News

In This Corner…..

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

The fight for control of the narrative is on.  And it’s a heavyweight bout.

Standing in one corner is Elon Musk.  His diminutive size should not be dismissed as he packs a hell of a right cross.  Or, as the left suddenly realizes it’s a hell of a cross from the right.

Maybe he’s not right, or from the right all of the time, but he is right in the middle of this Twitterverse turnabout and bobbing and weaving like a 20-year-old flyweight.

Standing in the other corner is everyone who had a free run when free speech was on the run at Twitter.  When you can throw unabated haymakers you can pretty much control the narrative.

Censoring, shadow banning, or limiting the exposure of anyone who agreed with Trump, was related to Trump, wanted to expose the Hunter Biden laptop contents, or opposed the great Dr. Fauci and his vax needles were the plans from the corner.  It’s a walkover when your opponent can’t get into the ring.

But, the counter-punching has started.  Already, the weakest from the left have left the ring.  Some of the dumbest, aka Alyssa Milano, stayed and need a standing eight count to even continue.

Many of these same folks were “moving to Canada if Trump wins.”  They didn’t of course.  If they had they would have been able to participate in the draconian approach of PM Trudeau to freedom of expression (arresting protesting truckers) and combating the pandemic (shutdowns, masks, no work, and vax and vax and boost and boost).

“My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci,” Musk wrote on his Twitter account on Sunday.  That was a quick one-two combo at Fauci’s follies and the pronoun crowd.

On Monday the WH condemned Musk after he ridiculed President Joe Biden’s close coronavirus advisor and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci on social media.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized Musk’s social media remarks as “dangerous” yesterday.

“Truth resonates,” Musk added.

“These attacks, these personal attacks that we have been seeing are dangerous on Dr. Fauci and other public health officials as well, they are disgusting and they are divorced of reality,” she said during the daily briefing.

Dangerous?  Disgusting?  Really?  Tell us how.  Tell us more.

Wait, we know.  It’s dangerous and disgusting because it goes against the worn-out, beat-up, torn-down narrative.  You know it.  “Get boosted.”  “Winter of death.”  “Wear two masks.”  “Just one vax a year.”  “Just two.”  “It’s a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

It’s borderline the dreaded “misinformation.”

When will anyone or everyone realize that we are all unvaxxed?  That’s right, follow the science.  It’s the one telling you that the vax’s efficacy lasts about two months in your body.

When will the WH, Fauci, and their cronies realize that America stopped getting jabbed about six months ago?  They said the fight is over.  They threw in the towel and the worthless masks as well.

She reminded reporters that Fauci had served under seven presidents and that Americans were “fortunate” to benefit from the “life and exceptional talent.”  “That’s what should be discussed right now, that’s what we should be thankful to him about,” she said.

Ah, yes.  Let’s give thanks for a long public service career.  Joe Biden has had a similar one.   Longevity may have nothing to do with excellence and vice versa.

Some pugilists have gotten high on the lifestyle and the money.  They’ve been hit once too many times about the cranium.  They retired too late.

Some public servants have stayed in the ring too long as well.

Meanwhile, Musk is going for the TKO.

And, it might be only round one for him.

Let’s get ready to rumble.

 

 

 

 

Time (Magazine) Passages

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

The news broke yesterday that Time Magazine named Volodymyr Zolensky (three y’s, three o’s, one v, and one z) as its Person of the Year 2022.

We find this news amazing on two fronts.  One, why was he even in consideration?  Two, did you know that Time Magazine still exists?

He was in consideration for the reason we asked question number two.  The magazine has to break through the voluminous daily instantaneous information streams to somehow remain relevant.

It attempts just that by being edgy/controversial every year around this time.  The nominees were Liz Cheney, Elon Musk, and the winner Volo Zole (we decided to shorten the short man’s name to save virtual trees).

Is naming Volo Zole the Person of the Year a bit of misinformation(it is hard to describe how much disdain we have for that word)?

BBR contacted Karine Jean-Pierre Claude Van Damme de Toulouse-Lautrec, the self-described first black female lesbian White House Press Secretary for comment.  We’ve gotten no call back at press time from Madame Presser.

