My Long Lost Story

It's Always Sunny....    The Gang Goes Michael Vick

11:23 am On a Wednesday   In Philadelphia 

Dennis, Charlie, and Frank are in Paddy's Pub discussing various sports figures and their falls from grace.   Being in Philly, Michael Vick comes up as a topic and they debate whether he actually broke any laws. Dennis thinks it is Philly that is bad for sports figures and cites Pete Rose.   Charlie and Frank take offense at putting Pete Rose in the same class as Michael Vick as they don't believe dog fighting is illegal if the dog isn't your pet.   Dennis agrees but points out that, like Pete Rose, Michael Vick also bet on the dog fighting bringing Frank and Charlie into agreement.

Charlie: You can never predict who will fall these days.

Frank:  Or any day.

Dennis:  Who saw Michael Vick fall?

Charlie:  I sure didn't.

Dennis:  Nobody did, that's my point.  And Pete Rose too.  I tell you what I think; I think Philly is bad for sports figures.

Frank:  Woah there!   Are you actually putting Pete Rose in the same class as Michael Vick?

Charlie:  Yeah, cause one plays football and the other plays another entirely different sport.

Frank:  No Charlie, he is talking about dog fighting.

Charlie:  Pete Rose was into dog fighting too?

Frank:  No Charlie, Pete Rose gambled and Michael Vick fought dogs.

Charlie:  Since when is dog fighting a crime?

Dennis:  Since always.

Frank:  Yeah, but only if the dog is a pet.  

Dennis:  Well naturally, a trained dog fighter can fight.   Who would even want to see a Poodle or little Taco dog fight, but I would like to point out that Michael Vick also bet on the fights.

Frank and Charlie:  Ah!

Charlie:  You can't bet if you own the dog?

Dennis:  No, you can't gamble if you play professional sports.

During the debate, Dee enters with a dog she found outside the bar and brings it in.   It is a cute and non-descriptive mutt; medium build, harmless looking.    She intrudes into the debate and says that clearly, both men were wrong because they bet, but Michael Vick was also wrong in that he was cruel to dogs.   

Frank asks how he was cruel to dogs, pointing out that, to fight, they have to be trained, fed well, and in great shape, so they must be better cared for than random wandering dogs like the one she found. While Dee and Frank debate the merits of dog fighting, Dennis and Charlie begin to show affection to the dog as Mac enters to grab a bottle,thick with his cologne, before his date with....nobody (Carmen). Instantly the dog charges at Mac who must flip over the bar and run to the back office to avoid being eaten.   The dog, previously cute and mellow, begins growling and clawing at the door.

Dennis, looking at the action comments “maybe Philly brings out the worst in dogs too.”

Frank smiles with glee as he suddenly has a wonderful idea...

"The Gang Goes Michael Vick"

The dog and Mac switch places (the dog gets locked in the office for the moment) as Dee tries to explain to Frank and Charlie how they can't use the dog for fighting because it is illegal.   Charlie insists it  isn't because, if it were, then how could Michael Vick be playing football?   Mac says he went to jail to which Frank responds that he was charged with gambling,  they don't allow felons in the NFL.  

Eventually, it falls to Dee to trump them all by saying she found the dog and she will decide what to do with it and she wants to keep it.

Dee:  Well, I am taking this dog home with me and that makes him a pet which trumps any dog fighting plans you may or may not have had, so there!

Mac: Of course you are keeping the dog.

Dee:  What does that mean?

Mac:  What?

Dee: You said “Of course” I am keeping the dog.

Mac: Right.  Of course, you are keeping it.   You are selfish.

Dee:  I am not

Mac:  You are too!

Dee:  I am giving this dog a better life.  It was living on the streets!

Mac:  You are giving yourself a free pet.

Dee takes it to her house, where it proceeds to destroy everything in sight including some shoes she just bought, can't afford, and has not yet worn.   She manages to calm it down with 6 beers and takes a photo of the dog and calls Mac to help her find the dog's owner so she can prove to him she is not selfish, not mentioning the chaos the dog has created in her home.

Frank, Charlie, and Dennis are in Paddy's basement, preparing what they imagine a “dog fighting ring” would look like and planning how to get the dog.   The plans becomes: Dennis calls Dee's cellphone and gives her a lame excuse to get her to come to Paddy's.   To his pleasant surprise, she can't because she is making fliers to find the dog's owner with Mac, “like a good person does.”   Dennis gives Frank and Charlie  the all clear to break into her apartment only to find the passed out dog.

Dee with Mac's help posts pictures of the dog all over Philly with the bar's number and address on it as Frank, Dennis, and Charlie, in Dee's apartment, try to get the dog to re-enact what it displayed before.   Instead, they get a drunk and unmotivated dog.    

Dee again brings up the debate and Mac agrees the debate was stupid, but he misunderstands which side Dee was on and actually agrees dog fighting is not illegal if you raise the dog specifically for dog fighting.   He does agree using the dog Dee found is wrong, but more because he doesn't know how much training it has had.

Dee:  Can you believe those boners?   How dumb can you be?

Mac:  Yeah, there is no way this dog could fight.

Dee:  What?

Mac: This dog could never fight.

Dee:  No dog should fight.

Mac:  Not without proper training, no, but a trained dog can have a great life.

Dee:  Oh my...what...really?

Mac:  There is a lot of money in dog fighting and, a winning dog is worth more than gold Dee.

Dee: And the losing dog?

Mac:  I am sure they have a thorough and complete retirement package for dogs.

Dee: They die, Mac!  The losing dog dies.   That is how the fight ends.

Mac:  There is no way a referee would let a fight go that far.  Sure, it may happen once in a while...

Dee: Once in a while?

Mac:  Yes, once in a while.   It is a violent sport, but people have died boxing before and I don't hear you crying out against that or saying it is illegal to box.

Dee:  It is called “Assault” outside a ring.

Mac:  And inside a ring, it is called “boxing,” just like inside a ring, this is called “dog fighting.” 

Dee:  So why did Michael Vick go to jail then?

Mac:  He bet on the dog.   Just like all professional sports, gambling within an organization is frowned on.  Look at Pete Rose.

