I went to my 50th high school reunion a few weeks ago (yes, I'm that old. My birth stone is coal...) It was interesting to see people I hadn't seen in 30 years (I went to the 20th,) some I hadn't seen in 50. I wasn't the fattest, nor the most bald. With all my health issues, some had some far worse than mine. A few looked astoundingly close to the same as they looked 50 years ago, albeit more mature. We all acted more mature.
They had a tour of the high school. It is more like a university now. It is the largest high school in the state (2951 students,) plus it draws from a very diverse group of public, magnet and private schools. Only two classroom buildings and the gym remain from the original construction. Those classroom buildings will be replaced next year. The gym will get a new floor and is newly air conditioned. Very few things to reminisce about - so much is new. Change is inevitable, I certainly wouldn't want improvements to stop for our education system. I don't consider the indoctrination being forced onto our students today to be an improvement. I don't begrudge change...but it doesn't help my mood to compare what I am now to what I was just a few years ago. They say getting old beats the alternative. I don't know since I haven't have the opportunity to make a comparison. I don't know anyone who has.
Speaking of getting old, the NFL debacle is waaaay beyond that. Kaepernick started it with a false narrative about the BLM thugs. He wanted to go free agent, so they set him free. The catch was that he was toxic and no one wants him. Too bad. He also wasn't nearly as good at quarterback as he thought. This is NOT a first amendment discussion. All of these displays are being performed in a private venue. The government hasn't been involved. DJT has made a comment, but contrary to the uninformed liberals, he isn't the government, hasn't passed any legislation (he can't; neither can the republicans, apparently) and although some people don't like it, he doesn't care. Neither do I.
These demonstrations are a violation of NFL rules. Said rules specify that the players stand and face the flag, holding their helmet in their left hand while the anthem plays.
So are "exuberant displays in the end zone". Tim Tebow's kneeling to pray was considered an "exuberant display". Darryl Beckham's lifting his leg as if he was pissing on the goalpost was not. Hypocrisy much? The players (making millions) are employees of the team owners who could stop it in a minute. They have decided they would rather permit disgraceful displays than to say a word. I watch very little pro football. I've never been to an NFL game.) I watch very little college football. I do watch college basketball, but I'm not a true fanatic.) So the NFL won't miss the little bit of viewership that I will no longer contribute. I did watch the Superbowl; like many, more for the commercial spots than the game. The last one turned into an interesting game for a change. There a lot of true NFL fans who feel the same way I do. As far as I can tell most of the people who have come out in support for these poor, oppressed multimillionaires generally don't watch and are unlikely to watch any more now. Since the ratings have fallen into the basement, the next round of contract negotiations might be revealing. Some players are now proclaiming that these actions are not "demonstrations against the country or the flag". Really? So why do it during the anthem? Why not do it at the kickoff? Or at the coin flip? The anthem is played to demonstrate unity of fans and players and to honor the flag and musical symbol of our country. The anthem is not a symbol of the police; for that matter it is not a symbol of the government, but of freedom and the people of this country. They stick a middle finger into the air towards the people. They can do so in an empty stadium and to a blank TV screen.
I am a strong proponent of capitalism and the free market. The players have been able to extract what many (myself included) consider to be exorbitant salaries for tossing a ball around and doing what would be considered assault outside the stadium. Does their contribution to society exceed that of public school teachers? Hardly. However, public school teachers are supported by taxes extracted by government; players are private employees. This might be an opportunity for the public to wake up and see that those $300 Sunday ticket subscriptions might be better spent subsidizing the schools. Or donated to any number of needing agencies. Money talks. Tell the schools what you think with your dollars. School boards and administrators might also respond.
I started writing this blog as a cathartic release. Sometimes it is. Other times not so much. There are few viewers (thank you to those who do read it) so I don't know if it would be noticed - much less missed - if I were to stop. Jerry Pournelle stopped his the other day. Jerry was the inventor of the "blog" though he hated the term. His was the first daily journal on the internet. He was a true pioneer of computing, of science and libertarian thought, of many, many things. He only stopped because he passed away. I certainly miss him.
Maybe I'll return.
till then, I'll be hunting.
ciao
the Snark
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Leftist...or liberal?
Dennis Prager's September 12 column elucidates the difference between Leftists and liberals. You can read it here: https://townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/2017/09/12/leftism-is-not-liberalism-n2380044.
I'll wait.
It is an interesting and revealing column. Prager, you remember, is the California conservative (there actually are conservatives in the People's Republic of Kommiefornia, once you leave the big cities) who was castigated for an unbelievably heinous act, one that threatened to disrupt both the state and the society sufficiently to cleave the coastal section along the San Andreas fault and heave it into the Pacific (which resulted in conservatives everywhere grabbing bowls of popcorn and beverages in anticipation.) That inconceivable dastardly act was to conduct a symphony orchestra - The Los Angeles Philharmonic - in the WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL! OH, the humanity! As if someone's political philosophy would cause miscarriages and disruption by waving a small stick in front of a few musicians.
Thus is the mental and emotional frailty of leftist coasters.
I must confess that I too conflated the acts of the Leftists with those of liberals. I have long been aware of the difference between classical liberals and the more modern variety, but relegated the difference to the evolution (mutation?) of liberals. It does, however, make more sense to regard the difference as a deliberate confiscation of the concept of "liberalism" by anarchists/communists who will appropriate any vehicle to further the destruction of the USA and any other developed society. By using emotional issues - usually fabricated - associating with other anti-societal groups and utilizing the Alinksy/Goebbels methods of propaganda, many liberals have become "useful idiots" for the Leftists.
Certainly there are former liberals who actively support the Leftists and believe that they are still holding on to their liberal philosophies. They have also been subverted, as is the intent of the Leftists. Some will deny their positions by claiming that some of the Leftists' activities have gone "too far". Or perhaps support the violent actions but would never think of participating in such themselves. Just like "moderate" moslems who will donate to their mosque that funds terrorists but would never strap on a bomb vest themselves.
