WE'RE BEING GAMED

Hey, Donald, don't forget to plan to extend
 your wall across the Pacific Ocean

Yes, fellow Americans and fellow inhabitants of planet earth, there are human beings in this world who are attracting a lot of media attention, and therefore, free publicity under the guise of running for the office of the President of the United States.  The way I count them they are:
Donald Trump who is writing a new reality Television show as he goes along.
Dr. Ben Carson who is writing the first draft of another book as he goes around promoting his latest one.
Marco Rubio who is hoping to be president so that he can delegate a vice-president to be present at the office for the 45% of the time that Marco will be enjoying other pursuits.
Ted Cruz who wants to be president because he thinks that all he will have to do is to snap his CEO fingers and get what he wants, not what the country needs, or wants for that matter.
Jeb Bush who is running bcause his family is forcing him to do so, and he looks and acts it.
Carly Fiorina who is running because she is still unempoyed after being fired from her previous employment, five years ago.
There are many others in the "race," but they are not really worth mentioning.

Not one of these people is serious about wanting to be the president of the country.  Not one of these people cares about the welfare of the United States or any other country for that matter.  All they care about is the "fame" (the brand?) that they are building for having "run" for the office.  None of them is serious.  Donald is getting the most publicity because he has the most experience in how to get the media to notice him.  He doesn't "attack" the media.  He strums them like a $15.00 ukelele.  He and his cohort are all playing to the cameras, not really being serious in exposing their true convictions about what being the president of the United States really means.

We've heard many statements that are devoid of any mature, adult impact.  Everything from deporting 11 million undocumented people, to making the presidency of the United States out of bounds for Muslims, carpet bombing vast areas of countries and childishly mocking a candidate for the presidency who was a minute or so late in returning to the debate podium due to a rest room break.  None of this can be serious, and it isn't.  It is all an early April Fool's ploy to attract attention.

I am writing this at this time because in many countries around the world, December 28 is a day of light hearted prank playing.  Children get to stick their tongue out at their elders, fail to call the priest "Father" and other such silliness on the commemoration of the "Holy Innocents."  This year, we are all being "sassed"by the presidential "candidates" preparing for the election of November, 2016.  They are not candidates, they are shrewd stand-up comedians preparing very lucrative future endeavors that will provide the warm and furry lining to their already well stuffed pockets.  It is also for this reason that they are spending so little "campaign contribution bribe money."  It frees them from having to report back to the government what they have spent, other than to claim the tax deductions.  It also frees them from having to account for their expenses to those who would have a claim against their favors.  

How do I come to that conclusion?  For me it is very easy.  I notice that not a single one of these clowns ever bothers to speak to the world.  They are careful to curry the favor of their white, blue collar "base" and no one else.  (Verify this by paying attention to the pictures you see on television.) They are convinced that if it "plays well in Peoria" it will generate income in Hollywood.  They care not a single syllable about what the rest of the world thinks.  They forge ahead as though the rest of the world did not exist.  It doesn't matter to them because they are not running to better the United States' position in the world.  They are investing their efforts in the potential of the blue collar audience for their TV and Book income.  They don't care one whit about anyone outside the white, English speaking, blue collar base because they know that this is their future audience, their future meal ticket.  

I am telling you, they are not fooling me.  Believe me or not, they are not fools...they are scheming, conniving snake oil salesmen with a plan.  Not a plan for the country.  A plan for their early retirement at our expense.

AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM

...except if your ancestors were transported here from Africa and enslaved...Or your ancestors were found here by the Europeans who caused the words of the Declaration seen here to be promulgated...

Or you're Jewish... Or you're Japanese... Or you're "Mexican..." Or you come from a country where ebola is a possibiity... Or you're from Syria... Or you're Muslim... Or...?  

Now, that's what I call American exceptionalism.  

It's so exceptional that the vast majority of mass murderers who ply their trade in this country are white males.  All they get for the trouble they cause is a bunch of recrimination from the government saying "This has got to stop."  

It does stop...for a couple of weeks if we're lucky.

Now we have the brain trust in Washington calling for a "pause" in the acceptance of refugees during which time no Syrian refugee will be accepted into the USA unless three high officials sign the acceptance, for each individual of any age.  Now, that's equality.  

Here's more equality: One individual who is running for the presidency of the USA compares Muslims to rabid dogs.  One wants to force them to carry a special ID card with their religion and their country of origin noted on it.

It has become a badge of honor for senators and representatives to refer to terrorists as "Radical Islamist Terrorists."

Yep, we are exceptional.  

Nothing to brag about, for damn sure.

I WILL BE SO GOOD YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT

Presidential campaign, 2015 - 2016 ... There is something there.  I think?

What we know so far, some of it anyway.

* Mexico sends all its worst people here.  They're crafty.

* Mexican women come here to have "anchor babies."

* Obama is the worst president ever.

* Jeb Bush is a low energy person

* Hillary Clinton is the worst Secretary of State ever.

* Going bankrupt is fine because you take advantage of the laws of the country.

* The answer to the immigration "problem" is to deport all illegal immigrants.

