THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS - CHAPTER 18

After an abundance of mass shootings our country” s “leadership”  are still offering THOUGHTS and PRAYERS. The turtle , also known as the leader of the senate, reiterated that this is no time to politicize the issue. THEN WHEN? We have had enough killing just this year alone to create  a political climate that could eliminate assault weapons and bump stocks. Start NOW!

Be a politician and get some political movement with some spine to make this problem go away. Be a righteous person and get your legislation in gear. Be a religious politician and get the bill going after Schleiisem, after the wake, after Shivah, after you get off the pot. Get a spine and balls, get it done.

But no. It is a mental health problem so Trumps reduces our programs that cover mental health. Look at the president’s budget. Our “leadership” does the opposite of what they say needs to be done. That makes them gold star with the NRA. Is it now being pushed in the Senate that a concealed weapon permit is good in every state? The same idiots in the Congress that offer their thoughts and prayers are pushing this through.

The orange rube in the white house never mentioned guns in his offering of consolation to the victims. We know he needs mental health treatments and he isn’t getting it either – because he is a stable genius. Hey genius, figure this out. Eighteen mass shootings this year alone and we are just six weeks into the year. Along with Trump University, Trump Vodka and Trump ties, sell Trump bullets. Let that enterprise fail as so many other Trump enterprises have failed (including this presidency). It is not funny.

The argument that good guys with guns can stop bad guys with guns is BS. At the Boston bombing, there were hundreds of good guys with guns – we call them police. The same in Las Vegas, the same each time. Give more people guns,  give more people the ability to take lives, more lives will be taken, some of the good guys with guns will go down, too.

“A well regulated Militia” means police, National Guard, Army, Marines  - not some uneducated white supremacists, even the ones, the president supposes,  are “good people.” Who is kidding who? Guns are a big business and the guns manufacturers do not want to lessen their distribution. So, hence the GUN LOBBY.”

The kids in Newtowm and Parkland, the people in Las Vegas and victims in the other mass shootings are giving their lives so the Gun Lobby may live. It is sickening. I am also sick of the those that defend it.

The time is NOW. FDR condemned the Japanese on December 8^th.  No one suggested that we cool off an then talk about the attack. The time is NOW.  The events of yesterday will fade as Newtown did, as Las Vegas did and nothing will get done, as the idiots in Congress and in the White House wants. The time is NOW.

We have eight months or so the get rid of the weasels. The cowards that want only to be re-elected have to go..  Think of a gun as way to have a late term abortion. Maybe that way the lovers of their “second amendment,”  the amendment that ignores the militia part, will be motivated to do something.

Again, the time is NOW. Today! Start NOW.

But we need leadership – something that this country sorely lacks. Our executive branch is in disarray. They are all, almost all are facing prison. Our legislative branch is cowering under their desks because of the hate mongers that don’t want immigration reform or less guns.

They got to get elected again and again because the perks of office are too good to pass up. No, they don’t and we do not have to elect them and we should not.

My thoughts and prayers are with the citizens of the United States – we really need them – especially the prayers.

That is my take – you decide -- PLEASE

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

These are the two meaningless words I ever heard. Especially, when they are responding to a tragedy. They do nothing to calm the victims, the families of victims, the acquaintances of the victims. Save your breath. Better to say nothing than utter the words that are empty and devoid of meaning  and actions.

“Our thoughts.” What are they thinking? Glad I am not a victim. Someone will ask for more laws to prevent this happening again. The speaker of the empty words wants to deflect the idea so they show some empathy, often devoid of any real caring. More thoughts, the “do gooders” are coming out of the woodwork to ask for and  demand action. That is what the “TandP” idiots are thinking. These are their actual thoughts:

1. Come up with a talking point like “now is not the time to discuss gun control, opioid control."
2. Create alternative argument. That is a mental health issue not a gun issue. Or in the case of opioids, we can’t deny those that need them, they will suffer.
3.  We need to enforce the laws we have already on the books. 
4. We need more guns so good guys with guns can get the bad guys with guns. No good guy with a gun ever prevented an incident.
5. We need to build a wall to prevent opioids from entering the country.

