Should Trump Be on the Ballot

 The prospect of former President Donald Trump running for the presidency again has sparked intense debates and discussions. While the U.S. Constitution doesn't expressly prohibit Trump from seeking re-election, numerous arguments exist as to why some individuals and groups believe he should not be allowed to run for president in the future.

One of the prevailing arguments against a potential Trump candidacy centers on his actions before, during, and after his tenure as president. Critics point to various incidents during his presidency that they argue demonstrate behavior unsuitable for a presidential candidate. They cite concerns about his handling of sensitive matters, divisive rhetoric, and actions that have been widely criticized as inflammatory or incendiary.

Moreover, some raise concerns about Trump's alleged role in perpetuating the events surrounding the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. While Trump was acquitted in his second impeachment trial, many believe his rhetoric and actions prior to the riot contributed to the unrest, posing a threat to democratic institutions and the peaceful transfer of power.

Ethical considerations also play a role in the debate. Critics argue that Trump's businesses and financial interests could create conflicts of interest if he were to hold the highest office again. His unwillingness to release his tax returns during his first campaign raised questions about transparency and accountability, fueling concerns about potential conflicts between his public duties and personal interests.

Furthermore, Trump's impact on political polarization in the United States is a significant factor. His presidency was marked by deep divisions, and his potential candidacy might exacerbate existing political tensions, hindering efforts to foster national unity and bipartisanship.

Despite these concerns, it's crucial to note that the decision of whether Trump should run for president again ultimately rests with voters, the political process, and the legal framework governing candidacy qualifications. The U.S. Constitution outlines eligibility criteria for presidential candidates, and legal hurdles exist for disqualifying individuals based on their past actions or behavior.

In a democracy, the electoral process allows voters to express their preferences and make decisions about candidates based on their records, policies, and character. As such, discussions about Trump's eligibility to run again underscore the complexities of balancing democratic principles with concerns about a candidate's past actions and behavior.

Ultimately, while many voices may advocate against a potential Trump candidacy, the decision rests within the legal framework and the electorate's discretion. Public discourse will likely continue to scrutinize his eligibility based on his previous tenure and actions, underscoring the ongoing debates surrounding his potential future in American politics.

Thin-skinned Jimmy Kimmel

 Jimmy Kimmel, known for his candid and often scathing commentary on current events, celebrities, and societal issues, found himself at the center of discussions regarding Aaron Rodgers' vaccination status. Kimmel's criticism of Rodgers' statements stirred debate, prompting some to question the consistency of Kimmel's own approach to certain topics.

Kimmel had no problem making jokes about the intellect of Aaron Rodgers, but Kimmel seems to think that his personal life is off limits when it comes to other public figures cracking jokes about him.

Kimmel, a vocal advocate for vaccination and public health measures, expressed disappointment in Rodgers' alleged deception regarding his COVID-19 vaccination status. The late-night host accused Rodgers of misleading the public by using ambiguous language, leading many to assume he was vaccinated when, in fact, Rodgers pursued alternative treatments instead.

Critics of Kimmel's stance highlight what they perceive as a potential hypocrisy in his approach. While Kimmel champions transparency and accountability in public figures, some argue that he himself has not consistently applied these principles across all issues and individuals.

One perspective focuses on Kimmel's past willingness to support and provide a platform for celebrities or public figures with controversial viewpoints or actions. Critics point to instances where Kimmel, despite his advocacy for accountability, has shown leniency or even support for certain guests on his show who have faced public backlash for their actions or statements. This contrast in treatment raises questions about Kimmel's selective application of his principles.

Moreover, critics argue that while Kimmel emphasizes the responsibility of public figures to disclose information honestly, his own position as an entertainer doesn't exempt him from scrutiny. They highlight instances where Kimmel himself has made jokes or comments that have been deemed insensitive or controversial, sparking outrage among certain groups.

However, it's important to note that while these perspectives shed light on potential inconsistencies, they don't necessarily equate to outright hypocrisy. Individuals like Kimmel navigate a complex landscape where personal opinions, comedic boundaries, and societal expectations often intersect. His criticisms of Rodgers might align with his broader advocacy for public health and transparency, but inconsistencies in addressing other controversies could undermine his credibility in the eyes of some.

Ultimately, debates around public figures' consistency in their stances and actions are nuanced and subject to interpretation. While criticisms of Jimmy Kimmel's remarks about Aaron Rodgers might highlight apparent contradictions, they also reflect the challenges of maintaining consistency in addressing a wide array of issues in the public sphere.

To Plagiarize or Not to Plagiarize

 

By Trump and His Cronies

 Can we please find some people in the Republican Party to replace Trump and McCarthy?

The Value of It's a Wonderful Life

At Christmas time, NBC airs It's a Wonderful Life for the public to watch because of the movie's status as a classic movie with a positive story. 

Some people look to it as a "Christian morality tale" that seems to anger the critics. 

The truth is that it is a movie that didn't do well until the copyright ran out in 1974 and almost every channel aired the Christmas movie. It saturated the airwaves with the story of a man that wanted to search for a life outside the town he grew up in because he thought his life was going to be more exciting if he left that little town. 

George Bailey is what every little man hopes to become in the United States and that is he wants to be important and noteworthy.  He wants to build buildings that are bigger than anything found in his town. He wants to explore the world and leave his fears in the town he grew up in and on the outside, he seems to despise the town for the reasons it isn't exciting. 

His perspective is warped liked his nemesis Mr. Potter, because he wants more than he needs and isn't happy with what he has, but he is David and Mr. Potter is Goliath. That theme plays out throughout the movie. 

George Bailey is a creative spirit and sure he didn't create skyscrapers but he created a community where the underserved people of Bedford Falls. He gives hope to people that would never experience anything other than renting from Mr. Potter. 

It is easy to see the story from the perspective that George is doing everything out of the sense of sacrifice, but isn't that what love is? A person gives up themselves because they love something other than themselves. Sure, George wanted to do things that he wanted to do, but he fell in love with Marry and the idea of preventing Mr. Potter from taking over the town. George Bailey keeps the town out of the hands of Potter, and that was no easy feat. 

When things looked hard, and life wasn't worth living, George contemplated suicide. He stood on the bridge and at a moment of weakness, George saves a stranger. He isn't happy about it and wishes he wasn't even born, and that wish is granted. The small town George grew up in isn't anything but a small Las Vegas, and all the good he did for the town was erased. Mr. Potter won. But it took Marry not knowing him to be the breaking point where he runs back to the bridge and wishes to live again. 

Mr. Potter doesn't get his wish, and that is something that isn't talked about much when people grumble about the movie. They don't talk about how Mr. Potter and his assistant steal the money and his plot to have George thrown in jail is foiled by a town that loved George and helped him with money to cover what was stolen by Mr. Potter. 

