Let's hope 2016 is a happy, healthy, and prosperous year. It certainly might be a watershed.
It just crushes me to hear, again this AM, that another murder occurred on the streets of Detroit. This one wasn't too far from where one of my aunts lived, maybe a mile or two. There were, according to a newspaper article the other day, about 300 murders in Detroit this year. That doesn't include the suburbs. And I wonder how many murders don't get reported, for a variety of reasons, or bodies just disappear and nobody notices--homeless, drug deals, trash bins, etc.
Just the other day I was telling some folks how great it was to live and grow up and do things in Detroit--back when. Last night I was googling old ball fields where I used to play baseball and had wonderful memories. OK, I was distressed at the condition of the fields/parks today on the photos, but they were great places to play in the '60s. All right, I must admit there were a few of them that, when I'd go down to block a ball, sometimes I'd come up with a bloody knee, kneeling on a piece of glass! I know people think I'm crazy when I reminisce like that, but it's all true.
I read a great piece online this AM. Of Hillary Clinton, it read she "is a tired, sick, incompetent, mentally rigid, unpopular old woman." Somewhere in the article he added, "a career criminal." I laughed until I realized she might well win the Presidency. I can't imagine anyone but those who live off government freebies and the brain dead voting for her. But many will and maybe enough to win the election. Maybe those voters think that voting for a woman, as lousy a candidate as she is, would be "cool and self-validating," undoing centuries of discrimination against women. Wow! Do they need to re-examine things.
Another column wrote of President Obama. He's "always been able to mimic intelligence and...an aura of cool." Ha Ha! I fully agree.
Let's include the Establishment Republicans in this onslaught, too. They were cited as "a black hole for attracting stupidity." Yep......
For 2015, I put in about 1600 miles on my bike, but ran almost 3000. It might have been the most miles I've ever hit. And that was intentional. I wasn't training for anything specific, but merely wanted to challenge myself, my body, at age 66. I had a few aches and pains with some of the 60- or 70-mile weeks, but nothing at all serious, nothing that lasted more than a day or two. I was helped by some of the mild weather, esp in the fall and early winter, and with my extra runs with my two running partners, Michael and Carrie, who had also established goals. I think the major problem now will be to cut back to my normal weeks/months of running. I still see that "50-mile week" or "60-mile week" flashing in my mind. Some cold or snowy weather would help me with cutting back.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Monday, December 28, 2015
Here We Go Again
Christmas Eve, 2015.
We were headed to K's family's Chris activities, kids in the car. Stopped at a red light, we waited to turn right along with a single car in front of us. The turn could wait. We heard the slightest of screeches, tires squealing on the road, and then felt it. Yep, for the second time in this calendar year, I was rear-ended. Fortunately, people have told us, nobody was hurt. "Fortunately?" If we were "fortunate," we wouldn't have been rear-ended!
Yes, I think the lady was on her cell phone. It was dark and I wasn't looking in my rear-view mirror, but she got out of her car almost instantly after the crash, as soon as I did--and she was holding a cell phone in her hand. I find it hard to believe that, after ramming us, she had the time or the presence of mind to grab her cell phone before getting out so quickly.
Her first reaction was to yell, "I didn't hit you! I didn't hit you!" Looking at my car (actually I was driving K's) and her car, smashed halfway to the windshield, I merely replied, "Well, I think you did." "No, I didn't! My brakes didn't work." Hmmm, then what was that screeching sound we heard and, more, why is it apparent that your front end dipped just before the crash?
But talking on the phone and blurting this nonsense was just the beginning. This happened in Detroit and I really doubted any police would come, although I had K call 911. They likely are far too busy with other matters, like the almost daily murders, multiple murders, in the city. (Just two days before there was a fatal shooting just a couple of blocks from where we were, merely a mile and a half or two miles from where I grew up.) But a squad car did show up, thanks to very fortunate circumstances ("fortunate?"). One of the officers asked me, "Who was driving the other car, the one that hit you?" I pointed to the lady and said, "She was." He chuckled, saying, "She said she wasn't." Her story was that "some guy" was driving and after he hit us, he opened the door and ran away, but she "didn't know who he was." She changed her tune when she was told lying to a police officer was going to get her arrested, but driving with a suspended driver's license and without insurance wouldn't get her taken in. Yep, she had no insurance and was driving on a suspended license.
Yep, we were "fortunate."
On the drive home, there was another squad car, flashers flashing, at the same corner and yet another about a half mile down the road.
OK, the accident irks me, esp all the hassle of getting the car repaired. That will be a pain in the neck, time-wise, inconvenience, and all. But what really upsets me is this stupid state. I can't go out to dinner and have two beers over the course of two hours or more without fear of being pulled over, facing a possible loss or restriction of my driver's license, thousands of dollars (or more) in fines, court costs and lawyer fees, periodic urine tests (out of the way), and more, yet there are no such penalties for these idiots who are talking, texting, or whatever it is that people do on their cell phones while driving. Yes, I mean "idiots." They rammed me twice by not paying attention, one time totaling my car and the other endangering my wife and grandkids, all three of them. Maybe there should be a Mothers/Students Against Cell Phone Drivers. I'm not in favor of drunk driving, not at all. My brother-in-law was killed in an alcohol-related accident. But having two beers in two hours shouldn't at all force me to face the above potential penalties. And, driving while using a cell phone is demonstrably far more dangerous than not.
Now, apparently, I'm due for another couple of months of checking my rear-view mirror every time I stop at a red light or stop sign......
On to another thing that has me upset. The Michigan State Legislature passed a two-pronged law last week. I agree with one of it, or at least don't oppose it. It gets rid of straight-ticket voting, that is, having the ability to vote for all candidates of one party by merely pulling one switch in the voting booth. I don't see anything wrong with that. So voting is a bit more difficult or time-consuming? So city or county clerks' jobs are a bit tougher? Maybe democracy shouldn't be easy? The second part is more problematic. It prohibits local gov't officials, including school districts, from disseminating information about an election for 60 days before that election. Why? Will the incumbents running for office (that is, these same state legislators!) also refrain from campaigning during those last two months? Heh Heh...... But even more, was the sneakiness of the Republicans in passing this. Twice in the recent past, Michigan voters have rejected proposals similar to these, rejected them soundly. It's not just the Democrats who are arrogantly elitist, knowing what's best for us, better than we do ourselves. Even more, the Republicans attached a small financial package to the bill, now a law when the Republican governor inevitably signs it (He's very sneaky, too, one not to be trusted.), to prevent voters from overturning the law. Two things need to happen. One, voters need to amend the state constitution to get rid of such a provision making it almost impossible to overturn such legislation. Two, voters need to shake themselves and begin voting for candidates who are not Establishment Republicans or Democrats.
