On #911Day: Brief Personal Thoughts

Within the past few hours, I supported the release of a write-up for the day for #Outsiders that for today is Uniform throughout the 4 current properties.   It is a day to remember and honor the fallen and their families.    It is also quite remarkable as the Nation Remembered led by the President: 

"Let us resolve to continue embodying the American spirit that no act of terror can ever extinguish." —@POTUS pic.twitter.com/OmaZott2nC

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 11, 2015

It is a day as our team noted that changed America and The World forever.

Although we have to look ahead, those of us who were witness to that day will never forget.   For me, I was getting ready for work and was due to pick up my boss to get him to work before he was to be picked up for his trip to Japan.   I remember that it was a great month as I had my family back after a trip and then my Wife yelled as CNN was on:  They hit the towers.  I could not believe it thinking that it was actually a replay of the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing.  When the second plane hit, I knew our World would never be the same.    Within a few hours as the Secretary of Transportation announced the closure of US Airspace, I told my boss that he will not be leaving for Japan.   This was as The Pentagon was hit and then Flight 93 which apparently was headed for the White House was taken over and crashed by the heroes.  I am with NBC News' Jim Miklaszewski as he noted that their heroism is to be celebrated ever more as I remember
the coverage by all the major networks on that fateful day.    I did a quick +YouTube search which
yielded some 49,000,000 hits and I went ahead and included the search results 
here for all.   

As I worked my way to the Office, the shock was evident on the face of all.   As one of the Senior Managers, I had to help calm fears as we had to be reminded that things had to go on.   Later on, Our CEO led us all outside for a solemn remembrance especially as we remembered the fallen.     Despite profound disagreements I have had with the Speaker of the US House as he reflected upon this earlier today:

September 11, 2015  |  John Boehner  |  VIEW ONLINE This is the story of where I was on 9/11. It’s not remarkable or altogether different from the stories of many Americans.  I remember what I was doing when the first plane hit.  I remember trying to go about my morning.  I remember when everything changed. My story could be much different, if not for the heroes on Flight 93.  We know they saved countless lives and quite possibly the Capitol itself. They saved us all, really.  At the lowest moment in our history, they lived up to our highest ideals. Through tremendous love and sacrifice, they did the unforgettable -- as did so many on those three sacred pieces of soil.  Now our brave men and women serve in their memory, engaged in the great task of keeping us safe and free. So our sorrow is still deep, but our faith is deeper still.  These are our stories, but this will always be their day.  Patriot Day. I have tried to do what I can to serve.    On the eve of 9/11, I had a chance to join the "Tip a Cop" initiative sponsored by @City of Aliso Viejo Police Services in support of Special Olympics.   As I also supported the work of @DailyOutsider as we celebrate our first year,   I started today with my daily "Virtual Good Turn" in the tradition of Scouting as I participate in the Johnson & Johnson Donate a Photo and later on will join the 9/11 remembrance event at Moulton Elementary School in Laguna Niguel.     As the radio stations play on, the news continues and the World is ever so dangerous, we need to learn and be ever so stronger to do all we can to make a difference.   To me, that's the ultimate lesson.

On the First Year of @DailyOutsider: Working Away....

It has been one year formally since @DailyOutsider was begun.   It has been an interesting, challenging and fun year as I have been witness to the evolution.    Today was another typical day as the team was  busy as it finished off the daily curation in the properties and the daily curation on the "Grid".  I have also been working on my own personal feeds.   It has been fun.

I have used this "corner" to share my own thoughts as I have also shared what is going on with #Outsiders.   One of my personal projects has been reflecting upon the Iran Deal.   As all know, I have been in support of the deal.  The House GOP Conference has settled on a different strategy as it shelved plans to do the "up and down" vote on the original resolution passed by the Congress.     Someone once said that it will be ironic if the Iranian Parliament votes on it and the Congress ends up not supporting.   There is also a claim by the GOP conference underscoring the fact that there is a "side deal" and that in fact the law has not been abided by.   I found it amusing as the House Democractic Leader, Nancy Pelosi, found the latest moves to be "Cuute".

