Uvalde

Ten Piece Nuggets

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Nuggets!  Git yer 10 Piece Nuggets right cheer!!  Hot off of the press or depressed if you prefer.

  1.  It’s important to be more open-minded these days than ever.  As you know with gender ID the country is struggling to define what a woman is.  It’s not having such problems with men though.  And, as you now know, men can get pregnant.  Keep up with the changing times, please.
  2. But, when it comes to proper identification, California, as always, is ahead of the pack.  In comes a fishy ruling from the Golden State.  A Cali court has ruled that bees can legally be considered fish.  The reversal of an earlier interpretation means bumblebees can now be eligible for listing under the California Endangered Species Act. The conservation win comes as bumblebees have faced a serious decline throughout the United States due to climate change.  How do we know that?  Well, we have heard of flying fish.
  3. Over the weekend a shootout in Tennessee and another in downtown Philadelphia left multiple people dead in both locations.  The two fracases involved multiple gunmen in each incident.  Are we as upset about this as we are when a lone deranged lunatic mows down folks in a supermarket or a movie theater?  We get the outrage in schools, but wonder why the indifference nationally on the other.
  4. Speaking of which, the Uvalde parents of the victims will apparently sue the gunmaker of the AR-15 used in the shooting.  The premise we presume is that the manufacturer puts out a product knowing it can cause death.  It seems like the landmark cases against tobacco companies in the seventies.  Can we also sue alcohol producers?  Car makers?  Plane manufacturers?
  5. We empathize with their grief certainly but wonder about this attempt.  While they have the lawyers’ attention they should sue the stand-down Uvalde police department.  We’re sure they will.  And, we’re sure that they’ll get a big settlement.
  6.  Does the country feel hopelessly split to you?  On migration, a May poll informed respondents, “By the year 2050, a majority of the population will be made up of people who are Black, Asian, Hispanic, and other racial minorities.”  Respondents were evenly split: 22% said the demographic change would be a “very” or a “somewhat” good thing,” while 20% said a “very” or a “somewhat” bad thing.
  7. How about along party lines?  Thirty percent of people who voted for Joe Biden in 2020 say it would be “a very good thing,”  Just 3% of President Trump’s voters said it would be a “very good thing.”  We ask again, does the country feel hopelessly split to you?
  8.  Do you know how lucky you are to have such low gas prices? Huh?   White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to questions yesterday about high gas prices during the daily briefing by noting it was “really important” that people understood that prices were higher across the globe.  She noted that gas prices in the European Union were $8.15 a gallon, prices in Germany were $8.88 a gallon, and prices in Canada were $6.23 a gallon.  Lucky you.
  9. She repeated an earlier WH position that “everything was on the table” to deal with high gas prices but said that she did not have any information on actions the president would take to help lower gas prices.  “I don’t have anything to preview,” she said.  If we weren’t so dumb we’d be insulted.  It’s Putin’s fault anyway, isn’t it?
  10. As expected Phil Mickelson, he of foot in mouth disease, announced that he was joining the new LIV Golf series backed by the Saudi-Arabian government. It’s widely reported that Tiger Woods has turned down a low nine-figure offer to do the same.   Mickelson joins another big name, Dustin Johnson, in making the same move.  Will they still be big names in five years?  Apparently, they don’t care as big money talks and fame walks across the pond.

Enjoy the heat.

Swim Fast

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Here at the world headquarters of BBR.com is a rather attractive 175-gallon fish tank.  Mature fish of all shapes and colors are plentiful.  And, now we have the tiniest of babies.

It’s so small you can see straight through it.  Peril awaits behind every rock and plant.  So far so good for the young un.  You watch in wonder with each passing day as the odds are quite slim.

The odds for the average American human baby born in 2022 aren’t as slim, but you have to wonder if the big fish are out to get them as well.

The first obstacle is, of course, being born at all.  In 2019, the most recent year that we have a semi-accurate count, nearly 1 million abortions were performed in the U.S.   Apparently we count abortions as expeditiously as we count votes in Pennsylvania.

And, now we have a baby formula shortage.  President Biden, responding to questions yesterday about how quickly the administration acted, claimed: “I don’t think anybody anticipated the impact of one facility — of the Abbott facility.”

Pressed by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on the comments from manufacturers that they knew immediately what the impact would be, Biden responded: “They did, but I didn’t.”  Apparently we react to formula shortages as quickly as we do oil and gas shortages.

