text:
September 11, 2015
26 Comments »
September 11, 2015 @ 6:23 am
My topic today is Ethics and Integrity! Why? Because both underlay both HS and EM IMO.
And Whistleblowers! From a recently released report by OSC [Office of the Special Counsel]!
Federal employees turned to the Office of Special Counsel in record numbers last year to file complaints of whistleblower retaliation, prohibited personnel practices, and other violations of law and policy.
The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is an independent federal agency whose "primary mission is to safeguard the merit system by protecting federal employees and applicants from prohibited personnel practices, especially reprisal for whistleblowing." It has been led by Special Counsel Carolyn N. Lerner since 2011.
"Fiscal year (FY) 2014 was a record-breaking year for the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC)," according to the FY 2014 OSC annual report that was transmitted to Congress last month.
"For the first time, OSC received over 5,000 cases, a 17 percent increase from the previous fiscal year. The number of prohibited personnel practice (PPP) complaints was also at an all-time high, 3,371, nearly a thousand more than just four years prior. We also received significantly more whistleblower disclosures in FY 2014 than in past years."
OSC said it has effectively intervened in a growing number of cases, which tends to inspire even more complaints to be filed, perhaps to the point of unsustainability.
"The number of favorable outcomes for whistleblowers and other employees across the government continues to break all-time records," the report said. "OSC secured 177 favorable outcomes in 2014 helping to restore the careers of courageous public servants who blew the whistle on fraud, waste and abuse, or encountered another form of prohibited conduct in the government. This total represents an increase of 185 percent over six years ago."
"These victories for whistleblowers, the taxpayers, and the merit system showcase OSC's effectiveness and increase awareness of the agency in the federal community. As a result, the number of employees seeking OSC's assistance continues to grow, posing daunting challenges to the agency."
"We anticipate receiving over 6,000 new cases in FY 2015, more than a 60 percent increase over the ten-year averaged annual case load level. OSC already faces the largest case backlog in agency history," the OSC annual report said.
Because of the length of this comment I will break it up and post at intervals.
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 11, 2015 @ 6:29 am
President James Earl Carter seems to me a good man but the consensus that his was in general a failed Presidency may yet hit the mark. He signed off on Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 which when implemented by Executive orders resulting in FEMA. IMO FEMA could have been a success but was and is not. It has had some occasional success. When signing off on Reorg Plan No.3. Carter by his own hand signed "Reluctantly"!
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 11, 2015 @ 6:36 am
Another Carter Reorganization reorganized the former CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION [once headed by John Macy-the first FEMA Senate confirmed Director] into three parts. The OSC referenced above. The MSPB {Merit Systems Protection Board] and the OPM [Office of Personnel Management].
Carter also created the SES [Senior Executive Service] which IMO brought demise of the federal civil service system.
HUMAN RIGHTS is the largest positive contribution of President Carter, and the UN DECLARATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS [1947?] was a great contribution to the progress of justice for humanity!
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 11, 2015 @ 6:38 am
I briefly pause my etchings before returning to ETHICS and INTEGRITY in HS and EM.
Comment by Christopher Tingus
September 11, 2015 @ 7:20 am
On this 14th anniversary of a day when America was attacked causing the loss of so many wonderful people at the hands of those who intentionally crafted an attack and still today roam the streets without any ramification much like those who planned the "Benghazi Massacre" well my comment reflects just how appalled so many of us here on "Main Street USA" feel in a Senate who betrays our country in support of a Shiite led Tehran – the "Brutes of Tehran" who I reference these thugs who will now be supported in the nurturing of an Iranian Empire supported by US taxpayer monies in the billions of US dollars as Tehran given the nod to build WMD's – how dare you?
However, the disparaging evidence among our own lawlessness portrayed among our own government officials as depicted by a White House who supports the Muslim Brotherhood, a Clinton Foundation self-serving in every way and being allowed to use government office to dupe our own citizens in believing those taking oath and pledge to good 'ol Glory all self-serving….well, know this and God witness to all that the support of this Iranian Empire now to be funded by taxpayer dollars will not bode well for geopolitical stability and while we have seen this administration and the State as well as Justice department throw intel and military, our soldiers and our police officers, citizens all under the bus, some information to better educate:
This White House and Barry Obama and good 'ol Ms. Hillary Clinton are not above the law and the House and Senate as well – you have corrupted our nation and you have violated the pledge to safeguard and stand forthright to protect the Hebrew and our Constitution and the enforcement of laws and while Barry Obama and his back room deals with these "Brutes of Tehran" and his desire to be called Barry "Hussein" Obama in keeping with his only pledge, his pledge to Father and his Kenyan pals – anti-Christian, anti-colonialists and YOU have enabled Barry Obama et al as well as the City of Baltimore to make a mockery of our nation of laws and Judeo-Christian principles – How dare YOU?
Whether Muslim, Christian, Hebrew, Hindu or other – we are a nation which allows freedom of individual and of choice whether one chooses to practice Islam, Christianity, Judaism or other – yet we are all held accountable to the laws and regrettably we see this tainted and biased White House led by Barry Obama voted into the Oval office (twice) by the majority of White populous realizing that nothing has changed by this Chicago city street slicker and nothing more since his days when he was standing on his milk box with the likes of Bill Ayers and other radicals spewing such divisiveness – enough is enough and if necessary, let's bring on the deal maker, the "Donald" for it is time to reestablish ourselves and the glory of our nation –
God Bless America!
Kindly read:
"Only 10 percent of the world's Muslims belong to the Shiite branch of Islam; most of the rest are Sunnis. The initial split between Islam's two main branches followed the Prophet Mohammed's death in 632 AD. It was triggered by a dispute over leadership of Islam. Shiites believed that the Prophet should have been succeeded by the relatives or descendants most familiar with his thinking and practices. In contrast, the group that later evolved into the Sunnis believed that the early Muslim community had the right to select elders from the noble tribe of Mecca, even if they had no blood ties to the Prophet.
