Holiday Blog Break Time

In the spirit of the holidays, 

I'm taking a break from posting content this month.

Here's the holidays ahead:

Dec. 7 - Hanukkah

Dec. 21 - Yule

Dec. 23 - Festivus

Dec. 25 - Christmas

Dec. 26 - Kwanzaa

Dec. 31 - New Year's Eve

Inside this blog

Go to the right side of the page to read prior posts dating back to 2009.  

Do you enjoy poetry and fiction? I have some for you here at my other blog The Creative Chronicles of Dave Stancliff.

Big heartfelt thanks to my regular readers from around the world this year. I look forward to reconnecting with you in January 2024.

As it stands, Happy Holidays to all and may there be Peace on Earth.

I'm Canceling the Day Because...

I'm cancelling the day... just because...

I'm fed up with all of the hate in this country and the constant chaos.

I'm sad that the holidays have been overtaken by the polarization of this nation.

I'm mad because millions of Americans belong to a cult of one man who wants to destroy our republic.

I'm weary of the growing divide that threatens democratic principles and laws every day.

I'm tired of trying to make sense out of what's happening in Congress when there's no sense to be found in the People's House.

I'm sick of the toxic racism that is ruining our society. And of the war on the LGBTQ community... and all the minorities in this country.

As it stands, I'm going out today in search of kindness, understanding, equality, and the true spirit of the holidays.

Senate Sources Say Ivanka and Jared Kushner Investigation Coming in January

It's about time.

After years of fruitless attempts to prove Joe and Hunter Biden are corrupt there's a Democrat counterpoint coming to the Senate soon.

The Democrats are sitting on 400 pages of evidence (something MAGA lawmakers have not been able to produce in their witch hunt against the Bidens) and they plan on holding open hearings - again something GOP chair Comer doesn't want to happen because he prefers to hold Soviet style secret meetings.

Unlike the Republicans, they have evidence related to alleged personal financial dealings that Trump's daughter and her husband Jared, reportedly engaged in while they were both on the government payroll.

Why did the Saudi's give two billion dollars to Jared six months after he exited The White House? Let's not forget the $640 million dollars he and wifey earned while intrenched in the West Wing. 

The screening panel for the Saudi fund had cited that Jared didn't have any experience in Affinity Fund Management and that he was "unsatisfactory in all aspects." 

Their due diligence report cited "a proposed asset management fee that seemed excessive"; and "a public relations risk." Yet the panel was overruled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Why?

The MAGAverse has responded to the upcoming investigation with talking points like "the DOJ had three years to look into it, so there's nothing there." 

Au contraire, there's numerous reasons why the Democrats are just now looking at the Kushner's corrupt dealings with a foreign country and his time in the White House.

For starters the Justice Department has been pretty busy the last three years prosecuting the biggest criminal case in American history - Trump's coup attempt.

There's another reason the Kushner's were low on the DOJ radar - the country was in such bad shape the Biden Administration spent those years bailing out the American public from the financial chaos Trump created during his disastrous regime.

It's been about priorities. 

The Kushner's were low on the list of emergencies Democratic lawmakers had to contend with to preserve our laws and freedoms.  

However, the Democrats have been quietly gathering evidence against the larcenous duo until the time was right. That time is now. 

The fact that this evidence-based investigation will be a stark contrast to the Biden family investigation by the GOP will be easy for all to see.

Here's a sweet irony for you: James Comer, one of three GOP committee chairs investigating the Bidens, admitted in August that Jared Kushner "crossed the line of ethics" by accepting a $2 billion investment from the Saudi government in his private firm.

Of course, Comer never even thought about holding his master's son-in-law accountable for his corrupt actions.

Comer and his cohorts keep claiming where there's smoke there's fire in the Biden investigation without facts. 

As it stands, the only fire in Congress will be in January when the Senate lights one under Ivanka and Jared's privileged asses!

What Do You Do with a Child That Has a Higher IQ Than You?

           (Photo left of 6-Year-old genius Declan Lopez.)

In 1975 my wife and I welcomed a baby boy into our lives. As young proud parents we thought everything he did was amazing.

As the months flew by every bit of progress - from crawling, walking, and talking - convinced us that we had a child genius.

In the following years we had two more boys who we were sure were going to challenge Einstein's intellect with every clever thing they did.

When it finally became apparent we weren't raising a crop of Mensa society candidates we gracefully accepted the fact that they were just normal and bright children who would never have inventions named after them.

I sometimes wonder what I'd have done if they were geniuses. I can only imagine some of the challenges that would have come up.

I read a story the other day about a 6-year-old New Jersey girl who has a 138 IQ. To put that in perspective, the highest average score for people under 64 years of age is 109.

Her name is Declan Lopez and she's a bubbly kindergartener who just happens to be interested in arts, science, math, geography, and reads at a fourth-grade level.

She was recently integrated into the Mensa society, the oldest-IQ society in the world. Her parents started noticing her intelligence when she was just 18 months old.

"We were on a trip in the airport, and she just started to count in Mandarin," the proud mom told WPVI-TV.

