Uvalde - Everyone Seems to have a Piece of the Blame

 I don't want to come down too hard on the Uvalde police for several reasons. I do not know all the facts, and the police have really been taking it on the chin since all the defunding movements. Their morale must be at rock bottom and fear of doing the wrong thing is always looming. However, I'd seriously look at the training they're getting.

That being said, there is a reason for raised eyebrows.  Since when do police run from a fight?  Why didn't they try to get into the school through windows or other means instead of waiting for backup? Especially when children were involved? That's only one question that has popped into my mind.

Why were there so many conflicting stories from those who should have been in the know?

I can almost give the teachers a pass because they weren't expecting what happened and fear and adrenaline can confuse. However, relaxing procedures and blocking open a door when in a crisis might indicate the lack of instilling those procedures over and over until they become so habitual fear cannot overcome them.

Politicians were, as usual, over the top in politicizing the incident. The media was too quick to report without verifying information. Again, nothing new.

Man, there's a lot of blame to go around. I'm thinking it's time for an entire societal reset in this country.  From child safety to mental health issues in our kids - and adults for that matter - policing and first and foremost, intelligent leadership.  Less time spent on the right to use gender pronouns that aren't real and more time looking at why parents are not welcome in the classroom,  why questionable subjects can be underhandedly pursued, and why suddenly it's okay for biological men to compete in sports as women. Which they are not. Period.

Uvalde is an example of what happens when what's important is allowed to slide into apathy and complacency by those who should be monitoring it. I'd say it is a small example because it's a small town, but that's not true. It's huge. Twenty-one people are dead. Nineteen children. It's huge.

We Dilly Dally While They Die

 This is how I feel by the end of the day.  Mostly because I watch too much news during the evening, yet I cannot bring myself to ignore the news coming out of Ukraine.

The politicians are still dithering about what we can and cannot do or should or should not. It seems to me figuring out Putin and what he might do is pretty simple.  Just look at his history.  This isn't something new that he has just sprung on the world.

I'm not going to rant about this today, however.  I have a new topic! Tuesday is the International Day of the Woman. My heartfelt salute goes to those of us who are mothers.  Especially young mothers with young children. You, ladies, are a most formidable force and I think there just may be hope for the world as I watch you.

Never, ever, underestimate a woman who fears for her child. We began seeing it in this country with all this nonsensical wokism and critical race theory and gender identity, etc., etc. being taught in the schools. Parents, and especially mothers have been at the forefront of the war against it.  Oh, it doesn't compare to the war in Ukraine?  The children are not being killed by bombs. Perhaps not, but their minds are being killed.

Let's move on from that too. Let's look at the images coming out of Poland and Ukraine of the women and children fleeing the horror. They are mothers.  They are resilient.  They've left their husbands behind with little more than they can carry - and their children.  They have no idea where they will go nor what they will do or whether they will ever see their husbands and loved ones again. Will they even have a home to which they can return? Many will not.  And they know it. Yet still, they go - not to save themselves, but to save their children.

These children, both here and abroad, are the future of the world.  We all know it. Here, the parents are beginning to catch on to a country fraught with subtle dangers.  In Ukraine, the danger is blatant. I do believe the mothers will prevail. I hope the children surviving these experiences will look a whole lot more like President Zelensky than either Putin, Biden, or Trump. Those who put self-interest and/or ego before their nations and their people.

Tuesday will come and go with few realizing it's another declared "Day". But since it is, to those of us who do know of it, let us celebrate these women - these mothers. Those who provide the stiffness to the backbones being formed by not only the bad being experienced, but the good that comes from a mother's nurturing.

War. Why?

 This is one heck of a time to return to my blog. 

Just as I was allowing myself to think things in the world were getting better, with the downward trend of Covid and the politics beginning to bite those who put those politics above our collective well-being,  we are watching a brutal and senseless war.

If there was ever a time to think new generations of leadership are called for, it should be now. Especially in this country where those who hold the most power are my age or older.  I'd like to think I'm still pretty able and that my mind is relatively intact.  That being said, I still find myself wondering why I opened the pantry or where I left my car keys. I am rash enough to know that if I had ever had the mental acuity to run a country, I no longer do.  Nor do those who are currently in power. I'm sorry, but there comes a time when one should gracefully retire from the headiness of power and go enjoy your grandkids. Of course, it's not the nature of such a beast.

Then we look at Mr. Putin.  He's 69, so he's getting up there.  It seems he's living in a different age.  War is abhorrent to most of the world. Especially a shooting war such as he has now undertaken in Ukraine.  There are so many more sophisticated ways to bend wills this day and age other than to destroy an entire population who wanted no part of it to begin with.

So where are we in this conflict?  Granted, there is a lot I don't know, but it would appear we're sitting on the sideline while the rest of the world is making an effort to stop this bloodshed before it worsens. Where once we would be leading, we're not even following.  At least not with much vigor.

There are exceptions to the youth as leadership rules of course.  Justin Trudeau is a good example of this. I see the same fault lines with the far left progressives in this country who aren't even old enough to be president dictating much of the narrative.

