Blog Archives

July Topics

7/1/2018

I hope your summer has started off great. There are over 40 post this month with the more serious ones being about: 1) Alleged subconscious bias. 2) Freedom of Speech. 3) Medical insurance. 4) Immigration. 5) Maxine Waters. 6) Death rates in law enforcement. 7) Why financial strength is national security. 7) Mid-term elections. 8) Women’s rights. 9) The Inspector General’s report. 10) Is collusion illegal?

On the lighter side this month I have: 1) Charles Dickens. 2) The largest pancake ever made. 3) Was he protected by the Great Spirit? 4) Smoking. 5) The great J.D. Salinger. 6) The importance of drinking water. 7) Who invented breakfast cereal? 8) The first fax machine. 9) Great quotes. 10) Why do we have a leap year?

A reminder that all you must do is copy and paste any of the articles to an email or Face Book to share with others.

Thanks for visiting my site and may peace and joy be with you always!

Subconscious Bias

7/1/2018

Where do I begin? To create even more division, the far Left is stating that white people say and do negative things towards minorities without even being conscious of it. I guess pushing “conscious bias” wasn’t enough.

Let’s say subconscious bias does exist, what can be done about it? Nothing. Only if something manifest itself whether consciously or subconsciously, can there be any repercussions. In other words, we all have thoughts throughout the day that we don’t act upon because it might get us in trouble. How would you like to get in trouble for what you’re thinking? It’s ridiculous.

I’d like to know exactly how systemic the Left believes that white people say and do things disparaging towards the African American community? They lack concrete examples yet forge ahead with their anti-white agenda. And what for? Why do Liberals push so hard against whites? In my opinion it’s to ingratiate themselves to people of color but what I don’t get is why they think it’s a smart move to alienate so many white voters. I certainly think Hillary took a huge hit when she pushed white privilege.

The fact is, Liberals who push subconscious bias are out of their minds. There isn’t a story here. It’s not about what we think whether consciously or not it’s about what we say and do. Where is their proof that whites on average go after the African American community? Where is their proof that whites on average are racists towards non-whites? They don’t have proof because it doesn’t exist beyond exceptions to the norm. If it’s not being manifested, then how does it matter what’s in our subconscious minds? Liberals have gone off the rails with this topic.

Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870)

7/1/2018

Charles Dickens died at the early age of 58 but he certainly made the most of his life. He was born into a poor family (he was the 2nd of eight children), in England and when he was a teenager his dad was thrown in prison for not paying his debts.

With his dad in prison, Charles quit school to work in a factory, so he could take care of his family. He loved writing, but it wasn't known as a legitimate way of making money back then, so he wrote on the side for the recreation of it.

He fell deeply in love when he was 18 years old with Maria Beadnell, who came from a wealthy family. Her parents told her to stay away from Charles because he wasn’t of her social class. Any chance of them being together was distinguished when her parents sent her to Paris to attend school. One of the characters in his book David Copperfield was said to have been based on her.

He worked late hours at the factory and then wrote into the night. He learned to write short-hand and got a job as a court reporter. His natural sketching ability also made him valuable to the court. He used this talent to provide sketch work for various publications over the years for extra cash.

Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed readings extensively, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms. His work ethic was tremendous.

He married Catherine Hogarth, who was the daughter of a newspaper editor, and they had ten children. When they got married one of his brothers moved in with them along with Catherine’s 17-year-old sister Mary.

Dickens and Mary became extremely close then one day she became very ill and died in his arms. He was devastated by her death and quit writing. When he did start writing again he used elements of her character to keep her alive in unique ways. Dickens said that losing Mary cut so deep emotionally that he was finally able to write about death in his novels.

A lot of writers like to keep their manuscripts hidden except for allowing the editor(s) and publisher to read it but Dickens was different. The primary reasons authors do this is that they don’t want their writings stolen before they are copyrighted but also because they’re vulnerable to criticism because it’s not their best/finished work. Dickens pursued feedback from a variety of people including his wife regarding his works which helped him develop his stories and characters. For as amazingly talented as he was he didn’t have the ego to go along with it.

His hard work paid off as he went on to write such classics as: Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield, Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol. He was just 25 when he published Oliver Twist. Keep in mind that this entire time he continued to write for small publications, helped edit other people’s works, etc., another indication that he was modest and just loved reading and writing.

