Wednesday (Miércoles)

Memory trick for Wednesday (In Spanish)

When Rae and I moved from Philadelphia to Miami Beach, talk about the world changing,   And then, we weren't here too long, the world changed again.  People who lived in Cuba under Castro left thier  homes and came to live in the U.S.  They made Miami an international city and Miami blossomed like a beautiful flower.


Me, all I knew in Spanish was , uno, dos, tres, was probably 1,2,3 because I took French for a year in middle school and it sounded similar to
1,2,3, in French. 
Well anyway this particular day is not going well, I had a meeting coming up that required some information which I thought was coming in the mail.  But it didn't. And it was to late to not have the meeting.  So when meeting  time came  we started anyway.  But,  since it was an essential ingredient, the first order of business was to reschedule. While the new meeting date is being discussed  I hear, 'me air co lees'  Which turns out to be Wednesday in Spanish.  So the meeting gets set for Wednesday. 
Later, driving home, I start sounding out Wednesday (in Spanish) and it has kind of a nice sound to it.  I say it out loud a few times (no one is in the car) and I think I have it down.
When I get home, no kids are there, and Rae asks me if I stopped at Publix and got what I was supposed to get.  I say no, which she doesn't accept graciously.  So I grind out 'me air co lees' with a little emphasis.  "What did you say?", she asks.  I repeat it a little louder, with a lot more emphasis.
 ME AIR CO LEES!!!  
Rae says,  "Don't you say that to me!"
"What?  What, did I say?  That doesn't mean anything"
"You know what you said."
One of the kids just came home, and I asked her if 'me air co lees' didn't mean Wednesday?  The trick here was to not be standing too close to Rae, at least not within pinching distance.
A little later I hear her ask Marsha if 'me air co lees' really did mean Wednesday and Marsha assured her it did. 
But I did get my pinch later, after she cooked up something to justify it.


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Miracles. ( Medical Discovery [s])

Are you waiting for a medical miracle.  Maybe its here.

 Computer and science faculty building, in Israel

Can this be the forerunner of some of the medical miracles we are all waiting for. You know, from the rapidly expanding ability of computers to deliver faster and faster information from smaller and smaller devices?   Well, take a look a look at this. From Israel's Technion . . . . surgery without knives or scalpels.  Alterationo f human genes.  Happening now, see what this can mean.  It boggles the mind.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/IfJemqkby_0?rel=0 <http://www.youtube.com/embed/IfJemqkby_0?rel=0> 

March 27

You only live once.  (Sands Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida)

Because March 29 is Rae's birthday. . . .I'm looking at this little picture of Rae and her husband on their honeymoon in Miami Beach, and memories flow.   Its 17 days since we were married and HEA (Happily Ever After) started.  We just got back and the weather is cold, what the hell?   For sure the honeymoon is over and  I'm going home to our apartment..  I think I'm running.  (Because during my whole married life I ran home a lot)  I  go in.  We are living with her father Max.  He aint home, he works late.  The apartment is on Chestnut Street in West Philadelphia.  It has  one bedroom, one bathroom and a combination living room and kitchen.  There is a hideaway divan to sit on in the living room which becomes a bed at night for Max.  I go into the apartment, yell hello and find Rae  at the sink in the 'kitchen part' of the living room,  pealing a potato.  I walk over to her and put my hand on her lower back. You know, below the waist on the part that sticks out a little.  She says, "Will you cut that out.!!!" 
I jump back.  But, after a little conversation, I say, "Don't you remember saying you will love  honor and all that 'other stuff '.  C'mon, don't you?"  She's glaring but she says, "Yes."
"Well," I say, "included on page 2 of all that 'other stuff ', it says, "It shall not be deemed improper if husband places his hand on the lower part or any other part of wife's back."
I'm not sure if she knows what I'm talking about, but I know she knows what I'm talking about.  And then I say,
"And wait till you see what is on some of those other pages . . . . . . ."

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More Nurses

If  you keep doing stupid stuff chances are you are going to pay for it.  Anyway I'm at my work bench fixing a computer and writing on a legal pad, you know putting down what came out of where so I know where to put it back.  All this with my shoes off.  What the hell, the work table is in my work room, in my own house.  So now the computer is fixed and I just  have to put the hard drive, which is already connected to the cable, back in its cubby hole. .  .  .  So I reach for it and the pad slides off the bench and bops me right on  the top of my left tootsie (foot).                                                                     

About three day later a funny looking swelling appears and . . . .it hurts like, whooo oo.  Its Sabado so I drive to emergency where a resident doctor makes an incision and lets a lot of goo out and then gets about a foot and a half of quarter inch wide packing which is forced under the skin.  I cant even feel anything because they use the stuff a dentist uses when he pulls a tooth.    So I go home and the dentist stuff wears off.   It hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts.  I get some prescriptions. I am thinking maybe I should try to get some good stuff but I'm out of my element. Just my luck they would catch me and put my foot into the slammer. But it still hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts.  Next comes a visit to the doctor, get some super care and a home nurse is scheduled

I may drop a pad on my other foot

The nurse calls me on the phone, her name is Michelle and she tells me she is coming to my  house..  So I watch through the blinds for her car, .  What's that?  That cant be the nurse, no way,  can it?  Yep.  I hardly remember which foot has the boo boo.  I'm floating, we introduce ourselves, her last name is something or other, and she's very professional.  We go  into my bedroom where I sit  up on my chaise with my legs stretched straight out in front of me.
She takes out a folder with papers in it and says sign here.
I'm tossed on saying I want to read it first, which would keep her here longer, or just signing so we can get to the foot holding part.  Holding wins and I sign on the line, which only gets page two and its, sign here, sign here and here and here and here, and then; sign here . . . .about 8 or 9 places with a coupla initials thrown in.  I raise my foot about about 3 inches off of the chaise in anticipation of foot holding when she asks, do you have any allergies?  Damn . . more questions. My foot goes back down to the chaise.  What the hell, allergies?  Next a list of other do I haves,  like pressure and heart stuff and some more.  She finally gets through this list and then . . . . . . . she asks . . . . . ..  
In the future when I meet the  head of the home health care people, I am going to suggest a list of questions  no nurse should  ever ask,  And, #1 on that list, is the one she just asked, this one should be eliminated altogether,  . . . I cant believe it.  What question could instantly restore reality to any man in his fifties, er  (sixties or seventies) and transform him to a patient, just like that? 
Do you use a walker?