I don't know how much this concerns friends who are my peers.  I don't really discuss it.  I try to spend my time pursuing things that make me happy.  Slobbers and his stories.  Photography. The simple things I enjoy that make life worth living. Then I turn on the news and there is nothing but doom and gloom of one type or another. Our own border issues, rampaging drug issues, inflation, and the unnecessary causes of it. It's depressing, to say the least.

I had hoped shooting wars were pretty much a thing of the past after our dismally conducted departure from Afghanistan, but of course, I was wrong. There will always be those who think the sword is mightier than the pen. 

I for one, however, will always choose the pen. Until I'm canceled. With a bit of luck, if that should happen, I hope it's by a power mightier than social media.

What Day Is It?

 Not much has changed since last I wrote a post.  The smoke still hangs in the air irritating throats, eyes and humor.  The heat still soars into the high 90s to low 100s on a daily basis. Tempers are short.

This seems to be  the perfect storm of things gone wrong. Days run together to the point I have to ask myself what day it is or sneak a peak if I happen to be reading the paper. 

I have lived through a lot during my many years on this earth but I cannot, ever, remember when people have been so self serving, identities so run amok and common sense a relic of the dark ages. What has happened to us as a race?

I can't judge what is happening in other countries because my information is scant and most likely skewed, but I can judge what's going on in this country. It makes me sad and angry at the same time.  People who are in my age group are some of the worst offenders and those are the ones I'm most angry with.  They know better, but somewhere along the way the power they lust for, and in too many cases, have, just isn't enough.  Why is that?  Like me, many are in what will probably be the last, or nearly the last, decade of their lives.  They have every material thing they could possibly want and they have their power. Do they not realize they are going to be reviled after they are gone just as much as they are today? Do they not realize memories of them are going to fade and at some point in time they will be known as another dead white or black or brown person who were a flash in the pan in the grand scheme of things? Will history judge them well?  I doubt it.

I don't understand egos like that. I don't understand how the here and now and their power to mold it doesn't bring out the best in them instead of the worst.

An aside here about why I began writing children's books in my late 70s. I wanted to chronicle what life was like when I grew up.  A time when parents and teachers were on the same wave length, when kids understood the value of authority and the meaning of respect.  When boys were boys and girls were girls. When kids were allowed to run free because their parents trusted them.  I purposely used a big, lovable St. Bernard as my protagonist because I didn't want to preach to them.  I wanted them to see life as a wild and wonderful romp, an adventure to be explored and celebrated.

Now too many parents are cowed by those who speak louder.  Shame on them. What ever happened to moral courage.  Why do we allow ourselves to be dictated to by people who can't get their eyes off their phones or computer screens? Why are we so afraid of being criticized by name callers who often don't even have the courage to use their own! How can those of you who succumb  look at your own reflection in a mirror without feeling some degree of revulsion?

What day is it? I do know it's not the day in which I grew up. It pains me to think this may be the new normal for the children of today and tomorrow. We should all be ashamed for we all share in the blame.

Ah, Dogwalk - How You've Changed!

When I began this blog I had a Saint Bernard named Bacchus.  My husband wanted to name him god because that's how we revere our pets but I could just hear the reactions when I'd be inclined to shout "goddammit" when he misbehaved so we indulged our taste for the grape and named him after the god of wine - Bacchus.

Every morning we were  home in northern Idaho, regardless of weather, Bacchus and I would take about a two mile walk.  Back then we actually knew our neighbors, because of those walks, and often stopped to chat if they were in their yards.

When the blog came along I wrote a lot about those walks; observations I made or just the random thoughts that might pass through my head. Nine years passed like it was nothing and suddenly he was gone.  It didn't seem possible.

I decided to keep the blog and its name in his honor but boy, did the tone change.  Suddenly I discovered politics and not particularly liking what was happening locally what's more nationally, I immersed myself in it.  Stress, anxiety and pure disgust prevailed. Several times in more recent years I've taken a hiatus just to get a grip.  Too often I returned in the same vein. Occasionally I tried different approaches but I always seemed to either tie the subject to politics or reverted back to politics entirely.

Even now.  I'm even tired of ranting because it no longer brings relief.  It's like the lava vents in Hawaii.  It relieves pressure for a period but it's already rebuilding before the spewing is even finished.

Now I just feel like commenting on the lack of civility that has permeated our society - the political partisanship and the criminality at the very top of our governmental agencies that seems to be the norm now rather than the exception.

I read today Trump may not run again.  That begs the question, currently being asked mostly of the Democrats, who do the Republicans have to run? Same old, same old. While I don't like Trump as a person, I do give him credit for shaking things up and marvel at how dysfunctional his opposition has become.  It would be funny if it weren't so serious.

Is there hope with our young people?  I have little faith in that when Megan Markel refused to follow British tradition and showed a total lack of class by refusing to curtsy before the Queen.  Feminist that she claims to be does not absolve her from common respect and British tradition considering she married into the family.  The class in that encounter came the from the Queen.

