Hasta La Gadget!

The latest Middle Eastern incursion only serves as a distraction from the pressing issue facing mankind: namely, a fast approaching calamity the likes of which we as a species have never seen and are incapable of defeating. We are essentially declaring war on the planet, and the planet will win. This does not mean we should neglect the current dangers posed by extremism and terrorism, but it is important to prioritize our catastrophes.

There is a well-worn axiom in politics that sophisticated leaders can walk and chew gum at the same time. In a world of increasing technological complexity and a myriad of daunting challenges which span the spectrum from war and peace to climate change to income inequality to basic human rights and to the very issue of life and death itself the ability of leaders to walk and chew gum at the same time is crucial. Yet it is becoming increasingly clear that humankind’s ability to master global issues is showing signs that it can do neither.

While the world is currently captivated if not confused about the leading superpower’s latest adventure in Syria and the long-term prospects for bringing order or at least clarity to the implosion currently underway in that most volatile region global leaders are gathered in New York City at the United Nations to once again dance around their collective inability to confront the scientifically indisputable adverse consequences of climate change.

And while leaders will do their very best to put a positive spin on the limited if not inconsequential actions taken to date the facts of the matter in plain view to those interested enough to be paying attention indicate that we are losing the most serious battle that will ultimately affect every nation and all of humankind. A report released this week by the Global Carbon Project shows global emissions of greenhouse gases in 2013 rose to record levels. Yes, last year we did not only not reduce greenhouse gases, we increased them. And while the trend is for emissions declines in the West outpacing those in the East, last year saw emissions increases across the board, albeit smaller increases once again in the West than in the East.

Quite simply, we are burning up the planet and continuing to put the survivability of the species in peril. While short-term needs will always take precedence over long-term ones in virtually every political calculus, lending weight to another axiom that in the long run we are all dead (John Maynard Keynes), the true test of statesmanship is the ability to convince a skeptical and cynical public that it is in their best interests to focus on both. Visionary leaders, in short and dwindling supply at the current moment, are particularly adept at both walking and chewing gum. But statesmanship is nowhere to be found.

If not so tragic it would actually be amusing that today many are more worried about Sharia law popping up in their communities accompanied by a cadre of ISIS/ISIL cells than the catastrophic impacts of what very well be the Sixth mass extinction that is manifesting itself daily in our living environment. It is not necessarily an either/or proposition folks, we can deal with both.

Without weighing in on the merits of continuing or expanding conflicts around the globe, we do have the capacity to deal with both short-term and long-term issues and our stubborn resistance to even attempt to enlighten the populace to that fact is the height of intergenerational irresponsibility. If not for ourselves, let’s do it for our kids and their kids. Mankind may be the cruelest enemy of all.

MOORE, Okla. (AP) — An “angry employee” at a food distribution center in suburban Oklahoma City stabbed two women, killing one of them, Thursday before an off-duty law enforcement officer shot the suspect, police said.

Moore Police Sgt. Jeremy Lewis told reporters at the scene that the suspect attacked the first two people he encountered at Vaughan Foods in Moore before the off-duty officer who was working at the business shot him. The surviving victim and the suspect, a man, were both hospitalized. The motive for the attack was unclear, but Lewis said the suspect and the victims were apparently not involved with each other outside of their work at the business.

“The victims had no relationship to the suspect. He is just an angry employee that acted out,” Lewis said.

Police were called about 4:15 p.m. to reports of a fight inside Vaughan Foods and while en route, officers were told that there had been a shooting, Lewis said.

“When officers arrived they approached the business as an active shooter situation. Once they entered the business they found a female deceased of stab wounds and they had a male with multiple gunshot wounds,” Lewis said.

He said the building was evacuated and searched and no other danger was found.

Lewis did not immediately return phone calls to The Associated Press seeking further comment.

A phone call to Vaughan Foods late Thursday afternoon was not answered and a spokeswoman for its parent company, Reser’s Fine Foods, did not immediately return calls.

