Are You Kidding Me! ? Give Me a Break!

Formed with independent consensus builders and Libertarians, with disenfranchised Republicans and Democrats adopted from congress

Those of you who know me realize I get a little antsy when I cant hear the waves breaking and feel the ocean air. I do love cities at night but I have aversion to the days with suits, horns, smog, rushing, dust in my eyes, traffic jams, and the basic vagaries of overpopulated societies. As such you don’t find me in New York City often. But I found a golden opportunity to meet with a lot of people I know and wanted to know all in one fell swoop surrounding an Internet related conference this week, so off I went.

Getting out of DC region was uneventful. A couple hours later xxxx said “What’s that smell?” and sure enough we were in Jersey. For the rest of Jersey I was singing the Sopranos theme song, with a few of the correct words. (Pause and start the song in your head) Then we hit a NY tunnel, much like a brick wall with nowhere to move for over an hour. So much for going against rush hour traffic.

We finally checked in to the Grand Hyatt which it turns out employs some of the stupidest, rudest people I have ever met, see below.

It took a while to understand why the elevators only went to some floors, something I learned about over and over all week by getting in the wrong elevators. Once I got in the suite I found there was no hard wire Internet connection. (I don’t do wireless, PDA, text message, etc.) The man on the phone was kind enough to tell us we could get dialup connection, oy veh. Then I went to the “business office” for a real connection. The first workstation I was using in the empty room didn’t work so I was moving my stuff to the next station over.

But the crazy B who works there said:

Sir are you using two workstations, you cant do that.

Me: But I am just moving over because that one doesn’t work.

B: Sir if you use two workstations I will have to charge you

Me: I am just moving over, I will be done in a minute

B: Sir you cant use two workstations

Me: Go ahead and charge me I need to get my work done now

B: Sir don’t raise your voice at me

Me: You said you had to charge me so I said go ahead and charge me,

whats the problem

B: Sir Im calling security if you raise your voice at me

Me: Lady call security but just leave me alone so I can do my work

10 minutes later I heard her talking to security behind my head

saying “its ok now”, as if she had tamed a wild beast.

The rest of the week went fantastic meeting-wise, and meeting new

friends and business associates, etc. And I will leave a big blank

spot here for you to imagine all night activities with crazy domainers.

Finally it was over, lots of caffeine, a little sleep, some pizza at

odd hours, and other good memories.

But alas it was checkout time which requires the attention of Hyatt

staff to get my car. I called them with the ticket number but when I

went down there I didn’t have the actual hard copy. Yet another dense

Hyatt worker, this time at the car checkout, went ballistic:

“If you don’t have the ticket we can’t get your car.” Me: “You

already called your guy to get my car when I called and gave you the

number, so the car is already on its way”

Then 15 minutes of her asking for our room numbers over and over,

writing stuff from my drivers license, screaming about all the

bureaucracies being caused in her company in relation to managing

this missing ticket, and how she would get yelled at by someone in

the future for this problem. At this point I volunteered that it

might be better than her customer screaming at her presently.

Finally we were out of there and for a parting shot I informed her

that since I paid for their most expensive suite all week that I

really didn’t appreciate her s..t. While I am no big shot she had no

idea who I was. What if I was Warren Buffet missing his parking

ticket and using two workstations in their hotel?

But even at 9PM there was another hour of traffic to get back through

the same stupid tunnel. So much for waiting out rush hour. Back to

Jersey smell and then later another huge traffic jam at 1AM in the

middle of godknowswhereville, and finally back home.

Overall impression: the whole thing was great, even including most of

NY other than the minor idiosyncrasies above; evenso I don’t think

you will see me there again soon.

PS: Best story I can repeat: In NY I met the father of one of my

business associates who is a very well respected businessman. He

was at a big Hollywood event last week. He saw a nametag that said

“Michael Mann” and ended up walking up to the gentleman and asking

him if he was the domain guy “Michael Mann”. At that point the famous

director named Michael Mann looked at him like he was crazy.

