The intent of this blog is to promote human equality, human progress, human peace and justice, and optimism. To accomplish this, to encourage the discussion of ideas after identifying and discovering problems, and then creating positive solutions for "we the people," in order to provide for the "general welfare" and "domestic tranquility" of America now and its "posterity" into the future. To encourage an emphasis on separation of religion and state for all, no matter if this is for those "of faith" in a Maker / Creator (Deists, God-loving people, Christians, various people of spirituality) and atheists or agnostics.

Ti-Ahwaga Community Players and Cabaret, 3 Feb 2023

February 5, 2024

Ti-Ahwaga Community Players production of Cabaret, at the Ti-Ahwaga Performing Arts Center, Owego, NY, was a wonderful experience this past Saturday evening, 3 Feb. 2024, following a wonderful dinner with friends at Ernesto’s in Owego, NY. 

Ryan Canavan, as Emcee or Master of Ceremony, did a great job in portraying this elusive character with the wonderful excitement, as it should be. 

Same can be said about the British character, Sally Bowles, played by Ilana Rose Wallenstein, Sally Bowles. ”The character of Sally Bowles was based upon Jean Ross, a British cabaret singer with whom Isherwood lived as a room-mate in Weimar-era Berlin.” (Reference: Cabaret: 1972 film (n.d.). Wikipedia. Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabaret_(1972_film).

Andrew Mextorf who played the American from Harrisburg, PA, Clifford Bradshaw, also portrayed this character in a top-notch personification. The character of Bradshaw is modeled after author, Christopher Isherwood’s “semi-autobiographical novel,” Goodbye to Berlin which is the basis of this musical. The novel “recounts [Isherwood’s] time in 1930s pre-Nazi Berlin.” (Reference: 50 years of Cabaret, 2016, Playbill, Website: https://www.playbill.com/article/50-years-of-cabaret-the-surprisingly-transformative-jo). In one sense, I kept thinking of Bradshaw not being Clifford, but Christopher. 

On November 16, 1966, Cabaret opened on Broadway with Joel Grey and Peg Murray (Reference: 50 years of Cabaret (2016, Nov. 20). Playbill, Website: https://www.playbill.com/article/50-years-of-cabaret-the-surprisingly-transformative-journey-of-a-classic) headlining the show. 

In later productions, Joel Grey and Liza Minnelli played the leading roles (“Me no leica,” (2013, Oct. 5), RegenAxe [blog]. Website: https://regenaxe.com/2013/10/05/me-no-leica/).

In 2002, John Stamos of TV’s Full House, played the role of Emcee (Reference: Gans, A. (2002, Apr. 2). Playbill. Website: https://www.playbill.com/article/tvs-john-stamos-joins-the-cabaret-april-29-com-104810).

There have been others.

Cabaret, the movie, was released in 1972, with Bob Fosse as choreographer (Reference: Cabaret: 1972 film (n.d.). Wikipedia. Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabaret_(1972_film)).

Another bit of history about Cabaret (Reference: Cabaret: 1972 film (n.d.). Wikipedia. Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabaret_(1972_film)).

By the time Adolf Hitler implemented the Enabling Act of 1933 which cemented his dictatorship, Isherwood, Ross, Spender, and others had fled Germany and returned to England.[24][16][17] Many of the Berlin cabaret denizens befriended by Isherwood would later flee abroad[25]: 164–166  or perish in concentration camps.[25]: 150, 297 [26]: 74–81  These factual events served as the genesis for Isherwood's 1937 novella Sally Bowles which was later adapted into the 1955 film I Am a Camera and the 1966 Cabaret musical.[23][27]

In a review of the musical, New York Times reviewer, Walter Kerr, wrote, “me no leica.” (“Me no leica,” (2013, Oct. 5), RegenAxe [blog]. Website: https://regenaxe.com/2013/10/05/me-no-leica/). I do not agree with such detractors who also claimed the book by Isherwood was titled, Goodbye Berlin, not Sally Bowles.

The remainder of this Ti-Awhaga cast was phenomenal. The dance numbers were well choreographed and synchronized very well. The movement in and out of the audience as if we are part of the Kit Kat Club being portrayed in the musical was also quite likable by this audience member. The lighting and stage design also worked well. The orchestra was also very interesting. 

The one thing I would say, “me no leica” was the balance between the sound of the singers and the orchestra. The orchestra often overpowered the singers and it was difficult to hear them. It seemed as if there was a slight improvement following intermission, but to this member of the audience, I think the contrast could have been even better. 

My final words are “me leica.” And certainly, I recommend others attend so as to learn from history what happens when a dictator was on the rise in Germany, in order to stop such a thing, at all costs, remembering, unlike the Germans that the opposition to the dictator was not bad at all, but slander, libel and lies were used in Nazi Germany, as the eventual German “Propaganda Minister,” Goebbels, used a method of glorifying individualism with hearsay and repeatedly telling lies until they became the truth. 

Goebbels quotes:

Goebbels: ”A lie told once remains a lie but a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth.”

