Flash Mc Cool Blogs

Civilized Barbarism ?

2012-01-16T11:10:00.000-08:00

You would think that evolution would bring out the best in all men and societies,as they continue on the path to civilization.Yet,on this day of celebrating the writings and life of Martin Luther King Jr., another reality appears to be emerging.The global news media increasingly reports accounts of uncivilized behaviors among advanced cultures and societies's and man's inhumanity to man.
The variables of," cultural relativism" are too numerous and complicated for this old hoboclown to decipher and analyze with a limited and old magnifying glass.I stopped examining the facts and evidence when I got investigation fatigue!
The web-linked reference below brings to mind,the quote by Martin Luther King,Jr.
"A nation or civilization that continues to
produce soft-minded men purchases its
own spiritual death on an installment plan."

Read more at, www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Civilization
and
www.people.ubr.com/religion/by-first-name/m/martin-luther-king/martin-luther-king-quotes.aspx

1796 Meets 2012

2012-01-01T07:07:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Last year's US contentious,unproductive and partisan
politics made me seek comfort with my two old companions (Education and History) to get an understanding of what last year's political gridlock was all about.
History (defined as," Inquiry,knowledge,acquired by investigation" at
wikipedia.org)
led this old hoboclown detective's investigation to the September 17,1796 George Washington's Farewell Address ( at www.bartleby.com/43/24.html)

In that historical document,I learned that George Washington was not only an outgoing US President but somewhat of a philosopher with prophetical viewpoints.This particular excerpt from the "Address" described the potential destructiveness of political parties and makes my point,
" 17...They serve to organize faction,to give it an artificial and
extraordinary force;to put,in the place of the delegated will of
the nation,the will of a party,often a small but artful and enter-
prising minority of the community; and,according to the alternate
triumphs of different parties,to make the public administration
the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongrous projects of faction,
rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by
common counsels, and modified by mutual interests."

Somehow,the former President foresaw the problems that would beset the
fledgeling nation and offered his counsel at that time.
The nagging question that remains is, how did old George hear all the
2011 partisan political commotion in Washington, DC ?

2011-2012 Political Flavors ?

2011-12-31T06:24:00.000-08:00

Alas, the juvenile squirrels return for their 2011 year's end political quiz.Those who get all answers correct on this quiz will get an extra homework -free night.Those who fail will obviously have to bear down, eat more nuts for brain power and study! Study! Study!
The Quiz
1)Which 2011 US Presidential candidate raised the following questions ?
"How many white children have gone uneducated,how many white families
live in stark poverty,how many white lives have been scarred by fear,because
we have wasted our energy and our substance to maintain the barriers of hatred
and terror ? "
A)Barack Obama B) Ron Paul C) Newt Gingrich D)Mitt Romney E) Neither
2) Which US President made the following comment?
" There have been many pressures upon your President and there will be others
as the days come and go. But I pledge you tonight that we intend to fight
this battle where it should be fought in the courts,and in the Congress,and
in the hearts of men."
A) Ronald Reagan B) Franklin Roosevelt C) Barack Obama D) Neither
3) Which 2011 US presidential candidate made the following comment,
" I want to be the President who helped to feed the hungry and to prepare
them to be taxpayers instead of taxeaters."
A) Newt Gingrich B) Michele Bachman C) Ron Paul D) Neither
4) Who made the following observation,
" Above the pyramid on the great seal of the United States it says in Latin-
" God has favoured our undertaking". God will not favour everything that
we do.It is rather our duty to divine His will."
A) Barack Obama B) New Gingrich C) Herman Cain D)Ron Paul E) Neither
5) Who made the following comment ?
" The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened
by the spirit of revenge,natural to party dissension, which in different
ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities,is itself a
frightful despotism."
A) Mitt Romney B) Rick Santorum C) Barack Obama D) Neither
__________
Correct Answers:
Questions # 1- E) Neither
# 2- D) Neither
# 3- D) Neither
# 4- E) Neither
# 5- D) Neither
Note: The issues in question # 1 and comments in questions # 2,3 and 4 were
raised or mentioned by President Lyndon Johnson in his March 15, 1965 We
Shall Overcome Speech.
The comment in question # 5 was made by George Washington in his
September 19, 1796 Farewell Address.
How many juvenile squirrels got all the answers correct?
There's an honor system here and the courageous squirrels will fess up.
The grades taste better that way ...
What a way to end the year. I'm going to end mine with the YouTube America The Beautiful video by Willie Nelson.