There are challenges beyond the immediate right now that our team is assessing--including the plight of the refugees, the economic calamity and some of the upcoming challenges as we also work to roll a number of new initiatives in time for the dawn of the 4th Quarter.

As the great Diane Nyad always underscores:  Onward!!

I hope all enjoy this as a "Virtual Token" in celebration of the one year Anniversary:

On The "Prowl" w/these "Thought(s) 4 the Day"

As the #Outsider team was busy with its' daily curation of the network, I was given permission to borrow this from the repository the team received from +Jonathan Huie which I hope all enjoy as the journey continues ever more:

Our fatigue is often caused not by work,
but by worry, frustration and resentment.
- Dale Carnegie

It is hardly possible to build anything,
if frustration, bitterness and a mood of helplessness prevail.
- Lech Walesa

Fatigue makes cowards of us all.
- Vince Lombardi

All that is necessary to break the spell
of inertia and frustration is this:
Act as if it were impossible to fail.
- Dorthea Brande

On the Prowl w/#Outsiders On This Labor Day 2015: Notations On #TheIranDeal, The Middle East & Other Thoughts

It has been a busy morning in #Outsiders as the team facilitated the Daily Twitter Curation and as I worked on supporting the latest Notation for the Day on the US Political Scene.    There is never, ever a dull moment.

I have also been assessing the on-going debate on the #Iran Deal.    I have been on the record in my private capacity in support of this for the sake of the people of Iran fully realizing the continued challenges Iran represents.    What I saw From General Conway and General Wald issued under the auspices of the Iran Strategy Council was of profound concern to me which I have noted below for reference as part of my own personal notations on the #IranDeal.  It was also of profound concern as I saw bellicose comments from the Iranian Defense Minister as reported by MEMRI .    I also reviewed reports of the Saudi King Visit to Washington and how Saudi Arabia is continuing to flex its' muscle as our team reviewed reports of UAE, Bahrani and Saudi soldiers dying as they have continue to fight the Houthi rebels who have been driven from the South.

The vote on the #IranDeal is slated for September 17 as moves will be at hand to strengthen the sanctions regime against Iran.    It will be an interesting few weeks as I note the CNN Article & also the work that @MoveON  has done along with the analysis by  +BipartisanPolicy  and the original guidance the team +NIAC 

Iran Deal Timeline What will Iran’s nuclear program look like upon implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)? What will it look like in 10 years? How about 15 years? This timeline of the deal’s major provisions shows how the restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program change over the next two decades. Though some provisions of the final deal remain in place for 20 or 25 years, provisions in several critical areas begin to lapse in as early as eight years. By year eight, Iran will be able to manufacture and stockpile advanced centrifuges that are up to 17 times more efficient than the ones it is currently operating, and be able to buy and sell ballistic missiles. By year 10, Iran will be able to start using advanced centrifuges for enrichment, and have no limits on the number of centrifuges spinning at its Natanz enrichment facility. Within 16 years, by BPC calculations, Iran’s breakout timing (the amount of time required to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon) will be just three weeks, down from one year. View the full timeline on BPC's website.

Dear MoveOn member,

The road to change is long and hard. It takes many people, over many years, acting in many different ways to lead to real change. And there's always more work to do.

That's why we take moments to step back from the work and celebrate each other. We hope that today, Labor Day, you're able to take a moment—whether you're grilling, parading, or working—to do that.

This short video celebrates the work of so many MoveOn members and allies over the last six weeks. Our organizing has contributed to a major victory for diplomacy over war. There's still plenty of work ahead to preserve this historic diplomatic agreement with Iran and shift our country away from the militarism of the Bush years. But today, let's revel in each other and in our collective power.

