In Case You've Wondered

My blog is where my wandering thoughts are interspersed with stuff I made up. So, if while reading you find yourself confused about the context, don't feel alone. I get confused, too.

If you're here for the stories, I started another blog: scratchingforchange.blogspot.com

One other thing: sometimes I write words you refuse to use in front of children, or polite company, unless you have a flat tire, or hit your thumb with a hammer.

I don't use them to offend; I use them to embellish.

jescordwaineratgmail.com

Friday, June 30, 2017

Gizzies

Before you look up the word in the urban dictionary, or on Facebook, this doesn't have anything to do with a television show, or clueless ass-clowns.

My back porch is a smorgasbord for reptiles, and amphibians. At night, the light attracts hundreds of bugs, with the majority of those that don't leave at morning being June bugs. I think their exuberance for the light leads to collisions with the bulb, or the side of the house. Regardless of the reason, there are usually around a dozen each morning dead, or dying on the porch.

Green tree frogs will perch on the patio door window for their nightly feast. I assume they eat just about anything that will fit in their mouth, which can be anything from moths, to strange looking insects right out of a science fiction movie.

Toads will wander from their hiding spots, and wait on the ground by the steps for their meal. While they appear clumsy, and slow, their speed is phenomenal. The catching of an unwary insects is faster than the blink of an eye, and the size compared to the toads is sometimes astonishing. It may take a few minutes for the toad to finally complete its meal, with plenty of mouthing, and crushing, to swallow a bug that may be wider than their head.

The frogs, and toads, are gone by first light, which leaves the "gizzies". The word gizzie is from my wife. It's her term (and now mine) for the anole lizards so common where I live.  They vary in size, but they are territorial, and the smaller lizards usually defer to the larger, unless it's a male and female. They have a tolerance for each other to a point. Eventually, one, or both, will wander away, and a new lizard will take over a territory on my back porch; sometimes finding a sleeping spot in a plant. They'll crawl into their spot at sundown, and not budge until morning light.

As I wrote, every morning leaves about a dozen June bugs on the porch. Within a few hours, they're gone, and currently, I assume its "Fat Boy" that's enjoying the feast. Fat boy? That's the name my wife gave a medium sized lizard that occupies the porch by the steps. With its stomach bulging, it lounges in an asparagus fern, while it digests breakfast. Judging by the stomach bulge, I'm thinking Fat Boy is eating a substantial amount of the June bugs.

One other denizen wanders to the porch to feed: a large red-headed skink. It will eventually arrive, quickly eat, and is gone back to the cooler ground under the porch, or in the shade. I've never seen ti eat, but considering it's timing, and the shrinking amount of June bugs, it's only logical to assume it's taking its share.

Eventually, when the weather turns cooler, the June bugs will be gone, and the smorgasbord will end. At that time, the critters that eat them all summer will semi-hibernate, and only appear on a warm, sunny day, if at all. The cacophony of night creatures ends, and the only sound at night is the wind in the trees; the sound pleasant and relaxing; broken only by the call of a night bird.


Thursday, June 29, 2017

Not Paying Attention

My job requires me to travel. Although it's usually locally, sometimes, it may be out of state. It gives me an opportunity to observe, and with my construction knowledge, I see things differently than many.

I'm observing the gradual decay of cities. Not just a few isolated cities; all cities. Streets are becoming less maintained, public buildings are showing wear, private homes are abandoned, and it's obvious most cities are having budget problems.

With some cities, the decay is almost startling. The decay indicates lack of money, lack of qualified repair personnel, and a shrinking tax base. People are fleeing, businesses are closing, and the property tax value shrinks accordingly. Houses that might once have been repaired are rotting away, and even if the city condemns the property, it's just another drain on the budget. When the property is auctioned for taxes, the value of the property is a small percent of the value it once had.

What's the solution? There is no quick solution, since ignorance is the biggest reason for the decay. Elected officials aren't qualified to shovel dog poop, but they're voted into office for their party affiliation, or the color of their skin, or their slick commercials, or their wealth.....the list goes on forever. Regardless of the reason, most voters are woefully ignorant of the basics of government, fiscal responsibility, how crime is like cancer, and their responsibility in the entire mess. To make things worse, those qualified are shrewd enough to stay away from politics. It's easier to move to a rural area, and avoid the pitfalls of living in a failed community.

