Yesterday I was at a parent meeting in regard to a play that my daughters are being cast in. Toward the end of the meeting one of the ladies up front awkwardly interrupted the director and handed her a cell phone.  There was a fellow parent in Hawaii on vacation.  The director looked at the phone and then somberly told us that apparently a “ballistic missile was headed towards Hawaii.”  Shock and disbelief immediately spread across the room.  We stopped what we were doing and all prayed for the protection of the people of Hawaii and that this might me a false report.

I immediately thought how does this happen?  North Korea’s Kin Jung-un cannot really be this crazy to launch a missile at Hawaii?  Is the missile conventional or nuclear?  What will become of the people of Hawaii and how many will be killed?  Will the President and then Congress have the courage to respond in kind against who ever launched the missile?

After the above thoughts processed I began to wonder why we were not receiving phone alerts and I started to go to the news sites on my cell phone and nothing.  I then began to think ok this must be a hoax.  Before I could confirm it to be a hoax someone from the back of the room announced it was a false alarm.  That brought much relief but the emotions were already there and not to be easily turned off.  Even one day later and when I read the articles about the event the emotions felt yesterday flow back to the surface.

So why am I sharing this with you? First and foremost because this event was a cold reminder of why Asgardians and the People of Earth must always strive for peace.  For 38 minutes the cost of war was going to be paid by the citizens of Hawaii.  It would be only the 3 ^rd civilian population in the history of man to be struck by a nuclear weapon. Today, videos have emerged and we get to see the panic in the streets and probably most haunting is the parent putting a young girl down a man-hole. She could be heard saying “I don’t want to go down there.”  The sheer loss of life would be staggering, the injured and dying would be heart breaking beyond measure.  How would we be able to care for all of them and at some point start the healing process? How do we feed and house that number of people.  Radiation sickness would have lasted for generations.  Many generations of children would be born with birth defects due to mothers and fathers being exposed to radiation.

The above paragraph should always be in the minds of our government leaders as they carryout domestic and foreign affairs. We are one people; human beings bleeding red blood.  The universal desire of all people is to live in peace, to be able to provide for one’s self and family.  To help our neighbor when needed and to be helped when needed.  I believe this to be the universal desire of men and women all over the world regardless of skin color or nationality.  These are the ideals we should be working for and with this guiding principle we should be able to achieve a lasting peace and prosperity (as I just defined in this paragraph) for all.

Asgardia, One People and One Vision. Together We Can.

Candidate For Parliament:

https://asgardia.space/en/blog/22849-candidate-for-parliament/

Today I want to reflect on a certain magazine’s Person of the Year, “The Silence Breakers.”  Here in the United States Hollywood and news outlets are being rocked by the exposure of powerful mean allegedly sexually harassing women with whom they have power over in the workplace.  Note that some of these men have admitted to their abhorrent and illegal behavior.  Victimized women are finally being heard as they speak out against alleged sexual harassment and in many cases sexual assault.  As I think back, I guess this coming out started with Roger Ailes and Bill O’reilly of Foxnews who resigned in shame after their alleged sexual harassment and multi-million dollar settlements were exposed.

From Hollywood the poster child of this sickening behavior today is Harvey Weinstein.  This has sparked a national soul searching as to the value we place on women within the workplace and what is the proper conduct toward women in the workplace.  Clearly this is not the first time the issue has been a part of the national debate and quite frankly I am shocked and disgusted at the behavior and particularly in the year 2017/2018.  I really thought we as a society had, particularly in the workplace, evolved to the point that we as males understood and valued women as equals and the unique abilities they bring to the workplace.  Clearly in certain segment of our society and in the workplace this is/was not the case.

In my younger years I worked as nurse for 8 years. Clearly nursing is dominated by women and some of the smartest and hardest working individuals I have ever worked with then and now are/were women.  It is of note for me personally I never faced any sort of harassment from my female colleagues during my nursing years.  It is a shame that women have to face harassment when it is a male dominated workplace.

Here is my golden rules for the workplace and male/female interactions:

1. If a man has any sort of power over a woman within the workplace there cannot be a relationship or pursuit of a relationship because you cannot guarantee that the woman’s participation is not coerced because of his authority over her.
2. We as coworkers must speak out when we witness acts/signs of sexual harassment.
3. Employers on an annual basis must provide the anti-harassment and equal employment policy to all employees.
4. Employers must develop a workplace culture that does not tolerate such behaviors.
5. Employers must investigate all complaints of harassment and punish severely if not terminate individuals found in violation of the anti-harassment and equal employment policies.

