You know... it's not about who we voted for, or didn't vote for... it's not about if we are Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or Independent... It's not even about being "right" or who lost and who won.
All that matters is doing what's best for our country and her people. Country above party, Country above self. Anyone who wants anything else doesn't have this country's best interests at heart. We all love this country, otherwise we wouldn't be here.
The Founding Fathers and those that served in government shortly after them did it risked a lot personally to hold that position. Earlier on, they risked their lives to build this country up from the bottom. Later Presidents, Senators, and Congressmen served as a public servant. They didn't do it for fame, money, or for a career. It was a temporary position, dedicated only to serving the country and took valuable time away from their families. They risked and gave up everything so we could have what we have today.
Crowd sizes and approval ratings are trivial things. Only meant as a guide post, never meant to be watched constantly or to be brought into the main focus of everything. The best Presidents I've ever seen took them into consideration, yet never used them to point them in the right direction. The Presidency shouldn't be a popularity contest. Sometimes the greatest leaders need to do unpopular things. The best leaders will follow their own heart and listen to the advice of their advisors, not the polls. Clinton and Obama always watched the polls like a hawk and did things in order to increase their numbers, not necessarily what was best for the country.
Where we get into problems is when the President starts blocking information in the country. Our country was built on freedom, and that's evident in the 1st Amendment: Freedom of Speech. Truth... Lies... It doesn't matter. That is up to us to decide what's true, what's false, and what we want to believe. NOT the Government's job. When the President restricts releasing crowd size numbers, we should all raise an eyebrow and pay attention, because that isn't right regardless if he's Obama, Bush, Clinton, or Washington. This is not okay, even if you voted for Obama, Bush, Clinton, or Washington.
When in a speech, the President calls the people who disagree with him or his agenda, or even people just doing their job "...bad people. These are very, very bad and evil people. They know who they are", then we should be alarmed. Such words and actions lead down a very dark direction that we don't want our country to go in. No one should - regardless of who they voted for or what party they belong to. We are better than that. We aren't "us vs. them", we are united as one - The United States of America. Uniting people from different backgrounds from all over the world, uniting people from different regions across this great country, and uniting people from different faiths. These are the values we were founded on, and we need to be vigilant enough to protect them, ourselves, and our country.
As John Adams penned in a letter to his wife, Abigail:
"Posterity! You will never know, how much it cost the present Generation, to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make a good Use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven, that I ever took half the Pains to preserve it."
Let's all thrive and work together to preserve our freedom for all of us, above everything else that divides us. Especially, lest people like John Adams regret risking everything in order that we should have it. Let's not let anyone take that away from us.
Monday, December 11, 2017
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Ch-Ch-Changes!
For years, I've considered myself to be a libertarian, with a conservative leaning. Why? Because frankly, I found liberals to be much less tolerant and accepting than the conservatives. The conservatives welcomed me (for the most part. There was always a wacko or two) and either turned a blind eye to or were accepting of my socially liberal viewpoints.
A lot has changed in 8 years....
If you had told me 8 years ago that I'd find myself on the more liberal side, I would have told you that you were lying. If you had told me that the liberals were the more tolerant and accepting group, I would have thought you were crazy.
Yet here we are...
I didn't vote for Trump and I don't especially like him. No, that doesn't mean I voted for Hillary or would have preferred her. I think we got absolutely screwed in our Presidential choices and the two remaining ones were abysmal. And no, I didn't let the "fake news" lie to me about Trump. My decision came from watching his embarrassing and classless performance in the debates. In short, a President should be a leader who conducts himself in a professional manner while respecting his fellow candidates. Trump, in my opinion, didn't fit that definition. His demeanor towards others and his ego cost him a vote from me. Plain and simple.
Well, my conservative buddies weren't happy about that. I "wasted my vote" or I "wanted Hillary to win" --- blah, blah scare tactics and insults. If he was that great, you could win me over talking about his merits. But since he has none, his supporters need to bully people into voting for him (I'm getting Deja Vu. Romney Derangement Syndrome, anyone?). After he won, the tone darkened. Poor winners were screaming about the poor losers. Drunk on power, some even went so far to say that this was "Trump Country" now and the non-supporters needed to get out. A conservative friend said this to me. Yeah, really.
And that was the day I dropped the "conservative" label. These people no longer represented me. I'm disheartened by their actions and crushed by their "it's our turn now, get over it" attitudes. They hated it when Obama's supporters did that, so I have no idea why they would want to do it back to other people.
The America I know and love has a long standing tradition of free speech and the right to vote however you choose. If we start ousting people just because they didn't vote the "right" way, then we've lost everything this country was founded on. That isn't the United States I know or ever want to know.
Since then, I've found myself finding more comfort with my more liberal friends. Will I take on that label next? No, I think I'm done with labels. Our country needs less labels. We fight over the ones were already have, and they cause too many problems as is. I'm still me.
It's getting harder and harder to wade through all of the muck in the media and the drivel from Trump's mouth. I had an idea that we need a media station that is staffed by people from all different parties and present the news from differing sources/viewpoints, so you get a more well-rounded view of what's going on. So why not here and on the fb page? We need more hard facts about what's going on, and less alternative ones.
If lying and passing executive orders is wrong for Obama, then it's wrong for Trump, too. I'll do my very best to be as impartial as I can be. Trump isn't the son of Satan he's portrayed as in the media, however, he doesn't do himself any favors either.
I'll still rant and I'm sure I'll still call the jokers up in Washington cute little nicknames. However, for the most part, I'm changing the format over to scrubbing the internet clean of the lies as much as I can. As always, many different sources will be referenced, and I'll display them side by side. I'll give my own opinion, of course, and will just provide you with the tools to come up with your own.
Cheers!
A lot has changed in 8 years....
If you had told me 8 years ago that I'd find myself on the more liberal side, I would have told you that you were lying. If you had told me that the liberals were the more tolerant and accepting group, I would have thought you were crazy.
Yet here we are...
