M. Joseph Miller

(Re-Posted)

Ex-Met Dykstra files for bankruptcy protection

Updated: July 8, 2009, 2:51 PM EDT
Facing divorce, foreclosure on his mansion and lawsuits, former major-league star Lenny Dykstra has filed for bankruptcy protection in California, citing more than $31 million in debts.

Federal court documents show Dykstra filed for Chapter 11 status on Tuesday. He listed assets of $50,000 or less and liabilities of between $10 million and $50 million.

Dykstra, whose lifestyle included a lavish house, a jet and a Rolls Royce, says he owes millions of dollars to his 20 largest creditors, many of them banks. His filing follows at least two dozen lawsuits over his business and financial dealings.

Among those claiming they were owed money are Dykstra's brother, two private jet rental companies, a former lawyer and several former employees, according to a New York Daily News report.

Dykstra's wife is also suing him for divorce, and his $18 million California mansion is in foreclosure, the newspaper reported.

"This action will provide Mr. Dykstra time to reorganize his estate (and) successfully challenge the multitude of meritless claims that have been made against him," his attorney, Walter Hackett, said in a statement.

Dykstra, nicknamed "Nails" for his rough-and-ready style, is a former All-Star who spent 12 years with the Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies. He won a World Series with the Mets in 1986.

X-Sports.com

PRC

Still in the PRC, I take a bus, the only means of transportation aside from a bicycle out of Hunchun to the nearest city with air transport, Yanji, a lively and robust little city one would equate it to going to Las Vegas from Barstow or Bakersfield, the two later being Hunchun and whose U.S. equivalents’ are just as small and inactive. I was only in Yanji a few short days, but would experience one of my most memorable events, the first real taste of home in several weeks; KFC. Normally I don’t eat fast-food, but here in China, it was ambrosia. The festivities of the New Year in both countries have come to a close and the feelings of winter have subsided as I venture even further south by air through Shanghai, often called “Shag-high” by my friends because of how their Red-light and club district caters to Western foreigners. My destination, Xiamen, a lovely Oceanside city reminiscent of Los Angeles, Xiamen is an Oceanside city whose name means “Lower gate” or “The Gate of the Grand Mansion” and has similar weather and even an island near, similar to Catalina named Gulangyu, but nicknamed “Piano Island”. Piano Island has made its mark, many musicians are born here and those who are not, come to learn the instrument that garners its name. During the month of May, the island hosts a grand music festival.. Anyone who’s lived in Los Angeles or visited Catalina would say Piano Island has its similarities, although surely all would agree that Catalina has not contributed nearly as much to society or the arts.

After being in Xiamen for only two days, it was time to venture further out and across the water to Gulangyu or “Piano Island”. One can utilize either of the fun methods of transport to get to the island, either slow romantic ferry, or fast exciting speedboat, whichever method you choose, once there you immediately are reminded of the social standing of the surrounding area, or its tourist popularity because of the Mc Donald’s, KFC and Pizza Hut that guard the entrance to the Island. Contradictory to America, these fast-food outlets are considered rather expensive and regarding as fashionable eateries reserved for those who have a bit of expendable cash…oops Renmenbi, RMB, Yuan. Feeding a family of four at Mc Donald’s costs upwards of 100 Yuan. If you were to eat at a local shop it may only cost 24 Yuan, and the food would actually be healthier, including vegetables, meats and grains, the customary Chinese tea may be also be gratis!

A deeper look throughout the island ends your curiosity for more American transplants or nouveau-rich amenities as the remainder of the island is traditional Chinese culture including street performers broadcasting traditional opera and selling wears of old. Inexplicable to the islands namesake, no pianists, but if you listen closely; occasionally you could hear the faint sounds of melody or someone tuning in a distant parlor. My first experience of the Chinese Oceanside is had here, unlike in Europe or the Americas; there were no bikini clad women, but unfortunately for me I did see a few men in Speedos. Although the island seems more traditional than other areas, the cost of living here is not cheap and some who live here can actually sit atop their mountain and Oceanside homes and look down on the nearby mainland city.

West, East and in Between, A series of short travel stories.

They Call me Mr. Miller!

