F-A-Natic Fridays – Boy Scouts

Photobucket

So the Boy Scouts of America made news recently by adding a Video Gaming belt loop/academic pin to the list of achievements that can be earned by scouts. As a proud former Boy Scout I am a little disturbed by this; I know it has been a while since I was a Boy Scout but what happened to getting badges and sewing them to the uniform (for the record my mother sewed all of my badges not me)?

Photobucket

Seriously, I am having a hard time understanding how the organization that promotes outdoor activities will now promote an indoor activity like video gaming. To be fair the Video Gaming badge is more than just playing PS3 or XBox 360. To earn the belt loop and academic pin Scouts will have to meet the following 12 point criteria:

Requirements
Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts may complete requirements in a family, den, pack, school, or community environment. Tiger Cubs must work with their parents or adult partners. Parents and partners do not earn loops or pins.

Belt Loop
Complete these three requirements:

1. Explain why it is important to have a rating system for video games. Check your video games to be sure they are right for your age.

2. With an adult, create a schedule for you to do things that includes your chores, homework, and video gaming. Do your best to follow this schedule.

3. Learn to play a new video game that is approved by your parent, guardian, or teacher.
Academics Pin

Earn the Video Games belt loop and complete five of the following requirements:

1. With your parents, create a plan to buy a video game that is right for your age group.

2. Compare two game systems (for example, Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii, and so on). Explain some of the differences between the two. List good reasons to purchase or use a game system.

3. Play a video game with family members in a family tournament.

4. Teach an adult or a friend how to play a video game.

5. List at least five tips that would help someone who was learning how to play your favorite video game.

6. Play an appropriate video game with a friend for one hour.

7. Play a video game that will help you practice your math, spelling, or another skill that helps you in your schoolwork.

8. Choose a game you might like to purchase. Compare the price for this game at three different stores. Decide which store has the best deal. In your decision, be sure to consider things like the store return policy and manufacturer’s warranty.

9. With an adult’s supervision, install a gaming system.

Again I give the Boy Scouts credit for making this more than just playing video games, but still! I look at this as an attempt to draw kids to the Boy Scouts; and I can understand that. In today’s society kids are not looking to learn how to tie a slip-knot or learning the scout honor. Kids are more worried about getting the high score on some video game or jumping online to play anyone in the world in a game of MLB 2K10. Unfortunately we are losing contact with each other, I remember the Boy Scouts being about learning to work as a team and enjoying the company of other kids that were a little different from you.

The Scouts also opened a different world to an urban jungle kid like myself; being in the Scouts allowed me the opportunity to go camping for the first time. That is an opportunity that a kid like me would have never had open to me if not for the Scouts.

Maybe I being to critical of this issue, one of the good things about this is that it does promote the interaction between parent and child; and that is important. I will be honest, I don’t remember everything I learned in Scouts but I do remember the good times. I will never forget the time I spent working with my dad building my car for the “Pinetown Derby” or making a kite for the kite flying contest. When I think back to those days I swear my dad had more fun than I did, LOL.

With all that said I guess I can give the Boy Scouts a break, I just hope they can find a way to balance keeping up with the times and keep traditions alive.

One thing I can’t let go is this whole “Belt Loop” business, WTH is that about???

Photobucket

Before I forget, shout-out to my Cub Scout Den Mother Mrs. Truncali! She always took the time to make sure Troop 555 had everything we needed. She also opened her home to the kids to work on their projects, thanks again Mrs. Truncali!!

As always….
If there is something to be said, “Its On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

WTF/WTH Wednesdays – The NY Jest, I mean Jets…..

Photobucket

After a very productive 2009 season with Rex Ryan at the helm and rookie QB Mark Sanchez managing the offense on the field, how will the Jets follow-up the 2009 season?

Well, they go out and make some big deals to bring in some great (albeit in some cases troubled) talent to strengthen the team. By far the Jets have made the most moves this offseason, but how will these moves pan out for the NY Jets?

Key Additions (not including draft):
1. LaDainian Tomlinson
2. Santonio Holmes
3. Jason Taylor
4. Antonio Cromartie

Key Subtractions:
1. Thomas Jones
2. Alan Faneca
3. Leon Washington

So who exactly is running the Jets?

