A Protest For Everyone

This is the Age of Information, or is it Misinformation? You know, the era when people can find information about anything on line. Most of the time it's misinformation, but the poorly educated world is not quite able to determine the wheat from the chaff. Besides, people today already have their minds set on what is true and what is not. A simple thing called evidence won't sway them from their preconceived notions because there are always web links that will confirm their misconceptions as being "true".

Because we are so wrong filled with misinformation these days, we tend to protest a lot.  Many have causes, obscure and wacky to most, but real to the believer, that they want to promote. I noticed quite a few of those protesters at the Democratic coronation of Hillary Clinton. The 2016 Cannabis Pride March, for instance, was there protesting for legalization of weed everywhere. One of the protesters for that group said to a reporter at their march that, “We need a non-racist criminal justice policy, and one of the first things we can do to break that down is legalize marijuana" Huh? I have no idea what that guy said but I suspect he was toting on a joint when he said it.  The Cannabis Pride March was shut down by a rainstorm, at least the group members left the streets when they got too wet. It proves that even pot heads sometimes know that they should come in out of the rain.

Two other groups that I noticed that were protesting were the Food & Water Watch and Global Zero? I wonder if the Food & Water Watch folks also had sense enough to leave the streets when the rains came. Maybe not, because they are watching for water and food. Hmmm Let me be one of the misinformation cretins and look on line to see if the Food& Water Watch would be a good thing for me to join. I see! They have a web site and it says they hate corporations. Their three main points of protest are: 1) Moneyed interests have too much influence over government officials who are supposed to serve the public good – not corporate profits. 2) A handful of powerful corporations like Monsanto make most of the decisions that affect the food we eat and the water we drink. and 3) Profit – not what's right for our communities, our health, or the environment – drives too many decisions about the things that matter most.

Wow! That group surely hates businesses. I wonder if they bought their signs or sing materials from one of the corporations they hate. That would be deliciously ironic.  The web site says they hate, fracking, chemicals in food, broken democracy, global trade, corporate control of water, Gmo's and motherhood, I guess. I won't support that one because they hate too much. I have not the stomach for so much protest, and besides I am afraid I would have to give up all the "chemically enhanced junk food I like."

Let me check on that Global Zero protest group now... I found it! Their web site says it's an international group which wants to eliminate nuclear weapons. I think having just one complaint is a better goal than  the menu of complaints Food & Water Watch protests. But that's a pretty big goal. Their web site shows a bunch of people, laughing and smiling, in blue T shirts as they  hold a sign that says, "President Obama: 70 years is too long to wait to ban nuclear weapons". 

Poor Obama might not be at fault for nuclear weapons. He can't ban them in the U.S. without being nuked by the North Koreans or some other rogue dictatorship. But then, the group's web site also says, "When we eliminate nuclear weapons it will be because of me." Nope! Id' rather blame it all on Obama and just watch them protest in their blue T shirts. Blaming Obama is almost more fun than being nuked.

There are many more protesters at the convention trying to take the spot light from lady Hillary. Some are non affiliated protesters. Those are young, mostly men, who protest wherever the sexiest women happen to be.  They are more likely to be successful than the serious protesters with the signs and flags they wished to bur. Oh, I saw a news cast a clip of one protester who set an American flag on fire in "protest' to whatever caught her fancy. The problem for that one was that an apparently intoxicated woman cheering next to the burning flag, caught on fire from the flames.

 I thought how nice if one of those nutty protesters would set fire to the whole Democratic convention stage.  A rat like Hillary Clinton would surely flee to safety and save the United States from her blathering.

Pokemon Go Away

Thank God I am too old and too much a Luddite to waste y life on silly phone apps like Pokemon Go.  I don't get it, but then I long ago separated myself from much of what I see is an increasingly vacuous common culture. And now this silly phone game Pokemon Go has surfaced to make even more cell phone zombies. The sheep will follow when told to. Pokemon Go was downloaded more times during its first week than any other app history.

I can understand small children players attempting to catch those "pocket monsters" called Pokemon. Kids should do that. But Pokemon Go entrances adults who are supposed to have more highly developed capacities for using their minds.  To those Pokemon addicts, reality is  viewed through a phone's screen. And ironically, even the creator of the game, Google,  thought so little of the time wasting Pokemon that it created it  on 2014 as one of the many April Fools' Day jokes.  Is this the end of civilization?

