use it usually means a trial where the defendant is not present, and pertains to a defendant's right to be present in court proceedings in a criminal trial."

Hell, even Adolf Eichman received a trial.  Eichman was a Nazi, SS Lieutenant Colonel, the highest ranking officer at Auswitz and it can be argued he was responsible for millions of deaths.  He PERSONALLY killed hundreds, if not thousands.  He received a trial in Israel, the country founded by the families of his vicitims. Many in court had been tatooed at the death camp he controlled, they had watched their families be led off to the death chambers and had suffered beyond human reasoning.

Of course, Eichman was found guilty and after his trial put to death. Israel does not have the death penalty but they do have a law demanding that perpetrators of the holocaust face the ultimate penalty.

...but is being put to death the ultimate penalty? One could argue that Eichman got off easy...he got to die. He went to sleep. Unlike his victims he did not have to live his life alone, with the constant nightmares of friends and family murdered and with their bright futures turned to dust. Their tattoo their only companion.

Eichman got off easy. Wouldn't it have been better for the victims to have been able to know that Eichman was living in solitary confinement, without his family, suffering through his remaining years in squallor and confinement. Hopefully with his own nightmares that got richer over the years. Maybe his vicitims would have wanted to visit Eichman on Rosh Hashanna, new Years, and wish him another year of suffering or Yom Kippur, to see if he had remorse. Wouldn't it have been fitting for Eichman to live year after year looking to the families of his victims for his very existance, experiencing the pity he had not showed them.

Wouldn't the victims of 9/11 appreciate a similar fate for bin-Laden?   I've heard the victims families. Wouldn't a trial be excellent.   If he would have found guility, and he probably would have since the President said so, Bin-Laden could have lived out his final years in confinement, living with his failed kidneys and the almost daily dialyis and seeing that the country he so despised did not fall. By showing justice and mercy he would have to live with a daily reminder that he had failed.

Well Mr. President, you get your Sunday evening press conference, the praise from friends and the the hurried heckling from foes. Wouldn't REAL justice have been better? Was this not the duty of the US government? Justice. Not retribution, not revenge...but justice!

On the reported death of Bin-Laden:

Ok, who is crazier? The man who's been accused of bringing down two buildings and killing 3000 people or the president who used this act as an excuse to invade a country that had not attacked us. Thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died because of our timid congress acquiesced to idiot Bush. I read somewhere that a society can be judged by it's treatment of it's prisoners. We've failed: we torture, hold foreign citizens without trial, assassinate with impunity, constrict religious freedom of our prisoners and lock up US citizens up without trial and in torturous conditions like WhistleBlower Private Manning.

The US is better than this...or at least it should be. This so called War on Terror is a waste of resources & lives. Worse, it's a distraction from the problems at home. We need real health care, the best infrastructure in the world, a free education for all and, most importantly, public funding of elections to get our representatives off the corporate teet that has wrecked our republic.

Obama’s Prisoners

Obama’s Prisoners - March 8, 2011

Obama has worked out his solution for Guantanamo prison. During the campaign he promised to large and small crowds alike that one of his main goals was to close the prison, stop the inane practice of military trials and bring the detainees to civilian courts. After being unable to close the prison since signing an executive order and after buckling to Republican complaints of the “terrible danger” of trying the detainees in continental U.S.courts, the administration gave up stating that it was impossible” to close the base.

Yesterday the administration announced a solution. Obama has separated the 180+ detainees into THREE categories: those who will be tried in civilian courts, those to be tried in and military tribunals and a new and improved “special” category for some of the detainees.. This third class of prisoner are those considered too dangerous to be released but they cannot be tried in either system. Some cannot be tried because of a lack of evidence, because their trial would put US Intelligence operations at risk, or because they had been tortured or all of the above.

These detainees will be held indefinitely.

Wait...WHAT??? Hold on... Indefinitely? Am I to understand we now have people who we just KEEP? Incarcerate with no chance of ever facing the evidence against them or facing their accusers? When did we become the Soviet Union circa 1980? Forget how Europe and the U.S. chided the Soviets, China, Argentina, and many other countries for prosecuting exactly this type of terrorist act against their own people. Amnesty international was founded to free just this type of prisoner. Forget the illegality...how is this an ETHICAL or MORAL decision?

