Alright, America, I’m ready for my close-up?

President Trump recently visited a Ford plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan that is now making ventilators for Covid-19 patients and even though aggressive new safety measures were in place for workers and staff there was one person there who was still not that interested in such measures…and that of course would be our own President Trump.

 

Said the President: “Well, I did wear—I had one on before.  I wore one in this back area, but I didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it. But, no, where I had it, in the back area, I did put a mask on.  I think it sets an example.  I think it sets an example both ways.”

Wearing a mask, and not wearing a mask, sets an example both ways…which would be?

One needs to wear a mask to keep others and yourself safe from the Covid-19 virus when one is in the close company of others…and…who cares?

Strangely, our president seems very (and perhaps overly) concerned that others might see him wearing a mask, especially members of the press (fake news?) but why would that be since he goes out of his way each day to put on a mask (IE: his make-up) painstakingly each morning.

I often wonder what his face really looks like… au naturel, and who, if anyone, ever gets to see him that way but I do suppose that if you are going to go to all of the trouble to put face make-up on each morning why then put on another mask just to cover up the first one? That would make no sense at all.

Why make yourself look beautiful and then not show yourself off? That would be silly wouldn’t it? Covid-19 virus and infection risk and example setting or not?

But The President later added when asked by reporters:

“I was given a choice and I had one on in an area where they preferred it, So I put it on and it was very nice, it looked very nice.”

 

So I guess looks aren’t everything…just maybe in TV Land they are the only thing. Ah well, Sometimes in the land of the free and the home of the brave…All is Vanity.

President Trump later railed against the United Auto Workers union for not endorsing him…Go figure!

L…Is Still for Mom!

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone. If you aren’t a mother than you most assuredly have one, so it is a day that we can and should all celebrate. I posted this a few years ago and as I read it over, I see that most if not all of what I had said then is still true today…so here it is… once again…

It has always struck me as odd, that most westerners of the modern age worship a god who is male when it is the female who gives life and who is most likely to care for and nurture the child…of course I suppose that this same fact could also support our belief in a male deity because we can always say…”where did he go? And why did he leave us alone like this?” too.

Sadly however, in our day and age, the single most important indicator in determining a woman’s likelihood to live out her days in poverty is…childbirth. If a woman in this world can call herself a mother, she is more likely than not… to be poor. That in my opinion is the saddest testament to the failures of the human race that I could ever imagine…And the saddest testament to the failures of men because we are supposed to be partners with women aren’t we? So how come so many women have to go it alone, whether they choose to or not.

The abject cruelty and disdain with how many men treat women, has always been puzzling to me because all men have mothers and most men have wives and many men have sisters and daughters too…and it is not uncommon for almost all men to become angry and outraged should anyone say anything bad about their mothers, daughters sisters or wives.

Yet many if not most of these same men never seem to equate other women as being someone else’s mother, daughter, sister or wife thereby causing them to treat those women with the same thoughtfulness, kindness, love and respect that all women, not just “theirs”, deserve.

Instead so many men behave so violently towards women that it is enough to boggle any god’s (male or female) mind. But that is the tragic flaw of men is it not? We see violence as a real solution to problems…and we really believe that it is…really…and this belief is rearing its ugly head again as this Corona-virus pandemic of 2020 worsens.

And so men keep putting each other in charge and we keep coming up with the same solution…to everything…even when we are fathers we still think that it is a good idea to send our sons…or other people’s sons off to war.

I know that women send there sons to war too, but I think only because men make them. I do believe that If moms were in charge wars and violence would be harder to come by…maybe…but I only say maybe because men would still be around to point out, and insist upon,  how we need to resort to violence to get the job done.

So here’s to moms everywhere. I wish you peace and happiness and the love and respect of grateful children everywhere. And I hope you someday get the chance to  take control of the planet and have the opportunity to show us if indeed, love is the answer…to war, hunger, poverty, religion and greed…because we men still have no freakin’ ideas.