However, she did take the time yesterday to admonish the House of Representatives and particularly the Republicans who rescinded the vaccine mandate for our nation’s military.  She almost made eye contact when she said, “Republicans in Congress have decided that they’d rather fight against the health and wellbeing of our troops than protecting them.”

Maybe, only runner-up (or third-place finisher) Elon Musk really knows if that, too, is misinformation.

The case for Volo Zole is strong in some respects though.  How he has fleeced America out of 68 billion with a proposal for 38 more billion on the table is, well, even more sleight of hand than FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried pulled off in a crypto-cryptic kind of way.

While the Republicans were ruining the military men and women, other Congressional leaders were busy doing the people’s business yesterday.  This Congress is no lame duck.

House Financial Services Committee Chair Maxine(rhymes with vaccine) Waters informed a group of Democrats that she doesn’t plan to subpoena former Sam Bankman-Fried while judiciously investigating the crypto company’s collapse.  She’s hoping he’ll walk straight in and help.  Makes sense and cents as good old Sam is thought to have helped the DNC to the tune of upwards of $100 million in DNC campaign contributions in the last election cycle.

And, Dems on the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted against auditing the money we have sent to Ukraine.  They prefer blank checks as opposed to checks and balances.  And, aren’t paper checks as relevant as magazines these days?

Volo Zole has also managed to stay alive for about a year now in this intense war-no small fete even if you’re but five foot seven inches.  How?  He even poses for pictures with US congressional leaders who visit the war-torn region.  Why?  He’s also shut down dissidents(that thing that Elon calls freedom of speech) to the war in his country.  Why?

Notice that we haven’t mentioned Liz Cheney again in this busy news cycle?  Why?

She’s old news to us just like the Biden Administration thinks the Hunter Laptop info is an old news story to them.

Do you see how this misinformation thing works yet?

You’d better.  You’re running out of time much like Time Magazine.

 

Ten Piece Nuggets

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Did you stress when you had to pay more for less at the grocery store?  That said, should you have eaten less this past holiday weekend?  If that, more or less, is correct we have help on the way below.  It’s ten complimentary fat-free nuggets.

  1. The U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman plan to unveil the latest stealth aircraft called the B-21 Raider at the company’s facility in Palmdale, California, this Friday.  The estimated cost to develop, purchase and operate 100 aircraft is estimated at $203 billion, or about $2 billion per plane.  That’s a lot for something that you can’t even see.
  2. Maybe they could nickname the B-21 Raider after the latest COVID variant which is also stealth.   You can’t see it.  With no symptoms, you don’t know it hit you either.   You test negative.  And, the government is spending billions fighting it.
  3. CNN dusted off Dr. Anthony Fauci this past weekend for some air time.  Fauci, amongst other comments, highly recommended that we all test for covid before going to our family gatherings and went on to say that we are still right in the middle of this pandemic.  He must not be listening to the ultimate voice on this health crisis- Joe Biden.   Biden declared the pandemic over two months ago.
  4. We’re disappointed that CNN didn’t ask if the good doctor thought that the World Cup matches, unlike the 2020 mostly peaceful protests, might be a super spreader event.
  5. China’s showing the matches but blurring the stands to prevent its citizens from seeing that 100k fans from all over the world in four venues a day are yelling, hugging, and shouting in close contact all the while maskless.  No deception there.  As Lebron taught us we should be sensitive to other cultures that we know little about.
  6. Dr. Fauci(81), Speaker Nancy(82), and Prez Joe(80) are a combined 243 years old.  America is 246 years old.  That’s some wealth of experience leading this country.
  7. Turning to crime in Gotham City, there is a NYC bill being seriously considered by city lawmakers that would strip landlords of the ability to perform criminal background checks on prospective tenants.  The legislation is known as the “Fair Chance Housing Act.”  Mayor Eric Adams supports the bill saying no one should be denied housing because they were once engaged in the criminal justice system.  Even Batman is moving to Florida.
  8. Did you know that there is a position in your govt called the deputy assistant secretary of the Office of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the U.S. Department of Energy?  Did you know that MIT grad and “openly genderfluid” Sam Brinton holds down the post?  Did you know that 34-year-old Sam was charged with a felony last month for allegedly stealing a woman’s luggage?  At least he/she has good taste. The navy blue Vera Bradley roller bag is valued at $2400.
  9. If you wondered, gender fluidity describes the experience of changing gender identity over time. They can fluctuate between any gender at any time, such as feeling more feminine or masculine, bi-gender or agender, maverique or neutrois, and demi-gender or polygender.  Full disclosure- we took this definition directly from Wikipedia, so the information like the gender of a gender-fluid person may change at any time.
  10.  And from Cali, the WSJ  noted that under Gavin Newsom, the state saw a roughly 15 percent increase in the homeless population since 2019, despite having the most significant funding increase to fight the problem.  Throwing money to homeless people or throwing money at the homeless population isn’t the answer.  Identify and attack the root problems.

