Monthly Archives: March 2021

Simple Gun Owner’s Licensing

28 Sunday Mar 2021

Posted by in Gun Control

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            A talking head on a Sunday morning show put forth a fantastic idea for owning a gun. Why not have a license and training for different types of guns. It would be similar to a vehicle license process.

            If I wanted to drive a four-wheel vehicle I would get the basic license and an ability test. If I was dumb enough to get the organ donor license to operate a motorcycle, I would have to demonstrate my ability also. If I wanted to drive an eighteen-wheeler I would need a special license and ability to drive it. There used to be other classifications for other vehicles.

            His idea seemed to be a very sensible way to handle some of the concerns of over 70% of the American public. Just as with vehicle licenses; the costs would go up with each level of skill required. It’s the same with pilot’s licenses.

            The obvious criteria would be a low price for each hunting rifle and shotgun, a higher price for a revolver, higher for a semi-automatic, additional cost for an extended magazine, a high cost for any weapon which can be considered an assault weapon. Possession of any gun where the owner or possessor isn’t properly licensed would result in a substantial fine and/or imprisonment. I would suggest the fine be a minimum cost equal to ten years for the proper license and loss of all weapons.

Looking Forward

28 Sunday Mar 2021

Posted by in Hope

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            I look forward to a time when we don’t know and don’t care what sex, race, or age a business owner is. One day our elected officials will make laws on an equal basis and not be swayed by money or political aspirations, and not favor one group over another.

            I look forward to a time when people aren’t buying guns because they are influenced into believing they are in danger of another race or ethnic. Imagine a time when gun laws are like those in other countries.  A time when all gun deaths are accidents or self-inflicted and not kids and adults being shot in cars, stores, or schools.

            I look forward to the time when humanity takes care of the planet we all share and not destroy it and its flora and fauna. One day the leaders of one country will not envy or hate the people of another country.

            I look forward to a time portrayed in Star Trek; The Next Generation where people live in a utopian world. Where people are able to make their own way while being respected by others. I look forward to a time when hate is just a word in the dictionary and not on the nightly news.

            I really look forward to a time when humanity decides there is enough of us on this small planet and not the numbers project forty years ago. Those projections have been on track to this point. Imagine almost twice as many of us in 70 or 80 years.

            I look forward to a time when this letter is in the past tense.

Old Familiar Cold Snap

28 Sunday Mar 2021

Posted by in Climate Change

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            As I write this, it looks like and feels like the winters I experienced up here fifty years ago. One winter we had snow, freezing rain, snow, and it repeated several times. I could walk on it without breaking through. The frost line used to be four or more feet deep freezing water lines from the main to the homes. That may be the winter with 20 to 25 degrees below zero nights and days not reaching zero.

            A few years ago the TV meteorologists fell in love with the Polar Vortex term to gain attention. Like today’s cold weather it is for a few days but not weeks. People will point out these snaps as global warming being a myth. Overall the winters have been so light a vortex is an anomaly. Younger people will remember the last fifteen to twenty winters as their base memory and not know how winters were before Global Warming.

            Youngsters, I have a parka and long thermal underwear left from those winters. Somewhere I have very heavy socks to wear in my old rubber boots and several neck scarves to keep out the frigid wind. Today I wear a light jacket over the sweatshirt I wear inside my home and a headband over my ears when I am outside.

            I don’t miss locking up my lungs for over a minute while trying to take a breath, after getting hit by a sudden gust of wind, or busting through 4 to 5 foot drifts to get home. Nope, those weren’t the good ole winters.

No Relation

28 Sunday Mar 2021

Posted by in Uncategorized

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            When I was a little boy I lied more than I told the truth and it made adulthood easier. Maybe that is why I have so little regard for most politian’s. Being a good liar seems to be a prerequisite for the position.

            My paternal ancestors came across the pond in the late 1600s and to the best of my knowledge and the history of the Johnson family; we have never had a politician in it. So when I hear Wisconsin’s Senator Ron Johnson spouting all the lies about the election and how Trump has been cheated, I am glad he has no more of a relationship to me than the last names we have in common.

