How soon we forget?

"Is there decency left in American politics?" ~ Senator Byron Dorgan

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The Pleasant Resort Community

In February 2008, my wife and I moved to China (PRC). Prior to getting on the airplane, this blogger signed up for a month long TEFL course in Beijing. The goal was to learn something about the country and then find a job teaching English.


While I was attending the first week of class, my wife visited the local Public Security Bureau (PSB) to register our passports. Upon arrival, all foreigners living and working in China are required, by law, to register within 24 hours. Two days after reporting to the PSB, we became the target of government monitoring.

As I walked into the building where the TEFL course was being held, a man was standing in the center of the lobby. More than 100 people were standing in one of the four elevator lines. Everybody except this one lone man.

When I entered the elevator, after making direct eye contact, he brought his cell phone to his ear, smiled, then turned and exited the building. This whole sequence of events happened in a matter of seconds. From the look on his face and body language, it was evident he had been waiting for me to arrive for class.

After this brief encounter, for the next two months, this private American citizen was closely followed each and every day around the city.

Eventually, I developed this observational theory regarding Normal and Abnormal behavior. For anybody that's taken any sort of mass transportation in a developing Asian country, as a westerner, it's impossible not to notice the mad rush of people trying to get to the head of the line. 


Indeed, I cannot count the amount of times my wife and I were completely cut off and crushed by a large wave of humanity. My family knows that I HATE standing in line and places with extremely large crowds. I would rather let two or three subway trains pass, then allow myself to be packed inside a compartment like a human sardine. So, when a local didn't board the 2nd or 3rd train that passed thru a subway station, that individual was displaying abnormal social behavior. It rather easy to spot the people tasked with following this blogger.

One morning, as I stepped into a subway car, I noticed this oddly dressed young couple. He was wearing a poorly tailored black suite and the girl had on a K-Mart special looking evening dress. This pair looked completely out of place for the time of day.

In Beijing, each subway train runs roughly 30 compartments. Since each train has 3 doors, there are exactly 90 different possibilities to enter the train. During regular hours, the trains run approximately 1 min. and 50 sec. to 2 min. apart.


The next day, I boarded the train 30 minutes later than the previous morning. That means at least 13 different trains (with 390 compartments) had passed before I had walked into the station. When I entered the subway train, this same couple, wearing the exact same clothes, quickly moved from a forward compartment and stood next to me...
Coincidence? I remembering thinking to myself "this CCP couple really needs to buy some new clothes".

Short list of words banned on the internet in China: Shawshank Redemption, UA898, CNN, Abing, Dongshigu, U.S. Embassy and pearl. Read More...

Definition of Vasectomy?

[vuh-SEK-tuh-mee]
noun: a 30 minutes of less surgical procedure intended to provide a permanent method of male birth control (see contraceptive)

"When we talk about giving fetuses constitutional rights, the flip side of that is forced birth. We are talking about the government forcing women to carry a pregnancy to term and then give birth. So in the same week we have Republicans tearing their hair out and making a big public show about Obama intruding into people's personal religious lives, we have lawmakers in Virginia passing a state sanctioned rape law. The hypocrisy is mind boggling." ~ Chloe Angyal on MSNBC (2/18/2018)


Is it really 2012?
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Republican birth control stance not politically smart?
Read More...
Original Photos by Peter Rimar


Update: Virginia scraps requiring invasive pre-abortion procedure?
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"I don't think Newt Gingrich got into this race, originally, thinking he was going to be President. I think he was doing it for personal publicity. Ron Paul is a message candidate. He's just out there to get his Libertarian message out there. I think he's quite sure that he's not going to become the President of the United States. Mitt Romney is the only one that ever had a real chance once Pawlenty dropped out and Rick Perry imploded. He's the only one with a real chance to win this thing." 
~ Ron Reagan on MSNBC Live
February 6, 2012

Political Quote of the Week?

"As far as Huntsman goes, he's in the wrong party. That's his problem. He's fundamentally a decent guy."
~ Howard Dean
Interviewed on MSNBC's
Weekends with Alex Witt

Political Quote of the Week?

"I've suggested that the Democratic slogan this year should be we're not perfect but they're nuts."
~ Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass)
on MSNBC's The Last Word w/ Lawrence O'Donnell

Newt Gringrich for President?

Seriously? Really? Could General Ripper's conspiracy theory linking "fluoridated water" with a Communist plot to weaken American society be true? Every time this blogger reads about the candidate's recent surge in the polls, a single rhetorical cliché best describes my thoughts regarding Newt's book selling run for the White House:

Can you say "Lipstick on a Pig"?

Despite Newt's well-documented, extremely checkered political record, a growing number of Republicans actually believe he's the best candidate to beat President Obama in 2012.

