Roger J. Burke
Roger Burke, author and freelance writer, currently lives in Queensland, Australia, from where he has published numerous articles and ebooks on the web.
In no particular order, Roger was a patrol officer in New Guinea for five years; has been an IT professional for thirty years; did sales for three years; is a self-defence and karate instructor, and has been one for twenty years; involved with website development/Internet marketing for ten years; and a family man with seven kids, over the last forty-five years.
He has a BA (Literature and Composition) from Griffith University, Brisbane, and an MA (Creative Writing) from Swinburne University in Melbourne.
He can be reached at mayapan1942(AT)yahoo.com.
In no particular order, Roger was a patrol officer in New Guinea for five years; has been an IT professional for thirty years; did sales for three years; is a self-defence and karate instructor, and has been one for twenty years; involved with website development/Internet marketing for ten years; and a family man with seven kids, over the last forty-five years.
He has a BA (Literature and Composition) from Griffith University, Brisbane, and an MA (Creative Writing) from Swinburne University in Melbourne.
He can be reached at mayapan1942(AT)yahoo.com.
Contact Information
Articles by Roger J. Burke
November 03, 2011
While in my teens I encountered the bold new world envisaged by Ayn Rand, a unique writer whose uncompromising philosophy is either praised or denounced by millions. No matter what, you can´t shrug her off even as the financial world teeters on the edge of collapse. A recent BBC documentary clearly shows why Rand is still relevant now...
October 16, 2011
Having crisscrossed the USA by road twice during my twenty year stay in north America, I got to see much of what is good and bad. Importantly, I acquired friends and, just quietly, a bit of an accent that many here in Australia can still hear. Well, friends should stay in touch, I reckon, ´specially in hard times. So, considerin´ the current level of global social unrest – the Zuccotti Park protesters, for example – I thought I should, you know, drop a line to Australia´s best friend in the White House, just to let him know how worried I am...
October 08, 2011
Is greed ever good? According to various religious principles, the answer is a resounding No! So, what will the Gordon Gekko wannabees do about the growing "mobs" – Eric Cantor´s off-the-cuff epithet – on their door step in Wall Street and other places across USA? Looks like American capitalism is in crisis, don´t you think?
September 02, 2011
A forty year career using computers and software has firmly convinced me that online gaming, social networking and artificial intelligence (AI) should be used with caution. While I´m no stranger to games, networking and so on, there are troubling aspects associated with constant use of such online facilities and their long term effects upon how we experience our own humanity. Here´s why...
August 14, 2011
Hurry, hurry, hurry - The Fight of The Century could be coming to a cinema near you. Yes - You! If you didn't get it on TV recently, here's your chance to get the lowdown on a fantastic plan to make a production out of it - provided the right director can be persuaded to do it. So, check out here a recent talk-around between a possible producer and scriptwriter...
June 11, 2011
BLURB: The quest for knowledge is one of humanity´s earliest drives. The benefits we all enjoy are a direct result of that quest, which is apparently never-ending. And, we started it all by asking a question, a word that has common roots with quest. But is it better to answer the question, or question the answer? Well, philosophically speaking...
February 20, 2011
The history of humanity continues with the struggle for democratic reform in Africa and the Middle East. Autocracies and dictatorships are now trembling and reacting, as expected, but their days are numbered, as are the ideologies of extremists. Let us hope the people win this momentous clash, as they should...
February 14, 2011
Language is made more colorful with the use of metaphor and even the occasional cliché. Too often, though, their overuse detracts from effective discourse, rendering it stale, unimaginative and boring. In the media today, there are some examples of overuse that border on the insane. Here are my picks for worst...
February 10, 2011
Many write to live. Others live to write. I count myself in the latter group. But, occasionally, I do manage to sell a few ebooks, now and then, to my niche market. If you are a writer, you´ll find here some chiastic quips about writing; if you´re new to writing, you might like the writing tips...
January 27, 2011
The NFL is under stress about visibly increasing player violence and the apparent increase in player concussions. There are calls for fundamental changes to running gear and rules. Those types of problems are easily fixed, I think. What´s not so easy to fix, however, goes much deeper into the whole NFL culture.
January 17, 2011
No doubt the mind of Jared Loughner will studied extensively over many years, with experts seeking to explain his motivations and the Tucson tragedy. Regardless of what they determine, finally, the fact remains steps must be taken to avert similar outrages. The place to start, according to one Tucson victim, is a serious talk about America´s culture of violence.
January 09, 2011
For many reasons, lawyers – although well regarded, more or less – are often the butt of many jokes: easy targets, like politicians, particularly. There is a trio of opposing forces in Law, though: lawyers, judges and criminals – each ripe for chiastic commentary. Let me show you...
