Haven't we done enough to Native Americans?

 

Here we go with Brett Kavanaugh again, but that comes later. The conservative Supreme Court does again what it does best, fuck up the country. The overturning of Roe v. Wade is, perhaps, one of the worst things that has happened to the U.S. in decades. In a 2nd Amendment decision gun rights were expanded in a nation with one of the highest rates of gun violence in the world. And six rightest radicals decide that separating church and state is no longer a good thing.

And now, if they haven't been persecuted enough already, conservative SCOTUS has decided to upend the lives of Native Americans. Here's how Nick Estes of the Guardian begins his article...

‘Kavanaugh’s words could have come from the most ardent anti-Indian racist of a bygone era. Asserting state criminal jurisdiction over Native lands has been a primary tactic of legally eliminating Native people.’

But first, some insight into the culture of America's Native Americans. I live in Arizona where there are 22 American Indian communities which accounts for one-quarter of state land. Their casinos are thriving here, however...

"The San Carlos Reservation is one of the poorest Native American communities in the United States, with an annual median household income of approximately $14,000 in 2000, according to the US Census."

But the San Carlos Reservation has the Apache Gold Casino & Resort on their land so where does that income go?...

"A portion of the gaming revenue gets shared with individuals in tribes where the casinos are located. The money also benefits communities — supporting education, buildings and services. And casinos also provide jobs in the thousands, although exactly how many is not clear." 

And how much is the U.S. tribal casino gaming revenue? A record $34.6 Billion in fiscal-year 2019, but apparently there was a slowdown during the Covid pandemic. Still, am I missing something or are we not getting the right information from the federal government? And what about state and federal taxes...

"Indian casinos do not pay a state tax as such, although the tribes pay the state and local governments a fee based on the casino revenue. Some tribes distribute a portion of the profits, also, in the form of a per capita payment. In those cases, tribal members pay federal taxes on their income."

So, where does all this money go and why is The San Carlos Reservation one of the poorest Native American communities in the United States, with an annual median household income of approximately $14,000 in 2000? That story in a later post because today our concern is what is a conservative SCOTUS going to do to the Native American nation in general? Here's a hint from an 1886 Supreme Court decision in United States v Kagama...

"Paradoxically, the court found that the very nation that waged wars of extermination and invasion against Native people also declared itself their sole guardian, protecting its “wards” from the “local ill feeling” of land-hungry whites flooding Native lands in the western states."

There's more...

"And where the US constitution was lacking in language defining federal authority over Native nations, the court had invented it, for better or for worse."

The Native Americans never had a chance. But the Kagama decision helped...

"That decision and others like it – however imperfect and drenched in conquest they were – supposedly shielded Native people and their reservations from the arbitrary authority of states and hostile white settlers."

And now back to Brett Kavanaugh who said, “A state has jurisdiction over all of its territory, including Indian country,” based on a "false 10th amendment claim, which doesn’t authorize states to intervene in tribal affairs." However, Kavanaugh's decision results in...

"States, according to this [Kavanaugh] extremist – and now dominant – view in the court, possess the authority to abolish and criminalize abortions, potentially curb voting rights and now abrogate treaties and redefine federal relations with Native nations."

As I said earlier, the cards were stacked in the favor of the federal government and the states from the beginning, and my guess is this outcome was always anticipated. But I don't want to end this on a putrid note of a radical conservative Supreme Court hell-bent on destroying our democracy and the U.S. in general, and although it will take time to neuter this band of lunatics, I'll end with an amazing story of the Native American participation in WWII.

As Navajo Code Talkers, they participated in all assaults the U.S. Marines led in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945 including Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu and Iwo Jima. This from the Arizona Republic, the Code Talkers transmitted messages by telephone and radio in their native language. This code was never broken by the Japanese, a miracle considering other means of secret messaging used by the Americans was often deciphered.

An Unbreakable Code...Inspiring description from former Navajo Code Talker...

Some quick facts: The Navajo Code Talkers originally numbered 29 but grew as the need arose; Many were wounded and many died; The Code talkers had the highest level of commitment in their duties, a part of their success; Native Americans serve in the military at five times the national average on a per-capita basis; and, only 3 Navajo Code Talkers remain. They are Peter MacDonald, John Kinsel, Sr., and Thomas H. Begay.

I could never describe the total contribution of the Navajo Code talkers to the Second World War and the United State of America, but if you are interested, there is a great book titled, Code Talker, by Chester Nez, one of the original Code Talkers. It is fascinating and I highly recommend it.

Pets are like humans...Once you're old no one wants you, unless...

 

...you find that forever family that believes, "Love has no age limit." Here is an industry norm...

"The decision to adopt an older animal can also take on lifesaving importance because they are usually the last to be adopted—senior dogs, for example, have a 25% adoption rate, compared to the 60% adoption rate of younger dogs and puppies." 

I am 90-years-old and don't feel neglected or pushed into a corner, and that is because I have a loving family, especially a wife who takes care of me. But there are those in nursing homes with indifferent relatives and/or friends that let them just sit there and deteriorate. Just think of the animals in those same circumstances who are all alone and have no one to fight for them. They spend lonely years in shelters or are euthanized.

Here's a good reason to adopt a senior pet from Lollypop Farms...

"When you adopt a senior pet, you are giving a deserving pet a second chance at a happy life with a loving family. Senior cats and dogs have a lot of love left to give their new family, and will show their gratitude with love and affection."

And don't worry if you are a senior like my wife and I (78 and 90), American-Humane says...

