The Steve Berryman Tentacle digest Dec 2007 to present
November 2, 2009
Voting My Conscience
Steven R. Berryman
The City of Frederick elections are now upon us, so it’s time to get your voting strategy together. Those stuck at simply “voting the party line,” will be at a distinct disadvantage in our municipal election tomorrow.
October 26, 2009
Tang and Teflon
Steven R. Berryman
With scientists as the new high priests of the 1950s we officially entered the “Space Age” in 1958 with the launch of the satellite Sputnik by our archrival in the world, the U.S.S.R.
October 19, 2009
The Heavy Time
Steven R. Berryman
Boundless optimism toward future prospects and possibilities used to mark the American Spirit. Now, we make zero-sum choices in our lives, sometimes with no good outcomes, and are lead by a president who would have us borrow wealth instead of creating it.
October 12, 2009
Manipulation Nation
Steven R. Berryman
The control of your future behavior on an epic scale is the goal by some that will make us “The Manipulation Nation.”
October 5, 2009
It’s “The Message,” Stupid
Steven R. Berryman
Freedom of speech may be relegated to the past, if the voices of our Founding Fathers are not re-remembered, and quickly. Some attempts to exercise our First, and most valuable amendment to the Constitution, upon examination, are really attacks on the message itself.
September 28, 2009
The Politics of Fairness
Steven R. Berryman
The greatest lie propagated on our children in public education today is that “fairness” will be a guiding principle in life.
September 21, 2009
Grass-Roots Betrayed
Steven R. Berryman
Much has been said on all sides in evaluating recent protestors in Washington, as well as in Frederick. Just what is a legitimate “grass-roots” uprising, anyway?
September 14, 2009
9/11 Rally Meets the Tea Party
Steven R. Berryman
The convergence of local politics with national is impossible to escape now, even to the casual observer. With the timeframe overlap between the newest “Tea Party” style rally, the observances of 9/11s “Patriot Day,” and municipal primary elections tomorrow in Frederick, the relationship between party and constituent becomes even more blurred.
September 7, 2009
Time Management
Steven R. Berryman
Should you not have time to read my columns, then make an exception and read this one now. “I just don’t have the time” sounds like a personal problem to me, and that attitude will not advance your ability to get things done in our zero-sum time of “no time.”
August 31, 2009
Plowing the Crowded Field
Steven R. Berryman
One reason for the poor turnout at municipal elections is a perceived lack of differentiation between the candidates. This year we also suffer the fog of a large field of aldermanic candidates for the City of Frederick.
August 24, 2009
Twitter Primer
Steven R. Berryman
The Twitter.com phenomenon is not understood. It has nothing to do with text messaging, and more to do with poetry and “forced pithiness.”
August 17, 2009
The Long Reach of the Tentacles
Steven R. Berryman
Having been on my “staycation” last week, I did not present my usual column last week. With so much transpiring in the meantime, here come some mini-Tentacles in an effort to catch up and to make up!
August 3, 2009
More-on Medicine!
Steven R. Berryman
Call me crazy, but I want to live longer, and into a fruitful old age. All events surrounding healthcare reform convince me of the opposite!
July 27, 2009
Why Take Back America?
Steven R. Berryman
To the uninitiated, the very concept of a “meet-up group” can be worrisome, and a bit unsettling. With much curiosity about our local splinter organization emerging from the original “Tea Party Movement,” I jumped into the fray last Friday night at the Hampton Inn’s meeting room.
July 20, 2009
Nags Head Vacationing Past
Steven R. Berryman
Forgetting politics and current events for a time, vacation is on my mind. One must only notice the missing traffic from Interstate 270 southbound in the mornings to fully realize this!
July 13, 2009
Vigilance Is Our Saving Grace
Steven R. Berryman
I deny that I wrote this column. The problem is that the technology exists today to record electronically the very keystrokes emanating from my wireless keyboard, and – that as it happens – in “real time!”
July 6, 2009
The Take Back America Rally
Steven R. Berryman
It was my honor and pleasure to bear witness to the first annual rally in front of the Frederick County Courthouse on the 4th of July. Not a “tea party,” it was about taking back America.
June 29, 2009
Cap and Traitor
Steven R. Berryman
The House of Representatives barely passed the first stage in President Obama’s “Cap-and-Trade” energy/ecology legislation late Friday 219-212. This, with the help of eight Republican traitors crossing over to vote, and having not read the bill, hundreds of pages of which only just became available at 3 A.M. on the day of the vote.
June 22, 2009
And Hippocrates Wept
Steven R. Berryman
The final form of changes to our current healthcare system, as is being pressed by our President Barack Obama, is still under wraps. A rational discussion of the ramifications for all concerned – including you – is an essential exercise now.
June 15, 2009
Stereo Daze
Steven R. Berryman
As complex as life and electronics are these days, I cannot help but look back fondly to my first big job and the consumer world of the 1970s, before computers, cell phones, and even home theater and large screen televisions.
June 8, 2009
Just Get Over It!
Steven R. Berryman
Finally, some answers to persistent probing questions as to what is apparently the death of the old two-party political system, and the promised bipartisanship of our Messiah-president. As stunningly simple as it sounds, no matter the issue or facts at hand, get used to “We won, you lost; just get over it!”
June 1, 2009
Not about Judge Sonia Sotomayor
Steven R. Berryman
Today you will be happy to note that I did not fill this space with the abundant fodder falling out from the nomination of 2nd Circuit Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the upcoming vacancy on the United States Supreme Court.
May 25, 2009
Toward a Workable Hair Care System
Steven R. Berryman
Government economists, in conjunction with the Obama Administration, have now decided we must tackle the struggling hair care industry immediately, even if this requires full nationalization of assets, as it is “too big to fail.”
May 18, 2009
Death by Technology Dependence
Steven R. Berryman
How do civilizations die? How do cultures die? How do people die?
May 11, 2009
Anticipating the Air Show! – 2009
Steven R. Berryman
Time to break with your hibernation from the winter blahs; stop getting upset about the politics of Democratic deconstruction and more illegal immigrants for a time. Andrews Air Force base, in nearby Prince George’s County offers the best air show in the region once a year, and it’s this coming weekend!
