Sunk in Helsinki by the Donado

Hell, he eclipsed himself this time, fawning
over Putin during their "Summit" (--height
of futility's folly, no?) on July 16th. So far
few of us have heard anything beyond
speculation re: their two hours spent alone
except for two translators. This sort of intimate
private talk worked well for Reagan and
Gorbachev back in 1987, but then, those two
were much smarter than the current duo, much
more interested in Glasnost.

The "clarification"/correction vis a vis "would/
wouldn't" is laughable--gallows humor  only,
that is.  I can see it now: Kelly Kelly, Pompeo
and a few other trusted sycophants gathered
in the Oval Office, poring over the by now
infamous sentence broadcast 'round the world...

"Hmmn, lemme see, oh! Will you look at THAT,
Mr. President--just change would to wouldn't,
issue a clarification, and voila! storm over!"

But no, squalls still erupt as millions of us keep
laughing and shaking our heads about the
effrontery/stupidity of yet another mindless
attempt at creaming over what the world has
known for two and a half years--the Donald
is irrational, narcissistic, heedless and ignorant,
not to be depended upon, unless you count his
determination to fulfill his campaign promises...
the Donado continues to blow dangerously,
fomenting/threatening wars, further
destabilizing an already fractious planet.

PBS as Tone Deaf as Ordinary Retail American Media

Tonight on WTTW (PBS Chicago) Judy
Woodruff described Jane Ferguson as
"intrepid" after showing the viewers
Jane broadcasting from the field in
war torn Yemen. She had a headscarf
(not covering her hair) at the ready,
but what about her tight little black
leather or leather-like cropped jacket
and faded, tight enough jeans? This
is an Arab country where most if not
all women wear black head to toe
clothing. Reporter Jane should have
done her homework and brought
appropriate clothing to "the field"
especially since she had to be
smuggled in, according to Ms.
Woodruff.

I don't see humane/humanitarian
journalism here, only a spoiled
blond white girl eager for glory
able to dine out on the strength of
her adventures. Western  "I gotta
be me" behavior always, anytime and
everywhere is wildly inappropriate in
the Middle East, especially in nations
of a theocratic Sharia/Sunni turn of
mind.

PBS has not been head and shoulders
above ABC, CBS, NBC, etc. for some
time now...can its tone deaf approach
be more expertly tuned?

Obviously Oblivious, That's the Donald, Funny too

Please see today's Bloomberg Opinion piece,
Trump's Ineptitude No Joke, July 2nd, 2018.
It is a real eye-opener, a jewel of observation
amid uninspired "me too" reams of reportage.
Bloomberg doesn't let his wealth and
Republican Party membership stand in the
way of accuracy and acute observation; his
magazine is excellent, refulgent with the
details required to more fully understand
a complicated issue--these days, there are
many.

USFARTA is the unfortunate acronym of
a White House bill which is currently being
floated, to many detractors' delight and
comedians everywhere. The "ineptitude
no joke" piece from today goes on to
remind us a lot of the Prez's favorite
notions are "entertained" but never
quite become policy, as well as other
astute points.

You may enjoy this article about our
obviously oblivious White House
temporary tenant-- i sure did.

The Border Crossing Children Will be Family Safe--for a Mere Three Weeks More

Unless the USA's Republicans in the House  of
Representatives further pressure the Donald to
add to his recent executive order, effecting a
permanent policy change housing illegals with
their children. All the huzzahs, hooplas and hurrays
are all about a little break in this cruel treatment
of young children.

I still say some fault accrues to these adults
running for our border. We are not heaven on
Earth here, crime, gang, murder and prejudice
free here, despite the "exceptionalist" label our
pols and presidents apply to our land. We do not
have the funds and the jobs for the immigrant
hopefuls (millions?) who think America is Paradise
...which it is not.

Are we wealthy? Yes, but also heavily in debt,
dimming some of the financial luster many see
without delving into the details.

Do we now enjoy full employment?
Yes, statistically, 'til you recall the many who
stop looking for work are not included in these
selfsame stats coming out of the Census Bureau,
the Labor Dep't., et al., ALL of which are part
of the Executive Branch--so I don't particularly
trust the numbers' veracity put out by our current
government (--or any government).

All of these human rights problems basically
stem from two phenomenons: overpopulation
and far too many now not fixing their own
countries' ills.

