WOW! I Need Some Rest

   Anyone else getting tired of this election cycle?  I go to my Facebook account and some of the "friends" on my account (I put the term in quotes because it is the label used by Facebook) have posted stuff that is so far removed from reality as to be ridiculous.

   One example is the stuff claiming that  Secretary Clinton divulged a secret when she mentioned the response time for a nuclear counter-attack.  This is a well known fact that our military wants other nuclear powers  to be aware of. I learned this stuff back in the early 1960s, and it has been available on Google for years.

   Nuclear weapons are meant to be a DETERRENT.  They are never intended to be used.  In 1945 two were used, and the result was so horrific  that the current nuclear powers (with the probable exception of North Korea) never want to use them.

   The current election cycle has also shown us that there are some fundamentally evil people in politics. We have also seen that a significant number of people are greedy and hateful.

   I'm tired, getting older.  I have had a lot of personal grief in the last year and a half.  I would like to write more on this subject, but not tonight.  God bless ALL of you.

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Murder by Cop

    In the last few days America has been again pained by two well documented cases of "murder by  cop" of two "black" men.  In one case it was a popular man (Alton Sterling) who supported his family by selling CDs outside a small independent convenience store in Baton Rouge, La, He also provided security for the store, in exchange for being allowed to sell there.  A panhandler had been run off after he kept badgering him and customers. The panhandler called the local police and told them he was threatening people with a gun,  Two cops pinned him to the ground and then executed him.
  The next day a policeman in Minnesota stopped a well loved black man who worked as a cafeteria supervisor at a local school, Philandro Stephens. Police recordings indicate that the reason for stopping his car was that the driver had "wide nostrils".  The officer claims that this indicates that no racial motive was involved in this stop, just his wide nose.  Really?

Law and Order:Trump, Nixon, Hitler

    One of the recent events in the current (un)presidential campaign has been the proclamation by Herr Donald Trump that he is the "law and order" candidate.  This term was introduced into American politics by none other than Richard Nixon, the former president who resigned after facing impeachment.  When Nixon approached the Military about declaring martial law and arresting Congress, the Chiefs of Staff threatened to deliver him in chains to the floor of the Senate.  At the time of this happening my father was highly placed in the military with strong political connections, so he was aware of what happened. At the time Nixon was elected I happened to be socially acquainted with a highly placed Mafia member (I taught school with his girl-friend).  He told me that Nixon would be our last elected president (other mafia had different ideas and actually hated him).  I also knew the son of the lady who paid Nixon $10,000  weekly (delivered it from connections in Miami) before he was elected.
    It is also widely reported that Adolph Hitler vowed to establish "law and order" in Germany. Whether or not he actually used the term is subject of debate,  but the concept is and was attributed to him.  Of course, he had ABSOLUTELY no respect for law and order except  the law and order that HE defined.
   

Trump Replaces One Racist Symbol With Another

  In the debate over Donald Trump's use of a "poster" taken from an overtly Anti-Semitic website with a Star of David reminiscent of the stars worn by Jews in NAZI Germany, people have missed the fact that Trump, who was raised by a father who was an active member of the {reconstituted) Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, replaced the Star of David with a wink and nod to Klan members.  As a Southerner, I know that the Ku Klux part of the name for KKK means CIRCLE.  I have heard the term "dog whistle"  used to refer to symbolism intended to be for the knowing select few.  This is one example. 

Clinton Rope-a-Dopes Trump: What a Shock

   Bill Clinton has managed to show just how adroit the Clintons are by tricking dimwitted right wingers by distracting them from their attempts to circumvent the Constitution with an ex-post-facto law, something totally  forbidden in the Constitution.  Trump seems to hate the Constitution (proving his right wing credentials) as much as he loves being a thief. 

   Yes, North Korea loves the Ugly-American Trump.  Let him take his bimbos to visit Kim Jong un.  They are about his style.

Herr Trump Displays Ignorance and Bigotry in One Fell Swope

 In a stunning but hardly unexpected act that combines bigotry and ignorance, the aspiring fuhrer Donald Trump referred to Senator Elizabeth Warren as "Pocahantas", referring to the famous "princess" Pocahantas, also known as Matoaka and Lady Rebecca Rolfe.  Although Senator Warren does not claim to be a descendant of Pocahantas, it would put her in very honorable group of people if she were.  She actually is probably less than 1/32nd native American, possibly Cherokee.
   The fact that Herr Trump used it as an intended insult at a time following his bigoted attack on the judge hearing the fraud case involving his fraudulent  "Trump U" is clear evidence of his biggotry. He has bragged that, were Americans stupid enough to elect him President, he would assert unconstitutional control over the court system ( both Federal and State). He managed to bribe the AG of Florida (Pam Bondi, $25000) and Florida's own crook, Governor Scott. Admittedly, Republicans have NEVER respected the court system, but he represents such an affront to the system that most (but not all) Republican leaders have decried it.
   Remember that Herr Trump has also repeatedly expressed disdain for freedom of speech, except when he is the one speaking.  This is clear manifestation of his narcissistic personality disorder, particularly a control personality disorder.   Such people are dangerous: recall how he bragged that he could shoot someone in the middle of Wall street and no one would do anything to him.  I am sure that he actually believes this and is completely  capable of doing so.   When he looses the election, someone should watch him closely.
   When I and others have compared him to Hitler, it is not just idle talk. Not all right-wingers want an American Hitler.  I take comfort that one result of the Gun fanatics is that an attempt by the radical right wing to impose Fascism is that many gun owners would be willing to put a stop to it.  The rhetoric of Trump will result in people as willing to take up arms to stop him as those willing to back him.  Look at the way that violence at his rabble rousing attempts has flowed both ways.
    On a number of occasions I have taken the official oath to "protect and defend the Constitution.......
against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic"  I am prepared to do so. I am and always have been a gun owner, even though I favor "well regulated" gun ownership.  I know people who DEFINITELY should not be allowed to own guns.
   For all the rational Right-Wingers out there, I want to emphasize that the problems with Trump far transcend being right wing.  You should view him as a serious threat to the right-wing, just as there are some lunatics on the far left.  Remember, Timothy McVeigh was a right winger.  Trump could be just as bad with little prodding. Fortunately, he would probably try to HIRE someone to perform any act of terror.

