The Five and Alex Trebek

I have been a fan of "The Five" since it premiered in July, 2011 on the Fox News Channel. It was supposed to be only a summer replacement after Glenn Beck's show was cancelled at the end of June. It was a breath of fresh air from the din of negativity it replaced. In October, 2011, it was picked up as a permanent show.

It is the second most watched cable news program, topped only by "The O'Reilly Factor", and has occasionally topped all cable shows in the key 25-54 demographic.

Essentially, it is a rotating panel of five co-hosts who individually bring up a topic which the other four debate. The panel includes Bob Beckel, Eric Bolling, Dana Perino, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Andrea Tantaros, Greg Gutfeld and Juan Williams. Beckel, Bolling, Perino and Gutfeld are mainstays while the others substitute as commitments warrant. It is a political/current events/human interest roundtable format type show.

On Wednesday, in honor of the 30th anniversary of the game show Jeopardy, Alex Trebek made an "in-studio" appearance, which covered two segments of the show.

English: Alex Trebek in 2009. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is a rarity for this program but given the iconic stature of Mr. Trebek, it was not only necessary, it was deserved.

Many issues were discussed during the program including, the controversial play of current champ, Arthur Chu, whose unorthodox play has made fans of the show annoyed. Alex explained that players can roam the board at will since all categories are fair game.  He stated that this sort of play has been done before.

He also answered questions related to the play of Ken Jennings, who won the most money ever in the regular game, and others who won millions in the "Tournament of Champions" series. He also discussed his friendship and relationship with Pat Sajak, which he said, is “friendly and not competitive”. Finally, since Dana Perino was a contestant a few years ago, he was gracious as he gave her a pass on her performance when she seemed to have difficulty ringing in.

Seeing him in this light was an eye-opener. He is a soft-spoken, gentle man, quiet and shy actually which to me was the opposite of my perception of him. Given the fact that he comes across so confident and assured on his show and the commercials he does, I found him to be as human and down to earth as the rest of us with a deep sense of humbleness.

As an aside, years ago I saw an interview with Paul Newman on a local newscast in New York and that was as revealing as the interview with Alex. Newman was also very shy and embarrassed, not what you would expect from a topline academy award winning actor.

Ultimately, my point is that prominent people have the same insecurities as the rest of us. There really was no vanity exposed by Alex Trebek. Instead, he is a kind, gentle human being, who has found a way to make his living and share himself with the rest of us which was unknown.

As you can see I enjoyed the interview and I think the hosts did a good job. Why wouldn't they? They too are consummate professionals.

Perhaps our leaders could take a lesson here, both from the hosts of The Five and from Alex Trebek, how to speak to each other. It, too, would be a refreshing improvement.

The Father of American Socialism

“Lest we forget at least an over the shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins - or which is which), the very first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom - Lucifer.”  - Saul Alinsky

Did you ever hear of Saul Alinsky? He was a "community organizer" from Chicago, Illinois. Hmmm, sound familiar?

He was, by all accounts known first as a political activist and considered the founder of modern community organizing. He was also a writer whose notable works included “Reveille for Radicals”, published in 1946 and “Rules for Radicals”, published in 1971, just before his death.

Time Magazine once wrote, "American democracy is being altered by his ideas", that great conservative thinker, William F Buckley Jr. said he was "very close to being an organizational genius." His ideas were adapted on some college campuses by left-leaning students and teachers which have influenced college campuses to this day.

In his book Rules for Radicals, he teaches us there are 8 levels of control that must be obtained before you are able to create a socialist state.  The first is the most important:

Rules for Radicals (Photo credit: Wikipedia)important:

1) Healthcare - Control healthcare and you control the people

2)  Poverty - Increase the Poverty level as high as possible, poor people are easier to control and will not fight back if you are providing everything for them to live.

3) Debt - Increase the debt to an unsustainable level. That way you are able to increase taxes, and this will produce more poverty.

4) Gun Control - Remove the ability to defend themselves from the Government.  That way you are able to create a Police state.

5) Welfare - Take control of every aspect of their lives (Food, Housing, and Income)

6) Education - Take control of what people read and listen to.  Take control of what children learn in school.

7) Religion - Remove the belief in God from the government and schools.

8) Class Warfare - Divide the people into the wealthy and the poor. This will cause more discontent and it will be easier to take (Tax) the wealthy with the support of the poor.

