What I'd Like to Leave Behind in 2008

In 2009, I would like to leave behind the fear, self-doubt, self-hate, insecurity & lack of self-confidence that plagues us as Black people. For the first time, on January 20, 2009 we will have a competent, capable Black man as President--one who won the election with a majority of almost every voting segment [African Americans (96%), Jews (77%), gays and lesbians (71%), first-time voters (68%), Latinos (67%), Asians (63%), voters under 30 (66%), union members (59%) and women (55%)]. I can remember on so many occasions prior to November 4 hearing other Blacks and Black leaders talking about how Barack Obama couldn't possibly win, wasn't Black enough, acted too White, would be assassinated, our votes wouldn't count anyway, and many other reasons why Blacks should not support him. On a local level, we heard similar questions when Colonel Daryl Jones ran for Lt. Governor of Florida with Jim Davis in the 2006 election.








In 2009, I want my people to learn how to support each other whether shopping at a local Black business, voting for strong Black politicians, or re-building institutions of the Black community. We saw in this election how powerful a united Black vote is in bringing Change to our country. There are many more battles to fight and if we can arm ourselves with courage, confidence, self-reliance, self-sufficiency, etc. we CAN change our lives for the better, reverse the cycle of poverty, educate and inform ourselves, build wealth for our next generation, and more. In short-we can change our world and make a positive difference in the lives our our people!

Peace in the Middle East (Not In Our Lifetime)

Last weekend, the Israeli Air Force began a now 4-day aerial bombardment of Hamas targets in Gaza in the Palestinian Territories in response to Hamas firing 70 rockets, mortars, and longer-range Grad missiles into Israel. Of course, Hamas' barrage was itself a response to the killing of 3 of it's militants by Israel on Tuesday. And so the story goes back and forth, back and forth as it always has in a cycle of action and reaction, attack and counterattack, in an ages old regional zero-sum game of tit for tat. It is a sad reminder that no matter how civilized our world claims to be, man will often revert to his savage nature in order to gain the upper hand over his neighbor. The current conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is also a reminder that there will not be peace in our lifetimes, no matter who tries to broker a two-state solution. President Bill Clinton came the closest in recent times to gaining a meaningful agreement between both states at Camp David with Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat, but inevitably promising negotiations on a final status settlement broke down.

The Israeli and Arab cultures have been at odds with each other for thousands of years, since even before the time of Jesus Christ, and there will not be peace in the Middle East in our lifetimes because actors on both sides do not want it to be so. If there were peace between the two parties, Hamas militants in Palestinian Territories and the world over would lose an invaluable recruiting tool--namely the oppression and denial of sovereignty to Palestinians by the state of Israel. Similarly, peace in the Middle East would seem to deny Israeli hardliners such as former Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, the popularity and authority gained as a result of constant conflict and would deprive them the option of military solution to the timeless conflict.

For further illustration of the current tragedy I culled the following photos from the NY Times Multimedia/Photos section.

T'was the Night Before Inauguration (Poem)

One of my subscribers to my e-magazine, TheListbyKeto sent me this awesome poem previewing Barack Obama's inauguration as 44th President of the United States. It was too good not to share!

T'was the night before inauguration and what to my dismay
The market was tanking, I lost my 401K!
The stocks were hung, in downfall they stuck
While Bush did nothing, a truly lame duck

The republicans were nestled, their heads in the sand
With visions of defeat of the republican brand.
And Cheney with his gun, his heart a pace
Looking for someone, to shoot in the face.

When out on the house floor, there came such a clatter
I sprang to the internets to find what's the matter.
Away to my screen I ran with a flash
Hoping the market, didn't crash.

The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow
Showed me someone I needed to know.
When what to my eyes, I paused, with a comma
But a vision of hope, It was Barack Obama!

With excitement and conviction in each of his steps
I wondered what he and his elves, would do next.
More rapid than eagles his appointments they came
And he whistled and shouted, and called them by name.

Now Emanuel! Now, Daschle! Now Richardson and Biden!
On, Clinton , On Napolitano, and Gates, no sense in hidin'!
To fix the economy, our reputation and more.
And to stop the killing of this unnecessary war.

As Obama stood still, the republicans they trembled
Remembering 8 years of a disaster they had assembled.
They've broken our banks, and doubled our debt.
They scared us to death with weapons of threats.

They squandered a surplus, They started a war.
They shredded our constitution, littered on the floor.
They attack our unions, our immigrants and those who are gay.
They claim to be Christians, yet on the sick they prey.

We may never recover from this hole they dug.
But we will climb to the top with an American tug.
The republican party has destroyed all that matters
They deserve nothing more but to hold the damn ladder.

It would be even funnier if it were not true.

But his voice did change, along with a smile.
Thinking of the bills that soon would be filed.
Protect those who are old and young alike
Restore our honor and our military might.

Protect our planet, and clean our air.
While creating a surplus we can leave to our heirs
Fix our economy, and health care for all.
And honor those who fought, and those who fall.

Obama sprang to his feet, to his team he gave a shout.
The challenges seem impossible, hard work needed no doubt
But I heard him exclaim ere he talked and ran.
Hey! It's not just a slogan, YES WE CAN!

Picture of the Day, 12-25-08 (Christmas)

O.J. Simpson & the turkey (or maybe that's ham?) would like to wish you and your family a happy, warm, and flavorful holiday season 2008. Enjoy yourselves!

The Holidays Are a Time for Rest & Reflection (And Happy New Year!)

Whether you and your family celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Eid or another traditional holiday, this blogger would like to wish all of our wonderful readers a very Happy Holiday Season and New Year. This is the time of year that we reflect on the achievements as well as the disappointments of the past year and resolve to grow more spiritually, socially, financially, and family-wise in the upcoming year. Yes, this is the time of year best spent in celebration and introspection as we Thank God for blessing us to see another day. Tomorrow is not promised, so let's spend our time on Earth doing something positive, something fulfilling, and living out our life's purpose.

