Perhaps the most hackneyed expression in the news is “breaking news”.
In years past when I saw the bright red banner "Breaking News" on the screen I would stop what I was doing and pay attention. After all, what was soon to follow was sure to be a real ground trembler, or a tsunami, or any cataclysmic event worthy of my immediate and complete attention, right?
Over the last decade "breaking news" standards have slipped to say the least. Celebrity news like, for example, “Britney blows fresh breath” make instant headlines, but quite frankly I could care less. Disaster news like wildfires rampaging somewhere or 50 car pile ups in a fog somewhere put me to sleep.
It is not that I could care less; it is that I care too much.
The truth is I am shell shocked by the onslaught of "bad" news breaking over me continuously. I know I am suffering from some new, as yet unpublished form of distress syndrome brought about by the continuous bombarding of my senses with heartbreaking news.
By now I am more than ready to hear some "breaking news" that isn’t heartbreaking. My guess is that millions of others are also. So how about a new e-zine called “Good News“? Does anybody want to subscribe?
Didn't think so. (The sad truth is “good news” just doesn’t sell well.)
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Cybercops, The New Breed
Have you heard about the latest police"initiative"?
Apparently there are not enough criminals falling into court on their own to keep the system happy. The punishment sector of society requires ever more public offenders to provide a base for the growth in the share of our national budget dedicated to the penal systems in all 50 states. When the supply of ready offenders falls short, or, in other words, when crime rates fall, state legislators simply make more laws making more things illegal to fill the gap.
Take California's penal system for example. It is California's largest single budget item, larger even than their gigantic health and welfare department and far larger than their entire educational or human services system. The funny thing about this major budget item is it is sacrosanct and gets the full support and backing of both the public and organized crime. When Gov. Schwarzenegger tried to scale the system back to something that made sense given today's tight budget constraints he got slapped down hard. It seems everybody is happy with the numbers of cops and robbers in the system today. It’s just that no one wants to pay for them.
So the legislatures around the country pony up to support an obese bureaucracy dedicated to putting more and more people in jail. We could spend our money trying to correct people's behavior, or by trying to eliminate the reason people find themselves caught up in the system in the first place. NO WAY! In this country we prefer to cage each other like animals rather than to rehabilitate our social misfits.
Since nothing major has occurred in our country in the last decade to keep people frightened and willing to pay up for more security, police departments are under pressure to justify their bloated budgets. They are rising to the challenge in a unique and unusual way. Police departments are creating special task forces who move into the digital world as cyber spies and digital sport hunters. These specialized hunters are setting traps all over the web. However their main focus is in their favorite area of crime investigation, the sexual realm since sex crimes make the best headlines.
What they now do is they set up phony links offering lurid tag lines. These come ons are designed to seduce the unsuspecting public into incriminating themselves by following these phony links. For example, they may attempt to lure a child sexual predator into giving himself away by following a suggestive thread into a private chat room. The next morning the proud owner of that IP address gets a 6 AM cyber SWAT, military style invasion guaranteed to put the rest of his life in a tailspin.
Mind you, this person may have been merely curious, may have been doing research, or may have had dozens of other reasons to follow a lurid link. Heck the person may have even clicked on the link by mistake! This person may have had no history of child sexual abuse throughout his entire life and is now about to be convicted by the press and in the court of public opinion as a child molester. I do not know how anyone could ever expect to recover from public exposure to charges like this. Regardless of guilt or innocence anyone accused of a crime of this nature is ruined for life.
So is this a good idea America? Should we send our excessive police forces forging out into the cyberspace world to create a whole new class of criminal? Should we give up any notion of internet privacy in favor of a dubious good? Is setting traps for Internet users even a morally good, let alone the best, way to manage our resources? Are we now capable of determining when thought crimes are being committed, and should we start putting people in jail for what they may be thinking whether or not they have even done anything wrong? Are we ready to start putting people in jail for what they have looked at online?
We’d better get ready to build a whole bunch more jails since anybody with an iPod or cell phone is a potential criminal in a heartbeat.
Is this America's concept of freedom going forward?