Oh, the administration did say that this special category will be reviewed periodically (but with no set time frame.). To quote Cenk Uygur of TheYoungurks.com & MSNBC ...”Are they not merciful!”

Anyone who had a pulse during the first eight years of this century knew that there were terrible, terrible acts committed by the Bush adminstration. Waterboarding, warrant-less wiretaps, rendition, invading countries under false pretenses, murder of thosands if not tens of thousands Iraqi civilians. These were bad but somehow it is worse for a Democratic president to codify this “lost” class of prisoner.

The Guardian said it well:

“Monday's announcement also included a process for periodically reviewing the status of detainees held at the prison. That's an effort to resolve one of the central dilemmas at Guantanamo Bay: what to do when the government thinks a prisoner is too dangerous to be released but either can't prove it in court or doesn't want to reveal national security secrets by trying to prosecute him? The answer, the White House said, is that the U.S. will hold those men indefinitely, without charges, but will review their cases periodically. However, if a review determines that someone should be released, there's no requirement that he actually be freed”


A prisoner’s status will “periodically” be reviewed to see if they can still be imprisoned ILLEGALLY! How is this legal decision any different than Bush’s John Yoo who wrote his infamous Torture paper which determined that water boarding was not illegal because the executive branch said it was not illegal. All was legal under the prosecution of War. Really? Tell that to the Nazis tried at Nuremberg, the Japanese we prosecuted for water boarding US troops, and the many other individuals we’ve tried for torture.

The Obama administration, the justice department and Obama himself are making a terrible, terrible mistake. We are supposed to be a country of laws! Obama has mishandled this issue (and many others) since the beginning: by not at least making a show of prosecuting Cheyney, Bush, Yoo, and going after every person in the government involved in torture Obama left an untreated wound on the body politic of the United States. We are now reaping the rewards: the US has lost it’s compass. By “looking forward, not backward” (an inane term) the Obama administration has both ignored the monsters among us and the bigger one lurking behind.

Like with many decisions in his presidency, Obama has gone against a major campaign promise to close Guantanamo and stop these false trials. He’s made it worse by creating this special class of prisoners. Let’s call them “Obama’s Prisoners”. This from a Harvard trained lawyer, constitutional scholar and community activist. During the campaign he said that military tribunals were unnecessary since our legal system had a track record of handling all types of terrorists. What happened? Now, like with many of his decisions, his inability to act decisively has negatively affected his reputation and the reputation of the U.S. both at home and abroad. Worse, his Justice Department has proved that terrible acts and decisions of one president will be blindly followed by the next out of political expediency ignorant to what is right!. .

The president needs to be reminded that campaign promises may just be words but the decision to create a class of “disappeared” prisoners without the right to face the accusers is ethically, morally and should be legally wrong! This act is diametrically opposed to the constitution, the bill of rights and the core values on which our country was founded.

Who’s to say that we won’t get a worse president in the future who will use this precedent to arrest, sequester and “disappear” citizens of the U.S. not just other countries? Hell, Huckabee is off spouting that Obama grew up in Kenya! We could easlily get a worse presdient!

I think of the poem “First they Came” by Pastor Martin Niemoller. Niemoller didn’t just write this poem he lived it. After at first supporting the Nazis he was arrested for protesting their treatment of the church. He was held and incarcerated at Dachau and other concentration camps. Unline so many millions, however, he survived the war.



This poem is on display at the Holocaust Museum in DC and at Yad Vashem in Israel but it speaks to all of us, not just to jews, communists or trade unionists.

First They came... - Pastor Martin Niemoller

- First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.


What can we do? Speak out! Feel free to forward this post, tweet it, facebook it, talk to friends. Call the white house, write a letter, send them an e-mail. Hell, send them two. (...put it on paper, they put great import on stuff with a stamp.) It is clear that like in 2008 we need to ramp up again and take back our democracy...Get out there, visit your town councils, your state legislatures, your congressman and senators, get involved.

