I laughed when I got an email from my Cable/Internet Service Provider advertising their latest technological feature for customers using their cable service. Why? Because the beginning graphic on the video of a crying child says, "Parenting Is Hard..."
Really? So, their implied solution is that all you have to do now to make your crying child happy is just grab your remote and speak into it what you need to have on the flat screen and "voila!" the problem is solved, the kids are happy, and boy, isn't that feature just wonderful!
So, how did we ever do parenting before this technological capability came along? After raising two daughters in the mid-eighties and nineties, I feel so cheated now that my cable provider has made parenting less stressful! Wow! How did any parent survive before this came along? If I'd have known this was going to come along later, I would've waited to have kids until now!
And to think that the paid employees who cooked up this advertising concept are most likely millennials who are pulling down at least a six figure salary that helps pay for their household "Nanny"! Yep, parenting sure is hard. And oh, in case you haven't gotten the memo...
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Happy Halloween!
A cabbie picks up a Nun......
She gets into the cab, and notices that the VERY handsome cab driver won't stop staring at her.
She asks him why he is staring.
He replies: 'I have a question to ask you but I don't want to offend you.'
She
answers, 'My son, you cannot offend me. When you're as old as I am and
have been a nun as long as I have, you get a chance to see and hear just
about everything. I'm sure that there's nothing you could say or ask
that I would find offensive.'
'Well, I've always had a fantasy to have a nun kiss me.'
She responds, 'Well, let's see what we can do about that:
#1, you have to be single and
#2, you must be Catholic.'
The cab driver is very excited and says,
'Yes, I'm single and Catholic!'
'OK' the nun says.. 'Pull into the next alley.'
The nun fulfils his fantasy, with a kiss that would make a hooker blush.
But when they get back on the road, the cab driver starts crying.
'My dear child,' says the nun, 'why are you crying?'
'Forgive me but I've sinned. I lied and I must confess, I'm married and I'm Jewish.'
The nun says, 'That's OK. My name is Kevin and I'm going to a Halloween party.'
Happy Halloween!
Monday, October 30, 2017
What Is America To Me?
Tonight Laura Ingraham debuted her show, The Ingraham Angle. Her opening monologue was classic Laura, memorable enough for me to want to transcribe it here for posterity; even though it is on video here.
I want to start by posing a basic question. The one that Sinatra asked in that old song, 'What is America to me?' It's a question that gets lost in the constant infighting that consume us here in Washington. Ronald Reagan said that the American dream is not that every man must be level with every other man, the American dream is that every man must become what God intends he should become.
But over the past few decades, the government became an obstacle to realizing that dream. Look, politics is supposed to b a career devoted to public service; protecting our life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But for too long it was dominated by special interests, big business, and, of course, the media elite. The politicians were supposed to be helping you! Instead, they helped themselves. They were elected to run the government, not to run you over with it.
Millions of Americans voted for Trump because they'd had enough. They were tired of being bullied by politicians, and the so called "experts" who gave us endless wars, saddled us with 20 trillion dollars and left us with a border more wide open than Harvey Weinstein's robe. They were tired of the ruling bi-partisan elites in Washington and a media establishment that didn't just cover them, but covered for them.
Day to day, what do most of you worry about? Paying the bills, sending your kids to a decent school, your health care, maybe saving something for your retirement? Most of us, I think, want three things; prosperity, safety, liberty. And that includes preserving our history.
So far, despite the endless, negative reporting we the people are doing pretty good under Trump. The economy is soaring, unemployment is down, the trade deficit is down, Trump is renegotiating NAFTA and other unfair trade deals, he's reforming the VA, he's appointed incredible judges to the bench - more coming this week - and, of course, Justice Gorsich to the Supreme Court. He's enforcing the border, novel concept, and deporting violent criminals. Who doesn't want that?
So,what are Trump's opponents resisting again? I'll tell ya. What they're really resisting is losing power! The people took the power back on election day. And the establishment is mad as hell. Let's face it, they really don't like the American people; not very much, at least, or their forefathers.
There's a self loathing in the air... do you feel it? Forces hell bent on erasing our historical memory? American monuments, works of art, literature, the works of men and women who imperfectly made their mark on the American experiment are being ripped from the classrooms and the public square. The memories and works of Washington, Jefferson, General Lee, heck even Harper Lee, are being sacrificed on the altar of political correctness.
What kind of country are we leaving our children? We owe future generations the opportunity to understand the glories, and yes, the sins, of the people who made these United States of America. Our children have a right to be fully informed, a right to a complete record of what went before, and yes, the chance to ask themselves, in time, what is America to me?
In George Washington's farewell address, written with Alexander Hamilton, he said, 'Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism who should labour to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and citizens...' What we believe, our love of God, family and country.
These aren't trite relics of the past, but are at the core of who we are as Americans. This show is going to be about all of this. And certainly the cultural, political and legal battles of the day. But something more... how all that affects your life and that of your family's. I take all of this very personally. I'm doing this because I care about what's happening to this country, to our children, and our children's children.
Now, there'll be times when you disagree with me, and sometimes vehemently so. And I'm sure you're gonna let me know. But all I'll say is I'm gonna call it as I see it, as I've done for the past twenty years. And I'm going to get answers for you, and I'm gonna hold the powerful accountable - and that includes you, Mr. President - and every night with you, we'll continue to ask this question; what is America to me? To all of us.
How the States Can Save America
Would you believe it if I told you that our Founding Fathers understood our self-government experiment might get out of control?
If you agree we're currently at that dangerous threshold of "no return" when it comes to most every aspect of our current governance, then I urge you to watch this latest well done video by Prager U, and listen with an open mind about what our Founding Fathers unanimously approved as part of the Constitution after it was almost left out.
More Proof of Insurrection From Within
With the mainstream media supporting the narrative of "white nationalism", KKK, fear, hate, and racism, as justification for groups and organizations such as BLM, antifa, and social justice warriors attacking those who assemble to exercise their first amendment rights, they ignore the more subtle tactics and actions taken against those who schedule events to communicate information and facts to those who attend.