It appears that some of the leaders in today's Democrat Party have decided that this is now the mantra to be professed by Democrats rather than philosophy of FDR, Harry Truman, JFK, Scoop Jackson or Jimmy Carter. The days of a pro-American, Pro-Constitution Democratic Party is now over with the advent of Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama running the party.

What is so amazing to me is that good Democrats like Chris Van Hollen, Andrew Cuomo, Ed Rendell and Joe Manchin, among others, go along with the hijack of their party by these extreme left-leaning politicians. I guess the belief "now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their party" is dead, at least to Democrats. Too bad because it really should be "now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their COUNTRY."

Certainly, Saul Alinsky, as well as Lucifer, is laughing in Hell as our God-fearing Nation is falling down around us because Alinsky's rules are coming to pass. God help us!

Defense Cuts and Waste

"Where is the pen? Is it out of ink? Where is the phone? Is it out of service?” Elizabeth Hasselbeck on Tuesday's Fox and Friends

She made this comment during a debate about the military cutbacks announced Monday by SecDef Chuck Hagel.

Before Robert Gates left in 2011, he had pared back defense spending to account for our reduced role in the world as the troops were leaving Iraq that year. He understood that since there was no Status of Forces Agreement (SoFA) with the "liberated" Iraqi government, the anticipated expenditures for remaining troops and base supports were not needed.

He didn't cut benefits and pensions because he understood the sacrifices our men and women in uniform have made and were dealing with as civilians. He also understood that the remaining military, and their families, continued to make sacrifices dealing with the paltry sum an enlisted soldier and junior grade officer made as a "salary". He reasoned that to cut down on commissary and post expenses to the government would far and away severely impact our service men and women and their families on the cost of food and shelter.

Enter Leon Panetta.  Mr. Panetta was an even stronger Secretary of Defense, who had the political experience to stand up to the President in his quest to gut the military. When the President was looking to further cut military expenditures in fiscal 2011, 2012 and 2013, Sec. Panetta proved to be a roadblock to that action, citing

, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel

the Gates budget plan which foresaw and implemented those cuts in 2011.

Now, Secretary Hagel has announced the cuts to our military budget which will bring our levels to their lowest levels since 1940. I guess the world is in a better and safer

place now that the Nazis and the Fascists were defeated.

Not a word has been said on the outlandish discretionary spending our government wastes our tax dollar on, you know, those vacations (22 since 2009), dresses, 3,000 calorie state dinners, 100% pensions and benefits for retired congressmen and senators, cabinet members, and presidents and millionaires.

Finally, the CBO put out a chart which showed the cost of expenditures between defense and other expenditures, including social security and Medicare. Keep in mind that Social Security and Medicare are paid for by taxpayers through payroll and 1099 taxes. Or, at least, are supposed to be.

Defense spending has stayed around 18% of the budget since 1990 while entitlements have grown to 48% of total expenses. Non-defense discretionary spending is 17%, while  interest expense is 6% and other mandatory spending is 11%.

The first question the President should be asking is, "What constitutes other mandatory spending?" and the second question should be, "What makes up our non-defense discretionary spending?" Most business people understand that a better accounting of miscellaneous spending is required to run a successful business which these last two items actually are. Oh, right. The President doesn't know what to ask because he never ran a business.

He has a phone and a pen though! Maybe Elizabeth is right when she said the phone is out of service and the pen ran dry.

I guess we should give the President and DefSec Hagel the benefit of the doubt. They are entitled to that at least.

The Ukrainian Coup d'etat

So, what designs of "unification" does Vladimir Putin have with some, if not all, the countries which were once part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics? You remember that country, the one which gave us Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev and Gorbachev?

This is the country that Kennedy and later Reagan stood up to; Kennedy during The Cuban Missile Crisis and Reagan calling it an "evil empire" , while other Presidents, well, they just wanted to play nice in the sandbox.

Now, Gorbachev was a "good communist" while the others were just, bad. I say this because he was smart enough to recognize the USSR was collapsing around him and decided trying to control the former Warsaw Pact countries was going to bankrupt Russia. He also knew that President Reagan was not going to back down. A deal which was beneficial for the survival of Russia was better than the continued arms race the USSR was destined to lose.

When Putin first came to power in 1999, he succeeded Boris Yeltsin who was ill from alcohol abuse and who "resigned" unexpectedly. In 2000, he was elected to his own term and was re-elected in 2004. In 2008 he was ineligible due to term limits outlined in the Russian Constitution.

