WHAT A DIFFERENCE 5 SECONDS MAKES

I'm not a conspiracy theorist which is why I won't whole heartedly commit to the ideas that aliens are out there. Having said that, I have been watching various documentaries about the Kennedy assassination and I keep thinking about how five seconds within that scope is an eternity. Let's take out the conspiracy theories for a second and look at the whole 5 second period.

In five seconds this is what happened:

1. One bullet goes through President Kennedy's neck and strikes Governor John Connally.
2. A bullet misses 
3. A third bullet kills the President. 

During those five seconds everyone in Dallas, in the parade route, went into pandemonium. The US as a whole froze and the direction the world seemed to be going in took a drastic turn. For nearly 50 years there have been theories of all sorts and the mystery remains. Still the idea of such a tiny spectre of time meaning so much is simply astonishing.

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE AND SECRET SUPERHERO

You have to love John Kerry no matter what your political preference is. John Kerry is not an ordinary politician. When there is trouble on the floor of the United Nations Kerry turns into JK Man. JK man is strong like the Hulk, quick, not totally set on his positions like Superman, and in possession of a masculine square jaw. Kerry is not really going through despair in terms of negotiations for the end of Iran's nuclear program, he is simply letting think he is slightly desperate.

JK Man shall surface and use his super strength, Batman like deduction powers, Martian Manhunter Musculature, Green Lantern imagination, and Aquaman uselessness in order to try and craft a second failed bid for president in the year 2016. Iran shall be very surprised by the great JK Man and they shall end their program out of fear. The wrath of JK Man shall prevail!

THE KENNEDY SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT: YOUTH

As I sit and watch the second part of PBS' JFK: American Experience I sit and wonder if during those years youth was considered the best way for government. In just a few days it will be the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's assassination and rather than focus on the negative I would like to pose this question:

• Did Kennedy's youth represent new hope for the US or was it simply the start of an aggressive and somewhat reckless period? 

It seems like Kennedy's fearless nature led him to make mistakes such as the Bay of Pigs invasion, which seemed to empower Fidel Castro and embarrass the US. Kennedy was a symbol of hope in the 1960's and somehow that hope diminished for Kennedy as he realized that his advisors were not always looking out for the interests of the US. Kennedy was also faced with problems such as civil rights unrest brought about by segregation and inequality. 

The Kennedy white house came at a time when change was begging to take place, in a revolutionary manner. Kennedy's youth was one part of the equation, a positive part, but his inexperience was the negative counter. Yes, Kennedy did want to put us in space and he wanted to stand down on talks of nuclear war but his desires seemed to clash with the status quo. 

We made it to space, we did not engage in a nuclear holocaust and yet we were still a target. Kennedy was not necessarily as authoritative as his predecessor Eisenhower, nor as devious as Nixon, the man that would eventually take the White House in 68.' The start of the revolutionary period of the US came from an uncertainty on how to deal with communism and having a weaker foreign policy. With youth and inexperience the military ended up with a deeper level of involvement than necessary in Vietnam. 

Perhaps if Kennedy had not been killed there would have been an early pull out of Vietnam and there wouldn't have been such a massive loss of human life. Kennedy never had the opportunity to realize his dreams for an open system of government that showcased great American resolve and courage. Camelot was only 34 months of a lifetime and yet that spectrum was unique because of youth, aggressiveness, and inexperience. There will never be another Camelot and perhaps that's not a bad thing, then again it would be nice to see that hope once more.

CAN WE REALLY CALL THEM LEADERS?

I don't care if you are a democrat or a republican because we live in a free country. I'm bound by our constitution and the freedom of speech, choice, and so on, to respect your ideals. I don't have a side but I do have an observation about both sides. If you are a republican or a democrat and feel sensitive then please stop reading now.

I turn my TV on and all I hear is republicans blaming democrats and vice versa. Every politician with high hopes is getting their name out there in hopes that either the mid term elections or 2016 will be their breakout period. Let's not talk about sides, let's treat this in a more general manner so we can better appraise what's happening.

We put our futures in the hands of men and women that, although well educated, are as flawed as we are. These men and women reach a point where their nature is to assume that they as singular beings know better than every one of their constituents. While most of the time these men and women are well educated, that doesn't mean that they are beyond our reproach or better than us. While society needs a specific order and manner of law, that law and that order needs to be established with the interests of the people in mind.

It's true that 300 million Americans cannot individually agree on anything, other than their right to disagree. I think that one thing we can agree on is the fact that our "leaders" can't step outside of their fragile egos and do what's right. The root of this battle is Obamacare, whether you are for it or against it is irrelevant, at the moment anyway.

You have elected officials hurting the economy, the country's standing, and the well being of the average citizen because " they know what's best." The truth is that whatever our founding fathers spoke of ,when they banded together against an imperialist empire, has evaporated. Today the government does not stand for the cause of its citizens, it simply stands for whatever keeps key figures in power.

Republicans want to be seen as the guardians of value, the keepers of America's coffers. To house republicans it is vital to strike out against Obama's signature law. On the flip side, Democrats want to be  seen as the merry thieves of Sherwood Forrest. What we have are a couple of groups shooting toward opposite extremes and not giving a care about how badly this is stressing the middle. The government did not need to close over this disagreement and that's an undeniable truth, regardless of political proclivity.

