REMEMBRANCE…of what?

Since Friday night, I’ve watched in a state of gloom, and anger, to be perfectly honest, as local as well as national reporters have interviewed people/families traveling through airports about their Memorial Day weekend plans, and travel destinations.

NOT once did anyone, at anytime, over these past three days ask:

• What does the significance of Memorial Day mean to you or the family?;
• Do you have plans to visit a family member’s grave site who served?;
• Are there any active military members in your family?

Z-E-R-O!!!

Memorial Day has lost its symbolic meaning…

While millions of Americans celebrate the long Memorial Day weekend as the unofficial start of Summer – mattress sales; car sales; beaches; backyard barbecues; the Brickyard; and sporting events in general – other than fallen veterans’ families, few across our fruited plain know anything at ALL about those that paid the ultimate sacrifice…nor really care.

It was just two years ago that a Harris poll was taken and found only 55% of Americans could correctly describe the meaning behind Memorial Day. 

Many have lost any tangible connection to military conflict, including a basic understanding of its casualties.

War and its costs seem to have become a constant in the background of the nation’s history.

The silence around the headstones of our fallen is deafening…

 

A TRADITION LIKE NO OTHER

Johnny, get your gun, get your gun,
Satan’s coming, don’t you hide,
Johnny, get your gun, get your gun.

As I’ve said repeatedly since the start of my blog, THE GUN looms larger and larger in however culture and society is defined in this country these days.

As we’ve been hearing and reading, over this Memorial Day weekend, gun homicides are growing since the start of the year, at unheard of frequencies and scope.

ALL as our lawmakers try to negotiate ways to scale back law enforcement across the nation.

Congress surrounds themselves with gates and heavily armed troops and armored personnel carriers while attempting to neuter the police…talk about the properties of an Isosceles Triangle!??

In the Land of False Prophets, Americans have been on an unusual, prolonged buying spree fueled by the Coronavirus pandemic, the protests last summer and the constant fears they BOTH stoked…amplified by cretins like Boy Orange, MJT and Mattie Gaetz.

How many folks – first time buyers – do any of you think have taken a recommended safety and defensive course??!

And you’d be right!!!

Gun buying has become the unintended consequence of insane voices and deranged conspiracy theorists.

As a result, more and more states are now entertaining “permit-less” carry; we’re at 15 at the moment.

In most states there is NO license, registration, tracking, competency testing, storage requirement or any other restriction allowed that has any chance of making us ALL safer.

BIKES are far more regulated.

h/t: Safetyfirstshooting.com; US Concealed online.com; American Gun Safety Association.

START HOARDING PEANUT BUTTER

It’s going to take me, at least, a month or so, to digest Joey’s announcement yesterday, surrounding his proposed $6 trillion budget.

So-o-o, some of you may find a few typos, as I try to type with my forced intake of oxygen, as well as being in a state of complete disbelief.

$6,000,000,000,000.

Twelve zeros behind the six!

Unprecedented does NOT begin to describe the magnitude.

Deficits??!

Don’t make me laugh…while I’m crying.

Joey B‘s plan would be largely funded by borrowing money.

The early predictions by the administration call for a $1.8 trillion deficit in fiscal year 2022 and roughly $1.3 trillion each year after that for the next decade…get the picture now??!

The old Lobsterman, if my peanut butter holds out, would be 88.

Here’s what is going to be a joy to watch and listen to, as ALL the circus clowns, on BOTH sides of the aisle, try to justify as well as identify the most “urgent” needs and tailor spending accordingly. 

There’ll be a chaotic run on PORK!!!

APOPLEXY of a YELLOW TINT

Using their filibuster power in the Senate for the first time this year, the Re’Trump’licans yesterday blocked the creation of an independent commission to investigate the 1/6 insurrection.

Very few things/actions could be more nauseating, on this Memorial Day weekend, than witnessing the morally bankrupt Re’Trump’lican Party work around the clock to topple democracy in this nation, as well as crush a full accounting of the deadliest attack on Congress in centuries.

What makes this affair even worse is the show of almost total loyalty to “the former guy” and the political self-interest by Re’Trump’licans determined to shield themselves !!! from an inquiry that would ‘soil’ them, and the so-called party of the elephant.

The consequences of Trump’s BIG LIE and how Re’Trump’lican lawmakers indulged them, spurring their supporters to violence lives on…

Election results have now changed dramatically for the immediate future!

It ALL but guarantees that there will be NO comprehensive nonpartisan inquiry into the insurrection’s root causes, Boy Orange‘s conduct as his supporters threatened lawmakers and his own vice president, or any connections between his toadies in Congress and the rioters.