But at the end of the day, the movie is just a movie. It offers a story that isn't different from any Hollywood movie made in that era. It is okay to skip it and it is okay to find the idea of happy endings foolish and a Hollywood trick that upsets you. But it is also a modern take on A Christmas Carol and a modern take on the story of David and Goliath, so its success doesn't depend on you liking the movie or not, history will be the judge of that little fact. Something the angry critic can't accept because they think their opinion is new to the film, and to that fact I would like to remind those critics that the movie tanked when it originally aired in 1946 for all the reasons they claim in their criticism of the movie.   

Colin Kaepernick Mute Saturday

The NFL already settled a legal dispute with Colin Kaepernick but out of the blue, they offered him a chance to audition for teams that might need a quarterback. The catch was some legal speak and the NFL a chance to avoid future harm from the blacklisting of a talented quarterback.

Kaepernick had all the talent in the world and he had a lot of success on the field, but he took it upon himself to speak up about a social issue he felt strongly about it so he took a knee during the national anthem. The NFL thanked him for making a statement and gave him the boot.

It is hard to believe that there isn't a team in the NFL that can't use a quarterback like Kaepernick, but he hasn't played since 2016.

The last couple of years have had a lot of excuses come from the NFL teams that needed quarterbacks, but didn't bother to give Kaepernick a chance.

Public relations is important in the NFL, and nothing is frowned upon like not totting the company line. The game is slowly becoming a joke where they can't afford a public relations hit and the fallout from angry fans, so they silenced him in the way that was so criminal they gave him hush money.

The latest publicity stunt by the NFL made for good fonder on the airwaves but it also showed how much the NFL really doesn't care about admitting they were wrong for blacklisting Kaepernick.

Yes, Kaepernick could have signed the NFL waiver, but he decided against it because he seemed to believe the NFL teams were serious about signing him.

If you look at the NFL and their record on race, well, it isn't especially stunning, but the NFL has the ability to do a lot of horrible things and still have fans.

Kaepernick might not get another chance, and the NFL will never suffer for getting rid of a talented quarterback because they really don't care about social issues because social issues get in the way of profits.

The Hate You Give

The literary world is a fantasy land filled with egotistical writers and elitist thoughts. It appears these enlighten minds are bulling a young woman to the point that she got rid of her Twitter and Facebook account because of all the hateful comments she was receiving. 

The days of reading classics in college and pushing yourself are now over because of the cultural psychology of the pampered babies that rule the world of college academics think you should read simple books written by simple authors. A young adult novel shouldn't be required reading on any college list because a college student should be reading more advanced novels. 

The educational system is going backward and this is the latest example. Poor Sarah Dessen can't take a little criticism, even when it is taken out of context. Apparently, she feels that a college student should dumb themselves down to read her books because it involves a cliche of a girl suffering. Students should be reading her books in high school or grade school and not in college. 

But thanks to the liberal bully movement, Dessen can unleash the Moral PC Police that hasn't got past the kindergarten way of participation awards and hasn't found the ability to do any critical thinking because they went psycho over the simple quote.  

Our educational system pushes the idea of free speech, but as soon as someone's feelings get hurt, well, people freak out and babble incoherently. As adults, which most college students claim to be, they should already be socially aware and be able to accept opposing thoughts. 

The sad part of this story is that the best selling author can use a platform to whine and unleash so much hate and feel justified in it because her feelings were hurt. It just boils down to the fact she wants to sell more books, or she would make it free for these college students that are being denied the greatest literary mind of the 21st Century. 

"Authors are real people," Sarah Dessen is quoted saying. Real people know that her response to the quote seems strange considering it was a committee of people that voted on the books and that in a democracy people get involved because they feel passionate about things they believe in and want to see things get done. 

What will be on next year's reading list? I suggest "Llama, Llama and the Bully Goat" for the list. If you are going to make college freshmen read children's books, well, why not make it a picture book too. 

Free to Speak Your Mind

The NFL is a dictatorship where owners picked a stooge that enforces rules that make no
sense. A player or coach calls out the officials for blowing the call and they get fined by the stooge in a three-piece suit. Clay Mathews is the latest player to get fined for telling the truth and that truth is that the officials make too many bad calls in games and there is no way to change the bad call.

The officiating in the NFL has always been on the borderline of amateurish and useless. This year the media seems to be gun-ho on promoting news stories that highlight the horrible officiating. The stories are years in the making.

It was just last year that the NFL decided it was going to enforce the roughing the quarterback rule that it didn't enforce in past years because too many quarterbacks were getting hurt. That went over so well that after a few games last year that they stopped calling it and it got to the point that at the end of the season it seemed like nothing was being called when it came to roughing the quarterback.

This year's gaffe is the desire to replay pass interference. The idea seems like the right thing to do because it is an important part of the game. The receiver pushes off and makes a great catch or a defender interferes and the official doesn't make the call, well, good news for everyone because the play can be replayed and the error corrected. Too bad that isn't the case, not even close. This year's games are full of examples of textbook pass interference that don't get overturned.

The hope with replaying pass interference is to avoid the blunder from last year's NFC's championship game that had a play that looked like pass interference but it was never called, so the NFL did what it is always done and that is it changed the rules to avoid the public relations nightmare that comes from hiring bumbling officials that can't keep up with the speed of the game.

The game is so fast and there are so many no calls or games where the refs only seem to make calls when a team is close to scoring. The Cowboys got walked down the field last weekend with the aid of the officials, but when the defensive player tackled Jason Witten before the ball was thrown on the two-point conversion attempt, well, the hankies didn't fly.

Whatever you do, please, don't question the poor officiating because the NFL won't do anything to change it. The fact is they don't care if their product is questionable and becoming a waste of time because they continue to hire officials fresh from the local senior center in town. Sure, it is age discrimination to say the officials are too old to be on the field, but the players move so fast that it is wrong to put officials on the field that can't run. These older officials should be in the booth offering assistance from up above to avoid some of these bad calls being made by old officials not being in a position to make the correct call.

It is unrealistic to get rid of all the bad calls, but at this pace, the game will look more like a professional wrestling match than an NFL game. 

But don't speak ill of the NFL because it is going to cost you a little bit of money. The truth is never free when it comes to the NFL.

Booing Colts Fans

Andrew Luck surprised everyone when he retired. He had enough. If you never played football and if you never played at the professional level, well, you don't know what it takes to win and the pressures that come with. You will not wake in the morning and struggle to move. You will never know the pains of dealing with the crowd that boo and cheer you.

Andrew Luck, he got booed by fans that thought the star quarterback owes them something. The sore losers have the right to their opinion, but the fact is these fans were never good enough to make it to the professional level and they appear to feel they are owed something from their 29-year-old quarterback.

