Monday, January 29, 2007

Politics and Prayers

Last night I was trying to watch a movie on HBO. Somehow I ended up watching the documentary "Friends of God".

Alexandra Pelosi did this documentary. Yes, if the last name sounds familiar, she is the daughter of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

He premise of this documentary was a road trip into sixteen of the so called “Red States”.

What she discovers was a complete different country, populated by evangelicals who believe that the Bible is God’s word and believe it should be carefully followed.
In a wide look to this population, the director shows us the beliefs of this demographic group.

Along the road, she meet ministers with claims of satisfying sex lives, wrestlers who fight in the name of Jesus, evangelical creationist themed mini –golf courses, skateboard ministry, drive thru prayer stations, even she had the chance to shows the latest trend in travel: Evangelical tourism, visiting in Orlando, the Holy Land Experience, complete with Jesus Christ as a host.
According to records this park has an attendance of 200 to 250 thousand visitors a year.

What I found most alarming, was how this religious group (50 to 80 million strong) uses his influence in politics and the way his beliefs affect the minds of young kids.

Denying the Theory of Evolution, the right to abortion, the gay marriage, etc is bad enough, but when you start telling the voters who to vote for, based in your religious preferences, you are destroying the basic fundaments of the free thinking society, you are just one step away of becoming one of those countries populated with religious fanatics, WHERE WE SEND OUR SOLDIERS TO DIE.

As a pompous Jerry Falwell stated: “ the power of this group will destroy candidates”, as it did during the campaigns of Al Gore, and John Kerry.
And it will destroy the campaign of Hillary Clinton, he said.

Leaving the politics of this great nation in the hands of religious fanatics will be the biggest mistake that a nation that always awarded the free thinkers, can make.

If these were "God's Friends," I'd hate to meet his enemies.

By the way the minister with the satisfying sex life, the Rev. Ted Haggard, then president of the National Association of Evangelicals, was forced to resign on November 2006, in the wake of a sex scandal created by his involvement with a male prostitute and the use of methamphetamine, a illicit drug that causes euphoria.

I strongly recommend to watch this documentary, to understand why is America is so divided and what is the real battle that is raging inside.

Friday, January 26, 2007

Is Iran next...?


I was planning to write about the State of the Union address from last Tuesday.
But after reading carefully the speech, I found some alarming notes , these added to some recent events make write this post.

First , previous to the State of the Union speech the President have another speech to explain to America , “The Way Forward in Iraq”.
During that speech, 6 times the President addressed Iran in different manners, mostly as supporter of the violence reigning in Iraq as well as a country emboldened in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Syria was only mentioned 1 time.

This Tuesday, during the State of the Union speech, the president again, mentioned Iran, 5 times, this time identifying Iran as a major supporter of Shia extremists, as well as Hezbollah.

This portrayal of Iran equals in the same way the portrayal made of Iraq previous to the war, just replace W.M.D for nuclear weapons and Al Qaeda for Shia extremists and Hezbollah.

The Pentagon sent a second U.S. carrier group to the Gulf; this will put 5,000 more U.S. sailors in the region, bringing the total to 16,000.

This time the battle group leaded by the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) aircraft carrier will join the group headed by the USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN 69) aircraft carrier, each flanked by nuclear submarines and battleships, carrying fleets of attack jets, and holding special Marine landing forces.

Today, the President authorized U.S. forces in Iraq take whatever actions are necessary to counter Iranian agents including capturing and killing if necessary.

Meantime, Iran, conducted tests for his Zalzal-1 and Fajr-5 missiles this past Monday.

Add this to the fact of Iran installing thousands of centrifuges in an underground facility next month.
This centrifuges will spin uranium gas into enriched material.
This will escalate the conflict between Tehran and world powers over its nuclear program.

Israel is already involved in a duel of threats with president Ahmadinejad , after the war with Hezbollah on its northern border.