 

 

 

 

There Is No Equal Reaction

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Should anyone dare to question Sir Issac Newton?  Newton’s third Law of Motion is “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

One has to wonder, as we tear down statues, erase history from books, and peacefully protest if this third law holds up in today’s world known as The Great Reset.

For example, Donald Trump says he only counterpunches.  That would hold up as the equal and opposite reaction to a punch.  But, alas, Trump threw two haymakers at Ron DeSantis last week with no previous provocation.  “DeSantctimonious, he said.  The few listening groaned, “here we go again.”

Yesterday Senator Fossil McConnell, as he will henceforth be known here, said that he is honored that his Republican colleagues have reelected him to lead the Senate minority.  “Our united team is full of energy and ideas.  We are going to fight Democrats’ recklessness.”

United?  Hardly.  More would vote against him if they weren’t afraid of having his PAC cut off all monies to their future campaigns.  Ask Rick Scott about united as Fossil removed him from all leadership after his challenge to be the leader.

Full of energy?  Hardly.  McConnell’s only energy is static.

Ideas?  Name one.  Just one.  They won’t pass regardless.

NPR wrote this lede for a story yesterday.   “Donald Trump, who tried to overthrow the results of the 2020 election and inspired a deadly riot at the Capitol in a desperate attempt to keep himself in power, has filed to run for president in 2024.”   NPR is taxpayer funded.  Does any of the above sound evenhanded?  There are no counterpunches or opposite reactions as the press as we once knew it is gone.

How gone?  They loved Twitter until Elon Musk took it over and promised free speech.  Now they hate Twitter, hate Tesla, and hate Elon.  You can expect a Senate-led investigation soon in an attempt to marginalize him.  For what?  Good question.  But, rest assured it is on its way.

Chuck Schumer was marginalized yesterday as the House was called in favor of the elephants.  He took that moment to spew, “We have a population that is not reproducing at the same level that it used to.  The only way we’re going to have a great future is if we welcome immigrants.. get a path to citizenship for all 11 million (illegal immigrants).

In hockey, you get checked.  In politics, people stand behind you when announcing and will clap for anything.  Anything.

Would the same or fewer people in the 50 states harm us in any way?  Don’t we whine incessantly about clean air, clean water, food insecurity(that used to be known as shortages), and increasing homelessness(that used to be known as hobos)?  Want more problems?

Does abortion(now known as women’s reproductive rights) have anything to do with our reproductive levels?  We are asking for a friend.

The White House asked for another 38 billion or so(who’s counting) for Ukraine’s defense last night. If approved that will bring the total to over $100 billion since the war that either is or isn’t a war started.  Can you turn the $38 billion into bullets, guns, and tanks immediately we ask?  The opposite reaction is likely, “of course.”  Is there a bullet, guns, and tanks superstore somewhere that we aren’t aware of?

This is right on the heels of a crypto scandal that might will need to be investigated for possible money laundering from you the taxpayer to Ukraine to FTX to the U.S. Democratic Party, but we digress.

And, lastly, San Francisco’s mayor proudly announced a new program, Guaranteed Income for Transgender People (G.I.F.T.) will provide “economically marginalized transgender people with unrestricted, monthly guaranteed income as a way to combat poverty.”

The program will prioritize for enrollment of “transgender, non-binary, gender nonconforming, and intersex people who are also Black, indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC), experiencing homelessness, living with disability and chronic illnesses, and youth and elders.”

