Everywhere I turn, something crazier than the last crazy thing I witnessed pops up. It's gotten to the point that I don't believe a word I read or hear and almost choose to wait until history books are written on the subject so that I can get a more accurate picture of what I witnessed. Of course, that's fraught with peril as well, because revisionist historians can skew facts through clever editorial choices to paint a different picture.
Where to start?
People are up in arms about the Christmas song Baby It's Cold Outside calling for radio stations to cease playing it because of, in their minds, its oversexualized overtones. First, I disagree with this completely. Second, one has to put the song in the context of the era in which it was written. But third, why is this song villified when rap songs with far greater graphic passages are allowed on the air with no complaint from this group? Why are those songs not facing protest in the name of the defense of women? For people to get worked up over this mystifies me.
Next, let's take a look at the border situation. The caravans from Central America have made it to our southern border...much to Mexico's, and specifically, Tijuana's, consternation. Mexico, and particularly Tijuana, are now getting a taste of what the United States gets when thousands upon thousands of illegal aliens take up camp in a country where they don't belong. But now it's gotten even more absurd: Members of the caravan have offered to return to their countries of origin if the United States pays each of them $50,000.00 and agrees to end deportations of illegals in our country. This is after a group of them filed suit in U.S. District Court claiming their constitutional rights were violated while they were in their home countries and Mexico.
President Trump met with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer in the Oval Office yesterday. The POTUS invited the media to film the encounter. The Democrats wanted to negotiate in private. The President said no. There then ensued words in which Senator Schumer remined the President that elections have consequences. The President then responded that Republicans took seats in Indiana and North Dakota. Schumer later said that if the President was bragging about winning seats in Indiana and North Dakota, he's in big trouble. I'm quite sure those soundbites are being ginned up for the 2020 elections.
Kevin Hart was tapped to host the Oscars. Then some homophobic comments he made years ago were made public. So he backed out. Kyler Murray won the Heisman over the weekend. The USA Today quickly published homophobic tweets he made when he was in his teens. He hasn't given the trophy back. Yet.
A rather heavy-set woman from Kentucky wowed the audience on The Voice. She may not have had the best voice, but she clearly had one of the top three. She didn't make the top three.
Protests have broken out in France over taxes that were levied on gasoline to pay for Green initiatives. The protests have since spread to other issues. This in the home of the Paris Accords.
The U.K. is in a political form of coitus interruptus. It can't decide whether to follow through with Brexit or lump the whole thing. Meanwhile, Ireland's left hanging, because if the U.K. Brexits, then there's a need for a hard border between the Republic and the rest of Ireland. Yet the Brits declare the Irish are the ones who don't get it.
Democrats are licking their chops at the prospect of impeaching or, after his tenure ends, indicting the President, even though there are more pressing matters and he's done nothing to justify either impeachment or indictment. Meanwhile, gas prices are nearing their lowest in ten years.
Office holiday parties are being cancelled due to concerns of sexual harrassment of women.
Wildfires have destroyed miles of California land and killed over one hundred people If there's rain that could lead to mudslides in the areas denuded of trees. Yet Californians continue to live there.
That wingbat socialist congresswoman from New York continues to prove once again that stupid is as stupid says.
The FBI is facing a massive investigation over its investigative practices of the President and Cankles. The trouble is: Who's going to investigate the FBI?
Conservatives are having a meltdown over the fact that Justices Roberts and Kavanaugh sided with the more liberal members of the Court in the Planned Parenthood case. This is further proof that civilians have little clue how the Court operates.
China is backing down on the tariffs it places on American goods, yet the Democrats want the President removed.
Unbelievable.
(c) The Truxton Spangler Chronicles 2018
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Sirius XM Meanderings...
Wow.
Two and a half months it's been since I posted. Time flies when you're having fun, have a new job and no longer are treated like a truant teenager....
But since I need to get back in the swing of things, before I address some of the socio-political happenings of late, I thought I'd visit Sisius XM radio. I recently renewed my subscription and have been listening to various channels on my daily commutes.and have some thoughts on the pay-per-listen channel.
-- It occurred to me that several singers had or have morphed into divas. I don't know if this is peculiar to singers, necessarily, but I find it odd that women like Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Dionne Warwick, Beyonce, Whitney Houston and, to an extent, Jennifer Hudson, all have diva-like qualities. I readily agree that they have great voices -- God-given, but human trained -- but is it absolutely necessary for them to act like they're God's gift to humanity?
-- I listen to the channels for the 70's, 80's and 90's. If I don't like what's on one station, I turn it to the others until I find something I like. One day I was listening to the 70's on Seven and Olivia Newton-John 's Please Mister Please came on. Having just heard that the day before, I switched to the 80's on Eight, where one of her racier 80's hits -- I forget now which -- was playing. I went back and forth between the two channels trying to determine if it was the same woman singing...
-- Speaking of playlists, I've noticed that Sirius stations seem to have monthly set lists. On the 70's on Seven, I heard Brandy by Looking Glass throughout the month of October. Then it was gone.
-- Back when they were popular, I never listened to boy bands like New Kids on the Block, the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync. After their heydeys, certain members branched out and began acting or appearing in TV shows, so I got to know their names and faces. Even so, I couldn't tell you to which bands Joey Fatone, Lance Bass and Donnie Wahlberg belonged.
