I (Awkwardly) SALUTE YOU! or "OMFG WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO HERE!"

So Liberals are in an uproar over

Trump saluting an Enemy Officer during his NK visit. Screaming "treason!" and "SEE SEE! He likes enemies more than Americans!" The majority of them post the still photo that apparently shows him smartly saluting the (Ok I have to admit, I do like the guys uniform) officer. My problem isn't with Donnie saluting the dude. If you watch the actual video, you'll see that when the moment comes, Hair Furrer is completely and utterly confused at what to do. The dude salutes while Trump holds out his hand and Trump awkwardly salutes him back. It was obviously an "Oh crap what do I do" moment on the Toupee that walks like a man's part. If you watch the video, it was less of a "saluting the enemy' than it was "I have no idea what I doing" thing.

No, my problem is the hypocrisy of

the Right over the moment. They have already demonstrated it quite well by praising Trump's efforts in NK while forgetting how they completely eviscerated Obama over and over again when he even suggested that it should be done. Now, we have the salute. When Obama bowed to one of our ALLIES!!!, he was demonized over and over again by the RIght Wingnuts as being weak and betraying America by showing subservience. Faux News ran with that for months after the event. Now Hair Furrer is seen saluting an Enemy Officer and all of the Trumpublicans are defending him and coming up with exquisitely delusional reasons why this is COMPLETELY different from Obama bowing.

John McDuffie provided the most

perfect example of doublespeak on the matter. (In his defense, he was not aware of the actual event yet and was speaking in a more general nature, but his well-worded explanation pretty much mirrors all of the BS being spewed by others who actually knew what was going on. WTG John!)

Politics is filled with BS.

Politics is filled with hypocrisy. It is an occupational requirement. The very idea of a politician is a contradiction. A Politician MUST keep his vast numbers of supporters happy by making them insane promises that he has no real ability to keep and a Politician MUST do whatever he has to to keep his job even if that means screwing over the very people that elected him. It is only when people understand this simple fact that they realize that broadly defending one group while destroying the other groups is pointless and only serves to make things worse.

Every political group is guilty of this. None of them are innocent. The only way any of this will change is if we stop this insane partisan blind support of "Our" side and realize that we are all in this badly damaged boat rapidly sinking in a sea of manure together and start patching the holes and draining the crap. To quote a director that I never really liked, "WAKE UP!" Because if you don't wake up soon, you're going to need to learn how to breath bull poop.

Birthday 55 countdown 363 or Don't just stand there! THEY'RE GOING TO WIN!

 For the most part I have stayed out of the circus that is the current hullabaloo over the recent school shooting and the uproar that has erupted since then. Instead I have simply sat back and watched as the (mostly) Conservative and Libertarian friends on Facebook made complete and utter fools out of themselves and proved their hypocrisy (waves at John McDuffie and Chaz Carsten) and the smaller number who have proven that they are completely ignorant and more than a little bit bigoted. (No names here, this is a family piece) The reasons for this are two fold. I don't usually make commentary either here or on social media unless 1. I actually have ideas about how to solve the problem, 2. I have something in the form of semi-clever or snarky comments to make about the subject and 3. I have actually been in just too good a mood to even bother. (Wait....1...2...3? Meh sue me, math was never my strong suit. In reality, the only strong commentary I made was right after the shooting when the student protests were first starting to get fired up. It was a simple one and I thought it was very clever. I will share it with you here so that you too can appreciate my cleverness....or mock me in hopefully clever ways.

As I have stated before, I don't have an answer to the horrors going on with mass shootings. I am not in the fairly small sub groups of A. TAKE ALL GUNS AWAY or 2. WE NEED TO GIVE GUNS TO EVERYONE! ESPECIALLY BABIES! Like most things in life (except for coffee of course) I believe that if there is an answer, it has to be in moderation. It must exist somewhere in the middle between the two loud groups which you see going on and on on TV and social media. But here is the kicker to me at least as far as getting people to support your idea. It is two simple words that will make you the hero of the hour in the eyes of the world. Ready? It is gonna blow your mind! Here it is. DO SOMETHING! Huh, what do I mean? It's not self explanatory? Okay, onwards with explainifying things then!

