Wednesday, January 25, 2017

TAG YOU'RE IT


I noticed something driving back from Grand Rapids the other day.  I pass and re pass the same cars on the expressway.  I finally realized that we are playing tag! Whoever is IT actually leads the pack and you can only become IT when you are able to pass the current IT.  Of course not everyone plays the game fairly and certain confrontations may possibly occur when the one playing IT takes it as a personal affront when passed.

The most benign ITs to pass are those who are fiddling with their cell phone, radio, Big Mac or the front seat passenger. They inadvertently became IT and are not too married to the position.  Life is good, no one-finger salute as you pass them, sometimes on the right. However that does not explain the IT who achieves the coveted Left passing lane and sits in it 5-10 miles below the speed limit as trucks are blocking the Right lane.

Upon encountering the snail IT some frustrated drivers resort to insane daredevil tactics which may include:  back bumper riding inches from collision; dodging through holes not bigger than 3/4 the size of their car; or resorting to illegal lanes (middle and shoulder) to get past the slower IT. The daredevils always complete their maneuvers by showing the afore-mentioned one-fingered salute to the offending driver who usually remains oblivious to the chaos behind and beside them. 

The problem arises however when you have two sets of aggressive drivers; the slower moving IT and the one behind, both of whom take it personally when one seems to gain an advantage. The game of tag quickly descends to a version of Survivor  with no quarter given or taken.  Sometimes gun play is involved. 

I do find it interesting that if I just play the game as intended I usually pass the offending drivers at some point either beside a flashing red/blue lit cruiser or waiting for the tow truck to drag them out of the ditch.  Just another day on the road.  I can't wait for self-driving cars...

HELP! SOMEONE'S STEALING MY JOB!!


Crazy times.  Every day a new "shoot from the hip", message of hate from the oval office. No education, no research, no intelligence or common sense involved- just sign whatever order his clueless or corrupt buddies put in front of him.  As the Trumpet blares about building a stupid expensive wall that people will merely go over or under, here's the facts.  Illegal immigrants do not get social security. They do not get automatic medical coverage. The only medical care they get is if they show up at the hospital in extreme condition or deliver a baby. The baby thing is a problem I will admit.  Though people in desperate conditions will risk everything to give their children a  chance.  Maybe not right, but understandable, but this is America for Americans right?

These facts (real facts not alternative truths) can be found very simply by googling it. Numerous articles and statements from government agencies confirm them.  If the "trolls" would troll something besides facebook they can found out the facts for themselves.  Of course that would require the ability to read and (I will speak slowly) u-n-d-e-r-s-t-a-n-d what was read.  Ouch you have to do more than research "facts" that support your "opinions".....

More facts.  Unless your dream is to pick cotton and vegetables and live under horrible conditions or clean houses for the Masta for little pay, no illegal has taken your job from you.  And secondly, if you hold a PhD in Engineering or Chemistry there is a job for you.  Business imports immigrants because there are not enough Americans with these advanced degrees.  Sucks to be you right?

Oh yeah and Trumpeter has admitted that the taxpayer is paying for the wall but Mexico will "absolutely" (his quotes not mine) pay for it one way or another.  If it wasn't so pathetically sad, I would be laughing. 

Now Tweeter-in Chief has claimed that "millions" voted fraudulently.  Would that include his nominee for Treasury who is registered to vote in two States, huh?  Go ahead let's have a re-vote and see how you do. Bring it on.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

PRESS TWO FOR AMERICA



I am trying, I really am. I forced myself to watch the latest "circus" with the President-elect at his first news conference. It was in turns hilarious, depressing, ridiculous, disrespectful, hollow and scary.  When is this television celebrity going to realize he is the President of these United States?  The most important job in the world is reduced to Clown-in Chief Donald Trump.  Does he not understand that every word he utters is taken as the position of this great country? 

Twittering at 3 am, (well old people do not sleep through the night anyway) about a movie star's opinion? Attacking every negative or what he considers negative comment that is made?  He actually had the nerve to condemn the very unflattering news about his "possible" "alleged" ties to Russia as the acts of a Nazi Germany.  Uh, your actions as prospective President more closely resemble the unilateral rule of a dictatorship squashing every dissenting word or opinion. Wouldn't the classier thing to do, rather than condemning your own intelligence service and the media, is just quietly indicate the reports are false and move on?  When you fight, harass and punish every item you don't agree with, you only fan the flames and make us wonder if it really is true? "Methinks he protests too much?"  We can figure out the truth if you just downplay it you horse's ass.