After much trial and error, Frank realizes it is probably Mac's smell that pissed the dog off, and so they go to Dennis and Mac's apartment to let the dog loose in Mac's room to find which of Mac's many odors the dog hated the most.

After hanging up exactly 4 fliers, Dee and Mac decide it is too hot at that time to do a good job and that they should go back to the bar and see if anyone had called about the 4 they hung up, have a beer, and start when it is darker, thus cooler outside.

Back to Frank, Dennis, and Charlie: the dog has thus far torn apart and shat all over Mac's bed, ripped a few shirts leading Frank to think it is Mac's pits that does it; also utterly destroyed four pairs of boots convincing Charlie it is Mac's feet as the dog did two pairs, did a shirt, then returned to do two more "as if to get the taste out of his nose."   The dog finally knocks over the nightstand that holds Mac's ultra cheap cologne all over the pillow and the dog soon forgets everything else in the room and leaves barely a shred of the pillow as the guys celebrate finding the magic dog fighting ingredient and decide to head back to Paddy's for a drink and to finish converting the basement into a dog fighting ring.    Frank says he has to make some calls (to his Vietnamese buddies.)

It suddenly occurs to Frank that they don't know for certain the scent will work on a living thing.  The dog was already kind of going crazy when it attacked the pillow.  They need a human subject to test it on.

As Dee and Mac arrive at Paddy's, so does a beautiful girl who claims the dog belongs to her.  In fact, she says the dog was never lost at all, but rather tied to a post while she went into a store for cigarettes.   Dee asks if there is a reward for finding the dog which the owner points out was not lost until Dee took him.   Dee points out the dog ruined her shoes and the owner responds the dog would not have if Dee had left it alone.  Dee then asks how much would she be willing to give her.   When the response is “nothing,” Dee turn reward into ransom and asks again.

Mac, on the other hand, finds the girl incredibly attractive and steps in to be the hero and tells the girl he can help find the dog.   She becomes very appreciative to Mac as he says Dee was only joking about the ransom thing, the dog is at Dee's apartment and they can go get it then go get some dinner.

Frank and Charlie have gone to Cricket's tunnel home to tell him they found out the secret to getting Dee: this cologne.   The smell drives her nuts and she just has to bone whatever is wearing it.   They are telling him about this as their way to apologize for all that they did to him.   They feel terrible and would like nothing more than for him to finally be with Dee once and for all.  Meanwhile, Dennis is holding the dog outside the tunnel just out of sight.

Dee, Mac, and the girl arrive at Dee's apartment to find it trashed even more than when she left and without a dog.   Mac asks where it is and Dee explains that she has no idea: she left it passed out drunk.   This does not sit well with the owner.  Dee tries to justify it as the only way to save the rest of her things from destruction; Mac says he would never give a dog alcohol and would have placed it in a bathroom as he dog-proofed the house.

As they argue about where the dog is and the merits of getting a dog drunk, Mac finds a note from Charlie saying they took the dog to train it to fight.   They decide they need to head to Paddy's because it is the ONLY place Charlie, Dennis, and Frank could go with a slightly drunk dog.

As they leave Dee's building, they see Cricket running frantically down the street.  Before they can wonder what that was about, the girl points out that it's her dog who is now seen rounding the corner chasing Cricket.   Dee and Mac turn to ask one another what is going on as Charlie, Dennis, and Frank, gun in hand, round the corner and stop at Dee and Mac.   Frank quickly hides the gun when he notices the girl.

The girl confused and pissed off by the news of dog fighting, drunk dogs, ransom, a short man with a gun chasing her dog, and now a homeless priest being chased by her dog, demands to know what is going on.

Mac, still trying to win the girl over, take charge and says "Well, you see..."

He is cut off by Charlie saying "the dog is coming back."

Mac turns, sees the dog is charging full force at him, says "Oh Shit" and runs off.

END

Post Election Post

It is a surreal day today.   Chemo-brain is pretty strong right now and I keep remembering a vague thought of last night and I keep needed to verify it and I keep reliving it.   Trump is the 45th President of the United States.   Despite the flaws and the mistakes, he won fair and square.

Trump's victory really should come as no surprise, but that doesn't mean it doesn't.   If one watched the polls, without going into their actual number, one had to notice Clinton's didn't move.    That means her support was her support and that was she was going to get and it turns out that the 48% WAS all she got.    Trump's numbers went up and down: should have shown us that his was a passion based campaign, and passion runs high.   Passion trumps reason, no pun intended.

Clinton was better on paper, but Clinton also, as Rush Limbaugh pointed out last week has her fingerprints all over government for the last 30 years.   If you are upset with how the parties have run the nation these last few decades, only one candidate was involved.    Hate the wars?   Only one candidate voted for them.   Hate the economy?   Only one candidate was involved in shaping it.   Obamacare?   Only one candidate helped pass it.    Trump had no place in our political history and therefore was clean of our political mess.    Better on paper became a liability in this weird year of world elections.

Why did polls fail?   Because Trump supporters were belittled to the point that none of them wanted to admit to it in public.    Sounds weird, I know, but it is pretty much spot on I feel.    Trump's behaviours made supporting him at times seem...I lack the word right now, but I think you get my drift.   Anyway, his actions made it so that people didn't want to admit to supporting him.   I think the fear of the misogyny label made some fear admitting they just opposed Clinton.    I think the news over the last week hadn't factored into the polls yet, and last week was a bad new week for Clinton.

And Clinton was a horrible candidate.   I don't think you could have found one with more baggage and with less couth when it comes to dealing with an untrusting public than her.   She fed into the mistrust rather than countering it.   The more she said "trust me," the more her issues arose to bring her trust into question which resulted in her simply attacking the accusers rather than correcting the accusation.

Did Russia hack various email accounts as a ploy to shape and influence our elections?  Probably, but that doesn't answer our concerns over the content of said emails.   The more her people attacked the questioners, the more valid the questions appeared to the public.

Here is another simple and sad truth: in 2008 the people voted for change.   Obama was an outsider and the outsider status was his appeal to many voters, but he didn't stay an outsider long and while he did change certain things, too many other problems were either expanded or ignored and the people were still waiting for that change.    Clinton offered more of the same.  Obama said his legacy is attached to Clinton's win.   The people looked at the last 8 years and said "no thanks, we'll gamble again on the outsider" and this time they went even more outside.

