strategist

Clinton Strategist: Mark Penn - is he a white supremist?

One can only wonder whether this strategist (I use the term loosely because he sounds more like a .... well, I would rather not say because he may one day sic his lawyers after me) is secretly a member of the white supremacy group/Southern States Secession Group. For someone to think a person born in the state of Hawaii is less of an American than someone born in Iowa or Arkansas is beyond me. And what about his attack of Obama's suggested less than Christian beliefs. Does Penn really think a true Christian would think along the same lines as Penn? Only a person who lives with blinders on would not see the new America. Perhaps, Penn secretly wants the US to revert back to the 1950s. Separate but equal. Blacks at the back of the bus. Blacks using separate entrances. We should ask Penn whether he wishes to rewrite history of the past 100 years?

Please for the love of God, can someone please put a dirty sock into Penn's mouth? And please some doing business with an un-American. If the Clintons have any sense of decency left, please tell Penn is go to hell. And tell him he can get his money for services rendered from his own kind of friends.

Read NYTimes.

Dirty Politics: Corsi attacks Sen. Obama

Yet, more lies in the form of fiction written by a 'policital hack' named Jerome Corsi. Now, if the Obama operatives wish to fight back and fight dirty, wouldn't book hinting at Corsi's possible involvement in organised crime and a pedophile ring do the trick? I'm not sure if the police can find evidence of Corsi's involvement in the illicit sex trade or gun-running but, I'm sure if the police confiscated his computers and notebooks, I'm sure one could find some link (remember Six Degrees of Separation) between Corsi and a pedophile ring in Thailand. While I don't know of Corsi's sexual preferences, I'm sure the police should look into his personal affairs. Look into Corsi's eyes and I'm sure you might see a sexual pervert.

I really think this whole notion of the First Amendment has gotten out of control. Wouldn't it be easier for the US Supreme Court rule that utter filth and lies and the like are against the law? With people like Corsi wasting ink and paper, the world would be better off with his ilk behind prison walls. Or if threatened by an indictment, he might (I stress 'might') head for Thailand or somewhere else like Colombia. Ha! Ha!

I watched his interview on Larry King Live and laughed. Does this guy read his own press releases and think he is God? I'm sure God has told the gatekeepers to kick Corsi's butt and send him into hell. Boy did he ever get his ass kicked. Perhaps he should give up his day job and go do something more constructive like picking up trash around country instead of spewing his garbage in the media.

(Disclaimer: I am not an American nor am I a paid operative of the DNC. I just like making fun of stupid people saying stupid things. Ha! Ha!)

Spanish Olympic Basketball Team Photo: Slant Eyes

Do I take offense at the gestures made by the Spanish basketball team? Yes and No.

Yes: I detest any acts of racism.
No: The players most likely did not understand the gesture is insulting to many Asians.

Growing up in Canada, many school yard bullies made the exact same gesture to me and then, went on to mimic an Oriental person speaking in a funny language. Ha! Ha! You are so funny. You are so smart. But, you are so funny that I wish you all my love. Yeah, right. For many of those people who made fun of me and my family's ancestry, I have never forgiven them. Nor will I ever.

People who have insulted me in the past or have treated me unkindly, I refuse to acknowledge their presence. I guess that is why some people think I don't play well with others.

As for the Spanish athletes, now that you know the gesture is offensive, please do not do it again.

EBAY: Why I stopped bidding/buying

I was an avid fan of ebay.com for roughly 2+ years. I spent a fair amount of money on collectibles (toys I had once owned when I was much young but had lost along the way to adulthood). I liked what Pierre and Meg had built. What I started to hate was the ill-will held by some sellers. Here's why. When seller's withhold or give negative feedback/ratings because I had the audacity to ask a few questions make me pissed off.

As an international buyer (from Japan), I thought it was my right to ask questions about the seller's policies on shipping overseas. But, since I asked one or two questions, some sellers did not take too kindly. Thus, the poor feedback. And to those bumpkins, all I can say is 'F*CK Y&U'.

I can understand why the new CEO, John D, wanted to throw away such a stupid system. Buyers should not be judged or evaluated on how well they shop. What kind of a stupide capitalist world do we live in? eBay is going to have some rough times ahead, but, I for one, am glad that eBay has taken a tough stand.