I believe these golden rules will serve Asgardia well.  Today I have focused on the plight of women but the above also applies, although to a much lesser extent, to men as well since the vast majority of employers are male dominated.

Asgardia, One People and One Vision. Together We Can.

Candidate for Parliament

Today I want to touch on one of the major tenants of Asgardia's three part concept statement by Dr. Ashurbeyli:

"Asgardia is also unique from a philosophical aspect – to serve entire humanity and each and everyone, regardless of his or her personal welfare and the prosperity of the country where they happened to be born."

How do I as a citizen of Asgardia demonstrate the concept of humanity towards my fellow Asgardians and citizens of the Earth nations?  After all what do I have to offer you might ask?  Back in 2008 I asked this same question.  The principle answer is:

"Do what you can within your sphere of influence."

Ok, what does that mean? For me it meant that back on January 27, 2008 I would take my personal funds  and open a KIVA account. KIVA provides micro-loans to individuals in developing parts of the world.

From the KIVA website:

"By lending as little as $25 on Kiva, anyone can help a borrower start or grow a business, go to school, access clean energy or realize their potential. For some, it’s a matter of survival..."

My micro-loan was to woman in Nigeria to help with her restaurant to buy a deep freezer so she could sell iced water and blocks of ice.  Since 2008 I have continued to lend knowing that I am doing my part to give back to humanity.

My 2017 impact is as follows:

There are many ways to serve humanity and this is only one way of doing it.  Fellow Asgardian, how will you serve humanity?

Asgardia, One People and One Vision. Together We Can.

https://asgardia.space/en/blog/22849-candidate-for-parliament/

Today I want to touch on one of the major tenants of Asgardia's three part concept statement by Dr. Ashurbeyli:

"Asgardia is also unique from a philosophical aspect – to serve entire humanity and each and everyone, regardless of his or her personal welfare and the prosperity of the country where they happened to be born."

How do I as a citizen of Asgardia demonstrate the concept of humanity towards my fellow Asgardians and citizens of the Earth nations?  After all what do I have to offer you might ask?  Back in 2008 I asked this same question.  The principle answer is:

"Do what you can within your sphere of influence."

Ok, what does that mean? For me it meant that back on January 27, 2008 I would take my personal funds  and open a KIVA account. KIVA provides micro-loans to individuals in developing parts of the world.

From the KIVA website:

"By lending as little as $25 on Kiva, anyone can help a borrower start or grow a business, go to school, access clean energy or realize their potential. For some, it’s a matter of survival..."

My micro-loan was to woman in Nigeria to help with her restaurant to buy a deep freezer so she could sell iced water and blocks of ice.  Since 2008 I have continued to lend knowing that I am doing my part to give back to humanity.

My 2017 impact is as follows:

There are many ways to serve humanity and this in one way of doing it.  Fellow Asgardian, how will you serve humanity?

Asgardia, One People and One Vision. Together We Can.

https://asgardia.space/en/blog/22849-candidate-for-parliament/

We have seen in the past week protest spreading across Iran.  The young people of Iran are rising up against their theocratic rulers who have imposed a harsh style of Sharia Law upon the country and have garnered the lion's share of the country's resources for themselves while the everyday citizen struggles to provide for the family.

Foxnews.com sums up the problem as follows:

"...the rapid rise of the cost of living, rampant government corruption, and deteriorating human rights situation have brought things to a head."

DailMail.com contrast the dichotomy faced by everyday Iranians:

"This leaves poor Iranians asking why their rulers can afford to subsidise allied regimes like that of the Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad, and send troops to help fight his enemies, but insist on [them] putting up [with high] food and fuel prices at home."

The president of Iran recently stated that the Iranian are free to protest, disagree and criticize but at the same time the government has blocked access to social media which the people are using to organize and even worse it has been reported that the security forces have killed approximately 13 protesters.  These are the hallmarks of an oppressive government.

I call on the Iranian government to allow the democratic process to play out with freedom of speech and no violence from the security forces and let the people decide their future whether they choose to continue as an Islamic Republic or as a Secular government.  I specifically hope that the future is an Iranian government for the people and by the people.  A Secular government offers the best opportunity for ALL the different people of Iran.

