Monday, December 31, 2018

The Last Day: 2018 Doesn't Exit Quietly into the Night

Good Day World!

We did it!

Democracy has survived for another year in the Age of Trump. 

No mean feat. Trump's challenges to our Constitution have been numerous.

In spite of stripping away the EPA's safety mission by taking away regulations to favor corporations that still have an interest in coal and oil, nothing is irreversible. There's still time to fight for the environment we live in.

Another year of challenges lies ahead. 

Trump has disabled part of the government, and froze the wages of 800,000 federal workers, to end the year on a new low point in his administration.

I'm not surprised. Trump has been slowly melting down these last two months as reality is catching up to his corruption with 17 criminal cases involving him and his family hovering overhead.

To all Americans,"Do not go gentle into that good night..." as Dylan Thomas once wrote, but keep up the good fight for democracy!

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Sunday, December 30, 2018

Despite Government Shutdown the Show Goes On At Trump's Resort


                                            Good Day World!

Trump's end of the year temper tantrum has culminated in a partial government shutdown, but that doesn't mean Trumpies aren't going to have a New Year's Eve party at Mar-A-Lago.

As of today, The Donald has said he's not going to attend the for-profit event and plans on sulking in the Oval office tweeting grievances.

But damage has already been done.

Taxpayers had to pay $54,000 for tents to be used at the partisan bash that will help fill the Trump coffers. It's already a done deal, whether Donny comes or not.

By partially shutting the government down, you have a situation where Trump's imperial guard aren't even being paid. Money for them ran out on Dec.21st.

The optics of him pigging out at the lush fete while federal workers go without pay looms if Trump changes his mind at the last minute and attends the event.

We'll see how much that optic really bothers Trump in a couple of nights. It's hard to imagine the showman won't be there conducting court.

Regardless, the party will be a success and Trump will make a lot of money from fair-weather conservatives and members of his base who can scrap the money up.

Meanwhile 800,000 federal workers will be wondering when they're going to get their next check?

Happy New Year! From our Liar In Chief!

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Alternate Reality: Trump Minions Think Shutdown Is A Winner

Good Day World!

There's point of view, and then there's reality.

Trump minions have decided the government shutdown is a good thing. 

They see Trump's tantrum for not getting his wall as the way to go...regardless of the real world consequences.

Over 800,000 federal workers don't agree with that assessment at all, regardless of Trump's claim that they're all for it!

Another fact slapping Trump in the face, even as he grins in false triumph, is that the 800,000 employees are NOT all Democrats. Republicans are among their numbers. Trump
ignores that reality like he does everything, in a pathetic bid to spin how he's winning.

Trump and his minions have decided a prolonged stalemate will likely fracture voters along traditional partisan lines, and the ultimate outcome will be a debate waged largely on the president’s terms.

Increasingly, they see an upside in forcing likely incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi to have to spend the first days, if not weeks, of the next Congress engaged in an argument over border wall funding rather than her preferred agenda: a mix of sweeping ethics and election reforms and congressional oversight.

And they continue to believe that a conversation around immigration and border security is in the president’s best political interests. 

Fact: the most recent polls show a majority of Americans are against the shutdown. Therefore, the alternate reality is Trump's minions are only spinning the shutdown for his base.

Fact: Trump's minority base is fracturing.

A good example of what's happening is Fox News.

For the first time in 17 years its ratings ranked 2nd to MSNBC because of a dwindling viewership that doesn't want to see reality - and Fox has gone off message with real stories criticizing the president these last couple of weeks.

Time for me to walk on down the road...









Friday, December 28, 2018

6 Things That Most Americans Don't Want To See in 2019

Good Day World!

It's good to put limits on some things.

Like how long one's readership will dwell on a post before moving on to something more entertaining.

Here's six things Americans don't want to see next year:

1) A long government shutdown. It's already been bad enough for 800,000 federal employees without having to deal with Trump's temper tantrum over the wall for an extended period of time.

2) Congress has been kicking immigration reform around for years. People are tired of hearing about children dying in caged camps, and families being separated. No one wants to see the misery continue without resolution.

