Remembering JFK

Ham on Wry devotes this post to the memory of John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his unrealized potential to spur the transformation of America into a place where all citizens enjoyed the rights promised in the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I must write this blog entry in the first person because I am sharing personal memories of that fateful day 50 years ago when Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President Kennedy and my world splintered.

President Kennedy took office in a time of great upheaval in our nation when a burgeoning civil rights movement shook the core of our national pride. We were definitely not "one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all" as our Pledge of Allegiance proclaimed. Kennedy envisioned a nation where freedom and justice applied equally to all its citizens and along with his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, pledged to move our country in that direction. His murder dashed the hopes of all who believed his promises.

Ironically, November 22, 1963 was exactly 50 years ago, for it also fell on Friday. I was a freshman in college and was hurrying to my French class, finding it odd that the halls were so quiet. As I neared the classroom, my French teacher leaned against the door, looking somewhat dazed. Usually, she stayed in the room speaking with students in French. One of my classmates followed close behind me, and she halted us both at the door. Speaking rapidly amidst her tears she announced, "President Kennedy was shot and killed. Class in canceled."

I was stunned and felt as though my body had turned to jello as I leaned against the wall for support and wailed. As more students appeared, the sounds of grief reverberated through the halls, creating a mournful symphony reminiscent of a funeral dirge. Eventually, we abandoned the building in silence, moving zombie-like toward our dorms.

My mom was waiting for me when I reached the dorm because I had a doctor's appointment in another city. Instead of going there, she took me home and rescheduled the appointment. We watched the news unfold on TV, and I regard that as a turning point in the way reporting happened on television. Live coverage of events did not occur prior to JFK's assassination, but that changed when he was murdered.

Many reporters who were just starting their careers during that time have said that they will never forget that day, and neither will I. To this day, no explanation that makes sense has emerged about Oswald's motive for assassinating President Kennedy, and I don't think any stunning revelation will answer that question in my lifetime. I keep thinking of Don McLean's song The Day the Music Died and wonder if we couldn't say that Kennedy's assassination was The Day the Our Nation Cried.

The image of Jackie Kennedy in her blood-spattered pink suit is forever etched in my memory. It came in part from the effect of the bullets that hit President Kennedy and partly because she climbed onto the back of the convertible in which they were riding in an attempt to gather some the matter that had landed there when one of the bullets hit his head. I can’t help but grieve for the unrealized future, especially when I see the utter calamity that calls itself Congress. Perhaps Kennedy’s memory can serve as a wake-up call to put aside the nonsense and remember Kennedy’s words. My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.

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Bring Jobs Back to America!

USPS Forever Stamp Honoring American Workers

Ham on Wry takes great pleasure in offering the link below, which takes you to a YouTube video detailing a plan to return jobs to America. Nicky Smith discusses the Million American Jobs Project, a basically foolproof  method of creating jobs in this country. Its stark simplicity makes it easy to follow with no risk.

This blogger has offered previous posts dealing with the economic woes in America and has long believed that the overemphasis on consumerism has undermined our economy. However, because of that situation, Americans can use their buying power to help turn around the economy by pledging to buy American. Click the link below and follow the plan. It does not require major sacrifices and nets huge rewards for our nation without government action required. Take the pledge now!

http://www.youtube.com/embed/4FrGxO2Fn_M?feature=player_detailpage

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Happy Holidays from Congress-Food Stamp Cuts Take Effect Today

Jim Cole/AP file photo

For the first time in the history of the food stamp program (SNAP), across-the-board cuts totaling $5 billion over the next year start today affecting approximately one in seven Americans. Evidently the members of Congress who voted for this have their heads buried in the sand and don't understand that most Americans have lost ground since 2008 and still need a boost to feed themselves and their families. Timing could not have been worse, since Thanksgiving will soon arrive, increasing an already heavy burden on food banks and other organizations that provide food to those in need.

SNAP allocations built into President Obama's 2009 stimulus package ended yesterday, and Congress made no provisions to continue it. That programs was designed to improve nutrition and eliminate junk food so that recipients could buy more nutritious food rather than buying the cheapest food available. SNAP recipients will now face the same tough choices they had prior to the stimulus package.

