Saturday, July 28, 2018

Looking Ahead to November, 2018

On election night in 2016, before the results were in, Michael Moore was interviewed by NBC.  You can watch it here.  NBC asked why he was predicting that Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania would break for Trump.  These were key swing states in the election.  They were supposed to be wins for Clinton on her way to the Presidency.

Moore disagreed.  He predicted that many of those voters -- who, as Moore insisted, were working-class people that have been so abused, attacked, and whose livelihoods were taken from them --  are:

so angry, and so full of so much depair, that I could see they were going to use the ballot box as an anger management exercise.  (Trump was their) human molotov cocktail that they could just throw into the system and blow it up, only to find out a month or two from now how regretful they will be ...

Well, shockingly, he got it right, except for that last clause.

Moore's rationale for his prediction on election night, 2016?  Easy.  Most of those voters had lost jobs over the past twenty years due to ridiculous trade deals, onerous regulations and tax policies that sent companies and jobs overseas, leaving the U.S manufacturing sector with large swaths of closed companies and unemployed Americans.  So what if foreign imports are cheaper?  The unemployed cannot afford them.  Or food, either.  Who cares about glass ceilings if you can't afford the basics?  Hillary and her acolytes never understood the equation.  It's the economy, stupid!

And, yes, politicians are often the dimmest bulbs in the ceiling.  Just see here, and here, and here.

A big middle finger to the glass ceiling is exactly what Rust Belt voters signaled on election night, 2016.  As did coal miners.  And cab drivers.  And others who fought hard, failed, and looked for a reason to rise again to their feet.  They were tired of losing.  They wanted a fighting chance to show what they could do ... to show that their lives mattered.  Trump represented them in spades.  He succeeded, magnificently, and as such was a magnet to those who aspired.  So they marched to the voting booth and cast their ballot.  They weren't opposed to women or glass ceilings.  Or to the privileges of wealth.  They just wanted a reason for being.  Trump offered them a reason worth striving for.  A reason that mattered.  He preached his sermon at every whistle-stop.  And listeners walked toward him afterwards, seeking salvation.  Billy Graham would be proud.

Miracle of miracles, Trump got elected on Nov. 8, 2016.  Afterwards, he began to deliver on his promises.  And he continues to deliver.  It's no wonder Democrats and the MSM hate him so much.  Many Republicans, too.  They prefer rhetoric over results, no matter how many jobs and opportunities get sacrificed along the way.  Vote for me, they say, and I'll fix the problems I created.  They assume you will ignore their hypocrisy.  Wall Street moguls feel the same.  Fortunately for them, they can hide behind the politicans who do their bidding.

Trump is their antithesis.  He prefers results over rhetoric.  Results such as jobs, reduced unemployment, pay raises, tax relief, investments in Main Street, and the re-discovery of the "forgotten man."  He has shown repeatedly that he is not a professional politician ... or a Wall Street puppet ... or a snitch for the thought police.  Does he know he is a marked man?  Of course he does.  They all hate him.  So he takes precautions.  We all should be grateful.

Trump's ascension to the Presidency makes a middle finger proud.  To quote the character aptly named Colonel Kilgore in Apocalypse Now,


love the smell of napalm in the morning

If you take that quote literally, please refer above to the Rust Belt's middle finger.  But, figuratively, it is the truth.  In the re-make of Apocalypse Now, Colonel Kilgore will be played by Donald Trump.  He laid devastating carpet bombs upon the enemy.  His adversaries never even heard the incoming.  And after laying waste to them, he set about rebuilding America, from the ground up and better than before.

Drop your personal MOAB in Nobember at the voting booth.

Make your vote count.




Monday, July 23, 2018

Democrats Have Chosen to Go Insane

Washington Democrats have gone from corrupt to insane.  I suppose it's a natural progression since the election of Donald Trump.  I'm not referring to friends of mine who are Democrats.  They are fine people who simply try to make sense of it all.  They struggle these days.

Instead, I'm referring to elected officials in Washington, and Democrat political wannabees around the country, who look for a post-Clinton platform on which to run.  There's nothing left, except to go radical, which they are doing, and they aim to drag centrist Democrats with them. 

But where are they dragging them? 

Towards the cliff, it appears.

After eight years of Obama, you can't claim you want to run on his track record if you want:

... a strong economy

... GDP growth

... a powerful U.S. dollar

... border control

... peace in the Middle East

... better relations with Russia, China, or North Korea

... more employment and jobs, job, jobs

... improved consumer confidence

... Wall Street investment in the U.S. economy

... support for small businesses

... less dependence on federal welfare subsidies due to new opportunities

... deregulation

... bureaucratic efficiency

... in effect, a Trumpian view of the future.

So where do you go if you are opposed to these things?   Toward the cliff, naturally.

