British To Leave the EEU

There is more to the plebiscite vote by British citizens to leave the European Economic Union than the vote itself. I think it a wise move, given the EEU has been a  disaster for  the wealthier European nations like the British Isles.  British voters defied the will of their incompetent leaders, foreign allies, experts and much of the political establishment by opting to leaving its primary connection to Europe. (It will take a couple of years to fully leave the EEU) "Defying their leaders"  sounds familiar to we Americans, who are so fed up with corrupt and non responsive politics that we have also rejected convention and  will elect our next president with an election, not between conventional candidates, but between a crooked and incompetent opportunist (Hillary Clinton) and a clown (Donald Trump).

Perhaps the U.S. and Britain are leading a a new revolution against the pathetic leadership of our democratic republics. Will other democracies also say "enough" and attempt to make their leaders be responsive to real issues rather than the idealistic phony ones like "climate change", transgender bathroom privilege, the demonization of the successful and canonization of the failed population and the embracing of open borders? If Trump were elected here in November, pared with Britain's leaving the dying EEU, there may radiate vast economic, political and security uncertainty across the globe. I think this a good thing. The left wing crazies have taken control of  democracy, abolishing traditional values and creating chaos and dysfunction. But many residents of those democratic states are giving one last try to take it back.

The voters' decision to abandon Britain's decades old membership in the European Union  is perhaps the most dramatic to date in a wave of populist and nationalist uprisings that are seizing both sides of the Atlantic and overturning all notions of what is politically possible. Instead, a majority of British voters heeded the call of pro-Brexit campaigners to declare independence from what many here regard as an oppressive EEU that stymies the economy and enables mass migration of anyone who wants to Britain.

When a  democracy becomes so oppressive that it wrests reasonableness from its agenda, citizens will revolt. That time seems to have come in both the United States and in Britain.  The question is not how Britain and America will fare as a result. The will both suffer initially in the transition, but will prosper once acclimated to it. The real question, I think, is which democratic nations will follow the path being set by the U.S. and Great Britain?

Another Pointless Protest

In over 20 countries world-wide the annual World Naked Bike Ride has been held. My question is, "Why"?  What's the point of an exhibition of semi nude or totally nude bike riders exhibiting their assets and liabilities in full frontal and back view?  Seeing naked people is not exactly a novelty theses days. In fact, in most countries in the west one has to try hard not to see it in some venue or another, even on public streets.

But for every seemingly pointless event there must be a reason. According to the World Bike Ride web site the purpose of their naked bike ride is as follows:  "We face automobile traffic with our naked bodies as the best way of defending our dignity and exposing the unique dangers faced by cyclists and pedestrians as the negative consequences we all face due to dependence on oil, and non renewable energy."

Huh? Did they just claim that they are protesting bad drivers who threaten the when they bike? Well, I can't remember the many times one of those crazy bikers nearly drove into my car, or ignored traffic laws (Yes, they apply to bikers too) while enamored by the cell phone in which they biker gave rapt attention. I find bike riders more inconsiderate and dangerous than the fools who drive automobiles And the second part of the statement, the knock on fossil fuels, only fuels my disgust with the "save the planet" idiots whose very lives depend on the fossil fuels they have imagined to be evil.   But then, perhaps they bike nude to merely garner attention to themselves and their agendas.

No need to worry. I promise not to initiate a Naked Car Ride to protest the Naked Bikers. You can leave your blindfold at home.  Those naked bike rides are popular with the curious. Both my native New Orleans and now home city Portland have long had them. Wherever in the world obscenity laws allow them they are held for public amusement. I wonder though, if they bikers really have a cause (bike safety and "climate change") they take seriously, might they protest in a more serious way? Or is getting attention for a day the real reason? I wonder which is the "bare" truth.

Father's Day

We just had another Father's Day , and if you blinked you probably missed it. Let's face it. Father's are the second class citizens in most places in the world. As Rodney Dangerfield used to say they " get no respect".  While the world flutters and gushes  for mom on Mother's Day, many fathers go unrecognized on their day. Some in the family see dad as the stranger who earns the money to pay the bills, the sugar daddy of the family. And mom is seen as all knowing and loving. Even on TV sitcoms mom is never wrong, while dad is often the klutz the kids just tolerate.

Oh well,  life isn't fair, I guess. Anyway, in honor of the dads of the world let's look at the history of Father's Day.
 On July 19, 1910, the governor of the U.S. state of Washington proclaimed the nation's first “Father’s Day.” Was this madness?  Moms everywhere said, "Why"?  The campaign to celebrate the nations fathers did not meet with the same enthusiasm as did Mother's Day. One florist at the time on hearing about the new Father's Day explained, “fathers haven't the same sentimental appeal that mothers have.” No kidding.

But the founder of Father's Day, Sonora Smart Dodd, one of six children raised by a widower,  was appreciative towards dad and  helped to establish an official equivalent to Mother's Day. She went to local churches in Spokane, Washington, the YMCA, shopkeepers and government officials to drum up support for her idea, and she was successful because Washington State celebrated the nation’s first statewide Father's Day on July 19, 1910.  It's nice to see that a woman created the impetus for Fathers Day.

But Wait! Before I give we male pigs too much honor, one of the biggest reasons it took do long to create a day for dad was instantly revealed after President Calvin Cooledge called for a national Father's Day. On hearing that men were to be honored with a day too, many men said "nonsense" and "who needs it". As one historian who has studied the first Father's Day wrote, men “scoffed at the holiday’s sentimental attempts to domesticate manliness with flowers and gift-giving, or they derided the proliferation of such holidays as a commercial gimmick to sell more products, often paid for by the father himself.”

Sigh....it seems we dads might be better off forgetting the whole Father's Day thing. After all, who needs another necktie gift.

National Donut Day

Hooray for doughnuts!  That exclamation was left over from National Donut Day, that yearly celebration of the one food no self respecting male will refuse. Did you miss it this year?  National Donut Day is celebrated in the United States on the first Friday of June each year, succeeding the Doughnut Day event created by the Salvation Army in 1938 to honor those of their members who served doughnuts to soldiers during. Thankfully, there is no world War going on now, but On National Donut Day anyone can get a donut of his or her choice in many American donut shops.

Hmmmm We love Donuts but it may surprise you to  here that Canada is the capital of the world. Per capita, it has more donut shops than any other country. But that Tim Horton donut chain in Canada pales in comparison to the American Dunkin Donut shops (Don't argue with a man who has eaten more donuts than has the entire province of Quebec!) Anyway, big chains here like Dunkin and Krispy Kreme dominate in total sales. But the best tasting donuts in many countries are usually found at local independent donut shops, the mom and pop donut vendors. In Oregon for instance, is Joe's Donuts of little Sandy, Oregon. The make chain donuts seem like concrete and have been voted top donuts here in Oregon for many years.

The independent donut shops tend to use fresh, prime ingredients and to innovate with flavors and toppings. They have to distinguish themselves to compete with the chains by making a better quality product. The great thing about donuts is that every country and every culture seems to have a different and delicious version of the donut. There's no sense in detailing it because the variety is endless. But it does show that humans and donuts have an affinity.
I would probably like them all, as I have never had a bad donut that was freshly made. So slap a PC food police officer and grab a nice sugary, moist, tender donut tomorrow. After all, as donuts go, so does civilization.