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."
Friday, December 28, 2018
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.
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.
Thursday, December 20, 2018
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
The World Needs Ditch Diggers
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 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.
Monday, December 17, 2018
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.
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.
Saturday, December 15, 2018
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.
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.
Thursday, December 13, 2018
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Why We Can't Admire Donald's Behavior
“Behaviour that's admired
is the path to power among people everywhere.”
― 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.
is the path to power among people everywhere.”
― 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.
Monday, December 10, 2018
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.
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.
Monday, December 3, 2018
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
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?
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?
Monday, November 12, 2018
Sunday, November 11, 2018
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.
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.
Monday, October 15, 2018
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.
The Gig Economy
The labor market is starting to see a greater percentage of employees working part-time jobs. Experts have labeled this phenomenon the Gig Economy.
Market-Edison Research Poll found that a quarter of American workers are working in the Gig Economy. The numbers might be higher because there really is no system to count all the gig employees because the government doesn’t really have a concrete system to count all these part-time employees.
These gig workers tend to be Uber drivers, freelance writers, ethical hackers, nannies, tutors, housekeepers, and computer programmers.
As competition increase for these part-time jobs, so does the use of technology to land these jobs. This means that a job seeker needs to be connected to the internet 24/7 to land a job and requires them to buy phones that keep them connected to potential employers.
Where humans might have controlled who got a job in the past. On the freelance job sites, the algorithms and rating systems decide who receives the job. So, workers with higher numbers get the highest percentage of jobs. This seems unfair to those just starting out in the business.
Pay can also low on these sites. Workers must move at a pace that causes stress because they need to complete a lot of jobs to make a living.
Poor working conditions are also a consequence of the Gig Economy. Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford did a study on the effects of working in such remote gig jobs.
“Our findings demonstrate evidence that the autonomy of working in the gig economy often comes at the price of long, irregular and anti-social hours, which can lead to sleep deprivation and exhaustion,” said Dr. Alex Wood, co-author of the paper.
The Harvard Business Review pointed out that the US tax and labor practices reward the fulltime employee. These freelancers lose the benefits that come with fulltime work and lack the rights that fulltime employees enjoy.
There isn’t a lot of regulations when it comes to gig jobs, and this is a cause of concern for some politicians that fear that there need to be more laws protecting the rights of temporary employees.
These gig jobs don’t offer a lot of security. They are only temporary in nature and there is no guarantee that past clients will need any more services.
These gigs do offer benefits to people that are just looking to supplement their income or because they offer flexibility in hours and pay. They also offer a variety of work and there are just some people that need the freedom that comes from being their own boss.
Old Article
The Valmy Thresheree and Antique Machinery Show
Ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa is the sound of an old John Deere moving so slowly its shadow passes it at the Valmy Thresheree and Antique Machinery Show.
Admission is $8 dollars for anyone 13 and older and is located at 5005 Country View Road in Valmy.
This year John Deere is the headliner of the 36th Annual Valmy Thresheree and Antique Machinery Show in Jackson and it runs from August 16 to August 19.
Visitors will get a glimpse of the equipment farmers used in the early days of Door County farming. These vintage tractors look like little toys compared to the gargantuan tractors that work today's farms.
The Valmy Thresheree and Antique Machinery Show started in 1983 when Bernie and Shirly Geisel wanted asked a group of local farmers to show the old ways of farming. The Northeastern Wisconsin Antique Power Association formed and started operating the event. The first 15 years the event took place on the Geisel farm, just north of Sturgeon Bay.
In 1997, the club moved the even to a 30-acre farm at 5005 County View Road. The club also purchased 10 acres that adjoined the farm in 1998 and that is where the Thresheree remains to this day.
Friday the show begins with John Welch Band.
Saturday there is a chainsaw competition at 9:30 am. The antique tractor pulls with four weight classes of tractors built before 1955 starts at 11:30 am, and there will be trophies for the top three in each weight class.
The Jerry Voelker Orchestra will play polka music for a barn dance from 2 to 5 pm. They will also play for the polka mass and 5:30 pm and celebrated with Rev. Tony Birdsall. The day finishes with music from the Modern Day Drifters at 8pm.