Many Shiite traditions—which heavily influence practices and policies in Iran today—emerged during that early schism. Shiites hold that the Prophet's son-in-law and first cousin, Ali, should have been his immediate successor. Shiite is the short form of Shi'atu 'Ali, or followers of Ali.Ali did become the fourth caliph for five years, but was murdered in 661 AD. The new Umayyad Dynasty then assumed leadership of the young Islamic empire. Ali's son Hussein and his followers decided to fight against harsh governance, knowing that they were likely to be massacred. But they believed it was better to die fighting for justice than to live with injustice—a concept that today defines Shiite beliefs. Hussein was killed in the battle of Karbala. His tomb is one of Shiism's two holiest shrines and Shiites annually mourn his death in reenactment passion plays. His martyrdom also defines contemporary Shiite beliefs.
Clergy's powers
Twelver Shiites, the branch to which most Iranians belong, hold that the twelfth imam, or divinely-appointed successor of the Prophet, disappeared as a child in 874 AD and will one day become visible again in this world to restore it to justice as the Mahdi, or the promised one. In the absence of the Mahdi, Twelver Shiites believe that clerics trained in seminaries can substitute for his authority on some issues. So clerics in Shiism are powerful in interpreting God's word for their followers. And the faithful are obliged to give blind obedience to cleric's religious rulings. Khomeini transferred this religious power to Iran's new theocracy after the revolution" –
In eternal memory for all who lost their Life on 9/11, may you rest in Peace in the Loving arms of our Father – thank you to our esteemed public servants and our first responders who we will always remember and today, support every police officer, firefighter and EMT who serve us daily – thank you —
Submitted by,
Christopher Tingus
"Main Street USA"
harwich (Cape Cod), MA 02645 USA
skype: christopher.tingus
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 11, 2015 @ 8:02 am
Many outside the federal government [and probably many inside the federal government] do not know that a small federal organization create if memory serves by the ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT ACT OF 1989 has published umbrella regs that each agency must implement with its own regulations.
Those regs have odd quirks and IMO provide for nonintuitive and strange requirements. The Public Integrity section of DoJ takes criminal ehtics referrals from all other federal components. See 28 USC section 523 or 583? Referrals to DoJ can come from OGE itself since that organization has no independent litigation authority.
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 11, 2015 @ 8:39 am
I will be commenting on this 14th Anniversary [is that the correct word?] of 9/11/01 over the next week focusing on LESSONS LEARNED or not learned but wondering about what others think?
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 11, 2015 @ 8:42 am
Should the assets [wealth and earned income of a spouse] be attributed to the official or civil servant in the Executive Branch?
The above is a fundamental principle of the OGE regs. Is it correct? Does it bring to mind any presidential candidates who previously held an official position in the federal executive branch?
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 11, 2015 @ 8:46 am
Typically there is a two year ban on post-employment activities for federal officials and civil servants. But there is also a lifetime ban on some areas of concern.
The principal test for both bans is an attempt to limit the officials or civil servants switching sides and advocating against a position for which they were responsible in one way or another.
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 11, 2015 @ 8:51 am
Most President's want control before any chaos or disorder from public or semi-public challenges to their adopted positions or even positions being developed.
Even when resigning or retiring federal officials are expected not to oppose positions they may have agreed with officially and publicaly during their employment and while receiving a federal salary and benefits.
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 11, 2015 @ 8:53 am
Did you know that the DUAL COMPENSATION ACT OF 1947 prohibits any federal appointee from receiving earned income while getting a federal salary?
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 11, 2015 @ 8:58 am
Some history but first a disclosure: Almost 50% of all Regional Directors of FEMA of the independent FEMA [4/1/79-3/1/2003] were terminated for non-feasance, mis-feasance, and mal-feasance. These were all Presidential appointees but not Senate confirmed–All non-career SESs. Disclosure: I was a principal in running the FEMA ethics program from 1992 until retiring in 1999. FEMA had never passed an OGE audit until I took over.
Comment by Vicki Campbell
September 11, 2015 @ 9:05 am
Well so far, this is a pretty sad excuse for a forum that's falling on September 11. I was going to post a comment on my own personal experience of 9/11, the impact it had on me, and how I've evolved in relation to the major issues it raised for me as an American – but I think I'll pass.
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 11, 2015 @ 9:19 am
Vicki! I was called by my wife while recovering at home from exploratory surgery on 9/11/01 and told to turn on the TV. As I did so the second tower was attacked. Still talking to my wife [a World Bank executive] I told her no accident we were under attack and expect an evacuation order. I called a friend and told him to meet me at a local diner [Metro 29] in N. Arlington. On the way there I went to a high point in N.Arlington and saw the smoke from the Pentagon attack.
In the diner for the next three hours I watched as traffic went to Service level F [bumper to bumper often stopped] on Lee highway headed south outside the diner.
Also on TV saw WH staff fleeing to Ellipse and beyond. The WH situation room holds no more than 40. Since CPE [circular probable error] for ICBM's dropped to less than 3000 yards the WH pretending some might survive direct nuclear attack on the WH is a joke.
The seems to be a consensus tha FLT 93 was headed not to the WH but thew US Capitol. Re: Tom Clancy?
Comment by Arnold
September 11, 2015 @ 10:28 pm
Vicki, Just my personal feeling, but I'm okay with the gradual decline in attention to this anniversary. Not to take one thing from the families and loved ones of all touched by this tragedy, but in hindsight one can identify many missteps in our collective reaction. Some ongoing.