These are their thoughts. There is nothing in their thoughts that comfort anyone or create action. Those that say, “our thoughts and prayers are with you,” are full of shit. In order to think you have to have a brain.  When you see members of the government do you see any brains? (Do you see any spines?)

Unfortunately we live in a country with people in legislatures that are focused on staying there no matter what it takes. Remember Speaker Foley. He was replaced by a Term Limits guy who when his term was up wanted to do away with term limits as it applied to him. They want to stay in power. They are always thinking what they have to do to stay. Those are their thoughts. Those are their reasons for inaction. Don’t piss off the NRA, don’t piss off Big Pharma. So, we have an opioid crisis as a result. The NRA is the governing force behind gun laws or the lack thereof.

As the Las Vegas Massacre unfolded the Congress was trying pass a bill that will allow gun owners to buy silencers. So, when they kill you won’t have to deal with the sound of your death. Congress will not take away semiautomatic military rifles. The singular reason for that weapon is to kill people. The last eight mass shootings employed AR15 rifles. I haven’t heard of one AR15 used to get venison. Bump stocks – yes, you can still get them to upgrade your AR15 to increase the kill capacity.

WHAT THE HELL IS IT GOING TO TAKE? I guess as long as we are in their thoughts we are OK. NOT.

Because we are also in their prayers, it is most Interesting that two mass shootings took place in a church while people were praying. It must make them feel better to say they are praying for the victims when they are actually preying on them with the lack of any action on resolving the problems; Opioids or bullet delivery systems.

Prayers, while it sounds so wonderful, who are they praying to and for what? Allah, the god that the New York truck driver spoke of as he ran down the people. The god that was NOT at Sandy Hook? The god that was not at the Sutherland Springs church?  Keep your misguided prayers and DO SOMEHTING.

I AM SO SICK OF HEARING THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS!  I want some action. I want the action now.

Stop thinking and start to take actions like passing some bills. Stop calling the problems by what they aren’t. The only mental health problem hurting our society is borne by our president. His statement has created a wall between real  action and bull shit. He actually cut mental health funding.

The gun problem is based in the need for manufacturers to make money, more than they need. They do it with the blood of our fellow citizens. The NRA stands for No Recent Action on any of this.

Bump stocks, silencers automatic rifles, expanded magazines, hollow nose bullets, armor piercing ammunition all legal because of our spineless Congress people, our mentally disturbed president and the NRA. Now, if the people on my block are going to war against the people on the next street, well that explains the need for war materials.  I am for following the intent of the second Amendment and give everyone muskets.

That is my take  - you decide.  (I want to hear your thoughts and prayers)

TRUMPAREHA

Last week I went to my gastroenterologist. My stomach has been in turmoil and I have explosive events when I am not at home or at a restaurant or a friend’s house. She asked me so many questions. Some of the answers were embarrassing.

I am a news junky so I am trying to see if that is the problem. I watch news daily and read the paper every morning cover to cover over my coffee, (which is now decaf thanks to the doctor). Yes, my stomach is better but not yet cured. I drink purified water, too! Lots of it. I am rid of fats, spices and intoxicants. Yet, the problem persists. There are no indications of any contaminants in my diet. Only in my political life.

There is one major contaminant on my screens. It is orange with small hands and blond rat wig on its head. That contaminant can create and upset stomach on any one. It is a disgusting, degenerate germ that is around. It is an epidemic causing viruses in all of our lives.

I will bet by now you have figured out what this germ is! That germ is somewhat tolerated with alcohol. Could I use a drink now!  I usually have one drink day, around 5 or 6 pm. I just realized that the drink coincides with the news. My Trumpareha is becoming chronic.

OK, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt with regard to the phone call to the dead soldier’s wife. Is he that stupid that he can’t remember what his chief of staff told him to say – My guess is yes, he is. Chalk his bumbling phone call up to stupidity.  Our Commander in Chief, if you haven’t yet decided that for yourself, is stupid. I wish there was some presidential form of Kaopectate. He is creating shit storms that make the recent hurricanes look tame. More trumpareha!