May 4, 2009
If TheTentacle.com were Facebook
Steven R. Berryman
Not being in the mood to write, blog post, or comment, I started to consider some plausible excuses for skipping my Monday Tentacle column for this week.
April 27, 2009
While you were out…
Steven R. Berryman
If you blinked at the wrong moment over the last few weeks, and rely solely on one part of the media paradigm for your news, you may have missed any of these following items. Not necessarily because of media-bias, but simply because we only have so much time and tolerance for added information in our lives:
April 20, 2009
Because Hope is not a Method
Steven R. Berryman
My name is Steve, and I’m a “right-wing extremist.” That’s how I would start an “AA” meeting if those letters stood for “activists anonymous!”
April 13, 2009
About the Net
Steven R. Berryman
What the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), once contrived to connect university research scientists to each other in the course of their daily work, has now become the world’s greatest tool, toy, and liability – our Internet.
April 6, 2009
Our ‘Apologist-in-Chief”
Steven R. Berryman
News of the demise of America has been greatly exaggerated. Alas, one would never know it, though, as President Barack Obama disgorged his political capital recently on the tail end of the G20 economic summit.
March 30, 2009
Print News and Information Wars
Steven R. Berryman
Printed newspapers are under attack. Many will not make it. The “gray ladies,” now printed expensively in color, are ending up still plastic-wrapped in your recycle bucket.
March 23, 2009
As the Worm Turns
Steven R. Berryman
Last week marked a watershed in the recent history of our newly transforming “Obamanation.” The anecdotal evidence was everywhere, although highly disparate, that what had once been hope, born of its own sake, was being replaced by a more healthy skepticism.
March 16, 2009
Where’s the “Ownership,” Mr. President?
Steven R. Berryman
During the election cycle of 2008 it became the standard rhetoric for candidate Barack Obama and his wife to distance themselves from the elements of what it meant to “be American.”
March 9, 2009
Twitter Me This!
Steven R. Berryman
In an age when the president is only now just picking up on the notion that his public statements and the stock exchange fluctuations are related and important, why is he inviting a business-celebrity from the social networking website, www.twitter.com to the White House for cocktails?
March 2, 2009
The Hijacked Presidency
Steven R. Berryman
“Now is not the time to be making a profit” was a line from a speech from President Barack Obama that included disgracing corporate CEOs for being successful. The arbitrary “Maginot line” of selfishness had now been placed at a half million-dollars in salary.
February 23, 2009
On Writing
Steven R. Berryman
Having many writers in the family, both close and distant, I have begun to wonder whether the urge to put pen to paper is an inherited trait, or a learned one.
February 16, 2009
What’s in it for me?
Steven R. Berryman
In my efforts at ever expanding personal open-mindedness, the other morning I went straight for The Washington Post to learn the well-camouflaged details of the final $787 billion dollar spending package, called “The Porkulus” by Rush Limbaugh, and “The Spendulus” by Laura Ingraham.
February 9, 2009
Big Lies
Steven R. Berryman
Famous lies of our time include: “The check’s in the mail,” “The computer is down,” and, “You can trust me.” The smaller lies – and, thus, easier to verify – are the hardest to tell and to maintain.
February 2, 2009
When the “Have Nots” Rule
Steven R. Berryman
With 40 percent of America having now achieved entitlement-class status, it stands to reason that the burden of supporting our welfare country is born by the remaining 60 percent of the citizens.
January 26, 2009
Theater of the Absurd
Steven R. Berryman
For those feeling unsteady and questioning their own sanity of late, fear not, as you are truly living through an experience akin to watching Doug Adam’s movie, “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” while listening to a Pink Floyd album.
January 19, 2009
So Far No Change
Steven R. Berryman
The observable operating philosophy of President-elect Barack Obama thus far comes to us in the form of a television situation comedy, as in an “Obama Knows Best.” It comes off as the blind requirement of our total trust.
January 12, 2009
The Benefits of Bottoming Out
Steven R. Berryman
Not all progress is linear in nature. As in mountain climbing, sometimes one has to travel down to get up. A glacial valley can lead to a better summit trail.
January 5, 2009
This Shakeout Year
Steven R. Berryman
There is really nothing overtly negative about encountering an economic shakeout period such as the one we have entered. In fact, what we will discover this New Year is that long-term national prosperity for America herself depends on a boom and bust cycle.
December 29, 2008
What’s in and What’s out for 2009
Steven R. Berryman
Every year we have major shifts in trends, policy, attitudes, and happenings. The 2008 / 2009 transition is no different, and is more important than usual.
December 22, 2008
Shopping and related thoughts…
Steven R. Berryman
What are you doing reading this column when you could be out Christmas shopping?
December 15, 2008
When American Cars Were King
Steven R. Berryman
American cars manufactured by the big three automakers are case studies of what not to do in a competitive environment. When engineering creativity and innovation fall by the wayside, what you get is a “car by consensus” aimed at the widest possible audience that – in the end – satisfies nobody.
December 8, 2008
Conversational Items
Steven R. Berryman
In absolutely no particular order, here are some hot items for your reading pleasure, just in time for that water cooler conversation or company holiday party.
December 1, 2008
Never Cool
Steven R. Berryman
As usual, family gatherings over the Thanksgiving weekend allowed for more personal interactions. I have three wonderful teenagers and have confirmed that the scrutiny and evaluation that befall parents at this critical juncture are surely unimaginable to anyone not experiencing it first hand.
November 24, 2008
A Saturday with the Sheriff
Steven R. Berryman
On Saturday I found myself waiting outside the Church of the Brethren for Chuck Jenkins, sheriff of Frederick County. He was late, but I don’t blame the man, as he is in highest demand during these troubled and newly formative days.
November 17, 2008
Befuddled in Frederick
Steven R. Berryman
What strange days we are living in. My sympathy goes out to those whose intellectual process it is to attempt to make sense of the world around them.
November 10, 2008
Election Post Mortem
Steven R. Berryman
Election 2008 is over. America now has a new president-elect, and an opportunity to evaluate just what Barack Obama’s victory means. Here are some lessons learned along with some 20/20 hindsight.