3) Americans are sick of the chaos in the White House. They're sick of the corrupt Cabinet members who keep recycling through the West Wing, and they're sick of Trump's lies.

4) Most Americans, and lawmakers, support special counsel Robert Mueller's Russian investigation, and don't want to see it meddled with by the president, or any of his partisan minions.

5) 2018 was such a divisive year for Americans that our very democratic foundation was rocked. The majority of Americans hope the hate rhetoric and polarization between political parties will be toned down a few scales in 2019.

6) Most Americans were embarrassed by Trump's foreign relation policy of adoring authoritarian world leaders, and pulling out from a world organizations we've been partners with since post WW II. The last thing they want is to see a repeat of 2018.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Thursday, December 27, 2018

What The Hell Motivates That Squatter In The White House?



                          Good Day World!

Where did that sudden display of courage come from that landed Trump in Iraq for a quick photo op with the troops yesterday?
Trump Finally Visited The troops Overseas - And It Was An Embarrassing Mess

I suspect Melania held his tiny hand and promised to clean up any poop poo that squirted into his tightey whiteys if he'd agree to go.

The mystery is what motivates Trump at times.

On one hand, he hasn't shown any desire to visit American troops abroad since squatting in the White House two years ago. 

When he failed to visit a WW I War Memorial for Americans who died in France due to the rainy weather, he made it clear there were limits on his patriotism.

But what got him to change his mind about visiting our men and women in the military around the world? Is it possible his minions, aka cabinet, convinced him too?

Did Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh instruct him too? He values their vile input.

Was it something as simple as being teased about his cowardice for so long it finally got under his orange skin? A way of shaking off the label, Cadet Bone Spurs?

In the end, there's no reliable way to determine what makes the orange anus act. 

He can wake up in the morning and pull American troops out of Syria (without consulting anyone), or actually stop tweeting for 20 hours (a record since slithering into office) to make a surprise appearance in Iraq.

Related: Trump Misleads About Military Pay Raises, Again

              Trump Confused Iraq Trip With Rally

               Iraqi Lawmakers Criticize Trump Visit As Blow To                    Iraqi Sovereignty

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Back to Work...for Some Americans

Good Day World!

I hope you had a better Christmas than the 800,000 plus federal workers who found out they're not getting paid until Trump's current temper tantrum subsides.

Congress is going to have to unite to override the orange maroon's veto. That means everyone has to put on their big boy, or girl, pants and push through a bipartisan agreement to re-open the government agencies affected.

I know this won't be easy, but short of Trump finally backing down with his childish demand for a wall (not too likely), it's going to be the only path to putting the government back in business.

Speaking of business, it would be nice if Trump and his puppets would keep their traps shut about the Fed! 

Between our liar in chief, and his money boy Steve Mnuchin, they've managed to rock what is actually a sound economy and create a panic on Wall Street.

The result of their stupidity was the worst December economy since the Great Depression in 1931, and a stock market in free fall before the new year even begins.

Those federal workers waiting to get paid again, join millions of other Americans in uncertainty during the Trump regime.

Looking ahead to 2019, our country faces the greatest challenge yet; somehow stop Trump before he starts a war, abroad...or at home!

Time for me to walk on down the road...  

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

#MerryChristmas - Our Little Christmas Miracle

Good Day World!

One of the best things about Christmas is when a family gathers at one place to celebrate.

It's not easy these days. 

Families are separated by the realities we live with like members having to work on Christmas Day.

The challenges are myriad ranging from politics separating families to the cost of travel to get together. Airfares go up. Gas goes up. It's almost a conspiracy against unity.

We have three sons and five grandchildren. It's been many years since we all got together for Christmas. My wife and I quit planning on our children coming for holidays because it seemed to be mission impossible.

That's why we didn't plan on having the gang today.

Now for our little miracle.

Two days ago, all of our sons and their families called to say they were coming our way for Christmas!

It's truly a Merry Christmas in the Stancliff household today!

I wish a very Merry Christmas to my followers, and new readers of this blog! 

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Monday, December 24, 2018

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...and Dictators Throughout the World are...

Good Day World!


                                        Here we are.

Christmas Eve.