With all the additions the Jets look like a Fantasy Team that some dork put together while listening to WFAN!

What is the deal with all these moves? I would say the best move for the Jets made was getting Santonio Holmes, even though he will be suspended for the first 4 games he is still the best PROVEN talent. I know Jason Taylor and Tomlinson have the resumes, but sooner or later father time will have to catch up with Taylor (we saw a glimpse of that in Washington). As for Tomlinson I think he is done; I don’t believe he can just turn it on now that he is a NY Jet. Tomlinson (No, I will not refer to him as LT!) was not hitting the hole as quickly as he had in his great years with the Bolts; once you lose that it’s over!

Then you have Cromartie, if you look at his stats 2 years ago then you have a great player; but that is a big IF! He has looked suspect on the field and seemed to be too involved in reading his press clippings. Now maybe he will be motivated by all the babies he has to feed, that still remains to be seen!

Adding a lot of talent in one year is not always a good thing; many times it is about bringing in the right people. Chemistry goes a long way, some times having chemistry will take your team further than talent. The Jets sacrificed big time leaders in Thomas Jones and Alan Faneca when they let them go; you can never under-estimate locker-room presence. Out of all the moves the Jets made this offseason Jason Taylor is their best bet at being a veteran leader.

Bottom line, no matter how good you look on paper it is all about what happens on the field! A couple of key injuries can really change season; unlike in Fantasy Leagues it is a little more difficult to make deals to better your squad in mid-season. Oh well, good luck to Gang Green!

I still believe the Jets will always come up short, and that is due to Joe Namath selling his and the Jets’ soul to the devil in exchange for that Super Bowl III victory over the Colts!!!

As always….
If there is something to be said, “Its On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

Militant Mondays – I can’t support Pres. Obama

As you all may know I have been a strong supporter of President Obama and his policies; Health Care Reform, Financial Reform, his stance on foreign affairs etc…. But now the president in my eyes has gone too far, I can’t lie I am VERY disappointed in the direction Obama wants to go in with his latest act. I guess there were going to be some issues that I would not agree with Obama but I am a little shocked by this one.

What’s scary is that I think I can finally understand where the far Left Southern contingent is coming from when they talk about Obama being dangerous. I just can’t figure out how I could have missed this glaring issue with the president. This is not the “Hope and Change” I voted for in 2008, here is a perfect opportunity for the president to stand up and send a strong message to those who support Evil Empires! Instead Obama will be inviting an Evil Empire to the White House to enjoy pleasantries that MY tax dollars pay for; SOMETHING MUST BE DONE!!!

So what could the president have done that was so bad that a strong supporter like myself would 2nd guess his actions?

There is only one thing Barack Obama could do that would shake my confidence in his ability to lead. That one action is the most unforgiving of all; having the hated New York Yankees at the White House to celebrate their World Series victory.

Photobucket

I know, it is tradition for the President to host the World Series Champs, but where is my “Hope and Change”? The president is Chicago White Sox fan and I would have expected better from him. It’s not so unreasonable to ask that the president not invite the Yankees aka “The Evil Empire” to the White House. The president showed his loyalties to the White Sox’s by wearing their hat on Opening Day when he threw the 1st pitch at the Washington Nationals game.

Photobucket

So where are his loyalties to the White Sox’s or all enemies of the Yankees? Where is the leadership to show the country we will not stand for the evil of the Yankees and their winning ways? By having the Yankees at the White House President Obama is basically validating the fakeness of Alex Rodriguez, the wild and crazy ways of Nick Swisher, and the demoralizing ways of Mariano Rivera as he continues to take the hearts of opposing hitters.

Arrrggghhh, I just hate the Yankees and everything about them. Maybe I can petition the president to sign an executive order to just dismantle the Yankees, hmmmm… Hey if we can have a Black President I can dream the Yankees would just go away, LOL!!!!

LET’S GO METS!!!

As always….
If there is something to be said, “Its On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

F-A-Natic Fridays – Birthers

Photobucket

In a recent NY Times/CBS Poll only 58% said President Obama was born in the United States, while 20% said he was born in another country and 23% said they did not know.

