Category: Politics

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If Pelosi is all about obeying the law…

Then she should be ready to pay the price for breaking it.

When Speaker Pelosi tore up her copy of the State of the Union address in full view of the American people and the world, she may have violated the law.

(18 U.S.C. § 2071)

(a) Whoever willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, or destroys, or attempts to do so, or, with intent to do so takes and carries away any record, proceeding, map, book, paper, document, or other thing, filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of any court of the United States, or in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

(b) Whoever, having the custody of any such record, proceeding, map, book, document, paper, or other thing, willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; and shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States. As used in this subsection, the term “office” does not include the office held by any person as a retired officer of the Armed Forces of the United States.

Of course it would be for the court to decide. There were members of the Supreme court in attendance at that State of the Union address. While they probably would have to recuse themselves from the hearing, they could be called as witnesses.

Speaker Pelosi has said that no one is above the law.

She must now prove that she too is bound by it.

As a citizen of The United States of America, I formally request that an investigation be opened in this matter. Further, if evidence warrants, I request that Speaker Pelosi brought to trial.

 

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What? Wait…

IowaCaucus.jpgI was reading about the Iowa Caucus.

The acting DHS secretary Mr. Wolf said that the application issue appeared to be a “Load” issue. By “Load” he means that the servers were unable to keep up with the number of requests.

Okay I’ll buy that is a possibility, if everyone in a state was voting at the same time. But as the number of voters decreased, the server would catch up and post each transaction in turn. If this was the problem then it’s pretty obvious whoever tested the software didn’t do any load testing and quite possibly didn’t do much testing at all.

Lets face it, we’re all familiar with online opinion polls, and I’d imagine the servers handling those are dealing with millions of votes a minute. Seems to me that Shadow (The company that apparently spent 3 years building the software,) would have looked to other examples of voting systems, during their development process.

For god’s sake, there are PORN sites that handle votes for performers without crashing. Given the prevalence of Porn Sites I’d guess they process something on the order of MILLIONS of votes per Second.

Then I read that the application was only for the 170 – 190 precinct captains. So the paper votes were cast, then counted, and the captains were to use an application to input those numbers?

You’re telling me that with 3 YEARS of development no-one ever tested with a measly 200 simultaneous users?

WTF?

As I sit reading more about this, I’m astounded.

I have Apple Time Capsules here in my home that can handle 50 simultaneous users on WiFi.

A low end Dell server purchased from Best Buy could probably handle 250 users from the moment it was plugged in, possibly more if all the server had to do was tally incoming data for ONE Single application.

I have to point out that I’m kinda talking out of my hat here because I don’t have all the facts. So take what I’m saying here with a salt lick.

My point is, that with something as important as votes, if I could put a system together with commercial of the shelf (COTS) equipment for less than 10K in hardware and a little web programming there is absolutely NO EXCUSE for the debacle we saw in Iowa.

Much less so when you factor 3 YEARS of development time.

Hell, with 3 years of development time, I could give you Web and Phone based access, Live updates, and auditing of figures entered by precinct, candidate, and user. Complete with state of the art security. I’d have also taken the DHS up on testing the system too. The DHS has an entire division dedicated to Cybersecurity. 

I’d probably have requested that the FBI and NSA take a look too, if they were willing.

WHY?

Because the product would have to be rock fucking solid and more eyes looking at a system are more likely to find flaws that can be corrected before its debut.

Especially given that over the last four years we’ve heard about nothing but Russian influence in our election process. I’d be wanting to make something that was so secure that there’d never be any question about the veracity of the product or its results.

Make no mistake, this is (or was) a product.

Shadow would have been in a prime position to resell the product to all 50 states and would have been reaping the benefits for decades with maintenance and upgrade contracts.

Now Shadow will fade into the morning light like a bad dream, having made millions (I’m guessing) for its principals and casting everyone below executive level to the unemployment line.

Oh, and they’ll have an added lovely parting gift of FAILED project on their resumes.

As I said, we don’t yet have all the facts and likely, we never will.

Online voting could be a reality. But only if we commit to doing it right. 

Don’t you find it interesting that we have more security in place online and over the phone to deal with our banking needs than we do when dealing with the direction of our country as a whole?

