Naked Bigotry is Instructive

The left, as always, keeping it classy. Example one and example two.

If these guys were on the right and two years ago had said similar remarks about the former (regrettable) President and his family, well, … woops they’d have been called racist, bigots and run out of their jobs post-haste.

But the left has decided to embrace bigotry, hatred, and prejudice. Introspection apparently is a thing rarely done.

Broken Brains

So at least two nominally intelligent people (and apparently this is not that uncommon) have the notion that there is a clear and present danger that Mr Trump may attempt a coup and try to wreck our democracy (republic more technically) and announce himself … as some sort of dictator. Mr Krauthamer had a column in the Tribune (Chicago) offering that opinion and a Chicago Boy(z) noted a historian I’ve read (like the linked author I’d found the book “Bloodlands” well worth reading). The point is both of these guys think this is a real and present threat.

Why? That remains a mystery. Neither person seems to put forth any reasoning behind the idea. There are lots of clues why this isn’t at all likely. Exhibit one is the repeated executive orders and moves by the President to relegate power to the states from federal control. A short perusal of history will show that the set of dictators prior their taking full control ever ever ever relegating authority and control is … empty.

Go figger. Why this hasn’t occurred to those who think this is a threat is beyond my ken.

Swim Log 5-8-17

So, still getting back into the swing (swim?) of non-breaststroke things. I had a lesson setup for Thursday but had to postpone just shy of a week. Did do 1 100 yard free under 1:30. Wasn’t that taxing. I’ll do more of that tomorrow. Felt good.

Total yardage: 2750 yards.

A Strange Habit of Speech

Ms Clinton today offered an odd expression. She offered (as quoted by Fox … so perhaps if Fox is as deranged as the left it’s not exactly true) … but apparently that she was “taking absolute and total responsibility for losing the election … but”.

Hello?? If what you say in the first part of the sentence. Then that of necessity obviates the possibility of a “(pause) but..” clause. 

Seriously how can she not know that? 

Swim Log 05-02-17

Getting more into it, actually my (dread/wretched) backstroke is feeling less bad than it ever had. Some habits from breaststroke seems to have improved my freestyle as well, although on the 11th I’ll have a lesson and we will discover if that is actually true. 

Total yardage: 3050 yards

Of Mr Matthews and the Wolf

CNN commetator and liberal (public) whip Chris Matthews it was noted was bragging about the headwind he and his fellow liberals in the media have been creating for the President. 

Apparently their loss of all credibilty with all but the very liberal hasn’t occurred to them.

To bad nobody told him the story about the boy who cried wolf before. By the time the next election occurs nothing the press will say about the right wing candidates will be be heard at all except by the died in the wool leftists. 

Will the Liberal (anti-Trump) Bubble Ever Snap

So a liberal commenter posted a comment on my post observing that the liberal aggression against conservative speakers which began to get bad (and rumor has it they were being paid/backed in doing so) during the election. That commenter posited the theory that the alt-right is being paid to, well, go to conservative rallies as both faux liberals and black mask wearing conservatives and attacking those alt-right who were pretending to be antifa liberals in the act of violently disrupting the event. This theory is notable only because it is so convoluted. He also claimed the term “antifa” was an invention by the alt-right to discredit the left. Apparently the blog Mother Jones is really an alt-right front (who knew?).

Take that as point one.

Point two, there is a consistent theme that Trump is a fascist. Trump has consistently when reversing Obama’s “Executive Orders” has consistently released federal control to the states. He has added a command to federal agencies that for every regulation added you need to remove two. What is fascism? Fascism is ” a political system headed by a dictator in which the government controls business and labor and opposition is not permitted.” Authoritarian governments do not relegate … anything. Is there any actual evidence that Trump favors and is even moving in that direction at all? No. Theories that continue at this point to hold to that idea have to use logic as twisted as alt-right guys being paid to spend years building a background story as a liberal to go to a conservative rally, disrupting it so other alt-right guys can beat you up.

Maintaining this bubble should be more and more difficult as time goes on. Question is, what will happen when it does?

