I don't remember a constitutional issue being involved in the Watergate scandal, unless it was the argument about executive privilege, which was kind of a fringe issue. The main issue was the coverup of that third rate burglary. Everybody knew about the burglary before the election, but I guess it was assumed that Nixon himself was not directly involved. It was later revealed that Nixon at least knew about the burglary and ordered his people to "stonewall", which I guess meant to pretend that they knew nothing about it. This would have made him guilty of obstruction of justice, or something like that, which is a crime, but not a violation of the Constitution.
I agree with Uncle Ken about that Kurdish thing. I understand that the animosity between the Kurds and the Turks goes way back, but the presence of US troops had kind of put a lid on it. The Kurds were not likely to renew hostilities and risk losing US support, and the Turks were not likely to attack the Kurds with our soldiers standing among them. The speed at which the Turks did attack suggests that they had advance knowledge of the US pullout. It could be said that Trump tipped them off in exchange for some business or personal favor, but that would be just paranoid.
I asked Cortana about Joe Swallow, since she is a much better searcher than I am. It seems that he is still practicing law in Alpena, Michigan, at least his law firm is still listed as being active, although I didn't see any reference to any recent activity. I did find an email address and plan to contact him this weekend to see if he remembers that welfare case that I mentioned in 2013. The more I think about it, Uncle Ken didn't doubt the existence of the judge himself, just the existence of the case in question. The way I remember it, Judge Joe represented a young girl who had been denied welfare benefits, claiming that the only reason for the denial was that she was White. I think the case was history by the time I heard about it, and I never did hear how it turned out.
Thursday, October 31, 2019
selling out our allies
The Beaglestonian Institute is surprisingly easy to search. Just type something into that little box on the upper left and wham there you go. There is an April 17, 2016 mention from Beagles in reference to Joe being a state delegate for Reagan, and there is a December 26, 2013 post about collecting welfare, and one the next day on the same subject. I don't recall our exchange back in our email days or me pooh poohing the guy because he didn't appear in the google machine, but I know I have a tendency to be high-handed about these things, and I will hereby apologize to Beagles for my sniffy dismissal.
For a former legislator Joe doesn't leave much of a footprint on the internet. All I could find was a letter to the editor from November 15, 2017 in favor of football players taking the knee. I guess this last letter is too new to make it on google.
There are similarities and differences to our treatment of South Vietnam and Taiwan and of the Kurds. The south Vietnamese government was never a very good ally. They were corrupt and they did not treat their own people well, and the ARVN was roundly derided as a competent fighting force. We poured a lot of lives and treasure into that cause and we never had much success and there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Of course there were arguments at the time that we should have fought harder, but outside of dropping nukes and of killing shitloads of people, it's not likely that they would have changed the course of that war.
I was thinking that surely we had US troops in Taiwan, but when I looked it up to make sure I discovered that we did not and have not since 1979. We do have some treaties with them, but I have to say that if I were Taiwanese I would be nervous. On the other hand I have to say that Chiang Kai Shek was a pretty crappy ally.
Even though the Kurds were fighting for their own reasons they were pretty good allies, and it wasn't like we were losing any lives or spending too much treasure to keep the Turks from attacking them, and it seems like we could have given them a better notice than two or three days.
And Watergate was not a silly thing. For somebody who claims to venerate the constitution, Beagles seems pretty nonchalant about it being violated.
For a former legislator Joe doesn't leave much of a footprint on the internet. All I could find was a letter to the editor from November 15, 2017 in favor of football players taking the knee. I guess this last letter is too new to make it on google.
There are similarities and differences to our treatment of South Vietnam and Taiwan and of the Kurds. The south Vietnamese government was never a very good ally. They were corrupt and they did not treat their own people well, and the ARVN was roundly derided as a competent fighting force. We poured a lot of lives and treasure into that cause and we never had much success and there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Of course there were arguments at the time that we should have fought harder, but outside of dropping nukes and of killing shitloads of people, it's not likely that they would have changed the course of that war.
I was thinking that surely we had US troops in Taiwan, but when I looked it up to make sure I discovered that we did not and have not since 1979. We do have some treaties with them, but I have to say that if I were Taiwanese I would be nervous. On the other hand I have to say that Chiang Kai Shek was a pretty crappy ally.
Even though the Kurds were fighting for their own reasons they were pretty good allies, and it wasn't like we were losing any lives or spending too much treasure to keep the Turks from attacking them, and it seems like we could have given them a better notice than two or three days.
And Watergate was not a silly thing. For somebody who claims to venerate the constitution, Beagles seems pretty nonchalant about it being violated.
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Joe Swallow Rides Again
A long time ago, possibly back in our email days, I said something about Judge Joseph Swallow, one of our local political luminaries back in the 1970s. Uncle Ken dismissed him as mythological because he couldn't find anything about him on the internet, but I distinctly remember him being in the news back in the day, although I hadn't heard anything about him in decades and assumed him to be deceased by now. Well today a letter to the editor appeared in our local paper that was signed:
"Sincerely, Joseph P. Swallow - Former Republican State Legislator and Retired Circuit Judge".
Judge Joe begins his letter with a reference to his military service back in the 1950s, so while obviously not deceased, he is certainly no spring chicken anymore.
The subject of Judge Joe's letter was the recent betrayal of our Kurdish allies by President Trump. The last paragraph sums it up pretty well:
"His betrayal is not only detrimental to our immediate National interest, it has also stained our National honor and trust. Neither his promised sanctions nor political spin, however shrewd, can restore America's stature in the world."
Of course the same thing could have been said about the way our government cut and ran from Vietnam and traded Taiwan for two teddy bears, but few people remember that anymore, and some who do believe it was the right thing to do at the time. I still maintain to this day that Nixon should have been impeached for those two travesties instead of that silly Watergate thing.
"Sincerely, Joseph P. Swallow - Former Republican State Legislator and Retired Circuit Judge".
Judge Joe begins his letter with a reference to his military service back in the 1950s, so while obviously not deceased, he is certainly no spring chicken anymore.
The subject of Judge Joe's letter was the recent betrayal of our Kurdish allies by President Trump. The last paragraph sums it up pretty well:
"His betrayal is not only detrimental to our immediate National interest, it has also stained our National honor and trust. Neither his promised sanctions nor political spin, however shrewd, can restore America's stature in the world."
Of course the same thing could have been said about the way our government cut and ran from Vietnam and traded Taiwan for two teddy bears, but few people remember that anymore, and some who do believe it was the right thing to do at the time. I still maintain to this day that Nixon should have been impeached for those two travesties instead of that silly Watergate thing.
happy halloween
Yes Beagles we know all that, Also worth noting is that the chief justice of the supreme court will be presiding over the senate proceedings, and as he has shown himself to be somewhat independent and concerned with the dignity of the court he may well impede McConnell's attempts to sabotage the whole thing and get it over with quickly. Of course that remains to be seen.
And some of my ilk have come to think that there is a slim chance that Trump could be removed from office, and I tend to agree, agreeing also on the emphasis on slim. I think a lot of the top rep sens really don't like Trump, and would be glad to be rid of him and give the white ghost some time in office to burnish his bona fides before the 2020 election. Backstabbing the Kurds has not gone well with them though that outrage has died to nothing in the present. The current trashing of decorated military generals has recently drawn some ire.
I guess neither of those is enough to move the needle, but as the noose tightens around the orange neck his behavior becomes increasingly bizarre so maybe he will shoot that guy on Fifth Avenue and, well I said it was a slim chance.
The pumpkins are resting on the 20th floor awaiting their grisly ends by sharp knives wielded by squealing kids. Well mostly by their parents or grandparents. Carving a pumpkin is hard work for little hands and soon the knives fall into the hands of the elders as the kiddies gorge themselves on Halloween candy.
And Halloween candy is not what it was. Candy corn inexplicably remains but circus peanuts are gone as are those kisses wrapped in orange and black crinkly paper, and the mainstream candy made to look like pumpkins and tombstones or whatever, they just don't seem to bother. Mostly it is just big bags of miniature candy bars, and I guess that's ok because the kiddies are not nostalgic and are just after the loot.
Well Happy Halloween guys
And some of my ilk have come to think that there is a slim chance that Trump could be removed from office, and I tend to agree, agreeing also on the emphasis on slim. I think a lot of the top rep sens really don't like Trump, and would be glad to be rid of him and give the white ghost some time in office to burnish his bona fides before the 2020 election. Backstabbing the Kurds has not gone well with them though that outrage has died to nothing in the present. The current trashing of decorated military generals has recently drawn some ire.
I guess neither of those is enough to move the needle, but as the noose tightens around the orange neck his behavior becomes increasingly bizarre so maybe he will shoot that guy on Fifth Avenue and, well I said it was a slim chance.
The pumpkins are resting on the 20th floor awaiting their grisly ends by sharp knives wielded by squealing kids. Well mostly by their parents or grandparents. Carving a pumpkin is hard work for little hands and soon the knives fall into the hands of the elders as the kiddies gorge themselves on Halloween candy.
And Halloween candy is not what it was. Candy corn inexplicably remains but circus peanuts are gone as are those kisses wrapped in orange and black crinkly paper, and the mainstream candy made to look like pumpkins and tombstones or whatever, they just don't seem to bother. Mostly it is just big bags of miniature candy bars, and I guess that's ok because the kiddies are not nostalgic and are just after the loot.
Well Happy Halloween guys
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
So Many Votes, So Little Time
Either I didn't understand it correctly or they changed it, but my current understanding is that there are four votes instead of two. The first vote, which was never taken, would have authorized the impeachment inquiry. I thought that the vote they were going to take this week was a make-up for that one but, apparently, it's not. Since the inquiry seems to be doing fine without a vote, they see no need to take one now. Instead they are going to vote for a set of rules and procedures to govern the inquiry as it moves from behind leaky closed doors into the public view. In this phase, the inquiry will be conducted by a single committee instead of the previous three committees. At some point, this committee will report their findings to a fourth committee, which will draw up the articles of impeachment, which will be presented to the whole House to vote on. If the articles are approved by the whole House, only then can we say that Trump has been impeached. Then there will be a trial before the Senate and, if 2/3 of the senators vote to convict, Trump will be removed from office.
https://a.msn.com/r/2/AAJy7it?m=en-us&referrerID=InAppShare
https://a.msn.com/r/2/AAJy7it?m=en-us&referrerID=InAppShare
a mountain of tit and a mound of tat
Just like all politicians and trees, dogs are not alike and I erred when I asked if I had insulted Old Dog by saying his grandmother had voiced an untruth. I was of course referring to Beagles whose grandmother had voiced that popular refrain that they are all a bunch of crooks.
I have indeed noticed that Old Dog only posts once a week. For awhile it was Sunday and now it appears to be inching deeper into the week. I haven't heard any cooking stories in awhile, what is that guy doing with all his time?
So far pumpkins are still allowed on the balconies. And actually if you come by here at night you will see several balconies sporting colored lights. Also those dreadful notices in the elevators warning that violators will be punished have not appeared. Have they come to their senses and decided not to enforce their dreadful Scroogy rule? Who knows?
Quite a day that yesterday, the day Trump came to town. The underground maze that leads to the east tower loading dock is tricky business. I once got lost down there and the guy driving the truck got pissed and I was abandoned with my forty pumpkins somewhere in the wilds with no idea where I or the loading dock was. Fortunately there were some of our maintenance men wandering around and they spotted me and rescued me and the pumpkins, but I have never forgotten that so a day before the delivery every year I go down and scout it out to make sure I have it right.
So that's what I was doing yesterday morning and the place was crawling with cops. We are one short block down from his tower where he was going to be holding his fundraiser and I guess if you were planning a revenge ISIS attack it would be a handy staging area. And of course I got lost and was wandering around, a seventy four year old hippy in a maze crawling with cops.
"You looking for something?" one of them asked me, and I said the east tower loading dock because I was bringing in a truckload of pumpkins the next day, and I'm rather surprised they didn't haul me in just on principle.
