Am I The Only One That Gets The Point?

I see where there is a movement in our 9% Approval Rated Congress to start doing Proxy Voting in our 9% Approval Rated House of Representatives.

There is a radio talk show host that I often listen to that was talking non-stop about Proxy Voting on Thursday May 28, 2020 but I think he is missing The Point(s). His Point(s) is (are)...

Ø The Members of Congress are paid to do their jobs.

Ø The Members of Congress don’t want to do their jobs.

Ø The biggest part of their jobs that they don’t want to do is to Vote on Legislation.

Ø The Members of the House are lazy (No Chit, Mr. Talk Show Host, Sherlock. We know that’s true. Tell us something we don’t know.)

Why do I so often see what others do not see? If you don’t see it, don’t bother looking. I know you guys are busy doing nothing while you are sheltering in your place. Just sit back and relax and I will tell you what you don’t see...

Ø Voting is not just Pushing a Button, Raising a Hand or Saying “Yea” or “Ney” when it is your turn to vote.

Ø Voting happens at the end of the Process of gathering information about the proposed legislation, making an informed decision about how you want to vote and then voting how you have decided to vote because of the work you put into the Process.

Ø Part of the Process of deciding how to vote is interacting with other members of congress and discussing the pros and cons of the proposed legislation.

Ø Some of that interacting can be listening to other members speak in support or in opposition to the proposed legislation.

Ø Some of that interacting can be talking face to 6 feet away face with other members.

Wait a moment! There are flies in my ointment! What I just described above is the way it used to be and not the way it currently is in our 9% Approval Rated Congress today...

Ø Today there is no interacting.

Ø There is no listening to other members speeches.

Ø There is no talking to other members on the floors of their respective chambers.

Ø Today the only time they get together is at Happy Hour and, even then, they do not talk except when they bump into each other as they head back to the bar for a refill and both saying simultaneously, “Get out of my way!”

Are you thinking to your collective selves, “Then how do they decide which way to vote?”

If you are asking the above question you really are out of touch with our 9% Approval Rated Congress...

They decide how to vote by texting or being texted by their respective party leaders and being told how they will vote.

That, My Dear Readers, is how Members of Congress make a modern day “Informed Decision”.

That having been said, I now informed myself that there is really no reason not to have Proxy Voting because it makes no never mind.

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

Lagniappe: This is not the first time I have touched on this touchy issue...

First published March 2009...

What An Inspirational Speech!

The inspirational speech was going great and then that screw fell out.

This above sentence got you confused? That’s why I am here. Stay with me and I will make it all as plain as the nose on your face.

Many times I pass through the TV Room to find CSPAN or CSPAN2 coming out of the box.  My wife loves to watch these two channels.  I love to pass through the TV Room (and keep right on passing through) while she is watching either one of these two channels.

Earlier today my ear caught the sound of a brilliant speech in the making on CSPAN.  I was mesmerized.  I stopped.  I sat down.  I watched. I listened with rapt attention. The guy was awe-inspiring!

If you have spent any time watching CSPAN or CSPAN2, you well know that there are two cameras used to keep the folks back home right in the midst of history in the making.  This is how the setup is set up…

Ø One camera faces the part of the chamber where there are all the desks and flags.

Ø This is where there is a leader, president or such person with a gavel.

Ø The gavel is banged periodically and the leader, president or such person reminds the person speaking how much time they have left.

Ø The gavel is also banged when the time has expired.

Ø There is another person sitting below the leader, president or such person who is taking copious notes or checking their email, it is hard to tell which.

The other camera faces the current speaker.

The cameras are fixed in place so they do not turn either right or left.

I found myself taking notes so that I could blog the world as many pieces of wisdom as I could transcribe.

Then it happened.  An important screw fell out of the tripod that was holding the camera fixed on the inspirational speaker.  The camera first turned to the left and then came to rest on a table.  As it was hitting the table it bounced up and turned to the right. 

This happening afforded me a view of all the members in the chamber as they listened to the awe-inspiring, brilliant and inspirational speaker.

This is when I realized that there was no There There.  To be more precise, there was no Them There.  There was no one else in the chamber except the Brilliant Speaker, the Gavel Person and the Email-Checking Other Person.

No wonder no one ever changes their mind in our Congress.  There is no one in our Congress that is listening to our Congress.

