Oakland parking problem: another one for Rebecca Kaplan

Oakland Parking is STILL a problem

Yes. Another Oakland Parking problem. This space continues to receive tips and emails from Oaklanders and people visiting Oakland who have horrible parking stories they want to share with the World.

Since Oakland's At-Large Councilmember and would-be mayoral candidate Rebecca Kaplan thinks it's OK for Oakland to use parking fees to balance its budget, even at the expense of the poor from what was yelled to this blogger earlier this year, and without provocation or apology from Councilmember Kaplan (and not bloggers who support her run for Mayor), this space will continue to present each Oakland Parking problem to her. The last one was from Nick Mitchell, who complained of the ugly DMV and Oakland system that works to cause late payment of parking fines.

This one is from an Oaklander, Terese Tatum, who shared a letter sent to Oakland Parking Head Noel Pinto:

Dear Mr. Arnold and Mr. Pinto,

I have spent hours on the phone and left a number of voicemails and have had no response. Although I could simple pay this ticket and avoid this hassle, it is an erroneous ticket. On principal, I will continue to call and email the City of Oakland until it is appropriately dealt with. I would appreciate a response as soon as possible.

On April 10, 2010, ticket #1602620950 was issued at 3321 Webster Street in Oakland. The car was parked in a spot with inactive meter (meter head had been removed) and a Pay-to-Park machine did not accept money and stated "Coming Soon". In other words, there was no viable way to pay for parking.

I approached the parking enforcement officer and asked him why he gave me a ticket. He stated that "it was Pay-to-Park". I told him that the machine was not currently available. He apologized and realized he made a mistake and he took the ticket back from me and stated that it would be cleared.

In order to dispute a ticket, I must respond within 21 days. However, I never receive the ticket in my hand (because he took it back) and I never received the notice of payment or late payment via mail (I have double-checked that my car is registered to my current address). I only learned of this tickets while online paying for another (legitimate) parking ticket. Now I am being charged $127.00 for what I consider to be an absolutely erroneous ticket.

Please also note that when this parking enforcement officer learned of his mistake, he took my ticket and drove off, knowingly leaving ~10 tickets on the cars in front and behind me that were also written in error. This type of behavior is appalling and appeared to be an egregious attempt to take money from citizens who believed they were parked legally.

Thank you,
Terese Tatum

In other words, the parking enforcement officer didn't remove the copy of the ticket, and for a simple reason: they don't care. If the parking enforcement officer had to pay for the error, they would take steps to remove it. Instead, Terese Tatum suffers for it.

Councilmember Kaplan, that's not right and Oaklanders know it. It's not OK to raise revenue in this way. This practice must end.

Ecuador, Peru boarder oil spill pollutes Marañon river

While the BP Gulf Oil Spill problem continues in the United States, and non-goverment organizations like Amazon Watch fail to point to similar problems in Ecuador while claiming to have concern for Ecuadorians and a desire to sue American Chevron that does not do business in the region, an oil spill took place on the Ecuador, Peru boarder, polluting the Marañon river.

According to LivinginPeru.com's Isabel Guerra, the spill happened as oil was transported on a ship called the Sanam III, that had been hired by Pluspetrol, the largest oil and gas producer in Peru, and the fourth largest organization in Latin America.

Guerra writes:

The spill was first reported by residents in Parinari, three hours away from Nauta.

Officials from Pluspetrol told RPP Radio that they have started the contingency and monitoring plan, and the spill is currently under control.

Local residents told the press that this spill affecting the wildlife and their own lives, too.

While the spill is on the Ecuador boarder, there's no word if the country will assist in clean-up efforts.

Stay tuned.

World Cup Soccer 2010: Brazil vs. Portugal, Germany vs England

Koman's off the hook, sort of

While it's a bit harder for this space to be excited about FIFA World Cup 2010 after the USA was eliminated by Ghana 2-1 on Saturday, the fire for World Cup still burns. After all you have to love a sports event where Soccer fans Mick Jagger and Bill Clinton have a better chance of scoring than some of the teams.

Take Brazil vs. Portugal, and England in it's match against Germany. In the Brazil vs. Portugal match, neither team scored; it ended in a 0-0 draw and both advanced to the second round. Brazil won Group G play, while Portugal was two points behind them. Now, Brazil will play Chile in the second round, with Portugal vs. Spain.

Portugal needed a draw and so played like they did, much to the frustration of Brazil. "It's really boring when we have to play against an opponent with 11 players on the back, only trying to draw," Brazil's striker Luis Fabiano said according to The LA Times.

