It's Memorial Day, Thank You For Your Service To All Members Of U.S. Military and Their Families, Message From President Obama, Wreath Laying At Roosevelt Island FDR Park & Jon Stewart

In addition to enjoying ourselves this Memorial Day weekend with a day off from work, friends, family and outdoor barbecues, let's also take a moment to remember the men and women of the United States Military who are currently serving our country, those veterans who have done so in the past and those who gave their lives.



 From History.com:

Memorial Day, which falls on the last Monday of May, commemorates the men and women who died while serving in the American military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, at least, it marks the beginning of summer...

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day because it was a time set aside to honor the nation's Civil War dead by decorating their graves...

More on Memorial Day from History.com, President Obama's remarks today at Arlington National Cemetery



and the wreath laying ceremony at Roosevelt Island's FDR Four Freedoms Park:

NYPD Pipes & Drums herald the start of our Memorial Day Commemoration. #Honor #MemorialDay #FDR pic.twitter.com/4EzOzOMXLV
— Four Freedoms Park (@4FreedomsPark) May 26, 2014

Memorial Day wreath at #FourFreedomsPark in honor of all those who have died in military service #HonorTheFallen pic.twitter.com/17OcthCWH2
— Four Freedoms Park (@4FreedomsPark) May 26, 2014

Thanks to @BenKallos for taking part in our Memorial Day ceremony. Here w Dennis Rodriguez, Park Ranger and Veteran. pic.twitter.com/Ml6bdYD9Yv
— Four Freedoms Park (@4FreedomsPark) May 26, 2014

The Daily Show's Jon Stewart reviews the Veteran's Hospital Health Care issue

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and reminds us how veterans have been treated after every war.

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UPDATE 11:30 PM - Video of Roosevelt Island FDR Four Freedoms Park Memorial Day Wreath Laying Ceremony with NYC Council Member Ben Kallos, NYPD Pipe & Drum Band and Veteran/FDR Park Ranger Dennis Rodriguez

Jon Stewart Learns Of An Invisible President Obama Seen Only By Republicans, Stephen Colbert on Paul Ryan's Convention Speech And Obama's America 2016 Movie Scenes Filmed From Roosevelt Island Tram

I have know idea why but scenes for the trailer of the anti-President Obama movie Obama's America 2016 were filmed from the Roosevelt Island Tram. Here's the trailer.

You Tube Video of Obama's America 2016 Trailer

Returning to the reality based universe, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert review the 2012 Republican Convention. Jon Stewart discovers that there is a President Obama that only Republicans can see

and  Stephen Colbert on Paul Ryan's blatant lying.

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Here's are the Republican Convention Speeches of Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan and Clint Eastwood. The Democratic Party Convention starts tomorrow.

Mitt Romney Picks Paul Ryan As Republican Vice Presidential Candidate - Jon Stewart Ridicules Fox News And Mitt Romney For Distorting President's Obama's Remarks on "You Didn't Build That"

Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney today selected Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan to be his Vice Presidential running mate. Here's the announcement.



Nate Silver's NY Times 538 blog had this to say about Governor Romney's selection of Congressman Ryan as the Republican Vice Presidential candidate:

... When a prudent candidate like Mitt Romney picks someone like Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin as his running mate, it suggests that he felt he held a losing position against President Obama. The theme that Mr. Romney’s campaign has emphasized for months and months — that the president has failed as an economic leader — may have persuaded 47 or 48 or 49 percent of voters to back him, he seems to have concluded. But not 50.1 percent of them, and not enough for Mr. Romney to secure 270 electoral votes.

That reading may be correct. National polls tell different stories about the state of the race — but most have Mr. Obama ahead. Polls of swing states have been a bit more consistent. In states like Ohio, Mr. Obama’s lead has been small — but it has been steady and stubborn....

Click here for the entire 538 post.

Folks over at National Review are very happy at the selection:

Governor Romney has made an inspired choice. Paul Ryan will make an excellent running mate and, if elected, vice president. What is most gratifying about the decision is, however, what it says about Romney himself.

Romney could have decided to run a vague and vacuous campaign based on the idea that the public would default to the out party in a bad economy. By selecting Ryan, he has ensured that the campaign will instead to a significant degree be about a conservative governing agenda....

The Daily Show's Jon Stewart had this to say about the You Didn't Build That Distortions.


Only 87 more days left until the November 6 Presidential election.

With A Tip Of The Hat To Jon Stewart, Here's A Roosevelt Island Moment of Zen

You Tube Video of Roosevelt Island Moment of Zen

More Zen-A-Day Moments here and from Jon Stewart as well.

Take a deep breath now.

Feel better?

Jon Stewart Ties Rupert Murdoch And Fox News To Terrorism

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Why is it that a comedian makes more sense out of this issue than all the talking head pundits and politicians?

Bill O'Reilly On Jon Stewart's Daily Show - Ozzie & Harriet Versus Greenwich Village?

