Tuesday, June 21, 2016

The evil reign of Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors was shattered by LeBron James and the Clevland Cavaliers on Monday, after an impressive come from behind game 7 victory not seen since the mid-60's. I attribute this evil spell's ending to the Injury of  center Borgut during game 5.

Borgut is reminiscent of a giant Brute who would fight alongside the Ottomans in the 12th century; whose seer size and force gave him an advantage against most armies. Now after living in over 1000 years of darkness, the Ottoman's are sending players like Borgut to destroy basketball, from Downtown. This darkness, hopelessly undermining a far superior  Teams like the Oklahoma Thunder, who's intense jump-shots, superior passing, and downright artistic dunking are quickly erased by a few back to back 3 pointers.

I must confessed, that being of Armenain Descent I am biased toward Turkish tendencies, but the minute Borgut went down I saw it, I saw the dark spell cast upon the NBA lifted, and the light shining on NBA-town once gain. If only I had bet on the odds. Even with LeBron James driven to get his city the ring, the odds were heavily in the favor of the Warriors.

The Warriors will regroup and attempt to make another go at it next year, crushing the spirits of NBA teams such as the Thunder, Clippers, the Raptors, who have finally re-emerged after years of sub-par professional basketball. I have the answer to it, and it involves shutting down Borgut. Ax him, hack him, fluster him,  and the rest of the team will follow suit. Curry will lose his touch, somewhat, and Clay Thompson will no longer make the  three pointers that propel him to height of superstar, rather than a supporting role.

I personally like the three pointer, it gives a sense of value and works wonders in desparate situations. I liked it when Kobe or Michael Jordan would shoot threes to mix up their repertoire. When that happens it it a thing of beauty. Even  Curry and company show some penache, but is eventully drowned in repetition. It is becoming a go to, bread an butter manuever, and is ruining it's flavor. My favorite three point shooter came from Magic Johnon, James Worthy, Larry Bird, and Ok let's throw Steve Kerr a bone here.

My biggest worry is that  college basketball will follow suite. Exciting new players wil be stifled by outside shooter, 5-6 in stature from the playgrounds of Orange County, California. High Schoolers will be shooting three pointers and ignoring the fundamentals. In the school yards, the best players will be second fiddle to the awkward outside shooters, and will have to be wait to be picked.

Let's hope it does not come to this, let's nip this one in the bud.  All that needs to happen is to get inside Borgut's head and the streak will end. Then we step away from this upside down world where the Lakers are the worst team in the NBA, the Warriors knocking on back to back champions, and the Clippers, well, I just leave that one alone.

Friday, June 10, 2016

Spinning to Victory!

There it is again, the Social Media forge.  Now it is about not supporting Mr. Trump. Which is fine and dandy, but remember that their big leauge competitors are keeping information from us. Maybe he was reaching out to people and had something to say. Yet they jumped on him, because they have first hand knowledge of who he really is. Most of us need the time to sort through the charade.

The dumb people in this country may never figure that Trump is not for real. So that is the real danger, the lurking Nixonian sense of grabbing on to a majority of any means. 

I have become concerned because the elements of making a facade are fading, and who knows what is liable to come next. The spinning was limited to a hushing sense in the last few months, now it will come back with a vengeance, punishing those who dared to question the better judgement of the establishment. They will brown nose Trump on the issues while quietly steering Hillary away from the issue that were brought to light in recent months. It will steer away from any matters of substance, and we will be left scratching our heads.
 
At the very least we saw how the rigged system was working. I am not the only one who felt that sense of creepy loss, the oh, well I guess we will go with who we got feeling. That is because, who they really wanted did not get picked, so they are rallying behind the second best candidate. Their heart is not completely in it this time, and they are a bit more vulnerable to the element, but do not let that fool you, they will be making an assault on our better judgment very soon. 

I hope the Sanders people make a go at establishing some grassroots system, like Howard Dean did in 2004. Dean's campaign was a birthday candle in comparison to Sanders. I became involved in it many years ago, even though I was not a supporter of Dean. Within two years, with our choice candidate defeated, it was obvious that we did not have the right to make our own decisions. 

With Sanders, however, the difference will be felt with much more depth. If they can make their supporters understand that candidates, of all levels of government built from a grassroots base, is what makes the biggest difference, if they can sustain that through november and the upcoming, years, then maybe they can really go for the change that they were aiming for. That, however, takes, hard work commitment, and and smarts to challenge the criminals that have sieged our government at all level.

I was only able to attend three rallies of the primaries, two in the last few weeks. They were all insightful, and gave me an impression of who they really were. If only I could have caught a glimpse of Mr Trump, circa last summer. In that case I would have easily made the decision to not support him. 