I didn't vote for Trump and I don't especially like him. No, that doesn't mean I voted for Hillary or would have preferred her. I think we got absolutely screwed in our Presidential choices and the two remaining ones were abysmal. And no, I didn't let the "fake news" lie to me about Trump. My decision came from watching his embarrassing and classless performance in the debates. In short, a President should be a leader who conducts himself in a professional manner while respecting his fellow candidates. Trump, in my opinion, didn't fit that definition. His demeanor towards others and his ego cost him a vote from me. Plain and simple.
Well, my conservative buddies weren't happy about that. I "wasted my vote" or I "wanted Hillary to win" --- blah, blah scare tactics and insults. If he was that great, you could win me over talking about his merits. But since he has none, his supporters need to bully people into voting for him (I'm getting Deja Vu. Romney Derangement Syndrome, anyone?). After he won, the tone darkened. Poor winners were screaming about the poor losers. Drunk on power, some even went so far to say that this was "Trump Country" now and the non-supporters needed to get out. A conservative friend said this to me. Yeah, really.
And that was the day I dropped the "conservative" label. These people no longer represented me. I'm disheartened by their actions and crushed by their "it's our turn now, get over it" attitudes. They hated it when Obama's supporters did that, so I have no idea why they would want to do it back to other people.
The America I know and love has a long standing tradition of free speech and the right to vote however you choose. If we start ousting people just because they didn't vote the "right" way, then we've lost everything this country was founded on. That isn't the United States I know or ever want to know.
Since then, I've found myself finding more comfort with my more liberal friends. Will I take on that label next? No, I think I'm done with labels. Our country needs less labels. We fight over the ones were already have, and they cause too many problems as is. I'm still me.
It's getting harder and harder to wade through all of the muck in the media and the drivel from Trump's mouth. I had an idea that we need a media station that is staffed by people from all different parties and present the news from differing sources/viewpoints, so you get a more well-rounded view of what's going on. So why not here and on the fb page? We need more hard facts about what's going on, and less alternative ones.
If lying and passing executive orders is wrong for Obama, then it's wrong for Trump, too. I'll do my very best to be as impartial as I can be. Trump isn't the son of Satan he's portrayed as in the media, however, he doesn't do himself any favors either.
I'll still rant and I'm sure I'll still call the jokers up in Washington cute little nicknames. However, for the most part, I'm changing the format over to scrubbing the internet clean of the lies as much as I can. As always, many different sources will be referenced, and I'll display them side by side. I'll give my own opinion, of course, and will just provide you with the tools to come up with your own.
Cheers!
Friday, November 11, 2016
P.E.D.T. and Aftermath
The world is in shock because Donald Trump just accomplished what few thought he could do: survive the other Republican nominees, stay the frontrunner most of the time, win the nomination, and beat Hillary. An amazing accomplishment, no matter who you are or how much I may or may not like you.
Like many other of my cohorts, I stayed up late to watch the election and it did not disappoint. I fought sleep twice in order to find out who won and finally gave in at 1:30am Eastern time. It was as exciting as Game 7 of the World Series.
I even created an amusing little graphic to celebrate the occasion:
Like many other of my cohorts, I stayed up late to watch the election and it did not disappoint. I fought sleep twice in order to find out who won and finally gave in at 1:30am Eastern time. It was as exciting as Game 7 of the World Series.
I even created an amusing little graphic to celebrate the occasion:
Being a libertarian, I'm in one of the odd camps. I knew going into the election that my candidate was most likely not going to win and I had trouble deciding which of the two evils was worse. And I couldn't hold my nose and vote for one of them and be able to live with myself. I know I would have been disappointed, no matter the outcome. I watched Trump start with a great lead, and then Hillary caught up, surging ahead. Then Trump would surge, then Hillary. Finally, Trump got in the lead again... and that's where I woke up to him in the same spot.
I was scared; shocked. For myself, for my friends, for my family... For my country. There's no way this man is now President-Elect.
The internet and Facebook, which were alive with nervous energy on Election Night, erupted into chaos, anger, and a myriad of various other emotions.
Name-calling, mass deletions based on how people voted, tears, cheers, more name-calling, life-long friends going separate ways... It broke my heart to see grown adults acting this way. It especially broke my heart to see my friends, family, colleagues acting this way.
One friend who was Pro-Trump ordered everyone who didn't support Trump to leave the country because this was "Trump Country" now. Another said anyone who supported Trump was no longer their friend and to delete them, without discussion. I'll admit, I cried and tried calming people down, encouraging acceptance and positivity. Then came the groups who fought against that, and called the people who cried "crybabies" who didn't get their way and said those who were calling for peace never wanted to get along before, so why start now? Protests started happening in major cities (mine own included) and even "Death to Whitey" was spray painted on buildings.
Trump will be President, for better or for worse. It's happening and we might as well use this time to get used to it. I'm not happy about it, however, if I want to talk about love, acceptance, and tolerance, then I need to give the guy a chance. I hate being wrong, but I'm willing him to prove me such.
We need realize that we are Red, White, & Blue, not red or blue. If we really want to move forward and help our Country, then we need to work together. ALL. OF. US. You know - I listened to Trump acceptance speech and it impressed me. Where was that guy during the election? I liked when he said that we need to come together and work together, whether we voted for him or not. I really liked that. Obama never said anything like that. I just wish Trump's supporters (and Hillary's) would adhere to it.
I like what Trump (PEDT) has done so far to prepare for the role. His ideas like the Wall and others still scare me. Walls can be used to keep people in, as well as keep people out. His attitude towards others who are different scare me. Maybe he'll change his tune... who knows? I'd like to think the Ghosts of Presidents Past, Present, and Future visited him the night after he got elected and talked some sense into him.
We're the USA. We're going to be okay - just as long as we stick together. It doesn't mean that we'll sit back and let Trump do whatever he likes either. I'll be watching him with a critical eye, and with an open mind.
I was scared; shocked. For myself, for my friends, for my family... For my country. There's no way this man is now President-Elect.
The internet and Facebook, which were alive with nervous energy on Election Night, erupted into chaos, anger, and a myriad of various other emotions.
