Above the Law

 January 6^th, 2021, is a day that will live in infamy. We know this because all the self-righteous Democrats and Republicans-In-Name-Only (RINOs) told us so.

It seems as though Donald Trump, the outgoing president, was somehow complicit in the overenthusiastic rally by his supporters to display their concerns about the questionable election of Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr.

He made a modest speech before this rally began, in which he urged the masses to reign-in their ire and protest peacefully. Unfortunately, there were well-placed troublemakers among the throngs of rally participants, many of whom were videoed urging the rally-goers to enter the U.S. Capitol. And they did.

In the weeks and months that followed, hundreds of rally participants were identified by facial recognition software, using thousands of hours of videotape and cellphone recordings. Capitol Police, the FBI, and Secret Service identified and interviewed seemingly countless people who were on the Capitol grounds that day.

Mothers, fathers, parents with children, whites and blacks, and many, many others, were identified a complicit in what the eventual January 6^th Committee deemed “an insurrection.” Television pundits and oh-so-pious politicians – many of whom publicly cried aloud about how they escaped with their lives – desperately sought television cameras to validate their spongy stories.

Well-known Squad Members gleefully whored themselves before every media camera and/or microphone to point their crooked little fingers at MAGA Republicans, in general – Donald Trump, in particular. And what a show it became.

Able to identify masked individuals through cellphone data, Smart Watches, airplane tickets, automobile tracking software, and anointed neighbors, created a dog-and-pony-show beyond belief. Hearings were held during primetime television, as well as daytime soap operas, much to the ire of countless regular viewers. And very few channels were exempt from this sordid exhibition.

Equally public trials were aired ad nauseum to ensure as close to total public saturation as possible. Professionally produced, these normally amateurish displays of self-aggrandizing appeared more like a Busby Berkeley production than a guvment operation – all in an effort to sway election opinions.

Eventually, the smart folks from the Big Three networks, as well as CNN, MSNBC, and CNBC, turned over seemingly countless rocks to find has-been politicians, former guvment agency heads, retired military experts, along with a few washed-up newspaper and television reporters, to ape tripe regarding this public display by Trump supporters.

This political gathering was gleefully compared to Watergate, the Civil War, and World War II, by anyone with an overly active imagination, augmented by a grotesquely large ego. And there were plenty. They seemed to ooze from the walls, from beneath rocks, and climbing out from underneath desks, while dusting off their dated, moth-bitten navy-blue suits. It was a spectacle to behold.

According to Blessed Saint Nancy Pelosi, then House Speaker, “No one is above the law!” It seemed as though that message should be carved in stone.

Even when an unarmed former military enlistee was shot by a Capitol Police Officer, it was deemed to be her – the victim’s – fault. Quite sordid, indeed. No one is above the law!

For over 16-months, trials continued, although public interest waned. Nonetheless, it was only following the mid-term elections that this ebb in punishing anyone voting Republican began to subside.

Fast forward to today, July 2023.

Surprising news surfaced a few days ago about an astonishing discovery at the United States’ White House: a bag containing cocaine.

WARNING: Please restrain yourself from getting ahead of this story.

Hunter Biden, first son, among his other array of talents, is a bona fide drug user. Yes, this business executive, international liaison, oil expert, train aficionado, artist, and gigolo, also adds drug addict to his résumé – along with photographic evidence. “No one is above the law!”

More nearsighted than blind

The United States Secret Service, the agency designated the protector of the president and other select dignitaries, located this package which was quickly tested and tested again, and retested to ensure it was legitimately an illegal drug. It was. “No one is above the law!”

Immediately, the games to identify the person who left this illicit package in the West Wing were on. Copious cameras were downloaded, storage boxes for cellphones were dusted for fingerprints, and a search for traces of DNA evidence was instituted. “No one is above the law!”

Collaboration to identify – without prejudice or error – the culprit responsible for leaving this cocaine inside the hallowed grounds of the most secure building in the country.

Recall the previous few paragraphs that highlight the hands-down speedy identification and apprehension of the so-called miscreants who invaded – during their “insurrection” – the Capitol in order to stave off a complete and total overthrow of America. “No one is above the law!”

With prison sentences of 7-years for trespassing, for first time offenders, it would only make sense the similar rules would apply to the clear snubbing of ones’ nose at the expected order at the White House. “No one is above the law!”