The critical issue is that they never bothered to learn actual history. Too much history is "learned" from inaccurate sources. Even history texts used by both grade and college teachers are frequently twisted to support a political viewpoint.
Trump was condemned for daring to state that there were "good people" on both sides at Charlottesville. The fact that among the original marchers were members of a group that simply wanted to protest the destruction of the statue AND NOTHING ELSE, and that there were some peaceful marchers being lead and deceived by AntiFa in order to violently attack the other side was both ignored and denied. Again, Alinksy/Goebbels tactics, both by the AntiFa and their apologists in the media.
The Leftists deliberately try to conflate conservatives with white supremacists, neo Nazis and the KKK. Granted the neo-Nazis contributed to this themselves. They were too stupid to realize that Nazis were National Socialists. They are also ignorant of history, not knowing that Lincoln was a Republican, that the first black members of congress were Republican and that all of the relevant civil rights legislation had greater Republican support than Democrat. It's that "failure to learn from history" gotcha. Apparently the Leftists are using the liberal's lack of historical knowledge to purport an association of conservatives with the KKK. As someone who grew up in the South during the 1950's and '60's, I saw for myself the Democrat Party's reliance on the KKK to subdue both black and Republican efforts to wrest political control from the Donkey Party. Don't believe it? Read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilmington_insurrection_of_1898. This is far from an isolated event.
And apparently a "white supremacist" is to them, anyone who thinks "equality for all people" means what it says. And certainly white lives (especially white male lives) don't matter.
The intentions of the Leftists are as simple as they are clear: divide society through demagoguery, destroy as much as possible and enjoy the carnage.
Liberals should be educated.
Leftists should be annihilated.
ciao,
the Snark
I'll wait.
It is an interesting and revealing column. Prager, you remember, is the California conservative (there actually are conservatives in the People's Republic of Kommiefornia, once you leave the big cities) who was castigated for an unbelievably heinous act, one that threatened to disrupt both the state and the society sufficiently to cleave the coastal section along the San Andreas fault and heave it into the Pacific (which resulted in conservatives everywhere grabbing bowls of popcorn and beverages in anticipation.) That inconceivable dastardly act was to conduct a symphony orchestra - The Los Angeles Philharmonic - in the WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL! OH, the humanity! As if someone's political philosophy would cause miscarriages and disruption by waving a small stick in front of a few musicians.
Thus is the mental and emotional frailty of leftist coasters.
I must confess that I too conflated the acts of the Leftists with those of liberals. I have long been aware of the difference between classical liberals and the more modern variety, but relegated the difference to the evolution (mutation?) of liberals. It does, however, make more sense to regard the difference as a deliberate confiscation of the concept of "liberalism" by anarchists/communists who will appropriate any vehicle to further the destruction of the USA and any other developed society. By using emotional issues - usually fabricated - associating with other anti-societal groups and utilizing the Alinksy/Goebbels methods of propaganda, many liberals have become "useful idiots" for the Leftists.
Certainly there are former liberals who actively support the Leftists and believe that they are still holding on to their liberal philosophies. They have also been subverted, as is the intent of the Leftists. Some will deny their positions by claiming that some of the Leftists' activities have gone "too far". Or perhaps support the violent actions but would never think of participating in such themselves. Just like "moderate" moslems who will donate to their mosque that funds terrorists but would never strap on a bomb vest themselves.
The critical issue is that they never bothered to learn actual history. Too much history is "learned" from inaccurate sources. Even history texts used by both grade and college teachers are frequently twisted to support a political viewpoint.
Trump was condemned for daring to state that there were "good people" on both sides at Charlottesville. The fact that among the original marchers were members of a group that simply wanted to protest the destruction of the statue AND NOTHING ELSE, and that there were some peaceful marchers being lead and deceived by AntiFa in order to violently attack the other side was both ignored and denied. Again, Alinksy/Goebbels tactics, both by the AntiFa and their apologists in the media.
The Leftists deliberately try to conflate conservatives with white supremacists, neo Nazis and the KKK. Granted the neo-Nazis contributed to this themselves. They were too stupid to realize that Nazis were National Socialists. They are also ignorant of history, not knowing that Lincoln was a Republican, that the first black members of congress were Republican and that all of the relevant civil rights legislation had greater Republican support than Democrat. It's that "failure to learn from history" gotcha. Apparently the Leftists are using the liberal's lack of historical knowledge to purport an association of conservatives with the KKK. As someone who grew up in the South during the 1950's and '60's, I saw for myself the Democrat Party's reliance on the KKK to subdue both black and Republican efforts to wrest political control from the Donkey Party. Don't believe it? Read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilmington_insurrection_of_1898. This is far from an isolated event.
And apparently a "white supremacist" is to them, anyone who thinks "equality for all people" means what it says. And certainly white lives (especially white male lives) don't matter.
The intentions of the Leftists are as simple as they are clear: divide society through demagoguery, destroy as much as possible and enjoy the carnage.
Liberals should be educated.
Leftists should be annihilated.
ciao,
the Snark
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
The Deep State....Power corrupts.
Power corrupts. Absolute power isn't required. There really aren't that many people who have aspired to absolute power. Most have been Leftists. Note, that isn't the same as Liberals. But most liberals support the concept of a singular tyrant. Granted, perhaps many wish for a benevolent tyrant, or at least a benevolent controlling government, but that is a fatuitous wish. With power comes corruption.
