Monday, October 19, 2020
Down the Memory Hole
This post has nothing to do with politics or Joe Biden's less than agile mental abilities, because, like everything else in the universe, this is all about me!
I tell people "My memory is what I use to forget with." I stole that from somebody...can't remember who! Anyway, over the years I have misplaced a number of items, perhaps corresponding to the number of times I've moved cross country, but I can't blame it all on that. Some of it is due to my casual orgahnization skills and part of it is due to CRS. Since this blog is PG-13, if you don't know what that means, you'll just have to Google it.
Anyway, I started making a list of things I remember having and hadn't seen for a while. Today, I came across a really nice camera tucked away in a dresser drawer. I knew I still had the charger, because countless times, I had picked it up, recognized it for what it was and put it back down afgain because it wasn't what I needed at the moment. So, I looked in the last place I remembered it being and...no joy.
On the plus side, I found the charging cord for my phone's backup battery.
The box it came in says it has a standby time of "up to six months". Well, it had been years since I used it the last time we had a sudden power outage here in the golden, but sometimes dark, state of Califoirnia and it had power and to spare!
I also found the charger for my 20v cordless drill. The one I had been looking for the week before and ordered a relatively inexpensive replacement from Amazon. Now I have two. I also ordered a couple of replacement batteries they had on sale during Amazon Prime Day, so if I ever get really ambitious, I can charge two batteries at once!
Two steps forward, one step back!
Plus, while waiting for the battery to charge (which takes up to four hours), I've been doing a little online shopping, so I need to plunge my AMEx card into cold water to keep if I can keep it from melting down.
Mr. Trump, I'm doing what I can to single handedly stimulate the economy, but there's only so much a fella can do!
Update:
In addition to the camera I found in the dresser drawer, was a smaller pocket camera that I found in a desk drawer (I have a wealth of cameras!) on which I took pictures of my daughter's wedding back in 2013. Since the advent, ease and omnipresence of my cell phone camera, it has apparently laid there without a charge for the last seven years.
I charged it up over night, and, Mirable dictu, to my pleasant surprise, all the pictures were there, even one of my front yard which dated back to 2009.
I will copy those to my hard drive later today and distribute anything worth sharing.
Quote du jour
It continues to amaze me that Amy Coney Barrett’s textualism — the proposition that judges are constrained by what the law actually says — is being presented as some kind of right-wing extremism. One would think that Judge Barrett’s left-wing adversaries would very much prefer her to follow what the law actually says than to impose her own sensibilities on the nation through judicial fiat.-Kevin Williamson
Sunday, October 18, 2020
Quote du jour
A Christian ought to be a comforter, with kind words on his lips, and sympathy in his heart; he should carry sunshine wherever he goes, and diffuse happiness around him.-Charles H. Spurgeon
Saturday, October 17, 2020
Security is What You Make It
I mounted a couple extra security/motion detector lamps around the perimeter today. What prompted the rest of the discussion was a piece over at The O. K. Corral (formerly, Support Your Local Gunfighter): America Has A Police Shortage
...we have the fewest police officers since 1995...There are now fewer police officers per person in the United States than at any point in the last 25 years, recently released federal data show, after over a decade of decline. For those of you new to this blog, I have some bad – or good, depending upon your outlook – news for you: these numbers are going to plummet even further. There were roughly 214 police officers per 100,000 Americans in 2019, according to the latest figures from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment and Payroll, which tracks employment across state and local governments. That represents a 1.5 percent decline from 2018 and a 9 percent drop from 2007, when police numbers last peaked. To give you an idea of how far left the Democrats have gone, Bill Clinton’s 1994 Crime Bill added 100,000 police officers for many big cities. What are the chances of seeing that today?Remember: security is layers. Lighting. Landscaping. Fences. Dead bolts. Dogs. Alarms. Situational awareness. Safe rooms. Have a gun and know how to use it. But if it is your only level of security, you may not be able to utilize it in time. If you choose not to own a gun, that's your choice, but the layers of security will help to delay the bad guys until the cavalry can come. Keep a padlock on your breaker box. Thieves popping the main breaker on your box is a good way to see if anybody's home. Or to plunge you into darkness, disorient you and make it harder for you to resist. Wrap a tie wrap around the disconnect handle on your garage door opener for when the power's off. You can still break it with a good straight down pull, but without it, some thieves can fish a long wire over the top crack in the door and pop it easily from the outside. Take a bite out of crime! And be careful out there!
You Can't Always Believe What You Read in the Papers
I have it on good authority that this is NOT Hunter Biden snorting cocaine off a stripper's bum.
