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Ding Dong the Wicked Ayatollah is Dead

By ✖ the Monk ✖ on December 20th, 2009

A democracy which makes or even effectively prepares for modern, scientific war must necessarily cease to be democratic. No country can be really well prepared for modern war unless it is governed by a tyrant, at the head of a highly trained and perfectly obedient bureaucracy. –Aldous Huxley

I heard Ayatollah, Voted Yes On Prop 8

I heard Ayatollah, Voted Yes On Prop 8

What great news!  Obviously the big question is what does the puppet Ahmadinejad do without the mighty Ayatollah’s hand up his ass.  But with Iran’s young, and optimistic population I am eager to see what develops with all the power shifting that is going to happen.  This is a great opportunity for this country and could help temper some middle east pressure.  I am going on record as saying Obama’s desire to send 30,000 more troops is a HUGE mistake.  I know conservatives love to send out the letter from the senile 95 year old man but,

First he called the President of the United States “Son”  there is huge issues with that alone.[*]

Second so what the General asked for more troops, that is the default answer for a General, Police Chief or any person put in charge of a peace keeping operation.  YES, I am sure you can do better with more men, SO WHAT make it work.

Third, We have them out numbered 12 to 1, how is this thing not over?  I think the Generals may need to find other lines of work if you can win a battle where you have them out numbered 12 to 1.[*] Continue reading Ding Dong the Wicked Ayatollah is Dead →

Commentary, Local, Media, News, Philosophy, Politics 2 comments

…but he said I could plagiarize it

By ✖ the Monk ✖ on December 19th, 2009

“I’ve always believed that America’s government was a unique political system — one designed by geniuses so that it could be run by idiots. I was wrong. No system can be smart enough to survive this level of incompetence and recklessness by the people charged to run it.” -Thomas Friedman

Ahhhh A Wise Guy

Ahhhh A Wise Guy

I was all giddy with anticipation this evening waiting to see what playbook Mrs. Vakay & friends would run to spin this scandal their way. The sky is the limit with these 2009 Republicans, so my money was on, “He is an angry Kenyan citizen, show us your birth certificate pal” or “He is secret socialist Muslim sent from the past by Hitler to give us all free medical”, Sadly to my disappointment and boredom they went with, “he said I could plagiarize it” and “he is a sexist Democrat”. Really? Why is it most politicians sound like pathetic 13 year old kids with every excuse in the book why it isn’t their fault? I really think, “No Comment” would have been the best course of action in this situation. Instead they did everything in their power to prove their guilt by making several shots in the dark about my motives, political stance and personal character.

What is most disturbing to me about this article is that Gary Wolfram another teaching professional with a Ph.D in economics is defending what is obvious plagiarism of his own work. How do two teaching professionals not know what constitutes plagiarism? Would this fly if two of their students were giving these same lame excuses why their papers were nearly identical? Absolutely NOT, they would be expelled for academic dishonesty in half-a-second. These two know better. What is it about political parties that make grown adults act like unreasonable, spoiled brats?

Continue reading …but he said I could plagiarize it →

Commentary, Local, Media, News, Politics 6 comments

Republican Leader Lynn Vakay Caught Plagiarizing

By ✖ the Monk ✖ on December 18th, 2009

“…be sure your sin will find you out.” –Numbers 32:23

Vakay The Ultimate Ditto Head

Vakay The Ultimate Ditto Head

It wasn’t but a few weeks ago Lynn Vakay, an outspoken evangelical, school teacher and Headquarters Director of Santa Clarita Republican Party, was pointing her righteous finger of judgement at the Obama White house for an address which hadn’t been given yet. She was so upset at our President for his very true statement that America is not just a Christian nation, but a nation of many religions. Say what you will about the President’s thanksgiving address, but at least it wasn’t plagiarized. Which is something that Lynn Vakay can not claim about her latest political rant entitled “We should heed Madison’s advice, not Harry Reid’s”, published in the Dec 18 issue of the Signal. She attempted to pass off an almost word for word lifted copy of Gary Wolfram’s Nov 30th editorial entitled “James Madison vs. Harry Reid” published on humanevents.com.

