Something Extremely Bogus is Going On

 Well, in reality there's a lot bogus going on lately. Where should we start?

First, let's go with the author of that quote - Elon Musk. His twitter feed says it all: He got tested 4 times in one day for Covid-19; 2 tests came back negative and 2 tests came back positive. Apparently, there are different tests and this one ... doesn't seem extremely reliable.

We're told science is the best method of handling Covid-19. Well, when science itself turns out to be bogus, then all bets are off. Now we don't really know if the supposed Covid spike is really as large as claimed; remember - bad data means bad results. FWIW, Musk also took 2 more tests that use another method (PCP, and I don't think they mean angel dust) and the results will take a day or two to come back. Musk says his symptoms are like a mild cold. We'll see.

Next, the really extremely bogus thing going on is happening in the Governor's mansion in Albany, NY. Andrew Cuomo, perhaps one of the worst human beings ever to breathe on planet earth has outdone himself with ... extremely bogus statements lately. This is the guy who murdered the business base in NY State with an extremely bogus executive order shutting down the majority of tax-paying businesses ... which had the sad side effect of some of them gone for good. Instead of locking down NYC and containing it there with a perimeter, he allowed it to travel upstate with such things as prison visits, etc. Making matters worse, he mandated nursing homes and elderly care facilities accept Covid patients, which of course resulted in 10,000+ deaths. Measured another way, his executive order resulted in about 1/3 of all Covid deaths in NYS to date.

Ah, the bogus part. This walking piece of slime, upon hearing President Trump announce a 90% effective vaccine, seized the day by attacking Trump. Somehow, the politics of Trump are bigger than the scientific breakthrough of a vaccine. Oh, but when Andy needed Trump's help last spring, he got it, and praised Trump at the same time. What changed? Only who would get credit for releasing the vaccine. If this had happened January 21, 2021 Cuomo would be praising Biden for it. We have an extremely bogus Governor in NYS, and if he doesn't join the Biden administration in some capacity, he will join NYS Mayor De Blasio on the list of politicians who will never be re-elected in NYS. Remember, this guy only won 15 out of 62 counties last time, and with the economic devastation in his power base (NYC), he couldn't be elected dog catcher right now.

Lastly, let's talk about some extremely bogus things that happened November 3rd - the election. When you see the "I Voted" sticker on gravestones, it's no joke. This election was fraught with fraud, period. Fraud, of course means the results of the election are suspect. Who knows who really got more votes? 4 years ago, roughly 135 million people voted. This time, about 150 million people voted. How many of them were actually the sole ballot of a living person? How many mail-in ballots were real votes, how many did the Biden-endorsing postal workers discard (read the news, it happened) and if you think Joe Biden is not an illegitimate President-elect at the present, may I interest you in a buying a bridge in Brooklyn?

This may get sorted out in the courts, or it may not get sorted out in the courts. The irony is, of course Biden's call for peace and unity ... after 4 years of Democrat-sponsored rioting, burning and looting in the cities.

When Kamala Harris moves in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, then perhaps you'll come to realize that Elon Musk is right:

Something extremely bogus went on.

It's a Package Deal. No Ala Cartes.

As the Presidential Election heats up, sides are being chosen. I'm not talking about simple party choices, Republican or Democrat. I'm talking about sides that are quite divided on some issues, but not others. However, when you choose a candidate for one specific reason, you also get everything else the candidate stands for.

For example, I have a friend who is a postal worker. (I don't know if he will still be after he reads this, but I'm not shy about telling people my views and he already knows that.) Anyway, he's a union rep and his union just endorsed Joe Biden because they don't like Donald Trump's goal of balancing the Post Office budget. His union is also pushing the Democrat Congressman over the Republican.

His reasoning is obvious. To him, it's all about who will give the postal workers more. I understand that.

However, he's also a gun guy. He likes to hunt and guns are part and parcel of that sport. He doesn't understand his Democrat Congressman will sell him down the river when he's told how to vote on a (anti) gun bill regardless of what the constituency in his area overwhelmingly wants. So when Joe Biden says he will put Beto Hell yes I'll take your guns O'Rourke in charge of the gun issue, remember - you  voted for it.

We've already seen this Democrat Congressman fail to represent the wishes of the district. In NY-22, Trump won the district by about 16%. That double-digit number is remarkable because it tells you the will of the district - this is clearly Trump country. Fast forward to 2018 and the the 2019 impeachment vote. Yup, you guess it - he voted to impeach.

Oh, he went through the motions and made the I'm soul searching statements, but it's obvious that when you accept money from Babs Streisand, Alec Baldwin and Rosey O'Donnell, you owe them something and that's your vote when their hate reaches the floor in an impeachment vote. The conclusion is obvious: He was bought and paid for, and that same money is coming back into his campaign fund in an effort to keep him in office for the next time they tell him how to vote.

So it's a trade-off. Your union endorses in an effort to get more at work, but you lose in other ways. If the Democrats get their way, eventually there will be no private gun ownership, period.

But wait, there's more!

You are also endorsing abortion, especially late-term abortion when you endorse the guy you think will vote to give you more at work. Oh, I'm sure you don't want that smell tied to you, but it is by proxy. This Congressman repeatedly voted for late-term abortion when he was in NY government. Late-term abortion is, of course, a polite term for infanticide.

You don't get to pick and choose. It's a package deal, all or none. No ala carte. No some of this, but none of that. You're willing to send an eventual gun-grabbing baby murderer back to Washington hoping for a fatter paycheck or better benefits, that's your business.

But don't turn around and tell me you support the second amendment or are against abortion.

You indicated your preferences when you endorsed and voted. You get the whole package, kit and caboodle.

Just like the sign at the Chinese restaurant says.

No substitutions.

Generation U

Maybe it's me. Perhaps Oprah is right; old white people just have to die. (Yes, she actually said that.) Since I'm not raising my hand and volunteering to fulfill Oprah's desire, I guess I'll just keep doing what I'm doing (trying to enjoy life) until God grants her wish.

In the meantime, it has occurred to me that perhaps the wrong generation is being told to fuck die off. As we witness the greatest generation wane to extinction with the baby boomers joining them in spectacular numbers, the thought that life is sometimes unfair has crossed my mind lately. Personally, I think the wrong generations are dying off.

Let's get one thing on the table: The generation labeled the greatest generation is aptly named, because there will never be a generation as great as that one. They are the ones that bled and died so that you wouldn't be goose-stepping while speaking German ... or Japanese, or perhaps both.

Those that came home sired the baby boomers and I happen to be one of those. Lately, somehow I'm being told that I'm guilty of something. It's a color and I'm also told I'm privileged because of it. Never mind that I came from a poor white (broken) family and worked myself out of it, never mind that I made sacrifices and decisions along the way that sometimes hurt me and sometimes helped me. All I wanted was an opportunity, and while there are those that will argue with me that opportunity comes in different flavors, I can say that America does offer opportunity to everybody, but it doesn't tell them it's opportunity. You have to figure that out by yourself.

Then came the Gen-Xers and things began to change. I'm not going to blame the X'ers for the problems of America, but I am going to say they weren't as repulsed as their parents were at the problems liberalism has wreaked on America.

Millennials  came next and they carried America's journey left ever further, but they understood the limits. They understood that America is a capitalist country and that to succeed they had to embrace a work ethic as their parents before them had done.

But now we're dealing with Generation Z and this generation has some rather funny ideas about things. They're the ones with measurable numbers promoting socialism and ... well, I call it free everything. Somehow, the work to be successful (and eat) paradigm has faded away. They don't only want it, they want it now. The idea of working and saving is an insult to many of them.