Sunday’s events start with a Lutheran church service officiated by Rev. Ben Enstad at 8:30am. At 10am the children have a pedal tractor pull that is followed by a “Little Farmer” contest. From 10 am to 2pm there are pony rides. A garden tractor pull starts at 10 am. There is a break at noon so the antique machinery can parade in front of the main grandstand.
The day’s events conclude at 3:30pm with the pig wrestling. Teams of four people try to catch a pig and place it on top of a barrel in less the minute. Officials will ensure that the pigs are kept safe. Contestant must preregister for this event.
Visitors can also purchase tickets to win a 1952 Ferguson tractor with loader. 500 tickets will be sold at $20 each. The drawing is at 5pm Sunday. The proceeds benefit the Valmy Thresheree Foundation.
For more information call 920-743-4859 or go to www.valmythresheree.org. The website offers a list of all the equipment that will be used over the weekend.
Getting Old
Janet Clark is retired and wondering what she is going to do now that her income took a hit because her one pension check stopped coming. The pension plan is from the time she worked at R-Way in Sheboygan, WI. The pension came from the Local 800 Furniture Union.
She received a letter from the union telling her that due to funding and pension shortfalls that she will no longer be receiving money from the pension fund. That means she won’t be receiving $231 a month.
“I planned on getting so much from that pension fund and counted on it to be there for me. I called the union and I am waiting for them to get back to me. I just want them to explain it to me in a way that makes sense,” Janet said.
Her case is like a lot of retirees that learn that the pension benefits they were promised aren’t what they expected when they retire.
The hard part for Janet is finding the extra money to make ends meet. She did the budget cuts that help make up for the lost income. She looked to the government for some assistance, but she has too much money because she is about $900 above the poverty line.
Being above the poverty line means that Janet will not receive assistance for her healthcare and housing expenses. But she was hesitant to even see if the government could help her.
Getting a job at 68 isn’t a reality for someone that can’t stand for extended periods of time. There aren’t a lot of places she can work, even if she could work for a couple of hours.
Her body has the normal aches and pains of repetitive work, but some of her joints don’t work the way they used to, and her knees need some help from the surgeon’s hand to make them work better than they are working right now.
Medical bills are part of Janet’s life, but on a fixed income, these bills aren’t easily paid. The lost income from a pension that doesn’t pay isn’t helping her.
What to do?
She put off the surgery her aching knees because she can’t afford to pay all the bills she has now.
Janet can expect to pay $180,000 in healthcare cost during her retirement, if you divide the cost of $260,000 in half, according to Fidelity. That means that Janet can expect to spend $8,572 a year of her own money.
“When I was young, I didn’t worry about retirement because I worked at a place that offered a pension through the union. I feel the union sold me a package of lies,” Janet said.
Janet did start a 401k after R-Way closed their doors and she found a different job. She didn’t think about a place that offered a matching program, but she took the job that offered a good paycheck. She only regrets not starting a 401k retirement plan sooner, because she didn’t save enough money for retirement. Her medical bills wiped out her savings.
Thursday, October 4, 2018
I Defend No One
The odd behavior seems the new norm is understandably upsetting for the people that crave normal behavior or a lack of public appearances from their President. I view Trump as the greatest distraction from the realities of the world. He makes some pretty funny faces while distracting us from the news around Washington.
When he gets on the campaign trail, well, he is bound to say some crazy things.
For the press the other day he appeared compassionated and reserved, but no the campaign trail he was the opposite.
I can only imagine there is some level of frustration that comes with how Washington operates day-to-day business. He probably thought he picked a safe nominee because the guy went through six FBI investigations to get to that point in his life. Seems a safe bet, but wait, enter the reality of a boy being a dumb boy.
Yes, Kavanaugh drank and that makes his story just as believable as Dr. Ford's story because the time frame was so long ago and drinking really isn't known for improving memories and making the drinker do the morally right thing when tossed into that situation.
I just wonder what Kavanaugh's wife knows or feels. She seemed annoyed from day one when Donald Trump picked her husband. I just wonder if she feels like her husband was a dumbass or is a dumbass when he drinks.
