Welcome to 2022! You Made It

Happy New Year!

How weird was 2021? 

Let's put it this way; it rained down fish on the last day in Texarkana, Texas.

And.

The country survived a coup attempt by one of the two major political parties.

But you made it to 2022!

Now what are you going to do?

I suggest you take efforts to protect your mental health. It's going to be another ugly year with all of the challenges ahead.

You know what they are.

Another year of chaos lies ahead between climate change disasters and politics. A combination of the Apocalypse, Ragnarök, and The End Times.

False prophets will infect the hinterlands and suburbs, and the war between reality and fiction will wage on with little hope of resolution.

The pandemic will continue to stalk rural communities in Red States and the rest of the country because we're so polarized some pick death over life to prove how stupid they are.

Be realistic.

We don't live in Utopia. So, you have to carve out an existence that will get you through the trials and tribulations ahead.

If you don't have one, get a hobby. Choose comedies over dramas. Limit how much news you allow into your space. Stay grounded. JFK is not coming back from the dead and Trump is not the president.

Take comfort in facts and don't let right-wing assholes pull your chain. Wear a mask where necessary. Kiss a loved one at least once a day.

And.

Cultivate your sense of humor.

The Last Day of 2021: MAGA Awards Are Highlight of the Night

It's been MAGA madness since the new year was ushered in with a coup attempt by Trump and his minions.

Pleased with how much progress they made in destroying election integrity in 2021, MAGA members huddled together - like a roomful of diseased rats and came up with some categories to honor their efforts to destroy democracy this year.

Traitor of the Year

This will be the biggest award handed out at the Mar-a-Largo New Year's bash(ing) tonight.

The leading candidate comes as no surprise. It's Trump. Other MAGA morons trying to compete with him are Kevin McCarthy, Roger Stone, and Steve Bannon.

GOP Congressman Who Told the Most Lies in 2021

This was the most competitive category with a who's who of infamous clowns to choose from. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Jim Jordan are the clear frontrunners.

Trailing closely behind are Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Andy Biggs, Mo Brooks, and Paul Gosar.

Most MAGA-Like 2021 Newcomer to the House

Another really competitive category with three strong frontrunners. They are, Madison Cawthorn, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Lauren Boebert.

Just behind them are Ronny Jackson, Peter Meijer, and August Pfluger.

The long shots are Burgess Owens, Beth Van Duyne, and Pete Sessions.

MAGA Member Who Most Compared Democrats to NAZIs

This category was boiled down to three contestants. They are Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and Jim Jordan. No favorite here. They're all too closely associated to pick a winner. Should be fun to see who wins.

It will also be instructive to see which loser whines the loudest. A conciliation prize goes to the biggest baby.

The Coveted Most Active Conspiracy Clown

Along with Traitor of the Year, this category is expected to bring a lot of excitement to the New Year attendees.

Once again Steve Bannon is a probable favorite, but he's not a lock on the prestigious award. Challenging him are Roger Stone, and Alex Jones. The dark horse in the race is Rudy Guiliani because he was so active in pushing conspiracies.

There's also a chance, Sydney Powell may get a dishonorable mention according to a leak from the committee.

Biggest Hypocrite Award

It's been reported that the selecting committee broke out in fights trying to pick the biggest hypocrite in Trump World.

After much debate they selected Lindsey Graham, Kevin McCarthy, and Mark Meadows. This should be interesting, as the award is a lifetime membership in the MAGA Mob Online Discount Store.

Who Had Their Head Furthest Up Trump's Ass?

By now Trump's anus must be the size of the Holland Tunnel with so many daily visitors.

As you can imagine it was extremely hard to tell who had their head up Trump's arse the most (and longest) as no official lists were kept. The judges did get valuable input from the Royal Ass Wiper, Mike Lindell, aka The Pillow Guy

The committee finally settled on the following contestants. Mark Meadows, Kevin McCarthy, Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Madison Cawthorn. 

All winners will be formally announced to MAGA World during Trump's so-called news conference at Mar-a-Largo on January 6, 2022.

Wrapping Up The Year America Avoided a Coup Attempt

This year came in with a bang as Trump followers tried to overthrow our government in a failed coup attempt.

It's official, Kellyanne Conway's alternate realities have polluted the country, as Republicans embrace the lie that launched the coup - that the presidential election was stolen from Trump. 

It's weird. Americans are watching another coup attempt slowly unfold before their eyes. If Republicans don't legally win the presidency in 2024, they have plans to overturn the results. Is anyone watching?