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November, 2012

Stephen Colbert

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Romney never met a dog he wouldn't put in a cage on top of his car for a long vacation auto trip.  Winter or no.
He never met a worker he wouldn't like to fire.   And.
He never met a member of the '47%' he wouldn't cheat out of his/her right to vote.
Some humor needed here.

Stephen Colbert, on his late nite show, "The Republicans have accused Obama of trying to break up the Republican party."

Colbert again, "Sure.  The Republicans were having a party and when the black guy arrived, the party broke up."

Nurse

No cell phones yet.

Some years ago, before the newer procedures used in preparing for a colonoscopy, you first had to take some barium, what ever the hell that is, but it was necessary for better definition of the resulting xray.  So now  I am laying on a narrow table on wheels and almost completely ready to take the xray.  The nurse had me change to hospital type garb and put in something,  preparation stuff,  when the phone rang.  She answered and started a conversation which I could hear her side of.  It was a rather personal call, it got her undivided attention and seemed to be headed for a long, long conversation.
I was still laying on this narrow table waiting to be pushed into position for the xray.  I raised my left arm and started wagging my left hand  furiously.  It broke the spell and she said into the phone, just a minute, looked over at me and asked, "What is it?"
And I said, "Did you ever have anyone have an accident while having this kind of examination?"  OMG!!  
She said into the phone, "Call me back later", jumped up, gave me the remainder of whatever, waited a moment and pushed the table, and me, under the expensive looking technological gadget and took the picture.  All in less than three minutes.
I did  not crack a smile, changed to my outside clothes and went home.

Page two:


I was taking a Tagement pill every day for my stomach condition.  When I started each pill cost $.60 but now they were $.80 each, after a $.70 hiccup.  $24.00 a bottle.  I read a medical article that said Tagement was the biggest seller in the world and grossed something like $2 billion a year.  The same article mentioned a new drug coming on the market that should replace Tagement, the name, Zantac. It did.  I thought, serves them right.
In the meantime while visiting my doctor, he  suggests I should have an examination to check for stomach ulcers. So on the appointed day I go to the appointed  place where the receptionist sends me into a very small room to remove my clothes and put on this gown like thing, backwards.(made out of cheesecloth?)  I kind of sheepishly come out and she points to another door and says, "there is a table in there, lay down on the table, the nurse will be in shortly." 


Nurse

I go in and yep, there it is, another narrow table where after I lay down I always feel as if any moment I will be on the floor.  I see a pillow in a corner, take it, get on the table and lay down with the pillow doubled under my head.  . . . . . . . . A shapely nurse comes in and walks over to a desk with a chart on it.  She picks it up and starts reading.
I get into a sitting position and quickly look over my shoulder and then look quickly to the left and then quickly to the right, getting her attention, and she says, "What are you doing?" 
I say I'm looking for the cameras.  She says, "Camera? What cameras?"
I say,  Cm' on.  This is a commercial isn't it?  We're making a commercial aren't we?    You're much too pretty. You cant be the nurse. You must be an actress.  When do we start rolling?" . . . .
Now how do you think that exam went?

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Rush



Any lie you can tell, I can lie better, I can tell any lie better than you .. . . .

The republicans have learned how to exploit  the fact that the majority of Americans are uninformed.  We are so busy with family problems and/or entertainment we don't pay attention to what is really going on politically.  So they think we need them to tell us how to think. And then they explain whatever it is using tactics instead of presenting ideas or using facts. Yes we don't watch much 'news'.  And they are right.  We are susceptible to sound bites.   The Republicans know this and use that knowledge to scare us, or work on our beliefs or prejudices with their created sound bites.  Distributed sound bites are repeated and repeated by overly paid so called 'news casters' on TV and radio.. 

The sound bites are targeted to people out there who would never vote for a Democrat and who are not high percentage voters.  Almost all of the racists and haters and others of that ilk fit into that category.  Republicans invite them to call themselves 'Conservatives'.  They are all Americans and so they are entitled to their views but, Republicans do not publicly acknowledge that they consider them as essential to boost up their base. 
In the 2012 election Rove and the superpacs spent a lot of money and really did a good job.  Unfortunately for the GOP there just wasn't enough of them to win the election.  But make no mistake they did vote with very high percentages.
I find a corresponding relevance between how much a talk show host lies with how much money they make.  Hundreds of millions for someone like Rush should make you understand.  Whether you are religious or not , how much you can make can depend on whether you will deal with the devil..   To have otherwise intelligent people publicly lie with disgusting crap does not come cheap.  After all they do have to learn to not see themselves when they look into a mirror.  Mirror, mirror on the wall, tell me I'm not the worst of all .

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Health Care

Wow!!!  This comes from NBC News with Brian Williams.  When I saw this news video I knew everyone should see it too.  This means its important to you,  just click on the link and get smarter about what is happening in your health future.

iPhone or Android

Online doc is ready.

 

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21134540/vp/50582822#50582822








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What a 2012



On behalf of all dogs, all voters, thank you, Fido

In 2012, President Obama continued his campaign, running for reelection against Mitt Romney who was saying he should be elected because he had more business experience, and that made him more qualified to fix the economy.   

