Ham on Wry Award-Tea Party Holds America Hostage

 

The Tea Party has split the Republican Party and refuses to budge from its "vision" for debt reduction.  Despite Senator Boehner's efforts to rally support for his plan, he couldn't garner enough votes for its passage, so it's back to the table for more debate.  Ham on Wry has grown weary of the drawn-out efforts to pass a plan that will raise the debt ceiling, and it calls on the Tea Party to cease and desist.  These junior members of the House seem incapable of understanding how they are placing the nation and all of its citizens in financial jeopardy.  Their stubborn refusal to compromise has brought us to the brink of disaster, causing many nations to express concern over the lack of resolution.

The Tea Party has held us hostage long enough, and the House of Representatives has lost all credibility as a functioning part of Congress.  Polls have shown that Americans favor a compromise that will allow for some tax increases, yet the Tea Party representatives fail to understand that their election does not cast them in the role of dictators.   Frankly, their ignorance of the far-reaching effects of their inability to comprehend the far-reaching implications of their adherence to a ridiculous plan should anger all Americans, no matter what political philosophy they espouse.  The debt reduction impasse should be considered a clarion call to action to every registered voter in this country.

Speak up, citizens!  But, before you do, educate yourself on the facts surrounding budgeting.  Ignorance is definitely not bliss in this situation.  Too many of you voted for people that simply want a podium on which to air their narrow-minded views of what this country stands for.  The House is wasting precious time in acting responsibly.  For those readers who live in the US, call your representatives and demand action that includes compromise.  No entity can run on a budget that focuses solely on cuts in spending.  As in all things, balance is required, and than means revenue increases. 

Ham on Wry discussed Patriotic Millionaires in a past posting and suggests that readers learn about their message.  Simply put, "Raise Our Taxes" summarizes their opinion.  They are willing to pay higher taxes because they made their money here and enjoy financial freedom because they live in America.  The Tea Party soundly rejects their call for higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans.  That, readers, is just plain dumb.  Republican members of the House who truly care about this country must move beyond catch phrases and act in America's best interest.  That means raising taxes and cutting unnecessary expenditures.  Ham on Wry believes Medicare and Social Security should not be part of budget cuts now becaue of our current economic chaos.

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Gang of Six to the Rescue?

The Gang of Six that formed earlier this year to propose an alternative to the deficit reduction proposals already on the table announced today that they've reached agreement on a major plan to cut the deficit by more than $4 trillion, $1 trillion of which would come from revenues in closed tax loopholes, over the next decade.  The bipartisan group of senators comprises Democrats Kent Conrad ND; Dick Durbin, IL; and Mark Warner, VA, along with Republicans Saxby Chambless, GA; Mike Crapo, ID; and, Tom Coburn, OK.  Coburn left the "gang" in May over disagreements on some of the proposal's components, but returned when he convinced his fellow senators to include cuts in federal health programs.

Forty-seven senators attended today's meeting during which the Gang of Six explained their plan.  Almost half of the attendees were Republicans, a hopeful sign that at least one of the houses of Congress can reach compromise.  The House of Representatives has reached an impasse, so the Republicans are offering something they call Cut, Cap, and Balance that would allow the debt ceiling to rise without their voting for it.  Ham on Wry believes its plan Cut the Crap would better serve the nation.  It appears our representatives prefer to take the coward's way out rather than creating something innovative that would contain ideas from both sides.

Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart conducted an NBC/WSJ poll with Republican pollster Bill McInturff to measure public opinion about budget deficit negotiations.  Hart says the public’s message demands compromise and action before the August 2 deadline.  Differences existed between results from Democrats and Independents as compared to Republicans.  Over half of the Republicans and 70% of Tea Party supporters want Republicans to hold the line, while just a third of the Democrats and Independents polled support the Republican plan.  "My way or the highway" is the rallying cry of the Tea Party.  Ham on Wry prefers the highway.  Perhaps they can be dumped in Boston Harbor in the same way Bostonians dumped British tea in the period leading to the Revolutionary War. 

Surely, not all Republicans in the House of Representatives behave like petulant children.  Take a cue from your fellow Republicans in the Senate and open your minds to what will serve the American people well.  Many of you have forgotten that George Bush asked for and received 7 increases to the debt ceiling during his presidency.  Remember that and remember all registered citizens have the power to vote, 56 million of whom will be receiving Social Security by the next election.  House Republicans must stop vacillating from the platforms on which they were elected and negotiate, instead of shirking their duties.