That sounds very inclusive and all-encompassing to us.  The program provides $1200 a month for up to 18 months and will be availed to 55 people at the outset or about $1.2 million.

Have we gone a bit too far down the proverbial rabbit hole?   Where did voices of reason in leadership positions go?

The next thing you know the rabbit will qualify for homeless aid.

And to think Newton started all of this by watching an apple fall from a tree.

 

 

 

Ten Piece Nuggets

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

We all need to avoid any winter weight gain.  But, never at the expense of a serving of Ten Piece Nuggets.  Digestion begins below.

  1. We aren’t here to suggest that Kari Lake’s opponent cheated.  We have zero evidence of that at this point.  We are here to suggest that Arizona just promoted incompetence to a higher level in its government. Katie Hobbs’s department counted the votes.  And, it took seven days to count votes in the year 2022.
  2. If you want to get rid of election deniers, get an election process that works in a timely or even semi-timely manner.
  3. A close friend of BBR asked, “Why are all of the counties or states that take forever to count always won by Democrats?”  One answer to that comes in the form of a question.  Why are all of the highest crime-ridden cities and counties run by Democrats?  Some might call it incompetence and indifference that creates dependence and further bloats the government.
  4. One bit of good news is that the feared invasion of those pesky Russian bots interfering in the elections must not have occurred.  Our democracy was at stake we were told.  Or, at least using that as an excuse for losing some races wasn’t needed/used in 2022 after preelection concerns were raised.
  5. An estimated 27% of eligible voters aged 18-29 turned out to vote, compared to roughly 20% of young voters who typically participated in elections in the 1990s.  Not only did Gen Z show up in force, they overwhelmingly picked Democrats, by a 28-point margin.  And this was in a midterm, not a presidential ballot election.  Why so heavy a turnout?  Our guess is that they liked the free money handout promise of student loan debt relief and didn’t like the abortion ruling that returned the decision to the state level.  Note to Republican leadership, assuming that they have any leaders, find a way to appeal to the youngsters.
  6. That public health emergency that was set to expire in January of 2023 called Covid-19 must be still with us.  President Biden declared on 60 Minutes that “the pandemic is over” nearly two months ago.  But, Friday the President extended the emergency status through at least April 2023.  Once again the winter of death for the unvaxxed must be upon us.  Follow the science we were once or twice told.
  7.  The Biden/Fetterman 2024 ticket is trending on Twitter.  What is the duo’s early working tagline, you ask?  “It’s a no-brainer!”  Too soon?
  8.  The “I told you so’s” are out and loud railing on the cryptocurrency world.  A few years back some asked, ” why would I invest in something that doesn’t exist?”  “Ponzi scheme!” was another retort.  Who knows where this journey ends, or if it does?  But, one lesson is always worth repeating.  Don’t invest in something that you know nothing about.
  9.  Turning to sports, the Washington Commanders defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 32-21 on MNF last evening.  Hail to the Redskins Commanders! The Eagles’ loss ensures that for at least one more year no team will run through their entire schedule undefeated since the only team that ever did so in 1972-the Miami Dolphins.   Hail to the Dolphins!
  10. The latest FBS Playoff standings will be released tonight.  And the “what if” crowd will grow louder.  What if the LSU Tigers run the table?  What if THE Ohio St. Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines play a very close, hard-fought game and each has only one loss?  Will the committee put three SEC teams in?  As Aaron Rodgers once scolded us.  R-E-L-A-X.  These things always work their way out.  Always.

Push your chair all the way in and put your plate in the dishwasher.

 

 

Sailor’s Warning

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

That red wave promised yesterday morning should have been a Republican sailor’s warning.  And, while the Democrats can’t sing “blue skies, nothing but blue skies, over me” just yet, they can certainly see a silver lining in the dark clouds.

What exactly just happened?  Or, what continues to happen today as those who can’t count continue to count?

What happened was America voted.  And, despite what many polls identified as major flaws in how they were running the country, they voted for a lot of the same as what they voted for two years ago.

Does that make sense?  Of course, it doesn’t.

If you were shocked that Trump came from no political background to win it all in 2020, you had to be shocked about last night into this morning.

Here’s what we know happened, and a few guesses on why it happened.

