tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-114019262024-03-13T12:26:50.225-07:00The New York GangSocial, Political, and Cultural comment with New York bite.Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-76214775117230133202011-02-07T13:10:00.000-08:002011-02-07T13:10:14.189-08:00Casting Dos Coyotes: Seeking Carlos. 30s, male, HispanicCasting Dos Coyotes, a full-length play about privilege, home, and escape from “prosperity.” Performances at Manhattan Repertory Theater, 303 W 42nd Street, NYC, March 19, 20 and 24. <br />
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SEEKING<br />
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Carlos: 30s, male, Hispanic; solid, protective.<br />
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Piper: 20s, female, Caucasian; idealistic, energetic, courageous.<br />
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Send pix, resumes, and links to coyotes@opprecht.net<br />
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Auditions by appointment. Rehearsals to begin as soon as casting is completed, schedule will be flexible, to meet the needs of the actors.<br />
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This is a non-union, non-showcase production, Dos Coyotes is part of the Manhattan Rep’s Winterfest 2011. Pays $10 per show.<br />
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Piper is escaping from a privileged life, Carlos is caught in the middle of his attempt to achieve American prosperity. They bond and help each other complete their journeys.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__x6jJZTQEoY/TVBfX1u-2bI/AAAAAAAAANw/HCBvcWT_W6A/s1600/Dos-Coyotes-Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__x6jJZTQEoY/TVBfX1u-2bI/AAAAAAAAANw/HCBvcWT_W6A/s400/Dos-Coyotes-Logo.jpg" /></a></div><br />
DOS COYOTES<br />
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A Play by Kurt Opprecht<br />
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A Mexican worker on the run from his present finds himself harboring a rich white girl on the run from her culture. Can they be each others’ coyotes?<br />
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It’s New Year’s Eve and undocumented Mexican worker Carlos Velasquez discovers a little something special in the recycling bin behind the store where he works; 25-year-old Piper Wills. Disenchanted with her privileged life, she has moved out of her home and into Carlos’s recycling dumpster.<br />
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Despite the fact that Carlos has been trying cross into the world that Piper is trying to escape, the two forge a bond as the night carries them into the new year. Like the “coyotes” hired by aspiring laborers south of the border, Carlos and Piper might be each other’s ticket across; but does their journey take them where they thought they were going?<br />
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Playwright Kurt Opprecht first conceived the story for Dos Coyotes several years ago in William Packard’s playwriting class at HB Studios in Manhattan. The script has since undergone two readings and at least three major rewrites, and benefited from participation in TerraNOVA Collective’s “Groundbreakers” series. It is Kurt’s first full-length play. One act plays of his include, “Devil in a Pink Slip,” “Parallel Universe,” and “Argentina.”<br />
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Kurt Opprecht is a writer and editor in New York City. He was an active member of Billionaires for Bush, and edited their book, "How to Rule the World for Fun and Profit" (Avalon Books). Kurt teaches writing at Gotham Writer’s Workshop, runs the Bananafish Writers Groups in NYC, and is a certified professional coach. <br />
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The son of a rocket scientist and a financial planner, Kurt was born and raised in Utah. He earned a degree in Philosophy at Reed College in Portland, Oregon and a BS in Communications at Southern Utah State. After several years in Tokyo, writing, acting and teaching English, he moved to New York, where he currently lives in the East Village.<br />
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Blog: www.Opprecht.net<br />
Website: www.KurtOpprecht.com <br />
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Email: Kurt@KurtOpprecht.com<br />
Office: 646 233 3567<br />
Mobile: 646 784 4323<br />
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Twitter: @opprechtKurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-2583592967044336782008-11-12T08:54:00.000-08:002008-11-12T09:05:14.115-08:00NYTimes: Iraq War Ends!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__x6jJZTQEoY/SRsKgX3GrYI/AAAAAAAAAKc/AzGibr9LGPA/s1600-h/12times-480.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 292px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__x6jJZTQEoY/SRsKgX3GrYI/AAAAAAAAAKc/AzGibr9LGPA/s400/12times-480.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267815740417158530" /></a><br /><br />A progressive group published a spoof edition of the New York Times and distributed it today throughout NYC. The paper, dated July 4, 2009, "reports" news of a world in which much of the world's ills have been solved, headlines proclaim "Iraq War Ends", "Ex-Secretary Apologizes for W.M.D. Scare", "Maximum Wage Law Succeeds", "Nationalized Oil To Fund Climate Change Efforts" among many others. It's a remarkable facsimile, right down to the advertisements -- the back cover is a full-page "ad" for military contractor, KBR, proclaiming its devotion to peaceful "solutions", hospitals, schools, sanitation and training. Well done.<br /><br />The legitimate New York Times covers the spoof edition on their own site here: <a href="http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/pranksters-spoof-the-times/?scp=1&sq=alex%20jones&st=cse">Liberal Pranksters Hand Out Times Spoof</a>Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-16322925132508178682008-11-07T10:02:00.000-08:002008-11-07T10:07:26.194-08:00New World Order<div><iframe src="http://www.236.com/ovembed.php?vid=MTg5Njc4Njg1Mw==" width="425" height="370" noresize="noresize" frameborder="0" border="0" cellspacing="0" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" style="border:0px;overflow: hidden;"></iframe><div style="padding: 0px 5px 5px 5px; width: 410px; text-align: center; font-size: 0.8em;">Get the latest news <a href="http://www.236.com/">satire</a> and <a href="http://www.236.com/video/">funny videos</a> at <a href="http://www.236.com">236.com</a>.