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Monthly Archives: March 2021

The Remarkable 2020 Election


It is a extraordinary feat to run for the Presidency and win yet this recent event was still playing out as the inauguration of the winner is approaching. The last 4 years of TOTUS’ “reign” has gone from the ridiculous to the sublime and was still grabbing headlines accusing everyone else of the fraud and miscreant behavior the administration had lived by. It is further extraordinary that so many sitting Congressional members are supporting with vigor the false and unsubstantiated claims of fraud in that election. The States in question have done their due diligence in their recounts and certifications yet the administration continued to push the fraud angle to the point of a phone call explicitly asking to overturn the legally processed recounts. Now after the TOTUS inspired and GOP backed insurrection, certain states who are GOP led are still attempting (as quietly as they can muster) to revert to “reconstruction era” voting laws and restrictions. the latest GOP slap to the voters face was fighting against the Biden budget which they say is too much spending but did thought the 2 trillion tax reform was ok since their big money backers as well as many of them benefitted from it. On the heels of this is the several states who have decided to lift restrictions on making and social distancing against medical advice for the sake of votes which on the face of it could mean fewer as the pandemic death toll could rise as a result of this abandonment of common sense actions. It should be noted that people of color and lower income citizens are most affected by this pandemic and the draconian laws regarding voting. Recently several GOP members of Congress arrived at the border to “inspect” the facilities and activities with immigration which they did not do while TOTUS was in office. Their utterances now attempt to hang the immigration “albatross” around the neck of the current administration but never said a word about these conditions when “TOTUS” was in the White House. If nothing else we “The Voters” should be painfully aware of the hypocrisy of our elected officials whose apparent goal is related to their own personal political and financial needs. As far as the people of the United States there should be no Them, They or Those People since WE all have been there but it seems that the harm done to Americans of color has been largely forgotten.

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Racism On Parade


Angry Little Girls Comic Strip for March 29, 2021
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We Are Responsible


It is reasonable to see that the former administration was twisting in the wind when it came to governing and foreign relations. the twist started with the “border wall”, denying immigrants who are crossing at the proper crossings the ability to apply for asylum and making them stay in Mexico which puts more pressure on Mexico’s resources and with that additional pressure more people in desperation are crossing illegally often to the detriment of the crossers as the Coyotes who facilitate the illegal crossings have no feelings about their chargers since they demand payment upfront. The rhetoric from the Whitehouse was and had been fractured, misleading or just outright lies. The followers of those Neer do wells were enthralled by his attacks on people, laws and the government in general while their own lots were being affected for the worse by these same attacks. We had a similar situation in Europe where our allies were baffled by his actions and words. His lack of knowledge in general was dangerous ,his ego driven actions were in effect crippling for us a nation. The actions with Israel and the Arab emirates leaving the Palestinians and the Iranians out of the discussion has been seen as a first step to a possible middle east struggle which could spread beyond the middle East and leave the door open for Russian and Chinese interference and influence. The responsibly is at once the fault of TOTUS but ultimately the voters. We have become our own nemeses with our enthusiastic support of possibly the worst national leader in our history. At home we have a pandemic allowed by TOTUS because of his ego not his quote: “I didn’t want to start a panic” as a reason while he did nothing when notified of the potential pandemic earlier last year. (it should be noted that He and the first Lady quietly received the vaccine when it became available yet did not use that to promote the vaccine). We as voters allowed that to happen because we were “entertained” by his on line bullying and irreverent rants and actions. TOTUS’ presidency(?) allowed the rise of the extreme elements of our country along with the baser elements of the political parties. The fault if it can be called that is on the shoulders of the voters by being taken in by a consummate con man and abetted by the long serving Congress whose sole objective is their own interests. A similar event occurred in Europe about 75 years ago with the rise of Adolph Hitler during a low period for Germany (who lost the First war and was devastated by it). We (the USA) had no such low period but we thought we did and were persuaded by the base elements of our society that we were worse off. This persuasion allowed the rise of DJT who saw an opportunity to steal more from us while lining his own pockets and mismanaging the government. Behind the curtain of Trump our neer do well Congress was busily altering the courts, voting rights and immigration. The upshot of this was nothing good for us but we (the voters) were told that it was by the administration, Congress, biased media. WE “the Voters” need to inform our selves and be willing to “un elect” legislators who are not acting in our interests. The power of the people is greater than the power of politics only if we become informed voters. Look back at January 6,2021 and consider that it could happen anywhere

