The year 2016 was a fun year!
In January I started my dream job as a college history professor and it has been fun every step of the way. In June, my Penguins won the Stanley Cup and Michelle and I went to Fort Sumter--something had always wanted to do. It was also the first trip I ever enjoyed to South Carolina! Then it was off to Gettysburg, which is never boring!
Then came a thing that everyone said could never happen--Britain leaving the European Union. The alleged "experts" got it wrong (and would drop the ball even worst later...) while I got it right.
Then came the worst day of my life in August when my beloved furry friend Sprinkles died. It was better that she died at home among friends than in the vets office. At least it was quick when it happened and we got to spend time together before the end. We buried here in the back yard and visit the site every day.
The school year began anew and I had a great time with US History and World Civ to 1700, lining students like hoplites and German armies invading Russia.
NC was hit with a major hurricane in October and thankfully, we missed most of it. The school calendar was mixed up but we adjusted on the fly and made our objectives with style grace and panache.
Then November saw a shocker of an election and the defeat of the supposedly invincible and corrupt elite.
December has rolled by and it has hurtled toward 2017.
I am not one for living in the past, and as much fun as 2016 was, it is on to 2017 we charge, to make it bigger and better, achieve more and have fun with it at the same time.
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Monday, December 26, 2016
End of the ColdWar--25 years later
The Soviet Union collapsed 25 years ago today and it disappeared with barely a whisper. There was no great revolt, no failed Third World War, no civil war. Gorbachev left a letter of resignation on the desk in the Kremlin and left.
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
TS Elliot's poem was, as the Brits say, "spot on."
The Soviet system was literally sick and dying. Andropov and Chernenko were only around for a year and state funerals were becoming annual events. Mikhail Gorbachev saw there had to be change and we had glastnost and pereskroika
And an attempted coup by the KGB in August 1991 and the collapse began in slow motion.
There was talk about the "end of history"(idiots!) and a peace dividend.
The West blew it.
American foreign policy became hyper agressive and the European Union is just as tyrannical as the Soviet Union. Then we were straddled with the millstone of Political Correctness.
Like its Soviet predecessor, we see the cracks in the EU and Political Correctness. They are not invincible monoliths that cannot be stopped. They have weaknesses because they are built on lies. Internal contradictions are the worst kind.
Like I wrote earlier, the first age of the Cold War era is over. Brexit and Trump (?!) are the beginning of something else. Good,bad, in between, remains to be be seen.
Humanity's natural state is to be free.Yes, there must be order, but once it becomes the Evil Empire, conflict arises, trouble begins, and in the end, oppression will fail. Moscow was smart and left before it became bloody. Over here, we had an election.
Now, let's do it right.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, say what you want,but don't tell others what to say.
That lesson was free :-)
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
TS Elliot's poem was, as the Brits say, "spot on."
The Soviet system was literally sick and dying. Andropov and Chernenko were only around for a year and state funerals were becoming annual events. Mikhail Gorbachev saw there had to be change and we had glastnost and pereskroika
And an attempted coup by the KGB in August 1991 and the collapse began in slow motion.
There was talk about the "end of history"(idiots!) and a peace dividend.
The West blew it.
American foreign policy became hyper agressive and the European Union is just as tyrannical as the Soviet Union. Then we were straddled with the millstone of Political Correctness.
Like its Soviet predecessor, we see the cracks in the EU and Political Correctness. They are not invincible monoliths that cannot be stopped. They have weaknesses because they are built on lies. Internal contradictions are the worst kind.
Like I wrote earlier, the first age of the Cold War era is over. Brexit and Trump (?!) are the beginning of something else. Good,bad, in between, remains to be be seen.
Humanity's natural state is to be free.Yes, there must be order, but once it becomes the Evil Empire, conflict arises, trouble begins, and in the end, oppression will fail. Moscow was smart and left before it became bloody. Over here, we had an election.
Now, let's do it right.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, say what you want,but don't tell others what to say.
That lesson was free :-)
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Friday, December 9, 2016
The second age of the post Cold War era
Add caption |
Allanon the Druid is dying from a battle with the Mord Wraiths and he tells Brin that "the age must end" and he performs some sort of ceremony and anoints Brin his successor.
When the Berlin Wall fell back in 1989, we entered a new era, a post-Cold War age removed from superpower rivalries and a nuclear Sword of Damocles hanging over everyone's head. The danger of a Third World War had been removed and there was a "peace dividend" waiting to be used for something that could benefit everyone. There was even a talk about "the end of history" with the triumph of liberal democracy.
First off, history never ends.
Many have charged that US foreign policy became more aggressive after the Soviet collapse and others also maintain that our government has become as dictatorial as what we faced in the Cold War.
Maybe, maybe not. That is for you to decide.
The year 2016 saw a resurgence of nationalism and populism and the erosion of transnational organizations such as the European Union, which has displayed serious undemocratic tendencies. That explains Britain's succession from the EU and Eastern Europe's coming defection. Here in America, there are several similar feelings toward our own government and moribund political system. The candidacies of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders showed that the People will not be ignored. The 2016 election, psychotic as it was, was a serious, an d necessary shock to that political system.Barack Obama had promised "Hope and Change" and ended up endorsing the establishment everyone--Republican and Democrat bases--despised.
Hence, Trump and Sanders
The age must end and a new one is dawning.
Whether it turns out to be good or bad remains to be seen. History does not end and it often repeats because many never learn the lessons. Sometimes they do.
Here's hoping...
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Sunday, November 20, 2016
OK,you have had your fun, now go back to class
Remember when an Ivy League degree meant something?
Now "Ivy League" is synonymous with "idiots".
But at least there is someone there who has something other than raisins in their heads. Here is an open letter finding its way around the internet.
So your candidate lost. You have a right to be upset, frustrated and angry, but you also have an obligation to be respectful to others and to the will of the American people. Intellectual hypocrisy continues every day on campuses, where opinions that are not the norm are vilified or silenced.
Imagine if you treated people of different races as you treat people with different opinions. There would be a tremendous outcry! But somehow it is fine to discriminate against those with different views.
Did it ever occur to you that this may be why people voted for Trump? That it might not have been the “racist proclivities” of the U.S. or the “dangerous nationalism” of the people, but that it was people who tell them not to think or speak the way they do.
Trump won, and he did not overthrow the government or kill people to silence them. He won in the standard fashion — by getting 270 votes in the Electoral College. As I said, you have a right to be upset, but what we have on our hands now is an embarrassment.
Now "Ivy League" is synonymous with "idiots".
But at least there is someone there who has something other than raisins in their heads. Here is an open letter finding its way around the internet.
So your candidate lost. You have a right to be upset, frustrated and angry, but you also have an obligation to be respectful to others and to the will of the American people. Intellectual hypocrisy continues every day on campuses, where opinions that are not the norm are vilified or silenced.