Please watch and share this 114-second video—someone you know might be in it! 

   

 There's so much good stuff in this video: 

• The #SchumerMobile, which buzzed around New York City last week to hold Senator Charles Schumer accountable for opposing diplomacy—and also swung into Connecticut and New Jersey to let Senators Richard Blumenthal (CT) and Cory Booker (NJ) know what they could expect from progressives if they followed Senator Schumer down the war path. (Sen. Booker has since announced he's supporting diplomacy!)
• Thousands of people at more than 200 events around the country on the August 26 #NoWarWithIran National Day of Action, earning tremendous media coverage. 
• Town hall meetings with members of Congress—where pro-diplomacy constituents outnumbered opponents at 87% of the events we tracked. 

See for yourself: watch and share the video today—and take a moment to remember why you fight for change.

P.S. This Thursday, September 10, as Congress prepares to vote on the Iran agreement, MoveOn members and allies are holding candlelight vigils in more than 150 cities. Can you attend a Vigil for Peace and Diplomacy near you, or sign up to host one if it's not yet planned for your area? 

Iran Strategy Council Co-Chairs Gen. Conway and Gen. Wald Author Op-Ed on CNN.com Editors Note: Gen. (Ret.) James Conway is former commandant of the Marine Corps. Gen. (Ret.) Charles Wald is former deputy commander of United States European Command. They co-chair the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA)-commissioned Iran Strategy Council. The views expressed are their own. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), negotiated by the United States and other world powers with Iran, is often referred to as the "Iran nuclear deal." Supporters contend it prevents a nuclear Iran; however, even if it adheres to the agreement, Iran will become a threshold nuclear state in no more than 15 years, when the deal's major nuclear restrictions expire. The deal undercuts America's realistic ability to prevent an Iranian nuclear breakout, and has other significant negative implications for the national security of the United States and our regional allies. The new Iran Strategy Council of retired senior U.S. military leaders, which we co-chair, was commissioned by the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs to provide objective analysis of the deal's potentially grave strategic implications and what that could mean for U.S. policy. And what we see is troubling. Iran's adversarial intentions and activities are well known. As President Barack Obama said last month: "We have no illusions about the Iranian government or the significance of the Revolutionary Guard and the Quds Force. Iran supports terrorist organizations like Hezbollah. It supports proxy groups that threaten our interests and the interests of our allies -- including proxy groups who killed our troops in Iraq. They try to destabilize our Gulf partners." However, the JCPOA will actually compound these threats. The deal will provide Tehran access to resources, technology, and international arms markets required to bolster its offensive military capabilities and support for proxy groups like Hezbollah. And even if only a fraction of the roughly $100 billion in overseas assets to be unfrozen as part of the agreement -- more than the government's entire budget for the current fiscal year -- is devoted to military spending, Iran will be able to begin revitalizing its defense industrial base. Plus, it is also set to acquire advanced S-300 air defenses from Russia at the end of this year. Over the medium term, the removal of economic sanctions and the U.N. arms embargo will allow the regime to acquire other advanced technologies and weapons from abroad. And, once sanctions against its ballistic missile program sunset, Iran could more easily develop weapons capable of reaching targets within the Middle East and beyond -- including Europe and the United States. It is also not just about conventional military spending. The JCPOA also will provide Iran with greater resources to funnel to Shiite militias and similar groups across the region. The infusion of new revenues in the coming years will create opportunities to significantly expand involvement throughout the Middle East (and possibly farther abroad). By giving Iran the means to extend its influence and expand its involvement in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen and elsewhere, the agreement directly threatens to undermine the national security of the United States and our closest regional allies. Already, Saudi Arabian officials, despite accepting the deal, have explicitly threatened to pursue their own nuclear arsenals in response to Iran attaining nuclear weapons, while others have at least suggested they might. We have served in the region, and we take those remarks very seriously. The president has made clear that the JCPOA does not preclude the need for robust military capabilities: "[I]f 15 or 20 years from now, Iran tries to build a bomb, this deal ensures that the United States will have...the same options available to stop a weapons program as we have today, including -- if necessary -- military options." And yet, even as the agreement boosts Iran's ability to meddle in the region and strains longstanding alliances, sequestration is already diminishing the U.S. military's ability to project power in the Middle East. The U.S. military will still rise to face any future challenge, but it will do so with less manpower, fewer capabilities, more antiquated platforms, and a lower level of readiness than it has now or has had in a very long time For all these reasons, the United States is in far better position to prevent  a nuclear Iran today, even by military means if necessary, than when the JCPOA sunsets. Protecting our national interests and our allies will require putting in place a strategy to begin mitigating the deal's downsides now. Click here to read on CNN.com