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Murdoch's Empire on Increasingly Shaky Ground

Rebekah Brooks, Former Chief Executive of News International and Editor of News of the World

John Yates, Former Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard

Rupert Murdoch's global organization, News Corp, continues to capture headlines in its UK division News International.  Rebekah Brooks, the former chief of News International, has been arrested on suspicion of phone hacking and bribing police to obtain  protected information that would titillate readers and increase sales  Paul Stephenson, the head of Scotland Yard, stepped down Sunday night, saying his ability to do his job had been compromised by the media frenzy.  Hours later, John Yates, Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, announced he was resigning as well. 

Andy Coulson, who took over for Brooks as editor of the News of the World, resigned in  2007 and opposition leader David Cameron, now Prime Minister, appointed Coulson as his communications chief later that year. Coulson was arrested on July 8 on suspicion of phone-hacking and corruption and released on bail.  Prime Minister David Cameron has come under attack for his close relationships with Brooks and Coulson and has some explaining to do.  Ham on Wry wonders who will be left to turn out the lights, in the aftermath of a scandal that might now spread to the News Corp's headquarter in the US.

Employees of News Corp have alleged that Murdoch treats his business like a family enterprise, rather than a Fortune 500 company.  He is purported to have used public funds rather than funds donated to a PAC to support Republican governors.  Hmmm.  Is this a case of retribution or "where there's smoke, there's fire?"  Accusations of hacking into 9/11 victims' phone and e-mail accounts have also surfaced, with some members of Congress calling for the Justice Department to investigate those claims.  With the growing outcry against his media conglomerate, the time has come to examine the effect of one person  controlling a behemoth that belches innuendo masking as news in a variety of forums.  Ham on Wry admits it finds Murdoch's Fox News an irritant and wouldn't mind at all if that part of Fox TV disappeared.

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Ham on Wry Award-Jaycee Dugard's Book, A Stolen Life

Jaycee Dugard, held hostage for 18 years, released  her memoir, A Stolen Life, July 12th, in order to reveal the life she led in squalid surroundings, with only a bucket as a toilet, as Phillip and Nancy Garrido's prisoner.  One hundred seventy-five thousand copies were sold the first day, and Simon and Shuster announced that 475,000 copies have been printed thus far. 

In an interview with Diane Sawyer, Ms. Dugard recounted exactly what happened on the day the Garridos kidnapped her.  While walking to her school bus the morning of June 10, 1991, she approached their car, thinking they needed directions.  Feeling a sudden, sharp sensation, she lost control of her body and fell to the ground, unable to move.  Phillip Garrido had shot her with a stun gun, so that she couldn't resist when he and his wife abducted her.  Jaycee dozed on and off until they reached the Garrido house in Antioch, California.  There, Garrido handcuffed her and placed her where she couldn't see anything.  He repeatedly raped her and impregnated her twice.  She gave birth in the tent where she lived throughout her capture.

Nancy Garrido scouted for a victim and chose Ms. Dugard, knowing full well what her husband's intentions were.  She received a sentence of 35 years to life, while he received 431 years.  Somehow, her sentence strikes me as less than her crime deserved.  Because Phillip Garrido was on parole for a previous rape, authorities checked numerous times, but never discovered the tent city in his back yard.  They must have made only cursory contact with him, because in 18 years, someone should have suspected strongly enough that something was amiss to investigate more thoroughly.

The failure of parole officers or neighbors in this case stands out as one of the worst parts of this crime.  Ms. Dugard received a settlement from the state of California for $20 million last year, and I hope she makes a bundle from her book.  She deserves our admiration for handling the aftermath of such horror with dignity.  Her children have also suffered from living under such strange circumstances.  Perhaps they will all have a degree of catharsis now that the trial has ended, and they can forge a new direction. 

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Farewell to Betty Ford, A Woman of Character

Betty Ford returned to her home state of Michigan after a memorial service held Tuesday in California.  Today, after her funeral in East Grand Rapids, she was buried next to her husband, former President Gerald R. Ford.

