Happy New Year!

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There is nothing magical about crossing the threshold from the old year into the new year. Nevertheless, acknowledging the crossing of that threshold has a long tradition of offering a new start, particularly a time of looking forward with hope.  

We on the blogging team here at Always On Watch wish our readers a happy and healthy new year.  

May 2019 be kind to us all!

Angel Merkel Spills The Beans

From Zero Hedge (hat tip to Infidel Bloggers Alliance):

“Nation states must today be prepared to give up their sovereignty”, according to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who told an audience in Berlin that sovereign nation states must not listen to the will of their citizens when it comes to questions of immigration, borders, or even sovereignty.

No this wasn’t something Adolf Hitler said many decades ago, this is what German Chancellor Angela Merkel told attendants at an event by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Berlin.....

Read the rest HERE at Zero Hedge.

WC, my co-host back in the days of Blog Talk Radio's The Gathering Storm, comments as follows to the above:

So the mask has fallen off. They are brazenly declaring their intent. It's as if the doors to the loony bins have been opened wide and the globalist elitists are running amok.

Weigh in....What will 2019 bring for the future of globalism, yet one more manifestation of utopianism?

Additional reading regarding certain borders for certain elites...John Kerry Fights to Keep Migrants Off His Private Beach.

Musical Interlude

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Enjoy these selections from back in the day, when easy listening was in vogue and many local spots, even small ones, offered live music performed by small combos on Friday and Saturday nights:

Purple Prose

2018 Christmas Portrait

Anti-Trump Derangement Syndrome in the extreme (emphases mine)....

Trump portrait: you couldn’t create a creepier Yuletide scene if you tried

The formal smartness of the US president and the first lady adds to the emotional numbness of the scene

The absence of intimacy in the Trumps’ official Christmas portrait freezes the heart. Can it be that hard to create a cosy image of the presidential couple, perhaps in front of a roaring hearth, maybe in seasonal knitwear? Or is this quasi-dictatorial image exactly what the president wants to project? Look on my Christmas trees, ye mighty, and despair! If so, it fuels suspicions that it is only the checks and balances of a 230-year-old constitution that are keeping America from the darkest of political fates.

You couldn’t create a creepier Yuletide scene if you tried. Multiple Christmas trees are currently a status symbol for the wealthy, but this picture shows the risks. Instead of a homely symbol of midwinter cheer, these disciplined arboreal ranks with their uniform decorations are arrayed like massed soldiers or colossal columns designed by Albert Speer. The setting is the Cross Hall in the White House and, while the incumbent president cannot be held responsible for its architecture, why heighten its severity with such rigid, heartless seasonal trappings?

Everything here communicates cold, empty magnificence. Tree lights that are as frigid as icicles are mirrored in a cold polished floor. Equally frosty illuminations are projected on the ceiling. Instead of twinkling fairy magic, this lifeless lighting creates a sterile, inhuman atmosphere. You can’t imagine kids playing among these trees or any conceivable fun being had by anyone. It suggests the micromanaged, corporate Christmas of a Citizen Kane who has long since lost touch with the ordinary, warm pleasures of real life.

In the centre of this disturbing piece of conceptual art stand Donald and Melania Trump. He’s in a tuxedo, she’s wearing white – and not a woolly hat in sight. Their formal smartness adds to the emotional numbness of the scene.

Trump’s shark-like grin has nothing generous or friendly about it. He seems to want to show off his beautiful wife and his fantastic home rather than any of the cuddly holiday spirit a conventional politician might strive to share at this time. It begs a question: how can a man who so glaringly lacks anything like a common touch be such a successful “populist”? What can a midwestern voter find in this image to connect with?

Perhaps that’s the point. After more than two centuries of democracy, Trump is offering the US people a king, or emperor. In this picture, he gives full vent to his inner tyrant. If this portrait contains any truth about the state of America and the world, may Santa help us all.

Can you imagine the howls of outrage if such things had been written about the Obamas, particularly in a major newspaper?

In my view, it is true that the Trumps are not cuddly teddy bears around whom the American people can wrap themselves.  Is it really a necessary Presidential quality to ooze warmth, particularly in the magnificent Cross Hall of the White House?

The Real Seats Of Power In America

Worth your time and consideration (hat tip to Common Cents):

Can we ever get out from under these tyrannical boots?

I wonder if Americans have snoozed for too long.

Boiling the frog:

Happy Christmastide!

Especially for Anglophiles, a carol attributed to King Henry VIII (1491-1547):

"Dueling Jingle Bells"

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Enjoy!

(hat tip to Infidel Bloggers Alliance)

When Bullies Attack

In what world is this type of bullying allowed? What life "lessons" did this boy learn as a result of what happened and how the problem was handled?


Article HERE, commentary HERE.

Advent 2018

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For this third Sunday in Advent 2018...