Ah, Dogwalk, how the times have changed.  When a man as rude and crude as Trump can be married to a woman as beautiful and classy as Melania can rendezvous with a porn star is beyond my comprehension.

I'm way out of my class, that's for sure.  However, this addiction to blogging is going to continue.  I've some comments on school shootings I'd like to get off my chest.  Next time.

I'm Sick Beyond Words So I'm Going To Say A Few

Yes, I'm still around.  The problem is I've been posting about politics so long and have become so disgusted with it I've been recovering from a bad case of burnout.

I still am, actually, and the fact Trump signed the Omnibus Bill this morning hasn't helped any.  For a long time I thought maybe our Congress would come to it's senses and work together for the country.  How mistaken I have been.

All the talk about draining the swamp and like discussions are all just wishful thinking.  It isn't going to happen.  When you have over 3 million people feeding at the public trough there is no way it can be drained.  Each and every one of those 3 million are going to do what is expedient for them to hang onto to their piece of the good life while the rest of us can do no more than wait and wonder.

If any outsider other than Trump had ascended to the Presidency there may have been a chance.  I actually agree with a lot he says he wants to do for America.  The problem is he is who he is, his own and our greatest obstacle to succeeding.  It's hard for me to garner any respect for the man much less hail him as our President.

The handwriting is certainly on the wall.  The Left is most likely to oust the Republicans in the midterms.  Those of us who consider ourselves independents lose.  Will Trump lose?  Hard to say since in many respects he's more of a Democrat than a Republican and it's impossible to know what exactly it is he believes at any given moment.

Climate change, global warming,  gun issues all pale in comparison with what is really the biggest threat to this country and the world.  It's what our politics, politicians and their sycophantic media are doing to our country.

It isn't easy being green, the color that is.  I can find no comfort in the attitudes and actions of either party any more.  It's as if the country is just an aside.  Except for those of us who aren't a part of the ever expanding swamp.  Heck even alligators are green.  What does that tell you?  Of course they were in the swamp first.  Maybe they don't appreciate the interlopers who are taking over. I wish we had the  alligator like ability to scare the wits out of them by bearing our teeth!

Just thought I'd touch base today.  I'm still here.  I'm still angry, disgusted and perhaps most of all sad at what is happening to this once seemingly invincible nation.

Invincible.  Sigh.  Talk about wishful thinking.

Why I Cannot Be A Republican In Idaho

If you ever sit and wonder why the likes of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are the type of candidates we end up nominating for the presidency, perhaps I've found a reason.

For clarification's sake let me say that I am and long have been registered as an independent.  When I was younger I thought myself pragmatic.  That's when I believed both parties wanted what was best for the country but had differing ways of reaching those goals.

No more. Politics has become too much of a haven for those wanting to feed at the public trough for life.  That's why so many special interests have the grip that they do.

Since I've been here in Idaho I've watched politics on both the local and statewide level with a sense of foreboding.  Even at these levels we are not choosing the best; mainly because the really good people don't run.  That by the way is a generality.  We have some superb candidates from time to time. But only time to time. Today I'm going to address the Republicans who are running a bit amok.

The process runs into trouble when local level workers hijack the party for their own interests. They have their own agenda. This would appear to be the case here.  The Republican leaders are due to have a conference to discuss the party platform before the next session of the Legislature kicks off.

Understand that local committeemen and women are in place to help Republicans win elections, not dictate what they should and should not believe. So why is it they want said candidates to be required to support the party platform in it's entirety or be pinpointed as "unfaithful" to the GOP.  Isn't that something the voters should decide? What candidate worth his or her salt agrees with everything in a party platform?  If they do they might as well be robots.  That may be preferable but then I'd be afraid of whoever was programming them.  It all comes back to the people in charge and how they got there.  I want to hear debate.  Not boilerplate.

While the platform contains the usual Republican diet of fiscal responsibility and lower taxes it then veers sharply to the right by urging the purchase of gold and silver, eliminating the election of Senators and going back to the appointment of same, and the ability to nullify any federal law deemed to "violate state sovereignty".  It seems to me what people should invest in is their business, not something that should be dictated (urged)  by a political party? And who would appoint those Senators?  The legislature.  No thanks.

So much for the "big tent".  Shouldn't candidates have a right to disagree with components of a platform and defend their reasoning without fear of being politically blackmailed?  Most party platforms usually are but guidelines anyway and are rarely, if ever, strictly adhered to.  Who does all this "deeming" and scheming anyway?

The claim is the loyalty oath requirement was dumped shortly after it was installed but I'm thinking they just blurred the edges a bit.  The very idea of loyalty oaths, or whatever name they're assigned,b makes my skin crawl.

It's time to wrap it up for now and the year. We go into a new year with an uncertain future at best. Neither party is showing it's strength at this point and 2018 is going to be another year of political transition.  It will be interesting to see what the voting public chooses.

How Low Can We Go?

The shooting of Representative Steve Scalise and the other intended Congressional targets  that were fortunate enough to escape the rampage is only the first part of today's horror story.  Have we really sunken so low that anyone - anyone could think this is acceptable behavior?