Good luck with that one!

Perhaps Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who's NOT known for her intellectual prowess or problem solving skills, put it best. On CBS' Face the Nation, Bachmann stated, "He's the 'King of K Street. For a person who's been influence peddling for over 30 years in Washington, D.C. - to think that Newt Gingrich is somehow an outsider, when he is the consummate establishment insider?"

Hopefully, between now and the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire Primary, GOP voters will WAKE UP and take another look at Jon Huntsman and Buddy Roemer. Otherwise, Republican voters should be prepared for the GOP to suffer its biggest Presidential defeat in its long, proud history. In terms of Jon Huntsman, he has an extremely strong foreign policy background (which during the Cold War actually meant something with Republican voters). As far as supporting a candidate like Buddy Roemer, well, GOP voters could walk away from a 2012 defeat with dignity and some glimmer of hope for the Party's political future.

Political Quote of the Week:
"If a corporation is a person, I can't wait until they get drafted in the next war."
~ Buddy Roemer on MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan Show
December 8, 2011



Photo Credit: Peter Rimar's wife in an art gallery located in Beijing's 798 District (May 2008).
Reference Links:
Lipstick on a Pig
Dr. Strangelove

#Occupy North Dakota

First Amendment to the United States Constitution


"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

“The Tea Party is very different. The Tea Party were individuals that were attempting to redress their grievances from the government that they elected. It’s not pitting one part of our country against another.”
~ House Majority Leader Eric Cantor

REALLY?

Bob, the man in the following video, attended a Tea Party Rally in Columbus, Ohio in 2010. He is 60 years old and was first diagnosed with Parkinsons 15 years ago. He has two masters degrees and a Ph.D. from Cornell. He taught at the University of Michigan and worked as a nuclear engineer:


“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross.” ~ Sinclair Lewis

Note to Reader: Judging this blogger's political views based on this specific POST is like reading a single page in the middle of a book. For the record, I'm an Independent. I believe the two-party system no longer serves the interests of a vast majority of Americans. Indeed, in my view, a candidate's political affiliation and party should be left off an election ballot.

The rumors that Former Congressman Weiner is undergoing SEXUAL addiction therapy at Charlie Sheen's house are untrue?

Sometime during the late summer of 1981, I was driving my wooden bumper 1962 VW Bug from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. Walking alone alongside the highway was this young, bearded man dressed like Charlton Heston in the Ten Commandments.



He was wearing a simple white linen robe, non-leather sandals and carrying a long polished wooden staff. After picking him up, he stated that President Ronald (6) Wilson (6) Reagan (6) was the Anti-Christ & the world was going to end on Christmas Eve. He said he left home when Reagan was elected President and traveled the country with ZERO money in his pocket. He trusted in God to guide his destiny. While I could have laughed, in many ways, I admired his courage of faith.

Anti-Christ Update: 
Evidently, a small segment of America's Evangelical community has passed the end-of-the-world baton to President Obama. First, the Tea Party accused this President of being a Muslim (which he's not). Then, Donald Trump stirred up the whole birth certificate controversy to score cheap political points. It backfired. Yes, President Obama was born in Hawaii and Senator John McCain was born in Panama. Yesterday, at a fundraising event in Los Angeles, a heckler accused the President of being the "Anti-Christ":

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Monty Python's Life of Brian

$1,000,000 Peccadilloes Bounty?

In case you missed it, Larry Flynt (a.k.a. Mr. Hustler Magazine) has offered a seven figure payday for anyone with sexually unsavory information involving the current GOP front runner for El Presidente. The following is a digital copy of a full-page paid advertisement which appeared in the Austin Chronicle (August 19th, 2011):

If the Koch Brothers can quietly spend over $100,000,000 marketing a repackaged brand of Libertarian soap, this blogger has no problem with Mr. Flynt offering $1,000,000 of his own money to uncover hidden dirt on the Texas Governor.

Why?

Honestly, I'm less concern with Perry's private life and more alarmed by the cozy business connections he's fostered as Governor of Texas. For this blogger, while most journalists focused on Perry's poor performance during the recent debates, considering Gary Johnson was allowed to join the GOP's Florida Beach Party, I questioned why Buddy Roemer was once again kept off the debate schedule:

Until the voters in this country demand real campaign finance reform, laws which actually limit the power of corporate money and influence, the politically-motivated pornographic paralysis being played out in Washington D.C. will continue.

After cutting taxes in 2001 and then spending $1.3 trillion for two ongoing wars, the GOP threatened to shut down the government over $3.65 billion designated for disaster relief? Playing politics with people struggling to rebuild their lives is just plain WRONG!