WTF, I can’t believe people are still falling for this nonsense being pushed by a bunch of unstable fools known as Birthers. Rachel Maddow defined a Birther as the following:

A specific new breed of American conspiracy theorists who believe that the real problem with Barack Obama being president is that he can’t possibly have been born in the United States. He’s not eligible to be president. The birth certificate is a fake. He’s a foreigner. Once this has been exposed, I guess, he will be run out of the White House and exposed for the alien, communist, Muslim, gay, drug dealer, al-Qaeda member that he is …

Seriously, if you had half a brain you would not even buy into the birther foolishness! Well, not if you’re Tom Tancredo (former Representative from Colorado) and Sarah Palin who still believes that the people have the right to be suspicious about the President’s citizenship. Even after Obama released his birth certificate online for the world to see (http://fightthesmears.com/articles/5/birthcertificate) and an independent organization factcheck.org even analyzed the birth certificate and reported the state seal was legit and verified that all Hawaiian birth records have been moved from paper to online and that a special request was necessary to see the actual birth certificate (Hawaii has denied several request).

So how can 58% of people polled still believe that Barack Obama is not a citizen?

The only answer I could come up with is RACISM! There is no other reason; this is not about a difference in political beliefs (Democrat vs. Republican) or any overwhelming evidence to cast a shadow of doubt. It’s about a group of people who can’t accept a Black man as President. They can’t accept the most powerful nation in the free world is run by a Black man; and it’s a shame!!

It’s a shameful way of thinking and I tried to avoid it, but it becomes clearer every day as sensible politicians (Cecil Ash) continue to allow racist idiots to talk this nonsense without correcting them. I hate to pull the race card as it is used way too often in our society but in this case I cannot find any other reason to explain the nonsense we hear from Birthers and some (not all) Tea Party supporters. Birthers went as far as to produce a fake birth certificate from Kenya to prove Obama was a foreigner, what’s next for these birthers? How far will they go in trying to evidence that doesn’t exist?

On 4/21 Anderson Cooper confronted birther Arizona State Representative Cecil Ash about his support for legislation that “Would require U.S. presidential candidates who want to appear on the ballot in Arizona to submit documents proving they meet the constitutional requirements to be president.” . As you will see in the video below Anderson Cooper will point out that no one every questioned President Bush or President Clinton’s citizenship. Why do we need legislation for proof of a candidate’s citizenship?

Just because we FAIRLY elected a Black man as President we as a country have still have long way to go when it comes to race!
As always….
If there is something to be said, “Its On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

Takeover Thursdays – Come On Sen. McConnell!!

Here we go again with Republicans, different day same story. This time instead of Health Care Reform Republicans now seem to focus their party of “No” ways to Financial Reform. In late 2008 when our financial system was falling apart and barely hanging by a thread; the United States enacted a bailout plan to save our economy. This plan was not received well by many Americans as the government went in and saved “Fat Kat” corporate suits that took advantage of a poorly regulated industry and manipulated their ways to record earnings (Goldman Sachs). So with the public outraged about bailouts and the government taking ownership (large shares) of companies like GM, CitiGroup etc… You would think legislation to help prevent something like this from happening again would be widely supported by both Republicans and Democrats.

Well, not the case when it comes to Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY). He decided he was going to be against a Democrat backed Financial Reform legislation and attempt to label it an endless practice of bailing out “Big Banks”. Instead of encourage bi-partisanship McConnell decided he would continue the GOP’s “Obstructionist” ways. What McConnell miscalculated is that the public is not as divided on Financial Reform as they were on Health Care Reform. Not sure what McConnell was thinking, one thing has remained true; the public wants no part of bailing out Wall Street.

Photobucket

So exactly what is Senator McConnell trying to derail? Here are 6 key points of the Financial Reform legislation (via Washington Post):

1. A Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, housed inside the Federal Reserve, would write and enforce rules protecting borrowers from abuse by lenders.

WHAT IT MEANS: The location of the agency is a nod to Republicans and conservative Democrats who oppose the creation of a free-standing consumer agency, but everything else about this proposal is designed to please liberals, giving the consumer agency sweeping powers and imposing few checks on that authority.