This blogger knows all to well the plight of people who can't stretch their budgets far enough to include meat, fruit and vegetables as staples of their diets from her experience in the non-profit sector. They overly rely on simple starches and canned goods that don't offer enough protein and vitamins to meet daily requirements.

The extreme conservative wing of the Republican Party is clamoring for more cuts to SNAP, a position this blogger considers an absolute outrage. Citizens of this country should always have enough food. Ham on Wry once again offers the words of our Founding Fathers when they created the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America, to remind the Tea Party and all who think they have the right idea of where the focus of our government should lie, and it isn't with support for businesses and corporations. We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence (sic), promote the General Welfare (bold purposely chosen), and secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Nowhere does the Preamble indicate an emphasis on business, commerce, trade, etc., yet the current Congress places more focus on that than citizens' general welfare. Perhaps those elected officials who have forgotten the tenets on which this country was formed should review the entire Constitution in order to perform their jobs more effectively. Surely, they can find bloated programs to cut rather than tampering with food sources.

The penurious supporters of further cuts to SNAP should be forced to live on it for a month to see the real consequences of their actions. In fact, their salaries should be cut in conjunction with the cuts they force on others.

It's time for change, voters. Remember the government shutdown and any cuts to vital programs that ensue at the polls next year. These idiots need a dose of their own medicine and should suffer the consequences of their ignorance.

 

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Beware the Anti-virus Pro Malware

Ham on Wry woefully reveals that the computer normally used to produce posts has been highjacked by an insidious malware that has rendered it temporarily useless.  Even though this blogger has a fair degree of internet savvy, she fell prey to a message stating that Microsoft detected high-level viruses that required immediate repair.

The message duped me into approving the repairs, which caused immediate problems and disabled Windows Defender.  Despite my best efforts and those of an organization that had published repair instructions for this malware, nothing worked.  In order to remove the malware, the skills of a technologist trained in malware removal are necessary.  Let this serve as a warning to all who read this post.  Microsoft doesn't use messages of that type, so never allow access if you receive one.  Do not purchase anything from Anti-virus Pro, because you will get nothing in return and the malware will still exist, according to the service person who tried to eradicate the problem by phone.

When the computer returns to functionality, posts will resume and occur more frequently.  Until then, may your computing proceed with no issues.  

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Dexter and Gizmo's Great Escape

Ham on Wry happily ends a roller coaster week of political wrangling by offering some humor. Dexter the cat helps Gizmo his dog pal escape the kitchen, despite their owner's best efforts to keep them confined. This should prove once and for all that cats have an amazing ability to problem solve. Click the embedded link after opening post and enjoy the show.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/17/cat-helps-dog-escape-_n_4115354.html?utm_hp_ref=email_share
 

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Tea Party Should Separate From Republican Party

Ted Cruz photo/salon.com

Ham on Wry has followed the proceedings during the 16-day government shutdown with deep interest and much research to separate fact from fiction by studying information presented by both sides. This blogger now concludes that a fundamental flaw exists in the Republican Party of today: the inclusion of the Tea Party in its roster. The Tea Party has radical views that one doesn't find in the Republican platform. That faction introduced the inclusion of the fight over the Affordable Care Act as part of the strategy to avert a shutdown and force President Obama to negotiate. That law passed in 2010 and the Supreme Court upheld it, yet Republicans wait until the brink of disaster to negotiate change. The government is operating again, but for just a few months.

The Tea Party strategy, heavily influenced by Heritage Action, damaged our nation in myriad ways. Globally, industrialized nations view the entire shutdown debacle as evidence that the United States can no longer claim leadership in either political process or economic security. Standard and Poor's estimates that the shutdown reduced the flow of money in the economy by $24 billion, and the Fitch rating agency announced that it might downgrade the AAA rating on US debt after a thorough review. People have lost their homes, their jobs, and face great uncertainty in their finances. Thanks to ill-informed House members like Ted Cruz, our nation appears financially ignorant and deeply divided, but reality shows a different view altogether.