Many years ago during a series of summer concerts, I had the privilege of working under the directing baton of organist, composer, and director Richard Wayne Dirksen at the Washington National Cathedral. Below is one of his choral pieces, a glorious celebration of the birth of Christ the Lord. Ever since I obtained a recording of "Welcome All Wonders," I never let a Christmas go by without listening to that recording of this glorious musical celebration of the birth of Christ the Lord. Enjoy:


Lyrics:

Welcome all wonders in one sight!
Eternity shut in a span.
Summer in winter, day in night,
Heaven in earth, and God in man.
That He, the old Eternal Word, should be a Child and weep.
Each of us his lamb will bring, each his pair of silver doves,
Till burnt at last in fire of thy fair eyes, ourselves become our own best sacrifice.
Welcome all wonders in one sight!

Creep, Creep, Creep...

Under the surface of all the political roiling, we have this (hat tip to Infidel Bloggers Alliance for the link below):

Google Approves App For Muslims To Report People Who Commit Blasphemy

A new Android app has launched with the focus of allowing Muslims to report individuals who commit blasphemy, or insult Islam.

No, this is not a joke. The app, “Smart Pakem”, which launched in Indonesia last month at the request of the Indonesian government, will allow users and government officials to uphold Sharia law and target and report people who hold “misguided” beliefs in violation of Islamic law, which forbids insults of Islam, insults against the Prophet Mohammed, or the recognition of any other religion besides Islam....

Only in Indonesia or another Islamic nation, right?

Not exactly.  Technology transcends borders, and criticizing Islam can get an American muzzled, too:

On November 29, 2018, investigative journalist Laura Loomer handcuffed herself to Twitter HQ in NYC after she was banned from Twitter for criticizing Sharia law. While handcuffed, Loomer argued “Twitter, Facebook, Apple, Google, Instagram, they are essentially upholding Sharia. Silicon Valley is essentially upholding Sharia when they decide to ban me for posting facts about Islam, when they decide to ban me for posting facts about Sharia law and criticizing an anti-Jewish Muslim Congresswoman.”

Read the rest HERE.

More creep: TIME names Muslim Brotherhood pal of Osama bin Laden their Person of the Year 2018. Brief excerpt:

In high school, Jamal Khashoggi had a good friend. His name was Osama bin Laden.

“We were hoping to establish an Islamic state anywhere,” Khashoggi reminisced about their time together in the Muslim Brotherhood. “We believed that the first one would lead to another, and that would have a domino effect which could reverse the history of mankind.”

Read the rest HERE.

A Trump Win?

Transparency! And the Dems abhor transparency — never mind their protests to the contrary (hat tip to Infidel Bloggers Alliance):

President Trump: “Most of the Democrats, It’s Hard to Believe, Want Open Borders” (Video)

Democrats Can’t Find $5 Billion for Border Wall But Gifted Iranian Regime with $5.7 Billion and Pallet of Cash

Trump Says Military Will Build Border Wall if Democrats Refuse Funding

And the Dems' after party: Pelosi brings up Trump 'manhood,' says meeting with him was like 'tinkle contest' with skunk.

PeTA: Mind-Boggling Absurdity

As if the animals give a damn...

Just as it became unacceptable to use racist, homophobic, or ableist language, phrases that trivialize cruelty to animals will vanish as more people begin to appreciate animals for who they are and start ‘bringing home the bagels’ instead of the bacon.

— PETA (@peta) December 4, 2018

Forewarned is forearmed: don't trigger a PeTA-perxxx.

Rich comment from Weasel Zippers:

Ruth Brown

The folks at PETA are literally "sheep in wolves clothes" if you ask me. They make me "mad as a hornet" when they say these stupid things. They need to get their "ducks in a row" and "hold their horses" cuz "I'll be a monkey's uncle" if I let them make me into a "guinea pig" for this stupid experiment. My advice to them is "hold your horses"; just let "sleeping dogs lie" cuz you "can't teach an old dog new tricks". I guess they will have an "eagle's eye" out looking for those of us who aren't PC correct in our speech. In this "dog eat dog world", they might give a person "butterflies in their stomach", but truthfully, their "bark is worse than their bite". So everyone, please, just calm down, don't act like a "bull in a china shop". "A little bird told me" I can say anything I want.

And I think I will. Ha! That was like "shooting fish in a barrel" and fun to boot. I have bigger things to worry about like, WHICH CAME FIRST, THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG? who cares? Both taste delish, although I am a meat & potatoes gal myself. (Had hamburgers for dinner, YUM!)

More HERE at Weasel Zippers.

Advent 2018

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For this second Sunday in Advent 2018, enjoy this unique arrangement of "The Little Drummer Boy" (shamelessly lifted from Bunkerville):

[about "The Little Drummer Boy"]

Christmas Caturday

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Our alpha kitty Minxy is all ready for her second Christmas:

Don't anyone dare to try to budge Minxy from the recliner! And don't dare to put up many enticing Christmas decorations, either!

Amber, on the other hand, is a sweet, compliant kitty:

Destructive Destruction

Silverfiddle Rant!