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

I Don’t Have Time to Write Blogs About All the Craziness Coronavirus Is Spewing At All Of Us

I have been at this since 2006 and I am pretty darn good at documenting Foolishness but lately I’m actually getting nervous there is another Smartfella out there blogging about Senseless Dorky Happenings more than I am and he is getting better at pointing out Vacuousness and/or drawing attention to Moronic Ideas than I am.

I feel like Butch Cassidy saying to the Sundance Kid, “Who is that guy?”

Here is the kind of Dim Witted Nonsense this Smartguy is coming up with...

Ø Coronavirus lockdown measures should not be lifted until vaccine found.
èWe are being told a vaccine could be a year or two away. Is he really telling us we should not generate any income for anyone until then? Now that is really Silly!

Ø Harvard Professor Calls Homeschooling Dangerous because it gives parents Authoritarian Control over their children.
èWhat’s going on? The next thing the Professor will be telling us is that parents do not know more about life than their children do! Now that is really Crazy!

Ø  The absence of tourists on beaches due to the Coronavirus Pandemic has left large piles of colorful shells spread across beaches.
èWoe is us! We can’t have Sea Shells on our beaches! Are we really supposed to do something about this? Don’t tell Congress. They will pass Coronavirus Stimulus #12 to pay bureaucrats to go pick up these colorful but dangerous sharp objects! Now this is really Dopey!

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Is this new Smartguy responsible for the Article I Saw About COVID Toes?...

COVID Toes are Purple and Swollen Toes that look as if they've been frostbitten and they may be the latest indication of a Coronavirus Infection.

Sometimes COVID Toes are itchy and sometimes they are painful and sometimes they are without any symptoms. 

What!? Are we now being told that, if we have no symptoms, we should worry because not having symptoms may be symptomatic of having unseen and unfeeling symptoms?

We are being told to Go See Your Doctor. This shows how out of touch these people who are telling us what to do are because they are not aware that most doctors have a Flashing Neon Sign on their door that reads, “If You Are Sick, Don’t Come In!” 

OK, based on the information Smartguy gave me above and I gave you above...

Ø If your feet are itchy, you may have COVID-19, therefore, you should Go See Your Doctor.

Ø If your feet are painful, you may have COVID-19, therefore, you should Go See Your Doctor.

Ø If your feet are not itchy and/or are not painful, you may have COVID-19, therefore, you should Go See Your Doctor.

Don’t blame me. All this confusion is coming to you from the Smartguy. Stick with me, I will never confuse you like he is doing...Or will I never?

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

 

Here Is How to Get a Haircut When Your State Rulers Will Not Allow You to Get a Haircut

I saw where some states are allowing Dog Hair Cuts but Humans are not yet allowed to go to a Barber Shop to get their Hairs Cut. Here is how you can get a Haircut in these states...

Go Into Your Barber Shop and Tell Your Barber That You Identify As a Dog

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

We Often Hear It Said, “You Can Run But You Can’t Hide”. The Information Super Highway Has Changed “You Can Run But You Can’t Hide” To, “You Can Be Exonerated...Or can u?”

This Information About Professor Francesco Parisi Is Still on the Internet on May 23, 2020...

If you Google “Francesco Parisi”, you find several articles that address the fact that he was exonerated of all charges way back on March 9, 2017 but, on the first page of the Internet List of Articles on May 23, 2020, is this Original Damning Article (there are other damning articles on pages 4 & 5 & 7 of the Internet List of Articles)...

HEADLINE: ‘U’ Law Professor Arrested On Suspicion of Criminal Sexual Conduct

February 20, 2017 at 9:26 pm

Filed Under: Francesco Parisi, University Of Minnesota

(This is the Mug Shot of his original arrest.)

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A University of Minnesota law professor is in police custody on suspicion of criminal sexual conduct, harassment and false imprisonment.

 

According to Hennepin County records, 54-year-old Francesco Parisi was arrested at 12:45 p.m. Monday. In a statement, a university official said they were aware of the arrest, but hadn’t discussed the matter with Parisi...

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On May 25, 2020 this headline and its accompanying article appeared on the first page of the Internet List of Articles...

"More Details Emerge In The Rape Allegation Against Law Professor"

"All of the details we currently know about the allegations of sexual assault."

The article is dated February 24, 2017

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Is there no way to remove such information after the person is exonerated? I guess the answer is no because the Internet is not Exact Science but that does not mean that the falsely accused will not be harmed by the Information Super Highway for the rest of their lives and beyond.

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This information (in red) is at the top of a March 10, 2017 article...

