tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298220982024-03-07T04:07:22.037-05:00The Occasional ObserverBourbon. Cured meats.
And opinion without sprouts.Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.comBlogger2315125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-21947377602064855642016-03-02T12:44:00.000-05:002016-03-02T12:50:30.271-05:00What to do with nominee Trump<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Contemplating Trump’s delegate lead--the fact that he’s won
2/3 of the state contests so far, that he performs best in states
where the voters skew moderate and the South is largely spent already--I can only come to
one conclusion: It’s hard to see a scenario under which Trump is not the GOP
nominee at this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This puts me squarely in the position of having to choose between
Trump and Hillary, exactly where I told Mike I’d hope never to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So now, I’m going to have to do more than
reflexively throw up in my mouth at the sound of his name, I’m actually going
to have to contemplate if the good outweighs the bad of a Trump candidacy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Believe it or not, I’ve felt right along there are a lot of
things I’ve liked about the Trump candidacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They can be summarized as follows:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Moderates the party on social policy</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Moderates the party on trade policy (maintaining
the flexibility to be hawkish on trade policy is a key starting point for any
negotiation—and he understands “positioning” and the process of negotiations
better than most)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Wants to be a foreign policy realist and not a
neoconservative (I say “wants to” b/c all we have to go on in are his
inclinations; he doesn’t seem to actually know enough yet to BE a realist)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Is willing to pursue goals that he feels are
worthwhile regardless of political convention</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Is willing to speak to the cultural sensitivities
of the silent majority: e.g., it’s OK to have a Christmas tree up in your town
square in Kansas without the Supreme Court pissing in your cornflakes </li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Expressly reaches out to, and bridges, the
divide between the GOP and working class voters, offering the possibility of a positive
political realignment for the country, and a move away from perpetual class
warfare between the parties</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The negatives of Trump we’ve gone over too many times to
restate, but the most pertinent are his lack of accountability and
transparency, past organizational/business failures, lack of personal ethics
and overreliance on litigation, his “might makes right” philosophy that is
fundamentally dangerous when married to the power of the Oval Office, willingness
to send dog whistles to the most bigoted and xenophobic extremes of the
populace, and his personal crudeness and the reshaping of our political
discourse that he has brought about.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, it has to be said, I’m believer in rules, a believer in
process and systems, and Trump is winning under the rules of the game as they
were laid out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It also has to be stated that I believe it is in the
national interest for the GOP and it’s governing principles to win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, my starting point has to be
support for the party nominee, regardless of whether it’s my first choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve never been a believer in “taking my
ball and going home” just to prove a point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So absent some grave and serious reasons, I would support Trump.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, there could be grave and serious reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have every reason to believe he will be
the most corrupt, self-dealing President of our lifetime, because that’s how he’s
carried out every other endeavor in his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But we’ve had various degrees of institutionalized corruption inside our
government for decades, and in that sense Trump is just more obvious about it,
than truly new.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Where Trump could set this country back, irrevocably, is
with entitlement spending and tax policy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the past he’s advocated a wealth tax and hiking tax rates on upper
income workers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a Dem president
suggested these policies, the GOP would oppose it to the gates of hell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Republican president who was willing to
offer these policies, however, would have an almost limitless ability to move
forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He merely needs to co-opt a
third of his caucus to do so, and most Presidents carry far more weight than
that in their own party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Entitlement
spending already stands to bankrupt the country, and with his admiration for
single-payer health care, the pace of our fiscal destruction could ramp up
considerably under his watch. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The second way he stands to irreparably damage the country
is the destruction of the GOP, both its ideological compass (policy), and its
PR image.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s no doubt that a large
majority of the country finds him repugnant, based on his fave/unfave
polling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That doesn’t mean he can’t get
elected, but it does mean that people will be voting for him for reasons that
have nothing to do with liking or admiring the man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How will he wear on these people over his 4
or 8 year stint in the national spotlight?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How does that impact the viaibility of the GOP in the future?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s envision a few different scenarios.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Good case</u>: he improves the GOP’s prospects by reaching out to
