rigged presidential debates

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_debates

Until an end is put to the Democratic and Republican parties rigging elections, there will be no change.

duterte

Philippines president: Next week's war games with U.S. will be the last

If Trump or Gary Johnson win, then next week's war games will be the last.
If Clinton wins, then all bets are off.

congress

Congress tied up in partisan knots over the most basic duty - The Washington Post

old Navy acronyms apply:
SNAFU = Situation Normal--All F'd Up
FUBAR = F'd Up Beyond All Recognition

catholic vestments

a rather lengthly, yet unconvincing, explanation of the Roman Catholic church vestments: 
Library : Why Liturgical Vestments? | Catholic Culture

"The principal purpose of liturgy is the glorification of God. The liturgical vestments must also contribute to the glory of God. Our internal acts must find expression in our outward appearance, for man is not only spirit, but also flesh. Acts of adoration and reverence, which proceed directly from the soul, are expressed by acts of the body, such as genuflecting and inclinations. Likewise, the garments worn by clerics in presenting themselves before God to give Him public honor are an outward expression of their feeling of reverence in the presence of God. In this respect they are no less a means of glorifying God than the bending of the knee and similar acts of respect."

If the purpose of vestments is to promote a "feeling of reverence in the presence of God", then it's not working. At Catholic masses today there are people of all ages engaged in conversations, dressed casually (shorts, flipflops, tshirts with all sorts of messages, etc.), coming in late, casually receiving communion, leaving early, behavior more befitting a shopping mall or playground than a place of worship, etc. (not to mention unruly school age children and the "marketplace" that exists inside and just outside many RC churches today)

"In answer to the first question, we may say that there was no conscious purpose in the mind of the Church in adopting a distinctive garb for the clergy while celebrating sacred functions. As far as we know, our divine Lord gave no directions to the apostles or to the Church in regard to this matter. If He had done so, we would expect the apostles to have carried them out in the assemblies of the Christians. The fact is that several centuries elapsed before the clergy at divine services were vested in garments different in style from those of the laity. Abundant testimony from the early centuries sufficiently substantiates the fact. Furthermore, the Roman Church even appears to have been opposed to the adoption of a distinctive liturgical garb. We know this from a letter of Pope Celestine I (422-432), in which he reproved the bishops of Provence for using a special costume at liturgical services."

There seems to be more "Roman" than "catholic" in the Roman Catholic church today--vestments, Roman architecture, expensive art and other "decorations", an old, exclusively male, hierarchy that dresses and functions like ancient Rome, unholy atmosphere during mass, etc.

Perhaps it's time to take another look at all of the "Roman" in Roman Catholic.

choice

What if you had only two cars to choose from?

two jobs?

two meals?

you get the idea. 

what will liberals do if...?

more & less

a little more of this: 
Michelle Obama Embraces George W. Bush: Why That Photo Was So Moving - NBC News

a whole lot less of this:

evil

There is evil in every violent act.

Gandhi: Truth is God

Gandhi's Views On Truth - Truth Is God

So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” 

Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

John 18: 37-38

political rally

typical American political rally: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcE5aDTszrY

gas shortage?

a media manufactured non-issue

combat

What have Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump done for this county that can even mildly compare to a soldier in combat?

Hope is fading

Our two-party system of government is broken. 

2 parties--2 candidates--0 acceptable candidates.

This election process has been a shameful display of:

• dishonesty
• arrogance
• hate speech
• BIG money
• power politics
• corruption
• lack of honest discussion of the challenges facing our country

Hope is fading...

Republican party bully

RNC Chairman: Party could penalize former GOP candidates who don’t endorse Donald Trump - CBS News

disgusted, frustrated, aggravated and exasperated with our two-party system of government.

hero

Fifth-grader saves choking classmate

Department of Homeland Security's border wall

DHS: 858 immigrants fooled feds with phony IDs to get U.S. citizenship - UPI.com

All of those responsible for this screw-up should change places with those in combat defending our security abroad. 

Send our combat soldiers who are replaced home and assign them to DHS, FBI, etc.--they'll do as good a job defending our nation at home as they have overseas. 

Let's see how the bureaucrats make out in combat.

how low can it go?

not much lower than when it's evolved into a game of "he says; she says".

disgusted, frustrated, aggravated and exasperated with our two-party system of government.

primary dope contests

Primaries in our two-party system of government are elimination contests to find the biggest dopes to represent their respective parties in the general election.

disgusted, frustrated, aggravated and exasperated with our two-party system of government.

attack dog Elizabeth Warren

I don't like either Clinton or Trump; but, does Clinton and the Democratic party really believe that attack dog Elizabeth Warren will get Clinton any votes from undecided independent voters?