One thing the mobile phone has proved is that humans can be distracted and controlled by idiotic cell phone apps.  What a simple way to control a population of increasingly stupid humans. One seed only issue a simple minded , distracting app and mold it into a trendy "reality" for users.  Why worry about diapers for the baby or showing up at work on time and working as opposed to playing an app while the boss is away. Why  pursue intellectual habits that ennoble the individual and that have lasting positive effect.

No, instead, better to again escape the real world with pointless time wasting phone apps. I suggest an alternative to the Pokemon silliness. If you want to experience the benefits of exploration and contact with your surroundings, leave your phone at home.  Don't chase and capture imaginary monsters. Chase and capture your personal, real demons and become a more rounded and interesting person. 

Going out and playing Pokemon Go a bit probably won't immediately damage your brain, but using technology in trivial pursuits to the exclusions of  real ones in the long term probably has ill effects that another app won't cure.

Liar In Chief

Hillary Clinton has redefined the concept of the lying politician.  No, really. I know most politicians use the lie as their go to strategy, but Hillary's whole life is a lie. From the philandering, abuser of females husband Bill, to Hillary's annoying pandering to the latest group or issue that brings in the most votes., Hillary is an inveterate liar.  If you live in La La land and either don't know what a horrid liar Hillary is get your Google fingers to research her life story. You'll be enlightened and I won't have to chronicle them for you here. But if you are too lazy here is a sample from You Tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dY77j6uBHI

One would think it is easy to see that Hillary's usual default is the lie. After all, most people smile and let her get away with it. She has legions of fans who are in denial of just how she embraces the head prevaricator of the nation. The blind won't see when they don't want to or they are too ignorant to see the lies. I wish one of those clever techies would invent something serious instead of trendy and playful, something really useful in identifying the Hillary Clinton inveterate liar type. This would invalidate the strategy of the Hillary's of the world who escape their lies by depending on their continued denials of their lies. They wear us down by repeating their lies so much and depending on our apathy or stupidity about their lying.

Yep! We need a better lie detector for our politicians. I suggest a machine that is attached to the politician's head each time he or she makes a public appearance. Every lie would produce a red light above the politician's head and a "redirect-redirect" chant would be spoken by the machine to attempt to redirect the liar toward correcting the lie and speaking the truth. If one of those nerds can invent Google maps and that idiotic Pokemon Go app, why can't one invent the Hillary Lie Detector.

The world would be better off for it, and Hillary could refine her lying to her home. And that's no lie.............

Cricket Shakes

Call it "health food/junk food" if you want, but I just call it disgusting and will abstain.  A hamburger fast food chain in Connecticut called Wayback Burgers is now selling milkshakes enhanced with high protein, low fat insects, more specifically the cricket milkshake. And the customers have been lining up for it when it was first introduced. Wait! They also line up to watch reality TV or poke their s cell phones for hours every day.  But it seems a bit odd to me that a seller would  claim a very non healthy milkshake would be made healthy by grinding dehydrated crickets and dumping them into the drink.

Supposedly, the cricket parts are ground so small it's hard to see cricket bits in the drink. Good thing, as Americans are unlike many people world-wide who regularly eat insects or insect parts in their food and long ago accepted it.  I guess it's an acquired taste, like tofu or something. But obviously there is little health component to adding that to a sugar laden, dairy shake that has so many preservatives and additives that those fad diet celebrities would vomit. But then it is all about trendy, I think.  People today would rather be trendy, follow the herd, than have to reason about their choices.

The chain says their customers "demanded it". Hmmmm Do people suddenly start demanding insects in their food without a cultural phenomenon as the driver? Tech mad Americans are particularly given to jumping on any bandwagon if the bandwagon promotes something on Face book or any of the other brain dead web sites the trendy types adore. Besides, the last time most Americans thought logically about anything was probably when they voted for their favorite reality TV star in one of those contrived realty TV contests.

Humans are less thinkers than ever before, and it's partly due to the fact that their cell phones and other technology do most of their thinking for them.  Tasters of the cricket shake say that the bugs added no discernible flavor except a bit of graininess, which is the same texture common in many protein shakes. That's good because if any of the cricket shake drinkers ever got a chunk of cricket in their sip I think they might decide that "saving the planet" by eating "healthy" foods isn't such a good idea. Then again, is there any real difference between eating the blood, guts and flesh of a cow and the components of dehydrated crickets?

