The Fork on the Road to the Midterms

WARNING: Move to the jokes if sensitive about political ideas.

I can’t believe I paid over $6 for a gallon of gas. I can’t believe the stock market continues to tank. I can’t believe this is still America.

The midterm election is just around the corner. Whether living conditions have improved or not since the last election is the normal gauge of whether one votes one way or another. In other words, if things got better since the last election, you re-elect the current establishment. If things got worse, you vote for the other guy. Simple, right? No. Not really.

Where we are today

It’s quite obvious that things have gotten worse — the sinking economy, the rising crime wave, the unabated influx of illegals, the surging homeless population, the one-sided judicial system … heck, we’re at the brink of a nuclear war with Russia. No matter how you lean in your political ideology, you’d need to be really wacko or in denial if you can’t admit this, right? There’s nothing irrefutable about my observations.

Pennsylvania is a microcosm of the rest of the 50 states. A well-funded buffoon who can’t speak and think logically is up against a celebrity doctor with limited means. It’s anyone’s guess who will win. How is that even possible? It’s because this is no ordinary election. Performance is not the gauge. Personality is. Ideology is.

HIM

“Anyone but HIM” is a mantra of many. Do you realize how illogically dangerous that notion is? One has to assume HE is the worse human being in the planet. After 2 years of irrational decisions by the OTHER GUY, how’s that turning out?

Are we talking about loyalty without question … even to the point of going down with the ship? If Putin says attack Ukraine, do we attack? Is it possible that the ideology of the party has changed? JFK would not recognize his own party today. Are our priorities in order? Do we build the foundations first or do we build the penthouse? If nuclear missiles are launched will there still be an environment to save? Will abortion still be an issue when we are scrambling to survive?

Einstein never really said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result” but the logic is still true.

Indeed, this midterm election is a mirror that tells you what you’re really made of.

TGIF people!

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Joanne of Connecticut.

Videos of the Week

Thanks to Jackie of Whittier, CA for this Halloween video of Topi the Corgi.

Thanks to Tom of Pasadena, CA for this video of a prank by the Payless discount shoe store. Hear the professional opinions of the influencers. Sadly, Payless closed its 2,500 US stores shortly after and filed for bankruptcy in February 2019.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA

Thanks to Garie of Paranaque, Metro Manila

These I found

Cool Halloween DIY idea.

The post Bathroom Etiquette appeared first on Traveling Archive.

1. They are terrified of Trump, his base, his threats, his violent followers, and afraid of being slammed with primary challenges from the far right Trumpian maniacs in their next election cycle.
2. They are cynical opportunists, cashing in on the fund raising frenzy, duping and gouging the pathetic, gullible and frightened conspiracy believing American subset, ramping up their own 2024 presidential campaigns by sucking up to the Trump base and entertaining the QAnon, OAN, Trumpian fantasies as, My God!, maybe…true?
3. They are deeply and perversely ignorant, racist, anti-democracy, neofascistic cretins who have been disgorged from the sewers and dumpsters of America, courtesy of their Enabler in Chief Donald Trump, and they are woefully unable to grasp the very basic essence of fact, integrity and decency.

But perhaps I am too hard on these fine people?

No, I don’t think so.

I’m not worried about America. Biden will become president on January 20th and the long hard road to healing and rebuilding and restoring our country, our democracy, and saving the lives of our people from Covid and climate change will begin.

The post Loyalty, the Cult and the Incompetent Authoritarian appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Assumptions

We have a President. We just don’t know who he is. Welcome to the 2020 post election!

I’m amused by the selective coverage of the news media. If you only listen to the left-leaning TV media (ABC, CNN, NBC, PBS, MSNBC, NHK, Newsy), they do not see any evidence of election fraud. If you listen to the right-leaning media (Fox, OAN, Newsmax) they have a lot of evidence. They all have interviews with only the people who share their views.