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The Drive Is On


Doonesbury Comic Strip for March 21, 2021
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Just Once Hopefully Not Again


It is apparent that TOTUS aka Donald J. Trump, “the former guy” has brought out the worst in America. The wide range of errant behavior not openly seen in decades has emerged in force. It bubbled up during President Obama’s administration with the bias exhibited by the Congress obstructing proposed legislation (and weighed in on by Trump, who knew nothing but spoke out anyway). This flagrant disregard of the Presidential office was a racist as you could get without openly stating it. Each member of Congress who supported these efforts is complicit in the economic collapse that Former President Obama had to correct. Why is it that so many Americans follow the same Congressional leaders who use Race as a reason to block health care for millions while embracing the same proposals for themselves. It appears that the GOP in general has embraced tendentiousness as their standard while invoking “the American people” as the reason for their actions. Recently Dr. Rand Paul argued with expert Dr. Fauci over continued masking if people have received the vaccine. It begs to ask would you go to Dr. Paul for treatment?

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(1776) THE DELETED PASSAGE OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE


THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND THE DEBATE OVER SLAVERY

When Thomas Jefferson included a passage attacking slavery in his draft of the Declaration of Independence it initiated the most intense debate among the delegates gathered at Philadelphia in the spring and early  summer of 1776.  Jefferson’s passage on slavery was the most important section removed from the final document.  It was replaced with a more ambiguous passage about King George’s incitement of “domestic insurrections among us.”  Decades later Jefferson blamed the removal of the passage on delegates from South Carolina and Georgia and Northern delegates who represented merchants who were at the time actively involved in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.  Jefferson’s original passage on slavery appears below.

He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither.  This piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the Christian King of Great Britain.  Determined to keep open a market where Men should be bought & sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or restrain this execrable commerce.  And that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people on whom he has obtruded them: thus paying off former crimes committed again the Liberties of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another.

SUBJECTS:African American History, Primary DocumentsTERMS:United States – Pennsylvania, 18th Century (1700-1799), Military Conflict – American Revolution

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Why Can’t The English?


Chris Britt Comic Strip for March 09, 2021
Drew Sheneman Comic Strip for March 09, 2021
Bad Reporter Comic Strip for March 10, 2021
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WTF?


The pollical utterings have reached a crescendo of ignorance and stupidity. Begin with the “debate” which became largely a TOTUs name calling and insult show. Meanwhile the ignominious Senate and administration are so concerned about the country that they want to give the bare minimum of relief for the country as a whole. While the voters are going lacking for jobs, healthcare and financial relief, the Congress still receives their full pay checks and health care. I question the idea that elected officials are more important than the people who elected them. Now the GOP is railing against the “huge” over priced stimulus presented by now President Biden. Where were the whiners when an inept (former president) executed a 2 plus trillion tax reform which benefitted everyone except those who really need the relief. Voters of America we have a failure to communicate in that we have allowed the people we elect to do whatever they want and then try (with some success) to convince us that it is what we need. In all of last year the GOP lead by TOTUS and Bitch McConnell made no big moves to curb the pandemic but managed to get tested and shots when they were made available. Their counterparts in GOP led states and cities did not demand any assistance or make any moves to enforce mask wearing, social distancing or any other recommended actions to slow the spread and protect the voters. The former guy said nothing and continued to lie about everything except his name while being abetted by the neer do wells in Congress whose sole objective is to stay in power. It is well past time for the voters to realize that the current GOP is not on their side even if they express support for some of their issues