Name-calling, mass deletions based on how people voted, tears, cheers, more name-calling, life-long friends going separate ways... It broke my heart to see grown adults acting this way. It especially broke my heart to see my friends, family, colleagues acting this way.
One friend who was Pro-Trump ordered everyone who didn't support Trump to leave the country because this was "Trump Country" now. Another said anyone who supported Trump was no longer their friend and to delete them, without discussion. I'll admit, I cried and tried calming people down, encouraging acceptance and positivity. Then came the groups who fought against that, and called the people who cried "crybabies" who didn't get their way and said those who were calling for peace never wanted to get along before, so why start now? Protests started happening in major cities (mine own included) and even "Death to Whitey" was spray painted on buildings.
Trump will be President, for better or for worse. It's happening and we might as well use this time to get used to it. I'm not happy about it, however, if I want to talk about love, acceptance, and tolerance, then I need to give the guy a chance. I hate being wrong, but I'm willing him to prove me such.
We need realize that we are Red, White, & Blue, not red or blue. If we really want to move forward and help our Country, then we need to work together. ALL. OF. US. You know - I listened to Trump acceptance speech and it impressed me. Where was that guy during the election? I liked when he said that we need to come together and work together, whether we voted for him or not. I really liked that. Obama never said anything like that. I just wish Trump's supporters (and Hillary's) would adhere to it.
I like what Trump (PEDT) has done so far to prepare for the role. His ideas like the Wall and others still scare me. Walls can be used to keep people in, as well as keep people out. His attitude towards others who are different scare me. Maybe he'll change his tune... who knows? I'd like to think the Ghosts of Presidents Past, Present, and Future visited him the night after he got elected and talked some sense into him.
We're the USA. We're going to be okay - just as long as we stick together. It doesn't mean that we'll sit back and let Trump do whatever he likes either. I'll be watching him with a critical eye, and with an open mind.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Megyngate and The Donald
This seemed like the perfect occasion to dust off the old blog and get it running again. The whole debacle has my blood pressure rising and my fingers have gotten itchy to write again, so here I am.
I turned into the debate to check out supposedly the "top 10" of what the GOP has to offer this time. Trump's addiction to being in the media every day and being constantly talked about certainly falls in line with the stereotypical politician these days. However, I think he needs a filter if he ever seriously wants to become President. He has no control over his mouth and admittedly, his lack of tact makes for amusing reality TV, it has no place in the White House. I'd like to think we can all agree on that, especially already having someone like that for the past 8 years.
Anyways, back to the debate-
Although I'm not a fan and would probably have to close my eyes if it came down to me actually voting for him, I surprisingly came to enjoy hearing when it was Trump's turn to speak. I never knew quite what he was about to say, and loved the reaction the audience gave him - loud cheers building up to a crescendo and then coming back down that hill with boo's. Certainly shook up what's normally a snooze-fest, especially for the 1st debate. He had some good ideas in there too and said what other people were afraid to say. I walked away thinking higher of him than I previously did, even though I think he won't last long.
Another thing surprised me during the debate - the amount of animosity Megyn Kelly had for him. Ok, so you don't like the guy. But you are a moderator and a journalist - you are supposed to remain impartial. You are there to ask questions so the general public gets answers and to break up fights should there occur. That's it.
In the above clip, she asks him about comments he's made about women in the past. Is he a pig? Probably. Has he said nasty things towards women? Don't doubt it for a second.
But then in the middle of her question, he quips, "Only Rosie O'Donnell", followed by the crowds laughter. "No, it wasn't", Kelly responds back. She began the questioning lightheartedly, but as they continue, her gaze darkens and she seems annoyed by the continued cheering/laughing behind her. She smiles like a crocodile, as if thinking that she needs to take this clown down a notch or two. She puts up a finger like a teacher trying unsuccessfully to get control of her unruly classroom, glares at him with daggers in her eyes and says "For the record, it was well beyond Rosie O'Donnell".
Not professional. At all. I even said it at the time too - "Whoa, if looks could kill! Look at those daggers she is shooting at him". And who is watching this for your opinion? No one. Go back to asking the questions.
Unfortunately, it doesn't end there - "Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women's looks...[...] Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man that we should elect as President, and how will you answer the charge from Hilary Clinton, who is likely to be the Democratic nominee, that you are apart of the War on Women?".
Disgrace. Hard hitting journalism, my ass. He's not on trial, Ms. Kelly, and you are not a defender of all women to go for his jugular, just because you are personally offended. You want sexism? I don't think women make good moderators. They are too emotional and have trouble staying centered. To be fair, not all men should be moderators either. The two that were with her kept their composure better, but not by much.
(Side note: poor Bernie Sanders through all of this. Everyone on that stage just cast him aside. haha)
It's not your place to judge him. He said it was one women, not all. Move on. You didn't question anyone else's motives or actions on that stage. Your current temperament isn't that of a professional journalist. And this "War on Women" crap - are there sexist people out there? Yes. Does sexism exist? Yes. But if you go looking for it and assume that every downfall in your life happened because you just because you are a woman, then yes, you will believe there's a "war" on you. Brush it off, ignore it and be successful anyway. A few off-color remarks from the Donald does not make a "War on Women".
His comments on being politically correct and not having time for it is spot on. No, we don't have time for it. Let's talk about something important. You know, something that will actually impact this country?
He even recognized how poor she was treating him and called her on it. Good for you, but not very professional. This is where their feud goes back to the sand box.
I'm not saying he's right - he's not professional either. But it's not right when you poke the bear and then cry that the bear bit you. He's Donald - fire at him and he's going to fire back. Afterwards, he came out with his now infamous remark that "You could see that there was blood coming out of her eyes, there was blood coming out of wherever".
Now I used "daggers", he used "blood". Same meaning though. I was happy to see I wasn't the only one who noticed the looks she gave him. When I first read this, I read "blood coming out of wherever" meant that she was so hostile that she had blood coming out of every pore. None of this menstruating nonsense. What kind of sicko immediately jumps to that conclusion?? I guess it could... but it's a stretch and honestly not where my mind went first.