I am thankful that Asgardia understands the importance of a Secular government and personal freedoms to include Freedom of Religion which are all enshrined within the Asgardian Constitution.  My heart is with the Iranian people who are struggling for a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to themselves and their Posterity.

https://asgardia.space/en/user/6562/profile/view/

A brief missive to ring in the new year.

I would like to extend a heart felt Happy New Year's to all peoples of the Earth and particularly the citizens of Asgardia.  Year 1 (0001 AGC) of Asgardia has been a momentous year with our founding by the Head of Nation, Igor Ashurbeyli.  One of the most impressive is that we had an explosion in population which ranks us the 174th largest country on the earth with a current population of 164,547.  Contrast that with what I believe is the smallest nation that is a member of the United Nations, the country of Tuvalu, which has a population of only 11,097.  Tuvalu is ranked as the 198th largest country on the Earth.

So what the previous paragraph clearly shows is that Asgardia is more than viable as a recognized nation and member of the United Nations.  There is still much work to be done as you can see in the quote below of the Head of Nation as he outlines the goals for year 2 (0002 AGC) of Asgardia.

"I am sure that during the next, 0002 year in Asgardia, 2018 by the Earthly calendar, we will finalize the formation of all government entities, issue our own cryptocurrency, obtain universal ID cards and passports, and continue our existence as the first full-fledged, recognized space nation in the history of human civilisation."

While I am sure many things are working in tandem our highest priority is the formation of our government which starts with the election of our Parliament. Parliamentary election end on 9 March 2018 (12 March 0002 AGC).  For our two largest districts, English and Chinese, only 4.7% and 2.2% of their voters have voted.  In the other districts I have seen as high as 18% of the voting population have voted.  My challenge for you is that if you have not voted please vote and if you have voted encourage your fellow Asgardians to vote also.

A representative government can only be successful if the people it represents participates.

I am participating by engaging with blog post about the issue of the day facing our Earth nations (so we can discuss and avoid the same in Asgardia), voting and running for Parliament.

You can find my candidate profile here: https://asgardia.space/en/user/6562/profile/view/

Here in the United States police officers can use deadly force base on a thought or belief as in the case study below.  I am wondering if this is the case in foreign countries such as England, France or Germany?  I also would like to have a discussion about whether this is reasonable for police to be able to take a life because the "THOUGHT" they were reaching for a weapon.  In the case study below an innocent man was killed because the officer "THOUGHT" he was reaching for a gun.  He was unarmed.

There was another case where an innocent man was on the ground at gun point being ordered to crawl toward the police.  During this time the man was begging police not to shoot him.  At one point he reached for his pants and was shot and killed by police because they "THOUGHT" he was reaching for a weapon.  In this case and most likely the one above these individuals were simply trying to pull up their pants which is a reflex movement if you feel your pants falling.

Case Study: http://abc7.com/suspect-in-kansas-swatting-made-threats-to-abc7-in-2015/2841685/

"Officers responded to the residence, and when a man opened the front door police told him to put his hands up and move slowly. The man, identified by relatives as 28-year-old Andrew Finch, allegedly moved his hand toward his waistband.

Fearing that Finch was reaching for a gun, an officer fired a single shot that struck the man, who turned out to be unarmed. Finch was transported to a hospital, where he died."

My Position:

Police cannot use deadly force because they THOUGHT the person was reaching for a weapon.  Police should only be allowed to use deadly force when the SEE a weapon.  Most certainly I want this for Asgardian police.

After recently witnessing a small non-profit being victimized by an attorney and the courts I would like to open a discussion about Civil Court.  What occurred amounted to a shake down.

You have probably seen on the news stories about unscrupulous individuals and attorneys (and in the above case) the courts that go after small businesses and individuals that make minor mistakes who do not have the financial means to defend themselves.

In the case above even with a ledger showing that what the plaintiff (who happened to be an attorney) was alleging was wrong, the court still allowed for the case to proceed in civil court and refused to send the matter to Small Claims Court even though the amount in question was $700 to $800.  In that state small claims goes up to $25,000.

