Donald Trump
FEBRUARY 04, 2023
02/02/23 03:50 PM
I watched a video of South Carolina, U.S. Senator, Lindsey Graham, who was a guest on Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity Show. Mr. Graham expressed my thoughts exactly when it comes to Donald Trump.
Senator Graham indicated that he fully supports Donald Trump for President. He indicated that if we want Trump's policies, the only way to get them is with Donald Trump.
He went on to talk about all that Trump has accomplished and that other candidates may have had similar policies, but few if any have been able to implement those policies and deliver on their own promises. He was quick to offer that only Trump has been able to deliver consistently on his promises.
In other words, if we want Trump's policies the only way we are going to get them is if we put Trump in the president's seat and take the whole package.
I don't mind going on the record and saying that I agree with Senator Graham. I'm all in on what he said, and I combine that with my belief that Donald Trump has been the consistent victim of a highly biased press and a dirty Democratic Party.
I'm not ready to declare that the election was stolen from Trump, like so many, but I'm not ready to blame him for January 6th or call it an insurrection either.
I do believe there are those who have indeed acted illegally and it wouldn't surprise me to discover that illegal actions took place on both sides. That seems to be the new America in which we live.
Addendum:
02/04/23 01:30 PM
Changed up the running routine today and added an extra mile to the run. Saw a movie the other day with a runner who was running outside (instead of on the treadmill with which I'm stuck) and had a bout with runner's envy.
I decided the best way I could simulate a longer run was to do one! Instead of the 7.0 speed setting I normally use for my two mile runs I set the machine on 6.5 (a bit slower) and did three miles. Turns out I moved my pace from roughly an 8:34 per mile pace to a 9:14 per mile pace.
Now to decide if I want to push up that distance on a daily basis or just an every now and then approach, like once a week.
The House versus the Senate
JANUARY 12, 2023
01/10/23 02:55 PM
I've been reading up a bit on the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. If I reading things correctly, the House has sole power (without the U.S. Senate) to impeach the president of the United States.
With Kamala Harris waiting in the wings, I wonder if they will consider that route? I tend to doubt it. I would imagine most see that as a true picture of jumping from the frying pan into the fire. I know I do.
Ironically, Kevin McCarthy (who finally won the speakership for the house on the 15th ballot) would be in line behind Harris to become president if it were called for.
There's so much going on that it's difficult to get a bearing on which way things will proceed from here. There's the whole president thing - including Biden, Trump, and an assortment of other players.
And there's a large contingent of players at lower levels who also tend to keep things quite interesting. And don't foreget the non-political who still can take center stage when they want to - like Elon Musk.
Of course there's always those instances where I'm sure they would prefer not to take center stage, but when you do wacky things that's where one is likely to land. Trump and Musk have proven to be very good at it.
Culture Shift
DECEMBER 07, 2022
12/07/22 07:00 AM
What do a lot of people know that I don't know? That's what I have to ask myself after witnessing the US Senate runoff in Georgia between Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker.
I'm the first to admit that Walker carrys a ton of dirty laundry into the election, but, in my eyes anyway, so does the Democratic party. And what about Warnock's dirty laundry that the press so conveniently ignored?
The irony is that I am concerned that more people do not seem concerned about the Democratic platform and all that it seems to be unleashing under the Biden administration. People seem to be voting for and against candidates rather than party platforms. I may be wrong, but that's the only way I can read what I'm seeing.
Would I vote for Trump again? If that's my only choice to vote against the Democratic platform then I would jump on it. As a personality, there's not a lot I like about Trump. But I think he did a fabulous job as president in terms of the conservative things that got accomplished, despite his personal performance.
Would I like to see Trump step away in favor of someone like Ron DeSantis? Yes, I would, but in this season I'm not sure a Republican presidential candidate is electable. I hope I'm wrong on that one, but I have to acknowledge what I'm seeing and what I'm seeing does not favor a conservative Republican party for anything.
What I'm witnessing is a dramatic culture shift and a willingness on the part of the liberal left to lie, cheat, and steal in order to put their liberal policies in place. I have no idea how we got here, but we are indeed here and this seems to be what we are presently facing.
Elon Musk
NOVEMBER 22, 2022
11/21/22 04:30 PM
News coverage of Twitter has never been so entertaining as it has become since Elon Musk purchased the company and took it private. Lots of his employees have bailed on him but he seems to be taking it in stride as he executes his plan.
According to the news feed on Twitter, Elon has reinstated former President Donald Trump's Twitter account. Conservative Twitter account holder, Diante Johnson, posted a funny and creative tweet (seen above) in response. It's funny and deep at the same time.
Unlike many, I like Twitter and have developed a singular focus on all of the ham radio operators and everything to do with ham radio. There are a lot of us there. But even if I don't talk about it on Twitter, I still tend to check in and see what Mr. Musk is up to. And, he's always up to something interesting.
Not Again
NOVEMBER 18, 2022
11/16/22 07:40 AM
This story is about Trump. I missed the big announcement yesterday, but my wife filled me in and apparently he's making another run for the presidency. Really?
I honestly thought that with a Senate controlled by the Democrats, Trump would not be able to deal with the resistance and would pass on the opportunity. It appears that his family has already seen the wisdom in one term only.
I'm also not sure that Trump has a strong base left. In other words, I'm not real sure he is electable. Despite his childish and narcissistic behavior, I think he accomplished a lot of positives. But without control of both the House and the Senate, if he were to be elected I fear he would be at best a lame duck.
Trump's bid may bring with it some real problems for the Republican party. If they don't get behind him, we may be looking at a split ticket that serves to provide us all with Biden or another left leaning president. And if they do get behind him again, there's still the ever looming question of his electability.
So despite its appearance, the title of this post was not meant to proclaim disbelief. It was meant to present a potential statement of fact. I have serious doubts that he can do it all again.
Had Republicans taken control of the House and the Senate, then I believe electing Trump could and would make a difference. But that opportunity doesn't exist anymore.
In my humble opinion, Trump should step aside and let DeSantis take a swing at it.
Says Who?
NOVEMBER 15, 2022
11/13/22 05:35 PM
These days, it's quite difficult to determine who and what to believe. I'm amazed at politicians and so-called journalists alike, who pedal their stories with all sorts of objectives and I'm equally amazed at those who willingly consume and get behind those stories without the slightest idea of the truth or fallacy upon which any given story is based.
So, where should I go to discover the truth behind any given story these days? We can't even trust the fact-checkers. Even those with whom I would most often tend to agree get caught from time to time in stretching the truth or omitting facts to suit their purpose. Fortunately for them, stories grow old and are quickly forgotten and/or replaced with an even more shocking story.
Some folks want to be the first to break a story. Unfortunately for them, they also wind up taking a position on the story just by the nature of their report. And they may wind up regretting the taking of that position as things start to pan out in the story. That seems to occur with great frequency these days.
And then there are those stories behind which I suspect we'll never know the real truth. It will often remain someone's truth positioned to cover up what really happened. The recent news on Nancy Pelosi's husband comes to mind as a possibility for that one.
Either way, I'm shocked at how divided we are in this country and I'm particularly surprised at the level of support on each side. If voting outcomes tell the tale, we are about as equally divided as one could imagine.
How did we ever get here?
Leo Shoemaker
NOVEMBER 09, 2022
11/07/22 07:50 PM
I put out a call for ham radio help on Twitter recently and had a gentleman reach out to me in response. As such I had a short phone call today with Jim (K8CXM) about his experiences with his K4KIO Hexbeam, and particularly about the performance and installation process.
