AMERICA LOST

With the final Kavanaugh confirmation vote today, America will have lost. The wrong man elevated. The Supreme Court conservative for the next half century.

I am not going to waste time by going over the facts. They have been seared in all our minds.

A couple of admonitions.

First, a leopard never changes his spots. Known to God and man even back to the Old Testament: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?” Jeremiah 13:23.

The second, what goes around comes around. Kavanaugh will get his. Other damaging matters will come out. Those who supported him will get theirs, also. Look for new faces in Washington. Enough people are disturbed.

Haircut with Lori yesterday. Back to being bald for a few days.

Last night, Blue Macaw. After hellos to Donna and Terri and John and Fiona, spent the evening with Mary and Doug. Interesting people. Mary a tour guide at the Little White House. An expert on Truman. Doug a guide at the Hemingway House. An expert on Hemingway.

We talked of Truman and Hemingway. Condolences offered re my friend David Wolkowsky. Politics consumed most of the evening. We were three unhappy campers re how the Kavanaugh vote had gone and will go today.

A wonderful afternoon ahead. Syracuse/Pitt. Louis in a comfortable easy chair, feet up on an ottoman and the TV set in front of me.

I am especially excited since Syracuse is having a decent season for the first time in 20 years. The spread is 5 points. I think it wrong. Should be 20 or more.

I have been reading How To Win A Fight With A Conservative. Figure I might as well get ready. They are taking over everything.

Interesting tid-bits.

A few shared.

Comedian George Carlin offered…..”Conservatives will do anything for the unborn. But once you’re born, you’re on your own. Pro-life conservatives are obsessed with the fetus from conception to nine months. After that, they don’t want to know about you. No nothing. No prenatal care, no day care, no Head Start, no school lunch, no food stamps, no welfare, no nothing. If you’re preborn, you’re fine; if you’re preschool, you’re fucked.”

Russ Limbaugh is much like Donald Trump…..”Now, how can I be anti-woman? I even judged the Miss America pageant.”

The Missouri legislature was debating a program that feeds poor children. A Republican State Representative argued against the program. No free food for children. Suggested they should get jobs instead…..”Hunger can be a positive motivator.”

The Divinely inspired Pat Robertson had his say re females…..”The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians.”

And they say Democrats are bad!

Enjoy your day!

 

ONE VOTE

Better late than never. Blog late. Sorry. Something arose that had to be dealt with. Pushing 2 in the afternoon as I begin.

Tomorrow will tell if Kavanaugh has made it to the Supreme  Court. The final vote.

Today, the Senate voted to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination Under Senate rules, the actual vote cannot take place for 30 hours.

It appears the matter will be settled by one vote. Two votes against required to defeat Kavanaugh’s nomination. Murkowski has advised she will be voting against. That leaves two additional no votes. Collins and Manchin.

Does either have the courage?

Chart Room last night. John, Steve and Cindy. Good conversation. Some dwelled on David Wolkowsky. Steve and Cindy lived in Key West in the 1970’s and observed Wolkowsky’s activities first hand. They also knew him. Cindy for many years was secretary to Jimmy Buffett. Wolkowsky and Buffet were partners in various business ventures.

My bedroom TV down again. This time for good. I cannot blame Comcast. The set is shot. Need to buy a new one.

The weather seems to be adjusting itself. Temperature down from 90 to 80. Last night cool. Weatherman predicts tonight will be clear and breezy. His heart tells us…..Stars on the water.

My dear friends Tom and Fran Dixon in Santorini. Envy them! One of the most beautiful places in the world. They sent me a photo of themselves. The look of happy honeymooners.

Tomorrow at 12:20 Syracuse/Pitt. Syracuse a 3 point favorite. I believe Syracuse will win by more than 20 points.

The International Monetary Fund is concerned the world economy might be at risk of another financial crisis. It reports debt is above the 2008 level. That and the fact that the banking system has failed to reform itself makes the Fund uncomfortable.

