Still Lost in Translation?

Photograph of an actual menu in a traditional English restaurant taken in Peterborough, England (March 2012):

Street Scene in Fenghuang, China (April 2009)

"You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer." 
~ Frank Zappa

Google It?



Greatest Moment in Television History?

All in the Family: Fan Favorites DVD

Street Scene Outside of Parliament, London, England (March 2012).

...wanderlust...

"The mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our own civilization." ~ Frank Lloyd Wright

How to Survive a Zombie Pandemic?

Did you known that Spam, the most popular canned precooked meat product in Hawaii, has a 10 year shelf life?

Read More...

Kings Cross Train Station, London, England (March 2012).
Photo by Peter Rimar.

The Foundation for Rational Economics and Education?

If a passing visitor spends more than just a few seconds looking at the various images uploaded on this blog, it's evident that this blogger has flown around the world and back again. I've physically walked on the streets of Baghdad, Kabul, Sarajevo, and Mogadishu. I've lived and worked in Alaska, China, South Korea, Italy and Germany. I've vacationed in Berlin, Prague, Bangkok, Jakarta, and Ho Chi Minh City.

It's difficult to summarize 50 years of a life of traveling in a single post. Each uploaded image has its own story and adds just another piece to this complex puzzle called 'life'.

A beautiful sunrise. A busy street corner. A smile shared.

In 2012, the events of 9-11 are already starting to feel like a lifetime ago. However, like a lot of folks, this blogger sill vividly remembers the day itself.

I was listening to a local radio station while driving across Austria. Then, the announcer broke into the music and started talking about New York City. While I cannot speak German, I immediately knew something big had occurred back in the United States. When I finally reached a television in Germany, and the tragedy unfolded before the eyes of the world, my first thought was, "our country is going to war".

Which brings this blogger to the central theme of this post: Among other things, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights did not create traffic lights or crosswalks. The U.S. Constitution did codify slavery into public law and rejected the voting rights of women, but this blogger will leave that particular political rant "for another day".

Ron Paul raises campaign cash to 'end the TSA'?
Read more...


To quote Benjamin Franklin, a man with more personal baggage than Newt Gingrich,"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." What if the TSA had existed prior to 9-11? How different would our shared world be today? The following NBC story aired on July, 20, 2004:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The events of 9-11 illustrated how a lack of oversight in screening passengers had real economic consequences for the global economy. For those that actually remember the 1970s, believe it or not, there are reasons why governments around the world became involved in monitoring and enforcing aviation safety and security. Can you say "Entebbe"? Additionally, the U.S. Constitution created a system of government guided by the principals of the "rule of law" and NOT a country void of any form of social or economic accountability. And yes, "Liberty" comes with an actual price tag: A New Perspective on Cost of War.

Congressman Ron Paul is a soap seller. In the view of this blogger, his 2012 candidacy is NOT about what's in the best interest of the country. Paul is running for President to pave the way for his son's continued political career. The taxpayers put food on his table. Politics is the family business. That's why he repackaged himself as a Republican. He's attempting to permanently interject his misguided, 18th Century inspired, Social-Darwinistic, fantasy island idiotology into the GOP brand name.


His latest run for the White House is no different than Mitt Romney's father running for President in 1968. Or better yet, the four generations of public service by the Kennedy Clan as well as the two previous Bush Administrations (with Jeb waiting in the wings).

As far as this candidate's latest money-bomb targeting the TSA, what Congressman Paul lacks in social empathy, he more than makes up for with his record of political futility.

According to a story researched and published by the Washington Post the day after Christmas, "of the 620 measures that Paul has sponsored, just four have made it to a vote on the House floor. Only one has been signed into law." Perhaps it's just me, but something is seriously wrong with this picture. Read More...

Instead of working to fix a problem, or advocating a more responsive, efficient and effective government, Ron Paul's solution to each and every issue is a verbal ax. This man is the perfect Presidential candidate for the Twitter Generation. 140 characters of text is about all the candidate can handle. 

Suggested Reading:
Glass-Steagall Act
The Marshall Plan

Does anybody know the phone numbers to Rush Limbaugh's pharmacists?

I had a sudden urge to wear a polyester, wild print disco shirt with bell bottom pants. Thankfully, it passed rather quickly...

Mr. Lee singing "Man in the Mirror"

July 2009

Seoul, R.O.K.

Possible definition of "hypocrisy"?

