Terrorism on the cheap

In the past three days events in Mumbai have illustrated the horrors that small arms fire can inflict. While countries around world spend millions on security, a lot of it expensive and sophisticated the tactics employed by these maniacs reinforce the notion that a well planned attack can render tremendous carnage and terror.

Clearly the Mumbai attack falls under the category of soft target, but that could be said for any major city in the world. Mumbai is a densely populated city of twenty million, hard to control and manage under any circumstances. But Times Square, Trafalgar Square, the Champs –Elysees and many more are vulnerable to similar penetration. It is the nightmare we all fear.

The choice of weaponry in this case; grenades, machine guns and inflatable boats are easy to obtain and conceal, so if a relatively small group of putrid minded individuals can cause harm by so called conventional means, what is the solution to this nihilistic approach?

Hmm...I don’t honestly have one other than the last two sentences.

But a troubling thought occurs when we cast our mind to the recent and annual fires that consume southern California. I don’t have to remind people of the devastation and anxiety it causes, and while I’m not trying to give any ideas here, but it is puzzling that a comparable group of determined undesirables hasn’t orchestrated a campaign of mayhem by deliberately starting fires.

How hard could it be?

All you would need is lighter fuel, cell phones, windy Mother Nature and a promise of twelve Hollywood virgins (if there are any?) Bingo terrorism on the cheap.

What is the answer? Go to these now branded 911 cites and support the museums, cafes, cinema and people. Let them know that life is to be lived and not surrender to the forces of nihilism.

Black Turkey Day

Happy Thanks Giving to All.

However if you are a turkey then Happy, Thanks and Giving are three words you don’t want to hear.
A pardon of one lucky turkey from highest office in the land isn’t much consolation. Particularly from clown like George Bush.

But if the sacrifice of life for the wellbeing of overstuffed Americans (I included) is giving then what noble creatures turkeys are or perhaps selflessly naive.

It is well documented that this special day highlights the acknowledgement of indigenous people (Native Americans) helping and offering starving English pilgrims food and knowledge of land cultivation.

The Mayflower contained Puritans fleeing religious persecution from a country awash in a vice grip of reformist Protestantism.

The payback was disease, slaughter and doggy ale. Not much gratitude or religious freedom there folks...

But the fact that we now give pause in a hurly-burly world to consider the virtues and grace of such giving people is a wonderful statement.
So without commerce, religion and up manship we congregate around dining room tables offering only food, drink and tales of horrendous traffic.

This communal spirit however comes to a grinding halt when retail stores punctuate the proceedings with bargains before bedtime. This encroachment of gratuitous consumption before the day is over is a hard one to swallow.

Reports of people lining up at midnight before the start of Black Friday only confirms the fraying of values once held.

And it is with great horror that people are dying in the process.

There was one bulletin posted that a young man working in a store in Valley Stream Long Island was trampled to death due to two hundred crazed shoppers.

It is really necessary to get that flat screen TV over board games?

Have we lost the art of conversation to Game boy?

In 1939 President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved up the Thanks Giving Holiday to the last Thursday in November in order to longer stimulate the Christmas holiday season.

Perhaps President Obama should have Thanks Giving moved back to June so we can enjoy the day without retail interference. The Turkeys might be in favor. That would give them a six month stay of execution.

I just called to say we're bankrupt...

Not to be out done by the Real Estate, Insurance and Financial services the three main automakers are going to Washington cap in hand.
And not content with closing plants and wanting a $25 billion bailout, they had to rub it in everyone’s face by landing at Dulles airport on Gulf Stream jets. Perhaps they should work for the airline industry… they’ll be next.

A round trip on a private jet costs roughly $20,000 compared to a First Class fare on a commercial Airline which costs $900-$1200.

How do Executives reconcile such behavior? Are they so removed from reality?

Apparently so.

Their reasoning for such funds is to maintain an industry that embodies the American iconoclastic spirit, a holy umbilical chord that cannot be severed, regardless of failing profits.

I have renamed the big three:

GM: Gross Mismanagement
Ford: Floored
Chrysler: Crisis-yler

By bailing out the automakers you have ostensibly nationalized the car industry. If that’s what you want fine, live with it. But these clowns want it both ways. They want taxpayer’s money to furnish a luxury lifestyle irrespective of dwindling sales.

With the gas prices coming down, where would be the incentive to make cars that are eco friendly? It would be back to urban tanks plowing down the high street. Wall Street has a short memory and so will Detroit if led by present foresight. The Japanese have found away to give the customer satisfaction with no call for bailout. How did we lose sight of the road? Hand off the wheel?

If a company cannot run any more due to lack of vision, talent and business acumen then market forces will render you obsolete. That is capitalism at work.