I think the nickname they have been given is wrong. Gen-Z may have a cool ring to it, but it's inaccurate. A more appropriate name would be Generation-U and in my opinion (which means nothing) it more accurately describes their mantra.

Gen-U is the term I have in mind. The "U" could mean unhappy and I'm certain many of them are. But the more accurate term would be ungrateful and that's what I mean when I say Gen-U. No, not every person born in the late 1990s and on is ungrateful, but as I view the rioters, arsonist destroyers and looters in the major cities (not to mention Antifa, Chazmania and so on), it becomes obvious that these are the worst of the current generation. I'm not sure what will make them happy (other than free everything and/or political power), but then again I don't really care if they're happy or not. I just care that they're not trying to tear down the system that allows opportunity to be seized.

Generation U. If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit. From my point of view, the glove fits pretty damn good.

Faster Than Drunken Sailors on Shore Leave

Don't spend it. Seriously, don't spend a nickel of it. Put it in the bank and sit on it for now. If the $1200 you previously got from Uncle Sam is already gone, the word on the street in DC is that there's more coming. Uncle Sam is going to fire up the presses and send you another $1200, if the HEALS act currently being negotiated on Capitol Hill gets passed.

Odds are it will be, for a myriad of reasons ... The biggest being, this is an election year and both sides need to show their voters they're bringing home the bacon, so to speak. Both sides will claim victory, but neither will take the beating that should come with this trillion-dollar pork bill. Who will bother to complain about another trillion being added to the national debt when they're too busy enjoying free money?

You'll be sorry if you blow it on trinkets and doodads you really don't need ... Because you're gonna need it real soon now when all the taxing agencies already familiar with you come up short for next years budget... compounded with the fact that they're already far short of this year's anticipated revenue, thanks to Governors all over the US murdering their business base as they brag about saving us from a dismal Covid-19 fate. In reality, they didn't save very many; NYS had over 32,000 deaths as I write this. When my sister points out Florida surpassed us, she doesn't realize that's only in positive test results, not the death count. Florida was hovering just under 6,000 deaths yesterday when I looked, and that's less than 1/5 of what NYS has so far (if you believe the warped data to begin with anyway).

If there wasn't such a blatant and hypocritical approach to it, it might have been better received by the public. The rules were contorted and twisted to begin with; for example in NY State, Andrew Cuomo shut down everything that was non-essential. This included churches, theaters, gyms, barbers/hairdressers, bars, courts, museums, elective medical procedures and indoor dining (just to mention some on the list). Even construction was shut down, unless it was essential. The economy suffered and went into a recession; jobs were lost and as a result, tax dollars on all fronts were negatively impacted.

But liquor stores (!) were deemed essential and stayed open, and via the appeals process, construction of a tourist center (how essential is that) in Utica got a waiver to continue. 3 months later, the cap blew off in national racial rioting, looting and inner-city destruction. Taking it to even more hypocritical heights, when the rioters protesters were congratulated (NY Governor Andrew Cuomo said he stood with them), then even a mongoloid can see how off the wall stupid these life-saving rules are. Mass gatherings are okay one way, but not another? How do these dimbulbs even begin to rationalize this?

All layers of government are going to raise taxes; simple math dictates this. But first, you'll be softened up. Now there's a boogeyman handy to blame and his name is corona virus. This guy is going to be the sock puppet that is held up when the substantial tax increases come. For example, in the county I live in, the county executive says we're 30% off projected revenue and is begging for federal help. Never mind that the real sickness has been tax and spend for years, and that in the 2 preceding years his less than $400 million dollar budget got a $16 and $19 million dollar increase in spending blowing it well past $400 million ... now he's got his excuse: It wasn't him, it's corona virus.

Ditto for your local municipalities (towns, villages and cities) and schools ... and of course, state government. Sales tax revenues are less than 3/4 of projected numbers, unemployment is up since the Governor shuttered his business tax base ... they're being slammed from all sides. Less revenue and more spending. To top it off, the worst and most incompetent governor the state has ever had decided to journey down to Georgia and ... give them advice. The Charlie Daniels Band's song The Devil Went Down to Georgia has taken a whole new meaning lately. As long as Georgia is listening to northern Yankees giving out free advice, my advice to the Georgia governor is to do exactly the opposite of what Cuomo suggests to him because it sure as hell didn't work here.

That free dough Uncle Sam is giving you ... is going back to a government taxing agency quicker than you realize, and if you don't have it to give back, they don't care. They'll just pluck it from you in another fashion. You're going to pay more regardless of whether you have it handy or not.

And of course, what accompanies a large increase in taxes?

Prices, via inflation. Double digit-inflation. Remember when Carter was in office? Those are going to be the good-old days of inflation .... because, as the saying goes ... You ain't seen nothing yet.

Look out, it's coming to a location near you real soon now. As in, your house on your street.

Again, don't blow Uncle Sam's free money ...

Because it's not going to be free at all.

Covid-19 is a Co-morbid Topic

As the pandemic rolls on and the numbers keep climbing, there are a few things that you should consider before reaching a conclusion as to the veracity of Covid-19 data. The numbers are most likely inaccurate, to begin with. Oh, CV is certainly deadly, but it's mostly deadly to select groups of people. The young and healthy, as a whole fare much better than the old and infirm. If you die of any other cause than CV, but tested positive prior to dying, you are now a Covid death. Doesn't matter if you leap off a building or die in a car crash ... doesn't matter if you were asymptomatic or not. You are counted as a Covid death, and that is one of the reasons the numbers are practically meaningless. We don't really know if CV did them in or not, or if it was even a contributing cause. We (John Q. Public) are not being told this rather important piece of information; all we're being told is how many tested positive and how many died. Without more detailed data, this information is meaningless.

Italy was one of the early European nations to be hit with CV, and it ravaged the country rather quickly. But as we look at the numbers and assign them a weight, certain truths are emerging. Their aged population that was clustered suffered the most. But what was not initially factored into the equation was how many of them had comorbidities to begin with.

Comorbidity is a $50 medical term that simply means there are one (or more) co-existing medical conditions in a person, none of which are instantly fatal by themselves. Many are common diseases that are controllable such as diabetes, hypertension and such. And many are more severe, such as heart conditions, COPD and cancer. Combined in one person they are a lethal mix, usually with a rather short fuse.

Italy's death rate among comorbid people was extremely high; the chart below paints a grim picture. If you had one or more co-existing conditions, your risk went up significantly. If you were in the red section of the pie chart, your odds of survival were rather low.

Comorbidity and the pre-covid death rate are calculable; Dr. Mary Charlson came up with the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) a few years ago and it simply computes the 10-year survival rate in people with comorbidities. The more diagnosed medical problems you have, the higher the risk is that you will not live another 10 years. Other doctors have taken her work, refined it and added their name to her version of the CCI. But the result is pretty much the same; click on the highlighted link above to compute your own numbers if you want to assess where you stand in survivability. If you have 2 or 3 comorbidities and contract CV, I suggest you make sure your affairs are in order. You're in for a rough ride.

I note the high CV death rate in Italy is predominantly tied to comorbidity. This doesn't offer comfort to those that lost a loved one, but it does paint it in different color: Without sounding hard or uncaring, it is obvious most of these people were on the short list already. Covid may have finished them off, or removed the ability of medicine to delay the inevitable, but nonetheless, their medical problems as computed in the CCI put them at high risk.

I suspect numbers won't be all that much different in other countries including the US as the data is refined. And there are lessons to be learned here: Those with existing conditions and the aged/infirm should continue to shelter in place to the point of quarantine as much as possible.

