Viewing entries tagged
Politics

2 Comments

Enough

Dear Democrats and Republicans,

Enough is enough.  It is time for the both of you to take a good look at yourself and your party and see the shambles you are making our country.  You both make a mockery of what used to make Americans the shining beacon on the hill though your tribalism and party before country attitudes that continue to divide Americans into different camps.

 

Republicans - You have forgotten the ideals of what the Republican party purported to be, rights and justice for all, belief in individual freedoms, and reduced government.  You have become the party of Trump, a political charlatan and Twitterer in Chief.  This President continues to act like an Internet troll by railing on anything and everything that does not bow down to his every whim.  There is a faction of the GOP that thinks Trumps "shit don't stink" and can't get their heads out of their collective nether regions.  Their sycophantic talking heads on TV is so full of bile, "what aboutisms," and lowest common denominator political screeds have heighten my senses to the truly idiocracy that the pundits on the right exhibit.

Democrats - You have abandoned what used to be the core of your party, the working lower to middle class.  You have exasperated the problem of identity politics and dismissed others that are not ideologically pure within your own party.  Your incessant whining about the election of 2016 and how "Hillary Clinton won the popular vote" is unbecoming, as we have a mechanism to elect the President called the Electoral College, which you are free to attempt to change through a Constitutional Amendment.  Unfortunately, Donald Trump is going to be President until 2020 unless he is otherwise removed from office via Constitutional process after articles of impeachment by a simple majority in the House and removal from office by 2/3 of the Senate after trial, in which the crimes of "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors".  People, that isn't going to happen in the next 2 years.

It is time for your parties to stop playing the blame game, the divisiveness, and the stubborn blindness to the extremes of your party, and the gerrymandering to make political incumbancy nearly a birthright.  We, as the American voter, expect you to come together for the good of the nation, act like rational people, and come up with solutions to solve our country's woes.  We expect no less from you, and will remember in November if you continue down your respective road of partisan politics that divides the country and fails to enhance what really makes America great. Act like you deserve our vote.

2 Comments

Comment

Puerto Rico (and US Virgin Islands) Incident Response

10+ days after Hurricane Maria slammed into the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, we find that 40% or more of the island does not have clean drinking water.  This is a humanitarian crisis occurring on US soil..  There will be plenty of blame to go around on this one, but I ham a strong believer in the "Buck Stops Here" approach.   The POTUS since the Hurricane hit the island has had a less than stellar response to the crisis, especially compared to the responses to Harvey in Texas and Irma in Florida.   

On September 17, the White House issued a disaster declaration in preparation for Maria.  That was a good start, and in line with what the White House did in preparation with Harvey and Irma. Making a disaster declaration is one thing, acting upon it is where some of the problems lay.  If you recall back to Hurricane Irma, many Caribbean islands took a direct hit from a Category 5 Hurricane that at the time had maximum sustained winds of around 185 miles an hour.  Islands such as Barbuda were devastated, while the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico were severely crippled by the sideswipe of Irma.  As the islands were beginning recovery from those storms, the tropical wave that eventually became Maria began heading that direction.  Computer models were projecting that a major hurricane may go through the area several days in advance.  Computer modeling for hurricanes have become pretty good to this point, and the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico were in the cone of uncertainty of a major hurricane (CAT 3+) either going over or passing close to these islands that were on the brink from Irma.  

This should have instigated major preparations on FEMA's part.  The potential for major power and water distribution issues were high.  The Federal government knew the economic and Commonwealth debt situations well in advance and the high likelihood that the Federal assistance would be great in this case.  Like with Harvey and Irma, resources should have been in place ready to move once the storm had passed.  While the power issue will take time (no doubt), shortages of food, medicine, fuel (for generators), and water should have been easily anticipated.  Resources should have been at the ready, and all the red tape inhibiting the distribution and delivery of said resources should have already been cut through.   No excuse in over preparation in a possible humanitarian crisis.

The victim blaming, party bickering, and posturing by POTUS needs to stop now.  Earlier today, he sends out the following set of tweets about Puerto Rico.  

IMG_0549.jpg

This is victim blaming at its finest.  The general that is in charge of the relief effort states he does not have enough resources.  Mr. President, it is not about Democrats or Republicans, nor about the economic condition of the island prior to the onslaught of 2 major hurricanes.  It is about the 3.5+ million AMERICAN CITIZENS that live in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.  We have the means and the the will to help out our fellow citizens as was done in the wake of Harvey and Irma.  The buck stops with you Mr. President.  Start acting presidential and stop the partisanship.  The American people, especially those in need in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands deserve better.

Comment

Comment

Wisdom of a 10-year old

There is much joy in raising a 10-year old who understands the geek culture.  Josh loves to think in hashtags (#crazycat) and understands the general basics on how the operating system works.  Today, coming back from the store he puts up this gem:

"Donald Trump is speaking:  brain.exe has stopped responding.  Click OK to restart brain.exe with /dumbmode: on."