November 3, 2008
Predicting The Result
Steven R. Berryman
I have no crystal ball, but considering the events upcoming on Election Day, I feel compelled to prognosticate aloud. John McCain and Sarah Palin will be your next president and vice president of the United States of America. And here’s why:
October 27, 2008
House of Cards Burning Down
Steven R. Berryman
What had been “supply side economics” and the economic school of “rational expectations” is now both an experiment gone bad and a “Ponzi Scheme” exposed.
October 20, 2008
Voting Strategy for President
Steven R. Berryman
How can pollsters possibly get it right? Sampling and trend analysis, and picking the correct “target groups” would seem to be impossible efforts, based upon my informal surveys.
October 13, 2008
The Beginning at The End
Steven R. Berryman
This is The End. Not in the way the iconic 70’s rock group The Doors mean it. Not in a “depressing” way, but in another. This is not the beginning of “The End,” but the end of the beginning of a world economic reshuffling.
October 6, 2008
The People’s Will Not Done
Steven R. Berryman
The People to the government: “A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part!” Or does it?
September 29, 2008
Three Blind Mice
Steven R. Berryman
What do the president’s speech to the American people on Thursday, and the performance of both the Democratic and Republican candidate at the first presidential debate in Oxford, Mississippi, have in common? Answer: None of them acted with full candor and in a bipartisan way, as advertised.
September 26, 2008
Don’t Panic!
Steven R. Berryman
…With those words, and the threat of bipartisan congressional intervention, you may wish to do exactly that. Any rush to solution is certainly against the best interests of the citizens of the United States of America.
September 22, 2008
You Bet Your Life…
Steven R. Berryman
The market psychology of the financial investment world has now changed forever. What had been betting essentially on the fortunes of businesses will at least – for the short term – be replaced by betting on how we suspect the rules of the game will change.
September 15, 2008
A Bias About Media Bias
Steven R. Berryman
Last Saturday my attention was taken from Tentacle scribing and also from my other compulsion, posting comments to www.FrederickNewsPost.com, by their Ask the Editor feature, “The dark secrets of our political bias,” by Comfort Dorn.
September 8, 2008
Dressing the Moose
Steven R. Berryman
I’m loving the political jokes now: What’s the experience difference between Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama? Answer: Not much when taken in aggregate, but Governor Palin is a better ice hockey player and can shoot straight…
September 1, 2008
Waiting for the President
Steven R. Berryman
At least the conventions are a stepping-stone along the road to electing a new president, but here we sit, waiting. We wait for a president to solve our problems for us, as is human nature. Surely they will, as their speeches tell us so.
August 18, 2008
Counting Students
Steven R. Berryman
The argument continues: Let’s count the children who are from families that are not paying into Frederick County Public Schools so that we can get our arms around the problem of looming budget deficits.
August 11, 2008
T. Boone & Slim Pickens
Steven R. Berryman
What does a famous Texas oil baron do to ensure some personal legacy at age 80? He becomes an alternative energy activist, and starts a web site with a link to his own MySpace page, of course!
August 4, 2008
“Mega Trends” Become Non-Sequiturs
Steven R. Berryman
Seems like chaos rules anymore when analyzing the changing trends in world happenings and trying to make things make sense. Much of it just doesn’t follow, as in non-sequiturs. There are just too many data points now for old method.
July 28, 2008
Windows Vista and Beyond
Steven R. Berryman
When my kids convinced me that computers and the Internet were here to stay, I invested some time, mostly via trial-and-error, to set up a system of my own. Recently I sat back and took stock of what had eventually become the cyber-center of my organizational universe.
July 21, 2008
The Enemy Within
Steven R. Berryman
Vacationing in Bethany Beach, Delaware, took me past the iconic sub-watch towers, still positioned as they were during World War II, standing guard at the shoreline. These fortified cylindrical monoliths at one time dotted the East Coast from Maine to Florida, protecting our borders from invasion.
July 7, 2008
Firearms Clutching in Maryland
Steven R. Berryman
Having grown up with guns, little did I know that the politics surrounding them packed more energy than a .44 Magnum “wheel-gun.” Of course, that was when television came in over an antenna, was black and white, and afforded four stations of programming.
July 4, 2008
Modifying Lady Liberty’s Invitation
Steven R. Berryman
In search of straight talk about immigration law reform, happenstance found me at yet another “Maryland Thursday Meeting” in Annapolis. Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center For Immigration Studies (CIS) was the headline speaker.
June 30, 2008
A NAC for Social Progress
Steven R. Berryman
Last Thursday The Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC) Area 5 meeting for the residents surrounding the West End of Frederick, known as the “Golden Mile, headlined an appearance by the sheriff of Frederick County, “Chuck” Jenkins.
June 23, 2008
Ear to the Ground
Steven R. Berryman
Once again, awash in too much real news, here is a smorgasbord of the events I witnessed last week. You may call it “Short Takes 2,” as I keep my ears to the ground for The Tentacle and Frederick County.
June 16, 2008
The Unbearable Lightness of Being Russert
Steven R. Berryman
The loss by heart attack of Meet The Press host Tim Russert, especially after an excellent stress test recently, reminds us of our “unbearable lightness of being” on this earth. Friday the 13th, the date this shocked us, will have new meaning now and forever.
June 9, 2008
Dangerous Days
Steven R. Berryman
The anecdotal evidence has been building for many months. Now two top men are forced from positions of power in the United States Air Force for convenient reasons. Is our target Iran?
June 2, 2008
The Age of Online Animosity
Steven R. Berryman
The more that I follow the divisive issues of our day, the more I feel we are in “The Age of Online Animosity.” Righteous indignity is having a field day, and there is far more posturing than productive discourse floating about. This is especially evident on the Internet.
May 26, 2008
Short Takes
Steven R. Berryman
Here are some short takes on happenings and observations from the last few weeks. From a Diversity Festival, to an Air Show, to English as a national language, to the proposal for 2300 new Beazer “green” homes, things are happening at a fast and furious pace!
May 19, 2008
Energy Absurdities
Steven R. Berryman
How does one gage the pain level of rising energy prices on a household budget? When the price at the pump for gas at Sheetz hits $3.79 for unleaded regular, does that do it?
May 12, 2008
Anticipating the Air Show!