Currently we see the evidence of a "Deep State", that is a shadow government within the elected government. As long as the elected president was accepted by both the major parties AND the entrenched bureaucracy, the DS stayed hidden. However, when Donald Trump was elected he was declared an enemy by all of the aforementioned parties. The DS doesn't have a spokesperson to make such a declaration but that wasn't necessary. The resistance to his office began on November 9, 2016. The ground work began over a year prior to that, but it wasn't fully consolidated until the election was over.
DJT campaigned on "draining the swamp". The problem with that is that the swamp is inhabited by entrenched denizens who have accumulated power and perks over decades. They prefer to hide within the departments, running their fiefdoms, maintaining relationships with other department heads and congresscritters from both houses and both parties. Furthermore, the congresscritters also benefit from these relationships. Add to that the money from K street fertilizing the mix and the resistance is fierce indeed.
Telephone calls from the Trump Tower campaign office were disseminated. Whether the calls were recorded through a classic "wiretap" or by other means, the effect was the same. Private conversations were illegally revealed. This continued through the inauguration, perhaps still being done to this day. Phone calls to foreign heads of state were released. Leaks of confidential conversations were published. Individuals who disagreed with the results of the election acted either on their own in or concert to diminish the effectiveness of the president.
Employees of the White House, as well as employees of the rest of the Executive Branch are SUPPOSED to support the efforts of the President. But when they perceive that their security might be threatened, loyalty is tossed aside. Trump asked Comey for his loyalty. Comey refused to give it. Why? Because he was one of the swamp creatures. He was contributing to the leaks. Trump wanted Comey to do what he had actually already sworn to do - defend the Constitution. To be loyal to the President and support him. Trump wasn't trying to build a personal power base to subvert the constitution, he was trying to defend it!
The late Jerry Pournelle pronounced his "Iron Law of Bureaucracy" - 'In every organization there are two groups: those who work to advance the purpose of the organization, and those who work to advance the power of the organization itself. The second group will always prevail'.
This is The Swamp in it's essence. The EPA made great strides early in it's existence. But once those problems were solved the EPA went looking for greater opportunities to gather power and control the country and the economy. The IRS decided to select whom could be tax exempt based upon political affiliation. The DOJ decided to run guns to Mexican drug gangs to subvert the 2nd Amendment. The State Department took down governments and ran arms to alternative players. The list is long and disgusting. This is not restricted to only Democrat administrations, but it certainly has stronger roots there.
This contrast is due to a simple difference of philosophy: Conservatives (Bush 41 and 43 were NOT conservatives) tend toward smaller governments and more personal freedom and responsibility. Liberals support a greater control of the populace by government. (After all, they are smarter than everyone else and are supposed to tell everyone else what to do.) Republicans are supposed to be conservatives. Unfortunately, most of the ones in Congress aren't conservative. So the size and scope of the government grows unchecked, the Dems professing their "help" for the people by increasing the bureaucracy and the RINO's giving lip service to stopping it while in actuality doing nothing.
Then comes Trump. An Outsider. He has tons of money and can't be bought. He has no further aspirations in politics - what could they be? He wasn't elected with the help of the Party - far from it. He detests the size and scope of the government and is elected to reverse the course. He doesn't roll over and whine when he is attacked, he hits back harder. The only way he could be more dangerous would be for him to be black. I wish he were. He is a master at keeping the opposition (which is everyone) off balance. An opponent can't be effective if he is off balance. So Trump keeps them all guessing, screaming and off balance. They all hate him; what does he have to lose?
Government employment laws - Civil Service regulations (Simple Servants working for the Simple Circus) prevent mass firings based upon a change of administration. A few can be fired, certainly. Department heads submit their resignations expecting replacement. But the bulk of the employees have to be shuffled for other reasons. Guess who established a method of preserving a bulky, growing bureaucracy put into place by typically Dimocrat administrations? Trump's transition team began early, determining what agencies and positions were established by law and purpose and those that were added by fiat. The ones that do not have statute basis can be defunded. "Gee, sorry about that. We can't fire you...but there isn't any money to pay you. If you want to work for free...." Or if the department has a responsibility to perform and that performance hasn't been reported or supported, then that department is in violation of their charter. Ooops....
Trump's single mistake so far is in not being aggressive enough in trimming or at least isolating the permanent White House staff and making clear to his cabinet that their priority is working themselves out of a job by reducing their departments. Perhaps the foundation for that is being done quietly. Two simple things can (and should) be done to disrupt the balance of his enemies: Cut off the Oblamacare subsidies for Congresscritters and staff (they hardly fit the description of being a "small business" that was used to subvert the law) and to disband the public employee unions. Public employee unions were permitted under an executive order signed by JFK. Maybe he is waiting for the day after his re-inauguration.
The screaming would still be deafening after Pence's inauguration in 2024!
Until later....I'm still hunting.
ciao
Currently we see the evidence of a "Deep State", that is a shadow government within the elected government. As long as the elected president was accepted by both the major parties AND the entrenched bureaucracy, the DS stayed hidden. However, when Donald Trump was elected he was declared an enemy by all of the aforementioned parties. The DS doesn't have a spokesperson to make such a declaration but that wasn't necessary. The resistance to his office began on November 9, 2016. The ground work began over a year prior to that, but it wasn't fully consolidated until the election was over.
DJT campaigned on "draining the swamp". The problem with that is that the swamp is inhabited by entrenched denizens who have accumulated power and perks over decades. They prefer to hide within the departments, running their fiefdoms, maintaining relationships with other department heads and congresscritters from both houses and both parties. Furthermore, the congresscritters also benefit from these relationships. Add to that the money from K street fertilizing the mix and the resistance is fierce indeed.
Telephone calls from the Trump Tower campaign office were disseminated. Whether the calls were recorded through a classic "wiretap" or by other means, the effect was the same. Private conversations were illegally revealed. This continued through the inauguration, perhaps still being done to this day. Phone calls to foreign heads of state were released. Leaks of confidential conversations were published. Individuals who disagreed with the results of the election acted either on their own in or concert to diminish the effectiveness of the president.
