Author Archives: Thinkwing Radio

About Thinkwing Radio

Mike Honig is originally from Brooklyn, New York. He moved to Houston in September of 1977 and has been there ever since. Mike's interests are politics, history, science, science fiction (and reading generally), technology, and almost anything else. Mike has knowledge and experience in many diverse fields, sometimes from having worked in them, and sometimes from extensive reading or discussion about them. Mike's general knowledge makes him a favorite partner in Trivial Pursuit. He likes to say that about most things, he knows enough to be dangerous. Humility is a work-in-progress.

The GkOchP/Krauthammer Doctrine: They Want You To Stay Unemployed

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On June 30, Keith Olbermann had NY Senator Charles Schumer on Current TV’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann to talk about the debt ceiling debate, and the Congressional and — specifically — the Republican politics surrounding it. During that interview, Schumer made an unusually blunt and explosive charge: That Republicans are deliberately trying to ‘tank’ the economy for their own political advantage.

To home-based, Monday morning political quarterbackers like me, that is not a surprising statement. It’s one that many political commentators and bloggers have been making for some time.

It’s explosive because it comes from a sitting senator, Continue reading →

An Appeal From Your Local Merchant

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In today’s email, I received an appeal to customers from a local restaurant owner. His remarks could apply to any local business anywhere, and that’s why I’m reproducing it for you below.

His letter isn’t just specific to him. and he makes some good points about supporting local merchants. Continue reading →

A “Tax Holiday” On Repatriation of Foreign Profits Is A Bad Idea. Here’s why.

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Foreign profits earned by American companies are not taxed by the United States until the profits are ‘brought home’ (i.e., repatriated).

Republicans have floated the idea of a ‘tax holiday’ on repatriated foreign profits so that companies are given an incentive to bring overseas profits home, so they can reputedly be invested, and thus create jobs here in the States.

Not only is this a bad idea in terms of tax policy, but even discussing it is bad tax policy. Allow me to relate an anecdote to explain, but be patient. It will take a little while to get back to my point. Continue reading →

Jon Huntsman For President? My theory that there’s something else going on here…

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Former Utah Governor and former U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman has officially announced his candidacy for the GOP nomination for president.

In a time when the Republican litmus test for candidacy admission is how far right you can swing, an apparently relatively moderate Republican doesn’t stand much of a chance for getting the nomination.

Can Huntsman survive this truism? Does he think he can? If not, what other reason could he have for throwing his hat into the mix?

I have a theory: Continue reading →

China Sells Counterfeit Electronics for F-15s, and more

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ThinkWingRadio So why are the damn parts for F-15s made in China?! RT @WILLROGERSUSA Key US senators slam China on military parts probe http://t.co/BaIHzMq

ThinkWingRadio I have a great idea! The Russians can make M-16s, the Chinese can build our military computers, the Iranians can build our rockets. BFFs!!

ThinkWingRadio What the hell has happened to our country? We don’t even make our own military equipment?Now China’s “The Arsenal of Democracy”?! Thanx GOP!

Rachel Maddow, Interviewed on David Letterman’s Show (June 8, 2011)

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Rachel Maddow with David Letterman, discussing Keith Olbermann, Anthony Weiner, David Vitter, and the current political environment.

My Advice To Anthony Weiner: Go Forward with Business As Usual

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I have a saying: “Good advice is easy to give, but hard to take.” As a total outsider (it’s hard to be more outside The Beltway than I am), I have some advice for you, Anthony Weiner, which you can take or leave, and it’s this: Go back to business as usual in the House.
Continue reading →

Wise Words for Weiner Critics: “Judge not, that ye be not judged”

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“Judge not, lest ye be judged.” A common misquote, I’m told, of Matthew 7:1 (“Judge not, that ye be not judged. “). Wise words, either way.

When should someone’s personal peccadillos materially matter to us? When is it actually fair to hold someone to a higher standard than we perhaps hold ourselves? When should it reach the level of ‘a scandal’? When should we care?
Continue reading →

Rep. Anthony Weiner: Great Video Moments On The House Floor [VIDEO]

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In my opinion, some of the great and courageous moments ever seen in House debate.

A total of 3 4 videos [Last video added 10-Aug-2013]:

7m 08s

Continue reading →

“On The Floor”, by Jennifer Lopez: Unattributed Melody

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I hate ‘sampling’ almost as much as I hate plagiarism. I’m not sure which one Jennifer Lopez is guilty of, but it’s one or the other.