"A syndicated conservative talk radio host raging against the so-called mainstream media is like a convicted arsonist filing a class action lawsuit on behalf of the victims of defective smoke detectors." ~ Self

"People who don't travel cannot have a global view, all they see is what's in front of them. Those people cannot accept new things because all they know is where they live." ~ Martin Yan

Stonehenge, England (March 2012)

Army Sgt. Osvaldo Ortiz sleeps next to the transfer case and gear of his fallen friend aboard a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft bound for Dover Air Force Base, Del. Ortiz is accompanying the remains to the base and eventually back to the fallen soldier's home in Puerto Rico (June 2003).
Photo by Peter Rimar.

...reflections...

Baghdad, Iraq (April 2005).

For anybody that's attempted to take a large group photo, even under the best of circumstances, it's difficult to get every face in the picture. Particularly, when all the subjects are moving in different directions. Sometimes, luck plays a role when attempting to capture a single image at just the right moment.

During the Berlin Airlift in 1948, German children would scramble for packages of goodies dropped from relief planes landing into the besieged city. Fast forward to 2005. No matter where U.S. Troops traveled in Iraq, children were soon to follow. Once a convoy stopped in a village, the American soldiers became a magnet for kids. When I snapped this photograph, dozens of children ran towards our vehicle hoping for candy and soccer balls.

Iraqi Interpreter on patrol with U.S. Troops

Baghdad, Iraq (April 2005)

Only in America?

Kansas State Highway Patrol story via the Desert Exposure:

I made a traffic stop on an elderly lady the other day for speeding on US 166 eastbound at marker 73 just east of Sedan, Kansas. I asked for her her driver's license, registration and proof of insurance.

The lady took out the required information and handed it to me. In with the cards I was somewhat surprised (due to her advanced age) to see she had a concealed weapon permit. I looked at her and asked if she had a weapon in her possession at this time.

She responded that she indeed had a .45 automatic in her glove box. Something in her body language, or the way she said it, made me ask if she had any other firearms. She did admit to also having a 9mm Glock in her center console. Now I had to ask one more time if that was all. She responded once again that she did have one more, a .38 special in her purse.

I then asked her what she was "so afraid of".

She looked me right in the eye and said, "Not a freakin' thing!"

"There is such a thing as a national conscience and it can be touched."
~ Charles Kuralt

Prairie Landscape on Hwy 81 in South Dakota (May 2010).

Campaign Humor?

Sadly, this bit of YouTube political satire sounds less crazy than the candidate's actual quotes on the campaign trail...

Worst Political Joke of the Week?
Gynecologist to patient: Ma'am, I think I see your problem. There are too many Republicans in your vagina.

...dashboard Mao...

Jon Huntsman Criticizes Mitt Romney Over China Policy Despite Endorsement?
Read More...

The idiotology of ideology?

Despite being raised in an "atmosphere of privilege", humbled by Polio when he was 39 years old, F.D.R. had "it". 

Dwight D. Eisenhower also had "it". While it's difficult to pinpoint the exact moment Ike learned about "it", a tour of a Nazi Concentration Camp certainly contributed to his own personal awakening of what "it" meant for the future of humanity.


Henry Dunant. Mohandas Gandhi. Martin Luther King. César Chávez.

Richard Nixon became aware of "it" after Watergate. Jimmy Carter was judged for having too much "it". George H.W. Bush was only a one term President because he forgot about the importance of "it".

Desmond Tutu. Tenzin Gyatso. Aung San Suu Kyi.

Part of the message of the New Testament of the Bible is dedicated to the spiritual idea of "it".

In 2008, it was clear that Senator John McCain (a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for five and a half years) and then Senator Barack Obama (an educated black man born in America) both had "it".

So, what is "it"?
ἐμπάθεια. Einfühlung. Empathy.

It's an important human quality which separates a mere politician from a leader. In the view of this Blogger, Mitt Romney doesn't have "it". Indeed, Mitt will never have "it".

And for this reason alone, this Blogger believes the former Massachusetts' Governor will not, but more importantly should not, be elected President.

It remains to be seen whether or not the country is prepared for Mitt to be IT.

Romney Update:
$374,327.62 for 9 Political Speeches = "Not Very Much"?
Read More...

Empathy? Envy? Even Newt Gingrich didn't try to play hide the tax banana with his K-Street money in the Caymen Islands.

Empathy Update:
(2/1/12)
"I am fed up with politicians in either party dividing Americans against each other. I am running to be the president of all the American people and I am concerned about all the American people." ~ Newt Gingrich



Romney says he’s not concerned about the poor?
Read More...

Mitt’s class problem?
Read More...

