November 2, 2020

The Election

A lot of the people that I know are anxious about this week's election. There are, as I understand it, two primary reasons for their discomfort: first, the fear that Trump might be able to steal the election, and the America dies, or second, that Biden wins, and the Trump cult/ rabid right engages in prolonged violence. These are legitimate concerns. I have seen some polls that indicate a significant percentage of citizens share them.

The Biden-Harris ticket is currently winning, and will continue to beat Trump-Pence. Let's consider the reasons for this. The Trump cult has, at best, expanded its voting base in one area, that being their children who have reached voting age. The Trump campaign/administration has gained the support of some of the new federal judges and justices who are opposed to voting rights, which is more significant. Still, the voter turnout for Trump will not be as large as it was in 2016.

Trump's presidency has caused a number of significant groups to withdraw their support for him. These include those groups such as the Lincoln Project, that are openly and actively campaigning for Joe Biden by attacking Donald Trump. It includes female residents of the suburbs, who now recognize that he has betrayed them -- as well as some of the non-suvurban white women who voted for him in 2016. It includes a number of people over the age of 60, who are concerned about the virus, and know that Trump failed to protect our country.

Likewise, Trump's presidency has motivated the Democratic Party to unite to vote Trump out of office. In some states, activists have been registering new potential voters since Trump took office. There is evidence that young people, including many who are not registered Democrats, have been voting. Several groups that sat out the 2016 election recognize that was a significant error, and are now actively supporting Joe Biden.

Those groups detailed in the previous two paragraphs may seem small in some cases, and sparse in some states. That may be true. But think back to how many states that Trump won by very small percentages of the votes in 2016. Subtrack a small number of votes for Trump, and add a larger number of votes for Biden, and in those states, the outcome changes.

Biden-Harris not only wins the popular vote by an impressively large number, but will win the electoral college vote in a manner that places our team on the dean's list. Every person reading this who has already voted, or will by the time the polls close on Tuesday, is a participant in this honorable struggle.

Now, for the problems. We know that in some states, there are on-going attempts to deny citizens their right to vote. And there are attempts to reject ballots cast. By no coincidence, literally all of these attempts to deny access to the democratic process are aimed exclusively at Democrats. There is not a single case in the country where attempts to deny Trump supporters their right to vote is happening. Despite this, Joe Biden will win.

There is a legitimate concern about republican attempts to get federal judges to "select" Trump as the winner, much like the Supreme Court shamefully did in the 2000 election. But our team is prepared for this attempt. While there will be attempts by republicans to confuse the country by denying reality, stay strong -- for Joe Biden will win.

This brings us to the second serious concern, that of angry Trump cultists resorting to violence. As much as I wish I could say that this will not happen, it will. The only question is how wide spread the violence will be. And this, of course, includes consideration of timing. Trump will remain in office until late January, 2021 (unless he resigns, seeking a Pence pardon), and he will definitely attempt to pour gasoline on the fires across America. And his brain-dead supporters will answer his call for chaos. Those familiar with "chaos theory" understand both how and why the seeds for this were planted early, and are already beginning to sprout.

Joe Biden will win. And then we begin another phase in the struggle.

Peace,
H2O Man

October 31, 2020

Steal this Dossier

In 2016, Fusion GPS contracted for what has become known as the "Steele Dossier." It consisted of "raw intelligence," much of which was confirmed in the months after it became public. Unfortunately, it was not used to its full advantage, and Donald Trump "won" the election.

Now, as Election Day rapidly approaches, Confusion GPS has contracted with two Deep State senior agents of deceit to create the "Steal this Dossier." For the sake of this secret document, the two agents are going by the secret code names of "Peter Strzok" and "James Comey."

As we reclined in the comfort of Peter's living room,and before we began compiling this dossier, Big Jim pulled out a joint that would make Bob Marley proud. "What'd ya got?" Peter asked intently. " Big Jim's eyebrows raised suspiciously, and in a monotone he responded, "Ancient Ferriter Cove Leprechaun Bog Fever Weed, from County Clare."