Let Them Eat ?

2011-12-20T16:58:00.001-08:00

Fast forward to December 21,2011 and we see 'Big G-Rich and The T-Boys' having a
Marie Antoinette moment. One- hundred-sixty million Americans will get a tax boost come January 1,2012 if 'Big G-Rich and The T-Boys' have their way in American politics this Christmas.
I may be a dog but I like the brand of patriotism in the America The Beautiful
youtube video.

My smart money is on the American Spirit and the Christmas Spirit.They're tough to beat, even in a scrimmage.I mean, just check out the Christmas Spirit in the
youtube Give Love on Christmas Day video by Michael Jackson.

Would 'Big G-Rich and The T-Boys' make them eat cake and risk one-hundred-sixty
million votes ?
Hey,I really don't know! I don't vote but I do like to lick crumbs!

The Xmas Holiday Journey

2011-11-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

Hello ? Reservations? I need a round trip ticket for one to planet earth.
Yes, this is a debit account. I need to get there yesterday! First class,
of course. There'a a lotta work to do there: too many people hurtin' !
If I can bring a smile for one more second or two or help somebody in adversity
cope patiently for one more second or relieve tension for one more second,
then my mission will have been accomplished!
Once I'm done I can return to orbit until I am needed again!
Yes, this trip will be one great leap for a clown and one great laugh for Mankind!

Merry Christmas to All men, women and children everywhere !

K-9 Christmas Magic

2011-11-18T17:54:00.000-08:00

Merry Xmas everybody! I'm Butterfly-Pup,the trusty K-9 side kick to fictional hobo clown detective,Flash Mc Cool.It's not easy living with a zany Hobo clown detective.I luv my boss and he loves me!Sometimes though I wish I could just get outta this frame!You may want me for Xmas but you can't have me! So stop belly achin' and get over it!
This Xmas besides trying to figure out how to get outta this frame, I get to play with
"Spots" . Flash throws "Spots" in every now and then to rile me up and get me salty so I can give my best 'Butterfly-Pup Leg-Up Awards'.Everywhere I go, Flash and Spots go.
Every time I move, they move.Jeez! Spots is gonna get it this time.Take this and take that you bag of spots ! I can stare down the best of them! If Flash didn't wave you around,you wouldn't stand a chance! Look me in the eye you silly stuffed bag of circles!
Finally, I get rescued! Here comes Flash's Boss! Sorry Spots..I got more important things to do! Go fetch your own Merry Xmas !

Flash Mc Cool: The End ??

2011-11-15T17:06:00.000-08:00

Christmas is the magical time of the year! Flash Mc Cool:The End, is an Art in Motion.Where does the hoboclown begin and end? Are the clothes the essence of the fictional character? Did he place them down or is he about to pick them up ?
Sometimes, at Christmas what we believe is not what we can see and what we may see,
may be hard to believe ! The Christmas magic is in the experience!
If you see the magic in this clip, share it with your friends!

Quicktown

2011-10-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

Every neighborhood has one.You know,the wooded place just around the bend in the road that makes your spine crawl and beads of sweat run down your forehead.No one dares to go there at night!
I went there once and met an 80 year old man nick-named,"stick shift".Long scraggly hair,gnarled fingers bent from arthritis,corns and bunions on his feet,"Stick shift"
was a sight to see."Stick shift, like all the old people who lived in the wooded area
around the bend never walked. He ran everywhere! So did all the other old people.

I caught up with him once, jogged beside him and asked him to stop a minute and tell me why he ran everywhere. He shivered as his eyes jumped nervously from side to side and answered," Oooh noooooo! Gotta goooo!Can't stop now.Can't go slooow!

