Saturday, December 31, 2011

Oil War

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Oil War
by Ted Rudow III ,MA Friday, 30 December 2011
Iran, at loggerheads with the West over its nuclear program, said on Tuesday it would stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf if sanctions were imposed on its crude exports. Iran has already informed the World that if it does, she's going to block the Strait of Hormuz, which is to bottle up most of the Mideastern oil, which would be a severe blow to the entire World and World economy, almost the worst thing that could happen outside of actual war--to stop the flow of oil, the thing the whole World has been fearing for years now. About 15 million barrels of crude oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz on a typical day. About a fifth of the world's oil supply goes through the strait. Much of the Persian Gulf relies on the Strait of Hormuz to export its petroleum and reach the ocean, making it one of the world's most important oil supply routes. So, the World's supply of oil has already been cut down considerably and is rapidly being cut down further. The scarcer it is, the higher prices they can get. And also, it's their one weapon they can really use effectively.Actually about a 40% loss of oil since those happy carefree days of the one-dollar-a-barrel oil, which is all they were willing to give the Arabs for this very cheap black sticky dirty substance a mere 40 years or so ago. The shortage becomes so serious, it may even precipitate the Oil War in the West's effort to secure the oil that it needs to survive in its present rich, industrialised condition.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Oil War

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/12/30/18703638.php
Oil War
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Friday Dec 30th, 2011
Iran, at loggerheads with the West over its nuclear program, said on Tuesday it would stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf if sanctions were imposed on its crude exports.
-->
Iran has already informed the World that if it does, she's going to block the Strait of Hormuz, which is to bottle up most of the Mideastern oil, which would be a severe blow to the entire World and World economy, almost the worst thing that could happen outside of actual war--to stop the flow of oil, the thing the whole World has been fearing for years now. About 15 million barrels of crude oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz on a typical day. About a fifth of the world's oil supply goes through the strait. Much of the Persian Gulf relies on the Strait of Hormuz to export its petroleum and reach the ocean, making it one of the world's most important oil supply routes. So, the World's supply of oil has already been cut down considerably and is rapidly being cut down further. The scarcer it is, the higher prices they can get. And also, it's their one weapon they can really use effectively. Actually about a 40% loss of oil since those happy carefree days of the one-dollar-a-barrel oil, which is all they were willing to give the Arabs for this very cheap black sticky dirty substance a mere 40 years or so ago. The shortage becomes so serious, it may even precipitate the Oil War in the West's effort to secure the oil that it needs to survive in its present rich, industrialised condition.
Ted Rudow III, MA

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Put a Little Love in Your Heart

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December 21, 2011 Columns & Blogs » Letters to the Editor
Rhapsodies & Rants: Dec. 21, 2011
Put a Little Love in Your Heart
Many poor folks in the world haven't yet found the real meaning of Christmas. So many people are lost, lonely, downtrodden, weak and weary. Some are weak in their bodies, weary in their flesh; others are weak in their minds; and yet others are weak in body, mind and spirit. There are the trampled-on, the poor, the persecuted, the hungry; those who are victims of war and crime and exploitation; those who nobody wants and for whom nobody cares; those who have so little in the way of worldly goods, who are lacking in food, clothing and shelter—even the basic necessities.
Then there are others who do have material goods and who appear to have it together in the eyes of the world They're weary and heavy-laden with problems, stress, fears and phobias; those who appear to be rich and increased in goods, but who are found wanting; those who wear a smile on their face, yet ache inside; those who are engulfed in a sea of emptiness. We can spread a little more love and light and cheer!
"Lift up your fellow man, lend him a helping hand. Put a little love in your heart."
—Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Invented people

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Peninsula readers' letters: Dec. 21

From Daily News Group readers
Posted: 12/20/2011 05:29:18 PM PST
Updated: 12/20/2011 11:06:24 PM PST






Invented people'

Dear Editor: Republican presidential front-runner Newt Gingrich stood by his assertion that the Palestinians are an "invented people." His use of the term "invented people" when referring to the Palestinian people is derogatory. Gingrich sought to court the pro-Israel vote by claiming the Palestinians do not deserve a state. This is a distortion of history; a historical and cultural misappropriation of a nation's past and future for political gain.

Currently, there are almost 4 million Palestinians living under Israeli occupation within the occupied territories, and an additional 1.5 million living inside Israel itself. I have long supported the right of Israel to exist. I firmly believe Israeli citizens have a fundamental right to be able to live their lives in peace and security, free from the loud bang, the searing heat and explosion of a random car bomb or suicide bomber.

However, Palestinians have this right also, for they are people dispossessed, a people whose only desire is a homeland where they too can live with their families, free from fear of the helicopter gunship and nighttime raids, free from the cloud of phosphorous gas that burns their children's throats and lungs.

Ted Rudow III, MA

Palo Alto

Monday, December 19, 2011

RTF

Republican presidential front-runner Newt Gingrich stood by his assertion that the Palestinians are an "invented people,"


RTF RADIOlive 24/7 var so = new SWFObject('http://www.raisethefist.com/streamplayer/player.swf', 'streambaby', '150', '20', '9');// comment Republican presidential front-runner Newt Gingrich stood by his assertion that the Palestinians are an "invented people," His use of the term invented people when referring to the Palestinian people is equally derogatory. Gingrich sought to court the pro-Israel vote by claiming that not only do the Palestinians not deserve a state. This is a distortion of history; a historical and cultural misappropriation of a nation's past and future for political gain. Currently there are almost four million Palestinians living under Israeli occupation within the occupied territories, and another 1.5 million living inside Israel itself. I have long supported the right of Israel to exist. I firmly believe Israeli citizens have a fundamental right to be able to live their lives in peace and security, free from the loud bang, the searing heat and explosion of a random car bomb or suicide bomber. However, Palestinians have this right also, for they are people dispossessed, a people whose only desire is a homeland where they too can live with their families, free from fear of the helicopter gunship and night-time raids, free from the cloud of phosphorous gas that burns their children's throats and lungs.
Ted Rudow III, MA

Jamaica Observer

Monday, December 19, 2011

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Letters to the Editor

War is such a waste

Monday, December 19, 2011
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Dear Editor,
Over the past nine years, the US invasion and occupation has left a bloody toll on Iraqi civilians and foreign troops. Nearly 4,500 US troops died, and another 32,000 were wounded. An accurate toll of Iraqis killed may never be known. Iraq Body Count says at least 104,000 Iraqi civilians have died, while some studies have put the death toll at over one million.
After 20 years of war and sanctions, Iraq's infrastructure has been devastated. Hundreds of thousands of more Iraqis died due to the crippling sanctions in the years between the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 US invasion. But the UN estimates 3.5 million Iraqis are still displaced from their homes, and again, many widowed, many orphaned, and environmental damage that is yet to be assessed.
Imagine what Iraq could have done with all those billions of dollars which were spent on destroying it. Imagine the food it could have bought, the water treatment plants it could have built, the medicine it could have purchased to help heal its sick and suffering.
One reason US politicians are often so reluctant to turn down a war, even though they may protest otherwise, is that it's good for their constituencies and the big businesses that support them and donate to their campaigns. It's incredible that the governments of the world are on track to invest nearly a trillion dollars a year in killing people. War is such a waste!
Ted Rudow III, MA

Encina Ave

Palo Alto, California
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/letters/War-is-such-a-waste_10417713#ixzz1h0giz8k2