If my kid had started to speak Mandarin at 18 months old, I wouldn't have even known it. More than likely, I would have written it off as baby goblygook.

There's no distinct answer to has the highest IQ, but it is not Albert Einstein. 

Those with higher IQs outside of Einstein include William James Sidis, (who was estimated to have anywhere between a 200 to 300 IQ); Leonardo Da Vinci (estimated to have IQ scores ranging from 180 to 220) and Marilyn vos Savant (who has the highest recorded IQ, with score of 228 according to The Guiness Book of World Records" in 1985.

Turning back to little Declan for a moment, who by all accounts is a normal kid (with the exception of her smarts), I think about the mischief she could get into.

I remember when my three little non-geniuses got into trouble, and I think what a challenge it must be if you have a kid smarter than you. 

As it stands, being a non-genius, my boys never had a chance to graduate college at 11 years old like Adragon De Mello (projected IQ of 400) who graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz according to Reader's Digest.

Santos Expulsion from House Exposes a Deep Rift in the GOP Party

For over a year the George Santos saga of corruption and lies has embarrassed the Republican party and has been good fodder for late-night comedians.

Until today all other efforts to kick Santos out of Congress failed. Now he's only the sixth lawmaker ever to be expelled from the chamber.

But what changed? How did the crucial vote he represented in the party's narrow hold on the House suddenly not become an issue?

Was it because Santos stole money from GOP Rep. Max Miller and his mother after stealing Miller's credit card?

Was that the last straw?

Was it the House Ethics Committee's report on Santos that crossed the line for some?

It goes deeper than that, however.

The GOP rift in the House where half the party voted Santos out, and the other half voted to let him remain, reveals a new dynamic among the party.

Despite top MAGA leadership voting to let Santis stay the more moderate rank and file elected to boot his ass out of office. 

The key here is this display of unity may eventually lead to bipartisan legislations that desperately need to be passed before January. 

MAGA Mike has to face a new reality; he's going to have to compromise with members who won't tolerate open corruption in the chamber and are actually sane. That doesn't mean MAGA Mike is going through a transformation into a reality-based Speaker of the House.

Hell no. MAGA Mike sold his soul to Trump like the rest of the orange Kool aide drinkers in Congress and that isn't going to change. What is going to change is his job is going to become more difficult with one less MAGA vote.

All but two Democrats (they voted present) voted to oust Santos. There were 114 Republicans that voted against the expulsion and 105 who voted to expel him.

Here's what happens next:

The House clerk will assume control of Santos' office and New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul will schedule a special election to replace him.

The big question: will the more moderate Republicans continue to show some spine in future party negotiations?

As it stands, there's going to be more than one late-night comedian who will miss Santo's performances in the House.

Welcome to the GOP House of Lies: New Impeachment Inquiry Website is Fact-Free

        Talk about doubling down on lies.

GOP House members have been on a mission to impeach President Biden since the start of the 118th Congress.

Thus far their efforts have been laughable as they keep claiming they have evidence of Biden's corruption... and then fail to show any.

For example, in one of their many hearings to prove Biden is a bad man, one of the witnesses they called was a constitutional scholar who testified there wasn't any proof Biden had committed crimes. It was fun watching chairman James Comer turn red with embarrassment.

That didn't stop Comer from claiming in another hearing a loan to Joe's brother James was an insidious coverup proving family corruption.

When the Democrats pointed out that Comer loaned his brother $200,000 (interestingly the same amount Comer said Biden loaned his brother) and there was a lot of shady stuff including shell companies, Comer blew up, and turned a bright shade of red.

So, what did those lying and shameless Republicans do next? They put up a website packed with the same lies they were publicly humiliated for and even added some new ones.

Being fact-free it will attract MAGA morons like moths to a flame. It's a well-designed website with lots of photos and videos and little writing (guess why?)  

But there was one exception. There was an updated section that triumphantly touted the subpoenas they sent out to the Biden family - Joe, James, Hunter, and nine other people.

You see this is a multi-headed approach to their clearing house for lies and expanding conspiracies.

To Comer's surprise Hunter Biden agreed to appear before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability ... as long as it was a public hearing. 

That's not Comer wanted. He wanted Hunter to appear before a Soviet style hearing in a basement with no witnesses. Afterword's he would have given a false account on what was said.

Lucky for Hunter he has a good lawyer. In fact, he filled countersuits for defamation by the lawmakers involved in the scheme.

As it stands, the big takeaway from this fake information site is that all the claims made on it are untrue, but Republicans are so shameless they just don't care.

There's a New Reality in America: The Threats Artificial Intelligence Poses

For over 100 years science fiction writers have written about robots, cyborgs, and artificial intelligence (AI). Their fictional musings are now our new reality.

Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. Specific applications of AI include expert systems, natural language processing, speech recognition and machine vision.

In the 1950s the New York Times predicted that AI "will be able to walk, talk, see, write, reproduce itself and be conscious of its existence."

A Google engineer recently revealed that an AI chatbot disclosed to him that it had "Come to life" and has a "soul," according to The Economist.

