The oldest brand and the old way....

The many faces of Hillary. Which one will it be today? Whichever one can get the most votes.

Well there seemed to be a lot of interest in the previous poll compared to the others which is cool. So here's the deal. Out of the brands I listed the oldest is actually Brooks Brothers. They were founded in 1818 and have been in business ever since. Many people picked Levi's which seems like the right choice but they were founded in 1853. That said, the actual oldest brand wasn't even listed. I had several emails from some of you saying that neither of the choices I listed were right so I dug even further and here's what I came up with.

I looked at actual brands and not companies which I think confused some of you. As you know they are 2 different things. The oldest existing company in North America is the Hudson Bay Company which was founded in 1670 and is based in Canada. At the beginning it dealt primarily in the fur trade and was so big that is was actually the defacto government in some parts of north America and at one time was the worlds largest landowner. It now has operations ranging from home goods to clothes with yearly revenue of around $7 billion.

In terms of the Unites States, the oldest company is a maker of conveyor belts called J.E. Rhodes and Sons founded in 1702. J.P. Morgan has been around since 1799 but I really don't consider them a brand. The oldest brand that I could find in the United States was actually Remington (maker of guns and ammunition) which was founded in 1816. Makes sense.

The other cool thing I came across was the oldest company in the world. It's a construction company called Kongo Gumi based in Japan and it's been in continuous operation since 578 - that's 1430 years! Pretty fucking cool!

Anyway, I know it's random but I thought it was interesting.

The other thing I need to get off my chest is about Hillary Clinton. I've decided that I can't in good conscience vote for her IF she is the democratic nominee. I had decided to back whomever the nominee was but I've realized over the course of the past month or so that she is exactly what we need to get away from. She is a cold, calculating political machine that is driven by a fierce ambition that has blinded and wounded her. She is so desperate to win the nomination that she will pull out all the stops to win. She has run a divisive and negative campaign and that's a true representation of the president she would be. We need someone that will unite people and work with everyone not keep up the same bullshit we've been doing forever. That's not working and never really has. How can she sit up there and co-op obama's desire for change. She doesn't want change. How is putting a Clinton back in office changing anything. There are hundreds if not thousands of political lackey's waiting in the shadows with their hands out waiting for the day when she's president and they can start getting their paybacks. She's a standard, run of the mill, politician that will do nothing to improve this country. The other thing I believe is that IF she gets the nomination she will not get elected. The republicans will have a feast with her and rip her to shreds. IF by some strange reason the race is her and McCain I will vote for Ralph Nader as a protest vote. As far as I'm concerned Hillary can just retire to Westchester and live out her life trying to keep her husbands dick away from the other woman. What a shame.

LuAp :)

Fun Fact

My previous poll asked, Who was the wealthiest person to ever live (barring royalty or heads of state). The choices were:

• John Jacob Astor
• Andrew Carnegie
• John D Rockefeller
• Henry Ford

And the winner is...... JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER. At his peak he was worth an estimated $318 BILLION adjusted for inflation. That's more than 3 times what Bill Gates was worth at his peak. How did he make his money? It was from Standard Oil and when he go too powerful the government made him break up the company into 34 smaller companies. He was so powerful that these are some of the companies that rose from that break up:

• Exxon- Mobil (Still the world largest and most profitable corporation)
• Conoco
• Chevron
• Sunoco
• Pennzoil

Their combined market capitalization is $2.5 TRILLION! Now that's crazy!

LUAP:)

Obama rant part 3....

I know there are several of you that read this that are 100% opposed to Barack Obama becoming President, but somehow you're going to need to get over that because it's going to happen. He is wiping the floor with the most powerful and connected political family in the country and he's doing it with half of their "resources" and connections. In fact he's now snatching those resources and connections away from the Clinton's. Decades long friends and supporters are now publicly deserting them for Obama and I'm sure more are to come. The media have called his campaign a movement reminiscent of Bobby Kennedy, and even though I wasn't around to witness that I get the sense they are right. Clinton cant even to begin to compete with a "movement" and her staying in the race still is an example of her trying to hold onto to a dream that was within her grasp and then taken away. I get that and I see how that would be very tough. However if she is a true patriot that wants the best for this country then she needs to step aside and let Obama fullfill his destiny. He is killing Clinton and McCain in the fundraising game, the vote game, the media game, the image game, and the people game. He's well on his way to winning the whole damn thing.