How Not to Report News

Via Google Now Ms Wonkette (who is apparently a man named Evan Hurst) on a blog I don’t actually follow but … , “she” reports that Ms Ivanka Trump has started a “pay for play ‘Clinton Foundation’ for the ladies” (scare quotes not quoted text btw). Just a few problems with that assertion:

  • there is no evidence anywhere in the article of any pay for play. Seems that you’d kinda needed if you make an allegation that there is some justification for the slur. Kinda like accusing a man, because he’s “naked under his clothes” of indecent exposure. Y’all know, he could take them off at any time. Just sayin.
  • It’s a charity and international donors have contributed.
  • Ivvvannnnkkaaa (?!) apparently that’s a bad thing. Alas, it isn’t.
  • And the last most damning thing. So, the Clinton’s ran a corrupt foundation for years. Wonkette has been defending the Clinton’s for years. If you ignore corruption on your team you have (kindergarden ethics 101: turnabout is fair play) no basis for attacking corruption of the same sort. You’ve already tacitly admitted it’s OK. The only people at this point able to make valid points against this new foundation are those who attacked the Clinton’s for the same thing. Alas the rub is, reliable reporting from the left no longer exists. If such evidence is (a) believable and (b) from reliable sources then I for one will attack those involved (verbally). Feel free to despise those like Wonkette for blatant hypocrisy.

So pretty much, no reason to post except to expose your bias and bigotry.

Swim Log 4-22-17 (race!) and the subsequent workouts

So Saturday I raced. The big twist was the course was meters (short course) not yards (the pool I train at is yards). I did a 44 in the 50, a 3:30 in the 200 and a DQ (bad start) on the 100. The 100 time was pretty bad as I was still shaking from the effort in the 200 before I started the 100. I think in the future I won’t sign up for 100s after a 100. Looks from the splits like I went out too fast in the 200 and barely survived. Also in the 8 weeks between this race and the last some bad habits had snuck in. Should have video’d my training some to get feedback or had a lesson. But it’s my very first year. The 3:30 by the “motivational time sheet” puts me under the “A” time which was my season goal. So I have that to fall back on.

The last few days (missed Monday) I’ve returned to a balanced workout, but my back and free are way way way out of shape. That should come back quickly if I hammer at it.

The City of Big Shoulders and Really Dumb Mayor

Maaaahr Rahm (da Rahmfather) said today “Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) is pushing more gun control for Federal Firearms License holders (FFLs) in the city.” (cite)

How many FFL holders are the cause of the high level of gun violence in Chicago. Yah, about as much as the Concealed Carry holders I imagine, which is to say just about none. Oh, wait.

So what scandal is he trying to hide I wonder. Or was it a slow news day?

Reliability and the New York Times

So, today the New York Times offered a small article reporting the New England Patriots visited the White House as has been customary for the Super Bowl winners. That was about the only factually correct part of the article. In it they reported that “only” 34 players showed up and that this was a small number. They showed a picture of the last and current teams on the steps with a substantially larger number of people in the photo from the last time they one and far fewer than this year. Except that this was all untrue. 36 players showed up the last time. In the photo of the former visit to Mr Obama’s White House, the team + othe personel lined up on the stairs, in the current photo, 40 or more of the staff (non-players) were seated on the lawn … and *that* is why they aren’t in the photo, this is an intentional misleading comparison. 

You’d think (and you’d be wrong) that the NYTimes editors realizing they’d been accused of fake news would be especially careful to be not caught easily in fabrications and lies. 

So, now when the Times reports that polls are down for Mr Trump or other “bad” news about the administration … why would you believe them. They have showed their willingness to lie openly about easily checked matters. Would you expect them to be less or more trustworthy on matters that are less easy to verify. I’d offer … less.   

Exploding Heads or Heads in Sand?

So, today it is announced that “threats of violence” have cause Berkeley to cancel Ms Coulter’s visit to campus. So the party that compares the President to Hitler copies tactics of same . They have for a year or more through the election and beyond been using SA-like tactics to shut down opposition speech.

Either these idiots threatening violence are completely unaware that they are doing the acts they accuse the opposition of thinking of doing, or perhaps more likely, they are not ignorant of the irony implicit in their actions and decide evil done for what they perceive as good is not evil. So either their heads should explode due to cognitive dissonance, or they are ignoring history and their own actions.