Oddly, the first time I heard this tune was in a “Visit Israel” commercial. Apparently, its name is “Lambada”. (Funny. It doesn’t look Jewish.)

According to Wikipedia, “The “Lambada” song was actually an unauthorized translation of the 1981 song “Llorando se fue” (which means: Crying he/she went away), from the Bolivian group Los Kjarkas.”

You can hear that version below.

A Japanese version with a slightly faster beat, more like what I remember, is here:

Here’s an “official” Lambada version from 1989. It’s official in the sense that Kaoma made it an international hit, and Los Kjarkas sued Kaoma for plagiarism and won.

This is the Jennifer Lopez version (“rip-off”?) called “On The Floor”. In my opinion, it’s over-produced and not nearly as appealing as any of the previous versions of this melody.

So call it “Llorando se fue”, call it “Lambada” … Or maybe just call it “stolen”.

Creative bankruptcy: It’s not just for two-bit lounge acts anymore.

On Travel To China: In Response to Miriam

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In response to my piece called “Flashbulb Memory: A Human-to-Human Moment in Tiananmen Square in Beijing“, I got a comment from Miriam asking me for some suggestions on a trip she planned to China. My response is below.

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I’ve been to China twice, and mostly the people there are wonderful to foreigners. I have some great stories which I may share here over time. That said, there’s a reason why business people in China are historically ranked lower than actors on the social scale. “Honest business” in China is an oxymoron. Continue reading →

Flashbulb Memory: A Human-to-Human Moment in Tiananmen Square in Beijing

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By Michael R. Honig

“The way to make God laugh is to tell him your plans.” That thought crosses my mind often.

My background is Jewish East Central European. If I was going to visit any continent first, then, you’d think it would be the lands of my ancestors. So if 10 years ago, someone had told me that during my life, I’d visit China before I traveled to Europe, I’d have thought they were nuts.

Or not.

I met my wife on Valentine’s Day 2002, and we married on December 28, 2003. My wife is a Canadian citizen, but she was actually born in Fu Jing City, in Hei Long Jiang Province in the northeastern part of the Peoples Republic of China.

I’ll bet that about now you can see what’s coming … Continue reading →

VIDEO: Evan Longoria amazing baseball catch! (PLUS: Bat girl!)

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There’s no audio in this clip. Watch the batter in the deep background. Someone must shout a ‘heads up’.

Now watch the action, and think, “OW, that must hurt!”

Longoria was probably a hero. The ball looked like it was curving straight for the reporter, and I don’t think that she was prepared to react in time.

Buy the man a cold one!

(Originally found this clip here: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/7AswP5/www.gifbin.com/985298)

____________________________________________

Recently brought to my attention (Oct. 2011):

That Was Random – What a Freaking Awesome Catch. Sign this Girl!!!

Libertarianism Makes a Nation of States Pointless

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I’ve been saying for a while now that Libertarianism is just a prettily re-branded form of Anarchism; the scourge of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

One of the Paul family — Ron, this time — again makes my point for me. Continue reading →

Texas ‘Hill Country’ drinking water makes pipes and plumbing radioactive

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by Mark Greenblatt / KHOU 11 News (khou.com)

Posted on May 18, 2011 at 12:28 AM

Updated yesterday at 12:28 AM

HOUSTON—Radiation has contaminated the underground pipes, water tanks, and plumbing that provides drinking water for much of central Texas and the famed Texas Hill Country, according to concerned city officials in the region who have tested the pipes with Geiger counters.

According to local officials, the contamination comes from years of exposure to drinking water that already tests over federal legal limits for radioactive radium. Of even more concern, they say, is that any water quality testing is done before the water runs through the contaminated pipes that could be adding even more radiation.

…

The white paper, titled “Implementing the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for Radionuclides,” was an internal assessment of the threat posed from radiation in Texas water, and was prompted by new federal regulations the Environmental Protection Agency adopted on Dec. 7, 2000. The Texas report states “over 200,000 Texans drink water from public water systems which are contaminated with relatively high levels of radium and other naturally occurring radioactive material.” <Entire article here>

Potpourri:Stuff you should see

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Well, it’s that time again. Lots of interesting articles have crossed my path, but I can’t post or comment on all of them, so it’s time for another series of what I might call “Potpourri Posts”. Or maybe I should just call them “Post-pourris”?

(Suggestions for titles are invited.)