We, the nation as well as homeland security professionals in particular, should have learned much from that attack. But hopefully we've learned as much or more from what came before and after.
Comment by Arnold
September 11, 2015 @ 10:39 pm
I should mention, unless some think me absolutely callous, that all anniversaries of horrible tragedies go through a process that eventually robs then of their vigor. Again not taking a thing away from the victims, but children with no memory of that day are becoming politically active. Personally I think this is a good thing. Others may disagree. Old challenges. New challenges. Hybrid challenges?
Comment by Vicki Campbell
September 13, 2015 @ 2:11 pm
Arnold, thanks for your response. I have to say that I actually agree with you completely. I'm not sure what my problem was when i posted what I did – except maybe the complete collapse of my tomato crop, and how weary I am of Mr. Tingus' demagoguery, which left me feeling like we haven't learned a damned thing from 9/11 – or more importantly, our certainly failed responses to it. I would also argue that the terrorists won fairly completely, fairly early on, given the dramatic changes we allowed to the most basic precepts of our democracy in the name of a largely false sense of security, as well as the complete lack of moral or political will in holding those responsible for the fundamentally fraudulent lead up to the equally immoral and certainly illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. From where I sit, we still have the same challenges facing us, and we seem to be doing no better in the face of them than we ever have – if indeed we're even doing nearly as well. IMO, we really seem unable to learn the most basic of lessons from 9/11…
Comment by Christopher Tingus
September 13, 2015 @ 8:50 pm
Courses human solidarity four Iranian immigrants yesterday afternoon in Mytilini.
Walking down the street from the site of Symamnias where they had disembarked, to the town of Mytilene, in a sharp turn in the area of ??Karavas, there were eyewitnesses of tipping and falling into the ravine a fire truck in which aboard and two firefighters. Result of subversion was trapped between the two men.
Immediately the four Iranians descended to a depth of five meters cliff approached the vehicle and tried to extricate the injured firefighters. Indeed, they remained there and helped in the business of hauling trapped firefighters and their receipt by ambulance ambulance.
The policeman Simeon Dukakis who was present at the event said speaking at ERT1: "Immigrants from Iran helped substantially in the evacuation of firefighters and even wounded hands and feet during the evacuation company. I thanked them and gave their congratulations to act towards their fellow human beings in distress. "
It is noted that the two firefighters were transported by ambulance to the Hospital of Mytilene, where preventive hospitalized after it was found that there with serious injuries. The four Iranians continued on their journey away to Mytilene.
Source photo: lesvosnews.net
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Comment by William R. Cumming
September 14, 2015 @ 11:44 am
During the long reign of the Common Law in England there once were LAW COURTS, CHURCH COURTS, AND EQUITY COURTS. Equity Courts in Virginia not abolished until about 1970. The distinctions between these court systems often overlooked.
I raise this history because most federal lawyers in the government and outside almost never raise equity arguments when lawyering and while federal civil statutes often convey huge discretion to administrators most of the US Code does NOT have implementing regulations including all criminal statutes.
This often allows the lowest civil servant or appointee to make a decision without an appeal as a matter of course.
The Administrative Procedure Act of 1947, amended in 1966 to add FOIA, tried to force all departments and agencies to use rulemaking and relied on the Administrative Record to support their actions. But in a famous case captioned CHEVRON v. US, SCOTUS analysed the deference if any to be given an EXPERT agency.
Perhaps oddly, perhaps not, no formal federal court decision yet has decided that DHS or FEMA is an expert agency.
So my question is this? Should there be a standard of review by the courts for the ethics and integrity of agency decisions. even when not expert?
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 15, 2015 @ 8:09 am
If HS and EM are professions what standards of ethics and integrity have those professions adopted?
The FBI prior to 9/11/01 was largely an investigative agency
not an intelligence or analytic agency with many specialists highly expert in languages and cultures of non-USA ethnic and culture groups that predominated elsewhere.
Director of the FBI announced in May 2002 a reorganization of the FBI where up to 1/3 of the FBI would become intelligence personnel, collecting, processing, analyzing, and disseminating intel.
That effort has largely failed but the FBI presence in many other countries has grown immensely. There are almost no standards of ethics or integrity for the 17 members of the IC, including the FBI.
And there won't be any standards since Presidents seem to want cherry pick the IC findings pr prevent its analysis from being made public.
EM IMO has not law enforcement or investigative function thus is to the right of the boom as some would say. But IMO some formal system for transfer of some INTEL to the EM community is necessary. FEMA now has more cleared personnel that at any time since Director James Lee Witt removed the need for security clearances from almost 45% of all FEMA FTEs.
The lack of expertise and ethics in the granting and removal of security clearances resulted in a Blue Ribbon Panel report [Trefry Commission] made available in late 1992.
In FEMA in my years there [1979-1999] SECRECY dominated a largely corrupt personnel system that at times constituted up to 60% of the money and staffing of the agency. In my 20 years there 17 different people headed the HR function.
Many appointees and civil servants were in arrears on federal income taxes. Employees who had falsified information on their form 171's were not automatically terminated in a position backed by OPM.
We need however now an entirely new look at the ethics and integrity standards for all positions in the Executive Branch including appointees. So some reorm suggestions will follow!
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 15, 2015 @ 8:19 am
As to Ethics Reform we should modify the ethics in government act in several ways.
First Congress could help by having each nominee submit a list to the Senate Congressional Committee overseeing that confirmation of all Statutes and Executive Orders that nominee will participate in administering.
Second, that Committee should also not just have a list of delegated authority pf that nominee including delegations from the Head of the agency or Secretary of the Department, but also authority vested directly in the position for which confirmation is being sought.