Did you see The Daily Show last night? Bill O'Reilly was Jon Stewart's guest and the exchange between the two was very, very funny. Both men presented their views well although I tend to agree with Stewart's "prism of rational thought" and "Greenwich Village" opinion rather than O'Reilly's traditionalism and Ozzie & Harriet world view.

Best line of the show was when Stewart, in response to O'Reilly's description of America as a "traditional nation", said that the American tradition is a "progression of individual freedoms".



I would like to see more of Stewart and O'Reilly together. It would be very informative and entertaining.

McCain Disses New York City As Elitist, Daily Show Visits Wasilla Alaska In Search of Small Town Values

You Tube Video of McCain/Palin discussing Elitism with Brian Williams

During John McCain and Sarah Palin's joint interview with NBC's Brian Williams, one of the Republican party candidates demonstrated great disdain for urban America, particularly our home here in New York City. Surprisingly, this time it was not Governor Sarah Palin, but Senator Maverick, John McCain.

Ben Smith of Politic0 has the transcript of this exchange:

WILLIAMS: Who is a member of the elite?

PALIN: Oh, I guess just people who think that they're better than anyone else. And-- John McCain and I are so committed to serving every American. Hard-working, middle-class Americans who are so desiring of this economy getting put back on the right track. And winning these wars. And America's starting to reach her potential. And that is opportunity and hope provided everyone equally. So anyone who thinks that they are-- I guess-- better than anyone else, that's-- that's my definition of elitism.

WILLIAMS: So it's not education? It's not income-based? It's--

PALIN: Anyone who thinks that they're better than someone else.

WILLIAMS: --a state of mind? It's not geography?

PALIN: 'Course not.

WILLIAMS: Senator?

MCCAIN: I-- I know where a lot of 'em live. (LAUGH)

WILLIAMS: Where's that?

MCCAIN: Well, in our nation's capital and New York City. I've seen it. I've lived there. I know the town. I know-- I know what a lot of these elitists are. The ones that she never went to a cocktail party with in Georgetown. I'll be very frank with you. Who think that they can dictate what they believe to America rather than let Americans decide for themselves.

I am sick and tired of hearing that living in New York City or any urban area somehow makes you less Pro American than those who live in the so-called heartland. or that small town values are superior to big city values. I agree with Craigslist founder and customer service representative Craig Newmark when he writes:

From my personal experience, I can tell you that pretty much all Americans have a common set of values, mostly derived from the same shared value. It's the notion that you should treat other people like you want to be treated. If you feel that, you feel that people should treat others fairly. We should all compete on a level playing field, and play by the same rule; that's how to get ahead.

Beyond that, people generally feel that once they've provided for themselves, they should give someone else a break. That's the basis for all philanthropy.

Sure, people make other decisions about values for lots of other reasons. However, our shared values unite us; we have more in common than that which separates us.

Jason Jones of Jon Stewart's Daily show visits Sarah Palin's hometown of Wasilla Alaska to find out how small town values differ from those in the big city and asks Sarah Palin's successor as Wasilla's Mayor to describe an average day.

Jon Stewart's Daily Show on Wasilla Alsaka

Jon Stewart Skewers Fox News Analysts Karl Rove, Bill O'Reilly, and Sean Hannity - Hilliarious and Another View On the Presidential Election

A reader of this post sent in another perspective on Sarah Palin's Speech, John McCain and the Presidential election.

I saw the Palin speech and it was terrific - kudos to the writers - and she's quite a performer as well. Aside from the abortion and gay rights issues, which most Northeasterners, including Republicans, can't stomach, their policies are solid. Because people can't see past the social issues(and they concern me deeply as well), many tune out the rest of the message. How good is it that even McCain the following night scolded his own party for their actions over the past several years? Perhaps the party did not stay true to its principles, and must be punished. But politicians never learn, and the Dems' big gov't approach is bankrupt, IMHO, and much of the country continues to agree. That is why every election, regardless of the scoundrels running, is so close.

Here is the text and video of Senator John McCain's Acceptance Speech to be the Republican Party Nominee for President of the United States from Real Clear Politics.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton Delegates United And Healed At The Convention - Looking Forward to Tonight's Acceptance Speech

Healing the Democrats with Jon Stewart and John Oliver from the Daily Show

Roosevelt Island's NY State Senator Jose Serrano is attending the Democratic Convention in Denver and blogging about it at the great New York political site, Room 8. According to Mr. Serrano, the Democratic Party delegates, including Hillary Clinton supporters, are united behind Barack Obama. From Room 8:

... From my vantage point – the New York Delegation seats – I was hard-pressed to find anyone sitting on their hands, or otherwise looking dissatisfied with the process. It's as clear as the Mile High air that Dems are united behind Obama.

Any hurt feelings over Clinton not getting the nomination, or not being selected veep, is red meat for the pundits, but hasn't exactly carried over to the mass of delegates (and we're the ones that matter most in this regard).

One telling sign: I overheard that some national reporters were scrounging around looking for delegates to get on camera and voice their displeasure with Obama. But they couldn't find anyone willing to do it.

At a certain point you have to ask whether a small segment of pundits go out and write the story / set the tone before they even take out their notebook...