Obama was a well-respected but very glib flop as President.  I think he's probably a nice guy.  I like his personality.  He also dressed well and said all the politically-correct things.  Problem is, that's not why he was elected, and the truth is, he accomplished little.  If you disagree, please cite his successes.  I genuinely would like to know.  Gay marriage?  Transgender bathrooms?  The transcendence of divisive politics?  Lower trade deficits?  Peace in Egypt or Syria or Libya?  The destruction of ISIS?  Improvements in the black community?  Or in the hispanic community?  Or for the average woman?  Or a decrease in problems at our southern border?  Or jobs, jobs, jobs and a pay increase?  Nyet.

He was always gauging the direction of the wind while deciding which way to evolve.  His BS meter never took a rest.  He was, if I may dub him such, our "feel good" President.  He never said anything wrong, despite having done so little right.

Seriously, I'm trying to be polite, but I can't think of any Obama accomplishments that matter, other than him being a likable guy.  He talked a good game, but he didn't play one.  He reminds me of a high school quarterback in my day -- a coach's son -- who could drop back to pass with perfect form but couldn't get the ball anywhere near his receivers.  Obama got to be the starting quarterback.  He gets credit for that.  And with no prior experience as a QB, which is astonishing.  But beyond that, he threw nothing but incompletions aside from a few swing passes.

So, if you're a die-hard Democrat, where do you go from here?  Hillary lost ... nearly two years ago.  She was Obama 2.0, but without his charisma and with extraordinary flaws.  Even the MSM couldn't protect her.  America rejected her.  It amazes me that some can't get over it.  Especially the MSM.

I guess once you've taken the pink pill, recovery is not likely.

Sunday, July 22, 2018

What's Up with the Darwin Awards?

I'm getting frustrated with The Darwin Awards website.  The website is dedicated to those with a penchant for self-destruction -- such as the drunk guy who decided to urinate on a power line from his perch atop a water tower.  You just knew that left a mark.

Problem is, the Awards Committee has been admitting some weak candidates lately:

For example, they offer this nominee:

MARCH 2018, ROMANIA || A 50-year-old man was hospitalized Saturday after taking home a projectile he found on the field outside his village, and pounded it with a hammer, causing an explosion.
That's lame.  I mean, who wouldn't pound on an artillery shell if they found one in their backyard?  Look, hon, an unexploded round of ammunition, almost a foot long.  Fetch my hammer.  I'll fix a drink and meet you at the picnic table.

What I don't understand is why the Darwin Committee has ignored California for over a decade.  Such as this astute young lady:


 ... and these two possible taxpayers who traveled out of state:


I'm not picking on California, per se.  I'm just complimenting it for being talent-rich, much like my home state in the southeastern U.S.

I'll let Lewis Grizzard explain.  He was one of the southeast's most intrepid analysts:


We're all just one decision away....

Eric Holder's Cousin Red-Pilled?

She looks too young to be Eric Holder's cousin.  Plus, I don't do Twitter.  Color me skeptical.  Still:





“I am..the cousin to former US Attorney General Eric Holder. I walked away from my parent's political party...to vote Republican by my own choice. My parents were hardcore voting Democrats but everything they did was based upon Republican principles.” - Babette Holder

If you find that this is a parody account, pls let me know.

The News Has Always Been Partisan

Just so you know, early newspapers in the U.S. were just as politically partisan as our news outlets are today, if not moreso.  Same with their political cartoons.   Such as those who resented Andrew Jackson's "tyrannical" effort to eliminate the Bank of the United States in 1834.  The U.S. Bank in those years was the cousin of today's Federal Reserve, a mis-named piggy-bank for politician's who could borrow money from private lenders as long as they paid interest on the debt.  The interest, of course, was owed by taxpayers.  Jackson didn't like that set-up.  He aimed to abolish it.  His political opponents, through their news outlets, took aim and fired, suggesting he was worse than the King of England, against whom Jackson himself had fought:

 

... much as today's NYTimes, in a crude and hypocritical slam at homosexuals, takes aim at Donald Trump and his alleged bromance with Vladimir Putin.  It's sickening, even by today's standards, but nonetheless typical of political news-speak over the centuries:


Pick your news carefully, pilgrim, 'cause there are many out for your scalp.

Many of those old newspapers, newsletters and serial pamphlets died out for lack of circulation and are lost to history.  But those that have been archived are a window to the past.  Politics were as lively in those days as they are today.  They knew the best way to sway opinion was by circulating the news.  Partisan news, at that.  Today it's called propaganda.  Or ideology.  Some things never change.  That's why I support competition in a free market.  There's no better way to judge the sentiment of a people than by one's paying audience.

If you are interested in old newspapers and have time to explore, I suggest you start here, at Readex.  Why Readex?  No particular reason, except I did some snooping and came across it.  I wasn't looking for an aggregation site.

The DOJ and FBI Have Re-Defined "Circle Jerk"

The redacted FISA Court approvals to spy on the Trump campaign (via Carter Page) have been released to the public.  And, yes, the DOJ/FBI rationale for requesting the approval re-defines the meaning of "circle jerk."