-- Karen likes to listen to comedy channels when we travel. The problem with them is that it seems that the stations will put just about anyone on there if he or she appeared at a comedy club, no matter how funny they were or weren't. Sometimes, the routines are uproarious, and nothing gives me greater pleasure than watching my girl guffaw. But sometimes we look at each other wonderingly due to the lack of humor.
-- On my rides to the office every morning I listen to Golic & Wingo. This is a holdover from the days of Mike & Mike, which I truly enjoyed. I'm not bothered by the fact that Greeny is no longer there; I usually preferred Golic's comments, finding comedic relief from Greeny on occasion. Trey Wingo's fine, but Golic's son needs to shut up. He prattles on to hear himself talk. He's one of those guys who thinks he's funnier than he really is. It's painful sometimes to have to listen to him when he misuses words because he wants to show off his vocabulary.
-- Another comment about Golic & Wingo is that it's entirely too football-heavy. The world does not revolve around the NFL.
-- How is Nina Blackwood still alive, much less working in radio? Her voice sounds awful.
-- For that matter, has Martha Quinn grown up yet?
-- I tend to not listen to talk radio, but every once in awhile I'll turn on Fox News just to hear news. The people talking over each other is annoying.
(c) 2018 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles.
Two and a half months it's been since I posted. Time flies when you're having fun, have a new job and no longer are treated like a truant teenager....
But since I need to get back in the swing of things, before I address some of the socio-political happenings of late, I thought I'd visit Sisius XM radio. I recently renewed my subscription and have been listening to various channels on my daily commutes.and have some thoughts on the pay-per-listen channel.
-- It occurred to me that several singers had or have morphed into divas. I don't know if this is peculiar to singers, necessarily, but I find it odd that women like Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Dionne Warwick, Beyonce, Whitney Houston and, to an extent, Jennifer Hudson, all have diva-like qualities. I readily agree that they have great voices -- God-given, but human trained -- but is it absolutely necessary for them to act like they're God's gift to humanity?
-- I listen to the channels for the 70's, 80's and 90's. If I don't like what's on one station, I turn it to the others until I find something I like. One day I was listening to the 70's on Seven and Olivia Newton-John 's Please Mister Please came on. Having just heard that the day before, I switched to the 80's on Eight, where one of her racier 80's hits -- I forget now which -- was playing. I went back and forth between the two channels trying to determine if it was the same woman singing...
-- Speaking of playlists, I've noticed that Sirius stations seem to have monthly set lists. On the 70's on Seven, I heard Brandy by Looking Glass throughout the month of October. Then it was gone.
-- Back when they were popular, I never listened to boy bands like New Kids on the Block, the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync. After their heydeys, certain members branched out and began acting or appearing in TV shows, so I got to know their names and faces. Even so, I couldn't tell you to which bands Joey Fatone, Lance Bass and Donnie Wahlberg belonged.
-- Karen likes to listen to comedy channels when we travel. The problem with them is that it seems that the stations will put just about anyone on there if he or she appeared at a comedy club, no matter how funny they were or weren't. Sometimes, the routines are uproarious, and nothing gives me greater pleasure than watching my girl guffaw. But sometimes we look at each other wonderingly due to the lack of humor.
-- On my rides to the office every morning I listen to Golic & Wingo. This is a holdover from the days of Mike & Mike, which I truly enjoyed. I'm not bothered by the fact that Greeny is no longer there; I usually preferred Golic's comments, finding comedic relief from Greeny on occasion. Trey Wingo's fine, but Golic's son needs to shut up. He prattles on to hear himself talk. He's one of those guys who thinks he's funnier than he really is. It's painful sometimes to have to listen to him when he misuses words because he wants to show off his vocabulary.
-- Another comment about Golic & Wingo is that it's entirely too football-heavy. The world does not revolve around the NFL.
-- How is Nina Blackwood still alive, much less working in radio? Her voice sounds awful.
-- For that matter, has Martha Quinn grown up yet?
-- I tend to not listen to talk radio, but every once in awhile I'll turn on Fox News just to hear news. The people talking over each other is annoying.
(c) 2018 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles.
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Allegations of Sexual Misconduct
Just when you thought things couldn't get any loopier, the Democrats reached into their bag of tricks and brought out the Anita Hill defense to the vote on confirming Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be the next SCOTUS Justice. Some woman who's now a (very liberal) professor has come forth (to Senator Diane Feinstein, six weeks ago, who held onto the letter until after the Judiciary Committee hearings were over) claiming that in the late 80's, when Kavanaugh was seventeen and she was fifteen, he engaged in something that she was convinced could have been rape. That there are myriad questions about this story isn't surprising: Why did she wait so long? Why did no one else bring this up? Hasn't the statute of limitations run on this? Can she remember where it happened? Was she too drunk to remember things accurately? Etc., etc., etc.
I'm not going to dissect the allegations or the denial. This has to play out in the normal course, with hearings and testimony. Perhaps the woman's telling the truth and Kavanaugh is a closet rapist masquerading as a jurist. Or perhaps this is another tactic to derail Kavanaugh's candidacy, or at least slow it down, until after the midterms, when the Left believes it will retake the Senate and make nominating judges to serve on the SCOTUS dicier for President Trump. I tend to think this is nothing more than a political tactic -- let's see how this woman is lionized by the #MeToo movement after this plays out -- but I could be wrong.
Even so, today's dose of insanity comes from one of the avowed opponents of Judge Kavanaugh's nomination: Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii. She declared today
But really, guess who is perpetuating all of these kinds of actions? It’s the men in this country. And I just want to say to the men in this country: just shut up and step up, do the right thing for a change...