Hunter prefers to snort cocaine off the stripper's *boobs*, however my repertoire of photos of miscreants sniffing cocaine off strippers is somewhat limited.
#BidenFamilyValues
Best of the Web*
*…that Dave and I have seen all week!
(BTW, if you wonder where any of the links will take you, hover your cursor over the link.)
Political/SocioEconomic
‘Mansion Maxine’: Joe Collins Launches Ad Ripping Maxine Waters for Not Living in Her District
Maher: ‘I Don’t Know What I’m Getting for My Super High Taxes’ in California
READ: Amy Coney Barrett’s opening remarks to Senate Judiciary Committee
Senate Panel Investigating Hunter Biden Emails Showing Possible Introduction Between Joe Biden, Burisma Adviser - meaning Joe Lied
Kelly Campaign Spox Calls Police ‘Worthless F—ing Pigs’
A warning letter from the niece of Osama bin Laden - A Biden/Harris administration would bring America to her knees
Foreign Money Flowing To Hunter Biden Triggered Bank Alarm Bells As ‘Potential Criminal Financial Activity,’ Senate Investigation Finds
Emails reveal how Hunter Biden tried to cash in big on behalf of family with Chinese firm
Culture
Feel-Good Friday
Denver: ‘Mostly Peaceful’ Protest Until Gunman Murdered a Trump Supporter
Photoshops/Cartoons/Graphics
Flopping Aces -Sunday Funnies
Yes We Know
Sunday Funnies, 10-11-20
Today's Toons 10/7/20
Today's Toons 10/8/20
Today's Toons 10/9/20
Today's Toons 10/12/20, Today's Toons 10/13/20
Linkfests:
Larwyn’s Linx: Short-Tempered Joe Biden Says “Voters Don’t Deserve To Know” His Position on Destroying Supreme Court
In The Mailbox: 10.13.20 (Afternoon Edition)
Larwyn’s Linx: A warning about Biden and Harris from the niece of Osama bin Laden
In The Mailbox: 10.13.20 (Evening Edition)
Larwyn’s Linx: The Voters Deserve to Know Now
In The Mailbox: 10.14.20
In The Mailbox: 10.15.20
In The Mailbox: 10.16.20
Dave's Rule Five Roundup:
Proof Positive - Vintage Babe of the Week - Tonight's Vintage Babe is Ingrid Pitt! and Best of the Web
Animal Magnetism - RULE FIVE CAMPAIGN SPEECH FRIDAY
redpilljew - Gratuitous Rule Five Friday
By Other Means - Tuesday Tap Rack and Bang, BeCos(play) It's Friday and Seeing Red
Evi L. Bloggerlady - Mayra Joli
Ninety Miles From Tyranny - Hot Pick, Girls With Guns, Morning Mistress and Blogs With Rule 5 Links
Pitsnipes Gripes- Just a simple tribute
Grouchy Old Cripple - Saturday Boobage
Irons in the Fire - Friday Data and ... Saturday Data Overflow
The Feral Irishman - Friday Femme Fatale
The Daley Gator - Daley Babe
Diogenes Middle Finger News - A Good Monday Morning
A View from the Beach - Rule 5 Saturday - Hey There Georgie Girl - Georgie Darby and Fish Pic Friday
24 Femmes Per Second - Gina Lolobrigida
Knuckledraggin My Life Away - I'm sure she's taken, men And ... I’ll leave you with this
American Power - Bella Bikini
Woodsterman - Rule 5 Woodsterman Style
The Other McCain - Rule 5 Sunday: Phoebe Kline
The Pirates Cove - If All You See ... and Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup
Wired Right - A Beautiful End to the Day
The View from LadyLake - A Rule 5 redux
The Right Way - Friday Babe and ... Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama
Use the comments as an open thread on any of these topics. Please send links of news, commentary, or choice humor to: Proof.Positive@Hotmail.com
Quote du jour
Seems to me like a Commandment against "making graven images" could have avoided the whole "what color/race was Christ?" business.-Mike B
Friday, October 16, 2020
Quote du jour
Capital will go where it is treated well, and the future will go where it is welcome. And history is not an arrow pointing unalterably in the direction of progress and prosperity. If you think being a rich country protects you from that reality, remember that, when Senator Warren was born, Venezuela was the fourth-wealthiest country on Earth.-Kevin D. Williamson
Thursday, October 15, 2020
Quote du jour
A reader points out this sentence on The Corner: “In August, there were a slew of pieces accusing Florida governor Ron DeSantis of manslaughter.” He asks if it shouldn’t be “there was a slew” or “there were slews,” and, of course, he is correct. Slew, from the Irish sluagh, means “multitude,” and it is singular. This is a pretty common error, one I make fairly often myself.-Kevin D. Williamson
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Quote du jour
"In the wake of the state-sanctioned lynchings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd..."