Elizabeth Warren: Donald Trump has 'dark and ugly soul' - CNNPolitics.com  

disgusted, frustrated, aggravated and exasperated with our two-party system of government.

politicians are professional beggars

Are you disgusted, frustrated, aggravated and exasperated by professional beggar politicians?

So am I.

George Clooney admits money he raised for Hillary Clinton is 'obscene' | Film | The Guardian

President Barack Obama's legacy

Eight years ago Barack Obama promised change. 
Eight years later it's frustration and exasperation with the status quo.
If anything, it seems worse now than it did eight years ago.

So, what happened (or didn't happen)?

Part of the problem is our two party system.
It's easy to blame Republicans; but, blame Democrats too.

While I believe Barack Obama to be a good and intelligent man,
I also believe him to be political to a fault.
Like the majority of Democrats and Republicans in Congress,
Barack Obama has been very good at spouting the party line.

The president's and congress' constant bickering not only thwarts change,
but also thwarts the conduct of regular business, e.g., passing an annual budget required by law.

History will proclaim Barack Obama as our first black president.
I hope that history will remember Barack Obama as a good and intelligent man.
I doubt that history will remember Barack Obama as the president of positive change.

bluffing with the stars

North Korea Dismisses US Bomber Flights As Bluff Amid Heightened Tensions

SCARY

another blow to "honest & trustworthy"

Clinton’s secrecy rankles Democrats - POLITICO
another blow to "honest and trustworthy"
as far as Trump is concerned, his "honest and trustworthy" quotient is zero too.

9-11-01

God

LK 14:25-27

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple."
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/090416.cfm

There is a long chain between what is in our bibles today and what Jesus actually said:

• almost 2000 years
• numerous translations
• Jesus spoke Aramaic;"original" source documents are in Greek
• no stenographers or tape recorders; no newspapers, TV, radio or internet
• Mark, the first gospel, is believed to have been written around 70 AD, two generations after Jesus died and ascended into heaven

So what does LK 14:25-27 mean?

The fact that the word "hate" is in our translations today says to me that the author is saying that Jesus said, in the strongest possible terms, that God should be #1 with us. Nothing, no person, place or thing, should come between us and God.

There are equally strong words in Exodus chapter 20 verses 1 through 6:
"Then God spoke all these words: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall not have other gods beside me. You shall not make for yourself an idol or a likeness of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or serve them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their ancestors’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation; but showing love down to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments."

In addition to ourselves, the limitations of language make it difficult for us. When we praise and worship God we use words like king, supreme, awesome, love, mercy, etc. But, we use these words in other human contexts which make them unsuitable because, needless to say, God is in category that is vastly separate from human beings. We need words that are unique to God alone. 

The terminator says: "Let Johnson debate!"

Schwarzenegger

Notable Names Calling on CPD to Let Gary Debate - Gary Johnson for President 

"The vitriolic and petty nature of our political discourse is the reason why so many voters are turning away from politics altogether.

I promise to be honest. To admit my mistakes. And to give America a real discussion on the issues that matter to our daily lives."

the media's BIG flap about "Aleppo"

Have you ever had a brain fart? 

"A temporary mental lapse or failure to reason correctly."

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/brain-fart

Of course you have! Everybody has them from time to time. Have you ever had a brain fart while being questioned by the media on a broad range of subjects with TV cameras rolling? Maybe not.

Have you ever heard an acronym for the first time and didn't know what it is?

YKWRGMG and Other Hilariously Obscure Online Acronyms the FBI Tracks | RealClear

Of course you have! Everybody has. Do you remember the first time that you saw "lol" and didn't know what it meant? Maybe not.

Do you know what Gary Johnson's military and foreign policy is?

Johnson believes it "is important to have a strong defense both at home and abroad,"and the "military should remain the most potent force for good on Earth, ... "He would include a 43% cut to the military's budget in his proposed balanced budget by concentrating on defense, rather than offense. He advocates making "better use of military alliances which allow greater sharing of the human and financial burdens at less cost of protecting national interests." Johnson says the United States "should resort to military action as the last option and only as provided in the Constitution."
Political positions of Gary Johnson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Perhaps it's a good thing that Gary Johnson didn't have Aleppo on the tip of his tongue. Just maybe it tells you something--that Gary Johnson's first concern is the US. Johnson doesn't believe in nation-building. Good! We all can see what that's got us for the past 8 years.

Face it--Aleppo sounds like an acronym--the American League of Eclectic Pianists Organization. Just because Johnson had a momentary lapse doesn't mean that he won't be a good president. Unlike Clinton and Trump, Johnson is honest, trustworthy, objective, respectful, etc. These are qualities that we should want in a president. 

