The M1 Abrams: The Army tank that could not be stopped - Open Channel

The M1 Abrams: The Army tank that could not be stopped - Open Channel


An example of what happens when the budget people want to cut spending on an item that provides jobs to a congressman's home district.  Or more so if it involves several congressmen.  The effort by the Pentagon to trim its budget in response to the budget hawks in DC has met with the desire for pork inherent in money fueled politics.

I have said before that this is no different from a budget viewpoint than spending that amount on teachers or schools except that those have a long lasting, significance.  It is stimulus spending no matter how you look at it except that the money is going to the giant armaments corporations and then into the pockets of congressmen rather than to the middle class who would use it to promote the virtues that made our economy the envy of the world.  No longer.  Now we are the armorer to the world.

Video: Top Secret America | Watch FRONTLINE Online | PBS Video

Video: Top Secret America | Watch FRONTLINE Online | PBS Video

Watch Top Secret America on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

I just watched this and it is beyond frightening what has happened to our country in the name of security and patriotism.  I have no doubt that the founders would not have approved of the costs to our civil liberties.  What is more scary is that most people don't even know about it.  I am of the opinion that it just doesn't matter to most people but the time is ahead when these excesses will turn around and be focused on the average citizen.  It will be practically impossible to put away since the government has turned over to private industry the job of collecting much of the information and once a revenue stream is established it is very hard to stop.

Business shows it's true colors.

As Health Law Changes Loom, A Shift To Part-Time Workers : NPR


This article points up a truth about health care and how it is provided here in the United States.  Some employers will no doubt go to part time employees and others will choose to pay the penalty rather than offer insurance.  Each of these will result in the individual seeking coverage in the exchanges.  THE VERY FACT that businesses are taking these routes shows how the costs of health care, even employer furnished health care, is already subsidized in a socialistic manner by the American taxpayer.  The only way around this is for the IRS to tax insurance benefits at their value or for the businesses to pay the employee and that employee seek coverage on the open market.  Either way is painful and would force changes in the way health care is paid for.

NEWSLINE: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

Mississippi feud believed behind ricin case

This report in from Sydney about the ricin laced letters to the President and a senator.  The first suspect, who was eventually cleared, when the FBI questioned him said, "I don't even eat rice, don't have any in the house, you can look."  Reportedly the FBI thought he was yanking their chain but finally decided to let him go and arrest a guy he was squabbling with.  Now, the other guy is a member of MENSA so he is automatically suspect.  From the accounts in this article this is just everyday's business in Tupelo.

Prosperity or Not

We have a very conservative county, perhaps to the point of being reactionary. It is evident from the many votes over the years that the majority of our voters are very reluctant to allow anything to change or to allow new ideas to take root. That is slowly changing with the aging of the population and the influx of retirees from other places. It is a painfully slow process for those who want to see the Somerset-Pulaski County area flourish. It is also a painful truth that the area will require a more progressive attitude to flourish. The city of Somerset has had a somewhat clearer path and has, through aggressive leadership, managed to overcome the inertia inherent in a conservative population. This points out the route that the rest of county government and other civic leaders will have to proceed if a more responsive and prosperous community is a desirable goal.

It has always been a mystery to me how we praise leaders who go out on a limb to lead people on a different but better path and then refuse to elect people who want to campaign on that vision. Far too often we elect people who promise to return us to some mythical better time and protect us from a world intent on invading us and destroying our way of life. History books are replete with examples of brave leadership in the face of contention. Teddy Roosevelt led the attack on the great Barons of Wealth and broke up monopolies to give the people a chance to share in prosperity. Where would we be if Abraham Lincoln had not seized the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation and force passage of the 14^th amendment? Yes, he followed his heart and it cost him his life but it led the nation into the new age that would take a hundred years to ripen. Martin Luther King gave his life to bring that ripening. But those guys did not campaign on those platforms. Had they done so it is likely they would not have been elected but they did seize the opportunity when it presented itself. These are historical examples but there are thousands of times that a local entrepreneur or crusader has lead a reluctant populace into the future.

Without vision the people perish is a phrase that most of us are familiar with. I think it applies here in a temporal sense in that without leaders to cast a vision a population has no reason to expect an economy that will allow our children to remain in the area to arise. Without a vision of what businesses will want there is no reason for any enterprise that is used to more amenities to locate here. Our practice so far has to use tax incentives to lure businesses here, mostly bringing low wage jobs when our area is positioned to offer much more in the way of infrastructure. What is lacking is a sense that Pulaski County is reaching for the future with the voices of civic leaders who can give governmental leaders the cover they need to act in a visionary way.