Apparently there are not enough criminals falling into court on their own to keep the system happy. The punishment sector of society requires ever more public offenders to provide a base for the growth in the share of our national budget dedicated to the penal systems in all 50 states. When the supply of ready offenders falls short, or, in other words, when crime rates fall, state legislators simply make more laws making more things illegal to fill the gap.
Take California's penal system for example. It is California's largest single budget item, larger even than their gigantic health and welfare department and far larger than their entire educational or human services system. The funny thing about this major budget item is it is sacrosanct and gets the full support and backing of both the public and organized crime. When Gov. Schwarzenegger tried to scale the system back to something that made sense given today's tight budget constraints he got slapped down hard. It seems everybody is happy with the numbers of cops and robbers in the system today. It’s just that no one wants to pay for them.
So the legislatures around the country pony up to support an obese bureaucracy dedicated to putting more and more people in jail. We could spend our money trying to correct people's behavior, or by trying to eliminate the reason people find themselves caught up in the system in the first place. NO WAY! In this country we prefer to cage each other like animals rather than to rehabilitate our social misfits.
Since nothing major has occurred in our country in the last decade to keep people frightened and willing to pay up for more security, police departments are under pressure to justify their bloated budgets. They are rising to the challenge in a unique and unusual way. Police departments are creating special task forces who move into the digital world as cyber spies and digital sport hunters. These specialized hunters are setting traps all over the web. However their main focus is in their favorite area of crime investigation, the sexual realm since sex crimes make the best headlines.
What they now do is they set up phony links offering lurid tag lines. These come ons are designed to seduce the unsuspecting public into incriminating themselves by following these phony links. For example, they may attempt to lure a child sexual predator into giving himself away by following a suggestive thread into a private chat room. The next morning the proud owner of that IP address gets a 6 AM cyber SWAT, military style invasion guaranteed to put the rest of his life in a tailspin.
Mind you, this person may have been merely curious, may have been doing research, or may have had dozens of other reasons to follow a lurid link. Heck the person may have even clicked on the link by mistake! This person may have had no history of child sexual abuse throughout his entire life and is now about to be convicted by the press and in the court of public opinion as a child molester. I do not know how anyone could ever expect to recover from public exposure to charges like this. Regardless of guilt or innocence anyone accused of a crime of this nature is ruined for life.
So is this a good idea America? Should we send our excessive police forces forging out into the cyberspace world to create a whole new class of criminal? Should we give up any notion of internet privacy in favor of a dubious good? Is setting traps for Internet users even a morally good, let alone the best, way to manage our resources? Are we now capable of determining when thought crimes are being committed, and should we start putting people in jail for what they may be thinking whether or not they have even done anything wrong? Are we ready to start putting people in jail for what they have looked at online?
We’d better get ready to build a whole bunch more jails since anybody with an iPod or cell phone is a potential criminal in a heartbeat.
Is this America's concept of freedom going forward?
Monday, April 2, 2012
People entrusted can't be Trusted.
A good share of responsibility for the condition our country is in belongs to "we the people". People gripe about public official dereliction of duty and then forget that the primary duty of all citizens in this country is to stay informed on issues and vote in elections; after all, we are responsible for electing these people.
By the definition of a citizen's responsibility above, over half of the country is derelict in their duty.
Somewhere along the last half century people became nauseated by endless public disgraces. We had a litany of public disgraces from money to sex rubbed in our noses since the early 80’s. We the public became disgusted and millions of Americans tuned out.
President Clinton didn't help our image with his dick–licious tales of Oval oral Office intrigue. He also didn't advance our language skills with his "depends on your definition of what "is” is crap. Nevertheless, he did more for our country than most Presidents prior to and every President since his administration. Alas, his and America's image will be forever tarnished for no good reason.
George Bush Two ---‘nough said. GWB2 will go down in history as our worst President!
A list of public disgraces we should add to our national legacy are:
1.sexual scandals among our religious leaders starting with the Bakkers, Jerry Falwell, and the Catholic, Baptist, Mormon and other church officials guilty of sexual predation.