He was very helpful and had some great insights to share. He reminded me that the founder and owner of KIO technology, from whom I also had ordered a hexbeam today, was located down this way, so I went searching.
I remembered the call sign and that he had a Florida address. I didn't know he also had a Birmingham address. I just finished reading about Leo Shoemaker (K4KIO) and all that I have read makes me even more excited about my purchase today of one of his KIO Technology Hexagonal Beams or Hexbeams as they are more commonly known.
While I'm writing this on the evening of November 7th, it won't be published until November 9th. By then the election will be over and my focus will likely shift more in the direction of Ham Radio and my preparations for receiving and installing my K4KIO hexbeam and all of the supporting equipment.
I'm so glad there are smart people like Leo who make this technology available to the rest of us. I've been reading about this antenna for many years and only now have felt right about expanding my ham radio station in that direction.
If you haven't been reading and keeping up with me, we're both retired and have retired to a beautiful place here in Ohatchee, Alabama. Everything seems right to go ahead and upgrade the ham radio hobby and station and I'm very excited about all that's up ahead on this journey.
It was great to read about Leo's life, marriage, and particularly his faith and walk with Christ. From that, it seems we have more in common than just the ham radio hobby.
If you are interested you can learn more about Leo's at his blog, which is located at leoshoemaker.com.
Footnote
Election Wrap-up
11/09/22 07:40 AM
Well, we went into the morning hours with vote counting and I could not
understand the situation with Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock and why
there needed to be a runoff. Where was the other 80k votes or the missing
2.1%?
Turns out there was a third (Libertarian) candidate who received those votes and
that missing 2.1% of the tally. So, now I understand the process as I read about
it and studied it late last night. There were actually more than two candidates,
but the run-off will include only the two candidates and should be held in
December.
Some states only allow ballots to be cast (in the run-off) by those voters who
voted in the main election. I'm interested to know if that will be the case for
Georgia? Online reports suggest that it has been extremely rare for as many
votes to be cast in a run-off as were cast in the preceding election. It seems
Alabama was the exception in the past. Interesting!
I'll need to do some homework on to find out exactly where we stand in the Senate.
From what I'm reading in early articles, it seems Democrats may have picked up a
seat.
It does indeed seem that Republicans captured control of the US House by a very
slim margin. That will make a very big difference in things going forward, but the
anticipated red wave never occurred.
I wonder how many Republicans didn't vote due to the expected red wave? Not placing
any blame since Democrat voters might have done the same thing. Just curious.
Election Day!
NOVEMBER 08, 2022
11/06/22 08:55 AM
The countdown is over. It's election day.
Patty and I will grab some takeout this evening and sit down in front of Fox News for a long night of election returns. Watching election returns with a takeout meal is a big tradition at our house. This will be the first time in as long as I can remember that we've had Fox News hosting the event for us.
We're grateful for our Sling account and the opportunity it provides us to avoid the liberal slant with which we've been confronted in past years. It will hopefully be a very pleasant and interesting evening of election returns for us with Fox News.
I'm particularly intrigued with the last-minute conservative come-back we are seeing in so many gubernatorial and state senate races. It will be very interesting to see how many of the conservatives cross the finish line and enter the winner's circle. Equally interesting, at the end of the evening, will be the number of seats held by our Republican conservatives in both houses of Congress.
One Day
NOVEMBER 07, 2022
11/06/22 07:10 AM
For the record, there is now one day in our countdown until the 2022 mid-term elections.
As I type, there are still a full two days left. But as I publish, one full day is all that remains until folks start casting their ballots.
As a conservative, I'm holding my breath that the red wave my community is expecting does indeed come to pass. A majority in either house is really all it would take, but a majority in both would send a message that liberals would not want to hear and likely would not hear.
It will take a replacement of the president in 2024 to really get things where we want and need them to be, but I'm beginning to realize that a majority in both houses of Congress would position us to get some very important investigations underway.
First things first. Let the voting begin tomorrow and I pray it will bring about the much needed-change that will get our country back on the right track.
The Countdown!
OCTOBER 29, 2022
10/28/22 06:00 PM
The blog will be carried forth as usual, but the images for the posts will be dedicated to the countdown for the next 10 days until zero day (election day) arrives on Tuesday November 8, 2022.
I figured it would be fun and add a bit of a twist to the blog. That in addition to everything else that will be going on.
10/29/22 07:35 AM
Well, it's Saturday! They come fast and furious these days and it's hard to believe we're less than two weeks away from our three month anniversary here at what Patty has aptly named Cliff Cottage. Let the adventure continue!
Ham Radio & Politics
OCTOBER 25, 2022
10/25/22 11:00 AM
Well, I've got enough promises of confirmations (3) for QSO's to get South America finished and have already completed North America and Europe. I'm only a few entities away from the DXCC and will have re-earned (at my current location) all of the ham radio awards earned at previous locations.
And, I've got a very good start on the other awards of which I had made no progress at any of my previous locations. It looks like Master of Asia may be first, followed by Master of Oceania, and I'm making small progress on Master of Africa, so it will probably be the final award earned and it may be a while before I secure it.
On a totally different note, there are 14 days until the mid-term elections. I'm going to start my official countdown here on the blog this coming Saturday when we hit the point of ten days left. What happens after the election (and especially with the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election) should prove to be very interesting!
The DeSantis / Trump thing should be very interesting as will be the choice Biden faces in pushing for four more years. There should be some other entertaining players but I can't believe any of them will make a serious mark on the outcome. I guess as time passes, we'll see how it all unfolds.
Footnotes
Storm Forecast
10/25/22 12:25 PM
Looks like we've got some potentially serious weather moving in tonight.
Online Autism Test
10/25/22 12:25 PM
I don't think there's ever been any doubt in my mind, but I took the online
test (once again) for the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Results are below.
What if...
OCTOBER 24, 2022
10/23/22 08:10 AM
If I remember the rules of our political arena correctly, I'm wondering what the conservative camp will be able to accomplish, even with majorities in both the senate and the house. Dear old Joe will still have veto power and I'm pretty confident that even if we obtain a majority in the senate and the house, we will likely not have sufficient votes to override a veto.
So, what does that mean and what are we really facing? Dear old Joe will be a lame duck president, but still one with the ability to veto anything he doesn't like. I hope I'm wrong on that.
I need to read up a bit and see what we're facing. I was hoping for a real change that might result from these mid-term elections, but I'm thinking the best we may be able to hope for is a stoppage of any further liberal moves by Joe and his handlers.
Footnotes
The Veto
10/23/22 08:50 PM
The Presidential Veto
Here's what I found in my research:
The power of the President to refuse to approve a bill or joint resolution and
thus prevent its enactment into law is the veto. The president has ten days
(excluding Sundays) to sign a bill passed by Congress. A regular veto occurs
when the President returns the legislation to the house in which it originated,
usually with a message explaining the rationale for the veto. This veto can be
overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House. If this
occurs, the bill becomes law over the President's objections. A pocket veto
occurs when Congress adjourns during the ten-day period. The president cannot
return the bill to Congress. The president's decision not to sign the legislation
is a pocket veto and Congress does not have the opportunity to override.