Why does Andrew Luck owe the fans anyway? He doesn't train his body to play for them. He plays football for himself. Yes, football is a team sport, but an elite athlete makes any team better and Luck was that kind of athlete. The fans know their chances of winning are greatly reduced because of the sudden decision, but that is the reality of life, and that is something the Colts' fans that booed Luck don't get. A star quarterback is human and gets sick of playing a kids game.

Luck did the right thing and walked away. Colts fans may disagree with him, but they aren't the ones getting hit by angry defenders. They won't be picking themselves off the ground after taking vicious hits. They won't be icing their bodies after the game, and they won't be watching hours of game film to get ready for their next weeks opponent.

I do feel the NFL should worry about stars walking away from the game because there is an increasing number of them doing so in the last couple of years. These men are smart enough to know that their bodies can't take the beating of the game. 

I hope Andrew Luck the best, and want to thank him for all the times I was able to see his talent shine on the football field. I am not a Colts fan, but I am a fan of good quarterback play. Luck will be missed, but he will have time to heal his body and live the life he wants. 

Al Franken Has Regrets

Did Al Franken get railroaded? Jane Mayer's article in the New Yorker tells the story of a poor senator that fell victim to the system of the #MeToo movement. He didn't have the political chops of Joe Bidden to laugh it off, or the political charm of Bill Clinton and Donald Trump to come out of the accusations with his political life unharmed.

There is the public Mr. Franken and the private Mr. Franken. Ms. Mayer's article paints a portrait of a man railroaded by the political system. Due process is mentioned in the article, and he wasn't given a fair chance to defend himself against all the accusations that kept being leveled against him. Eight women came forward with stories of their uncomfortable moments with Mr. Franken.

His political colleagues hit the panic button and called for Senator Franken to resign. But why did they do this? Because they are politicians. They only care about their own jobs. They have no moral or ethical backbone, or they wouldn' have sought to see if these accusations were true. The career politicians raised the white flag and tried to wash their hands of the whole thing.

Senator Gillibrand is quoted in the article saying, "We had eight credible allegations, and they had been corroborated, in real-time, by the press corps." This quote alone is scary because she didn't even bother to do her own research and went off of what the press did. Senator Gillibrand seems to put her faith in the wrong institutions.

Al Franken may have been joking around when he posed for the picture. Yes, he wasn't touching Ms. Tweeden, but the photograph appears to make light of a situation. An old man creeping on a young woman and all this taking place while she is sleeping. 

Ms. Mayer does her best to discredit Tweeden and offers a nice story about how Tweeden was going to go to Harvard but pursued modeling instead. The great investigative journalist Howard Stern is the one that broke that story and was the only man to publicly attack the claim. He even went so far as to mock Tweeden for making such a claim. The fact Tweeden was on the show seems a slight attack on Tweeden's character too.

Tweeden was a model that posed for men's magazines. This fact claw at the integrity of Ms. Tweeden. If she will take her top off for the camera, well, what else will she do? She does this with quotes from people that defended Al Franken. There are lines about it being a USO show, it is a burlesque show, and there was no way he was touching her through that flak jacket. The truth is that the picture is taken out of context and shows a moment of poor judgment and not an act of a male predator.

Ms. Tweeden is a Republican, and this is mentioned over and over again in the article. She accepted the apology from Senator Franken and didn't want him to resign. Ms. Tweeden even wanted an investigation.

The article does make clear that Senator Franken wasn't given a chance to prove his innocence. He did what he thought was right and resigned. But he did it because he didn't have an ally in the senate to support him. His fellow senators jumped ship while trying to burn him at the stake. It is one of the sadder moments in recent political history.

It is ironic that the comedian's story has a twinge of Shakespearean tragedy to it. He called it quits when he should have stood his ground and fought harder. He is the one that called it quits. He could have fought the accusations. He had that option. He didn't fight and now he is sad, but maybe that is the problem with being an outsider and not a career politician. He truly viewed these career politicians as his friends and equals and thus the Shakespeare knife is stuck further in the former senator's back.

Ken Stabler Gets Sacked One More Time

The NFL is using a technicality when it comes to giving Ken Stabler's family money from the concussion settlement.

Yes, Ken Stabler died from colon cancer. He also died after April 22, 2015, so he isn't eligible for money because his death occurred too late for his estate to claim any money because he wasn't diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease before he died.

Legally the NFL is doing what they can to make sure they don't have to pay all the players that suffered head injuries.

The NFL lied about concussions. They are spending more money on advertising to make claims that they are changing the game so the game will be safer, and this money could be used to pay these players now suing the NFL. Players are still getting concussions and retired players are still dealing with the issues caused by repetitive injuries. 

Professional football has an inherent risk of head injury. There isn't a helmet made that completely eliminates the risk of head injuries. When that concussion-proof helmet is created, the risk of head injury will be eliminated, but until that day happens every player runs the risk of permanent damage.

Just remember that at one point the NFL used to celebrate hard hits. They embraced the animal side of football and made profits from some of the most vicious tacklers. The NFL released annual videos of the best hits and best tacklers. The apparent marketing value of celebrating hard-hitting football was so good for the bottom line that the NFL did their best to suppress medical information pointing to the damage caused by repetitive head injuries.

These players knew the risk they were taking for quick wealth and fame, or you would hope that they knew that they were putting their health at risk.

Should the NFL pay Ken Stabler's family the money they deserve? Will fans get upset at the fact the NFL is using technicalities to get out of paying the money to a lot of players that deserve it?

Is the NFL sticking it to Ken Stabler again?  Stabler didn't get elected to the NFL Hall of Fame until after his death. Sure, Stabler threw more interceptions then touchdown passes, but that is because he finished his career on some really bad teams. Ken Stabler has more fourth-quarter comebacks than Troy Aikman, Terry Bradshaw, and Len Dawson. The NFL didn't wait as long as they did with Stabler when it comes to other quarterbacks with fewer wins and less Super Bowl wins.

Just think about the fact the NFL paid out money to 912  former players, and that is out of 20,540 players that sued the NFL. The numbers are weak, but the NFL is still a business, and the bottom line is the NFL doesn't want to pay the players for the injuries they received from a lifetime of football.

The End of Mad Magazine

"Not only do I not know what is going on, I wouldn't know what to do about it if I did." George Carlin

Say it ain't so.

It is hard to believe that Mad Magazine announced it is going to cease production the way we have come to know it. They will still produce books and special collections, so maybe that isn't too bad. The old content is all the funny stuff anyway.

What does this mean for people searching for humor?

Well, the magazine will still be available at comic book stores and to subscribers.

Mad magazine is owned by DC, and DC is owned by Time Warner. The truth is the magazine really hasn't been as relevant and funny as it once was, so declining sales and the reality of young people not buying magazines means the end of an era.

Maybe it is just a sad truth that magazines are just like any other business in the way that they have a life cycle and that Mad magazine couldn't find a way out of the decline cycle. As readership shrinks, and advertisers chase new ways and places to advertise in the age of Facebook and other social media, print magazines just aren't a safe place for advertisers to spend money.