Goebbels: ”If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.“

Goebbels: “If you tell a lie long enough, it becomes the truth.“

Goebbels: “If you repeat a lie often enough it becomes accepted as truth.“

Goebbels: “The age of hairsplitting Jewish intellectualism is dead… The past lies in flames.“

All of this represent a prequel to a Holocaust. This was well represented for those who wish to learn from history and learn how to stop such a thing. Learn it from the Ti-Awhaga Community Players and their production of Cabaret. 

For this audience member, “me leica.” 

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The Fat Pigs who are Nothing but Greedy, Selfish, Money-loving Venture Capitalists with No Idea about how to have Human Communication

December 22, 2023

Experience today. Took 45 minutes to reach customer service at Gannett’s Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin. Nobody cares. Most people would likely give up after about 10 minutes so no newspapers get sold. Wonder if that is part of the executive / VENTURE CAPITALIST strategy? To push the newspaper into the ground and then say, “nobody reads newspapers.” That is a lie because many people read newspapers and I can attest to the fact the number of times I have tried to purchase the PRINT EDITION from stores in the area and they RUN OUT OF NEWSPAPERS. But, nobody reads newspapers? Does anyone understand what I am saying, at all, or just brush me off and shun me because I don’t go along with the digital “in crowd” which is plagued and wrong? After all, those in that in-crowd cluster just do a “cluster f***” to me because I don’t go along like a good robot. Like a good doggie. Treat us like animals or slaves to go along with the crowd.

The experience.

Called Gannett customer service. Get all these messages about delivery of newspapers (or non-delivery) for the holidays. Then a voice (from computer / robot) gives me options, but no numbers on the keypad. So, I speak like one does to Alexa. I did spoke what was suggested. Each time got, “I don’t understand.” Do it again. “I don’t understand.” Again. “I don’t understand.” Finally, hangs up.

Went through this about 24 times, figuring I am hip in giving reply to an Alexa-type piece of crap. I am in the “in-crowd” with Alexa-type crap! But each time, got hung up on me.

Finally decided this robot speaking to me is full of crap so I poked the number once used for “operator.” Zero. Hung up. Won’t give me to a person over in the Philippines (forget getting an American).

After expecting this Alexa-type to do something it was programmed to do with freaking AI capabilities, decided to try to poke the number 1. AH! That worked and got me to someone special in freaking Philippines.,

Oh, but before I did, I also tried the chat. Screw you, buddy, because chat cannot help do customer service. Do it online. The only thing available in my online account was to cancel or pause. Really? No “Start” or “Change?” Just cancel or pause. Really intelligent executives running that newspaper with their freaking AI system for answering the phones. And I tried to explain the situation with getting through to customer service by phone. The Filipino provides another number. Does same thing the first number did.

It was THEN I decided, oh, silly foolish me, to push the number one on the phone. It went through.

So, finally, after 45 minutes of grappling with freaking AI robots and so forth, I get through. Most people won’t purchase ANY subscription and just give up. I did not, figuring maybe it was my placement of my mouth and voice on the phone and trying to adjust….. ENNNH. Wrong.

In each case, the chat person and the one on the phone asked me to fill out a survey. I told both they did a wonderful job, so no need for me to take time to fill out a survey. I asked if I could send a survey of the executives in the executive suite because they are the one who are mis-managing the company, not the people on the front line. But no mechanism for me to fill out a survey for the freaking lousy and lazy money-loving greedy selfish executives and tell them about the lousy service of their company. Probably because the only ones I would get are freaking lousy venture capitalists who have the desire to drive the company into the ground and destroy the newspaper industry. And then claim, “no one reads newspapers.” BS and I have plenty of evidence otherwise.

So, FB is the ONLY method I have for filling out a survey and review of Gannett. I give the company a -5 rating. I give the executives a -5 rating. I give the executives a -5 rating for customer service. I give the executives a -10 for the answering system. What else? Never spoke with them, so how can evaluate their communication? Except to say the communication for the company is lousy at the top, but a +5 for the ones on the front line who doing the hard work.

If you don’t like me saying this, then tough shit because I am a union man who believes in the hard work of the people on the front lines. And find those at the top of so many venture-capitalist run companies to be lousy fat pigs who don’t know how to be good leaders, then give money to PACs so as to validate their positions through Congress and other avenues.

Sorry. I used the word shit one time. And it describes those who are fat pigs and lacking any abilities to communicate or have any KNOWLEDGE about how to make a company communicate in the best possible way. They leave it up to lousy computer science people who are nothing but a bunch of nerds who know nothing about effective HUMAN communication. And this is who we have managing an industry which is about NEWS & INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION? A bunch of greedy selfish fat pigs with no concern for the business and the DEMAND SIDE OF THE MARKET?

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New York Times Book Review (17 Dec. 2023): The Greatest Capitalist Who Ever Lived – Thomas J. Watson, Jr.

December 18, 2023

The book, The Greatest Capitalist Who Ever Lived: Tom Watson, Jr and the Epic Story of How IBM Created the Digital Age (by Ralph Watson McElvenny and Marc Wortman) is about Thomas J. Watson, Jr., but also includes information about his upbringing under IBM founder, Thomas J. Watson, Sr. and the Watson family. Senior is not presented in the best light and Junior is presented as quite a rebel who initially had no interest in taking the reigns at IBM. 

