Message to Faux News

If a user LIKES a candidate on Facebook, it does not mean that person actually supports that specific individual. Don't believe me? Just spend a few minutes reading the comments left on Michele Bachmann's page.


Because of Facebook's technical architecture, in order to leave a comment on a candidate's page (either positive or negative), a user must JOIN that candidate's LIKE page. IF a journalist (and/or news agency) uses a candidate's Facebook LIKE page to gauge popular support, that journalist (and/or news agency) is an IDIOT.

FYI: The Facebook LIKE function does not represent a scientific poll or survey (even one funded by a special interest group). Anyhow, these days, this blogger watches Comedy Central for an insightful look at the news and laughs from watching Faux News.
Fair and Balanced, My Ass!:
An Unbridled Look at the Bizarre Reality of Fox News (Paperback)

Mural on Town Post Office

May 2010

Stromberg, Nebraska

"The Swede Capital of Nebraska"

Why does the HISTORY Channel produce a show called "Pawn Stars"?

With all the debt relief, tax lawyer, car insurance, buy GOLD commercials, it's strange how these difficult economic times have changed what's on television.

Elvis and Me (Paperback)

Smoking and Atomic Bombs Kill?

The only difference is how much energy is used to equal mass multiplied by the speed of light squared. It was relativity easy to give up using atomic bombs. However, quitting smoking for this blogger continues to be a real beach...



The Day After Trinity (DVD)

3.5% Unemployment in North Dakota?

Over the last year, one of the few bright spots in the U.S. economy has been the ongoing Oil Rush in North Dakota. Before you load up the family van and head north, please be aware, the winters in this state are extremely ka-ka-ka-COLD. Also, there's a housing shortage in the western half of the state. It's a good idea to pack baby wipes, a sleeping bag and a tent for the trip:
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Short video from the Aneta Turkey Barbeque Parade, North Dakota. 
Recorded by Peter Rimar (June 2010).
Silent Towns on the Prairie : 
North Dakota's Disappearing Towns and Farms (Paperback)

Speaking of new jobs in North Dakota...
Strippers earning up to $2,000 a night
in North Dakota town thriving amid 
oil boom
by Larry McShane (NY Daily News)

"A pair of strip clubs in Williston, N.D., are drawing exotic dancers who can earn up to $2,000 a night thanks to the influx of well-paid oil workers in the remote region, CNN Money reported."
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Is it WRONG to play dress up with your dog?

While taking our dog JoJo out for his morning constitution, I was reminded of one of life's simple lessons...
sometimes...
it's important to stop & smell each & every blade of grass...






Boston Terriers For Dummies

"Do not hire a man who does your work for money, but him who does it for love of it."
~ Henry David Thoreau

Classroom in Baghdad

Admittedly, NOBODY visits this blog to mentally digest the author's various rhetorical rants and raves. It is what it is. Politically, this small corner of cyberspace will never challenge the likes of a The Huffington Post or Politico. A majority of this blog's daily traffic comes from folks searching for a specific image on Google or Bing.

Yesterday, someone in Spain did a Google search looking for an image of a classroom in Baghdad. Unfortunately, in terms of what I've already posted on this blog, this anonymous person's search only yielded classroom photos from China.

That's is until today...

In April 2004, this blogger tagged along for a week with a U.S. Army Civil Affairs team working in downtown Baghdad. The above images were captured on a mission which delivered supplies to a school for the deaf and blind.

Virtual Refreshment?

"Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh."
~ George Bernard Shaw

Social Networking = The BORG. IF you're reading this message, you've been Assimilation!

Make your Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie 
before it's too late!

"I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts."
~ Will Rogers
Chairman Mao Watch

"Unless something is free, with no strings attached, 50% off still means you're paying 100% of the sales price." ~ Self

Predictions for 2012?

Television, radio, and newspaper journalists (from all shades of the political spectrum) engage in Ambulance Chasing. Basically, when deciding which major news stories to cover, "if it bleeds, it leads".

Inevitably, WARS and natural disasters top the list of major world events actively covered by the media. Raw human suffering naturally creates powerful images which help to remain us of our own inevitable mortally.