I later ran into a young boy sitting on a rock near the road and asked him why all the old people ran everywhere. The boy told me about the legend of the "witches of
Hollow Lane" who lived near the bend in the road and could be heard at midnight
singing,"Cook him,cook him,cook him with dough! We'll get him tender and eat him slooow!" For several years now (according to the boy) all the old people who walked slow had been disappearing and that the only seniors left were the ones who ,"ran everywhere they had to go".He said that the old people made the connection with
the legend of the witches of Hollow Lane and the disappearances of slow old folks.
The boy then explained that "stick shift got his nick-name because whenever he'd jog near the bend in the road, he'd abandon his jog and sprint at his top speed until he passed the Hollow.
After I left the boy,I ran into Stick shift again and told him he could relax, slow down and talk to me because he'd left the Hollow miles ago.Stick shift replied,
"Ooooh nooooo! Gotta goooo! Can't be caught going too slooooow!"
It just goes to show you that even after you leave your outside world of fear, you
sometimes retreat to places of dread within yourself. I learned that I should never
try to stop a man engaged in a ingrained habit of survival!Leave well enough alone! Sorry folks but old Flash has got to gooooo!

The Creek Monster

2011-10-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

Dusk has fallen and the trail is hot.Nearby,is the foul scent of the blood-shot,yellow-eyed 'Wissahickon Creek Monster'.I caught a glimpse of it once and ran into a tree! Past eyewitnesses have reported seeing a creature with,"the tail of a
tadpole,legs and claws of a raccoon and the face of a woodchuck".I thought for a moment that it was my homie,Rob's old girlfriend but I knew she couldn't chuck wood.Others have said," It had 4 inch long, bushy eyebrows". That could have been Mr. Roper,my old mechanical drawing teacher but he died years ago.
Legend has it that on Halloween night, the creature lets out a frightful howl in the night, then leaves the woods (loping along with a hump in his back) by crossing the railroad tracks, looking for little kids to devour.
The creature follows the scent of scrubby little kids,who don't wash behind their ears and wear dirty socks.He watches the kids' bedroom windows and when the lights go
out, walks up the wall like a fly.Then, leaps on the rooftop to eat an appetizer of
blue jay nest eggs laying in the rooftop gutters.Then, for dessert he sniffs around for young children to devour!
The creature cringes at the sight of obedient and neat kids who get good grades on their report card.To protect yourself you have to keep a locked window,shine a bright flashlight beam;keep a clean bedroom and have a report card with an A in Art.If you flunk lunch and recess, you're doomed!
The only surefire way to keep the Creek Monster away is to post 'No knock-No Entry
sticky decals' on your bedroom windows and doors.Then, hope verrry hard that I can catch him tonight and teach him how to read....

The Great Halloween Trick

2011-10-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

In the Flash Mc Cool Hobo clown 'boot camp',Dr. Trash (rookie hobo clown) was
to learn to be trustworthy.Well, Dr. Trash had no part of it and played a trick on Flash.Sometimes, you just have to take Tricks in stride...and Flash did just that...

The Tug of War

2011-10-12T07:12:00.000-07:00

'I don't know who invented this great tug of war game but I am certain it has been around a long time.Whoever has the greatest pull, WINS! Just don't humiliate your opponent! The ground may not be as soft when it's time for you to fall!'
Flash Mc Cool

A Two-Week 2011 NBA Half-time Show ?

2011-10-11T10:36:00.000-07:00

The 2011 NBA Lockout was too much to bear! Rumor had it that a two-week half time show,featuring cheerleaders in one-piece pajamas would replace the players!Whoa! Now you know I had to investigate that! Play money and profits aside,fans need some game to break the stress!Too much work! Not enough play! Too little collective bargaining-not enough pay ! Hey,where did all those jobs go? A certain party and his homie are not going to lay down on the job. In fact, we're on the job for the next two weeks, as soon as we can find those 1-piece pajama -clad cheerleaders to cheer us on !
Send in the clowns !

Will Work for Food

2011-10-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

In Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,USA (the location for the Cold Case TV series)my hobo
clown detective investigation found evidence of the existence of an economy amongst predators that will work for food.The investigative trail began twenty-five miles away from the Gary Heidnik torture/murder chamber and 30 miles from the house in which Edgar Allen Poe lived. A few miles from there was the flooded out basement row house that spawned the urban legend of 'The Turtle Lady'.Passing school children would run past the house in fear of being snatched into the dark watery basement and led to a spooky demise.

Why did I decide to look into the matter of economics and predators? Well,
strangely enough,the upcoming Halloween season,the sputtering US economy and the growing wall street protests evoked the question of whether there is a free economic lesson to be learned from those predators who work for food? In Philadelphia, in October there is an annual explosion of spider webs on any conceivable surface.So, the spider became the focus of my query.

