Super Blue-Blood Moon on the Eve of the SOTU

Thought it was a noteworthy coincidence that President Trump presented his first official "State of the Union" address on the eve of a spectacular triple-featured Lunar event, an event that has not occurred in the last 150 years.  You see, last night happened to be triple-featured Moon: 1) A rare Blue Moon (2nd Full Moon in a given month); 2) Super Moon (Moon at point closet to Earth in its slightly elliptical orbit, which makes the Moon appear to be significantly closer and brighter); 3) Total Lunar Eclipse.  The last feature is what gives the moon its red colored appearance, as the shadow of the Earth cast onto the moon makes the moon appear reddish in color; hence the term "Blood Moon."

Image from Phys.org

I'll share my thoughts on the President's speech a bit later, save to say that I found it highly ironic that the Left, along with a complicit mainstream media, were carrying on about a supposed evidential "divisiveness in the President's speech" --which ironically is a claim that post polling by CNN poll did not even support.  I just found the post-speech discussion by Democratic officials and left-leaning media outlets to be highly inaccurate, given the fact that almost everything in the actions of the Democrat Officials present for the State of the Union exuded divisiveness.  I mean, if you can't stand in support of two African-American families who lost their precious sixteen year-old daughters to immigrant gang violence, if you cannot stand for the lowest African-American unemployment (6.8%) in our nation's history or jobs coming back to America by the hundreds of thousands, along with rising wages, then what exactly can you stand for???  The Democrats did not even stand in support of a shout-out to one of their own, Congressman Steve Scalise, who is still in the process of recovering from a gunshot wound suffered this past summer.  The optics just looked incredibly bad for the Democratic party and it leaves me wondering, what exactly do Democrats stand for these days?

I'll leave you with NASA's Super Blood Moon Photo Contest Winner.  And if you happened to miss the incredible "Super Blood Moon" or if it was not visible in your area: Here is a link to a replay of last night's live-stream event hosted by Gian Masi.  A special expression of gratitude to Gian Masi and collaborating team of astronomers for making the effort to bring this amazing stellar experience to stargazers across the globe by way of live-streaming video.  Truly breathtaking real-time images! Thank you for sharing!


2/7/2018 It's all coming out now ... "Graham-Grassley Memo."

Schummer-Shutdown ...

"The Schummer-Shutdown" ... Kind of sounds like some line dance, doesn't it???

 Image Source

Timing is everything, I always say. With this in mind, I strongly suspect the Schummer-Shutdown has less to do with core budget issues or even the non-budget issue of DACA, than it does with creating a much needed public diversion from "The FISA memo", which was finally released to select members of the U.S. Congress (those on intelligence and judiciary committees, I believe).  From what I'm hearing this memo makes the Nixon "Watergate" scandal pale by comparison.  This memo needs to be declassified and then released for "we the people" to see.  The American people deserve to see the lengths corrupt government officials, acting on behalf of their political party/ideology, will go to in order to retain their vice-grip on power.

At least the Trump Administration has chosen not to weaponize this current government shutdown, unlike his predecessor had.  That being said, our military men and women need to be paid!  Also thought it was brilliant for the Republicans to counter-pose the DACA conversation--for illegal immigrant children-- with extended funding for CHIPs which provides health insurance coverage for citizen children.  Glad Republicans have not caved and given the Democrats a "clean DACA bill."  If Democrats get their clean bill, Republicans will lose any and all bargaining power needed to address a long overdue sweeping immigration reform.  One last thought, Mitch McConnell is absolutely correct.  This era of continuing budget resolutions has got to come to an end!  Congress needs to get busy doing their constitutional duty and finally pass a long-term budget, covering the next two years.  Only then will the U.S. Congress be in position to truly address the business they were elected by "we the people" to do.  In absence of a long-term budget agreement, the U.S. Congress will remain in this endless loop  of shutdown football every few months, with varying factions holding the government hostage in order to advance their pet-projects at the expense of the nation's security.

President Trump is a Master at Making the Media Dance ....

I seriously have to wonder sometimes if President Trump doesn't wake-up each and every morning and say to himself:  "Gee, I wonder how I can make the media dance today?"  Because Trump does indeed make the media dance with his unconventional verbiage from the highest office in our noble land.  President Trump, the intentional Pied Piper???

Image Source: Trip Advisor

I really have to laugh watching the latest looped-reel of countless news analysts and political commentators, practically beside themselves, being bleeped while uttering the earth-shattering phrase "Shit-hole."  I mean seriously, it's a word .. a word most of us --if we are being totally honest-- have used at some point in our own lives.  Is it a wholly presidential word? Probably not, by conventional standards, but then again who exactly is operating under the illusion that Donald J. Trump --President or not-- is actually in anyway conventional??? Certainly not the people who elected Trump into office.  Those people wanted a hard-headed hitter who would break down the barriers of the politically correct status-quot in order to get meaningful things done.  Furthermore, I suspect as long as President Trump continues to get meaningful things done  (e.g., unleashing true energy independence, lowering energy costs, revamping an outdated and over-burdensome  tax code, making the cost of doing business in U.S.A. competitive with rest of the world, creating millions of new jobs, renegotiating bad trade and other deals, standing up to terrorists, unleashing the military and decimating ISIS, helping to facilitate a resumption of talks between North and South Korea, reinvigorating the NASA and U.S. Space Program) for "we the people", most of us realists --antithesis of idealists--out here will be willing to give Trump a pass for the less-than conventional things he may say and tweet from time to time ... even if the off-rails media fails to ever cover Trump's accomplishments.  The wordsmiths among us may refuse to recognize the President's meaningful accomplishments to date, but those of us who have the ability to see behind the smoke and mirrors of a purely rhetoric-based  coverage of the Trump Administration do, in point of fact, actually see the progress President Trump has made thus far, on our behalf, nonetheless.