Apologies to John Prine…

Daddy won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County,
Where good jobs are boomin' and men get good pay.
I'm sorry my son but you're too late in askin'
Mr. Jeff Bezos' website done hauled them away.

You can’t bring those Sears jobs Back

Is retail dead, destined for the obituaries along with the whale blubber industry that was replaced by kerosene lamps, which were replaced by the lightbulb?

What kind of new economy will give people meaningful work as technology ends up doing so much of what humans used to earn their living doing?

Is free money for everybody a solution? How would that work if nobody is working and paying taxes to fund it?

Will the world end up Silicon Valley’s vast domain, with the giants handing out monthly vouchers for us to shop at their company stores?

Bust the Trusts?

Camille Paglia v. The Hive

Silverfiddle Rant!

Nothing tingles my intellectual anticipation like a fresh Camille Paglia essay.

Camille Paglia is a brilliant professor who occupies that strange, abandoned no-man’s land of humanities, arts, literature and social criticism unencumbered by partisan ideology. 

She's an atheist who laments the destruction of our Judeo-Christian foundations and the concomitant rise of nihilistic nothingness. She is a lesbian who decries the passing of the classic macho, testosterone-driven manly gentleman, and she has told the #MeToos to grow up and stop infantilizing women. She has rightly pointed out that cultural vandals and moral panic peddlers have destroyed the sexual mystique that has driven male-female relationships in all cultures since the dawn of mankind.

Here are some excerpts from her latest essay. Her wisdom approaches the Talmudic...

“…secular humanism has failed. As an atheist, I have argued that if religion is erased, something must be put in its place. Belief systems are intrinsic to human intelligence and survival. They “frame” the flux of primary experience, which would otherwise flood the mind.”

“But politics cannot fill the gap. Society, with which Marxism is obsessed, is only a fragment of the totality of life. As I have written, Marxism has no metaphysics: it cannot even detect, much less comprehend, the enormity of the universe and the operations of nature." 

"Those who invest all of their spiritual energies in politics will reap the whirlwind. The evidence is all around us—the paroxysms of inchoate, infantile rage suffered by those who have turned fallible politicians into saviors and devils, godlike avatars of Good versus Evil.”

“when art is reduced to politics, as has been programmatically done in academe for 40 years, its spiritual dimension is gone.”

“A society that respects neither religion nor art cannot be called a civilization.”

“Their (#MeToo movement) elevation of emotion and group solidarity over fact and logic has resurrected damaging stereotypes of women’s irrationality that were once used to deny us the vote.”

“... #MeToo movement has gone seriously off track... No democracy can survive in such a paranoid climate of ambush and summary execution. This is Stalinism, a nadir of politics.”

“What I see in both the Women’s March and #MeToo is an atavistic rediscovery by Western women of the joy of their own mutually nurturing solidarity—a primary feature of daily life during 10,000 years of the agrarian era that has been lost over the past two centuries of industrialization. As I have often noted, the sexes throughout human history actually had very little to do with each other. There was the world of men and the world of women, each with its own spheres of influence and activity. Women didn’t take men that seriously, and vice versa. ”

“What I see spreading among professional middle-class women is a bitter resentment toward men that is in many cases unjust and misplaced. With divorce so easy since the sexual revolution, women find themselves competing with younger women in new and cruel ways. Agrarian women gained power as they aged: young women were brainless pawns whose marriages, pregnancies, childcare, cooking, and other chores were acerbically supervised and controlled by the dictatorial crones (forces of nature whom I fondly remember from childhood)."

In short, #MeToo from a historical perspective is a cri de coeur from women who are realizing that the sexual revolution that many of us had once ecstatically embraced has in key ways devalued women, confused their private relationships, and complicated their smooth functioning in the workplace. It’s time for a new map of the gender world.”

Advent 2018

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For this first Sunday in Advent 2018, here is my favorite Advent hymn (from the 5th Century A.D.):

Emerging China: the Dragon Awakens

by Sam Huntington

Even a shrew will attack when it feels as if there is no other way out.  China today offers the United States a daunting strategic challenge.  We haven’t actually cornered China, but our artless foreign policy may certainly give China that impression.

There are two aspects of our relationship with China that I’d like to discuss: military posturing, and economic strength.  Before I get to that, we need an appreciation of the history of Sino-US relations.

Older Chinese still recall the “bad old days” of China’s evolution from feudal state to a modern power.  Foreign subjugation began with the Opium Wars in 1848.  Western powers, including the United States, more or less helped themselves to Chinese resources.  At the beginning of the twentieth century, China suffered increasing frequency of internal upheavals; these were mostly the result of the central government’s inability to do anything about the presence of foreign powers that sought to enrich themselves at China’s expense.  On more than one occasion, the United States sent military and naval forces to China to protect its diplomatic legation and to demonstrate American power.

China achieved a republic in the early 1920s, but one that was politically unstable.  A civil war lasted from 1927 to 1937.  The civil conflict was interrupted by a Japanese invasion and World War II.  Civil war resumed in 1945, lasting until 1949.  Thus, from the mid-1800s to 1949, China experienced warlordism, internal upheaval, starvation, and national degradation.  The Chinese call this their century of humiliation. Twenty-four million people suffered and died.