Birth is painful, I am told. Change is inconvenient and upsets our traditions and makes us take unknown paths but such is the price of growth. Sometimes it is drawn out and sometimes it is foist upon us but for prosperity growth is essential. As a young man I was working in Lexington in the late 60s and early 70s with the telephone company. The growth that was happening there was explosive due to various factors. The Boomers were entering college and the University was growing. Lexington had landed an IBM headquarters and all of a sudden Lexington was no longer just a horse town. Eventually it led to the formation of the Urban-County government that is still one of only two in the state. People there were reluctant also but they had a few leaders who went out on a limb to make it happen and even after it was a fact it was difficult to make it work.

Now, I don't really want to compare our area with the Lexington-Fayette County area because there are some key demographic elements that are very different but what is not different is that they required key leaders to take a progressive position and then work tirelessly to make it happen. It was not easy.

Another of the things that has astonished me from time to time is when a great idea is trotted out and it is met with antagonism or great apathy. Fact is that a transformative idea usually is treated like that. People just resist change even though it happens whether or not we choose it. We can only choose to direct it or to not direct it. Staying the same is not an option.

I want to encourage the leaders who make up the group that has proposed a study to examine the pros and cons of merging our city and county governments to not give up in the face of adversity. Neither should they attempt to shove this down a reluctant city's throat. I want to encourage them to lead to change attitudes and to some day achieve that goal. It is an admirable goal but is only has value in the ways that it can bring increased prosperity to the citizens and there is a lot of that to be reaped along the way. I have stated in this space that it is difficult for me to see the advantages for the city to enter into such an agreement at this time but that does not mean that it is not a good idea. It needs to ripen through the efforts of a new cadre of leaders who have potentially revealed themselves. Lead those who will follow into a new period for our county that will make it a more attractive partner for merger. The way will be painful but true leaders will not falter and the people will prosper.

A bit more of my take on this issue. It is great to see people interested in making our home a more attractive and prosperous place in which to live.

Read 'em and Weep

A Rise in Wealth for the Wealthy; Declines for the Lower 93% | Pew Social & Demographic Trends


But, by all means, let's not try to prevent the 1% from cornering every dime in the country while the poor get poorer.  Some ask why we should tax the rich for their hard work.  I say why should the poor get poorer working to make them rich.  The differential in wealth is now greater than at any time in history, including the Great Depression.  How can people consume without wealth?  Just look at what the upper tax rates were before the decline of the middle class began.  Become educated!

OK. I'm just gonna say it. Brandon was shucked! To pick a song like "Piece of my Heart" that was made famous by Janis Joplin obviously played to the female, whatever her name is. Yes, she is good and did great on the song but I thought Brandon took a difficult situation and showed his soul. It was a setup. Now, call me a sore loser if you must but that is my take.

Costs soar when doctors work for hospitals | Op-Ed | Kentucky.com

Costs soar when doctors work for hospitals | Op-Ed | Kentucky.com

Disaster: What of it?

Often when horrific incidents occur I feel inadequate to put into words the feelings that I have and I don't want to trivialize the pain of people by using trite phrases that have not been given the benefit of some consideration. All of the initial things to be said have already been said by those there and by the talking heads on television and lots of others. After the occurrences have had time to reach their fruition and the impact is known is the time to look at what happened and try to make some sense from the death and destruction. When devastation strikes it is only about the lives of the people impacted. Many other times we calculate economic impact, ideologies and preferences before we consider the impact on people's lives but when we see such disasters as we have seen in the past week our hearts go out to the people and those other things just aren't important any more. It is very likely the way we should look at things more often.

The Boston Marathon bombing left innocent bystanders dead and maimed much as the men and women we send to war come back to us. We are just not used to seeing such horror close up but when we consider the people we must also think of the innocent around the world to whom it is a common occurrence. These people were at the center of the destruction wrought by two young men of Chechen extraction. Their motivations are unknown Usually the Chechen terrorists focus on the Russians who rule their part of the world with an iron fist and brutality. Why they have chosen to bring their battle to the United States is still a matter for conjecture but I am sure we will soon know the answer to that. It has taken several days and the shutdown of one of our largest cities to kill one and capture the other. Lives have been lost to them in the hunt and the economic loss is yet to be calculated. The purpose of such attacks is not to win a battle but to cause fear and terror in the people. They calculate that with enough terror we will give up and give them what they want, whatever that might be in this case. But if they sought to divide Boston they failed. Just as New York did Boston united in their pain and suffering and wholeheartedly supported their law enforcement personnel. Then they cheered them when it was brought to a close. Not only do those citizens of those cities bond but the entire nation bonds with them and calls them brother and sister. The Mayor of Boston said it when he said that if the goal of the bombers was to terrorize the city they had failed. That must be the attitude taken whenever we are attacked because it is the lack of intimidation and fear that defeats the enemy.