Source:
https://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_index_subjects/Vetoes_vrd.htm
The Presidential Line Item Veto
The Line Item Veto Act, P.L. 104-130, allowed the President, within five days
(excluding Sundays) after signing a bill, to cancel in whole three types of
revenue provisions within the bill. The cancellation would take effect upon
receipt by Congress of a special message from the President. Congress could
'override' the line-item veto by enacting a disapproval bill that would make
the cancellation message null and void. On June 25, 1998, the U.S. Supreme
Court held the Line Item Veto Act unconstitutional.
Source:
https://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_index_subjects/Vetoes_vrd.htm
Culture Shift
OCTOBER 03, 2022
10/03/22 07:30 AM
It's Monday and our first start to a full new week in October. We're also only about 36 days away from the elections. I would mention Halloween, but no kids live up this way. As such, I think that one's going to come and go without fanfare.
So, back to my mention of the elections. I guess that's going to be the big deal around here in the weeks to come. Will the conservative Republican party be able to unseat enough Democrats to take back over the majority positions in the US House and Senate?
In my humble opinion, and I'm sure the humble opinion of many others, we need to do that to slow down, or completely stop, Biden's unhinged efforts. I'm amazed at what the Democrats are willing to do and to put up with in their push to change the culture.
We're in desperate need of taking control and moving the culture back to the right just a bit. I'm not talking about a looney right, but a more conservative right.
I hope we can pull it off. There's so much at stake.
911
SEPTEMBER 11, 2022
09/11/22 08:20 AM
I cannot imagine the horror of 911. From a distance, the horror was real but I cannot imagine what it must have been like to be there.
My wife was at home with a sick son, and I was in Louisiana teaching a PeopleSoft class for the Department of Defense. I remember being asked to return to my hotel on Tuesday and Wednesday and then being released to drive my rental car home to Douglasville, Georgia on Thursday. Obviously, there were no flights to catch.
I often think of things like 911, North Korea, Chernobyl, and anything associated with a long-term and painful result like those have produced. I pray for those who continue to be affected by things like that.
Particularly for things like North Korea, I remain hopeful that something can be done (or happen) that would free up those being tortured. What a horrible thing with which to have to live.
And for those suffering the consequences of things that can't be undone, I can only hope and pray that some type of intervention comes into play and reduces the long-term pain. God help them all!
Alabama Voters
AUGUST 27, 2022
08/26/22 06:10 PM
I find it interesting that Alabama has 3,708,804 registered voters and that 2,329,114 of those individuals voted in the 2020 election. Those numbers suggest a 62.8% registered voter turnout, or roughly 2 out of 3 registered voters.
I also find the trend toward Absentee voting to be interesting. In the 2020 election, 305,663 absentee ballots were cast and that's up from 87,553 in 2016. In 2016, 4.1% of ballots cast were absentee and in the 2020 election absentee ballots represented a whopping 13.1% of all ballots cast, over three times the numbers from only four years earlier.
Also of interest is the fact that since Jan 19, 2015 1,890,152 people have registered to vote and 1,282,990 people have been removed from voter records as a result of being deceased, having duplicate records, or leaving the state.
Image source: NBC affiliate WVTM, Channel 13, in Birmingham, AL
Other Data Source: sos.alabama.gov
Footnote
08/27/22 11:11 AM
Diet and Workout
I've really gotten lazy with my diet. My casual attitude toward the intake of
sugar has been one of several factors that has sent my weight in the wrong
direction.
Once one thing gets casual, it's so much easier for everything to get casual.
While my weight has tracked upward, I have still found it easy to consider
changing my running and workout schedule to a lighter load with an underlying
lazy attitude.
I'm not sure how that happens, but it sure is easy to get there. And then it's
so much work to get back where I belong. Why do I keep doing this to myself?!!!
I'm not sure I know the answer to that question, but I've thrown away the idea
of the lighter load workout and I'm back to where I belong on all three items
including running, weight training, and that all important diet.
And now to keep up my focus!
Sling TV
AUGUST 11, 2022
08/10/22 08:04 PM
Some time ago we had a Sling account and really enjoyed it. We were watching a hurricane's progress as it made its way toward our home while we were in the car running from it. As silly as it may sound, that was fun and interesting, even if a bit scary.
Well, one thing we're really enjoying in our new place is rock solid high speed internet and we've once again subscribed to Sling TV to take full advantage of the streaming capabilities it provides. We're subscribed to both of the major packages and the sports add on, which provides me with plenty of tennis and golf.
I'm really looking forward to the upcoming US Open Tennis tournament, held each year in September and located in New York City. It's always interesting even if I'm still getting used to the unruly crowds at most tennis events that used to be so unique to New York's event. What a culture shift!
Speaking of culture shirts, I also enjoy Fox News and am looking forward to all of the election returns (and the political activities leading up to those elections) coming up this November, as well as the lead up to the 2024 election season, and in particular the presidential campaign and election.
Should all prove to be very interesting!
Vote
MAY 26, 2022
05/24/22 12:54 PM
It's Tuesday May 24th as I write although this will be published on Thursday May 26th and it will be old news by then. It's still worth a mention.
Patty and I had a list of items that required us getting out. On that list was stopping by the library to cast our vote in the Republican primary. We love to watch the voter returns on voting night, even if they are just for a primary.
With all that is going on locally, not to mention all that is taking place nationally with Biden and Trump, Russia and Ukraine, Elon Musk and Twitter, China and Taiwan, and a whole host of other interesting stories, it should be an interesting season for the voters.
Political Leaders
MAY 21, 2022
05/19/22 03:57 PM
I've got to admit that what's going on with the Biden administration has me scratching my head. I honestly don't understand how someone can break the law, as he is apparently doing with immigration, and continue to get away with it unchallenged.
The democrats went after Trump for what appears to me at least to be much more than he was ever guilty of, and yet we can't do anything about evident abuses of the law and all that is going on with the border crisis on our southern border?
I fail to understand how so many things seem to be going unchallenged, or if we are pursuing any of it, we seem to be doing it at turtle speed. It's beyond my understanding.
From what I've seen so far, and who knows who to trust these days for anything having to do with the news, it seems to me that a great deal of damage is being done and we're still half a year from being able to go to the polls and make some much needed changes to do anything about it.
I know this is a bit mean to say, but I honestly hope those who voted for Biden got what they wanted because I haven't seen anything from him that would have ever led me to vote for him. My vote for Trump was at first a defensive measure against Hillary. Admittedly, it took a lot of soul-searching to pull the lever in Trump's favor. However, and like so many others, I was pleasantly surprised at all he accomplished despite his antics. This list of all that he managed to get done was long and positive as far as I'm concerned. It was a far easier task to pull a lever in his favor the second time around.
I suppose I'm part of a large crowd that would like to see him finish cleaning up the swamp. Enough with the polite political rhetoric from so many others. We've gotten a dose from far too many Republicans and a double dose from the Democrats. Let's get some tough talk and a whole lot more action from folks like Desantis and Trump (and even our Governor, Kay Ivey, here is Alabama!) and see if we can get this country back on a good road toward much needed change!
Alabama votes this coming Tuesday!
Politics
MARCH 09, 2022
Big in the news these days is the war between Russia and Ukraine, and the threat of engagement between China and Tiawan. And, big in my news bucket is a U.S. president who clearly has some form and degree of dementia.
In addition, I'm still concerned about the Snowden thing and the Wikileaks issues, and I'm even concerned about all that is taking place with Trump, whether you like him or not. Many in powerful places clearly have a vendetta against him and it troubles me when I see all that is being brought against him with similar issues lacking attention on the other side of aisle.