There is no red wave.  Yes, the odds favor the House turning red by a slim margin.  And the Senate could as well by the ever so slimmest of margins.  Or, it might stay purple.  Or it might turn blue.   That is not a red wave.

Ron DeSantis sailed far and away as the biggest winner on the Republican side.  He won four years ago by the slimmest of margins for his first term as governor.  It was a blitzkrieg this time.  He motored through Miami-Dade county, a 12-point Biden win county, in the most impressive of fashions.  He has to be considered the Republican frontrunner for 2024.

Has the population growth in Florida, mostly from the northeast and accelerated by covid hysteria, come in as transplanted conservatives?

Pennsylvania can’t count.  Also, they elected John Fetterman.  Sometimes if you have nothing nice to say you should say nothing at all.

Will Beto O’Rourke and Stacey Abrams finally go away?

Beto got a veto in Texas.  He’s ‘oh for” in his last three election at-bats.  In Texas, you don’t say out loud that you’re coming for the guns.

Abrams said last night that she’ll continue to do everything she can to right all of the wrongs in Georgia.  Sounds good until the DNC money goes elsewhere.

Arizona can’t count either.  And, they have broken machines in Maricopa County supposedly.  Does anyone think to give them a test run a few months back?  No.

And, if they don’t elect Kari Lake it will be the second biggest surprise of November.  She trails 51-49 with nearly 2/3rds counted this AM.

Republican leadership, we say again, is nonexistent, old, tired, white, and selfish.  Young adults aren’t buying what they are selling.

Mitch McConnell and his PAC cronies had a game plan.  Mike Tyson said everyone has a plan until they get hit.  McConnell and the RNC got pummeled.

The polls got it all wrong again.  Like the Republican leadership, it’s past time for them to look at their flawed ways.  They didn’t get to Trump voters in 2016.  And, they likely whiffed on Gen Z in 2022.  Calling landline numbers might be past its prime.  Get a TikTok account already.

Could control of the Senate come down to Georgia again in a Senate runoff?  Herschel Walker was once a hell of a running back.  There are holes in his candidacy as big as the ones his Bulldogs used to create for him to run through though.

So where does all of this leave one Donald J. Trump?  Today it is Mar-a-Lago.  Tomorrow it’s likely in some court.  By 2024, it’s likely on stage gunning for the White House.  The Dems can’t wait.

One thing about the weather “they” say.  It’s always changing.

The forecast from here till 2024 looks tough to call.   Red wave?  Blue Sky?  One fish, two fish.

Blame it on climate change if you wish.

 

 

 

Frick and Frack

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

They were out in all of their glory doing what they think they do best last evening for their respective parties.  Trump and Biden.  Biden and Trump.

Donald Trump was in Ohio at a rally of his own, promising a major announcement on November 15th.  He even spent some time attacking Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Tim Ryan and boosting his GOP opponent JD Vance.

Meanwhile a few states over in Maryland, Biden headlined a last-minute get-out-the-vote rally at Bowie State University, stumping for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore.

Trump didn’t call anybody in his party a bad nickname.  Biden forgot the want to be governor’s name.

On his best behavior, as he went through poll numbers at the rally, Trump did not call Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis “Ron DeSanctimonious” as he did at a recent rally.

“And, of course, you got that next governor. What’s his name? Wes… Wes…,” Biden said, turning to the audience as they held up “Wes Moore” signs.  “Wes Moore!” Biden said after reading a sign. “The guy’s the real deal, man.”

So on midterm election eve with a possible red wave on the horizon, you had an orange face stumping for himself and an ashen face who might be singing the blues hours from now just plain stumped.

The questions are “why now” for Trump and “why” period for Biden.  Haven’t we reached a point where we can agree on one thing?  That thing is one past president and a past prime current president are both more harmful than good for their sides’ cause.

It may have been fun to label Marco Rubio “Lil Marco” six years ago. How about “low energy Jeb?” Some smart money is now on DeSantis and calling him “DeSanctimonious” doesn’t draw the laughs these days.

It may have been fun for 81 million people to bounce Trump in favor of Biden two years ago.  Today that choice will cost the left the House for sure and the Senate is at best a toss-up.