What I found was that spiders have an ancient history as ' construction engineers who have mastered the use of methods and materials'. Who taught them how to
construct ? Are all their skills innate ? The answers to this these questions are beyond the scope of this investigation.What I did learn, was that spiders
became master predatory food gatherers for their own survival and the survival of mankind.An actual 'creepy,crawly, spidery economy of sorts' does exists and can be mimicked by mankind .A very detailed breakdown of such findings can be found at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_web.At this site,surfing the web is taken to a new level !

The Surreal Birthday Gift

2011-10-04T17:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight (one day after my birthday after questioning whether my messages were getting out there in cyberspace)I sat and searched the internet to find information on Flash Mc Cool and Norman Johnson. To my surprise,I discovered an unknown reviewer's Forward testimonial of my Scribd.com eBook at
http://www.cyberax.eu/book/1922727/flash-mc-cool-blogsIt has been quite a while since I contributed to Scribd.com and I had not seen the review.Tonight's blog will capture and share the entire unedited review (with full attribution to the above-referenced website),

"Flash Mc Cool Blogs
The Humorous Meditation Blogs of Flash Mc Cool,as created by Norm Johnson,Actor,Comedian,Short-film producer.
Flash Mc Cool Blogs begins with this writer's opinion and his ideas are developed on the rest of eBook. Basically the entire Flash Mc Cool Blogs ebook consists to implement autor's ideas.

Flash Mc Cool Blogs

The scholar only knows how dear these silent, yet eloquent, companions of pure thoughts and innocent hours become in the season of adversity. When all that is worldly turns to dross around us, these only retain their steady value.
Flash Mc Cool Blogs is a good book? Keep in mind that, the best of a book is not the thought which it contains, but the thought which it suggests; just as the charm of music dwells not in the tones but in the echoes of our hearts.
These are not books, lumps of lifeless paper, but minds alive on the shelves. From each of them goes out its own voice... and just as the touch of a button on our set will fill the room with music, so by taking down one of these volumes and opening it, one can call into range the voice of a man far distant in time and space, and hear him speaking to us, mind to mind, heart to heart.
A guide in life, Flash Mc Cool Blogs, can bring you to the light, your ideas will be more complex and your posibilities to keep a conversation, everywhere in this modern society, will be improved, with every chapter that you read from Flash Mc Cool Blogs.
A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face and Flash Mc Cool Blogs is a perfect place for this. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man's mind can get both provocation and privacy.
Read now Flash Mc Cool Blogs

People that no like to read, does not have dreams. Read, read, read and your dreams will be beautiful.
There are books so alive that you're always afraid that while you weren't reading, the book has gone and changed, has shifted like a river; while you went on living, it went on living too, and like a river moved on and moved away. No one has stepped twice into the same river. But did anyone ever step twice into the same book?
Offers a fascinating ideas about owrld, and style of living in this modern society, of 21th century. A highly readable, engaging book for word buffs and anyone, not only fans of this kind of book.
Flash Mc Cool Blogs is a book, with pages that have stuck together for want of use: my mind needs unpacking and the truths stored within must be turned over from time to time, to be ready when occasion demands.

Flash Cool Blogs"

Tea,Politics,Coffee and Jobs

2011-10-03T16:54:00.000-07:00

As I wish myself a 'Happy Birthday' today,I wonder how I find myself in this place.
Here I sit, sloshing my taste buds with the apple cider of October. One honest swig follows a naughty nip, while this old hoboclown detective is dismayed by a new and nagging, yet perplexing analogy- 'Tea is to Politics as Coffee is to Jobs'.

The evidence of past and current events collide head-on, leaving yours truly somewhat whip lashed by the analogy.A quick digest of the War on Poverty at e.wikipedia.org ,described the rise and fall of LBJ's "Great Society" and the application of "federal funds" via the Office of Economic Opportunity to "target U.S. poverty". Predictably,these programs were rejected by many in the 1970's.
Speed forward to 2011 and we see the birth of the Tea Party, challenging big government and over-regulation of the economy.Another quick and tasty glance at current events, yields evidence of coffee merchants
partnering with other concerns to help Americans create jobs! The evidence is at
the Starbucks.com website, which describes a "responsible" joint venture between Starbucks and the "Opportunity Finance Network" to provide loans "to under served
community businesses".I love the new flavor !

I say, cheers to Starbucks while I continue to cuddle my cider,tickle my tea and
caress my coffee as I juggle through my jester's job!

