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Peninsula readers' letters: March 31
From Daily News Group readers mercurynews.com
Posted: 03/30/2012 08:43:44 PM PDT
March 31, 2012 6:52 AM GMT Updated: 03/30/2012 11:52:46 PM PDT
Drum beats for another war
Dear Editor: One neo-conservative had predicted the invasion of Iraq would be a "cakewalk." The war has killed well over 100,000 Iraqi civilians, cost nearly 4,500 American soldiers their lives, maimed many others and incurred costs that could reach more than $3 trillion before the last invoice comes due.
Yet here we are nine years later and once again the drumbeat sounds for war in the Middle East. This time the bullseye is Iran, and many of the bloodthirsty cries come from the same lusty throats that agitated a decade ago for invading Iraq. Now the neo-con armchair warriors call for hitting Iran before it builds a nuclear bomb to drop on Israel -- a scenario that remains in doubt.
One would refer to Afghan history here -- this is simply not a place that accommodates foreign invaders who think they know how to run the place better than the local population. Some neo-conservatives believe that somehow we are responsible for the Arab Spring, that it was a natural outgrowth of the Iraq war and the George W. Bush freedom agenda. That's nonsense. The origins of the Arab Spring come from within Arab nations.
Ted Rudow III,MA
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
The Arab Spring
The Arab Spring
literally the Arabic Rebellions or the Arab Revolutions) is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began on Saturday, 18 December 2010. To date, rulers have been forced from power in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya,and Yemen; civil uprisings have erupted in Bahrain and Syria; major protests have broken out in Algeria, Iraq,< Jordan,< Morocco, and Oman; and minor protests have occurred in Lebanon, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, and Western Sahara Clashes at the borders of Israel in May 2011,as well as protests by Arab minority in Iranian Khuzestan,] have also been inspired by the regional Arab Spring.The protests have shared techniques of mostly civil resistance in sustained campaigns involving strikes, demonstrations, marches, rallies, as well as the use of social media to organize, communicate, and raise awareness in the face of state attempts at repression and Internet censorship.
literally the Arabic Rebellions or the Arab Revolutions) is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began on Saturday, 18 December 2010. To date, rulers have been forced from power in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya,and Yemen; civil uprisings have erupted in Bahrain and Syria; major protests have broken out in Algeria, Iraq,< Jordan,< Morocco, and Oman; and minor protests have occurred in Lebanon, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, and Western Sahara Clashes at the borders of Israel in May 2011,as well as protests by Arab minority in Iranian Khuzestan,] have also been inspired by the regional Arab Spring.The protests have shared techniques of mostly civil resistance in sustained campaigns involving strikes, demonstrations, marches, rallies, as well as the use of social media to organize, communicate, and raise awareness in the face of state attempts at repression and Internet censorship.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Nonsense
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/03/29/18710356.php
Nonsense
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Thursday Mar 29th, 2012
One neo-conservative advocate of the invasion had predicted would be a "cakewalk," had killed well over a hundred thousand Iraqi civilians, cost nearly 4500 American soldiers their lives, maimed many others, and incurred costs that could reach more than 3 trillion dollars before the last invoice comes due.
Yet here we are, nine years later, and once again the drumbeat sounds for war in the Middle East. This time the bull’s eye is Iran, and many of the bloodthirsty cries come from the same lusty throats that agitated a decade ago for invading Iraq. Now the neo-con armchair warriors call for hitting Iran before it builds a nuclear bomb to drop on Israel – a scenario that remains in doubt.
One would refer to Afghan history here, that this is simply not a place that accommodates foreign invaders who think they know how to run the place better than the local population. Some neoconservatives who believe that somehow we are responsible for the Arab Spring, that the Arab Spring is a natural outgrowth of the Iraq War and the George Bush Freedom Agenda. That's nonsense. The origins of the Arab Spring come from within Arab nations.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Nonsense
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Thursday Mar 29th, 2012
One neo-conservative advocate of the invasion had predicted would be a "cakewalk," had killed well over a hundred thousand Iraqi civilians, cost nearly 4500 American soldiers their lives, maimed many others, and incurred costs that could reach more than 3 trillion dollars before the last invoice comes due.
Yet here we are, nine years later, and once again the drumbeat sounds for war in the Middle East. This time the bull’s eye is Iran, and many of the bloodthirsty cries come from the same lusty throats that agitated a decade ago for invading Iraq. Now the neo-con armchair warriors call for hitting Iran before it builds a nuclear bomb to drop on Israel – a scenario that remains in doubt.
One would refer to Afghan history here, that this is simply not a place that accommodates foreign invaders who think they know how to run the place better than the local population. Some neoconservatives who believe that somehow we are responsible for the Arab Spring, that the Arab Spring is a natural outgrowth of the Iraq War and the George Bush Freedom Agenda. That's nonsense. The origins of the Arab Spring come from within Arab nations.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Real fraud
Palo Alto Weekly
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Real fraud
Issues Beyond Palo Alto, posted by Ted Rudow III, MA, a member of the Palo Alto High School community, Bank of America exposé
Dear Editor: In the article "Bank of America: Too Crooked to Fail," Rolling Stone reporter Matt Taibbi chronicles the remarkable history of the rise of Bank of America, an institution he says has defrauded "everyone from investors and insurers to homeowners and the unemployed."
In 2008, Bank of America received a $45 billion taxpayer bailout, but the bank has also received billions more in what could be described as shadow bailouts. The bailouts have helped Bank of America's market share grow. It now controls more than 12 percent of the nation's deposits, as well as 17 percent of all home mortgages.
But new questions have arisen over how Bank of America may actually benefit from the deal because the settlement includes a legal waiver to allow banks to escape billions of dollars in lawsuits. There are much, much bigger problems in the areas of creating loans and securitizing the loans. The real fraud was when Bank of America or some company went to a union and said, "Here's a whole bunch of mortgages we want you to buy. They're AAA-rated. They're all good." And they left out derogatory information about how bad the loans really were. That was the real fraud.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto
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Real fraud
Issues Beyond Palo Alto, posted by Ted Rudow III, MA, a member of the Palo Alto High School community, Bank of America exposé
Dear Editor: In the article "Bank of America: Too Crooked to Fail," Rolling Stone reporter Matt Taibbi chronicles the remarkable history of the rise of Bank of America, an institution he says has defrauded "everyone from investors and insurers to homeowners and the unemployed."
In 2008, Bank of America received a $45 billion taxpayer bailout, but the bank has also received billions more in what could be described as shadow bailouts. The bailouts have helped Bank of America's market share grow. It now controls more than 12 percent of the nation's deposits, as well as 17 percent of all home mortgages.
But new questions have arisen over how Bank of America may actually benefit from the deal because the settlement includes a legal waiver to allow banks to escape billions of dollars in lawsuits. There are much, much bigger problems in the areas of creating loans and securitizing the loans. The real fraud was when Bank of America or some company went to a union and said, "Here's a whole bunch of mortgages we want you to buy. They're AAA-rated. They're all good." And they left out derogatory information about how bad the loans really were. That was the real fraud.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto
United States Senate
Dear Mr. Rudow:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the withdrawal of United States combat forces from Afghanistan. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.