People, especially Americans are a fairly simple people. Easily distracted and easily tricked. I mean, come on! They elected Donald “Dumpsterfire” Trump to be POTUS for gosh's sake! He ran on a fairly empty and air headed platform with about as much substance as ghost poop. Anyone with any common sense can see he is woefully inadequate for the job. He was elected because he was loud and outspoken and at least pretended to want to make things different for America. People elected him because he pretended to want to fix everything that they thought was wrong with the country. All flash and no substance, but he convinced people that he would change things. Right now, people are angry. People are scared. People are...well kind of creepy, but that is beside the point. The Right is convinced that the Left is coming to take away their fully automatic, triple barreled machine flame throwers and the Left is convinced that the Right is planning on staging an armed rebellion against any state that doesn't serve Sweet Tea on buffets. “News” on both sides are sitting back and fanning the flames and politicians are tap dancing on the fence waiting to see which side to jump on.

So here is my suggestion and it is really not complicated. Do something. If your group is convinced that requiring DNA testing and an oath signed in blood in front of Elvis is the only way people should be allowed to own a gun and that the government should place secret alien tracking micro chips (That is tracking micro chips of alien design, not tracking chips designed to track aliens. That is a whole nother rant) in each bullet, then GO FOR IT! Rick Scott (Didn't see that one coming) and Florida of all places have passed stronger gun regulations and have earned accolades from the Left for taking steps to better regulate guns. More states and more politicians need to be convinced that this is the way to go if you think that guns are the problem.

Now if you feel that laws are for sissies and that regulations are the work of the devil, then go for it. If you think that the answer is to put .50 caliber anti aircraft guns at the doors to every school and to give all the teachers hand grenades, then start passing laws on state and Federal levels that will do exactly that. Heck have heavily armed flying drones orbiting every school in America just to make sure.

Whenever these horrible shootings occur events follow a fairly simple pattern. For a few weeks after the event, one side screams for stronger gun laws and more restrictions and the other screams about making schools safer by putting armed guards in them or arming the teachers. And up until now, once the uproar is over, nothing ever happens. EVER. The Right's cries for armed guards and such simply evaporate away because no one actually wants to spend any money on the solutioon. The Left's outrage vanishes like Trump facing a porn star because, in the end, no one in power really wants to be seen as pushing for restrictions on the 2^nd Amendment. So the talk dies out and people forget until the next mass shooting and then the dance starts up all over again.

 This time, the signs are there that things might just get done. Now whether these things are a good thing or a bad thing is beyond my fairly limited ability to predict, but it seems like a crucial point may have been reached where people are just too sick and tired to let talking be all that happens. So, if you really don't want THEM to win, then you and our so called leaders had better get up off their butts and do something. No more noise, no more smoke and mirrors. It is time for actions. If y'all don't act, then it is entirely possible that THEY (Ominous music inserted here) will win and that will mean the END of your way of life (Picturing a deep organ sound here like someone laid down on the keys really heavy.) It is time to put up or be shut out. Better get to work!

CLINTON SUCKS!

No real blog here, just conducting a little social experiment.

TRUMP SUCKS!

No real blog here, just conducting a little social experiment. 

Ain't it funny? Ain't it strange? Ain't it HYPOCRITICAL?!

