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Germany as European Union Catalyst
By Michael Boyajian
Talk in the New York Times has it that Germany is shaking its cage within the European Union. To offset the German economic behemoth a balance must be reached by bringing Russia into the E.U. Yes, it’s time to start talking about the 800 pound gorilla in the room.
If State Republicans were not already facing enough of an uphill battle, what in the world are they going to do to combat the Andrew Cuomo-Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy ticket?
You have to tip your hat to Cuomo, this selection is good.
New York City voters may not initially be impressed, but upstate is. Upstate often feels neglected when it comes to downstate, and downstate dominated political tickets. But now, they not only have the popular Cuomo (based on polls) but one of their own.
Letter Writing the Road to Peace
By Michael Boyajian
When I was a little boy I signed up with an organization that brought together people as pen pals. This was before email and people as pen pals would exchange letters via snail mail.
I was all excited as I checked my mailbox every day awaiting a letter from my new pen pal who at that point was unknown to me. Then one day a letter arrived from a distant land. It was from a Turkish girl and she enclosed a photo of herself in a swim suit.
Climate Change Trauma
By Michael Boyajian
The New York Times recently reported that Britons are now more likely not to believe in climate change. This is a complete reversal from just a few years ago.
Why the turnaround even in the face of evidence of climate change like the melting poles and drowning polar bears? Perhaps the task of turning around this global catastrophe has become so daunting that like a patient with terminal cancer Britons have become resigned to the fact that stopping climate change is impossible and therefore all you can do is hope for the best.
Just got word from a reporter that the answer is probably thankfully no. But in any event, having one early retirement decision after another does not save money. It increases costs while deferring them. There can be a debate about the impact of this incentive on this years budget. But there is no debate about the effect on this year’s budget of past incentives.
"The budget may be stalled, parks may be closed but public employees might soon be able to take early retirement" according to the Albany Times-Union. "The 55/25 bill would allow state workers as well as local public employees to retire at age 55 after 25 years of service without penalty…The measured passed in the Assembly Monday and may be reviewed in a key Senate."
So they cut the number of people on the job, services are gutted, and rather than have to deal with the consequences, Generation Greed gets to ride off to Florida. 'Supporters are confident the bill will pass in the Senate, too, especially considering that it's a potential cost-saver." Like all the other pension deals? Then how come taxes are rising while services are being gutted –to pay for the soaring cost of those retired?
On Tuesday, Liz Benjamin quoted Frank McKay, Chairman of the New York state Independence as saying, when endorsing Andrew Cuomo for Governor.
“I believe strongly that he’ll be the next governor, and we’re proud to hold his coat on the way to the governor’s mansion.”
My advice to Andrew – if McKay or any of the other grifters who run the Independence Party ever hold your coat, check to make sure your wallet is still there afterwards!
Religious Unity and the Synchronicity of Chaos Theory
By Michael Boyajian
Many years ago Huston Smith wrote a book on the world’s religions titled The World’s Religions. Little did he know then that he had planted the ideas in the cosmos that would lead to people having the ability to pick and choose principals from all the world’s religions. His book implicitly made each religion accessible to those of other faiths and one could say I like this about Hinduism and this about Buddhism and its ok and it works with my Christian beliefs.
Foolishly, and with much regret, I waded into someone else’s fight, to defend a fellow blogger, JP (who I later learned was a pretty dark-skinned Latino), against what I believed were unfair and unwarranted accusations of racism emanating from Rock Hackshaw.
For my troubles, I got falsely accused of being JP, of leading a five year long vendetta against Rock, and most distressingly, of being a racist myself.
The race for governor is starting to heat up—but not necessarily between the candidates.
Instead it’s the top democrats.
Soon to be Democratic nominee for Governor Andrew Cuomo and the powerful speaker of the Assembly Sheldon Silver.
Of course both men are downplaying a disagreement.
Cuomo has started doing media interviews and Monday told Fred Dicker, the state editor of the NY Post ( on Talk Radio 1300 AM in Albany) he did not see Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver as an "obstacle" to his agenda.