Kitten Politics

A "Brief" Farewell Note....

I wanted to advise all that I will no longer serve as principal here at Smooth Political. I have informed the Orble Team that I would continue to stay focused on developing "outsider views" which I hope folks will join me to continue the on-going discourse on the World today. Please visit http://www.outsiderviews.com.

I leave you all with this "thought" and appreciate the support shown:

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July 30th 2012 @ 09:06

Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics

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"Outsiders" Newsflash (7/20/2012): Tragedy in Colorado

Around midnight on Friday, July 20, A 24-Year Old man walked into a Movie Theater and started shooting people who were starting to watch the latest rendition of Batman in Aurora Colorado He has had four guns (including shot guns and apparently an assault weapon). The reports I have just reviewed note that 38 people have been injured and 12 people have died.

The whole political establishment is speaking out against this tragedy. As I write this, MSNBC is featuring twitter feeds from people all across the political spectrum expressing their sorrow and outrage at this incident. It was as if it was yesterday that all of America came together as the senseless tragedy of Gabby Giffords. Both the President and Governor Romney spoke about remembering the fallen and how America should come together during such a trying time. The President's remarks are noted below:

[I]THE PRESIDENT: Well, let me, first of all, say how grateful I am for all of you being here, and how much we appreciate everything that you've done. I know that there are a lot of people here who have been so engaged in the campaign, have sacrificed so much, people who've been involved back since 2007. (Applause.) And so I want all of you to know how appreciative I am.

And I know many of you came here today for a campaign event. I was looking forward to having a fun conversation with you about some really important matters that we face as a country and the differences between myself and my opponent in this election. But this morning, we woke up to news of a tragedy that reminds us of all the ways that we are united as one American family.

By now, many of you know, many of you have heard that a few miles outside of Denver in a town call Aurora, at least 12 people were killed when a gunman opened fire in a movie theater, and dozens more are being treated for injuries at a local hospital. Some of the victims are being treated at a children’s hospital.

We’re still gathering all the facts about what happened in Aurora, but what we do know is that the police have one suspect in custody. And the federal government stands ready to do whatever is necessary to bring whoever is responsible for this heinous crime to justice. (Applause.) And we will take every step possible to ensure the safety of all of our people.

We're going to stand by our neighbors in Colorado during this extraordinarily difficult time. And I had a chance to speak with the Mayor of Aurora as well as the Governor of Colorado to express, not just on behalf of Michelle and myself, but the entire American family, how heartbroken we are.

Now, even as we learn how this happened and who's responsible, we may never understand what leads anybody to terrorize their fellow human beings like this. Such violence, such evil is senseless. It's beyond reason. But while we will never know fully what causes somebody to take the life of another, we do know what makes life worth living. The people we lost in Aurora loved and they were loved. They were mothers and fathers; they were husbands and wives; sisters and brothers; sons and daughters, friends and neighbors. They had hopes for the future and they had dreams that were not yet fulfilled.

And if there’s anything to take away from this tragedy it’s the reminder that life is very fragile. Our time here is limited and it is precious. And what matters at the end of the day is not the small things, it’s not the trivial things, which so often consume us and our daily lives. Ultimately, it’s how we choose to treat one another and how we love one another. (Applause.)

It’s what we do on a daily basis to give our lives meaning and to give our lives purpose. That’s what matters. At the end of the day, what we’ll remember will be those we loved and what we did for others. That’s why we’re here.

I’m sure that many of you who are parents here had the same reaction that I did when I heard this news. My daughters go to the movies. What if Malia and Sasha had been at the theater, as so many of our kids do every day? Michelle and I will be fortunate enough to hug our girls a little tighter tonight, and I’m sure you will do the same with your children. But for those parents who may not be so lucky, we have to embrace them and let them know we will be there for them as a nation.

So, again, I am so grateful that all of you are here. I am so moved by your support. But there are going to be other days for politics. This, I think, is a day for prayer and reflection.

So what I’d ask everybody to do, I’d like us to pause in a moment of silence for the victims of this terrible tragedy, for the people who knew them and loved them, for those who are still struggling to recover, and for all the victims of less publicized acts of violence that plague our communities every single day. So if everybody can just take a moment.

(Moment of silence.)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. I hope all of you will keep the people of Aurora in your hearts and minds today. May the Lord bring them comfort and healing in hard days to come.

I am grateful to all of you, and I hope that as a consequence of today’s events, as you leave here, you spend a little time thinking about the incredible blessings that God has given us.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you, Obama! (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims and their families as America comes to grips with this tragic event.