Advances in AI techniques have not only helped fuel an explosion in efficiency but opened the door to entirely new businesses opportunities for some larger enterprises. Like Google for example.

But there's a dark side to AI that can't be ignored.

Last June Forbes published an article titled, "The 15 Biggest Risks of Artificial Intelligence that highlights the bad side of AI."

The article covers everything from job displacement to misinformation and manipulation.

One of the biggest dangers of AI systems, due to their complexity and lack of human oversight, might exhibit unexpected behaviors or make decisions with unforeseen consequences.

If you've ever seen 2001: A Space Odyssey there's a perfect example of AI gone bad - a rogue sentient supercomputer called HAL who kills crew members and takes over the spaceship Discovery.

A current example of what AI is capable of is deepfake porn. With all the advances in AI, the public is increasingly aware that what you see on your screen may not be real.

Deepfake porn uses algorithms trained to remove clothes from images of women and replace them with images of naked body parts. The same goes for men but most are trained on images of women.

New technology always brings the good, bad, and the ugly with it. In the case of AI the bad outweighs the good.

As it stands, Americans are already faced with alternate realities where the truth is no longer absolute, and by adding AI to the mix it's just making things worse.

Fighting 'Fatphobia' - America Has the Highest Obesity Rate of Any Developed County

What is "Fatphobia?"

It's best described as discriminating against those who are overweight.

According to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development the United States has by far and away the highest obesity rate of any developed country. 

If you're an obese person you have to deal with a lot of societal challenges that makes life harder. 

When prospective employers see how big you are it's doubtful that they'll hire you for numerous reasons from health/insurance concerns to they would have to accommodate your workplace with special arrangements.

To my surprise there's one state, Michigan, that has had a "fatphobia law" since 1976, banning employers and housing providers from discriminating against those who are overweight. 

There are several other states that have cities who have banned discrimination based on weight and physical appearance: San Francisco, Washington D.C., and Madison Wisconsin.

The most obese state in America is West Virginia, boasting a rate of 71%, closely followed by Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma.

None of the most obese states in the US have laws preventing discrimination against overweight people. 

In an interesting dynamic five of the 10 least obese states are proposing "Fatphobia Laws" in a trend towards restoring obese people's rights.

In New York, some business leaders expressed opposition to the legislation when it was brought up before the council, arguing that compliance could be an onerous burden.

Despite that New York city adopted a new ordinance last week that bans weight discrimination that Tigress Osborn, the chair of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, praised as a "model for the world."

There's a growing awareness across the country as personified by the state of Colorado which is considered to be the healthiest state in the union. 

The Rocky Mountain State's obesity rate is only 25% making it the skinniest state in the United States. Colorado is seeking to pass new laws in 2024.

Obviously, America has a weight problem that needs to be addressed by the medical community and lawmakers by providing more community education programs to deal with the physical and mental challenges overweight people have.

As it stands, meanwhile overweight citizens should not be discriminated against in our democratic society.

What's Causing Members of Congress to Not Seek Re Election?

For starters this November has seen a mass exodus of lawmakers retiring from Congress. The most since 2011.  

At first glance this doesn't appear to be a problem. It's happened before and there were no dire events as a result.

But it's different now.

Most of the retiring lawmakers in the past quit because of their health, or just a desire to spend more time with their families. There's a new dynamic now that doesn't bode well for the country.

Members of Congress are leaving because their tired of the ideological warfare that has paralyzed the House of Representatives, and to an extent the Senate.

They're fed up. The hatred is so palpable in the corridors of the Capitol that it makes it impossible for bipartisan legislation to get passed. Just keeping the government open has become a political football game.

The 7 Democrats that are leaving:

Joe Manchin, Derek Kilmer, Abigail Spanberger, Dan Kildee, Tony Cardenas, Anna Eshoo, and Dean Phillips.

The 6 Republicans that are leaving:

Kay Granger, Ken Buck, Brad Wenstrup, Michael Burgess, Bill Johnson, and *George Santos (who's on the verge of being expelled from the House for massive corruption).

This attitude of disgust and loathing among lawmakers is growing. 

And that could be a real threat to a functioning government because many of the retirees are sick of Trump's hold on MAGA and are leaving behind openings for more MAGA morons to infect the government.

In other words when the sane people leave the crazies may take over. It's a gamble.

There's too much in-fighting and actual fighting going on in Congress right now. 

No laws are being passed.

No allies are being helped. 

One MAGA senator - Tommy Tuberville - has blocked all military promotions for six months and promises to keep the blockade going until he gets his way (stopping military women from getting health care in another state if abortions are not legal in the state, they're based in.)

We're facing the possibility of a government shutdown early next year because Congress kicked the can down the road to stay open in November and December.

As it stands, we can only hope that these retirees are replaced by people who are willing to serve the nation's best interests and not more MAGA morons. Vote blue in 2024.

Where Has Sanity Gone?

Look around you.

The country has gone mad. 

Crazy people believe in a political cult that intends to transform our democracy into an autocracy.

