A Dusty Bar in Texas

 Chuck Norris died and I was feeling creative or something. 

______________

A dusty bar in Texas. A man among men sits at the bar, disappointed in the strength of the alcohol he is drinking. He takes another sip and wipes his ginger beard.

Slowly, a cloaked figure approaches from behind.

"Again?" says the bearded man. "How many times must we do this?"

"Just hear me out," says the cloaked figure, easing onto the stool beside him.

The cloaked figure is alone. Unarmed. Cautious.

With a bony hand, he slides a document across the bar. The man reads it slowly.

"Peace," he says. Not a question.

A long silence settles between them.

He slides the paper back and looks to the bartender. "Ranger Creek for me and my friend here.”

The cloaked figure waves his bony hand. "No, thank you. I'll just have a Shirley Temple."

The man drinks, slower this time. When the glass is empty, he sets it down gently.

No rush now.

He stands, steady as ever, and looks at the cloaked figure.

"Alright," he says. Not surrender. Not defeat.

A decision.

"Let's go."

Is it time for the GOP to die?

So...I have continued to follow all this post election nonsense.  You know, the nonsense of a lame duck president refusing to acknowledge his obvious (and fair) defeat.  

It's been hard.  I mean, the guy I wanted to win WON!  It's been 16 years since the person I voted for for President actually won the election.  I should be thrilled, right???

Well, here's the thing.  

I was really hoping that, once it was clear who the winner was (and, let's be real here...it's clear. If you're one of those that actually thinks there was some kind of fraud that is putting Biden in office, I really encourage you to read a book sometime.  And not one written by Mark Levin), that the GOP would start to back up their last 4 years of garbage.  The last 4 years of bending over to the bully that beat them.  

But, nope.  That is not happening.  In fact, many of them are doubling down. 

Remember how much we loved Rudy in 2012?  He was "America's Mayor!"  He could have gone down in history as the greatest and most loved Mayor ever.  Sure, he had faults.  Sure, there were reasons to criticize.  But, he led us through 9/11.  I remember him appearing on Saturday Night Live as he was leaving the mayor's office.  Tina Fey was there, almost crying, asking him to stay.  That's how bi-partisan the love for Rudy was. 

Now...Rudy Giuliani is a mess.  Perhaps I should cut him some slack.  Word is, he is making $20k a day to peddle conspiracy theories and take up taxpayer time and money on a lost (and dangerous) cause.  But, that's not something "America's Mayor" would do.  That's something an asshole would do. 

And Lindsey Graham.  I used to have so much respect for this guy.  He and my man Johnny Mac were tight!  Together, they were mavericks!  Bucking their party when the party was being stupid (campaign finance and immigration to name a few).  Now...he's just another Trump toady.  Not only did he chip in money to help Trump fight this completely fair and free election, but now he is potentially facing an ethics investigation for trying to persuade Georgia's Secretary of State to toss out legally cast votes.  This former acolyte of the greatest statesman of my generation is purposely trying to disenfranchise voters. 

And then there is Michigan. The home of my ancestors!  Where the Wayne County canvassing board is intentionally made up of 2 Republicans and 2 Democrats to ensure it's bi-partisan.  Where the 2 Republican board members voted to NOT certify the counties votes.  AFTER suggesting they would certify the votes of all the cities EXCEPT Detroit.  Did you know that Detroit has the largest percentage of black voters in America?  Oh, well now you do.  And two white Republican canvassers are trying to eliminate their vote because the amount of votes cast doesn't match the voter roles.

(Side note...this happens everywhere. Imagine for a second a group of volunteers, often elderly, juggling voter after voter during a pandemic, restricted to a certain amount of time while the eyes of the world are on them.  Is it really surprising that these don't match?  Another reason to support mail in voting.  But, not a reason to disenfranchise an entire city.)

(Side side note...the canvassers quickly changed their vote after EXTREME public push back only to come back this morning, after a phone call from our lame duck president, to "recuse" their vote.  Good news is they're out of luck). 

Anyway, this all continues to depress me.  The dumbification of America continues.  Somewhere, at some point, Americans got stupid.  It's not just the right.  There are a TON of dummies on the left.  Dummies that boycott JK Rowling for having an opinion.  Dummies that want to cancel Chris Pratt because something he liked on Twitter MIGHT imply that he voted for Trump.  Dummies that think it's actually a good idea to shut down our police departments. 

But, here's the thing about the current GOP.  They have given in to their dummies.  You can cry all you want about how liberal the Democrat party is.  But, they elected Biden.  They didn't elect Bernie or Warren.  And, as much as you want to cry about how Kamala is the most liberal senator based on her less than 1 term in a Republican Senate, it's simply not the case.  What is the case is that Republicans, the party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Ike, and Reagan are ok with undermining our democracy.  They are ok with casting doubt on our election systems.  Decades of gerrymandering haven't worked, so now they're trying the courts.  And THANK GOD our courts are throwing them out.  Checks and Balances ARE working.  At least for now. 

I stopped calling myself a Republican when Trump won the nomination in 2016.  I said that I refuse to be part of a party that promotes a person like this as it's leader.  It's not who I am, it's not what I stand for and I won't be part of it.  I've been holding out hope that they would swing back.  Swing back to the party that nominated John McCain and Mitt Romney.  Before the Tea Party had claws.  Before InfoWars and QAnon.  