In fairness to the candidate, running for the highest office is a grueling experience. It's difficult to keep ones own mouth and mind on the same sheet of political music. With that said, once again, because Mitt Romney has never worried about keeping a roof over his head, for this reason alone, he'll never be able to connect with average Americans struggling from paycheck to paycheck.

And finally, how many of Romney's five sons have served in uniform? It's one thing to beat the drums of war, it's quite another to actually send ones own son or daughter into harm's way. Just ask Vice President Joe Biden.

Suggested Reading: Pew Research Center

Class Warfare in 2012?

New Studies Determine Which Social Class More Likely to Behave Unethically?
Read More...

"The increased unethical tendencies of upper-class individuals are driven, in part, by their more favorable attitudes toward greed. These findings have very clear implications for how increased wealth and status in society shapes patterns of ethical behavior, and suggest that the different social values among the haves and the have-nots help drive these tendencies."
~ Paul Piff, a doctoral student in psychology at UC Berkeley and lead author of the paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Read More...

Possible Definition of "Politically Incorrect"?

Facebook Quote: "I drove behind a car with an Obama sticker on it, which means I'm a follower of an Obama follower, so I'm a gobless Commie, according to the real America. Right?"

North Korean Performers

Wangjing, Beijing, China

June 2008
Photo by Peter Rimar.

Grand Obstructionist Party?

"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."
~ Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), in an interview with the National Journal, describing his goal in retaking the Senate.

One of the main political talking points of Republicans is that President Obama got everything he wanted his first two years in office:


"A lie told often enough becomes the truth"?

If one individual uses a specific grouping of words to express an idea at a particular time and place, and it's then cited by others (for example the Wall Street Journal), it's called a quote. If one or more individuals employ the same phraseology over and over again to support a specific political agenda, it's called a message. To put it another way, a slogan is a slogan is a slogan. It's how ideological soap is bought and sold in the political marketplace (see Echo Chamber).

Clearly, any video which includes Rachel Maddow must be pure liberal propaganda. So, what is the truth? Instead of accepting this politically partisan video at face value, this blogger went directly to the source: The U.S. Senate. Read More...

The public record is the public record. Numbers don't lie. Can you say Grand Obstructionist Party? This blogger has a theory. The partisan goal is simple: stop and/or delay every action of government in order to create a climate of economic uncertainty.


GOP Senator won’t seek re-election, cites Washington’s increasing polarization?
Read More...

Suggested Reading List:
Glass-Steagall Act
Cost of Wars

"Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future." ~ John F. Kennedy

Photo by Peter Rimar.

Kim Kardashian. (Pause) Why?

"I've seen the people who talk about their love lives in print invariably have doomed relationships with the person they're talking about."
~ John Cusack

Satan Attacks America?

Suggested Reading:
Modern Language Association guidelines for citing a Tweet
in an academic paper or news report.

"To find joy in work is to discover the fountain of youth." ~ Pearl S. Buck

It's all about selling SOAP?

Last July, Sarah Palin's documentary The Undefeated opened to an empty theater in Orange County, California (Read More). While on the surface, the movie's box office failure was rather humorous, unfortunately, a majority of journalists missed the point on why the film was released in the first place. It's the same reason that Newt Gingrich, despite his low approval ratings in every national poll, is still campaigning for President.  
When this blogger lived and worked in the People's Republic of China, I discovered that cigarettes and alcohol were used to bribe local government officials. Indeed, the central government actually monitors the sell of expensive cigarettes to gauge the level of corruption in different cities. While the average price per pack was LESS than a dollar, several brands from Yunnan Province cost more than $110s a cartoon. 

Why? Well, cigarettes are a form of hard currency which cannot be individually traced by the government. Thus, local officials accept cartoons of cigarettes, as bribes, without drawing the attention of the central government. 

Economic crimes, such as tax fraud and corruption, routinely appear among the criminal dockets of those given the death penalty. Read More...

Intead of cigarettes, in the United States, special interest groups purchase books and DVDs (in bulk) to support candidates who support their specific agenda. Sarah Palin is a paid political commentator for Faux News. She earns more than six figures a year just giving speeches. As long as she remains a political celebrity, she'll continue selling SOAP. While I have the deepest respect for Senator John McCain, somebody spiked his Kool-Aid in 2008 when he picked Palin as his running mate.

Billionaire Sheldon Adelson Says He Might Give $100M To Newt Gingrich Or Other Republican?
Read More...

Photo of CCP Building Art, Guangzhou, PRC (August 2008).
Going Rogue: An American Life (Hardcover)

"Politics is the art of postponing decisions until they are no longer relevant." ~ Henri Queuille