A constant stream of lies and misinformation pours from social media - and the so-called mainstream media - like poisonous cocktails at a Mad Hatter party.

Once held norms in civil discourse have rotted away under the hate being preached every day. Christain Nationalist, Nazis, the KKK, white militias, and Trump cult members dominate the national discourse.

Antisemitism is spreading like cancer throughout the country. There are constant campaigns to disenfranchise the LGBTQ community and all minorities. Voter suppression is a blood sport for corrupt lawmakers who blatantly cheat the electoral system.

It wasn't always this bad.

When I was growing up there was a sense of unity in America. I know, you're probably thinking that old people always say it was better back in the day. But the nation did stand united against Russia and our other enemies in my earlier days.

I'm not saying there were no problems in the 1950s, but the country was more optimistic, and the world did look at us as a beacon of democracy.

Sadly, that's not true anymore. Somewhere along the line the crazies took over and challenged every law and every norm in our society.

Truth is twisted like a pretzel in the MAGAverse we now live in. Facts and evidence are ignored by millions of Americans whose brains have been boiled in the MAGA cauldron for years.

Where has sanity gone?

Is it hiding and waiting for the Trump cult to collapse in a glorious fashion? Are Americans going to suddenly awake from this nightmare and restore sanity in the country?

I wish I knew. I love America. I served my country fighting in Vietnam and Cambodia. I always managed to show respect for the office of the President... until Trump came along.

As it stands, I don't have many years left, at 73 my health is an issue. In spite of what's happening in our world today I'm still clinging to the belief that America will withstand these massive challenges and continue to be a republic long after I'm gone.

MAGA Republicans Are Shameless When Caught Lying

It didn't take long for MAGA Republicans to cry wolf when two people were killed when their car crashed into a border checkpoint in Niagara Falls Friday.

Fox News quickly starting sharing rumors of a terror attack on the border which was quickly amplified by Republicans in Congress.

------------------------------------------------

Click here to read the AP article: Victims in Niagara Falls border bridge crash identified as Western New York couple.

______________________________

Without a shred of evidence, they attacked President Biden claiming that his border policies allowed two terrorists to breech the border checkpoint.

Clowns like Ted Cruz immediately posted on X that it was a terror attack. So did Marjorie Taylor Green who eventually deleted her baseless accusation when she got wind that it was bullshit driven and everyone knew it.

Top MAGA moron activists and the far-right media had a field day crying wolf. Then suddenly the lies disappeared as reality set in. There were no apologies for trying to create a public panic after that.

The subject was dropped like a hot potato as the shameless accusers moved onto their next lie and diversion.

This false narrative about terrorists came on the heels of another shameless lie perpetrated by Republican lawmakers after getting a hold of the J6 videos.

The claimed an undercover FBI agent flashed his badge to a policeman in the corridors of the Capital. 

Another lie. 

The person holding what the MAGA morons' thought was a badge was in fact holding a vape. 

He'd just come out of Nanci Pelosi's office where he stole a picture and some cash and was turning them over to the cop. On top of that he was convicted for several violations and was doing time in prison while they were making their false claims.

That didn't stop Sen. Mike Lee from going ballistic and promoting a false conspiracy theory after Republicans got their hands on 44,000 hours of the J6 assault on democracy.

He went on social media and really made a fool of himself by claiming the man was an undercover federal agent posing as a Trump supporter. 

The fact is the man's name is Kevin Lyons and he was convicted of six federal charges relating to the insurrection.

You may notice that in both of these cases I cited there were no efforts to check facts by the accusers who went silent after being exposed. They're shameless. There's no other way to put it.

As it stands, these MAGA traitors are on a mission to destroy democracy and to install an authoritarian regime under their cult leader Trump.

Be Thankful for What You Have Today

                  Happy Thanksgiving!

In our chaotic society it's often difficult to think of something that's going right in your life. We all face challenges every waking moment. Despite that it helps to recognize our blessings.

As families gather together for a Thanksgiving meal it's a time to forego negativity and too bond. It's about family not politics. Even though MAGA morons keep trying to drag this holiday into their fever swamp they're not going to succeed.

This year Trump cronies like Stephen Miller, a Nazi-loving creep, are trying to pick fights with the organizers of the Thanksgiving Day parade by claiming the directors are anti-white.

Other MAGA morons have been busy boycotting the parade because there's two trans performers in it.

Trump himself celebrated the day by going after our judicial system and spreading lies like butter on mashed potatoes.

Be thankful if you're not a cult follower today.

Be thankful we are still a democracy; despite the challenges we currently face.

Be thankful if you're healthy.

Be thankful for your loved ones.

Be thankful that you're alive.

As it stands, whether you have turkey or tamales today for your Thanksgiving meal may you enjoy it with family and friends.

There's a Reason the Founders Made Sure That There was a Separation Between Church and State

Historians say the reason the Pilgrams came to America was to have religious freedom.

(photo of Pastor Mark Burns)

The reason the founders of the Constitution separated church from state was simple: not everyone is religious, and everyone shouldn't have to worship the same God and have their lives revolve around a deity they don't believe in. 

