Random Notes from a Crank

I don't know why all these razor blade companies are making razors with five blades. The cartridge is just too large to get around the small spaces on one's face, such as around the nostrils. I had to use my son's razor a while back when I forgot mine when we rented a lake house when visiting my daughter in Southern Illinois, and I much prefer my Mach 3 razor. 

I can't find the article because the whole GOP fiasco to nominate a new speaker has taken so many twists and turns, but one of the reasons Moscow Don and other GOP clowns opposed his nomination to be the next Speaker of the House is because Emmer apparently supports the movement to move to a majority vote for the President of the U.S. and eliminating the arcane and stupid Electoral College. 

I'm a huge proponent of moving to a majority vote for President. 

If you're voting for a Republican candidate for President, say, in Illinois, your vote doesn't count. If you're voting for a Democratic candidate for President, say, in Alabama, your vote doesn't count. 

Those votes don't really count because of the outdated Electoral College, which should have been thrown in the dustbin of history, screws the minority voters in certain states. They should have moved to the majority vote for President sometime in the early 20th century. 

It's ridiculous. 

Sure it's our tradition. But it's, as Thoreau wrote, a "foolish consistency." 

As traditions go, it's DUMB. 

Unfortunately, going to a majority vote for President doesn't address the other problem in our country: two parties don't really represent the political leanings of most voters. 

For someone like me who is strongly liberal on a number of social, educational, and environmental issues but is kind of middle of the road or somewhat fiscally conservative, I almost always side with the Democrats because the views of GOP candidates on various aforementioned issues are abhorrent. 

I'd like most Democratic candidates to be more frugal about some economic issues even though there are some lines I won't cross for GOP talking points about publicly funding private education and their "voodoo" economic theories that make no flippin' sense, among other legitimate concerns about their asinine trust in the so-called free market. 

For example, even though a number of people were taken with the ideas of Bernie Sanders, I backed Hillary Clinton because she was actually asking, "How are you going to pay for that?" Grandpa wanted to let the kids eat whatever they want, but Mom wanted the kids to eat a nutritional meal and then have dessert. 

My work this semester has made me become quite jaded about students' willingness to do the work that's necessary to improve. As much as some people have grading contracts or labor-based grading (based on Marxist principles, which is problematic), it's hard to give people grades on work when they turn in their work. 

Random Notes from a Crank

In the print edition of The New Republic, the article is titled "Fields of Red." The online edition has an entirely different title, which begs the question, "Why?" Regardless, the article analyzes my extreme discomfort with my home state apparently turning into a red state in national politics.  

I used to be proud to be from Iowa because of its high literacy rate, but now it's state that voted twice for Moscow Don. The article makes sound suggestions that the Democrats need to do a much better job of reaching out to and persuading blue-collar voters, but as Jacobs relates, "While the party has done better with voters who are younger, more diverse, and more well-educated, Iowans are disproportionately older, whiter, and less likely to have a college degree." 

I miss how my home state was a swing state, and now it's more like Kansas or Missouri. That's sad as hell. 

If you need any further proof that Faux News is a simply a propaganda arm of the GOP and bootlickers of Moscow Don, consider the fact the channel did not broadcast the the January 6th hearings on Thursday, July 21. 

To show how out of reach the current Supreme Court is, the recent poll indicates that Americans want the ability to get an abortion to be protected at a national level. Check out the article from AP: "Majority in US Want Legal Abortion Nationally." 

One citizen featured has a smart perspective: "Blake Jones thinks six weeks 'is far too early to be able to make a decision like that,' and while he personally doesn’t approve of abortion, the 28-year-old Democrat in Athens, Georgia, said he’s pro-choice because he doesn’t believe 'that my views should affect other people.'" 

Jones said he thinks the point of viability is more appropriate for restrictions on abortion, but even then, there should be exceptions if the pregnant person’s health is at risk or the baby would be born with a severe health issue."

Random Notes from a Crank

The article about omicron and its spread in Denmark in the The Washington Post is a good one to read since the Danes are the best folks in the world to test and track the virus: "What Does the Omicron Variant Mean for a Highly Vaccinated Country? Denmark Has a Dire Answer." 

I checked the other day, and in my county in east central Illinois, only 43% are fully vaccinated. 77% of those 65 years and older are fully vaccinated, and 50% of those 18-64 are fully vaccinated. Those percentages are terrible. 

If you're interested in your own county or state, check out the Post's "Tracking the Covid Vaccine" link. 

I recently got a smoker, and I've spent the past two weekends smoking various meat. Last weekend it was a pork loin and then salmon fillets. This weekend it is spare ribs and then a whole duck.