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Trump Impeached!

PelosiBig Deal! So What!

Trump is still The President, Mike Pence is next in line. By the time the House gins up enough to impeach Pence, it’ll be 2 years into the NEXT President’s term.

So no, Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton will still NOT be President.

Trump is 3 years into a 4 year term. Given the speed with which the House & Senate act, this impeachment process could last beyond Trump’s presidency. 

America, this has all been a dog & pony show. Produced and staged for your amusement to divide the country. 

TrumpDon’t we have bigger issues?

Isn’t our expectation of Congress that they work on governing the country?

Have our expectations dropped so low, or have we become so self involved that we don’t see the fundamental failure of our politicians to do their jobs.

Have the homeless been helped?

Has our healthcare system been made affordable?

Do children in our country go to bed cold and hungry?

Have problems in our primary and secondary educational system been addressed?

Do some families of our military still rely on food stamps to make ends meet?

Does our legal system work uniformly and with equality for all of our citizens?

Do we have a good accounting of just where our tax dollars go and a balanced budget?

Have our power needs, and infrastructure repairs been addressed?

These are the very basic issues our government is supposed to address. Have they been?

Nope, not really.

Instead of our politicians addressing these fundamental issues with intellect and creativity we’ve been distracted and deluded by the “Show” in Washington. 

How much has this cost us? You know “We the People” and for what? What value did we get for that investment? We impeached a President that is 3/4 of the way through his term. Big Deal!

The one truism of any organization, including the US government, is that delay in addressing problems makes the cost increase exponentially over time.

That is what our government has done. They’ve delayed addressing the basics for nothing more than political aggrandizement. Pelosi et al. have won nothing, achieved nothing, and provided no tangible value. 

I point at Pelosi, but the truth is the Republican party is just as much to blame.

The one thing I agree with President Trump about is that the swamp in Washington needs to be drained.  All of it!

There are too many backroom deals, and too much money changing hands that is not in the interest of the American People. The kind of corruption we’re seeing now is like a cancer and it’s spreading.

Washington dc swampWE the People need to pump industrial strength bleach into our government. That is done simply by refusing to vote for the incumbents who have consistently and with, dare I say… Malice, encouraged or allowed the corruption to stand.

No Representative or Senator needs to be in office for a lifetime and we have exactly that situation.

This leads naturally to “back scratching” that shouldn’t be part of our government process.

So when you’re presented with the opportunity to vote in this next election. Vote your conscience not necessarily your party.

The people you vote for should have to earn your vote. Not with promises they’ll never fulfill but with actions, honesty, and integrity. 

In a “cancel culture” such as we now have it should be pretty easy to figure out who’s in politics because they have no other marketable skills.

If the candidate you’re considering is a lawyer who’s never won a case, or a businessman that’s never had a successful business, they’re probably not someone you should hand the reins of the country to.

Just some food for thought.

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Saints or Sinners

brett-kavanaugh-frown-ap-img.jpgKavanaugh is a sitting Supreme Court Justice!

The fact that as a 20 something he had his pants down at a party, was drunk, and a sophomore or freshman in college is absolutely nothing, nada, zilch, zero. Big Deal, So What?

That he was shoved, pushed, or whatever penis first into another drunk person at the same party regardless of their gender is also nothing.

I’d love for the same diligence applied to fucking Kavanaugh over to be applied to any or all of congress, Republicans & Democrats alike.

Let’s just see what kind of skeletons shake out of those investigations. Given the age of most of Congress, I’d be willing to bet that there are situations that by today’s standards would be full on rape. 

What 20 something doesn’t have some questionable activities? Remember Bill Clinton? OMG he smoked pot when he was 18 it was against the law and he supported a criminal element by doing it. How about Obama? Uh yeah… I thought so.

puritans.jpgWe used to call that kind of stuff “Youthful Hijinks” and the society would politely look the other way as long as no-one was in fact raped or hurt, and those activities didn’t become habitual. How many in congress today weren’t bathing and engaging in free love in the 60’s? How many of those people were burning flags and protesting the Vietnam war? How many were on the FBI watch lists for their affiliation with “Subversive” elements?