The rest of the world should return to some form of normalcy and business should resume. We can't continue to isolate from each other forever, and I'll even go a step further by telling you I'm a firm believer in how the immune system in healthy people needs to be exercised regularly to keep its defenses active. Yes, as we grow older immunosenescence (the gradual weakening of the immune system's ability to fight) is a factor, and we should be mindful of that. But in the younger population, we should return to normalcy.

About 100 years ago, a poet named Strickland Gillilan wrote a very short poem about germs. It is entitled Lines on the Antiquity of Microbes and it goes like this:

Adam
Had'em.

As do we all.

In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is King

There's no shortage of gross stupidity in print lately; it's getting hard to choose just one thing because after you do, something comes along and tops it. Such are the utterings of one Jody Rosen, a liberal columnist who writes for various entities posing as newspapers. It's kind of appropriate that he poses as a journalist while using his html crayolas that somehow end up in print.

Choosing the LA Times as his vehicle, he proposed replacing our national anthem (The Star Spangled Banner) with ... wait for it .... Lean on Me, by Bill Withers.

First attacking the credibility of the existing anthem as elitist, sexist and racist, he explains in a few thousand words what's wrong with it. Never mind that the words were written by Francis Scott Key while he observed a British naval attack on Fort McHenry in 1814, and that it highlights that after severe bombardment our flag was still there (and it still is, for everybody to see in a DC museum) ... now it's racist because Key owned slaves. He's another 18th and 19th-century relic of history that is being sentenced in the 21st century by supposed do-gooders in the name of racial justice. These do-gooders, by the way, comprise mostly of criminals in one fashion or another. Some are social justice petty thieves ... and some are social-justice murderers.

Jody Rosen urges us to correct what he sees as a problem by replacing one anthem with another. Of course, what Jody fails to mention and probably doesn't want to, is that research into national anthem authors works both ways, and perhaps we ought to look at Bill Withers background to see if he's a saint or a sinner.

Uh-oh. It seems Bill laid his hands on his first wife in what the newspapers headlined as domestic violence in 1973-1974. Are we going to glorify a wife-beater by giving him the honor of composing our (new) national anthem?

Rosen also mentions John Lennon's Imagine as a possibility, although he discards it because it's too British. While I liked Lennon's Beatle music, I also recognize him as being rather violent in his youth (getting into more than one street fight) ... and also as a serial adulterer on both of his wives. Again, are these the values we want to glorify?

The point being, everybody has a skeleton or two rattling around in the closet. Every US President has closets full of skeletons (some more than others, but the skulls and bones are clearly there). I suspect most Senators, Congressmen and Governors also have some history they'd rather not talk about. I don't believe I've met any saints, or any candidates for sainthood in my life ... so far.

Getting back to Jody Rosen, I worry about the future of America. Ideas such as his are not only looney, they're dangerous. If trying to erase history is allowed to go forward as we've seen recently, it will be an exercise in futility. They can destroy every statue, upend every grave headstone and burn every book. It won't change a thing because what happened, happened and trying to revise it is not only educationally wrong, but it's also repugnant. We should learn from history, not try to change it to fit what we think is right or wrong now.

Finally, Jody's claim that our national anthem is elitist, sexist and racist is codswaddle. The tune may have been cribbed and changed, but the words belong to every American no matter what your status in life is. It's our flag, it's our anthem and Jody, here's a clue:

Stick your idea of replacing the national anthem up your ass.

That's probably where the idea came from in the first place, anyway.

Gee, That's Too Bad

A few items to write about on the anniversary of the birth of our nation...

First, I note Canadian-born rocker Neil Young doesn't like Donald Trump using one of his songs in his campaign. Specifically, Rockin' in the Free World upsets Neil when the Trump campaign plays it. He says (and I quote) "This is NOT ok with me."

Gee, that's too bad.

Well, Neil, when you joined ASCAP (American Society of Composers and Performers), you weren't even an American citizen (yet). Oh, you eventually became a citizen when America blessed you with it's wealth for writing and composing such songs as Cinnamon Girl (about a band drummer waiting to get laid after the show) and Sugar Mountain (about growing up and learning about the vices and virtues of life) ...

America paid you well for your music, Neil. But you had to join ASCAP to get your music out, and that was your downfall. ASCAP is a capitalist organization dedicated to bleeding out every cent it can by selling rights of usage for it's members. It goes around to bars and nighclubs making sure they are 'licensed' (a euphemism for shaking them down by making them pay if local garage bands play any licensed ASCAP music, which ... if they didn't, nobody would bother coming to see them). ASCAP also makes sure the jukeboxes and such are licensed, and if they aren't, they threaten legal action if somebody doesn't pay for a license.

So when Neil Young first protested about Trump using his music and demanded he stop, he was shocked to find out Trump bought a license from ASCAP to use it... And with that, there is nothing he can do to stop Trump from Rockin' in the Free World.

PS: Neil, I'm a fan of your music like Trump is, even if most of it has only 3 chords.

Next, an update on my previous blog about CHAZ. A day or so after I wrote about CHAZ, it changed its name to CHOP, but that didn't change much. Just about every person occupying CHAZ/CHOP committed some sort of crime, be it theft, larceny, burglary or simply violating numerous city ordinances by simply refusing to leave.

But my ominous prediction about CHAZ being violent and lawless sadly was fulfilled. It turned bloody pretty fast and there were some shooting deaths. Finally, the Mayor (who is a complete dumb cluck) finally had enough and ordered the police to clear it out.

Gee, that's too bad.

Finally, I want to extend my sincerest condolences to the family of Ghislaine Maxwell on her upcoming suicide. Ghislaiine is, of course, the madam Jeffery Epstein used to procure his under-aged consorts on his excursions to Pedophile Paradise, a nickname for his island retreat reputedly used for ... well, I'm sure you've read all about it. Epstein took Hillary Clinton's favorite method of getting out of a problem (others dying, not her), and now Ghislaine is either going to follow in his shoes ... or maybe, just maybe ... start singing like a canary, complete with names, dates and such.

If she survives her suicide attempt scheduled in the near future, that is.

Gee, that would be too bad.

Let's All Welcome CHAZ to the Global Community

If you've been following recent events, your ability to be surprised is probably gone. We've seen riots, looting and the destruction of entire city blocks by arson in many large cities. The fuse was lit in Minneapolis, which seems to have surrendered to the rioters and now promises to abolish their police force. The riots quickly spread to other cities, and the destruction is right there on looted 4K HD-TVs for everybody to see now. Defund the police is the new cry of protesters and you can be sure there are elements of society just waiting for that to happen. When the door that is ajar now is kicked completely open, it truly will be survival of the fittest in the concrete jungle.

This ought to be interesting; I'm wondering how long it will last. Businesses will flee because looting doesn't pay the bills, and when food becomes scarce (who will send in free food forever?), the experiment will take a new turn. If you think the violence is bad now, just wait - you ain't seen nothing yet.

I'm surprised at how this is explained and softened into justification. One poll I recently read found that 58% of college-educated people somehow justify the rioting and looting. Oh, there are reasons to be sure, but none of them justify crime, they only explain a flawed mindset. Two wrongs have never made a right.

Just as you were getting used to this new lunacy, more arrived. Suddenly, Confederate flags and statues became targets again. One idiot left part of his brains on the sidewalk as he was participating in toppling a statue. He's alive, but I'm not sure the loss of his brains affected his IQ. Police departments everywhere became targets.

