LAWYERBRUCE

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Friday, October 22, 2010

Poor Juan

OCTOBER 22, 2010

I wonder who has screwed up since the last time we talked?

It was Juan Williams of NPR and Fox News Sunday, although he said these things Monday night to Bill O’Reilly. On Wednesday, he was fired from NPR because he said he felt nervous on plane with Muslims dressed in Muslim garb.

NPR said his credibility was shot with those statements. All Juan Williams said was the truth. Most Americans, like all people, have a self-preservation instinct. How can you not feel a little nervous when people dressed as Muslims get on your flight? He did not lose credibility for stating the truth. Apparently, at NPR, if you are truthful, you have no credibility. To be creditable at NPR, you must lie.

I would bet the people that decided to fire Juan Williams have the same reaction he has on a plane when someone in Muslim garb gets on board. It is not bigoted or discriminatory, it is human nature. If you do not learn from history, you are going to make the same mistakes previously made. NPR dropped the ball here. Aren’t they publically funded? Doesn’t Juan Williams enjoy the benefits of his rights under the First Amendment?

Let’s fire the fireres and keep Juan Williams. It is time to call a Muslim a Muslim.

Penthouse founder Bob Guccione died Wednesday of cancer at the age of 79. He had a good and exciting life, not one everybody understood or appreciated but good none the less. He died in Plano, Texas. He married four times and had five children. He made and lost several fortunes over the years, a trait Bob Guccione, Jr. has inherited. The senior Guccione was once estimated to be worth 40 billion dollars, but not at the time of his death.

Condoleezza Rice has written a book, ‘Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family’ It is a good read. Her parents were both educators and much of the book is about that. She notes it is troubling she or anyone can tell the quality of your education by your Zip Code. That is sad but it is also true.

Celery is now bad for you. A San Antonio, Texas celery processing plant has been shut down by the authorities. It has been linked to six of ten reported illnesses since January. Four of the six have died. All of the particulars are not in and likely never will be released but at first glance it appears the regulators worked quickly on this case. I hope that is the case with four deaths.

Notable births on this date:

1811 Franz Liszt Raiding, Hungary, romantic composer/virtuoso pianist

1920 Timothy Leary Harvard prof, LSD taker – now that is a claim to fame

1942 Annette Funicello Utica NY, actress (Mickey Mouse Club)

1985 Zachary Walker Hanson Tulsa OK, drummer-Hanson, (MMMBop)

Notable deaths on this date:

1934 Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd shot dead by FBI in Ohio
1979 Jesse Bishop murderer, dies in Nevada gas chamber

1986 Jane Dornnacker WNBC-AM NYC helicopter traffic reporter dies doing
a live traffic report as her copter crashes

Notable events on this date:

1746 Princeton University (NJ) received its charter

1836 Sam Houston inaugurated as 1st elected pres of Republic of Texas

1979 Deposed Shah of Iran arrives in NY for medical treatment
1979 Walt Disney World's 100-millionth guest NOT THE SHAH OF IRAN

2136 -BC- Chinese make 1st record of a solar eclipse
4004 -BC- Universe created at 8:00 PM, according to the 1650
-BC- pronouncement of Anglican archbishop James Ussher

BRUCE A. BRENNAN

http://www.bruceabrennananddekalbilandtheworld.blogspot.com/

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Toyota and Muslims

OCTOBER 21, 2010

Toyota has another worldwide recall on their hands. This one involves leaks in the master cylinder in America and problems with the fuel pumps in other countries. This recall is over one and a half million cars. Over half of the recalled cars are in the United States. Since Toyota’s problems began a year ago, they have recalled ten million cars. In that same time period, they manufactured 8 million cars. If Toyota posts a profit during any quarter during the last 12 months and the next 9 months we have a big problem in the pricing structure of automobiles. How could any car company make a profit when they recall more cars than they make? Was the auto industry bailout really needed? Did it help anyone other than the autoworkers union?

President Obama is going to India next month. He was scheduled to visit a church and has been informed of a certain type of clothing he must wear. The White House has cancelled the church visit because the clothing makes him look too Muslim. Why can he insult the Muslims but bad mouth those against the Mosque near ground zero? Why can’t a preacher in Florida exercise his First Amendment Right of freedom of speech even if it insults Muslims but the President can insult them?

An Appeals Court granted a Government Motion to allow ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ to continue as the case winds through the Courts. This overrules a lower Court ruling by a liberal, lesbian Judge who is trying to impose her beliefs on the military. The Federal Judiciary apparently follows the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ concept. Otherwise, she might not have this cushy job. Another example of an activist Judge trying to do from the bench what couldn’t be done at the ballot box.