As for the predictable claim that President Trump's alleged "shit-hole" remark was "unequivocally racist", I have three things to say:

1) "He probably should have said "third-world" country, but if you look third-world up in the Urban Dictionary it actually says "s***hole." ~Tyrus

2) Referring to the factual living conditions within a given country, where the majority of the population has little if any ability to control said conditions, is not racist.  Trump's alleged choice of words, while vulgar, were merely an accurate reflection of the facts with respect to less than ideal, real-world living conditions in certain parts of the world.  Although succinct, I think we can all agree that if the word "shit-hole" was used in any Presidential meeting it was indeed a poor word choice.  That being said, President Trump's remark was pertaining to specific countries with less than ideal living conditions; his remark was not in any way intended to be denigrating of the people living therein. To claim otherwise, by hurling the term "racist" at the President is misleading, not mention dishonest.  Such tactics are merely a convenient tool used to subvert actual facts to the contrary, by playing to pure emotions in order to effectively bring the conversation to an abrupt close (i.e., "Trump said a bad word which we have interpreted to be racist, so the deal's off.")  "Racist" seems to have become the great-silencer these days, often being employed by liberals who don't have any meaningful facts to support their own side of a given argument.  By employing the silencing charge of "racism" liberals hope to circumvent any meaningful conversation, where a meaningful conversation might actually wind-up making real progress toward the end of addressing real-world issues, such as a long-overdue, sensible (balanced with merit-based) and comprehensive immigration reform.  In this light don't you have to ask yourself, which truly 'speaks' louder: mere words (rhetoric) or concrete, substantive solutions (action)?

3) I also find it striking that despite the left's repeated claims that 'President Trump is a confirmed racist', African-Americans are actually doing way better under a President Trump administration than they did under President Obama's administration.  Wages for African-Americans went DOWN $900.00, annually, under President Obama's tenure, while unemployment for African-Americans hit a record 16.8%.  Under President Trump, in just under a year, wages for African-Americans have gone UP $1,000 annually, while unemployment for African- Americans has hit an all-time low of just 6.8%.  Seems to me the numbers alone just don't support the left's ongoing claims of racism.  Something African-Americans can actually take to the BANK.

I have to admit, I didn't actually vote for President Trump, but his ability to cut through the crap in order to actually get things done, in a Washington D.C. that has been plagued by stagnation in years past, is slowly winning me over.  The fact that the left doesn't seem to have many (any?) coherent counter-arguments to Trump's positions and subsequent actions --aside from obstruct and resist-- doesn't do much to currently persuade me to support the ideas being put forward by the left.  I'm simply not buying into the unhinged emotion-driven rhetoric in their arguments to date.  Until the arguments on the left begin to show a bit more substance and reason*,  I'm going to have to continue to give President Trump the benefit of the doubt.  But who knows, the left could actually come around to embracing the notion of using logical facts and reason in order to make their case.  Stranger things have happened .... Here's hoping?

*[(e.g., DACA is not binding law, it was put into place in the absence of Congressional vote, by way of Executive Order --"the President's pen"-- at the end of President Obama's first term in office, never to be successfully revisited by President Obama or the U.S. Congress until Trump pushed the rescind-button.  President Trump wants to make DACA-like protection into actual binding law, by way of Congressional legislation which is really the only binding way to do so.  This was President Trump's reason for rescinding President Obama's non-binding Executive Order, in order to prompt binding Congressional action.  In this light, Democrats should be willing to meet the President halfway in coming to the table, in good-faith, in order to finally address long-overdue comprehensive immigration reform.  To my way of thinking, Republicans would be fools to give Democrats a "clean" DACA bill, given the Democrats obstructionist congressional voting record during the current legislative sessions thus far.  DACA is the ONE bargaining chip the Democrats have, and as such they should play it wisely lest they be made to look the fool to the American people.  I don't actually think the Democrats have enough support from the American people to actually shutdown the government over DACA, but we shall see how the chips play out.  Sometimes the Republicans aren't very bright where chip-playing is concerned.  Also think the circuit court's ruling to the effect that Trump cannot rescind a previous President's Executive Order --keep in mind, the U.S. Constitution does not in any way provide for the use of  Executive Orders-- actually does a disservice to the Democrats cause because they are no longer operating under an impending deadline which would have bolstered their position and argument for immediate action. Not to mention the fact that the courts are supposed to interpret and rule on the actual laws of the land, where Executive Orders kind of operate in a nebulous grey-area, are inherently vulnerable and subject to the whims of subsequent Presidents.  Remind me again, what is the check-and-balance on rogue justices who repeatedly make activist rulings, purely along party lines, in support partisan ends?]

Net Neutrality Needs to be Revisited By U.S. Congress

Have been talking with many millennials lately and they are extremely upset with the revocation of "net neutrality" in favor of Big Business.  Most millennials use the internet as an integral part of the their everyday lives.  In fact, the internet is where most millennials seem to get their primary news and information from, in favor of alternative sources such as magazines, newspapers and television/cable.  To most millennials the thought that some company can now limit their access to information or charge more for certain types of information literally scares the hell out of them.  Furthermore, millennials blame President Trump and his administration for failing to adequately address their concerns on the matter and rightly so.  I've heard time and again from the FCC and other Big Business advocates that "net neutrality is complicated", while these same individuals fail to offer any tangible facts or evidence in support of this claim.  Furthermore, the fact the the FCC Director used to be a Big Business, high-powered lawyer for Verizon doesn't do much to give confidence to millennials or "we the people" that a revocation of net neutrality is in their/our best interests.