He then follows this up with the following.  brain.exe has obtained a virus.  Click OK to terminate brain.exe.  I told him that it was ironic that he was talking about brain and computer virus in the same context because one of the first computer viruses that existed that affected PCs in the 80's.  His genuine interest both tickles my fancy and slightly scares me (no working for Russian mafia for you).

Comment

Political Insanity Project

Comment

Political Insanity Project

Either I am clinically insane or am a glutton for punishment, but I am working on a thought project where I have registered an email address with each of the "major" party remaining campaigns as a supporter.  Now I am ready for the messages from Hillary, Bernie, Jeb!, the Donald, Marco, and the host of other characters that will be thanking me for my support and how I can help each of their campaigns achieve their goal of being leader of your "Fine Federal Government"....or at least until I am fed up with the whole project and delete the bs mailbox.  :)

I also am hoping to track how the various campaigns sell "my" information throughout the campaign and what other political ads I receive.  I fully expect by the end, the box will be inundated with Republican and Democratic propaganda on why I should support the ultimate candidate.

Comment

Political Slogans for the "Major" Party Candidates

Comment

Political Slogans for the "Major" Party Candidates

Update 10.24/15 with latest dropouts and choices

Update 1/26/16 with current candidates

Update 2/1 with Iowa fallout

Update 2/4 with additional GOP drops

Update 2/10 with New Hampshire fallout

Update 2/12 with the Gilmore dropout

With a little more than a year to go to the general elections, maybe it is time to correct political nicknames or slogans?

Democrats

Confirmed

  • Bernie Sanders  - "Feel the Money Bern" 
  • Hilary Clinton - "I did what to my mail server? "

Maybes

Maybe Nots

  • Elizabeth Warren - "I'd rather be the puppet master" 
  • Joe  Biden - "3rd Time is a Charm"

See You Later

  • Jim Webb - "Thank me for my service, but I know I have no chance at the nomination"
  • Lincoln Chafee - " What party am I today?"
  • Lawrence Lessig - "The Referendum President?" 
  • Martin O'Malley - "Can I get a debate please @DWStweets?" "Mr. 0.6%" - Dropped 2/1

Republicans

Confirmed

  • Donald Trump - "My tongue is sponsored by Dr. Scholl's"
  • Jeb Bush - "Need a Bush in the White House about every 8 years, right?"
  • Marco Rubio - "You have heard my immigrant's son story, right?"
  • John Kaisch - "Republicans can't win without Ohio.  I am from Ohio, pick me."
  • Ted Cruz - "Tea Party is still relevant, right?"
  • Ben Carson - "Proof that intelligences does not equal common sense"

See You Later

  • Rick Perry - "Adios, MoFos"
  • Scott Walker - "Come on Iowa, you know I am governor right next door.  Wisconsin isn't that bad, is it?"
  • Bobby Jindal - "Why do I sound like Kermit the Frog when I debate?" - Dropped Dec 2015
  • Lindsay Graham - "Bomb them, Bomb them, and Bomb them again" - Dropped Dec 2015
  • George Pataki - "Still making Rudy Giuliani look like a more viable candidate from New York" - Dropped Dec 2015
  • Mike Huckabee - "I too was born in Hope, Arkansas.  Worked once" - Dropped 2/1/16
  • Rand Paul - "Why do libertarians like my daddy more than me?" -Dropped 2/3/16
  • Rick Santorum - "I haven't changed positions since 2008...worked for me then, right?" - Dropped 2/3/16
  • Carly Fiorina - "Who wouldn't love this face, now sponsored by the Military Industrial Complex" - Dropped 2/10/16
  • Chris Christie - "I would have to think if Congress outlawed Krispy Kremes if I would enforce that law with troops" - Dropped 2/10/16
  • Jim Gilmore - "Must be in the witness protection program for Presidential candidates" - Dropped 2/12/16

Libertarians

Confirmed

  • Gary Johnson - "Can you take me higher?"
  • John McAfee - "I wrote antivirus program and I am crazy...might make me qualified."
  • Austin Peterson
  • 9 others that have no chance

Green

Confirmed

  • Jill Stein

Comment

Comment

Political thought of the day

You know, Bernie Sanders supporters in the Democrat Party and the Donald Trump supporters in the Republican Party, it is very cute that you get excited about their rise in the polls.  There is almost zero chance that either one of them will be the nominee in their respective parties. The powers at be in both  of the parties will see that the establishment candidates of Clinton and likely Bush will be the candidates.  The Donald may run as an independent candidate a la Ross Perot in 92, but the oligarchy of having a Bush or Clinton in the senior levels of government since 1980 with the exception of the last 2+ years will probably lend to another Bush-Clinton election cycle. 

Just sit back and grab the popcorn and see how much laying to waste the darlings will do before the party leaders will step in and tell them where they stand.  

Comment