The Cult Of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

[source]

On the heels of the Cult of Obama, we have another budding cult... Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's campaign shoes to be showcased in historical exhibit:

...The New York congresswoman-elect’s first pair of campaign trail shoes are being loaned out to the Cornell Costume Collection exhibit for those who want to witness what “hard work” looks like.

The exhibit – titled “WOMEN EMPOWERED: Fashions from the Frontline,” is set to debut on December 6 and summonses women to share special articles of clothing that have empowered them in the past. Other featured items include the inaugural suit worn by Texas governor Ann Richards and collars from Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg among many other pieces of history....

[...]

The Collection thanked Ocasio-Cortez Wednesday in a social media post and commended her on “determination and dedication”

“We can’t think of a better example of fashion from the frontline: U.S. Representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York’s 14th district has loaned us her first pair of campaigning shoes,” the Collection wrote on Instagram....

Read it all HERE — if you can stand it.

Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic freshmen look to shape party as it takes control of House

Happy Thanksgiving!

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This Thanksgiving 2018, what are you most thankful for?

Note: the graphic in this blog post was created by Stogie of Saberpoint so as to reflect which blessing I personally count every day — that is, the First Amendment, which protects my right to freedom of expression.

Solving Poverty

By Sam Huntington

Poverty is a real thing in America, but I often wonder, given the amount of tax dollars that has been earmarked or spent trying to eradicate poverty (estimated at $1.5-trillion since 1930), why poverty continues to exist.  Surely by now we should have solved this problem once and for all[i].

There was a time in America (and other countries) when we defined poverty as utter human destitution; people died on our city streets.  They starved or froze to death.  They had no money to purchase food.  This was the state of poverty in the United States between 1870 and 1930.  If this continued to be our definition of poverty, then we should argue that the problem has been almost (although not completely) eradicated.

Citizens continue to die on our streets, but now it is  more often attributed to mental problems, alcoholism, or drug abuse.  Today, the essential task of feeding, sheltering, and clothing the poorest among us does get done.  Ultimately, our answer to the question “What is poverty” depends upon what society thinks one must have in order NOT to be classified as poor[ii].

To help us with that, the US Census Bureau measures American poverty according to a formula devised in 1960 by the Social Security Administration: poverty thresholds from the cost of a minimum food diet, multiplied by three.  In 1980, the poverty threshold for a non-farming family of four was $8.400.  In 2017, the poverty threshold for a family of four was $24,600.  According to the US Census, the terms “poor” and “below the poverty level” are used interchangeably.

Video: Mark Levin Interviews Jon Voight

A bit long, but worth your time (hat tip to Joseph Brandon of Joetote's Blog):



Proving that not all of Hollywood is Hollyweird!

YouTube blurb for the above video:

Personal Post: Back In The Day

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Yes, these are photos of me as a toddler:

I was an alpha, even back then.

And ever curious!

2016 Election Results -- Your Take?

Silverfiddle Rant!

The comment thread on Asylum got way off track, so let's talk about the midterm election results.


Franco Aragosta posted this from Henry Olsen at American Greatness,

"Arizona’s Senate race was perhaps the most surprising, and disturbing, midterm result for Republicans and Trump fans. Many struggle to understand how Barry Goldwater’s home state will send a former pink tutu-wearing antiwar activist to Washington. …"

It's not that hard to understand. Barry Goldwater's senate career ended three decades ago. A few decades before that, Ronald Reagan was governor of a Republican California. This is a new millennium.  Filled with millennials.

The GOP got plastered on November 6th.  The House loss was deep and wide, and the Senate result was pathetic given the lopsided amount of seats the Democrats had to defend.

What does this mean?

People aren't as disgusted with the screaming leftwing mobs as conservatives hoped they were.

90% Negative press coverage takes its toll

The GOP has no message.  Ask yourself: When the Democrat Congress wants Medicare for All, Free College, and other big ticket item goodies, how can Republicans argue for fiscal discipline and smaller government when they abandoned those cheap props decades ago?

Colorado is down the blue toilet, and Arizona is right behind it.  Also, write off Florida. They just enfranchised 1.7 million ex-cons, and we all know who they will vote for.

What is your take on the midterm election results?

Please try to keep it clean, and if your comment disappears, it probably means you used potty language or you were way off topic.

Asylum

Silverfiddle Rant!

I was mistaken. I thought foreigners could apply for asylum at any US embassy or consulate. They cannot. They must do so in the US.  I think this is one of the roots of the current crisis.

According to NOLO...

Asylum is a form of legal protection available to certain people who cannot or would not feel safe if they tried to live in their home country, because of past persecution or the danger of future persecution based on their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

But you can only seek asylum in the US...

Unfortunately, U.S. embassies and consulates cannot process requests for this form of protection because, under U.S. law, asylum seekers can apply only if they are physically present in the United States (or at least at a U.S. border or other point of entry).