I hope things work out.   I fear the pendulum may have overswung to the right, but I have faith in the America people.   We are easily lead temporarily, but we have a strong compass that doesn't let us drift too far off course.    The truth is we were going to be uneasy, sick, and scared no matter who won yesterday, so let's just work on working together to keep them in check.

Almost Over

One week to go until November 9th!   One more week of worry, stress, and mostly eagerness to get it all over with.   According to a report on NPR this weekend, we are not alone in feeling these things: it is rampant across the nation.    Most people know someone who has unfriended at least one person in real life over this election according to the report... not Facebook unfriending, but real unfriending.   That is insane to me, but it is almost over.   I am 100% certain a good percent of my Facebook friends have blocked my posts this election cycle and I can only hope they remember to unblock me.

Be prepared my fellow Lemmings and tread smartly for these next few days.   Remember you can't believe ANYTHING being reported; anything you hear; anything you see; anything!   At this point, everyone has an agenda and a reason to say what they say and, more importantly, a reason to not say what they would otherwise say.   Everything on TV and from every candidate's mouths is designed to scare you into doing something they way someone else wants you to do it.  

Be strong!   Trust in yourself.    Remember you have to look yourself in the mirror every day of your life after November 8th, so make sure you vote is one you can live with the outcome of.   Don't let fear get in the way of logic and reason.   Know what you are not only voting against but are voting for.

And please, for the love of G-d, forgive your family, friends, and acquaintances who may choose to vote differently than you do.  

Be strong America.  I have faith we will do what is best for this nation in the end and we can handle anything history may have instore for us.

Elective Thoughts

I am not worried about the election.  It is pretty obvious at this point that Hillary Clinton is going to be the next President of the United States, and, while I don't support or endorse her, I can live with it.   I don't see her as a two-term President and I believe America can withstand four years of anything.   I don't see her creating new problems so much as expanding on current ones and I think/hope we can contain and mitigate the damage we know is going to come.   No, I am not worried about November 8th at all...but November 9th is a different story entirely.

November 9th...I fear what happens when a candidate who has said since before he was the candidate that if he loses then the election is rigged, loses.   I fear what happens when the supporters of a candidate who threatens to jail their opponent find themselves with that opponent as President.   I fear what this country has become and how it is going to influence the children of today who will grow up with this behavior as the norm rather than the freak show we see it as.   I am more scared now than when I had cancer.

There has been a steady decline in political civility my entire life; I was born in Nixon's time.    I saw the tricks and games played by Reagan's team to beat Carter.   I saw the masterful use of the word "Liberal" to destroy Dukakis.  I watched Perot give the White House to Clinton and the RNC proceed to demonize him for the next 8 years culminating in an impeachment in the name of spite.   I saw Bush being treated as the Cheater in Chief and the results of the election dismissed, even by myself.   I saw the following elections being prepared under a banner of "Voter Fraud;" a pre-emptive murmur, but never a battle cry...until now.

A man who attacks voters, the press, his opponent, and his own party as if they are all his most hated enemies is dangerous; the people who blindly believe his delusions are scary.     PLEASE NOTE I DID NOT SAY ALL TRUMP FOLLOWERS ARE SCARY, JUST THE ONES BUYING INTO HIS "EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE IS AGAINST ME" RHETORIC!   The people speaking of "revolution" or "2nd Amendment Solutions" scare me more than any tumor in my colon.

America is the ultimate "Fath-Based Institution."   We have to believe in the system for it to work.   Sounds almost juvenile, I admit, but it is that simple.   Having a candidate in a major party like the Republican Party say the system is hopelessly rigged against the people is communicating a very dangerous thought to the masses and having it backed up by a major party.   It is not a new thought but has always been a fringe thought.   Trump has brought it mainstream and given it strength.    People will think "if the GOP Nominee says the system is rigged, it must be."   Their children will be raised to believe the system is rigged and therefore never join a system that can't be changed from the outside.   The future generations will exponentially spread this lack of faith and then the country will be dead because only those seeking the corruption of the system will bother trying to join it.

I am not a "think of the children" guy for the record.   I tend to hate those who hide behind their children to push their point of view, but I think this is different.   This is part of a larger pattern:

War on drugs in the 80's conditions kids to allow searches of their property; they never learn about their rights.

 Columbine and other school shootings created an atmosphere where one's fellow students are a greater threat than anything else, and more rights are given up in the name of security.
 

 9/11 happens and these kids, now in their 20's and 30's are told the world is against you and you must give up even more rights in the name of more security.

 Police shootings of unarmed Black people cemented an "us vs them" belief in many and confirmed the idea of a militant and out of control government to many others.

Raising kids in an atmosphere of constant war, endless threats, police shootings, and being told repeatedly freedom is the weapon being used against us has made these kids of the 80's raise their kids according to the new rules of America.  As a result, they have no context of freedom...

How do you think these kids will govern us in our old ages?   These kids who have grown up in a world of constant war, endless threats, limited freedoms, and now major candidates proclaiming rigged systems?

Is it rigged?  In some ways, yes, but in the important ways no.   You vote counts.   You voice matters.  Your belief in the system matters more.   There are problems, but this talk of revolution and violence is not how you solve it; it is how you make it worse.   Uprising will be a self-fulfilling prophesy where you will end up with the exact government you fear.  

The path to Hell is Paved in Good Intent.   I don't think those speaking of revolution are bad people.  I think their hearts are in the right place, but their anger misguided and being abused and perverted in the name of one person's ego and I do feel how they might respond on November 9th scares the Hell out of me.

I think I ranted a little.  Sorry if I lost my train of thought.  Hope you could follow it.

Debate Two

I've tried three times now to write about last night's debacle...debate I mean, and my head starts pounding every time.   My hands start to shake.   I am that upset THIS is what my country has devolved to, but I can't muster the focus to get much further.

Here is the best start I had yet.   Pretty much good on its own.

There is an old fable about the scorpion and the frog.  It goes like this:

Once upon a time, a scorpion found itself along the bank of a river with a desire to get across it.  Looking about, he saw a frog sitting on the shore.

