Shakespeare in the park

Based on what I've read, the Shakespeare in the park in NYC which graphically depicts killing President Trump was also done in the Obama years with an Obama look-alike in the role of Caesar. Maybe no one cared, or no one attended: more people want Trump dead. But just wondering if all the butchers in the death scene a few years ago were black as in the Trump look-alike Caesar version, or if there was a nude scene of the Obama look-alike. Lots of violence signaling in this play says Laura Loomer, who was one of the protesters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDCZVquzook

Bernie the Christian basher

In his hectoring of OMB nominee Russell Vought, Sen. Bernie Sanders showed himself to be the enemy of all religion. He attacked Vought for his religious beliefs as expressed on a blog called the Resurgent. Vought when questioned about something he wrote on his blog simply restated his Christian belief: that salvation comes through Christ alone.

But Sanders, who is not a Christian nor a theologian, and apparently not even a good American concluded that this Christian belief stated by Christ himself made Vought unfit for public office. “I would simply say, Mr. Chairman, that this nominee is really not someone who is what this country is supposed to be about.”
From The Catholic Thing,

Sanders has attacked the basics of the faith; I guess he thinks it's like bringing down a florist or baker. But Jesus didn't say "I'm one of the ways. . ." https://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/media/articles/i-am-the-way-the-truth-and-the-life/

The same party that booed God

"Dozens of congressional staffers erupted into boos, jeers and even vulgar gesticulations Thursday when President Trump appeared in a video at the Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Park."

I have no proof since I wasn't there, but I can guess which party disgraced itself with the poor sportsmanship of the deep state. (Washington Times source)

And then there's this nice guy. . . A New Jersey Democratic strategist James Devine is not sorry for adding hashtags to tweets to hunt Republicans he posted after the shooting at a GOP congressional baseball practice Wednesday, which critically injured House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. He's saying yes it's insensitive and he doesn't care. What a creep. Someone should report him to the police. He says Scalise deserves it because he supports 2nd amendment rights and then spewed the lie about Sarah Palin, trotted out by the NYT again in fake news.

The left flipflops on what influences us

Liberals/leftists/Democrats were big at finding crimes in conservatives showing up to speak on campuses, or symbols of guns in children's lunches or Sarah Palin's campaign the last decade--said it would lead to violence. Somehow they are blind to a Shakespeare play where a Trump look alike is murdered, or a woman holds up a mock severed head ala ISIS as a comedy routine, or late night TV rants with violent sexual overtones are OK. Oh no. No connection at all. Couldn't possibly enflame anyone even though they've been telling us for years it does. Just not their team. And the list of Republicans Hodgkinson allegedly carried with him? And they make this a gun issue refusing to look at their own hatefulness?

Michael Smith comments on the role of the left in the assassinations attempt by Hodgkinson

A percentage of the radical left are hailing James T. Hodgkinson as a "patriot" for trying to kill Republicans in his fight for freedom.

Remember this: Hodgkinson wasn't killing for freedom, he was killing for more government. He was a supporter of the socialist Bernie Sanders for goodness sake.

It is not a fact that "both sides do it" - and it isn't so much the rage of one party or the other that is the issue. It is the fact that everything these days is politicized. When nothing is personal and everything is political, personal situations that should remain personal are subject to scrutiny by people who have no business scrutinizing anything. This is what happens when collectivism creeps in and the collective is given veto power over the rights, beliefs, thoughts and speech of the individual.

Democrats are progressives and progressives are collectivists. James T. Hodgkinson was not in Washington to fight for more independence, freedom and liberty, he was there to kill members of the party that is trying to prevent liberty from slipping away. Hodgkinson was there in anger because his party was not achieving MORE control over individuals and thereby reducing independence, freedom and liberty.

Progressivism is to blame, not any specific political party - because there are progressives in both. Progressivism kills. It always has, it always will.

Our trip to Scotland--day 3, June 10

Last night we went out to eat with our neighbors Joan and Jerry, and then came back here for some Key Lime Pie.  They went to Scotland some years ago, but enjoyed seeing our album of prints, already prepared by Bob with annotations before I even got my blog up and running!

On Day 3 we had to have our bags outside our room before breakfast. Our take off was delayed a bit when we needed a substitute Globus bus.  It didn't take long, and soon we were leaving Glasgow for the beautiful scenery of Scotland, past many "lochs" or lakes. We were told the story behind the song, "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomand" a song based on a poem which may have been based on a Jacobite lament written after the Battle of Culloden which we would visit on day 4. There are many interpretations, but the one we heard was that the "low road" refers to the one souls take who die outside of Scotland.

Chorus:
O ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,
And I'll be in Scotland a'fore ye,
But me and my true love will never meet again,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

We were headed to the Scottish Highlands, which is both a political entity, geography, a culture and a history that is different than the lowlands and big industrial cities of the 19th century. This is the land of the Gaelic speaking Clans who warred with each other and the British. We would be spending the night on the Isle of Skye, the biggest island of the Hebrides off the west coast, but also our driver took us through the most fantastic, mystical and moody scenery you can imagine. This first photo was taken by the youngest (and prettiest) tour member, Emily. Isn't it just amazing? We didn't have a lot of sunshine on this trip, but when it appeared, it was dramatic.

 One beautiful area, Glencoe we passed through that day, is the site of a now inactive super volcano (can you say climate change?) and we saw many hikers and bikers--even children. Edinburgh also is an area with many inactive volcanoes which we would see on day 6. The next photos were taken at our rest stop at Glenfinnan to view the viaduct (scene in Harry Potter movie) and the Glenfinnan monument erected, in 1815, in tribute to the Jacobite clansmen who fought and died in the cause of Prince Charles Edward Stuart. Bob climbed the look-out to take photos, I walked the monument circle.  You can only see the viaduct if you look very closely because of the distance, and the young female bagpiper was at the visitor centre.