Uh huh, I’ll just bet our Congressional leaders would shit themselves if we all started scrutinizing their college pasts. 

is Kavanaugh hung?

I ask because a buddy of mine, (God rest his soul) was built for large women and small cattle. Get a drink or two in him and dare him to drop his pants and you’d get a show. He’d bet people that didn’t know him his was the biggest they’d ever seen then he’d prove it, and walk out of a party with a hundred bucks profit and that was a hundred bucks in 1980s money.

The poor man didn’t get laid a lot because of his size, but he was good natured about it. Before you think something gross or that he was deformed is some way, he wasn’t. He looked perfectly normal, just extra large and that was soft, he got much bigger when erect. 

So before we string Kavanaugh up lets take a step back.

Let’s not frame the man’s past indiscretions by today’s freakishly puritanical standards. Let’s stop a damn minute and look at Kavanaugh’s actions through the lens of the time.

What college sophomore then or now hasn’t done some questionable things?

iu.jpegRemember streaking? Maybe you don’t it would depend on how old you are. I remember police chasing a streaker across a football field mid-game and everyone in the stands laughing their asses off. It was in good fun and whoever the streaker was he was obviously on a track & field team. The police were out matched and that was why it was so damn funny. That game had absolutely the best half time show I’ve ever seen. The brass section of the band started playing the theme from The Benny Hill show which made it even funnier!

Even if the police had caught the guy, it wouldn’t have amounted to anything more than a small fine.

I hate to think what would happen today. Probably a full on Fucking SWAT team response!

Soft uncut cock 17When did we become so humorless?

When did a man’s penis become so offensive?

Arguably the nation was founded by puritans but in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s we were breaking free of that kind of stupidity and moving toward a more well balanced view of genders. I’ve got external plumbing and women have internal plumbing and that’s just fine. There’s nothing offensive about either.

I personally have been at parties where all the participants ended up naked. Not necessarily having sex but one person dared someone else and the next thing we knew everyone was naked and just enjoying the view. There was the occasional joking push where someone’s privates ended up in someone’s face to the amusement of everyone.

Hippiesfree loveIt was nothing then, and regardless of today’s standards it should remain exactly what it was, nothing chalk it up to youthful goofing off, or silliness.

The thing the really kills me about this latest Kavanaugh accusation is that the woman in question apparently doesn’t remember the event. So if she, as the supposed “Injured” party doesn’t remember it why should any of the rest of this nation give a damn?

One thought comes to mind…

It’s that the people pushing this, have an agenda. That agenda is apparently to do anything and everything in their power to discredit the President. I’m not particularly fond of the President but enough is enough The President has been President for 3 years, isn’t it time that we just move the hell on? 

If the political parties are so upset with President Trump, then those political parties need to present the American people with some reasonable alternatives.

Stop wasting our time and money. Stop creating divisions.

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Companies need to stay out of national politics.

Starbucks Logo

Credit Suisse – Is reporting that the Starbucks Pledge to hire 10,000 Muslim refugees is hurting the Starbucks brand and their sales.

There is no doubt there are people who are saying that this at its root is because Americans are racist. 

I tend to think not.

We have thousands of Americans still out of work. I think, as I always have, that Americans should be the priority when it comes to hiring in this country.

Starbucks recently posted a letter saying that they loved and would hire Veterans too, in a half hearted attempt to reassure the public that they are a equal opportunity employer.

Apparently, the public isn’t buying it.

As I scanned the Credit Suisse report a couple of other things came to mind.

Would a muslim refugee serve me, my cafe mocha and my double bacon egg & cheese breakfast sandwich?

What happens when you get a Veteran and a Muslim Refugee in the same shift, and they start arguing? 

In a way I’m dealing with the latter problem where I work. We have a guy who identifies as Persian and a guy who is Pakistani (I think) sitting near me. The Persian guy is quite adamant about doing business ONLY with other Persians, and daily, finds something bad to say about America or Americans. 

The Pakistani guy literally will not shut up about how awful it is that Trump was elected and that Hillary or Obama should be the president.

For him this is a daily crisis and he’s said that the military should take Trump out and put Hillary in. When another coworker pointed out that our Pakistani coworker is talking about a coup d’état and that’s not the way we do things in America, The Pakistani replies that perhaps America should do things that way.