The stage was set. State Governors pretty much locked these people inside for almost 3 months because of corona virus and they were already angry. It took little to ignite them. Ignoring the warnings of CV, they went out in mass anyway and did their thing. How ironic it is to see these same governors dismiss this as a right to protest when I can't even go to church as I write this. My governor said he stands with the protesters, which tells me now that anytime I want to go where people are assembled, why, we're just protesting. I'm urging my church to have a protest every Sunday morning, and we'll bring our own angry topics with us to protest. Ditto for graduations, now let's just call them protests. Concerts? Why, we're protesting bad music by listening to good music. Ditto for movies, etc.

Getting back on topic, now Seattle has outdone themselves in wackiness. City blocks were seized downtown, a police station was evacuated and now we have a new "autonomous" nation in the lower 48 US: CHAZ. I confess I was confused at first; why would a protest group take the nickname of Sonny and Cher's firstborn? Turns out it is an acronym for Capital Hill Autonomous Zone. They planted food stores, put up fences and barricades and have stationed armed guards (with those menacing AR-15s) at their "borders." Signs tell us that anybody entering is now leaving the US.

Abraham Lincoln didn't put up with this and I expect Donald Trump won't either. Trump already has a precedent to follow: Lincoln. Abe didn't waste time sending Federal troops to quash the rebellion, and Trump has already issued his warning: Either Washington State and Seattle fix this themselves, or he will.

But in the meanwhile, I say we ought to send a warm welcome to CHAZ, even though I expect it to be short-lived, as nations go. First, I think they ought to mint their own money. Why would we expect them to use our filthy American dollars? I'm sure they can do better, and in honor of Chaz Bono, whose name they accidentally took, I suggest they issue their currency based on BONOS. One Bono or a hundred, they all ought to bear Chaz' likeness in honor.

Next, I think they should establish their formal government and start electing their leaders. This, of course means they lose the right to vote in American elections. Why would we let foreign nationals participate in our elections? We wouldn't think of interfering in theirs. Let's keep it fair and simple.

Then, I think as citizens of this new nation, they ought to issue passports. You can't come into the US without one, and we wouldn't dream of visiting their new nation without one. So lets establish mutual rules on international travel.

Of course, this means we'll set up border crossings ... and I'm also completely on board with their fences. Why, we'll even help patrol them so we don't get any illegal CHAZmanian entries in the US.

Then we should establish trade ties. We'll be glad to sell them food, but I'm not so sure the BONO is a recognized or cashable currency yet, so we'll continue to ask them for US dollars. When they run out, so does the ability to buy food ...and, of course, what seemed to be of paramount use when the pandemic first set in: Toilet paper.

I'm wondering how CHAZ is going to handle their medical needs. Doctors and nurses might be a little relecutant to practice in CHAZ, and medical supplies, drugs and such might be difficult to obtain for them ... for a while, anyway. I'm sure they'll set up a good healthcare system and be developing new medicines ...real soon now.

How is CHAZ going to provide safety and security to their residents? With a police force and a military, obviously. How they manage to implement this, I'm not sure. But one thing I am sure of:

CHAZ is going to be violent. They already are, and the absence of a trained and appointed police structure doesn't mean there will be peace on the streets.

It will more abusive than any police force in America could ever be.

If you don't believe this, just ask the businesses that have already been extorted in CHAZ. They have plenty of stories to tell already.

PS: The officers in Minneapolis will go through the legal system and justice will prevail. We're not a democracy, as some seem to think we are. We're a constitutional republic, and the difference is this:

In a constitutional republic, we have laws that are procedure-based and are followed.

In a democracy, the angry mob hauls the accused out of the cell and lynches them.

Seriously, which one do you want to live in?

Thanks for Your Honesty, But You're Still a Schmuck

Conservatives have always suspected liberals are two-faced. Usually when confronted, they will deny it vehemently and come up with a plethora of excuses to defend themselves. For once, a liberal NY Times opinion writer gave us a breath of fresh air when she confirmed these suspicions. Liberals are two-faced and she admitted it in print ... using the grey lady's ink, no less.

Recognizing the damage done to the #metoo feminist movement by ignoring Tara Reade, Ms.Hirshman found herself boxed into a corner that had only two avenues of escape:

• She could crap on the #metoo movement like other two-faced women including Clinton, Gillibrand, Klobuchar, Abrams and other women licking the boots of Joe Biden looking for a Veep nod, or
• She could try to keep #metoo energized by coming out saying she believed Tara Reade, or at the very least the allegations should be investigated

Nothing on the menu said she had to say whom she was voting for (or bother to vote at all if she's so disenchanted). She added that out of pure stupidity. Like certain liberal members of my family who confessed to me Ms. Clinton was not their favorite candidate 4 years ago, she could have put the clothes pin on her nose before she entered the voting booth. Ironically, nobody would have probably noticed it under her Covid-19 mask.

I'll take one for the team, she said. So I hate, hate, hate to say the following,” she wrote. “Suck it up and make the utilitarian bargain. She added she would sacrifice Reade for the good of many.

How noble. Why, she's a modern-day Joan of Arc in her own mind. I wonder if she bothered to ask Tara Reade if she was wiling to take the bullet for the good of the country. Never mind how the Reade story got buried and forgotten with the aid of the liberal media, of which she has been participating in since ... 1963.

For the record, I don't know if Tara Reade's story about sexual misconduct is true or not. Ditto for Donald Trump and Brett Kavanaugh, but I do note how they were handled both by those in power and media. I keep hearing this one is different.

Damn right it is. We're not talking about a Justice, we're talking about a candidate for President whose biggest problem at the moment seems to be convincing the American public that he is compos mentis.

Ms. Hirshman, I'll keep it short and sweet. You're as two-faced as any liberal I've ever met, and I've met some dousies that I thought rose above and beyond the call of duty.

But I do want to thank you for your honesty because it so clearly validates my opinion of liberal two-faces.

And thanks also for letting us know some women are expendable if the cause meets your level of hate for the current incumbent of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

I never figured you'd value the #metoo movement over one of your own.

As a sidebar, #metoo has only one avenue forward at this point: Only fresh allegations made within a few months of the alleged incident should be considered now. This should be pounded into every female's cranium ... If you don't come forward quickly with credible evidence, don't bother years later.

At that point, we just don't know if you're shittin' us or not.