England and the Disallowed Goal Problem

Not scoring more than one or two goals was England's problem against Germany, which clobbered the brits 4-1. But some viewers will contend that had England not had a disallowed goal, they could have come back to at least tie the match.

The diallowed goal by Frank Lampard of England and that was made in the 38th minute, is so controversial it's the third highest topic on Twitter and rivals the USA v. Slovenia controversy of two Fridays ago that made FIFA referee Koman Coulibaly a household name. The problem is that it wasn't the real difference maker; arguably England still would have lost 4-2, but the goal error, again, points to the need for Instant Replay in Soccer.

That the diallowed goal happened again, and again in the USA v. Ghana match, sorts of gets Koman Coulibaly off the hook, but not FIFA. Instant Replay must be installed.

My view is it will happen at some point because too much more is at stake now that America has become aware of Soccer and because communications technology has allowed viewers to see what should have been. FIFA's credibility could be damaged by lawsuits and claims of corruption; it can ill afford an large backlash regarding its integrity.

Con Ed DEP Gas leak hell NYC? by Suzannah B. Troy

See my YouTube from this morning that shows all the Con Ed trucks, DEP vehicles where it looked like a bomb dropped by the North West entrance of Tompkins Square Park which was closed off by the Parks Dept. for safety.

I wrote Dollar Bill Dan Doctoroff before the steam pipe explosion by Grand Central and alerted him to William Yardley's piece in The New York Times as well as my letter in AM New York the month before Yardley's piece concerned for infrastructure and safety.

I was told by DEP it was a water main break but in actuality a source told me it was a gas leak and the FDNY responded first.

Watch the YouTube to get more of a visual of how much of the street they are tearing up and for those unfamiliar with the area DOT is getting ready to pave 2nd and 1st Avenue but it will be a short term mess in my opinion because we have had too many infrastructure breaks and I don't think they root problems have been addressed so I believe the "new" streets will be looking like this one Sunday morning.


I have a YouTube documentary series plus NY1's coverage of a water main break on 2nd Avenue and 7th Street from 3 years ago and part of the intersection keeps reopening.


I am going to be repetitive because I am tired and I want your attention.


This morning the FDNY responded and I am told it was a gas leak. A DEP guy told me it was a water main break but I heard it was a gas leak. What ever it is it looks like a bomb dropped and this is Mike Bloomberg's streets of New York ever since he pushed a reckless, stupid, greed driven development to help his rich buddies and the construction industry but at the expense of the people of New York in way too many way.

We need more press coverage on this.  We need the press to make city gov tell us how many infrastructure breaks we have had since Bloomberg came to office in each section of NYC and we need to examine how we can stop what feels like another Bloomberg Titanic problem and finally put the safety of New Yorkers first.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0oiUtXoG5c

Yes this is the YouTube from this morning in case you missed it.

I don't know what else to do except hire a hot air ballon that says "Safety First!" stop the reckless tsunami of development mayor Bloomberg and for once put the people first.  Enough is enough!

Mike Bloomberg decided that the commissioner of DOB did not have to have an architectural degree or an engineering degree. Mike and the city have been sued on this issue and lost the first round. I am assuming the judge is a friend of rich developers and blind to how many deaths and injuries suffered by this Bloomberg's reckless tsunami of development.

As told to me BP over ridded their engineers advice and I get the vibe this was the same here in NYC.

More on that later.  I have heard some news and I think news reporters will be reporting more on this soon.

The East Village, Lower East Side looks like a bomb dropped and Cooper Union next zone buster has been put on hold for 2 years while the area around the building where I filmed a YouTube voicing my concerns for the safety of the community looks like bombs have dropped and Con Ed is also a main stay there.

The tsunami of reckless development was as stupid and greedy as what brought the implosion of Wall Street on and the streets are in the worse shape they have been in years.  DOT repaving them appears to be a wasteful band-aid because the infrastructure problems have not been addressed and as the old infrastructure problems keep busting open, Mike is pushing more infrastructure expansion but all of this -- old and new expansion should have been addressed city wide before the reckless development.

Go to YouTube and search under Suzannahartist and street conditions,  Suzannahartist infrastructure and you will also find my playlist on Mike Bloomberg' streets of NY including a fire truck on the upper west side, the front wheel falls in to a hole in the street that was from infrastructure problem.  I tried to supply you with links but who knows because there is so much and I am one person.  I even show you the subway station at Union Square with water on the ground from a pipe leaking with gauze around the pipe like a broken limb.