To my way of thinking, President Trump, if you truly want to show that you can be a President for ALL of "we the people", and not just the president for those who put you into office, then you should take seriously the concerns of those of us who fear only the worst from a repeal of net neutrality.  You should immediately call for Congressional hearings on all matters relating to the internet (e.g., consumer privacy protections, as well as net neutrality).  Let the experts speak before the U.S. Congress, sharing facts and data in a transparent fashion for all of "we the people" to see.  Then, if at the end of testimony actual legislation is found to be warranted --in order to protect all citizens while using the internet and to provide equal access to internet content for all-- then Congress can move to enact the needed legislation that would provide for a permanent framework for regulation of the internet on behalf of "we the people."

I think an on-line petition to this end should be started, along with letters written to the President and members of Congress.  What say you???  Surely, if the U.S. Congress of the 1990's can visit music lyrics and the need for labeling music albums for rating "content violations", then surely the U.S. Congress of 2018 can visit consumer protection issues related to accessing the internet and content therein.

And on another matter close to millennials hearts, Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, of the U.S.  Justice Department might want to think through a bit more thoroughly his decision to revoke the Cole memorandum which had directed --under President Obama-- Feds not to interfere with state laws concerning marijuana legalization and use thereof.  Seems to me the Justice Department has more pressing matters to attend to these days (e.g., Russia probe wrap-up, Clinton investigation follow-up, unseating Deep State actors, immigration, heroin and opioid epidemics), especially when the majority of Americans, per on-going polling, seem to be in favor of marijuana legalization.  From a cost-benefit perspective the Justice Department and the Trump Administration stand to lose a whole lot more than they could ever possibly gain by moving forward with federal prosecutions for marijuana use in states that have legalized the product.  Timing is everything???  See Attorney General, Jeff Session's memo here.  And yes, Congress could eventually legislate on the matter, removing Federal laws from the books, but for the time being, I think the U.S. Congress already has a pretty full plate.  


2/14/2018 The recent abuses by senior level individuals at FBI, DoJ and State Department (by Obama Administration holdovers) that have been brought into the light --abuses which weaponized the intelligence apparatus and which threaten our very democratic republic and the constitutional democracy upon which the latter is founded-- coupled with the unprecedented number of Congress men and women renouncing their committee chair positions and not seeking re-election (34++ by my last count) makes me think that not only "net neutrality" but also consumer privacy protections --which were rescinded over the summer-- all need to revisited in order to minimize opportunities for nefarious individuals to gather dirt with which to influence our duly elected officials.  Perhaps legislation needs to be passed that would require all ISP's to provide VPN bundled with their internet access?  We live in a world much in need of good and women to run for public office, but with the potential for abuse of what should be private information --given the above gaping holes-- we may not wind up with those individuals most highly capable being willing to run for office or if they do run and are elected they may be compromised by blackmail for less than criminal offenses.  If information is truly power, then we must respect the potential for abuse of information, at all levels, in today's highly technological and globally connected world. 

Old Lang Syne???

Up late again, migraine and my mind won't shut down.  Did not get to celebrate the 'New Year' this year.  Things went south for us, here.  We did, however, thoroughly enjoy a totally pristine -- just 3 to 4 inches-- white fluffy snow on Christmas Eve and day.  I got my Christmas wish: A White Christmas, despite the statistical odds pointing to the contrary.  Sledding and snowball fights on Christmas Eve was kind of magical.  It was a welcome opportunity to shift gears and recharge. You really can't beat that, so you have to look on the upside, right?  No artist's Birthday celebration either, but then I did not celebrate my actual birthday this year either.  Maybe sometime in the weeks ahead?  Time seems to be a rather fluid concept where my life is concerned.  So anyway, it still feels like I'm stuck back in 2017.  2017 was a LONG year, not an entirely bad year, just a long year.  Leaves me wondering: is a long year better than a short year?  Perhaps a long year gives you more time to get meaningful stuff (or feel free to insert a more colorful expletive here) done? What say you???

One of these days, I'm actually going figure out the meaning of the song "Old Lang Syne".  The lyrics in that song have always bothered me, on some level, for some reason.  Maybe, I'm just reading them wrong or reading too much into them? Anyway, how many of you actually took the time to take stock of 2017.. Reflected back on the good as well as the bad?  If you did you probably wound up searching for answers at the bottom of a bottle or glass --be it punch or otherwise.  2017 was one tumultuous year to say the least, but that being said it wasn't all bad.  Seems to me we have had accountability restored in the White House and that surely goes a long way to returning power to "we the people", in my humble opinion. President Trump is not your typical politician, but in many ways that's a good thing because he doesn't waste time tip-toeing through the politically correct tulips.  Trump just tells it like it is and then proceeds to get meaningful stuff done.  With President Donald Trump WSWYG (what you see is what you get).  I have to respect that on some level, even if I'm not always fond of the Presidential Tweets.  That being said, the biased mainstream media has absolutely LOST ALL perspective where President Trump is concerned, because a Twitter account and colorful, fluffy language --what the media would desire to see as per the previous President ... But don't forget President Obama's calm, collective and repeated assurances that wound up being flat-out lies (e.g., "If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor" and "If you like your health insurance, you can keep your health insurance)-- does not a meaningful Presidency make.  Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather have brutal honesty over colorful and deceptive lies any day of the week.  Contrary to what the liberal mainstream media and elites --on both sides of the aisle-- believe, "we the people" are not stupid and many of us are no longer willing to be blindly led, while being told what to think and say (i.e., politics of belonging).  The time has come for true rebels, rebels of independent thought, reason and action to speak boldly and to begin coloring outside of the feel-good 'belonging lines', while firmly rejecting the narrative of absolutes.