* I will build a wall between here and Mexico that Mexico will pay for

* Going to war with Iraq was ...Uh...Hmmm

* "Obama Care" has to go

* The Iran deal is proof that the US is near total disaster

* Bill Clinton is mentally disturbed

* All those running, except for Hillary, know nothing about foreign affairs

* So naturally they know nothing about international diplomacy

* Scott Walker will not have to move out of Wisconsin

* Rick Perry is no better now that he was the last time

* Hillary is trying to apologize her way into the oval office

* Anchor babies are mostly from Asia

* All lives matter

* Speak English, this is America 

* Planned Parenthood gets away with murder and organ peddling in plain sight

* Campaign contributions and lobbying money = BRIBERY.

* Chris Christie blew his chance to impress back in 2012 - You were late, Man

* Trump is not afraid to use his goons to clear the room of those he dislikes

* None of those running know that English is not the national language of the US

We still have almost 6 months to go before the people start to express themseves through the official voting process.  I have been enjoying the daily side show.  There is no need for Saturday Night Live, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon or any of the other professional clowns of the airwaves.  We have nearly two dozens Bozos before our very eyes every day. If it were only a visual circus that would be passtime enough, but in this case it is auditory as well.  

Some of the ideas that bombard us are rather challenging.  Some of the questions to which they give rise are also bewildering.  

For example:

     Are the 11,000,000 to be deported only Mexicans?

     If not, how many are Latin Americans from south of Mexico?

     How is getting them across the Panama Canal going to be managed?

     If 11,000,000 is only Latin Americans, is it possible that the illegal immigrants from other countries get to stay?

    I happen to know that there is a very successful underground of illegals from the Philippines all over the country.  Are they going to be ferretted out and put on boats going back to Manila?

     Oh, the Wall.  Is it going to mimick the East Bank/West Bank divide between Israel and Palestine?  Now that is one mean wall.  

     Is Mexico going to pay for it with remittance money?

     Or maybe with drug money collected from US users?

     Are we going to collect remittance fees to pay for the Wall?

     Whose going to unclog the court system from all the lawsuits brought against the US gov't by the army of NGO lawyers protecting the "Anchor Citizens" from deportation?

     Better still, what will be the going rate for the monetary settlements that will become the "soupe du jour" to keep the offended "Anchor Citizens" happy and quiet?

     If the Mexican "Anchor Citizens" don't sue us (US?) you can be sure that the Filipinos will. 

     When it comes to the Affordable Care Act and its repeal, are we sure that the special interests haven't bought their way into that position?

I am wondering if it is Bill Clinton who is mentally disturbed or someone else?

I am also wondering on what wall the psychiatric license to make such a determination about someone's mental state is hanging?

If you don't think that this is funny you must have got upon the wrong side of the bed this morning.

BREAKING NEWS -- ANKLE BITING NEWS!

The other day down in the valley,
I'm here to say that a snake bit Donny.
Do you know what happened next?
'Twas the snake that died from the effect.

Thanks to my French friend Voltaire for this biting bit of humor.

COMPARISON, Uh, YOU FORGOT ONE...

...And Charleston?

I got this in an email on June 11 from an acquaintance - Subject line was: "COMPARISON"

I sent this response:

"I get a lot of this kind of unchristian, un-Catholic hatred from you.  I suggest that you have a serious talk with the God of Love, in whom I presume you still believe.  

You realize, of course, that I am a white guy."

I can't help but ask myself how the sender and people like him feel after this last episode in South Carolina.  Of course, we white people can go to church and not be too worried about getting mowed down by one of our own...Hell, we don't even have to worry about being mowed down by anybody while we are in church.  So I am telling you, one and all, Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Christian, non-Christian, Hindu or Atheist, "I won't tell you to take me off your "forward" list, but you had better be assured that if you send me something full of animalistic hatred you have to be ready for an answer.  

Yes, I am an asshole with a sharp tongue.  I am proud that I am an equal opportunity asshole.  I am also proud that I am a God fearing asshole who respects all the animals and the plants in the world that He created and for which He died.  So...

Look at yourself in the mirror and see who you are...now look inside and see if you're ready to die, assured that you are dying in the shadow of God's love.

If you enjoy sending hatred instead of love around the world, maybe, just maybe, you really aren't ready to die just yet.

When I die, reread this and you won't be tempted to cry.

PS: Ever notice that so many mass murderers are white males?

You can look it up.

PAYOLA - 1960 or PAYOLA - 2015

1960

2015 - http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/02/12/1363990/-Big-Oil-Gave-250-000-to-Each-Senator-who-Voted-for-Keystone-XL

It's been 55 years since the music/radio "Tin Pan Alley" payola scandal.  I can't remember when it was that I stopped listening to pop music, but I know that it was sometime in the 1950's.  I do remember "Payola" from the news, though.
Yesterday I was driving up the highway when I thought of it as a random invasion of my brain.  I was thinking of it as such small potatoes compared to the bribes that are paid to the members of congress, and yet they are not thrown in jail for accepting money to satisfy special interests.  The list seems to be endless.  Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Banking, Big Mining, Big Comm, Big Insurance, Big Investing, Big Arms, Big Contractors, etc.
I said it before, I repeat, 
"The United States has the most highly sophisticated legal bribery system of government in the entire world."