Another monument in the Highlands we visited was the WWII Commando memorial, near the village of Spean Bridge. It depicts British Commandos who were specially trained in Spean Bridge to perform raids. The monument reaches a height of 17 feet.

From there our whole tour group took a special add-on side trip to the Eilean Donan Castle (island of Donan, St. Donnan of Eigg, a Celtic saint) where 3 lochs meet and it is part of the Hebridean islands. The castle was a fortress in the 13th century, but was built and re-built several times. It was partially destroyed in the Jacobite rebellion of the 18th century, and was in ruins for 200 years until John MacRae-Gilstrap bought the island in 1911 and restored it.  It still belongs to the family, but is heavily visited by tourists and used for special events like weddings. It has a nice visitor centre for shopping and eating--which is something our whole group did very well. No photos allowed inside.

A wee bit wet from the rain, but happy for the sun. I made the silk scarf at the Rhein Center in Lakeside.

We then headed to a Pub, The Clachan, for a wee bit of fun and fellowship.

Norma, Ann and Rose who are Canadians

Emily, Kelly and Stacey

The water was too rough to take the planned ferry from Mallaig to the Isle of Skye and the Dunollie Hotel, so it was back to Ft. William and the bridge between the villages of Kyle of Lochalsh (mainland) and Kyleakin (Skye). There are very few accommodations on Skye that a large tour can use, so the hotel was a bit from the last century, perhaps the 1970s, and our room was in the basement.  Enough said. Good food and beautiful views. I think Bob will get some good watercolors of one of his favorite topics, old boats.

View from the dining room

Dunollie Hotel with John our tour guide

On Day 4, Sunday, we left the Hebrides and headed for the Loch Ness to see if we could find Nessie (didn't see her/him), the Culloden Visitor Center, A sheepdog demonstration, and the mountain resort of Pitochry.

Why sue for information that is public about criminals?

Names of released alien criminals is a matter of public record, but Judicial Watch is suing the Trump Administration for the names of those released during the Obama years. Why do they need to sue for what should be readily available? More examples of the illegal behavior of the "deep state" which continues unabated, regardless of who is in the White House.

http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-hearing-monday-june-5-homeland-security-assertion-privacy-rights-prevent-release-names-freed-criminal-aliens/

94% of DC and 87% of the surrounding counties voted for Hillary Clinton. This is the career workforce that makes up the deep state, or the so-called "swamp." Having an outsider in the White House is terrifying, even to many Republicans and Libertarians who wanted an old time pol who knew the game moves and rules. In general, Republican leaders have spaghetti spines--it's so much easier to go-along to get-along, and they are flummoxed by a man who won't play their games.

Republicans in DC have been the paramour/significant other for so long, they don't know how to be the legal partner in a marriage with rights and responsibilities.

The games we play--the crimes of Comey

Based only on what has happened in the executive branch (even as reported in the fake news of WaPo and NYT) there is no evidence that President Trump has committed a crime while in office worthy of a criminal investigation; he can fire the FBI director for no other reason than personal dislike for his height. But by Comey’s own testimony last week, he did commit a crime, a very serious one—taking government information and giving it to the New York Times, to say nothing about violating the trust of his boss—President Trump. Why is Mueller, a friend of Comey, still on this case? Is this a banana republic with a tin foil constitution? Has the Communist revolution with its show trials begun? Are we all, even leftists, Democrats and Progressives, pretending any of this is based in law or contains even a shred of common sense? Am I asking too many questions?

CNN wants this

"CNN firmly believes that certain behavior inspires, provokes, and causes political violence — including assassination attempts.

Therefore, when CNN itself consciously engages in this exact same behavior, we know for a fact that their intent is to inspire, provoke, and cause political violence — including assassination attempts.

You may choose not to blame CNN for Wednesday's near massacre. You may choose not to believe that words and images and rhetoric and conspiracy theories can be blamed for violence. Whatever. That is not my point.

The point is that if CNN believes those things result in violence and then does those things, the network's intent is not in dispute."

 http://www.dailywire.com/news/17568/if-you-need-proof-cnn-wants-trump-and-his-john-nolte#!

Peggy Noonan opines on the current incivility of the media

“Tuesday I talked with an old friend, a figure in journalism who’s a pretty cool character, about the political anger all around us. He spoke of “horrible polarization.” He said there’s “too much hate in D.C.” He mentioned “the beheading, the play in the park” and described them as “dog whistles to any nut who wants to take action.”

“Someone is going to get killed,” he said.

That was 20 hours before the shootings in Alexandria, Va.” . . .

 “A comic posed with a gruesome bloody facsimile of President Trump’s head. New York’s rightly revered Shakespeare in the Park put on a “Julius Caesar” in which the assassinated leader is made to look like the president. A CNN host—amazingly, of a show on religion—sent out a tweet calling the president a “piece of s—” who is “a stain on the presidency.” An MSNBC anchor wondered, on the air, whether the president wishes to “provoke” a terrorist attack for political gain. Earlier Stephen Colbert, well known as a good man, a gentleman, said of the president, in a rant: “The only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin’s c— holster.” Those are but five dots in a larger, darker pointillist painting. You can think of more.”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/rage-is-all-the-rage-and-its-dangerous-1497571401

And I thought.  But the incivility is not spread equally—even though the media has warned us incessantly about dangers from the right wing extremists. The conservatives are not the news anchors and reporters; they are not the entertainers; they can't get tenure at the universities to melt little snowflakes into submission. The left owns the culture and they own this mess. Conservatives haven’t burned buildings or prevented speakers at graduation or political forums on college campuses and they haven’t threatened sponsors of talk radio or conservative shows. It's not the right who insist that boys will be girls, and if you know better we'll destroy you.  The right wasn’t in control of the federal government PR campaign the last 8 years. All they are guilty of is voting. And it has created a call for a violent revolution.
 

