Threatening Letters Sent to President Obama and Mayor Bloomberg

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President Obama today received a  suspicious letter, much like the ones sent to New York City's Mayor Bloomberg and Mark Glaze, Director/Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a non-profit group Bloomberg and Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston founded. 

All of the letters contained threats about the recipients' support for stricter gun control laws.  The FBI is investigating all three that tested positive for ricin, a poison so deadly that a few grains the size of table salt can kill an adult. 

According to ABC News, the text of the first two letters claimed that the writer has a "constitutional and God-given right and I will exercise that right 'til I die," referring to the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.  Apparently, the sender believes that God co-authored the constitution and must have forgotten one of God's commandments states, "Thou shalt not kill", and God later proclaimed, "Vengeance is mine."

Perhaps this idiot doesn't realize that the very action of threatening others with deadly poison and promising worse things than what the letter contained make a solid case for thorough background checks on all who purchase guns, no matter where the sale occurs, public or private.  The writer obviously doesn't bother to read about the proposed legislation that had nothing to do with restricting the right to own a gun for law-abiding citizens.  Congress has already approved a watered-down bill, so the writer should do more homework before sounding off.

Members of Congress, wake up!  You are ignoring your responsibility to the American people to ensure their safety as best you can.  Susan Collins, a senator from Maine, supported an amended version of the original bill that eliminated the possibility of a national gun registry.   Senator Collins, I challenge you to explain why you oppose a gun registry that would make it simpler to apprehend criminals and prevent the illegal sale of weapons across state lines.  You supposedly had concerns about guns passed down among family members. What about the private sales that don't require the seller to determine whether the buyer has a criminal record?   This blogger has grown weary of the watered-down legislation that panders to special interest groups like the NRA.  The American people did not elect them, and they often act against the best interests of citizen safety.

Join me in casting votes against any sitting member of Congress until we have elected officials that are not beholden to lobbyists and special interest groups.  Congress has forgotten its duties and responsibilities to American citizens to such a degree that its member grow fat and rich while the nation founders.  I, for one, am "mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it any more." (from the movie Network).

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Teachers, Modern Day Heroes in Disasters

"A picture is worth a thousand words" aptly describes the photo above and the one below.  Both pictures depict teachers from Moore, Oklahoma after a raging tornado hit Briarwood Elementary, credited to Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman, via AP.

For those who scorn teachers as unworthy of praise, the bottom of the barrel, and countless other criticisms, this blogger challenges them to find a group of people more dedicated to those they serve, other than first responders of all varieties.  How many of those critics would shield co-workers or employees with their bodies in the selfless act of putting others first?  This blogger has a cynical answer to that question--only a small percentage.

A teacher's worth is determined intrinsically by the effect each has on the students that pass through the portals of his/her classroom, not by the ubiquitous standardized tests used to measure student achievement.  How does one place value on the impact of those educators who lost their lives last December while protecting the students at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT?  No amount of money can possibly bring any of them back to life, yet they live on in the memories of all the students and parents affected by that tragedy.   

Earlier this week, a monstrous tornado ripped through Moore, Oklahoma, leaving a path of destruction resembling the aftermath of a major battle in war.  Again, teachers took action to protect their charges by lying on top of them, or herding them to a safer place, or shielding them in some other manner.   Briarwood Elementary suffered no casualties, in part because of the teachers' heroism.   Unfortunately, seven students died at Plaza Towers Elementary, but many more would have perished, if the teachers hadn't acted with bravery.

Most of us have heard the idiom, "those who can, do; those who can't, teach."  I suggest that we should ditch that cliché in favor of "those who can, teach; those who can't, do something less worthwhile."  It's time to give teachers their due.  Say thank you to one this week who has made a contribution in your life.

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Aguilera and Green Return to The Voice Season 5

NBC photo

NBC announced the return of Christina Aquilera and CeeLo Green for the next season of The Voice, but don't lament the loss of Shakira and Usher.  They're scheduled to judge season 6 of the runaway hit, and this blogger rejoiced at the news of Shakira's return.  She brings the kind of warmth and sincerity seriously lacking in Aquilera's approach to her interactions with the other coaches.  I can't say the same for Usher.  He has offered carefully-crafted criticism to some of the contestants that unnecessarily focused on shortcomings apparent in other performers that he praised.  CeeLo's humor and camaraderie with Blake, Adam, and Christina puts contestants at ease, and I would prefer him over Usher to form a cohesive panel of judges.

The Voice scores consistently high in the ratings, leaving its competitors in the dust because it avoids the diva drama that regularly occurs on American Idol and focuses on the hopefuls, not the coaches.   X Factor also fails to impress and America's Got Talent includes all kinds of talent with more of a variety show style.