I was having socially distanced beers with a buddy last week.  He asked, "When did things change?  When did people just start accepting things because someone said so?"  I don't know the answer.  When did bile from a reality TV star become more important than science?  When did the ego of a thrice married womanizer become more important than our electoral process?  When did we start accepting the word of a serial liar?  For real.  I don't know.  I try to have intelligent conversations with people I think are intelligent only to find they have swallowed every last drop of what has been fed to them.  Without question.  

Well, keep sucking, GOP.  It might be time for you to go and just enjoy your cult while the big kids figure out how to fix our country. 

Statesman

I can't stop watching the news.  Nothing has happened in 24 hours, but I can't pull myself away.  

Things are looking good for Biden.  It's not done, but it's looking positive that we will boot President Asshole into the trash bin of our history along with Joe McCarthy, Jefferson Davis and Benedict Arnold.  

Latest reports are that, should Biden declare victory (which he won't until he is clearly the victor, unlike Trump who has already claimed victory), Trump will not concede.  He'll fight.  Because, that's what he does.  Because he's a dick. 

Hearing this, I was reminded of the greatest public servant of my lifetime.  My Senator, one of my heroes, the man I so badly wanted to be President: John McCain.  

John McCain would have been an amazing president.  Possibly one of the best the country has ever seen.  He valued life, unborn and immigrant alike.  He listened to the other side, he didn't just brush them off.  He was always, ALWAYS country before party.  But, he ran against Barack Obama.  

Now, don't get me wrong.  I'm not one of those idiots that thinks Obama was the worst president ever.  I didn't agree with him on much.  I never voted for him.  But, he was a good man.  McCain would have been a better president.  But, the time was right for Obama.  There was not a single person alive that could have beaten Obama.  McCain really should have won the nomination in 2000.  Oh well. 

Anyway, my point.  I was reflecting on the campaign of 2008.  And, I recalled John McCain's concession speech.  Possibly the most gracious in my life time.  Certainly, the most gracious that I remember.  Granted, I am biased.  But, I think it's hard to argue that this was a lesson in class.  It is such a shame that our current leader knows nothing of class. 

Here is the speech, for your viewing pleasure.  

My choice has been confirmed!

It's 2 days past election day.  It's no secret to my friends and family and the 2 readers of my blog that I am NOT a Trump fan.  Haven't been since day 1.  I was one of those that knew, KNEW, with every fiber of my being that the Republicans wouldn't be stupid enough to give him the nomination. 

Well, Republicans were stupid enough. 

Then, I knew that AMERICA, wouldn't be stupid enough to elect him president.  I mean, I knew how deeply the hatred of Hillary ran.  But, certainly we could put that hatred aside knowing that we would be electing a dangerous narcissist.  Remember how much grief we gave Hillary for NOT leaving her cheating, womanizing husband???  HAHAHA!  Of course we're not going to elect this serial adulterer!  A man accused of abusing multiple women.  HAHAHA!!  Of course we're not THAT dumb!!!

We're that dumb. 

Now, here we are...4 years later.  Everything I worried about has come true.  Our allies laugh at us.  Our enemies have been emboldened.  Chaos rules the streets.  Oh, but don't worry...the chaos is only those black people complaining about cops.  Don't worry about those thugs.  If they would just stop committing crimes, they wouldn't get shot. ALL LIVES MATTER!

Oh...and, spending is at record highs, too. 

And now, the election has come and gone!  And the winner is....WE DON'T KNOW!!!

We don't know because, still, almost half of the country is ok with this guy.  Over half the country doesn't care about 530+ children orphaned by the United States.  Over half of the country thinks 235k and rising deaths of Covid-19 is an acceptable number.  Over half of the country doesn't mind the constant lies, the hypocrisy or the fact that he's been undermining our American elections system for months.  

But, Americans aren't dumb enough to fall for that, right?  They know that there has been no evidence of widespread vote tampering, right?  That any fraud or error from mail in voting has actually been less than fraud or error from in person voting?  They know because they read, right?  

Yeeah, no...they don't.  Votes are still being counted in most states.  5 states have yet to be called by the news, much less be certified by the respective states.  Yes, our Dear Leader has declared victory.  And, his mob has agreed.  They are trying to storm polling places.  They are taking videos of their lemming friends INSISTING that their vote was tampered with.  And, people are eating it up.  

This, my friends, is what Fascism looks like.

The good news is, the data is trending in a direction that should kick this ass to the curb.  But, we know that won't be the end of it.  He's already suing. And, he's not suing to contest results.  He's suing to STOP COUNTING.  Let's flash back to 2000.  The counts all happened, then the recounts.  THAT'S when the lawsuits happened.  After counting.  This is unprecedented.  He is literally suing to disenfranchise voters. This is disgustingly unAmerican.  

I want this to be over.  

Oh...and I deleted my Facebook page.  More on that later. 

  

School or no school

So...Covid sucks.  Let's just get that out of the way. 

It's August.  School starts for my kids just after Labor Day.  So, we have about a month left.  Last we heard from OLG is that they plan to be in school IN PERSON.  I love this idea!  And, I am terrified of this idea!  

The whole open schools or not arguement...this is the bloody Kobayashi Maru.  It's freakin' Sophie's Choice.  It's Trump vs Clinton.

In other words...it's a no-win situation. 

Kim and I are pretty realistic about this whole Covid thing.  We follow the rules.  When we were told to stay home, we stayed home.  When we were told we could go out but we should wear masks, we listened...we went out and we wore masks.  We're in a place where we like that things are opening up, but we really wish people would stop being stupid and selfish.  So much of this can be controlled if people would think less about themselves and start considering those around them.  Why do we feel this way?  Because the doctors and scientists have told us to and I accept that they are much smarter than me.  