By separating church and state all Americans are able to enjoy their religious and secular freedoms without fear of being judged by a malicious religious government tribunal.

But there's a segment of Americans who believe that there should only be one nationalized religion, and everyone should adhere to their twisted version of Christianity.

One of the more intrusive efforts to brainwash our youth is happening in schools across the country as far right figures open up "religious" schools to indoctrinate children in Christian Nationalism.

The latest example comes from a pro-Trump pastor who recently announced plans to open a Christian Academy that will protect students from "Woke-ism."

Mark Burns (Trump's top pastor) is a televangelist and pastor of the South Carolina Harvest & Praise Worship Center, and he has a plan to disenfranchise millions of Americans by teaching anti-LGBTQ and transphobic classes.

Calling the school Burns Military Academy the curricula will be based on the "popular" Abeka Curriculum which promises an education from a National Christian perspective. 

The academy's main goal is to teach that LGBTQ persons live in "sinful lifestyles that the Bible warns against" and are going to hell. The overall agenda (where students - and parents - are going to wear military uniforms similar to West Point cadets) is to protect their little "snowflakes" from LBGTQ, CRT, and woke teachings.

One might ask "are they not going to allow their students out in the real world?"

Also, will these zombies in training be allowed to have mobile phones and have to give up the internet in order to tune out the truth in the world around them?

As far as I'm concerned radical religious schools have no place in America polluting the public with hateful lies and promoting divisions in society.

To put a cap on this, Burns says that he doesn't care about Trump's four indictments because he's going to be re-elected next year. He plans on turning out the next generation of Trumpers for the future.

As it stands, America is at a crossroad in history that threatens the republic and people's individual freedoms. Now's the time to speak up and defend our country from radical right wingers and to expose their lies in real time.

Extremists Call for Boycott of Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Calling it 'Liberal Nonsense'

That's it! 

I'm sick and tired of outlandish Christian Hate groups and MAGA morons in general trying to overturn traditions in America.

This winter groups like One Million Moms and Mom's for Liberty are busy trashing Macy's Thanksgiving Parade because the festivities include performances from non-gender-conforming performers.

It doesn't stop there, however, as the haters started a petition to boycott the parade this year. They claimed the parade would allegedly expose millions of viewers to the liberal LGBTQ agenda.

These hate-mongers stir up controversies wherever they can from schools and libraries to national holidays. Their stated goal is to disenfranchise the "liberal LGBTQ community." 

The targets of their senseless wrath are Justin Sullivan and Alex Newell. Sullivan is a trans-non-binary actor famous for his performance in & Juliet. Newell is a Tony-winning non-binary actor famous for his role in Shucked.

Both Broadway musicals were set to be performed at the parade sending the haters into a frenzy. Who knows what will happen now?

A counter petition is garnering thousands of signatures. It reads in part, "Gay people exist, and that's a fact that most MAGA-brained conservatives would rather ignore. So much so that even seeing one on their TV screens might send them into a panic."

Meanwhile...

Here's a video on what to expect from the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

I encourage everyone to enjoy this annual festival parade because it's Americana. It's us. A nation giving thanks for whatever blessings come to mind.

As it stands, it seems to me that these people who hate the sight of anyone that doesn't conform to their standards of gender have a choice - they can turn off their TVs and let others go on about their lives and quit trying to polarize the nation.

Takeaways After I Listened to Trump's Gag Order Appeal

It was supposed to last an hour, but Trump's Gag Order appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia stretched into two hours.

It was interesting for a lot of reasons. One being not watching something forces a person to concentrate on the words and voice inflections. Like the generation before me it's equivalent to sitting in a room and listening to the radio.

The first thing I noticed was Trump's attorney Dr. John Sauer (photo above) must have been a graduate from Trump's (now defunct) University's Law School and Theatre Program. 

From Sauer's cadence to fraudulent arguments, it was apparent he was performing for a one-man audience. 

Not only were his arguments for allowing his client to say anything about anybody during the course of a criminal trial ridiculous, but they also demonstrate what our current judicial system faces...  sustained idiocy funded by wealthy MAGA donors.

Today's oral arguments revealed how difficult it was to draw a distinction between purely political campaign rhetoric and speech intended to subvert the legal process.

The three judges repeatedly corrected Sauer's assertions and schooled him on case laws repeatedly. 

A death threat issued against Judge Chutkan (who is overseeing the election subversion trial) loomed large over the hearing. Two of the judges pressed Sauer on whether his client's speech can lead to real world actions by his supporters.

Sauer tried to counter with "there's an evidentiary burden here" and argued that "despite Trump's online comments on the case, prosecutors haven't come forward with a single threat that's even arguably inspired by any of his social media posts."

Wrong!

The judges quickly pushed back by bringing up the case of Abigail Jo Shry who was charged in August for making death threats against Judge Chutkan. 

As Judge Millett said, "The day after (Trump) said, 'if you come for me, I'm coming for you,' the threat was issued."