Click Here to See Two Articles Side By Side

What is Plagiarism

My other Column About Lynn Vakay

Slate Article – Why Biden’s plagiarism shouldn’t be forgotten

SCVTalk.com Post about Vakay

After spending a few hour to analyze Mrs. Vakay’s knock-off next to Gary Wolfram’s original, I figured she wrote about 4 or 5 sentences of her own drivel to make it serve her purpose.  My favorite part is where she inserts an almost identical story of her Grandmother in the hospital, in place of Mr. Wolfram’s Mother-in-Law in a nursing home story.  I do love her one of her only original thoughts, “How many people go to see their doctor when they really don’t need to just because their “insurance” or Medicare is paying for it? This is a huge problem.”, Hey Vakay, it is called a check up, people do it make sure they don’t get sick and die. Continue reading Republican Leader Lynn Vakay Caught Plagiarizing →

Commentary, Local, Politics 1 comment

Liberty & Justice For All

By ✖ the Monk ✖ on December 3rd, 2009

“When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

This blog was written in response to Steve Lunetta’s colum entitled “Eric Holder’s bad decisions” which appeared in my local newspaper the signal.  Steve Lunetta is smember of the 38th Assembly District’s Republican Central Committee.  You can read his column here.

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Being a Just Society is the greatest challenge America Faces!

Being a Just Society is the greatest challenge America Faces!

In reference to Mr. Lunetta’s column entitled Eric Holder’s Bad Decisions:  Mr. Lunetta’s fear and misguided logic comes shining through in this poorly executed conservative talking point stew he attempted to pass off as a column.

On March 5, 1770, British troops opened fire on a crowd of unarmed civilians in Boston killing five people.  This incident became known as the Boston Massacre, and it pushed anti-british sediment to its near boiling point.  Britain wanted the soldiers to be extradited back to Britain to ensure their soldiers would get a fair trial.  Acting on a new sense of self-identity and independence, the American colonies refused.  The American colonialists were angry and wanted justice for this tragedy. Many wanted to forego a trial and just hang the soldiers from the closest tree.  But John Adams, our second president and quite possibly our most influential founding father, saw this as an opportunity to set an American precedence by representing these soldiers.  Adams saw this as an opportunity to show Britain and the world that American principles were just and fair and that America could take care of its own problems. Continue reading Liberty & Justice For All →

Commentary, Philosophy 6 comments

Starbucks And Their Save The World Marketing Scam

By ✖ the Monk ✖ on November 29th, 2009

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed” ~Mahatma Gandhi

HEY BONO, Thanks for Helping us Exploit AFRICA for MONEY

Hey Bono, Thanks Chap for Helping us exploit Africa's AIDS crisis for profit!

During a recent trip to my local Starbucks, I noticed a sign on the bulletin board that says Starbucks has helped provide 6,000,000 days of medicine for people with AIDS in Africa.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love coffee and I love people who try to save the world. And at first glance, it appears Starbucks is doing both. And in a way they are – kinda.

Six million days of medication sounds like a huge number – until you start crunching the numbers.  It cost $140 per person for 365 days worth of AIDS medication.[*]  This means that the mighty coffee juggernaut that has revenues that exceed $1 trillion per year gave $2.3 million to the Global Aids Fund.  This still seems like a lot of money, but let’s put the amount in perspective.  Divide the $2.3 million by Starbucks’ 16,635 locations [*] and the days in a year and you’ll find your local Starbucks gives about 38 cents a day to help AIDS in Africa. That’s not even the price of a regular coffee, let alone one of their pricey lattes.  Go in to your local Starbucks and look at the Product (RED) cups and fair trade coffees they are peddling in the name of AIDS research.  The pricey insulated cup costs $16 of which Starbucks will donate $1 to the Global AIDS fund. That’s not even 10 percent.  How much does Starbucks make off this cup, which I might add costs more then all the other cups of the same design?  Now I am not the type of person who paints companies that make a profit out to be the villains.  I am simply saying if a company is going to use poor Africans with AIDS to pull on the heart strings of Americans to buy overpriced products, the company should be giving a significant amount to the cause. Six percent is a ridiculously low number. I feel Starbucks is essentially exploiting people with AIDS in African to make a profit – really despicable when you think about it.  Bono summed this whole scam up best in a speech he gave last October at a Starbucks manager meeting.  He said, “This is not charity. This is commerce.” [*]

Continue reading Starbucks And Their Save The World Marketing Scam →