Employees of the White House, as well as employees of the rest of the Executive Branch are SUPPOSED to support the efforts of the President. But when they perceive that their security might be threatened, loyalty is tossed aside. Trump asked Comey for his loyalty. Comey refused to give it. Why? Because he was one of the swamp creatures. He was contributing to the leaks. Trump wanted Comey to do what he had actually already sworn to do - defend the Constitution. To be loyal to the President and support him. Trump wasn't trying to build a personal power base to subvert the constitution, he was trying to defend it!
The late Jerry Pournelle pronounced his "Iron Law of Bureaucracy" - 'In every organization there are two groups: those who work to advance the purpose of the organization, and those who work to advance the power of the organization itself. The second group will always prevail'.
This is The Swamp in it's essence. The EPA made great strides early in it's existence. But once those problems were solved the EPA went looking for greater opportunities to gather power and control the country and the economy. The IRS decided to select whom could be tax exempt based upon political affiliation. The DOJ decided to run guns to Mexican drug gangs to subvert the 2nd Amendment. The State Department took down governments and ran arms to alternative players. The list is long and disgusting. This is not restricted to only Democrat administrations, but it certainly has stronger roots there.
This contrast is due to a simple difference of philosophy: Conservatives (Bush 41 and 43 were NOT conservatives) tend toward smaller governments and more personal freedom and responsibility. Liberals support a greater control of the populace by government. (After all, they are smarter than everyone else and are supposed to tell everyone else what to do.) Republicans are supposed to be conservatives. Unfortunately, most of the ones in Congress aren't conservative. So the size and scope of the government grows unchecked, the Dems professing their "help" for the people by increasing the bureaucracy and the RINO's giving lip service to stopping it while in actuality doing nothing.
Then comes Trump. An Outsider. He has tons of money and can't be bought. He has no further aspirations in politics - what could they be? He wasn't elected with the help of the Party - far from it. He detests the size and scope of the government and is elected to reverse the course. He doesn't roll over and whine when he is attacked, he hits back harder. The only way he could be more dangerous would be for him to be black. I wish he were. He is a master at keeping the opposition (which is everyone) off balance. An opponent can't be effective if he is off balance. So Trump keeps them all guessing, screaming and off balance. They all hate him; what does he have to lose?
Government employment laws - Civil Service regulations (Simple Servants working for the Simple Circus) prevent mass firings based upon a change of administration. A few can be fired, certainly. Department heads submit their resignations expecting replacement. But the bulk of the employees have to be shuffled for other reasons. Guess who established a method of preserving a bulky, growing bureaucracy put into place by typically Dimocrat administrations? Trump's transition team began early, determining what agencies and positions were established by law and purpose and those that were added by fiat. The ones that do not have statute basis can be defunded. "Gee, sorry about that. We can't fire you...but there isn't any money to pay you. If you want to work for free...." Or if the department has a responsibility to perform and that performance hasn't been reported or supported, then that department is in violation of their charter. Ooops....
Trump's single mistake so far is in not being aggressive enough in trimming or at least isolating the permanent White House staff and making clear to his cabinet that their priority is working themselves out of a job by reducing their departments. Perhaps the foundation for that is being done quietly. Two simple things can (and should) be done to disrupt the balance of his enemies: Cut off the Oblamacare subsidies for Congresscritters and staff (they hardly fit the description of being a "small business" that was used to subvert the law) and to disband the public employee unions. Public employee unions were permitted under an executive order signed by JFK. Maybe he is waiting for the day after his re-inauguration.
The screaming would still be deafening after Pence's inauguration in 2024!
Until later....I'm still hunting.
ciao
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Various things and tennis as a life metaphor
With enough experience, one (who is observant and not comatose) tends to recognize when not to debate. Or argue.
My father loved to argue. He wasn't angry, nor accusatory. He didn't raise his voice nor become actually combative...he just liked to argue. I don't like to argue, especially with someone I care for. Since I cared very much for him and wanted to converse with him this led to a quandary. It was worse when he drank. He didn't have to drink much for this to happen and he wasn't an alcoholic. (Aside - he stopped drinking totally for a year to prove to himself that he wasn't an alcoholic. He proved that, then resumed moderate drinking.) It took me a few years to figure out how much he liked to argue. Before I did, I took his bait and argued back. He loved it. I hated it. I finally learned to change the subject. After a few subject changes, he figured it out and quit arguing. It made a much better relationship.
These days there seem to be plenty of opportunities for argument. I actually do enjoy a debate or perhaps a discussion of different ideas. The requirement here, though is for both sides to actually know and understand what they are talking about, and to be both civil and intelligent. I've lived long enough to have experienced many things first hand. Then I encounter someone (usually a bit younger...okay... a lot younger) who speaks from ignorance with the firm conviction of knowledge. So....do I correct their obvious ignorance and risk an argument - or simply smile and change the subject? Having said experience, I decide based upon the circumstance. I have seen far too many people just jump in with both feet, whereupon the fight commences.
Why is it that so many people these days insist on fighting over everything? There are some groups who fight simply because they like to fight. They fight from a position of ignorance or perhaps stupidity. Some hold to antiquated and illogical beliefs. Neo-nazis and white separatists come to mind. Others fight simply to spread anarchy. Antifa/Occupy/whothefuckknows fills this criteria. Then there is BLM. A group lead by racists, who "oppose" racism and expect respect for their disrespect for others. They wanted dead cops. When they got that they couldn't understand why other people were upset. Especially when the dead cops were protecting the protestors. The next time they need help, let them call a thug.
What is worse is when people won't let you ignore them. Mike Rowe ran into that this week and did a SPECTACULAR job of demonstrating his heckler was an idiot. Sometimes I try to avoid those who insist on pressing an unwelcome point. Some people just won't take "Don't go there" as an answer. It is never a good result.