Random Thoughts

• Get it in writing. Verba volant, scripta manent. (Spoken words fly away, written words are permanent.)
• You can't win the lottery if you don't buy tickets, and you miss 100% of the shots you never take. But don't get goofy buying lottery tickets too often.
• There is nothing worth going to jail for. Nothing. Govern yourself accordingly.
• If you have a choice between being lucky or smart, choose lucky and ask for 2 more wishes.
• Instead of coveting what others have, tend to your own corner of the vineyard.
• Give respect when due and ask it of others.
• Don't let your mouth write checks your ass can't cash.
• There are old pilots and there are bold pilots. But there are no old bold pilots.
• If you're the boss, treat those below you as if it was vice-versa.
• When doing something complex repeatedly, get a system and master it.
• The words please and thank you buy more than you will ever know.
• Give thanks to your creator and the people that brought you to this moment.
• Do random acts of kindness. Do them anonymously if possible.
• Remember, what goes around comes around.
• If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword.
• Revenge is a dish you should never serve cold at all; that's a job for karma.
• Beware of shadenfreude (joy at others misfortunes); what goes around ...
• Fix the airplane on the ground, not in the air.
• Define the problem, define the goal ... and then implement action to achieve the goal. But don't keep moving the goal.
• Don't eat crap food regularly.
• Dispose of your trash properly and recycle as much as possible.
• Monitor your alcohol consumption, lest it consume you.
• Never interrupt your opponent when he is making a mistake.
• There are lies and there are lies. Know the difference.
• Measure twice, cut once.
• When speeding, don't be first and don't be last.
• Unless you're female, never shake a man's hand sitting down.
• If you're lucky enough to drive in the Indy or Daytona 500, don't turn right.
• Remember the golden rule: Those with the gold make the rules.
• Unless you can run faster than 3000 feet per second, don't run from the cops.
• Those that can afford it the least will pay the most.
• Beware of telephone callers with a Calcutta accent.
• If you serve food at a party, go through the garbage looking for your silverware after. Yeah, I was surprised too.
• Discard derogatory racial language from your vocabulary.
• The phone rings both ways.
• When approaching another car, boat, or airplane head-on, veer right.
• Dislike is okay. Hate is not.
• Know where you are on the ladder.
• If you convince yourself you can't do something, you're right. You can't.
• Leave things the way you found them.
• Choose your words carefully.
• Be aware of the coefficient of friction, especially in wet and cold temperatures.
• Eschew obfuscation.
• Sign your name to your work. Anonymous authors are usually cowards.
• Proofread your words twice.
• Beware the pitfalls of the stock market; don't spend more than you can afford to lose.
• When you're right, avoid telling people I told you so unless they really deserve it.
• When you're wrong, admit it and try to repair things. And then move on.
• Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
• Never refuse a breath mint when offered.
• Give of your time to those who deserve it.
• Swearing is okay sometimes. You'll know when sometimes is; it's when you swear.
• There is no such thing as painless dentistry, but going to the dentist is far better than not going.
• Money may not be able to buy happiness, but it can buy most everything else including misery.
• Today's speed warning sign is tomorrows speeding ticket in the same location.
• Resist the temptation to joke with the cop when he asks if you are drunk.
• Remember... no matter how smart you are, there is always somebody smarter.
• Don't buy tickets to a discount bungee-jumping event.
• Sign the organ donor part of your drivers license.
• The hardest part of writing a book is not the writing, it's the editing.
• If counting to 10 doesn't work, keep counting.
• You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
• Don't tell the funeral director See you soon. He just might.
• You may not be able to take it with you, but you can probably wear the hell out of it out before you leave.
• 86.377% of statistics are made up on the spot.
• Never hand a knife to somebody who already stabbed you in the back once.
• Sometimes, winning is losing and vice-versa.
• The news media may be free, but it is far from responsible.
• Teach your children well.
• Trust your gut instincts. They have nothing to gain from lying to you.
• Choose your charities and vices carefully.
• Act surprised at surprise parties thrown for you.
• Remember, slim chance and fat chance mean the same thing.
• Never say never.
• Don't be a complete horse's ass. Being one partly is bad enough.
• Life is tough. It's even tougher when you're stupid.
• Money is a wonderful slave, but a horrible master.
• A mistake repeated more than once is a choice.

And finally ... Be careful what you pray for; you might just get it. Sometimes more tears are shed over answered prayers than over unanswered prayers.

The Leper Colony

When I visited the grocery store yesterday, I wondered if a Hollywood film crew was shooting a remake of The Getaway. That's what it looked like, anyway. We're all lepers to each other now.

Today (April 17, 2020) marks the one-month anniversary of living in the New York State leper colony. Non-essential businesses have been closed for a month as of this date because of Governor Andrew Corona's executive order commonly known as the pause order. Yesterday, he extended it for another month (until May 15) and that will mark 2 months of business closure; possibly more if he decides to extend it yet again. Also, as of today the residents of this wonderful state are being ordered to wear protective face masks over our noses and mouth. Somehow this is supposed to slow or stop the spread of corona virus. It reminds me of when I first started flying a twin-engine airplane with deicing boots and hot props. Oh, I felt good about about having them available until the first time I actually needed them and discovered how worthless they really were. The only thing they did was to boost the confidence of inexperienced pilots like I was at the time, and I hope you get the feel-good comparison of how masks make you feel versus how effective they really are. You're probably only fooling yourself.

There are a few things that should be acknowledged at this point:

• The odds of you coming into contact with CV at some point are high
• There is no such thing as a non-essential business
• Don't believe all the data about CV - it's being manipulated

Yes, you are more likely than not to eventually come into contact with CV. The odds are higher in densely-populated areas and conversely lower in rural areas. But one thing is certain: If you think you can hide forever from this pathogen, you are wrong. In some cases, dead wrong ... especially if you have other medical issues. For these people, sheltering and other protective steps are probably not a bad idea. For everybody else, it's overkill. 

So what are we doing to ourselves?

Listening to the talking bulb-heads on TV, we're being duped, scared and misled. The daily conferences of the count remind me of 1960s newscasts telling us the number of wounded and killed in Vietnam. That was then; this is now. As Yogi Berra famously said,  It's like deja-vous all over again.

In Oneida County where I live, the county executive is on tv every afternoon giving us the grim stats. We're over 200 cases with 4 deaths at this point in time. What's not mentioned is that the 4 had other underlying causes, but they're listed as CV deaths regardless. Bordering counties are mostly far less; what's not mentioned as a reason for OC is that we have a few state prisons here and the families of the incarcerated often move up here (from the NYC metro area) to visit them and at the same time overload our social systems. It is not a stretch to say they are one of a few conduits of CV being in the county. New York City is experiencing hundreds of deaths daily that are attributed to CV. Again, what's not mentioned is that on an average, every day well over 400 people in NYC say 'Oh shit' and expire anyway.

The next point is, the numbers are being skewed. To my surprise, Governor Corona bitched that NY is only getting $12,000 from Uncle Sam for every fatal CV case whereas some other states are getting considerably more per body because ... they have less bodies. So it becomes about money, and when money is involved, all bets are off about the accuracy of the data. At this point, even doctors are griping about the CDC directive to sign death certificates with CV as the primary cause of death, absent real medical evidence.

Meanwhile, the country is headed for recession and possible depression because of these decisions. When people don't work, times are tough. People are being subjected to financial hardship because of the decisions being made in state capitals every day. Some are experiencing extreme hardship because they are in a group that basically lives from paycheck to paycheck; they have no reserves and many are going to really suffer because of this. Two things bear mention here; 1, the class that can afford it the least will pay the most (as it always does anyway) and 2, they are the least likely to be able to upset the applecart in their protest.

When I said above that there is no such thing as a non-essential business, I meant it. Every business is essential to somebody, be it the customer or the business owner. If it wasn't essential to somebody, it wouldn't be there in the first place. The restaurant industry, the sports industry and the entertainment industry are essential businesses, not to mention all the businesses that support them. The airline industry is in shambles; thousands of airplanes are now parked. When this is over, not only will we have to rebuild employment, government will have to retool. Not only are they collecting far less in tax revenue than anticipated, they're also being hit with record unemployment payouts. This means only one thing: Taxes are headed for substantial increases when we reopen the country.

If the Governor can hold daily press conferences with reporters sitting 6 feet apart, then the question begs as to why other businesses, churches and organizations can't do the same. When the list of essential businesses includes liquor stores ... and when elective surgery is banned, but abortions aren't, you begin to see how crookedly stacked the deck is. Add to that the political waiver system (which has been used locally for pet projects)... and again, using the Vietnam comparison, I'm reminded of how tilted the draft system was when I was growing up. If you came from wealth, you went to Harvard or Yale during the war. If you didn't, you went to Da Nang or Khe Sanh.