Live Free or Bite Me!

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

All People in America have the right to speak freely, petition the government should they feel aggrieved or unfairly treated and to assemble while doing so, peaceably.

So what do you think about these protests and assemblies above and below? Would you say that they are peaceable gatherings?

Above we have a gathering of protesters who are aggrieved by the Governor of Michigan because she has imposed social gathering restrictions and other similar measures as a response to the Covid 19 pandemic that has hit that state hard (as well as all other states in the USA) and her orders coincide with the President of the United States guidelines for such laws during this pandemic as he announced on TV and in public.

And yet here are protesters with signs calling for the Governor’s removal because they say she is violating the Constitution of the USA.  One sign says “Live free or die” and another calls for the ending of the lock-down. And still other signs that support the President of the United States. (He, as already mentioned is in support of state stay-at-home laws)

However, many of the protesters are carrying guns! Is that a peaceful demonstration? And they are quite obviously very formidable weapons. I’d call them assault rifles but I know that a gun supporter will write a comment chastising me on the use of that term and then go on to explain what an assault rifle really is and how these guns shown couldn’t kill half as many as a real assault rifle could.

Anyway, is that peaceful? Am I supposed to feel at ease because this group of protesters hasn’t started shooting yet and is at the moment at peace? They do have a sign that says “Live free or die” but they don’t specify who will die if they don’t get to live free?

The folks below were part of that same protest. Here they have Michigan Governor Whitmer dressed as a Nazi and giving what appears to be the heil sign… because I’m guessing they see her as un-American? And below that photo is another one of a woman with a sign suggesting that we should hail the Nazi Witmer while also holding an American flag. She did misspell Whitmer but who can blame her. The H would not have fit on that sign anyway. (although maybe the H in Whitmer stands for heil?)

These guys below are in New Hampshire protesting what they see as an illegal lock-down in their state (really it’s a “shelter in place” order and people are still free to go where they please when they please) but lock-down sounds so much nastier doesn’t it? Something you might hear in a prison not in the land of the free, right? And their messages are also “Live free or die” and “Don’t tread on me.” But with a gun by your side doesn’t that kind of say…or else?

In Pennsylvania these loyal citizens protested also. Their messages were. “I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.”  and “Those who would give essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” (Two very provocative comments penned by two famous founding fathers: Jefferson and Franklin) and these folks have guns too. They do appear to be ready for action, do they not? Would the British army of 1776 have considered them peaceful demonstrators?

In any case, this is 2020 and not 1776 and these protesters while expressing their anger
remained peaceful and were not confronted by armed police or soldiers at least not in any of the pictures that I saw… In fact in Michigan a police officer was taking temperatures of the protesters as they entered the capital building. Wow! How nice. Doesn’t America work great?

And yet all of the protesters mentioned and seen above were breaking “the state law” (stay-at-home unless necessary, practice social distancing, wear face masks) which is deemed enforceable by the Supreme Court under the conditions (a health pandemic) under which they were made by state governors. And they are breaking the law while carrying guns!

So, Here is our President commenting about the protests on an Official Presidential Tweet:

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

The Governor of Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire. These are very good people, but they are angry. They want their lives back again, safely! See them, talk to them, make a deal.

And in another tweet he simply added “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!”

 

And remember, the President approved of all of these safety measures taken by each state during this pandemic. (Before declaring their people should be liberated)

He even said that the states were on their own and could do as they please because the federal government would not be issuing a national stay at home order…but after seeing the “very good people” with their anger (and guns and signs?) he suggests that the Governor of Michigan “make a deal”.