Back to schools.  

When they first started saying they would open the schools, it looked like things were improving.  But, then summer hit.  And people went to the beach or to rallys or protests or parties.  IE: people were dumb.  And, Covid went back up.  So, schools are now talking about sticking to virual learning. 

Virtual Learning is absolutely NOT as good for most kids as in person learning.  Certainly not for my kid.  It's hard to keep him on task, he tends to distract me from the work I need to do, and I am a horrible teacher as I don't know how to do this stupid hippie math they teach, now.  I absulutely do NOT want to do what we did the last trimester of last year.  

So, send them to school, right???   Right????

Well, no...not necessarily.  

Because we are still in a pandemic. 

The average age of a teacher in the US is 42.  The median is 41.  This means that 50% of teachers are over 40.  Many are teaching in to their 60s.  And...kids are germ factories.  These little bastards are carrying every germ known to man and many that aren't.  They don't show symptoms like adults.  That doesn't mean they don't wipe their boogers on their hand and then wipe that hand on something that someone else will touch.  That doesn't mean they won't cough and send their spit flying 100 feet towards the teachers desk.   

I feel pretty confident that, at some point, I am going to catch Covid-19 (actually...want to know a secret?  I actually think I already had it.  In the very early days.  But, it was before we knew it was a thing in the US, so we weren't testing).  It's out.  It's coming.  But, I am being pretty safe and taking precautions to ensure I don't pass it on.  I am a loyal mask wearer.  I wash my hands.  I don't shake hands or hug (This is actually great for me because I don't like touching people).  But...if Desmond gets it and is sitting at school with 25 classmates talking about Fortnite and forgetting to distance...what if one of them catches it and takes it home to their family?  What if one of his friends gives it to Grandpa?  What if one of the teachers gets infected?  That would be absolutely tragic. 

Desmond is a smart kid...I think he can handle the mask and the social distancing.  But, he's also going into 6th grade.  How the heck do you get a Kindergarter to wear a mask all day????  Don't worry, I will answer that for you.  YOU DON'T!  Masks will be slingshots, projectiles, napkins.  They'll be everything but a protective shield to keep germs from spreading.  

See...no win.  

What's the solution?  I have know f**king clue.  I'm a recruiter.  I hire software engineers.  This is why I look to the professionals and I choose to trust.  I trust the doctors and scientists to tell us what they know and offer suggestions.  And, I trust my kids' principals and teachers to have the best interests of the kids and staff at heart.  If that means we have to go all virtual, then (MOTHER EFFING SON OF A BERCHING ASS BUTT STUPID FACE) we will do all virtual.  If it means all in person, great...we will be ready with masks and sanitiser and anything needed to keep people as safe as possible.  If it's a hybrid, ok...we'll figure that out too.  None of this is normal. All of this is new.  And, we're all in in together.  

2020 sucks balls.  Sign me up for that vaccine trial! 

Maybe if we all have Principals like Dr. Lee here, we'll be good to go!  

Black Lives Matter

There's a ton going on at the moment. I have a couple posts that have been sitting in draft. The one about quarantine. The one about my wife losing her job, recently. But, I haven't posted them yet because, each time I write one, something else happens and makes the previous thing seem so minor.

So, I am going to take this spot in my blog to talk about Black Lives Matter and everything happening in our world after the murder of George Floyd. Now, this is my blog, so I am going to be upfront about it, like I normally am. And, like I normally am, I am probably going to wallow somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. The place where neither side thinks I am taking the right stand. Oh well...such is the life of a true Centerist, I guess.

I'll start with George. Did you watch the video? If you didn't, you need to. It's hard. But, especially for those that are talking about how "he was on drugs" or "he shouldn't have been breaking the law," go watch the video. Because, you know what...I don't give a shit about anything else. He did not deserve to die. Full stop right there. He did not deserve to die. He was unarmed and he was cooperating. He was handcuffed behind his back while being held to the ground on his stomach. The man was restrained. There is no way to argue this point...George Floyd was murdered. Did you watch the video, yet? Did you watch the part where he calls for his mother? Maybe your heart wasn't touched when he begged for water or told the cop he couldn't breathe. But, then, as he's dying, he cries for his mother. If you are a parent and that doesn't move you, I question your humanity. No, really.

Now, before I get into the protests, let's pause for a moment. George was the catalyst. For everyone talking about how he's not a hero or how you don't "support" George Floyd. Let's not forget the other murders that have happened in the last few months. Breonna Taylor was shot by police while sleeping in her own apartment. Turns out they served a warrant on the wrong home. Let's also remember Ahmaud Arbery, shot by 3 rednecks while going for a jog.

And now, people are protesting. I am going to split this part up into 2 seconds. I'll start with the protests, then I will talk about the riots. Because...they are most definitely 2 different things.

The protests.

Protesting is not my bag. I don't really like crowds, so I don't typically go to protests. But, let's get one thing clear...the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed in the 1st Amendment. It's right up there with Speech and Religion and it comes BEFORE the beloved 2nd Amendment Republicans are always crying about. And yet, for the last 2 weeks, we have seen peaceful protests broken up by police in riot gear, shooting tear gas and rubber bullets and arresting people for simply being there. This isn't a media narrative, folks. Watch the videos from people on the ground. Jump onto YouTube or Reddit. This stuff is raw and real. Crowds are chanting, yelling, waving signs...doing nothing violent. Then...BAM...flash grenade. BAM...tear gas. Now, we're hearing calls for "Defund the Police!" I'll get to that in a second. But, it's easy to understand when we see what is being done to Americans practicing their Constitutional rights.