If you want a different view of how another intelligent culture is handling CV, look no farther than Sweden. Schools are open, businesses are open and there is very little government interference. Their chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell has a somewhat different view of epidemic and pandemic events. He's not stupid by any means; he has all the academic qualifications and he knows about contagions. But he is also a realist about the social construct of humans and isn't rushing to judgement on this; nor is he panicking about it either.

Finally, we're being told that every life matters and even one death is a real loss. It sounds great, until you realize the party in control of the state I live in has a different view of life. They don't count the first 9 months of your existence as life, and with that said, I'll leave the reader to decide about the ethics of life and death.

In any event, we're now living in a leper colony of our own construction, and that's pretty sad.


PS: Bill Gates is a jerk who can't even keep his software virus free. Anything this rich toad has to offer as an opinion about pandemics, digital virus certificates, vaccines and the like should have the shelf life of an ice cube in hell.

The Remedy Worse Than the Disease

I sent for Ratcliffe, was so ill, That other doctors gave me over, He felt my pulse, prescribed his pill, And I was likely to recover. But when the wit began to wheeze, And wine had warm'd the politician, Cured yesterday of my disease, I died last night of my physician.  -Mathew Prior, 1714

So, thinking of the current state of affairs, is the cure worse than the disease?

Beware the Ides of March

People are assholes, if you haven't already noticed. With the arrival of corona virus aka COVID-19, the country has moved into super-asshole territory. Everybody has, by now heard of the run on basic necessities; toilet paper being the poster boy of the movement (pun intended).

Yesterday, I went to Wal-Mart with my usually small shopping list. Most of it was food-related and I had to pick up a prescription for my wife at the same time. When I arrived, the parking lot was full, and I mean full. I had to park out on the perimeter; this was my first clue that all was not well (pun intended) in the store.

I was right. Never mind that the Governor of our great state, in his infinite wisdom has banned gatherings of over 500 people, after entering and navigating the aisles for a bit it was obvious there were thousands of people in the store. Shopping carts were filled to overflowing, the checkout lines were long and even the self-checkout lines had quite a few lined up.

Okay. Get my stuff and get out asap is my shopping mantra and has been for a long time. But yesterday, that would not happen. There was clearly a run on products. Obviously, the toilet paper and paper towel racks were cleaned out. There were 2 boxes of Kleenex left and I bought one because it was on my list. The bleach shelves were empty, ditto for the vinegar. The deli was closed and I heard some choice words as people walked by it. The bar soap shelves were cleaned off. Some food shelves were empty; it must be some sort of pasta panic set in because those shelves needed restocking also.

One of the reasons I have stopped going to Wal-Mart as often as I used to is the fact that they have instituted a program where you can call in a shopping list and their employees will pick it for you and even put it in your car when you arrive. And of course, the aisles were clogged full of those too. It was something to see.

I am happy to note most people were polite and decent; some even offered rumors on what stores had TP left. But I am sad to note that in times of crisis, there are always scalpers and they have seized the day. A quick visit on-line to eBay with a search for TP in my local mailing address revealed this:

Ah, toilet paper profiteers. $40 plus shipping (and tax, eBay now adds tax) for what is usually well under $10 at the store. The old saying of never let a good crisis go to waste (pun intended) is apropos here. The ironic words in that picture are at the bottom (tell us what you think).  If I were to do that, eBay would probably ban me.

As I said in my opening statement, people are assholes (pun intended) and the run on TP shows that some rise above and beyond to the head of the pack. Congratulations, well done. One small step for man, and one smaller step for mankind.

In a few short weeks things will go back to normal, the stores will be restocked and life will seem normal again. In the meantime, we're going to have to suffer the assholes of life.

As a closing note, I have to say this whole thing has been overblown. No sports, schools are closed, St. Pats day parades are cancelled and the concert I have tickets for (since Xmas) has been rescheduled. BTW, can anybody tell me why toilet paper becomes such a valued commodity with a respiratory illness going around? What is the connection?

Does anybody really think that in this global economy, with the amount of people traveling every day that a germ can be contained? No, this will have it's run and be a memory in a few short months. More people will die and health care systems will be tested. History shows us the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 and the black plague had their run and there was little people could do about it other than take the usual precautions. Even so, millions died.

But there is a lesson here: The next time you hear of a new virus or illness going around, run to your local store and clean the shelves before anybody else. That way, if you survive the doomsday predictions... and, if you're savvy, you can even pick up a few bucks doing it.

When the wagon stops in front of your door and you hear the words bring out yer dead being shouted in, then maybe it's time to panic. Until then, I'm going to live life as normal as possible.

One sheet at a time.

The Bigots versus the Totalitarians: The Roots of Our Partisan Divide

This article sheds a different view on the current divide in America. It deserves a fair read, probably twice to see what the author is really saying. It examines what happens when society legislates what it thinks is morality to solve one problem and the unintended side effects years later. Spoiler alert: It comes from one of the few conservative colleges in America today.


https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/roots-partisan-divide/

Super Tuesday Autopsy

Thank God that's over. A whole bunch of things came out of Super Tuesday; the arrangement of dominoes left in the quest for the Democrat nomination went on a severe diet this week. Last week at the debates, there were seven people on the stage scratching and kicking each other trying to convince voters they're the chosen one. These people were:

• Joe Biden
• Bernie Sanders
• Michael Bloomberg
• Amy Klobuchar
• Elizabeth Warren
• Tom Steyer
• Pete Buttigieg

First, after a dismal showing in the South Carolina primary  Steyer dropped out. He spent the most amount of time of any candidate in the state and spent somewhere between $150-200 million without winning any delegates. Buttigieg and Klobuchar dropped out 2 days later (prior to Super-Tues) and threw whatever support they could towards Biden. Not that it matters much, Steyer has not endorsed any of the remaining candidates as of this writing. Nobody is asking for his endorsement either, probably because he has no delegates to offer.

That brought the field down to four. Then came Soooo-per Tuesday, which appears to have revived Biden. It is remarkable that even the Democrat powers-that-be are trying their best to keep Sanders from winning the number of delegates needed to lock up the nomination, probably because they know he's poison to the majority of American voters. If there were anybody responsible for Sanders being viewed as a Communist, it's probably Bernie Sanders when he opens his stupid trap by praising the systems of such murderous tyrants like Fidel Castro, not to mention his thoughts on why bread lines are a good thing. Taking a honeymoon in Moscow probably didn't help wash the red off his resume, either.

Bloomberg withdrew shortly after with the bold win of ... all the delegates of American Samoa (one). Estimates of his spending to date are somewhere between $700mil to over a billion dollars. The four delegates he won in Texas cost him over $5 million each! Sensing the danger of running a Communist against Trump in November, he too threw his endorsement along with his 53 delegates to Biden.

That leaves three still in the race, and it is obvious the next one to go is Fake-ahontas aka Elizabeth Warren. But she's not going yet, and she's not going silently either. After the embarrassment of losing in her home state, she's holding on for what she sees as a brokered convention, one that will go at least 2 rounds of voting to unleash the super-delegates (who can't vote in round one, unlike 4 years ago in the Hillary-rigged convention).

She's a fool on a fools errand. The reason many stayed as long as they did was for consideration for the #2 spot, Veep. Warren knows she's not going to get that nod because her home state is safely blue in November, not to mention she couldn't even muster winning support for herself in her home-state primary. The one in the drivers seat right now (if Biden is crowned this summer) is Klobuchar for 3 reasons: One, to appeal to female voters, two, to bring Minnesota with her in November and three, because she was canny enough to endorse Biden almost immediately when she withdrew.