But wait! A third thing that must never be
forgotten--The United States manufactures
more guns, airplanes, automatic weapons
than anywhere else, and we sell them
EVERYwhere else. We COULD assist the
Central Americans in their anti-violence
struggles by not selling a single weapon
to these incompetent, immoral dictatorships,
but...
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

The U.S. Media, Their Obsession with the Unimportant, and Other Sins

Well, we gotta have 'em, love 'em or
loathe 'em: but some of us DEMAND
our so-called journalists do their damn
jobs, just as we insist the pols DO
THEIRS.

I oh so rarely agree with the Donald
about anything, but he was spot on
in his defense of wife Melania, who
wasn't seen in public for three weeks.
In indecent speculation, reporters were
howling how hadn't Ms. M had  plastic
surgery, and alluded to other less than
desirable motivations/actions...Stay in
your lane, media maniacs!

In the interest of accuracy of info going
out to the public, I have often dialed up TV
stations (even PBS!) to object to errors
of all sorts and provided corrections.
This phenomenon is intolerable, as I possess
fewer educational credentials than these
anchors--they should be more
accurate THAN ME.

Pursuing a president's wife or other celebrity,
harping on their clothing, public appearances,
health, etc. is highly unseemly AND robs
time from coverage of more matters
of import, matters directly affecting most
people's lives, like war, corruption,
eliminating programs helping the poor,
elderly and disabled, to say nothing of
easing middle class tax burdens.

But then less-researched drama may boost
ratings and provide lazy reporters the
'relaxation" they all SO desperately need.
(I am not criticizing Lester Holt and the
other serious hard news beat journalists
who often serve in harms' way.)

Say, lazy bones, are you up to emulating
the higher level of reportage evinced by
Walter Cronkite, Edw. R. Murrow and
like-minded others?

It's doubtful--habit and a nice salary plus
some prestige will militate against such
improvements...

So obsession with the unimportant will
roll on, along with cruel unsupported digs
at people in a vulnerable state.

We Remember Roseanne-- Why Didn't ABC?

Roseanne Barr may be a funny comedienne,
but she has always been prejudiced and
racist. Wasn't it Ms. Barr who pulled her
eyelids into slants some years back,
hatefully mimicking garbled Oriental speech?
How did ABC fail to recall that flap, as well
as many more by her and others,?

 --TSK,  TSK, ABC, you did not do the
requisite due diligence one might expect.
Ms. Barr has had several of these embarrassingly
inhumane outbursts, but TV execs, harking back
to the past, looked to her old hit series and hoped
lightning  might just strike one more time. ($$$!)

Now Roseanne has been fired again;
perhaps she can get a job at a restaurant,
life imitating art, just as she did years
ago on the show.

The Animal Welfare League: Time for Critics to Roll Up Their Sleeves, Open Their Wallets and Help

But instead, they mindlessly copy the candlelight
vigil practice/demonstrations generally employed
when innocent people, especially children, are
killed. I have been to this very caring and humane
shelter in Chicago Ridge, IL, many times over the
past ten years and found nothing amiss--seen cages
filled with dogs, cats, small mammals. The front and
adoption areas are always clean, the vets and support
staff pleasant and kind...

Ahem: it DOES PAY to be kind to the shelter's staff too,
recognizing and understanding they DO have problems.
From the ASPCA to the various states' SPCAs, the
Chicago Humane Society, et al., all are almost
overrun with animals dropped off, too often by
owners who did zero research, not realizing that
cute little puppy would grow to almost human
size. Sometimes it is a tragedy or simple necessity
which brings the pet to a shelter, yes, but more often,
too many heedless Americans are to blame.

Back to the whistleblowers of Chicago Ridge:
Just who are you, exactly? Do you really care
about animals or are you merely angling for
more press coverage? Have you sent AWL
$25.00 every month as I'm doing, even on my
laughable $1,000 SSA monthly check, rent $600?
I suspect not. Are you all volunteering? I'm 72
and not well, wish I COULD volunteer.

It is easy to criticize. Here's my message to all
those naysayers who claim they want to reform
The Animal Welfare League, not close it:
Open up your hearts, your wallets,
VOLUNTEER.

P.S.: Perhaps more inquiry will reveal a more
heartfelt, sincere motivation re: the AWL
protesters/vigil holders. I'm willing to
listen. Best Wishes to all involved.

Mothers' Pleas to Perps of Gun Violence Will Fall on Deaf Ears...

Sorry to say so, but anyone who watches the news
even two times a week over the years knows  mothers
have pleaded, cajoled, demanded, etc. that this madness
ends so their children can grow up minus shooting scars
--and actually reach adulthood.

