Right As Usual

We're doing some cleanup around the house.  NOthing major, just puttering around.  I'm shredding old financial records in small batches - the shredder makes it dusty, and it bothers my breathing.  So I'm doing it in short bursts. My daughter might have gotten bumped to a smaller plane, with a travel voucher as a sweetner (not sure, her txt message was a little cryptic).  The other daughter is in NY still - she'll be traveling back home tomorrow. It's been  nice break from intense political news.  Yes, it's important, but I'm getting fatigued with the B$.  I need this timeout to prepare myself for the run-up to Iowa.

Putin has apparently upped the ante, charging that the USA either leaked information about the downed Russian jet, or that their allies did, causing the plane to be targeted. The leadership of the USA has been too eager, for years, to engage in treaties and mutual protection agreements with other countries.  We're currently committed to send troops into too many international fights. I'm not gonna go all Rand/Ron Paul on you, but it does seem prudent to re-examine the extent of our alliances, and let those other countries know that we expect them to limit their belligerence, territory acquisitions, and watch who they let into their borders - at least, if they want our help. If they don't need us, hey, knock yourself out, do whatever you want. Keep in mind that this could easily be disinformation, what we in the States would call blatant lying to achieve our aims.  Russia is notorious for that practice, and Putin probably learned something from his years working for the KGB.

Too many people have been tip-toeing around Obama for many years - for good reason.  He protects his supporters (Eric Holder, Valerie Jarrett, Lois Lerner, et al) from prosecution.  He also punishes his enemies, and is ruthless with those who dare to oppose him. Henry V was like that, too.  He was fickle in his alliances and friendships, casting aside those who had doggedly served him, and reducing them to penury and oblivion. Here, from Henry V, is Wolsey's lament at the sudden end of his career: here take an inventory of all I have, To the last penny; ’tis the king’s: my robe, And my integrity to heaven, is all I dare now call mine own. O Cromwell, Cromwell! Had I but served my God with half the zealI served my king, he would not in mine age Have left me naked to mine enemies. Don't leave yourself naked to your enemies.  Serve God first.

I've written on this before.  It's a subject that fascinates me, as I grew up in a working class neighborhood that, during my childhood, was apparently the destination of choice for many immigrants. Some of the nationalities I've known in my younger days: English - my best pal's father was a retired military man from England Irish - both Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland Yugoslavian Greek (one of my dad's best buddies was a Greek who became an American by volunteering for the Army) Egyptian - my daughter's friend in high school was Coptic Arabic - both Christians and Muslims - many friends of both groups German Brazilian Romanian Hungarian Polish - my aunt married a Pole who was a Byzantine Catholic Swedish Estonian Russian Japanese That list is just off the top of my head, and would probably be 2-3 times longer if I took more time to think about it. The thing is, I lived surrounded by people who originally were from someplac...

Hint:  It's NOT about Social Justice, Bringing in a New Era of Racial Equality, or Protecting Poor, Fragile, Little Snowflakes (who are, unlike real life, not exclusively White). It's about a Naked Power Grab. The Old Guard (1960s Leftists) have hung onto their power too long.  The SJW leadership is tired of waiting for them to retire/die/fade away. They have manufactured this take-over in the footsteps of Obama, who wrested power from the Old Guard Democrat Clintons, and are putting the Alinsky Handbook into practice in that effort. They will likely be successful.  Don't cheer their success, even though they finally rid us of the Clinton Dynasty. Like the Bolsheviks, succeeding the Mensheviks, they will be worse - more ruthless, less bumbling, and more determined to eliminate ALL who oppose them. BTW, for anyone who hopes that their particular cause will, at least, benefit from the change-over, lotsa luck.  YOUR interests aren't even on the radar.  This is about power,...

The next President must dedicate at least a little energy to halting the free reign of 501(c)4 organizations. They are organizations that are not supposed to be overtly partisan or political.  However, in practice, they usually are.   One such organization is Organizing for America (really, it's Organizing for America's Downfall!). Here are the rules for 501(c)4's. On a related note, universities seem to be particularly exempt from rules of basic decency.  They scream about "equal pay for equal work", yet ignore on of the most egregious examples of its lack on campus. Equal pay for equal work may be a national rallying cry. Yet for some reason, academia expects that it can pay a graduate-student teaching assistant or a PhD-holding part-time instructor a fraction of what it would pay a tenured full professor for teaching the identical class. The gulf between a full professor and a part-timer — in terms of money, power, and status — far exceeds that between the WalM...

I've been reading Sarah Hoyt lately - she has an interesting slant on the Human Condition. I need something to inspire me today.

Today is a good day to focus on Cruz - he just published an immigration plan.  Very comprehensive - but NOT in that "find more ways to bring in people" way. The biggest thing?  Use of tactics that will catch the invaders: Border wall Aerial surveillance Biometric tracking system Put the screws to DHS - fire/discipline those who are screwing up, work with the states And other ideas The absolutely BEST idea?   Get rid of the "slush funds" - government funds that are given to groups acting contrary to American interests (those that are allowing invaders to drag out the process of deportation, help invaders settle into communities in the USA).

The most timely information is coming from the bloggers and social media.  Officially, 30 dead - unofficially, may be 100 or more. President Oblivious was on the news a few minutes ago, stammering about the situation (he really is tangletongued when he has to improvise).  He started to talk about the French nation, their "pursuit of happiness" clause - what?  That's NOT the French!  The Big Zero recovered fairly quickly, moving into a bad French accent about "Liberte" and all that. Supposedly, there is no threat against the USA.  Not believing much that I hear from Official Washington. Anyone want odds on the names/ethnic identity of the perps?

He LOOKS like such a kindly, if slightly cranky, uncle.  His appeal is that he is for the "Little People". But, is that reality - or a carefully crafted misleading of the American people? [caption id="attachment_1037" align="alignleft" width="275"] Lovable Lil Socialist[/caption] Let's start with his record on Free Speech - he's against it - at least when it comes to speech HE and his Progressive Friends don't approve of, like the right of corporations to lobby for their interests, those opposing Conventional PC Thought, or those who would dare to disagree with the Fashionable Left. Sanders was against American involvement in Vietnam - BUT, it was NOT because of his deep love for humanity - like most Progressives/Leftists, he averted his eyes to the atrocities of the South Vietnam bloodbath after the Americans left. [caption id="attachment_1038" align="alignleft" width="278"] Not As Far Left As Bernie[/...

I was watching a video from Word on Fire (Fr. Barron) , and thought it was a useful explanation of the role of the Pope in the Catholic Church.  If you are not a Catholic (and, maybe, if you are/were), the authority of the Pope is not well understood. Some non-Catholics think that we blindly follow every statement from the Pope (do those people KNOW any Catholics!), others that everything the Pope says is divinely inspired, still others believe that Catholics are not familiar with the Bible, as they are believed to be forbidden to read it. Addressed in order: NO, we don't all follow the Pope's religious instruction - many, for example, insist on using contraceptives, do not attend Mass regularly, ignore what is said about charity, war, modesty, et al. One issue is that once baptized, and unless formally excommunicated, you are considered a Catholic for life.  The great majority attend only at Christmas and Easter, and ignore the little bit of doctrine they actually know.  O...

So many things that governments spend money are not worth it.  But THIS hits a new low.