He was appointed Prime Minister by his successor Dmitry Medvedev. They managed to change the constitution to allow him to run for a six-year term in 2012. Thus began the "tandemocracy" of the Putin-Medvedev reign. Make no mistake, while Putin says he is the leader of the United Russia Party this avowed Cold War Communist runs the country with the iron fist of the KGB.

The problems which have existed in Chechnya and Georgia, which were crushed by the hammer and sickle of the Russian Army, are the result of Russian dominance over these former Soviet states. These issues were heightened during Putin's first two terms and were not resolved during the interregnum of Medvedev.

Now, the same problems have surfaced in another former Soviet republic, Ukraine. This has been a chaotic time there but because Russia was the host country for the

Vladimir Putin - Olympic Host (Photo credit: DonkeyHotey)

2014 Winter Olympics, Putin did not wish to incur the wrath of the world to his Olympics, which occurred against the Soviet Union in 1980 after their invasion of Afghanistan. These Olympic Games were about him. There were millions of dollars at stake in television and other revenue, American dollars, which Putin could not afford to lose.

The Ukrainian "revolution" came to a head just before and during the Olympics with the overthrow of Viktor Yanukovych this past weekend during the closing ceremonies.

You can be sure the “iron fist” of the Russian army will now be deployed by Putin in order to calm the violence in Ukraine using the excuse that the army was deployed

to kill the "coup d'état" in Kiev. If this went unaddressed by him, in his mind, his stature as a strong leader would be diminished in the court of public opinion.

Remember, this is a man who was a lieutenant colonel in the KGB and nothing will change his "whole world" outlook. His long term goal is to bring Russia back to a First World military superpower much like it enjoyed from 1945 to 1991 as part of Soviet Union, where it was first among equals.

Putin will stop at nothing to achieve this goal. He knows that President Obama is all bluster and no action and that Obama had weakened the US immeasurably since taking office. Putin did not react this way with President Bush because he respected him and feared him. He has no respect for President Obama.

Putin's philosophical view can be compared to Don Coreleone, “if you have the guts to challenge an adversary, first they will respect you and then they will fear you”. Putin has neither for Obama because, face it, Barry is gutless. This is not my opinion; this is a poll showing that 57% of all Americans feel this way.

You can be sure that Putin is not done with Ukraine, as I wrote in my commentary of June 26, 2013, "Chess, Anyone?"

Vlad is a shrewd chess player on the geopolitical chessboard. He will wait until the time is right and he will move his pieces to ultimately win the game.  

Before Barry can even clear his throat, Vlad will once again checkmate the Ukraine. The goal is a reunification of the USSR, even under its former, nicer sounding, less belligerent name "Commonwealth of Independent States".

Before Barry is done, it could happen. It's only a matter of time before Vlad makes his move, the first of many to be made, starting with the "Breadbasket of Europe ", Ukraine.

Garage Bands or Radio City

well, that is just fun for all those in the room. Why? Because music is one of those attributes which can touch everyone's soul.

On Saturday evening, I had the opportunity to go to a local pub here on Long Island. I was transported back through time while listening to what we would now call a "60s British Invasion Band". This term now would define so many of us in the 60’s and 70’s who would pick up an instrument and hang out with friends to play the loud music we loved, while dreaming of fame and fortune and maybe a break or two to come our way.

The six music men compromised the band called "Joseph and Friends" and you could tell they enjoyed what they were doing, enjoyed the company and talent each brought to the stage. The lead singer was Joseph Felicetta and the co-lead was Bob Arndts. On lead guitar we heard Scott Malcolm through the use of a synthesizer which made his guitar sound like a flute, organ, trumpet, or saxophone as well as a guitar, depending on the song. Glen Scott played an electrified acoustic guitar while Vic Fusco played the bass. Finally my friend and former coworker, Nick Miceli was masterful on drums. And, they all sang; boy could they sing!

The harmonies were phenomenal, no matter the song, or the style. It was, at least on Saturday, mostly classic 60’s and some 70’s rock and roll. They covered songs by

Cover of Badfinger

Randy Bachman, Guess Who, early Bee Gees, The Stones, The Turtles, The Beatles and even Badfinger. No disco, no 80’s or 90’s here, but, The Thunderbirds, Neil Diamond and Elvis were right there in the mix, along with Chuck Berry and The Eagles!

