Dick Weed

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

2013-04-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

When I woke up this morning and turned on the TV for an update I quickly learned about the huge shootout with the marathon bomb suspects that took place over night in the Watertown area. The suspects left a trail of devistation and death throughout the area, allegedly shooting an MIT campus police officer in the head, killing him, injuring a transit officer in a firefight and throwing explosive devices at police during their getaway attempt. One of the suspects was killed in the shootout. The Associated Press has reported the suspects as coming from Chechnya. The surviving suspect has been identied as Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, a 19-year-old who had been living in Cambridge, Mass area for several years. I googled him and I found several comments he posted on a blog in 2011.
(http://umdfyebookblink.wordpress.com/2011/08/19/thin-slicing-turns-tragic/).
The comments he posted sounded reasonably intelligent and rational with no indication of anger or hate. Tsarnaev was awarded a student scholarship by Cambridge in 2011. That year someone with this name was a wrestling "all-star" in the Cambridge Rindge and Greater Boston League. So what changed in the 2 years since then? Will we ever be understand what causes people to commit these acts of violence? How does somebody go from living a somewhat normal life to committing death and destruction? You can never be sure what a person is really about unless you get to know them at great length yet someone apparrently sold them or gave them an arsenal of weapons. Would there be any indication of the path of violence these monsters would ultimately follow if a background check had been done? We may never know but maybe the FBI should do the background checks on these suspest now and see what comes up?

Ali and Obama

2012-10-04T16:53:00.003-07:00

Ali was beaten by Joe Frazier to everyone's surprise in 1971. Ali had from day 1 been claiming he was the greatest. At the end of the bout he found himself on the mat, losing to frazier. That wasn't his legacy! Ali made a comeback with his "Rumble in the Jungle" victory in 72 and went on to have an incredible career. President Obama hit the canvas last night in Denver. The president seemed to be distracted and not interested. He was not in the moment. Could it be he was distracted by his day to day? Ali came back and attained status as the "Greatest". I believe that President Obama will come back up off the mat and be victorious.

The Righty Mouse!!

2012-09-26T12:05:00.001-07:00

I've had a problem with a mouse recently. No, not a real mouse, the mouse connected to my computer. It doesn't seem to want to go in the direction I want it to go. I was watching MSNBC recently while I was playing cards on my PC and I noticed my nouse wouldn't go all the way to the left of my screen. It seemed to stop in the same place every time. I have taken the mouse apart multiple times and cleaned the rollers. It still stops in the same place. Today it started working a bit better while I was watching Fox News. I go to Fox occasionally to see what they are saying about the campaign but my first place for political news is MSNBC. So now I am starting to wonder if Fox got into my computer some way and is trying to to stop me from going to the far left.

Streisand on The Fourth Estate

2012-02-05T10:55:00.000-08:00

Here's a good article posted by Barbara Streisand on the Huffington Post. It's a bit long but worth reading.

It seems these days that the Republican debates have become a forum in which candidates can assert just about anything. With the right amount of aggression, they are able to avoid answering tough questions by bullying the moderator into submission (i.e. not asking strong follow up questions in order to correct the record). We know there is a certain level of theatrics in politics. The electorate assumes that candidates will embellish, evade, and even sidestep at times when asked tough questions. But the line should be drawn when candidates rewrite history in order to protect or enhance their own self-image, which isn't based on the truth.

Americans are busy, working hard to support and provide for their families. They don't have time to parcel out fact from fiction. They depend on the Fourth Estate to guide them and to hold individuals running for office, especially the highest office in our country, accountable. Journalists like Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow knew it was their duty to know the facts and disseminate them to the public. That responsibility in today's media world seems to be diminishing.

As I've watched the Republican presidential primary unfold, I've seen the candidates successfully deflecting answers to tough questions or misleading the public, without forceful and timely push back from the mainstream media. And we all know, the longer a lie or a half truth is allowed to simmer in the public consciousness without being refuted, the harder it is to correct misconceptions down the line.

Newt Gingrich has done this the best. He has claimed in debates and interviews that while serving as Speaker of the House, his leadership helped create 11 million new jobs, which ultimately led to the economic boom of the 1990s. He always leaves out one very important fact, however. The economic boom of the 90s would not have been possible without President Clinton. Clinton pushed for the passage of the 1993 Deficit Reduction Act, which proposed increasing taxes on the wealthiest income earners, cutting programs that weren't working, taxing corporations at 35%, and extending the earned income tax credit. Gingrich vehemently opposed the bill and he and every one of his Republican colleagues voted against it. The deadlock was broken by then Vice President Al Gore and the bill was signed into law by President Clinton. Three years later, the economy was surging, and by the end of Clinton's second term, when Gingrich was forced out of office by his own party, the Administration recorded a net budget surplus. It was the first time the US budget had been balanced since 1968. Given these historical facts, how does any pundit or media outlet allow Gingrich to get away with taking credit for something he worked so hard to destroy?