Apparently every white male out there did though. Ew, guys, really?!?! I never once thought that he was calling her hormonal. And we all know Trump - he's not one to mince words. He says what he means and if you call him on it, he freely, unapologetically admits it. He denied it and said he meant "nose". I believe him. The man's not smart enough to say things that require that much thought or deciphering.
One would think (and hope) that in a perfect world that the squabble would end there, but no.
Erick Erickson of RedState, here in Atlanta, was holding a forum where all of the Top 10 candidates could talk about their platforms. Enraged by Trump's comments towards his friend (that he thinly veils about being offensive towards women), he dis-invites Trump... and invites Kelly instead. What is this? A serious political event or a whiny girls' tea party? Did I miss something - is she a candidate now? How disrespectful and catty.
Erickson first made the announcement on Twitter and then blogged about it. To further illustrate what class he has, he even made an announcement to the crowd at his little girly get-together AND played the clip for everyone!! Are you kidding me... If you were really that offended, you'd dis-invite him, let everyone know why and then be done with it. Not carry on with this nonsense. Was your event about letting all of the candidates talk or about Donald? Congrats, you gave him free press...
And then he has the gall to interview all of his guests and ask what they thought about Trump's comments. I'd be offended if I was one of them - go all the way there, thinking this is a place where I can get more of my ideas out there and all you want to do is talk about another candidate. What a waste of time.
I'd say Erickson isn't a professional journalist either, but... he never claims to be, so at least he has that going for him. He's a radio talk show host, and blogger. He has a right to talk about anyone he wishes and to invite them to his event. But geez... do you hate the guy or do you love him?? I'm confused... make up your mind. Although interestingly enough... it came out after that Erickson, himself, had also made disparaging remarks towards women. Why is it that the person who is always so "OFFENDED" by someone else's actions/remarks/etc is usually guilty of the same thing?
Anyways, so all of the other candidates have some forward in defense of Kelly and have more of less ordered Trump to apologize. Hey... all of you know that Hillary is just loving this, right? All of the Democrats are just having a ball laughing at all of your inter-squabbling. This disgrace is a perfect example of why we can't have anyone of quality run for President - they don't want to put up with this mess and it's sad. THIS is why you are losing voters.
Aaand of course it doesn't even end there. I'm embarrassed for all of you, I really am. Kelly airs her opinion below:
Kelly says her question about Trump's electability and his thoughts towards women was "a tough but fair question", enough though he felt she was "attacking him" and thought "the question was unfair". She goes on to say that he did interviews, in which he attacked her personally. Kelly claims "not to respond" but yet... here she is, responding,
She mentions that he will not apologize and proclaims happily, "And I certainly will not apologize for doing good journalism". You should, Ms. Kelly, to the American people and to the other candidates on the stage, for having to watch that abysmal display of unprofessionalism under the guise of "good journalism". "So I'll continue to do my job," she continues, "without fear or favor". If you were doing your job, this whole thing probably wouldn't have happened. "This is a tough business", she says, breaking out that admonishing teacher voice of her's - as though Trump's problem is that he can't handle toughness. Although I do agree with one thing she did say "It's time now to more forward and let's get back to the news".
Amen.
P.S. Mark Levin, thank you sooooooo much for being apparently the only voice of reason in this whole mess. Glad to see I'm not the only one who thought the debate was a debacle.
I turned into the debate to check out supposedly the "top 10" of what the GOP has to offer this time. Trump's addiction to being in the media every day and being constantly talked about certainly falls in line with the stereotypical politician these days. However, I think he needs a filter if he ever seriously wants to become President. He has no control over his mouth and admittedly, his lack of tact makes for amusing reality TV, it has no place in the White House. I'd like to think we can all agree on that, especially already having someone like that for the past 8 years.
Anyways, back to the debate-
Although I'm not a fan and would probably have to close my eyes if it came down to me actually voting for him, I surprisingly came to enjoy hearing when it was Trump's turn to speak. I never knew quite what he was about to say, and loved the reaction the audience gave him - loud cheers building up to a crescendo and then coming back down that hill with boo's. Certainly shook up what's normally a snooze-fest, especially for the 1st debate. He had some good ideas in there too and said what other people were afraid to say. I walked away thinking higher of him than I previously did, even though I think he won't last long.
Another thing surprised me during the debate - the amount of animosity Megyn Kelly had for him. Ok, so you don't like the guy. But you are a moderator and a journalist - you are supposed to remain impartial. You are there to ask questions so the general public gets answers and to break up fights should there occur. That's it.
In the above clip, she asks him about comments he's made about women in the past. Is he a pig? Probably. Has he said nasty things towards women? Don't doubt it for a second.
But then in the middle of her question, he quips, "Only Rosie O'Donnell", followed by the crowds laughter. "No, it wasn't", Kelly responds back. She began the questioning lightheartedly, but as they continue, her gaze darkens and she seems annoyed by the continued cheering/laughing behind her. She smiles like a crocodile, as if thinking that she needs to take this clown down a notch or two. She puts up a finger like a teacher trying unsuccessfully to get control of her unruly classroom, glares at him with daggers in her eyes and says "For the record, it was well beyond Rosie O'Donnell".
Not professional. At all. I even said it at the time too - "Whoa, if looks could kill! Look at those daggers she is shooting at him". And who is watching this for your opinion? No one. Go back to asking the questions.
Unfortunately, it doesn't end there - "Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women's looks...[...] Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man that we should elect as President, and how will you answer the charge from Hilary Clinton, who is likely to be the Democratic nominee, that you are apart of the War on Women?".
Disgrace. Hard hitting journalism, my ass. He's not on trial, Ms. Kelly, and you are not a defender of all women to go for his jugular, just because you are personally offended. You want sexism? I don't think women make good moderators. They are too emotional and have trouble staying centered. To be fair, not all men should be moderators either. The two that were with her kept their composure better, but not by much.