I strongly believe that it is time to significantly decrease the presence of U.S. combat forces in Afghanistan. That is why I proudly co-sponsored an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act requiring President Obama to accelerate the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and report to Congress on the progress of his plan. I was pleased that language based on this amendment was included in the final bill.
I believe that the United States has accomplished much of what it set out to achieve in Afghanistan and that the current cost - both to our armed forces and to the American taxpayer - is far too high. Ten years ago, the United States Senate unanimously voted to use all necessary and appropriate force against those responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001 - the al Qaeda terrorist network. On May 2, 2011, the United States dealt al Qaeda a major blow by killing its leader, Osama bin Laden.
Although we must remain vigilant in our efforts to defeat al Qaeda and continue our support for the Afghan people, there is simply no justification for the continued deployment of roughly 90,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Our current forces should be drawn down to a point where they are sufficient only to conduct targeted counter-terrorism operations, train Afghan security forces, and protect American and coalition personnel.
As a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, be assured that I will continue to advocate for a plan to accelerate the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Afghanistan while protecting U.S. national security.
Again, thank you for writing to me. Please feel free to contact me in the future about this or any other issue of concern to you.
Sincerely,Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
Please do not respond to this message. If you would like to comment on legislation, please visit my website and use the correspondence form at https://www.boxer.senate.gov/en/contact/policycomments.cfm.
Thank you for contacting me regarding the withdrawal of United States combat forces from Afghanistan. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.
I strongly believe that it is time to significantly decrease the presence of U.S. combat forces in Afghanistan. That is why I proudly co-sponsored an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act requiring President Obama to accelerate the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and report to Congress on the progress of his plan. I was pleased that language based on this amendment was included in the final bill.
I believe that the United States has accomplished much of what it set out to achieve in Afghanistan and that the current cost - both to our armed forces and to the American taxpayer - is far too high. Ten years ago, the United States Senate unanimously voted to use all necessary and appropriate force against those responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001 - the al Qaeda terrorist network. On May 2, 2011, the United States dealt al Qaeda a major blow by killing its leader, Osama bin Laden.
Although we must remain vigilant in our efforts to defeat al Qaeda and continue our support for the Afghan people, there is simply no justification for the continued deployment of roughly 90,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Our current forces should be drawn down to a point where they are sufficient only to conduct targeted counter-terrorism operations, train Afghan security forces, and protect American and coalition personnel.
As a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, be assured that I will continue to advocate for a plan to accelerate the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Afghanistan while protecting U.S. national security.
Again, thank you for writing to me. Please feel free to contact me in the future about this or any other issue of concern to you.
Sincerely,Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
Please do not respond to this message. If you would like to comment on legislation, please visit my website and use the correspondence form at https://www.boxer.senate.gov/en/contact/policycomments.cfm.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Are you a good sport?
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NFL suspensions in Saints' bounty program scandal are justfiedby Nick Celario Mar 21, 2012 5:44 pm Tags: Bounty program, football, Gregg Williams, illegal incentives, New Orlean Saints, new orleans, NFC, NFL, Roger Goodell, Saints, Sean Payton, Sports, suspensions
Nick Celario is a Spartan Daily Sports Editor.
Last semester, I wrote that the NFL should be played with intensity and toughness.
I am not retracting what I said because football is a violent sport, but acts of violence, and receiving payoffs for them, are just not acceptable.
ESPN reported New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton will be suspended without pay for the 2012 season and St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, formerly of the Saints, was banned from the league indefinitely for arranging a bounty program that paid its players additional cash for targeting main opposing players.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis will be suspended for eight regular season games and assistant coach Joe Vitt will be suspended for six games.
The Los Angeles Times also reported the Saints' organization was fined $500,000 and will have to forfeit its second-round draft picks in 2012 and 2013.
"We are all accountable and responsible for player health and safety and the integrity of the game," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement reported by USA Today. "We will not tolerate conduct or a culture that undermines those priorities.
"No one is above the game or the rules that govern it. Respect for the game and the people who participate in it will not be compromised."
I completely agree with this statement.
While I typically oppose Goodell's "No Fun League" type punishments, I feel these suspensions are justified.
According to USA Today, the bounty program occurred as far back as 2009 during the Saints' Super Bowl run and that such "non-contract bonuses" violate NFL rules.
It was also reported that Williams directed the program, and while Payton did not directly participate, he was aware of it and did not take any action to end it.
Williams' indefinite suspension is with good reason.
If he encouraged his players to cause possible career-ending injuries to their opponents, then he should not have a coaching position in the NFL.
If the league did not punish Williams, it could possibly send a message to college and high school players that such behavior is acceptable.
In a sport as aggressive and forceful as football, where serious bodily injury is already an enormous risk to those who participate, urging players to intentionally harm is cruel.
People who promote this kind of conduct should not have a place in professional or amateur sports — period.
Payton's suspension is also just.
ESPN reported Payton ignored instructions from the NFL and the Saints' owners to ensure a bounty program was not in place.
Condoning these acts makes him just as responsible.
USA Today reported an investigation from the NFL revealed that more than 20 Saints defensive players were involved in the program from 2009 to 2011 and were rewarded with cash, and while no punishments were handed down yet, the league plans to do so soon.
USA Today also said Saints middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma became synonymous with the program when SI.com reported he offered $10,000 to any Saints player who could knock out then Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre out of the 2009 NFC Championship Game.
Any Saints players who participated in the system, or anyone in the league who has, should be ashamed of themselves.
To be privileged to play professional football and be paid thousands, if not millions, of dollars and then take part in this inexcusable.
In addition, these players are looked up to by numerous fans, several of whom are probably football players, anywhere from Pop Warner, high school to college.
If they modeled themselves to pros who opt into this kind of playing, I can't imagine what the future of professional football would be.
Why take football and lower it to barbarism?
Despite its intensity, football can still be played with respect and sportsmanship.
I hope these suspensions gets that message across to everyone in the league and weren't for nothing.
@TedrTed ·
Did you know that the Nicaragua-El Salvador war, in which 20,000 people were killed, started over a football game? In fact, Ernest Hemingway, the world famous writer, who spent so much of his time in Latin America and Spain, said you could eliminate most Latin American wars and their causes by simply banning football or soccer! Those games get them so worked up into a frenzy against each other that nothing but a total all-out war can truly satisfy the spirit of it The ultimate fulfillment of sports is war!--Destroying the other guy's body that your body might live! War is the ultimate fulfillment of the competitive spirit: the destruction of others for self-preservation. Sports is war in disguise, and the Olympics disguised all this under the totally false and contrary theme song of "Peace"! That's their theme!--Isn't that something! So they speak peace while war is in their hearts, and they talk peace while they prepare for war--prepare their bodies for war.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Class of 1996
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Real fraud
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document.write('\n') Peninsula readers' letters: March 24
From Daily News Group readers mercurynews.com Posted: 03/23/2012 06:43:58 PM PDT March 24, 2012 6:35 AM GMT Updated: 03/23/2012 11:35:16 PM PDT
Bank of America exposé
Dear Editor: In the article "Bank of America: Too Crooked to Fail," Rolling Stone reporter Matt Taibbi chronicles the remarkable history of the rise of Bank of America, an institution he says has defrauded "everyone from investors and insurers to homeowners and the unemployed."