Poor Americans. Even when there’s enough authentic drama in the world to provoke the angst of our most composed of human beings — what with metastasizing wars, repeated beheadings, climate change crises; child refugees — we as a nation still find time and energy to expend time and energy on the most inane of issues. Think beige suits, nude selfies, “chubby” senators and Palin fisticuffs. It’s as if we, collectively, have — as my mother used to say about my brother’s eating capacity — a bottomless pit… for pettiness disguised as righteous outrage.

This week we have the “latte salute.”

I find myself shaking my head at what becomes “the news,” what Americans find to argue about, froth over, take to social media to debate. I’m talking about both sides, all sides, every side. Media, and our slavishness to it, would have us believe (and it appears to be true) that we’re culturally drawn to the most petulant, pouting expressions of our political, religious, and cultural differences, and we can’t seem to take a stand or make a point without a predictable whine in our tone:

“… you know it’s not a latte salute, it’s a chai salute, because he drinks chai tea, but I mean please, how disrespectful was that?” Rove asked.

Well, please right back to you, Karl. I don’t care whether it’s George Bush toggling a terrier or Barack Obama balancing a half-caf or a chai, there’s not a president in history who has not held the highest regard for the men and women of the military and if in a moment of rushing schedules, cumbersome canines, or disembarking distractions a proper military salute was not smartly delivered… SO WHAT??

We’ve been down this road before, remember? Our last “salute-gate” was back in May of 2013, when Obama disembarked the Air Force One helicopter while forgetting to salute and the universe tilted on its axis. The free-for-all that followed was enough to shame us all and, yet, here we are again… carrying on like a bunch of hissy-fitting teens over the perceived fumble of the head cheerleader.

COME ON, PEOPLE!

I’ve purposely ignored this percolating kerfuffle, figuring it would die out sooner than it has, but today on social media I noted not only a continuing rumble of expressed “offense taken” comments, but an implication that no matter what one’s political leaning, it was only military men and women who could understood the depth of the President’s slight, something us non-military personnel couldn’t possibly grasp.

I remained unconvinced. Considering the gravitas of their positions, I would guess that military men and women understand the tremendous pressures of the Commander in Chief and are intelligent enough to forgive a salute that might occasionally include an errant coffee cup. I also have no doubt Obama has tremendous respect for the military and that intention carries far more weight than an unintentional salute slip-up. But it was when a true military man weighed in on the debate today that I felt the clearest points were made. This from a gentlemen I know who’s allowed me to quote him by name, Michael Armijo:

“As an aircrewman – 25 years in the Army, I flew cadre for years, and if high ranking officers, generals or their officer staff saluted every time we did when entering and exiting the aircraft, their arms would fall off. To expect them to do so is ridiculous. A return salute is not expected or required by aircrew. That goes for the Commander In Chief also.

“In this picture/vid [the one of Obama’s ‘latte salute’] I think the President has just delivered a decisive attack on our enemies overseas who are sworn to kill us and he’s taken us back into another war at the request of Congress and the majority of the American people. He was stepping off the aircraft prepared to address the United Nations in order to rally our allies.

“I think maybe he had things other than a salute on his mind.

“It’s worthy to remark that nobody gave even a whisper when President Obama stood at stone-solid attention and gave an impeccable salute when they quietly unloaded the flag draped coffins of our fallen at Dover Air Base in Delaware just a while back. That can be sobering, I know, I’ve been there.

“Disrespect has to have purpose. This was not disrespect.

“In my opinion, President Obama is one of the best presidents we’ve had in 35 years – I might know, I served under most of them.”

And that, to me, regardless of one’s political stance or opinions about Obama, should put “latte-gate” into proper perspective. Period. End of sentence.

Here’s a suggestion for us all: given the state of the world and the demand to find a necessary balance to live our lives as best we can while still being aware that millions are dying of ebola, terrorism, warfare, and poverty; that climate change is real and literally changing our planet; that economies remain choked, jobs unstable, and, for many, money scarce; while we’re all trying to raise our families, take care of our elderly, keep ourselves healthy and enjoy the beauty of nature, creativity, and love… how about we stop embroiling ourselves in pettiness, banality, judgment, disdain, partisanship, and all those other limiting, negative, diminishing attributes we all know so well?