I mentioned a few months ago when he really started gaining steam that my biggest worry is for his safety. If history has proved anything it's that people that can truly change things for the better are always taken out by the forces they are working against. The NY Times this week ran an article that said the same thing. In my opinion he is probably more in danger than Bush is and probably more in danger than anyone else on the planet barring people fighting in wars. He was given secret service protection earlier than anyone in history and you know they wouldn't have done that unless there was a specific threat. His security detail now rivals that of the actual president and is bigger than Clinton's, a former first lady with lifetime protection. I can imagine that Michelle Obama is going out of her mind every time he leaves the house. In my opinion the only way that he can be prevented from being President is to be assassinated, and that would be the biggest tragedy in American history. I know there are people out there that think the same thing but the difference is they will act to make it so. I really hope that doesn't happen. I want him to be President more than anything and I cant remember feeling this way about a political figure since the first time I voted. That time it was for a Clinton. This time it wont be.

The other thing I wanted to say is that at this point I really don't even think it matters if he wins the Democratic nomination. Let's just say for arguments sake that Clinton wins the nomination. Do you really think that's the end of it? He has started a movement that has mobilized and energized millions and millions of people. He has endorsements from major political, social and economic powers and he's raising over $1 million A DAY without help fro the democratic party. His grassroots infrastructure is the most powerful in a long time. He could run as an independent and win hands down. He would take more than half the democratic vote away from Clinton and most of the independents away from McCain. Plus he would have all the new people that came to the game because of him. Like I said, you need to accept it. He's going to win.

One more thing to say about all this. Sometimes I'm right about these things (sometimes not) but just in case I want to put it out there. I'm waiting for the day the Christian Right start spreading the rumor that Obama is the Anti-Christ. Literally, the full-fledged actual Anti-Christ. Don't think it's too crazy. First of all they are already crazy beyond any form of reason so the foundation is there. Plus they are very desperate and will get even more desperate when a black man with Muslim connections gets closer to ruling the country they live in (can you imagine the FREAK out! LOOOL). The fundamentalist view of the Anti-Christ is this...

• He will be a leader that will unite people of all backgrounds
• His name will be very unusual (in some books they even say it will be of Muslim origin)
• He will be young and charismatic
• He will inspire hope and faith from seemingly nowhere and instantly

Sound like someone you know? There are other things as well but I can guarantee you that when they get to their desperate final hour they will pull out all the stops and that will be one of them. It's just a hunch I have, and knowing how pathetic those in organized religion are (especially when they are threatened) I get a sense they will do it.

Anyway, just wanted to rant about Obama one more time. And to those who are steaming every time they here about him all I have to say is.... HA HA HA HA !!! It's about DAMN time! :)

LUAP :)

You wana fight? I'll fight!

I want to spend some time debunking a long held myth that seems to be getting more widespread....

Pitbulls are NOT vicious animals!
The other day I was reading an article that was updating the fate of some of the pitbulls terroized by Michael Vick and his psychopathic crew. It amazed me what some of the people in the article were saying about how these animals should be treated. Actual people in the animal protection community were reccomending euthansia without even trying to rehabilitate. To me that's a complete slap in the face to the animals they are supposed to protect. Pitbulls seem to have this undeserved image of a monster that's born that way and lives that way. It's not the animals fault they have that reputation, it's the fucking morons that use them for sport or as a status symbol. An animal, just like a human isnt born "evil". They are taught that or conditioned to be that way over a long time and often through violent circumstances. Thankfully the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah took in 20+ dogs and they are committed to never killing a dog unless it's literally dying. They are working right now to rehabilitate the ones they can and adopt them out and the few that are so far gone will live out their life there onsite with 35,000+ acres to roam on. It's an incredible organization and if you get some time go to their site. They are the place featured in the show Dogtown on National Geographic Channel. Find out about them!

You may argue that the death and injury that Pitulls have done are proof enough they are vicious. Well I strongly disagree. Have pitbulls killed? Yes. sit there fault? No. You cant put the blame on something that has no idea it's doing anything wrong. If an animal is trained to kill it's going to kill. If it's trained to sit it's going to sit. It's all in how the PERSON raises it. Unfortunatley, pitbulls have been targeted by whacked out psychos to represent toughness and they have been doomed to suffer for it for a long time. I'm detrmined that my next dog will be a pitbull so I can prove to everyone it's not the animal.

Tell me what do you think about pitbulls. Have you ever actually known one?