Mike and his developer friends only cared about their reckless development and not that the city was in bad shape and not able to absorb the development including Columbia University, NYU and Cooper Union as well as hotel and condo developers all busting through zoning and wanted the people displaced and cared nothing about our safety and the conditions of our streets, way lay beneath them and a rotted, dilapidated subway system where the stations are rotted and leaking and there are so many rats I call it the MTA Rat Circus for New Yorkers standing waiting for trains.

Welcome to king Mike's "new" hideous New York.

Rand Paul interviewed by David Weigel on McChrystal and BP

David Weigel's last blog post for The Washington Post  in his Right Now section (RN) consisted of an interview with Rand Paul, the GOP candidate for the Kentucky Senate. Apparently still chaffing from his public flogging over comments on the Civil Rights Amendment, Rand Paul was eager to steer clear of any statement that could be interpreted as support for British Petroleum (BP) or Gen. Stanley McChrystal's resignation / President Obama sacking on Wednesday.

Rand Paul cleans up

Already called a "wacky guy" in this space for his civil rights law comments...



...Rand Paul recently came under much more fire for accusing President Obama of being "un-American" for criticizing BP. Apparently already pained from the scar tissue developed over his incendiary comments, Rand Paul walked on eggshells with David Weigel about McChrystal and about the BP Escrow Fund. Weigel tried his best to pull a straight answer our of Paul at his fundraiser. Witness:

Rand Paul 

RN: Do you agree with the president's decision to accept Gen. Stanley McChrystal's resignation?

PAUL: Ultimately it is the prerogative of the president to decide who his generals are. My first thought was, going back to the historic controversy between Truman and MacArthur, but the thing is I'm not sure I'd call this insubordination, but he had a public disagreement and I think -- I don't think anybody questions that it's the prerogative of president, whether it's a small or big disagreement, to decide who generals are at the top level. I haven't read all his comments nothing specific to say.

RN: You've started to take heat for your approach to the BP escrow fund. Do you support the fund, the way it's set up?

PAUL: Well, I don't think there are many people who don't believe in any regulations, myself included, and even my dad -- I don't think you'll hear him say he doesn't believe in any regulation. But I'm not sure I have the answer to that, sincerely. I think everyone in the country wants BP to pay for the clean-up, myself concluded. I've never had any argument with that -- it's amazing how you say things and they get blown into things you didn't say! I'm not even sure I can talk to some people anymore because they take things out of context.

Paul went on to dodge and weave around Weigel. Paul never addresses the question of whether he supports the fund or not. Rand Paul's dancing now will eventually damage him when he faces his Democratic opponent, Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway. (Conway himself has to deal with that $9,600 contribution from BP, so he's not totally in the clear, here.)

Rand Paul's knee-jerk desire to give a controversial spin on issues of the day will harm him in two ways: 1, by making the statements, and 2, by sounding less than honest when he tries to avoid making such statements. In short, he's trapped within himself.

David Weigel resigned

Unfortunately David Weigel quit The Washington Post for, well, being too libertarian. I'm liberal but feel for Weigel not being with an organization who gets that New Media, in this case blogging, is edgy and challenging in its approach. Bloggers are supposed to be opinionated and attacking without being malicious. It seemed Weigel was walking that path, and switching his hat to pure journalism. But emails to his more liberal co-workers were used to do him in and that's really too bad. I hope he resurfaces sooner rather than later.

Frank Shamrock retires from American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting

Frank Shamrock (Frank Alisio Juarez III) announced he's retiring from American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting at at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum Saturday at HP Pavilion.

Frank Shamrock is the four-time defending, undefeated MMA champion and a 7th degree black belt in something called "Submission Fighting," which is a type of wrestling sport.

Shamrock's four time title defense included some memorably brutal battles, like the one against Igor Zinoviev in 1998 that ended in a knockout. It was called the most violent slam in Ultimate Fighting Championship history. (Warning, the video is violent.)



Shamrock stopped UFC fighting in 1999 after what's considered to be the one of the greatest fights in UFC history against Tito Ortiz. After that fight, Frank Shamrock was considered the greatest ultimate fighter in history.

After a brief stint as an actor, Shamrock returned to fighting in 2001 and had a number of memorable bouts through 2009, when he was defeated by TKO by Nick Diaz.

Shamrock lives in San Jose

Frank Shamrock lives in San Jose, California with his wife Amy and daughter Nicolette. His official website is at FrankShamrock.com.