A recent study showed that 51% of Americans fall in the middle politically and don't believe either party reflects their views. They feel disenfranchised with no one representing their beliefs in how government should run. The majority of them feel that the government should offer health care and emphasize citizens' interests over that of business. In addition, they express concern about the government consistently operating with budget deficits and believe financial matters should take priority along with basic human issues. It seems that neither party represents those of us who want reason and sanity to prevail.

The Tea Party's callous disregard of the negative consequences surrounding their stubborn refusal to deal with the issues other than the ACA reveals an entirely different focus than that of the mainstream Republican Party. Therefore, it should establish itself as a separate party and develop a platform congruent with its followers. It will make voting easier and allow Americans an alternative to the two-party system.

Ham on Wry also calls for those who believe no party represents their interest to form one that does. Perhaps then voters would engage more actively in the selection of candidates by means of independent thought rather than political ads designed to denigrate opponents rather than to inform about ideology.

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House Republicans Ignore Reality of Damage They Create

bossip.com image

Republicans will soon adopt an identical visage to that of John Boehner pictured above. Those who still insist on attaching provisions about the Affordable Health Care Act to reopen the government and stave off a crisis when the United States can no longer borrow money in two days will face the wrath of many Americans if the worst case scenario is realized. Any member of the House who displays the gross ignorance of believing that no lasting effects will occur if the deadline passes with no settlement have little understanding of the economics that will come into play.

Ham on Wry chooses to address this issue once again in order to send a wake up call to those citizens who still support the band of Republican conservatives whose stubborn adherence to this ridiculous ploy. Behind the scenes, Michael Needham, 31, who heads Heritage Action, a conservative group funded by the Koch brothers, has orchestrated this nonsense. For Republicans who refuse to join in lock step with Heritage's vision of future government, Needham raises the threat of using the vast sums available to Heritage and work against their re-election by supporting Tea Party candidates. He obviously doesn't subscribe to the power of a Supreme Court ruling or show concern for the harm his intransigence has already caused millions of Americans. Needham's smug words at a recent Christian Science Monitor breakfast reveals his lack of compassion. He told the attendees he is happy to sit in a situation that has shut down the NLRB and the EPA "until President Obama stops this unaffordable and unfair law." Needham displays a total disregard for citizens in both word and deed,

Citizens of this country must inform themselves by reading information from all sides and can find ample information available online and in libraries. All Americans bear the responsibility of making informed decisions about the government. The framers of the constitution could not have envisioned the havoc wreaked by allowing corporations to be considered citizens. No organization can realistically be defined as a citizen, but those with political motives now run the country, it seems. Voters don't elect them, but some members of Congress behave like their puppets.

Ham on Wry has included the following quote from the movie Network in previous posts, and it expresses this blogger's current frustration eloquently. "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it any more." Join me in bombarding Congress with demands to end this impasse and move forward.

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Boehner a Stumbling Block to Shutdown Resolution

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

 Ham on Wry found the perfect image of House Speaker John Boehner for this post, because it captures his true essence and reflects his attitude about ending the government shutdown. While he claims that he doesn't have the votes to end the shutdown, every TV network has released poll numbers that show just the opposite. Shakespeare's Macbeth said, in part, that life is "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." That, readers, sums Boehner's opinions perfectly.

In case any readers didn't know, members of the House can still collect their salaries during the shutdown under the 27th Amendment, as well as access their health club, all paid by taxpayers who suffer the consequences of their childish bickering and obdurate refusal to negotiate a reasonable end to the stalemate. Meanwhile, the public watches the countdown to yet another economic tsunami, if Republicans continue to hold government hostage until a delay of the Affordable Health Care Act is approved. This blogger holds all of these idiots accountable for their flagrant disregard for a law approved by Congress and upheld by the Supreme Court. Their ridiculous posturing has far-reaching effects on innocent people who suffer because of the elected officials who are not doing their job effectively. A friend told of a couple scheduled to close on a new home last week, but the bank balked because the husband was a furloughed government employee, thus forcing them to live in a hotel. Ham on Wry decries their plight and knows several thousand other citizens have tales of woe as well.