I was struck today by Chicago's NBC 5 story about
Imani Williams, still alive after being shot in her
abdomen. A cell video shows her to be upbeat, planning
to make the serious effort to survive such a horrific
occurrence. I wish her the very best, will pray for
her too, but:

One of the interviewees stated that since they are
suburbanites, they are not familiar with gun violence
in Chicago, especially the West Side where Imani went
to visit. P.S.: the Western Suburbs are not violence free
either, by the bye, which is where young Ms. Williams
and her family reside.

As I watched I could not avoid thinking--Really?
More evidence of the Middle Class not watching/
reading/hearing the news, which can indeed be
QUITE INSTRUCTIVE. I guess the "Yuppie" profile
is still alive and well--people obtaining enough formal
schooling and/or  training to earn those salaries which
enable flight from the troubled, over-populated urban
center to lead a decent (I suppose) private life free from
many of society's ills... Hmmn.

I don't have answers beyond the comprehensive,
complicated and overlapping ones suggested by smart,
caring and involved adults I have observed and even known
over the decades in Chicagoland: it will take most of the
parents, most of the teachers, most of the Chicago Police,
and most of the local legislators working intimately,
persistently together--not the sporadic press conferences
by CPD Police Chief Eddie Johnson, Anthony Holmes
and Father Pfleger, all good men...and the tears of the
families we are shown. Human interest interviews, long
a staple of journalism, are inadequate, to say the least.

Herding cats is probably easier to achieve than the
abovesaid solutions which I am sure are the ways to
defeat poverty, gangs, racism (-tribalism), et al.

Meanwhile, same story, different day; the names
and faces change, but little improves.

                **************************

                     
                        Personal aside:

(If I met an interesting new person in the Loop or at
an event, and we wanted to continue our association,
I would have to ask what community they called
home. I would then propose further meetings in
locations where I felt reasonably safe. Right now,
although no public place is safe, I will not
go to homes on the West Side, Albany Park on
the North Side, etc. No matter what the ethnicity,
I seldom see anyone at their homes in any case,
for a variety of reasons--and virtually no one would
care to visit mine, tiny as it is.)

Survival to a ripe old age takes awareness, effort,
luck and research, research, research--but wait!
That's not fun, is it? Fun, our national religion,
insists fun is the goal. Loved ones' tears keep falling;
pleas for nonviolence won't be heard, due to the USA's
irrational affair with fun and the gun.

Rudy Giuliani a Perfect Match "Morally" for Donald Trump

The Donald's "new" attorney: None of the news
outlets I've checked have reminded anyone about
former NYC Mayor Rudy G's terrible example
exhibited by him during his stay at Gracie Mansion,
the home for sitting New York City mayors, NOT
THEIR personal property, putatively paid for by the
taxpayers... but I will:

While RG was NYC's mayor, his mistress and
his wife both lived with him at Gracie Mansion.
--Ugh! Makes the "Stormy" scandal a minor
squall, no?? What WAS wrong with the three
of them, anyway? Why would wife and/or
girlfriend participate in such a situation?
(It's not as if 'ol Rudy is a hunk, after all.)  Then
there is/was Rudy: he obliviously, obviously
cared nothing for setting a moral tone nor
tending to his reputation.

In irony upon irony, these two NYC dudes,
regarding themselves as larger than life, do
as they please--but plenty of us HAVE
NOTICED. Rudy G and Don the Rude
are absolutely a perfect match--for each
other. Never mind what that implies for
the rest of us, the best of us.

Stay tuned; time to call some of these
news outlets to apprise them of the
Gracie Mansion shame owned by
our "new" Presidential confidant/
attorney...immoral, ignorant officials
are being let go daily--time for these
two to join 'em.

Syria, Red Lines, Red States and a"Blue Wave"

Two nights ago the USA conducted a "surgical
strike" against the Assad regime in Syria. We were
assured by Sec. Defense Mattis and  Chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dunford that this
operation would produce little collateral damage
(innocent civilians). We have the U.K. and France
on our side for this outing, so a semblance of
statesmanship provides a veneer of respectability
in many quarters save Russia and her orbit.

Mr. Obama misspoke about declaring a red line
in Syria but then didn't follow through, making him
look weak. So as to outdo Obama, The Don decided
to be "stronger and greater", therefore, this air strike
to presumably destroy Assad's chemical weapons
capability...

I'm ill right now so won't be doing much research,
but here are two key questions:

(1) Will the Allies' air strikes spread the lethal
chemicals further? Is it possible?

(2)  Will voters in Red States come to their senses
and  create enough of a "Blue Wave" to create
changes in the House and the Senate come
November 6th, 2018? Is THAT possible?