            When he was at the latest CPAC meeting I bet he was one of those who got his picture made with the golden idol of Trump and worshipped the man himself. Wouldn’t it be nice if he decided to tell the truth and not be a sycophant of an egomaniac who only cares about himself?

Who is the Enemy?

28 Sunday Mar 2021

Posted by in Radicals

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            Pogo said something like “We have found the enemy and the enemy are us.” Trump’s base is a disillusioned group that believes the most idiotic ideas put forth on radical internet sites. Whether Trump actually believes these crazy conspiracies and outright fantasies, I don’t know but he has continued them.

            One of the principles the far right believes is the Congress and Senate are against them and need to be eliminated to protect the Constitution and Country. To protect themselves, the Republicans have shifted the onus on to the Democrats but the base thinks both parties are against them. The more Republicans play to Trump’s loyal supporters the more they have to leave sanity and safety for all of them. When Trump’s aura is found to be a scam his base will turn against both party’s people.

            The “Deep State” is the people who just come in each morning, do their jobs, and go home – no matter what party is in power. If they don’t like the current President’s policies they quit and hundreds quit during the last four years. Sooner or later Trump’s base will figure out the Republicans have had control of the “Deep State” since the mid-nineties.

            The Republican Party used to be the “Law and Order” party. After Nine-Eleven, they took their eye off domestic terrorism and put it on international. The domestic threat grew rapidly. During the last four years the party put incompetent lap dogs in many Department of Justice positions allowing Trump to take the heat off his radical base. His social media rants allowed the White Supremeists and militias to grow and move into some political positions. This allowed them to infiltrate the bureaucracy and state and national legislative bodies. The enemy may be us!

Immigration is Karma

24 Wednesday Mar 2021

Posted by in Immigration

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            So much fuss is being made over the children coming up from Guatemala and Honduras. People are missing the reason the kids are fleeing their homes. Some families come for economic reasons and climate change but the vast majority is for safety. Those countries are controlled by gangs. Gangs rape, ill, extortion, kidnap, and force the kids they don’t kill to join them. Usually it is join or the family is killed.

            The media doesn’t go back to when and how the gangs got started and took control of those nations. We are the reason! We decided Los Angeles would be better if we exported the members of a growing band of violent Central Americans who preyed on their own people. We sent them south and now thousands of families and unattached kids are coming here to get away from the gangs we exported. That’s Karma!

            We have created this mess and the economic money we are throwing at it ends up going into the gang’s pockets. We criticize the governments for getting tough on the gangs but these governments are in a fight for survival in their countries. We criticize other countries for using violence to put down simple protests but it is necessary when those gangs are armed with guns that our business people sold to them,. It is Karma! Locking them up in gang controlled prisons doesn’t stop them. Let their government’s police and paramilitary do what is necessary. Ignore what they need to do for survival.

            We caused the problem. Let those countries fix it so their people will want to stay in their countries and not flee to the United States.

“Pride Goeth Before the Fall”

13 Saturday Mar 2021

Posted by in Texas Pride

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           Texans consider themselves better than most of us in the other forty-nine states. Most Texans still think life is like it was 150 years ago. Republicans are anti-everything and control state government. Democrats have a few enclaves of power in cities but have not had a governor since George W. Bush was elected Governor. The legislature has been Republican controlled for decades, too.

            Most Texans consider themselves to be independent and are against anything which they consider impinges on theirs or Texas’ rights. The lack of regulation and the independent culture caused their recent problems. A decade ago Texas was advised what needed to be done to avoid another loss of power caused by cold temperature. They ignored it and the calamity in mid-February resulted. The advice was to insulate and join regional grids.

            Some politicians blame wind turbines for the disaster but the real problem was power plants using natural gas lost their supply when the liquids brought up with the gas in wells froze shutting the gas off. The coal plants needed water to produce steam. Their problem was the pumps pumping water to produce steam froze and the coal piles froze from the moisture. Another problem was some of the plants were down for maintenance and refueling during what was supposed to be a low demand time.

