THE PROBLEM WITH RON DESANTIS

Another bottom feeder polictician – grifter

I am sure Ron and Casey DeSantis are nice people away from the bright lights of politics, but I have many political questions for our governor. I wonder whether he respects the rights of children, if he understands the need for equality among “all the people” and whether he supports the sanctity of immigrants in America.

It would be too easy to spray the criticism that everything DeSantis has done as governor was only to further his national political ambitions. It appears that once he got the Governor job, he was living every moment to get another one… in Washington.

As the grandson of Italian immigrants, one would hope DeSantis had more empathy for the immigrant’s plight, but alas, it’s a case of, “We’re in, close the door behind us.” Florida is made up of immigrants and workers from everywhere. Why the constant condemnation of that class? DeSantis’ stunts and statements would have us believe he doesn’t care about what America stands for. Immigrants are people, not political punching bags.

Harassing large corporations that provide thousands of jobs is bad business, while giving another big donor exclusive rights to Covid shots reveals a payoff in the plan. Why did I have to drive four hundred miles to get my shot? Please stop bragging about how great you did. It was just okay.

We hear so much about respecting the rights of parents, but what about the rights of children?  From banning Critical Race Theory, certain books and gender realization, DeSantis is kowtowing to the base, not protecting all the kids. One must ask, who decided that a child’s rights could be ignored, besmirched and ridiculed by the state? Will the governor and his wife attend funerals to comfort the parents mourning their trans or gay teen’s suicide due to constant bullying? Sadly, he will not be involved in the problem he exacerbated.

I’m puzzled by the DeSantis political family who rails against liberal elitism but sends their kids to private schools. I assume they think they are fixing education, but so far, they have created far more conflict, drama and fear than advances.

When the governor in his high-heeled cowboy boots rode his white horse into government, he was just a cheap imitator of Donald Trump. His actions, words and deeds since then have shown a man who truly doesn’t care about anyone else’s viewpoint. Florida doesn’t need a baby Trump; we’ve got the real one.

The facts are clear. Mr. DeSantis had no discussions with the families of LGBTQ kids before he handed Tallahassee his abominable bucket of hate: the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. He also had no consultations with the communities of color that he cut up like chum on the beach to gerrymander his way to power. He just did it without the regard for the voters’ rights in those places. If only Ron was honest about it all.

The lack of respect for equality and the Voting Rights Act are just as bad as his ploughing through the policies in education that were meant as safeguards for equality. Getting rid of much of what the New College of Florida was all about, only to suggest that adding sports teams will bring people back to the institution, feels a lot like “Biff” from Back to the Future being put in charge of education. It’s sad that a graduate of Harvard and Yale would see public education as an evil force. Maybe he doesn’t care about kids.

The idea of a “woke ideology” coming to take your freedoms away is much like Chicken Little screaming, “The sky is falling!” I still have no idea what “woke” means, but it’s clearly Ron’s N-word.

The fundamental problems of Ron DeSantis are his obvious desire to rewrite history, control the future and force all citizens to adopt his way of life. If “freedom” is really your north star, Mr. Governor, then why do you keep telling us what to do, how our doctors will treat us and even who to love. The demeaning discrimination on display so far proves he’s a bad governor and would be a horrible president.

THIS BOOK SHOWS US WHERE THE WORLD IS REALLY HEADED

Tattoo Detective: Our Last Hope for the Future

Imagine being able to time travel into the unknown. TATTOO DETECTIVE: Our Last Hope for the Future is a science fiction novel examining the world after all the guardrails of normal society have been dissolved.

The story follows two American tattoo detectives who are sent on a mission that changes them and their world. This dystopic look at the United States and the flaw in humankind is not a Pollyanna prognostication, it’s fundamentally close to our current reality and could be predictive of where we are headed. The opening chapter says it best, “…we could have done something, but we fell madly in love with technology, weapons and wealth.”  For purchase or dowload, go here. Check out our author page on Amazon.

BUY THIS BOOK AND SPREAD THE WORD.


BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Has CNN become Fox News?

Just when you thought it was over it starts again, and many feel that CNN just pooped the bed. But let’s be more civil and analytical, if such is possible in today’s world.

I understand television programming and its various justifications for reasons of ratings and revenue, but CNN broke some rules last night when they put the orange devil on the air for nearly ninety minutes in prime time. According to the American Press Institute, journalism’s first obligation is telling the truth. Good decision making depends on people having reliable, accurate facts placed in meaningful contexts.

The second rule in TV news is never let the interviewee play you. Mike Wallace and Walter Cronkite turned in their graves last night. Why did CNN allow the former President to lie about the 2020 election? Why didn’t they confront him live, in real time, and tell him to his face that he’s still lying and  ask him why he needs to constantly do so? Why not make it personal? Trump certainly does.

Any interviewer would have their hands full with Donald Trump, but a noble journalist must elicit truth. Kaitlan Collins asked Donald Trump some great questions, but she didn’t get him to admit anything. She was a facilitator for his lies. No matter how many panels CNN puts on for the rest of the week whining about Trump, some people will continue to believe his mendacities. It’s impossible for a journalist to create a clear vision when their primary source is a pathological liar, so why did CNN put him on?

This “town hall“ did not provide any insight into a lying candidate. It was just another network elevating Trump, giving him more oxygen and free airtime for his continuous deceit. How is this good for America?

Trump is an idiot on foreign relations and the current cultural realities of an ever-growing browner and more diverse America. He stopped absorbing and thinking in 1956.

The Donald couldn’t call Putin a war criminal, but in the very next sentence he described the atrocities of the war in Ukraine, unable to connect the dots that it’s his buddy Vlad who is doing the killing. I would have asked him, right at that moment, “What makes you so afraid of Putin?” Instead, we got more of the same bullshit, deception and tap dancing so fundamental to Donald Trump.

Chris Wallace is on the CNN payroll, but I’m sure Trump would never have agreed to a sit down with him. Instead, the network brought out their morning show tryout who asked penetrating questions but didn’t adequately rebut the responses. The entire affair became lost in the dust of Trump’s repetitive, nonsensical crap. Had he been properly grilled, I’m sure Trump would have walked off the stage, which would have been far more illuminating.

And what was up with that audience? It’s clear they were not properly vetted or managed, which obliterated the newsworthiness of the whole event. Instead of having a hall full of dimwits laughing and clapping at a fat, orange monkey, why not have an audience of journalists with each getting to pose one short, pointed question?

If TV news is to survive, it must have a certain gravity and gravitas based on truth. The CNN debacle showcased our drunken uncle babbling away about matters well beyond his comprehension. He couldn’t even pull off looking prepared, statesmanlike or normal. He just blathered put-downs and platitudes with the overarching theme of how screwed up America is. Why would we give this blowhard four more years to do what he couldn’t do in the four years he was president?