USA vs Ghana World Cup 2010: Oakland watches Golden Goal

USA vs Ghana World Cup 2010: Oakland watches Gyan's Golden Goal: USA loses 2-1 in OT

And so another nail-biting FIFA World Cup Soccer game ends for the USA, this time the wrong way. The USA lost 2-1 in overtime as this blogger returned to the Era Art Bar on Grand and Broadway in Downtown Oakland, CA for the anticipated single elimination Saturday match. But in the process, Soccer's importance to Americans grew by fantastic proportions, and in no place was this more evident than Oakland, California.

The USA loss was a sad end to a great run by a USA team that wasn't really picked to go far in World Cup competition. But the hustling team paced by USA Soccer star Landon Donovan tied England 1-1 to start match play, then tied Slovenia 2-2 in a controversial match that the USA really won 3-2 but for a mistakenly discounted goal by FIFA referee Koman Coulibaly. Finally the USA won a match, beating Algeria 1-0. All that set up today's exciting overtime win.

The Era Art Bar was packed

Ghana fans were all over Era 

If you arrived at the Era Art Bar at 11 AM and with the idea of getting a seat, you were out of luck; the place was packed.

Kevin Best, the bar's owner, said he was going to open the loft section and that was a good idea if only to have a place to go where one could have some space. But for those who love being in the crowd as things are happening, downstairs at Era Art Bar was the place to be.

The room was surprisingly a bit less "pro USA" than I expected and that reflects not just Oakland's diverse immigrant population, but Americans who simply wanted Ghana to win for various reasons. Some, like my friends Rosa Cabrera and Qaid Aqeel, were torn between USA and Ghana because of their Latino and African heritage, but as Qaid said "It's like James Brown said 'Living in America.'"

Others were clearly for either Ghana or the USA. In the case of Kevin Best, he wanted the USA to win "so this crowd would come back next week." For a time, it looked like he might get his wish.

Michael Hunt celebrates in the air

Ghana took the lead 1-0 to end the first half of match play. But the USA tied 1-1 it in the second half on Landon Donovan's free kick, sending the Era Art Bar crowd into a frenzy. Even the normally stoic Michael Hunt, former aide to Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, got excited, jumping up over the crowd to celebrate.

But by bar regular Rob Pape's detailed analysis, the USA was not playing well enough to win. To say that Pepe, wearing a "USA SOCCER" jersey, was disappointed in USA team manager Bob Bradley is an understatement, and that was at halftime. Pepe said "I'm having trouble watching it, Zennie. Cause I think Bob Bradley put the wrong lineup in. He should have started Adu, at least for Clark. He probably should have started Gomez for Finley. Or at least Buttle for Finley."

Rob Pape offers Soccer wisdom

Rob Pape said that in the last two game we (the USA) started their best lineups and controlled the center of the field. That was not the case today.

The Oakland Era crowd was surprisingly informed about the game of Soccer. But given the popularity of even pick-up games along Lake Merritt, I should expect what I witnessed: Oakland's a Soccer town. Oaklanders know the game.

The USA team lost but won

USA hopes sank on Asamoah Gyan's golden goal in the third minute of extra time, putting them ahead 2-1. This time, there was no miracle goal at the last minute. No loud celebration. But there was the feeling that Ghana deserved to win and that the USA team made America, and Oakland, very proud. It's too bad we have to wait another four years for The World Cup. But as Rob Pape said "Soccer's like life. It doesn't always go your way."

No kiddling.

Apple IPhone 4 Hell by Suzannah B. Troy

I have bought every Iphone model since the first one.   I wrote Apple constantly telling them if I had a better quality camera with zoom I could have made the Giuseppi Logan documentary on my phone, hopefully the first to make a doc on their phone and show at Sundance.

When the 3GS came I had no problem picking up the new model but this time around it was Apple hell.

As far as I am concerned, the Apple Store that I had my IPhone reserved at, in my opinion  "stole my Iphone" and gave it to someone else.  The Apple manager claimed I was sent a notice that if I did not pick up the phone within 24 hours the phone would be given away.

We searched my mail and we could not find any such notice.

My last experience with the 3GS which gave me no clue nor did any Apple sales person that I might have to stand in line for many hours, perhaps even half a day.

If any sales person had told me that I would have to stand on line for hours, I would have said mail it to me when I reserved my IPhone.   I have had occasional problems finding emails, contact info, dates in my calendar but I can't tell if that is NYC's hectic pace, me or tech.

I did not have the new IPhone mailed to me because I read in The New York Post thieves were stealing IPads right in front of the Apple Store on the Upper West Side.  I thought if my IPhone gets stolen better it is stolen being delivered to the Apple Store than to me.

Big mistake.