 For me there is. I am used to the  former and have no desire to try the latter.  I can just see Wayback introducing its value meal to the customers. That would be a cricket milkshake, worm fry and roach enhanced burger.  Even tofu sounds better than that.

Mr Ugly

Modern culture usually confuses me, Zimbabwean culture baffles me, at least if the Mr. Ugly contest is any indication of how a Zimbabwe thinks. That they have a Mr. Ugly contest and that it is a kind of super event there is odd, but now this year's contest brings it to a new level. Oh well, I guess when you live in a dictatorship like impoverished Zimbabwe even a Mr. Ugly contest is important.

Anyway, judges have crowned a new winner of the annual Mister Ugly contest, upsetting supporters of the crowd favorite and prompting violence at the event. They chose 42 year old Mison Sere, a dentists one man advertisement for bad dental practice. Mison's numerous missing front teeth and a ugly facial expressions were enough to win over just plain ugly William Masvinu, who had held the title since 2012. William and his supporters mobbed the judges upon hearing their decision, claiming that Mison was “too handsome” to win and his ugliness wasn't natural since it was based on missing teeth.
Hmmmm It's the opposite of the dilemma we men face when seeing a pretty lady. "Is she naturally beautiful or a product of cosmetics of plastic surgery". I guess in Zimbabwe the ideal is to achieve great ugliness, not great beauty. Loser William summed it up best after losing the contest to Mison, “I am naturally ugly. He is not. He is ugly only when he opens his mouth. Do we have to lose our teeth to win?"  "This is cheating,” shouted another contestant, Patrick Mupereki.
While no one was injured, there was a great deal of pushing and shoving as the results were announced and insults were hurled at the judges. Beauty pageants are popular in this Zimbabwe, where most people have nothing to do except rue their abject condition in one of the world's worst countries.  Beauty contest scandal seems to be the norm there, not unusual. Earlier this year, the Miss Zimbabwe winner faced "ugly" criticism on social media, with Zimbabweans calling her ugly and undeserving of the crown. She was later forced to step down when just two weeks into her reign, images surfaced of her posing nude. They don't like nude beauties or artificial uglies in Zimbabwe.

The new Mr. Ugly dismissed the critics as just “sore losers” as he pocketed the $500 in winnings. Five hundred dollars is a lot in Zimbabwe. In fact it even launch a career for Mison. “I hope to get a TV contract. I already moved around schools performing and showcasing my ugliness so this is a chance to make it on TV.” Maybe there should be a reality TV in Zimbabwe called " Zimbabwe Ugly Idol.

You might be wondering how they choose their Mr. Ugly? What goes on in a Zimbabwe Mr. Ugly pageant.? The pageant this involved three rounds of modeling, with individual and group struts down a catwalk of a Harare nightclub. "Natural ugliness' was the guideline, which is why so many were upset at the unnatural/toothless look of Mison. One judge put it best. “Sere made tremendous effort to enhance his ugliness by pulling facial stunts,” said judge Abigail Mataranyika, a university student. “Masvinu thought he is so ugly that he didn't need to try hard. That cost him the crown.” It's not easy being ugly in Zimbabwe.

Banning Nations That Cheat

Good news! The International Olympic Committee has banned Russian athletes from competing in the Olympic Games in Rio and, perhaps beyond, in response to state sponsored, mass doping of Russian athletes. Well, it's not as if any live human didn't know about the cheating by Russia in international sports. They have been doing it since the start of the steroid craze in the early 60's. The old Soviet Union mass cheated by drugging athletes, Every member of the Soviet block had pumped athletes, and every nation that didn't complained, in vain, about the cheating.

I remember in the 60's how huge the East German swimmers were. They flexed and took on the appearance of male body builders. Naturally, those swimmers dominated all the stamina events in the games, as well as winning a majority of the sprints. As the performance enhancing steroids became widespread outside of the Soviet Union individual athletes started using them as well. But the communist nation block had a monopoly government directed cheating of entire teams. That is the distinction for those who claim, "well, everyone cheats". Many do, but governments can not be allowed to create a nation wide drug enhanced Olympic team.

Until the Russians were banned, no entire team, nor any national government has ever been punished for this kind of cheating. The banning of individual cheats has had no deterrent effect on cheating with drugs. Perhaps now, if the international sports regulatory agencies, are resolute and enforced strict bans on mass cheating it may turn the tide somewhat to making the sporting events cleaner competitions that reflect true ability rather than scientific ability to drug an athlete to victory. The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and 68 Russian athletes attempted to overturn the suspension, implemented by the body that governs world athletics. But the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) has ruled it can stand. Bravo! Give them medals for courage.