Here is what my crystal ball tells me: if the
Democrats and moderate Republicans don't
get serious starting NOW, they will repeat
their lackluster performances of years past--
don't they remember that the right wing is
fiendishly organized? No one can  take for
granted easy wins in the midterms.

Of course,  before then, the KGB's Putin
might initiate WWIII, which could make
all sadly, destructively irrelevant-- States,
waves, and even colors like Red and Blue.

Bolting from Bolton and Trump

Fasten your seatbelts, sisters and brothers, bumpy air ahead...
with dangerous duo Bolton and Trump at the controls. Bolton
is to the right of the Donald, which will only encourage
"Mr. Make America Great Again" toward ever more
bellicose behavior. Don and John are an unwelcome,
bad news team.

Psychosocial professionals have long pointed out
past behavior predicts likely future actions.
Frightening,isn't it, when we recall Bolton's
hawkish, war-mongering behavior, his ill
temper. He's shown he believes war beats
diplomacy, even writing in the Wall Street
Journal the USA ought to preemptively bomb
North Korea--what? Does he dismiss the virtual
certainty of retaliation by China, Russia, North
Korea and/or others?  --NUCLEAR retaliation,
that is.

Mr. Bolton cannot correctly earn respect for any
putative intelligence when he seems to utterly
disregard the trenchantly salient fact of other
nations' nuclear weapons capability. Decades ago,
the two nuclear super powers, the Soviet Union
and the U.S., were fairly evenly matched, war-
head for war-head. "MAD", the operative
acronym, (mutual assured destruction) kept
"the peace". There has seldom if ever been
a lack of violent hostilities somewhere on
Earth, so construe "peace" as no world or
large scale wars.

John Bolton argued for war in Iraq, defying/
ignoring warnings re: the bad intel emanating
out of the U.K. We are still there 15 years
later; the Allies won WWII in less than five!

The midterm elections this November 6th
are crucial choices, first steps, if we want
to avoid disaster. Key changes in the U.S.
House reflecting respect, restraint, and
moderation matched by a few more like-
minded in the U.S. Senate can effectively
stymie bad moves from Trump/Bolton.

'Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished:
a massive uprising of sense, like a bolt from
the blue.

Ken Griffin, Illinois Multi Billionaire, Follows the Time-Honored Robber-Baron Prescription

...by donating $127 million to the University of Chicago,
Department of Economics, naturally. His company, Citadel,
is worth ~27 billion; a hedge fund (remember, hedge funds
are virtually UNregulated) with a harsh boss, 45 souls have
been given  pink slips recently, merely for not producing
profit goals for a few months. 45 employees represents
about a third of KG's staff complement, so others will have
to work even harder amidst a flurry of new hiring--hmmmn.

Let's travel back in time to J.D. Rockefeller, HIS stern and
violent approach to capitalism; eventually, JD realized he
was hated (with good reason) by the many who knew about
his practice of hiring goons to assault his strikers out west, etc.
He and many of his fellow robber barons began to donate
respectably large funds to universities, hospitals and libraries,
feeling charity could wipe away some of the blots on their
escutcheons. Apparently such large contributions DO
get them press, largely favorable, to say nothing of the
oo-ing and ahh-ing, invitations to " A List" events.
--TSK!!

I find it dispiriting indeed to hope for, therefore, work
for change, when far too many people still fawn over
the rich while conveniently denying or dismissing
the many pertinent facts about most of them--facts
which logically should engender skepticism,
suspicion and a raised eyebrow or two.

More disparagement describing the Oligarchs
will follow, bet on it.

States' Rights and the Newly-Favored Flavor of Its Definitions

Watching political decisions/events in California,  Illinois and
other states, we see an interesting, 180 degree twist from the past:
States' Rights,  a term/concept formerly used to thwart Civil Rights
in the USA's southern states, flouting the U.S. Constitution, is now
used to defy the federal government to provide civil and human rights
to its residents.

Chiefly two subjects are in dispute: Marijuana legalization and
Illegal immigrant rights. Several states like Illinois, California
and Colorado have simply allowed Pot to be legalized via state
capital decree, whether for medical or recreational purposes.
Perhaps not coincidentally, these same three states  are fighting
illegal residents' deportation, whether via sanctuary cities or
by continuing DACA (allowing young people illegally brought
here as babies to remain, gain routes to citizenship).

California, often the country's trend-setter, is the most strident
and intransigent  of the lot, Sacramento issuing three laws
designed to keep the illegal teens in the only home they have
known. Twice elected CA Governor Brown so far stands firm
in support of the three statutes...we now see a Sanctuary State
(CA) rather than just a Sanctuary City (Chicago).