Personal Thoughts On this Labor Day Weekend:

On this Labor Day weekend in the United States, it was time yet again to take stock of all one is every so hopeful for.    As the team @ #outsiders worked on some weekend curations (since the work to "Transition" never ends) they were gracious enough to allow me to use this from +Jonathan Huie that they regularly use to underscore all that one has to be hopeful for.  For me, the admonition By Goethe is the wish I have for all as we embark upon a new day and continued on-going development of #outsiders:

There are nine requisites for contented living:

HEALTH enough to make work a pleasure;

WEALTH enough to support your needs;

STRENGTH enough to battle with difficulties and forsake them;

GRACE enough to confess your sins and overcome them;

PATIENCE enough to toil until some good is accomplished;

CHARITY enough to see some good in your neighbor;

LOVE enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others;

FAITH enough to make real the things of God;

HOPE enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future.

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

On The Eve of Labor Day weekend: On Our World & Renewal (Thoughts)

It has been another "whirlwind" of a week throughout #Outsider properites as I worked to facilitate and support releases before the decision was made to "go dark" for the labor day weekend.

It has also been a bit of a distressing week around the World.   The team finsihed its' latest notations on the plight of refugees.   This is as I just reviewed reports from the United Arab Emirates that 22 of its' soldiers were killed fighting the Houthi rebels in Yemen.     The team has also been continuing its' assessment of the US Election scene with the rise of Trump, the moves by the GOP and the Democrats.   The interview by NBC's Andrea Mitchell with Hillary Rodham Clinton was telling in terms of some of the potential reset for her campaign.

There are also "transitions" in the works for #outsiders which I hope to reflect upon over the ensuing days and weeks.   It was quite timely as the team received this from +Jonathan Huie which the team reviews daily and granted me the opportunity to share this as I finish off my thoughts to underscore the sprit at #outsiders as I wish all a fantastic labor day 2015 weekend: 

On the #Iran Deal: The "Day After" & the Continued Challenge.....

The Obama Administration has secured enough votes to ensure that the deal with Iran will survive a Congressional No Vote.   4 more US Senators are needed to ensure that it does not even reach President Obama's desk.   

However, the struggle for change in Iran continues.   Professor Dabashi of Columbia University eloquently spoke for many when he reminded the World of the work ahead:  

The evident victory of President Obama in securing enough support to secure a congressional passage of his Iran nuclear...
Posted by Hamid Dabashi on Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Working Away For the Day......

It has been a busy morning around #outsiders.   It has been a pleasure as the team has been busy with the daily twitter updates and finished off the latest "updates" throughout the #outsider properties--including the latest on the #IranDeal.

I went out to   Huntington Beach yesterday and had the pleasure to meet with Congressman Rohrabacher.  He was gracious enough to spend almost 40 minutes with me on the Iran Deal.     We reflected upon the horrors of the Middle East today and he was gracious enough to share his reflections of his visit to Palmyra as the World is witness to the continued carnage of the Daesh Gang (referred to as IS/ISIL In the West)  in Syria and Iraq.          