If you want to continue your education this year, then DO IT by researching the professional training, technical program, certificate, community college, Bachelors degree, graduate school, etc. and enrolling! If you're passionate about a hobby or interest and want to pass on your knowledge or love of that thing to others, then START YOUR OWN BUSINESS or BLOG/WEBSITE! Whatever you're passionate about may very well be the reason you were put on this Earth, so why not explore it? You have nothing to lose. If you've been dying to travel to a vacation hotspot, a tourist attraction, to visit relatives, or even to leave your state for the first time, then BOOK YOUR TRAVEL TODAY! No matter which of these things you want to do, The Great Blog of Kéto encourages you to live your dreams!

DON'T JUST EXIST, LIVE LIFE WITHOUT REGRETS!

My Homeowner's Association Sucks, Part 2

A couple weeks ago, I shared with readers of The Great Blog of Kéto my annoyance with my Homeowner's Association who has been preoccupied with persecuting yours truly for having Obama-Biden political yard signs on my lot by the porch of my townhome condo. After speaking with the manager of the property who interfaces between the residents and the HOA, I was directed to write a letter of response which I will share below. Enjoy yourselves!

To the Board of Directors,

This letter is written to you in response to the Letter of Violation I received from the Board on November 26, 2008 regarding my having Obama-Biden political yard signs in my lot next to my porch. I am writing because I feel the Notice of Violation is in error as it pertains to certain facts of the supposed violation. I am also under the impression that my townhome has been singled out possibly due to my political affiliation which would indeed be an unfortunate fact were that the case.

The "Violation" as pasted into Ms. Starr’s letter reads "12.34 No sign, flag, banner, advertisement, notice or other lettering shall be exhibited, displayed, inscribed, painted or affixed in, or upon any part of including without limitation and Home or Lot, that is visible from the outside without the prior approval being first obtained from the ACC; signs displaying the wording, "for rent" or "for lease" shall not be approved by the ACC. Nothwithstanding the foregoing, any Owner may display on his Lot one (1) discreet professionally prepared sign not to exceed twenty-four (24") inches in width and eighteen (18") inches in height and attached to a 2x4 post no higher than three (3) feet from the ground. Such sign shall contain no other wording than "For Sale", the name, address and telephone number of one (1) registered real estate broker, or a telephone number of an Owner or his agent. In no event shall more than (1) sign ever be placed on any Lot at any time."

In the next paragraph, Ms. Starr wrote, "Please remove the political sign from your yard. They are not allowed. Thank you." Regarding this, I would say that having read the HOA, Community Standards/Rules & Regulations from which the above paragraph is cut, that there is absolutely nothing in this section that states that political signs are not allowed, therefore I would submit that the above highlighted interpretation of such bylaws is incorrect. Furthermore, simply cutting and pasting the above sections of the paragraph—as was done in the Letter of Violation mailed to me—is misleading to anyone who does not read the correct bylaw which is actually section 20 on p. 6 of Rules & Regulations as section 12 actually deals with Charcoal Broilers. (By the way, there are a number of neighbors who have charcoal grilles & broilers which remain and are stored on their open porches. I’m interested to know if that does not constitute a violation. Certainly, I’d like to be correctly informed.) Further, the above paragraph is excerpted and upon reading, one realizes that this section actually deals with the situational allowance of patriotic and political flags, not their prohibition. Thus again, as previously noted, there is nowhere in the bylaws stated that political signs are not allowed on the Units, Lots, or Property of . As a matter of fact, section 20 specifies that “…provided, however, any Owner may display one portable, removable, United States flag or official flag of the State of Florida in a respectful way…”. Being that Barack Obama and Joe Biden are now the elected President and Vice President of these United States of America, I can rightfully argue that my banners which have remained up until this time are actually flags and symbols of the United States of America. I have reproduced section 20 in it’s entirety below, and have also attached the relevant pages from the bylaws & governing documents. You will notice that several clauses of section 20 are worded entirely different from those of section 12.34. I wonder why there is such a major discrepancy in wording for bylaws which are supposed to be legally binding upon resident homeowners.

20. Signs and Flags No sign, flag, banner sculpture, fountain, outdoor play equipment, solar equipment, sports equipment, advertisement, notice or other lettering shall be exhibited, displayed, inscribed, painted or affixed in, or upon any part of the Condominium Property, including without limitation any Unit or any vehicle, that is visible from the outside; provided, however, any Owner may display one portable, removable, United States flag or official flag of the State of Florida in a respectful way; provided, further on Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day and Veterans’ Day Owners may display an official flag of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Flags may not exceed 4½ feet by 6 feet. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Owner may display from within the Unit one (1) discreet professionally prepared sign not to exceed twenty four (24) inches in width and eighteen (18) inches in height. Such sign shall contain no other wording than “For Sale”, the name, address and telephone number of one (1) registered real estate broker, or a telephone number of an Owner or his agent. In no event shall more than one (1) sign ever be placed on any Unit. Developer is exempt from this Section; provided, further the Developer specifically reserves the right, for itself and its agents, employees, nominees and assigns the right, privilege and easement to construct, place and maintain upon any property within the Condominium Property such signs as it deems appropriate in connection with the development, improvement, construction, marketing and sale of any of the Units. The prohibitions on signs displayed on or within vehicles contained above in this Section shall not apply to temporary parking of commercial vehicles such as for construction use or providing pick-up and delivery services and other commercial services.

In reference to the above Section 20, the clause referring to the dimensions of signage specifically refers to “For Sale” signage, and has nothing to do with political signage, yard signs, etc. Further, even if those clauses related to my Obama/Biden yard signs, the signs possessed by yours truly fall within the proscribed measurements listed. Further, the section 20 states, “In no event shall more than one (1) sign ever be placed on any Unit.” This would appear to mean that (even though this clause relates to “For Sale” signs) if it were to be interpreted to mean political signs that a resident homeowner may have one (1) sign on their Unit. Again, I would be glad if the Board can provide an alternate understanding of this very simple wording.