There are many guys and gals who get together to enjoy a passion for music and try to play it well all throughout this land of ours. Many will never be recognized but trust me, they are out there and are as talented as “Joseph and Friends”. Like these guys, most will play from their heart knowing they will not have that shot at the brass ring.

As with anyone with a deep passion to share their soul reaching abilities with even one person, let alone a bar full of music lovers, it all started in the garage or the basement. Then to take it to a stage at a local pub, in Springfield, Milford or here on Long Island, it is the fulfillment of a life-long dream.

Thank you Friends, for at least reaching this soul and giving those in attendance a reason to smile, to stay and enjoy the gift you have that you shared so willingly, for a

couple of hundred dollars and a cheeseburger. It was well worth the time spent until 1AM Sunday.

You and your music inspired me to stay out later than I have in several years. Thank you for touching something in me to share your gift, and the gifts of others like you with so many like me.

Continue to play like your cut of the gate is in the millions, you certainly sound like you do!

Benefits v Entitlements

I know this topic was discussed in January, after the Congress passed and Barry signed legislation to cut emergency unemployment benefits and veteran’s benefits and pensions. Since then, we have heard the Democrats in the Congress and The Pen Phone Man harangue about unemployment but nothing for our Vets.

Is it not interesting when guts and balls are needed to defend our country in its goals, whether you agreed with them or not, in Iraq, Afghanistan and other warm war zones throughout the world, our Commander In Chief and his lackeys in Congress had no problem sending VOLUNTEERS to face the bullets and bombs of our adversaries. Certainly, it's not the President or Congress who grew those balls and spilled their guts I speak of. Instead it’s the men and women who volunteer that are sent into harms’ way.

Now that our brave soldiers are coming home from war and are eligible for discharge if they so choose, our illustrious weak-kneed leaders have chosen to say "thank

United States Capitol Building (Photo credit: Jack Says Relax)

you for your service" by saying "No benefits for you". They cut the pittance of pensions and benefits to which our heroes are entitled. Uhm, as I see it these are not "entitlements", these benefits are earned by their blood and tears.

Our so called leaders are now interested in cutting the deficit on the backs, guts and balls of those who defended our liberty, our way of life from those who despise us. These spineless hacks are useless pieces of crap for using our veterans as the example of our bloated and quite frankly, wasteful spending on issues which could easily be funded by private donations. Michelle Obama’s dress collection for one!

Hey, here is a thought; Why not cut the pensions and benefits of our former Representatives, Senators and Presidents, and maybe, just maybe, their Secret Service details? They are all millionaires anyway, so why should they continue to get 100% of their salaries and health benefits when spending is so out of control? Isn't this the worst form of "entitlement mentality"?

Maybe if these legislators actually felt the pain they have forced on those who protected their greedy spending habits, they would be more thoughtful on what needs to be cut. Especially on whose backs the spending is being cut.

As you can see from this list, this is bi-partisan unity in its worst form. By the way, is your Senator on this list? You should write to him or her and tell them what you think of their callous treatment of our veterans and that you won't forget to vote him or her out when their election comes up.

With all the retired and retiring Members of Congress, Vice Presidents and Presidents, not to mention former cabinet members, under- secretaries, ambassadors and so many others who were supposed to do these jobs in the public service of our nation.  It is time to revisit executive and legislative benefits and the future cost to the Nation. After all, they will all be hired as lobbyists and other positions of influence in many different industries at higher salaries than their government pensions.

Why take that small amount from those who will suffer from mental and physical injury for the rest of their lives, when TRILLIONS of future dollars will no longer be spent on pensions and benefits of elected and appointed officials. What is wrong with this picture?

Hey Congress and Barry “GROW A PAIR” and really do what is right. Stop the stealing of dollars you really are not "entitled" to and then watch our deficits disappear.

That would be the best service you could do for your country, and you know I am right. Our Veterans should not have to “get in line” for anything;  they should be walking on a red carpet!

California Dreaming... or Nightmare

On September 5, 2013, I wrote a commentary entitled "The Newest State?" , where I overviewed the activities of the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors and other counties in Northern California and southern Oregon, which were exploring the possibility to secede from California to create the new state of Jefferson. 

Now, this small campfire has grown into a wildfire throughout the entire state. In Thursday evening's Sacramento Bee a plan to divide California into 6 states has been advanced. Here is the article from The SacBee. 

