100 DAYS FOR THE 99%

The 99% have one hundred days until the election which will decide whether the rich get richer.

It is beginning to look like the money from the 1% will buy enough ads to convince the 99% that the rich SHOULD be richer. Not content with fundraising in the US, Romney is fundraising in foreign countries.

It is time for us to start giving as much as we can to the Democrats and President Obama. This time it is clear how each candidate believes regarding tax cuts for the rich. This time it is not the environment, or welfare, or consumer fraud. This time our entire way of life is at risk.

Will we become a nation of rich and poor? Or will we remain a nation with a strong and vibrant middle class? Will we allow the life savings of the middle class to be wiped out again and again? Or will we regulate banks and markets to force them to play fair? This next election will decide.

If you can not give money, please give your time. Volunteer. Help get out the vote.

There is a reason the the Republicans are trying to use non-existent voter fraud to make voting more difficult. If the Democrats voted, then they would win. Republicans are tying to stop Democrats from voting, so you can help by helping Democrats vote. Drive your friends to the polls, have a voting party where you vote BEFORE the party. Whatever it takes. Start planning for election day and getting out the vote.

This next election is VERY important.

THE OLYMPICS

I love the Olympics. The whole world coming together to compete without violence. Well, there is boxing and judo and other sports that could be called violent.

I took judo at the University of Hawaii so I plan on watching judo if I can. I also loved to ride, so I am hoping that the horse - human athletes will be on NBC. I do not get the sports channels.

Humans are competitive. It is best if we compete while obeying rules. There are always some humans who will use reprehensible tactics to win.

It will be fun watching people spin around bars, dance with style, jump barriers, dive with precision, run fast, and toss opponents.

May the best persons win.

WMDs CONFIRMED BY SYRIA

Syria has confirmed that it has weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons. Is anyone upset to hear this? The world has reacted with a big yawn.

In 2001, Bush used our anger over 9/11 to get most of the US to believe that Iraq was a HUGE danger due to their non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Now we have a country in violent turmoil ADMITTING to having chemical weapons, and no one seems to care. Which proves that even the internet community reacts to the political manipulations of mass media.

So what should we do about Syria? As Assad loses control of Syria, he will also lose control of the chemical weapons. This means that the chemical weapons could end up with some very violent people.

I think Assad views the chemical weapons as a poison pill which will keep non-Syrians out of the rebellion. I am not certain that Assad understands that the deliberate use of chemical weapons will make him an international criminal.

The world has changed because of the internet. Just like TV news made the Vietnam War into daily TV news, the internet is making it impossible to hide the use of chemical weapons.

The world can not allow chemical weapons to be sold on the black market. We need 1000 James Bonds to secure the chemical weapons and other WMD that Syria can no longer reliably control.

It would be horrible if Assad used his chemical weapons. It is even more horrible to imagine chemical weapons being used in YOUR city.

RAMADAN & BOMBS

I am not a Muslim scholar. But I do not understand how Al Qaeda in Iraq can justify blowing up people during Ramadan. Especially since the bombings were timed to take advantage of the month long fasting during daylight hours.

Isn't it kind of like blowing up people during Christmas dinner?

Al Qaeda says that it follows the Muslim faith. I must be missing something. Did Mohamed ever say that it was OK to murder people who disagreed with you?

It is easy to use faith as an excuse for acts of violence. It is important to ALWAYS point out that faith is NEVER a good excuse for violence.

You can not force people to believe. You have to persuade people to believe.

DERIVATIVES AND COMPUTER MODELING

Derivatives are untested computer models that no one understands.

We fondly believe that a computer can model the behavior of markets, people, chemical reactions, etc. In most cases, we are correct. A computer can take an enormous amount of variables and predict the outcome with amazing accuracy.

Unfortunately, life is more complicated than any computer model. One of the first computer models was designed to predict the price of oil. It worked really well until the Shah of Iran abdicated. The model was useless to predict what then happened to the oil prices. Some of us still remember the lines at the gas stations.

I believe that the banks are losing large amounts on derivatives because they are using computer models to recommend the buys and sells. These computer models were designed using data from the time before the 2008 monetary crises.

I have already pointed out that banks and policy makers did not realize that people were using the equity from their homes to get loans. They were then using that loan money to buy boats, TVs, etc. Because the equity was being used for purchases, the economy grew as if wages had increased.

Now all that equity money is gone. Wages haven't increased for decades. The entire economy is different.

And the people at the banks are using computer models derived from an economy that no longer exists. Since only the very best economists and computer programmers can hope to maybe understand the computer models that are derivatives, bankers are making HUGE bets using a betting system that no longer works.

SYRIAN VIOLENCE

I am not certain what the rest of the world should do about Syria. So here are some thoughts.

Assad does not yet understand the extent of his problem. He believes that he can put down the rebellion with force. It looks to me like his people have decided that they would rather be dead than live under his rule. Or that his people have decided to risk their lives in order to make a better life for themselves and their children.

My advice to Assad? "Those that live by the sword, die by the sword."

Usually, those who want a change in government have to make that change happen themselves. They can get help from the outside, but the fighting is usually done by the people who want change. This may be especially true in Syria, because Putin is going back to his youth, and using old Soviet tactics.

My advice to the rebels? Now is the time to forget old grudges and work together for a better life for everyone in your country. You will be unable to fight Assad, if you are fighting each other.

My hope is that the UN can step in, institute peace, Assad resigns, and there are fair and free elections run by the UN.

I can hope, can't I?

THE WHITENING OF TV

Last year I thought that TV was beginning to have more speaking parts for Blacks and other minorities.

Last night I discovered that Covert Affairs had killed off the only minority spy. This leaves only White characters, reflecting the problems within the actual CIA.

I honestly do not think that TV people set out to have only White characters. I think they write about the people they know, and that they do not know any minorities.

It can not be true that the TV people think that people will not watch minority actors. I think that the actor that played Jay on Covert Affairs is VERY nice to watch. Ditto for Sam on NCIS LA.

This is important. If we are all going to get along, we need to have an image in our heads about how to speak with a minority person. Yes, it is simple, just treat them as you do everyone else. But it took me years to be entirely comfortable dealing with minorities, so anything that the media can do to help, they should be doing.

Of course, TV wants all its characters to be cut from the same mold. This is as boring as always setting the cop shows in LA.

And do not get me started about Harry's Law. I am surprised that a show about a round, older woman attorney lasted two seasons. It is doubly sad as Harry's Law presented the legal questions that we will all have to answer in the 21st century.

Please let the TV people know that we all want to watch people who are NOT white, skinny, wearing stupid shoes, and with White model faces. Variety is the spice of life.

I AM MOVING

My new office address is on my website, LawandLaws.com.

I have lots of fabulous help with packing and moving. However, I still have to sort through 12 years of ignoring the need to throw things out.

This much physical activity makes my arthritis very painful. This turns my brains to mush.

I need to apologizes to the people at B of A. I was so tired and sore that I did not even notice that the machine gave me my ATM back. So I am fairly certain the I did not put my pin in correctly either.

This means that I will not be blogging about anything important until sometime next week.

I may blog about food and other things since my new place comes with a high speed connection.