A few years earlier former governor Mitt (President of Bain Capital) was a renowned, on Wall Street, business fixer. Actually his company was a stock manipulator and stock investor.  As an example,  they took over a  company in a very promising field, medical technologies.  The company's name was Baxter and after making himself president of the company, he changed the company's name to Dade International. Then after that move, with mostly stock, they acquired the company's two largest competitors.  This made the new Dade International the largest company in the field of medical technologies.  It was a Wall Street text book example of how to grow a company using stock manipulation.    Knowledge of how to actually run the company was not necessary because their goal was to make money for Bain and their partners.  And that they did, in just about four years, they made $400 million for Bain alone.  Did he have to be smart?  Oh yeah.  But smart enough to run a country like the USA?  If you mean like Cheney and Co., people who tell their followers how important it is to balance the budget and put the country on a sound economic footing, in order to get elected, and then when they get in charge, they don't do it. 
What they do do is, what they did with Chaney in charge, feed the assets of the country, including a trillion dollar surplus, directly to their rich supporters.  You only have to contrast the condition of the country when President Clinton and the Democrats left  office with the condition of the country when the Republicans left office.
In about the same amount of time Romney was with Baxter,  Obama, our new president, was able to get congress to pass a national health care bill  along with some other stuff.  Regardless of your opinion on ObamaCare, it ranks way up there in 'degree of difficulty' of political things to get done.. When Clinton was elected he was able to get get his financial program for the country passed (thank the lord and Clinton) without any support from the GOP, none. 100% of Republicans in congress voted against a program that produced a balanced budget and a nest egg, the trillion dollar surplus.  Like Clinton, Obama, for his national health care program, also had 100% of the GOP congress members voting against him..  Yes the Democrats at that time  were  a majority in congress, but remember, some were very beholden to the insurance industry.  It was not an easy task.
So, while Romney was making $400 million for Bain, using tactics, and firing employees, (over 1,700), and depleting the company's assets so manipulating Dade's stock prices would be easier, Obama, after  going head to head with McCain, was now dealing with obstructionists, and it was no easy job.  Dick Cheney and the GOP had the country in a free fall into a bottomless pit.
And then the election was over, and the Obama administration came in.  He was needing to stop the bleeding  and get the economy going.. And, while making that effort, he had other things to do, you know, like putting Bin Laden in the bottom of the ocean, droning out a lot Al Qaida leaders and a whole host of other stuff.    But the Republicans they were so mad we had a black man in the white house they openly said, "We will not vote for anything that will help him (the black guy) get reelected."  Saying that openly for public consumption is unbelievable, but typical of their arrogance which I guess they need to continue to fool those who vote for them.

Hearty meal.

But I got away from my first question which was, did the Dade International result qualify Romney to lead the country.  Lets look at the facts of what happened at Dade International.
There is no question their tactics to  make the $400 million took Dade International to the bankruptcy court. court.   Where they got a surprise.  The debt holders threatened Bain with law suits and forced Mitt and Bain etc., to give up all their considerable remaining ownership of Dade stock and more than $65 million. Then they said good bye to the Romney board members and with some added investment money started running the company the way they thought Romney was interested in doing.  Running the company like a business.  Not as a carcass for vultures.
And then, after about the same amount of time Romney had when he was in charge, the  company  was sold to Seimans for $7 billion dollars.  And at sale time the company now  had more than 6000 employees.  One characteristic result was what Romney said during the campaign, Romney said he was responsible for what happened to Dade because if he had not taken them to bankruptcy court, they would never have been forced to take the actions, which they did take and that that resulted in the turnaround.     If you didn't know what chutzpah was before, you  know it now. 
So, yes, Bain made over $400 million, an awful lot of money, but Romney and Bain did not make the almost $2 billion they could have made if Romney was the capable individual he was trying to sell to the voters.  He was indeed the winner of the Republican primary.  Fortunately we all saw the 'quality' of the potential leaders of our country, put forth by the GOP.  Now its even questionable if the best (worse?) candidate in the primary, won.

(Sources:  NY Times & Google.  If you do Google; put in  'Bain and Dade International')

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A Bolde Knight

From my youth I have a memory of my beautiful aunt, Evelyn.  She  had a boyfriend who I liked and tho I thought they would marry, unfortunately the family got in the way. Anyway, sometimes she would pick me up from Bryant Elementary School on 60th Street in West Philadelphia and walk me home.  Once in a while she would sing to me, usually the same old song.  She never told where it came from or why she liked it.   I came to cherish the song and it stll reminds me of her.  

After I was married I told Rae I was going to try to get tickets for the David Letterman show next time we went to New York.. He had a segment called stump the band and I was sure this song would do the trick. But the segment on his show was discontinued before I could get tickets.
Long ago true tales were vocally handed down from generation to generation so some tales and songs just disappeared. Especially if stuff was not written down by the few who could write. I don't want this song to pass into oblivion. So here's what I remember.



In days of olde, when knights were bold
and Barons held their sway,
A warrior bold with spurs of gold,
Sang merrily his way
Sang me r r r ily his way.

The blighted ring he wore
Was wet and crushed with gore,
But ere he died he bravely cried
I've kept the vow I swore.
So what care I, though death be neigh
I live for love or die.

So what care I
Tho death be neigh,
I live for love,
for looh hove,
For love . . .  I . . . . die.

I am pleased to to tell you I received an email 3 days after my orginal post with this;  (It looks like the song has survived.) By Stephen Adams

In days of old, when knights were bold,
And barons held their sway,
A warrior bold, with spurs of gold,
Sang merrily his lay;
Sang merrily his lay:
"My love is young and fair,
My love hath golden hair,
And eyes so blue, and heart so true,
That none with her compare.
So what care I tho' death be nigh,
I'll live for love or die.
So what care I, tho' death be nigh,
I'll live for love or die."