In order for either of these proposals to reach fruition, the proponents of the proposals would have to collect approximately 800,000 valid signatures have to a chance

Map of Oregon and northern California showing counties proposed for inclusion in the State of Jefferson in 1941.made this with Illustrator, the map vector outlines were extracted from public domain National Atlas congressional district maps. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

to be placed on the ballot in November and be voted on by and win approval from Californians. 

Then, the State Legislature would need to approve the voters' wishes. IF that passes muster, then Congress would need to approve the break-up of one state.  Then if that passes, approve the admission of six new states, the appropriate number of constitutionally required Representatives and twelve total Senators. 

That will NEVER happen since it would give an unfair advantage of additional votes in the Senate to the former state of California. Presently, the state of California has two Senators. In essence, this would give California ten additional Senators. Representatives would virtually be unchanged due to the formula outlined in Article One of the Constitution.  

There would be many administrative nightmares which would arise from a split in California. Let's just hope this idea floats away like the smog in LA. 

Otherwise, the United States as we know it will be “Gone with the Wind”.

The Main Stream Media and the FCC

So what was the big story last night and this morning in the Main Stream Media? Well, while researching for Thursday's commentary, I saw articles about Justin Timberlake, Bruce and Kris Jenner, Oprah Winfrey and Bigfoot. There were also more serious articles about Ukraine, shoe bombing issues and Pakistani air strikes.

Nowhere in the “LAME” Stream Media was there any mention of the threat by an agency of the US government to the existence of a free press. Yes, the FCC, the agency of the government which grants licenses to TV and radio stations, now wants to see how production and the decision making process is determined over the content of the news we see and hear each day.

The only place I saw any mention of this police action by the government invading the independence of the media was on the Fox News Channel. You know that channel, the one that the “President of the United States” finds repulsive because it holds the President and his stooges accountable for their blatant and obvious abuse of the Constitution. While the LSM carries his water and kisses his butt like he is some sort of god-like character, better known as “Obama Syndrome”.

Here is the story from the only responsible news organization which had the guts to tell the story, Fox News.

Apparently, this is another overreach by the government to restrict our freedoms guaranteed us by the Bill Of Rights. We have already seen abuse by this administration

English: Fox News stand at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

with other actions against the First Amendment by forcing religious organizations to comply with “Obamacare” forcing religious entities to comply with birth control and abortion issues. 

It has also violated the Second Amendment with its release of personal information concerning the registration of licensed gun owners, the Fourth Amendment with the IRS and NSA scandals, and the Sixth Amendment with the delay of trials of CIA officers accused of crimes regarding the treatment of terrorists in Gitmo.

Yet the media remains silent. Are the executives afraid that by saying something against this government there will be repercussions against their news or broadcast

organizations? I would say it certainly appears to be.

I congratulate Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch and the Fox News reporters, for exposing this abuse of power by this Administration. Remember, the FCC is an agency under the Executive Branch of government. If Ed Henry or any other White House correspondent asks the buffoon, Jay Carney, about this and he tries to spin it, watch

him squirm and try to cover up. His dance is getting old. If the FCC is trying to do this police action, you can be sure the President knows it and probably is directing it.

After all, this is the President who has dared the Congress to impeach him as he announced in the SOTU and subsequently in radio addresses and speeches that he is going to push through his agenda without the consent of the Congress.

Way to go MSM! Thanks for not reporting, as usual, this latest power grab by this Administration but letting us know that Kim Khardashian dyed her hair like Beyoncé.

Journalism 101 at its best! 

The Obamacare Vig

How is Obamacare doing? Is it affecting you outside of work? Yes, no, maybe? Good thing you aren't going to Republique in Los Angeles or you would be told on your check to give an additional 3% to the check to cover the cost of Obamacare.

Here is the article for your review.

 Republique’s Healthcare Surcharge Raising Eyebrows

 So much for a quiet dinner with your loved one; now you are reminded of this horrible law as you eat that expensive meal. Be forewarned, you will get to choke on that nice crème brulee as the server brings you the bill.

Your bill comes to $100, the service was great and you generally tip 20% for great service. The server gets the tip and is expected to "tip out" the bartender, the busboy,

Barack Obama signing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at the White House (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

and maybe the hostess. Now, he or she will have to "tip out" the owner, too? Not this guy!

