A Study in Contrasts...

I watched the Green Bay - Rams game yesterday with interest.

Not just because good football, some reeeely good football in this case, is a good diversion, but because these two teams in particular stand out in one glaring respect:  One is owned and operated to the benefit of its publicly-traded, shareholder-owners, and the other is owned and operated by a greedy capitalistic profit-mongering blight on the butt of humanity.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, you understand...

Yep, one of them, the Packers, is owned by more than 450,000 shareholders.  About twice the population of Green Bay, by the way.  Most, in fact, are located in and around the Chicago area, the locus of their arch nemesis, da' Bears.

The Packers were formed and still operate in Green Bay, and unless or until its Board of Directors votes to move it to the Bright Lights of Some Broadway Somewhere or Other, which stands the same chance of happening as a hurricane blowing through a junkyard resulting in a flight-ready Jumbo Jet, it will happily stay in Green Bay where it belongs.

Kind of like the Boston Celtics, doncha' know...

As to the Rams, on the other hand, it is the Poster Team for Greedy Excess.  All you have to do to own an NFL team, it seems, is to marry its ancient owner, drown him in the surf, and then sell the team to the highest bidder.  For those of you who are birthday-challenged, that actually happened.  Yes, my friends, it really did.  One Georgia Rosenbloom Frontiere left an entire city in PTSD for a generation, not that she gave a rat's patootie.  

The good citizens of Saint Louis, where I used to not-so-proudly reside, had just suffered a Grand Theft Team.  Its Cardinals picked up and moved to Phoenix.  So it managed to screw another city as it had just been screwed by attracting the Rams.  From Lost Angeles.  So STL built a gigonda new stadium, sold it out for years and years, and everyone lived happily ever after, right?  Ummm, no.  

Nope, the same city which had suffered PTSD managed to pass it along to Beer City.  The L. A. Rams, became the L. A. Rams once again, by way of a short two-decade detour to St. Louis.  Pfftttttt!

Oh yeah, kind of like the L. A. Chargers became the San Diego Chargers became the L. A. Chargers.  And now these two teams will wind up playing in the same arena, most likely to only a few thousand underwhelmed, yawning folks.  Ain't that rich?

So now a region that had too many teams and then had too few, now has too many again.  And most of the fans present are cheering for the visiting team. Oh well, you get it.

All of this demonstrates one simple thing:  Sports teams should be owned by the cities in which they reside, and play, and live, and operate.  Period.  I, the consummate capitalist, believe the Laws of Capitalism should be suspended as it relates to NFL football teams, and basketball teams, and hockey teams, and all other professional sports teams. 

Whadayou think?

"Shelter in Place"

Three little words.

Three little terrifying, sad, indefensible, ridiculous, scary, needless, horrendous, warrantless, foolhardy and totally unnecessary words.

"Shelter in Place."

As this is written the smoke is clearing from a mass shooting at a synagogue in the Squirrel Hill area of Pittsburgh, PA.  Another shooting at a soft target.  Latest word is that 11 poor souls were murdered, including three cops, and several others were wounded by a lone gunman.  

The cops somehow managed to bring this guy in alive after he had just murdered three of their own.  That, in itself, was a miracle...

Not much is known at this point other than this is an enormous congregation, having been formed more than 150 years ago.  A 46 year-old, Jew-hating, Trump-hating White guy chose to try and "Kill all the  Jews," as he's reported saying.  

Although yesterday was their high holy day celebration, there was apparently no security on duty.  Rather remarkable, I think, considering the never-ending enmity toward the Jewish people.  And considering they had sought, and gained, assistance from the Homeland Security Department in making sure tragedies like this didn't happen...it happened.   

Let me restate the problem:   No one in the synagogue of hundreds was armed, and it cost them 11 lives.  

What's the usual cry from the "authorities" when gunfire erupts?  

"Shelter in place."  

The media will sound it.  The police will sound it. The elected leaders from the affected community will, in effect, tell you to find a hole and crawl in it.  Hide!  Under something!  Behind something!  Anywhere!  And that's not bad so far as it goes; but that's as far as it goes...

There is no other defensive measure taken, either before or after, to the threat of a mass shooter.  Just "shelter in place."  I have an idea!  How about putting a sign up out front of this synagogue saying:

"All visitors welcome.  Those coming with guns to hurt us will be blown out of their shoes!  Have a nice day."  

Or something like that.  Perhaps that would go a long way toward preventing the next hate crime. 

Or how about simply permitting good, solid, honest, honorable, tax-paying, God-fearing citizens, possessing the necessary training, to carry concealed weapons, as is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.  You know, like in the Constitution?  You know, like "...to keep and bear arms?" And then advertise that fact?  Broadly...

I'd like a show of hands; all those who believe this guy would have gladly brought his evil to this synagogue if he believed he'd be shot dead in his tracks before he got the chance to do so, please raise your right hand.  Or your left.  Go ahead.  You choose...    