Now let’s look at this protester: Just a man in uniform with a couple of his friends kneeling quietly during the National Anthem. He isn’t yelling or shouting. He has no signs with no demands. He is not carrying a weapon. (Good grief! Could you imagine what would have happened if he had?) And he is breaking no laws! (standing for the national anthem is not a law. It is considered proper etiquette and courtesy)

Mr Kaepernick’s reasons for his protest were simple and no less important to him than the Covid19 protesters reasons were to them. (Re: The enforcement of Constitutional Amendments) Said Mr. K:  “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,”

And here is what President Trump had to say about his rights as an American:

“I watched Colin Kaepernick, and I thought it was terrible, and then it got bigger and bigger and started mushrooming, and frankly the NFL should have suspended him for one game, and he would have never done it again… But I will tell you, you cannot disrespect our country, our flag, our anthem — you cannot do that.”

And he later added:

“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’”

Angry, disrespectful, law breaking, weapon wielding protesters: “very good people. Make a deal with them”

Silent, kneeling, weaponless protester breaking no laws: “Son-of -a-bitch” who needs to be taught a lesson about respect.

Colin Kaepernick lost his job as a result of his protest. How about the Covid-19 protesters? Shouldn’t those sons-of -bitches lose their guns as a consequence to their disrespectful and illegal protest? Fat chance, right? After all the idea behind 2nd Amendment rights is to use your guns to fight your government when you are disappointed with it…is it not? What do unarmed protesters get? Their temperature taken by a snarling dog, gas canister or a high powered water hose?

Remember those protesters in Ferguson, Missouri surrounded by policemen dressed like soldiers sporting armored cars and machine guns?  You can argue that the protest wasn’t peaceful but imagine if the protesters in Ferguson had come wielding weapons like those sported by the protesters in Michigan? What would have happened there and then?

It appears as though we are a country with quite a few diseases that we just can’t seem to shake. Covid-19 is just one of them.

Hopefully our latest illness doesn’t stick around as long as our sicknesses over racism,  guns and greed have…

We should be so lucky.

Fat Bastard Has a Plan

Former New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie has spoken and here is what he thinks about the Covid-19 Pandemic and what America now needs to do.  The U.S. should push ahead with reopening its economy during the Covid 19 Pandemic because “there are going to be deaths no matter what.” 

And he added:

“The American people have gone through significant death before. We’ve gone through it in World War I, we’ve gone through it in World War II. We have gone through it and we’ve survived it. We sacrificed those lives.”

And he continued…

“We decided to make that sacrifice because what we were standing up for was the American way of life,” he said. “In the very same way now, we have to stand up for the American way of life.”

So you’ve heard him America. We’ve got to get out there and risk sacrificing our lives in order to save our American way of life! 

Because you certainly know that he won’t!

Kentucky Free For All

Why cancel the Kentucky Derby? Do we really need to pack the stands at Churchill Downs with wealthy, crazy hat wearing, mint julep drinking fans? Do the horses really need diminutive human riders sitting atop their majestic equine frames?

Can’t we just line them up at the starting line and ring the starting bell and…they’re off!

All of us sports crazed, sports craving and sports deprived fans could place our bets from home on our computers and then watch on television to see what happens.

Where will the horses go? Will they run around the track as they’ve been trained? Without a rider? Will they hang out for a while and say hello to one another. Will they run amok, here and there or where ever? Try to find the barn? Munch lazily on some grass if they can find any.

This race could take minutes or hours or??? Who knows? But Americans everywhere could watch for however long it takes, fixed in their seats at home anticipating a conclusion and a big pay day should their horse cross the finish line first. And no matter the odds each horse would probably have an equal chance to make it around the track and back to where they started all by themselves…shouldn’t they?

I’m sure the true racing fan and horse aficionado could tell me if I have a clue as to how horses would behave under a riderless circumstance and I know that a thoroughbred race horse is highly trained and loves to run but…we’ve got to watch something don’t we?

So let them run for the roses…or the hills?

I think the American sports fan is just about reading to watch anything!

 

You Say Potato…and I Say Noble

President Trump had a Twitter fit this weekend…for a  change…(does all of his obsessive tweeting make him a twit?) and called for all of the “fake” reporters of the “fake news” to give up their “Noble” awards.

