R.I.P. Steve Jobs and thanks for all of it!

I remember my first encounter with an Apple Mac. I had just left IBM in May of 1986 after 18 years of service and deciding it was time to leave Vermont and come to the Bay area and be part of the excitement and improved weather from the harshness of Vermont winters. The last thing I bought as an employee was the IBM Personal Computer XT, as I got it with the employee discount. To my surprise, in only a few months in San Francisco, the damn thing started falling apart. Eventually everything but the metal frame didn't work. I had to replace the computer and decided to go with my first Apple Mac. Since that moment I have never been dissatisfied with my Apple products, as you see I was converted into an Apple zealot. I have never looked back at any other equipment other than a Mac since.

As one of my early consultant gigs, I was fortunate to get Apple as a client in 1987 and I remember the excitement I felt walking into Apple and seeing groups of people working with chart paper and easels and colored markers contributing to a brainstorming exercise of new product ideas. The place vibrated and I felt privileged just to see it first hand and be a small part of it. I did a number of sessions for Apple management into 1989 and I met there what was to be one of my best clients ever. He was an IT mid level Director who was smart, cared about his people a lot, had the highest integrity and was the kind of person I was proud to know. I knew he had something special going for him and I just enjoyed his way of working with people. No, it wasn't Steve, but he was the kind of person at Apple that made it be one of the best companies in America.

It was a privilege to go into a company where you felt that excitement and knew something special was happening there. I had had that feeling only once before and that was when I worked on the development of the Heat Shield for the Apollo program, but I have never had that feeling again since Apple. Steve Jobs helped change the world and the way we look at and use technology in it. He changed my world too.

What's happening in politics this year? One word, shakeup!

The political parties are scrambling for change, at least that is what is happening in the Republican Party. It is being split apart with the Tea Party movement. It is difficult to tell at this moment if these changes in the long run will be beneficial. However, when people start to get involved and taking the phrase "power of the people" to new heights, it is indeed good for democracy. So those who believe on the right that true Conservatism was abandoned by the Bush Administration are correct, as more money was spent that we didn't have, than in any other presidency as far back as you can go. It seems Fiscal Conservatism is coming back in vogue by the efforts of the Tea party and proposed and articulated by Republican Rep. Ron Paul, who is a Libertarian in philosophy. I think we can all agree that irresponsible spending hurts our country more than even terrorism. We have amassed so much debt, we are not much better off than many countries in Europe like Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Great Britain. This was the cause of the ousting of Gordon Brown as Prime Minister. Living within one's means is what is required of us all. So I think this is all for the good as I see it within the Republican sphere.

So now let me look at the Democrats. There has not been any such movement on the left in the Democratic Party. I would have thought that there are social liberals but fiscal Conservatives out there who would push the Democrats more, and unfortunately, none have shown up to date. One way in which we could have more bipartisanship as was demonstrated yesterday, when Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont was able to get a Bill passed to have a one time AUDIT of the Federal Reserve from the years 2007 to 2010. The Bill passed 96-0, which is unheard of since President Obama got elected. Republicans and Democrats can work together as long as both Parties use the common language and philosophy of Fiscal Conservatism to rule the country. The Party's can fight over social issues but come together for the good of all on Fiscal issues such as reducing the National Debt and using PAYGO to approve any spending Bills. There is common ground here if Progressives seize the moment to work cooperatively with Tea Party advocates, and Libertarians, to get us back on track as a country, from the spending of this and previous administrations. I show 2 charts tonight. Oner is of the National Debt increase since Reagan. and the other is a chart of Debt versus GDP by Country. This last graph may be difficult to see so blow it up as it is worth it.

Is it time to "Throw the bums out!?"

This morning news headlines read, "Senators resist Obama over projects in health bill". You see in the Senate Bill, there were deals put in like these:

1. Steer $600 million over the next decade to Vermont in added federal payments for Medicaid and nearly as much to Massachusetts.
2. Connecticut would get $100 million to build a hospital.
3. About 800,000 Florida seniors could keep certain Medicare benefits.
4. Asbestos-disease victims in tiny Libby, Mont., and some coal miners with black lung disease or their widows would get help, and there are prizes for Louisiana, the Dakotas and more states

The Senators sponsoring these "benefits" for their home States all have "justifiable reasons" they deserve these extra benefits they say, but in my view, that is what's wrong with Washington and maybe we should throw out every incumbent, Democrat, Republican and Independent. It's making made us broke! I say this as one who voted for Barack Obama for President, he is trying to do the right thing by getting the Dems to take these special deals out of the Bill, but for political reasons, as they are unpopular with voters, according to the article. Shouldn't he want these deals out of the Bill because it is this right thing to do? I'm afraid all Senators are too Political and that's one thing Tea Baggers and their anger have in common with the rest of us no matter what side of the political spectrum one finds themselves. Where's the notion of Country first?