Hurricane Harvey drowns Houston. And a sociology professor posts a statement that it was "karma" for Texas voting for Trump. Fortunately he was fired. In Kalifornia he would have been made chancellor.
Nancy Pelosi proves that the botox injections went too deep:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92sXx-s-qkg
Hey, San Fran Nan - go home. You're senile.
How life is like tennis: A line from an old Spanky and Our Gang song....
"Love, in tennis...means nothing."
Keep on hunting.
ciao.
My father loved to argue. He wasn't angry, nor accusatory. He didn't raise his voice nor become actually combative...he just liked to argue. I don't like to argue, especially with someone I care for. Since I cared very much for him and wanted to converse with him this led to a quandary. It was worse when he drank. He didn't have to drink much for this to happen and he wasn't an alcoholic. (Aside - he stopped drinking totally for a year to prove to himself that he wasn't an alcoholic. He proved that, then resumed moderate drinking.) It took me a few years to figure out how much he liked to argue. Before I did, I took his bait and argued back. He loved it. I hated it. I finally learned to change the subject. After a few subject changes, he figured it out and quit arguing. It made a much better relationship.
These days there seem to be plenty of opportunities for argument. I actually do enjoy a debate or perhaps a discussion of different ideas. The requirement here, though is for both sides to actually know and understand what they are talking about, and to be both civil and intelligent. I've lived long enough to have experienced many things first hand. Then I encounter someone (usually a bit younger...okay... a lot younger) who speaks from ignorance with the firm conviction of knowledge. So....do I correct their obvious ignorance and risk an argument - or simply smile and change the subject? Having said experience, I decide based upon the circumstance. I have seen far too many people just jump in with both feet, whereupon the fight commences.
Why is it that so many people these days insist on fighting over everything? There are some groups who fight simply because they like to fight. They fight from a position of ignorance or perhaps stupidity. Some hold to antiquated and illogical beliefs. Neo-nazis and white separatists come to mind. Others fight simply to spread anarchy. Antifa/Occupy/whothefuckknows fills this criteria. Then there is BLM. A group lead by racists, who "oppose" racism and expect respect for their disrespect for others. They wanted dead cops. When they got that they couldn't understand why other people were upset. Especially when the dead cops were protecting the protestors. The next time they need help, let them call a thug.
What is worse is when people won't let you ignore them. Mike Rowe ran into that this week and did a SPECTACULAR job of demonstrating his heckler was an idiot. Sometimes I try to avoid those who insist on pressing an unwelcome point. Some people just won't take "Don't go there" as an answer. It is never a good result.
Hurricane Harvey drowns Houston. And a sociology professor posts a statement that it was "karma" for Texas voting for Trump. Fortunately he was fired. In Kalifornia he would have been made chancellor.
Nancy Pelosi proves that the botox injections went too deep:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92sXx-s-qkg
Hey, San Fran Nan - go home. You're senile.
How life is like tennis: A line from an old Spanky and Our Gang song....
"Love, in tennis...means nothing."
Keep on hunting.
ciao.
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Hate speech and Liberal Logic
Hate speech is the new boogeyman. It is not protected by the First amendment, according to ignorant liberals. (Yes, I know that is redundant.) Actually unless it is a specific threat against a person - and believe it or not the current president IS a human - or unless the speech incites a riot or panic - the famous "shouting fire in a theater" exclusion- unpopular speech is exactly what is protected. In the case of the president the Secret Service is particularly sensitive about threats. They really don't have any sense of humor about that type of thing.
In the case of our previous president, any criticism of the Dear Leader would result in howls and screams of "racism"; as if being being half black is a free ride to commit any sort of unconstitutional, tyrannical, socialist assault upon our country. Apparently it is. Barack Obama - protector of Black Panther thugs, gun runner extraordinaire, major funder of moslem terrorism, friend of socialists world wide; a man who never met a tax bill large enough but knew when someone else had made too much money - was defended by the left regardless. He could do no wrong. After all, sometimes you have to destroy a country in order to save it.
During the later days of his reign the concept of "hate speech" was presented as a means of silencing anyone who disagreed with the leftists. It didn't matter if the words did in fact state truth or facts. If they didn't further the efforts of leftists, then it wasn't to be permitted. The curious thing is that under laws of libel, truth is the ultimate and absolute defense. One can refer to the Dear Leader as specified in the previous paragraph with absolute certainty that it would be upheld in a court of law. Okay, it might take getting past some of the west coast courts to find one where legal decisions are determined by actual legal precedent, but it will be upheld in a real court. The Dear Leader wrote multiple executive orders ruled unconstitutional, all in the effort to further restrict and regulate the American citizenry. Unfortunately he wrote many, many others in the same vein that were never challenged. Still the left hailed him as their hero.
Fast forward to the present. Donald Trump is called "Hitler", a "Nazi Sympathizer" a dictator, a Fascist. This is not regarded by the left as "hate speech". It is regarded as "speaking truth to power". Let us contrast and compare...
Trump started removing the Dear Leader's restrictive executive orders on the first day in office. Typically a fascist will increase the power of government and restrict freedoms of business and the citizenry. The classic definition of a fascist government is one that controls and manages the means of production that are owned privately. This control pervades the entirety of the nation under the direct control of a dictator. Mussolini and Franco come to mind. Trump endeavors to reduce the power of government, yet is called a fascist. Trump wants to reduce the tax burden on the people, in order to let them keep more of what they earned. According to left, a person who wishes to keep what they have earned is "greedy". Taking it away from him and giving to someone else isn't. This is Liberal Logic. Thus they call him a fascist.