With the media's off-the-rails coverage of the Trump Presidency it seems to me 2017 has ushered in the final death-blow to objective journalism.  How SAD is that?  Objective journalism used to play a vital role in support of our representative democracy.  These days, however, many journalistic voices do little more than stir and feed frenzy toward overt political ends.  So very sad!  Our founding fathers would be greatly disappointed in the America of today, in this respect, I think.  At the end of the day rhetoric may serve set the tone, but in the end it is actions --and not words-- that speak volumes to what is being done on behalf of "we the people" (e.g., record-breaking stock market highs, millions of new jobs, unemployment at all time decades low, energy independence becoming a reality --thereby lowering energy costs for everyday hard-working citizens, while stimulating the growth of new businesses-- and how about that historic revamping of the tax-code to the benefit of over 80% of Americans, which along with trade deal re-negotiations will likely bring back hundreds of thousands jobs back from overseas).  Granted we still have a long road ahead, but from where I'm standing we're off to a great start.

My biggest hope for 2018 is that the mainstream media will finally screw their heads back on straight and begin to give the Office of the President of United States the respect it is due.  That the media will finally begin covering the substantive actions of the President and his administration, instead of endlessly obsessing over the President's rhetoric, while "we the people" must continually suffer through the media's inane attempts at varying degrees of interpretation of the 'true meaning' behind Trump's words with the non-bonus of their quasi psycho-analysis of the  man behind the words.  Trump is his own man and he's redefining what it means to be Presidential in terms that work for him and the way he does business.  You don't have to like President Trump, but the Office he holds demands a certain level of respect, which heretofore has been sorely lacking, and that in and of itself portrays the entire United States of America in a really bad light to the rest of the world.  To my way of thinking true patriots want whoever is in office to do well, because that winds up benefiting the country as whole.  We seem to have lost sight of this important fact somewhere along way?  Something is terribly wrong when you want your political opponents to fail miserably, at the expense of the country, just so your party looks to be a better alternative in upcoming elections.  I think the American people are beginning to see through this smoke and mirrors and tactic.  Now that "we the people" have had a long over-due taste of actual accountability, I suspect we are not likely to relinquish it anytime soon.

On that note, I'm off to hopefully find a few hours of sleep --hopefully in the absence of dreams and visions.  Can't quite bring myself to utter the predictable phrase "Happy New Year."  Maybe tomorrow. For now, let me just wish that you find satisfaction --and maybe even joy-- in the singular moment presently unfolding right at hand.

1/6/2017(8) Well, what do you know ... Most people don't get the song "Old Lang Syne" either according to CNN polling data/article.  CNN was kind enough to provide us with the full lyrics for this 'time-honored' song --considering it was written in 1788 by Scotsman Robert Burnes.  Reading the lyrics for this song does little to ease my own confusion or dislike of this poem-song.  How about you?  If I were to modernize this song a bit, I suppose you do wind up with the 70's Dan Folgelberg song "Same Old Lang Syne", which starts off with the lyrics "Met my old lover in the grocery store. The snow was falling on Christmas Eve. I stood behind her in the frozen foods and I touched her on the sleeve." Maybe it's just me, but isn't it healthy to review and questions our "time-honored" traditions now again?  If less than 3% of the general population knows the lyrics and almost no one really understands them, maybe it's time for some new lyrics??? I'd like to challenge some of our many talented contemporary lyricists or musicians to come up with some more modern, more readily understandable (not to mention easier to remember) lyrics for this ballad.  Hey, it could happen .... My wish for 2018???  My starting pass for new lyrics is here.
1/11/2018   I finally find myself in actual 2018.  Yeah?  Another one of my tangible wishes for 2018 is that some artful communicator will give a TED talk on how to have a meaningful political discussion with someone who might not agree with your own positions, on key issues, 100% right out of the gate.  Think this insight would be extremely useful in the divided America we find ourselves in today.  Given the right skills and an open mind-set, I remain ever-hopeful that meaningful political dialogue can be restored in our nation once again.

Paradigm Shift: this time I believe change IS possible ....

 God Bless, keep and guide the brave men and women in the country of Iran who have awakened from slumber and now struggle to have their voices heard toward the end of taking control of their own lives.  Their courage in the face of extreme adversity gives hope for a brighter future for their country, their children and their children's children.  I sense a benevolent energy acting their behalf this time, an energy I have not felt before.  This time, I truly feel as if change IS possible.  You all will be in my constant thoughts and prayers, where prayer for me involves focusing on intentions and actual energy channeling by way of the Creator.

Winter Wonderland at 1400 Pennsylvania Ave., D.C.

I have to admit, it takes just about everything I have to get my own house decorated for Christmas before December 25th each year.  Thus, I've never really paid much attention to how the "People's House" (a.k.a. The White House) is decorated each year.  I know the First Lady is usually responsible for setting the theme and overseeing the decorations.  Well, this year I have heard so much negative press about the White House decorations that I just had to check them out for myself.  I found a "White House Christmas Special 2017" on HGTV and sat down to watch with my daughters. 

Image By Way of Getty Images

At the end of viewing I have to say, I was most impressed.  I love the theme of "time honored traditions" and the simple elegance with which this theme was swept through each unique room in the White House.  My daughters especially loved the East Hallway with white arching tree branches and up-lighting.  Reminded them of fresh snowfall in a winter wooded wonderland.  This is often the view looking out into our backyard when we are fortunate enough to receive snow.  Very cool!  Not sure what kind of colored glasses the press/media is wearing these days?  Maybe charcoal grey? But my daughters and I all think the negative press on this year's White House decorations is way off base.  We think the First Lady, Melania Trump, did an amazing job bringing the White House to LIFE this Holiday Season.  We especially love the wreaths adorning each of the White House windows: awesome!  Great job, Mrs. Trump!