Will Washington DC, AKA the Donald, launch a new kind of
Civil War? It seems a far-out fantasy--until you recall Mr. Trump
saying he's the only one that matters.

Hmmn. "States' Rights" promoting more humane policies--
who knew? New definitions, new flavors, new fights: what next??

Another Costly Credit Crime Horror, Synthetic Identity Fraud, COULD be Avoided

...if everyone in the retailer/lender/credit reporting chain
simply DID THEIR JOB.  According to the Wall Street
Journal, 03/07/2018, fake borrowers are created, costing
many millions to the lenders who trusted Experian,
TransUnion and a now-infamous third reporting agency
which will be duly noted.  The lengthy article revealed
shocking lapses in clerical procedures which would
have eliminated much of this costly crime to lenders and
retailers, thus, to us via raised prices.

Other, smaller companies have known how to stymie
much of this faux info by, among other requirements,
disallowing  P.O. and mail box services as legitimate
billing and shipping addresses--a real, verifiable physical
address demand before sealing the deal. The decades-
long practice of eliminating jobs in favor of machines is
catching up to the USA big time: fewer humans to
process and check important information means weakness
in security and accuracy at all points in the money flow.

Interestingly, both Amazon and Discover chose not
to comment for this WSJ piece, as they too have taken
massive $$$ hits caused by not due diligence checking.
--But wait! Isn't Jeff Bezos, head of Amazon, one
of the world's wealthiest people? HE CAN AFFORD
to hire fact checkers and electronic verifiers to scotch
this insidious practice.

I'm surprised what's left of my hair hasn't fallen off after
reading this explanation in the WSJ: a mere credit
application without a subsequent loan or even support
documentation can create a legitimate credit file;
randomly-issued SSA numbers are now the norm at
Social Security (some of the new random numbers will
be duplicates of actual, older SSA card holders as well as
the syn-ID made up ones). Other, quite questionable policies
and practices must be changed to eliminate many of
the time-wasting, money-losing situations we now
see.

Equifax , the biggest malfeasor in reporting history,
released the personal records of some 147 million Americans
even though told how to fix their software security
vulnerability--they simply ignored the helpful warning/advice.
Understandably, Equifax declined the Journal's requests for
comment. TransUnion and  Experian claimed it's just too hard
to tell a fake from a real person for the first time without
identifying information not on file...so I say, get it! Hire
more clerks, detectives, accountants, software gurus,
whoever can derive the true from the false. But AGAIN,
perennially boosting the profit margin (also known as
"growth", the capitalist's prime mover) is at bottom of
these shoddy, illogical excuses.

Wow. So many stupidities could be avoided by being
more concerned with error and harm, less concerned
for exponential $$$ growth...

Could be, should be, would be--sic transit gloria mundi.

Billy Graham, Mr. Rogers and Reputation vs. Reality

A fallacious sort of respect attaches to the dead in
our culture: don't speak evil about the dead.
Based on notions of fair play, the idea is that
the dead cannot defend themselves against
scurrilous attacks. But there are exceptions
to almost everything; compelling  reasons do
exist to point out less than perfect behavior while
certain famous folk, now departed, are extolled
without a balanced critique.

Billy Graham, said to be America's preferred
preacher, died recently amid public praise.
Not one of the media outlets I checked dared
to include the unhappy fact that Mr. Graham
was an unrepentant anti-Semite--unrepentant
and dishonest until audio tapes revealed the
Rev's disdain for Jews. In 2002 The National
Archives released tapes of conversations
Reverend Billy had in 1972 with then President
Nixon, also an anti-Semite. Rumors of
such un-Christian attitudes circulated for
years regarding Graham, who stoutly and
steadily denied them until the Archives
published the damning tapes, whereupon
Rev BG profusely apologized.

Then there was Mr. Rogers, friend to
children and normal middle-class values.
My daughter and I enjoyed his show for
years, thinking he really did love children,
loved to be surrounded by them. In 1990
I worked for La Leche League, the mothers'
group promoting breast feeding. One day
my boss told me a surprising story: at an
event sponsored by the League, Mr. Rogers
asked that the children be kept away from
him...what? They had come to interact with
their "friend", Mr. Rogers. But thinking back,
Mr. Roger's Neighborhood did not usually
feature a goodly group of kids, no, just
puppets and grownups.

Shakespeare, in Julius Caesar, observed that
the good men do often gets interred with
their bones. I submit that, all too often,
the bad they do is buried there as well.

