Tuesday, May 17, 2016

On the Prowl w/Brief Thoughts 4 the Week.....



 It is a day of retrospection of sorts personally and for the #outsiders team.   This was as one of our long-term friends suffered a profound tragedy this week  .       The team @ #released a "thought 4 the week" they picked up from my Facebook Feed.    I also  picked this up while On the "Grid" which underscores a simple art of the possible as I wish all a fabulous rest of the Week: 



Sunday, May 15, 2016

On A Very Interesting Week.....

I don't mind noting how "Virtually Breathless" I've been as I have been assessing our World and continuing to assess the on-going roadmap for #Outsiders.    As the Obama Adminstration is coming to an end, it has been quite a journey to say the least.    

One extra ordinary event that happened this week was a win by the US House on a lawsuit they filed against the President regarding Obamacare which Professor Turley reflected upon in his blog after the victory:   

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WINS HISTORIC RULING IN CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE UNDER THE ACA

by jonathanturley
800px-Capitol_Building_Full_ViewThis afternoon, Judge Rosemary Collyer issued a final ruling in United States House of Representatives v. Burwell, the challenge to unilateral actions taken by the Administration under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Judge Collyer ruled in favor of the House of Representatives and found that the Administration violated the Constitution in committing billions of dollars from the United States Treasury without the approval of Congress. The historic ruling reaffirms the foundational “power of the purse” that was given to the legislative branch by the Framers.
Read more of this post

It was also interesting how the office of the House Speaker also celebrated the ruling as the Speaker ws also trying to make "nice" with Donald Trump:

A big win for our Constitution

May 12, 2016 | http://spkrryan.us/1WtmIiM

A big win for the Constitution

Today, we had a big win in our fight to restore the separation of powers under our Constitution. I wanted to tell you a bit about it.
A federal court sided with the House in ruling that the administration unlawfully funded parts of Obamacare without a congressional approval.
Time and again, this White House has gone too far. So we took up this fight to defend Article I of the Constitution. The fact is this: Presidents don’t write laws. Congress does.
We The People cannot accept an executive branch that acts outside the consent of the governed.
Now our fight continues. Click here to learn more about this critical legal action.
Sincerely,
Signature

 What is critical to observe is that this battle is not over by any stretch of the imagination--with the faith of millions on Obamacare hanging in the balance.  

The environment was also of concern that the team released a notation on it and the Secretary of State spoke to it:  



Kerry warns: 'Entire countries swallowed by the sea'

Kerry warns: 'Entire countries swallowed by the sea'

Secretary of State John Kerry warned Wednesday that climate change is "the greatest threat that our planet has faced in modern history, in all of our history." Speaking at the University of Oxford in the UK, he said, "If you think current conflicts are all-consuming, imagine what happens when we add food shortages, water shortages, stronger storms, longer droughts, steady rises in sea levels, which are already being predicted, and entire countries swallowed by the sea."
  


The Washington Examiner inserted its' own "take" on John Kerry's Speech which I found quite amusing.    What I was not amused by is when I saw the reporting out of Afghanistan as one of the key roads was taken over by the Taliban.   I found it further chilling as the Stretch of the so-called "Ring Road" between Kabul and Kandahar was known as Highway 1--Vietnam came to mind!!

Beyond politics and the Environment, there were two areas of concern that was notable.   One had to do with what Facebook is doing with determining what is "Trending" or "Not Trending" as it continues ot evolve into the true "World Town Square". Facebook's founder rejected the accusations--but the question of Facebook's dominance continues to be of concern.    What I found interesting in my periodic forays is how I am not seeing some of the so-called "New Media" Players like Vox in my Personal Feeds.   Vox, for instance, launched an exclusive Facebook-centric channel within the past few weeks.      This is also as I have been assessing the State of the BBC as it continues onward with the White Paper that was uneviled by the British Culture Secretary--I am at a loss to explain how they could consider tinkering with a distinct British Institution that we here @ #Outsiders have featured periodically in our on-going development.     

I have been assessing the on-going state of the Tech Space this week as well--as I saw Symanteic, Autodesk and a number of other leading players initiate layoff proceedings.  The anemic nature of earnings season (with the exception of Amazon) is a potential harbinger of challenging times before us especially as Europe continues to muddle through.    I was quite amused when I saw this comment on the plight of Francois Hollande as he continue to languish in the polls, "....Mr. Hollande's smile is all that's left ..."    What Emmanuel Marcon, the Economy Minister, is doing is also quite interesting as a third force in French politics since there is somewhat of a view that there is no left in France.  Some may even contend that there is no Real Right in the United States.

Despite a challenging week, I thought to end these thoughts with this "oldie" but "goodie" as I am reminded of Saint Junipero Serra's admonition: Sempre Adelante (Always Forward);


Onward to the new week w/all its' possiblities


Thursday, May 12, 2016

On the Eve of the W-End: Quite a Challenging Week....

It has been an interesting week in our World.   The World has been as challenging as ever as Islands have disappeared due to rising oceans, Iraq continues to bleed, Brazil lost a President and Irans new Parliament conveyed.   This is also as one of the most pivotal countries in Africa, The Democratic Republic of Congo, is becoming increasingly unstable in addition to another pivotal country, Turkey.   

It was not easy to be optimistic.    As the team at #Outsiders decided to release the first edition of the Friday Musical Interlude in the Beta Site,     I ran across these two thoughts as I was on the "Grid" and they are as eloquent as they come about wanting to be aware, to make a difference and never give up for anything!!!

Wishing all a fab Friday and a fab W-End!!!