Imagine if you treated people of different races as you treat people with different opinions. There would be a tremendous outcry! But somehow it is fine to discriminate against those with different views.
Did it ever occur to you that this may be why people voted for Trump? That it might not have been the “racist proclivities” of the U.S. or the “dangerous nationalism” of the people, but that it was people who tell them not to think or speak the way they do.
Trump won, and he did not overthrow the government or kill people to silence them. He won in the standard fashion — by getting 270 votes in the Electoral College. As I said, you have a right to be upset, but what we have on our hands now is an embarrassment.
delicate flowers of the Ivy League
So your candidate lost. You have a right to be upset,
frustrated and angry, but you also have an obligation to be respectful
to others and to the will of the American people. Intellectual hypocrisy
continues every day on campuses, where opinions that are not the norm
are vilified or silenced.
Imagine if you treated people of different races as you treat people with different opinions. There would be a tremendous outcry! But somehow it is fine to discriminate against those with different views.
Did it ever occur to you that this may be why people voted for Trump? That it might not have been the “racist proclivities” of the U.S. or the “dangerous nationalism” of the people, but that it was people who tell them not to think or speak the way they do.
Trump won, and he did not overthrow the government or kill people to silence them. He won in the standard fashion — by getting 270 votes in the Electoral College. As I said, you have a right to be upset, but what we have on our hands now is an embarrassment.
If the faculty was worried about students not getting enough sleep the night before the exam, then the exam should have been scheduled for a different day. A note to all faculty: If you did not know, the election is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. It was going to go one way or the other, and the undergrads and faculty should have known that and been prepared for any result. The Economics Department’s decision to make the midterm optional has set a bad precedent. Does this mean that whenever someone is upset, he/she can opt out of taking an exam? If you had the hubris to make the midterm the day after the election, you should have stuck with your decision instead of capitulating to the hysteria of the Flowers.
Now protests are popping up at universities all over America. What are you protesting … the democratic process? There are calls for changing the Electoral College to just a popular vote; but, of course, if Hillary had won the electoral vote and lost the popular vote, you would be reprimanding those who called it an injustice.
Protesting the orderly transfer of power under the Constitution is a head-scratcher. Maybe we can trace the root cause of this behavior to our generation receiving participation trophies while growing up. Many never learned how to be graceful in defeat, much less handle it.
The election is over. The people have made their decision. You can be angry, happy or indifferent, but above all you can be polite. have some etiquette. There is a difference between political correctness and politeness etiquette, and unfortunately one has taken over universities while the other has been lost.
It's time to put away your Play-Doh (yes, some universities are actually handing out Play-Doh to help students cope), move on and do what it takes to better our nation, because we are all on this ship together.
Imagine if you treated people of different races as you treat people with different opinions. There would be a tremendous outcry! But somehow it is fine to discriminate against those with different views.
Did it ever occur to you that this may be why people voted for Trump? That it might not have been the “racist proclivities” of the U.S. or the “dangerous nationalism” of the people, but that it was people who tell them not to think or speak the way they do.
Trump won, and he did not overthrow the government or kill people to silence them. He won in the standard fashion — by getting 270 votes in the Electoral College. As I said, you have a right to be upset, but what we have on our hands now is an embarrassment.
Trump won, and he did not overthrow the government or kill people to silence them. He won in the standard fashion — by getting 270 votes in the Electoral College. You have a right to be upset, but what we have on our hands now is an embarrassment.And this does not lie only with the undergrads. Universities themselves are making all types of provisions to coddle those who have been traumatized by the will of the American people. At Harvard, the Introduction to Economics midterm was made optional; the reason provided was that the election results came in too late, but we all know it would have been mandatory if Clinton had won by 10 p.m., as expected.
If the faculty was worried about students not getting enough sleep the night before the exam, then the exam should have been scheduled for a different day. A note to all faculty: If you did not know, the election is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. It was going to go one way or the other, and the undergrads and faculty should have known that and been prepared for any result. The Economics Department’s decision to make the midterm optional has set a bad precedent. Does this mean that whenever someone is upset, he/she can opt out of taking an exam? If you had the hubris to make the midterm the day after the election, you should have stuck with your decision instead of capitulating to the hysteria of the Flowers.
Now protests are popping up at universities all over America. What are you protesting … the democratic process? There are calls for changing the Electoral College to just a popular vote; but, of course, if Hillary had won the electoral vote and lost the popular vote, you would be reprimanding those who called it an injustice.
Protesting the orderly transfer of power under the Constitution is a head-scratcher. Maybe we can trace the root cause of this behavior to our generation receiving participation trophies while growing up. Many never learned how to be graceful in defeat, much less handle it.
The election is over. The people have made their decision. You can be angry, happy or indifferent, but above all you can be polite. have some etiquette. There is a difference between political correctness and politeness etiquette, and unfortunately one has taken over universities while the other has been lost.
It's time to put away your Play-Doh (yes, some universities are actually handing out Play-Doh to help students cope), move on and do what it takes to better our nation, because we are all on this ship together.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Trump shocks the world!
It has been a week since the conclusion of the shocking 2016 election.I have had a week to digest it and look at reactions and think about it.That apparently puts me ahead of a lot of people.
One of many great things about America is that every four years, we have a revolution--they are called "elections". Then there is a peaceful transfer of power, something very rare in the world. We have been doing it for 240 years without incident.
People have the right to protest. Fine, its in the Constitution. Screaming obsencenities, destroying property and assualting others is not. That is a riot and you go to jail.
I did not see a Trump victory coming.
But it arrived.
It arrived because people were tired of corrupt politicans, political correctness, self-righteous "liberals" who try to shout down dissenting opinions and the general idiocy of the media.
"Student" protests by narrow minded people who did not even vote does not help. It is people like that who led to Trump's victory.
Every President gets a chance to see what he can do.
Trump deserves that chance.
So tell these self-righteous protesters to take a nap and wait to see what he does. People grow into job and find out what needs to be done. That is why there is a transition period of a couple of months.
So have a seat and see what happens.
And stay off my property unless you are bringing pizza :-)
One of many great things about America is that every four years, we have a revolution--they are called "elections". Then there is a peaceful transfer of power, something very rare in the world. We have been doing it for 240 years without incident.
People have the right to protest. Fine, its in the Constitution. Screaming obsencenities, destroying property and assualting others is not. That is a riot and you go to jail.
I did not see a Trump victory coming.
But it arrived.
It arrived because people were tired of corrupt politicans, political correctness, self-righteous "liberals" who try to shout down dissenting opinions and the general idiocy of the media.
"Student" protests by narrow minded people who did not even vote does not help. It is people like that who led to Trump's victory.
Every President gets a chance to see what he can do.
Trump deserves that chance.
So tell these self-righteous protesters to take a nap and wait to see what he does. People grow into job and find out what needs to be done. That is why there is a transition period of a couple of months.