Perhaps after John D and his new management team can make the trading platform much better and more vibrant will I return to resume my collecting. And I might head back for a future eBay Live! event.

So, a simple message to John D: Kick out the stupid sellers and change the way you run the business before it is too late.

Question: Mark Penn, former top aide to Sen. Clinton

Is Mark Penn a racist?

The answer doesn't really matter now, does it. As long as Penn is doing the bidding for the Clintons, supporters will look the other way. If Obama loses the November elections, you can bet Penn's fingerprints will be all over the McCain strategy playbook for Sept & Oct.

Senator Clinton wins if:
1) Obama loses the election,
2) the Denver Convention nominates Hillary as the Dem nonminee.

BTW, is Mark Penn actually best friends with Karl Rove?

The Non-United States of America

Two major forces within the USA are leading to the destruction and break up of the Republic.

Force #1: Anti-Obama/Pro-Clinton Supporters
Force #2: Radical Right Wing of the GOP

These two usually diametrically opposed forces are coming together to keep the US Presidency out of the hands of a black American. With the RRW preparing an onslaught of negative (Swiftboat-type ads) and the Pro-Clinton supporters getting ready to ruin the Denver Convention, you can bet that a handfulf of people from both groups have already created a War Room to hand the November election to McCain. Once all of this transpires you can pretty much say the days of the Republic are over. And who can we thank for all of this? Rich folks like the backers of the Swiftboat ads? No. The rich and white elite? No. My money is on Russia and the Middle East. No two regions have a bigger stake in the break up of the US.

Russia needs a weakened US in order to resume its militaristic/economic pursuits of ruling the Eastern Hemisphere. The Middle East wants what it has always wanted: to push Israel into the sea.

So, here is my advice to the USA, again.

#1. Stop all this childish fighting and grow up. Tell McCain to act his age. Tell the Clintons that they lost their chance with Hillary. But, we'll give Chelsea a chance in 20 years.
#2. The next military threat will not come from OBL and his gang, but the next threat will come from Russia.
#3. Give all your citizens access to health care and education regardless of their station in life.
#4. Free speech does not mean 'stupid speech'.
#5. All politicians should be paid a base salary and a 'performance-based bonus'; if they do nothing, they get paid nothing.

The next time you see an attack ad on television, ask where the money is coming from: Russia or the Middle East.

The Future: Pro-Clinton Supporters Get Their Wishes

Pro-Clinton supporters are willing to crash the Denver Contention and split the Democratic Party. By doing so, they plan on handing the November election to McCain. With McCain as President from 2009, pro-Clinton supporters are getting ready for a full-out political assault on McCain in 2012.  This is the end game and I wonder if it has tacit support by President Clinton. Should The Denver Group get their way and keep the presidency out of the hands of Obama, let us hope that Obama and his supporters force those pro-Clinton supporters to leave the party and form their very own third party. And should Obama lose because of The Denver Group, I will support the GOP going forward no matter who they put on future tickets. If they want to run a racist or a sexist, heck the GOP have got my support. And should the GOP be so bold as to round up 12 million undocumented aliens, I'll support that too.

So, for the love of God, will someone tell Senator Clinton to tell those eggheads who want to crash the Denver Convention to 'get a grip' on reality and wake up?? Obama loses. GOP wins in 2008. And the best the Dems could ever hope for is a solid chance to retake the White House in 2018.

One last thougth: do you suppose many from The Denver Group are racists? Seeing a black person sit behind the desk in the Oval Office may actually make them  want to vomit. Is this the reason why they want to crash the convention? Are they actually supporting Sen. Clinto or are they actually trying to keep a visible minority out of the White House???

Summer Obon Holidays

Decided to take personal holidays on Monday and Tuesday before the official Obon holiday break. This gives me a full 9 days off this summer. It has been quite a while since I had such a long holiday break in a long, long time.

Day #1 - Saturday
Batman Dark Knight - I went to the first screening at 08h20. Wonderful film. Five stars. Any less would be an insult to the memory of Heath and all those who loved him. God take Heath into your arms and take care of him.

