09:58 – Barbara hit the gym this morning. We worked hard yesterday getting stuff moved up to the attic, installing shelves and tool racks in the garage, and so on. We had a nice sunny day for it, with a high around 70F. Today is to be the same.
I don’t understand why all the news outlets are wasting so much space on the primary caucuses and elections. It should be clear to anyone by now that voters are utterly fed-up with more politics-as-usual. They’re ready to throw out the baby, the bathwater, and the tub itself. How else could anyone explain how well lunatic-fringe psychopath demagogues like Trump and Saunders are doing? The only thing they have going for them is that they’re not more-of-the-same, or at least they claim not to be. But with the possible exception of Cruz, not one of them has a shred of integrity. Cruz may be different. I believe that he’s a man of his convictions, unafraid to stand up and speak for them no matter how popular or unpopular they may be with the electorate or the party hierarchy. Unfortunately, I don’t share his convictions on many issues. But at least I believe that he means exactly what he says, which is refreshing for any politician.
“I don’t understand why all the news outlets are wasting so much space on the primary caucuses and elections. It should be clear to anyone by now that voters are utterly fed-up with more politics-as-usual. They’re ready to throw out the baby, the bathwater, and the tub itself.”
I think a growing number of votes are fed up but not enough yet to tip the scales. The Repub bozos will either find a way to dump Trump and nominate Calgary Ted, another RINO bullshit artist, or resign themselves to running Trump and hoping they can control him once he gets to Mordor and the WH, like all the other sock puppets. They would much rather have Cankles, as should be painfully obvious to anyone; she’s in bed with the corporations and foreign powers, some of them very nasty regimes, too; the Klinton Foundation has been laundering cash for years now and her and Larry and Princess Chelsea use it as their luxury travel slush fund. This plays well with the usual Repub values; sell war, munitions, and real estate to whoever has the cash and betray the country and its citizens at every possible opportunity. While the Dem hierarchy remains committed to its “revolutionary” commie ideology as the political vanguard for the hard Left in this nayshun.
Given the power, I would stand the whole krew, Repub and Dem, against a firing squad wall, along with a lengthy list of other regime traitors and criminal scum. Then I’d clear out 90% of the Fed and state bureaucracies and put them to work on farms and infrastructure rehab projects.
Boiled down to essentials, this national election and all others are simply a phony contest to see which particular group or faction of the ruling junta will take its turn looting the country and its citizens. No different than the feudal era, ancient Rome, or the tribal warfare in Afrika. Who gets to be the head chief and run a harem and adoring staff of sycophants?
I’m sorry @RBT, I can’t agree with you on Cruz. In him I see all the negatives and radicalism that gives Evangelicals a bad name. Simply put, if you are not “saved” you are pond scum, just like the moooslems just without the beheading. He waves the Bible in the air, then sets it down and the lies start flowing. Beware false prophets.
Dang*, I can’t find it now, but within the past week there was a well known Evangelical Preacher that said there is not just one way or religion to salvation. I probably can’t find it now because the Ultra-Religious-“Right” has probably scrubbed it from the Internet 😉
*Edit: Of course as soon as I posted I found it.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2016/03/08/famous-pastor-reveals-the-shocking-salvation-statistic-that-grabbed-him-by-the-throat-and-why-he-believes-christians-can-vote-for-trump/
I am surprised that Glenn Beck has allowed this to remain on The Blaze. Interesting comments going on.
I think that Cruz more than any other candidate believes in the United States Constitution. Gary Johnson is the only other candidate who comes close in my opinion. But then, I am weird. I’m not an atheist, but I agree with the atheist who said, “governement is in its best state a necessary evil, and at its worst an intolerable one.”
I am surprised that Glenn Beck has allowed this to remain on The Blaze. Interesting comments going on.
I read somewhere Glenn Beck is threatening to stab people if they don’t vote for Cruz. 🙂
As far as Cruz, for a “Constitutionalist”, how can he state that on his first day he will repeal Obuttwad Care. Isn’t that just ignoring a law enacted by the Congress? No President can do that.
Cruz has made many statements that sit badly with me, but that’s not one of them. For one thing, I haven’t noticed him saying he’d repeal it. For another, even if he did, I’d assume he was speaking imprecisely in addressing an audience.
More substantively, the Prez swears to uphold the Constitution and the laws, and that includes judgment calls on what laws are constitutional. Obuttsuckcare isn’t constitutional, no matter what needles the Senescent Court attempted to thread.