"Choosing to adopt an adult cat or dog is generally a wise choice for seniors. Adult animals have fewer exercise and training demands, making them easier for seniors to keep up with. Additionally, older pets are also less likely to outlive their senior owner."

This Guy Can't Stop Rescuing Senior Dogs...

And if you are still not sure, Pets for the Elderly advises...

"For elderly pet owners, who often live alone or in group facilities, pets can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, increase social interaction and physical activity and help them learn. Supports health benefits of owning a pet. Pet ownership may be a factor in improved health of the elderly."

The wonderful outcome here is the fact two senior factions win, the senior adopter and the senior animal being adopted. Not to mention the rescues/shelters across the country that are caring for these animals. It's a love, love senior fest. Why don't you try it and see. But you don't have to be a senior to adopt a senior pet; no matter your age, just Google the rescue/shelter closest to you and ask about their seniors.

 

 

 

I do my Best to Love You but...

 

...I didn't think you would do this to me. Do you know that one animal is abused every minute; 10 million animals in the U.S. are abused to death annually; Laboratory testing uses 115 million animals in experiments every year; Dogs comprise 65% of all abused animals. These and more statistics come from Peta, like, 88% of people investigated for child abuse also hurt animals. 100,000 horses die in the US every year due to the demand for horsemeat.

These are all abominable facts and reflects on a society that does not respect life. As proof, 88% of people investigated for child abuse also hurt animals. Less fatal but still frightening...

"250,000 animals are hoarded each year. Cat and dog lovers can take it too far, gathering hundreds of animals in one place without proper care. That’s why many of them experience malnourishment and various medical issues."

The PACT Act (Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture) was signed into law in 2019 making some of the most egregious forms of animal cruelty — specifically crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impaling or sexual exploitation unlawful, a federal crime. I recommend those interested go to the ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND for laws that protect animals. In the meantime, be on the lookout in your neighborhood and elsewhere for signs of animal abuse and cruelty.

I Just Wanted to Live but This is What Happened...

 

...my forever family didn't want me anymore. Did you know that 47% of dogs and 42% of cats are abandoned by owners each year? The no-kill shelters try to save as many as possible--they strive for 9 out of 10--but approximately 1.5 million animals are euthanized annually. Broken down this is about 670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats. And do you really know what happens when you take your pet to a kill shelter?...

Typically, the holding period before euthanasia runs from five to seven days. However, it can be as short as 48 to 72 hours in some cases.

The answer is a combination of education, feral animal catch and neuter/spay, and supporting your local rescues and shelters so they can provide quality care for more animals. Think twice before abandoning a pet that is like another child to the family. Just imagine how they feel being dumped after believing they had their forever home.

Should a Homeless Person be Rewarded for Being Homeless?

I know what many of you will say, 'Don't give them anything because it discourages them from going back to work." And that would be bullshit, except, perhaps, for a select few. There are those who prefer the streets over a normal home arrangement, or even a shelter, and that is a problem that must be solved. But there is also a preponderance of homeless folk who have fallen on tough times with eviction, financial problems, unemployment and more. 

The person we gave the money to was a Black man and he was very appreciative. My wife blessed him and I told him to take care of himself, like the $5 would give him a path back to his dignity. Of course it wouldn't but hopefully it will provide enough food and drink to keep him from starving. And he didn't look like the kind of guy who would spend it on booze. We do this regularly, my wife making sure there is always a 5-dollar bill available in the car.

Rising rents and inflation nationwide leading to spike in homelessness...

And, if you think this is wrong...tough! According to last available 2020 figures, there were 580,466 people experiencing homelessness in America. We are the richest country in the world and we have more than a half-million people who are without a place to live. There are more than 1.5 million non-profit organizations in the U.S. which you would think could have at least some impact on this issue. But there are still people, some are children, begging on our streets. Unconscionable!

The National Alliance to End Homelessness has plenty of facts for anyone interested in this dilemma. For example, the Alliance says, "Risk is significantly tied to gender, race, and ethnicity." For example...

"Males are far more likely to experience homelessness than their female counterparts. Out of every 10,000 males, 22 are homeless. For women and girls, that number is 13."

Race is a significant factor. They are "more likely to be disadvantaged within

housing and homelessness spheres." This could be caused by higher unemployment rates, lower incomes, less access to healthcare, and higher incarceration rates. I don't know the reason the Black man we gave money to was on the street, but I reiterate, he was very appreciative...you could see it in his eyes. The figures aren't real clear but people of color do have the highest homeless rates.

Say what you want about Jeff Bezos being the richest person in the world but in 2018 he did donate $98.5 million to 32 organizations in 23 states that are helping homeless families. Note, Bezos spread it around so one huge organization wasn't in control. What if each millionaire/billionaire donated $100 million to the cause, combined with an educational program that puts social workers on the street? If that is asking too much then the wealthy of the U.S. are greedy and selfish. 

In closing, and to answer the question of, 'Should a Homeless Person be Rewarded for Being Homeless? Hell Yes! But more than this, we must get to the seat of the homeless problem, We can only hope that those with the money to spare in this country--and you know who you are-- will come to the trough of giving with enough to help those 580,466 who can't help themselves. PEACE!

Latest Catchup on American Chaos...

Summarizing what is wrong with this country...

Marjorie Taylor Greene fashions herself a Christian White Nationalist, no doubt for votes and attention, but there is really a movement, as CNN describes it: "An 'imposter Christianity' is threatening American democracy."

. . .

