RANDOM IMPORTANT THOUGHTS

If you need to 'wash' your hands without water, try sand or sawdust. In general, A DRY MICROBE IS A DEAD MICROBE.

If that diplomat in Russia really was a spy, I am glad Russia caught him. Anyone so incompetent that they think they can recruit spies like corporations recruit employees should not be a member of the US diplomatic service.

Mark playing politics at that level is like me trying to write a computer program. WAY too many intelligent people think politics is easy. Business people often forget that they are PAYING the people that obey them.

In the US environmentalists have WON. We now have really good regulations protecting the environment. When something meets the requirements of those regulations, then we NEED TO LET IT BE BUILT. I am sorry that protesting is so much more fun than writing and enforcing regulations. May I suggest you move on to legalizing marijuana?

I believe that real fur is MUCH better for the environment than fake fur. Leather shoes are better for the environment than plastic shoes. Sometimes being 'sensitive' is a bad thing.

THE US SHOULD HELP SYRIANS

The US should provide help to democratic Syrians. Senator Menendez has proposed that the US provide arms and training to thoroughly vetted Syrian rebels, monetary support to rebel controlled Syrian administrations, and aid to displaced Syrians refugees.

This is a good idea.

Now we now know how dictators survive when even their own people fight for democracy. The dictators are willing to kill anyone who disagrees with them. They are willing to allow their own country to go down in flames in order that they can remain in their palaces.

Our own revolution was supported by France, who sent officers to train our troops. The statute of liberty was a gift from France as a reminder of the freedom that they help give us.

It is true that the Syrians rebels probably must fight their own fight. Syria could be a flashpoint for a wider war, which no one wants. The UN is unable to help because Russia and China refuse to grant such help. Perhaps they are worried about setting a precedent which might haunt them in the future.

Even in the depth of the winter in Valley Forge, Washington did not lose hope. The Syrian rebels are fighting on, but this war needs to end. If the UN will not help, then we should at least adopt Senator Menendez's proposal.

My thoughts and hopes are with the rebels. No leader should be allowed to murder his own people.

FOREIGN WORKERS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Foreign workers who come to the US sometimes believe that equal opportunity applies only to THEM. Too many believe that women are inferior. I think we should require a course and test in equal opportunity before people even APPLY for the H-1 visa. We should also require that holders of the H-1 visa reflect the population of their countries. This means at least 50% of the visas must go to women.

I also worry that companies use holders of H-1 visas as inexpensive labor. If there are US women and US older workers available, companies do not need H-1 visas.

Here in Silicon Valley, Apple, Google and others were caught agreeing not to hire each others workers in an attempt to keep wages low. I worry that the lobbying for H-1 visas is another attempt to keep wages low.

The Valley did not used to be this way. Once we thought that sharing our wealth with our workers was the way to make everybody rich. Now we use accounting rules to give stock options to only the top of the upper level management.

YOU DO KNOW THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO KILL A GOLDEN GOOSE, DON'T YOU?

WARNING TO HEZBOLLAH

I believe that Assad is planning to use Hezbollah as cannon fodder. Assad's Iman recruiters are promising death in paradise, but Hezbollah may end up with pain and suffering from serious wounds. Worse, it looks like Assad is blaming Hezbollah for chemical weapons attacks.

Inexperienced fighters who are unfamiliar with the terrain can face massive losses. Sometimes an assault is not bravery but stupidity. This is especially true when the commander has shown a tendency to betray his own people.

The truth is that building your own country is MUCH harder than organizing a riot. It is hard, mostly boring, work. You have to learn what is really important and when you should compromise. It always takes much longer than you think it will take.

But the only way to have a better life for yourselves and your children is to have peace. Unless, of course, your own government kills you for thinking differently than they think.

DISH NETWORK BEATS CRIPPLED MAN

A quadriplegic* man was FIRED by Dish Network for using medical marijuana OFF-THE-JOB. He sued, Dish won, and went after the wheelchair-bound man for legal fees. ARE WE GOING TO ALLOW A US BUSINESS TO ACT LIKE THIS? A BOYCOTT of Dish Network might teach them that the CONSUMERS will NOT allow them to beat up the disabled.

The Colorado Appellate Court found that Dish could fire the man, but could not get legal fees.Because of federal laws, the court was right. (See Coats v. Dish Network, LLC, 2013 COA 62) But are WE the CONSUMERS, going to allow this kind of behavior?

If you are using Dish Network, please find another provider. If there is no other provider, please pay Dish Network at the last possible moment. If your college is using Dish Network, feel free to protest loudly.

While you are still angry about this, you should call your congressperson and ask them to take marijuana off schedule one, and at LEAST allow a doctor to prescribe marijuana.

BTW, I do not know of ANY valid study that says use of marijuana off-the-job can cause productivity problems on-the-job. I am CERTAIN that a comparison of marijuana the next morning to a hangover from alcohol the next morning will show that ALCOHOL IS MUCH WORSE FOR PRODUCTIVITY.

*Quadriplegic means that the man does NOT have the use of his arms and his legs.

AUSTERITY, DEBT and LIES

It is clear that two Harvard professors used incorrect data and insupportable math formulas to help conservatives "sell" austerity. I believe that governments should be able to borrow money just like corporations borrow money. Just as some badly run corporations may not be able pay their debts, some badly run governments may not be able to pay their debts.

Harvard Professors Reinhart and Rogoff published "Growth in a Time of Debt". They used a speadsheet to "prove" that government debt over 90% of GDP stops economic growth. Too bad the paper is total bull dung. The professors used an incorrect math formula and failed to put in data that disagreed with their theory. No other economics professor was willing to say more than that (s)he could not replicate R&R's results. It took Thomas Herndon, a brave grad student, to disprove R&R's results.

So now we know that people are homeless, starving, unemployed and angry due to totally unnecessary austerity programs.

How do we decide how much debt is too much? Make the analysis as if a country is a corporation. You look at management, ability to repay, debt to GDP (instead of equity), past repayment history, reputation, and current interest rate being paid. Honest economists can help with this problem, but, in the end, it is up to the persons lending the money to decide if the interest being paid is worth the risk of not being repaid.

Please note that the US is paying record low interest rates on its debt.

I THINK SYRIA IS USING CHEMICAL WEAPONS

Britain, France, and Israel, all believe that Assad is using chemical weapons in an attempt to win against the Syrian rebels. As you know, I think the rebels have very good reason to be rebelling against Assad.

This situation is different from the Saddam fake weapons of mass destruction. Assad is not letting in inspectors. Saddam allowed inspectors pretty much everywhere. France stayed sane during the Saddam imbroglio  Now France is sounding the alarm about probable use of sarin gas. Israel believes that Assad is going to use more chemical weapons as Assad seems to believe that no one can stop him from doing whatever he pleases.

Last time, a CIA agent was exposed because her husband would not cover up the Bush administration's lies about Saddam and radioactive material.

Please remember that no one believed that the Nazis were exterminating people until the Allies liberated the concentration camps.

President Putin, can you please think of how history will view your support of Assad?