I can’t say that I changed my view about Patriotism, it is that I am disgusted that the idea of being a ‘Patriot’ has been coopted so that those that actually served are turned off by the idea of flying a flag or doing anything that would show actual Patriotism.
Those that claim to be Patriots have no honor toward those that served because they, for the most part never did. Their leader questioned at the D-Day memorial “What was in it for them?” Having no concept of sacrifice.
I served, my father served, my brother served, I have Great Uncles that served in WWII, all of us signed on the dotted line and put our asses in the hands of service to our nation and the values it, still hopefully, hold dear. I am not say I agree with every decision that has been made, some decisions that were made came back to haunt us but that’s one drawback of being a democratic republic… not perfect but better than the alternative.
This country has had an estimated 850,000 service personnel (losers) die so that the ultimate coward can claim his great feat of not catching a sexually transmitted disease while hanging out in Time Square with Rudy’s girls. It is fortunate for the girls that nothing disease wise resided within them, only visited them.
So all these people that gave their lives to bring about this nation and to keep this nation a sovereign place were once known as Patriots. In the recent past their title has been changed to Loser by one Donald J. Trump. His followers are patriots according to him and yet to the thinking class of the nation they are traitors and insurrectionists. It seems we have a major difference of opinion.
My Patriot would not pepper spray a police officer that was wearing a uniform with the American Flag on it. Would not do that at the request of anyone because that would mean I have crossed a line that makes me less than honorable. There are lots of people that think Trump is some kind of hero but at best he is a sewer rat not a hero.
That is my view of him and there are people that disagree with me and that is fine, I sleep at night without wondering if I’m making a mistake. Those that took part in the efforts of Jan 6 2020 and that have continued to show solidarity with that effort are veterans of military service who need to have their benefits taken away and their dog tags bent. They nor Trump need to be placed in the ground with other veterans that served this nation with honor. The final placement for best results to national honor might be that burning coal mine.
If that seems harsh then one only needs to think about the terror that those men went through on the beaches in Northern France and other invasion sites under fire, afraid and alone. They bet on Liberty and Justice for all, call Democracy not on an individual that considers himself above all he meets and feels that his ego and his vanity need to be served at all costs. The current outcome of that is that ego is on trial for 91 felony offenses and Democracy is under no legal charge at all.
As an introvert with extrovert tendencies I often feel like an imposter at events, even events that I organize. Situation that involve gathering around food are always a struggle for me because it is very hard, usually impossible for me to eat at these functions, whether they are work, family holidays, I don’t eat. If receive an invitation to an event that is centered around a meal my first instinct is to refuse the invitation or I will come very early and leave before the meal or arrive after I know the food portion of the gathering is over. Sadly, I even have issues eating at events that I am hosting that I cooked all the food. I have been told that I have a form of Deipnophobia a form of social anxiety disorder, manifesting as the fear of eating in front of others.
This keeps me from attending a lot of events because I honestly feel it is less insulting to not attend than to go and refuse to eat if food is being provided.
Anyone else that fights this please let me know how you deal with it.
Technology has brought us a long way really fast and our lives would absolutely be different without computers but would it be worse?
As a proud member of Generation X computers were not part of my life until I was in my 30’s and life seemed to be a hell of a lot simpler without this technology in everyday life. While it was evident that there are far more opportunities with computers, the advent of this digital world has limited other paths for knowledge. Kid in the 80’s and 90’s still thought about being mechanics, or carpenters, or even working in factories, this current generation think that they can be ‘influencers’ (whatever that means) so working with your hands has become a lost art form.
The amount of rapid information has made people too lazy to actually read a newspaper or pick up a book and learn something new because that information is at their fingertips. Its a great and terrible problem to have, I honestly don’t think that humanity as a whole it evolved enough to handle the constant barrage in information. Many have proven that they have an inability to differentiate fact from fiction and with the huge number of sources to attain information those misguided can always find a forum to support the skewed reality the wish to live in.
We have come to a point, especially in the U.S., where living with a computer and access to the web would be tantamount to going back to a world before automobiles and interstate highways. As much as some of us would like to go back to a pre-technology world that realty is no longer an option. I do fear for the generation that may be plunged into a world where technology is interrupted, temporarily or permanently, by something out of our control. They have not been taught or have they been willing to learn the skills that those that came before had to know to stay alive.