"The last time Jimbo brought this stuff out," Peter said, with a devious laugh common among spies," was in early 2018. We got so high, we decided to create 'Q-Anon', to divide the republicans so the Democrats could take the House and impeach Trump. It was part of the Deep State blueprint. Then when we quit doing it, a month before the elections, Jimmy Kallstrom and Rudy Giuliani had some of their buds take it over."

As we sat back to complie the dossier after burning the number, Big Jim suggested that we request readers to add any lie that they can come up with that, in the year of 2020, either could or should be true. Please feel free to add your contributions.

Here it is, folks:

1- The SPCA of Wisconsin has filed charges against Senator Ron Johnson for cruelty to animals, for his unprovoked attack upon and killing of his neighbor's puppy. Johnson's attorney said that the senator plans to plead "no contest" to the charges, after the Trump re-election campaign withdrew its endorsement of Johnson.

2- On Saturday afternoon, Trump will sign an executive disorder, mandating that parents must be armed with guns at all high school sporting events, to increase public safety. Trump will state that, among other things, many of the high school sports referees belong to Antifa, and that parents have the right to protect their hometown team's lead.

3- Scientists and medical experts were confused by internet photographs of Mitch McConnell, that showed the Senator's face discolored with blotches of purple and brown. "It's very strange," Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN. "We always assumed that Trump's scrotum was bright orange."

4- A spokesman for Rudy Giuliani told reporters that Rudy was prepared to tell the truth about the ingamous scene in the new Borat movie. "He thought he was about to get his stinger in some honey," the spokesman said, "and he was under the sicere impression that the gal was at least 17. He thought he recognized her from Jeffery Epstein's island. But after he saw Samantha Cohen interviewed on television last week, he determined that the president would prefer he denied the whole thing."

5- Lawyers for Stephen Miller's foreskin have filed papers in Family Court, seeking that the circumcised skin be fully emancipated immediately. According to many experts, Miller is attempting to wear the dead skin as a headband, since his previous attempt to hide his baldness failed
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/12/17/18144716/stephen-miller-spray-hair-loss-toppik-glh


Now, Dear Reader, we have gotten the ball rolling. If you could add a wild rumor or two to this dossier, it would be appreciated. If ten or twenty million American patriots could add a lie about a repyblican, it would be a movement. And even if Arlo has indeed decided to enjoy a well-earned retirement, the final results of the dossier may prove of interest to Sarah Lee.

October 29, 2020

It's Getting Better

It's happening. The Biden-Harris team is beating the Trump-Pence team. And everyone, from the campaign to the grass roots, is a participant in this most important struggle. And as long as people keep participaring, it will continue to get better. Vote, make phone calls and send e-mails encouraging family and friends to vote.

It has become obvious why Jarad Kushner attempts to avoid speaking publicly. His recent interview on Fox was disgusting. Tapes of his interviews with Bob Woodward document that he is an evil, pompous, imperious poodle, a surprise to none.

Think of it: not only getting rid of Trump and Pence, but rid of Jarad, Ivanka, Don Jr., and Eric, not to mention the first First Lady to declare a war on Christmas!

Keep your eyes on the prize.

October 22, 2020

Grumpy Old Man Rant

“[P]erhaps you notice how the denial is so often the preface to the justification.”
― Christopher Hitchens


I think we can all agree that Trump is a whiner. A sniveller running a brat campaign. A brat whimpering about how the media is mean to him. To paraphrase John, orange matter custard dripping from a dead swine's ass.

One of the more pathetic tactics used by Trump and his cult is "what-about-ism" We are all too familiar with this weak attempt to deflect attention from themselves or their hero. My children think it's a giggle, because by the time each was six years old, they knew that if I brought up one of their behaviors, the very last thing they wanted to do was say, "Yeah? But what about ____?"

It is a remarkably child-like tactic in a discussion. By engaging in it, the person is, in fact, admitting that they have indeed done whatever they are being asked about. It may seem cute to a parent if their three or four year old tries to get over with it. But there is nothing cute or respectable about an adult attempting to use it to their advantage.

Thus, I fully expect Donald Trump to engage in it in tonight's debate. I doubt he will limit himself to attempting to justify the number of covid deaths under his failed "leadership" with bullshit speculation about how many would have died if Joe Biden was president.

Enjoy tonight's debate!