Trump has made billions of dollars in real estate development. He started with a loan of a million dollars from his father which he turned into multiple billions. That is the same increase as taking a thousand dollar loan and turning it into multiple millions. According to the left he inherited everything. Above all, Trump is a capitalist. Not all of his endeavors were winners. Some lost a lot. That is the nature of capitalism. The opportunity is guaranteed, the outcome is not. Socialism guarantees the outcome because the opportunity is limited. With capitalism there will be rich, poor and middle class. With socialism there is the poor and the ruling class.
Now more contrast:
“We are socialists, we are enemies of today’s capitalistic economic system for the exploitation of the economically weak, with its unfair salaries, with its unseemly evaluation of a human being according to wealth and property instead of responsibility and performance, and we are determined to destroy this system under all conditions” – Adolf Hitler, May 1, 1927.
Hmmm. I fail to see the similarity. Another contrast: Trump's daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren are Jewish. Ookayyyy... We all remember how the Nazi's embraced the Jews....
Examine the quote once more. Hitler specifically identified as a socialist. This is why Hitler signed a peace pact with Stalin. They were brothers in socialism. Socialists, however, are greedy. They won't tolerate competition in assimilating power, money or control. This world wasn't big enough for the both of them. So the next phase of WWII began.
History is written by the winners. Currently with leftists/socialists/democrats in charge of the school systems history is being re-written to fit their agenda. For decades they have used the courts to redefine the constitution. There are specific methods of changing the constitution - amendments. But amendments aren't easy to pass - that's by design. It's far easier to make changes - actually distortions - to the constitution by utilizing a sympathetic court.
After all, it is the Alinsky way.
Still hunting....
ciao
In the case of our previous president, any criticism of the Dear Leader would result in howls and screams of "racism"; as if being being half black is a free ride to commit any sort of unconstitutional, tyrannical, socialist assault upon our country. Apparently it is. Barack Obama - protector of Black Panther thugs, gun runner extraordinaire, major funder of moslem terrorism, friend of socialists world wide; a man who never met a tax bill large enough but knew when someone else had made too much money - was defended by the left regardless. He could do no wrong. After all, sometimes you have to destroy a country in order to save it.
During the later days of his reign the concept of "hate speech" was presented as a means of silencing anyone who disagreed with the leftists. It didn't matter if the words did in fact state truth or facts. If they didn't further the efforts of leftists, then it wasn't to be permitted. The curious thing is that under laws of libel, truth is the ultimate and absolute defense. One can refer to the Dear Leader as specified in the previous paragraph with absolute certainty that it would be upheld in a court of law. Okay, it might take getting past some of the west coast courts to find one where legal decisions are determined by actual legal precedent, but it will be upheld in a real court. The Dear Leader wrote multiple executive orders ruled unconstitutional, all in the effort to further restrict and regulate the American citizenry. Unfortunately he wrote many, many others in the same vein that were never challenged. Still the left hailed him as their hero.
Fast forward to the present. Donald Trump is called "Hitler", a "Nazi Sympathizer" a dictator, a Fascist. This is not regarded by the left as "hate speech". It is regarded as "speaking truth to power". Let us contrast and compare...
Trump started removing the Dear Leader's restrictive executive orders on the first day in office. Typically a fascist will increase the power of government and restrict freedoms of business and the citizenry. The classic definition of a fascist government is one that controls and manages the means of production that are owned privately. This control pervades the entirety of the nation under the direct control of a dictator. Mussolini and Franco come to mind. Trump endeavors to reduce the power of government, yet is called a fascist. Trump wants to reduce the tax burden on the people, in order to let them keep more of what they earned. According to left, a person who wishes to keep what they have earned is "greedy". Taking it away from him and giving to someone else isn't. This is Liberal Logic. Thus they call him a fascist.
Trump has made billions of dollars in real estate development. He started with a loan of a million dollars from his father which he turned into multiple billions. That is the same increase as taking a thousand dollar loan and turning it into multiple millions. According to the left he inherited everything. Above all, Trump is a capitalist. Not all of his endeavors were winners. Some lost a lot. That is the nature of capitalism. The opportunity is guaranteed, the outcome is not. Socialism guarantees the outcome because the opportunity is limited. With capitalism there will be rich, poor and middle class. With socialism there is the poor and the ruling class.
Now more contrast:
“We are socialists, we are enemies of today’s capitalistic economic system for the exploitation of the economically weak, with its unfair salaries, with its unseemly evaluation of a human being according to wealth and property instead of responsibility and performance, and we are determined to destroy this system under all conditions” – Adolf Hitler, May 1, 1927.
Hmmm. I fail to see the similarity. Another contrast: Trump's daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren are Jewish. Ookayyyy... We all remember how the Nazi's embraced the Jews....
Examine the quote once more. Hitler specifically identified as a socialist. This is why Hitler signed a peace pact with Stalin. They were brothers in socialism. Socialists, however, are greedy. They won't tolerate competition in assimilating power, money or control. This world wasn't big enough for the both of them. So the next phase of WWII began.
History is written by the winners. Currently with leftists/socialists/democrats in charge of the school systems history is being re-written to fit their agenda. For decades they have used the courts to redefine the constitution. There are specific methods of changing the constitution - amendments. But amendments aren't easy to pass - that's by design. It's far easier to make changes - actually distortions - to the constitution by utilizing a sympathetic court.
After all, it is the Alinsky way.
Still hunting....
ciao
Catching...up
It's been a while. Things happen. Sometimes good, sometimes shit. Life goes on.
Since December....some improvements. Many actually, though some are more visible in retrospect. I had my knees injected in January '16 with my own stem cells. Once the borrelia finished snacking on them, I was back where I started. So I had it done again along with my right wrist and thumb. Same price - flat rate on all of it. Insurance wouldn't pay this time. I guess they wised up. That's okay. At least my knees, wrist and thumb work again without constant pain.