Betty Ford at her husband's funeral

Right after her husband took office, Mrs. Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy.  She discussed the formerly taboo subject openly, encouraging other women to do the same. Mrs. Ford hoped that it would raise awareness about the disease and promote research.  She also actively supported women's rights and was an outspoken member of the Women's Rights Movement. She advocated for the ERA and lobbied state legislatures to ratify the amendment. As a proponent of Pro-Choice, she didn't hesitate to make her views public, in a time when political wives didn't do that sort of thing.

The"Fighting First Lady", as Time dubbed her, battled alcoholism and an addiction to pain pills that she was forced to confront in 1978, when her family held an intervention.  After her recovery, she established the Betty Ford Clinic in Rancho Mirage, California so people with chemical dependencies would have an opportunity to beat the addiction.  Her accomplishments have implications that will have impact far beyond the 93 years she lived. 

I am proud to have grown up in a state that produced a woman with the courage to speak openly about so many issues, despite those who urged her to remain silent.  She presented women with a role model that opened doors and showed them the power of their words and actions.  Mrs. Ford was immensely relatable because she had struggled and overcome many personal obstacles.  May her spirit live on through the women who understand their responsibility to foster political action in a free society.     

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Rupert Murdoch's Media Empire Collapsing

Rupert Murdoch, pictured above sitting in a chair, is currently sitting on the proverbial "hot seat" in the UK, where public outcry forced the closing Sunday of the 168-year-old tabloid News of the World, when allegations of reporters hacking into people's cell phones proved true.  Reporters and investigators of the tabloid and other Murdoch-owned papers in the UK intercepted messages of a murdered girl and other crime victims, as well as families whose sons and daughters had lost their lives serving in the nation's military.

As a result of the furor over the hacked phone messages, British politicians joined the fray by denouncing the publications and questioning whether to halt the sale of British Sky Broadcasting to News Corp.  That proved unnecessary whe Murdoch withdrew his bid for the 61% of BSkyB News Corps. doesn't already own.  In the last few days, News Corp.'s worth has decreased by $3 billion, approximately 7% of its total value.  Worries about whether the scandal will spread to the US has made investors cautious about holding stock in the company and could cause further losses, if allegations that hacking reached across the Atlantic to US shores and 9/11 victims' families phones were breached also.

In 2007, Murdoch purchased the Wall Street Journal, which has always enjoyed a reputation for top-notch, ethical reporting.  Let's hope it remains unscathed in the investigation that will certainly spread to the US.  Three US Senators have already registered their complaints with the US Justice System.  If only it would eventually close down Fox News, I would rejoice.  Fair and balanced reporting--I think not.  Tne News Corp. conglomerate has lost its way; that is, if it ever found its way in the first place.  Mr. Murdoch must set stern guidelines that promote journalistic integrity and not profit, in order to gain public confidence, but that doesn't reflect his current MO.  Perhaps he'll take this opportunity to announce his retirement and give us cause to rejoice.

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Eric Cantor's Outrageous Lie

Eric Cantor had the audacity to claim that the Republican Party had sacrificed mightily in agreeing to discuss the debt ceiling, saying essentially that it goes against the grain of fiscal conservatives. In his exact words, "A vote to increase the debt limit in this country is an existential question for a fiscal conservative.  These votes aren't easy.  What I don't think that the White House understands is how difficult it is for fiscal conservatives to say they're going to vote for a debt ceiling increase," one finds the boldfaced lie.  He took office in 2001, and during the George W. Bush presidency, Congress voted seven times to raise the debt ceiling.  He must suffer from selective memory disease, as do his Republican colleagues who held office under Bush and voted for any or all of the increases in the debt ceiling.  I found evidence of Cantor's yea votes on five occasions, but can't confirm the other two.  Not only does Cantor lie, his whole new-found zeal for Tea Party issues is entirely disingenuous and aimed at continuing his political career.

In a September 29, 2008 article written for CBS, Mark Knoller, a White House correspondent, reported that the national debt had grown by more than $4 trillion during George W. Bush's presidency.  On the day President Bush took office, he inherited a national debt of $5.727 trillion. Figures from the Treasury Department obtained for the article pegged the national debt at a whopping, almost 72% incrase that totalled $9.849 trillion.plus.  If that's not a "fine" example of fiscal conservatism, I don't know what is.  Obviously, a huge disconnection exists between what Cantor says and what he does.  Bear in mind that President Obama inherited that debt from his predecessor.