The 2 Party system is soon to be made up of Democrats and Progressives and not Republicans

That's right, the Republicans have gone off the deep end on scaring people about Healthcare reform. The Republican Party is relegating itself to obscurity, albeit a loud obscurity, by all the fear mongering, lies, and threats of violence against any Democrat in favor of Healthcare reform. You will see more Republicans becoming Independents and some changing to Democrats, but you will also see more people willing to join the Progressive movement. The Progressive movement is firmly in place in several States. It is solid here in the San Francisco Bay area and believe it or not, it is solidly established in my former State of Vermont, with Senator Bernie Sanders leading the movement.

As long as Republicans continue to use scare tactics and threats of assassination of Democrats, they will drive their members away from the Party. "Free Speech" is protected up to a point. Threatening lynching or assassination of any leader is beyond Free Speech. It's like yelling "Fire" in a movie theater. It's not allowed or you will be arrested. The idea that the Gov't is going to cause the death of seniors is absurd, but they continue this line of protesting. The issue of Healthcare Reform will determine if we as a Nation have evolved from the fear used by the Bush Administration to get us to invade Iraq. If we haven't, God help us. If we have, then these fringe Republicans will remain a minority. I certainly hope they fade away. They may be noisy, but they show the worst of America. I have many terrific Republican friends. They must be shrieking from all the bull being spread around. All of my Republican friends can discuss the issues, agree on certain points, disagree on other points, but we both walk away educated by each other's point of view. That's what's missing from this debate. It is going to force Democrats to ignore the Republican's ideas, some of which are good, because the Bill won't be passed without some changes in the Rules of Congress or the Senate. It may take just 50 votes to pass this as Republicans are generally dismissed, and serves them right.

Fatalities by State from Iraq War and why Vermonters called for impeachment

A few days ago I wrote a piece titled, "Calls for impeachment from small towns across Vermont". At that time I had no idea as to why 29 towns have called for the impeachment of President Bush. I had first attributed it to the fact that Vermont had the only Progressive candidate in the Senate, Bernie Sanders and therefore it was understandable that many might vote for impeachment given the history of the blunders and failed policy of this President and his Administration.

But upon closer examination I had my eyes opened wide to the real reason that Vermont was leading the way in calls for Bush's impeachment, to end this Iraq war and to bring the troops home. Vermonters on a per person basis, have sacrificed more of its blood treasure, its soldiers, than any other State in the country, a fact not known nor cited by the main stream media. These families know first hand what this war is costing. By contrast the District of Columbia, the seat of politics and of all branches of government, had the least % casualties by a margin of 1 DC fatality for every 5 Vermonters. I am not trying to minimalize even one death here, but rather to give one good reason why Vermonters may have called for the impeachment of President Bush. They are living the consequences of going into this war of choice first hand.

Click on the image above to enlarge it and see where your State stands on the list. They are sorted by Fatalities from greatest to least percentage based upon the State population. Fatalities included in the data are those listed as of 3-11-07 on icasualties.org.

Calls for impeachment from small towns across Vermont

It was Town Hall meeting day in Vermont on a cold day in the Northeast, but true Vermonters and others, who like to think they are Vermonters (first and second generation people who either moved there or were born there), packed small Town Hall meetings all over the State. Democracy was at work in one of the country's oldest States. When all was said and done, 29 towns approved calls for impeachment investigations of President Bush.

I lived and worked in Vermont for 18 years coming from Boston. What I learned over the course of those 18 years was how proud Vermonters were of their Town Hall meetings and their right to exercise their democratic freedom to weigh in on issues both local and national in scope. Famed Russian dissident and author, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, Nobel Prize recipient in 1970, lived in a small town in Vermont when he was forced to leave Russia. He too enjoyed seeing democracy in action in Vermont and had made public comments to that effect, as he had been kicked out of Russia and moved to Vermont in 1976 for his attacks on the Soviet system. Democracy is still alive in small towns all over Vermont. I am proud to just have lived there.

To read more on Vermont's town meetings from March 6th, click here.