"Hello Mr Frog," said the scorpion, "could you give me a ride across this river on your back?" 

"No," said the frog emphatically.    "You are a scorpion and I am a frog; you'll stick me and kill me halfway across."

"Why would I do that?" asked the scorpion; "If I do that, we'll both die."
The frog relented and allowed the scorpion upon its back who then proceeded to stick him halfway across the river. 

"Why would you do that," asked the dying frog.   "Now we're both gonna die."
"What else did you expect" asked the scorpion as they both sank to the bottom of the river.

America, that debate was the river, we are the frog, and the candidates are the scorpion: what else did you expect?

For shame, America.  WE can do better.   I hope this nation is strong enough to withstand the next four years.

Debate One: That Was Bloody

Wow...I had to stop watching and take a shower; that first debate between Donald and Hillary was ugly, yet was like watching a master fighter play with a cocky rookie.   Everyone knew it was going to be a train wreck, but my G-d I don't think any of us expected this.   Donald's only hope at this point is for Gary Johnson to get enough support to get a spot in the next debate, and, after Donald's performance tonight, that is looking very likely.

Donald and Hillary started off equally and each one appearing very Presidential, but Hillary came in with a game plan and was able to pull it off.   It appears to me that Trump just assumed he had it handled, but Clinton knew exactly how to play the one-on-one game and it showed.   Watching her was like watching a master angler troll the water; it was like some scripted ballet with dialogue written by SNL writers in their prime.  She didn't have to attack him;  he was a penned bull and the tight confines of the constant camera and open mike were wearing him down.   All she had to do was lay bait and wait for him to leap to it.    She didn't have to wait long.

"WRONG!"  "NO!"  "NOPE!"  Trump couldn't contain himself.  I looked at the clock and he lasted exactly 30 minutes before we all said "she got him."  From that moment on, the Presidential contender/pretender was gone and the Orange Hulk was in full SMASH! mode.  At least prize fighters get ring breaks...

The saddest part of the Trump breakdown in my not so humble opinion was that it happened before the hard subjects even started.   They began with economy and jobs which Trump had a slight advantage on to many and it was there that he blew it.    As the harder subjects came up, like race, war and terror, Trump had already lost his composure and the debate was just a sad display.   If he was going for sympathy support, he was too pathetic a sight even for that.  To Hillary's credit, she never pounced on him; she kept feeding him more and more rope and allowed him to hang himself.

Several times during the debate, I seriously questioned how serious Trump was taking this entire affair and I do still wonder if he is a plant.   He achieved the impossible and made her appear not only good but great.   She was calm in the face of endless and factless attack and remained restrained in ways that made her seem perfect.      His love of hyperbole and pitch-perfect set-ups for her quick one liner comebacks really does make the skeptic question if I watched a fight or a WWE event.   Remember: Trump does have a history with wrestling.    I wonder if he is simply just once again playing the wrestling heel to Clinton's hero.

Remember what Hunter S Thompson said:

 “There's a terrible danger in voting for the lesser of two evils because the parties can set it up that way.”

Oh, and one more:

“How many more of these stinking, double-downer sideshows will we have to go through before we can get ourselves straight enough to put together some kind of national election that will give me and the at least 20 million people I tend to agree with a chance to vote FOR something, instead of always being faced with that old familiar choice between the lesser of two evils?”

― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 

Exclusive KHWL interview with 2016 Presidential hopeful, Brad Schader.

Kanrei: Hello, and welcome to KHWL, the Home for Wayward Lemmings here on the internet. I am Kanrei and I am pleased to have with us today the latest entry into the 2016 Presidential Farce, Brad Schader. Hello and welcome.

Brad Schader: Thank you and thanks for having me.

K: It has been a very interesting Presidential cycle this year, hasn't it?

BS: Yes, it has.

K: And now you wish to add to the chaos of the season?

BS: Yes, I feel it is essential that the people of America have as many options as your standard all-you-can-eat buffet.

K: And of equal quality I assume.

BS: Yes, and can I object to your starting every quote from me with a BS marking?

K: Aren't you seeking the office of the President?

BS: Yes.

K: Then the BS marking stands. So, let's start off with a simple question- what party are you a member of?

BS: None.

K: No party?

BS: I've never been invited to a party.

K: That's kinda sad.

BS: Not for the people throwing those parties.

K: So, without a party to define yourself and your positions, how do you expect America to know where you stand on the issues?

BS: I'm not sure issues matter this election really.

K: WHAT?

BS: I am not sure issues matter this election. Look, in November America is going to get a new President and it will probably be Clinton or Trump, two people nobody likes and fewer people trust...

K: OK?

BS: So all I need to do is beat two people everyone hates. Nobody knows me at all, so I already start off with an approval benefit. Nobody disapproves of me yet because nobody knows me.

K: And that is why you agreed to this interview?

BS: Yes.

K: OK, so, as President, what is the first thing you plan to do?

BS: Change the title.

K: The title? Of what?

BS: The Office of the President. I won't be called “President Schader.”

K: Oh?

BS: No, I am going for Darth Schader; Dark Lord of America. The people may refer to me as “Sir,” “Lord Schader,” or “Darth.”

K: That sounds kinda omnimous.

BS: Not at all; it's nostalgic. Everyone loves Star Wars.

K: So why not model yourself after one of the heroes?

BS: My name is Schader.

K: OK, moving on. So what is the central theme of your platform?

BS: Transparency and equality.

K: Those are standard rhetorical non-answers we expect from candidates. Can you elaborate?

BS: I believe the people own the White House and own its occupant, so I will constantly be open to new donations.

K: Sounds like “pay-to-play.”

BS: Doesn't it? Easy to remember.

K: So the rich will have you in their pockets so long as they pay?

BS: Not at all. See, I won't go by dollar amounts of donations, but I will base my access on percent of pretax income donated to MY Foundation. I think a standard 10% donation to MY Foundation would be sufficient.

K: Your foundation?

BS: Yes.

K: And what is the name of your foundation?

BS: MY Foundation.

K: Yes, the name?

BS: Let's not owe Abbot and Costello money please; the foundation is called “MY Foundation.”