If you look at Mad and the content, yes it is still funny, but the time it takes to produce and reach the end user is too long in today's age of instant gratification. The movie spoofs don't have the appeal that they had two generations ago because the movie is already streaming by the time Mad spoofs it, or so it seems. There are other parts of the magazine that were replaced with comic strips, and the direction of the magazine seems lost at times.

The culture of political correctness also harmed the magazine. The 1990s were rife with political correctness and the stench only got bigger. The readership continued to shrink in the 1990s as the magazine struggled to stay relevant in the age of the internet boom.

Yes, it is easy to point fingers, but the magazine that once pushed boundaries now pulls the doors closed. It seems we lost our appetite for humor that pushed the boundaries of political correctness and humor that required the ability to read and understand satire.

The magazine as we know it is gone, but what is going to replace it?

Exercise Hurts?

Why do we tend to avoid exercise?

If you exercise on a regular basis, you probably are scoffing at the idea that the average person avoids exercise. But the reality is that most people have a good reason for avoiding exercise and that is because exercise is painful and time-consuming. Just think about how the average American only takes off 16 days in a year, so making time to exercise means taking time away from work and other activities.

But the question has more to do with why we avoid exercise if you avoid exercise?

There is some interesting research that points to how we talk to ourselves lead to us avoiding exercise. Experiential avoidance is the idea that we avoid things that are negative in our lives.

Exercise is good for us, but with the good, there comes the pain of getting the results you want. It isn't easy to lose weight, it isn't easy to run up a big hill, and it isn't easy to find time to exercise.

The other problem with exercise is that there isn't always the results that are expected from the activity. I say this because you look at a fitness magazine and see pictures of people that exercise and they are insanely skinny and toned. These false images portray an ideal that is based on people that exercise and diet at levels that aren't disclosed.

Can you suppress the negative thoughts to force yourself to exercise? You can and you will if you want to get to the finish line in your first 5K or whatever goal you set for yourself.

There are plenty of reasons for not exercising, but if you make irrational excuses, well, maybe then it is time to take a look for ways to motivate yourself to look at exercise in a way that will benefit your life.

The Hall of Fame

It is that time of year. It is award season. It is that time of year where no talent hacks get to pick who gets into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Baseball Hall of Fame seems to vote for certain kinds of players. The gamblers and players that used sports enhancement are shunned like lepers. Don't forget that these modern-day lepers were once loved by an industry that wrote about the heroics of these lepers.

Is it wrong to cheat and gamble? Yes. It is hard to argue that is it okay. But what is defined as cheating at one point was considered acceptable. MLB didn't ban steroid until 1991 and didn't test for it until 2003.

These self-righteous gatekeepers in baseball didn't raise a fuss when players started hitting more home runs. There were a few reporters that investigated these players, but for the most part, the press let the players create news stories for them. Once the public knew these guys cheated, well, that is when these reporters turned their backs on the players.

Baseball has a hard time forgiving players for making human mistakes. The integrity of the game seems to be the only thing that matters. Baseball doesn't hold their ownership and umpires to the same standards they hold their players to when it comes to making the right choices. A bad call from an umpire influences the integrity of the game too. Ownership didn't cry about these cheating players making millions and billions of dollars for them.

Baseball likes their players without sin. 

There are some great players that will never be in the Baseball Hall of Fame because of poor moral judgment but their team wins and other team accomplishments aren't take away. That is an odd fact. You celebrate these so-called cheaters victories but deny them the right to be remembered as great achievers because they are tied to gambling and enhancement drugs.

The NFL seems to be able to overlook the flaws of players and see the stars failed at some moral judgments but the players' careers were full of great play.

Maybe someday someone will start a Baseball Hall of Fame that is voted on by just the fans. Because the fans seem to understand the players are human too. The fans know their heroes aren't perfect and they aren't petty hacks looking to stick it to players that they feel did a disservice to the game of baseball.

Baseball and football are team sports where we celebrate individual achievements. Put some of these star players on bad teams and they will give you average results. That is a fact. We want to celebrate the individual but forget that they needed a team around them to make them great. Sure, there are a few players that played well on bad teams, but there aren't a lot of them. We seem to remember the great players that played on great teams. 

Roger Clemens was asked about not getting in the Baseball Hall of Fame and he just gave his teammates credit for his great results.



 

The Symbol of a Wall

Where did this idea for a border wall ever come from? I would like to know why we need one.

Oh, I'm sure it has something to do with the dangerous people that might enter this country. But isn't it more like a five billion dollar symbol of stupidity?

The great Ronald Reagan told Gorbachev to "tear down this wall" and inspired a generation to believe that walls were a waste of money and freedom is what makes this country great.

We live in a country where we will waste taxpayer dollars to build something that might keep some people out, but doesn't it go against everything we hold sacred in this country? Don't we believe this is the land of opportunity?

The people trying to get into this country by means that aren't always legal are doing it for a good reason. They want a better life. Sure, Trump can call them criminal, but it doesn't change the fact that we aren't even giving them a chance to tell their stories. We aren't allowing them to taste the sweet taste of freedom.

Instead, we are wasting money and getting upset with people that want what our ancestors wanted when they came over here, and that is they want freedom. This is the greatest experiment and the best experiment, and it is sad that we are willing to waste billions of dollars to erect probably the biggest scar on the landscape since the Berlin Wall.

I know you don't have to be smart to get elected to Washington, but don't they realize there are two oceans where people can come ashore? Are we going to build walls around the whole country?

Maybe we could use the money to help these countries find the freedoms that we have, and maybe we won't have to build walls to keep freedom seekers out of this great country.

I feel Donald Trump should stick to his promise and have someone else pay for the wall, oh, wait, nobody is that dumb.

As our government is shut down, let us think about this symbol of hate and waste, and try to remember the words of Ronald Reagan, "If history teaches anything, it teaches that self-delusion in the face of unpleasant facts is folly."

Sears and JCPenney Holding On

As a child, there were two Christmas catalogs that came in the mail. They were the holy grail of catalogs before the internet.

As a child, there were two stores in the mall that had a toy section that grew with the Christmas season. Sears and JCPenney are long gone. JCPenney disappeared from the mall so long ago that I can't remember when it left. The Sears store was the last anchor store in the mall and when it left, so did the mall. The mall is gone.

These once mighty giants are both facing hard times. They just could never adapt to the changing market tastes and too successful to think that the internet would kill their businesses.

JCPenney is trying to find something to get them out of debt and it doesn't seem like they are having any luck. It appears they didn't get a boost from the Christmas season.

Sears is for sale and today is the last day for someone to buy them, and there doesn't seem to be any real interest in the company except their previous CEO Eddie Lampert offering to buy Sears and KMart.