Our trip to Scotland--Day 1 and 2, June 8-9

 All flights for our June trip were right on time.  We left Columbus at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 7, and arrived in JFK New York at 8 p.m. Even the wait at Kennedy was preparing us for Scotland.  As we sat amongst others who would board, we were with a family of four from Scotland, who had been in New York for a week visiting all the sights, including a play, the Statue of Liberty, and the usual.  Also encountered a young lady about 25 who collects whisky--yes, my first, but I would learn more on the trip about Scotland and whisky. We also met Pat and Emily from Washington, a grandmother and granddaughter, who were going on the same tour.

Our travel agent had arranged for wheelchairs, we thought just for the return trip to meet us at JFK, but we accepted because I thought it would be better to save my back and legs for climbing around castles. But I did feel a little "invisible" as a little old lady in a wheelchair.  People do step aside as you glide quickly through the lines, but I felt an odd sense that I was invisible non-person.

We left NYC at 11:16 p.m. and arrived in Glasgow at 11:15 a.m. in the rain on Thursday (5 hour time difference) where we met our Globus tour guide who was from London, John, and our driver who was Scottish, David. Two of our tour companions had problems with their luggage, and had brought nothing along, so went shopping as soon as we got to our hotel, the Hilton Doubletree on Cambridge Street.  We changed clothes, napped and met for dinner in the hotel dining room at 6 p.m.  We sat with Pat (73) and Emily (21) whom we'd already met.  Some went for a walkabout, but it was cool and rainy, so we didn't get far.

On Day 2 we had breakfast with three ladies from Canada, Laurie, Ann and Rose and drove to the Glengoyne whisky distillery for a tour that was more interesting than I expected, and which was in a very scenic area.  Then we were off to Stirling Castle, a symbol of Scottish independence and residence of many kings and queens. We enjoyed seeing Robert the Bruce statue, the magnificent rooms, and views. We had a lot of fun that week with the Bruce name.

Bob with Robert the Bruce

The Castle has numerous events, including weddings and plays, and this gown was part of an art show.

We could see the William Wallace Monument at Stirling from the castle.

We had lunch at a little cafe in the compound and then back on the bus to visit Brannockburn Visitor Centre and a 3-D presentation about the June 23-24, 1314, battle which made Bruce so famous. Our notes say that on the return to Glasgow we had an orientation drive past the 12th century cathedral, university buildings and elegant Georgian squares built by wealthy tobacco barons, and I sort of have a memory of that, but suspect I dozed a bit on the bus. We walked and looked around for a place to eat, but ended up back at the hotel dining room and had a fine dinner of salmon.

If I'd had more time in Scotland (returned Wednesday evening), I would have visited more museums, ruins and looked at more art. The battles, whether clan on clan or Scots against Vikings or English, are all mushed together in my mind. But I still would have had the same questions. If Scotland became independent of the U.K., would they tear down all those statues of deceased or visiting kings and knock down museums to failed causes? Would they sink the Britannia ship the Queen used on family holidays?

Scots were/are not united on language, culture, religion, politics, monarchies, or distilled beverages, and it's a very small country. But they don't seem to be ripping apart their history because of the warts as we are doing in the USA. And one other thing, that beautiful landscape is from "climate change." We saw numerous non-violent volcanoes, and strange rocks and boulders dumped there by retreating glaciers thousands of years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=mI2oJbk-bcI

Beautiful Glengoyne Distillery 

 

Here I am at the Glengoyne Whisky Distillery to see how barley, water, and yeast create a popular drink

Nutrition advice for Americans

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans...
5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Comey the leaker

 "My judgment was I needed to get [the memos] out into the public square," Comey said. "So, I asked a friend of mine to share the content of the memo with a reporter. I didn't do it myself for a variety of reasons, but I asked him to because I thought that might prompt the appointment of a special counsel."  I wonder how "I asked a friend.." works in murder or a robbery?


Gob smacked is what Judicial Watch described their reaction. We weren't in the country during the testimony--blissfully unaware traveling in Scotland. But I think everyone is shocked by Comey's illegal behavior of leaking his memo--but one more piece of evidence in Trump's favor.  It was worse than even Trump suspected.  I don't expect the Never Trumper Republicans to eat crow.  Comey is another Reality Winner (NSA contractor), just another member of the Deep State attempting to thwart the November election.  Trump is not our problem--it's the unelected.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ1MDKlgrnE 

 "The testimony of James Comey proved long on atmospherics and short on ethics. While many were riveted by Comey’s discussion of his discomfort in meetings with President Trump, most seemed to miss the fact that Comey was describing his own conduct in strikingly unethical terms. The greatest irony is that Trump succeeded in baiting Comey to a degree that even Trump could not have imagined. After calling Comey a “showboat” and poor director, Comey proceeded to commit an unethical and unprofessional act in leaking damaging memos against Trump."   http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/the-administration/337160-opinion-the-damaging-case-against-james-comey

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/06/09/yes-james-b-comey-is-a-leaker-but-all-leaks-are-not-created-equal/   Washington Post, of course, says not big deal. Who knew?