A wise counselor told me emotions are real but they cannot be trusted because they do not change the facts. Emotions can be passengers in a bus but you’d be crazy to let emotions drive it.

I had a pleasant conversation with someone who is my political polar opposite. How was that possible? We respect each other. We’ve known each other a long time. I know she wants the best for America and the world and so do I … we just have different paths based on different data we have gathered. We decided that neither of us have a monopoly of the facts … we just have assumptions. Big difference!

Of course we would like our candidate to win but our world isn’t going to end if they don’t. Neither of us plan to move to Canada.

Be safe, be healthy, and remember: bring respect and your assumptions to the discussion table but leave your emotions outside. TGIF people!

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C.  for sharing this joke.

Video: Trapeze Act

Thanks to Naomi of North Hollywood, California

Mel’s Puns

Thanks to Mel of Washington, DC who sent this pun.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Mel of Washington, DC

Thanks to Naomi of North Hollywood, CA

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA for this last gag.

The post Rolls Royce vs. VW Bug appeared first on Traveling Archive.

The Legend of the SS Liberty

Few are familiar with the legend of the SS Liberty, a barque… a ship that carried a hundred people headed for the new world. 28 were businessmen, 30 were laborers while the majority was a mix of the two. During those days the trip took them over a month to get to their destination.

Unrest between the the social factions emerged. Some say it was the sea wind, others say it was cabin fever but most believe the trouble started because the inept captain had miscalculated the provisions and they were running out of food. The mutinous passengers decided to elect a new captain: Who was the smartest among them? Who was capable of leading them to survive the trip? Two candidates emerged. One was an intellectual businessman and other was a laborer with street smarts. At first the contest was respectful but then rumors started to spread about sexual indiscretions and relatives getting extra rations. Eventually, the divide between the businessmen and the laborers increased… neither group listened to the other. To make matters worse, someone contracted cholera and the disease began to spread.

Clusters of bullies emerged and they started to destroy the tables and chairs as a show of force if they did not get their demands met. The anarchy escalated to burning the galley which almost sank the ship.

The elections were held. The losing side accused the other of cheating. Bullies muscled their way into the store room, found a powder magazine and blew up the helm and they lost the ship’s rudder. Many had died of the cholera but many more died of the explosion. When the dust cleared, the few who were still left standing cried in desperation at their new captain for answers.

The proud captain, picked himself up from the rubbish and gazed at the grief-stricken faces. He knew this was his moment. He needed to give them hope.

“Well,” he started, “at least there are fewer of us to feed.” 

AND THAT’S WHEN THE RIOT STARTED!

It’s a joke guys! It’s a joke!

You didn’t think I had the solution to the problems we’re facing here in America, did you? I wish I did. My simple message today is we are on the same boat. We burn it down, we all sink with it. So let’s stop this suicidal track of destruction.

My election prediction: The next President will be a male senior citizen with a 5-letter name who will be wondering “how the heck did I get into this mess?”

Be safe, be healthy, and remember the legend of the SS Liberty! TGIF people!

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Charlie of New Jersey  for sharing this joke.

Video: Kids are Smart

Thanks to Jun of Encino, California
A cute video of very smart babies. When I was their age, I was eating dirt.

Video: A Boy and His Skeleton Friend

Thanks to Bok of Makati, Philippines
Just in time for Halloween. It’s more strange and cute than scary.

Video: Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Thanks to Nani of San Juan, Philippines
A revival of an old tune that’s perfect for these worrisome times. As long as you are a child of God, you need not worry.

Rodney’s Puns

Thanks to Rodney of Manitoba, B.C. who sent this pun.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Thanks to Mel of Washington, DC for another Monkey gag

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA

Thanks to Peter Paul of South Pasadena for the last gag

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

The post Text to a Wonderful Wife appeared first on Traveling Archive.

The Lesser of Two Evils

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Peter Paul of S Pasadena, CA for sharing this joke.

Video: School Teacher’s Corona Virus Song

Thanks to Ray of Burbank, Ca, USA.
The News Reporters break down with laughter when they hear her original composition.