NBC.com

Season Four has featured many talented performers, but, for my money, Judith Hill demonstrates the most versatility and star potential.  Hill's mother is an ethnic Korean born in Japan and her father is black, which explains her exotic appearance. She has a powerful voice with an exceptional range, but she also commands the piano with grace and style.  Her talent won her a gig as a back-up singer in Michael Jackson's comeback; however, Jackson's death ended that opportunity.  Hill is the consummate artist, and I predict that she will win the season 4 competition.

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NBC's Ratings Nosedive Continues

NBC photo/Justin Lubin

Jay Leno has made jokes about the "snakes" heading NBC's management for months, and this blogger would add "total imbeciles" to the list.  The network's downfall started years ago when it moved Jay Leno to the 10:00 time slot and replaced him with Conan O'Brien, considering the strategy a stroke of genius.  While O'Brien had a following, it didn't comprise the same audience who watched the Tonight Show regularly.  The next season, Leno returned to the late night venue, but it took two seasons to rebuild the audience after that debacle.

While other mistakes occurred in programming, nothing topped the aforementioned ratings disaster until NBC fired Ann Curry last June.  Her final appearance on the Today Show was gut-wrenching to watch.  She had exactly five minutes to say goodbye and her departure lacked the fanfare, balloons, and party atmosphere that accompanied Meredith Vieira's last day.  Curry's humiliation brought her to tears and her co-host Matt Lauer did little to comfort her.  That episode forced me to bid farewell to a morning show that previously formed part of my daily routine. 

NBC couldn't leave it at that, however.  Management forced her to report on events and human interest stories for a year.  Her torture should end soon and allow her to find a more fitting role.  She didn't perform well as Lauer's co-anchor, but she does have talent as a reporter.

The latest ax to fall cut Rock Center from the lineup.  No mystery there.  Decision makers treated the show like a pawn on a chess board, moving its day and time frequently and changing the format to include trending news.  It started as a news show that delivered straightforward reporting on important stories that didn't necessarily make the headlines.  Brian Williams should find another network after that treatment. Chalk up another decision disaster for the top dogs.

I have an idea, but it probably won't fly because it follows a sense of logic.  Since leadership has made the myriad bad choices that caused the ratings slide, fire them!  NBC needs fresh ideas and a different perspective on what will succeed than the current crop of dopes can deliver.  Consider these feckless wonders stick figures on a white board, wipe them away, and start over.

 

 

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America Does Not Need Another Bush at the Helm

nytimes.com

Jeb Bush acts suspiciously like someone shooting for a run at the presidency in 2016.  Buyer beware!  As the governor of Florida, he had one redeeming trait--the ability to handle storm emergencies effectively.  In his newly-released book,  Immigrations Wars: Forging an American Solution, Bush departs from his previous stance and argues, along with co-author Clint Bolick, that offering illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship would serve to encourage more illegal entries to the United States.  As Florida's governor, he argued exactly the opposite.

His claims of successful education reform in Florida are at best, suspect, and at worst, outright lies.  Bush encouraged the proliferation of charter schools, some of which performed admirably, while most failed to meet the accomplishment of public schools in their areas.  According to Scott Maxwell's October 16, 2012 article in the Orlando Sentinel, one out of every five charter schools closes its doors, and charter schools accounted for 50% of F-rated schools in 2011, even though they constitute just 11% of the schools in the state.  Those statistics alone should raise eyebrows and call into question the accountability issue Bush touts as fundamental to success.  Apparently, charter schools get a free pass in his view, while public schools must adhere to strict standards.  As a whole, charter schools fall seriously short of educating students according to established standards.

Bush also pushed for the FCAT as a measure of not only of student success, but also of teacher success.  Forget the fact that not all classrooms are created equal in Florida.  He'd like us to forget that a huge divide exists in schools that serve the have's and those that serve the have not's.  Reality doesn't penetrate his view of what's best for Florida schools.

Beware of Bush's glowing assessment of his achievements as governor offered in Sunday's Tampa Bay Times.  Under his leadership, the seeds of the coming economic debacle were planted, and we are still experiencing the effects today.  Republicans dole out incentives for businesses to relocate to Florida as a means of increasing jobs, but the results never match the promises.  Instead, taxpayer money goes to companies rather than to Florida's citizens. 