I’m going to briefly step aside here to inject a Tweet of someone who says it better, the former President’s niece, Mary L. Trump, “I’m furious…. CNN is anti-American. In less than an hour, they allowed an authoritarian wannabe to lie constantly while an audience full of his followers applauded. This was not a town hall; it was a rally. Donald bragged about overturning Roe v. Wade. He claimed—unchallenged—that Democrats allow babies to be murdered after they’re born. He bragged about his intention to pardon convicted insurrectionists. He advocated for the United States to default on its debt which would destroy the world economy. And he showed, once again, why a jury of his peers found him liable for sexual assault and defamation. But Donald Trump cannot destroy our country by himself. That requires allies. He already has the Republican party in his pocket. And now, he has CNN on his side. Tonight’s CNN fiasco was a tragedy for American democracy.”

Mary Trump clearly is just as appalled as I and many others are. CNN will have to work awfully hard to restore its credibility with me but, then again, like many my age I am starting to think that it’s all just bullshit. We can’t trust Congress. We can’t trust the Supreme Court and we certainly cannot trust CNN, or Fox, or MSNBC, or any news outlet that hides behind the bright lights of showbiz while leaving honest reporting and penetrating journalism splat on the sidewalk.

Think about all the major news stories that have broken in the last ten years and realize they resulted from the arduous work of journalists at the New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, Pro-Publica and other outlets. The talking heads on TV just read the words. They spend more time on their hair and makeup than pounding out the truth on a keyboard.

It’s embarrassing. Recently I heard one of the talking heads actually say, “Well, I haven’t read the whole document yet, but this could be either real good, or real bad for Donald Trump.” WTF!

Sorry, but if you attempt to be “fair and balanced” with Donald John Trump, you will merely make him President again and that would be the end of journalism and, oh yeah, DEMOCRACY!

THIS BOOK SHOWS US WHERE THE WORLD IS REALLY HEADED

Tattoo Detective: Our Last Hope for the Future

Imagine being able to time travel into the unknown. TATTOO DETECTIVE: Our Last Hope for the Future is a science fiction novel examining the world after all the guardrails of normal society have been dissolved.

The story follows two American tattoo detectives who are sent on a mission that changes them and their world. This dystopic look at the United States and the flaw in humankind is not a Pollyanna prognostication, it’s fundamentally close to our current reality and could be predictive of where we are headed. The opening chapter says it best, “…we could have done something, but we fell madly in love with technology, weapons and wealth.”  For purchase or dowload, go here. Check out our author page on Amazon.

BUY THIS BOOK AND SPREAD THE WORD.


THEATER OF WAR & POLITICS

The Modus Operandi of the Mindless Robot

The games being played by Congress are getting more tired and worn. The gamesmanship is so obvious, and their approval rating continues to plunge. The use of the word “theater” or if you are in a blue state “theatre,” has been used dozens of times within the last week, a week that brought the violent deaths of eighteen people by an automatic weapon in the hands of a crazy person. Republicans use the term “theater” to describe the Democrats’ position on mask wearing and gun control. Why do the Republicans push back on ideas to keep us safer?

We’ve all heard the term theater of war, but where does it come from? In his book On War, Carl von Clausewitz defines the term Kriegstheater, which is old Latin for theatrum belli. Mr. von Clausewitz writes, “If the enemy’s forces are collected in one army upon one theatre of war, they constitute in reality a unity, and we need not inquire further; if they are upon one theatre of war, but in separate armies, which belong to different Powers, there is no longer absolute unity; there is, however, a sufficient interdependence.” And just like a theatrical stage play, there is always a protagonist and antagonist.

Theater of Guns & Politics

When Judiciary Committee Member Senator Ted Cruz complained about the Democrats bringing forth a discussion on gun control as the same “theater” they engage in after each mass shooting, he was the pot calling the kettle black. If the other side in the play is the protagonist, then Cruz must be the antagonist, meaning that he is solidly against gun control and believes there is nothing that can be done to solve the problem of mass shootings. In fact, he directly said gun control cannot stop mass shootings. So, there is the hill where he wishes to die.

Should more weaponry be a part of the next insurrection, perhaps that hill will be the fate of some representatives and senators. It’s been well established that people in Congress get millions of dollars from the National Rifle Association (NRA), and they are proud of the ratings they get from that lobbyist. Their votes against gun control have been purchased by Wayne LaPierre, an allegedly corrupt, self-serving administrator of the NRA slush fund.

In short, members give money to the NRA and Wayne spends the money however he likes. According to BradyUnited.org, Ted Cruz took only $176,274, but the list of recipients is a who’s who in the Republican force against gun control. Just take a look. Mitt Romney grabbed $13,647,676, Richard Burr (NC) snagged $6,987,380, Roy Blunt (MO) received $4,555,722, Thom Tillis (NC) netted $4,421,333, Cory Gardner (CO) snagged $3,939,199, Marco Rubio (FL) pocketed $3,303,355 and the list goes on.

If this is theater, then it’s a lavish production funded by the NRA, and gun control will never become a reality unless the money gets cut off. Gun acquisition loopholes are continually exploited and any local initiatives to curb America’s vast appetite for fire power is always shot down by state governments and federal courts. In 2018, the city of Boulder, Colorado passed a ban on the sale and possession of assault weapons and large capacity magazines, but earlier this month, a state district court judge blocked the city from enforcing its ban. Just six days before an angry man entered a supermarket in Boulder and killed ten people, he bought an automatic weapon, but wait, that doesn’t matter.

The reason it doesn’t matter is because the alleged shooter is not from Boulder, he lives in a suburb of Denver some twenty miles away. Without a federal mandated ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, we will never succeed in this theater of war. Without a weapons turn-in program, we will never get the millions of assault weapons off the street. And here is another tidbit of truth for you, militant African Americans also do not want the government to take away their high-powered weapons. Wow, the radical members of Black Lives Matter and the white supremacist militias agree with Ted Cruz.

After a mass shooting and inaction by leaders, Black rapper Killer Mike tweeted this, “I told my kids on the school walkout, I love you, if you walkout that school, walkout my house…we are not a family that jumps on every single thing an ally of ours does because some stuff we just don’t agree with.” In other words, as long as the enemies of the African American community have guns, he wants people of color to be able to defend themselves.

Gun and ammunition sales skyrocketed when Obama was elected President. Paranoid conspiracy theorists believed that the first Black president would take away all their guns. Their opinion was illogical, but they fear any action to control the sale and use of firearms. The NRA has always been against a national registry of guns, and the organization has instituted so few safety policies and programs they have abandoned their original cause of rifle and gun safety.

Charlotte, North Carolina

Republicans like Josh Hawley, who took $1,391,548 from the NRA, suggest that Democrats are performing a theatrical routine to make people believe they care about gun safety, when many of them own guns and would never turn their backs on the Second Amendment. While that might be true, I have a suggestion.