(Side note: poor Bernie Sanders through all of this. Everyone on that stage just cast him aside. haha)
It's not your place to judge him. He said it was one women, not all. Move on. You didn't question anyone else's motives or actions on that stage. Your current temperament isn't that of a professional journalist. And this "War on Women" crap - are there sexist people out there? Yes. Does sexism exist? Yes. But if you go looking for it and assume that every downfall in your life happened because you just because you are a woman, then yes, you will believe there's a "war" on you. Brush it off, ignore it and be successful anyway. A few off-color remarks from the Donald does not make a "War on Women".
His comments on being politically correct and not having time for it is spot on. No, we don't have time for it. Let's talk about something important. You know, something that will actually impact this country?
He even recognized how poor she was treating him and called her on it. Good for you, but not very professional. This is where their feud goes back to the sand box.
I'm not saying he's right - he's not professional either. But it's not right when you poke the bear and then cry that the bear bit you. He's Donald - fire at him and he's going to fire back. Afterwards, he came out with his now infamous remark that "You could see that there was blood coming out of her eyes, there was blood coming out of wherever".
Now I used "daggers", he used "blood". Same meaning though. I was happy to see I wasn't the only one who noticed the looks she gave him. When I first read this, I read "blood coming out of wherever" meant that she was so hostile that she had blood coming out of every pore. None of this menstruating nonsense. What kind of sicko immediately jumps to that conclusion?? I guess it could... but it's a stretch and honestly not where my mind went first.
Apparently every white male out there did though. Ew, guys, really?!?! I never once thought that he was calling her hormonal. And we all know Trump - he's not one to mince words. He says what he means and if you call him on it, he freely, unapologetically admits it. He denied it and said he meant "nose". I believe him. The man's not smart enough to say things that require that much thought or deciphering.
One would think (and hope) that in a perfect world that the squabble would end there, but no.
Erick Erickson of RedState, here in Atlanta, was holding a forum where all of the Top 10 candidates could talk about their platforms. Enraged by Trump's comments towards his friend (that he thinly veils about being offensive towards women), he dis-invites Trump... and invites Kelly instead. What is this? A serious political event or a whiny girls' tea party? Did I miss something - is she a candidate now? How disrespectful and catty.
Erickson first made the announcement on Twitter and then blogged about it. To further illustrate what class he has, he even made an announcement to the crowd at his little girly get-together AND played the clip for everyone!! Are you kidding me... If you were really that offended, you'd dis-invite him, let everyone know why and then be done with it. Not carry on with this nonsense. Was your event about letting all of the candidates talk or about Donald? Congrats, you gave him free press...
And then he has the gall to interview all of his guests and ask what they thought about Trump's comments. I'd be offended if I was one of them - go all the way there, thinking this is a place where I can get more of my ideas out there and all you want to do is talk about another candidate. What a waste of time.
I'd say Erickson isn't a professional journalist either, but... he never claims to be, so at least he has that going for him. He's a radio talk show host, and blogger. He has a right to talk about anyone he wishes and to invite them to his event. But geez... do you hate the guy or do you love him?? I'm confused... make up your mind. Although interestingly enough... it came out after that Erickson, himself, had also made disparaging remarks towards women. Why is it that the person who is always so "OFFENDED" by someone else's actions/remarks/etc is usually guilty of the same thing?
Anyways, so all of the other candidates have some forward in defense of Kelly and have more of less ordered Trump to apologize. Hey... all of you know that Hillary is just loving this, right? All of the Democrats are just having a ball laughing at all of your inter-squabbling. This disgrace is a perfect example of why we can't have anyone of quality run for President - they don't want to put up with this mess and it's sad. THIS is why you are losing voters.
Aaand of course it doesn't even end there. I'm embarrassed for all of you, I really am. Kelly airs her opinion below:
Kelly says her question about Trump's electability and his thoughts towards women was "a tough but fair question", enough though he felt she was "attacking him" and thought "the question was unfair". She goes on to say that he did interviews, in which he attacked her personally. Kelly claims "not to respond" but yet... here she is, responding,
She mentions that he will not apologize and proclaims happily, "And I certainly will not apologize for doing good journalism". You should, Ms. Kelly, to the American people and to the other candidates on the stage, for having to watch that abysmal display of unprofessionalism under the guise of "good journalism". "So I'll continue to do my job," she continues, "without fear or favor". If you were doing your job, this whole thing probably wouldn't have happened. "This is a tough business", she says, breaking out that admonishing teacher voice of her's - as though Trump's problem is that he can't handle toughness. Although I do agree with one thing she did say "It's time now to more forward and let's get back to the news".
Amen.
P.S. Mark Levin, thank you sooooooo much for being apparently the only voice of reason in this whole mess. Glad to see I'm not the only one who thought the debate was a debacle.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Sequestration's Effect on Aviation
Obama and his cohorts have certainly made this whole sequestration business as painful as possible for the aviation community.
-Air shows on military bases have been canceled
-The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds have been grounded
-149 air traffic control towers are closing around the US
As an aviation geek, I'm especially upset by this news - it was going to be my first year to see the Thunderbirds preform. My own personal feelings aside, what does this mean for the rest of the people and the economy?
Air shows on military bases opened them up to the public for one or two days, presenting the rare experience to civilians to be present on a military base. Apart from the coolness-factor, it was a huge recruitment tool to get little kids and young adults interested in the military and aviation. The Blue Angels' and Thunderbirds' performances also served the same purpose - coolness factor and recruitment tool.
Whether on military bases or not, air shows bring in people from out of the area. They travel in from long distances, sometimes even out of state to attend air shows. In state, I have traveled 2.5 hours to attend an air show. They spend their money and boost that particular area's economy. Usually the biggest headliners are the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds. Their name draws in people from hundreds of miles. Smaller air shows will still continue, but without their biggest headliners, the number of attendees will go down.
Not only will this affect local economies, but will also harm local small airports (who are already struggling to stay alive in most cases) and small business owners who rely on those airports being open. The aviation community is like an eco-system. When one animal (Blue Angels/Thunderbirds) goes extinct, then the whole system feels the domino effect. The perfect balance is disrupted and the whole system suffers.