On the surface, drinking seems to be Kavanaugh's Achille's heel. He seems to drink but doesn't seem to get wasted. Sounds plausible if still believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Drinking shouldn't ban you from the Supreme Court, but at the end of the day, drinking won't be what stops Kavanaugh from getting his dream job because it will the be the stupidity of child that drank way too much.
If Kavanaugh could back in time, I bet he would beat the crap out of his younger self and probably would never pick up a beer so he wouldn't have to see himself on the national news saying he likes beer.
What should have been a slam dunk for Trump is turning into a missed layup. He had other options but I still feel Kavanaugh was picked to please the Bush family. I could be wrong with that, but I feel Kavanaugh has close ties to the Bush family and Trump seems to be making amends for all the stuff he said about the Bush family and he his making those amends by picking a Bush friend.
When he gets on the campaign trail, well, he is bound to say some crazy things.
For the press the other day he appeared compassionated and reserved, but no the campaign trail he was the opposite.
I can only imagine there is some level of frustration that comes with how Washington operates day-to-day business. He probably thought he picked a safe nominee because the guy went through six FBI investigations to get to that point in his life. Seems a safe bet, but wait, enter the reality of a boy being a dumb boy.
Yes, Kavanaugh drank and that makes his story just as believable as Dr. Ford's story because the time frame was so long ago and drinking really isn't known for improving memories and making the drinker do the morally right thing when tossed into that situation.
I just wonder what Kavanaugh's wife knows or feels. She seemed annoyed from day one when Donald Trump picked her husband. I just wonder if she feels like her husband was a dumbass or is a dumbass when he drinks.
On the surface, drinking seems to be Kavanaugh's Achille's heel. He seems to drink but doesn't seem to get wasted. Sounds plausible if still believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Drinking shouldn't ban you from the Supreme Court, but at the end of the day, drinking won't be what stops Kavanaugh from getting his dream job because it will the be the stupidity of child that drank way too much.
If Kavanaugh could back in time, I bet he would beat the crap out of his younger self and probably would never pick up a beer so he wouldn't have to see himself on the national news saying he likes beer.
What should have been a slam dunk for Trump is turning into a missed layup. He had other options but I still feel Kavanaugh was picked to please the Bush family. I could be wrong with that, but I feel Kavanaugh has close ties to the Bush family and Trump seems to be making amends for all the stuff he said about the Bush family and he his making those amends by picking a Bush friend.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
What Is the Truth
It is hard not to believe a crying woman who knows her attacker.
The media would have us believe that the country is divided by the whole controversy. On the surface, the country is probably divided by political allegiances and not the latest controversy of a president that seems to be distancing himself from his nomination.
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford stands by her allegations that Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her.
Brett Kavanaugh denies doing it.
There are a few problems with the story because of the nature of the memory. Yes, she got technical with how the memory got coded into her brain. But is she right that the memory is solid?
A 35-year-old memory will never be as accurate as we hope. She didn't really deal with the issue until she was in marriage counseling, so this calls into question if the memory is one of suggestibility of the counseling session? We know that they were in counseling for a disagreement about adding a second door, but if you look at the records, the house was still the address of the marriage counselor they were using to help them overcome the door issue. Was the couple going to counseling for a second door considering the building permit was expired in 2012?
I think these counseling notes might be harmful to the character of Dr. Ford and might call into question her story, but that is just an opinion. Why else do you hide those notes? We already know that she never named Kavanaugh in these sessions, but her husband remembers her saying Kavanaugh's name, so why didn't the therapist write down the name?
Dr. Ford is a teacher of psychology. She is familiar with memories and how they work. We still don't know why she was in marriage counseling, because that might have some real insights to why the memory was brought up in session.
It is too easy to be seduced by experts. Dr. Ford is an expert. She is credible and has a story to tell. Her credibility lends credence to her story, even if it happened 35 years ago.
But what about our bias when it comes to judging the truth? Maybe our bias allows us to believe that a sexual predator like Donald Trump would pick a sexual predator like Brett Kavanaugh. I don't see Brett threatening to sue Dr. Ford. It kind of makes me wonder if there is some truth to the story or if he feels sorry for Dr. Ford and doesn't want to cause her any harm that might come from a lawsuit.