The review was published in the New York Times Book Review on 17 Dec. 2023. The byline is Tim Wu, a law professor at Columbia University, New York City. Mr. Wu also recently published, The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age. We are enticed to purchase both Wu’s book and the book he reviewed.

Much of what Wu writes here makes sense. For instance, he says the title of the book should not be about the “greatest capitalist,” but about the “greatest manager.” The reason is the ability of Junior to delegate rather than dictate. Junior accomplished a great deal at IBM, due to this approach. From the time I led groups as a teen to today, I have always tried to delegate and it works better than fighting between several groups because they “step on each other’s toes.” It was taught to me by my mother, who also had been a leader in our community and church. And I really agree that Junior is not the greatest capitalist who ever lived. In agreement with reviewer Wu, I think there are others who fit the bill for being the greatest capitalist, better than Junior. And many who are made out to be the best capitalist are the ones who only support supply-side Reaganomics and the trusts and monopolies which are evidently discussed in Wu’s book about the “curse of bigness.” Texas big really is bad for America, its commerce, and our economy. Sounds as if me and Wu are in agreement. But I need to read his book.

Related to this idea of bigness is what is learned by Wu in his review regarding AT&T pulling out of the computer business in the 1950s. However, it should be added that, after Junior, IBM became a model of “bigness” so strong that it controlled Reagan and our government. When the personal computer was introduced, AT&T, developer of the Unix operating system at Bell Labs, wanted to enter the PC market. According to a colleague in the corporation where I once worked in Florida, AT&T had a plan to use Unix as an operating system and work from the model of rental of telephones used to introduce PCs. In other words, like phones, AT&T’s vision was to rent computers for the home which would be run by a far superior operating system called Unix. Many people agree that Unix (now Linux) is better than the IBM / Microsoft DOS / Windows operating systems. 

Computer science professors I know are in agreement because Unix is a tight system, whereas the Microsoft “code” is too open and easily changed, thus PCs can be sabotaged too easily. The claim made by such professors was that Unix run by AT&T would be harder to sabotage and PC users would not have as much responsibility to watch over the code on their own computer. 

But why did IBM’s PC begin to predominate and AT&T once again, in the late 1980s, abandoned the market to IBM. Reagan supply-side economics and his friendly relations with GE and IBM. Reagan. The man who said in his 1981 inaugural address that “government is the problem.” Reagan pushed for government deregulation and supply-side economics which help create the “bigness” we see today in monopolistic style trusts. But in 1984, he pushed government to be involved in business, something he proclaimed should not be happening. Reagan. A big liar and hypocrite. 

In 1984, Reagan broke up AT&T. Reagan had the government choose between AT&T and IBM. As a result he forced control of big business be put in one company. He got the government involved rather than allow “free market” to take force. 

I had learned FORTRAN and COBOL while taking computer science courses at SUNY Utica/Rome. At the time, I was working for an U.S. Air Force contract at Griffiss Air Force base in Rome, NY. 

I also took courses learning how to use a DEC PDP-11. I learned Assembly Language on the PDP-11. I also learned Unix because the PDP-11 minicomputer utilized Unix. Sadly, DEC executives made the statement, something involved with really cuckoo vision of the future: that computers would never be used in the home! Where is DEC today?  

When employed by an “IBM shop” in Florida, I found out I was working in a division of the corporation with a vice-president who was pushing Unix and a minicomputer called the Fortune computer. My colleague was working on this and tried to convince this person (me) who has had many friends at IBM, that Unix was better and I needed to use the Fortune machine. At the time, I was not convinced, but I did something many people today refuse to do: I LISTENED to my colleague. In one sense, he made sense and I am open-minded, described by many as “thinking outside the box,” as one of my good characteristics. 

I began at the corporation before Reagan destroyed AT&T. After the destruction of AT&T, the vice-president for whom me and my colleague worked was forced to give up the Fortune Unix machine. In the process, the VP over IT decided to take my colleague into his organization, in return for allowing my VP’s organization to purchase IBM PCs and software with a Novell LAN. Ironically, in later years Novell became involved with Unix when AT&T no longer worked with it from Bell Labs. The full details of the tumultuous history of Unix can be found at a Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix 

When I learned to use the IBM PCs with the Bill Gates (Microsoft) DOS / Windows environments, and having knowledge of Unix from my days of learning the system in upstate New York at SUNY, I found that my colleague was correct. The problem was I listened, but never took him seriously. Sadly, that is exactly how I get treated when I write and discuss many matters pertaining to our lives. No listening, only everyone thinking they are experts who dig in their heals thinking they are better than what I have to say. On the Air Force base, we often had a word for experts: ”drips under pressure.” Too many today who are like that, sad to say. 

After all, we all have something to offer to the lives in our community of people and to society. If one is in error, then it is best for that one person to acknowledge being in error, not cling to it like a “drip under pressure.” 