Although he is opposed to the deal, I was ever so gratified as he underscored how an attack with Iran will be a profound mistake.      As a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, his voice matters and I was gratified to hear it.

I was awe struck as I left his office with this image of Ronald Reagan which I wanted to share here: 

It is also a strength of America that Ronald Reagan reminded the World of:

Working Away On this First Day of September....

It is September 1. 

It has been a rather distressing morning as I worked on supporting the daily curation of Outsiders on this first day and start thinking about the roadmap ahead as Q4 and the formal one year anniversary is upon us.     As the morning editorial run was done, I ran across this which stuck with me ever more which reminded me of the great Diane Nyad's admonition: Onward!!

As August 2015 is History: Brief Thoughts......

It has been an interesting and busy morning and a busy month for Outsiders as our team has been busy w/the "Daily Roundup" over The Social Grid.    One key thing I have tried to do has been to support a worthwhile cause sponsored by Johnson & Johnson.   Their "Donate a Photo" initiative has embraced a number of key charities and I have been so honored to have done my small part to do my "Good Turn Daily" in the best tradition of Scouting.    I had the pleasure to share the latest earlier today also noted on my Personal Twitter Feed:

Not forgetting my good turn on this new week and wishing all a fab week. Thank u #jnj #donateaphoto… https://t.co/jw6039iRcl

— Mike Pouraryan (@mikepouraryan) August 31, 2015

For every picture donated, $ 1 is donated to the supported charities.  Over the last 3 months, I have contributed over 100 images and I am ever so grateful for it.

The team is working "fast and furious" gearing up for September here in #Outsiders and I look forward to supporting the on-going development work. 

On this weekend working away in #outsiders: Personal Reflections.

It has been another interesting weekend throughout the #outsider properties.   As the team continued its' ongoing research and development work, there were cries of frustration at the continued misery around our World.

As the work continued, there were also moments of pride.    One of the more interesting developments has been the continued protests in Malaysia.    Malaysia is important as it is part of an emerging project for us here to focus on a group of countries we have deemed "NASIIM"--which in Persian means breeze.   The people of Malaysia have risen against the Prime Minister that has been accused of graft on a massive scale.    There is also the protests in Lebanon as spearheaded by the #YouStink Movement that has galvanized people on the entire political spectrum as the paralysis in Government continues in the shadow of the looming threat in Syria.   This is as our team has been spearheading an assessment of the BRICS--and a contention that BRICS are dying a slow death with the continued challenges in each of the countries.

I also was quite taken aback by the US Political Scene this week.    Our team has been "virtually breathless" as the GOP continues to present an interesting challenge as the "Trump phenomeon" endures--and as HIllary Rodham Clinton continues to be challenged by the rise of Bernie Sanders.    Beyond the political scene (which our team continues to assess), I was distressed by the reports of police officers being gunned down and the distressing and tragic death of the young reporters.     It was quite a tribute to the tenancity of the +Sandy Hook Promise folks that they have endured as they have as I saw this from them:

Before my beautiful butterfly Dylan was taken, I was just like any mom standing behind you in line at the grocery store or next to you on the soccer field cheering on our tiny all-stars.

In the after, I'm a different mom. I'm a mom shopping for back-to-school supplies, still tossing two of everything – pencil cases, glue sticks – into my cart before I remember and put one back. Jake is growing older – now he needs a scientific calculator, a dictionary – but Dylan is frozen in time forever, along with part of me.

The rest of me thaws enough each day to recommit to my promise to both Dylan and Jake: to work for change until there's not another Newtown, Aurora, Charleston or Lafayette. Through Sandy Hook Promise's lifesaving programs, we are making that change happen.

While it still feels awkward to ask supporters like you for money, expanding our programs takes resources. And as millions of children head back to school, it's more critical than ever that we unlock our generous donors' match challenge. We're still $18,802 away from doubling every donation, and we only have until September 1. Please, help protect more children with a gift today.