-Colin Kaepernick
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Monday, October 12, 2020
Happy Columbus Day!
With all the excitement over the Amy Coney Barrett hearings, I plumb forgot today is Columbus day!
Buy an Italian a drink today!
Quote du jour
Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.
-Thomas Jefferson
Sunday, October 11, 2020
Three Month Challenge update
Just a small note tonight. Remember that big slab of salmon I said I bought for fifty cents on the dollar, the other day? I figured I'd get three supper entrees out of it. I was wrong.
Sliced it up for dinner tonight, and part of it was folded over itself in the package. I cut four steaks out of it. Grilled the salmon and feasted on the bounty of the sea, asparagus, mac and cheese, with some home brewed iced tea. Still eating high on the hog.
Sanctuary
The old wooden door opened noiselessly; a young woman hesitated on the threshold, looking in from the darkness outside. The brick walls of the room were in shadow, lit only by two oil lamps on either end of a plain wooden table and the glow of a hanging lamp: a candle in a red glass holder.
“Sanctuary,” she breathed, closing her eyes in thankfulness.
She entered the room and quietly shut the door behind her. In her arms she carried something wrapped in blankets; over her shoulder was slung a large knapsack, which looked more bulky than heavy. Her clothing was wrinkled and stained, as if she had been wearing it for many days–which she had been.
There were a few benches along the walls. She crossed to one and sat down gratefully. While still carefully holding what was in her arms, she unslung the knapsack and set it on the floor beside her. She then leaned against the wall and sighed deeply. This was her penultimate destination; the difficult journey was almost over. Although she no longer had a watch—she had no metal objects of any kind on her, for that matter—she had a good sense of time. She knew she wouldn’t have to wait very long for the final service of the day. She rested quietly, eyes on the hanging lamp.
After a short while, a bell started to ring.
————–
In a nearby room, an old man put down a large handbell and carefully retied the cincture around his long robe. In the small kitchen down the hall, a middle-aged woman finished putting away a few dishes and hung a towel up to dry. Both of them headed for the brick-walled room at the same time.
————–
The young woman heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She stood up and, dragging the knapsack with her free hand, moved closer to the wooden table. She stood there silently as the footsteps came closer.
The old man, followed by the woman, entered the dimly-lit room, but they stopped abruptly at the sight of an unexpected visitor. The three of them looked at each other for a moment, and then the old man stepped forward with a smile.
“Greetings and welcome,” he said, inclining his head slightly. The young woman shifted the wrapped object in her arms as he spoke; the older woman’s eyes instinctively took in how it was being carried.
“Can we help you?” the old man said. “I am Brother Simon, and this is Sister Julianne.” He indicated the woman standing next to him. “We are…caretakers here.”
“I’ve come a long way to find this place,” the young woman replied. “There is something important I must do.” She turned down a fold of the blanket in her arms to reveal the sleeping face of a very young child. The older woman drew in her breath audibly.
Brother Simon looked sober. “It’s a boy?” he asked. When the young woman nodded, he lifted his eyebrows and then said, “How old is he?”
“Seven months old,” she replied, holding the child a little closer. “And the Ceremony happens soon.”
“Next week!” Sister Julianne said, moving forward while putting one hand over her heart.
The young woman looked at her, assessing—and then smiled. “I have come to the right place. God led me here.”
“How long have you been travelling?” asked Brother Simon.
“A week or so—I’ve lost track of the days,” the young woman replied. “I travelled by night, when the child was asleep, and then hid and rested by day. I sold or traded away all my jewelry and there is no metal on our clothing, so they couldn’t track us the usual way. But they’re looking. I did get a head start, though, and we have come a long way.”
“You and the child are welcome to stay here,” said Brother Simon warmly.
“No, they will search everywhere for me. Even here.”
Still holding the child carefully, she pulled back her right sleeve and turned over her arm. They were silent as they saw the brand.
“They will never stop looking for me until they find me—one way or another,” she said, as she shook down her sleeve.
“What will happen to the child?” asked Sister Julianne in a whisper.
“Nothing will happen to him–because they won’t find him. He will be here, safe with you. What’s one child more or less to them, anyway? There’s plenty more where he came from.” The young mother’s expression became bleak.
“You brought him here to save him?” asked the older woman.
“Yes, to save him.”
“Of course he can stay here,” Brother Simon said. “And you can stay, too.”
The young woman shook her head. “I can only save one of us. And there is no saving for me,” she said, her face set. “They will kill me on sight because I escaped. And if they find him, they will take him back and—dispose of him. I won’t let that happen.”