Related to this book is information from a documentary about Thomas J. Watson, Sr. He pulled himself up from his bootstraps, beginning with nothing, as he grew up here in upstate New York. While working for NCR, he worked to put competitors out of business. The Federal Justice system of regulation, pretty much begun by “trust buster” Teddy Roosevelt, called NCR to task for working to eliminate competition. Watson, Sr., almost ended up in jail, as other executives who were caught doing destruction to competitors. 

Some see this impact on Sr. as a learning experience, as he created IBM. In other words, when faced with jail, he did not dig in his heals, but went along. This is very unlike Trump today who simply digs in his heals for the wrongs he has done in attempting to work against the U.S. Constitution and inspire an insurrection on 6 January 2021. He has even indicated he wishes to be a dictator over the USA. 

Interestingly enough, Trump liked hypocritical Reagan who claimed government should not be involved in business and then got involved, on the side of IBM, in 1984, in destroying IBM’s competition. What if AT&T had NOT been destroyed and did have the opportunity to compete with IBM with phone systems which would be rented. Apple and the Smartphone eventually gave us something akin to “rental,” when we pay those huge costs to purchase a phone over time. I find it awful and would prefer having the AT&T model with Unix, as was a plan in the 1980s. But we will never know about the “what if….” will we? 

However, I look forward to reading this book about Thomas J. Watson, Jr. I agree with the reviewer, Wu, that Jr. might just be the best “manager,” but not the best capitalist. 

I also look forward to reading Wu’s book about ‘the curse of bigness” and what happens with anti-trust in the “gilded age.”

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Background & Solutions for America, Land I love

July 12, 2023

My American progenitor ancestor was named Thomas Cornell. As feuding began in England between Anglican Catholic followers of Queen Elizabeth and King James, Catholics subservient to the archbishop (?) of Rome (known as pope), and Puritans like Oliver Cromwell. Before Charles I was beheaded and the English civil war was fought. 

Thomas Cornell’s family escaped the tribulations of civil war by moving to Massachusetts Bay Colony and what is now downtown Boston. 

Thomas opened tavern in Boston. By the time Cromwell’s son relinquished position of Lord Protector and Charles II re-took throne, many Puritans fled and moved to Boston. 

As a result, these Puritans were creeps and control freaks with a desire to control other people’s lives by forcing others to do as they want.

People like Roger Williams and Baptists, with Anne Hutchinson. Were banished from Boston. 

Because Thomas Cornell refused to follow orders of anti-alcohol prohibitionists and close his tavern when they ordered it to be closed, Thomas and his family were banished from Boston, so they joined Williams and Hutchinson in the area known today as Rhode Island. 

Cornell built a home on a waterway where there was ease of access to transport commerce.  Thomas died in late 1600s. His wife, Hannah Briggs Cornell inherited home. The oldest son was Thomas Cornell, Jr. 

Thomas, Jr’s line of descent is the line for Ezra Cornell of Cornell University. 

My line of descent is by way of Thomas Cornell’s (Sr) son named Richard. Richard had moved to Flushing on Long Island. Rose were the years of the Dutch colony. Richard Cornell’s name was pronounced in Dutch way as Corne-velle. Thus, our branch became Cornwell. Those who remained many years in Rhode Island continued with name of Cornell, even after moving to New York and central New York following American Revolution.

In Rhode Island, in order to confiscate the Cornell property, puritanical ones were likely behind death of widow Rebecca Cornell and setting up an honest man as murderer of Rebecca. They had Thomas, Jr, wrongly executed with lies based on ghosts or apparitions. 

It is known that puritanical creeps pushed such actions and accusations about witchcraft so as to confiscate property, as puritanical Fidel Castro did in Cuba. Dictators. Pushing authoritarianism based on selfishness and greed, just as Hiitler also did in Germany in the 1930s. Just as Trump, DeSantis, with Republican goons attempt to do by firing up puritanical creepy control freaks today. 

Puritans don’t truly believe in love as taught by Jesus Christ, but believe the world only works well if everyone denounces alcohol, drugs. LGBTQ, abortions, drag shows, true history about people of color and Jews, and immigrants; all who don’t believe as authoritarian Puritans believe. 

MAGA and Trump, with others, maintain and endorse  thoughts just like puritanical dictators of the 20th Century did. As Putin (pu(ri)tin) with puritanical Russian Orthodox church does. 

This “new world order” was pushed by Anti-Christ GHW Bush with his false thousand lights. Too many stupid people, pushed by multi-million dollar evangelists and TV evangelists have grabbed hold of the BS of this “new world order.”

Their method is divide and conquer. They perpetrate the destruction of true Christians, many who endorse progressive Christian ideas, while these true Christians, due to loud voices of puritanical ones, are stereotyped as being evil and chase people away because they are confused about who God is and such people become atheists who even attack progressive Christians. Divide and conquer, in the name of the puritanical Anti-Christ. 

These puritanical control freaks, with divide and conquer attitudes, are destroying America by dividing America. Their methods involve sabotaging good people like President Biden and Democrats in their goals to solve America’s problems by learning from history and applying what is learned in order to help America progress through the 21st Century in a humanitarian way. All for the sake of generations to come.