Not only do women, like Dr. Ford, who bravely comes forward, need to be heard, but they need to be believed, Hirono added. We cannot continue the victimization and the smearing of someone like Dr. Ford
Well, I'm not sure where she found such a broad brush to issue this call to arms. Sure, after what Harvey Weinstein, Charlie Rose, Louis C.K. and others did, it's open season on male boorishness, not to mention sexual crimes against women. I'm all in favor of this. For years, I complained that women would make any excuse for a guy as long as he was good looking, had a lot of money or a lot of power, because those were the three things I lacked (OK, Karen, good eyewear too....). These guys would do all manner of things to women in whom I had an interest but their misdeeds were always excused. Meanwhile, guys like me, who treated women with gentlemanly manners, were derided as effeminate, gay even, and watched our dreams walk off with others.
But I digress.
What's loathsome about the Senator's comments is the ridiculous stupidity of it. Men in this country. True, men are committing these crimes. So are women, usually with school-aged boys, but that's another matter. The trouble with this comment is that it suggests that all men are capable of doing these things, which is ludicrous. Not all men were raised to be rapists, no matter what Jodie Foster thinks, and many, many men detest these crimes as much as anyone.
But it's the second part that is most irksome. These women need to be believed. Well, when they're telling the truth, sure. But how do we know that they're telling the truth and just don't have an axe to grind? What about due process and equal protection? Don't men deserve the same civil liberties? If a man's guilty of sexual crimes, lock him up. I have no truck with that. But this rush to judgment based on accusations coming from one side is dangerous.
Why do I say that? Well, I wonder if the senator from Hawaii ever heard of the Duke lacrosse rape case. If not, she can read about it here:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-investigates-the-duke-rape-case/
Or how about the University of Virginia frat/Rolling Stone rape case:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/13/business/media/rape-uva-rolling-stone-frat.html
And even if drugs and alcohol aren't involved, women can conjure up rape for other reasons:
https://abc7ny.com/ex-college-student-sentenced-for-false-rape-accusation/4039403/
Senator Hirono, what do you have to say to these young men who were falsely accused of rape? Should they be tainted by false accusations simply because they're men? Should everyone have simply believed the liars in these three cases and put the young men in jail?
This political stunt has far-ranging consequences. The Left, deranged as ever, doesn't care what collateral damage there is as long as Judge Kavanaugh doesn't get confirmed. For them, the end justifies the means. And assuming another spot on the Court opens up during President Trump's administration, what other sordid tactics will the Left employ? Will they drag out Anita Hill III?
Hiding behind this platitudinous excrement is unbecoming a U.S. Senator. Unfortunately, it's become part of the playbook.
(c) 2018 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
I'm not going to dissect the allegations or the denial. This has to play out in the normal course, with hearings and testimony. Perhaps the woman's telling the truth and Kavanaugh is a closet rapist masquerading as a jurist. Or perhaps this is another tactic to derail Kavanaugh's candidacy, or at least slow it down, until after the midterms, when the Left believes it will retake the Senate and make nominating judges to serve on the SCOTUS dicier for President Trump. I tend to think this is nothing more than a political tactic -- let's see how this woman is lionized by the #MeToo movement after this plays out -- but I could be wrong.
Even so, today's dose of insanity comes from one of the avowed opponents of Judge Kavanaugh's nomination: Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii. She declared today
But really, guess who is perpetuating all of these kinds of actions? It’s the men in this country. And I just want to say to the men in this country: just shut up and step up, do the right thing for a change...
Not only do women, like Dr. Ford, who bravely comes forward, need to be heard, but they need to be believed, Hirono added. We cannot continue the victimization and the smearing of someone like Dr. Ford
Well, I'm not sure where she found such a broad brush to issue this call to arms. Sure, after what Harvey Weinstein, Charlie Rose, Louis C.K. and others did, it's open season on male boorishness, not to mention sexual crimes against women. I'm all in favor of this. For years, I complained that women would make any excuse for a guy as long as he was good looking, had a lot of money or a lot of power, because those were the three things I lacked (OK, Karen, good eyewear too....). These guys would do all manner of things to women in whom I had an interest but their misdeeds were always excused. Meanwhile, guys like me, who treated women with gentlemanly manners, were derided as effeminate, gay even, and watched our dreams walk off with others.
But I digress.
What's loathsome about the Senator's comments is the ridiculous stupidity of it. Men in this country. True, men are committing these crimes. So are women, usually with school-aged boys, but that's another matter. The trouble with this comment is that it suggests that all men are capable of doing these things, which is ludicrous. Not all men were raised to be rapists, no matter what Jodie Foster thinks, and many, many men detest these crimes as much as anyone.
But it's the second part that is most irksome. These women need to be believed. Well, when they're telling the truth, sure. But how do we know that they're telling the truth and just don't have an axe to grind? What about due process and equal protection? Don't men deserve the same civil liberties? If a man's guilty of sexual crimes, lock him up. I have no truck with that. But this rush to judgment based on accusations coming from one side is dangerous.
Why do I say that? Well, I wonder if the senator from Hawaii ever heard of the Duke lacrosse rape case. If not, she can read about it here:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-investigates-the-duke-rape-case/
Or how about the University of Virginia frat/Rolling Stone rape case:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/13/business/media/rape-uva-rolling-stone-frat.html
And even if drugs and alcohol aren't involved, women can conjure up rape for other reasons:
https://abc7ny.com/ex-college-student-sentenced-for-false-rape-accusation/4039403/
Senator Hirono, what do you have to say to these young men who were falsely accused of rape? Should they be tainted by false accusations simply because they're men? Should everyone have simply believed the liars in these three cases and put the young men in jail?