One thing that has been very interesting to me is the number of people who have taken on the news outlets with stories of their own on YouTube channels of their own. I've subscribed to Johnny Harris and he represents a long list of people who are making a career out of doing their homework and bringing new light to current issues.
This is a cultural trend that I didn't anticipate and wouldn't have expected, but it's right there in front of us and the value being offered is impressive. I'll tolerate YouTube ads for the kind of quality I'm receiving from these up-and-coming news agents.
Mikaela Shiffrin
FEBRUARY 09, 2022
Remember those institutions that I mentioned yesterday? The ones that bring us our news? Well, it's bad enough when they get liberal on this conservative, but it's quite another thing when the values they are espousing cut across mine.
Such has been the case with NBC's coverage of the Olympics. To be honest, it's not just NBC. It's most every news organization out there and their need to get ahead no matter the cost to whatever or whomever is being covered.
All too often, our news organizations love to create a good story and when the story doesn't play out the way they thought it would, they love to cover the downsides. And I guess news consumers get caught up in it to the point that these news organizations are left with no alternative but to play up those downsides.
It's been interesting to get on Twitter and see what people think and are saying at a grassroots level. There's a large segment of the audience that thrives on both sides of the story. There are those who are eating up the critical coverage and those who are screaming out against it.
I'd ask how we got here, but its possible I may already know the answer to that question.
Institutions
FEBRUARY 08, 2022
Not long ago, I heard a man speaking on television and he was talking about the importance of institutions. I found myself immediately reacting to what he was saying and I had to stop and process my thoughts.
I've suffered spiritual abuse at the hands of spiritual institutions and find it difficult now to trust them. In fact, I don't mind admitting that the kind of abuse I have suffered makes it difficult for me to trust certain types of institutions, including many of the companies I worked for. After all, those institutions are made up of people and people are capable of terrible things.
On the other hand, I recognize that some institutions can be incredibly beneficial and, to me, are worth the potential problems that might be inherent in them. The institution of family comes to mind. However, I don't tend to view family in an institutional sense, but more a spiritual sense, and that may explain why I'm able to function well in that arena and why I place such importance upon it.
Perhaps my disdain for institutions explains why I liked President Trump. He fought political institutions and the institutions that provide our news. He didn't like them and they didn't like him. I relate well with all of that.
In fact, our social media outlets were useful until their institutional nature showed its ugly head in banning our president and other conservatives from 'using' them to get past the news media.
What about Covid-19 and our governmental medical institutions? I'm not talking about hospitals and doctor's offices but rather the government's supposed need to get involved in our decision making process. I guess that's the anti-institutional Libertarian coming out in me. My handyman friend said it best when he told me that he feels essential.
MLK/FBI
JANUARY 14, 2022
I've always been interested in the civil rights era. And, I've always found it interesting when I lived in Albany, Georgia that so much of what happened, actually occurred in our little town not that many years before we moved there.
Even when I was working on my MBA at Georgia State University, we had marches going on right outside of our classroom windows. It was quite interesting, but I have to admit it was also a bit frightening to witness the anger and the associated violence.
iTunes often runs 99 cent rentals on some of their films and yesterday they were running such a special on a documentary entitled MLK/FBI. I rented it and started watching it last night late and hope to finish it up today.
Common to so many other stories I've seen lately, I am quite amazed at the level of corruption that is present in our government and in the governments of so many other countries. I'm also amazed at the threat that MLK's power presented to some of the leaders of our country, especially in the early years of his rise to power.
I keep thinking that we live in very different times from anything that anyone has ever seen before. But I don't have to look back much further than the civil rights era to realize just how many back then must have felt the same way.
Still More on Bad Blood
DECEMBER 28, 2021
Well, I made it through the rest of the audiobook and had to pause to reflect on the real situation upon which the trial is based. Of all the terrible things that went on in this story, the trial is solely focused upon the alleged defrauding of investors. After all, lawsuits are not usually based on things like one person not being nice to another.
Many employees were fired in this story and some lawsuits may still be on the horizon for illegal termination of employment. However, those areas are much more difficult to address (in my personal opinion anyway) and as a result those lawsuits may never materialize.
Because investors are often so willing to take on great risks for great returns, it's not far-fetched to ask why investors were so anxious and willing to assume such risks without visual confirmation of what the technology was supposed to be able to accomplish.
As was mentioned in the book, it's the FoMO factor or Fear of Missing Out that might have been the true cause for so many of the investments that were being made as opposed to visual verification of how the technology was expected to perform and confirmation of when such performance was supposed to happen.
It is with all of that in mind that I can see the real (but still unlikely) possibility of a not guilty verdict. As the jury enters the 5th day of deliberations, one thing is for sure. The longer they take to deliberate, the greater the chance of a not guilty verdict or even perhaps a hung jury.
More on Bad Blood
DECEMBER 27, 2021
Last night, I found an audio copy of the Bad Blood book on Youtube and started listening to all 11+ hours. I had already put a hold on one at the local library but it doesn't look like I'll need it after all.
Listening to this audiobook only takes me on a deeper dive into the story. It's interesting to hear more of the back story on the players and some of the facts that I haven't come across elsewhere.
Even though I'm not far into the audiobook, what I've listened to so far has only reinforced the conclusions I've already drawn about her guilt. In fact, not only her guilt, but I'm getting a clear picture of her apparent narcissistic behaviors and hyper-attentiveness to her personal image.
The jury just entered day four of deliberations about half an hour ago. It will be interesting to see what verdict they bring back to the courtroom and how long it takes them to reach it.
SIDE NOTE
We're moving into the evening hours and I'm half way through the audiobook,
Bad Blood, that I mentioned above. I had to jump online and add an addendum
to my previous post after considering all that I've heard and am hearing in
the audiobook.
Oh my! The enormity of the deception perpetrated by Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani
is unbelievable. After all that I've now been exposed to via the book, I will be
absolutely shocked if the verdict is anything except guilty. Of course, there's always
the question as to what the judge is going to allow. I hope the attorneys for the
prosecution have not had their hands tied!
Bad Blood
DECEMBER 26, 2021
I had an opportunity to watch a Youtube video featuring Wallstreet columnist and author John Carreyrou as he shared with an audience some of the points of interest behind his book Bad Blood. The book was published in May of 2018 and provides a behind the scenes view into the highly interesting and multifaceted Elizabeth Holmes story that I've been blogging about recently.
Mr. Carreyrou provided an in-depth view of things to the crowd and then shifted to a highly interesting Q&A. Having heard him speak about his book, I'm even more amazed at the wide-reaching effects that Elizabeth Holmes and her company, Theranos, had on so many people. It's an amazing tale with layer upon layer of a story that comes across like a thrilling high tech novel.
Theranos is now defunct and Miss Holmes faces a number of fraud charges based on the alleged operations of the company. The jury is out for deliberations in her trial and the more I learn about her story, the more convinced I've become that the Jury will find Miss Holmes guilty of fraud. I can't imagine how a jury might see and hear all that I have seen and heard and come back with anything other than a guilty verdict.
I feel bad for Miss Holmes, but I feel much, much worse for her victims - especially those whose lives might have depended upon her failed blood testing technology.
More on the Elizabeth Holmes Trial
DECEMBER 23, 2021
It's always interesting to look beyond an online article and read the comments in the comment section of the article to see what the thoughts are out in the public space. I know the primary perspective will not necessarily reflect the general population (since it's a specific breed that writes comments in the comment section of an article) but those comments often make for interesting discussion and may introduce worthy ideas I had not considered.