If I point out how history teaches us that 18th and 19th Century wealthy Americans endorsed paying taxes and contributed their wealth for the sake of America, am I going to be squelched by puritanical ones who defend the wealthy greedy brats today and call my analysis politics and don’t allow my teaching of history? 

Perhaps such puritanical brats won’t allow me to explain how a  wealthy person named Royal W. Clinton gave his money to build a PUBLIC high school after taxpayers voted it down? Because wealthy ones today don’t follow words of assassinated President JFK who said, “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country, ” so therefore I am censored because, as puritanical creeps cast aspersions on me as “talking politics?” It is to learn from history, not talking politics, so go shove those thoughts where the sun don’t shine.

Or maybe learning from history is about considering that America was wrongly sent to Vietnam by the influence of greedy Texas oil men, so we need to consider whether we still fight over oil and pipelines for oil? I am squelched, censored in saying this because of finding evidence in history from which America can learn from this history. It is called censorship based on, “we don’t talk about politics.” In other words, destroy democracy by not allowing people to learn from history because it is “politics” and being part of a democracy. 

Politics is democracy so I don’t accept killing politics because it destroys democracy.

It is better to return the Fairness Doctrine which was unilaterally destroyed by fascist loving puritanical control freak and creep GHW Bush who was like the Manchurian candidate. For the Fairness Doctrine was designed to endorse freedom of speech, but to stop lies, hatred, slander from being told by making certain any of that shit had to have a counterpoint with truth or else could not be aired or printed.

Eliminate gerrymandering by creating congressional district based on geographic jurisdiction in which boundaries remain static, but dynamic changes made each decade by changing the weighted ratio of each representative when voting. No more gerrymandering, which is NOT a provision of the U.S. Constitution.

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Puritanical Authoritarianism in USA Needs to be Stopped: Learning From History

Europe is safer than the USA. Regulates guns. Less DUI due to larger public transit system. Has same violent video games as USA

 Discusses sexual identity. Has drag shows. Allows younger folk to drink alcohol so as to teach attitudes of consumption. Some areas regulate drugs illicit here. Allow abortions. Allow full frontal nudity, even in advertisements. Are not overwhelmed by brutish prudish puritanical control freaks. Don’t censor history and books by casting aspersions about politics upon people. 

In the midst of this, it is safer in Europe than in America. 

Don’t hate me for saying this, but learn from what I say and change creepy puritanical attitudes in America. I salute the red, white, and blue. I do a really sensational rendition of the National anthem, America the Beautiful, and My Country Tis of Thee. My ancestors believed in giving their wealth to America and being wealthy, to pay taxes.

We are the true Patriots of America, not the loud mouths of MAGA and others who spew hatred and censorship on anyone who disagrees with the puritanical way.

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Fascist Tyranny in America

June 15, 2023

As a lifetime member of NEA/AFT/UFF, I share this information with you.

We have been told that there is an organization with a great name distributing anti-union, anti-collective bargaining leaflets to union members in Florida.  The group calls itself the Freedom Foundation. 

Now, let’s get this straight.  There is nothing wrong with any group distributing information.  Here are two things about this group.  (1) Freedom Foundation sounds great.  A great name.  Everyone wants freedom. (2) the group refuses to reveal its donors. 

In other words.  A negative group of cowards.  Want to remain hidden while trashing unions. 

They apparently may be preying in states like Florida which is a “right to work” state.  But they are a nationwide group. 

All the years I was in Florida, there was a push to maintain “right to work” laws.  What it meant was this.  Right to work actually means “right to work” as long as you have never belonged to a union.  They are scared cowards.  There were a number of us who were never hired at St. Petersburg Junior College for full time positions, due to a coward of a president at that college who checked backgrounds of everyone who applied there and if he discovered you once belonged to a union, he refused to hire full time.  I was one of them.  I had worked in the public schools in New York and was a member of NYEA/NEA here in New York. 

What this SOB of a college president did was force me to pick up my family and move, selling a house which, had I been able to remain, I would have paid off in 2018.  Instead, I still had a mortgage and have one here in New York.  Due to a bastard at St. Petersburg Junior College.

These people are running scared.  I did have a wonderful job at Palm Beach Community College, working both full time and night time.  St. Petersburg Junior College and I was only able to work part time.  But, I worked with some wonderful faculty in Palm Beach as we increased our union membership from 40% to 80%, doubling our membership.  I give myself a pat on the back, along with the others there who accomplished this, as a team.  In other areas of Florida, colleges have brought in unions, one after the other.  DeSantis and company is running scared at this.  In fact.  I am happy to report that just two years ago, St. Petersburg College (once St. Petersburg Junior College) has now unionized.  DeSantis and others are livid.  So they are pulling out all the stops for “union busting.”  It is more than just anti-gay, anti-black, anti-Jewish, but also anti-union.  Sorry to say this, but DeSantis is one hell of a bastard. 