Would it make sense to rewrite the Second Amendment and update it for today’s modern America? The words in the present text are, “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed,” but is that applicable to life in 2021?

First, what is this “militia” in the Second Amendment? Back then, the US was up against the well-trained and equipped army of the British government. The early American leaders didn’t want and couldn’t afford a full-time army, so the president would sometimes call on state leaders to form a local fighting team, a militia, to take on the latest uprising from either native populations or British funded Canadian troops who wanted to grab some land. Because only Congress had the power to declare and fund a war it was easier and faster for the “Commander in Chief” to make the locals do the work, and thanks to the Second Amendment, weapons were always available. The Second Amendment also says, “well regulated,” and I contend that President Donald John Trump had the power to call off the Capitol Hill insurrection just by saying STOP. If he had done so, and the rioters didn’t stop, they would be traitors and seditionists who could have been shot by the United States Army.

I believe this is the part of the Second Amendment that needs to be changed, “…the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” It should say, “the licensed right of people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” There are many precedents. I need a license to drive, hunt, fish, sell real estate, use software, use a trademark, use a song, practice law, sell alcohol, fly a plane, practice medicine, import goods, export goods, build a house, run a pub, breed dogs, get married, operate a forklift and practice medicine, just to name a few. So, why not require a gun owner’s license that must be renewed at reasonable intervals? The states could write the End Users License Agreement, but the registration would be national.

So, pipe dream or good idea?

EVERYTHING WAS PREDICTED IN THE BOOK… PUT YOUR SEATBELT ON AND READ: 

The book that tells it like it is…

Gold, God, Guns & Goofballs: If you only read one chapter of this book, try “Take a Knee for America” and think about our never-ending conflicts between minorities and the police. I’m not asking you to take a stand but having a deep and honest conversation about why some people think the way they do would be productive. This is a book for the moment which seeks to start a conversation about peace. And if you are worried about social media, you really should check out the chapter called “Social Media Menace.”

Get the Kindle Version HERE. Or order your paperback edition HERE.

QAnon followers can pay twice the price.


THE COUP THAT COLLAPSED

Trump Stoked an Insurrection Based on Lies

Everything that Donald Trump has said and done shows he is one pure-ass fake. Some might call what I am about to state here treason, but I will speak my mind without fear of intimidation or party affiliation, unlike those spinless Republican Senators who will not convict the former President of crimes against America.

In a different time and age, Mr. Trump would have been brought into magistrate court, charged with treason and shot on the public green the next morning. I’m not saying we should do this today, but he should know that had he lived in France during the two decades after that country’s revolution, he would have been beheaded. Sedition, treason and insurrection were not crimes one could argue away in court.

Most of America has now seen the freshly released images of the Capitol Hill riot on January 6. If Donald Trump is not to blame, then who is responsible for those crazy people who stormed the Capitol? Is it Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, 4Chan, 8Chan or maybe Charlie Chan? Could it have started with Carlos Danger and Anthony Weiner’s dick pics, or has it simply “been brewing for some time now” as I hear endlessly from the puckered pieholes of pundits and prognosticators reading the grievance tea leaves in Russian restaurants? They are all full of shit, just like Trump and his ludicrous lawyers.

Attorney Castor

I say they are stupid. Why? Trump lawyer Bruce Castor actually offered these words in the halls of Congress during the impeachment trial, “We are so understanding of the concept that people’s minds can be overpowered with emotion, where logic does not immediately kick in, that we have recognized examples that otherwise would be hearsay and said that, no, when you’re driving down the street, and you look over at your wife, and you say, ‘Hey, you know what, that guy is about to drive through the red light and kill that person,’ your wife can testify to what you said, because, even though it’s technically hearsay, it’s an exception, because it’s the event living through the person.”

Okay, let me wipe some of this horse shit off my shoes before I launch into my own personal rant. What the fuck does any of that mean? I can only assume that he’s trying to plant a seed that the bad things you will hear about are being were told by people who don’t know what they are talking about, so just ignore them. YES, that must be it! Trump’s personal lawyers are saying that there is nothing to see here and we should ignore hearsay even when it comes out of the ex-president’s mouth.

If a person lies to their attorney, and their lawyer then presents that lie as a defense in a court of law, that doesn’t make it any less of a lie. His attorneys are going try to sell the Senators and the American public a premise that Trump was merely using his First Amendment rights while talking to a group of really good people and he bears no responsibility for what they later did on Capitol Hill. Okay, let’s examine that. There are only two conclusions one could draw from that scenario. One, Donald John Trump is such a bad communicator that no one understood what he was saying or, two, the group assembled that day was so stupid they misinterpreted him.

Trump’s more than 11,000-word speech, complete with audience reaction, is right here, Donald Trump JAN 6 2021 Speech should you wish to read it. Without a shadow of doubt, his words were an incitement to insurrection. His detailed, final pitch to sell the big lie about election fraud also featured a compendium of grievances of those who have so mistreated him. Poor baby. In his final act, the martyr stood before his adoring crowd saying it’s time to take back your country, be strong and fight like hell. And let’s not forget that there is nothing good about hell.

Trump used the words “fight” or “fighting” 27 times, but only used the word “peaceful” once. It came near the end of his 75-minute speech, “We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated. I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.” So, there is the “out” that his lawyers will argue for 16 hours at trial. Really? That’s it? The other 11,000 words don’t matter?

To delegitimize the rightfully elected 46th President of the United States, Donald pulled this one out of his index box of hate and lies, “I just spoke to Mike [Pence]. I said, Mike, that doesn’t take courage. What takes courage is to do nothing. That takes courage, and then we’re stuck with a president who lost the election by a lot, and we have to live with that for four more years.” Yes, Mr. Trump, that is how elections work. You should remember; you won one.

Mike and Karen Pence Rushed Away from Danger

Trump’s berating of his Vice President and confrontation with his inability or desire to break the law could have cost Mike Pence his life, along with those of his daughter and wife. Not only did Trump stir up the mob’s viciousness, he also directed their ire to Mr. Pence. But it didn’t end with his spoken word, Trump made it worse by tweeting to the insurrectionists at 2:24 PM, “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution.” So, the Donald turned up the heat on Pence as the mob was in the Capitol building screaming, “Hang Mike Pence.” Loyalty?

What if the pack had captured and murdered Mike Pence? Would the Republican Senators then be more likely to convict this loser of a president and disqualify him from ever holding Federal office again? That’s a tough question, but it gives me no certainty they would convict. Their vote is always for sale and Donald Trump bought it with lies, fear and intimidation. No man or woman should have that much power.

