Thursday, May 22, 2014

The use of American History by the NRA is abuse of the memories of the Founders of our democracy who valued above all else an unencumbered life.

“Never trust a government that doesn't trust its own citizens with guns.” This statement is attributed to Benjamin Franklin. You know the guy that flew the kite during a lightning storm.

To the left are the Barbar Pistols the handgun of the day. 1778 to be exact.


To the right is the military style weapon of the day.

A VERY FINE (click here) & RARE REGIMENTALLY MARKED AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR USED SECOND MODEL/SHORTLAND PATTERN 1777 BROWN BESS MUSKET, ca. 1778: In overall very fine original flintlock condition....

The value of the musket below is $12,500.00. 

The NRA needs to get for real. Comparing history to present day violence is not appropriate.  

If Benjamin Franklin ever thought for one minute his words would be used to justify lawless/anarchic gun use laws while 30,000 Americans die domestically every year including entire classrooms of children, he would retract the statement and demand repeal of the Second Amendment insisting on it's specific understanding in regard to defense of the country. Ben's words are completely taken out of context and to that end, the NRA is Anti-American.

Benjamin Franklin first saw "The Declaration of Independence" precede any other document which it's first words included, " ...unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is impossible to insure citizens are guaranteed those goals of our democracy with abusive gun laws that victimize innocent people.

When I think of Benjamin Franklin one of my thoughts is the fact he was among one of the first scientists in the USA. He was able to capture time of ship arrivals by studying the tides. He was an amazingly brilliant and engaged patriot. While I admire his dedication to inquiry and progress into the future I would never take it out of context of his time. If I did, he really would not appear to be very bright at all, now would he?

The Minimum Wage would move customers from dollar menu to other options at McDonalds.

McDonald’s Dollar Menu & More (click here) may be popular with customers but some of the chain’s operators are voicing unhappiness that these low-price options lower checks, complicate kitchen operations and slow service according to the latest (61st) McDonald’s Franchisee Survey conducted by Janney Montgomery Scott restaurant analyst Mark Kalinowski.
Says one operator: “Only thing we are advertising is Dollar Menu & More. We have 25 items on the Dollar Menu with breakfast and lunch. Why would a customer order anything else? Can get a beef, chicken, potato, soda, or coffee. It kills service time with orders of 2-3 sandwiches at a time. Cannot hit service times.”
Franchisees are traditionally grumpy toward franchisors but bad winter weather that has depressed sales may be exacerbating the discontent. Kalinowski has lowered his estimate of McDonald’s December U.S. same-store sales by 100 basis points to -0.3%. For January, where much of the U.S. has seen negative temperatures, Kalinowski sees negative sales growth, lowering his forecast for the month by 420 basis points to -2.2% based on franchisees’ reports....
The minimum wage IS a McDonald's issue. The McDonald CEO, Don Thompson (click here) does not practice a good business model, he practices Wall Street profit model doomed to fail.

Wall Street always turns to technology and higher automation to improve stockholder profits. He's another Roger Smith. Rather than paying good wages to American employees while increasing circulating capital in the economy, he is going to contract (make less) the cost of labor by investing in technology. He will lose customers.

...To improve kitchen efficiency, McDonald’s is testing a “High Density Kitchen” solution, Kalinowski says. It adds more refrigerated and heated holding trays and pots to accommodate the expanded menu. But with sales slow, asking operators to invest in more new kitchen equipment is a tough—and unpopular—sell. One operator calls the High Density Kitchen “lipstick on a pig.”
Says another: “The High Density Kitchen will help organize all products, but it won’t fix our problem. The math doesn’t work as it relates to production time or service time.”
The real problem is discounting, according to some operators. “Won’t help. No matter what. There is no way to make all those $1 or $2 sandwiches fast. We could do it when it was just the McDouble and the McChicken. But now with 25 total items, no. If you add crew it doesn’t cover the cost to make all the Dollar Menu crap. Haven’t sold a wrap in so long. No one remembers how to make one.”
When Wall Street uses outsourcing and/or automation to improve returns to stockholders, hence, CEO bonuses it CONTRACTS the US economy. How many fast food restaurants does McDonald's have around the USA? Then realize AT LEAST one person per shift will be eliminated by this new automation. How many people nationally will be out of the income they now earn through work at McDonalds?

What will happen when Mr. Thompson pockets his bonus after returns to stockholders? There will be less and less circulating capital in the USA economy and he will lose customers, increase poverty in the country and McDonalds doesn't accept EBT. Nor should they be allowed to accept EBT either. Shame on Wall Street and shame on Mr. Thompson.

GROW THE LOCAL ECONOMIES ACROSS THIS GREAT COUNTRY and PUT PEOPLE BACK TO WORK!

China needs to back off. The ASEAN nations were so awesome last time they met. Enough already.

Thailand urges protection of citizens in Vietnam (click here)

Published: 15 May 2014 at 18.40
Viewed: 13,16 
Local News Writer: Thanida Tansubhapol, Achara Ashayagachat... 