The irony is rich when one thinks back to the day when the Tea Party crowds assembled in Washington, D.C. over too big government and high taxes, and the media did their best to characterize them negatively as threatening and "AstroTurf". Yet, with more recent actions at town halls by liberals shouting down their representatives, the media is characterizing these actions as a resurgence of community activism because the new administration has awakened "grassroots anger". So, which is it?
If this type of social upheaval, intimidation, and threats - both at small speaking events and in various locations around the nation on Nov. 4th - is not dealt with for what it actually is, attempted insurrection and overthrow of our representative republic system of freedom under the law, then we're going to be in for some rough times. Could this particular event be a taste of what might ensue?
I pray they're not successful and our law enforcement is adequately prepared wherever these events occur and are dealt with effectively to prevent any harm or damage . Keep alert and safe! If we buckle to their disregard for our 1st amendment right to say our views on a topic or group that threatens our culture, then we need to take a stand and defend it at the local level like the man in the video within the article linked above.
It was Pres. Lincoln who aptly pointed out that the only way our nation would be destroyed was from within.
* Shahram was a resident of Everett where he was minister of his church and ran for Washington State Governor in 2012. He later moved to eastern Washington and has been very active in exposing the truth about Islam and their long range intentions for America.
"The travesty is that the anti-free speech leftists and Muslims conduct their operations against the First Amendment under this faux argument that they want to promote dialogue."Case in point... Shahram Haidian*, are former Muslim from Iran who converted to Christianity and who's family immigrated to Canada and then the U.S. has been harassed and intimidated during his speaking tour through the mid-west this fall. Here's one interesting paragraph pulled from the article which accounts this experience:
"Kirby had to move his event at the last minute to the public library, where he was met by protesters from members of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, and an allied group called Indivisible, which has been financed by George Soros and has ties to former President Barack Obama’s Organizing for Action."I've commented on Soros and Organizing for Action in the past. What is made even more clear in this article from WND is that there is a coordinated effort by these leftist groups and organizations (Be sure to click on the "Indivisible" link in the pull quote above to read about and watch a training video on this national movement.) to implement the November 4th actions by them in an attempt to shut down Pres. Trump's agenda by using these Saul Alynski tactics used by the former president during his term, but in more subtle ways. Liberals are more effective at their efforts and actions because they are able to doggedly organize those who are unhindered by work. I personally believe this welfare state has been a long range plan of socialists and leftists to utilize the ranks of those who've become dependent on government handouts.
The irony is rich when one thinks back to the day when the Tea Party crowds assembled in Washington, D.C. over too big government and high taxes, and the media did their best to characterize them negatively as threatening and "AstroTurf". Yet, with more recent actions at town halls by liberals shouting down their representatives, the media is characterizing these actions as a resurgence of community activism because the new administration has awakened "grassroots anger". So, which is it?
If this type of social upheaval, intimidation, and threats - both at small speaking events and in various locations around the nation on Nov. 4th - is not dealt with for what it actually is, attempted insurrection and overthrow of our representative republic system of freedom under the law, then we're going to be in for some rough times. Could this particular event be a taste of what might ensue?
I pray they're not successful and our law enforcement is adequately prepared wherever these events occur and are dealt with effectively to prevent any harm or damage . Keep alert and safe! If we buckle to their disregard for our 1st amendment right to say our views on a topic or group that threatens our culture, then we need to take a stand and defend it at the local level like the man in the video within the article linked above.
It was Pres. Lincoln who aptly pointed out that the only way our nation would be destroyed was from within.
* Shahram was a resident of Everett where he was minister of his church and ran for Washington State Governor in 2012. He later moved to eastern Washington and has been very active in exposing the truth about Islam and their long range intentions for America.
Sunday, October 29, 2017
A Prime Example of Liberal Group Think
I'm not a psychologist, so I don't claim to understand the psychology behind this current trend, but I have lived long enough to see what today's liberal group think is really about from a common sense perspective; you know, that way of thinking using life's experience that most in the younger generations seem to feel is not worth applying because they are smarter than us older folk?
The movement today amidst these younger generations - especially liberals who believe morality is relative - have latched onto this concept that individuality and the difference of ideas about most anything which doesn't fit into their philosophy is unacceptable. If they are exposed to something, say a statue of someone from a by-gone era commemorating their heroic or brave character of standing up for their convictions, or a plaque remembering their contribution to society in their day, or the virtues they are admired for, and it doesn't align or fit their concept of history, makes them uncomfortable, or "unsafe", then it should be removed or taken down. (Personally, I believe the use of the term "unsafe" is merely a ruse to play on the emotions of people and appear to justify the removal of whatever is objected to.)
Case in point... most of us who've learned about George Washington; the key role he played in guiding our fledgling nation to victory, freedom and prosperity after battling the then most powerful and feared empire on the planet, would feel that he should permanently be recognized and honored for his contribution to the liberties and freedoms we tend to take for granted today. After all, it's all we've ever known.
But not the members of Washington's church he used to attend where there's a plaque recognizing his place in the nation's history. No, because of the mindset of liberals being ignorant, or deliberately discounting the context of the period from which such great men were significant in their actions and character, they instead feel that because he was a slave owner, an old white Christian who wore a white wig and incorrectly conclude that having participated in the French & Indian Wars that he was a racist for contributing to the extermination of those people, his memory or recognition should be eliminated simply because of other's inaccurate and incorrect understanding of him in that church.
This same phenomenon has occurred around our country for several decades now. Most churches have services which are unrecognizable to someone from a century ago. No, today's ministers seem more concerned about filling the pews - and thus the collection plate - as the more important issue rather than teaching what God, through scripture wants us to learn; forgiveness, humility, or redemption to name a few. Here's a commentary from Glenn Beck on this very issue.