new voters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He keeps rule-of-law
republicans from walking away by maintaining some engagement in the process of
politics, and forgoes ruling by edict/executive prerogative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He makes a truce with ideological
conservatives, who think he’s a fraud, but can live with him b/c he’s at least
better than the Dems, and seems to be maintaining a governing coalition.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Bad case</u>: he gets elected but is a failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite promising to Make American Great
Again it turns out he can’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is
unable to turn “make it great” into a cogent set of policies, or where he can
turn them into policies, finds that he is so divisive that he can’t get
anything enacted into law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He operates
primarily through executive action and bureaucratic rulemaking, but his
policies produce little actual gain to the masses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The economy is not fundamentally
reordered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Growth continues on its
current track, as one would expect (that is, low, and on pace with our slow
growth in productivity and population).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trade
wars with China and other developing economies lead to price increases for the
US consumer without a commensurate increase in wages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things
turn out to suck about the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All
those people who were new to the GOP are turned off and go away, just like the
20-something Obama voters of 2008.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
in the process, the GOP has given up its claim to the high ground on
originalism, rule of law, adherence to the constitution, reducing the overall
size of government, and fiscal stability.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Worser</u> <u>case</u>: The bad case scenario, but tack onto it an
egomaniacal insistence on getting his way, so brash steps are taken that are legally crazy. For instance, the nullification of Congressional
legislation or judicial rulings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or
something that’s crazy from a foreign policy perspective, like invading northern
Mexico to extort payment for his wall (#NoLosing).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because he’s all about the “No PC talk” and
“straight talk,” Trump follows through on his campaign promises regarding
deportations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has armed swat teams,
if not the military, rounding up 12 million illegals. The internet is awash in cell phone
pics and videos of senior citizens and small children being marched off at gunpoint, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Newly empowered white nationalist groups
resort to “protest marches” against affirmative action, “loose” immigration
quotas, and other policies that are objectionable to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of these “protests” mutate into violent
mobs assaulting minorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trump winks
it away as “a local law enforcement matter,” and legitimizes the groups by
saying their objections need to be heard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The compounding effect of all this crazy becomes the
property of the GOP, ensuring decades of election fodder for Dems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Trump" and "Republican" become terms so toxic, that it
makes Jimmy Carter look like a good guy to be affiliated with.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now these good, bad, and worser cases all seem plausible to
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s why I’m absolutely frozen in
place trying to figure out if I need to take a moral stand, such as this #NeverTrump
movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could a sizeable group of
Republicans who are on the record, contra-Trump, give the party something to fall
back on?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something to at least point to in the
post-Trump world to say, "this was the true remnant." To claim institutional consistency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or should I presume he’ll be practical and not crazy, cling
to best case thinking, and hope he could actually be an effective leader, in
spite of all the personal behavior that seems to indicate otherwise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-33949700889921075072015-02-18T15:31:00.000-05:002015-02-18T15:39:31.962-05:00On Scott Walker and his "college diploma" problemOver at Race 4 2016, the astute SouthernDoc argued that back-and-forth over Walker and his college dropout status is indicative of an age-old divide in US politics:
<br />
<blockquote>
The Walker college degree issue is really a proxy for one of the great recurring fights in American politics: Hamiltonian elitism vs. Jacksonian populism. Who should govern and who governs best? Do we rely on the professionals, specialists, and highly educated who are overwhelmingly the products of elite and established families to lead us or do we turn to those who rose out of the mass of society through initiative and personal merit even though they often lack both refinement and structured learning.</blockquote>
I disagreed as follows, and welcome your thoughts:
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
One <i>can</i> glean some insight from Walker’s decision to leave school (that he was in a hurry, ambitious, maybe a bit myopic–-issues that would surface again in his first few months as governor), but it does not prove that he fails to meet the standards of the office. That he is not "among the brightest.” I’ve known too many college grads without smarts, and vice versa. <br />
<br />
The real import, though, is not what the decision tells us about Walker the man. It is the political liability that will be his achillies heel throughout the cycle, based on perception as much as anything else. <br />
<br />
We live in a country where college graduates are no longer “professionals, specialists, and highly educated,” and who are no longer “overwhelmingly the product of elite and established families,” as SD mentions.