I feel like his writings are so enjoyable to read because of his wit; sometimes even dark subjects would get a little lighter because of the words he chose to use. But not everyone appreciated his works such as Oscar Wilde and Virginia Woolf as they thought his writing lacked depth. I certainly don’t know if this was jealously or not, but the fact is Dickens came on the writing scene fast and furious. He kept pumping out successful novels and books, so he was certainly taking away sales from both Wilde and Woolf.

Besides being such a successful writer, he never forgot his roots and spent his life as a philanthropist helping women and children in need. During a trip to the United States he spoke out against slavery and the oppressed in general. He also spoke out about international copyright laws and piracy which was taking place in the literary world.

Exactly five years to the day before his death, he was on a train that went off the tracks where seven rail cars plunged into a river. Dickens was instrumental in attending to the victims receiving credit for having saved several lives. He began experiencing strokes and then died of a heart attack at the age of 58. He was still writing up until the moment of his death.

I guess the real proof as to how awesome Dickens was is to consider that after 166 years we can still find his books and DVD’s of his movies, pretty much everywhere. That's an awesome legacy!

Would You Be Angry?

7/1/2018

Let's say you were standing in a lengthy line with the sun beating down waiting to get into the amusement park. Then let's say people started running past you and the rest of the people in line and jumped over the fence to where they wouldn't have to wait or pay to get in. How would you feel? Would you be angry? I would.

There are immigrants on our southern border who do follow the rules. They stand in line and wait their turn while others run past them and jump the fence. My guess is they too get angry because the behavior of the bad no doubt impacts how they're treated. Here's to all those immigrants who play by the rules and want to come here to make a positive difference.

Freedom of Speech

7/1/2018

According to Wikipedia: “Freedom of speech is the political right to communicate one's opinions and ideas. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used.”

Could you imagine if you lived in a country like North Korea where you couldn’t express yourself? Just saying something derogatory about Kim Jung Un can get someone thrown in prison or killed. There wouldn’t be enough prison space if everyone who said something negative about President Trump were thrown in. This is the beauty about living here and being protected under the 1st Amendment.

The thing about Freedom of Speech though is that it also comes with freedom of consequences. In other words, just because we can say about anything we want, doesn’t mean it’s a clever idea because there might be negative consequences as seen by Rosanne Barr recently with losing her highly rated television show over a racist’s tweet. She had the right to say what she wanted but, in the end, she’s paying the price so are all the other people who were involved with the show.

Although the Left tries to muddy the waters, so-called “Hate Speech” is also protected under the 1st Amendment. We have the right to say mean things to other people even if it hurts their feelings; it’s not a cordial thing to do but it’s protected speech. How in the world could we regulate “Hate Speech”? Should I face a $100 fine for calling someone ugly? Should I be put in jail for calling someone the “N” word? Would an African American be subject to jail time if he or she used the “N” word or would it just be a law geared towards white people? Any Liberal who believes we can regulate “Hate Speech” doesn’t have a clue about the 1st Amendment.

I have the freedom to say things about someone else’s mama and if the person doesn’t like what I said, he can respond back how he likes except for causing me bodily harm. It wouldn’t matter that he was provoked, he would be up for assault charges. Even though it would’ve been stupid and mean of me to say what I did, my right to say it is protected, his right to attack me isn’t. He could even get in trouble for threatening to kill me. In legal terms it’s considered a “Criminal Threat” where someone could get a slap on the wrist up to a three-year prison sentence.

The 1st Amendment has other limitations as well in that it doesn’t protect someone who says or does something that puts someone else in imminent danger. We’re not allowed to yell “Fire” in public places if there isn’t one because someone could get hurt trying to run away from the false alarm. You can’t yell out that there’s a bomb especially at airports. The bottom line is Freedom of Speech is extremely broad but if what we say puts someone else in danger or even perceived danger, then we will face the appropriate consequences under the law of endangerment.

Endangerment is a type of crime involving conduct that is wrongful and reckless and likely to produce death or grievous bodily harm to another person. There are several kinds of endangerment, each of which is a criminal act that can be prosecuted in a court. In some U.S. states, such as Florida, substantially similar language is used for the crime of Culpable Negligence. Normally there is a fine involved but, in some states, based on the degree of negligence, a person can get up to three years in prison.

