Presidential Politics - Time to Start Paying Attention

I must admit that I've only watched a portion of one or two Presidential debates over the past few months.  I don't know the political views of all the candidates.  I have not taken time to read information regarding what each candidate believes or what policies they are advocating.  The sound bites in the media or alleged "news" blurbs via the internet have been my main methods of staying in touch with what's been going on in the Presidential campaign.

My initial views are that Hillary Clinton has a wealth of experience that would make her a good President.  I don't know much about Bernie Sanders, but from watching him in one debate I did come away with a favorable impression of him.

On the Republican side, it seemed as if there were over 10 people running at one time.  Jeb Bush never reached people with a message that caught on.  The same with the governor of New York who now seems to be Donald Trump's torch bearer or water boy, whichever comes first.  Trump.  My initial reaction is that Trump seems to be a bully or the anti Christ.  I sometimes wonder if he has three 6's carved into his scalp somewhere?  Is he Damien from the movie "The Omen"?  Or is he a throwback to Adolph Hitler?  The people who are voting for him apparently are using him as a way to express their true viewpoints that are not politically correct.  Trump loves to attack people and say the mean things that we want to secretly say to minorities, and people we just don't like.

Now it's March with the election some 8 months away.  It's time to start paying attention.  It's time to ensure you are registered to vote, so you can express your opinion come election day in November.  The eight years of Barack Obama's administration are coming to an end.  Now comes the dawn of a new era.  That glimmer of sunshine you see over the horizon will either blind and burn you come January 2017 or provide you a warmth and promise for the future.

Now's the time to read about the viewpoints of the candidates and to even start asking questions.  After that comes decision time.  So, what's it going to be?  Do we elect the first woman president in the history of this country?  Do we tear down another barrier that has existed for years by actually giving a woman a chance to lead the country?  Or do we return to the days of hateful viewpoints, finger pointing, blaming others for our problems, and re establishment of racial barriers?  You decide by your vote.

Soul Music Revue on Princess Cruise Ship

My wife and I recently experienced cruise ship life on the Princess Regal.  My wife planned the trip and did a great job.  The ship was well maintained and the service top notch.  One night we went to see a show that was publicized as a soul music review featuring the sounds of Motown.  So we went hearing that it was a good show.  We're in our seats and the show begins.  About 8-10 singers/dancers emerge from the wings of the stage.  But, only one of them, a female, is black!  So, I'm thinking , "okay this is the first group of singers."  They sing some early 1960's hits, Wilson Pickett, etc.  Then 5 white male singers go into a Temptations and Four Tops routine.  Now I'm sitting in my seat in semi shock.  I'm thinking, "Lord have mercy.  It's a Motown soul music review featuring the Pat Boone singers and dancers."  Note, you have to be over 50 to understand the reference to Pat Boone!  So new generation folks can Google the name.

I'm pretty much speechless through the rest of the show.  I was thinking to myself, "this is a damn shame."  Princess Cruises couldn't find one black male to be a fake Temptation!  That's why black unemployment is three times what it is for white people.  The Brothers don't even get a call for an entertainment job.  Maybe the White Oscars was only the tip of the iceberg in the entertainment industry?

Yeah, the white performers did display some good skills.  But if you're making oatmeal cookies, you don't replace the oatmeal with grits!

Staring at Disabled People?

Why do some people stare at disabled people?  Do a self check.  If you’re walking along or sitting somewhere and you see a disabled person, what do you do?  Do you start staring at them?  Does your brain go into an analysis or curiosity mode?  Do you find yourself staring at whatever body part of the person is different from yours.  It’s like our mind is trying to create a story line that explains the difference.  You could be having a conversation with a friend and then you see the person, the disability or difference and you go into a stare/analysis mode.

A few of us who make contact with a disabled person may find your mouth asking a question.  “What happened to_____”  Fill in the blank with the appropriate body part.

My theory is that we all suffer from People’s Stupid Curiosity Syndrome, PSCS.  I think we need a three second staring rule.  That’s all you need to do your analysis.  Three seconds of stare time.  And no looking back for a second look.  We need street referees to enforce the rule.  If you are caught breaking the three second rule you get a yellow card.  Three yellow cards and you can’t walk outside for a day.

Suppose someone disabled or different was staring at you?  How would you feel?  Especially if they weren’t  smiling?  You’d think something was wrong with you or they didn’t like you. So today if you find yourself staring at a disabled person, stop it!!

Childhood Memories - Moving From Saint Louis, Missouri to Compton, California

I remember that as a child every year we moved to a different apartment.  It was like we were on a 1 year schedule. After awhile I wouldn’t unpack my stuff.  I’d just leave my stuff in a box.  I figured, “why bother, we’re going to move again anyway!”  Saved me packing time each year.  Everybody else was scrambling trying to pack stuff up.  I just scooted my boxes of stuff over to the door and went out to play.

One year we made the ultimate move.  We moved from Saint Louis, Missouri to Compton, California.   Why, I still don’t know.  Cause life turned to hell for us in California.  My parents drove two old ass cars 2,000 miles across country from Saint Louis to California on one tank of gas.  We were driving about 20 miles per hour all the way.  My dad in one car with my oldest brother and me pulled a small U haul trailer behind his car.  My mom had my sister and one of my brothers in the other compact car.  At night time we slept in the car.  Forget sleeping in a hotel.  This was 1968 America.  Black people didn’t sleep in hotels on road trips.  We were barely allowed in hotels still.