2. A Financial Stability Oversight Council, chaired by the Treasury secretary, would coordinate federal efforts to identify and manage risks to the financial system and the broader economy.

What it means: Dodd wanted to give the council broad responsibility for policing systemic risks. After massive administration pressure, he agreed instead to give much of that power to the Fed. The oversight council will instead function essentially as the Fed’s board of directors on regulatory issues, signing off on its decisions.

3. A new process would allow for the liquidation of large, failing financial firms.

WHAT IT ME ANS: Companies could be liquidated by joint agreement of the Treasury Department, the Fed and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which already administers bank failures and would play a similar role in the new process. Costs would be paid from a $50 billion pool of money gathered from large financial companies.

4. Credit-rating agencies would be regulated and liable for errors.

WHAT IT MEANS: Breaking with the administration and the House version of financial reform, Dodd’s bill would hold Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and other rating agencies potentially liable for their judgments about the safety of bonds and other investments. The industry also would be regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

5. Banks would face new limits on trading and investment activities.

WHAT IT MEANS: The bill would restrict banks from running their own investment portfolios or hedge funds, an administration proposal known as the “Volcker Rule” that Dodd initially had rejected. The bill also would regulate the massive trade in derivatives, increasing the proportion of such trades that are publicly reported.

6. Some renovations would be made to the structure of federal banking regulation.

WHAT IT MEANS: Dodd abandoned his earlier proposal to create a single banking regulator after critics argued that the upside was not worth the effort. The bill still would eliminate the Office of Thrift Supervision. The Fed’s authority over smaller banks would be split between the FDIC and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

To most rational people all 6 points listed above can be agreed on as being necessary, BUT McConnell for whatever reason decided that point #3 was a clear-cut bailout for banks that the tax payer would be stuck with. Here is point #3 again:

A new process would allow for the liquidation of large, failing financial firms.

WHAT IT MEANS: Companies could be liquidated by joint agreement of the Treasury Department, the Fed and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which already administers bank failures and would play a similar role in the new process. Costs would be paid from a $50 billion pool of money gathered from large financial companies.

So McConnell decided to paint the $50 billion dollar pool that banks would pay into as a bailout the banks would be able to use to stay afloat, WRONG!!!! The truth is that $50 billion dollars that the BANKS PAY INTO will be used to fund the SAFE unwinding of any banks in need. For example, if this legislation was in place in 2008 when Bank of America was in danger of going under; they would have been forced to use this fund to safely unwind their business.

What do I mean by safely? Bank of America (BOA) is a large enough bank with holdings/investments in several areas; just allowing the bank to fail would have negatively impacted businesses that rely on them and the overall economy. The $50 billion dollar fund would be used to help untangle Bank Of America’s investments and keep intact any business involved with BOA. Also in using this fund the Executive Management Team and The Board of Directors (the people responsible for the BOA’s failures) would be removed. This is in NO WAY A BAILOUT!!!!!!

To be fair to Senator McConnell deep down I don’t believe he really thinks this is a bailout. He is caught up in partisan politics, and it is a shame; fortunately for us (the people) not every Republican is following McConnell on this one. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) stood up to the ridiculous notion of calling Financial Reform a bailout. He stood on the floor of the Senate and clearly stated this is “Not A Bailout…”. As I have stated in previous blogs we have to move past this partisan mindset; that goes for Republicans and Democrats! Don’t fight legislation because you are trying to prevent the other side from doing anything productive. No good can come from that type of mentality, hopefully more Congressmen/women will take Senator Corker’s lead and do what is right.
Also keep in mind that we the people have responsibility in this as well, it is up to us to search for the truth. That means do the research before forming an opinion; just don’t take the one-sided stories of FOX News, CNN, or MSNBC. Listen to all view points and form your own opinions, the truth is out there!

As always….
If there is something to be said, “Its On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

Militant Mondays – Santonio Holmes

Photobucket

Let’s cut to the chase, has Ben Roethlisberger been accused of sexual assault twice? Yes! Did Big Ben crash his motorcycle while only having a temporary permit? Yes! Should he be suspended by the NFL or the Pittsburgh Steelers? Absolutely!

