Thursday, February 11, 2021

First step, Donald Trump impeachment conviction - Second step Prison

 





Donald Trump is being tried in the Senate for inciting an angry mob of his double-digit followers to take over and attempt to destroy the U.S. Capitol. His conviction is at best 75/25, 75 against, but there have some indications since the trial began that Republicans are feeling the heat, recently hearing that their constituents are fleeing the party by the 1,000s. And this may not be his biggest problem. NY Atty. Gen. Letitia James is preparing her case against Trump and it's a doozy. 

Trump's complicity in the Capitol riots is settled in his speech to the rioters the day of the insurrection. He takes his last shot at Biden's election results amassing a hoard of lies that mirror the 20,000+ deceptions he spewed during four years in office. By the way, during this diatribe the audience chanted, “We love Trump.” He tells these idiots to go to the Capitol and fight. They did and CNN's Erin Burnet lays it all out in a ghastly timeline that cinches Donald Trump's involvement.

I want to see Trump put in prison, and for a long period of time for his criminal acts while in the White House and what he did on January 6. The most reprehensible act from the ex-oval office lunatic is his incompetence in the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. First it was a hoax, then, it'll go away when the weather gets warm, followed by an insanity of the ages in belittling the CDC and the only one in the administration that knew what was going on, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

And then he appointed Louis DeJoy as Postmaster General, many feel to dismantle the USPS. It helped that DeJoy was a large donor to Trump's election campaign. DeJoy did his appointer's bidding by removing one of the most important tools of the UPSP to expedite mail, sorting machines. Working in the junk mail industry for 35 years and witnessing what these appliances are capable of, I can understand how this move slowed the mail at a critical period during the pandemic and Christmas. 

But the kicker comes from a Republican representative from Illinois, Adam Kinzinger, who voted to impeach Trump, and continues to condemn him and his loyal followers for what this maniac has done. In an opinion piece for the Washington Post, Kinzinger said, "My fellow Republicans, convicting Trump is necessary to save America." Continuing, I say this as a lifelong Republican who voted to impeach Trump last month. There's more...

"Winston Churchill famously said, 'Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.' All Americans, but especially my fellow Republicans, should remember this wisdom during the Senate’s trial of former president Donald Trump."

Will Kinzinger's rhetoric do any good, especially considering that fellow


Republicans continue to support Donald Trump. The congressman doesn't think this is all for naught...
"It’s a matter of accountability. If the GOP doesn’t take a stand, the chaos of the past few months, and the past four years, could quickly return. The future of our party and our country depends on confronting what happened — so it doesn’t happen again."

And hate to say it but don't think most of the GOP has learned their lesson, or any lesson, based on the outlook for Trump's conviction. Without this the United States will become the laughingstock of the world (again) and the Republican Party will assume the reputation of nation destroyers. But hopefully the New York Atty. Gen. will proceed with their evidence and put Donald Trump in jail so my wife and I can enjoy our final days knowing there is some justice in our country.

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Excepting hunters, ALL guns should be kept at home

 








There have been numerous attacks on the 2nd Amendment, and I won't quote it now because it has been done hundreds of times and most people know its details. The problem is that the two factions in the gun violence dilemma, the gun control advocates and the gun rights advocates cannot agree on the interpretation. The 2nd is ancient, written by men who believed at the time there was a challenge by the U.S. government to take away their rights.

That was 1791, over two hundred years ago, and things have changed dramatically, but the gun rights gang doesn't believe that justifies the control of their guns, all 390 million of them. Incidentally, the current U.S. population is 329 million. Looks like the NRA came up at least 1 million short. In all sincerity, does any fair-minded person think our country needs that many guns? But wait, Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's head gun nut believes we need even more.

America comes in second in firearm-related gun deaths around the world with 37,200 annually; Brazil is number 1. However, as you can see in this illustration, the U.S. ranks higher than a lot of violent nations. With this said, there's a controversy going on in Utah re. just where these 390 million gun owners can take their weapons. Steven. F. Alder of The Salt Lake Tribune feels the two sides must come together, offering this as guidance...
"Let’s adopt a rule from that old Johnny Cash song: 'Just leave your guns at home boys, don’t take your guns to town.'”

Good advice but apparently the Utah Legislature and Gov. Cox don't agree because they support "the right to carry a concealed gun without a permit." There is some ridiculous reasoning for their thinking that could only come from a Republican.  But Alder wants the guns to stay at home, no matter the governor's logic. Here's Alder's thinking...