Although the dynamo Steve Jobs has battled cancer when it came to picking up Iphones at stores in NYC it was only the young and fit,  for people that have time and stamina to stand on line.  Also people wealthy enough to pay people to stand on line and for celebrities as exposed by The New York Post including, Jason Bateman who was booed as Bateman past the reason Apple is a success, loyal customers.   Steve Jobs and Woz and many others are extremely rich -- thanks to  the loyal long term customers...like those that stood in line for enormous amounts of time that Bateman just breezed past.  Thank goodness for booing.

I have had 2 knee surgeries and I have other health issues that would make the line impossible.  I was stunned at the insensitivity by Apple  to people with handicaps and health issues but it seemed  Apple got carried away in the marketing and did not give a dam about their customers except for those willing and healthy enough to stand on line for hours and in NYC it was close to 90 degrees.

I love Apple and they radically changed my life and others I have helped like Giuseppi Logan for the better but this rates as the most awful Apple experience ever.

Everytime I walked up to a Apple customer service person and asked about the long lines and the wait -- it was their responsibility to warn me if you don't pick up your phone you reserved in 24 hours it will be given away.  I was never told that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2ME0sWl8kM

I thank Apple computer in the YouTube above for helping me to help Giuseppi Logan reunite with his son 40 plus years later who thought his Dad was dead.   I believe my filming Giuseppi, using Imovie, Apple teacher Ben teaching me how to put my work on YouTube helped Giuseppi Logan to make his first record in 40 years and to give his fans who bought his records in the 1960's great joy that he was in fact alive, eager to compose more music and more...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTssjT9rAmQ

Here is the video I found right away when I posted my first YouTube on Giuseppi Logan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSb-JgMIeuA

I never imagined the little boy in this YouTube from a british film maker thought his father had died and I would reunite them 44? years ago....   My first YouTube of Giuseppi Logan playing Begin the Beguine and the clip on YouTube by the British film maker were written up in Signal to Noise by the publisher Peter Gershon in his powerful piece "Out from the Shadow".

I felt my YouTube series, Pete's powerful piece, Giuseppi's drive to continue to compose, play is about being so lost and yet so late in life finding some kind of dignity and redemption through the power of music and for me the power of Apple teaching me and opening up my world with their technology and education.

If I had the IPhone I got today and was filming with the phone 2 years ago I believe I would have had the first film made and edited on an Iphone.

With the new IPhone I can now do this and with the lessons I learned in Apple one on one.

Throwing out my Dell and buying an Apple MacBook was the best choice I made.  Wish I had had an Apple as a kid.  I can't imagine how much better my life would have been.

Buying this newest Iphone was an awful experience.  I would never reserve an Iphone and pick up at an Apple store ever again.   It was like age and health discrimination with no warnings.  It wasn't pretty to put it mildly and the communication on this and the fact APPLE WOULD GIVE AWAY YOUR PHONE if you didn't pick it up in 24 hours and I did not know this is just DISGUSTING.

It was a rotten apple experience but Apple is so good and their teaching and support is out of this world, excellent I am sticking with Apple.

I can only say this was the worst experience ever in my short love affair with Apple and the IPhone nightmares of calls dropping still lives.  I try to remind myself to hold the phone anywhere but on the sides at the bottom because it disrupts the antenna but telephone calls are dropping.

I was interested in buying the protective cover called a bumper but they were all sold out.

Another Apple hell note:  I was forced to sign another 2 year contract with AT&T.  I deeply resent being forced to sign contracts for years with companies that are providing service that is not as good as let us say Verizon.  Verizon has 4G.  Let's do math...what is better, 3G or 4G?

I will be over 50 when my contract runs out.  I hope by that time Apple gets their act together and that means a better Iphone with no contracts and choices in carriers.

Apple got me a replacement phone for the one in my opinion they stole from me and gave to someone else since I was never aware of any notification sent to me if I did not endure standing in extremely long lines that my phone would be given away.

So far I am still having trouble accessing the internet in certain places in NYC with 3G and E which is short for Edge meaning the phone is worthless as a computer and Apple would say that is an AT&T problem but Apple makes me use AT&T.   Phone works as crappy as before in terms of phone calls dropping, actually worse than my 3GS getting my emails,   but the screen is some how crystal clear sharper and the camera video options way better.

Vince McMahon Mixed Martial Arts Albany Doomsday by Suzannah B. Troy

Is Vince  McMahon going to welcome a new kind of fight club if Governor Paterson succeeds in passing a measure that would allow "mixed martial arts" here in NYC or will this cut in to his and Linda's mega-bucks cash cow, the WWE?