Yeah, I thought so...

We tell our young people, "Never go out without protection."  I think my kind of protection is better...

Wanna' Stop a Caravan?

Simple.

First:  Print up a whole bunch of those "Map to the Stars Homes" thingies.  Nice ones.  Four color.  A few thousand should do.

Second:  Supply them to the Border Patrol and our Army National Guard troops.

Third:  Line up the Border Patrol and the Army Guard folks starting at El Centro, CA, where the fence is falling down, all the way across Arizona, where there is no fence.

Fourth:  Instruct our patrol folks to hand out a Map to each marauding "migrant" as they invade, along with a bus ticket and instructions how to get to Brentwood and Bel Air.  Kind of like an official "Welcome Wagon" reception.

Since we know that the Katy Perry's and the Babsy Streisand's and the George Clooney's of this world have excoriated all of us who wish our laws followed, stating flatly that they would gladly provide shelter and sustenance to any visiting "migrant."  

Well, folks, let's have them put their expansive back yards where their famous mouths are.  You'd be surprised how many "migrants" you can stack in one of those 5-acre compounds.  All you need is some pup tents and a few butlers and maids to get them fresh sheets and blankies and supply sundown cocktails.  Got to make them comfy, right?

Oh yeah, we've got to contact Howard Schultz and see if we can get some freebie coupons to Starbucks.

Guv. Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown, our Civil Servant-for-Life, has given The Donald the finger regarding illegal immigration.  To Brown, no immigration is illegal.  Well, let's put him to the test.  Imagine the optics of 15,000 "migrants" living next to the Beverly Hills Hotel.  Ya' think maybe Brown's phone would ring?

Well, it's Finally Come to This...

Venezuela visits America, America!

Yes, my friends, if you've not had the occasion to visit San Francisco lately, you might be surprised to learn that it's been magically transformed from the Jewel on the Pacific Coast to the Trash Heap by the Bay.

Progressive politics have (mis)managed to turn this once beautiful town into the worst city in America.  I didn't say that; the United Nations representative on human rights (heh, heh) has declared Oakland and San Francisco blights on the human condition.  The only two American cities, he's proclaimed, that are "unlivable."  

Maybe there's somebody at the U.N. who actually knows whereof he speaks...

Think about that for a minute.  The home to Silicon Valley tech companies whose employees cannot afford to live there.  A repurposed shipping container, a hole cut for a window, a single light bulb hanging from a string, now rents for $3,000 a month.  And they're stacking them atop each other...

The homeless are living on the streets.  And peeing.  And pooping.  In front of Union Square tony restaurants and department stores.  You have to walk around them to conduct your bizz.  But you can't ask them to leave; noooooooo!  That would be insensitive!  Immoral, even!  

These people are dumber than a bag of rocks!

But one Sean Miller, a tech engineer, has finally grown weary of stepping over and around human feces.  He's launched an app called "SnapCrap."  You notice a pile of s**t, you notify those nice folks who work picking up poop and they'll be right there, Johnny (ahem!) on the spot, cleaning up all that poop and making life livable again for the nice rich folks who live in SanFran.  

SFO just launched a new service to its beat-down residents called the "Poop Patrol."  Yes, they really did.

And these Poop Patrol folks, who do not have to have a high school education or any experience (what sort of experience would one need to pick up crap?), start at $75,000 a year plus a bennie pack worth north of $50k per annum.  

Perhaps they should hire the poopers to pick up the poop they're pooping, thus putting a homeless pooper to work de-pooping.  

Just a thought...

I can't decide which is worse; allowing folks to live and pee and poop and build tent cities in front of your banks and bizznesses, or having to use a high-tech method to clean up the messes they make.  

You decide...

"The Fear of Loss."

There's an old saying that's worth coughing up about now.  Here goes...

"...The fear of loss is a far greater motivator than the anticipation of gain."

What does that have to do with the price of an 1/8th in beautiful downtown Santa Ana, you might ask?  Here's what:

Did you know that the political party not in power has retaken the House of Representatives in 19 out of 20 Mid-Term Elections, going all the way back to the 1940's?  And the Senate has fallen to the out-of-power Party in the vast majority of mid-terms as well?  

That's all to be expected.  People don't get all worked up for the mid-terms.  A POTUS battle isn't in the offing, people are usually either lethargic or resigned to their current political plight, and with exception of those who are clamoring to regain lost power, they're usually too busy to be bothered.  That's the normal situation.  Normal...

But now is not "normal."  I've been paying fairly close attention to the news lately, and I've noticed hoards of folks chasing Republicans through airports, hounding them out of restaurants, doxxing them at their homes and work, screaming and yelling at them without mercy as if they had some God-given right to do so. 

Assuming they believe in God, that is.  An assumption I'm not prepared to embrace at the moment, by the way.