“NOTE: Prosecutors dropped both charges against Francesco Parisi on March 9, saying they could not find evidence to support the woman’s allegations. The initial Feb. 21 story on the criminal charges follows:”

Here are the false allegations that were leveled against Francesco Parisi in the initial article...

(A lot of readers are going to skip this NOTE: and go right into reading the article and its false allegations.)

Ø He was charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and felony stalking.

Ø He was charged with knocking his “victim” unconscious and raped her in January 2015.

Ø He was charged with breaking 3 teeth in his “victim’s” mouth and injuring her to the point where she required colon surgery.

Ø He was charged with stalking his “victim” after the assault, texting her and showing up at her home unannounced.

Ø He was charged with twice trying to run his “victim” over with his car.

Ø The woman also made other allegations (not specified in the article) about Parisi.

Parisi faced a prison sentence of at least 12 years if convicted of the rape charge.

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How many readers do you think are not going to ever see this Exoneration Information below but will have read and believed the original article with all its false allegations?

Here is a Bullet Point List of an Exoneration Article published about Francesco Parisi on May 23, 2020...

Ø A Minnesota law school professor has won the largest defamation penalty in state history against a woman who falsely accused him of rape.

Ø Hennepin County officials had jailed Italian-born Francesco Parisi for three weeks in 2017 after his former lover, Morgan Wright, accused him of rape.

Ø Three years later, Judge Daniel Moreno awarded $1.2 million in economic losses, reputational, emotional and punitive damages – the last of which only amounts to $100,000 of the total sum.
(How much of this monetary award will he actually ever see? I hope he at least gets enough to pay his lawyers.)

Ø Moreno ruled that Wright’s “plethora of allegations against Parisi lack credibility,” adding that her “accusations were false, made with malice. [She] injured Parisi as a direct result of her untruthful narrative crusade.”

Ø Additionally, Parisi was in jail when his mother fell ill and ultimately passed away, preventing him from being by her side in her final days.

Ø Many of his students, especially women, assumed he was guilty and enrollment in his classes dropped by 60 percent, with some classes having to be cancelled.

Ø The extensive amount of damages awarded to Parisi is recognition of the continuing damage that a false accusation can play on a victim.

Ø A Google search for Parisi still turns up his mug shot from the initial arrest.

Ø After Parisi attempted to evict Wright from his property, he sued her and won.

Ø The rape allegation quickly followed, but the lack of evidence, including medical reports to corroborate Wright’s claims of bodily damage from the attack, resulted in a quick dismissal of the charges.

There may have been a “quick dismissal” of the charges but there is no “quick dismissal” of the damage done to Francesco Parisi. I would be willing to bet Dollars to Donuts that there are still Law Students deciding which courses to take who say to other students, “I’m not going to take a course from that guy and you ought to think twice before you sign up for his course. That’s the guy who raped his girlfriend.”

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

Lagniappe: Is there a place where we can send the Stupid’s among us? You have to be really stupid to claim that you had to have Colon Surgery because of a beating by your old boyfriend. Even I know that would be very easy to disprove. I would start by asking, “What hospital did you have your surgery done? I’d like to check out your the Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth Sworn Testimony.”

I Often Refer To Our Congress As Our 9% Approval Rated Congress. With Regard To The Senate At Least, I Am Now Forced To Admit That My 9% Looks Like It Is A Little Bit Low.

Below is the first paragraph of a sobering article in the Wall Street Journal.

The End of America’s Era of Military Primacy

As China’s advanced arsenal grows, the Pentagon must focus on emerging technologies, not traditional weapons platforms

By Christian Brose

May 22, 2020 9:57 am ET

Could the U.S. lose a war with China? That alarming possibility was one of the last things I ever discussed in person with my old boss, Sen. John McCain. In late 2017, we had just left a briefing that he had asked me to arrange for his colleagues about China’s growing arsenal of precision-strike missiles, long-range sensors, counter-space capabilities and other advanced weapons. Every senator was invited to the briefing; about a dozen showed up. They got a depressing dose of reality. 

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“Every Senator Was Invited to the Briefing; About a Dozen Showed Up.”

I apologize to the Senate. I have been saying they were “9% Approval Rated” and now we know that they are really “About 12% Approval Rated”.

Having said what I just said, it makes me sad to blame Deceased Senator John McCain for the lack of attendance at this Depressing Dose of Reality Briefing.

He was at fault for calling his briefing at 2pm. He should have known that at 2pm About 88% His Senate Colleagues were already standing in line for the Opening of Happy Hour at 5pm.