In comparison should we cry foul because Santonio Holmes was traded by Pittsburgh to the NY Jets for his off the field activity while it appears Big Ben will be able to stick with the Steelers? HELL NO!!!!

Holmes was arrested in Miami Beach, Florida on May 27, 2006 for disorderly conduct. Charges were subsequently dropped after Holmes paid a fine. Holmes was arrested for a second time on June 18, 2006 for domestic violence and assault in Columbus, Ohio. The charges were later dropped.

On October 23, 2008, Holmes was arrested in Pittsburgh and cited by officers for possession of marijuana. He released an apology after missing a game, stating that he wished to “focus all of [his] efforts on helping our team win on the field and achieve its ultimate goal.”

On March 24, 2010, Anshonae Mills filed a lawsuit against Holmes over a March 7 incident in which she alleges Holmes threw a glass at her in a Orlando nightclub, resulting in a cut above her eye. Initially, Mills did not pursue charges, claiming Holmes and the police intimidated her into it, but the case has been reopened. eye-witness have since then admitted to throwing the glass. Subsequently, after a Twitter comment criticizing the nightclub incident, Holmes told the follower to “kill urself.” He later Tweeted it was time to “wake n bake,” a reference to marijuana.

Throughout the day I read tweets and emails from people trying to figure out if Big Ben will be traded or suspended like Holmes was. People also mentioned race as the reason why Holmes was receiving the more harsh punishment. Should this really be a concern?

Should we be more worried about why Holmes can’t seem to get his act together? Here you have a Super Bowl MVP who has not reached the prime of his career but he cannot get out of his own way. If Santonio Holmes doesn’t care about his career why should I or anyone else? We wouldn’t have to care if Holmes is getting the same treatment as Big Ben if Holmes kept his ass out of trouble. It’s time Black athletes cleaned up their acts; some reading this may ask, What about Ben Roethlisberger? I say f**k Ben, he doesn’t represent me. When I am at work or hanging my White friends they are not asking me about Matt Jones or Ben Roethlisberger’s of the world. Nah, they are asking me about Milton Bradley, Mike Vick, Plaxico Burress, and Santonio Holmes. I can’t make excuses for criminal acts/dumbass behavior anymore; no more debates concerning athletes who commit crimes, and no more discussions about whether or not the punishment fits the crime. As long as the punishment is within the law on the books, oh well!

With all that said, I hope Holmes will mature and continue to be a top wide receiver in the league. Playing for a NYC (albeit in Jersey) is a great opportunity, either you will be a star here or it will be a spring-board to bigger and better things. You don’t want to be the subject of a “Where Are They Now” story, nobody wants to be the next Timmy Smith!

As always….
If there is something to be said, “Its On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

F-A-Natic Fridays – Nuclear Disarmament = Weakness??

Rudy Giuliani, Sarah Palin and the rest of the punk ass Conservatives please do your home work before speaking on topics you really have no clue about. As I stated in my posting WTF/WTH Wednesday – Disarmament; Republicans have started their attacks against President Obama since he released his plans for reducing Nuclear weapons along with reducing the threat of Nuclear weapons. At one rally the “Nutbag Twins” aka Bachmann and Palin took their shots at the President; they showed their true ignorance as they obviously did not take the time to read the strategy. Palin made the following comparison:

“It’s unbelievable. Unbelievable. No administration in America’s history would, I think, ever have considered such a step that we just found out President Obama is supporting today. It’s kinda like getting out there on a playground, a bunch of kids, getting ready to fight, and one of the kids saying, “Go ahead, punch me in the face and I’m not going to retaliate. Go ahead and do what you want to with me.”

WOW, Sarah Palin really just pulled that out of her ass! The following is the proposed strategy from the President:

Non-nuclear states that abide by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty would not be threatened with nuclear retaliation by the United States — even if they conducted conventional, biological or cyber attacks. But, he added, “If you’re not going to play by the rules, if you’re going to be a proliferator, then all options are on the table in terms of how we deal with you.”