Bangkok joined China, Japan and Singapore in the calls amid growing worries about the situation in Vietnam. The Thai consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City and investors urged Vietnam to provide security... 

They are preparing for regional war. Vietnam was the last nation to join ASEAN. These countries are incredible. They have harnessed the desire of their people to improve their quality of life and have moved forward to build economic infrastructure.

...RECOGNISING (click here)
the Declaration of ASEAN Concord II (Bali Concord II), which seeks to bring the ASEAN Vision 2020 into reality by setting the goal of building an ASEAN Community by 2020 comprising three pillars, namely political-security community, economic community and socio-cultural community, all of which are closely intertwined and mutually reinforcing for the purpose of ensuring durable peace, stability and shared prosperity in the region;

INSPIRED
by the spirit of a new ASEAN, as symbolised by the ASEAN Charter, we reaffirm our commitment to accelerating the establishment of the ASEAN Community, comprising the aforementioned three pillars, by 5 years to 2015, as agreed in Cebu, the Philippines in 2007; 

EMPHASISING
that narrowing the development gap shall remain an important task to ensure the benefits of ASEAN integration are fully realized through effective implementation of the Initiative for ASEAN lntegration (IAl) and other sub-regional frameworks;

NOTING
with satisfaction the progress made so far under the series of action plans or programmes adopted to guide progress towards the realisation of the ASEAN Vision 2020, for example, the Hanoi Plan of Action (HPA), the Initiative for ASEAN lntegration (IAl) and the Vientiane Action Programme (VAP);...

The very worst thing that can happen in these circumstances is for the Thia military to completely dissolve the authority of their Foreign Ministers. I know it all seems wrong there should be relations between China and ASEAN right now, but, that is not the fault of the Ministers. 

HA TINH PROVINCE, Vietnam — One Chinese laborer (click here) said angry Vietnamese workers had stomped on his hands, crushing them. Another said his son had been struck in the head with a metal rod by a Vietnamese mob that had sought out Chinese for beatings. At least one Chinese worker died.

While anti-Chinese violence in southern Vietnam earlier in the week targeted foreign factories, the outburst of anger here in the nation’s center took a more vindictive turn late Wednesday, with Vietnamese turning on Chinese laborers. The violence in Ha Tinh appeared to be the worst against Chinese since a territorial dispute inflamed anger in Vietnam.... 

Firefighters outside a Taiwanese bicycle factory in Binh Duong Province, one of scores of Chinese and other foreign-owned businesses that were burned and looted by anti-Chinese mobs. Credit Jeff Nesmith/Associated Press

The ASEAN countries need to bring their grievances to the United Nations. This is important to set an international tone for the best outcomes of their nations. The ASEAN countries need their ministers to carry out international pressure on China to return sovereign authority to Vietnam. 

China needs to remove it's emigrant labor in Vietnam. China has invested the wrong way in Vietnam. It has no right to overshadow every aspect of Vietnam's borders as if they belong to China. The Vietnamese have a right to their sovereign nation. 

Does China actually believe this is going to be a productive relationship? Ask the USA how easy it is to march into Vietnam and take over the country. China should know the Vietnamese are a people of resolve. China needs to reassess it's interests in Vietnam. While the government has seen it beneficial to bring Chinese interests to the country, it made a huge mistake in allowing Chinese businessmen and laborers to take over the economy. By doing so, it removed the jobs from the Vietnamese and they are nor will ever improved their quality of life. China is wrong and needs to allow investment WITHOUT occupation of the country. China has no right to drill for oil in Vietnam's sovereign waters.

And by China I also mean Taiwan. The USA will not be drawn into bloody confrontations because Taiwan doesn't know how to conduct itself in international business ventures. 

The ASEAN countries need their natural resources and labor markets to insure the goals to be met by their countries. The governments cannot throw in with corruption because of monies from other larger nations such as China, including Taiwan. These countries will never develop their economies and improve the lives of their people if they are always at conflict with larger economies. 

The United Nations needs to demand the USA to examine all military sales to Taiwan and be sure there are treaties that completely prevent hostile actions against ASEAN countries. These countries are not going to turn into another Nigeria. Absolutely not !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

China has to respect these countries and remove Chinese workers from factories built within these countries. The citizens of these small nations have to be trained, not replaced, as laborers. The factories should serve to increase the wealth of the people within these countries as well as return profits to investors. The Chinese are doing this all wrong and the people won't tolerate it. They will over throw the governments that have entered into these trade agreements over and over if China continues on this path. 

Russia has done nothing wrong in this particular case, but, this illustrates the run away train of international trade proving to victimize the sovereign citizens of the ASEAN nations.

MOSCOW, March 29 (2011) -- Thailand and Russia (click here) mutually agreed to strengthen bilateral ties and foster closer cooperation between the two countries, targeting to double the annual trade volume to US$10 billion in 2016....

The people of Thailand and most probably Vietnam see their leadership as a threat to them because of the actions of China recently. 