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Political gain

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/12/18/18702991.php
Political gain
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Sunday Dec 18th, 2011 10:48 AM
Republican presidential front-runner Newt Gingrich stood by his assertion that the Palestinians are an "invented people," His use of the term “invented people” when referring to the Palestinian people is equally derogatory. Gingrich sought to court the pro-Israel vote by claiming that not only do the Palestinians not deserve a state.
-->
This is a distortion of history; a historical and cultural misappropriation of a nation’s past and future for political gain. Currently there are almost four million Palestinians living under Israeli occupation within the occupied territories, and another 1.5 million living inside Israel itself. I have long supported the right of Israel to exist. I firmly believe Israeli citizens have a fundamental right to be able to live their lives in peace and security, free from the loud bang, the searing heat and explosion of a random car bomb or suicide bomber. However, Palestinians have this right also, for they are people dispossessed, a people whose only desire is a homeland where they too can live with their families, free from fear of the helicopter gunship and night-time raids, free from the cloud of phosphorous gas that burns their children’s throats and lungs. Ted Rudow III, MA

Friday, December 16, 2011

War is waste

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/12/16/18702869.php
War is waste
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77aol.com ) Friday Dec 16th, 2011
Over the past nine years, the U.S. invasion and occupation has left a bloody toll on Iraqi civilians and foreign troops. Nearly 4,500 U.S. troops died, and another 32,000 were wounded. An accurate toll of Iraqis killed may never be known.
-->
Iraq Body Count says at least 104,000 Iraqi civilians have died, while some studies put have put the death toll at over one million. After 20 years of war and sanctions, Iraq’s infrastructure has been devastated. Hundreds of thousands of more Iraqis died due to the crippling sanctions in the years between the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 U.S. invasion. But the U.N. estimates 3.5 million Iraqis are still displaced from their homes, and again, many widowed, many orphaned, and an environmental damage that has yet to be assessed.
Imagine what Iraq could have done with all those billions of dollars which were spent on destroying it. Imagine the food it could have bought, the water treatment plants it could have built, the medicine it could have purchased to help heal its sick and suffering. That's one reason U.S. politicians are often so reluctant to turn down a war, even though they may protest otherwise. It's good for their constituencies and the big businesses that support them and donate to their campaigns. It's incredible that the governments of the world are on track to invest nearly a trillion dollars a year in killing people. War is such a waste!
Ted Rudow III, MA

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Silobreaker.se

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Published Dec 13 2011 by San Jose Mercury News

Peninsula readers' letters: Dec. 13

Can the downtown plan
Dear Editor: It is endless. On top of the nearly $ 900,000 the city has already paid consultants working on the Menlo Park El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan, the planning department is now asking for an additional $225,000 for the same...
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Can the downtown plan [Published Dec 13 2011 by Palo Alto Daily News]


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Quotes
...As I said, "At Christmas time, let the guns of war fall silent and even enemies share a brief but blessed moment of 'peace on Earth, good will toward men.' " As one reader stated... Peninsula readers' letters: Dec. 13 [San Jose Mercury News - Dec 13 2011]

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

War on drugs?

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/12/14/18702787.php
War on drugs?
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Wednesday Dec 14th, 2011 Manuel Noriega is back in his Panamanian homeland after nearly 22 years, sitting in a prison cell in a country he ruled as a personal fiefdom until U.S. troops invaded and hauled him off to a Florida jail. Noriega, who served 17 years in U.S. prison for drug trafficking and nearly two years in France for a money-laundering conviction, now has begun serving three 20-year sentences in Panama for the killings of political opponents in the 1980s.
-->
How could the U.S. have been willing to invade a tiny little country like Panama with tens of thousands of soldiers just because of one man that they abhor, and kill thousands of innocent Panamanians in the process? They have a huge big drug business, and the Panamanian banks were profiting tremendously from money laundering. So decided they wanted Panama and its drug trade and its money laundering banking business. So who is running the U.S. drug trade?--The U.S., of course! While they're spending billions on the so-called "war on drugs," The U.S. is supposed to be fighting drugs and carrying on a war against drugs, when in actuality it's probably running the biggest drug trade in the World and getting billions of profit from it. Ted Rudow III, MA

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Defending human rights

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Peninsula readers' letters: Dec. 13
From Daily News Group readers Posted: 12/12/2011 03:45:02 PM PSTUpdated: 12/12/2011 11:57:47 PM PST

Defending human rights
Dear Editor: As I said, "At Christmas time, let the guns of war fall silent and even enemies share a brief but blessed moment of 'peace on Earth, good will toward men.'" As one reader stated (Letters, Dec. 10), "Ted Rudow III's Dec. 8 letter relies on the unreliable Palestinian Center for Human Rights for statistics on civilian deaths in Gaza and then reminds us that Christmas is near and that good will is needed from all sides."
Raji Sourani, founder of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza City in 1995, began his human rights career challenging Israeli prison conditions and defending Palestinians facing deportation in Israeli military courts. As a human rights defender, he was detained by Israeli authorities on multiple occasions, prompting Amnesty International to name him one of their "prisoners of conscience" in both 1985 and 1988.
Today, Sourani is one of the foremost human rights lawyers and advocates in the Middle East. With the creation of the Palestinian Authority in the 1990s, Sourani's work took on another dimension, exposing and documenting human rights violations on the part of both Israeli and Palestinian officials. While this even-handedness was not always popular, it demonstrates Sourani's commitment to a universal standard.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto

Monday, December 12, 2011

Spartan Daily

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December 9, 2011




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There Will Be Snacks: It could be a whole lot worse.

by Matthew Gerring Nov 28, 2011 5:12 pm


Matthew Gerring


So it looks like most of us survived Black Friday. The dust has settled, blood has been mopped from the aisles and credit card numbers have sailed on insecure connections over the treacherous waters of the Internet on yesterday’s “Cyber Monday”, and we are now firmly in what we call the “Holiday Season” these days.

Speaking of traditions of dubious merit, the War on Christmas is back, along with the weird phenomenon of NORAD running a “Santa Tracker” on its website, both adding dashes of creepy militarism to an otherwise joyous holiday.

According to a blog post on the Fox Nation blog, not only is the War On Christmas still happening, “we” are winning! Questions of who constitutes “we” and what, exactly, “we” won are left as an exercise for the reader.

I haven’t picked a side in this war, but I find it fascinating. For the moment, let’s put aside the fact that there are several gift-giving holidays from multiple faith traditions that take place between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Let’s also just forget that whether Jesus’ actual birthday was on Dec. 25 is a matter of some dispute. Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that Christmas is the only holiday to celebrate in December, and that retailers are unfairly “secularizing” it.

So much “War on Christmas” rhetoric focuses on what retail workers say to customers — that is, whether it’s “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas” — but what would happen if the machinery of commerce fully embraced the religious origins of Christmas? What other consequences would come with that?

Imagine the advertising bonanza it would create! The Bible is rich with stories and metaphors, ready to be exploited in the service of commerce — the possibilities are endless.

“A sale fit for the King of Kings! Free two-day Super Savior shipping!” the ads would say, or better yet, “Shop at Walmart, your price savior!”

I see nativity scene mannequins sporting cable-knit sweaters, performance fleece and cute graphic onesies. In the aisles, sales associates would flit about, spraying people with Frankincense, by Paris Hilton.

And think of the TV commercials!

Joseph and the Virgin Mary are frantically searching Bethlehem for a place to sleep, and everyone is turning them down. Sheep and goats are wandering around the streets for effect. They finally find their room in the manger, but Mary is obviously displeased.

She gives Joseph one of those emasculating stares that women are only capable of in advertising — one that says “Can’t you provide for me? What is wrong with you?” — so Joseph reaches into his cloak and pulls out his smartphone, miraculously finding a four-star hotel just a few blocks away.

Samsung smartphones, it would say, with Google, where the “Os” are halos, or perhaps crowns of thorns, two for one for this Christmas season.

The Three Wise Men are huddling around a fire in the desert, and they see a brilliant light glowing in the distance. They journey toward it for many days and finally arrive at an idyllic shack in the snow. Inside is a Sony flat-screen plasma TV with the baby Jesus sitting in front of it, watching Baby Einstein (or maybe Baby Solomon?) videos, only $8.99 on clearance because they were proven to be totally useless.