Red states have been passing voter suppression laws and stuffing GOP election officials in states electoral systems in anticipation of winning - one way, or another.

Is anyone watching?

Yes. We're watching democracy shrivel up as Trump's minions drag the nation into an authoritarian state with him as dictator for life.

It's really sad. We got a new president this year but can't seem to get rid of the old one who hangs around the fringes of society steadily plotting another assault on our freedoms.

This is America today. I hope the new year is better. For all of our sakes.

Just What Does 'Normal' Mean Anyway?

I was talking with some friends and family the other day about normality.

What does normal mean?

According to Merriam-Webster the definition is: 

(As an adjective)

1. - Conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern

2. - Occurring naturally

3. - approximating the statistical average or norm

Normal as a Noun

1. - a form or state regarded as the norm: standard

2. - one that is normal

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The conversations went something like this.

"Remember when mass shootings weren't the norm?" 

"Nothing is normal anymore."

"Who can recall when it was normal for civilians to walk around without military flak jackets and assault weapons in public?"

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I've come to the conclusion that normal is a myth that we create that makes us feel safe or good about things we grew up with. 

Have you ever noticed how normal is often referenced to something in the past? 

Today normal is abnormal. We see and hear people every day who live in an alternative universe where Trump is still their president.

Normalcy is a mystery among scholars and scientists. I don't believe I've ever been "normal."

Quote

Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.

- Ellen Goodman

Quote

Normal is not something to aspire to, it's something to get away from.

-Jodie Foster

Quote

Maybe your weird is my normal. Who's to say?

-Nicki Minaj

When All You Have Left Is Hope

There's so many world-shaking events happening simultaneously it seems like our society is on a spin cycle of chaos.

First and foremost, our democracy faces its greatest threat since the Civil War. Republicans have morphed into an authoritarian party led by a wannabee dictator who's actively working on overthrowing our electoral system. We've become a dangerously divided nation in the 21st century.

We're now in the second year of a pandemic that is still surging around the globe. The latest variant, Omicron, is spreading faster than its two predecessors.

The holiday season has been a story of airline cancellations due to Omicron and the particularly bitter winter weather. Thousands of people are stuck in airports as the year comes to a tired end.

The effects of climate change become more obvious every day. Historic tornados and snow falls. Drought. Wildfires. Sea levels rising. Historic heat in areas we've not seen before. Globalists and governments unable to (or unwilling to) meet the growing environmental challenges facing the earth.

The only thing left is hope.

As the recently passed Desmond Tutu once said, "Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness."

As Albert Einstein so finely put it, "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning."

One of my favorite inspirational quotes is by former president Barack Obama,

"Hope is that thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it and to work for it and to fight for it."

Unfinished Business: Report Exposes Connection Between Trump Organization and Russian Alpha Bank

As the year grinds to an uneasy end, the ghost of Mueller's investigation in 2016 has emerged with bad news for Trump.

If you recall, in Trump's desperate waning days of office, he directed AG Barr to conduct one last fraudulent investigation by appointing John Durham to discredit intelligence agencies who were looking into the Trump Organization's ties with Alpha Bank, a major Russian bank with ties to Putin.

Durham came up with a bullshit story about a cybersecurity Teck expert who turned over information to the DOJ regarding the suspicious relationship of the two entities that was false. He charged the expert for spreading lies, and the case was forwarded to the courts.

That's not the end of the story, however.

You see AG Garland discovered Durham's scheme after investigating it further and put out a memo stating it was a legitimate investigation and needed to be pursued.

Ignoring the memo Durham churned up a 26- page report afterward featuring a fraudulent version of what Garland reported and released it to the press in October.

The defense team for the cybersecurity lawyer who was indicted in September by Durham asked a judge last week to set a trial date sooner than the prosecutor wants - while disclosing evidence recently turned over to them that contradicts the charge.

The newly disclosed evidence consists of records of two Justice Department interviews of the former F.B.I. official whom Mr. Sussmann (the cybersecurity lawyer) is accused of lying, each of which offers a different version of the key interaction than the version Durham came up with. That official is the prosecution's main witness.

The defense team for Sussmann have accused Durham of putting forward a misleading portray in his indictment by selectively excerpting fragments of their clients' emails, omitting portions that showed their clients enthusiastically supported the final analysis.

Sound familiar? It should. It's the same tactic AG Barr used when "releasing" Mueller's Russia Investigation results.

So, what did this bogus last shot by Trump cost taxpayers? Are you ready for this?