Read my lips, Representative Cantor!  Tell the truth and get down to business!  Perhaps you have not yet answered your true calling.  There's always room for one more media star, and you seem to have a penchant for acting.  If you choose that profession, at least you won't cause another financial debacle in this country.  You are definitely not a hero riding a white horse when it comes to enacting legislation that benefits the vast majority of the American populace--those who don't earn more than $1million a year.  President Obama is not the enemy of the middle class.  You are. In fact, I now dub you Public Enemy Number one instead of John Boehner, who has moved to the number two position. Oh, and when you're at the table, don't forget to put those fabulous Congressional pensions on the table for debate

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I'm Still Mad as Hell

House Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor

I'm still mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it any more (see yesterday's blog).  These two top Republicans, Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, said today that Republicans have already sacrificed enough by expressing willingness to raise the debt ceiling.  Wow!  What a sacrifice!  Their party helped to create this mess in the first place by lowering taxes when Bush was in office.  They  failed to consider the advice of then Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan to view his prediction of a $5.4 B dollar surplus by 2010 as based on statistics that didn't account for substantial changes in the existing economic relationships that differed greatly from past decades.  To read an interesting article regarding this and other money considerations, see http://aarp.org/bulletin and choose Our Big Money Moment.  

For those in the middle and lower classes, take account of whether or not those cuts have improved your financial situation or your safety.  Most of us have experienced substantial changes in our ability to balance our personal budgets, and fire and police protection have dwindled.  Remember, the economic debacle occurred before Bush left office, not under Obama.  President Obama has faced a perfect storm of disasters since taking office, all of which have worsened the problem.  The failure of large financial firms led to the housing crisis, and to add to an already bleak picture, natural disasters hit globally and stymied the signs of economic hope.  In the US, a major oil spill, tornadoes, and floods resulted in shortages, which increased food and gas prices.  We have but to visit a grocery store or fill the tank to see that the dollar doesn't buy as much as it did a year ago.  President Obama doesn't bear the responsibility for any of that.

The Republican Party also announced that any budget deficit agreement must include action on Medicare and Social Security, and I'm not talking about improvements.  I wrote it yesterday, and I'll repeat it today.  If Republicans insist on tampering with Social Security and Medicare, then their pensions should be placed on the table for discussion as well as Congressional salary increases.  What other organization exists that can vote on its own salaries?  Time for a big change there!  Wake up, citizens of America!  Call Speaker Boehner or Republicans who represent your state, and tell them to make a deal that includes tax increases for the wealthy!

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John Boehner-Public Enemy Number 1

John Boehner has capitulated to the Tea Party and again adopted a hard-line stance in the budget deficit negotiations by announcing that he was backing out of a deal that would have reduced the deficit by up to $4 trillion.  Whatever happened to the Republican Party of old that negotiated in good faith with its Congressional Democratic counterparts?  The Tea Party has taken that party hostage with ridiculous intransigence on proposals that would allow tax hikes on wealthy Americans.  Patriotic Millionaires, a group of millionaires who are calling for tax increases, consider it a privilege to pay more taxes because they wouldn't have become millionaires without the benefit of living in this country.  Listen to their wisdom.

Do you remember the movie Network?  In it, Peter Finch, an aging network newsman, is about to get sacked because ratings have sagged.  Finch eventually has his own show where he spews his anger and gains the highest ratings of any show on television.  He uses the catch phrase, "We're mad as hell, and we're not going to take it any more," and incites his audience to chant it with him.  Well, I've reached that point when it comes to the nonsense surrounding the deficit talks.  How long will we stand for allowing Congress to posture rather than passing a budget deal?  If they don't pass something within the next 10 days, all of us will suffer because interest rates will climb on government debt and pass to citizens in a variety of forms.  In the past few days, many non-partisan financial experts have called for action to avoid a catastrophe.

So, why are they listening to the Tea Party, which obviously doesn't recognize the dangers of inaction?  Because Republicans in office want to win re-election, that's why.  Democrats want that too, but they have shown more willingness to compromise, and they don't have a schizophrenic split in their party.  Plain old common sense dictates that a budget must allow for revenue increases when it's in the red, not just reductions in spending. 

