Tag Archives: social media

I AM TIRED!

I am tired! No, I had a good night’s sleep. What I am getting tired about is what is happening to our country. When younger, I was sure we lived in a democracy and I was proud to be American. However, I am not sure about our democracy today! Our political system is fraudulent, filled with power and money hungry politicians, and making decisions that may destroy our way of life. We have faced four years of a president that is trying to make good decisions for this country, but he has faced every possible roadblock to his success. Just think what could have been accomplished had our government focused on governing instead of impeachment, destroying a Supreme Court Justice, the Steele Dossier, the pandemic, and too many destructive paths to mention.

Who is not tired of the pandemic? OMG! As of this writing, a day after the beginning of the new year, there are still so many questions surrounding this pandemic. Like you, I have become really tired about conflicting opinions about how and where it began, and how it is spread. It was not uncommon that people of my age have gotten the flu at least once or twice during their lifetime. Granted, we did not have a fancy name for it, such as COVID 19. It was just called the flu. And….it really made you sick. If you were unfortunate to get the flu, as I was at least twice, you stayed at home. The symptoms were: high temperature, coughing, lung congestion and the general all-around feeling that you had a gigantic body ache. The one thing that did not occur, was that the government did not shut down the economy, or send me money for missing work. Before I go any further, and receive death threats for being an idiot, I want to clarify that I do believe that COVID 19 is a real disease that can cause death, if you are high risk and have underlying conditions or are elderly. But guess what? Many of the other flus that we had did the same thing. Occasionally, a healthy person succumbed, as did many elderly.

I am tired of the draconian measures that have been taken, by the government, to stop the spread of the virus. The one fact I do know, is that it has never been proven that restaurants are ‘super spreaders’ of the disease. Fortunately, Grandma P and I live in a state where the restaurants are allowed to remain open. We try to patronize these restaurants at least twice a week, just to keep them open. Some of these restaurants have suffered hurricane damage as well, so they have suffered a ‘double whammy.’ During our last visit, we were seated so that there was a reasonable distance from other tables, and, as soon as one table was vacated, a masked server sanitized the table and chairs. Common sense was displayed by the restaurant, and by the patrons.

I am really getting tired of politicians that believe that rules and laws are for the electorate, but they are exempt from the rules. While closing down all the restaurants in California, the governor has a multi-thousand dollar meal, paid for by a lobbyist, at a swanky restaurant! Thankfully, the electorate in California are beginning to wake up, and petitioning for his recall. Unfortunately, Gavin Newsom is not the only politician that sees himself as privileged. His aunt, Nancy Pelosi, had a hair appointment in a supposedly closed beauty parlor. All of this was caught on camera. There are other examples of ‘politician privilege’ everywhere, while the general population is regulated and punished for the same behavior.

I am tired and concerned about the amount of foreign influence and money that has corrupted our elections. You don’t believe that foreign governments are not dumping millions, and billions of dollars into our elections? Just look at the upcoming Georgia election for two US senators. There is an estimated $500 million being spent on that campaign. $500 million! If that much is being spent there, how much do you think was spent on the 2020 election? Where did that money originate? I have a pretty good idea that billions of dollars are coming from China…which segues into my next paragraph.

I am tired of the media reporting stories that are 97% negative about Donald Trump and his presidency. Beyond his crass and brass personality, and his seemingly unending tweets, Trump had bushels of accomplishments for the benefit of our country. I can name at least 10 things that his administration accomplished from memory in his four years. (What has Biden accomplished in his political career? Pelosi? Shumer? I rest my case!) The media glorified the Steele dossier. They supported Trump’s impeachment, supposedly because Chuck Shumer had myriads of facts to support his impeachment. Facts that just never seem to appear, but were given more credibility than Moses receiving the ten commandments. The Democrats got nasty and created lies to denigrate and discredit the Trump Supreme Court nominees. The accusation that Brett Cavanaugh was the leader of a ‘teenage gang of rapists,’ was a clear indication of how low in the manure pile the Democrats will shovel. Have you ever wondered who owns these media outlets?

I am tired of social media, supposedly representing open forums, from censoring what is on their social platforms. Hunter Biden issues were censored, because they claimed there wasn’t any proof. Yet, the Steele dossier, and fictitious Shumer accusations against Trump were allowed freely. Unbiased? Not in a million years. And unfortunately, 65% of all Americans get their news from the intranet. This blog is being censored, as the comments on the last three blogs have not been published. A coincidence, since this all began two months before the election?