All the admiration for the public face
of the man (or woman) can't whitewash
any dark side...

Reputation vs. reality, often at odds.

Young Parkland People Rising--the Right Age, the Right Time

It's not surprising that the Parkland FL teens are more
effective change agents than the small slain children
and their parents in Sandy Hook were--they are perfectly
positioned to achieve improvements in thorny gun
control practices/politics.

Again and again, it is now, always has been, about
power, how to have it, how to leverage it. The parents
in Sandy Hook were too destroyed by their tragic
horror to mobilize politically, which is the only way
to overturn bad law and policy in the U.S. short of
a violent, destructive revolution few would want.
But now, after the Las Vegas massacre and the
latest school shooting in Florida, the students
there recognize they are able to move the needle
on the dial toward a more sane policy--one that
other developed countries DO have.

              The  "Parkland Advantage":

(1) These students are either at voting age or very
close to it;

 (2) They are at the most physically energetic
they will probably be in their lives;

(3)  The brain power now available to these
young people is at its peak performance for life--
no accident that college is for  teenagers
and young twenty-somethings, by and large;

(4) This horror happened to THEM--not some
news item elsewhere to be ignored.

Conservative Republicans in the U.S. House
surely can't be insensible of the threat to their
upcoming re-election hopes. Ditto "Don T" who
has said he's not afraid of the NRA and advocates
significant restrictions as to age requirements and
bump stock purchases, etc.

Consider the time frame of our next nationwide
elections: every two years  U.S. House Reps
face re-election or removal. The students from
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High and their
supporters possess the best schedule possible to
mobilize, register voters, publish PSAs (public
service announcements), canvass, call legislators,
meet with them, more.

I predict these savvy, savaged kids will make most
of these actions a priority, which CAN change
stupid law and policy here at home. I hope and
pray they will not succumb to the flaws Occupy
Wall Street and their clones stumbled over, after
a promising start.

This is the right time, Parkland people/students:
Others will join you, keep rising!

More Evidence of Base Motives from Oligarchs Running for High Office

Why must they aim for the top jobs without trying for  lower
level experience first? Chris Kennedy, J B Pritzker, Donald
Trump and IL Governor Rauner all feel they need not pursue
a proper learning curve, gain experience/expertise before
becoming governors and presidents. The record clearly shows
how hubris produces ignorant, dangerous decisions and
candidates; our current president is but one glaring example.

The U.S. House and Senate have office holders of various
ages, so "starting young" is not a requirement. Trusting
one's advisers inevitably is, but without the proper
foundation, how can one know which policy  prescription/
recommendation to follow?

Meanwhile, many well qualified individuals don't even
attempt to join the game, as it is so based on money.
"Money answereth all things", says my King James Bible
in one spot...interestingly, though, nothing follows that
cryptic sentence describing or explaining what sort of
"answers", good, bad or indifferent.Where is the value??

Beware those nobly-canted TV ads proclaiming the
caring character of the super rich candidate--he or
she rarely achieved  great wealth without resorting to
LLPs, LLCs, hedge funds and other mechanisms
absolving officers and owners of legal responsibility
when things go seriously awry.

Base, self-serving hubris drives such people.

The USA: Every Day Violence in Speech

--"Pull the trigger", "It was a shooting match," "Take your best
shot", ad infinitum, ad nauseam. These and many other similar
expressions are frequently found on police procedurals
AND in everyday life, used by various talking head media
mavens. Because we are copy cats, the average Joe and Joanna
spout such phrases when they are spicing up various calls to
action having nothing to do with guns and/or violence...need
to make a decision? "Pull the trigger". Achieved mastery or
success? "I killed it". (You can now see the toothpaste test
ad where a young woman "crushed it" after her whiter
tooth win).

Our whole society is inextricably intertwined with violence--
from the news, political reaction, TV and movie fiction, in
the home, the school, everywhere. This phenomenon runs
deep indeed, no one can "drill down" to find its bottom
so as to extirpate it. Realizing what this means to stopping
tragic outrages like the latest school murders in Florida,
my mood is grim indeed. No wonder Congress won't
pass stricter gun laws--the NRA's moneyed tentacles
are not the only stumbling blocks to fewer murders
here at home.

It could happen--most adults in their millions could
rise, unite, and demand better laws, better entertainment,
better behavior from one another. But how likely, in the
immediate future, is it?