Read my lips, Mr. Boehner.  You and your fellow Republicans have a fiduciary duty to the citizens of this country to do your job.  That means allowing tax increases for people who have weathered all of the economic woes and remain wealthy.  It will not destroy jobs, as no direct connection exists between wealthy individuals and job creation.  You can also consider eliminating the extravagant pensions members of Congress receive when they retire. 

Your stubbornness and position flip flop can result in jeopardizing our future for generations.  Get on with it, and forget about the Tea Party.  What platform got you elected before the Tea Party formed?  Return to sanity and engage in a give-and-take exchange with Democrats.  As the leader of the House of Representatives, you have a duty that transcends party loyalty.  Live up to that responsibility. 

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Ham on Wry Award: Shuttle Launch Signals End of Space Program

Space shuttle Atlantic successfully lifted off from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center  at 11:29 a.m. EDT, leaving behind a billowing cloud of smoke as it hurtled skyward.  The four crew members, Commander Chris Ferguson, pilot Doug Hurley, and  mission specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, will write the final chapter in shuttle program history on this last mission.  The Atlantis is scheduled to dock with the space station on Sunday

Prior to the launch, Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director, offered these words to the astronauts, "On behalf of the greatest team in the world, good luck to you and your crew on the final flight of this true American icon.  And so for the final time, Fergie, Doug, Sandy and Rex, good luck, Godspeed and have a little fun up there."

Atlantis' commander Chris Ferguson responded instantly.  "Thanks to you and your team, Mike. We're not ending the journey today, we're completing a chapter of a journey that will never end.  Let's light this shuttle one more time Mike, and witness this nation at its best. The crew of Atlantis is ready to launch."  Commander Ferguson captured the feelings of many Americans on this occasion.  Atlantis, along with all of the space program predecessors, symbolized American ingenuity and its people's can-do attitude.  John Glenn voiced his disappointment about the demise of the shuttle program during an interview with Brian Williams yesterday on NBC Nightly News.  When Williams asked Glenn whether he would feel differently if a new iteration of space vehicle were ready to go, he responded affirmatively.

Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined area roadways, beaches, and crowded into Cape Canaveral to capture the launch on camera.    As TV cameras panned the area, people cheered, clapped, and saluted when Atlantis lifted off.  I chose not to go early this morning because Pinellas County was experiencing a mini monsoon, and I erroneously concluded they would scrap the launch.  Bad call!

The future of US space exploration now rests in the hands of commercial aviation.  One can only hope that the effort will greatly exceed what we have experienced in the last decade on flights in this country.  A part of me felt a great sense of loss today, as I remembered watching the Apollo moon landing with my family while waiting for our table at one of our favorite restaurants.  Other patrons had also gathered around the TV, and watching men walk on the moon absolutely mesmerized us.  I'm certain this journey has a bittersweet flavor for the crew.  May they return to America safely, because, if a problem arises, we have no means of retrieving them.  They'll have to hitch a ride on a Russian spacecraft.

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The Weird World of Casey Anthony

Casey Anthony at Sentencing Hearing

Like the Energizer Bunny, the Casey Anthony story just keeps going and going and going.  This morning, Judge Belvin Perry sentenced Anthony to four years, the maximum allowable under Florida Law, for her conviction on four counts of lying to detectives in 2008.  Judge Perry listened to defense arguments that the four counts of lying occurred during one day in July, so the crimes should be considered as an aggregate offense with one year as the maximum penalty.  The prosecution countered that claim saying that the lies occurred over a twelve-hour period, giving Anthony ample time to reflect and conceive additional lies; thus, they occurred as separate crimes  Judge Perry agreed with the prosecution.

Determining how much jail time Anthony will serve involves much more complexity than one would assume.  First, the judge must consider time already served.  This might seem a simple task, but Casey Anthony pled guilty to check fraud on January 25, 2010 and was sentenced to time already served.  Does that mean that only the time from that day forward will be considered as time served for the four counts of lying?  I believe so, but I am not the presiding judge.  Then, the judge must receive information from the jail that will account for factors they consider in mitigating the sentence based on behavior and other considerations.  Absolutely nothing about this case has proven simple.

As Star Jones noted on  the Today Show, Anthony appeared ready to go home today in court.  She had literally, "let down her hair," and wore casual clothes during the hearing.  As the defense and prosecution presented opinions, she sat stone-faced listening to them, once again affecting an emotionless demeanor.  Outside the courtroom, a large group of protesters displayed signs and shouted opinions to the media covering the event.   Will we ever see the end of this case?