Therein lies, I think, the major attraction of Don Trump. People have awakened to the fact that, in essence, the Democrats and Republicans have become one. There are no major differences. Their main goal, both parties, is to go along to get along to get re-elected. Look, for instance, at Paul Ryan, the current Speaker of the House, who once held such promise. He's sold out. And note how the Establishment Republican apologists in the media--columnists and radio hosts--have jumped in to defend the most recent sell-out called the omnibus budget bill. C'mon, the bill rises to the tune of $1.1 trillion!!!!!! Under my gov't, as if that's ever going to happen, anyone who votes for an incumbent Dem or Rep would have to justify his or her right to vote. OK, I'm not serious, but before jumping on me about abrogating natural rights, consider we can, under strident circumstances, limit or deny other rights--of speech, of religion, etc.
Perhaps the worst thing about all of this is the sense of frustration, that it seems nothing can be done to stop or even slow down the behemoth called "government."
We were headed to K's family's Chris activities, kids in the car. Stopped at a red light, we waited to turn right along with a single car in front of us. The turn could wait. We heard the slightest of screeches, tires squealing on the road, and then felt it. Yep, for the second time in this calendar year, I was rear-ended. Fortunately, people have told us, nobody was hurt. "Fortunately?" If we were "fortunate," we wouldn't have been rear-ended!
Yes, I think the lady was on her cell phone. It was dark and I wasn't looking in my rear-view mirror, but she got out of her car almost instantly after the crash, as soon as I did--and she was holding a cell phone in her hand. I find it hard to believe that, after ramming us, she had the time or the presence of mind to grab her cell phone before getting out so quickly.
Her first reaction was to yell, "I didn't hit you! I didn't hit you!" Looking at my car (actually I was driving K's) and her car, smashed halfway to the windshield, I merely replied, "Well, I think you did." "No, I didn't! My brakes didn't work." Hmmm, then what was that screeching sound we heard and, more, why is it apparent that your front end dipped just before the crash?
But talking on the phone and blurting this nonsense was just the beginning. This happened in Detroit and I really doubted any police would come, although I had K call 911. They likely are far too busy with other matters, like the almost daily murders, multiple murders, in the city. (Just two days before there was a fatal shooting just a couple of blocks from where we were, merely a mile and a half or two miles from where I grew up.) But a squad car did show up, thanks to very fortunate circumstances ("fortunate?"). One of the officers asked me, "Who was driving the other car, the one that hit you?" I pointed to the lady and said, "She was." He chuckled, saying, "She said she wasn't." Her story was that "some guy" was driving and after he hit us, he opened the door and ran away, but she "didn't know who he was." She changed her tune when she was told lying to a police officer was going to get her arrested, but driving with a suspended driver's license and without insurance wouldn't get her taken in. Yep, she had no insurance and was driving on a suspended license.
Yep, we were "fortunate."
On the drive home, there was another squad car, flashers flashing, at the same corner and yet another about a half mile down the road.
OK, the accident irks me, esp all the hassle of getting the car repaired. That will be a pain in the neck, time-wise, inconvenience, and all. But what really upsets me is this stupid state. I can't go out to dinner and have two beers over the course of two hours or more without fear of being pulled over, facing a possible loss or restriction of my driver's license, thousands of dollars (or more) in fines, court costs and lawyer fees, periodic urine tests (out of the way), and more, yet there are no such penalties for these idiots who are talking, texting, or whatever it is that people do on their cell phones while driving. Yes, I mean "idiots." They rammed me twice by not paying attention, one time totaling my car and the other endangering my wife and grandkids, all three of them. Maybe there should be a Mothers/Students Against Cell Phone Drivers. I'm not in favor of drunk driving, not at all. My brother-in-law was killed in an alcohol-related accident. But having two beers in two hours shouldn't at all force me to face the above potential penalties. And, driving while using a cell phone is demonstrably far more dangerous than not.
Now, apparently, I'm due for another couple of months of checking my rear-view mirror every time I stop at a red light or stop sign......
On to another thing that has me upset. The Michigan State Legislature passed a two-pronged law last week. I agree with one of it, or at least don't oppose it. It gets rid of straight-ticket voting, that is, having the ability to vote for all candidates of one party by merely pulling one switch in the voting booth. I don't see anything wrong with that. So voting is a bit more difficult or time-consuming? So city or county clerks' jobs are a bit tougher? Maybe democracy shouldn't be easy? The second part is more problematic. It prohibits local gov't officials, including school districts, from disseminating information about an election for 60 days before that election. Why? Will the incumbents running for office (that is, these same state legislators!) also refrain from campaigning during those last two months? Heh Heh...... But even more, was the sneakiness of the Republicans in passing this. Twice in the recent past, Michigan voters have rejected proposals similar to these, rejected them soundly. It's not just the Democrats who are arrogantly elitist, knowing what's best for us, better than we do ourselves. Even more, the Republicans attached a small financial package to the bill, now a law when the Republican governor inevitably signs it (He's very sneaky, too, one not to be trusted.), to prevent voters from overturning the law. Two things need to happen. One, voters need to amend the state constitution to get rid of such a provision making it almost impossible to overturn such legislation. Two, voters need to shake themselves and begin voting for candidates who are not Establishment Republicans or Democrats.
Therein lies, I think, the major attraction of Don Trump. People have awakened to the fact that, in essence, the Democrats and Republicans have become one. There are no major differences. Their main goal, both parties, is to go along to get along to get re-elected. Look, for instance, at Paul Ryan, the current Speaker of the House, who once held such promise. He's sold out. And note how the Establishment Republican apologists in the media--columnists and radio hosts--have jumped in to defend the most recent sell-out called the omnibus budget bill. C'mon, the bill rises to the tune of $1.1 trillion!!!!!! Under my gov't, as if that's ever going to happen, anyone who votes for an incumbent Dem or Rep would have to justify his or her right to vote. OK, I'm not serious, but before jumping on me about abrogating natural rights, consider we can, under strident circumstances, limit or deny other rights--of speech, of religion, etc.