Day #2 - Sunday Walk with My Son
Walked to the train station and picked up an English language daily newspaper and then, bought a cool children's book with a funky DVD. Gee, why didn't we have such entertainment tools when I was a kid?

Day #3 - Cleaning
I promised the Mrs. that I would stay home and clean. Lots of cleaning. No, make that a boatload of cleaning.

TSD: Protocol Guide Used by US Government

***FLASH REPORT (TSD)*** (Document obtained from Canadian source)

Winnipeg Free Press
Canada
'Protocol guide' helped Bush decipher Canadianisms

Updated: August 6, 2008 at 12:50 AM CDT

VANCOUVER -- When U.S. President George W. Bush visited Canada in 2004, members of his delegation were provided with a "protocol guide" to help them understand the language and customs of the foreigners.

Among the advice: How to decipher what Canadians mean when they put "eh?" at the end of a sentence.

"Eh," the guide helpfully explained, is pronounced "ay."

"Used mostly in rural areas," it states, the word roughly translates as "You know?" or "Isn't it?"

The guide, prepared by the U.S. office of the chief of protocol, also notes that "Canadians, for the most part, place importance on education, skill, modesty and politeness."

In a section on "social customs and courtesies," designed to prevent members of the delegation from accidentally giving offence, the report advises that:

"On being introduced, the customary greetings are: firm handshake, customary 'hello,' or 'bonjour' in Quebec."

"During conversation, remove sunglasses."

"While indoors, remove hats."

The document states that "most Canadian gestures are the same as those used in the United States," but adds there are some exceptions, including:

"To call someone to you, use the entire hand rather than the index finger."

"In Quebec, the thumbs down sign is considered offensive."

Ray Martinez, a spokesman with the Office of the Chief of Protocol, said the guide was prepared for low-level staffers accompanying the president, and not for Bush himself.

"The president and secretary of state receive a much more detailed briefing," said Martinez.

A copy of the guide was recently released to the Vancouver Sun -- along with other documents related to the trip -- in response to a freedom-of-information request made by the Sun more than three-and-a-half years ago.

The documents include several background papers prepared by the U.S. State Department before the Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2004 trip to Ottawa and Halifax, outlining matters affecting U.S.-Canada relations, including mad cow disease and softwood lumber.

The background papers include brief mentions of Maher Ahar, the Syrian-Canadian deported by U.S. authorities to Syria, and Omar Khadr, a Canadian captured in Afghanistan and being detained in Guantanamo Bay.

However, most of what was written about the two men was deleted from the copy released to the Sun.

-- Canwest News Service

Beijing 2008: Olympics - Did the IOC make the right decision?

If the IOC gave the 2008 games to Beijing with the belief that China would become a much better global citizen (honor freedom of speech, promote safety of citizens around the world, and usher in more democracy), then the IOC failed terribly. No one, on country, no international organization is going to tell the CCP how to act or behave in the 21st Century. The CCP plans on being around in the 22nd Century and any idea or notion about granting more rights to its own citizens is misplaced. The Chinese government has no plans on bringing in democracy to the country. No way. No how. Not now. Not ever. The Beijing 2008 games will go off well and many people will get a short glimpse of how much China has progressed in the last 10 years.

However, if the world wants China to do more to help promote peace and prosperity throughout the world, it may need to wait at least 100-200 years more. Short of an all-out revolution, the communists are in control and will remain in control unless some natural disaster forces the one billion people in the country to act out against the government and overthrow them. The earthquakes out west tested the patience of the people. A few more disasters on much larger scales will surely test the limits of a 'central command and control' system. When a billion people stand up and march to Beijing demanding change, it will send shockwaves throughout every capital city around the world.

Let's hope the summer games will show the CCP how much more they need to do for its own citizens and the people of Sudan. Stand tall and proud and accept your place in the world. Stand behind political rhetoric and ideology and you shall reap what you sow. The Chinese are a proud people and let's hope the Chinese government makes some very strong progressive moves within the next 5-10 years. A billion people deserve the right to live out their lives in peace and prosperity. Not under the thumb of a communist regime.