Now...the riots.

Riots suck. And, the riots are being led by fringe groups, not the protesters. And, I know this is hard for a lot of people to hear, but most of the riots are being started by white people. Whether it's Antifa or White Supremacists doesn't really matter. What it comes down to is that they are not being started by the same people that are leading these protests.  Then, we all jump on our social media pages to tell protesters they are doing it wrong.

Let me quickly touch on Defund the Police. This is a horrible motto. I get it. In no way to I support Defunding the Police. In the last couple of days, I have learned that Defund the Police doesn't actually mean abolish police departments (although, granted...nutjobs like AOC say it does). Defund the Police is about reallocating funds. So, instead of buying a new tank for the PD, maybe invest in mental health or community organization. Instead of 100 more AR-15s, maybe hire some more social workers to check in on our lower income, more at risk communities. Defund the Police is the wrong term and they need to stop using it. Because, DEFUND means...well, Defund. It doesn't mean, Keep Funding, but spread the money around differently. So, I am not onboard with Defunding the Police. But, I will keep listening to this conversation. Because, I don't think the PD needs another armored vehicle.

Here's where I have been impacted personally in all this. I have always said, "It's not people like me that are the problem." I've tried my best to take a step back and really examine where I fit in all this. Granted, I would not consider myself racist and I suspect (hope?) my friends wouldn't, either. But, I have come to acknowledge White Privilege. I hate this phrase. Even today. But, 4 weeks ago I hated it because my ancestors never had slaves. I have never stood in the way of a black person reaching their goals. Yes...I've told some black jokes here and there, but only the tasteful ones! After all, as I learned from Avenue Q, "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist."

But, today, I hate it for a different reason.  Because I had a come to Jesus moment and realized it's real.  Maybe I haven't directly affected the life of a person of color in a racist way. Maybe. But, I have come to acknowledge that I have not had to face the same hurdles as my neighbors of color. I've been pulled over 4 times in my lifetime. I heard the story of a friend who was pulled over 15 times in one year. I have never been in the back of a police car. Recently, a friend shared a story of how her black son was put in one when he was 10 for throwing rocks across the street from his house. A 10 year old boy put in the back of a police car without his parents around. I don't get watched by security in the store.  I can walk down the street in a hoodie at night.  My parents and their parents and their parents chose their lives and the lives of their children.  Can the same be said for my black friends?  How far back do they have to go to find an ancestor who was kidnapped?

I watched the video of Philando Castile's girlfriend and 4 year old daughter in the back of a police car after Philando was shot by police. The girlfriend is crying and screaming and her daughter, 4 years old, says to her, "Momma, please stop cussing and screaming...I don't want you to get shooted." 4...Fucking...Years old. Seriously...I am tearing up as I remember this.

Look...I am not anti-cop. Not even a little bit. There seems to be this notion that support of BLM makes one anti-cop. I'm not. You have to be a truly special person to be a police officer. You put your life on the line every day. You don't know what might come from a traffic stop or a domestic violence call or anything on any given day. However, it also takes a special person to know that killing people should almost NEVER been an option. We're training our cops to learn how to live with the taking of a life. We're training them on how to do this long before they have to pull their gun on someone. We're sending them into unknown circumstances, putting an enormous amount of stress on them, and then given them no resources to cope with this stress. Is it really surprising that 40% of police families experience domestic violence? Going back to the poorly labeled "Defund the Police," maybe it is time to spend less money on guns and more money on a precinct shrink that all officers are required to visit on a monthly (or more) basis.  And, if there are cops that are saying, "I don't need a shrink!" well...maybe these are the cops that should consider a different profession.  Because, I feel like anyone that is legally allowed to pull their gun on another human being should be mentally competent to do so.  Perhaps, instead of 100k more new cops, we train the ones we have to be excellent humans, excellent de-escalators and make sure they are VERY well supported.  As well as held accountable.

If you've gotten this far in my post, you're committed!  So, I would like to offer up a challenge to those of you (you know who you are) who still prefer to post about the white guy that died in a similar manner to George Floyd (what about him???) or about black on black crime or "All Lives Matter" or some other "What about us," stuff.  Here's my challenge.  Learn about our shared history.  Truly learn about it.  You don't have to read "White Fragility."  I'm not reading it.  Not because I don't think there's probably a lot of great info in there.  But, because I suck at reading non-fiction.  But, there are so many other things you can do.  Watch 13th on Netflix.  It's eye opening.  Learn about our American heritage outside of "Abe Lincoln freed the slaves."  Because there is so so much more.  Heck, even this episode of "Last Week Tonight" is enlightening.  Especially the woman at the end.  Don't write her off as just another "angry black woman."  Her last line took my breath away.  And, I mean literally.  Because, when you truly think about how we, as a nation, have treated our citizens of color...my dear God, we deserve what's happening.  I'm not pointing to you or you or you.  I am pointing to us...The United States of America.  Land of the Free...ish. 

I'll leave with a couple final thoughts that I had, recently.  Did you know that, only a month ago, a woman named Irene Triplett died.  She was the last person still collecting a Civil War pension check from the US Government.  The Civil War happened a million years ago...or did it?  It's much closer to us than we realize.  Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated in 1968, within our parents' lifetimes.  Rodney King was beaten in 1991, in our life time.