Information flowing into the FBI from the State Department, Fusion GPS, DOJ, Christopher Steele, John McCain, Harry Reid, John Brennan and various outraged media outlets all came from -- wait for it --  a SINGLE SOURCE, namely, former British spy Christopher Steele himself, whose dossier was certified by the FBI and DOJ but never verified by them.  Nonetheless, the FBI/DOJ took that "gossip" (otherwise known in the industry at "opposition research") to the secretive FISA Court and got approval to spy on the Donald Trump campaign from October, 2016 to September, 2017.

Let me put it this way:

"Your Honor, 
We do not have any verified evidence that anyone in the Trump campaign colluded in any way with the Russian government regarding the 2016 election, but standing with me today is a detective who has won numerous awards in law enforcement.  Three or four times he won the 'Outstanding Sheriff of the Week Award.'  He reports that Donald Trump hired Russian prostitutes to pee on a bed in Moscow.  He claims the information comes from sources who have friends that have relatives who work at the hotel in Moscow where the peeing occurred, though he doesn't know who they are.  But he definitely heard about it from someone, which we believe makes it true.  And we are the pre-eminent law enforcement agency in the world.
We feel you also should know we cut ties with the award-winning law enforcement officer recently because he proved to be unreliable.  Long story short, he lied to us about peddling this same information to the media, which is a no-no in our clandestine line of work. 
Still, we believe the law enforcement officer's claim about the bed incident (and other stuff) must be true based on his prior credibility, plus those awards he won on previous occasions, even though we had to cut him loose for misleading us.  Plus, media outlets who spoke with the law enforcement officer and got the same report we did have reported on the same thing he told us.  That's independent verification, right?  You know, what with rules of evidence and probable cause and all that other legal stuff.
Therefore, may we please spy on the Donald Trump campaign, using all the tools of our national intelligence agencies to assist us.  The election is but weeks away.  I assure you we will find a crime if you'll just give us the authority to look anywhere we please.
If we might add, Your Honor, and as you must know, everybody is guilty of at least three felonies.  It's our job to find one of them.  I'm confident we can and I'm sure we will.  We never spy on innocent people. 
Your approval will further the cause of justice and protect our country.  
Please be assured that everything we claim has been verified and certified for accuracy, as per our signatures. 
Plus, Trump sucks.
Yours truly,  
The FBI and DOJ.

That's it in a nutshell, folks.

Let that sink in.

Friday, July 20, 2018

This 'N That, Friday Edition

Ah.  Dreaming about the weekend:



*****

Here's some honest reporting by CBS News, a forgotten art in so many newsrooms today.  It occurred quite serendipitously, as you will see:



CBS also recently was granted an interview with President Trump, which you know boosted their ratings.

Coincidence?

*****


If you haven't seen this video yet, it's the feel-good story of the week.  Kleenex alert.  Your eyes may fog up:


*****

The media meltdown over Trump's recent summit with Putin is something to behold.  Imbecilic.  Insidious!  Treacherous!  Seditious!  Resign now!  Impeach him!  Hang him!  These are the same folks who yearned for a more civil tone in public discourse... and blamed Sarah Palin's phraseology for several shootings ... and insisted that Obama was not divisive.  Oh, well.  That was then.  Those were the days when Obama could tell Russia's Medvedev on a hot mic that he would "have more flexibility (with Putin) after the election," and the media didn't care.

Unfortunately for the MSM, a recent Gallup Poll revealed that the "muh Russia" issue registers somewhere below 1% -- less than a single percentage point! -- in the American public's list of priorities.  You'll find the full report on Gallup's website here.  Here's a snippet:



The reason for all these media histrionics?  Well, here's a partial answer:

View image on Twitter

Meanwhile, did you listen to the broadcast of Trump's Cabinet meeting on Wednesday?

Among other things, he's looking to combine the Department of Education and the Department of Labor into a single entity -- the Department of Education and Workforce Training.  Such a move will cut overhead, cut out ideological indoctrination, help eliminate waste and help mobilize tomorrow's workforce.

Granted, these are not new ideas, per se.  But Trump is creating an economy that can make these efforts worthwhile.  It's a shame so many despise him for making it happen.

Nonetheless, I foresee a rise in trade schools, apprenticeship programs, education-business partnerships, higher education reform, federal education grant reform, and prison-to-work programs, just to name a few, and this time with a growing economy that will make the programs viable.

In Trump's vision for America, it's less important to teach first-graders about polymorphous gender identity and more important to insure they are trained for productive living.  In other words, first learn to fish and hunt.  Work on your personal issues in your off-time, rather than the other way-around.  I think Obama and his staff wrestled with a lot of unresolved personal-identity conflicts, which they projected onto the rest of America.  Hence, the disconnect from America during his years in office.

Trump is not just a billionaire real estate mogul and later a #1 television show savant.  He also is a social media genius.  A single tweet from him will keep the media chasing their tails for three days.  Then he tweets again.  Gargle, rinse, repeat.  The media punditry are such predictable lapdogs.  Meanwhile, he gets work done.  It's fun to watch.