And then later, on an infomercial in the wee hours of the morning: Joseph and Mary, hard up for cash, look at Jesus — adorned with the Wise Men’s gifts — and suddenly an angel with the likeness of Ron Paul appears, shouting, “Sell Your Gold!”

Instead of bleak news reports warning Americans of the collapse of the economy if they don’t shop to keep retailers in the black, anchors might deliver news of a message from Creflo Dollar of Creflo Dollar Ministries, preacher of the Prosperity Gospel, warning people to shop and spend lavishly or else face eternal damnation.

Would people still die every year in the pandemonium created by “doorbuster” sales? Would people still take the opportunity to gift themselves first? Would anything else really change other than the decoration retailers put on this bizarre and terrifying ritual?

I invite those of you who take offense at being told “Happy Holidays” to consider — do you really want to put the face of Jesus on this mess?

As long as retailers still prefer “Happy Holidays” to “Merry Christmas,” the religious traditions of Christmas get to remain totally — and appropriately — separate from this country’s annual retail orgy. For the sake of Christianity and good taste, let’s please keep it that way.


One thought on “There Will Be Snacks: It could be a whole lot worse.”


Ted Rudow III, MA on December 12, 2011
Back in A. D. 274 an emperor of the old Roman world chose December 25 as “the birthday of the unconquered sun.” He recognised that at this midwinter date it reaches its lowest point in the Southern sky and begins its gradual movement Northward again. The annual rebirth of nature was closely linked to the Roman new year and planting season. Houses were decorated with greenery and candles, and presents were given to children and the poor. In time, Christians made this a holy day of their own. By A.D. 336, the church had decided that all believers should celebrate the birthday of the Lord Jesus, the Son of righteousness on December 25.
Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.
-Charles Dickens
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Ted Rudow III, MA
Class of 1996






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As I said, "At Christmas time, let the guns of war fall silent and even enemies share a brief but blessed moment of "peace on Earth, good will toward men.





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FEATURE THIS
by indybay.org Sun Dec 11 09:50:33 PST 2011
As I said, "At Christmas time, let the guns of war fall silent and even enemies share a brief but blessed moment of "peace on Earth, good will toward men." As one reader stated, "Ted Rudow's III's Dec. 8 letter relies on the unreliable Palestinian Center for Human Rights for statistics on civilian deaths in Gaza and then remindsus that Christmas is near and that good will is needed from all sides."

The founder of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in Gaza City in 1995, Sourani began his human rights career challenging Israeli prison conditions and defending Palestinians facing deportation in Israeli military courts. As a human rights defender, he was detained by Israeli authorities on multiple occasions, prompting Amnesty International to name him one of their Prisoners of Conscience in both 1985 and 1988.
Today, Raji Sourani, one of the foremost human rights lawyers and advocates in the Middle East. With the creation of the Palestinian Authority in the 1990s, Sourani's work took on another dimension, exposing and documenting human rights violations on the part of both Israeli and Palestinian officials. While this even-handedness was not always popular, it demonstrates Sourani's commitment to a universal standard.
Ted Rudow III, MA

Sunday, December 11, 2011

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/12/11/18702446.php
As I said, "At Christmas time, let the guns of war fall silent and even enemies share a brief
Peace
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Sunday Dec 11th, 2011 but blessed moment of "peace on Earth, good will toward men." As one reader stated, "Ted Rudow's III's Dec. 8 letter relies on the unreliable Palestinian Center for Human Rights for statistics on civilian deaths in Gaza and then reminds us that Christmas is near and that good will is needed from all sides."
-->
The founder of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in Gaza City in 1995, Sourani began his human rights career challenging Israeli prison conditions and defending Palestinians facing deportation in Israeli military courts. As a human rights defender, he was detained by Israeli authorities on multiple occasions, prompting Amnesty International to name him one of their Prisoners of Conscience in both 1985 and 1988. Today, Raji Sourani, one of the foremost human rights lawyers and advocates in the Middle East. With the creation of the Palestinian Authority in the 1990s, Sourani’s work took on another dimension, exposing and documenting human rights violations on the part of both Israeli and Palestinian officials. While this even-handedness was not always popular, it demonstrates Sourani’s commitment to a universal standard.
Ted Rudow III, MA

Thursday, December 08, 2011

raisethefist.com

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Share comment FEATURE
The Muslim Brotherhood's political arm on Thursday distanced itself from a more conservative Islamist party as early vote tallies indicated that the two factions would claim the two largest roles in the first Parliament elected since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. The Society of the Muslim Brothers often simply "The Brotherhood" or "MB") is the world's oldest class and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an estimated two million members. Its ideas had gained its supporters throughout the Arab world and influenced other Islamist groups with its "model of political activism combined with Islamic charity work" The Brotherhood's stated goal is to instill the Qur'an and Sunnah as the "sole reference point for ...ordering the life of the Muslim family, individual, community ... and state". Since its inception in 1928 the movement has officially opposed violent means to achieve its goals. The MB's non-violent stance has resulted in breakaway groups from the movement, and been criticized by al-Qaeda for its support for democratic elections rather than armed jihad. The Brotherhood's nonviolent stance has resulted in breakaway groups from the movement, including the Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya and Al Takfir Wal Hijra. Osama bin Laden similarly criticized the Brotherhood, and accused it of betraying jihad.
Ted Rudow III, MA

Peace on earth

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Peninsula readers' letters: Dec. 8
From Daily News Group readers Posted: 12/07/2011 05:26:30 PM PSTUpdated: 12/07/2011 11:22:24 PM PST


Peace on Earth
Dear Editor: The Palestinian Center for Human Rights says 825 people have been killed by drones in Gaza since the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was released in October. Most of those killed, according to the organization, have been civilians mistakenly targeted or caught in the deadly shrapnel shower of a drone strike. By comparison, the New America Foundation says U.S. drones have killed at least 1,807 militants and civilians in Pakistan since 2006. And also since 2006, Palestinian rocket fire has killed 16 Israelis, the vast majority of them civilians.
People of many religions and people of no religion associate this season with that which is dearest to the human spirit -- love, loved ones and the giving of oneself. At Christmas time, let the guns of war fall silent and even enemies share a brief but blessed moment of "peace on Earth, good will toward men."
Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto

Wednesday, December 07, 2011

PP&J

Peninsula Peace and Justice Center
www.PeaceandJustice.org
Tonight! ... Be a part of the studio audience!
Other Voices TVShopping With a Conscience: Finding Socially Responsible GiftsTuesday, December 6, 7:00 PMCommunity Media Center900 San Antonio Road, Palo AltoFREE and open to all. Wheelchair accessible.
Craig Wiesner and Derrick KikuchiFounders, Reach and Teach
The holiday shopping season is upon us and U.S. consumerism is in full swing. How can we be sure our purchases are socially responsible? What makes for good gifts for the activists on your list -- old, young or in between? How can we be sure an item really is "fair trade" or "green"?Shopping With A Conscience
Our guests are the founders of Reach and Teach, the peace and social justice learning company. Reach and Teach specializes in "teachable moments" -- gifts that offer learning as well as amusement, that spur a social conscience rather than just more consumerism.
In addition to exploring the ins and outs of shopping for a better world, we'll also have a product demonstration of some of Reach and Teach's neatest and coolest items! I phoned up and mention that the Peninsula Peace and Justice Center needed your support!
Other Voices TV can be seen live at 7:00 PM on the first Tuesday of each month on mid-Peninsula cable channel 27. The program is also streamed live on the internet (select channel 27).
On demand video streaming is available on our website beginning two days after the initial broadcast.
The current program is rebroadcast throughout the month on cable channel 27 (an internet webcast can also be seen at these times):Tuesdays 7:00 PMWednesdays 2:00 AM & 10:00 AMThursdays 11:00 PMFridays 6:00 AM & 2:00 PMSaturdays 4:00 PM http://www.peaceandjustice.org/programs/Other_Voices_TV/
Holiday Peace & Social Justice Crafts & Info FairSunday, December 1111:00 AM - 2:30PMFellowship Hall, First Presbyterian Church1140 Cowper Street, Palo AltoFREE and open to all. Wheelchair accessible.
Celebrate the great work being done by organizations in our community and around the world!
Toys ~ Fair Trade Crafts ~ Books ~ Art ~ Music ~ DVDs ~ Games ~ Puzzles ~ Jewelry ~ Decorations
* Help promote fair trade while doing your holiday shopping!* Learn about great social justice & peacemaking organizations!* Reduce your carbon footprint this holiday season* Enjoy free holiday snacks & beverages
Have fun!
Sponsored byPeninsula Peace and Justice Center & First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto
http://www.peaceandjustice.org/programs/Holiday_Fair_2011

Spartan Daily

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December 6, 2011


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A little bit of insight: Don’t lie to me

by Nate Morotti Dec 6, 2011


Nate Morotti


I would like to start this article by saying that I am not an alarmist.