With all this on mind, it should not come as a major surprise if an US-Israeli alliance decided to attack Iran.

By the end of February, president Ahmadinejad will announce the progress of Iran’s nuclear programs; it also marks the end of the 60 days period given to Iran to bring to an end their nuclear program, by the UN resolution 1713.

At this point in time, the countdown will start, because by then the US battle group will be in place as well as the extra troops provided to Iraq, who will be ready to prevent the “spill” of the insurgence to other countries, also the Patriot missiles ordered to protect other Arab countries in the Gulf will be deployed.

Apocalypse Now….?

My thanks to different resources used for this post:
Special Mention to the report from ING Wholesale Banking located
"HERE" (PDF format)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/
http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/
http://www.cbsnews.com/
http://news.xinhuanet.com/

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

The band with no guitars


I just found this in the http://torr.typepad.com/weblog/.
I think is very good rendition from Keane of the song "She Sells Sanctuary" from the original group The Cult.
Keane are known for using a pianos as their lead instrument instead of guitars , significantly differentiating them from most rock bands.

It can be found in the CD single named Bad Dream Pt.2, along with the 3 versions of the song Bad Dream .
This song has been featured in numerous commercials and films.
This song is played during one of the best "product placement" " ever done on film, on "Layer Cake" with Daniel Craig , during the scene of the Audi driving in the English countryside.
I recommend this film as well, as the soundtrack.
Very seldom the music matches so well each scene like in "Layer Cake".
This is Keane's version of "She Sells Sanctuary" [4:36]
And this the original English band The Cult with the lead singer Ian Astbury,video for The Cult's original.
Really good music...

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Hispanic....?

Normally i tried not to copy text from news, but in this case it is necessary, so here we go:
"(AP) Gov. Bill Richardson, D-N.M., said Sunday he is taking the first step toward an expected White House run in 2008, offering extensive experience in Washington and the world stage as he seeks to become the first Hispanic president. "
Mr. Richardson, governor of the state of New Mexico, should not be using the word Hispanic as a description of his ethnicity.
This based on the fact that ONLY her mother ,Maria Luisa Lopez-Collada, was Mexican. His father , William Blaney/Blaine Richardson was from Boston.
The actual Governor spent sometime in Mexico city ( until he was 13) because his father was an executive for Citibank, after that he moved to
Massachusetts, where he continued his High School.
Perhaps the use of the "Hispanic" word was appealing to the voters of New Mexico where a lot of Hispanics of Mexican descent live.
But we are now playing politics in the Big Country, where Hispanics come from different countries.
I think the most appropiate way to define his ethnic background will be
" American with Hispanic ancestors" or "American from hispanic descent."

Saturday, January 20, 2007

The New President

Today, United States Senator for the State of New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton, announced on her Web site her intention to run as a candidate for the presidency in 2008.
Senator Clinton has already made history by becoming the first former First Lady to be elected to public office.
Now, she's aiming to become the first female candidate to capture the White House.
Backed by some of the best political strategists in the country ,including her husband the former president Bill Clinton, and the political experience and exposure acquired during her 8 years as First Lady and 2 terms as a Senator along with an impressive war chest, her bid for the presidency seems almost a sure win.
Some Democrats objected her stance on the U.S.-led war in Iraq, which she voted to authorize in the U.S. Senate and some sectors of the american voters don't feel comfortable with her perceived liberalism and association with Bill Clinton.
We still far away from the election day , but without a doubt , her presence , today, as a candidate makes all the other runners reconsider their strategies.
Personally, i think her statement of “I’m in to win,” represents the future of her campaign.
Because, she is not only the most qualified candidate, from the Democratic side but also the Republican side does not have a a strong contender to match .

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Get Well Soon Card

Found on Flagler St. in Miami.
It says in Spanish: "Welcome to Hell."
Funeral Wreaths sent by Bush and some local politicians.
"Fidel, this is your house(crossed), Box."