Ignorant North Carolina Law Forces Men Into Women's Bathrooms

Showing total ignorance of human biology, the state of North Carolina (and apparently Mississippi also) has passed a law that forces people with medically verifiable birth defects to use the wrong "bathroom" because their gender was misidentified at birth.  There are a number of common birth defects (such as undescended testicles) which can result in misdiagnosis of gender.  Other abnormalities can include various types of ambiguous genitalia, abnormal DNA, and the really bizarre chimeric transgender person.  Chimeric people are actually two people occupying one body due to the fusion of two embryos.  A chimera appears to be one person, but may have both genitalia, or have a brain that is one sex (brain structure of male and female brains are different) and genitalia of the other sex. Only a few years ago this condition was thought to be rare, but now is known to be fairly common.  Of course, farmers have known about transgendered animals for centuries.  If you  doubt this, look up "freemartin".

Just a few years ago I knew a person who had been institutionalized most of his life because he was an hermaphrodite (I say "he", but I don't know what "his" genetic gender was). His father had wanted to kill him because "he was an abomination".   Luckily his mother was from a better class of family and he was kept alive.

The discussion about the legal issue of the status of transgendered persons has ignored the fact that most cases have identifiable medical causes.  The N.C.  law will have exactly the opposite effect to what it is intended.  Men whose gender was misdiagnosed at birth will be forced to use the female bathroom.  Women will be forced to use the men's room.

Russia Sends Message to Daesh With Concert

    Russia sent a pointed message to Daesh by holding a Classical concert in Palmyra.  I can't approve of  many  actions by Russia in supporting the monster Assad, but they got this one right. Daesh hates Western civilization and tried to destroy the ruins at Palmyra as part of this  hatred. I predict that the Daesh fighters will be rewarded for their efforts with 72 drag-queen "whores" in Hell who will begin by shaving the warriors.

Does Unclle Donald Get Excited by Sweaty Men in Pink Panties?

We notice that "Uncle Donald" Trump is trying to hold a rally with Arizona's infamous sheriff Arpaio, known for his fascination with sweaty men wearing pink panties. We all know how several of Hitler's henchmen had such tendencies.
   Now we have seen Uncle Donald being endorsed by Uncle Tom and America's champion thief, Dick Scott. Can we expect any worse? Where is Nixon when we need him?

pendrake's passions: Trump Vows Frontal Assault on Bill of Rights

pendrake's passions: Trump Vows Frontal Assault on Bill of Rights:   In the latest bizarre twist of the Republican Presidential Primary, candidate Donald Trump has vowed a frontal assault on the article of ...

Trump Vows Frontal Assault on Bill of Rights

  In the latest bizarre twist of the Republican Presidential Primary, candidate Donald Trump has vowed a frontal assault on the article of the Bill of Rights which our Founding Fathers deemed the key right, free speech, especially freedom of the press (which now includes broadcast journalism).  Herr Trump seems to be taking his cue from Joseph Goebbels.
   Mr. Trump has repeatedly threatened to sue anyone who disagrees with him, or at least hold his breath until he turns blue. Actually, I suppose it would be more appropriate to say scream until he turns more red in his face.  Blue, red, seems to change according to perceived opportunity.
    I hope that President Obama proves correct in his faith in the American electorate. Whether the Republican party  continues shooting itself in the foot remains to be seen.  It would help if they were to somehow find some decent candidates.  Of course, that is a commodity which they have been sorely lacking in for a long time. Charlie Christ is now a Democrat. And here in Florida we see the Republican Party led by a man with the record of being either the biggest thief in the history of America, or perhaps the second biggest.  He has been compared to Bernie Madoff.  It is unclear as to which stole more.   

pendrake's passions: Climate Change Deniers Missed the Twentieth Centur...

pendrake's passions: Climate Change Deniers Missed the Twentieth Centur...:    I have recently noticed that some of the arguments that the Global Warming Deniers (otherwise known as Flat Earthers) have been making a...