Also, recently in a debate moderated by Fox News analyst, Juan Williams, Gingrich was questioned about controversial remarks he had made about poverty and African Americans. Gingrich had previously said black Americans should demand jobs, not food stamps. Juan Williams attempted to coax Gingrich into acknowledging that he was playing racial politics. To which Gingrich responded untruthfully that, "more people have been put on food stamps by Barack Obama than any president in American history." And there ended that portion of the debate with Gingrich receiving deafening applause from the audience, looking strong and principled. What Juan Williams failed to point out in that moment is that Barack Obama has not put anyone on food stamps. The grossly irresponsible and greedy practices of those on Wall Street, which led to the subsequent crash of the housing market, created the most severe recession our country has experienced since the Great Depression (which Obama inherited from George W. Bush when he entered office). These events, along with the continuous deregulation of our financial sector, conspired to make a record number of people eligible for government food assistance. Juan Williams completely missed this important opportunity to reveal the real truth behind Gingrich's racist assertions.

These kinds of tactics are used frequently by candidates running for office. Journalists need to stand strong and do their job, which is to challenge candidates immediately when they are purposefully misleading the public. They should not be polite or fearful of offending someone when the truth is in question. As we continue through the primary and head toward the general election, this is crucial. Without the mainstream media's commitment to holding candidates accountable, we have little chance of having a well-informed electorate on Election Day. And let's look at the facts. The truth is, President Obama's leadership on the stimulus, bringing the auto industry back from the brink of collapse, adding nearly 3.7 million private sector jobs in 23 consecutive months of job growth proves that our country is moving in the right direction. Because of the President's policies, our economy is on the road to recovery and it's time we start celebrating the truth.

P.S. Hooray to everyone who supported Planned Parenthood and spoke out against Susan G. Komen for the Cure, who wrongfully politicized the issue of women's health. This week we saw how the power of grass roots activism can lead to positive change. Bravo!

Change Holiday Break to Christmas Break?

2011-12-31T06:42:00.000-08:00

Once again one of our elected lawmakers has decided to spend his time and waste taxpayer money to file a bill that is of no value to his constituents. Sen. Steve Wise, R-Jacksonville has filed Senate Bill 1136 in Tallahassee. The bill would require all 67 school districts in Florida to call their December break “Christmas break” instead of “winter break”. Give me a break!
First of all, haven’t we been down this path several times? When I was in school we called it “Christmas break”. Then trying so hard not to offend non Christians we changed it to “holiday break”. I haven’t been able to document how many times we have flip-flopped on this topic but I suspect it has changed more than once. Here are my thoughts on the issue.
First, if you research how Christmas in America evolved and what it means to most people you will find that a majority of us believe that it is a season of giving for all faiths. The celebration of the birth of Christ belongs to the Christians but the acts of giving and good will are celebrated by all including non Christians. It’s a time to enjoy our family and friends and together generate hope for peace in our world.
Secondly, has anyone figured the cost to file a bill in the legislature? I couldn’t find an estimate anywhere but I would guess that the related expenses to create and pass a bill would be significant. We have elected these people to do a job for us, to help resolve the important issues that impact the citizens of our state. Wouldn’t it be better that me Wise spend this time on creating jobs or improving protecting our environment? As of 2009, the annual salary of a Florida senator was $174,000. We pay those salaries with our tax dollars so shouldn’t we have something to say about what these people do with our money? Let people call it what they want and stop wasting time and money.

Review of getannoyed.com

2011-12-08T17:10:00.000-08:00

While trying to be creative on my next post I thought about "things that annoy me" as a topic. When I googled it I found that it was a popular topic. I started reading some of the postings on the many websites and found that is might be more entertaining to poke fun at what has already been posted. These are some selected from "getannoyed.com".

Drivers who don't use a turn signal.
(You must live in Florida)

People who drink directly out of the milk/orange juice container.
(You have never done that? BS!)

Couples who sit on the same side of the booth when there is no one on the other side. (You don't believe in true love)

Parents who bring their young kids to R rated films. (why do you care? They aren't your kids!)

People that don't use coasters. (Who cares, somebody is going to clean the table anyway)

People who blame anything but themselves for THEIR failure. (Purely objective, it's probably your fault anyway)

People who sit next to you on public transportation even when there are other seats available.(If you wear Mickey Mouse Ears and mumble they won't sit next to you.)