This political stunt has far-ranging consequences. The Left, deranged as ever, doesn't care what collateral damage there is as long as Judge Kavanaugh doesn't get confirmed. For them, the end justifies the means. And assuming another spot on the Court opens up during President Trump's administration, what other sordid tactics will the Left employ? Will they drag out Anita Hill III?
Hiding behind this platitudinous excrement is unbecoming a U.S. Senator. Unfortunately, it's become part of the playbook.
(c) 2018 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
Friday, September 14, 2018
Some People Just Can't Let Go
My alma mater gave an ethics award to former President Obama last week. Needless to say, I'm less than proud of my school -- the University of Illinois -- for its misguided action, however politically motivated and necessary it was. And for ethics, of all things. But I digress.
It seems that the last administration is having trouble moving on. We know that Cankles is still dealing with her campaign loss two years after the fact. In which of the five stages of grief she finds herself is confusing, because she just keeps keening about it. Joe Biden takes swipes at the President and suggests that he'd like to duke it out with the President. I'm not sure the country's ready for geriatric boxing. But two people who are having an exceeding tough time letting go are former President Obama and his second erstwhile Secretary of State, John Kerry.
Obama, in his remarks made accepting Illinois' butt-kiss, took credit for the economy's rebound under Donald Trump. What's interesting about that is he scoffed at then-candidate Trump's optimism about the economy, suggesting rhetorically
“When you hear how great the economy’s doing right now, let’s just remember when this recovery started,” Obama said.
He's come out with statements critical of President Trump at home and abroad, trying to play it sly and not mention the President in some accounts, and in others making thinly-veiled comments critical of President Trump. What's unusual about this behavior is that rarely, if ever, have retired Presidents criticized sitting Presidents. President Bush hasn't criticized Obama -- although he has criticized President Trump -- President Clinton didn't criticize Bush, and on down the line. But Obama has even stated that the American people would have voted for him a third time if they could have. That assumption, like all assumptions, takes liberty with the facts.
Meanwhile, John Kerry flirts with prison. Unlike either Biden or Obama, Kerry doesn't seem to have political aspirations at age seventy-four, but he claims not to have ruled out another run for president. If that's the case, he may want to familiarize himself with the Logan Act. Succintly, the Logan Act states:
The Logan Act (1 Stat. 613, 18 U.S.C. § 953, enacted January 30, 1799) is a United States federal law that criminalizes negotiation by unauthorized persons with foreign governments having a dispute with the United States.
This week, Kerry was advising the mullahs in Tehran how to outlast President Trump. Considering that President Trump has blasted the Iran deal and tensions between the two countries are simmering, it would seem there is a dispute, thereby invoking the Logan Act. Still, Kerry seems to think he's a diplomat without a portfolio and talks with foreign governments, advising them how to thwart this administration's positions.
Much like the antifa whom they refuse to repudiate, Obama and Kerry seem to think that they have the moral imperative, which in turn blesses any action they take or any utterance they make. In our republic, once an administration is over, it's over. No shadow presidents or diplomats. These two, however, eschew protocol and let their wonky moral compass guide them. Aided and abetted by a compliant MSM who refuses to drill down on the emerging details of corruption and abuse that existed during his administration, Obama flaunts his undeserved status as the MSM's darling and acts the bully.
In many ways, President Trump doesn't display presidential timber, much to my chagrin. I've complained continuously about his tweeting, for example. But Obama, although by far the more polished politician of the two, is doing a discredit to this country that threatens to wound it even deeper. His insidious, invidious attacks on this administration, coupled with his former secretary of state's rogue actions, show a disrespect for the country they claim they are trying to protect. In fact, by showing our enemies and our allies that this is a house divided invites disrespect and, possibly worse.
They need to stop this and go home.
(c) 2019 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
It seems that the last administration is having trouble moving on. We know that Cankles is still dealing with her campaign loss two years after the fact. In which of the five stages of grief she finds herself is confusing, because she just keeps keening about it. Joe Biden takes swipes at the President and suggests that he'd like to duke it out with the President. I'm not sure the country's ready for geriatric boxing. But two people who are having an exceeding tough time letting go are former President Obama and his second erstwhile Secretary of State, John Kerry.
Obama, in his remarks made accepting Illinois' butt-kiss, took credit for the economy's rebound under Donald Trump. What's interesting about that is he scoffed at then-candidate Trump's optimism about the economy, suggesting rhetorically
“Well, how exactly are you going to do that? What exactly are you going to do? There’s no answer to it,” Obama said, referring to Trump's campaign rhetoric.
“He just says, 'Well, I’m going to negotiate a better deal.' Well, what, how exactly are you going to negotiate that? What magic wand do you have? And, usually, the answer is he doesn’t have an answer.”
Given that statement, it's fair to assume that Obama thought there was no chance that President Trump could revive the American economy. Yet last week,“When you hear how great the economy’s doing right now, let’s just remember when this recovery started,” Obama said.