“But surely they know you escaped with the child,” the older woman said. “Won’t they keep trying to find him?”
“Open the knapsack and take out what’s on top.” Sister Julianne did as she was directed and pulled out a folded cloth. “Look at it,” said the young woman. When the cloth was shaken out, it was revealed to be a baby’s nightgown, torn and stained with blood. The young woman reached for it.
“I will carry this with me. They will find it and think that the child was killed by animals. And because they must kill me, they will never know that he survived. The dead cannot speak. And he will be saved.”
“Where did the blood come from?” Brother Simon asked the young woman.
“It’s mine,” she said simply, as she tucked the small garment into her sleeve.
There was a moment of silence, and then the old man spoke again. “Is there anything we can do for you—anything at all?”
She turned to him quickly. “Yes—please baptize him before I go. I want to see him baptized.”
“I am not a priest,” began Brother Simon, but she interrupted him.
“I know that—the few that are left are hidden better than you or I could ever find in time. But this is a church…”
The old man shook his head. “It was a church.”
She looked him straight in the eye. “It will always be a church. You are the caretaker of this holy place and you are a believer. In the absence of a priest, you can baptize.” When he still looked uncertain, she added “If the child and I were to be retaken, we both would die; me quickly and him terribly. Such urgency allows you to baptize.”
“How did you learn these things?” asked Brother Simon.
“I was taught well, God rest her soul,” the young woman closed her eyes and crossed herself. “I want him to be baptized, as I was.”
“Who baptized you?” Brother Simon said, amazed.
“A priest. God rest his soul, too,” the words came out in a sob. Sister Julianne came closer and put her arm around the young woman’s shoulders.
The old man stood in silence for a moment. Then he turned to Sister Julianne. “We’ll need the candles,” he said. She nodded and left the room. While she was gone, Brother Simon went to the side wall of the room, kneeled down, and carefully slid a few bricks out of the wall. He reached into the space behind them and withdrew a silver dish and a small corked bottle. He carried them all back to the table. When the young woman looked closely, she saw that the bottle was filled with a clear liquid and the dish was shaped like a scallop shell.
Brother Simon began speaking as he placed the dish on the table and uncorked the bottle. “The last priest who was here had a vision—a warning of a difficult time to come. He was right.” The old man smiled grimly as he poured a little of the water into the silver shell. “He dug out the space in the wall behind the bricks, in which to hide the holy water and the baptismal shell. And there are other things in there. He prepared quite a lot before…” his voice trailed off.
“Before what?” asked the young woman sharply.
Brother Simon looked up. “Before he was taken,” he said simply.
“You never saw him again?”
“No,” the old man shook his head sadly. “The night before they came, he hid everything in the wall and made me vow to guard it with my life. That it all would be needed some day…” The old man finished his preparations and turned to the young woman. “May I?” he said, holding out his arms. Without a word, the young woman carefully handed the sleeping baby to him. Brother Simon settled the child in his arms and gazed in silence at him. His eyes took in every detail.
During this time, Sister Julianne had returned with several votive candles; she lit them and placed them in order on the table. She then came around to the front and stood beside the young woman. The two of them looked at each other, then the young woman took the other’s hand in both of hers.
“Will you be his godmother, please? The only mother he will have after tonight.” The older woman nodded her assent, and then they both turned to face the old man and the child, still holding hands.
Brother Simon looked up from his study of the child’s face. “We will begin. What is his name?”
“Christopher Joel,” the young woman replied.
The old man looked surprised. “They wouldn’t have liked that…”
“They don’t know anything,” she said scornfully. “They’ve all forgotten, or they refuse to remember.”
Brother Simon held the sleeping child in one arm and made the sign of the cross over him. Then he picked up the small silver dish. Being careful not to let any liquid fall into the baby’s face, he poured some water on the top of the small head three times. “Christopher Joel, I baptize thee in the name of the Father…and of the Son…and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” The two women echoed the final word. The child did not wake but continued sleeping peacefully.
When he was finished, he gently handed the child to Sister Julianne, who gathered him into her arms with a smile of joy. He then turned back to the young woman. “I would like to anoint you. What is your name?”
“I can’t tell you that. It’s not safe for you to know who I am.”
Brother Simon looked at her and then said, “I understand, and you are right. But God certainly knows who you are, because you are his, and that is all that matters.” He took up the bottle of holy water and marked her forehead with the sign of the cross. “Into His hands I commend your spirit.”
The young woman reached up to her forehead and traced the cross-shape. Then she looked at Brother Simon and asked, “Is there enough holy water for one more thing?” He nodded; she pulled up her right sleeve once again. “Please put it on this, to take away the shame.”