As Americans hunker down for a good nights sleep with visions of gifts, dictators and strongmen worldwide are dreaming of war, power, and continued suppression of their people.

Feeling especially grateful tonight is Vladimir Putin. His Donny finally came through by pulling our troops out of Syria and strengthening Russia in the Middle East.

It's the kind of Christmas gift any dictator would love. It also proves the bromance is still on, despite Congress's efforts to intervene in their love story.

Trump didn't forget his buddy, Turkey's tyrant Recep Erdogan. He served up our allies, the Kurds, in a disgusting betrayal, for a special holiday gift that also reverberated for his base at home. 

Chinese leader for life, Xi Jinping, is busy plotting payback for Trump's gift of tariffs and disrupting their relationship by flirting with other dictators.

Feeling angry, and butt hurt, North Korea's leader for life, Kim Jon-un, feels ignored tonight. His memories of his first meeting with Trump (was it love at first sight?) burn in his pig eyes...as he watches one of his relatives tortured for the holiday.

The murderous Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is celebrating Trump's resistance against the U.S. taking any action against him for butchering Washington Post columnist, Jamal Khashoggi.

The bloodthirsty Crown Prince is passing out seasonal greeting cards tonight with a photo of Jared Kushner kissing his bare ass with the caption, " Allahu Akbar! I got Kushner in my pocket, and his head up my ass!"

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Trump's Space Force Set To Intercept Illegal Alien Bearing Gifts


                                         Good Day World!

It's been tense today. 

Trump's tantrums have been volcanic in recent days and now he's swearing "No damn illegal immigrant is going to get past his Space Force carrying questionable cargo."

Meanwhile, somewhere in the North Pole, Santa Claus has contacted the White House and is hoping there will be an adult to talk with along with Trump. No luck.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders told Santa Claus that the administration needs to inspect his bags full of gifts, and that he needs to apply for a temporary Visa to distribute them.

Looking evil in a green elf costume, Stephen Miller and a clutch of Trump minions set up a border ice wall in Alaska where Santa Claus must report to.

Upon hearing the outrageous news, the rest of the countries in the world all rallied for Santa Claus, demanding Trump knock off the bullshit and let Santa do what he's always done.

Despite the international plea for the jolly old elf and all the cheer he spreads, Trump has remained determined to destroy Christmas, according to White House Spokesperson (and sociopath) Kellyanne Conway.

"The president believes in tariffs and he's not going to let all those gifts enter the country illegally. As for the VISA, Santa will have to be vetted and we're not sure how long that will take."

Reporter: "Kellyanne, is it true that Trump's Space Force will be scrambling in the skies over America on Christmas Eve?"

Conway: "That all depends..."

Reporter: "On what?"

Conway: "If Santa decides to be compliant at our Alaska Border."

Reporter: "Why is the president doing this?"

Conway: "Doing what? He's looking out for our best interests. Just look at our booming economy...

Reporter: Statistics just out shows this December has been the worst time for the stock market since the Great Depression in 1931..." 

Conway: "...and the world is safer now than it's ever been before...

Reporter: "How's that  possible when Secretary of Defense Gen. James Mattis, suddenly quit because Trump abruptly called for an immediate retreat out of Syria? 

Conway:"That's all for now libtards! We'll just come up with a new holiday!"

The suspense mounts...

TV Reporter; "The skies are dark this night before Christmas Eve. Dark with the threat that looms above...Trump's Space Force on patrol..."

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Trump Christmas Gifts This Year Infuriate Congress But Motivate His Base

Good Day World!

It's that time of year for Trump's base and authoritarian governments, when Donny passes out gifts to everyone whose been naughty.

When Trump woke up the other day with a new vision of chaos, he surprised the world and announced America has defeated ISIS and he was bringing our troops home.

The problem with that is Congress and the Pentagon were stunned to hear the news that morning. No one in the government was prepared for Donny's bombshell.

The reason Trump threw that poisonous tidbit out was to divert from all the news lately about his (and his family's) corruption. 

More investigations into his regime and presidential campaign were harshing his high and he needed a diversion that would get every ones attention.