For those who need a history lesson, the SA (The Gymnastics and Sports Division of the NDSAP (Nazi party)) was the enforcement arm used by Hitler. In the late 20s they began violent confrontations with other parties during those parties gatherings.

History, if you are ignorant of it, repeats itself. Apparently that which one is asked to “never forget” has been forgotten.

Or succinctly if you be liberal and not standing on a soapbox denouncing this strongly then … “stupid or evil … pick one” cause you’ve run out of other choices.

In the Past Week or So …

So, a 11 ton bomb was dropped. Apparently, as a result, some have decided “Mr Trump has no strategy”. How they know that, the press forgot to ask. Oh, wait. they didn’t ask because it’s clear those claiming “no strategy” were just making crap up. Remind my why grown men and women who call themselves reporters, report as “news” stuff they know is just made up? And furthermore, when you play, say, chess, do you feel it is a good idea to inform your opponent the details pertaining to your strategy? No? Thought not. Why is this different? Another very positive outcome is that unlike the former administration which completely forgot the lessons from that undeclared war of the 60s and early 70s (that is decisions should be made by professionals in the field and not by Washington) this administration has deferred tactical and methodological decisions to those who have actual expertise. Which means finally after 8 years of misery, the primary aim of our tactics will not be driven by domestic politicking but by strategic goals set by the administration.

Attacks were made in Syria as well. Pretty clearly this had a two-fold goal, first off, unlike the former (somewhat regrettable) President Obama, when a “red line is drawn” and crossed … there are consequences. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, having done the decision in front of Chinese high officials … it sets the stage for China/North Korean negotiations. If you read around in the aftermath of that event, the obvious escapes way too many observers.

News surprising no one, although it will remain to be seen if the Clinton foundation was connected, after all they carried a lot of carpet bags to Haiti.

Sex and the student body, some young women thought not saying no implied no.  Annulled. Wonder if civil suits can recover damages?

 

 

Pascha — Christ is Risen!

He is risen indeed!

Or in a few more words (by St. John Chrysostom):

If any man be devout and love God, let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast. If any man be a wise servant, let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord. If any have labored long in fasting, let him now receive his recompense. If any have wrought from the first hour, let him today receive his just reward. If any have come at the third hour, let him with thankfulness keep the feast. If any have arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; because he shall in nowise be deprived thereof. If any have delayed until the ninth hour, let him draw near, fearing nothing. If any have tarried even until the eleventh hour, let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness; for the Lord, who is jealous of his honor, will accept the last even as the first; he gives rest unto him who comes at the eleventh hour, even as unto him who has wrought from the first hour.

And he shows mercy upon the last, and cares for the first; and to the one he gives, and upon the other he bestows gifts. And he both accepts the deeds, and welcomes the intention, and honors the acts and praises the offering. Wherefore, enter you all into the joy of your Lord; and receive your reward, both the first, and likewise the second. You rich and poor together, hold high festival. You sober and you heedless, honor the day. Rejoice today, both you who have fasted and you who have disregarded the fast. The table is full-laden; feast ye all sumptuously. The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away.

Enjoy ye all the feast of faith: Receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness. let no one bewail his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed. Let no one weep for his iniquities, for pardon has shown forth from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the Savior’s death has set us free. He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it. By descending into Hell, He made Hell captive. He embittered it when it tasted of His flesh. And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry: Hell, said he, was embittered, when it encountered Thee in the lower regions. It was embittered, for it was abolished. It was embittered, for it was mocked. It was embittered, for it was slain. It was embittered, for it was overthrown. It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains. It took a body, and met God face to face. It took earth, and encountered Heaven. It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen.

O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory? Christ is risen, and you are overthrown. Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen. Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and life reigns. Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave. For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages. Amen.

Blogging Will Be Light

Holy week and all. I try to make most of the Holy week services, I’ll miss Thursday morning liturgy … and that’s I think. Which means I’ll be going every night, Friday 3 services, Saturday morning and Saturday night’s Pascha service.