Image By Way of IBtimes.co.uk

A Weaponized FBI?

And how about the entrenched power structure at the FBI??? Pretty scary when any agency fails to comply with oversight requests from the U.S. Congress, particularly when these requests --and the denials thereafter-- appear to be pointing toward a deep-seeded, long-term political bias.  Meaning the FBI may have been 'weaponized' in order to advance a prescribed political agenda in favor of one political party over the other.  Congressional oversight of the  FBI is part of the system of checks and balances.  In the absence of compliance with this oversight, the FBI is basically a rouge agency accountable to no one who "we the people" have elected to represent us and "That should scare the hell out of everyone!" ~Tucker Carleson

1/10/2018 Strikes me as odd that so many high level, committee members in the U.S. Congress are announcing their intention to retire rather than run for re-election in 2018.  Last count I heard nearly 3 dozen Republican lawmakers plan to retire.  That's a pretty significant number.  The better part of me cannot help but wonder if the overuse of government intelligence surveillance, for the supposed purpose of thwarting terrorism, has been gathered and disseminated by a weaponized FBI in order to put many Congressional members at risk for blackmail. Where the price to be paid for said blackmail 'evidence' is that key Congressional members must step-down from their seats ("retiring"), thereby opening the field for a sweeping Democratic insurgence in the 2018 mid-term elections???? Stranger things have happened ......
1/15/2018 Maybe it's just me, but if evidence has recently come to light that the FISA program has been repeatedly abused by intelligence sources toward nefarious ends, wouldn't you want to complete a thorough investigation BEFORE re-authorizing said program for another six-years?????? Or at the very least grant only a short-term extension to cover the program until the investigation is complete.  This kind of nonsense is why we need term limits in the U.S. Congress, I think.  They can't see the forest for the trees anymore .... An inevitable myopic vision seems to eventually settle upon all career politicians.

Justice for All?

Leadership means having a clear vision for the future. It means making tough calls in difficult times in order to advance the agenda you were hired/elected to move forward. In the case of the U.S. Congress that means advancing the agenda of "we the people", not "we the establishment." The outcome of the Alabama election has made two things readily apparent to me:  1) The American people are finally starting to awaken to the behind-the-scenes power-wielding machinations employed by the elites on the left, in the Democratic Party, and they are tired of being played, tired of being used --witness the Roy Moore's comeback, losing by a mere 0.7% (the last count I saw, with over 91% of precincts reporting);  and 2) The leadership of the Republican Party --chiefly Mitch McConnell--have failed their party, their candidate in the critical Alabama Senate race, and failed their Commander in Chief, by throwing their candidate immediately under the bus at the first hint of trouble, in the absence of any due process, for an allegation of misconduct not only suspiciously timed but dating back well over thirty years.

I have to say, given the outcome of this crucial Senate race, coupled with Senator McConnell's poor legislative track record to date, that the time has come for the Majority Leader to resign from his duties so that he may be replaced with a more effective leader capable of advancing the President's agenda.  Perhaps the upside of this election outcome is two-fold.  First off, Roy Moore wasn't forced to withdraw from the campaign in the face unproven allegations, which he adamantly denied.  His supporters rallied in the absence of solid and timely evidence, and in the end the easily-spooked Republican Party came back around to support Moore's election bid.  So in the end, the nation dodged a bullet by not setting the dangerous precedent for future political elections that well-timed moral hit-jobs involving allegations of sexual misconduct can force targeted politicians out of key races after being tried solely in the court of public opinion. Then secondly, another upside is the fact this election only serves to fill the remainder of the former Senator's (Jeff Sessions) term, that remaining term being only two years of a standard six year term --Sessions having already served four of the six years in a given term.  So in two years, the Alabama Senate seat will be up for election once again.  All of the above being said, #1) above gives me enormous hope for both political parties moving forward.  The ability to think critically, logically towards the discernment of truth is crucial to the survival of our representative democracy.  In the absence of this independent reasoning and thought on the part of the electorate an elite 'ruling' power structure settles itself into place, being near impossible to remove once it is established, and this elite power structure is not focused on the needs of "we the people"; it is focused on selling influence and maintaining power in order to advance an elitist agenda.  Sadly, today in Washington D.C. there are elites participating in a well-established power structure on both sides of the political aisle.  Perhaps this is why we need to begin a discussion about the benefits of term-limits where seats in the U.S. Congress are concerned?

On a different note, I also think that the time has now come for we, as a nation, to begin having the discussion that would allow us to prioritize claims of sexual misconduct and the appropriate repercussions thereof, for not all offenses are created equal.  Not all offenses should result in the immediate destruction of a man or woman's entire career in the absence of any due process.  Don't get me wrong, I think the #MeToo movement is truly empowering.  It has allowed .. is allowing women and men to step out of their silence and suffering in order for their voices to be heard.  This movement has begun a long overdue conversation in our nation, a conversation with the potential to move us further toward a truly egalitarian society, which is rather remarkable in and of itself. That being said, we really need to get a handle the ramifications of sexual misconduct allegations in the absence of  any prioritization.  Prioritization of sexual misconduct allegations --even though there will likely be many grey areas-- would allow us to begin building the frame-work for prosecution in order to ensure justice for all.  For in the absence of prioritization, the positive progress this #MeToo conversation has made thus far can just as quickly run right off the rails, with countless opportunities for abuse in the face of false or unproven allegations.  Having this important conversation will also allow us to put past allegations (e.g., Senator Ted Kennedy, President Bill Clinton, Senator Tod Akin) --and the response of individuals from each political party-- into perspective when discussing current allegations (e.g., Judge Roy Moore, Senator Al Franken,  Senator Trent Franks and Representative John Conyers).  It may also help to shed some light on the motivations behind a radical change in behavior where some groups are concerned (i.e., rank-and-file Democrats). "Hypocrisy is the homage vice plays to virtue"?