"We need legislation making it a crime to bring a gun to any public meeting of any branch of government and especially to any protest. It should not just be illegal to have a gun in court, but also at legislative and executive branch meetings. Most importantly, it should be illegal to take a weapon, concealed or open, to any protest or demonstration. Those bringing a weapon to such events should be arrested — not protected!"

The author is making his point in relationship to the state of Utah and its government agencies, but the concept is appropriate not only for state properties, but also for the private sector. State gun laws for gun owners have become so lax that anything goes, and I do mean anything. As an example, in Arizona all that is required to buy a gun is to produce a warm body. And what is even more farcical is that you can take guns into bars, reinforcing Alder's piece.


Okay, I give up, here is the 2nd Amendment...

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.

Where does it say, or even infer, that an individual can bear arms in a bar? And where does it say even an individual can bear arms; I believe the terms used are both "Militia" and "people" when it refers to having a weapon. And then there is the phrase "being necessary to the security of a free State," a statement that would indicate necessary protection from tyranny; well, folks, we are talking 1791 when this Amendment was passed. 

This is 2021 and the only recent tyranny we have experienced is Donald Trump and I am not sure he even owns a gun. The gun rights issue is pure malarkey. Pew Research Center says that 60% of the American public favors stronger gun laws. On the other hand, the NRA, led by head gun nut Wayne Lapierre, would have you believe that more guns on the street is the answer. Gun violence is its own pandemic but, in this case, we know the source. Read more...

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Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Catching up on the news

 





"'Insulting' GOP bill would let Arizona lawmakers throw out presidential election results." As a Zoni, I have witnessed the stupidity of the governor and AZ legislature for over twenty. This is just another one of their idiocies. Read more...

"Josh Hawley has become 'the face of the Biden resistance': report." AlterNet says...
"Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri has become one of the most hated Republicans in the U.S. Senate and is being associated with violent insurrection, extremism and refusing to accept democratic election results."

Read more...  

"Gun seller turned congressman becomes first of 2 republicans fined for 'skipping' metal detectors: report."
You can take a gun nut out of his gun store but you can't the "nut" out of a gun nut. Read more... 


"Nearly 150 constitutional scholars sign letter dismantling Trump's 'First Amendment' impeachment defense." Yet, a Republican congressional mass will vote no to impeachment. Pathetic! Read more...

"The polls are in — and the Republican Party looks like a total mess." Here's an example...
"McConnell's favorability, according to FiveThirtyEight, is 19%, while Cheney's is 27%. And the favorability among the 'better-known Trump allies' includes 19% for Hawley, 34% for Cruz and 23% for McCarthy." 

"Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump's multi-million-dollar profits made while working for the government." Calling the New York Attorney General...Are you listening? Read more...

"The good news and the bad news in the fight against COVID." AlterNet says, "The good news: millions of people around the world have been vaccinated." The bad news not so good. Read more...

"Trump's election fraud lie has cost taxpayers $519 million -- and his tab is still rising: report." RawStory covers a piece in The Washington Post...



"President Donald Trump's onslaught of falsehoods about the November election misled millions of Americans, undermined faith in the electoral system, sparked a deadly riot — and has now left taxpayers with a large, and growing, bill. The total so far: $519 million."

        Read more... 

"Multiple Republican lawmakers are debating bolting and forming a new party: ex-GOP House member." Just what we need, another gang of Republicans running loose. Read more...

"Opinion: The GOP is not a normal party." Clearly the understatement of the year. Just count the psychiatrists like Brandy Lee from Yale who have labeled Donald Trump unfit mentally to hold office. The rest of the Republicans, especially those who continue to ardently continue to support Trump, well, they all seem to be on the midst of a brain freeze. Read more...




 


Monday, February 8, 2021

UPDATE: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds dooms her state to COVID-19



 




Two cities, Des Moines and Iowa City defy Iowa's idiot Gov. Kim Reynolds and keep their COVID-10 precautionary measures in place.


Idiots abound in politics, most of them Republicans, some Democrats. Joe Manchin may qualify as a disturbed maverick, but he's definitely no idiot. The governor of Iowa, Kim Reynolds, indubitably qualifies and she just recently became certifiable. Her entitlement is how she is lifting all the regulations in place for COVID-19 control. Here's the scenario according to the Daily Beast...
"She’s lifting the measure put in place to slow the spread of the virus. As of Sunday, gone are the mask mandate, the rules requiring businesses to limit capacity and enforce social distancing, and the caps on indoor and outdoor gatherings."