Hall passes for ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That 11 senators missed !!! this vote is appalling; NOT voting is beyond despicable!

IF IT LOOKS LIKE a DUCK…

Talks, walks…etc.

It’s a f!@king duck!!!

The exact time and space is NOT quite clear…but today, Joey B will propose a $6 trillion budget.

It could result in taking the country to its highest sustained levels of federal spending !!! since World War II.

Previews indicate a sweeping economic agenda that includes large new investments in education, transportation and fighting climate change.

For well over a year, Joey has been saying over and over, since he was a simple candidate for the highest office in the land, that his tax increases would only target corporations and rich people. 

That line of crap was/is/always will be disingenuous… 

Well, the old Lobsterman ain’t a corporation, and, get ready, I ain’t rich!!!

From the reporting in the New York Times, we’re now learning that the 46th president plans to support a direct tax increase on Americans who are NOT at ALL wealthy.

That’s means the household of yours truly…

In each year of Biden’s budget, the government would spend more as a share of the economy than ALL but two years since World War II: 2020 and 2021, which were marked by trillions of dollars in federal spending to help people and businesses endure the pandemic-induced recession.

By 2028, when Joey B could be finishing a second term in office, the government would be collecting more tax revenue as a share of the economy than almost any point in the last century; the only other comparable period was the end of Clinton’s second term, when the economy was roaring and the budget was in surplus.

Keeping America competitive, right??!

h/t: NY Times and Wall Street Journal and Business Insider. 

I’M BACK…somewhat

Please bear with the old Lobsterman in the coming hours, days and, possibly weeks, as repairs take place while in dry-dockkkk…k.

CEASE-FIRE…for the moment

For how long…?

A cease-fire took effect at 2 am, this morning, local time.

Israeli police, concerned about potential unrest, said they were mobilizing units ahead of Friday prayers at the Al Aqsa mosque.

The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was holding earlier today, as Palestinians planned victory rallies at a Jerusalem mosque that became the flashpoint for 11 days of fighting.

The barrages from BOTH sides were the worst since the most recent of three wars between Israel and Hamas in 2014.

The fighting over 11 days claimed the lives of more than 210 people in total, with most in Gaza.

In a sign of the challenges ahead for the cease-fire to hold, BOTH sides claimed victory and gave a different version of the deal’s terms. 

But…

The immediate concern for world leaders was/is the rapidly escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the growing death toll – which included dozens of Palestinian children.

From a distance, it seems to me that Hamas can NOT, nor will NOT, remain Hamas without rockets and other offensive weapons designed to attack and silence any relationship with Israel.

The pattern of behavior on ALL sides, including the United States, continues to repeat itself.

Weapons for ALL!

WHEW 2.0

Double OT…

Stanley Cup hockey at its best…and most nerve-wracking.

The boys did it again.

My Bruins won Game 3 against the Washington Capitals last night, with a 3-2 victory at the 5:48 mark of double overtime, giving Boston a 2-1 series lead, and a chance to push Washington to the brink in Friday’s Game 4 [a ‘must-see!‘]…

Amazing that ALL three games have gone to overtime and they have now played 12 straight playoff games that have been decided by one goal.

Gritty win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SHIP of HONESTY is SINKING

With droves of Re’Trump’licans hiding from fear of being verbally abused by the Orange Boogeyman, a bill passed the House on a 252-175 vote yesterday establishing !!! an independent commission as regards the deadly 1/6 insurrection on the Capitol that would probably scrutinize “the former guy” and his antics and behavior and role, plus his conversations with Re”Trump’lican lawmakers on that day.

35 quasi-Republicans did support the measure in the house.

But…

Its chances of clearing the Senate dimmed after Senate Minority Leader “Moscow Mitch” McConnell (R-KY) came out against the bill yesterday.

Tuesday evening of this week, Donald John Trump issued a statement [more like ‘marching orders’] slamming the bill and decrying it as a “Democrat trap” while urging McConnell and other GOP leaders to start “listening.”

“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection.” ~ Thomas Paine

 

Groucho was RIGHT

Groucho Marx was incredibly astute on many matters…

“The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.”

Senator “Moscow Mitch” McConnell (R-KY) and minority leader, announced over lunch today that he would oppose the creation of an independent commission to study the deadly 1/6 attack on the Capitol, joining other top Re’Trump’licans in an effort to bury the bipartisan proposal as it heads to a vote in the House.

Once again, McConnell is NOT about America as much as power!!!