And more..."White Christian Nationalism ‘Is a Fundamental Threat to Democracy’"

. . .

Former Koch executive, Marc Short, testifies before a grand jury investigating the Jan. 6 attack. Short was close to Chas. Koch and has shilled for the fossil fuels industry. There is hope...

"that the U.S. Department of Justice peels this onion all the way to its corrupt core – the unbridled Koch money machine — something that the January 6 House Select Committee has yet to do."

. . .  

The climate crisis could not be pointed out more vividly than in this headline: "Anglers asked to fish out two reservoirs before they dry up."

 . . .

In another Chas. Koch move, "This nation is scorching in a heat wave and wildfires, yet it's returning to planet-baking coal."

. . .

Mark Finchem just won his primary for Arizona's Sec. of State, which will include control over election certification. READ: "Trump-Backed Conspiracy Theorist Vies to Take Over Arizona Elections." He is a Trump lackey and listening to him talk, you would guess he was a lunatic. "He has said he won’t concede if he loses."

. . . 

And further confirmation of Republican plans nationwide to "steal" elections: 

"'This is how Republicans are planning to steal elections': GOP officials refuse to certify primaries."

The RNC's New Plan To STEAL Elections...

. . .

This is beyond frightening...Can you image the damage that will be done to this country and its democracy if Republicans are able to rewrite the Constitution? READ: "Trump-tied conservatives are 15 states away from an unprecedented rewrite of the Constitution."

. . .

I live in Phoenix and it can get very hot, although we have tempered that over the years with 'It's a dry heat.' Well, climate change has now thrust a period of humidity into the state of Arizona that is, to say the least, uncomfortable. Don't let anyone tell you they have learned to live with it, but in 25 years we have learned to tolerate the heat. That is, however, not so easy for the homeless. Now help is here: "A day with America’s only dedicated heat team in the US’s hottest city."

. . .

Agreed, media headlines, especially the Internet, are supposed to be grabbers, and often way overreacting to the issue. Well, this just posted from NPR certainly fits that premise, except it is not overreacting. Number one, it is from a very credible National Public Radio; second, based on the Putins, Donald Trumps and the U.S. Republican Congress, it sounds very feasible. READ: "Why the U.N. chief says we are 'one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation'"

'Humanity is one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation'- UN Chief |Nuclear Non-Proliferation...

. . .

First it was Lake Meade, then Lake Powell, the two biggest reservoirs in the country located in the Southwest. Now, "Utah's Great Salt Lake is vanishing amid the megadrought gripping the southwestern United States." The shift in size is from 3,301 square miles down to where it now only holds one-quarter of the volume of water it used to. READ: "Megadrought at Utah's Great Salt Lake Seen From Space in Shocking Images."

. . .

The headline says it best: "The world is ablaze and the oil industry just posted record profits. It’s us or them."

At the age of 90, one has a very different perspective on the above. It's not hopeless, it's really a contentment.

All I wanted is to live but...

 

...my forever family didn't want me anymore. Did you know that 47% of dogs and 42% of cats are abandoned by owners each year? The no-kill shelters try to save as many as possible--they strive for 9 out of 10--but approximately 1.5 million animals are euthanized annually. Broken down this is about 670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats. And do you really know what happens when you take your pet to a kill shelter?...

Typically, the holding period before euthanasia runs from five to seven days. However, it can be as short as 48 to 72 hours in some cases.

The answer is a combination of education, feral animal catch and neuter/spay, and supporting your local rescues and shelters so they can provide quality care for more animals. Think twice before abandoning a pet that is like another child to the family. Just imagine how they feel being dumped after believing they had their forever home.

Why Would 18 Million Americans Be Willing To Kill Over Politics? The Answer is Donald Trump

In a recent CNN poll, 79% of the American public feels the United States is going in the wrong direction. This is up 11% since Spring. Correspondingly, President Biden's approval rating stands at a dismal 38%, with a 62% disapproval. Economic pressure is the leading contributor to all this with 75% pointing to inflation as the primary factor. The outlook...

"With midterm elections approaching, the poll finds no indication that Biden's standing with the public is improving -- and among some critical constituencies, it is worsening."

Washington Post columnist, Max Boot, agrees: "I used to be optimistic about America’s future. Not anymore." This says it all and is an indication that we have gone through a period of turmoil that many think was avoidable, and things have changed radically: The turmoil would be Donald Trump in the Oval Office. He spawned the era of hate and turned the Republican Party into a gang of vote stealing, corrupt and immoral would-be lawmakers.

Capitol Rioters Wanted To Capture, kill Lawmakers, Prosecutors Say...

But here's the scary part...this recent statistic. "One in five US adults condone ‘justified’ political violence." The radicals claim, "alienation from democratic institutions," which doesn't fly when you consider these same misfits take advantage of these democratic institutions. A team of medical and public health scientists at the University of California, Davis, after surveying 9,000 people across the country, learned the appalling truth...

"The prospect of large-scale violence in the near future is entirely plausible,” the scientists warn.

Protesters tell Jan. 6 committee former President Trump inspired them to riot at Capitol...

But it gets even more frightening,,,

"A hardcore rump of the US population, the survey recorded – amounting to 3% or by extrapolation 7 million people – believe that political violence is usually or always justified. Almost one in four of the respondents – equivalent to more than 60 million Americans – could conceive of violence being justified 'to preserve an American way of life based on western European traditions'”.

"Most alarmingly, 7.1% said that they would be willing to kill a person to advance an important political goal. The UC Davis team points out that, extrapolated to US society at large, that is the equivalent of 18 million Americans."