Johnson has a successful track record. When he's president, he'll surround himself with good, like-minded people who helped to make him successful in the past. If a situation arises that involves Aleppo, or any other situation inside or outside the US, then he'll get the best input available and, along with instincts and positions that have made him successful in the past, he'll make the right decision.

Leave it to the high and mighty media to make a BIG deal over Gary Johnson having a brain fart.

from www.alepo.com:  Daft Pianists | An Impromptu Session - YouTube

what's wrong with our two party system

a very condensed, but educational, article on what's wrong with our two party system.

Making Room for a Third Party in U.S. Elections | US News

choices

An online comment to an article about third party president candidate Gary Johnson read: "I never vote for a third party candidate because they never win."

Imagine someone who shops at a grocery store that only sells two kinds of fruit. When the shopper asks the manager why he doesn't carry other fruit, the manager says: "because we only sell two kinds of fruit." The person who posted the comment about third party candidates would be OK with the store manager's response.

Most of us realize that we have many more choices than two with just about everything--food, shelter, clothing, transportation, entertainment, etc. We vote with our shoes all the time--choosing to try something new rather than the same-old, same-old--particularly when the same old, same old isn't working.

Why is it that some people can't see the problem with having only two choices?

"two-person scream-fest" or 1-in-3 honest discussion of the issues

"... we’ll take 9.2 percent and a three-way debate with Johnson included — over a “manageable” two-person scream-fest, any day."

Editorial: Let Gary Johnson debate | Boston Herald

How Republicans and Democrats exclude other candidates from the presidential debates

The Commission on the Presidential Debates (CPD), a tax-exempt nonprofit partnership between the Democratic and Republican parties, has selected 5 polls to determine who gets to participate in the all-important presidential debates. Under the commission's selected criteria, unless a candidate is the nominee of the Republican or Democratic party, he or she must receive a 15% average among the polls conducted by ABC-Washington Post, CBS-New York Times, CNN-Opinion Research Corporation, Fox News, and NBC-Wall Street Journal.

According to the CPD, these pollsters were chosen for their reliability, sample sizes, the soundness of survey method, and their reputation and longevity. This selection criteria fails to consider other real-world realities such as the universal consensus that traditional polling has become increasingly unreliable and that getting to 15% without significant media attention is nearly impossible.

It is also important to consider that the CPD does not articulate standards that the private pollsters must follow. The CPD, most simply, relies on these organizations to adopt their own methodologies.

To date, some of the CPD polls are rather suspect.

The recent CPD poll conducted by CNN, for example, has Gary Johnson at 9%, but includes "too small a share of the national population" for voters under 34 years of age to even produce crosstabs. Hard to believe that no one under the age of 34 is going to vote this election. And given that Gary Johnson is in first place with young voters, the CNN poll should be considered in that context. Further, the pollsters didn't even offer Gary Johnson as an option until after they had already asked voters to decide between Hillary and Trump.

And the latest Fox News poll also inaccurately suggests that our poll numbers have dropped to 9% overall. What is not included in the headlines is that the Fox News poll only included 17% independent voters. However, according to most polls, approximately 4 in 10 voters are independent. And given that 62% of Gary Johnson supporters are independents, the Fox polls should be considered within that context.

Notably, the Washington Post found our ticket at 10% or higher in 42 states, and at 15% or higher in 15 states.

The truth is, 62% of America wants Gary Johnson in the presidential debates. Rigged, unfair, or just downright unreliable is not the issue. America deserves better than a choice between two highly unpopular options. 

https://www.johnsonweld.com/our_polls_keep_rising

the Gary Johnson choice

"Johnson ... has always stood for lowering taxes, shrinking government, reducing spending, term limits, preserving civil liberties, criminal justice reform, state’s rights, stopping government surveillance, free trade, free markets, ending the wars in the Middle East, ending foreign aid, ending subsidies and, most importantly, adhering to the Constitution. All of these are libertarian positions and most of them go directly against what Trump or Clinton would do as president.
"OPINION: In defense of Gary Johnson - Technician: Opinion

Gary Johnson for President 2016: Official Website

activitis

activitis is a disease, promulgated by the media, where even the most obscure with a cause can achieve instant celebrity status.

Don't cry for me Alexandria! Opera singer busking in Virginia city sings Evita show tune as she is arrested by police | Daily Mail Online

Thank you again, media--for nothing.