50 Facts That Should Change The World

I'm reading this new book with the title of this entry and it's one of the most fascinating books I've ever read (and I've read quite a few in my short time). You have to do yourself a favor and get it. The books author, Jessica Williams, is a journalist and producer for the BBC and she writes in a way that isnt judgemental or biased. She reports the facts as journailsts are supposed to do and helps us to understand their implications on the world. An amazing read and one that's perfect for today's "soundbite" generation. Concise, easy to read information about what's really going on in the world around you. Brilliant!

Here are the first 25 facts without the details that she goes into..... (BUY THE BOOK for the rest!).

1.) China has 44 million missing women

2.) The avergae Japanese woman can expect to live to be 84. The average Botswanan will reach just 39.

3) A third of the worlds obese people live in the developing world.

4) If you stand at the junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street in central London, there are 161 branches of Starbucks within a five-mile radius.

5) Brazil has more Avon ladies than members of it's armed services.

6) 94% of the world's executions in 2005 took place in just four countries: China, Iran, Saudia Arabia and the USA.

7) Supermarkets know more about their customers than the government does.

8) Every cow in the European Union (EU) is subsidised by $2.50 a day. That's more than what 75 perccent of African's live on.

9) In more than 70 countries, same-sex relationships are illegal. In nine countries the penalty is death.

10) 1 in 5 of the worlds people lives on less than $1 a day.

11) More than 12,000 women are killed each year in Russia as a result of domestic violence. (That's 33 women ever single day)

12) In 2006, 16 million Americans had some form of plastic surgery

13) Landmines kill or main at least one person every hour.

14) There are 44 million child laborers in India

15) People in industralized countries eat between fourteen and fifteens pounds of food additives every year.

16) David Beckham's deal with the LA Galaxy foot ball team will earn him $100 every minute.

17) Seven milion American women and 1 million American men suffer from an eating disorder

18) 21% of American teenagers have tried illegal drugs and more than a quarter are regular cigarette smokers

19) 1 million people become new mobile phone subscribers every day. Some 85% of them live in emerging markets.

20) Cars kill 2 people every minute.

21) Since 1977, there have been more than 120,000 acts of violence and disruption at American abortion clinics.

22) Global warming already kills 150,000 people every year

23) In Kenya, bribery payments make up a third of the average household budget

24) the worlds trade in illegal drugs is estimated to be worth around $400 billion - about the same as the worlds legal pharmaceutical industry.

25) A third of Americans believe that aliens have landed on Earth.

As you can see the topics are very diverse but they do all have a common theme. In my view they address the issue of how we live our lives. The western culture may have brought us democracy, and mcdonalds but with that it's also brought a lot of problems. Things we can change if we just know about them. The book is extremely interesting and is a great tool to spark up some great debate.

LUAP:)

What have we done?

This little girl above was not killed by insurgents. She was killed by a bomb dropped from our planes on order of our President.

How does that make you feel about the war?
Is it really worth it?
If you think so, I dare you to tell that little girls father to his face.

The greatest tragedy about our occupation of Iraq is the incalculable, unimaginable loss the people of Iraq have faced. Conservative estimates of the dead are 100,000 and it goes as high as 750,000. Either figure is absolutely disgusting. The tragedies of this war are of course no different than the tragedies of any other war and that to me makes it all the more fucked up. Have we not learned from the mistakes of the past? The answer is of course no, so here we are repeating those same mistakes yet again. Don't' think I'm dissing the troops either. This is not about the troops so save that tired diversionary tactic for someone else. This is about the people that put this plan in place. They are the ones accountable for that little girl above and the hundreds of thousands like her. Iraq is a devastated country. It's a pit of despair. Would you want to live there? Would you want to raise your children there? Do you realize that it's just because of the luck of the draw that it's not you? It very easily could be. They are the same as us. Made of the same stuff. Even though it's impossible to truly understand what they're going through, try for a minute. Try thinking about living your life like they are. Imagine people dying around you. Imagine being unable to even go outside your house. Imagine raising your children in that or just trying to stay alive. Those people don't deserve that. No one does. And enough is enough.

Yes, Al-Qeada and the like are doing alot of the damage now as well as the religious battles. But to be honest we opened the way for that to happen. Al-Qaeda would have NEVER went into Iraq under Saddam. They wouldn't have even dared. I know it sounds like I'm defending Saddam but I'm not. You have to pick the lesser of the 2 evils to deal with and get rid of the worst one. The worst is Bin Laden. It was never Hussein.