Thursday, May 19, 2016

Moral Dillema

Bankers are a tricky bunch. I think of them as characters in a Cheech and Chong movie. You know the straight looking figures, reacting to the antics.  Yet as we discovered, corruption came into their field and made many of them wealthier than the people who's money they invest. 

Then came the moral dilemma. All the people who had their money tied into this thing, and all the others who were quietly on the take, treating it as if it was the norm, the way things are. Here is where it starts to ooze with bitterness. A lot of people went along with this financial scandal, and I do not blame the people on the top (though they are guilty and should be jailed) I blame all the people who went along with it and gained from it. I blame the mortgagees, the companies, that underwrote, the low level bank employees that took stock in it, and possibly millions of people secretly going along with it, or even turning a blind eye. It's not the fact that people have compromised their ethics, that's just a small part of it. It is the sense entitlement which comes with the corruption , the acceptance of it going along with it to gain advantage. 

The bottom line is that they turn on everyone else, and begin treating them like suckers, idiots, or weaklings.  This is where Mr. Sander's 80 hour workweek comes in.  Most of that time is spent on the I-pod listening to music or, of course social media. 

The bankers are the ones however propelled into the upper status with the people they once served. Now it is their time to get a piece of the honey pot and they are hoping to secure a place as the new elite. 

Well there you have it, a wave of corruption that just spoked us back 130 years. What can be done about it. I have some ideas, but it has to start with holding people accountable. To hell with self-preservation government ain't hollywood, if punishing the criminals means never working in the town again, then you got a big problem. There needs to be consequences in the financial field, people need to go to jail. If not for these minions, who are living high on the hog, knowing that if their bosses are not taken down, there is zero probability that they will be taken down. I have not seen any candidate except Sanders bring this up. It is because they can fiddle with the system and cry free markets when the are questioned. It is not that, you can bet on it. 

Monday, May 16, 2016

The Republican Mantra: Do Not Tear the Boy Down!

I keep thinking about the cost of war and what it mean to tear the president down during his tenure, both of them.

This before and after I visited Karl Rove, and his ranting and raving about William Mckinley and how he really took on big corrupt forces. I made a point to listen to Rove intently and treat him like he was W. Himself. I focused specifically on not having any hateful animosity toward Mr. Rove. What I found was what I expected, I was just another sucker in the audience, buying into the fallacy. Yet still I felt a sense of accomplishment. I felt guilty for all those year of antimosity for Bush, and now here was Karl Rove lecturing, and in his own style wa smaking me guilty for all those years of hateful thinking towards him as well.

America's policy on Iraq, of course is the legacy. All that oil flowed through and might made right. Now, I have to ask, without any sense of hate was it worth it? Was the Cost of War Worth it? Was it worth propelling millions into wealth, and the great divide? Not between rich or poor, because people make and lose fortunes everyday. No, I am talking about living in the know,  and having the knowledge that the "fools" do not.

I blamed the media in 2004, and I stopped following the elections after 2006. No one trusts congress anymore, especially those of newly drinking age. The Bush family was right in the thick of it, but that is about as far the story will go. Without observing the campaign firsthand, accounts come Iowa state Television and that Godawful Howard Dean/Ron Paul trademark of Down Home Politics, of which they will make you wait for the sequel, like a silver-screen remake. Neither of these will ever give a good a true picture. Journalist on all sides will spin these things into high heaven. It is their nature, it cannot be stopped.

I still blame the media. Yet I why should they be subjected to elements worse than they need be.  Then again, I always distinguish between the Media and the Press. The media is a conglomerate of large corporations and spin at every level. The press core consist of journalist of all sorts who are forced to choose as not to upset their employer, the media. Sound familiar, well I think a few talented individuals in the creative fields are in a similar bind.  That is not to say the press is a group of innocent angels, on the contrary, they live for the kill, yet when they are corralled and cut off from their true calling, which is finding- the truth, they start ravenously attacking whoever comes in front of them, including concerned citizens, young and old. In 2004 I make my case against them, but was corralled into something different. Instead of tearing me down, they just shook there head at me like I would be unable to put the puzzle together. They had the money behind them and that means they have the vision, and they did not stoop to my level, of tearing the president down. Who cares though, if you spin the heart enough, eventually the scent of coffee will become irresistible.


I for one now am certain that the world has a supply and demand on what a rich person pieces together as opposed to anyone else. That would mean of course, fear,  corruption, and it is not for you to find out. Now lets take it down to the level that only the communists will talk about. Nepotism. That is right folks, it is what got Mr. Rove his golden goose, the second term. All those nice folks in tax brackets sniffing around their finances, and trying to get above the threshold. Which one, the buy ratio. That is one where if you reach it, you are no longer vulnerable. Your money can grow and you can sustain your lifestyle in a matter befitting, and people will follow you. This is not the 1% folks. This is the level beneath. This is two generations of hard corporate work and small businesses, and Unions, Award winning salesman, Doctors, Lawyers, Police Chiefs, Mayors, Congressman, Movie Makers, Movie Stars, Museum Curators, Successful Artists, Highly Paid Journalists, and of course a Threshold of Supervisor in all Levels of Government.