January 02, 2011
Globally, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is increasing to dangerous levels. Too much of anything – even oxygen – can be disastrous for life as we know it. At the rate of increase, CO2 can only present greater danger sooner, if governments continue to delay action to impose carbon taxes. Who needs another planet like Venus, with an excess of CO2?
December 25, 2010
Chiasmus is, of course, a great conversation tool – at the appropriate moment. Hence, good timing is important when you wish to comment upon words or actions by others. Above all, you must know your audience, thereby allowing your audience to know you...
December 11, 2010
In a mixed society, one should certainly expect to see a balanced ethnic mix in sports – the arena where fairness is the sine qua non, for sure. Having followed the NFL for nearly forty years, however, I´m puzzled by this: I´ve never seen a black kicker or punter on any NFL team. And, the puzzle doesn´t stop there...
November 23, 2010
Chiasmus is a rhetorical tool for text, generally. It´s also used in movie scripts, often to great comedic effect or in heavy drama, as in war. From another perspective, however, chiasmus can be used to capture an essential or thematic aspect of what´s on the screen. Here are some examples...
November 13, 2010
The American economy is still reeling like an invalid. A new report from a Presidential commission has drafted a bold recovery plan. How can Congress come together to sell it to the American people? Here´s my take on the best starting point…
October 10, 2010
It´s getting hotter for everybody in Afghanistan, regardless of the weather. And the global rhetoric about the conduct of the war is reaching white heat. Will ISAF forces begin withdrawing come July, 2011; or will they stay? How about doing both?
October 07, 2010
Does the claim 'God is Love' make any sense? I've thought about it, on and off, for quite a while. And, recently, I had a murky dream about it. Or - was it a nightmare?
September 29, 2010
Of all human activities, eating is right up there with the most pervasive and important. Why else do we have so many cooking shows on TV, cook books for sale and so on? Well, next time you´re eating, try chewing on this...
September 15, 2010
We all like to tell a joke, or impress others with a witty saying. Some of the most famous examples have used a rhetorical device called chiasmus. Even if you´ve not heard that word before, you´ve probably seen it in action. Here´s why...
September 18, 2010
Withdrawal of combat forces from Afghanistan is planned to start in July 2011. Bin Laden, however, needs US and NATO forces in place to keep The Long War going, to kill Americans and other westerners, and to help maintain his call for jihad. If the withdrawal proceeds, I argue he´d be forced to act. Here´s one scenario to consider...
August 09, 2010
BLURB: Many believe God created humans – and Neanderthals, a very close cousin to us. If the good amongst us can get into heaven, surely the good Neanderthals are there already? A shocking question? I have others that are more so...
August 06, 2010
Is there more to the Times Square attack on May 1st, 2010, than meets the eye? In February, 2010, Dennis Blair, then Director of National Intelligence, asserted that it was "certain" a terrorist attack would occur in U.S.A. within six months. A lucky guess (but not so lucky)? A bizarre coincidence? Or...what?
August 03, 2010
The never-ending end game is now in sight, while the abysmal ground war in Afghanistan is winding down. Now enter the murky world of Blackhawk where the extreme fight against all extremists is gonna make Dirty Harry look like a school-yard Mommy.
May 01, 2010
People around world look to the U.S.A. as a beacon of hope. It´s been that way for a century or more. To what extent, however, are the shenanigans on Wall Street, and by Goldman Sachs in particular – the current bête noire - turning the dream into a nightmare?
April 19, 2010
A nuclear attack by an extremist group is possible, despite improved security and border protection, even though the probability is still relatively low. In the case of a gun-type nuclear attack, three crucial changes are needed to make that scenario totally impossible. But, what if nothing changes?
April 17, 2010
For a gun-type nuclear bomb, you need, well, a big gun. Where´s maybe the best place in the world where guns of all types are commonplace, and even de rigueur in some quarters? In actual fact, however, the U.S.A. is probably not the go-to place for any serious extremist group that wants a big gun. At least, not directly...
April 13, 2010
The United States has three long coastlines and two land borders to guard, with over 360 ports of entry. Not all shipping containers are screened, although Customs and Border Protection of DHS is slowly getting there. So, just how difficult is it to smuggle in HEU-235 uranium metal, the stuff needed for a gun-type nuclear bomb?
April 09, 2010
Nuclear attack within the U.S.A is still a fear. Global stockpiles of HEU-235 uranium and PU-239 plutonium are increasing. It is well-known that al-Qaeda wants to acquire nuclear material to mount an attack. This series of articles examines the current state of this worrisome situation.
April 02, 2010
Trust is one of the linchpins of society. For too long, the Catholic Church has abused that trust, allowing pedophiles to continue their heinous crimes against children. Without fundamental change, public trust will continue to slump. Something concrete and transparent must be done to reduce priestly pedophilia.