12/14/2017  I heard that Roy Moore has requested a recount of the election results, as allowed by Alabama State Constitution for closely contested races.  

Justice isn't really blind, it just operates within a bubble of political expediency these days?

Justice operates in a bubble these days? Perhaps the blame in the delivered verdict in the Jose Garcia Zarate case lies with the prosecutor who opted for a higher charge of outright murder over manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter --especially in light of the ricochet evidence.  Perhaps this initial mis-charging was intentional in order to guarantee a desired outcome, in a sanctuary city, in support a prescribed political narrative? I am left wondering if such a verdict would have been possible in any other non-sanctuary city? The defense knew what they were doing when they opted to have the trial venue remain in the city of San Francisco.

 Image Source:
"Daily Caller"

Given the overshoot in charging, coupled with the apparent mental state of non-well being of the defendant, I suppose the outcome in this trial is not entirely unexpected.  That being said, justice has not been served for the victim, Kate Steinle, or for her bereaved family, not to mention the American people at large.  The bottom line is Zarate should not have been in this country.  If authorities in San Francisco had cooperated with Federal officials in honoring the government's detainer request, Jose Garcia Zarate never would have been on the pier that fateful day and Kate Steinle would still be alive and with us here today.  Sadly, the jury was never given this crucial piece of information during the trial, namely that Zarate was a 7 time convicted felon who had been deported from the country on 5 different occasions, only to return the U.S. time and time again through a porous southern border.  The verdict in this case and the political pontificating of the Defense attorney aside, this case at its core shines a glaring light upon the fundamental problem with sanctuary cities scattered across our nation, namely that  they aren't safe places to visit, live, work or play and the people who run them are perfectly okay with this fact and any unfortunate consequences thereof.  To the latter officials any casualties resultant of their sanctuary city policies are merely necessary sacrifices in a war of battling political ideologies.  To their way of thinking, "we the people" and law-abiding legal immigrants are expendable.  If that isn't a wake-up call to logically thinking people across this country, then I don't know what is??!??

Kate's story really hits home for me, because my family and I were visiting San Francisco, walking in the vicinity of that same pier exactly one week prior to this tragic shooting.  Timing is everything?  My proximity to this story really got me thinking about "sanctuary cities" and illegal immigrants.  After much thought and soul-searching I discovered, like most Americans, I fully support legal immigration.  Furthermore, I think I would be willing to support an increase in the number of legal immigrants we allow into this country, on a yearly basis.  However, I would only support this increase with the pre-requisite condition that our government finally and effectively addresses stemming the tide of illegal immigrants flooding into the country, on a daily basis, particularly dangerous individuals and repeat violent offenders.  A border wall --partial wall in strategic locations-- may just be the best place to start.  To those of you who claim "If you build a thirteen foot wall, they will find a thirteen foot ladder", I would say awakened Americans are no longer willing to subscribe to the "narrative of absolutes."  In the world of logical reality, meaningful actions and accountability, the choices are no longer all simple black and white, all or nothing.  In point of fact, if you build a thirteen foot wall, you actually wind up stopping everyone who doesn't have access to a thirteen foot ladder. And at the end of the day, that just might be enough to truly make a difference in reducing the number of illegal immigrants flowing into our country and committing crimes much to the detriment of law-abiding citizens and legal immigrants alike.

Contrary to the narrative of absolutes, the desire to commit to the development and implementation of a comprehensive immigration program --that will actually be enforced!-- toward the end of curtailing illegal immigration does not automatically make decent, law-abiding citizens bad people or "haters".  Nor does it mean the we want to put an end to all immigration or that that we in anyway dislike all immigrants in general; it just means that we want to be safe in our own homes, communities and cities --even when traveling.  It means we want to reward immigrants who come into this country through the proper channels and vetting process.  That's how we make immigration work for everyone in our country, citizens and legal immigrants alike.  But 'reasonable' people nowadays don't address real-world problems with real solutions, do they?  They cower under the feel-good cover of subscribing to accepted political narratives, in the absence of all independent thought, logic and reason.  The time has finally come to wake-up America!

12/3/2017 Apparently, it is actually a Federal crime not to cooperate with Federal Immigration officials on detainer requests.  Thus, the Attorney General could take meaningful action towards tackling the very problems posed by "sanctuary cities" by prosecuting those San Francisco officials directly responsible for the release of Jose Garcia Zarate.  The question is will Sessions finally take a stand --after eight years of his predecessors looking the other way-- in order to actually enforce the laws already on the books?

Changing of the Guard, Paradigm Shift ....

We are presently witnessing a profound shift in the power-wielding dynamics of our western society, a "changing of the guard" if you will.  I think for the first time in our nation's history we are poised to embrace the truly egalitarian society, we were always meant to be.  That being said, this paradigm shift will require vigilance from all of our citizens, in all walks of life.  Therefore, I urge you, each and every one to stay informed and to seek truth from multiple sources.  Do not be led or distracted, like sheep, by false narratives.  Do not shy away from important conversations and let your voice be heard!