            Politicians blame the grid operators but they are directed as to what they can do by Texas legislature. They are prohibited from connecting to regional grids which could have supplied them with adequate power. Even updating and some maintenance were considered too expensive. Their pride and culture caused the fall. As they do after every disaster, they plead for Washington and the other forty-nine states for help.

Endless Wars

08 Monday Mar 2021

Posted by in War Planning

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            “Endless Wars” have two meanings. The one people use most is a war that goes on and on like Afghanistan. I don’t remember anyone using that term for Viet Nam. Although we had won it, we didn’t know it, and left before a satisfactory conclusion.

            The endless wars I refer to is what our past, current and future enemies have learned from our involvement in Viet Nam and Afghanistan. Iraq might be added to the list. One thing that those wars show is our involvement in fighting a war has a time limit. If an enemy can maintain a conflict long enough, the United States will come up with some agreement the enemy won’t abide by. It will usually be done without consulting with our local allies. The locals we worked with are usually imprisoned or killed when we leave.

            The current agreement with the Taliban is for them to not have anything to do with Al Qaeda or to give them sanctuary. Al Qaeda has been seeping back into Afghanistan already. Another provision was to do no fighting or to expand their territory. Both of those terms have already been broken. The Taliban have already killed hundreds of soldiers, police, and civilians who protected towns or worked with us.

            Military strategy is based on the past battles and wars. As technology has changed the way we fight wars with less advanced enemies, simple ways and mass foot soldiers hiding within civilian populations have become a winning strategy.            

As much as we would all like to get out of Afghanistan sooner or later we will be in another one. If we leave this one without a satisfactory ending to us, then we can expect an endless series of endless wars.

Trading Tax

08 Monday Mar 2021

Posted by in Taxes

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            Many Representatives, Senators, and organizations have proposed a transaction tax on Stock and Bond Traders. I don’t make many trades each year, but it will have some effect on my finances. I favor a five cent per hundred dollar trade for two reasons.

            Reason one is the tax is a financial tax levied against those with money to invest. It is a tax solely on finances of those who have usually arrived at their level by benefiting from the activities of the federal government’s borrowing. The money gained from the tax should go to paying down the National Debt. It may allow for more borrowing but language could be added limiting it. The tax would be a start to going back to the Clinton-Gingrich income tax structure to make America Debt Free!

            Reason two is such a tax would go a long way to equalizing the stock and bond markets by decreasing high speed trading based on a few cents per stock. The tax would decrease the volatility and volume making the markets more stable and an even playing field for the average investor like me.

            All those against the tax don’t want to give up their advantages. Senators and Representatives — do something you are not accustomed to doing — ignore lobbyists and massive contributions and pass a tax good for all Americans.

Dumb Ideas Accepted

01 Monday Mar 2021

Posted by in Dumb Ideas

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            Who came up with the idea to not shake hands or fist bump during a respiratory pandemic? Their idea is to halve the distance between noses with an elbow bump. Granted virus could be spread with a handshake, but far less likely with a fist bump than getting noses eighteen to twenty-four inches apart.

            Who came up with the idea for the Federal Government to not distribute personal protective equipment to the states but cause them to run up cost competing against each other? Same applies with the mishmash of who gets the vaccine and where. If you can stand it, North Dakota will vaccinate anyone whether or not they are residents. Florida did the same thing for a few weeks to attract snowbirds from the northern states, Canada, and Europe. The decision got people to stay down for several weeks to boost the economy. Year -around residents protested being left out.

            Of course almost all drivers in the United States have been subjected to an extremely stupid idea that has become some ill-conceived regulation. That stupid idea is the passenger side outside mirror that says “objects in this mirror are closer than they appear”. Is it so you can see the license number of the vehicle you are about to meet? Why put a mirror on a vehicle that is undependable.

            An extremely dumb and destructive idea was invented over thirty years ago to allow people to transfer massive amounts of data from one place to another. Of course the purely sensible internet was destroyed by becoming the vehicle which social media uses to spread lies and personal information. Now truth and privacy are gone and perhaps gone forever.

            The last idea may cause the downfall of civilization but the rest are just dumb ideas that are accepted or thrust upon us.