I know the progressive left has lumped everyone who disagrees with them together and has decreed Trump their leader.  How dimwitted.
I had hoped those who do feel differently would be more aggressive in their opposition.  The Republicans certainly are not leading the way.

Someone, however, should be out there shouting at the top of their lungs that this is not acceptable in this country.  It would preferably be a Democrat but then they are the ones most complicit. The Republicans tend to little more than run  around in little tight circles ringing their hands.

The comments on social media have absolutely made my skin crawl.  What kind of people are these and where did they come from?  Who are their parents and what in the name of any almighty were they taught?

I can remember when Michelle Obama claimed she had never been proud of her country until her husband was running for President and she felt there was hope.  Hope for what?  What we have now?  Don't tell me this was Trump's fault.  It has been brewing all throughout the Obama administration and now that the Democrats have lost power it has erupted thanks to those like Bernie Sanders and Rachel Maddow who through their rhetoric spur on the hatred.

I can honestly say I've never been more ashamed of my country than I am now.  That there is opposition to the President's agenda not because it's a bad one but because of who the President is.  That all his supporters or at least those who feel some obligation to support the office he holds and the country he serves are called  every name in the book.  That the vile name calling and celebrity commentary is worthy of consideration.  That someone can take aim at a Congressman with the intent to kill.

My Mom used to tell me she lived in the good old days.  Well, so did I.  Politics have always been sticky yet interesting to watch.  No more.  People used to be civil to one another regardless of their political leanings.  Today it's disappearing even in small burgs such as the one in which I reside.

It's sad and demoralizing.  How do we combat it?  I have no idea.  I feel it is just going to have to run its course.  Maybe the shooting of a Congressman will jar some of his colleagues into thinking about  the consequences of their behavior, their hate and fear mongering.  However I doubt it because they are the cause of all the nasty discourse and it takes a certain type of person to perpetrate then condone it.

Will the pendulum ever swing back? Who knows.  The people have already said enough but the Republican party couldn't come up with a credible candidate to counter punch the progressive left agenda.  Of course the Democrats couldn't come up with an acceptable candidate either.  So we have what we have.

Hate mongering and worse won't solve the problem for either side but will destroy the country.  Then who will be proud?  Only the powerful who call the shots.  And it won't be for our benefit, but rather their own.  Bet on it.

What's So Wrong With Pragmatism?

The trend in news coverage for the moment seems to be surprise that President Trump is changing where he stands on a variety of issues.  OMG, it's not what he promised during the campaign.  He's letting us down.

The only area in where he's letting us down is his inability to give up his tweets.  But then who expected that he would?

More importantly though is his stand on Syria and North Korea.  I think it's the one area where is actually listening to someone other than himself.  Because of that his views are shifting.  That's being pragmatic.

He's finding he doesn't know everything.  That's good.  Because he doesn't.  I'd really be worried if his attitudes didn't evolve as he gains more information to guide his decision making.  If only Congress would do the same.  Actually they've dug in their heels over untenable positions far more than the President.

He would appear to be learning that governing is no slam dunk.  That too is good. So much is being made of his first 100 days.  I'd give him a perilous "C".  It could have been far worse.  It should have been far better but at least the country hasn't fallen completely apart even though the anti-Trumpsters would have you believe otherwise.

If he continues to change his positions and they go in the right direction I'll remain cautiously optimistic.  Very cautiously.

AAAaargh! Back To Politics

Following the minuscule steps involved in trying to save an organization from itself has gotten to be drudgery so for the moment I'm back to politics.

Don't those nitwits in Washington ever learn anything?  Take health care reform.  The first try of repeal and replace failed miserably.  So what did they try to do?  Apply a few more bandages and force it through again before their Easter recess!  Hello?  DO IT RIGHT FOR ONCE!

The Supreme Court debacle.  You were mean to our candidate so now we're not going to confirm yours!  Yes, Judge Garland should have been given the courtesy of a hearing and actually should have been voted on because the premise it had never been done in the last year of an administration is stretching the truth to say the least.  But what's to be gained by this infantile refusal to confirm an eminently qualified judge?  It's nothing more than sour grapes.  GET OVER IT!

And now the missile attack in Syria.  Of course the Congress doesn't know the strategy. Even if policy and strategy were to spelled out behind closed doors it is obvious there are those within the government who cannot keep their big mouths shut.  Trump has already said he wasn't going to lay out anything within a billion miles of the media because he wasn't going to telegraph our enemies what he had in mind.  Never mind Obama used to telegraph stuff all the time then never followed through! But Trump is right.  DON"T GIVE AWAY OUR PLANS IN ADVANCE!

Sheesh.  Now I've gotten that out of my system, I can report my merry little band of film people are moving right along.  Thank goodness something is.

Patriots Vs Patriots

Wow, that was some Super Bowl.  The Atlanta fans were devastated that their team could be so close to a win yet lose. Sound familiar?

And the Patriots!  Probably the most disliked team in America due to their reputation as cheaters plus the fact that fans are just plain tired of them, their dominance.