K: As in “M” and “Y?”

BS: Yes, as in “Money” and “Yours.”

K: And what is the goal of this foundation? What is its mission statement?

BS: To make your money, my money.

K: And so long as the 10% mark is hit, you will give access?

BS: Exactly.

K: So where does the transparency factor into your platform?

BS: I am open and honest about my being for sale.

K: Let's move on to the economy. What do you plan to do to help workers who are losing their jobs as companies move overseas?

BS: Well, I plan to form the Federal Bureau of Travel. See, the internet has placed many travel agents out of work, so I plan to hire them to aid the American worker in getting cheap airfare to the countries where the jobs are going. Simple, right? We love to travel. A big complaint about most Americans is how little we travel outside of America. We complain about a lack of jobs in America. Most people see problems; I see a two dead birds and a stone.

K: OK...I think we've reached the point in this interview that nobody is still reading it, so I think it is time to save the few readers I have left at this point and end this.

BS: Thank you for the time.

Simple Math Part Two

Clinton said: 

 'Classified material has a header, which says 'top secret', 'secret', 'confidential'. Nothing, and I have repeatedly said this, and this is verified in the report by the Department of Justice. None of the emails sent or received by me had such a header.'

Wikileaks showed why: 

From: Sullivan, Jacob J [mailto:Sullivann@state.gov] Sent: Friday, June 17, 2011 08:17 AM To: H Subject: Re: B5 They say they've had issues sending secure fax. They're working on it. 

From: H Sent: Friday, June 17, 2011 8:21 AM To: 'sullivanjj@ state.gov' Subject: Re B5 If they can't, turn into nonpaper w no identifying heading and send nonsecure.

 Simple math.   The reason the emails on her server had no classified markings was because she had them removed.    The reason the (c) remained is because she didn't know what it meant and forgot to have it removed.



Pardon the horrible writing style and weird fonts, but I am at work and just had to get this out of my head.

x

Gimme the Red Pill

The great Arthur C. Clarke once said that either we were alone in the universe or we were not and that both options were equally frightening.    Well, either Trump is going to be President or Clinton is and I find both options equally frightening.   That's right, I said "equally" and I feel each is an equal threat, although not the same threat.   The two candidates are basically extremes of both ends of the "unqualified to serve" spectrum.   Let me explain.     First Trump because I know that is what you want to read.   I hope you stick around for the Clinton explanation, but I doubt it.

TRUMP-

The guy defines loose cannon and personifies the says "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing."  He knows just enough about any issue to think he knows enough.   He is not only not curious, but down right hostile to the concept he may be ignorant about something.   He shows constantly he is at least ignorant of the value of admitting you are ignorant.  

Nobody knows everything.   We are all practitioners of everything and masters of nothing.  We dabble.  We may really focus on something for a day, week, or even a fortnight, but then we move on.  And those few who do really focus on something to the point of knowing it backwards and forwards are ignorant on a vast number of other topics their focus stole access to.  We have to start with this concept when discussing Trump because I feel it is central to his horrible Presidential run thus far.

Trump wants you to believe that HE ALONE is the solution to not just some of the problems the world faces, but all of them.   He believes in his heart of hearts that his vision is the best path; the only sensible course.  He is filled with such hubris that he can't imagine he may be wrong about anything.   He attacks those who point out he may be in error and makes enemies of former friends in the process.    His skin is too thin and he takes everything personally.   And, most importantly, he speaks before thinking based on emotional response and not logical or even political ones.

Let me say this again: He speaks before thinking based on his emotional response and not on a logical or even a political one.    He says what sounds good based on how the question is phrased to him and, if you change the phrasing of the question, you get a different answer.    It would be funny if there wasn't a real chance he was going to win.   And his ignorance on a great so many topics wouldn't be a problem if his hubris allowed him to not know something, but it doesn't.

The threat of a Donald J Trump Presidency is the randomness we would all face.   We would have to shutter in fear every time he spoke to a foreign leader; crossing every finger and toes available and praying to long forgotten deities that he doesn't do or say something stupid or insulting.   I don't fear him with the nuclear football because it takes two to use it, but I do fear him so infuriating some Islamic leader that our nuclear launches would be responsive and unavoidable.

As far as Trump's plans for America- I don't give them any consideration.   He is a buffoon of biblical proportions and his election would probably be the only thing that could unite the DNC and RNC sides of Congress- neuter Trump.

 
Now for Clinton...I don't have the bandwidth to really get into everything about her, so let's do a Cliff's Notes version, shall we?

Emails, Clinton Foundation, favors, private servers, etc....I'm not getting into it.   There is enough there and enough written about it that if you care, you already know and if you don't, you have already scanned ahead to the next paragraph or quit reading.  My issue is her love of aggression.

Iraq.  Syria.   Libya.  Yemen.  Ukraine.  There is not a conflict she doesn't want a piece of and that frightens me.   She is always regretful for her past mistakes, but also always quick to point out how the failure wasn't her fault and she could do it better next time.   She sees the world through a Cold War lens still and is hungry for a Big Bad we can use to justify our own expansion into the world.   She thinks "if we don't, someone else will, so we must" regardless of the situation of whom we need to aid and why they are willing to work with us.    She judges allies based on who they oppose and firmly believes the enemy of my enemy is my friend and seldom is that true.

I don't believe her tenure as Sec of State or in the Senate or in the White House as First Lady taught her anything other than how to blame others for her failures and she, like Trump, is dominated by a hubris that she is the answer to all the problems.   She also, like Trump, is vicious when any shortcoming is pointed out and any example of her ignorance is dismissed under an accusation of Sexism.

So what's my point?  We are pretty much screwed, unless this has all been a test.   I've had a theory that the Matrix we live in is on the blink, because nothing really makes sense anymore.  I've thought it since we had a Vice President shoot a lawyer in the face with a shotgun.   That kind of stuff doesn't happen in real life.  September 11th doesn't happen in real life.   Someone like Trump doesn't get the nomination of a major political party in real life and someone like Clinton drowns under the weight of their scandals in real life.  

I'm ready Morpheus; gimme the red pill!

Stand, Sit...Be Free!