Our country is in much worse shape now that it was January 19 of this year. The decline continues with every boast, every lie, every tweet, every Executive Order, every appointment that has to resign or not get consideration, and every time he wakes up. Make America Great Again, how when he can’t keep America out of the toilet?

I did not know and was not aware of the fact that Trumpareha was contagious. Then I heard mush mouth Sarah Sanders tell us that a General cannot be questioned, then I heard the general. Here’s the thing: The general is paid with tax dollars and when he was a general he was under civilian authority. The general had no deity, only some stars and a good paycheck. He wore a beret not a pointed hat and robes. Sarah Sanders’ sanity needs to be questioned if she thinks the United States of America is religious institution. (Hmmm, her father publicly stated that he wanted the bible to replace the constitution).

The American public has not figured out yet that the orange contaminant wants to be El Deuce of the U.S. He is working the country in that direction and most of us don’t speak Italian. Only a few of our legislators have the guts to say what he is. Above all, he is a mentally impaired person.  So, why hasn’t the cabinet thought about their actions under the 25^th amendment?

In the next election we will have no political ads just commercials for medicines that can cure Trumpareha. If trumpareha is not cured then we will all have to live through the smell. It stinks now, imagine a year from now.

My heart goes out to LaDavid Johnson’s family. In addition to the insensitivity they had to smell the residue of trumpareha.

I wonder what the smell is like in the Press Room at the White House. Sarah Sanders has done a great job of proliferating the trumpareha. At least Spicer, when he was there, looked troubled by what he was told to say. He damaged his reputation trying to be loyal to a very prolific defecator. I finally took the Imodium and left the job only to be replaced by the Mooch and no Sanders.

Three hundred and fifty million people cannot take daily doses of Imodium. So what do we do? Simple, make sure our congress people take action before we have a war with Iran, North Korea. Mexico, White Supremacists, and before we deport 800,000 good people,  to replace this contaminant in our government. Soon, I pray.

There is one major contaminant on my screens. It is orange with small hands and blond rat wig on its head. That contaminant can create and upset stomach on any one. It is a disgusting, degenerate germ that is around. It is an epidemic causing viruses in all of our lives.

I will bet by now you have figured out what this germ is! That germ is somewhat tolerated with alcohol. Could I use a drink now!  I usually have one drink day, around 5 or 6 pm. I just realized that the drink coincides with the news. My Trumpareha is becoming chronic.

OK, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt with regard to the phone call to the dead soldier’s wife. Is he that stupid that he can’t remember what his chief of staff told him to say – My guess is yes, he is. Chalk his bumbling phone call up to stupidity.  Our Commander in Chief, if you haven’t yet decided that for yourself, is stupid. I wish there was some presidential form of Kaopectate. He is creating shit storms that make the recent hurricanes look tame. More trumpareha!

Our country is in much worse shape now that it was January 19 of this year. The decline continues with every boast, every lie, every tweet, every Executive Order, every appointment that has mafe to resign or not get consideration, and every time he wakes up. Make America Great Again, how when he can’t keep America out of the toilet?

I did not know and was not aware of the fact that Trumpareha was contagious. Then I heard mush mouth Sarah Sanders tell us that a General cannot be questioned, then I heard the general. Here’s the thing: The general is paid with tax dollars and when he was a general he was under civilian authority. The general had no deity, only some stars and a good paycheck. He wore a beret not a pointed hat and robes. Sarah Sanders’ sanity needs to be questioned if she thinks the United States of America is religious institution. (Hmmm, her father publicly stated that he wanted the bible to replace the constitution).

The American public has not figured out yet that the orange contaminant wants to be El Deuce of the U.S. He is working the country in that direction and most of us don’t speak Italian. Only a few of our legislators have the guts to say what he is. Above all, he is a mentally impaired person.  So, why hasn’t the cabinet thought about their actions under the 25^th amendment?

In the next election we will have no political ads just commercials for medicines that can cure Trumpareha. If trumpareha is not cured then we will all have to live through the smell. It stinks now, imagine a year from now.

My heart goes out to LaDavid Johnson’s family. In addition to the insensitivity they had deal with, they to smell the residue of trumpareha.