I couldn't help but compare the game and it's out come to our current political situation. Yet it is very different. Let's equate the Falcons with the Democrats for a moment.  So sure of that win yet the ensuing loss.

Then the Patriots as Republicans.  Nobody really wanted them to win.  The difference here between sport and politics is that many expected they would win even if they didn't want them to. Yet they did.

The huge difference between sport and politics was in the aftermath.  There was no violence.  No protests.  No looking for safe places to cry their eyes out.  Just the morose acceptance of a game not so well played in the end and a wait for another year, another season and hopefully a job better done.

The media too was far different.  Around here the sports columnists were mostly for Atlanta yet you would never have known it from the coverage this morning.  It was high praise for Tom Brady, coach Belichick and the entire Patriots team.  As Tom Brady was Tom Terrific you could say the Patriots were Team Terrific. No one was trying to take that away from them or boycott anything New England or Boston!

I saw a few nasty comments on Facebook this morning from those who truly hate the Patriots, but not much, at least among my circle.  They were more excited about the snow that fell in the mountains. The game is over.  The Patriots won.  Next year.  End of story.

I guess the moral of the story is the so called American patriots who won't except the election nor any of the new Presidents appointees should look to football fans.  Games over.  Move on.

My Apologies To Kevin McCarthy - Sort Of

Okay.  Kevin McCarthy bowed out of the race for Speaker of the House.  I didn't think he would and for that I apologize.  I think, however, it was due to pressure from within; not because it was the right thing to do.

Now what?  I bear in mind one should be careful for what they wish.  Who will fill the void.  None of the people I think would be good want the job.  That tells me a lot and I'd rather not be thinking the way I am.  They aren't interested because of the grief that comes with it rather than taking on the really tough issues whether or not your fellow Republicans like you or not in the end.

I'm worried that the handful of right wing tea party types will hold up the party.  You know the ones. Those who think principle is more important than accomplishment.  Those who would rather shut down the government than compromise.  Those who think that their way is the only way acceptable.  Something of which both parties are guilty.

It didn't work before and it won't work now.  We should not forget that the Democrats are just as firmly entrenched as the Republicans and neither side seems willing to listen to voices of reason of which there are many.  Why is that?  Is it strictly a power trip?

I was wondering why, with all the negatives Hillary has, why an entire political party keeps her on top of the polls.  When did we become so blindly partisan.  Surely there are enough people in both parties with good enough sense to know at the moment nothing is working.

What is it they fear? The loss of their power jobs?  If so they're in it for the wrong reasons.  We try to turn over the membership but it seems every new one we send to the hill has mislead us as much as those we've turned out.

The only remedy I can think of is to have them bear the consequences of their own poor judgement.  The problem is I don't have a clue as to how we can accomplish that. When politicians  can lie with impunity from the President on down then tell us to trust them and we do, with whom does the fault lie?

We're all culpable.  If we don't get a handle on it we'll end up being the third world country Mr. Obama would like.  Actions, be they positive or negative, have consequences. We had best stop turning a blind eye and deaf ear to them or those Russian rockets going into Syria may soon be coming to a neighborhood near you.

Seeing Things Clearly Through The Smoke

Summer is here and along with it fire season.  Living in the West you soon get used to it as an annual occurrence.  A devastating one at that.

Not only does it destroy millions of acres of forest and grass lands,  it displaces wildlife and destroys homes.  Peoples entire lives can go up in smoke in a matter of minutes.

This summer we've one right up the road.  Maybe 10 miles from where we live.  It's roaring up a steep mountainside just north of the tiny community of Bayview on  the east side of Lake Pend Oreille.

The air is thick with smoke.  Even here my eyes sting and my throat is scratchy.  Nothing, I'm sure, compared to what exists closer in.

What strikes me, as it always does, is the spirit of the people who are directly involved.  I wrote just a few days ago about how this area has heart.  Well, it sure does now.  And not just here but all across the region where wild fires are raging.

Neighbors help neighbors over and above what shelters provide.  They help clear homes, take care of live stock and pets, offer helping hands where ever needed.  The news is filled with people shaking their heads over the generosity of others.  It's that sense of community.  Communities with heart.

So what happens when the fire is over and people are left to put their lives back together?  Much the same.  People helping people.  It doesn't stop because the fire is out.  They rebuild and make things better.

It's something lost on our political class.  I'd like to see every last one of them don the yellow shirts of the fire fighters and join the lines.  Find out first hand what hard work really is.  What hard work really is when it's being done for someone other than themselves. Experience first hand that sense of community and even bask in the glow of appreciation that comes from those communities even if nearly everything is lost.  They've appreciated the effort.  And that's why you were on the line.  To work.  For them. Not yourself.

Maybe lighting a fire under the politicians is the wrong tactic.  Maybe we should just make them fight a real one where their life is at stake - all for others.  Then maybe they'd begin to understand what this country is about.

I won't, however, hold my breath.  Right now it's difficult enough to breathe.  It would be a breath of fresh air though, wouldn't it?