In the end, the above small non-profit was forced to pay the plaintiff and court cost just to stop the litigation!  The facts were apparently never consider by plaintiff or the court.  It was simply attack, attack, attack!  As a result the non-profit closed up shop in that state.

In Asgardia's Civil Law I would like to see that individuals and business that are injured be made whole as prescribed by law at the lowest level possible.  Plaintiff should be required to file at the lowest level of court that can address the matter.

I propose the following procedure for civil matters:

1.  Send a letter to the business or individual explaining the "injury" and the resolution requested and within what time-frame.  If the response is in agreement or negotiated to both parties agreement then the matter is resolved.  The period of negotiation will be at least initial notification, response, counter and counter response.

2.  If step 1 fails then matter them moves to a mutually agreed mediator or a certified mediator affiliated with the Asgardian Judiciary.  The mediator is required to be neutral and her/his goal is the get the two parties to agree to a resolution.

3.  If step 2 fails then the matter moves to the court of least jurisdiction.  If the value of the "injury" falls within small claims court then matter will be mandated to be handled and resolved in that court.  If the matter moves to civil court than the matter will proceed in that court.  The court must always remain neutral.  The appropriate discovery will be commence and the case will proceed per civil court rules.  Whether the matter will be decided by a judge or jury, the matter will proceed as expeditiously as possible.  The court will be required to bring the matter to resolution a quickly as possible.  A case will not continue just because either party has a vendetta or they/the court wants to show how smart or vicious they are by seeing how long they can prolong the case.

Case Study (frivolous lawsuits):

If there has been no physical or monetary loss, as in the case of frivolous Americans with Disabilities (ADA); such as a signs not being posted, not having an ADA sidewalk or wheelchair ramp; the default should proceed as I proposed above.  The resolution in step 1 would be for the business to agree to fix the problem within an agreed period of time.  The only fees due to the "injured" party would at most be the cost of postage stamps.

Goal:

The courts will not be used to financially ruin a business or individual via litigation (not judgement) cost.  The days of those with money using the courts as a weapon will be over.

I propose a legal system that allows for equal access by all parties.  For example, if a certain software company's legion of lawyers want to go after a mom and pop business the above procedures would limit how long the matter could be extended.

The mom and pop business would not have any fear of the cost of defensive litigation.  They would only have to consider if they believe they can win their case or not.

What do you think.?  Lets discuss.

Greetings fellow Asgardians.  I just submitted my candidacy and this is my first post.  I look forward to being a part of a positive history changing event.  We have the opportunity to change the course of humankind to a better future that is for all.  We aspire to a higher calling that accounts for all voices and particularly those who do not have a voice in today's earth bound societies.

As we embark on the journey, Asgardia as well as those that are privileged with serving in government, will make mistakes but more importantly we will listen and learn from those mistakes and become a stronger more united people.

I have not held public office in the past but I do bring almost 50 years of life experiences to Parliament if am elected.  Please see my Candidate Platform for my political philosophy and priorities.

Please feel free to reach out to me for questions and discussion.  Thanks you for your time and consideration.

Governmental Foundation:

We the People of the Asgardia, in Order to form the first extraterrestrial and a more perfect terrestrial Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.

The above adapted preamble to the United States Constitution embodies a timeless and all-inclusive standard of living that is basic to all humanity and extraterrestrial life that we will encounter in the future.  It is a unifying call to the spirit of every sentient life now and forever.

It is this spirit by which I shall serve the people of Asgardia.  I find the connecting thread of the above preamble in the words more, establish, insure, common, general and secure.  The pillars of Asgardian society are found in the words Union, Justice, Tranquility, common defense, general Welfare, Blessing of Liberty.

The arch of truth is found in the fact that the above code is vested in the people of Asgardia and not the Asgardian Government.  The purpose of the Asgardian Government is to ensure the above liberties while leading the nation into our collective future within the framework of the Asgardian Constitution.

Our Civic Duty:

While the above is the responsibility of the government and the collective society to the individual; the individual also has a duty to the collective Asgardian society.  This is embodied in John F. Kennedy’s statement of “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.”Each citizen of Asgardia is expected to be a contributing member of society.  We all come to Asgardia with different abilities and Asgardia will prosper as each citizen exercises his or her unique abilities to their fullest extent.  Any able bodied citizen unwilling to contribute should be returned to their Earth country of origin and stripped of their Asgardian citizenship.

