We'll Always Have Paris?

Justin Trudeau, Canada's Prime Minister, was already trying to recruit tech companies out of Silicon Valley (in the wake of DJT's Muslim, er travel, ban).

 French President Emmanuel Macron is now openly recruiting scientists and engineers who are disappointed with the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.

 Do you have any idea what happens to the US economy if a critical mass of those sci-tech folks leave for, ahem, greener pastures? Hint: It's not good.

 Business itself doesn't "make America great again," which is a BS tag line anyway. It's the people who innovate, disrupt, and build upon bold ideas ... well, they LITERALLY make great things! And people who work on great projects are able to recruit more great people.

 So, look at what Canada, France, and Germany are doing. Look at who they are recruiting, and the technologies they are investing in. They will begin to leave America in the dust.

The US is no longer a world leader. World leaders move forward. Not backwards. Hell, you cannot even describe what DJT and the US Congress are doing as "leading from behind." It's choosing to be left behind.


Links:

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/02/trudeaus-plan-to-lure-silicon-valley-investors-to-canada.html

http://betakit.com/pm-justin-trudeau-using-quora-linkedin-to-sell-canadas-innovation-agenda/

https://qz.com/846857/tech-jobs-in-canada-foreign-workers-could-flock-to-vancouver-victoria-and-toronto-for-careers-in-technology-to-avoid-brexit-in-the-uk-and-trump-in-the-us/

https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/870404892657156101

https://www.vox.com/world/2017/6/1/15727140/emmanuel-macron-trump-paris-agreement-make-our-planet-great-again

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/6/1/15726656/pittsburgh-mayor-trump-paris

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/06/01/why-trump-actually-pulled-out-of-paris-215218 (Troll is gonna troll)

Quotable | Patriot (Election 2016 Edition)

A Patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.-- Edward Abbey, author, essayist, and environmental advocate (1927-1989)


I posted this Abbey quote at the height of the 2008 election season and on the eve of the 2010 mid-term elections. And it is still relevant today on Election Day 2016. I am not, however, advocating a form of "tea party" patriotism or some progressive agenda. I use the quote as a warning that the "government" is not a monolithic entity. It is comprised of all the following:

• Elected persons who are members of both major political parties
• Candidates who are trying to become elected for the first time
• Candidates who are trying to keep (or regain) political office
• Lobbyists who work for, and against, parties and candidates
• Think tanks who examine citizens' behavior and then attempt to mold it toward a certain purpose (without letting those same citizens know they are being subtly manipulated)
• Members of the media who try to tell us what the government is doing, and sometimes chastise elected officials and candidates, even as they try to court favors and money from those very same officials (or promises from up-and-coming candidates)
• Individual citizens who vote -- and voting is done directly at the polls as well as indirectly with every dollar a person spends or choice they make.

  So, what exactly is Abbey's patriot defending against? Well, in a word: "us."

The Internet Must Go?

In 2012, market researcher John Wooley was dispatched to help the big ISPs figure out how to sell their vision for a "faster," "cleaner" Internet. Six months later he produced this report -- and shared it with the world. If you're concerned about a free, open Internet, watch this leaked video, learn more and take action at theinternetmustgo.com.

Friday 80s Flashback for August 31, 2012

80s Fashion Collides with 2008 in the Subway (Book of Lies published in 2008)

[Lies] -- In the wake of the recently completed Republican National Convention, and in full knowledge that the Democratic National Convention starts next week, the 2012 Presidential Campaign is in full swing. Not that we haven't already been inundated with campaign rhetoric for more than a year already, but now we're in the home stretch. And regardless of your party affiliation, or lack thereof, the one thing we can all agree upon is this old chestnut: "How can you tell when a politician is lying? You can see their lips move." But I'm not lying when I tell you this week's Flashback features songs about lying and liars. I can't promise you'll find out why politicians have to lie, but I will promise that you can read and hear more after the break.