The Comey story is dead, done, zip. Nothing against Trump, all against Comey.  Democrats had to move on, and then came the shooting and bumped their crushed hopes off the front page.

Failed again--Washington Post blind to its own crimes

I just read some background research in the Washington Post on the shooter of Republicans playing ball, James Hodgkinson.  Or should have been.

1) Interview with the station attendant who put air in his tires who remarked how he'd had a temper tantrum, 2) blaming Trump (lots of detail just in case you've missed all the dirt)
3) for his lack of work when the attendant worked 6 days a week;
4)  interview with his wife in Illinois who knew nothing.
5) Also interviewed the local Democrats in Illinois who don't claim him--called him a lone wolf.
6) Nothing about his decade of anti-Republican rants in newspapers and social media.

He was fixated on blaming others for his failures--even before Obama. But they sure had details on the guns. Not a peep that perhaps the drip, drip, drip (98% negative) of lies and hysteria in WaPo about Trump could have contributed to Hodgkinson's feelings of failure, smallness, and depression. WaPo needs to hire some real writers, if there are any left in DC.

Hateful remarks from the Left creating chaos

"Here’s a list of political hate-speech from the left; ignored or endorsed by prominent democrats, members of the media, or Hollywood celebrities.

• Hollywood Actor Mark Ruffalo calls on NBC News to "cease hiring white conservatives."
• "Knights for Socialism" group at a Florida University teaches students how to "fight the fascists."
• Anti-Trump "resistance" leaders say they want to "Make America Ungovernable," call for "direct action" tactics against Republicans.
• Kathy Griffin's photoshoot depicting President Trump's severed head.
• Charlie Sheen wishes death on Donald Trump, tweeting, “Dear God; Trump next, please! Trump next, please!" following the death of actress Carrie Fisher. 
• President Trump murdered in musician Marilyn Manson's music video.
• Katie Tur insinuates Donald Trump will begin killing journalists on MSNBC, saying “Donald Trump has made no secret about going after journalists"
• Unhinged NYU professor calls on students to attack conservative speaker Gavin McInnes, calls his supporters "Nazis."
• Rachel Maddow says Donald Trump wants to murder journalists.
• Comedian Jim Carrey supports Kathy Griffin's photoshoot, says he dreams of killing President Trump.
• Madonna says she wants to "blow up the White House" during a speech.
• Black Lives Matter say they want to "fry cops like bacon" during a rally in Minnesota.
• President Obama urges liberal activists to, "Get in their faces."
• Actor Mickey Rourke goes on anti-Trump rant, says "F*** him, F*** the horse he rode in on, his wife's one of the biggest gold-diggers I know."
• Rapper Big Sean raps about murdering Donald Trump with an icepick. 
• Late-Night host Stephen Colbert goes on anti-Trump tirade, calls him "Vladimir Putin's c***-holster."
• Comedian Bill Maher jokes about Trump family incest.
• Rapper Snoop Dogg stages phony execution of 'clown' Donald Trump.
• NBC and New York Times contributor Malcolm Nance calls on ISIS to suicide-bomb Trump-owned properties. 
• NYC Theater group stages performance of 'Julius Caesar,' showing the savage stabbing-death of 'Donald Trump.'
• Protesters in Philadelphia chant "Kill Trump - Kill Pence" during May Day demonstrations. "

And he didn't list them all; this is just since Trump won the election. . .  like Obama suggesting Democrats bring a gun to a knife fight. Hodgkinson had had a grudge against Republicans long before Trump became the candidate. He swallowed all the media hate and vitriol about conservatives.

There is a backlash, more from the left than the right

We didn't know about the shooting of Republicans at the baseball practice--we were flying over the nation on our way home from Edinburgh, then saw a snippet on a Fox crawl through the seats on the plane. Rush Limbaugh said Hodgkinson’s Facebook Page Reads Like a CNN Panel on Russia. Yet, remember, Rush and "talk radio" are always blamed by the left, but the violence comes from them. They are blind to the hammering of Trump and Republicans (98% negative according to a recent study done at Harvard) and the ridicule on late night TV which is earning them high ratings and more money. They night after night talk about Russia hacking the election and destroying our democracy when in fact they are the ones, drip, drip, drip, until the unhinged believe them, despite no evidence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3M-kpsC4BQ

Just Google a very general search about liberals (politicians, media, entertainers) who ask the public to kill, assassinate or maim conservatives/Republicans, or who accuse Republicans of wanting to starve or kill the poor and elderly and you'll see that the search bring up their hatred, the incendiary language, the riots at little Middlebury and huge Berkeley, burning buildings, blocking speeches, and insulting millions of Americans by Clinton as racists, sexists and bigots, all in the name of the first amendment while demonizing the second amendment. Obama blamed the right with no evidence after the Gifford shooting, but it is the left weirdos and anarchists who actually commit the violence in the name of protecting THEIR free expression.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Baiv4YG7QGk

In February 2016 an Atlantic article opined:   "There is a backlash against the liberalism of the Obama era. But it is louder than it is strong. Instead of turning right, the country as a whole is still moving to the left." Yes, this Atlantic article eventually gets around to blaming the right for violence on the left. Racism and growing violence in the Black Lives Matter movement is blamed on whites (for any reason including their race).