The American Dream

2011-10-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

This October,2011,I am hot on the trail of The American Dream.The urgency of this dogged pursuit was triggered by current events on the national scene.I detected
a hot lead at the Martin Luther King,Jr. Washington DC National Memorial Project.
Dr. King delivered a paper on The American Dream at Ebenezer Baptist Church,Atlanta, Georgia on 4 July 1965.In that document, Dr. King said,
" It is found in those majestic words of the Declaration of Independence,words lifted to cosmic proportions: " We hold these truths to be self-evident,that all men are created equal,that they are endowed by God,Creator,with certain inalienable Rights,that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."This is a dream.It's a great dream."
Another lead was found in an October 20,1995 Guest Opinion Article in The Philadelphia Daily News,
" The Million Man March in Washington was a noble,peaceful people's effort to get the Afro-American community and the United states of America to look itself in the mirror...The crusaders marched without wages,riches or rank.They carried their hopes,dreams,,ambitions,talents and toil and placed them at the seat of government for the world to see." The author of that opinion also reported that,"The
march has a rich basis in African folklore,tradition and Afrocentric sentiment as
evidenced by (several)sayings including:

"Work must be inspired by the right ideals, and education must not simply teach work but life based on those ideals."
W.E.B. Du Bois

" I believe in recognizing every human being as a human being-neither white,black,brown or red."
Malcolm X

I also found leads to the American Dream from an unlikely contemporary source,
Woopidoo.com. The following quotations about greed were found listed at this internet website:

" Most of the common stocks are subject to irrational and excessive
price fluctuations in both directions as the consequence of the ingrained
tendency of most people to speculate or gamble...to give way to hope,fear
and greed."
Benjamin Graham

"My major problem with the world is a problem of scarcity in the midst
of plenty...of people starving while there are unused resources...
people having skills which are not being used."
Milton Friedman

" If you think of life as like a big pie, you can try to hold the
whole pie and kill yourself trying to keep it or you can slice it up
and give some to the people around you and you still have plenty left
for yourself."
Jay Leno

Now , that last quote really impressed me!Was it credited to a recent
graduate of the college of clowns, the celebrated television talk show mogul, Jay Leno ? You never know what humorous facts investigations will turn up ...

Political Fright Night

2011-10-02T09:06:00.000-07:00

It's nice to be on vacation and just lounging around the cave with the remote.With a birthday coming tomorrow for yours truly,Grunge is the order of the day!Yesterday,the Phillies won game one (11-6) vs. the St. Louis Cardinals in the opening NL Division series.This afternoon,the Philadelphia Eagles go against the 49'ers with
Michael Vick back in play as quarterback.
Halloween is fast approaching and so are my clownish pranks of mischief-making.
I am working on a political spoof Halloween newsletter edition,entitled,'Political
Fright Night',

'A ghost-like character (in a Ben Franklin costume) hobbled from door to door
on Wall Street and posted the quotation,A Penny yearned is a penny spurned, as
hundreds of kids ran around peering through play money dollar-bill masks.

Palin's great pumpkin glow is palin' as she uses a rogue water gun to spray a
fine mist of tea on urchins wearing the masks of political candidates.

Obama's most-feared political opponent and as yet undeclared candidate,
Flash Mc Cool, considers being drafted by a rag-tag group of paupers.They
claim that Flash is a more dapper dresser, has a better old school hook shot and
that Flash's nose is Nosier (in its' Red State).'

It's time to listen to The Cool Song as I ponder drafts of the next few spoof news
tidbits...

Job Hunting !

2011-09-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

Now that I found the Fountain of Youth (har ! har !),I'm hot on the trail, trying to
find the job market.Investigations are tough! Leads are hard to come by! But I'm gettin' closer. Closer than the smell of a boar on a hound dog's nose!
The path to crackin' this case is somewhere between the vaults of the bailed out
banks, silicon valley,cyberspace and the medical research laboratory.The missing link to finding the 'fugitive job market' is locating the ' cure for unemployment'.
My 'smart money' (play money in this case) says that the brother who develops the
cell phone app that will download a full-time job with benefits (for a small fee)
is the 'winner'! After that, we can create an app for global peace,prosperity and even a public office. No more public debates, political campaigns or close elections!
When I find this 'fugitive job market' and the 'winner',I'll bring them to justice!
In the meantime, let's read "War and Peace","Gone With The Wind" and "Waiting For
Godot" while we listen to Flash Mc Cool:The Cool Song...