In the current system one day after confirmation a PAS [Presidentially Appointed Senate Confirmed Appointee can be assigned or reassigned to duties for which he/she was not confirmed. Immediate notification to Congress not required.
IMO many PAS appointees are constantly surprised by finding out their real duties after confirmation. And remember these folks are NEVER on annual leave, technically always on duty, and can be advocates on political issues with even travel being paid for by Political Campaign organizations.
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 15, 2015 @ 8:26 am
Today a nominee of the President has his/her ethics forms reviewed by an ethics official in the Department or agency, OGE, and the WH. These officials do not see tax returns or credit reports at the agency or OGE level. Senate Committees involved in confirmation can see all of these and often have their own confirmation forms.
OGE should process all the ethics forms exclusively for PAS and Non-career SES IMO. Also just as with PAS nominees a formal POSITION DESCRIPTION should be required for all non-career personnel. Over 10,000 politically vetted positions now exist in the Executive Branch possibly 2-3 times that. In my time all the Directors of FEMA approved the selection of all GS-15s thereby politicizing the process of selection.
In many ways the Executive Branch is more about jobs as opposed to effect administration of federal programs, functions, and activities.
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 15, 2015 @ 8:30 am
I have long advocated a takeoff from the PARLIMENTRY system of government and once nominate [perhaps before?] have the candidates reveal the top 10 candidates for each Cabinet level position in their administration.
Who is brought into the government is an extremely important factor in bringing ethics and integrity to the EXECUTIVE BRANCH.
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 15, 2015 @ 10:46 am
Well once again debate on for tomorrow! No doubt illegal immigration will be a topic. Other HS and EM issues unknowable until they appear but IMO out migration from drought and fires from California definitely will occur before the 2016 elections..
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 15, 2015 @ 6:51 pm
Wonder which candidate will discuss ethics and integrity?
Comment by William R. Cumming
September 17, 2015 @ 8:43 am
The second session of the Republican debates now over. Washington corruption mentioned by only one or two candidates but a poll cited that 82% og those polled believe Washington is largely corrupt in its policy development and operations.
Predict some sorting out in the polls reflecting this debate.
Senator Lindsey of S.C. only one to announce anything short of more boots on the ground will fail to defeat ISIS/DAESH in Iraq and Syria.
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August 25, 2009
– Comments (2)
A couple of days ago, I read an article "How To Trade Using Game Theory" on SeekingAlpha. I had to figure out what "game theory" is, and also "quantitative easing" (QE), since QE is at the heart of this article. GAME THEORY postulates a finite number of players, choosing strategies that is most advantageous taking into account the actions of other playersQE is simply the Fed increasing the money supply by buying up Treasuries, thereby flooding the banks with cash. Then, in theory, the banks increase lending and interest rates go down.
I did not agree with everything in the article (the portions which I understood), but he has a good point: QE is ending next month. What will happen then? He postulates that the increase in money supply is behind the rallies in stocks and commodities. This would also explain the fall of the dollar: increased supply = fall in exchange rates. Does an end to QE foretell the collapse of stocks and commodities, and also a stronger dollar? I wonder.
Chill out. How effective has QE been so far? Marginally effective at best.
Deflation will be the main driver in Q4 and Q1 2010 so it will not be needed any more.
I have to say, that Bernanke has found so many ways to inject money into the economy that almost nobody can keep track. He may stop the buying of treasuries, but he is not stopping all of the other programs that provide "money" and liquidity to the banks. We will see if he really stops it though, I have my doubts.
While there are really strong Deflationary forces, there are also really strong inflationary policies being set by the Fed and the Government. Bernanke is aware that he has to keep them for as long as he can or we will relapse.
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Skip to comments.The Ultimate Punishment
Posted on 08/25/2013 5:04:17 AM PDT by Kaslin
This week has pissed me off. Its been a week filled with news Id rather forget, but really, its one we all should remember. It should be a rallying cry, an opportunity for those interested in justice to reform a broken system and expedite a punishment reserved for a deserving few.
A college baseball player from Australia was murdered in Duncan, Okla., because three monsters were bored. The sheer convergence of bad parenting required to bring these three together and have none of them, not one, object to the idea of murdering a random stranger for lack of anything to do is as criminal as their murderous act. Their parents should sit in court next to them, charged as accessories.
The mother of Chancey Luna, one of the accused, told an Australian TV reporter she knew her son didnt do this because he was home at the time she saw him. A few minutes later, she said she knew in her heart he couldnt have done this. If I had a child accused of something so heinous and I had an iron-clad alibi like I was with him at the time, thats all I would be saying. Thats not what shes saying. Shes saying hes too respectful to have done something like this. But he, like every child, likes to fight. Sick.
Chancey wasnt born evil. He became that way either through horrible parenting or horribly neglectful parenting. Whatever the case, this woman and her counterparts who created the other two evil bipeds should sit in prison with their progeny, released only after theyre put to a justifiable death. Let the parents live the rest of their miserable lives with the pain their creatures imposed on the family of Christopher Lane.
Then we move to Spokane, Wash.
Delbert Belton is a hero. Well, Delbert Belton was a hero. On Wednesday night, Belton, an 88-year-old veteran of World War II, became a victim of two teenage sub-human animals who beat him to death for reasons unknown. Belton, wounded in the Battle of Okinawa, was heading to a regular pool game he played weekly with his caregiver when these wastes of human flesh attacked him. He died the next day.
As of this writing, one of these beings has been arrested, the other remains at large (hopefully to be slowly run over by a steamroller or eaten alive by small woodland creatures rather than be taken into custody). May they both be slowly fed into wood chippers one appendage at a time starting with the one between their legs.
As for why these disgusting displays of inhumanity happened, I dont care. I dont want to understand these monsters, I want to eliminate them. May they be removed from the gene pool before they have a chance to infect it with their DNA.