Rather, we live in a country where a Bachelors degree is a fairly commonplace occurrence, with about 1/3 of the population having obtained such a degree. Not like in the first half of the 20th century, where that figure was 5% or thereabouts.<br />
<br />
Is it a sign of some intelligence? Sure. Also of having enough discipline early in life to see it through. In the case of someone like Walker, who by all accounts was aspiring to a political career from the jump, it would also have been indicative of prudence (to not leave a glaring weakness on his CV). <br />
<br />
But college is no longer about “elitism” and whether we surrender our sovereignty to elite families. We’re no longer in the era of FDR living in in a private townhouse, surrounded by other trust fund students adjacent Harvard’s campus, to ensure they never mix socially with the masses. Rather, in today’s world, almost anyone who can see his way through H.S. can find a college somewhere that is willing to give him or her an opportunity. <br />
<br />
This reality is reflected in our job market.
Grade school teachers where I live are required to have a bachelors degrees. Many districts expect an M.S. within a set number of years.
Federal agents need a BA plus work experience, but can place out of the work requirement with an advanced qualification (often a JD or other graduate degree). Police officers in NYC are required to have multiple years of college. FDNY firefighters are required to have at least a bit of college under their belt, unless they meet an exemption.
These are not professions populated by the Hamiltonian elite. And yet college is a pre-requisite for them. <br />
<br />
The gulf between the reality of today’s workforce and the Walker campaign’s position (no one cares about that, what have you done for me lately), is just too wide to wish it away.
Nor can they demonize as elitists those who have come to accept such credentials as a basic and typical hurdle for many (less important) jobs. Why? Because too many regular people have sacrificed too much–time, money, etc.–for them to accept that the President deserves to be held to a lower standard.Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-88887311936151669452015-02-12T23:13:00.001-05:002015-02-12T23:13:28.051-05:00For Your Consideration<iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=One+Main+Restaurant+%26+Bar,+West+Main+Street,+Babylon,+NY&daddr=Post+Office+Cafe,+West+Main+Street,+Babylon,+NY+to:Babylon+Bean+Coffee+House,+Fire+Island+Avenue,+Babylon,+NY+to:Mary+Carroll's,+Deer+Park+Avenue,+Babylon,+NY+to:Salty+Dog+Tavern,+Railroad+Avenue,+Babylon,+NY+to:The+Villager,+Deer+Park+Avenue,+Babylon,+NY+to:Lily+Flanagans+Pub,+Deer+Park+Avenue,+Babylon,+NY&hl=en&geocode=FbX7bAIdHS2h-yHGP49V0Tp_lCl71Kx51dLpiTHGP49V0Tp_lA%3BFbT3bAIdFyWh-yE2-lXUzRKoxCmrvURAKtPpiTE2-lXUzRKoxA%3BFUj5bAId0y2h-yGbZukMpYdvQSldN8aD1dLpiTGbZukMpYdvQQ%3BFSYCbQIdzy-h-yHNyq4xBXOgjimhj-pO1dLpiTHNyq4xBXOgjg%3BFaAJbQId-i2h-yHGx2396vQ6mykbnlKWKi3oiTHGx2396vQ6mw%3BFY0KbQIdiTCh-yFSI-PPqz4wyCkzIpOSKi3oiTFSI-PPqz4wyA%3BFRwPbQIdZTKh-yEJsilFTvLJPSmfSfNPKi3oiTEJsilFTvLJPQ&aq=0&oq=lily+flanagans&sll=40.698857,-73.323771&sspn=0.007703,0.006899&mra=ls&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=40.698857,-73.323771&spn=0.005863,0.003318&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=One+Main+Restaurant+%26+Bar,+West+Main+Street,+Babylon,+NY&daddr=Post+Office+Cafe,+West+Main+Street,+Babylon,+NY+to:Babylon+