PSS: An associate of director Mann contacted me a few weeks ago about

buying my identity michaelmann.com. I told them $1 million donated to

charity of my choosing, but they walked.

I don’t understand why everyone has a hardon for this girl. I mean what did she really do so bad? A sex tape, smoking pot, drunk driving? Clearly bad stuff, but a saint by Hollywood standards.

Now that she is out of jail and has done her time for her crime why not let her just be a rich Hollywood model like Cindy Crawford. Last time I checked nobody told Cindy how useless she was because she doesn’t have a real job. Yet all day long reporters like Anderson Cooper and Bill O’Reilly pretend the fray is above them, while at the same time they beat her down in their diatribes, and bring idiots on their shows to disrespect the young lady. They are indignant the whole way to the bank at Paris’ expense.

The truth is that she is only one expression created by society, and being delivered by Hollywood, for our consumption. Ratings don’t lie. So if you don’t like her don’t watch her or others who speak about her, and you wont be bothered. If you do like her join the millions who will keep propping her up in the press.

To the extent Paris is a real person I think she is now totally harmless, and I bet will ultimately end up being a role model for other young ladies, but likely with more blips on the way as Hollywood would have it.

As of June 10, 2007.    Paris deserves the identical treatment as any other criminal who committed the same crimes in California. I am not sure if the judge gave her a harsh sentence or not. It seems she broke the law and spit in the face of the system several times before ever getting jail time. However, given the prison overcrowding in that state and consistently lenient sentencing, it seems that few nonviolent criminals get more than a day or two in jail. I am sure, however, that she did get special treatment when she was released for a vague medical condition, against the judges orders and totally outside of the normal protocol in similar situations. Once she was released due to whatever trickery her team concocted with the sheriff, it was absolutely unfair to send her back, just as she has cried out in court. Fire the jailer but don’t emotionally torture the young lady, especially given the sheriff’s department just made a huge deal about her emotional weakness when releasing her. 

This guy is a piece of work. I haven’t read his book and I am not sure I want to because, even if it is interesting, he is a big liar.

I like to pretend that with little information I can spot a liar, and in Tenet’s case here is why:

Everyone from the CIA is a liar, especially the boss or ex-boss.

He is implicated in the worlds biggest PR and political disaster.

His basic story of claiming his “slam dunk” comment was about selling the war and not about nukes is totally implausible on its face.

He is clearly committed to making Cheney look bad for basic revenge.

He is a nervous talker and looks guilty.

So there you have it. Another political disgrace. Lets not buy his stupid book.

Clearly Imus is a huge jerk. He always has been from what I can tell. That is his schtick. It apparently sells. But I can’t understand what the market liked about him in the first place. And why market forces didn’t put him out of business before now. Or Howard Stern for that matter.

Also why didn’t Sharpton and Jackson attempt to take advantage of this predicament before now by pressuring long time advertisers and network execs of this exact same format to pull out of this and other shows? Politically correct hype of the day is the answer, in silent conspiracy with the press - pundits sensationalizing the issues and attempting to make themselves heroes of the black community. The press is just selling ad space. They could give a crap about what is fair, racist, or truly politically correct. One fall guy and lots of ad sales and book sales is what comes from the whole event.

I think Imus should be able to say whatever he wants. Jesse Jackson isn’t totally credible himself. And Sharpton is a horrible scum bag. The biggest racist one could imagine and a caught cocaine dealer. (See Sharpton and Jackson references in my blog entries below, with special emphasis on Twana Brawley)

I think Jackson and Sharpton and Imus should say whatever they want whenever they want, but I don’t know why anyone would listen to them, other than Jackson on occasion.

In any case how come the racist musicians don’t get booted from their labels for selling their lame art? Because in America we have freedom of speech. Save your indignation or use it in all venues. Identifying with the outrage of the week, while ignoring grander long term social problems and racism is folly.

In the Imus event there are some true heroes. The main one is the coach of the Rutgers basketball team, Vivian Stringer, who very clearly expressed what the issues are, why it is evil to engage in such speech, how great those athletes really are, how society can heal, and last but not least she led the team to forgive Imus. Proving that the team and the coach are real winners; the goal of every team. The clear idiots are Imus, Jackson, Sharpton, the TV and radio execs, the press, and anyone who bought this act hook, line, and sinker.