I think I turned the corner on my tick infections around February-March. It was hard to tell due to it being so gradual. By June I was having at least as many good days as bad. April and June were hot but I was better able to tolerate the heat and humidity than the previous summer. I could cool off and restart rather than passing out for most of the rest of the day.
I started volunteering at a local military museum, primarily restorative maintenance. It helps to keep me moving, provides some social interaction and challenges the brain.
During the past almost two years the online/ld relationship I had deteriorated. She kept pushing me further away. It would get better - slightly - but slip further apart. And she wouldn't talk about it. I'm 99% certain she hasn't started another relationship. What she had done was become politically aware. A political newbie with all of the answers. Half of them were wrong and the other half skewed. I refused to talk politics and even dropped off of my FacistBook page, sneaking back in on occasion to see what she was up to. That pissed her off. She wanted to me to have to experience her postings. Which I had NO interest in. She would bait me into discussing politics. I might be slow sometimes...but not stupid. So she unfriended me. (That is clue, right there.)
She stopped taking my phone calls except on very rare occasions, and not returning texts for a day, sometimes not responding at all. It was evident I was being dumped in slow motion. She had hung up on me, pissed, last February. And that pissed me off as well. I didn't call her back. Nor text. At all. She hung up on me, she could damn well call me back. Nothing. I did send her a valentine, which sort of broke the ice. She did text, saying I had "left". Hmmmm.....she hangs up on me and never says nor texts a word and I left?
I could see the writing on that wall. It was in flaming neon, after all, and I wasn't totally blind. Close enough to blind that a white cane could be helpful...but I could see that. Things improved from there. For that matter simply acknowledging my existence was an improvement.
Three weeks ago I had a big personal improvement. My cataracts, especially the left one, got so bad that I really was blind in that eye. So eye surgery was performed. Left one first, then the right one two weeks later. The change is ....breathtaking! Still getting drops six times a day but from 16" to infinity my vision is perfect! Night time driving is interesting. Big halos that look like monster sized spider webs surround bright lights. But at least I can see and READ road signs. Major improvement. Things were looking up. Literally.
Of course that couldn't continue. After the Charlottesville debacle, my long distance lovely decided that she wouldn't continue being friends with anyone who wouldn't hate Trump. That included everyone. Okay, he's a jerk a lot of the time. He IS doing some things that need to be done. But I had to HATE him or it was over. I have been called contrary. Yeahhh....that's about as nice a way to put it that I know how. I don't need to be told how to think. I can do that on my own. Sometimes it isn't that well done, but I can manage it. She can hate him all she wants. What she CAN'T do is tell me who to hate or not, or what to think or not. Her description was if I "supported" him, she wouldn't stay. That I had "let her walk away". Support? He's a fucking billionaire. He could support me with pocket change. I don't work for him, I don't campaign for him, I hate most social media (look how often I keep this page updated. And it's mine.) But, yes, I think that he is certainly an improvement over the flaming, radioactive train wreck that was the alternative. So...she's gone.
I'll miss her. I know that. The two weeks in February were brutal. The palpitations that the babesiosis/borrellia/RMSF/whothefuckknowselse made me feel like my heart needed a rebuild. That coupled with the air hunger made life a questionable endeavor. I don't think (I hope) that it will be as much of an issue this time. I haven't had either the heart or breathing problems in a couple months. Sleeping sucks. Fuck it, sleep is over rated.
Life goes on. I just keep hunting.
ciao
Since December....some improvements. Many actually, though some are more visible in retrospect. I had my knees injected in January '16 with my own stem cells. Once the borrelia finished snacking on them, I was back where I started. So I had it done again along with my right wrist and thumb. Same price - flat rate on all of it. Insurance wouldn't pay this time. I guess they wised up. That's okay. At least my knees, wrist and thumb work again without constant pain.
I think I turned the corner on my tick infections around February-March. It was hard to tell due to it being so gradual. By June I was having at least as many good days as bad. April and June were hot but I was better able to tolerate the heat and humidity than the previous summer. I could cool off and restart rather than passing out for most of the rest of the day.
I started volunteering at a local military museum, primarily restorative maintenance. It helps to keep me moving, provides some social interaction and challenges the brain.
During the past almost two years the online/ld relationship I had deteriorated. She kept pushing me further away. It would get better - slightly - but slip further apart. And she wouldn't talk about it. I'm 99% certain she hasn't started another relationship. What she had done was become politically aware. A political newbie with all of the answers. Half of them were wrong and the other half skewed. I refused to talk politics and even dropped off of my FacistBook page, sneaking back in on occasion to see what she was up to. That pissed her off. She wanted to me to have to experience her postings. Which I had NO interest in. She would bait me into discussing politics. I might be slow sometimes...but not stupid. So she unfriended me. (That is clue, right there.)
She stopped taking my phone calls except on very rare occasions, and not returning texts for a day, sometimes not responding at all. It was evident I was being dumped in slow motion. She had hung up on me, pissed, last February. And that pissed me off as well. I didn't call her back. Nor text. At all. She hung up on me, she could damn well call me back. Nothing. I did send her a valentine, which sort of broke the ice. She did text, saying I had "left". Hmmmm.....she hangs up on me and never says nor texts a word and I left?
I could see the writing on that wall. It was in flaming neon, after all, and I wasn't totally blind. Close enough to blind that a white cane could be helpful...but I could see that. Things improved from there. For that matter simply acknowledging my existence was an improvement.
Three weeks ago I had a big personal improvement. My cataracts, especially the left one, got so bad that I really was blind in that eye. So eye surgery was performed. Left one first, then the right one two weeks later. The change is ....breathtaking! Still getting drops six times a day but from 16" to infinity my vision is perfect! Night time driving is interesting. Big halos that look like monster sized spider webs surround bright lights. But at least I can see and READ road signs. Major improvement. Things were looking up. Literally.