Now, I am interested to know about other violations in my community. During the election season, my son and I who both jog around our subdivision every week noticed a number of John McCain/Sarah Palin yard signs on the lots of several neighbors. I’m interested to know whether those neighbors also received letters of violation. Other neighbors have had "For Sale" signs in their windows, etc. and other banners and signs which appear to violate HOA bylaws. Yet another neighbor has a large red STOP sign on their porch… Are these not violations? Also, my house is on the very back side of our subdivision which is separated from the Interstate by a stone wall. The only way anyone would know that I had signs in my yard was if they lived in my townhouse block and were thus parking or jogging/walking on my sidewalk. In other words most people even in my townhome community have to go out of their way to get to my condo. My townhouse block is not a general throughway for the rest of the neighborhood; therefore no one can say that any of my signs detract from the aesthetic appeal of . I look forward to receiving by letter your clarification of these issues.

Best regards,
Kéto N. Hodges, BS/MIS, MBA/MIS, Entrep

Katrina's Hidden Race War

A vigilante shot Donnell Herrington twice shortly after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans.

In this Nation Institute/Hidden Driver exclusive, reporter A.C. Thompson talks with innocent victims and ruthless vigilantes about his expose on shootings of black New Orleans residents fleeing the city in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and police misconduct after the storm. And people say we're living in a post-racial society? Hardly. Read the complete story, "Katrina's Hidden Race War" at The Nation.

Algiers Point has always been somewhat isolated: it's perched on the west bank of the Mississippi River, linked to the core of the city only by a ferry line and twin gray steel bridges. When the hurricane descended on Louisiana, Algiers Point got off relatively easy. While wide swaths of New Orleans were deluged, the levees ringing Algiers Point withstood the Mississippi's surging currents, preventing flooding; most homes and businesses in the area survived intact. As word spread that the area was dry, desperate people began heading toward the west bank, some walking over bridges, others traveling by boat. The National Guard soon designated the Algiers Point ferry landing an official evacuation site. Rescuers from the Coast Guard and other agencies brought flood victims to the ferry terminal, where soldiers loaded them onto buses headed for Texas.

Facing an influx of refugees, the residents of Algiers Point could have pulled together food, water and medical supplies for the flood victims. Instead, a group of white residents, convinced that crime would arrive with the human exodus, sought to seal off the area, blocking the roads in and out of the neighborhood by dragging lumber and downed trees into the streets. They stockpiled handguns, assault rifles, shotguns and at least one Uzi and began patrolling the streets in pickup trucks and SUVs. The newly formed militia, a loose band of about fifteen to thirty residents, most of them men, all of them white, was looking for thieves, outlaws or, as one member put it, anyone who simply "didn't belong."

Rising Education Costs & the American Dream

The cost of college keeps rising but who is really feeling the pinch, and what is the larger impact on the future of America? CNN.com reports on research from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education which discusses what the rising costs of higher education really means for current and future generations of Americans and how that will affect our standing in the world.

"College tuition continues to outpace family income and the price of other necessities, such as medical care, food and housing," the center said. College tuition and fees, adjusted for inflation, rose 439 percent from 1982 to 2007, towering over increases in medical care, housing and food, according to the report. Median family income rose 147 percent during the same period, the report said.

In Austin, Texas, Tony D'Addeo, a high school senior and straight-A student, hoped to attend an Ivy League school, paid for with his parents' stock options.

But the options, once worth several hundred thousand dollars, are now worthless.

"I think a lot of families -- lower class and middle class -- are having to readjust their plans and goals," said D'Addeo, who is now looking at a state school or possibly signing up for an ROTC program to cover college expenses.

The report gave a failing grade in affordability to all states but one, California, which received a "C."

"The nation's colleges and universities have become less affordable for students and their families since the early 1990s," it said. "This year continues the trend in deteriorating college affordability in the majority of states." See how tuition has risen in comparison to other prices »

In most states, the percentage of an average family's income used for a public four-year college -- after financial aid -- has increased, the report said. "On average, students from working and poor families must pay 40 percent of family income to enroll in public four-year colleges. Students from middle-income families and upper-income families must pay 25 percent and 13 percent of family income, respectively."

From a personal standpoint, while the cost of living, cost of goods, etc. are always going up, not down, it does bother me that the direct result of the cost of higher education increasing will be that countless high-achieving students from our inner cities, single-parent homes, and economically depressed regions (as I formerly was) will now find it even more difficult to realize their dreams of gaining a higher education and making a new life for themselves in order to attain "the American Dream." In my understanding, the American Dream has to do with the ability to pull one's self up by the proverbial bootstraps through hard work, achieve success in one's desired vocation, and gain the economic means to provide for one's family. The key here, without a doubt, is higher education (e.g., college, graduate school, and so on) which opens many doors and provides it's recipients with access to career paths as well as being the key to social and economic networks which one must access in order to become upwardly mobile.

As a high-achieving, "straight-A" student who financed my own college career and graduate school entirely through academic scholarships, the McNair Post-Baccalaureate Program, need-based grants, government funding such as the Pell Grant, and graduate fellowships, I know there is no way I could have possibly become the first member of my biological family to gain a college education without financial assistance combined with a cost of education in Florida that was one of the lowest in the country at during my educational endeavors from 1996-2005 (AA/Computer Engineering, BS/Management Information Systems, MBA/Entrepreneurship, MIS, Management). My general calculations were that I received over $75,000 worth of funding which helped me reach my goals. Thankfully, by God's grace and the support of my mother who was a retired teacher, I had been a straight-A student from kindergarten all the way through 10th grade when I tested out of high-school with an early G.E.D. Doubtless, the academic achievement in addition to my community service and extracurricular activities helped me compete against other high-achieving students for limited funding.