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July 20th 2012 @ 17:10

Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics, law, war

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Remembering, Reflecting & Contemplating

The journey here in "outsiders" began four years ago with a simple idea to begin thinking about our World and assessing a potential "different" way to look at the World. It has continued to grow and evolve. I am ever more grateful for all the regular readers and visitors. Hopefully the write-ups have worked to make a difference.

I will be taking a 30-Day Sabbatical to assess "Outsiders" and lay out the next phase. I leave all with this "image" that reflects upon all that we've talked about here in KP:

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June 13th 2012 @ 15:28

Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics, news, women, law, war

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"Outsiders" Technology Watch (5/30/2012): Samsung Is On the Move

Samsung, right now, seems to be eating Apple For Lunch!!!

The Galaxy5 has been released and seems to be out selling Apple. The Android-based device seems to be the phone to own. I have tested out the device and am very impressed with the product and its' versatility. This is as iphone 5.x is slated to come out any day now

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May 30th 2012 @ 06:38

Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: news

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"Outsiders" Technology Watch (5/27/2012): Helping Vets

This week-end is Memorial Day Week-End in the United States. All over the United States, people are remembering those who served in the Armed Forces. This is as the United States will continue to deal with returning Veterans as they can back into Society after years of War.

One such company who has taken the lead on this matter is Pragmatic Works in Florida. As reported in Internet Evolution, "...it offers a program of free training to veterans and underemployed candidates who show tech aptitude..." I salute them for what they have done. When I visited the Internet Evolution Forum, I wondered why we are not privy to more such initiatives and efforts. The free training is offered by the Foundation Arm of the Company, Pragmatic Works Foundation

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May 27th 2012 @ 20:57

Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: news

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"Outsiders" Technology Watch (5/23/2012): An Update On Facebook's D-Day and the aftermath

Facebook's hype seems to have fizzled out. As I write this, the stock is hovering around $ 32 a share.

Many questions have arisen about how the IPO was managed and who knew what and when. The self-regulator for the securities industry has apparently launched an investigation and States have also begun to circle the wagons. Morgan Stanley, the lead underwriter, has been received inquires from regulators as a result of it. In addition, Facebook has also been hit with a class action lawsuit on its' revenue projections

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May 23rd 2012 @ 16:56

Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics, news, law, war

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"Outsiders" Technology Watch (5/17/2012): Facebook's D-Day

The Facebook D-Day has arrived

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May 17th 2012 @ 05:48

Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics, news

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"Outsiders" Tech Watch (4/10/2012): Facebook On the Prowl!!!

I nearly fell off my chair in shock when I saw the price Facebook paid to by Instagram: 1 Billion Dollars!!!

This is a company that is only 13 employees and just the Social Scene with a storm. I am not sure, frankly, what the rationale was. I guess the trigger was when it raised $ 50 Million in Venture Money and that prompted the move. I couldn't help but wonder why Google didn't buy them probably because of Picassa. The problem is that we've been here before. People have short memories

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April 10th 2012 @ 08:14

Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics, law

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"Outsiders" Media Watch (4/2/2012): On the Alternative Media In America

As the second quarter begins here in Outsiders, I wanted to begin with a "restart" of the Media Watch here and now.

As I always assess the media, I can't help but be frustruated at times. Many attack the media by terming it "Mainstream". I find the criticism coming out of Fox especially hillarious as it bills itself as the alternative to the so-called Mainstream Media. But, the mainstream media (and especially MSNBC) has done itself too little a favor for its' coverage of the Treyvon Martin affair

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April 2nd 2012 @ 19:22

Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics, news, women, law, war

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"Outsiders" Media Watch (3/2/2012): What a Month

It has been quite a year on the Media Front. I begin by remembering Andrew Briebart. He helped begin the Huffington Post and went on to create a persona for himself as a Conservative Advocate. Just like all of us, he made mistakes. But, I think he was a visionary and was courageous in what he believed in. His death at the age of 43 reminds us all of how fragile life is and how we should savour every moment. In the heat and passion of the moment, we seem to forget it. I pray for his soul and and hope that his family finds comfort as they deal with this loss.

I have also been assessing the continued challenges faced by News Corps British Arm, News International. I was particuarly struck by the testimony of Sue Akers, the Senior London Met Police Officer noting how the culture of corruption was how business was done. It now has apparently engulfed the Sun. Rupert Murdoch just launched Sun on Sunday that sold over 3 Million copies on its' first release. I saw the retweet from the Guardian on it from Rupert Murdoch. The issue is whether Murdoch will escape the wrath of the US Justice Department for potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. It is one of those stories truly worth watching

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March 2nd 2012 @ 06:55

Posted By: Mike Pouraryan - Category: politics, news, women, law, war

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July 2012

2 Posts

June 2012

1 Posts

May 2012

4 Posts