Things are bad around these 50 states, or 54 if you ask Joe.  Only an ostrich can’t see that.  DeSantis and Newsom can.

The for-sure Republican that will get a Democrat elected to the White House in 2024 is Trump.  The for-sure Democrat that insures a Republican will move in is Biden.  Kamala is a very close second, but we digress.

The RNC and the DNC have quite a job on their hands.  The former needs to convince an egomaniac that it’s in the party’s best interest that he should have no interest in running.  The latter needs to finesse a sitting president and vice president straight to the curb.

That fact will never become clear enough in Trump’s cranium for him to see it.  That fact should become clear to Biden around 10 pm tonight assuming he’s awake and cognitive enough to see it.

Americans coast to coast can see it.  Especially the smart ones.

Toward the beginning of his speech last night, Biden reminded some just how smart they were.  He told the mostly Black audience at the historically Black university that – despite them not having the endowments other schools have – they were “just as smart” and “just as bright.”  Pandering much?

See.

 

Good Night Everyone

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

John Fetterman stumbled and bumbled through his debate last evening with Dr. Oz for the Pennsylvania Senate seat.  At least he has an excuse.  If his family, friends, and for that matter the DNC had a conscience, they would follow the science.

Speaking of doctors and following the science, Joe Biden, the CDC, and the NIH seem to be stumbling and bumbling with this pesky covid 19 pandemic.

It started about a year ago right now when the President, who stumbles and bumbles a bit himself, said, “For unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death for themselves, their families, and the hospitals they’ll soon overwhelm.”  Looking back that seems overstated.

By June of this year, he was promoting a safe vaccine for children ages five and under.

The President then pivoted in a 60 Minutes interview in early September. “We still have a problem with Covid. We’re still doing a lotta work on it. But the pandemic is over. If you notice, no one’s wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape.”

And, yesterday, in remarks on Covid, before he rolled up his sleeve for yet another booster he said, ” Americans have a choice as to how bad COVID-19 could be this winter.”  He also warned, yet again, that more people are likely to die.    Maybe we aren’t in pretty good shape?

Giving a boost to the booster effort he continued, “It’s incredibly effective, but the truth is, not enough people are getting it,” Biden said.  “Now we need a shot just once a year.

Noticeably absent was CDC Director Rochelle Walensky from the group gathered to support Biden and his remarks.   Last Friday night the good Dr. Walensky tested positive for COVID-19.  She is up to date with her vaccines.  Consistent with CDC guidelines, she is isolated at home.

Remember, it’s incredibly effective.

Dr. Anthony Fauci was behind the President and smiling from ear to ear.  He misses the spotlight ever so much.  With Cuomo and Lemon off of CNN at night and Rachael Maddow seldom seen on MSNBC most evenings now, his path to a live camera to tell us “I am the science” is tougher.

Will Dr. Oz defeat Fetterman in two weeks?  If he does, the Senate is one big step closer to Republican control.

And, if they get that control, another good doctor will find a path to a live camera.  Dr. Rand Paul promises a full Senate investigation by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions into the origin, treatment, payouts, and results of the last three years of the virus and the subsequent billions of jabs to save us all.

Susequently, that will get Dr. Fauci plenty of the live air time he covets whether he wants it then, or not.

“Goodnight everyone,” Fetterman said as the debate began last evening.

Kudos to him for stumbling into correctly reading the exhausted American psyche.

We’re all looking for a few good nights right about now.

 

 

Boom Boom’s Life Lessons #7.

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

By request from not one, but two readers, we share the previously published article again for your perusal.  It must be sales meeting time for some.  We hope you’ll enjoy it.

 

One of the many gifts that Boom Boom gave us was the torrent of quips about how one leads one’s life.   He could say so much by saying so little.   A statement at just the right moment resonated in my young, eager eardrums.  How I interpreted or applied it was up to me.  No more words were spoken because no more words were needed.

Boom Boom bought a new car when, and only when, the need arose.  He bought American.  And, he bought Oldsmobiles.  Mom would get the new car and hand Boom Boom the keys to the old one.   He included me in the conversations with the car salesmen and management from a very young age.