Video: Pizza Slices

Thanks to Roger of Greater Manila, Philippines.
This is why we have to open our schools again.

Video: Eating Twinkies With God

Thanks to Nani of San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines.
A feel good video.

Don’s Puns

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C. who sent this  pun.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Thanks to Rodney of Manitoba, B.C.

The post The $30 Suit appeared first on Traveling Archive.

King of the Hill

Disclosure alone won’t topple campaign money as the ruler of Congress.

From Barron’s Other Voices, Jan. 13, 1997

Not Long ago the Clinton Administration crowed about agreements with a number of countries to curb bribery in business abroad. Wide implementation of measures such as tax-deductibility of bribes is still a long march away. Still, the laudable effort reflects the belief in U.S. charges that corrupt practices such as bribery in foreign procurement produce inefficiency, surprise derailments and social instability. The stock retort from parties resisting reform: There isn’t a dimes difference between bribery abroad and the U.S. campaign-finance system.

Plenty have professed to be shocked – shocked! – when the White House was caught Huanging it. Alas, many commentators conclude that stricter limits on donations and spending won’t work and that the only real solution is “absolute disclosure.”

Improvements in disclosure are needed, but by itself disclosure is woefully inadequate. Lip service for disclosure as the only route for reform is the fallback position of those in the lobbying world – givers, incumbent receivers and the growth industry between them. They’ll mumble anything to head off public anger at the low art of the thinly disguised bribe.

Reform is a tricky puzzle. Before accepting disclosure not as a tool but as a panacea, consider this: Most voters lack either the ability or the time to adequately decipher the true meaning of campaign contributions. Who figures the National Wetland Coalition for oil and land-development interests? Witness past parades of donors calling themselves housewives, large contributors’ most frequently listed occupation.

Some contributors, like the tobacco industry, have readily identified goals. But others aren’t so easy to figure. How many voters will sort out the quid pro quo of folks like Dwayne Andreas, who gives piles of money to everyone and has a long list of diverse objectives? How many will plumb the desires of a patent-law firm whose favored clients are foreign companies? What of domestic subsidiaries of foreign companies? Try tracking “soft money,” wonderfully malleable stuff that is laundered by the political parties themselves, often comes from equal-opportunity givers and goes wherever the parties want to put it.

Organizations and competitors already rush to filter the info for voters, but much of their messages turn to mush in the flood of interpretations. Voters must also decipher the political spin and agenda of groups offering to do the voters’ homework. Let the press do its job? Presumably it already tries in the limited space it’s allotted, but shining a light on all the shell games is a daunting task and anyway, would lead to information overload.

I once asked a top staffer for former U.S. Sen. Alan Cranston, the California Democrat, how the senator coped with the flood of cash. He deadpanned: “People think if they give you a lot of money, they’re buying influence. But all they really buy is access.” Charles Keating must have thought the fictional wall between influence and access a hoot.

Just as corruption abroad results in inefficiencies that harm American companies, many U.S. government inefficiencies, including bloat and waste, are traceable to our system of campaign finance. Political action committees and trade associations are dominated by members who are the most active because they seek the most. They are bidders in a political bazaar focused on the short term. A legislator’s response, “We’re looking closely at this,” is often code for, “It’s on the block, open your wallets.” Because so many politicians are unable to move for fear of alienating contributors, matters are often not taken up until a crisis arrives.