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

If You Can Handle This Foolishness, You Are In Line For A Silliness Medal

Be forewarned, this one is going to be confusing. Read slowly. Actually, if you figure it out, send me a Text Message and explain it to me.

I recently saw a newspaper article about a trial for murder. At this point you are saying to yourself, “Self, so what? Why are you bothering me with everyday news? There are lots of murder trials going on all the time.”

The “what” is that this is the second trial for murder by the same murderer. Does that sound like Double Jeopardy to you? Actually it is Second Jeopardy because this was the second trial of this bad person but this time it is for the killing of a second person first.

This dastardly person is already serving a Life Sentence for killing someone in 2003. The second dead person is actually the first dead person because this guy made his first dead person dead in 2002.

It is certainly a fact that this guy is already serving a Life Sentence and this is why murder trial is so confusing …

• Are we afraid that a Life Sentence does not mean a Life Sentence and our murderer is going to be released before his life has run its course?
• The above bullet point is of genuine concern because others serving Life Sentences have been released before they have been done living their lives.
• In researching my facts for this Blog Posting, I read about a convicted murderer serving a Life Sentence, who had been in solitary confinement for six years, who was now being considered for parole on the basis of his “good behavior”.
• Has “good behavior” been redefined as, “He did not kill anyone while he was in solitary confinement for six years.”

Here is the It Would Make More Sense To Me part of this posting… 

• We ought to save our tax payer dollars until such time as this awful person has been given parole from his Life sentence, has been given his new cheap suit, has been given his $12 spending money and is on his way out the jailhouse door.
• It is at that point he should be met on the other side of the door by officers of the law who will arrest him, read him his rights and inform him that he is now going to be put on trial for killing a different person.
• Why waste the money to try a person for another crime unless and until he has been released from serving his Life Sentence for the crime for which he has already been convicted?
• Look at the bright side. Think of all the court costs we would save if he dies before he has finished serving his Life Sentence.

There really ought to be a law against a person who has been given a Life Sentence from even being allowed to die before he has served out his Life Sentence.

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

Lagniappe: I told you it was going to be confusing.

This Is A Multiplication Blog Posting

Originally this was not a Blog Posting but it was an email I sent to friends in late December 2004. It is about the hysteria surrounding Animal Pets and their Owners and the Landslide of Law Suits that were raging through our Courts at that time.

Where does multiplication come into play here? It’s because there are statistics sited below and I am certain, if I went to the time and effort to update those statistics, they would have multiplied several times over. I don’t think for a minute that we have done anything other than become even more fanatically attached to our Pets since 2004.

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The original Blog Posting was inspired by an article in the Time Magazine December 13^th, 2004 issue. I know you have that issue of Time Magazine still laying around your house. Pick it up and go to page 46 to check out the hard to believe information quoted in this Blog Posting.

It is sad to say there are still a few of you that think I make-up some of my Blogs no matter how often I try to reassure you by saying...Would I kid u?

I know some of you have pets that you love dearly. I know some of you will send me hate mail because I think that spending $300,000 and 5 years in court to "earn" a $39,000 judgment in a doggoned law suit for a pet that the court valued at $10 is stupid.

One of my friends from my Vietnam days had the right idea. When one of his many dogs died, he did not go to court. Instead he went to his tool shed and got a shovel and he buried Ole Rover in the backyard.

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Woof, Woof, Your Honor
It's no joke. Animal lawsuits are gaining respect as pet owners seek justice for the ones they love
By ANITA HAMILTON
Dec. 13, 2004

(This Article is Abridged and Yellow Highlighted by Fella. I also took out the actual names of actual people. I’m not sure why I did that. Maybe I was afraid of getting sued by the Living Actual People or the Descendents of Deceased Actual People or the Next-Door Neighbors of Living or Deceased Actual People. Heck, I’m so Law Suit Nervous, I even changed the names of the Dogs.)

With his sad brown eyes and soft, floppy ears, Fido, a 2-year-old Dachshund, is the kind of dog that's hard to resist. Just ask his co-owner Sally Derr, a music director at a rock station. After splitting up with her live-in boyfriend, Peter Fernerk, just before Christmas last year, Derr and Fernerk exchanged Fido informally every week. Then, last August, according to a lawsuit filed by Derr, Fernerk abruptly ended the arrangement and kept Fido.