Like Bush so infamously said on an aircraft carrier once, "Mission Accomplished" regarding ISIS and Iraq. Donny's replay reads pretty much the same when he said "ISIS is defeated and it's time to go home. We won." 

That claim flies in the face of facts which show otherwise. In Trump's sick mind anything that can divert the news away from the multiple investigations against him is fair game.

To prove his hypocrisy rating Trump went from owning a shutdown over his wall, to claiming it's the Democrats fault after the shutdown happened.

Facts be damned. That's why the last adult in Trump's cabinet, General Mattis, resigned this week. Trump had stopped taking his advise this year and Mattis couldn't hang with that.

Trump's desperate move to divert attention from his problems was the last straw for Mattis. Congress groaned. For the most part even GOP lawmakers were stunned and outraged.

Meanwhile Trump's puppet master Putin, is congratulating his prize puppet, and Syria's dictator also was pleased with Trump's Christmas present...Syria.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Friday, December 21, 2018

Trump Tantrum Watch: Going Full Scrooge With Shutdown




                                            Good Day World!

In the spirit of Ebenezer Scrooge, our reality show president wants to put a bigly show on today by closing the government down just to appease his followers.

The GOP majority in the House passed a partisan bill yesterday with Donny's $5 billion wall in it, but the chances of the Senate passing it is about the same as Trump never lying again.

Impossible. 

I'm not sure if the Trump lackeys in the Senate will even bother trying to pass it. But puppets are puppets and there may be a witless effort to try without the numbers. It is, after all, a big show for Ringmaster Donny.

Demonstrating that the only thing he cares about is his racist base, and that cabal of assholes in the House - The Freedom Caucus - Trump is content to put hundreds of thousands of federal workers out of a job (without pay) days before Christmas.

That's just damn cold.

Oh yeah! Trump has left another Christmas gift for Americans this year;

A plunging stock market. This is the worst December performance since the Great Depression in 1931

In the story, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens', Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghost of a former business partner, Jacob Marley, and it changes his life for the better. 

In the Trump version of A Christmas Carol, his former lawyer rats him out to prosecutors, and he becomes even more crazy than before and shuts down the government.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Today's Good Mood Is Sponsored By Justice

Good Day World!

I'm feeling pleasantly buzzed this month, and it's not because of my daily cannabis-infused coffee, or even Christmas.

The feeling that relief is coming for our embattled democracy has me smiling and more hopeful than anytime in the last two tortured years under Trump's regime.

High Crimes and Corruption:

(Video) Trump Faces Investigations from All Angles

(Video & article) Democrats Will Probe Trump Organization Projects in the Dominican Republic, Around the Globe 

(Video and article) Trump Signed Letter of Intent For Trump Tower Project Despite Giuliani  Insisting He Didn't

(Video and article) Think the Trump Foundation Case Is Over With? Think Again.

(Video and article) The Walls Are Closing in on Donald Trump

(Video and article) Trump-Russia: Here Are The Two Meetings Congress Must Investigate First 

(Video and article) Senate Democrats Renew Call For Investigation Into Whether Trump Mar-A- Lago Associates Influenced VA Decisions

Just to see how well Trump is thought of in the international community you have to check this out:

(Video and article) Dermophis DonaldTrumpi: Worm-Like Amphibian Named After Donald Trump As It Might Become Extinct From Climate Change

Another Court Setback in December For Trump:


(Article) Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump Asylum Rules For Domestic and Gang Violence for Victims

I could go on citing all the trouble Trump and many of his minions are in, but I think you've got the idea why I'm feeling buzzed by the justice system...

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

If The Economy is Healthy Why This Warning From Alan Greenspan?

Good Day World!

I admit to being somewhat confused on how healthy our economy is right now.

Mixed messages about how well we're doing have become as common as flies in a butcher shop. 

Are we okay, as the Trumplicans claim? Or, as Alan Greenspan said yesterday, "...the party's over at Wall Street."

The former Federal Reserve chairman who famously warned more than two decades ago about "irrational exuberance" in the stock market doesn't see equity prices going any higher than they are now.

He flat out warned investors the "correction will be painful" and "run for cover."

