Letter to My Readers

To The Readers Of My Blog:

Thank you for reading my Blog. Now that my Blog has been up and running for abouhyt six months, let me take some time to thank you and tell you how we have been doing and where we are going and why. In a country where our politicians are impotent to make a difference even in the face of social and economic problems, we (I and my readers) are going to make a difference worldwide and are well on our way.

Mistaken Comparison of Chinese Protests to Arab Spring Protests

Recent Protest(s) in China is(are) not the Same as Arab Spring Protests and Should Be Left to the Central Chinese Government to Handle

As much as the West has been taught to think of Communist governments as a form of dictatorship which does not represent the people of the country and whose governance of the people is not pursuant to the will of the people, this is not true as a rule and is not true in China today or when after the Communists defeated the Nationalists (just as Fidel Castro came to power with the will of the people).

School Rejects Honors Student with HIV

To the school, SHAME, SHAME, SHAME. It is not about what kind of world we can live in, but what kind of world we want to live in. It was said, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Stop the Eviction of Protesters - Occupy Wall Street, Philadelphia, and other Sites At All Costs

I have not been following the news lately.but I seem to have heard that protests at the Occupy Walls Street, Occupy Philadelphia, and Occupy other sites are being closed by the police. This is incredible!!! What happened to freedom of speech and our other rights such as the right to assembly???? Are they only good for a limited amount of time? What justification can there be for ending these protests? Such a clear violation of these fundamental and obvious rights (explicitly enshrined in the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution) is a threat to all of our rights in every city by every branch of government. You don't have to even believe in these protests to be concerned and offended by the abrogation of the Bill of Rights. If such obvious rights can be taken away for no reason by governments, what rights are safe? Certainly not the right to carry arms, the right to counsel, or to a jury trial, and definitely not the right to be free of cruel and unusual punishment. Gone are the implicit rights such as the privacy rights which allow two consenting adults, even a man and wife, to do what they want in the privacy of their own bedroom behind locked doors in their own house. To the politicians and police who will participate in these evictions, and to the judges who will fail to grant injunctions against the police and government or who will fine or imprison the protesters, I say shame on you. You have or will have violated the very oaths by which you were given the rights and power of your office.

Use of Pepper Spray at Occupy America at USC Davis is Wrong

Here it begins. Our tolerance for true freedom of speech and for protest is quite limited in some sectors of America (perhaps in to many sectors). Not much has changed from the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. Pepper Spray is being used in California at USC Davis on peaceful non-violent protesters. It is wrong and needs to stop!! I predict that this will happen at more and more protests, and it is a dangerous violation of our most precious right. Incredibly, the Occupy America protests, while solid in their determination, are not aberrant in their message. 

Stop the Slaughter of Wild Animals Including Deer and Horses

In Lower Merion, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania,  wild Deer are being hunted and slaughtered to "control" the animal population. Wild horses are being similarly killed and/or have been killed, in Montana. The stories go on and on. New place, same or different kind of animal.

We are sometimes told that the animals are hurting ranchers, killing motorists, etc. Occasionally, the justification is that it is for the good of the animals themselves. In Lower Merion, the Deer, after being hunted and slaughtered, are being donated to a local food bank.

WE DO NOT CARE!! Stop the slaughter of wild animals. They were, for the most part, here before we were, and if there is a conflict between our existence and their existence, we should defer. We are irrecovably changing, for the worst, the essence of our planet. Soon, only the rats will be wild. It is immoral and unnecessary. We don't need more land development. We don't need more "suburbia." There are enough "Big Box" stores surrounding McMansions in every corner of America. Enough is Enough.

Why I Included an Advertisement for an Adult Internet Service in My Banner Ads

I included a banner advertisement for an adult site for several reasons Click here to go to the site, Adultfriendfinder, for several reasons. First and foremost, consistent with my social-political views, I believe that whatever consenting adults do is their own business. I believe that strongly, whether the issue is Gay Rights, Abortion/Reproductive Rights, and/or Privacy Rights.