Perhaps the worst thing about all of this is the sense of frustration, that it seems nothing can be done to stop or even slow down the behemoth called "government."
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
"Somebody's Watchin' Me......"
That's the title of a Motown song of the '70s (?) by Rockwell. It think Rockwell, a stage name, was a son of Berry Gordy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YvAYIJSSZY
If this plays, note the lyrics, "...oh what a mess! I wonder who's watching me now--Who?--the IRS!"
Anyway, I wonder who reads my blog(s). Sometimes I think it's more than a I realize. (Not really; I'm not that vain. But......
Every so often I hear ideas that I wrote weeks and months ago. Folks sometimes send me articles and they concern what I wrote a long while back. This week there were two such instances.
I've probably angered a few people over the years in maintaining college degrees in education are, for the most part, fake degrees. They aren't real ones. (They lack the rigor required of a real college degree. And, since I have one, I think I can make valid comparisons.) So this week I read an article which criticized educators. The author's points were on the money, no doubt. But what attracted my attention more than any other part of the article was his reference to teachers with "faux degrees." I think "faux" is a fancy Nancy word for "fake."
And one of the radio guys, I forget if it was local or national, this AM was interviewing some pundit who referred to "the Establishment" in politics/government. He said the major problem, esp in the Republican Party vis-a-vis the phenomenon called "Trump," is that "the Establishment" doesn't understand the attraction of Trump. He blamed this lack of comprehension on the "elites" among the leadership of the party, that they are "elitists," thinking that they know what's best than the rank-and-file Republicans. Hey, I think for years I've been calling all the DC insiders, politicians, bureaucrats, etc. "arrogant elitists."
Hmmm......"somebody's watchin' me?"
And the NFL....... Apparently in some game last week, players from one team called a player from the opposing team a name. And the league is up in arms. So, we have concussions all over the place, former players crippled with some committing suicide, with 300+ pounders running at ridiculous speeds at quarterbacks, and the league is worried about name-calling?????? I'm getting a headache.
NYC, I guess is thinking about passing or already has passed legislation making it a crime to speak negatively about gays. I don't remember the max jail sentence, if there is one, but conviction can result in a fine of up to $250,000. (Hey, that's more than 5 years of my income!) Wait a minute? I thought the First Amendment guaranteed freedom of speech?????? "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or of speech or the press......" And beginning with Gitlow v NY (1925), using the incorporation theory, applied the free speech guarantees against the states, too, with the 14th Amendment ("...nor shall any state deprive any citizen of life, liberty......"). I have no problem with gays or gay marriage; past posts on this blog have so stated. The problem here lies in the censorship by government. What happens when some Catholic priest, some fundamentalist Protestant minister speaks out against gay marriage, perhaps calling it an abomination, even citing the Bible/Old Testament (as some preachers in the North did in condoning slavery)? Will they be arrested? It's like prosecuting bakers or pizza joints or......for not wanting to cater gay wedding. That's their right. This is America. We can boycott such establishments, picket them, etc. If their businesses and bottom lines are hit hard enough, maybe they'll rethink their positions, but maybe not. The sit-ins in the civil rights era worked by and large.
BTW, out last weekend, we passed a mall that had a sign indicating a Hobby Lobby was opening. Someone mentioned another who'd be incensed at that, a Hobby Lobby opening. "Why?" I asked. One answer was Hobby Lobby's resistance to ObamaCare's requirement to fund certain types of birth control. "Oh," I went on. "Is she equally upset with Planned Parenthood?" It got pretty quiet until the subject was changed--and we were, perhaps fortunately, distracted by very icy/slippery roads.
I guess I understand the defenders of Paul Ryan and the Republicans going along with the $1.1 trillion omnibus budget bill--but I certainly don't agree with their vote. I think they are sell-outs and that their attempts to rationalize their votes are cop-outs. They were sent to DC to do something, not to go along to get along. If the Republican leadership doesn't wake up, Hillary Clinton will end up in the White House instead of the trash heap of history. Maybe it doesn't care as long as the leadership keeps getting elected...... Shame on Americans for letting all this crap happen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YvAYIJSSZY
If this plays, note the lyrics, "...oh what a mess! I wonder who's watching me now--Who?--the IRS!"
Anyway, I wonder who reads my blog(s). Sometimes I think it's more than a I realize. (Not really; I'm not that vain. But......
Every so often I hear ideas that I wrote weeks and months ago. Folks sometimes send me articles and they concern what I wrote a long while back. This week there were two such instances.
I've probably angered a few people over the years in maintaining college degrees in education are, for the most part, fake degrees. They aren't real ones. (They lack the rigor required of a real college degree. And, since I have one, I think I can make valid comparisons.) So this week I read an article which criticized educators. The author's points were on the money, no doubt. But what attracted my attention more than any other part of the article was his reference to teachers with "faux degrees." I think "faux" is a fancy Nancy word for "fake."
And one of the radio guys, I forget if it was local or national, this AM was interviewing some pundit who referred to "the Establishment" in politics/government. He said the major problem, esp in the Republican Party vis-a-vis the phenomenon called "Trump," is that "the Establishment" doesn't understand the attraction of Trump. He blamed this lack of comprehension on the "elites" among the leadership of the party, that they are "elitists," thinking that they know what's best than the rank-and-file Republicans. Hey, I think for years I've been calling all the DC insiders, politicians, bureaucrats, etc. "arrogant elitists."
Hmmm......"somebody's watchin' me?"
And the NFL....... Apparently in some game last week, players from one team called a player from the opposing team a name. And the league is up in arms. So, we have concussions all over the place, former players crippled with some committing suicide, with 300+ pounders running at ridiculous speeds at quarterbacks, and the league is worried about name-calling?????? I'm getting a headache.
