Wednesday, December 09, 2015

STAR


10 comments:

  1. Howard is first, even when I can't keep track of the time. I noted on the previous thread a belated post on "the previous thread," which is actually Monday's.

    Got back from Ft. Wroth Tuesday afternoon. Good trip on the whole.

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    1. Welcome back, Bill. Glad you had a good trip.

      One would hope assault weapons might be considered unusual! Dim as I am, I have never understood why demonstrably military weapons like assault rifles should be sold to civilians in the first place.

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    2. Cat--I figure that if one wants the rights of a militia member, one ought to submit to militia discipline--be subject to muster and drill on a regular basis. My ancestors were militia members, and one of them was called up to actually fight in the War of 1812 (on the side of the Empire).

      --Alan

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    3. Oh--just read Bill's comment and understand the reference to "unusual weapons." Now I understand. Guess I can't count on being able to pack my Death Ray pistol everywhere, then.

      --Alan

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    4. The truth is that the understanding about having a militia was that it would be together in times of war and disband when not in time of war. Interesting, no? It was the Supreme Court deciding in recent times to read the 2nd Amendment way too loosely that messed us up.

      Oh what fools these mortals be!

      The leading candidate on the GOP ticket, whose name I do not utter, is using dangerous rhetoric NOW. It's not just about what if he is elected. But I really don't see that happening, because he's serving to further polarise the GOP, and that bodes well for any other candidate.

      He ALMOST reconciles me to anyone else who runs. But, ohhhh, I would so love for our nation to reconcile with the world and renew domestic hope by electing Bernie Sanders.

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  2. Nothing's Gonna Stop Him Now: Why The GOP Can't Derail Donald Trump [Click]

    “Trump supporters don't appear willing to give up on their guy no matter how much the party elders distance themselves from him or condemn him. Trump is like the boyfriend with the motor cycle. The harder you try to keep your daughter away, the more she wants to date him. That's why an establishment-backed ad assault aimed at discrediting Trump among his fact-resistant following is unlikely to resonate.”

    Trump Rewrites Rules of Modern Politics [Click]

    “Nothing in modern politics equates with the kind of rhetoric now coming from Candidate Trump. There are no perfect analogies. One must scroll back decades for echoes, however imperfect, of what he is saying, from the populist and racially based appeals of then-Alabama Gov. George Wallace in 1968 and 1972 to the anti-Semitic diatribes of the radio preacher Charles Coughlin during the 1930s.”
    So I’m not the only one to whom the analogy to Father Coughlin has occurred…

    —Alan

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    1. Apparently Coughlin had faded from the popular consciousness by the time I was old enough to be aware of such things.

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    2. My parents told me some about him; they remembered.

      Wikipedia on Father Coughlin [Click]

      I’d bet he’s on YouTube also, but I can’t bear to look.

      —Alan

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  3. So, we made it "there and back again" to and from Maine, to bring our sweet granddaughter here. Oh my goodness, this is a truly happy, content and confident bright light of a person (age 6) who has had a solidly good life of joy so far. It is such a peace and delight to spend time with someone so sweetly free! She can talk confidently and without ego about being loved all the time (by me). I am heartglad and nurtured and encouraged by her presence. In a perfect world we would all be this free and intelligent at the same time. Age six and she comprehends concepts like the solar system and gravity! We thought she might enjoy playing "I'm thinking of an animal" on the trip here. But she had a better idea. She said "Let's do the ABCs with dinosaur names!" Then she proceeded to do just that. Wow! Then she sang Frosty the Snowman IN SPANISH, following it up with Feliz Navidad, and ending by singing at the top of her lungs: "I want to wish you as Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart!!!" Life does not get happier than this!! Tomorrow she will help us choose our Christmas tree and decorate it, plus I'm taking her secret Christmas shopping here in town. Something for Daddy from the Maple Store (he makes their syrup!); something for Mommy from Snowflake Chocolates; something for her sister from the local toy shop, and something for her aunt from the Snowflake Bentley local-gifts shop. :-D On Friday she gets to choose a teddy bear from the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory. Talk about a festival of LIGHT. She's a bright light all right. ♡

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  4. ABC's with dinosaur names?!! Frosty the Snowman in Spanish? WHAT ARE THEY TEACHING KIDS THESE DAYS?? (Whatever it is, it sounds impressive.) Very special, listener; you have a lot of blessings. When our daughter was in grammar school (dating myself, I warrant) I was very impressed with her social studies books; I remember particularly that they had lots of information about ancient cultures all over the world. We never had anything comparable in my youth. In those days history pretty much stopped at Suez.

    --Alan

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