Pain at the Pump. …why aren’t you teed off

images.app.goo.gl/LW7XvfLApHZqYF5h8

Most polls say inflation is top on voters minds.

And when opec+(I just found out what the plus was for) decided to cut production I thought well I guess gas prices will start going up again. The news reported President Biden felt betrayed.

And then I saw the photo of Donald Trump wearing his mags hat at a LIV golf tournament he was hosting at one of his golf courses. What you may not know is The LIV tournament was started by and owned by Saudi Arabia. The same Saudi Arabia that is a main member of OPEC+.

Then I read how this new tour was supposed to be the anti elitist pigs tour for ordinary Americans. What?

The ordinary Americans who are struggling to pay the bills and fill their gas tanks.

There was mr. Maga who wants your money also taking money (I assume) from the people who are jacking up your gas prices.

The claim it is to steady the fuel markets in case there is a down turn. What they mean is they are making sure they will make there money while you pay more. And Trump takes your money and their money. Because ultimately Trump cares first, foremost and possibly only about himself.

And don’t say it’s capitalism. Because gop congress members are planning on having hearings looking into wall street firms who invest in “woke” industries or sectors. Like climate change.

Words, words, words, What do they mean? What do we mean when we use them?

Every so often I have a build-up of words hitting me from society at large and striking me as off. Today I will ponder why.

1. When Musk lists himself as Chief Twit is he trying to be funny? Thats the problem with the internet you can’t read sarcasm. Or facial expression to see if it is tongue in cheek. But for his sake and for my piece of mind let’s put out the definition of twit. NOUN informal BRITISH a silly or foolish person. While I may agree that he often comes across as a major maybe even the chief (for the day) silly 0r foolish person does he really want me thinking that out loud.

2. The “woke” as an insult problem. It may seem clever at first thought to try and turn the word around into a negative. But once you actually take more than a second to think about what you are saying with this mocking you might want to rethink the whole thing. Because what you are trying to say is that being woke is a bad thing. So if one is not woke then one is most likely one of its opposites. Most of which relate to being still asleep. Hypnotized, mesmerized. All of which seem to be states of not thinking or being unconscious or not actively aware. If I have to choose between woke and those mocking woke. I will go with those who are at least awake and not hypnotized.

3. Why are so many people who decry cancel culture so big on banning? ok that is a generalization. There are libertarians who decry cancel culture. but they rarely show up for those being banned.

Definition of Cancel Culture: the practice or tendency of engaging in mass canceling as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure

Cancel culture as I have witnessed it has generally occurred after repeated bad behaviors have either become known or have occurred. For example men who have used their position to sexually harass or assault women. Some of whom went on to be criminally charged. Some did not but were canceled from there high paying often entertainment industry jobs. Others have expressed racist sexist or used inflammatory rhetoric to gain notice. And I could post many blogs on free speech. But ultimately free speech is not an ultimate limitless thing. And only applies to the government. So if people, even en mass no longer want to hear what someone has to say, then everyone and every company has the right in their domain to not allow these people to push their wares or ideas. Freedom of speech does not mean there is no accountability.

And then I hear about banning books and wonder why all those people decrying cancel culture seem fine with book banning.

ban noun (Entry 2 of 3) 1: legal or formal prohibition 2: censure or condemnation especially through social pressure (Wait didn’t I just read this somewhere up above. hmmm)

The practice of banning books is a form of censorship, from political, legal, religious, moral, or (less often) commercial motives.

Then the Florida law nicknamed the “don’t say gay” law sprang to mind. (see previous post about the federal proposed bill about why these are really concerning to me.) and how they fit into the whole banning/cancelling. But as I tried to read about it they were squirrely about the wording. And it took me off track but in a wordy way. Part of it seemed to hinge on children being instructed in age-appropriate ways. And then said children having discussions are not part of the bill. Ok. And it only applied to teachers. Hence the instruction bit. But the bill actually included teachers, students and third parties. ???? Other than third party part I was like ok maybe people are worried for nothing after all (disclaimer I haven’t been in the third grade or younger for a very long time and don’t have children.) How graphic could sex ed be for straight sex at these ages that you could really have to say very much about transgender and gay. Maybe third graders would want more info.