Bean+Coffee+House,+Fire+Island+Avenue,+Babylon,+NY+to:Mary+Carroll's,+Deer+Park+Avenue,+Babylon,+NY+to:Salty+Dog+Tavern,+Railroad+Avenue,+Babylon,+NY+to:The+Villager,+Deer+Park+Avenue,+Babylon,+NY+to:Lily+Flanagans+Pub,+Deer+Park+Avenue,+Babylon,+NY&hl=en&geocode=FbX7bAIdHS2h-yHGP49V0Tp_lCl71Kx51dLpiTHGP49V0Tp_lA%3BFbT3bAIdFyWh-yE2-lXUzRKoxCmrvURAKtPpiTE2-lXUzRKoxA%3BFUj5bAId0y2h-yGbZukMpYdvQSldN8aD1dLpiTGbZukMpYdvQQ%3BFSYCbQIdzy-h-yHNyq4xBXOgjimhj-pO1dLpiTHNyq4xBXOgjg%3BFaAJbQId-i2h-yHGx2396vQ6mykbnlKWKi3oiTHGx2396vQ6mw%3BFY0KbQIdiTCh-yFSI-PPqz4wyCkzIpOSKi3oiTFSI-PPqz4wyA%3BFRwPbQIdZTKh-yEJsilFTvLJPSmfSfNPKi3oiTEJsilFTvLJPQ&aq=0&oq=lily+flanagans&sll=40.698857,-73.323771&sspn=0.007703,0.006899&mra=ls&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=40.698857,-73.323771&spn=0.005863,0.003318" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-74425363388556648322015-01-22T08:33:00.001-05:002015-01-22T08:33:28.207-05:00It all makes sooo much sense now...<a href="http://moviepilot.com/posts/2015/01/21/what-if-indiana-jones-and-darth-vader-teamed-up-to-kill-hitler-2607624?lt_source=external,manual">A conspiracy theory I can actually stand behind.</a>dark commenteerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16212337554492149230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-11674194984974120582014-12-18T09:46:00.001-05:002014-12-18T09:46:43.184-05:00A farewell speech that should be required viewing<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vRfg5IyZVN0" width="459"></iframe><br />Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-89558063911954591512014-12-18T09:44:00.001-05:002014-12-18T09:44:50.586-05:00A farewell speech that should be required viewing<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xuy1jW1ddUc" width="480"></iframe><br />Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-24500300645176011242014-12-15T10:29:00.001-05:002014-12-15T10:29:37.560-05:00The Office: Middle Earth Edition<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="288" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://www.hulu.com/embed.html?eid=20uwhvuys9aliyuugyrb0w&partner=snltracker&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hulu.com%2Fwatch%2F726780" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="512"></iframe><br />Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-4756490392401540332014-11-24T11:02:00.003-05:002014-11-24T11:03:28.002-05:00The Call of the WoodsAs I shuffle down the road to work in my truck, my gaze wanders to the woods through which this asphalt scar has been cut.<br />
<br />
My body will sit at a desk, but my mind will stalk silently through the forest. As my animal eye spots trails and cover, my mind and my domain expand through the quiet beyond the range of an office, to cover all the trees and boulders I can see.<br />
<br />
Might it be, that this time, I will be granted that beautiful piece of this expanse to feel the thrill, to admire, to kill - to consume, so that it may become part of me and me of it.<br />
<br />
Alas, my reverie is rudely broken by a blinking box demanding my attention, trapping the call of the woods in anticipation for a few more days.ManBeasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11401272382424890409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-51123199402538607662014-09-26T14:51:00.001-04:002014-09-26T14:51:29.736-04:00Don't fret--resistance is NOT futile.Assimilation can be avoided...