2.fanatical ministers like Jim Jones who sped his followers into the afterlife by convincing them to take self administered poisons, or the guy who attached himself and his followers to Haley's Comet.
3.the Church of Scientology who, through benign neglect, has caused the death of Lisa McPherson and misery to many others; the truth is western religion has done more throughout the centuries to arrest the advance of human development than just about anything but voodoo. The widespread practice among the Catholic clergy of prostrating their public (literally) may have castrated that religion permanently.
4.limitless sexual scandals among every stratosphere of public "officialdom” but whose media exploitation is particularly damaging to our National sense of self respect. When our “elites” get frozen in the spotlights red glare we all suffer a death by many cuts.
So is it any wonder why people are tuning out of the very issues that will affect them the most in the future? People, in general, hate politics!
By the definition of a citizen's responsibility above, over half of the country is derelict in their duty.
Somewhere along the last half century people became nauseated by endless public disgraces. We had a litany of public disgraces from money to sex rubbed in our noses since the early 80’s. We the public became disgusted and millions of Americans tuned out.
President Clinton didn't help our image with his dick–licious tales of Oval oral Office intrigue. He also didn't advance our language skills with his "depends on your definition of what "is” is crap. Nevertheless, he did more for our country than most Presidents prior to and every President since his administration. Alas, his and America's image will be forever tarnished for no good reason.
George Bush Two ---‘nough said. GWB2 will go down in history as our worst President!
A list of public disgraces we should add to our national legacy are:
1.sexual scandals among our religious leaders starting with the Bakkers, Jerry Falwell, and the Catholic, Baptist, Mormon and other church officials guilty of sexual predation.
2.fanatical ministers like Jim Jones who sped his followers into the afterlife by convincing them to take self administered poisons, or the guy who attached himself and his followers to Haley's Comet.
3.the Church of Scientology who, through benign neglect, has caused the death of Lisa McPherson and misery to many others; the truth is western religion has done more throughout the centuries to arrest the advance of human development than just about anything but voodoo. The widespread practice among the Catholic clergy of prostrating their public (literally) may have castrated that religion permanently.
4.limitless sexual scandals among every stratosphere of public "officialdom” but whose media exploitation is particularly damaging to our National sense of self respect. When our “elites” get frozen in the spotlights red glare we all suffer a death by many cuts.
So is it any wonder why people are tuning out of the very issues that will affect them the most in the future? People, in general, hate politics!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Trial Balloons
In an attempt to gain traction in the presidential election Republican candidates have been furiously launching trial balloons. Previous balloons which failed to stay afloat were, for example, challenges to President Obama's citizenship, attempts to associate the president with alleged mob members, and even an attempt to discredit his academic credentials.
The latest trial balloons or hot button topics some Republican candidates are attempting to use to gain traction in the election include, of all things, attacks on women's healthcare, and abortion-rights issues thought settled and buried years ago.
To say these Republican candidates are "pandering" to their base is to use far too weak a word. Groveling is closer, but the most accurate word one could use to describe these people is that they are actually debasing themselves.
Why these candidates feel they need to swing so far out on the extreme right limb is because that is where the money is. Republican candidates, with the sole exception of Ron Paul, have no viable funding sources save one, the fat cat billionaire. Without the infusion of millions of dollars from billionaires only Romney would have the wherewithal to compete in a national election against an incumbent president.
Once the primary process finally spits out a candidate, that candidate will have to convince women to vote against their own self-interest on issues like birth control and abortion. Otherwise, in order to get back in step with the real world, the last man standing will have to cause selective amnesia in over 50% of the voting public as some major flip-flopping over womens' rights issues takes place.
Romney will be that candidate. He is probably the best flip flopper the nation has ever produced.
The latest trial balloons or hot button topics some Republican candidates are attempting to use to gain traction in the election include, of all things, attacks on women's healthcare, and abortion-rights issues thought settled and buried years ago.
To say these Republican candidates are "pandering" to their base is to use far too weak a word. Groveling is closer, but the most accurate word one could use to describe these people is that they are actually debasing themselves.