After all, with the massive influx of Fentanyl and other dangerous, deadly drugs freely overflowing the nation’s Southern Border, it would seem logical to interdict the possibility of an accidental overdose due to the use of a substance adulterated with Fentanyl, or another deadly narcotic; let’s at least protect the First Family.

Now this is where I, as an uninformed dumb civilian, would expect quick results to wrap up this illegal possession and act of embarrassment, from the Secret Service.

After less than a week “investigating” the facts of the mysterious cocaine discovery came to an abrupt conclusion, with the results being…

Inconclusive.

What? I thought “No one is above the law!”

It appears as though someone very, very wily – in fact, more clever than the entire cadre of the Secret Service out-smarted this elite federal law enforcement agency.

Although it would be difficult to handle a packet of a powdery substance without wearing gloves, to avoid leaving fingerprints, it would also seem unusual to not leave trace amounts of DNA on the package. Let us not forget the well-trained cameras in the visitor’s area of the West Wing, sure to capture at least a fleeting image of who used that cellphone cubby.

As it turns out, Representative Tim Burchett R-Tenn., lamented the Secret Service had lost any fingerprint data and DNA sampling inasmuch as they had already destroyed the less-than-one-gram package of verified cocaine, thereby making identification impossible. Not the stuff Sherlock Holmes was made of.

You’re free to draw your own conclusions.

But thank goodness “No one is above the law!”

Drilled Into Our Heads

 If the words “duck and cover” don’t strike a chord, you’re much too young. Good thing I’m here to help.

The Cold War – a military struggle between the United States and Soviet Union – began with a nuclear arms race in the 1950’s. Stockpiling of atomic bombs by both countries led to a see-saw effect of one-upmanship for decades, ensuring mutual destruction.

In an effort to assuage civilian fears of imminent death and destruction, a public service campaign was established to help Americans cope with this nuclear insanity.

An example of a 'duck and cover' drill

Using a turtle named Bert wearing a Civil Defense helmet, an animated public service announcement began appearing on the relatively new medium, television.

Bert demonstrated how to summarily survive an atomic bomb detonation by ducking down, covering yourself underneath your school desk. Developing minds such as mine openly accepted this guvment-approved method of surviving an explosive blast that was proven to melt steel and quickly turn sand into glass.

We school children obediently followed our teacher’s directions. Different survival methods were taught in the event we were not in school during an attack. Outside, we were supposed to face a building wall and crouch down until the blast was over. Still, the Cold War reigned and we dealt with it.

Eventually, that “peace through strength” concept used since the 2^nd century AD, by Roman Emperor Hadrian, waned when the Soviet Union dissolved. But it was due to disinterest that was largely responsible for the death of duck and cover drills.

Suddenly, a new threat was realized: fire. Just as with the duck and cover drills, we kids were instructed on the effective escape and survival of a fire. Either in a house or a school, were learned how to orderly leave our desks and line-up for a casual walk through the exits, eventually congregating outdoors to await further orders from our teachers.

‘Stop, drop, and roll’ was the latest phrase to help anyone finding themselves ablaze; this was a directive to prevent burning people from running, thereby fanning the flames resulting in more injury. But I digress.

The fire drills continued throughout our school years, lasting into our professional lives to keep everyone safe; let’s not exclude arson as a real threat of a fire emergency. It wouldn’t take long, though, to realize us United States citizens were not safe after all. Although diligence kept us relatively safe, we realized our safety awareness lacked on September 11, 2001.

On that infamous Tuesday morning, terrorists commandeered commercial airliners, literally cut passenger and crew throats, and subsequently flew those jets into buildings because they were psychological nutcase Muslims.

Resulting NYC skyscrapers and Pentagon fires were not yet extinguished when again, the federal guvment thought it prudent to engage its citizenry in something entitled terrorism drills. These drills were new while urging exercise in caution against finger pointing at any one particular race, religion, or other target class.

It didn’t seem to matter America and Americans were under attack once again. People were instructed to avoid taking any action in the event of a possible terrorist attack, instead reporting anything unusual to authorities.

A new slogan, “If you see something, say something,” was born. And it couldn’t come soon enough.

Suddenly, anyone appearing to be of Middle Eastern extraction was espied with suspicious eyes – and not unjustified from a victim’s point-of-view. Taking matters into one’s own hands was quickly becoming a sport. Since all the terrorist hijackers were Middle Eastern, identification appeared relatively easy.