Cruz stated this clearly during one of the debates I watched (CNN I think). “On my first day in office, I *will* repeal Obamacare.” Also EPA and Dept. of Ed. and IRS. No President will be able to do that. Too many turds in Congress to make it happen. All the Redumblican candidates have said similar. Liars one and all.
I guess Ofukstik is making a judgement call on immigration law by not only *not* enforcing the border and deporting illegals, but by encouraging and helping illegal aliens from everywhere to just come on in.
The current pres has shown otherwise. All it takes is a phone and a pen.
I don’t understand why all the news outlets are wasting so much space on the primary caucuses and elections.
Ooh, look at the shiny thing!
It should be clear to anyone by now that voters are utterly fed-up with more politics-as-usual. They’re ready to throw out the baby, the bathwater, and the tub itself.
Yup. This has been building for quite a while.
But with the possible exception of Cruz, not one of them has a shred of integrity. Cruz may be different. I believe that he’s a man of his convictions, unafraid to stand up and speak for them no matter how popular or unpopular they may be with the electorate or the party hierarchy. Unfortunately, I don’t share his convictions on many issues. But at least I believe that he means exactly what he says, which is refreshing for any politician.
We like him a lot here in Texas. He has been in several offices before he became our junior senator. In fact, even our senior senator (a RINO in training) hates him which is a good sign.
There is an old saying in Texas. “Never ask a man if he’s from Texas. If he is, he’ll tell you. If he isn’t, don’t embarrass him.” Cruz may not have been born here but he got here as soon as he could.
As far as Cruz, for a “Constitutionalist”, how can he state that on his first day he will repeal Obuttwad Care. Isn’t that just ignoring a law enacted by the Congress? No President can do that.
I read somewhere that Obolacare has an emergency cancellation (or suspension) provision for the President in it.
I read somewhere that Obolacare has an emergency cancellation (or suspension) provision for the President in it.
If true, can we also add that feature to the President? That would solve a lot of problems. Especially with Obola. You’re cancelled!
I read somewhere that Obolacare has an emergency cancellation (or suspension) provision for the President in it.
If true, can we also add that feature to the President? That would solve a lot of problems. Especially with Obola. You’re cancelled!
It is called impeachment. A sitting Congress can impeach a President for breathing (high crimes and misdemeanors). All you have to have is a simple majority of the House and 2/3rds of the Senate.
This is why we need to repeal the 17th Constitutional Amendment and go back to having the State Legislatures nominate their senators.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
The EPA, IRS, DHS, etc. are parts of the *executive* branch. As president, Cruz could abolish them all instantly with the stroke of his pen. Like the rest of the executive, they are dependent on congress for funding, but that’s all congress has to do with them. If Cruz wants to cut spending on all of them by 100% overnight, there’s not much congress could do about it. Cruz would run into Constitutional challenges if he tried to eliminate organizations named in the Constitution, but otherwise it looks to me as if he has a free hand.
Any agency created by an act of Congress needs the same to *eliminate* it, I believe. Cruz could defund them, but I bet Congress would almost unanimously emergency fund them because of the loss of all those jobs. Congress gotta protect it’s own you see. Then impeach Cruz for being Canadian ’cause they all hate him.
“…within the past week there was a well known Evangelical Preacher that said there is not just one way or religion to salvation.”
Hahaha….my answer to him is “ex ecclesia non salus.” Come home to Rome, brethren!
As for Fed stuff getting abolished, done away with, etc.; never gonna happen, no matter which sock puppet is in the WH. Das ist verboten. The bureaucratic State lives forever and ever, world without end, amen. (until it runs outta money and can’t pay the cops and soldiers anymore…).
I will go on record right here and now and if I’m wrong, somebody can kick my ass or call me names or whatever: if the Stupid Half of the Party finds a way to dump Trump and nominates Cruz, he will LOSE against Cankles, which is the point of the exercise. Trump MIGHT have a chance but it’s very slim, because the fix appears to be in for her. And of course the factor that may throw all this outta wack is if she gets indicted at some point during or after the campaign. Or just croaks, which would be IDEAL!
And if by some quirk Cruz or Trump gets in, they will abolish NOTHING, and the game will be afoot again as to how fast they can double down on the shit done by Obola and the two Bush regimes and Larry Klinton’s messes.