<a href="http://http//allenbwest.com/2014/09/hilarious-video-top-ten-reasons-shes-longer-democrat/"></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/p9sAXqVVhNM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Plus--pink hair = sexy...dark commenteerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16212337554492149230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-42256957197168512732014-08-11T12:54:00.000-04:002014-08-11T12:55:59.991-04:00What happens next?Recent months have brought us a steady grind of bad news in the global arena. Order seems to breaking down, with increasingly authoritarian regimes taking increasingly belligerent actions around the globe.<br />
<br />
To whit:<br />
<br />
1) Russia annexes Crimea<br />
2) Russia masses troops on Ukraine border and foments unrest in the Eastern part of the nation. Europe and the U.S. seem at odds in formulating a response.<br />
3) Former elements of Al Qaeda in Iraq, since reformed as ISIS or ISIL, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/29/isis-iraq-caliphate-delcaration-war" target="_blank">proclaimed a new caliphate</a>, and have successfully taken control of<a href="http://freebeacon.com/national-security/isil-controls-more-resources-territory-than-any-extremist-organization-in-history/" target="_blank"> large swathes</a> of territory in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. <br />
4) ISIL proceeds to demand conversions of Christians or <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/convert-pay-tax-or-die-islamic-state-warns-christians-iraq-259888" target="_blank">they will be executed</a>.<br />
5) Prime Minister Erdogan <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/08/10/turkey-presidential-election/13865525/" target="_blank">takes on a new office</a> and has taken a more <a href="http://www.english.rfi.fr/europe/20140809-turkey-s-secular-parties-gloomy-ahead-presidential-showdown-erdogan" target="_blank">fundamentalist tone</a>. All the pieces seem in place for him to <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/erdogan-set-to-cement-power-by-winning-presidential-election-a-984581.html" target="_blank">roll up more authority</a>. Meanwhile, he has taken a much more <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/06/exclusive-turkish-leader-doubles-down-on-blaming-jews-worldwide-for-gaza-war.html" target="_blank">belligerent stance with respect to Israel</a>, and repeatedly has deployed naval vessels to supply Hamas.<br />
6) The Chinese have accelerated talks with Moscow to create a <a href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-08-09/de-dollarization-accelerates-chinarussia-complete-currency-swap-agreement" target="_blank">non-dollar currency regime</a>. They have also <a href="http://nationalinterest.org/feature/should-america-fear-chinas-nuclear-weapons-11046" target="_blank">ramped up nuclear capabilities</a> and production with an eye towards developing a second strike capability that would put them on par with Russia and the U.S. <br />
<br />
As the Obama presidency winds down, and these authoritarian regimes feel the weight of their "window of opportunity" closing, which of the following seem plausible, possible, or likely:<br />
<br />
1) Iran announcing a nuclear weapon capability.<br />
2) Iran directly intervening to protect the Shiite majority in southern Iraq against ISIL advances.<br />
3) A Turkish incursion into northern Iraq to prevent Kurds from forming a viable nation state.<br />
4) An ISIL-like group consolidating authority in Libya and/or Afghanistan. <br />
5) China invading Taiwan.<br />
6) North Korea, supported by the Chinese, invading South Korea.<br />
7) Russia invading Ukraine<br />