DHS Websites say the same. Go here to see the process for making an asylum claim.

Our immigration laws are insane and designed to encourage one and all to show up, surrender at the border, see the judge, receive your taxpayer-funded bus tickets to whichever US city the rest of your family resides illegally, and never be molested again by the cruel and racist Tio Sam...

The Skeptic Tradition

By Sam Huntington

Here we are in the 21st Century —an age so advanced in science and technology that most of us can’t get our heads around it. Add to this, again for most of us, the real problem of information overload. These days, there’s simply too much to know; the mass of information that we do have doesn’t allow much room for adding in more. As a result, we’ve become quite selective about what we want to know. The United States of America may host one of the world’s most specialized societies. I can’t say that this is either a good or bad thing ... but I can say that specialization has a fragmenting effect on society overall. Bio-specialists are not known to hang-out with welders. It is no longer adequate to consult with a lawyer; you have to consult with a lawyer that specializes in your particular problem. In the medical profession, all I can say is thank goodness for general practitioners who serve us as our conduit to specialized medicine.

I was reading a magazine the other day, an article written by one of the so-called earth scientists, who was complaining about the American skeptic. Why, he moaned, do Americans continue to question the wisdom, authority, or expertise of scientists? He wrote, “We live in an age when all manner of scientific knowledge —from the safety of fluoride and vaccines to the reality of climate change— faces organized and often furious opposition. Empowered by their own sources of information and their own interpretations of research, doubters have declared war on the consensus of experts. There are so many of these controversies these days, you’d think a diabolical agency had put something in the water to make people argumentative. And there’s so much talk about the trend these days —in books, articles, and academic conferences— that science doubt itself has become a pop-culture meme.”

It didn’t take long for the writer to arrive at the conclusion that the problem is really that Americans are foolishly skeptical. Yes, our lives are permeated by science and technology; American society is more complicated and unsettling. And, he continued, “We face risks that we can’t easily analyze.” Well, I think this is true. What does a welder know, or understand, or even care about bio-research (until it affects him or her personally)? It leads me to conclude that American society is far more complicated than we realize and our penchant for classifying people as either wealthy, middle class, or poor is merely a matter of convenience to journalists who actually know less than the welder does about bio-science (unless they’re specialized journalists, of course).

But why are Americans so skeptical? I think that generally, we distrust science and technology because of the way it has been used in the past to confuse us, and then to use that confusion —that lack of knowledge or understanding— to take advantage of society as a whole. I last wrote about climate science; I can use that as my leading example of society’s distrust of the scientific community. There are many other examples. Who were the nimrods in science that gave us the notion of nuclear energy without considering what ought to be done with spent fuel rods? Oh, we found a solution to this, of course, after the mother of necessity resulted in the expenditure of billions of dollars in land requisition and the creation of underground storage facilities. That story, by the way, is far from over. Here are a few more scientific blunders that cause us to question science:

Veterans Day 2018

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Please read: 5 Facts to Know About Veterans Day (from the US Department of Defense).

Post-Election Perspective

Two of my recent Facebook finds....Click on each graphic to enlarge it.

Another graphic below the fold.

Quotation Of The Day

Some post-election thoughts....

Comment from my good friend Mustang of Old West Tales and Fix Bayonets! (emphases mine):

Nancy Pelosi said that the Democratic win of the House was “All about stopping the GOP.” Perhaps. I think it was all about stopping the will of half of the American people from realizing their hopes for our future. For those on the left who claim that their agenda was about healthcare, it is pure eyewash. The healthcare system we have now is the healthcare system adopted unilaterally by the Democrats in 2008. I should note that it was mere moments after the close of elections that Pelosi stepped to the microphone and began lying —which is something she does without batting an eye. There are unresolved issues —most of these as a result of a RINO House the day before yesterday. We won’t see a wall any time soon; we will not have a solution to the immigration problem, we will not solve the question of birthright citizenship. The can gets kicked down the lane a bit further.

There are a few things that we should remember about our political system. First, America has a very large political tent with room for all kinds of people; even a place for idiots like Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. The second thing to remember is that the founding fathers set up the House of Representatives as a place where the voice of the people could be heard, but one in which, given the passions of politics, turns over every two years. In other words, the people can rid themselves of House idiots rather quickly. The founders intended that the Senate is a more mature, reasoned, less emotional chamber. There are snakes in the senate, of course, but they are less viperous than those in the House.

Still, I think it is interesting to note that the top of the Democratic Party in the Senate consists of Harris, Feinstein, Gillibrand, Warren, Sanders, Menendez, and Schumer. We should conclude these people represent the new face of the Democratic Party: progressive communists all.

One quick note about the Georgia gubernatorial contest. Did any of Stacy Abram’s supporters understand her platform, and did they support her for her high-taxes, anti-gun, pro-illegal immigration, sanctuary state positions? No one will support higher taxes unless they personally benefit from it. Abram’s base of support was Atlanta; they voted for her because she’s black; it is a corruption of our political system. Most black people in Atlanta, or so it seems, have forgotten what Martin Luther King, Jr., had to say about character.