Then came the explosion of a fertilizer plant in West, Texas. Just like a terroristic tactic there was an initial explosion and fire and then when first responders came there was a much larger and devastating explosion. The pictures don't do justice to the power of that explosion that utilized the same explosive that was used in Oklahoma City at the Murrah Building but more of it. The picture I saw that gave be the clearest idea of the force of that explosion was one of some railway tracks some distance from the point of eruption. Those tracks were pushed sideways like spaghetti strands. If I am correct in assuming most of the blast was directed outward and upward then this was only a small portion of the total force that did this damage. First responders were lost doing what they do in the face of danger which is trying to keep others from harm. But others were harmed. There were houses, schools and a nursing home in close proximity to the fertilizer facility and one can only speculate as to the wisdom of that. It is one of the reason that I support planning and zoning which would have prevented the exposure of people to danger.

Two horrific acts. One intentional and one accidental happening only hours apart. What can such things tell us? First it demonstrates the indomitable spirit of people that will ignore personal danger to assist others in need. It is a trait that gives the rest of us hope and restores the belief that good will triumph over evil. It reveals characteristics that we did not know we had and hopefully will make us more considerate and compassionate people. Then I think we must examine what went wrong to cause these things to happen for without that those acts will have no meaning. Without introspection those acts will mean no more than a possum that has been run over on the road.

We must learn what caused these two young men who chose to emigrate to the United States and who reportedly intended to seek citizenship to become so distraught with the way of life in the United States. We must learn why they were willing to be so insensitive to human suffering that they would wreak havoc in the way they did. We can learn how to do many things to improve our security but absolute security is impossible in a free society. It has always been thus. We must learn if there is anything that we can do to remove the impetus for such a murderous impulse. It is imperative that we recognize that those young men in Boston had some grievance that they thought was only addressable through violence.

In the case of the explosion in Texas we must learn how we can work with such chemicals while reducing the hazards of the workplace. In addition, we must learn not to place our families and loved ones in a zone that is subject to death and destruction. We are working with ever more dangerous substances and must not be unmindful of the implications to people.

But the lessons that we learned about the spirit of the people can give us hope for without hope, reason for being is lost. Things are never as simple as they sometimes seem. We must resist the inclination to distrust and hate all Muslims. We must not give in to the demands of a business that claims safety is too expensive. And we must resist the temptation to surrender our liberties in order to achieve a diaphanous security.

No Decent Options

US sending troops to Jordan as Assad issues warning - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)


While it seems that it is impossible for the United States to sit on the sideline in civil wars such as this it should be noted that as despicable and brutal a dictator as Assad is he is correct about Al Qaeda being part of the rebels fighting against him.  It is difficult to see how the US can come out of this with anything approaching a decent outcome. The President has tried to tread a middle path but our own legislators are shouting for him to be more belligerent as if that had worked OK in the past.

What Now for Alternative Energy Sources

Why green energy startups are now 'toxic' - Aug. 21, 2012


Our government is not supporting the tapping of new energy sources because it has its head in the sand pursuing other problems that will not matter a whit in the long run.  In the short term China is not being diverted by ideological concerns and is focused on bringing
prosperity to China.

China trounces U.S. in green energy investments - Apr. 17, 2013

China trounces U.S. in green energy investments - Apr. 17, 2013   


a sad commentary on our confused commitment to the future of energy production.  This is the kind of thing that will cost us world leadership.

Another Way

Not everyone in Kentucky is pro-coal.  Many have realized that our economy is tied to this single product and that is not good for families

A Little More Talk, A Little Less Action

A Good Idea but....................................

So I'm guessing that the group that has proposed the study to examine the pros and cons of a merged government for Pulaski County didn't think to approach the Mayor prior to making headlines. Take it from someone who has a long history of faux pas that the surprise tactic is ill considered. People don't like being caught unawares especially if they are going to be dragged through the court of public opinion. Having said that, the proposition that a study be done is not a bad idea although a little altruistic. It has long made sense to me that governmental functions be combined to eliminate duplication of effort and expense but from the examples offered by the only other merged governments in the state that is easier said than done. The reason being that there are several constitutional offices that seemingly just can't be gotten rid of without a constitutional amendment and those things are a magnet for disagreement. Lexington-Fayette County merged but just can't seem to get rid of that other police force in the Sheriff’s department including the Sheriff due to certain functions being assigned to that office. Besides, that office carries a lot of political weight and the occupiers are loathe to give that up. That's just one but the pattern is that those constitutional offices are here to stay so any cost savings there is unlikely.