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

The New Face of the Democrat Party

Coyotes who smuggle migrants illegally through Mexico into the U.S. often leave behind "trophy trees."




They also are known as "rape trees."

Rape Tree

Those who advocate open borders are only encouraging more of this.  I doubt the victims' screams were even audible outside the stash houses and camp sites along the way.  You can read about it here.

Now you know what Trump was talking about during the 2016 Presidential primaries when he referred to rapists and drug smugglers coming across the border from Mexico.

So what was my relevant point?

Oh, yes.  Today's Democrats and their vision for tomorrow.

Tom Perez, head of the Democrat National Committee (DNC), recently announced that 28 year old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York City is "the future of our Party."  Trust me, he doesn't really mean it.  But he and his cronies are bereft of any better ideas.

Young Ms. Ocasio-Cortez just primaried her Democrat opponent in New York City and likely will win against her Republican opponent in the November election for New York's 14th congressional district.  It's a reliably Democrat district.

She brands herself a Democrat Socialist.  "Centrist" Democrats apparently are passe.  They can thank Bernie Sanders for that.  And their own party's corruption, highlighted by the Clintons and their ilk, just as Republicans can thank their own party -- and Hillary Clinton -- for Donald J. Trump.

Anyway, let's explore what this "new face of the Democrat Party" looks like.

Here's Ms. Ocasio-Cortez's view on illegal immigration:

“Our nation is in a moral crisis,” said Ocasio-Cortez in response to a question about why she went to the border just three days before the primary election.
***
“We have to have a rapid response,” she said. “And I think every day that we go on, especially a day when something that heinous happens, we have to occupy all of it. We need to occupy every airport. We need to occupy every border. We need to occupy every ICE office until those kids are back with their parents, period.”
Note:  By "heinous," she does not mean "trophy trees" or "rape trees."  She's talking about children who are separated at the border from adults who claim to be their parents or relatives but can offer no proof, which requires investigation at U.S. taxpayer expense, what with the apparent amount of incest (rape trees, trophy trees) that occurs on the journey by alleged parents and relatives.

Incest and rape aren't the primary concern of Ms. Ocasio-Cortez.  She's more concerned that teens and young children not be separated from, perhaps, the very people responsible for "trophy trees" and "rape trees."  How do you know until you investigate?  You don't.  So you investigate.  ICE investigates.  And until they know otherwise, they protect the children from predators.  Naturally, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez blames ICE for this dilemma.  And she cites ICE as evidence that Trump is a fascist.  Yep.  That's what you find in her brain.  Fortunately, only she lives there.

So let's continue with her righteous screed.  She can tell you in her own words:
“We have to show people that we’re willing to walk the walk,” she said.
She called the Trump presidency “rising fascism” and said “we need to be ready to drop everything and go straight to LaGuardia airport. We need to be ready to drop everything and go straight to our local ICE agency.”
There you have it.  Go to the mattresses ... er ... the airports to stop fascism and fix the problem of illegal migration.

Hmm.  Come to think of it, that's not a bad idea.  Let me help.  Perhaps hit the major airports first.  LaGuardia, Orlando, Miami, O'Hare, Houston, and L.A. for starters.  Cause serious disruption in order to make your point.  Delay flights.  Crowd the entrances.  Shout over the flight announcements.  Make it difficult for travelers to reach their terminals on time.  In fact, coordinate to hit them during summer vacation, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Simply brilliant!!!  I'm sure travelers of all stripes will jump on your bandwagon then.

Yes, folks, that's the strategy of the "new face of the Democrat Party."  Forget about your summer trip to the beach, or visiting your aging parents in Minnesota for the holidays.  She thinks we need to make your air travel a living hell.  That'll get the ball rolling in the right direction.  A winning strategy, for sure.  Who wouldn't vote for that kind of misery?

Still, I think someone should ask her about those trophy trees.  And if she might volunteer for an unsupervised trip with the next batch of migrants on their journey to the U.S.  I'm sure the coyotes would love her company, but I pray she would never be so foolish.  I don't wish ill upon her.  She can be forgiven for claiming to know more than she does.  After all, she is young and full of un-raped ideas.  She is also dangerously ignorant.

Not to pick on Ms. Ocasio-Cortez further, but, what with her being the new face of the Democrat Party, a little more scrutiny may be needed.  Such as scrutiny into her concern for Palestinians vis-a-vis the Arab-Israeli conflict.

She claimed that Israeli Defense Forces were mass-murdering civilians in Palestine.

That's a serious accusation and, if true, a matter of international concern.

The PBS show Firing Line recently had her on for an interview.  After all, she is the attractive new doll of the Democrat party, a rarity.  And pretty she is.  But that's irrelevant.