12/2/2017  Just wondering when or if the digital power-wielding paradigm will also begin to shift?  Everyone may have a platform to 'be heard' these days, but given the recent evidence of suppression, on the part of providers,  and the proliferation of "fake news" stories on social media platforms:  I'd have to say that what's being heard on-line is anything but fair or balanced.  The latter aside, I love the way President Trump is able to circumvent the main-stream media with his Twitter account.  Granted, I don't always like the way he says things, but I love that the President has a found a way to take his message directly to "we the people."  Trump's tweets, to my way of thinking, are the modern-day equivalent of FDR's "fire-side" chats, albeit a bit more colorful in nature and not always wholly 'presidential'.  Then again, Trump seems to be redefining what it means to be presidential.  And despite the mainstream media's near-meltdown response, the world keeps spinning madly on ... Go figure?  I didn't vote for a President Trump, but given the response of the Left since the election --or rather the lack of any meaningful fact/action based response-- I have to say that Trump is slowly winning me over.  That being said, I think  Trump's surrogate at FCC revoking net-neutrality will only further serve to dismantle the dissemination of balanced truth via digital on-line mediums.  

12/30/17  God Bless, keep and guide the brave men and women in the country of Iran who have awakened from slumber and now struggle to have their voices heard toward the end of taking control of their own lives.  Their courage in the face of extreme adversity gives hope for a brighter future for their country, their children and their children's children.  I sense a benevolent energy acting their behalf this time, an energy I have not felt before.  This time, I truly feel as if change IS possible.

We, As a Nation, Are at a Crossroads ....

I have been following all of the #MeToo posts and stories, well the highlights at least. It's been too hard for me to bear witness to explicit details having been a victim myself. Nonetheless, I sincerely admire the courage of others have shown by coming forward in order to share their deeply personal stories, followed by the aftermath of trying to find 'normal' once again --some of us never truly find normal again, maybe we must invent a new normal for ourselves. Anyway, the sharing of these courageous women --and men-- gives me a profound sense of hope ... Hope because the sharing of these stories reveals a long-hidden, ugly truth in our western society, namely the false-narrative that power can be used to prey upon others for the purposes of a misguided need for sexual gratification at the expense of an unwilling participant. By sharing these stories we remove the mask of stigma from the victims and refocus the blame where it should rightly reside, namely upon the perpetrators and their enablers. We've begun to shrink the cover that 'polite society' used to provide for these monsters and started a conversation that stands to fundamentally change how we deal with sexual harassment and assault in our modern-day society. Those who prey upon the innocent, our children, are perhaps the worst among the predators. For these innocent we must remain ever-vigilant, being the eyes and ears who will watch for any and all signs of abuse and then move swiftly to protect the innocent.

All of the above being said, however, I find myself deeply troubled by the allegations being brought against the Republican Alabama Senate Candidate, Judge Roy Moore, in the aftermath of the Alabama primary election and just weeks before the main election is to be held. While the allegations, if proved to be truthful, are horrible and wholly inexcusable, I find myself EXTREMELY uncomfortable with the timing of these allegations, especially in light of the fact that these allegations date back thirty, or more, years making the allegations all the more difficult to conclusively prove, by legal standards, within the limited time-frame leading up to the election.

Image Source

As much as it pains me to say, given my own experiences of sexual abuse, I firmly believe Roy Moore deserves his day in court.  I do  not think this because of Roy Moore's character or his policies, or the fact that he happens to be Republican.  I would be making this very same argument if Roy Moore were a Democrat as well.  Due process is the right of all citizens and it is a fundamental part of who we are as a nation.  Due process is what separates us from countries like North Korea and Iran.  To my way of thinking we, as a nation, are at a crossroads. We stand to set an incredibly dangerous precedent for trying post/primary political candidates in the “court of public opinion”, without the due-process of law, where information --both true and false-- in this 'courtroom' spreads like wildfire in this day and age of global social media and the 24-hour cable news-cycle.  The repercussions of such a precedent will be long-lasting and detrimental to the fundamental underpinnings of our representative democracy, because now moving forward any candidate can be unfairly targeted with non-legally binding charges, in any political campaign, without due-process.  The game-changer of course in the "court of public opinion", now verses decades past, is the velocity--both speed, as well as multi-direction-- at which damage can be inflicted upon an intended target in our present-day technological web.  So which candidates are likely prevail in such scenarios, without the benefit of due process? Probably those candidates who are well-connected, both in terms of finances as well as media backing, with the financiers having their own hidden agendas. And who will want to even run for political office, given the risk of being unfairly targeted and smeared? Probably not the best qualified candidates, with the best interest of “we the people” at heart.

The Democrats are quite the hypocrites, given their unwavering support for President Bill Clinton in the aftermath of his sexual misconduct with a young White House intern, in the Oval Office no less, even in the aftermath of Congressional impeachment.  Let us not overlook the fact that the Democrats stand to win a much needed Senate seat in the aftermath of scandal, a seat which could potentially shift the Congressional balance-of-power, thereby derailing President Trump's agenda for “Making America Great Again.” And shame on establishment Republicans for rushing to throw their fellow Republican immediately under the bus? Timing IS everything. Even if these allegations of sexual misconduct prove to be true, we are all being played. Are we really okay with this?  If Roy Moore is forced to withdraw from the race, then the puppet-masters win again and they win BIG, not just today, but tomorrow and in every future political race that has yet to play.  I say, Judge Roy Moore deserves his day in court. Let the election play out, with the legal proceeding moving forth simultaneously. Then, if Roy Moore winds up winning the election and IF he is found guilty, by legal standards, then have him removed from office, where-after a replacement can appointed by the Governor of Alabama, as the established electoral guidelines in the state of Alabama dictate. To do otherwise risks damaging our democracy in so very many ways, ways which will go on to have lasting repercussions on our nation for decades upon decades to come.