In 2008, Bank of America received a $45 billion taxpayer bailout, but the bank has also received billions more in what could be described as shadow bailouts. The bailouts have helped Bank of America's market share grow. It now controls more than 12 percent of the nation's deposits, as well as 17 percent of all home mortgages.
But new questions have arisen over how Bank of America may actually benefit from the deal because the settlement includes a legal waiver to allow banks to escape billions of dollars in lawsuits. There are much, much bigger problems in the areas of creating loans and securitizing the loans. The real fraud was when Bank of America or some company went to a union and said, "Here's a whole bunch of mortgages we want you to buy. They're AAA-rated. They're all good." And they left out derogatory information about how bad the loans really were. That was the real fraud.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto
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document.write('\n') Peninsula readers' letters: March 24
From Daily News Group readers mercurynews.com Posted: 03/23/2012 06:43:58 PM PDT March 24, 2012 6:35 AM GMT Updated: 03/23/2012 11:35:16 PM PDT
Bank of America exposé
Dear Editor: In the article "Bank of America: Too Crooked to Fail," Rolling Stone reporter Matt Taibbi chronicles the remarkable history of the rise of Bank of America, an institution he says has defrauded "everyone from investors and insurers to homeowners and the unemployed."
In 2008, Bank of America received a $45 billion taxpayer bailout, but the bank has also received billions more in what could be described as shadow bailouts. The bailouts have helped Bank of America's market share grow. It now controls more than 12 percent of the nation's deposits, as well as 17 percent of all home mortgages.
But new questions have arisen over how Bank of America may actually benefit from the deal because the settlement includes a legal waiver to allow banks to escape billions of dollars in lawsuits. There are much, much bigger problems in the areas of creating loans and securitizing the loans. The real fraud was when Bank of America or some company went to a union and said, "Here's a whole bunch of mortgages we want you to buy. They're AAA-rated. They're all good." And they left out derogatory information about how bad the loans really were. That was the real fraud.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Real fraud
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/03/22/18709885.php
Real fraud
by Ted Rudow III, MA
Thursday Mar 22nd, 2012
"Bank of America: Too Crooked to Fail," Rolling Stone reporter Matt Taibbi chronicles the remarkable history of the rise of Bank of America, an institution he says has defrauded "everyone from investors and insurers to homeowners and the unemployed."
In 2008, Bank of America received a $45 billion taxpayer bailout, but the bank has also received billions more in what could be described as shadow bailouts. The bailouts have helped Bank of America’s market share grow. It now controls more than 12 percent of the nation’s deposits, as well as 17 percent of all home mortgages.
But new questions have arisen over how Bank of America may actually benefit from the deal because the settlement includes a legal waiver to allow banks to escape billions of dollars in lawsuits. There are much, much bigger problems in the areas of creating loans and securitizing the loans. That’s where the real fraud occurred. The real fraud was when Bank of America or some company went to a union, say, and they said, "Here’s a whole bunch of mortgages we want you to buy. They’re AAA-rated. They’re all good." And they left out derogatory information about how bad the loans really were. That was the real fraud.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Real fraud
by Ted Rudow III, MA
Thursday Mar 22nd, 2012
"Bank of America: Too Crooked to Fail," Rolling Stone reporter Matt Taibbi chronicles the remarkable history of the rise of Bank of America, an institution he says has defrauded "everyone from investors and insurers to homeowners and the unemployed."
In 2008, Bank of America received a $45 billion taxpayer bailout, but the bank has also received billions more in what could be described as shadow bailouts. The bailouts have helped Bank of America’s market share grow. It now controls more than 12 percent of the nation’s deposits, as well as 17 percent of all home mortgages.
But new questions have arisen over how Bank of America may actually benefit from the deal because the settlement includes a legal waiver to allow banks to escape billions of dollars in lawsuits. There are much, much bigger problems in the areas of creating loans and securitizing the loans. That’s where the real fraud occurred. The real fraud was when Bank of America or some company went to a union, say, and they said, "Here’s a whole bunch of mortgages we want you to buy. They’re AAA-rated. They’re all good." And they left out derogatory information about how bad the loans really were. That was the real fraud.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Won over
The Daily Star
Your Right To KnowSunday, March 18, 2012
Home Business Sports Editorial Metropolitan National International Op-Ed Letters Literature Podcast Life Style Witness Latest News
Won over
Ted Rudow III, MA, Encina Ave, Palo Alto, CA
Whether Wall Street was corrupted by greed and excess--more than three years after the financial crisis, the perception that little has changed on Wall Street -- and that no one has been held accountable for the risk-taking that led to the crisis -- looms large in the public consciousness.
So, little by little, the sceptics are won over to invest their funds, to take a chance on making more money, for the rebounds are relatively quick. And there is a rebound, for there are still people to be convinced that things will keep going up -- indeed, must keep going up. They too must be won over and convinced to overextend themselves little by little. It is a gradual process of boom, then downturn, then bigger boom, then another downturn. The downturn will become a recession, the recession will become a depression, and the depression will become the Crash.
Your Right To KnowSunday, March 18, 2012
Home Business Sports Editorial Metropolitan National International Op-Ed Letters Literature Podcast Life Style Witness Latest News
Won over
Ted Rudow III, MA, Encina Ave, Palo Alto, CA
Whether Wall Street was corrupted by greed and excess--more than three years after the financial crisis, the perception that little has changed on Wall Street -- and that no one has been held accountable for the risk-taking that led to the crisis -- looms large in the public consciousness.
So, little by little, the sceptics are won over to invest their funds, to take a chance on making more money, for the rebounds are relatively quick. And there is a rebound, for there are still people to be convinced that things will keep going up -- indeed, must keep going up. They too must be won over and convinced to overextend themselves little by little. It is a gradual process of boom, then downturn, then bigger boom, then another downturn. The downturn will become a recession, the recession will become a depression, and the depression will become the Crash.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Won over
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Peninsula readers' letters: March 17
From Daily News Group readers
mercurynews.com Posted: 03/16/2012 05:35:33 PM PDT March 17, 2012 5:35 AM GMT Updated: 03/16/2012 10:35:48 PM PDT
Won over
Dear Editor: Whether Wall Street was corrupted by greed and excess, more than three years after the financial crisis started the perception that little has changed on Wall Street -- and that no one has been held accountable for the risk-taking that led to the crisis -- looms large in the public consciousness.