,
But they were good-natured. I was wandering around downtown going about my business after I finally found the loading dock, and the cops were everywhere. The weather was nice and they were getting overtime and the work consisted mostly of just standing around so they were nodding good-naturedly to the protesters who were assembling and it's not like that nasty stuff of the sixties anymore. They were cops and probably some of them liked Trump, but they were also Chicagoans and Trump has insulted us a whole lot, so are kind of all in it together,
Something has been made of the lock him up chants at the world series. Some of my ilk found it unseemly, it's not a good idea to wrestle with pigs, two wrongs don't make a right, aren't we better thn that? I think it's a matter of tit for tat, which is not always the right thing, but in this case alongside the mountain of Trump's tit, booing him at a baseball game was a rather small mound of tat, and they were a crowd at a baseball game out for a good time, so what the hell, seems perfectly fine with me.
I have indeed noticed that Old Dog only posts once a week. For awhile it was Sunday and now it appears to be inching deeper into the week. I haven't heard any cooking stories in awhile, what is that guy doing with all his time?
So far pumpkins are still allowed on the balconies. And actually if you come by here at night you will see several balconies sporting colored lights. Also those dreadful notices in the elevators warning that violators will be punished have not appeared. Have they come to their senses and decided not to enforce their dreadful Scroogy rule? Who knows?
Quite a day that yesterday, the day Trump came to town. The underground maze that leads to the east tower loading dock is tricky business. I once got lost down there and the guy driving the truck got pissed and I was abandoned with my forty pumpkins somewhere in the wilds with no idea where I or the loading dock was. Fortunately there were some of our maintenance men wandering around and they spotted me and rescued me and the pumpkins, but I have never forgotten that so a day before the delivery every year I go down and scout it out to make sure I have it right.
So that's what I was doing yesterday morning and the place was crawling with cops. We are one short block down from his tower where he was going to be holding his fundraiser and I guess if you were planning a revenge ISIS attack it would be a handy staging area. And of course I got lost and was wandering around, a seventy four year old hippy in a maze crawling with cops.
"You looking for something?" one of them asked me, and I said the east tower loading dock because I was bringing in a truckload of pumpkins the next day, and I'm rather surprised they didn't haul me in just on principle.
,
But they were good-natured. I was wandering around downtown going about my business after I finally found the loading dock, and the cops were everywhere. The weather was nice and they were getting overtime and the work consisted mostly of just standing around so they were nodding good-naturedly to the protesters who were assembling and it's not like that nasty stuff of the sixties anymore. They were cops and probably some of them liked Trump, but they were also Chicagoans and Trump has insulted us a whole lot, so are kind of all in it together,
Something has been made of the lock him up chants at the world series. Some of my ilk found it unseemly, it's not a good idea to wrestle with pigs, two wrongs don't make a right, aren't we better thn that? I think it's a matter of tit for tat, which is not always the right thing, but in this case alongside the mountain of Trump's tit, booing him at a baseball game was a rather small mound of tat, and they were a crowd at a baseball game out for a good time, so what the hell, seems perfectly fine with me.
Monday, October 28, 2019
I Mispoke
Okay, maybe they're not all nuts, it just seemed that way to me at the moment. Since I am incapable of sin, I must have just made a mistake.
I think I have figured out why Uncle Ken and I had that disagreement about the impeachment vote the other day. It seems there are two impeachment votes. The first one is where the House votes to begin an impeachment inquiry, which they didn't do this time. The second one is where the House votes to adopt the articles of impeachment that are produced by the impeachment inquiry, which they can't do until the those articles are drafted by the committee and presented to the whole House for final approval. I suppose the whole House can vote to amend the articles before finally approving them, but I don't know that for a fact. I don't know why the first vote was not taken, but I heard on the TV news this evening that they are planning to take it now before the inquiry goes any further.
I found this on my news app just now:
https://a.msn.com/r/2/AAJv6ha?m=en-us&referrerID=InAppShare
When I was in Berlin, we were told that the Russian enlisted men were not issued socks, but the officers were. I didn't know anything about those footwraps, I assumed that the Russians had to either buy their own socks or do without them. It just goes to show that you're never too old to learn something.
I think I have figured out why Uncle Ken and I had that disagreement about the impeachment vote the other day. It seems there are two impeachment votes. The first one is where the House votes to begin an impeachment inquiry, which they didn't do this time. The second one is where the House votes to adopt the articles of impeachment that are produced by the impeachment inquiry, which they can't do until the those articles are drafted by the committee and presented to the whole House for final approval. I suppose the whole House can vote to amend the articles before finally approving them, but I don't know that for a fact. I don't know why the first vote was not taken, but I heard on the TV news this evening that they are planning to take it now before the inquiry goes any further.
I found this on my news app just now:
https://a.msn.com/r/2/AAJv6ha?m=en-us&referrerID=InAppShare
When I was in Berlin, we were told that the Russian enlisted men were not issued socks, but the officers were. I didn't know anything about those footwraps, I assumed that the Russians had to either buy their own socks or do without them. It just goes to show that you're never too old to learn something.
Blip
I didn't know that my truck had been featured on our local dealer's website.
Since the truck was listed through the Chevrolet website I couldn't say if it was featured or not, and Chevy is slow on updating their info. A few days ago the truck was shown as available from Wheeler but today it's not there.
-----
Those white pistol belts were probably used only for the ceremonial changing of the guard between the nations involved. I bet they had marching bands for a little background music, too.
Is Mr. Beagles aware that Soviet soldiers didn't wear socks with their boots, the ones with no laces? They used footwraps up until about five years ago and they don't look like the kind of thing that you can put on your feet if you're in a big hurry.
-----
Did I insult Old Dog by saying that what she always said was the stupidest thing I ever heard?
Okay, you lost me; I have no idea what you are referring to. Who is this "she" you speak of? And if you've been paying attention you should have noticed that my postings are down to about once a week, and have been for the past few months or so.
Tomorrow I have to go out early to get some pumpkins...
So, what do you do with the pumpkins once they are carved, are they allowed on the balconies with a lit candle inside?
Since the truck was listed through the Chevrolet website I couldn't say if it was featured or not, and Chevy is slow on updating their info. A few days ago the truck was shown as available from Wheeler but today it's not there.
-----
Those white pistol belts were probably used only for the ceremonial changing of the guard between the nations involved. I bet they had marching bands for a little background music, too.
Is Mr. Beagles aware that Soviet soldiers didn't wear socks with their boots, the ones with no laces? They used footwraps up until about five years ago and they don't look like the kind of thing that you can put on your feet if you're in a big hurry.
-----
Did I insult Old Dog by saying that what she always said was the stupidest thing I ever heard?
Okay, you lost me; I have no idea what you are referring to. Who is this "she" you speak of? And if you've been paying attention you should have noticed that my postings are down to about once a week, and have been for the past few months or so.
Tomorrow I have to go out early to get some pumpkins...
So, what do you do with the pumpkins once they are carved, are they allowed on the balconies with a lit candle inside?
telling one tree from another, the rise of western civ
Was it something I said? That's what I wonder when Monday morning, and it seems like it is usually Monday, the floor beneath the transom is bare. Did I insult Old Dog by saying that what she always said was the stupidest thing I ever heard? Ah I don't think so, it's not like it's just her, a lot of people say it all the time. It's just so nihilist, it's like saying all trees are the same. The whole ascent from scurrying ape-like little buddies that were regularly eaten by saber tooth tigers to well, civilization, to our world of streak of lightening cars and fancy clothes and comfy front rooms where our sweet kitties can lie on the soft rug and wonder what is for dinner. Well I try to vary it. The Jewel used to offer an array of beef and chicken and fish parts, and I would pause and wonder if they would prefer the chicken and liver medley, or the seafood delight. Anymore there are only two selections, and frankly, it doesn't seem to matter to them. Somewhere in their ancestral minds there is likely a glimmer of something tasty their far distant ancestors used to eat, but it's never there in that little can, and maybe that is why they look at us the way they do just before they begin to purr.
See I don't get this thing about having nothing to say. All you have to do is start typing and one thing leads to another.
Anyway that's how we got here, by noticing trees and rocks and animals are unlike each other and different uses could be made of the variations. And then to think that people are all alike is just crazy Man, crazy.
I guess that is all I have for now. Tomorrow I have to go out early to get some pumpkins for the seventh annual Marina City Punkin Palooza, so likely I will not be causally tossing something over the transom on that day.
See I don't get this thing about having nothing to say. All you have to do is start typing and one thing leads to another.
Anyway that's how we got here, by noticing trees and rocks and animals are unlike each other and different uses could be made of the variations. And then to think that people are all alike is just crazy Man, crazy.
I guess that is all I have for now. Tomorrow I have to go out early to get some pumpkins for the seventh annual Marina City Punkin Palooza, so likely I will not be causally tossing something over the transom on that day.
Friday, October 25, 2019
the stupidest thing I ever heard
Coming over the transom. A nice image, rings of something out of a black and white movie, probably about newspapers. Ka thunk, the sound of the missive that will blow the city a new asshole. That was back in the days when the press was not regularly called the enemy of the people, seems so long ago now.
As I suspected a brief internet search reveals that transoms anymore are just decorative which means they almost surely don't open. Pity. I think I picked up the phrase over the transom from the Letters to the Editor of one of those science fiction magazines that I used to devour back in my teens when air conditioning was rare and transoms were aplenty. They used it of course to refer to readers' letters, and that is he sense in which I used it, It's kind of a joking thing you know. I find it colorful and will continue to use it.
The latter reasons Old Dog gives for looking at Trump's taxes are precisely what the guys chasing his taxes are looking for. Lots of Russian fingerprints are expected. It is suspected that Trump doesn't want to reveal his taxes because he is not nearly as rich as he pretends to be, which is most likely true, but not the main reason they are after the taxes. And why call it yammering? Isn't this something the American people ought to know?
I was probably in my mid teens when I heard an older cousin say about politicians, Ah, they're all a bunch of crooks. Back then I thought that was the stupidest thing I'd ever heard. Since then I've heard a lot more stupid things, but that sentiment is still among the stupidest
Oh in one sense I suppose, except for Beagles, we are sinners, but the import of that phrase is to say that they are all alike, one crook is as bad as another, and that is certainly not true. Beagles's assumption here is that all politicians have become like Trump, which is not true at all, not remotely true.
You know when one party gets its teat in the wringer the opposing side cries, they are a bunch of crooks, but when they're own party gets its teat in a wringer they are all, ah they're all a bunch of crooks.
One party is doing everything by the book. The other party is defying the law with abandon. Can you tell which is which?
That Marie thing, it has been hard to kick, but lately I have been listening to a lot of Gillian Welch, and I think I am well on my way to recovery.
As I suspected a brief internet search reveals that transoms anymore are just decorative which means they almost surely don't open. Pity. I think I picked up the phrase over the transom from the Letters to the Editor of one of those science fiction magazines that I used to devour back in my teens when air conditioning was rare and transoms were aplenty. They used it of course to refer to readers' letters, and that is he sense in which I used it, It's kind of a joking thing you know. I find it colorful and will continue to use it.
The latter reasons Old Dog gives for looking at Trump's taxes are precisely what the guys chasing his taxes are looking for. Lots of Russian fingerprints are expected. It is suspected that Trump doesn't want to reveal his taxes because he is not nearly as rich as he pretends to be, which is most likely true, but not the main reason they are after the taxes. And why call it yammering? Isn't this something the American people ought to know?
I was probably in my mid teens when I heard an older cousin say about politicians, Ah, they're all a bunch of crooks. Back then I thought that was the stupidest thing I'd ever heard. Since then I've heard a lot more stupid things, but that sentiment is still among the stupidest
Oh in one sense I suppose, except for Beagles, we are sinners, but the import of that phrase is to say that they are all alike, one crook is as bad as another, and that is certainly not true. Beagles's assumption here is that all politicians have become like Trump, which is not true at all, not remotely true.