There are good reasons for a merged government not the least of which is being able to present a unified effort and voice when trying to effect policy for the area. The same goes for attracting industry to the area but the real question is whether or not the citizens of Somerset-Pulaski County and all the other municipalities to be absorbed actually benefit from improved government. Heck, we have a substantial number who think any kind of government is undesirable.

For any merger to make sense there has to be advantages that each side brings to the table and therein lies the rub. It is easy to see how Pulaski County could be advantaged by such a merger but not so much the city of Somerset. Just looking back over the last twenty or so years one has to search hard to find any significant improvements made for the residents of the county due to actions by the Judge-Executive and the Fiscal Court. A cursory look seems to indicate that those elected officials have been more content to fight for the status quo. There have been opportunities, the BioLab for one, that could have been a game changer for the county even though there was widespread discontent with having it located here. Nevertheless, it had potential to lift the standard of living and educational attainment in the area as well as bring attention to an area that has long been recognized as the most likely to succeed. There have been efforts to lure industry to the area, some successful to a degree, by the use of tax abatement policies. Those have been low wage jobs and not a few have come back with their hands out when the tax abatement period ended.

This is compared to the city of Somerset that has put into place actions that have been visionary and carried a substantial amount of risk when implemented but have paid dividends to the citizens over the long run and are projected to continue to do so. The purchase and construction of the natural gas system that has brought affordable energy to the city is a huge benefit and an effective lure for industry. Now the city is planning construction that will make it a hub for energy distribution. There are many who would not have been in favor of a municipality entering such an enterprise instead preferring to allow private enterprise to initiate the effort. It has been an astonishing refutation of the notion that private enterprise is always preferable to government action. Now Somerset is at the head of the class nationally in not only providing affordable energy but in being environmentally conscious with the innovation of a fueling station for Natural Gas powered vehicles. The city even proposes to transition most of its vehicle fleet to natural gas thereby ensuring the citizens of Somerset of even greater savings.

The city has moved within the past year to legalize alcohol sales within the city thereby removing one of the obstacles to growth that has long hindered businesses from locating headquarters here. While the measure passed easily in the city there is very little doubt that it would have been unsuccessful county wide. Now, this is determined by voters so there can be little argument but the mandate of leaders is to lead. Not to maintain the status quo even though there is risk in leading. On this measure the Judge-Executive and Fiscal Court are on record as being opposed to alcohol sales and that may certainly be in conformity with the wishes of the residents but is hardly emblematic of an awareness of what it takes to bring jobs and prosperity to a region. Sometimes a leader is required to try to change the awareness of of a region and show a way to the future. Yes, it is fraught with political danger but that is the nature of leadership.

In short, it is difficult to see what Pulaski County can bring to the table to induce the City of Somerset to enter into a partnership. This is not eternal. Pulaski County has a great many attributes that could be optimized to bring about a more desirable character to present to the world. It requires vision and risk.

The old saying goes, “if you ain't goin' forward, you're backin' up” and that is very true in today’s economic climate. You just can't sit still and expect people to beat a path to your door. We may long for the good old days but economies just don't work like that.

This doesn't have to be the end game. I still believe in merged governments just for the reasons I put forth at the beginning of this missive but Pulaski County needs to show what it brings to the table. Merged governments usually don't happen all at once but are put in effect in zones over a period of time. Perhaps something like this could work but the leaders and citizens of Pulaski County are going to have to want progress.

My take is that nerves are too raw. Do the study and then sit down and talk. However, it does not seem feasible for city or county governments to pay for the study. I do applaud the civic aspirations of those who want to lead Somerset-Pulaski County into a more progressive future.

Funding Science

Obama's Plan To Explore The Brain A 'Most Audacious Project' : Shots - Health News : NPR


anything that pushes at the boundaries of what is possible or what is known is characteristic of the human condition.  We are beginning to make advances in brain science that have the potential to eliminate many neurological diseases.  The next fifty years will be an explosion of science that will build on what we think we know today.

Over the past two years there has been a great interview series on Charlie Rose that has featured some of the leaders in brain research.  It is illuminating.  They are online on the Charlie Rose Page.





Charlie Rose Brain Series

http://www.charlierose.com/view/collection/10702