So have a seat and see what happens.
And stay off my property unless you are bringing pizza :-)
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Cubs shock the world!
The last time the Chicago Cubs won the World Series was in 1908!
Howard Taft was President, and there had not been a First or Second World War. The airplane had only been invented five years earlier and cars were still rare. Only one US president had ever been outside of the country.
I don't keep up much with baseball, but this was history in the making. What this means is still unclear. It means something though
This is going to be one of these things that will be hard to understand unless you look back at it.
In a year of upheaval and overturning convention, this might be another event in that chain.
The unfriendly Chinese saying, "May you live in interesting times" seems fairly apt.
Time will tell.
Howard Taft was President, and there had not been a First or Second World War. The airplane had only been invented five years earlier and cars were still rare. Only one US president had ever been outside of the country.
I don't keep up much with baseball, but this was history in the making. What this means is still unclear. It means something though
This is going to be one of these things that will be hard to understand unless you look back at it.
In a year of upheaval and overturning convention, this might be another event in that chain.
The unfriendly Chinese saying, "May you live in interesting times" seems fairly apt.
Time will tell.
Sunday, October 30, 2016
America's political system
America's political system is clearly collapsing.
t
Regardless of whoever wins this joke of an election, one thing is obvious: whoever wins had better not spike the ball and should immediately do something the other side likes. If not, something much worse than Hillary Clinton/Donald Trump will come down the pike in four years.
The solution is not something that can be legislated. It comes down to values. Corruption is more destructive than wars.
It comes down to the voters.
I read in the Chicago Tribune that this election, if nothing else, as forced American culture to take a good look at itself.
It is not pretty.
Instead of blaming others for problems, it is time for Americans to take responsibility, show some interstinale fortitude and take matters into their own hands. Your govnerment either is not interested nor competent.
The corruption has seeped into everything. There have been many instances of price gouging here in NC in the wake of the hurricaine, complaints are mounting in the field of labor relations and there is general unhappiness in America.
Treat others as you would like to be treated.
If anyone tries to run you over ,give them a chance to back off, then flatten them.
If you are one of the good guys, you always start at a disadvantage.
Don't worry, it just makes you stronger.
Now, get to work. We have country to save!
t
Regardless of whoever wins this joke of an election, one thing is obvious: whoever wins had better not spike the ball and should immediately do something the other side likes. If not, something much worse than Hillary Clinton/Donald Trump will come down the pike in four years.
The solution is not something that can be legislated. It comes down to values. Corruption is more destructive than wars.
It comes down to the voters.
I read in the Chicago Tribune that this election, if nothing else, as forced American culture to take a good look at itself.
It is not pretty.
Instead of blaming others for problems, it is time for Americans to take responsibility, show some interstinale fortitude and take matters into their own hands. Your govnerment either is not interested nor competent.
The corruption has seeped into everything. There have been many instances of price gouging here in NC in the wake of the hurricaine, complaints are mounting in the field of labor relations and there is general unhappiness in America.
Treat others as you would like to be treated.
If anyone tries to run you over ,give them a chance to back off, then flatten them.
If you are one of the good guys, you always start at a disadvantage.
Don't worry, it just makes you stronger.
Now, get to work. We have country to save!
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Hurricane Matthew slams NC
The hurricane was not the problem. It was the flooding after the flooding! The water kept rising and soon the roads started vanishing!
Michelle and I were lucky. We lost power for about an hour and the water pressure was a little weak for a day. Other than that, no problems.
School was cancelled for a week since most of the country was underwater. I am not sure what the make up sked is, or if there is one since we are a community college so I guess I will just pick up with the Japan lecture I had ready for last Monday.
Nonetheless, we came out of it OK and Muffins the cat not only spent the storm out on the porch, she seemed to enjoy it! I thought cats hated the rain!
The water is still rising since the water is running off into the rivers. We are not near any rivers, so that is one thing we don't have to worry about.
We are very thankful.
This was not a direct hit, but we caught the fourth quadrant so it felt like a direct hit.
Tomorrow, we go back to our normal teaching schedule (or as close as we can!)...
...until the next one!
Michelle and I were lucky. We lost power for about an hour and the water pressure was a little weak for a day. Other than that, no problems.
School was cancelled for a week since most of the country was underwater. I am not sure what the make up sked is, or if there is one since we are a community college so I guess I will just pick up with the Japan lecture I had ready for last Monday.
Nonetheless, we came out of it OK and Muffins the cat not only spent the storm out on the porch, she seemed to enjoy it! I thought cats hated the rain!
The water is still rising since the water is running off into the rivers. We are not near any rivers, so that is one thing we don't have to worry about.
We are very thankful.
This was not a direct hit, but we caught the fourth quadrant so it felt like a direct hit.
Tomorrow, we go back to our normal teaching schedule (or as close as we can!)...
...until the next one!
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Sunday, September 25, 2016
This guy gets it!
The Free Hugs Project!
Naturally some idiots threatened him, but so what?
Good man, keep doing wha!t you are doin
Naturally some idiots threatened him, but so what?
Good man, keep doing wha!t you are doin
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Charlotte NC: Screwed Up Priorities
Probably not interested in what bathroom you want to use... |
Charlotte mayor Jennifer Roberts showed up on the center stage last summer with the HB2 bill allowing transgender people to use the bathroom of their choice. Why is the government--especially a local one--so concerned about bathrooms? They can't do anything right, so why this?
Nontheless, Charlotte has worse things to worry about and the mayor(ess?) is clearly incompetent and is living in some sort of dreamworld--like most politicians. Like most politicians, she does not have to live with the mess he/she/it/whatever creates. They don't really have to work, everything is paid for, and they have 24/7 security.
Mayor Roberts should apologize for doing a horrible job and beg for forgiveness. Then release the police tape of the shooting and begin the investigation.
If you re-elect her, Charlotte, you deserve what you get.
And flush this bathroom idiocy down the toilet.
You have other more--much more--- important things to address.
Get on it!
Monday, September 12, 2016
September 12, 490 BC
The Greeks have fought Persians, Bulgarians, Arabs, Russians, Turks, and Nazis. Today we fight bankers from the European Union. We can beat them too and we will do that while partying on the beach on the wreckage of the EU.
Brussels thinks they have the deck stacked against us. Nah, the European Union is on its way to irrelevance.
Now, Greece, please remember to pay off your debts! Let's not do this again! In the meantime, think about going back to the drachma. The Euro will be worth about the same soon enough.....Plus, it will be fun to see the fanatics in Brussels pull their hair out!
Friday, September 2, 2016
Not the time or place, Colin
Colin Kapernick, quarterback (for how long...not sure?) for the San Francisco 49ers has been protesting what he calls police oppression of minorities. He protests by refusing to stand for the National Anthem. And he pulls this stunt on Armed Forces night in San Diego, Is it freedom of speech? Perhaps. He has the freedom not to stand for the National Anthem and I have the freedom to call him an idiot.