"The Right doesn't like it but the Left loves it. And it is economic violence in our system. "There has been little public backlash on economics, either. President Obama has intervened more extensively in the economy than any other president in close to half a century. In his first year, he pushed through the largest economic stimulus in American history—larger in inflation-adjusted terms than Franklin Roosevelt’s famed Works Progress Administration. In his second year, he muscled universal health care through Congress, something progressives had been dreaming about since Theodore Roosevelt ran as a Bull Moose. That same year, he signed a law re-regulating Wall Street. He’s also spent roughly $20 billion bailing out the auto industry, increased fuel-efficiency standards for cars and trucks, toughened emissions standards for coal-fired power plants, authorized the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the production of carbon dioxide, expanded the Food and Drug Administration’s ability to regulate the sale of tobacco products, doubled the amount of fruits and vegetables required in school lunches, designated 2 million acres as wilderness, and protected more than 1,000 miles of rivers."

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/01/why-america-is-moving-left/419112/

The endless ironies

"No one worried much when Obama promised on a hot mic to Medvedev that he would be more flexible with the Russians after his reelection, as if they were to conform to a desired sort of behavior in service to Obama that would earn them dividends from him later on — the kind of unapologetic partisan “collusion” that would have earned Trump a Comey-induced indictment.

 

No one cared that Obama pulled all peacekeepers out of Iraq and thereby ruined what the surge had saved.

 

Nor did anyone fret much about the serial scandals at the GSA, the VA, the IRS, and the Secret Service, or his disastrous reset policy with Russia and the implosion of the Middle East or the strange spectacles of Obama’s interview with GloZell or polarizing Oval Office guests, such as the rapper whose album cover portrayed celebrations over a dead white judge."

 http://www.nationalreview.com/article/448562/donald-trump-ironies-wrecking-ball-long-overdue-may-benefit-country

 

What made the mainstream media and lefty overpaid "entertainers" revere Obama as god-like and sent shivers up their legs, now drives them beyond the bend when a Republican president does similar things. . . even stupid and dangerous things.

About the rhetoric and the left urging violence. . .

"When Kathy Griffin posed with a mock severed head of President Trump, she had more than a few defenders, with actor Jim Carrey saying her only sin was being the brave soul to voice what everyone else felt.

When controversy erupted over an iteration of Julius Caesar that depicted Trump as the assassinated leader, playwright Tony Kushner blamed Breitbart and the right wing media for manufacturing outrage.

Enter David Simon, creator of HBO's hit show The Wire, who less than 24-hours before the shooting on Wednesday, openly called for anti-Trumpers to commit violence, advising them to "pick up a goddamn brick" if they don't get their way." http://www.conservativenews.com/article/3132/just-one-day-gop-congressman-attacked?

Riots break out when a conservative is invited to speak on college campuses; 98% negative reporting on Trump in the MSM; the DNC candidate calling half the country "deplorables;" one major candidate a designated socialist, the form of politics at the root of non-war death in the 20th century; disagreeing about climate change is considered a crime; death in the womb is part of the Democrat party's mission statement.  So who are the violent ones?

Monday Memories--Letter from Dad, June 18, 2001

A letter from Dad.  He always left the correspondence up to Mom, but I did have a few notes from him after her death in January 2000, and found this one recently.  I had been writing him frequently, maybe once a week.

Monday, June 18, 2001
Dear Norma,
As I promised I’m going to write you a letter, so you can tell all your friends.  I’m going to go from Sunday backwards, instead of starting a week ago and go forward like you do.

Church 9 a.m.   June 17
Home at 10:45
Over to 408 Sunset at 12 noon.  Drove to Byron, but before getting out of the car, Ruth said, “This is on me.  I’m filling in for Norma and Joanne.  They would pay if they were here.” Back to Mt. Morris by 2 p.m.
At 3:00 Ruth and I went to the Baptist Church dedication.  The old one burned 2 years ago and they have been worshiping in the Leaf River Grade School since.  I don’t know why the Baptists have all the good speakers and we have none.
Back at 408 by 6 p.m.  Home by 7:30.

Saturday June 16
Went to Rockford to see J. Groenewold. Then to K’s Merchandise to buy electric razor 10 a.m. Home by 12. Nothing except weeds and napping rest of the day.

Friday, June 15
Took Gene and Betty to VFW in Oregon for Fish Fry. I’m sure they liked it.  They have a meal every Friday night as a fund raiser.
Tomorrow night Ruth and I are going to “Good Samaritan” supper as a fund raiser for Pinecrest.  Tickets on Ruth $100.00.

Thanks for all you and Bob have done to make my life at 11 West 1st the joy that it has become. You two were a great help in my adjusting to life without Olive.  I still miss her every day.
Love, Dad

On reading and books

"Today is for celebration but starting tomorrow I humbly urge you to embark on a lifelong relationship with a faithful companion who will always help you and sometimes delight you -- who will never desert you, who will make you smarter, and wiser, who will always be by your side and enlighten you all the days of your life. I am talking about: books.

You must not stop reading books. That's all. If you seek a happy and interesting life, one of depth, meaning and accomplishment, you must read books." Peggy Noonan, commencement address at Catholic University

https://www.cua.edu/speeches-and-homilies/2017/commencement-2017.html

Being left is not being liberal

This is the disease of leftism.