New coronavirus cases have "fallen dramatically" recently but Iowa has just been invaded by the U.K. variant, which has now not only been determined to be more transmissible, but also more contagious, thus, dangerous.  Don't politicians read, and I don't mean Facebook? I know they are dull wits, but, damn, Reynolds is dealing with the lives of over 3 million Iowa residents, some of which are no doubt dull wits like her. Yes, I can just imagine the delight of some...

'Hey dude, the Gov just turned us loose from our condemned isolation. Let's head


for the Embers and put away a few with our comrades.' And then there is the family thing where they figure they can now get the whole bunch together in numbers, attend those parties lately missed, or take the kids to sporting events where crowds proliferate. In other words, do all the things we used to do when it was normal. Well, folks, it ain't normal and it may not be for some time.

I'm not picking on Iowa, it is only one of many states including Arizona, Florida, Georgia and more; all Republican governors. Trumpism at its best, which almost brought this country to its knees, and continuing under faux leaders like Reynolds. It should be noted that Iowa ranks 47th in vaccine distribution with 97,000 shots being given, which is just over 3% of the population. Iowa is also 27th in the nation for coronavirus deaths, 28th for total cases.

And worse, the state is 7th in deaths per 1000 population, which bodes poorly on either the medical care or the attitude of people in taking care of themselves. But the attitude that really matters here is that of Gov. Kim Reynolds which clearly sucks. She has released her 3+ million constituents to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, most importantly on each other. Additionally, predicted bitter cold and heavy snow will slow down any vaccination efforts.

It is obvious that state leaders want to get back to as close to normal as possible, but what they don't understand is that "normal" is just not yet attainable with the coronavirus raging across the country. And really good leaders don't just look at the present, but they also keep an eye on the future. Our future right now includes vaccinating the public and prioritizing the preparation that is necessary to deal with the various variant mutations. But not opening the gates to more problems.


Saturday, February 6, 2021

Latest News Briefs

 








Biden struggling on stimulus with $15 minimum wage attached to bill. Both are important by do the stimulus now and let Bernie ramrod minimum wage. Read more...

Coronavirus cases on decline in U.S. but U.K., Brazil and So. Africa variants could change that. Read more...

Trump funnelled money from donors into private business after election loss, report finds. Read more...

Trump court appointee grants Capitol rioter, Jenny Cudd, request to go to Mexico for a vacation. A quote from Cudd...
"F--- yes, I am proud of my actions, I f---ing charged the Capitol today with patriots today. Hell, yes, I am proud of my actions," Cudd said in the Facebook video, according to court records.

Read more... 

Climate change "may have played a key role" in coronavirus pandemic, study says. Human caused climate change screwed up forests of Southeast Asia proliferating bats in the region. Result coronavirus? Read more...

Having to fight Republicans on a bill that will substantially help the country recover from COVID-19 and a slowing economy is typical of the miserable Party the GOP has become. Pathetic! Read more...

QUESTION: "Will I get the vaccine or the virus first?" Yet there are those out there who oppose the vaccine and more seriously those charlatans that provoke anti-vaxxers and profit from their stupidity. But this article is about how the coronavirus vaccine is being distributed and its problems. Read more...

450,000 Americans dead from COVID-19, a number that should ricochet around the Donald Trump impeachment trial. The U.S. leads the world in deaths and the signs are for a slow recovery with the three new variants. Read more...

U.K. variant increases the risk of dying from COVID-19 compared with previous variants. Whoa...didn't they tell us the variants were more transmissible but not necessarily more contagious? Other scientists say this is...
"preliminary and still does not indicate whether the variant is more deadly or is just spreading faster and so reaching greater numbers of vulnerable people."

Read more... 

Federal executions likely a COVID superspreader. AP reports...
"As the Trump administration was nearing the end of an unprecedented string of executions, 70% of death row inmates were sick with COVID-19. Guards were ill. Traveling prisons staff on the execution team had the virus. So did media witnesses, who may have unknowingly infected others when they returned home because they were never told about the spreading cases.>

Read more... 

"FBI net closes on Maga mob that stormed the Capitol." As Donald Trump's impeachment Senate trial nears and dozens of Capitol rioters are in jail or on bail, there is no sign of the Department of Justice and FBI letting up in their relentless pursuit of the insurrectionists. Read more...

Get ready for a Super Bowl superspreader in Tampa. The Daily Beast says, "Out-of-towners desperate to escape the confines of more restricted states could spell a fiasco in Tampa." There's more...
“With the Bucs playing in the Super Bowl, no one is thinking about COVID,” [Warren] Colazzo said. “It’s an escape from what’s going on. The last three nights, I’ve met a lot of people from California and other lockdown states who came here just to party. They are not even here to watch the football game.”