Athletes should stay out of politics. The Nazis were not right to try it at the 1936 Olympics and overprivledged milliionare ball players should not try it today. They just look like idiots.
Oppression of minorites?
Who is the president today? Is discrimination legal? Segregation has a thing of the past since about the 1960s.
Is America perfect?
No, not even close.
I don't need a lecture from some pompous overpaid ball player to tell me what is wrong with the world. I can see that myself. I try to do something about, here and there, little by little.
You want to change the world, Colin? Make a statement and stop playing football to do it. Then you might learn the meaning of the word "sacrifice", something those members of the US military standing in front of you can tell you about.
Until you stop collecting checks every week that are more than most people will see in their lives, just shut up and stop telling us about how tough your life is.
Get a nine to five job, climb out of your ivory tower and walk around in the real world. Then we can talk.
Thus endth the sermon.
Athletes should stay out of politics. The Nazis were not right to try it at the 1936 Olympics and overprivledged milliionare ball players should not try it today. They just look like idiots.
Oppression of minorites?
Who is the president today? Is discrimination legal? Segregation has a thing of the past since about the 1960s.
Is America perfect?
No, not even close.
I don't need a lecture from some pompous overpaid ball player to tell me what is wrong with the world. I can see that myself. I try to do something about, here and there, little by little.
You want to change the world, Colin? Make a statement and stop playing football to do it. Then you might learn the meaning of the word "sacrifice", something those members of the US military standing in front of you can tell you about.
Until you stop collecting checks every week that are more than most people will see in their lives, just shut up and stop telling us about how tough your life is.
Get a nine to five job, climb out of your ivory tower and walk around in the real world. Then we can talk.
Thus endth the sermon.
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Why Not Leave the Olympics in Athens?
Why not leave the Olympics in Athens?
After reading about the problems in Rio with the Zika virus, crime problems, water turning green, and a host of other problems, I begin to wonder why we don't put the Olympics in Athens permanently?
Not only could Greece use the money, it would put an end to a lot of waste and corruption. There are bribes flying everywhere on the bidding process and cities and nations bankrupt themselves trying to land the games.
Huge stadium are built for the Olmypics and when the games are over, then what?
We allready have a world event that travels the world--the World Cup.
Bring the Games home to where they belong--Greece!
After reading about the problems in Rio with the Zika virus, crime problems, water turning green, and a host of other problems, I begin to wonder why we don't put the Olympics in Athens permanently?
Not only could Greece use the money, it would put an end to a lot of waste and corruption. There are bribes flying everywhere on the bidding process and cities and nations bankrupt themselves trying to land the games.
Huge stadium are built for the Olmypics and when the games are over, then what?
We allready have a world event that travels the world--the World Cup.
Bring the Games home to where they belong--Greece!
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Convinced yet?
Wikileaks--by way of Guciffer 2.0--found 20,000 (!) emails detailing the degree of complicity that the Democratic National Committee had in rigging the primaries for Hillary Clinton. As if superdelagates were not enough to push her over the top and the horrible corruption that is eating both parties alive and, by extension, the country.
Here is the story for your consideration:
http://observer.com/2016/07/wikileaks-proves-primary-was-rigged-dnc-undermined-democracy/
Here is the story for your consideration:
http://observer.com/2016/07/wikileaks-proves-primary-was-rigged-dnc-undermined-democracy/
Sunday, July 10, 2016
A country running in the wrong direction
The day after the 4th of July, we saw the FBI essentially abdicate its responsibilities and betray its own ideals, then we see cops involved in urban combat in Dallas, and then--the ultimate betrayal of the Hippocratic Oath--almost 2500 (!) doctors in America are being investigated for taking advantage of their patients.
America has become a nation of grinding anger, viciousness, violence and utter hopelessness. Like I said in my previous post, the institutions are in disarray, trust does not seem to exists and I am not even sure if we live in a democracy anymore. I feel like a total idiot when I extol the virtues of democracy in the US History classes I teach.
What happened?
There are divisions in society that are not just racial and it goes even beyond socio-economic. Those divisions have become faultlines. The so-called "elites" are basically idiots and the laws of the nation are essentially ignored or interpreted by people in positions of trust in ways that benefit them and them only.
And you want to know why Trump gets the attention and votes......
Back in 1998, after Bill Clinton's "I did not have sexual realtions wtih that woman" lie that was the dictionary definition of perjury, I saw idiot pundits write that the republic still stood. Now, they are wondering, after another Clinton legal misadventure, who Trump, with his course speech and rhetoric, is doing so well in the polls.
Simple....the Clintons created Trump.
But lets look at American society in general.
Anger, road rage, constant idiocy in government and business.
This stuff spread. You give me this "law and order" speech and we see sanctuary cities violate federal immigration law with no repercussions. We see people punished for violating un-American practice of Political Correctness (ie Nazism) even though the First Amendment protects unpopular (and sometimes stupid) speech. For some reason, liberals hate the Second Amendment and want to confiscate guns as they hide behind security details. We see the Fed hand out free money to banks to inflate the stock market and gas stations raise fuel prices on a whim (not that much lately...lots of angry customers shouting at gas stations lately...)
It looks like the Roman Empire in the late fifth century.
Use history as a guide and turn around, America!
WE are better than this.
America has become a nation of grinding anger, viciousness, violence and utter hopelessness. Like I said in my previous post, the institutions are in disarray, trust does not seem to exists and I am not even sure if we live in a democracy anymore. I feel like a total idiot when I extol the virtues of democracy in the US History classes I teach.
What happened?
There are divisions in society that are not just racial and it goes even beyond socio-economic. Those divisions have become faultlines. The so-called "elites" are basically idiots and the laws of the nation are essentially ignored or interpreted by people in positions of trust in ways that benefit them and them only.
And you want to know why Trump gets the attention and votes......
Back in 1998, after Bill Clinton's "I did not have sexual realtions wtih that woman" lie that was the dictionary definition of perjury, I saw idiot pundits write that the republic still stood. Now, they are wondering, after another Clinton legal misadventure, who Trump, with his course speech and rhetoric, is doing so well in the polls.
Simple....the Clintons created Trump.
But lets look at American society in general.
Anger, road rage, constant idiocy in government and business.
This stuff spread. You give me this "law and order" speech and we see sanctuary cities violate federal immigration law with no repercussions. We see people punished for violating un-American practice of Political Correctness (ie Nazism) even though the First Amendment protects unpopular (and sometimes stupid) speech. For some reason, liberals hate the Second Amendment and want to confiscate guns as they hide behind security details. We see the Fed hand out free money to banks to inflate the stock market and gas stations raise fuel prices on a whim (not that much lately...lots of angry customers shouting at gas stations lately...)
It looks like the Roman Empire in the late fifth century.