</div></div><br /><br />Just like with the Bush years, sometimes our greatest fears are realized, and then some.Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-80425090502521638622008-10-15T20:22:00.000-07:002008-10-15T20:24:15.805-07:00Joe the Plumber(Lyrics mostly by David Bowie)<br /><br />Joe the plumber<br />Went to the bar<br />A couple of drinks on the house an' he said<br />"Tell you who you are <br />if you nail me to my car"<br /><br />Boy, thanks for hesitating...Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-22201333698416973402008-10-07T11:20:00.000-07:002008-10-07T11:24:04.747-07:00The Sky IS Falling!This isn't the story mommy read to me. But it seems more in tune with the times:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Vnp4kj5lLOU&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Vnp4kj5lLOU&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-59273923923224681472008-10-04T08:22:00.000-07:002008-10-04T08:30:03.083-07:00Note to a Friend in Boise, IDThanks for asking about the political climate here in New York, vis-a-vis Boise, where you say the Obama supporters are mostly "wannabe intelligencia and those who don't pay taxes." I spend a fair amount of time writing and demonstrating, so it's nice to just interact one-on-one about political issues. I often wonder what it is that has divided America so much. <br /><br />From my perspective, our three biggest challenges are currently:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1 - The environment. </span> <br />Our thin little biosphere is important to me, go figure. But we're treating it badly. It's MORE important than the economy, but business and personal interests seem to always give it second place. The vast consensus of scientist agree that human consumption of fossil fuels is the primary cause of a potentially catastrophic climate change. Furthermore, it's clear that fossil fuels will eventually run out. Let's change to renewable energy sources as fast as possible and stop talking about drilling and burning. <br /><br />Also, besides energy policy, our government, on both sides of the aisle, seems to do everything to promote consumption of consumer goods on behalf of their precious economy, and on development in precious habitat when we need to scale back, for the planet's sake. Our consumption isn't making us happier.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2 - Economic opportunity for the bulk of Americans.</span> <br />We seem to have left the bottom sector of the American economy in the dust. For the past few decades, the rich have gotten richer and the poor poorer in real dollars. I fear there is a growing class system in the US that is becoming more and more entrenched. We need money for education and grassroots programs.<br /><br />(Incidentally: Why do the Republicans seem to say nothing other than "Tax Cuts Tax Cuts Tax Cuts" especially for the rich and for corporations and for capital gains? It clearly doesn't help the economy, and certainly not the poor.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3 - The social fabric. </span> <br />This is a less tangible issue, but we see it all over. The breakdown in civility and the ability to communicate. Television and the automobile have isolated us in our suburbs, malls and homes. Suburban America feels like a wasteland to me. I think we need to address the structural basis of our nation's alienation.<br /><br />There are other issues that concern me very much, campaign finance, foreign policy and our nation's military/police buildup, including our huge prison population, mostly male. But these three above concern me the most.<br /><br />I think what you were really asking me about is Obama, so I'll get to that - I like him especially because he seems to see the big picture. Long term environmental and energy policy, not just "Drill baby drill." Whole globe foreign policy for the 21st century, not just Iraq and "We must win." He seems to see the world optimistically, like I do. There is great potential out there, and it flows from courage and innovation and love, frankly. Not the fear, retrenchment and hateful words that I see so much of from the conservative side. <br /><br />I don't see anyone really addressing issue number 3 above, but I feel the Republican party has completely abandoned numbers 1 and 2. Forget it with the environment, they are atrocious. And they seem to have no idea how difficult it is for the working poor to "make it" in America these days.<br /><br />Again, I really appreciate your reaching out to me on this. Honestly, sometimes it makes me want to cry when I hear what middle America thinks about some of these issues. I hope I sort of went off in the direction you were asking about. If you can give me a feel for what the climate is out there in return, I'd much appreciate it. Just say what you feel, not what you think I want to hear.<br /><br />Best,<br /><br />KurtKurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-12216090946920896962008-10-02T13:36:00.000-07:002008-10-02T13:40:49.106-07:00Who's Street? Our street! Wall St. belongs to the Billionaires for BushSome of my plutocrat friends, Filmore Barrols, Aila Lorditoverya, and Robin Eublind and I, thanking the hard working masses for the big blank check.<br /><br /><a href="http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1485842900/bctid1830094019">Time/CNN video of the Billionaires for Bush and others on Wall Street.</a>Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-80262142646450655112008-09-26T05:34:00.000-07:002008-09-26T05:41:18.525-07:00Foreclosure NoticeMr. Robin Eublind and I have whipped up a Foreclosure Notice that some of you might want to print out and use in your neighborhood. It might be appropriate to post and/or paste onto the windows and/or doors of banks and financial institutions, the homes of their officers, or at your elected officials' offices. They could even be handouts to employees and toadies. Use them as you will. (Note that they might go well printed out onto full-page sticker stock, which one can purchase at Staples.)<br /><br /><a href="http://drop.io/foreclosurenotice">Here's the link to the pdf.