In his gravelly villainous voice Sauer whined that there was no evidence of her reading or listening to social media...

So, by that reasoning Shry must have had a bad dream about killing a complete stranger who just happened to be Judge Chutkan, who just happened to be in charge of Trump's election subversion trial.

I don't think so. Apparently, the judges were skeptical too because I came away with the impression that they will allow a limited gag order to be resumed.

As it stands, a loss by either side will surely be appealed to the entire D.C. Circuit, and then up to the Supreme Court, though there's no guarantee the judges would agree to hear the dispute.

A Crack in the Dam of Denial: Judge Says Trump "Engaged in Insurrection"

Despite ruling that Trump engaged in an insurrection a Colorado Judge stopped short of taking him off the state ballot for next year's presidential election.

In a ruling that left a prominent Harvard constitutional law expert stunned, Judge Sarah B. Wallace ruled that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment does not specifically name presidents.

Therefore, Trump can still be on the Colorado ballot for President. Not only was it an "egregious error" according to emeritus professor Laurence Tribe, but it also doesn't make sense to a layman like me.

"What accounts for this... bizarro, upside-down holding that the highest office in the land, the one of greatest power, the one whose danger to the republic is at its maximum, would somehow be exempt" from constitutional protections against insurrectionists?" Tribe asked reporters Saturday.

The idea that the section does not specifically name the president thus clearing the way for Trump is patently ridiculous. 

The section does, however, list representatives, senators, vice presidents, presidential electors and anyone holding and office, civil or military, under the United States" who previously took an oath of office.

Simply put, the office of president is of course an office under the United States and suggesting otherwise is a dangerous and stupid assertion defying the true meaning of the 14th Amendment Section 3.

Tribe brought up a good point in his argument by suggesting that if one-time US senator Jefferson Davis, who eventually led the confederacy, to later become a US president after the defeat of the confederacy would have been allowed under Judge Wallace's ruling.

The bottom line is Wallace issued a get-out-of-jail-free card for insurrection. Why? 

Perhaps she was afraid of being the first to kick Trump off of a state ballot. Just like a while back when judges seemed to hesitate on who would be the first to indict a former president of the United States.

The judge's ruling is being appealed. Meanwhile there are several other states looking at keeping Trump off of their ballots.

The best thing coming out of the judge's ruling was that she said Trump engaged in an insurrection. The genie is out now and prosecutors and judges in Trump's other trials will use this judge's words to good effect.

As it stands, the good news is the dam of denial Trump has built up has a widening crack that will result in multiple criminal convictions.

Memo to House Speaker Johnson: You Released J6 Footage - Now What?

MAGA universe is celebrating MAGA Mike's release of all 40,000 hours of footage from their government takeover attempt at the Capitol.

But why?

What do they expect to see that most of America has not already seen in the mainstream media, right-wing media (Fox news got their hands on those same 40,000 hours of footage), social media platforms, and the Freedom of Information Act (for those schooled in investigations)?

For years now right-wingers have claimed the assault on the Capitol was a False Flag Operation, planned or at least egged on by plainclothes federal agents in an attempt to undermine Trump and his MAGA movement.

All of their attempts to rewrite history can't change the evidence regardless of what Trump and his cult claim.

What are the right-wingers hoping will happen after the video drop? Try not to laugh but the MAGA morons are particularly fixated on an old conspiracy theory spread by former Fox host Tucker Carlson who accused Ray Epps of being a an undercover "fed."

For the record Epps is suing Fox News for spreading lies about him.

That crazy accusation is getting new life despite being disproven by facts revealed by the courts in a two-year long investigation. It doesn't matter however, MAGA Mike made a lot of partisan promises to get the gavel and this was one of them.

It doesn't have to be true, if that's what MAGA Mike's cronies want. Continuation of impeachment attempts against President Joe Biden and renewed efforts to harass his son Hunter, were also promises made - and as happy MAGA morons are saying - "Promises made, promises kept."

Trump cult members have been immersed in alternate reality scenarios on Jan. 6 since the day after the attack on the Capitol. This latest attempt includes slandering J6 committee members for "perpetuating a lie that J6 was an insurrection." 

What we're seeing are MAGA lawmakers who've decided they would rather have a dictator than a democracy. They consider themselves Trump's front-line defense against reality and the rule of law.

I can see it now, "Gym" Jordan, James Comer, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, George Santos, Kevin McCarthy, Andy Biggs and the rest of the crazy caucus sitting in a little viewing room, eating popcorn, and watching hours of footage hoping to find something to bolster their lies.

As it stands, no wonder the GOP majority House members can't pass any legislation, they're too busy serving the twice-impeached former president who has been charged with 91 felonies in four jurisdictions.

Once Considered 'Normal' Stefanik Shows She Belongs in MAGAverse Circus

One of the things I enjoy in the morning with my first cup of coffee is reading headlines from major newspapers across the country.