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Casey Anthony's Strange Choice of Attorney

A strange case gets even stranger when details about Jose Baez reveal that he sold bikinis during his hiatus from the law profession.  No, he didn't choose to stop practicing law intentionally.  He failed to pay child support and provide insurance for his children; thus, he was barred from practicing law for eight years.  Prior to the Casey Anthony trial, he had no noteworthy accomplishments as an attorney.  Anthony's selection of Baez is more bizarre than his lack of outstanding credentials.  Despite her family's advice against hiring him, Anthony gave greater weight to prison buzz about him and selected him as her attorney.  That created a win/win situation for both of them, at least in reference to the not guilty verdict and worldwide notoriety.  Baez will never have to declare bankruptcy or default on loans again.  I see books, movie deals, etc. in his future.

The downside to all of his new-found fame places him in harm's way.  People have tweeted death threats about Baez and the entire Anthony family.  George and Cindy Anthony are in hiding and Casey will learn tomorrow when she will released from prison.  If I were her, I might elect to stay there for a while longer until media coverage subsides.  Many people in this country believe that she should have received the death penalty and are evidently ready to carry out the sentence themselves.

Was Baez's success in this case attributable to his well-hidden brilliance as a lawyer?  It seems more like luck to me.  He is a master of the red herring, which served to throw the jury off track.  At least he's good at something. 

Beware future clients!  Don't expect Baez to win your case.  He has an underwhelming track record in the courts.  According to the International Business Times, "he had defended a man accused of killing the granddaughter of a boxer. Unfortunately, the accused was convicted of manslaughter, following which, a motion was initiated against Baez, accusing him of inefficiency that led to the conviction of his client."   In the same article, the reporter noted, "In a damming [sic] comment the Florida Supreme Court had said that Baez had 'a lack of respect for the rights of others and a total lack of respect for the legal system, which is absolutely inconsistent with the character and fitness qualities required of those seeking to be afforded the highest position of trust and confidence recognized by our system of law'."  Despite all his past problems, Baez emerged victorious yesterday--at least for now. 



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Casey Anthony Acquitted of First Degree Murder

Casey Anthony Awaits Verdict

Jurors in the Casey Anthony murder trial found her not guilty in the first-degree murder of her daughter Caylee earlier this afternoon, after deliberating for just under 11 hours. The jury also declared her innocent of aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse.  They did find her guilty on four counts of giving false information to law enforement officers.  She could receive up to one year of additonal prison time for each count, but pundits doubt that will happen.

For almost six weeks, jurors, who had been selected from a pool of Clearwater, Florida residents, were sequestered in Orlando while they heard evidence in the case.  The prosecution portrayed Anthony as a mother who no longer wanted the responsibility of a child and preferred, instead, to lead the life of a party girl.  They believed that she murdererd her child by using chloroform to render Caylee unconscious and then suffocated her with duct tape.  The defense focused on the lack of physical evidence and presented an alternative theory of accidental drowning as Caylee Anthony's cause of death.  Both sides agreed on one thing:  Casey Anthony was a consummate liar.

She told her parents that Caylee was with a nanny named Zanny, a non-existent woman, as an explanation for her absence; that she and her daughter were with a rich boyfriend who doesn't exist; and that Zanny had been hospitalized after an out-of-town traffic crash, and that they visiting her.  None of it was true.  Why did Casey Anthony wait for a month to report Caylee missing?  That question will probably remain a mystery.  She also claimed that her father had sexually abused her starting at the age of eight, although no proof was offered to substantiate it.

One of the oddest parts of the prosecution's case came when Jeff Ashton showed a video of Casey playing with her daughter on the floor and holding her in the air.  Both had broad smiles and appeared to be thoroughly enjoying one another.  He then showed Casey Anthony living it up at a bar.  That tactic might have had the opposite of the intended effect.  It occurred late in the trial and could have left a lasting impression with some jurors that Casey obviously loved her daughter, despite the number of lies she told.