Steven R. Berryman
Time to break with your hibernation from the winter blahs, stop getting upset about the politics of Democratic deconstruction and more illegal aliens for a time. Andrews Air Force base, in nearby Prince George’s County offers the best Air Show in the region once a year, and it’s this coming weekend!
May 5, 2008
Our 10 Most Dangerous Concepts
Steven R. Berryman
It has been said many times over the last week that before we can solve a problem, we first must be able to identify it; and thus get our arms around it. In many instances, by the simple act of stating the outline correctly, one can be drawn to solutions.
April 28, 2008
Free Money!
Steven R. Berryman
Congratulations for being smart enough to be in the United States of America. Everything is free here. And when you run out of money to spend, we’ll give you some of that, too. In Frederick County, if you can’t read this, I’ll bet there will be a sign on a bus in Espanol repeating it soon.
April 22, 2008
This is NOT a Test! – Part 2
Steven R. Berryman
Now that you have been exposed to the various levels of potential hazards hanging over us all like Damocles’ sword in Part 1 on yesterday’s TheTentacle.com, the onus to take action now lies squarely on you.
April 21, 2008
This is NOT a Test! – Part 1
Steven R. Berryman
Your radio or television begins the strange squealing, coded sounds you have heard so often before. “Here we go again” is the first thought that comes to mind. Programming is instantly interrupted. In disbelief, the Emergency Alert System (EAS) continues with “This is NOT a Test!”
April 14, 2008
Charlton Heston: A Commentary
Steven R. Berryman
I would never pretend to write a biography or obituary for Charlton Heston, and certainly have nothing first hand to offer as does The Tentacle’s Roy Meachum, but I have been affected by his life and his death. And his work.
April 7, 2008
“1984” Predicts 2008
Steven R. Berryman
Enabling legislation passed by our Maryland General Assembly will allow Frederick to use red light cameras for law enforcement. Frederick is now one small step closer to becoming Montgomery County. Your accuser may be “Big Brother” instead of a police officer. Beware the trend.
March 31, 2008
The Semantic War 4000
Steven R. Berryman
Survey says: You don’t want to hear it. The 4,000 war-attributed deaths in combat were reported as a “milestone” event last week in our Iraq War. Why did one have to turn to page A-3 in many papers to read the story? Strange, as we are told by President George W. Bush’s administration that this is the defining issue of our day, even in light of the “recession.”
March 24, 2008
The Dilution of our Citizenship and Branding of America
Steven R. Berryman
Membership has its rewards! Just ask major credit card providers. Citizenship in America is much the same way. When we “brand” America, in the demographic sense, citizenship should be the upgrade, and it should not be provided with no strings attached!
March 21, 2008
The Importance of Being Obama
Steven R. Berryman
The media fanfare trumpeted the coming of candidate Barack Obama’s urgent speech on race relations. Surely he could turn the audacious comments of his own Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright to make political hay, or at least defray the intense criticism of him and mitigate the close connection.
March 17, 2008
Political Pornography
Steven R. Berryman
Just imagine that – in 10 years or so – you will be reminding yourself of just where you were and what you were doing when Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D., N.Y.) abruptly resigned his sacred office. Not!
March 10, 2008
Casa de Illegals
Steven R. Berryman
Historians contend that “Nero fiddled while Rome burned.” While The Maryland General Assembly is allowing time for debate on key issues such as the protection for “Doo-Wop” singers against copyright infringement, consequential issues like the current illegal immigration disaster fall by the wayside. Do we really want to hold a nationally infamous title as a “Sanctuary State?”
February 25, 2008
Words, Just Words
Steven R. Berryman
A presidential primary campaign is upon us now, much earlier in impact than in years past. The issues that are forced “off the table” are, in some cases, the ones that should be the defining ones. Shame on us for not forcing them back into the light of day for our proper examination.
February 11, 2008
Activist Frederick County
Steven R. Berryman
Great news! The System works. Activism is alive and well and living in Frederick County, Maryland. Where the system fails to work, it is fixing itself; and isn’t that what the system really is?
February 4, 2008
John McCain Facing Forward
Steven R. Berryman
The Florida Republican Primary contest is now behind us and it certainly was a watershed event. John McCain won large. Rudy Giuliani bowed out afterward despite having wagered heavily in that state, chock-full of retirees from New York. This may have been the arena where McCain’s age was a trump card. What does he face going forward?
January 21, 2008
From Walkersville With Bias
Steven R. Berryman
Advice from the publisher of The Tentacle, John W. Ashbury given to me recently correctly told me that “A pancake, however thin, always has 2 sides,” in reminding me to consider the aspects of perspective and fairness in my columns.
January 14, 2008
Lessons Learned
Steven R. Berryman
I consider myself fortunate to have witnessed the quasi-legal proceedings of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Inc.’s (AMC) hearings to obtain approval of a special exception that would allow them to build a 43,000 square foot convention building in Walkersville.
December 31, 2007
Citizens For Walkersville – Part 1
Steven R. Berryman
The true story of how a small agricultural town came together against a ridiculous land use proposition. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Inc., (AMC) chose my town of 5500 residents to build their International Convention Center, and upset our way of life.
December 17, 2007
Homeland Security Fails I-270
Steven R. Berryman
Commuters traversing the Frederick to DC highway corridor via Interstate 270 suffer the agony still falling from the 1956 Defense Highway Act. The overcapacity delays cause average speeds to be reduced during rush hour to 30 M.P.H., costing a total of six entire man-years of time to be wasted every day.
December 10, 2007
Jingoist Bells, Jingoist Bells…
Steven R. Berryman
…Jingo all the way. When did patriotism become a negative attribute of Americans, and why isn’t Pat Buchanan running for president in 2008? The advanced press for his new book, Day Of Reckoning, reads more like a campaign platform than it does a plot; his compilation of issues and proposed solutions leaves one feeling a patriotic sense of hope for us all again, so long as his warnings are positively received.
December 3, 2007
Side-Arms Showdown in DC
Steven R. Berryman
By upholding a lower court ruling, the District of Columbia gun ban could well be overturned with finality by the U.S. Supreme Court next spring. You might ask why this bothers both the NRA and The Brady Campaign.