But then I read this quote.

“This bill is not intended to hurt students,” added Florida state Sen. Kelli Stargel in debate on the legislation. “This bill is not intended to out gay children. This bill is intended to strengthen the family.”

What???? WTF. Whose outing children? But if you are following this womans thinking to not out you are most likely trying to keep the child in. As in the closet. Which I would say is metaphorical child abuse. And I actually think passing of the bill weakens the family in some ways since you are passing on your obligations to the school to monitor you childs non required reading.

Does the bill mean gay and transgender teachers can’t teach below the fourth grade in florida because students might ask questions they would have to answer that would break the law and put them in legal jeopardy? The law needs to be way more specific or removed.

Yes, I totally fell down a rabbit whole of thoughts. So easy to do now a days. And now I am so hungry and off to get a snack.

Am I the Only One Thinking ….

So ,we finally got some of the info in the Trump Mar a Lago search affidavit and I am having some thoughts. And they are not the ones everyone is talking about out the news. I am having those too.

1. I hope his attorneys are getting paid a ton to sound like idiots.

But mainly I am concerned about his handling of these documents not at mar a lago but as president. Especially as they were found just thrown in boxes with just a bunch of other paper ephemera. I know he likes to claim he declassifies these documents but all evidence says that he has not done so. Maybe has done it in his head but that is not the actual process to do so. And some of the more highly classified seem to require very specific handling, even by those cleared to view them. So how do they end in boxes with news articles and other junk papers. How did Trump handle them in the White House when he was President? Did he leave them about where people without clearance could see them? Shouldn’t they have been given back right away or stored securely immediately after viewing? Is Trump just a sloppy idiot with no sense? Or does he not grasp the reality of what he was dealing with? Was he playing at being President? And not taking it seriously?

Is the this a sign of the level of his competency? Or the sign of his lack of regard of anyone but himself.

But this is just the thought that popped into my mind.

Woman X Inc. LLC

I must admit up front my news band width right now is almost non existant so I am mostly reading headlines and first paragraphs and watching just a few minutes of local, national and international news. So like everyone else I have heard about the leaked Supreme Court abortion document while unable to deep dive into its details my mind did spin off into thoughts.

And hear is one of them and well maybe a few more.

I have decided to become a company. If a company can have the rights of a human being I wan the rights of a company. Not the rights of the owner of the company but the company itself. I want to be able to make all my decisions based on what is best for my company i.e. myself based on my five year plan for fiscal growth and what is best for my brand. And since I have no stock holders I am beholden to no one but myself.

If I find myself with an unwanted pregnancy then I will evaluate its effect on my bottom and my brand. Then I will end it if it is not financially good for my companies bottom line. Just like hospitals do when they deny care to patients. Or drug companies who price the medications out of reach of people who will die if they can’t afford them. Or insurance companies who decide that the treatment for a disease is too costly and most likely won’t give a person more than a year or more life. But it might. But it is too expensive to take a chance.

And let’s face it being pregnant is a big financial outlay all in the red. And then it slows your productivity which could affect Woman X inc’s contracts with other companies costing me income. All of it hurting the bottom line and unacceptable. This unwanted employee must be fired and removed from my office forcibly if necessary.

Thats it, I want the right to operate like a company. To be ruthless. To not care about those who depend on their livelihoods from me. Who will go hungry when I fire them. Will lose there health care. More profits and less regulations. Who needs safety that could save my workers lives. They chose to work for me. It’s on them. I’m a corporation all I need to focus on is profits and my brand.

I could declare myself a country and not care about the life and death of others too. After all those people crossing our borders lives aren’t the same as real lives. But I think then I could end up in wars. And as a nation of one that would leave me in the weakest position.

So Woman X Inc it is. And think about the tax benefits.

Sorry if this makes little sense. It is ob the cuff. And my head is killing me. Which in a world like it is right now is understandable if not desireable.