Brother Simon covered the brand with holy water and murmured a cleansing prayer. All at once, a look of release flooded her face. “Thank you,” she said simply as she lowered her sleeve.
Turning to the other woman, she indicated the knapsack beside them on the floor. “There are blankets and extra clothing for him in there, and a bottle. I weaned him early, to make things easier for whoever would be taking care of him.” She looked at the older woman, who was cradling the baby protectively. “He’s a good baby—and you will be a good mother to him, I know. He will be safe here with you both.” She looked trustingly from the woman to the old man, and back again. Then she looked down at the child for a long moment. Curving her hands around his face, although not touching him, she whispered some words inaudibly, as if in blessing. When she finished, she bent over and kissed the sleeping child lightly on both cheeks and on his forehead. Then she straightened up and, with tears beginning to fall, kissed the older woman’s cheek. “Christopher is your son now. Guard him well.”
“I will–with my life,” answered Sister Julianne.
The young woman turned her face up to the hanging lamp with a sharp look of longing–then tore her eyes away. “I need to leave. I don’t know how close they are, and I must lead them as far away from here as I can.” She turned quickly and raised the older man’s hand to her forehead. “Ring the bell for me after your prayers. Twenty-three times.” She looked to make sure that the old man understood, and then left the chapel silently, without a backward glance.
————–
The baby stirred; Sister Julianne began to rock him gently in her arms. Brother Simon replaced the holy water and the baptismal shell in the hiding place in the wall, sliding the bricks back into their spots exactly. He picked up the knapsack and tucked it under his arm. Then he blew out the candles on the table and took up the two oil lamps. “Come,” he said to Sister Julianne, “You need to prepare a place for this child—for our Christopher Joel—to sleep. I will come back and say Compline for all of us. God brought this child here; he will understand your absence.”
“Remember to pray for her soul,” said the woman, holding the infant closer.
“Yes, we must pray for her; and keep her child safe always.”
The three of them quietly left the chapel, leaving the sanctuary lamp burning behind them.
Mary M. Isaacs copyright, 2020
Quote du jour
“Your faith will not fail while God sustains it; you are not strong enough to fall away while God is resolved to hold you.”― J.I. Packer
Saturday, October 10, 2020
Best of the Web*
*…that Dave and I have seen all week!
(BTW, if you wonder where any of the links will take you, hover your cursor over the link.)
Political/SocioEconomic
These Are the Most and Least Conservative Members of Congress
Harris’s Inaction Against Utilities Helped Fuel Wildfires
Kamala Harris Lied Repeatedly and Got Away With It
Leaked 2016 Call Reveals Joe Biden Risked National Security To Sabotage Trump
Culture
The Conservative Trans Woman Who Went Undercover With Antifa in Portland
Feel-Good Friday
Photoshops/Cartoons/Graphics
Flopping Aces -Sunday Funnies
Sunday Funnies, 10-04-20
Today's Toons 9/30/20, Today's Toons 10/1/20, Today's Toons 10/2/20
Today's Toons 10/5/20, Today's Toons 10/6/20
Linkfests:
Larwyn’s Linx: Why Is President Trump in the Hospital?
In The Mailbox: 10.05.20
Larwyn’s Linx: The Democrats' Long Temper Tantrum Will Reelect Trump
In The Mailbox: 10.07.20 (Afternoon Edition)
Larwyn’s Linx: How The DNC Hired CrowdStrike To Frame Russia For The Hack
In The Mailbox: 10.08.20
Larwyn’s Linx: Americans Need To Know What Joe Biden Knows About His Family’s Profits From China
In The Mailbox: 10.09.20
Larwyn’s Linx: Pence Mops the Floor with Harris
Dave's Rule Five Roundup:
Proof Positive - Vintage Babe of the Week - Tonight's Vintage Babe is Barbara Valentin! and Best of the Web
Animal Magnetism - RULE FIVE RIGHT TO COMMERCE FRIDAY
redpilljew - Gratuitous Rule Five Friday
By Other Means - Tuesday Tap Rack and Bang, BeCos(play) It's Friday and Seeing Red
Evi L. Bloggerlady - Siegfried ðŸŽ
Ninety Miles From Tyranny - Hot Pick, Girls With Guns, Morning Mistress and Blogs With Rule 5 Links
Pitsnipes Gripes- Just a simple tribute
Grouchy Old Cripple - Saturday Boobage
Irons in the Fire - Friday Data and ... Saturday Data Overflow
The Feral Irishman - Octoberfest ... Irish has a NSFW warning on this one so he must be serious.