It is an interesting fact that in 2012 Brett Kavanaugh was being mentioned in the media.
Another interesting fact is that Brett Kavanaugh's mom oversaw the foreclosure hearing of Dr. Ford's parents.
What does any of this have to do with memory? Do friends laugh in similar ways? If the laugh is how you pinpoint someone, well, how accurate is that when it comes to picking someone out?
The most glaring fact of the whole situation is how President Trump is backing away from his nomination. If he truly believed in the guy he wouldn't say that he hardly knows the guy because that makes it look like he is repaying the Bush family by picking a Bush friend.
This whole ordeal will never be over, but what it teaches us as a nation is something we are good at ignoring. The truth is biased, the truth is ugly, and we can't accept the fact humans aren't perfect.
The media would have us believe that the country is divided by the whole controversy. On the surface, the country is probably divided by political allegiances and not the latest controversy of a president that seems to be distancing himself from his nomination.
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford stands by her allegations that Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her.
Brett Kavanaugh denies doing it.
There are a few problems with the story because of the nature of the memory. Yes, she got technical with how the memory got coded into her brain. But is she right that the memory is solid?
A 35-year-old memory will never be as accurate as we hope. She didn't really deal with the issue until she was in marriage counseling, so this calls into question if the memory is one of suggestibility of the counseling session? We know that they were in counseling for a disagreement about adding a second door, but if you look at the records, the house was still the address of the marriage counselor they were using to help them overcome the door issue. Was the couple going to counseling for a second door considering the building permit was expired in 2012?
I think these counseling notes might be harmful to the character of Dr. Ford and might call into question her story, but that is just an opinion. Why else do you hide those notes? We already know that she never named Kavanaugh in these sessions, but her husband remembers her saying Kavanaugh's name, so why didn't the therapist write down the name?
Dr. Ford is a teacher of psychology. She is familiar with memories and how they work. We still don't know why she was in marriage counseling, because that might have some real insights to why the memory was brought up in session.
It is too easy to be seduced by experts. Dr. Ford is an expert. She is credible and has a story to tell. Her credibility lends credence to her story, even if it happened 35 years ago.
But what about our bias when it comes to judging the truth? Maybe our bias allows us to believe that a sexual predator like Donald Trump would pick a sexual predator like Brett Kavanaugh. I don't see Brett threatening to sue Dr. Ford. It kind of makes me wonder if there is some truth to the story or if he feels sorry for Dr. Ford and doesn't want to cause her any harm that might come from a lawsuit.
It is an interesting fact that in 2012 Brett Kavanaugh was being mentioned in the media.
Another interesting fact is that Brett Kavanaugh's mom oversaw the foreclosure hearing of Dr. Ford's parents.
What does any of this have to do with memory? Do friends laugh in similar ways? If the laugh is how you pinpoint someone, well, how accurate is that when it comes to picking someone out?
The most glaring fact of the whole situation is how President Trump is backing away from his nomination. If he truly believed in the guy he wouldn't say that he hardly knows the guy because that makes it look like he is repaying the Bush family by picking a Bush friend.
This whole ordeal will never be over, but what it teaches us as a nation is something we are good at ignoring. The truth is biased, the truth is ugly, and we can't accept the fact humans aren't perfect.
Monday, September 10, 2018
Battle Over Strawberry the Pig
Elkhart Lake, WI is trying to make Strawberry the pig go away. The emotional support pig belongs to Christi Sadiq and is trying her hardest to keep the support pig.
The city of Elkhart doesn't believe the pig belongs in the city. But if the woman really needs the pig then she should have the option to keep the pig.
The problem is that the city doesn't seem to believe that the pig is used for emotional support or they wouldn't make Ms. Sadiq get rid of her pig.
What do you think? Do you think it is fair to make Ms. Sadiq get rid of their support animal?
The city of Elkhart doesn't believe the pig belongs in the city. But if the woman really needs the pig then she should have the option to keep the pig.