Use history as a guide and turn around, America!
WE are better than this.
Monday, July 4, 2016
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Where do they find these people?
What is it with the Attorney General's office? They tend to find the oddest, weirdest, and most utterly incompetent people you can find. I wrote on this before and it does not seem to have changed. There was Janet Reno, who clearly was a terrible AG. Then we had Ashcroft trying to sing on TV. Alberto Gonzales seemed reasonably competent,so naturally, he left. In comes Eric Holder, who seemed to say the wrong thing at, well every chance he had. Now we have Lorretta Lynch who may or may not indite Hillary Clinton for breaking a ton of security laws (I have not even gotten to Benghazi...) and ends up publicly meeting Clinton's husband Bill at the airport.
No, that does not cast any suspicious light on anything...
Oddly enough, it is not fair to Hillary Clinton.
The longer this email probe lasts, the more idiotic this election looks, not that it needs anymore help in that department.
The institutions are in disarray. They did it to themselves. Get it together or it will crash and burn.
Not that anyone minds.
It might be a good idea to start over and get it right this time.
No, that does not cast any suspicious light on anything...
Oddly enough, it is not fair to Hillary Clinton.
The longer this email probe lasts, the more idiotic this election looks, not that it needs anymore help in that department.
The institutions are in disarray. They did it to themselves. Get it together or it will crash and burn.
Not that anyone minds.
It might be a good idea to start over and get it right this time.
Friday, July 1, 2016
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Switzerland out, Brexit next?
Switzerland formally withdrew its membership bid to the European Union. The EU was flabbergasted. "How could anyone NOT want to join the European Union. Britain may provide an answer.
Undemocratic and run by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels seeking to insert their way into membership countries is not a way to build a harmonious union. The EU has threatened to fine Hungary and Poland for not accepting Moslem refugees (from which at least two terror attacks have been traced), and has threatened sanctions on those countries for internal political practices it deems, ironically/hypocritically, as "undemocratic".
Now omoioulsy, the EU is thinking about changing its decision making process from unamamous membership vote to a mere majority thus compelling dissenting members to go along with decisions that run contrary to national interests. I am beginning to seriously believe this entire Moslem refugee crisis was brought on by the EU as a way for it to increase its coercisive powers. It would not be out of the question to think that the horrific assassination of Labour MP Jo Cox could be a false flag to push the Brexit vote to EU favor. We have seen governments do this a lot recently.
On the other hand, Britain may have all ready won. The EU is bending over backwards offering special deals to London to stay in the European Union. That in itself is a violation of the EU charter, but why should we be surprised?
The truth is that the British people--and most of the other Europeans--are tired of the autocratic EU and its disregard for, well, Europe. The European Court of Justice (an EU creation) ruled that European nations cannot jail illegal immigrants for illegally entering their borders. It seems even the EU cannot stand the EU.
Britian's new Moslem mayor now wants to ban advertising showing "unattainable body images" (ie swimsuit models). Well, get off the couch and exercise ya fat slobs! This sounds like typical leftist double-talk right out of Orwell. Naturally, he sings praises of the European Union. Let the sharia watch begin...
Like the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact, the European Union cannot allow defections. If it does, it will spread. Just like Poland in 1989, once one goes they all go. The EU is doomed anyway, like all totalitarian forms of government. End it quietly now and go back to being a trade association.
Do yourself a favor Britain and get away from this EU thing.
If not, you brought it on yourself.
Undemocratic and run by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels seeking to insert their way into membership countries is not a way to build a harmonious union. The EU has threatened to fine Hungary and Poland for not accepting Moslem refugees (from which at least two terror attacks have been traced), and has threatened sanctions on those countries for internal political practices it deems, ironically/hypocritically, as "undemocratic".
Now omoioulsy, the EU is thinking about changing its decision making process from unamamous membership vote to a mere majority thus compelling dissenting members to go along with decisions that run contrary to national interests. I am beginning to seriously believe this entire Moslem refugee crisis was brought on by the EU as a way for it to increase its coercisive powers. It would not be out of the question to think that the horrific assassination of Labour MP Jo Cox could be a false flag to push the Brexit vote to EU favor. We have seen governments do this a lot recently.
On the other hand, Britain may have all ready won. The EU is bending over backwards offering special deals to London to stay in the European Union. That in itself is a violation of the EU charter, but why should we be surprised?
The truth is that the British people--and most of the other Europeans--are tired of the autocratic EU and its disregard for, well, Europe. The European Court of Justice (an EU creation) ruled that European nations cannot jail illegal immigrants for illegally entering their borders. It seems even the EU cannot stand the EU.
Britian's new Moslem mayor now wants to ban advertising showing "unattainable body images" (ie swimsuit models). Well, get off the couch and exercise ya fat slobs! This sounds like typical leftist double-talk right out of Orwell. Naturally, he sings praises of the European Union. Let the sharia watch begin...
Like the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact, the European Union cannot allow defections. If it does, it will spread. Just like Poland in 1989, once one goes they all go. The EU is doomed anyway, like all totalitarian forms of government. End it quietly now and go back to being a trade association.
Do yourself a favor Britain and get away from this EU thing.
If not, you brought it on yourself.
Monday, June 13, 2016
Pittsburgh Penguins--Stanley Cup Champions!!!
The Penguins won their fourth Stanley Cup on Sunday. This team joins its comrades from 1991, 1992 and 2009 on the Cup!
I greeted my class today with "In hoc singo vinces_ (in this sign you will conquer) and the Penguin emblem on the board.
Was it a little strange? Yeah, but it was fun.
Now we wait for either a Pirates World Series or Steeler Super Bowl win and Pittsburgh can rightfully be the City of Champions again like 1979 and 2009.
Meanwhile, my class learns about the Roman Empire too!
I greeted my class today with "In hoc singo vinces_ (in this sign you will conquer) and the Penguin emblem on the board.
Was it a little strange? Yeah, but it was fun.
Now we wait for either a Pirates World Series or Steeler Super Bowl win and Pittsburgh can rightfully be the City of Champions again like 1979 and 2009.
Meanwhile, my class learns about the Roman Empire too!
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Sunday, June 5, 2016
The Thucydides Trap
I was reading about the increasing rivalry in the Pacific between the US and China and Graham Alison wrote about his concern about the United States falling into what he called "The Thucydides Trap."
In 431 BC, Sparta went to war with Athens, plunging Greece into the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides wrote in History of the Peloponnesian War, that the war began because the Spartans feared the rising power of Athens and feared being surpassed. This has happened before and it will again. There is usually a naval component to this phenomenon as well.
Sparta did not have a navy and fought Athens to an unproductive standstill before building its own navy and eventually triumphing in 404 BC. Later, the Romans faced this same dilemma facing off with Carthage. Both sides were afraid of the other in that one.