We should have never entered Iraq. EVER! There was no reason to go into that country like we did and rip it apart from the inside. Saddam Hussein was not a threat to us, and he was not a threat to the world. They lied about WMD'S (remember those? you know the actual reason this war supposedly started). They lied about the link between Iraq and Bin laden. They lied about everything just to get there way and start to build their little empire in the middle east. Was Saddam a bad man? Was he evil? Of course. But he was no different than Augusto Pinochet whom the United States helped to put into power in Chile. Once in power he killed and tortured thousands of his own people, while we stood by and did nothing for decades. What about China? China's human rights record is far worse than Saddam's ever was. Yet we look the other way with them. I could give a million examples. The bottom line is Cheney and his goons saw an opportunity to put into place what they've, well put into place and the American people stood by and let them.

Things are out of control. Not only over there but also over here.

We now have a guy like Erik Prince. A right-wing evangelical freak who happens to have billions of dollars and his own private army right here in our own backyard. Blackwater has the world's largest private military base in North Carolina, a fleet of twenty aircraft, and 20,000 contractors (mercenaries) at the ready. It has an intelligence network that rivals if not beats the CIA'S and NSA, and his own network deeply entrenched in every aspect of the government. He could literally overthrow the government if he wanted to. And if you think that sounds crazy then I think you're seriously underestimating what a right wing conservative evangelical billionaire is capable of. I can tell you it's certainly not saving the world. It's remaking it in his own image.

Anyway, I'm just over it. It's got to stop. We have to fight back. We have to remember the war when we vote. We have to not let the economy or race or gender take up the spotlight. We cant' forget about that little girl or her father or the thousands of young Americans that have met the same fate. Take them into the voting booth with you and let those people that are running for president that voted for the war or are still supporting it that you aren't going to allow this to continue.

You have that power. USE IT!

LUAP:)

Obama rant pt. 2

Okay, I'm not going to turn this forum into a "Vote for Obama" propaganda machine but I do want to address some issues that are in the media and in the "blogosphere" (I hate that word by the way) that are just getting out of hand. Many of these issues, in my mind, are a red flag pointing to a bigger underlining issue - but I'll get to that later.

Issue #1:

Barak Obama isn't patriotic because he won't wear an American flag pin.

Here is his response to that statement in his own words

“Somebody noticed I wasn’t wearing a flag lapel pin and I told folks, well you know what? I haven’t probably worn that pin in a very long time. I wore it right after 9/11. But after a while, you start noticing people wearing a lapel pin, but not acting very patriotic. Not voting to provide veterans with resources that they need. Not voting to make sure that disability payments were coming out on time.
“My attitude is that I’m less concerned about what you’re wearing on your lapel than what’s in your heart. And you show your patriotism by how you treat your fellow Americans, especially those who served. You show your patriotism by being true to our values and our ideals and that’s what we have to lead with is our values and our ideals.”

This is the first example of people trying to make things up in order to influence the 30% of the country that are asleep at the wheel (Bush has a 30% approval rating). The sad thing is they usually succeed. Just because he hasn't been wearing a flag pin on his jacket a reporter has to try to turn this into big news. His comments of course were mostly printed in pieces which made what he said sound very different. I support his decision to make a statement by NOT wearing a flag pin, because what he said was right. A major event happens in this country like 9/11 and we put our flag out, pin a flag on our jacket, put a magnetic flag on our car, pop in a Toby Keith CD and that makes us patriotic. Where is your patriotism when you blindly support politicians that take this country down the shit road it's been down for the last 8 years? Do you care for this country really, when you re-elect the moron so he can do even more damage? How about just something as simple and non-partisan as choosing to be ignorant to the world around you, or choosing to not speak up and speak out against the fucked up shit that happens in this country. Is keeping silent to maintain the status quot really patriotic? Not in mind. I know I'm sounding a little high on my horse, but the point is that if you're going to make a decision about the leader of the free world you should kinda learn the details and the facts. I think that could be important. And for Allah's sake, expand your knowledge and learn about something other than American Idol and Britney Spears drama.

Issue 2:

The email circulating that supposedly shows Obama not pledging allegiance to the American flag.