What about future pilots? All I ever hear around airports is talk about a pilot shortage. I fell in love with airplanes at an airshow, watching the Blue Angels no less. What about other who have yet to discover their love of aviation in the same way? What about the kids who did discover they loved aviation from an air show, grew up, trained really, really hard to become a Blue Angel and now have their dreams dashed because the Sociopath-in-Chief wants to teach us all a lesson like we were bad children??
This doesn't even begin to cover the Air Traffic Control tower closures. Sure, if you have an airport that has one plane landing/taking off per year, by all means, close that monetary black hole. The government says that the towers being targeted by a random process and it's "non-political". BRAVO SIERRA. The government claims the towers that are closing have "low to moderate traffic". Again, leave it to the government to have no concrete definitions of "low to moderate". One airport close to me, RYY McCollum Field, is scheduled to close. According to AirNav data, RYY had 169 air operations (planes landing or taking off) per day. I know that number has increased since then, as McCollum has been getting busier the last couple of years. Plus, they have jets and military traffic landing and taking off from there. Closing the towers from an airport that has operations like McCollum will cause significant delays and is a safety hazard at the very least.
At most, other people recognize it as a safety hazard as well and steer clear of it. The flight schools close due to lack of business, or move... as one at McCollum is doing. After all, who wants to train a new pilot at an uncontrolled airport with high-moderate traffic with jets and military planes coming and going? Less traffic also means less business to the Fixed Base Operators, who provide gas and other services for pilots, and to the restaurants which are located there. Just like the air shows, there's a delicate balance that will be disrupted if this is allowed to happen at busy airports. Airports could potentially close. Wonder if Mr. "jobs created or saved" Obama will take responsibility for those lost jobs?
I'm not usually one to buy into conspiracy theories, but I believe without the shadow of a doubt that all of this mess was created to deliver a message and this was confirmed yesterday with the re-release of the newest tower closure list - two towers of the most quintessentially aviation centered airports are closing: Lakeland, FL and Oshkosh, WI. The biggest airshows of the year are held in those two locations. Take a look at the AirNav stats - Oshkosh has 249 air operations per day and Lakeland has 208. Both also indicate jets and military traffic. Safety issues aside, it's to drive the point home. Lakeland's tower is set to close on the first day of their air show. Coincidence? I think not.
At the EAA (Experiemental Aircraft Association)'s meeting the other night, one older pilot spoke up and said he's not worried, as he doesn't think the closures will happen, due to safety issues. The rest of us weren't so convinced. But that is Obama's way, isn't it - create a crisis, get people all in a frenzy, and 'solve' it at the 11th hour. I'm hoping he'll do that this time as well and keep the busier airports on the list open, like McCollum, Oshkosh and Lakeland. Besides, if he really wants to stop wasteful spending in aviation, I have a suggestion for him - quit burning holes in the sky with Air Force One and stay home!
-Air shows on military bases have been canceled
-The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds have been grounded
-149 air traffic control towers are closing around the US
As an aviation geek, I'm especially upset by this news - it was going to be my first year to see the Thunderbirds preform. My own personal feelings aside, what does this mean for the rest of the people and the economy?
Air shows on military bases opened them up to the public for one or two days, presenting the rare experience to civilians to be present on a military base. Apart from the coolness-factor, it was a huge recruitment tool to get little kids and young adults interested in the military and aviation. The Blue Angels' and Thunderbirds' performances also served the same purpose - coolness factor and recruitment tool.
Whether on military bases or not, air shows bring in people from out of the area. They travel in from long distances, sometimes even out of state to attend air shows. In state, I have traveled 2.5 hours to attend an air show. They spend their money and boost that particular area's economy. Usually the biggest headliners are the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds. Their name draws in people from hundreds of miles. Smaller air shows will still continue, but without their biggest headliners, the number of attendees will go down.
Not only will this affect local economies, but will also harm local small airports (who are already struggling to stay alive in most cases) and small business owners who rely on those airports being open. The aviation community is like an eco-system. When one animal (Blue Angels/Thunderbirds) goes extinct, then the whole system feels the domino effect. The perfect balance is disrupted and the whole system suffers.
What about future pilots? All I ever hear around airports is talk about a pilot shortage. I fell in love with airplanes at an airshow, watching the Blue Angels no less. What about other who have yet to discover their love of aviation in the same way? What about the kids who did discover they loved aviation from an air show, grew up, trained really, really hard to become a Blue Angel and now have their dreams dashed because the Sociopath-in-Chief wants to teach us all a lesson like we were bad children??
This doesn't even begin to cover the Air Traffic Control tower closures. Sure, if you have an airport that has one plane landing/taking off per year, by all means, close that monetary black hole. The government says that the towers being targeted by a random process and it's "non-political". BRAVO SIERRA. The government claims the towers that are closing have "low to moderate traffic". Again, leave it to the government to have no concrete definitions of "low to moderate". One airport close to me, RYY McCollum Field, is scheduled to close. According to AirNav data, RYY had 169 air operations (planes landing or taking off) per day. I know that number has increased since then, as McCollum has been getting busier the last couple of years. Plus, they have jets and military traffic landing and taking off from there. Closing the towers from an airport that has operations like McCollum will cause significant delays and is a safety hazard at the very least.
At most, other people recognize it as a safety hazard as well and steer clear of it. The flight schools close due to lack of business, or move... as one at McCollum is doing. After all, who wants to train a new pilot at an uncontrolled airport with high-moderate traffic with jets and military planes coming and going? Less traffic also means less business to the Fixed Base Operators, who provide gas and other services for pilots, and to the restaurants which are located there. Just like the air shows, there's a delicate balance that will be disrupted if this is allowed to happen at busy airports. Airports could potentially close. Wonder if Mr. "jobs created or saved" Obama will take responsibility for those lost jobs?