Generally, the restaurant is expected to cover all its costs/overhead in the cost of the meal as well as the price of drinks, appetizers and dessert. Anything left over is supposed to go toward its profit/bottom line and paying employees.

Now, it is going to be that the $100 meal going up to $103 or will the diner penalize the server by giving his pre-ordained 20% and let the server deal with it?

What's next? Is a trip to Home Depot or the grocery store going to expect people to give an additional "Vig" to the store to cover its healthcare costs? Why not add another 2% on top of the total to cover the cost of potential loss due to theft of an occasional candy bar.

Every business should be able to turn a profit; that is the premise of a free market system. Then, when does it stop? Didn't the Pelosi House and the Reid Senate understand the consequences of their perfidy, their stupidity? I am guessing it did not.

And of course, the genius (?) and his yes-men in the White House have no business sense, so he certainly doesn't understand how businesses work. After all, he never managed people and he never met a payroll so his dumb law is screwing everyone, including restaurant workers.

This law has to be repealed for a whole host of reasons. It has to be repealed because it hurts the worker, the average Joe. By the way, how did 3% become the magic number to cover the Restaurateurs’ healthcare cost? How is it accounted for? Who will monitor that this money is used for healthcare?

It's now time for this law to be thrown out. The worker will pay, not the owner. That is the price of this law.

I would bet a steak dinner on it!

Inconsistency, and the New Prohibition

If there is one phrase that you may tell the world something that could be controversial there is an old adage that there is "no time like the present.... or Friday".

Administrations have done this for years figuring that most news organizations, barring an unforeseen catastrophe, have already put together their stories for the Sunday papers and have lined up their guests for the Sunday Morning talk shows. The last two administrations keep forgetting that this is a digital age and "dumping" the news onto the media isn't as overwhelming as it may have been at one time.

This past Friday, The Obama Department of Justice, dumped a policy change with regard to the banks and marijuana. It was announced that the banks in states where the sale and usage of pot was legalized for recreational or medical reasons, no longer would be prohibited from accepting deposits and other transactions from state-licensed facilities.

On the surface, one would think this makes sense because in the 20 states where marijuana use is legal, the dispensaries would need a depository to offload cash. In

English: Discount Medical Marijuana cannabis shop at 970 Lincoln Street, Denver, Colorado. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

addition, since it is legal the facility should be able to accept credit and debit card transactions and a bank would be the logical processor of electronic payments.

However, there is a glitch in this whole panacea of this "feel-good" action by DOJ. There are many banks that do business across state lines. For example, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase and others maintain branches in New York and New Jersey. If a branch in Hoboken can accept deposits while a branch just one mile across the Hudson on 34 Street in New York City may not and those funds are commingled on the bank's books, aren't other interstate laws called into question?

Why isn't this transaction money laundering in Hoboken but would be considered as such in NYC?

For states which border Colorado, California, Washington and other states for whom have legalized marijuana on any level, this dilemma is heightened. Residents of York, Pennsylvania will drive along I-83 to Towson, Maryland to buy their medical marijuana and bring it home to use in the comfort of their homes. Yes, they must show ID to prove residency. How many of us had IDs which "proved" we were old enough to drink?!?

The right action, if the President wants to use his phone and his pen, is to remove the federal ban on marijuana. By 2020, most states will make marijuana legal, at least for medical purposes. This is THE science which is irrefutable. It is a waste of federal law enforcement resources to continue to fight the trend which the states have recognized as legal.

If the government continues to send out mixed signals concerning the enforcement of its antiquated marijuana laws, all credibility will be lost. It's time to fix the stupidity in these laws and lead rather than follow the states to the obvious.

Just remember, Prohibition didn't work, and within 12 years it was over. Dumb laws make for little faith in government and this is no exception.

It's about time there is consistency where it does not exist now.

Standing Up to Big Tobacco

Late last week CVS CAREMARK announced that by late third quarter all stores and retail outlets will no longer sell cigarettes. It took 50 years since Surgeon General Luther Terry first announced that cigarette smoking was hazardous to our health for any major pharmacy chain to take this bold step. It's about time.

On January 28, I wrote a commentary called Call for Philip Morris, where I talked about the death of the Marlboro Man, the role of the Surgeon General and the hypocrisy of the US government subsidy to tobacco companies via the Department of Agriculture, while discouraging tobacco usage with all the package warnings, through HHS.

