May 18, 2021

Consider this parable about the current situation in the Middle East.

Open discussion of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is permitted during very high-profile news events which are heavily covered across all newsmedia.


Daoud has lived in his house, and his family before him, for hundreds of years. It is a large, 10 room house, surrounded by orchards of olive trees, and citrus trees, a deep well, and vegetable gardens. His extended family lives with him.

David comes to him, and says that he must give up 8 of the ten rooms so David can settle his family there. David also says he will take possession of the trees, the gardens, and he will control access to the well. Daoud's family can crowd into the remaining two rooms.

What would you do if you were Daoud?

May 18, 2021

If Kevin McCarthy were Speaker of the House,

would he allow an even number of members on the commission to investigate the January 6th insurrection?

Speaker Pelosi, reformulate the commission, with a 6-5 composition of 6 Democrats. Investigate, and issue the report by December of this year.

The GOP is uninterested in doing anything about the attempted insurrection, nor are they looking for the truth.

Stop acting as if they are.

May 16, 2021

Many GOP politicians cannot believe that the Party lost.

I understand that. They cheat so much, and at every level, so they cannot believe that all of that cheating and voter suppression and purging of voters did not result in a victory for Trump.

May 4, 2021

I see many articles where businesses are complaining of a shortage of workers.

In reality, what we are seeing is a shortage of pay for the work expected. It is that simple. The issue is not that unemployed workers make too much on unemployment, it is that employment pays so little.

May 3, 2021

My Covid-19 experience.

In late March, I went to the care clinic doctor with what I assumed was a sinus infection. No fever, but a heavy feeling in the sinus area. The doctor did not suggest, nor did I ask for, a Covid19 test.

In early April, I was still dealing with the issue. Until I fainted at home, and the care clinic suggested going to the hospital.

Covid19 positive. 12 days in the hospital, receiving antibody plasma, various drugs for infection, and oxygen for my pneumonia. After 9 days on what they call high flow oxygen, I was really and truly ready to go home. The doctor said that they could not send me home until/unless I was on low flow.

3 days later, after gradually reducing to low flow, I had a talk with the doctor. She said that I was her first patient to go from high flow to release in 3 days, and we talked about lifestyle and general health. She started by saying that it was obvious from my overall condition that I exercise regularly. And I do, running and lifting every week. 45 years of working out and running. The doctor said that, and my attitude, was the reason I was walking out at all.

The thing is, I never had a temperature, and I became infected between the first and second shot, when I assumed that I had partial immunity.

Please everyone, get the shots. And if you can, exercise.

Finally, what would really make me feel better right now would be seeing Trump in court.

Stay safe.

Guill

February 23, 2021

Please, help me to figure this out.

If 70% of the GDP is composed of consumer spending, any increase in wages for the bottom 90% will lead to increased GDP, higher revenues for government, lower debt and deficits, and better long term outcomes for business.

And even what is not spent directly on goods and services could go to reducing indebtedness, and increased savings for short and long term purchases. All positive things.

And it is true that higher wages will mean that a prototypical greedy sociopathic capitalist, call him Beff Jezos, does not get as rich as fast, but this is a good thing because there are not enough greedy sociopaths to stimulate the economy.

What I need help with is not the economic benefits of an increased wage, and call it a living wage, but with understanding why so many workers keep siding with the 1% who are attacking the rest of us?

February 18, 2021

Rush Limbaugh was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And that makes sense.

Rush Limbaugh was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And that makes sense.

Consider that Donald Trump awarded the medal to him.

Limbaugh, like Trump himself, was free of any good human characteristics.

He had no sense of shame, no sense of decency, no sense of what it is to be a functional human being.

And Limbaugh poisoned so much of the debate with his vicious, misogynistic, and racist hate speech.

February 16, 2021

Apologies to George Santayana.....

Those who cannot remember the past are inclined to vote for GOP candidates.

February 16, 2021

I have never voted for a GOP candidate in my life.

I have never voted for a GOP candidate in my life. Mainly because I am a values voter.

I value freedom, and liberty, and democracy, and equality. So for those reasons, I cannot vote for a Party that values none of those things.

Convince me that I am wrong, but be warned, I am perfect, and thus cannot be wrong.

February 14, 2021

Trump's greatest accomplishment?

Making his sheep think that they are wolves.

Convince me that I am wrong.