Instead of giving up or just getting a new dog, Derr joined the growing ranks of animal lovers who are filing lawsuits over their pets. After consulting a lawyer, who says he has handled about 100 animal-related cases in the past four years, Derr filed suit in late October. She has already won at least a temporary victory. Last month a superior court judge ordered the exchanges to resume immediately, pending a final ruling. (Fernerk declined to comment on the case.) About seeing Fido for the first time in three months, Derr says, "His tail was wiggling out of control. I just hugged him and started to cry."

While going to court to resolve a pet-custody dispute may seem extreme, it is just one of the legal options available to protect animals and the people who care for them. Veterinary-malpractice suits, pet-cruelty cases and even landlord-tenant disputes over animals are reaching the courts as well. In Toledo, Peggy Sue, a newspaper columnist, has called for legislation that would ensure better conditions at dog kennels after her doggie, Hercules died, allegedly at a kennel.

Some 23 states now allow enforceable pet trusts, in which people set aside money in their will for the care of their pet. And when it comes to animal cruelty, more than 40 states have felony-level charges that virtually ensure jail time for serious offenders. "The courts are beginning to realize that the bond between humans and animals is very powerful," says Suem Now, a lawyer and animal-rights advocate who has written two books and taught a Harvard Law School course on the subject.

Some pet cases have reaped surprisingly large awards. Ashley Slook, won a $39,000 jury award last February after Mongo, her mixed-breed Chihuahua valued by the court at $10, died just days after coming home from a two-month stay in a pet clinic. Although the suit took five years, cost more than $300,000 in legal fees and is on appeal, Slook says it was all worth it: "I can't get my baby back, but I did get justice."

Once the domain solely of activists, animal law has steadily gained respect among law schools and legal scholars since 2000, when Now’s first book provided an academic argument for granting legal rights to animals. Some 40 law schools are now offering courses on the topic.

"I’m sorry Mr. Simpson. We would like to grant you a speedy trial, which I’m pretty sure is called for somewhere in our Constitution, but the courts are full to the brim with animal rights cases. After all, animals are people too."

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

 

Everyone Is Entitled To His Own Stupid Opinion

Some Smartfella came up with the above Wise Crack. I am admitting that this Smartfella was not that Fella but that has not kept me from using it often.

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A big problem we face today is the Rapid Spread of Stupid Opinions. Back in the old days Stupid People said Stupid Things just as much as they do today. However, in those old days they spilled out their Silliness to only those around them (next door neighbor, the guy they did not know sitting next to them on the bus, the guy at work at the water cooler). Stupid Utterances did not get very far very fast.

Now Stupid Utterances travel at the speed of the Internet. Now people around the world instantly know how Stupid Other Stupid People are. The worst part is those Mental Midgets who agree with the Stupid Utterances repeat them (again with the speed of the internet) and the Stupid Utterances comes back to the Original Utterer (Yes, Ludwig, this is a word) and confirms his Foolishness inside his Silly Mind.

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Here a long but not a complete list of Social Media Outlets

Outlets I have heard of...

Email ... Texting ... Instagram...Facebook ... Foozle (I made this one up) ... Twitter ... LinkedIn ... Snapchat ... YouTube ... Quora ... Pinterest ... Flipboard ... Yelp ... TripAdvisor ... Goodreads ... Airbnb

Outlets I have not heard of...

Zomato ... Digg ... Reddit ... Polyvore ... Esty ... Fancy ... Houzz ... Last.fm ... Taskrabbit ... Whisper ... Ask.fm ... After School

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Effects of Social Media on Communication Skills

Prof. Chetan R. Bhamare, M.A., B. Ed. English, RJSPM-ACS College, Pune...

“Whether or not people want to accept it, social media has several negative impacts on their daily lives. We cannot deny the fact that social platform is very helpful providing news, gossips, and to keep in touch with friends and family, but we cannot afford it to become the focal point of our lives. The access that people have on the internet and social media specifically has become too easy. It has made the language lazy and thus resulting people uninterested in meeting others in person, which eliminates any chance of deep and meaningful conversation. People have started losing their ability to communicate efficiently, which is a testament, to what kind of total control social media has over their lives. Overall, social media can be beneficial if used wisely and in the proper proportion. So, it is easy to conclude that the negative impact of social media far outweigh any benefits that they may provide to society at this juncture.”

(Pune is not a misspelling. It is the eighth most populous city in India, with an estimated population of about 7.2 million as of 2019.)

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Face To Face Communication Is Smart...Or is it?

Face to Face Communication does not bring out the Smart in all of us. The leader of the Aviation Element of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden tells this story...