Back To School Thoughts

2011-09-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

Sit down and let me tell you how to be a student.
This year, you're bigger,stronger,smarter and faster!
So, you should learn more and do more things more quickly.
It should be a breeze for you to sit still, have patience,
concentrate,focus,study and to think,discuss,debate and
communicate!You should also know how to share,compete,resolve conflicts
and have fun!
Adults should understand what you need to learn.If you ask, some
people will help you get books,equipment,a quiet place to study or
tutoring or financial assistance to help you advance.Don't be
afraid or too shy to ask for help!
After you get your help, then work,work, work because your best is yet to come! Excel, excel,excel!Your job is to expand your skills, talents,
knowledge and promise to do well to keep Hope and to provide for your family,your people,your country and yourself!
Now,that's the cool way to be a student !
Oh! Don't forget to leave the clownin' to me ...

The Jewel of The Wild

2011-08-19T17:40:00.000-07:00

When me and the red-nosed, big shoe boys formed a posse to find 'The Jewel of The Wild',a cinematic production with a similar name came to mind.Our quest was simple;
to find the jewel of a thriving economy and bring it to Wall Street.We stomped around the global communities in search of the elusive jewel.There were a lot of economies but they were not thriving or they were thriving but we could not put them in a box and ship them to Wall street.No one could really describe them nor accurately measure them.If we really couldn't see them, we could not touch them nor package them. All the world over, the thriving economies were elusive.What was located and measurable was the respect of the promise,purpose and hope for a good thriving economy.We tried to stimulate the local sluggish global economies with bundles of play money but like one famous comedian, "could get
no respect" .Yes, Aretha couldn't even help us! The mission was impossible!
So, we decided to abort the expedition and blame our failure on international
politics. But, somewhere out there in the great beyond, 'a thriving economic jewel' is runnin' wild!

The Music Lesson

2011-08-18T05:29:00.000-07:00

In "The Gallery", an indoor marketplace, in Philadelphia, PA, USA there are thousands of lessons to be learned. This is only one of them.
Breakfast (this morning for yours truly) was a slice of sweet potato pie and a
small cup of lemony sweet tea at 'the spot'.As I sat down at a small table, an old blind brother was sitting on an old milk crate playing a saxophone.His red and white cane rested against the wall.
The pie tasted just right and the music tasted better!Suddenly,pure sweet notes from the saxophone lingered deep in my soul and stirred up images of New Orleans. The Mardi Gras came alive. The music was so stirring that even the mouse behind the counter came out to check things out!Groove and inspiration was the musical theme.
As the mouse looked around,so did I and at the opposite table in front of me I noticed the most beautiful pedicured nails I had even seen. The blind man was deep
into his funky sound when the meaning of the lesson hit me; 'sometimes you have to Listen to See what you been missin' .'

Pot Calls The Kettle Black?

2011-08-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

If the global Standard and Poor's Credit Rating Agency were a Pot, its' "AA+"
credit rating of the USA Government would be analogous to the old idiom in which the
Pot calls the Kettle black. See the link at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot_calling_the_kettle_black
It's also likened to the giant credit rating agency putting on a red nose like mine.
They appear more clownish than yours truly when you consider their poor referee- calling on "Credit Debt Obligations(CDOs) .Read about it in black and white at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collateralized_debt_obligation
You don't have to be an old hobo clown detective to know that the Credit Rating Agencies failed to make the right call about the sub prime mortgage crisis in 2007 and rated the "CDOs and other ABSs with the highest possible grade".
Are the credit rating giants blowing smoke so the consumers in the US and global economy cannot see Uncle Sam take a swing at them?

Swagger,Gridlock & US Debt Ceiling Talks

2011-07-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

The Urban Dictionary defines swagger as,"How one presents him or herself to the world.Swagger is shown from how the person handles a situation.It can also be shown in the person's walk." Go to http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=swagger

Jack Uldrich wrote about Benjamin Franklin's Extraordinary Leadership at
http://www.pfdf.org/knowledgecenter/journal.aspx?ArticleID=83
Uldrich makes his point using several quotes from Benjamin Franklin,one of which was,
" Declarations of a fixed opinion and of determined resolution to never change,neither enlighten nor convince us." Another, was," Compromises may not make
great heroes but they do make democracies."