The whole idea of these Republicans, since supply-side economics was pushed, is to remove balance in society.  Unions provide balance, as long as they don’t push the envelope too far and make it unbalanced in favor of unions.  Some might argue that was the problem in the auto industry with the UAW.  Perhaps.  Perhaps not.  But Reagan’s destruction of AT&T was truly about union busting under the guise of “deregulation.”  Deregulation is another form of dis-rupting economic balance, as well as supply side economics which is destructive to the demand side of the market.  Deregulation causes monopolies and centralized control similar to the centralized commune system in the former Soviet Union. 

When the 1% of stockholders in the regulated company for which I worked, were allowed to have “secret” stockholder meetings so as to destroy the company and make it what was good for the wealthiest – with a hatred of Franklin D. Roosevelt who put in place the BALANCES, thousands of us needlessly lost jobs at a corporation which was doing so well, it was considered a “cash cow.”  Ripe for the pickings of greedy criminals with the most money.  The IBEW at that company was also destroyed in the process, although I was not a member of the IBEW.

Now these Republicans are working to destroy balance in organizations with unions.  This is added to the attempts to destroy the very checks and balances built into our democratic form of government, established by our Founding Fathers. 

So, I ask everyone to watch out for a bunch of greedy liars and the “Freedom [NOT] Foundation.  For they are perverted cowards who hide their money.  They would be the first ones to not want money paid to unions hidden.  They think they are above the law.  This group of traitors to democracy and balance need to be stopped.  A vote for a Republican is a vote for fascist tyranny, not “politics.” 

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Citizens Watch

June 2, 2023

My commentary to the Editors of the Press & Sun-Bulletin:

After 40 years away from Northern Tioga County and the Southern Tier (of NY), I am noting how much this area suffers from defunding of police forces here.  I recall when there was village police in Newark Valley and a NY State Troopers barracks in Berkshire.  No more for either of them.  Where is the closest troopers barracks to Northern Tioga County? I don’t even know.  Oh, that’s right, don’t find out from the newspaper, just do a dumb thing called “Google it.”  Or use your thumb on Facebook.  As a member of my own “Citizens Watch,” I wish to make a complaint about how Facebook and social media, Google, and condensing of local investigative reporting and information in news PRINT has destroyed America.  With such ideas for “Citizens Watch,” I can also provide evidence which supports what I say.

But without proper policing of the roads here, people go all kinds of speeds and tailgate.  They think they can use the shoulder of the roads for speeding (as I have observed) so much that four pedestrians in Northern Tioga have died, just over the past year or so. 

Tailgating on NY State Route 38-B is the worst.  Going up and down hills and with signs about deer crossings, it is a very dangerous thing for those who want to BREAK THE LAW and speed to do just what they want to do.  The only winter accidents I have seen with cars in the ditch were on Route 38-B.  They go so damn fast, they sometimes pass on the shoulder of the road.  They think, going up a hill, “slower vehicles i right lane” means all those going the speed limit, move aside so the jerks speeding at speed probably approaching 70 MPH or so can plow through – and kill someone.  Yes, and one pedestrian has been killed on
route 38-B.

Then, in one area of 38-B in Broome County, there is a hill where they put dotted lines going down the hill.  WHAT?  So someone who wants to break going down the hill, to maintain the speed limit, has to put up with jerks who pass going down the hill.  Maintain the speed limit and these jerks are allowed to pass going down the hill at 70 MPH.  Who the hell in the DOT put that damn dotted line there?  So, if we simply let it go down the hill and gain a fast momentum, it makes the illegal driver keep having to speed up to pass.  Makes so much sense. 

Then there is the thought that we should get on the shoulder should there be a tail-gating ass behind us.  No.  There are so many of them, I would have to travel on the shoulder of the road and give in to so many jerks who are doing this.  I refuse to give in and drive on the shoulder, so someone can speed.  Thus, the idea of “Citizens Watch.”

There is more.  Who in Broome County came up with the idea of 30 MPH in an area heading down to Oakdale Road (on a hill) where the population is less dense than where I live on a 55 MPH state route south of Newark Valley?  The area where I live is almost as densely populated as a long stretch of NY State 79 heading west into Ithaca where the speed limits are 40 to 45 MPH.  But drivers in front of my home are going  such a fast clip that when we pull out of our driveway, we don’t see a vehicle around the bend down the road from us and those jerks are going so fast, they come upon us and then tailgate when we are going the speed limit.

So, “Citizens Watch” and I am likely to be hated.  You know what.  I don’t give a damn.  Because I speak for community, not self and “me, me, me.”  I speak for being humane to one another and considering the CONSEQUENCES of behavior.  Now there is something which seems weird to many.  CONSEQUENCES?  As a college professor at the Associates degree level, we often gave students some action and asked them to do library, DATABASES, and INTERNET research (not just the stupid Google alone) to determine cause, effect, consequences.  Seems many people ;in the younger generations here have missed to boat in something Thomas J. Watson called, THINK – and THINK about the cause, effect, and consequences.  If you teach the kids this, they WILL learn it. 

I have more solutions to this problem than just Citizens Watch.  But no one wants to hear them, do they?  After all, “don’t talk to me about politics.”  OH?  Politics?  Solutions?  Politics is MEANT to DISCUSS, not ARGUE solutions and figure out cause, effect, and consequences. 