Oh, and only a few weeks ago, a black man was killed while taking a jog.

How to talk to your kids, by Principal Ramos

Election night through today, I have seen a lot of people on Facebook asking, "How do I tell my kids?" 

Mrs. Ramos, the principal at Desmond's school, offers up the note below, which I would like to share with you because I enjoyed it so much. 

Dear OLG Families,

This week, it has been apparent that our students have absorbed a wide range of feelings regarding this election. We realize that most of them have been exposed to media coverage that can at times be confusing and fraught with tension. They have likely overheard emotionally charged conversations and divisive language. This morning, many families shared that it had been a late night for their whole family, watching election results pour in. We assume and appreciate that you are finding ways that are appropriate for your family to process questions, emotions, and media content related to the election.

As educators, we have been following the news about schools around the country reporting increased fear, aggression and division within their student bodies as the election progressed. For weeks, the question has been posed, "What will happen in the days and weeks following Election Day?" regardless of the results. No matter which way we lean politically, or which candidates we have been behind, I imagine that many of us would consider this election cycle a particularly contentious and unsettling one.

As a Catholic school community, we recognize this as a teachable moment about bringing the light of our faith to our everyday lives. Our OLG mission statement calls us to be "a sacramental community, united and empowered by the Holy Spirit." Through our practice of prayer and reflection, in the work we do to build the essential skills of listening, friendship building, conflict resolution and problem solving, and through our experience as members of a faith community, we are preparing our students to be bearers of the Holy Spirit both within OLG and out in our larger community.

Together, we hope we can instill in our students that in our community and world there is room for diverse viewpoints and that it's important to pray for wisdom and the Holy Spirit's guidance for our leaders. At times of significant transition and intense emotions, it seems especially important to partner in teaching our children to take time to listen deeply, to keep our hearts open, to be kind, to give ourselves time for what grounds us, and to pray. Out of that will come an authentic expression of our best selves in service to the world.

In these post-election days, our students will continue to pick up feelings and attitudes about the election, as it is discussed and processed by those around them, online and in the media. This can be a lot even for adults to digest in a healthy and balanced way. Please let us know if there are ways we can be sensitive to your child's needs, and don't hesitate to talk with Heidi Ehrenberg or any of us on staff.

With blessings and thanks for our OLG community,

Donna Ramos

Well, that sucked. Now...what to do about it.

Ok, people.  It's over.  Take a deep breath.  Inhale...good.  Now, exhale. Ahhhh.

Better?  No?  Yeah, I didn't think that would work.

But, really.  Here we are.  We have chosen Trump.  Yes, he sucks.  Yes he is a misogynist.  Yes he is a bigot.  Yes, we have picked the asshole that we are ashamed to let our children listen to over the woman with the screechy voice that we hate so much.  And, yes...to my family and friends that voted for Trump...I am legitimately ashamed of you.

However, it is what it is.  We now have to deal with it. 

Here are our choices as I see it.

1)  Complain about how this election was chosen by people who hate women/Mexicans/Muslims/whatever and talk about how we're going to move to Canada.  We can discuss the discrepancy between white and non-white votes (because race relations are so awesome already).  We can call each other names and continue to spew the vitriol that has encompassed this entire 2 year long election cycle.

or

2)  We can take this for what it is and move forward.

Now, when I say move forward, do I mean just stand by and let Trump do what he wants?  Absolutely not!  Our country is a Democratic Republic.  We operate on a system with multiple branches of government, checks and balances and the will of the people.

So...#1...it's time for Congress to DO THEIR FUCKING JOBS!  (Sorry...I try not to drop F-bombs here, but seriously...DO YOUR FUCKING JOBS!!!)  Stop the party based bickering.  Get down to business and legislate.  And, while you're at it, block any bullshit that Trump tries to push through. 

Supreme Court...if Trump tries to shut down the Washington Post because they say things Trump doesn't like...the Supreme Court needs to step up and block that as unconstitutional.  We need to do EVERYTHING to make sure that he does not turn this place into Nazi Germany (this is not hyperbole). 

Clinton supporters...you have a big job.  It's time to come out of the bubble that Clinton is amazing and saint like and it's impossible that people can't like her.  Because, seriously...she should have won.  And if you think the reason she didn't is simply "sexism" or "racism" or "hatred," then you will find yourself in a very bad place.  Because, while I agree that there are many Trump supporters are sexists/racists/whateverists, that is not why Clinton lost. 

She lost because she's Hillary Clinton.  You can call her the "most qualified" person for the presidency.  But, that doesn't mean people want her to be president.  And, you MUST recognize this if you want to move forward.  People are clearly tired of the political elite.  No more Clintons.  No more Bushes.  Not everyone agrees with you.  And it's time to stop simply labeling those that see things differently as idiots. 

And, Republicans...with this Trump win, I have figured out how you can become a party to be proud of again.  It's simple...don't let him dictate your agenda.  Actively oppose the crap he will inevitably pull.  And, super important...push someone else in 2020 (*cough, not Ted Cruz, cough*). 

All you folks who voted for Trump despite his arrogance, hatred, sexual abuse, etc...it's time for you to prove, now, that you are not assholes.  Oh, sorry...did I offend you?  Well, prove that I am wrong.  When Trump tries to kick out all the Mexicans, when he stands by while children die because he won't let Muslims in the country, and while we listen to more women talk about how he abused them, you show us that you won't let that stand.  When he's impeached after his tax fraud is uncovered or he is found guilty in his rape trial, don't defend him. 