We are ruled by criminal scum, plain and simple, and none of them running right now are any different. If they were, they wouldn’t be running.
Any agency created by an act of Congress needs the same to *eliminate* it, I believe. Cruz could defund them, but I bet Congress would almost unanimously emergency fund them because of the loss of all those jobs. Congress gotta protect it’s own you see. Then impeach Cruz for being Canadian ’cause they all hate him.
One of the reasons that Congress impeached Richard Nixon was that he would not spend money that the Congress had allocated. It was a real battle. The President needs a line item veto very badly.
Of course, the first reason that he was impeached was that he was siccing the IRS on his enemies. Just like Obola does. I saw Ben Carson state the other day that he had never been audited by the IRS until after that prayer breakfast where he gave a speech. The IRS did not find anything but they put him through a full wringer.
Yup, the fix is in for Hillary, “Mook: Sanders Could Win Big States and Hillary Would Still Win More Delegates”:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/article/2001469
if I’m wrong, somebody can … call me names or whatever
We do that anyway.
The president has a lot of discretion on running agencies. Congress can pass laws to change things about certain agencies and laws, but of course they have to get those over a presidential veto. Funding is of course theirs too but once again there is the big cheese’s signature. Holding up appointments is good arm twisting but with a guy like Obummer he’s mastered the blame game and just says it’s the Party of NO holding up progress. You can go to the courts but that only works if the loser cooperates. “John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it!(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcester_v._Georgia#Jackson.27s_response)
Public opinion may come into play. Ultimately impeachment becomes the only choice but once again it takes 2/3 of the senate to get there. Of course with Obummer every dem and minority will scream lynching and racist.
Now what are you going to do? Elect something worse? I think the stench has overtaken the room.
“Now what are you going to do? Elect something worse? I think the stench has overtaken the room.”
Yes. Like I said, whoever gets in there will double-down on Obola and all the predecessors on wrecking the country. That’s their job now. Any evidence to the contrary, I mean, besides the crap they sling at us during their campaigns?? The stench has filled the room and is wafting out to the hallways and front porch now…eventually the solid particles causing it will be splattered all over the fans…
“Wanna see some cool guns I dug up?”
http://www.alicegrove.com/
Unfortunately, this link will decay over time as Jeph adds new frames. Usually twice weekly!
Are Alice and Sedna gods?
Are Alice and Sedna robots?
Are Alice and Sedna sisters?
I liked how Alice’s armor suit cut her ponytail off when it closed up. Nice little detail there.
The EPA, IRS, DHS, etc. are parts of the *executive* branch. As president, Cruz could abolish them all instantly with the stroke of his pen. Like the rest of the executive, they are dependent on congress for funding, but that’s all congress has to do with them.
Not really. The President can’t unilaterally decide not to spend money appropriated – it’s called impoundment and was abolished in 1974. In addition, many agencies have had floors put on their staff size by Congress. For example, NASA had this added to their appropriations when they ended the Shuttle and ISS construction, meaning that they laid off contractors instead of civil servants putting them into jobs they may or may not have been suited for, and added civil servants to programs that didn’t need them.
Little by little the Congress had made the Federal Government immortal. It can never die, so revolution is the only answer.
“It can never die, so revolution is the only answer.”
I’d agree, to a point, but the real bedrock problem here is that the people have lost what used to be called “virtue.” Few even pay attention anymore, let alone actually care. It’s like my old g-times-whatever ancestor Franklin said about “…a republic, if you can keep it.” We obviously can’t. If a people has lost the will and the care for it, then no amount of revolution or civil wars will ever save it. We’re way too big now, third most populous country in the world, after China and India, and we’re divided and factionalized way more than six ways to Sunday.
As with any dissident “movements” like we’re seeing among the so-called Right these days, we’re already at each others’ throats and doing the backbiting and infighting thing, which the rulers must love to see. One quick example: there was a post recently mocking police officers for having PTSD issues on a particular site and I merely pointed out that not ALL police officers are murderous Nazi scumbags. I got zero support for that; the standard mantra for them is that yes, all police officers are murderous Nazi scumbags and should be killed ASAP. Furthermore, as an ex-cop, I’m probably a murderous Nazi scumbag, too. I just laugh at this shit to a point, but that’s where the “Movement” is these days; divided on the Finicum murder out in Oregon; divided on how evil the cops are; divided on what the next steps should be and what we should do thereafter, and accusing each other of fiddling with organization or retail funds and being informers, etc., etc.