October 21, 2020

Lucky Socks

“In a mad world, only the mad are sane.”
― Akira Kurosawa


I would like it if The Beatles got back together to do free "Biden-Harris" concerts across the county in the next two weeks. However, that is not possible. To think it might happen, and lead to a crushing defeat for Trump, requires magical thinking. As Q-Tip, the nonexistent, double-super-secret member of the Trump inner-circle coordinating efforts with states deep and shallow says, leave delusional thinking to the Trump cult.

We can look back at some of the lessons of our youth. I like the thought of Senator Robert F. Kennedy having John Lennon visit his home, and meet his family. I enjoyed hearing stories about it, back when RFK seemed old to me. He was listening to the voice of the younger generation. One of the people inspired by both JFK and RFK was Joe Biden.

In his "Ripple of Hope" speech in South Africs, Senator Kennedy spoke of the ultimate strength of a people united in removing an unfit "leader." That's Political Science 101 .....and we know that science is a method. Our method of removing the malignant growth unpopularly known as "Donald Trump" is by getting out in voting. And voting in large numbers in 2020 requires not only that you and I vote, but that we invest time, energy, and pleasure into getting the vote out.

In opposition to our efforts to assist our society in regaining its sanity, we have the Trump cult. It is led by an ass-clown who is currently self-destructing. His campaign has the contributions of a few who are afraid to tell him he is doing horribly, and more that view him in a religious sense. And those true believes -- the ones who reject things like science and facts -- are a superstitious lot. Their belief system is not entirely different that the kid in Little League who believes their "lucky socks" improves their bating average ..... though that kid's beliefs do not threaten anyone.

The Trump cult is superstitious enough to believe that Donald's second coming will be delivered by news "reports" on his opponent's e-mails. These people believe, with all of their might, that JFK Jr. is alive, working with Trump to destoy all evil-doers. This, I dare say, is delusional thinking in a group context. It is not significantly distinct from believing that Charlie was fixing a hole in the desert.

Is their belief system markedly different from that of the Manson family? Most would agree that some of their beliefs were influenced by the White Album. I'd point out the idiots in Michigan named their gang after the group in the 1984 flick "Red Dawn," and their planned trial of the governor was based upon the 2012 movie, "The Dark Knight Rises." While I'm unfamiliar with "Red Dawn," I feel safe in saying this militia gang got the wrong message from "The Dark Knight Rises."

We are all aware that people of this mentality are prone to pick up on what are frequently called Trump's "dog whistles." These are the types that would wear Trump brand "lucky socks" to help re-elect him, but refuse to wear a mask to help protect their community's health. Is it coincidence that this type is as attracted to Trump's every lie, as that fly was to the shit coming out of Mike Pence's head?

Yet there are more of us than them. As long as we engage in the method of getting out the vote, we'll win the election. Not easily, but handily. We know they are trying to cheat. We know Trump will say it was stolen from him. But that's okay -- not that they behave this way, but because we will beat them. We'll win on the 12th, be it a day or Amendment.

Do not get distracted. They aren't that clever. There's no time to waste engaging with zombie cult members. Can't talk to them about facts, much less the truth. Can't shame them. We need to keep our eyes on the prize for the next two weeks. I say that, recognizing that local people I know have had nails thrown in their driveways, mail boxes smashed, and/ or the lug nuts loosened on their automobiles. Be safe, be focused.

We've got this.
H2O Man

October 15, 2020

Boxing (10-17-2020)

Oct. 17: Las Vegas, Nevada -- Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Teofimo Lopez Jr., 12 rounds, for Lomachenko's WBO and WBA lightweight titles and Lopez's IBF lightweight title.


Most of the boxing community considers this to be 2020's "Fight of the Year," and, at least on paper, it will be exactly that. In a year where the Great Sport has been restricted by the virus, it is important that such a high-quality bout be broadcast on ESP/ ESPN+.

My children have gotten me into watching MMA on ESPN/ESPN+ frequently this year. There are intense athletes in the sport, and I have nothing but respect for them. Tough, tough men and women in an exciting sport that has solid cards being promoted weekly. Admittedly, I am no "expert" when it comes to this sport, but it both a blast to watch, and has helped those of us experiencing withdrawal from the lack of boxing.