An American Music Legend

James Joseph Brown, Jr, mostly known as James Brown, died on Christmas Morning in an Atlanta hospital .

He was 73 years old and suffering from pneumonia when he died.
His greatest contributions to the world of music are undeniable.
His sound, was the inspiration to a lot of today's artists.

But still, was something far away for me to understand, until....

I started to learn about the man,the shoeshine boy,the hustler, the juvenile delinquent,the singer , the band leader, the illegal drug user, the political activist and on and on..
The artist who played several instruments proficiently, including guitar, piano, drums, organ, but like many other popular musicians, never learned to read music.
In spite of that , he amassed 800 songs in his repertoire .
With 114 total entries on Billboard's R&B singles charts and 94 that made the Hot 100 singles chart.
He was for R&B music, what Elvis Presley was to rock and roll.

James Brown had many personalities, some of them good, some bad, but the one that most impacted me, was the one that presented me with the dreamer that never stopped believing in himself, against all odds.

Perhaps, in an effort to understand his determination, his drive to succeed , we have to remember the motherless child without clothes, being dressed in potato sacks for grade school , living in the rural South.
Or the juvenile delinquent, chased by the police for breaking into cars, diving in a trench and hiding underwater with an upraised reed for breathing.

From there, flash forward to "The Godfather of Soul" , "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business", "Soul Brother Number One".

James Brown was a truly American Music Legend


My thanks to different resources used for this post:
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.rollingstone.com
http://www.rockhall.com/

Monday, January 15, 2007

Two of the same kind?


Both had Delusions of Grandeur.

Both did NOT listen to their people.

Both were not in touch with the reality.
__________________________

Both claimed "We are winning the war in Iraq"

BOTH LIED!!!

Friday, January 12, 2007

Davey is coming to America

David Beckham is leaving the Spanish football team Real Madrid to play in Los Angeles Galaxy.
All this, for an estimated contract of $250 million over the next five years, or around $1 million a week for 5 years.
After leaving Manchester United ( my favorite football team) he joined the "galácticos" , as fans know the Real Madrid Football club, in 2003.
The value of that transfer was $50 million.
Without winning any major domestic or international title since then, David was often relegated to the bench by the coach of Real Madrid, Fabio Capello.
Before this season started, David led England into last summer’s World Cup, with a mediocre performance that made England last until the quarterfinals.
After the Cup, he stepped down as England’s captain, post he had held for 58 of his 94 international appearances, later on the new coach of the English team decided not to call him for international duties.
Now, the American M.L.S is betting on his international fame and marketing appeal to resurrect a professional soccer league struggling to find a spot between other sports already favored by the American public like American Football, Basketball, Ice Hockey, and NASCAR.
This strategy is not new, it was tried before in the mid-1970s, with the signing of the Brazilian star Pelé by the New York Cosmos, as well as German player Franz Beckenbauer.
It will be very hard to develop a regular fan base that can sustain the sport of football in the United States.
The “Clubs” in Europe and South America not only identify regions, provinces and states but different cultures, languages and traditions.
The passion behind those values is what makes football, the world sport, followed with the same intensity by a Spaniard or Greek in Europe or a Brazilian or Peruvian in South America.
The fans love their country or region first,, then their team, and finally the player.
M.L.S is trying to this backwards and competing with other sports, already with a large fan base.
Anyway, for the many hours of pleasure you gave me, watching you play for ManU and the England team I said:

Congratulations, Davey!!!

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Anti-War Sentiment

Graffiti done by Britain's most celebrated graffiti artist,
Robin Banks aka "Banksy", from Bristol, England.

The battle has just begun...