The problem is that the city doesn't seem to believe that the pig is used for emotional support or they wouldn't make Ms. Sadiq get rid of her pig.
What do you think? Do you think it is fair to make Ms. Sadiq get rid of their support animal?
Thursday, September 6, 2018
Nike Rules
Nike likes to use cheap labor to make their products. It isn't like they exploit these workers.
This is what they call the new economy. United States companies use cheap labor to make expensive products.
There is nothing we can do about it.
Wait, just hold on! Don't burn your expensive shoes.
Why did you buy the shoes in the first place? I'm guessing for the logo.
Nike makes a lot of things I don't buy. I hate their running shoes and running clothes, so I don't buy them. I did buy New Balance shoes and clothes because they made some of their running shoes in the United States and that seemed like a good thing. They made better quality shoes.
But my point is that Nike is the master of marketing. We could all learn how to market our products from Nike.
You hardly hear a peep from labor unions telling us to boycott Nike. That seems wrong. The NFL Players Union doesn't say boo about Nike exploiting their workforce. Seems kinda of odd to me.
Nike uses an exathelete to celebrate their 30th anniversary of thier great marketing slogan.
So what if they want to use an athlete that took a knee during the National Anthem. There are some people that think it is disrespectful. Good for them. There are a lot of people that do more disrespectful things in this country.
Taking a knee to make a point is a nonviolent form of protest. That is a form of protest that did not harm anyone except the person taking a knee.
Colin didn't abuse anyone but he did cause NFL owners to answer questions about issues they couldn't answer and probably won't answer.
For his protest, the NFL shut their gilded doors on the young athlete.
I know the Packers could have used him last year. But they didn't take that chance. There were a lot of teams that could have used Colin Kaepernick.
The NFL is a violent game and apparently, there is no room for any nonviolence protest on their field.
Isn't it sad that we are mad at Nike for making a political statement about a league that they give money to and yet they don't feel like a hypocrite for exploiting their workers and Colin Kaepernick?
Burn your shoes if you must, but stop and think about what is going with your thought process when you get mad at a man that did something to draw attention to the treatment of black people in this country.
What are you really mad at or who are you really mad at?
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Playing Politics
It was a sad sight when a dad will use his dead daughter to make a political statement or maybe he was just being used by an anti-gun senator.
Don't get me wrong, but you can't change the past. You can try to blame the Bush White House for the sins of the world and some are doing that right now. It isn't like Republicans don't play that game because they like to blame Obama and Clinton for everything evil in this world.
But let us get back to the gun issues that plague our nation and the desire to rid the world of guns. No guns aren't evil, but they become deadly when used by people with a desire to inflict harm on people.
We have unstable people getting weapons that they shouldn't. What is up with that?
Yes, you can blame guns but that won't change the fact mentally unstable people do bad things.
We could pass laws to stop unstable people from having guns. They seem to work, but not in a way that will prevent people from killing.
Pause, wait, there is someone knocking at the door. Why it is the NRA and their desire to arm everyone with guns. We haven't found a way to stop them from making it easier to get a gun. It seems like we really don't care enough to stop the NRA.
I know it isn't completely their fault but they do have a really good propaganda program in place that gets results.
We need to work together to solve this problem. We can't play political games like the one Democrats played yesterday with the dad trying to blame a judge for the Parkland shooting that killed his daughter.
Gun violence is the poster child of the violence game but we probably need to accept the fact that guns only pose a threat when used by a person bent on inflicting quick harm.
The dad has every right to be mad, but there was a systematic failure that led up to his daughter's death.
We just don't seem ready to fix the system that allows for crazy people to fall between the cracks.
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Thoughts from David Foster Wallace
David Foster Wallace said, "I submit, then, that it is indisputably easier to be Dogmatic than Democratic, especially about issues that are vexed and highly charged." This statement came from his book of essays called Consider the Lobster And Other Essays. He was talking about usage, but the quote can be taken out context to make a point about the political landscape we live in right now.
Read the quote and let his words crash over you. Maybe play some Enigma.
Read the quote and let his words crash over you. Maybe play some Enigma.
Saturday, August 18, 2018
The Memory Thing
Getting old means a lot of things, like aching muscles, forgetting things, and medical exams you never had to do when you were younger.