The Daley Gator - Daley Babe
Diogenes Middle Finger News - A Good Monday Morning
A View from the Beach - Rule 5 Saturday - Maggie Grace, Lost, Taken and Californicated and Fish Pic Friday
24 Femmes Per Second - Brigitte Bardot
Knuckledraggin My Life Away - I'm sure she's taken, men And ... I’ll leave you with this
American Power - BARBARA PALVIN
Woodsterman - Rule 5 Woodsterman Style
The Other McCain - Rule 5 Sunday: Damn It, Janet
The Pirates Cove - If All You See ... and Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup
Wired Right - A Beautiful End to the Day
The View from LadyLake - Here's some gratuitous boobage
The Right Way - Friday Babe and ... Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama
Use the comments as an open thread on any of these topics. Please send links of news, commentary, or choice humor to: Proof.Positive@Hotmail.com
Quote du jour
Excuse me, but Justices should not bring a “vision “ to the court, but should faithfully interpret the law as it is written. Vision is for Congress and the President, not the courts.
-Mike B, to Dianne Feinstein, who feared Amy Coney Barrett might have a "polar opposite vision", than RBG
Friday, October 9, 2020
Three Month Challenge update
In the interest of full disclosure, I did go to the grocery store today. I had a stopped up sink and I was out of drain cleaner. I was starting to see signs of primordial life there, so, I ventured out into the wide wide world. And I confess, I cheated, just a bit, on my three month pledge.
On my way to pick up what I needed, I passed a display of beautiful, ripe bananas. I had cut bananas out of my diet completely for the 6 -8 months I was on keto. Prior to that, I'd buy 2-3 every time I bought groceries. So, I picked up two (2) bananas. Out of habit, I cruised by the short code meat and seafood displays. There were several lovely slabs of fresh salmon for fifty cents on the dollar, and a couple of small tri tip roasts for 30% off.
I picked up one pkg. of salmon and two tritips. Figure dinner for a week. I'll add another week onto the end of my three month challenge to make up for bad (yet very thrifty) behavior.
Quote du jour
“At the 2019 Federalist Society lawyers convention, [Amy Coney] Barrett stated that “[a judge] ought to be an originalist because the Constitution, no less than a statute, is law.” She went on to say that “the original Constitution, along with each of its amendments, was adopted in an exercise of popular sovereignty. ... If a constitutional provision became authoritative because the people consented to it, then we need to know what they consented to. To discern that, we look at the meaning the text had at the time it was drafted and ratified.”-Ilya Shapiro
Thursday, October 8, 2020
The Rubicon Has Been Crossed!
Or, to change the metaphor, Cortez has burned his ships! Blogger has been threatening to impose its new and improved format upon its users, as early as a couple of months ago. Some of us were desperate clingers to the old format, but change has finally caught up to us and we must, at last, deal with the new format.
My first impression of the new system was to contemplate giving up blogging altogether. Watch this space.
I don't particularly like it, and in the following days, I will probably harangue Blogger with all the gory details.
But for now, I remain your humble servant in the trenches...
Make Your Vote Count in November
This election coming up is a very important one, not just for presidential politics, as crucial as that is.
In Arizona, for example, you have Mark Kelly running for the Senate. Not only is he anti-gun and very possibly in the pocket of the Red Chinese, but he has said explicitly that he will not vote to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
ACB scares liberals because she would interpret the Constitution according to what it actually says and not what she wishes it said.
Liberals have been using the Court to "pass" all manner of un-Constitutional junk that would have gotten legislators fired had they tried to pass it in the legislature.
The courts should be a neutral arbiter of the law, not advocates for "social justice".
Bringing this country back to full health will require a full House and Senate of adults, not petty partisan snipers.
We don't need Impeachment 2.0, or the Swamp impeding the president with petty witchhunts.
Re-elect Donald J. Trump, and give him a House and Senate majority that will allow himi to unleash the full power and glory of the United States of America
Vote like your country depended on it.
Quote du jour
"When you pass the football, there are three things that can happen and two of them are bad."-Coach Woody Hayes, when asked why he didn't call the pass more often.
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
DIY Glock 19 Gun Giveaway!
DIY guys, this is for you!
For all you guys sitting at home quarantined, with time on your hands...you can enter here.
For all you guys sitting at home quarantined, with time on your hands...you can enter here.
Tuesday, October 6, 2020
Monday, October 5, 2020
Do Inaccurate Polls Abet Voter Fraud?
One of the reasons I believe that polling is so overblown, consider Hillary over Trump in 2016, Biden over Trump in 2020, is to mask, to a certain extent, voter fraud. We have been treated to, in recent times, reports of precincts where more votes were cast than the number of registered voters. This points to obvious voter fraud. It is a physical impossibility to have more legal votes in any given precinct than you have registered voters. Even if you had 100% turnout, which is highly unlikely, you have voter fraud.