I'm not usually one to buy into conspiracy theories, but I believe without the shadow of a doubt that all of this mess was created to deliver a message and this was confirmed yesterday with the re-release of the newest tower closure list - two towers of the most quintessentially aviation centered airports are closing: Lakeland, FL and Oshkosh, WI. The biggest airshows of the year are held in those two locations. Take a look at the AirNav stats - Oshkosh has 249 air operations per day and Lakeland has 208. Both also indicate jets and military traffic. Safety issues aside, it's to drive the point home. Lakeland's tower is set to close on the first day of their air show. Coincidence? I think not.
At the EAA (Experiemental Aircraft Association)'s meeting the other night, one older pilot spoke up and said he's not worried, as he doesn't think the closures will happen, due to safety issues. The rest of us weren't so convinced. But that is Obama's way, isn't it - create a crisis, get people all in a frenzy, and 'solve' it at the 11th hour. I'm hoping he'll do that this time as well and keep the busier airports on the list open, like McCollum, Oshkosh and Lakeland. Besides, if he really wants to stop wasteful spending in aviation, I have a suggestion for him - quit burning holes in the sky with Air Force One and stay home!
Monday, November 12, 2012
A House Divided...
If you have 'liked' my fan page over on Facebook, you'll already know that I was horrified to hear that 15 states had filed petitions on Whitehouse.gov to secede from the United States. It absolutely blew me away and scared me to pieces. I know things are bad and I am not happy with 4 more years of Obowma. But have we really reached the "irreconcilable differences" part of our relationship? Is it really time to divorce the USA?
Besides, it can't be possible, right? Obama will just laugh off this little stunt with his divisive, condescending laugh and be done with it. As far as I know, if something like this were to actually happen, then the individual states would have to go through voting processes through their own bodies of government. Such a dire and serious thing couldn't only be determined by a petition alone. There's no way.
Tonight, I read online that Texas has reached the number of signatures required to bring the petition to Obama's attention. It absolutely broke my heart to read that headline. It brought me to tears to read the comments: "Time to separate all Liberals from Conservatives whatever it takes" and "Let all those anti-American traitors who want to secede from our glorious nation go".
In all honesty, I'm finding it harder to get along with liberals since the election. They are hyped on power and are convinced they are invincible now. As far as they are concerned, my stuff is ripe for the taking and no one will stop them now. Sentiments of "we will tax you and you will like it because we won" are running rampant. I hate standing by and watching as companies, especially aviation companies, lay off workers. Even I am guilty of putting an automatic "moocher" label on everyone I know who voted for Obama. And I'm guilty of fantasizing about all of the conservative like-minded people running off to an island and leaving the rest of them to their pettiness.
As much as I hate watching my beloved country crumble before my very eyes, secession is the absolute end of our country as we know it. There's got to be another solution, even though I don't know it. We need to tread carefully before proceeding and use this only as the most absolute last resort. Are we to that point yet? I don't know. I'd like to think there's still hope. I'd like to think we can heal this chasm in our country...but that might only be desperate youthful idealism speaking.
Revive the Tea Party. Flood town hall meetings again. Write/call/visit our representatives. Blog up a storm. Something. Anything. Fight against the media and stop them from polarizing us further. Hold them accountable. Focus on what brings us together, rather than allowing Obama and the media rip us apart. Half of all of my friends are liberal; there must be a way to work this out.
We're the United States and we're the best country in the world. I pray with all my might that this is just an empty gesture and nothing more. I don't have all the answers and quite honestly, I'm at a loss of what to do. But I do know that destroying our country from the inside out isn't it. I'm not giving up on her just yet.
Besides, it can't be possible, right? Obama will just laugh off this little stunt with his divisive, condescending laugh and be done with it. As far as I know, if something like this were to actually happen, then the individual states would have to go through voting processes through their own bodies of government. Such a dire and serious thing couldn't only be determined by a petition alone. There's no way.
Tonight, I read online that Texas has reached the number of signatures required to bring the petition to Obama's attention. It absolutely broke my heart to read that headline. It brought me to tears to read the comments: "Time to separate all Liberals from Conservatives whatever it takes" and "Let all those anti-American traitors who want to secede from our glorious nation go".
In all honesty, I'm finding it harder to get along with liberals since the election. They are hyped on power and are convinced they are invincible now. As far as they are concerned, my stuff is ripe for the taking and no one will stop them now. Sentiments of "we will tax you and you will like it because we won" are running rampant. I hate standing by and watching as companies, especially aviation companies, lay off workers. Even I am guilty of putting an automatic "moocher" label on everyone I know who voted for Obama. And I'm guilty of fantasizing about all of the conservative like-minded people running off to an island and leaving the rest of them to their pettiness.
As much as I hate watching my beloved country crumble before my very eyes, secession is the absolute end of our country as we know it. There's got to be another solution, even though I don't know it. We need to tread carefully before proceeding and use this only as the most absolute last resort. Are we to that point yet? I don't know. I'd like to think there's still hope. I'd like to think we can heal this chasm in our country...but that might only be desperate youthful idealism speaking.
Revive the Tea Party. Flood town hall meetings again. Write/call/visit our representatives. Blog up a storm. Something. Anything. Fight against the media and stop them from polarizing us further. Hold them accountable. Focus on what brings us together, rather than allowing Obama and the media rip us apart. Half of all of my friends are liberal; there must be a way to work this out.
We're the United States and we're the best country in the world. I pray with all my might that this is just an empty gesture and nothing more. I don't have all the answers and quite honestly, I'm at a loss of what to do. But I do know that destroying our country from the inside out isn't it. I'm not giving up on her just yet.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Happy Dependence Day
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| His royal Smugness-in-Chief |
Now I don't only blame the moocher class that make up the 47%. We also need to look at the failed GOP party and the media for choosing such a weak candidate as Mitt Romney. He's run 4 times and now has lost 4 times. He even lost to McCain last time, for goodness' sakes! Enough is enough. Time to get a quality candidate in there. Not a "moderate" to make everyone happy and maybe not even someone who is experienced in politics. Let's get some Joe the Plumber types in there. Let's get some people who have business sense and know how to budget/spend wisely. I also blame the GOP males who beat this abortion horse to death every election. We have Roe v. Wade - you are never, ever going to ban it and you only ostracize female voters away by saying you are going to try!!! Women, those in my age group especially as unfortunately as it may be, vote with their ovaries and their emotions. Say any dunderhead comment about abortion and rape and you've lost them. I think I read that 67% of women in my age group voted for Obama. Regrettably, the women in my age group aren't well informed about politics and will only hear the stupid stuff you say as the MSM replays it over and over and over. Who cares if unemployment in your state is 1%, who cares if you've had a balanced budget for the last 10 years - those women will only hear the one stupid remark you made. That's evident in the guys who lost their seats. The majority of them were shoe-ins to get reelected... until they shoved both feet into their mouths with the rape comments.