Everyone is freaking out.  You can keep freaking out and talk about how you're moving away.  Or, you can truly be an American and stay here and fight. 

Choose Love!  This can be the catalyst that completely tears us apart.  Or...it can bring us back together.  Like we were together after 9/11 or like after the Cubs won.  But, we need to come back together.  As the great philosopher Jack Shepard once said..."We can live together, or we can die alone."

America is great!  And, we can stay great...unless we give in to the hate that Trump has spewed. 

This doesn't need to be tragic.  Let's show the world how great America really is.  We can do this!  Together!

Time to vent...Gender Identity and Bathrooms

I need to vent for a few minutes. 

I am feeling a bit offended.  Offended and misunderstood.  It's often hard to be a Republican in a time when the Republican Party is falling apart and about to nominate a complete douche bag to be their nominee for president.  But, this isn't about Trump or the presidential race.

This is about legal permission to use the restroom of the sex you identify with rather than the sex you actually may be.  Or...as I see it...the ability to, without question, go into any restroom or locker room you want.

Now...here is where many people will immediately write me off as a bigot.  Oh, he's a Republican.  He hates LQBT folk.  He wants them all to burn in hell.

Well, if you think that, you don't know me.  Heck...you haven't even read my blog.

I am a supporter of LGBT issues.  My philosophy on most issues of rights can be boiled down to this: If it doesn't hurt someone or infringe upon the rights of others, I don't care.  And, as such, I am much more likely than not to support the issues of others because I believe in individual freedoms.  I want to remain free to tell my theatre friends that Shakespeare isn't all that.  Therefore, I will support others in their quests for rights.

In fact...let's assume you are a woman that feels a penis is really more your style.  Let's assume you walk into the bathroom while I am there.  I would treat you EXACTLY the same as I would a dude.  That is to say, I would completely ignore you and pretend that you weren't there.  If I were already in a stall, I would remain as quiet as possible in the hopes that you won't know that another is in the room.  This is because I hate public bathrooms and I hate sharing my pooping space with anyone!

In summary...I support a transgendered person's desire to use the bathroom of their choice, assuming they are as respectful as anyone else taking a wiz.  Get in, wiz, get out.  Don't mingle, don't stare, don't be a perv.

However...I don't support this controversial law I keep hearing about. 

Disclaimer: I haven't read it.  Nor do I intend to.  It's not my state.  It has no baring on me.  I know only what I have read, on both sides, on the internets.

So, why don't I support this law?  Well, here's an example of why, from Seattle:  http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/02/17/transgender-rule-washington-state-man-undresses-locker-room/80501904/

You see, there is currently nothing in place to determine who is actually someone who identifies with the opposite sex vs someone who is just a creep.  Supporters of the bill will say this isn't a legitimate concern.  It's by far the minority that would take advantage of the law.

Well, there is no data to support this.  I would offer different non-scientific data.  There are more perverts in the world inclined to take advantage of such a rule than there are transsexuals who would be offended that they *might* have to use the bathroom opposite of the sex the identify with.  (I say might because I stand by my thought that, unless they are weird about it, it won't be questioned more than it will.)

Obviously, none of what I said has any basis in fact.  It's all subject to our own opinions and experience.

So, here is my opinion.  I acknowledge that there are those that will be upset/uncomfortable/offended/other to be forced to use a bathroom that reflects a gender they feel trapped in.  I am sympathetic to this.  BUT...I am more sympathetic to young children and women who may find themselves victims of pedophiles and voyeurs.   

And, that's it.

If you are reading this and feeling like accusing me of saying that transsexuals are pedophiles, then please never talk to anyone because you are so closed minded that you just made up words that I didn't say.

I am saying pedophiles are pedophiles.  And, I am also saying that this is an opening for them to freely practice their pedophilia without recourse. 

Find a way around this and then come talk to me.  Until then...if you have a penis, you use the penis room.  OR...at the very least, simply act like the gender you identify with and use the bathroom you want!  If someone complains, oh well.  Use the other restroom this time.  Sucks, but it's a small price to pay to keep perverts from watching little girls undress. 

Teachers and stuff

It's September and you know what that means!  It's time for the annual Teacher Strike!

This time, it looks like there are 2 districts striking.  Pasco and my home town of Seattle.

This is a real hot button issue for me.  I frequently disagree with my liberal friends and neighbors in the area.  Also, I know quite a few teachers who have strong opinions on this.  When you hear me vent about striking teachers, I can understand how you might think I am "anti-teacher."

But, that couldn't be further from the truth.  I am VERY VERY pro teacher. 

So, I felt moved to write a post to my blog because that's what I do when I have something I want to say. :-)

Here are the fundamental reasons why I oppose teacher strikes:

1. Teachers are public employees. 
2. Teachers are salaried professionals.  Why do they even have a union?  They're not machinists or plumbers.
3. NOBODY is hurt by teacher strikes except the parents and students.  Districts are given their money from the state.  Teachers will still get paid.  Districts will still get paid.  In the meantime, parents need to struggle to find and pay for child care and the kids get to go even longer without their education.
4. On average, teachers make good money and receive good benefits for 9 months of work.

Ok...I hear people yelling at me already, particularly on the 9 months of work and the good money part.  But, I want to point out that I said, "on average." 