There are at least 4 trials scheduled that Mr. Trump is a key player in. One is a civil case although with Mr. Trump nothing is civil. His method of dealing with everything is to call names, defame people, make statements he can not back up, in other words write checks he can’t cash. One judge has already told him that enough is enough but it continues as he thinks that somehow he is exempt from following orders of any kind.
His remarks about people have implied that they are in relationships with people outside their marriages, that they are trafficking in other humans, even eating babies. This is the kind of crap he likes to accuse others of even though he knows they are total lies. He said that the General that just retired from being Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff had colluded with the Chinese at the time of the 2020 election and committed treason and should be put to death.
Now for a person that attempted to overturn a legitimate election, by calling on a group of followers to storm the Capital and stop the proceedings, even hanging the Vice President to be talking about anyone committing treason and being put to death is crazy. All he needs to do to find someone to fit that description is look in a mirror. Were he to be killed would it be a crime or the administration of punishment for the crime committed? He did declare treason as a crime punishable by death, did he not?
Privileged is what Trump thinks he is and his actions in court prove that he believes himself to be more important than the rest of us. He can speak when he wishes and say what he wants with complete impunity or so he believes. So since he is a bad little boy and has never learned any manners when he is required to be at a trial he should be in an isolation room, he can hear the proceedings but cannot be heard, unless they wish to get an answer to a question. If he goes on a rant, cut him off. If he behaves in any fashion other than as a respectful human, cut him off and let him stew. Take it a step further and add a very loud noise generator that can be turned on when things get out of hand and let him see what it is like to be on the receiving end of a nasty treat.
We are back to a very basic principle of respect and the Golden Rule. Respect is not a one way street even the dumbest of us should know that, a street wise person can usually be much better at protecting him or herself than anyone with a pocket full of money.
So, the Trumpubicans followed through on their threat to oust McCarthy as Speaker of the House, many thought that the Democratic Caucus would vote to keep him in power, but those prognosticators were wrong. Jeffery’s knew that after 15 votes for McCarthy to attain the gavel that the shit show that would ensue if he were to remain would be end up with just as many calls for the Chair to be vacated, Gates pretty much made that clear. The redhat party have made up their addled minds that any effort to work with President Biden and the Democrats to work on solving the nations problems is a 100% nonstarter. If they don’t get to burn it all down, they are willing to grind the system to a halt out of spite. All McCarthy did was work with the adults in the room so that the government did not shut down and that action, doing the job he and every person in that chamber, are elected to do got him removed.
McCarthy said on a morning show that it is very hard to get anything done with such a small majority in the House although Nancy Pelosi got a lot accomplished with a smaller majority. The media likes to talk about Democrats in disarray but rarely brings up the shit slinging monkeys on the other side of the isle. The current GOP has a group holding torches while the others are carrying gasoline, each willing to ignite the system they were elected to serve in by their constituents. Gates and his ilk want to defund the DOJ to save Donny Dumbass, they are holding impeachment hearings with not charges and no evidence to High Crimes or Misdemeanors done by the President. They are a rudderless ship; they had no rudder with McCarthy at the helm but now they have turned their backs on the horizon and don’t really care that the reef will sink their ship. Sadly this gaggle of hypocrites will place the blame on everyone else and be the first ones on the life boats as the water rises.
I just hope they can get their shit together in the next 40 days or the 2023 holiday season is going to be very painful for a lot of people.
The United States Military has gone through lots of changes over the years. The changes have not only been in the uniforms, all wool through the First World War. The Second World War there were changes to the uniforms and today the changes are even more noticeable and the uniforms are much more comfortable than even the ones of 60 years ago. The one thing that has not changed is the job of the soldier.
At this moment everyone is saying if you are a soldier then that is your job, but it is one of many jobs you are tasked with and few understand that. Whether that soldier is stationed at a Post here in the US or he is at base in a foreign country his first job is always the same, diplomat. He or she needs to be doing all they can be to make a good impression on those that they come in contract with.
We all appreciate good neighbors and it is nice to have helpful people next door, not the guy that tests his hot rod at midnight or decides that everyone in the area would enjoy listening to a ball game just because he would.