</a> <br /><br />Here's the text of it:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">FORECLOSURE NOTICE </span><br />AN ACTION TO FORECLOSE THE DEED OF TRUST ON <br />THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN FILED BY THE PEOPLE <br />TO STOP THE SALE AND REINSTATE THE PUBLIC TRUST YOU MUST: <br /><br />1. HALT THE GOVERNMENT’S BAILOUT OF WALL STREET’S INDULGENCES. <br /><br />2. PUT HOMES, JOBS AND PENSIONS AHEAD OF CORPORATE PROFITS <br />AND BONUSES. <br /><br />3. RESTORE FAITH IN THE INTEGRITY OF THE ECONOMY BY ACTING IN THE <br />GREATER GOOD OF THE ENTIRE NATION, RATHER THAN THE CORPORA- <br />TIONS AND THE WEALTHY. <br /><br />4. RESTORE ALL AMOUNTS DUE TO THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION, INCLUD- <br />ING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PUBLIC EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, HOUSING, <br />JUSTICE, SOCIAL EQUALITY, THE ARTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. <br />ACT IMMEDIATELY UPON THIS NOTICE TO PREVENT FURTHER LOSS <br />AND/OR SEIZURES BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE TAXPAYERS. <br /><br />DATE: <br />SIGNED: <br /><br />Authority: Real Property of the People, §7-105.1(d)(2)(vii)Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-57189672665771670312008-09-04T16:38:00.000-07:002008-09-04T16:46:11.054-07:00From the Belly<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__x6jJZTQEoY/SMBzBgGyQJI/AAAAAAAAAHU/YrdC8g9L_RY/s1600-h/L1020230.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__x6jJZTQEoY/SMBzBgGyQJI/AAAAAAAAAHU/YrdC8g9L_RY/s400/L1020230.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242316435894714514" /></a><br /><br />A kind woman with a fuzzy face outside the arena yesterday told me from her heart that to her the atmosphere was electric. I wasn't feeling it. Perhaps my polarity is a bit off. I thought the atmosphere, especially inside the place, was akin to a plumbers convention. Well, I take that back, judging from the plumbers I've known, the plumbers convention would probably have more ebullient atmosphere.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__x6jJZTQEoY/SMBxtFHhGfI/AAAAAAAAAHM/nXM0B4Ci6TI/s1600-h/L1020227.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__x6jJZTQEoY/SMBxtFHhGfI/AAAAAAAAAHM/nXM0B4Ci6TI/s400/L1020227.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242314985541016050" /></a>Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-63238431783438212252008-09-03T10:14:00.000-07:002008-09-03T10:19:58.136-07:00Enchanted<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__x6jJZTQEoY/SL7GMK2M1JI/AAAAAAAAAG8/3Wreh3JBMcg/s1600-h/2008-09-MN-L1020192.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__x6jJZTQEoY/SL7GMK2M1JI/AAAAAAAAAG8/3Wreh3JBMcg/s400/2008-09-MN-L1020192.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241844928678253714" /></a><br /><br />These characters were absolutely delightful. They had a light and playful energy about them and they interacted with us on a gentle and personal level at the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign rally in St. Paul yesterday. (If anyone knows who they are, please let me now.)Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-672527622607162872008-09-02T08:07:00.000-07:002008-09-02T08:15:01.032-07:00Day Two - Tactics<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__x6jJZTQEoY/SL1YawNuiSI/AAAAAAAAAGs/mH6wPPbIQ5g/s1600-h/L1020079.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__x6jJZTQEoY/SL1YawNuiSI/AAAAAAAAAGs/mH6wPPbIQ5g/s400/L1020079.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241442757971446050" /></a><br />Day one was as successful as any group like ours could expect. We were a tonic for the troops, we were some sand in the gears of the other side, and we got some pretty good media coverage, including a live interview with all six of us on AM 950 Minneapolis, and a mention in the Star-Ledger. Now what? There's another protest march planned by the Poor Peoples' Economic Human Rights Campaign, which would have a different emphasis, but we're thinking it might be better to shift our focus to what we do best, which is making the other side look silly. Stay tuned.Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-36931217357042954272008-09-02T08:03:00.000-07:002008-09-02T08:05:54.206-07:00How the Real Boys Do ItWhile were were sharing half-price hors d'oeuvres and sake in the neighborhood, here's what the real lobyists were up to last night:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Rni6G7RRFkk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Rni6G7RRFkk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-52493236606179768482008-09-01T19:03:00.000-07:002008-09-01T20:04:46.051-07:00Four More Years!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__x6jJZTQEoY/SLytRO9cNZI/AAAAAAAAAGc/J-HwXkPhg44/s1600-h/2008-09-01-L4M-20135.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__x6jJZTQEoY/SLytRO9cNZI/AAAAAAAAAGc/J-HwXkPhg44/s400/2008-09-01-L4M-20135.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241254577937593746" /></a><br /><br />I feel like a kid who's just come back from the carnival. My mind is still spinning and images of insanity are dancing in my head. <br /><br />In fact, I AM a kid who's just come back from the carnival. After thoroughly taunting the lefty demonstrators marching on St. Paul for approximately four hours, we regrouped and headed for the Minnesota State Fair, where we mixed it up among funnel cakes and corn dogs against whatever party loyalists we encountered in their secure booths. The Obama booth, the Franken Booth, the McCain booth (hopping mad, this guy was). We created little internet spots at the CNN booth and went live on the local Air America station.<br /><br />What's especially entertaining is when folk react savagely. A guy in a Bob Marley T-shirt asked me for one of our cards. He then made a show of going over to the trash bin, ripping up the card, spitting on it and tossing it out. Some adamant supports of Obama stick around long enough to understand where we're coming from. Sometimes they fool us, too. Like Ryan, who played football on the high school team that Jesse Ventura coached. We had him tagged as a drunken McCain supporter. Chomping on a piece of some sort of meat on a stick, he playfully goaded us, playing the role we expected him to play until we finally got his game. <br /><br /> It's been nearly four years since I've done a full day of politicking and demonstrating. The adrenalin rush is a gas. But the ups and downs and all the discord just wear on you. I'm exhausted. Exhilarated, but exhausted.Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-39020058420087341052008-09-01T06:25:00.000-07:002008-09-01T06:31:19.513-07:00Day One, Morning OneMinneapolis is dead quiet at 7:30 AM. There's a breeze blowing through the streets and the birds are doing their early meet and greet. Andrew and I take a walk in the neighborhood of our gracious hosts. (We're being put up on the first floor of a kind family's home in town.) We've never been in Minneapolis for a convention, and these things are different every election year. I can sympathize with military commanders. What's the schedule? Where will they be? What will we be able to get away with? Should we do event-type things with themes, such as "Cheap Labor Day"? Or is it better to just set up in prominent places with our banners and our briefcase full of money and talk to the folks who come by? There's no way of knowing what's gonna work until we've given the new schtick a test drive on the streets in middle America. But first, it's time for a little yoga on the front lawn.Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-27783707633612314192008-08-31T10:11:00.000-07:002008-08-31T10:21:51.098-07:00Into the Eye of the StormNot New Orleans, but Minneapolis. Our flight leaves JFK at 8:20, and my nerves are jangling at 1:20. Already there have been preemptive raids, seizures and arrests by Minneapolis cops. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.startribune.com/politics/27695244.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUnciatkEP7DhUsr">Coverage of the raids by Star Tribune </a><br /><br />I haven't ever been arrested in this country, and I had been naively thinking that the down home Minnesotan boys in blue might be more likely to behave themselves than the Daly fuzz of 1968. But then, forty years is older than the average cop, and why should I assume they'd much care? There have already been seizures of computers (and I don't mean OS freeze-ups) so I'll make sure everything on my little Mac is backed up before I head off. Wish me luck and a free pass. I've got nothing crucial planned for next week, though, so if I get tossed in the slammer, it's not the end of the world.Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-11995617604634547122008-03-16T07:30:00.000-07:002008-03-16T07:40:18.671-07:00Interview with The KarmapaSince he leapt from the roof of his monastery in Tibet at age fourteen and fled Chinese rule, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, the young Karmapa Lama has kept a low international profile. He is notoriously inaccessible and circumspect, especially on political topics. <br /><br />In the spring of 2006 I met with him at his residence near Dharamsala, India, and we spoke via translator for roughly twenty minutes on issues of spirituality in a fearful world, relations with the Chinese government, his childhood in Tibet, and the possibility of having to fill the sensible shoes of the Dalai Lama as public representative of the Tibetan people should the Dalai Lama no longer be able to continue his active role. <br /><br />Officially, the Karmapa - now 22 years old - is not in line for the Dalai Lama’s monastic position. The Dalai Lama is head of the Gelugpa sect and the Karmapa is leader of the Kagyu sect; but upon the demise of the Dalai Lama, who is now 73 years old, the world will look to the Karmapa as the Tibetan people’s spiritual ambassador to the world.<br /><br /><br />-- INTERVIEW WITH HIS HOLINESS THE KARMAPA LAMA --<br /><br />Q: According to your faith, this is your 17th reincarnation as a Buddhist leader. How does it feel to have such a long history of service behind you? It must be a lot of pressure.<br /><br />A: We have many things in this world that have existed for a thousand years, but these are entirely different. It’s not many people, it’s one individual. <br /><br />Q: You are this individual?<br /><br />A: Yes.<br /><br />Q: Don’t you ever want to take a break from being a spiritual leader for a lifetime or two?<br /><br />A: According to Buddhist religion, it has been predicted that there will be over twenty incarnations, some predict twenty five or more, it is not clear, but after that, my spirit will be incarnated somewhere else. Perhaps on another world.<br /><br />Q: Tell us about your spiritual path at the moment.<br /><br />A: At the present, I am mostly engaged in Dharma studies, but I also do some meditation, more of it when I have the time. At the moment I am trying to get teachings from many different sources, inside and outside the Buddhist traditions. Today I’m studying Wajayana.<br /><br /><br />Q:If the Buddha were on the earth today, what do you think he’d be doing, saying?<br /><br />A: “We need freedom. We need peace.”<br /><br />Q: In the world?<br /><br />A: In the world.<br /><br />Q: Is the Buddha on earth today?<br /><br />A: The Buddha’s mind is still alive, although his body is not. Love and compassion are in the world, for example. In this way he is alive.<br /><br />Q: There is a lot of fear in the world. Many people are despairing and losing their hope that the world is getting better. What can you say to them to help them with their fear?<br /><br />A: It all depends upon the mind. In my environment here, I am free of the influences of the world that foster fear. One doesn’t necessarily need to take refuge or do meditation. You can choose to have peace of mind and be free of fear if you don’t allow the fear to influence you. If you live your life without harming others and keep your own mind free of negative emotions such as anger and aggression it will come more easily for you. It is these negative emotions that enable the fear within you.<br /><br />Q: If you could meet with Chinese President Hu tomorrow, what would you say to him?<br /><br />A: If I had the freedom to speak, and the courage to speak, I would say that the problem between our two countries - the struggle - should be settled. I have a great interest in settling this for the benefit of Tibet, but also for China. I want to help both countries. I have the same feelings toward both countries.<br /><br />Q: His Holiness The Dalai Lama enjoys huge international prestige and diplomatic responsibilities. How do you feel about the prospect of helping him with his work and perhaps eventually taking the mantle of leadership from him?