Going through the drive thru, then having to go back when they screw your order up. (It works better if you park your car and go inside and ask for a manager and rip him a new AH)

Roadmaps that aren't folded correctly. (Folded by who? Can't get it refolded eh?)

Finding a shoe and not finding its mate next to it (Your closet, Your problem)

People who are mean to animals. (Not just annoying, these people should be given the same treatment they give to the animals)

People who read the paper while driving.(This requires some talent, respect it!)

So many more but so little time!

Who Me?

2011-11-28T17:32:00.000-08:00

We have watched it with Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, Gary Hart and a multitude of others.
Now it's Dejevu with Herman Cain.

I'm trying to make sense of it all and I keep on coming up with only one answer.
POWER
Power is an anphrodisiac!
Power is money and money is success.
Individuals that have engaged in questionable practices at times in their political past seem to believe that they can overcome their histories or they can lie their way through the process.
It's sad to note that individuals seeking leadership roles for our country will do almost anything to get elected.
Do any of our politicians really care about us?

The Bill Clinton Syndrome and Politics in General

2011-11-28T17:11:00.000-08:00

Is this a replay of Bill Clinton and Monica? Remember Gary Hart? How about Mark Sanford? Do you remember John Ensign who admitted to having an affair with a former campaign staffer, Cindy Hampton, from December 2007 to August 2008. Are we noticing a pattern here? Then there was Senator David Vitter using the services of a DC Madaam.

What is this all about?

Vitamin F

2011-11-23T14:40:00.000-08:00

This post is courtesy of my friend mujel in LA.
Keep on wackin those skins bruther!

Vitamin F .............
I loved this and want to share it with you...
Why do I have a variety of friends who are all so different in character? How can I get along with them all? I think that each one helps to bring out a "different" part of me.
With one of them I am polite. I joke with another friend.
I sit down and talk about serious matters with one. With another I laugh a lot. I may have a coke with one. I listen to one friend's problems. Then I listen to another one's advice for me.
My friends are all like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. When completed, they form a treasure box. A treasure of friends! They are my friends who understand me better than myself, who support me through good days and bad days. We all pray together and for each other.
Real Age doctors tell us that friends are good for our health. Dr. Oz calls them Vitamins F (for Friends) and counts the benefits of friends as essential to our well being. Research shows that people in strong social circles have less risk of depression and terminal strokes. If you enjoy Vitamins F constantly you can be up to 30 years younger than your real age. The warmth of friendship stops stress and even in your most intense moments it decreases the chance of a cardiac arrest or stroke by 50%.
I'm so happy that I have a stock of Vitamins F!
In summary, we should value our friends and keep in touch with them. We should try to see the funny side of things and laugh together, and pray for each other in the tough moments.
Thank you for being one of my Vitamins!

As I mature

2011-11-19T05:52:00.000-08:00

You may have seen this already but here you go!

As I Mature
I've learned that you cannot make some love you.

All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in.

I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people are just aholes.

I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and it only takes suspicion, not proof, to destroy it.

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to others - they are way more screwed-up than you think.

I've learned that you can keep vomiting long after you think you're finished.

I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, unless we are celebrities.

I've learned that 99% of the time when something isn't working at your house, one of your kids did it.

I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon, and the all the less important ones just never go away.

I've learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you'd better have a big w*lly or huge b**bs.

I've learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades, and there had better be a big pile of money to take its place!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Winging it

2011-11-16T16:50:00.000-08:00

I don't usually try to do restaurant reviews but a when you find a really great wing place in the West Melbourne you need to shout it out.
I have been experiencing withdrawal since we moved from South Florida to Central Florida. Roosters in Margate is one of the better wing restaurants and our favorite place for wings. They had some of the wettest and tangiest wings in the area. We now live 200 miles north of Margate in Palm Bay which up until recently has had fewer choices for dining out. When I felt like winging it we usually ended up at Long Dogger's in West Melbourne. Their beer is always cold, I love the Hatteras Red, and the wings are good. That's the point, they are good, not great. Compared to Rooster's they are not wet enough and don't have enough of the tang that I love. The venue is extremely relaxed. I don't like sitting inside as it is more of a cave than a dining room, far too dark and dingy. The other choice is to sit outside in the heat and humidity. Sometimes that works but sometimes it's too hot and too wet.
Now we have Buffalo Wild Wings right across the street from Long Dogger's. I was a bit disappointed after hearing all the hype from friends and the media. The first day we tried to get in we were turned away. They weren't open to the public yet. I guess we could have read the sign out front that said "opening soon'. The next time we tried was on a Sunday around 5 PM. There was a 30 minute wait. The place was packed with people trying to get their names on the waiting list. We opted out and went to Charlie and Jakes and settled for some sub par wings. On Monday we tried Buffalo's again, This time for lunch. Bingo! We got right in without a wait. We ordered 2 glasses of cabernet and I thought we had hit another snag. The waiter said that they didn't stock cabernet at the bar and they would have to go to the wine storage room or something like that to get our drinks. I wondered why they didn't have a cab at the bar as it's a pretty popular choice. The waiter made ordering easy by explaining how the menu was organized. Made sense!
Our chips and salsa arrived quickly and a few minutes later 2 glasses of cab showed up. We were about halfway through the chips when the wings showed up.
I was happy to see that my request for wet wings was filled. There was ample sauce on the wings. Now for the taste test. Wow! Finally a really great plate of wings. I love the traditional buffalo sauce and this was as good as it gets. We really enjoyed the meal and we will be going back frequently.
It also helped that we had a coupon for 6 free wings. Out bill was under $20.
I'm signed up!