Dear Journalists and Protestors

While reading coverage of clashes on US college campuses that have gotten violent I am disturbed that both the protesters/witnesses and journalists seem to fall back saying things like it felt like a war zone. I have come across it in two different reading sessions. I can’t remember if it was about the same incident the one at UCLA. or if it included another one.

But I have to say the fact that you are there protesting a war while there are also two other wars going on in the world and you choose to describe your situation this way is frankly insulting to all the people living in those three intolerable situations. The fact that journalists can’t find words to describe a scene that is either a peaceful protest or is a war zone. No none of you were being tortured. In fact all of you can leave at any time. The Israeli hostages cannot . The Palestinian civilians cannot. The Sudan civilians are at the whims of two warring factions. And Ukraine is fighting to see itself from Russian taking over its country.

I hope whoever instigated and caused injury to others gets arrested. But I also hope that you stop the hyperbole.

PS Wanting freedom of speech for your protests then setting up your own zones on a public college campus in which you deny others access who do not agree with your beliefs because they might upset those inside is the height of hypocrisy. Colleges are supposed to teach how to think critically. Not to be critical thinkers. I think got that right. But not sure.

Dear Aljezeera

I just read you newest article on the mass graves in Gaza https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/11/gazas-mass-graves-is-the-truth-being-uncovered.

And even though I do not believe at all with what Israel did in closing you down inside of Israel this story does bring into question if you are doing even little more than just saying what Hamas wants the world to hear. Because if you would have done this littlest research into mass graves at these sites on your own website you would have found news stories about them dating back to October of 2023. Which would say that they are not something that is just being unearthed.

In fact read my last blog post it has the links to your stories. They were quite heart wrenching.

And it does not mean that there may not be evidence of war crimes in those graves. But it does make one question the veracity of the matter when the basics of the facts of the graves being discovered is false. And Aljezeera knows it because they wrote articles on many of those graves in the past.

Dark Post on War and Taking The Time to think Clearly.

I must start by saying I am struggling to sleep at night because my mind just won’t stop.

And I that if I had magic I would end the war free the hostages and have two separate but equal states in the Middle East. But I don’t. And really what I think doesn’t really matter to anyone but myself. What is below will upset some if not a lot of people because it asks you to look beyond the headlines and look for some facts to see why what’s being said is being said they way it is.

Right before trying to go to bed last night I scrolled my new app to see a headline

Reports mount of More Mass Graves at Gaza Hospitals.

https://apple.news/AuWG4h5vhRIiEH1VNcYHdAw

I had read the previous articles in the previously reported unearthed mass graves at hospitals. And the articles seemed to want to jump to the conclusion that these had to be signs of war crimes of the IDF dumping casualties of their attacks on the hospital sites they were found. But reading it two of the graves were right outside of the morgue. Which when I took a second to think about it with the reported death toll in the middle war there might likely be issues of burying so many people in so sort of a time. Callus sounding I know. But. Now with Hamas announcing the finding of more graves I did some online research.

And I found these articles most of which date back to late October 2023. I must want you they are beyond heart breaking. And have very disturbing photos. But what you may want to go and read is that they tell of the Gaza in general being overwhelmed in burying the dead but that they specify that hospitals as early as these articles where burying the dead in mass graves on the same sites that we are now being fed headlines claiming they are just being shockingly found. And this is just one instance during this whole nightmare that the civilian people of Gaza are being used to try and get people to thoughtlessly jump to the conclusion that Israel is doing shameful war crimes. Can I say that amongst the bodies there isn’t evidence that Israeli soldiers hid evidence of torture? No. But based on their reply to the first report of the mass graves saying that they had fond them when they went into the hospitals and went through them looking for dead jewish hostages and then reburying the bodies combined with the below news article the seem to be telling the truth more then the Hamas news releases of just found mass graves.

All I ask is that people take the time to think things through. Look deeper. And that you can’t have one sided peace.

https://aje.io/1ibqho

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/14/gazas-al-shifa-hospital-forced-to-bury-dead-patients-in-mass-grave

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/3/mass-graves-rushed-burials-funeral-rites-bypass-gaza-dead-amid-israel-war

https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-graves-gaza-morgue-dead-9b0349ae914e33492c049430e6649c53

Other issues to maybe take the time to look into is why the neighboring Arab countries won’t take in refugees. When I did last night when I couldn’t sleep I learned a lot of background I did not know. You may want to start with Jordan and the term or group Black September. I had never heard of them. But it may make you think there may be more than one reason Jordan doesn’t want refugees and that being because Israel may never let the Palestinians back into the Gaza.