Besides Citizens Watch:

1. Bring back more police protection on the roads.  If oncoming traffic thinks it is so BRIGHT to flash lights as a warning to the speeders, then use helicopters AND SPEND THE MONEY ON THEM because it is far more justified than the stupid 60-year war on drugs which has yielded nothing (and rehab costs the government far less than a war on drugs, especially when considering marijuana is non-addictive! THINK about that before you shoot holes in what I say).

2.  Bring back more public summer school for students to learn some of the non-academic things in life.  Not only swimming and recreation, but also STUDENT DRIVER EDUCATION & SAFETY CLASSES.  I recall such classes.  I recall seeing the consequences of bad actions on the videos shown in the classes.  Really might make our stomach turn, but boy did it teach something about consequences – such as the truck drive who was not able to maneuver a road, ended up in an accident in which the big huge pipes in his load, came crashing into the cab of the truck and squashed the man against the steering wheel.  A very gruesome sight to see, but sure did teach something.  And maybe while we are at it, teach hunting safety with guns and bows and arrows.  We get the vehicular license for automobiles which recently killed four pedestrians here, how about teaching safety about guns and rifles?  Teaching that they could be used to hunt, but not on people.  It costs, right?  Well how much has the money for public schools, like police, been cut in this nation?  It is about time for us to take from the military-industrial complex and give to our kids, for the sake of future communities. 

3.  Officials in government use a little common sense regarding the roads and speed limits.  Why is there 30 MPH in such a low density population, but in a higher density population, people can go 70 MPH and never get caught BREAKING THE LAW?  Why is there no signal light and only a flashing light at the corner of NY-26 and NY-38B?  Why is it the same at the corner of NY-38 and NY-79? STUPIDITY and no one does anything about it.  Then there is the corner of NY-38 and NY-38B – NO LIGHT AT ALL.  Two times, I have come close to getting struck there by those running the STOP sign.  TWO TIMES – not only are people going to damn fast and have never learned the consequences of their actions, but no one seems to realize, as we learned in STUDENT DRIVER EDUCATION, that one comes to a COMPLETE STOP at a stop sign and TAKES THE TIME TO LOOK CAREFULLY IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.  With all the stupidity out there, all the more reason to put a signal light at NY-38 and NY-38B. 

Perhaps this all explains why there is so much pessimism here in the valley of Northern Tioga County?  And with the downgrading of business in this valley, we are FORCED to drive over that NY-38B hill and face the damn tailgaters, because so little can be found here in this area anymore, unlike more than 40 years ago.  And who is doing something about this for Northern Tioga County?  The Central Southern Tier Foundation? Who?  Who is helping to develop this area so it can become more self-sufficient and people don’t have to climb that hill into the next county?  Had Amazon built a warehouse on the site of the old factory here in this village, would it have helped?  Maybe some.  But alas, Amazon chose elsewhere. 

I am not a ranter.  I am not a bloviator.  I am a responsible member of the community who believes in humanity and coming together as community and concerned citizens.  We need citizen concern about the things I discuss (plus more).  So hate me as a ranter and a bloviator.  Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.  Gee!  So many are acting like Scarlett O’Hara! 

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Commentary, Education, Gun Safety, human-rights

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Commentary about Economist Magazine Article about “Creative Destruction”

May 26, 2023

Dear Editors:

It is difficult to wrap my arms around one of your writer’s words of “creative destruction.” 

My best understanding is that you are defending the push by Reagan with his supply-side economics and deregulation.  So, therefore, your writer points out that America has been successful in following this process described as “creative destruction.” 

Your writer says America is still the strongest economic power in the world, even China.  Perhaps your writer should read a book by Fareed Zakaria (The Post-American World).  Learning from historical example, Zakaria reviews what happened in Ancient China to cause the implosion of China and fall into poverty, thus removing it from the world scene. 

The similarities are amazing.  Moving to rid the nation of small business, the Mandarin business class, and consolidation at the top, the nation fell apart.  Supply-side Reaganomics and deregulation has done the same thing in America. The deregulation made the merger and acquisitions of small corporations, sometimes local (i.e., local entities for electric, telecommunications, retail sales, etc.), have caused close-to-considering nationalization and supply-side economics in which those corporations no longer care about consumers on the demand-side of a capitalist market. 

The R&D efforts which once funded the smaller corporations (by means of tax credits for R&D) have been replaced by strong dictatorial control which has removed pensions from what might be considered part of the American “Mandarin” class and given the money as bonuses and 1000% increases to those at the top. What is described here permeates many other industries and companies (see Ellen Schultz book, The Retirement Heist).

Furthermore, I have observations and evidence about the impact of centralized corporate conglomerates close to monopoly status.  Some of the observations are personal and involve family business.  Other evidence I have provided in many of my writings about this topic for more than a decade. 