Women Should Fight Their Own War

I was listening to Condi Rice comment on the liberal use of the race card and was taken by her statement, "I've been black all my life. I don't need anyone to tell me how to be black."

Might the same apply to women, the "victims" of the war on women?  I've been a woman all my life.  I don't need anyone to tell me how to be a woman.  Or what my wants and needs are.  Especially a male zealot.

Okay, I've taken it a bit beyond.  It's time, though, for women to fight their own battles rather than having men do it.  The same goes for abortion.  Why is it the spokespeople ranting about it are usually men? At least the ones who reap the most media attention. Where are the women?  If a single mother, she's the one who has to bear the child, feed it, raise it, educate and clothe it. Let's hear more female voices in the fight.

We don't have the voice?  Nonsense.  If that's true it's because we haven't worked hard enough to get it.  But we're gaining.  According to the Center for American Women in Politics there are 99 women currently serving in Congress.  That number will be increasing next year. Of those 99 women 11 are in leadership roles serving both sides of the aisle.  They also hold 10 committee chairmanships. Four hold state governorships. They need not stay so silent.

So it's not because women aren't electable.  It's because they don't run. I suggest we encourage those with the ambition to take on women's issues head on to run for office. Of course they can't be one issue candidates to succeed but they have to be willing to listen to all sides of an issue and decide the best course of action.  Something that has been missing in male dominated politics.

Does this mean I'm softening my stance on Hillary?  Not one bit. In looking at female Presidential prospects I'd much rather keep my eye on those more like Nikki Haley of South Caroling, Susana Martinez of New Mexico or newcomer Joni Ernst of Iowa. A woman will become President with the right woman at the right time.  There's no need to hurry and end up with less than the best.  We did that with race and it hasn't turned out so well.

I'm hoping we're beyond electing 'personalities'.  We need substance and dedication to the country.  Actually, the right woman would be ideal.  No one can better listen, negotiate and make a decision than a mother. Some would call it nourishing.  It is an inbred trait in women - mother or not.

You ladies who are still young enough, all I can say is go for it! Don't cry uncle and especially don't let a man make that decision for you!

Fear Mongering And Ebola

I've stayed away from the Ebola issue thus far because nothing yet seems certain enough about the disease to write intelligently.  A few thoughts on what I do see however.

The CDC and therefore the government misread the likelihood it would reach our shores. Hospitals across the country are ill prepared to handle anything of this magnitude. The media is misstating what is known to the degree that people are most likely overly nervous. For instance I think going to the Cowboys game in Dallas is probably pretty safe.

I'm nervous to the extent I don't think we've yet seen the worst of it.  We have as director of Homeland Security a man who has no experience.  His qualification? A bundler for Obama.  Now the President has named another political hack to be the Ebola Czar.  Again, no relevant experience what-so-ever. Why?  There are highly qualified people in both the security and medical fields that could have been tapped for both positions.  Not only does it make me nervous, it makes me angry.  Not that it takes much with this bunch.

I read this morning our troops are getting a whole four hours of training before being deployed to the danger zone.  If the disease is as easily communicated as is said, you can be sure not all of them will come back.  Consider that all the tents they are putting up to contain those so inflicted are worthless without the proper medical personnel and equipment.

I see in this our usual pattern of doing something just to be seen as doing something.  Right, wrong, good or bad.

To even think of deploying reservists or national guard is criminal. Deploy needed equipment instead!

This would be boots on the ground equally as serious as in Iraq or Syria fighting ISIS. There we at least have some knowns.  With Ebola we have few and what we think we know seems to be in error too often to generate confidence.

I'm not going to suggest the actions we are taking shouldn't be.  I am suggesting this is a time to really pressure other medically advanced countries to contribute man power in the way of medical personnel, expertise and funding.

My last suggestion is to think the whole thing through rather than deploying policies willy nilly with no thought to the what ifs.  You could call it a strategy but unfortunately this administration is not proficient when it comes to creating one.  Part of strategy is the exiting part we hear so much about in war.  This too is a war that knows no boundaries, religion nor ethnicity. Fight it by all means, but do it right.  Do it to win it.

Unfortunately I'm not sure this country is able to provide that kind of leadership. The media, however, could help by ceasing to hype specious truths for the sake of ratings.

It IS Our War

Listening to the Sunday morning Talk shows I note that the Democrats are still espousing the President's strategy and the Republican are saying it's not enough.

A couple of things occurred to me after hearing that a British aid worker has joined the ranks of sacrificial lambs to western politics.

Two arguments go against the grain that it's a regional war and those in the region have to sort it.

First conventional borders have been erased by the new State.  It is coming perilously close to obliterating even more - Jordan and Turkey, who incidentally is a Shiria state want-to-be under Erdogan.

The once assumed safe haven of Baghdad you'll note is surrounded by them making the formation of an all inclusive Iraqi state more difficult than it has been already.

That covers the territorial part of the argument.

