In 2009, Fourth of July fireworks at the Mt Rushmore National Memorial were suspended. The Black Hills National Forest was in the grip of the Pine Beetle infestation which was killing trees at an unprecedented rate and increasing the fire danger.
Well, the beetles are gone (they'll be back in 25 years or so) and fireworks will once again commence at the Memorial on July 4th of this year.
Previously fire suppression crews had to be stationed in the adjacent areas to put down the blazes triggered by the display. The chemicals associated with the fireworks also have impacted the soil and groundwater. Anyhow, yesterday, Stable Jenius announced that he might possibly attend this year's display (Please, please don't let this happen).
He did mention that no one knew why they were terminated and went on to observe, “What can burn? It’s stone. Nobody knew why.”
So much for the sanity absent in the Oval Office. I'm not even sure that IMPOTUS could find South Dakota on a map.
Hopefully, by July Fourth, no one will want to see him.
Adam Sandler long ago (1995, Billy Madison )gave a pretty good synopsis of the event:
" ... what you've just said is one of the most insanely, idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response, were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul." H/T -- Tengrain at Mock, Paper, Scissors
We brought a new picture to our home and hung it on the wall. It was a split decision within the family; more than half the members really didn't like it and said it was scary. The others remarked that the young girls talking together represented a new beginning and a coming together for a brighter future.
The longer we looked at it (and it's only been on the wall a short time) the more some of us noticed other things around the house; an unidentifiable whiff of something that seemed to have gone bad, or maybe was rotten all along; the feeling of something scuttling across the floor just touching the corner of our vision; finding scraps of cloth and paper, a chewed slipper and small pellets in the corner of a cluttered back closet. When we shine a beam of light in the night, we're confronted with the specter of small, red, feral eyes staring back hungrily, at us.
What do we do? Surely, we think, there must be a way to evict this pervading menace in our home ... or has the rot gone much deeper? Is that cloying smell the corruption of something decomposing within the very walls of our domicile? Do we learn to live with the odor and discomfort, call an exterminator, burn down the house? That will certainly solve the problem, but then, what will we have left?
It's a huge decision. It won't be easy to make since many in the family refuse to acknowledge that we even have a problem.
They still see the pretty girls, but more and more lately, they no longer smile.
Now that Kim Il Don's "cabinet" of looters, grifters and thieves is (or almost is) approved by our wonderfully compliant US Senate, you might want to consider:
One function of the income gap is that the people at the top of the heap have a hard time even seeing those at the bottom. They practically need a telescope. The pharaohs of ancient Egypt probably didn't waste a lot of time thinking about the people who built their pyramids, either. OK, so it's not that bad yet -- but it's getting that bad. -- Molly Ivins
In light of Kim Il Don's actions over the week end, It might be instructional to remember that he can't possibly have any conflicts of interest. He can be totally fucked up, but not conflicted.
I was rummaging about the intertubes this afternoon and stumbled upon this article from Politicoby Bruce Blair - one of the signatories of the letter on why Mr Trump should not have his finger on the "nuclear button."
It's lengthy, but provides a pretty good primer on the process and procedure of how nukes are committed. Many of the statements bring back memories, and from my background and hands-on experience are accurate - and frightening.
Mr. Blair is featured in this ad for Hillary Clinton that was filmed at the Park Service site where I volunteer.
It's often said that the police don't catch the bad guys because the police are smart; they catch 'em because the bad guys are stupid.
Here's a guy with a lead-pipe cinch of an alibi that really blows it.
Jim Wright over at Stonekettle Station has pretty much summed up my feelings on the current foreign policy discourse occuring down in the GWTP and in the media. It's long, and at times repetitive, but, if you care and have the memories I do, it deserves your time and attention.
Everywhere I drive lately, I'm subjected to the "voice of doom" heralding the latest in "the WAR with ISIS"
So much is being made of the "we got to stop them over there so we don't have to stop them here"meme that I'm wondering why it is that I'm not scared to death and afraid to leave the house.
I think agree with Bill Maher's assessment of the situation.
Most people in this country have no idea of what real terrorism is like.
In 1982, I passed the bandstand in Regent's Park in London five minutes before the bomb planted by the IRA exploded killing seven members of the band of the Royal Greenjackets. Believe me, for the remainder of my nearly six years in England, my head was on a swivel and things that seemed out of place readily drew my attention.
In 2002, the area surrounding the Great White Theme Park was paralyzed by two men with a rifle for three weeks. People were literally afraid to get gasoline or go outside. To put it bluntly, they were terrorized.
ter·ror
noun\ˈter-ər, ˈte-rər\
: a very strong feeling of fear
: something that causes very strong feelings of fear : something that is terrifying
: violence that is committed by a person, group, or government in order to frighten people and achieve a political goal
As one can see, terror is both a tactic and a thing - often simultaneous. Now the Muslim crazies in the Middle East are calling for Muslims everywhere to rise up and kill non-Muslims. C'mon folks...... just how far do you think this would go ? The first time it happens, every mosque within a 50 mile radius of the event will be destroyed and there will be a bloodbath that probably won't work out too well for those followers of Islam ....... and anyone else who happens to look just a little bit different (Sikhs, Hindus, Hari Krishnas and the guy mowing your lawn). Oh well, at least our police are well equipped.