So this brave knight, in armor bright,
Went gayly to the fray;
He fought the fight, but ere the night,
His soul had pass'd away,
His soul had pass'd away.


The plighted ring he wore
Was crush'd and wet with gore,
Yet ere he died, he bravely cried,
"I've kept the vow I swore.
So what care I tho' death be nigh,
I've fought for love and die,
So what care I, tho' death be nigh,
I've fought for love, for love I die
I've fought for love,
For lov..ove, for love. . . I die."

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GEE OOH PEE

Can we get these excuses right?   Did Romney lose his bid for the presidency because Obama  had the best ground game in the history of elections.  Pooh!!!!  (Although Obama did have a spectacular, record setting, ground game.)  And, Romney did not lose because Obama was a better speaker. Pooh, pooh!!!  Who don't know that?  (Yes, Obama was also superior to Romney in every conceivable way.
Except, in the Wall Street con game, you know, screwing people out of money for personal gain.)
No, Romney did not lose because of these or the countless  other reasons being considered by the pundits, or being spewed out by the GOP alibiers (see pic) and those who spent hundreds upon hundreds of millions of dollars.  Or, declared, undeclared and Citizens United, or no Citizens United. 

Is this an album cover or what?

And, he did not lose because someone made a video of him, which showed him just being Romney.  Everybody knew him for who  he was.  They know he kept large amounts of money  in foreign banks.  They know the purpose for using foreign banks  is to avoid sending information to the IRS.   That's what foreign bank accounts are for, isn't it?  And, we all know  him as someone whose pets love him, except at vacation time.  And many of us saw him win that contest between a group who could not even make a casting list of characters, for a 'B' movie.  You see in this election , almost all the republican voters, in the those states where the GOP could make laws designed like a poll tax to to keep Democrats from voting, they voted.. The ones in the heavily GOP areas, they all did vote. So Rove & Co. did get they're money's worth. And of course, only the man upstairs knows how many absentee ballots, in GOP controlled red states were discarded, lost, or stolen. And as for how many computers were rigged or hacked . . . . .it boggles the mind. What else could explain the sheriff"s election in Arizona. This guy's name will be on every list of physcos banned from owning a gun. And the hundreds upon hundreds of millions of dollars spent, I'm telling you, it did work. All the racists voted. All the haters voted. All the bigots and their ilk, they voted.  That is the real rason they thought they won the election.

Increasing the value of a vote.  Its worth it.
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And that was what the GOP spent their money on. But, at the same time the uninformed people, the ones who usually dont vote or cant find time to vote . . . you know, voters who are turned off, or for whom voting is a chore or those who don't let politics interfere with their sports, or their TV addiction.  For them the stink was so strong they could not wait to get in line.
That was the miscalculation the GOP made.  Thanks to their tactics, as never before, to most of us, the value of each vote was discovered. 

Santa, 2012

New Gale, another wondeful memory.

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Evidently I was a very good boy all year, which according to me means I didn't have too much fun.  But I did get some stuff and one of my best presents ever.  And, like those coming from me, it came a little late.  The night of the day after Christmas . . and my present, it was a dream.  So real, of an evening like so many in my life.
When I dream it usually has a lot of weird atuff and when it doesn't, I wake at the wrong time.  Not this one.  I  never had one that was complete like this.  So vivid, and waking from it seemed so natural it was only after I reached over, ready to say something to Rae, when I realized it wasn't real. So why was this dream my best ever present?  Because now, with all my real memeories, it  too is in my memory bank.

Venus

 

Venus was at the Key Biscayne Tennis Center during the Orange Bowl girl's 14 tournament.  So I spoke to her and asked if she would take a picture with me.  Venus being Venus kindly said yes.  She did not remember me, but I'm sure she remembered an incident many years ago at Flamingo Park, former home of the Orange bowl Jr. 16s & 18sTournament.  Its where I first met her and Serena and her father.

HGK & Venus

That day school buses that came from all over Dade Couty were now empty. They jammed the parking lots and adjoining spaces.  The kids were now out of the buses and were all over the stadium.  Some were even in stadium seats, all of them waiting to see the new star of the tennis world, Venus.  Venus and sister Serena and daddy Williams were getting ready for the exhibition on Stadium Court.  This new star, with her amazing athleticism was  winning tournament after tournament and with her effervescent personality she captured the media world.  She took over women's tennis and the sports world could not get enough of her.  And she handled it all, like . . . Venus.  How is that,  you ask? 
Well, as the exhibition started, Venus with sister Serena and Dad on the clay court were getting warmed up.  They had hit one or two balls when, as it can only do on Miami Beach, without warning, a downpour soaked everything.  Me, I started helping shepherd the kids to the media building stairway. The stairs in the rear led to the second floor of the long building.  At this time it was empty of the TV cameras which sent images around the world of  palm trees and the semis and the finals of the world's number one Jr. Tennis tournament, the Orange Bowl . . .but at this moment it was just a very  large room with a table or two against a wall and an odd chair or so.
After helping make sure there were no wandering stray kids I went up the stairs and saw what my memory calls up now, as I put this down. The kids were all sitting in a  huge crowd on the floor.  They surrounded Venus who was at the far end sitting on what I think was her tennis racket bag. There was a kid sitting on each side of her lap, snugly under each arm.  Everyone was singing.  Venus was singing loudly with all the kids, who all seemed to know the song, and on the floor behind Venus there was a boom box blaring out  the song.  I remember wishing I had known the song so I could join in.