He's come out with statements critical of President Trump at home and abroad, trying to play it sly and not mention the President in some accounts, and in others making thinly-veiled comments critical of President Trump. What's unusual about this behavior is that rarely, if ever, have retired Presidents criticized sitting Presidents. President Bush hasn't criticized Obama -- although he has criticized President Trump -- President Clinton didn't criticize Bush, and on down the line. But Obama has even stated that the American people would have voted for him a third time if they could have. That assumption, like all assumptions, takes liberty with the facts.
Meanwhile, John Kerry flirts with prison. Unlike either Biden or Obama, Kerry doesn't seem to have political aspirations at age seventy-four, but he claims not to have ruled out another run for president. If that's the case, he may want to familiarize himself with the Logan Act. Succintly, the Logan Act states:
The Logan Act (1 Stat. 613, 18 U.S.C. § 953, enacted January 30, 1799) is a United States federal law that criminalizes negotiation by unauthorized persons with foreign governments having a dispute with the United States.
This week, Kerry was advising the mullahs in Tehran how to outlast President Trump. Considering that President Trump has blasted the Iran deal and tensions between the two countries are simmering, it would seem there is a dispute, thereby invoking the Logan Act. Still, Kerry seems to think he's a diplomat without a portfolio and talks with foreign governments, advising them how to thwart this administration's positions.
Much like the antifa whom they refuse to repudiate, Obama and Kerry seem to think that they have the moral imperative, which in turn blesses any action they take or any utterance they make. In our republic, once an administration is over, it's over. No shadow presidents or diplomats. These two, however, eschew protocol and let their wonky moral compass guide them. Aided and abetted by a compliant MSM who refuses to drill down on the emerging details of corruption and abuse that existed during his administration, Obama flaunts his undeserved status as the MSM's darling and acts the bully.
In many ways, President Trump doesn't display presidential timber, much to my chagrin. I've complained continuously about his tweeting, for example. But Obama, although by far the more polished politician of the two, is doing a discredit to this country that threatens to wound it even deeper. His insidious, invidious attacks on this administration, coupled with his former secretary of state's rogue actions, show a disrespect for the country they claim they are trying to protect. In fact, by showing our enemies and our allies that this is a house divided invites disrespect and, possibly worse.
They need to stop this and go home.
(c) 2019 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
Thursday, September 13, 2018
The Alternative
Those of us who voted for President Trump have been vilified by the Left for our vote. We've been called all manner of names, had our intelligence and sanity questioned -- not to mention our patriotism -- and been relegated to a status just below that of the noble earthworm. Because there are some unsavory people that support the President, we are guilty by association. Never mind that every president is supported by people from the margins; in this case, as Cankles infamously declared, we all come from the same basket of deplorables.
For the purposes of this post, I'm willing to stipulate -- only for the purposes of discussion -- that some of the charges against the President are true. That he's a philanderer who uses coarse language and isn't a politician I'll admit. Sometimes he equivocates. But he hasn't put anyone in concentration camps, isn't a racist and hasn't guided the country any closer to war than his predecessors. Still, for the opposition, he's the anti-Christ.
My question, though, to those who so hate our president is What was the alternative? In their eyes, Cankles was the embodiment of all that was hopeful and good -- the female Obama, as it were. Yet, as we're discovering with Obama, not all is as it seemed.
First, Cankles never had a single achievement that benefited the nation or, for that matter, any of the states she called home. As senator, I'm unaware of a single law of any consequence that she authored or championed -- either by herself or in concert with another legislator -- that helped anyone. Her entire political career was about gaining the spotlight, training it on herself and making herself attractive to the electorate. .
But she also engaged in activities that, if not directly harmful to the Republic, certainly didn't further its cause. Notoriously, she got four men killed in the consulate in Benghazi, Libya...and then lied about it. She acted truculently when testifying, asking What does it matter? She referred to those voters who opposed her as deplorables, thereby alienating half the electorate. She cleared the way for Russia to buy military-grade uranium. She allowed people access to the country in exchange for donations to the CGI -- the Clinton Global Initiative -- that many have deemed to be bribes. The CGI was later found to have received donations from countries that are openly hostile to women and members of the LGBTQ community -- people whom Cankles claims to champion. She ran a homebrewed server out of her house and funneled her official emails thtrough this server, thereby jeopardizing the security of this country. All the while she defended her actions, brushing them off as though they were part of a vast, right-wing conspiracy that she derided when she and her serial rapist husband Slick Willy occupied the White House. She and Slick Willy then made boatloads of money after leaving the White House (and stealing from it) but claimed they were dead broke. Then again, she also claimed to have come under sniper fire in Sarajevo, a widely derided claim that was easily debunked by video evidence of her deplaning in then-Yugoslavia.
She also defended that man when allegations were brought by not one but several women of improprieties ranging from mere indiscretions to rape, vilifying the accusers and deriding their accusations. This from a woman who claims to champion women. Her thirst for glory knows no bounds.
In short, she's a vainglorious do-nothing who uses her elevated platforms to promote herself under the guise of doing things for other people. Were she actually effective, there might be some things people can point to as her accomplishments, but when challenged to name any, her supporters can simply point to her elected positions as accomplishments. Being named class president doesn't mean anything other than that a person won a popularity contest.
President Trump, on the other hand, managed a successful business, warts and all. He ain't perfect, and many of us who voted for him will readily concede that. Yet, he's at least one thing she ain't: She's not a career politician whose only goal is self-enrichment. President Trump, who was born with silver spoon in his mouth, knows how to treat the hoi polloi. Cankles, who came from the hoi polloi, acts like she wants to put as much distance between her and it as she can -- while using the very people she detests to help her do it. And yet her fawning supporters still cry of her horrific campaign loss because it denied her the (inevitable) result of being the first female president of the United States.