Beyond the so-called end-of-days predictions about the Mayan Calender or Radio evangelist Harold Camping's continued incoherent ramblings about The Rapture, a laundry list of news worthy possibilities makes forecasting world events for 2012 (pause) predictable.

This year, this 3rd Rock from the Sun will experience one or more of the following natural events: avalanches, earthquakes, famines, floods, heat waves, hurricanes, lightning strike, tornadoes, Tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and wildfires. It's not complicated. While it's possible some future government funded, technological advancements may take the mystery out of forecasting recurring biblical events, in 2012, this blogger can confidently predict natural disasters around the world will change the lives of millions of people.

So, what about the future prophecies of Nostradamus' quatrains?

This French Apothecary recognized one important thing about human nature: Man is a politically motivated sexual animal.

There will be at least one SEX Scandal in 2012?

Speaking of politics, 59 countries will hold national elections, referendums or plebiscites. Democratic elections will take place in the United States, Russia, Mexico, India and France. The People's Republic of China will hold it's 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people will experience an already predicted change in it's top leadership. Additionally, Egypt and Venezuela are slated to hold elections.

Next month, the United Kingdom will observe Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne. This summer, London will host the Games of the XXX Olympiad.

There will be monthly stories about Internet Privacy, Facebook and Google. And finally, somebody, somewhere in the world will upload a cute baby video to YouTube.

If you enjoyed 2011, fasten your seat belts. Using my politically neutral Magic 8-Ball, this blogger can write with confidence that the events of 2011 were just a prelude to what's in store for our wonderful world in 2012.


Ten 100-year predictions that came true?
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Operation Restore Hope
Egyptian Soldiers, Mogadishu, Somalia (January 1994).

Ron Paul Wins Iowa?

Even though the GOP's establishment is carpet bombing Iowa with millions of dollars in anti-Newt campaign ads, once again, the candidate's worst political enemy appears to be the candidate himself. Seriously, Newt's mouth is like a "human hand grenade".


Believe it or not, during 2011, at one point or another, SIX different Republicans (to include Sarah Palin) have lead in the polls in Iowa. Since "7" is a lucky number, it just stands to reason that Congressman Ron Paul will narrowly win the Iowa Caucus.

Ron Paul Campaign Update: (12/23/2011)
Despite the latest media frenzy over the candidate's questionable affiliation with a series of racially charged comments printed in newsletters bearing his name, it's still possible for Paul to win the upcoming Iowa Caucus. Ironically, the newsletter controversy itself only reinforces a conspiracy theory held by many of his most ardent supporters. Basically, the so-called mainstream media (which includes Faux News) wants to derail his candidacy and silence his Revolutionary ideas.

Honestly, this blogger has never believed that Ron Paul could, would or should be elected President. Also, despite Ron Paul being upset that his integrity is being questioned, in 2011, it's fair game for reporters to ask questions regarding the comments contained within these newsletters.
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Political Quote of the Week:
"Trying to negotiate with Speaker Boehner is like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall."
~ Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)

Election 2012 Update:
Mitt Romney wins Iowa with exactly six less votes than in 2008:

Somebody? Anybody? Nobody?

‎I just watched an hour of CNN with no mention of Casey Anthony, Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen, Paris Hilton or Donald Trump. Perhaps the whole Mayan Calendar end-of-days prediction is wrong...

Solving the Greatest Mystery of Our time : The Mayan Calendar (Paperback)

Breaking News: North Korean Kim Jong-il Dead?

This may be the first real foreign policy test of the Obama Administration.

As I've already stated in a previous post, since the collapse of the former Soviet Union, the DPRK has been a proxy state of the People's Republic of China.

With the announced death of Kim Jong-il, it remains to be seen how Beijing will respond to any unforeseen internal power struggle within North Korea itself.

Despite the best efforts of Beijing's leaders, it's still possible the death of Kim Jong-il could eventually lead to a crisis similar to what the Chinese themselves experienced following the death of Mao Zedong in 1976 (see Gang of Four). Historically, the transition of power within a Communist country after the death of a cult of personality type leader is not uncharted territory. The question remains whether a Stalin or a Gorbachev is waiting in the wings to eventually seize the reigns of power in Pyongyang.