If we live in a country where respect is compulsory, is it really respect?

If we live in a country of free expression, can you really force someone to show respect to something?

Rather than attacking someone for not standing for the National Anthem, show you grasp what this country stands for and support their choice even if you don't support their reasons.

Whatever happened to "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it?"

Have we really divided so much as a nation that we will put aside the values that make us so love this country in the name of finger-pointing and high-horse riding?

Our politicians often hide behind rhetoric which suggests not doing something means the terrorists win, but if we are so willing to put aside our values, haven't they already won?   What exactly are we defending if we are going to force someone to stand for a song?    That isn't Patriotism; that's Nationalism.

How to Change the Subject

So there is a serious issue with the Clinton Foundation and people giving money to it in exchange for access to the State Department during Clinton's tenure.   There is an obvious pattern that has emerged and it is a serious issue that we must talk about, so what are we talking about?   What the Foundation does with the money...but that is not the question.

Let me say this upfront: yes the Clinton Foundation has done some great work.   Yes, the Clinton Foundation has used the money it makes for really great things.   There, I said it.   Now can we talk about the real issue?   Can we talk about countries like Saudi Arabia giving millions for "women's rights issues" and then getting billions in arms sales?   Do you really think Saudi Arabia cares two shits about women's rights issues?  

Why don't we get the complete meeting schedule?   They were quick to point out what we had was incomplete, but hesitant to correct the record.   Do they think their credibility is THAT good that all they have to do is say it is wrong?

Did Russia hack the Clinton's server?  Maybe.  Possibly.  Probably.   Does that change the information?  Nobody has denied any of it, but they changed the subject to Russia.   I thought Clinton said her server was never hacked.    What about all those classified emails she said didn't exist that are coming out?  What about the fact more emails have been discovered than she turned in?    Let's not talk about any of that- Trump might be a Russian agent.

BULLSHIT!  TRUMP IS A DEMOCRAT AGENT!  Trump does a great job of both destroying the GOP while constantly saying something stupid to distract the media from Clinton's problems.   It happens every single time Clinton faces bad news.   Any real candidate would seize these negative Clinton stories, not make themselves the news.

This election is, in the words of Woody Allen, this election "is a travesty.  It's a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham."

Ever Feel Like You've Been Had?- Johnny Rotten

Babbling Again

The other day humanity farted and out emerged another political thought
Drafted out of feces' odor and a health helping of opinions bought
It spread out like a fart does do and slowly filled the room
Everyone smelled it, nobody  dealt it, and and finger pointing began too soon
The discussion soon changed from changing the odor to finding the person to blame
The odor became secondary to the attempts at winning the game
Everyone said it was impossible for their fart to smell that way
It has to be from someone who hates us, farted on purpose, then ran away
"If it were me" one person said, "you would know it before it smelt
Because my farts are loud and they leave no doubts as to from whom it was dealt."
"I think it came from a woman" another said " as it has a perfumery smell."
"YOU ARE A SEXIST!" another one screamed and condemned the speaker to Hell.
"I think it was a foreigner who passed this gas as it has an ethnic feel"
"We have to fart over there so they don't fart over here!  That is the obvious deal!"
And so it went on and it went on and on and never did it end
They blame you and you blame them; it's easier to pretend
That the fart was always with us and we can't do a thing about it
Just hold your nose, with eyes tightly closed, and pretend it isn't shit.

Election Year Simple Addition If you Dare

There was a lot of press surrounding the endorsement of Hillary Clinton by Dubya-appointed former CIA deputy director Michael Morel, but no real questions such as "why?"

He said:   "I worked with her for four years very closely when she was secretary of state and I was at the CIA. I provided her -- personally provided her some of the most sensitive information that the Central Intelligence Agency has," he said. "She never misused it. She always protected it."He added: "I would trust her with the crown jewels of the United States government. And, more importantly, I would trust her with the future security of the country and the future security of my kids."

http://www.cnn.com/

 Interesting.  He trusts her...to do what exactly?

 "When we were in Iraq, the Iranians were giving weapons to the Shi'a militia, who were killing American soldiers," Morell told "CBS This Morning" co-host Charlie Rose.    

"The Iranians were making us pay a price. We need to make the Iranians pay a price in Syria. We need to make the Russians pay a price."

www.cbsnews.com


Combine this with Kissinger's endorsement and Condi "Historical Document" Rice's endorsement and the math is quite simple: A vote for Hillary is a vote for War.   Period.  End of debate.   If you care more about stopping Trump than you do us killing more and more innocent people around the world, vote for her.

Tell him about your clean conscious-

"His name is Omran Daqneesh...He and his family were injured when their house was destroyed by an airstrike Wednesday. "

www.cnn.com/

Stopping Trump and electing Clinton is a moot point to many around the world.   It is a moot point to anyone who opposes our 16 year never ending always expanding mission creep war.

A Personal Update

My ostomy is me.  I never thought I could say those words, but there you go: my ostomy is me.   I have accepted it.  I no longer am ashamed of it.  I am no longer embarrassed by it.  It no longer diminishes my value as a person.  It no longer takes away the purpose of living.   It is not an obstacle to my happiness any longer.   Wow...what a difference a year makes.

Yesterday, at work, one of my co-worker's children was in the office and we were talking when my chair squeaked.  He laughed and said "ew, you farted!"  

"Wasn't me"

"Yes it was.   You farted!"

"Wasn't me.  I can't fart.   I don't fart."

"Everyone farts."

"I don't."

"You have to fart; you go poo."

I smiled.   "No, I don't."

I showed him my bag and told him I was sick and said the bag was treating me.   I wasn't sad, embarrassed, or bothered so neither was he.  He simply said "oh" and walked off to watch cartoons.  That was when I realized I was totally OK with my bag.

I had forgotten about it for hours on end before.   At Captiva, I went shirtless on the beach with an ace bandage covering it and simply told my niece I had a "boo-boo" when she asked about it.   I am totally comfortable in the medical supply stores when I need extra bags unlike I was when I had to buy diapers.    I suppose I've been OK with my bag for quite some time, but never thought about it or realized it until I was able to show it to a seven year old and explain it in terms he could understand.   Weird.