The religious scholars of academia have done their part too, to call into question the accuracy and interpretation of the scriptures; saying much of what we've been handed down through the King James Version is not really what happened. The book Holy Blood, Holy Grail, for example, is one example which turns the traditional theology on its head using speculative conjecturing and hearsay to support its thesis.
Pure and simple, this follows the same pattern as all other situations in the past in other countries where revolutionary agitators have used the ignorance of the people to modify their culture to one which is focused on envy, jealousy, resentment of difference, and human desire to seek revenge and social justice. Is this why now we're seeing "social justice warriors" running rampant on college campuses across our nation... because they've been brainwashed into pushing for erasing our nation's culture to morph it into a socialist state?
It seems that the following passage from scripture which comes to my mind, is more and more appropriate for the kinds of events and thinking that's dominating today, comes from the prophetic verses in 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
The movement today amidst these younger generations - especially liberals who believe morality is relative - have latched onto this concept that individuality and the difference of ideas about most anything which doesn't fit into their philosophy is unacceptable. If they are exposed to something, say a statue of someone from a by-gone era commemorating their heroic or brave character of standing up for their convictions, or a plaque remembering their contribution to society in their day, or the virtues they are admired for, and it doesn't align or fit their concept of history, makes them uncomfortable, or "unsafe", then it should be removed or taken down. (Personally, I believe the use of the term "unsafe" is merely a ruse to play on the emotions of people and appear to justify the removal of whatever is objected to.)
Case in point... most of us who've learned about George Washington; the key role he played in guiding our fledgling nation to victory, freedom and prosperity after battling the then most powerful and feared empire on the planet, would feel that he should permanently be recognized and honored for his contribution to the liberties and freedoms we tend to take for granted today. After all, it's all we've ever known.
But not the members of Washington's church he used to attend where there's a plaque recognizing his place in the nation's history. No, because of the mindset of liberals being ignorant, or deliberately discounting the context of the period from which such great men were significant in their actions and character, they instead feel that because he was a slave owner, an old white Christian who wore a white wig and incorrectly conclude that having participated in the French & Indian Wars that he was a racist for contributing to the extermination of those people, his memory or recognition should be eliminated simply because of other's inaccurate and incorrect understanding of him in that church.
This same phenomenon has occurred around our country for several decades now. Most churches have services which are unrecognizable to someone from a century ago. No, today's ministers seem more concerned about filling the pews - and thus the collection plate - as the more important issue rather than teaching what God, through scripture wants us to learn; forgiveness, humility, or redemption to name a few. Here's a commentary from Glenn Beck on this very issue.
The religious scholars of academia have done their part too, to call into question the accuracy and interpretation of the scriptures; saying much of what we've been handed down through the King James Version is not really what happened. The book Holy Blood, Holy Grail, for example, is one example which turns the traditional theology on its head using speculative conjecturing and hearsay to support its thesis.
Pure and simple, this follows the same pattern as all other situations in the past in other countries where revolutionary agitators have used the ignorance of the people to modify their culture to one which is focused on envy, jealousy, resentment of difference, and human desire to seek revenge and social justice. Is this why now we're seeing "social justice warriors" running rampant on college campuses across our nation... because they've been brainwashed into pushing for erasing our nation's culture to morph it into a socialist state?
It seems that the following passage from scripture which comes to my mind, is more and more appropriate for the kinds of events and thinking that's dominating today, comes from the prophetic verses in 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
Saturday, October 28, 2017
Will It Be A Trick, or A Treat?
With the announcement by Special Prosecutor Muller of the first indictment coming next week, one can't help but wonder whether it will be a trick, or a treat.
If the indictment goes to anyone in the Obama administration who were fully aware of the UraniumOne deal, then it will be a treat. However, if it is anyone in the Trump campaign circle, then it will be a trick of the left and most likely of Obama's planning.
The revelations coming out over the last week have been nothing short of the biggest scandal of this nation's history; treason, obstruction of justice, bribery, money laundering, etc, etc. The names implicated in these discoveries not only include Hillary Clinton as S.O.S., but Obama as POTUS, Holder as A.G., Rosenstein, Muller himself as FBI Director, Lynch as A.G., and perhaps others like Bill Clinton.
The difference between the Trump-Russia investigation and the UraniumOne deal? Evidence! With the FBI agent's NDA now lifted by Session's DOJ, he will testify before a closed hearing to present his evidence of documents, audio tapes, and details on who, what, when, where and why. Unless, like others in the past who've had such credible information, this individual turns out to be a statistic in the wake of the Clinton's history in politics - dead by self-inflicted gun shot to the head, like Foster.
Footnote: Here's a report from the FOX News Sunday show of an interview of Rep. Trey Gowdy by Chris Wallace with video.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Thursday, October 26, 2017
What Do the Alt-Right and Leftists Have in Common?
Lately the media has used the term "alt-right" with the clash which occurred in Charlottesville, NC between two small factions; the Nazis and the KKK. However, what they've failed to do is inform the consumer about just who this "alt-right" really is and what their values are about.
It's become obvious from their reporting that they've attempted to connect Trump supporters to the "alt-right" simply because President Trump made some statements in reaction to the incident which upset the media's leftist political pundits. However, when properly researched, as this Prager U presenter has done, we learn that the "alt-right" actually has more in common with the left.
Watch this video from Prager U to find out just how this is so.
Guilt By Omission?
In this Prager U video, the presenter reveals how the mainstream media has quietly omitted the atrocities against Christians in many middle-eastern countries in the last decade. In my opinion, this makes them guilty of genocide by omission because they harbor an agenda of supporting those who are slaughtering those Christians. Watch to understand why I say this.
The World's Most Persecuted Minorities: Christians
Now, Prager U is suing both YouTube and Google for censorship of their videos. Read here for details.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
It Will Never Be Enough!
My 30+ years of teaching in public education revealed to me that the WEA will never be satisfied with any amount of funding in the legislative budget for the state's schools. Why? Because this whole funding issue has been an ongoing scam for decades now! How? Let me explain...
