Category: Books

The eye-witness report of what transpired on January 6, 2021, “The January 6th Report”

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NOTE:
The January 6th Report appendices on pages 693–716 can be accessed via the QR code below, along with the hyperlinks from the chapter endnotes and witness testimony transcripts.

Celadon Books and The New Yorker present the report by the Select Committee to Investigate the Jan 6 Attack on the United States Capitol.

The January 6th Report
On January 6, 2021, insurgents stormed the U.S. Capitol, an act of domestic terror without parallel in American history, designed to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. In a resolution six months later, the House of Representatives called it “one of the darkest days of our democracy,” and established a special committee to investigate how and why the attack happened.

As we all remember from our TV sets watching the mass protesters destructions of the Capitol, people and the capitol police getting into violent confrontations and being hurt. A coup attempt that was pattern from third world countries autocrats and military juntas dating back in the 80’s. Yet revived and somehow refurbished in the 21st century with the greatest nation on earth.

Celadon Books, in collaboration with The New Yorker, presents the committee’s final report, the definitive account of January 6th and what led up to it, based on more than a year of investigation by nine members of Congress and committee staff, with a preface by David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker and a winner of the Pulitzer Prize, and an epilogue by Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland, a member of the committee.

The January 6th Report is an easy-to-read, well-organized chronicle of the seditious plan to sabotage the peaceful transfer of power after the U.S. 2020 election. The Big Lie of election fraud is made clear, as is the true motive of it all and concludes on how it all points to the 45th President Donald Trump as brains behind this conspiracy. The report also details many other transgressions by Trump, and various lawyers (e.g., Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman) supporting his plan to have the election declared fraudulent, in order to continue as President.

At the end, years and generations from now when history is written and remembered. January 6 will be remembered as a day that we almost lost being a democratic nation and became a dictatorship. Come 2024, to be continued on what happens again on this presidential elections.

Electoral College, Election Meltdown on Democratic Principles

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Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy
Election Meltdown

Richard L. Hasen (Author) writes on his book, As the 2020 presidential campaign begins to take shape, there is widespread distrust of the fairness and accuracy of American elections. In this timely and accessible book, Richard L. Hasen uses riveting stories illustrating four factors increasing the mistrust. Voter suppression has escalated as a Republican tool aimed to depress turnout of likely Democratic voters, fueling suspicion. Pockets of incompetence in election administration, often in large cities controlled by Democrats, have created an opening to claims of unfairness. Old‑fashioned and new‑fangled dirty tricks, including foreign and domestic misinformation campaigns via social media, threaten electoral integrity. Inflammatory rhetoric about “stolen” elections supercharges distrust among hardcore partisans.

Book Description

Outlining the necessary steps to create an election process that is trusted by all, Richard L. Hasen describes the four factors most threatening the integrity of the 2020 presidential contest: voter suppression; incompetence in election administration; misinformation campaigns; and inflammatory rhetoric undermining faith in the integrity of elections.

The US Constitution cites on ArtII.S1.C2.1.2.3 Discretion of Electors in Choosing a President.

Article II, Section 1, Clause 2:

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

Quoting from Wikepedia.org.

The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and all persons voted for as Vice-President and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate;

The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted;

The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in the case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President.[a]

The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.[1]

American voters elect the President and Vice President of the United States indirectly, through an arrangement known as the electoral college system. The electoral college system comprises a complex mosaic of constitutional provisions, state and federal laws, and political party rules and practices.

Richard L. Hasen‘s book very much describes  the most threatening the integrity of the 2020 presidential contest: voter suppression; incompetence in election administration; misinformation campaigns; and inflammatory rhetoric undermining faith in the integrity of elections. With the misinformation campaigns started by the 45th President, and now the seditious fiasco combined with the same elected officials recently elected in the US Capitol, not only with this open to make new books written historically but this can be a demise of a political party.

Voters losing faith in the integrity of elections is one of the greatest risks any democracy faces. And in the long run when history is written the people that have connived will face the same voters again on their political future.

The congressional joint session to count electoral votes is generally a routine, ceremonious affair. But President Donald Trump’s repeated, baseless efforts to challenge Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential victory will bring more attention than usual to the Jan. 6 joint session of the Senate and the House.

The congressional count is the final step in reaffirming Biden’s presidential win, after the Electoral College officially elected him on Monday. The meeting is required by the U.S. Constitution, and includes several distinct steps.