Why these candidates feel they need to swing so far out on the extreme right limb is because that is where the money is. Republican candidates, with the sole exception of Ron Paul, have no viable funding sources save one, the fat cat billionaire. Without the infusion of millions of dollars from billionaires only Romney would have the wherewithal to compete in a national election against an incumbent president.
Once the primary process finally spits out a candidate, that candidate will have to convince women to vote against their own self-interest on issues like birth control and abortion. Otherwise, in order to get back in step with the real world, the last man standing will have to cause selective amnesia in over 50% of the voting public as some major flip-flopping over womens' rights issues takes place.
Romney will be that candidate. He is probably the best flip flopper the nation has ever produced.
Monday, February 27, 2012
A sign of sanity in an insane world….
People who have had a military background
or who come from a rough neighborhood
frequently associate an attitude of nonviolence
with a personal lack of courage or, even worse,
cowardice.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
I have never met anyone less violent than
myself. I am a blend of vanilla and milk toast.
I have never lost a fight my life either.
My objection to violence in any form is
intellectual in nature; it has nothing to do
with the physical realm.
If I have to defend myself I will do so, and
with vigor, but that solution is always my
last choice. I realized before I was 10 years
old that violence never settled anything really.
As soon as a conflict becomes physical all
reason goes out the window. The question
is no longer who is right or wrong, but who
is stronger or better trained. Unfortunately,
once reason ceases to hold the high ground,
morality also disappears from view.
Brinkmanship used to be an art form among
nations, when saber rattling meant exactly
that. Opposing forces were roughly equivalent
since the technological advantage between
stones and arrows was not that great. With
today's modern weaponry brinkmanship has
lost sway to brute force and military action
has become a euphemism for slaughter.
Today the old warning “you hit me and I'll hit
you back harder” no longer applies. Now if
you hit the US we will hunt you, your friends,
relatives, and fellow countryman down and
send a smart bomb up everyone’s ass.
That's hardly a fair fight.
So now, since US is clearly the biggest fist
on the planet, every other country must go
along to get along or die; either economically,
or we will simply blow them to smithereens.
My question is this. Will a world ruled by
Judeo/Christian theology become less violent
over time, or more? Weigh in on this folks.
Our children's future depends on our getting
the answer right.
or who come from a rough neighborhood
frequently associate an attitude of nonviolence
with a personal lack of courage or, even worse,
cowardice.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
I have never met anyone less violent than
myself. I am a blend of vanilla and milk toast.
I have never lost a fight my life either.
My objection to violence in any form is
intellectual in nature; it has nothing to do
with the physical realm.
If I have to defend myself I will do so, and
with vigor, but that solution is always my
last choice. I realized before I was 10 years
old that violence never settled anything really.
As soon as a conflict becomes physical all
reason goes out the window. The question
is no longer who is right or wrong, but who
is stronger or better trained. Unfortunately,
once reason ceases to hold the high ground,
morality also disappears from view.
Brinkmanship used to be an art form among
nations, when saber rattling meant exactly
that. Opposing forces were roughly equivalent
since the technological advantage between
stones and arrows was not that great. With
today's modern weaponry brinkmanship has
lost sway to brute force and military action
has become a euphemism for slaughter.
Today the old warning “you hit me and I'll hit
you back harder” no longer applies. Now if
you hit the US we will hunt you, your friends,
relatives, and fellow countryman down and
send a smart bomb up everyone’s ass.
That's hardly a fair fight.
So now, since US is clearly the biggest fist
on the planet, every other country must go
along to get along or die; either economically,
or we will simply blow them to smithereens.
My question is this. Will a world ruled by
Judeo/Christian theology become less violent
over time, or more? Weigh in on this folks.
Our children's future depends on our getting
the answer right.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Gangsters ain't what they used to be...
An amazing modernization has taken place, not just in our country but all over the world among the criminal hierarchy. Just a century or two ago you could see the bandits coming a mile away. They were the guys wearing masks.
