Tuesday, February 19, 2019

The Effects of Trumpopoly: The Game of Cons


                                        Good Day World!

News from the gaming world is that the two-year long interactive Trumpopoly game is an international success.

Gamers worldwide, from Russia to North Korea, are raving about the accessibility to the U.S. president and his regime. The ongoing interactive cyber game of cons has produced a wave of nationalistic fervor throughout Europe, challenging democratic governments.

Going on it's third year of infecting societies, Trumpopoly has spread throughout the middle east, leaving death and despair in it's wake.

Avid players like Chinese dictator Xi Jinping; North Korean strongman, Kim Jong-Un; Russia's President for Life Vladimir Putin; Turkey's dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan; Syria's strongman Bashar al-Assad; and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, have all successfully advanced their savage agendas.


Meanwhile Trump is doing his best to win the game he created. 

That means pulling out all the stops and openly defying the Constitution and weakening democracy to make way for an authoritarian government.

If that happens, the unwilling participants in Trumpology - the majority of Americans - will have lost the game.

Related: 10 Updated Monopoly Cards

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

Monday, February 18, 2019

What Would You Do For 15 Minutes of Fame?

Good Day World!

There's nothing like the aroma of that first pot of coffee to perk up my day. 

Which leads to today's topic: What would you do for 15 minutes of fame to perk up your day? 

I'll open the conversation with a recent event that struck me as odd, especially coming from an actor on a successful TV series.

One of the actors on the hit show "Empire" apparently staged a phony attack against himself. Jussie Smollett told police he was beaten up and had racial epitaphs hurled against him by two MAGA hat wearing racists.

A week after that allegation the police discovered it was a bullshit story and he paid two friends to help him stage the phony attack.

My question for Jussie is, Why in the hell would you risk losing whatever following you have by making up a story like that?

The answer, I suspect, is he didn't feel like he was getting enough press and a story like this would thrust him into the media limelight. 

He was right. The sad part is his career is probably over.

Let's go back to the concept of 15 minutes of fame.

The expression was inspired by Andy Warhol's words "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes"

His prediction of ever expanding media coverage for non-celebrities leading to a moment of stardom was right on. We see examples every day.

From an 8-year old calling 911and saving his parents life, to Colin O'Brady, a Portland, Oregon man who was the first American to solo walk across Antarctica recently.

These intrepid souls and average folk are the stuff of fleeting fame thanks to our digital age.

In closing, have you ever had your 15-minute of fame? That moment when everyone knows your name? If so, please share with the readers of this blog.

I'm listening.

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

Sunday, February 17, 2019

Sunday Thoughts and Observations On a Winter Day

Good Day World!

A hawk wind is blowing in Medford this wintery morning as I sip my well-doctored coffee.

There's a winter wonderland of snow in the valley here.

I have some wandering thoughts and observations that may interest you while winter knocks at your door.

Under OMG! The Zombies are here!

Thus far, 24 states have reported "Zombie" deer roaming around in their borders. Seems they have an infection that could one day infect humans! Run! Hunters! Run! That might not be good meat to eat. Just saying...

Under really embarrassing for the USA:

Pence was at a NATO security conference a couple of days ago and was greeted by crickets when he announced he was there representing Trump

Under nightmare vacations:

A few days after snow drifted across Polipoli State Park in Maui for perhaps the first time in history, the island’s national park — Haleakalā — was pummeled with snow and ice!

Shades of the X-Files:

A team of former government officials, whose members are said to have been working under the shadows of top secrecy for decades believe UFO's are real.

Odd places to get married:

One couple decided to go all out for Valentine's Day and get married - in a Wal Mart Flower Department!

Under "Bad Boy, Bad Boy" what 'cha going to do department?

Looks like Mueller struck the mother lode with Roger Stone. He has proof Stone communicated with WikiLeaks during the 2016 election

Under when the rats jump ship:

Longtime Trump supporter, Ann Colter, said Trump is an Idiot. Apparently she's realizing what everyone else knows.

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

Saturday, February 16, 2019

King Trump's Intent: Upsurp Congress' Power of the Purse


                                       Good Day World!

Our petulant POTUS broke out of the White House pre-school yesterday and went after Congress and the Constitution.

In a Rose Garden speech he repeated every (fact-checked) lie he's ever told about the southern border to justify getting around the will of Congress and declaring a national emergency.