The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. If there is a tie, then the House decides the presidency, with each congressional delegation having one vote. That hasn’t happened since the 1800s, and Joe Biden’s electoral win over Trump was decisive, 306-232. https://apnews.com/

The last time such an objection was considered was 2005, when Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio and Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, both Democrats, objected to Ohio’s electoral votes by claiming there were voting irregularities. Both chambers debated the objection and rejected it. It was only the second time such a vote had occurred.

The role of the vice president as presiding officer is often an awkward one, as it will be for Pence, who will be charged with announcing Biden’s victory — and his own defeat — once the electoral votes are counted. It will be especially tense for the former Indiana congressman as his boss, Trump, has refused to concede.

It can be long day of debates and discussions for the US Capitol on January 6 on this Constitution requirement as final step to reaffirm the 46th President and Vice-President win in the November 2020 elections.
In the end, the new President – Elect and Vice-President will be declared as winners, case closed.

“A hard-hitting critique of the American election process as timely as it is frightening. . . . Required reading for legislators and voters.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review -- Election Meltdown

Racism and Equality Continued

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San Francisco’s Market street tonight around 9 pm towards 10th St is chilly, quiet and calm. Walking by to stop by an ATM machine 2 blocks out I passed by about 6 people signifying it’s a quiet night. As I tried to grasp air on my face mask trying to scratch my nose over it, 3 of the 6 people I passed by were millennial white guys who look very fit and healthy. The only observation I notice was these men did not have even a sign that they had a face mask. The city for a while and the state a day ago has mandated facial coverings to be worn outside. I had to mentioned this as this wasn’t the first time in maybe the last week I’ve seen such guys who do not wear mask. Compared to Caucasian women I haven’t seen a single women who walked by me that did not have a face mask. They were all compliant as well as from Asians, Latino’s and Europeans that are seen walking on the same street. Even the homeless African american guys had some kind of face coverings from a bandanna, surgical mask or even a torn t-shirt. I started with this thought not to make a fuzz but to connect my train of thought today. Watching CNN news talking about the President’s executive order on protecting monuments, being on Mount Rushmore tomorrow to celebrate July 4 while I tried my brief pauses reading, https://affordablebookdeals.com/products/white-fragility-why-its-so-hard-for-white-people-to-talk-about-racism

The book talks a lot about distinctions caused by racism itself. Robin Di Angelo talks about prejudices between whites and people of color. I completely agree that people of color have prejudices even tendencies or racism and also discriminating. But it is fact that since people of color are minorities in the positions of power and authority it lacks the social capacity and influence. A good example is culture and economics. My parents came from opposite equations of society, My father’s family came from a low income working class while my mother’s family and descendants were affluent and privilege from Spain. My parents brought me up well in a middle class setting. However, while I was growing up I was able to compare both sides of the families. In developing countries like the Philippines the societal division is a big gap between the rich and poor. The so called political dynasties prevail for centuries coupled with systemic corruption for one. As many would say, the ideology will never changed. The point I’m trying to make is the rich and politicians are forever in power and in positions of authority which is why I said the ideology, the culture and even the economics will never changed.

It is true that a lot of white people may not even know that at times they can be prejudicial and the like. As a person of color to this day I still get the question of “Where Am I From”. I don’t get as offended nowadays but the fact is that 97% of the time it will be a Caucasian guy that would ask me the question. There are times it would even be right when he starts a question for a job interview. There are many facets of correlation on this question alone. An example would be if your an immigrant of color who considers America as home for decades and you get ask this question, some would even feel conscious thinking it must be that they have an accent hence the question was asked during a job interview. What I’m trying to say is a simple question can insinuate a lot of thinking for a person of color. Likewise, will this question be a usual common question asked if the person being interviewed was white? I don’t believe so hence. What I’ve done after sometime when this question arises is I would respond, “Why do ask? there was a time I even continued, “Why is it important?…This is what the author meant that we people of color most of the time does not give feedback and just hide our feelings even if were offended of the action like with this question.

Having had a black president was a start but 8 years is not enough. What needs to happen is that in both the public and private sectors to the non-profits to sports, music and entertainment industries people of color needs to be assign or elected in positions of authority and policy making. White dominance thinking is rooted as being majority in society. This is the fact to start the long road to equality and race.

The Last Straw in Avoiding Indictments

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60 hours from now the mid term elections of 2018 concludes in the United States.