So, little by little, the skeptics are won over to invest their funds to take a chance on making more money, for the rebounds are relatively quick and they do not feel too much pain.
And there is a rebound, for there are still people to be convinced that things will keep going up -- indeed, must keep going up. They too must be won over and convinced to overextend themselves little by little. It is a gradual process of boom, then downturn, then bigger boom, then another downturn. The downturn will become a recession, the recession will become a depression, and the depression will become the crash.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto
eEdition / Subscriber ServicesMobile Mobile Alerts RSS
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Publications San Mateo County Times
Palo Alto Daily News
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Peninsula readers' letters: March 17
From Daily News Group readers
mercurynews.com Posted: 03/16/2012 05:35:33 PM PDT March 17, 2012 5:35 AM GMT Updated: 03/16/2012 10:35:48 PM PDT
Won over
Dear Editor: Whether Wall Street was corrupted by greed and excess, more than three years after the financial crisis started the perception that little has changed on Wall Street -- and that no one has been held accountable for the risk-taking that led to the crisis -- looms large in the public consciousness.
So, little by little, the skeptics are won over to invest their funds to take a chance on making more money, for the rebounds are relatively quick and they do not feel too much pain.
And there is a rebound, for there are still people to be convinced that things will keep going up -- indeed, must keep going up. They too must be won over and convinced to overextend themselves little by little. It is a gradual process of boom, then downturn, then bigger boom, then another downturn. The downturn will become a recession, the recession will become a depression, and the depression will become the crash.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto
Friday, March 16, 2012
Bring the troops home!!!!
San Mateo Daily Journal
Friday
March 16 2012
Home Local News State / National / World Sports Opinion / Letters Business Arts / Entertainment Lifestyle Obituaries Calendar Submit Event The print edition in its entirety. Click here to see it.
Click here for locations of where to find Daily Journal news racks.
Letter: Bring the troops home March 14, 2012, 05:00 AM Letter
Editor,
Unprovoked and uncaused attacks have been waged by the United States against Afghan civilians. It is not as though this was one deplorable act.
In the night raids all across Afghanistan (there are an average of 10 raids per night and sometimes as many as 40 raids in a night), the U.S. military is killing civilians steadily. Combine that with the drone surveillance and the combat helicopter attacks that have killed civilians. All of this will result in perpetual war, more such killing sprees and possibly an increase in terrorism and terrorist acts like Sept. 11. Bring the troops home!
Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto
Friday
March 16 2012
Home Local News State / National / World Sports Opinion / Letters Business Arts / Entertainment Lifestyle Obituaries Calendar Submit Event The print edition in its entirety. Click here to see it.
Click here for locations of where to find Daily Journal news racks.
Letter: Bring the troops home March 14, 2012, 05:00 AM Letter
Editor,
Unprovoked and uncaused attacks have been waged by the United States against Afghan civilians. It is not as though this was one deplorable act.
In the night raids all across Afghanistan (there are an average of 10 raids per night and sometimes as many as 40 raids in a night), the U.S. military is killing civilians steadily. Combine that with the drone surveillance and the combat helicopter attacks that have killed civilians. All of this will result in perpetual war, more such killing sprees and possibly an increase in terrorism and terrorist acts like Sept. 11. Bring the troops home!
Ted Rudow III, MA
Palo Alto
Won over
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/03/16/18709455.php
Won over
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Friday Mar 16th, 2012
Whether Wall Street was corrupted by greed and excess. More than three years after the financial crisis, the perception that little has changed on Wall Street — and that no one has been held accountable for the risk-taking that led to the crisis — looms large in the public consciousness. So, little by little, the skeptics are won over to invest their funds, to take a chance on making more money, for the rebounds are relatively quick and they do not feel too much pain. I’d never do such a thing—I’m smarter than that.”
-->
And there is a rebound, for there are still people to be convinced that things will keep going up—indeed, must keep going up. They too must be won over and convinced to overextend themselves little by little. It is a gradual process of boom, then downturn, then bigger boom, then another downturn. The downturn will become a recession, the recession will become a depression, and the depression will become the Crash.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Won over
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Friday Mar 16th, 2012
Whether Wall Street was corrupted by greed and excess. More than three years after the financial crisis, the perception that little has changed on Wall Street — and that no one has been held accountable for the risk-taking that led to the crisis — looms large in the public consciousness. So, little by little, the skeptics are won over to invest their funds, to take a chance on making more money, for the rebounds are relatively quick and they do not feel too much pain. I’d never do such a thing—I’m smarter than that.”
-->
And there is a rebound, for there are still people to be convinced that things will keep going up—indeed, must keep going up. They too must be won over and convinced to overextend themselves little by little. It is a gradual process of boom, then downturn, then bigger boom, then another downturn. The downturn will become a recession, the recession will become a depression, and the depression will become the Crash.
Ted Rudow III, MA
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Bring the troops home!
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Bring the troops home : Indybay
by indybay.org Tue Mar 13 12:30:25 PDT 2012
But I think it actually encapsulates what the United States presence in Afghanistan has been all about. Unprovoked and uncaused attacks have been waged by the United States against Afghan civilians. It is'nt as though this was one deplorable act.
In the night raids on an average of 10 per night, sometimes as many as 40 per night, all across Afghanistan and killing civilians steadily. And combine that with the drone surveillance and the helicopter attacks that have killed civilians. And that will result in perpetual war, more such killing sprees, and possibly an increase in terrorism and terrorist acts like September 11th. Bring the troops home!
Ted Rudow III, MA
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Bring the troops home : Indybay
by indybay.org Tue Mar 13 12:30:25 PDT 2012
But I think it actually encapsulates what the United States presence in Afghanistan has been all about. Unprovoked and uncaused attacks have been waged by the United States against Afghan civilians. It is'nt as though this was one deplorable act.
In the night raids on an average of 10 per night, sometimes as many as 40 per night, all across Afghanistan and killing civilians steadily. And combine that with the drone surveillance and the helicopter attacks that have killed civilians. And that will result in perpetual war, more such killing sprees, and possibly an increase in terrorism and terrorist acts like September 11th. Bring the troops home!
Ted Rudow III, MA
Bring the troops home!
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Bring the troops home : Indybay
by indybay.org Tue Mar 13 12:30:25 PDT 2012
But I think it actually encapsulates what the United States presence in Afghanistan has been all about. Unprovoked and uncaused attacks have been waged by the United States against Afghan civilians. It is'nt as though this was one deplorable act.
In the night raids on an average of 10 per night, sometimes as many as 40 per night, all across Afghanistan and killing civilians steadily. And combine that with the drone surveillance and the helicopter attacks that have killed civilians. And that will result in perpetual war, more such killing sprees, and possibly an increase in terrorism and terrorist acts like September 11th. Bring the troops home!
Ted Rudow III, MA
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Bring the troops home : Indybay
by indybay.org Tue Mar 13 12:30:25 PDT 2012
But I think it actually encapsulates what the United States presence in Afghanistan has been all about. Unprovoked and uncaused attacks have been waged by the United States against Afghan civilians. It is'nt as though this was one deplorable act.