So I renew the question: What was the alternative? A narcissistic career politician who did nothing for the people whom she represented and made herself rich off their backs married to a serial rapist whom she defended to assure her political ascension?
I'll take President Trump over that any day of the week.
Hell, I'd have taken the devil over that.
(c) 2018 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
For the purposes of this post, I'm willing to stipulate -- only for the purposes of discussion -- that some of the charges against the President are true. That he's a philanderer who uses coarse language and isn't a politician I'll admit. Sometimes he equivocates. But he hasn't put anyone in concentration camps, isn't a racist and hasn't guided the country any closer to war than his predecessors. Still, for the opposition, he's the anti-Christ.
My question, though, to those who so hate our president is What was the alternative? In their eyes, Cankles was the embodiment of all that was hopeful and good -- the female Obama, as it were. Yet, as we're discovering with Obama, not all is as it seemed.
First, Cankles never had a single achievement that benefited the nation or, for that matter, any of the states she called home. As senator, I'm unaware of a single law of any consequence that she authored or championed -- either by herself or in concert with another legislator -- that helped anyone. Her entire political career was about gaining the spotlight, training it on herself and making herself attractive to the electorate. .
But she also engaged in activities that, if not directly harmful to the Republic, certainly didn't further its cause. Notoriously, she got four men killed in the consulate in Benghazi, Libya...and then lied about it. She acted truculently when testifying, asking What does it matter? She referred to those voters who opposed her as deplorables, thereby alienating half the electorate. She cleared the way for Russia to buy military-grade uranium. She allowed people access to the country in exchange for donations to the CGI -- the Clinton Global Initiative -- that many have deemed to be bribes. The CGI was later found to have received donations from countries that are openly hostile to women and members of the LGBTQ community -- people whom Cankles claims to champion. She ran a homebrewed server out of her house and funneled her official emails thtrough this server, thereby jeopardizing the security of this country. All the while she defended her actions, brushing them off as though they were part of a vast, right-wing conspiracy that she derided when she and her serial rapist husband Slick Willy occupied the White House. She and Slick Willy then made boatloads of money after leaving the White House (and stealing from it) but claimed they were dead broke. Then again, she also claimed to have come under sniper fire in Sarajevo, a widely derided claim that was easily debunked by video evidence of her deplaning in then-Yugoslavia.
She also defended that man when allegations were brought by not one but several women of improprieties ranging from mere indiscretions to rape, vilifying the accusers and deriding their accusations. This from a woman who claims to champion women. Her thirst for glory knows no bounds.
In short, she's a vainglorious do-nothing who uses her elevated platforms to promote herself under the guise of doing things for other people. Were she actually effective, there might be some things people can point to as her accomplishments, but when challenged to name any, her supporters can simply point to her elected positions as accomplishments. Being named class president doesn't mean anything other than that a person won a popularity contest.
President Trump, on the other hand, managed a successful business, warts and all. He ain't perfect, and many of us who voted for him will readily concede that. Yet, he's at least one thing she ain't: She's not a career politician whose only goal is self-enrichment. President Trump, who was born with silver spoon in his mouth, knows how to treat the hoi polloi. Cankles, who came from the hoi polloi, acts like she wants to put as much distance between her and it as she can -- while using the very people she detests to help her do it. And yet her fawning supporters still cry of her horrific campaign loss because it denied her the (inevitable) result of being the first female president of the United States.
So I renew the question: What was the alternative? A narcissistic career politician who did nothing for the people whom she represented and made herself rich off their backs married to a serial rapist whom she defended to assure her political ascension?
I'll take President Trump over that any day of the week.
Hell, I'd have taken the devil over that.
(c) 2018 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Pittsburgh
Last weekend Karen and I visited Pittsburgh to see my beloved Cubs tangle with the Pirates. I was curious to learn about Pittsburgh and see the city, but my real motivation was to see PNC Park, a stadium I'd seen countless times on television. The ballpark didn't disappoint at all; it was everything I thought it would be, and more. But Pittsburgh itself was a revelation. It was such a pleasant surprise that Karen and I are making plans to visit again next year in the fall.
First, getting into Pittsburgh is a bit of a task. Had Theseus been sent into Pittsburgh to slay the Minotaur, Ariadne wouldn't have had enough thread to help him navigate the labyrinth. Pittsburgh, to twist Churchill's phrase, is a puzzle inside a maze inside that labyrinth. Part of this determination comes from the fact that Pittsburgh has over 470 bridges -- not including foot bridges and railway bridges, as we were told on our boat tour. It's little wonder that the some national or international bridge association has its yearly meeting in this city year after year.
That slight annoyance aside -- and it must be slight only for visitors, because the denizens seem to be able to navigate well and safely enough -- Pittsburgh is truly an enjoyable city. Nestled at the confluence of the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio Rivers, Pittsburgh actually has three layers, as it were. The middle layer is what Karen and I referred to as Downtown, with the northern and southern layers are more residential in nature.
The architecture in the downtown area is, in a word, exquisite. I'd forgotten that Pittsburgh was once the epicenter of the steel and glass industry. The Andrews, Andrew Carnegie and Andrew Mellon, and others made piles of money out the piles of coal and iron ore in them thar hills. Driving through various neighborhoods -- aimlessly it would seem, as we knew not where we were going, only where we wanted to go -- we came upon magnificent houses that showed the wealth of a by-gone era. Sadly, there were dilapidated houses in other parts of the city as well. But Pittsburgh, at one time, knew wealth.