In the same article, he states that "Americans need to re-establish that success is a good thing," implying that citizens no longer believe that.  Underlying that comment lies his insidious hidden agenda to continue and increase the huge gap between the wealthiest Americans and the shrinking middle class.  It's nonsense to ignore how the distribution of wealth has changed over the last 20 years.  We need substantive reform of the tax code and government incentives for improving education and restoring faith in those who choose teaching as a profession.  We don't need to spend money to attract business.  Businesses will choose Florida when evidence shows that we have a competitive educational system which produces clear-thinking graduates with a firmly-grounded work ethic.

President Obama is three months into his second term, and we're already seeing Bush's return to the limelight in preparation for the next election.  Please, give me a break!  The last election bombarded us for most of 2012.  Let's not start the next race already.  Maybe if we're lucky, the Supreme Court will overturn Citizens United, and we can return to a modicum of sanity during the election season.  I know.  Call me a dreamer!

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JP Morgan Severely Understated Losses in 2012

businessinsider.com

JPMorgan CEO Jaime Dimon almost looks chagrined in the above photo, as well he should.  The company lost $6.2 in trading losses last year and cut Dimon's salary in half.  The poor man wound up with a measly $11.5 million.  As the captain of the ship that hit the London Whale iceberg, he should have received nothing, in this blogger's estimation.  In fact, JPMorgan should take his salary until he legally recoups those losses for investors.  But wait, he can't.   Dimon doesn't work miracles, and his lax oversight illustrates the problem with large financial behemoths.   Banks give regulators false information when losses occur, and everyone except the executives lose money.  No one human in worth the $23 million dollar salary Dimon should have received in 2012, and he still prospers while trusting investors lose massive amounts.

JPMorgan reminds me of the story "The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf."  The bank's oft repeated apologies for losses fall on deaf ears because the public has heard the excuse too many times before.  The Senate panel that heard testimony about the scandal last Thursday blasted bank executives for misleading regulators and investors and questioned them Friday, pressuring them to "come clean."  Senator Carl Levin led the subcommittee as its chairman and labeled some of the bank's failures as "egregious."

I fail to understand why anyone would invest in a hedge fund because the only people to emerge unscathed are those who sell them and executives who enjoy annual salaries most people don't earn in a lifetime.  Remember those brave souls who started the Occupy Wall Street movement?  The leaders understood the machinations of those organizations and the effect their dealings have on the average citizen.  These behemoths bear responsibility, in part, for the widening gap between the richest and the poorest and the squeeze on those in the middle.

Ham on Wry calls for action on the part of investors to limit the compensation of CEO's and other top executives who gain great wealth at the expense of people who can ill afford to lose their money.  These so-called leaders always emerge relatively unscathed when these huge losses occur.  That must change.  We need honesty and integrity in the people who lead public companies and have suffered myriad examples of highly-paid executives reaping benefits when their organizations fail.  Readers can demand change by placing their faith in financial institutions that have proven their worth and withdrawing money from those that don't.  Do it before another meltdown occurs!

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Republicans Focus on Deficit Erroneously

Reuters/Gary Cameron

Paul Ryan, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, released a budget that places heavy emphasis on reducing the deficit, which President Obama firmly believes will not solve the most important problems facing the United States today.  This blogger agrees wholeheartedly with Obama's stance after reading countless studies that affirm his position.  I now consider Paul Ryan akin to Public Enemy Number One status, along with his band of faithful Republicans who have turned a blind eye to the plight of the rapidly-shrinking middle class.

Republicans falsely accuse Obama of wanting more tax cuts when he asks, instead, to close loopholes in the tax system.  Those loopholes allow the wealthy elite to flourish with the many tax breaks afforded them while the rest of us founder in a sea of rising costs and dwindling salaries.  As an example, Mitt Romney paid 15% on his investment income of over $14 million in 2010, the one tax return he released during his run for president.   Others who earned their money in salary or earned income paid the highest rate, which was 35% in that year, and the vast majority earned well under $1 million.  Does that make sense to readers?

Given that the wealthiest 1% had 288 times the net worth of the average American in 2010, an increase of more than twice as much as 1962 when it pegged at a multiple of 125. that group needs no help in their financial status.  Several studies show that the top 1% have 40% of the wealth, leaving the remaining 60% unequally distributed to the other 99%.  Even more disheartening, the top 20% claims 84% of wealth, which leaves crumbs for the other 80%.  Something smells rotten in all of this, and Americans must wake up from their long slumber to realize that members of Congress have created laws and a misguided tax code that has contributed to this vast disparity.

Ham on Wry urges all readers to contact their representative in Congress and demand that they close tax loopholes.  This does not constitute tax increases, as it will not affect the tax rates.  It can, however, make a difference in the wealthiest Americans paying a fairer share of taxes more proportionate than the current system, which allows them deductions for which most Americans don't qualify and encourages offshore accounts.  Silence in not golden in this case.

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