The memory thing always gets me. I worry about it because of family members that had Alzheimer. If I forget something I get the worried feeling. The poor memory seems to happen more when I don’t pay attention. But I take a deep breath and think about if I actually paid attention to what I was doing at the time.
Like anyone who likes to self-diagnose, I took to the internet and looked up memory issues.
I came across a memory expert that said almost all memories are an illusion. Dr. Julia Shaw said, “This is because our perception of the world is deeply imperfect, our brains only bother to remember a tiny piece of what we actually experience, and every time we remember something we have a potential to change the memory we are accessing.”
She also mentioned that we can create false memories, and these memories might feel like they really happened but they never did occur.
She felt so strongly about memory and our ability to believe false memories that she wrote a book called “The Memory Illusion” to help us faulty memory people understand why we can’t remember things the way we used to remember or thought we used to remember.
But that isn’t the only thing that I learned about memory, because I found that eating too much sugar is bad for the brain too.
UCLA did an experiment on rats that examined what sugar does to the memory. They gave two groups of rats a solution of high-fructose corn syrup, but they also gave one group an omega-3 fatty acid supplement. But before they started the experiment the rats learned a complicated maze.
The rats' brains of the high sugar only group showed signs of insulin resistance, and that can interfere with brain function.
“Because insulin can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, the hormone may signal neurons to trigger reactions that disrupt learning and cause memory loss,” Gomez-Pinilla said. She ran the experiment at UCLA
What does that mean for my memory?
It means that extra sugar is probably not good for my memory and that not paying attention is also bad for my memory.
I shouldn’t feel bad about forgetting a thing. It is natural. It is probably just a false memory telling me that I once could remember everything I read and recall everything I once did in my youth. That pesky false memory probably happened because I enjoyed one too many sugary drinks in my youth. Had I listened to my grandmother when she told me not to drink that many sodas, well, I probably wouldn’t have so many false memories? Man, another thing my grandma was right about.
It amazes me what we don’t know about the mind and memory. There are a lot of books out there promising the brain fix, but in reality, nothing can replace a healthy diet that isn’t high in sugar and a focused mind. It isn’t easy being told to put down the Snickers bar because that sugar feels so good but remember that sugar won’t help you remember the password for your email account.
Thursday, August 16, 2018
Are You Recording This
What is going on in this country? People are recording private conversations and turning them into media soundbites.
There is the missing 18 and 1/2 minutes of missing tape from the Watergate Tapes. Where were these weaselly people in the Nixon White House?
So, the idea of secretly recording public officials seems like a good idea because of the trustworthy characters on these tapes. It seems like everyone is secretly recording Donald Trump or his associates.
Some of these secret recordings have more to do with making a quick buck. Work hard and good things happen to you--not anymore. The new motto should be: "Hit Record and Get Wealthy."
It seems that the drawback to having a celebrity for president is that the people around him want to be a celebrity too. They are a mix of Brutus and Kato Kaelin. These parasites need and want media attention.
These wannabe celebrities don't care how they get their 15 minutes of fame. They just want to be wanted by the media. There is something sleazy about people secretly recording private conversations for reasons that don't have anything to do with a criminal investigation.
Omarosa just wrote a book and she wants the book to do well, but she also craves the media attention. But her book isn't what everyone is talking about because she has tapes of private conversations she had with John Kelly, Donald Trump, and Lara Trump.
The media-savvy Omarosa knows the way to stay on camera and stay in the media is to release these tapes of conversations that she gained by secretly recording them. These tapes are nothing but meaningless conversations and Lara Trump offering Omarosa a job.
The job offer is the winner. There is something diabolical about a job offer after getting fired. It sure seems odd to offer her a job after firing her for her conduct. Maybe the Trumps knew that Omarosa had a bad habit of secretly recording everyone that might be famous and there might be something on these crummy tapes.
The Omarosa tapes prove the media loves anything Trump. The good tapes haven't been played yet. She is saving them for the moment the media starts getting bored of her. It will happen soon.