More things to think about especially for college student American protesters especially anti zionist : DEI in schools and businesses, affirmative action, who loses out, how many muslim nations are there in the world, both legally and just by population, christian. Eminent domain? I suspect they will not take the time to think. Because they seem to only support one group facing what they re calling a genocide and dire welfare do to war. But totally ignore another one going on at the very same time. Arguably the US is also ignoring it. But isn’t that shameful as well. https://apple.news/AuWG4h5vhRIiEH1VNcYHdAw

I fear and know many will disagree or say I am heartless. Or don’t care enough. But I do care but I also think you can’t have a true chance of this ending and staying stable without acknowledging the bad on both sides. And I could write a lot more on the thoughts swirling in my mind. But they just won’t help anyone and could be totally wrong. But the one thing I hope you take away is take the time to look deeper and don’t let a group or person use you by lying to you that is a sign that they are only out for themselves and their very specific agenda. Also beware the double standards.

Why Don’t Pro Affordable Housing Seattleites Never Seem to Read the fine Print.

I just got off the comment sections of a Seattle Blog which is always a sad and frustrating read. The City council has just voted against a newly proposed supposedly affordable housing program bringing together community non profits and building professionals. To build supposedly affordable housing on the non profits properties. Or at least that is what I got from the headlines. Then I dug deeper.

But first I will say that the members of the council who voted against it did so for reasons other then the main problems I have with it. But I will say the member who represents my district said hers was that it would cause undue burden to historically racially marginalized communities not facing gentrification and displacement. Now I don’t know exactly where all of these non profits are located. but I would bet they are to in the more affluent single family neighborhoods, that have fought against having density in their areas of the city. Which I agree is a problem in general and with the mayors 20 year plan for dealing with need for more density in the city being placed in areas that are already carrying the most burden.

Now back to the plan and its details. That I feel its supporters did not read or choose to over look. The main issue being the affordability part of the plan does not apply to all of the apartments to be built in these communities. Not even half of them. More like 30-40% I believe from memory. With several exceptions included for exclusions to affordability too. The it only would apply to people who ear between 60-30% of the median income of 120,000. So a single person making minimum wage would barely qualify pre taxes for a studio apartment. What would a single parent do who works at a minimum wage job? No help here. In fact they were only offering one bedroom and studios. They were supposedly going to work with habitat for humanity but not sure how that would have worked since home ownership was one of the exclusions for the income percentages.

This was also how they sold the supposed social housing authority that the voters voted for and was supposedly also done so the program could be financed using alternative methods. But so far they have slid the income percentages up in interviews to 80%-40% and are now requesting that the city hand over the money for their first round of founding.

And none of these programs would address the homelessness crisis in any real way. I doubt very many people living on the street are earning above the 30% threshold. In fact the king county homeless authority study/ survey on homeless stops categorizing the income of the homeless they come into contact with it at 2000 and up a month. With the other amounts all below.

So who should the city prioritize with the little if no money they have, the homeless, the moderate income workers?

Based on the veracity of the people behind the social housing movement I don’t trust them At this point. They may have thought they knew what they were doing. But didn’t actually run the numbers.

Justice Alito is The only One Spiraling…into illogic that is.

What is up with this man? I mean he wasn’t the only one trying to find a way to get Trump a reprieve from going on Trial for what happened on Jan 6. But some of his hypotheticals were head scratching. Only out done by Trumps lawyer.

The main one that got stuck in my mind was if a President doesn’t have Immunity and gets prosecuted right after he leaves office by some political hack from the opposing party then this will lead to the next president being charged when they leave office in retribution. The problem being so far only the President has had any kind of reprieve from Prosecution while in office lt alone the idea of immunity after leaving office. And we have seen politicians from both political parties charged with crimes. At all levels of government up to the vice president I believe. And it has so far never led to a huge spiral of tit for tat prosecutions.