Justice: An eye for an eye

The horrific and gruesome murder of a young man on a Greyhound bus heading to Winnipeg this past week has shaken the entire country out of its peaceful sleep. The murder of Tim McLean was so terrifying that I don't think anyone would be willing to take public transportation across the country. I only hope the Crown prosecutor seeks a sentence of life in prison without any possibilty of parole. No one should have to worry about the killer walking free amongst us every again. Let the killer rot in prison. Take a life, lose a life; if it were only that simple.

The death penalty is too easy for the killer. I don't care about the problems the madman was having. If he had no reason to live, he could have stepped in front of a moving train or jumped into the Pacific Ocean and let the tides take him out to be fish bait. There is no reason whatsoever for the killer to take the life of an innocent. No one in their right mind should/could/would forgive such evil acts. No one.

US Border Agents Defend Random Seizing of Laptops

I read the news about US border agents seizing travellers' laptops and other communication/storage devices upon their entry into the country. While I understand the US government's desire to protect the country from all enemies both foreign and domestic, I only hope they use the information seized to understand the national threats against the country. I do, however, worry that some departments will use the information obtained to help advance the technological and financial interests of the country. Say, for example, a laptop seized from a British or Japanese contained information about a medical breakthrough in cancer or AIDS, will the US government agencies pass on that info to US-based drug companies? Or how about a situation where a French CEO has a voice message saved that mentions the company will miss its quarterly earnings - and some government official uses that info to go short on the shares? Who will prosecute the government official when there is no way of tracking such illegal (or legal) activity? Is this new policy being used to help US industry compete in the 21st Century? And will other nations do the same? Will China, Russia, India, Japan, Canada begin seizing IT products at their own borders? I think I will leave my laptop at home when I travel overseas or at the very least to the US.

Yet - No messages on my answering machine

What is wrong? Why hasn't Jerry Yang called me? I mean, doesn't he think he needs any help at Yahoo? Is the ship back on the right heading? C'mon, let's all ping Jerry at Yahoo and let him know that my patience is not forever. He needs to call me and send me some first-class air tickets one-way from Tokyo to SF. I'll make my own way from SFO to Sunnyvale.

Yuhoo Yahoo!

Dear Jerry,

Congratulations on getting Carl and his gang of boys to step back and give you a chance to make it work in Sunnyvale. I'm sure you know Carl is going to let things be as they are for the rest of the year but... a big but, he will be breathing down your neck come the 2008 AGM. You need some serious talent to help turn around the mother ship. And that, Jerry, is where I come in. Just hire me. Yup. Just hire me. Give me a low six-figure salary and I will whip the boys and girls into shape. If I don't deliver results in 12 months, I will resign. That's it. I don't want to elaborate on what types of fixes I can bring to your company, lest you use them now and not hire me later. So, for now, let's just say I know how to fix your company.

You can reach me here at my blog or you can look up my account information at Yahoo. I'm one of those subscribers who pay for a business email account and my Movable Type blog with you guys.

Well, look forward to hearing from you soon.

Potential Yahooer living in Tokyo.

National Holiday: Really?

I spent my holiday working. Huh? Yup. You read it right. I worked on my day off. Not that it should come as a shock to anyone who works in Japan. National holidays are actually created so corporate staff can put in a day of work at home. Instead of spending time with my son or going out to play with him, I was stuck behind my computer and a mess load of .xls files.

I was given yet another report to complete for the current work week. I decided to put in the extra hours at home on the national holiday instead of working a 'boat load' of overtime this week. You have to remember that in Japan, overtime is a way of life. I put in on average 80 hours a month of OT. Last week, I had lunch with someone from the data marketing team and I know that he works about 100 hours of OT a month. When I asked about his private life (with his wife) he just shrugged his shoulders. I know that shrug well. For a Japanese corporate warrior, work comes first. Home life comes last. A distant last.

I figure with the 5 hours of 'work at home' I put in today, I am only 8 hours behind in my weekly work log. I have got to make up those lost 8 hours over the next four business days. Or lest, my head is going to get cut off my the HR department.