There are suspicions J. P. Morgan might be the Lehman Brothers of 2008. Several reasons. China’s debt is growing too rapidly. It is becoming volatile. Regulators are complacent. Finally, breaking of international agreements, especially by the Trump administration.

The talk is of a Great Depression.

Getting back to Kavanaugh and the Senate vote, it comes down to a battle between good and bad. From my perspective, Kavanaugh brings disrespect to the Court and could be the seed for a slow but deadly erosion beginning first with respect followed by decisions contrary to the public good.

The authoress Becca Fitzpatrick wrote: “Sometimes bad things have to happen before good things can.”

I hope she is correct.

Authoress Mackenzie Herbert wrote: “Bad things happen to good people. Rain always falls on the people who deserve nothing less than the sun.”

Happening to the women of the U.S. at the moment.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

WILKES-BARRE UNMENTIONABLES

Trump did another rally last night. In Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Before rigid loyal supporters.

The media last night and this morning covered his rantings. The usual. In addition to media reports, I watched his entire talk during the late night when rerun on the internet.

Three important things omitted from the media coverage. The three items stuck out like a sore thumb when I watched Trump’s delivery in its entirety. Each cause for concern.

One had to do with children. Trump has been getting heaped upon for his separation policy re immigrants and their children. Last night, I saw a first. I suspect to portray to the nation Trump’s concern for children and their support of him.

In the group sitting immediately behind Trump as he talked were kids. Many. Interspersed throughout. Obviously there. Some sitting quietly, others waving signs. The cameras zeroing in on them.

A phony demonstration. However, one which puts the fear of God in me. Trump is authoritarian. Would like to be President forever. A dictator. Recall the Hitler Youth. Hitler started the organization in 1926. It grew more rapidly beginning in the mid 1930’s. Existed till 1945.

Is this a beginning? Is this part of an overall plan to get ’em while they’re young?

Sounds crazy. However with Trump, you never know.

The second item that struck me was his reference to NATO and his belief it only exists to protect Europe. A like…..who needs it thing. The suggestion being we are going to get out of NATO, European wars not our concern.

Reminded me of America First and the tenor of some in the late 1930’s in the U.S. The desire by many to have the U.S. stay out of European alliances and wars. The further desire the U.S. should remain an isolationist nation.

My sense of Trump was that he was telling us the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans would protect us. The same crazy talk pre World War II.

The oceans are meaningless protectors today. Kim and North Korea the most recent example. Our military experts advise North Korea has or soon will have missiles with nuclear warheads that can reach the U.S.

Russian submarines carrying missiles with nuclear warheads a similar problem. China has developed the capacity to fire missiles capable of reaching U.S. shores from the new islands it has created in Asian waters.

The third item involved Trump’s threat to shutdown the government if he does not get his wall funding. The question he raised was whether to shutdown before or after the midterms.

He bragged he was not afraid of politics. He might shutdown before.

He mentioned Russ Limbaugh and Sean Hannity supporting him in this regard.

God help us!

Last night, a Blue Macaw evening for me. Diane Millikan my guest. Diane helps me occasionally with research. She is a terrific researcher.

We were joined by Donna and Terri. They brought Elle, short for Eleanor. I never met Elle before. A lovely 37 year old from Argentina. Has been in Key West 10 years. Worked several of those years at Burrito with my friend Grant. Now works at the new sandwich shop in the small shopping center at the corner of Duval and Truman.

Different strokes for different folks. Each country has its own ways. Elle had long armpit hair. Uncovered and obvious. We discussed it. Her custom. The fashion in Argentina.

A little history. On this day in 1492, Christopher Columbus departed from Palos, Spain with the Santa Maria, Pinta and Nina. Nine weeks later on October 12, he and the ships would land in the Bahamas. Columbus thought China. Though unaware and more importantly, he had discovered the New World.

A new study supportive of those who drink alcohol. In moderation, of course. The study claims people who do not drink any alcohol are more likely to develop dementia by early old age. Teetotaling not recommended for the middle aged.

Moderation. What is moderation? One and a half bottles of wine per week.

That’s all? Fortunately, I do not drink wine.

Enjoy your day!