 Climate change is more of a threat than Islamic extremism.
You think the cure for terrorism is a hug.
You think the president or people on the right are more dangerous than Islamic terrorism.
You watch The View....
You think Joe and Mika make a cute couple.
You were saddened by the television show Girls being canceled.
You have more disdain for friends who think differently than jihadists who want to kill you.
You need a “safe space.”
You think people should be fired for free speech.
You find yourself protesting in Birkenstocks.
You agree with Tucker’s second guest.
The president has caused you to lose sleep, given you rashes, harmed your sex life, or “broken you.”
You are or want to be a pundit on CNN or MSNBC.
You find Samantha Bee even mildly amusing.
You take ten private jets to a climate change summit
You have private armed security and call for gun control.
You are in the entertainment industry; yes, there are a handful of exceptions, and I mean a handful.
You have had a sexual fantasy featuring Bernie Sanders or Sarah Silverman and think a summer home in Venezuela sounds romantic.
You find Don Lemon informative.
https://spectator.org/leftism-an-incurable-disease/

Democrats still don't understand why Trump won

Democrats, who look down their noses at the middle class, who thought it was hilarious to call millions of Americans "deplorable," are still trying to figure out how Trump won, yet get it wrong. Good piece in the Wall Street Journal. https://www.orangepower.com/threads/why-trump-won.232923/

  "A new Journal analysis of standardized test results finds that over the course of their college careers, many students are not markedly improving their ability to evaluate evidence and analyze information. 'some of the most prestigious flagship universities, test results indicate the average graduate shows little or no improvement in critical thinking over four years,' reports the Journal. Given that more-educated voters broke for Mrs. Clinton, perhaps the lesson is that whether or not university professors can teach kids how to think, they have at least managed to teach them how to vote."

"The bank CEO sums it up: 'No wage growth. No investment earnings growth. No wonder families are stretched and stressed.' And no wonder they lost faith in the U.S. political establishment."

Radical Son--David Horowitz

I guess the left got tired of attacking Bannon and are going after Horowitz. His parents were card carrying Communists (they called themselves Progressives), and he used to be (Berkeley Leftist, fund raiser for Black Panthers), but is now an outspoken writer/philosopher on the right. I read his autobiography (Radical Son) many years ago. I don't see him having the power that WaPo sees. But if it weren't for the blame game, the left would have no game at all. He says during the McGovern campaign, the Left took over the Democrat Party. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DD_8SJKAjc

Horowitz WaPo story

http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-captive-mind-of-trump-true-believer-david-horowitz

http://dailycaller.com/2016/10/27/why-david-horowitz-loved-donald-trump-from-the-start/

"Universities are now totalitarian institutions. . . It's fascism and is embedded in the universities."

"People of color is a racist phrase. . . "

Not a resistance--you can't have that word

If you want to hate Trump, at least don't misname what you are doing.

"No, sorry, YOU ARE NOT A RESISTANCE, because USA is not a dictatorship. Nobody is persecuting you; none of your rights are being violated; no illegal purges enacted; no tortures and disappearances. You didn’t like the results of an election – and want to pretend it is illegitimate, because you don’t want to do the hard work of rebuilding a constituency alienated, “Because you thought correcting people’s attitudes was more important than finding them jobs. Because you turned ‘white man’ from a description into an insult (…) Because you cried when someone mocked the Koran but laughed when they mocked the Bible. (…) Because you kept telling people, ‘You can’t think that, you can’t say that, you can’t do that’,” as Brendan O’Neill has said. Alas, the only people losing their legitimacy are you; who wear little pink hats and take off all your clothes and wander through public spaces offending friend and foe alike; who vandalize coffee shops and write little slogans misspelled on cardboard. No, YOU ARE NOT A RESISTANCE, and you don’t get to have that word."

https://joelhirst.wordpress.com/2017/03/10/sorry-youre-not-a-resistance/

Our internet is back

Our internet, phone and cable are up and running again. Sunday we had a big storm, and lost the use of the 2 TVs with cable boxes, the internet and our phone. Our other TVs (limited channels, no box) were working but not a great picture.   Everything had slowly come back on over 2 days, the interet returning about 10 a.m., but instead of cancelling, we just kept the service call. He went over everything very carefully, and then asked if there were any other cable boxes, so we sent him to Bob's office on the lower level. He was there a long time, and when he came up he was holding a piece of cable pretty well chewed up, from the outside. Apparently it had been the victim of lawn equipment, don't know when. He suspected that as it dried out from the storm, the connections were again working. I hope that stops the various interruptions we've had that our neighbors didn't. Two years ago the remodeling on the unit next door cut our electricity source which went through his attic into ours.

So for two mornings I went down the street a mile to Panera's to read my e-mail on my I-pad and then in the afternoon I went to the UAPL and used its Wi-Fi. But I'm happy to have the convenience restored.  Although I do get more done when it isn't available.

Monday Memories--The Methodists are Coming, June 1995

The Methodists were coming to Lakeside for their Annual Conference in June 1995--thousands descend--first West Ohio and then East Ohio, or the other way around. One used to be German speaking the other English, but I don't remember which is which.  It is the only time we rented, and it meant Spring cleaning and putting all our personal effects away.  I must have gone up and down the basement steps 50 times (would have been smarter to just go to the laundromat) with bedding, blankets, rugs, and towels. The house is tiny, but the basement is even smaller, and the steps are at a terribly steep pitch. And spiders love it there, so I also swept and debugged the basement. The plastic cover on the deck furniture looked scummy, so I washed that in the machine with Clorox, then the deck looked sort of greenish in spots so I scrubbed it with a Clorox solution. Bob spent the day mowing, clipping, weeding and washing windows. The closets and drawers were stripped and their contents go into the cedar chest. Phoebe and Mark had a few items stashed under beds, so those were removed to a box on the front porch. Two shelves in the linen closet were emptied for the guests, and the medicine cabinet cleaned out. Cupboards were emptied so the Methodists have room for food, and somehow, it is just a good time to make a clean sweep of things, which meant 4 bags of trash. How we accumulated so much in a house we don't live in, I don't know. We finished about 6 p.m. and cleaned up and walked down to the Patio Restaurant for dinner, because I'd had to clean out the refrigerator, too.

