POLICE LIFE: Death of the New York Police Officers

I was a police officer for four years where I worked as a patrolman. Later, I would serve as a United Nations Peace Keeper.  In that capacity, I served as a civilian police officer in Haiti. I trained Haitian police officers out in the field. It was similar to the work I performed in the U.S.

A while back, I met a U.S. Marine Veteran. Upon leaving the armed forces, he joined the D.E.A. We struck up a conversation while we were standing and waiting at a Sears register. He was there with his wife and he told me that he was now retired from the U.S. Marines and the Department of Drug Enforcement (D.E.A.). I told him that I had once been a police officer. We joked about the job and some of the daily turmoils. He said something that has always stuck with me. He said, "The thing with law enforcement is that; It's 90% boring, filled with paperwork and 10% sheer terror." He said, "The 10% is what causes the stress, the danger and quite possibly your life." I told him that I agreed with everything he said. I thanked him for the service to our country. We shook hands and parted company.

The police officers recently killed in New York because a mentally ill person was out for vengeance reminds me of that conversation with the veteran. The man wanted vengeance for Ferguson, among other things. Those two officers were like any other officers at work. They wanted to make it home that day, like every other day. But sometimes, the 10% sheer terror finds you as a police officer and becomes your end. Try to imagine what was going on in their minds as the man fired into their vehicle. It is not an end that anyone should have claim their lives.

As a society, there is a small percent of the population that is bad to the bone. The same comparison could be made of law enforcement. There is a small percent in law enforcement that is corrupt and lawless. One has to remember that the overwhelming numbers of people in our society are good and try to do the right thing whenever possible. The same could be and should be said of law enforcement. The fact of the matter is; if they were all bad, we'd all be in dire circumstances or in jail. It is my opinion that two good men died in the line of duty in New York. I don't know them but that is the feeling that I get from first impressions. If I'm wrong, being shot to death is not the way to deal with it. It should be handled through the justice system, even if the outcome is undesirable sometimes. The only thing that I hope for is that there are no "copy cats" to what happened in New York.

Big Oil's Panic Mode

The price of oil is down significantly. The reason is obvious enough. The supply outweighs the demand. With the U.S., Canada and others generating oil output, it is no wonder that the price of oil is down. But when this has happened in the past, the powers that be (Big Oil, OPEC) have simply reduced supply and artificially forced the price of oil to go up.

Now, here is the problem for Big Oil. With the price of oil so high which also translate into high gasoline cost, it makes sense to look for alternatives. The electric car is coming and there is no doubt to that. The use of electric powered engines is inevitable. And, it won't be for just vehicles. Big Oil knows this or at least can see the writing on the wall.

In an effort to slow this down and/or bring it to a halt, Big Oil has decided to let the price of oil remain at all time lows. It's been said that OPEC would be o.k. with $50- $60 dollar barrel of oil. Remember, the price use to be over $100 dollars. By making oil cheap and there by it's byproducts (gas), Big Oil is extending the life of it's product. It is attempting to make us more dependent as before on it's product. The question is will it work. With the majority of vehicles throughout the globe powered by gas, It will probably work. The infrastructure for electric vehicles is not here yet and if Big Oil has it's way, it won't be feasible. When the Model-T was first made, there were electric vehicles then also. One could say, Big Oil won the fight over what form of energy would be used to run vehicles then. The same situation exist today and Big Oil is employing the same tactics as then to win this 21st century fight. The question is will they win or will electric power be the winner this time around. Who knows, it may end up being a tie and both forms of energy co-exist. We'll have to wait and see.

An Excerpt from "Malcolm" a Novel

Malcolm is an interesting fellow. He is a hunter who is single minded when it comes to his prey. In this introductory first book, we learn about him and his talents. We learn about his childhood and his mentor. Malcolm is not a serial killer. He does have some of the tendencies of one but he is not. In telling the story, we pit him against the most despicable of persons as we could find. There will be no love lost for them and their fate. The story is fast pace and reads like a movie script. Below you will find and excerpt from the book. Have a look and hope you enjoy it. Thank you.