NYC, I guess is thinking about passing or already has passed legislation making it a crime to speak negatively about gays. I don't remember the max jail sentence, if there is one, but conviction can result in a fine of up to $250,000. (Hey, that's more than 5 years of my income!) Wait a minute? I thought the First Amendment guaranteed freedom of speech?????? "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or of speech or the press......" And beginning with Gitlow v NY (1925), using the incorporation theory, applied the free speech guarantees against the states, too, with the 14th Amendment ("...nor shall any state deprive any citizen of life, liberty......"). I have no problem with gays or gay marriage; past posts on this blog have so stated. The problem here lies in the censorship by government. What happens when some Catholic priest, some fundamentalist Protestant minister speaks out against gay marriage, perhaps calling it an abomination, even citing the Bible/Old Testament (as some preachers in the North did in condoning slavery)? Will they be arrested? It's like prosecuting bakers or pizza joints or......for not wanting to cater gay wedding. That's their right. This is America. We can boycott such establishments, picket them, etc. If their businesses and bottom lines are hit hard enough, maybe they'll rethink their positions, but maybe not. The sit-ins in the civil rights era worked by and large.
BTW, out last weekend, we passed a mall that had a sign indicating a Hobby Lobby was opening. Someone mentioned another who'd be incensed at that, a Hobby Lobby opening. "Why?" I asked. One answer was Hobby Lobby's resistance to ObamaCare's requirement to fund certain types of birth control. "Oh," I went on. "Is she equally upset with Planned Parenthood?" It got pretty quiet until the subject was changed--and we were, perhaps fortunately, distracted by very icy/slippery roads.
I guess I understand the defenders of Paul Ryan and the Republicans going along with the $1.1 trillion omnibus budget bill--but I certainly don't agree with their vote. I think they are sell-outs and that their attempts to rationalize their votes are cop-outs. They were sent to DC to do something, not to go along to get along. If the Republican leadership doesn't wake up, Hillary Clinton will end up in the White House instead of the trash heap of history. Maybe it doesn't care as long as the leadership keeps getting elected...... Shame on Americans for letting all this crap happen.
Friday, December 18, 2015
More Ed Burke
"All that's necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." I was reminded of this after citing Edmund Burke a couple of days ago. Isn't it fitting--right now?
Congress is poised to pass a 2,000-page omnibus budget bill (or is it budget omnibus bill?) that runs to the tune of $1,100,000,000,000. That's as "t-t-t-trillion dollars! (And I'll bet all of the aye-sayers read it, page by page, front to back......) And the Establishment Republicans are flummoxed why Trump is crushing their candidates? They are, as I've noted before, either willfully blinded by their arrogance or extremely stupid. You can decide which. I'm guessing with all that money being borrowed and spent, the Democrats are pretty much getting whatever they want, even though it's the Republicans who control both houses of Congress. And some of the funding is going to continue support for the most odious of programs/groups!
I think Don Trump would be a lousy President. But more and more, maybe it's time to vote for someone like him. So he'd be a rotten President, so what? Gee, what do you think W. Bush and Obama were/are? Could he be worse? Yes, he is an arrogant narcissist. What do you think Obama is?
As long as we continue to "do nothing," as Burke admonishes us, by electing the same old Bozos, time after time, this is what we'll get. When do we cross our figurative Rubicon, the point of no return? Maybe we've already done that, sentencing our children and grandchildren to far lesser lives than past generations. Of course, perhaps we don't care about our children and grandchildren, although we likely profess we do. After all, we are the "I, Me, Mine" generations; it's all about us.
This Burke quotation reminds me of the many years I spent in the public schools. How many incredibly stupid things were foisted upon teachers by administrators? (OK, ask how many times, when these stupid things were so foisted, I suggested to administrators that we invite the public, esp business folks in the district, to sit in to hear what's going on. Right, you know where that got me!) But my point is to ask how many teachers let just a handful of others point out the stupidity; most merely sat their on their thumbs, spinning. And now, how many teachers are complaining (some even loudly!) about the situations in the schools? Yep, back when, they "did nothing."
Speaking of the schools, I see some school district in KY has censored some Charlie Brown Chris play, forcing the removal of a citation from the Gospel of Luke. Another has banned school concerts from singing songs like Silent Night. (That it was replaced by some hip-hop song, and I'm using that term very loosely!, speaks volumes.) Now consider the VA school district that has kids learn about cultural diversity by practicing calligraphy. Sounds like a nice idea, until we discover that what students were told to copy was part of the Quran, the article of faith, "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger." Hmmm...... So students can copy that, but can't sing Silent Night? And the school district's excuse is that the courts have ruled such songs can't be sung? Where is the challenge to this calligraphy practice? And it seems on a daily basis there's some apology in the local newspapers about lack of religious freedom for Muslims.
I read in the newspaper today area school district scores on recent state tests. In all candor, I don't care much for state tests. Years (decades?) ago, I sat on a couple of state committees with the folks who made up the tests and, unless the quality has changed, these folks should not have been allowed to write anything except their signatures and grocery lists. But, as usual, the results from most districts, including the local ones, are abysmal. Apparently all this new teaching stuff doesn't seem to be working or, just as likely, the tests are rotten. Maybe it's both. Anyway, some of the arguments over the Trump call for a temporary halt to Muslim immigration (Let's not be like the LameStream media and selectively edit out "temporary, until we can get a handle......") have been ridiculous, even ignorant. And some have come from supposedly intelligent people. These opponents of Trump's call have cited past immigrants, be they the Irish and Italians or the unwilling ones like the African slaves. They've cited the Pilgrims (who, you must know, never knew they were "pilgrims;" that named wasn't coined for about 250 years after they arrived) and Puritans, the Quakers and Catholics, Jews and every other religious "refugee." And that's fine, but they again are selective in their facts. A big difference is all of these folks didn't have the intent of coming over here to kill and destroy us; in fact, most came over, without doubt, to assimilate, to better their lives in America. Obviously not all of the Muslim immigrants are coming to kill us. But common sense tells us there are some; look at some recent history/current events. And in not repudiating major parts of shariah as repugnant to not only our Constitution and its Bill of Rights, but also to human rights, in not helping the FBI and local authorities to identify the no-goodniks, they are fellow travelers, enablers, about as guilty as the terrorists themselves. A recent interview with a former FBI agent revealed that the Muslim community in the US has given "about zero help" since 9/11. Of course, perhaps one might ask how many Italians provided info on the Mafia. I think there's a difference, one of more than just a little degree.