His public address was more of a campaign rant than an excuse for declaring a national emergency. He buttered up his base by reciting his list of most popular lies.

This latest temper tantrum to get a vanity wall has become a constitutional crisis thanks to the man-child who thinks he knows how to make deals.

His tactic of executive overreach ramped up to dizzying new heights with the declaration of an emergency to make his campaign promise come true.

The scary part of his action is that there will be severe lasting consequences to our Constitution long after Trump's regime is a dank memory. It's like breaking a clay pot and putting it back together again. It'll never have it's original integrity.

Trump's fit of presidential pique constitutes a reordering of the power dynamic between the branches of government. His aim is obvious, he intends to usurp one of Congress' most basic responsibilities, the power of the purse.

In the days, weeks, and months ahead America is going to be further torn apart by bitter court battles which Trump anticipates will end up in the Supreme Court that he's recently stacked with supporters.

But there was one line in Trump's rambling speech that can derail his efforts. He said the move (declaring a national crisis) was unnecessary, but he "...wanted to speed things up."

Doesn't sound like much of an emergency to me. I have a hunch the courts will agree.


At stake, an imperial presidency seizing control of the country...for our own good!

Related: Here's Where the Money for Trump's Border Wall Will Come From

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

Friday, February 15, 2019

How Trump 'Drained the Swamp' Then Restocked it


                                        Good Day World!

Throughout Trump's 2016 campaign there were a few repeating themes, always accompanied by numerous signs at rallies.

One of the rally cries was "Drain The Swamp!" Remember that one? 

Trump's interpretation of draining the swamp consisted of getting rid of as many Democrats in government as he could. He told his gullible supporters that he was going to get rid of career lobbyists and unethical people in the former administration.

Looking back at that piece of hypocritical rhetorical bullshit is revealing. Here's what is really happening:

Days after Trump was elected he signed an executive order to require all political hires to sign a pledge. Upon leaving his administration they had to promise they wouldn't lobby for the agencies they worked in for five years.

Of course, that executive order was nothing more than window-dressing. There's loopholes as big as semi-trucks in that agreement. At least 33 former Trump officials have found their way around that pledge.

The most prominent is former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who resigned in December after a series of ethics investigations.

Guess what he announced yesterday? He's now working for Turnberry Solutions...wait for it...a lobbying firm.

At least 18 of those former officials have recently registered as lobbyists. The rest work at firms in jobs that closely resemble federal lobbying.

Not counting Zinke, here's a list of Trump cabinet members who have had to leave with their tail between their legs because they were caught engaging in unethical activities.

I noticed in Trump's 2020 campaign rally the other day there was one guy in the front row holding up a sign that said "Drain The Swamp!"

In 2016 there were rows of the same sign prominently displayed at every rally. I'm curious at what changed. Is it possible that even his die-hard supporters find the subject touchy? 

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



Thursday, February 14, 2019

3 Simple Questions For Trump's Base

Good Day World!

Shout out today to core Trump supporters. 

Especially the one's who agree with Trump that he's starting something new by proposing a 4th of July parade in Washington DC.

(Just for the record for all readers: America has held 4th of July parades for over 200 years in Washington DC. The biggest one, attended by 200,000 marching soldiers was in 1865 after the end of the Civil War.)

Moving on...to Trump Supporters

Do you have mind if I ask you three questions?

1. If Trump says the sky is green, are you okay with that?

2. If Trump declares a crisis on our northern border and sends troops there, is that okay with you? (Please note we're not at war with Canada).

3. When Trump whips up crowds with attacks against our mainstream media, does that inspire you to bite a liberal reporter?

Thanks to all of you hardcore Trumpies who read all three (even if you had to get help) questions.

For you non-Trumplicans here's a current article on Trump's base;

Trump Approval Down, Slips With Base

One more thing to think about; the majority of Americans don't trust Trump and believe he's a flagrant liar

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

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Were You Surprised When...


                                          Good Day World!

Were you surprised when Trump lied about how many people attended his 2020 campaign rally in El Paso? (Trump Flagrant Lies on Attendance)

Were you surprised that that Trump's minions decided to copy Hillary Clinton's campaign slogan, "Stronger Together?" 

Were you surprised when Trump's hardcore followers warned him not to sign the bipartisan agreement that Congress came up with?

Were you surprised to hear one GOP aide say there was no Plan B if Trump didn't agree to the bill?