The fact remains however, that if the United States Government is serious about providing a quality, affordable education to youth who want to make something better out of themselves, then they will allocate money in the federal budget for this purpose as well as introducing legislation to make college more affordable. If Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world can guarantee a college education to anyone who completes high school then what's wrong with our picture? After all every gubernatorial and Presidential candidate talks about how they're going to improve the quality and affordability of education in this country when they are elected. But that's it, it's mostly talk and no follow-up action. To this point, the US Government has NOT been serious about making college affordable for the have-nots, and as a result fewer youth who have the intellectual capacity to attend college will do so only because they lack the financial capability. All of those things will continue to impact our ability to compete with other countries for human and intellectual capital, advances in science and technology, economic prosperity, and more.

Obama & The Practicality of Pragmatism

In a timely article, "In Cabinet, Obama goes for experience, pragmatism", BlackPoliticsontheWeb.com discusses how President-Elect Barack Obama has been staffing experienced leaders and seasoned Washington insiders in his bid to Change the federal government and by extension the United States of America. That's a veteran move. A number of progressives have been criticizing Obama because they don't understand that it's nice to desire hope and change. However, if you don't have operatives who actually know how the system that you hope to change works AND who have the respect of their peers in order to get things done, then your change ain't gonna come. That's what President Bill Clinton, elected as a Washington outsider found out when it became difficult to get things done that he wanted. He wanted to change government, but he picked a bunch of Washington outsiders as his top policy implementers. As well, Hillary had no relationships and no respect so Hillary Clinton's health care reform was soundly defeated because she didn't know how to navigate the networks which are again based on relationship and respect. Obama, a student of politics and history, certainly knows this having hired some of the Clinton's most competent former staffers to lead his change efforts. Change that produces the desired objective due to experience--now that's the power of pragmatism.

RIAA Throws It's Hands Up In a Victory for Humanity

In a victory for filesharers and music swappers the world over, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) sort of threw it's hands up and swore off prosecuting hapless 12-year-olds for sharing their favorite music files with friends and the world. But fear not, the RIAA is not totally going to leave us alone. Their failed "prosecute everyone with more than 1,000 files in their shared folder" strategy will soon give way to coercing ISP's into locking out violaters.

LOS ANGELES — The group representing the U.S. recording industry said Friday it has abandoned its policy of suing people for sharing songs protected by copyright and will work with Internet service providers to cut abusers' access if they ignore repeated warnings.

The move ends a controversial program that saw the Recording Industry Association of America sue about 35,000 people since 2003 for swapping songs online. Because of high legal costs for defenders, virtually all of those hit with lawsuits settled, on average for around $3,500. The association's legal costs, in the meantime, exceeded the settlement money it brought in.

The association said Friday that it stopped sending out new lawsuits and warnings in August, and then agreed with several leading U.S. Internet service providers, without naming which ones, to notify alleged illegal file-sharers and cut off service if they failed to stop.

I remember during college days in the early 2000's when Napster, in it's original, uncompromised form, was the land of opportunity for a usership of 26.4 million members. Then the RIAA got ahold of them in court, successfully sued Napster for copyright infringement for allowing users like me to download music for free. Napster saw the handwriting on the wall and retooled Napster to offer copyrighted music in conjunction with the recording industry. I assure you that my thousands of college classmates and I didn't appreciate the forced corporate assimilation of our favorite online music sharing tool, and collectively fled to the likes of Kazaa (before it was overrun by kiddies), Limewire, and various BitTorrent clients.

Joe Lieberman Writes Letters

My favorite news blog, The Huffington Post posted an article about Joe Lieberman (I-CT) writing letters from his Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chair position to the Office of Personal Management. Joe was seeking assurance that Bush political appointee positions are not being transferred to career government positions. Awww, you know what? It's laughable that Honest Joe is now trying to do well...his job by going after Bush' midnight career appointees. He knows that it was clearly Barack Obama who saved his hide from political death after the election by allowing enough votes to keep him on as Homeland Security chair. Now Joe HAS to do something, ANYTHING to show that Obama's forgiveness was not misplaced. What better way than to at least look like you're trying to do what your job description says you should have been doing anyway. Besides recent CT Senate polls show that the fair citizens of CT would vote for Ned Lamont if that Senate election was held today. Without a doubt, Joe knows that this is not the time to screw around.

If You Don't Know Me By Now...

I consider myself not only a social blogger--often I editorialize on poverty, politics, political campaigns, education, religion, etc.--but also a reality blogger in that I may from time to time share things that are going on in my life whether serious or humorous. A relative of mine and I were conversing via email, and she stated that she had some problems with the kind of person I am in that she feels I am selfish and inconsiderate. She said this in a way that I would not be offended, but that was fine, because I am not offended by honest opinion. I took it as an opportunity to inform of what I am all about, since she has not known me for too long.

You are 100% right when you say that I am selfish and inconsiderate at times. I wouldn't argue that. Now, I was raised to be kind, generous, polite, giving, honest, loyal to friends, and show Christian love and friendship. This is why I've been blessed to make friends with many many other good people, and because of those traits as well as gifts that God has blessed me to develop since my childhood, I have had the fortune to do many things that others in my position have not had the chance to do. In addition, I count myself privileged that thousands of people in the Tampa area and elsewhere look to me as someone who has integrity, a young leader in community service, and someone that is dependable and can be trusted to keep my word.