After the Rio Olympics, the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) task force will work with Russia to establish a clean Russian program so that its federation and team can return to international competition. And, for the truly optimistic, perhaps international competitions will go after individual cheaters more resolutely. Ironically, it may be harder to catch individual cheats than a entire team cheats because the paper trail is long and wide when the cheating is conducted in mass by governments.

 As for the Russian outrage at the ban, they will get over it. It is not the first time the entire team did not compete in an Olympics (they skipped the 1984 Los Angeles games in protest against the U.S. boycott of the Moscow 1980 games). Despite the many problems of Rio as host this Olympics, the ban of national cheating makes the Rio Games far more significant to sport than anything that could happen during the Actual competitions.

High Profile Honor Killing

The war between Islamic culture and modernity seems to be getting more intense, not just on the terrorist murder front but also on the Islamic home front.  Thousands of women ae murdered by male family members each year because those women committed the "unpardonable sin" of adopting western culture. In one of the more orthodox Islamic countries,  Pakistan, hundreds woman are murdered by family members each year in so-called honor killings, which are seen as punishment for violating conservative norms.

The latest high profile honor killing in Pakistan is that of Muslim Kim Kardashian wanna be (Is it possible in an Islamic nation to be a Kardashian clone?) Pakistani fashion model Qandeel Baloch, who has upset the local Muslims by posting pictures of herself in sexy attire. She was strangled to death by her brother, police said Saturday. Her parents told police one of her six brothers strangled her to death as she slept in the family's home in Multan. The murdered girl had asked the Pakistani government for protection after death threats from her homicidal family.

Police are said to be searching for the suspect, but is it to award a medal or prosecute. Give the history of honor killing suspects, the murderer will more likely be hailed as a hero than spend time in prison. Pakistani law allows the family of a murder victim to pardon the perpetrator of  a crime. This practice is often used in cases of “honor” killings, where the victim and perpetrator frequently belong to the same family, in order to evade prosecution. So it's a get out of jail free card for honor killers.

Islam is the sick man of religion, a faith with sects that adhere to a barbaric moral code, one with no central leader (Catholics should send them the Islamic loving Pope Francis), no single standard orthodoxy  and one with a paranoia against anything not approved by the Koran. It's antediluvian to the extreme.

The west wonders how it can stop the madness that has taken over some of the Islamic sects. Until the savage honor killings and other inhuman practices stop among extreme Islam an all our war may be the only alternative to waiting for Islam to cleans itself.

P.C. Barbie

Political correctness has entered the world of little girls. That's because  the maker of Barbies, Mattel Inc.,  is introducing new President and Vice President Barbie dolls. Not just any old VP and Pres. though. The doll is said to represent Barbie’s first all-female ticket, meant "to expand her career opportunities to more inspiring and empowered roles", according to a PC press release from Mattel. It's all in anticipation of Hillary Hilton being elected as president and her choosing a female as her running mate.

Hmmmm I wonder if the Barbie President doll wears the same pant suits Hillary clings to.  And will the doll lie and mishandle every task it is given?  Accuracy in dolls should be adhered to. Erin Loos Cutraro, co-founder and CEO of 'She Should Run', said in a press release that she believes “our country will benefit from having a government with varied perspectives and experiences” and feels that the new dolls will “encourage girls everywhere to unlock their leadership potential.” Odd...How about encouraging girls to achieve things through talent and effort? Maybe the new VP and Pres.. dolls are affirmative action dolls.

Mattel went into a partnership with the 'She Should Run' group because it says it is a “non-partisan organization dedicated to expanding the talent pool of future elected female leaders, ”in order to create the new PC White House dolls. The duo hopes that by working together, they can create more products that will enable dialogue between parents and young girls about their future as leaders. Are not parents already teaching their daughters  what is true in the U.S., that there are no restrictions for women and that they already do achieve everything that males do?
Here's a  short video for little girls that illustrates Mattel's campaign for it's new Barbie White House dolls.  http://www.nylon.com/articles/barbie-president-vp-congress

I wonder if there is also a video of two male Mattel dolls cooking the White House Doll's dinner? Oh well, Barbie has run for president in the past, but this is the first time she’s doing it with another lady by her side, the Vice President Barbie.  Of course, if Donald Trump some how miraculously defeats Hillary in the election, I suspect it might be a good time for Mattel to introduce another new doll, the Lying Incompetent Failed Candidate Doll. From my perspective that's a more realistic and teachable doll or all girls and boys.