Swim Log 4-11-2017

Slight hiatus, missed logging a workout or so, and missed two days (yesterday T-storms, Sunday working, and Thursday last week, traveling). Today, starting “taper”, which for me means shorter workout, after warm-ups, less drills, less kicking and most swimming is at race pace (although not often for full race distances).

Total yards: 1750

Props to Nissan (Champaign)

Public charger is public, available with courtesy and openness. Asked to charge my Volt (not a Nissan Leaf of course) and am charging now (Nissan dealership is across the street from my hotel). Will start tomorrow with a full charge.

Thanks guys.

Which Is Worse?

Item 1. Judicial malpractice, some judge thinks Mr Trump can be “held liable” for incitement to violence. Not surprisingly the rhetoric cited is mild at best when compared to the former President and his cabinet. This post, same theme (bad judges) notes the “living Constitution crap-on-a-stick” and some likely consequences. Apparently as Mr Obama trampled on Constitutional protections as he was President (example not enforcing laws that didn’t suit him and his many questionable “executive orders”) those who thought his actions OK didn’t think that a President could be elected and use these same standards towards ends they didn’t actually agree with.

Item 2. This essay (missing the point slightly) … in which “aiming at the intelligence community” for allowing itself to be used to partisan ends “weakens the intelligence community”. Duh. And using the IRS for partisan ends does too, or should I say … the IRS allowing itself to be co-opted for partisan uses weakens it.

Item 3. This little snippet of a “reveal” by the left misses the point I think. And I’m not going to pretend this ass-hattery isn’t done on both sides of the aisle. Look. When you know something isn’t true or without basis and you are in position of influence then it is immoral and highly dishonest to push that lie for short term political gain. If you do that you lack integrity. If lacking integrity is common … then we’re screwed.

So. Which of these three items will do the most harm? The judiciary overstripping overstepping its bounds? Partisan corruption of essential government services and agencies? Or the loss of integrity being touted as a virtue?

Slightly related question. I searched but found no responses or hits on search terms. There are about a dozen to 20 (not including former Senators like Mr Obama and Ms Clinton) who voted unanimously for Mr Gorsuch for the federal bench. I have seen no answer to the question of why they all voted for him before but won’t now.

Swim Log: 4-4-17

Whooo. Two good workouts in a row. Today (after warmup/drills 1000 yards) did 4×50 on the 1:00 twice and 2×50 on the 1:00 twice as well. The first 4x50s all came in at :47. On the 2nd, the first one came in at :45 but the final 3 at :46/:47. Kicking was fast today, 6×100 all about 1:52 .. actually time sneaked up on the 5th, but got it at 1:51 for the last.

Total yardage: 2200.

Swim Log: 4-3-17

After warmup did 3×100 descending 3 times. Then 4×50 “pick your speed” trying to match a particular speed goal on each 50 (on the 2:00, except for the :48 which I went on 1:30). Kicked 4×100 under 1:50 to finish.

Total yardage: 2500 yards.

Opportunity is Knocking

Some young journalist who’s idealogy is less important to him/her than ambition could make a lot of money right now. There is a market opportunity in journalism for someone who will report unbiased news. Rignt now the mainstream journalists have sold themselves out for (mostly) the left slanting news, biasing news, distorting news for idealogical reasons. The few media outlets the right has are polarizing the same way, but for the other team. 

What and who can one believe? Right now polsters, cricket race chasers, tell us that the nation is polarizing more and more. When we are reading two versions of the news, two narratives in which neither sides “storytellers” ever get off script. 

So. Wanna make money in journalism? Print the truth without bias. Verify your story. If you can’t verify, don’t print. A trusted news source right now is what we hunger for but can’t find. 

A Brand New Car

So back years ago, I had an Honda Insight (2 actually) which I got used. They subsequently were damaged in accidents and lost to us. One was automatic one manual. To the manual tranmission one (2000 model year) I added a 3rd party home built control card to give me “joystick” control either direct or programmed in “modes” to control the IMA electric engine. Anyhow I’d promised myself when a car that “exceeds” the capabilities (mpg wise) and only then, I’d get that. Finally I think I might have found one.