I am very concerned with Human Trafficking which overlaps greatly with the sex trade. Please click here to go to my post/article on human trafficking. I urge people to go to that site and read about this worldwide evil problem. The essence of the difference is "consenting adults." In this particular site, I am relatively assured that the people are "consenting adults." That said, with "morality based" groups increasing their hold on the Republican Party (and I words "Morality Based" to mean groups who seek to impose their subjective brand of morals which are a strict and non-tolerant interpretation of the Christian Bible and this anti-gay, anti-premarital sex, anti-choice and reproductive rights, and an advocacy of a wholesale intrusion into the privacy of American citizens), it is urgent that they be "headed off at the pass" and understand that the separation of church and state is paramount, and freedom or religion, privacy rights, and other rights, both express and implied in our state and federal constitutions will never again be infringed upon by the fanatical religious right.

Additionally, this particular site epitomizes, in my opinion, capitalism and "free markets" as it leaves the individual provider of the web based "services" to set their fees and the types of services they provide, which can be anything from G rated  fortune telling to X rated services of every shape and flavor. It is up to the consumer to pick which services they want, what they are willing to pay, etc. When buyer and seller are of the same mind, transactions are completed, legally, on the Internet. Like EBay (which excels in bringing buyers and sellers of hard to get goods and services for which there may be only a few suppliers or consumers in the entire nation) this service, is a perfect example of the Internet using efficiencies and a capitalistic marketplace to complete business transactions.

So that is why I decided to accept this particular advertisement, which, on the one hand, has the same free speech rights as anyone and rights which I feel compelled to defend, and on the other hand, is far less repugnant than the speech of many respected people and groups who, I believe, are destroying America with their own limited special interests which ignore the needs of the country overall and violate the existing economic and/or constitutional principles implicated (depending on the issue).

The Democratic Sweep of traditionally Republican Controlled Montgomery County Pennsylvania sends an important message for the national elections next year

The "Conventional Wisdom" is that when the economy is bad, the incumbent President and his/her party will be blamed and voted out of office. This is what happened to the first President Bush (whom I respect). I have argued that our current fiscal crisis is, for many reasons, the fault of the second President Bush (whom I don't respect) because he was mentally "absent," even according to many respect "old time" conventional Republicans.

Republicans have been banking on this "conventional wisdom" and refuse to work with the President or the Democratic Party to fix the economy wrecked by Bush the Second. The surprising sweep of a county (in which I have lived almost all of my life) which is strictly conservative Republican (even our gay candidate for Judge was a Republican) by the Democrats, in my opinion, indicates that the American Public isn't "buying" the "conventional wisdom" and Congressional Republicans are on a very short leash and have a limited amount of time left to work with this President (who is truly great) and our Democratic Congress or face a sweep (out of office) in the next election.

Who you should vote for (and who you should not vote for) in the coming election for Judge in Montgomery County - Very Important Message

VOTE FOR JUDGE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY

On Tuesday, November 8, 2011, there are two slots for Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Montgomery County. Four candidates are running for two slots. Your vote is more important than ever because voter turnout will be low, and since there won't be that many people who vote in Montgomery County for Judge, your vote could make a difference. Who would have thought that a few votes in Florida would determine the Presidency?

Also, a Judge in Montgomery County is more likely to impact, positively or negatively, your life, or the life of a friend or loved one, then the actions of a Senator or President. There are only a handful of judges, and they determine the validity of laws passed by the legislature and local bodies (such as zoning laws). They determine which accused criminals are innocent and which are guilty and how long they will remain in prison (at a tremendous cost to taxpayers). They determine custody issues, child abuse issues, medical malpractice issues (and can affect whether doctors actually decide to practice in this county). They determine business disputes, and can affect the jobs of thousands of employees in a single lawsuit. Judges have tremendous power, with limited public scrutiny or oversight, and in fact, the standard of review is often "abuse of discretion" which means that if appealed, an appellate Court will rarely upset a lower Court's findings.