One example of legislative paralysis is in the arena of finance. According to the Center of Responsive Politics, interested parties seeking to influence the House and Senate banking committees spent nearly $60 million in campaign contributions in the first 18 months of the 1995-96 election cycle, exceeding all other industry and labor groupings, and totals are expected to rocket when the final five months are compiled. Did this advance a rational, comprehensive modernization of the financial-services world? No. Competing interests fought to a standstill. Finally, Comptroller of the Currency Eugene Ludwig, whose patience had run out, issued regulations that will accelerate modernization of the industry. Pros like William Seidman, former chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., praise Ludwig’s action as strengthening safety and soundness but Republican Alfonse D’Amato of New York, says he is “deeply troubled” by the comptroller’s action, and Democrat Charles Schumer of New York, a member of the House Banking Committee, says the regulations’ impact on bank safety “is far too serious to be left to the discretion of regulators (in other words, open your wallets and we’ll get up another game). (Note: before you jump on me for this example’s naive appraisal of modernization, see the “in the oops category” paragraph in the post intro above).

As for rifle-shot legislation that succeeds, take a peek at our tax code. And from airwaves to sugar beets, gasohol to guns, the correlation between votes and contributions is startling.

One often hears that, in our $6 trillion economy, soft-drink advertising eclipses what is spent on campaigns. But it isn’t the amount, it’s where it goes, who gives it and how many on Capitol Hill spend most of their time seeking it. Senators raise an average of 15 grand or so a week, every week. Leon Panetta, the departing White House chief of staff recently estimated that legislators spend 60%-80% of their time with their palms out. He figures the madness continues because politicians are too insecure to tackle the system they know and which got them into office. Do we really want the chief criterion for the performance of our leaders – and often their staffs – to be their ability to raise money?

Even more repugnant to democratic ideals is the flip side of politicians’ money-raising – the threat, not at all thinly veiled, of retaliation against companies that give money to the opposition.

Oddly, one proposed solution to this state of affairs is to simply take off all limits and let politicians glide with a few fat-cat backers, restrained only by full disclosure. Including soft money, the top 1% of income earners already provide the vast bulk of campaign cash, exceeding PACs. Politicians needn’t be rocket scientists to know the majority of people in the top 1% view many issues – such as uncapped interest deductions on loans for high-priced homes – pretty much the same way. Again, disclosure falls short of revelation.

If you think we have funny races now, turn all our candidates into horses owned by the biggest bettors. As they won’t differ much on real issues, we will be treated to demagoguery. Their strategies will center not on better ideas but on engineering the failure of the opposition.

Applaud any tightening of disclosure, but the only way to curb undue influence, from both international and domestic sources, is to curb undue influence. That means curbing money. Banning soft money and giving teeth to the Federal Election Commission would be a big start. Voluntary participation in a system with spending limits, meaningful media access and citizen financing – which would also free politicians – with tough limits on contributions from every source would be even better. The public cost would be a pittance compared with the savings from more government decisions based on the merits; consider just the cost of delayed oversight of the thrift industry.

Those who would limit reforms to disclosure cite the difficulty, both judicial and legislative, in keeping both foreign and domestic money from finding indirect routes. But that difficulty also applies to the proper disclosure of the routes money takes into one pocket and out the other. That’s why real contribution limits are necessary.

Until the Supreme Court wises up and admits that unlimited money isn’t unlimited speech, participation in a public financing system will have to be voluntary. But polling shows strong, consistent support for public financing. Access to meaningful media formats at reduced cost must be a component. As voters rebel against the cynicism expressed by turn-of-the-century writer Elbert Hubbard, “Government is a kind of legalized pillage,” big spenders who scoff at a serious reform system are likely to suffer backlash.

The confused message our system sends abroad, and perhaps at home, was made clear recently when the bureau chief of a South American TV network asked me: What is wrong with influence from foreign contributions? After all, we live in a global economy.” I answered that if nothing were wrong with it, folks like Lincoln couldn’t pen phrases like “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” but I don’t think I was persuasive.

Conventional wisdom on the last campaign is that a wary public balanced a Democratic White House with a Republican Congress. But a nationwide agreement between voters to neutralize parties was less a factor then the money-raising power of incumbency.