Of course that couldn't continue. After the Charlottesville debacle, my long distance lovely decided that she wouldn't continue being friends with anyone who wouldn't hate Trump. That included everyone. Okay, he's a jerk a lot of the time. He IS doing some things that need to be done. But I had to HATE him or it was over. I have been called contrary. Yeahhh....that's about as nice a way to put it that I know how. I don't need to be told how to think. I can do that on my own. Sometimes it isn't that well done, but I can manage it. She can hate him all she wants. What she CAN'T do is tell me who to hate or not, or what to think or not. Her description was if I "supported" him, she wouldn't stay. That I had "let her walk away". Support? He's a fucking billionaire. He could support me with pocket change. I don't work for him, I don't campaign for him, I hate most social media (look how often I keep this page updated. And it's mine.) But, yes, I think that he is certainly an improvement over the flaming, radioactive train wreck that was the alternative. So...she's gone.
I'll miss her. I know that. The two weeks in February were brutal. The palpitations that the babesiosis/borrellia/RMSF/whothefuckknowselse made me feel like my heart needed a rebuild. That coupled with the air hunger made life a questionable endeavor. I don't think (I hope) that it will be as much of an issue this time. I haven't had either the heart or breathing problems in a couple months. Sleeping sucks. Fuck it, sleep is over rated.
Life goes on. I just keep hunting.
ciao
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
I'm back. Did you miss me?
Obviously I took a month off. Remarkably, I didn't suffer from a celebratory hangover after the election. I was more worn out from staying up so late than anything else. I did attend a local victory party for a state representative which was fun. Also got to celebrate the looks of terror and dismay on the Shrillary supporters as the lamestream media announcers declared Florida going for Trump. OH, the humanity! Heh, heh, heh. I wasn't surprised by the outcome but I certainly was concerned. I was surprised at how thoroughly the GOP swamped the country. Other than a handful of counties surrounding "progressive" enclaves, everything east of NYC and west of LA went red. And the dummycrats have REELECTED Pelosi as minority leader. As the Chinese have said for centuries "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity". Or maybe they really LIKE having their asses handed to them in elections. And Keith Ellison as DNC head? Maybe they will raise a statue to Kim Jong Il to make their total capitulation to insanity complete!
I actually know some liberals (okay and related to some...or at least one) and like them. I do avoid political discussions simply because it makes my brain hurt to attempt to get on an intellectual level that they can comprehend. I think logically. Trying to apply pure liberal emotion to logic is both difficult and counter-productive.
The hardest part is attempting to get them to understand that their reactions of screeching, flailing and refusing to even try to accept reason isn't a reflection of their "tolerance". "Progressives" (liberals by any other name - they stopped referring to themselves as "progressives" in the late 1930's because people understood that to refer to communists. When "liberals" became associated with communists they reverted. What was that I said a few sentences ago?....) like to preach to everyone else about how "tolerance" is a key to "getting along" with people. Here's a clue - I tolerate those who act logically and sanely. I am very tolerant right up to the point that someone demonstrates that they are stupid. I DON'T tolerate stupid. Anyone who does tolerate stupid....is likely being stupid as well. I don't "get along" with everyone. I don't pretend to and I'm not going to wear a diaper pin on my shirt (sweater, sweatshirt, jacket, etc) to signify that everyone is "safe" around me. Everyone IS safe around me until they act stupid. Then all bets are off. I'm too fucking old to suffer fools lightly, don't intend to and won't act like I might. I admire "Mad Dog" Mattis's advice: Be kind and respectful and smile. And have a plan to kill everyone you meet. Just because you have a plan doesn't mean you have to use it. I carry a .45 colt and don't plan to use it. But just in case.....
My depression has eased just a bit. Whether it's the meds treating the critters, getting past the election without having to pack up and move to Belize or finally almost getting to the Winter Solstice so that the days will start getting longer...I don't know. At least I am less 'cidal. Whether it was of a homi or sui nature, I couldn't tell. At one point I didn't care, either.
Still hunting for the bastard, though.
Ciao
I actually know some liberals (okay and related to some...or at least one) and like them. I do avoid political discussions simply because it makes my brain hurt to attempt to get on an intellectual level that they can comprehend. I think logically. Trying to apply pure liberal emotion to logic is both difficult and counter-productive.
The hardest part is attempting to get them to understand that their reactions of screeching, flailing and refusing to even try to accept reason isn't a reflection of their "tolerance". "Progressives" (liberals by any other name - they stopped referring to themselves as "progressives" in the late 1930's because people understood that to refer to communists. When "liberals" became associated with communists they reverted. What was that I said a few sentences ago?....) like to preach to everyone else about how "tolerance" is a key to "getting along" with people. Here's a clue - I tolerate those who act logically and sanely. I am very tolerant right up to the point that someone demonstrates that they are stupid. I DON'T tolerate stupid. Anyone who does tolerate stupid....is likely being stupid as well. I don't "get along" with everyone. I don't pretend to and I'm not going to wear a diaper pin on my shirt (sweater, sweatshirt, jacket, etc) to signify that everyone is "safe" around me. Everyone IS safe around me until they act stupid. Then all bets are off. I'm too fucking old to suffer fools lightly, don't intend to and won't act like I might. I admire "Mad Dog" Mattis's advice: Be kind and respectful and smile. And have a plan to kill everyone you meet. Just because you have a plan doesn't mean you have to use it. I carry a .45 colt and don't plan to use it. But just in case.....
My depression has eased just a bit. Whether it's the meds treating the critters, getting past the election without having to pack up and move to Belize or finally almost getting to the Winter Solstice so that the days will start getting longer...I don't know. At least I am less 'cidal. Whether it was of a homi or sui nature, I couldn't tell. At one point I didn't care, either.
Still hunting for the bastard, though.
Ciao
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