A MSMedia that for the most part reports only slanted opinion masquerading as "news," an overt and incessant hostility towards all things Conservative, and now a caravan of 10 - 15,000 individuals from Central America headed our way we're being told are "economic migrants," but since they tell us they have every right to be here, look suspiciously like an invasion, I offer up an observation (God, I love long sentences!):

The People are Very Afraid:  They're afraid they're losing their country.  Or perhaps have already lost it.  And if they were ever complacent or lethargic or too busy to get involved, no longer.  

It's for that reason that I suggest we may be just as surprised at the outcome on November 6th, 2018 as we were on November 8th, 2016...  

Prepare Yourself for the Coming Cat. 5 Meltdown, 'Murica!

Remember how crazy the Lefties became when The Donald was elected?  Crazy, as in unhinged!  Completely bonkers!  Out of their collective minds!  Or, what was left of their minds... 

Yep, my friends, and you ARE my friends, the Democrats pegged their hopes for another Obama term on Hillary.  It was her turn.  She's a woman.  She's managed to amass a personal fortune north of $500 Hundred Million Dollars from a career in public service!  You have to be really, reeeeeeeeeely smart to save up that much money from the pay of an ex-POTUS and one lonely Secy of State!  That's hard to do!   I mean, she was qualified, right?  She lived with Billy Jeff "Blue Dress" Clinton for all those years.  That's enough to make her Prez right there!  Right?  

Wrong.

Come 2016 Election Day night, it was reported that Ms. Clinton threw a $100,000 bottle of Cristal Champagne, a "gift" from those nice French bubbly folks, through a $990,000, 100" Big Screen TV, a "gift" from those nice Samsung folks.  I believe she had consumed plenty of other adult beverages prior to that ignoble feat, watching the election results come in as she no doubt was, but I cannot be sure.  Word has it she had to be restrained and put to bed without the obligatory concession speech by that walking cadaver, Mr. John Podesta, her campaign advisor.*  

Anyway, she lost, The Donald won, and the rest, as they say, is history.  The Progressive Leftoids have been in full battle mode ever since.  So much so that they have bragged about being the "resistance."  And they've been doing everything they can to resist any legislation put forth by Trump or his people, hoping to deny him any victory, however minor, even if it meant a benefit to their constituents and the Country.  No "reaching across the aisle" for them.  No "go along to get along."  

Nope, just resist.  Scream, shout and stamp their little Gucci-clad feet.  Seriously, America, this has reeeeely grown tiresome!

But all will be right with the world when November 6th comes around and the Democrats take back both houses of Congress.  Or at least one, furGossakes... They're due at least one, right?  I mean, that'd only be fair!

But something funny happened along the line; the polling firms, most owned and operated by the giant  MainStream- Media companies, none of which have evidenced any strong Trump favoritism during the past couple of years, somehow failed to ask the people out there in "Flyover Country" their opinions.  

And their opinions are the same ones that put The Donald in office two years ago.  

And they're the same opinions that are likely to keep at least one, and quite possibly both houses of Congress in Republican hands.  And if that happens, Katie bar the door!  

I don't know Katie, or what door she'd be barring, but it's an old saying and I thought it seemed to fit, so I thought I'd throw it in right about here...

If these folks don't exact at least a token victory from the upcoming Midterm Election I predict they will go completely nuts!  You think screaming at diners will be enough?  Chasing people through airports?  Noooooooooooo!  Who knows what extremes will follow another Major Election Loss!  Is there a restaurant that'd be safe for a Republican to try and grab a hamburger in after November 6th?  Who knows?  Whatever happens, if recent events give us any indication, it will be nasty to the extreme.

And I, for one, cannot wait...  

* I only report the truth.  Google any or all of this stuff if you doubt me...

"Pyramidism," Part Trois...

In response to my most recent posting on Egypt and pyramids and such, one of my oldest and dearest friends wrote this in response:  "Hey Chuck:  OK.  You suggested "where" but not "why."

To bring those up to speed who were too busy trying to pay their taxes to read that posting (shame on you!), it had to do with the fact that there are Egyptian-style, reeeely-big stone pyramids all over the world.  On at least 6 of the 7 continents, and maybe all of them.  And they bear a strong resemblance to each other, even though there's no way there could have been any "collusion" between pyramid builders on difference continents 4,500 years ago. 

So, with more than 15,000 pyramids dotting our collective landscape, all over the place, the question really has to be, WHY?  And to a lesser extent, even HOW?

Lemme' cut to the chase.  I'm one of those who tend to believe that if we couldn't build it today, with our amazing advancements in science, technology and materials over the millennia, and we couldn't, then someone or something had to build it for them, or teach them how to build it for themselves.

And whether that someone or something was from "Out There," or an emissary from "On High," or even if they're one and the same, matters not.  It only matters that it simply had to have had help.  The form or fashion that help took is for another debate.  

As for this posting, I've stated my case.  What say you?