June 17, 2020

Some Tennessee lawmakers stop amendment to hide statue of former KKK leader

Source: Fox17 Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--Some members of the Tennessee General Assembly moved to table an amendment to the state budget which would have blocked a statue of former KKK leader Nathan Bedford Forest from the view of drivers on I-65.

Sponsored by Rep. Jason Powell (D-Nashville), Amendment 8 to HB2922 would have appropriated funds to the Tennessee Department of Transportation to plant donated trees and natural landscaping to block the statue of Nathan Bedford Forest.

Forrest was the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan and Confederate general during the Civil War. The statue has been defaced with paint in the past and a subject of debate in recent years. Speaking on the House floor Wednesday, Rep. Powell said blocking the statue from view would send "a clear message to people in the state of Tennessee" and called it an "important step."

Read more: https://fox17.com/news/local/some-tennessee-lawmakers-stop-amendment-to-block-statue-of-former-kkk-leader

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Just saw this on MSN, its a local Fox affiliate but I still feel kind of soiled going there. This made me smh.

June 7, 2020

What kind of people want to get people killed?

Just read something that has shaken me pretty bad.

"Just across the street, hundreds of their mostly white neighbors were there for decidedly different reasons. They leaned in front of local businesses The Daily Bagel and Rick's Smoke Shop wearing military fatigues and bulletproof vests, with blue bands tied around their arms. Most everyone seemed to be carrying something: flags, baseball bats, hammers and axes. But mostly, they carried guns.

They said they came with shotguns, rifles and pistols to protect their downtown businesses from outsiders. They had heard that antifa, paid by billionaire philanthropist George Soros, were being bused in from neighboring cities, hellbent on razing their idyllic town."

[link:https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/klamath-falls-oregon-victory-declared-over-antifa-which-never-showed-n1226681|

That article chilled me to the bone. It's worth a read if you haven't yet. Chilled me for multiple reasons. First, that anyone could believe the tripe that brought these people out. Secondly, that this tripe was passed on and abetted by Police departments AND by a COLONEL of the National Guard. The main bozo in that town pushing this I can almost understand. He just wanted to sell more guns and ammo. Imagine that...... putting peoples lives in danger so he could make a few extra bucks.

Fox and AM rightwing hate radio AND facebook bear the blame for this kind of shit. What has happened to our country when people will knowingly and willfully stir up the low information yahoos among us to the point of this kind of crap? People will DIE because some of the scummier of us want to make a few bucks?!? Its hard for me to believe that Fox, facebook etc don't know this stuff to be false and tbh I suspect their "ideological purity" too. Hannity, Rush and their ilk has to KNOW what they are doing is wrong but make too much doing it to care. I..... I could go on and on but will cease my rant.

June 6, 2020

This Treasury Official Is Running the Bailout. It's Been Great for His Family.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have become the public faces of the $3 trillion federal coronavirus bailout. Behind the scenes, however, the Treasury’s responsibilities have fallen largely to the 42-year-old deputy secretary, Justin Muzinich.

A major beneficiary of that bailout so far: Muzinich & Co., the asset manager founded by his father where Justin served as president before joining the administration. He reported owning a stake worth at least $60 million when he entered government in 2017.

[link:https://www.propublica.org/article/this-treasury-official-is-running-the-bailout-its-been-great-for-his-family?utm_source=pocket-newtab|

Not 100% sure this is the correct place to post this. But more graft and sleaze from this administration..... starting to just seem like another day. What is wrong with us as a nation that a good third of us, if not more, are o.k. with this kind of thing?

June 5, 2020

Trump orders massive cut to U.S. troop numbers in Germany

Source: Military Times

The U.S. military will reduce its footprint in Germany by nearly one-third after President Donald Trump ordered a dramatic drawdown in force levels from the key NATO ally, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

The newspaper cited White House officials who said the move was outlined in a memorandum signed White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien in recent days that has still not been made public yet.