I am sure there are some people that feel it is okay to record things considered private because they feel privacy is nothing worth protecting and keeping things private is a bad thing for our democracy. But when someone is so obsessed with recording private conversations in the way that Omarosa does it, well, they should wonder about the mental health of a person so obsessed with trying to remain famous for nothing other than being on a reality television program.
But we are all waiting to hear what is on the next tape.
There is the missing 18 and 1/2 minutes of missing tape from the Watergate Tapes. Where were these weaselly people in the Nixon White House?
So, the idea of secretly recording public officials seems like a good idea because of the trustworthy characters on these tapes. It seems like everyone is secretly recording Donald Trump or his associates.
Some of these secret recordings have more to do with making a quick buck. Work hard and good things happen to you--not anymore. The new motto should be: "Hit Record and Get Wealthy."
It seems that the drawback to having a celebrity for president is that the people around him want to be a celebrity too. They are a mix of Brutus and Kato Kaelin. These parasites need and want media attention.
These wannabe celebrities don't care how they get their 15 minutes of fame. They just want to be wanted by the media. There is something sleazy about people secretly recording private conversations for reasons that don't have anything to do with a criminal investigation.
Omarosa just wrote a book and she wants the book to do well, but she also craves the media attention. But her book isn't what everyone is talking about because she has tapes of private conversations she had with John Kelly, Donald Trump, and Lara Trump.
The media-savvy Omarosa knows the way to stay on camera and stay in the media is to release these tapes of conversations that she gained by secretly recording them. These tapes are nothing but meaningless conversations and Lara Trump offering Omarosa a job.
The job offer is the winner. There is something diabolical about a job offer after getting fired. It sure seems odd to offer her a job after firing her for her conduct. Maybe the Trumps knew that Omarosa had a bad habit of secretly recording everyone that might be famous and there might be something on these crummy tapes.
The Omarosa tapes prove the media loves anything Trump. The good tapes haven't been played yet. She is saving them for the moment the media starts getting bored of her. It will happen soon.
I am sure there are some people that feel it is okay to record things considered private because they feel privacy is nothing worth protecting and keeping things private is a bad thing for our democracy. But when someone is so obsessed with recording private conversations in the way that Omarosa does it, well, they should wonder about the mental health of a person so obsessed with trying to remain famous for nothing other than being on a reality television program.
But we are all waiting to hear what is on the next tape.
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Numskull of the Week
There are always a lot of candidates waiting for the Numskull of the Week award.
We could start with the 300 priests from Pennsylvania that attacked children and caused pain that can never be fixed. Sure, the priest didn't or won't receive punishment for their crimes, so who is the numskull, maybe it is the politicians that wrote the laws that put a statue of limitations on crimes committed on children.
The bishops and cardinals that hid the Pennsylvania priest should be counted as numskulls, but they probably got help from up above when it came to this issue. There is a consistent pattern in the Roman Catholic Church when it comes to the crimes committed on children and it is hard to believe that each diocese came up with the same ideas of how to handle the priest crisis.
In Wisconsin politics, there is the Richard Uihlein spending almost $11 million on Kevin Nicholson to beat Leah Vukmir. Kevin Nicholson wanted Tammy Baldwin's job, but he didn't even make it through the primary round. The money didn't help and Vukmir ended up winning by a nice majority.
These people have nothing on Donald Trump. As a person, he excelled at doing numskull things, but as president, he had taken his game to the next level. He thought last week's moves weren't good enough, and with more secret tapes playing on the airwaves, well, he panicked and decided to take away from someone that used to work for Obama.
Trump is the winner for revoking form CIA director John Brennan's security clearance in what appears to be an attempt to show that just because Donnie has small hands it doesn't mean he isn't the biggest numskull in the business.
This move is unusual considering the reasoning is Brennan's "erratic behavior" that only the president seems to notice.
Brennan has publicly disagreed with Trump, and that might be why Trump took the chance with his numskull move of the week.
On paper, the move makes sense because of the fact Brennan has credibility and knows what is going on in the world, and any comment that questions the president in a negative way could also undermine any credibility Trump had or has on foreign policy.