This cannot stand. - Josh Weisbuch

Egyptian Jews, Facebook and tolerance

In my cautious elation about the Egypt situation I was surfing the web curious about the status of Jews in Egypt. In my web journey I found a fascinating Facebook group about Egyptian jews. Group seems to be made up of people of all religions in Egypt, US and around the world (Poland.) I joined and I found a wide range of knowledge of history and of the holy texts of Jews, Christians and Muslims. Here's my posting. The FB group is located here

-=-=-=-

Very interesting discussion, I thank Tarek Saied for starting it. It's clear we all need to study each other's holy texts. Torah, Bible and Koran are all written a very long time ago and may not be relavent to modern people. Examples: Many wear two types of cloth together and are not stoned, shellfish is often consumed, many women show their hair in public and in church. I Corinthians 14:34-35 states that women should not be allowed to speak in church but they clearly do. Many women have become pastors in Christianity and Rabbis in Judaism. (Not sure about Islam, I'd be curious if women can become Imams..) Commandments read "Thou shalt not kill (or murder depending on translation.) Sadly, humans kill and murder all the time. Also, many translations of the holy books contradict each other. Some would argue that we must follow the writings to the letter. To these I ask: "Have you not sinned?" I believe Matthew 5:29-30 states they should cut their hands if they sin, cast out the eyes if they see evil... do they?

Here's an idea. Why don't we all agree to listen to each other, be open to new ideas but not to say that our TRUTH is the ONLY TRUTH. People who have the TRUTH and cannot live with others not having the same TRUTH are very, very dangerous. Avicenna, Muslim philosopher, wrote that if one lives near a city of "non-belivers" then it's one duty to convert those "non-believers" by word.....or...of course... by the sword. We have enough trouble in this world with climate change, 6 billion people straining the planet's resources, poisoning of air, oceans, water and land, lack of education for the vast majority of the population and rich countries hoarding resources, closing their minds to new ideas, voting for idiots, building weapons and invading countries that had not attacked them. Let's not fight over who's deity is best.

Thank you again Tarek for starting this discussion. Communication is key to increasing wisdom, knowledge and peace. I hold good thoughts for all the people of Egypt. May all sides have wise discussions like this one.

Mubarak Resigns?...hope so....

Mubarak resigns? I'll believe it when we have peace and a fairly elected democratic government where all economic classes, religions and genders are represented. Egypt could be a true powerhouse in the region. I fear that Mubarak is going to try to gum up he works and stay in charge of the economy via the well established kleptocracy behind the scenes. Good luck people of Egypt, you have an amazing opportunity.

Egyptian chickens have come home to roost

Egypt: Why is no one mentioning that the US is not a neutral party in the Middle east. The Bush Administration used Egypt to torture terror "suspects" after 9/11. Didn't start with Bush, however. For the last century the US has a history of bringing down democratically elected leaders and installing and supporting right-wing fascist dictators who better serve our political and/or economic interests. All the while the US professed to sponsor democracy. Diem in Vietnam, Prime Minister Mossadegh in Iran in 1951 & support of the Shah, installation of Noriega and his eventual removal from Panama, support for Death-Squad wielding leaders of Central America in the 1980s including the junta in El Salvador led my Adolfo Ramos. Allende's government in Argentina was brought down and Pinochet installed with assistance from the CIA on the behalf of United Fruit. At first we backed Sadam Hussein against Iran in the 1980s, before we took him down in the first decade of this century.

Egypt has had 30 years of peace with Israel, a model the US had hoped others would emulate, but this "Peace" was purchased by over 1 Billion a year to Egypt and over 2 Billion to Israel. Most of those funds went to the Egyptian military to fund purchases of US equipment. Richard Engel, NBC's chief foreign correspondent reported that the Tear gas canisters used on protesters in Egypt came from Pennsylvania.

Is this the "change" we expected after 2008. I've said it before but if the Obama administration had cleaned house, sent people to prison over torture, banking, Katrina and the other travesties of the Bush Administration then this bold action would place our "less democratic allies" like Egypt on notice that reforms must occur.