I picked up a case of Sierra Nevada IPAs at Costco on our last visit. That is some great ale. It could be argued that Sierra Nevada is the brand that helped start the craft beer movement in the US.

Random Notes from a Crank

Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam wrote "Bushleaguer" about Generalissimo Dubya. I wonder if he's working on any song/s about Moscow Don? 

Mrs. Nasty got a new car, and it has Sirius XM radio. I was pleasantly surprised to see that under the rock category there's a Pearl Jam radio along with stations devoted to Springsteen, Tom Petty, and some station that presents live performances often from "jam bands." I hadn't listened to Yonder Mountain String Band and moe in a good while. 

Swedish officials mocked Moscow Don's bullshit. Check out this article from The Guardian. It's not surprising that 45 takes his policy nonsense from FoxNews because he's unlikely to read anything that has depth and decent analysis. We now have a country being steered by the crap presented by FoxNews. Margot Wallstrom is smart as a whip: “Both functioning democracy and constructive cooperation between states require us to speak with, and not about, each other, to honour agreements and to allow ideas to compete. They also require us to respect science, facts and the media, and to acknowledge each other’s wisdom.”

The former prime minister tweeted this: “Sweden? Terror attack? What has he been smoking? Questions abound." I doubt Moscow Don is a smoker of Mary Jane, but it wouldn't surprise me if he did or does cocaine (remember all that sniffing during the debates?). Regardless, the real drug is the programming on FoxNews. 

And here's an article of real journalism from the Washington Post that shows that crime is not on the rise in Sweden and Germany. Facts vs. Bullshit. Link: "Here's What's Happening There." 

Random Notes from a Crank

I've been to Steak-n-Shake and other such places where milk shakes and malts are provided. People get these fancy shakes with all kinds of flavorings. But I prefer just a solid, standard vanilla malt. Simple, delicious, and straightforward. 

Since Jon Stewart left The Daily Show, I haven't really watched the show much, but now I've started watching it regularly. I'm starting to really like Trevor Noah. 

Here's a recent clip about the moron Moscow Don tapped to be the Secretary of Education: "Trevor Noah Eviscerates Betsy DeVos Over Her Confirmation Hearing." Check it out. 

This article from Slate, "Donald Trump Is Unpopular, and So Is the GOP Agenda," provides some solace. But we're going to have deal with Moscow Don's nonsense for four @#$%ing years. 

Random Notes from a Crank

In my neck of the woods here in east-central Illinois, a status symbol or sign of mid-life crisis appears to be buying a Jeep.

To drive back from Mattoon to Charleston with take-out from Thai Noodle is a mild form of torture. 

I read some good news in the paper today. There's a healthy population of river otters in Illinois now. 

If you've had to endure nitwits citing the cold weather happening on their little speck of the planet as proof that climate change is not real, "Scientists: Americans are Becoming 'Weather Wimps.'" might provide some solace through science and statistical analysis. So when you hear or read someone complain about the cold weather, which, you know, happens in this crazy season called winter, you can simply say nothing and think of that person as a wimp. 

Illini Post Mortem

Well, I was surprised by the beat-down Mizzou put on Illinois on Saturday, but it sounds as though Gabbert is replacing Daniel quite nicely. He's certainly taller. I don't know if he'll be better. But I'll leave such an evaluation to those who watch Mizzou on a regular basis.

Nonetheless, click HERE if you'd enjoy reading a sports column that tries to understand the nonsense coming out of Champaign-Urbana.

Sickening

If you want to read about a sickening "father," click HERE. This guy deserves more time than he'll likely receive.

Conspiracy Theory

One of this blog's ardent readers passed along this forwarded email. I provide it to simply invite discussion, laughter, or ranting:

"Let me share some info with you that i have gotten from excellent sources within the DNC:

On or about October 5th, Biden will excuse himself from the ticket, citing health problems, and he will be replaced by Hillary. This is time to occur after the VP debate on 10/2. 

There have been talks all weekend about how to proceed with this info. generally, the feeling is that we should all go ahead and get it out there to as many blog sites and personal email lists as is possible. I have already seen a few short blurbs about this - the "health problem" cited in those articles was aneurysm.

Probably many of have heard the same rumblings. however, at this point, with this inside info from the DNC, it looks like this Obama strategy will be a go. Therefore, it seems that the best strategy is to get out in front of this Obama maneuver, spell it out in detail, and thereby expose it for the grand manipulation that it is.

So, let's start mixing this one up and cut the Obamites off at the pass - send this info out to as many people as you can - post about it on websites and blogs - etc etc if you have any thought or questions about this, please be in touch..."

I got this photo from another blog,

but I couldn't resist showing this artistry to folks who don't read Southern Saturday.

Link: http://www.southernsaturday.com