In reading the many comments of a recent article about the Elizabeth Homes trial, it appears I have a lot of company in my perspective that the jury will (and should) come back with a guilty verdict. Of course, I'm operating on limited information and the jury has all of the details and is likely in a better place to make an informed decision.
Still, if this decision is the mystery that I make it out to be (in other words, there is no clear and easy answer) then there may be no such thing as an informed decision. If that is the case, and I fear it may be, then it's anybody's guess as to what the final verdict may be.
The thing that concerns me about this case is the precedent that will be generated should the jury come back with a not guilty verdict. Of equal concern is that the jury is not suppose to consider that possibility in reaching a verdict. This means that the jury could come back with a not guilty verdict and be wrong. And, this could provide a lot of unintended damage in terms of the outcomes of future cases that may lean heavily on this one.
Elizabeth Holmes
DECEMBER 19, 2021
I really enjoy good movies and particularly enjoy good documentaries as well. My favorite documentarian is Alex Gibney and I own several of his documentaries. Last night I also purchased The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley.
I remember coming across the story of Elizabeth Holmes and her proposed blood testing machine a few years ago. It was quite a perplexing story and I noticed that her trial is going on now. The jury just went out on Friday to begin deliberations.
Even through the documentary was published a couple of years ago, Alex always does a great job of digging deep and presenting a lot of new material. I can't wait to see it and also to see what the jury decides.
Elizabeth Holmes looks pretty guilty from my perspective, but I can also imagine that her optimism could have blinded her to what she was communicating versus what she might have intended to communicate.
From all I have read, this could be a tough one for the jury. There may be enough doubt to come back with a not guilty verdict despite whatever might be the real truth. On the other hand, a guilty verdict would suggest in my mind that there was enough evidence presented to the jury to compel them beyond any shadow of a doubt, and thus suggest she very likely was guilty.
Her efforts to dress like Steve Jobs is troublesome to me. On one hand it could suggest that she was very image-aware which, in turn, might also suggest that she was too savvy to be innocent of misleading so many. On the other hand, it might suggest that she is incredibly naive which, inn turn, might cast doubt on her ability to operate with malicious intent.
Like I said, this could be a tough one for the jury.
SIDE NOTE
Well, I just finished watching the aforementioned documentary. All I can say is, wow!
And, as for my take on things, I would have to offer a guilty verdict with what I have
since learned from the documentary.
The verdict doesn't come from the strong evidence of her guilt as much as it comes from
her being in charge of, and responsible for, everything whether she liked it or not. Too
much damage has occurred on her watch for her not to be held responsible and accountable.
She was playing the fake it 'till you make it game, and she got caught!
I guess we'll see soon enough whether or not the jury agrees with my verdict on this one.
JUNE 06, 2021
On June 5, 2021 the Nigerian government officially put an indefinite ban on Twitter restricting it from operating in Nigeria after the social media platform deleted incendiary tweets made by the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari threatening the south eastern people of Nigeria predominantly occupied by the Igbo people... (source: Wikipedia)
Twitter responded:
The people responded:
A-10's OVERHEAD
MAY 18, 2021
Yesterday was an incredibly active day overhead for Air Force exercises. We had a low pass overhead in both directions and it rattled the house! We had another pass a few minutes later and I scrambled out to the back deck to catch a third pass, again in both directions.
I grabbed my phone camera and they did make another pass, but they were far enough out over the water on this one that the image was not clear.
From what I saw off the back deck, and from the very rough images I captured with my phone camera, I was able to identify the planes as A-10's, also known as the A-10 Warthog and more formally as the A-10 'Warthog' Thunderbolt II.
On the first pass, I could see one of the pilots very clearly and he made a 90 degree roll in my direction which was very interesting.
I hope to get our good camera out where I can get my hands on it much faster to capture interesting things like this in the future.
ROUND 2 DAY 3
FEBRUARY 21, 2021
Well, we received our injections Friday about 11:30 AM and it's now Sunday about 10:00 AM. I'm amazed at how much my appetite stayed with me throughout the course of events. And our splurge with the take-out pizzas on Friday night didn't help much with the weight maintenance, but they sure went down good as we prepared for whatever was going to come our way.
I had a low grade fever Friday night which hit 99.1 and once again on Saturday evening where it hit 99.6. I suppose the Tylenol all day Saturday was the main thing holding back a fever and a more serious case of the blah's. Fortunately, no muscle soreness and no sore arm this time at the injection sight.
The low grade fever broke last night after I went to bed and I'm feeling pretty much back to normal today. I took several days off from running just to keep up a healthy immune system and in order to prevent further complications from the injections. Today will be day four without a run, but I plan to start back tomorrow.
I suspect that our new normal won't look much different from our current routine. I would imagine any eat-outs will probably lean more toward take-outs and I'm guessing that masks will still be in the picture when we feel it's necessary
Most of all, and as the picture above indicates, I'm quite grateful for all that has been made available to us in order to fight this pandemic. The medical staff that managed both injections here in Crawfordville, Florida were very kind, professional, and amazingly well organized. Our thanks also go out to the companies that brought us the vaccines. And most importantly, I'm grateful to God for His hand in protecting us from the Covid-19 pandemic and in minimizing our reactions to the injections.
What a strange season of life we've had with this pandemic. I could have never imagined it.
ROUND TWO RESULTS
FEBRUARY 20, 2021
Well, we received our second injection yesterday around 11:30 AM and after 23 hours I'm encouraged with the results. Of course that takes into account three rounds of Tylenol so far but I'm okay with that considering everything else.
We had no side effects until last night around 8:30 PM, about nine hours after we received our injections. Our body temperatures dropped and so we decided to take two extra strength Tylenol each, get under the covers, get warm, and call it an early night. It wasn't a real case of chills or anything like that, it was just an overall sense of being cold.
We got up in the middle of the night for another round of extra strength Tylenol due to return of unstable body temperatures, and then had a third round of Tylenol about 8:00 AM this morning when we decided to get up. And, after a long night of being locked up, the cat was certainly glad to see us.
I was pleased that we were both well enough to have an appetite and opted for bagels and hot tea. I even made a trip out into the cold to check the mail. If this turns out to be the as bad as it gets, I would be delighted.
As I've said before, we'll see...
COVID-19 VACCINE
FEBRUARY 19, 2021
On January 23rd, Patty and I were injected with our first round of the Covid-19 vaccine. Today, at 11:30 AM, we're scheduled for our second round.
We got a call this week that our appointment had been moved from 8:45 AM to 11:30 AM and the location had been changed from the health department to the community center.
On the first round, we both had a sore arm for just a couple of days and no other reaction. We're told that there's a real possibility that today's injection will potentially bring additional and more serious side effects.
I was on one of my ham radio club nets this week and, from others who have already had both rounds, there was mention of flu like symptoms including fever, chills, nausea, and achy muscles. Different people described different symptoms and some folks had no reaction at all.
Like others we've heard about, Patty and I have the Tylenol and chicken noodle soup out with a few other grab and go things to eat should either or both of us wind up in the bed for a day or two.
I'm also told that the typical symptoms last about 36 hours but I'm not totally clear on when that will all begin. I think there was mention that most people started having symptoms on the day after the injection and about mid-day on the second day after they were already getting back to normal.
I guess we'll see.