Not only this is the most expensive mid terms in decades, it has surpassed the initial number of voters that had already voted compared to recent years. it’s predominant that independents turn Democrat’s and the youth ages 18 to 21 had the most numbers ever seen for the first time. In past years both these categories would simply not vote.

As we recall history no incumbent President had enormously campaigned as much as President Trump. This is because no incumbent’s party in the past had won The majority in Congress. This non traditional president as reported will try to overturn history as he tirelessly campaigned till the day of the elections.

By that time, it could be 70% of the votes has been cast. But is it really about changing history or it’s a strategy in avoiding what lies ahead in terms of investigations in the 2016 Presidential elections. What lies beneath the conclusion of the Special Counsel investigations awaits the fate of this President.

It’s not a question anymore that Democrats will will the House of Representatives. Whether they win or not the Senate, the turn to completely stop the non democratic acts of this President is inevitable. If they do win the Senate, the days of this future lame duck President is doomed.

This will be the time that how much great a businessman President is with no traditional political experience, gets to realized the actual realities of politics.

There are such fates in politics and the baggage that it carries that if you don’t have the experience to swim on it, you can’t simply say, “I will deal with it”. I’m sorry it will take the turn and deal with you instead.

As we await the conclusion of this mid term elections, let us reflect as a country of what is really needed in our daily lives. Is it Immigration or the Economy or is it having a paycheck increase on our hourly wage and really getting affordable healthcare as the paycheck deductions on medical, vision and dental is already 30% of that check which we could have used to buy food on our table.Fear Trump in the White House

Fear Trump in the White House

Russia’s Tampering – Return of History

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With the recent headlines in mind about Vladimir Putin’s maneuvering of the 2016 US Presidential elections reminds me of the book written by bestselling author, Jennifer Welsh

.  return

 The Return of History

Recalling the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 which I personally witness was very much similar to another political change in 1983 in a country like the Philippines when then Philippine President Marcos ended an era under a Martial Law regime by fleeing out the Malacanang Palace en-route to exile in Honolulu, Hawaii.

As author Welsh quoted American political commentator Francis Fukuyama about his famous essay, “The End of History”. The essay depicts the demise between communism and capitalism towards expanding the West Liberal Democracy towards the ideals of “progress”in history. In both of the above events, the breakdown of the wall during the Reagan years signified one of the greatest achievements of the divide between East and West Germany. Growing up in terms of living a couple of teenage years in Germany I can personally testify the mass disparity of income and inequality prior to that historic wall coming down.  At the same watching the news on the developments on the fall of the Marcos regime was very significant to the impoverished society living right at the wall of the Pacific Ocean in Manila.

The book illustrates the traditional barbaric and aristocratic way of a tyrant in this new millennium age by way of Vladimir Putin. The espionage and treason of course is local in Russia but the new cyber way and hacking which was seen in the recent US Presidential elections is a good example. Back in the cold war era it was of course more exemplified by warfare showing off military might. Today’s new tactics on spying, hacking, adware as well as internet viruses and attacks are just some of the most creative way of advance technology led infiltrations.

As Jennifer Welsh writes, ” Another way in which the West could re-examine its recent history and temper its triumphalism would be to look inward and reassess the health of its own political and economic model in this renewed era of competition with Russia”.

Indeed the  Soviet threat in arms takes a turn on a new form with regards to how the West should assess what goes on today and with the recent analysis on how Russia has played it’s cyber attacks during the recent US Presidential elections.

Alex Esguerra

Affordable Books

 

 

 

 

 

 

Affordable Books Mobile App now live with Google Play

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Can’t believe it’s been 3 weeks since we launched our first Mobile App “Affordable Books” with Apple ITunes.

A day after our 2nd Mobile App “Usedbooksworld” goes live on Apple ITunes, the Android version of “Affordable Books” goes live with Google Play Store.

With years of planning way right after Amazon kindle, the new roadmap of ecommerce with the emerging favorites of Shopify partners and the like just made bookselling finally going to the forefront of mobile ecommerce.

We are also happy to announced that our flagship Affordable Books On Line is finally getting mobile user friendly anytime now.