Last December, I (by “I” I mean my wife and I) purchased a Chevrolet Volt (new, … 2nd generation). Some neat things about the Volt can be found here (a description of the transmission and modes) and here (the battery cooling system  and compared to the Telsa). Here is what it looked like when I brought it home.

Volt

2017 Volt

So far I’m liking it a lot. If I had gone full EV, it might not have worked so well as a “work” car because charging can be iffy. With the Volt, absent charging you just have a standard hybrid running on gas with regeneration. With charging in evenings if you manage to keep up with the charging, then basically you get a half price gallon (plus a little)  gas (filled at home). And if you burn less than that gallon, no actual gasoline gets burned. Now that the weather is warming up, my range is extending to a little over 60 miles per charge. When the temps are down that 60 is more like 40. Today for example, driving around on Saturday I was reportedly getting “120 MPGe”. The MPGe is a value I don’t quite trust. Basically the EPA defined the MPGe, for electrics, so that 36 kw-hour is equal to a gallon of gas. The Volt has an approx 18 kw-hr battery, which would be a half gallon. But at the same time they (GM)  claim the range on that to be 53 miles … which would be about 110 MPGe).

An example, a few weeks ago my daughter and I went downtown to the opera. I hadn’t gotten a full charge the night before, but the 25 miles to, the opera, we were “on gas” (or the ICE -> Internal Combustion Engine) for the last mile. We parked in a garage with a charging station, and during the show got about a 90% charge and subsequently drove all the way home with about 30% battery to spare.

When on EV, the car is very responsive (more so than ICE cars I’ve driven with automatic transmission) and fun. It has more pickup than I’ve ever tried to use so far.

Anyhow, if you’re looking, I’d recommend looking at a Volt.

Swim Log: 4-1-17

So, I did swim Wednesday (and Friday), but was busy and didn’t log it. At some point in my sprint sets, I injured my left knee (one I tweaked skiing a few years back). I’ve been on Naproxen and watching it since then. Today did a short set, oddly winded during my swim. After warmup and drills did 50s and then 5×100 kicking.

Total yardage: 2000 yards.

Parallel Lives: Allegedly Unfounded Investigations

The left felt that inquiries into “Benghazi” were unwarranted. As the investigation was done it was in fact unfounded. The actual “scandal” as far as I could tell with Benghazi were two scandals, neither of which got much press. The first part isn’t actually actionable, but should be scandalous. That was the part in which the administration and cabinet on the night the scandal happened, purely because it didn’t fit the foreign policy narrative they were trying to sell, decided to lie about the cause and what occurred. They knew clearly immediately that this was an organized attack, yet repeatedly told the public that these “riots” were a reaction to a year old video exposing and mocking abhorrent practices that Egyptian Muslims had done against Coptic Christians in Egypt. The actually actionable piece was another bold face lie by Ms Clinton who under oath at Congress claimed to know nothing and have no input or knowledge about the security measures at the Embassy. This was in fact against the law, as Congress had enacted a law that all embassy security needed sign-off by the Secretary of State after, I think, the Cole bombing. So. She had no knowledge (under oath) of security measures for which she was legally required to have personal responsibility. Seems to me that’s not strictly, or not-strictly, legal.

Now, in parallel, the Dems are pushing for investigations into Mr Trump and the current administration’s Russian connection. Nobody, if you ask them, thinks anything the Russians did affected the election outcome. What little evidence has been made public is very weak. Sometimes you see, “We see this person talked to a Russian ambassador”. Uhm, that’s not actually actionable and more importantly what is an ambassador’s job? An ambassador’s job is to make contact with officials in the government in the county he/she is posted within to address issues relevant to the relations between the two states. That an ambassador talked to people in or likely to be in a position of influence in the government isn’t surprising. It’s expected. Furthermore, on the face of it, it was probably more in Russia’s interest that Ms Clinton be elected over Mr Trump. It is likely that, like the press and the left, a Clinton landslide was what they expected and therefore what would their “tampering” motive be? What Russia might have wanted as well, was to weaken the position of whomever was elected. Oddly enough, just as in the cold war period, the left continues its role as useful idiots and acts apparently unknowingly to support the Russian regime (well, to be honest “unknowing” wasn’t really a factor in the 70s and 80s … idiots however still applied).