You can go to the different articles by clicking on the links embedded in their titles.

Continue reading →

The Koch Brothers: This is how hard it is to boycott billionaires

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Ever get so mad at a person or company that you want to boycott their products? Have you ever thought about how hard it is to boycott a billionaire?

You should. Look at the article below, and see if you feel like it’s time to consider extending anti-trust laws to financially over-represented moneyed interests. Continue reading →

Osama bin Laden’s War Against the U.S.: It was about economic attrition

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Rachel Maddow is one of the best “explainers” I’ve ever seen on television, let alone on a news show, and (as I too often remind folks when I make a statement like this) I’m no spring chicken.

After the Japan earthquake and tsunami in March of this year led to radioactive disasters at a half-dozen nuclear power plants, the most lucid, informative and understandable lay explanations of the crisis — the causes, technologies involved, dangers, etc. — were without question done by Rachel Maddow.

She’s also really good at focusing her attention on important stories — or angles on important stories — which might otherwise escape our notice.

Now she has done it again with a unique discussion of Osama bin Laden, and the strategy which was at the root of his style of asymmetrical warfare against the United States. Continue reading →

Doctor Who History 1963-2010 from Joe Siegler on Vimeo.

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via Roger Ebert’s Journal

A (relatively) quick snapshot of “Dr. Who” — all of them — from 1963 onward.

If you have been watching BBCAmerica, it’s changed a bit over the years. Like many Americans, Tom Baker’s “Dr. Who” hooked me when it aired on PBS about 30 years ago.

Doctor Who History 1963-2010 from Joe Siegler on Vimeo.

Live from Abbottabad, by Jason English – May 2, 2011 – 2:12 AM

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Clipped from Mental_Floss.com: Amazing stuff. Jason English blogs about an Abbottabad neighbor of Osama who tweeted the JSOC raid as it happened, without even realizing it! Continue reading →

A Soldier Speaks, From Tomfoolery (@OTOOLEFAN)

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Originally posted on TOMFOOLERY (otoolefan.wordpress.com). To see the original post and read viewers’ comments, click on the title link below. – Mike

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A Soldier Speaks

April 30, 2011 OTOOLEFAN Leave a comment Go to comments

The following comment was posted on this site a few weeks ago and it’s eloquence speaks for itself. The only thing I would add to this is we saw a similar scenario played out by the GOP right before Christmas. They were all about 9/11 and it’s heroes, until it came time to come to the aid of sick and dying first responders. – OTOOLEFAN

I am a totally disabled veteran, there are actually very few of us who are totally disabled.

Needless to say. I wish the liberals would take the credit they deserve. Liberals do more to support veterans disabled veterans than the right does. The right actually hates disabled vets.

The real issue is that people equate defense spending and supporting the military with supporting veterans. Veterans do not benefit one dime from defense spending.

We rely on the VA, and the pyramid of federal and state aid programs. IT IS THE LIBERALS WHO SUPPORT ME. And not any of the patriotic charities that raise tons of money under the guise of supporting veterans.

I really don’t get involved in politics. But I live in Delaware and Christine O’Donnell and the 9/12 patriots attacked me, so I did get involved. ( Meet Sen Kerry at a Chris Coons Event ).

So liberals, take your credit, there are alot of disabled vets that understand this so please take your props.

Airborne18

Taxes vs. Income: The Magic Question

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“The [magic] question I always ask is: Would you rather have their income and pay their taxes or have the income of someone who doesn’t pay taxes? The discussion is over right there.”

There is a great deal of discussion currently about whether the tax burden in this country is shared fairly.

Are the ‘rich’ and the rich (some deserve air quotes, some don’t) being taxed more than their fair share? Are the middle class, working poor and poor under-taxed? Should we be concerned that some folks make so little income that they are not taxed at all? Continue reading →

Equally Unhealthy? High Fructose Corn Syrup vs. “Corn Sugar”

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As oxymoronic as it sounds, I believe this to be true: If big business has a reputation for lying, obfuscating and being generally deceptive, they come by it honestly.

A case in point is the Corn Refiners Association‘s (CRA) recent petition to the FDA to allow them to change food ingredients labels from “high fructose corn syrup” (HFCS) to “corn sugar”. Continue reading →

Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig

"An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy."

Author Archives: Thinkwing Radio

About Thinkwing Radio

Doctor Who History 1963-2010 from Joe Siegler on Vimeo.

About Thinkwing Radio

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