Hmmmm, seems pretty clear to me! If you’re a non-nuclear state that abides by the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty you will not be threatened with nuclear retaliation. Just because the U.S. will not use nuclear weapons to retaliate doesn’t mean we will not bomb the shit out you using conventional weapons! Palin really does not understand how a Nuclear Weapon should be used, it’s as if she wants to use nuclear at the drop of dime. I need the “Nutbag Twins” to fall back, they are too dangerous!

Then we have Rudy Giuliani former Mayer of NYC, here is another guy that needs to do his homework. I seem to recall Giuliani calling upon the great days of Ronald Reagan and his Conservative ways during his Presidential Campaign. I wonder if Giuliani ever studied Reagan and his policies? He seems to be very ignorant to what one of the great Conservatives all-time felt about Nuclear weapons. Giuliani made the following statements concerning President Obama’s strategy:

Mr. Obama’s new policy is the work of an “inept” leader with a “left-wing dream,”

“A nuclear-free world has been a 60-year dream of the Left…”

Giuliani calling a nuclear-free world “a 60-year old dream of the Left…” is very interesting. Here is a little video of former President Ronald Reagan talking about Nuclear weapons and its place:

According to Giuliani, Reagan is a dreamer from the Left! LMAO, Ronald Reagan is the gold standard by which all Conservatives measure themselves against. Shame on you Rudy…..

Reagan stated about reducing nuclear weapons, “Search for ways to reduce the danger of nuclear war…..” and then he followed by saying, “There will be risks and results will take time….”.

How is it that the likes of Giuliani, Palin and Bachmann can’t seem to understand Reagan’s vision of reducing the danger of nuclear war?

One of the more powerful statements by Reagan in that speech was the following, “We seek neither military superiority nor political advantage….”. Conservatives like Giuliani, Palin, and Bachmann need to re-evaluate their ideology and better understand what this world is really about and how precious life is!

As always….
If there is something to be said, “Its On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

Takeover Thursdays – To be or NOT To be a Maverick…

Photobucket

“I never considered myself a maverick… I consider myself a person who serves the people of Arizona to the best of his abilities.”

How desperate is John McCain right now? The guy who ran his 2008 campaign as “The Maverick” is now denying he ever was a Maverick. McCain change of heart can be contributed to the challenge for his Senate seat by fellow Republican and Tea Party backed J.D. Hayworth. Throughout his career McCain has been that has put forth ideas that have not always been supported by the Republican base (immigration, the 2008 bailout etc…). In this political environment that is considered suicide, as the Tea Party and the extreme Right is looking to push ultra-Conservatism. That is something McCain has never been and now he is seriously being challenged by someone (Hayworth), that challenged has caused McCain to recreate his image once again.

When it comes to politics the flip-flopping McCain is currently going through is expected, but denying ever being a Maverick is straight comedy; Come On Son!!! On the biggest stage (presidential election) he ran commercial after commercial calling himself a Maverick and now he wants to deny it; the old man must be senile!

Here are some examples of McCain campaigning as the Maverick:

Ummmmmmm, yeah………….

Ok, so where is the John McCain from those ads and excerpts from speeches? I have no respect for the John McCain we are seeing right now. How can he sit there with a straight face and deny being a Maverick? Why would anyone in Arizona ever trust him to represent them if they can’t trust which McCain will show up. It’s kind of sad watching McCain struggle to find an identity after so many years of service, I can’t understand this strategy.

McCain should be ashamed of himself; his daughter Meghan McCain has more balls than him. At this point give it up; we all appreciate what you have done for this country.

Just stop the lies and hypocrisy!!!

As always….
If there is something to be said, “Its On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

WTF/WTH Wednesdays – Disarmament

Photobucket

In a bold move President Obama put forth a new strategy for the United Stated when it applies to our usage of Nuclear weapons as a deterrent. I call this a bold move as the President will open himself to criticism from Conservatives; in fact it has already started as Sean Hannity called President Obama the worst president ever after announcing the new strategy. Of course that type of reaction from Conservatives is to be expected, or is it??? I will answer that question in another blog, but for now I will focus on President Obama’s decision.