Having said that, at some point in my recent life in the last few years, I got sick and tired of my kindness and my laid-back nature being taken for granted and the good things that I was trying to do being stepped on continuously. These things caused me to realize that no matter what I did, there would always be a critic, who was upset about that action. I then resolved myself that I would no longer bend over backwards to please everyone and make everyone happy all the time. I learned how to say, "No" sometimes instead of running around crazy because I felt an irrational need to make sure everyone else was happy. I have one life to live, and I decided that--you know what--I would serve God to the best of my ability, keep giving to those who couldn't give back to me through community service, and only worry about being happy with the kind of person that I am instead of trying to be everything to everyone. Also, as a married man, according to what I study in the Bible, my first responsibility is to love God, my second responsibility is to care for my wife and family, and make sure they have everything they need including my time, money, love, and devotion. Everything else including work, Mother, family, etc. all come later on the list.

That is why I say exactly what is on my mind. I don't think anyone can say that I am not honest with them. If I have a problem with something someone says, I'm not going to hide behind my wife or family and sulk and be mad. I'm not going to tell my wife, "Tell so and so that I'm mad with them". No! I'm going to address it right then, because life is too short to walk around being hurt all the time. Life is also to short to walk on pins and needles wondering if the next thing you say is going to offend someone. At the same time, my intention is not to do this with a mean or hateful attitude at all. The Bible says that if we have a problem with our brother, that we are to go directly to them and get the problem straight. Often arguments and disagreements between friends and family are based on simple misunderstanding.

Well, as you said, I am all the things you think I am. In the final analysis, I don't make excuses for anything, and I believe that my positives far outweigh my negatives.

For more about me, check out other previous posts of The Great Blog of Kéto:

• How to Do Business in Haiti by Kéto Nord Hodges
• My Homeowners' Association Sucks
• Why This Blogger Will Not Be Shopping on Black Friday
• A Day in the Life of an Obama Campaign Volunteer, 11
• Apologetics with No Apology from a Progressive, Part 2
• Apologetics with No Apology from a Progressive, Part 1
• Early Voting with the Family
• (Still) Crazy in Love! Shirre & Kéto Celebrate 1 Year!

Picture of the Day, 12/19/08

Look at this picture, and tell me what doesn't belong. If you don't see the humor, then you a humorless prick and deserve to be tortured by all 125 "Rocky" sequels. Read The Onion for more insight.

"Looking back, my personal need to prove my man-hood definitely influenced my actions. The arrogant swagger, invading Iraq, my ruthless support of the death penalty—heck, even setting back gay rights 25 years—all of it seems so silly now."

Former press secretary Ari Fleischer agreed, saying that Bush carefully cultivated his image as a masculine, simple-minded, heterosexual male in order to combat his insecurities about appearing weak before the international community.

Guilt by Association (What's Good for Me Is Good for You)

Sarah Palin has been pallin' around with drug addicts, you betcha! Quick! Let's see an RNC press release on this news story! Except I bet you won't! Turns out, Sherry L. Johnston, the mother of Levi "Redneck" Johnston, "fiance" of Bristol "Shotgun Wedding" Palin was busted in a narcotics operation by Wasilla, Alaska police for allegedly manufacturing or delivering as well as possession of narcotics. Ah Wasilla, the heart of small-town America and all it's virtues, you never cease to amaze and enthrall us!

Ms. Johnston's activities offer up a prime opportunity to play the guilt by association games that the GOP and RNC love to play all the time when it comes to Barack Obama, the Clinton's, and other high ranking Democrats. Whenever someone else does something illegal or is rumored or accused of having done something improper, (see Tony Rezko, Jeremiah Wright, Rod Blagojevich, etc.) then it's never to early to be convicted in the GOP's kangaroo court. Let's not forget about how Gov. Sarah Palin and the self-righteous Republicans crowed about how Obama supposedly "palled around with terrorists" for his supposed relationship with Bill Ayers who served on an education reform board with Obama and prominent Republicans. Not that the same Sarah Palin's husband Todd, was a registered member of the Alaska Independence Party, a secessionist movement that hates America--oh no! Yet of course, if anyone asks about the drug-dealing future mother-in-law of Bristol Palin you betcha we'll be told that it's "a family issue" or none of the left-wing, gotcha media's business. Right.

Greek Youth Burn Christmas Tree, Riot & Do Bad Things

News from Greece paints a sensational picture of out of control Greek youth burning property, vandalizing stores, fighting police, burning a town's Christmas tree, and making mayhem in an otherwise peaceful society. To stop here at this conclusion is akin to recognizing the symptoms of a sickness without inquiring on the nature of the sickness. It is much easier to condemn the public actions and pontificate about how the Greek youth are lawless than it is to find out what could cause them to act this way.

From the UK's Guardian:

"Young people are right to take to the streets. They have absolutely no future. It's not just the global economic crisis. Even if they speak three foreign languages and get the best degrees they can't find work, and if they do it pays badly. The only thing that saves them is the strong family ties here."

"These protests are our answer to a government that always closes the doors in our face," said Yiannis Yiapitsakis, a student at Athens' fabled Polytechnic.

"If the root causes of our problems are not solved there will be more explosions. It's a smouldering fire, all it needs is another match."

The major catalyst for the recent unrest was the killing of a 16-year-old Athens boy by police during a confrontation between them and a number of teens including the victim, Alexandros Grigoropoulos on Saturday, December 6, 2008. As in most countries of the world, the police act above the law in implementing the law at the behest of those who control the state, whether rich benefactors, politicians, or other influential citizens. The larger problem then is not so much that youth and adult citizens are lawless, but that police brutality is a significant social cancer the world over from highly trained police in Los Angeles, New York City, Miami and other prosperous democratic locales to poorly compensated police and militas in countries with oppressive regimes. That of course, is not to say that all police are bad, because that would be a generalizing stereotype, however, my concern is with extrajudicial killings and unequal application of the law in order to intimidate and oppress a population instead of providing safety, security, and law enforcement for the same. Rogue police in Haiti, New Orleans, Brazil, Jamaica, etc. come to mind.