So, it's only going to get worse. The ridiculous pensions, waste, squandered resources, and outright corruption in city governments will continue, and those accepting their ignorance will continue to wallow in their ignorance.

I think some may think there will some sort of bailout, but they fail to realize it will never come. Eventually, many cities will be bankrupt, those expecting a pension will find there will only be pennies on the dollar, and those that can, will leave; never to return. Too many were not paying attention, and it will be too late to do anything.

Monday, June 26, 2017

Playgrounds and the Supreme Court

Missouri has a law that states no public funds can go to any church or religious institution. There was a state grant for playground equipment, and a Lutheran school was refused an opportunity to receive some of the taxpayer funded grant; so they sued.

The suit eventually worked its way to the Supreme Court, and in a 7 to 2 decision, the court ruled for the plaintiff. Sotomayor, and Ginsberg dissented, which is not surprising, but their reaction shows volumes about their inability to understand the Constitution, and the First Amendment.

The law preventing religious schools from public funds is a clear violation of the First Amendment.

"...Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"..."

The state of Missouri, by refusing the school the same opportunity as secular school, was punishing the school for failing to abide by the rules secularism. That's not what the First Amendment mandates, and it's tragic two Supreme Court judges can't, or won't, base their opinions on something other than politics.

Friday, June 23, 2017

Be Careful For What You Ask For

Detractors, including many in the media, for months asked for a probe into Russian meddling in the election. They were focused on the President, but after months of probes, Loretta Lynch is now a focal point. 

The testimony of Comey not only shows Lynch meddled in the election, it's purported there are emails assuring members of the Democratic party the investigation into Clinton's emails wouldn't go too far. Add this with her almost clandestine meeting with a candidate's husband, and you have something much more than media conjecture.

The last administration operated in unison with their political party to promote an agenda, regardless of whether illegal acts were part of the process. With the media running interference, they deepened the acceptance of corruption that pervades the capitol. To made things worse, the murder of Seth Rich reveals the possibility murder was even acceptable to continue their goal.

I don't know where the investigation will lead, but Lynch doesn't have the power she once had, those she collaborated have shown they have no integrity, and she may find her best move is to provide evidence to shorten any sentence she faces. Time will tell.

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Maybe They're Not Very Smart

If you look at the minority leader in the House of Representatives, you find an aging, very rich, somewhat demented, and out of touch woman, who can only offer her party members platitudes and ridiculous talking points created by the media that runs the party. It appears the Democrats are not only becoming less important, they're not very smart.

Personally, I think they should keep her in her important position. Her fecklessness is doing more to reduce the influence of the Socialist Democrats than anything else, and it doesn't cost any money.

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Tropical Shenanigans

A tropical storm is forecast to come ashore in my locale over the night hours. While the forecasters thought there would be more rain, the rain bands are now over the coast, and they look heavy on the radar.

I don't think we'll lose power, but the satellite dish will become less concave, and the signal will be lost after the rain cuts down the signal.

I'll watch, probably enjoy a fitful night of sleep, and enjoy the lower electricity bill due to the cooler temperatures.

Monday, June 12, 2017

The Power of Firing

Once, I fired an entire crew for their inability to do what they said they could, and for misrepresenting their experience. It left me short-handed, but the upside was there wasn't a crew doing more damage.

That's what Trump needs to do. Fire people, left and right, until he starts finding those that can get the job done.

I think he needs to start with Muellor; Comey's buddy, and not a good choice for special council.

Friday, June 9, 2017

Testimonial

Comey testified. He refused to answer any questions in public about a dossier that few have seen, has known errors, and was compiled by a group working for Russian interests at the time it was compiled; and initially financed by a "never Trump" Republican. While few have seen this dossier, it apparently has enough tidbits of classified activities to prevent public scrutiny.

Personally, I feel this dossier leads to the past administration, and many of the reprobates currently in power. They want it to remain secret, so the "D.C. Good Guy Club" is doing just that.

Comey testified he leaked personal memos to a Columbia professor. If I had to guess, he did it in confidence to protect his interests, but his supposed friend - probably a progressive minion - thought it was too good to allow to sit. They released it to the media, and the rest is history. Still, such written information is bound by strict rules, and failing to abide by these rules involves criminal penalties.