So a lot of people are posting "Walk up not Walk Out" memes and comments and going on and on ad nauseam about "We need to fight school bullying and that'll stop school shootings." They post articles about the horrible bullying and abuse going on in schools and scream at the top of their lungs about how this is the real problem and how THOSE PEOPLE are ignoring the real problem to push THEIR agenda at the expense of REAL Americans.
Now don't get me wrong, I am a strong Anti-Bullying supporter and have been for a very long time, but this sudden and quite frankly underwhelming influx of individuals crying out against School Bullying is more than a teensy bit hypocritical and sadly it's not even a new hypocrisy. Pick any subject that rankles people's cankles and you'll see the same thing happening. Back it up a few years to the big "Refugee" debate. When it was suggested that maybe the US should actually take in some of the refugees that we created by waging continuous war in the Middle East for 20 years, the Conservatives were all, "WE SHOULDN'T HELP ONE SINGLE REFUGEE AS LONG AS THERE ARE HOMELESS AMERICANS LIVING ON THE STREETS!"
This sentiment is, at least on the surface, a noble one. We should feed, clothe and find homes for ALL of our homeless before helping others. I totally support and cheer the idea. However, and here is where the hypocrisy lies (lays? Darn it!). When all the hullabaloo was going on and these noble souls were crying out their love for our poor, you could (and I did) check their FB pages or other social media sites and you would see a very different picture of how they felt about the poor and homeless. You'd see posts and memes calling the Homeless "leeches" or "worthless" and articles from "news sources" talking about how stricter laws were needed to force the homeless from whatever shelter they had. So, you see that the fight wasn't so much (at all?) about helping our own before helping others and more about just not helping people we didn't like.
Now fast forward to today. Teenagers and Adults are fighting back against being kids being murdered by nutjobs with guns and people are listening. New laws are being passed and companies are voluntarily taking steps to combat the problem and this is not sitting too well with a large chunk of people. So suddenly, people who truly never even thought about school bullying or even cared about it are suddenly all over it. This would be an awesome step forward if it wasn't questionable at best. Of the far too many "friends" and followers I have on Facebook, I can point to at least 4 (Used to be 5, but one blocked me. HEY TC!) who haven't exactly been supportive of Anti-Bullying in the past. Matter of fact, two of those 3 have posted memes that pretty much said "Well, bullying always happens so that sucks for you. Man up and quit being babies." Also posted articles that opposed stronger anti-bullying laws and stricter punishments for kids found guilty of being bullies. So you see how the sudden "Quit being bullies" sentiment might seem a tad...BS?
Now don't get me wrong, if you are now fighting against bullying, I am all over supporting you. Hells, I really don't even care what your reasons are. But, if your support for the bullied children vanishes as quickly as your support for the homeless did after the Refugee uproar died off, then you are a hypocrite.
Now I don't have any real answers. Hells most days I can't even figure out the questions. In a sense, all of y'all are right. It is a Mental Illness Problem. It is a Bullying Problem. It is a Gun Problem. It is an Awareness Problem. It is all of the above and prolly other things we haven't even thought of yet problem. It is a Problem, but this problem will never be solved as long as everyone does nothing. Say what you want about the Gun Control groups, but right now they are actually accomplishing something. Only time will tell if it is effective (Affective? Darn it!) or worthwhile, but they are speaking and polticians and businesses are listening.
if you feel like this is the wrong direction, then do something about it. Quit whinging and crying and insulting the other side and put forth your own actions. If you truly feel it is a mental health issue, push for better access to health care. If you think it is rightfully a bullying issue, push for stronger anti-bullying laws and stricter punishments for bullies. The time for talk and finger pointing (Well except me, finger pointing is kind of my thing) is over. People are tired of all talk and no actions and they will support and cheer on any people who are even perceived as actually doing something. So it is time to step up to the plate, grab a bat and swing for the fences instead of sitting on the sidelines.
End of Rant

Just admit it, you don't love me anymore or Healthcare, Smealthcare! Pfaw, who needs it!

Bend over and saw AHHHH!

     Ok, so once again the dread shadow of ReBoobican Alternative Sponsored Healthcare (Or RASH as I like to call it.) rears its ugly ass (HAH See what I did there, ass...rash...?  I say, its a joke, son! Don't you get it?) preparing to fart on pretty much everyone who isn't at least in the Upper Middle Class.  After many many moons of failed attempts to repeal the ACA, our beloved and oh so caring Cantservative Leaders are poised to feed us a truly bitter pill of poop poorly covered in a shell of imagined caring.  (Sorry seems to be a butt joke day.  Ever have one of those?)