Let’s wipe out racist, sexist idiots from the marketplace by not listening to it or watching it, and by expressing our outrage every day in their faces and those of their advertisers. Let’s not facilitate any of the bad characters in making self serving press events when it’s easy for them.

When we look back 50 years from now, most of the press activities and a lot of the music we are listening to today will be considered moronic and deceptive, with this Imus period of time as an excellent example.

Until today I really didn’t have much affinity for Apple, other than for Jobs himself. I thought that my coworkers spent too much on their boxes, I didn’t like the hype, and I thought the graphics on my PC were just fine anyhow. I have never used a Mac or studied much about it, just press releases and hype.

Now I finally realize that Jobs has positioned Apple to be the preferred technology provider for the future of technology, a nice positon. For me “convergence” is the future of technology. Jobs’ strategy will disintermediate dozens of large wannabe leaders.

The exciting part is how their strategy comes together. First of all there is the PC or Mac which can download any multimedia, including anything made by any consumer in the world, just minutes after it’s produced, or streamed realtime if necessary - a bunch of ones and zeros over fiber or wireless, direct to your PC. Each piece of content is easily indexed on your own PC and online, given appropriate tagging.

Next Apple created the iPod, which is merely a hard drive and its display, with full multimedia capacity and an easy user interface. This is an obvious and extremely popular invention.

Next Apple is creating the iPhone. Given we bought Phone.com to do some similar things (before them) I am obviously a big believer and promoter of VOIP telecom, which is naturally convergent with many other Internet connected apps, and soon with our RFID and biometrics too.

Next Apple announced the iTV, an obvious product to go within their array. This is when I realized how it all came together and how far ahead they really are. The beauty of this strategy is that in the future the TV, Phone, iPod, and PC can be almost indistinguishable, other than the ala carte features chosen, and the display size and placement.

The iTV can easily wirelessly beam the very same content to the iPhone which can also beam the same content to any enabled device. That same content can be viewed on the TV, Phone, iPod, and PC screens respectively. It’s all interchangeable and therefore convergent like it should be.

Apple also opened up the content flow by creating iTunes, an easy way for publishers to deliver bits of licensed content and collect fees. Obviously a good idea.

If it didn’t strike you yet, you should realize that they will try to open up licensed online television distribution too, another thing Im a huge fan of. In other words you will log in and download the shows you want easily and legally.

iTunes, iTV, and others will continue to leverage the opportunity to fill technology applications with uploaded user controlled content like YouTube.

Apple will also make all applications user-friendly I’m sure and allow most of the content pieces to be easily managed and altered, be they TV shows, phone calls,or rock concerts.

This is why I am suddenly a fan of Apple and maybe I should review their stock despite my disdain for Wall Street listed companies. LMK what I’m missing. Peace.

My opinion is that it was a good idea in theory to remove the regime of the Hitler of the Middle East (Saddam). The original correct reasons (not nukes) to go in to Iraq include:

-They sponsored terrorists by pledging $25,000 to the families of all Hamas suicide bombers. Bush had warned all sponsors of terror and it was too late to back off.

-They attacked their neighbors, Kuwait

-They gassed their own people, the Kurds

-They killed many Shiite and repressed the rest of their majority

-They sent bombs in to residential neighborhoods in Israel, a longtime US ally and only democracy in the Middle East.

-They tortured anyone they didn’t like just like the Nazis.

-The women in their country were kept like slaves

-The country was ruled by a minority of mad men, not the popular will

-The United Nations voted for it unanimously

-The US Congress voted for it in majority

Great reasons to overthrow an evil dictator if there could be any.

Back to the current problems:

-The Iraqis in general do not understand or have any history of democracy

-They have a long history of civil hatred between Sunni and Shiite and Kurd

-They will keep fighting over oil revenue and legacy sectarian differences

-They hate America so spending more American lives, time and money will never get us love and respect

-The Americans allowed inhumane treatment at Abu Gharab which irretrievably sabotaged our reputation

-Many other hideous acts of Americans have been discovered although they are certainly the exception to the best and most respectable fighting force in world history.