20091102 sdosm Berryman Tentacle digest Dec 2007 to present
November 2, 2009
Voting My Conscience
Steven R. Berryman
The City of Frederick elections are now upon us, so it’s time to get your voting strategy together. Those stuck at simply “voting the party line,” will be at a distinct disadvantage in our municipal election tomorrow.
October 26, 2009
Tang and Teflon
Steven R. Berryman
With scientists as the new high priests of the 1950s we officially entered the “Space Age” in 1958 with the launch of the satellite Sputnik by our archrival in the world, the U.S.S.R.
October 19, 2009
The Heavy Time
Steven R. Berryman
Boundless optimism toward future prospects and possibilities used to mark the American Spirit. Now, we make zero-sum choices in our lives, sometimes with no good outcomes, and are lead by a president who would have us borrow wealth instead of creating it.
October 12, 2009
Manipulation Nation
Steven R. Berryman
The control of your future behavior on an epic scale is the goal by some that will make us “The Manipulation Nation.”
October 5, 2009
It’s “The Message,” Stupid
Steven R. Berryman
Freedom of speech may be relegated to the past, if the voices of our Founding Fathers are not re-remembered, and quickly. Some attempts to exercise our First, and most valuable amendment to the Constitution, upon examination, are really attacks on the message itself.
September 28, 2009
The Politics of Fairness
Steven R. Berryman
The greatest lie propagated on our children in public education today is that “fairness” will be a guiding principle in life.
September 21, 2009
Grass-Roots Betrayed
Steven R. Berryman
Much has been said on all sides in evaluating recent protestors in Washington, as well as in Frederick. Just what is a legitimate “grass-roots” uprising, anyway?
September 14, 2009
9/11 Rally Meets the Tea Party
Steven R. Berryman
The convergence of local politics with national is impossible to escape now, even to the casual observer. With the timeframe overlap between the newest “Tea Party” style rally, the observances of 9/11s “Patriot Day,” and municipal primary elections tomorrow in Frederick, the relationship between party and constituent becomes even more blurred.
September 7, 2009
Time Management
Steven R. Berryman
Should you not have time to read my columns, then make an exception and read this one now. “I just don’t have the time” sounds like a personal problem to me, and that attitude will not advance your ability to get things done in our zero-sum time of “no time.”
August 31, 2009
Plowing the Crowded Field
Steven R. Berryman
One reason for the poor turnout at municipal elections is a perceived lack of differentiation between the candidates. This year we also suffer the fog of a large field of aldermanic candidates for the City of Frederick.
August 24, 2009
Twitter Primer
Steven R. Berryman
The Twitter.com phenomenon is not understood. It has nothing to do with text messaging, and more to do with poetry and “forced pithiness.”
August 17, 2009
The Long Reach of the Tentacles
Steven R. Berryman
Having been on my “staycation” last week, I did not present my usual column last week. With so much transpiring in the meantime, here come some mini-Tentacles in an effort to catch up and to make up!
August 3, 2009
More-on Medicine!
Steven R. Berryman
Call me crazy, but I want to live longer, and into a fruitful old age. All events surrounding healthcare reform convince me of the opposite!
July 27, 2009
Why Take Back America?
Steven R. Berryman
To the uninitiated, the very concept of a “meet-up group” can be worrisome, and a bit unsettling. With much curiosity about our local splinter organization emerging from the original “Tea Party Movement,” I jumped into the fray last Friday night at the Hampton Inn’s meeting room.
July 20, 2009
Nags Head Vacationing Past
Steven R. Berryman
Forgetting politics and current events for a time, vacation is on my mind. One must only notice the missing traffic from Interstate 270 southbound in the mornings to fully realize this!
July 13, 2009
Vigilance Is Our Saving Grace
Steven R. Berryman
I deny that I wrote this column. The problem is that the technology exists today to record electronically the very keystrokes emanating from my wireless keyboard, and – that as it happens – in “real time!”
July 6, 2009
The Take Back America Rally
Steven R. Berryman
It was my honor and pleasure to bear witness to the first annual rally in front of the Frederick County Courthouse on the 4th of July. Not a “tea party,” it was about taking back America.
June 29, 2009
Cap and Traitor
Steven R. Berryman
The House of Representatives barely passed the first stage in President Obama’s “Cap-and-Trade” energy/ecology legislation late Friday 219-212. This, with the help of eight Republican traitors crossing over to vote, and having not read the bill, hundreds of pages of which only just became available at 3 A.M. on the day of the vote.
June 22, 2009
And Hippocrates Wept
Steven R. Berryman
The final form of changes to our current healthcare system, as is being pressed by our President Barack Obama, is still under wraps. A rational discussion of the ramifications for all concerned – including you – is an essential exercise now.
June 15, 2009
Stereo Daze
Steven R. Berryman
As complex as life and electronics are these days, I cannot help but look back fondly to my first big job and the consumer world of the 1970s, before computers, cell phones, and even home theater and large screen televisions.
June 8, 2009
Just Get Over It!
Steven R. Berryman
Finally, some answers to persistent probing questions as to what is apparently the death of the old two-party political system, and the promised bipartisanship of our Messiah-president. As stunningly simple as it sounds, no matter the issue or facts at hand, get used to “We won, you lost; just get over it!”
June 1, 2009
Not about Judge Sonia Sotomayor
Steven R. Berryman
Today you will be happy to note that I did not fill this space with the abundant fodder falling out from the nomination of 2nd Circuit Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the upcoming vacancy on the United States Supreme Court.
May 25, 2009
Toward a Workable Hair Care System
Steven R. Berryman
Government economists, in conjunction with the Obama Administration, have now decided we must tackle the struggling hair care industry immediately, even if this requires full nationalization of assets, as it is “too big to fail.”
May 18, 2009
Death by Technology Dependence
Steven R. Berryman
How do civilizations die? How do cultures die? How do people die?
May 11, 2009
Anticipating the Air Show! – 2009
Steven R. Berryman
Time to break with your hibernation from the winter blahs; stop getting upset about the politics of Democratic deconstruction and more illegal immigrants for a time. Andrews Air Force base, in nearby Prince George’s County offers the best air show in the region once a year, and it’s this coming weekend!