You see, here is the thing that pisses me off most. 

There are some amazing teachers out there.  AMAZING!  These teachers are not paid enough. 

There are also some crappy teachers out there.  These teachers are paid too much. 

How do we determine good teachers from bad teachers?  I don't know because teachers don't want to be evaluated in meaningful ways.

See...my problem ultimately comes down to the union, not the teachers.  Because of the union, no meaningful criteria can be used to evaluate a teacher.  Therefore, there is no real way to determine who is an excellent teacher and who sucks.  Also, because of the union, so much focus is put on seniority over talent.  I don't care if a teacher has been teaching for 30 years.  If that teacher is not as good as this younger teacher who has only been teacher for 5 or 10, they should not be making as much money.

Why can't we run education more like a business?  If there is a teacher in Minnesota who has received multiple awards and has lead 100% of their students to passing grades and is largely seen to be amazing, why can't we offer this person $100k/year? 

On the flip side, why can't we fire the English teacher who plays movies in class every day? 

We have failed our teachers.  Our good teachers.  We have failed them because we let the system get to this point.  I know it's not PC to say, but when you have a job that pays you $60k a year, gives you 3 months off in the summer, 2 weeks for Christmas, 1 week for min-winter break and another for Spring break while offering you incredible job security, it's really not that hard to attract people. 

"But, teachers teach because they have been called to!"  Yes...some of them have.  But, many of them haven't.  Many of them like the easy paycheck and 3 months plus of vacation time.  And frankly...many of them weren't smart enough to be engineers.  This was my problem when I was studying to be a teacher.  We have lowered our standards for teachers and because of this, talent is going down. 

The teachers at Desmond's school have been called to teach!  They teach in a small private school where I am willing to bet they make less than a public school teacher.  They seem happy to be there every single day.  They are not striking today.  They are in class teaching. 

Seattle teachers are on strike.  Skipping out on their responsibilities to their students.  Already talking about how they don't earn a "living wage" and how they will likely ignore the courts if they are ordered back to work, trying to lump it under civil disobedience.  You know, like the civil rights and anti-war movements.

I fully support the raise that the Seattle teachers are looking for.  But, only for those that deserve it.  Show us who those are and I will gripe less.  Find other ways to get your point across besides these illegal and annoying strikes and I will be first in line to support you.  In the meantime, I will complain like I do every single year.

Bottom line from me: Great teachers deserve great salaries.  Bad teachers deserve to be fired.

Why I Won't Vote for Donald Trump

Um...because he's Donald Trump.  Do I really need another reason? 

Why I won't vote for Chris Christie

Ok...I will admit at the top that this is probably a stupid reason not to vote for someone.  But, here goes.  I won't vote for Chris Christie for president because of this:



That's right...I won't vote for Chris Christie because he's a Cowboys fan.

This is particularly disappointing for me as, 4 years ago, I was convinced Christie would be my candidate.  I loved his politics, I loved the way he stood up to special interests (especially the Teachers' Union), and I just generally liked his way of dealing with the stupidity that is often the American political system.

Bridgegate came up and I didn't care!  Was he involved?  Maybe.  But, so what. Minor in the grand scheme of things. 

But, this Cowboys thing.  I can't get past this. 

If he were from Dallas, that would be one thing.  If it were another team besides the Cowboys, that would be another.  You see, you can support your childhood team if you grew up away from home.  I still think it's bad taste for a governor when you have 2 teams playing in your own state, but whatever.  I could forgive it.

Or...if it wasn't the Cowboys...say it was the Dolphins or the Bengals. Then, it's harder to call bandwagon.

But, the Cowboys.  They are the biggest bandwagon team in football.  Just like the Redsox or Yankees in baseball.  Just like the Lakers in basketball.  He jumped on the "America's Team" bandwagon. 

Should he get props for staying on when they sucked?  No.  Because they were still the bandwagon team, even when they sucked.

And then, he became governor!  His state hosted a Superbowl, for crying out loud!  One of his local team has won 2 Superbowls!!!!  He has been given every reason to join his people in support of the local team and he hasn't done so because he chooses to remain on the bandwagon.

How can I trust a politician who has no loyalty to his home?  How do I know that he won't be cheering for Team North Korea at some point?  How do I know that he won't be hugging Putin when Team Russia makes it to the playoffs.

Nope...not me.  Chris Christie does NOT get my vote. 

Water Slide fun at Honua Kai

Ok...so maybe I will post a few times. :-)  Got a fun video last night.  Couldn't resist. 


Honua Kai waterslide from Jason Pankow on Vimeo.

Are people really not vaccinating? Seriously???

I am always hearing about not vaccinating your kids.  However, I am usually hearing it from people who are getting mad about others saying you shouldn't vaccinate.  I know there are some famous-ish people who have talked about how we should not vaccinate.  But, honestly...the last time I listened to Jenny McCarthy...well, I have never listened to Jenny McCarthy.  I'm not even sure I would recognize Jenny McCarthy if you showed me a picture of her with clothes on.

I don't usually get into the vaccination debate because I don't hang out with people who are stupid.  If I wanted to post something about why it's so important to vaccinate your kids, I feel like it's the same as telling a hippie that they don't need to shower.

So...here is an official statement from me so nobody wonders what my views are on vaccinations.

Vaccinate your kids!  If you don't...you're dumb.  Enjoy the measles.



Now...you really have no reason to listen to me.  So...instead, listen to my good friend Jimmy Kimmel.