THE TRUMP I SAW
FEBRUARY 17, 2021
I still love my democrat friends and family, but you see it your way and I see it mine. You saw Trump’s arrogance, I saw Trump’s confidence. You saw Trump’s nationalism, I saw Trump’s patriotism.
You heard Trump’s unsophisticated words, I heard Trump’s honesty. You saw Trump’s racism, I saw Trump’s words being misconstrued and twisted by the media daily to fit their narrative.
You saw Trump as a Republican, I saw Trump as a Patriot. You saw Trump as a dictator, I saw Trump as a leader. You saw Trump as an Authoritarian, I saw Trump as the only one willing to fight for our freedoms.
You saw Trump as childish, I saw Trump as a fighter, unwilling to cave to lies. You saw Trump as an unpolished politician, I saw Trump as a breath of fresh air.
You believe Trump hates immigrants, I know Trump married an immigrant. You saw Trump putting an end to immigration in America, I saw Trump welcoming immigrants to America LEGALLY. You saw Trump’s cages at the border, I saw Obama’s cages at the border.
You saw Trump with a struggling economy, I saw Trump with an amazing economy until Democrats shut it down. You saw violence in the streets and called it “Trump’s America”, I saw violence in the streets of Democrat-run cities who refused Trump’s help and who called the violence “Liberal America.”
You wanted someone more "Presidential", I’m happy we had someone who finally didn’t just talk the talk but actually walked the walk.
You and I? We see things very differently.
Author unknown.
COVID-19 VARIANTS
FEBRUARY 15, 2021
It's Monday morning the 15th as I'm typing. This coming Friday the 19th, Patty and I are scheduled to head over to the Crawfordville Health Center first thing in the morning to receive our second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
We've heard the stories that the second dose is more likely to bring with it some undesirable side-effects. As such, we are fully prepared with extra strength Tylenol, some easy to grab food, and an empty calendar to allow for sleeping it off if necessary.
We're told that we need to allow for another two weeks after the second dose before we reach the full 95% level of defense against Corona. That's not going to be a problem either since we've been pretty much staying to ourselves throughout the pandemic.
I remember last spring and into the summer that there was mention of a more risky season as fall rolled in and it does seem that was the case. However, I didn't hear any mention of Covid-19 strains or variants as is now the case. Apparently, we're now dealing with three variants.
I'm reading that there are actually many tiny changes in the genetic sequence of the virus, but the three main strains or variants are circulating more quickly and bring greater cause for concern. Apparently, we're now facing the Brazilian variant, the UK variant, and the South African variant.
And, if I remember correctly what I heard or read last night, the current vaccine has generally proven to be effective against the new strains of the virus. That would be good news if it does indeed play out in the coming weeks and months. My history with respiratory battles has not been very good so I hope to avoid this entire mess.
COVID-19 SHOTS
JANUARY 23, 2021
Yesterday Patty and I got up early and made our way to the Crawfordville, Florida Health Clinic to get round number one of our Covid-19 vaccine shots. We got to the clinic about 8:30 AM.
We were assigned #16 and #17 of what we were told would be a day with 150 shots provided for senior citizens. I guess old age (or as we I prefer to call it - seniority) does indeed have its advantages in some instances.
We walked into a small room where two ladies were situated. One was filling syringes from a bottle containing the vaccine and the other was doing the dirty work, providing us with the shots. To be honest, I've had bug bites that hurt more than the prick from that tiny needle. And in a moment, it was all over.
The health clinic was very clean and the staff was very well organized. After our shots were applied, we were escorted to a waiting area where we had to spend 15 minutes before we could leave, just to ensure there was no unexpected reaction to the shot. Everyone was required to wear a mask, and one of the members of the staff was wiping down the chairs as folks departed the waiting area. I was impressed.
Neither of us had any ill effects from the shot yesterday, but I did wake up with a bit of tenderness right at the location where the shot was applied. In the grand scheme of things, I would say that was a good result!
Speaking of organized, we were handed a card with the date for our second shot (to be applied in just under a month) and asked to arrive at the same time as today's appointment. Patty also was informed that the first dose would provide 50% effectiveness after ten days. It's good to be getting this done and finding out what the new normal is going to look like.
TRUMP CARD
JANUARY 16, 2021
I'm so glad that I went on the record in yesterday's blog post by continuing to support Trump, and that I did so before receiving and watching the new Dinesh D'Souza documentary, Trump Card. I received the DVD in yesterday afternoon's mail and watched it late last night. I wouldn't want to look back on yesterday's blog post and persuade myself that the documentary had anything to do with what I wrote.
The story of Donald J. Trump reminds me so much of the Braveheart story. It seems especially true when considering the similarities between Trump's opposition and the Braveheart nobles and even the similarities between Trump and William Wallace.
Like William Wallace, Trump marches to his own drum and works quite independently or the influences in the political arena. And similar to the Braveheart story, Trump's power and the loyalty from his base is a threat to friend and foe alike.
While the nobles bicker among themselves, William Wallace opts for action over more talk. He realizes the wasted time and effort that would be required and the likelihood that no solution would come about as a result of all the talk. He also realizes that the nobles serve no real benefit to anyone except themselves as they contend for power and the crumbs from Longshanks table. Sound familiar?
From my perspective, the Democrats have become cynics. They have lied and cheated for so long that they believe everyone involved is lying and cheating and is in it for what they can get, no matter what it costs to anyone and everyone around them.
I give President Trump, Dinesh D'Souza, and many of the Trump supporters more credit than that. I believe they are all human and subject to their own personal challenges or weaknesses, but I also believe their actions and sacrifices suggest that they have far better intentions toward the common good of all.
As such, I'd rather take a naive stand, put my faith in the ones I believe to be true to the cause, and become a victim, than to become a cynic and another thief in the crowd, there purely for my own personal and selfish gain. I willingly admit that William Wallace took the same approach and paid a dear price for it. Still, I believe it was the right thing to do and the only thing he could do.
TRUMP
JANUARY 15, 2021
I'm going to go on the record and say that I still support Donald Trump and am still proud to call him my President. He called 'em like he saw 'em and for that he found himself sucked into dirty fights with the press, his opposing party, and even with the power centers in the technology sector and with social media, not to mention some in his own party.
But despite all of that, I'm willing to stand behind him purely on the basis of all that he accomplished. And, he accomplished a lot that is well beyond dispute, even if the press has remained silent on most of it.
When I consider a president who is five days from the end of his term in office, and I see the press and an opposing party anxious to squeeze in an impeachment that has no basis in anything other than politics, I believe I have become a witness to the real and unspoken agenda of Trump's opposition. I'm disgusted to see the titans of business use their ill gotten power to effectively silence the president and other key conservatives.
These things should concern us all.
POLITICAL STUFF
JANUARY 08, 2021
I took a stab at writing about the state of things here in America and was not at all comfortable with the results. What I wrote didn't even come close to representing what I feel. It's probably a topic I should avoid, but I'm going to go ahead and give it one more try.
Voting for a president because he or she looks and acts more Presidential would not even occur to me. I honestly cannot understand how anyone can cast their vote in that direction. I'm voting solely for a party platform irrespective of the person who has been nominated to serve at the helm. That's why I voted twice for Donald Trump.
Like others, I had some serious doubts about his political abilities. And like others, I was pleasantly surprised to see him defy expectations and actually accomplish what I thought were some very positive achievements for our country, despite his otherwise highly questionable behavior, especially on Twitter.