Skepticism is a Scientific Method Requirement --Time to Apply Some to So-Called Viral Experts

---BOY!! During this H3N2 flu season (the worst strain currently
floating about), it was only natural to consult whatever authorities
one could find  to determine how long the virus lasts on surfaces.
Since most people constantly touch their faces, especially near their
nostrils, often after touching some infected doorknob or other
commonly-accessed object, this could be highly helpful, relevant indeed...

until you come across these numbers: 15 minutes, a few days, weeks,
six months, etc. These widely inconsistent figures for various virus
lifespans does not inspire confidence in the scientific rigor of these
"studies" conducted at major universities and institutions of repute.
Even allowing for disclaimers such as "...many complicating factors
..." etc. these discrepancies can only point to one conclusion:
the research was badly done, it is immaterial and irrelevant where
done, prestige and tradition notwithstanding.

********************************************************

To defeat this flu cycle, stay away from crowds and sick people,
stay home from work or school if infected, if possible; don't touch
your face UNTIL after you've washed your hands and wash them
often: clean off doorknobs, taps, pc keyboards, etc. If you have to
go to the store, wear a mask, carry a lot of tissue, etc. These methods
should cut down on the 49 U.S. states now being hammered  by
H3N2, which can develop into pneumonia and a death sentence for
those immunocompromised.

I see a few phone calls to those enjoying a career in science as
to what they are playing at--admit to the lack of funding/manpower/
expertise, and say, "It depends: some viruses last for a short time,
others far longer, we really don't know."

At least THAT would be more honest, therefore, scientifically
skeptical.

Back to 2011, Spring: The Donald Trumped by his Own Tool

This overdramatic diatribe experienced a glitch which
I can't rectify, so it appears here in 2018 rather than 2011
where it belongs.

                            ****************

Donald Trump, he of the most ridiculous "hairdo"
for a "hair's done" male in America, has himself
been forced back to the drawing board. Not a natty
draftsman, but a batty one, his "forcing Obama
to reveal his long form birth certificate" has
in turn forced The Donald back to the political
drafting table for a new tool. (He really should
have taken up Physics, where he would have learned
about action/reaction pairs.)

The latest attempt to "legally" discredit the sitting
president involves highly dubious ruminations regarding
Mr. Obama's college transcripts. What a weak tool Trump
now employs! He must have forgotten/not known what
a drunken, poor student Bush II was, that he got into
Yale on a "legacy" provision, that other U.S. presidents
such as Lincoln and Truman couldn't boast of formal, stellar
scholarship....which didn't make them poor presidents any
more than his Princeton background made Wilson a great one.

President Obama, of course, didn't help himself either,
earlier on. Back in the heady days of Campaign 2008, he
should have released the long form. To have delayed on
such a serious constitutional challenge was not politically
sound; every scurrilous aspersion/attack need not be
answered, but the important ones MUST be.

Meanwhile, Trump should trash his current, crude attack
on the president. Pursuant to his First Amendment privileges,
The Donald can critique away. The best tool of all
would be a relevant fact; finding one is just too hard
for the Trumpster.

02/2018: PBS/Frontline Focus on Latino Gangs Left Out Telling Facts and Questions

...such as why the authorities in that NY high school (Huntington
High) did not photograph the supposed MS13 gang name on the
ejected student's arm. I presume they didn't or that would have
been shown--merely verbal insistence that it was seen. The 18
year old, Jesus, insisted it was his girlfriend's first name, but again,
no pix validated his claims.

The memo erroneously referring to this supposed miscreant as
"Polaco", an egregious error by ICE/Suffolk County, at least
proves in print that there is haste, rush to judgment, etc. Inane
profiling criteria such as T shirts sporting the Chicago Bulls
horned logo and wearing the color Blue seems to indicate a
stunning lack of accurate intel, i.e., precious little true intelligence
in the sad and horrifying mix. Officials in Suffolk and Nassau
Counties declaring an assault on New York's violent gangs relied
on sketchy info from two high schools (Huntington and
Brentwood). Despite regulation haircuts and suits, some sounded
embarrassingly inarticulate and uninformed when interviewed by
PBS/Frontline.

Yes, undocumented young illegals are part of a messy and
complicated immigration dilemma dogging/dodging order and
economics in our larger states, New York, California, Illinois,
Colorado, Florida. Agribusiness, janitorial services and the retail
food industry love paying paltry wages to those fearful of ICE and
the INS.  All young illegals are not gang members; most are trying
to fit in to our hypocritical culture that proclaims a welcome
embodied in the Statue of Liberty and the famous Emma Lazarus
poem--a welcome that has actually never existed here, not without
order, qualifications and legal system documentation. The automatic
assault weapons used in violence around the planet and here at
home are provided for profit by the American armaments industry,
so someday, maybe,  Congress can defy the NRA and the gun
manufacturers to severely limit this disgrace underlying so much
death, destruction and disruption.