Just a few hours ago the President George W Bush announced HIS DECISION, to send 21,500 more combat troops to Iraq.
After a long period of time, consulting with different sources that included the military, domestic and foreign policy makers, etc, the best solution available was to send more troops.
This was not a surprise for anyone, time and time again the President has decided to pursue objectives, not desired by the common American.
To do this, The President Bush misrepresented facts, created a state of fear and impending doom over the population.
Now, he is facing a tough political opposition, from not only the Democrats, but from within his Republican Party.
Senators from his own party, called this "the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam, if it's carried out."
The people of the United States are tired of waking up every morning with news of the death toll of Americans and Iraqis going up.
The generals, who opposed this increase of troops, are no longer in command, swiftly replaced by others more condescending with the President's point of view.
So:
The people of the United States are opposed.
The political opposition (Democrats) is opposed.
Member of his own party are opposed.
How many more deaths?
How many more wounded and incapacitated for life?
How many more billions of dollars?
How much despair and agony is needed for this President to know that he was wrong then, he is wrong now and he will be wrong in the future, if he continues in this path of war and destruction.
In almost 4 years of war, 3.000 American troops died and the number of Iraqis dead is staggering.


But, nothing of this is important now because...


The battle has just begun...

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

His "Excellency": El Pendejo

Just when I was getting bored and I wasn't really expecting anything new to come out His “Excellency”, he surprised me with two new displays of lack of education and arrogance.
First, the using of the term “Pendejo” (which is a Spanish profanity for “a person of whom others are taking advantage.”) in front of a live audience,in one of his incendiary speeches,in reference to the General Secretary of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza.
Previously His “Excellency” used the same term in reference of the President George Bush. All this because Mr. Insulza, former politician from Chile , requested a reconsideration in the closing of one the TV station that is opposition-aligned against Chavez .
And today,to demonstrate further more his arrogance, His”Excellency" was sworn for another presidential term of 6 years, with an oath taken in the name of Jesus Christ, “the greatest socialist of history” according to him.
To make a clear reminder to his constituents, of his political position, His “Excellency” ended his oath with the words “Fatherland, socialism or death!”
While living in South Florida,3 hours flight to Venezuela all this makes me wonder about how this area already over-populated will cope with the “New Mariel”, this time coming from Venezuela.
By now, is not a question of when, but how many?
His “Excellency “ is doing really a great job in the relocation of wealth on Venezuela with his Socialist vision. The only problem is that those with little or some amount of wealth,are moving OUT of the country.
I can hardly wait for further developments……

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

Republics of Macondo Films Presents:


With great anticipation the rest of the world is waiting for the premiere of this incredible film after the declarations for socialism, from one of stars of this masterpiece, Hugo Chavez.
Without a doubt, the future Oscar nominees started this year with a BIg Bang.

Sunday, January 7, 2007

The Dream Is Over.


As the beginning of 2007 rolls with his shares of hopes and dreams, i decided to publish some ideas that in my humble opinion are worth considering.Basically, as the title of this blog indicates I reached the self-realization that the economic system of the United States is at edge of the abyss.

I am not going to pull charts , graphics or statistics to demonstrate this , only the common experiences of someone living the day to day life of work,pay bills, taxes , etc.

On January 5Th,the (short=3days) first week of trading ended up with big declines in the commodities and small declines on NASDAQ,Dow,S&P 500's.
Let's start with the commodities part first, on the decline of oil prices the warm winter was set as culprit.
In the case of copper the culprit was a waning demand in China and the U.S.

Unfortunately, nobody listened to the hissing sound of the economic balloon being deflated...
The dark clouds are starting to gather.

Make no mistakes the economy is slowing as we speak, the raw materials (commodities) go down in price when factories don't see increment of production in the near future.
In the case of copper, which some consider as the true predictor of economic growth (or not), this falling of price means less wiring,pipes ,electronic components will be needed in the near future.
Perhaps this will be tied with the slowdown making fewer homes, offices and computers, perhaps the fact of China, which accounts for 22 per cent of global demand for copper is sourcing more copper from within their borders.
The fall on oil prices indicates a lower demand for fuel and plastics.(can somebody tell me what we use plastics for?) and for the part of fuel....
The latest American Trucking Association's Truck Tonnage Index indicates
a decline on 3.6 percent in November after falling 1.9 percent in October.
November was the worst month in truck tonnage since the last recession.
The year to year contraction from 11/05 to 11/06 was 8.8%.