You know when one party gets its teat in the wringer the opposing side cries, they are a bunch of crooks, but when they're own party gets its teat in a wringer they are all, ah they're all a bunch of crooks.
One party is doing everything by the book. The other party is defying the law with abandon. Can you tell which is which?
That Marie thing, it has been hard to kick, but lately I have been listening to a lot of Gillian Welch, and I think I am well on my way to recovery.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
They're All Nuts
My grandmother used to say that they were all crooks, not only politicians, but businessmen too, especially those who tried to sell her something. If Grandma was alive today, however, I think she might conclude that they were actually all nuts. Crooks generally possess a certain amount of animal cunning which I don't see in today's crop of movers and shakers. I suppose Trump started it, but now the rest of them seem bent on beating him at his own game. Who can blame them? Say what you want about Trump, but he won the election.
I didn't know that my truck had been featured on our local dealer's website. They brought it up from another dealership in Rose City, which is about half way between Houghton Lake and Lake Huron, and only had it for a couple of days. I don't know why they advertised it on their site, since it had already been sold. Be that as it may, I like it so far, that automatic transmission isn't so bad once you get used to it. I have made several trips to town with it, about 10 miles round trip, which is about all I ever drove the old one, except to visit my daughter in Charlevoix, about 60 miles away, a few times a year.
I recognized some of the views of Spandau in the video, but the U.S. soldier's uniforms looked strange to me. I seem to remember that we wore fatigues for Spandau guard, with a shiny helmet liner that we also wore for some parades, but we didn't have anything like those white pistol belts. I was never involved in the changing of the guard, which only happened a few times a year. When the US had it, they rotated people in and out of there every few days. I think it was supposed to be 24 hours, but we were always under strength and frequently had to do assignments like that back to back. It actually wasn't all that bad, two hours on post and four hours off in the guard house. If you didn't fool around on your off time it was possible to get eight hours sleep over the 24 hour tour, which was more than you could usually get back in the barracks.
I didn't know that my truck had been featured on our local dealer's website. They brought it up from another dealership in Rose City, which is about half way between Houghton Lake and Lake Huron, and only had it for a couple of days. I don't know why they advertised it on their site, since it had already been sold. Be that as it may, I like it so far, that automatic transmission isn't so bad once you get used to it. I have made several trips to town with it, about 10 miles round trip, which is about all I ever drove the old one, except to visit my daughter in Charlevoix, about 60 miles away, a few times a year.
I recognized some of the views of Spandau in the video, but the U.S. soldier's uniforms looked strange to me. I seem to remember that we wore fatigues for Spandau guard, with a shiny helmet liner that we also wore for some parades, but we didn't have anything like those white pistol belts. I was never involved in the changing of the guard, which only happened a few times a year. When the US had it, they rotated people in and out of there every few days. I think it was supposed to be 24 hours, but we were always under strength and frequently had to do assignments like that back to back. It actually wasn't all that bad, two hours on post and four hours off in the guard house. If you didn't fool around on your off time it was possible to get eight hours sleep over the 24 hour tour, which was more than you could usually get back in the barracks.
A dollar here, a dollar there
I hate these days of nothing over the transom.
What do you mean? Something that is over the transom is "Without prior agreement, consent, or arrangement; unsolicited or uninvited." Or so I've read, but this is a minor quibble not worthy of full scourge treatment.
-----
(Re: new truck's VIN)
I expect that has some kind of significance, but I don't know what it is.
Nothing more than "more fun with Google." One of the photos you posted had the dealer's name on the license plate holder, Wheeler Motors. Just for kicks, I plugged Cheboygan's ZIP code into the Chevy search engine to see if there were any red trucks nearby, and what do you know? Wheeler Motors had one and all of their photos looked identical to the ones you posted but they had a lot more, including interior shots. I imagine the truck has been removed from their website by now but it was fun to see what a sweet ride you now have.
-----
A couple of years ago Mr. Beagles posted some info about his time in Berlin and guard duty at Spandau Prison. I recently stumbled on a short video about Rudolf Hess and there was some footage of the changing of the guard ceremony and I was wondering if Mr. Beagles was immortalized on film. Unlikely, but still, you never know.
-----
People have been yammering about Trump's tax records for a couple of years now, and there is one thing that has not been mentioned yet. Everybody is hung up on how much money he has and how much tax he has paid but I think there is a bigger story. He wants to hide the sources of his income and loans, as well as hide the parties involved in all of his deductions. There may be people and organizations whose names he does not want to reveal and I suspect that he is sitting on top of one of the largest money laundering schemes to have ever been implemented. I've said it before, "Follow the money!"
What do you mean? Something that is over the transom is "Without prior agreement, consent, or arrangement; unsolicited or uninvited." Or so I've read, but this is a minor quibble not worthy of full scourge treatment.
-----
(Re: new truck's VIN)
I expect that has some kind of significance, but I don't know what it is.
Nothing more than "more fun with Google." One of the photos you posted had the dealer's name on the license plate holder, Wheeler Motors. Just for kicks, I plugged Cheboygan's ZIP code into the Chevy search engine to see if there were any red trucks nearby, and what do you know? Wheeler Motors had one and all of their photos looked identical to the ones you posted but they had a lot more, including interior shots. I imagine the truck has been removed from their website by now but it was fun to see what a sweet ride you now have.
-----
A couple of years ago Mr. Beagles posted some info about his time in Berlin and guard duty at Spandau Prison. I recently stumbled on a short video about Rudolf Hess and there was some footage of the changing of the guard ceremony and I was wondering if Mr. Beagles was immortalized on film. Unlikely, but still, you never know.
-----
People have been yammering about Trump's tax records for a couple of years now, and there is one thing that has not been mentioned yet. Everybody is hung up on how much money he has and how much tax he has paid but I think there is a bigger story. He wants to hide the sources of his income and loans, as well as hide the parties involved in all of his deductions. There may be people and organizations whose names he does not want to reveal and I suspect that he is sitting on top of one of the largest money laundering schemes to have ever been implemented. I've said it before, "Follow the money!"
republican guy without a suitcoat
Beagles appears to be shocked that republicans, the proud party of lock and load, would take it upon themselves to form into a cellphone wielding mob and burst into a secure room where an investigation was being held, I suppose at one time the republicans were dignified to the point of being stiff, but in our exciting times that has gone the way of the buggy whip.
One of the guys in the lead was Coatless Jim Jordan. Actually he is not quite coatless he just prefers to carry it rather than wear it. I googled republican guy without a suitcoat and came across this: https://putthison.com/whats-going-on-with-congressman-jim-jordans-jacket/ I guess this makes him look more like an Action Man, which is suitable when crashing down doors. As the article explains he is not actually coatless, he just prefers to haul it around behind him rather than wear it,
What got their panties in a bunch was that this was a closed hearing.. It was a closed hearing because they are discussing things like the names of our agents which, if were revealed, by, I don't know, a cellphone wielding mob, could do damage to our security apparatus which ok, is being freely dismantled by the commander in chief, but still. And I hasten to add this is not barred to republicans, just to representatives, republican or democratic, who are not members of the committee.
And let's remember that the coatless one led the famous Bengazi hearings which went on for years and came up with nada, and were closed to the public. At the time some dems complained about this, but they did not storm the ramparts and the dem White House provided documents and grumblingly went along went along with it, I think mainly because they knew, correctly, that there was nothing there and go ahead, investigate your asses off, it will keep you from doing drugs or getting into gangs,.although the actions of the recent mob call the latter item into question.
Okay the mob action was, as most republican actions are these days, meant for The Audience of One, who had recently called on the reps to take more action, and what better action than forming a mob, but the main reason these hearings are opposed is because they are getting results, because unlike the dems and Bengazi, the republicans are guilty of at least abetting high crimes and misdemeanors.
Many heads have rolled and more will follow. I don't know if Coatless Joe Jordan has any Ukrainian oil staining that jacket over his arm, but if that is the case he surely will know how to drape it from the cameras when he takes his place in the perp walk.
One of the guys in the lead was Coatless Jim Jordan. Actually he is not quite coatless he just prefers to carry it rather than wear it. I googled republican guy without a suitcoat and came across this: https://putthison.com/whats-going-on-with-congressman-jim-jordans-jacket/ I guess this makes him look more like an Action Man, which is suitable when crashing down doors. As the article explains he is not actually coatless, he just prefers to haul it around behind him rather than wear it,
What got their panties in a bunch was that this was a closed hearing.. It was a closed hearing because they are discussing things like the names of our agents which, if were revealed, by, I don't know, a cellphone wielding mob, could do damage to our security apparatus which ok, is being freely dismantled by the commander in chief, but still. And I hasten to add this is not barred to republicans, just to representatives, republican or democratic, who are not members of the committee.
And let's remember that the coatless one led the famous Bengazi hearings which went on for years and came up with nada, and were closed to the public. At the time some dems complained about this, but they did not storm the ramparts and the dem White House provided documents and grumblingly went along went along with it, I think mainly because they knew, correctly, that there was nothing there and go ahead, investigate your asses off, it will keep you from doing drugs or getting into gangs,.although the actions of the recent mob call the latter item into question.
Okay the mob action was, as most republican actions are these days, meant for The Audience of One, who had recently called on the reps to take more action, and what better action than forming a mob, but the main reason these hearings are opposed is because they are getting results, because unlike the dems and Bengazi, the republicans are guilty of at least abetting high crimes and misdemeanors.
Many heads have rolled and more will follow. I don't know if Coatless Joe Jordan has any Ukrainian oil staining that jacket over his arm, but if that is the case he surely will know how to drape it from the cameras when he takes his place in the perp walk.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Reading, Writing, and Vocalizing
We have been through this before. I read everything that is posted by my esteemed colleagues, but I don't always respond. Sometimes I have nothing to say, and sometimes I've already said it and don't want to repeat myself.
I've been talking to myself for as long as I can remember, I don't know why, maybe it helps me focus my thoughts. Sometimes when, somebody says something to me about it, I ask them if they would rather I sing. Actually, I used to sing a lot too, but I seem to have gotten out of that habit over the years, I don't know why. I never did understand why people thought that spontaneous singing was strange. People must have sung for thousands of years before stage, screen, and recording technology were invented. It's just a natural thing for me, or at least it used to be. I have been told that I'm the kind of person who needs to express himself. I suppose that's true, but I don't think I do it to impress other people, it's just what I do.
I've just been reading up on the latest developments in that impeachment thing. Isn't that something how a bunch of Republicans forced their way into that room and disrupted the proceedings? Republicans! What's this world coming to?
I've been talking to myself for as long as I can remember, I don't know why, maybe it helps me focus my thoughts. Sometimes when, somebody says something to me about it, I ask them if they would rather I sing. Actually, I used to sing a lot too, but I seem to have gotten out of that habit over the years, I don't know why. I never did understand why people thought that spontaneous singing was strange. People must have sung for thousands of years before stage, screen, and recording technology were invented. It's just a natural thing for me, or at least it used to be. I have been told that I'm the kind of person who needs to express himself. I suppose that's true, but I don't think I do it to impress other people, it's just what I do.
I've just been reading up on the latest developments in that impeachment thing. Isn't that something how a bunch of Republicans forced their way into that room and disrupted the proceedings? Republicans! What's this world coming to?
anybody listening out there?
I hate these days of nothing over the transom. What am I going to do? Go to the end of my last post and tack on a furthermore and then continue on my line of thought? I suppose I could but generally my momentum has been spent at the end of the post, and furthermore when nothing comes over the transom I get the eerie feeling that nobody is listening.
I talk to myself. It began with talking to my cats, and then I carried it on in the grocery store. Let's see a buck for twelve ounces and a buck and a quarter for sixteen, but then I like the former brand better, but frankly getting a little tired of it and maybe the latter would be a mild cheap thrill, but then are they really all that different or is it just my imagination, but even if it is my imagination doesn't that count for something, I mean if I am happier eating the former, then isn't that what really counts?