March 27, 2010
Where are Osma bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri? Who really knows? Who cares? More importantly, where will they move to, when their current location becomes untenable? There is only a limited selection of places for those guys, after all. Here´s my pick for the country of their choice...
March 24, 2010
The long trek to equitable health care in U.S.A. now begins. It's been a long time starting. But the effort by President Obama and the Democrats has paid off: just take a look around at all the new smiles on people's faces.
March 16, 2010
When we see SNAFU or FUBAR approaching, many talk of a 'train wreck' in progress. It's an apt aphorism, and we all love to use it.
Now, with the growing use of cell phones and other PED on all aircraft, it would be more appropriate to say: It's plane wreck in progress.
Unhappily, the odds are now better - and getting worse - that it will happen in the worst possible way.
May 15, 2009
Arthritis is a painful scourge that resists cure. That's what we're told, and have been told for years. For ten years, however, I've successfully eliminated the pain of osteo-arthritis completely and reduced the swelling to almost nil. You can too.
March 07, 2009
So little time, so much to do: while politicians talk about saving the world's economy, the situation just gets worse daily. Financial indicators, particularly the Dow, show no real sign of recovery. Soon, a tipping point will be reached unless the global credit crisis is resolved.
February 26, 2009
Capitalism, as practiced today, wreaks havoc upon the world. When the current fiasco ends, business as usual is not an option because we should learn from our mistakes, not repeat them ad nauseam. As a starting point, the fundamental tenets of business ownership in the capitalist system must be modified to drastically reduce the probability of another financial catastrophe.
February 20, 2009
Capitalism is in a two-fold crunch with trillions in bad debt globally and few banks willing to allow credit. Consumers have closed their pocketbooks, resulting in the worst retail downturn in forty years. Hundreds of businesses are retrenching or bankrupting daily. Something must change to save global capitalism – otherwise, the cycle will continue.
February 15, 2009
Those who advocate torturing jihadists are simply feeding the fire of extremism. Moreover, any information obtained under torture is almost certainly valueless. And nothing will change the use of terror tactics unless captured jihadists are deprived of their main goal: martyrdom.
January 28, 2009
The world recession is now over a year old. No end is in sight yet, and probably won't be for a number of years. The world's economy is staggering like a drunk with a hangover on the morning after. Millions of jobs are disappearing, as are dreams of wealth and prosperity. It's enough to give anybody a headache. So governments better watch out when angry millions with headaches decide that enough is enough.
January 20, 2009
Next time you hear somebody use the words 'pragmatic', 'pragmatist' or similar, you might want to ask for clarification - if only to make sure you both understand the same thing. Being merely practical - a synonym for pragmatic - is fine. It's when you get into the philosophy of pragmatism that things can get murky, dangerously subjective and even horrific.
January 14, 2009
We all use and abuse it. We all ignore it, when it suits. But, we're all slave to it, regardless of what we do. Yet, we cannot see it, touch it, taste it or smell it. However, although, we can hear Time tick away our lives, Time is probably "our greatest illusion".
January 06, 2009
So Bernie Madoff conned the con artists of Wall St and a few too many others? So, what else is new about the world? Greed and lies are part of daily life. So, always: CAVEAT EMPTOR. And you can trust me on that!
December 15, 2008
The USA is in crisis, financially and economically. With the potentially disastrous demise of the US auto industry, what can or should be done to alleviate the pain, if the Big Three close their doors forever? Can the US economy survive such an upheaval? Can the USA afford not to allow the Big Three to go under?
June 15, 2008
Since 9/11, the Bush administration has used the fear of another al-Qaeda attack upon USA as one of its linchpins to justify the Iraq and Afghanistan invasions, implement a whole range of security and border controls across USA, and a gradual restriction of personal freedom for all US residents. But, what is the evidence to support the fear of attack? This analysis suggests that attacks are more likely in other countries for the forseeable future.
December 19, 2007
I suppose there comes a time in everybody’s life when one begins to see the sands actually running down.
Time is of the essence, you keep hearing. Time is all you’ve got, say others.
That is, of course, if you believe that time actually exists; which, according to some sources, may not be the ...
December 14, 2007
This is a true story, and it happened one summer morning recently.
Since childhood, we all know about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Well, just a few weeks back, I was idly looking at the clouds, during a rain-shower, and saw the rainbow as it emerged. And, just as idly, I wondere...
December 12, 2007
Everybody has a worst nightmare.
Soon we'll all be able to share one more: a passenger jet being blown out of the sky while a terrorist sips his latte in the airport lounge, having just triggered the onboard bomb via mobile phone.
No doubt you have a mobile, perhaps two. In emergencies, they m...