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Jobs

The modus operandi of vulture capital companies does not include creating jobs.  Except, when adding a few would help make profits. Like when hiring high profile people because their names are attractive to investors.  
When vultures take over a company the object is to make money fast.  And if the company itself makes or loses money, they couldn't care less. 
Now, a money only investment is an entirely different procedure.  Here they purchase stock on bonds where they get inside information or think they can influence the share price.  For the most part it requires no personal involvement.  Not like in vulture investments, where the cross-hairs are only on making money by manipulation. Once a targeted company fits a pattern or blue print for sucking money out, the green light turns on.
For example, General Moters. Why were no dollars in private investment money available for GM when they needed it.  When  Romney and Bain and like companies, always looking to make money, were approached to invest in the floundering GM it was easy for them to decline because they did not see anything viable for their bloodsucking abilities.  To be fair, neither did most, if not all, of the private investment community.  GM was not seen as an investment opportunity.  This is not accusatory, its just factual.
In normal times, they would have jumped and competed for the chance to sell new GM securities.  GM's financial health, good or bad, would not stop them.   The name GM meant they would have  little difficulty selling GM investment stuff, regardless of its business condition.  You see, most investment companies make money from the commissions of selling investment securities to their customers, and newly issued instruments have a higher  rate of commission.  Its what  they want to do. They make money by selling GM or other investment  stuff and even those mortgage backed bonds which turned out to be crap.   When our venerated rating companies stamped those real estate (crap) bonds as triple A, (AAA),  get out of the way.  Where's the phone?  Invest in U.S. real estate was the spiel of the day. Moody's and Standard & Poors have never been held accountable for not removing the AAA status of crap.  To me the  rating companies were culpable.

Vulture companies rarely if ever risk their own money without the ability to easily shift the risk to other investors.  Usually  their own customers, who get all the risk (most do so willingly) as secondary investors.. That's how companies like Bain Capital operate.  When a regular  Bain customer made an investment in a secondary or a  new stock adjustment offering, for them to make  huge profits was normal, losses were rare.  So their customers  were eager.  For a perfect example, go to your computer and Google; Baxter, Bain Capital.
And they are not alone among professional investment companies who make money by the above method.   BUT, in in the middle and late 2000's, times were not normal.  Being used to milking their customers, making enormous commissions and etc. even on crap, no, there were no funds available for GM in the private sector.  Zero.
So how could Obama justify putting the US Government on the hook, so to speak?  Well, its all in the point of view. Obama was looking at the reestablishing of our wrecked economy.  He saw how a favorable result and future for GM would help the country. Was it a good bet?  With that objective, Obama thought it was. 
To most investors throughout this country, an investment is a risk.    A Bond investment, no matter its rating, is a risk. A mutual fund is a risk. Woe to the investor who does not factor in risk when making a decision.  And, it takes a smart investor to recognize opportunity and not be afraid to make the most of it.

In 2008, I was for Hilary.  When Obama became the  Democratic candidate, the Miami Beach Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club had David Lawrence Jr., former publisher of the Miami Herald, as the guest speaker.  We spoke after the meeting and he said to me,
"Howard, I've met a lot of politicians and I can tell you, in my opinion, Obama's sincerity of purpose can not be challenged.  For a president, or even when you need  a top executive in business for that matter, when you have someone who is unusually well informed, very intelligent and sincere, what more can you ask?"   That did it for me.

To me, as president everything Obama has done personifies that statement from David Lawrence.

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Two Wheeler

 

Ah, 12 years old.
In Philadelphia at 60th Street and Market Street there was the Cross Keys movie theater.  When the theater announced that they were to have a yoyo contest, I began to save my pennies toward  the 10 cent admission price. My usual method of going to the movies was to join with a coupla other kids who, together, would accumulate enough money for one ticket.  We took turns on who would buy the ticket and then after going in, would open an exit door (just enough so it could be opened from the outside) for the rest of us. But I wasn't going to take a chance on our usual scheme because I wanted to win that bicycle.  The thought of owning my own bicycle, wow.  I can still remember the excitement.    The contest was over a 9 week period. Each week, for 8 weeks one winner would be selected to compete in the 9th week for the prize. The 2nd place prize was roller skates.  Roller skates?  I had roller skates.  Ohhhh man, I kept dreaming of that bicycle.
Each weekly contest had 8 yoyo tricks. The names of the tricks were;
1. Vertical half loop.  2. Vertical full loop. 3. Sleep.  4. Round the world.
I don't remember 2 of them but they were just as easy as the first four and the last two were, Walk the dog and Rock the cradle which I had no trouble with.  When you missed a trick, after any try, you were out, and the contest continued until only one contestant was left.  And this week, I won.  I don't remember much else of that first contest.
Since it was only the third week I had to wait for five more weekly contests. My head was so full of me going all over the place on my new bicycle, I don't know how I got through the wait.  Talk about forever.  But finally the big day came and I did not have to buy a ticket to get in.
All 8 of us contestants were on stage, the rules were explained, and the contest started.  There was only one change and it excited me greatly. When we got to 4 contestants, the tie breaker was loop the loops. But as it  happened, after the 4th run-through of  the tricks, only 2 were left, me and a kid I knew.  Oh man oh man.  I could do 4 times as many loop the loops as him. My best was 50 or more, but this guy, he had to struggle to reach 15.  The secret was to unwind the string before starting because each loop the loop would make one tighter wind in the string.  But you didn't want to unwind too much because it would make the string too loose..
The theater guy was talking and talking, to build the suspense when I realized he was saying my name, saying I was to go first.  It crashed through my reverie of bicycle riding and I walked to within three feet of the edge of stage to begin.  I took one unwind the string practice to warm up and then zipped my yoyo toward the audience.  It traveled horizontally until it reached the end of the string, . . and then. . . the string broke..

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Cheating didn't stop voters!!!