Read more... 

"Iowa Governor Rescinds Mask Mandate in Face of Mutations." And in this move by one of the country's most incompetent governors is a guarantee for more COVID-19 cases and deaths in the state many past presidential candidate think has the most common sense. Unfortunately, here, we have a certifiable idiot. Read more...




Friday, February 5, 2021

Capitol rioters supported anti-vaxxers and vice versa

 






This blog has repeatedly attacked anti-vaxxers with the position that these idiots--yes, they are the lower rungs of grey matter--are causing a dangerous situation where people are being urged not to do what will keep them healthy, even save their life. The harm they have done is incalculable as evidenced by the four-year old killed by his mother who followed the advice from a Facebook group of anti-vaxxers. Now they are coming for the COVID-19 vaccination group.

A CNN piece says, "Antivaxxers worked with 'Stop the steal' organizers for Jan. 6 rally." Del Bigtree, an anti-vaccine activist exclaimed to the crowd at the "MAGA Freedom Rally D.C." about a block from the Capitol, "We're being led off of a cliff." He added...

"I wish I could tell you that Tony Fauci cares about your safety..." he said. "I wish I could believe that voting machines worked... but none of this is happening."

Now, for the millions of people out there, especially the double-digit Trump supporters, that means science is for shit; years of scientific development and discoveries to help human beings live longer is bogus. Bigtree implies the pandemic is a farce and vaccines are not necessary. Go about your business and all will be well. It's these morons you see protesting masks and distancing in public places. It is this reality absent gang that is perpetuating the coronavirus pandemic. 

Yes, primarily Trump supporters in this display of ignorance, following the lunatic that said nobody could tell him anything. Well, they finally did and we finally got rid of the White House maniac. But his pathetic followers still stand ready to fight the election fraud battle, his upcoming impeachment trial, and now the war against vaccines. Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate calls it...

"Conspiracism that allows you to connect anything together if you want to, because it doesn't require fact."

Well, we do have the facts, and they all provide that government agencies are telling us the coronavirus vaccines are safe and proven to be effective. But then, the anti-vaxxer goons think the U.S. government is trying to kill us, when, in fact, it is them trying to kill the public with their doomsday rhetoric. And listen to this...

"In the wake of Trump's electoral defeat, some leaders of the anti-vaccine movement latched onto the "Stop the Steal" crusade, advancing their own conspiratorial claims and, in some cases, promoting private business."

In case you missed it, they are using Americans lives to promote their private business ventures. And here lies the current problem...

"But public health experts warn that anti-vaccine messages now pose a unique threat to the nation's health given the urgency for widespread coronavirus vaccination."
Anthony Fauci has pointed out that we need to reach a herd immunity of around

85% of the U.S. to be vaccinated to get the country moving again by the end of the year. With the anti-vaxxer resistance movement continuing its helter skelter efforts, this goal does not seem likely, and we can contribute all the coronavirus deaths following that period to these lowlife extremists. In closing...
"A national poll published this week from Monmouth University found 24% of people in the US will avoid getting the coronavirus vaccine if they can help it. The poll also found that willingness is driven more by political leanings than demographics."

This is a good article so read more...And, the pandemic is still raging so get your vaccination as soon as you become eligible. 


Animals deserve better than this - Yes, tell everyone, we just want to live



 



Sylvester is looking for his forever home after being discovered crying from a drainage inlet in San Antonio. Animal Care Services are being lauded for their work in rescuing the frantic kitten. You have to wonder how this little guy ended up under the streets of San Antonio. It sounds likely that it was a feral mother cat who had her litter and, for some reason had to abandon them. There are so many of these situations that the rescues just can't keep up with them. Read more...

If you have a forever home for Sylvester, contact San Antonio. Animal Care Services.


And then there's Ethan, A dog that was left starving outside the Kentucky Humane Society in Louisville. KHS says...
"OUR BABY HAS TAKEN HIS FIRST STEPS! While he is wobbly & learning to use his legs again, this is huge progress! Less than a week ago, he was on death's door, & now he is finally able to walk a little again."

Ethan is still too wobbly for adoption but give him some more time and then contact KY Humane Society. "Kentucky Humane Society officials said although Ethan has a "long road ahead of him," they are optimistic that he will fully recover." Read more...

Donald Trump Says He Will Be Indicted On Tuesday

  THAT'S TODAY... Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has brought the case to this point, now looking at a possible indictment. Trum...