That sort of thing. At first I was doing it kind of subconsciously and when I noticed I was like, shut up! Do you want to end up in a loony bin? But then I noticed that it was kind of fun and kind of cleared my head, and they really don't put people in loony bins anymore, and people gave you a little more space so there was more elbow room in front of the canned beans section.
So now I just do it, especially if I am doing some complicated task, it's kind of like writing something down, it makes everything clearer/ I can't say that I notice anybody listening to me, I mean why should they care, and that's fine.
But writing something and knowing nobody will be reading it, well it's just odd. I mean I could paint and not show anybody, and I have drawn things and not shown anybody, but writing and nobody is reading, sounds like something people in loony bins do.
Okay, this just in, not over the transom, but over the radio and right on what I wanted to say about school spirit. Some schools are now assigning seats in the lunch room.and assigning teachers to tables where they will lead the conversation. Schools are a little like work, you put in your time and you get your grade, it's a transaction. But this is trying to get into the kids' heads, it's like the difference between gym and recess. We are social animals and I think when we are kids we are at our most social so to get a bunch of us together and not allow us to freely interact, just loony Man.
Back when we were going to college there was some talk about how a small college is better because then the officials could kind of look out for you. What a stupid idea. I wanted to go somewhere where nobody would be telling me nothing.
I talk to myself. It began with talking to my cats, and then I carried it on in the grocery store. Let's see a buck for twelve ounces and a buck and a quarter for sixteen, but then I like the former brand better, but frankly getting a little tired of it and maybe the latter would be a mild cheap thrill, but then are they really all that different or is it just my imagination, but even if it is my imagination doesn't that count for something, I mean if I am happier eating the former, then isn't that what really counts?
That sort of thing. At first I was doing it kind of subconsciously and when I noticed I was like, shut up! Do you want to end up in a loony bin? But then I noticed that it was kind of fun and kind of cleared my head, and they really don't put people in loony bins anymore, and people gave you a little more space so there was more elbow room in front of the canned beans section.
So now I just do it, especially if I am doing some complicated task, it's kind of like writing something down, it makes everything clearer/ I can't say that I notice anybody listening to me, I mean why should they care, and that's fine.
But writing something and knowing nobody will be reading it, well it's just odd. I mean I could paint and not show anybody, and I have drawn things and not shown anybody, but writing and nobody is reading, sounds like something people in loony bins do.
Okay, this just in, not over the transom, but over the radio and right on what I wanted to say about school spirit. Some schools are now assigning seats in the lunch room.and assigning teachers to tables where they will lead the conversation. Schools are a little like work, you put in your time and you get your grade, it's a transaction. But this is trying to get into the kids' heads, it's like the difference between gym and recess. We are social animals and I think when we are kids we are at our most social so to get a bunch of us together and not allow us to freely interact, just loony Man.
Back when we were going to college there was some talk about how a small college is better because then the officials could kind of look out for you. What a stupid idea. I wanted to go somewhere where nobody would be telling me nothing.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
I hate school spirit
Then again, maybe Trump is as full of shit as he usually is:
Why don't we just leave it at that and then I won't even have to read that blind link? If you want to know what Trump is (ha ha) thinking. then a better guide than facts is how that last Big Mac agreed with his gut.
The UN cannot call a cease fire unilaterally, both sides have to agree to it, and they don't agree until one side has what it wanted and the other side does not want to lose more. Good and bad guys have nothing to do with it.
As I was writing that thing about school spirit I was reminded about something I learned way back in college when I was studying psychology. They had these kids at summer camp and in order to inspire them to paddle their canoes faster and to make more wallets they divided them up into two groups, the blues and whites. No criteria here, probably just a countdown one, two, and bam you are a white or a blue. And it turned out to be a pretty nifty idea as far as faster canoes and more wallets were concerned, but then it devolved into a lot of trash talking and a bit of beating up and they had to stop it.
Back in high school a few days a week a group of us used to gather up a basketball and go out to the hoops a couple times a week, and choose up sides. It was a good time except that every time, every last time one of the teams cheated, and furthermore, even though the sides were different each time and I would find myself on one side and then another, the side I wasn't on was always the cheaters, every last time.
Back in grade school I recall one of the teachers used to divide the class into sides and I employed it on a group of fourth graders one day. It worked just great hands were flying up to answer questions, attention was rapt, Then I pushed it too far. There was a group of kids in the back and they were talking and not paying attention so I fined their group five points. At that point one of them asked hey, what does the winning side win. I tried to change the subject and hope nobody had noticed, but the next time I fined that group ten points, one of the kids piped up, hey Teach, make it a hundred. And the jig was up.
Republicans and democrats are not blues and whites, they are not separated by arbitrary means, but by differences of opinions. If only the other side would listen to our rational arguments why they would become like us. There was a lot of politeness between them, they spoke of each other as good ,men who just had different opinions.
Of course that is all gone now. There is no more politeness just insults, and lies are just fine as long as they demean your opponents. It is just one tribe against the other, blues vs whites. I hate school spirit.
Why don't we just leave it at that and then I won't even have to read that blind link? If you want to know what Trump is (ha ha) thinking. then a better guide than facts is how that last Big Mac agreed with his gut.
The UN cannot call a cease fire unilaterally, both sides have to agree to it, and they don't agree until one side has what it wanted and the other side does not want to lose more. Good and bad guys have nothing to do with it.
As I was writing that thing about school spirit I was reminded about something I learned way back in college when I was studying psychology. They had these kids at summer camp and in order to inspire them to paddle their canoes faster and to make more wallets they divided them up into two groups, the blues and whites. No criteria here, probably just a countdown one, two, and bam you are a white or a blue. And it turned out to be a pretty nifty idea as far as faster canoes and more wallets were concerned, but then it devolved into a lot of trash talking and a bit of beating up and they had to stop it.
Back in high school a few days a week a group of us used to gather up a basketball and go out to the hoops a couple times a week, and choose up sides. It was a good time except that every time, every last time one of the teams cheated, and furthermore, even though the sides were different each time and I would find myself on one side and then another, the side I wasn't on was always the cheaters, every last time.
Back in grade school I recall one of the teachers used to divide the class into sides and I employed it on a group of fourth graders one day. It worked just great hands were flying up to answer questions, attention was rapt, Then I pushed it too far. There was a group of kids in the back and they were talking and not paying attention so I fined their group five points. At that point one of them asked hey, what does the winning side win. I tried to change the subject and hope nobody had noticed, but the next time I fined that group ten points, one of the kids piped up, hey Teach, make it a hundred. And the jig was up.
Republicans and democrats are not blues and whites, they are not separated by arbitrary means, but by differences of opinions. If only the other side would listen to our rational arguments why they would become like us. There was a lot of politeness between them, they spoke of each other as good ,men who just had different opinions.
Of course that is all gone now. There is no more politeness just insults, and lies are just fine as long as they demean your opponents. It is just one tribe against the other, blues vs whites. I hate school spirit.
Monday, October 21, 2019
My Point Was
"Before the impeachment of Clinton and attempted impeachment of Nixon a vote on authorizing impeachment was held. This is what Marcus means by precedent. But there is no legal reason that it has to be held. If the first two times a cop arrests you he is wearing a hat, that does not mean he has to wear a hat the third time he arrests you." - Uncle Ken - 10/18/19
Uncle Ken has been saying recently that the impeachment process has begun, and I have been disputing that, saying that only the impeachment inquiry has begun. Well, it seems that the inquiry is an official part of the impeachment process, so I was wrong about that part. Nevertheless, contrary to what Uncle Ken said in the above quote, unless the full House votes on the articles of impeachment, the process is dead in the water. This is more than just precedent, it is the law. Of course Congress can change the law but, until they do, they are bound by it. In my post of 10/18, my comments after the imported content were not cut off, that's all I wrote. I didn't feel like getting into that Gage Park thing right then, so I put that in another post two days later, figuring that it didn't matter because Uncle Ken would not read it until Monday anyway.
My computer has been acting strange since I started it up last night. Everything works, but the displays look different, as if I am using a different browser. Windows 10 sends me updates periodically, it's automatic and I can't turn it off. The changes are usually not noticeable, but I wonder if they slipped in a new browser this time. My latest security scan report, which also comes automatically, told me last night that everything is okay, so I doubt that I've been hacked. I suppose I will get used to the new look eventually, if they don't change it again before I do.
Trump was on the TV news this evening talking about that Kurd thing. He said that, while the Kurds have been our allies lately, the Turks have been our allies since the founding of NATO, and he didn't feel obligated to defend one ally against another ally. Trump is Trump, but he might have made a valid point this time. What do you do when one of your allies attacks another one of your allies? I hate to say it, but this might be a job for the United Nations. If they intervene, at least we will find out which side is the good guys and which side is the bad guys because, historically, the UN calls a cease fire as soon as the good guys start winning.
Then again, maybe Trump is as full of shit as he usually is:
https://a.msn.com/r/2/AAJ7uf9?m=en-us&referrerID=InAppShare
Uncle Ken has been saying recently that the impeachment process has begun, and I have been disputing that, saying that only the impeachment inquiry has begun. Well, it seems that the inquiry is an official part of the impeachment process, so I was wrong about that part. Nevertheless, contrary to what Uncle Ken said in the above quote, unless the full House votes on the articles of impeachment, the process is dead in the water. This is more than just precedent, it is the law. Of course Congress can change the law but, until they do, they are bound by it. In my post of 10/18, my comments after the imported content were not cut off, that's all I wrote. I didn't feel like getting into that Gage Park thing right then, so I put that in another post two days later, figuring that it didn't matter because Uncle Ken would not read it until Monday anyway.
My computer has been acting strange since I started it up last night. Everything works, but the displays look different, as if I am using a different browser. Windows 10 sends me updates periodically, it's automatic and I can't turn it off. The changes are usually not noticeable, but I wonder if they slipped in a new browser this time. My latest security scan report, which also comes automatically, told me last night that everything is okay, so I doubt that I've been hacked. I suppose I will get used to the new look eventually, if they don't change it again before I do.
Trump was on the TV news this evening talking about that Kurd thing. He said that, while the Kurds have been our allies lately, the Turks have been our allies since the founding of NATO, and he didn't feel obligated to defend one ally against another ally. Trump is Trump, but he might have made a valid point this time. What do you do when one of your allies attacks another one of your allies? I hate to say it, but this might be a job for the United Nations. If they intervene, at least we will find out which side is the good guys and which side is the bad guys because, historically, the UN calls a cease fire as soon as the good guys start winning.
Then again, maybe Trump is as full of shit as he usually is:
https://a.msn.com/r/2/AAJ7uf9?m=en-us&referrerID=InAppShare
A Victory for Gage Park High
I don't understand the previous post by Beagles. Nothing there we don't already know, and Beagles, as a constitutional scholar was surely aware of this as well, I don't know why Beagles copied them. It seems like he was going to make a comment afterwards but it seems to have been cut off at the end of the line, and not just by word, but in the middle of a letter. I've never seen that before but am aware that when you paste some stuff in it wreaks havoc on the text you type in after that. A helpful hint, before I paste anything in I type in the next few words beneath the paste and that way I get to keep my font.
I don't remember that peculiarity of the gym lockers. Sounds kind of odd, who would want to steal gym clothes? But then as I often say, people will steal anything, if for no other reason than to have something to throw away.
I can certainly see how naming the gym teacher, though I think we only had two, so I guess people would have guessed, was enough to put the kibosh on the article. But even without that, just mentioning something that the school would have to spend money to fix was something that was unlikely to see the light of day.
Because, gosh darn it, the only thing wrong with Gage Park, was that some kids did not have enough school spirit! The maroon and white, the owls (Owls? Yeah owls, you want to make something of it?), the stirring school song: Hail alma mater, hail maroon and white yada yada yada, a victory for Gage Park High. That was the stuff Jack.