Currently, the Washington State Supreme Court is having hearings about a lawsuit brought by parties believing that more money for schools will solve the learning problem. Despite the fact that funds going to schools has increased steadily over the last several decades, with most of those new funds going to middle administration in school districts (Can you say increased bureaucracy?) and an increasing requirement from courts to accommodate a higher percentage of students with special needs, the demand for more money is a never ending reality. (Here's another article on the court hearings.) Question: Where in the WA State Constitution does it say the State Supreme Court can take jurisdiction over the funding of education, when the Constitution of WA states that this is the responsibility of the legislature? (And the State Supreme Court is fining the state legislature $100,000/day?)
Back in the late '70s when I got hired to teach right out of college, the family unit was already deteriorating in a gradual way from various influences. The NEA was crowing that they had their president - Carter - push through the creation of the Dept. of Education. This was touted as the answer to the declining quality of education then. At this same time, traditional discipline attitudes and consequences were shifting away from "corporal punishment", or a little temporary discomfort, to "you're awesome, now behave!", or any form of even mild violence will damage their little egos for life! So, if I was spanked when misbehaving as a child, how is it I turned out alright?
Through those three decades of my career in the same community, I saw the continued complaint expressed about a shortage of funds by both local, and state level teacher's union leaders at the local and state meetings and conventions I attended. Their ideology harbors the notion that if you throw enough money at something the outcome will result in better learning. More importantly, they admitted in my conversations with those I asked, that they believe increasing funding to public education will help grow a more coordinated state and federal educational support and delivery because the smart government bureaucrats know all the answers; not the parents who raise those children.
When President Reagan commissioned and released the study on the state of education during his administration the NEA and WEA, in coordination with most of the mainstream media outlets, orchestrated their response to "poo-poo" it; they didn't want to allow any credibility for the points it revealed behind why our children were not performing as well as previous generations when funding had steadily increased.
That trend has continued, thanks to the lobbying efforts at the state and federal levels to increase funding, or throw more money at the problem. After all, if spending more last time didn't result in better learning, it just wasn't enough last time, right? You know, sort of like the communists who continually tell us that past failures of creating a utopian state didn't work because the previous attempts just didn't do it correctly, like our trying this time will work.
I've got to be honest here. While I was teaching, I honestly didn't feel that I was paid enough for the amount of effort I put into it. But I must also be honest in saying that, as I got into the last half of my classroom career, no amount of money would have been enough to feel adequately compensated. Why? Because the caliber of student coming to the classroom was different than the earlier years; less prepared to learn in almost every way. Here's why I say that.
It's no secret that over the past several decades the stability of the family unit has deteriorated due to an increase in the divorce rate. This has negatively impacted the students self-concept from those who experienced psychological impact from feeling abandon. Consequently, I encountered many who essentially shut down from the belief that they weren't loved and valued. And I haven't even touched on the growth of sexual abuse by live-in boyfriends of their mothers, or the rise in drug problems throughout our society.
I've been semi-retired for seven years now, but my wife, who also teaches elementary students, has been bringing home stories of frustration about the same district I was in; now, she's ready to retire at the end of this year because of how absurd much of their policies and implementation of curriculum has been handled; extremely disorganized and uncoordinated. Essentially, their mindset for improving education is to adopt new programs every year so that teachers can never become competent at any subject, which is limited now to reading, writing, and math at elementary. No social studies, science, or art!
So, let's get down to the bottom line of who's mainly responsible for this problem which has been manifesting itself on our youth for so many decades. I hate to sound like I'm politicizing this issue, but as I see it everything has become political during my lifetime. Which party has been in power more? Democrats! What kinds of policies have been implemented by the party in power? The welfare state in various forms! Which party is dominant in the teaching profession across the nation? Teachers! Did those policies by Democratic Presidents promising a brighter future, with more jobs and stability for families in our country result in actual improvements? No, just increased national debt!
That's how I see it from my experience and I'm sticking to it!
Currently, the Washington State Supreme Court is having hearings about a lawsuit brought by parties believing that more money for schools will solve the learning problem. Despite the fact that funds going to schools has increased steadily over the last several decades, with most of those new funds going to middle administration in school districts (Can you say increased bureaucracy?) and an increasing requirement from courts to accommodate a higher percentage of students with special needs, the demand for more money is a never ending reality. (Here's another article on the court hearings.) Question: Where in the WA State Constitution does it say the State Supreme Court can take jurisdiction over the funding of education, when the Constitution of WA states that this is the responsibility of the legislature? (And the State Supreme Court is fining the state legislature $100,000/day?)
Back in the late '70s when I got hired to teach right out of college, the family unit was already deteriorating in a gradual way from various influences. The NEA was crowing that they had their president - Carter - push through the creation of the Dept. of Education. This was touted as the answer to the declining quality of education then. At this same time, traditional discipline attitudes and consequences were shifting away from "corporal punishment", or a little temporary discomfort, to "you're awesome, now behave!", or any form of even mild violence will damage their little egos for life! So, if I was spanked when misbehaving as a child, how is it I turned out alright?
Through those three decades of my career in the same community, I saw the continued complaint expressed about a shortage of funds by both local, and state level teacher's union leaders at the local and state meetings and conventions I attended. Their ideology harbors the notion that if you throw enough money at something the outcome will result in better learning. More importantly, they admitted in my conversations with those I asked, that they believe increasing funding to public education will help grow a more coordinated state and federal educational support and delivery because the smart government bureaucrats know all the answers; not the parents who raise those children.
When President Reagan commissioned and released the study on the state of education during his administration the NEA and WEA, in coordination with most of the mainstream media outlets, orchestrated their response to "poo-poo" it; they didn't want to allow any credibility for the points it revealed behind why our children were not performing as well as previous generations when funding had steadily increased.
That trend has continued, thanks to the lobbying efforts at the state and federal levels to increase funding, or throw more money at the problem. After all, if spending more last time didn't result in better learning, it just wasn't enough last time, right? You know, sort of like the communists who continually tell us that past failures of creating a utopian state didn't work because the previous attempts just didn't do it correctly, like our trying this time will work.