What does one think of when traveling across a nation with a 5000 year history? Considering I’m on a train and it has taken the better part of two days and one night….Everything. Traveling by rail is one of the few activities one can do that causes you to really think of what you are leaving behind, such as a beautiful woman standing at the end of the track waving goodbye and the things yet to come; good, bad or indifferent. Keeping in order with the topics shared there are a few differences in fashion, law and politics throughout China.
Bringing in the New Year of 2009 was spent in Las Vegas, the “City of Lights” or “Sin City” and since its only a forty-five minute flight away from Los Angeles, California, “The city of Angels”, I was able to enjoy the festivities in Beverly Hills as well. Born and raised in Las Vegas but educated primary in Los Angeles, I cannot understand why Vegas is “Sin City” and Los Angeles, “The City of Angels”. From my experience most of the sins taking place in Las Vegas occur on the weekends and are being perpetrated by those “Angels” from Los Angeles.

Ending the celebrations of the New Year in the United States brings me to China where it starts over again and in a big way. “The Festival of Lights” January 26, 2009. I start in a midsize but very active town called Harbin, in one of the Northernmost and coldest parts of China that is famous for its Ice City.

The entire town is lined with ice sculptures that would later be illuminated by the candles place inside and around them to celebrate the new year, much like the candles used in America to illuminate carved pumpkins on Halloween. Throughout the next few weeks I would venture further South through another city called Hunchun.

Hunchun is not as cold as Harbin, but it is definitely smaller and is the equivalent of Mayberry. I did notice something, although the town is small, the women tend to be very fashion forward, sporting the very French styles including the Shootie; later I would discover the reason…the town is dead! The towns’ only industries appear to be dining and shopping. The only semi-sporting activity I could find was a four lane bowling alley and of course no reputable Asian locale could call itself Asian if there wasn’t at least two KTV joints on each corner like Starbucks in Los Angeles or new York. That’s Karaoke Television for you unknowing.

This may or may not go without saying, this town has not experienced many foreigners with the exception of Russian Caucasians. Definitely not any of African descent, as I felt like Sidney Poitiers character Mr. Tibbs in the famed movie “In the Heat of the Night”, only they call me Mr. Miller!

Working Photo of Mr. Miller II.
Courtesy of Mr. Li shen, Interior Decorator

China Fashion Week March 2009

For some of us living day to day in what often becomes a boring and mundane existence, the opportunity to see a glimpse of a "fashion" show on E-Entertainment television can be the highlight of a day, for others, being next to the runway is the only way!

For this politico, legal eagle/fashion connoisseur turned part time GI on a full time basis, (don't ask!) it would only do but to be present at one of the Easts most coveted fashion shows during the China Fashion Week in Beijing, before possibly having to visit a less fashionable locale such as Afghanistan!

A while back while at a dinner in Beverly Hills I sat with the re-known Mr. Blackwell, who turned to me in the middle of the second course, looked me up and down and smiled. He then asked me two questions before making a statement that would ultimately change my life. "How old are you and where were you born?" After answering he responded by informing me that he had over forty years of critiquing the wears of the wealthy, the famous and not so famous, but most importantly, those who thought they had style, of course we all recall his "Best/Worst dressed list" that every year at every party and Hollywood event people clammer to be on the best end of and ofter shutter to be listed on the worst.

Mr Blackwell ended by congratulating me for having what he called a classic style and elegance that he has not seen in many years, not put together by some personal shopper or named designer, but obviously by someone who used his own emotion and history to dress himself, afterword The Mr. Blackwell gave me a thumbs up and added me to his Best Dressed list. I only knew him for a few short years before his death, but I will never be able to forget the man, who reminded me that when all others ask me to dress down or dress comfortable....I must remember that dressing up is in fact my comfortable. This leads me to follow and create fashion and bring style to those who would ordinarily never see it, feel it or wear it; the GI, or the politico, or just the everyday person, look for styles and combinations created by me as inspired by Mr. Blackwell. Oh yeah; hears to all who participated in the Beijing China Fashion Week 2009!

More than a bad day: Worries grow that Barack Obama & Co. have a competence problem

Not long ago, after a string of especially bad days for the Obama administration, a veteran Democratic pol approached me with a pained look on his face and asked, "Do you think they know what they're doing?"

The question caught me off guard because the man is a well-known Obama supporter. As we talked, I quickly realized his asking suggested his own considerable doubts. Yes, it's early, but an eerily familiar feeling is spreading across party lines and seeping into the national conversation. It's a nagging doubt about the competency of the White House. It was during George W. Bush's second term that the I-word - incompetence - became a routine broadside against him. The Democratic frenzy of Bush-bashing had not spent itself when a larger critique emerged, one not confined by partisan boundaries.