Two days after arriving home, I was at Jiffy Lube with my wife, getting an oil change. On the TV in the tiny lobby waiting room, the news was all about the killing of bin Laden. Three gentlemen waiting, in their mid-20s, were absolutely convinced it was a conspiracy.

I’m just sitting there, smiling, because they thought that it never happened. They thought it was just a publicity stunt for propaganda, for campaigning for Obama. They thought Obama staged it, like putting that on the news to boost his numbers.

My wife looked at me and whispered, “They have no idea, do they?”

I responded, “No. And I’m not here to explain it to them”.

While I was amused, my wife was bothered especially when she’d heard one of the men saying: “The soldiers that took part in this conspiracy should be shot, too.”

Shot?! Wow! Thank heaven these Uninformed “Experts” were only able to Shoot Off Their Mouths.

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

 

Is It OK If I Create A Blog That Does Not Have Anything To Do With Coronavirus or COVID-19 or Faucivirus?

President Trump has decided to start speaking to the American People from a Rose Garden Balcony. His thought process in coming to this decision was well conceived and logical but then it wasn’t.

What he was trying to do was to emulate the many successful Balcony Standers of past history like the Pope, the British Royal Family, Juan and Eva Peron down in Argentina and that Little King from the Wizard of Id.

He knows how to build things and the balcony was constructed very quickly because he was anxious to use it in his next News Conference.

He was feeling rather important as he and Doctor Fauci walked onto Presidential Balcony One to update the American People on the Ongoing Pandemic but then his Pleased as Punch Euphoria was popped like an Election Night Defeat Balloon when he hear the Assembled Six-Foot-Apart Audience asking each other, “Who is that up there on the Presidential Balcony with Doctor Fauci?”

It looks like I could not not write a Blog Posting that was not about Coronavirus or COVID-19 or Faucivirus after all.

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

 

 

How Dare You Try And Remake This Entrenched Bureaucracy Become More Effective With Only Your Vast Experience As Your Guide!

Disclaimer: Because I am about to use the name “General Flynn” do not think I am about to enter into Partisan Politically Controversial Areas That I Normally Stay Away From. This is not about last week’s dropping of the General Flynn Case.

It is actually about...

• The ginormous influence that Hearsay by Unnamed Sources has on our everyday lives.
• It is also about how Entrenched Bureaucracies fight to remain Entrenched.

If you are still so inclined to read on, read on.

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I decided to go back and see why Lt. General Michael T. Flynn was removed from his position as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency in August 2014.

I found an article from October 2016 that did a very thorough job of going into all the details of his removal. That article is 5,237 words long and my dear readers would never forgive me if I tried to explain all of that to them, even if I could figure all of that out.

Instead I am going to make a couple of observations and then go take a nap.

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Unnamed Sources...

Acknowledging that his removal was not done in a Court of Law I am often amazed how often people are Impugned, Fired, Sullied and Made to Look Like a Meanie by “Unnamed Sources”.

Should we not be able to face our accusers and, if our accusers don’t have the conviction of provable facts on their side, should they not be ignored?

I found a much shorter than 5,237 word article in April 2014 that addressed General Flynn’s impending removal that used these words...

• “citing current and former U.S. officials”
• “one former official told The Washington Post”
• “Flynn's critics also maintained”

Stop and think about this process. It is possible to have your life ruined by a person who never actually met you and knows nothing about you other than your name which the Intrepid Reporter gave to him just before the person who does not know you said the Words That Ruined Your Life.

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Entrenched (and going to stay that way) Bureaucracies...

One former official told The Washington Post that Flynn attempted to push DIA Analyses and Operators into the field and other high-intensity operations. This ran counter to how the DIA saw itself, leading many to believe that Flynn's vision for the agency was disruptive.

Flynn previously served as a senior intelligence officer for the Joint Special Operations Command. During this time he was credited with creating innovative interrogation techniques leading to significant breakthroughs in counterterrorism operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A well-known maverick, Flynn had been asked to “shake things up” at the 17,000-person agency. He brought a more wartime mind-set and ethos to a sleepy Washington bureaucracy, until the bureaucracy pushed back and Flynn’s gung-ho style was deemed too “disruptive”.

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Unnamed Sources Again...

Flynn had worked hand in hand with retired General Stanley McChrystal, to transform the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) into History’s Most Lethal Terrorist Hunting Network.

McChrystal, too, had been ousted from his job, after an article in Rolling Stone quoted unnamed members of his staff making disrespectful comments about those to whom McCrystal reported.