In the mid-sixties an on and off again negotiation with the local dealership involved us walking out twice and resuming the deal-making the next day and then the day after.  Finally, exhaustively, the terms were agreed to on a new Jetstar 88.  “We’ll clean it up for you and you can pick it up tomorrow Mr. Johnston,” said the exasperated car salesman.

After his work and our dinner the next evening we drove in the old trade-in Olds to pick up the new Olds.  After the final paperwork was signed we joyfully opened the doors to get into the new shiny ride.  One problem.  There were no floor mats.  “Where are the floor mats,” Boom Boom inquired.  “Mr. Johnston, there were none in the car as it was offered to you.  Floor mats will be an extra $36, said the soon-to-be more exasperated car salesman.”  “Keep the car,”  Boom Boom evenly retorted.   “Let’s go,” he said to mom and I.   Silence abounded.  And, off we drove in the old Jetstar 88 back home.  The silence was still plentiful well into the evening.

The next evening our phone rang.  Boom Boom answered.  Boom Boom listened.  Then, Boom Boom spoke.   We could only hear his side of the conversation.   “So, now you want to include the floor mats?”  Pause.  “Ok, well, tell your manager that I now need another $150 off of the car for my inconvenience in addition to the floor mats.”  Long pause.  “Tell him thank you.”

“Let’s get the car,” he said.  Mom decided to drop him and me off and head back home.  She may have had a wee bit of buyer’s fatigue.  As dad and I waited for them to bring the car around to the front he looked at me(all of six or seven years old) and said, “Never be afraid to walk away from a negotiation.  Never.”

The new car smell filled my nostrils on the ride home.  The lesson learned fills my mind to this day.

 

From Demo to Dino

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

There is the old adage, “the only thing constant is change.”  There is the new adage, “change is coming at you faster than ever.”

The old adage is proven correct daily.  The new adage remains debatable.

Tulsi Gabbard changed, at least she changed officially.  She formally announced Monday that given the mad shift to the far left in her party, she would no longer be a part of the Democratic Party.   Her beliefs aren’t contained in a neat box, but her core values seem mostly right of center.

She didn’t declare herself a Republican though. She did not yet, and maybe not ever.  For now, she’s independent.

This has been brewing for some time.  The announcement only formalized it.   The United States Army Reserve officer and political commentator served as the U.S. representative for Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2021.  She attempted to gain the Democratic nomination for President in 2020.

Why is she still news?  It says here that she would make one fine VP candidate to go along with Ron DeSantis in 2024.  Imagine a conservative Republican picking an Independent as his running mate.  Now that would be a vote for the new adage ringing true.

Hawaii is a vote for the old adage.  It’s been brewing for some time as well.

Approximately 40 to 70 million years ago, the 137 islands of Hawaii began to form. Every island originated from multiple underwater volcanic eruptions. Magma burst from underneath the seafloor until it reached the ocean’s surface.

And, guess what.  It’s still forming as active volcanos still shape and reshape some of the newer islands in the chain.

Around the same time, give or take a mere 10 million years, about 66 million years ago a massive solar system body now known as the Chicxulub asteroid collided with Earth, excavating a massive 110-mile-wide impact crater in what would later become the Yucatan Peninsula.

This collision triggered a chain of cataclysmic events which, when combined with the devastation caused by the initial strike, wiped out 75 percent of all life on Earth.

Research that analyzed geological records from this traumatic period in our planet’s history, has revealed that the devastating impact may have triggered a “mega-earthquake” that lasted for weeks, or even months before subsiding.

That’s what you would call real climate change.  If you don’t believe us ask the next dinosaur you see walking around the face of the earth.

The Republican party actually reminds us of the fossils a bit.  Merriam-Webster’s first synonym explanation of the word is “one that has passed the peak of effectiveness or popularity.”

Take off Mitch McConnell’s glasses and what do you see?  Maybe you see words related to dinosaurs?  Dodo, fogy, old-timer, fuddy-duddy, mossback, stick in the mud, and stodge comes to mind.

Maybe change needs to come to the Republican Party faster than ever.  A return to conservative principles is in order and the presentation needs a makeover.

Gabbard as a running mate would not be a mega earthquake nor a MAGA earthquake, but it would be a fine start.