The subject of Israeli-Palestinian relations was raised by PBS host Margaret Hoover.  Ms. Hoover chose not to challenge the marginally-coherent response of her guest.  Otherwise, it would have been embarrassing.  Here's a snippet:

Ocasio-Cortez: Well, yes, but I also think that what people are starting to see in the occupation of Palestine is just an increasing crisis of humanitarian conditions and that to me is just where I tend to come from on this issue.
Margaret Hoover: You use the term the “occupation of Palestine,” what did you mean by that?
Ocasio-Cortez: Oh, I think, what I meant is that the settlements that are increasing in some of these areas and places where Palestinians are experiencing difficulty in access to housing and homes.
Hoover: Do you think you can expand on that?
Ocasio-Cortez: Yeah I think … [laughing] I am not the expert on geo-politics on this issue. You know, for me, I’m a firm believer in finding a two-state solution in this issue. And I’m happy to sit down with leaders on both of these… for me, I just look at things through a human rights lens, and I may not use the right words– I know this is a very intense issue.
Hmm.  Yeah.  Sure.  Whatever that means.  Have you ever thought of being a Miss America contestant?

Should someone have mentioned to Ms. Ocasio-Cortez that Israeli's are not settling in, or attempting to occupy, Palestine?  In fact, the Israeli government forcibly relocated all Jews out of the Gaza Strip (her reference to "Palestine?") in 2005 as part of the peace process.  Ms. Ocasio-Cortez would have been only 15 at the time, so I don't expect her to know.  

That Turks and Ottomans once occupied the territory called Palestine (which includes modern day countries such as Israel) is also a matter of historical fact.  

That there has never been a nation-state named Palestine is also an historical fact. 

That no 20th century country (Egypt, for instance) ever claimed that territory as part of it's political state is also an historical fact.

Yet facts seem irrelevant to Ms. Ocasio-Cortez.  It's about "human rights," she insists, though which humans and which rights are undefined.  Or not.  I can't tell.  Ask her.

You can go the The Federalist for more on this.  

The bottom line:  In her PBS interview, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez couldn't get her facts straight and finally had to admit that actually she's quite ignorant on the subject.  I suggest she stick to things like blogging and talking around the supper table rather than swimming in deep waters.  The sharks in those waters are as ruthless as coyotes in the desert.

New face of the Democrats, huh?  Good luck with that.  



Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Don't Mess with Texas

From the state that has a fast lane for criminals, here's what not to do when driving through Texas with two outstanding warrants against you.

For starters, don't be this guy driving this truck and wearing this T-shirt with your hat on backwards:

Karen and MiguelΓ‚ Fonseca have both been vocal about their hatred of Trump. Karen claims her husband was purposely targeted by white police officers because he's against Trump

... otherwise you end up looking into this camera:

Miguel Fonseca, 48,Γ‚ was pulled over in Sugar Land, Texas on Sunday night after police said they noticed his truck, which has 'F**k TRUMP' on it, had no front license plate


Perhaps he can sell that truck to Maxine Waters.  She could drive it all around her Congressional district without once having to open her mouth.

Here's a snippet from the Daily Mail:
The owner of an infamous pickup truck with 'F**k TRUMP' scrawled across it has been arrested while driving in Texas - as his furious wife claims he was purposely targeted by white police officers. 
Miguel Fonseca, 48, was pulled over in Sugar Land on Sunday night after police said they noticed the truck had no front license plate.
Police said when they ran Fonseca's details they discovered he was wanted on two outstanding warrants in the county, including speeding and failure to appear in court.
Officers said they added a charge of resisting arrest after Fonseca allegedly refused to get out of the truck and had to be forcibly removed.

Not to bring up Maxine Waters again, but has anyone noticed that she lives in a $4.5 million dollar house that is not even in her Congressional district?

Image result for maxine waters congressional district


It's good work if you can get it.  And good money.  Here's a photo from Maxine's district which, if you aren't paying attention, is where Maxine and her husband do NOT live:

Image result for maxine waters congressional district

It's the poorest district in Los Angeles, otherwise known as HERE.  I'll let them thank Maxine for all the good work she does for them in Washington. 

I suggest that this aggrieved couple from Texas relocate to Maxine's district in California and take their truck with them.  She probably can use the advertising.  Maybe they can park it in front of her house.

Monday, July 16, 2018

I Have a Dream

Yes, I know this is not Black History Month.  I often get ahead of myself.   Still, I was reminded today of the greatness of Martin Luther King.

Amidst a tempest of rain and lightning, he clawed his way to the top of Mt. Sinai.  Once at the summit, he rose tall and unleashed the judgment of God, his voice raised above the thunder and his silhouette reflected against an angry sky.  I am proud for the memory of such a brave man.  Listen and judge for yourself.  This was his speech in Washington, D.C. in 1963:



He knew his days were limited.  He said so himself.  You cannot proclaim such a message and not expect the worst, at least not in his day.  He lived with a target on his chest.  He knew it.  Yet he persisted.  Time and again.  The fateful day came in Memphis, 1968, when he was assassinated by a rifleman.  I don't recall whether he died quickly or slowly.  But I recall the day he fell to the floor of his hotel balcony, dropped by an assassin's bullet.  Where is such courage today?  Where is the voice crying out in the wilderness, willing to lay down his life for righteousness' sake?