-The Europeans, led by the useless French and German governments, have not helped the US in gaining international consensus which would have been required to exert enough pressure on the Sunni, Shiite, and CIA leaders to cut a deal creating civility and stability.

This is the only thing that has any chance of working eventhough it’s a long shot at best and there will be massive bloodshed in advance.

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The US government is the very definition of a large convoluted bureaucracy and its decisions reflect the consensus of the sausage making process. The politicians voted in majority to support an attack on Iraq, and so it was.

Once that happened we realized the president’s PR was all based on false premises disclosed by the CIA. Rational parties may differ as to what they believe the president ostensibly knew for certain.

There were lots of good reasons to destroy Saddam’s regime. But the first problem was that the Bush administration didn’t promote the correct reasons, or do so properly.

In any event the white house spin from ‘02 is just a side show; the real travesty is the horrible execution in the war; and the fact that now there will perpetually be no “right” solution. This means more blood and death and destruction and hate.

BTW, the Iraq police force has no credibility and if the US leaves they will either scatter or be destroyed by Sunni mad men. Also the Shiite death squads will exact revenge on the Sunnis as they are doing now. A big civil war will evolve, while today is a small one with the US in the middle for no possible gain.

I am hoping for a deal between parties that are ready for peace and are tired of perpetuating more suffering for their people.

This isn’t a joke but give me a break anyhow.

Anna Nicole was once a regular girl. And typical American poverty and family issues mixed with a high demand for strippers led her to become one.

Then she was fortunate (or unfortunate) to marry a really rich dude who was about to die. Golddigging and attempting to buy love are also American traditions.

So here we have all the raw materials for disaster. Wealth, sex, drugs, immaturity, and cameras. You could see it coming like a freight train.

Add death of her husband and a lot of lawyers (an American favorite), and then increasing drug addiction……. then the train is about to hit a wall.

Next the train does hit the wall when the drug addicted and depressed son, Daniel, dies. Who was watching his interests? Was this enough of a wake up call for anyone?

How about to the doctor who prescribed the methadone to the 8 month pregnant noninjured Anna, and the many others who enabled her? The doctor is likely drugging Howard too, and the dead son previously. Hopefully we’ll see the doctor in handcuffs and maybe Howard too if there are facts against him.

Next thing you know, the star herself is dead. So who is to blame if anyone?

First of all she is, since she is an adult with freewill. Next Stern who should have protected all of them as her attorney, lover, business partner, and 24×7 companion.

Next the businesspeople who had anything to do with her TV show, since they allowed her physical and mental state to deteriorate in front of cameras merely for money. The incompetence in Hollywood is alarming.

Next take in to account all the other men she apparently slept with and any women; each failed to protect her.

Also the paparazzi did not try to help her and did profit on her, like they did with Princess Di.

Overall what killed her is her own lack of willpower within her Hollywood lifestyle. But, since Hollywood is just a reflection of the wishes and vices of Americans, we created Anna I’m sorry to say.

I heard the sound clip of US military pilots who accidentally killed a British soldier on the ground.  They instantly understood from their heart that this was one of their own and therefore immediately began crying, getting sick, and even expecting a jail term.

Interestingly seconds earlier and throughout their careers they were dropping bombs on “the enemy”. And occasionally there must be an innocent person mixed in, but they don’t know whom or when.

In any event their normal reaction to killing is not very emotional but killing their own hurts them inside.

Therein lays the problem of war – each party sees themselves as separate from the other. Socio-politico-religious groups will do anything to protect their own including bombing others, but they will cry when theirs are harmed.

Once you “take sides” you will defend yours until the end and hurt the others in the same process. If we are all on the same side of humanity this would not be a problem. Miscommunications and misinformation are the ultimate reasons for war.

So if we communicate better with the rest of the world and cut deals to solve problems then we will have less bloodshed and economic hardships.

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