Well, at least next week, with our plane-load of VIP guests flying in my one of our US offices, I am assured of working lots of OT (unpaid, of course). I have already warned my wife of my late night returns and my early morning departures. I figure that if I can get at least 3 hours of sleep a night, I am going to do well. I might even sleep at the office in order to get an extra 3 hours a sleep a day.

(PS. Note to myself - BUY MORE LOTTERY TICKETS, FOR CHRISSAKES!!!)

Good Luck in the UK

Last week, Saori (pictured on the right) punched out for the last time. In the autumn, she heads off to the UK to start a new life. I hired Saori to work with me in the international section. I was employee #1 and she was #2. I know she will enjoy living and studying in the UK and wish her all the best. (photo taken at her birthday party last year.)

Global Warming? What global warming...

Temperatures reached 33-34 degree C this week. With all the pollution the world is pumping into the air and the waste we throw away, is it any wonder why Mother Earth is pissed off at mankind? I expect her to throw alot of disasters our way very soon. More tsunamis. More earthquakes. More melting ice caps and then, rising sea levels. Here's some friendly advice to all those beachfront owners: move. If you own property in California, move to Denver. If you own property in Manhattan, move to Saskatchewan. Unless mankind wises up and changes its deadly ways, our extinction may come about within  the next 150 years. Or I forgot, that's why we plan on colonizing Mars. We need new frontiers to ruin.

Legal Studies: Corporate vs Privacy

Before I undertake my legal studies, I have been thinking about changing my focus from corporate (M&A) to privacy issues. While I am hoping to seek work in the area of M&A after my training, I am intrigued about the area of privacy. Why the sudden change?

This past week I was asked by the business development team to look into the issues about importing data subject info to Japan from the EU. I read the relevant EU Directive and then, proceeded to see what protections such data subjects would enjoy should their data be imported into Japan. I understand the need of permitting data to travel freely around the EU and perhaps to third countries but, data subjects must, and I repeat - MUST, have immediate control over their data no matter where it resides.

The EU Member States and their relevant Ministers must protect the rights of data subjects. Simply put, if a EU-resident data subject wants his/her data removed from all US-servers (within the US or outside the US), that order must be executed immediatley. Refusal to heed the order from a EU Member State Minister shall be met with immediate government sanctions and if necessary, fines against the importer in EU courts.

While I cannot provide legal advice to my colleagues, I laid out the issues and informed them of the need to involve outside counsel immediately/eventually.

Senator McCain: Little Blue Pill vs The Pill

I watched the YouTube video of McCain's reluctance (or was it confusion) about answering a 'hardball' question asked by a reporter: (basically it goes something like this)

Reporter: If Medicare covers Viagra, why shouldn't it also cover the pill (birth control)?
McCain:  ????? (puzzled look) - (turns to anger)

Why can't McCain answer such a simple question? If he can answer questions about sending more US soldiers into Iraq and other hot zones, why can't he answer a simple question about Medicare coverage. It has got to be simple one for a long-serving US senator to answer.

McCain and his team of political advisers: Stop pandering to the fanatical wing of the GOP. Trying to please the extreme right wing of the party is going to get you defeated. And in doing so, you push back the work and efforts of the standard bearers of the party: Reagan supporters. Toss the Rovian supporters under the proverbial bus where they belong. Senator McCain, you are going to loss this election - get rid of the Rovian Camp from your campaign. Get rid of them now. And then, and only then, do you stand a change of winning the election.

Conservatives will forgive you with your brief allegiance to Evil. Take a step back and really think about what you want for your country. You cannot return to the US to the 1950s (where Rove wants to take the US again). Its too late. The Rockwell painting period is over. Get used to it. The sexual revolution. The peace marches. The Civil Rights era. Each one has made the US a much stronger nation. And for Rove and his supporters to think that they can put the genie back in the bottle are deluded and just batty. You cannot 'unring' the bell. Get off the Rove Bus before it is too late. And should you not heed this advice, Lord help the GOP because that is the only Person who can help the party.

Going Way Party for Takashi Katsuragi

                           

Katsuragi-San (with the funny head-piece),

Thanks for all the laughs over the past seven years. You'll be missed greatly. And most of all, good luck in your company; our loss, their gain.

Until next time,

Strategist