Loma, 32 years old, stands 5'7", and has a 65.5 inch reach; Lopez is 23 years old, stands 5'8", and has a 68.5 inch reach. Loma is a southpaw, and Lopez orthodox. Loma won his first world title in his third professional fight; Lopez started collecting minor titles in his 11th fight, and won the IBF world title in his 15th bout as a pro.

Loma's record is 14 - 1, with 10 KO victories; Lopez is 15-0, with 12 KO victories. Loma's lone loss was in his second fight, against Orlando Salido, by split-decision. The bout was for a minor title, which Salido did not win due to coming in significantly overweight.

Lopez is the naturally bigger man, and will no doubt move up from the lightweight division as he matures. Loma started at featherweight, and eventually moved up to lightweight.

Many in the boxing community consider Loma the best pound-for-pound fighter today. He is unique in being an aggressive counter-puncher, similar to the great Manny Pacquiao in his younger days. Like Pac-Man, Loma has great footwork, allowing him to attack -- and retreat -- at angles. While not blessed with Manny's natural punching power, Loma's ability to connect with punches his opponent does not see coming, and his effective body-punching, generally result in knockout victories.

Lopez is an aggressive fighter, with serious hand speed that allows him to deliver very hard punches. There is no question that he can hurt anyone he hits, and that he has one-punch knockout power.

In what looks to be a close match-up on paper, I tend to consider "punch stats." Both men have landed a bit over 35% of the punches they throw per round, though Loma throws more -- an average of 60+ per round, to Lopez's 47+ per round. Of course, this doesn't factor in the reduction of time per round if there is either a knockdown or knockout. But it does suggest that it will be an exciting fight.

Loma throws more jabs per round, and slightly more power shots and body punches. They have about equal percentages landed in power shots, but Loma has a significantly higher average of landing his jab. It's worth noting that the jab is generally recognized as being important to land in order to deliver all other punches.

Some critics have noted that Lopez struggled two fights ago, though he pulled out the victory. I tend to agree with Teddy Atlas, who recently said that experience will make Lopez better. I keep in mind that Ali struggled with Doug Jones, then was decked by Henry Cooper, in his two fights before upsetting Sonny Liston.

Likewise, some point out that Loma appears to have lost a half-step in his last two bouts. He had a long, very successful amateur career before turning pro, and so he has far more laps around the track than his pro record indicates.

This should be an outstqanding fight. It could end quickly -- really at any time -- or it could go the full twelve rounds. I'm hoping for a clear, clean outcome, without any cuts from butts, fouls, or questionable scoring. Enjoy the fight!

October 11, 2020

Bad Apple Trees

“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.” -- Isaac Asimov


It's not like we didn't know. Hell, I'm old enough to remember the bombing of the Birmingham church in 1963, that killed Addie Mae Collins, Cynthis Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Carol Denise McNair, and wounded more than twenty other people. Martin Luther King, Jr., called it "one of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against humanity." And I remember that there were no criminal charges pressed against those who bombed the church until one of the four thugs was finally convicted in 1977, despite the FBI's knowing their identies from 1965 on.

The gaggle of turds that were planning to "overthrow" the government of the state of Michigan are of the same basic make-up as the klansmen who bombed that church, or one of the many other bombings from that era. The sheriff that shared a stage with one of the terrorists now claims the group were merely doing what many others wanted to do -- arrest the governor. In the past, that claim would have been a successful defense strategy for the defendants' legal defense. But not today.

An associate told me that the pictures of the terrorists made them look like in-bred clowns, not equal to the accomplishments of their grandiose intentions. While I agree on the first part -- for they indeed look like a branch that split off from human evolution a million years ago, resulting in what is known as the Louie Gohmert missing but unmissed link -- they are extremely dangerous. The information that they were accessing explosives confirms that which I spoke of in my August 28 essay here, "The Troubles."

It's bad enough when white trash has access to guns. It's far worse when they gain explosives. And it is at the worst point when they have associates, such as a sheriff, on their team. Again, we have witnessed the synergy of these things in the Jim Crow era, the Civil Rights Movement era, and in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. Hateful, dull-witted people can do an extreme amount of damage. They can cause suffering and death within a community.