It doesn't matter if you agree with the healthcare law or not, this is a game of hide and seek with the economy. I'm not saying that republicans needed to cave, nor that democrats needed to cave. I am stating that both sides should have agreed to serious talks with regards to keeping the government open and not holding the population hostage. The big concern now is the debt celling and how that particular issue will be affected, truthfully that's not really as big an issue though.

I think the bigger issue is the question of how we can make our "leaders" act less like gangsters at a mob pow wow and more like leaders. Until these "leaders" can change their tune, America will continue to look like a day care full of children with discipline problems.

WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER TODAY

Today is not just another important day, it's the most important day in the history of the US. July 4th is not a day for stepping out in ridiculous garb and scream while chewing on a corn dog. The 4th of July is a day that defines democracy, sacrifice, and real courage. Our founding fathers used their intelligence to craft a document that would take the 13 colonies and turn them into a singularly united power. No longer would the colonies fall under royal rule and have to live for the wishes of the queen. The revolutionary war was a way to say no more, the ultimate conflict for true democracy.

The democracy that we enjoy today was laid out nearly two and a half centuries ago. While many battles have been fought over that period, the ideal of democracy faced greatest jeopardy long ago. Today we fail to remember that history because it's long since passed, we weren't there, the books sometimes tell a different story. Our founding fathers were not gun toting morons, they were not perfect figures, but they agreed that we should all have the right to think as we wished.

Today is always a beautiful day, a day of unity of celebration for all. Everyone remember to celebrate that this country was built on the principle of hard work and sacrifice, from luxury to life, it's who we are. Symbols in this country are a beacon to what made it great then and what makes it great now. Celebrate your freedom, the sacrifice, and not just your day off.

THE BOSTON TRAGEDY

So here we are again, a normal day and another attack in our back yard. This time the attack happened during a joyous occasion that was supposed to make the news for a million reasons non of which included death and injury. The number of deaths and injuries in this bombing pales in comparison to the deaths and injuries in the World Trade Center attacks of 9/11, but it was still a horrible tragedy. Let's break it down briefly and see what it all means.

Two young guys with a belief that the world should be Islam are the presumed guilty. A building came down and we are reminded that there is no longer a safe place and that we are no longer allowed to feel any sort of peace or levity. It was interesting how the venue for this attack was a marathon. The message here was clear and that message is that there is no finish line to cross. Do we blame someone? Do we blame a set of beliefs?

Once the guilty parties have paid for their crimes we are still left asking questions that can never be answered. The ideas and theories are now coming out of the woodwork like they did in 9/11. An aunt of the two suspects said this was "staged" and her angel nephews were framed. These events will cause that rift and idea that all immigrants are bad and that Islam is terrorism. There will be misunderstandings and insecurity, a clear example that the actions of a few misguided fools are enough to judge entire populations.

The ultimate statement is that terrorism no longer has a stereotypical face. Terrorism is no longer limited to an organized group but it could be anyone with a belief so extreme and ardent that that they are willing to kill, injure and die for their so called cause. Yes here we are again and once more the result is confusion, a universal question, and no possible justice or answers. We are living in a world that is no longer easily defined.

This tragedy can never be undone and the people deeply affected can never forget what happened. We as a nation are reminded of dark moments that serve as a definition to our history. The biggest reminder this tragedy is giving us is the reminder that we are a beacon of hope and the defining standard. We as a nation enjoy freedom, opportunity, choice, and many other advantages. While we are not a perfect nation it's our allowance to be imperfect that makes us function the way we do.

GOTTA LOVE OLD ASSHOLES

So I was at London's Gatwick Airport and after making it through the series of lines required to take me to the gate I was en route to the actual gate itself. When I stopped at the line for the gate I encountered a man that was at least 700 years old and reminded me of everything I hated about my childhood.

This old man was unhappy, unkempt, wrinkled all to hell and reeked of awful ribbon candy. As I moved on to show my passport the man saw it was not signed. I was carrying a new passport so it was an honest oversight. The man asked me if I had ever been witness to any terrorist activity. I was shocked by the question so I responded with an emphatic "NO." The old bastard continued to ask me bullshit questions and I continued to answer.

I was asked if I harbored illegals in place of residence as well as if I had ever been convicted of rape. I decided to tell him the Chunk story from The Goonies because he was really pissing me off. The old man stopped me angrily and told me to move on and be less suspicious next time. I told him to try wearing Old Spice to a party full of hookers. I am sure he did not hear me as I mumbled the insult in an attempt from being arrested.

The point of this rant is really just if you are old please do not be an asshole and if you are an old asshole do not work in an airport.

WE LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMES

After the terrorist attacks of September 11th the level of high alert everyone is on has become justified because the truth is that airplanes are now a huge source of concern for everyone trying to avoid terrorism. So why if you are traveling out of a US airport would you say that you have dynamite in your luggage?

A Guatemalan man was taken into custody after making the dynamite remark in jest. Part of the Miami International Airport's concourse J was evacuated while an Avianca flight was delayed for over an hour. The funny part is that the man was a 63 year old. You would think that a man that old would be a little wiser and a lot more serious but stupidity is not limited to youth always.

The man is in custody or was, I am not truly certain, and Miami International is back to normal. Interesting that now older people are acting like fools and setting examples of what not to do. Interesting times that we are living in people, interesting indeed!