February 2019

The Donald, Demographics and Democracy

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*President Donald Trump, to many people, is one of the worst presidents in history. I see no point in attempting to change anyone’s mind about this, nor do I have any desire to persuade anyone to look at the president differently. What I want to do is to explain why he was voted into office.

Economic Determinism

One of my favorite questions to ask any economics professor, and I have asked many of my economics professors, is this question: Does economic determine politics, or does politics determine economics? Most of the professors will hedge their answer, saying that the answer is a little bit of both. Keep Reading

The Peaceful Rebellion

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*Millennials and Generation Zs are terrified. The accelerating combustion of fossil fuels, the Man-driven Sixth Mass Extinction and the annual 250 billion metric tons of Man-made long-lasting poisons have compromised all life.

save the earth
Greta Thunberg addresses the largest ever climate demonstration in Finland. Image credit: Common Dreams

The youth of the planet are not sitting back quietly. They are forming peaceful movements. For example, Greta Thunberg, a teenaged Swede, began striking against school to bring attention to the climate crisis. Her actions have spawned a global outcry. Hundreds of thousands of school children from around the globe are striking for the climate. Keep Reading

One Bad Apple

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Bad Apple

*Most addicts never see it coming.  They just cruise along enjoying a harmless vice, one they are in complete control of, placing themselves above the many that have succumbed.  Then the day of Josie’s graduation comes along, which means three hours in the car with family and a long day away from home before there will be any alone time, and they panic a little.  Mr. Jones is knocking.  That’s when the compromises begin.

One little lie here, one unfact there, twenty dollars here, a couple hours there.  They will compromise their own integrity.  They will compromise their own reality.  They will compromise almost anything just to get at that drink, that pill, that gram, that bet, that cupcake.  They start doing things that they never would have dreamed of doing a year ago, or two.

Bad Apple

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Death, Starving Animals, Soaring Bank Profits

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*While the U.S. banks celebrate a record windfall from the Trump administration’s $1.5 trillion tax cuts, our planetary life support systems are blinking code red emergency. The accelerating Man-driven Sixth Mass Extinction is smashing head on into the Man-made climate crisis.

Starving Animals
10 days after the rainfall some cows are still stranded in three feet of water. Image credit: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Accelerating fossil fuel emissions, along with the annual 250 billion metric tons of Man-made pernicious endocrine-disrupting chemicals, are laying waste to our brethren, the animals, around the globe. Keep Reading

Fake News & Unjust Sentencing. The Case to Pardon Blagojevich

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*Governor Rod Blagojevich’s prison sentence is the most ridiculous example of hypocrisy in the history of justice and political corruption in the state of Illinois.

Setting aside the question of whether one views the former-Governor’s fundraising activities as crimes, and whether he received fair trials, are less important than examining the real corruption the media doesn’t report.

I take issue with the charges and the conduct of the Blagojevich prosecutors, but that is not the key point; the key point is what is playing out in Illinois politics today and how outrageous it is that the real corrupt Democrats have no accountability. Add the fact that killing someone goes less punished in Illinois than alleged fundraising activism.

I support President Trump pardoning Blagojevich’s prison sentence as not only a tool to amend the excessive prison sentence, but to push back on hyper aggressive federal prosecutions, and to allow Illinois citizens to consider the bigger picture.

Pardon Blagojevich
Illinois Governors Otto Kerner, George Ryan, Dan Walker, and Rod Blagojevich
Image Credit: Washington Post

Four of the last seven Illinois Governors have been convicted of various crimes and sentenced to prison. Various other elected officials have faced criminal charges, and while that is not uncommon in other states, Illinois has had it bad.

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AOC’s Green Offensive

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*.. and upon entering, the children sprout wings and begin to fly, frolicking and playing together without regard or concern for race or gender; eating nutritious candy and carb-free ice cream; while discussing philosophy, playing music and jointly painting an endless mural of peace and love.

Sounds a lot like the last bit of the Green New Deal:

“.. shall provide all people of the United States with high-quality health care; affordable, safe, and adequate housing; economic security; and access to clean water, clean air, healthy and affordable food, and nature.”

We MUST participate in saving this planet!

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is certainly on the right track and trying to steer us in the right direction.  (Do you hear a ‘but’ coming?) Keep Reading

Fossil Fuel Ocean Heat, Pacific Kelp Collapsed

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*Accelerating fossil fuel combustion has caused atmospheric and oceanic oxygen levels to plummet. Why is Man knowingly asphyxiating Mankinds only home?

Many of the luxuriant kelp forests surrounding all continents have collapsed. It’s a catastrophe for kelp-dwelling marine life. No home. No animals.

fossil fuel combustion
A 2011 marine heatwave cooked a 600-mile stretch of Western Australia’s kelp forests. Image credit: Dr Hamish Malcolm

Welcome to the insane Man-driven Sixth Mass Extinction occurring as fast as 10,000 times the previous five others as it collides with the Man-made climate in crisis from burning subsidized fossil fuels. Hideous biological annihilation.

93 percent of all fossil fuel heat has been stored in the oceans. The oceans drive Earth’s climate. The oceans heat is in lockstep with accelerating fossil fuel emissions. Every year in the last decade was among the 10 warmest ever measured in the oceans. In fact, 2018 was the hottest global ocean temperature ever recorded.

Everything in Nature is interconnected and interdependent. Keep Reading

Perennial Peace

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Peace sign on hedge

*Dona nobis pacem.  Grant us peace.  Sounds like church, or Christmas.  Not everyday words, but nice.  Like Namaste, Shalom and Aloha, Peace is at once a greeting and a good-bye, a well wish for you and a hope for all, a concept and a reality.  Peace is something to strive for and enjoy along the way; to both dream of and experience.

Peace doesn’t get much press these days except during the holidays.  That’s when illuminated doves and signs spelling out PEACE and old-school Peace Signs come out of hiding along with Jesus and the manger and Santa, as if they all were members of a high school debate team that still gets together once a year.

The lights and decorations are beautiful and remind us that it is a special season and most of us do slow down a bit; try to be a little more patient and understanding and peaceful.  By New Year’s Day the lights are gone and the debate team is again confined to the box and peace goes back into hibernation with the others, both in physical space and (perhaps?) in our hearts.  But, Peace is not a Christmastime thing! Keep Reading

Glassdoor Reviews – Miscreant Managers Mangling the Message

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*We all know that internet is teeming with liars. Conspiracy theorists and quasi-governmental “officials” claiming all kinds of things that never happened, and denying things that actually happened, in order to create doubt or encourage beliefs that will help them advance their atrocious agendas. As long as the liars stay within certain parameters, their impact is minimized and their fraudulence doesn’t affect many people. But then, not to affect many people would not serve the motives of the lying internet scoundrels. Keep Reading

Western Monarchs 99.4% Vanished

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*A couple weeks ago, a majestic western monarch butterfly fluttered by me en route to feed upon the nectar of pretty purple lantana flowers. It whispered, “Don’t forget to tell the world of our plight, too!”

The iconic monarchs are mysterious pollinators, which intrigue children and adults alike.

Monarch Butterflies
Monarch butterflies cannot fly if their body temperature is below 86 degrees. They will bask in the sun or shiver their wings to warm up. Image credit: Texas A&M
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