As I understand it, there is a possibility of more arrests being made on this case alone. Yet this case is in no sense "alone," as it is part of a much larger problem. The fact that this was taking place in a state with a Democratic governor -- and a woman, at that -- gives hint to what we can rationally expect when Joe Biden and Kamal Harris kick Trump and Pence's pale white asses out of Washington, DC.

This weekend, while on facebook, I've noted that a growing number of the rednecks I went to school with are recognizing that Joe Biden is going to win the election. They are unhappy with this reality. As that recognition sinks down into the lower depths of the Trump cult, it will go beyond despair. They will seek to strike out at the civil society.

I am reminded of Malcolm X's historic speech, "The Ballot or the Bullet," from April, 1963. In this instance, we will win by way of the ballot, and the brain-dead thugs will likely respond with the bullet. Yet Malcolm also taught that in the jungle, there are not only hunters, but those who hunt the hunters. In the past week, we saw that Michigan's state police and the FBI hunting the hunters. This is a good thing.

At the same time, with this dip-shit sheriff, we do recognize that "bad policing" isn't simply a case of a few bad apples. Since you can tell a tree by its fruit, it is clear that we must remove the poison trees from the orchard of society. And that specfically means the friends, associates of, and members the terrorist white nationalist groups that have become employed in law enforcement. Just as this is something that could never happen under a Trump administration, with its white nationalist members (including Trump), it can and must start happening in 2021.

Be awake, Be alert. Stay safe. And vote.
H2O Man

October 8, 2020

A Fly in his Anointment

I bet Trump will consider the fly on Pence's head a sign of weakness.

October 7, 2020

"A Twist of Lennon"

"I think our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think that’s what I sussed when I was sixteen and twelve, way down the line, but I expressed it differently all through my life. It’s the same thing I’m expressing all the time. But now I can put it into that sentence that I think we’re being run by maniacs for maniacal ends. If anybody can put on paper what our government and the American government etc and the Russian, Chinese, what they are actually trying to do, and what they think they’re doing, I’d be very pleased to know what they think they are doing. I think they’re all insane. But I’m liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That’s what’s insane about it."
- John Lennon, June 8 , 1968


In the above quote, John Lennon expressed the essence of a book that had been published thirteen years earlier, Erich Fromm's "The Sane Society." There can be a loneliness in being "sane" in an "insane" system, be it a family, a workplace, a community, or a country. Fromm defines the "insanity" of a system by its levels of things beyond "mental illness," including various types of violence (including all types of domestic violence, community violence, and state-sponsored violence), substance abuse and addiction, poverty, racism, sexism, serious illness and/or death, etc.

In the field of social work, it is recognized that if one family member suffers from one of these issues, that family experiences dysfunction as a system. This includes if a parent -- let's say a single parent of either sex -- loses their job, the family will experience serious pressures. This does not mean those features resulting from the pressures will always be there .....if that parent, for example, gets another job within a relatively short time, the family system will regain its balance.

In the case of a family that has one sick parental unit -- let's say a violent, unpredictable, unhinged father, just for the heck of it -- there are few options for healing so long as Old Dad remains a toxin within the household. Healing within the family requires either the old man making major changes in behaviors (possible, but not common), being removed from the home -- including being incarcerated, or, as some of the other family members may hope, dies.

Malcolm X focused his ministry on bringing healing to the victims of a sick social system, one that contained all of the factors that Fromm identified. One of his teaching methods involved symbolically placing a sparkling, clean glass of water next to a glass of filthy sludge, and trusting that a thirsty people will make the correct choice on what they want to drink.

Tonight, in the vice presidential debate, we will see our sparkling, clean glass of water named Kamala Harris, next to the filthy sludge known as Mike Pence. We know that the sickest among us will favor drinking from Pence's toxic glass. The white nationalists, the superstitious religious right, and their ilk. But the majority of Americans, desperate for healing, will see that Senator Harris is the best choice.

Enjoy the debate! I hope to participate in some fun conversations here tonight!
H2O Man

P.S.: I borrowed the title of Cynthis Lennon's 1978 book for this essay. Thank you, Cynthia!

October 6, 2020

Question #9

This was America.

This is America on Trump:

Any questions?