So, divided we fall. Some other group or unit out there will pull off yet another “stand-off” event or shoot some cops or whatever, and the State response is gonna be another Waco, of course. And then we’re off to the races again. “Resistance” actions followed by State repression and martyrs followed by more resistance, etc., rinse and repeat.
A full-scale revolution and civil war in this country would be utterly horrific and on a scale as to make the previous civil wars look like picnics at the beach.
Huh: a recommended classic books list of which I’ve read not a one: Ernest Hemingway’s Reading List For a Young Writer 1934. (I started some of them, some of them more than once, but never finished them.)
The best bit of the article is right at the top: The only advice that’s worth a damn when it comes to writing is to sit down and write.
A full-scale revolution and civil war in this country would be utterly horrific and on a scale as to make the previous civil wars look like picnics at the beach.
It would look like WWII in the European arena. From Spain to Russia.
Looks like straight up murder to me:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-03-09/you-want-bloodbath-new-video-surfaces-police-shooting-oregon-protester-back
the shooting starts about in the middle of the clip.
And continues.
and continues.
And continues.
No instructions, no directions, just more shots.
_Dark Grid: When The Lights Go Out…Permanently._ (The Dark Grid Series) (Volume 1) by David C. Waldron
http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Grid-Lights-Permanently-Series/dp/1468079158/
Book number one of a three book series. I purchased the trade paperback format in POD (print on demand). I have ordered the other two books in the trilogy.
What would have happened to the world if the CME (coronal mass ejection) event of 2012 had not missed the planet? This book (and series) is a conjecture into the effects of that type of event. Basically, all of the entire electrical grids on the planet are irretrievably destroyed due to high voltages and currents. So are cell phone grids, etc. Computers not connected to the grid or protected are not destroyed so cars still work. Please note that the book was written before the 2012 CME event, it is just a conjecture.
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/23jul_superstorm/
The book follows a small group of people in Tennessee as they work together to survive in the new world without the rule of law and minimal communications.
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Amazon rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars (257 reviews)
I’d give it 0.25 stars.
“It would look like WWII in the European arena. From Spain to Russia.”
Except we’re not doing Gen 2 warfare anymore. This may look more like sporadic partisan warfare with following violent repression and reprisals on multiple sides. Picture Russian partisans vs. Germans; various Balkans partisans; Greek civil war; Cyprus mess; Sri Lanka mess; northern Ireland, etc., etc.
“Looks like straight up murder to me…”
Basically, but an argument can also be make for “suicide by cop.” Stupidity all around for that caper.
“The book follows a small group of people in Tennessee as they work together…”
Hell, if they’re down there in TN, they got nothin’ to worry about; just make a beeline over to Mr. Ray’s site and pick up some nifty FLASHLIGHTS, guaranteed to work like a mofo with max lumens and blinding ability.
Trumpeteer Alert:
http://freedomoutpost.com/approximately-54-private-jets-arrive-with-gop-leaders-and-donors-set-on-stopping-donald-trump/
Like I said, these clowns will stop at NOTHING to dump Trump. They WANT to lose to Cankles, make no mistake. Cui bono?
Perfect place for the NORK to try out their new “bomb.” Or dispatch the Secretary of Offense.
I approve of MrAtoz’s comment 200%.
The video from inside the vehicle has audio. And they keep taking shots long after they should have stopped.
Oh, and 3 shots in the BACK?
Murder followed by 10 minutes of attempted murder.
nick
“It would look like WWII in the European arena. From Spain to Russia.”
Except we’re not doing Gen 2 warfare anymore. This may look more like sporadic partisan warfare with following violent repression and reprisals on multiple sides. Picture Russian partisans vs. Germans; various Balkans partisans; Greek civil war; Cyprus mess; Sri Lanka mess; northern Ireland, etc., etc.
Do you think that the regular army and marines would sit it out? There will be a commander-in-chief ordering them to the hot spots.
“Do you think that the regular army and marines would sit it out? There will be a commander-in-chief ordering them to the hot spots.”
Correct. And guerrilla forces don’t wait around for them to show up and join a pitched battle with them.
“Murder followed by 10 minutes of attempted murder.”