It's amazing that it took so long for any pharmacy, whose primary business is to promote and improve health, whether by filling prescriptions, selling OTC medications,

Luther Terry (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

holding "Health Awareness" seminars or providing flu shots to seniors and others. Yet, to sell cigarettes so late in the game is quite a strange reversal from all the good they do.

As I discussed in the above mentioned commentary, I smoked for 35 years before I was finally able to stop. When I finally did, I used the nicotine patch which in 1995 could be obtained only by prescription. The strange thing was that the nicotine delivery system which addicted me in the first place was sold over the counter with no prescription necessary.

Today of course, no script is necessary to help any of us stop smoking. Sadly, many of us have been injured in so many ways by smoking. We either, started smoking when we were young and stupid or had difficulty stopping when we finally came to our senses. Many become sick with affected diseases in the process.

Since 2003, Philip Morris Companies has been known as Altria Group, which owns Philip Morris, US Tobacco Co, General Foods and Nabisco, among other companies. At one time, it also owned Kraft Foods but spun that off in 2001. I mention this only so that you are aware that Altria's primary business is still tobacco.

CVS should be commended for taking this bold action, foregoing corporate profits for people's health. Perhaps other companies, like Rite-Aid, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Target and other retailers who also maintain pharmacy subsidiaries, will follow the lead of CVS. This action, if done en masse, will have a major impact on tobacco companies' profits in the United States.

Then the US government must also finally learn to end the hypocrisy of tobacco subsidies. These are all multi-billion dollar companies, who don't need any more government handouts. We are broke, in case anybody cares. 

Which company will take that next brave step? Or will they continue to blow smoke? 

Washington's Birthday

We have been, since the beginning of February, bombarded with commercials of actors dressed like Washington, Lincoln and other early American Presidents and music played with fifes and drums. This is a bit droll and boring by the time we get to this weekend as we should be celebrating Presidents' Day.

What is Presidents' Day? Well, prior to 1971, the United States has celebrated Washington's Birthday as a national holiday since 1879 by an Act of Congress. It then expanded in 1885 to include all Federal offices. This holiday was celebrated on Washington's actual birthday, February 22.

Over the years, there were several attempts to change this day to the third Monday in February and of course, all of them failed most recently in 1968. Senators and

English: Mount Rushmore - from left to right : George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln Polski: Mount Rushmore i czterech prezydentów USA (od lewej do prawej): George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt i Abraham Lincoln (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Representatives from the Old South opposed it because it would have been designated to honor Abraham Lincoln as well.

Finally, in 1970 the Congress passed and President Nixon signed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved several holidays to Mondays beginning on January 1, 1971. This included this one holiday but kept the holiday designation as Washington's Birthday.

I have written two commentaries on this law, which I have provided below:

The Meaning of Memorial Day

Veterans Day 2013 

 During the 80’s, advertisers decided to cash in on the term "Presidents' Day" with the aforementioned costumed actors. While we should honor all our Presidents because they have been freely elected by the people, this is not the legal name of the holiday. 

Ironically, in October we will see "Christopher Columbus" sell cars, furniture, and all the other products, while "Abe and George" are selling cars and furniture now and will be until March. Here's an idea, why not dress up an actor as "Julius Caesar" to have an "Ides of March" sale or "Jesus" sell eggs and chocolate for Easter.

Or perhaps someday, in order to help us get over the post-Christmas doldrums, beginning on January 10 maybe "Martin Luther King" could hawk the wares of some manufacturers for the rest of January. How might that go over? Not well, I am sure. I know I would not like it.

It's time for us to remember why these holidays are celebrated. We celebrate all these holidays to remember our history, how we got here and where we want to go.

We honor Washington on several levels, General, Patriot and President. He is, for Americans on a secular level, the embodiment of why we rebelled against the British, why the Declaration and Constitution were written, why wounded military receive a Purple Heart with his profile engraved on it. It is not to sell cars or canned vegetables.

So today, please take some time from your busy schedules to remember George Washington, our first President. It is his birthday and no one else. We are here today because of his bravery as he led both the weak-minded politicians and his rag-tag army through the difficult travails of the day. Don't you think he deserves his own day of remembrance?

Happy 282nd Birthday George and….. Thank You. 

The Meaning of Valentine's Day

Friday, February 14^th is Valentine's Day, the most romantic day of the year. Yes, there is Christmas, a day that lovers give expensive, or meaningful gifts to each other but, everyone gets a gift, right?

