Category: <span>Opinions & Commentary</span>

Published November 8, 2024 by

So What Will It Take?

beating my head against a wall, Photo by Ba Tik from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-punching-gray-wall-3754243/
Beating My Head Against A Wall

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Just like clockwork, I’m hearing Democrats mouthing the tired old tropes of “if Trump and the Republicans screw up badly enough, people will start electing Democrats.”

Oh, Really? So, what will it take?

Continue…So What Will It Take?

Opinions & Commentary

democrats trump Wishful Thinking

Published November 7, 2024 by

We’re Losing The Messaging Wars

Woman kneeling in a desert screaming, titled "Furiosa"
Furiosa

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

I’m still trying to process Tuesday’s election loss to Trump by an actual majority of American voters. I’m also watching the inevitable Democratic circular firing squads looking for someone to blame. “Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan [1].” So, Democrats are busy looking for that orphan.

Meanwhile, I see one major cause for this horrible defeat. Democrats lost this election, and lost so badly, because too many American are not getting our message. For a variety of reasons, we’re losing the messaging wars.

Continue…We’re Losing The Messaging Wars
  1. J.F. Kennedy, The Socratic Method [↩]

Opinions & Commentary

Elections Social Media

Published November 5, 2024 by

Judgement Day

Scales of justice. Photo by Sora Shimazaki: https://www.pexels.com/photo/judges-desk-with-gavel-and-scales-5669619/
Judging Ourselves

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Today is the last chance American’s have to vote for our future and our President. Do we want a fascist-lite morally corrupt convicted felon who was sued over 4000 times for not paying his bills? Who went bankrupt four times, each time profiting while his investors lost everything. Banned from running charities in New York after stealing from a children’s cancer fund. Who has credibly been accused of multiple counts of rape and pedopillia. A man showing clear signs of malignant narcissistic personality disorders and age-related dementia?

Or do we want a woman who is an accomplished former prosecuting attorney, former California State Attorney General, former Senator, and current Vice President to one of the most successful Presidents in our generation? Who also happens to be a black lady and daughter of immigrant parents.

Amazingly, according to polls, as of last week one third of our nation’s voters had not yet made up their minds.

Continue…Judgement Day

Opinions & Commentary

2024 Election Kamala Harris YouTube Video

Published October 29, 2024 by

Your Institutions Will Not Save You

Crumbled democratic institutions. Photo by Uğurcan Özmen: https://www.pexels.com/photo/ancient-stone-monuments-in-historical-site-29055855/
Our Democratic Institutions

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Way back in 2016, after Trump “won” the presidential election through minority vote, there were a number of experts on authoritarianism speaking out on the results. One particular writer, Masha Gessen[1], summarized three principles:

  1. Believe the autocrat.
  2. Don’t be taken in by small signs of normality.
  3. Your institutions will not save you.

Gessen was absolutely correct, and his predictions are still playing out eight years later. Especially, “Your institutions will not save you.”

Continue…Your Institutions Will Not Save You
  1. Gessen, M. (2020). Surviving Autocracy. Riverhead Books. [↩]

Opinions & Commentary

American Institutions Democracy trump

Published July 22, 2024 by

A Dog Catching The Car

Vice President Kamala Harris, Official Portrait
Vice President Kamala Harris, Official Portrait

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

A few years ago, during the depths of our Covid 19 pandemic, I published a post on Republicans being careful what they wished for. That specific post was how, by destroying the moderate left of center politician Hillary Clinton during her Presidential run, Republicans destroyed their own futures.

Now, we once again have a serious case of “careful what you wish for” by the Republican Party. This time, with more burn and Karma on steroids. I’m talking about President Joe Biden dropping out of the presidential campaign after Republican operatives, including their friends in our so-called liberal media, have pilloried Biden as being too old to be President.

Republicans are like the dog who just caught a car and don’t know what to do next.

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Opinions & Commentary

Donald Trump Joe Biden Kamala Harris

Published June 2, 2024 by

The Party of Law and Order

Man in Jail. Photo by Donald Tong: https://www.pexels.com/photo/rear-view-of-a-silhouette-man-in-window-143580/
Looking Out of His Jail Cell

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Last Thursday a jury of twelve New Yorkers decided Donald J. Trump was guilty of 34 felonies. After a lifetime of cheating, stealing, lying, manipulating, and generally being a wretched, reprehensible excuse of a human being, Trump was finally held accountable for his actions.

Since then we have been treated to wall-to-wall nonstop wails of outrage from Trump over the unfairness of being treated like any other American citizen. Even more amazing are the wails of outrage from Republicans. Amazing, because I’m so old I can remember when Republicans claimed to be the party of Law and Order.

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Opinions & Commentary

Republicans trump

Published March 19, 2024 by

And With What Army?

Trump's Treason with Handcuffs
Trump’s Treason with Handcuffs

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

So this past Saturday during yet another rambling, disjointed, bewildering “speech,” the disgraced twice-impeached two-time loser former pres*dent Donald Trump cried out “If I don’t get elected, it’s gonna be a bloodbath. It’s going to be a bloodbath for the country.”

To which I reply “Yeah, and with what army?

Continue…And With What Army?

Opinions & Commentary

Donald Trump Pathetic Has-Been

Published November 11, 2023 by

Thoughts on Veterans Day 2023

Remembering Veterans Day 2023
Remembering Veterans Day 2023

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Today is the one day each year America nominally gives thanks to military veterans, past and present. On this day lots of important people make a point of taking a few minutes out of their self-professed busy schedules to say something nice about veterans. Some important people will even go to a nearby military cemetery and lay a wreath on someone’s gravesite.

Meanwhile, restaurants across this great nation offer “special” free meals as their special thank you. For this one important day of remembrance. I guess it’s something.

I have some more thoughts on Veterans Day 2023.

Continue…Thoughts on Veterans Day 2023

Opinions & Commentary

Republicans Veterans Day

Published September 18, 2023 by

A Modest Proposal…On Guns

Contemplating Open-Carry Dildo. Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-candles-and-grapes-on-the-table-6764430/
Contemplating Open-Carry

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Over the past months I’ve started to hang out on the social media network “Nextdoor.” I like this media as it keeps me hooked into local events, news, and neighborhood issues. But yesterday I discovered that this media, too, is not immune from the gun-toting crazies I colloquially term “ammosexuals.”

This discovery resulted from a post-turned “discussion thread” on the pros and cons of people packing loaded guns in our county parks. My piece of the discussion did not go well. Since working through that discussion, I’ve thought of a modest proposal on guns. A proposal that might actually satisfy gun-crazy ammosexuals and still keep us non-gun-crazy people safe from them.

Continue…A Modest Proposal…On Guns

Opinions & Commentary

Dildos Guns Open-Carry

Published August 11, 2023 by

All The Machines

Young woman becoming all the machines. Image by Viktor from Pixabay
Machines Taking Over Our World

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

I started working in electronics way back in the previous millennium of 1974. That would be when I started Navy electronics technical training. Back then electronics technician life was simple; a vacuum tube went bad, I swapped it out, and life went on.

My life since then has consisted of using increasingly complex and sophisticated electronics-driven machinery. The Terminator movies notwithstanding, I’ve been watching the development of our brave new world with bemusement and concern.

Continue…All The Machines

Opinions & Commentary

Grace Slick Machines Toothbrushes