In the aftermath of the media circus, it will be interesting to see how the Anthony family handles life going forward.  George Anthony already tried to commit suicide in 2009,   Cindy lied on the stand about the internet searches involving chloroform, saying that she had done the searches, not Casey.  Casey's brother Lee was distraught during his testimony and visibly emotional when observing other testimony.  His relationship with his parents and Casey seems unclear.  I can already envision their hounding by the media and paparazzi continuing, despite the fact that the trial has ended.  I also predict we'll be seeing investigations on various true crime shows presenting their versions of what really happened.  Casey knows the true story, but I doubt that we ever will. 



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Poll Finds Many Americans Need History Lesson

Readers might have trouble believing this, but a Marist Poll conducted July 1, 2011 found that only 58% of the people polled knew that America declared its independence in 1776.  Twenty-six percent were unsure and 16% chose another date.  It sounds as though the 42% who didn't have the correct response might belong to the Palin/Bachman school of history.  One of my posts a few weeks ago detailed Palin's distorted account of Paul Revere's ride and Michele Bachman recently named John Quincy Adams, John Adams' son as one of our country's founding fathers--a difficult feat for a 9-year-old.

Fortunately, respondents redeemed themselves somewhat when 76% of them correctly identifed Great Britain as the country from which the US declared its independence.  However, that still leaves 24% who didn't know the answer.  Nineteen percent chose unsure and 5% chose another country.  First graders know the answers to these questions, but, evidently, some adults must have missed the lesson on the Declaration of Independence.  The most alarming result from this poll focuses on adults between the ages of 18 and 30.  Only 31% of the age group knew that the Declaration of Independence occurred in 1776.

A fundamental core of education is sadly lacking in this country, and it affects voting results and a true understanding of the founding principles of the United States.  In my experience, some of the most vocal critics of our government know the least about the constitution and the amendments that followed.  Florida even has a governor who takes pride in the fact that he doesn't read Florida newspapers.  What a great idea!  Why would he want to know what's happening in the state he governs.  It begs the question, "What does he read?" 

Wake up citizens of the United States.  All of us have an obligation to stay informed from independent sources and read publications that offer a wide range of views.  For some, this includes reading history books that provide information about the founding of this country and people from various historical periods who played a role in the events that have shaped it.  On this day that celebrates our independence, enjoy the fireworks and picnics, and then give thanks to all those who have fought to keep us free.  Happy July 4th!

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Ham on Wry Award-TSA Bungles Security Screening Again

Olajide Oluwaseun Noibi has discovered the cheapest way to fly: don't pay for the ticket and use someone else's boarding pass.  Noibi, a Nigerian national, used expired student ID from the University of Michigan  to make it through the initial checkpoint and the full security screening conducted by TSA.  Apparently, TSA considers 95-year-old women in wheel chairs much more dangerous than passengers without a valid boarding pass.or ID  Security agents can successfully identify a strange mass in a woman's Depends undergarment, but they can't  recognize a day-old boarding pass in another person's name, or an expired student ID.   Do you feel safer now?

This latest foul-up boggles the mind, and, it happened not once, but twice.  Noibi successfully boarded a Virgin Atlantic flight at JFK headed for LAX and wasn't discovered as a non-ticketed passenger until approximately halfway through the journey, when a flight attendant noticed he was sitting in an unassigned seat and asked to see his boarding pass.  After stalling for a few minutes, he handed her a pass that the ticketed passenger had lost on a subway the day before.  When he arrived at LAX, an FBI questioned and released him after determining that he posed no threat.

Five days later, Noibi used the same tactic again and made it through TSA a second time, but was arrested when he attempted to board a Delta flight.  Ten additional fraudulent boarding passes were found in his luggage, and he was scheduled for a hearing today.  This man knows no fear, it seems.

We can chuckle over this, but it exposes a serious problem with TSA screening.  They concentrate too much on exact rules and regulations and not enough on people exhibiting suspicious behavior.  As I did in the post dated June 27, 2011, I call for a review of TSA's policies and procedures.  It's time for some major changes when a harmless older woman is pulled aside for a full search and a man who could have been a terrorist makes it through security and boards a flight without proper identification and a valid boarding pass.  John S. Pistole should be held accountable for this breach and made to examine the procedures to improve them.  Otherwise, children and seniors will continue to suffer unwarranted embarrassment in the screening process while suspicious people make it through.  Check out what the former head of Israeli Airport Security said about TSA by clicking the link below.
http://deadlinelive.info/2011/06/29/tsa-is-a-joke-says-former-head-of-israeli-airport-security/

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