Zealots Gonna Zeal! (Santorum)

I thought I would make a little poster for Rick Santorum. This accurately sums up his campaign, doesn't it?

(I would not cast a vote for this guy as dogcatcher, let alone the President of the United States!)

Full-Spectrum Santorum?

Rick Santorum claims to be a “full-spectrum conservative.” But what does that mean? Well, let's unpack it.

"Rainbow" could be another term for "full-spectrum" ...

And I suppose Santorum uses "conservative" to mean a true "Republican" ...

So now we have "Rainbow Republican" which seems kind of familiar. What could that mean ...


Wait, I got it! Santorum is a Log Cabin Republican! This totally changes the GOP race!


But it does not change my opinion of Santorum.

War on Christmas, or War on Diversity?

Marci A. Hamilton argues that "War on Christmas" rhetoric is actually a war on diversity. And you know what? I think she has a valid argument! The money moment comes in the sixth paragraph:

Given the prevalence of Christmas in the culture, why do people feel insulted by the judicial decisions holding that the courthouse can’t have a crèche, or the school choir can’t sing only Christian music at the public school annual holiday concert?I suppose it is because there was a time when no one challenged them. Culturally, we came to expect such displays, and it feels like we have a right, but also, emotionally, it is scary to have them removed from our universe. For a Christian, and perhaps other believers, they were a comfort. At base, many apparently feel that if the government can’t support our Christian celebration, then we are losing control and power over the most important values in the culture. But these responses lack historical perspective.

From that point on, Ms. Hamilton obliges the reader with a very necessary, albeit brief, summary of the historical facts. I don't know if the folks who most need to read this piece will even see it, but it's handy to have in your hip pocket if you ever find yourself dealing with, say, Mr. O'Reilly and his associates at Fox News (or one of their fans).

Read The War on Diversity over at Patheos.com.

Post Mid-Term Election Thought

I've posted this elsewhere, but I figure I should archive it on my own blog.

Take a good look at the election results and get ready to evaluate what the "new" Congress does over the next two years. You might even go back to the mid-term elections of 1982, 1994, and 2006 for comparison.

But none of that really matters. (Here comes the material I've posted elsewhere, such as my Facebook page).

The names on the office door might change now and then, but the US is still run by corporations and lobbyists. And in the final analysis, there is no Red/Blue, or Republican/Democrat, division. All of those labels are the public face of government, or the entertainment if you will. The only real work done in government, and it's the same work that has been going on for DECADES, is the behind-closed-doors dance our representatives do with big business and lobbyists to (a) get elected or (b) stay elected. That leaves very little time to deal with real issues let alone seek pragmatic solutions for them.

Quotable | Patriot (Mid-Term Election 2010 Edition)

A Patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.
-- Edward Abbey, author, essayist, and environmental advocate (1927-1989)


I posted this quote at the height of the 2008 election season. I bring it back now on the eve of the 2010 mid-term elections because it is still relevant. I am not, however, advocating a form of "tea party" patriotism. I use this as a warning that the "government" is not a monolithic entity. It is comprised of

• elected persons who are members of both major political parties
• candidates who are trying to become elected for the first time
• candidates who are trying to keep (or regain) political office
• lobbyists who work for, and against, parties and candidates
• think tanks who examine citizens' behavior and then attempt to mold it toward a certain purpose (without letting those same citizens know they are being subtly manipulated)
• members of the media who try to tell us what the government is doing, and sometimes chastise elected officials and candidates, even as they try to court favors and money from those very same officials (or promises from up-and-coming candidates)
• individual citizens who vote -- and voting is done directly at the polls as well as indirectly with every dollar a person spends or choice they make.

  So, what exactly is Abbey's patriot defending against? Well, in a word: "us."