You have to wonder if one of these maniacs is your neighbor. And here's a conclusion gleaned from a survey of 417 of the Jan. 6 attackers taken by Harvard Institute of Politics: An overwhelming number said they were there because former President Donald Trump told them to be. And that, folks, is the scariest part of all, answering the question, 'Why Would 18 Million Americans Be Willing To Kill Over Politics?'

 

Are you ready for total climate meltdown? It may be unstoppable...

 

I live close to both Lake Meade and Lake Powell so I get a daily update on the climate disaster through waterlines and the drying up of the lakebeds. Lake Meade, the nation's largest reservoir reached 1,043.8 feet on Thursday, June 23rd, of this year, the lowest level since the lake was created in the 1930s. It is nearing what is called "dead pool," a situation where there isn't enough water to flow over the dam to create electricity. And there is another problem...

"Lake Mead provides water to the states of Arizona, California, and Nevada as well as some of Mexico, providing sustenance to nearly 20 million people and large areas of farmland."

Lake Powell is down -18.14 feet from one year ago. What is the current status?...

"Lake Powell is in crisis. The nation’s second-largest reservoir is strained 

 by more than two decades of drought, and its water levels are slipping dangerously low. In March, the reservoir passed an important threshold. Water levels dipped below 3,525 feet – the last major milestone before a serious threat to hydropower generation at the Glen Canyon Dam."

And these are only two examples of the catastrophic effects of climate change. Here's a headline from The Guardian that should knock your socks off, evaluating worldwide conditions: "‘Soon the world will be unrecognisable’: is it still possible to prevent total climate meltdown?" How's that for a statement that should make the U.S. public and conservatives in Congress demand and enact legislation NOW to correct the problem. But, as in the past, it probably won't.

I will be 90 years of age by the end of the week and probably won't be around to see the apocalypse. But I fear for the young people, especially my family, the climate deniers in Congress don't seem to give a damn about. With the daily disasters of fires, floods and storms, it would seem only idiots could deny such devastation. And that, apparently, is who is running our country. Here's how Robin McKee starts his article...

"Blistering heatwaves are just the start. We must accept how bad things are before we can head off global catastrophe, according to a leading UK scientist."

If you've ever been to Las Vegas you wouldn't recognize it now after catastrophic climate change...

Although the article's author, Robin McKee, is located in the U.K, his perspective is worldwide. He quotes from Bill McGuire’s latest book, Hothouse Earth; McGuire is emeritus professor of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London. A quote from his text...

"we have – for far too long – ignored explicit warnings that rising carbon emissions are dangerously heating the Earth. Now we are going to pay the price for our complacency in the form of storms, floods, droughts and heatwaves that will easily surpass current extremes."

McKee points out that many climate experts...

"still maintain we have time left, although not very much, to bring about meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. A rapid drive to net zero and the halting of global warming is still within our grasp, they say."

McGuire's reply...

“I know a lot of people working in climate science who say one thing in public but a very different thing in private. In confidence, they are all much more scared about the future we face, but they won’t admit that in public. I call this climate appeasement and I believe it only makes things worse. The world needs to know how bad things are going to get before we can hope to start to tackle the crisis.”

Hothouse Earth was completed at the end of 2021 and by publication McGuire found that many climate extremes had already been broken. To me this reflects just how fast climate earth is going down the drain. And McKee confirms this with...

"Wildfires of unprecedented intensity and ferocity have also swept across Europe, North America and Australia this year, while record rainfall in the midwest led to the devastating flooding in the US’s Yellowstone national park."

 McKinney Fire becomes California’s largest wildfire this year...

 And here is a most frightening statement by McKee, reflected in his title: “Soon it [the earth] will be unrecognisable to every one of us.” Is that what we want to leave for our children and their children? We find out from McGuire that the earth has only heated up 0ne degree, but according to climate models it is still heating up much faster than anticipated. Apparently it was the Industrial Revolution that started dumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere...

According to the Cop26 climate meeting in Glasgow last year, every effort should be made to try to limit that [carbon] rise to 1.5C, although to achieve such a goal, it was calculated that global carbon emissions will have to be reduced by 45% by 2030.

McGuire says no...

“In the real world, that is not going to happen. Instead, we are on course for close to a 14% rise in emissions by that date – which will almost certainly see us shatter the 1.5C guardrail in less than a decade.”

Two people were found dead inside a vehicle in Northern California’s McKinney Fire zone. They couldn't escape the fire and no doubt died a horrible death. Is this what you climate deniers want?

 

 

All I wanted is to live but...

 

...my forever family didn't want me anymore. Did you know that 47% of dogs and 42% of cats are abandoned by owners each year? The no-kill shelters try to save as many as possible--they strive for 9 out of 10--but approximately 1.5 million animals are euthanized annually. Broken down this is about 670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats. And do you really know what happens when you take your pet to a kill shelter?...

Typically, the holding period before euthanasia runs from five to seven days. However, it can be as short as 48 to 72 hours in some cases.

The answer is a combination of education, feral animal catch and neuter/spay, and supporting your local rescues and shelters so they can provide quality care for more animals. Think twice before abandoning a pet that is like another child to the family. Just imagine how they feel being dumped after believing they had their forever home.