Myself I didn't go for that school spirit stuff. First of all if I lived four or five blocks further south I would be singing the praises of Lindbloom, four or five further north and it would have been Kelly and I guess I would have been expected to do it because those schools were better than any other school.
It was bogus, Man, they were using it to control us, maybe not exactly the They of Beagles's theory, but something close to that: the city, the board of education, the staff of Gage Park High. I suppose it was a good cause, to somehow keep us from smoking cigarettes, drinking beer, stealing hubcaps, getting into gang fights and stabbing each other with switch blades and shooting each other with those awful zip guns.
It was like, I don't know, patriotism. I suppose I loved my country well enough, I always rooted for the US army at the movies, but the flag waving, the parades, the having to stand still and look respectful when some guy blathers on with a patriotic speech, I just didn't like it. If I lived further north I would have been singing Oh Canada and south, whatever they sing down there.
They had a couple paintings hung outside the office, the ideal Gage Park girl and the ideal Gage Park guy in their maroon and white Gage Park sweaters, done in, if I recall correctly, Soviet realist style. And then one day somebody (Gasp) slashed them, left them in tatters, though you could still make out who they were. In a peculiar decision they left them hanging where they were, the idea was that we would be shamed, shamed into maybe revealing the slasher, or maybe just shamed of that kind of behavior so that we would never smoke or drink or steal or stab or shoot, for our own good you know. Myself I got a special little jolt of joy whenever I passed them, whoever did it, good for you.
I don't remember that peculiarity of the gym lockers. Sounds kind of odd, who would want to steal gym clothes? But then as I often say, people will steal anything, if for no other reason than to have something to throw away.
I can certainly see how naming the gym teacher, though I think we only had two, so I guess people would have guessed, was enough to put the kibosh on the article. But even without that, just mentioning something that the school would have to spend money to fix was something that was unlikely to see the light of day.
Because, gosh darn it, the only thing wrong with Gage Park, was that some kids did not have enough school spirit! The maroon and white, the owls (Owls? Yeah owls, you want to make something of it?), the stirring school song: Hail alma mater, hail maroon and white yada yada yada, a victory for Gage Park High. That was the stuff Jack.
Myself I didn't go for that school spirit stuff. First of all if I lived four or five blocks further south I would be singing the praises of Lindbloom, four or five further north and it would have been Kelly and I guess I would have been expected to do it because those schools were better than any other school.
It was bogus, Man, they were using it to control us, maybe not exactly the They of Beagles's theory, but something close to that: the city, the board of education, the staff of Gage Park High. I suppose it was a good cause, to somehow keep us from smoking cigarettes, drinking beer, stealing hubcaps, getting into gang fights and stabbing each other with switch blades and shooting each other with those awful zip guns.
It was like, I don't know, patriotism. I suppose I loved my country well enough, I always rooted for the US army at the movies, but the flag waving, the parades, the having to stand still and look respectful when some guy blathers on with a patriotic speech, I just didn't like it. If I lived further north I would have been singing Oh Canada and south, whatever they sing down there.
They had a couple paintings hung outside the office, the ideal Gage Park girl and the ideal Gage Park guy in their maroon and white Gage Park sweaters, done in, if I recall correctly, Soviet realist style. And then one day somebody (Gasp) slashed them, left them in tatters, though you could still make out who they were. In a peculiar decision they left them hanging where they were, the idea was that we would be shamed, shamed into maybe revealing the slasher, or maybe just shamed of that kind of behavior so that we would never smoke or drink or steal or stab or shoot, for our own good you know. Myself I got a special little jolt of joy whenever I passed them, whoever did it, good for you.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
About That Editorial
Remember how some of the hoodlum types at Gage Park used to open lockers, theirs or other people's, by forcefully jerking the handle up and down instead of opening the padlock the normal way? Apparently they had done this with the gym lockers so often that the locking mechanisms were so worn that they could be opened just by lifting on the handle, no jiggling required. After losing a couple of brand new gym outfits, I reported it to the coach and he didn't seem to care. So I wrote an editorial about it in the school paper. I said that they should either provide us with lockers that work or assign somebody to patrol the locker room on a regular basis. I also reported the coach's apathy about the situation, mentioning him by name.
Shortly after my editorial was rejected, one of the other students advised me to never keep anything in my gym locker, just keep my stuff in my hall locker until right before I went to gym class, and to put it back in there right after. That worked for awhile, but I changed from gym to ROTC shortly thereafter and didn't have to worry about it anymore.
Gym was stupid anyway, they never taught us anything, just turned us loose to fool around in the gym three times a week. We were supposed to have swimming class once a week, but I only remember doing that once. The rest of the time they would stick us in the classroom where we were supposed to have health class once a week and tell us to keep quiet and read a book or something. I don't remember ever being taught anything about health either.
Shortly after my editorial was rejected, one of the other students advised me to never keep anything in my gym locker, just keep my stuff in my hall locker until right before I went to gym class, and to put it back in there right after. That worked for awhile, but I changed from gym to ROTC shortly thereafter and didn't have to worry about it anymore.
Gym was stupid anyway, they never taught us anything, just turned us loose to fool around in the gym three times a week. We were supposed to have swimming class once a week, but I only remember doing that once. The rest of the time they would stick us in the classroom where we were supposed to have health class once a week and tell us to keep quiet and read a book or something. I don't remember ever being taught anything about health either.
Friday, October 18, 2019
it's bogus, Man
Let me say this about that.
Before the impeachment of Clinton and attempted impeachment of Nixon a vote on authorizing impeachment was held. This is what Marcus means by precedent. But there is no legal reason that it has to be held. If the first two times a cop arrests you he is wearing a hat, that does not mean he has to wear a hat the third time he arrests you.
A vote on authorizing impeachment would give the republicans certain advantages, so why would the democrats give them that? Trumpists hint that if the vote was held they would no longer stonewall the dems by not allowing their people to testify, but experience tells us that they would continue to stonewall despite that vote, so why would the dems give something and not get anything back? No reason, and that is why they are proceeding without that vote.
The polls have not stabilized. In the last two weeks support for impeachment has grown in every poll. The latest FOX poll reveals that support for impeachment has grown from 39 percent in June to 51 percent in the latest poll. The latest Gallup poll shows that independents now favor impeachment by 55 percent to 46 percent.
I have previously been against impeachment for the reasons that Marcus gives; that we will lose in the senate, that the Trump's base would be energized, and that dems in purple states may be endangered. I now see a slight chance that the dems might succeed in indictment. Ten rep sens deserted Trump on the recent vote to stop Trump from raiding budgeted items to build his wall. That is still ten votes shy of the necessary two thirds, but it is a momentum. Trumps base is already energized, so how much difference is their enragement going to make? Dems in purple states were elected by dems and independents, both of whom favor favor impeachment, so I don't see it hurting them all that much, indeed many of them have come out in favor of impeachment.
I think the dems have more to win than to lose by proceeding with impeachment. I may be wrong about that, but it doesn't matter, the momentum is there and the dems will be charging into what may be the valley of death. They would only hurt themselves by reversing course after they have come this far.
I envy Beagles for being on the staff of the En-Gager. I always wanted to be on it. Memory is unclear about it but I think I actually wormed myself into being on it, or close to being on it, but Ms Kew didn't like my attitude either. Can Beagles relate what his editorial was about, and how that all went down?
Before the impeachment of Clinton and attempted impeachment of Nixon a vote on authorizing impeachment was held. This is what Marcus means by precedent. But there is no legal reason that it has to be held. If the first two times a cop arrests you he is wearing a hat, that does not mean he has to wear a hat the third time he arrests you.
A vote on authorizing impeachment would give the republicans certain advantages, so why would the democrats give them that? Trumpists hint that if the vote was held they would no longer stonewall the dems by not allowing their people to testify, but experience tells us that they would continue to stonewall despite that vote, so why would the dems give something and not get anything back? No reason, and that is why they are proceeding without that vote.
The polls have not stabilized. In the last two weeks support for impeachment has grown in every poll. The latest FOX poll reveals that support for impeachment has grown from 39 percent in June to 51 percent in the latest poll. The latest Gallup poll shows that independents now favor impeachment by 55 percent to 46 percent.
I have previously been against impeachment for the reasons that Marcus gives; that we will lose in the senate, that the Trump's base would be energized, and that dems in purple states may be endangered. I now see a slight chance that the dems might succeed in indictment. Ten rep sens deserted Trump on the recent vote to stop Trump from raiding budgeted items to build his wall. That is still ten votes shy of the necessary two thirds, but it is a momentum. Trumps base is already energized, so how much difference is their enragement going to make? Dems in purple states were elected by dems and independents, both of whom favor favor impeachment, so I don't see it hurting them all that much, indeed many of them have come out in favor of impeachment.
I think the dems have more to win than to lose by proceeding with impeachment. I may be wrong about that, but it doesn't matter, the momentum is there and the dems will be charging into what may be the valley of death. They would only hurt themselves by reversing course after they have come this far.
I envy Beagles for being on the staff of the En-Gager. I always wanted to be on it. Memory is unclear about it but I think I actually wormed myself into being on it, or close to being on it, but Ms Kew didn't like my attitude either. Can Beagles relate what his editorial was about, and how that all went down?
Thursday, October 17, 2019
A Correct Opinion
https://a.msn.com/r/2/AAIVvKs?m=en-us&referrerID=InAppShare
This is just an opinion piece from a right wing publication, but I like it because it closely resembles my own opinion, which reminds me of a story.
I was on the staff of our high school newspaper for one semester, my first semester at Gage Park High. Students were usually not allowed to write for the paper until after they had taken journalism in their junior year, but I was so smart that they put me on it right from the start. I didn't ask for this assignment, and I don't remember that they even asked me, they just put me on it. One day, the teacher who supervised the paper, Mrs. Kew, asked me to write an editorial, so I wrote one and turned it in. Next day Mrs. Kew told me that she wasn't going to publish my editorial because it was "just an opinion". I responded that I thought that all editorials were just opinions. She said that was true, but that this opinion was not acceptable because it was not her opinion. I said that, if she wanted to express her opinion, she should have written the article herself. She then told me, "Let's put it this way, this is not a correct opinion." She never asked me to write an editorial again, and I opted out of the school newspaper at the end of the semester.
I joined the Birchers back in the day because I had heard they were fanatical anti-communists. Turned out that they believed the government of Communist Russia, the government of the United States, and all the multi-national corporations were being run by the same people, an international conspiracy that the Birchers called the "Insiders". They had traced the origin of the Insiders back to the Order of the Illuminati, an organization that spun off of the Masons back in the 18th Century. It made sense to me at the time because my military experience had left me with the impression that the Russian government and the U.S. government were all in it together. I have since come to the conclusion that, while the powers that be are certainly all in it, they are probably not all in it together. If they were, the world would not be the inefficient, dysfunctional, and chaotic place that it is today.
This is just an opinion piece from a right wing publication, but I like it because it closely resembles my own opinion, which reminds me of a story.
I was on the staff of our high school newspaper for one semester, my first semester at Gage Park High. Students were usually not allowed to write for the paper until after they had taken journalism in their junior year, but I was so smart that they put me on it right from the start. I didn't ask for this assignment, and I don't remember that they even asked me, they just put me on it. One day, the teacher who supervised the paper, Mrs. Kew, asked me to write an editorial, so I wrote one and turned it in. Next day Mrs. Kew told me that she wasn't going to publish my editorial because it was "just an opinion". I responded that I thought that all editorials were just opinions. She said that was true, but that this opinion was not acceptable because it was not her opinion. I said that, if she wanted to express her opinion, she should have written the article herself. She then told me, "Let's put it this way, this is not a correct opinion." She never asked me to write an editorial again, and I opted out of the school newspaper at the end of the semester.