But it was not necessarily accurate.

It seems as though a large portion of the American population is comprised of Middle Easterners, of which very few hold any ill-will against America or Americans. Terror drills were massaged to include how to quickly exit attacked spaces, along with tolerating people who appear physically different.

It took years for the mayhem to subside, just as duck and cover drills, and the fire drills.

Today we are amid shooter drills. Shooter drills can apply to anywhere and anyone who is both armed and/or dangerous. Schools, churches, hospitals, and a slew of other venues that have created “gun-free zones,” are more commonly targets of mentally ill assassins.

Of course, safety and security of those most vulnerable – the very young as well as the elderly and incapacitated – are of the utmost importance in terms of need.

The bottom line of all these exercises is that the duck and cover drills were merely propaganda. We were all lied to as vaporization of humans, and total destruction of brick and mortar structure was guaranteed with the use of an atomic bomb; we merely felt safe, but weren’t.

Fire drills, on the other hand, can be life savers. However, as witnessed both in school and the workplace, quick, orderly departures are exceptions, not the rule. Alas.

When it comes to terror drills, we are now urged to couch our suspicions of fellow Americans so as to not offend others. Clearly this is akin to whispering an emergency “Help!”

And when people wind up in places that refuse to accept legally-armed citizenry permitting the ability to protect ourselves, the danger of victimization rises dramatically.

In any case, as long as there is evil in this world, there will remain a threat of serious injury or death. We can never be truly safe inasmuch as other people have the will and desire to ignore the sanctity of human life and the law.

But then insanity is still a protected trait, allowing death and destruction to continue without end.

Vote accordingly.

More Leftist Lies

 Since the environmentalists began occupying the White House in 2021, our climate and the health of Mother Earth has greatly improved. Our planet is now free from pollution, dangerous weather, as well as financial insecurity, all thanks to sacrifices of every citizen and political leaders, alike.

I’m just kidding. Actually, through Executive Orders, America’s illustrious elected leaders have been paving the road to insanity with potholes and speedbumps. These same nut jobs are ardently attempting to outlaw gas stoves, washing machines, plus leaf blowers.

If ‘What?’ is probably your first thought of these wacky policy proposals, then you’re on the right track. Clearly these Left-leaning bureaucrats have way too much time on their hands if all they have to ponder is what modern convenience can they justify banning. A real job just might be in order.

Executive Orders being signed on day one

Not limiting themselves to appliance outlawing, the powers-that-be also, on day one of the Leftist Biden Administration, the then newly-sworn-in Commander-in-Chief, penned another Executive Order shutting down a major oil pipeline – a lifeline to supplying future fuel for our vehicles, aircraft, boats, toys, lawn equipment, and even home heating and electricity.

In an effort to modify the day-to-day behaviors of hard-working Americans, the Leftist Biden Administration thought it would be a terrific idea to ban cars and trucks using internal combustion engines.

To mansplain a bit: the internal combustion engine is a device that propels cars, trucks, and boats. It was invented around 1860 and is fueled by gasoline that is refined from oil. That’s all you need to know for today’s story so, I’ll spare you the time and pain. You’re welcome.

As previously alluded, also included in that list are recreational vehicles, snowmobiles, jet skis, yard equipment, personal aircraft, etc. But to justify the banning of these precious modes of transportation and critical tools, the Biden Leftists – but I repeat myself – enjoy spitting out numbers, as facts.

Remember the gas stoves?

“Comically, Biden’s Department of Energy is justifying this proposed requirement based on estimated savings to the consumer for gas cook tops of $21.89 over the next 14.5 years, which equates to a savings of just $1.50 per year. People are not willing to trade such substantially decreased functionality and features for minuscule savings,” U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), said.

Not to leave anyone behind, the Biden Leftists are maintaining that banning those nasty internal combustion engine-powered vehicles (EVs) is necessary to save our delicate environment. Once again, the ol’ razzle dazzle with ‘facts and figures’ seem to show that there’s plenty o’ bucks to be saved by ridding oneself of internal combustion vehicles.

And once again, the brain trust of the Leftist Biden Administration claim that somehow by trashing your old vehicle for a new EV – which currently hover around $75,000 – will be far more inexpensive to own and operate because you won’t be buying gasoline anymore. Yea!

Unfortunately, those same Leftists forgot to mention the charging equipment you’ll need to charge your car at home (or in your apartment complex,) besides the frequent roadside recharges required to get you both to and from your destination, all of which require buying electricity.