May 4, 2009
If TheTentacle.com were Facebook
Steven R. Berryman
Not being in the mood to write, blog post, or comment, I started to consider some plausible excuses for skipping my Monday Tentacle column for this week.
April 27, 2009
While you were out…
Steven R. Berryman
If you blinked at the wrong moment over the last few weeks, and rely solely on one part of the media paradigm for your news, you may have missed any of these following items. Not necessarily because of media-bias, but simply because we only have so much time and tolerance for added information in our lives:
April 20, 2009
Because Hope is not a Method
Steven R. Berryman
My name is Steve, and I’m a “right-wing extremist.” That’s how I would start an “AA” meeting if those letters stood for “activists anonymous!”
April 13, 2009
About the Net
Steven R. Berryman
What the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), once contrived to connect university research scientists to each other in the course of their daily work, has now become the world’s greatest tool, toy, and liability – our Internet.
April 6, 2009
Our ‘Apologist-in-Chief”
Steven R. Berryman
News of the demise of America has been greatly exaggerated. Alas, one would never know it, though, as President Barack Obama disgorged his political capital recently on the tail end of the G20 economic summit.
March 30, 2009
Print News and Information Wars
Steven R. Berryman
Printed newspapers are under attack. Many will not make it. The “gray ladies,” now printed expensively in color, are ending up still plastic-wrapped in your recycle bucket.
March 23, 2009
As the Worm Turns
Steven R. Berryman
Last week marked a watershed in the recent history of our newly transforming “Obamanation.” The anecdotal evidence was everywhere, although highly disparate, that what had once been hope, born of its own sake, was being replaced by a more healthy skepticism.
March 16, 2009
Where’s the “Ownership,” Mr. President?
Steven R. Berryman
During the election cycle of 2008 it became the standard rhetoric for candidate Barack Obama and his wife to distance themselves from the elements of what it meant to “be American.”
March 9, 2009
Twitter Me This!
Steven R. Berryman
In an age when the president is only now just picking up on the notion that his public statements and the stock exchange fluctuations are related and important, why is he inviting a business-celebrity from the social networking website, www.twitter.com to the White House for cocktails?
March 2, 2009
The Hijacked Presidency
Steven R. Berryman
“Now is not the time to be making a profit” was a line from a speech from President Barack Obama that included disgracing corporate CEOs for being successful. The arbitrary “Maginot line” of selfishness had now been placed at a half million-dollars in salary.
February 23, 2009
On Writing
Steven R. Berryman
Having many writers in the family, both close and distant, I have begun to wonder whether the urge to put pen to paper is an inherited trait, or a learned one.
February 16, 2009
What’s in it for me?
Steven R. Berryman
In my efforts at ever expanding personal open-mindedness, the other morning I went straight for The Washington Post to learn the well-camouflaged details of the final $787 billion dollar spending package, called “The Porkulus” by Rush Limbaugh, and “The Spendulus” by Laura Ingraham.
February 9, 2009
Big Lies
Steven R. Berryman
Famous lies of our time include: “The check’s in the mail,” “The computer is down,” and, “You can trust me.” The smaller lies – and, thus, easier to verify – are the hardest to tell and to maintain.
February 2, 2009
When the “Have Nots” Rule
Steven R. Berryman
With 40 percent of America having now achieved entitlement-class status, it stands to reason that the burden of supporting our welfare country is born by the remaining 60 percent of the citizens.
January 26, 2009
Theater of the Absurd
Steven R. Berryman
For those feeling unsteady and questioning their own sanity of late, fear not, as you are truly living through an experience akin to watching Doug Adam’s movie, “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” while listening to a Pink Floyd album.
January 19, 2009
So Far No Change
Steven R. Berryman
The observable operating philosophy of President-elect Barack Obama thus far comes to us in the form of a television situation comedy, as in an “Obama Knows Best.” It comes off as the blind requirement of our total trust.
January 12, 2009
The Benefits of Bottoming Out
Steven R. Berryman
Not all progress is linear in nature. As in mountain climbing, sometimes one has to travel down to get up. A glacial valley can lead to a better summit trail.
January 5, 2009
This Shakeout Year
Steven R. Berryman
There is really nothing overtly negative about encountering an economic shakeout period such as the one we have entered. In fact, what we will discover this New Year is that long-term national prosperity for America herself depends on a boom and bust cycle.
December 29, 2008
What’s in and What’s out for 2009
Steven R. Berryman
Every year we have major shifts in trends, policy, attitudes, and happenings. The 2008 / 2009 transition is no different, and is more important than usual.
December 22, 2008
Shopping and related thoughts…
Steven R. Berryman
What are you doing reading this column when you could be out Christmas shopping?
December 15, 2008
When American Cars Were King
Steven R. Berryman
American cars manufactured by the big three automakers are case studies of what not to do in a competitive environment. When engineering creativity and innovation fall by the wayside, what you get is a “car by consensus” aimed at the widest possible audience that – in the end – satisfies nobody.
December 8, 2008
Conversational Items
Steven R. Berryman
In absolutely no particular order, here are some hot items for your reading pleasure, just in time for that water cooler conversation or company holiday party.
December 1, 2008
Never Cool
Steven R. Berryman
As usual, family gatherings over the Thanksgiving weekend allowed for more personal interactions. I have three wonderful teenagers and have confirmed that the scrutiny and evaluation that befall parents at this critical juncture are surely unimaginable to anyone not experiencing it first hand.
November 24, 2008
A Saturday with the Sheriff
Steven R. Berryman
On Saturday I found myself waiting outside the Church of the Brethren for Chuck Jenkins, sheriff of Frederick County. He was late, but I don’t blame the man, as he is in highest demand during these troubled and newly formative days.
November 17, 2008
Befuddled in Frederick
Steven R. Berryman
What strange days we are living in. My sympathy goes out to those whose intellectual process it is to attempt to make sense of the world around them.
November 10, 2008
Election Post Mortem
Steven R. Berryman
Election 2008 is over. America now has a new president-elect, and an opportunity to evaluate just what Barack Obama’s victory means. Here are some lessons learned along with some 20/20 hindsight.