The accidental governor is trying to push "mixed martial arts" here in NY because New York State is in a budget catastrophe and it is correctly believed this form of fighting will make big bucks and raise money for the city and state.  The only people besides peace loving vegetarians who won't be welcoming mixed martial arts are the McMahon family and martial art purists perhaps?

Note:  I called Vince McMahon at the WWE's offices but it is Saturday and there is no way to leave a voice mail asking him for a comment for my blog posting.

I posted this comment on The New York Post website on the article, "Ultimate fight for every dollar".


Quick call Vince McMahon and ask him if he welcome mix martial arts to NY if they accidental gov passes this.  Better yet let's send McMahon and his tv crew to Albany to film the clowns of Albany.  Maybe we could get the public to pay attention to the fact the people are being ...... you pick the verb.

And someone posted this comment after mine:

canyoudoanybetter

06/26/2010 6:50 PM

This Moron and all the his Cronies in Albany have it ALL WRONG!!! 25% ACROSS THE BOARD CUTS, NO EXCEPTIONS!! IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE FROM POLITICS AS USUAL!!! Bring in Ultimate fighting is like putting a band-aid on some one who just lost their head!!!!!

For those who have not checked in recently the budget deficit is currently 9.2 billion dollars and the clowns of Albany have not yet balanced the budget.

The budget was supposed to be balanced April 1, 2010.    Monday is "doomsday part 2" and this will be the 2nd Monday this year where we find out if we will have a historical shut down by the clowns of Albany.  They avoided a humilating shut-down last time and again if they don't they plunge the State and City of NY in to a possible official depression and I am not talking an emotional state but an economic state of depression although some New Yorkers are already living that way....sad to say.

For more info on the clowns of Albany read "Gov's doomsday deadline".
From NY1 a report that leads us to believe Albany will not shut down tomorrow.
Hold on tight and stay tuned...

Gen. Stanley McChrystal: McChrystal is not a systems thinker

In the wake of President Barack Obama's sacking of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who was the commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and due to comments in Rolling Stone magazine from McChrystal and his subordinates that were negative and derogatory toward the President and civilian military officers, an April 26, 2010 New York Times article takes on new meaning. Indeed, it should have been a indication to President Obama that he had the wrong man in charge, assuming Obama saw the article. And why is that?

Gen. Stanley McChrystal is not a systems thinker

Gen. Stanley McChrystal 

The article has two titles, reflecting the New York Times' bumbling when it comes to digital media. The page title best for search is "Enemy Lurks in Briefings on Afghan War - PowerPoint - NYTimes.com, and the title on the page itself is the one most referred to: "We Have Met the Enemy and He Is PowerPoint." (As an aside, the best search-oriented title should have been "PowerPoint fails in US Afghanistan Briefing.")

The centerpiece of the article is a giant system dynamics (or "SD") causal relationship diagram (presented above) that shows how key factors and actions in Afghanistan are interrelated. The New York Times author apparently does not know that it's a system dynamics model, because she does not refer to it, but to the place the SD model diagram is on: PowerPoint.

The article takes off on PowerPoint, while missing the real problem: it's a really a model that can be ran and we can see the graph and statistical outcomes of different decisions. You need a computer and a presentation projector and a place to run the model like the platforms provided by Porio Business Simulations. Then you need to run the model and test different decisions.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal joked about the diagram

Instead of that, this is what happened according to the New York Times' Elisabeth Bumiller:

Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the leader of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan, was shown a PowerPoint slide in Kabul last summer that was meant to portray the complexity of American military strategy, but looked more like a bowl of spaghetti. "When we understand that slide, we’ll have won the war," General McChrystal dryly remarked, one of his advisers recalled, as the room erupted in laughter.

The simple fact that McChrystal didn't understand the slide is why we're not only not winning the war, but not seeing that we should not be in Afghanistan. The seeds of the reasons why are actually in the system dynamics model.   If Gen McChrystal understood systems thinking, and then system dynamics, he would have asked for a computer to run the model,  rather than joke about a picture.

If he did, he would have seen a the impact of the part of the model called "Popular Support."  One of the key factors in that variable area is something that is just called "anger" with both the US Government and the Afghan Government.

The idea is that by the government helping the economy and infrastructure, this anger is reduced.  But then insurgents destroying that same infrastructure harm this effort.  So what happens if you just took the US Government out of the picture?  In other words, just remove "Coalition Capacity and Priorities", which would cause the elimination of "Coalition Domestic Support" and we remove the factor the Afghan population's reacting to in the model: the United States.