The cottage was Grand Central Station that June day in 1995. I decided I should get hot, sweaty and dirty more often, because company shows up. Mike and Donna Conrad had purchased a lovely wooden bench at Wal-Mart and couldn't get it in their car, so I drove Mike there in our van to pick up the bench. Bob had to measure a cottage for which he's doing construction documents, and two unhappy clients showed up (not unhappy with him but with the contractor). And a contractor stopped by. Then Mike showed up with a plate of cookies from Donna, and a another neighbor brought over a kitty litter container she thought we'd like. Her husband, who is an auctioneer, had picked up a bunch of them.

So I've decided what I need in Columbus is a visit from some Methodists! Once a month, say the 15th, I'll declare it "The Methodists are Coming" day, and I'll do one area a month. Five areas upstairs, and seven areas downstairs. I haven't seen my kitchen counter since Phoebe and Mark's wedding, so in honor of the Methodists, I'll probably start in the kitchen. Today I washed 175,000 margarine tubs. I could swear they reproduce. I didn't start buying soft margarine until after the kids were gone, but those babies sure do accumulate!

On Memorial Day Week-end, Mark's parents had stopped by at Lakeside, so we had 8 for dinner. We created a "children's table" on the deck and Phoebe and Mark and Phil and Tiffany sat out there, and Paul and Marylyn and we sat in the kitchen. Marylyn is going to a workshop for choir directors the last week in June, so they had driven over from Cleveland to look for a cottage to rent.

(Notes from a letter to my parents in June 1995)

Fearful of knowing the other side or sides?

Dennis Prager (98.9 fm in Columbus) made an interesting observation today.  He sat next to a Californian, a leftist, on a 5 hour flight.  It was cordial, she was lovely, mid-thirties and intelligent according to him.  But after an hour or so of  discussion he realized she knew nothing she hadn’t heard on NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN and MSNBC or one of the news services like AP, or government funded PBS. For conservatives like me it's virtually impossible to be that blind and narrow.  We hear anti-Trump material 24/7, we hear or read complaints about free markets and capitalism all the time.  Even if we find a conservative source, it is reporting on what the liberals say! We endure terribly nasty biased stuff spouted as news when it is someone's opinion. Washington Post is one of the worst--8 out of 10 headline stories that show up in my e-mail are anti-Trump, but some think the New York Times is worse.  Just ask a liberal friend or acquaintance when was the last time she heard something on the news that was positive about this administration. Even Fox has gone leftward, although no declared liberal would watch that channel enough to realize how it has changed in 2017.  How did we get well educated people so narrow and confused? Being a liberal should make you open to new ideas, right?  It’s hard to imagine they’ve been to college and can make it to work each day.

Dennis Prager has wonderful 5-6 minute videos called Prager University. He uses many different researchers, scientists, historians, etc. with some cartoons and good graphics.  I wish real universities were this clear and entertaining.

The latest is dated June, 5, 2017

https://www.prageru.com/courses/environmental-science/climate-change-what-do-scientists-say

https://www.prageru.com/courses/environmental-science/paris-climate-agreement-wont-change-climate

https://www.prageru.com/courses/environmental-science/climate-change-whats-so-alarming

I care about the environment, but not a carbon tax or silly waste of money

Let me be very clear. God told us to take care of the earth, but spending $100 trillion over 100 years to reduce the climate temperature 3/10 of a degree is not part of God's plan. Let's at least clean up the water in Flint, first. Let's stop releasing balloons into the atmosphere. Stop dumping trash from your car to the roadways. Stop removing the fence rows around the fields so birds have no place to nest. When you walk your dog, the one you say is just like family, clean up the poop. Stop lobbyists from urging Congress to compile new regulations for "sustainable" this and that which put a burden on the middle class and keep minorities locked up in deteriorating neighborhoods because the newer areas are doubled in price with environmental regulations. Let's stop killing the unborn, some of whom just might have the solutions. Then for those that do make it through the birth canal and grow up to attend college, stop their professors from force feeding them nonsense about race and sex.

https://www.fws.gov/news/blog/index.cfm/2015/8/5/Balloons-and-Wildlife-Please-Dont-Release-Your-Balloons

https://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/economic-intelligence/2012/06/01/the-epa-is-not-the-fourth-branch-of-government

http://www.newsmax.com/JonahGoldberg/xxxx/2016/11/16/id/759200/

http://time.com/4441471/flint-water-lead-poisoning-costs/

Walking for Scotland

St. Teresa of Avila wrote in her journal (paraphrase): Some days I’m on top of the world; other days I feel like an ant. I heard this on the radio during my morning walk. Can't find it in the quote pool, but it certainly reflects reality whether in the 16th century or 21st century. But it was gorgeous this morning, so I was on top of the world.

So today I've walked outside about 5 miles, going out twice in the afternoon, and rather than just go short distances, I'm trying to take longer walks.  Our van in Scotland will get us to the location, but I know from previous trips, there can be long walks from the parking lot and lots of steps inside castles.

Pentecost, the birth of the church

It's been a party party week-end. Yesterday we celebrated the 70th birthday of a friend at a fabulous surprise event at Hyde Park restaurant carefully planned by her husband and daughters, and today we celebrate the birth of the Christian church. And I would certainly recommend that restaurant--great food and staff.