I've got to be honest here. While I was teaching, I honestly didn't feel that I was paid enough for the amount of effort I put into it. But I must also be honest in saying that, as I got into the last half of my classroom career, no amount of money would have been enough to feel adequately compensated. Why? Because the caliber of student coming to the classroom was different than the earlier years; less prepared to learn in almost every way. Here's why I say that.
It's no secret that over the past several decades the stability of the family unit has deteriorated due to an increase in the divorce rate. This has negatively impacted the students self-concept from those who experienced psychological impact from feeling abandon. Consequently, I encountered many who essentially shut down from the belief that they weren't loved and valued. And I haven't even touched on the growth of sexual abuse by live-in boyfriends of their mothers, or the rise in drug problems throughout our society.
I've been semi-retired for seven years now, but my wife, who also teaches elementary students, has been bringing home stories of frustration about the same district I was in; now, she's ready to retire at the end of this year because of how absurd much of their policies and implementation of curriculum has been handled; extremely disorganized and uncoordinated. Essentially, their mindset for improving education is to adopt new programs every year so that teachers can never become competent at any subject, which is limited now to reading, writing, and math at elementary. No social studies, science, or art!
So, let's get down to the bottom line of who's mainly responsible for this problem which has been manifesting itself on our youth for so many decades. I hate to sound like I'm politicizing this issue, but as I see it everything has become political during my lifetime. Which party has been in power more? Democrats! What kinds of policies have been implemented by the party in power? The welfare state in various forms! Which party is dominant in the teaching profession across the nation? Teachers! Did those policies by Democratic Presidents promising a brighter future, with more jobs and stability for families in our country result in actual improvements? No, just increased national debt!
That's how I see it from my experience and I'm sticking to it!
Just A Few Questions...
1- Since only 8 million people have ObamaCare, how will 24 million people die if it is repealed? Will 16 million people be randomly shot?
2- If Donald Trump deleted all of his emails, wiped his server with Bleachbit and destroyed all of his phones with a hammer, would the Mainstream Media suddenly lose all interest in the story and declare him innocent?
3- If women do the same job for less money, why do companies hire men to do the same job for more money?
4- If you rob a bank in a Sanctuary City, is it illegal or is it just an Undocumented Withdraw?
5- Each ISIS attack now is a reaction to Trump policies, but all ISIS attacks during Obama's term were due to Climate Change and a plea for jobs.
6- After the London 'Lone Wolf' terrorist attack government officials have arrested at least eight other 'Lone Wolves' who had conspired with the original 'Lone Wolf' in planning the 'Lone Wolf' attack. Even though all involved are Muslims, you can be assured, the 'Lone Wolf; attack has nothing at all to do with Islam, just like the other 1000 plus 'Lone Wolf' attacks by Muslims, are completely unassociated with Islam.
7- We should stop calling them all 'Entitlements'.
Welfare, Food Stamps, WIC, are not entitlements. They are taxpayer-funded handouts, and shouldn't be called entitlements at all. Social Security and Veterans Benefits are Entitlements because the people receiving them are entitled to them. They were earned and paid for by the recipients.
8- If Muslims want to run away from a Muslim country, does that mean they're Islamophobic?
9- If Liberals don't believe in biological gender then why did they march for women's rights?
10- How did the Russians get Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the DNC to steal the Primary from Bernie Sanders? How did Russia get Donna Brazile to leak debate questions to Hillary Clinton in advance of the debates?
11- Why is it that Democrats think Superdelegates are fine, but they have a problem with the Electoral College?
12- If you don't want the FBI involved in elections, don't nominate someone who's being investigated by the FBI.
13- If Hillary's speeches cost $250,000 an hour, how come no one shows up to her free ones?
14- The DNC is mad at Russia because they 'think' they are trying to manipulate our election by exposing that the DNC is manipulating our election?
15- Why is it that Liberals and the Media are upset about the words Trump used 11 years ago but they are alright with Adult men using the Ladies Room with your Wives and Daughters?
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
WA Senate Investigation Confirms Sound Transit Lied!
Extracted with permission from Tim Eyman:
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
(See audio file link at bottom on this.)
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
(See audio file link at bottom on this.)
The Senate Law and Justice Committee released a report yesterday that indicts Sound Transit for its' many lies:
* Sound Transit's bill was purposely drafted to hide their artificially inflated vehicle valuation schedule.
* Sound Transit repeatedly told the Legislature to give them "the full $15 billion" but bait-and-switched it to $54 billion.
* ST3 promised car tab taxes would cost around $80 (my $407.75 car tab bill shows that was a lie).
Sound Transit lied to the Legislature, Sound Transit lied to the voters.
In response to the committee's stinging report, the Sound Transit Industrial Complex is circling the wagons, essentially saying "Everyone just shut up, we stole the money fair and square."
There's only one way to fight back against Sound Transit's duplicity and deceptions: our $30 Tabs Initiative I-947.
Our
initiative COMPLETELY REPEALS Sound Transit's dishonest, inaccurate,
artificially inflated vehicle valuation schedule. Our initiative
COMPLETELY REPEALS all of Sound Transit's car tab taxes. Our initiative
COMPLETELY REPEALS weight fees and other vehicle charges imposed by
state government. Our initiative COMPLETELY REPEALS the per vehicle
fees imposed by cities and their transportation benefit districts.
Our
initiative leaves in place a flat, fair, reasonable $30 annual fee for
cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, motorcycles, motor homes, RVs, 5th wheels, and
other vehicles. Regardless of your vehicle's year, value, make, or
model, you will write a check for $30 to license it.
Voters
approved $30 tabs in 1999 and voters approved $30 tabs in 2002. And
for about 10 years, car tab taxes stayed low. But in 2007, Governor
Gregoire opened up Pandora's box by allowing local governments to once
again increase vehicle charges. In the past few years, car tab taxes
have SKYROCKETED for vehicle owners across the state.