In the night raids on an average of 10 per night, sometimes as many as 40 per night, all across Afghanistan and killing civilians steadily. And combine that with the drone surveillance and the helicopter attacks that have killed civilians. And that will result in perpetual war, more such killing sprees, and possibly an increase in terrorism and terrorist acts like September 11th. Bring the troops home!
Ted Rudow III, MA
Monday, March 12, 2012
Bring the troops home
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/03/12/18709152.php
Bring the troops home
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Monday Mar 12th, 2012 12:30 PM
But I think it actually encapsulates what the United States presence in Afghanistan has been all about. Unprovoked and uncaused attacks have been waged by the United States against Afghan civilians. It isn’t as though this was one deplorable act.
-->
In the night raids on an average of 10 per night, sometimes as many as 40 per night, all across Afghanistan and killing civilians steadily. And combine that with the drone surveillance and the helicopter—combat helicopter attacks that have killed civilians. And that will result in perpetual war, more such killing sprees, and possibly an increase in terrorism and terrorist acts like September 11th. Bring the troops home!
Ted Rudow III, MA
Bring the troops home
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Monday Mar 12th, 2012 12:30 PM
But I think it actually encapsulates what the United States presence in Afghanistan has been all about. Unprovoked and uncaused attacks have been waged by the United States against Afghan civilians. It isn’t as though this was one deplorable act.
-->
In the night raids on an average of 10 per night, sometimes as many as 40 per night, all across Afghanistan and killing civilians steadily. And combine that with the drone surveillance and the helicopter—combat helicopter attacks that have killed civilians. And that will result in perpetual war, more such killing sprees, and possibly an increase in terrorism and terrorist acts like September 11th. Bring the troops home!
Ted Rudow III, MA
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
History is a set of lies
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/03/07/18708899.php
History is a set of lies
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Wednesday Mar 7th, 2012
One day after meeting with President Obama at the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gathered with congressional leaders Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Praising the wide bipartisan support for Israeli government policies, Netanyahu said no institution on earth can match what he called the "clarity,
Many of the so-called villains of history may really have been the heroes! It all depends on what the victorious historians History is a set of lies agreed upon.--Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821). About the only thing we ever learn from history is that we never learn from history.--A. Toynbee
Ted Rudow III, MA
History is a set of lies
by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Wednesday Mar 7th, 2012
One day after meeting with President Obama at the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gathered with congressional leaders Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Praising the wide bipartisan support for Israeli government policies, Netanyahu said no institution on earth can match what he called the "clarity,
Many of the so-called villains of history may really have been the heroes! It all depends on what the victorious historians History is a set of lies agreed upon.--Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821). About the only thing we ever learn from history is that we never learn from history.--A. Toynbee
Ted Rudow III, MA
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
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When Ronald Reagan became president, he brought into the office something that had been lacking in the previous three administrations: confidence. His programs were innovative (to be sure), and he was an eloquent orator.
Simply put, Americans (in general) trusted his leadership, and he capitalized on that.
"Reaganomics" instituted sweeping tax cuts, particularly for the upper-income taxpayers. The Reagan advisers assessed (correctly I believe) that more money in the hands of those with a surplus would be reinvested in the economy. The American economy boomed for nearly eight years, but President Reagan left the White House having bloated our economy with debt. The largest deficits in the history of any economy (nearly $2.2 trillion) were accumulated during the longest period of uninterrupted economic growth.
For half a century – from the depths of the Great Depression until the rise of Ronald Reagan – the U.S. government invested in building the nation and funding key research. And the country flourished. But Reagan then reversed those priorities.
All the things that Reagan has promised to do were things that you can see now the American people were in the mood for and are popular issues but in the end it lead to bankruptcy today!
Ted Rudow III,MA
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When Ronald Reagan became president, he brought into the office something that had been lacking in the previous three administrations: confidence. His programs were innovative (to be sure), and he was an eloquent orator.
Simply put, Americans (in general) trusted his leadership, and he capitalized on that.
"Reaganomics" instituted sweeping tax cuts, particularly for the upper-income taxpayers. The Reagan advisers assessed (correctly I believe) that more money in the hands of those with a surplus would be reinvested in the economy. The American economy boomed for nearly eight years, but President Reagan left the White House having bloated our economy with debt. The largest deficits in the history of any economy (nearly $2.2 trillion) were accumulated during the longest period of uninterrupted economic growth.
For half a century – from the depths of the Great Depression until the rise of Ronald Reagan – the U.S. government invested in building the nation and funding key research. And the country flourished. But Reagan then reversed those priorities.
All the things that Reagan has promised to do were things that you can see now the American people were in the mood for and are popular issues but in the end it lead to bankruptcy today!
Ted Rudow III,MA
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Reaganomic
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/02/26/18708221.php
"Reaganonmic"by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Sunday Feb 26th, 2012
When Ronald Reagan became president, he brought into the office something that had been lacking in the previous three administrations: confidence. His programs were innovative (to be sure), and he was an eloquent orator. Simply put, Americans (in general) trusted his leadership, and he capitalized on that. "Reaganomics" instituted sweeping tax cuts, particularly for the upper-income taxpayers. The Reagan advisers assessed (correctly I believe) that more money in the hands of those with a surplus would be reinvested in the economy. The American economy boomed for nearly eight years, but President Reagan left the White House having bloated our economy with debt. The largest deficits in the history of any economy (nearly $2.2 trillion) were accumulated during the longest period of uninterrupted economic growth. For half a century – from the depths of the Great Depression until the rise of Ronald Reagan – the U.S. government invested in building the nation and funding key research. And the country flourished. But Reagan then reversed those priorities. All the things that Reagan has promised to do were things that you can see now the American people were in the mood for and are popular issues but in the end it lead to bankruptcy today!
Ted Rudow III,MA
"Reaganonmic"by Ted Rudow III, MA ( Tedr77 [at] aol.com ) Sunday Feb 26th, 2012
When Ronald Reagan became president, he brought into the office something that had been lacking in the previous three administrations: confidence. His programs were innovative (to be sure), and he was an eloquent orator. Simply put, Americans (in general) trusted his leadership, and he capitalized on that. "Reaganomics" instituted sweeping tax cuts, particularly for the upper-income taxpayers. The Reagan advisers assessed (correctly I believe) that more money in the hands of those with a surplus would be reinvested in the economy. The American economy boomed for nearly eight years, but President Reagan left the White House having bloated our economy with debt. The largest deficits in the history of any economy (nearly $2.2 trillion) were accumulated during the longest period of uninterrupted economic growth. For half a century – from the depths of the Great Depression until the rise of Ronald Reagan – the U.S. government invested in building the nation and funding key research. And the country flourished. But Reagan then reversed those priorities. All the things that Reagan has promised to do were things that you can see now the American people were in the mood for and are popular issues but in the end it lead to bankruptcy today!