<br /><br />A: I’ll have to see the necessity/importance of doing the same as the Dalai Lama in the future. If the times need me to have a high profile and travel and meet with important people, than I will. But if there is no need, then maybe not.<br /><br />Q: I read that as a child you rode goats around in the countryside? What is it like to ride a goat?<br /><br />A: We were just playing. I would play around with them, and sometimes I would ride them. It’s fun.<br /><br /><br />========================<br /><br />Additional points of information:<br /><br />- <a href="http://www.kagyuoffice.org/">The Karmapa’s website</a><br /><br />- <a href="http://www.tibet.com/">The Tibetan government in exile</a> has administration offices in Dharmsala, India. <br /><br />- Unless Chinese officials release the Panchen Lama from “house arrest” in an undisclosed location inside China, the Karmapa would be the only adult Tibetan Buddhist leader of this rank free to speak. <br /><br />- There is another Tibetan monk who claims to be the Karmapa Lama but the Dalai Lama recognizes Ogyen Trinley Dorje, (the man interviewed here) to be the 17th incarnation of the Karmapa Lama, the leader of the Kagyu sect.Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-46955880865413993092008-03-05T15:27:00.000-08:002008-03-06T04:29:27.673-08:00Avery’s Midterm Exam - Civics for Douchebags<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/__x6jJZTQEoY/R88s6rWFsMI/AAAAAAAAAFg/bK9_CWDFLRc/s1600-h/Avery.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/__x6jJZTQEoY/R88s6rWFsMI/AAAAAAAAAFg/bK9_CWDFLRc/s400/Avery.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174403883451396290" /></a><br /><br />As big bad school nightmares go, everyone has the one where you sleep through the alarm and miss the big exam. And everyone has the one where you’re the only kid naked at the class assembly. But how about the one where you call the superintendent a “douchebag” on your blog and it ends up being debated in federal court? That’s the personal nightmare of seventeen-year-old Avery Doninger, whose case came up this week before the justices of the US Second Circuit.<br /><br />Avery, her mother and her grandmother came to the imposing new Moynihan building yesterday to watch her attorney, Jon Schoenhorn, argue her case before three august lady justices. On the surface, what’s at stake is Avery’s claim to the office of secretary of her class, the senior class at Lewis S. Mills High School in Burlington, Connecticut. But the leviathan below the surface is the First Amendment, and a student’s right to say what she wants on her own blog with her own computer from her own home.<br /><br />Last April, school administrators moved to cancel “Jamfest,” a battle of the bands Avery had been organizing. On her blog that evening, her post read “Jamfest is canceled due to douchebags in central office.” Very little came of it until a few days later when the son of Superintendent Paula Schwartz found the posting while trolling the internet on behalf of his mother. (If a tree falls in cyberspace, it doesn’t make a sound until someone Googles it.) Avery won the class election last spring with write-in ballots, but school officials withheld her right to serve.<br /><br />Avery is a sharp kid, a good kid, not the “Bong hits for Jesus” kind of troublemaker or the kind of kid you’d expect to use the term “douchebag” (she spells it as one word) in polite company. This, of course, is part of the point. A blog is more like a diary than a bulletin board, but in the world of the internet, any particular blog is just as accessible as a bulletin board. And the test of whether any particular “speech” is likely to be seen or heard on school property is a distinction that no longer differentiates. <br /><br />As Avery’s School Board sees it, (and Judge Kravitz of the New Haven District Court agreed), serving on student council is a privilege, not a right, and school officials have a duty to pick and choose candidates with exemplary modes of behavior and decorum. (Never mind the fact that another student who referred to the superintendent as a “dirty whore” was given an award and lauded for citizenship.)<br /><br />Avery sat quietly in her sensible skirt and flats while Schoenhorn argued passionately on her behalf. There was lively cross examination as the judges considered whether “douchebag” might be vulgar, obscene, or just offensive; and whether Avery had been inciting her classmates to disruptive behavior. More than awed, Avery was justifiably amused by the proceedings; she felt more troubled by her mother’s visible distress, than by the opposing lawyer’s claims. <br /><br />This was the last case to be heard this Tuesday, and discussion ranged far beyond the allotted time. “What if Avery had said, ‘Kill the principal,’” one justice asked. “What if there were no rules on what a student could say?” But over time the arguments boiled down to two salient issues. One, offensive language can clearly be controlled on school grounds, but can’t possibly be prohibited everywhere. In this case, the internet has to be a place where free speech is allowed. Two, speech that is disruptive to the educational environment can be limited, even off school grounds, but Avery’s blog entries seem to have been only mildly disruptive, and probably justifiably so.<br /><br />Avery’s final year of primary education is nearly three-quarters finished, and her sights are set on her first year in the free world. She may go to college in Boston, she may spend a year or two in Americorps. Avery and her supporters were in court yesterday for the principle, not the principal. <br /><br />If this injunction is denied and she doesn’t speak before her class at commencement this spring, it’s clearly not the end of the world, and that might be just as well. We’ve all had that dream where we’re standing at the podium and our entire high school class is before us... Still, for Avery, nightmares do come true; and they’re not necessarily all that bad.