"All that's necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Dec 16
Tell me it hasn't been a week and a half since my last post? Where is this time going or, rather, coming and going? What was the cry back several decades ago? "Stop the world; I want to get off."
OK, this probably says more about me than anything or anyone, but...... Earlier this week, maybe Mon, two different radio stations were gushing, "Adele is coming!!!!!!" Of course, I had no idea who "Adele" is. But from the way the stations were fawning, I almost thought it was the second coming of Christ, only he had changed his name. Now that I've been told she's a singer, I still have no idea what she sings.
A recent online poll suggested that only 43% of the people approve of the job Obama is doing. I don't recall the number who disapprove. But I was stunned, very surprised. That many people think he's doing a good job?!?!?! The word delusional comes to mind. By the way, what faith can be put in such polls when the same one indicated that a bull 71% of the people think the US is headed in the wrong direction? Wait...43% think the President is doing a good job, but 71% think were way off track??????
A few weeks ago another poll/report indicated that there's a "deep public distrust of the federal gov't." Gee, ya think? Where do you want to start, with the Democrats or the Republicans? Can you say, "IRS," "NSA," and the list seems infinite. But what do we expect when we have a government which is based on deception, dishonesty, and lies--little and big? And we keep electing the same deceivers and liars.
And Trump stays at or near the top of the polls, too. Again, I'm not at all a Trump guy. Among other things, look at his track record, esp regarding the little guy, the little guy who might be in Trump's way. But that's not the important thing, at least to me. I hear the Establishment Republicans doing all they can to tear down the man. He might need such a tearing down; I don't know. But I am convinced that the Republican Establishment just doesn't get it, willfully or otherwise. If the Republican Establishment throws another, well, Establishment candidate at voters, Hillary or whatever Democrat is running will win. The Establishment doesn't seem to understand. Are they so arrogant, so stuck on their own elite status/position, that they can't see? I suspect so. They still think they are much, much smarter than we are, despite all the stupidity coming out of them.
Speaking of arrogance, I was reminded of the great 18th Century Irish member of the British House of Commons, Edmund Burke. Burke talked about a moral sense of superiority held by some people. Now, I think, that moral sense of superiority can be found in the Republican Establishment, but even more so in the Democrats, particularly the liberal wing. They can pontificate from on high, thanks to their moral superiority, without ever having to suffer the consequences of their deeds. For instance, many of those in favor of more and more illegal immigration live in NY or DC or someplace not near the border with Mexico. It's easy to stand tall for open immigration when it doesn't affect one's life or lifestyle. I forget which candidate it was, but one of them said the borders would be shut tomorrow if the illegals coming over were doctors, lawyers, CEOs, etc. How many of those calling for lesser prison sentences, early releases, etc., have ever been terrorized by a burglary of their own residences? My wife, after we had been broken into years ago, would sit in her locked car in our driveway and wait until I arrived home before she'd enter the house. That went on for months. I know it's ridiculous, but capital punishment was not too far from my mind for those felons who caused such terror in my wife. Does Obama know everyday folks like us? It seems he's done everything in his life to try to avoid having to associate with the hoi polloi, except when it's necessary to get their votes. He spouts off ideas that everyday people don't think, like "fundamentally transforming the United States." At least I don't know many everyday people who were calling for that. But, I guess they voted for him anyway. (By the way, I'm still waiting for a single dime from any of those Obama and ObamaCare supporters to help be cover the more than $3000 premium increase we now have over the past couple of years. And that doesn't include higher deductibles and co-pays. I'll take cash or a check, but no credit cards. That's what I thought......)
I heard an instructor the other day talking with a student about the Frankish king Clovis, oh, about a millennium and a half ago, not quite. The student had the name on some review sheet, but couldn't find it in his textbook. The instructor tried to explain. Clovis was an important guy. Who?????? He was one of the key folks in expanding the spread of Christianity--and not through theological means. His wife had converted to Chris, but he remained a pagan. That is, he remained a pagan until he found himself in the middle of a battle he and his troops were about the lose and lose badly. What did he have to lose? He began praying, the story goes, to his wife's God, the god of Chris. And guess what? Yep, the battle turned and he and his Frankish troops won a resounding victory. Clovis then converted, too, and, well since the king was now a Chris, what do you think many of his subjects did? Yep, Christianity spread. There are many examples of that, in Chris (Constantine and Theodosius come to mind) and in other religions, too. Conversions by force or merely the weight of the ruler.
I don't remember if I ever brought this up; I just don't recall and I'm too lazy to go back and look at previous posts. I wonder if there's a connection between tattoos, body piercing, and many of the, ahem, unusual names now given to babies. Ah, it's probably my age showing again.
And here's a last little thing, or maybe not so little. I've noticed over the years, I receive a lot of presents from my students, my college students. Oh, they are all history-related and not very expensive. Some are books or bundles of history magazines/journals. I get tee shirts from when they have visited historical sites. The other night I had a coin given to me that commemorated a history anniversary of a local site. I really like, though, the chocolate covered cherries I got last week--so did Bopper!
OK, this probably says more about me than anything or anyone, but...... Earlier this week, maybe Mon, two different radio stations were gushing, "Adele is coming!!!!!!" Of course, I had no idea who "Adele" is. But from the way the stations were fawning, I almost thought it was the second coming of Christ, only he had changed his name. Now that I've been told she's a singer, I still have no idea what she sings.
A recent online poll suggested that only 43% of the people approve of the job Obama is doing. I don't recall the number who disapprove. But I was stunned, very surprised. That many people think he's doing a good job?!?!?! The word delusional comes to mind. By the way, what faith can be put in such polls when the same one indicated that a bull 71% of the people think the US is headed in the wrong direction? Wait...43% think the President is doing a good job, but 71% think were way off track??????
A few weeks ago another poll/report indicated that there's a "deep public distrust of the federal gov't." Gee, ya think? Where do you want to start, with the Democrats or the Republicans? Can you say, "IRS," "NSA," and the list seems infinite. But what do we expect when we have a government which is based on deception, dishonesty, and lies--little and big? And we keep electing the same deceivers and liars.