In Hollywood?  Puhleese.

In Washington, D.C.?  Get real.

On Wall Street?  Not a chance.

It's all play-acting these days ... bravado that is full of sound and fury but signifies nothing.  King was a man's man.  He walked the walk.  He looked death in the eye and marched straight toward his adversary.  Lots of people wish to be like him, but few are.  Most break for cover at the first sound of gunfire.  He didn't.  He stayed the path.  Toward destiny ... the end to which faith led him ... where ultimately he was embraced by those who preceded him, and by the One who makes the journey worth the decision.  He preached non-violence and the equality of all.  A costly decision.

I'm sure many people repeated to him a version of what the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber wrote to Mahatma Gandhi shortly before Gandhi's assassination in India in 1948:

Nations not infrequently swallow up the greatness to which they have given birth.

Folks like MLK -- and Gandhi -- march forward nonetheless.

Sunday, July 15, 2018

Deal with the Hand You're Dealt


Speaking of Trump's recent visit to Great Britain, including the snubs, one insightful commenter noted:
yy4u says:
July 15, 2018 at 12:57 pm
I think the Brits cut Barack Obama a lot of slack, just like they did other African leaders whom they didn’t expect to know any better. This is not to say B.O. was/is African, just that IMHO he self-identifies as African because of his attachment to his father, a man he met twice in his lifetime. But that, too, is to be expected. Rejected kids generally want to earn the love of the parent who rejected him. (In BO’s case, it was both parents as his mother gave him to his grandparents to rear when he was in his early teens). This cannot have been good for his psyche and I think it shows. Just a non-psychologist opinion.
You can go here for some background.

Like yy4u, I think Obama did well for himself despite his life experiences.  He sucked it up and moved forward and eventually became President of the United States, the most powerful man in the world.  What's not to admire about that?  Not to say he did it on his own, but he got there nonetheless.  He obviously lacked skills for the job, yet he got the job anyway.  And he got re-elected to a second term.  If you don't respect that feat, I suspect you probably are resentful of him or those who put him in power.  Think about it.  He will never have to work another day in his life.  Though in 2006 you never heard of him, in 2008 he was elected President of the United States and got his hands on the wheel of the biggest ship in the ocean (...let's not go there).  That he couldn't steer was not his fault.  He simply lacked the ability.  But give him credit.  He made his way into the Captain's seat for eight years.  Others kept him off the shoals.

Anyway, Obama's journey is over.  He will enjoy a life of leisure from this point forward.  And with the respect of many.  Good for him and his family.  I only hope he doesn't interfere with the history that follows him.  History is amoral.  It's a cause-and-effect kind of thing.  Hence, Donald J. Trump.  It's wise not to mess with Mother Nature.

BTW, did I mention that Hillary didn't inherit the job?  Bwahahahahaha.  History may be amoral, but it isn't blind.

Friday, July 13, 2018

We Live in Unusual Times

Knowing you are guilty but don't care?  Heartless.

Knowing they know?  Priceless.




*****

Speaking of duplicity, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan did something to show the duplicity of three Democrat representatives.  I guess when you're on your way out, it really doesn't matter that the hoi polloi get to see.

Anyway, back to my story.  The three righteous Democrats decided to introduce a bill calling for the abolition of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE).  It's a ludicrous suggestion, but Ryan decided to call their bluff, so he agreed that he would introduce their bill and let the House of Representatives vote on it.  Who wouldn't want to abolish customs enforcement at our seaports, airports, and borders?  I mean, what opioid crisis?  What terror threats?  The three Democrats seemed hell-bent to stand up for righteousness and goodwill.

So how did the three Democrats respond when Ryan supported their effort?

Wait for it.

They said if Ryan introduced their bill, they would VOTE AGAINST IT!!!  Yes, you heard me correctly.  They would vote against their own bill.  You can't make this stuff up.  See here:

Three Democratic congressmen declared on Thursday that they will vote “no” on their own legislation if House Speaker Paul Ryan puts their bill on the floor.
Reps. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, Pramila Jayapal of Washington and Adriano Espaillat of New York introduced the Establishing a Humane Immigration Enforcement Act earlier Thursday, which would abolish ICE within one year of enactment, and also assemble a commission tasked with setting up a new immigration enforcement agency.
Hours later, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced he planned to bring the proposed “Abolish ICE” bill to the floor, reported The Hill.
The three congressmen promptly released a joint statement accusing Ryan of not taking their bill seriously, and as an act of protest, they will vote down their own legislation....

Yes, folks, simpletons actually do get elected to lead our nation.  Fortunately, most of them are not this stupid.  There's a reason you've never heard of these three.  I think they just showed why.

Your vote counts in November.  Let this serve as a reminder.