The Dark Side of College Football

2011-11-12T06:45:00.000-08:00

Penn State Coach Jerry Sandusky was fired this week after being charged with child molestation by a Pennsylvania State Grand Jury. Revered coach Joe Paterno and President Graham Spanier were also fired by the PSU Board of Trustees after it became clear that neither could effectively carry out the duties of his position as a result of the Sandusky case. Penn State University is ranked among the top-fifteen public universities nationally and is considered to be one of America's Public Ivy universities, which recognizes top public research universities in the United States. The football program at PSU has been considered one of the most successful programs in the country bringing in millions of dollars in revenue for the school.
So why did officials at PSU choose to ignore the reports of Sandusky engaging in sex with underage boys? Why did They allow a sexual predator to continue to molest young children for 5 or 6 years after it was first reported to them?
It's all about the money. PSU chose the money over the children. While I am disturbed by the irresponsible actions of the demonstrators supporting Paterno I was totally disgusted with the lack of action taken by the university prior to the scandal. People knew about what happened and did nothing to prevent Sandusky from repeating his actions.
Universities are charged with educating our youth but they should also be a strong moral compass for them. PSU has let down it's students and their parents and everyone involved should be held accountable.

What is it About BMs?

2011-10-11T17:33:00.000-07:00

What is it about BMs?
We all have them but few of us embrace them and few will discuss them. It's a fact of life that each and every one of us will encounter this natural process daily. So maybe it would be better if we all had a more positive attitude towards them. Most don't want anyone to know that they just left a "donation". They go to great measures to mask the evidence with deoderizor sprays that don't really work.
What's the big deal? A good BMshould be aromatic! You should look forward to your BM moment and enjoy it. Show us what you really are!
Be all that you can be!

Herd of Congress?

2011-09-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

A Herd of cows A Flock of chickens
(thanks Viggy!)

The English language has some wonderfully anthropomorphic collective
nouns for the various groups of animals.

We are all familiar with a Herd of cows, a Flock of chickens, a School
of fish and a Gaggle of geese.

However, less widely known is a Pride of lions, a Murder of crows (as
well as their cousins the rooks and ravens), an Exaltation of doves and,
presumably because they look so wise, a Parliament of owls.

Now consider a group of Baboons. They are the loudest, most dangerous,
most obnoxious, most viciously aggressive and least intelligent of all
primates. And what is the proper collective noun for a group of
baboons? Believe it or not ....... a Congress!

I guess that pretty much explains the things that come out of
Washington!

What Bugs you?

2011-08-21T09:46:00.001-07:00

Everyone has things that they don't like to do but you still have to do them. For instance, I really dislike having to get my income tax filed every year. Part of the reason is my filing system which is basically a pile of papers sitting on top of a storage box at home.
What about what you do on line? I don't like applying for anything as it takes to many screens and you have to select too many options.

Have you ever applied for one of those free offers online?
You click the "apply now" button and you are sent through 20 - 30 pages of other offers that you hae to opt in or out on before you get to your free stuff. There must be a way around that.
OMG I'm starting to sound like Andy Rooney!

What bugs you?
Leave a comment
What would you change if you could find a better way?

More From AppSumo

2011-08-20T04:17:00.001-07:00

What Would Don Draper Say

2011-08-13T16:59:00.000-07:00

111. Dear Don Draper, I have just about no confidence when it comes to approaching women and talking to them?
I’m not beholden to the Q&A format here, but this is a statement capped with a question mark. A mark that underlines your problem.