Olympic Trials

I watched the July 2016 track and field Olympic trails on TV in which the United States team is picked for Rio.  It reminded me that sports events are one of the few genuine things still left one can view on the idiot box (TV). Unlike the phony reality TV nonsense so many are enthralled with, live sporting events are wholly real. They mirror all that life presents and, like life, give us the one true reality in life- that there are more losers than winners in real life competitions.

The joy of the athletes who win spots on the team is exuberant, and given those athletes have devoted all their time, efforts and resources for the sole purpose of being selected it is understandable. Some collapse on the track after discovering they have won a place on the team. Whether they sob or smile in joy, they most obvious feeling they convey is relief. They are relieved to avoid injury before or during the trials, for injury as often as time or score defeats the best competitor.

Those who lose their competitions and do not make the team have to have conflicted emotions. There is the sadness of not qualifying, but there must also be deep disappointment in not being a qualifier on the team. Is that not like our own everyday life disappointments. We salve our heartache at failing by reminding ourselves we tried so hard to succeed. The real losers are only those who do not give complete effort in pursuit of the goal. In the end, in all our efforts in life we all learn that sometimes you have to lose to get better.

I never root for "Americans" to "win" when watching the Olympics. The competition somehow delivers a favorite to root for regardless of the country uniform he or she wears. All the athletes who compete in Rio are winners. Some win medals, but all endure struggles and reach inside for their achievements. That's what sports and life are truly about.

San Fermin Bull

A dying tradition has endured for 2016 as the famed running of the bulls at Pamplona, Spain was completed with great fanfare and, fortunately, no deaths this year (except for the bulls who are slaughtered in a local bull ring hours after the make their triumphant run). This year four runners had been transferred to hospital for cuts and bruises to their heads and arms. All four of those reportedly hospitalized are Spanish men, one of whom may have a fractured skull. Let's hope the fracture knocks some sense into him. 

That crazy event in which seemly crazy humans dressed in cheesy white run in front of the rampaging bulls in an attempt to avoid being trampled or gored. I suspect liquor is the main motivation for such a pointless risk, given that drinking is second only to the bulls as the attraction.

The celebration of Sanfermines (San Ferinn), as it is officially called,  in 1591 makes since because, well, there wasn't a whole lot to do in those days. But that this survives today is  interesting.   It was thanks to the writing of American writer Ernest Hemingway that the festival developed the notoriety of today. The publication of his novel “The Sun Also Rises” stirred curiosity and interest, enough to motivate foreign participation and those crazy tour directors to ad it to the tour book offerings.

The smart among the curious watch from behind the protective barriers on the street or from balconies that overlook the run. Since records have been kept, starting in 1910 a total of 15 runners have been killed in the runs. many hundreds more have been seriously injured and in some cases, permanently disabled from the injuries. I was hoping that Hilary Clinton would be among the runners this year, but as we all know, she is incapable of finding her E mail, much less San Fermin, Spain.

Animal rights groups such as AnimaNaturalis and PETA have frequently protested the running of the bulls and subsequent bullfighting, but it still endures. This year's protest was bizarre. Wearing nothing but black underpants, bull horns and carrying red buckets reading “Pamplona: Bloodbath for Bulls” in multiple languages, the protesters poured the fake blood all over their bodies. Wow! Women only in black underpants, who needs bull----!
Cultural expression or cruelty to animals. You decide. For me the ladies in their underpants have far more appeal. Here is a look at how Spanish TV covered the 2013 run.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX_v16dh6H

A Politically Correct Language Day in Portland

The other day while venturing into politically correct downtown Portland, I noticed my language was not quite clear to the PC crowds there.  When I casually said to a Star buck's lady (Opps! I wasn't PC with you here either. The politically correct term should be "feminine gender barista") that "I don't like black coffee", she castigated me for being a "racist". Well, at that point I decided that in order to survive the stupidity of the PC Portland world that day I would have to speak like one of the natives. Sure enough, I surmised,  it was the only thing uttered out of my normally non PC mouth the locals would understand and accept.