Donald Trump’s attempted coup failed, just like most of what he tried to do as president. Hundreds of thousands of people died from COVID because of his lack of comprehension, terrible messaging and misguided policies. And five people died because of the insurrection. He should be tried in criminal court, with testimonies of those who were in the room with him as he watched the riot on TV. How did he act then? What did he say? Donald John Trump intended to upturn the results of a valid election, and we must do everything we can to make sure such a thing never happens again. Ten years in jail for the perpetrator just might be a good deterrent for future presidents.

Book for the Recovery – Build Back Better!

How to Hire Great People: Tips, Tricks and Templates for Success

Great companies hire great people. This short, easy-to-read book will help you recruit, review and refocus your new workers into the style and culture of your company. Motivating people to do great work will manage turnover and keeping good workers at your company will maintain your success. Employee inspiration makes a positive difference in our competitive world. HOW TO HIRE GREAT PEOPLE covers everything, including testing, training, tricks and tips. Follow this guide and you’ll assemble strong teams with smart workers, and you’ll learn some time-tested techniques about how to keep them.

Kindle and Paperback Click Here

 

The book that tells it like it is…

Gold, God, Guns & Goofballs: If you only read one chapter of this book, try “Take a Knee for America” and think about our never-ending conflicts between minorities and the police. I’m not asking you to take a stand but having a deep and honest conversation about why some people think the way they do would be productive. This is a book for the moment which seeks to start a conversation about peace. And if you are worried about social media, you really should check out the chapter called “Social Media Menace.”

Get the Kindle Version HERE. Or order your paperback edition HERE.


LOONY LIES & CANCER

Mitch McConnell’s Last Term

American politics and governance provide only a few examples of true leadership. The process is based more on gamesmanship and less on leadership. Our former president was far from a leader; he was a psycho complainer.

Today the new Trump lawyers threw their first pitch and revealed what they hope to pull off during the former president’s second impeachment trial. They will claim that Donald John Trump never urged his followers into insurrection and has always promoted peaceful assembly and protest. They will assert that Trump bears no responsibility for the Capitol Hill riot and, above all else, they will argue that an impeachment trial for a president who has left office is unconstitutional. Isn’t that like saying the man who embezzled money from the company the day before he was fired has neither guilt nor a legal obligation to pay back the money? What country is this?

If Trump did not commit the crime of inciting an insurrection, why do those who carried out the treasonous and seditious acts say they were following his orders? I’m sure the trial will cover the content of Mr. Trump’s speech right before the mob marched to the Capitol and killed people, but Trump’s hired hands will say his words couldn’t possibly incite a normal person. What a convoluted court drama! The accused blame the leader while the leader faults the accused. Who can we believe, or should we simply let all of them go Scott-free? But let me move on to today’s main story.

The Lady in Black

Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell made a dramatic and surprising statement yesterday about some of the lunatics in the House of Representatives. Although he didn’t speak her name, McConnell denounced newly elected Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Monday, calling the far-right Georgia Republican’s embrace of conspiracy theories and “loony lies” a “cancer for the Republican Party.” According to the Associated Press he further said, “Somebody who’s suggested that perhaps no airplane hit the Pentagon on 9/11, that horrifying school shootings were pre-staged, and that the Clintons crashed JFK Jr.’s airplane is not living in reality. This has nothing to do with the challenges facing American families or the robust debates on substance that can strengthen our party.”

The former Senate leader’s pronouncement drew a line in the sand and boxed in his House of Representatives counterpart Kevin McCarthy, who should now act. Perhaps he will condemn those Republicans who endorse such bullshit and strip them of leadership roles, or maybe not. We have to wait and see.

The outrageous claims of Trump wannabe Marge from Georgia are the direct result of Republicans ignoring all the daft lies of the past four years. Maybe they’re all crazy, and I mean that in the mental illness kind of way. Greene garnered only 229,827 votes in a district with slightly under one million people, but she was elected and that gives her a megaphone. I believe she’s not highly intelligent. I know saying that is politically incorrect, but if she were the least bit aware, she would know all that QAnon stuff is fantasy. What any of that made-up shit has to do with America being great is lost on everyone except the other dumb people. Maybe her boredom with older anti-Semitic tropes is what led her to say that the California wildfires were ignited by Jewish controlled laser beams coming from secret space satellites.

Mitch is attacking Marjorie because he thinks her lunacy will cost Republicans future elections, including her own election in in Georgia two years from now. The Democrats can easily find someone with more creditability than Miss Georgia Greene. By the way, have you ever noticed that when a Senator or Representative announces they are retiring from Congress they begin to say what they should always have said? It’s ironic that they become truthful when no longer seeking reelection.

Old Man McConnell

McConnell is 78 years of age and he was just reelected to a six-year term. He will be 84 when his term is up and it’s unlikely he will run again. So, this is probably the end for Mr. McConnell and all of a sudden, he’s telling us what he honestly believes and thinks. Using his great political skill, McConnell was able to manipulate Trump to cause himself the least amount of pain, but he surely doesn’t like what has happened to his party.

Mitch will forever be labeled a failure because he couldn’t stop the election fraud scam within his caucus and an insurrection occurred under his watch. For the next two years McConnell will have to work at cleaning up his party while the Dems trample over him. He’s now much less relevant, but at least, he’s finally speaking out.

The loony lies McConnell has called out could very well destroy the Republican Party and, if given enough oxygen, might ruin the House and the Senate as well. If we were to line up Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Marjorie Taylor Greene to ask why they are being so stupid, they would endlessly tell you why they are right, and we are wrong. Their lies, conspiracies and misinformation make America look bad. Consider Rand Paul saying that masks do not protect against COVID-19. Yeah, he really said that. Think about Ted Cruz’ belief that a president cannot commit a crime. What about murder, Teddy? As for Josh Hawley, he just wants to be president one day. God help us all!

We need to keep our eyes on Mitch McConnell to see if stands his ground. If he recapitulates and walks it all back, we’ll know, he’s just another dirty, grifter politician. We have accepted mediocrity for so long it will be hard to know a real leader when one comes along. It’s as if we are as brain dead as Q himself. I assume he’s a man, but I know he’s a dick.

Book for the Recovery – Build Back Better!

How to Hire Great People: Tips, Tricks and Templates for Success

Great companies hire great people. This short, easy-to-read book will help you recruit, review and refocus your new workers into the style and culture of your company. Motivating people to do great work will manage turnover and keeping good workers at your company will maintain your success. Employee inspiration makes a positive difference in our competitive world. HOW TO HIRE GREAT PEOPLE covers everything, including testing, training, tricks and tips. Follow this guide and you’ll assemble strong teams with smart workers, and you’ll learn some time-tested techniques about how to keep them.

Kindle and Paperback Click Here

 

The book that tells it like it is…

Gold, God, Guns & Goofballs: If you only read one chapter of this book, try “Take a Knee for America” and think about our never-ending conflicts between minorities and the police. I’m not asking you to take a stand but having a deep and honest conversation about why some people think the way they do would be productive. This is a book for the moment which seeks to start a conversation about peace. And if you are worried about social media, you really should check out the chapter called “Social Media Menace.”

