Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’

What can we learn from all of this?

March 16, 2024 By: Nick Carraway Category: Uncategorized

The GOP is dead. If you think that’s hyperbole or you think I am making that up we should heed the words of Donald Trump Jr. Obviously the name still exists. People will carry the title in the halls of Congress, state legislatures, school boards, and city councils. Still, make no mistake. It is very much dead.

Listen long enough to the kid’s thoughts you get the idea that they think this is a good thing. In addition to the takeover of the RNC, there have been whispers that he wants to drive all non-MAGA Republicans out of the party. I’m not sure what that makes the Republican party because the platform has become the man. I’m not exactly certain what that means because he doesn’t know what it means.

This is not really new ground, but should be the backdrop of where we should go from here. Yes, he absolutely needs to be defeated and possibly thrown in jail. I say possibly because I just don’t see it happening. Some people have the knack for avoiding responsibility. Maybe everything catches up with him if he loses in November.

The question is what to do after that. What have we learned? Can the GOP be rebuilt or will a new center-right party emerge in its ashes? Either way, all of us should reckon with how an evil and unfit man could advance that far in American politics. Sure, Democrats can call this a Republican problem but it is really an American one. If a similar charismatic leader that promised victory and power emerged on the left could the Democrats resist them if he or she were unfit?

We must contend with a few inconvenient facts. The main one is that the last eight or nine years has made us collectively worse. There can be no denying this. We have become a more hateful people. Whether we hate him or the people that he hates, we are a more hateful people. A large part of this is owning our own role in this cycle of hate.

I see it on social media as I offer my opinion on my public wall and see it devolve into a pissing match between liberals and conservatives. I am either wittingly or unwittingly egging this on by commenting in the first place. Even though my words haven’t been hateful, a small part of me responds in glee when I see my friends roast someone I don’t agree with.

Are they really horrible people or do we just have a difference of opinion? The answer is not so simple. I think the words, deeds, and aura of this man has brought the worst out in people. Those feelings were always there. Those opinions were always there. He just made it okay. People that do and say horrible things are at least on the road to being horrible . There is always redemption and there is always forgiveness, but we also have to be very honest about what we are dealing with.

Yet, there are also folks that are good and decent people that simply hold conservative viewpoints. There are good and decent people that hold liberal or progressive viewpoints. The way through the fog is identifying the difference. Can we identify decency in those we disagree with? In some cases that decency simply is not there. We cannot allow indecent people anywhere near leadership. It is not fair to say that conservative people are all indecent, but it seems like a majority of indecent people are conservative. It will take all of us to get this ship back in order. We have to realize that decency is more important than party.

Alex Jones Update

March 13, 2024 By: Fenway Fran Category: Uncategorized

Juanita Jean Herownself promised all y’all an update on Alex Jones.  When she shared her treasure trove of Toons with me, she asked me to share this news. Also to let you know that she’s recovering well from her latest excursion to the medical establishment, but it’s hard for her to do a lot of computer work from the comfort of her new recliner. Plus, there’s spring season baseball to keep up with in preparation for the 2024 season. You know her and baseball, so we’ll all cut her some slack. I’m inserting some photos to enhance your experience and share her joy (and immense pride).

Here’s where it stands.  After a prolonged and fairly serious medical event, JJ luckily recovered enough to go see the premiere of Dan Reed’s HBO documentary about the Alex Jones trials at SXSW (South By Southwest).  Since bluebonnets are in bloom early this year, it was an enchanting drive to Austin and the weather was perfect. Special thanks to Thelma for hauling her and all her ‘stuff’ safely to Austin and back.

“We were given VIP tickets and that was so much fun.” 

 

 

As could be expected from Alex Jones fans, there was a bomb threat called in right before the event but that did not curb anyone’s enthusiasm. Mark and Judge Maya Guerra Gamble got a standing ovation!  

Here’s the documentary A team: Attorney Bill Ogden, Maggie (Director of photography for the film), Mark (aka Little Bubba), and Dan Reed, Director.

The documentary  is amazing.  You can read a review here.

Those in the know say it will be shown on HBO MAX before the end of the month.  You MUST watch the trailer!

After the event, Mark and his partner Bill Ogden enjoy a picnic lunch with close friends.

 

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JJ wants you all to know “I am feeling well, but I take life a little slower. More baseball and movies than CNN.  It’s good and Ben is one inch shorter than I am.  I told him he could quit eating because he’s plenty big.”