<br /><br />For more detailed information, and plenty of attitude, see Andy Thibault's blog - <a href="http://cooljustice.blogspot.com">Cool Justice Report</a>Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-1168481261768779352007-01-10T17:39:00.000-08:002007-01-10T18:07:41.796-08:00Victory in Iraq!Dubya and his buddies in the press, (Paula Zahn at CNN this evening, for one), are still hung up on the Victory issue. But really, who can blame them? This whole “war” thing is starting to smell bad and this is their last chance to save face for all the mongering they’ve been doing for the five years 2001-2006. <br /><br />Since any pragmatic assessment of the situation yields a verdict of loss, loss and loss on all sides, may I propose a more ego-saving process? Let’s judge victory on the same terms by which we judge our sporting events. If Victory must be proclaimed, (and it must) let us decide it as they do in the boxing ring, on the basis of damage done. <br /><br />Let's send a tuxedoed judge to the White House with a microphone: "Civilians Killed - Iraq: 982. US: 300,000. Soldiers killed - Iraq: 3,012. US: 7,820. Value of infrastructure destroyed: Iraq: Two trillion dollars. US: Two gazillion bazillion dollars!" He shall lift Dubya's little fist into the air, and loudly proclaim, "The clear winner of the Iraq War, George W. Bush and the American Military Industrial Complex!"Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-1166641443225788902006-12-20T14:02:00.000-08:002006-12-20T11:08:56.596-08:00Bigger GunsThe world's Cowboy in Chief announced today that he's pointed his wagon in the direction of more troops for Iraq and a larger military in general for the long haul, which strikes me as akin to an aging Casanova thinking that perhaps he'd get chicks like he used to if he only had an even bigger dick. Our blinkered president Bush will probably never understand how guns and bombs and brute force is never going to solve the problems of fundamentalist extremism, but I have hope for our greater electoral masses catching on. <br /><br />I'm curious, however, are there loud and reasonable voices on the side of understanding the "enemy" and sharing the pie, or are we left with nothing but flakes and kibutzniks to argue on the side of reason and progress?<br /> <ul><br /> <li><a href=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/20/washington/20bush.html?hp&ex=1166677200&en=7ac6d30c774070b9&ei=5094&partner=homepage>NY Times Story</a></li><br /> </ul>Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-1165509663716810662006-12-07T08:28:00.000-08:002006-12-07T08:49:39.770-08:00Cafe SocietyMcNally Robinson Bookstore Cafe<br />Prince Street, Nolita, NYC<br /><br />11:30 AM<br /><br />Ten patrons, eight laptops, arranged along the walls, facing in. All of us quietly tapping away. We're each doing his or her own thing here, but we could be doing it alone at home. We've come here to do it in the company of others. Five minutes ago, I decided this might be something to mention on my blog, and here it is, up for anyone with a connection around the planet, or right across the room to read.<br /><br />If this seems mundane, and I must admit it does to me, then you get half of my point, because it is truly remarkable that in less than a quarter century the computer has come out of the basement of the science building and into the cafe in such a pervasive way, and that gives any poor writer the means to reach the world with his thoughts. This is a profound step for humankind; perhaps the more powerful for how gently it has worked its way into our lives. Just a few New Yorkers looking at their mail, writing to friends, maybe finishing up a novel, having a cup of coffee.Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-1112136807593568102005-03-21T14:52:00.000-08:002005-03-29T14:53:27.596-08:00Greenspan Throws Weight Behind Buck-Burning Programby Kurt Opprecht<br /><br /><br />Federal Reserve Chairman and dark horse candidate to succeed Pope John-Paul II, Alan Greenspan, has reportedly given his approval to a long-awaited White House plan for boosting the US Dollar. <br /><br />The proposal, which Oval Office staff have dubbed “Prairie Fire,” provides tax credits for Americans who destroy American currency. According to the classic laws of supply and demand, for each dollar destroyed by burning or “mulching,” all remaining dollars become incrementally more valuable. Tentative benefit limits are set at $1,000 per household, or $500 per native-born American. To be eligible for the income tax credits, documentation of the destruction would be required and extra tax credits would be offered to “Small Businesses” in red states who contract to shred and verify, much like Halliburton. <br /><br />The once-vaunted American dollar has taken a beating since January 2002, falling more than 50% vis-à-vis the Euro, due to the current Administration’s massive trade and budget deficits. Fortunately for President Bush and the businesses who benefit from the Republican party’s tax-cut mantra, China and Japan continue to fund the US government’s borrowing, with their purchase of US Treasury Bills, despite the bills’ shrinking yields. <br /><br />“We’ve been eating Chinese take-out for too long, and now we’re getting hungry again,” Bush said in a mock news conference Friday. “This is a way that every American can play a part in supporting the dollar and reducing the size of liberal spending...and support Freedom.” <br /><br />In a surprising second prong to the attack, the President is floating a trial balloon to link the dollar to the South African Rand. Early plans for an innovative third prong, in which President Bush revived his pledge to inhabit Mars and create a dollar-only free trade zone where visitors to the Red Planet could shop duty-free, have been scrapped, White House sources are quick to interject. <br /><br />Legitimate news sources are still awaiting confirmation of “Operation Prairie Fire,” but White House softballer and gay porn poster-boy Jammes Guckert, aka Jeff Gannon, in his reprised capacity as gun-for-hire, has confirmed for NY Gang the program’s general outline. <br /><br /><br />© Kurt Opprecht, 2005Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-1111682380317198382005-02-28T08:36:00.000-08:002005-03-24T08:39:40.320-08:00Guckergate and the Death of Deep ThroatBy Matthew Reiss <br />with Kurt Opprecht<br /><br /><br />Not since Watergate has the press held so deftly between its fingers the fate of an administration. With the same ferocity that the media pounced when Lewinsky threatened our way of life, America’s press corps is lying in wait for the precise moment to expose how right wing, gay escort service poster boy James Guckert was planted in the White House press corps. Rumblings behind newsroom doors conceal a scandal so foul it could land the Bush administration somewhere between Crawford and the Rio Grande. Could there be a better send off to dying Watergate whistleblower, “Deep Throat?”