Napoleon hijacked the French Revolution to build his own empire. Britain led the coalition to stop him. The French (OK, Corsican) emperor drove all before him, but could not cross the English Channel. Then came Waterloo.
In the twentieth century, two very different German leaders--Kaiser Wilhelm and Adolf Hitler--found themselves in the same shoes. You could even put the Union and Confederacy in this construct.
Today we see the US and China posturing in the Pacific. If Thucydides has taught us anything, it is to remember that (1) human nature does not change, (2) navies cost more than ground forces, and (3) you need a navy to be a world power.
In 2016 AD, China is regarded as the rising power while the US wants to preserve the status quo. China is building a navy, but the US refused to budge off of the Asian littoral. Some have proposed accomidating China by giving them the South China Sea.
Will China be satisfied with that? Will the US even consider that course of action? Think about Thucydides and then answer those questions.
The Thucydides trap has happened before and it will happen again in the future.
After all, the Federation was worried about an expanding Klingon Empire in the last Star Trek movie.
Personally, I am more of an Aliens vs Predator type of guy.
In 431 BC, Sparta went to war with Athens, plunging Greece into the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides wrote in History of the Peloponnesian War, that the war began because the Spartans feared the rising power of Athens and feared being surpassed. This has happened before and it will again. There is usually a naval component to this phenomenon as well.
Sparta did not have a navy and fought Athens to an unproductive standstill before building its own navy and eventually triumphing in 404 BC. Later, the Romans faced this same dilemma facing off with Carthage. Both sides were afraid of the other in that one.
Napoleon hijacked the French Revolution to build his own empire. Britain led the coalition to stop him. The French (OK, Corsican) emperor drove all before him, but could not cross the English Channel. Then came Waterloo.
In the twentieth century, two very different German leaders--Kaiser Wilhelm and Adolf Hitler--found themselves in the same shoes. You could even put the Union and Confederacy in this construct.
Today we see the US and China posturing in the Pacific. If Thucydides has taught us anything, it is to remember that (1) human nature does not change, (2) navies cost more than ground forces, and (3) you need a navy to be a world power.
In 2016 AD, China is regarded as the rising power while the US wants to preserve the status quo. China is building a navy, but the US refused to budge off of the Asian littoral. Some have proposed accomidating China by giving them the South China Sea.
Will China be satisfied with that? Will the US even consider that course of action? Think about Thucydides and then answer those questions.
The Thucydides trap has happened before and it will happen again in the future.
After all, the Federation was worried about an expanding Klingon Empire in the last Star Trek movie.
Personally, I am more of an Aliens vs Predator type of guy.
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Global Warming=Ice Age?
Naturally the debate over global warming continues. I don't buy the "settled science" line because it is always up for debate---and I think there is a global warming problem.
Strangely, global warming could lead to another ice age.
There is a current of water--the Atlantic Conveyor- that cruises north up the East Coast bringing warm water up from the tropics. When the ice caps melt, cold water floods into the Atlantic and the disrupts the Conveyor. This means no warm water moves northeast and even to Britain. So, the Arctic cold that is held back by the Conveyor creeps south...courtesy of global warming.
You can't win sometimes.
Learn to ride a mammoth!
Strangely, global warming could lead to another ice age.
There is a current of water--the Atlantic Conveyor- that cruises north up the East Coast bringing warm water up from the tropics. When the ice caps melt, cold water floods into the Atlantic and the disrupts the Conveyor. This means no warm water moves northeast and even to Britain. So, the Arctic cold that is held back by the Conveyor creeps south...courtesy of global warming.
You can't win sometimes.
Learn to ride a mammoth!
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Happy May 12!
Always a big holiday with me! Anniversary of victory over The Citadel and other dictators. Of course, there is still a lot of totalitarian impulses around, depressingly enough here in America, but that will pass....
...or we make sure it will pass!
Go forth and conquer!
...or we make sure it will pass!
Go forth and conquer!
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Are we arguing about toilets now?
The manufactured (yes, manufactured) debate over transgender people using the wrong bathroom makes the entire country look like a bunch of idiots. The worst part about this "debate" is that most people, including the transgender bunch, don't really care. This is the work of a group of lobbyists trying to make news.
Those lobbyists and activists are the most totalitarian, neo-Nazi wannabees you can find. They attempt to squelch differing opinions by threatening boycotts and instating court action. They come straight out of Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm. Perhaps if you used empathy instead of attempting intimidation, you might make progress. This is America, You have a right to an opinion. If you don't like that idea, move to Iran.
This law has nothing to do with transgenders...it has everything to do with keeping sexual predators from donning a wig and going into a bathroom to rape someone.
If you cannot understand this, there is nothing I can do for you. There have always been plenty of gender neutral bathrooms around. Use those. If you want to push boundaries, go after the idiots at the NSA, not people using the bathroom. Pass any law you want. If you are in the wrong bathroom, you are getting tossed out of there. Whether you want to leave on your own or be carried out is up to you.
How you live your life is your business. Don't push it on others. That goes for all sides of any debate.
Democracy in action. Love it or move to Iran and see how far you get with pushing boundaries there.
Now grow up and let's move on to serious issues.
Those lobbyists and activists are the most totalitarian, neo-Nazi wannabees you can find. They attempt to squelch differing opinions by threatening boycotts and instating court action. They come straight out of Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm. Perhaps if you used empathy instead of attempting intimidation, you might make progress. This is America, You have a right to an opinion. If you don't like that idea, move to Iran.
This law has nothing to do with transgenders...it has everything to do with keeping sexual predators from donning a wig and going into a bathroom to rape someone.
If you cannot understand this, there is nothing I can do for you. There have always been plenty of gender neutral bathrooms around. Use those. If you want to push boundaries, go after the idiots at the NSA, not people using the bathroom. Pass any law you want. If you are in the wrong bathroom, you are getting tossed out of there. Whether you want to leave on your own or be carried out is up to you.
How you live your life is your business. Don't push it on others. That goes for all sides of any debate.
Democracy in action. Love it or move to Iran and see how far you get with pushing boundaries there.
Now grow up and let's move on to serious issues.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Are people driving better?
There is something odd going on that I have noticed over the last six months or so. Maybe even a year now. I have had to think about it and I have arrived to one conclusion: people are driving better.
Not good, but better.
I see more people driving the speed limit. I see more people letting others into lanes. I see more waves (all five fingers).
What impresses me the most is what I have seen on the highway when a lot of people are trying to get on the may throughfare. Everyone lets one person it and you have the "zipper effect".
I used to talk about that on the air in back in 1999, so it looks like it is finally sinking in.
Good job, America!
I don't know what has brought this on, but give credit where credit is due.
Let's use this new found politeness in other parts of everyday interactions and make the world a better place. You cannot clean up the whole world but you can clean a corner. If enough people do that, we just might clean up the whole thing!
Not good, but better.
I see more people driving the speed limit. I see more people letting others into lanes. I see more waves (all five fingers).