November 3, 2008
Predicting The Result
Steven R. Berryman
I have no crystal ball, but considering the events upcoming on Election Day, I feel compelled to prognosticate aloud. John McCain and Sarah Palin will be your next president and vice president of the United States of America. And here’s why:
October 27, 2008
House of Cards Burning Down
Steven R. Berryman
What had been “supply side economics” and the economic school of “rational expectations” is now both an experiment gone bad and a “Ponzi Scheme” exposed.
October 20, 2008
Voting Strategy for President
Steven R. Berryman
How can pollsters possibly get it right? Sampling and trend analysis, and picking the correct “target groups” would seem to be impossible efforts, based upon my informal surveys.
October 13, 2008
The Beginning at The End
Steven R. Berryman
This is The End. Not in the way the iconic 70’s rock group The Doors mean it. Not in a “depressing” way, but in another. This is not the beginning of “The End,” but the end of the beginning of a world economic reshuffling.
October 6, 2008
The People’s Will Not Done
Steven R. Berryman
The People to the government: “A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part!” Or does it?
September 29, 2008
Three Blind Mice
Steven R. Berryman
What do the president’s speech to the American people on Thursday, and the performance of both the Democratic and Republican candidate at the first presidential debate in Oxford, Mississippi, have in common? Answer: None of them acted with full candor and in a bipartisan way, as advertised.
September 26, 2008
Don’t Panic!
Steven R. Berryman
…With those words, and the threat of bipartisan congressional intervention, you may wish to do exactly that. Any rush to solution is certainly against the best interests of the citizens of the United States of America.
September 22, 2008
You Bet Your Life…
Steven R. Berryman
The market psychology of the financial investment world has now changed forever. What had been betting essentially on the fortunes of businesses will at least – for the short term – be replaced by betting on how we suspect the rules of the game will change.
September 15, 2008
A Bias About Media Bias
Steven R. Berryman
Last Saturday my attention was taken from Tentacle scribing and also from my other compulsion, posting comments to www.FrederickNewsPost.com, by their Ask the Editor feature, “The dark secrets of our political bias,” by Comfort Dorn.
September 8, 2008
Dressing the Moose
Steven R. Berryman
I’m loving the political jokes now: What’s the experience difference between Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama? Answer: Not much when taken in aggregate, but Governor Palin is a better ice hockey player and can shoot straight…
September 1, 2008
Waiting for the President
Steven R. Berryman
At least the conventions are a stepping-stone along the road to electing a new president, but here we sit, waiting. We wait for a president to solve our problems for us, as is human nature. Surely they will, as their speeches tell us so.
August 18, 2008
Counting Students
Steven R. Berryman
The argument continues: Let’s count the children who are from families that are not paying into Frederick County Public Schools so that we can get our arms around the problem of looming budget deficits.
August 11, 2008
T. Boone & Slim Pickens
Steven R. Berryman
What does a famous Texas oil baron do to ensure some personal legacy at age 80? He becomes an alternative energy activist, and starts a web site with a link to his own MySpace page, of course!
August 4, 2008
“Mega Trends” Become Non-Sequiturs
Steven R. Berryman
Seems like chaos rules anymore when analyzing the changing trends in world happenings and trying to make things make sense. Much of it just doesn’t follow, as in non-sequiturs. There are just too many data points now for old method.
July 28, 2008
Windows Vista and Beyond
Steven R. Berryman
When my kids convinced me that computers and the Internet were here to stay, I invested some time, mostly via trial-and-error, to set up a system of my own. Recently I sat back and took stock of what had eventually become the cyber-center of my organizational universe.
July 21, 2008
The Enemy Within
Steven R. Berryman
Vacationing in Bethany Beach, Delaware, took me past the iconic sub-watch towers, still positioned as they were during World War II, standing guard at the shoreline. These fortified cylindrical monoliths at one time dotted the East Coast from Maine to Florida, protecting our borders from invasion.
July 7, 2008
Firearms Clutching in Maryland
Steven R. Berryman
Having grown up with guns, little did I know that the politics surrounding them packed more energy than a .44 Magnum “wheel-gun.” Of course, that was when television came in over an antenna, was black and white, and afforded four stations of programming.
July 4, 2008
Modifying Lady Liberty’s Invitation
Steven R. Berryman
In search of straight talk about immigration law reform, happenstance found me at yet another “Maryland Thursday Meeting” in Annapolis. Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center For Immigration Studies (CIS) was the headline speaker.
June 30, 2008
A NAC for Social Progress
Steven R. Berryman
Last Thursday The Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC) Area 5 meeting for the residents surrounding the West End of Frederick, known as the “Golden Mile, headlined an appearance by the sheriff of Frederick County, “Chuck” Jenkins.
June 23, 2008
Ear to the Ground
Steven R. Berryman
Once again, awash in too much real news, here is a smorgasbord of the events I witnessed last week. You may call it “Short Takes 2,” as I keep my ears to the ground for The Tentacle and Frederick County.
June 16, 2008
The Unbearable Lightness of Being Russert
Steven R. Berryman
The loss by heart attack of Meet The Press host Tim Russert, especially after an excellent stress test recently, reminds us of our “unbearable lightness of being” on this earth. Friday the 13th, the date this shocked us, will have new meaning now and forever.
June 9, 2008
Dangerous Days
Steven R. Berryman
The anecdotal evidence has been building for many months. Now two top men are forced from positions of power in the United States Air Force for convenient reasons. Is our target Iran?
June 2, 2008
The Age of Online Animosity
Steven R. Berryman
The more that I follow the divisive issues of our day, the more I feel we are in “The Age of Online Animosity.” Righteous indignity is having a field day, and there is far more posturing than productive discourse floating about. This is especially evident on the Internet.
May 26, 2008
Short Takes
Steven R. Berryman
Here are some short takes on happenings and observations from the last few weeks. From a Diversity Festival, to an Air Show, to English as a national language, to the proposal for 2300 new Beazer “green” homes, things are happening at a fast and furious pace!
May 19, 2008
Energy Absurdities
Steven R. Berryman
How does one gage the pain level of rising energy prices on a household budget? When the price at the pump for gas at Sheetz hits $3.79 for unleaded regular, does that do it?
May 12, 2008
Anticipating the Air Show!