8) Increasingly belligerent military maneuvers by China and Russia, such as flying nuclear bombers near US airspace (as we have seen <a href="http://freebeacon.com/national-security/russian-strategic-bombers-conduct-more-than-16-incursions-of-u-s-air-defense-zones/" target="_blank">recently</a>).Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-6056069691622532062014-06-20T13:45:00.003-04:002014-06-20T13:45:34.967-04:00Epic Rap Battles Of History - Darth Vader VS Adolf Hitler Parts 1, 2 and 3<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/xsxO6RLi5F8" width="480"></iframe>Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-5240945065142172832014-06-20T13:45:00.001-04:002014-06-20T13:45:15.637-04:00Rick Grimes vs Walter White. Epic Rap Battles of History Season 3.<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/krQHQvtIr6w" width="480"></iframe>Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-67787512748636936782014-06-20T13:44:00.001-04:002014-06-20T13:44:39.743-04:00Epic Rap Battle: Nerd vs. Geek<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/2Tvy_Pbe5NA" width="480"></iframe>Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-55348016637361529262014-04-08T08:46:00.000-04:002014-04-08T08:46:24.162-04:00The Real Immigration ProblemIllegal immigration is totally out of control. I don't think any one on this blog would disagree. The real problem, however is legal immigration. We have lots of low-skill, low-education people coming here illegally sucking up resources without paying in to the system (for the most part). When it comes to people that will actually pay in to the system and improve our economy, we make it so difficult it's almost self-destructive. This <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2014/04/07/us-burns-through-all-high-skill-visas-for-2015-in-less-than-a-week" target="_blank">article </a>describes how the high-skill visas for 2015 were exhausted in less than a week. It's maddening how a problem that is so obvious with a solution that seems equally as obvious gets stuck in Congress because of politics as usual.ManBeasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11401272382424890409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-42399661265171374612014-03-19T11:18:00.003-04:002014-03-19T11:23:46.679-04:00Malaysian Air Flight 370I've been horrified and fascinated by this all week. How does a 777 go missing? In the age of global satellite coverage, no less? When hundreds of cell phones are on board?<br />
<br />
The only plausible explanation at first seemed a sudden and catastrophic accident. It would have to been so sudden and catastrophic, that the pilots were rendered incapacitated within moments. Otherwise, how to account for the lack of a single radio transmission of trouble?<br />
<br />
Once that possibility seemed contradicted by the flight making course and altitude changes <i>after</i> the plane disappeared from our scopes, it seemed likely that the pilot was trying to float away with the rest of garbage. That theory is getting more probable by the day, now that it seems clear the new waypoints were programmed into the system before the pilot signed off with his dispassionate "All right, good night."<br />
<br />
The lack of any apparent conflict in the cabin (again, no radio transmissions from the captain, no text messages from the passengers despite the plane apparently flying at a low altitude for a considerable period of time, during which even the messages of dead passengers written previously could have transmitted) makes a hijacking appear unlikely, especially coupled with the transponders being shut off while the plane was still flying. Unless these were some silent and incredibly effective terrorists.<br />
<br />
So who does #2 work for? Hard to say. Plenty of theories. Was this a test, to see if a plane could be set to fly remotely or on autopilot towards a potential target, with the cabin depressurized so that there would be no conscious passengers to thwart the plan? Was the plane being stolen for use in a future attack? Were there specific targets among the passengers being taken hostage or killed? Was there a completely silent cockpit intrusion and coercion of the crew, coupled with a very sophisticated set of hijacking requests (shut off data transmission/change course/evade radar), and the inability of the experienced pilot to send up a silent alarm to air controllers?<br />
<br />
There is too much intentionality for there not to be a larger plan at work. What and why is yet to be revealed. It seems to me that this was no mere mechanical failure, nor pilot suicide. Going nose down would've been easy by comparison.