What impresses me the most is what I have seen on the highway when a lot of people are trying to get on the may throughfare. Everyone lets one person it and you have the "zipper effect".
I used to talk about that on the air in back in 1999, so it looks like it is finally sinking in.
Good job, America!
I don't know what has brought this on, but give credit where credit is due.
Let's use this new found politeness in other parts of everyday interactions and make the world a better place. You cannot clean up the whole world but you can clean a corner. If enough people do that, we just might clean up the whole thing!
Saturday, April 2, 2016
April 2 anniversary!
On April 2, 2007, I gave Michelle her engagement ring in front of Heinz Field in Pittsburgh!
On day, they will built a monument to the occasion.....:-P
On day, they will built a monument to the occasion.....:-P
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Happy Easter!
Try not to get sick off jelly beans and chocolate bunnies!
And thank Jesus for dying for our sins though we don't deserve it.
And thank Jesus for dying for our sins though we don't deserve it.
Sunday, March 20, 2016
No need to hurry back....
Please, just go all ready.... |
President George HW Bush boasted back in 1992 that he would be the first US president to visit a "free Cuba." Cuba still is not free (but getting better), and Bush never went. Like I said, the line of presidential disappointments is long and goes waaay back, including both parties.
Obama's poll numbers tend to go up when he does nothing, so maybe we will get lucky and he decides to stay there. Even the Black Congressional Caucus can't seem to stand the guy....
He is on the way out and the looney-bin contest to replace him is under way. That is a lot more interesting, regardless of you feel about it.
Time to run the clock out on Obama, time to see who's next.
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Two party insanity--or stupidity
Our two-party political system, a relic from the Civil War, is clearly dysfunctional and borderline tyrannical. It does not represent the people. It does not work.
Let's junk it.
We are watching the Republican Party fighting against its own base. This is moronic and not conducive to...well...anything. The reason Donald Trump is surging, against Republican opposition is because the Republican party does not act like Republicans. They don't fight for anything, do it half-heartedly and are overall incompetent. They have had control of Congress since 2010 and have done absolutely nothing
Except fight with the Tea Party.
The Tea Party rose up in 2006 in response to a GOP that ignored it members. The GOP talks a good game, but really does not care, taking donations to accommodate lobbyists and go on junkets to Mexico. If this is conservatism, then toss it overboard. This is why Donald Trump is rocketing upward in the polls.
If the GOP base listens to the Republican establishment to abandon Trump, then what? Let Clinton win? This explains why no one trusts the GOP.
On the Democratic side, we see the same thing. There are many, many Democrats who cringe when Hillary Clinton trots out her sexual predator husband Bill at campaigns. She is clearly a creature of Wall Street (as is Trump, but at least he does not pretend otherwise) and cares for no one but herself. The "superdelegate" sham is a why of giving her the nomination in spite of the impressive showing of Bernie Sanders.
Sanders' presence in the Democratic version of Trump. Many in the Party of Jefferson are just as upset with their party as Republicans are with theirs.
In a real democracy or republic, there would be three or four parties: a center-right and center-left, along with some sort of socialist and conservative parties, maybe even a nationalist thrown in there. In other words, Trump (nationalist/conservative), Rubio and Cruz (center-right), Clinton (center-left) and Sanders (socialist).
Jefferson said a revolution was necessary every now and again. He was thinking (hoping) in terms of elections, not some sort of French Revolution. Now, its just a nasty election. Listen to your base, Republican and Democratic establishments
They are the ones with the pitchforks and there a LOT more of them than you.....
Let's junk it.
We are watching the Republican Party fighting against its own base. This is moronic and not conducive to...well...anything. The reason Donald Trump is surging, against Republican opposition is because the Republican party does not act like Republicans. They don't fight for anything, do it half-heartedly and are overall incompetent. They have had control of Congress since 2010 and have done absolutely nothing
Except fight with the Tea Party.
The Tea Party rose up in 2006 in response to a GOP that ignored it members. The GOP talks a good game, but really does not care, taking donations to accommodate lobbyists and go on junkets to Mexico. If this is conservatism, then toss it overboard. This is why Donald Trump is rocketing upward in the polls.
If the GOP base listens to the Republican establishment to abandon Trump, then what? Let Clinton win? This explains why no one trusts the GOP.
On the Democratic side, we see the same thing. There are many, many Democrats who cringe when Hillary Clinton trots out her sexual predator husband Bill at campaigns. She is clearly a creature of Wall Street (as is Trump, but at least he does not pretend otherwise) and cares for no one but herself. The "superdelegate" sham is a why of giving her the nomination in spite of the impressive showing of Bernie Sanders.
Sanders' presence in the Democratic version of Trump. Many in the Party of Jefferson are just as upset with their party as Republicans are with theirs.
In a real democracy or republic, there would be three or four parties: a center-right and center-left, along with some sort of socialist and conservative parties, maybe even a nationalist thrown in there. In other words, Trump (nationalist/conservative), Rubio and Cruz (center-right), Clinton (center-left) and Sanders (socialist).
Jefferson said a revolution was necessary every now and again. He was thinking (hoping) in terms of elections, not some sort of French Revolution. Now, its just a nasty election. Listen to your base, Republican and Democratic establishments
They are the ones with the pitchforks and there a LOT more of them than you.....
Monday, February 29, 2016
Happy Leap Year!
Every four years, we have an extra day on the calendar!
Of course, every four years we have a presidential election. Ever notice its always close to Halloween? I wonder what that is about. They are all usually creeps. :-P This year is promising to be extraordinarily nasty.
Enjoy the show.....
Of course, every four years we have a presidential election. Ever notice its always close to Halloween? I wonder what that is about. They are all usually creeps. :-P This year is promising to be extraordinarily nasty.
Enjoy the show.....
Friday, February 12, 2016
Democratic nomination: Is the fix in?
How does Bernie Sanders fight Hillary Clinton to a standstill in Iowa, win HUGE in New Hampshire, and still trail 394-42 in delegates? And this matter of "super delegates" who can vote as they please regardless of what the voters have said? And you call yourself "Democrats?"
If this is the way it is going to be, then let's ask for Vladimir Putin to become president. This is a disgrace and not worthy of the United States of America.
If I were Bernie Sanders, I would run an an independent. If it hurts the Democratic party, so what? It is not democratic nor worthy of his loyalty if it arbitrarily takes wins from him.
On the Republican side, there is similar dismay. I have never seen a political party with such disdain for its own supporters. Rather than modify its stances and actually try to win something on occasion, it seeks to punish its supporters.
They both deserve to lose.
If this is the way it is going to be, then let's ask for Vladimir Putin to become president. This is a disgrace and not worthy of the United States of America.
If I were Bernie Sanders, I would run an an independent. If it hurts the Democratic party, so what? It is not democratic nor worthy of his loyalty if it arbitrarily takes wins from him.