I've been hearing people say this for years: "Whatever happened to our $30 car tabs?"
There's two ways you can help Bring Back Our $30 Car Tabs and stick it to Sound Transit:
1) ask for petitions and help collect signatures (collect 1000+ signatures and earn yourself an uber-orange $30 Tabs t-shirt)
2) donate (just think about how much you've saved over the years from our other two successful $30 Tabs Initiatives)
Footnote: Listen to Sen. Steve O'Ban being interviewed on KTTH about this investigation's findings here.
Footnote: Listen to Sen. Steve O'Ban being interviewed on KTTH about this investigation's findings here.
"Free Speech Supports Fascism and White Supremacy"
You read that correctly...
This post title is the claim made by "social justice warrior" students who stormed the stage while the University of Oregon President, Michael H. Schill, was giving a state-of-the-university address earlier this month in Eugene, Oregon. Mr. Schill makes a very insightful point about this growing problem in this article.
I'm going to get directly to the point... what these student have in intelligence and knowledge (as limited as that is), they lack in experience and wisdom.
The phenomenon we're seeing with these radicalized students who are convinced they're protecting democracy is, in my opinion and from my teaching experience, revealing how ignorant and caught up in "group think" they are about the concept of free speech. Many believe they're justified, in their view, that if anyone is saying something which offends their sensitivities, views, or concepts about anything, in committing violence, by any means necessary, to shut down anyone from being able to speak their opinion on it. Is this merely a spontaneous occurrence of stupidity, or is there an origin to it?
My theory on this question contains several causes; one, a lack of civics - including an explanation of the reasons and circumstances of that period as to why the concepts put forth in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution were included - being taught in public schools since the '70s, two, a combination of liberal coddling by parents who've protected them from any experience of struggle or difficulty in their lives, along with the modeling that the "Organizer-in-Chief" so subtly provided them while they were in middle-school and high school, three, note the particular choice of words used in the chant as they walked down the isles and stood on the stage; "Nothing about us, without us." On the surface, this chant seems to be demanding a voice in the decisions at the university. However, for me, this is an expression of no only their immaturity in regard to their role there, but also their self-centeredness which has been fostered by parents and prior school experience. (I wouldn't be surprised that, should future investigation reveal evidence to support the possibility that someone like George Soros, and his "Open Society" movement money, has been funneled into nearly every college and university across the country to pay insurgents - like the student speaking at the end of the video in this article - to foment the rioting and shout downs which are taking place.)
For eight years, "the police acted stupidly", "if he was my son, he'd look like me", and the fake news myth perpetuated by the media of "hands up don't shoot" became the accepted train of thinking about the race relations in our country; especially in the urban centers of our increasingly divided states.
Now that they're at colleges, their professors who engage in perpetuating the ideology that America is bad and social injustice must be corrected which took place over 150 years ago, these students believe they're engaged in moral crusade of correcting wrongs that neither side of the issue were ever involved in directly! If events like this have occurred at high schools, why haven't we learned about them in the news or on the Internet? (My guess is that the local school district's P.R. department isn't willing to let such a story out, but that may yet come.)
At this point, it appears that they have the momentum. Is it possible to turn this around? Yes, but only if there are more college and university presidents who, unlike the former president of Evergreen State College in Washington State last year, have a backbone and understanding of what's going on and how to deal with it.
This post title is the claim made by "social justice warrior" students who stormed the stage while the University of Oregon President, Michael H. Schill, was giving a state-of-the-university address earlier this month in Eugene, Oregon. Mr. Schill makes a very insightful point about this growing problem in this article.
I'm going to get directly to the point... what these student have in intelligence and knowledge (as limited as that is), they lack in experience and wisdom.
The phenomenon we're seeing with these radicalized students who are convinced they're protecting democracy is, in my opinion and from my teaching experience, revealing how ignorant and caught up in "group think" they are about the concept of free speech. Many believe they're justified, in their view, that if anyone is saying something which offends their sensitivities, views, or concepts about anything, in committing violence, by any means necessary, to shut down anyone from being able to speak their opinion on it. Is this merely a spontaneous occurrence of stupidity, or is there an origin to it?
My theory on this question contains several causes; one, a lack of civics - including an explanation of the reasons and circumstances of that period as to why the concepts put forth in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution were included - being taught in public schools since the '70s, two, a combination of liberal coddling by parents who've protected them from any experience of struggle or difficulty in their lives, along with the modeling that the "Organizer-in-Chief" so subtly provided them while they were in middle-school and high school, three, note the particular choice of words used in the chant as they walked down the isles and stood on the stage; "Nothing about us, without us." On the surface, this chant seems to be demanding a voice in the decisions at the university. However, for me, this is an expression of no only their immaturity in regard to their role there, but also their self-centeredness which has been fostered by parents and prior school experience. (I wouldn't be surprised that, should future investigation reveal evidence to support the possibility that someone like George Soros, and his "Open Society" movement money, has been funneled into nearly every college and university across the country to pay insurgents - like the student speaking at the end of the video in this article - to foment the rioting and shout downs which are taking place.)
For eight years, "the police acted stupidly", "if he was my son, he'd look like me", and the fake news myth perpetuated by the media of "hands up don't shoot" became the accepted train of thinking about the race relations in our country; especially in the urban centers of our increasingly divided states.
Now that they're at colleges, their professors who engage in perpetuating the ideology that America is bad and social injustice must be corrected which took place over 150 years ago, these students believe they're engaged in moral crusade of correcting wrongs that neither side of the issue were ever involved in directly! If events like this have occurred at high schools, why haven't we learned about them in the news or on the Internet? (My guess is that the local school district's P.R. department isn't willing to let such a story out, but that may yet come.)
At this point, it appears that they have the momentum. Is it possible to turn this around? Yes, but only if there are more college and university presidents who, unlike the former president of Evergreen State College in Washington State last year, have a backbone and understanding of what's going on and how to deal with it.