Well, Trump will have his hands full, but he’s up for it … and I think he actually relishes the challenges of a radically leftist House. In fact, I think these mid-term election results suit Mr. Trump just fine. So now we begin the road to the general election in 2020. Politics, it seems, never goes away … 

Already, the mainstream media's 2020 agenda is apparent as evidenced by President Trump's press conference on November 7, 2018 (the day after the 2018 midterm elections).

Related reading: CNN's Jim Acosta has press pass suspended by White House, Sarah Sanders announces.

Flashbacks

Two short years ago today.  It remains to be seen if Donald Trump can repeat this success in the General Election of 2020...







As my father used to say: "You can never predict the outcome of an election. And you can never tell how a jury might decide."

Election Day 2018

As my father used to say: "You can never predict the outcome of an election. And you can never tell how a jury might decide."

And remember...

Caravan Truth

One of my Facebook finds:

Related reading: Official Says Majority of Caravan Made Up of Single, Adult Males.

My own personal gripe about the presence of illegal aliens in the United States:

You better believe that I vote against any and all who support the concept of sanctuary cities or the concept of taking illegal "migrants" — caravan or no caravan!

My personal story....

In my early 50's and without my having any pre-existing condition including any previous spinal injury, one horrible morning, as I was driving to work (I owned my own business at the time), I sustained a permanently-disabling spinal injury resulting in Neurogenic Pain Syndrome (aka Neuropathic Pain Syndrome) because of an illegal alien under deportation order and driving a Yellow Cab. This cab driver ran a 4-way stop sign and rear-ended me as he was going about 35 MPH.

Before you say, "The cab company is responsible," think again. These cab drivers, most with few assets and little insurance, are not covered by the cab company's insurance.

I sued for less than the insurance amount that the cab driver had — and his insurance policy was for only $100,000 coverage. He was supposed to be carrying a policy of $300,000 coverage.

How did I fare in court?

Not well!

Upon the pittance of a settlement (Think of a low amount, then think of a much lower amount), the officer of the court told me in words that will echo in my mind until I go to my grave:

"The sympathies of the court lie with the poor immigrant. If the situation were reversed, you'd be taken to the cleaners'.

NO JUSTICE FOR ME!

The so-called settlement I received didn't begin to cover my out-of-pocket medical expenses. Those expenses -- and this tormenting pain -- still continue to this day. 24/7/365!

The pain I have suffered since May 2005 is much akin to the nerve pain caused by shingles.

Come live my life, and see how much you love sanctuary cities and illegal aliens! Especially, but not limited to, behind the wheel.

Sooner or later, something like what happened to me will happen to you or to — God forbid! — your child or significant other.

I urge any and all who read this commentary to reconsider favoring sanctuary cities and the admission of caravans of "migrants." The outcome will be even worse that the situation with which I have to deal.

Musical Interlude

(For politics, please scroll down)

Enjoy Paris: Song of a Great City by Frederick Delius (1862-1934):

About the above piece:

Ending Birthright Citizenship

Silverfiddle Rant!

President Trump intends to end birthright citizenship by executive order. Senator Lindsay Graham will introduce legislation ending this stupid and suicidal practice of permitting foreigners to create little US citizens.

Progressives are screaming, but at this point, their screams are drowning out their other screams, so let's cut to the chase.

What US law says:

The following shall be nationals and citizens of the United States at birth:
(a) a person born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof; Source: 8 USC 1401

What the US Constitution Says:

Amendment XIV
Section 1.

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.

Source: 14th Amendment, US Constitution

What 14th Amendment drafter U.S. Senator Jacob Howard said in floor debate:

“This will not, of course, include persons born in the United States who are foreigners, aliens, who belong to the families of ambassadors or foreign ministers accredited to the Government of the United States, but will include every other class of persons.”
Source: Congressional Globe

What the Supreme Court Said in 1873:

The phrase, "subject to its jurisdiction" was intended to exclude from its operation children of ministers, consuls, and citizens or subjects of foreign States born within the United States.
Source: Slaughterhouse Cases

What the Supreme Court Said in 1884:

The persons declared to be citizens are 'all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.' The evident meaning of these last words is, not merely subject in some respect or degree to the jurisdiction of the United States, but completely subject to their political jurisdiction, and owing them direct and immediate allegiance.
Source: Elk v. Wilkins

Congressman Steve King has a short treatise on this issue posted at his website.  Please take five minutes to read it:

Ending Birthright Citizenship Does Not Require A Constitutional Amendment

Andrew McCarthy makes a similar argument regarding "Jurisdiction:"

Constitution Does Not Require Birthright Citizenship

Finally, Tony Mecia at the never-Trumper outhouse The Weakly Standard, makes a weak case for the opposition, citing a case of an American man of Chinese descent who had to fight for his citizenship all the way to the Supreme Court.  His parents were from China, but wait for it...  They were permanent legal residents of the US at the time of his birth.  That's the best they got, folks.