On the Republican side, there is similar dismay. I have never seen a political party with such disdain for its own supporters. Rather than modify its stances and actually try to win something on occasion, it seeks to punish its supporters.
They both deserve to lose.
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Super Bowl Sunday!
This morning I was thinking that if NY/NJ could have a Super Bowl,why not Charlotte. Then it started snowing....LOL
Everyone in NC is excited about the Super Bowl since the Panthers are in it. It is halftime now and Denver leads 13-7. A lot can happen in a half, so we will see what happens.
Some observations:
Levi Stadium is very generic. A better name might be "Acme Stadium". No personality, nothing really distinctive about it. I'm also not a fan of corporate names. They should be in the LA Coliseum for the 50th anniversary
Cam Newton looks rattled. He is way too arrogant and hopefully he learns something while getting a victory. On the other hand, well, Denver is playing good defense.....Yeah, I want my Steelers to be in it! LOL
I like the grass field. It is outdoors and this is the way the game should be played.
Anyway, having fun watching it and it is a tight, defense dominated game like I enjoy most.
Go Panthers! Go Broncos!
Next year, its Pittsburgh's turn!
Everyone in NC is excited about the Super Bowl since the Panthers are in it. It is halftime now and Denver leads 13-7. A lot can happen in a half, so we will see what happens.
Some observations:
Levi Stadium is very generic. A better name might be "Acme Stadium". No personality, nothing really distinctive about it. I'm also not a fan of corporate names. They should be in the LA Coliseum for the 50th anniversary
Cam Newton looks rattled. He is way too arrogant and hopefully he learns something while getting a victory. On the other hand, well, Denver is playing good defense.....Yeah, I want my Steelers to be in it! LOL
I like the grass field. It is outdoors and this is the way the game should be played.
Anyway, having fun watching it and it is a tight, defense dominated game like I enjoy most.
Go Panthers! Go Broncos!
Next year, its Pittsburgh's turn!
Friday, January 29, 2016
Why Republicans fail
I find it astounding that the Republican Party continues to attack its front-runner, Donald Trump. Regardless of how you feel about him, it is quite the spectacle. Why is this happening? And when I ask that question, its really two: Why is Trump rising and why is the Republican Party so afraid?
Well, Trump--again, regardless of who you feel about him--is rising because he is not out of touch with the voters. He has given political correctness a much needed middle finger and actually speaks about issues the GOP base cares about.
No Repubican establishment candidate sounds much different than any Democrat on immigration. The GOP wants to repeal Obamacare but cannot seem to even seem interested enough to fight it. They talk a good game but do not even fight the good fight.
But they have no trouble attacking the Tea Party or its candiate Ted Cruz or Trump who is running away with the nomination.
Is the entire game rigged? Are DC Republicans, inside their bubble, completely out of touch, corrupted by the whole Beltway culture? What do these "conservative think-tanks" really do except live off people's donations?
People are losing faith and hope (on both sides--lots of Democrats don't like Hillary). The parties seem to listen only to big donors and vote themselves benefits and raises at public expense. Bernie Sanders is rising on the left and Trump on the right. That tells you something is wrong.
If the people in DC don't want to listen, fine.
Work on your cardio, because you will need it when the mobs come.
Just a piece of friendly advice.
Well, Trump--again, regardless of who you feel about him--is rising because he is not out of touch with the voters. He has given political correctness a much needed middle finger and actually speaks about issues the GOP base cares about.
No Repubican establishment candidate sounds much different than any Democrat on immigration. The GOP wants to repeal Obamacare but cannot seem to even seem interested enough to fight it. They talk a good game but do not even fight the good fight.
But they have no trouble attacking the Tea Party or its candiate Ted Cruz or Trump who is running away with the nomination.
Is the entire game rigged? Are DC Republicans, inside their bubble, completely out of touch, corrupted by the whole Beltway culture? What do these "conservative think-tanks" really do except live off people's donations?
People are losing faith and hope (on both sides--lots of Democrats don't like Hillary). The parties seem to listen only to big donors and vote themselves benefits and raises at public expense. Bernie Sanders is rising on the left and Trump on the right. That tells you something is wrong.
If the people in DC don't want to listen, fine.
Work on your cardio, because you will need it when the mobs come.
Just a piece of friendly advice.
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Hand over your man card, NOW!
I have never seen a US President cry during a press conference. That was ridiculous and only makes us look even dumber in the eyes of the world. Worst of all, I cannot be sure it was contrived.
Every time I hear "its for the children", I become suspicious. After that Clyde Bundy ranch standoff in 2014 and the conduct of federal agents before bring faced down, I don't think anyone is sure about a situation where only the US government is armed.
Do loopholes need to be closed? Yes.
The answer to America's gun problem--and it is a problem--is not guns, but people running around with the. Criminals will always find ways to break laws. I don't see how you want to punish law-abiding citizens. The border-line fanticism in which this administration seems to want to push gun control makes everyone--right and left--suspicious.
This policy change, according to the president, is about closing loopholes. It is hard to beleive anything that comes out of DC though. Take the Patriot Act. How was that supposed to work? Somehow, I cannot seem to find "quasi-police state" or "out of control NSA" in the language of the bill. There are just too many examples of government abuse to believe anything they say.
On the other side of the coin, what does the constant rash of gun-violence say about American society? Try to treat each other better and you diffuse most problems. Start hiring and stop making people work full-time for part-time pay. Do the job and keep office politics out of the workplace. It's ridiculous and inefficent. Control your kids. Go upside their head if you need too.
And learn to handle rejection.
The world is not always a nice place, but no need to go out of the way to make it worse.
Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.
Thus endth the sermon....
Every time I hear "its for the children", I become suspicious. After that Clyde Bundy ranch standoff in 2014 and the conduct of federal agents before bring faced down, I don't think anyone is sure about a situation where only the US government is armed.
Do loopholes need to be closed? Yes.
The answer to America's gun problem--and it is a problem--is not guns, but people running around with the. Criminals will always find ways to break laws. I don't see how you want to punish law-abiding citizens. The border-line fanticism in which this administration seems to want to push gun control makes everyone--right and left--suspicious.
This policy change, according to the president, is about closing loopholes. It is hard to beleive anything that comes out of DC though. Take the Patriot Act. How was that supposed to work? Somehow, I cannot seem to find "quasi-police state" or "out of control NSA" in the language of the bill. There are just too many examples of government abuse to believe anything they say.
On the other side of the coin, what does the constant rash of gun-violence say about American society? Try to treat each other better and you diffuse most problems. Start hiring and stop making people work full-time for part-time pay. Do the job and keep office politics out of the workplace. It's ridiculous and inefficent. Control your kids. Go upside their head if you need too.
And learn to handle rejection.
The world is not always a nice place, but no need to go out of the way to make it worse.
Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.
Thus endth the sermon....
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