<br /><br />Guckert was trained by Karl Rove’s mentor, paid by the firm of a Texas GOP delegate and made privy to a secret report that outed CIA operative Valerie Palme. Wearing phony press credentials issued by the White House, the ex-Marine tossed Bush-league softball questions at GOP press flacks, deflecting the nation’s attention away from real issues for over two years.<br /><br />Early indications rate Guckert’s political connections as top shelf, forcing the nation’s political columnists to put off their vacation plans, pack an extra suitcase and await the call to hearings at the capital rotunda. The Washington Hilton, say sources familiar with hotel operations, is taking no reservations. “Guckergate” will achieve World Series of Scandal status within a few hours of the announcement.<br /><br />Scandals are ugly. But when the fallout splashes up and sullies the media, the baying of bloodhounds turns shrill. No news team that was ignored while Guckert basked in national attention can ignore a chink this wide in White House armor. Rove’s media mastery will wilt when archival video of warm smiles between Guckert and Bush start streaming across CNN like Monica fawning at President Bill.<br /><br />The apparent calm before the storm seems to suggest an overflow of political correctness over Guckert’s same-sex marketing preference,(not that there’s anything wrong with marketing). Don’t be fooled. In reality, the delay signifies that the learned heads of the news business are laying in wait until there’s an open shot at the jugular.<br /><br />It belies a precedent in journalistic muscle flexing that ended a similarly potent political phenomenon during the Cold War. Joseph McCarthy tore relentlessly through America’s democratic institutions until the specter of homosexuality was skillfully raised against his Senate Investigations Committee counsel, Roy Cohn.<br /><br />Cohn had taken it personally when the Army ordered his attractive young protégé, Private David Schien, to ship off to Europe. Called to defend the Army’s actions, attorney Joseph Welsh, took advantage. Welsh asked McCarthy about the origins of a controversial piece of evidence, used against his client: “If it didn't come from Private Schien,” asked Welsh, “where did it come from? The pixies?” McCarthy took the bait. “Pixie, what's a pixie?” he answered. “A pixie is a close relation to a fairy,” answered Welch, a reference to the then-closeted Mr. Cohn.<br /><br />The brief unclenching of McCarthy’s grip on public opinion allowed reporters weary of McCarthy’s record of ruination a chance to strike back. For the first time, articles critical of the senator and his counsel made news. McCarthyism never recovered. Will Bush?<br /><br />The post-Watergate press rarely pulled a punch in the years that followed Nixon’s undoing. That is, until Rove made the broadsheets beg and the networks dance on their hind legs. But bloodied so early in its second term, nothing can weaken the media’s resolve to rumble on the administration’s thin ice. Surely the industry’s fear of losing access to precious sound bytes in reprisal for running critical reports, will dissolve in the face of so glaring--and potentially saleable--a scandal as this.<br /><br />Stories about misleading motives behind the declaration of war on Iraq, about torture or election irregularities are one thing. But when the President snubs newsmen on national TV and calls on some hombre’s boy toy (not that there’s anything wrong with prostitution), newsmen get crazy for a smoking gun. Moralizing talk-radio hosts, who came to prominence when the giant Lewinski scandal shook the Earth, are already looking for a new king of kings.<br /><br />More pertinent to Guckergate’s prospects than what Deep Throat told Woodward, however, is Carl Bernstein’s 1977 Rolling Stone article, “The CIA and the Media.” In it he outed the agency’s use of American news media for recruiting spies, for information gathering and dissemination, and revealed that the program was successfully covered-up by former CIA director George H.W. Bush. Recent reports that the Bush II administration is secretly paying off journalists to promote White House programs, calls into question whether the practice was stopped after Watergate. At risk is the very integrity of America’s free press.<br /><br />Whether Bernstein’s report foreshadowed the networks’ downplaying of computer vote hacking investigations, exit poll incongruities and slow-counting Ohio, is so last year. Photographs of Gluckert’s White House smile—-one atop his spread-eagle body, another in nothing but briefs and dog tags--are already steaming up the internet. On one web site he literally advertised himself as a “talkative . . . top” and rented himself out by the hour.<br /><br />So dust off your wide-screen TV and get current on your cable bill. Karl Rove’s lapdog is pumped up on steroids and digging dirt like a pit bull. Rest dear Deep Throat. Rest in peace.<br /><br /><br />© New York Gang, 2005.Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-1110658377019358512005-02-21T11:28:00.000-08:002005-03-12T12:12:57.020-08:00From the desk of CIA Director, Porter GossBy Kurt Opprecht, with Matthew Reiss<br /><br /><br />To Do List: Week One<br /><br />Finish memo for nominations to new Axis of Evil<br /><br />Pick up night vision reading glasses from repair dept<br /><br />Secure final details for “shooting date” with Rummy and Dick (+ find a new bp vest)<br /><br />Grab one of those Space Pens off Negroponte’s desk<br /><br />Mexico: Sleeping Giant! (Hispanic cells: El Qaeda?)<br /><br />Bigger flag for office<br /><br />Any good KGB agents left to recruit? (“Left” – Ha)<br /><br />Photo op with Paris H and Pamela A for anti-spyware ad<br /><br />Apply for trademarks: “Freedom” and “Democracy”<br /><br />Hollow out Bible for candy storage<br /><br />Start blog. (Working title: Daily Goss?)<br /><br />Squelching, squelching, squelching!<br /><br />MilitaryStud.com – unsubscribe<br /><br />Find Ukrainian dioxin soup recipe<br /><br />Download Pres. Medal of Freedom application form<br /><br />Arabic calligraphy practice<br /><br />Meet with Alberto on new “torture” definition<br /><br />Sign off on wiretaps for Planned Parenthood<br /><br />See about extending Barbara Boxer’s Guantanamo “tour”<br /><br />Remember: dinner tonight with Deep Throat at Novacs’s<br /><br /><br />-30-<br /><br />By Kurt Opprecht, with Matthew Reiss<br /><br />Copyright New York Gang, 2005.