Meanwhile, Trump is in his campaign for 2020 mode and his manager came up with a one-minute ad that reads like "Alice in Wonderland."

Trump's campaign manager is telling viewers;

"We have a booming economy, historically low unemployment, including the lowest unemployment rate for minorities in history."

After sorting through the falsehoods it's apparent Trump will be running an alternative universe campaign for his clueless base.

Let's set politics aside for a moment to see how the U.S. economy is really doing.

Today the Dow Jones Plunged 352 points after the fed rate hike. The Dow sunk to its lowest point this year. 

After considering the above articles it's apparent we're on the edge of a cliff with some bad indicators for 2019.

Don't expect Trump and his minions to change their tune about the economy despite these facts. They'll continue with alternate facts as long as their base responds positively to the lies.

As far as I can tell, the economy is in flux right now, with the ability to continue to go backward in the next few months, hinting at an upcoming recession.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

It's All About That Wall...That Wall...That Wall

Good Day World!

Somewhere in Israel there's a Wailing Wall (a place to weep).

If Trump gets his way, the U.S. will have it's own Wailing Wall on the southern border, which by the way Mexico is not going to pay for.

What is it about a wall that attracts Trump so much?

An early building block fetish?

Trump's advisers need to show him photos of the Great Wall of China and how that massive effort didn't stop their enemies from invading them. The barbarians still came in waves and laughed at the ridiculous wall.

Even the Romans didn't get the idea that a wall wouldn't stop their enemies. By the time they finished Hadrian's Wall the empire was well on the way to decline.

Then there was the ancient Diyarbakir Walls that surrounded one of the largest cities in Turkey. The walls didn't manage to hold up any better than other famous walls that were breached.

How about the Great Zimbabwe WallIt is the largest structure in the south of the Sahara Desert, and is one of the most famous walls in the world. It was breached countless times over the centuries.

The great Walls of Babylon were originally included on Antipater's list of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. Located in modern day Iraq. But Cyrus the Great came along and conquered Babylon's mighty walls.

The Walls of Troy are among the most famous in the world. They protected the legendary Troy for 10 years of assaults from the Greeks before they were breeched by deceit.

The Berlin Wall lasted from 1961 to 1989 before being torn down when the Soviet Union collapsed.

Here's the main point:

Walls don't solve problems. Sometimes they prolong the inevitable, but in the end they are either penetrated or torn down.

Someone pass that on to Trump...not that it'll make any difference!

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Monday, December 17, 2018

Help Wanted: The Day Of Reckoning Cometh



                                        Good Day World!

Even if our liar in chief doesn't see it, his minions do. The Day of Reckoning Is Coming Fast.

It's been a battle for Trump to replace all the people he's been firing in the last couple of months. When his top pick for chief of staff turned him down, followed by a line of other flunkies eager to excuse themselves, he had to settle for a minion already in his employ.

When Trump announced that Budget Director Mike Mulvaney was going to be his next chief of staff, it was a desperate attempt to conceal the fact no one else wanted the job. 

The Day of Reckoning Cometh

The new year is going to begin with some of Trump's remaining cabinet members having to account for ethical violations that Trump ignored (unless confronted by the IG).

Secretary of the Interior, and world-class asshole, Ryan Zinke, saw the writing on the wall and resigned (end of this month) before a committee went after him and slapped the stupid grin off his mug.

The top two Trump minions who will be facing the music before a Democratic House; Commerce Secretary and world-class swindler, Wilbur Ross; Energy Secretary Rick Perry, and clown misusing government money.

It's just a matter of time before Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, and unscrupulous billionaire, is taken to task. 

We must not forget Betsy DeVos the stupidest Secretary of Education ever appointment by any administration.

After agreeing to divest 102 separate assets during the confirmation process, she turned around and made three new investments last year - one was a stake in a Michigan Distillery valued at between $500,000 and a million dollars.

These obvious violations will not go unnoticed next year. Republicans are going to be forced to answer for their corruption in 2019.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Blog Break Until Presidential Election is Over

I finally hit the wall today. I can't think of what to say about all of the madness going on in this country right now. I'm a writer...