First of all...YAAAAAAAWN. This is so played out and overblown it's sad. This email was even brought up this morning on NPR. Okay, people here again is another example of people believing things before they know the facts. The photo in the email was taken during the singing of the national anthem and NOT the pledge of allegiance. GET OVER IT!! You can go on Youtube and see numerous videos of him reciting the pledge of allegiance in the Illinois legislature and he has his hand on his heart. Imagine that.

Issue 3:

His middle name "Hussein".

First I must admit that I would think it a truly beautiful piece of poetic irony if the next president of the USA had that name. I can just see all the redneck farmers in Oklahoma putting a gun to their head to end the misery. Plus if we're going to focus on bad middle names how about Herbert, as in George Herbert Walker Bush. I'd take Hussein anyday. Even if my mom had named me Saddam I would still prefer Hussein as a middle name over Herbert. Herbert sounds like a videogame. A bad, imitation version of Qbert or something.

I mean come on people, does his middle name really matter? Give it up!

All of these are tied together in my mind by a common thread and I think that thread is going to get thicker as the election moves on. It's the issue of his race and his family religion. I can already hear the comments and snickers about these issues stated above and it sickens me. It's 2008 and if you are still fostering ignorance and indifferent views then you need to shape up. As far as I'm concerned it should be shoved down your throat at this point. Nothing that I mentioned above plays any part in what kind of president he would be. None of it matters. I really don't care if his full name is Jeffery Nero Gacy Hitler or if his father is Iranian and his mother a Satan worshipping crack addict. I would still vote for him.

I feel his background is exactly what we need. His diversity makes him stronger. It makes him more well rounded. I mean the guy can speak 4 languages. George Bush can't even speak English properly let alone a whole other language. A Mexican says "Si" to him and he say's " See what? I don't see anything." He's a fucking moron.

Let's also not forget the global impact his presidency could have. Electing him would be a big boost to our relations with the world and I think it would go a long way in starting to repair a lot of the damage Bush did and restore the world's faith in us also.

So that's it about him for now. I'm moving on to other topics, but please make sure you don't believe what Anderson Cooper tells you or what you read on the front page. Dig deeper. Learn the facts and make sure everyone around you knows them.

LUAP :)

A change is gonna come...

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA WINS IOWA DEMOCRATIC CAUCAS!!! :):):)

Well it's official. What many many people (including myself) thought couldn't happen has. Barack Obama, a black man with an Arabic name and a Muslim family, has a very good shot at becoming President of The United States of America. It's incredible. Iowa is one of the whitest states in the country with whites comprising 97% of the population. It's also one of the most conservative and christian states. Yet he won.

I know it's only one state and one night but the potential is now there. It now looks possible. If he can galvanize support like this in a state like Iowa, imagine what he can do in California, New York, Illinois (his home state), and even good old Florida. These states have large minority populations that are ten times more sick of the status quo than your typical white person ever can be. This is going to be the start of something amazing. I can just feel it. His speech he made tonight was incredible. It showed me his true potential to move people and unite people. I swear I heard a little Martin Luther King Jr. in there as well.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying he should be president just because he's the first black guy to get this close. NO! In my eyes he has the desire, passion and drive to really change how things are done in this country. I see him giving this country the kick in the ass it needs and quite frankly deserves. We need to move beyond the divides. Move beyond what's happened in the past and make this nation stronger and better.

For me another major MAJOR thing that I can't dismiss is that he was one of the few to vote against the war in Iraq. If practically any other person currently running had been in Bush's place they would've made the same decision he did and we'd be in the same mess were in. Had Obama been president we would not have went into Iraq and would more than likely be much better for it-not to mention the Iraqi's. That's right-Iraq and the world were better off with Sadamm Hussein in power. You wanna debate it-BRING IT ON! We would've finished the war we should've finished in Afghanistan which would've given us a better chance to capture Bin Laden. I can't let that go because that's HUGE. Thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi's would still be alive. They would've celebrated the holiday just like you did and would watch there children grow up just like you are. The world would be a better place. Period. If Clinton, Romney, Guilani, Mccain, and any of the others (except Ron Paul, John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich) had been in that chair we would be there just like today.

The biggest reason I think Obama should win is this. He really has the best opportunity of anyone in a long long time to unite the people in this country. You have to go back as far as Robert Kennedy to see that. It's been too long. The time is right. After Bush we need to heal. It's been a horrible 8 years. From 9/11 to the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars to Hurricane Katrina it's been one major blow after another that's been made all the more worse by our leader's. We need someone that can connect with more than just the rich and powerful. We need someone that can inspire others to empower themselves. Obama can do that. He can restore the world's faith in us. And even bigger I think he can restore our faith in us.