Monday, October 23, 2017
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Are Our Constitutional Rights Gone?
Here are two recent articles which answer the question in this post's title:
California City Searches Homes Without Warrants
The Surveilance State Shifts Into High Gear
We can do two things regarding this state of affairs:
1) Read 'em and weep, or
2) Organize and tell them "hell no!" (You want to listen to this.)
I suspect the former will occur more than the latter. I pray I'm proven wrong!
How Much Will We Learn Now?
Just how much will be actually released now that President Trump has decided to release more classified documents regarding the JFK assassination investigations remains to be seen over the next few months as these files will be scrutinized by those interested in digging into them. Most likely, those who've dedicated most of their lives researching, investigating, speaking at conferences, writing books and making documentaries, are the ones most likely to be doing so, for they have the background, expertise of facts, versus rumor and opinions, about various details and connections of people involved in the event. The web is vast, and the players are legion.
For those of us who were only children at the time of the event - I was in 5th grade in a school in the L.A. area of CA - it is one of those things that is indelibly fixed in our memory with vivid clarity. I was sitting in my classroom on Friday, Nov. 22nd - we were all watching a broadcast of a Spanish language lesson (I don't recall which of the 4 stations - ABC, NBC, CBS or PBS - it was on; most likely PBS) at around mid-morning - when our teacher suddenly switched the channel after getting of his phone. Walter Cronkite broke into the show on that channel and announced that President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas, Texas. At that moment another teacher - who was standing in the doorway monitoring the class - gasped loudly in reaction, placed her hand over her mouth to silence it, and went down the hall in shock. We all sat in our seats, glued to the television set - which was only black and white then - and tried to comprehend just what the news man was actually telling us about. It was obviously serious, for, when Cronkite took his glasses off and wiped a tear welling up in his eye, this display of emotion was not common.
By early afternoon an announcement was made over the school's P.A. (Public Announcement) system that school was being cancelled, and that buses would be taking us home immediately. This was around 1:00 PM PST. I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on the floor of our TV viewing area watching what unfolded in the news through the rest of that afternoon and evening, as well as the rest of the weekend.
Interestingly, the Press Secretary, Malcolm Killdoff, who gave a press briefing said that the doctor determined that the president died of a gunshot wound right to the head as he raised his right arm and pointed his finger directly to the area directly above the right eye on the skull. Yet, we were told that Oswald shot him with the rifle from the 6th floor window of the Texas Schoolbook Depository, from the rear. Footage from the documentary about the event titled, "The Men Who Killed Kennedy" has images of the police on the 6th floor of the building looking at the rifle with the voiceover saying, "It was an Italian Manlicher Carcano, WWII vintage, worn and rusty, and with a misaligned scope." Question... how can a marksman use a rifle with a misaligned scope to shoot someone with any chance of accuracy?
We learned of Officer J.D. Tippit being killed by a gunman, then the arrest of a suspect found in a theater not far away from there that day. Then, there was what I believe was the first ever "live on television" murder of Lee H. Oswald by Jack Ruby in the basement of the Dallas Police Hdqrts. a few days later (Sunday) when he was being transferred to another jail facility. Ruby was the owner of a strip club in downtown Dallas and it was later discovered that he was connected with the mob.
I believe it was Monday or Tuesday - school was still out due to the national mourning being observed - when the funeral procession happened. It was a long day of formal pomp and circumstance with all the trappings of state proceedings; his flag draped coffin on a wagon wheeled cart pulled by at least eight white horses and squads of soldiers from every branch of the military. Ahead of the cart was another black stallion - stunningly beautiful - with black boots placed in the stirrups backwards, full of energy to the point of the soldier who was walking next to it nearly lost control several times as he held onto its reigns. Our speculation was that someone forgot to tire this black beauty out the day before, or it was over excited by all the people lining the streets, watching in reverent silence as the coffin passed slowly by; the horses' hooves clip-clopping on the hard pavement, piercing the somber mood covering the days event.
Once the procession reached to capitol building, the coffin was moved into the rotunda underneath the vaulted dome to lay in state for a period while hundreds of thousands of mourners filed slowly and quietly passed it. At some point, Mrs. Kennedy, accompanied by Teddy & Bobby Kennedy, along with Caroline and "Little John" visited the coffin there, and the nation, if not the world, was riveted and mesmerized by the scene. A few days later the ceremony at Arlington Cemetery took place and the nation was by now, fatigued by the drawn out ordeal of mourning its loved President... almost relieved that it was coming to an end.
As the Warren Commission, led by the former Director of the C.I.A. - whom Kennedy had fired from the position earlier - Allen Dulles, and other members of the commission, interviewed Jack Ruby in jail. He pleaded to be removed from Dallas to testify in Washington, D.C. and on camera stated, in answering a reporter's question as to whether the reason the truth behind it all would be withheld from the people of the country because of individuals in high places of the government, he replied, "Yes!"
Over the next several years, the nation's innocence shattered, the new administration under Pres. Johnson began gradually escalating the war in Vietnam by sending more military advisors and troops. At the same time, the "Flower Revolution" hit the Haight/Ashbury district of San Francisco, CA only 70 miles south of where I was going to middle-school. As I reached high school, drugs were steadily proliferating our experience as our friends encouraged us to "drop out, drop in, and become enlightened" by taking an array of psychotropic drugs which supposedly would expand our horizons. At the UC Berkeley campus, protests against the "establishment" of the day were fighting police for the cause of free speech.
Amidst these years was a cultural revolution which resulted in riots in various urban areas of the country, with regular anti-Vietnam War protest marches and black arm bands worn on one arm to show "solidarity". Today, 45 years later, we're experience de ja vous,, all over again, with the new "resistance" attempting to shut down free speech because they're offended by opposing political views. How ironic! It seems our "Organizer-in-Chief" of the previous administration was effective in dividing our society using identity politics by implementing tactics and strategies espoused by his mentor, Saul Alinsky.
Footnote: I believe I understand why the CIA is not allowing all the documents released on the JFK assassination.