And Trump stays at or near the top of the polls, too. Again, I'm not at all a Trump guy. Among other things, look at his track record, esp regarding the little guy, the little guy who might be in Trump's way. But that's not the important thing, at least to me. I hear the Establishment Republicans doing all they can to tear down the man. He might need such a tearing down; I don't know. But I am convinced that the Republican Establishment just doesn't get it, willfully or otherwise. If the Republican Establishment throws another, well, Establishment candidate at voters, Hillary or whatever Democrat is running will win. The Establishment doesn't seem to understand. Are they so arrogant, so stuck on their own elite status/position, that they can't see? I suspect so. They still think they are much, much smarter than we are, despite all the stupidity coming out of them.
Speaking of arrogance, I was reminded of the great 18th Century Irish member of the British House of Commons, Edmund Burke. Burke talked about a moral sense of superiority held by some people. Now, I think, that moral sense of superiority can be found in the Republican Establishment, but even more so in the Democrats, particularly the liberal wing. They can pontificate from on high, thanks to their moral superiority, without ever having to suffer the consequences of their deeds. For instance, many of those in favor of more and more illegal immigration live in NY or DC or someplace not near the border with Mexico. It's easy to stand tall for open immigration when it doesn't affect one's life or lifestyle. I forget which candidate it was, but one of them said the borders would be shut tomorrow if the illegals coming over were doctors, lawyers, CEOs, etc. How many of those calling for lesser prison sentences, early releases, etc., have ever been terrorized by a burglary of their own residences? My wife, after we had been broken into years ago, would sit in her locked car in our driveway and wait until I arrived home before she'd enter the house. That went on for months. I know it's ridiculous, but capital punishment was not too far from my mind for those felons who caused such terror in my wife. Does Obama know everyday folks like us? It seems he's done everything in his life to try to avoid having to associate with the hoi polloi, except when it's necessary to get their votes. He spouts off ideas that everyday people don't think, like "fundamentally transforming the United States." At least I don't know many everyday people who were calling for that. But, I guess they voted for him anyway. (By the way, I'm still waiting for a single dime from any of those Obama and ObamaCare supporters to help be cover the more than $3000 premium increase we now have over the past couple of years. And that doesn't include higher deductibles and co-pays. I'll take cash or a check, but no credit cards. That's what I thought......)
I heard an instructor the other day talking with a student about the Frankish king Clovis, oh, about a millennium and a half ago, not quite. The student had the name on some review sheet, but couldn't find it in his textbook. The instructor tried to explain. Clovis was an important guy. Who?????? He was one of the key folks in expanding the spread of Christianity--and not through theological means. His wife had converted to Chris, but he remained a pagan. That is, he remained a pagan until he found himself in the middle of a battle he and his troops were about the lose and lose badly. What did he have to lose? He began praying, the story goes, to his wife's God, the god of Chris. And guess what? Yep, the battle turned and he and his Frankish troops won a resounding victory. Clovis then converted, too, and, well since the king was now a Chris, what do you think many of his subjects did? Yep, Christianity spread. There are many examples of that, in Chris (Constantine and Theodosius come to mind) and in other religions, too. Conversions by force or merely the weight of the ruler.
I don't remember if I ever brought this up; I just don't recall and I'm too lazy to go back and look at previous posts. I wonder if there's a connection between tattoos, body piercing, and many of the, ahem, unusual names now given to babies. Ah, it's probably my age showing again.
And here's a last little thing, or maybe not so little. I've noticed over the years, I receive a lot of presents from my students, my college students. Oh, they are all history-related and not very expensive. Some are books or bundles of history magazines/journals. I get tee shirts from when they have visited historical sites. The other night I had a coin given to me that commemorated a history anniversary of a local site. I really like, though, the chocolate covered cherries I got last week--so did Bopper!
Monday, December 7, 2015
Monday Moanin'
When the Paris massacre by the Muslim extremists occurred, there was an overt demonstration of outrage among the French. The French premier expressed what his people seemed to show. And he followed up on it with bombing attacks against ISIS.
Where is a similar show of outrage in the US? Has there ever been one with any of the Muslim extremist attacks here? It reminds me of the Japanese attack on the USS Panay in the Yangtze River in China in 1937. Japanese planes deliberately attack a US naval vessel, injuring and killing American sailors. It was a test of US government will and we failed. The Japanese apologized, sort of, and gave us a few bucks and we said, "OK, let's move on." It was a test that led to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Are Americans at all outraged over the Muslim attacks? I don't know, but I suspect that they are, far more than we might think. I think there is a muffling of American anger. This muffling comes at the hands of the gov't, which seems to be soft-pedaling any atrocities committed by Muslims, and from the lapdog LameStream media. Some of the muffling might also be self-inflicted due to our obsession with political correctness. What we might say over the dinner table or at the local bar or out with friends might be very different from what we say in more open, public spaces. After all, Americans have shown they'd rather be silent than speak up and have anyone anywhere call them racists or bigots.
Like the Japanese, perhaps the Islamists are asking themselves, "What will it take to anger Americans?" The Japanese surmised nothing, well, at least nothing long-term. After Pearl Harbor, they gambled, the Americans might fight back for a while, but their actions in the '30s showed they would soon look for a way out. Yes, the Japanese gambled and they lost. (Just like the Germans gambled with the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare in WW1 and lost.) Will Americans eventually rise up and cause the Muslim extremists to lose? If they do, it won't come from their political leaders.
Speaking of outrage, where is the outrage over the constant murders in the black community? Again this AM, there were several shootings in Detroit. What's it going to take to stop those?
No, I don't believe stronger gun laws are the answer. Look at California, home of San Bernardino. It has some of the strictest gun laws in the US. That made no difference last week. And President Obama's silly comparison between the no-fly list and gun buyers was just that--silly. First of all, under President Bush, there were fewer than 50,000 names on the no-fly list. During the Obama administration, that number skyrocketed to about 15 times that! Yes, now there are between 700,000 and 800,000 on the no-fly list. The list is ridiculous. One name is of a national news commentator who took a Mediterranean cruise that had port stop in Turkey. Whoa! He must be put on the no-fly list. I read one anti-gun columnists say that yes, our culture through the desensitization of video entertainment (games, television, movies) has created a mindset that makes it OK to kill others, but it's really the guns that are the problem. Huh? The guns don't shoot people. It's those who have become anaesthetized to human life who kill people. I will admit, I don't like all those guns being out there, but how are we to lessen the numbers? Ask, politely of course, the gang members, the drug cartels, and the other bad guys to, please, turn in their guns?