That power is the enemy of reform. Vice President Gore, Rep. Dick Gephardt and others seeking the White House are already pulling levers on the fund-raising machinery, as are congressional incumbents. The desire for another day, another dollar won’t abate unless the public insists that this is a matter of national shame. Then real reforms may become an irresistible avenue for a White House mea culpa and political absolution. Restoring credibility to government will enhance elected officials ability to carry a tough sell, such as entitlement reform, to the public, without being handed their hands.

If the fallout from John Huang brings about real campaign-finance reforms – perhaps the greatest accomplishment the President and Congress might achieve – we should all take Mr. Huang to lunch. Campaign money, like rainwater, will always seek the leaks in our democratic roof, but that’s no reason not to keep plugging the holes. People who wait only for fixes that are absolutes will be waiting for Godot. Voters know our system of campaign finance attacks the concept of one person, one vote, and their sense of disenfranchisement just provided the lowest Election Day turnout since 1924.

The post Articles on Politics appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Two personal friends of mine, R & O,  ran for office at the primary elections held this week here in California. They both had very limited funding but they still decided to run because they believed they could make a difference.

Their competitors had oodles of money and had TV ads, direct mail ads, radio and social media ads. What chance did my friends have?

I cringed every time I watched those expensive  TV ads portraying their political rivals as the saintly answer to all our problems. “Vote for Mr. Slick because he understands and cares for YOU. His impeccable record shows he shares your same value. Look at these organizations that support him, blah blah, blah …” — that was basically the message of all their ads. Of course if you weren’t familiar with the issues you’d vote for this well-packaged political Messiah. So, next time, how would one choose the best candidate for the job when one doesn’t have the time to do the research? I would ask someone knowledgeable and whose values I trust.

Allow me to provide my 5 shortcut bullet points of Voting Discernment. See if you agree with me.

1. The bigger the marketing budget, the bigger the lie. It takes more money to bury a scandal.
2. The more endorsement the candidate has from shady organizations, the shadier the candidate. The more favors he has to repay.
3. The more the candidate asks you to vote by party lines, the less intelligent they think you are.
4. The more desperate the candidate, the greater his lengths to cheat, lie, steal and even kill for the win.
5. The humbler the candidate, the more he will listen.

Some people exasperated me because they wouldn’t even vote. I asked some of my associates to vote for R & O, but they weren’t interested. They claimed they weren’t familiar with the issues or they didn’t think my guys were good enough (even though they couldn’t defend the other choices — as if only perfection would deserve their precious vote). Here were R & O,  who stepped out of their comfort zone, risked public ridicule and sacrificed time and money and yet my snotty associates wouldn’t even throw an appreciative vote. If the government does poorly, these apathetic souls would have no right to complain. And if the government does well, they would have contributed nothing.

BTW, O DID NOT WIN but I was proud of him because he came in 3rd out of 5 competitors … losing only by a size of a church. R DID WIN and is headed for the mid-term elections in November. Think about my 5 bullet points as you observe the coming ads. I hope to see you at the polls. I don’t care who you choose as long as you cast an educated vote.

But this is just me.

“Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.”
— These were God’s instructions to Moses on how to choose his officers. Exodus 18:21

TGIF people!

Secrets of Inner Peace

Shared by Tom of Pasadena, CA

Candid Camera: Raising Grocery Prices
Sent by Art of Sierra Madre, CA

Here’s another episode of Candid Camera where the grocer is raising the prices just as his customers are about to purchase them.

WATCH VIDEO

Priceless Stones
Sent by Art of Sierra Madre, CA

This video is pretty profound. If you’re in the deep philosophical mode, you will enjoy this.

WATCH VIDEO

The Escherian Stairwell
Sent by Chuck of Whittier, CA

This video caused quite a stir when it first came out in 2013. This stairway is a brainchild of a Filipino architect. It can drive you crazy. There are several explanations if you do a simple search in case you are really seeking answers.

WATCH VIDEO

Don’s Puns

From Don’s collection of puns

Parting Shot

Thanks to Debbie of Moreno Valley, CA who shared this photo

The post Secrets to Inner Peace appeared first on Traveling Archive.