Click here to contribute $10 or more to Sandy Hook Promise now. Help us reach our $60,000 goal so we can double every gift and protect more children heading back to school.

In the past two-and-a-half years, I've learned we cannot wait for lawmakers to do what we parents do so instinctively: protect our children. We put them in child safety seats. We inoculate them against diseases. We protect them from secondhand smoke.

Here's the good news: There's plenty that we as parents and community leaders can do right where we live to prevent gun violence and save precious lives. Sandy Hook Promise's research-based programs help identify at-risk behaviors, assess and respond to threats, combat social isolation, and empower children and teens to keep one another safe. Our ambitious expansion plan will provide our toolkits to even more schools and youth-serving groups – but only with your support.

Mike, with school buses fueling up and teachers prepping classrooms as we speak, we can't waste a moment. Unlocking this match will mean we can expand our lifesaving programs and spare more parents the incurable anguish of losing a child. Please, will you help with a gift today?

Click here to make your 100% tax-deductible gift of $10 or more to Sandy Hook Promise now. Please, don't miss this chance to double your impact and save countless lives.

Yes, today I am a different mom. But you don't have to be a different parent, grandparent, sibling or friend. No one has to be. Every gun death is preventable – and by supporting Sandy Hook Promise, you are, like me, going forward to make a difference.

I'm so grateful to have you working alongside us to protect all our children and stop the tragic loss of life. Thank you.

With love,

Nicole Hockley (Dylan's mom)

In my private capacity, I have decided to contribute to them.    What happened to them can happen to any of our children.      The team has decided to take on the "Guns" issue in America as a Project. 


It was also a dark weekend for Journalism.     The retrial of the 3 @Al Jazeera Journalists concluded with all three convicted and sentenced to 3 years.    Our team joined the twitter chat (#FreeAJStaff)  yesterday in calling for the convictions to be overturned.   It was of special interest as I saw reports that Mohammad Fahmy has filed a lawsuit against +Al Jazeera English  in Canada for $ 100 Million.   This is also as Jason Rezayian of the Washington Post continues to languish in an Iranian Prison along with Amir Hekmaty and 2 others.    

The plight of the refugees flooding into Europe is also one of the tragedies of our time.   Al Jazeera reported yesterday on the story of two young Syrian Kids who had somehow managed to get Hugarian Residency Papers--but decided to try their luck by somehow figuring out a way to get to Germany.    This is as a I just the latest atrocity out of Syria as the Daesh Gang (also referred to as IS in the West) blew up another temple in Palmyra.    If this does not force folks to wake up, I am not what will:

The difference between a migrant and refugee, in one sentence http://t.co/TtutbMdXvk pic.twitter.com/sYppZ9YVrz

— The Independent (@Independent) August 30, 2015

Thoughts On the #IranDeal & the #Vote4Peace quest

Today was "Community Action Friday" for me.    As part of this, I put together a number of email outreach efforts to three local members of the US House who have declared their oppostion to the Iran Deal.  Here is an excerpt of the email which I sent off to Congressman Lieu's Office earlier today:

I wanted to take this opportunity to reach out to share some thoughts on the Iran with your office.    It has been a whirlwind of a week as the deliberations over the Iran Deal continues on such a "fast and furious" pace.

I was glad to see the Congressman having spent a week in Israel under the auspices of AIPAC.   I have profound concerns, though, in that the view represented by AIPAC is an unfortuante and distorted view of the realities in the Middle East today.   This is underscored by how The current Israeli Prmie Minister has said for over 20 years that Iran is about to have a bomb..and he was an ardent advocate of the Iraq war lending credence to the neo-con position.   The legacy of such advocacy is ever so evident today.