When President Obama signs the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START Treaty II) the United States strategy for usage of nuclear weapons will change. The U.S. will not use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear nations in the event of a biological, chemical attack or cyber-attack. As long as you are in compliance with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty we will only retaliate with conventional warheads. North Korea and Iran do not comply with Non-Proliferation Treaty so if they want to try us they risk being wiped off the face of this Earth

The START Treaty II also includes the reduction of nuclear weapons; it will limit operationally deployed nuclear warheads from approximately 2,200 to 1,550, down nearly two-thirds from START I.

Many Republicans (Rudy Giuliani) in the next couple of days will use the START Treaty II to call the President weak and say he is putting the country at risk. This is a risky move by the President but it shows the confidence President Obama has gained since the HCR bill became law. The President understands that we (U.S.) cannot act as if we can continue to increase our nuclear weaponry footprint and ask other nations not to start a nuclear weapons program.

With that said I still don’t know if I would be able to sign the START Treaty II; with Iran spitting in the face of the world when it comes to nuclear power (weapons) I HOPE this does not comeback to haunt President Obama!

When you really think about it, who should we be more concerned with?

Iran or North Korea who may or may not use a nuclear weapon in the future against the U.S. Should we be more concerned about the Sarah Palin’s and Michele Bachmann’s of the world that would use nuclear weapons against a nation that would hack your computer, LOL!

Seriously, nuclear weapons should never be used as offensive tools. I hope we never have someone like Palin or Bachmann with their finger on the button!!!

As always….
If there is something to be said, “Its On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

F-A-Natic Fridays – Cory Booker

Photobucket

In 2006 Newark, New Jersey took a major step in the right direction when Cory Booker became the city’s 36th Mayor. I am a New Yorker but I commute to New Jersey 5 days a week for work. My commute takes me through Newark, NJ and in 5 years I have seen change, albeit a minor change it is start. As a New York I have always heard all the stories about Newark and how much of a shit it was, to be honest when I started making the commute to New Jersey I finally saw what everyone was talking about. Before you enter Newark Penn Station on NJ Transit you have to pass a graveyard of industrialized warehouses from Newark’s glorious past during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Depressing doesn’t even describe the scene!!

Before Cory Booker became mayor of Newark 5 of the last 7 Mayors of Newark have been indicted on criminal charges; extortion, conspiracy, federal tax evasion, fraud, bribery charges, 33 counts of conspiracy, mail fraud, and wire fraud. With a past like this Cory Booker could have easily showed up and done nothing and he would have been seen as a success. Lucky thing for Newark sitting around and not doing nothing is not in Booker’s personality. From his first political position as councilman Booker has been an active advocate for the people. I mean he has participated in a hunger strike and lived in a tent to protest drug dealing and violence in one of the toughest areas of Newark. It is determination and fire that will lift the people out of down and situations, you can’t throw money at a problem and think that everything will be all good. You need to take it to the streets and make a difference. So far I have seen this in Cory Booker and it is making a difference.

Now you look at Newark and you see the NJ Devils (hockey) have opened a brand new state of the art facility, Prudential Center aka “The Rock” right in the middle of downtown Newark. Along with the Devils Booker was able to successful negotiate having the NJ Nets (Basketball) play their 2010-2011 season at “The Rock”. Along with Hockey and Basketball Newark (well Harrison) will be home to the NY Red Bulls. All of this will bring in much needed revenue for Newark and the surrounding area, but that is only the beginning as Booker continues to put in work to make Newark an attractive place for businesses and families.

Booker could be the greatest salesman in trying to attract businesses to Newark and he can give all the taxs breaks in the world, but the key to Newark’s turn-around will be making the city safe! So far Booker has made tremendousstrides in bringing the crime rate down in Newark. Booker actually participates in night watch programs where they walk the streets of Newark protecting the streets. If you follow Booker on Twitter (@CoryBooker) you could follow his night watch program as he would tweet his nightly progress. Time and time again Booker has shown he will use unconventional means to make a difference, and his efforts recently paid off!

Newark was able to celebrate it’s first murder-free month (March) in over 44 years. As of April 1, 2010, the murder rate in Newark was the second best since 1941 and crime rates for aggravated assaults, robberies, carjacking, and shootings were also down for the first quarter compared to 2009.

We need more politicians like Cory Booker, less talk and more action!!

As always….
If there is something to be said, “Its On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!