The Supreme Court Case That Dooms Trump’s Citizenship Plan

What say you?

See Also:

Revoking Birthright Citizenship Enforces the Constitution

Birthright Citizenship and its Allies

Halloween Musical Treat

(For politics, please scroll down)

With thanks to FJ, who posted this gem in 2017:

With thanks to Midnight Rider, who posted this a few days ago:

This Is The Left

With Mr. AOW returning home after being in medical facilities since September 19, I have time to post only a link. And what a doozie this link is!

Read and watch this:

UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE: Protesters heckle Marsha Blackburn during moment of silence for Tree of Life victims.

This is 21st Century America? Sheesh.

What A Round Of Agony!

(For politics, please scroll down)

For any of regular readers who might not know, Mr. AOW has been in a medical facility since September 19, on which date he was taken by ambulance to the emergency room for kidney failure.  Underlying diagnosis?  Pancreatitis of unknown cause.

Mr. AOW remained in the hospital until October 6, at which point he was transferred to a nursing and rehab center one mile from our front door.  He has remained at the center since then.

But Mr. AOW is coming home tomorrow!  We would have liked that he spend another week at the nursing home so as to get more rehab, but the Managed Medicare plan pulled the plug.

We are grateful to the nursing home for tending the sores which he developed in less that ten days in the hospital. Indeed, the sores are very nearly healed now.  Furthermore, the nutrition choices at the nursing home were outstanding.  I wouldn't mind eating there on any given day.

Best of all, Mr. AOW is back on his feet — and off and running on his mobility scooter.  When admitted to the nursing home, he was so weak that he couldn't even hold up his head!

"Fake" Bombs

As of this posting's time/date stamp, the count has reached twelve.

What's happening?

From the 1982 film Poltergeist:

How does this end?

Silverfiddle Rant!

Nancy Jacobson observes...

For decades now, both parties have worked to ratchet up the pressure and widen the divide, needling their adversaries when they were in power, and acting as obstructionists when they were out. Slowly, it’s gotten worse and worse.

Then she asks the money question:

When does it end and what’s the way out?

Her answer, "a unity ticket," doesn't satisfy.

What is your answer?  How does this end?

Tales From The Classroom

(For politics, please scroll down)

("Tales from the Classroom" is a feature posted occasionally here at this blog.  All tales are true and present matters about which I have personal knowledge. The following blog post relates to a particular aspect of teacher training: that of communicating with parents)

From School Reports - What Teachers Really Mean:

1. Your son has a remarkable ability in gathering needed information from his classmates.
(He was caught cheating on a test).

2. Karen is an endless fund of energy and viability.
(The hyperactive monster can't stay seated for five minutes).

3. Fantastic imagination! Unmatched in his capacity for blending fact with fiction.
(He's definitely one of the biggest liars I have ever met).

4. Margie exhibits a casual, relaxed attitude to school, indicating that high expectations don't intimidate her.
(The lazy thing hasn't done one assignment all term).

5. Her athletic ability is marvelous. Superior hand-eye coordination.
(The little creep stung me with a rubber band from 15 feet away).

6. Nick thrives on interaction with his peers.
(Your son needs to stop socializing and start working).

7. Your daughter's greatest asset is her demonstrative public discussions.
(Classroom lawyer! Why is it that every time I explain an assignment she creates a class argument).

8. John enjoys the thrill of engaging challenges with his peers.
(He's a bully).

9. An adventurous nature lover who rarely misses opportunities to explore new territory.
(Your daughter was caught skipping school at the fishing pond).

10. I am amazed at her tenacity in retaining her youthful personality.
(She's so immature that we've run out of diapers).

11. Unlike some students who hide their emotion, Charles is very expressive and open.
(He must have written the Whiner's Guide).

12. I firmly believe that her intellectual and emotional progress would be enhanced through a year's repetition of her learning environment.
(Regretfully, we believe that she is not ready for high school and must repeat the 8th grade).

13. Her exuberant verbosity is awesome!
(A mouth that never stops yacking OR Is able to imaginatively express his thoughts in various media.
(Caught writing on bathroom walls.)

14. Displays leadership ability.
(Bossy.)

15. Has potential to stand out from his peers.
(Headed for America's Most Wanted.)

16. Technologically proficient.
(Hacked into school computer system.)

17. Handwriting is excellent.
(Forges parents' signatures.)

18. Creatively expresses himself.
(Uses profanity.)

19. Has materials available at all times.
(Desk overflowing with crap.)

20. Talented artist.
(Draws pictures in class.)

21. Meticulous worker.
(Never completes assignments.)

22. Independent thinker.
(Does not follow directions.)

23. Others look to her for guidance.
(Bad influence.)

24. Excellent multi-tasking abilities.
(Does not pay attention.)

25. Finishes all assignments quickly.
(Sloppy, careless work.)

26. Maintains constant cheerful attitude.
(Nothing phases him.)

Yes, we teachers actually receive training in how to use certain euphemisms. Mustn't freak out the parents or damage Little Johnny's self-esteem, you know.