So well the Communists are talking about it, and the work-week, and the minimum wage, but not about what it means to stop being scared of other misfortunes. The mirror is very telling, it shows that the freedom to move around and not be scared of being near the "less fortunate" can vainly lead a person to think that the are in the right, but what if those people were fewer and far between? In that case, the boredom would set in, ordinary life, and that is not worth living without all the bells and whistles.

Here is the real point. All those people we feel sorry for  not having a job, will eventually find a job, they might have to move, but that is another story altogether. Once those poor-downtrodden individuals find a new job, they will be back where they started, as if nothing happened. All those pity seekers, however, will have the satisfaction of knowing, that at that place, and that time, they were victims of extreme misfortune.

I wondered if it was worth seeing Karl Rove. I think it was. He seems amicable and nice enough. I will not read his book, but I will take his point. I almost wanted to commend him for admitting that greed and corruption are a big part of this countries problems, although he does partake in it.  Then again, that's why people will pay good money to get a glimpse of his vision, you know the one that comes from a huge pile of money, and is running the government.

Late Start!

It should not be out of the ordinary to be concerned about the Political race revving up, after the entire populace snoozed through the primaries. Well it is gearing up, and honestly it is just as I predicted, a show of second best options.

The issues, of course, and especially what is hot right now are touching topics. The facebookers are releasing and spinning the videos of the police brutality actions. Without passing judgement, I must confess, that they look very disturbing.  The economy is in hush mode, now, but it will make a loud stink eventually. There were a few shootings, but then again, numbness is the word that can best describe attitudes toward those element.

 I think the most important concern which is high on the Trump horse, is the establishment. People are tired of being jerked around. Corrupt schools mandated through Washington, the banking industry that spun the economy to a halt and then picked up as if it was business as usual, greasy concessions being sold to China, and of course the Middle East. But these is for the young at heart to squabble over. The rest of us should steer clear of  passionate issues  lest we be labeled wrongly. No the appropriate thing  to do is to find a "safe ground"  and piece of mind.

Truth be told no one really has a clue anymore. All we hear is 1% nonsense from the radical side, but nothing else. I guess it is all about being on the right side, the side that does not get fooled. This side is like a piece of pie, some get large portions, but mostly it is for crumbs. Crumbs and the satisfaction of not being played for the fool, for now. If things change, however, the fool will be those left with crumbs in their pockets, so it is in their best interest to go with the tide.
If the presidential race is lost, State, Congressional, and local races might hold some promise. How many candidates have been riding the Sanders, Trump tide. Has anyone been manning these stations? Are there any candidates that are genuinely concerned with change? With the upheaval of one race, did everyone forget that local races are in full swing also?


My focus is shifting heavily to numbers, I am looking to get a solid hold on the state of the economy, poverty levels and crime. I also would like to know what is happening in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, but that is even more difficult to attain. In the meantime, Bernie Sanders continues to push following his "Mathematical" defeat by Hilary Clinton. Minorities heavily supported Hilary Clinton, despite her probably not being the best candidate for them. Furthermore, polarization between Trump and Clinton, will not make for good discussion on issues. It will be fuel for division, and one can wager that this fuel will be ignited in coming months.

The watery, bogged down cycle of the election keeps chugging on by the hijackers of our government. As of course the crooked victory leaves a crushing sense of concern on the  side of most people. Thinking maybe another year, someone will come along and start making the desperately needed changes. In the meantime the other side will be campaigning in full garb the importance of not going against the current regime. I am convinced that propaganda is rearing its ugly head upon us, and am worried that it will accelerate if something is not stopped. That is the bone-picking for now, see you when things start heating up.

Monday, May 9, 2016

Legacy Costs!

I keep thinking about what has been transpiring in politics and subsequently the entire country. It is Legacy of family, as a backdrop, to "not tearing the boy down" taken to extremes, by that I mean a place of nurturing, trust, and of course a soft cushion.

It is time to think about it. Why! Well a double generation swindle is taking place, and now it is the Clinton's turn. Let's turn the clock back again to Bush, getting into Yale, getting C's and then getting into Harvard Business School. Let's turn the clock back a little more to his Father, running for Congress, then Senate. Now Lets think about what his Father accomplished before him. Somebody, I will not name names, here resented this type of exclusivity. A few cycles later Bush's father gets the office, followed by his son who welcomed in a drove of exclusivity riding along. This needs confirmation, however, and no one in the media wants to touch the new "Power and Money".