Some moderate Republicans have expressed chagrin about the current state of affairs and urge their colleagues to stop the nonsense, all to no avail. Boehner has too much power when he can prevent a vote based on doubtful information and should call the vote. Only then will the truth emerge. He should do the country a favor and retire next year, because our nation has suffered mightily under his lack of courage and leadership. His failure to neogitate is costing citizens more than money. He has destroyed confidence in America's ability to govern worldwide.

Join Ham on Wry in calling for him to either step down and allow someone more capable to assume his post or not to seek another term. After all, he can always join the rank of former Congress member who now have jobs as lobbyists. On further reflection, he probably can't after he has sullied his reputation in behaving like a spoiled child. Maybe he can work as a Walmart greeter, but that would require learning how to smile.

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Mark Twain's Opinion of Congress Relevant Today

Mark Twain/kootation.com

Hal Holbrook/en.wikipedia.org

Ham on Wry's blogger had the distinct pleasure of seeing Hal Holbrook in Mark Twain Tonight Saturday. Holbrook gave his first solo performance of Mark Twain in 1954 and still wows audiences 59 years later. His choice of Twain quotes about Congress struck a chord with me, as well as everyone else who attended indicated by the resounding applause for his portrayal of an American icon.

Holbrook has fine-tuned his characterization of Twain over the years and deftly conveyed the writer's sarcastic wit and sardonic view of life with precision. It spurred me to research Twain and offer some of the pertinent quotes about Congress that readers might find applicable, given the current state of affairs in Washington, D.C. Twain disdained politics and considered members of Congress "ignoramuses," as the following quotes will reveal.

As Twain, Holbrook said, "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." The audience howled with laughter at that and his story about Twain's friend who wanted to commit suicide and finally resorted to shooting himself in the head with a pistol. The bullet entered on one side of his skull and exited the other, destroying all the gray matter in between, but he didn't die. He was elected to Congress instead.

"It could probably be shown by facts and figure that there is no native American criminal class except Congress." Holbrook intoned that quote and variants thereof several times during the evening. Given the exorbitant amount of money spent on congressional election campaigns, most of which comes from lobbyist groups and other donors who couch their contributions in organizations with names such as American for Liberty or Concerned Denizens of American the Great, those words were prophetic. That Twain held Congress in contempt so long ago reveals that the citizens of today have the same frustrations as those of earlier generations, only the problems have increased exponentially.

This post ends with a Twain quote that readers would do well to consider a life's pursuit. "Life is short, Break the Rules. Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that makes you smile." Thank you, Hal Holbrook, for bringing Twain to life on stage. His wisdom has meaning that transcends his time on earth.






 

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Homeless Man Who Returned Backpack Filled with $40,000 Receives $148,000 in Online Donations

AP photo

 Ham on Wry's post today will uplift readers, as the blog takes a break from excoriating Washington politicians and concentrates on a story with a happy ending.

When homeless man Glen James  found a backpack containing over $40,000 in cash and travelers checks September 16, he never expected the kind of notoriety that followed his turning it over to the Boston police. Thanks to social media and news outlets, the story spread worldwide, prompting a man in Virginia to establish an online fund on GoFundMe.com to honor James' selfless act. Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis honored James with a certificate for being a Good Samaritan(see photo above).

The Today Show aired a segment October 3 during which James met Ethan Whittington, the man who established the fund for him. By airtime, over $148,000 in donations had been sent, far exceeding Whittington's expectations. The two embraced and James expressed his gratitude to Whittington for his thoughtfulness.

James confessed that he didn't enjoy talking on camera because he speaks with a stutter. He told the reporter Kerry Sanders that he never considered keeping the money and thought only of the best way to ensure it was returned to its rightful owner. Throughout the piece, James showed humility and kindness in his views. He has been homeless since 2005 and suffers frequently from vertigo, which makes it difficult for him to hold a job. He stays in a homeless shelter and panhandles to pay for the he needs to live, but that should soon change after he receives the money from the online site.






