Saturday, July 2, 2016

A League of Their Own: 2 World-Class Liars Seek American Presidency

Good Day World!

History in the making.

Two world-class liars, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, are (basicly) the nominees for Democrats and Republicans this election cycle.

Not much of a choice. 

You could go third party, but chances are they won't win. I say that despite the fact that I'm going to vote for Gary Johnson.

I certainly won't vote for either of these two liars.

How did we get to this terrible place? The last time Hillary ran for president one of the things that hurt her campaign was the bullshit story of landing in Bosnia under fire from the enemy.

One lie counted against her back then.

A mere eight years later and now lies are like mosquitos buzzing around this election and infecting people's common sense. They are left unmolested. Allowed to repeatedly sting.

Trump has the edge in lies thus far (doesn't mean more on Hillary won't surface). He has been rated "Pants On Fire Liar" by fact checking websites like PolitiFact and Snopes since he cast his ball cap into the ring for the presidency (a year now).

I was watching a great old comedy called "A League of their Own" the other day when it hit me... 

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are in a league of their own. We've never seen anything like it in American politics. They are the two most unpopular rival candidates for president in our history.

God help America...because someone needs to!

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

Friday, July 1, 2016

What the Bird Heard: Grey Parrot a Reliable Witness?

Good Day World!

Got an unusual witness story for you today.

Michigan police think they know who killed Martin Duram, but they only have one possible witness...

A bird. An African grey parrot named "Bud.

(Photo- Family members believe "Bud" may have witnessed the fatal shooting of his owner. WOODTV)

But does a bird in hand mean a conviction?


The suspect is Duram's wife Glenna, who police say staged a failed double-suicide to hide the fact she killed him.


One thing about Bud; he really likes to talk and loves to repeat everything he hears. Martin's family has a video showing Bud saying, "Don't f***king shoot!" 


The prosecutor is mulling over the idea of putting Bud on the witness stand. I'm not absolutely sure, but I doubt if there's been another murder trial in U.S. history that had a bird for a star witness.


I could be wrong. If you know of a trial that went to the birds, so to speak, please share here.


Meanwhile, let's all stay tuned to see if this feathered snitch puts away a murderer.


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

Thursday, June 30, 2016

Trump Violates FEC Law By Solicating Foreign Government Officials to Fund His Campaign

Good Day World!

One of the main reasons people are following Donald Trump is that he claims to be self-funding and no one can unduly influence him.

Bull pucky!

Not only is he planning on the Republican National Committee to fund his campaign, he's going overseas for donations! That's right.

In direct violation of federal law, the Donald is asking for money from foreign nationals - including foreign politicians - in at least Iceland, Scotland, Australia, and Britain. 

Breaking News...

Trump fundraising emails overseas prompt complaints here and abroad

A complaint has been filed by a group called Democracy 21 with the Federal Election Commission, highlighting the violation and demanding the agency send a clear message that foreign money is not allowed in U.S. elections.

The group's deputy executive director, Paul S. Ryan, said in a recent press conference that, "It's a no-brainer that violates the law to send fundraising emails to members of a foreign government on their foreign government accounts, yet that's exactly what Trump has done repeatedly." 

I can't see Trump's supporters being thrilled with this development. How do you make America Great Again by bringing foreign influence into our elections!

Once again, Trump has proven to be a liar and hypocrite. He says what people want to hear at the moment. Make no mistake, Trump doesn't care how he wins...as long as he wins. It's all about winning for his personal glory.

Hopefully, some of his supporters will stop drinking the orange kool aid and wake up before it's too late.

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

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Gowdy Unable To Pin Benghazi on Hillary Clinton

Good Day World!

After the longest congressional investigation in U.S. history, Republicans have not been able to blame Hillary Clinton for what happened in Benghazi in 2012.

The Benghazi Select Committee spent over $7 million dollars of taxpayer's money trying to derail Hillary Clinton's chance at being elected president.

The military ended up being blamed for the death of the four Americans. Just like in the other seven reports.

Known Clinton hater (since the days Bill was president) Trey Gowdy, who led the bogus investigation, was on a personal vendetta (see Benghazi committee report).

Last year, in a not so shocking admission by Republican Reps. McCarthy and Hanna, the blatant political motivation behind it was on full display when they bragged about how the committee was damaging Clinton's campaign chances.

Let's make one thing clear: Trey Gowdy's single-minded attack on Clinton came after seven other investigations cleared her of any wrong doing. Preventing another tragedy was never part of Gowdy's focus.

So what did his committee find?

That Hillary Clinton wasn't to blame for the death of those four Americans. The 800-page report faults the military for its slow response sending resources to Benghazi despite clear orders from the president on down.

The Democratic spokesman for the Benghazi Select Committee, Brian Fallon, said that the way in which the committee released the report shows the GOP members of the committee "...were clearly seeking to avoid any fact-checking of their discredited conspiracy theories."