I joined the Birchers back in the day because I had heard they were fanatical anti-communists. Turned out that they believed the government of Communist Russia, the government of the United States, and all the multi-national corporations were being run by the same people, an international conspiracy that the Birchers called the "Insiders". They had traced the origin of the Insiders back to the Order of the Illuminati, an organization that spun off of the Masons back in the 18th Century. It made sense to me at the time because my military experience had left me with the impression that the Russian government and the U.S. government were all in it together. I have since come to the conclusion that, while the powers that be are certainly all in it, they are probably not all in it together. If they were, the world would not be the inefficient, dysfunctional, and chaotic place that it is today.
none dare call it treason
I think Beagles is splitting hairs on this impeachment thing. It's like the hypothetical wife told him she needed a loaf of bread and a quart of milk, and Beagles said ok and when to the bedroom to put his boots on, and she followed him in there and she said I thought you were going to get a quart of milk and a loaf of bread, and Beagles answers I am, and she says, no you're not you're putting on your boots.
Boy that brings back memories, the corner store with it's homey food smell and chatty laid back owner and employees and the penny candy on the shelves behind the cash register. At first it was my older sister who was sent because she was more responsible. I was all, no send me, let me do it, but maybe I looked too eager. Later my sister got tired of doing it, and the job fell to me, and I was like oboy, oboy, oboy, but then I realized that hey, this is just like work, and then I was all, oh gee ma, do I hafta? The milk was no fun, but the bread was because it was like a football and you could toss it and catch it. When I got home the bread was all squashed up and when my mother asked me why that was, I just shrugged my shoulders. I dunno.
In Wag the Dog, the prez, in political trouble, starts a war. This is what Clinton was accused of doing when he put troops into the Balkans. Now what Trump is doing doing is pulling troops out. For all his bluster, he is a curious kind of dove, I myself am pretty dovish, I don't like to see our guys fighting for dubious causes. But in this case they weren't fighting, they were holding the peace. At the end of the Balkan wars we left a lot of our guys there to sort of police the peace. They are still there, but on the other hand there has been peace. Seems like a good deal, it doesn't cost that much and peace is precious.
I was glad to get out of Vietnam. I guess we did sell out our South Vietnamese allies, but they were a corrupt bunch who by all reports never fought well. It is correctly pointed out that the Kurds were not so much interested in defeating ISIS as they were in gaining land for the future Kurdistan, but still they were great fighters and you know fighting buddies, something kind of special in that, I really feel bad that we have treated them so shabbily.
And now Trump is sending poor loyal Pence down there to negotiate. Negotiate what? The Turks are laughing at General Bone Spurs and his blustering letters. They know he won't do shit and anyway they have already accomplished most of what they wanted.
The Greek chorus of the Senate Republicans is no longer shrill, soon Widdle Windsey will be waiting in line to kiss the august toes of the emperor. And now the Russkies are moving in.
Wasn't the main thing about the Birchers the threat of the Russkies undermining the US gummint by using our own leaders as catspaws? Didn't that seem, well, wrong, back in the day? Anymore it is perfectly fine.
Boy that brings back memories, the corner store with it's homey food smell and chatty laid back owner and employees and the penny candy on the shelves behind the cash register. At first it was my older sister who was sent because she was more responsible. I was all, no send me, let me do it, but maybe I looked too eager. Later my sister got tired of doing it, and the job fell to me, and I was like oboy, oboy, oboy, but then I realized that hey, this is just like work, and then I was all, oh gee ma, do I hafta? The milk was no fun, but the bread was because it was like a football and you could toss it and catch it. When I got home the bread was all squashed up and when my mother asked me why that was, I just shrugged my shoulders. I dunno.
In Wag the Dog, the prez, in political trouble, starts a war. This is what Clinton was accused of doing when he put troops into the Balkans. Now what Trump is doing doing is pulling troops out. For all his bluster, he is a curious kind of dove, I myself am pretty dovish, I don't like to see our guys fighting for dubious causes. But in this case they weren't fighting, they were holding the peace. At the end of the Balkan wars we left a lot of our guys there to sort of police the peace. They are still there, but on the other hand there has been peace. Seems like a good deal, it doesn't cost that much and peace is precious.
I was glad to get out of Vietnam. I guess we did sell out our South Vietnamese allies, but they were a corrupt bunch who by all reports never fought well. It is correctly pointed out that the Kurds were not so much interested in defeating ISIS as they were in gaining land for the future Kurdistan, but still they were great fighters and you know fighting buddies, something kind of special in that, I really feel bad that we have treated them so shabbily.
And now Trump is sending poor loyal Pence down there to negotiate. Negotiate what? The Turks are laughing at General Bone Spurs and his blustering letters. They know he won't do shit and anyway they have already accomplished most of what they wanted.
The Greek chorus of the Senate Republicans is no longer shrill, soon Widdle Windsey will be waiting in line to kiss the august toes of the emperor. And now the Russkies are moving in.
Wasn't the main thing about the Birchers the threat of the Russkies undermining the US gummint by using our own leaders as catspaws? Didn't that seem, well, wrong, back in the day? Anymore it is perfectly fine.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
It's Not on Yet
"I can't believe that Beagles does not believe that impeachment is going on. It is. Maybe Beagles needs to start reading a bigger city paper or spend more than that five minutes of the news that he absorbs while watching his stock report." - Uncle Ken
"Today, Trump and his administration are currently fighting back against an ongoing, rapidly accelerating impeachment inquiry, with Democrats on Capitol Hill hoping to hold a vote on his impeachment before the end of the year."
https://a.msn.com/r/2/AAISZiO?m=en-us&referrerID=InAppShare
I don't know how reliable the Daily Beast is, but this was the first article about Trump on my news app tonight. According to this, they are still conducting an impeachment inquiry, and hope to initiate formal impeachment proceedings by the end of the year. This is consistent with everything I have heard about this impeachment thing up to now, except what Uncle Ken posted this morning. There was something in our local paper the other day that explained how the process works. First the House votes to impeach, then there is a trial with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court acting as judge, the House acting as prosecutor, and the Senate acting as the jury. If the Senate votes to convict by a 2/3 majority, then the President is removed from office and the Vice President moves up to fill the vacancy. Since the House has not yet voted to impeach, the process has not yet officially begun.
Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and I think one other guy has been impeached, but none of them were convicted. Richard Nixon resigned before he could be impeached, so he doesn't count.
"I guess that wee wee wee noise I am complaining about is the noise that is made when the driver approaches or leaves the car, after the keys come out of the pocket or go into it." - Uncle Ken
I think what Uncle Ken is referring to is the locator function that some vehicles have, but not mine. If the driver has trouble finding his car in a parking lot, he clicks his remote and the car's lights flash. I have seen this on TV, but not with the sound on, so I don't remember hearing any audible alarm, but it may well be there. What the driver is probably doing as he leaves the car is enabling the locator device so it will be operative when he returns. The flashing lights and sound probably confirm that the device has been enabled.
I think I have finally identified all the bells and whistles on my new truck. First I read the manual, and then I went out to see what features I actually have. Like many instruction manuals today, this one lists all the possible options available and doesn't tell you which ones your particular model has. One good thing I found is that the center section between the two seats folds down to reveal two cup holders and a tray where I can keep my sunglasses. The ash tray in my old truck was inconveniently located, so I used an old coffee mug that I kept in one of the cupholders. My new truck doesn't even have an ashtray, and I didn't know that it had cupholders until now.
Old Dog: I checked my VIN number today and found that the last four digits are indeed 3060. I expect that has some kind of significance, but I don't know what it is.
"Today, Trump and his administration are currently fighting back against an ongoing, rapidly accelerating impeachment inquiry, with Democrats on Capitol Hill hoping to hold a vote on his impeachment before the end of the year."
https://a.msn.com/r/2/AAISZiO?m=en-us&referrerID=InAppShare
I don't know how reliable the Daily Beast is, but this was the first article about Trump on my news app tonight. According to this, they are still conducting an impeachment inquiry, and hope to initiate formal impeachment proceedings by the end of the year. This is consistent with everything I have heard about this impeachment thing up to now, except what Uncle Ken posted this morning. There was something in our local paper the other day that explained how the process works. First the House votes to impeach, then there is a trial with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court acting as judge, the House acting as prosecutor, and the Senate acting as the jury. If the Senate votes to convict by a 2/3 majority, then the President is removed from office and the Vice President moves up to fill the vacancy. Since the House has not yet voted to impeach, the process has not yet officially begun.
Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and I think one other guy has been impeached, but none of them were convicted. Richard Nixon resigned before he could be impeached, so he doesn't count.
"I guess that wee wee wee noise I am complaining about is the noise that is made when the driver approaches or leaves the car, after the keys come out of the pocket or go into it." - Uncle Ken
I think what Uncle Ken is referring to is the locator function that some vehicles have, but not mine. If the driver has trouble finding his car in a parking lot, he clicks his remote and the car's lights flash. I have seen this on TV, but not with the sound on, so I don't remember hearing any audible alarm, but it may well be there. What the driver is probably doing as he leaves the car is enabling the locator device so it will be operative when he returns. The flashing lights and sound probably confirm that the device has been enabled.
I think I have finally identified all the bells and whistles on my new truck. First I read the manual, and then I went out to see what features I actually have. Like many instruction manuals today, this one lists all the possible options available and doesn't tell you which ones your particular model has. One good thing I found is that the center section between the two seats folds down to reveal two cup holders and a tray where I can keep my sunglasses. The ash tray in my old truck was inconveniently located, so I used an old coffee mug that I kept in one of the cupholders. My new truck doesn't even have an ashtray, and I didn't know that it had cupholders until now.
Old Dog: I checked my VIN number today and found that the last four digits are indeed 3060. I expect that has some kind of significance, but I don't know what it is.
Oh, it's on Beagles. It's on.
I too lose track of all the creeps who have been through the revolving doors. Like one of those movies with a lot of characters I have to ask myself, now which one was he again? That was part of the problem with the Mueller report, too many characters, too complicated, all to easy for Barr to sweep under the rug. nothing to see here, move along.
Most pundits think that Nixon was smart. well cunning is the word they usually use, but it's the same thing in my book. He was paranoid, but he could still sense the real world, like those guys that teem the downtown streets raving, but when they come to a red light, they stop and wait for it to change. Trump is just id with no attention span, as he gets loose from his handlers well, you see what you get.
I am sure that there are some jarhead generals with integrity, but I don't see any in Kelly or Mattis, they knew exactly what they were getting into and they went along with it until they got fired. I'm too tired to go through google to see if they quit or were fired, but if the former, it was just because they were about to be the latter. They may have felt loyalty to the corps, but to their country, not so much. Strangely the only one who went in and out the doors to have any integrity may be that madman Bolton.
There is word of him becoming the democrat's darling and that may be the problem with any of these guys turning on Trump: they are all generally rock-ribbed republicans and would hate to fall into the loving arms of the dems. I'm sure they would love to fall into the arms of their fellow republicans but Moscow Mitch has made sure that there is no room at his inn.
I guess that wee wee wee noise I am complaining about is the noise that is made when the driver approaches or leaves the car, after the keys come out of the pocket or go into it. I guess I really don't care much either way, but as an old guy I like to complain about new things I don't know anything about.
I can't believe that Beagles does not believe that impeachment is going on. It is. Maybe Beagles needs to start reading a bigger city paper or spend more than that five minutes of the news that he absorbs while watching his stock report.
The first two years the dems didn't have the house so there was nothing they could do. Since then there have been murmurs but Nancy has been holding back because there was no way they were going to turn the heads of twenty republican senators. They probably still can't turn their heads, but this latest Ukraine thing is so blatant and so clear cut that the public opinion has changed and Nancy can no longer hold back the dem horde. There it is.
Your terrorist is my freedom fighter, and vice versa. It has ever been thus.
Most pundits think that Nixon was smart. well cunning is the word they usually use, but it's the same thing in my book. He was paranoid, but he could still sense the real world, like those guys that teem the downtown streets raving, but when they come to a red light, they stop and wait for it to change. Trump is just id with no attention span, as he gets loose from his handlers well, you see what you get.