 

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House of Reprentatives Spending Proposal Delays Health Care Funding: Shutdown Looms

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Ham on Wry's disgust regarding the heinous posturing evident in the House of Representatives with its latest maneuver to delay funding of the Affordable Health Care Act knows no bounds. The members' callous disregard of the far-reaching effects such action places on government agencies and recipients of their services spurs this blogger to once again call for their ouster during the next election. That means any representative who voted for this abomination. The House has played citizens like pieces on a chessboard, and it's time to show disgust for their political jockeying at the polls.

The 27th Amendment protects the pay of congressional members, but government agencies, military personnel, and the U.S. postal service employees won't receive paychecks, although members of the armed forces will receive I.O.U's. What a relief that is for those laying their lives on the line for a country where politicians still get paid for wreaking financial hardship on others. Fortunately, once the shutdown ends, history shows that unpaid government workers will eventually receive lost pay.

John Boehner/Getty

For those who live in Ohio, voting John Boehner out of office would provide one of the greatest services a citizen can make to America. He shows a total lack of leadership and sways in the wind with his support to whatever group screams the loudest. Ham on Wry also urges Virginia to rid the country of Eric Cantor, another representative who speaks out of both sides of his mouth and does little to move government in a positive direction.

The Senate has vowed to veto the spending bill passed by the House, so a government shutdown looks quite likely, unless the House passes the Senate version of the spending bill that will restore funding to healthcare. Boehner's infantile whining and sour countenance do little to allow much hope of averting at least a short government shutdown. This kind of nonsense would cause immediate dismissal in the private sector. Remember that in the next election, readers.

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The Myth of "Unfettered Capitalism" and Why It Fails the 99%

en.wikipedia.org

The concept of unfettered capitalism reminds this blogger of a Hans Christian Anderson tale, The Emperors New Clothes, in which two tailors swindle a self-involved king by promising an elegant set of clothes that will be invisible to anyone unfit for his position or too stupid to see the clothing. The king parades his new outfit in front of his subjects, and everyone feigns admiration for such beautiful garments-everyone, except a child who cries out that the king is naked.  Consider politicians and pundits who insist that no regulations should inhibit the natural flow of capitalism as the king's subjects and the child a representation of those that call for more regulation because they recognize the damage wrought by capitalism run amok.

Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, symbolizes the problems with the notion that regulations cause unnecessary interruptions to businesses. Most readers will vividly recall the economic meltdown that occurred in 2008, from which the United States has yet to recover. Dimon presides over one of the largest financial behemoths in the world and received a whopping pay package of $23 million in 2011, despite his organization's contributions to the financial disaster that happened during his tenure. How many readers would still be working for an organization that failed under his/her leadership?

World Com, Enron, Lehman Brothers, and others too numerous to list have gone under because capitalism has gone awry in the United States. Readers will also recognize the name Bernie Madoff (aptly named, according to this blogger) who stole $18 billion from investors using an elaborate Ponzi scheme to "rob Peter to pay Paul." That figure was the final tally from a court-appointed trustee who worked on the case. None of these egregious situations would have occurred if tighter controls existed allowing for more oversight of those entrusted with handling investors' money. Just trying to sort through hedge funds can make one crazy and hedge fund managers have confessed that they don't understand the instruments themselves. However, that doesn't stop traders from accepting the enormous bonuses that follow after persuading people to invest in them.

The American economy is now predicated on consumer spending, a situation that attracts disaster. When the economy depended more on the creation and sale of manufactured items, it had a solid base on which to thrive. Now, the shrinking middle class has fewer dollars to spend, and the wealthy elite purchase 38% of goods sold in this country. The government touts figures that show more people are employed with each passing quarter, but many of those jobs are part-time or at a rate much less than employees previously earned. Concurrently, prices of almost everything are rising, thus increasing the gap between income and cost of living expenses.

The Today Show aired a segment this morning revealing that just 11% of working women have paid maternity leave, while only 60% qualify for the 12 weeks of unpaid leave required under federal law for businesses with at least 50 employees. So much for the lip service paid by those in office about the importance of children as leaders of tomorrow. Even more startling, the United States is the only industrialized country in the world that doesn't mandate paid maternity leave. Congress capitulates to business groups that whine it would cost them too much to provide it. Clearly, this nation faces myriad problems caused by a capitalistic focus that will eventually divide the population into haves and have nots, as many works of science fiction have already depicted on film. Enough already!

