While we await the results of Michael Jackson’s toxicology report, I don’t think I’m going out on a limb to say the King of Pop died from a drug overdose. Like the “King” before him, Elvis Presley, Mr. Jackson’s fame incarcerated him into a life of seclusion, sycophants and accelerated an ever growing lack of mental stability.  

Those of us who are fans of music are again denied the opportunity to watch the musical evolution of stars that have died prematurely due to drugs. Michael was soon to begin a highly anticipated fifty date London concert series. Be it Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Keith Moon, or Jim Morrison, seeing the same pattern repeat time and again is depressing.

Many say that Michael Jackson was a musical genius. It seems hard to argue with that point.  However, I came across a theory on genius that I think is very interesting.  There is a growing body of research which says that geniuses aren’t born, they’re made.  The theory revolves around the concept of 10,000 hours of practice and mentoring. 

Read the rest of this entry »

I applaud President Obama’s handling of the Iranian election protests. His calibrated and deliberate pace towards condemning events in Iran has served the nation well.  Heading towards the two week mark of post election turmult, the President echoed the thoughts of most Americans when he said yesterday “I’m appalled and outraged” at the government’s crackdown on the demonstrators.

Neda Agha Sultan

As I watched the President answer questions during his recent news conference, I thought to myself how appropriate it is that America has a leader so poised, articulate, and thoughtful.  I believe Obama understands the gravity of the moment and his role as official spokesperson and leader of the American people.

 It is proper that  both houses of Congress voted almost unanimously to condemn the Iranian government.  It is also appropriate that the President has been more measured during this time while the situation is so uncertain. 

The shooting death of Neda Agha Sultan by Iranian security forces lays bare to all the essential facist nature of the Iranian state.  I think the damage done to the regime from the June election is irrevocable.  

Read the rest of this entry »

The United State Constitution begins with the words “We the People”.  The significance of those words can’t be overstated. 

Prior to the American Constitution, the power of the state was generally institutionalized through a hereditary monarch, derived from the “will of God” or was taken at the point of a gun. The U.S. Constitution makes explicit that under our form of government, it is the people who have freely chosen to cede some of their liberty so as to establish the power of the state.

With the advent of a democratic vote, and the peaceful transition of power, citizens gained through their enfranchisement the ability to choose and influence their leaders.  

Read the rest of this entry »

All throughout the Middle East the winds of change are blowing—and they’re moving westward.

Campaign Posters in Lebanon

While great attention is being paid to Iran’s sham election and the response of the Iranian people, Democracy has had a tremendous year versus the forces of Al Qaeda and violent Islamist extremism.

Lebanon had an election a few weeks ago and the pro-western parties won a handy victory over Iran’s Hezbollah proxies.

In Kuwait, four women were recently elected to Parliament. Kuwaiti women were only granted the right to vote in 2005.

In Afghanistan, a two-month democratic Presidential campaign has just begun.

While Hamas still controls the Gaza strip, there is little doubt that if free elections were held today, the terrorist organization fronting as government in Gaza would be put out of power.

Read the rest of this entry »

Unknown Man halting Tiananmen Square Tanks

In the futuristic book 1984, “Big Brother” employed advanced technology to know of people’s movements and communications.  The government used this information to maintain its grip on power.  George Orwell’s nightmarish future seemed both plausible and possible.  Fortunately, technology is having almost the exact opposite effect on the power relationship between people and their government.

A case in point is the extremely important processes that are occurring within Iran. Over the weekend Iran held an election that was stolen by the encumbant hardliners.  When I say ”Iran held an election” that needs to be qualified.  One reason is although 475 Iranian citizens received government permission to run for office, over 400 other citizens were not permitted to run for office.  This means the Iranian State chooses which people are allowed to be in government. Oh, did I mention that no women were allowed to run for office or that the Iranian ballot is not secret?

I find Iran to be such an interesting political situation because the medium age of the population is only 25 years old.  In this recent election, over 80% of the people voted.  Many if not a majority of voters were born after the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

Read the rest of this entry »

There has been more attention than usual paid this year to the NBA playoffs. The marketing types were full of glee thinking about the possibility of the league’s two highest profile players (Kobe Bryant and Lebron James) facing off against each other for the championship.

However, Lebron’s team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, didn’t make it to the final round. Instead the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic are playing for the prize. The “failure” of the Cleveland team to make the final round has led a lot of the sports talking heads to disparage Lebron by using the tired cliché “he hasn’t won anything yet” when they refer to him.  

The Great Ted Williams

I’m tired of hearing people grading fantastic athletes disparagingly because their teams don’t win a championship.

Perhaps the greatest hitter in baseball history, Ted Williams, never won a championship. Arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history, Dan Marino, never won a championship. Am I to understand that they weren’t great players because their team “never won anything”? 

Read the rest of this entry »

For better or worse, the world is always changing. Over time, things that were legal can become illegal, and visa versa. Behaviors and customs change, and things that were unthinkable to previous generations become the new “norm”.

For example, not attending church on Sunday used to be heavily frowned on in many communities. For most of human history, inter-racial marriage was outlawed and gay marriage was unimaginable. In the economic realm, Prohibition made alchohol a banned substance in the United States. The “Noble Experiment” lasted from 1919-1933 when the passage of the 21st Amendment made alcohol legal once again.

It seems to me that just as gay marriage will most probably become legalized nationwide within the next 20 years—-I believe marijuana will also become legalized.

There has been an explosion of marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles that have opened their doors in the last 6 months. One reason is the new policy of Attorney General Eric Holder to not deploy resources to enforce federal marijuana laws. Another reason has to do with proposed new licensing requirements that L.A. might enact.

However, the main reason so many dispensaries have opened is because the demand for the product is so widespread throughout the citizenry. The laws and outlook on marijuana are vastly different from what they were 25 years ago, let alone when the 1936 film Reefer Madness portrayed the evil weed as the devil’s tool. Today, with the thinnest of medical disguises, a person can legally buy marijuana in California for “medicinal” purposes.

Read the rest of this entry »

If asked to pick their colors, I’m guessing many Americans would answer red, white and blue. Frankly, it’s hard to argue with that choice. Ultimately, as patriots, it should be the reply we all give.

However if you asked a sports fan to pick their colors, they’d probably answer with the colors of their favorite team.

My colors are purple and gold and are worn by the Los Angeles Lakers. Though perhaps not the most esthetically pleasing combination, they are mine, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I think that a person’s colors, and the team they represent, are a primal thing. If you follow sports, then I believe it almost impossible to change your affections and root for guys who wear other colors.

Read the rest of this entry »

Life is full of many symbols and gestures. Some are offered in friendship, such as waiving your hand when saying goodbye or hello.  Another is when we extend our hand for a shake when meeting up with a friend.

Other gestures are less kind in nature. For example, have you ever wondered why sticking up a single finger, your middle finger, is a symbol for telling somebody off in the worst possible terms?

With an English wife and many British friends, I’ve learned that Brits have a slight variation on “flipping someone the bird.” Rather than use one finger, Brits shape their index and middle fingers into a V and turn their hand around so that their knuckles are facing outwards.

What I bet you didn’t know is that flipping somebody off is a gesture that has a rich historical background.

Read the rest of this entry »