The closest we have come is the sad show of an impeachment inquiry into Biden by the house which has so far found nothing. And has been run by acolytes of Donald Trump. Who is may remind you under indictment for dozens of crimes. And was himself impeached twice for abuse of power.

So we have proof that this has never happened before in the history of this country until a man who when he looses an election, and then looses every legal appeal, still refuses to accept the results of the election and sends his supporters to stop the certification of the results in the hopes that he will somehow get to stay on as president. And somehow the only Judges that feel this will set off a precedent are Judges this same man appointed. Doesn’t Alito have faith in facts or the law? Or is he actually as annoyed by them as Trump is?

It all seems to come back to if it isn’t their way or they don’t win then something is wrong. In Alito’s case he goes way back in time and claims he is an originalist. But then seems to be in denial that the constitution is built to evolve. Hence the whole amendment process. And then drops it if it stands in his way on some issues. Because he must get his way on everything. Just like Trump sells to himself and his supporters. He is not a loser. He can say it but the facts say otherwise.

And the history of our political institutions say that no party wins all the time. That is what has made us America and not say Putins Russia. Or China.

Now we have one of two parties that can seem to face this fact in federal elections and some Supreme Court Judges too. It is all very concerning.

OMG! I’m A Member of a Militia and Didn’t Know It And you may Be Too.

Today I fell down a research rabbit hole and found out I am a member of Washingtons unorganized militia. As are pretty much every other US citizen living in the State who are sane and not a felon and not in the organized National Guard. They have removed the term unorganized militia from the official law. But that is what it was previously called but the law is the same. You can be drafted by the state to serve in a riot, or earthquake, an insurrection. You get the point.

This all came up as I was looking into the second amendment and it starting with the phrase “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”. And here I was thinking we have the national military now like navy army and airfare. Plus the National Guard.

Then I looked into what it was like at the time of the signing of the constitution. Then everyone was part of their states militias. And could be called up by the federal government to fight.

I thought well times have changed. And I then added in John Roberts if you read a law back to front. If a need for a gun is tied to the need for militias then the whole second amendment is really shaky. But then I went further,

And found out states, not sure if it is all or just some have kept the double militia thing. Of one that is organized, the National Guard etc and the unorganized that is everyone else over 18 that is a us citizen able bodied and sane. Oh Shit. Am I the only that didn’t know about this. I knew the federal government could and had drafted people. Men in war time. But now states can do it too.

Jan 6. Supreme Court case addendum

O.K. I have read a bit about how some of the judges asked questions in regards to this case. And I also did a deeper dive into the actual law.

First up the part of the law that is shown most in news report from the Sarbannes Oxley actually was a reform to part of an existing set of laws about tampering with evidence and witnesses in official proceedings. Which I read in full. And it clearly states that government proceedings are included. And it seemed to me that not only the reform (part c) but some of the previous law(part) should apply to the people who on Jan 6 attempted to stop or delay the certifying into the record of the presidential election results from the states by the vice president. It did not need to be successful to be a criminal. But there was a delay. Hence it was partially successful. And they were there also in an attempt to intimidate Mike Pence to not certify also a crime under this set of laws.

So, looking back on the questions of some of the justices I was quite confused that some seemed to be leaning towards finding a way to say that the actions on the 6th did not fall under this. Such as how broad is the law, Would pulling a fire alarm qualify and if so isn’t a 20 year sentence too long? Of course the second part of that is totally disingenuous since it is not an automatic sentence of 20 years it up to 20 years. And so far no one charged under these laws has received close to 20 years.

And then there was the whole you have to read the whole thing and connect them to see how they make a group. But they seemed at that time to be only reading the reformed part. Not the whole law. And saying it had to include a crime dealing with tampering with evidence and paperwork. But if you actually look deeper like did and find that that part of the act is a reform to a bigger law about tampering with witness and officials proceedings in general then this argument seems pointless.