                                    **************
No one apparently dares to ask a few hard questions about why
natural born adult citizens of these violent crime infested countries
such as Mexico and El Salvador don't unite, rise up and fight for
a more just and rational society. Yes, that would necessitate bravery
and understanding the real risk to life and limb, but isn't it a
worthwhile proposition? El Chapo IS incarcerated, despite many
clever and outlandish escapes, countries around the world have
shucked off dictators and colonialists, so it has been done,
although not easily or commonly.

The Latino cultures (full disclosure, I'm Hispanic), like Asian
societies, prize the sons over the daughters. Hispanics even value
vaunting "Machismo", their special term. Mothers often go along
with this, defending criminal sons, saying "he's done nothing wrong".
(If I hear that tired, loyal/loving denial once more I'm going to write
a diatribe castigating that very phrase!) The Chinese put their newly
born daughters in beautiful ceremonial garb out in forests to die of
exposure, to comply with the "one child" policy which has now
relaxed, allowing two per couple. All other societies subtly
demonstrate preference of male over female, sadly, but
overvaluing testosterone leads to crime and violence, world
history proves, so:

Adults of the planet must become more responsible, must think more
deeply about consequences of their acts to themselves and others,
stop worshipping their tribe/ethnicity/race, society, etc. If humanity
does not mature (evolve), forever repeating the mass murders of
going to war either domestically or internationally, we will continue
to mimic the group behavior of ants, just as Dr. Wilson, Harvard
Emeritus, Entomology, discusses on PBS documentaries and in his
controversial book, Sociobiology.

Life on Earth can't wait for another thousand years to achieve
"civilization", a much abused word humans wrongly apply
to themselves.

Tweet This: There's More to Life Than North Korea, Immigration, Government Shutdowns and Sex Abuse

Dateline, Mid January 2018:

Re: Our immigration situation, pols and media mavens on CNN,
ABC, CBS, PBS et al. discuss, chew the fat, "analyze" ad
infinitum and ad nauseam -- but conveniently ignore/avoid/
overlook at least one salient fact: illegals, "guest workers"
provide U.S. agribusiness low wage agricultural employees.
These same "no skill" workers are a significant reason the
USA enjoys eating its food for less money than many other
nations' peoples must spend.

The media is NOT indulging in "fake news" a la the Donald. However,
TV coverage is repetitive and narrowly focused... are there really only
four issues of import on the current planet-wide stage?
(1) North Korea
(2) Immigration
(3) Government Shutdown
(4) Sex Abuse
 (?)

It is time for lazy cable and free TV news reporters and their
assignment editors to provide America with more (read different)
stories worthy of our concerns. Being cheated in this facile manner
endangers all of us, always.

Ironically, local reportage does its due diligence -- we get the weather,
traffic and crime stories we need to know, while not neglecting
human interest features.

Nationally, I find NBC free TV evening news with Lester Holt
the best of the crop. He presides over a varied number of subjects,
not just the worrisome "big four" issues. Lester always spends the
last four to five minutes of his broadcasts with an uplifting,
inspiring story of note. I find him possessed of gravitas but not
gloom, completely (and thankfully) devoid of an idiotic happy,
smiling demeanor while recounting bad/sad/ news.

Memo to CNN: your anchors (especially the female ones) would do
well to adopt Mr. Holt's attitude: he reminds me of Edward R.
Murrow and "Uncle" Walter Cronkite.

Tweet or trumpet that, Celebrity Apprentice in Chief!

An Immodest Proposal: Aspercreme, a Little Dab'l Do Ya

Although this will not rise to the elegance and
sardonic humor of Jonathon Swift, he has
nonetheless inspired this very daring suggestion:

--Men!! I know you are often aroused even at
inconvenient, wildly inappropriate moments;
for those of you not helped by cold showers,
I think I've got it, by Jove, I've got it:

After your A.M. shower but before dressing,
why not apply Aspercreme to the "offending"
little member, to fortify you as you rejoin the
"civilized" (--ahahaHAA, cruel joke/hope, that)
world of work, retail, politics, etc. I know it
helps my shoulder pain--maybe it would solve
this nettlesome, primitive reaction males suffer
from...

Something topical, other than the ingested chemicals
mandated to assist convicted sex-abuse felons may
well be an answer.

For now, Aspercreme gets my vote. It is indeed
greaseless and odorless, quite inexpensive.

Come ON, guys! Try it!