Steven R. Berryman
Time to break with your hibernation from the winter blahs, stop getting upset about the politics of Democratic deconstruction and more illegal aliens for a time. Andrews Air Force base, in nearby Prince George’s County offers the best Air Show in the region once a year, and it’s this coming weekend!
May 5, 2008
Our 10 Most Dangerous Concepts
Steven R. Berryman
It has been said many times over the last week that before we can solve a problem, we first must be able to identify it; and thus get our arms around it. In many instances, by the simple act of stating the outline correctly, one can be drawn to solutions.
April 28, 2008
Free Money!
Steven R. Berryman
Congratulations for being smart enough to be in the United States of America. Everything is free here. And when you run out of money to spend, we’ll give you some of that, too. In Frederick County, if you can’t read this, I’ll bet there will be a sign on a bus in Espanol repeating it soon.
April 22, 2008
This is NOT a Test! – Part 2
Steven R. Berryman
Now that you have been exposed to the various levels of potential hazards hanging over us all like Damocles’ sword in Part 1 on yesterday’s TheTentacle.com, the onus to take action now lies squarely on you.
April 21, 2008
This is NOT a Test! – Part 1
Steven R. Berryman
Your radio or television begins the strange squealing, coded sounds you have heard so often before. “Here we go again” is the first thought that comes to mind. Programming is instantly interrupted. In disbelief, the Emergency Alert System (EAS) continues with “This is NOT a Test!”
April 14, 2008
Charlton Heston: A Commentary
Steven R. Berryman
I would never pretend to write a biography or obituary for Charlton Heston, and certainly have nothing first hand to offer as does The Tentacle’s Roy Meachum, but I have been affected by his life and his death. And his work.
April 7, 2008
“1984” Predicts 2008
Steven R. Berryman
Enabling legislation passed by our Maryland General Assembly will allow Frederick to use red light cameras for law enforcement. Frederick is now one small step closer to becoming Montgomery County. Your accuser may be “Big Brother” instead of a police officer. Beware the trend.
March 31, 2008
The Semantic War 4000
Steven R. Berryman
Survey says: You don’t want to hear it. The 4,000 war-attributed deaths in combat were reported as a “milestone” event last week in our Iraq War. Why did one have to turn to page A-3 in many papers to read the story? Strange, as we are told by President George W. Bush’s administration that this is the defining issue of our day, even in light of the “recession.”
March 24, 2008
The Dilution of our Citizenship and Branding of America
Steven R. Berryman
Membership has its rewards! Just ask major credit card providers. Citizenship in America is much the same way. When we “brand” America, in the demographic sense, citizenship should be the upgrade, and it should not be provided with no strings attached!
March 21, 2008
The Importance of Being Obama
Steven R. Berryman
The media fanfare trumpeted the coming of candidate Barack Obama’s urgent speech on race relations. Surely he could turn the audacious comments of his own Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright to make political hay, or at least defray the intense criticism of him and mitigate the close connection.
March 17, 2008
Political Pornography
Steven R. Berryman
Just imagine that – in 10 years or so – you will be reminding yourself of just where you were and what you were doing when Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D., N.Y.) abruptly resigned his sacred office. Not!
March 10, 2008
Casa de Illegals
Steven R. Berryman
Historians contend that “Nero fiddled while Rome burned.” While The Maryland General Assembly is allowing time for debate on key issues such as the protection for “Doo-Wop” singers against copyright infringement, consequential issues like the current illegal immigration disaster fall by the wayside. Do we really want to hold a nationally infamous title as a “Sanctuary State?”
February 25, 2008
Words, Just Words
Steven R. Berryman
A presidential primary campaign is upon us now, much earlier in impact than in years past. The issues that are forced “off the table” are, in some cases, the ones that should be the defining ones. Shame on us for not forcing them back into the light of day for our proper examination.
February 11, 2008
Activist Frederick County
Steven R. Berryman
Great news! The System works. Activism is alive and well and living in Frederick County, Maryland. Where the system fails to work, it is fixing itself; and isn’t that what the system really is?
February 4, 2008
John McCain Facing Forward
Steven R. Berryman
The Florida Republican Primary contest is now behind us and it certainly was a watershed event. John McCain won large. Rudy Giuliani bowed out afterward despite having wagered heavily in that state, chock-full of retirees from New York. This may have been the arena where McCain’s age was a trump card. What does he face going forward?
January 21, 2008
From Walkersville With Bias
Steven R. Berryman
Advice from the publisher of The Tentacle, John W. Ashbury given to me recently correctly told me that “A pancake, however thin, always has 2 sides,” in reminding me to consider the aspects of perspective and fairness in my columns.
January 14, 2008
Lessons Learned
Steven R. Berryman
I consider myself fortunate to have witnessed the quasi-legal proceedings of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Inc.’s (AMC) hearings to obtain approval of a special exception that would allow them to build a 43,000 square foot convention building in Walkersville.
December 31, 2007
Citizens For Walkersville – Part 1
Steven R. Berryman
The true story of how a small agricultural town came together against a ridiculous land use proposition. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Inc., (AMC) chose my town of 5500 residents to build their International Convention Center, and upset our way of life.
December 17, 2007
Homeland Security Fails I-270
Steven R. Berryman
Commuters traversing the Frederick to DC highway corridor via Interstate 270 suffer the agony still falling from the 1956 Defense Highway Act. The overcapacity delays cause average speeds to be reduced during rush hour to 30 M.P.H., costing a total of six entire man-years of time to be wasted every day.
December 10, 2007
Jingoist Bells, Jingoist Bells…
Steven R. Berryman
…Jingo all the way. When did patriotism become a negative attribute of Americans, and why isn’t Pat Buchanan running for president in 2008? The advanced press for his new book, Day Of Reckoning, reads more like a campaign platform than it does a plot; his compilation of issues and proposed solutions leaves one feeling a patriotic sense of hope for us all again, so long as his warnings are positively received.
December 3, 2007
Side-Arms Showdown in DC
Steven R. Berryman
By upholding a lower court ruling, the District of Columbia gun ban could well be overturned with finality by the U.S. Supreme Court next spring. You might ask why this bothers both the NRA and The Brady Campaign.
20091102 sdosm Berryman Tentacle digest Dec 2007 to present
*****
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