Books has not been a favorite years back by ecommerce platforms like Channel Advisor etc.  as for them there is no money made in the industry. With the domination of the mega book market places on selling penny books by the U.K. Third party drop shippers  the bookselling industry has been a non profit endeavor for pledging independent small booksellers. Such mega giants profit from their endless selling. Electronic fees and commissions. With that said even the so called antique and out of print next giants marketplaces followed through. Such places even reinforced themselves on controlling inventory and order management using FTP connection and the like where they would charge thousands merely listing 10000 books regardless if you made $25 of sales that month.

With this new mobile technology partnered with the emerging new ecommerce apps I am very optimistic that finally independent online booksellers can finally start to fight back and slowly gain back market share.

Hopefully, I am calling on the advocacy led by the American Bookselers Association to initiate these discussions on the upcoming Book Expo America at the end of this month at the Jacob Javits in New York.

To our fellow small independent booksellers, let’s grab the traction before the mega giants once again think of killing our growth.

Alex Esguerra

There was campaign confusion about Clinton’s first interview. Here’s how it really happened. – CNN

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https://apple.news/Abn9zP0PASfmXf1i5OjRwAw  shattered

Today when “Shattered” hit the bookstores, it almost sold out in a matter of hours from the shelves. This just shows how people are still trying to wake up to the reality that Hillary Clinton lost the November 2016 elections.

Lessons to comparisons from 2008 to 2016 in how Hillary tried to change her image yet still embarked on the same analytic online metrics rather than grassroots level campaigns which after all she and Former President Bill Clinton used to be sublimed experts in reaching out directly to underlying communities.

Having had the experience on seeing and somewhat involved in years of Presidential campaigns from the Reagan, Bush and Clinton years, Obama truly changed a lot of the mechanics of campaigning garnering armies online and social media.

In spite of this fact, the making of First Lady, Senator, Sec. Of State Hillary Clinton are still integrally image attached to the years pre-Obama. What does it mean? It’s simply that although data analytics online where indeed giving the numbers Hillary’s campaign wanted to see, the candidate should have more reach out directly with localism campaigns and direct contact. Hence, this was also trending in 2008 hoping that her concession speech then would have gotten more direction to her staff. So although a lot of us are still trying to decipher why she lost and keeps hovering on the Electoral College, grassroots campaigns electioneering might be a real factor why such a lost being tied to the making then of candidate Clinton.

So far what we know years from now historians will write about the first woman to achieved nomination to a US Presidential campaign and likewise her accomplishments will tie all what Hillary is all about. Yet as we know we haven’t seen the last of Mrs. Clinton.

My Life, My Love, My Legacy – Loretta Scott King

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My Life, My Love, My Legacy Hardcover by Loretta Scott King and Barbara Reynolds Hardcover hits the stores on January 17, 2017.

ISBN:9781627795982   Publisher:Henry Holt & Co

On Monday, January 16 we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King’s fight for racial equality, justice and freedom for all. This book will be released the next day as we go back from the Martin Luther King M<Monday holiday.

The life story of Coretta Scott King—wife of Martin Luther King Jr., founder of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, and singular twentieth-century American civil rights activist—as told fully for the first time, toward the end of her life, to one of her closest friends

As a widow and single mother of four, while butting heads with the all-male African American leadership of the times, she championed gay rights and AIDS awareness, founded the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, lobbied for fifteen years to help pass a bill establishing the US national holiday in honor of her slain husband, and was a powerful international presence, serving as a UN ambassador and playing a key role in Nelson Mandela’s election.

Coretta’s is a love story, a family saga, and the memoir of an independent-minded black woman in twentieth-century America, a brave leader who stood committed, proud, forgiving, nonviolent, and hopeful in the face of terrorism and violent hatred every single day of her life.

Born in 1927 to daringly enterprising black parents in the Deep South, Coretta Scott had always felt called to a special purpose. One of the first black scholarship students recruited to Antioch College, a committed pacifist, and a civil rights activist, she was an avowed feminist—a graduate student determined to pursue her own career—when she met Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister insistent that his wife stay home with the children. But in love and devoted to shared Christian beliefs and racial justice goals, she married King, and events promptly thrust her into a maelstrom of history throughout which she was a strategic partner, a standard bearer, a marcher, a negotiator, and a crucial fundraiser in support of world-changing achievements.

The book comes out just in time for the January 20, 2017 Presidential inauguration of the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump. It will be the historical farewell of the first African American President Barack Obama as he officially starts being Citizen Obama. The racial divide in America has still a long way to go yet Obama had set the progressive leadership initiatives following Martin Luther King. Obama while in office showcase racial equality in spite of the detractors he face notwithstanding the question of American citizenship.