Many reports state that the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt government is NOT the religious/political force that came about in Iran. They could easily become radicals, however. Iranians had to deal with oppression from the Shah. I would argue that the Iranians would not have become as reactionary once they came to power if the Shah and his secret Police, the Savak, had not cracked down on the protesters with such force. You'd be amazed what seeing your friends and families tortured and killed could do to push an individual's mindset toward fascism. Of course, if the US had left well enough alone and not helped eject the Iranian elected leader Mossadegh in 1951 things might have been different.

President Obama, it is clear that Mubarak will not leave willingly, he must be "invited" to leave. Allow him to take some wealth, hist title, his skin and his pride along with his son Gamal, the rest of the family and supporters. Bend the arms of the military if necessary, we do send them quite a lot of funding. Impress upon him that he does not want to end up like Nicolae Ceauşescu in Romania, Mussolini in Italy or Diem in Vietnam. (Oh wait, the US had a hand in that killing also.)

Why not focus on human rights and political freedom through your reelection and last term? The Republican congress are going to attempt to gut all the work made in the last two years, destroy health care, give more tax breaks to the rich and make abortions illegal. Why not distract them with a demand to all countries for reforms. Wave the flag, talk about how democracy brings security, that'll get them riled up. Hell, Bush did it, it should work again! And unlike Bush act on it and demand it!

Maybe the U.N. would like to push the issue of true human rights. All they are missing is support from the US. This way fascists can't state that the "Great Satan" (or whatever) is trying to exert force and control the world.

Mr. President, you have a real opportunity to exact great change not only to make a great speech. It will require bold actions not half measures. You have disappointed the right thinking base that elected you. Many would argue that the last two years has been one of weakness surrounded by half measures with a slice of capitulation. You've stood up to the congress and senate over the Lame duck, show the same kind of back-bone now with an issue that is truly a security issue and get Mubarak to leave Egypt and come to Disneyland. Hell, I'll even spot for his ride on Space Mountain.

Thank you

- Josh Weisbuch

Paladino, NY Race, Jews & the media

My thanks to Countdown for the story. It was enlightening and at the same time frustrating.

1st, Paladino is an idiot. He's a bigot, as was shown by both his forwarding racist anti-obama photoshopped e-mails but also by his "I'm in construction, it was funny" BS excuse.

2nd, His views toward gays and religion is CLEARLY shown in this video. He feels Cuomo was "irresponsible" to take his daughters to a gay pride march at a time when a number of gay teens have killed themselves AND a viscous gay-bashing event occurred IN New York City LAST WEEK! Luckily no one was killed but his focused on the OFFENSE teaching their children tolerance NOT the terrible gay-bashing incident showed his true feelings..

3rd, the threats against a journalist when he said he was going to "take him out" is something I'd expect out of the mouth of a fascist dictator like Mussolini not a major party candidate for governor.

Voters everywhere are frustrated that Obama promised major change, brought us incremental baby-steps wrapped in weakness and an inability to promote his own successes. But this guy? For New York? Really?

Every US Citizen should call their friends, family and acquaintances who live in New York and tell them to not to vote for this crazy. Polls say he is not going to win...well, let's make sure. This man is a blight on our country....can you imagine what damage he could do with his own Police force, or the tax records of everyone in NY, or worse, the bully pulpit?

Ok, Paladino is an idiot, a bigot and probably a fascist. These characters come and go in the history of democratic countries. They're a flash in the pan. They pop in, do their damage, and get bounced. Our country's history is rife with close minded, bigoted, self aggrandizing egoists who use self promotion and weak facts to gain power and hurt others. McCarthy, that priest in the 50s and 60s father Keagan (sp?), Jefferson Davis, Strom Thurman, FDR and those in the his administration who did not yell "STOP!" when the internment of Japanese citizens was being contemplated and taking place. The pro-torture, anti-freedom, power-hungry, pro-business FEMA rapers of the Bush Administration. The list goes on and it includes ALL stripes of political thought, parties and all races, religions and creeds.

Our republic has beaten these idiots because eventually the people wake up and take back control....eventually.