This was one of the goals of groups like ACORN, which would register voters like Mickey Mouse, the starting lineup of the Dallas Cowboys, etc., and some people laughed, thinking, "No one is going to go to the polls and try to vote as 'Mickey Mouse'." True. But it inflates the number of registered voters. The more registered voters you have, the easier it is to slip in illegal ballots, without detection.
For example, let's imagine a township of 100 eligible voters, which has a fairly high registration rate of 85%. Turnout for most elections is also high, at 40-50%, or at least was considered high 20-30 years ago. Under those conditions, a majority of approximately 42-43 people determine the outcome of the election.
If someone submitted an addition fifteen fraudulent registrations, it might be seen as implausible, but not impossible. Hard to prove without an intensive search. Assuming our 43 loyal voters are pretty evenly split, an extra fifteen illegal votes would insure an almost certain victory in any election, a 37 to 21 break, with 58 total votes -less than the total of either registered or eligible voters. Under those circumstances who would even raise an eyebrow over the results. Because, we trust our elected officials to protect us from that sort of thing, right?
But it seems our current generation is not leaving anything to chance. More and more "amateurs" are trying their hand at voter fraud. We are ending up with precincts which have more registered voters than eligible voters, according to the census. We have elections with even more ballots than registered voters, as well. What percentage of our elections are being swayed by illegal votes? One is too many. Our Republic is governed by the consent of the governed. I am perfectly willing to be on the losing end of any vote or proposition where the votes are honestly tallied.
The idea of one man, one vote, implicitly implies: one man, only one vote.
Ballot harvesting must be made illegal nationwide. There is far too much opportunity for vote tampering and fraud when you interrupt the chain of custody of the vote. There should be a "positive purge" of voter registration record to eliminate those who are dead, or moved, whose numbers increase both the possibility of voter fraud, but obstruct its detection. Penalties for voter fraud should be increased, and in my humble opinion, people who commit voter fraud should themselves be disenfranchised, to where they lose the right to vote, to have any say in the governance of this country.
And polling? Again, it's a managing of expectations. if in our mythical township of 100, the "polls" indicated that all your neighbors favored a candidate or a proposition by 15%, (when in fact, it was illegal votes that favored the winner), most people would just shrug, accept the loss and go on with their lives. That's why we need transparency and accountability.
One man, only one vote.
Sunday, October 4, 2020
Quote du jour
But fellow citizens, now this is funny, because we have the word politics, don’t we? Well, in your Greek New Testament, when you get to the word fellow citizens, it’s sumpolités; that means you live in the same city, and from it we get our word politics, don’t we? You have the same politics, heavenly politics. Isn’t that an interesting figure of speech there? You’ve got the same politics. Why? Because you belong to the same country and serve the same king, the King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.-Dr. Robert A. Cook, on Ephesians 2:20
Saturday, October 3, 2020
A Little Saturday Night Music
The Monkees - Daydream Believer
I was never a big Monkees fan, but this song was kinda catchy. When I discovered it was written by John Stewart, it made a little more sense. So, here's their version, followed by the original.
I was never a big Monkees fan, but this song was kinda catchy. When I discovered it was written by John Stewart, it made a little more sense. So, here's their version, followed by the original.
Best of the Web*
*…that Dave and I have seen all week!
(BTW, if you wonder where any of the links will take you, hover your cursor over the link.)