Get the Kindle Version HERE. Or order your paperback edition HERE.


WE ARE LEMMINGS, HEAR US ROAR!

Trump’s Militia of Miscreants Failed Their Mission

Being “for something” doesn’t necessarily have an embedded notion of “being against” something else, but most folks tend to make things binary. Paired concepts such as right/wrong, yes/no, good/bad and start/finish help people see a big picture which often makes them feel safe. A world where things are either black or white might make one secure in their opinions, but life is far too complex for such simple choices. Some issues have so many shadings and gradations that reflective thought is needed to break the myopic spell.

While writing today’s blog, I found this article by Spencer Greenburg. He’s a software developer and think-tank type of guy who also has done some Ted Talks. In his article, Greenburg discusses nuanced thinking in detail. Mr. Greenburg’s post points out three types of dichotomies: 1. The Truth Binary, 2. The Goodness Binary and, 3. The Identification Binary.

The Truth Binary usually begins with someone saying, “I believe….” followed by their statement of “fact,” which is actually their opinion which could be either correct or incorrect.

The Goodness Binary is a simple declaration, such as saying Donald Trump is good or he’s bad. There’s no room for even the slightest objective reasoning as in, “Well, he did good things.” But, what does that mean? It’s just a blunt statement devoid of nuance and any wiggle room.

Then there’s the Identification Binary, in which an opinion is based on membership in a class. It’s the reason why many political candidates don’t declare a party affiliation on their posters. A voter learning of a candidate’s class affiliation might then judge them according to the good/bad lens through which they view the class, not the candidate.

I find it debilitating to engage with people who don’t fully understand words and their shades of meaning. When speaking with a neighbor, I called Trump a racist. My neighbor simply replied, “No, he’s not.” I took a deep breath and then backed out of the discussion. My neighbor holds membership in a class that cannot contemplate the outgoing president doing anything wrong. There was also another stumbling block; I didn’t trust the man’s definition of racism. How can two people possibly debate a subject without agreement on the terms? Teaching someone a nuanced concept of racism would take far too long in a casual conversation.

I am intrigued by the endless discourse of legal minds tapped to explain to the masses whether Donald John Trump is guilty, or not, of sedition by inciting the riot on Capitol Hill. The idea that anyone could possibly speak to the intent of another involves so much nuanced interpretation it seems silly to waste any breath on it. There are times when binary logic can’t help. For example, consider the question of why a person who says he is a “law and order” president urges people to break the law. Trump spoke the words that incited his rabid followers to riot, ending in the deaths of five people. How can this be right? Good/bad and right/wrong are binary choices, but there are times when only complex facts can discern a truthful reality.

Fighting For Trump

The president asked his sycophants to come. He addressed them, he pumped them up and then he urged them on to the Capitol, where bad things happened. Some say the rioters were egged on by Antifa members who had infiltrated the mob. Well, that declaration fails nuanced analysis; it’s just not true. How do I know this? Because the insurgents confessed on TV who they supported and why they committed their crimes.

The Trump Army that tried to take Capitol Hill miserably failed their mission, not because the police and guards eventually pushed them away but because their assignment was to stop the vote count. That didn’t happen. After taking a safety break, Congress roared back and did exactly what the mob tried to prevent them from doing. The insurgents were disappointed by Trump’s video saying their actions were wrong, and when Trump realized his words hurt the little lemmings he regretted recording his second video on the matter. That reveals his intent.

We saw the lemmings in action. They disrupted the government for a few hours, caused millions of dollars of damage and created a situation that ended in the deaths of five people. There’s no nuance, and the lemmings’ binary choice may net some of them five-plus years of jail time. The fat guy who endorsed and encouraged their illegal actions won’t be around to pardon them, nor should they be pardoned. They need to be punished. Yes, punish/pardon is a binary choice, but I’ve got some support for my opinion.

Mobs are bad. Not only do I believe this, but the pointed statement fits into the binary classifications of Truth, Goodness and Identification. Mobs generally believe and act with a singular brain driving them. That’s why they can build a pyramid (Egypt), kill the leader of a church (Joseph Smith) or break through guards (last week on Capitol Hill). When the one brain is wrong then the whole group is wrong, and shit inevitably happens. No one can argue against death being bad, especially those who have lost their lives and voices. I am speaking for them today.

It’s impossible for the lemmings to think clearly because of the grand brainwashing by Donald Trump with his endless lies and misinformation. The miniature misguided creatures don’t have the intellectual capacity for discernment. They “know” only what the man has told them. They haven’t taken the time to see the multiple sides of the issues that drive them because either they can’t, or they don’t want to. They live in a class of ignorance and disregard.

The bell rang and the class of 2020 left the school, but with no diplomas. The American carnage that Donald John Trump talked about during his early days in office has been realized in his miserable waning days. Rather than trying to please this base or that base, it’s time for us to figure out America’s true needs and then work together with laser focus to bring them into reality. The age, experience and wisdom of an older president is essential to truly make America great again. I’m ready for that, and so is Joe!

Book for the Recovery – Build Back Better!

How to Hire Great People: Tips, Tricks and Templates for Success

Great companies hire great people. This short, easy-to-read book will help you recruit, review and refocus your new workers into the style and culture of your company. Motivating people to do great work will manage turnover and keeping good workers at your company will maintain your success. Employee inspiration makes a positive difference in our competitive world. HOW TO HIRE GREAT PEOPLE covers everything, including testing, training, tricks and tips. Follow this guide and you’ll assemble strong teams with smart workers, and you’ll learn some time-tested techniques about how to keep them.

Kindle and Paperback Click Here

 

The book that tells it like it is…

Gold, God, Guns & Goofballs: If you only read one chapter of this book, try “Take a Knee for America” and think about our never-ending conflicts between minorities and the police. I’m not asking you to take a stand but having a deep and honest conversation about why some people think the way they do would be productive. This is a book for the moment which seeks to start a conversation about peace. And if you are worried about social media, you really should check out the chapter called “Social Media Menace.”

Get the Kindle Version HERE. Or order your paperback edition HERE.

 


SCIENCE IS BACK, BABY!

Trump’s Lasting Contributions

Back in my schoolboy days, when I was not daydreaming in class, I did learn a few things, such as Isaac Newton’s third law: “To every Action there is always an equal Reaction: or the mutual actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal and directed to contrary parts.” I should hate Mr. Newton for inventing calculus and formulating the theory of universal gravity. One gave me bad math grades and the other forces me to avoid exercise.