I regained my composure at the Star buck's and quickly corrected my language deficiency by telling that feminine gender barista that, "Actually, black coffee is best. I hate the light colored roasts". She smiled and agreed that black is always best.  So to give you an idea of what PC lingo I spoke the other day while in the downtown bubble, liberal, out of touch with reality Portland I shall now try to reconstruct some of my best PC lines that day. I trust you are PC enough to understand and realize that we must never offend anyone, never hurt a single feeling because....well, it's always best to avoid the truth and to do so we should by change our the language to PC babble.

I left the Star bucks and headed out the door to my destination when I saw a  "comb free human"  staring into his cell phone and about to bump into a pole along the sidewalk. I knew that he must have been "visually challenged" so I yelled in caution to him. "Are you "spacially perplexed? Be careful of that pole and those two "undocumented immigrants" and "outdoor urban residents" or you may collide with them.

The comb free guy thanked me and said that if I would not have warned him someone might have become "living impaired" in a tragic accident.  I moved onward, until a "person of mass" blocked me. It was a "sanitation engineer" who was cleaning the sidewalk. Angry with me for walking on his ground he yelled that I was a dolt and  probably a "uniquely fortuned individual on an alternative career path" who never knew the right place to walk in PC Portland. I felt "emotionally raped" by his remark and crossed to the other side of the street.

Oh my! I immediately came face to face with a  male dressed in a long white robe, evidently, I thought,  "newcomer" to the country. He who sneered at me and gave me the impression that he was "chemically challenged" and a "dedicated to Allah jihadist". Of course the PC police had previously taught me that all Muslims are sacred and that to suspect that he might be a holy warrior bent on attacking me was "racist" on my part. After all, terrorism against infidels is not something any Muslim would contemplate.

At that point I realized I must be "mentally challenged". I was a fish out of water when in Portland PC world. I immediately retreated to the direction of my car to escape the madness. While on the way I saw an "undocumented pharmacist' selling something to some kids. But I did not alert any "pigs" to what was happening. Instead I continued with my cover by chanting "we must fight climate change" until I reached my "fossil fuel" vehicle. After all, it was best to be a PC fool while there since I didn't want any of the PC Portlanders to "reduce my carbon footprint" to zero!

Sigh....  after yesterday I am thinking of moving to a more sane place, perhaps to planet Mars.

Another Odd Apology

Can you guess who said this? "I believe that the Catholic Church not only should apologize to the person who is gay whom it has offended, but has to apologize to the poor, to exploited women, to children exploited for labor; it has to ask forgiveness for having blessed many weapons." No, it's not a left wing nut pushing the idea that anyone who is not in the mainstream is a victim of the evil of the majority. Or is it? Because it's the Catholic Pope Francis who made that declaration. Oh brother....all we need now is an apology tour from the pope.

The rationale for this stance is that because the Catholic Church hasn't defended the gay community and practically every other marginalized group, the Church owes them an apology. Too, in Catholicism, forgiveness is an essential part of the Christian life. And also, because no group feels more marginalized in the church today than LGBT people, Francis says we should take blame for their condition.

Nonsense, I say. Though no one should be marginalized for their beliefs and lifestyle when those do not hurt others, the idea that the Church should pick and choose some groups for an apology tour is ridiculous. But then this is the age of entitlement and  feeling offended.

If the Church started making a tab for an apology tour I am sure every group, majority and minority would find a reason to seek an apology. But life is tough, and apologies don't lessen the impact of the toughness. Too, most members of the Catholic Church and most Christians in general have nothing to apologize for, given they have not discriminated or harmed anyone in the LGBT community.

If Francis thinks his church hierarchy has been unfair to gays, then perhaps he should apologize for them, but don't include the members of those churches with the apology. Surely, the Catholic Church has behaved badly many times, from the early days of the Church when it was openly corrupt, to making a pact with the NAZI's in WW II to keep itself safe, to the long standing molestation of children by Catholic priests and other clergy, the Catholicism has not been , well, holy,  throughout it's history. Politically correct apology tours by the Catholic Church can not change it's image in regard to its past failures.

In fact, Francis should understand that molding a politically correct image of the church is doomed to fail and even discourage devout Catholics from following the lead of Francis. Instead, if Francis likes to apologize,  perhaps he should "apologize" for his now too frequent attempts to embrace trendiness by seeking more of the "victims" in his imagination.