As much as I was disheartened by Obama's reelection, I was more upset to what it symbolized. People were cheering and hugging one another, excited by what they might get - more food stamps, free cell phones, free healthcare... Is this what we've really become? Electing a candidate on the promise of more free stuff? Your ancestors would be proud.
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| (source: http://legalinsurrection.com/2012/11/branco-cartoon-foundering-principles/) |
My ancestors fought hard to come to this country. They wanted a better way of life for themselves and their children. They looked for a place to start over; a place of opportunity for those that would take it; a place that was a bastion of freedom. That place was America. My Father's ancestors were brave enough to come to this country before it was the USA and they were part of the group that founded this country. They felt like they were over-taxed and wanted to practice religion as they saw fit. My Mother's family is a bit newer to this country and immigrated here from Australia when she was 2 years old. It took them years to come to this country legally, even though my Grandfather was American. After they finally arrived, he had to work 3 jobs to support himself and his family and he was grateful to do so. No whining about how one is supposed to survive on minimum wage, no going on strike for a higher wage/more benefits. They lived in small apartments and didn't demand a large house. A house was a luxury to be earned. From what I hear about the time, they weren't alone.
Now we've become a nation of moochers. A nation where you get a medal for picking your nose because you are "expressing yourself". A nation where people get Nobel prizes for their potential. One of the 10 commandments has become "Covet thy neighbor's big screen TV". Why work when you get can something for free? The irony that the moochers don't get is - 1) nothing in life is free; you are taking from someone else and 2) you can earn "free" things by working hard for them. If you put in the time and the effort and place your self up for success, opportunities will appear to fall magically into your lap. Taking something by force which someone else has rightfully earned will not present you with opportunities.
I was in a Dollar Tree just the other day when I heard a woman remark loudly from the line behind me, "I just don't see what's so wrong with taxing the rich!". Let's see... how about they rightfully earned it, it's not yours to take and the gov't will be coming for you once they run out of the money taken from the "evil rich". She went onto say how they were the worst people and she knew too, because she worked in Buckhead (affluent area in the Atlanta area). She even turned her nose up like a pig to describe them. People gathered around and listened to her, nodding in agreement. She then said how she hated working in Buckhead.
I'm glad I kept my cool and didn't say anything to her at the time, but sweetheart, who do you think is providing you with your paycheck? That's right - the same people that are going to lay you off when they are taxed at 50%.
I found out with absolute horror that I'm being taxed higher than I thought I was the other day. Must have moved into a new bracket because "I'm an evil rich and I can handle it". Percentages are one thing; numbers are quite another. Doing simple math, I actually found out I'm taxed higher than I thought I was, even percentage-wise - 39%. The bonuses that I receive are taxed at almost 50%. One of my co-workers called me "rich" the other day with nasty overtones. I laughed and said that I was pretty sure she earned more than I did. She said probably, but I could afford flight lessons, so that made me rich. The logic is certainly mind-blowing, isn't it?
The "tax the rich" lie is the most prominent one that President Pinocchio tells- "Tax the rich who can handle it and we'll be able to reduce the deficit". Sounds great. Too bad he's advertising the deficit as a 5ft deep hole. Tax those evil rich, who probably didn't earn it anyways and we can fill this hole. That "hole" is actually a bottomless pit and will never be full, as far as he's concerned. Tax the stuffing out of the rich - oops, looks like it was bigger than we thought. Let's tax the middle class. Oops, still not full. But wait, these important programs, like studying the mating habits of ladybugs on rainy Tuesdays need more funding!!!
We're not going to reduce the deficit by taxing people more and more. We need to stop spending. NOW.
Like any other reasonable person, I know we need taxes for road improvements, schools, etc. What I've not happy about is when you take my money forcibly and spend it endlessly on stupid stuff we don't need. For the record, I'd much rather Obowma spend my money on playing golf, rather than giving it to the moochers or to countries that would like to see us crumble. Keeping him on the golf course is the best investment. Making him unemployed would be a better investment, but the moocher class has spoken.
Thanks to them, in the last few days, Obama has:
1) Gone to the UN about adopting their gun control and is discussing assault weapons ban
2) John Kerry and Susan Rice on the short list for replacing Hillary Clinton as Sec. of State
3) Another credit rating downgrade on the horizon of 'fiscal cliff'
4) Bombed Yemen
5) indirectly (or directly...depends on how you want to look at it), increased gun sales and caused mass layoffs in companies (a lot of them aviation) around the country
And before the re-coronation - Filmmaker arrested for "violation of probation". I call BS on that one. They arrested him for his film about Muslims that no one ever saw. After the re-coronation, but not directly involved, Gen Patraeus resigns, citing extramartial affair and will not testify at Bengazi hearing. Don't know about you, but I smell a rat and his cheesy tail is hanging out of the White House. I believe freedom of speech is fading right before our eyes.
And probably much more... Guess Big Bird and the MSM didn't tell you about all of that, did they?
So go ahead, Moochers, continue to sit on your bottoms and take and take and take. Some 1%ers have taken off for Galt's Gulch; some are about to leave. Who are you going to tax the pocket lint out of now? Take away my 1st and 2nd Amendment rights, but I'll fight with whatever I have left to defend my independence. My ancestors did their part. Now I need to continue to do mine.
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