*****


I am somewhat sympathetic with never-Trumpers who keep hoping the worst for him and his administration.  While I never wished ill on Barack Obama or his family, or on the country, I must admit I fostered an extreme distaste for what I saw as his duplicity, opportunism, narcissism, foreign policy ineptness, lack of spontaneity and a genuine absence of leadership skills (unless reading from a teleprompter is a virtue).  He's the single greatest gift to conservatives since the 1920s.  Just look at the takeover of state and local governments by conservatives during his tenure.  There's been nothing like it in our lifetime.

I opposed Obama's leadership at every sensible opportunity.  Results matter.  Mr. Obama produced precious few of them.  Yet, as an individual, he was extremely popular.  He gets credit for that.  At the same time, he gets credit for being glib and inept.  Such as in moments like this, when his teleprompter malfunctions and he must think on his feet, which is not his forte:



So have at it, Trump critics.  If you don't like him, that's okay.  I felt somewhat like you during the Obama years.  I respect your safe space as you adjust to the new reality.  At some point, however, we need to agree on relevant criteria and compare notes.  Middle-class jobs, for instance.  Or net take-home pay.  Or unemployment levels.  Or investments in durable goods.  Or beef prices.  Or the stock market.  Or GDP.  Pink hats and black masks don't count.  Anyone heard from PETA lately?  I haven't.  Made-up grievances don't count for much in the real world.

If you are a never-Trumper, let me encourage you with a few facts:

  • Trump's approval ratings are as good as Obama's during the same time in office.
  • Manufacturing investments in the U.S. have sky-rocketed.
  • We now have more job openings than we do applicants (best news in a long time for middle-class workers)  Watch what this does to middle-class wages.
  • Tax legislation has increased take-home pay for working-class families.
  • Unemployment is at an all-time low for blacks and Hispanics.
  • Wall Street did not collapse with Trump's election, as predicted by certain stupid people, but instead has begun redirecting its investments to Main Street.  These Wall Street folks are opportunists, but good for them if it works for Main Street.
  • Unlike the Obama years, when we were told those manufacturing jobs were never coming back, blue-collar workers are now first in line to benefit from Trump's new economy.  If you have poor neighbors, be happy for them.  For yourself, too.  Happy neighbors make for happy neighborhoods.
  • ISIS is on the run.  You can thank General Mattis for that.  And Trump, for putting Mattis in charge.
  • Kim Jong-Un is still in the game for denuclearization.  Kudos to Pompeo.
  • Russia and China understand that Trump knows how to squeeze them economically -- via tariffs -- rather than merely rattle sabres, give speeches and talk tough in media interviews.
  • Trump is willing to call out hypocrisy (cf. Germany's willing reliance on Russian oil and gas) no matter how embarrassed the hypocrites feel.  There's no need to hate Russia, as the E.U. and Democrats insist we must.  For those who don't remember, the Soviet Union died in 1989.  Much of their Potemkin village died with them.  Aside from oil and gas, Russians really don't have much of an economy remaining.  Additionally, the Russian people are nice, no matter what you think of Putin and his team.
  • The Iranian mullahs have suffered severe losses in Syria and face civil unrest among their own citizens.  Thank Trump and his Arab allies.
  • Heard of Hamas or Hezbollah lately?  Me, neither.  The MSM are licking their wounds.
  • Political leaders in Canada, Mexico and the E.U. are beginning to realize they can no longer feed at the U.S. taxpayer's trough in order to provide government benefits to their citizens.  Again, thank Trump.
Anyway, enjoy your Saturday.  We are living in extraordinary times.

Thursday, July 12, 2018

This 'N That, Friday Edition

Okay, this is a bit one-sided, but still ... the music (meh):



*****

Just when you think the Muh Russia investigation by Mueller's Special Council can't get more ludicrous, there comes this, courtesy of CNN:

(CNN)The US Office of Special Counsel has opened a case file on whether Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke violated the Hatch Act when he tweeted a photo of himself wearing socks featuring President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan.
The internal federal watchdog agency opened the file in response to a complaint from the government watchdog Campaign for Accountability.
"Breaking in new socks on a hike with the governors today," the official @SecretaryZinke account tweeted on June 26 with a photo of Zinke's "Make America Great Again" socks, according to the complaint.
That tweet was later removed from the account and replaced with an apology tweet -- which also no longer appears on the account.
"Earlier I tweeted a pic of my new socks not realizing it had what could be viewed as a political slogan. I've deleted it and apologize for the mistake. I remain excited about all the incredible policy work POTUS is doing," Zinke wrote in the tweet, according to the complaint, accompanied by the same picture with the "Make America Great Again" text blocked out.
Office of Special Counsel spokesman Zachary Kurz told CNN on Monday, "I can confirm that OSC received the complaint and has opened a case file. However, I'm unable to comment on or confirm whether an investigation has been opened." 
Yes, believe it or not, Interior Secretary Zinke tweeted out a seditious picture of himself on a hiking trail wearing a pair of MAGA socks.  I know.  How could he???  Aside from toe jam, a pair of MAGA socks is one of the few things sure to erode the pillars of our democracy.  It took CNN to spot it.  Thank God for them.  How else would we have known?  If you want to see a video of this seditious hiking trip, go here.