I am sure that there are some jarhead generals with integrity, but I don't see any in Kelly or Mattis, they knew exactly what they were getting into and they went along with it until they got fired. I'm too tired to go through google to see if they quit or were fired, but if the former, it was just because they were about to be the latter. They may have felt loyalty to the corps, but to their country, not so much. Strangely the only one who went in and out the doors to have any integrity may be that madman Bolton.
There is word of him becoming the democrat's darling and that may be the problem with any of these guys turning on Trump: they are all generally rock-ribbed republicans and would hate to fall into the loving arms of the dems. I'm sure they would love to fall into the arms of their fellow republicans but Moscow Mitch has made sure that there is no room at his inn.
I guess that wee wee wee noise I am complaining about is the noise that is made when the driver approaches or leaves the car, after the keys come out of the pocket or go into it. I guess I really don't care much either way, but as an old guy I like to complain about new things I don't know anything about.
I can't believe that Beagles does not believe that impeachment is going on. It is. Maybe Beagles needs to start reading a bigger city paper or spend more than that five minutes of the news that he absorbs while watching his stock report.
The first two years the dems didn't have the house so there was nothing they could do. Since then there have been murmurs but Nancy has been holding back because there was no way they were going to turn the heads of twenty republican senators. They probably still can't turn their heads, but this latest Ukraine thing is so blatant and so clear cut that the public opinion has changed and Nancy can no longer hold back the dem horde. There it is.
Your terrorist is my freedom fighter, and vice versa. It has ever been thus.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
One Key and no Wee-Wee-Wee
Chevy vehicles have had one key for both the ignition and the doors for as long as I can remember. The clicker was added at least 16 years ago, but you don't have to use it if you don't want to. Some models can be remotely started with the clicker, but not mine. If by the "wee-wee" sound, Uncle Ken means a car alarm, I don't have one of those either. If he means the alarm that sounds if you exit the vehicle with the key in the ignition, I think they all have had that for a long time. It can be silenced by pulling the key about half way out, but that is seldom necessary. Most of the time, the thing to do is take the key with you when you exit the vehicle, which prevents you from locking yourself out.
It seems that Trump is something like Wal-Mart and Face Book. Everybody complains about Wal-Mart and Face Book, but they keep going back to them. Trump is also like the weather, everybody complains about him but nobody does anything about him. They have been talking impeachment since the day after Trump was elected, but he's not yet been formally impeached. If he was removed from office by the impeachment process, Pence would immediately replace him. If he was defeated in the next election, some Democrat would replace him. The election is only about a year away, which is certainly "anytime soon" in old people's time. Of course he could be re-elected, which would mean we would have to put up with him for four more years. I would be surprised if he was re-elected, but then I was surprised when he was elected the first time.
I saw some Turkish official being interviewed on the TV news this evening and he said that the Kurds were a bunch of terrorists, and that anybody who supported them was also a terrorist. I suppose the Turks said the same thing about the Armenians back in the day. Maybe the word "terrorist" translates into the Turkish language as "somebody we don't like".
It seems that Trump is something like Wal-Mart and Face Book. Everybody complains about Wal-Mart and Face Book, but they keep going back to them. Trump is also like the weather, everybody complains about him but nobody does anything about him. They have been talking impeachment since the day after Trump was elected, but he's not yet been formally impeached. If he was removed from office by the impeachment process, Pence would immediately replace him. If he was defeated in the next election, some Democrat would replace him. The election is only about a year away, which is certainly "anytime soon" in old people's time. Of course he could be re-elected, which would mean we would have to put up with him for four more years. I would be surprised if he was re-elected, but then I was surprised when he was elected the first time.
I saw some Turkish official being interviewed on the TV news this evening and he said that the Kurds were a bunch of terrorists, and that anybody who supported them was also a terrorist. I suppose the Turks said the same thing about the Armenians back in the day. Maybe the word "terrorist" translates into the Turkish language as "somebody we don't like".
Truckin'
That's a fine looking truck, Mr. Beagles; you did good. And you weren't kidding when you said that red trucks with a regular cab were hard to find. Chevrolet has a website where you can search their inventory for the truck you want, so I did, I looked for trucks within 100 miles of me that were "Red Hot," regular cab, 4-wheel drive, and I found five, only one of which had an all-black front end. It was more than 45 miles away from me, so if I was shopping for a truck and didn't know about the internet tools I never would have found it.
It looks like all the truck manufacturers want to downplay the regular cab models; the emphasis is on the four-door versions. I guess that's where all the money is once the customer starts adding all the options, some of which I find ridiculous. Having USB ports available is nice but Chevy offers four different USB options and I wonder why one wouldn't suffice. Mr. Beagles showed remarkable restraint in not succumbing to the allure of the "High Country Premium Package," whatever that is, and I'm afraid to ask. Just out of curiosity, the last four digits of your new truck's VIN wouldn't happen to be 3060, would they?
-----
I miss the old Watergate days when life was so much simpler. A "third rate" burglary, some shady intelligence guys, a mysterious character spilling the beans in a parking garage, and a couple of dogged reporters digging into a hot mess of political shenanigans. Tricky Dick was a pro, though, and knew when to bow out. But today? Christ on a crutch but these people are screwy beyond belief. You can't tell a player without a program but they have to print a new one every morning. I never thought that Giuliani could be such a destabilizing influence, but here we are, with money of dubious origins flying all over the place.
And what's the deal with that General Flynn character? I think he's still walking around a free man but he was convicted of something a long time ago, wasn't he? It's too hard to keep up with those guys. Speaking of generals, I wish those two Jarhead generals, Mattis and Kelly, would get together and make the rounds of all the talk shows and news programs. That would be something if they started speaking freely and openly about what they know. Too bad that they are probably prevented from doing so, by law if not their own sense of integrity. Quite a word, integrity, not something usually associated with the current administration.
It looks like all the truck manufacturers want to downplay the regular cab models; the emphasis is on the four-door versions. I guess that's where all the money is once the customer starts adding all the options, some of which I find ridiculous. Having USB ports available is nice but Chevy offers four different USB options and I wonder why one wouldn't suffice. Mr. Beagles showed remarkable restraint in not succumbing to the allure of the "High Country Premium Package," whatever that is, and I'm afraid to ask. Just out of curiosity, the last four digits of your new truck's VIN wouldn't happen to be 3060, would they?
-----
I miss the old Watergate days when life was so much simpler. A "third rate" burglary, some shady intelligence guys, a mysterious character spilling the beans in a parking garage, and a couple of dogged reporters digging into a hot mess of political shenanigans. Tricky Dick was a pro, though, and knew when to bow out. But today? Christ on a crutch but these people are screwy beyond belief. You can't tell a player without a program but they have to print a new one every morning. I never thought that Giuliani could be such a destabilizing influence, but here we are, with money of dubious origins flying all over the place.
And what's the deal with that General Flynn character? I think he's still walking around a free man but he was convicted of something a long time ago, wasn't he? It's too hard to keep up with those guys. Speaking of generals, I wish those two Jarhead generals, Mattis and Kelly, would get together and make the rounds of all the talk shows and news programs. That would be something if they started speaking freely and openly about what they know. Too bad that they are probably prevented from doing so, by law if not their own sense of integrity. Quite a word, integrity, not something usually associated with the current administration.
happy belated Sophia Loren Day
If Old Dog is The Scourge, I suppose I am The Big Nag. And as usual my complaint is with the link. I had to interrupt my train of thought to look at it, and then it turned out that MSN was trying to sell me something, not that that mattered, since it was pretty old news anyway. I have a Google Machine, I read all kind of articles on the web, I already have this information. The strength of The Institute is the fellows. I want to hear what they have to say, not some article where there are a hundred like it on every news site.
And nobody is replacing Trump anytime soon. Republican outrage over Trump's actions lasts only until somebody whispers into the candidates ear, "How would you like to be primaried?" and then they are as meek as lambs and singing the praises of the very stable genius.
Sanctions, don't make me laugh. We had the fucking U S army right there. The army that gets about twenty percent of our budget (while people go hungry and schools are way underfunded), way more than any other country in the world spends. That U S army. And then I saw Esper, the head of defense, explain on tv why they are pulling the rest of the troops out of Syria. See there is this big Syrian army coming up from the south, and this awful Turkish army coming down from the north so how can the 97 pound weakling of the United Fucking State's Army face that? We'd best skedaddle boys.
Yar I seem to remember back in the day, and that day would be like the summer of 72, you had one key and it opened the door and started the car, Didn't make that irritating wee wee wee sound either.
Columbus day yesterday. One thing I remember about it is one Friday shortly after I started working for the state and I was pretty buoyant about it being Friday afternoon, but I became more buoyant when I overheard the boss telling the secretary that she was leaving for the day and she'd see her on Monday. But when the secretary reminded her that next Monday was Columbus Day so of course we would be getting the day off my buoyancy knew no bounds,
The other thing I remember is that that was the day in 1992 that I moved into Marina City. So I've been living here now for over a third of my life.
While Chicago is deep blue we are not all that progressive, and haven't gotten around to calling it Indigenous People Day. I agree with the progressives that Columbus was overall a pretty bad man, but Columbus day is not really about him. It's about Italians, who like every ethnicity, love a parade. Why don't we call it Sophia Loren Day?
And nobody is replacing Trump anytime soon. Republican outrage over Trump's actions lasts only until somebody whispers into the candidates ear, "How would you like to be primaried?" and then they are as meek as lambs and singing the praises of the very stable genius.
Sanctions, don't make me laugh. We had the fucking U S army right there. The army that gets about twenty percent of our budget (while people go hungry and schools are way underfunded), way more than any other country in the world spends. That U S army. And then I saw Esper, the head of defense, explain on tv why they are pulling the rest of the troops out of Syria. See there is this big Syrian army coming up from the south, and this awful Turkish army coming down from the north so how can the 97 pound weakling of the United Fucking State's Army face that? We'd best skedaddle boys.
Yar I seem to remember back in the day, and that day would be like the summer of 72, you had one key and it opened the door and started the car, Didn't make that irritating wee wee wee sound either.
Columbus day yesterday. One thing I remember about it is one Friday shortly after I started working for the state and I was pretty buoyant about it being Friday afternoon, but I became more buoyant when I overheard the boss telling the secretary that she was leaving for the day and she'd see her on Monday. But when the secretary reminded her that next Monday was Columbus Day so of course we would be getting the day off my buoyancy knew no bounds,
The other thing I remember is that that was the day in 1992 that I moved into Marina City. So I've been living here now for over a third of my life.
While Chicago is deep blue we are not all that progressive, and haven't gotten around to calling it Indigenous People Day. I agree with the progressives that Columbus was overall a pretty bad man, but Columbus day is not really about him. It's about Italians, who like every ethnicity, love a parade. Why don't we call it Sophia Loren Day?
Monday, October 14, 2019
Down With Trump!
Well, he's really done it this time. Trump's going down for sure. The only question left is who's going to replace him.
https://a.msn.com/r/2/AAILykc?m=en-us&referrerID=InAppShare
Those old trucks were good in their day, but the new ones are better. One thing I miss is the running boards, but they are offering something similar now since those 4WDs are hard to climb into because they're so high off the ground. I have a set of steps on order and will post a photo after they are installed. My new truck has power windows, but they aren't so bad, and yes, they roll down all the way so you can rest your arm on the sill when the window is open. There will be a learning curve with all the new electronic features but, if I can learn Windows 10, I can learn anything.
One positive thing that I've noticed already is you can't lock the doors with your key in the ignition. You can lock both doors with the push of a button but, when you open the driver's side door to get out, it unlocks itself, and the only way you can lock it from the outside is with your key or that keyless entry clicker. I suppose you could lock the door with the clicker while the key is in the ignition, but then you could unlock it with the same clicker, so you still wouldn't have locked yourself out.