For more mansplaining, your new EV will carry batteries to store energy to make the tires and wheels go ‘round and ‘round to allow your EV to operate á la your old car that you were forced to give away. The batteries therein are currently being made from a mineral called lithium.

And exactly like your landscaping lights, electric shaver, cellular phone, robotic vacuum, and other rechargeable goodies, all of which operate on lithium-Ion batteries, have a finite life, eventually requiring replacement. The difference is an EV battery replacement, depending on manufacturer, costs somewhere in the neighborhood of $8,000. Nice neighborhood, eh?

So it seems as though all those monumental savings in buying gasoline will amount to literally nothing when battery replacement is nigh. Shucks, those Lefties must’ve forgotten about that little cost-saving fact.

Be that as it may, we must revisit our lithium supply and from whence it comes.

Because of the sudden desperate need of lithium for EV batteries, the supply of lithium is becoming scarce. But where does it come from? I’m glad you asked.

First, lets examine what the world uses lithium for. Batteries, lubricating grease, metallurgy, silicon nano-welding, pyrotechnics, optics, air purification, military arms, nuclear energy, ceramics and glass, and medicine, are all industries that currently use lithium, and are vying for more and more.

The US Geological Survey, in 2019, reported the four lithium producing countries as Chile, China, Australia, and Argentina. It seems the countries of Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina make up what is known as the Lithium Triangle. The Lithium Triangle is believed to contain over 75% of existing known lithium reserves.

As is evident, the United States is not in the top four countries from which lithium is mined; China, on the other hand, is. And all that means money.

Because of the wild up and down rides of the world economic conditions, since 1998 has been almost impossible to gauge. Back then, lithium metal was about $43/pound. However, since then, prices rose, then dropped by 20%. Nonetheless global consumption was estimated to jump to 300,000 metric tons from about 150,000 tons in 2012, to match the demand for lithium batteries. I’ll let you do the math.

All this is simply wonderful, and the Leftist Biden Administration deserves a standing ovation for taking the initiative to both save our planet and financially break the back of nearly every American citizen, all in the name of The Environment.

But here’s the rub: lithium is not at all like seashells on a beach. Lithium is mined.

“The manufacturing processes of lithium, including the solvent and mining waste, presents significant environmental and health hazards. Lithium extraction can be fatal to aquatic life due to water pollution. It is known to cause surface water contamination, drinking water contamination, respiratory problems, ecosystem degradation, and landscaping damage. It also leads to unsustainable water consumption,” per United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. 13 (UNCTAD/DITC/COM/2019/5).

That doesn’t seem to be the environmental nirvana our Lefty buddies promised us, does it?

Not being one to give up based on hard facts, ‘President Joe Biden last year announced an official goal of half of all new cars sold in the United States to be electric or other zero-emissions technology by 2030,” according to Joe McDonald of the Associated Press.

McDonald continues, “As sales rise, so does official anxiety, especially in Washington and Beijing, about access to lithium and other minerals and the potential for strategic competition.”

There you have it. Planet Earth needs us to change our ways from light bulbs and shower heads to washing machines and vehicles, in order to survive. But the pollution generated along with exorbitant associated costs will bankrupt civilization into oblivion.

Not quite the forward thinking one would expect from such a woke, diverse administration.

Jokester Lloyd

 Let’s begin today with a joke.

A grasshopper walks into a bar. The bartender looks at him and says, “Hey, they named a drink after you!”

“Really?” replies the grasshopper. “There’s a drink named Stan?”

Not to worry, I’ll wait until you stop laughing.

As luck has it we, as a nation, have a true comedian in its midst who until now has been secretly hiding his adeptness at comedy.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin recently took his show on the road to bring levity to not only domestic Americans, but peoples of the world – this time in Singapore.

While speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Austin began his routine set of jokes with, “We are committed to ensuring that every country can fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows,” he said at the forum hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank. This, according to the Associated Press, found its way into the newspaper in the third section, page four.

Lloyd Austin who checked all the boxes

Clearly unimportant enough to rank well behind local sports coverage and regularly-posted legal notices, The Daily Times thought very little of this story’s gravity in a world on the brink of a nuclear disaster with China and/or Russia.