Glad I'm 89

 

Growing up in a religious and racist South did not prepare me for White Christianity Nationalism

John Blake of CNN calls White Christianity Nationalism an "imposter Christianity" and exclaims it "is threatening American democracy." I grew up in a racist Tennessee but in the late forties and fifties it was simply the way things were. After witnessing my first lynching of a black man, I determined this was not something I could live with and thereafter made it clear I was anti racism. didn't sit well with many of my friends and I would eventually move out of the South for good.

The words racist and racism weren't even a topic of conversation, at least in that part of the country, in those days; just accepted cause that's the way it had always been. And, it still is, after tons of legislation to prevent it, but as the saying goes, 'you can't legislate morality." And racism is by no means restricted to the South, as Blake points out...

"The insurrection marked the first time many Americans realized the US is facing a burgeoning White Christian nationalist movement. This movement uses Christian language to cloak sexism and hostility to Black people and non-White immigrants in its quest to create a White Christian America."

There's more...

"A report from a team of clergy, scholars and advocates — sponsored by two groups that advocate for the separation of church and state — concluded that this ideology was used to "bolster, justify and intensify" the attack on the US Capitol."

There is a picture of a group at the Jan. 6 insurrection gathered around a large

wooden cross with one man hugging it. A caption says, "Demonstrators pray outside the US Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021." But I say these moronic traitors are offering themselves up to their false idol, Donald Trump. You have to be Godless to do what this insurrectionist gang did at the U.S. Capitol. Now, define White Christianity Nationalism...

Paul Gorski says..."it is an ideology based on a story about America that’s developed over three centuries. It reveres the myth that the country was founded as a Christian nation by white Christians and that its laws and institutions are based on Protestant Christianity. White Christian nationalists believe that the country is divinely favored and has been given the mission to spread religion, freedom, and civilization. They see this mission and the values they cherish as under threat from the growing presence of non-whites, non-Christians, and immigrants in the United States."

He adds...

"This is one point at which white Christian nationalism overlaps with the Make America Great American narrative. It’s the view that somebody has corrupted the country or is trying to take it away. White Christian nationalists want to take it back."

 This is what it means to be a 'White Christian nationalist'

These days, it seems that anything bad has a connection to Donald Trump and his MAGA movement. But speaking of Paul Gorski, he and Samuel L. Perry have a new book, The Flag and the Cross, where they closely "scrutinize" white Christian nationalists. Gorski and Perry believe that these people "share a set of common anti-democratic beliefs and principles."With T-rump as their leader, this makes complete sense while at the same time is terrifying.

Perry says there is a wide distinction between whites and people of color. I have a vivid picture of that from an experience from the state of Mississippi. My aunt and uncle had two 500-acre plantations and the caretaker was a black man named Man. In addition, he managed and was the butcher at my uncle's grocery store in the tiny town of Como, Mississippi. Man called me Mr. Jack and on several occasions we had long conversations; at the time I was only seven or eight.

When Man would come to my Uncle's house, he would always go through the side yard and come through the back door. I asked him once why he didn't just come through the front door. He answered me, 'Mr. Jack, I know it seems strange to you but that's the way it is here. It just makes it easier on everybody if I use the back door.' I didn't fully understand then but as I got older it became clear, blacks did not have the same rights as the white folk. It became repulsive and has never changed.

You won't be disappointed if you read both of these articles, unless...you are a White Christian Nationalist.

At the age of 89, one has a very different perspective on the above. It's not hopeless, it's really a contentment.

 

 

Glad I'm 89...

 

Robert Reich and the future of the Jan, 6, Panel Hearings...

My wife, Barbara, commented recently, 'You're not getting old, you are becoming an ABLE ELDER.' That certainly made me feel better and provided more affirmation of my feeling that it's good to be in this place in time, rather than starting everything anew. And the term ABLE ELDER indicates to me that, although I am 89, there is still some vitality left in the aging body. It takes it to cover politics today and I hope I never get too old to voice my liberal opinions.

And, Robert Reich says that, although the Jan. 6 hearings are closed in the meantime, Donald Trump's overthrow of the 2020 election is still a continuing fact of life. Here's Reich's opening comment...

"The committee has produced history’s most detailed account of an American president’s cruel and seditious pursuit of power. Even now, Trump continues to push states to alter the outcomes of the 2020 election."

He still gives speeches that rile up his supporters and other Trump minions to the point of provoking violence...

"the lives of committee members and their families have been threatened. Witnesses have received gangster-style warnings not to cooperate."

He still contacts state leaders to change their electoral votes from Biden to him, the most recent being Wisconsin assembly speaker Robin Vos, who was asked, "to support a resolution to retract Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes cast for Biden." And T-rump was just in Arizona to support, perhaps, the most unqualified potential governor this state has ever had, Kari Lake. And that's really saying something when our current Gov. Doug Ducey is a former ice cream salesman.

More from Reich...

"It has shown the deception behind Trump’s big lie, including Trump’s attorney general William Barr, saying 'I saw absolutely zero basis for the allegations' and that promoting it was 'a grave disservice to the country'.

Even Republicans warn against defending the "indefensible." Liz Cheney: “there will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain.” The comment clearly illustrates the disgrace that Trump has brought this country. And he continues at breakneck speed infiltrating right wing bastions like Arizona. After arriving in this state almost 25 years ago, and assessing the current state of politics at the time,  I felt I could be a force in change. And that may yet happen.

Trump’s actions on Jan. 6 focus of eighth House hearing...

A major effort of this valiant drive to protect our democracy are the Jan. 6 Insurrection Hearings, having just completed the 8th episode. But there's more to come. Was Thursday's hearing really the last one? The answer is a resounding NO, based on a flood of new information that continues to flow into the committee. Hearings will resume again in September where Republican Vice Chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. plans new evidence and more witnesses to consider...