PRELUDE

 

I am what I am.  I have no qualms about that.  I have been aware of my true nature since childhood.  I am aware of my urges and to what those urges could lead.  But, I see no reason why I should prey on the weak, the old and the helpless.  I have read about my kind.  I have some insight into their behavior.  They seek out a certain segment of our society.  They seem to be guided by an unseen hand.  The answer to this is as clear as it is hidden.  And even though I was brought up Catholic, I am not a religious man.  But those who are religious would say; they are doing the bidding of their master. There is some truth to that.  However, that is not the case with me.  I fear God and not much else.  I seek to fulfill my own personal self-gratifications and to cultivate my own insatiable urges.  My name is Malcolm, Malcolm Forbes.  If you are weak, helpless and un-challenging, you have nothing to fear from me.  If you believe yourself to be strong, untouchable and a master of the universe, you and I will be having a conversation.  Again, my name is Malcolm and soon, it will be time to “PLAY.”

Tax me: Taxes and IRA's

What if the U.S. Government implemented a federal sales tax on all online purchases amounting to 1-3 % of the item being purchased? What if they then took that revenue and set up Individual Retirement Accounts for citizens of the U.S. (and possibly residents)? We would still have Social Security Benefits. This new revenue would be another income stream for the retired.

The finer points to this is that many of us shop online.  The more money you have the more money you spend online. This would serve as a tax that takes into account wealth distribution in the reverse. The payments of interest on the IRA (Let's call it Federal IRA'S) would be the same for everyone. The amount would fluctuate base on how much sales tax is collected. It has been stated that for the holiday season of 2014, 89 billion dollars will be generated. The amount of tax revenue will only go up as online shopping increases.

Collection of the funds can be accomplished by expanding the duties of the IRS. Collection could also be done through credit card companies. They are the point of sale after all to some degree for this purpose. Distribution can be accomplished by expanding the functions of the Social Security Administration. The collected revenue could be managed in similar fashion to the way money is managed through index mutual funds. Questions on the age retirement and what it should be would need to be answered. We are all living longer.

So, would you be willing to pay a federal sales tax on your online purchase if it benefited you in this manner?

The Salvation Army & Novels

Did you know that a good place to buy books is the Salvation Army (www.salvationarmyusa.org). At most stores there is a section for books. And while it is true, the books can be older and out of print, it is a good place to find some of the best author's to date. If you don't mind reading books that are set before the age of the cellular phone or the internet as we know it, the finds at the Salvation Army are tremendous.  I have bought Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Robert Ludlum, James Patterson, David Baldacci and many others.                                                                                                                        I have sometimes found less known authors with what I considered to be fine work.  That is to say, I enjoyed their book and even went as far as seeking other books by them. One such author was Christopher Reich. I bought his first novel, "Numbered Account" and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I then went in search of his other offerings. I did not find them at the Salvation Army, Instead, I believe it was at Target's book section.  The books were, "The First Billion" and "The Runner." Interestingly enough, what draws me to the books at the Salvation Army are the book covers and the titles. I then read the blurb to make up my mind on whether to spend the time on the book. The prices for the books usually run from one dollar to three dollars. It depends on whether it is paperback or hardcover. I found out about this from a fellow reader I met at Barnes and Nobles.  He saw me
looking at what the store had to offer and struck up a conversation.  That is when he told me of the books at the Salvation Army. Well, I thought, I would share that tidbit with you. Hope it broadens your horizon. Take care.

Ebooklaunch

In writing "Malcolm," I used Ebooklaunch (www.ebooklaunch.com).  They are responsible for my cover page and my formatting.  They did a stupendous job on both.  Their prices were reasonable and they worked with me to get everything done properly.  I was even surprised to see my chapters in the front of the book were linked to my actual chapters among other things.  If you are just starting out on your self publish journey, Ebooklaunch is a great partner to work with.  I definitely will use them on my next book.

Hi, my first novel is completed.

 

  The name of it is "Malcolm," by F.J. Telasco. You can find it on Amazon Kindle. Check it out and tell me what you think of it. It was quite an experience writing it.  It took me about six months and another three months to prepare it for publishing.  The work has just begun because now I have to market it.  Well, it's an adventure and I am ready to go. We'll see how it turns out.  I already started on my next novel. Hopefully, this one will go smoother.