<br /><br />This commentary is available for publication. <br />Contact Kurt, at KurtOpprecht@rcn.com.Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-1110655682355846612005-02-14T09:26:00.000-08:002005-03-12T12:15:27.656-08:00Social Security: Sample Republican Constituent Letterby Kurt Opprecht<br /><br /><br />Courtesy of the House & Senate Republican Conference<br /><br /><br />Dear John Q. Public, <br /><br />Thank you for contacting me regarding Social Security. Karl Rove and the GOP messaging team have made this a priority issue, so it's natural that you're scared to death. <br /><br />Our bloated government is now paying the price for having funded Social Security on what is basically a pyramid scheme. In 1950, there were 16 workers paying into Social Security for every one beneficiary. But when younger workers retire, there will only be two workers contributing, one of which will be Hispanic. It's true that the Social Security Trust Fund is now running surpluses, (that's part of what's keeping the budget deficit as small as it is) but our own "accountants" assure us these funds will be depleted by 2042. Waiting until then would give liberals the opportunity to change the triply regressive Social Security tax base. That is why we are fomenting a "crisis" now. <br /><br />Blue state Democrats like John Kerry, Hillary Clinton and Alec Baldwin want our most patriotic citizens to fork over payroll tax on annual income over $90,000, and thus pay into to Social Security all year long like a minimum-wage waitress. That's the easy way out. From Christopher Columbus to Evel Knievel, America has been a land of adventurers and risk-takers. Shouldn't our government institutions reflect our adventurous nature? <br /><br />We must destroy Social Security in order to save it. Please support me and our very moral president in taking swift, resolute, and risky measures before Hollywood and the liberal media hijack the issue with their lies. I believe that creating personal accounts that allow our savvy workers to invest their own Social Security funds in fine companies such as Halliburton, Union Carbide and Monsanto will help distract attention from the funding issue. It's true that the transition to private accounts will cost trillions of dollars, but rest assured that this money will go into the private sector -- executives, lawyers, bankers and brokers, all of them patriotic U.S. citizens -- not the U.S. Government.<br /><br />The time has come to stop asking our Social Security System to be a huge safety net for America's old and crippled. I ask you, what good is a safety net if it's supported on the back of the American taxpayer? <br /><br />Heartfelt and sincerely,<br /><br />Member, United States Congress<br /><br /><br />-30-<br /><br />Copyright Kurt Opprecht, 2005Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11401926.post-1111682199821342702005-02-13T08:35:00.000-08:002005-03-24T08:36:39.823-08:00White House Gambles on Social Security Fixby Matthew Reiss<br /><br /><br />The White House today released its list of preferred mutual fund products for social security investment accounts. Taxpayers under 55 who wish to divert up to two thirds of their federal payroll deductions to market accounts are invited to assign such sums by checking a box on their tax returns. Participating firms include both major investment houses and some surprising returnees to the financial game.<br /><br />Storefront investment firms like Fidelity, Schwab, Merrill Lynch, etc. are expected to command the bulk of social security dollars as a consequence of their promotional savvy. The major firms’ government liaisons convinced campaign officials to make access to the nation’s retirement accounts a Bush Administration priority following a meeting in a 33rd Street parking garage during the Republican National Convention.<br /><br />While fiscal integrity is central to the administration’s choices, the White House has invited proven high tech fund managers, experts in offshore tax havens and emerging market managers to participate as well. “We’ll be watching them very carefully,” said Treasury Secretary Snow.<br /><br />The high tech sector will be anchored by Tyclone, LLP, (successor company to Tyco, LLP), World Con, (successor to World Com), and Con Enron--the merger of Enron and a group of low-country grifters. The administration included these bankrupt firms’ successors not merely for their recent growth histories, according to officials, but because ongoing federal hearings will save on exorbitant court filing fees for elderly pensioners who wish to recover benefits during their golden years.<br /><br />Con Enron will offer investors access to once-exclusive offshore partnerships, Chewco, Osprey and LJM Cayman; proven tax havens, yet to be pierced by federal prosecutorial appointees on loan from Enron’s Houston headquarters.<br /><br />Those who eschew the large investment houses, with their high overhead costs and expensive promotional budgets, in favor of lower cost pension strategies, should consider the newly emerging southern market—emerging mostly through parole or early release programs. Proponents of the Sunshine State investment vehicles have November referenda in Dade and Broward Counties to thank for the formation of such funds. <br /><br />Miami’s First Flamingo Fund has been heralded by Wall Street as a major event, while the class of adjacent Broward County’s new financial elite, Hoffa Freres, portends solid returns. Another Sun Belt operator whose quarterly skim has outperformed even its most dubious SEC disclosures is Silverado Hotel & Casino Fund, a subsidiary of Last Resorts International. Like the others, Silverado offers a Craps Fund and Roulette Portfolio, and a reputation for personal attention from their licensed investment croupiers. New Orleans-based Salon Rouge Partners, is making market in Chemin du Ferre, (the French Baccarat Fund), while Loan Star Enterprises is sole internet provider of the aggressive Texas Holdem Ranch & Prison Mortgage Fund.<br /><br />The president explained that by eliminating controls that restrict competition with financial products currently offered only on Indian reservations, America’s future elderly will be “well taken care of.”<br /> <br />-30-<br /><br />© Matthew Reiss, 2005Kurt Opprechthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04359864304024596180noreply@blogger.com0