"Doors have opened, new subpoenas have been issued, and the dam has begun to break," Cheney said.

Her remark, "the dam has begun to break," indicates to me the assurance she will hear this through, and confirmation there is enough evidence there to do the job. Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. said "We're just getting a significant amount of information." And the new evidence "pushes the timetable out." The next question is, what's next for the panel? Cheney says, "the panel will now return to its investigative mode for the next several weeks."

California Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar, rather than call an end is simply calling it the "next chapter." He continued...

"There's questions we want to get to the bottom of and significant progress we've made within the hearings to date," Aguilar told NPR. "I look forward to carrying forward and doing more work, but ultimately we made a commitment to find the facts, to chase the truth and that's what we seek to do."

The committee is still looking into, allegations that the Secret Service deleted text messages during a two-day period surrounding the Jan. 6 attack. They have turned over only one message, not what the panel was looking for, and I have read where the Secret Service has refused requests like this in the past and gotten away with it. The big question is...

"whether the panel will decide to formally recommend a criminal referral for Trump to the Justice Department, and whether he or former Vice President Mike Pence should be formally asked to testify."

 At the age of 89, one has a very different perspective on the above. It's not hopeless, it's really a contentment.

Stay tuned for the post-July 4th fireworks. 

 

Glad I'm 89...

 

The Jan. 6 Commission Hearings

Have you been watching the insurrection hearings from the Jan. 6, Commission? Republican Liz Cheney has done a remarkable job of illustrating Donald Trump's commitment to the demolition of American democracy. He promoted, then perpetuated, the insurrection of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Cheney, with a long lineup of Republican and Trump-loyal witnesses, has all but indicted T-rump, but the expedition to justice isn't over yet.

I've said before that I agree with little of the Republican ideology Cheney believes in, but I do believe sincerely in her commitment and determination to bring Donald Trump to justice. She is literally sacrificing her career in the U.S. House to get this job done. And it is tragic that she won't have the chance to work on the committee after the first of the year. Unless...there is a miracle. The latest polls show she is behind the Trump supported contender by 22 points. Ugh!

And while working on this post yesterday, Donald Trump and Mike Pence came to Arizona to do battle in our Republican governor's race. It features two misfits, Kari Lake and Karrin Taylor Robson, but then, Arizona is used to oddballs for this office. Remember Jan Brewer and now the current Doug Ducey, both of which leave much to be desired in the brains department...

"The dueling appearances underlines the importance of Arizona on the national stage, with the 2 August primaries likely to serve as a litmus test for Trump’s endorsement prowess ahead of the midterms, where the Republicans hope to win key state races and regain control of the Senate and House."

Jan. 6 Hearing Room Laughs At Video Of Josh Hawley Fleeing Capitol Riot...

But the real point in contention is, did the January 6 committee prove its case? CNN has "A point-by-point breakdown of its major claims and the evidence presented:"

"President Trump summoned the mob, assembled the mob and lit the flame of this attack."

"While the violence was underway, President Trump failed to take immediate action to stop the violence and instruct his supporters to leave the Capitol."

"You will see that Donald Trump and his advisers knew that he had, in fact, lost the election...President Trump corruptly pressured state legislators and election officials to change election results."

"President Trump engaged in a massive effort to spread false and fraudulent information ... and invested millions of dollars of campaign funds purposely spreading false information..."

"You will see that President Trump corruptly planned to replace the Attorney General of the United States so the U.S. Justice Department would spread his false stolen election claims."

"...we will focus on President Trump's efforts to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to refuse to count electoral votes on January 6th...in private and in public."

At the age of 89, one has a very different perspective on the above. It's not hopeless, it's really a contentment.

NEXT: What to expect and more from the Jan.6 hearings on the Capitol insurrection by Donald Trump.  

 

 

Arizona's State Sen. Wendy Rogers investigated by her own

 

The Arizona State Senate launched an ethics investigation into this wingnut, Wendy Rogers, for a comment on the Buffalo gun massacre...

“Of course I condemn the violence in Buffalo, who doesn’t?” Rogers tweeted on Monday morning – two days after suggesting it was a false flag attack by a federal agent.

The "it was a false flag attack by a federal agent" part is what is being looked into, although with a Republican Arizona legislature, is likely to go nowhere.

Arizona newspaper opinion contributor says, "It does real damage when Sen. Wendy Rogers spews hate and claims to love Jesus." Tim Wright adds...

Recently, state Sen. Wendy Rogers spoke at the America First Political Action conference. America First was founded by Nick Fuentes, labeled a white nationalist.

Fuentes views societal change in the U.S. as the “bastardized Jewish subversion of the American creed. The Founders never intended for America to be a refugee camp for nonwhite people.”

Another Arizona columnist, Laurie Roberts, comments...

"Latest election audit says no hacking, so, of course, Sen. Wendy Rogers decries hacking."

There was more from Roberts...

 “I want the routers,” state Sen. Wendy Rogers demanded, ad nauseam.

“Get the routers. Yep. #AmericasAudit,” Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward tweeted.

Kelli Ward is just one more of Arizona's premiere political idiots.

Senate launches inquiry into Wendy Rogers' comments on Buffalo shooting...

And, another of our Arizona columnists, E.J. Montini, who tells it like it is exclaims...

"Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers opposes free speech for 'satanic demons'"

He quotes from Nick Martin, editor and writer of The Informant, a publication dedicated to keeping track of the many hateful extremists who infest the land...