It is hard not getting a little nostalgic about the thought of sitting in my grandparents' houses and looking through the Christmas catalogs and writing my Christmas list. Both of my grandmothers bought the Christmas catalogs and both used the catalog to order their Christmas presents.

I remember my grandparents talking about ordering things from the Sears catalog. All of my grandparents grew up in rural areas and lived great distances from the large cities. They had to take the train to reach the big cities.

As we get closer to same-day deliveries from Amazon and WalMart has curbside pickup, the old stores of the past might vanish and become memories this next year. The once mighty giants are replaced with companies that didn't exist forty years ago, and these now mighty giants will someday be replaced with new companies that we can't really imagine right now, but it will happen.

Sure, I like the new technology and don't miss the old Christmas catalogs with only one picture of the items I liked. Today, I can go on a website and look at something from multiple angles and feel good about the fact I'm not getting a cheap piece of plastic, like the toys of the 1980s.

The Santa Myth

Up on the rooftop reindeer pause, oh yeah, Santa is almost here with gifts and credit-card bills nicely waiting for you to pay. Did you think Santa works for free?

As a child, I wrote very long Christmas list that usually required taking lots of breaks for hand cramps and second and third looks at the Christmas catalogs for the proper numbers to put on my list. These long lists were the result of Saturday morning cartoons. Gi-Joe, He-Man and Voltron toys were always on the list. I never got any Voltron toys because I don't know why. I never asked my parents, after I found out they were Santa, why they never bought me a Voltron toy for Christmas.

I remember one year I used my grandmother's typewriter to write my Christmas list. I thought Santa would be impressed with the professionalism of my list. How old was I when I did this? I was ten. I know, probably too old to still believe in Santa. I don't disagree.

It is strange how the excitement of Santa coming would keep me awake. I would get so excited that I would only sleep for a couple of hours. I did listen for Santa on my rooftop and even with my sleep deprived brain I never heard anything more than the wind howling. This fact never shook my faith that Santa was real.

Yes, as the years went by and I got older, I started to question the Santa story. Wrapping paper on gifts from Santa that was also on gifts that my parents gave each other. My parents staying up and making a couple trips to and from the garage. I even remember one Christmas hearing my grandfather in the house, so I got up and soon got ushered back to bed. He had large orange sacks from Fleet Farm. I didn't see what was in the bags. I just figured I was getting ushered back to bed because I was supposed to be sleeping and not because my grandfather was bringing my Christmas gifts.

So, how did I find out that Santa wasn't real? It was a teacher that let it slip or just had enough of us acting like fools buying the Santa story.

Christmas just wouldn't be the same after finding out Santa wasn't real. Once you know your parents are Santa, well, you already know that it is foolish to ask for certain toys because of how your parents already told you "no" to the request for toys during the 364 days in the year that weren't Christmas.

Yes, the Santa myth makes childhood a little sweeter, but in the end, you only feel robbed because part of being a child means believing in things you can't see and it is just one more step in the path to adulthood and being viewed as foolish for believing in the things you can't see.

The World Needs Ditch Diggers

I love this line from Caddyshack because it is so true.

It is just the desire to find a job where you aren't the grunt and you can make a living and a comfortable living at it seems to be waiting just out of reach.

In the last couple of months, I felt a strong urge come over me. This feeling is the feeling I had when I picked my major in college. The urge shocked my almost defeated psyche and reminded me that the desire to do more is what I forgot in all the rejection letters I received when applying for jobs.

I won't say that I came to this lot in life any differently than the next person. I studied and prepared for life outside the gilded walls of academia, okay, in all honesty, I prepared myself for life after school. Had I studied a little harder I probably would have picked a different major. But what major should the class clown pick?

I feel like a college major is like a spouse and just like in marriage if you don't commit 100% to it at all times you could end on the losing end of a promising life.

I have friends that knew what they wanted to do with their lives when they were in grade school. They worked hard and set goals. That wasn't me in grade school or even high school.

But I can relate to the Danny character in Caddyshack because I procrastinated and felt the pressure to do something with my life. I watched a lot of my friends graduate from college and find jobs in their field. It just seemed too easy not to try it.

My parents encouraged me to go to college but they didn't push me. I feel lucky to have the parents I have because of how they supported me. I can't blame them for my lot, but I can thank them for the free life lessons and great parenting they gave me.

The world does need ditch diggers, but I don't know if that is what I am cut out to do with my life.

To Sue or Not to Sue

Of all the people harmed by the Netflix documentary, it turns out it might be the weakest link that feels it is time to sue Netflix. The man that manhandled the nightstand to find the key. The man that phoned in the license plate number before the vehicle was discovered. The man that suggested a dead man was responsible for the murder of a teenager in Manitowoc County when there is no evidence the dead man was even on the road the night of the hit-and-run. The man that received a phone call from Brown County saying they had the man that raped Penny Beernsten but he just laughed it off and did nothing about it.

The Netflix documentary is supposed to be unbiased, according to Colborn, but that seems like a stretch when it really only follows the Avery family. It is hard to argue that it is an unbiased account of the murder.

The documentary role, as I see it, is to raise questions about the murder trial and the questionable tactics of a sheriffs department that weren't even supposed to be on the crime scene.

Do I think Avery is innocent? No.

Do I think police planted evidence? No. I do think someone planted evidence because some of the physical evidence didn't match the story told to investigators.

I also think that the jury was tainted by Ken Kratz going before the cameras and telling a story that couldn't be backed by physical evidence.

Of all the people that could sue the makers of 'Making a Murder,' it seems like it is the weakest link in the bunch is the one looking for some money.

Colborn could win his case but it won't change the public perception of Colborn because of how good of a job the documentary did with portraying Colborn as someone that took part in something he shouldn't have because the Manitowoc Sheriffs department discovered the key evidence and allowed for the documentary to make a case for planting evidence. The best thing he could have done was not to get involved in the investigation but Colborn didn't see it as a conflict of interest.

The sad part for Colborn is that he is receiving death threats. No one should receive death threats and I feel sorry for him and his family because he was just doing his job. He doesn't come off as someone that was capable of planting evidence but just smart enough to follow the lead of his supervisors.

We also need to remember that there aren't a lot of murders in Calumet County and Manitowoc County so they really didn't have the experience to investigate the murder and there is a lot of things that could have been done to prevent the circus that followed the case and continues to follow the case.

It will be interesting to see if Colborn's case even makes it to court. It seems hard to believe that an innocent person would sue for slander. He is just drawing more attention to himself and if he had a better record of doing the right thing, well, then he would have a good case against Netflix.

The Pressure of Christmas Shopping

Christmastime is once upon us - it means waiting for Amazon deliveries and hearing the same five Christmas songs on the radio. You might even sing along with the songs by now, which is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what song it is. I prefer to turn off the radio when I hear Andy Williams start singing "Happy Holidays" like the scatcat that he wasn't. I do love the "12 Pains of Christmas" when it comes to Christmas tunes.