Know what I find the most offensive about this situation shown by the video? Want to know what trend I find most disturbing?

At the two minute mark of the Video Paladino is speaking among religious Jews. What the HELL are those religious Jews doing aligning themselves with this fascist? His thoughts and words from the campaign are an ANATHEMA to religious teachings. Worse, this troglodyte was elected with backing from a party whose rallies are regularly peppered with signs comparing Obama and others to ADOLF HITLER!!!!!

Why the hell are they allowing him to speak from the synagogue? Even if it's just a room: having a bunch of bearded Jews dressed in Black GIVES THE IMPRESSION that it's a religious room. Do they not recognize that they are giving a gift of video and photos to the world will have PROVING that Jews align themselves with this fascist, anti-gay, racist, bigoted moron.

Worse still, when they all clapped when the idiot said that society should not allow teaching tolerance I was shocked, saddened and incredibly angry. As Jews we should be the leaders of movements supporting ALL minorities. 6 Million people didn't die so that this jerk could promote his evil, close-minded, "theories" onto to the world stage with the support of backdrop of black-hats. As I've written before, we Jews should be standing outside every affronted Mosque, church or anywhere ANY minority is threatened. Gay, straight, Muslim, Christian, Wicken, Bahia, believers and non-believers alike MUST be able to turn to the Jewish people for support. Jews lived a history of being out-casts, ostracized by the society, scape-goated by those in power, seen as less than human: the other, the unclean, the unworthy. Be it Pope or Politician, Minister or Magistrate, Mullah or Mayor we Jews have a unique platform from which to call out to the heavens "This can not stand!"

The religious Jews in the video, by becoming his political backdrop, have allowed this orangutan to also blur the lines between church and state. NO POLITICIAN UNLESS THEY ARE SPEAKING AT A FUNERAL SHOULD SPEAK FROM A RELIGIOUS SITE. NONE! It is a terrible precedent which, politicians of all parties abuse with the same temerity with which they abuse the flag. Around the world Politicians of all stripes use the Bible, Torah, Koran and other religious books as PROPS to push their own agenda. Did ANYONE learn ANYTHING from the BIBLE? In the US we have separation of church and state. This is to PROTECT RELIGION FROM UNDUE EFFECTS OF POLITICS not vice-versa.

And finally, the Media is at fault as well. We have a serious problem in this country and the media focuses on bullshit. Idiot small-time preachers in Florida working to bump up a little support from their 60 person congregations by burning the Koran SHOULD NOT GET WORLD WIDE PRESS! He should be called out as the jerk he is. Media owners and journalists, we know you are whores, you'll publicize any exciting story in order to sell soap but YOU ARE THE FOURTH ESTATE! You play a vital role in society. Start doing your job! Promote the REALITY of any given situation rather than just a discussion on the two sides. You cannot present ideas from fascists like they have the same weight in relation to other sane people. This summer many said "Let's get single payer healthcare." whackos responded, "Death Panels!" AND YOU PROMOTED IT LIKE IT WAS REAL! Shame on you.

- Josh Weisbuch

Joshua S. Weisbuch

jsw@pobox.com

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Paladino self-destructs

Talking Points Memo’s Josh Marshall expands on the context in which Carl Paladino’s anti-gay remarks affected various political and social issues Sunday night.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/vp/39622916#39622916

"Don't ask don't tell" unconstitutional.

Judge rules "don't ask dont tell" is unconstitutional. Well done! Obama should learn, half measures never work! Clinton did it wrong. Truman handled it right. Truman made an executive order integrating the arm forces. He had served in World War I, he knew that the only thing that matters about the person in the trench next to you is whether they were on your side. Truman put what was RIGHT against the racism and bigotry in the country and among his troops.

President Obama, real leadership means taking a stand and risking your office! Your current speeches are a good step. Back them up with action! Get out there, make speaches, get people psyched to vote or the democrats will lose big in November and you will be a one term president.

Open letter to the ADL: Support the NYC Muslim Community Center!