"That's one helluva way to run a railroad," as the old saying goes.

ANOTHER EMAIL, THE KIND I LOVE, BUT NEVER "FORWARD"

Oh, I came to my work table about 45 minutes ago and opened my email.  There it was, one of my favorite types of email.  I was in just the right mood, so I figured I would have some fun.  It's allowed because after all, the author of the original remains unknown.  
So, do what I do with these things: put yourself in your mental clown suit, put on your red bubble nose, your big floppy shoes, your white gloves and your pointy hat and proceed.  You'll see the symbol of the blank flag a little later.

1. Obama:      Bye                   Relax, he’s gone anyway.

2. Put "GOD" back in America!!!   You think if He were not here that things would be as good as they are?

3. Borders:         Closed!      Good, no more Canadians, Japanese, Indians, Chinese, Italians, Somalis, Nigerians, South Africans, Brazilians, Argentinians, Venezuelans, Cubans, Norwegians, Filipinos…did I miss any?

4. Congress: On the same retirement & healthcare plans as everybody else.  I agree, Medicare for us all.  That way we would all be equally unhappy at the quality of the healthcare in this country.

5. Congress:      Obey its own laws NOW!  That’s one I agree with.  Oh wait - will we enjoy the stock market sweetheart loopholes too?

6. Language:       English only!  Are you ready to pick one?  Make God more important and make the national language Aramaic.

7. Culture: Constitution, and the Bill of Rights!  What does this mean?  Culture?  Constitution?  Bill of rights?  I think we ought to try AGRIculture.  Since this is a bucket list, many of us will be there pushing daisies anyway.

8. Drug Free: Mandatory Drug Screening before & during Welfare! And before voting, and twice a year at random if you are a driver; and if you’re on unemployment; and if you’re on Medicare; and if you’re on social security and finally if you have to drive over 25 miles to work, random testing 4 times a year.                                                                      

 9. NO freebies to Non-Citizens! I agree.  All freebies that used to be rained down upon non-citizens should be distributed equally to all citizens for a once per month distribution.                         

10. Balance the budget.  Against what?  Nobody knows how much money we owe, nor how much money we have, nor how much money is being slid off to the side to foreign shelters, nor how much is being embezzled.        

 11. Stop giving away our money to foreign countries! Charge them for our help! We need it here.

Yeah, we need every penny we can out our hands on == % of GDP in foreign aid?  0.2 %

Campaign contributions and lobby money recipients (you know who they are)  = 0.5%

You’re right, Washington DC is a foreign country.

 12. Fix the TAX CODE!  I agree. Flat tax. NO deductions. No minimum allowance-you pay from the first penny.  ALL income, earned, non-earned, capital gains, EVERYTHING, no matter where it comes from on the globe, 15%.                     

And most of all.

13. "RESPECT OUR MILITARY AND OUR FLAG!!"We the people are coming!  Who cares?

We the people are here and we waste our money by buying politicians, trying to get them to do what we want and need, voting for idiots, liars, tax evaders and a host of other vermin.  So what is meant by “we are coming?”

Needless to say I didn't forward this fun-filled response of mine.  

LEARN TO SPEAK ENGLISH (Originally published in mid 2015)

I keep getting these moronic emails that keep yelling at people to learn to speak English.
To all you sweethearts out there who want to force anyone in the United States to speak English, there will have to be a law that allows you to apply that force.  So far, you're out of luck because the United States has no law defining an official national language.
Then, all of you bright luminaries surely don't think of the many variations of "standard" English that you have to choose from.  Which one(s) are you going to allow to exist here in the United States before you start arresting people for not speaking the legal form of English?
Think of it as an expression of our highly touted freedom. Yes, indeed.  We are free to do so many things.  We are free to move around at any time of day or night; free to stand on a street corner alone or in a group of five or fifteen; free to write nasty things about our government; free to say nasty things about the government in public; free to espouse the religion of our choice; free to marry the person with whom we are in love, even one who does not speak English for crying out loud!  Maybe worse yet, one who only knows how to speak Nigerian English.  Oh, pain and suffering! I've been living with a loving spouse who only knows Filipino English!  My children are irreparably damaged by the mental confusion caused by this horrible disability.  They may not even be truly American with this built-in speech warp!  
And what about me?  I was reprimanded the other day for a translation from French to English because it was rejected for being US English instead of UK English. That ignorance took $50 out of my wallet!  
So, all you freedom lovers out there, just what version of the English language are you going to legislate for our fair country?  Will my Scottish friend have to fear imprisonment for his total inability to speak US English?  What's going to happen to his freedom of expression?
So, dear linguists, enjoy the freedom that you have to write what you want about the language(s) we speak or don't speak in this country.  As for me I am going to speak whatever language it takes for me to get fed and/or find my way to the men's room.

Note:  The initial publication in Krusty Kurmuggin evoked a comment from my Scottish friend: "When I go to visit family in Scotland they repremand me for speakin US Emglish and using US slang terms.  Scottish English is the purest form of English."