While Russia is simply trying to build it's own trade relations with Thailand what is actually occurring is victimizing of the Thai people. China has brought investors to these nations, but, they have also allowed those investors to bring their own labor force as well. As a result the manufacturing taking place in these small countries aren't serving to bring the citizens out of poverty or improve the stability of governments. The recent actions by China in regard to oil drilling is viewed as 'the last straw' to the dissolution of their hope. 

What is occurring is Chinese manufacturing and/or in the case of oil, extraction of natural resources that is then either imported duty free to China and/or sold to trading partners. Now, the ASEAN countries may receive monies into their treasuries for these transactions, but, that still doesn't interpret into better lives and/or national security for these nations. This form of economic exploitation of these nations has to end. The people have to be supported in developing their countries, educating their children and providing for the growth of their own Middle Classes. If China siphons off profits and interrupts any chance of these countries to reach their development goals, it will be met with events such as are occurring in Vietnam and Thailand right now.

Basically. The Chinese investors will lose everything. And what if full scale war breaks out in the region? That won't help the interests of China or any other regional country. These small countries need peace. They can only proceed within peace. That does not mean they will abandon war if they believe their hard work will be dissolved by other nations for profits. These people have memory enough to realize where their priorities lie and how to achieve them when other larger nations believe they can simply throw their weight around.

...A major stride (click here) along the road of advancing of our multifaceted cooperation was made in the years 2002-2003 when due to the efforts of the both sides the Russian-Thai relations have reached the level of strategic partnership. A new era of our bilateral relations was opened by the official visit of Mr.Thaksin Shinawatra, the Prime Minister of Thailand, to Russia in October 2002, and the State visit of Mr.Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation, to Thailand in October 2003. It was first ever visit to the Kingdom of Thailand of a Head of State of Russia. 

The outcomes of these summits required to foster the diplomatic activity in all spheres towards intensification of a mutually advantageous trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation, establishment of an effective interaction among regions of both countries....

Do not mistake long standing relationships for treaties, they are not, nor will the people of these nations stand by and be exploited.

If Congress wants to make a difference, they need to pass a spending bill to bring all patients on waiting lists to other clinical settings.

Perhaps the US Congress doesn't understand the meaning of the word "Backlog." Let me help.

According to Merriam Webster:


1 :  a large log at the back of a hearth fire
2
:  an accumulation of tasks unperformed or materials not processed <a backlog of court cases>

If the Congress does not view this as an overburdened Veterans' Administration in need of support to carry out it's obligations then they are more the problem than the Secretary could ever be.

For Congressmen and women claiming to be business persons able to run the country better than any department manager, this is called INCREASED DEMAND.

What would a business person do? WWBPD? First a business person would maximize the total carrying capacity of the system that already existed by hiring into all the open personnel positions and close the gap between demand and supply.

Then once the current infrastructure was maxed out, the next step is to offer free lancing to come in and fill in the gap. What does that mean for the VA? That means all the open personnel positions are filled and then local facilities nearest the VA facility is tapped to maximize their capacity.

The design looks like a spiraling circle. It starts at the center and spirals out. The closest private or public facility is tapped with more and more facilities being tapped moving away from the location of the VA facility. Why does it have to be a spiraling out model? Because nearby facilitates have an understanding of local populations of veterans without putting ridiculous demand on travel.

This is not a difficult problem. It is a matter of APPROPRIATING funds to carry out quality care to all those in need of health care. It requires legislation and it is an emergency so it needs to occur immediately. 

ELIMINATE THE BACKLOG, PASS LEGISLATION TO PAY THE BILLS FOR HEALTH CARE FOR VETERANS

It is so very easy to point political fingers, but, to actually make a difference requires commitment to understand the problem and legislate to address it. Legislating funding for addressing the Backlog will be less expensive than the monies the country will pay out in wrongful death suits.

Congress, not the Secretary of the Veteran's Administration needs to be added to the list of potential criminals involved in the investigations of a Special Prosecutor. Start with the committee persons who cut funding and put Veterans second to their political dogma.

Once the BACKLOG is satisfied and the DEMAND falls the VA system can be trimmed and operating budgets reassessed. Until the Backlog is satisfied there will be emergency funding needed.

The BACKLOG has been GENERATED through increased DEMAND and not because the VA system didn't work. The increased demand is historic. 

WASHINGTON — With outrage mounting (click here) over veterans’ health care, President Obama declared yesterday that allegations of misconduct at VA hospitals will not be tolerated, and he left open the possibility that Secretary Eric Shinseki, a disabled war veteran, could be held to account.

“I will not stand for it — not as commander in chief but also not as an American,” Obama said following an Oval Office meeting with the embattled Shinseki.

Congress moved to keep up the pressure on the administration, with the House easily approving a measure last night that would give the VA secretary more authority to fire or demote the 450 senior career employees who serve as hospital directors or executives in the 
agency’s 21 regions.

Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, sponsored the measure, saying VA officials who have presided over mismanagement or negligence are more likely to receive bonuses or glowing performance reviews than any sort of punishment. He declared that a “widespread and systemic lack of accountability is exacerbating” the department’s problems.

The White House said it supported the goal of seeking greater accountability at the VA but had unspecified concerns about the legislation....