Just ask me anything Mitt

Boy,am I happy to congratulate you Mitt, for finishing second.. Woooo.  Seeing you as an also ran was, is so therapeutic I'm removing some of the negative stuff on the blog.  I really shouldn't do it because you keep on doing poop and it over.
We all knew what you said was not true, at least half of the time.  You just said anything. And you knew we knew you were lying..   It showed. In your face.   You looked like you thought you were above the necessity to be truthful.  You were running for the presidency of the United States for goodness sake.  Sauce for the goose?  
One suggestion.  Since you have enough money, why not buy a company and instead of sucking its blood out, see if you could actually make it successful by running it, you know, as a business.  You might even hire some people.  And you can be the President.  If it works, you might even get more pleasure from hiring people than you get from firing them.  Bon voyage.(Oh yeah, on car trips, please,  don't take your dog with, just hire a pet sitter..)

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Dogs on cars . .and some humor.

Google says. , , Romney put his dog in a cage on top of his car for a 12 hour auto trip?  WHAT???
Google says . . ., Romney likes to fire people?  WHAT???
Google says . . .Romney supports GOP attempts to cheat 47% of our people out of  their right to vote.  WHAT???

If you think I'm making this stuff up, google these items.
 Then watch and hear him on utube!!  And then watch and hear hear  him on utube, saying the exact opposite!!
Some humor is needed here.


Stephen Colbert   Wiki

On  his 11:30 PM TV program, Stephen Colbert said,
"The Republicans have accused Obama of trying to break up the Republican party."
He then said,
"Sure, the Republicans were having a party, and when the black guy arrived, the party broke up."

Message from GOD?

Wiki

The Republicans, at their convention, should take heed.  Isaac could be a warning from GOD,  'Stop blaming Him for climate change.'

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Letter to governor Scott, Florida




Rick Scott

Voters in the State of Florida have been hearing reports that our Governor is calling for and signing new laws to cheat some people out of their right to vote. I keep hoping this isn't true but it does make me wonder how he comes up with this shit. Stuff like having people pee in bottles, I'm still wondering how a women, who has to go, can pee into a bottle? I mean, suppose the line to the John is long? Did the guv consider this? A guy just needs a corner or a screen and a bottle. This could potentially be worse for a woman, who has to go,  than a traffic tie up on I 95. Good thing some Republicans realized the guv was bonkers on this one. Or maybe he became governor so he could decide who is and who isn't an American. Wow, what a feeling of power  And being able to put people on a list? Double wow.. The guv thinks he is the Government. Just ask him. And, government putting people on a list? Where did I hear that before? Wait a minute. I just thought of a possible solution.   The idea. Just make a list of those Unamerican people living in OUR country, you know, low income or foreigners who just come here to get their kids schooling and shit like that.. But, wait a minute.  Don't include those who came here and  qualified for medicare or medicaid. I mean after all, your company, you know, the one that helped you to accumulate enough money to spend millions in the campaign for governor. Congratulations, its one of the biggest health care providers in the country.  I am not saying any of those 'less than Americans' that joined his company, were used for over billing and, you know, doing fraudulent shit to get money from medicaid.  Do you think the guv is proud of the amount of fines his company paid?   I mean its seems high but it ain't a new record.   Looking at it from that stand point. you know being CEO of a company making enough money to pay  a billion and a half dollar fine, just for commtting a little fraud and other shit.  Wow! I wonder if that's in the top ten of accomplishments for CEO's  And then. do you think companies who make their money that way could be still doing it?  I mean that's a big fine.  Don't they  think they have to make it back somehow.  Just making regular profits from operating legally, that might be too slow.  So, hey guv, if you care about our State's bottom line, here's a thought, but you should know this one better than anybody. Why not have all companies convicted of fraud and over billing medicaid and medicare, checked out, say every 3 or 6 months, for about five years after they pay their fines.  Just to make sure they forgot how to do that stuff. You know they did come up with some pretty imaginative ways to steal from the government.  Maybe they still know other stuff, you know, stuff the regulators haven't seen yet.   I mean over billing and fraud was so easy and it was right down their alley.  And I wonder did any of those guys who thought up that stuff get fired?  And, are any of them working for the state now?  The guv wouldn't have crooks working for him, would he?  Maybe it was one them who came up with the pee in a bottle shit.  And guv if you think hard, you  might come up with enough savings to medicaid to enable Florida to sign up for the new federal government's medicaid proposals. If you did that, think of the all the people you could help. And the other companies, like yours, in the health care business. (the non-cheating ones, if there are any) they too might benefit. Or you could have a list of those 'less than American types' who swear a mothers oath to vote Republican.  Comon guv, take a page out of Grover's book    (Oh shit, I used to know a dog named Grover and that makes me sick to  think of a dog on top of a car for a 12 hour trip.)   Where was I, oh yeah.    And then you could purge that list from the list of those who have dark skin or an accent, they certainly are not entitled to vote. What gall.   Huh. Oh my goodness,  here is another good idea.  Man this is terrific.  Make them all tell you where they work, and then we could let Romney fire them.  I heard him say how much he loves to fire people.  Making dogs sick is just a warm up for him.  And I read about how you said most of the low incomers were druggies anyway. I mean the ones you want to pee into bottles.  We could save money and use that list again.  Shit, you might just zap them. Who is going to complain about druggies? They're probably all dems anyway. Except we have to be careful about some special druggies, you know, like Rush, you don't want to offend that guy.  But Rush, he ain't a resident of Florida, and now that I think about it, you cant insult him. No way. He makes too much money. You know, from saying stupid lying shit on the radio, on purpose.  For money that guy would say anything. Even a Governor ain't safe.  But, you might get some good ideas from him on who should have the right to vote and who should not. I bet he has a raft of ideas on that. Like,  for  sure give all the WASP's a secret password or whatever so they can be sure they ain't on no list.  For those who don't know what a WASP is, from a voting standpoint, you're a gonner.
I have another question guv.  In your opinion.  Which is harder?  Cheating government agencies out of money or passing laws to  cheat some law abiding citizens out of their right to vote ?  Do you have any trouble finding people to play golf or tennis with you?
Florida is gonna go Republican in the presidential election as sure as taking the fifth 75 times can help you avoid a criminal indictment. 