One last thing, business establishments can put any guidelines they want on what they consider improper language because they have the right to create an environment for their employees and customers that is family oriented. Let’s face it, when you have children with you at dinner, you don’t want someone at the next table cussing up a storm. So even though there’s a 1st Amendment, a business has the authority to remove someone who is upsetting other customers by their actions or words.

I mentioned it above but it’s worth mentioning again, along with freedom of speech is freedom of consequences. We can’t just say anything we want and believe there will be no negative consequences. Many politicians have been taken down just by things they’ve said in their past. Many entertainers have lost their A-List status because of things they said or tweeted. Freedom of Speech is a powerful right thus it comes with tremendous responsibilities.

Trivia

7/1/2018

The answers to the trivia questions are at the bottom of this post. Here you go:
1)     Finish this ad by General Mills – “Silly Rabbit, Trix __ __ __   __ __ __    __ __ __ __!”
2)     Who was Yogi Bear’s best friend?
3)     This quirky magazine that was first published in 1952, became a favorite among male teenagers because of its irreverence to society.
4)     Who is still considered “The King of Late Night” even though he has passed away?
5)     How many years was the television show M*A*S*H on the air? A) 8 B) 11 C) 16 D) 20

Answers: 1) “Silly Rabbit, Trix are for kids!” 2) Boo Boo 3) Mad Magazine 4) Johnny Carson 5) B 11 years

School Shootings

7/1/2018

There’s no doubt that school shootings are horrendous but putting them in context, 297 people have been murdered (average of about two murder victims per shooting), in school shootings since 1980 while around 15,000 African American males have died in Chicago alone during this same period. I’m not downplaying the horror by any means but just trying to put things in perspective.

Once again, the Left is going crazy over school shootings blaming the NRA, Trump Administration, and Republicans in general for the loss of lives. If this is the case, where was their outrage during the Obama Administration as there were numerous deadly school shootings in elementary, middle-schools, high schools, even at some colleges? Democrats held the Legislative Branch and Executive Branch for over 18 months and they could’ve done anything they wanted; why didn’t they? Why weren’t people marching in the streets then screaming at the Obama Administration for not caring? This is the double-standard Republicans must live with.

There are no easy fixes to the problem. More gun control wouldn’t have stopped these sick individuals from getting their hands on weapons and try and murder as many people as they could. It wouldn’t have mattered if assault rifles were banned as they could’ve easily purchased one on the black market plus most of the shooters didn’t use assault weapons they used handguns, regular rifles, and shotguns. The Left doesn’t want anyone to focus on this truth as it goes against their narrative.

We should allow any school that would like to arm certain personnel with firearms, that opportunity. There’s no doubt in my mind that a potential shooter would be concerned about attacking a school when he doesn’t know who in the school is packing a firearm. They want to attack schools that are gun free zones which makes perfect sense.

The fact is, it’s not the guns it’s the shooter. Anything that can be done to identify people with mental health problems on the front-end, is the best way to prevent at least some future shootings. We’ve seen time and time again where someone has slipped through the cracks because people didn’t want to say anything. Getting someone help with a mental health counselor and medications if necessary, could completely turn someone around. We need to address the root cause of gun violence. We won’t have all the answers, but we should do at least what we can to help people before it’s too late.

I reiterate that school shootings are horrendous, but the fact remains we have much more serious problems when it comes to locations like south Chicago where it has turned into a war zone. Twice as many young men lose their lives in Chicago in one year, then all the school shootings combined. Where are the marchers? Why isn’t the Left losing their minds over this devastating situation? Once again, it doesn’t fit their narrative. They are shameless.

The Red Hen Restaurant

7/1/2018

I’m sure you’ve heard by now that White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her family were kicked out of the Red Hen restaurant because she works for the Trump Administration. Things have gotten completely out of control. Sanders didn’t do anything wrong she was just eating a meal peacefully with her family when one of the employees told the owner that Sanders was there. The owner then proceeded to berate Sanders for her complicities with Trump’s policies and told her to leave.

I guess the owner has the right to serve or not serve whomever she wants but I think it was a terrible move on her part as the restaurant is being inundated with boycotts and calls for her to make an apology to Sanders.

How sad is it that we’ve gotten to this point? We can have differences of opinions yet remain civil to one another. In most cases we want the same things we just have different ideas on how to get there.