The downtown architecture was a blend of the old and the new, tastefully. Its narrow streets reminded me of New York City and Karen of Boston, so it had an almost neighborly feel to it, unlike the broad avenues of Chicago or perhaps Los Angeles. Pittsburgh, thankfully, lacked the noise of either of those metropolises and the neverending scaffolding of New York City. It has a small town charm in a big-ish city, something that the larger urban areas fail miserably when they attempt to do it.
The separation of the city into three distinct strata makes for some confusion for visitors, with north shore being one of them simply because, depending on how one views the city, there are at least four different interpretations. Getting lost in a tunnel is frustrating, simply because the tunnel leads one to another section of town that isn't visible from one side of it, therefore making a return trip more questionable.
The sights! O' the sights!. Seeing Pittsburgh from atop Mt. Washington, or from the Gateway Cruise ship, is something to behold. The city has a charm and a character that is unique unto itself. Some cities, such as Los Angeles, are boring to look at. Others, like New York City, are perhaps interesting. Perhaps out of parochial pride, others, like Chicago, are beautiful beyond compare. Pittsburgh is closer to the last category, what with its unique topography and its skyline.
There are things in Pittsburgh that matter more to the locals than appealed to us. We were told that Prantl's Bakery was great. It's a bakery. Getting to it was more trouble than it was worth. The boat tour of the three rivers wasn't nearly as good as it could be, although it was a nice cruise. Still, these are trifling complaints.
I wonder what Pittsburgh is like in the winter, what with the steep climbs up and the sheer drops down the hillsides on the rivers. It's probably quite the jewel in the middle of winter.
Karen and I plan to go back next year during the fall to see the colors. We usually go up north every year, but next year we'd like to spend more time in southwestern Pennsylvania and do a little exploring. Pittsburgh will be our hub. It turned out that Pittsburgh was a pleasant surprise.
It would have been nice if the Cubs had won the game. But even that couldn't detract from our visit. The fireworks display after the game was the best that Karen and I had ever seen. It was a fitting end to a wonderful trip.
(c) 2018 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
First, getting into Pittsburgh is a bit of a task. Had Theseus been sent into Pittsburgh to slay the Minotaur, Ariadne wouldn't have had enough thread to help him navigate the labyrinth. Pittsburgh, to twist Churchill's phrase, is a puzzle inside a maze inside that labyrinth. Part of this determination comes from the fact that Pittsburgh has over 470 bridges -- not including foot bridges and railway bridges, as we were told on our boat tour. It's little wonder that the some national or international bridge association has its yearly meeting in this city year after year.
That slight annoyance aside -- and it must be slight only for visitors, because the denizens seem to be able to navigate well and safely enough -- Pittsburgh is truly an enjoyable city. Nestled at the confluence of the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio Rivers, Pittsburgh actually has three layers, as it were. The middle layer is what Karen and I referred to as Downtown, with the northern and southern layers are more residential in nature.
The architecture in the downtown area is, in a word, exquisite. I'd forgotten that Pittsburgh was once the epicenter of the steel and glass industry. The Andrews, Andrew Carnegie and Andrew Mellon, and others made piles of money out the piles of coal and iron ore in them thar hills. Driving through various neighborhoods -- aimlessly it would seem, as we knew not where we were going, only where we wanted to go -- we came upon magnificent houses that showed the wealth of a by-gone era. Sadly, there were dilapidated houses in other parts of the city as well. But Pittsburgh, at one time, knew wealth.
The downtown architecture was a blend of the old and the new, tastefully. Its narrow streets reminded me of New York City and Karen of Boston, so it had an almost neighborly feel to it, unlike the broad avenues of Chicago or perhaps Los Angeles. Pittsburgh, thankfully, lacked the noise of either of those metropolises and the neverending scaffolding of New York City. It has a small town charm in a big-ish city, something that the larger urban areas fail miserably when they attempt to do it.
The separation of the city into three distinct strata makes for some confusion for visitors, with north shore being one of them simply because, depending on how one views the city, there are at least four different interpretations. Getting lost in a tunnel is frustrating, simply because the tunnel leads one to another section of town that isn't visible from one side of it, therefore making a return trip more questionable.
The sights! O' the sights!. Seeing Pittsburgh from atop Mt. Washington, or from the Gateway Cruise ship, is something to behold. The city has a charm and a character that is unique unto itself. Some cities, such as Los Angeles, are boring to look at. Others, like New York City, are perhaps interesting. Perhaps out of parochial pride, others, like Chicago, are beautiful beyond compare. Pittsburgh is closer to the last category, what with its unique topography and its skyline.
There are things in Pittsburgh that matter more to the locals than appealed to us. We were told that Prantl's Bakery was great. It's a bakery. Getting to it was more trouble than it was worth. The boat tour of the three rivers wasn't nearly as good as it could be, although it was a nice cruise. Still, these are trifling complaints.
I wonder what Pittsburgh is like in the winter, what with the steep climbs up and the sheer drops down the hillsides on the rivers. It's probably quite the jewel in the middle of winter.
Karen and I plan to go back next year during the fall to see the colors. We usually go up north every year, but next year we'd like to spend more time in southwestern Pennsylvania and do a little exploring. Pittsburgh will be our hub. It turned out that Pittsburgh was a pleasant surprise.