And finally : “The high-class chair was a gift from Mark because if I’m a VIP, I deserve to watch my baseball games in style.”   Indeed you do. Let’s fill the comments with good wishes! We all love you

Coming Soon (March 26) on HBO

March 12, 2024 By: Half Empty Category: Uncategorized

Yesterday at SXSW in Austin, the much-anticipated documentary film on Alex Jones’ infamous defamation of Sandy Hook victims premiered. Aptly named, “The Truth vs. Alex Jones“, by filmmaker Dan Reed, the film tells the story of Jones’ wanton portrayal of the victims of the Sandy Hook massacre, the slaughter of 20 6- and 7-year old children and 6 of their teachers, as “a false flag” attack and the victims as “child actors”. It tells the story of the subsequent defamation trials that, together, forced Jones into bankruptcy.

Here’s the trailer.  

I personally saw news snippets from the first trial, one of which included the gobsmacking revelation that Jones’ lawyer had inadvertently forwarded years of Jones’ texts and emails to the plaintiffs’ lawyers, which prefaced the question “Do you know what perjury is”?

Anyway, I can safely assume that patrons of The World’s Most Dangerous Beauty Salon, Inc. will mark their calendars (if they haven’t already) for March 26 when it premiers on HBO.

Belated Friday Funny

March 09, 2024 By: Fenway Fran Category: Uncategorized

I miss Friday Funnies but I’m not sure I can reliably accumulate enough every week to commit to the task. The best I can say is I’ll try. I’ll check in with the boss for some advice. I noticed my fellow denizens of the WMDBS posted a couple yesterday. Here’s mine, thanks to my sister for passing it on.

A Face Palm Moment

March 08, 2024 By: Half Empty Category: Uncategorized


(because I have tried, and I just can’t)

The fundamental question

March 06, 2024 By: Nick Carraway Category: Uncategorized

Super Tuesday and the recent decisions by the Supreme Court seem like a perfect backdrop to the ultimate question in a representative democracy. I can filibuster here, but the question is a fairly simple one to ask, but a very hard one to answer. Do we believe that we are better off with the people (all of the people) being able to have unfettered choices in who represents them? I would say it is pretty clear that the answer to that question has been a resounding no throughout our history.

In the beginning, only land owners could vote and even then they had to resort to the electoral college. African Americans and poor people didn’t get the vote for nearly a century. Women had to wait almost 50 years after that. Finally, younger people could work, pay taxes, and go to war, but they couldn’t vote until after the Vietnam War. Fast forward to the present time and the biggest battles of our times have been the methods used to keep certain people from voting.

The efforts in Colorado, Maine, and Illinois represented the other guard rail that we could place on our democracy. If you don’t want to restrict who can vote then you can restrict who they can vote for. The last nine years has been a circle jerk where each party or group has waited for the other to do the dirty work for them. The Republican party hoped that he would lose at the ballot box and go away. They also said it was the responsibility of the Justice department. The Justice department clearly slow rolled their prosecutions and hoped he would just go away. The cabinet could have used the 25th amendment. Congress could have voted to convict once if not twice. Mitch McConnell himself said it was a job for the courts. Now, the courts are saying it is a job for Congress.

I’m not sure whose failure is the most egregious. Each institution taken by itself could explain its actions. I found the use of the 14th amendment to be problematic at best. At some point some recognized court or institution has to come to an official stance that he participated in insurrection. The January 6th committee danced around it. Jack Smith has been dancing around it. We have been calling it out on cable television and the blogosphere, but there has been nothing definitive or official.

That lands us right back at the opening question. Do we absolutely trust the people to make this call? If the answer is no then it is time to do some hard soul searching. I’d argue that if we were really about letting the people choose their leaders in an unfettered way then he has been told no twice already. That’s a tiny consolation. If we still think it is way too dangerous to allow ordinary people to have the unchecked ability to choose their leaders then we have to seriously reevaluate who we are. I personally think a number of Americans are too stupid to vote and understand the gravity of it. They are easily led and vote against their interests too easily. I also have to acknowledge that the same exact arguments were used against women, African American, and young people voting. Do we bring back literacy tests? Do we bar people with red hats or stupid bumper stickers? Obviously, I speak in jest but if you decide that some people are incapable of doing it properly then you are fundamentally responsible for finding a way to cull the voter rolls in a fair and equitable way. Otherwise, we have to let it ride and fight like hell.