Ben Franklin's swagger was firmly rooted in his leadership qualities as a businessman,scientist,politician,diplomat and founding father.

As a fictional hoboclown detective,I like to think thatI have a tidbit of swagger.But,I can imagine that if I met Ben Franklin in person he would look at me and then look at himself and say,'Sorry Flash, you can't touch this!'

If Ben Franklin were here today, he would be front and center in the halls of congress debating the Debt Ceiling,Debt Reduction issues.

If you really want to get a taste of the flavor of Ben Franklin's thoughts as a leader and what Franklin might say about the debates , read Jack Ulrich's article at the site listed above.While you do that,this old clown is gonna take a little stroll!

Deja Vu To You Too !

2011-07-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

There they were, four juvenile squirrels , eating bread crumbs while awaiting my
Quiz for the week.As I sat on the bench in Fairmount Park,Philadelphia,PA, USA,I read the first question of the quiz, True or False,
President Obama said, "There is no title here called 'Black America Budget Chairman'"..."It's called House Budget Committee Chairman.I happen to be black
and there is no conflict in that...it's been proven over the years that blacks can
provide leadership in Congress."

Next question, True or False,
President Obama said," A balanced budget is good for the country,the affluent and poor alike....I seek (a budget) that doesn't sacrifice programs for the poor and
minorities,one that is fair and equitable...I hope we can tie our ropes together
so we can be one party and show the nation what we stand for as Democrats."

Next,question, True or False,
President Obama, " treated the budget process as a political puzzle,not an economic
problem;...(he) saw the budget for what it is: a political statement rather than a blueprint for fiscal governance."

Last question,True or False,

President Obama," oversaw the first trillion-dollar budget in U.S. history."

The squirrels,looked at each other's answers to the questions.After a lot of erasing,they high- fived each other and yelled,"True for all the questions!"

While the four squirrels were grinning, showing their teeth and waiting for an A
grade on the Quiz,I couldn't help from laughing as I read 'False' for all the questions. All the quotes and statements are credited to former US Congressman William H. Gray III.
If you looked over the squirrel's shoulders and copied their answers, you need to
step over to the following site to get the real facts,
http://baic.house.gov/member-profiles/profile.html?intID
Also, read a 1987 document prepared at the request of William H. Gray,III,Chairman of the House Budget Committee at the following site,
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/62xx/doc6246/doc14a.pdf

A Matter of Principle

2011-07-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes my investigations lead to dead ends.There I was,tired,tuckered out and worn.Today, the search for Principles is no joke!
I went to the courthouse,searching for justice and she was on vacation.Today, City Halls,State Capitols, the US Congress and even Wall street are short on banking Principles.Outright thievery from Credit Default Swap escapades yielded guaranteed
swindling of taxpayer lifetime investments in pensions,fair play,education,jobs,hope and health & welfare security. The brilliant and compassionate solutions for greedy behavior
was for well- to- do public officials to further swindle the poor, aged,minority and non-politically connected masses through austerity budget- cutting, that erodes the Principles of democracy.

I did get a fair description of Principles before I went looking for them.At www.thefreedictionary.com site, a Principle is described as,"1. a basic truth, law, or assumption: the principles of democracy.
2.
a. A rule or standard, especially of good behavior: a man of principle.
b. The collectivity of moral or ethical standards or judgments.
I also found a blueprint of a national memorial dedicated to the principles of
justice,peace,hope and love at The Washington,D.C. Martin Luther King,Jr. National Memorial.Several Principles were highlighted from the writings of Martin Luther King,Jr.

For example, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967.
"Being a Negro in America means trying to smile when you want to cry. It means trying to hold on to physical life amid
psychological death. It means the pain of watching your children grow up with clouds of inferiority in their mental skies. It means
having your legs cut off, and then being condemned for being a cripple. It means seeing your mother and father spiritually
murdered by the slings and arrows of daily exploitation, and then being hated for being an orphan."

I also found quotations from , Why We Can't Wait, 1963.

"The curse of poverty has no justification in our age. It is socially as cruel and blind as the practice of cannibalism at the dawn of
civilization, when men ate each other because they had not yet learned to take food from the soil or to consume the abundant
animal life around them. The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty."

I also found one anecdotal quote,

"Everything that is done in the world is done by hope."
Martin Luther King,Jr.