I don’t see the apocalypse around every corner, nor do I have a secret bunker stockpiled with food and weapons or believe in government conspiracies, but that does not mean I believe that everything is fine in our world.

We are in the middle of a gigantic economic downturn and we, as a nation, are still trying to recover from the gaping wound that the housing crisis left in both our bank accounts and our morale as a country.

And to top it all off we are now facing a huge attack on our civil rights with the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act.

So why is this a big deal?

Should the act, which has already been passed by the Senate with a vote of 93 to 7, pass into law (which is assuming it will not be vetoed by the president) it will effectively remove several of the powers that the Bill of Rights grants to U.S. citizens, including the right to due process and a fair trial.

The act is a list of martial powers granted to the military branch of the U.S. government every year, and dictates their restrictions and abilities.--------


Perhaps we could use a good, old fashioned police state to regain control over all these lazy occupiers and promoters of the liberal agenda, because those are the real enemies of the state, right?

I really do hope all this political satire doesn’t fall on deaf ears, because with the way things are going, it may be the last time we have the freedom to satire politics.

As I stated before, I am not an alarmist by any means, but a practical man would start setting up his affairs for when the s*** hits the fan


One thought on “A little bit of insight: Don’t lie to me”


Ted Rudow III, MA on December 7, 2011
Big Brother is on his way, not just in the U.S. but all over the world. There just happens to be more hoopla and uproar in the U.S. about privacy issues. The power that be knows that if he can enact some of these surveillance and eavesdropping measures in the U.S. and put them into practice there, it’ll be much easier to do so in other countries which are also resisting these things. This entire glorification of war-as if the whole and only purpose of the government and the country were to fight wars-smells of fascism. The news media glorify the war and militarism; we get the same dose on television, in the movies and in video games. If the American people aren’t careful, they will wake up one day to find out they’ve become a nation of mindless heel-clickers.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Class of 1996

Tuesday, December 06, 2011

Peace on earth

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/12/06/18701894.php
Peace on earth
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Tuesday Dec 6th, 2011 2:18 PM
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights says 825 people have been killed by drones in Gaza since the capture of Gilad Shalit, who was released in October. Most of those killed, according to the organization, have been civilians mistakenly targeted or caught in the deadly shrapnel shower of a drone strike.
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By comparison, the New America Foundation says U.S. drones have killed at least 1,807 militants and civilians in Pakistan since 2006. Since 2006, Palestinian rocket fire has killed 16 Israelis, the vast majority of them civilians. People of many religions and people of no religion associate this season with that which is dearest to the human spirit -- love, loved ones and the giving of oneself. At Christmas time, let the guns of war fall silent and even enemies share a brief but blessed moment of "peace on Earth, good will toward men."
Ted Rudow III, MA

Monday, December 05, 2011

Spartan Daily

Spartan Daily
December 4, 2011 News Sports Opinion A&E Multimedia Wes Side Stories: God doesn’t play sportsby Wesley Dugle Dec 4, 2011 6:24 pm Tags: Basketball, football, God, NBA, NFL, Ray Lewis, Religion, Sports, tim tebow, Wes Side Stories Wesley Dugle,
Spartan Daily"Wes Side Stories" is a weekly column that appears on Mondays.
A while back, on Sunday night of week nine of the NFL season, a game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens took place in one of the most heated rivalry games of the modern era.The game saw true grit on both sides as both teams traded leads back and fourth and fought to the bitter end, and was capped off with a thrilling 26-yard touchdown pass by Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco to wide receiver Torrey Smith to put the Ravens on top 23-20 with eight seconds to go, thus sealing the game.In the post-game interviews, Flacco answered an NBC reporter’s questions with the typical answers you usually hear from a pro athlete regarding the team’s chemistry and “taking one game at a time.”Then, Ray Lewis steps in for his own post-game chat, talking about his advice to Smith and what he said to keep his head in the game.“You know, position yourself, so when God gets ready to pour out his blessings, that you are in position to receive those blessings.”Lewis basically just said here that Torrey Smith literally “received” God’s blessings in the form of a touchdown pass.At this point I groaned and rolled my eyes and said, “Well if God’s your quarterback how can you not win?”This is probably one of the best examples of one of my biggest pet peeves in pro-sports ­— athletes claiming that God helped them win a sports game.Now before you start thinking this is going to be an attack on religion — it isn’t. I’m agnostic, but I have no problem with pro-athletes being Christians, Muslims, Jews, or whatever.But when one of them claims God is helping them win a few petty, insignificant sports games that are pointless in the grand scheme of things — that’s when I get upset.I would like to think, if there is a God, that he’s working a little harder on ending world hunger, violence and racism than some stupid football game.Ray Lewis isn’t the only one though who considers himself religious in the NFL.With the recent emergence of Denver Bronco’s quarterback Tim Tebow, God and football has taken the spotlight as Tebow is easily the most religious player in the league and also wears his religious pride on his chest, praising the Lord for each of his wins.Quarterback Jon Kitna too, back in his “prime,” sometimes would say that God was even “testing” him in his defeats.Huh?This guy makes millions of dollars to throw a football around, while people less fortunate pay tons of money just to see it, and he means to tell me God is testing him?Sorry, Kitna, but you are not Job.Buffalo Bills wide-receiver Steve Johnson probably had the biggest religious flub of them all.In a 2010 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, after dropping a game-winning touchdown pass in the closing seconds of regulation, an angry Johnson took to his twitter stating “I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO…”Now praising God for your small victories is one thing, but calling him out over a loss is just really petty and shows a lack of maturity on Johnson’s part.I highly doubt God was trying to spite you, Steve.God in sports is not limited to just football, however.I remember before game six of the the 2006 NBA Finals, Dallas Mavericks’ shooting guard Jason Terry said his team would pull even down three games to two to the Heat because “God is on our side tonight.” Then came the irony when the Heat clinched the NBA title and Finals MVP Dwyane Wade stated in his post-game interview “God was watching over us tonight.”Hmmm, all this talk would imply God takes a side in these matchups.Does Wade mean to tell me God has a Miami Heat Jersey hanging up in his room in the clouds somewhere? Or would Terry profess otherwise now that the Mavericks took the most recent NBA title?It’s not the fact these people are religious that bothers me, it’s that they seem to believe God takes time out of his busy schedule to help them win a meaningless sports game when there are far more important things that I would think a being of higher power would care more about.Does God take prayers from these guys and go “Sure I will help you win the Super Bowl, I’ll get back to helping starving African children tomorrow I guess?”It just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me I guess.I don’t think there is anything wrong in counting your blessings and giving thanks for having the talent to throw a ball really well.But when you start heaping praise and believing that somehow a higher power is helping you win a game, as opposed to the other team who probably has another athlete praying for the same things, it’s just absurd.God doesn’t take sides in my view, and I believe if he’s trying to help anybody out there these days it’s people who are struggling to make ends meet or who are actually in bad situations in their lives.So please, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Tebow and the rest of you professional athletes out there, stop bothering God about winning your games.He’s a busy guy and on his list of priorities I would like to think helping you win the Super Bowl falls pretty far down, just above “Hey God can you help me sleep with that one hot girl in my class please?”But that’s a different story. My biggest pet peeves in sports are athletes who claim God had a hand in winning their sports games. My biggest pet peeves in sports are athletes who claim God had a hand in winning their sports games. My biggest pet peeves in sports are athletes who claim God had a hand in winning their sports games. My biggest pet peeves in sports are athletes who claim God had a hand in winning their sports games...One thought on “Wes Side Stories: God doesn’t play sports”
Ted Rudow III, MA on December 5, 2011
Sports really foster the spirit of competition. It’s the spirit of the world the “me first” spirit–do what’s best for yourself, win no matter who you have to hurt or step on in order to get ahead of the next guy. That’s the spirit of the world, which is just the opposite of what Jesus wants to teach people–to love your neighbor as yourself. Of course, some form of sports is fine. It’s good exercise and can be good fun. But things in the world are so different, and when athletes get to the professional level where they’re being paid to win, it gets extremely competitive. It becomes almost a life-and-death spirit. For example, the soccer players in the World Cup practically ran themselves to exhaustion, suffered injuries and bruises, and still kept playing, because they wanted to win no matter what it cost them physically.It’s a spiritual thing. It’s the spirit of competition and pride, proving you’re better than the other guy. They do it by sheer brawn, by their own strength, which really feeds their pride. It’s their idea of success. Winning means success in the world, so to win is a very big motivator. It just seems to be sort of an instinct with men especially to want to compete and to win. When they watch the World Cup or other sports events, it’s almost like an extension of those human desires to compete and win. That’s why some people get so into it, because they can relate to that drive to compete. The physical exertion, and then finally the goal, is exhilarating for some people. But the world just loves it! See how this competitive sports thing has been the final stages of every great civilization and empire.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Class of 1996