The problem with the model is it's designed to show how US and Coalition forces can impact Afghanistan, but then it implies our very existence in the region is pissing some of them off, causing a set of problems that we have to spend money to deal with.

If you want to see a one version of a simple type of the same SD diagram that takes you through how the factors are related, here's a model created by Chris Soderquist for the IEE Systems Thinking Blog and Forio Business Simulations and presented in a blog post called "We have met an ally and it is storytelling":



(Alternatively, use this link for the model.)

If Gen. McChrystal knew systems thinking, and were honest, he'd realize the best course of action is not to be in Afghanistan. Of course, if Gen. McChrystal were a systems thinker, he would not have got himself into the trouble that cost him his job.

Mel Gibson accused of slapping girlfriend by Suzannah B. Troy

Dear Blog Readers:  What I express to you in this blog posting are my opinions on a low life, anti-semite....
Thank you,
Suzannah B. Troy

Adulterer, liar, anti-semite Mel Gibson is back in the news again and it is not for acting like a good Christian.   Surprise!  Surprised?  Not at all!

Mel Gibson is Yiddish for anti-semite, low life.

Adulterous partners in sin, Gibson and gal pal,  have both filed restraining orders against each other  but Gibson is rumored to be the violent one here.    He got her preggers and had a baby girl while married which doesn't make him a poster boy for being a good Christian but apparently makes him an expert on Christ.   The girlfriend and mom of their illegitimate daughter accuses him of beating her up badly according to TMZ.

TMZ at the forefront of Celebrity Dish and Disasters has the newest installment and that is Mel says she is lying.    Do you think Mel Gibson is an expert on lying?  I do.

I don't mention her name because she is of no interest to me except that she is a victim of alleged violence at the hands of a rich, Hollywood brute and America's most famous  anti-semite who has done his best to spread his hate and propaganda message using his movie.  I don't mention the name of the high tech propaganda flick embraced by Rome which is very telling as well. 

Let's see.... I believe, poster boy for the Church, Mel Gibson still is legally married to his wife,  who he has 7  children with.  The wife married him when he had no money or fame.  Do you think what's her name would have given Mel, the construction worker, the time of day?  I don't think so.

What's her name  accuses him of domestic violence.    Mel being the charming, classy guy that he is is rumored to be playing hard ball with her not only fighting the charge but filing a restraining order against her!  Mel the anti-semite, drunk, adulterer has never been one to step up to the plate and take responsibility.

Why should he?  In America if you are rich, a celebrity, a politician, "connected", you don't have to plead guilty.  The well connected have a special plea just for them..."no contest" something like that...it is a plea designed for spoiled rotten people so they don't have to plead guilty when they are as guilty as sin!

That is the American justice system blinded by money, celebrity, etc.

Classy guy, Mel the anti-semite and maybe the Pope will plug him as "Father of the Year"!   I would be happy to fly to Rome and discuss  this with the Pope; why I think it is deeply anti-semitic and very disturbing for the Church to embrace Mel Gibson and his anti-semitic film.  True or false?  The Pope has an email and I emailed him this piece.  True.

How a vile, low life like Mel Gibson even could make an anti-semitic film  so over the top in every way about Christ but that is "Holly-woo-wood Babylon" and didn't  a woman die of a heart attack  watching it?  The film was clearly too much for her.  Is that considered murder?

I don't care about these creepy people but if you do Radar on Line has an exclusive interview with Mel's ex-girlfriend, mother of his newest child and she claims to be the victim here.  I do believe her.  I just don't think she is a nice person.

I care about the oil spill crisis and the massive destructive effects including the mass murder of sea life and long range results.  I can't help but feel greed and stupidity are to blame for devastating effects people can't understand yet but when I read about Hollywood's most famous drunken anti-semite I have to speak up.

Mel Gibson's father is a Holocaust denier.   I would like to sit down with the Pope and discuss Mel Gibson, adulterer, liar, cheater and also Holocaust deniers like Gibson's creepy, vile dad.

And what does the Pope and Rome do?  They take a film by such a low life,  Mel Gibson, a man that forged his fortune selling sex, violence and used Jesus who was Jewish and to make an anti-semitic film! 

Mel Gibson being exposed as an adulterer and liar....do you think that was the first time?  If he did hit his girlfriend, do you think that was the first time he roughed up a woman?  Gibson turning around and blaming the victim if true...do you think that was a first time?  He has been exposed for adultery -- I am sure that was his first time (not.) 