Climate Change Deniers Missed the Twentieth Century

   I have recently noticed that some of the arguments that the Global Warming Deniers (otherwise known as Flat Earthers) have been making are purely Rationalist ( see earlier post) in nature.  Please note that Rationalism is a school of philosophy opposed to Empiricism. Rationalism states that no truth can be derived from observation of the physical world, but all truth must come from self-evident a priori  arguments.  The prime example of rationalism is Euclidean Geometry.  Euclidean Geometry works just fine for laying out a football field, but fails miserably on atomic scales, or on astronomical scales. Empiricism says that truth comes from observed reality. Prime examples are the General Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. A great deal of modern Physics has been devoted to proving or disproving Relativity.  So far, it works perfectly
   One other of the great intellectual accomplishments of the 20th Century was Goedel's proof, which put the final nail in the coffin of Rationalism by showing that any Rationalist system will always be self-contradictory. Apparently Deniers failed to follow the intellectual achievments of the 20th century

Global Warming Deniers Difficult to Understand

   I have recently been in more debate about Global Warming.  I am amazed by the sheer ignorance of fact displayed by the Flat-Earthers who refuse to believe basic, easily observable fact.  I actually heard one person assert that Mt. Pinatubo put out more CO2 than  all human activity has.  A simple fact check shows that the CO2 output of Mt Pinatubo was 1/700th of the current annual anthropogenic CO2 output.
   The same person also argued that the people (most of the civilized world!) who warn against global warming somehow make a profit off it.  In fact, the money interests are the ones who advocate for continuing to pollute this planet's atmosphere. Even many of those people have (particularly in petroleum interests) begun to move toward renewable energy programs.  Only the Coal industry has failed to move in that direction.
   One interesting fact about the effect of volcanic eruptions on weather is the apparent link between an eruption of Krakatoa about 535 AD which seems to have caused such global cooling that it precipitated the Dark ages.  I suggest that you do a quick internet search if you want to find more information about that. Volcanoes may have emitted large quantities of CO2 billions of years ago, but that has not been the case for a very long time.
   I have also heard an argument that seems to say that climate scientists use a computer program (number crunching) which agrees with observed fact, therefore both are wrong.  Talk about the faults of rationalism!.Please, if any one has a different interprettion of the problem with having theoretical models which agree with fact, explain it to  me!

pendrake's passions: "Mother" Theresa: No Decree Needed

pendrake's passions: "Mother" Theresa: No Decree Needed:    I am not a member of the Roman confession, I am just a Christian. The Roman Church has a long history of corruption, especially in the p...

"Mother" Theresa: No Decree Needed

   I am not a member of the Roman confession, I am just a Christian. The Roman Church has a long history of corruption, especially in the papacy. The current Roman pontiff appears to be a refreshing exception.  One of the customs of the Roman church I have mixed feelings about is the use of and treatment of the term "Saint". I have no doubt that many of the people declared as saints by the Roman church are deserving of the title and respect.  I also have no doubt that many  Christian Saints are not declared as such by the Vatican. I feel that the customs and practices of the Roman Church with regards to those declared as Saints is too close to regarding them as gods, reflecting the polytheism of ancient Rome.

   Recently much attention  has been given to the one person from the 20th century who is without a doubt a Saint, and was a living Saint for much of her life, "Mother" Teresa.  I had a friend (the late Reverend Edwin P Elliott jr.) who had the privilege of publishing a book by her.  She offered to bless him and his family, and he pointed out that he wasn't  Catholic, to which she replied that it was all in God's name.  She has been criticized for being too concerned about the Roman Church, but Edwin definitely got the impression that she was only concerned about Jesus and His works. I know that Edwin was able to see beyond denominational limits, and trust him on his opinion of this lady  God has declared her a Saint, that's good enough for me.

pendrake's passions: Why Jesus was a Liberal

pendrake's passions: Why Jesus was a Liberal:   I have recently become very tired of hearing right-wingers speaking of Liberals when they  have no idea of what a Liberal is.  The best s...

Why Jesus was a Liberal

  I have recently become very tired of hearing right-wingers speaking of Liberals when they  have no idea of what a Liberal is.  The best statements of Liberal ideas can be found in  the teachings of Jesus and in the Declaration of Independence. Liberals respect ALL people, conservatives respect the rich and powerful.  Remember, George Bush sr. had to invent the concept of "compassionate conservatism".
  In Matthew 25:31 ff Jesus said that "all nations" would be gathered before Him one day, and would be divided into two groups.  To one group He would say "I know you.  When I was hungry, you fed Me.  When I was naked, you clothed Me". To the other group He said "When I was hungry, you did not feed Me."
   To both He basically said that He was the "least significant " person, and how they treated the "least significant" person was how they treated Him.  If you tell a starving person to a"get a job", that is Jesus who you are telling to "get a job".  And remember,  they probably would rather be able to get a job.
    A few years ago (during the early 1970s) an experiment was done in which a number of people were given copies of the Declaration of Independence and asked to read it.  Many people (here in America) declared that it was "communist trash".   It contains such radical ideas as "consent of the governed" and "all men (persons) are created equal."