Unfrozen Caveman Candidate

When political ads start appearing on TV, doesn't it seem like they are all variations on this theme:

Ladies and gentlemen of the constituency, I'm just a caveman. I fell on some ice and later got thawed out by some of your scientists. Your world frightens and confuses me! Sometimes the honking horns of your traffic make me want to get out of my BMW.. and run off into the hills, or wherever.. Sometimes when I get a message on my smart-phone, I wonder: 'Did little demons get inside and type it?' I don't know! My primitive mind can't grasp these concepts. But there is one thing I do know - when a man like my opponent is in office, BAAAAAD things happen. When a caveman like me is in office, only GOOOOD things happen. So vote for me. Thank you."

With apologies to the genius of Jack Handey and Phil Hartman (1948 – 1998) who brought us the brilliant Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer sketches on SNL.

By the way, we miss you, Phil.

Bizarro: The Mr. T Party Candidate

Bizarro nails it again (comic from 10/12/2010):

(Separation of) Church & State for May 2009

The May 2009 edition of Church & State, the monthly publication from Americans United for Separation of Church and State, is now online. Top stories include:

• Special Delivery: Letters From AU’s Legal Department Solve Church-State Problems In Public Schools Without Going To Court
• A+ Arizona: State Supreme Court Flunks Voucher Subsidies For Religious And Other Private Schools
• Power Struggle: With James Dobson Inching Toward Retirement And Others Off The Scene, Many Wonder Who Will Fill The Religious Right’s Bully Pulpit
• Texas Two-Step: State School Board Takes One Step Forward On Science Standards – And Two Steps Back

Visit now: http://www.au.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cs_2009_05

Church & State for April 2009

The April 2009 edition of Church & State, the monthly publication from Americans United for Separation of Church and State, is now online. Top stories include:

• Touchdown At The Supreme Court
• Fighting ‘Faith-Based’ Bias
• High Court Commandment
• Senate Voucher Victory

Visit now: http://www.au.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cs_2009_04

Book Review | Words That Work

[This review is cross-posted to Amazon.com and Facebook (LivingSocial:Books)]

Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear (Dr. Frank Luntz, Hyperion, 2008, ISBN: 1401309291)

Luntz's book will interest anyone who loves words, especially folks who are interested in the careful use of words to get a message across to other people. Most of Words That Work deals with framing language issues of the political and corporate varieties, and some folks may be turned off by Luntz's work with big corporations, the Republican Party, or both. But the non-partisan reader will enjoy the discussion of how a word's meaning can change over time, or through the careful control of context. The examination of polling's role in shaping a message or affecting public opinion is eye opening as well. 

In the end, understanding the concept of "words that work" will help just about anyone regardless of the specific communication situation. But what, perhaps, impresses me most about this book is that, after all the "meanness and abrasiveness" that Luntz has witnessed and experienced, he remains dedicated to finding the positive. He writes: "...there is much to be gained by being upbeat and optimistic. When you trash the opposition, you simultaneously demean yourself. The best warrior is a happy warrior. Accentuate the positive ... eliminate the negative. Negative definitely works, but a solid positive message will triumph over negativity." 

Some may call that naive, maybe even accuse him of attempting to sugar-coat or dumb down important issues (I know I kind of felt that way at first). But after going through the examples in the book, and looking for others on my own, I can see the value in his approach. Hopefully, others will, too.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness [Real Estate Edition]

"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" are among the inalienable rights of people according to the Declaration of Independence. Yes, I said the Declaration even though most people mistakenly attribute the phrase to the Constitution [1]. Still, because these rights have been mentioned in the Declaration, giving them a certain degree of forcefulness, they have been used in arguments against government regulations (particularly that "pursuit of happiness" thing [2]. Now, I actually had a reason for bringing up what is perhaps the most famous phrase of the Declaration of Independence. And that is something I have heard my father say often in reference to government foolishness: "The Founding Fathers said people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Food, shelter, clothing ... that's up to you. Period." Speaking of government foolishness, it would appear that our new President disagrees with my father:

President Barack Obama’s plan to confront the housing and foreclosure crisis is even more ambitious than first expected — committing as much as $275 billion in an effort to keep as many as 9 million Americans from losing their homes. [Politico.com]

Now, the Heathen perspective on this housing situation is one of personal responsibility. But, no, it's so much easier to swim with the tides of victimhood and declare, "It's not my fault. Someone has to do something to help me out of this mess!" Yes, the promise of owning one's own home was dangled in front of alot of people. Banks and other lenders pushed through huge loans to people who had no business receiving them. But did anyone actually twist the arms of these homeowners-to-be? At some point, these folks should have been able to realize that the so-called prevailing wisdom of buying "as much home as you can possibly afford" with the hope of increased income or increased property value that pays for itself down the road was simply spurious, if not completely irresponsible. Where did these people learn the basic principles of economics and budgeting? Mrs. Brainwise and I passed on a number of homes, and even dropped out of few bidding wars, simply because we were determined to not be "house poor" or overpay on the value of a piece of property. Yes, we have a smallish home, and we have had to do some work on it. But much of the work pays dividends in value. We're sitting fairly comfortably and there is very little danger that we'll lose the house. If you can't set yourself up in a similar manner, then you're probably better off continuing to rent instead of sinking money into a losing prospect and then waiting for the government to bail you out. Stop using my tax dollars to help folks who cannot handle money in the first place! --------------- [1] The 5th Amendment does offer protections to our "life, liberty, or property," noting we cannot be deprived of any of them without due process of law. (Reference: Things That Are Not In The U.S. Constitution). [2] Barron's Law Dictionary, 2nd Ed, pg.378.

Sale to the Chief? Really??

Can someone please tell me why these sales were necessary for celebrating a Presidential Inauguration? Is this kind of thing any better, any different, than President Bush encouraging people to shop after the Sept. 11 terror attacks?

Quotable | The Public's Money

The American Republic will endure, until politicians realize they can bribe the people with their own [i.e., the public's] money.” -- Alexis de Tocqueville (1805 - 1859), French political thinker and historian, most famous for his work Democracy in America

Obama: The Unofficial Commemorative Plushie

OK. Today is historic. I get that. And people are excited about it. I get that, too. What I do not get, however, is the vast and diverse array of "commemorative" items that people are shilling for Obama's inauguration as our 44th president. Just perform a Google search on "obama commemorative" and you will see about 868,000 results. If you want to narrow it down to items you can actually purchase (or, rather, items that include the correct metadata to be pooled under shopping results), click Google's shopping link. Still, it's just under 10,000 (I got 9,778 results). But among the plates, cups, coins, and clocks (yes, clocks!), I did not see an official Obama plushie. Not in the top 50 at any rate. Now, it's not that I actually want an Obama plushie. I just became curious after seeing this particular LiveJournal post. Hence my entry's use of "unofficial" in the title. Seems that at least one LJ user is so excited about President Obama, is so enamored of him, that she created her very own tribute in the form of a plushie doll. Oh, and it comes complete with a Blackberry:

Now, I say she created her very own plushie, but it might be more accurate to say that she created "your" very own plushie. And by that, I mean they put it up for auction on eBay. Starting bid: 99 cents. Oh, and before you go looking for that auction, hoping to get your bid in ... the auction is over. It ended on January 18, with 27 bids. High bidder took the plushie for a capitalist-friendly final bid of $91.00.

[Click for larger image]

Remember kids: This is not a toy. It's a piece of hand crafted artwork (It's fanart! It's homemade!). This is not intended for children. Nor is it intended to make a mockery of the office of the President of the United States. Really, it's not.

[Click for larger image]

Effective Corporate Bailout

According to Wiley, the artist behind Non Sequitur, this is the most effective bailout plan (click image for larger version): I tend to agree with him.

The Doctor is (Write) In

Brent Sienna votes for the other "One." Original URL: http://www.pvponline.com/2008/11/04/smithjones-08/