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Making Sense


Unfortunately there are millions if Americans who have drank the “kool aid” of Trump along with their elected representatives (save a few}. The seeming pull to follow Trumpian ignorance to further the post civil war idea of Conservatism which fosters the idea of less is better when a majority of Americans are suffering under the burden of a pandemic and the accompanying economic stresses. It is worth noting that not one of the 535 members of Congress and their staffs are pressured with lack of income and healthcare during this period of duress. To follow the words and thoughts of these “neer do wells” is sheer folly. The proposed spending budget is a drop in the bucket and will be well used. The idea that previous monies have not been spent is ludicrous as much of that funding is planned to be spent so the idea that it is not spent is just another spin by the GOP to avoid financing what needs to be financed. Under the guise of “conservatism” the GOP is short changing the country and still supporting the worst administration in history which amounts to standing against the good of the nation ( Voters). This is a country that allows anyone qualified under a uniform standard to run for office n matter their politics. The idea is to have a way to allow all sides heard no matter how different or non mainstream. Since the advent of TOTUS, it seems that the train has run off the rails with the “ordinary” Dupublican using his radical speeches and lies to cover their personal agendas which are not in the interest of the majority of voters. The idea of Congress is to act in the best interests of the entire population of the country not a few and not in their own personal interests. It has always in general been the stance of Dupublicans to resist spending as a rule rather than in a competent manner in complement with the Scamocrats. The current GOP behind the “former guy” is working (it appears) to return us back to “Jim Crow” voting laws as they recognize the collective power of non white voters. The worse part of this is the effect of their ill considered actions affect ALL Americans to some degree with the middle to low income citizens receiving the biggest hit. Until the voters start paying particular attention to their elected officials we will not have the Democracy we deserve.

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Name the bunches of critters


by Jack Spaulding  |   March 2021

In researching an article on eagles, I remembered a group of them was not technically called a flock. So, I researched the proper English terms for collective groups of animals, and sure enough … a group of eagles is known as a convocation!

Some of the English naming of collective animal groups goes back hundreds of years, and some make little sense in today’s world.

All my life, I have called a group of buffalo a herd. Wrong. In proper terminology, they are known as a gang or obstinacy. I don’t want to be obstinate, but if the buffalo being described are North American, they are actually bison.

Some groups like bees (swarm) and bats (colony) I knew off hand. But, when referring to a group of bears, one should say a sloth or a sleuth.

Camels are naturally called a caravan, and who would know a group of cats are known as a clowder or a glaring. Kittens should be referred to as a litter or a kindle unless they are wild cats, then they should be referred to as a destruction, which somehow seems appropriate.

A slithering mass of cobras is known as a quiver. (Makes me quiver!)

A group of crocodiles is known as a bask. That makes sense as I have seen basking crocodiles on TV sunning themselves on the riverbanks in Africa. I assume the term would also apply to alligators, but they didn’t make the list.

Dogs are a pack and puppies a litter, but who came up with drove for a group of donkeys? I know someone who holds the reins and guides a team pulling a wagon is sometimes called a drover. But, it sounds pretty nonsensical to say, “the drover drove a drove.”

For elephants, it sounds right to call them a parade. Elk are naturally a herd or a gang but, a business of ferrets or a cast of falcons?

A school of fish, I understand, and maybe a stand of flamingos.

Old timers sometimes call a bunch of a geese a gaggle, but why are a group of fox a charm?

I’ve been on many a night’s gigging foray, but I have never heard my outdoor associates refer to a bunch of frogs as an army.

A band of gorillas is fine, and probably would be descriptive of chimps as well. I can see a group of giraffes being referred to as a tower because of their height. But whoever came up with collective names for many African critters was a little sketchy! Who would know a bloat is a group of hippos?

Hyenas are a cackle, jaguars a shadow, and it’s a leap of leopards.

Pride of lions makes sense, but a conspiracy of lemurs and a labor of moles? My wife has been doing a lot of laboring in our yard and garden leveling out mole mounds, but at the supper table, I’m not mentioning the irony of the collective term.

What about a pandemonium of parrots?

A prickle of porcupines I can understand.

Edgar Allen Poe would be on board with the label given a group of ravens as an unkindness.

A group of owls a parliament, which makes sense as most governing bodies are a group of bird brains. While I have heard a group of apes referred to as a congress, they are officially listed as a shrewdness, but I’m not going to go there.

Posted in Columns, Outdoors

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