Oklahoma and Washington have the death penalty, but they arent Texas. Waiting for justice to happen in death penalty cases has become an inexcusably long process for families of victims. From 1984 to 2006, the average number of months spent on death row has increased from 74 to 145. Waiting more than 12 years for justice to be done is, in many cases, longer than the lives of the victims these killers took to get there in the first place.
In 1981, progressive hero Mumia Abu-Jamal murdered Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner during a traffic stop of Mumias brother. He shot Officer Faulkner point-blank in the face. He was sentenced to death for this disgusting murder in 1982, but anti-justice crusaders and liberal politicians and celebrities managed to deny the Faulkner family the justice they deserved and the law demanded. In 2011, Abu-Jamals death sentence was commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Hed spent 30 years on death row when he only allowed Daniel Faulkner to live 26. Only to the most disgusting corners of the progressive mind can this be seen as justice.
But that is what progressives call it justice. Collecting money from co-workers, friends and family members of a murder victim to provide housing, food, cable, Internet and education to the person who took a loved one from their lives to them, that is justice.
The death penalty needs reforming. Just as the introduction of DNA evidence has freed many innocent people from death row, it also should have decreased the wait time for execution. That would be justice. But the goal of the anti-justice progressive movement is the abolition of the death penalty, not its effective use.
Whether you believe in an afterlife or not, the death penalty is the greatest equalizer for justice for societys greatest monsters. If you believe this world is all there is, that when you die youre done, then a bad day in prison is better than not existing at all. If you believe in Hell, the worst day in prison is better than the best day in Hell.
Some people knowingly do things that forfeit their right to experience even the bad things in life. And given the existence of prison weddings and conjugal visits, the sooner we weed these creatures from the herd the better. Progressives will tell you the death penalty doesnt deter crime, and thats true. Its also irrelevant. Some people are so evil and/or stupid that they dont care that theyll be executed for their actions. But where the death penalty works, where it has a 100 percent success rate, is recidivism. No executed criminal has ever harmed another innocent human being.
We had two examples of sub-human activity that is deserving of the ultimate penalty five people whose actions should be met with the absolute justice we can bestow. They probably wont get it. A deal will be cut, or even if they do theyll live long, unproductive lives on the public dole.
Good article and I totally agree. "An eye for an eye" would work just fine for me, just don't delay it for an entire life time.
I must demur with "Chancey wasn't born evil."
Unfortunately we are all born evil.
Judeo-Christian theology traces this back to events soon after the creation of mankind. The bible furnishes a few concrete details, and it reads much like a pan-human soul conspiracy to embrace a lie that one could spiritually stand on one's own apart from God. This realization isn't just gratuitous guilt-tripping. It is a realization that we have all been saying no to the blessings of God. And saying no to blessings means that what remains is — that's right — curses. There is no neutral spiritual zone. Doing an attitude turn-around, with the help of God, opens us up to blessings where curses had prevailed in the past.
Still, to fail to recognize the gravity of the situation is to become more lost in evil ourselves. Forget for a moment the specifics of how this might be punished by other sinners on earth — the most fundamental problem is that people act as if there is no God to be accountable to or reconciled with.
Ah, the Van Helsing Doctrine. And I suggest everyone re-read Stoker's incomparable novel, and this time with an eye toward its true meaning, which is the struggle of humanity against evil.
Yes, in the sense that we are born with no concept of good. It requires many years of constant education, most of it by example, to inculcate the qualities of good into the unmoulded clay that is an infant.
Sorry...how does the writer know that many criminals aren't born evil? Do you think Jeffrey Dahmer's parents taught him how to be a cannibal and a mass murderer. The myth that somehow many people aren't born evil has to be exposed. Yes...some people are born evil. By claiming that being a good person is all societal indoctrination, these scribblers are saying we're all basically born with blank slates or tabula rasas. That theory has been thoroughly debunked for decades. Society can enact laws that make it tougher for some people to act out their evil impulses, but it can only do so much.
This is the behavior exhibited daily in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Iran and many other nations, it should NOT be so in the once "Melting Pot" nation.
I sit in Israel, sorrounded by insane Arabs and yet, I read about "8 killed, 37 wounded over the weekend in Chicago" - every weekend?
Who is nuts?
While as a philosophical matter I agree with the death penalty, do we really want to put that weapon against the criminally accused into the hands of Eric Holder, Angela Corey, Mike Nifong, Eliot Spitzer, Bill Lockyer, Scott Harshbarger, and a number of other rogue prosecutors whose only concern is their conviction rate and their political viability, your innocence be damned?
I will answer that question for you - NO!!
Yes we are all born evil.
None of us is more than a heartbeat away from committing the most heinous crime we can imagine.
Some of the responses here, and some of the responses of my own heart, in articulating what should be done with those who act on their evil imaginations, reveal just how evil we all really are.
The difference is whether a person acts on his evil imaginations.
I have known some children born into really good Christian homes that end up committed to living evil lives, even while their siblings are committed to Christ.
Ultimately, God allows us all to make our own choices. Some people are just inclined to make the wrong ones.
And, yes, the murderers must be put to death, if for no other reason than to prevent them from doing it again.
Assuming those in that "public" don't have the balls or do not their state's permission to protect themselves.
Don't go unarmed.
APB for Armed Neanderthal Biped (ANB), possesses independent deterrent. Arrest immediately.
Second, all this confusion about whether some or all humans are born evil or good can be really confusing, but it shouldn't be. Some, liberals in particular, believe people are "basically good." And too many conservatives misinterpret scripture and quickly adopt a reactionary view, that "original sin" means people are born evil. But the scriptures teaches "know" both.