The Chicago Police Department has another black eye to deal with thanks to the incompetence of Jody Weiss. This guy is clearly in over his head. Mayor Daily will not acknowledge a mistake in his hiring, especially with only a few months left on the job. Daily just might fire him with 60 days left in his term so he can appoint a long-term supporter to the high paying job. It will be his legacy and will likely be a white guy.

The Blackhawks have it going. They have won four in a row. Keep it up.

Notable Birthdays on this date

1833 Alfred Bernhard Nobel Stockholm, created dynamite & Peace Prizes

1928 Edward "Whitey" Ford hall of fame pitcher (NY Yankees)

1942 Elvin Bishop Okla, rocker (Fooled Around & Fell in Love)

1971 Jade Jagger daughter of Mick Jagger

Notable deaths on this date

1805 Adm Horatio Nelson dies in the Battle of Trafalgar

1831 Nat Turner 19 associates, hung

1966 Gertrude Hoffman actress (Mrs Odetts-My Little Margie), dies at 95

Doesn’t it seem like more people are born than die. I thought we were at or near zero population growth. Approximately 70,000 people have a birthday every day in America.

Notable events on this date

1945 Women in France allowed to vote for 1st time

1970 777 Unification church couples wed in Korea

1975 Red Sox Carlton Fisk's 12th inning HR beats Reds 7-6 in game 6 of WS

1991 24 die in a fire in Oakland Calif

BRUCE A. BRENNAN

http://www.bruceabrennananddekalbilandtheworld.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Homer for Pope

OCTOBER 20, 2010

The Catholic Church thinks Homer Simpson is a Catholic. I have never watched the TV show (really), but below is what the AOL weird news contributing writer wrote.

Oct. 19) -- The thick-headed couch potato star of the popular TV cartoon "The Simpsons" might not be the poster boy for religion. But in its latest venture into pop culture, the Vatican's official newspaper has declared that Homer Simpson is a Catholic.

In an article Sunday headlined "Homer and Bart Are Catholics," the Vatican daily L'Osservatore Romano cited a Jesuit priest's media study calling "The Simpsons" one of "the few TV programs for kids in which Christian faith, religion and questions about God are recurrent themes."

Th study points to a 2005 episode in which Bart enrolls in a Catholic school and meets a hip priest. Attracted perhaps more by free pancake dinners than eternal salvation, Homer also joins the church and converts to Catholicism

The Vatican daily L'Osservatore Romano says parents should encourage their children to watch "The Simpsons."

The great ones go in threes. First June Cleaver died. Now Mr. Cunningham a/k/a Mr. C, died. Tom Bosley from Happy Days died at the age of 83. He was from Chicago and worked at the Woodstock Opera House in Woodstock, IL with another young actor named Paul Newman.

If I was Andy Griffith or Dick Van Dyke, I would be worried. What other TV mother or father is still alive?

The Pentagon was closed because it was fired upon. Why didn’t we fire back?

Did you read about the guy from India who built a 27 story home for his family which consists of him, his wife and their three kids? The home requires 600 live-in domestic helpers. The cost is estimated at one billion dollars. Mukesh Ambani is India's richest man and the owner. It has a six floor parking garage attached, built for 168 cars. It has several ‘safe rooms’ He needed the extra room because his mother moved in with him. He is considered the 22^nd richest man in the world who bought his wife a 60 million dollar jet for her 44^th birthday. The home is in Mumbai, overlooking the Arabian Sea and some of the world’s poorest slums. He and his family have lived in the home for a few months after moving out of their 14 story starter home.

On this date in history:

BIRTHS;

1819 Mirza Ali Mohammad [The B b], forerunner of Bah 'u'll h

1923 Herschel Bernardi NYC, actor (Peter Gunn, Arnie, Voice of Charlie the Tuna, The Front)

1953 Keith Hernandez SF Calif, NY Met 1st baseman (9 golden gloves)

On same day
1953 Tom Petty Gainesville Fla, singer (Heartbreakers-Refugee)

Mark Catalanello, year unknown, famous golfer and internationally known hunter

DEATHS;

1964 Herbert Hoover 31st president of U.S. dies in NY at 90

1972 Harlow Shapley discoverer of the Sun's position in the galaxy dies

IMPORTANT EVENTS;