We wore the same clothes every damn day.  Showering?  Hell no.  If we washed up we did so in the public restrooms.  Meals during the trip?  We started off eating homemade sack meals of bologna sandwiches.  We had a container of water and no cups.  Everybody drank from the same container.  Yeah I’m talking backwash city!  Once the bologna sandwiches ran out I think we barely ate anything.  I do recall my dad stopped at some place and got us each a big ass hamburger.  I mean this burger was as big as your face.  It excited my Dad but I was like “how am I supposed to eat a burger as big as my face?” 

At 20 miles per hour it took us what seemed like 69 days to get from Saint Louis to California.  The small car that my mom drove had about 12 flat tires on the way to California.  My mom wound up driving into Compton on just the rims. Then we finally got to the Promised Land.  A housing project in Compton called Park Village.  It had a big ass Berlin Wall all around it.  The wall was about 10 feet tall.  It served its purpose though.  It kept the inmates, us, contained in the project.  And it kept the outside world from seeing how bad we had it or that we even existed.  When we got there I was thinking, we left Saint Louis for this?  Hell, I was ready to head back home to Saint Louis.  I just looked at my parents each day after that and shook my head disgusted. “Thanks for moving us to this American Dream in the projects!”

Audacity and Arrogance - Delay a Nomination to Supreme Court???

Several years ago President Obama authored a book titled “The Audacity of Hope”.  Several Republican Senators should now ban together to author a book titled “Audacity and Arrogance”.   After the death of Supreme Court Justice Scalia, several Republican leaders made outrageous comments that President Obama should allow the next President to nominate a replacement to fill Justice Scalia’s seat on the Supreme Court.

These Senators who call themselves leaders want to have the American people wait 11 months before a key judicial position is filled.  Rather than have a full bench on the Supreme Court deciding issues over the next year, these Senators truly believe that partisan politics is more important.  There answer is delay, delay, delay.  When does delay help bring closure to major judicial issues?  Voters in those states who have Senators advocating delay should simply call those Senators’ office and request that they resign and come home.  We’re not paying Senators a salary to simply delay addressing issues.  That’s part of what’s wrong with the current level of politicians.  They are not managing the chaos in the government.  Instead they are contributing to it.

The American people re elected President Obama to carry out all the duties of the Presidency.  That includes making nominations to fill vacant spots on the Supreme Court.  It’s an important nomination and the full Senate will have the opportunity to review and vote on a final candidate.  That is the process.  Action not delay.  Senators and Presidential candidates advocating delay need to rethink whether they are fit for public service.

Comical Observations

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) at Republican Debates

The Republican debates continue to be ferocious.  Yeah, they may wear white shirts and dress ties for the debates.  But give them one week.  I guarantee they’ll start showing up wearing wrestling gear.  Especially Trump and Cruz.  I’m talking a mini Royal Rumble.  In the next debate they’ll start off answering a real question.  Then it’ll get kind of testy.  Fingers being pointed and then Trump will apply a solo flex move to Rubio and they’ll be on the stage pounding each other in the head.

When there is one candidate left I’d bring in The Rock to challenge the final nominee.  Can you imagine that?  “The Rock says shut your candy ass up. Tell me why you think you should be President?”  Then when he tries to answer the Rock tells him, “It doesn’t matter what you think!”  Then he gives him the people’s move and knocks his ass out.  The debates are all entertainment anyway.  Nothing they say is going to solve any problems.  They’re all making empty promises and lying to us.  You know it right?

Medical Commercials

I saw this commercial on TV advertising some medicine.  It was a cartoon character that looked like intestines.  I’m not sure what his/her name was.  I call it the Colon Thing.  It had the colon mouth opening and small beady eyes.  Maybe it’s me but in real life are not intestines slimy?  If you saw a walking intestine coming towards you would you hug it?  I can imagine the next medical cartoon character.  It will be a commercial for erectile dysfunction.  It’ll be a comical cartoon figure of a flaccid limp penis all alone.   Then after it takes ciallis or Viagra it become an erect, happy hard penis with women and men flocking around it.  Now that would be a great Saturday morning kid’s cartoon show.  “Mommie can I have some cereal while I watch Penis Man?”

NBA World Team Player's Names Challenging for Announcers

I watched the NBA All Star “festivities” last week. They had a “rising stars” game that featured first and second year players.  They divided the teams by players born in the United States and those born in “foreign” countries.  It’s a “we” versus “them” game. “Them” was the “World” team.  The most challenging part of the game was hearing the announcers try to pronounce the foreign born players names.  By the time they announced all the names of the World players it was half time.

The names of the World players had like 8 syllables, and that’s in the first name only!  “Forward, from the San Antonio Spurs, Andrukylitis Staseepopulous Beecherenko Radmonivac.”  The name on the jersey ran in a horse shoe shape up, down, and around his back.  “Point guard, from the Ukraine, Vladimir Tychowsky Demetrioff.  They call him V.D.”  I hear women groupies avoid him.