"A while back the Arizona Senate – Democrats and Republicans alike – censured Rogers for a speech she gave at a white nationalist conference calling for public hangings and for her ugly social media attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy."

"She claimed at the time it was an attack on her free speech, a concept Rogers has never quite grasped."

Arizona has become a hotbed for this kind of political hack/lunatic. We've come to expect it but yearn for the day when we will be able to expel the whole lot in one fell swoop. I just hope I live long enough. 

  

CRISES...SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2200

 

A QUICK LOOK AT TODAY....

Already thousands are protesting across the U.S. against the potential Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade...A Boston police officer is stabbed...India's heat wave damages wheat crop stopping exports from second largest producer...Florida Covid infections hit 5,600 daily...21 injured mass shooting in downtown Milwaukee...Dallas police investigate Asian business shootings...No. Korea claims 21 new Covid deaths...Israelis attack Aljazeera reporter's funeral...Teenage boy kills another teenager in Phoenix accidental shooting...Baby formula shortage still rampant in U.S....Texas loses six power plants in heat surge...

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

ASSAULT WEAPONS = 6 dead...10+ wounded

 

Six people are now dead from gun violence and more than ten are wounded. Early this morning in Sacramento, California, in downtown, no less, and they haven't caught the shooter yet, as of moments ago. This is the city's second mass shooting in a month and yet another cry for help from gun control advocates to ban assault weapons. Who the hell needs this kind of weapon for anything other than to kill as many people as possible?

The U.S. gun culture has reached its limits when it come to the limits of firearms on the street. There are 393 million guns on U.S. Streets with a population of 326 million people. And do guns make us safer? According to David Hemenway, professor of health policy at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, "there is no good evidence that using a gun in self-defense reduces the likelihood of injury." So why are there so many guns in America?

Because there are so many gun nuts, many of which are not satisfied with just one

gun, but require several. According to Pew Research, two-thirds of gun owners say they own more than one gun, including 29% who own five or more guns. But, admittedly, the major problem recently seems to be mass killings, which usually involve assault weapons. Getting rid of these vast agents of human destruction would, at least be a start.

You can see a collection of my posts on gun violence over the years...here.

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THE AGONY OF BELTWAY POLITICS...Florida's Despot Gov. Ron DeSantis and a SCOTUS Insurrectionist Wife

 

From the words of the Washington Post's Dana Milbank: "Living in states run by a Republican governor is dangerous to your health." The Post article says...

"Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, consultant Doug Haddix reported Sunday that since July 1 (when the lifesaving vaccine was widely available), the 14 states with the highest death rates were all run by Republican governors."

There is no worse GOP governor in this country than the master of tyranny, none other than Florida's demented Ron DeSantis. But there is more to the story, according to the CDC study...

"This [CDC data)] included Florida (at about 153 deaths per 100,000 residents), Ohio (142 deaths per 100,000), Arizona (138) and Georgia (134). Contrast that with the deep-blue District of Columbia (only 27 deaths per 100,000) and California (58 per 100,000)."

That's right, Florida leads the way in U.S. states for governors who have royally botched the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in their state. To date Florida has 5,877,973 cases, 72,704 deaths, but the lunatic DeSantis thinks he is doing a great job. Moreover, there are double-digit Floridians who agree with him. And...this moron wants to run for president in 2024. On the other hand, Milbank reports...

"The states with the lowest death rates, by contrast, were all run by Democrats — or, in the case of Vermont, Maryland and Massachusetts, by moderate Republican governors who had heavily Democratic legislatures and embraced vaccines and masks. The best jurisdictions were D.C., Vermont, Hawaii and California. Looking at data from the period since May 1 (by which time all U.S. adults theoretically could have been vaccinated) produced similar results."

Texts Show Wife of Justice Thomas, Ginni, Urged Mark Meadows To Overturn Election Results...

The problem is that Republicans have decided they can do anything they want to, this logic ushered in by Donald Trump's former administration, and for the last five years have proceeded to do as they please with that edict. Case in point, Ginni Thomas...

"The House Select Committee investigating the January 6 riot has in its possession more than two dozen text messages, 29 in total, between former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, a conservative activist and the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas [a radical conservative], according to multiple sources familiar with the messages. 

Thomas said "she "played no role" in planning the events of that day. However...

"The text messages, reviewed by CNN, show Thomas pleading with Meadows to continue the fight to overturn the election results."

Not only does Thomas think she can get away with this insurrection, she's convinced she can lie, like the infamous Trump, to get away with it. Here's more...

"Help This Great President stand firm, Mark!!! ... You are the leader, with him, who is standing for America's constitutional governance at the precipice. The majority knows Biden and the Left is attempting the greatest Heist of our History," Thomas wrote on November 10, 2020.

And then blatantly lying, saying she "played no role." Pathetic! 

President Biden has a wobbly Congress holding a close majority and two Democrats who should be on the other side of the aisle, namely, Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema. This position, unfortunately, ties Biden's hands at a time when he needs the cooperation of the Senate and the House in addressing this dilemma, plus a lot of other major issues on the President's plate, all to improve this country. But if the people do want things the DeSantis/Thomas way, God help us.

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Bring on the Republican Clowns

 

From Lindsey Graham to Ted Cruz, the circus has come to town and the clown car is emptying at the Ketanji Brown Jackson SCOTUS nomination hearings. RawStory says...