Post by Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Ben Franklin was my favorite president!

For a bazillion reasons.  But, this is article just solidifies my favoritism.

Ben Franklin wrote an essay about farting!!

Specifically, he was basically telling scientists that they needed to invent a way to make farts smell good.

Here's the best line from the essay: "Were it not for the odiously offensive Smell accompanying such Escapes, polite People would probably be under no more Restraint in discharging such Wind in Company, than they are in spitting, or in blowing their Noses."

Would you expect anything less coming from the guy who wrote the Constitution?

You see, Ben Franklin was very forward thinking.  He knew that some 230+ years later, some ridiculously good looking gentleman would be sitting in his office all alone.  He would know that this gentleman may be in his office, without visitors for quite some time.  This gentleman will perhaps suspect that he may not see a real live person for a good chuck of the afternoon because many of his colleagues are working remotely or tied up in meetings that day.  Therefore, this gentleman may just get comfortable enough in his closed surroundings to "let one go," shall we say.  It is not impossible, in fact science (aka...the number of times this has happened to this nameless gentleman) has shown that it is rather likely, that another person will indeed unexpectedly pop into this gentleman's office not 10 seconds after pressure was relieved leaving a noticeable cloud of odor lingering in the vicinity.

Ben Franklin, genius that we was, likely foresaw the awkward silence that followed the entrance to the office.  Where the colleague once had a smile, a funny sneer has appeared as the new arrival looks around the room, eyes finally settling on those of the gentleman who is sitting in his chair innocently trying to convey a look of "Nothing is wrong in this room...everything is completely normal and the air is totally clean and clear.  There is obviously no fart smell here...in fact, I don't even know why you may think that and I am certainly not going to outwardly suggest that you may be thinking it on the off chance that you weren't.  Actually, are you sure that's not your cologne?"

Thank you, Dr. Franklin.  Not only did you help found our country...you reminded us all that even giants among men occasionally need to cut the cheese.

Will you see the Ender's Game movie

So...if you've talked to me about books, you know that Ender's Game is my favorite book of all time.

My dad handed it to me in the 8th grade.  I refused to read it because I didn't like to read.  I liked comic books and watching TV.  I was dumb like that.

Finally (and, for the life of me, I can't remember why I changed my mind), I read it when I was a Junior in High School.  I fell in love.  I'm reading a book right now called "The Shadow of the Wind."  In it, there is a quote.  "Few things leave a deeper mark on the reader, than the first book that finds its way to his heart."  For me, this book is Ender's Game. 

I read a lot now.  Ender's Game is what made me a reader. 

Anywhoo...I could write about Ender's Game forever.  How the second book, Speaker for the Dead, was equally as good, but in a different way.  How the 3rd in the series was good not great and how the 4th felt like the author (Orson Scott Card) couldn't figure out how to properly end it, so he started writing gibberish.  Oh, then, I could write about how every single book since in the Ender universe was a pile of steamy horse crap written simply to make money off of the only character he was widely known for.

I digress.  Orson Scott Card is a Mormon.  He has never hidden this. In fact, he's pretty open about it.  Logically, one could therefore assume that he opposes gay marriage.  I don't read much of what he has to say outside of his books because, frankly, I don't care.  And...I'm still mad at him for ruining my favorite character of all time.  It wasn't until recently, now that an Ender's Game movie is in the can for November release, that I have been made aware of just how anti-gay marriage this dude really is.

He's not just against gay marriage for the same bullshit, but sometimes misguidedly logical, reasons your standard Republican homophobe is.  He's is downright "overthrow the government" opposed to gay marriage.

Now...I support gay marriage.  Yes, I am a Republican and I support gay marriage.  I can write an entire post about how it's hypocritical for Republicans to oppose gay marriage, but I'll save that for another day.  I support gay marriage.  But, I'm not really in the fight.  If you oppose gay marriage, I roll my eyes and move on.  I don't really have a horse in the race.  While I support it, I do not put it on the same level as the civil rights movement (gay people are not using separate drinking fountains) and I don't see marriage as a "right" to begin with.  Therefore, the issue does not fire me up like it does others. 

But, I do hate intolerance.  I do hate putting people in a lower class because there is something different about them.  And, this is where OSC has crossed the line for me.  Because people with a different lifestyle want the same perks as people with OSC's lifestyle, OSC is advocating revolution.  This is where he moves, for me, from one-hit-wonder-bad-writer-man, to jerk face.

If I think someone is a douche, I will not give them my money.  For example...I have never seen any movie by Roman Polanski because he is a rapist.  I don't care how artsy or moving or whatever these movies are.  I refuse to give my money to a rapist.  I don't see anything Mel Gibson is involved in anymore because he is a woman beating anti-Semite.  He doesn't get my money either.

But, damn...I LOVE this freakin' book!  For a long time now, I have envisioned seeing the movie.  Putting faces to beloved characters.  I've been wondering how the Battle Room can be brought to life with it's Zero-Gee fight scenes.  I so want to see Bonzo's eyes roll into the back of his head as Ender delivers a deadly blow to the crotch (oops...sorry.  Spoiler alert).  This book could very well be described as having changed my life (thanks, Dad!). 

What to do? 

An option I am considering...getting a less-than-legal downloaded copy from my buddy who hasn't paid for a movie in years.  I am typically morally opposed to this avenue.  But, I am also morally opposed to giving money to bigots. 

I have until November to figure this out.  Any philosophical advice???