So. What is the goal of the Democrats here? Do they really believe collusion with Russia? On what basis and to what end? That part never reaches their statements on the matter and I suspect isn’t one they’ve considered.

Swim Log: 3-28-17

“Standard warmup” (600 yards) then 4×50 breath control drill. After another easy 100 did a pair of 200s. Then some moderately fast 50s and kicking (8×100 all around 1:50 +/- 2 seconds … except the last one which was 1:46).

Total Yardage: 2300 yards.

Backpacking River to River (a section) 3/23-3/25

So my 2 daughters and I spend 3 days/2 nights on a short backpacking excursion. In past years we’ve done some back-country canoeing trips in the BWCA (starting here) for 4-6 days at a time. We started at midday on Thursday in intermittent rain, temp about 45.

trip start

This is us at the observation trail at the “Garden of the Gods” in Shawnee National Forest.

We hiked until about 4:30 and stopped at a riverside just past Herod. The rain stopped after about an hour and a half or so. We had prepared quickly because the kids were on spring break, so we just had freeze dried dinners.

We were serenaded to sleep by a small number of coyotes which must have been not far away. They didn’t bother us that night or the next day.

We got up at about 7, with the sun and broke camp and started walking about 9. We walked through the “One Horse Gap” and some interesting rock formations and small caves. This day we noticed our map differed from the markings and trail guides. This would be a problem the next day. After a second crossing of “Little Lusk Creek” we camped for the night.

The next morning we got greeted by rain, or at least drizzle. We thought we had about 6-7 miles out so we skipped breakfast (snacking as we started on bars, nuts and fruit as we walked and shortly thereafter got confused by signs and lost the trail. This made our day about 11 miles not 7. Two pictures of our travel that day follow:

rocks

We passed lots of large exposed rock formations

Streams are obstacles for hikers

The stream crossings were not ones you could do by walking on logs or stones without getting wet`

The main purpose of this trip was to test out some new equipment. Rain gear worked fine. Packs were fine. We forgot a few things and the pack bladders for water (we had one) will be gotten for all of us for our next trip. We need to condition ourselves to walking a little better (at least I do, at 55 I can’t just pick up and walk 10 miles a day after holding a sedentary job. Swimming uses enough different muscles that I’m going to have to get ready for May).

Swim Log: 3-26-17

A few days off backpacking (more in the next post on that regard). Although walking is difficult with stiff muscles from unaccustomed use, all swimming muscles were just fine as expected. Emily’s cold may have had some effect. Anyhow, pretty standard (weekday type) workout. Warmup + 400 yards drills (mostly breath control). 500 yards tempo work finishing off with 3×100 kicking descending sets (rate @ or just under 1:55, 1:50, 1:45 with varying rest (less than a minute)) done 3 times. Then an easy kick 100 and warm down.

Total yardage: 2550

Where In the World

So my daughter’s and I are heading South to go on a two to three day backpacking trip. In previous years we have gone on canoe trips in the Boundary Waters (BWCA) which I recommend highly if you do the backwoods thing. In conversations the girls indicated a desire to try backpacking. This past January we purchased backpacks and this week are doing a “test run” of our equipment on a short trip. In late May we plan to go for 7-10 days in North Central Pennslyvania on the Susquenahnock Trail System (and perhaps the Black Forest Trail). Before we do that we want to get feedback on shoes, packs and so on and have a chance to make corrections before the “big hike”. 

We are going to be hiking in the Shawnee National Forest in the far Southern tip of Illinois on the River to River trail. We are driving tonight into the area to get an early start tomorrow.  Or as early as you can get with college age kids on Spring Break. 

Swim Log: 3-21-17

An interesting development today. Main set and warmup went as usual, did a batch of 100s and some 50s. Then … instead of doing 10×100 kick keeping just under 2:00 for the kick set I decided to do 5×100 but after the first one I tried see if I could break 1:50. Well, the first one came in at 1:43, then I pushed it trying to break 1:40, didn’t but got a 1:42, and two 1:41s. Well the “under 2” just became “under 1:50”. Duh.

Total yardage 2000