Durham's sham investigation into the Russia probe cost $3.8 million (so far). He spent $2,8 million on travel, salaries, benefits, IT services and litigative support from October 2020 through September 2021.

After the court settles the case - likely against Durham - the question remains. What is Garland going to do with this damning evidence of Trump's collusion with Russia?

And The Blog Break Goes On

 I hope you enjoyed your Christmas.

(Post-Christmas photo taken in 1952. I was 15 months old. Playing with one of my presents.)

This is just a reminder that I'll be back Monday and you can expect the usual drivel. Opinions and news served a la carte, with a side of humor when appropriate.

Are you a new reader?

If so, I'd gently nudge you to the right-hand side of the page where past posts are archived chronologically.

I also do fiction. Check out my other blog - The Creative Chronicles of Dave Stancliff.

Cheerio then! Carry on!

Blog Break for Christmas - May Peace Be With You

Merry Christmas!

Enjoy this time celebrating with friends and family. It only comes once a year.

I'm taking a blog break (back on the 27th) to take the time to reconnect with loved ones and to immerse myself - as much as possible - into Christmas traditions.

I'm weary of the hate that circulates in this country via social media, cable TV, and partisan publications on how to destroy our democracy.

Like every American, I'm stressed out about the pandemic sweeping the nation for a second year in a row.

Some time away from my blog and news sources will help refresh my spirit. I'm letting the spirit of Christmas renew my faith in mankind. 

Most Americans want peace to settle upon the land. A Christmas miracle is needed now more than ever.

Instead of Holiday Cheer There's Nothing But Fear

 

A CIA task force that tries to predict when civil wars will break out around the globe has reported we are no longer a democracy.

According to Professor Barbara Walter of the University of California, the two most likely predictors (racial and religious) of whether violence will occur currently exist in the U.S.

The task force concluded we are no longer the oldest democracy in the world. We're somewhere between a democratic and autocratic state thanks to the Jan. 6 coup attempt that cemented the divide in America.

Instead of talking about Santa and children eager to see what gifts he's brought, fear stalks the season with worries of an impending civil war.

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Millions of Angry, Armed Americans Stand Ready to Seize Power If Trump Loses in 2024

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Peace is elusive as right-wing lunatics continue to wage an ongoing fictional "War on Christmas." Traitor Trump claims credit for saying "Merry Christmas" again, when in fact it was never an issue.

Yet, according to a recent poll from Fairleigh Dickinson University, more Americans believe such a "War on Christmas" exists than any point in the last decade.

The so-called war about liberal oppression was invented to fill right-wing cable airtime in the 2000s - thanks to Fox News and Bill O'Reilly.

Nothing is sacred anymore. Instead of a universally celebrating the holidays, fear fills the land as Americans continue to go down a rabbit hole of misinformation and lies that are ripping our democratic republic apart.

Time for a Blog Break

I'm stepping away from the computer until Monday, Dec. 20th.

I need a couple of days of downtime. This world is getting through to me.

The reemergence of another COVID strain has been too much. I feel like we're in an endless loop of disasters.

Historic tornedos, cold temperatures, flooding, and a dysfunctional Congress has blurred the holidays into a time of just surviving.

Enough.

I invite you to check out my past posts (on the righthand side of the page). 

I'm also offering fiction instead of opinion at my blog The Creative Chronicles of Dave Stancliff 

Hopefully, by Monday I'll be ready to go back to expressing opinions without harshing my high. 

See ya then.

NY Trump Grand Jury Questions Forbes Over Interview With Trump

A new front has opened in the investigation to get justice for former president Trump's crimes.

(Photo of Cyrus Vance walking out of federal building.)

The Manhattan Grand Jury subpoenaed Forbes editor Randall Lane to testify about an article the publication ran in 2015. In the piece Trump threw out fantastic valuations of his properties and brand.

Prosecutors are interested in what Trump told Forbes about the value of his holdings. His bold lies about his net worth at the time raised reporter's eyebrows.

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Related: Forbes' Editor Tells Grand Jury About Trump's Obsession With His Rich List Placing

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With Cyrus Vance retiring at the end of the month observers are saying he wants to wrap up the case. He's centering in on Trump's intent to defraud investors and banks.

Vance wants to get clarity on who inflated Trump's net worth.

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Trump Fraud Inquiry's Focus: Did He Mislead His Own Accountants?

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It appears Trump is in more trouble than we thought. There's a good chance he'll be charged with fraud on several fronts.

In the weeks ahead the biggest story of 2020 may break as Vance wraps up the loose ends.

America may get an early Christmas present if Trump is indicted.