Meanwhile, the hundreds of family members are being put through a form of torture that is difficult to comprehend.Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-55227233934119899202014-03-19T11:00:00.001-04:002014-03-19T11:03:50.265-04:00NCOFM: QOTDMalaysian Air 370 version. I've had this in my head as I've been reading about the various search zones, search parties from various nations, lack of communication between various agencies, confused chain of command, etc.: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<strong style="border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nervous Accountant:</strong><span style="color: #111111; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> … he felt that the more people looking...<br /><br />
[cut off by Chigurh]<br /><br />
<strong style="border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Anton Chigurh:</strong>
That’s foolish. You pick the one right tool.</blockquote></span>Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-80613576594455603052014-03-18T10:37:00.004-04:002014-03-19T11:20:56.383-04:00This is not even the beginning of the end,...more like the end of the beginning. From the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/19/world/europe/ukraine.html?hp&_r=0" target="_blank">NY Times</a>:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/19/world/europe/ukraine.html?hp" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;"><b>Moscow’s Actions Upend Europe’s Post-Cold War Order</b></a><br />
By STEVEN LEE MYERS, ELLEN BARRY and ALAN COWELL<br />
<br />
Defying the United States and Europe, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said he was reversing what he described as a historical mistake, declaring, “<b><i>Crimea</i></b> has always been an integral part of Russia in the hearts and minds of people.”</blockquote>
<br />
Now, just for fun, how many proper nouns can you use to replace the bolded "Crimea" in the quote above, and still have it make sense?<br />
<br />
Putin's stated reasons for the annexation could have been exclusively historical or legal. He's already made the point that the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine by Kruschev was illegal, and he's stated his demographic argument for not leaving ethnic Russians out in the cold. Putin goes further. Crimea is a part of Russia, he argues, because it's a part of Russia in the "hearts and minds of <i>people</i>." [my emphasis] Bush thought he could see into Putin's soul. Putin's powers are apparently much greater.<br />
<br />
Putin's logic does beg the question: "Which people?"Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-79077866555523595352014-03-12T09:28:00.002-04:002014-03-12T16:54:17.764-04:00Foundational prinicples: Choosing between competing goodsVersion 1:<br />
<br />
There should be stability of law. <br />
<br />
We need a regulatory, entitlement and tax code framework that is palatable across the vast middle of the political spectrum, so that it is not constantly redrawn when power changes hands. <br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
When such changes occur (e.g., ACA), it damages the ability of individuals to make intentional, thoughtful choices in the marketplace. It makes it difficult for free parties to enter into arrangements with confidence (e.g., hiring new workers).<br />
<br />
It also creates the appearance of third world corruption, where rules are artifice, constantly redefined to the benefit a small group of backers of the party in power (e.g., Solyndra).<br />
<br />
<br />
Version 2:<br />
<br />
There should be a rollback of government.<br />
<br />
The footprint of our regulatory, entitlement and tax code needs to be drastically reduced. Even if such a rollback can only be achieved by a bare plurality, it is a legal and moral obligation based on our nation's founding principles. <br />
<br />
The positive effects of such a rollback, including enhanced personal freedom and increased prosperity, will eventually lead to this model being embraced by a broad majority of Americans. It will be a sustainable political paradigm.<br />
<br />
<br />
Version 3: <br />
<br />
We need a smarter deployment of federal resources.<br />
<br />
We need a muscular government that invests in domestic programs and favors domestic interests. Policy needs to be directed at improving our economic growth prospects in the future, and reversing the decades-long stagnation in real middle-class wages. <br />
<br />
The largest benefits to our information-age economy come from investing in human capital, so improving educational outcomes is a high priority. <br />
<br />
Improvements to the economic infrastructure, such as transportation and telecommunication technology, need to be incentivized. Where the private sector cannot bring necessary scale to such endeavors, public investment should be considered on a cost/benefit basis. <br />
<br />
<br />
Version 4: <br />
<br />
Something better.Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-51635726298325071322014-02-28T18:05:00.001-05:002014-02-28T18:05:39.560-05:00The Government Broke My TruckEarlier this week, 4 dashboard lights came on in my truck for no apparent reason. It seemed to drive OK, so I drove it home from work. During my drive home, it wasn't accelerate properly over 45 MPH. I brought it to my mechanic who did some diagnostics and cleared the code. He said he didn't need to fix anything and it would drive OK.<br />
<br />