Although McChrystal was not quoted directly in the article, the responses of his staff were deemed to reflect the perception of McCrystal’s disrespect for his superiors.

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So where are we in this Blog Posting? We are here...

• You can be removed from a Position of Importance by unnamed sources.
• You can be removed from a Position of Importance where your marching orders were to Shake Things Up because you used your Vast Store of Knowledge and Experience to dare to Shake Things Up.
• You can be removed from a Position of Importance by a Bureaucracy Lacking Real World Experience because you tried to get them out into the Real World to Become Real World Experienced.
• You can be removed from a Position of Importance not because of What You Said but because of What the People Who Work Under You Said.
• You can be removed from a Position of Importance No Matter How Successful You Had Been in Your Position of Importance...History’s Most Lethal Terrorist Hunting Network.

Yes I have Blogged about Mr. Anonymous before and I will probably do it again because Mr. Anonymous is so darn powerful and no one is paying any attention to me.

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

I Am Not Out Of Control. They Are.

I just climbed on top of my Soap Box. Now that I am up here you are required to read whatever I write while I am up here. If you dare to not read what I write while I am up here “they” will know and “they”  will come get you and take you away for not reading what you are required to read as stipulated in Federal Law 6 U.S. Code § 17 Citizen Requirements To Read What People Write While Standing On Soap Boxes.

You say you don’t know who “they” are. Trust me. You don’t want to ever be placed in a position to find out who “they” are.

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OK, I admit I made up the above Silliness about Soap Boxes but below are actual words from the Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) that goes on darn near forever about the Parks in the National Capital Region of the District of Columbia. 

Because I know you are busy doing nothing while you are Sheltering in Place I will only peck out that part of the CFR having to do with Signs Carried in Demonstrations in Lafayette Park.

I know you probably had already figured out this is what I was going to blog about today...Or did you figure it out?

************

Try and read as much as you can stand but here is what I noticed...

Ø The minute never-ending detail.

Ø The confusion that reigns throughout.

Ø Understand that, if “they” want to throw you in jail, “they” can find a way to do it because there is no way someone who wants to demonstrate in the park can comply with all the dictates of what this CFR.

Here it is...

36 CFR § 7.96 - National Capital Region

(ix) The following are prohibited in Lafayette Park:

(B) The use of signs except for the following:

(1) Hand-carried signs are allowed regardless of size.

(2) Signs that are not being hand-carried and that are no larger than four (4) feet in length, four (4) feet in width and one-quarter ( 1/4) inch in thickness (exclusive of braces that are reasonably required to meet support and safety requirements and that are not used so as to form an enclosure of two (2) or more sides) may be used in Lafayette Park, provided that no individual may have more than two (2) such signs in the Park at any one time, and provided further that such signs must be attended at all times (the term “attended' is defined as an individual being within three (3) feet of his or her sign(s)), and provided further that such signs may not be elevated in a manner so as to exceed a height of six (6) feet above the ground at their highest point, may not be arranged or combined in a manner so as to exceed the size limitations set forth in this paragraph, and may not be arranged in such a fashion as to form an enclosure of two (2) or more sides. For example, under this provision, two four-feet by four-feet signs may not be combined so as to create a sign eight feet long and four feet wide, and three such signs may not be arranged to create a sign four feet long and twelve feet wide, and two or more signs of any size may not be leaned or otherwise placed together so as to form an enclosure of two or more sides, etc.

I said above “never-ending”. To prove that these people take Never-Ending seriously take note that at the very end it says “etc.” What the heck does that mean? Using Federal Law as their justification, I wonder if they can put us in jail for not complying with an “etc.”

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

Lagniappe: 36 CFR § 7.96 - National Capital Region does actually end, however, before it finally ends, it takes up 29 Pages and contains 7,169 words. After the typist had finished with this one she had to get the Letters and Numbers Truck to come fill up her Word Processor because the poor thing was not only exhausted but it was darn near empty.

Lemon or Lyme?

We have been told we can’t call the Chinese Wuhan Virus the Chinese Wuhan Virus because the Chinese would get their feelings hurt or they might even think we are blaming them for the Chinese Wuhan Virus Epidemic they are responsible for. 

Don’t tell the people up in Connecticut about all of this. They are known to be very sensitive people and they might get their feelings hurt too.

Read on, My Dear Readers, you are about to learn a lot about Lyme Disease...

Lyme disease was present for thousands of years in America and had spread along with its tick hosts from the Northeast to the Midwest.