Ted Rudow III,MA
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The nuclear road not taken
by Christopher Marian Feb 22, 2012 7:07 pm Tags: energy, Japan, nuclear, policies, Power Plant, Tsunami, US
Chris Marian is a Spartan Daily copy editor.
Nuclear power has been in the news a lot these days — from the recent cascade failures at the Fukushima I nuclear plant in the wake of the Tohoku earthquake to Iran’s infamously not-so-civil nuclear program.
One bit of nuclear news from the last few weeks that’s probably gone under the radar comes from right here in the U.S.
The federal government has just issued a construction license for a pair of new nuclear reactors at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Georgia.
It’s the first time the federal government has issued a license for a new reactor since the incident at Three Mile Island back in 1979.
I take a fairly positive view of nuclear power, so one might think I see the news of the new reactors in Georgia as a good thing.
I don’t.
I’ve always believed that a robust system of commercial nuclear reactors, used in combination with renewable systems, can be a viable solution to a large chunk of our nation’s energy demands — but it’s not something that should ever be done half-assed.
That’s exactly what the Vogtle plant says about the U.S. nuclear infrastructure: half-assed.
One new reactor project in 30 years. 30 years!
Let me first explain why I like nuclear power by addressing the issues that are often raised against them.
First the big one — environmental impact.
From an engineering standpoint, this has been the most intractable issue with nuclear power and it's certainly what the granola-munching crowd likes to wail about the most.
Dealing with spent fuel has always been a tricky business, but there are technologies in development for reprocessing the used fuel.
Even in the short term, with the prospect of simply piling the stuff under a mountain in Nevada, I think it’s best to take a more big-picture look at the environmental impact of nuclear power.
Nuclear reactors are zero-emission — that white stuff you see coming out those iconic pot-shaped cooling towers is boiled river-water.
Scary.
Given a choice between a toxic bunker in Nevada and the zillions of tons of crap we’ve already poured into our atmosphere over the last half-century alone, I’ll have the bunker, please.
Now for the really scary one — safety.
I’ve always thought that nuclear power is as safe as you have the will to make it.
Before the Tohoku disaster in Japan in 2011, and the subsequent incidents at the Fukushima plant, the best known nuclear disasters in the world were the Chernobyl meltdown and explosion in the Ukraine in 1986, and the 1979 partial meltdown at the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania.
The Chernobyl disaster was the result of flawed engineering, sloppy management and a tyrannical bureaucracy that cared nothing for safety and had no room for professional oversight.
Contaminated smoke from the burning plant killed dozens, forced the evacuation of nearby communities and spread lesser amounts of contamination across Eastern Europe and Russia.
Rewind to 1979 — cascading mechanical failures at the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania triggered a partial meltdown in one of the plant’s two cores and the accidental venting of a small amount of radioactive gas into the environment.
Health experts have thus far been unable to verify any negative impact on the surrounding population and ecosystem.
The Three Mile Island plant used a radically different type of reactor than the Chernobyl plant and had a number of common sense safety systems that the Soviet plant lacked — so that even when there were multiple failures, what could have been an ecological disaster instead ended up just being an expensive and embarrassing industrial accident.
So what about Fukushima?
One has to remember that the meltdowns at the Fukushima I plant didn’t happen in isolation.
The plant was hit by a tsunami.
It could be reasonably argued that the plant was poorly sited, that its backup systems were too vulnerable to flooding, and that the Japanese government was unprepared to respond to a nuclear emergency.
I, however, tend to look at the Fukushima incidents as part of the larger narrative of the 2011 Tohoku disaster — about a nation dealing with a peculiarly dangerous geography and an overestimation of its own disaster-preparedness.
In the context of the U.S., I think nuclear power can be made at least as safe and reliable as fossil fuel systems.
Making potential U.S. plants safe and clean is, at its core, an engineering problem, but the final strike against the American nuclear industry and the one that really killed it back in ’79, is not: public hysteria.
This one factor, more than any other, is responsible for the decrepitude of the U.S. nuclear industry.
Our nuclear plants are no more safe, clean or efficient than they were 30 years ago, because we haven’t built any since.
Nuclear engineering has evolved in the 30 years since Three Mile Island turned us into a nation of nuclear hysterics — but all that progress is for naught in the face of a public that can’t look the bogeyman in the eye.
It’s the same lack of will that has hampered every other decision this country has had to make about our energy and environmental policies.
Half-assed in — half-assed out.
I hope solar does better — oh, wait, it didn’t.
An alternative view on US nuclear power policies.
An alternative view on US nuclear power policies.
@TedrTed ·
Since World War II, “the war to end all wars,” the explosive power of the combined nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia has grown to the equivalent of 300,000 Hiroshima’s. The 8,500 warheads and bombs in the US arsenal alone have a combined explosive power of more than 3 billion tons of TNT – about 1,500 pounds of explosive for every man, woman and child on this planet.
US Senator George McGovrn wrote: “Even the smallest of today’s strategic nuclear weapons has several times the yield of the Hiroshima bomb. If one were to explode at midday in Manhattan, the shock wave would kill 5,000,000 unprotected people within 4 or 5 miles and would demolish buildings almost as far away as the Connecticut border. And that would be just the beginning of the end: only 20 percent of the fatalities at Hiroshima were caused by the blast."
“Ted Rudow III, MA
Class of 1996
last update 11:34 pm
February 22, 2012
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The nuclear road not taken
by Christopher Marian Feb 22, 2012 7:07 pm Tags: energy, Japan, nuclear, policies, Power Plant, Tsunami, US
Chris Marian is a Spartan Daily copy editor.
Nuclear power has been in the news a lot these days — from the recent cascade failures at the Fukushima I nuclear plant in the wake of the Tohoku earthquake to Iran’s infamously not-so-civil nuclear program.
One bit of nuclear news from the last few weeks that’s probably gone under the radar comes from right here in the U.S.
The federal government has just issued a construction license for a pair of new nuclear reactors at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Georgia.
It’s the first time the federal government has issued a license for a new reactor since the incident at Three Mile Island back in 1979.
I take a fairly positive view of nuclear power, so one might think I see the news of the new reactors in Georgia as a good thing.
I don’t.
I’ve always believed that a robust system of commercial nuclear reactors, used in combination with renewable systems, can be a viable solution to a large chunk of our nation’s energy demands — but it’s not something that should ever be done half-assed.
That’s exactly what the Vogtle plant says about the U.S. nuclear infrastructure: half-assed.
One new reactor project in 30 years. 30 years!
Let me first explain why I like nuclear power by addressing the issues that are often raised against them.
First the big one — environmental impact.
From an engineering standpoint, this has been the most intractable issue with nuclear power and it's certainly what the granola-munching crowd likes to wail about the most.
Dealing with spent fuel has always been a tricky business, but there are technologies in development for reprocessing the used fuel.
Even in the short term, with the prospect of simply piling the stuff under a mountain in Nevada, I think it’s best to take a more big-picture look at the environmental impact of nuclear power.