There are three candidates for Judge who will probably, in my opinion, make good Judges (two Democrats and one Republican). There is one, a Republican, who in my opinion will make one of the worst judges Montgomery County will ever have (and as a lawyer who practiced law for almost 1/4 a century who knows many judges and hundreds of other lawyers, I am in a position to know).

So in Order of my preference, I suggest you vote in this election and vote for: (1) Cheryl Austin [Democrat] - My favorite as she is a well rounded experienced, intelligent, honest former Navy Lieutenant; (2) Richard Haaz [Democrat]; then (3) Maureen Coggins [Republican]. Do Not Vote for Dan Clifford [Republican].

Why I don't care about Conrad Murray Michael Jackson Trial

Although I follow the news in general, and closely follow legal cases in the news, I have no interest (although I am following the case closely enough to be certain I am not missing anything) in the Conrad Murray case relating to the death of Michael Jackson.

First, there are millions of people who die of medical malpractice and/or drug addiction who don't have the advantages and resources of Michael Jackson. Who is caring about their cases, if they even know they have one and/or have the resources to get treated, to get legal representation, etc.'

Second, Michael Jackson, whether or not is legally responsible, certainly has significant moral responsibility for his own condition. He has always done what he wanted, and that has included aberrant behavior which includes the use of drugs He is hardly a sympathetic victim. Aside from the fact that I still believe he was a pedophile who simply could not be convicted due to the standard of proof and his use of his fame, fortune, and popularity.


Lastly, Dr Conrad Murray was hardly an evil person with the traits we reserve for drug dealers or health care professionals who habitually prescribe dangerous drugs to hundreds of job addicts, and do this thousands of times, for no other reason than to make money. The case has gotten enough publicity that the reader of this will probably know what I am referring to, even if he/she disagrees. While I could write pages and pages justifying my ambivalence, because I am entitled to my opinions, and because I believe I and others have said enough already on this case, let me say, "ENOUGH SAID." There are others more deserving of our time and attention.

Support Occupy Wall Street and Occupy America Movements

In Philadelphia, as in Wall Street, and throughout the USA and world, people are occupying cities and institutions. These movements are America's Tienanmen square, a loose coalition of disenfranchised citizens exercising their right to speech and protest to complain about the social and financial inequality facing America during this period of America's demise. The greed exercised by the presidents of publicly traded corporations (who should serve but fail as fiduciaries for the institutions they represent), the misconduct and treason by politicians (who also should serve, but fail to do so, the interests of the voters instead of their own self-interests) is causing the demise of America. As Zhao Ziyang, the Premier of China during the Tienanmen square crisis wrote in his memoirs (smuggled out of China because Zhao opposed the violent crackdown of the protesters), China [and now America I warrant] needs transparency.

In the meanwhile, if Republicans continue with their politics of division and treason (putting their own self interests and special interests ahead of the interests of America as a country), these protests will just be the tip of the iceberg as loyal, decent, patriotic, hard working, and honest Americans will not sit idly by while America is destroyed and 25% of her population lives in sub-human conditions with no hope, no prosperity, no future, etc.

Kardashian Wedding

• On a light note, I was so angry at E! TV for running, over and over, the stupid Kardashian wedding which I never cared about in the first place. Now that this marriage "crashed and burned" more prolifically than my own, perhaps E! TV will stop airing the wedding and try something daring and risky, like airing good, original and new programming.
• It is time for E! TV to stop airing the Kardashians altogether. Substance wise, the Jersey Shore is to the Kardashian series as Tolstoy was to Dr. Seuss. The Kardashians illustrate what is wrong with our society in general and TV in particular in that it shows how money and connections combined with tireless sell promotion can crate such substance lacking TV garbage.