My only concern is that he doesn't meet the same fate as other people of his potential (see previous post).

So, the race is officially on. We'll have to see what's going to happen. But as far as I'm concerned he's got my vote signed, sealed and delivered.

See new poll.

LUAP :)

Another struck down way to soon. Why?!

Benazir Bhutto with her children. Her oldest is 19.

What a sad day in the world. I know not many people in this country understand the implications of today's assassination of Benazir Bhutto, but let there be no mistake - it's a great, immense tragedy. Not only for Pakistan but also for the world. This was a woman that was a great symbol of democracy and as with many others like her, was gunned way to early before her true potential was realized. She was the very first democratically elected female Prime Minister of any Arab nation and also the only one to ever get re-elected, and she was on her way to do it again. But now she's dead. This trailblazer, this "freedom fighter", this incredible person is now gone forever.

Why does this always happen? Why do the people that can truly make a difference and make an impact always, and I mean always, get killed or die way to soon. The list is endless...John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Anwar Sadat, Robert Kennedy, Indira Gandhi, Mohandas Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Medgar Evers, Harvey Milk, Malcolm X, Yitzhak Rabin, John Lennon, Princess Diana, Anita Roddick, Bob Marley, and now Benazir Bhutto. All these individuals had made, were making and were going to make HUGE positive social changes. These people, all of them, were of the people. They inspired and brought joy to millions and made things better for even more than that. Imagine for a second. Just think about it.

What if Martin Luther King had never died? What if he continued leading the struggle for civil rights? Look at the MASSIVE impact he had in the short time he was here. What if he had been able to continue and keep fighting? My opinion is that how minorities in this country are perceived and treated would be light years ahead of where it's at now. Granted it's light years ahead of where it was when he died but there's still along way to go, and if you think about it there really isn't anyone that is uniting all races like he did. No one really has since, well since him. The very act of his murder (along with JFK and RFK among others) created a cynicism and distrust that made things much worse in the long run. Plus we lost a truly dynamic, inspirational, vibrant and gifted leader. If he were still alive would he be the first African American elected president? There's a good chance, but we'll never know.

What if JFK was never killed? Would we have went into Vietnam? JFK was dead set against it. The country entering that war was purely the making of Lyndon Johnson. Many historians have said that had JFK lived we would not have entered that war and I agree with them. Imagine that. For those of you that lived through that and the consequences. Imagine if it never happened. All those people were still alive. They had kids and grand kids. Imagine.

What if RFK became president? Would there had finally been a voice for the average American in the white house? And if so, what impact on society would that have had? The potential is endless.

The same can be said for all those mentioned above that left us way to early for whatever reason and it's just sickening. It's like there is a curse or better yet a evil force that is destined to set us back whenever we move forward a little.

The one thing that makes it worse though is when these people die and that doesn't change things. Where are the people to take over for them? To stand up and continue the fight. It seems today that so many people are so content in there humdrum life that they cant truly be bothered with any details of what reality is like for Billions of people in the world. They don't want to speak up or speak out because they feel it may threaten there existence or standing or whatever. There are so many horrible and unnecessary things that happen in the world because WE allow them to happen. So many problems and issues could be solved if people truly and seriously cared. But the truth is most don't. Most only care about who they can make fun of on tonight's episode of the American Idol auditions, or what new fashions are out or whatever materialistic, irrelevant thing society is dictating we must be a part of these days. How about society dictate we listen to the leaders of this world that are truly trying to help us and change things. How about people open their mouth when horrible things happen and just say "No, this is unacceptable and I'm not going to allow it to happen!" and really mean it. Keep your propaganda and rhetoric. Where is the action?

This is how I feel when people like Bhutto die - especially at the hands of others. It's a tragedy. I'm not Pakistani, or Arab or Muslim, but I don't need to be. That's the great thing about these people. They engage, educate and inspire not only there own people but people they will never even meet.

That's true power and that's how you really change the world.

I guess I just answered my question.

LUAP:(

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Two wrongs don't make a right....

I wasn't planning on talking about this issue in detail but with it in the headlines I figured it's appropriate. New Jersey banning the death penalty is a really great sign that this country is moving in the right direction with this issue. I know that it's a small step but at least it's up and moving. New Jersey isn't the only state that bans the death penalty. Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin have all rejected state sponsored murder. The District of Columbia also doesn't have the death penalty.