It would have been nice if the Cubs had won the game. But even that couldn't detract from our visit. The fireworks display after the game was the best that Karen and I had ever seen. It was a fitting end to a wonderful trip.
(c) 2018 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
The Politicization of Funerals
With the recent deaths of Aretha Franklin and John McCain, there were two funerals last week. There should have only been one, given that Ms. Franklin died on August 16 and wasn't buried until August 31. At least they buried McCain within a week of his death; the people in charge of Ms. Franklin's funeral decided she needed a victory lap that culminated in a six or seven hour funeral with three wardrobe changes and two casket changes.
Yet, there was one sinful similarity between the two funerals: The use of the occasion to vilify the President of the United States.
McCain and the President had their differences. I'm unaware of any between Ms. Franklin and President Trump. That there were bitter feelings between the two politicians is understandable, even if they were from the same party. McCain did little to support his president and tried to detract from his administration every chance he could. Ms. Franklin, although she sang at President Obama's inauguration, wasn't particularly vocal or involved in opposing the President. She may well have disagreed with him, but she wasn't an activist in the mold of Michael Moore or Ashley Judd.
Still, both funerals were used by the decedents' followers to attack the President and his policies. The most vocal of McCain's supporters was his daughter Meghan, who is known for her appearance on the liberal chatfest The View. Ms. McCain is known for her brash and confrontational style on the show, often clashing with Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar. At her father's funeral, she chastised the President in thinly veiled criticism, claiming that in her father's world, America was always great. Nevermind that President Trump's slogan was directed at the devestations brought about by President Obama's policies, Ms. McCain saw fit to take a swipe at the President during what was a very painful time for her and her family. President Trump had nothing whatsoever to do with her father's death; he wasn't a member of his family, nor did he have any involvement with her mother. Still, Ms. McCain sought to politicize the eulogy of her father for no apparent reason other than spite. Of the two funerals, this was the more surprising, given the source.
At Ms. Franklin's funeral, on the other hand, the politicization was readily apparent, with the Four Horsemen of the Political Apocalypse -- Louis Farrakhan, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and Bill Clinton -- were on the dais ready to deliver what were to be eulogies. I didn't watch this funeral -- I don't even spend half that much time on sporting events these days, much less funerals -- so I don't know what any of them said, only that Reverend Al reached out to punch President Trump in the nose.
Is a funeral an appropriate place to engage in politics? As an Irishman, I am well aware that at the funerals of murdered Republicans, the IRA would rail about the invaders, but these situations don't involve foreign invaders murdering innocent civilians. It's partisan politics at its most raw. People on the Left are upset because their doyenne didn't cut it and they dislike the policies of the man who beat her. I understand it, even if I don't agree with it. But to subordinate the memory of a civilian beneath partisan politics with no war going on -- no matter what the putative Resistance claims -- is disrespectful, untoward and simply wrong. Perhaps McCain is grinning about it, but I wonder if Ms. Franklin enjoys being used as a political pawn.
The more the Left engages in stunts like this, the more it alienates the populace.
(c) 2018 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
Yet, there was one sinful similarity between the two funerals: The use of the occasion to vilify the President of the United States.
McCain and the President had their differences. I'm unaware of any between Ms. Franklin and President Trump. That there were bitter feelings between the two politicians is understandable, even if they were from the same party. McCain did little to support his president and tried to detract from his administration every chance he could. Ms. Franklin, although she sang at President Obama's inauguration, wasn't particularly vocal or involved in opposing the President. She may well have disagreed with him, but she wasn't an activist in the mold of Michael Moore or Ashley Judd.
Still, both funerals were used by the decedents' followers to attack the President and his policies. The most vocal of McCain's supporters was his daughter Meghan, who is known for her appearance on the liberal chatfest The View. Ms. McCain is known for her brash and confrontational style on the show, often clashing with Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar. At her father's funeral, she chastised the President in thinly veiled criticism, claiming that in her father's world, America was always great. Nevermind that President Trump's slogan was directed at the devestations brought about by President Obama's policies, Ms. McCain saw fit to take a swipe at the President during what was a very painful time for her and her family. President Trump had nothing whatsoever to do with her father's death; he wasn't a member of his family, nor did he have any involvement with her mother. Still, Ms. McCain sought to politicize the eulogy of her father for no apparent reason other than spite. Of the two funerals, this was the more surprising, given the source.
At Ms. Franklin's funeral, on the other hand, the politicization was readily apparent, with the Four Horsemen of the Political Apocalypse -- Louis Farrakhan, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and Bill Clinton -- were on the dais ready to deliver what were to be eulogies. I didn't watch this funeral -- I don't even spend half that much time on sporting events these days, much less funerals -- so I don't know what any of them said, only that Reverend Al reached out to punch President Trump in the nose.
Is a funeral an appropriate place to engage in politics? As an Irishman, I am well aware that at the funerals of murdered Republicans, the IRA would rail about the invaders, but these situations don't involve foreign invaders murdering innocent civilians. It's partisan politics at its most raw. People on the Left are upset because their doyenne didn't cut it and they dislike the policies of the man who beat her. I understand it, even if I don't agree with it. But to subordinate the memory of a civilian beneath partisan politics with no war going on -- no matter what the putative Resistance claims -- is disrespectful, untoward and simply wrong. Perhaps McCain is grinning about it, but I wonder if Ms. Franklin enjoys being used as a political pawn.
The more the Left engages in stunts like this, the more it alienates the populace.
(c) 2018 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
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