Perhaps we have arrived at a stage in the global world where countries will be designated a particular service to provide for the world.
It may fall on Japan to produce the cars for the world.
If that doesn’t sound very competitive then have a word with your Government they love printing money.

First Man Or First Lady

Let’s just say for a moment things were different. Hillary had won the primary then the general election.

In the traditional “lets go back to my place” The Bush tenants give the new occupants Hillary and First Man Bill a tour of the White House. Just imagine the scenario. George and Hillary discussing bailout and rodeos in the mahogany paneled Oval room while Laura waxes giddily about pistachio colored drapes.

This imagined state of the worlds most recognized real estate might go like this.

(In Bill Clinton drawl) You know Laura I used to live here once.

(In Laura fixed glazed look) Oh really, I didn’t realize there were other dictators before George.

(In Bill Clinton drawl) Well in my day we were called Presidents. It was a time of relative peace; we only had Israel and Palestine and the OJ Simpson trail to deal with (life’s constants). There were no wars in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and a concentration camp in the Caribbean. We didn’t have a name calling stand off with North Korea and Iran. There was a surplus in the government, a balanced budget and FEMA wasn’t equated with failure. Even Madonna was making good music.

(In Laura fixed glazed look) Well Bill you know George and I are very proud of what we have accomplished in the last eight years here in this apartment.

(In Bill Clinton drawl) Apartment! Oh you Texans love to talk big. And talking of big “The Lincoln Bedroom”, ah yes that’s where Tom Hanks slept. If I remember correctly I needed money so I let Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford and John Travolta hangout. It was my version of a Hollywood slumber party. We would talk all night about women and movies...well Travolta didn’t ,he’s a bit you know, light on his feet..Oh Yankee doddle mighty fine times.

(In Laura fixed glazed look) Oh well Dick used to use the Lincoln Bedroom for target practice. I could never quiet figure out who the men were in orange suits.

(In Bill Clinton drawl) Awe shucks I almost forgot about the secret recording studio. Barbara Streisand and me would play Chuck Berry’s “My ding a ling” she would toot my horn and I would smoke her cigar. Yep good old Barbara, I miss her dearly.

(In Laura fixed glazed look)You don’t say? Well you know the White house is a fine place to raise children.

(In Bill Clinton drawl) Raise children? I was more like thinking Makin babies. Monica and I used to rehearsal in the Oval office but then Ken Starr had to stick his nose in and waste taxpayers money. Talk about government pork!! By the way Laura you look ravishing today.

(In Laura fixed glazed look) Hmm... Interesting I think we’d better go back to see what George is up to…

Yes We Did

Yes We Can just became Yes We Did.

From my advantage point in the tree house the night sky soars and roars with exhilaration.
To have confirmation of this joyful event you have stand at the crossroads of the world and bathe in a neon glow of America’s magnetic Square. The kaleidoscope colors of race, the cacophony of foreign tongues and the beat of the street all collectively welcome the dawn of a new leader and a new era.

To the north Harlem explodes with redemption while Times Square tells America and the world you have made the right choice.
Back at the tree house and relative calm (I swear I heard the Central Park night life let out an agreeable sigh of relief) with a celebratory Gin and Tonic close by, I sat and watched the victory speech.

I say victory speech because in general they tend to be groinpumpingassbumpingchinthrusting sing-alonggloatfests.

Not the case with the 44th President elect.

Here is a young man who calmly walked to the podium and delivered a sobering account of an outsider overcoming immense odds to realize anything in America is still possible. He also warned that while a historic moment many hurdles still lay ahead.

Due to this affirmation maybe now there might be a resurrection of American optimism radiating across the land, a fundamental characteristic that is been missing in the last eight years, A re charging of the American benevolence and inclusive partnership that this country once held.

There are tough times ahead but also exciting times ahead.

I feel we have a good person at the helm, a person who has the eloquent delivery of Martin Luther King, the intellect of Bill Clinton, the compassion of Jimmy Carter, the looks of JFK and a strong family to keep him young.

The message of change has been heard and history has been made.

OBAMA

Up here in the tree house autumn has suddenly turn into winter with alarming speed, most annoying.

However what’s more troubling, in a recent survey of my sensational E-prose I solicited comments from friends. While the majority of feed back was healthy and well received, a certain lady, name beginning with an A and ending in an A who lives up in the Bronx commented that she enjoyed the content but it was too long…

Well Ladies and Gentlemen that really seems up our world today. So to all of us with a concentration span of a Gnat I will make this posting brief and too the point.

ON TUESDAY THE 4TH OF NOVEMBER 2008

VOTE FOR OBAMA