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NBA CHAMPIONS !!!!!!!

    WHO is that guy in the back??

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Never do that again dept.

I told Dr. Fernando-Sende, my doctor, that all my health problems are his fault.

"What?"

"Well if you weren't taking such good care of me, my bus would have hit me long ago"
And I believe that because I keep doing some dumb things.  Like when he sent me to Dr Lilenbaum because tests showed I don't have very many platelets.
Lilenbaum says, "We have to get to the bottom of this."   Later, this results in my getting on a table, face down, with my back bare, and most of my butt showing.  Then he gets this big  #*@*ing  needle that he is going to use to suck out some marrow stuff to analyze ..

The right spot.

So, naturally, to lighten the atmosphere, you know, I tell him my best lawyer joke, .  Seemed like a good idea to me..  Well anyway I get to the punch line just as he has the needle entering  a serious spot, and . . . he busts out laughing. . . . .



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TOP TEN Lawyer Joke

Just south of Miami a guy is hitchhiking on Rt. #1  to Key West.  Its July.  Its hot as hell and nobody is stopping.
After a while  he turns his collar around, makes and holds up a sign, that says "Clergy". . . .Nobody stops.
So, he makes another sign, holds it up, it says, 'Physician"  Nobody even close to stopping.  Sweat is running all over him, the signs are going no where, he wants to give up. But the memory of his last visit to Key West prevails. He makes a new sign, holds it up, it says,  'Attorney' . . . . .

Do you drive to the Keyes often?

He sees a brand new, red  Mercedes convertible, with the top down, and a beautiful blond driving,  It passes by him.  But then the rear brake lights go on, and the car stops.  He runs over, opens the door and sees this young lady, with cleavage, like in a well filled sexy bathing suit, and her skirt up high, showing beautiful legs . . She looks over at  him and says,

"Hey, . . . . . .you look pretty young . . . .
How long have you been a lawyer, anyway?"
He gets in, looking at her and says,  "Only five minutes and already I want to screw somebody."

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Polls

Yes, No, Yes, No

A recent poll shows a good percentage of the military favors President Obama.  Uh oh, this reminded me of the Bush vs Gore shame in Florida.  If you remember, during the investigation of improprieties it was discovered that two poll workers, who were entrusted with counting absentee ballots, were in a room alone with the ballots and admitted signing unsigned absentee ballots from the military, but . . . only if they were for Bush.  This blatant, total disregard for ethics during the  presidential election, was down right disgusting. It stills bugs me that, to my knowledge, the two ballot counters  were never separated, never offered immunity, and never seperately asked this question, ."What else did you do while you were alone with all those ballots?"  (Does anyone believe 2 guys signing only unsigned Republican ballots and not Democrat ballots didn't do anything else when they they were alone with all the other absentee ballots?)
With all the practice they have had it will be easier for the Republicans this time. If the polls show Obama with a  majority of military voters favoring him, they can just lose them, like Bush's military records. 
Or they can do some other creative shit.  Like the Florida governor. Is this guy ready to take more 5th amendments in case its illegal to do what he is doing.  Taking the 5th 75 times means he has had plenty of practice.  Now as governor he's using new onerous and obviously restrictive voting procedures to reduce the numbers of potential democratic voters.  And he's arrogant about it.
Ask him how does he feel about HCA'S  illegally getting gazillions from the government (Medicare & Medicaid)? Ask him?  Go ahead ask him.   Morality?  What the hell is that?  How the hell is he able to look at himself in a mirror? 
Hey gov, I have another question or two bothering me about those pee bottles.  Does the State have any left overs? And if we do, are they all the same kind?  Do women need special bottles to pee into?
The guvs' a piece of work.  If he gets his way Florida is going Republican come hell or high water.

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Men & Women.



In a conversation with 3 other guys, one of them said the country doesn't need a black president.  So I said,
"Well its a good thing our president is white."  He then said,
"I'm talking about Obama."  So I said,
"Me too.  Well he's white isn't he? Why do you say he's black?"
He says, "C'mon you know his father was black as well as I do. Just look at  him"

I say, "His mother is white isn't she?  Just look at her."  Oh, I forgot, you're against women's rights." 
He is.

Pinocchios galore!!!

College students, do you want a guaranteed political career?.  Simple. Just 3 steps.

1. Major in Lying.

2. Run for office as a Republican.

3. Buy a rubber stamp.

 This does not mean ALL politicians don't tell listeners what they will do. And then  not do it,  You don't need a college course for that. Just big balls. It does mean you have to go in front of people, even nationally, and on TV and then, lie like hell.  Even though you know nearly 90% of the people watching or listening know you are lying.  Just watch Mitt or 'Joe the Plumber' on Youtube.  They are still available.

There once was a plumber named Joe,

Who learned to say stuff, not so.

Got very good at that game!!

And, tho others think its a shame . . .

With the GOP . . . . its a go!

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Two

Juan,Victor, Paul, HGK
Bck row;Herman,Anthony,Aquilas

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His real name was Juan but I called him Two because at the park there were a couple of other Juans.
"Why are you doing that Howard?"
"What do you mean, why am I doing this?"
"Well I  heard Richard trying to get Robert to do it for him and now you're doing it?"
"So?"
"Well, Richard would never do it for you."
"Two, are you saying you want me to be like Richard?"

Whores or Pimps ?