I am tired (and concerned) that a member of the House Intelligence Committee is still on the committee after having a lengthy affair with a Chinese spy. Nancy Pelosi’s driver was a Chinese spy. How much of our government have the Chinese permeated? There is one sure thing that Donald Trump did accomplish. I’ll explain. The Chinese are a very patient people. They, unlike Americans who require instant satisfaction, play the long-term game. The Western world, led by us consumer-driven Americans, have made China wealthy over the last 50 years. (See the 4/11/2020 blog: Were we in Africa, or Were we in China.) China likes being wealthy. They will use that wealth to rule the world economically, technologically and militarily. They will do all of this without having a “cum by yah’ sing- along at the UN, because they want to rule the world and don’t care one bit about globalization. But unexpectedly, along comes a political surprise by the name of Donald J. Trump. What does Trump do? Well, he passed tax credits which made it economically feasible for American companies to bring their manufacturing jobs back to the US. He drastically lowered the unemployment in America. He lowered the number of people on welfare. When American companies did not respond, he threatened to put tax levies on their goods manufactured outside the US. He renegotiated a more favorable trade agreement with China, (He also did the same with Canada and Mexico.) He did what was right for America! But you know what else he did? He pissed off the Chinese. Now they were not getting as rich as before Trump. They also observed that the US was rebuilding their military. The US is now the only major hurdle between China and world domination, which I suspect may occur within the next 20 years, if we let it! So….in the eyes of the patient Chinese, Trump must go! But at what cost? A few million? A few billion? A trillion dollars? Who owns these media sources? Who owns our politicians? Who would benefit the most from the collapse of the US economy? Who would benefit most with Trump being taken out of office? How many of these questions can be answered with one word: China.

I am really tired that many of our elected officials are so entrenched, that there is no opportunity for new faces advocating new ideas. WE NEED TERM LIMITS. Am I the only person in the United States that wants to know how a poor politician becomes a millionaire? Barrack Obama had a net worth of less than $500 thousand when he ran for president. Today, his net worth is estimated at $135 million! His salary for 8 years as POTUS was $3.2 million before taxes! How did he get to $135 million?

I am tired of the fact that our nation is so self-absorbed, that we, as a people, are too ignorant to recognize that we have enemies in the world. We have become the ‘me first’ individuals, rather than the ‘us together’ country.

I am tired of the fact that we may lose our democracy, because we allowed an election within our country with bushels of ballots being sent in the mail without verification if qualified voters actually received them. We allowed ballots to be counted that could not be substantiated. We allowed ballots to be counted that were post-marked after the election date. We allowed 38 states to count ballots with the use of a computer program that was developed outside the US; whose original purpose was to create ballot fraud, to sway the outcome of elections in foreign countries. Did we just become one of these ‘foreign countries?’ Apparently, some people think so as there are over 1500 sworn affidavits attesting to observing voter fraud. For once, I would like our bureaucracy to meddle in the form of the FBI and the DOJ. What did either do? I believe it was Stalin who said, “It’s not the vote that counts, it’s who counts the votes.”

We, as Americans, have two choices. The first is, how long are we going to tolerate the government at all levels to control our lives. Businesses closed. Schools closed. Churches closed. But you still go to Walmart and Target. I believe that the pandemic has shown bureaucracy gone amok in many areas.

The second decision is for us to recognize the threat that we have to our democracy, and what we need to do about it. We will not have honest and fair elections until some election officials are arrested for being dishonest and unfair. We will not have a fair and honest election until we prohibit, and un-elect those politicians who are taking huge sums of foreign monies to maintain power. That issue would disappear if we had term limits, so that 40 year entrenched politicians would begin to do what is ‘right for America,’ than what is right for a foreign power or lobbyist or themselves.

It is up to you, America! I’m tired. Time for a nap. But please decide what you want. The clock is ticking for us and future generations. The Chinese are patient.

Common Sense – A Hardy, Yet Uncommon Tool

As I was growing up in the 50’s, I thought that common sense was pretty common.  Thus the name of this blog site.

Don’t run with a pair of scissors in your hand.  Never put your finger into an electrical socket.  Look both ways before crossing a busy street.  Never put your tongue on a frozen piece of metal.  (Okay.  People from the south have no idea what I am talking about.  People from the northern climates have only done this once in their lives.  That is why we talk funny.)

How difficult can it be?

How uncommon can common sense be?  Apparently – common sense can be very uncommon.  About as common as ice cubes on Florida sidewalk in August.  Common sense has become as uncommon as exposing a ring of Lutheran suicide bombers.

Here are some varied examples of what should clearly be common sense,

The Ukraine

Have you seen pictures of the Ukrainian separatists?  Have you seen any teenagers, women or older men in any of those pictures?  The only pictures I have seen involving women, teenagers and older men show them going in the opposite direction of the warring factions.

What I have noticed is that the typical male, Ukrainian separatist  (age 20-35) could join an Olympic push-up team!  And the sit-up and chin-up team.  And no doubt an Olympic shooting team!

Common sense tells me that these are not your typical Ukrainian civilians, but rather, they are more likely to be paratroopers from the Russian army!  Typical civilian separatists do not have the weaponry that these separatists possess.  They have even managed to shoot down a civilian aircraft with a very technologically-advanced missile system!  Another indication is the skull with jump wings decal that is visible on some of their armored vehicles.

Do not be fooled by the façade that Putin is attempting to put on this affair.  He is attempting to regain the power of the former USSR during the Cold War.  He will continue to do this until someone puts a halt on the Russian aggression.

The fact that the ‘separatists’ are acting on the orders of Putin seems fairly obvious to me, an advocate of utilizing common sense.