Now for personnel.  You'll remember the first two deaths were American journalists.  The third a Brit and the fourth, another Brit, is fingered.  Remember they hold Italians and Turkish diplomats too.  They seem to be choosing those who have a connection with the military as their first victims no matter it may have been from generations back.  An excuse is an excuse.  Don't think for one minute that when they run out of captives that have any sort of military history they'll not turn to who ever is left.

Back to my argument.  Americans and Brits. That alone should make it ours.  But more than that consider how many foreign nations are in the middle east in ongoing business ventures.  I remember when my husband was working for both an oil company then an electronics firm where his travels took him.  Damascas, Beirut, Israel to mention a few plus a good number of South American countries.  Those were days of relative peace but I can recall his stories of kids playing soccer with military rifles slung over their shoulders. This is what it has escalated into.

The radical groups who do not call themselves ISIL and are operating in different territory will feed off of its success.  What happens when business or oil patch workers are captured and paraded out for execution?  Are we going to say it's a British problem if they are Brits?  Or Canadian or Italian or Swiss or whatever?

The politicians cannot quit playing politics even when human lives are at stake. People who care more about truth and compassion than politics are the ones losing their lives.  Meanwhile in Washington, the dreary beat goes on.

When they won't face up to the facts about our own border, I don't expect they'll ever face up to the facts elsewhere.

They don't want our boots on the ground.  How about a bunch of $800 wingtips?  They'll quickly learn the reality of not having skilled leadership and forces to back them up!

Christie - Guilty By Decree

I suppose it's time to ease back into my political commentary after a hiatus of a few days and  some sizable gaps in between posts.  It's called burn out.  One can only be negative for so long before it wears you down. But down I shall remain until I see some glimmer of light in Washington.  Both parties and all branches are engulfed it and it's smothering the country.

That being said, let's look at one of the few people I thought had Presidential potential.  Chris Christie.  Here is a man who is truly a victim of politics of the most nefarious kind.  Whatever happened to being innocent until proven guilty?

First, I don't believe for one minute that any of this character assassination would be going on had he not been out polling Hillary for 2016. It would have happened to the Pope could he run.  Such is the way of politics.

It's so much easier when the target isn't the most attractive of men and brash to boot.  It's even worse that he's a Republican who was extremely popular in a strongly Democratic state. His brashness doesn't bother me.  I lived in New Jersey for a time and he is pretty much the way they are.  What you see is what you get.

He is smart.  I cannot believe he would think he could lie his way out of the accusations against him  what's more actually try.  I'm waiting for the evidence that is said to be 'out there'.  If it in fact is then it should be brought forward and made public. If not, put it to rest.

That of course will not happen.  This sorry look at politics as the weapon of choice for personal destruction will be stretched out for as long as possible in an effort to make sure any Presidential ambitions he may hold have been extinguished.

It's the same old story from the political heavy weights who sway opinion.  Rather than looking at the merits of your own candidate, look for everything you can to destroy the opposition. One, does that mean their own candidate has no merit?  There's a fair amount of that.  Two, are the voters so dumb they can't see a candidate's faults?  There's a fair amount of that too! Destroy.  It has such an ugly finality to it.

There is no indication that Washington, and it does stem from Washington, understands people are tired of negative politics.  I'm afraid that's because there is no indication they are.  For some perverse reason, we seem to strive on it.

I wonder how many realize the perpetuation of this climate is the reason why the country is in such dire straits. Negativity breeds negativity.  I'm trying to be negative about it too, but with the purpose of negating it rather than perpetuating it. One little voice preaching to a very small choir. It is, however, a voice.

The Tasteless Side Of Politics

What do you do when you're considered royalty within your party due to your parentage, are running for office the very first time (the Senate no less) and haven't been able to get beyond a shaky 50% in the polls against your opponent from the same party?

Do you bow out gracefully and admit maybe a lesser office might be a more appropriate goal or do you pick one of the most controversial items on the social conservative agenda, gay marriage, on which to take a very vocal stand?

If you're Liz Cheney you choose the latter.  Never mind that your sister is gay and married.  Now Mary, the sister, and her wife aren't exactly free from criticism here.  They both took to Facebook to criticize Liz about the stand she took during an interview on FOX, saying it was offensive.  Nothing like keeping a family matter private!

I haven't visited the Facebook spat.  I have no desire to watch a cat fight between three women in one family in a public venue. Especially when there seems to be political motivation behind it.

I could be mistaken, but this doesn't seem to me the way to woo Wyoming voters to the Cheney side.  From my perspective, I'm not really sure if what Liz says is true even though her Dad confirms her stance.  He had to dance that tightrope when he was still Vice President and found himself with a gay daughter and therefore at odds with his boss.

Even as more and more states are legalizing gay marriage, it's still a touchy issue. All indications, however, point to it becoming universal in the not too distant future. It is also a states issue so I wonder why it's necessary for Ms. Cheney to be taking a stand at all.  Especially because of the family situation.  Then I guess that's the very reason though since she never seemed to mount much of a challenge to her primary opponent before this spilled over into social media, I don't see it being used against her either.

Wyoming is itself a state in flux.  While it doesn't allow gay marriage it does recognize those married elsewhere.