Watching where her delegates end up is going to be interesting. I suspect she'll toss them to Bernie, most likely because her brand of politics is the closest to his. It will be interesting to see if she has enough to give him the nomination, and if so, everything I previously said about Warren not getting the Veep nod is out the window if she can trade her delegates for the spot on the ticket.

[added 1 day after I posted this: Warren withdrew. I didn't expect it this soon. I have no idea who she will support before the convention.]

It's going to be between Biden and Sanders. Both are rich old white men (so is Trump but at least he made his money in the private sector, not during government service); Sanders is older than Biden by more than a year. Neither one of them is a spring chicken; Sanders recently had heart problems and Biden seems often confused by mixing up the office he's running for (not the Senate this time, Joe), where he is (misidentified the state he was in) and other gaffes that are going to cost him ... not to mention the video where he brags about blackmailing the Ukraine into firing a prosecutor. And there's ... oh yeah: His son Hunter: Ukraine energy profiteer without any qualifications or experience except having the right last name, a hasty military career rumored to have ended over cocaine, and affairs resulting in children that he initially denied fathering. His life history appeals to ... nobody.

Sanders defends his wealth poorly. He calls his third house a "camp" now, but that's not really accurate. It's a real nice "camp" valued at over a half-million dollars. His 3 houses add up in value to somewhere between $1.5-2 million dollars. It's going to be tough to convince people he's just an average guy and his hard-left radical views are going to drive moderates of every persuasion away from him. Simply put, he's going to lose; the only question is what month this year it will be. Biden has better chances in November than Sanders, but he's still got a long row to hoe and I'm not sure he's up to it.

I note as a sidebar Bernie graduated from the University of Chicago in 1964, which is coincidentally the year my sister arrived there for her liberal brainwashing. She was followed by my older brother in 1965. The school is skilled in liberal arts programming; both arrived as the children of a conservative Republican family from New Hartford and by the time they left, their brains had been through so many liberal scrubbing cycles that the brainwashing they underwent is still effective even to this day.

But the clear and present danger is still lurking in the shadows, and that's Bloomberg ... or more specifically, Bloomberg's money. He wasn't lying when he said words to the effect that he bought enough Democrat Congresspeople 2 years ago to take the Republican majority away ... and it is clear that he intends to do so again. Never mind his estimated billion-dollar bath of recent, it's his money placed with Dem Super PACS that he intends to fund again that are the problem. In my Congressional district (NY-22) it is already known Bloomberg is putting ~$2mil into keeping the seat Democrat even though the margin of victory 2 years ago was less than a percent. It's going to be a rematch of 2018 and the money is going to buy advertising that will kill everybody's appetite for any sort of media. The good news is, it's a Presidential election year and NY-22 went to Trump by 16 points in 2016. If he campaigns here, chances are good the seat is going back to the Republican fold. If there is any one fatal mistake the Democrat made, it was folding under pressure and voting to impeach Trump. Trump is popular upstate and that vote has turned off a good portion of his support.

Re-electing Donald Trump in November isn't enough. If America puts Trump back in for 4 more years, they need to give him the tools he needs to do a good job, and that's by electing Congresspeople that are interested in results, not putting the political knife into his back every chance they get. Re-electing recalcitrant Democrats who care more about hurting Trump rather than anything else is the recipe for 4 years of what we have now (legislative malaise). This is not good for our country and if it continues, the die will be cast for intense political squabbling for years to come and the justification will be the power struggle we've been witnessing for the last 3 years.

As the political season passes this summer into fall, you are going to be bombarded with ads both telling you how good one candidate is while smearing the other. It's going to be stomach-wrenching; get ready for it - and also ready to tune it out, because 99.9% of it is going to be pure and unadulterated bullshit.

Be prepared, it's coming.

Blue Dog Democrats, Your Party Has Left You

If you're a moderate in your party and consider yourself middle-of-the-road on political issues, you're probably in the majority of voters in this country regardless of party affiliation. Republicans have moderated over the years and have moved a little left, but the left hasn't moved one millimeter right.

Looking at the Democrats running for President, it is obvious they have moved far left. They now reside with the extremist element on the far left. I'll highlight some of the radical ideas below, but before I do I want to issue an invitation to those blue-dog moderate Democrats who are being abandoned by your party's radical takeover by the far-left extremists:

Consider joining the Republican Party. If you can't bring yourself to do that, at least leave the party and join a smaller third party. If you can't bring yourself to do that, change your party enrollment to "no party."

Why should you consider another party?

Because your party has hopped on the insane bus and left you behind already. Oh, they want your vote, but not your centrist views.

Insane bus? What do you mean?

Exactly that. Insane. Scan the list below and tell me these ideas and proposals are good for our country. If you think they are, then consider that you're a passenger on the insane bus already, and stay put.

• Open borders: If you believe that a country is defined by and needs borders, border security and enforcement of existing immigration law, welcome to the Republican Party. If not, enjoy the view from the far left.
• Illegal Aliens: If you believe that immigrants should apply to come to the US, wait for their turn, go through background checks, learn about America and its history complete with a thorough test before becoming legal citizens, welcome to the Republican Party. If you drink the Kool-Aid that these are just 'undocumented people,' and it's ok that they drain the resources of every US taxpayer, again, stay where you are.
• Free college: If you believe that people should be responsible for continuing their education after high school, and that if they or their children choose to go to college, that every other taxpayer shouldn't pick up the tab, welcome to the Republican Party.
• Democratic Socialism: If you're wise enough to understand that money doesn't fall out of the sky and that forcefully taking money from somebody who earned it and giving it to somebody that didn't or refuses to is wealth redistribution via legal robbery, welcome to the Republican Party. If you believe that no matter how hard or smart you work, that you should not be rewarded for your efforts any more than any other person, again, stay where you are in the new Democrat Party, which rightfully should be named the Democrat Socialist party now... and oh, by the way, congratulations on becoming a Communist, Comrade.
• Socialized medicine: If you like your doctor and want to keep him/her, or if you like your health insurance plan and would like to keep it, welcome to the Republican Party. Oops, too late, somebody already took those promises away from you even though he said he wouldn't. Seriously, if you understand the advancements in medicine are directly linked to money and that the healthcare system in the US has been and remains the leader in medical innovation because money is available to fund it ... ... and that other countries with socialized medicine fall short as evidenced by the number of foreigners coming here for medical treatment, again, welcome to the Republican Party.
• Criminal Justice reform: If you believe that eliminating bail for all but the most serious crimes is a bad idea, and that giving appearance tickets to criminals after arrest doesn't result in more crime, just look at how the Democrats ruined the NY criminal justice system this year ... and then consider your Democrat Socialist candidate for President just campaigned on making this part of the Federal system. If you think this is wrong, welcome to the Republican Party.
• Antisemitism: If you believe this is wrong, welcome to the Republican Party. If you agree with it, then consider yourself on the insane bus driving left again, and the passengers with you are named AOC, Rashida, Ilhan, Al and Jesse.
• Gun control: If you think the framers of the Constitution got it right, welcome to the Republican Party. If you think the words the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed  means people -don't- have the right to keep and bear arms, then you're already far-left ... and again, stay put.
• Full-term abortion aka infanticide: If you are repulsed by the idea of a full-term human being being legally murdered seconds before taking their first breath, welcome to the Republican Party. If this doesn't bother you, or worse agree with the refusal of Democrats to sign onto legislation requiring immediate medical treatment for just-born survivors of abortion, again, enjoy your view from the far-left.
• Climate change: If you are opposed to the idea of the government significantly taxing you more in the name of climate change because they promise this somehow will miraculously fix the problem, welcome to the Republican Party. If you think putting restrictions on US industry in the name of climate change is wise and that other industrialized countries won't take advantage of it when we do, again, keep in your seat on the insane bus. It's going to be made of Chinese steel in the near future anyway.