The charge of incompetence covered the mismanagement of Iraq, the response to Hurricane Katrina and the economic meltdown. By the time Bush left, the charge tipped the scales to where most of America, including many who had been supporters or just sympathetic, viewed him as a failed President. The tag of incompetence is powerful precisely because it is a nondenominational rebuke, even when it yields a partisan result. It became the strongest argument against the GOP hammerlock on Washington and, over two elections, gave Democrats their turn at total control. But already feelings of doubt are rising again. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid were never held in high regard, so doubts about their motives and abilities are not surprising.

What matters more is the growing concern about Obama and his team. The longest campaign in presidential history is being followed by a very short honeymoon.
Polls show that most people like Obama, but they increasingly don't like his policies. The vast spending hikes and plans for more are provoking the most concern, with 82% telling a Gallup survey they are worried about the deficit and 69% worried about the rapid growth of government under Obama. Most expect their own taxes will go up as a result, despite the President's promises to the contrary. None other than Warren Buffet, an Obama supporter, has called the administration's message on the economy "muddled." Even China says it is worried about its investments in American Treasury bonds. Ouch. Much of the blame falls on Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, whose appalling tax problems softened the ground under him before he took office. After his initial fumbling presentations, he became a butt of jokes on "Saturday Night Live," not a sustainable image for the point man in a recession. And still the market waits for his answer to the banks' toxic assets. It's also notable that four people lined up for top jobs under Geithner have withdrawn, leaving one British official to complain that there is nobody to talk to at the Treasury Department. Perhaps it was a bid to combat the Geithner blues that led Larry Summers, Obama's top economic adviser, to make an unusual appearance Friday in which he defended the spending plans everyone is so worried about.

Yet the doubts aren't all about Geithner, and they were reinforced by the bizarre nomination and withdrawal of Chas Freeman as a top intelligence official. It's hard to know which explanation is worse: that the White House didn't know of Freeman's intemperate criticism of Israel and his praise of China's massacre at Tiananmen Square, or that it didn't care. Good riddance to him. But what of those who picked him?

Which brings us to the heart of the matter: the doubts about Obama himself. His famous eloquence is wearing thin through daily exposure and because his actions are often disconnected from his words. His lack of administrative experience is showing.
His promises and policies contradict each other often enough that evidence of hypocrisy is ceasing to be news. Remember the pledges about bipartisanship and high ethics? They're so last year.

The beat goes on. Last week, Obama brazenly gave a speech about earmark reform just after he quietly signed a $410 billion spending bill that had about 9,000 earmarks in it. He denounced Bush's habit of disregarding pieces of laws he didn't like, so-called signing statements, then issued one himself. And in an absolute jaw-dropper, he told business leaders, "I don't like the idea of spending more government money, nor am I interested in expanding government's role."
No wonder Americans are confused. Our President is, too.

- Michael Goodwin

The Indian and the Snake

Some time ago I heard a story, a story of an Indian and a snake. I'm not going to post it here, but for those of you that find yourself inclined to do a little research, as i'm sure some of you spend more than enough time online, probably even dreaming about what could be or regreting mistakes, some even trying your best attempt at revenge. One must always remember that the only succesfull people in the world are those that dont stray from their intentions...they keep their mind focused, whether it be for good or bad. Sometimes even though we know better, we still make the mistake of doing what we were either warned not to or.... well just look up the story and maybe you wont be so inclined help the next snake. (Or did he even need the help in the first place?) I guess the moral of this story is, dont be the Indian...you will always get bitten! ;)

Too smart for her own good!

Charlotte, North Carolina
A lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars, then insured them against, among other things, fire. Within a month, having smoked her entire stockpile of these cigars & without yet having made even her first premium payment on the policy the lawyer filed a claim against the insurance company.
In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost 'in a series of small fires.' The insurance company refused to pay, citing that the woman had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion. The lawyer sued and WON! (Stay with me.)
Delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The judge stated nevertheless, that the lawyer held a policy from the company, which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what is considered to be unacceptable 'fire' and was obligated to pay the claim. Rather than endure lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000 to the lawyer for her loss of the cigars lost in the 'fires'.
NOW FOR THE BEST PART
After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had her arrested on 24 counts of ARSON!!! With her own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used against her, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning her insured property and was sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000 fine.