Nuclear reactors are zero-emission — that white stuff you see coming out those iconic pot-shaped cooling towers is boiled river-water.
Scary.
Given a choice between a toxic bunker in Nevada and the zillions of tons of crap we’ve already poured into our atmosphere over the last half-century alone, I’ll have the bunker, please.
Now for the really scary one — safety.
I’ve always thought that nuclear power is as safe as you have the will to make it.
Before the Tohoku disaster in Japan in 2011, and the subsequent incidents at the Fukushima plant, the best known nuclear disasters in the world were the Chernobyl meltdown and explosion in the Ukraine in 1986, and the 1979 partial meltdown at the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania.
The Chernobyl disaster was the result of flawed engineering, sloppy management and a tyrannical bureaucracy that cared nothing for safety and had no room for professional oversight.
Contaminated smoke from the burning plant killed dozens, forced the evacuation of nearby communities and spread lesser amounts of contamination across Eastern Europe and Russia.
Rewind to 1979 — cascading mechanical failures at the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania triggered a partial meltdown in one of the plant’s two cores and the accidental venting of a small amount of radioactive gas into the environment.
Health experts have thus far been unable to verify any negative impact on the surrounding population and ecosystem.
The Three Mile Island plant used a radically different type of reactor than the Chernobyl plant and had a number of common sense safety systems that the Soviet plant lacked — so that even when there were multiple failures, what could have been an ecological disaster instead ended up just being an expensive and embarrassing industrial accident.
So what about Fukushima?
One has to remember that the meltdowns at the Fukushima I plant didn’t happen in isolation.
The plant was hit by a tsunami.
It could be reasonably argued that the plant was poorly sited, that its backup systems were too vulnerable to flooding, and that the Japanese government was unprepared to respond to a nuclear emergency.
I, however, tend to look at the Fukushima incidents as part of the larger narrative of the 2011 Tohoku disaster — about a nation dealing with a peculiarly dangerous geography and an overestimation of its own disaster-preparedness.
In the context of the U.S., I think nuclear power can be made at least as safe and reliable as fossil fuel systems.
Making potential U.S. plants safe and clean is, at its core, an engineering problem, but the final strike against the American nuclear industry and the one that really killed it back in ’79, is not: public hysteria.
This one factor, more than any other, is responsible for the decrepitude of the U.S. nuclear industry.
Our nuclear plants are no more safe, clean or efficient than they were 30 years ago, because we haven’t built any since.
Nuclear engineering has evolved in the 30 years since Three Mile Island turned us into a nation of nuclear hysterics — but all that progress is for naught in the face of a public that can’t look the bogeyman in the eye.
It’s the same lack of will that has hampered every other decision this country has had to make about our energy and environmental policies.
Half-assed in — half-assed out.
I hope solar does better — oh, wait, it didn’t.
An alternative view on US nuclear power policies.
An alternative view on US nuclear power policies.
@TedrTed ·
Since World War II, “the war to end all wars,” the explosive power of the combined nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia has grown to the equivalent of 300,000 Hiroshima’s. The 8,500 warheads and bombs in the US arsenal alone have a combined explosive power of more than 3 billion tons of TNT – about 1,500 pounds of explosive for every man, woman and child on this planet.
US Senator George McGovrn wrote: “Even the smallest of today’s strategic nuclear weapons has several times the yield of the Hiroshima bomb. If one were to explode at midday in Manhattan, the shock wave would kill 5,000,000 unprotected people within 4 or 5 miles and would demolish buildings almost as far away as the Connecticut border. And that would be just the beginning of the end: only 20 percent of the fatalities at Hiroshima were caused by the blast."
“Ted Rudow III, MA
Class of 1996
Monday, February 20, 2012
Lin
TFI Daily News
World News for World ChangersAbout / RSS How-to / Links / RSS / Archive
Feb 20
Jeremy Lin’s Favorite Bible Verse Reflects His Story of PerseveranceEryn Sun, Christian Post, Feb. 18, 2012New York Knicks’ newest star Jeremy Lin quoted among one of his favorite Bible verse a most fitting passage in Romans on suffering and perseverance.Perfectly describing his own journey thus far, he cited Romans 5:3-5, which read: “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”“The Bible talks a lot about how God takes bad situations and tough situations and he teaches us and he uses those times of suffering to draw us closer to him and that’s what I try to focus on during those times,” Lin said during an interview with GoodTV, a Taiwanese evangelical Christian channel.“For me, when I get knocked down, I really try to get back up and go at it again. I don’t like to give up.”The 23-year-old point guard has been knocked down quite a few times in the last few years, beginning with his journey into college.Receiving no athletic scholarship offers out of high school and being turned down by his first-choice school Stanford University, Lin decided after six months of prayer to enroll at Harvard.“For me, I didn’t want to go to Harvard. That was like my last option. But God closed all the other doors and made it very clear that he wanted me to go there so looking back I can see why and I’m very thankful that I’ve never gone to Stanford or any other PAC 10 school,” he revealed.When Lin was not selected in the 2010 NBA draft after graduating from Harvard, Donnie Nelson, the president of basketball operations for the Dallas Mavericks and a strong Christian as well, called him and told him that God had a perfect plan for him.“He said… ‘This could be just…another barrier that you have to overcome but God is sovereign.’ That was his reminder to me as he was inviting me to play for his summer league team,” the former Palo Alto resident recalled.After playing in the Summer League, Lin received offers to play on multiple teams including the Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.In the end, he signed a two-year deal with his hometown Warriors, his favorite team while growing up, in July 2010, though he was released after a year without much opportunity to play.He then went on to the Houston Rockets who after less than a month waived Lin to sign center Samuel Dalembert, as well.The New York Knicks eventually claimed him off waivers late last December, where Lin was assigned to Erie BayHawks of the D-League. He was later recalled by the Knicks and finally given a chance to play by Coach Mike D’Antoni, who previously said that Lin was only put in because his team was doing badly.When Lin reached career highs during a game against the New Jersey Nets on Feb. 4, teammate Carmelo Anthony suggested to the coach that Lin play more in the second half.Given more opportunities due to injuries and setbacks from other major players on his team, Lin surprised everyone and became an overnight sensation when he helped secure seven consecutive wins for the Knicks. He was also the first NBA player to score at least 20 points and seven assists in each of his first four starts.“There were just so many different things that really had to happen in order for me to make it into the NBA and you know I have a list of about 12 to 15 things that had to happen and none of it had anything to do with me and it was all in God’s control. His fingerprints are all over my story,” Lin said.Named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week and invited to participate in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game and Slam Dunk Contest, all eyes remain on Lin now.His humility on and off the court, hard work ethic, and praises to God every chance he gets have sparked an overwhelming fan base and the subsequent “Linsanity” movement.Despite the recent fame and popularity, Lin remains committed to his game, his team, and his faith.“God’s given me a unique platform and right now I’m trying to use it in the right way,” the 6’3” Asian- American player shared. “I can use national television, I can use media in a way to talk about my faith, to talk about how much God has done in my life, not what I’ve done to make it to the NBA.”Lin was the first to admit, however, that he still struggled with pride and the “temptations of the world.” But he reminded himself constantly of where his identity lies, which was in Christ and not his NBA career.“To understand that I’m not playing for anything on this earth, I’m playing for my prize in heaven, for the upward call that Paul talks about, that’s what I need to remind myself every day when I wake up.”“I [have] to really understand that I’m not playing for all my fans, for my family, even for myself, I really have to play to glorify God,” he stated. “And when other people see me play basketball…the way I treat my teammates, the opponents, the refs, that’s all a reflection of God’s image and God’s love so that’s the stuff I try to focus on.”In the future, Lin hopes to become a pastor and work with underprivileged communities. He described that some of his teammates grew up in broken homes and poor neighborhoods, lacking many resources. He desired to shine a light on those communities and bring the Gospel to them as well.For now, Lin just tried to focus on what is in front of him.“Every time I step on the court and there are 20,000 fans screaming…I try to block everybody out and…just pretend like God is sitting courtside right there… and just play, play for him,” he affirmed. “Obviously it’s something that I’m going to struggle with still and get tempted and have to fall off track a little bit and get back on.”“But right now I’m focusing on what my calling is and what my mission is and everything else I leave up to God.”