1600 Battle of Sekigahara sets Tokugawa clan as Japan's rulers (shoguns)

1803 US Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase

1944 US forces under Gen Douglas MacArthur return to the Philippines

1988 Reggie Rogers, Det. Lion's # 1 pick, kills 3 by driving intoxicated

1990 3 members of 2 Live Crew acquitted on obscenity charges in Florida
1990 Antiwar protest marches begin in 20 U.S. cities (US-Iraq)
1990 Cincinnati Reds sweep Oakland A's in the 87th World Series

BRUCE A. BRENNAN

http://www.bruceabrennananddekalbilandtheworld.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Education for Americans and leaders of the Middle East

OCTOBER 19, 2010

I was doing a little research into an article I read some time ago. I could not find much about the article but I still believe the thesis. It argued and cited research that getting to and remaining in the middle class or above. The article, in condensed form stated that all a person had to do was follow four simple rules and you would have a fine life, financially. Those four things are;

1. Graduate High School, you do not have to study hard enough to get straight ‘As’, just graduate.

2. Do not commit crimes. Traffic tickets and a minor arrest during your life do not count.

3. Do not quit your job until you have another job. Don’t intentionally become unemployed.

4. Do not have children until you are married. You can have sex, just don’t have children.

I strongly believe if we taught these basic principles to the school aged children in America, beginning in the third grade, America would be a better place. We would have much less poverty and fewer homeless people. This is more important knowledge to have than remembering to “Remember the Maine”. I really think we could sneak this lesson into the crowded school day. This should be reiterated twice per month every school year from third grade through student’s Senior year in High School. If my idea works and it will, there will be more seniors in the graduating class to reiterate it to.

For those of you who live in Lady Gaga land, here is a headline no one expected;

MIDEAST TALKS HIT AM ‘IMPASSE’, according to a United Nations official.

Sooner or later the United States is going to wise up and figure out the Jews do not want a peace treaty and the rest of the region does not want a peace treaty. Why do we insist on spending billions of dollars attempting to bring about an impossible conclusion that no one wants but us. The United States is the only country who is worried about the situation. Let it be. We can get involved when something important happens. Until then, let them fight and kill each other until they run out of bullets or get some common sense. This country has better things to do with our money.

If we cease giving aid to everyone who will not sign and abide by a peace treaty, including Israel, I bet the bickering comes to a quick end. Our resolve must be resolute, however. We cannot make any conditions or exceptions to the ‘no aid pledge’. Even so called ‘humanitarian aid’ must cease being paid. If the governments getting the aid do not care enough about their own citizens to ensure the continued flow of the aid, why should we care? It is our money. Why don’t we spend it the way we want to not the way some foreign government or organization wants it spent.

Even though Israel is nuclear, they are not a threat to us or much of the world. They do not have a delivery device for the nuclear weapons that will detonate them far enough from Israel that puts their own country out of harm’s way. Why would they kill themselves?

Let’s call everyone’s bluff in the Mideast. Do it our way or find another sugar daddy. That check has been cashed too many times.

Births on this date:

1945 Divine (Harris Glenn Milstead) film actor, born Towson, MD. USA

On same day

1945 John Lithgow actor (Harry & the Hendersons)

1967 Amy Carter Pres Carter's daughter/peace activist

Deaths on this date:

1978 Gig Young kills his bride of 3 weeks & then commits suicide at 64

Important events in history on this date:

1781 Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown at 2 PM; Revolutionary War ends

1812 Napoleon begins his retreat from Moscow

1298 Rindfleish-140 Jews of Heilbron Germany are murdered

1982 Automaker John DeLorean arrested on cocaine charges (Not guilty)

1987 "Black Monday"-Dow Jones down 508.32, 4« times previous record

BRUCE A. BRENNAN

http://www.bruceabrennananddekalbilandtheworld.blogspot.com/

Monday, October 18, 2010

Delaware, Ditka and Edison

OCTOBER 18, 2010

I didn’t say it but I wish I had. Meghan McCain, daughter of senator John McCain said it.

Meghan McCain, daughter of Sen. John McCain, said Sunday that Christine O'Donnell, the Tea Party star that won the Delaware GOP Senate nomination, is a "nutjob" who is "making a mockery of running for public office."

She went on to say O’Donnell had never been a success in any endeavor in life. Meghan better be careful or O’Donnell will put a spell on her. On the same show, a Democratic strategist said anytime you run a commercial announcing you are not a witch, you are probably in trouble and have little chance of winning.

I agree. The republicans would have won in Delaware if this ‘one hit wonder’ would not have gotten involved. I believe everyone deserves representation in Congress; everyone except the witches and warlocks in America that is. Governing is a serious business. Isn’t it time O’Donnell’s fifteen minutes were up? I am real tired of hearing about this aberration.