Saturday, December 03, 2011

Brotherhood

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/12/03/18701638.php
Brotherhood
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Saturday Dec 3rd, 2011
The Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm on Thursday distanced itself from a more conservative Islamist party as early vote tallies indicated that the two factions would claim the two largest roles in the first Parliament elected since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.
-->
The Society of the Muslim Brothers often simply "The Brotherhood" or "MB") is the world's oldest class and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an estimated two million members. Its ideas had gained its supporters throughout the Arab world and influenced other Islamist groups with its "model of political activism combined with Islamic charity work" The Brotherhood's stated goal is to instill the Qur'an and Sunnah as the "sole reference point for ...ordering the life of the Muslim family, individual, community ... and state". Since its inception in 1928 the movement has officially opposed violent means to achieve its goals. The MB's non-violent stance has resulted in breakaway groups from the movement, and been criticized by al-Qaeda for its support for democratic elections rather than armed jihad. The Brotherhood's nonviolent stance has resulted in breakaway groups from the movement, including the Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya and Al Takfir Wal Hijra. Osama bin Laden similarly criticized the Brotherhood, and accused it of betraying jihad.
Ted Rudow III, MA

Thursday, December 01, 2011

Manufacturing wars

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Manufacturing wars

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Ted Rudow III, MA, Encina Ave, Palo Alto, CA
President is authorised to use military force against those who perpetrated the 9/11 attack and those countries that harboured those individuals. Well, more than a decade later, there was an article in The Washington Post where the US officials were anonymously saying that al Qaeda, the group that perpetrated the 9/11 attack, according to the government, was now dead.
There's only two leaders left, they say, in that entire region. It already rendered them "effectively inoperable". There is no more al Qaeda left in Afghanistan or Pakistan according to the US government. The group that perpetrated 9/11, according to it, is no longer even existing. And yet, we are engaged in mobilizing the military in a big way, constantly escalating war situation in many parts of the world.
There are six different countries in which the US is actively using drones: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia, Libya and Yemen, against groups that didn't even exist at the time of 9/11. What we are doing is not only going way beyond what we were supposed to be doing when the Congress authorised military force, but what we are really doing is we are constantly manufacturing the causes of our war.
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False reasons

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Peninsula readers' letters: Dec. 1
From Daily News Group readers Posted: 11/30/2011 06:44:38 PM PSTUpdated: 11/30/2011 11:31:24 PM PST
False reasons for war
Dear Editor: The president is authorized to use military force against those who perpetrated the Sept. 11 terrorist attack and countries that harbored those individuals. Well, here we are more than a decade later and there was an article in The Washington Post a week ago about U.S. officials anonymously saying that al-Qaida is now essentially dead.
There's only two leaders left in that entire region, they say. There is no more al-Qaida left in Afghanistan or Pakistan, according to the U.S. government. And yet, here we are engaged in extraordinarily broad military efforts, constantly escalating in numerous parts of the world.
There are six countries in which the U.S. is actively using drones -- Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia, Libya and Yemen -- against groups that didn't even exist when 9/11 was perpetrated. Not only are we essentially going way beyond what we were supposed to be doing when Congress authorized military force, but we're also constantly manufacturing the causes of our war.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

rsn





The causes of our war

by Ted Rudow III, MA Wednesday, 30 November 2011
President is authorized to use military force against those who perpetrated the 9/11 attack and those countries who harbored those individuals. Well, here we are more than a decade later, and there was an article in The Washington Post from a week ago where U.S. officials anonymously are saying that, in essence, Al Qaeda, the group that perpetrated the 9/11 attack according to the government, is now dead.
There’s only two leaders left they say in that entire region. It already rendered "effectively inoperable". There is no more Al Qaeda left in Afghanistan or Pakistan according to the U.S. government. The group that perpetrated 9/11, according to it is no longer even existing. And yet, here we are engaged in extraordinarily broad military efforts, constantly escalating in numerous parts of the world.There’s six different countries in which the U.S. is actively using drones; in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia, Libya and Yemen, against groups that didn’t even exist at the time that 9/11 was perpetrated. What we’re doing in essence is not only going way beyond what we were supposed to be doing when the Congress authorized military force, but what we’re really doing is we’re constantly manufacturing the causes of our war.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The causes of our war

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/11/29/18701316.php

The causes of our war
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com )
Tuesday Nov 29th, 2011


President is authorized to use military force against those who perpetrated the 9/11 attack and those countries who harbored those individuals. Well, here we are more than a decade later, and there was an article in The Washington Post from a week ago where U.S. officials anonymously are saying that, in essence, Al Qaeda, the group that perpetrated the 9/11 attack according to the government, is now dead.

There’s only two leaders left they say in that entire region. It already rendered "effectively inoperable". There is no more Al Qaeda left in Afghanistan or Pakistan according to the U.S. government. The group that perpetrated 9/11, according to it is no longer even existing. And yet, here we are engaged in extraordinarily broad military efforts, constantly escalating in numerous parts of the world.
There’s six different countries in which the U.S. is actively using drones; in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia, Libya and Yemen, against groups that didn’t even exist at the time that 9/11 was perpetrated. What we’re doing in essence is not only going way beyond what we were supposed to be doing when the Congress authorized military force, but what we’re really doing is we’re constantly manufacturing the causes of our war.
Ted Rudow III, MA

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Black Friday?