Let’s stop sharing the intentionally incendiary blather from those like Limbaugh, Coulter, Beck, Hannity, Rove, Palin; et al. Let’s eschew “gotcha” journalism and click-bait news. Let’s agree to disagree politically without reverting to ugliness, pugilism, and denigration (that goes for ALL sides!). Let’s get productive and proactive and decide that compromise and thoughtfulness are not signs of weakness. Let’s respect our leaders — even those on the other side of the aisles on which we stand — unless they actively give us reason not to. Let’s peel our attention away from 24/7 negativity and see what we can do to actively, constructively, in real-world tangible ways, make things better. Let’s do that.

Because, I guarantee: spending time debating selfies, salutes, and beige suits is not ever going to get us closer to “better.”

___________________________________________________________

Follow Lorraine Devon Wilke on Facebook, Twitter, and Rock+Paper+Music. Find details and links to her other work at www.lorrainedevonwilke.com and her Author Page at Amazon, watch her book trailer HERE, and be sure to follow her adventures in independent publishing @ AfterTheSuckerPunch.com.

AFTER THE SUCKER PUNCH
by Lorraine Devon Wilke
______________________________

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Attorneys for Ohio asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to delay a federal judge’s order that expands the swing state’s early voting schedule this fall.

The request comes a day after a three-judge panel of a federal appeals court upheld the order that allows early ballots to be cast next week. In a Sept. 4 decision, U.S. District Judge Peter Economus temporarily blocked an Ohio law trimming early voting and ordered Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted to set additional times that included evening hours. The ruling moved the start of early voting to Tuesday instead of Oct. 7.

Ohioans can vote absentee by mail or in person.

The state is appealing the panel’s decision and has asked the full 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati to grant a rehearing.

State Solicitor Eric Murphy told the Supreme Court in Thursday’s court filing that the judge’s order was wrong and inequitable in making the changes so late.

“Ohio respectfully asks that the federal courts permit it to implement the early-voting schedule its democratically elected representatives chose and for which its voters and elections officials have prepared for over six months,” Murphy wrote.

The appeals panel concluded in a 3-0 decision on Wednesday that none of the interests put forward by Ohio sufficiently justified the burden found to be placed on certain voters by two election-related measures.

One is a directive from Husted that established uniform early voting times and restricted weekend and evening hours. Another is a GOP-backed state law that eliminates so-called golden week, when people could both register to vote and cast ballots. Without those days, early voting would typically start 28 or 29 days before Election Day instead of the prior 35-day window.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio filed the lawsuit on behalf of several black churches and the state’s chapters of the NAACP and the League of Women Voters.

The plaintiffs claimed that the new rules would make it difficult for residents to vote and disproportionately affect low-income and black voters, who, the groups say, are more likely to use the weekend and evening hours to vote early in elections. The black churches in the lawsuit say their parishioners have come to rely on rides they provide to the polls after Sunday services to vote early.

The ACLU’s attorneys on Thursday said a review by the full appellate court would disrupt the fall election processes.

“The district court did not abuse its discretion in ensuring that these election processes remain in place temporarily while the parties continue to develop the factual record before the district court,” wrote Freda Levenson, of the ACLU of Ohio, in a court filing.

Aaron Ockerman, the executive director of the Ohio Association of Election Officials, said local boards are prepared for the start of early voting even as the date remains in flux.

“Neither the ruling nor the appeal is going to have any impact on our ability to serve voters,” Ockerman said. “We’re ready for whatever the court tells us to do.”

If you enjoy a good laugh or watch The Walking Dead or ever wondered what zombies are saying through all that clawing and moaning, the Bad Lip Reading guys have got you covered in their latest take on The Walking Dead. It’s pretty damn funny.

Read more…