All in all, the most striking part of the testimonial, in my opinion, was how a man that once ran the F.B.I. did so without any consideration of the importance of keeping criminal investigations out of the public view, allowed a former Attorney General to dictate his actions, never reported these actions to Congress, and then leaked privileged information to someone without any thought of possible consequences. To add insult to injury, he stated he considered Trump a liar, To sum it up, he colluded with Loretta Lynch to help the Hillary Clinton campaign, and it's obvious he did it to hurt Trump. Lynch's actions demanded an immediate report of the attempt to influence the investigation, and her meeting with Bill Clinton only further proves an attempt to influence the election. His failure to report the influence only reinforces culpability.

As time goes on, more will be revealed about Comey. Those that worked with him that didn't care for some of his actions will open up to investigators charged with investigating Russian influence on the last Presidential election. With the Lynch revelation, the failed Russian hack attempts pale in comparison to the attempts of the last administration to illegally influence the election. May those involved eventually face criminal charges, and may the final legacy of Comey be that of failure, instead of what the liberal media decides is correct at the time.

I want to add, for those that don't know, James Comey's career was not in law enforcement. His first job out of law school was as a clerk for a district judge in the southern district of New York. After that, his career continued in law, until his stint as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

One of his career highlights was the successful prosecution of Martha Stewart, while as a U.S. Attorney. 

Considering his lack of experience in law enforcement, years in the judicial branch of various government entities, and his testimony to Congress, the biggest problem that appeared was the obvious lack of foresight by those that allowed him to head the F.B.I. His complete lack of law enforcement experience should have removed him from any consideration for the position.  

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Irony and Stupidity

The name Reality Winner as the name for someone busted for releasing classified information is more than ironic. If it wasn't her actual name, someone just glancing through the news would think they found an article from "The Onion". It's her name, and reality is setting in.

News reports state she was in the Air Force before she worked for the private contractor where she had access to the classified information. I would think she'd realize the consequences of such a bad decision, but then again, she may be lacking in the ability to understand how terrible her action will be perceived.

There has been a plethora of leaks from people in the government. These leaks, which may only be created information, led to days of speculation by the media, and those against the current administration ran with unsubstantiated information to support their efforts to hamper. Beside being embarrassing, the leaks - or supposed leaks - indicated those leaking needed to found.

So, now we have an official leaker, which according to news reports, confessed her crimes and knows the severity of her actions. What she doesn't know is she will be crucified. I expect at least half of the maximum penalties, when she is sentenced; if she isn't charged with something more severe than mishandling classified information. Espionage, or treason, could be the charges by a U.S. Attorney with an agenda. That would lead to a circus of media coverage, and the possibility her stupidity will leave her in prison for nearly all her life.

This is one to watch. I have the feeling Reality Winner will be used as an example to show those so willing to give away classified information how it might not be so cute.


Newer news reports state she was denied bail, since she downloaded to a thumb drive, they're still sorting through what she acquired, her not stating she wanted to burn down the White House, and support for terrorists. 

Stupidity might not be the best description. Devious, vengeful traitor might be a better description. 

Lesson Learned From D-Day

If someone had assassinated an insane paper-hanger before he became the Fuhrer, D-day would have been unnecessary.

Monday, June 5, 2017

Almost a Quarter Century

It's been 24 years since the Feds decided the Branch Davidians were a cult, and exterminated all that resisted. Researching the event can lead to all types of opinions, but one fact remains: The government felt the compound was a cult, they wanted to see what they had in their compound, and Bill Clinton allowed Janet Reno to attack the compound after a 51 day siege. Seventy six of those in the compound died, including women and children.

Maybe the Branch Davidians should have proclaimed they were Muslim, and their compound was a mosque. Considering how things are today, nobody would think of attacking their compound, or consider a search warrant.

Friday, June 2, 2017

Quitting the Climate Accord

Trump signing out, many countries say it's an iron clad agreement, and we can't sign out, and the liberals are foaming at the mouth. I like this. We don't need to harm our economy for the cult of voodoo climate change. They've done enough damage, and it's time they're removed from political power.

As far as the nations that think we can't sign out of the agreement, I think they might want to consider the ramifications of threatening the United States.