     Now keep in mind that, this is now the second attempt to push this thing through and the first one failed royally because even the Cantservatives could see what was inside the candy shell.  However, this one does seem to have a bit more momentum so there is a chance that it could pass both House and Senate and even make it all the way to the POTUS to sign.  So, we'll just have to wait to see how bad this train wreck is going to be.  Anyone who has bothered to actually read and understand this piece of tripe (I HAVE! OH, ME! ME! ME!) knows what a full on cloister flock (Get it?  Same initials...similar sounds...Meh ask a Veteran.) this roll of toilet paper is going to be.

     Sadly, my rant isn't about this latest incarnation of TrumpCare.  I mean talking about how organized politics is going to screw over the American People is kind of like commenting on whether or not there will be gallons of Sweet Tea at a Southern Family Reunion.  Or, if you are of a more literary mindset, reporting that the dolphins are still missing.  (Douglas Adams...Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe Trilogy...Book 4....So Long and Thanks for all the Fish?  READ A BOOK!)  Nah, my rant is a little more simple than that.

      So as long as I can remember, forces within the government on both sides have been trying to push some form of Government Sponsored/Controlled Healthcare.  Both sides have tried off and on for decades to create something only to have it shot down before it got too far.  Along comes the ACA, the severely flawed but still breathing creation of the Damnocrats.  They manage to pass it into law despite boisterous opposition from the ReBoobicans and it has kept plugging along doing the best that it can ever since.  

     Within seconds (nanoseconds...picoseconds?) of its passage, the hue and cry from ReBoobicans and Liarbertarians (Still looking for a better wordage for that one) began.  "Gubberment don't need ot be involved in healthcare!"  (Keep in mind that ReBoobicans pushed versions of Universal Healthcare in the past on both a state and national level, but moving on..."  "Let the free market decide!" and so many other quotes became the battle cry from their aging mouths.  Many of these shouty types are still running around DC today.  (Well, okay most of them are older than Moses, so they aren't really running, but creeping around DC just sounds spooky.)  A whole chunk of them are currently working on TrumpCare 2.0...3.0?  I lose count.

Just thought it was funny after the whole "running/creeping" thing.

     So here's my thing (Look closely).  I'm okay if you feel that the Government shouldn't be involved in healthcare.  I'm okay if you feel like if a person cannot afford Healthcare, then they should just pray for a miracle and hope for the best.  Hells, I'm even okay if you feel that all of those parasitic, greedy leeches suckling off the government teat should just die and reduce the excess population.  (Charles Dickens...A Christmas Carol...?  Ah come on!  It's a classic!)  That is all well and good.  I won't even judge you (much) for it.

     BUT (Wow what a big but!) if you (and in this case I am talking about the ReBoobicans and Liarbertarians in DC not you...yeah you, the guy sitting at his computer eating canned cheese and Oreos while drinking a Vente Unicorn Frappachino.  Seriously dude, eat some veggies.) truly feel that people should just be left to fend for themselves, own that crap!  If you feel that the poor and Lower Class should use the poorly funded and poorly equipped Free Clinics and if (as is so often the case) there ain't a Free Clinich within range, they should just die, preach it loud and clear!  Bring out your inner Scrooge (Dickens...Christmas Car...ah the heck with it) and proudly creep around.

     See, the Cloister Flock occurs when these proud individuals who preached, "Meh, the hell with y'all" when it comes to healthcare during the time when they had no chance of actually accomplishing anything are suddenly faced with the YUGE backlash from the people that keep them in office if they actually succeeded in practicing what they preached.  These Pallid Plodding Preachers are suddenly forced to realize that if they win and get what they want, they will most certainly lose.

     So that is how we wind up with the steaming pile of poop that is the current version of TrumpCare.  ReBoobicans must give the illusion that they are really and truly doing their best to provide good and loving healthcare for all while also doing as little as they actually can so that they can convince the people that think like them that they don't really want any of that Universal Healthcare crap.  In the end, (Butt jokes...end...Get it?!) the whole battle for healthcare going on is another prime example of the hypocrisy that is alive and unwell at the heart of our government.  The hypocrisy itself never actually changes.  It just changes party during elections.