The Economy:

I am not an Economist but one of the first issues that must be taken up is how the space nation is going to generate a self-sustaining economic engine to achieve our vision as articulated by our founder, Mr. Igor Ashurbeyli:

Asgardia, “– a global, unifying and humanitarian project. The project's concept comprises three parts – philosophical, legal and scientific/technological.”

We are currently funded by the personal funds of Mr. Ashurbeyli (and others), crowd funding and sourcing, and private donations.  I believe this can only sustain the space nation in its infancy and if we are to achieve our stated goals we must develop an economic engine based on technology and its derivatives.  Free market principles must be foundational.

Other candidates have expressed the need for a cashless society.  I fully agree with this sentiment but motivation and incentive cannot be lost in the process.  Without motivation and incentive there is no innovation.  Motivation and incentive must be present at every level of Asgardian society.  Obtaining monetary credits should not be the main goal of “Motivation and Incentive.”The main goal should be for the betterment of Asgardian society and our Posterity.

Health & Education:

I believe in, and support, universal education.Additionally, I support universal health care provided quality care with timely availability for access is present for all Asgardians at an affordable cost to Asgardian Space Nation.  There should be only one standard of care for health and education.  Those from Asgardian government and from the top to the bottom of Asgardian society receive the same education and standard care.

Ministry Committees:

In accordance with HoN's Decree 14 I look forward to participating in the following committees:

• * Citizenship
• * Foreign Affairs
• * Justice
• 
  

l will bring to the Information and Communications Committee my recognized persuasive writing ability.  I am noted for my ability to make clear and precise arguments and an ability to cut through the fluff and pull out the pertinent information.

For the Foreign Affairs Committee I will build upon the above persuasive writing abilities and leverage my exposure to many cultures during my years in the military, my former career in nursing and living in the multi-ethnic society of California, USA.  I have a life long interest in politics and I am fairly well versed on the major issues around the globe currently.  I will most certainly have an open ear to those who are actually living in or are much closer to the issue than what I have learn through the filter of the American media.

For the Justice Committee I have seen far too many injustices within the American judicial system.  As such, I have some rather strong opinions here.  Please visit the following blog post for my view of how civil court should function:

https://asgardia.space/en/blog/22678-judicial-reform/

For the above committees the foundation of my approach is my level headed and calm demeanor.  I have faced much adversity in my life and as such I have a real desire for justice and fairness for all and in particular those who do not have a voice or a means to competently access the judicial system.

My Qualifications:

Should I be granted the privilege of serving in parliament, I will solemnly execute the above philosophy in accordance with the Asgardian Constitution.  I will listen to your feedback before casting any vote or putting forth any final versions of legislation.

I feel I am uniquely qualified based on my half-century of life experiences.  During my earliest years I grew up poor in a small town in North Carolina, United States.  I faced individual and societal racial persecution.  In my mid/late childhood my parents placed a high value on education as a means for rising out of poverty and a better life.  This coupled with band in high school and exposure to others outside my neighborhood gave me a pathway out of poverty.  Upon graduation I joined the US Marines and extended my music career another four years.  This was my first exposure to other people and cultures outside of my small town.  Lifelong friendships were forged and cherished to this day. After the Marines, I joined the Air Force Reserves as a medical technician and served the next 16 years rising from a basic medical technician to enlisted leader.  During this time I obtained my License Vocation Nurse license and worked in Acute Care, Urgent Care, Home Health and as a Jail Nurse.  At my heart I am a technology person working the last 17 years in the computer field first as an Information System Technician Trainee and working my way up to my current position as an Information Technologist II.

Education:  I hold Associates degrees in Microcomputer Programming, Vocational Nursing and Liberal Arts.

My civic contribution over the years include serving as an Elder, Board member, PowerPoint and Praise Team member at  my local church.  I currently serve on the Board and Architectural Committee of our Home Owners’ Association.  I serve on the Board and participate in the local non-profit community choir.  In partnership, I created a non-profit organization that handles the finances of individuals receiving social benefits that are unable to manage their benefits.  I serve on its board and as vice-president.  I am responsible for the organization’s governmental compliance and taxes.  In addition, I own and operate a for-profit business serving the developmentally disabled.

I am married to a wonderful wife of 21 years who is an educator and we have two young daughters who are aspiring actresses and thespians.