Perception, the chain that truly binds us ...

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience." ~Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

This what's wrong with the world today: so many among us seem to have forgotten this truth we came into this world knowing.  We've become so focused on the packages we each reside in, our skin color and ethnicity.  There are lines of division being 'drawn' everywhere we look, particularly by the Hollywood elites and main-stream media.  In this mindset, the world cannot help but be perceived as a series of slights, rooted in past wrongs which true racism will never allow to be forgiven.  If we willfully close our eyes to the progress we have made in so many areas, we become pawns in a larger political agenda --us against THEM-- instead of the truly liberated beings we were meant to be.  Beings who control their own destinies, thoughts and dreams, beings on a quest to reconnect with the spiritual nature of our true being.  And counter-intuitively, it is forgiveness not condemnation that holds the key to our liberation.  We must forgive, so that we in turn may be forgiven.  Otherwise, we will remain grounded beings, trapped in a repetitious cycle of human failures, incapable of hope for a vision of an even brighter future, a future in which we have an active hand in shaping our own destinies and creating a better world for our children and our children's children after them.

"What man is a man who does not leave this world a better place?"  I would wager, the man who sows division is the antithesis of the latter.  And the man who teaches his children division digs an even greater hole for his children to climb out of, in terms of spiritual enlightenment which in the end is the point of this shared journey, LIFE, we are on.  Open your heart and let it begin to engage your mind.

To the Professor,  Ekow N. Yankah, who has sadly concluded, in his "New York Times" op-ed,   "I will teach them to be cautious, I will teach them suspicion, and I will teach them distrust. Much sooner than I thought I would, I will have to discuss with my boys whether they can truly be friends with white people."   I have to say, how sad for your children, Professor Yankah.  By your proclamation you have already closed doors to your children, doors that may have truly expanded their way of thinking and the people they are ultimately capable of becoming.  By your proclamation, your children will now have to work that much harder to get closer to a spiritual version of truth.  How close-minded, to paint all 'black' people with one brush and all 'white' people with another, when the truth lies somewhere in between.  There are good 'black' people, just as there are good 'white' people.  There are bad 'black' people, just as there are bad 'white' people, both historically as well as in more modern times.  But the spiritual truth is that we are so much more than 'black' and 'white'.  I happen remember my first best friend, at the impressionable age of 4 years old, the same age as the son of NYTimes op-ed author.  My first best friend was a beautiful little African-American girl, named Kimberly, but I never saw Kimberly as being any different than me.  She was my best friend and we had hours upon hours of endless fun together until I moved away a year later.  Children don't see 'color'; they are taught to see color.  And nothing in this world will ever truly begin to change until we, as grown-ups, parents, educators and mentors pledge to stop teaching our children to divide up our world by color.  It's that simple.  Perhaps the change starts with you, one ever-widening ripple in the pond of human consciousness?

My thoughts after reading "Can My Children Be Friends with White People?"

Hegemony

Word of the Day:  Hegemony

KARMA Storm

" "The Vegas massacre didn't move the needle far enough" " ... I cannot bring myself to walk the path of sorrow in the aftermath of the Texas Southeast First Baptist Church shooting. Instead I find myself flooded with feelings of intense anger … Not anger at gun laws, gun owners, the military or a mental health system which appears to fail so many in our country these days.  No, this anger I'm experiencing is an anger directed at those, working behind the scenes, who found an unstable individual and then pushed him over the edge. And once Devin Kelley was over the edge these puppet-masters then put a gun in this unstable man's hand and set him on a collision course to slaughter innocents, all in the name of refocusing political discourse such that their party and their core issues are brought to the forefront of relevance once again. Believe me, this isn't knowledge I want to 'see' or for that matter to share, but the universe won't seem to leave me alone alone I have shared this interpretation of the tragic events that unfolded during a celebration of worship on Sunday.  I mean, what are the statistical odds the opportunity arises --right on heels of the Las Vegas shooting-- for the left to disparage the military, conservative people of faith and guns all in one shot? The latter has to be the liberal trifecta.  The only consolation I have is a vision --9/23/2017-- of a KARMA storm is presently being unleashed upon this world of ours, such that a light will be shown on these puppet-masters --at all levels of corruption and walks of life. The far-reaching moral arc of the universe is moving to restore a long overdue universal balance.  The time has come for the sleeping among us to awaken to universal truths which transcend political affiliation, race, gender and all other perceptions of division.

11/7/2017  Struck me as odd that several media outlets were initially reporting the shooter using his middle name, Devin Patrick Kelley.  The middle name was later dropped in subsequent reporting.
11/9/2017 " "In the absence of an armed citizenry, in times of violent crisis we will find ourselves at the hands of the merciless." "  Our founding fathers understood this and this is why they gave us the 2nd Amendment.  Thanks to the bravery of Stephen Willeford, a concerned citizen and neighbor living adjacent to the church, who arrived on the scene of the shooting with a second gun --and NRA training-- countless additional lives were likely spared. Incidentally, I have had an extremely hard time finding Willeford's name by way of the mainstream media.  Could it be the latter are suppressing Willeford's name and his contribution to helping put an end to the mad gunman's shooting spree because Willeford's involvement with a second gun does not fit their narrative supporting the need to "control all guns"? 
11/11/2017  At the end of the day, it helps to believe in a world where individual redemption is entirely possible.  We can learn and grow, we can heal, we can forgive and be forgiven ... "Whose sins we [each of us] hold bound, remain bound.  Whose sins we [all] forgive are forgiven."