It's a sickness, folks.  Avoid it at all costs.


*****


Here's what I love about abstract art, in this case, Jackson Pollock's On Arches (oil on canvas, 1950):  after 68 years, the painting still doesn't represent ... anything ... other than a harbinger of postmodernism ... which I dub epistemology on a paintbrush.  Here's what he did, in essence:  he painted a smile without lips.  Or then again, maybe he didn't.  Who are you to say?  I'm not joking.  What you want to see is what you get, nothing more and nothing less.  So why can't it be a smile without lips?  Some people call it art.  And I suppose it is, since a paintbrush was involved.  Obviously, it takes great skill.

I wonder how long it took to complete it?  I also wonder why.  Fortunately, the sheer abstractness of it means that even you and I can comment on the painting intelligently, and others can disagree with us intelligently, and nobody is wrong.  Plus, someone can pay a lot of money for the original.  What's not to like about that?  We all get a trophy.  Or such is how I understand abstract art.

No offense to abstract art afficionados everywhere, who I'm sure have a real life, but this painting looks to me like various lava flows from the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii as they close in on nearby dwellings, lakes and sundry black holes, at least when viewed through night goggles from outer space.  I know this just by watching The Weather Channel in my underwear while wearing 3-D glasses.  No art class needed.  But, hey, that's just me.  Others think it expresses magnetic resonance imaging over Moscow shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall.  Or, again, as someone else said, "Don't drink and work."  Decide for yourself:



Okay, enough educational stuff.  Now back to our regular programming.


*****

Based on comments I have received, some people think I have nothing better to do than write stupid blog posts on certain topics, such as abstract art.  That  is false.  I have lots of other things to do.  I just don't do them.

Anyway, since you're here, enjoy more of This 'N That, Friday Edition.

*****



*****

Okay, kids, don't try this at home (operative term:  L.I.O.N.), but enjoy:



*****

Some thoughts from Mark Twain, who said:

Never regret anything that made you smile.

and,

Never argue with stupid people.  They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.

*****


On a personal note, I mihgt aslo aks:




*****

Now, go, while the day is young.


Peter Strzok's Testimony Today

So, a guy walks up to a girl who is sitting on a bar stool, where she had gone to order another drink.  The male interloper leans over and starts yammering.  Mostly ignoring him, she begins texting her girlfriends at a nearby table, who are watching with amusement.

The string of texts she sends are these:

Total jerk!
😣😣😣
Guy is idiot.
Drink pls.
Drop dead.
NOT MY FAULT.
OMG!!!

When her drink arrives, she returns to her girlfriends.  Give me your guess.  Did he get her phone number or not?

At today's Congressional hearing, FBI special agent Peter Strzok insisted that his texts with Lisa Page had no influence on his investigation of Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump.  Indeed, according to him, his texts may have reflected his strong personal beliefs, but they do not reflect a bias against either of them vis-a-vis his investigative efforts.  Hmm.  Okay.  In that same vein, I assume the girl's texts merely expressed her private beliefs and had nothing to do with her refusal to pass out her phone number.  Um ... sure.

In fairness to Mr. Strzok, I completely understand that if a guy has a history of setting off explosives and you are currently investigating him on yet another terrorist charge, you may believe him guilty before actually collecting sufficient evidence to prosecute.  That's not a complicated notion.  Many law enforcement investigators start with a hunch or presupposition early into an investigation, depending on the prima facie evidence, and then use their skills to see if the facts fit the theory.  It's called experience.  Cui bono, right?  That's not a new idea.  But, as important as hunches can be when trying to solve a crime, that's not really the issue here, is it?  Hunch or not, compelling (or sufficient) evidence still must be gathered.  Deciding Hillary Clinton is innocent before she and her staff have been interviewed?  Deciding Trump must be stopped before he is even elected?  That's a different tack altogether.

While listening to Committee Democrats defend Strzok's self-defense, I was reminded of a joke:

A wife comes home and finds her husband naked and in bed with another woman.  She shrieks in disbelief and shouts that he is a slimy adulterer.  After pulling up the sheets, he denies the claim, insists that he is innocent, and retorts, "Are you going to believe me or your own lying eyes?

... a defense that Democrats in today's Congressional hearing would have uniformly supported, based on their insistence that the wife obviously was biased and therefore must be a Republican.  Plus, the pre-planned Democrat dissembling in the first thirty minutes (Point of order!  Point of order!) was ludicrous, earning them four pinochios and a ...

Image result for facepalm

Listen for yourself if you have time for it.  Otherwise, trust me on this one.  As with most other Congressional hearings, it's like Olympic fencing.  No one ever gets stabbed.  Contestants are judged merely on who can thrust and parry the best.