This less-than-critical reporting went on to state that, “Austin noted that the U.S. had provided millions of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine during the height of the pandemic and is regularly involved in disaster relief and humanitarian assistance efforts in the region.” He also mentioned that America is working to combat climate change – something that deserves a permanent tattoo rather than a fleeting mention in a speech.

Now seems like a splendid time to look in the rear-view mirror of history to recall that aforementioned COVID pandemic. Official guvment facts about COVID are: we don’t know from whence it came, we’re unsure of its effectiveness on the population's health, we are unaware of future medical issues of COVID, and we are terrified to blame China for anything other than Kung-Pao Chicken.

You see, in the midst of this pandemic, people of all statures lost their collective minds that a flu virus was certain to bring an end to society. Period.

The powers-that-be, Dr. Saint Anthony Fauci, the same Anthony Fauci that spearheaded the HIV-AIDS debacle in the 1980’s, was placed firmly in-charge of combating this scourge on civilization. Unfortunately, in retrospect, St. Fauci was proven to have been less-than-candid about the effects of COVID, as well as its spread.

In order to contain COVID, St. Fauci initially dismissed N-95 paper masks as a prophylactic. Suddenly, though, St. Fauci reversed his initial statement and insisted everyone – EVERYONE – wear a mask. It wasn’t long before self-anointed mayors and guvnors insisted, via mandates, that masks were a must.

Some stores were shut down, and those that weren’t placed makings on their floors to indicate prescribed spacing betwixt and between mask-wearing customers. People could be regularly seen lathering-up with hand sanitizer that was now being manufactured and sold from distilleries.

Schools were summarily closed, forcing children to “attend classes” on-line while wearing masks.

Beaches were shuttered, people were arrested for planting gardens, surfing was banned, and solo people driving inside cars were readily espied donning N-95 masks, for extra protection.

All the while, the military needed to continue its effort to recruit soldiers to kill people and break things – because, after all, that’s their job. Unfortunately, recruitment efforts fell dramatically as people who remained under the threat of arrest for walking in public were still under the treat of arrest.

Times were tough for everyone except a handful of pharmaceutical companies and ventilator manufacturers, that is. Corporate America was still grinding away at turning a profit to keep people employed while turning a profit.

Soon thereafter, the federal guvment, under the tutelage of St. Fauci, decided it would behoove everyone in America to wear a mask; in fact, that brainstorm became an edict. Anyone with a pulse was supposed to don an N-95 mask under the threat of arrest.

Businesses went as far as to dismiss – with prejudice – employees who refused to wear the magic mask which was supposed to stave off COVID. An aside: Unfortunately, after all the dust settled, it was exposed that N-95 masks didn’t prevent the spread or acquisition of COVID, after all. My, my.

Released from duty were doctors, nurses, police, firefighters, and military personnel, among others. These critical employees who were, until that time, keeping Americans safe and well were summarily fired because they refused to get either the COVID vaccine or mask, or both. No questions asked.

Military pilots and officers, along with rank and file members, were told they were being discharged from service because of insubordination. In fact, it so happens they were dismissed, along with their skills were fired due to sheer panic among the higher-ups.

Secretary Austin refused to consider any amnesty. Period. Case closed. Sayonara.

Since the 1970’s following the exit from the Vietnam War, America’s military thought it would be good idea to create an all-volunteer military. And it seemed to work. Adding benefits such as free college tuition, Veterans Administration medical care, housing loans, plus rigidly instilled skills, made a military career very appealing.

All was going well with recruitment numbers stabilized, but met. And all was well. But...

Word gets around fast. The fact that inflexible Secretary Austin turned out to not only throw a tantrum over his troops rejecting his orders to get vaccinated and wearing masks, but also showed his uglier side by bullying his thus-far loyal troops.

He flexed his muscles and wound-up astonished when he was told he wasn’t as wonderful as he thought, all the while expecting admiration and allegiance. Surprise!

Now, recruiting number are down a reportedly estimated 15,000 troops month-after-month. Still, Austin refuses to recant his earlier punitive orders.

So it was with great interest that I read this pertinent new article by AP’s David Rising, in the June 4, 2023 edition of The Daily Times, entitled, Austin: US won’t stand for ‘bullying,’ regarding China’s “assertiveness in the region.”

Because President Joe Biden has demonstrated adeptness at hiring for his administration on the basis of race and sex and amusement – affirmative action criteria – that he likely selected Lloyd Austin for his ability to tell a good joke.

No bullying. Ha, ha, ha!