Well, well. After a bunch of justifying, lawyering, lawsuit work, Court involvement and bad mouthing against the Daily Chronicle’s editor and Mac McIntyre, I see where the library board wised up and terminated the contract to buy the old medical clinic building. Did someone finally mention to the board that buildings with this type of historical use generally have significant environmental issues. The report referenced asbestos as a potential problem. Do you really think that is the only environmental issue facing a building that routinely disposed of human medical waste for decades?

How much money was wasted on this poorly conceived plan? Was this a bailout as a show of appreciation to a local concern who has maintained a presence downtown for years? The owner is stuck with a building that still has environmental issues that are more costly and cumbersome for a private owner to deal with than a government agency? I think the local press deserves a pat on the back for its diligence in covering this story. It seemed obvious, once the library owned this white elephant, projected costs were going to skyrocket.

I wish the owners luck in selling the property but I am glad the local taxing bodies have nothing to do with it. Of course this purchase could be renegotiated at a much lower cost, perhaps making the deal worthwhile.

DeKalb High School stayed alive to play another day. Sycamore High School seems to have peeked too early.

Birthdays on October 18^th;

1933 Forrest Gregg NFL tackle (Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys)

1939 Mike Ditka coach/tight-end (Bears, Cowboys, NFL rookie year 1961)

Don’t these two guys hate each other?

Lee Harvey Oswald was born the same day as Mike Ditka.

One important death on October 18^th;

1931 Thomas Alva Edison inventor, dies in West Orange, NJ, at 84

BRUCE A. BRENNAN

http://www.bruceabrennananddekalbilandtheworld.blogspot.com/

Sunday, October 17, 2010

June Cleaver doesn't look so good to Eddie Haskell today.

October 17, 2010

I just set-up a date for rotator cuff surgery. That will be happening on November 11^th, if the creek don’t rise too much. Any suggestions or comments about the surgery and recovery will be read and given their deserved due.

Iran has released another American from custody after two years. Reza Taghavi, 71, a California businessman, was accused of helping a government opposition group by giving a Iranian man in Tehran $200.00. He had been asked by a friend in California to give the man the money. He apparently did not independently know the man he gave the money to.

Once again, Iran is trying to show the world what a great nation they are by releasing a 71 year old man they say they do not believe is a threat any more. As usual, it isn’t all compassion from Iran. Taghavi is in poor health, suffering from diabetes. Iran just did not want an American to cost them money by providing medical care. They also do not want to upset our government by sending home a dead American. Even Obama would have to respond if Iran sends home an innocent dead American.

The ‘Leave it to Beaver’ mother has died. Barbara Billingsley was 94 years old. She played June Cleaver in the early television comedy, always perfectly dressed, never looking like any of my friend’s mothers in the 50s and 60s. My mother did not dress that way either. She died in Santa Monica, CA.

The Catholic Church just cannot get out of the way of the bullets they fire. Its feet must surely hurt by now. Pope Benedict XVI appointed a conservative Archbishop earlier this year to replace a well-liked, liberal leader in Belgium. The conservative Archbishop Andre’-Joseph Le’onard of Brussels has now upset many church members with his statements given to two Belgium reporters during the course of several interviews recently published in a book in that country. The Archbishop claims AIDS is a form of justice being delivered to people as sentence for their promiscuous sexual behavior. He said people afflicted with AIDS are receiving a “sort of immanent justice” for sexual behavior they engage in. This is coming from a man who gave an oath to God and celibacy.

I was raised a Catholic and still consider myself Catholic. I was taught tolerance by the priests and nuns at school and by my parents at home. Perhaps the Archbishop had a very careless upbringing. The Archbishop had made comments on homosexuality earlier this year when he said; "homosexuality is not the same as normal sex in the same way that anorexia is not a normal appetite."

This boy has a homophobic problem. His latest comments may not just go away. In Belgium, the Catholic Church is heavily subsidized by the government. A Parliament member has brought up the idea of revisiting that concept. Sounds like the masses need a sacrificial lamb. Archbishop, you’re it.

Today is the birthdate of ;

Irene Ryan 1903 Granny from ‘Beverly Hillbillies’

Pope John Paul I 1912 263^rd Pope

Tom Poston 1921 comedian “Newhart Show’

George Wendt 1948 Comedian ‘Cheers’

Alan Jackson 1958 Singer

Tennessee Ernie Ford died at the age of 72 in 1991 on this date.

James P. Mason, of DeKalb, IL went missing in action on this date in 1968. Say a prayer for James today.

BRUCE A. BRENNAN