More to the point, we are born "knowing good and evil," and, deny it though we will, we are therefore responsible, whether we choose to acknowledge or try to escape this awesome responsibility.
When a cat tortures a mouse to death we rightly assume the cat is probably just doing his natural born thing. But when people do the same thing we consider that person a criminal or psychotic, and we rightly say they are responsible for evil. The knowledge and the perception of good and evil do not make us good or evil, only responsible for how we choose to act.
"...unfortunately, taking the law into our own hands."
Hmmm, I see nothing unfortunate about that.
"Unfortunately we are all born evil."
No, we are born sinners—a big difference.
That's one of the worst parts of conservatism among people who pride themselves in being conservative and yet don't really have an appreciation of what the term signifies--particularly some who plume themselves on their Christianity.
Disagree with the bible then, if you must. From the Old Testament, "God created man upright, but men have gone after many schemes." And from the New Testament, "We sinned in Adam."
Understanding that this is our common position is key to understanding the need for the redemption from God, not just a "nice life on earth."
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I am now thinking and seeing in high school mathematics. Much easier on the brain than the theoretical mathematics I was so used to living and breathing.
This weekend started out and ended fantastically. Friday the school had a Valentine's fundraiser and sold roses, chocolates, etc., that the students could buy and give to each other. I received a rose, a box of chocolates, and two cards, which were quite adorable. One of the Year 10s had the gall write to me that I had pretty eyes... I chose not to respond to that one, although I still though it was sweet, in a non-pedophilic kind of way. I also have definitely let a few of the students become favorites, which I know is wrong, but I can't help! I think I do a pretty good job of not showing it, though.
As soon as we all got home Friday night, we all packed up and headed out to Byron Bay to go camping. Byron Bay is a nearby hippie, heady town with intoxicating and indescribable beauty. The skies at night are bright, and not from the litter of big city lights, but rather from the billions of stars that luminate it. During the day, the skies are an incredible piercing, deep blue, and the mountains and hillsides display every shade of green, from the very brightest of neons to the deepest, most lush forest greens. Even if I had been given the gift of words, there aren't enough to paint an accurate picture. The pictures as well don't begin to do justice either.
Of course, me being the most accident prone person there, survived a series of mishaps. Within about 15 minutes of being at the beach, I became the only person of our party to get stung by the infamous bluebottle jellies. So then I got to spend 30 minutes in the sick tent. Then, after preaching to everyone about making sure they were covered head to toe in sunscreen, not forgetting the tops of their ears and telling the horror stories of my grandfather who died of skin cancer, who but myself forgets to put a second coat on after lunch. I turned quite a lovely shade of crimson, and I still can't quite sit down or lie on my back. Very nice. Thirdly, and finally, I was sitting in the tent with just my head and legs poking out so as to stay out of the sun but still be able to talk to everyone, when what should climb up my dress and bite my butt, literally, but a raging Australia bull ant. The good news of all this is that we all got quite a good laugh and several moments of entertainment at my expense. So I guess it was worth it... Onlymaybenotreally. All-in-all though, the weekend really was amazing, and I'm extremely thankful that I only happened upon the bluebottles and not the box jellies!! And the pain wasn't so bad, so I guess the laughter may have been worth it.
We finished the weekend by going to the local markets. Every day there is a music and arts type festival/market. It's very similar to Kentuck, only year-round. Actually, perhaps a mix between Kentuck and Wakarusa. It's extremely music oriented.
-Mom and Jeff-I found this great piece of green amber that exactly matches my necklace, and I got to watch the guy (who looked creepily just like Joseph) finish putting it together as a ring. Now I just need a pair of earrings to complete the set... :).
I think my favorite part was watching one tent make juice out of sugar cane. In case you have never seen it, sugar cane looks identical to bamboo, and these guys were running it through a strainer and adding a touch of ginger. The result was amazing.
I've waited again until I was too tired to start writing, so I'm sure I've left something out. Everything is still amazing, and I still miss you all very much!! This Friday I leave for the Great Barrier Reef, so there will be much to tell come Monday!!


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Truth be told, our President/CEO really likes to win awards. My first tasks when I arrived two years ago were to submit our organization for three local honors. I didn't know how much to brag, how much to bluster and how much to try to overwhelm the judges with facts and figures. We did okay, winning finalist designations on all three submission, but no prize.
The Mother of All Awards
Then came the mother of all awards. Your organization probably has a mother of all awards. It comes from a national association or other body that speaks and/or acts for all organizations with a similar purpose. For food banks it is the America's Second Harvest Affiliate of the Year award, honoring the nation's top food bank. Our submission in 2002, like all previous years, fell on unimpressed ears. What could I do to help make it happen in 2003? What tower of phraseological genius could finally move the judges to acknowledge our food banking brilliance?
We were, after all, an outstanding food bank. We were sure we deserved the award, in our humble opinion. If only the making of our case could rise to the level of our organizational excellence.
I spent much of a week writing and re-writing, testing phrases and then condensing overlong sections of text into the relative few words allowed by the judges. Still, there was no peace — no certainty that what needed to be said was said. It did not escape me or others that this had not been a good year for fundraising. Winning this award would make us all feel better, and look better, too.
While pondering the first draft, the phone rang. It was our president, calling from her cell phone at an out-of-state conference. She wanted me to hear the advice of a previous award-winner concerning our nomination. "Of course I want to hear," I said while crumpling the just-completed draft between white knuckles. She handed the phone to the executive director of a food bank that won the national award in a previous year. Okay, maybe I didn't really want to hear. I spent the biggest part of a week, after all, on a very fine oration. But the good grants writer stuffs pride in the trash can when there is a chance our case for a grant or award can be improved.