Another significant issue acted as a secondary spark to the current unrest is the anger at the lack of the government's ability to help it's citizens make better lives for themselves. Greek citizens particularly those of the opposition political parties blame Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis for supporting political and economic policies which have exacerbated the global financial crisis in Greece as well as planning to privatize hospitals and schools. So far protesters have stormed the National Bank of Greece, occupyied high schools and universities, pleaded for reversal of public spending cuts, demanded the resignation of the country's Interior Minister and the release from custody of arrested riot suspects, and occupied a private Athens radio station as well as other radio and TV venues to publicize their complaints.

Electoral College Officially Votes for Obama

On Monday, December 15, 2008, Electoral College members met together in their respective states and confirmed by vote Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America. In Florida, 27 electors met to give the state's votes to Barack Obama. In each state and the District of Columbia following voting, electors must sign at least six certificates of voting which are then submitted to state officers and judges. The results of November 4 election generally indicate the way the electors will vote although only a few states have laws that bind their electors to vote exactly the way their state voted on election night. Based on the results of the election, the Electoral College was expected to affirm Barack Obama by a vote of 365-173 from a total of 538 electors. The last part of the process is on January 6 when Vice President Dick Cheney affirms Obama as President before a joint session of Congress .

Overkill

Yes, I know this blog post is overkill, but do you blame me, really?

Original with Slow Motion Replay for You Internet Purists:


Dodgball! If you can dodge a ball, you can dodge a...


...Volleyball:

Picture of the Day, 12/14/08

This news story was just too good not to make The Great Blog of Kéto's "Picture of the Day" feature. Though some pictures are worth a thousand words, the one of an Iraqi journalist throwing a shoe at George W. Bush below is worth about a million. To most Westerners, a thrown shoe is certainly an unfriendly gesture and in the eyes of the law may be prosecuted as assault and battery. However, to those in the Middle East and other parts of the world, shaking your shoe at someone or showing the sole of your shoe is the ultimate insult, just as giving the thumbs up sign, showing the palm of your hand, or making the "OK" sign is highly insulting in other parts of the world. It is a shameful thing and is pretty much read as that person really, really, really despises AND hates you, and you'd better watch your back. Muthathar al Zaidi said, "This is a goodbye kiss, you dog," and in so doing, he spoke for the whole world. Thank you, al Zaidi, and good night from Tampa Bay!



MSNBC Video Al Baghdadia TV Journalist Throws Shoes at Bush:

Obama's Senate Seat on Ebay

Obama's Senate seat is being auctioned on Ebay as reported by the Associated Press:

CHICAGO (AP) — For sale: One Senate seat. Goes to the highest BLEEP-ing bidder. Seller's positive feedback rating: since Tuesday, just about zero.

Outraged by the arrest of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, more than a dozen people have put the state's vacant Senate seat up for bid on eBay.

The offers popped up on the Internet auction site after Blagojevich was accused Tuesday of trying to benefit financially from his power to appoint a Senate replacement to President-elect Barack Obama.

Daniel Finnegan, a student at the University of Georgia, said he started an auction because he's "extremely upset about what happened" and wants to voice his opinion.

Finnegan says he's glad others posted similar auctions so the accusations against Blagojevich don't go unnoticed.

University of Illinois student Matt Platino says he posted his entry to be funny, but also because he's upset with Blagojevich.

At least one seller carefully noted the ad was "not an offer for actual US Senate seat. ... For entertainment purposes only."

Another wound up with a similar disclaimer, but not before unloading on the gov: "OPEN YOUR CHECKBOOKS, OR PUT THE THUMBSCREWS ON SOMEONE TO GIVE A HIGH PAYING EXECUTIVE JOB TO AN ASSININE, GREEDY VINDICTIVE POL OR HIS WIFE."

And folks are bidding, some jokingly. One posting ("Used Illinois Senate seat, all wood and leather, willing to deal on this one! Please be advised I will be away from my office for a while..."), had 78 bids and was going for $99,999,999.00 Wednesday morning.

Illinois Gov Feeling Sad, Lonely After Arrest in Corruption Probe

An artist's drawing shows Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (2nd R and his Chief of Staff John Harris as they stand in front of U.S. Magistrate Nan Nolan (L) while federal prosecutor Reic Schar watches at the Dirksen Federal building in Chicago, Illinois December 9, 2008. Reuters/Verna Sadock

So, you think you've had a bad day? Already hump day, and still you feel unappreciated, overworked, unloved, not well-compensated, lonely, sad maybe? Well, you've got nothing on Illinois Governor, Rod R. Blagojevich (Democrat) who was arrested, then released on $4,500 bond on Tuesday. But that's just the most recent element of the story. Roddy BlaBla got hammered by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald for litterally attempting to sell to the highest bidder, President-elect Barack Obama's (D-IL) now empty Senate Seat.

By laws passed by just about every state, the Governor of a state has the right to appoint a replacement to a US Senate or House of Representatives seat in the event that office holder dies, retires, resigns, or is criminally convicted during his term. The replacement then serves the remainder of his predecessor's term or until a special election is called. Of course, Barack Obama is now President-elect and has resigned from his seat, allowing the Gov to appoint anyone including himself to fill the Illinois Senate vacancy. That's where things got hairy. The feds had been tipped off that the Governor, knowing that the deadline was approaching for enactment of an Illinois ethics in government bill which would drastically limit the influence of big money in Illinois was working overtime to gain monetary favors for himself and his wife. Fittingly enough, Obama's efforts at getting the Illinois Senate President, Emil Jones to lead passage of ethics reform 3 months ago are what got the Gov snagged. You see Rod suffers from the "my Governor's salary of $177,000 is not nearly enough and I need more money" syndrome. Here's more from FBI affidavit as reported by The Huffington Post:

A 76-page FBI affidavit alleges that Blagojevich was intercepted on court-authorized wiretaps during the last month conspiring to sell or trade Illinois' U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama for financial and other personal benefits for himself and his wife. At various times, in exchange for the Senate appointment, Blagojevich discussed obtaining:

A substantial salary for himself at a either a non-profit foundation or an organization affiliated with labor unions;

Placing his wife on paid corporate boards where he speculated she might garner as much as $150,000 a year;

Promises of campaign funds - including cash up front; and

A cabinet post or ambassadorship for himself.