Donald John Trump, soon to be a one-term President, has done a lot of bad things during his term in office. He did have a few good ideas, but those were cursed by his bombastic and distorted messaging. He stepped on his own accomplishments and drove people in the media and his opposing party to propagate contrary opinions and strong arguments against him. That’s on him.

Many Americans and people of other nations believe that Trump and his administration are anti-science. The White House downsized and deemphasized global pandemic experts, and their lack of emergency planning sent a clear message about the administration’s disrespect. When Trump pulled out of the Paris Accord, he told us many times that he doubted the reality of climate change. He went so far as to theorize that China invented the movement to hurt the US economy.

Greta Thunberg

When a young Swedish environmental activist named Greta Thunberg complained about Trump’s dismal view on science, he replied with this tweet, “She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!” but he then followed that gracious comment with this, “So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old-fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!” Trump never addressed her science concerns or the fact that some of the world’s smartest people have warned us all that things will get worse.

Trump’s primary leadership failures were his outrageously dismissive comments, advice and hands-off approach during a global pandemic. His lies are stacked up next to the dead bodies caused by his malfeasance. It wasn’t 15 people on that day he told us it would soon be down to one, then zero. It was a lie when he said the coronavirus was no worse than the flu, and he doubled down on another lie by saying the pandemic was a hoax created by the Democrats to hurt him.

During a long and unhelpful press briefing on Sunday March 29. 2020, Trump claimed that he and his administration could say, “We all together have done a very good job if the number [of deaths] is limited to 100,000 – 200,000.” The prediction that 100,000 people would die was bluntly presented and devoid of any emotion or empathy. With Trump, the main message of everything he said was all about how it affected him and “his” people.

Donald Trump’s disastrous delusions share the common points of being anti-science and anti-global. Instead of rolling up his sleeves and tackling the problem like a real president, he expelled his energy by blaming China for the virus. In the middle of the COVID crisis, Trump wheeled out a doctor with no background in infectious diseases who urged Americans to swallow the ridiculous “herd immunity” theory. It was yet another colossal mistake that killed more people. This president told all of us we should wear a mask, and then didn’t do so himself. He also pitted American against American and encouraged fringe militia groups to protest shutdowns and mitigation efforts in many cities.

A phrase often heard during these times is “follow the science.” Here in Florida, a scientist was fired for refusing to fudge virus figures to help the governor open the state much earlier than he should have. Meanwhile, Trump’s little army of sycophants charged into the Michigan capital building with guns. It’s clear that Trump has problems with science, facts and things humans cannot control. A virus isn’t a Democrat, it’s a demonic parasite out to kill us. More and more people want to know about the “science” of things because of Donald Trump. It’s a force pushing back in the opposite direction, and the main reason Trump will be gone on January 20, 2021. He didn’t show up for science class and got a big, fat F.

The Trump Show

Now he wants credit for the vaccine. Okay, Fat Boy, you did it! You contracted the virus and you survived because of our friend medical science. Without the exotic and experimental treatments you received, it’s likely you would have died. When the Donald told us how much he loves clean water and pure air, we saw right through his transparent lie. It was just another Trump con to smooth the way for his EPA to open lands for destructive mining and development.

NIMBy means “not in my backyard.” It represents a person who objects to something perceived as unpleasant or hazardous in the area where they live, especially while raising no such objections to similar developments elsewhere. As long as the virus stayed in China, Trump didn’t care, but when it came here, he wasted no time starting the blame game. We don’t care about the water being polluted in Pennsylvania by fracking unless we happen to live next door, but when the cheaper water in Flint, Michigan hurt children, we awakened. Trump’s constant thundering against globalism has warped the minds of many Americans, yet they rush to Walmart to buy another something made in China.

Globalism and science are here to stay. Trumpism has taught us that the man was wrong about mostly everything. Remember when he said no one loses a trade war? That was another lie. Ask the soybean farmers who were foreclosed and put out of business.  As for judging the success on Donald Trump against COVID, well his “effort” was a total fucking failure.

More kids will look at science differently now. I often said that my kids experienced great financial comfort in our family, but it’s their memories of some really bad times that will drive them for the rest of their days. They know they must save their money, work hard and always have a Plan B. Joe Biden is now America’s Plan B, and we all need to work hard to help him succeed with everything he faces.

I predict more kids will get into science and care more about the environment because of the opposing forces of Greta and Trump. Our kids will remember wearing masks and wondering why they had to. The first step in learning is asking “why.” Why so many fires? Why so many floods? Why so many deaths? Perhaps chemistry and calculous will be exciting to those kids who will become our future doctors and scientists. I guess we can thank Donald Trump for his ignorance. If being dumb means dying, the motivation to learn must be greater.

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THE DETAILS ARE IN THE DEVIL

Demonic Donald’s Demise is Near

There are times when I feel sorry for Donald Trump. I have sympathy for the man, even though his actions have brought a giant, flaming bag of horse shit to his feet, where he desperately jumps on it again and again, trying to stifle the flames but only making the stinking, fiery mess spread.

A friend of mine had a strange thought. She imagined hearing the Rolling Stones classic song Sympathy for the Devil playing before a Donald Trump rally. Usually, You Can’t Always Get What You Want plays at that time, not the devil song. My friend’s interesting notion motivated me to write this piece.

Mick & Don from CNN

Many have studied Sympathy for the Devil and expressed theories about its meaning. The cleanest, most direct analysis is the song traces the dark side of humanity where we are swallowed up by evil, thereby feeding the darkness the wickedness it craves. Could there be other interpretations? Of course. So, let’s take a trip through the words of the song.

Please allow me to introduce myself
I’m a man of wealth and taste

Donald Trump claims he’s a man of wealth, but the more we learn the more we understand that brag is just another illusion of this con man. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of his private residences. They show a supreme lack of taste, don’t you think? Even the villain Goldfinger would be ashamed to live in such nouveau riche surroundings.

I’ve been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man’s soul to waste

Many have commented about Trump’s glaring lack of empathy and apparently damaged soul. That is a harsh statement, but the line about stealing many a man’s soul can easily be applied to those Republican enablers and sycophants who have walked away from their oath of office by lying to and misleading the American people. Donald Trump has stolen their souls.

And I was ’round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate

We all know that Trump has a “god complex,” which has been enlarged by his severe narcissistic personality disorder. These lyrics, however, suggest that he’s the one who carries a lot of pain and doubt. When all of his wrongdoings come to the surface of the swamp, he will simply wash his hands and walk away.

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game

This devil guy really needs us to know who he is and, yes, we are all puzzled by his game. Us smart voters know that his “game” is not going to make or maintain this country’s greatness.

I stuck around St. Petersburg
When I saw it was a time for a change
Killed the czar and his ministers
Anastasia screamed in vain

The coincidence here is that Trump did make a trip to Moscow in 1987 and visited Leningrad and St. Petersburg. He was there to propose Trump hotels in Russia. He saw the changes taking place in the former Soviet Union and thought he could exploit them for his personal gain.