This "little"flashes of warning red lights in the economic dashboard were quickly turned off by the Government.

Yes , some December data was promising.....
Job growth accelerates: non farm payrolls rise by 167,000.
Let's chew on this numbers .
Remember that if the phone rings at home and somebody in the other end of the line ask you : Do you you work at least 15 hours this week? If you say yes, you are counted as employed....
167.000 jobs created in December....What kind of jobs? May I ask....
Professional and Business SERVICES gain 50.000.Health Care 31.000.
Food and Beverage services ,23.000.
Financial and banking created 5.000,Telecom,6.000.Mining about 4.000.
But this are SERVICE jobs not manufacturing jobs.
12.000 manufacturing Jobs were lost in December, and this is the sixth consecutive decline with an accumulated of 72.000 for the year.
Construction jobs fell by 3,000 after seasonal adjustment. Residential construction jobs fell by 16,000, but those losses were partially offset by gains in nonresidential construction.

In a economy of consuming and not producing, the producing jobs are being eliminated and only the service jobs stand. This "service" job does not manufacture or create .
We can't export nurses to Japan , accountants to Europe or waiters or bartenders to China. Or trade them for flat panels, cars, computers or else...

The low prices of imported manufactured goods are pushing US industry to cut its workforce in order to increase productivity, and at the end, close shop in United States and move facilities to another cheap labor country.
It's free trade but not fair.
Meantime,the ships keep comming to the United States ports, full of cars, TVs,clothes ,furniture,etc and leave empty on their way back .
The "Service" workers continue working for low wages and without benefits , getting in debt, ,to sustain the lifestyle or the "the American dream".
The latest spur of economic activity was fueled by the Real Estate boom, during that time , Home Equity loans generated enough money to keep the dream alive.
But , the Real Estate boom is over,a lot of owners who took ARM are facing reset of rates and some of them are not going to have enough resources to make the payments and face foreclosure.
Compounding the problem there is a low or negative savings rate since 2005 according to the latest report ,Americans, spent all money earned and them some more -1.00% in November of 2006.
The only time that something like this happened was after the Great Depression.
Meantime Chinese average savings moves around 35-40% of their income .

But not only the citizens are getting into debt , the whole nation USA is operating in red.
Our largest creditors and bankers are the providers of goods China and Japan.At 10/2006 Japan holds 641.1 billions and China 344.9 billions .

Think about this:
the official debt (8.676 TRILLION) divided by the actual population 300,5 MILLIONS of Americans leave each and everyone of us with a debt of $28,857.35. Or working a full year of 40 hours a week at $13.87 an hour without paying taxes.

This dependency of manufactured goods along with oil is eating any wealth that the "service" industry workers can produce.
Add on the expense of the war on Iraq and Afghanistan, about 3 BILLIONS A WEEK, and all these ingredients will create "the perfect storm."
Perhaps "globalization" which is not new , will become the great equalizer for the under-developed countries but it will ended up making United States
a poverty-stricken, third world county, with financial resources depleted, totally dependent of foreign crude oil and manufactured goods,populated with low-income workers,unable to obtain health care, renting for ever .

Even the Chairman of the Federal Reserve,Ben S. Bernanke, warned about this on his speech on 08/2006 that :"The changes in the pattern of production are likely to threaten the livelihoods of some workers and the profits of some firms, even when these changes lead to greater productivity" .
But now, I think is already too late.WAKE UP AMERICA .THE DREAM IS OVER.!!!
My thanks to different resources used for this post:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk
http://www.forbes.com/
http://www.leap2020.eu
U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
http://www.marketwatch.com/
http://www.housebubble.com/
http://www.federalreserve.gov/