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Share comment FEATURE THIS Black Friday? : Indybay by indybay.org Wed Nov 23 11:55:24 PST 2
Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days in the USA. There are two popular theories as to why the day after Thanksgiving Day is called Black Friday. One theory is that the wheels of vehicles in heavy traffic on the day after Thanksgiving Day left many black markings on the road surface, leading to the term Black Friday.
The other theory is that the term Black Friday comes from an old way of recording business accounts. Losses were recorded in red ink and profits in black ink. Many businesses, particularly small businesses, started making profits prior to Christmas. Many hoped to start showing a profit, marked in black ink, on the day after Thanksgiving Day. Just like so many of our other holidays, the true purpose behind having a holiday called "Thanksgiving" is being totally obliterated by a tsunami of greed. Meanwhile, more Americans than ever are living in poverty this year and very few people even seem to notice. However, perhaps we should all take time this week to remember the tens of millions of Americans that are going to be deeply suffering this winter. They keep telling us that "the recession is over" and yet poverty continues to spread like an out of control plague. But for most Americans life is still relatively "normal", and so the horrible suffering going on out there doesn't really affect them.
Ted Rudow III, MA

Black Friday's origins

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Peninsula readers' letters:November 24
From Daily News Group readers Posted: 11/23/2011 05:34:05 PM PSTUpdated: 11/23/2011 10:14:27 PM PST
Black Friday's origins
Dear Editor: Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days in the United States. There are two popular theories as to why the day after Thanksgiving Day is called Black Friday. One theory is that the wheels of vehicles in heavy traffic on the day after Thanksgiving Day left many black markings on the road surface.The other theory is that the term comes from an old way of recording business accounts. Losses were recorded in red ink and profits in black ink. Many businesses, particularly small businesses, started making profits prior to Christmas. Many hoped to start showing a profit, marked in black ink, on the day after Thanksgiving. Just like so many of our other holidays, the true purpose behind having a holiday called Thanksgiving is being totally obliterated by a tsunami of greed. Meanwhile, more Americans than ever are living in poverty this year and very few people even seem to notice. Perhaps we should all take time this week to remember the tens of millions of Americans who are going to be deeply suffering this winter. They keep telling us that the recession is over, yet poverty continues to spread like an out-of-control plague. But for most Americans, life is still relatively "normal" and so the horrible suffering going on out there doesn't really affect them.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Black Friday?

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/11/23/18700876.php
Black Friday?by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com )
Wednesday Nov 23rd, 2011
Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days in the USA. There are two popular theories as to why the day after Thanksgiving Day is called Black Friday. One theory is that the wheels of vehicles in heavy traffic on the day after Thanksgiving Day left many black markings on the road surface, leading to the term Black Friday. The other theory is that the term Black Friday comes from an old way of recording business accounts. Losses were recorded in red ink and profits in black ink. Many businesses, particularly small businesses, started making profits prior to Christmas. Many hoped to start showing a profit, marked in black ink, on the day after Thanksgiving Day. Just like so many of our other holidays, the true purpose behind having a holiday called "Thanksgiving" is being totally obliterated by a tsunami of greed. Meanwhile, more Americans than ever are living in poverty this year and very few people even seem to notice. However, perhaps we should all take time this week to remember the tens of millions of Americans that are going to be deeply suffering this winter. They keep telling us that "the recession is over" and yet poverty continues to spread like an out of control plague. But for most Americans life is still relatively "normal", and so the horrible suffering going on out there doesn't really affect them.
Ted Rudow III, MA

Spartan Daily

Spartan Daily
November 22, 2011
Black Friday apocalypse

News Sports Opinion A&E
Black Friday apocalypse
by Ryan Fernandez Nov 21, 2011 6:39 pm
Ryan Fernandez
They’re just outside the doors.
They’re just standing there, some silently, some making inhuman noises tinged with impatience. Others appear to be engrossed with whatever shiny, flashy thing they have in front of their faces.
They’ve stood there for hours, seemingly impervious to the cold and the dark, waiting for an opening, a structural weakness that would allow the gathered horde access to the only things that would sate their hunger.
For the unlucky people holed up within the store, fear is the most palpable emotion, with undercurrents of resentment and rage.
The people within have taken up defensible positions in automotive, menswear and linens, but they know the brunt of the assault will fall on electronics and toys, with lesser sorties against winter clothing and housewares.
They’re hiding behind makeshift barricades of tables and pallets stacked high with consumer goods — scanner guns and handcarts are their primary armaments, with an occasional grabber arm to augment their reach.
No, a zombie apocalypse is not upon us.
It’s Black Friday.
Why do I liken one of the busiest shopping days of the year to an event that heralds the end of the world as we know it?
It’s simple: What term, other than “zombie,” would you use to describe people who gather in large groups to mob a building, are utterly single-minded in their pursuit of whatever gratifies them at the moment, and will press toward their goal without pausing to heed bodily injury (either their own or others)?
Combine those traits with the ferocity and aggressive athleticism present in modern-day undead, and you have a living nightmare.
Also, I just rewatched the original “Dawn of the Dead” and I now understand the whole anti-consumerism theme that George Romero is supposed to have injected into it.
I make no claim to the moral high ground because I, too, have participated in the wanton post-Turkey Day carnage.
I have braved the cold and the darkness of the wee hours just for the chance to get something on sale.
I have stood in line at Walmart, Best Buy, Target, Toys R Us, J.C. Penney, Sears (but never Macy’s — I can never find anything that fits there) and so many other stores.
I have felt the thrill that comes with claiming the last DVD player on sale for 60 percent off.
I’m even considering going to Costco because the warehouse giant is offering a free cookbook to early-bird shoppers — and maybe I’ll pick up a gallon of Pepto-Bismol and a pound of Alka-Seltzers while I’m at it.
You can’t imagine how mortified and intrigued I was to learn that there would be stores open on Thanksgiving Day, just for people who finish eating ahead of time and can come up with an excuse to leave the celebration a little early.
I know, the sheer greed of the companies and the relentless consumerism of the public is disgusting, but feelings of revulsion can’t compare with a serious discount on LCD TVs.
Let’s face it, people confronted with their hearts’ desires (rather, their hearts’ desires as defined by slick marketing campaigns) are not the most rational beings, least of all when they’re in large groups, have endured hours of cold, and are afraid they won’t get what they want and all their suffering will have come to naught.
I’ve seen the videos and read the news stories of crowds trampling people just on the threshold of a store’s entryway, and those horror stories have made me more afraid than any gory zombie flick.
The deals to be made in person are tempting, but I think I’ll forego the horde this year and shop online.
When push comes to shove, I’d advise the shoppers to let go of the Blu-ray player. Do you really need a fifth player, even if it is 60 percent off?
To the retail workers out there, be safe, and remember, they’ll go after the ones bringing out new merchandise first.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The other theory is that the term Black Friday comes from an old way of recording business accounts. Losses were recorded in red ink and profits in black ink. Many businesses, particularly small businesses, started making profits prior to Christmas. Many hoped to start showing a profit, marked in black ink, on the day after Thanksgiving Day. Just like so many of our other holidays, the true purpose behind having a holiday called "Thanksgiving" is being totally obliterated by a tsunami of greed. Meanwhile, more Americans than ever are living in poverty this year and very few people even seem to notice. However, perhaps we should all take time this week to remember the tens of millions of Americans that are going to be deeply suffering this winter. They keep telling us that "the recession is over" and yet poverty continues to spread like an out of control plague. But for most Americans life is still relatively "normal", and so the horrible suffering going on out there doesn't really affect them.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Class of 1996

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Zombie higher education

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November 22 2011
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Letter: Zombie higher education?
November 22, 2011, 03:24 AM Letter
Editor,
The student loan market is back in the news as it makes its relentless march to the $1 trillion mark. This crippling figure comes in the face of a decade of lost wages for middle class Americans, just as the housing-bubble people were supplementing a disappearing middle class with more debt. The allure of housing lay in the fact that we had never seen, in our history, national home prices fall, until they did in dramatic fashion.
The same cultural nostalgia for education in every respect has created a zombie higher education system that is now expanding like the mortgage market at the height of the housing bubble. This is a subject of increasing concern to the Obama administration, which remade the federal student loan program and is now proposing changes that may make it harder for the for-profit colleges to qualify.
In the five years since Congress deregulated online education, enrollments at for-profit colleges have nearly doubled. Six major corporations owning such institutions have enjoyed initial public offerings on Wall Street. Graduates of another for-profit school — a college nursing program in California — said that they received their diplomas without ever setting foot in a hospital. We have heard countless stories of people going to for-profits, only to land minimum wage jobs once they graduate. Just like the subprime debacle, many of these people will remain silent, and the market will pretend nothing is wrong.


Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto

Monday, November 21, 2011

Blogs

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Matt Young - Top Blog Posts
Overview News Blogs Top Stories Spartan Daily" href="http://flair.wittysparks.com/blogs/Matt+Young/page/target=_blank%3E">blogspot - Author: Ted Rudow III,MA - 2011/9/28 ...Speaker touches on ‘humanity’ in concerns with Israel-Palestine conflict by matt.young Sep 22, 2011 12:17 am Dorian Silva, Spartan DailyEnglish professor Persis M. Karim ...

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Inequality

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Peninsula readers' letters:November 19
From Daily News Group readers Posted: 11/18/2011 05:01:01 PM PSTUpdated: 11/18/2011 11:30:31 PM PST
Inequality greater than ever
Dear Editor: Experts now say the U.S. has entered a second Gilded Age, but one in which hedge fund managers have replaced oil barons and are killing the American dream. Inequality in America is greater than it has been in almost a century. Those fortunate enough to belong to the 1 percent made up of the super rich stand on one side of the divide; the remaining 99 percent on the other.
Even for a country that has always accepted opposite extremes as part of its identity, the chasm has simply grown too vast. The more you get, the more you want -- more money, more power, more prestige, more honor in the sight of others, more fame, more everything. Yet the more you get, the emptier you feel. That is because these things will never satisfy you.
That's the religion of the world. That's what most people worship -- themselves and their own personal desires and greed.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto

Friday, November 18, 2011

Follow the money

Friday, November 18, 2011
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Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/letters-editor/2011/11/kill-central-subway-save-sfmta-budget#ixzz1e5QXyRPf

Follow the money
Last Sunday, “60 Minutes” aired a report highlighting instances in which congressional officials reportedly bought stocks around the same time Congress was discussing legislation affecting those companies or industries. The show looked at the lucrative investments of lawmakers including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker John Boehner and Republican Rep. Spencer Bachus of Alabama.
Members of Congress reap huge profits using insider information in ways that could put any of the rest of us behind bars. But the politicians allow themselves exemption from insider-trading laws.
A new bill filed by Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., would make it illegal for elected congressional officials, their staffs and executive branch employees to make investment decisions from pending information that’s not available to the general public. It would also forbid them from spreading such information public for personal gain.
Ted Rudow III,MA Palo Alto

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On Sunday, "60 Minutes" aired a report highlighting instances in which congressional officials reportedly bought stocks around the same time Congress was discussing legislation affecting those companies or industriesThe show looked at the investments of various lawmakers -- including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker John Boehner and Republican Rep. Spencer Bachus of Alabama. The retired U.S. representative from Washington's 3rd Congressional District was grieved about members of Congress reaping huge investment dividends using insider information in ways that could put any of the rest of us behind bars. Baird said: One line in a bill in Congress can be worth millions and millions of dollars to a member of Congress who picks up clues during testimony and deliberations for bills. Yet the politicians allow themselves to bypass insider-trading laws. Baird never received more than six co-sponsors for a bill that would make it illegal for lawmakers to trade stocks on nonpublic information. The bill filed Tuesday by Massachusetts Republican Sen. Scott Brown would make it illegal for elected congressional officials, their staffs and executive branch employees to use information about pending bills that's not available to the general public in making investment decisions. It would also forbid them from making such information public for personal gain. Are not many world leaders driven by the same corruption, the same lust, the same greed? It's just plain greed and selfishness!
Ted Rudow III, MA

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

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Peninsula readers' letters:November 16

From Daily News Group readers


Posted: 11/15/2011 07:12:51 PM PST
Updated: 11/15/2011 11:11:51 PM PST


Reaping profits

Dear Editor: On Sunday, "60 Minutes" aired a report highlighting instances in which congressional officials reportedly bought stocks around the same time Congress was discussing legislation affecting those companies or industries. The show looked at the investments of various lawmakers, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker John Boehner and Republican Rep. Spencer Bachus of Alabama.

Former U.S. Rep. Brian Baird was grieved about members of Congress reaping huge investment dividends using insider information in ways that could put any of the rest of us behind bars. Baird said "one line in a bill in Congress can be worth millions and millions of dollars" to a member of Congress who picks up clues during testimony and deliberations for bills. Yet the politicians allow themselves to bypass insider-trading laws. Baird never received more than six co-sponsors for a bill that would make it illegal for lawmakers to trade stocks on nonpublic information.

The bill filed Tuesday by Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts would make it illegal for elected congressional officials, their staffs and executive-branch employees to use information about pending bills that's not available to the general public in making investment decisions. It would also forbid them from making such information public for personal gain. Are not many world leaders driven by the same corruption, the same lust, the same greed? It's just plain greed and selfishness.

Ted Rudow III, MA

Palo Alto

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Reaping?

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/11/15/18699591.php
Reaping?
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Tuesday Nov 15th, 2011
On Sunday, "60 Minutes" aired a report highlighting instances in which congressional officials reportedly bought stocks around the same time Congress was discussing legislation affecting those companies or industries
-->
The show looked at the investments of various lawmakers -- including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker John Boehner and Republican Rep. Spencer Bachus of Alabama. The retired U.S. representative from Washington’s 3rd Congressional District was grieved about members of Congress reaping huge investment dividends using insider information in ways that could put any of the rest of us behind bars. Baird said: “One line in a bill in Congress can be worth millions and millions of dollars” to a member of Congress who picks up clues during testimony and deliberations for bills. Yet the politicians allow themselves to bypass insider-trading laws. Baird never received more than six co-sponsors for a bill that would make it illegal for lawmakers to trade stocks on nonpublic information. The bill filed Tuesday by Massachusetts Republican Sen. Scott Brown would make it illegal for elected congressional officials, their staffs and executive branch employees to use information about pending bills that's not available to the general public in making investment decisions. It would also forbid them from making such information public for personal gain. Are not many world leaders driven by the same corruption, the same lust, the same greed? It's just plain greed and selfishness!
Ted Rudow III, MA

Reaping?

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/11/15/18699591.php
Reaping?
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Tuesday Nov 15th, 2011
On Sunday, "60 Minutes" aired a report highlighting instances in which congressional officials reportedly bought stocks around the same time Congress was discussing legislation affecting those companies or industries
-->
The show looked at the investments of various lawmakers -- including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker John Boehner and Republican Rep. Spencer Bachus of Alabama. The retired U.S. representative from Washington’s 3rd Congressional District was grieved about members of Congress reaping huge investment dividends using insider information in ways that could put any of the rest of us behind bars. Baird said: “One line in a bill in Congress can be worth millions and millions of dollars” to a member of Congress who picks up clues during testimony and deliberations for bills. Yet the politicians allow themselves to bypass insider-trading laws. Baird never received more than six co-sponsors for a bill that would make it illegal for lawmakers to trade stocks on nonpublic information. The bill filed Tuesday by Massachusetts Republican Sen. Scott Brown would make it illegal for elected congressional officials, their staffs and executive branch employees to use information about pending bills that's not available to the general public in making investment decisions. It would also forbid them from making such information public for personal gain. Are not many world leaders driven by the same corruption, the same lust, the same greed? It's just plain greed and selfishness!
Ted Rudow III, MA

Vets day

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Nov. 10 Readers' letters
From Mercury News readersPosted: 11/09/2011 08:00:00 PM PST

Visit veterans hospital, learn about sacrifice
Armistice Day (also known as Remembrance Day) is Nov. 11, and it commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at 11 o'clock in the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918. In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. Congress amended this June 1, 1954, replacing "Armistice" with "Veterans," and it has been known as Veterans Day since. If you want a glimpse of what war is all about, go down and volunteer at one of our hundreds of veterans' hospitals. Talk to the vets and see what war has done to change their lives. See what the price is in limbs, eyes, and minds.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto

Friday, November 11, 2011

Veterans Day

Palo Alto Weekly
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Veterans Day

Editor,

Armistice Day (also known as Remembrance Day) is on Nov. 11 and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918.