Being a minority in the United States has it’s challenges yet the opportunities therein exemplifies that minorities are the best hard working employees and citizens as an asset to the land of the free. As we remember, Dr. King’s fight for racial justice and equality, let us focus as a nation what we have learned for the past 2 elections of 2008 and 2016. There’s so much work still needed in America that entails income equality as well as fighting for the individual rights of people living with disabling illness and pre-existing conditions towards Affordable Health Care. The AID’s initiatives for example way back during Coretta Scott King’s lifetime to this day still has a lot of open opportunities. During Obama’s presidency the National Aids Awareness Initiatives and Council were formed and assembled in Pennsylvania Avenue in response to the growing battle of the AIDS/HIV stigma.

Although today.HIV and AIDS are no longer as life threatening as in the 1980’s when it started, access to preventive, sustaining cure and research are still some of the biggest challenges faced in the health care industry. As we continue on the Washington politicking on the Affordable Care Act, a lot of patients needing access to medical care awaits their plight.

Coretta Scott King was an American civil rights activist, international human rights champion, author, the wife of Martin Luther King Jr., and the mother of four. Born in 1927 in Heiberger, Alabama, she died in 2006 in Rosarito Beach, Mexico.

Alex Esguerra

Affordable Books

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The Life and Rise of Barack Obama by David Remnick, A Review

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bridgePulitzer Prize Winning Author, David Remnick writes on the experiences on the first African-American President in 2011, a First Vintage Book Edition by Random House.

This book talks about Obama’s background, his Kenyan roots, the makings of a politico, the presidential campaign, his work as Senator from illinois including his votes during the Bush presidency. It ends in 2009 and beyond after getting elected as President. As we know one of the first things Obama had to work in his transition which eventually pave the way of history writing about one of his best accomplishments was the depth of the economic crisis and recession in modern time. He narrates David Axelrod telling him that “Things was plummeting” and “The skies were darkening” meaning it was a deep, deep recession. History will write what Obama achieved by not allowing the worst case scenario to happen when government stepped in with interventions to the banking, stock market and of course when the automotive industry almost collapsed instantly.

The “Affordable Care Act” which is one of the last signatures of the Obama presidency is currently a long discussion with different groups and the like. Health care and lack of insurance has been a constant issue in the United States and has been a long campaign with the various past administrations and politicians including First Ladies like Clinton. The fact is that there are so many people although still paying a hefty co-pay and dues who benefits from the Affordable Care Act. Hence, trying to read on Obama’s mind, it might be devastating for a signature achievement simply to be abolished after his departure in office. But it is the same reality how it started as there are so many uninsured

It began in March 4, 2007 when then junior senator from Illinois Obama was going to Selma Alabama for a speech. Obama had just launched his bid for the president in a few days enroute to confront his democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

It was a discovery time for the world as Senator Obama tells about himself, his background, his beliefs and his vision as President. It was a also a time “Race” played a big part being the first African American to run in the highest office. What was interesting was the polls capitulated on the African American community behind the candidacy of then Senator and Former First Lady, Hillary Clinton. A big fact was that a lot of that community was not familiar who Obama was. Hillary’s husband the former President as i remember during my time  with the APEC Youth spotlight had surrounded himself with so many african americans, friends, writers and the like. African Americans showed trust in Clinton’s campaign three times over Obama.

Americans. I believe as any politico does it, the word is “repeal” but the true action is “remake” so it will show credit to the new enactors.

Like Obama and past presidents, on the first days after being sworn as president, you start implementing the programs you promised during the campaign, the other party pushes back very hard. Over the years, the reality on the administration, the US Congress and the other parties pushing back causes a lot of consternation and drama in Washington as David Remnick wrote in the book. As people say, “This is the same mess traditional of Washington politics”.

I ended the blog this way in reference to newly elected President Donald Trump’s swearing to become the 45th American President in January 20, 2017. The promises on the campaign, the repealing of signature policies, enactment of new policies as well as the traditional scenarios and politics in Washington. It is too early to judge an incoming administration but it is also fair to say both an advantage and disadvantage for a non traditional politician and businessman to succeed the presidency of the United States.

In God We Trust, God Bless America.

Alex Esguerra

Affordable Books On Line