Observation: It appears that Karl Rove's GOP campaign strategy for the 2012 Election is to STOP the government from functioning while slowly driving the economy off yet ANOTHER financial cliff.
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The Psycho Talk Express Runs Out Of $2 Gas?

Ann Coulter called Ed Rollins. 
She wants her crazy-right-wingnut title back.

Actually, this particular POST is not about Minister Michele Bachmann's recent crash landing in various national polls. Yes, less than a month ago, she captured the Iowa Straw Poll. However, once Texas Governor Rick Perry stampeded his 527 herd into the race, even the early financial affection of the Koch Brothers couldn't save her campaign.

Also, this POST is not about praying for $2 gasoline or the record number of rigs drilling for oil in the United States (highest level since 1987). The oil companies are pumping MORE American crude than before Bush senior's administration (but let's not allow silly facts to get in the way of the GOP's talking points).

Last night on MSNBC (September 6, 2011), Rachael Maddox interviewed Buddy Roemer. Who is Buddy Roemer? Twenty-five years ago, there was this term widely used in the media to describe a specific group of below the Mason-Dixon Line politicians. They were called Southern Democrats. Basically, this wing of the Democratic Party identified themselves as foreign policy hawks and fiscal conservatives. After President Ronald Reagan, many of these Southern Democrats switched over to the Republican Party.

Despite being out of politics for almost 20 years, Buddy Roemer, one of these former Southern Democrats turned Republican, is running for President on the GOP ticket.

Why?

This man knows he has a better chance of landing on the moon than winning the nomination. So, why should folks listen to his thoughts about the current State of this Polarized Union? Well, instead of putting words into his mouth or trying to loosely paraphrase his remarks, here's an extended excerpt from that interview:

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In fairness to Comedy Central's Steven Colbert, the comedian has been working to educate Americans on the corrupting power of special interest money. In the case of Buddy Roemer, if given the opportunity, his campaign has the potential to expose the political onion to a wider audience. This blogger wonders if the American people are ready to listen?

“If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything.” ~ Mark Twain

Photo by Peter Rimar. Changsha, P.R.C. (October 2008).
Hostile Takeover:
How Big Money and Corruption Conquered Our Government
And How We Take It Back (Paperback)

What is an ACT of War?

Today's internet is like the early days of the automobile. There are no posted traffic signs or speed limits. The painted lines on the road are merely a suggestion. No rules. No laws. No ethics. No golden rule. With that said, if a country attacks the trade or commerce of another country, even on the internet, it should be recognized as an act of war.

Guardian
Chinese TV programme shows
apparent cyber-attack on US website
by Tania Branigan
August 25, 2011
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The Telegraph
China chief suspect in major cyber attack
by Peter Foster
August 3, 2011
Read More...



MSNBC
U.S. official says pre-infected
computer tech entering country
By M. Alex Johnson
July 8, 2011
Read More...

Popular Science
Richard Clarke: 
China is Planting Digital Bombs
Throughout the U.S. Power Grid
By Clay Dillow
June 15, 2011
Read More...

Reuters
Kissinger, Huntsman: 
U.S., China need cyber detente
By Paul Eckert and Daniel Magnowski
June 15, 2011
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Australian Broadcasting Corporation
IMF becomes latest cyber attack victim
Reuters Report
June 12, 2011
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Cyber attack hits Ottawa; 
probe focuses on IP addresses from China
by Bill Curry and Colin Freeze
February 16, 2011
Read More...


The Epoch Times
Canada Grapples with Controversy Over Chinese Espionage
By Matthew Little
July 6, 2010
Read More...

Derivative photograph an Olympic advertisement for Nike Shoes, Beijing Subway, PRC (March 2008).
60 Minutes - Stealing America's Secrets (DVD)

When your house is on FIRE, it's absurd to argue with your wife about how to rearrange the furniture.

IF the American consumer doesn't value the country of origin of a product or service, why should international corporations?
Until Americans start voting with their wallets, it'll be almost impossible to create new jobs in a tight global marketplace.

"We need conservative ideas to modernize the U.S. economy and reform American government. But what we have instead are policies that don't reform but just cut and starve government — a strategy that pays little attention to history or best practices from around the world and is based instead on a theory. It turns out that conservatives are the woolly-headed professors after all." ~ Fareed Zakaria 
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Tea Party Bus

Fargo, North Dakota

(August 20th, 2010)

A "Made in Canada" bus rolling down the highway on "Spanish Tires" so American Voters could sign it with "Made In China" markers, then departing Fargo to drink even more IMPORTED OIL definitely sent a powerful political message. A Hollywood script writer couldn't even make this stuff up.

Zippo "Made In USA" Pocket Lighter