Said our President:

“When will all of the “reporters” who have received Noble Prizes for their work on Russia, Russia, Russia, only to have been proven totally wrong (and, in fact, it was the other side who committed the crimes) be turning back their cherished “Nobles” so that they can be given to the REAL REPORTERS & JOURNALISTS who got it right.”

And the leader of the free world? added:

“Lawsuits should be brought against all, including the Fake News Organizations, to rectify this terrible injustice. For all of the great lawyers out there, do we have any takers? When will the Noble Committee Act? Better be fast!”

The Noble committee? Of course we know he meant to tweet Nobel (even if he didn’t)… but he quickly deleted the tweet when he no doubt realized (was told) that he had misspelled Nobel. (Spelling? Is that even a thing for our President?) However he then tweeted that he was being sarcastic (does he know what that word means?) like when he suggested on live television that we use household cleaning products like bleach to disinfect our insides (and some of his minions did just that!) or try to shine a miniature but bright light onto our bodies…from the inside out! (I’m sure that someone tried this too)

Really? Does anyone (with half a brain) believe that he was being sarcastic either time? Did he look, sound or act as though he was being sarcastic?

It gives me no pleasure nor does it do me or anyone else any good to say…that our POTUS is a nut-bar. He says the most inane and insane things.

His above tweet suggested that a lawyer should come forward and sue reporters for reporting what every one of our nations intelligence organizations and intelligence committees reported to him to be the truth… about Russia interfering in our elections! 

He said it was the other side who committed that crime. The other side would be us!

He doesn’t know Noble from Nobel. And even if he does he believes that those in charge of the Nobel awards give awards to newspaper reporters…which they don’t… and even if they did… he believes that that distinguished and august body does not know what they are doing!?

He is not aware that bleach and other household cleaning products are poisonous.

He believes that with some testing doctors could figure out a way to light up the inside of our bodies in order to kill viruses.

He reads with his fingers. Which is OK if you’re not good at reading and you have to speak in public…but not if you are the President of…anything! And when President Trump does it you can tell that it is partly because he has never read or has absolutely no knowledge of what it is he is about to read. He doesn’t proof read. He doesn’t prepare. When he comes across something that is news to him (almost everything he reads) he pauses and then starts to riff on whatever startlingly bit of knowledge he has suddenly discovered…and that’s when Mr. Nut-bar appears.

He wears facial make-up everyday. Have you ever seen President Trump without his face on? Even when he golfs he has his makeup on. Who puts makeup on to go golfing?

Tammy Faye Bakker?…maybe? 

And yet despite all of his lying, bullying, lack of knowledge and an inability to show empathy or sympathy for anything or anyone his supporters still adore him…and not only adore him but make excuses for him and his poor behavior so that he doesn’t have to.

I believe that only 3 things could possibly cause his base of support to finally crumble and fall away.

1.  He appears in public in a military uniform.

2.  He appears in public without his makeup on.

3.  He cries in public…and his makeup runs.

Other than any of those three things happening he has as good a chance as ever to be re-elected in November. And that frightens me more than anything that has ever happened in America during my lifetime.

Just imagine… a resurgence of the Covid19 pandemic and the re-election of President Donald Trump occurring in the same month later this year…

 

 

There are more important things than living!

I didn’t say that.

The Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick said that.

Here is what he told Tucker Carlson on Fox TV earlier this week:

“Every life is valuable, but 500 people out of 29 million and we’re locked down, and we’re crushing the average worker. We’re crushing small business. We’re crushing the markets. We’re crushing this country…There are more important things than living. And that’s saving this country for my children, and my grandchildren and saving this country for all of us…And I don’t want to die, nobody wants to die, but man, we got to take some risks and get back in the game, and get this country back up and running.”

So what do you think? Would you jump in the volcano to save your country’s finances?

What is more important than living?

I’d like to hear your thoughts in the comments section…please.

Thanks!