I rode a tank
Held a general’s rank

Trump always adores generals, until they turn against him.

And let’s not forget that he wanted a parade with tanks.

I watched with glee
While your kings and queens
Fought for ten decades
For the gods they made

Trump makes fun of other countries, except those led by dictators and tyrants. He laughs at the wars of history but has no comprehension of why they took place.

I shouted out
Who killed the Kennedys?
When after all
It was you and me

It seemed demonic when Trump approved a National Enquirer story which claimed that Ted Cruz’s father was involved in the assassination of President Kennedy. Of course, we all know it was you and me who killed the Kennedys, not Donald Trump.

Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails
Just call me Lucifer
‘Cause I’m in need of some restraint

Donald John Trump knows that not every cop is a good cop. He has accused the men and women of the FBI of being “bad cops.” He wants to decide who wins and who loses, who is good and who is bad. He flips coins in disregard of all the rules and regulations he doesn’t like. He is Lucifer, and we MUST RESTRAIN HIM NOW!

So, if you meet me
Have some courtesy
Have some sympathy, and some taste
Use all your well-learned politesse
Or I’ll lay your soul to waste, mm yeah

Trump demands that people be courteous to him, even those he has ruthlessly demeaned. He urges us to have taste, yet he is the most tasteless president of modern times. He asks that we treat him with polite protocol, but if we don’t he will lay our souls to waste.

Okay, I lied earlier. Truth is, I have no sympathy for Donald Trump. I hope he gets exactly what he deserves. Unless he is waterboarded, he will never admit he is or was wrong, but we can hope the judicial system he has so maligned will give this devil his due.

There are 124 “Woo-Woo’s” in Sympathy for the Devil by the Rolling Stones. After November 3rd we will hopefully all be singing “Woo-Woo!”

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How to Hire Great People: Tips, Tricks and Templates for Success

Great companies hire great people. This short, easy-to-read book will help you recruit, review and refocus your new workers into the style and culture of your company. Motivating people to do great work will manage turnover and keeping good workers at your company will maintain your success. Employee inspiration makes a positive difference in our competitive world. HOW TO HIRE GREAT PEOPLE covers everything, including testing, training, tricks and tips. Follow this guide and you’ll assemble strong teams with smart workers, and you’ll learn some time-tested techniques about how to keep them.

Kindle and Paperback Click Here

 


THE ELECTION IS OVER

Trump vs. Biden has already been decided

I’m not predicting who will win, I’m just stating my belief that every voter has their mind made up and they have either already voted for their guy or they will cast their vote for the man they admire next Tuesday. Nothing has been said, done or reported that will change any minds. We have become a stubborn divided nation with our ears and eyes comfortably closed. Should there be a few “undecided voters” out there, they won’t make a difference. They might end up not voting or just casting their vote for the first name on the ballot. By the way, why is Trump’s name listed before Biden’s in the Florida ballot? Shouldn’t it be alphabetical?

Trump is not a good person but that doesn’t mean he can’t run for president. In our free country, however, we must start paying more attention to the bad guys. I am appalled at the Supreme Court’s decision about counting ballots in Wisconsin. Why are they involved? It’s each state’s responsibility to determine their voting rules. It’s what Justice Kavanagh was trying to say, sort of. This lead story from Politico.com tells the story, “As a divided Supreme Court on Monday resolved a fight over absentee voting rules in Wisconsin, the justices exchanged warnings about a troublesome scenario: the possibility that next week’s presidential election leads to days or even weeks of legal maneuvering and uncertainty about the winner. Justice Brett Kavanaugh conjured up the specter of such a protracted battle as he argued in favor of allowing states to maintain firm deadlines requiring absentee ballots to be received by election officials on Election Day.”

Voters Line Up In Georgia

The six blind mice on the court failed to consider the lags and delays of the USPS and the fact that we are in the middle of a freaking pandemic. WTF? They say they would like to stay out of politics, but they don’t. They are a political force more than they admit. They should not have taken Gore vs. Bush in 2000, and it’s not their place to be making decisions about how a state counts its votes. They should be constrained, but this country has no means to challenge their interference in the voting process. It’s not their fault that people and organizations sue for relief, but if they simply refused to hear such cases local courts could determine how things should go; but nooooooo the Supreme Court busts in.

What happens to all those ballots postmarked days or even weeks before the election that arrive at their processing locations on NOVEMBER 4th or later? Are they burned? Are they designated to be analyzed by lawyers and poll watchers? Can they be resurrected from their purgatory? If Trump loses in those states his lawyers will want those ballots counted. Should the tally go in Trump’s favor will the Supreme Court then rule that the ballots are valid? If that happens, I am going on a one-band campaign to impeach some justices.

We all want to have faith in the highest court, but they ping-pong between good judgement and neglect. But wait, this just in. According to USA Today, “A federal judge Tuesday blocked the Justice Department’s effort to intervene in a defamation case against President Donald Trump brought by E. Jean Carroll who claimed the president disparaged her when he denied her claim that Trump raped her in the mid-1990s. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan rejected the government’s central argument that Trump was acting in his official duties as president last year when he denied magazine writer Carroll’s allegation that he had raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in New York City.” So, the courts are saying that the President of the United States is not above the law and he or she cannot use the Justice Department as a personal law firm.

If this case were to proceed to the Supreme Court, the last three justices placed on the bench would probably be the loudest voices against this obviously corrupt use of the Executive Branch’s law enforcement department. The bigger argument is why Donald John Trump thinks he can use taxpayer funded lawyers to defend himself from the charge of defaming individual citizens. Trump’s goofball attorneys engage in poorly researched and dumbfoundedly frivolous lawsuits just to please their client. In the state of California, and many other states, a private nuisance is grounds for action by the injured party. A plaintiff can file a lawsuit against the individual or group responsible for the nuisance to seek an injunction prohibiting the defendant from continuing the nuisance activity. In such a case, the defendant can be ordered to pay the expenses of the plaintiff. Ms. Carroll will certainly do that.

This election is an opportunity to return some normalcy to not only this great nation but also to the courts. Our legal system should be respected, and the courts should not be cited as anti-American in the tweets of a deranged, egomaniacal lunatic in the Oval Office. Trump has been walking out of interviews for years and has been a nuisance to anyone who disagrees with him. I have never seen a person take spiteful legal action against so many people. I hope the courts can see that Trump is not their friend, and that his bragging about appointing certain kinds of judges works against the need for an unbiased and equal court system.

Amy Coney Barrett Hired

It’s not Amy Coney Barrett’s fault that she is been slain by Democrats. It’s Trump’s fault for making such a big deal about her. If she strays too far from “normal contemporary” values in her judgements, there is a remedy. It’s called IMPEACHMENT, and it might be time to use high crimes and misdemeanors as a definition of how certain judgements hurt people. Why would it not be a high crime to take healthcare insurance away from people with pre-existing conditions? Why should citizens with such healthcare protection get a death sentence from the Supreme Court?