Seriously.  If you are a moderate Democrat and have difficulty moving farther left because you're wondering what happened to the party that used to espouse your views, you're not alone. Many Democrats are wondering what happened to the party of JFK, and I suspect that if he were alive right now, he'd probably consider switching parties after seeing the craziness coming from (now far) left.

We're waiting for you, and it's easy to do. You can probably even do it online now, check with your local Board of Elections.

I'll see you in November. Either way, even if you remain a Democrat ... I suspect a rather substantial portion of you are probably going to vote for the same person I'm going to vote for ... not somebody that promises free everything while promising to do it for no extra cost.

The Week in Review 9 Feb 2020

We are living in truly great times because we are alive to witness important history being made. This week was quite the week and history will probably break it into two divisions: Either Trump got away with a crime or the Democrats abused their majority power in the House to attempt a coup on the Presidency. Both theories will persevere long after we're gone, but one will gain more traction. I'm thinking it will be the latter, not the former that wins out. If it doesn't, history is sure to repeat itself down the road and I'm not sure the next bite at the apple is going to be as bloodless as this one was.

America witnessed a dose of politics, the likes of which have never been seen to date this past week and we should keep the memory of what happened alive in our minds, at least until election day later this year.

On Tuesday evening, the President gave his State of the Union (SOTU) address to Congress. The cheers were louder than the jeers and it doesn't take Einstein to figure out which party was responsible for either one. It was a good speech; it touched on accomplishments and was clean. There was no mention of impeachment or the acquittal that was almost guaranteed less than 24 hours later. Undoubtedly, the President used the platform as a kickoff for the political season as have many others that preceded him.

The Speaker of the House clearly saw his speech was a good one; she knew it would resound with the electorate and she sat behind him stewing. I'm not sure if she pre-planned it or came up with the idea during the speech, but as he stood giving his speech the video clearly shows her starting to tear the pages of her speech copy. When he was finished and waited for the applause to die down before leaving the podium, she seized her opportunity to make history and, in full view of the audience and cameras, stood and tore up the speech. It was a moment in history that America will never forget.

Nance the ripper had her 15 seconds of special fame with her stunt and may think she damaged the President, but it is obvious she made a big mistake. The undecided voters in America didn't really think much of her little show; the end result is Democrat blunders (impeachment and her tantrum) have pumped energy into Donald Trump. His popularity numbers have never been higher than they are as of this date.

The next day, the Senate acquitted the President. The required 67 votes (out of 100) required to convict Trump fell short by 19 votes on one count and 20 on the other. Only 1 Republican voted to impeach and that was only on one count, not both. The end result of the votes (52-48 and 53-47) did not even reach the halfway mark, much less the two-thirds mark needed. Mitt Romney broke ranks with his party and again we witnessed history as he was the first ever to break ranks in a Senate trial. Again, history will judge him, but for the short term, his vote will undoubtedly impact his constituency negatively.

Nancy Pelosi can explain away her SOTU actions and pretend she occupies the high road, but look no farther than the Democrat complaints of the video playing in an endless loop for the real truth: She damaged her party again; this time she nicked it real good.

Capping off this week was the fiasco called the Iowa Democrat primaries. They really have an insignificant number of delegates to elect and in reality, they were divided up so badly that nobody won. Watching how they campaigned and botched the voting results was theater in the absurd. Before the count was even in, the Dems were on the way to New Hampshire to gladhand for votes. As an aside, Fauxcahontas aka Elizabeth Warren came in 5th in Pocahontas County, Iowa! Yes, Toto, there really is a county in Iowa named ... Pocahontas. (You can't make this stuff up!)

It was also nice to see her deplane from a chartered business jet in New Hampshire and when she saw the cameras, she tried to hide behind the taller people in front of her. If you can't tell what a fake she is from that stunt, take a pill and think about how you can increase your intelligence so as to be cognizant of what is going on around you.

Also, take a look at the Democrat copycats trying to emulate Trump: Biden wants to look like a tough guy by verbally attacking people. He's trying to be the Joe the Trump wannabe and ... well, it's not going very well for Sleepy Joe. Time will tell; we'll see.

Anyway, that's some of what happened this week. If we can only survive the deluge of TV ads that are already coming our way (Mike Bloomingidiotberg for President, yeah, right) we'll be all right. In German, the phrase that comes to mind is Irgendwie, wir werden überleben. Yes, somehow we will survive, in spite of the ration of bullshit from Democrats headed to our homes this year.

As it stands right now, Donald Trump is in the pole position to be re-elected and after watching the circus freakshow we saw from the left this week, I'm not thinking that's a bad thing.

The Debt Industry in the United States

I picked it up on a whim. As I was leaving a church sale I spied a pile of books marked free, so I looked at the paperback on top of the pile, thumbed through it and decided to give it a read. It was a book published in early 1960s about the growing consumer debt industry in the US entitled Buy Now, Pay Later. It was written by a researcher, not an economist and the cover promised to explain the practices and pitfalls of easy credit, show how it works and what it costs you.

How could I resist? The worst thing that could happen was I would read it and learn nothing. Intrigued, I took it home and gave it a quick read. A few things stood out in the book that gave me pause to think. Describing the invention and rise of credit cards, a good history of the first credit card that really took off encompassed the first chapter. This card was, by the way, the Diners Club card. Used at first in restaurants, it soon ballooned to allow the purchase of everyday sundry goods. Gasoline companies and department stores followed suit with their credit cards; pretty soon wallets and purses in America carried about a dozen (or more) cards that allowed immediate gratification while shopping. Financial institutions also took note and pretty soon Master Card, Visa and others took off. Credit reporting bureaus also came into being and collected data on those that paid their bills and those that didn't.

Before credit cards, loans were pretty much affairs between a bank and their customers to buy a house or a car. King cash ruled until the rise of plastic money.

You already know what the book concludes: Interest rates gouge borrowers and undisciplined people make purchases they know they can't pay off by the end of the month, so they go on revolving credit and end up paying two or three times the original price. But it also gives credit a fair shake by explaining how it has allowed people to buy things they could never afford up-front because saving for them was often unrealistic. It also explains the difference in how banks compute interest depending on whether it's on your savings account or if they're the ones doing the lending. Simply put, if you borrow money at 4% or you have it in the bank earning 4%, you get short-sheeted when the bank is paying you because simple interest is not always simple.

I find it interesting to note that the Code of Hammurabi as chiseled in stone forbade the exploitation of debtors by the rich and powerful. Since then, things have changed. Usury is part and parcel of the financial market, including both reasonable and exorbitant interest rates. Even the Bible had the money changers sitting at the tables. But the biggest pearl of wisdom the book dropped on me was how credit separated the haves and the have-nots further apart than they ever were.

Alfred Bloomingdale, the President of the (then) powerful Diners Club said Twenty years from now there will be only two classes of people: Those with credit cards and those who can't get them. Then he added the words that predicted what sadly has become a reality:

Then there's going to be one hell of a split in society.

And there is, to be sure. We can debate all day long why it is, we can banter back and forth about racism, sexism, xenophobia, politics and such, but it all comes back to the almighty dollar.

America is certainly divided and a large part of that divide comes back to money. But there's good news now:

We can blame it on credit cards!