The death penalty issue isn't a legal issue or even a moral issue. I see it as an emotional issue. Sentencing someone to death is an act of pure revenge. Nothing more, nothing less. It's not righting a wrong, and it's not justified. How can you say that the punishment for committing a particular crime is to then make the person a victim of that same crime? It's an eye-for-an-eye mentality that amazingly enough comes from...THE BIBLE!People over time have used the Bible as a means to justify many things including the death penalty. A government that kills someone as punishment for a crime is a truly backwards society living in the dark ages. Still don't believe me, well take a look at the countries you're wanting America to align itself with when it comes to this issue...Afghanistan, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, North and South Korea, Libya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Uganda, and Vietnam. All these countries allow the death penalty. And here's an even bigger jab in the gut for all you Jesus loving, bible toting Christians out there - they're mostly Muslim and communist countries. So, I guess America is a country of Allah loving communists. 99.9% of the civilized world has abolished the death penalty and it's about damn time we do the same thing.

Here are the facts for you to chew on...

• A total of 133 countries, from all regions of the world, have abolished the death penalty in law or practice and only 25 countries carried out executions in 2006. 91% of all known executions took place in six countries: China, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan and the USA. Recorded executions worldwide fell by more than 25% in 2006, with a drop from at least 2,148 in 2005 to at least 1,591. (Amnesty International)


• The investigation costs for death-sentence cases were about 3 times greater than for non-death cases.


• The trial costs for death cases were about 16 times greater than for non-death cases ($508,000 for death case; $32,000 for non-death case).


• The appeal costs for death cases were 21 times greater.


• The costs of carrying out (i.e. incarceration and/or execution) a death sentence were about half the costs of carrying out a non-death sentence in a comparable case.


• Trials involving a death sentence averaged 34 days, including jury selection; non-death trials averaged about 9 days.

Many people want to scream about the cost of maintaining people for life in prison. While their is an expense to that it's not why the prison system is over budget and overcrowded. That issue is a whole other weeks worth of blogs but the basic fact is if you are really interested in saving taxpayers money there are much bigger things to deal with first that will save Billions more than a supposed savings with the death penalty ever will. So move on and get a new argument.

The death penalty also isn't a deterrent to crime. It's been around for a long time in this country and all my life I've seen nothing but crime after crime on the evening news. If the death penalty worked in preventing crime than why is everyone so afraid of everyone else? Again, it's a need for revenge. Don't get wrong, I understand where that need comes from. I'm sure if someone I loved dearly was murdered I'd be the first person ready to kill, but that doesn't make it right. It's also the reason why our legal system doesn't let the victim or the victims family decide the sentence. The emotions are too strong, and emotions have no place in law. It may be cold but it's true. Any lawyer will tell you that. We need to make the people live with what they did and try in some small may to make up for it. If prisons were actually run the way they should be the environment would exist for that to happen. It's the fault of our system that prisons are a mess and favor the prisoners, not the fault of the prisoners themselves. They just take advantage of the system, and let's be honest, who can blame them? Wouldn't you in that situation? Of course you would.

People will bring up how someone killed a child, or an elderly person, or multiple people, or a cop, or a priest and on and on and on and that's why they should die. The funny and ironic thing is that many people will bring up religion to justify the revenge. It's not surprising since religion is made by people that want to control others, and what a better way than the threat of dying if you don't obey. If you were to read most religious texts for yourself you would see that most prophets and saints, if alive today, would condemn capital punishment. Jesus, Buddha and Muhammad were all against it.

Many of you are probably thinking of Islam and thinking of the word Jihad and asking yourself, "How can he say Muhammad was against Capital Punishment?". Well, Jihad really means the spiritual struggle of each man, against vice, passion and ignorance. It's an internal battle one has to fight daily to maintain their adherence to Allah and his teachings. The way Jihad is used to describe a "holy war" is also relevant but most of the people you hear using it that way are fundamentalists. In any religion these fanatics use any type of propaganda they can and they have illusions of grandeur that align themselves with great Muslim leaders in history like Saladin. The truth is they don't even come close.

Okay, I'm getting off track now but to sum up I'm all for Mr. Corzines decision and applaud him for it. Hopefully soon the rest of the country will follow.

One more thing. The reason John Corzine gave for making this decision? His new found faith in GOD. For all you Bible toter's out there that are in favor the death penalty, think about that for a second.

LUAP :)