Gary Johnson's foreign policy

Philippines president to Obama: 'I'm no American puppet' - CNNPolitics.com

Gary Johnson's foreign policy: 
"As President, Gary Johnson will move quickly and decisively to cut off the funding on which finance violent extremist armies depend. He will repair relationships with our allies. And he will only send our brave soldiers to war when clearly authorized by Congress after meaningful, transparent deliberation and debate."
Foreign Policy and National Defense - Gary Johnson for President

"These are unsettling times. Americans across the political spectrum worry that our once-great institutions no longer work in the interests of the people — and sometimes don’t work at all. Why not take this chance to reject the binary choice between Clinton and Trump that was created by our two-party system? We strongly urge the debate commission to invite Johnson onto the stage to give voters an opportunity to hear his positions, to evaluate his temperament, and, perhaps most important, to compare him with the candidates nominated by the two traditional parties.

We are confident that, if given the opportunity to make his case, Gary Johnson will persuade millions of Americans that he is the most capable and ethical candidate running this year. We endorse him and look forward to a rejuvenating surprise in November — a new birth of freedom."
http://www.richmond.com/opinion/our-opinion/article_b79cc2b6-8ed5-532c-92eb-4a37e779c433.html

Republican party bullies

Cornell College Republicans Decertified After Endorsing Gary Johnson - Hit & Run : Reason.com

"The Cornell group saw things differently, imagining that principles are more important than mindless partisan cheerleading:

Our organization does not solely represent the Republican Party. Our first responsibility is to our members: libertarians, moderates, neoconservatives, and everyone in between. We value our ideological diversity and welcome differing perspectives.

This election's unprecedented nature has made blind commitment to our Party unpalatable. The Cornell Republicans cannot, in good faith, endorse our party's nominee. Mr. Trump should not be the face of American conservatism. Instead, we are proud to endorse the true conservative in this election: Gary Johnson."

shitshow

American Journalists Treated Like Crap In China, Officials Nearly Come To Blows | The Daily Caller

"The whole thing appeared to turn into a shitshow."

think outside the box

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLAh3pui-CI

https://www.johnsonweld.com/

Richmond Times-Dispatch endorses Gary Johnson for president

"These are unsettling times. Americans across the political spectrum worry that our once-great institutions no longer work in the interests of the people — and sometimes don’t work at all. Why not take this chance to reject the binary choice between Clinton and Trump that was created by our two-party system? We strongly urge the debate commission to invite Johnson onto the stage to give voters an opportunity to hear his positions, to evaluate his temperament, and, perhaps most important, to compare him with the candidates nominated by the two traditional parties.

We are confident that, if given the opportunity to make his case, Gary Johnson will persuade millions of Americans that he is the most capable and ethical candidate running this year. We endorse him and look forward to a rejuvenating surprise in November — a new birth of freedom."

http://www.richmond.com/opinion/our-opinion/article_b79cc2b6-8ed5-532c-92eb-4a37e779c433.html

What Abe Lincoln Prophesied About Trump and Hillary - YouTube

honest & trustworthy?

1. Sheik-down: 

"For example, Crown Prince Salman of Bahrain was rebuffed when he requested a meeting with Secretary of State Clinton — something to which he was entitled since Bahrain has been a steadfast U.S. ally in the Middle East. Then he was forced to go through the Clinton Foundation to get an appointment. Ms. Abedin (political staffer who serves as vice chairwoman of Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign for President. Prior to that, she served as the deputy chief of staff to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from 2009 to 2013) advised Band (Clinton Foundation executive Douglas Band, a close ally of former President Clinton) that when she went through “normal channels” at State, Mrs. Clinton declined to meet. After Mr. Band intervened, the meeting was set up within only 48 hours. Surprise, surprise. It seemed Mr. Band described the prince in an email as a “good friend of ours.” No, make that a great and generous friend. According to the Clinton Foundation website, in 2005, Salman committed to establishing the Crown Prince’s International Scholarship Program (CPISP) for the Clinton Global Initiative. And by 2010, it had contributed $32 million to CGI. The Kingdom of Bahrain reportedly gave between $50,000 and $100,000 to the Clinton Foundation. And Bahrain Petroleum also gave an additional $25,000 to $50,000."

Editorial: Hillary's $32 million shake down | SavannahNow 

2. Doing Clinton Foundation business while on the US government payroll:

Surely super-smart lawyer Hillary "prod 'em" Clinton knows that it's a conflict of interest for Madam Secretary to be doing Clinton Foundation business while she's employed full-time on the US government payroll.

cattle prod

Does this seem "honest and trustworthy" to you? me neither. 

What Abe Lincoln Prophesied About Trump and Hillary - YouTube

https://www.johnsonweld.com/