I wonder what the smell is like in the Press Room at the White House. Sarah Sanders has done a great job of proliferating the trumpareha. At least Spicer, when he was there, looked troubled by what he was told to say. He damaged his reputation trying to be loyal to a very prolific defecator. I finally took the Imodium and left the job only to be replaced by the Mooch and now Sanders.

Three hundred and fifty million people cannot take daily doses of Imodium. So what do we do? Simple, make sure our congress people take action, before we have a war with Iran, North Korea. Mexico, White Supremacists, and before we deport 800,000 good people. We need to replace this bacteria, trumpareha, quickly.

That is my take – you decide!

 

GETTING THERE IS NOT HALF THE FUN

Last night three friends and I went to Dodger Stadium to see the Dodgers lose again. But we enjoy being under the stars and munching our hot dogs, so even if they lose we win. We arrived at the gate, showed the attendant our electronic parking pass and proceeded into the stadium area. That was exactly three minutes to seven. We had 13 minutes to get to our seats. In fact, we could see our seats from the parking lot. They were behind home plate but way above the plate area, yes, nose bleed seats.

We proceeded to get into the traffic that would take us to the lot were needed to get to. Lot P. Normally, we would just drive around the park, pull into Lot P and walk into the stadium down a very steep set of stairs to our seats. Of course there would be a stop to get Dodger Dogs as walking up the stairs to get them would be a cardiac adventure. So, in addition to the Dodger Dogs a pit stop was in order. Simple, yes! Except that we spent an hour in traffic, in the park, to get to Lot P. It was 8:04 pm when we entered The ticket gate.  We missed the first three innings and the first four runs that the Dodgers had score in some time.

It was fireworks night so they blocked off two or three large parking lots.  As a result there was intense grid lock in the park. Like the Dodgers didn’t know that there would be a lot of people coming to the game. The Dodgers were taken by surprise. The organization that boasts the largest attendance of any major league team was not prepared – or they didn’t give a crap as long as you paid outlandish ticket costs, and parking cost that compare with your mortgage payments. The game was a sellout which they knew long in advance. So, they decided to reduce the parking capacity. What! planning? They had traffic going in every direction but the one direction that would take you to your lot.

I have a new car and enjoy riding in it. “Riding” being the operative word  - not standing still for an hour or worse,  not seeing the game I paid to see and not enjoying the brief success that the Dodgers had while inching along, while the whirling Darvish tried in vain to pitch a winning game.

When we finally got into the stadium I went to Fan Services and they gave me a form to fill out that would have taken 30 minutes. So, I opted to take the form with me and send it in after I get home except they don’t have where to submit the form on the form. They really don’t want to hear any criticism after all, they are the Dodgers.

We missed a third of the game and as it turned out to be the best third of a game in some time. For most Angelenos, there is no TV coverage, no Vin and an organization that doesn’t care enough to prepare.  When you decide to come to the park, pay the outrageous ticket price, the $7 for a coke, $7.50 for a bottle of water and $12.00 for a beer, you would think that the Dodgers would prepare to accommodate their fans. The expression that a fool and his/her money are soon parted must be the mantra for the Dodgers.

It took more than 30 minutes to get from the freeway to stadium gate and an hour in the parking areas to get to the lot where we would have access to our seats. What fun – NOT!

Our seats were near the bottom of the section – good seats except if we wanted a drink during the game it was like climbing Mount Everest to get to the concession stands, or the rest rooms.  The whole six innings (what was the remainder of the game) not one vendor came into this section. There was an exception, the fifty/fifty guy pedaling tickets. It appears that some form of gambling is allowed at the stadium, but the biggest gamble is parking.

Two weeks ago I was in New York for the US Open. We took the US Open shuttle from Central Park to Flushing Queens  - a notoriously crowded route under the East River. We did It in less than an hour. Good thing the Dodgers were not playing there we would have missed the first round.  If you care and you plan you can accommodate the anticipated crowds. Obviously the Dodger don’t  give a rat’s ass about the fan.

A few years ago the Dodgers were floundering. Loved it.  There were less people at the park, shorter food lines. – much more fun.  Half price Wednesdays made taking the grandkids to a game was not going to be a life changing financial experience.