Just last week, on December 4, Blagojevich allegedly told an advisor that he might "get some (money) up front, maybe" from Senate Candidate 5, if he named Senate Candidate 5 to the Senate seat, to insure that Senate Candidate 5 kept a promise about raising money for Blagojevich if he ran for re-election. In a recorded conversation on October 31, Blagojevich claimed he was approached by an associate of Senate Candidate 5 as follows: "We were approached 'pay to play.' That, you know, he'd raise 500 grand. An emissary came. Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him (Senate Candidate 5) a Senator."

On November 7, while talking on the phone about the Senate seat with Harris and an advisor, Blagojevich said he needed to consider his family and that he is "financially" hurting, the affidavit states. Harris allegedly said that they were considering what would help the "financial security" of the Blagojevich family and what will keep Blagojevich "politically viable." Blagojevich stated, "I want to make money," adding later that he is interested in making $250,000 to $300,000 a year, the complaint alleges.

On November 10, in a lengthy telephone call with numerous advisors that included discussion about Blagojevich obtaining a lucrative job with a union-affiliated organization in exchange for appointing a particular Senate Candidate whom he believed was favored by the President-elect and which is described in more detail below, Blagojevich and others discussed various ways Blagojevich could "monetize" the relationships he has made as governor to make money after leaving that office.

How to Do Business in Haiti by Kéto Nord Hodges

My MBA studies at University of South Florida (2003-2005) provided me with some of the best moments of my life to date. One of my projects that I took on in the course of my Management curriculum was to study how to do business in my home country of Haïti or "Ayiti" as we say in Creole. I had the good fortune to lead a team of fellow MBA's and I've presented a summary of our research in the presentation "How to Do Businesss in Haïti" below.

US Economy Loses 500,000 Jobs in November

A record month in terms of unemployment added an additional 533,000 US layoffs to the unemployment lines in November. This is the worst month for the economy in terms of job losses since 1974. But it won't get any better for a while as economists expect the country to lose at least 2 million jobs by the end of 2008. Even the Denier in Chief, President George W. Bush had to admit recently that the National Bureau of Economic Research was correct that the U.S. entered recession in December, 2007.

The following summary of the economic slump is from CNN Money:

The economy has shed jobs in every month so far in 2008, bringing the total loss through November to 1.9 million.

The loss of jobs in November was particulary harsh, with a decline of 533,000. With the economy in recession, there is likely more bad news to come. And the unemployment rate, currently at 6.7%, could easily top 7%, if not higher.

President-elect Barack Obama has proposed a plan to create 2.5 million jobs through spending on roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects.

Even so, businesses are likely to remain cautious when it comes to hiring in the coming months.

O.J. Simpson Is Guilty, But Is He THAT Guilty?

O.J. Simpson, left, hugs his sister Carmelita Durio, with his friend Thomas Scotto, right, after he was found guilty on all counts following his trial at the Clark County Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas Friday.

Is O.J. Simpson 9-33 years worth of guilty? I don't think so. Frankly, the story of OJ's trial is more indicative of race relations in this country than it is of OJ's boneheaded, bad decision making.

There are several memorable events for which I remember exactly where I was during their occurrence, i.e., 9-11, the day I proposed officially to my wife, (February 2, 2008, her 27th birthday), our wedding day which is also my birthday (April 26, 2008), etc. In 1994, I was sitting in a hotel room in Stamford, CT when I saw breaking news on the OJ Simpson San Diego Freeway chase (June 17, 1994). In 1995, I was at a piano lesson in the living room of my teacher, Mrs. Mary Hauck's house and remember her disappointment when the OJ criminal acquittal was announced (October 3, 1995).

There was one thing that stood out to me throughout the OJ criminal trial, and that was how much White Americans hated OJ, whom they didn't know any more than Adam. I think for the first time, we had a major case that held the international media's attention involving a Black man and a White woman. Had OJ simply been accused of killing a Black woman, as was former Carolina Panther Rae Carruth, I assure you that some would have assumed he was guilty, but White America would not have cared. The majority of White Americans interviewed on TV, on the radio, at the corner store, at the local church, etc. just knew that OJ was guilty, and furthermore hated him because it was one of their own, a White woman that he allegedly killed. And that is the sad state of race relations in this country which forced President-elect Barack Obama to confront the topic of race in America head-on during his primary campaign for President.

Furthermore, the outrage expressed over OJ Simpson's alleged actions was greater than the feelings expressed over the trial of Modesto, California native Scott Peterson, who was convicted in another sensational, widely reported cased of allegedly decapitating and drowning his pregnant wife, Laci and her unborn baby. Very rarely did I turn on the TV or radio during his trial and read the same things said about Peterson that were stated about Simpson. For once a Black man, due to his money and connections had got over on the American justice system, just as rich, well-connected Whites had done for many years, and America just coudn't stand this. So now, they stand in judgement of the one who they built up and idolized when he was running the football and scoring touchdowns, but then degraded when he became the subject of a the most talked-about murder trial of our times.

So does OJ deserve some time behind bars or to make restitution to the injured parties for his actions? Absolutely! But in this case OJ does not deserve to spend up to 30+ years in prison for burglary and kidnapping charges when we have white collar criminals such as deceased Enron exec Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling such as who defrauded countless tens of thousands of innocent workers out of their pensions and life savings in get-rich-quick schemes which only benefitted themselves and their well-heeled associates. Yet, you can be assured that because of their status in life, again the public outcry for their punishment was almost nonexistent, and because the U.S. criminal justice system is skewed towards the haves who can afford the best legal representation, people in the position of Jeffrey Skilling who was sentenced to 20-24 years, generally only spend a few years in prison--if that--and then take up some other position on someones charity foundation, consult for big business, become a motivational speaker, or publish a book about their life.