I have a question for J. R. McCulloch, (1789-1864)  the first professor of political economy of the University College London. He astonishingly, wrote this,180 years ago; 

Taxation of Income Impractical
"The tax would fall with its full weight upon men of integrity, while the millionaire of “easy virtue” would well nigh escape it altogether. It would, in fact, be a tax on honesty, and a bounty on perjury and fraud; and, if carried to any considerable height—to such a height as to render it a prominent source of income—it would undoubtedly generate the most barefaced prostitution of principle, and would do much to obliterate that nice sense of honour which is the very foundation of national probity and virtue."   
(Economist 04/28/2012 and Wikipeida)

My question is, "If you were alive today would this mean you think the Governor of Florida, most of the candidates for president and a great many similar politicians and/or wealthy people on Wall Street, etc., are prostitutes?  And if you do, would this mean that  the oil industry,and all the other companies who are able to obscenely over flourish in our democracy by avoiding paying taxes should care  more for our country?  Or, do you think all of the above, along with their lobbyists . . . . . we should just shove them into a category of pimps?

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New Cancer Treatment

Targeted nanoparticles show success in clinical trials  Targeting Lung, Breast, Prostate and other tumors.

Tiny particles designed to home in on cancer cells achieve tumor shrinkage at lower doses than traditional chemotherapy.

 

An artist's rendering of BIND-014.
Image: Digizyme, Inc.



In the study, which appears April 4 in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the researchers demonstrate the particles’ ability to target a receptor found on cancer cells and accumulate at tumor sites. The particles were also shown to be safe and effective: Many of the patients’ tumors shrank as a result of the treatment, even when they received lower doses than those usually administered.

This information is from the MIT information services. 
To read the full article, click link below;
  http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/cancer-particle-0404.html

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Old PIB (Pee ina Bottle) wrong again???

One of the early acts of the governor of Florida was to refuse federal money intended for a study to use in the development of a rapid transit train.  In this case, from Tampa to Orlando, and for a continuation to Miami..  When former governor Charlie Christ was confronted with a similar rapid transit plan he said,
  ”We are very excited about the potential for passenger rail service in the state. We believe these projects will enhance the transportation choices of our growing resident and visitor populations.”  Both These guys,  governors, both these guys Republicans, so what gives?  Why the difference?
It now appears that the Florida East coast Railway Co, a private company,. is in a feasibility study for rapid transit between Miami and Orlando. They say they own or have access to existing rail lines which are available and which makes  going forward very likely.  Old PIB (pee ina bottle) Scott seems to be whistling his own tune which indicates he doesn't know what the purpose of being a governor is. 
We don't need the governor  to use his position to tell us how to run our lives, or intrude into our privacy, or collect our body waste, (at government expense), or consider ways to keep voters from voting,  These are things Republicans say they are against. With their mouths..
What PIB may need is a surgical procedure to put his mouth on the same side of his head as his ass. That way the the horse poop can be coming out of the same side as the regular poop..

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Splatt !!!!

Listen all men.  You better watch this.  Forget sending jobs overseas.   The 1% will not need us at all  in the future.  And as soon as robots can sync with automatic lawn mowers Romney won't even have to hire illegals to cut  his grass. Maybe women wont need us either. They already can make babies from a lab dish, if these things can take the garbage out, that's it.. 

Incredible

We must organize before its too late.  Lay in a supply of fly swatters and good luck. . . . .  Don't click the link or you will see the first step in a future without men.

http://www.ted.com/talks/vijay_kumar_robots_that_fly_and_cooperate.html

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Immigration

A high School senior named Daniela Peleaz, came to this country at age 4 with her parents.  She lived here since then and at age 18, is Valedictorian at North Miami High School.  So far she has been accepted for admission by Yale University.  And now a federal judge has ruled she should be returned to Columbia. 


Hugo, High School meeting.

 On February 12, 2011, I wrote a post about Hugo.  Unfortunately, in Hugo's case, the immigration ruling came months after Hugo graduated.  At the time he was employed by the Nieman Marcus Department Store near Miami Beach,

This is a repost.

Raz played #1 (tennis) for Miami Beach Hi.  He introduced me to Hugo.  Hugo asked would I help him with his tennis.  Which I did.  He heard about the ‘Dwight’s Computers for Kids’ program, volunteered to help, and we became friends.  Hugo’s schedule.  After school he practiced tennis and then went to his apartment to change.  At 5:30 he went to work at a Chinese restaurant.  After that he parked cars {valet}.  Every day. On weekends he also helped his girlfriend sell sandwiches from a pushcart and after work at the restaurant he valet(ed)  until  3 in the morning.  He picked up and delivered 'day old' bread for the congregation at his church.  With computers from Dwight's Kids program he set up a lab at his and other churches in Dade County.  He never refused to help anyone.  His use of time amazed his teachers and when he graduated a friend recommended him for the job he was vacating for college.  The job, asst. mgr. of the shoe department at Macys.  A few months later the shoe dept. mgr. of another store, closer to his apartment, offered him a similar job.  He said 'yes' and  gave 2 week notice.  He asked his new boss if he could sell shoes when he had extra time.  Soon he became #2  in shoe sales. With commission and salary his income soared to almost $1,000.00 a week. Only months out of high school.  Unbelievable.



Hugo delivering a computer for Dwight's Comuters for kids.



He had a green card but wanted permanent residency so he hired a lawyer on a high floor in a Miami building.  He asked me to accompany him to the hearing.  On the floor of the hearing I met a friend who asked what I was doing there and when I told him he asked the judge's name.  He said, "If he’s a friend, get him out of here right now. Say he’s sick or whatever."  I tried. His lawyer did not know anything negative about the judge.  Hugo was so excited he wanted the hearing now. 
The judge refused his request and ruled he had to return to Columbia.  The manager of the store, one of this country’s most prestigious chains, his boss’s boss, offered to help "in any way I can” 

(Two years later his application for a tourist visa was refused because of the ‘denial’ for permanent residency.)

In Columbia with the help of a tennis scholarship he graduated from college.
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