Political/SocioEconomic
A vote for Biden is a vote for a one-party state - Analysis of exactly how the US becomes California if Biden wins
BLM Activist Who Drove Her Car Through Trump Supporters in Yorba Linda is Arrested and Charged with Attempted Murder
Taxing Times
From the time Biden took office in January 2009 -March 2013, the VP's trips cost taxpayers $979,680 for fuel and maintenance - Commuting Wilmington to DC, sometimes several times a day
Culture
Hilarious: Someone Swiped the BLM Snack Van and People Have Thoughts
Why Left-Wing Feminists Hate Amy Coney Barrett
Feel-Good Friday
Photoshops/Cartoons/Graphics
Flopping Aces -Sunday Funnies
Days That End in 'Y' - editorial 'toons & memes
Sunday Funnies, 09-27-20
Today's Toons 9/23/20, Today's Toons 9/24/20, Today's Toons 9/25/20
Today's Toons 9/28/20, Today's Toons 9/29/20
Linkfests:
Larwyn’s Linx: The Supreme Court fight of our lives
In The Mailbox: 09.28.20
Larwyn’s Linx: Biden’s Texas Political Director Behind Massive Mail-In Ballot Harvesting Scheme
In The Mailbox: 09.29.20
Larwyn’s Linx: Breaking: How Hillary introduced Americans to the Trump-Russia collusion hoax
In The Mailbox: 09.30.20
Larwyn’s Linx: Democrats’ Threat to Abolish the Filibuster Means the End of the United States as we Know It
In The Mailbox: 10.02.20 (Afternoon Edition)
Larwyn’s Linx: The Democrat Party is a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Communist Red China
In The Mailbox: 10.02.20 (Midnight Special Edition)
Dave's Rule Five Roundup:
Proof Positive - Vintage Babe of the Week - Tonight's Vintage Babe is Carol Lynley! and Best of the Web
Animal Magnetism - RULE FIVE GMO FRIDAY
redpilljew - Gratuitous Rule Five Friday
By Other Means - Tuesday Tap Rack and Bang, BeCos(play) It's Friday and Seeing Red
Evi L. Bloggerlady - Julie London: This October
Ninety Miles From Tyranny - Hot Pick, Girls With Guns, Morning Mistress and Blogs With Rule 5 Links
Pitsnipes Gripes- Just a simple tribute
Grouchy Old Cripple - Saturday Boobage
Irons in the Fire - Friday Data and ... Saturday Data Overflow
The Feral Irishman - Friday Femme Fatale
The Daley Gator - Daley Babe
Diogenes Middle Finger News - A Good Monday Morning
A View from the Beach - Rule 5 Saturday - Teri Hatcher and Fish Pic Friday
24 Femmes Per Second - Candice Bergen
Knuckledraggin My Life Away - I'm sure she's taken, men And ... I’ll leave you with this
American Power - BARBARA PALVIN
Woodsterman - Rule 5 Woodsterman Style
The Other McCain - Rule 5 Sunday: Elizabeth Taylor
The Pirates Cove - If All You See ... and Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup
Wired Right - A Beautiful End to the Day
The View from LadyLake - Here's some gratuitous boobage
The Right Way - Friday Babe and ... Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama
Use the comments as an open thread on any of these topics. Please send links of news, commentary, or choice humor to: Proof.Positive@Hotmail.com
Quote du jour
Just tell all the young, socialist wannabees that equal income distribution means they give away their smart phones for a flip phone with no texting capability, just to be "fair", and see how many young capitalists you find!-Mike B
Friday, October 2, 2020
The Three Month Challenge
Frankly, I don't know if this is going to be interesting to anyone but me, so feel free to pass over this for something more interesting. The last post was a Vintage Babe. Always a good bet.
You're still here? Okay, here goes. I'm giving myself a three month challenge to live off nothing but what's in my cupboard, fridge or freezer for the next three months. No trips to the store. Nothing on the menu that isn't in the house already. I've never been a "prepper", more prepper lite. I felt it was prudent, whenever possible, to have enough supplies on hand to take you through power outages, storms, zombie apocalypses and the occasional Sadie Hawkins day.
Now through New Year's, no trips to the grocery store. I may need to pick up a few prescriptions between now and then. Of course, with my luck, there will be a meteor strike or somesuch on New Year's Eve, right when I run out of everything! But, I'm willing to take that chance.
I'll also be doing some soul searching during that time. On the one hand, I live in a great little house on a quiet little street in a state with the best climate in the world. If I stayed here until they carried me out in a box, it would be fine with me.
On the other hand, I live in a state with the worst political climate of all 50 states. Sometimes, in my mind, I have one foot out the door already. How does that song go? "Should I stay or should I go?"
So, I'm going to think about it and pray about it for the next three months. Certain investments I have made seem to indicate that I can pay off my mortgage next year, which will make it very cheap to live here...or give me a large cash out to move somewhere else. Both staying and going have their positives and their drawbacks. I guess it will probably hinge on what I plan to DO with the rest of my life. Can I do it here? Do I need to move?
Whatever will that be? I don't know. That's part of the challenge of the next three months. If I live another decade or two or three, what do I want to be doing , other than writing a blog and enjoying my monastic solitude?
I've been in the process of decluttering my life. I've given a lot of stuff away, some of which I thought would be a comfort to me in my retirement. I've got another half a dozen boxes set to go and more to follow after that.
Ideally, I'll have much of the remaining clutter cleaned up...in the next three months!
Decluttering means less stuff to pack... or more space and less clutter in living here. Win-win either way!
So, wish me luck. Let me know if you have any interest in progress reports. Like I say, this might not be interesting to anyone other than myself. But, some times I write simply to let the words leak out.
Thursday, October 1, 2020
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