Picture of the Day, 12/5/08

Read the following story about Jon Favreau, Barack Obama's new White House Speechwriter, at the Washington Post to understand what the picture is all about. Hilar-ity reigns supreme in the world of Facebook. Said Clinton senior adviser Philippe Reines, "Senator Clinton is pleased to learn of Jon's obvious interest in the State Department, and is currently reviewing his application," he said in an e-mail.

Incoming Obama administration director of speechwriting Jon Favreau (L) and a friend pose with a cardboard cutout of incoming Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at a party. (Obtained by The Washington Post)

My Homeowners' Association Sucks

I knew it would happen sooner or later. The honeymoon officially is over! The grand high potentates of my Homeowners' Association (HOA) known as the Board of Directors have taken it upon themselves to chastise me for having Obama-Biden yard signs in the area next to my porch. I have an affiliation for these signs because they were given to me on election day by the Obama for America campaign after we canvassed Lakeland neighborhoods.

A few weeks ago, one of my neighbors told me that the HOA would say something to us, but I told my wife that I wasn't going to accept word of mouth, I needed to see the HOA rules in their original documentation. She also said that my signs could be seen from the Interstate which is actually impossible because again our gated community, though it faces the Interstate is surrounded by a wall, and the property is set back from the Interstate. Methinks that she told on me. In any case, since we moved in May, there has only been one HOA meeting that I was informed of, and that was held in June. Since then, not once have I or my wife, Shirre received notice of any HOA meetings or bylaws. Now they have chosen to contact me in the spirit of the holidays. I have scanned in and attached the "Notice of Violation" for your perusal as follows.

The "Violation" reads "12.34 No sign, flag, banner, advertisement, notice or other lettering shall be exhibited, displayed, inscribed, painted or affixed in, or upon any part of [Name of Residence] including without limitation and Home or Lot, that is visible from the outside without the prior approval being first obtained from the ACC; signs diplaying the wording, "for rent" or "for lease" shall not be approved by the ACC. Nothwithstanding the foregoing, any Owner may display on his Lot one (1) discreet professionally prepared sign not to exceed twenty-four (24") inches in width and eighteen (18") inches in height and attached to a 2x4 post no higher than three (3) feet from the ground. Such sign shall contain no other wording than "For Sale", the name, address and telephone number of one (1) registered real estate broker, or a telephone number of an Owner or his agent. In no event shall more than (1) sign ever be placed on any Lot at any time." So there you have it! Further, our RS Manager proceeded to highlight bolded words in yellow "Please remove the political sign from your yard. They are not allowed." Really now? (By the way, nice subject-verb agreement :)

I have to wonder, who are these people, and why do they care about the most minor and trivial things? What is it about my having professionally-made political yard signs on my property for which I'm paying hundreds of thousands of dollars that just gets under their skin? Certainly, an HOA is a private group, and as such can enact any bylaws or rules as voted on by it's private membership including myself and the esteemed BoD. At the same time, who is it that is offended and has reported on me? Other neighbors have porch furniture--albeit tasteful and expensive, holiday wreaths and decorations, holiday banners, "For Sale" signs in their windows, etc. Also one interesting fact is that my house is on the very back side of our subdivision which is separated from the Interstate by a stone wall. The only way anyone would know that I had signs in my yard was if they lived in my townhouse block and were thus parking or jogging/walking on my sidewalk. In other words most people even in my subdivision have to go out of their way to get to my condo, which is how I like it, thank you very much! In any case, the means of appeal is to write a letter stating my case to the high and mighty Board of Directors within 30 days of receipt of said letter.

Obama Fundraising Totals $745 Million

President-elect Barack Obama continues to set records and make history even after Obama's historic landslide election. Final tallies to Federal Election Commision show that Obama raised a record $745 million during the 2008 electoral cycle including over $104 million in the four-week period from October 16-November 24. By contrast, John McCain raised "only" $367 million for his candidacy. Still, both candidates raised over $1 billion dollars for an election cycle in which over $5 billion was spent by all candidates, political parties, and outside interests! The Obama campaign is still raising money as it offers specialty items such as commemorative mugs, t-shirts, etc. through BarackObama.com. Obama thanked his national and Illinois fundraising teams at an the private Standard Club in Chicago.

Lest anyone, e.g., Republicans say that the election went to the highest bidder, I need only remind them that the first successful big-money Presidential candidate was George W. Bush who raised $100 million during a quarter in the 2000 election cycle. At that time, it was considered an astronomical amount of amount to have been raised in only 3 months. Bush raised $270 million for the 2004 election which he "won" over Democratic challenger John Kerry. Together they both raised over $500 million. It is both ironic and fortuitous that Bush ushered in the era of big money Presidential fundraising by which all future candidate fundraising would be judged. Certainly Hillary Clinton also raised the bar by signaling in January 2007 that the Clinton campaign expected to raise over $150 million dollars for her Presidential candidacy. She eventually raised over $229 million by the end of May 2008 before conceding the Democratic Presidential nomination to eventual winner Barack Obama in June 2008.

All in all, the prodigious fundraising by candidates during this 2-year campaign has rendered the public financing system for presidential elections in which over 33 million taxpayers mark of a $3 donation on their tax form obsolete. Some would say that now only the really powerful and well connected can afford the unspoken $100 million entry fee required to be a viable candidate. Certainly this presents a signifant political barrier to entry. Others would say that this is the ultimate practice of free speech in that candidates and can participate in the giving and receiving of nearly unlimited amounts of money. In either case, this election was "the longest and most expensive presidential election in American history," according to Michael Toner, chairman of the Federal Election Commission.