And today, another birthday party--the church.  We Christians call this day Pentecost (Greek for 50th day) and it's the third of the three big ones--Jesus' birth, his resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit to the apostles to establish the church Jesus had talked about. It is celebrated by Christians all over the world 50 days after Easter, and marks the day that the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles while they were cowering and hiding behind locked doors following Jesus’ resurrection. It falls on a Jewish feast day because it's virtually impossible to understand Christianity if you don't know the basics.

Jesus said to Peter the apostle whose name means rock, "Upon this rock I will build my church." There are all sorts of interpretations of this, just pick one. It's one of the reasons there are 35,000 protestant denominations, Bible and non-denominational churches. And people who claim to read the Bible literally, jump through hoops to say Jesus didn't mean Peter.

But he did established the church as he promised. So guys and gals, let's stop cowering and hiding and celebrate.

New York Times outs an undercover spy

In an article published Friday, The New York Times outed the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) top spy overseeing the organization’s efforts in Iran. The paper justified its outing of the undercover CIA spy and his role within the agency by saying it was necessary since the agent is “leading an important new administration initiative against Iran.” This is how much the media hates Donald Trump. For all progressives, Communists, leftists and Democrats, treason is just fine. Just don't use the N-word or say a 10 year old boy isn't a girl.

https://thefederalist.com/2017/06/02/new-york-times-just-outed-cia-chief-iran/

Carbon Dioxide is your friend

CO2 is not the enemy. It's a benefit. We can't live without it. We are all being lied to. CO2 means regeneration and health. Climate change has existed from the beginning. And no, 97% of scientists do not agree--that's another misreading of the bumper sticker created by a grad student. We are still in the current ice age--the very one that melted the glacier that covered Ohio and gave it wonderfully fertile soil, terrific lakes, building stone for mansions, and rolling hills, some with coal for our use to pull the world out of millennia of poverty.

 We are currently in the “Quaternary Ice Age,” which is either the coldest or the second coldest period in the last 500 million years. Scientists don't know the reason for the cold periods, but the warming cycles within the cold periods last about 15,000 years and that is well studied. Political leaders and holy men like John Kerry, Barack Obama, Bill Gates and their agitprop choir in the media believe they can hold back what has been going on for millions of years based on computer models that are always wrong if you just give them enough money and hold back further development. And no, I'm not a scientist, just a librarian who has learned there's always more to learn. https://www.britannica.com/science/Quaternary

Even if Climate Change is your religion, examine your beliefs and stop the hymns to hysteria. The power brokers lusting for your dollars are laughing at us, and not because Trump got us out of a voluntary, non-binding, peer pressure driven, bullying agreement that let China off the pollution hook.

Come to Ohio and see what melting glaciers can do.

 http://trekohio.com/2013/07/16/ohio-geology-in-10-minutes-or-less/

That 97% figure is WRONG.  https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexepstein/2015/01/06/97-of-climate-scientists-agree-is-100-wrong/#7d5509e23f9f

Climate change marathon.  Best education you'll get on this important topic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qufEhDXdGnc

It's National Donut Day

I noticed a big donut shape of flab around my middle while trying on clothes at Kohl's. Must be that National Donut Day thing; hope it's gone tomorrow. I thought I needed a new long sleeve blouse for the Scotland trip.  The weather will be coolish.  41-60.  Found one in some colors I like.  REALLY loud.

This morning on my way to Kohl's I heard a news stories that children who have a TV in their bedroom are more likely to have a weight problem before age 11. Then that story was followed by one about National Donut Day.

It's Obama who really stopped the Paris agreement

Listening to the hysteria about the climate, you would think Republicans or Trump who hadn't yet run for office had stopped this non-binding, 3 Trillion dollar worthless agreement in the Senate, but of course, they didn't. It's Obama that stopped the Paris Accord from getting to representatives of the people. He was king, but he's not any more.

The Democratic mayor of Pittsburgh is not happy with what Trump said (he represents Pittsburgh and not Paris), but there are about 10 other towns and cities named Pittsburg, so maybe he's the president of those towns?

Steven Colbert has been using Trump to boost his flagging ratings. This Climate thing will really help. Alternative energy companies can now really develop. Wind mills and solar panels are not forbidden. With a booming economy, and fewer regulations they may actually do much better. And when they are economically viable, they can replace fossil fuel if it's needed.

Friday family photo--the three Bobs

It was 1977 and Bob's father was visiting in Indiana from California. Bob Poisal, Bob Bruce, Sr., and Bob Bruce, Jr.

40 years ago, Bob, Bob and Bob

What about that 97% consensus?

So many who have never questioned the origin of that sacred 97% consensus, need to read further.

The “97 percent” statistic first appeared prominently in a 2009 study by University of Illinois master’s STUDENT Kendall Zimmerman and her adviser, Peter Doran. Based on a two-question online survey, Zimmerman and Doran concluded that “the debate on the authenticity of global warming and the role played by human activity is largely nonexistent among those who understand the nuances and scientific bases of long-term climate processes” — even though only 5 percent of respondents, or about 160 scientists, were climate scientists. In fact, the “97 percent” statistic was drawn from an even smaller subset: the 79 respondents who were both self-reported climate scientists and had “published more than 50% of their recent peer-reviewed papers on the subject of climate change.” These 77 scientists agreed that global temperatures had generally risen since 1800, and that human activity is a “significant contributing factor.”
 http://www.nationalreview.com/article/425232/climate-change-no-its-not-97-percent-consensus-ian-tuttle

Digging even deeper.  https://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/12/10/an-oopsie-in-the-doranzimmerman-97-consensus-claim/