Where was the firework show at my moment of Zen about the bag?   No choir of angels singing or a heavenly spotlight beaming upon me.   Where was that Broadway production number where random strangers break into synchronized dancing around me as I walk triumphantly down main street?   Not even a slow-motion stroll or a freeze-frame as I jump in the air Mentos commercial style.   I was gypped....

Writing the word "gypped" for the first time in my life has exposed me to the anti-Gypsy roots the word obviously came from.    Just a tangent.  I apologize to any Gypsies reading this.

Funny how life's biggest moments go by without so much as a peep and it isn't until days, weeks, or even months later that you realize something major has changed.    Life does go on while you are making other plans.

Political Rant

I am going to attempt to explain the appeal of Donald Trump.   I need to state ahead of time I am not a supporter of the man and have no intentions of voting for him.  I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat and am simply giving my non-partisan view on this race.  I wonder if the media doesn't see what I am about to say or simply doesn't want to say it because it opens up a can of worms the status quo isn't ready to deal with yet, but it is this illusion of a binary election that is making people choose Trump.

The simply truth that nobody wants to admit is that Trump is not a factor in this election at all really.   This election is the quintessential "Yellow Dog" race.    This is why Trump's popularity is never affected by the stupid things he says and does.   He doesn't matter; this election is all about Hillary Clinton.   It is about the last 16 years of this nation spent at war.   It is about things not really changing for too many people regardless of which party has been in control.  It is about broken promises, perceived selling out of those in power, and the expanding helplessness the average American feels.   And it is about fear.

Despite 16 years of constant war in the name of defending ourselves and making the world safe for life, we are not feeling safer.   We are more scared than we've ever been and frightened people make stupid choices.   They seek immediate relief rather than long term stability.   They vote based on what if instead of what is.

Hillary Clinton is not unknown to the America people.   Since 1991, we have known her and she has spent those years, in the Senate and as Sec of State, confirming our ideas of her, whatever they may be.   She is secretive while proclaiming openness.   She is a Hawk while proclaiming the Rational Dove.   She is two-faced while pretending to be honest.   The one thing we know a Clinton Presidency will bring is more of the same, for better or worse.   She offers nothing else.

Enter Trump.   He is running as the opposite of everything Clinton portrays herself to be: irrational; short-tempered; vindictive; unpredictable; a bully; a hypocrite willing to say anything to win.  He is full of shit and quite open about it.  As Carlin said, the American people will support him because Clinton pretends to be honest while Trump doesn't and America will respect how honest he is about what a horrible person he is.   Sad, right?  As Carlin put it: He may be full of shit, but at least he's honest about it.  

The binary nature of how most people see our elections leaves them with this simple formula: I know Clinton, she says she is honest, and I don't trust her vs I don't know Trump, he says horrible things, and everyone tells me he is a liar.    Clinton is inside and Trump is outside.  I don't like inside, so therefore I support Trump.

If given two choices, I can't blame them; the problem is that they are not given two choices, but four.   There are two other candidates running whom the media chooses until recently to ignore and who now are only sort of being given tongue in cheek coverage because the people are calling for it despite the media's attempts to keep things simple- one on one.    It is even easier when you have someone like Trump who embraces the villain role and makes Clinton a hero by default in the story.   Why complicate it with other possible heroes?   America doesn't like complicated stories.

This election is a mess and only going to get worse.   The worst part is that, if I am right and Trump was in the race solely to make Clinton appeal to the masses, this miscalculation is going to end in a Trump presidency neither he nor America really wants and then what?   Will he quit? Quitting isn't in his nature, but failing is; declaring bankruptcy so he can start over with a "whoops" is.    And what do we know of Mike Pence, who would become President?

If the media did their job, the fact that it is a four person race would be the focus of the news and the other candidates would be given equal time to appeal to the American people.   Let America dismiss them because they don't agree with those candidates, not because they've never heard of them.

Spoiler Free Look at The Killing Joke

I’m still not going to spoil the Killing Joke here, but I do feel the need to address why I love this story in light of the negative press it is once again receiving.    And much of this press is rightly deserved in my not so humble opinion as the writers made choices I personally wish they had not made.   The main writer has also expressed regret over some choices he made while writing it, so I am not alone in my critique, but  I also see how those choices do work  in the narrative of the story and actually makes sense in the demented outlook of the character driving the story.   They are choices I would not have made, but do not distract from the overall story for me.

What makes the Killing Joke unique and special to me is that Alan Moore took a character famous for his lack of motive and gave him a very strict focus; a purpose.   Joker was not out to “watch the world burn” as Nolan’s Joker did.   He is not engaging in some comical criminal plot as a device for a child’s cartoon.   He is not seeking vengeance or any other contrived comic book villain plot in any way, shape, or form this time.    This time he is seeking something everyone can relate too: understanding and vindication of who he became.   He needs to know that what he became is not his fault and that anyone would have followed his path if given his circumstances.   It is the most human motive I have seen for a comic villain outside of Magneto’s desire to prevent another holocaust.    It is a motive even Batman himself could relate to.

Again, without spoilers, Joker believes his life is the end result of “one bad day.”  He then surmises that Batman’s life is also a result of “one bad day.”  If “one bad day” can make Batman into Batman and Joker into Joker, then “one bad day’ should change anyone.   He finds the most honest person he can find, Commissioner Gordon, and subjects him to a truly bad day in the hopes of proving his theory correct, thus vindicating himself and showing that he could have just as easily been Batman and, more importantly, Batman could have just as easily become him.  It is the details of this “bad day” that have caused so much controversy around The Killing Joke, but it does fit within the context of the “bad day’ Joker himself suffered.  And yes, we do get an origin story for the Joker, but even he admits it could be pure fiction.

What makes the Killing Joke such a monumental comic and story is that the writers took two huge figures in American Mythology, a hero and a villain who traditionally are at odds with one another, and showed they were more alike than they were different.   It showed us that anyone could become a hero or a villain based on the circumstances of their lives and makes us wonder, if given the depths of that “one bad day” if we would be Joker, Batman, or Gordon when the day was over.