Ham and Wry offers the following solution: fire everyone in Congress and get rid of all lobbyists. America's economy would vastly improve and perhaps the middle class could again occupy its rightful place along the Bell Curve.

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Aaron Alexis Named as Navy Yard Gunman

AP photo

The FBI has identified Aaron Alexis, 34, a defense contractor and former Navy reservist, as the gunman who killed 12 people and wounded 8 others is a shooting spree September 16 at the Washington Navy Yard. He gained access to the secure facility legally using his contractor status and commenced his rampage using an AR-15 assault rifle, a shotgun and later with a handgun he pilfered from a police officer. Police officers killed Alexis after he barricaded himself at the headquarters building inside the compound.

No motive for the crime has yet been determined. Alexis has a history of problems with the law, including two during which he used guns illegally. According to people who knew him, he regarded himself as a victim of discrimination from the Navy, possibly due to delays in receiving his pay, and began treatment for mental disorders from the Veterans Administration in August.

The shooter worked in a Thai restaurant and considered himself a Buddhist, but his actions at the Navy Yard were in direct conflict with Buddhist teachings.

Seven of the victims killed have been positively identified. Michael Arnold, 59; Sylvia Frasier, 53; Kathy Garde, 62; John Roger Johnson, 73; Frank Kohler, 50; Kenneth Bernard Proctor, 46; and,Vishnu Pandit, 61. Ham on Wry extends its deepest sympathy to the family members of these 7 victims and those not yet known.

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Washington Navy Yard Scene of Deadly Shootings

alexwong/gettyimages

Just before 8:30 am EST Monday, a gunman or gunmen shot several victims injuring some and killing others at the Washington Navy Yard in the southeast section of D. C. The latest information identifies four dead and at least eight wounded; however, conflicting reports about the number of fatalities and wounded prevent this blog from reporting exact details yet.

Dr. Janis Orlowski from Medstar Washington Hospital stated that three critically injured victims had arrived at the hospital, including one police officer. She talked with all three and said the nature of their injuries points to the use of a semi-automatic weapon in the attack.

Washington, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier confirmed that one shooter who had barricaded himself in an office in the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarter building was killed and police are searching for two other possible suspects, one a white male possibly wearing navy fatigues and the other a black male around 50.

No one has yet explained how the perpetrator(s) could gain access to such a secure building.

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Remembrance of 9/11

boston.com

Almost anyone in the world who was at least five September 11, 2001 can answer the question posed by the post title with little difficulty. This blogger moved from New York City to another state several months before that horrific event but had many friends and colleagues who still lived there. Consequently, when a woman who shared an elevator ride in the parking garage at the office building where I worked started shouting into her cell, I heard her say," Oh, my God!", which drew every riders' attention. She then whispered, "A plane just hit one of the World Trade Center Towers."

I exited the elevator along with my fellow passengers and ran toward the office. No one there had yet heard the news, so I went to the meeting room and turned on the TV just as the second plane collided with the South Tower. A sense of foreboding discounted any excuse I might have offered to explain away the disaster. One plane might veer off course, but two? Never!

By then, everyone had assembled in that room with all eyes staring in disbelief as the TV blared. We worked for one of the Big 5 firms, and, since I was the only one who had worked in NYC, I told them we had a large consulting group working in the South Tower. Repeated attempts to reach the firm in New York failed, and we were sent home because working was out of the question in light of what happened.

After watching the footage of the two planes creating infernos of one of my favorite places in NYC, I tried unsuccessfully to reach friends who lived in other Burroughs and nearby suburbs. Finally I connected with one of my colleagues much later that day and learned that the entire team of consultants had escaped safely, thanks to one of the men who had lived through the 1993 Trade Center bombing. When repeated announcements instructed people to return to their offices, he responded, "Hell no!" and led the group of over forty down the stairs. They didn't stop until they reached the office in Midtown Manhattan many miles away.