Did I think he had to fight the press on the entire journey? Absolutely! Did I think he had to fight a very angry base for the opposing party? If he didn't, he certainly had to fight a very angry radical element for the opposing party. However, the attack on the capital proves that our radical element is just as problematic for us as theirs is for them, so I find it difficult to address any radical behavior on either side of the aisle.
Do I think the nomination and ultimate election of Trump was somewhat a knee-jerk reaction to the then current behavior of politicians on both sides of the aisle? Yes! Do I think he was qualified to make good business decisions for our country? Yes! Do I think he was a strong communicator and qualified to handle himself well on the nation's (and world's) political stage? No! And, I believe that was the thing that led to his ultimate political demise.
Do I think voter fraud occurred in the 2020 election? Yes, but I have not seen any data that would lead me to believe it was significant or widespread enough to affect the ultimate outcome. Of course we'll never know on that one, but I would be hard-pressed to defend against the same claim being made by the opposition with respect to earlier presidential elections.
One thing is for sure, I do not envy Biden and the Democrats for what they face in the next four years. And neither do I envy the rest of us for the potential political, economic, and cultural changes that are likely to result.
A NATION DIVIDED
DECEMBER 15, 2020
I'm not sure if I'm more stumped by our divided nation or the process in which we reached this level of division. With the Social Media Wars, and those in particular on Twitter, we've been introduced to scenes that seem to paint a very dismal picture of the state of things.
History will likely take a dim view of all that has transpired including efforts to defund the police, ongoing revolution with violence often at its core, the freedom for a citizen to break laws with no fear of consequences, biased reporting and fake news, election fraud, and political correctness run amuck.
Even with all of the aforementioned having taken place, I'm find myself more alarmed by the speed at which it has happened. And now we find ourselves living at a time where the likes of an ill-equipped and completely unqualified Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez can campaign and even get elected.
For those who wonder how a Donald Trump could win the presidency back in 2016, I would ask the same thing about a Joe Biden here in 2020. There's a lot of anger out there, and more than a few power grabs at the center of it all. There are a lot of smart people on each side of the aisle, but I fear there are even more useful idiots.
WORTH MY TIME
NOVEMBER 9, 2020
SLIPPERY SLOPE
NOVEMBER 8, 2020
Twitter has jumped on a slippery slope! They've entered the censorship business and proven themselves pretenders when it comes to being fair and just in their approach.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see Twitter's liberal agenda in their one-sided online actions. Is it possible that Twitter is seeking to become a power center capable of swinging presidential election results and other matters in their preferred direction?
Just askin'...
THE DAY AFTER
NOVEMBER 4, 2020
Wow! I'm almost speechless when I think about the way the presidential election results evolved last night, and into the wee hours of the morning. I hope things settle and resolve quickly, although I have my real doubts about that.
There's a fine line between ensuring all legitimate votes are counted and represented, and allowing illegitimate ballots to make their way into the mix. I have no idea what is going on in that respect, but I find it challenging not to be a bit suspicious of the whole thing - especially when I heard one of the state election officials on NPR yesterday saying that his state planned to count all votes received for up to seven days past the deadline. He alluded to the idea that he would leave it up to the courts to force him to do otherwise.
It things continue in their present direction, it looks to me that there is a path to 280 electoral votes for either candidate. I'm not in favor of closing down the counting process until every vote has been counted, but I suspect I would also have my suspicions were I in Trump's shoes and especially if the left is truly determined to do anything and everything to secure a Biden victory.
Most of us who reside in our country's rank and file have no idea what is going on in the centers of political power. I'm sure there's plenty of propaganda on both sides and it's quite difficult these days to separate fact from fiction, truth from lies, and real news from fake news.
God help us all to see things as they really are and to make wise choices.
TODAY'S THE BIG DAY!
NOVEMBER 3, 2020
Well, today's the big day. It's finally here. And, more than a few haters of Trump have been anxiously awaiting it for four years. Who could have possibly imagined such a divided nation as the one with which we now find ourselves?
Even with eight years of Obama, I don't think we've ever witnessed such divisive action as we have recently. I suspect there was some, but with the press on his side, a very outspoken base, and an insufficient radical element in the conservative camp, the political dominance of the Obama era was evident.
We sure haven't seen that kind of political dominance in the past four years. Besides owning the press, the left has a larger, more outspoken, and more risk taking radical element. And, based on the evidence, perhaps I should include violent somewhere in the mix.
To the level that the violence has been taken recently, it seems there's no guarantee that a Biden victory would even quell the radical left's revolution. In my mind, that's sort of hard to imagine. If Biden wins, I hope I'm wrong.
POLLING DATA
NOVEMBER 2, 2020
In 2016, the polls misled everyone! And, that idea doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the severity of the misinformation.
The New York Times had Clinton with an 85% chance of winning. FiveThirtyEight had Hillary at 71.4%. And, on the day before the election, CNN bumped their projection up from 78% to 91% - just one percent higher than the Reuters prediction.
And now there are countless articles out on the internet, all seeking to explain the 2016 polling anomaly and all expressing confidence that the problem has been corrected here in 2020. If that is true, then the numbers seem to indicate that Biden will be our next president.
However, even it that is true, what the polls suggest and the reality of the situation may still differ. If the polls provide the right answer but get there with the wrong data, then the pollsters would have some more explaining to do.
As I've said before, it will be interesting to see how it all unfolds!
ALL HANDS ON DECK
NOVEMBER 1, 2020
I would imagine that Tuesday is going to be a busy day at the U.S. Post Offices. The scramble to sort out the ballots and ensure they arrive at the counting locations on time will probably require an all hands on deck scenario.
You can say or think what you will about voter suppression, but I suspect both mail-in ballots and early onsite voting have greatly reduced, if not taken away, any legitimate claim to it. Speaking of claims, I recognize that's a pretty large claim to make, but I suspect it's also a claim that would be difficult to disprove in today's highly watched and carefully guarded environment.
On Friday night one of the talking heads on a liberally slanted political TV special was asked about voter suppression. The only think she could come up with to respond to the question was completely theoretical and had no basis in fact or reality. To her credit she did not refer to the distant past, but she also had no modern-day real-life examples to offer as evidence of any documented wrong-doing.
Of course that didn't slow down the show's producers from covering the idea and she was awarded quiet a bit of time to offer her highly speculative comments. With all of the checks and balances in place, not to mention the massive community of liberal watchdogs and the number of eyes fixed on every political process in this highly divided nation of ours, I find it hard to imagine even the most effective voter suppression techniques getting past today's guards at the gates.
INTERESTING TIMES
OCTOBER 31, 2020
I was first introduced to the saying, May you live in interesting times, by Donald Sutherland in the 1994 film, Disclosure. Like many others since, I thought it was a positive statement meant to express blessings or kindness. I never imagined it might have its roots in something much more sinister.
Wikipedia suggests it's an English expression that is claimed to be a translation of a traditional Chinese curse. A curse? How could that be?
Wikipedia goes on to say that no Chinese source has ever been produced and that the nearest related Chinese expression translates as Better to be a dog in times of tranquility than a human in times of chaos.
Well, I suspect everyone would agree that we do indeed live in interesting times, especially with the upcoming presidential election and all of the unusual events that have led up to it. The political landscape, shifts in culture, and unexpected centers of power are indeed providing us with something new, unusual, and perhaps even interesting.
Now, whether you consider these interesting times to be an expression of modern blessings or the product of a traditional Chinese curse may in fact depend upon whether or not your choice for president wins the upcoming election.