Italy

It is every parents desire to have their children go to college.  We desire this so that they can be instructed by the best and the brightest professors available.  Or are they that bright?

In Italy, one college professor has asked Captain Francesco Schettino to give a guest lecture on Emergency Procedures.  Do you remember Captain Schettino’s claim to fame?  Wait for it.  Wait for it.  Captain Francesco Schettino is the former captain of the Costa Concordia.  If you don’t remember him, you certainly remember the ship that was lying on its side off the coast of Italy on January, 2012.  Carelessness caused this ship to become grounded, causing an at-sea accident resulting in 32 lives being lost.  By many accounts, the good captain was canoodling with one of the showgirls on the bridge.  He then abandoned the ship, virtually leaving every passenger to their own fate. It is amazing that the loss of life was not catastrophically higher. It easily could have been much more disastrous .

What does his selection of a lecturer say about the common sense of this college professor?

Common sense tells me that Captain Schettino should be in prison and not on a college campus enlightening the minds of Italy’s future workforce.

Profiling

Profiling has become a politically incorrect word.

Personally, I do not mind being profiled.  More importantly, I do not mind if our security/police personnel profile others as well.  Why?  For the safety of the masses.

After doing some research on the profile of a typical suicide bomber, I was surprised to learn that depending on which country the bomber is targeting, that profile changes drastically.  For instance, the profile of a suicide bomber in Iraq or Afghanistan is much different than that of one targeting Israel.  The profile of a suicide bomber targeting a predominantly Christian nation is much different from one targeting a Muslim nation.

Do you know why El Al, the airline of Israel has never had a bombing incident?  They profile!  Apparently the entire Israeli security apparatus is very good at profiling.

So let me be the first to go out on a limb and say that we will never expose that ring of suicide Lutheran bombers I referred to in my opening paragraph.  Suicide bombers will likely be Muslim, not Christian.

My biggest fear has been the ‘home-grown’ terrorist.  An American that thinks our democratic society sucks, he had a bad childhood, his parents don’t love him, he is more loved by Allah than God – and he is going to take revenge on the infidels.   A somewhat lesser fear is the Muslims that have moved to our country.

Common sense indicates we need to profile to protect the civilian population.   The ‘home-grown’ terrorist presents a very different and difficult challenge.

Social Media

Listen up, people!  Do you think when you post something on a social media website that only your friends and relatives can see it?  EVERYONE in the WORLD can see it!

For those of you applying for jobs, perspective employers are searching these sites to find out about you before hiring.  If you want pictures of yourself getting drunk, skinny-dipping, or generally acting like an idiot on the internet, good luck with getting that job.

Men, do you think anyone is interested in seeing a selfie of your feet with a bottle of beer on a foot stool?  You have athlete’s foot.  You need a pedicure.  Hairy legs are not sexy.  I have seen this twice in the last month.  Egads!

Don’t think that posting more ‘stuff’ makes you appear smarter.  Quite the opposite is true.

Common sense tells me that over half the material posted on a social website should be forwarded through a private email account.  If a message is designed primarily for one person, send a text message or make a personal phone call.  That way, only you, the recipient and the NSA will know what you said or sent!

Congressional Summer Recess

August is the month when our federal legislators go home and ‘glad hand’ with their constituents.  What harm can the government do when they are out of session?

Well, apparently they don’t stop working, or in this case, meddling.

With all of the serious things taking place around the world (Ukraine, Gaza, ISIL, North Korea, ebola) and in our own country (national debt, Obamacare, droughts and floods), Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN) has decided to take on the Redskin name when the Redskins take on the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis on November 2.

The Vikings are building a new stadium.  In the interim, they are playing on the University of Minnesota football field for the next two years.  They are paying $250,000 per game to rent the TCF Bank Stadium.  If the Vikings were playing in their old stadium, they would probably politely tell Representative McCollum to ‘suck eggs.’  But because they are renting the stadium of a land-grant university, the government funding for the university provides a ‘hook’ for the politician.

She has sent a letter to the Vikings and to the U of M, requesting that there be an effort to keep the Washington Redskins’ name from being used in ‘promotional’ and game date materials.  She has argued with the owner of the Vikings that  he needs to ‘take a stand against that hateful slur.’

Here is what common sense tells me.  Common sense suggests that with all the serious happenings in the world and in our own country, our elected officials should focus on what is important and get  their noses out of private business.  The football game will last three hours.  The items that she should be concerned about could have far-reaching consequences. (Common sense tells me that the Redskins name will change.  But that should be their decision and not one made with government intervention)

Exactly what will the Washington Redskins be called, if not Redskins, during this game?  They could always refer to them as ‘those guys from Washington.’  But that could be mistaken for  the entire Congress of the US.   Now that would be frightening!

Common sense people!  It is as simple as knowing the difference between right, wrong, and stupid.

Like the old American Express card – don’t leave home without it!

PS.  With the midterm elections approaching, I would like to state the party platform for our new political party in my next blog.  I am requesting any input on the name of our new party and on any issues you would like to see in our party plank.   Of course, all submissions must pass the ‘common sense’ test.

Grandpa T