A headline in today's newspaper reads, "US Muslims struggled with how to respond to attacks." What I'd like to see is not another Muslim cleric say, "Oh, we're sorry. That's not the majority of Muslims......" blah, blah, blah. Rather, I'd love to hear a repudiation of Sharia law or at least the parts of it that are antithetical to 21st-Century civilized life. For that matter, how about a repudiation of similar chapters/tenets of the Quran? Again, I think a major problem is that Islam (and the Quran) has (have) never had a New Testament, never had an Enlightenment.
Last, what's with this US Attorney-General? Isn't she there to uphold the Constitution, not to threaten to prosecute people whose speech is protected by the First Amendment? So, if someone is critical of Islam because, well, the terrorists invoke Islam as justification for their heinous, hideous, uncivilized actions, the Justice Dept is going to take him/her to court? I'd like to see that just to see where the ACLU comes down on that one?
Where is a similar show of outrage in the US? Has there ever been one with any of the Muslim extremist attacks here? It reminds me of the Japanese attack on the USS Panay in the Yangtze River in China in 1937. Japanese planes deliberately attack a US naval vessel, injuring and killing American sailors. It was a test of US government will and we failed. The Japanese apologized, sort of, and gave us a few bucks and we said, "OK, let's move on." It was a test that led to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Are Americans at all outraged over the Muslim attacks? I don't know, but I suspect that they are, far more than we might think. I think there is a muffling of American anger. This muffling comes at the hands of the gov't, which seems to be soft-pedaling any atrocities committed by Muslims, and from the lapdog LameStream media. Some of the muffling might also be self-inflicted due to our obsession with political correctness. What we might say over the dinner table or at the local bar or out with friends might be very different from what we say in more open, public spaces. After all, Americans have shown they'd rather be silent than speak up and have anyone anywhere call them racists or bigots.
Like the Japanese, perhaps the Islamists are asking themselves, "What will it take to anger Americans?" The Japanese surmised nothing, well, at least nothing long-term. After Pearl Harbor, they gambled, the Americans might fight back for a while, but their actions in the '30s showed they would soon look for a way out. Yes, the Japanese gambled and they lost. (Just like the Germans gambled with the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare in WW1 and lost.) Will Americans eventually rise up and cause the Muslim extremists to lose? If they do, it won't come from their political leaders.
Speaking of outrage, where is the outrage over the constant murders in the black community? Again this AM, there were several shootings in Detroit. What's it going to take to stop those?
No, I don't believe stronger gun laws are the answer. Look at California, home of San Bernardino. It has some of the strictest gun laws in the US. That made no difference last week. And President Obama's silly comparison between the no-fly list and gun buyers was just that--silly. First of all, under President Bush, there were fewer than 50,000 names on the no-fly list. During the Obama administration, that number skyrocketed to about 15 times that! Yes, now there are between 700,000 and 800,000 on the no-fly list. The list is ridiculous. One name is of a national news commentator who took a Mediterranean cruise that had port stop in Turkey. Whoa! He must be put on the no-fly list. I read one anti-gun columnists say that yes, our culture through the desensitization of video entertainment (games, television, movies) has created a mindset that makes it OK to kill others, but it's really the guns that are the problem. Huh? The guns don't shoot people. It's those who have become anaesthetized to human life who kill people. I will admit, I don't like all those guns being out there, but how are we to lessen the numbers? Ask, politely of course, the gang members, the drug cartels, and the other bad guys to, please, turn in their guns?
A headline in today's newspaper reads, "US Muslims struggled with how to respond to attacks." What I'd like to see is not another Muslim cleric say, "Oh, we're sorry. That's not the majority of Muslims......" blah, blah, blah. Rather, I'd love to hear a repudiation of Sharia law or at least the parts of it that are antithetical to 21st-Century civilized life. For that matter, how about a repudiation of similar chapters/tenets of the Quran? Again, I think a major problem is that Islam (and the Quran) has (have) never had a New Testament, never had an Enlightenment.
Last, what's with this US Attorney-General? Isn't she there to uphold the Constitution, not to threaten to prosecute people whose speech is protected by the First Amendment? So, if someone is critical of Islam because, well, the terrorists invoke Islam as justification for their heinous, hideous, uncivilized actions, the Justice Dept is going to take him/her to court? I'd like to see that just to see where the ACLU comes down on that one?
Saturday, December 5, 2015
December...
...already!
Wow! And we already had 13+ inches of snow three weeks ago, but nothing since, Well there were a couple of dustings, up to an inch, but all is melted now.
A sign that the Apocalypse is nearly upon us?????? At the grocery store yesterday, a young fellow was checking out right in front of me. I'd guess he was in his early 20s. The checkout clerk asked if he had a grocery store card and he didn't. She asked me if he could use mine. I don't have a card, but know my store card number. So I typed it in for the guy. It saved him more than $8. Good! And the clerk was sure to tell him that. He left and I asked the clerk, "My hear is not very good. Did he thank me for saving him $8?" "No," she said, "You're hearing is fine. He didn't." Hmmm......
Did you see that blog post the Oklahoma Wesleyan University president wrote about the student protesters? "Grow up!" he told them. He went on to note that his college didn't have any "safe spaces," that students would have their ideas and beliefs challenged if they attended OWU. If they weren't prepared for that, "Go someplace else." As I written and noted, back 50 years ago, there were times I wish I had some "safe places" at Amherst, some place to hide from the "microaggressions" foisted on me by professors. My papers often were laced with comments like, "No sloppy thinking allowed." One of my professors even suggested that, "If that's the best work you can do, I suggest you transfer to another college." Whoa! Talk about "microaggressions!"