Taking away Brennan's security clearance will not silence him or stop him from using Twitter to call the president out for unpresidential and erratic behavior that seem to occur daily in the Trump White House.
This move is really the equivalent of Donnie taking his ball home because of Brennan wouldn't lob a soft pitch his way. The ball probably was a good ball and everybody liked the ball.
We could start with the 300 priests from Pennsylvania that attacked children and caused pain that can never be fixed. Sure, the priest didn't or won't receive punishment for their crimes, so who is the numskull, maybe it is the politicians that wrote the laws that put a statue of limitations on crimes committed on children.
The bishops and cardinals that hid the Pennsylvania priest should be counted as numskulls, but they probably got help from up above when it came to this issue. There is a consistent pattern in the Roman Catholic Church when it comes to the crimes committed on children and it is hard to believe that each diocese came up with the same ideas of how to handle the priest crisis.
In Wisconsin politics, there is the Richard Uihlein spending almost $11 million on Kevin Nicholson to beat Leah Vukmir. Kevin Nicholson wanted Tammy Baldwin's job, but he didn't even make it through the primary round. The money didn't help and Vukmir ended up winning by a nice majority.
These people have nothing on Donald Trump. As a person, he excelled at doing numskull things, but as president, he had taken his game to the next level. He thought last week's moves weren't good enough, and with more secret tapes playing on the airwaves, well, he panicked and decided to take away from someone that used to work for Obama.
Trump is the winner for revoking form CIA director John Brennan's security clearance in what appears to be an attempt to show that just because Donnie has small hands it doesn't mean he isn't the biggest numskull in the business.
This move is unusual considering the reasoning is Brennan's "erratic behavior" that only the president seems to notice.
Brennan has publicly disagreed with Trump, and that might be why Trump took the chance with his numskull move of the week.
On paper, the move makes sense because of the fact Brennan has credibility and knows what is going on in the world, and any comment that questions the president in a negative way could also undermine any credibility Trump had or has on foreign policy.
Taking away Brennan's security clearance will not silence him or stop him from using Twitter to call the president out for unpresidential and erratic behavior that seem to occur daily in the Trump White House.
This move is really the equivalent of Donnie taking his ball home because of Brennan wouldn't lob a soft pitch his way. The ball probably was a good ball and everybody liked the ball.
Thursday, August 9, 2018
To Collude or Not Collude
When in Washington, do as others do in Washington. How about the swamp getting drained by the orange man with the hair of Thing 1?
Oh, the things you hear from politicians running for office. Their polished speeches seduce our fragile souls to vote for the ruthless bastard that wants nothing more than to hold an office they claim they want because they feel a call to do the honorable thing and serve the country and the people that voted for them.
Where we duped by a great salesman in a loose-fitting suit. He never seemed polished like the others, but how come no one asked if that was part of the game? How do we know that this creation wasn't part of a game to make us believe that Trump goes off script and these off script moments aren't part of the script? He is a reality star. Now he is a reality star in the White House.
The swamp isn't drained. It isn't even close to being drained. The rain caused from a special council that might be a little partisan but not unfounded in it is a desire to keep the status quo.
That is the sad part of the political landscape that we live in and the swamp only seems to stay filled with the less desirable of society. The swamp will never be drained unless they can genetically modify humans so they don't cheat to get ahead. Not every politician is a cheater, but the swamp is full of politicians and the people that surround them.
Do you care if the president obstructed or if he tried to obstruct justice? We probably should care, but what will become of us when we find the answer to this question?
Did the president want to be president so badly that he used a foreign government to get his way? This has old Joseph McCarthy rolling in his grave.
At the end of the day, the reality star was only faking the part about not being a politician. His true self is on display for us all to see.
The president might be worried about the special counsel, but what will become of him after the investigation is complete? Did our government waste money on a politically motivated search to smear the president?
Our nervous country may never recover from what comes from the swamp. But rest assured that the president will go down in history as the 45 president of this great country. The investigation won't change that fact.
Maybe the problem is that we can't accept cheating in this country and we really can't accept people trying to hide the fact they cheated. That is why we got duped by the idea of the swamp getting drained and putting our faith in a man that seemed different from all the rest of the swamp things.
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