Bush Sr. was about power, but he was not really about the money, you can damn well bet that Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, Rice, Wolfowitz and the bandwagon were about both. So here we are with a Husband wife team, swept away on this legacy thing, hoping that it will work for them. Trump comes from there. He claims to hush it down a bit, believing him is another thing entirely. Enter the Chinese, why, well it is about time we discussed them and wealth because they will hunker down and hide behind it until kingdom come.

That is right, we forgot about them. The greasy concession that were sold to them. Now we wait for our jobs to return. Hustle the goods across the ocean, except for the beef. Meanwhile the methane blows, and the Port of Los Angeles is stacked with pretty much every material on the continent.  Chinese Legacies will be popping up pretty soon, and then we will be in real trouble.

Us Americans are perpetuating two distinct classes. They work together so as to scare the one in between and squeeze it out. Make blame a specific part of the lesson.  Make it so that if the fooling does not continue, then the world will end, oh and don't forget to set a few examples.

What we end up with is a hack mentality, because always underneath, there are a fair amount of rats. A rat, in today's world is a hero, someone who is above and beyond the struggle By virtue of being a rat, he or she can essentially climb to a place of "safety" and stay there until kingdom come. The rest of us have to keep clawing to get our piece of cheese. The rat and the boss, on the other hand know full well that victory is theirs if they keep going at it.

Enter the Oil Companies. They have intertwined themselves into our world. Corporation, well of course, they are the biggest Investors. On the other hand they are everywhere else too.  It is all about the virtue of digging an Oil well. Together, making the money that is worth it.  If dirty deeds need to be done, do them one the outside.

Well now Mr. Trump want to fix things. Or Hilary wants to bring things back to business as usual. Honestly, the disgust of Hilary is nothing compared to how we trusted and praised them when they were in power. They succeeded in duping a young generation, in feeling that by supporting them they were on the right track to change. The truth is that young people had and have nowhere to go. They had no one to vouch for what they feel is right. They still a have nowhere to go.

This is my rant for today. I have missed a very important rally by Hilary Clinton. I suspect that will be her game plan. "You should have called earlier, you should have spoken to that person when the time was right." She needs to pull herself out of the muck and start using her women president position as something very, very big. Like the first women president who stood up to the grease and took the country back, to atone for the years past.

Saturday, April 30, 2016

The Spend Thrift Candidate!!

Now that Trump has become a proven success in the realm of politics he will attempt to catapult his spending wisely and use it as leverage to instigate the sense of Business Thrift.

Hillary will, in turn combat Trump through the channels she has always used. Trump will use this against her and point to her campaign being "bought". Hilary will not be able to say anything, because she is on the train that  cannot speak negatively about him. Trump will go very far with this, only to soon notice, that he is solely focused on a prize. That's right, making more money, for the United States, but not much else. He will sneer at the thought that people had the foresight to think of this ahead of the curve.

This is the conundrum. The only people who can see the danger are those who are on sound financial footing. What do I mean by this,simply put,  is that the bank accounts upholds a certain level of intellectualism. That is right, intellectualism is being held captive by rich people. Why? Well if necessary they can spend year sitting, reading, contemplating. That is not the problem however. Personal Growth is never something that should be discouraged. It is the like mindedness and thresholds of opinion, propped by a dumb tolerance for the nature of crookedness that should be heavily frowned upon.

This is where the Asian make economic headway. Their antics are tolerated. They manage to build tawdry glass building,condominiums,  "communities" as if it was the old country coming to save the day. This is a false assumption. The Asians are not here to build anything lasting, they can do that in Singapore. Here they are on the take. Some of them stay, but most go back to the country of origin. The Japanese have been doing good business with us for Decades, however, even they would never dream of bringing the depths of Tokyo to Los Angeles, for example. No those things stay where they are.

The economic battle with China is bound to veer off on some tangent. Hopefully not before the Election, because Trump  will capitalize on this through Tunnel Vision upheaval. Trump should not be treated poorly in the election cycle, or at the convention. He should be allowed to look presidential and he should be allowed to speak his mind. It will make for a great show and give the Clintons what they always wanted, a clean fight.

This will make for cohesion in Washington, even if all the incumbents steadfastly stay in their seats ready to pounce on the Clinton's. If the Sanders campaign is serious, they will need to find people who can get elected at the congressional level, in two years.

It is what we called in the field of Journalism a time of deep contemplation. With what appears to be dark days, and certain disaster, comes  a sense of great relief. Relief that can only be justified by a reward, reward for tolerating the political antics of previous decades.