Then, there is your lover's birthday and yet another gift is generally expected because after all, you feel the need to give something nice to the one you love.

There is Mother's Day and Father's Day but, actually these holidays really are for children to honor their parents. Easter, well, this one is really for the kids, you know, the Easter Bunny brings candy in baskets and for the people of faith.

Thanksgiving is about families surrounding themselves with carbs and football. Lovers generally go to the Host's home together but other than at dinner, the guy is in the living room watching the games with other guys while the woman chat in the kitchen; but not ALL women, some prefer to watch the game!

The Fourth of July and Memorial Day are about hot dogs and beer, not romance. Labor Day is about saying good bye to summer, again no romance. St Patrick's Day is a day for beer and corned beef and of course, a parade. Still, not about the romance.

So, what's left? You got it, Valentine’s Day, the only holiday that is truly about romance. Yes, predictability abounds with flowers, chocolate, a stuffed animal, and maybe a nice bottle of wine. Yes, romance is the order of this day.

This day is not about food, although a nice dinner is usually enjoyed. It can be a holiday about jewelry, marriage proposals. It is clearly a day of romance, dinner and some one on one time, if you get my drift.

It's the day you can say "I love you" to your sweetheart and give him/her a kiss in public without wondering what anyone will say or think, who cares!  After all, it is a day for love.

To me everyday should be Valentine's Day. You should not care what others say if you decide to kiss your sweetheart in public. After all, showing love for each other should be something we are not afraid to do, something we should do every day without caring about what others think.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hail, Caesar!

On Wednesday it was announced that one of the “great pioneers” of early television passed. Sid Caesar was 91 years old.

The man was a talent: musician, comedian, writer and actor. He left home at age17 after he graduated from high school to join the Coast Guard and he was stationed in Brooklyn, New York. There he played in military revues and shows. Vernon Duke, the famous composer of "Autumn in New York", "April in Paris" and "Taking a Chance on Love" was stationed at the same base and collaborated with Caesar on musical revues.

In 1943, he married the love of his life, Florence Levy, settled down and had a family. They were a rarity in Hollywood and the entertainment industry. They were together until she passed in 2010.

In 1946, Columbia Pictures released his first film called “Tars and Spars” which was based on the musical revue of the same name that Sid and Duke had produced while still in the service. With this film he was on his way to the great career few really enjoy.

On February 25, 1950, he starred, along with another great, Imogene Coca, in that pioneer TV show called “Your Show of Shows”. This was a 90 minute variety show which aired on Saturday nights. It was here, he met some of our greatest writers of any generation: Carl Reiner, Woody Allen, Neil Simon, Howard Morris, Larry Gelbart and the great Mel Brooks. Actors and other entertainers clamored to appear on this show. Some of these greats included: Jackie Cooper, Robert Preston, Rex Harrison, Eddie Albert, Charlton Heston, Geraldine Page, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Pearl Bailey, Fred Allen, Benny Goodman, Lena Horne to name a few. The show finally

Cover of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

ended on June 5, 1954 after 160 episodes.

During the remainder of the 50s, Caesar created additional shows which featured Ms. Coca and other future stars like Bea Arthur, Nanette Fabray, Edie Adams and Gina Lollobrigida.

In 1963, he performed the rare feat of appearing on television, on stage, and in the movies. From Wikipedia: “Several As Caesar Sees It specials evolved into the 1963–

64 Sid Caesar Show (which alternated with Edie Adams in Here's Edie). He starred with Virginia Martin in the Broadway musical “Little Me” which was a book by Neil Simon, choreography by Bob Fosse and music by Cy Coleman. Playing eight parts, with 32 costume changes, he was nominated in 1963 for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. Caesar and Edie Adams played a husband and wife drawn into a mad race to find buried loot in the 1963 screwball comedy” It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”.”

Sid Caesar was always showing up somewhere whether on TV, movies or the stage in every decade until 2004. Some of these classic appearances included Airport 1975, Silent Movie, Grease, History of the World: Part I and Vegas Vacation.

He was a genius who loved to perform and loved to make us laugh. He also loved to find new talent, whether a writer, an actor, a musician, a singer or a dancer. He did it all so he knew what was great. He was not threatened by those he knew were better than he was. For Sid, it was all about the laugh.

The likes of Isaac Sidney Caesar will never pass this way again; he will be dearly missed.