I won't quote the lyrics but give it a listen, if you want a good laugh. The song is a nice take on the traditional "12 Days of Christmas" song that gets as much air time as Andy Williams when it comes to annoying and overplayed Christmas songs.

Honestly, Christmas is about finding the right gift and the stress to find the perfect gift. There is nothing worse than the look of disappointment on your significant other or anyone else you purchased a gift for and seeing their face filled with disappointment. "Gee, I always wanted an autographed picture of Brett Favre." There is a lot of pressure on us to buy the right gift. Come on, who doesn't want a picture of a Hall of Fame quarterback?

The problem is that the very first Christmas Jesus got gifts from complete strangers. These strangers brought gifts that seem fitting for a baby. Jesus got gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold is always a good gift. Frankincense makes sense because little kids stink and the myrrh can be used to calm a baby that is teething. Those guys knew how to shop.

Christmas time should never come as a surprise to us, but it seems that much thought isn't put into shopping for gifts until the last minute when most stores are picked over and it will cost you a small fortune to mail your gifts. You can even pay a little extra to get the gifts wrapped because we all know the struggles that gift wrapping can cause on the sensitive psyche of the Christmas gift giver. Gift wrapping should be a required class in high school because it can make or break the gift giving experience.

It is getting late in the Christmas season and some people are playing it cool and waiting to save a dollar or two, but just remember that there are people that have all their gifts purchased and wrapped so perfectly. They can now enjoy the rest of the Christmas season because they are prepared for anything that will come their way in the next seven days of shopping. They don't have to even go to the crowded stores to shop because they can now go and taunt the shoppers looking for the gifts that are no longer on the shelf.

The bar was set high by the Wise Men when they gave money and practical gifts, but their lesson is lost because the evil marketing geniuses make us feel that practical is impractical when it comes to Christmas gifts. Modern man doesn't even know what practical gifts look like because of the constant commercials and ads telling them a woman wants expensive gifts and men want expensive cars.

Yes, right now there is a man looking for the perfect gift for his wife or girlfriend. His natural tendency is to go to Home Depot, but the little voice in his head tells him that he needs to go somewhere where they sell jewelry. He panics and goes to WalMart and gets more confused. He will end up buying something that he thinks is practical and thoughtful. This poor man forgot all the important hints given to him back in February when his wife or girlfriend specifically said what she wanted to have for Christmas, but he was too busy thinking about what he wanted on his pizza. He won't understand why his wife or girlfriend is upset at the gift.

So this Christmas when you give out your gifts and get the look of sadness. Don't forget to remind people that Jesus was happy with practical gifts. He would love a picture of Brett Favre.

Donald Trump and It's a Wonderful Life

Donald Trump seems to have a thin skin when it comes to SNL poking fun at him. This Saturday was no different because SNL used It's a Wonderful Life to make fun of the president.

I look at the characters of  It's a Wonderful Life and think of Donald Trump as the Sam Wainwright character. "Hee-Haw!" is as annoying as "You're Fired" any day. They are both clowns that find success thanks to their fathers.

But let us look a little closer at the similarities of Sam Wainwright character to Donald Trump. Sam Wainwright is a New York playboy who doesn't seem able to commit to one woman, sounds a lot like Trump. He is greedy, like Trump. He doesn't have to fight during the war, just like Trump. I don't believe that Sam Wainwright had bone spurs, but for some reason, these two rich kids didn't have to fight during wartime. 

The real difference is that Sam Wainwright was willing to help a poor friend and Donald Trump really doesn't seem to have any friends.

Just think about how closely Donald Trump resembles Sam Wainwright more than he resembles George Bailey. I understand SNL needed the president wishing he was still the president for their joke to work.

Making Money By Plagiarizing

Every generation has a group of religious leaders that make a lot of money off the Bible and lessons found in the Bible.

This generation of men and women making money off the message that can be found by just reading the Bible.

Maybe we just need our Bible read to us and don't trust what we read? I read a few of the books written by Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, John Maxwell, and John Haggee because it seems strange to me that these men can make lots of money writing books based off of what they believe is important to living the good life.

Joel Osteen lives in a big mansion that was paid for by the sales of his book.

Rick Warren claims he only keeps 10% of the profits made from his book sales. There is no doubt that 10% of his book sales made him very rich. 

John Maxwell is more of a guy that writes books about leadership. He makes a lot of money from his books.

John Haggee is the leader of a megachurch that has 22,000 members.

Joyce Meyer makes money off her books and her ministry. She used to take a $900,000 salary from the ministry. She claims to use the royalties from her book sales and takes a much smaller salary. 

These are just some of the rich religious men and women making money off the need to find direction using some ideas from the Bible. 

It seems odd that religious men can make so much money and not find problems in the wealth made from weakly veiled plagiarism of the Bible with a nice mix of secular ideas to be palatable to a large segment of the population. Yes, these are smart men and women living in a society that rewards them for their writing and preaching.

Sure, these aren't the only men to make money off the Bible and they won't be the last. It isn't like these men are selling us on new insights into the word of God. It is just that they know how to get people to hand over their money without being able to feel the tinge of guilt from profiting off something that isn't original.

Just imagine Jesus writing books and making money off it. It is hard for me to picture it. Maybe it isn't hard to imagine.

The Intent to Bury News

"Draining the Swamp" sounded like a way to make the candidate Donald Trump sound less like a politician and more like a man concerned with the fate of the country.

We are now finding out that the candidate Trump did a lot to keep stories out of the news that might have influenced our opinions of him.

Trump paid hush money to women that he slept with because he didn't want them to influence the election. That is clear by the deal the National Enquirer made with the special counsel. The National Enquirer gets immunity for their help. Let me get this straight, we are supposed to take the word of a gossip magazine and believe them to be honest.

Don't get me wrong there is a pattern being established when it comes to how Donald Trump and his friends at the National Enquirer operated when it came to stories dealing with Trump.

But we seem to forget that there was the famous tape of Trump making some misogynistic claims and yet that didn't influence the election.

It seems it is a stretch of the imagination that Trump sleeping with two women would harm his character any more than his history of marriage and divorce, but that didn't stop the magazine from helping Trump make the stories go away. And now the magazine is getting a free pass when it comes to its crimes because they are singing like a canary.

The nation seems to have gotten past the idea that the president can't be divorced. Bill Clinton got elected after numerous claims that he had extramarital affairs. But for some reason, Donald Trump felt the country couldn't accept the fact that he can't remain faithful to one wife.

Our moral compass doesn't seem to register these missteps of leaders as indicators of moral ineptitude and we seem more worried about what they can do for us.

