Dates to Remember

17 Tuesday Oct 2023

Posted by in Dates

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Our lives seem to revolve around dates. We remember our birth date, our partner’s birth date, and hopefully our wedding date. If we have kids we are supposed to remember those dates. Some try to remember parents and siblings birthdays. Today those dates are plugged into our digital devices so we don’t actually have to use our brains. The devices can even be set up to warn us days in advance.

However, there are many dates we remember that seem to be almost mandatory for most of us. Three holidays we easily remember are January 1, July 4, and December 25. Others are not so happy dates like 9/11-Twin Towers, and December 7. Sometimes it is only the year that is special like 1945 for the end of World War II or 1963 when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

As a history buff, my mind was filled with dates for events in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. As a military history student, my dates went back to long forgotten wars thousands of years ago. There does seem to be a correlation between age and memory. As one gets older more and more unnecessary dates are forgotten.

If a person did not live through an event, how many of us would remember the date it occurred? Millions of Americans were yet to be born when 9/11 occurred so how long will that date mean something to them? Many of our holidays today mean little more than a parade, party time, or no-work-day. For millions, Memorial Day is the Indy 500 Race. Many important days are already forgotten by most of us – how sad!

Times Are A-Changing

08 Sunday Oct 2023

Posted by in Divisiveness

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My Mother was in her fifties in the 1960s when Rock-N-Roll and the Hippie culture became the norm. Her complaints may have influenced me to keep my hair length at an inch at my nape instead of my former clipper cut. My music choice is now called the golden oldies of the 60s. My hair is thinner and my music is the same so that is what I consider the norm should be.

I cannot understand why anyone would want to shave their head to look like what the movies made aliens look. To be fair we used to use the Dick Tracy term of “Cue Ball.”

Millions of men are growing long beards which can only be to show their masculinity. Are they taken in by some actors trying to look rough cut. I would think hygiene and sex would be a problem.

Why do man and women cover themselves with tattoos that they can’t see? I don’t sit at a table with servers with tattoos up their neck or on their arms. My generation is very likely to associate those people with poor hygiene and therefore holding our plates abhorrent. A big business has sprung up on removing or covering them up. A friend’s daughter put a tattoo on her hip to remind her of a dead cousin. Does she think of him sitting on a commode?

People seem to go out of their way to look tough and gangster-like. Why can’t people look normal now or is this just a fad that will die out in a few years? If the media caused this behavior then perhaps it can bring it back to the normal American Culture. Is the result of, or cause of, the divisiveness today?

Voters Have Rights

07 Saturday Oct 2023

Posted by in Democracy

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Too often people are elected to an office after an election with only thirty percent of the electorate voting. Those people go into office with him or her to do what that small number of constituents want done. If a person voted against the official then they have the right to complain but if they didn’t bother to vote, they don’t have the moral right.

Of fifty, sixty, or even seventy percent of voters staying home a small number of people are able to take control of a government and its people. Adolph Hitler came into power with the support of a few thousand actual believers who controlled a few million supporters who thought his propaganda goals was needed. Of course his Brown Shirts beat up or killed those who complained or were the objects of his scorn. In Germany’s 1930s and 1940s the organization was called Nazi for “NAtional SoZialistiche Deutsch ArBeiterparteI.” Is the Maga-Movement the same just because it has all the same markers? It has the personality, lack of political experience, devotees, lies, political violence, minorities to suppress, and desire to destroy the justice and government.

If Americans value Democracy then they must vote in every election or lose what we value most!

We Can Fix It

23 Saturday Sep 2023

Posted by in Immigration

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Karma is when you do something and then endure the results whether good or bad.
Much of the immigration problem today is the result of what we have done over the past few decades.

Tens of thousands of Venezuelans are in or coming to the United States is the direct result of the conditions which we caused by trying to oust their political leaders. We almost overturned the government with sanctions and destroying their economy. Conditions have gotten so bad for the majority of the people they have no choice but to leave the country they love. Perhaps if we turned the policies around, the immigrants would return home. Those policies are the result of both the Republican and the Democrat Presidents and Congresses.

The immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador are coming to the country that has interfered in their country for over a century. The countries are overrun with gangs we exported from California and corrupted dictators we sponsored and were bad for their countries. Of course climate change has contributed to the anxiety of living in those countries. Together hundreds of thousands have come to live in a safer place.

Both American political parties are responsible for this mess but don’t expect either one to fix the roots causing the immigration flood. If both parties acted the flood of people would be flowing South towards home. The people you elected know how to solve the problem but they won’t because not enough of us will tell them to fix it.

Think and Rethink

13 Wednesday Sep 2023

Posted by in Thinking

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        A Lowes’ commercial reminded me of a dumb thing a friend did when we were juniors in high school. In the commercial a man jumps up to slap a Lowes banner above the double doors. Gary jumped up to give a double-sided metal pharmacy sign a karate chop. He broke a bone in his right hand and had it in a cast for six weeks. A couple of days after his cast was cut off we were walking down the same sidewalk. I asked him why he did something so dumb. He said he probably didn’t think about what could happen.

            How many times have people done things without thinking past the immediate action? An example is the CIA moved the Ayatollah Khomeini  to France to keep him safe from the Shah’s retribution. The CIA housed and supported him until the Shah was overthrown.

            The most obvious not thinking is all the owners and CEOs of Germany’s big businesses that helped Adolph Hitler to gain power. We supported the Soviet Union to defeat Hitler which might not ever have happened if Stalin had lost. Because of that support the Cold War, the Iron Curtain, and several close WW III incidents happened.

            Why rethink if the resulting problem will belong to the next mayor, governor, or president?

            Oh yes, you may have guessed it already! Right after Gary told me he hadn’t thought about why, we walked under the same sign – he jumped up and hit the other side. Yep! Six more weeks! Sometimes we keep hoping for a different result from doing stupid things.

More Than Warm Bodies Needed

13 Wednesday Sep 2023

Posted by in Unions

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            An Amazon Warehouse in New York has voted to be in a union. Why when they aren’t asking for more money or many benefits would they rock the boat? The prime reason seemed to be the desire to be treated as a human and not some disposable piece of meat. A lot of this disregard seems to have occurred about the same time as personnel departments became human resources. We all know how Americans treat resources. We use them up and throw them away.

            Warehouse jobs are changing because they need thousands of people to do all the merchandize handling. Robotics can do some of the work but not as fast as humans so people are much needed. In today’s world many humans are still needed so a smart company should start thinking of their employees as an asset to be cared for and respected.

Interesting Question

27 Sunday Aug 2023

Posted by in Justice, President Trump

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        A talking head on CNN made an interesting comment about justice. He said “Let’s face it; we aren’t going to put a former president in jail”. It presents an interesting question about security and pension.

            At what point do we stop treating a former president as some kind of untouchable King or Pope? Can they kill someone without consequences? Some misdemeanors carry a 20-year sentence. Former President Donald Trump is accused of committing a crime in Georgia. If he is found guilty what will the judge do? Does house arrest at one of his luxurious properties seem fair to the millions having served behind bars or white collar resort prisons? Would his secret service agents be involved? These questions need to be answered in the next few months. Who will make that decision?

            Another question is whether a former President who commits a crime should receive the $230,000 dollar pension, unlimited healthcare, round-the-clock security involving agents, buildings, hotels, travel, and other costs? Many Representatives and Senators have lost their pensions for some criminal activity.

            Congress should establish some limits on pensions, security, and justice. Would the criminal activity apply only to federal crimes and could state crimes like Georgia’s charges be included?

            Interesting questions and the Constitution prevents any ex-post facto laws so Trump might not be included. Some rules or laws need to be decided upon and planned for the future. The sooner the better. We all agree with Trump saying, “No one is above the law.”