While I didn't live through the debacle personally, I fretted every moment until I heard from friends in lower Manhattan near the WTC and in Brooklyn Heights. I repeatedly heard It could have been worse, but for all those who lost a loved one or dealt with relatives and friends who suffered severe burns and other major injuries those words had no meaning. Since 9/11 many first responders have also died or suffered with severe health problems from inhaling smoke and dusty debris from the rubble.

Each time I visit the city and take the subway that I used frequently to the World Trade Center, an eerie sensation overcomes me. Instead of exiting and seeing a newsstand directly in front of me, I see a wall. which feels as though I have reached the end of the world. As a reminder to what was, this post includes a picture of the WTC prior to 9/11 below. The memory of that iconic scene will live forever in me.

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Secretary of State Kerry Announces Support for Military Action Against Syria

Getty Images

Secretary of State John Kerry shown above with French President Laurent Fabius announced support from Saudi Arabia for military action against Syria based on evidence that Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons on Syrians in Damascus. He stated further that other Arab countries will sign a document casting blame on Assad for using such weapons, after a three-hour meeting with the Arab League in Paris. Well, whoopee! Of course, none of these called supporters will take the action that they expect the good old United States to spearhead--military strikes.

Forgive the sarcasm, readers, but understand it was done intentionally. This blogger sees no justification for the United States to stand at the forefront of a strategy that involves the use of our military equipment and/or military personnel. Let some other country lead the charge for once, if necessary. Although Nabil Elaraby, General Secretary of the Arab League, confirmed that several League members agreed to sign a denunciation, no specifics were provided. Hey, it's your region guys. How about "walking the talk" and ridding the Middle East of Bashar using whatever means you choose. The people of the United States are war weary and we have problems of our own to solve right here.

This blogger also fails to understand why political leaders can stand by and watch millions of people slaughtered by despots in Africa and do nothing but spring into action when Syria uses chemical weapons. Has this nation conveniently forgotten what Agent Orange did to the troops fighting in Viet Nam and denied it had harmful effects until enough pressure forced a confession? As the Beatles sang, "Speaking words of wisdom, let it be, let it be." It's time for America to adopt that mantra because we can't save the world.

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National Zoo Panda Cub a Girl!

photo from spiderxcat/Flickr

The National Zoo announced Thursday the Giant Panda cub born to Mei Xiang is a girl whose name will be announced on her 100-day-old birthday according to Chinese tradition. Officials will consult with their colleagues in China and hope to select from several choices of names for Mei Xiang's offspring.

The birth of the cub August 23 was followed the next day by a second cub that was stillborn. An examination determined that cub was also a female who had deformities which prevented normal development.

Mama is shown above in a photo taken August 29, supplied by Smithsonian's National Zoo with credit to AP, bonding with her baby. The zoo identified Tian Tian, another resident of the zoo, as the father of the newborn.  He weighs in at 264 pounds and was used to artificially inseminate Mei Xiang when their mating failed. The Zoo also used Gao Gao, another male Giant Panda from the San Diego Zoo, to boost the chances of conception.

The cub's panda markings are beginning to appear and zoo officials describe her as healthy and active, but the public will not glimpse her live until she has reached four months. She will stay at the National Zoo for four years and then journey to China where she will have a permanent home.
 

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President Obama Should Not Order an Air Strike on Syria

nytimes.com

Ham on Wry will offer to wry witticisms in this post, and has, instead opted to pen a plea to President Obama about the threatened air strike against Syria.

President Obama, your decision to order an air strike against Syria deeply disappoints this blogger. In order to serve the best interest of the American people, you must take greater care with your stance on an appropriate course of action, because the United States in not the world's police force. Announcing a military strike preceded the actual findings of the UN inspectors, an unwise choice on your part. As a British Parliament member cautioned in the British Parliament debate about an air strike, evidence should precede decision, and that nation will not join in military action at this time. If an air strike in Syria kills one innocent victim, it makes the United States part of the problem, not the solution.