The advice I then heard set the composition and presentation of our award nomination on a new and much better course. Believe me, two months later when I received word that we had been named 2003 Affiliate of the Year, I was glad I listened. Here is the advice I received:
1. Make it look nice.
2. No B.S.
3. Just answer the questions.
Make it look nice
The first bit of advice pushed me out of the box. Words and numbers still tell a story, but when judges who review grant proposals and award nominations into the night find the endless lines of text running together, they tend to lose the message. Use borders. Use graphics or photos. Add section titles and bullets. Let your main points pop off the page to pry open those sleepy eyes. Use color, if the situation allows. I did all of the above, fashioning the eight-page nomination into a newsletter-style, three-column document.
No B.S.
No B.S. was a hard one to swallow. First, I had to admit that a certain amount of what I had drafted was, well, not untruthful, but an over-gurgitation of fact. Then I had to re-write the facts so they both told the story and passed the smell test — no B.S.
Just answer the questions
Finally came the tip that set my mind at ease and really freed me to focus on what the judges want to hear: Just answer the questions. Judges and grant reviewers work from basically the same list of questions that we find on a request for proposals. The quicker they can find the answers to those questions, the better chance a proposal has for approval. Reviewers don't want to play needle-in-the-haystack in the midst of a late night marathon with 50 proposals spread across the bed.
I segmented the nomination so that every block of text was preceded with a heading that corresponded to one of the official questions. If a block of text did not answer a question that had to be answered, then it was ruthlessly deleted.
What I finally submitted was not as poetic and not as heartrending as I envisioned earlier and which might be appropriate for certain situations. The final award nomination, however, looked fashionable, passed the smell test and helped the judges to tick off the required answers, one, two, three.
Your organization, too, is the very best at something. People may just not yet realize it. You can get your message across by following the advice that made the difference for us.
About the Contributor: Bill Smith
Bill Smith began his career as a newspaper reporter, but fear of starvation drove him to HR management, where he finally attained certification as Senior Professional in Human Resources the same year he decided to return to writing. Following five years in business and technical communication, Bill and grant writing struck up an enduring romance in 2002 that plays out to the benefit of hunger relief and various other causes.
His combined HR and writing career wound its way through government, manufacturing, construction and technology sectors before settling into nonprofit fundraising. He and his wife served six years overseas helping refugees and aiding the post-communist recovery of East Europeans. The Smiths also co-authored books and articles on child training.
Bill served in various volunteer capacities with Grant Professionals Association, including founding the Tennessee Chapter in Nashville, chairing the national marketing committee and serving six years on the national board, including Board President in 2010. Bill returned to the Board in 2017.
He served on five panels through the years developing and refining the Grant Professionals Certification (GPC).
By night, Bill has been a volunteer over the past decade, assisting with the communication, financial and technology needs of his wife's organization, which provides care to local victims of human trafficking.
After years of interaction and joint projects with CharityChannel, joining the editing team at CharityChannel Press was a natural outcome. Bill would say his best long-distance friend is CharityChannel Founder Stephen Nill. Stephen might agree, but would wryly add, "Just as long as it remains long distance." Update: Stephen moved 2,000 miles to live near Bill. Now they hardly speak…without laughing.
Bill Smith and his wife live near Nashville on a quiet hill shared by turkeys, deer, coyotes, and semi-colons.


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Early bird discount until March 15th — save $100!
Students will work on the musical The Lion King Junior — a version of the smash hit Broadway & West End show, tailored to high school performers which will them to develop their acting, singing and dance skills. The camp will culminate in two public performances of a fully realized production with sets, costumes, lights and the roar of a supportive crowd. Casting will be fair, and as much as possible "ensemble" — every child, irrespective of experience, will feel they're making an important contribution to the success of the show.
Students will be working with a Director, Choreographer and Musical Director during rehearsals. There will be a Production Manager present at all times.
Price includes: Full attendance to rehearsal, costumes and props. Plus, for the first time, the price includes a DVD of the show, an Upstage t-shirt and a pre-performance cast dinner on the final Friday. A sibling discount is available for those enrolling more than one child on a program — see the PAYMENT OPTIONS tab above for more information.
Age range: For students ages 9 to 15 years
Dates: Monday, June 19th – Saturday, July 8th
Times: Mondays – Fridays: 9:00am – 3:30pm
For more information click the Further Information tab above.


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* CSI300 -1.2 pct; SSEC -1.1 pct; HSI -0.5 pct
* China manufacturing data contracts at the fastest pace in 3 yrs
* Investors shrug off fresh policies to support real estate, M&A
SHANGHAI, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Chinese stocks gyrated wildly on Tuesday, with main indexes tumbling 5 percent at one point as weak manufacturing data laid bare the daunting challenge faced by Beijing as it races to revive a stumbling economy.
At the end of the morning session, the markets had managed a recovery of sorts, with the CSI300 index off 1.2 percent to 3,324.83 points, while the Shanghai Composite Index was off 1.1 percent, to 3,172.03 points.
Hong Kong stocks also fell, weighed down by weak retail sales data, and sluggish performance on Wall Street.
Markets, which have endured a torrid August month, were hit hard again on renewed fears of a China-led slowdown in global growth.
Those concerns played out once more after surveys showed a further loss of momentum in China's giant economy.
Activity in China's manufacturing sector contracted at its fastest pace in three years in August, an official survey showed on Tuesday, reinforcing fears of a sharper slowdown in the world's second-largest economy. A separate private survey on manufacturing was equally downbeat.
Investors largely ignored fresh stimulus measures unveiled by the government, including further relaxation in property investment rules, and policies to support mergers and acquisitions and share buy-backs by listed companies.
Du Changchun, analysts at Northeast Securities in Shanghai, said that many investors, worried about the economy, choose to stand on the sidelines.