And the pulling of the firearm and the asking about protesters at a meeting or a sit-in. Well those have always been handled differently at different times. Some have been left to protest. Others have been arrested for disturbing the peace. If the Supreme Court feels that they can’t trust local authorities to figure out when it is appropriate to apply certain laws then do we have a functioning society at all? I do fear that we don’t have a logically functioning Supreme Court right now.

Taking Aim at the Babies

The most heinous talking point some Republicans try and push in the abortion fight is that Democrats support infanticide. Abortions so late in pregnancy that the baby is born alive then killed. At first what can one say.

If it was born alive does it even qualify as an abortion and belong in this debate at all. Shouldn’t it just be a murder.

But then of course me being me my mind got rolling. And I got researching to see if my thoughts were backed up with some facts.

And it turns out it is the republicans in congress and in state houses that have attempted and sometimes succeeded in infanticide and other murder by denial from afar. Because they have time after time voted and sometimes succeeded in ending coverage for low income individuals/families of medicaid, aca insurance and CHIP. All these programs have reduced mortality rates of mothers to be during pregnancy and childbirth and infants and children. When Republicans vote to end them or reduce access to them they are pretty much saying they don’t care that it will mean women and infants and children will die do to inability to afford access to health care. They also have tried to cut in half WIC. Nutrition for pregnant mothers.

Is it really more important to give e a tax break to a millionaire or a billionaire or multinational businesses who already barely pay any taxes. Who won’t die if they don’t get the tax cut.

They say every life matters. But they vote like they don’t give a damn.

Trumps Ideal Immigrants are Socialist Capitalist?

“Nice countries, you know like Denmark, Switzerland? Do we have any people coming in from Denmark? How about Switzerland? How about Norway?” Trump was his quote at a fundraiser. And my immediate thought was aren’t those countries Socialist capitalist countries. Then, doesn’t Trump and his MAGA followers hate the Democrats for their socialist ideals.

In fact they seem to love to call them socialist. But then I did some research on the 3 countries. And it turns out technically Norway and Denmark are classified as welfare states since they have capitalist economies. And Switzerland was a bit confusing they seemed to not be listed as a welfare state because the government doesn’t directly cover things but they do force citizens to buy health insurance and for companies to accept everyone. So not quite sure what that it is. Not purely capitalist, or socialist, or welfare.

So Maga it seems your leader wants more people to move here who like high taxes, lots of government programs, and all 3 are tops in Europe in the fight against global warming. And all three countries allow abortions. I’m gonna say they don’t sound very maga to me. But if he wants them I’m ok with it. But I would bet they rather stay where they are.

So Trump was asking for a bunch of “Welfare loving, global warming alarmist, baby killers to move to America”. Using Trumps hype.

Elementary Grammar and An American Judge…

I was reading this morning about one of the January 6 defendants appealing his charges to the Supreme Court that could overturn a lot of the other cases.

And it all ended up hinging on what a judge said was one word but I would say is one other word. The judge who initially said a case was a wrongly convicted was D.C. Judge Carl Nichols.

The law deals with interrupting official proceedings and the first part talks about corrupting records and documents etc. ands with the word. or . Then comes the second section beginning with the word otherwise obstructs and impedes or attempts to do so.

This judge said that the word otherwise meant that the person must have tried the first part first.

Ok. It would if the preceding word had been AND. But the word was OR. And the difference between these words are taught in elementary school. At least I hope they still are.

But here are some simple examples for the judge.

Would you like an apple and an orange? Would you like an apple or an orange?

He could have said that otherwise was just too nebulous. Although an armed entry into the capitol was pretty concrete. He could have said the whole preceding was just a formality really. But to the mind of the defendant it wasn’t.

And to the Supreme Court and the writer of the Huffington Post article ignoring the OR and focusing on this otherwise to make some kind of illogical ruling to connect the two not only would free jan 6 participants and remove charges from those not yet tried it would work in reverse. Because if you say for the second part to work you need to first don’t you then need the second for the first to work. An and is an and. Either they are connected or they are not. So anyone convicted based on the first part alone could appeal and have their conviction overturned if they didn’t otherwise do anything.

In conclusion it’s not about the otherwise it’s all about the OR.