Author: JackI retired in 2008 and so I have more time now to devote to several of my interests The blog here is mainly for my interests in some current events but may have the occasional rant on other subjects. I have also decided to keep my genealogy posts and book reviews here instead of 2 additional blogs (and so simplify my life a little).
Be careful what you say
A legal search warrant allowed FBI agents to search ex-President Donald Trump’s home at Mar-A-Lago.
We now next to nothing about why this was done. We do know there was convincing evidence of a crime or items related to a crime for a warrant to be issued. The FBI or Justice Department has not commented on what that crime they are investigating with this warrant or what they expect to find.
Yet despite the clear legality of this search many Republican politicians insisted this was an abuse of power similar to that of the Nazis or other dictatorial governments. Continue reading “Be careful what you say”
The Murders at Fleat House by Lucinda Riley
I had never read Lucinda Riley’s books before. But I ran across “The Murders at Fleat House” on Netgalley and it sounded interesting. Since it was available and I was in the mood for a good mystery so I thought I’d give it a try.
It was a mystery written many years ago, before Lucinda Riley became a published writer and her only crime novel.
According to the brief introduction by her son (the author had died), the novel was unchanged since his mother had written it in 2006 and it had not been published until now.
Continue reading “The Murders at Fleat House by Lucinda Riley”
After the Ivory Tower Falls by Will Bunch
I never really understood the division in our country that political analysts said was between college graduates and non-graduates. It seemed to be real, yet made no sense to me. I know people on both sides of that divide and they did not seem all that different to me.
But there are many issues. Several are discussed. The cost of college is a big one and much of the book is about that.
Continue reading “After the Ivory Tower Falls by Will Bunch”
Global Warming? Climate Change?
Global Warming? Climate Change? Is it real?
Most scientists think YES.
Politicians have various views but many Republicans think NO but certainly not all.
Read the news about record high temperatures in Europe and the US and see what you think.
They Want to Kill Americans
I’ll start by saying this is a frightening book. But then we do live in frightening times. The title is They Want to Kill Americans by Malcolm Nance. When I first saw the title, I immediately thought of foreign terrorists.
But I quickly realized a was wrong. The subtitle (The Militias, Terrorists, and Deranged Ideology of the Trump Insurgency) gives that away. This book is about Americans who wanted to kill other Americans who disagree with them.
Continue reading “They Want to Kill Americans”
On overturning Roe v Wade
The Supreme Court has overruled Roe v Wade. Why?
As Justice Alto says in the majority decision:
“Abortion presents a profound moral issue on which Americans hold sharply conflicting views. Some believe fervently that a human person comes into being at conception and that abortion ends an innocent life. Others feel just as strongly that any regulation of abortion invades a woman’s right to control her own body and prevents women from achieving full equality. Still others in a third group think that abortion should be allowed under some but not all circumstances, and those within this group hold a variety of views about the particular restrictions that should be imposed.”
So one paragraph into it, I am in agreement. It is a complicated issue. So how should we decide? But it goes downhill from there. The disagreement begins.
Continue reading “On overturning Roe v Wade”
Not a good week for Separation of Church and State
The Supreme court has been busy demolishing the Separation of Church and State.
In Kennedy v. Bremerton School District the conservative majority ruled 6-3 that both the Free Exercise Clause and the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment require a public school district to permit a football coach to publicly pray on the field following a game.
Does the publicly funded coach have a special obligation to be religiously neutral? Can a random person from the stands come onto the field to offer a prayer from any religion?
Continue reading “Not a good week for Separation of Church and State”
Primer on the January 6th Select Committee hearings
I’ve been a fan of Just Security and their new coverage of the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol. Their coverage of this and other issues has been great. In particular I like their January 6 Clearinghouse .
Continue reading “Primer on the January 6th Select Committee hearings”
Don and Ted’s stupid idea on schools
In the wake of the school shooting in Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas and the failure of police to limit the elementary school massacre, many ideas were presented to prevent similar tragedies.
Perhaps the stupidest was suggested by Senator Ted Cruz and former President Donald Trump. Of course, Senator Cruz should get credit for being first.
Trump’s suggestion that school buildings should have just one entrance echoes calls from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz earlier this week. School and safety experts say that such a measure is unrealistic, as many schools have thousands of individuals who could take hours to go in and out of buildings. As a result, a single entrance could also pose a fire hazard. Older schools would also need to spend significant money renovating their buildings to meet such a standard.
Source: https://www.texastribune.org/2022/05/27/donald-trump-nra-houston/
There are many situations where schools need to be evacuated quickly. Fires and bomb threats come to mind but there are others.
Will Donald Trump be prosecuted?
Will former President Donald Trump be prosecuted for crimes in his efforts to remain in office despite his clear election loss? I think he should.
There was an article in Just Security a few days ago that lays out the case that his role in the Insurrection of Jan 6 warrants criminal prosecution. It is well worth reading no matter how you would answer my title question.
Pryor & Cummings: The GAIA Incident
I read and reviewed another book by Rod Pennington about a year ago, and enjoyed it very much so I jumped at the chance to read his new one and review it. Like the other this one was characterized by his sense of humor (I liked it but others could feel differently) .
I thank Netgalley for the chance to read it before publication.
I enjoyed this mystery with its many twists and turns. The book is schedule to be published on May 24 so you can plan ahead if interested.
The Betrayal: How Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans Abandoned America
This is a book about failure. The Senate, specifically the Republican Senators, failed us. For four years we had Donald Trump who failed at being President. And that was compounded by the failure of the Republican Senators to check his power. I thank Netgalley for the chance to read it before publication.
Continue reading “The Betrayal: How Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans Abandoned America”
The Handmaid’s Tale
Good article in The Atlantic online.
I INVENTED GILEAD. THE SUPREME COURT IS MAKING IT REAL: I thought I was writing fiction in the Handmaid’s Tale
By Margaret Atwood
Many have read The Handmaid’s Tale and might be interested in hearing what the author has to say about the apparent direction the Supreme Court is taking the people of the United States.
Power is a choice. Choose wisely.
Several months ago I wrote that Republican Senators could, if they chose, be key votes in a different context. See Republicans can choose power.
The same applies now when it seems likely that the Supreme Court will overturn Roe vs Wade. And a bill will be before the Senate to protect abortion rights.
There are people who feel strongly on both sides of this issue. Think clearly and choose wisely. Should religious beliefs of some people restrict the rights of others?