Sunday Funnies

(For more politics, please scroll down. Blog team member Sam Huntington published a post on Friday, October 19)

Yep!

One of my Facebook finds:

Related: Cherokee Nation responds to Senator Warren’s DNA test. Full statement below the fold.  Also link to more funnies will be found below the fold.

Desert Tribalism

By Sam Huntington

I was reading earlier about Arabian history. The periodical suggests that while human beings lived in this region of the world up to 125,000 years ago, its primary migration originated from Africa around 75,000 years ago. As the human population evolved, the area of present-day Saudi Arabia became the epicenter of animal domestication, particularly horses, sheep, goats, dogs, ostriches, and falcons. It was a tribal culture, which is not the same thing as being a civilization. I do admit that the area has an interesting history but wonder where all the humans went.

The Saudis don’t act very humane, nor do they appear civilized as most people understand that term. Saudi Arabia today continues to engage in slavery (although it’s cleverly concealed and therefore hard to detect), public killings are common, and there continues to exist a society that is comfortable with torture and summary execution. Saudi Arabia is not alone in this depravity, since a casual look at almost every Arab population in the Middle East reveals near-identical barbaric behaviors.

The world may be justified looking upon the disappearance (and suspected murder) of Jamal Khashoggi with abhorrence and disgust, but no one with an ounce of brains should be shocked. The Saudis may be rich beyond our imaginations, but they certainly are not a civilized people. But before we all break out our crying towels, a closer look at Jamal Khashoggi is appropriate.

John R. Bradly, writing for Spectator, tells us that the dissident’s fate tells us a lot about Saudi Arabia and the rise of the mobster state. His article is titled, “What the media aren’t telling you about Jamal Khashoggi.” It is a worthy read.

I certainly do not think we should be cutting people into pieces, but neither do I think that we should be attempting to portray this man as an innocent victim of Saudi mobsterism. He was far from innocent and I am bothered that he was so easily accepted as an ordinary journalist by any American, much less his employer, The Washington Post. More than this, and completely unrelated to the barbarism associated with the alleged criminal activity, why on earth are we selling advanced military technology to the Saudis?

Democrat Party: Home of Leftwing Mob Violence

Silverfiddle Rant!

"And if you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere."
-- Maxine Waters


"When they go low, we kick them."
-- Eric Holder

“You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for, what you care about,” Clinton said. “That’s why I believe, if we are fortunate enough to win back the House and/or the Senate, that’s when civility can start again.”
-- Hillary Clinton

Her Heinous just summed up the Democrat Party in a nutshell: Give us what we want or we will scream, lie, cheat, steal, riot, burn, beat you up and threaten your very life.

Democrat street thugs are heeding the call. Just ask Kirstjen Nielsen, Ted Cruz and his wife, Sarah Sanders and her family...

Want more street violence? Vote Democrat

The Climate Scare

By Sam Huntington

There appear to be only two camps in this debate: those who swear that climate change will destroy all human life on earth, and the skeptics who simply want to see the data that supports such claims. It doesn’t help when both sides of this issue denigrate the discussion into name calling or character assassination. Of course, two scientists in the same field who agree on anything are as rare as the pale colored unicorn. In this regard, scientists appear not too far removed from cannibals: they are happy to serve one another up for dinner. 

It is also not helpful when a PhD in animal husbandry goes on record supporting the climate change argument when he (or she) is no more qualified to do so than is a PhD in education or someone who drives a city bus. As citizens, we should be looking for a consensus among persons who actually are qualified to render an opinion about climate change.

Here's something else that doesn’t help: junk science. We define junk science as scientific data, research, or analysis that is spurious or fraudulent. In other words, arriving at scientific theories outside of the generally accepted scientific method of investigation. I have two examples of this:

Musical Interlude

(For politics, please scroll down)

Enjoy Les Caractères De La Guerre, composed by Jean-François Dandrieu (c. 1682 – 1739), a French Baroque composer, harpsichordist, and organist:

Recommended Reading: Mob Violence And Harrassment

See Rap Sheet: ***583** Acts of Media-Approved Violence and Harassment Against Trump Supporters (with thanks to Warren, who alerted me to this list).

The above acts of violence and threats, a list of acts from September 2015 to the present, are propagated by the Dems and other Leftistas, of course. They sense defeat and can no longer maintain the mask. We are seeing what they are at heart — and what they have always been.

Additional reading...Eric Holder: ‘When They Go Low, We Kick Them’ (dated October 10, 2018)

and

A truck with ‘Trump 2020’ bumper stickers was left at a bar overnight. Someone set it on fire (Washington Post dated October 10, 2018):

Check this video out! A Vancouver man believes his car was set on fire because if his @realDonaldTrump bumper stickers: "If you say anything that someone doesn't like you are ultimately a target. You're automatically the enemy and they have to hurt you." #KOIN6News pic.twitter.com/gIa24VyDzp

— Velena Jones (@velenajones) October 9, 2018