Bumpy Road To Rio

The road the Rio Olympic Games seems to be paved more with hope than certainty. The August Olympic Games might melt down faster than the fans in sweltering Rio. Even the mayor of Rio has stated grave concern whether the Olympic Games can be held there.  He announced to the world that he has no faith even in security for the athletes or the fans. But alas! It's far to late to move them to another city. But then, the Olympic committee chooses host cities as much on the basis of how much bribery the bidding city can hand over, as on the basis of whether the city chosen is capable of hosting.

Here are a few of the problems Rio faces with putting on the games:

1) Brazilian politics is so corrupt that impeachment proceedings against Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff are on going
2) A 45 meter section of a bike path built along a cliff side linking Ipanema and ­Copacabana beaches with the Barra da Tijuca Olympic Park site, crashed into the sea, killing two people. The track was meant to be used by locals long after the Games end. It raises questions about building standards and possible corruption in Olympic projects.
3) Rio is so strapped for money that athletes in the Games village won’t have televisions in their bedrooms because of budget cuts.
4) The Zika virus scare has caused an increasing number of athletes to skip going altogether
5) The entire Russian track and field team has been banned from competing because tests showed it is rife with illegal drug usage.
6) Social unrest and street crime in Rio is so bad it's considered by some to be suicidal for fans to venture out late at night.
7) Constant power outages, transportation breakdowns fears and appalling pollution (Rio's waterways are even considered too polluted for any Olympic competition) are keeping many foreigners from even thinking of attending.
8) Off duty police officers the other day displayed a prominent banner at Rio’s Galeao International Airport for early arrivals to the games that read " Police and firefighters don’t get paid. Whoever comes to Rio de Janeiro will not be safe,” and “Welcome to Hell"

It's a bit ironic that a troubled dysfunctioning world would pick a troubled dysfunctioning venue to stage the Olympic Games. I suppose Rio will pull it all together to at least get by and make it seem that it all went well. But then, even troubled Athens was not in the mess Rio is in now when it hosted the 2004 Summer Games. The lessen in all of this then should be for the Olympic Committee to at least require that a city and nation be capable of hosting before being granted the privilege of doing so.

Well, at least we can all be thankful the corrupt Olympic Committee has not yet decided the next games should be hosted by ISIS.

Transgenders On The Battlefield

The Obama decade has been confusing, if not bizarre. It's one of liberalism run amok, where individual rights are sacred and collective rights problematic. No better example is the co called transgender emancipation. The Obama administration is sparing no  taxpayer expense to accommodate the "third sex' of those who have what psychiatrists call "Gender identity disorder". The latest transgender mandate is an Obama directive to the military to  repeal its ban on transgender service members.
The military may one day have a tranny unit, I guess. Allowing transgenders into the military is a controversial decision that would end arguments among the armed services on how to allow those troops to serve openly. Well, if transgender people want to be shot on the battlefield too, they should be able to go for it. The tranny in the military plan would direct each branch of the armed services over a one year period to implement new policies affecting recruiting, housing and uniforms for transgender troops according to a pentagon official.
In the past the military in the United States banned transgenders on the basis that might have an “adverse impact on military effectiveness and readiness.” That phrase basically suggests that military readiness, morale and good order and discipline might be affected by having transsexuals among the troops. It's not just about having a tranny in a fox hole with non trannies. What about having trannies in the barracks rest room?
And then the greatest concern of all about lifting the transgender ban is....you guessed it.....the one that always takes precedence....the cost of it. The military has relayed to Obama concerns about  what extent would military barracks, ship berths, gym shower facilities, latrines, and other facilities have to be modified to accommodate personnel in various stages of transition and what would be the projected cost of these modifications.  And what about the cost of providing medical treatment for transgender troops, including behavioral health treatment, cross hormone therapy, voice therapy, cosmetic or gender reassignment surgery and other treatments? Too, would a flock of transgenders join the army simply to access free sex reassignment surgery? And how long transgender service members would have to serve before being eligible for medical treatment to transition to the other gender?  Taxpayers would probably not be pleased about a significant cost.
Finally, the question of troop morale might be one to consider. How will the troops react to having transgenders in their platoons? At the moment the U.S. military disqualifies transgender troops for medical reasons. But the Obama administration has directed an end to that. I suppose soon after transgender soldiers are recognized as desirable we will have a White House ceremony anointing the first transgender general. It's quite a different world we are entering. But then, that is about all that we can expect from the Obama gang.