Now, we're being sucked back into the same sandbox where we spent so much blood and treasure introducing the Iraqis to democracy and training them to take care of and defend their own sovereignty. Our training (as military training everywhere does) probably consisted of a good deal of running - which seems to be the only thing the Iraqi troops and their officers seem to have absorbed. I guess maybe throwing (as in "away") probably was learned also. The people we are so intent on training and helping can't even to stay put HERE.
I have yet to hear any member of any political party mention just how we're going to pay for any of this. I remember LBJ's surtax to help pay for Vietnam, and the Saudis and Kuwaitis kicking a few bucks for Bush the First's New World Order campaign, but so far ..... zilch, nada, bupkis.
I'm sure that somehow President Obama is going to be blamed for whatever happens (win, lose or draw) and the Tea Party will scream about the deficit. There appears to be a lot of political advantage to be garnered.
I'm just sick of hearing the phrases "boots on the ground" and "the Homeland."
Every time I hear some safe, political suit or Flag Officer say "homeland," the only pictures I can conjure up are of the Nuremberg rallies or the May Day parades.
What have we become ?
We have plenty to fear, but these ISIS jamokes are so far down the list that they are barely visible.
There's a constant hew and cry in our beloved country about working harder. Trust me folks, if hard work made you rich, there'd be one hell of a lot more "rich" people in this country.
Something is direly wrong when this has to happen.
'Nuf said ..........
I'm on the road today enroute to spend some time with family, so I'll probably overhear this - - and if not, I'll just visit my own blog at the hotel tonite !! This is what the spirit of Christmas is about.
I hope all who visit here have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season.
Bear
No, this isn't about the insanity down there in the GWTP. I'll let Jon Talton over at Rogue Columnist do that.
This morning I roll out of the rack, hit start on the java machine, wind Mr. Stephens and open up the laptop sound system ...... sorry, no music. Huh ?? Try several times, nothing except "You are not connected to the internet." WTF, over ???
Try iPad ... nope. Go downstairs and try the machine connected by wire. Nope again. Reboot the server or whatever that box is called ...... (did you guess?) No again.
Finally call Verizon on the cell phone (the landline is tied to the fiber optic) and get a notification that there's an outage in my area. OK, I can live with that.
Go for a walk, run errands, get a haircut, come home and lo and behold, it's working !!!!
When I go down to check the e-mail, there's one from Verizon telling me there's been an outage that may affect my internet, e-mail and/or phone service. Huh ??? They also tell me that they will notify me of future outages by ...... wait for it ....... e-mail.
YGTBSM !!!! There's someone out there that's being seriously overpaid.
The other day, I had to change the cell service. The Goose Girl had been the primary so I had to restart the service. We were getting a discount because I was a veteran. When I switched the service, I asked if I still got it, showed my retired ID and the kid nodded his head.
Then I start getting e-mails and phone messages and texts that I need to revalidate my 'employment' for the discount. I finally get to some on-line chat where they ask if "retired military" means that I'm a veteran ??? Finally today, I get connected with a real person that gives me the info I need. Tells me that the people at the stores haven't been adequately trained (the only thing they can do is sell you a phone - - everything else earns an internet address or phone ## that directs you to a website !!! What insanity.
Enturprenturarial hint # 1: if starting a business, employ real people.
hint #2: train them.
I hear the VOICE OF DOOM on the radio droning on about the Government shutdown. They keep interviewing the republican retartds that are responsible and we keep hearing them say "if only the President (caps mine out of respect) would just be reasonable and compromise." WTF are these people saying ??? I thought the man has been more than reasonable over the past four -plus years. Isn't this the guy who's motto seems to have been, " .... here's my bottom line but I'm willing to settle for less" ?? Maybe he should try this approach ......
Just What the Fuck are you idiots in Congress talking about. You lost. Goddamit, get over it, take your medicine!! Being an asshole does have consequences. Losing elections has consequences. Why should you hold ME hostage ??? Don't I have the right to defend myself from people threatening me ???
Take this asshole ( I wish someone would): “We’re not going to be disrespected. We have to get something out of this. And I don’t know what that even is.” — Rep.MARLIN STUTZMAN
( h/t TenGrain at Mock Paper Scissors).
Hey Martlin, You don't GET anything out of being a republican; or a democrat, or a congressman or a working puke or anything other citizen for that matter (and just who's this fucking "we" you're referencing?). What you get as an elected representative of the people, is the same obligation I incurred in wearing the uniform of this country for over twenty years. I pledged my life, my fortune and MY SACRED HONOR to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic (and right now Marlin, you are beginning to resemble one of those enemies). I didn't agree to use that Constitution for my own purposes or get anything else than what I played
" ....you bet your blood" to receive. You, Marlin, may have a life (such as it is), a fortune (probably inherited), but you sir, certainly have no honor - - sacred or otherwise.
Someone once said that integrity is doing what's right even when no one else is looking. Well Marlin, if integrity is a requirement for serving in this nation's Congress, you are supremely unqualified (and I shudder to think of the qualifications of those that voted for you).
Maybe what you deserve (since you haven't figured it out yet) is a 230 grain JHP .45ACP round forced through your fuckin' teeth into your pie-hole at 900FPS. But then again, I'm sure that you haven't considered that and I would never be the one to execute the act. ( I'm sure that NSA will be knockin' on the door within 20 minutes of me hitting send).
What is wrong with these people - - - and that includes the press ???? When are we going to stand up and say BULLSHIT ????? The world ain't fuckin' flat !!! There becomes a point when "both sides" engulf everyone in total crap ........... and right now even those of us with a partially functioning brain know who's on first ......... and who's right.