     End of Rant.

Trumpaggedon Week One or Whelp I saw that one coming.

     Okay, so its been a week since the Hairpiece that walks like a man was elected POTUS and I feel its time I made some sort of commentary since...well its kind of my job to make commentary.  All in all, this week has been one of the most unsurprising weeks since National Stand In One Place All Week was removed as a National Holiday.so there is really not much of note to talk about, but here we go.
     So first big non-surprise, the Donald has signed a WHOLE BUNCH of executive orders in just a few short days attacking everything from Abortion Rights to Immigration to Puppies VS Kittens (Always new Trump was a puppy dude).  Of course this has sparked all sorts of mockery from the Left and some of the Right who (rightfully so) pointed out that the same people cheering him for doing it called the same actions Executive Overreach and so any more harsh things when Obama did it.  Me, I'm giving him some slack on this one because he did state during his entire campaign that his first actions in taking office would be to pretty much trash everything Obama ever did.  Since he is kind of ADD, I never thought he'd wait till he could do it through normal channels and HEY at least he is keeping (sort of) his campaign promises.  Right?  Right?  Okay...moving on.

Mister President, BUILD UP THAT WALL!

     Now speaking of campaign promises (Which I conveniently was...go figure) one of the most central promises to Donny's whole campaign that he would build a glorious Great Wall of America 50 feet high and 20 feet thick that would run the entire length of the border between the US and Mexico.  Not to let that be his biggest boast, he then promised that he would force Mexico to pay for this grand feat of masonry.  That's kind of like if China had built the Great Wall and then forced the Huns to pay for it.  Well, Don Don and his sock puppets have proudly announced that they will indeed build the GWoA as planned and as promised Mexico would be forced to...reimburse the US for the costs of the wall at some future point...Wait, that is not what the original promise said, was it?
      (As a funny side note here, Mexico has repeatedly said that in no way would Mexico pay for said wall.  So Trump proudly stated that if Mexico would not agree to pay for the wall, he would cancel the planned visit between him and Mexico's President.  Awesome show of being macho..except for the fact that Mexico had already cancelled said meeting because...well they refused to pay for the wall.)
     So what this means is that the US is going to fork out (and be forked over) 12 billion dollars starting out with more to be spent as they go for this mythical wall.  Current best estimates by anyone who is not Trump and or Conservative is that the wall will cost at least 45 billion dollars to build.  Republicans have refused to say how the money will be gathered, but you can bet it will prolly come from all those nasty social programs they hate or they will just write a blank check like they did during Bush's two wars.
     Another thing of note is that Donny has moved to block refugees and immigrants from Islamic nations from entering the country at least temporarily.  This has caused a bit of a fuss among some Conservatives who actually thought the ban would be permanent,  He has also started his noises about registering Immigrants, but has modified it somewhat to those who have committed or might commit crimes.  I might be all for this one except the wording pretty much states that it is aimed at Muslims.  Given the vast number of violent crimes and horrors committed every day by Non-Muslims, that seems just a tad bit...selective?
     Now I could go on and on again again about all of the other things he has done this week.  Gagging the EPA, Lying about the crowd size at his swearing in. (Alternative Facts?  REALLY?)  However I am basically lazy and to hit on all of them would take WAY to long.  Folks I am really trying my best to give Herr POTUS the benefit of the doubt and wait to see just how badly he screws the country over.  I really am prepared to say "I WAS WRONG!" at the top of my voice from some suitably high place if he actually turns out to make things better for ALL Americans.  So I am trying to bide my time, but damned if he ain't making it hard.  And all of the Trumpservatives cheering him on and defending his "Alternative Facts" aren't helping either.  Here's hoping Week Two will be a little less hectic.

My impression of what Trumps about to do to America.

End of Rant