Our military personnel around the world have more contact with the citizens of other nations than any other group of people. Their actions and the way they conduct themselves are a reflection of our nation, it is what others see to determine who we are. So they need to be on their best behavior and they need to be diplomats. If they get into trouble military members do not get diplomatic privilege. If they are involved in a serious crime they can serve time in foreign prisons and sometimes that is good sometimes it is not.
In Germany they do not have a death penalty so even if someone is involved in a murder they will not end up being executed. In Korea they can end up having to help grow the crops that feed them while in jail but it is still better than being executed.
Having to learn the language is a bonus but having to do that under extreme stress cannot be all that much fun.
Not everyone of our citizens that visits other countries makes an effort to put their best foot forward. Diplomacy was a very big thing when our country first got started and once we had established ourselves and formed friendly relations with certain nations it was in our best interest to keep those connections alive and well.
One of the sources of connection has been the strength of the US dollar and its use in the world market. At the present time it seems to be in decline as Russia and China have made a pact to stop trading in dollars and use their own currency and other nations are getting on the train with them. Are we going to the digital dollar? Wish I knew. Will this trend last and again if enough of the worlds more wealthy nations make that play then that is where we will be.
There are a number of skills I would like to learn but they all have one thing in common, and I am sure that a number of you reading this have the same problem attaining the skill you listed. That problem is effort, I would love to be fluent in multiple languages but I have made the effort to achieve that skill. I would love to run a marathon but I don’t possess the effort currently to train of that undertaking.
I am only saying if you are willing and able to provide the effort no skill is unattainable.
We have really strange situations in the world of careers. Some careers come with training that ends with a job title that says you have arrived such as mechanic, black smith, engineer, painter, hvac tech, cab driver, trucker, and famer. At least two leave a bit of room for doubt as to whether the person has really acquired the necessary skills or not, Practicing Physician and Practicing Lawyer.
What sets the last two apart are the size of the fees they charge while they practice their respective skills. These occupations come with some different requirements/abilities. With the doctor they go through a training period that requires them to be on duty for 24 hours or longer without sleep. Since they could be making decisions on a life and death level, doing so when you are extremely tired does not seem to be the best option for the patient. .Are mistakes made, at what level of significance, and what is done about them?
The other practicing career is a lawyer and even though they don’t have to work a 24 hour shift they seem to be able to encourage clients and witnesses to be less than truthful on the witness stand. The idea is that if you are not asked a specific question do not provide any additional information. Depending on your side of the fence in a situation like that the plot may be welcome or totally devastating.
At some point we have all dealt with someone that we were sure did not have a clue as to what they were doing, or why they were doing it.
Women taking a car to be serviced or repaired are more likely to be ripped off than get the work done because most maintenance shops do not believe women know anything about what they need to have done. When they run into one that does it usually turns out badly for the shop owner and staff.
I had a major garage try to tell me an air filter needed replacing and they showed me a very dirty air filter. It did not fit my car but that did not stop the try, it did not get them anywhere but they did attempt.
All kinds of stories abound concerning different people in various jobs trying to get others to believe something for no other reason than to see if you will. Sometimes events will cause odd things to take place. Once I witnessed a car fail to stop at a stop sign and it hit a car on a main road that had the right of way. The Police were called and the officer that was in charge was someone fairly new to our town and I did not know him. Statements were asked for and when he came back around to collect those statements he asked myself and the other person that was with me where we were when we witnessed the accident. We said we were standing inside the gas station office and had witnessed the event through floor to ceiling plate glass windows. He said our statements were not admissible because we were behind the windows. The guy that ran the stop sign was a city councilman. What do you think? If being behind glass makes your view invalid then you cannot witness a car wreck even if you are the next car there.
How often are we not heard when the person we may have something to say against is from the part of society that has the money, and how often are we to blame if we happen to wear the uniform of the organization that caused someone else harm even if we were not around when that event occurred.
No matter what the career doing the best one can do should be the objective whether it is preparing a meal or flying a plane, no one wants to find feathers where they don’t belong. When we get the urge to give someone a bit of advice or a slice of not so nice remember the Golden Rule.
Esoteric Meandering Shouting Into the Void 
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