Also correct. But the stand-off dissidents put themselves at risk for that response, to not much of a good purpose or result. It’s really a wonder that not everyone in that vehicle got riddled like Swiss cheese. Dumbasses on one side being blown away by trigger-happy dumbasses on the other side, stupid. Now Finicum is a martyr; let’s see if he lasts as long as all those victims at Ruby Ridge and Waco.
With a nice burst of sympathetic fire, and a helping of lying and coverup from the FBI.
but “totally justified.”
ROL is dead, it’s drunk the poison cup, but the body is still twitching.
nick
“We’re way too big now, third most populous country in the world”
That’s it, exactly. It was a revelation to me, when I moved to Switzerland: democracy works here, and it works precisely because the country is tiny. First, an individual has the feeling that their vote actually matters. Second, the amount of power and money that the politicians can lust after is a lot smaller. And third, the politicans are very much in reach of the population: they travel on the same trains as the rest of us, the capitol building isn’t cordoned off from the public, etc..
beeline over to Mr. Ray’s site and pick up some nifty FLASHLIGHTS
And some spare batteries. I got’s lots of them.
_Dark Grid: When The Lights Go Out…Permanently._ (The Dark Grid Series) (Volume 1) by David C. Waldron
http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Grid-Lights-Permanently-Series/dp/1468079158/
I’d give it 0.25 stars.
Do you remember why you disliked the book so much? I really enjoyed it. And, it was the first EMP book that makes sense as far as destruction of the various grids but not the disattached computers such as car computers, etc.
beeline over to Mr. Ray’s site and pick up some nifty FLASHLIGHTS
And some spare batteries. I got’s lots of them.
I doubt that you have enough for a EMP event (CME or artificial). I suspect that in the case of these type of events, the three grids in the USA will be down for a minimum of five years. Maybe twenty years before the full grid is available again.
I just do not see a way to support all of the people that we have now (325 million) without a full grid. And that is electrical, internet, and cell phone grids. Getting these all back up with a fairly full component destruction will take decades. It took decades to build all of these (we’ve had the electrical grid for over 100 years now), so it will take decades to get them all back in service.
I read it soon after it was released. IIRC, the dialog was horribly wooden, the plot made little sense, and the writing style was terrible. Yep, I just checked the 1-star reviews, which pretty much sum up the way I felt about it. ISTR that I stopped reading about a quarter of the way through.
I don’t think anyone has any real idea of what would happen if we were hit by a CME or a HEMP. There are just too many variables. It’d be really bad, certainly, but I doubt it’d be as catastrophic as you fear. A high death toll, certainly, but it’s not going to knock us back into the Stone Age.
I don’t think anyone has any real idea of what would happen if we were hit by a CME or a HEMP. There are just too many variables. It’d be really bad, certainly, but I doubt it’d be as catastrophic as you fear. A high death toll, certainly, but it’s not going to knock us back into the Stone Age.
I am thinking some weird combination of the stone age, bronze age, the iron / steel age, and the “electrical” age. Local power generation will probably still work unless it was tied to the grid.
I worked for several years in the electrical grid here in Texas, both in generation and to a smaller extent, high voltage transmission. It is incredibly complex and bulky equipment. It usually operates with little monitoring and control.
Anyway, if we get a large high voltage pulse across the system, all of the transformers, generators, and motors are gone. There is little or no protection for over voltage situations that can respond that quickly to prevent damage. Most of our circuit breakers required several cycles (the USA grid operates at 60 cycles per second) to detect a ground fault or a phase to phase fault (over-voltage).
Very little spare parts are kept nowadays by the generation and transmission companies. Those spare parts are incredibly expensive, costing tens of millions of dollars each. Most of the state public utility commissions will not allow the companies to charge for those parts in inventory until they use them. Therefore, they are capital costs which will not be spent.
In fact, here in Texas, power generation is a cut throat business since 2000 ???. The rates are adjusted every 15 minutes and are overly competitive. There are many costs that are not even paid for, such as reserve power generation capabilities.
The company generating and transmitting 1/4 of the electrical power in Texas is in bankruptcy. I worked for them back in the 80s. In fact, it looks like the Obola administration is getting ready to sue them for global warming since half of their power generation comes from coal and lignite. In fact, 1/3 of the lignite units are grandfathered and do not even have SO2 capture systems, much less mercury capture system. I can guarantee you that their spare parts inventory is minimal at best.
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/business/article47744775.html