Open letter to the Anti-Defamation League. August 27, 2010

I am writing regarding the NYC Islamic Community center which has _wrongly_ been called the "Ground Zero Mosque." The ADL must change it's position and stand up to the bigotry and ignorance. ADL must stand FOR the right of Muslims to have their community center regardless if it has a prayer room or not. The poem from World War II "first they came for the trade unionists, but I was not a ..." comes the mind. It is an exceptionally dangerous precedent to allow ANY constriction on the construction of a site of worship because of religion and location. This inane attempt to "protect" the former World trade center could open up the flood gates for religious persecution OF ALL RELIGIONS! Even Christians would be at risk. What would stop ANY PERSON protesting ANY establishment because of a religious connection. What if a book store get's death threats just because the owner has a room where the Wiccan religion is discussed, or a jewish restaurant that gives some of it's space after hours for youth groups to discuss the torah, or a Christian church that gets protested by anti-alchohol zealots because it allows AA to meet in the basement.

We have freedom of religion of the country. PERIOD! As Jews we MUST stand with our fellow human beings for their freedom, ESPECIALLY religous freedom! The ridiculous stand the ADL has taken where THIS TIME it's OK to discriminate is COMPLETELY and UTTERLY WRONG. Shame on you! Six million people didn't die so that we can turn a blind eye to hate! Your decision is the slippery slope. It can become a murderous maelstrom down which 6 million jews, 2 million gypsies, countless homosexuals, catholics and impaired people lost their lives! This slope was greased with the anti-Semitism, yes, hatred of gays, yes, anger at WWI, true, but the real murder weapon was Apathy!

Apathy of the good people in Germany and Poland who knew the camps existed but did nothing. Apathy of the German people who allowed the NAZI machine to heard impaired individuals to their deaths under the guise of "correcting" the gene pool. Apathy from voters who decided that Hitler would bring prosperity and order and that his anti-jewish, anti-freedom and maniacal ways couldn't be too bad. Apathy from the US and other European governments who refused to bomb the tracks to Auswithz and Buchenwald during the war. The Apathy of all countries at the end of WW I who stood by while Germany was saddled with War debt which sent Germany into a twenty year depression and worse, into the claws of the NAZIS. It was apathy of the french who accepted when the military officer Dryfus was expelled from the army mainly because of his jewish heritage setting the tone of anti-semitism for the 20th century.

Bigotry, anti-semitistm, these are just henchmen. Apathy is the true killer.

Good people must stand for what is right regardless of public opinion and regardless of risk. "If you can keep your head while all others around you are losing theirs..." ADL, keep your head!

ADL. As a jew, as an American and as a member of the human race I demand that you do the just thing. Retract your weak decision. Show us that you can lead and lead ALL people.

Support the building of the NYC Islamic center. Do so with words, actions and money. Hold fund raisers, push politicians to grow spines and counter-protest the protesters. Put the word out and we, the jewish people, your finacnial and political supporters will come to your aid.

Do nothing, keep your stance that It's ok "this once" to discriminate and you will lose, freedom will lose, innocent muslims who are Americans will lose, the country will lose and you might just bring all of us down with you.

Josh Weisbuch

Kindergarden memories, Milk Duties, People & Cake!

The Fessenden school sent me a notice today that Mr. Townsend, a member of the food service staff, passed away. Memories from my years at the schools flooded back, especially time in Kindergarden and I wrote a story about my time at age 5 which I'm posting here. Such great memories percolated up to the surface so I figured I'd share them with my FB community and my blog. Boy, early school was cool...I'd love to hear your cool early school stories and how you feel it's shaped the adult you are today. - josh

To: Fessenden Alumni Wall on Facebook

I am not sure I knew Mr. Townsend, he may have been there during my last year in 1983 but I was always impressed with the service staff while I was at Fessenden.. Quick Story. I attended Fessenden's kindergarden in 1975. One student had to go get the milk tray for snack time. I usually returned late because first, I explored the inner recesses of the tunnel system in an attempt to get the the kitchen quicker and "save time" (a story for later) but also because I would spend a few minutes talking to the KItchen staff. At age 5, the "Milk guy" role was a big deal. Having responsibility, exploring the school and talking to adults was all very exciting.