When the infants reach school age at least they can begin to learn which gender they are, aren’t, might be, or want to be one day when they grow up.  Our public school system sees to it.

That public school system, which you pay for, does not allow you to choose which school your children attend, however.  Apparently pro-choice and school choice have little in common in these 50 United States.

At least we took the worthless masks off of the little ones(except NY which knows better than the rest) late this spring semester.

We teach them science.  We follow the science.

And, we have a better science-based solution right around the corner.  News broke this AM that both Pfizer and Moderna have applied for final approval of their three and two-shot vaccine series for children aged 6 months to five years.  Science tells us that they aren’t actually vaccines, but we digress.

How timely?  How worthless you ask?  It’s estimated that 0.001 percent of children under 12 have any serious symptoms from the dreaded Covid-19.  That’s 1 in 100,000 if you do the math of the science.

Roaring ahead to middle and high school we have a safety problem that no one wants to address with any old school logic.  We have gun-free zones where only criminals have guns.  And, we have armed police officers who want no part of criminals with guns.  Uvalde wasn’t the first time for the men and women in the blue.

Well, at least we can take comfort that if the very young adults make it all of the way to and through college that they can emerge from the other side debt-free and ready to contribute to society.

How’s that you ask?  Prez Biden, “I am not considering $50,000 debt reduction, but I am in the process of taking a hard look at whether or not there will be additional debt forgiveness.”

That’ll usher the new graduates into a world of even higher inflation.  Biden’s plan to cancel student loan debt could lead to higher inflation and perceived inequality, several experts warned.

Inflation?  It’s likely transitory.

Inequality?  Jeez.  We’ve done so much good there, haven’t we?  Haven’t we?

If you paid off your loans you get nothing back except a pat on the back.  If you didn’t go to college but learned a valuable trade, you get to pay off the debt of those who did but haven’t paid it back.

If you haven’t paid a silver dime back, or are delinquent, you get a free pass.  That’ll teach them responsibility, won’t it?

That little fish has a lot of swimming to do.

At least fish swim in schools that aren’t controlled by the government.

Not yet, anyway.

 

Just Stand There!

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Don’t do something!  Just stand there!

We admit it.  We borrowed this line from an avid reader who borrowed this line from Jack Bogle.  Bogle is a sage old-school investor and founder of Vanguard Investments.

A lot has happened in the last week after Uvalde.  Nothing has happened in the last week after Uvalde.

A few examples of the diligence and inertia follow.

President Biden and the First Lady flew to Uvalde and said something like this can never happen again.  Then they flew back to Delaware to enjoy some fine BBQ and a day on the beach.

Second Amendment proponents hid behind the Second Amendment and like Puxatawny Phil seems content to stay underground for six more weeks while the rancor subsides.  Should an 18-year-old be allowed to buy a gun?  The argument that we send them to war with guns doesn’t justify individual ownership unto itself.  Eighteen-year-old sane males don’t make good decisions daily.

The Uvalde police were exposed.  The very ones with the guns that are supposed to protect the ones without failed miserably ever so slowly.  And, they lied about it as well.  Protect and serve they did not.

America actually has bigger murder number problems than mass shootings on school grounds.  They stem from too much domestic violence, drug-fueled violence, armed robbery, mental health issues, and on and on.

Frankly, as a society, we’ve failed miserably in addressing all of those issues.  The War on Drugs is a multidecade loser.  We spent two years yelling in city council meetings to defund the police. Three years ago we ended the three strikes and you’re out punishment for serial criminals.  Homelessness is near or at an all-time high.  Locking people out of their daily routines for two Covid-19 years has put more than one flying over the cuckoo’s nest.

But, one that we could address is the in-school one like Uvalde.

But, our leader Joe Biden has put forth no plan to help ensure “that nothing like this ever happens again.”  How about at the least forming a blue ribbon, bloated government committee to examine the cause and effect, and suggest a remedy or three?

Yesterday through his press secretary, the Biden administration shot down (bad pun) any desire to “harden” our schools.  What does that mean?  It means that he doesn’t support arming anyone on school grounds as a means to prevent anyone from coming onto school grounds armed.

Apparently, gun control is the problem, not controlling the behaviors of people who are armed.  He dove deeper yesterday.  He wants to ban “high caliber” 9mm handguns. “There’s simply no rational basis for it in terms of self-protection.”  Somebody should tell him that it is the gun of choice for the Secret Service.