The next day he called me to tell me he did more research into the problem. It turns out there was an issue with the secondary air flow system. The truck was put into a crippled mode because of this issue, which caused the acceleration problem. The only function of this system is to divert more hot air to the catalytic converter when it's cold so it will heat up faster and reduce emissions earlier. It has nothing to do with making the car go.<br />
<br />
So, because of some bureaucrat pushing some emissions regulation, my truck didn't work right for no real reason.<br />
<br />
BONUS:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEw5bDXsSlyz8GcE9YIHXqO2PzsbdOJt6nvIPreWMCHiqymSn6i30VEYKtiIkrbES-NfXbC0QSEPWtNQGc0j9LHRO5oz-WZb1-4yzLZYTHbCPmxksyp_rgPm661Z-IkH2FnqmeCQ/s1600/20140223_144207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEw5bDXsSlyz8GcE9YIHXqO2PzsbdOJt6nvIPreWMCHiqymSn6i30VEYKtiIkrbES-NfXbC0QSEPWtNQGc0j9LHRO5oz-WZb1-4yzLZYTHbCPmxksyp_rgPm661Z-IkH2FnqmeCQ/s1600/20140223_144207.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I don't like my local library, funded by my tax dollars, telling me where I can park because they don't like my choice of vehicle. SCREW THAT.<br />
<br />
<br />
Now get off my lawn.ManBeasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11401272382424890409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-15307089339215797042013-12-18T09:50:00.000-05:002013-12-18T09:50:02.722-05:00Oscar season has the moviesDon't know why there's nothing that interests me on the big screen all year, and then they have to cram all the good stuff into one month.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm really looking forward to American Hustle, Her, Hobbit DOS, Catching Fire (actually already caught this one), Book Thief, Secret Life of Walter Mitty, August: Osage County, and the Invisible Woman. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Of course, a bunch of these are probably films I can wait to see on video, but at least 3 (American Hustle, WOWS, Hobbit DOS) are big screen musts for me.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And speaking of the Wolf of Wall Street, Scott Foundras from Variety offers this enticing <a href="http://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/film-review-the-wolf-of-wall-street-1200940974/" target="_blank">summation</a>:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">If some of the advance hype suggested that “Wolf” was going to be a kind of “Goodfellas” on Wall Street, in reality it’s more like the jittery, paranoid third act of that movie stretched out to three hours, starting at a fever pitch and heading toward the nuclear.</span></blockquote>
Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-76672127470174283562013-11-23T07:01:00.001-05:002013-11-23T07:01:49.126-05:00Leaving the hunting cabinAnother year in the books for the boys. A successful one at that: two deer harvested.
<br />
<br />
Clean-up at the end is always a bit of challenge. All the gear needs to get organized, packed, and stored for another year. Plus the cabin has to be restored to the condition it was in before 10 guys got around to a weeks worth of hunting. <br />
<br />
Those challenges can be amplified, however, for some of our members. As a fellow contributor of our blog put it,
"I should have made a bigger distinction between the piles of clothes that are clean and those that are sh*t."
<br />
<br />
How to overcome this packing obstacle?
<br />
<br />
"I just smell every item," he explained.Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-1353724338652472612013-10-27T21:42:00.001-04:002013-10-27T21:42:31.853-04:00Here's a cool thoughtI love "Money for Nothing" and Mark Knopfler. But I'd love to see it live with Sting (who sang background vocals on the studio track) on stage. Better yet if we could just get silly and have Phil Collins playing drums. And if we're just being stupid, might as well have Clapton join Knopfler on guitar.<br />
<br />
Oh snap...<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/6D6cw8Ob2sk" width="480"></iframe>Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-36261318179889642672013-10-21T15:35:00.001-04:002013-10-21T15:35:10.525-04:00'This Week': Sen. Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush Interview on Government Shutdown...<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/9343toQ59l4" width="459"></iframe><br />
Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-75937547153172195842013-10-09T15:37:00.001-04:002013-10-09T15:37:31.154-04:00James Woodsis pretty the much the man. As if you didn't know that already, just from Lester Diamond.<br />
<br />
But here he is IRL, living the creed "Country First."<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/9/conservative-actor-james-woods-i-dont-expect-work-/#.UlWwBImhigI.blogger">Conservative actor James Woods: 'I don't expect to work again' - Washington Times</a>Fredohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13937201111960580542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29822098.post-66367943365816286952013-10-08T08:35:00.000-04:002013-10-08T08:35:06.228-04:00Libertarian Taxi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/fS1A8t34Cg0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<h1 class="yt" id="watch-headline-title" style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 13px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; word-wrap: normal;">
</h1>
ManBeasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11401272382424890409noreply@blogger.com1