The staff was great! I think I set a pattern for my life in those warm kitchens filled with great smells because I'd go up there, say hello to everyone, see what was going on, ask about their day...and they'd give me cake, pie, cookies and other tasties! Not only one type either. I got different flavors of cake and pie, sometimes TWO per visit! I especially savor spicy apple cake with white frosting which I am now savoring.
I don't think my fellow kindergarden students ever received their milk on time when I was the Milk guy but I learned a huge amount about people, kitchen service, work life and the power of individuals. Best of all, I was rewarded for being polite and asking questions with cake!

As my wife and friends will tell you, I started talking to everyone at age 5, and I haven't stopped. I am truly a "People Geek." I'm often told how annoying it is...I can't regularly go anywhere without seeing someone I know or having a great conversation with a stranger about the intricacies of, say, pipe fitting. This "gift for gab" honed in the Fessenden kitchen has helped me greatly in life, during elections, my time at Fidelity or as an EMT or my work at hospitals. And this will be a vital part of my work as a Rabbi.

Even though I was usually late returning, my kindergarden class did not mind postponing the courses in drawing, crayon melting, building reactors out of legos, the every popular glue eating or other vital learning tools at which we majored in those formative years.

I am impressed that Fessenden created an environment where every person on the staff was focused on the "full" education of the student body. Fessenden molded me into the man I am today and not just the great classes, the fantastic overseas trips with Dan Senecal, the excellent teaching and extra help from Sed Paine, the two Bradleys and History with Mr. Putnam but from the simple kindnesses showed to some crazy little 5 year old looking to get a bit of cake in the hours between breakfast and lunch. The staff at Fessenden helped me, and many students over the years, work toward being good students, citizens and men.

Cudos to Fessenden and appreciations to the staff. Most importantly, thank you, Mr. Townsend, for all your hard work and service over the years. - Josh Weisbuch

Joe Lieberman and Scott Brown are IDIOTS!

Ok, hold on. Has the Senate gone nuts!? Do I understand the proposed law from our good Senator Brown and his Connecticut collegue is calling for the Secretary of State to have the right to REVOKE the citizenship of any American who has been merely ACCUSED of helping a group our Government labels "Anti-American or Terrorist"?

Using this logic, if our government decides it doesn't like La Rasa than anyone who supports this group can have their citizenship revoked? What if it is the Anti Defamation League that is disliked. Wouldn't Joe Liberman be at risk?

Where are the Tea-Partiers on this one? I know Boener has come out against this inane law but what about all those "the government is coming for our guns" crowd?

Where's a camouflaged-clad cadre of survivalists who fear Black Helicopters when you need them?

Citizenship is a bit more important than guns... TeaBaggers, you say you are for freedom. Doesn't this sound like a serious violation of your rights? Or is this ok because the clownish Times Square terrorist was not "one" of you and a bit tan?

Send money to whomever is running AGAINST Lieberman, Brown and other lousy politicians who want to make political hay from terrorism.

Oh, and the Cato Institute completely gets it wrong too. Allowing our government to remove the citizenship of citizens for merely being "SUSPECTED" of anything goes against our founders written intentions. Good Job Cato: so much for the "Fourth Estate!"

Cato Link: http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2010/05/07/the-lieberman-brown-bill-merely-updates-expatriation-law-for-the-21st-century/

Drug war gone awry?

Does this make sense? Cops bust into a guy's home looking for Marijuana dealer, break his door, shoot at his dogs, a Pit Bull and a Corgie, wounding them both, then kill the Pit Bull! Police arrest and terrorize the homeowner, his wife and son.

Turns out the information was apparently wrong, just some neighbor trying to get him in trouble. Cops shot SEVEN times inside the home. Huh? There was a 7 year old kid in the house! Fire control anyone?

TheYoungTurks.com news program where I saw the story said that 100 of these types of raids PER DAY!

This is Ridiculous!

We as a Nation need to put some seriously thought into the FARCE that is the War on Drugs.

(WARNING. Video is very disturbing. No visuals but you hear the poor dogs die.):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V--tz3IMCY4&feature=channel