While others who are now combing
through the newly released documents and finding some little piece of
new information that points to something they hadn't considered, the
truth will have been in plain sight all along, but they just weren't
aware of it due to it being suppressed successfully.
Here is the complete series for this documentary produced by Nigel Turner and aired by the History Channel:
For those of us who were only children at the time of the event - I was in 5th grade in a school in the L.A. area of CA - it is one of those things that is indelibly fixed in our memory with vivid clarity. I was sitting in my classroom on Friday, Nov. 22nd - we were all watching a broadcast of a Spanish language lesson (I don't recall which of the 4 stations - ABC, NBC, CBS or PBS - it was on; most likely PBS) at around mid-morning - when our teacher suddenly switched the channel after getting of his phone. Walter Cronkite broke into the show on that channel and announced that President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas, Texas. At that moment another teacher - who was standing in the doorway monitoring the class - gasped loudly in reaction, placed her hand over her mouth to silence it, and went down the hall in shock. We all sat in our seats, glued to the television set - which was only black and white then - and tried to comprehend just what the news man was actually telling us about. It was obviously serious, for, when Cronkite took his glasses off and wiped a tear welling up in his eye, this display of emotion was not common.
By early afternoon an announcement was made over the school's P.A. (Public Announcement) system that school was being cancelled, and that buses would be taking us home immediately. This was around 1:00 PM PST. I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on the floor of our TV viewing area watching what unfolded in the news through the rest of that afternoon and evening, as well as the rest of the weekend.
Interestingly, the Press Secretary, Malcolm Killdoff, who gave a press briefing said that the doctor determined that the president died of a gunshot wound right to the head as he raised his right arm and pointed his finger directly to the area directly above the right eye on the skull. Yet, we were told that Oswald shot him with the rifle from the 6th floor window of the Texas Schoolbook Depository, from the rear. Footage from the documentary about the event titled, "The Men Who Killed Kennedy" has images of the police on the 6th floor of the building looking at the rifle with the voiceover saying, "It was an Italian Manlicher Carcano, WWII vintage, worn and rusty, and with a misaligned scope." Question... how can a marksman use a rifle with a misaligned scope to shoot someone with any chance of accuracy?
We learned of Officer J.D. Tippit being killed by a gunman, then the arrest of a suspect found in a theater not far away from there that day. Then, there was what I believe was the first ever "live on television" murder of Lee H. Oswald by Jack Ruby in the basement of the Dallas Police Hdqrts. a few days later (Sunday) when he was being transferred to another jail facility. Ruby was the owner of a strip club in downtown Dallas and it was later discovered that he was connected with the mob.
I believe it was Monday or Tuesday - school was still out due to the national mourning being observed - when the funeral procession happened. It was a long day of formal pomp and circumstance with all the trappings of state proceedings; his flag draped coffin on a wagon wheeled cart pulled by at least eight white horses and squads of soldiers from every branch of the military. Ahead of the cart was another black stallion - stunningly beautiful - with black boots placed in the stirrups backwards, full of energy to the point of the soldier who was walking next to it nearly lost control several times as he held onto its reigns. Our speculation was that someone forgot to tire this black beauty out the day before, or it was over excited by all the people lining the streets, watching in reverent silence as the coffin passed slowly by; the horses' hooves clip-clopping on the hard pavement, piercing the somber mood covering the days event.
Once the procession reached to capitol building, the coffin was moved into the rotunda underneath the vaulted dome to lay in state for a period while hundreds of thousands of mourners filed slowly and quietly passed it. At some point, Mrs. Kennedy, accompanied by Teddy & Bobby Kennedy, along with Caroline and "Little John" visited the coffin there, and the nation, if not the world, was riveted and mesmerized by the scene. A few days later the ceremony at Arlington Cemetery took place and the nation was by now, fatigued by the drawn out ordeal of mourning its loved President... almost relieved that it was coming to an end.
As the Warren Commission, led by the former Director of the C.I.A. - whom Kennedy had fired from the position earlier - Allen Dulles, and other members of the commission, interviewed Jack Ruby in jail. He pleaded to be removed from Dallas to testify in Washington, D.C. and on camera stated, in answering a reporter's question as to whether the reason the truth behind it all would be withheld from the people of the country because of individuals in high places of the government, he replied, "Yes!"
Over the next several years, the nation's innocence shattered, the new administration under Pres. Johnson began gradually escalating the war in Vietnam by sending more military advisors and troops. At the same time, the "Flower Revolution" hit the Haight/Ashbury district of San Francisco, CA only 70 miles south of where I was going to middle-school. As I reached high school, drugs were steadily proliferating our experience as our friends encouraged us to "drop out, drop in, and become enlightened" by taking an array of psychotropic drugs which supposedly would expand our horizons. At the UC Berkeley campus, protests against the "establishment" of the day were fighting police for the cause of free speech.
Amidst these years was a cultural revolution which resulted in riots in various urban areas of the country, with regular anti-Vietnam War protest marches and black arm bands worn on one arm to show "solidarity". Today, 45 years later, we're experience de ja vous,, all over again, with the new "resistance" attempting to shut down free speech because they're offended by opposing political views. How ironic! It seems our "Organizer-in-Chief" of the previous administration was effective in dividing our society using identity politics by implementing tactics and strategies espoused by his mentor, Saul Alinsky.
Footnote: I believe I understand why the CIA is not allowing all the documents released on the JFK assassination.
I
suspect that very few have ever seen the full series. If any did,
they've long forgotten the details revealed. Produced and aired by the
History Channel years ago, the 9th episode of the series is the most
plausible regarding who had the most to win in having JFK eliminated;
for both legal and political reasons. Once gone, he would then be
protected by the Secret Service.
If
this particular presentation doesn't have the most convincing testimony
by people close to the situation, then none make sense. I urge you to watch
this one episode and determine for yourself whether there's any worth to
it.
Here is the complete series for this documentary produced by Nigel Turner and aired by the History Channel:
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