The full syndrome now known as Lyme Disease was not recognized until a cluster of cases originally thought to be Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis was identified in three towns in southeastern Connecticut in 1975, including the towns Lyme and Old Lyme, which gave the disease its popular name.

Did I just hear you ask, “What is big deal about Lyme Disease?” 

I’ll tell you what the big deal is, since you asked!

It is estimated that Lyme Disease affects 300,000 people in the United States and 65,000 people in Europe each year!

That is a big deal but, if the people in Lyme and Old Lyme don’t get their feelings hurt when we call Lyme Disease Lyme Disease, why are we worried about the Chinese getting mad at us for calling the Chinese Wuhan Virus the Chinese Wuhan Virus?

This is sortalike (Ludwig, I know that’s not a word) using the term “Smart Alex” and making the whole world think we are smart.

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

Lagniappe: Wouldn’t you just know our 9% Approval Rated (and falling) Congress would get involved in this Blog Posting from a Blog dedicated to Foolishness...

  In July 2019 the US House of Representatives ordered an investigation into whether the Pentagon had released 'weaponized' ticks infected with Lyme disease into the environment between 1950 and 1975. Scientists identified this investigation as based on a conspiracy theory and claimed that an investigation was unnecessary and a bad use of funds.

If you are wondering why Congress’ Coveted 9% Approval Rating is falling, stop wondering.

Maneuvering Through the Age of Corona

Yogi Bear Was Smarter Than The Average Bear but The Jury Is Still Out On Costco

Costco is limiting certain items to one per customer...Or is it?

Today I found Clorox Wipes in a temporary display in the middle of an aisle. The sign read, “One per Customer”. I have always been One so I took One.

As I walked away from the display I noticed a shopper approaching the display that was about to be Smarter than I am. This Smart Shopper was followed by an older lady pushing her own cart. The older lady looked to be the Smart Lady’s mother.

The Smart Lady put the Clorox Wipes in her cart and then put a second Clorox Wipes in her mother’s cart.

I’m glad I’m not as Smart as these two Smart Shoppers.

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Costco is trying to Outsmart some of its many Smart Shoppers.

Certain items are in short supply but not yet to the point where they are being limited to One per Customer. Some Smart Customers are foreseeing the future shortage in these items and buying a whole lot of these Going to Be In Short Supply Items. Actually they are not so much seeing the future shortage as they are creating the future shortage by buying huge quantities before the future comes.

Costco is trying their best to stay Smarter on these Smart Shoppers. They have invented a sign that reads, “This Item Is Not Eligible for Return”.

This means that, when the Age of Corona is behind us, these Smart Shoppers who bought 20 cases of the Going to Be In Short Supply Items will not be at the Costco Customer Service Counter getting their money back on 19 cases of the Going to Be In Short Supply Items.

Is Costco going to prove to be Smarter? I think there is a good chance Costco will not prove to be Smart enough.

As you know from reading my Blog Postings over these many years, I really can see into the future. Sad to say I see a Lawyer standing next to the Smart Shopper returning the 19 cases. The Lawyer is poking holes in the air with his poking hand and the Costco Customer Service Lady is starting to cry.

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

 

I Must Compliment You. You Have Worked Hard To Get Where You Are. You Are Respected In Your Field Of Endeavor. You Are Fired.

At present, we are being told that it is inappropriate for a man to compliment a woman on her appearance while at work.

I made up the life story below...Or did I?

His Life in Bullet Points...

Ø He was born into a very poor family.

Ø From an early age he proved to be an industrious person.

Ø He studied hard in every school he attended.

Ø To help support his struggling parents and his 3 siblings he held many jobs throughout his life starting at the age of 8.

Ø He was always first in his class in every school he attended all the way through Medical School.

Ø He rose quickly to become the leading brain surgeon in the country.

Ø By the time he was 50 years of age he was credited with saving the lives of 984 patients with life threatening brain diseases and injuries.

To sum up him and his life... He was loved and respected and at the age of 50 he was in perfect health. This meant there were many more surgeries in his future and many more lives he was destined to save.

Then, one day he was taking a coffee break in the Doctors Lounge, and he said to a fellow female doctor, “You sure look good today, Sally”.

He was immediately ushered out of the lounge and out of the hospital and he walked to his car hearing his former medical colleagues shouting to him, “You are a terrible person! You will never practice medicine again! You should know better than to compliment a woman on her appearance!”

Would I kid u?

Smartfella