The HabitableZone » bowser

The honest side of American politics.

bowser — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 07:03:18 +0000

For once an American election cannot be seen as good guys against bad guys. No matter how deluded one may be, it is impossible to cast either side as honest or honorable. Neither side can be defended against allegations of corruption or cast in a favorable light. In more recent times it started with Richard Nixon and rapidly degenerated into the present situation. I can imagine anyone believing Trump is in the slightest honest. And Hillary, well, Bill is her husband and she is naked behind the veil of the foundations.,

We have a chance to look at ourselves and reassess what we have become – a corrupt society desperately trying to cling to some shred of legitimacy. And not succeeding.

For all it’s faults, we inherited a better country. And we have thoroughly trashed it.

I think in ways I had an unusual childhood.

bowser — Sat, 30 Jul 2016 08:53:49 +0000

My parents were divorced when I was 10 y/o. I lived with my mother and two sisters and spent a lot of time with my mother’s two bachelor brothers. I was paid room and board working for them and 50 cents an hour. ”I’d pay you more but you’re not worth it.” I was 11 at the time and I think he was right.

I spent a good part of summers at this uncles place in the country. He had 20 acres in the midst of a lot of other land which was there for me to roam with a .22 rifle. I shot up everything, hunted down roadkill to throw in the creek and harvested crawdads. Which I threw back, not wanting to eat the damned things.

One summer I listened to most of the Republican and Democratic conventions. It was Eisenhower and Stevenson, both years. As I remember there was a strong intellectual quality to those events and if there was chanting it was “I like Ike”.

What there wasn’t was the juvenile, jingoistic “U S A”, by which is meant whi te protestant USA and this is the last gasp for it. After this, that particular caucasian will be a minority. After this summer our favorite beer-swilling Archie Bunker will no longer have the security of being in the majority. It’s over, there’s a new game in town and it’s not stacked in Bubba’s favor.

Something the public and parties forget.

bowser — Sat, 23 Jul 2016 06:02:23 +0000

The United States are electing a President and Vice President, not a dictator. Check and balances are still in place, and whoever is elected will not have free rein to do what he or she wants.

Now THIS is terrifying.

bowser — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 08:08:33 +0000

Standoff in Dallas After 11 Officers Shot, 5 Killed After Protest

“Dallas police were locked in a standoff early Friday after snipers shot 11 officers, five fatally, during a protest over recent shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana.”

The United States has always been governed (more or less) by the rule of law. Not even the Mafia attacked cops, no one attacked policemen’s families and the cops had rather strict rules of engagement.The cops and robbers who didn’t follow the rules were generally rogues and people generally got along. And now this escalation. It will be understandable if the cops become more aggressive and take fewer chances. It will be understandable if the badguys shoot first rather than surrender. This is a tragedy, a crying shame and can have no good outcome.

Is it possible?

bowser — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 06:59:13 +0000

Could we stick to issues, and not dive into personal invective? Is it at all possible to confine ourselves to the issues which divide us without sinking into personal attacks? Is that even desirable?

I think so, I believe truly articulate people are able to convey their ideas and opinions without ad hominem attacks. It takes someone with a command of the language and issues, however. f

We hear a lot now about making America great again. Well, pick a Democrat.

bowser — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 07:42:27 +0000

“We choose to go to the Moon! …^[6] We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things,^[7]not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win” …^[8]

^{[9]“NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE EASY, BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE HARD”}

That still sends shivers up and down my spine. Contrast that with Trump’s and Palin’s idea of making America great again – invading small countries.

By the way, Mars is still out there.

Citation from Wikipedia.

A funny story.

bowser — Sat, 11 Jun 2016 05:52:22 +0000

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSlGxlAusSE

During WWII the Germans as with all bureaucrats tried mightily to expand their domains. As German rocket science grew it seemed to hold some promise as a weapon system and was coveted by all manner of bureaucrats including Heinrich Himmler. As the Pennemunde site grew Himmler got more and more curious. Finally Himmler drove himself to Pennemunde, wearing civilian clothes. He snooped around and then introduced himself. Braun had already had two prototypes of the V2 slated for testing.

One of these rockets took off, veered off course and crashed into a German airfield next door, destroying not only the rocket but three airplanes.

Later, at dinner, Himmler congratulated von Braun for his new, devastating short range weapon.

Hey, RL!

bowser — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 04:22:28 +0000

I just wanted to let you know that I regard you as a very valuable asset to the ol’ HZ. You are a definite pain in the ass when you get a bone in your teeth, that’s true. And you do bring a body of knowledge and abilities which are unduplicated by anyone else here, and an ability to make some understandable which would be terminally confusing otherwise.

I just wanted to make sure you know you are appreciated.

A Navy SEAL student who died two weeks ago was the fifth trainee in four months —

bowser — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 02:49:31 +0000

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/1-dead-4-nearly-drown-during-navy-seal-training-2016-n580086

I was talking with an Air Force rescue swimmer some years ago during a mountain rescue – first aid course and exercise. This was a tough, wiry, muscular guy who looked as if he could clean out any bar he cared to. And he seemed to be the most relaxed, laconic, laid-back guy you could meet. Sort of guy you’d like for a brother-in-law.

He told me that one difference between the US Navy and US Air Force rescue folks is that the Navy would kill people in training and not blink an eye. He preferred to be in the Air Force.

He was one of a type of man I hugely admire, a guy who held a Ph. D. in Body. The kind of guy who could learn to ski in an afternoon, swim in an evening, play football with a subliminal tape, and box (including all oriental marital arts) before noon. Wasn’t afraid of anything, could see it and do it. There are such folks and I’ve always marveled at them. It always seemed to come so hard for me.

Trump – utilizing a developers typical shoddy business practices.

bowser — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 00:51:28 +0000

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hundreds-claim-donald-trump-doesn-t-pay-his-bills-n589261

It is a common business practice among developers for them to shortchange their subcontractors when the sub is finished. They typically claim shoddy workmanship and refuse to pay the entire bill. It is usually an amount which is small enough to make it unfeasible to spend the money and take the time to correct. It’s absolutely dishonest and Trump is a master at it.