Today's gangsters/banksters are likely to be wearing Armani suits and alligator suede shoes while lurking behind designer shades. They would be the guys with the manicured hands, $400 haircuts, and million-dollar smiles.
What is amazing is that the public, in spite of the fact that they are the ones being taken advantage of by these guys, can't help but worship well-dressed crooks. Take John Gotti, the dapper Don, for example. The fact that he led an organization whose members were all murders and hard-core criminals actually added to his appeal.
Ignoring humanity's principles with aplomb, the gangsta groupies fawn over criminal enterprise overlords like self flagellates before a statue of Christ. The bigger the crimes they get credit for the more prestigious these Dark Lords become. Many of our youth today admire and attempt to emulate these bad guys instead of admiring and aspiring to be the President.
I suppose it doesn't really matter whether it is the gangster, bankster, or some branch of government that is exploiting the little guy. In the end we are all treated like the sheep we are taught to be.
Today's gangsters/banksters are likely to be wearing Armani suits and alligator suede shoes while lurking behind designer shades. They would be the guys with the manicured hands, $400 haircuts, and million-dollar smiles.
What is amazing is that the public, in spite of the fact that they are the ones being taken advantage of by these guys, can't help but worship well-dressed crooks. Take John Gotti, the dapper Don, for example. The fact that he led an organization whose members were all murders and hard-core criminals actually added to his appeal.
Ignoring humanity's principles with aplomb, the gangsta groupies fawn over criminal enterprise overlords like self flagellates before a statue of Christ. The bigger the crimes they get credit for the more prestigious these Dark Lords become. Many of our youth today admire and attempt to emulate these bad guys instead of admiring and aspiring to be the President.
I suppose it doesn't really matter whether it is the gangster, bankster, or some branch of government that is exploiting the little guy. In the end we are all treated like the sheep we are taught to be.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Hubble Has Changed The Odds
The new orbiting Hubble telescope has just added an alarming dimension to humanity’s concept of our place in the cosmos. Where we once thought we were all alone in the universe, it now appears that our galaxy must be teeming with life. We just went from being on God's arm to being on the edge of nowhere in a tiny galaxy far from the center of our expanding universe.
Recent Hubble photos of distant stars have revealed the presence of planets in orbit around most of them. That means that among the billions of stars we can currently see there must be hundreds of billions or trillions of planets and moons that we can't yet see. If our planet can support life I guess it would only be fair and make sense to suppose a similar planet or Earth sized moon could do the same.
We just lately identified a planet around a far sun which has a water-based atmosphere similar to our own. The major difference between Earth and that distant planet is it is twice our size and much hotter and wetter. Nevertheless, life forms we have living here in our oceans next to thermal vents and lava flows could probably survive there.
Out of approximately 500 planets recently discovered orbiting suns within our galaxy at least one has been determined to have an organic atmosphere similar to ours here on earth, capable of supporting life similar to or identical to ours. Therefore, the odds of another planet besides our own supporting life of some sort somewhere out in the cosmos just switched from zero to infinite.
Can you imagine the about-face all the pretenders to "sacred truths" and their devout followers of "divine inspiration" will need to make to get back in step with this new reality?
Recent Hubble photos of distant stars have revealed the presence of planets in orbit around most of them. That means that among the billions of stars we can currently see there must be hundreds of billions or trillions of planets and moons that we can't yet see. If our planet can support life I guess it would only be fair and make sense to suppose a similar planet or Earth sized moon could do the same.
We just lately identified a planet around a far sun which has a water-based atmosphere similar to our own. The major difference between Earth and that distant planet is it is twice our size and much hotter and wetter. Nevertheless, life forms we have living here in our oceans next to thermal vents and lava flows could probably survive there.
Out of approximately 500 planets recently discovered orbiting suns within our galaxy at least one has been determined to have an organic atmosphere similar to ours here on earth, capable of supporting life similar to or identical to ours. Therefore, the odds of another planet besides our own supporting life of some sort somewhere out in the cosmos just switched from zero to infinite.
Can you imagine the about-face all the pretenders to "sacred truths" and their devout followers of "divine inspiration" will need to make to get back in step with this new reality?
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