LOOK OUT BELOW
OCTOBER 30, 2020
Look out below! That should have been the mantra for this week's Dow Jones Industrial Average.
However, I just saw an article on the market and the writer basically indicates that the market doesn't see a presidential election result that it doesn't like. In other words, the market thinks that either result look good.
I find that hard to believe when considering the drop in the Dow over the past week. It's an usually big drop (close to 2,000 points) in a market that was trending up for the first half of October. I have to believe folks are retreating ahead of the election.
Some market pundits point to a resurgence in Covid-19 as the cause for the drop, but I'm going with a fear of election results and particularly the fear of an inconclusive presidential election result next Tuesday evening.
As any market investor knows, the market does not respond well to the unknown. It's hard to imagine, but a swift Biden election could prove to have a more positive impact on the market than an unknown result. Is it possible that the market is anticipating an unknown result? It would not surprise me if that were true.
I still have my doubts about the effects of a Biden election on the market, but if what my gut is telling me is correct we may not have an opportunity to see that one. Still, if Trump is elected, the market may then turn it's attention back to the state of the pandemic and that could result in additional declines, unlike what happened after his election four years ago.
DON'T LOOK NOW BUT...
OCTOBER 29, 2020
The debate rages on between proponents of the popular vote and the electoral college.
I noticed in the news on the Real Clear Politics website that one of my dad's favorite politicians made an interesting comment. Newt Gingrich mentioned a presidential poll that was showing Trump with 326 electoral college votes and suggested that it seems right to him. He also indicated that he believes the left is going to be "terribly shocked" as he put it.
I googled 326 electoral college votes to find the poll he was referencing, but found instead a multitude of websites forecasting that exact number of electoral college votes for Hillary Clinton back in 2016. Interesting! I added Clinton's name to my Google search and found even more sites forecasting the same thing.
Could we see the repeat of a similar surprise, and one that defies the pollsters, here in 2020? Is it possible that Newt Gingrich is right about what would have to be considered a potential landslide victory for Trump?
The problem with polls is that they are taken from smaller samples in an attempt to determine the potential result for a much larger population. And the other problem (and a very significant one) is a question of the similarities and differences between the demographics of the sample and that of the voting population. I have to believe that is where the real problem lies in most of the conflicting instances.
I hate to even mention the possibility of a built-in bias for the organization collecting the sample, but the incredibly skewed results of far too many polls in the 2016 presidential election leaves me little or no choice.
Of one thing I'm sure. It will be very interesting to watch this unfold.
POLITICAL PLATFORM
OCTOBER 28, 2020
When it comes to the 2020 presidential election,
I must admit I'm voting less for a candidate and more against
a platform. The irony is that since my wife and I are retired and fit in the
senior category, we would probably experience a far greater personal benefit
(in the short-term anyway) if we voted for the other candidate,
who has made so many promises to the seniors. If he only fulfilled a few of
those promises, we would probably come out ahead.
But, it's the long-term that worries me. Who will pick up the tab for all of those promises? As has been said before, the problem with socialism (or in this case a shift in the direction of socialism) is that you will ultimately run out of other people's money.
More worrisome are all of the things that come with the opposition's platform. And, I'm concerned that a majority of our population now prefers a nanny state or a government that will look after them. If you had told me, not that long ago, that we would find ourselves in this position, I would have laughed at the notion.
Remember the nobles in Braveheart? As long as they received land and title they were pretty much happy to pass along the requirements for such gain to the common people. In my opinion, that's the exact situation we face if we vote in the opposition. They will prove to be the richer (and more powerful) for it and the rest of us will prove to be the useful fools!
God help us if the polls are correct this time around. And God help the pollsters if they are not!
ONE WEEK TO GO!
OCTOBER 27, 2020
As is sometimes the case, I'm writing this a day ahead of the date it will be posted. The futures are down 315 points and the financial pundits are blaming it on the resurgence of Covid-19 in the US and Europe.
I'm tempted to believe it's more a matter of the market's uncertainty about the results of the upcoming presidential election and even more likely the market's anticipation of a Biden win. But, who really knows?
One week remains until those who didn't vote early will cast their ballots and we discover who our president will be for the next four years. There's talk of a drawn out process to determine who actually will win the election, but all of that still remains to be seen.
In many ways this presidential election may prove to be a lose/lose proposition. Either we face a dramatic and far less than positive shift in our culture with a potential turn toward socialism (not to mention a myriad of other undesirable surprises) or we face four more years of a highly divided nation and a continued presidential witch hunt by the press and other haters of president Donald J. Trump.
Hope I'm wrong!
BIDEN OR TRUMP?
OCTOBER 14, 2020
If all goes well, in three weeks we should know the answer.
I'll go on the record and admit it up front. If Trump does not win the election and continue to be our president for another four years, I will be the most surprised person in the country. There, I've said it and I'm on the record.
I know, the polls say something very different. And I'm by no means ignoring them just because of what happened four years ago. On the other hand, I'm not ready to say that the current polling numbers represent reality either. I've lost all faith in the pollsters and their interest in seeking an honest and accurate result.
The truth is, no matter how a person feels about Trump, I just can't bring myself to believe that a majority thinks Biden is a better choice and that people will vote in a president who represents a party that has participated in violent acts all across our nation and that wants to defund our police forces. How on earth did we get to this place in our country?
I live in a county in Florida that voted for Trump in 2016 by more than a two thirds majority. No matter the over-all results, it will be interesting to see how our small county's numbers compare in 2020. I recognize that there were a lot of close state races in 2016 and that Trump's commanding win in the electoral college was not reflective of what happened with the popular vote. However, I also believe that Hillary provided more competition to Trump than Biden. I suppose that really sets me up for a jolting shock if Biden wins.
I do have one question, however. If the Democratic Party truly believes they will defeat Trump here in 2020, why do they have Nancy Pelosi preparing a bill in reference to the use of the 25th amendment? Why is she, on behalf of the party, assuming such a risky proposition when considering who it might anger and push across the aisle to vote for Trump? And, isn't this just another unfounded attempt to remove a legitimately elected president from office?
COVID-19
OCTOBER 13, 2020
In my old blog, I started writing about Covid-19 about the time it showed up on the nation's radar. I'm confident that my strong Libertarian leanings were apparent in the things I chose to write. But to assume I towed the Libertarian line would be to incorrectly assume that I did not struggle with the topic. I struggled!
Opinions varied widely and I don't think there were many well established and agreed upon facts surrounding much of the controversy as it evolved and continues to evolve. It seemed that the perceived reality of Covid-19 was continually changing and at the speed of light.
Even now the debate over whether or not we should each be wearing a mask seems to thrive. And when you take the medical perspective and introduce the political perspective, the fireworks are sure to follow.
There's one thing I remain sure of in my own mind. There should not be (and should not have been) any federal (or local) mandates for businesses (private enterprise) to shut down. Announce the medical risks, as they are understood at the time, and then allow buyers and sellers to make their own decisions. Business owners are used to evaluating risk/reward decisions and the associated impact on each side of the equation.
Oh, and by the way, most all business owners are going to feel essential in the nature of what they offer, if not for their own survival. And guess what? Most consumers will also have their own opinions about what they consider to be essential. So, who in the government sector (or for that matter, any sector) is well enough informed to take away the rights of consumers or producers and providers to buy and sell goods and services? My answer? No one!
Copyright © 2023 Hutch DeLoach