Against the trials of dealing with pissed off customers, the constant bitching about Trump makes going to work a significantly less pleasant experience. I wouldn’t call it a “Hostile” work environment but I would say it’s moving that direction.

Add to that the Canadian customers taking pot shots on the phone, (Because they know we have to take it) and some days it’s really tough to maintain equilibrium. 

Fortunately I manage to ignore it most of the time but for those of my coworkers sitting closer to these two it’s far more difficult to ignore.

I can’t imagine going to a Starbucks to have a cup of coffee and just take a break, and having to listen to people behind the counter or at other tables having similar conversations,  because that isn’t taking a break, it’s exhausting.

Starbucks took a hit when they banned firearms from their premises. Some stores went so far as to refuse service to police officers. Which is why if you want a police officer you go to any other coffee shop.

Starbucks also took another hit when they changed their rewards program, and when they  discontinued their clever older style holiday cups, and again when their baristas started writing little political messages on your cup.

My point is that American companies, ALL American companies need to remember that their duty is to their customers, and shareholders. No company needs to, or should insert themselves into politics. They, like Hollywood need to shut up, sell their products, and take the money. That is all that is required of them.

Black Rifle Logo

I’ve been watching with amusement, the Black Rifle Coffee company’s website. They came out after Starbucks made their refugee announcement, saying they’d hire Vets. I don’t think they should’ve entered the political arena anymore than Starbucks should have, but I must admit it was a marketing coup on Black Rifle’s part.

Black Rifle is now in the enviable position of having a two or three week backorder on most of their products.

They were smart enough to capitalize on Starbucks missteps. Including having legal open carry at one of their flagship stores. Black Rifle is obviously more in tune with the sentiment of the “average” American than Starbucks. 

Since Starbucks has entered the political fray, I’ve found that it is easier to avoid them and their products. I’ll grant you it’s not really a conscious choice it’s just that between the noise, expense, hipsters, and Starbucks politics, I’m more likely to head to any of the myriad other coffee shops that provide faster service, and are easier to get into and out of.

Nike Logo

At 4:30 in the morning I’d rather head somewhere that I can exchange pleasantries with law enforcement, instead of wondering if I’m going to get mugged in an empty Starbucks parking lot while some hipster barista looks on wondering what to do.

I haven’t gotten to the point that I’m willing to give up my Starbucks card on my phone but that day may well be around the corner.

Microsoft Logo

It’s not an “Active” boycott on my part, and I suspect that it wouldn’t be active on the part of most other people I think it would just be the worst thing a company can face. A “Meh” whatever, “Silent” boycott.

Compaq logo

Silent Boycotts are much harder to deal with. If suddenly people simply stop seeking your products with no explanation, a company can beat themselves to death trying to find a cause.

WordPerfect Logo

Companies start thrashing around looking for the problem; Is it Quality, Merchandising, Advertisement, Price, Logos, Saturation of the market place, Brand differentiation, Relevance?

Wordstar Logo

Companies spend millions on each of these areas and if suddenly, nothing is working and they can’t gain or maintain market share then the company will fade into irrelevance. 

Palm Logo

Remember Compaq? WordStar? WordPerfect? Novell? Palm? Each of these companies faded for various reasons. But bottom line is that folks just stopped buying their products.

It’s like going on the third date and then the other person just stops responding to messages. You have no idea what you did wrong and you never will. You’ll also never have the opportunity to fix the problem because you have no idea where to start.

Novell

Apple faced this problem in the 90’s just before Steve Jobs returned to the helm and reenergized the company. I vaguely recall Apple stock trading for some ridiculously low price and considering maxing out my credit card to buy as much as I could. I wish now that I’d done it, but it was unclear if Jobs was going to be able to turn the company around and I deemed the risk was too great. Had I maxed out that card on Apple stock… I’d be lying naked on a beach somewhere.

Apple Logos

Starbucks, Apple, Microsoft, Nike, and other major corporations, should really take note, lest they find themselves on the receiving end of a similar “Silent” boycott. 

Meanwhile companies like Black Rifle Coffee, will be waiting in the wings to fill the void.