Donald Trump just paraphrased what Obama during his first campaign. Instead "Change" it was "Drain the Swamp" uttered to a country looking for their "Change" when it comes to the way the country is run.

There is a lot of money being spent to discover things we already know and that is that Donald Trump only looks out for himself. He doesn't seem to have a firm grasp of the law or how to surround himself with brilliant people that will protect him.

When Opinion Trumps Facts

I enjoy watching the morning news, and really enjoy listening to reporters insert their opinions to news stories, but mostly I enjoy listening to Gayle King try to hammer home the idea that Trump acts unpresidential. Rarely have I heard any reporter that wasn't on Fox News try to hammer home a theme like that, but to her credit, she sure tries to make the audience believe that world is coming to end with Trump as president. Her blatant bias drips of viper venom dripping from the mouth of a doped up liberal spewing campaign slogans of the Hero she worships.

Don't get me wrong, Gayle King isn't the only one giving her opinion on news stories. Her cohosts do a good job of adding their opinions and distracting from the facts. But at some point, the bias needs to be toned down or maybe it is just for ratings that we get the see the spectacle of opinion masquerading as fact on our morning news programs.

If we close our eyes and search our memories we can find great examples of presidents being presidential...Oh, wait, you can't think of too many examples from the last forty years.

The last president liked to play golf and shoot hoops, but he sure knew how to rally his base. Remember when Obama made an angry constipated face at Putin. I bet Putin probably soiled his old Soviet britches when he saw that face.

How should a president act? According to Gayle King, a president should act presidential. I really haven't heard her give any good examples, but it doesn't stop her from trying to throw around the idea we are all doomed because Trump isn't her man.

I feel Trump acts in ways to distract us from what is really going on in the world. The stock market goes up and down on a weekly basis. We rarely hear anything about the rest of the world because we are so caught up in the world of the wack president. What CRAZY thing did Trump do today?

Sure, it isn't fair for me to just pick out one example of how the news is more opinion than fact. When reporters are allowed to insert opinions we lose sight of the facts and become a little dumber for it.

I don't condone any of Trump's behaviors and find it upsetting that the Democratic leadership played along with the game and didn't seem to know that they were taking part in the greatest show on earth when they debated the border wall in front of the media.

The days where facts trump theatricals are long gone. Our news is spewed from the mouths of attractive commentators parading around as serious journalists and our nation doesn't seem awake to this fact.

Yes, there are people that aren't duped by the actors playing reporters on the television set or smartphone screen, and they probably don't get upset about the fact because they don't watch the morning news.

At some point, I might stop watching the morning news, but right now I watch because I want to see if they will top yesterday's performance with something crazier.

I guess we are just stuck on stage wishing that the future gets better actors and a bigger budget because the actors we have now are making a farce of a once great idea.

Why We Can't Admire Donald's Behavior

“Behaviour that's admired
is the path to power among people everywhere.” 
― Seamus Heaney, Beowulf

The ship seems to be taking on water and the great experiment isn't doing so well, and that is the experiment of electing a president that doesn't seem to have any moral compass.

I say it is the great experiment because Donald Trump came to power on the idea that he wasn't a Washington insider and whatever else he claimed to be and voters believed when they voted for him. He hasn't done anything to improve his approval rating and seems fine doing things his way and at times acting like a five-year-old that needs a nap. 

Donald Trump's behavior is always on display and it seems to relish the fact the media seems obsessed with his odd behavior. We know that he isn't always a great statesman, and he taking a big risk with all the tariffs he believes will help the United States, but that is the kind of guy we knew he was going to be.

But you have to wonder how bad it really is in the White House when people are turning down jobs in the White House. John Kelly is out, and nobody seems to want the job. Sure, there are a few people that are mentioned, but it seems like they are the usual names of people that only know how to say 'YES' to Donald Trump.

When people say 'NO' to the president, well, you have to wonder what is really going on in the White House. Do they see something we don't see, or maybe they know something we don't know. It might just be that they are waiting to see what happens with the whole Russian investigation before they commit to any job in the White House.

At the end of the day, we will have to see if Donald Trump's behavior changes or will he stay the course as more people jump off the ship.

Donnie Clueless

'Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?' Job 38:2

There is a sense in Washington and in the nation that we are seeing another Whitewater or just another dumb scandal from the Whitehouse. It seems like we can't elect a president that is capable of making through their term or terms without some kind of scandal.

Donnie is no different, but he is the first president to be investigated for crimes he might have committed before he became president.

It is easy to believe the man didn't know the laws of the lands, but that takes a great leap of faith to think he didn't know his transactions with the Russian government were probably illegal.

No, I think Donnie was and probably is still using the government to prop up his business interest. It is easy to see that Donnie likes to use taxpayer money to help out his resorts. How many working vacations did he take to his resorts?

As president, Donnie seems primed to leverage his business interest make some money on the side. By working with the Russian government he seems primed to make a lot of money, or his trust is going to make a lot of money.

It was a horrible idea to use mix business with the affairs of the state, but Donnie seems good at not knowing what the laws are or how they relate to him. He seems to do what he wants. He also likes to fire the people that don't do his bidding.

The SS Donnie is taking on water and he doesn't seem to know how to get off the boat and take a dingy to shore. His arrogance and ignorance are wasting taxpayer money at levels that even our great-grandchildren will never be able to repay. 

The president might survive this scandal, but it will be almost impossible for him to get reelected, and that is when the country will really have to pay for the issue of electing Donnie.

Clinging to Something

The Republicans in control of Wisconsin are clinging to something that hasn't worked for years, but in their minds they believe they have done a lot of good for this state, so now they believe it is good to change the power structure in the state. 

Scott Walker lost, so now the sore losers are going to change the rules so they can stay the course. 

If the way they ran the state was so good why is the state losing money and in more debt than in past years? That doesn't sound like good policies or something that needs protecting. 

This latest move by Republicans is just another waste of taxpayer dollars, and those precious dollars they seem so worried about saving. Any move the Republicans make now will probably be challenged and end up in the courts. 

The Republicans are worried about Tony Evers destroying all the good work that hasn't been accomplished. What is the proof they have to offer that their policies did anything but put lipstick on a pig? The people of the state made a choice and now the Republicans hope they can change the rules now before they lose complete control in January.

The Republicans never shrunk the state budget under Scott Walker. They made cuts to the budget but the budget never shrunk. They pushed off debt to future generations.  

The governor of Wisconsin has a lot of power, but right now the power play looks like a bunch of little children taking their ball home because they lost. They should have fixed the problem when they first took over the state and now it seems just a little suspicious that it is time to change the rules to favor their policies. 

"I'm concerned. I think Gov-elect Evers is going to bring a liberal agenda to Wisconsin and the idea that there's going to be a complete shift in Wisconsin, I don't have any problem highlighting that right now. I want people to understand that." Scott Fitzgerald told reporters.