Puts a tax attorney up to describe how he is going to be hands off of his business interests handing it over to his sons.  At the same time, mind you, that he anoints (yes anoints, he thinks he is a king) his son-in-law as his senior advisor. Duhh we will never discuss business. Then he has the unmitigated gall to admit publicly that he could easily run the entire country and his business at the same time!  This from a guy who's gone bankrupt five or six times. I did not realize the job of President was anything less than a 24/7 job.  Which days were you going to work on "our" business or were you just going to telecommute once in a while.

Also I am no intelligence or international affairs expert, but I rather think downplaying your own intelligence community's worth and recalling all your diplomats would leave the United States in a vulnerable position worldwide.  Our agents who have sacrificed their lives to protecting our citizens will be ignored or dismissed when they take risks to deliver important information.  Our citizens overseas will have no protections if they need embassy assistance in difficult situations.  The smallest damage I can imagine will be the US becoming the laughing stock of the world based on an amateur's handling of these important and sensitive issues.

Rule Number One-- Keep your stupid mouth shut. Watching you mangle simple words and calling legitimate press nasty names does little to render respect. You look and act like a fool every time you open your mouth and indicate your ignorance on important issues. Rule Number Two --quit making grandiose statements about what you will do and how great you and everything you do are; you do not even know how things work yet and just saying them, doesn't make it so. Rule Number Three -- quit running a campaign for office. You won it, show a little gratitude and humility.  Rule Number Four -- take a lesson from your betters; listen more than you speak. You are final authority so allow those in the know (who've put in the time) to educate you before you form an opinion. Making pronouncements before you know it is feasible just makes you look ignorant and will force you to lie even more to explain failure.

 I guess this is where we learn how to keep apologizing to the world, a world that has always looked to us as the leader in human rights and opportunity.  This country will survive if we keep holding this person accountable.  A strong press must be supported and we can never stop protesting what we know is wrong. No, he is not my President. It's going to be a long four years...

Saturday, January 7, 2017

HOLIDAY GAMES

Christmas dinner was at our house as usual.  A bit larger crowd this year as new "significant others" with offspring were included as well as "other" offspring who were available.  Of course that causes us to roughly double the amount of food intended for dinner with two solid weeks of left-over casseroles, potpies, sandwiches, etc, etc etc.  The amount of food is not determined by the number of people - the only measurement is roughly "more food than we could possibly eat if we invited the entire Mormon tabernacle choir" which, come to think of it, would have certainly added to my Pandora-sourced Christmas music.

A raucous game of naughty questions was going on in one room; football in another and appetizers, candy, dinner items and desserts were liberally sprinkled throughout the house. Secret Santa was down to seven participants so less insulting than usual.  I still think my contribution of the alpaca wool socks was an inspired offering.  Again I captured a giant bottle of booze - rum this year, vodka the last. Some kind of pattern apparently though it serves as a backdrop to the 100 bottles of wine we have in the bar. 

The day always starts celebrating with our little family of daughter, S-I-L and grandson before the rest of the party arrives in the afternoon.  Joseph was forced to revert to his "count to ten" tactic when the number of wrapped packages caught his attention when he arrived causing unbelievable heights of excitement.  He proved extremely helpful by unwrapping his gifts, his Mom and Dad's gifts and Grandpa and Nana's.  But he is an excellent "recipient" as well examining each offering and asking how it works before going on to the next.

One highlight for me was when Joseph was forced into a debate between a practicing veterinarian and practicing psychologist in identifying the different dinosaurs in the tube of dinosaurs he got from Grandpa.  He listened patiently as the others identified the various types as he is used to most people getting them wrong.  They even argued with him about the name of one and said there was no such dinosaur. Joseph just kindly pointed out their error, which they did not accept, but sorry, Joe knows his dinosaurs. Yep these professionals were arguing with a 4 year old and he was beating them!  LOL