Last week we wrote comparing the changes in the airline industry post 9/11 to make it safer vs. the “just stand there” mentality of the on school grounds problem.  There are some layups to be had.  America just has to take the shot (damn, again).

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is doing something.  Yesterday, he announced the introduction of a bill that would place a national freeze on handgun ownership across Canada.  Way up in our nation’s attic he’s riding on the tragic coattails of Uvalde. And, he’s after the handguns, not the long guns.

Trudeau subscribes to the “never let a good crisis go to waste” mantra.

To summarize: bad people have guns, police don’t use theirs when needed, good people rightfully aren’t letting go of theirs, Canadians are screwed, and Biden has no plan.

Don’t do something!  Just stand there!

 

 

 

Two Worn Out Boxers

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Mass murder.  Senseless.  Horrific.

It happened again.  And, it will happen again.

The terrifying truth of the matter is that it can’t be stopped.  But, it could be reduced in frequency and severity if significant, important, and immediate steps were taken.

The most important step might be the first one.  We need new, better, and different dialogue about its root cause and possible preventative measures.

In Uvalde 19 innocent young children and two school teachers trying to protect them are dead.  So is the killer.

But, predictably, law enforcement officials had barely pulled the sweaty palms of the deranged gunman off of his weapon(s) of choice and the blame game began. To the airwaves and virtual airwaves they went.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz(R) tweeted that he and his wife were praying for the victims and their families.  Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego(D) tweeted, “Just to be clear f— you @tedcruz you f—ing baby killer.”

Cruz also said that he was “closely monitoring the situation.”  Worthless words.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a Democrat whose city is notorious for its high violence rates commented, “Now more than ever, we must push our legislators to pass sweeping and effective gun control measures. Our children’s lives depend on it.”  The right quickly swept in to defend the Second Amendment.

In 2021 Texas was second only to California in new gun purchases.  CNN showed Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s year-old tweet in retort.  It read “come on Texas, we can do better than that.”  A retort to the retort exclaimed, “don’t ever forget where Abbott stands on guns!”  “We must elect Beto and defeat Abbott.”  Abbott didn’t pull the trigger yesterday.

How odd that California, of all places, outgunned Texas.   How odd that Californians by the thousands are moving to Texas monthly.  How odd that four weeks ago the mass murder of the week took place in California.

Sadly, it’s like two old boxers emerging from their corners.  They possess passionate energy for a round or two, tire soon, and limp away.  It’s another draw.

Speaking of old, the nation turned to President Joe Biden’s address on the tragedy early last evening.  We were hoping that he could seize the moment and offer a new course.  We were hoping the Great Unifier would unify.

He shuffled out to the podium wearing a mask while the First Lady followed without one to stand behind him.

About two minutes in he angrily asked, “When are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?”  Check another talking point box.  Later, he told the nation that the victims, their families, and the city of Uvalde were going to need a LOT of help.

After a “God Bless,” he shuffled off this time mask in hand while Dr. Jill somehow found hers and walked off with one on.

It was a short play.  It was bad theater.  It was a rerun, actually.

The Unifier visited Buffalo and talked about white supremacy, racism, and gun control.  Will he visit Uvalde?

What should we do?  The answer lies in large part to stop doing what we’re doing.  A full-on examination by open-minded thinkers is past due.

Before you board a plane, you pass the “no-fly list” test.  Then you head to the lone public entrance to the terminal.  You’re identified.  You take your shoes off.  You empty electronic contents from your belongings.  You are body scanned.  You, or your bags, might be randomly checked further.  You might have a dog or two sniffing around. Police are overtly present.

Once onboard you are more often than not accompanied by an armed US Air Marshall.

All of this is done in the interest of public (your) safety.  It’s not easy getting on a plane.  It’s not fun.  A lot has changed in 20 years.

Compare that to school.  How do unwanted outsiders get into a school?  They walk in their choice of multiple doors.  It’s that easy.  Not a lot has changed in 20 years.

The plane/school comparison is just one small part of the much bigger aforementioned examination.  And, it does little when murderers enter grocery stores and movie theaters.  But, is it better than standing still?

Mental health issues might be the biggest need to tackle somehow.  Identifying, tracking, and denying access to weapons for dangerous folks is yet another.  Does 18 seem young to be able to buy a gun?  There are others.

It’s true, guns kill people.  But they only kill people when people pull triggers.  It’s true, cars kill people.  But, it’s only true when lunatics run over innocent people waiting for a Christmas parade.

It happened again.  And, it will happen again.

Widely known are the words from Albert Einstein: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.