With this being said and considering your publication is out of a nation with a long history of “royalty-based” supply-side economics (feudal ownership which was thrown away by those in the northeast of America (see A Free Soil — A Free People: he Anti-Rent War in Delaware County, New York – referencing the anti-rent, anti-feudal wars in upstate New York in the 1840s), perhaps the ideas of your writer are thrust forward so as to validate America’s move, by way of Reagan, to deregulation and the ultimate slippery slope of supply-side economics?  The justification is more for the “feudal” land policies in Dixie, called plantations, where the owners were too much like a Charles Dickens character, Ebeneezer Scrooge – cheap, cheap, cheap, and unwilling to balance supply and demand, whether it be economics OR labor. 

What people do not realize is that when Reagan pushed for deregulation, many people said, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  Our small corporation was not broke.  In fact it was a cash cow, due to the hard work of the people who labored to make it better.  How nice to honor us with a severance package which did not last long, but the axe men at the top walked away, skimming money (is that not stealing?  Perhaps?) in the millions of dollars, so as to “deregulate” and move to M&A for the sake of monopoly. 

We were against the deregulation so we were against change.  The definition of conservative: “averse to change.” That would have made us conservative, not liberal.  Liberal defined: “open to new ideas.”  Deregulation was a “new idea.”  No wonder people are so confused.  Liberal: “…a political and social philosophythat promotes…democracy, and free enterprise.” Ultimately, democracy with the words free enterprise demonstrates an oxymoron.  Free enterprise left unregulated destroys democracy, as we see happening today. Perhaps Reagan was the liberal but called himself conservative?  All of his charismatic talk pushed this world into chaos beyond just the political spectrum. 

A reviewer of the Zakaria book says,

America stands at a crossroads: In a new global era where the United States no longer dominates the worldwide economy, orchestrates geopolitics, or overwhelms cultures, can the nation continue to thrive?

According to your writer, America is still doing better than China. But the question remains as to how well it will stand up when it is face-to-face, with a supply-side economics, with communist supply-side economics of China?  Is there not a better possibility America could stand up to China if we were to use “creative destruction” (i.e., like the 1840s anti-rent rebellions) to return us to deregulation and bring back capitalism as it should be – supply AND demand?  For America, history has proven this to be true. 

Sincerely,

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Healthcare Costs in America & the Developed World

May 24, 2023

“The U. S. health care sector is massive. In 2020, it amounted to 19.7 percent of GDP. In the previous (pre-pandemic) year, that number was 17.6 percent. The United States spends more on health care than any other developed country, and not by a small amount: $12,318 per capita in 2021. In the rest of the developed world the average is under $6,000. What do we get for all this money? Lower life expectancy and higher infant mortality than almost all other developed nations. Despite the huge deployment of resources, the system is, by almost every metric, a dismal failure.”

“Easy Chair” [The Social Body] Hari Kunzru. Harper’s. March 2023

Questions.

What is the capitalist return on investment (ROI)? Can it be determined from these numbers? How does that ROI compare to ROI in other developed nations? We don’t have those figures. I suppose they could be found.

How do these numbers compare before the privatization efforts of hospitals, begun by lousy perverted Reagan and carried out by lousy perverted Rick Scott who now sits in the US Senate with a conflict of interest regarding healthcare because he has HCA where he makes a profit?

How do these numbers compare to the days pre-big pharma and Bush / Republican era of creation of the donut hole in Medicare which gives free reign and no regulation of big pharma?

How do these numbers compare to pre-big insurance underwriting established by Watergate burglar Haldeman, under Tricky Dick?

Historically, how do these numbers compare?

Everything I mention here has nothing to do with socialism, but with capitalism. That is the reason I mention it because those who shoot holes in universal healthcare always bring up the emotional issue of socialism. Another example of Machiavellian perverts (ends justifies the means, so they don’t give a damn about the truth or ethics) who grab control and power with their love of money over human beings.

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Federal Deficit

May 16, 2023

Morning newspaper story. President Biden attempting to work with McCarthy & Repubs on debt ceiling today!

Anybody understand history & what Fed budget is abt? If not, then I advise Americans to learn.

1. The House has say over budget and works it out with President. Why did stupid jerks use a nonsense hatred over Pelosi to put these Goddamn stupid Repubs in charge? Evidently un-intelligent stupid ones putting hatred of individual over process. Congress now seated based on voters with lowest level of intelligence with slander and lies against other human beings (i.e., Molinaro of 19) rather than discuss this isssue of budgeting, with intelligence and reasoning abt issue, not lies abt people. Scumbag liars who we need their heads on a platter.

2. Under Trump, the deficit rose. Since Biden, deficit has improved. Now bastard Repubs blame Dems.  Biden is to blame? You Goddamn bastards who say this.

3. When Reagan was in power, we suffered recession and inflation. Yet, the bastards remains popular and the basis for opposition to Biden. Grow up you snooty snotty little immature brats.

4. Reagan complained because House under Tip O’Neil had such control over budget. In California had line-item veto. Reagan moaned and groaned he did not have this at Federal level. First representation of freaking Repub desire for dictatorship. In other words, get rid of expenditures Repubs don’t like. To he’ll with what Dems who better represent people, not piggish corporate conglomerates (supply side) of Repub selfishness want.

Get a life. Get rid of nasty Repub leadership, before it is too late.

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Commentary, Economics, Regulated Capitalism, Commerce, human-rights

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