When a reporter asked Gowdy whether Clinton lied, he demurred and said, "That's a word you couldn't use in a courtroom."

So this whole partisan mess is over, right?

Not so fast. Lies have been spread for over two years by this select committee. Lies were leaked out via misinformation to the public.

Those lies took root with time.

Die hard Republicans, and other sundry extremists, will never accept the truth. They've been brainwashed for too long with lies, lying memes, and false stories.

Understand that Gowdy's failed attempt at discrediting Hillary will not stop here. He's a man on a mission of hate. Expect to hear from him again somewhere down the line.

Related: Benghazi By The Numbers

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

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Memes: From Funny To Downright Dangerous

Good Day World!

I have no problem with funny memes. They're usually cleverly done with illustration and text.

It's the hate memes that bother me.

You know the ones I'm talking about. The extremely racist ones, the anti-LGBT ones, the religious attacks, the anti-immigration rhetoric, the anti- Democrat or anti-Republican ones, etc.

One of the motivating factors for murderer Robert Lewis Dear's (pictured here) assault on a Planned Parenthood clinic last year in Colorado Springs, Colorado, was internet memes about "baby parts."

Anyone daring enough to go on comment sections of news stories will run across foul-talking trolls. These are the same trolls that slither onto FaceBook with their hate-filled memes trying to get reactions. Best bet; don't feed the trolls.

The thing I find most discouraging is how easily people pass memes along without first checking them out to see if their false.

I know it's easier to look for things (internet) that back up your worldview these days - whatever that may be. But to mindlessly pass on bullshit...where does it stop?

With the dumbing down of America, the prospect isn't too good for a societal flip flop back to the most well educated country in the world.

Like anything, memes can be used for good or bad. The only way to fight the nasty memes is by fact-checking at websites like SNOPES.

Post the results and know that you've done your part in fighting ignorance and hate. Don't expect that it will make the people who post that shit see the truth. They are blind to it. But maybe it'll help someone else realize there's a lot of lies out there.

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

Monday, June 27, 2016

Welcome Chaos My Old Friend...


                               Today is National PTSD Day. I have PTSD. I'm a combat veteran. Sometimes I write poetry. It helps, and you get a glimpse of my thoughts...

Welcome Chaos

bring it on
bad beat 
don’t mess with me in the heat

bring it on
put the pressure on me
I’m as bad as bad can be

welcome chaos
my old friend
you’re always just around the bend

bring it on
It’s easy to see
violence is my destiny

bring it on
drop a bomb
I fought in Vietnam

welcome chaos 
I’m still here
would you like a Tiger beer?
**

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

What's That Buzzing Sound In Rio?

Good Day World!

Can you hear it?

A buzzing sound that may spell disaster for the Rio Olympics?

(Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Not a good omen.

Monday: A jaguar used in an Olympic torch relay ceremony was shot to death after it escaped its leash and tried to attack a soldier.

What was the Olympic organizing committee thinking have a wild animal in chains alongside the Olympic Torch, a symbol of peace and union among peoples?

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The Zika virus

Latest buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Rory McIlroy Says He Won't attend Olympics Over Zika concerns

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

American cyclist Tray van Garderen withdraws name from Olympic consideration

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Zike fears causes Americans Olympians To Scramble

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Brazil Faces Slew of Problems Ahead of Olympics Opening ceremony 

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Rio's Problems are Getting Worse as the Olympics Get Closer

Building projects and Rio's waterways pose risks for competitors and spectators. An Associated Press investigation in 2015 found swimming and boating venues contaminated with human feces and other pollutants.

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


Studies recently seen by Reuters also found drug-resistant "super bacteria" at five of "Rio's showcase beaches, including the ocean-front Copacabana, where open-water and triathlon swimming will take place."
Scientists have also warned that the influx of tourists and other visitors could accelerate the spread of the Zika virus around the world.
Time for me to walk on down the road...

Sunday, June 26, 2016

What An Immigrant Story! Communist's Daughter May Be America's Next First Lady!

Good Day World!

The world gets more confusing every day.

On FaceBook recently:

Non-Supporter: "Trump is a racist."

Supporter: "Better a racist than a Communist!"

(Photo-Melanie Trump:America's next First Lady?)

Trump supporters don't mind that he's a racist, but they can't handle the idea of someone being a Communist, which they constantly accuse Hillary Clinton of being.

So how do these same supporters serenely accept the fact that Donald Trump's wife is the daughter of a Communist and an immigrant from Slovenia?

Trump's father-in-law - Viktor Knavs - is a registered member of the Communist party. 

Melenia was quoted as saying she wanted to be a traditional first lady. She has also said she's a woman of the 21st century and will do things her way.