And did you read about some of the so-called professors at leading universities who have marked down students for referring to males as "men" and females as "women" or even referring to the male head of a committee as "a chairman?" What? Now we can call the head of a committee a "chairone" or a "chairbody?" Harvard, supposedly inhabited by intelligent people, has decided to get rid of the name "college masters," those senior professors who oversee and advise the various schools there. It, the word "master," as you might have guessed, is a "microaggression" because of its connection with slavery. So, what about having a masters degree? mastering a tough subject or task? Are those out, too? For that matter, what about the term "Yugoslav?" Should that also be banned? After all, the word "slave" originates from the word "slav." Let's keep banning words, regardless of context, that might insult some people or make them feel uncomfortable. Yep, pretty soon we won't be talking at all, merely pointing and grunting.
The murders keep piling up in Detroit and the Metro area. Yet, I've yet to see any of the Black Lives Matter folks here.
And about that "economic recovery" both Democrats and Republicans keep telling us is or has happened...... A newspaper study the other day showed that fully one-third of Detroit-area communities are seeing increases in poverty rates. Some, in fact most, of those communities have experienced double-digit increases over the past five years. One city, which had a median income of $76,000 five years ago has seen that dip to $49,000 now. Granted, that might be because some folks have emigrated/migrated to other cities or even states. But why would someone still well off move? Isn't it more likely that someone who's lost a job or had significant pay cuts has moved? So, when somebody, say the President or Governor, tell us about the recovery, don't believe them--as usual when they say something.
Someone sent me a cartoon that lampoons the "The Only Way to Stop a Bad Guy with a Gun is with a Good Guy with a Gun." It states something like, with school kids drawn, "The Only Way to Stop a Bad Kid Throwing Rocks on the Playground Is to Give a Good Kid Rocks." Although catchy, the analogy is flawed, seriously so.
There's a big difference, that they don't realize I guess, between kids throwing rocks and people shooting guns. Can't a teacher or playground aide yell at a kid, "Hey, put down that rock!" or something like that? Try yelling, "Hey, terrorist! Put down that semi-automatic rifle!" I'm guessing the results would be the same--yeah, right.
Wow! And we already had 13+ inches of snow three weeks ago, but nothing since, Well there were a couple of dustings, up to an inch, but all is melted now.
A sign that the Apocalypse is nearly upon us?????? At the grocery store yesterday, a young fellow was checking out right in front of me. I'd guess he was in his early 20s. The checkout clerk asked if he had a grocery store card and he didn't. She asked me if he could use mine. I don't have a card, but know my store card number. So I typed it in for the guy. It saved him more than $8. Good! And the clerk was sure to tell him that. He left and I asked the clerk, "My hear is not very good. Did he thank me for saving him $8?" "No," she said, "You're hearing is fine. He didn't." Hmmm......
Did you see that blog post the Oklahoma Wesleyan University president wrote about the student protesters? "Grow up!" he told them. He went on to note that his college didn't have any "safe spaces," that students would have their ideas and beliefs challenged if they attended OWU. If they weren't prepared for that, "Go someplace else." As I written and noted, back 50 years ago, there were times I wish I had some "safe places" at Amherst, some place to hide from the "microaggressions" foisted on me by professors. My papers often were laced with comments like, "No sloppy thinking allowed." One of my professors even suggested that, "If that's the best work you can do, I suggest you transfer to another college." Whoa! Talk about "microaggressions!"
And did you read about some of the so-called professors at leading universities who have marked down students for referring to males as "men" and females as "women" or even referring to the male head of a committee as "a chairman?" What? Now we can call the head of a committee a "chairone" or a "chairbody?" Harvard, supposedly inhabited by intelligent people, has decided to get rid of the name "college masters," those senior professors who oversee and advise the various schools there. It, the word "master," as you might have guessed, is a "microaggression" because of its connection with slavery. So, what about having a masters degree? mastering a tough subject or task? Are those out, too? For that matter, what about the term "Yugoslav?" Should that also be banned? After all, the word "slave" originates from the word "slav." Let's keep banning words, regardless of context, that might insult some people or make them feel uncomfortable. Yep, pretty soon we won't be talking at all, merely pointing and grunting.
The murders keep piling up in Detroit and the Metro area. Yet, I've yet to see any of the Black Lives Matter folks here.
And about that "economic recovery" both Democrats and Republicans keep telling us is or has happened...... A newspaper study the other day showed that fully one-third of Detroit-area communities are seeing increases in poverty rates. Some, in fact most, of those communities have experienced double-digit increases over the past five years. One city, which had a median income of $76,000 five years ago has seen that dip to $49,000 now. Granted, that might be because some folks have emigrated/migrated to other cities or even states. But why would someone still well off move? Isn't it more likely that someone who's lost a job or had significant pay cuts has moved? So, when somebody, say the President or Governor, tell us about the recovery, don't believe them--as usual when they say something.
Someone sent me a cartoon that lampoons the "The Only Way to Stop a Bad Guy with a Gun is with a Good Guy with a Gun." It states something like, with school kids drawn, "The Only Way to Stop a Bad Kid Throwing Rocks on the Playground Is to Give a Good Kid Rocks." Although catchy, the analogy is flawed, seriously so.
There's a big difference, that they don't realize I guess, between kids throwing rocks and people shooting guns. Can't a teacher or playground aide yell at a kid, "Hey, put down that rock!" or something like that? Try yelling, "Hey, terrorist! Put down that semi-automatic rifle!" I'm guessing the results would be the same--yeah, right.
I heard/saw (Don't tell anyone, but I was watching C-Span!) Ben Carson talk last week, in front of the National Press Club. He was very eloquent and articulate, as well as soft-spoken. In fact, he was far more eloquent and articulate than our so-called "most articulate and intelligent President" since Jefferson. (Well, maybe he is, if we overlook Lincoln, the two Roosevelts, JFK, Reagan......) But Carson had some very good ideas, including ones dealing with foreign affairs; he had proposed solutions. And, despite his audience, his harsh criticism of the LameStream media met with several loud ovations! No, I don't agree with everything he believes and I'm not sure I could/would vote for him, although it's coming closer and closer to that. Certainly he's a far better choice than anyone the Democrats have running, esp Clinton(!), and most of the Republicans (including all of the Establishment Republican and Trump). Ted Cruz is still my front-runner, but Carson is a strong possibility.
Words sometimes are powerful and persuasive. Often I think I waste my time/breath writing and talking. But not once, but twice recently I heard opinions from nearby people who, a couple of years ago, I would never have believed would have come out of their mouths. And, they reflected, at least in large part, my views, too.
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