At least Fitzgerlad is kind of being honest in that he fears his agenda might not get the green light it got in the past and that is why he is trying to change the rules. 

We will have to see how much these latest political moves cost the state.  

Goodbye, Mike McCarthy

"Most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit." George Carlin

As a sports fan, I find this quote fits the situation in Green Bay today. The Packers fired their head coach because they felt the team was underperforming and Mike McCarthy wasn't doing enough to get the team ready to play this season. 

I honestly feel that Mike McCarthy sealed his fate last year when he stuck with a bad defensive coordinator and a horrible backup quarterback. 

The Packers didn't take the chance to sign Colin Kaepernick last year because they put their faith in a "Preseason God" that turned out to look more like Dudley Dooright then a competent quarterback. The Packers defense didn't look good for years but McCarthy stuck with Dom Capers. 

I don't get to make the important decisions when it comes to the NFL roster of the Green Bay Packers, but I do get the right to gripe about the poor decision making that the Packers make from time to time. 

Some of the experts said the Packers should have fired McCarthy after the debacle in Seatle where the Packers blew a 16 point lead and missed the Super Bowl. That game took place in 2014 but the hangover is still felt today.

But Mike McCarthy's Packers always seemed to make the mental mistakes that good teams don't make. This year the mental mistakes just piled up and so did the loses. Special team mistakes this year cost the Packers at least three games, but the coach stuck with his kicker and his special teams' coach. 

These mistakes by the former coach might get fixed at his next stop, but they were enough of a hindrance to cause him to lose his job. 

Sure, Aaron Rodgers looked horrible this season. He can't throw a simple pass to save his life this year. Rodgers looks old and looks like he doesn't have the arm strength he once had and he definitely worries too much about throwing interceptions. He is risk-averse and lacks the arm strength to make the throws he made two years ago. Mike McCarthy should have adjusted his playcalling to make up for the deficiencies of the highest paid quarterback. 

We as fans want to blame someone, but there is a lot of blame to go around in Green Bay. They stuck with Ted Thompson for too long and most of his draft picks aren't even on the roster today. They stuck with Dom Capers when their defense looked horrible. They make some questionable calls when it comes to personnel. You can't pay your quarterback a ton of money and stick with a porous offensive line.

Mike McCarthy should of, could of, and well, now he is unemployed. Will he go to the Cleveland Browns and turn that franchise around? Is there a chance he ends up in Pittsburg? It will be interesting to see what team takes a chance on the guy.

At the end of the day, I felt that Mike McCarthy was done in Green Bay and he was done with Aaron Rodgers because he did nothing to protect the overpaid drama king of Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers onfield pouting set a tone for this season and Rodgers used the media to mock his coach. He just seemed to have enough and seemed to be looking towards next year in a way that seemed too obvious to old Packers fans. 

The Narrative of Hate

People are upset at the boys of Baraboo who look to be giving a Nazi salute. This picture fits the narrative that the country is on a downward spiral of hate.

These kids are still kids. What the image shows is a moment where children are doing something.

It seems too easy to believe that some children from Wisconsin would be filled with hate and be Nazis. Wow, enter the media and let them make this a news story about children not knowing it is bad to make the dumb salute. They paint these kids as adults. They are teenage boys

These children should be punished for something they did as a group. Sure, one of the boys didn't do anything, so he is being hailed as a hero. We understand groupthink but we don't want to use it in this situation because we see a country in upheaval or in an imaginary upheaval and believe that the world is going to hell because of a picture. These kids knew what they were doing. They are almost adults and should be treated like adults. What kind of logic is it that ignores the facts this was a group of children?

Instead of using it as a teaching moment, the boys are getting dragged through the media news cycle where they show the image of children doing a dumb thing. They did do something dumb. These children must have handed out propaganda about becoming Nazis and they surely went around town in their tuxedos doing Nazi things to be treated like criminals.

I'm sure the punishment they will receive will fit the crime for what these kids did because this kind of stupidity can't be done by children. We must also ignore groupthink. We can't teach them to make the right choice and we must remember there is a reason people fear and get embarrassed by what our children do in situations when there isn't any adult supervision.

At some point, people will ignore this news story like they did the increase of hate in this country. This story will go away. The hate will remain. 

You have to question why it took almost a year for someone to find this picture?

Stan Lee the Original Iron Man

Special Treatment for King Herbert Kohler

What this world is in need of is more people to stand up to King Kohler and stop his horrible rule over Sheboygan County.

The Wisconsin DNR has and is bending the rules for King Kohler. The DNR is in charge of making sure the Wisconsin environment isn't overrun by people trying to wreck it. This government agency has a history of bizare rulings and questionable actions and they are at it again when it comes to giving the green light to another Kohler golf course in Sheboygan County.

What we have here is a government agency so worried about what King Kohler wants that they bend over backward to give him the golf course he thinks will create jobs. Maybe he should create those jobs in ancient factories located in Kohler, but King Kohler likes to create low-paying jobs which this golf course will create. There is only one person benefiting from the golf courses but yet the DNR is willing to ruin the landscape to so King Kohler can build another low paying job creating golf course.

For now, the golf course isn't being built because some people in the area are using the legal system to stall and hopefully stop King Kohler. These people believe the landscape will be harmed by another golf course. Kohler already built one golf course along the shores of Lake Michigan but this one is just to stoke the fragile ego of King Kohler.

This article is worth the read.

Llamas Are Trending

In Favor of Llamas

Llamas are trending.

What in the world is a llama? The llama is a domesticated pack animal in the camel family. They reach heights around five feet and nine inches, and they can weigh up to 440 lbs.

The llama is an interesting creature because it offers a lot of uses. People use llamas for their wool and they are considered smart, friendly, and easily trained.

In the United States llamas are growing in numbers. The 2012 census by the United States Department of Agriculture stated that there were 76,086 llamas in the United States.

It doesn’t hurt when llamas get a celebrity like Christy Teigen to talk about them. She told Refinery 29, “Before I was a mom I would have never know the fascination with llamas and giraffes and anything with floppy ears or anything with a squishy nose. There are just certain things that they take to and really love.”  

It appears llamas are replacing unicorns when it comes to pins on Pinterest. They are on cakes, mugs, and almost anything you can place a llama image on for that matter. Pinterest said their statistics show saves for llama home décor is up 1,049 percent from a year ago.

Pinterest isn’t the only site saying llamas are trending. Etsy list llamas as a trending. Search Llamas on Etsy and you will find a large range of items ready for purchasing.

There are also children books with the llama featured as the main character. The Llama, Llama books by Anna Dewdney featured a llama named Little E and he is set to appear for a second season on Netflix.

What about cakes that look like llamas? They are gaining popularity too.

But it is hard to find an expert that can explain why the llama is trending the way it is right now. It probably won’t rattle the llama because they seem to be a trend that keeps gaining momentum.