World War I — known at the time as "The Great War" — officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France.

However, fighting ceased seven months earlier. For that reason, Nov. 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of "the war to end all wars." In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day.

In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas, man named Stephan Riod, the owner of a shoe-repair shop, had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in World War I. Congress amended this act on June 1, 1954, replacing "Armistice" with "Veterans," and it has been known as Veterans Day since.

If you want a glimpse of what war is all about, go down and volunteer at one of our hundreds of veteran's hospitals. Talk to the vets and see what war has done to change their lives. See what the price is in limbs, eyes, and minds.

Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto

If you want a glimpse of what war is all about

RSN




If You Want a Glimpse of What War is All About

by Ted Rudow III Thursday, 10 November 2011
Armistice Day (also known as Remembrance Day) is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918.
World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.” In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. He said, "America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations".
In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas, man named Stephan Riod the owner of a shoe repair shop, had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in World War I. Congress amended this act on June 1, 1954, replacing "Armistice" with "Veterans," and it has been known as Veterans Day since. If you want a glimpse of what war is all about, go down and volunteer at one of our hundreds of veteran's hospitals. Talk to the vets and see what war has done to change their lives. See what the price is in limbs, eyes, and minds.
Ted Rudow III, MA

History of Veterans Day

San Mateo Daily Journal
Friday
November 11 2011
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Letter: History of Veterans Day
November 11, 2011,
Letter
Editor,
Armistice Day (also known as Remembrance Day) is on Nov. 11 and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o’clock in the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918. World War I — known at the time as “The Great War” — officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France.
However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice. For that reason, Nov. 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.” In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. He said, “America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations”.
In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas man named Stephan Riod the owner of a shoe repair shop, had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in World War I. Congress amended this act on June 1, 1954, replacing “Armistice” with “Veterans,” and it has been known as Veterans Day since. If you want a glimpse of what war is all about, go down and volunteer at one of our hundreds of veterans’ hospitals. Talk to the vets and see what war has done to change their lives. See what the price is in limbs, eyes and minds.


Ted Rudow III,MA
Palo Alto

Thursday, November 10, 2011

What war is all about

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/11/10/18698637.php
If you want a glimpse of what war is all about
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Thursday Nov 10th, 2011 11:03 AM
Armistice Day (also known as Remembrance Day) is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918.
-->
World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.” In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. He said, "America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations". In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas man named Stephan Riod the owner of a shoe repair shop, had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in World War I. Congress amended this act on June 1, 1954, replacing "Armistice" with "Veterans," and it has been known as Veterans Day since. If you want a glimpse of what war is all about, go down and volunteer at one of our hundreds of veteran's hospitals. Talk to the vets and see what war has done to change their lives. See what the price is in limbs, eyes, and minds.
Ted Rudow III, MA

Spartan Daily


Spartan Daily
last update 2:05 amNovember 10, 2011


What happened to Thanksgiving?
by Brittany Patterson Nov 8, 2011
Brittany Patterson
Last weekend I was on the hunt for Thanksgiving-themed merchandise. My ultimate goal: two-dozen cupcake liners with cute cartoon turkeys pasted on the side, and maybe a pilgrim or two.
Instead, I was assaulted with candy canes, mistletoe and cinnamon-scented pine cones.
Don’t get me wrong, I love cinnamon-scented pine cones — in fact, they are probably one of my favorite parts of the whole Christmas establishment — it’s the time element that disturbs me.
People, it’s the beginning of November. Half of the country is still eating their Halloween candy.
If I’m not mistaken, here in America (and apparently in Canada, too), we have this weird holiday that comes near the end of November in which we celebrate when the Wampanoag Native Americans helped the Pilgrims at the colonial settlement in Plymouth in 1621, by providing them with seeds and teaching them how to fish. Apparently we sat down and shared a harvest meal together.
Maybe you’ve heard of it — we call it Thanksgiving.
To honor their generosity, Americans deep-fry turkeys, gorge themselves on stuffing and green bean casserole and fight with their families.
We also have this curious case of amnesia when it comes to the fact that later on, Americans systematically wiped out most of the Native Americans in this country.
We compensate with pumpkin pie — lots of it, topped with Cool Whip.
But all snarkiness aside, Thanksgiving is this a nationwide excuse to eat gluttonous amounts of comfort food with family. As college students, come October we’re practically willing time to travel faster to get to Thanksgiving break. And it’s not just the break from classes — many of my friends are genuinely excited to go home and see their parents, friends and pets.
According to the History Channel’s website devoted to Thanksgiving, in 1863 President Lincoln declared the final Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving. Congress finally made Thanksgiving Day an official national holiday in 1941.
This holiday has been celebrated for hundreds of years, and yet when I went to Michaels craft store yesterday, I was bombarded with ornaments, Frosty the Snowman gift tags and gingerbread houses.
Christmas wreaths and glitter-covered fake poinsettias snagged me as I wandered in disbelief down the aisles.
Where were all the poorly drawn pictures of turkeys dressed as pilgrims? Why were there no fake gourds, pumpkins or Indian corn to be found?
Target was no better.
Fake trees and shimmering garlands galore.
We’re a country that loves our holidays. I mean, we fabricated Valentine’s Day so we could give one another little pieces of paper marked with clichés and eat lots of heart-shaped candy.
So why do the retail giants seem to have forgotten about Thanksgiving?
Maybe recently the collective American psyche has grown a conscience and we feel guilty about our past.
But our solution, to stretch out the Christmas season an extra month, is worrisome on its own.
I worry that if the current rate of pushing up the Christmas season continues unchecked, by the time I’m 30, the familiar melody of “Jingle Bell Rock” will be heard immediately following “The Star-Spangled Banner” and fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Americans will watch in awe as brightly colored lights explode above us, while we manically shove hot dogs down our throats, followed by a mass migration to the nearest Walmart. Proceed to Christmas. Do not have other holidays. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.
We’re going to jump straight to Christmas and completely ignore the millions of turkeys that are currently sitting naked and frozen in grocery stores across the nation.
According to the American Psychological Association’s 2008 holiday stress poll, they found that more than eight out of 10 Americans anticipate stress during the holiday season.
The holidays stress me out — the pressure of buying the perfect gifts, the subsequent economic strain caused by purchasing said gifts, traveling all over to meet with family all while fighting the urge to eat my body weight in chocolate and ham.
I take the whole year to recover from the previous year’s Christmas season. The last thing I think this already stressed-out country needs is a shorter recovery period for one of the most stressful times of the year.
Regardless of Thanksgiving’s checkered past, it’s current role is to bring families together. Whether you’re watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, football or just stuffing your face, Thanksgiving is important. It is by all counts a national holiday and more importantly so, it’s unadulterated family time. There’s no hiding behind gifts — just your massive food baby — and sometimes I think we need to have a day where our biggest concern is how many pieces of pie we should eat.
Relax, the turkeys are already dead. We might as well enjoy them.
...................................................................................................................
There are those who wear a smile, yet ache inside; those who are engulfed in a sea of emptiness; those who suffer from pain, guilt, bitterness, and condemnation; those who feel remorse over the past or fear the future.-So many lost and desperate folks in the world today! It reminds me of the words to that old Beatles song, “All the lonely people, where do they all come from?” Well, I’ll tell you where they come from-all the lonely people come from selfish living. All the lonely people, the lost and the forlorn, come from a society where people look to their own needs and not to the needs of others. That’s where all the lonely people come from-from a dog-eat-dog society, from a lot of wrongful living.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Class of 1996