America does not have the resources necessary to correct all the crimes against humanity in the world today. Until more of our allies call for military action, we must adopt a more studied approach. In all of your deliberations, remember that violence begets violence rather than quelling it. Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. demonstrated the power of peaceful demonstrations, but that option does not exist in countries led by despots. Have you not learned from the history of wars in which the United States participated no one really wins in the long term? Stand up for what is right, not what is expedient, President Obama. Use reason in choosing a course of action, because you could create greater hatred of the United States than already exists in many nations. Consider the legacy you are leaving for your children and all future generations of this nation. Teaching by example wields far more power than the spoken word. Our nation has damaged generations of young people for unclear reasons at an immeasurable cost to the country’s psyche.

The only people who profit from wars are those that build and sell the equipment used and those who own private companies that run covert operations in a paramilitary fashion. Please stand up to the hawks and do the right thing. Just say no!

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Curiosity Continues to Amaze

NASA aptly named Curiosity, the Mars rover that started its exploration just over one year ago. All the photos in this blog came from the NASA online site, so interested readers can see many more by using the following link to access the image gallery: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/gallery-indexEvents.html#lowerAccordion-set1-slide9

The photo above shows the larger of Mars' two moons, Phobos, passing in front of Deimos, the smaller moon, on August 1st. Watching Curiosity's journey unfold far surpasses any fare one could see on TV. All who do are witnessing history in the making on a planet that might have once supported life.

 

The next image shows Mars entire path from August 5,2012 when it landed to August 1, 2013, just prior to its one-year anniversary. During that time, it has covered a distance of one mile, which sounds small but has produced gargantuan results.

 

 

Curiosity captured this westward view from its camera July 31, 2013 showing the landscape in the area. The area called "Elsie Mountain" is dominated by rocks. In the distance, a portion of Gale Crater forms the background.

 

Ham on Wry offers no wry commentary about Curiosity, since the entire mission is nothing short of a miracle.

 



 

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The Butler Delivers Oscar-worthy Performances

Anne Marie Fox/Weistein Company

The Butler debuted August 16tth and immediately claimed the number one spot at the box office. The movie chronicles the life of Cecil Daniels, born to a cotton picker in the south, who eventually serves as a White House butler for 34 years through eight administrations. Forest Whitaker as Cecil marries Gloria, portrayed by Oprah Winfrey, and has two sons. Both actors deserve Oscar nominations.

The all-star cast includes Cuba Gooding-too long absent from the big screen, Lenny Kravitz, Terrence Howard, Vanessa Redgrave, Robin Williams, Liev Schreiber, John Cusack, and many others, all of whom made the film a stand-out. Schreiber had a scene showing his character Lyndon Johnson conducting a meeting while sitting on the toilet as Gaines patiently waits for the others to leave so he can serve Johnson's needs. Crass though it might seem, Johnson did that frequently.

David Oyelowo, as Gaines' older son Louis, seethes at the racial divide in America and chooses an activist's path that leads him the Freedom Riders and the Black Panthers after meeting Carol (YaYa Da Costa) at Fisk University and discovering her passion to change the status quo for Blacks. Da Costa reminded this blogger of Angela Davis, well-known for her radical stance in the Civil Rights Movement, in both appearance and determination. Carol's choice to remain with the Black Panthers when they announce a "kill or be killed" stance eventually splits the pair. By then, the rift between Gaines and his son seems irreparable for several reasons.

Director Lee Daniels expertly juxtaposes the genteel existence of the presidents and the butlers who serve them, much on the order of Upstairs, Downstairs and Backstairs at the White House. The scenes of activists occupying a whites-only area at a lunch counter in Nashville and a Freedom Riders bus blown up in Mississippi brought back horrific memories of that period for this blogger. When James Marsden as President John F. Kennedy tells Gaines that watching those atrocities unfold had changed his brother Bobby's heart as well as his own, it reveals the difficulty someone has in understanding the agony of discrimination without a visceral experience to drive it home.

The Butler is a must-see movie on many levels. Those who didn't witness the Civil Rights Movement first-hand will perhaps better understand life during the period with which the movie dealt. Those who saw it unfold will benefit from a refresher course of the determination shown by civil rights activists in the pursuit of justice for all under the United States Constitution. History comes alive in this movie.

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