Chest Full of Medals

25 Friday Aug 2023

Posted by in Ronald D. DeSantis, Gov of Florida

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Ever notice how Ronald Dion DeSantis, Governor of Florida, carefully connects himself with the Navy Seals during the Iraq War? Being a Yale-educated lawyer, he knows all the words to make the listener thing he was a seal. During the debate he said he was attached to the Seal Team Six. In reality, he was one of the Commander’s legal advisors. He never got closer than a group picture to be used when he ran for some office later.

The photo of him in dress white Navy uniform shows a chest of eleven medals. One is the bronze medal which he got for prosecuting over twenty-four cases. I find that despicable because my brother got one in 1945 for an act under fire.

Some of the other awards are the Navy and Marine meritorious service medal, Iraq campaign medal, and the global war on terrorism medal. How did he earn those eleven medals? Ask the awards officer. Oh, DeSantis WAS the awards Officer.

Some of his other jobs in the Navy were just as dangerous as his time with the Seals. He was a Physical Fitness Coordinator, Recruiting Officer, and a courageous Assistant Urine Analysis Coordinator. He was a Scheduler and Administrator in Gitmo. It was a tough life on its tennis courts and golf courses. I wonder how often he had time for that hour flight back home each weekend.

Governor Ron is just another pampered, ambitious, glory seeker who has planned his political life since his days in Yale. Being a JAG Officer in the Navy reserves is a long way from Beau Biden and others who joined just to fight to defend America, earning their medals for courage under fire. Is he just another flim flam man?

Truth Loses/Lies Win

25 Friday Aug 2023

Posted by in Politics

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        As I sit here watching our GoldenDoodle puppy chasing her tail, it occurred to me the Republican Party is chasing its tail. The crop of wannabes are afraid of breaking with their hard core base but that base, if fed the same lies and bad information, cannot change. It is a circular train of thought which gets more embedded with each cycle. For the base to take another track would imply they are gullible and their leaders have been lying to them. Both of which are abhorrent to them, so it is easier to stay on that well-worn circular track.

            In spite of all the data by their own state officials saying the 2022 Presidential election wasn’t stolen; most Republicans can’t believe former President Donald Trump lost by over seven-million votes. Trump and his minions are being indicted for their efforts to overthrow the election in ways many of their bases don’t yet know.

            The base is being hurt by weather they may never have seen before, yet they are told it isn’t because of burning fossil fuels. Do they pay attention when they are told waters around Southern Florida have risen to over 100 degrees? What tunnel-vision is causing them to not connect rising seas, arctic forest fires, glacier melting, and record heat with climate change?

            The reason is obvious. The social media and Right Wing cable channels are streaming those stories saying the rest of the world is wrong and they are right is one cause. The other main reason is religious leaders are supporting liars and crooks so they can get one or two things enacted while overlooking the disasters to the country.

            Speaking the truth might not allow an intelligent presidential wannabe to get by the Primary in order to win the general election.

Can’t Support Him

15 Tuesday Aug 2023

Posted by in Uncategorized, Vice-President Mike Pence

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        Don’t get me wrong, I have never liked past Vice-President Mike Pence. If the polls were correct he would not have been re-elected as the Governor of Indiana. Many believe he messed up the state’s finances to prove he was fiscally conservative in order to run for President after his second term. He was chosen to be past President Donald Trump’s Vice-President for potential help with the religious voters.

            Pence is one of those who beats religion into others and believes that religion is his Christian belief and not any other sect or belief. Our country was founded on separation of church and state but Pence sees it as an impediment to his beliefs and ambitions.

            Another reason is his complete support of Trump up to January 6, 2020. Yes, it is the V.P.s job to support his boss but I have not heard of any other dissent and there were many instances where he could have advised against Trump’s activities.

            One last reason is Trump’s own reported words, “You are too honest”. How can the vast majority of Americans support someone who is “too honest”? Does that mean he is dishonest in some amount and honest on other accounts? How can those who wonder how people who supposedly live off their salary get so rich and have a very suspicious lifestyle?

            Where will a “too honest” person go for a job after their political career is over as Pence’s is. He will probably go to some right wing Religious University or think tank sponsored by the Far Right. Don’t worry, all his pensions will keep him in caviar.