Slow down and practice privately. Start with the ‘question’ above: when you can conduct your correspondence with clarity of thought, translate. Don’t approach women. Just have something to say when something should be said—and only then. You can consider this something carefully, but don’t compose. A simple idea will do. With failure—honest failure—the lesson alters vision and vision becomes instinct, a means of navigating your way through any conversation.

My own vision has blurred lately. Betts says I need reading glasses

Why isn't Wall Street Bailing us out?

2011-08-11T04:30:00.000-07:00

In 2008 Wall Street received a bailout to recover from catastrophic losses caused by sub-prime mortgages. The so-called "mother of all bailouts," transferred $700 billion taxpayer dollars to purchase the distressed assets of several failed financial institutions. Eventually the banks and the markets returned to a somewhat normal state.
Fast forward to 2011 and when the U.S. government is struggling to pay its bills and is facing default. The word on the street is that with the prime rate frozen at an all time low, lenders are sitting on their funds, bloated with cash while borrowers struggle to get funds to grow their businesses and help grow the economy.
Shouldn’t the American public expect some help from these lenders? All I am hearing is that we shouldn’t be raising taxes on the rich. That will hurt the economy. Who’s economy? It sounds like there is one for the rich and one for everyone else!

An Interesting Leadership Video from Derek Sivers

2011-08-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

An interesting leadership video from Derek Sivers

check it out

http://sivers.org/ff

Let me know what you think......

Something for Free That's Really Worth Something

2011-08-07T05:03:00.000-07:00

It's not very often that you have an opportunity to listen to really good advice coming directly from someone that is a huge success. Derek Sivers is a musician, techno-geek entrepreneur who recently sold his business, CD-Baby.com for $22 million. His initial investment was around $500. But I'll let him talk to you about that.

The really amazing part for me was how "AppSumo.com offered me an opportunity to experience Sivers' CD for free. Just go to AppSumo.com and click on "Deals", "Free Deals".

Also, check out sivers.org.

Let me know what you think.

AppSumo

2011-08-06T08:44:00.000-07:00

S&P cuts U.S. Credit Rating

2011-08-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

AP: S&P Cuts U.S. Credit Rating to AA+.

John Harwood from MSNBC says it will not effect our economy!

Let's see what happens!

Survey Says!....You are too old for us to care!

2011-08-02T16:59:00.000-07:00

My wife and I took a cruise last year. It was very nice trip that I would be happy to give a positive review on. We received an online survey this week for the cruise. I clicked on the link and I was asked for my date of birth. Normally I would not give that information but I trust this cruise line having spent more than 4 vacations on board. When I entered my d.o.b. I was instantly transferred out of the survey to a another site that was pitching cruises.
What is up with that? Am I in an age bracket that doesn't merit opinions?

Congressional Reform Act of 2011

2011-07-14T04:30:00.001-07:00

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests .”
- Patrick Henry -

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! Because the people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become law of the land...all because of public pressure.
In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.
Congressional Reform Act of 2011

1. No Tenure - No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.
2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12.
The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The founding fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S.) to receive the message. Maybe it is time.

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!!

Patricia, Thanks for your contribution!

The Court of Pubic Opinion

2011-07-10T09:02:00.000-07:00

The Court of Public Opinion

I am never disappointed by the ignorance of the American People -

For three years we were hammered with daily updates on the Casey Anthony murder trial. The deluge of information, interviews and opinions became a dull hum, background noise to other more important things going on the world such as the budget battle in Washington, the economic implosion in Greece and political revolt in the middle east.
Yet this murder case hummed along and finally went to trial.

I tried to be indifferent about it at first but my fascination with the law and the court eventually captured my attention.

Towards the end of the trial I started to watch some of the live courtroom coverage and quickly became hooked. I also acquired an opinion as to how the case would end.
It's easy to let that happen, almost a natural process.

I could see the prosecutions case unraveling slowly as they tried to make their points with no real hard evidence. They did not have enough to make me believe "beyond any reasonable doubt".
In my heart I felt that Casey was involved in something or did something that caused the death of her child but I could not say that there was no reasonable doubt that she did it.
Casey is getting out in a few days and I expect the next chapters to unfold. My guess is that 60% of the public believes she is guilty. They have found her guilty in the court of public opinion using mostly emotion and outrage over the death of a child to convict her. Her life going forward will undoubtedly be pure hell.
Even with my gut feeling that she is guilty of something, I still think our legal system worked. I believe it is still the best legal system in the world.
I think just about everyone could be found guilty of something in the court of public opinion. It's easy to convict someone else on circumstance and emotion but we should all ask ourselves how well would we fare in that situation? Are we so ignorant and ignorant to believe that we are smarter than the best legal system in the world?