"During the hearings, Republicans such as Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.) have congratulated themselves for declining to treat Judge Jackson the way Democrats handled the nomination of Brett M. Kavanaugh. In fact, by the most relevant measures, Mr. Graham and a handful of other Judiciary Committee Republicans have handled themselves worse."

Ted Cruz was a student of former Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz, prompting this from Dershowitz...

[he] "slammed Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) for his line of questioning of Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, demanding that she define the word "woman" in an apparent attempt to weed out whether she would be too supportive of transgender rights for his liking."

Dershowitz continues...

"So, would you discriminate against someone who changed genders, if they wanted to serve as a federal judge? No, no! That's bigotry," said Dershowitz. "People have the right to choose how to live their lives. Cruz asked a series of absurd questions — I hope he didn't learn them from me, he was my student — where he said, well, if a man has the right to choose to be a woman, I as a Latino person have a right to be Asian. No! No, you don't. You can't change into somebody who's Asian. You can parody someone who's Asian and live an Asian life and be part of Asian culture, but no, you can't do that. You can convert, you can be born a Jew and become a Catholic, you can be born a Catholic and become a Jew."

Watch two idiot Senators, Graham and Cruz make a fool of themselves in front of SCOTUS nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson... 

 Dana Milbank says, "Republicans promised ‘no circus’ at Jackson’s hearing. Then the clown car rolled in"...

"Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), the insurrectionist lawmaker who voted to overturn the 2020 election results and pumped a fist in solidarity with those rallying outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, last week launched a scurrilous attack against Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson."

Here's what happened...

"The accusations were discredited as out of context and misleading. Denunciations rained on Hawley, including on Sunday in National Review from conservative legal writer Andrew C. McCarthy, who opposes Jackson but said Hawley’s 'allegation appears meritless to the point of demagoguery.'”

 Someone compared the Ketanji Brown Jackson hearings with Republicans in something of a "performance" mode, as if they were making a comedy Broadway production out of everything they are doing. And, that would be exactly right in light of the fact that the GOP has absolutely no agenda, and their only mission is to sabotage anything the Democrats come up with. What they don't realize is that once they put the clown makeup on, sometimes it is hard to remove.

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BILL S. BALLINGER...Tribute to a Dear Friend and Great Writer who died 43 years ago today

 

I met Bill Ballinger in 1960, at the Highlander Motel, just a couple blocks from the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood. We were both living there at the time; Bill, because of the close proximity to the TV/movie studios, and I had just been transferred to Los Angeles by my company. 

It was a chance meeting orchestrated by the motel go-to guy for anything the residents needed, Clarence, who had a feeling Bill and I would hit it off. We did and it was a relationship that lasted to his death in 1980. I was there with the family and spent several days with him right to the end. 

Bill was a steady smoker and, unfortunately, lung cancer took his life.. On one of the last days, when I arrived at the hospital, his wife Lucile stopped me before entering his room and asked if I could go in and calm Bill down. It seems he wanted a cigarette and the hospital had taken them away for fear of an explosion from the oxygen he was receiving.

And not the least of which, he was dying from the very thing he craved. We argued,

something Bill and I had never done before over all the years we had known each other. At one point he told me, don't worry about the oxygen, when I noticed he had the nose piece hidden under his pillow. And, 'what the hell' he said, 'I'll never leave this hospital alive.' I almost cried, but, instead, I went down to the hospital gift shop and bought him a package of cigarettes.

But for the years leading up to that day, it was a friendship I treasured because of, just Bill and Lucy, and the memories we shared together. Like the time Lucile decided she could grow hair on two balding heads. She had us both lying on their bed on our stomachs where she spread vodka mixed with cayenne pepper on our bald pates. And, Bill's and Lucy's parties populated with the Hollywood bunch, but the more down to earth crowd; Lucile's curry for dinner was out of this world.

Bill was not just a super-interesting person, he was one of the most talented and versatile writers of his day, working in radio where he wrote 81 scripts and produced The Dinah Shore Show, The Breakfast Club, and Lowell Thomas broadcasts. He was a novelist, crime/suspense, with a library unequaled in the field. The Tooth and the Nail was considered one of his finest, and it was also made into a movie. He also wrote another 150 TV and motion picture scripts. 

In 1961 Bill won the coveted Edgar Award for an Alfred Hitchcock teleplay. At one of the parties, I met the Associate Producer for the Hitchcock TV series and he told me he could always count on Bill for a great script, and an almost overnight delivery. 

Lucy called me after Bill's passing, saying she was going through his things and found several personal copies of his novels; felt he would have wanted me to have them. Brett Halliday, pen name of Dave Dresser, and the author of Michael Shane

books, was a close friend of the Ballingers and along with his wife, Mary, once threw a party for a new litter of cats. It was a blast. Dave wore a patch over one eye and set a bottle of brandy on his writing table each day before starting to write.

There is so much more to tell, enough to fill a book, about all the interesting people I met through Bill, and Dave. As an example, I was introduced to one of the leading glassblowers in the U.S. who lived in Montecito (close to Santa Barbara) in Dave and Mary's neighborhood. 

Bill Sanborn Ballinger, borne in Oskaloosa, Iowa, died in Tarzana, California on this day 43 years ago. Lucile died not too long after that. The Corsican, about the Unione Corse (corpse), published in 1974, has the most touching autograph to my wife, Barbara and me, of any of his books...

To my dear friends - Jack and Barbara - Much happiness in your new home, but don't forget your way back - Love, Bill S. Ballinger - dated 9/6/74   

We did return but it wasn't the same without Bill and Lucy Ballinger.