With or without Kim Jong-il, the CCP's economic and military approach to the DPRK will remain the same. For both China and North Korea, the shared political goal for both regimes can best be described with three simple words: Stability. Stability. Stability.

Let me be clear about this next point. Despite its policy to maintain political stability on the Korean Peninsula, if the DPRK ever attacks South Korea, blood will be on the hands of the CCP and the PLA.

"As soon as man began considering himself the source of the highest meaning in the world and the measure of everything, the world began to lose its human dimension and man began to lose control of it."
~ Václav Havel

For this blogger, it's interesting how the weekend passing of a man like Václav Havel contrasts with the death of the DPRK's "Dear Leader".
The Power of the Powerless: Citizens Against the State in Central-Eastern Europe [Paperback]

...perspective...

North Korean Performers
Wangjing, Chaoyang District, Beijing
June 2008

That was then...

Downtown Seoul, R.O.K. (Circa 1983)

This is now...

Downtown Seoul, R.O.K. (Circa 2009)

Photos by Peter Rimar.

#Occupy Wukan?

Violent political clashes in Egypt? London burning? A nuclear crisis in Japan? Military tanks crushing government protesters in Syria while American troops leave Iraq? The Libyan people rising up against Muammar Gaddafi? #Occupy Wall Street protests in every major American city? Russians marching again on the streets of Moscow?

And the year 2011 is not quite finished...


Analysis: Democracy is like a rice cooker. When too much pressure builds up inside, excess steam is released so the cooker (i.e. society) doesn't EXPLODE.
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Update:
Wukan protesters end action after Chinese government offers concessions
December 21, 2011
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Freedom? What's does it really mean?

This blogger discovered a long time ago, it sometimes depends on where a person is standing: Geography. IF you peel away the rhetorical onion, Freedom is the RIGHT to safely and peacefully live ones own life FREE from religious or political fear. Not the fear of the unknown, which will always be a part of our own humanity, but the RIGHT to search for & perhaps discover for ourselves our own individual truth.

FREE from the burden of fear.

This may be the reason why the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects freedom of expression, was 1st. From the seeds of this one simple idea, all the other freedoms enjoyed by Americans followed...

While the United States of America cannot solve all the world's problems, at the very least, as a country & as a people, we must never compromise our values & ideals for liberty & freedom.
It's from this light... 
all hope shines.

...perspective...

"As we debate how the United States can best influence the course of the Arab Spring, can’t we all agree that the most obvious thing we can do is stand as an example of a nation that holds an individual’s human rights as superior to the will of the majority or the wishes of government?" 
~ Senator John McCain
May 11, 2011
The Washington Post

Photo of Senator John McCain taken by Peter Rimar in San Antonio, Texas (January 2007).
The Fall of the Berlin Wall:
The Revolutionary Legacy of 1989 (Paperback)

When your house is on FIRE, it's absurd to argue with your wife about how to rearrange the furniture.

“God gave men both a penis and a brain, but unfortunately not enough blood supply to run both at the same time.” ~ Robin Williams

Make It Fast, Cook It Slow:
The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking (Paperback)

‎"It's my MONEY and I need it NOW"?

“Computers have enabled people to make more mistakes faster than almost any invention in history, with the possible exception of tequila & hand guns”
~ Mitch Ratcliffe

"Taking time to sit back and watch and think about what you've seen is important. Traveling did a great deal to me. I found that when I travel and just sit in the corner and watch, a million ideas come to me."
~ Lionel Richie

On this day in history?

Sometimes, lost in all the polarized political debates going on in Washington D.C. and across this country, Americans seem to forget that the United States has been a country at war for over ten years. It remains to be seen how future scholars will judge this particular decade in World History.

"Unlike the old empires, we don't make these sacrifices for territory or for resources. We do it because it's right. There can be no fuller expression of America's support for self-determination then our leaving Iraq to its people. That's says something about who we are."
~ President Barack Obama
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
December 14, 2011
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Final Update?
December 18, 2011
The last convoy of American troops leave Iraq.
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Photos by Peter Rimar. Baghdad, Iraq (April 2005).