Ted Rudow III
So from the age of five, I was in competive sports until I became a missionary in April,1972. During my teen-age years, my life was in turmoil! The only escape for me, I thought was sports. So I practiced and practiced basketball until I received few athletic scholarships included West Point but I decided to attend the University of California at Berkeley, in 1970. My coach, John Barrette at Menlo-Atherton High School cut me two times, my freshman and sophomore years. He went on to coach at Palo Alto High School and won the State title. He benches me few times and I learn the hard way. And I am glad for it! Making of a man.
World News for World ChangersAbout / RSS How-to / Links / RSS / Archive
Feb 20
Jeremy Lin’s Favorite Bible Verse Reflects His Story of PerseveranceEryn Sun, Christian Post, Feb. 18, 2012New York Knicks’ newest star Jeremy Lin quoted among one of his favorite Bible verse a most fitting passage in Romans on suffering and perseverance.Perfectly describing his own journey thus far, he cited Romans 5:3-5, which read: “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”“The Bible talks a lot about how God takes bad situations and tough situations and he teaches us and he uses those times of suffering to draw us closer to him and that’s what I try to focus on during those times,” Lin said during an interview with GoodTV, a Taiwanese evangelical Christian channel.“For me, when I get knocked down, I really try to get back up and go at it again. I don’t like to give up.”The 23-year-old point guard has been knocked down quite a few times in the last few years, beginning with his journey into college.Receiving no athletic scholarship offers out of high school and being turned down by his first-choice school Stanford University, Lin decided after six months of prayer to enroll at Harvard.“For me, I didn’t want to go to Harvard. That was like my last option. But God closed all the other doors and made it very clear that he wanted me to go there so looking back I can see why and I’m very thankful that I’ve never gone to Stanford or any other PAC 10 school,” he revealed.When Lin was not selected in the 2010 NBA draft after graduating from Harvard, Donnie Nelson, the president of basketball operations for the Dallas Mavericks and a strong Christian as well, called him and told him that God had a perfect plan for him.“He said… ‘This could be just…another barrier that you have to overcome but God is sovereign.’ That was his reminder to me as he was inviting me to play for his summer league team,” the former Palo Alto resident recalled.After playing in the Summer League, Lin received offers to play on multiple teams including the Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.In the end, he signed a two-year deal with his hometown Warriors, his favorite team while growing up, in July 2010, though he was released after a year without much opportunity to play.He then went on to the Houston Rockets who after less than a month waived Lin to sign center Samuel Dalembert, as well.The New York Knicks eventually claimed him off waivers late last December, where Lin was assigned to Erie BayHawks of the D-League. He was later recalled by the Knicks and finally given a chance to play by Coach Mike D’Antoni, who previously said that Lin was only put in because his team was doing badly.When Lin reached career highs during a game against the New Jersey Nets on Feb. 4, teammate Carmelo Anthony suggested to the coach that Lin play more in the second half.Given more opportunities due to injuries and setbacks from other major players on his team, Lin surprised everyone and became an overnight sensation when he helped secure seven consecutive wins for the Knicks. He was also the first NBA player to score at least 20 points and seven assists in each of his first four starts.“There were just so many different things that really had to happen in order for me to make it into the NBA and you know I have a list of about 12 to 15 things that had to happen and none of it had anything to do with me and it was all in God’s control. His fingerprints are all over my story,” Lin said.Named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week and invited to participate in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game and Slam Dunk Contest, all eyes remain on Lin now.His humility on and off the court, hard work ethic, and praises to God every chance he gets have sparked an overwhelming fan base and the subsequent “Linsanity” movement.Despite the recent fame and popularity, Lin remains committed to his game, his team, and his faith.“God’s given me a unique platform and right now I’m trying to use it in the right way,” the 6’3” Asian- American player shared. “I can use national television, I can use media in a way to talk about my faith, to talk about how much God has done in my life, not what I’ve done to make it to the NBA.”Lin was the first to admit, however, that he still struggled with pride and the “temptations of the world.” But he reminded himself constantly of where his identity lies, which was in Christ and not his NBA career.“To understand that I’m not playing for anything on this earth, I’m playing for my prize in heaven, for the upward call that Paul talks about, that’s what I need to remind myself every day when I wake up.”“I [have] to really understand that I’m not playing for all my fans, for my family, even for myself, I really have to play to glorify God,” he stated. “And when other people see me play basketball…the way I treat my teammates, the opponents, the refs, that’s all a reflection of God’s image and God’s love so that’s the stuff I try to focus on.”In the future, Lin hopes to become a pastor and work with underprivileged communities. He described that some of his teammates grew up in broken homes and poor neighborhoods, lacking many resources. He desired to shine a light on those communities and bring the Gospel to them as well.For now, Lin just tried to focus on what is in front of him.“Every time I step on the court and there are 20,000 fans screaming…I try to block everybody out and…just pretend like God is sitting courtside right there… and just play, play for him,” he affirmed. “Obviously it’s something that I’m going to struggle with still and get tempted and have to fall off track a little bit and get back on.”“But right now I’m focusing on what my calling is and what my mission is and everything else I leave up to God.”
Ted Rudow III
So from the age of five, I was in competive sports until I became a missionary in April,1972. During my teen-age years, my life was in turmoil! The only escape for me, I thought was sports. So I practiced and practiced basketball until I received few athletic scholarships included West Point but I decided to attend the University of California at Berkeley, in 1970. My coach, John Barrette at Menlo-Atherton High School cut me two times, my freshman and sophomore years. He went on to coach at Palo Alto High School and won the State title. He benches me few times and I learn the hard way. And I am glad for it! Making of a man.
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