Last I heard, the Canadians were calling their health care system "Medicare", but it's not like our Medicare. It's not just for old people and there are no deductibles or co-pays.
https://a.msn.com/r/2/AAILykc?m=en-us&referrerID=InAppShare
Those old trucks were good in their day, but the new ones are better. One thing I miss is the running boards, but they are offering something similar now since those 4WDs are hard to climb into because they're so high off the ground. I have a set of steps on order and will post a photo after they are installed. My new truck has power windows, but they aren't so bad, and yes, they roll down all the way so you can rest your arm on the sill when the window is open. There will be a learning curve with all the new electronic features but, if I can learn Windows 10, I can learn anything.
One positive thing that I've noticed already is you can't lock the doors with your key in the ignition. You can lock both doors with the push of a button but, when you open the driver's side door to get out, it unlocks itself, and the only way you can lock it from the outside is with your key or that keyless entry clicker. I suppose you could lock the door with the clicker while the key is in the ignition, but then you could unlock it with the same clicker, so you still wouldn't have locked yourself out.
Last I heard, the Canadians were calling their health care system "Medicare", but it's not like our Medicare. It's not just for old people and there are no deductibles or co-pays.
they don't make em like they used to.
You call that a truck, now here is a truck. No CD player but surely a radio, surely an ashtray conveniently located, no air conditioning but windows that roll down with cool handles. How do the windows roll down in the new truck?
This is 1949, Beagles would likely have been just beginning Kindergarten at Sawyer School, see how much better trucks looked in those days? Note the handsome well-shaped nose, the headlights prominently mounted on the fenders which denote the powerful wheels. The grill could use a little more flair in my humble opinion, but all in all a handsome citizen of the road.
That new guy, note how the headlights are squashed to the ends of the grill and bisected to lose whatever prominence they might have had. It was a sad day in 1958 when the automakers all together put in double headlights so that they were no longer the eyes of the car. Look at that brash grinning grill on the 2019. If it were wearing a baseball cap, it would have been put on backwards. Bah!
I get confused by things like single payer and medicaid for all and the various terms the candidates give for their ever changing plans and just call the whole thing socialized medicine for short. Would Beagles refuse his monthly check if it was call Socialist security?
The reason we have those gargantuan insurance companies in the USA is because during WW II, wages were frozen. Workers were scant and since companies could not raise their wages to attract them they offered medical insurance and that's how medical insurance came to be provided by employers. I guess it didn't work out too badly at first, most people had jobs and medical care wasn't so godawful expensive, but these days it is a mess. If we hadn't made that move in WW II we might have come to a sensible healthcare system like most of the world has, but anymore the insurance companies are titans squashing any chance at reform.
I was never comfortable with our shenanigans in the mideast, backing opposing factions because they were on our side against ISIS, but suddenly pulling out in a fit of pique, knowing that Istanbul has a fine Trump Tower, doesn't seem like good diplomacy. The GOP senators seem to be in high dudgeon, but by the time Moscow Mitch does anything the Kurds will be gone, gone, gone, solid gone.
Did anybody besides me find it shocking that hardly a rep sen can be found who thinks that dealing with a foreign nation for a personal gain is a bad practice?
Sunday, October 13, 2019
My New Truck is Here! My New Truck is Here!
The bad news is that it has no CD player and no ash tray. It seems that they came out with a 2019.5 midway through the year and the 2019s are all gone. The good news is that there is a USB port into which I can plug a portable CD player, and I should be able to cobble up some kind of ash tray. Actually, the ash tray on my old truck was a little far to reach from the driver's seat, so I kept an old coffee mug in the cup holder for that purpose, but the new truck doesn't have a cup holder either. The good news is that I don't miss my stick shift as much as I thought I would. They must have improved automatic transmissions since the 1960s. Who'd a thunk it?
Friday, October 11, 2019
They Are With Me
"I know Beagles doesn't like to think of himself as a republican, but he is generally with them on the issues, anti taxes, abortion, gay marriage, immigrants, big gummint, generally hawkish, and pro gun."
I am not with them, they are with me on most of those issues, which is why I usually vote Republican. I was a card carrying member of the Libertarian Party for over a decade, starting in 1992, and I never missed an election, so I voted for them more than a few times because I thought that they were with me on more issues than the Republicans were at the time. One problem with the Libertarians is that they never win, so voting for them is mostly a protest vote against the other two parties. I'm fine with that as long as I consider both major party candidates to be equally bad, which is why I voted Libertarian in 2016. I am not so sure about that this time, I think it's going to be a closer call than last time. I would like to see Trump removed from office before the election because then I won't have to decide if he is as bad as whoever wins the Democratic nomination.
The term "socialized medicine" kind of sticks in my throat, so I prefer to call it a single payer plan. Last I heard, the Canadians had one that has been working fine for decades, so I don't know why we can't just copy theirs instead of trying to reinvent the wheel. I suppose it's because of the insurance companies, but the Canadians must have had insurance companies because they still do now, to cover the things their government plan doesn't cover. I don't know how they overcame the resistance of their insurance companies, but one way to do it would be to give government jobs to the insurance people that are put out of work. They did something like that when they decided to regulate the banking business, and that has mostly worked out well.
The guy called me about my new truck today, and I am picking it up tomorrow morning. Pictures to follow.
I am not with them, they are with me on most of those issues, which is why I usually vote Republican. I was a card carrying member of the Libertarian Party for over a decade, starting in 1992, and I never missed an election, so I voted for them more than a few times because I thought that they were with me on more issues than the Republicans were at the time. One problem with the Libertarians is that they never win, so voting for them is mostly a protest vote against the other two parties. I'm fine with that as long as I consider both major party candidates to be equally bad, which is why I voted Libertarian in 2016. I am not so sure about that this time, I think it's going to be a closer call than last time. I would like to see Trump removed from office before the election because then I won't have to decide if he is as bad as whoever wins the Democratic nomination.
The term "socialized medicine" kind of sticks in my throat, so I prefer to call it a single payer plan. Last I heard, the Canadians had one that has been working fine for decades, so I don't know why we can't just copy theirs instead of trying to reinvent the wheel. I suppose it's because of the insurance companies, but the Canadians must have had insurance companies because they still do now, to cover the things their government plan doesn't cover. I don't know how they overcame the resistance of their insurance companies, but one way to do it would be to give government jobs to the insurance people that are put out of work. They did something like that when they decided to regulate the banking business, and that has mostly worked out well.
The guy called me about my new truck today, and I am picking it up tomorrow morning. Pictures to follow.
in the wake of the fall of the Hose of Trump
Too bad he's a Democrat.
Why yes, yes I am. My dad was a republican and to emulate hik so was I. I confess to being for Nixon in 1960. In 1964 I wasn't a big fan of that bumpkin LBJ, but Goldwater seemed like a madman. But then I got into hippiedom, politics was for squares Man. In 1968 I wanted to vote for the Peace and Freedom party, but never registered because I was afraid that once in the polling place I would pull the lever for the despised Hump. It was in 1970 in sleepy southern Illinois where the anti hippie campaign of the republican moved me to vote for Adlai Stevenson for senator. In 1972 I was working for the campaign of George McGovern. Such a cool guy. How could he possibly be beaten by that awful Tricky Dick? Since then I have twice voted for republicans for governor when the dems nominated some total asshole (in the second case it was Blago.), but every other vote has been for dems.
I think outside of his flirtation with George Wallace who proclaimed "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever," but not in front of the college gates, and certainly not the gates of Ol' Miss, as the scourge has kindly pointed out, Beagles has been a pretty dependable puller of the republican lever. I think he has voted third party a few times, but generally it i for the republicans. I don't think he has ever voted for a democrat.
I know Beagles doesn't like to think of himself as a republican, but he is generally with them on the issues, anti taxes, abortion, gay marriage, immigrants, big gummint, generally hawkish, and pro gun. Strangely I think he is in favor of socialized medicine. I wonder if Americans living just south of the border, close to the wonder, are more liberal on medicine than their brothers further south.
And Beagles is a Never Trumper, though he rather likes the guy for his supreme court justices and certainly for his tough stance on immigration, which is the way a lot of his fellow republicans feel. But they felt that way before Trump came along, and what if say Marco Rubio had won the election, wouldn't they have had all these things and without Trump's self-serving ways and constant lies? In fact might they be better off without Trump at all?
I speak here, or course, of republicans who do not hold office, many of them, say John Kasich have been quite vocal against Trump without sacrificing their conservative values, and though I abhor their conservative values I have to applaud them for speaking out.
Republicans who do hold office are an elephant of a completely different hue. Though many of them were former Never Trumpers, they all now slavishly lick his boots. I speak harshly of them, but I understand that it is a matter of self-preservation, to do otherwise is to be primaried and lose their seat. But deep in their hearts, though they will never say so, they would love to see that big heart attack.
Impeachment has the big mo right now, every new poll shows that more people support it even among republicans, in response Trump is becoming more unhinged, doing dumber and more vile things led on by his dancing gnome which makes people more disgusted with him. Who knows if the big mo will continue, but say it does.
I think it's a real stretch to think that it will ever go so far as to sway twenty republican senators, but in the aftermath the republican senators will be covered in shit, what becomes of them then, and what of their conservative values?
If they truly believed in their conservative values, could they make a valiant stand on their sinking ship, develop a spine, stand up to the tyrant and look like men of honor?
Probably not. But we live in strange times.
Why yes, yes I am. My dad was a republican and to emulate hik so was I. I confess to being for Nixon in 1960. In 1964 I wasn't a big fan of that bumpkin LBJ, but Goldwater seemed like a madman. But then I got into hippiedom, politics was for squares Man. In 1968 I wanted to vote for the Peace and Freedom party, but never registered because I was afraid that once in the polling place I would pull the lever for the despised Hump. It was in 1970 in sleepy southern Illinois where the anti hippie campaign of the republican moved me to vote for Adlai Stevenson for senator. In 1972 I was working for the campaign of George McGovern. Such a cool guy. How could he possibly be beaten by that awful Tricky Dick? Since then I have twice voted for republicans for governor when the dems nominated some total asshole (in the second case it was Blago.), but every other vote has been for dems.
I think outside of his flirtation with George Wallace who proclaimed "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever," but not in front of the college gates, and certainly not the gates of Ol' Miss, as the scourge has kindly pointed out, Beagles has been a pretty dependable puller of the republican lever. I think he has voted third party a few times, but generally it i for the republicans. I don't think he has ever voted for a democrat.
I know Beagles doesn't like to think of himself as a republican, but he is generally with them on the issues, anti taxes, abortion, gay marriage, immigrants, big gummint, generally hawkish, and pro gun. Strangely I think he is in favor of socialized medicine. I wonder if Americans living just south of the border, close to the wonder, are more liberal on medicine than their brothers further south.
And Beagles is a Never Trumper, though he rather likes the guy for his supreme court justices and certainly for his tough stance on immigration, which is the way a lot of his fellow republicans feel. But they felt that way before Trump came along, and what if say Marco Rubio had won the election, wouldn't they have had all these things and without Trump's self-serving ways and constant lies? In fact might they be better off without Trump at all?
I speak here, or course, of republicans who do not hold office, many of them, say John Kasich have been quite vocal against Trump without sacrificing their conservative values, and though I abhor their conservative values I have to applaud them for speaking out.
Republicans who do hold office are an elephant of a completely different hue. Though many of them were former Never Trumpers, they all now slavishly lick his boots. I speak harshly of them, but I understand that it is a matter of self-preservation, to do otherwise is to be primaried and lose their seat. But deep in their hearts, though they will never say so, they would love to see that big heart attack.
Impeachment has the big mo right now, every new poll shows that more people support it even among republicans, in response Trump is becoming more unhinged, doing dumber and more vile things led on by his dancing gnome which makes people more disgusted with him. Who knows if the big mo will continue, but say it does.
I think it's a real stretch to think that it will ever go so far as to sway twenty republican senators, but in the aftermath the republican senators will be covered in shit, what becomes of them then, and what of their conservative values?
If they truly believed in their conservative values, could they make a valiant stand on their sinking ship, develop a spine, stand up to the tyrant and look like men of honor?
Probably not. But we live in strange times.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)