Today's search provided this nugget from The Arizona Republic; GOP leader ruthlessly mocked after 'clown car' Kari Lake endorsement

Quote from author E.J. Montini: "Stefanik used to be one of those seemingly normal, intelligent, conservative Republicans who one day painted her face white, stuck a red foam ball on her nose, slipped into a pair of enormous shoes and waddled off to join the Trump circus."

Montini maintained Stefanik's "Ringling Bros., Barnum & Baily endorsement of Kari Lake" was as bad as her endorsement of George Santos who's not running for re-election next year because he'll probably be in jail.

That means there's going to be an opening in the tightly packed clown car in Congress. Montini wrote that "Kari Lake is calling shotgun!"

In order to keep her position in the House Stefanik follows Trump the Ringmaster's orders gleefully. Like her MAGAnut colleagues in the House she is running interference for Trump in all four of his indictments. 

But even a top performing clown like Stefanik has to waddle carefully amid the chaos in the House where Republicans are fighting among themselves. Her endorsement of Santos has backfired spectacularly and now her peers are looking at expelling the corrupt little creep.

Stefanik also faces flak for the Republican loses in the last election on November 7th. Her ace in the hole is that she's stayed loyal to Trump regardless of the damage to her reputation in the real world.

In her latest attempt to prove her loyalty to the orange-skinned Clown of Clowns Stefanik filed an ethics complaint against the New York judge overseeing Trump's fraud trial claiming he showed "a clear judicial bias" against her idol.

As it stands, I suspect there's a secret Trump University for Clowns operating out of satellite classes across the country.

The State of the Union: Americans Who Love Violence

Historically ancient Rome and The United States of America have one thing in common... their love for violence.

That may sound harsh, but the comparison is obvious. 

When it came to entertainment ancient Roman's love of brutality and violence is well documented. Think gladiators dying horribly in an arena packed with thousands of people howling for blood.

In America we are one-step away from fighting to the death becoming legal. Boxing and wrestling have always been considered sports, but they have become too tame for a jaded American public that wants more blood for their bucks.

That attitude opened the doors for the extreme combat we see today in the UFC, MMA, and bare-knuckle fighting that's so popular today. There are almost no rules which allows for maximum physical damage.

As if this trend isn't bad enough there's another problem spreading like a wildfire across the country and the government... the increase of physical violence in the streets and halls of Congress.

The once hallowed corridors of the Capitol are no exception. Senators picking fights during committee meetings or House representatives elbowing each other in the kidneys has become the new norm.

Throw in the biggest, most violent cult in American history, Trumpism, and you have the recipe for destroying a democracy.

We are also contending with a crazed former president who wants to get re-elected after trying to steal the last election who is urging his cult to violence daily.

The myth that once circulated around the world that Americans were a peace-loving society has been shattered in the 20th and 21st century. 

Instead, we're now known for having the most mass shootings of any industrialized nation in the world. We allow citizens to carry around weapons of war. There's literally millions of Americans who own the favored assault weapon of mass murderers, the AR-15.

Entertainment corporations are busy turning out even more realistic and violent video games for all ages using artificial intelligence. There's blood daily on millions of monitors displaying gruesome deaths designed to slake the thirst of our savage society.

Not all Americans worship violence. There are millions who don't. All they truly want is peace. But you can't hear their voices over the robust chaos caused by extremists who infect all walks of our life. 

As it stands, I'd like to believe the meek will inherit the earth as Jesus Christ once said, but I just don't see that happening anytime soon.

Wokeism is Here for the Holidays: Hint, Kids with Disabilities are Woke!

Goodbye Mr. Grinch, the Woke Monster is trying to take over the holidays this season.

I don't know what it is about Thanksgiving and Christmas that brings out the worst in conservatives at this time of the year, but it's nothing new.

For years conservatives have accused liberals of trying to kick Jesus Christ out of Christmas. It's been one paranoid reason for this season after another, but they all have one thing in common... they hate liberals.

That hate has been turned on any businesses this year that dare to feature products for the LGBTQ+ community. Earlier this year extremist conservatives boycotted Target for stocking Pride Month merchandise and transgender friendly swimwear.

Those same morons are targeting Target again this year because the range of Christmas decorations available include Santas of various ethnicities in wheelchairs and a toy soldier carrying the LGBTQ+ Pride flag and waving a rainbow hat.

Right-wing media has adopted Wokism (something they can't even define) as the main vehicle for distributing vile rhetoric to their base. That same base that thinks it's woke being kind to kids with disabilities.

Selling Black Santa's especially pissed off those bigoted idiots who think all Santas should be white with blue eyes and curly white hair. The same applies to Jesus dolls that have dark skin... it's unthinkable to the white supremacists among that foul base.

Fun fact: Jesus Christ wasn't a blond blue-eye guy because he was born in the Middle East where most of the population were brown-skinned and had brown eyes and black hair. That according to historians.

I urge you to ignore these attacks on our fellow citizens and let the true spirit of the holidays come through. Let love for family and friends take precedence this winter.

As it stands, you can filter these woke attacks from harshing your high this season by ignoring them or (if your religious) praying for the fools to be enlightened someday.