Were you surprised to hear Trump got his base so worked up at the El Paso rally one of them attacked a reporter?

Were you surprised to hear that drug kingpin El Chapo was convicted on all 10 accounts?

Were you surprised to hear about the new football league and how well it did last weekend?

Were you surprised that Pompeo denied that Trump was covering up the murder of Jamal Kashoggi when Congress's deadline to act passed? 

The bottom line...

Don't be surprised by anything in the news these days.

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

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Average American Realizes Trump Tax Bill Screwed Them

Good Day World!

Democrats can rightly say "I told you so" when they fought Trump's tax bailout for corporations and 1 percenters last year.

The results of Trump's con for the wealthy is surfacing as the average American is seeing their tax returns down by 8.0 percent.

A host of economic indicators shows the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act failed to achieve its key promise, a major increase in investments by business that would create more jobs.

In addition, millions of residents of blue states are about to get hit with big federal income tax increases while many American expatriates who own businesses overseas are also facing unexpected new tax bills.

This kind of corporate tax timing trick has been employed several times since the John F. Kennedy administration in 1962.

The effect each time was to create a brief surge in corporate investment, called capital expenditures, followed by a slump.

This year is no different. The average American is feeling the true effect of the tax scam the Republicans pushed through Congress.

Related: Consumer Sentiment Drops To Lowest Levels of Trump's Presidency

Related: Lower refunds Might Hurt The Economy

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

Monday, February 11, 2019

No Vetting Leads To Gotcha Stories on Steroids

Good Day World!

Gotcha articles have been around since American journalists began producing newspapers for the public.

Like any product newspapers have evolved with societies norms, but the core mission - always printing the truth - has deteriorated during the rise of the digital age.

Once upon a time a person who knew something scandalous about a famous person quietly went to a newspaper and let a reporter confirm the authenticity of the claim.

Those days are gone, along with the decline of civility during the Trump regime.

The advent of the Internet unleashed a flood of partisan bloggers and hate websites that make accusations against people without proof in real time. 

One of the most insidious websites is Big League Politics. You may have that name recently because the top three politicians in Virginia have been attacked by this partisan site.

 Newspapers nationwide have been talking about the enormous scandal consuming Virginia politics right now, in which the Democratic governor and both of the Democrats behind him in line of succession are embroiled in what may be career-ending scandals. 

To no one's surprise Big League Politics conducts hyper-partisan Republican opposition research and is funded by Republican sources.

Comically, the web page has an ethics section where it falsely claims to be "journalist owned" and states "We don't belong to the Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Green, or even Bull Moose parties. Our only goal is to tell the truth.

What I see happening is these hyper-partisan sites, and other sources of online disinformation, slithering into mainstream news agencies posing a huge risk to legitimate journalists today. 

Increasingly, people are having a hard time believing what they read because of this infusion of fake news from partisan sites and print publications like the National Inquirer.

The biggest problem is when you bring politics into these gotcha stories on steroids they affect already elected politicians, like the case in Virginia.

The only way to avoid cancelling the voters will, after electing someone, is to properly vet candidates. This is not happening for a couple of reasons, money being the biggest one.

Print publications are already struggling in today's digital age, and the smaller ones don't have the money to properly vet political candidates anymore.

Combine that limitation with the instant news on the internet and you can see what the print media faces when competing for readers.

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

Sunday, February 10, 2019

Baby Trump Blimp To Visit Dueling Rallies


                                         Good Day World!

Tomorrow.
Q - What's that in the sky? 
A - Why it's the Baby Trump Blimp!

Yes folks, while Trump leads a racist rally in El Paso, Texas tomorrow there's another rally to counter his lies a mere mile away.  

Democrats led by current favorite son, Beto O 'Rourke, will be promoting the good things about their city to counter Trump's vicious lies about how it was once one of the most dangerous cities in the nation until a wall was put up in 2009.

The backdrop for this street theatre is the possibility of another government shutdown in four days.

If that should happen, and Trump once again doubles down with a stupid move, I propose that Congress pass a bill to fund the Baby Trump Blimp to float over the White House until the orange anus agrees to what Congress presents him.

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

Trump's Lowest Grift Ever Saved for Holy Week

This is a story about how the devil's puppet, aka Donald Trump, mocked Christianity by selling a book combining the Bible, the Constitu...