If I were the candidate I'd make a non-issue of it.  Yes, my sister is gay and married and happy. I'm happy for her and have nothing more to say on the subject.

I think far more voters would accept that stand more than a dust up on Facebook which makes all sides look petty and yes, certainly lacking in good taste.

The "Fix" Is In

Ah, the Sun King has waved his scepter and all is well!  Obamacare lives! Don't believe it.

I've been wondering for some time if the President is really as dumb as he sometimes appears or if  he thinks we're so dumb we'll buy anything he says. Remember too, he has no authority to any of what he's said he will do but then that's never stopped him before.  Perhaps now is the time to challenge him.

If he really believes what he said in today's remarks he isn't cognisant of the facts. Continuing the plans now being canceled is not as easy as his waving the magic wand.  There are rewrites, filings, insurance commissioners' sign offs not to mention finding the people effected, notifying them and their doctors and hospitals, etc. of yet another change and the process of changing those areas to reverse once again what has already begun. Kathleen Sebelius, having been an insurance commissioner, should have alerted him to the impossibility of doing this, especially in a timely manner.  Remember we're talking about millions of policies.

Some insurance firms have even quite writing health insurance, not wanting to get into the Obamacare mess.  There is no easy fix.

Even if a fix were possible it will take months.  He only extended the timeline for one year.  Then what?  It begins all over again, he did not exempt insurance companies for having to comply nor people from having to be insured.  He has, if a fix is possible, allowed for a huge gap in funding which will mean higher premiums when it does finally kick in.  Those who can't afford ACA policies now, even with subsidies, certainly won't under increased premiums.  Remember too, a lot of those young people his slightly sleazy ads are aimed at will be on their parent's plan until they're 26, leaving another funding gap.  What he has essentially done is collapse his signature legislation by his own hand.

Nope.  Nothing happened today other than more politics in an effort to get the people off his back. When the actual insurance people begin to weigh in the tide will change again considering he has just set them up to take the fall for one more unachievable task.

The fault, however, does not fall on the President alone.  We have 100% of the Democrats who voted in lock step for this monster. I almost feel sorry for the Democratic "strategists" who continue to spout the daily talking points in support of the law.  They look so foolish expounding about something of which they haven't a clue other than what they've been told to say.

 Have you wondered what the qualifications are to be a strategist?  Both sides seem to have so many, mostly women with long blond hair who sit with legs crossed to show to best advantage.  May the better looking side win the day! Pardon my being snarky but its emblematic of the whole process.

Anyway, it's not over by a long shot.  The Republicans cannot just sit back and watch hoping the damage is sufficient to sink the law.  They must present a comprehensive and less costly alternative.  I'll give them a couple of days to get their act together but won't hold my breath.

It's a shame that the little that is good about the law is being obscured by the majority which is bad. If the Republicans come forward with a plan, they should indeed include those parts.  Being smart and
magnanimous would really be something and definitely give them the march on the Democrats!  It would be, however, for the wrong reasons.  They should be doing it for the American people.  Not to win one for themselves.

Buying Time But Little Else

I get a kick out of the fact that everyone is hailing huge success because the Republicans are offering the President a short term increase in the debt ceiling, which he might sign (or might not), in return hoping to get more time to discuss spending and the debt.

I for one am not clapping and cheering.  This could have been done in a timely manner if Ted Cruz hadn't gotten on his quixotic campaign to defund Obamacare.  By the way, where is he?  Has anyone seen him lately?

So what are we gaining other than six weeks to catch our collective breaths before we go through it again?

To make any progress a few things need to happen.  The President has to understand that in his role as leader he is expected to do just that to get the sides to come to an agreement even if not perfect.

Harry Reid has to bring legislation submitted by the House to a vote.  We need names on record as to what they vote for and against.  It's the only way we can hold individual Senators responsible.  I see Mr. Reid is planning to run again.  The people of Nevada will have to decide whether they want to continue with an obstructionist or opt for someone who might actually care about the country.

The Republicans have to control the Tea Party mavericks.  They aren't about to change themselves.  They obviously don't have the intellect to know which battles they can win and which they cannot, not to mention which ones they should even challenge. In their way they are as bad as Reid and the President.

And the President.  You all know how I like to rag on him.  A lot of this could have been avoided if he had talked with both sides and told them to get their act together rather than preaching to his select audiences and disparaging Republicans. That does not make for cooperation.  I'd rather see him win his battles with well thought out suggestions, a willingness to admit he isn't always right and compromises accepted with grace.

I realize why he's doing it the way he does.  He wants so much to regain the House in 2014 but even as bad as the Republicans are it's anything but sure. I also don't think he has a clue as to how to lead.  He's never had to do it and I don't see that he has an appetite for learning be it domestic policy or foreign.  His way is to threaten and punish and he does that well from the little old couple in the corner house to the small business man to the military and the media.

It's no way to run a country.  Any country.  But especially the United States of America.  If government doesn't soon change it's ways we'll become merely the States of America.  United will be a word as foreign to us as civility.