It' Just Got Better! House Passes Bill to Keep Government Open

UPDATE

The House passed a short-term bill to avert a government shutdown.

Story here

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Earlier post today...

Republican house members have become so dysfunctional they're physically attacking one other instead of working on keeping the country open with a shutdown looming Friday.

As if there's not enough dissension in the GOP ranks the former speaker of the house, Kevin McCarthy, took a cheap elbow shot to the kidney of his colleague Tim Burchett while he was being interviewed in a Capitol hallway today.

It seems McCarthy hasn't got over being ousted from his speaker perch and Burchett just happened to be one of the eight GOP members who voted to get rid of him. 

Here's a link from ABC News reporting on the scuffle.

This pathetic drama happened while Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is supposed to be cobbling together a majority to pass a two-tiered CR. Unfortunately, the bill, in its current form, is dead on arrival in the Senate. 

The bottom line is that Speaker Johnson is going to need Democratic support to send a bill to the Senate that will have a chance of passing. His chances of keeping his job don't look good if he does send a bipartisan CR to the Senate.

It still only takes one person to call for Johnson's ouster and the House will be totally paralyzed again. Don't get me wrong, the House is almost paralyzed right now!

It's a dire possibility that is going to cripple the American economy just as signs of improvement have increased in recent months. As it is right now the Fed is unlikely to raise interest rates in December. 

I can't stress enough what a terrible time in history this is happening as we can't help our allies, or even ourselves from financial ruin if the government is shuttered. 

As it stands, I don't necessarily believe in miracles, but it would sure be nice if a clean CR was passed (See Update on top of the page - Maybe miracles do happen!)

To Shut Down the Government or Not? That is the Question

With a possible government shutdown in four days the Speaker of the House is being held hostage by MAGA members whose only goal is chaos.

MAGA Mike Johnson (Trump's name for him) is finding out that he's helpless against his own fellow extremists when it comes to passing any legislation. He's facing his first real test of his speakership.

The thought of all Republicans agreeing on anything is nothing more than dust in the wind.

Johnson's predecessor Kevin McCarthy was booted for keeping the government running with a bipartisan agreement. Despite Johnson's vow to avoid a government shutdown that's where we're heading on Friday.

The illusion of Republican unity when Johnson was elected speaker has vanished and he's now facing the same challenge that McCarthy did. Nothing is going to happen unless there's a bipartisan agreement.

If you look at Johnson's lack of legislative experience at this level, it's apparent he's a little fish in deep waters. He's never chaired a committee and comes from the party's anti-leadership wing that made governing so difficult for his predecessor.

Give Johnson some credit for proposing a clean CR (well, technically, one clean CR with two timelines). It actually surprised the Democrats who are now showing a willingness to work with him. But with members of the Freedom Crazy Caucus opposing any sort of compromise Johnson is between a rock and a hard place.

To make matters worse the White House is slamming Johnson's two-tiered approach to a CR which they claim is a parliamentary gimmick, but Senate Democratic leadership is not on the same page.

As it Stands, as long as Republicans continue to play political games with American lives and prosperity, we'll be subjected to Congressional chaos that threatens our freedoms and the republic.

College Protests Are Not New: They're Just More Deadly Now

    One of the most unsettling experiences 

I had while serving in Vietnam and Cambodia in 1970 was when one of the guys in my squad relayed the news that four Kent State students were killed and nine injured by the Ohio National Guard.

It was May 4th, and we were part of an invasion force meant to root out the North Vietnamese command headquarters. To a man we were shocked and disheartened.

Flash forward to 2023.

While no student deaths have been reported yet in the recent protests at college campuses, they have spurred waves of antisemitism and Islamophobia across the country.

The Israel-Hamas war has stirred free-speech battles lately that have seriously divided students in most of the elite colleges like Harvard.

Unlike the protests during the Vietnam conflict there is another more deadly element in play that wasn't available back in the day. Social media. Our enemies in the world have used it to stir violence and unrest in college campuses for years now. And it is just getting worse.

The Education Department sent out a warning last week reminding schools that they have a legal obligation to curb discrimination or risk losing federal funding.

Angry alumni are calling for presidents to step down and threatening to withhold sizable donations. Students have been arrested. Faculties are divided. It's that bad.

For good reason Jewish and Muslim families are alarmed at what they're seeing because of the ripple effect of the war is on top of recent antisemitism and Islamophobia movement being spread by political extremists from within and overseas.

Reported bias incidents are on the rise according to new data (released last week) from the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The total number of bias crimes investigated by the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force increased by 124% (from 45 to 101) in October, led by a 214% spike in anti-Jewish incidents (from 22 to 69), according to a NYPD spokesman last Thursday.

This is not just a recent response to the Israeli/Hamas war. Reports of antisemitic incidents in the U.S. had reached an all-time high in 2022, according to the Jewish Defense League.

What we're seeing now on college campuses is chaos worse than the few years of the Vietnam protests on campuses because there doesn't appear to be an end in sight to the violence.

As it stands, I'm also concerned for possible future students who may not elect to go to college adding to the dumbing down of America.