Stimulus policies "are more likely to help the economy instead of the stock market, and it takes some time for these measures to take effect.
"Investors have little willingness to get into the market."
Most sectors fell but an index tracking banking shares erased early losses and was up 1.2 percent by midday, as the previous days' correction attracted bargain hunting.
Also bucking the trend are oil giants PetroChina and Sinopec, both up over 3 percent after a recent surge in global oil prices.
Small caps posted heavy losses. Shenzhen's growth board ChiNext and the CSI500 index of small companies both tumbled over 3 percent.
Bright Dairy & Food Co slumped 5.2 percent, adding to Monday's 4.8 percent fall, after the company reported weak earnings, and was downgraded by Credit Suisse.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index dropped 0.5 percent, to 21,569.14 points, while the Hong Kong China Enterprises Index lost 1.3 percent, to 9,620.06.
Hong Kong retail sales fell for the fifth straight month in July, as a slowdown in tourist arrivals further battered sales of big-ticket items such as jewellery and watches, while a plunge in the stock market hurt consumer sentiment.
Most major sectors fell in the city. (Samuel Shen and Pete Sweeney; addition reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)


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IIC Australia Chapter-Media Release
The IIC Australian Chapter kicked off its seminar and events series with a session on Connectivity and the Fourth Industrial Revolution...See Press Release
- Thursday, 30 November 2017
The IIC Australian Chapter kicked off its seminar and events series with a session on Connectivity and the Fourth Industrial Revolution...See Press Release
To promote better cybersecurity, regulations should be brought in line across the globe and apply to everyone. That is the view of Pedro Pablo Perez, Telefónica's VP of global security,...
Cable & Wireless Caribbean president Garry Sinclair has complained that it is unfair for his company to have to operate in an 'anachronistic' environment under the Barbados telecommunications act, which only regulates fixed voice services,...
The direction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is becoming clear under its new chairman, Ajit Pai. In short, there looks to be a big move to deregulation, and already one major plank of the Obama administration has been halted before coming into force.
Industry and regulatory news from the Asia Pacific region
T-Mobile, Dish Network, Comcast and AT&T were among the biggest winners of the FCC's historic incentive auction of wireless airwaves, reports the Washington Post.
Major technology firms represented by the Internet Association (IA) have expressed 'vigorous support' for net neutrality, as the lobby group urged FCC chairman Ajit Pai to keep the country's current laws intact, reports Mobile World Live.
Secretary of Telecommunications, Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications, Brazil
We will give you a monthly round up of up-coming events, where we've been as well as interviews and selected articles from InterMedia.


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I'm a 28 year old fiction writer interested in economics, history, metaphysics, science, technology, comedy, and politics. My medieval fantasy series Of Hate And Laughter has come at last. This universe of mine is one of infernal majesty.
Saturday, 12 March 2016
Conan Visits The Havana Club Rum Museum - CONAN on TBS
2 comments:
That's the rum that is coming to us within a few weeks. A little bit expensive though but after all Mouton Rothschild is in the same price bracket. You should sell some on your site, at a discount of course.ReplyDeleteReplies
Awesome, Jacques. I think I could make an exception to my no-alcohol policy (motivated purely by my own idiosyncrasies; i.e. has nothing to do with religion or anything like that). I've always been fascinated with Cuba and its history.Delete
Have a glass for me when the shipment arrives.
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Anker Made the Smartest Car Charger In the World, and It's Just $16 [Exclusive]
Just when you thought you had car chargers pegged, Anker went out and made the smartest one you've ever seen.
Just when you thought you had car chargers pegged, Anker went out and made the smartest one you've ever seen.
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At some point, publishers at a lot of the sites I frequent decided that it would be a good idea to start using autoplay videos. While I think their thought is that when the video starts playing I'll somehow be drawn in by their captivating host and majestic background music, the result is often me getting frightened…
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Nowadays there are a ton of different options to determine if you're too drunk to get behind the wheel, but about if you've smoked too much weed?
A few years ago an ex-boyfriend of mine got married. Our breakup was amicable and we both stayed friends with a lot of the same people. That meant when it came time for his wedding weekend, my Facebook feed was flooded with pictures of his rehearsal dinner, wedding, and reception. Yes, I was happy for him, but not…
Finding a job can be hard, no matter who you are or what your background is. If you spent time away from the traditional workforce serving in the armed forces, then finding that job can potentially be even more complicated.
A friendly reminder that we only have 10 days left until Christmas, so your gift-buying days are down to the single digits when you account for shipping time. We see a lot of great deals every day, but these were our 10 favorites from Friday.
Your trash smells bad. If you get one of those airtight lidded cans, your trash only smells bad when you open it, releasing a wet rancid fog right into your face. The best fix is to separate your food waste and store it in the freezer. But unless you're composting that food waste, that's too much work. Instead—or…
You probably see it all the time: someone sitting alone out in the cold, holding a sign with a scribbled plea for help on it. Well, even if you don't carry cash anymore, or have time to run to a nearby store, you might still be able to help them with this clever act of kindness.
If you haven't added a second layer of security to your Google account, you're more vulnerable than you realize. You might think you're secure if you're using SMS to protect your accounts, but even that has its own security issues compared to alternative verification options. You could employ an authentication app,…
Some of us are lucky enough to live a train ride away from family. Others might have to catch a flight to see la familia, or maybe to get away from them. But whatever your reason for traveling, the truth is, it isn't easy on the planet. That's why we put together some tips to make your next trip a little greener.
It's time to upgrade your simple home into a smart home, people! It's way easier to do than you think. We're continuing our Homehackers video series by going over smart lighting, smart switches, and wireless security cameras.