My point is that going to a game should be a fun experience. Yell at the umps. Boo the players state your opinions as to who should be in the lineup and cheer the good moments like the one we missed when Turner hit the home run. Not getting aggravated standing still in a road way to get to a parking lot. Not having a kid tell you that you can’t park there, or having no one try to sell you an ice cream bar because vendors don’t go to the “cheap seats”.

The Dodgers have found a way to take the pleasure out of what should be a fun experience.

That is my take  - you decide!

 

OH SHIT - I MAY NEVER FLY AGAIN!

This morning I heard the disgusting sound of Trump’s voice saying and explaining why he was privatizing Air Traffic Control in the United States. Holy shit!  Does he have any idea of what he may be doing? Does this idiot have any idea of the consequences of this move? This was not a campaign promise, so why is he being so reckless with our lives?

The United State government is in business for one reason: to keep the population safe. Even from ourselves. The US government is not a profit making venture nor was it ever intended to be one. That is why it CANNOT be run as a business. (Has anyone counted Trump’s failure in business? I need to have a drink but won’t drink Trump Vodka – it is bankrupt). It is there to provide for the general welfare and in that effort to keep planes from hitting the ground.

By privatizing he will violate the principle that keeping planes flying safe is not based on a profit motive. Here is what I see: Trump Traffic Control, Inc. (no such entity, yet) takes over the obligation to keep airplanes flying.

He says we will be safer: How if there is no control of the hiring process? No control of the training process. Private businesses are “for profit.” So, the quicker that trainee is “ready” to assume the responsibility of the job the better for the company. So, they took a few training short cuts.  But, there is a body on front of the screen. The TTCI is in compliance with their contract. The bodies are there. They may be under qualified, less than bright, but they are “trained“ and they are on the job. How will TTTCI vent their applicants? Which agency will do the background checks – not the FBI.  He doesn’t trust the FBI and they do not trust him.

OK, the privately hired controllers are in place and there is a snow storm. TTCI get rated on the number of aircraft they let take off. Not so much how many land safely. In spite of the storm the TTCI people allow planes to take off. But because of the weather, the let more than the usual number  of them head into the wild blue blunder. Oy!

According to his comments he believes planes are late and are grounded because the rules and regulations are not what he thinks they need to be. These TTCI controllers will let the planes crash on time.  By the way, Trump airlines failed miserably..

I am also confident that he will indemnify the TTCI, so if you lost a loved one in a crash due to TTCI’s poor performance, TTCI will be in the clear and will continue to protect profits or non-profits as the case may be. It is supposed to be a joint effort with the government and the airlines.

If it is a joint effort who is in charge? The CEO of the airline you happen to be flying or Trump? This is a formula for disaster. Put your thumb and index finger together with palms out and say “dizzazztah!” You heard it here first.

There is no doubt that the air traffic control system needs to be updated. It is my understanding that this is being done, albeit slowly. Who will pay for the upgrades? If the airlines are not going profit from this then the government will have to step in. Has Trump redlined this yet?

Six years ago (April 11, 2011) I wrote a blog entitled WHO SAYS GOVERNMENT CAN’ T DO A GOOD JOB, THAT PRIVATE COMPANIES CAN DO IT BETTER? Try privatizing police, fire, emergency services, army, navy, air force, coast guard, IRS, FBI, CIA, NSA, FEMA, FDIC, etc.

I am not aware that the air traffic controllers are not doing their best to get you to the destination of your choice.

Our government is becoming understaffed and blatantly incompetent. Do we want to give our air safety to people like that? Not I, said me.

We just elected a member of the business sector. Look what we got in just four months: International intrigue like we never had before, a president who may be brought up on criminal charges for obstruction of justice, legislation that at best, is also “criminal,” a family run government who doesn’t have the skills or experience to run a nation, the most incompetent cabinet ever, I mean ever, a laughing stock among nations that no longer see the US as a leader. Should I go on?

Be sure that when you fly to pray. When you land kiss the ground and if you need some medical attention, well that will be problematic, too.

This is our new United States of America.

That is my take, you decide.