Under the order, U.S. troop presence in Germany would drop by 9,500 servicemembers, from 34,500 today to about 25,000

Read more: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/06/05/trump-orders-massive-cut-to-us-troop-numbers-in-germany-report/

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Didn't take long for our chump in chief to get some revenge on Ms. Merkel for declining his G7 photo op. What a petulant little man he is.

I spent 3 years of my service in Germany and that experience helped shape my whole view of the world. Will be a shame many others like me may not get that opportunity.

May 5, 2020

Some thoughts on covid and reopening protests....

I see all the news about these reopen now protests from Michigan to Kentucky to California and can't help but think ....

1. Every "protest" I've seen reported is actually very small as far as the crowd size is compared to the States where they are happening populations are concerned.

2. Since these people want their damn haircuts so bad why has not the maga crowd come up with a boatload of new businesses that cater to this desire. I mean.... come to your home and cut your hair, do your nails etc. . That way they can keep themselves clustered and leave the rest of us that much safer. When these people start dying off faster than the general public maybe , just maybe they would take this a bit more seriously.

3. And this one really stands out for me, WHERE are the counter protests? I shouldn't have to die because YOU want a haircut etc. We know that these "protests" are paid for and organized by the right, where are OUR "let me live" counterprotests/rally's? If all the average person sees are the wingnuts screaming to reopen they may think that the sentiment is more widespread than it is. Like it or not Humanity as a whole are herd animals and we want to be a part of the "whole"/majority. Why has nothing been done to show how widespread our desire to be safe is?

Just a few thought over my first cup of coffee for the day.

April 13, 2020

We're number ONE! So much winning.......

We lead the entire world in coronavirus deaths. Let that sink in.... number ONE! With the worlds "greatest" healthcare, we're NUMBER ONE!!! All due to our obviously corrupt and nowhere near fit for office chump in chief and his lackeys and yes men. Can't forget his cheerleaders at Fox "news" that helped spread his uninformed and downright stupid ramblings. I HOPE that this is used as a campaign plank by Mr. Biden and his V.P. choice and by every Democratic candidate running for office. We're number ONE!

April 2, 2020

Do you think Pres. Obama

Do you think President Obama will ever get so tired of being the butt of our chump in chiefs constant belittling and constant scapegoating that he'll ever cut loose on the orange imbecile? I would LOVE to see/hear that myself.

March 29, 2020

Moscow Mitch.....

I've always hoped that Moscow Mitch would be defeated soundly in the upcoming election but now.... well I just had a thought. Wouldn't it be sweet indeed if we flipped enough senate seats that the ole Dim Reaper would have to be the MINORITY leader? With a Democratic House..... a Democratic Senate....and a Democratic President? We could then watch him squirm and bluster with impotence while we used all HIS tactics against him? The howls we would hear lol.

Ahhhhhhh.... but you know what? As nice as it is to daydream I just want that traitorous scum removed from from our leadership. I don't care how, just be gone.

March 11, 2020

Wow. The V.A. just called me..... re. Coronavirus

I get all my healthcare through the V.A. despite all the negative things you hear about them and the "system" I have had nothing but respect and top notch care from them. They treat me like a King in fact.

I have an appointment in the morning, regular scheduled checkup, and have already confirmed via text so wasn't expecting anything else from them for awhile. Now, I don't answer my phone if I don't know the number but the call I received about 15 minutes ago was the same as one I got yesterday so I looked it up. It was from the V.A. hospital and they routed my call to the clinic I use. They gave me a preliminary coronavirus "screening" over the phone, just questions for now. Then they told me that I would be screened twice at a minimum at the clinic tomorrow. Once going in and once going out. They also informed me that all but one entrance/exit would be closed.

Now, I'm old and do have pre-existing conditions, Emphysema and stage 3 COPD, but this is unprecedented. Makes me wonder a little about if maybe there's more to this than is being let on. Have not been unduly worried about it tbh but now I must say that my level of concern has risen dramatically.

One more shout out to the dedicated women and men who give us veterans healthcare and are vastly underappreciated. It seems that unlike other parts of our government THEY at least are being proactive. I'm even more impressed now than before.