Mel Gibson likes to tell people he has Jewish friends.  I am so glad I am not one of Mel Gibson's Jewish friends.  I am glad I am not married to him.  I don't date married men although I have met men that pass themselves off as single when they are not but it is hard for Hollywood celebrities who are married to pass themselves off as single so Mel's newest baby's mama knew she was dating a married man and she and Mel in theory knew how to use birth control.   I would not want to be in a car with drunk driving Mel Gibson who makes anti-semitic comments to a Los Angeles Police Officer and gets away with it.

Mel Gibson is disgusting...He is worse than disgusting.  I am sure the little girl he had out of wedlock is the newest Mel Gibson victim based on his vile behavior and if someone made a film right now exposing Mel Gibson including how uses money and religion Rome would not be eager to embrace the Mel Gibson further exposed now as anything but a good Christian.  Mel Gibson is not qualified to make a film on Christ and apparently he is an awful husband and boyfriend and father.

Mel Gibson is such a creep and yet he can easily find people willing to kiss his rotten to the core ego.

Mel Gibson is a big mess and he has as much chance of cleaning up his emotional oil spill as BP but I care about the oil spill off of the Gulf, all the deaths because of it and the long range disaster as well.  I don't know how this happened and ditto for Mel Gibson making a proganda film on Christ that Rome would back but Rome also let pedophiles abuse innocent children for way too long.

Eminem - Recovery Review by Josh Grattan

Eminem's highly anticipated new album Recovery hit stores last Monday, June 21. When critics and fans think there is nothing else he can say to shock and surprise, think again.


For over a decade now Eminem has never stopped coming out with new original material with every album. Eminem aka Marshall Bruce Mathers III aka Slim Shady has run the rap game for years, when his albums hit the stores the fans go crazy and when he goes on hiatus they cant stop begging for his return.


In the past few years Eminem has been through a very dramatic part of his life, from the death of his best friend and fellow rapper Proof in April 2006, to another marriage and divorce to Kim Scott Mathers in 2006, and more drug abuse resulting in an overdose and rehab. Back in August 2005 I personally saw Eminem live in Massachusetts and even then I could tell that he was looking strange and kind of sickly. Despite that he still put on the most amazing performance I have ever witnessed, and shortly after that show he took a long hiatus from the world of rap leaving the fans and media to wonder if he was retiring or if it was merely a break. Once he announced his return the fans lined up for him once again... but what he delivered was nothing like what the public expected.


Mr. Mather's first studio album after his time away was Relapse. A very different album full of lyrical punchlines and ludicrous accents to blend new words into incredible rhymes. Many did not understand what Eminem was going for and thought that he had lost his touch. But when you sit down and really listen to the lyrics to each song you will find that he never missed a beat, just switched it up a bit. The best example was in his song Insane where he reaches a new level of offensive lyrics and disturbing concepts but when looking closely to each line you can see the genious behind the madness.


Less than a year later Eminem released Recovery which truly showed that his talent never left. Each song is a lyrical masterpiece, throughout the whole album he raps much faster than in the past and with more intensity and passion than we've seen from him since Lose Yourself. In his past albums, each song was different and went from serious to playful, from dark to light, fast to slow, and from harsh to passionate. In just one album he would call women some of the most foul names possible but in another song deeply express his love for his daughter, profess his true love for Kim, and show a sweet side that he usually hides.


A very shocking change that I, a long time fan, found in this album was which other artists he chose to feature on his tracks. In the past he frequently collaborated with 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, D12, Obie Trice, and other rappers in the "Shady/Aftermath family". But in Recovery none of these artists were featured, instead he worked with Rihanna, Lil Wayne, and P!nk. A very suprising decision that Eminem kind of explains in his song Going Through Changes where he says, "My friends just can't understand this new me, that's understandable man".


In Recovery none of these patterns held true. Eminem released material unlike anything he's released in the past. Each song had the same intensity, the same fast paced beats with quick words so hard to follow you need to focus to catch the lyrical genius behind each bar. One thing that remains the same is Eminem's joy for the shock value, it's undeniable that Mr. Mathers has an uncanny ability to say things to grab his fans attention and say, "What the $%&#?"

The Recovery Tracklist follows:

1. Cold Wind Blows

2. Talkin' 2 Myself

3. On Fire

4. Won't Back Down

5. W.T.P.

6. Going Through Changes

7. Not Afraid

8. Seduction

9. No Love

10. Space Bound

11. Cinderella Man

12. 25 to Life

13. So Bad

14. Almost Famous

15. Love the Way You Lie

16. You're Never Over

(Photos courtesy of Google Images)