Trump has already been elected or rejected by the people. Should the Electoral College not follow the popular vote, the next decision at the feet of the Supreme Court will be the American system of electorates.  We don’t need that right now.

I voted. Did you? If you can, please do so. Every vote counts.

Brand New Book for the Recovery

How to Hire Great People: Tips, Tricks and Templates for Success

Great companies hire great people. This short, easy-to-read book will help you recruit, review and refocus your new workers into the style and culture of your company. Motivating people to do great work will manage turnover and keeping good workers at your company will maintain your success. Employee inspiration makes a positive difference in our competitive world. HOW TO HIRE GREAT PEOPLE covers everything, including testing, training, tricks and tips. Follow this guide and you’ll assemble strong teams with smart workers, and you’ll learn some time-tested techniques about how to keep them.

Kindle and Paperback Click Here


BULLETS TO BALLOTS TO BOYCOTTS

The New Trump America, Ugly, Cruel & Vindictive

From America’s very beginning, there have always been complaints and grievances about many of our ways. It makes sense. Some people left Europe because of religious persecution and threats. The Amish were jailed and killed for not baptizing their children until they reached late teens. The Catholics were harassed by the Church of England. The Irish ran out of potatoes, complaining so much while making their way to America for the French fries. Seriously, we were against many things over there and we came over here to get away from things bad or unjust.

Once we arrived on these shores, King George III became our complaint target. He was exploiting us at every turn. The biggest break came when England tried to take land away from those early Americans who used guns and bullets to end their indentured servitude. Those settlers never considered they were doing the same thing to African Americans, but that’s another story. The fact that our founding fathers gave only white landowners the right to vote was terrible, but at least ballots replaced bullets in decision making.

All people want to have equal rights and equal voices. As one historian recently said, “The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution weren’t perfect, but the language was so well chosen, one could use the words to demand more.” First, we freed the slaves, then we gave African American men the right to vote and, finally, we gave all women the right to vote. We always want more, such as eliminating discrimination and poll taxes, but we have achieved neither. To this day, a vast conspiracy of voter suppression is still happening in our country. We have stupid tricks like gerrymandering which distort voter choices.

We all have a right to protest and peacefully air our grievances. It’s in the First Amendment, which says nothing about looting, burning and bullets. Still, we are allowed to speak our minds. Some even yell at others for wearing a mask to help rid us of a virus, but that too is protected speech. Not wearing a mask is a dumb idea but speaking against doing so is protected.

The other day, a woman asked me about the phrase “cancel culture.” It’s a popular term that refers to a form of boycott after a person has spoken or acted in a questionable way. If the person is a celebrity, they have much they could lose, but when there is nothing of value to take away from someone’s stupid remarks, all you can do is besmirch their reputation. If a former but now cashless Hollywood star posts a rash remark on Twitter, they may be discredited instantly, dashing any chance of a comeback career.

The CEO of Goya Foods, Robert Unanue, visited the White House and said, “We are all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump, who is a builder.” The heir and leader of the Goya empire continued, “And that’s what my grandfather did: He came to this country to build, to grow, to prosper.” Of course, people of all races and origins took to social media to launch the #Goyaway and the #BoycottGoya hashtags intending to hurt the company. I have a hunch those efforts will be successful.

Now as much I try not to quote anything from unlucky sperm Don Jr., this one fits nicely into the discussion, “The leftist mob wants to cancel one of the largest Hispanic-owned companies in America because they recognize that the president has shown great leadership.”

Let me add some perspective. The Unanue family owns the Goya company and the brand is worth $1.1 billion. As legend goes, their grandfather moved from Spain to Puerto Rico with only one dollar in his pocket. He then moved to New York and started the Goya company. Robert Unanue may see similarities between his family and the Trumps, but maybe he should have tempered his praise and questioned why Mexicans are rapists and why kids from that country were put in cages. Before becoming a poster boy for the “Cancel Culture” of America, perhaps Mr. Unanue could have asked President Donald John Trump what he was doing to curtail the damage COVID-19 is doing to the Hispanic communities of his country.

Criminal First Daughter

But getting back to beans, this just in. The president’s advisor and part-time daughter decided to come to the aid of the Goya company and Mr. Unanue by tweeting what was a blatant endorsement to her many followers on the social media platform. This is a violation of law. To be exact, according to the Justice Department, “an employee may not use his public office for his own private gain or for that of persons or organizations with which he is associated personally. An employee’s position or title should not be used to coerce; to endorse any product, service or enterprise; or to give the appearance of governmental sanction.” She should resign today.

What I would like to ask Robert Unanue is whether Goya took PPP money. We should know if they did. Can anyone find out? This might be just another Trump quid-pro-quo, with the bean maker risking his reputation for a fistful of dollars.

Some sponsors are pulling their advertising from Facebook because of that company’s lack of control over political ads and hatred. The sponsors feel that Facebook has created a negative environment for their ads. Some companies have cancelled their ads on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson show. If you want to help in the effort to get a TV show canceled, just find a way to convince the sponsors to retreat.

My theory on all this boycott, cancel culture, putdown stuff is that it comes partly from Trump but also from peoples’ desire to have a say in things. Yes, you can use your ballot, but it’s obvious that great results often don’t follow. Politicians are incredibly flawed and often don’t operate in office the way they said they would when campaigning. Other times we must choose between equally unworthy candidates. My home state is Florida, and I had to choose between an ill-equipped zealot without a brain and a loquacious smooth operator with a recently disclosed addiction problem. The guy without the brain won.

So, yes, we want to cancel things and people. If we could recall the Governor of Florida right now, we would. If we could replace Governor DeSantis with Nikki Fried, the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, we would be far better off, but that won’t happen. It’s hard to boycott a Governor, but you it’s great that we can heckle him at a press conference, which is what happened yesterday. I applaud that guy but wonder how in hell he got in there. By the way, the COVID crisis in Florida is real and is being handled ineptly by the guy without a brain.

We don’t need to use bullets and we must wait too long or get poor results when using ballots. For now, let’s use our voices to protest the fools who claim to know best but are doing the worst. Should they be sponsored in any way, boycott whatever it is they are selling.

The book that tells it like it is…

Gold, God, Guns & Goofballs: If you only read one chapter of this book, try “Take a Knee for America” and think about our never-ending conflicts between minorities and the police. I’m not asking you to take a stand but having a deep and honest conversation about why some people think the way they do would be productive. This is a book for the moment which seeks to start a conservation about peace. And if you are worried about social media, you really should check out the chapter called “Social Media Menace.”

Get the Kindle Version HERE. Or order your paperback edition HERE.