I understand that your office has met with members of our organization: NIAC Action.  This is part of an on-going effort nationwide to advocate for peace.    This is also personal.    I was awestruck was when I saw the story on the Guardian (which I sent forth and also available here by clicking on this link ) on   leading Iranians  earlier this week who came out in support of the deal.  For me personally, it was quite moving when I saw Nasrin Soutodeh who spent three years in prison for simply being a lawyer and many of us did what we could to lend our voice to her plight.   It was heart wrenching to read the her  husband daily notations on Facebook .  It was also quite a feat for me to see the banned Director, Jafar Panahi (and many others) who came out in support of this deal too.   As a side note, his latest film (all taken in a Taxi in Tehran in a hidden camera) won the Berlin Award.    Here is a story on it from the BBC back in February of this year.  

Beyond these, it was also quite amazing as I saw Kohyar Goudarzhi (whose case I have also followed since the advent of the Green Movement) come out in support of the deal as reported in the conservative J-Post earlier this week:

http://m.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran/Ex-Iranian-prisoner-to-Jpost-413427#article=6017RkFCNDlFRjQ4NTFEMzg0QjM5OEUzQTNGOTdFQjNEMjE=

It was also interesting on the reporting this morning on two more folks who came out in support of the deal:

• Pat Buchanan Supporting the Deal: http://m.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran/Pat-Buchanan-comes-out-strongly-in-favor-of-Iran-nuclear-deal-413110#article=10373NzQxQjcyREZCQzYyM0Q2Qzg3NUU4QThFNkI5MjdFRTQ=
• Barney Frank comes out in Support of the deal: http://forward.com/news/breaking-news/319860/11-jewish-ex-lawmakers-back-iran-deal/

I personally found it quite surprising that Pat Buchanan came out in support of the deal--although I am not sure if he's welcome in the Republican Party of Today as epitomized by the rise of Mr. Trump

It was also of note as a Coalition of 25 Faith Based Organizations sponsored a conference call in which Marie Hart of the State Department was the featured speaker.  Some 600 People joined the call Thursday night.

NIAC Action put together this clip on the continued grass roots effort by Iranian-Americans Throughout the United States on this as the 30th US Senator, Tom Carper, came out in support of the #IranDeal:

Working Away.....

It has been a whirlwind of a day here in #Outsiders.    I caught a brief media availability with Donald Trump after a speech he gave in South Carolina as he continued his standard talking points on Iran and mocked the New York Times.   This is as he continues his battle with Fox and Univision's Jorge Ramos.

As I assessed how Jorge Ramos was handled, the reaction in conservative media such as  Fox News was remarkable.  The called Ramos an "Activist" and not a journalist.    What was even more disturbing was how a supporter of Trump told Jorge Ramos to leave America.    This is as the current GOP contingent seems to be in line with Trump.   Megyn Kelly asked Ted Cruz a simple question:  Would he deport a 12-year child born in the United States?   Cruz's response:  I won't play the game of the mainstream liberal media (and I am paraphrasing--for the record).   It seems to me that he has no vision of governing--only his perception of what conservatism is.    In the World of "Cruz", no one else counts unless you sign on to his brand of "conservatism".  

As I was reflecting upon this,  what was clear to me is that folks don't seem to realize the sway that Jorge Ramos has.     It was even  especially hilarious to hear it from Sean Hannity who may consider himself a journalist--but he has epitomized the meaning of activism with how he has conducted himself on the air with direct support from Fox News.  

It was also heartbreaking as the World was witness to two young journalists shot to death.  I sent out a note of condolence to Alison Parker's fiancee earlier today.     On the same day a Louisana Policy Officer was shot to death while responding to a domestic disturbance.    Although expressions of sympathy are welcome, there needs to be more.     The team will be on the prowl on this.   There are too many such stories--many of them that goes unreported.

On the Prowl w/a "View of the Week"

As I was tending to support @Daily Outsider  today, I ran across this from a friend which I wanted to share in my "Corner" as this "View of the Week":

This beautiful story has a simple, yet important message.  Sometimes it is the simplest of stories that make us  ponder the most….