I hope that doesn't mean more photoshoots like the one above in the red thong. The pistol and Trumpie's plane don't exactly scream traditional.

I can't imagine the religious right in America will be thrilled with the fact that Melenia was raised as an atheist, and claims no religion.

Some immigrants are okay by the Donald, as long as he gets to vet them and they're rich. 

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

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Baby Boomers! What Are We Doing?

Good Day World!

I'm starting to feel ashamed at being a baby boomer.

Demographics show the core of Donald Trump's support is coming from middle-aged under-educated white men, and baby boomers.

Seventy-two percent of white evangelical Protestant Americans say that American culture and way of life has changed mostly for the worse since the 1950s.

These nostalgia voters are anxious to hold on to a white conservative Christian culture that's passing from the scene as the country becomes more ethnically diverse.

For example:

There's a guy in Tennessee running for a U.S. House seat with the slogan, "Make America White Again." 

Rick Tyler sees no problem with his message of nostalgia for a whitewashed 1960s, and families like "Ozzie and Harriet" and "Leave it to Beaver."

In the good old days, Tyler asserts, there were no break-ins, no violent crimes, and there wasn't a mass immigration.

All of that is news to me as I grew up in the 50s. No break-ins and violent crimes? Talk about mythical times!

I know all baby boomers aren't drinking the orange kool aid. I'm certainly not. But to think that Trump is getting votes from boomers makes me sick.

This boomer trend extends to Europe where England has separated from the European bloc with massive help from the baby boomers.

The big issue in England? Stopping immigration (sound familiar?).The boomers have succeeded because they turned out in greater voting numbers than their younger counterparts.

They too want to see the good old days return.

Now the rest of England - the younger people who didn't turn out to vote in larger numbers - have to live with that decision. The lesson? Voting is crucial and beware of demagogues like Boris Johnson who led the anti-immigration bloc.

Fair warning to America. If Johnson can pull it off with baby boomer support in England there's a real threat that Trump may do the same thing here!

Make sure to vote in November if you don't want to see this country peel back decades of social progress because of a bunch of old farts longing for the good old days.

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

Friday, June 24, 2016

Are You A 'Rise and Shine' Person? Or, a Morning Grump?

Good Day World!

Before I retired, I hated getting up in the morning for work.

It was my worst time of the day.

(In Australia, a woman woke up to find a giant python in her house stretching 16 feet and weighing almost 70 pounds. Via Today)


Thankfully, I never woke up eye-to-eye with a giant python (pictured above). Now that would have really ruined my day. I doubt if I would have ever slept in that room again!

So what are some of the reasons people wake up grumpy? 

For starters, some of us are terminally grouchy. That's a fact. I fell into that category for a long time.

Some people just wake up slowly. Being groggy for anywhere from five minutes to 20 minutes is pretty common. Not everyone likes that experience.

Experts tell us that morning grumpiness is simply a symptom of our over-scheduled life, with too little sleep and not enough things that bring us joy on a day-to-day basis.

Perhaps that's why I'm a happy morning riser now. Not having to go to work does wonders for some of us. When I wake up these days, I know that I can do pretty much anything I want to.

Let's not forget having a cup of coffee first thing in the morning.

It really helps, according to Allison G. Harvey, Ph.D, professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley and director of the Golden Bear Sleep and Mood Research Clinic.

"Coffee is a very effective way to counteract sleep inertia," Harvey said in a recent interview with the Huffington Post.

Related: Why You're Not A Morning Person (And How To become One

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

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Trump Gives Deposition on Lawsuit Today: New Lawsuit Accuses Him Of Rape

Good Day World!

Donald Trump found out that he has to go to court AGAIN today.

Despite seeking exceptions because he...

(Yahoo illustration (Photo by AP, Getty) 

"...may have a busy schedule as a result of seeking public office" according to his lawyers, the judge ordered him to appear for a deposition on the case.


Trump filed a lawsuit against celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian who refused to open up a restaurant in The Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Zakarian and another celebrity chef, Jose Andres, withdrew from separate deals, claiming that Trump's disparaging comments about Mexicans would hurt their own reputations and business brands.

Now, despite strenous objections from Trump, he's going to have to personally get involved (his lawyers were trying to get his son and daughter to testify instead, but they failed).

Another headline today says someone filed a rape lawsuit against the Donald!

How Trump can turn the presidency into a 'litagation circus'

This latest action comes on the heels of accusations of fraud with his Trump University scam. He's already been secretly deposed twice now. His lawyers are fighting to keep the transcripts/videos from becoming public knowledge.

Trump has been sued, and sued others, numerous times in the past. If, by some horrible turn of events he somehow gets elected, we'll have to call him "Litagator-In-Chief!"

Fun fact: How many other party nominees for the presidency in America's political history have been sued for fraud, before Trump?

Answer: None.

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...