Trump Is Following Immigration Laws

7/1/2018

I find it interesting how livid the Left has become over Trump’s immigration laws when Trump hasn’t created any immigration laws; he’s just enforcing the laws already on the books. Why isn’t the Left going after the eight years of the Obama Administration not addressing the perceived, terrible immigration laws? The bottom line is it isn’t an Executive Branch crisis, it’s a Legislative Branch crisis because they forever have been kicking the can down the road regarding solid immigration policies.

The fact is, Obama, couldn’t get anything of substance done when it comes to immigration laws even when Democrats controlled the House and Senate for 18 months. For political reasons, Obama ended up throwing up a DACA hail Mary towards the end of his presidency to try and save face. Keep in mind, I’m okay with most of DACA but the fact is, Obama didn’t get it through the House and Senate and instead did an end-around which means any President can cancel the program. This is weak domestic policy.

One of the things Liberals are screaming about is how President Trump (in their opinion), is destroying families. Once again, he’s not doing anything that goes against current immigration laws. His Administration is clearly saying that if you illegally cross the border and you’re caught, that you’ll be tied up in court awaiting deportation so of course your children will be placed in custody pending the outcome of the hearing. No one would realistically want to subject their children to the massive number of illegals (some of which could be dangerous), so it makes perfect sense to separate the parent(s) from the children. Trump’s latest Executive Order is an attempt to do the best of their ability to keep the families together in safer locations than the general population of illegals.

If they have legitimate political asylum claims, then they can get the children back but until then our immigration system is going to make sure the children are placed in the best, safest, location and there are plenty of foster families who help in this effort. The children are certainly being treated better than the way they were in the countries their families are running from; you ever hear this truth from liberals?

Liberals also claimed that President Trump was responsible for children being locked up in cages which ended up being a lie although most of them didn’t recant their stories. They claimed that 1,500 children were misplaced…also a lie. The children were sent ahead of their families to get them over the wall first and then use the leverage to try to get in themselves. The children weren’t missing, they were being held in custody until their parents could be found. It was all a blatant lie spun to fit the Left’s narrative that Trump, and Republicans in general, are evil. Time magazine even head a cover shot of a young girl crying stating that she was separated from her family, but it wasn’t true, she was with her mom. This is the kind of fake news that Trump always brings up.

The bottom line is the Left lies constantly about what’s going on at the borders. The one thing Liberals leave out time and time again about immigration is that these people are crossing our borders illegally. They are lawbreakers thus there should be consequences or else the flood gates would be opened. Trump isn’t the problem. Trump is following the law. This doesn’t stop the Left from lying again and again to push their policies towards open borders and more voters for the Democrat Party.

Medical Insurance

7/1/2018

You ever ask yourself why Democrats are so against small and mid-size businesses being able to pool resources and get the lowest bid possible on healthcare for their employees? I certainly could be wrong, but I think it boils down to Obama’s legacy and they’re going to go down kicking and screaming even if changes make sense.

Having been a business owner with around 370 employees, I can tell you that the most challenging thing we went through every year was how to deal with rising healthcare costs; it was our second highest expense beyond payroll. We only had a handful of insurance carriers we could work with since we weren’t allowed to go across state lines and knowing we had limited options, they often jacked up our rates close to 10% every year. We just couldn’t stop it because our hands were tied.

Now with what the Republicans have come up with, businesses like mine can now pool together with other businesses to gain economies of scale in negotiating with insurance carriers. In other words, instead of the insurance company dealing with a company with 370 employees they’d possibly have to deal with a combined resource allocation of 1,000 employees or more of several companies who pool together. Even small businesses can gain negotiating leverage by having their 12 employees pooled together with several other small companies…there’s definitely power in numbers when it comes to dealing with insurance companies.

The other important aspect of what the Republican plan provides is that businesses can cross state lines in negotiating with carriers. In other words, we were limited because we couldn’t go outside of North Carolina for bids but under their plan we could go to Montana or any other state where the insurance companies might have not only better prices but better insurance options. This is a win for the employers and the employees.

The bottom line is Obama Care couldn’t sustain itself. Insurance premiums were skyrocketing so Democrats kept trying to subsidize the increases with tax revenues which if you remember, Obama Care wasn’t supposed to do. Many people were opting out of Obama Care willing to pay the penalty versus the high premiums. There’s no easy solutions to the increased costs of medical care but as for me, I’d take the Republican’s plan over Obama Care any day.

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Author: John Mann

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