Killing Joke

How do I review a movie like The Killing Joke without ruining anything?   I can't really, so I won't try.   I will simply say it is as close to the source material as I have ever seen a movie get; almost too close, but to expand on that is to ruin part of the story.    I will simply say this is the perfect send off for Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill.   As Batman and Joker respectively, they have defined the voices for generations and it is fitting that what started out as a kid's cartoon ends in this R-rated masterpiece some 26 years later.

Get it.  Buy it.   Rent it.  See it.

A Poem for Joe

I will not Drudge up the Retort
Not even as a last resort
I will not go there for the news
Nor for its echo chamber views

I've come to see through all that clatter
That none of it will really matter
He said, she said, they all say
Will all not change the light of day

A quote, a note, a pathetic gloat
A hunt for a flag, crowd approval parade float
A glance from the god who watches the words
Rewarding the loyal's most devoted show of the absurd

I'm past it; I'm free; I am lose of it's grip
I no longer lurk or worry of a slip
I no longer enjoy politics being played as a sport
I no longer seek to gaze at any Retort.

And why "a poem for Joe" you may sit and wonder
But the answer is simple, no need to ponder
I know that you so hate when I make my words rhyme
And I'm on vacation; I had plenty of time.

Beach Diary Part II: Another Pot Story

What do you know; there is a second part.  Wonder if there will be a third.   Who knows?

I'm not wearing my ponytail much here on the beach.  I am on vacation and, in the immortal words of David Crosby, I choose to "let my freak-flag fly."  I am usually also wearing my beat-up floppy hat as well so I imagine I must be a slightly unusual sight; HIPPIE ALEART!  Today I added a tye-dyed Greatful Dead "Muppets" themed shirt and baggy cargo shorts to the mix as I walked to the Otter for lunch.

I tend to miss "morning activities" while on vacation with the family, and today was no exception.   The rent-a-house on the beach was empty when I met the day, so I went to the Otter for lunch; a nice fun cheap place in a very expensive tourist trap.   I put on said GD shirt, floppy hat, cargo short, mirrored aviators, and left sans ponytail to grab me some morning fuel.

On my walk to the Otter, a black car rode up along side me as I walked away from the beach.   Inside I could not see much detail, but what I did told me a story.   I saw a thick tanned muscular arm with a massive tattooo leading  up to a spaghetti string shoulded muscle shirt, black of course, and dark shades under a black baseball cap...brim backwards.    I quickly looked about for hidden cameras wondering if Jersey Shore was doing a Florida special.  He was nice enough to turn down the music before he slowed down to a crawl to match my speed.

"Hey!"  He said.

"Yes?"  I was confused.  Nobody knows me here.

"Do you um...."

There was a long pause.  A very long pause.   I think I walked past two houses before the next syllybal came out.

"Do you know where to um..."

I knew where this was going.  Happened last year too.   The year before that, I was on the opposite end doing it to someone else.   Last year I was sitting on the beach at night, enjoying a cheap over the counter cigar, when a kid (I say "kid" because I am old and anyone under 25 is a kid) sat next to me and attempted some random meaningless small talk before asking me if I had any "weed."    I hate when people call it "weed" as "weed" has such a negative connotation.   I told him I didn't, finished my cigar, went home and smoked a bowl.   You can say "asshole" anytime now.

"Do you know where to um....get a bathing suit?"

He chickened out!  I know what I looked like to most people and know what he was looking for.   Lucky for him, he asked a question I could say "yes" to instead of my usual "I wish" answer as it happens a bathing suit store is located next to my favorite Mexican restaurant ever right here in Captiva.   I could give him detailed directions on where to get a bathing suit.  

He drove off and I was happy I could have helped someone here for once get what they were looking for.

Beach Diary Part One

There may not be a part two, but I am on vacation and don't want to think about titles should I decide or, more honestly, remember to continue this.

As I said, I am on vacation with the family.   Parentals, in-law, and niece in tow; sibling plus spouse on Tuesday, then sibling plus family friend Thursday.   Going to be a nice slow build up to total family and should give me plenty of time to socialize with each and introduce the newest incarnation of me.

Tonight I went to the beach; post sundown.  Daytime on the beach is nice, but nighttime is what I come here for.   I love the roar of an almost unseen ocean.   I love, LOVE the star that Miami lights cruelly deprive me of.   Yes, the pink night of Miami is quite cool in its own way, but give me stars anytime.

I remember quite fondly being in Colorado and, forgive me if I shared this story, thought I saw a U.F.O.

I lived in a hostel for the first 6 weeks or so I lived in Boulder back in 95.   It was Fourth of July weekend when I moved there and the streets were literally ablaze with couches (a Boulder tradition at the time).   The fires and chaos were interesting, but it was the stars that stole my attention that night and for weeks thereafter.

One night I was star gazing when I saw a star cruising along the sky at a steady pace.   "A UFO" I thought to myself and quickly scanned my surroundings for signs of a second pair of eyes to confirm what my stoned eyes so clearly saw.  

Did I mention Boulder had great pot and it was plentiful?  My first move upon moving to Boulder was introducing myself to the local homeless youth who occupied The Hill section of Boulder.   Most were Deadheads like myself, and were simply hanging around.   It was an amazing community I met there, beyond belief and I will write of them one day, although I can't guarantee the accuracy of my account: they had access to amazing pot; good enough to make one see UFOs quite possibly.

So this UFO taunted me for about 30 nights straight and there was never another soul around to see it.   It really started to bother me.  Was I insane?  Colorado was the UFO sighting capital, right?   It had to be a UFO!   And it was there EVERY NIGHT FOR 30 NIGHTS STRAIGHT!  A U-F-UCKING-O!

Finally, night 31 I have another person outside with me at the time the UFO comes for its nightly tease and I calmly ask the man, although I wanted to jump up and down and scream "UFO!", I asked him if he saw that light up in the sky.    He looked up and calmly asked me "what, that satellite?"

Seems being a mile high after living a lifetime in Miami exposes one to many wonders all at once.   It is a lot to take in at one time.   I simply responded "yeah, the satellite."

"What about it?"

"I've never seen one."

That was true, but I'd be damned before I told him I thought it was a UFO.   I hadn't been in Boulder long enough to expose that foolish naive eager to believe side of myself yet: too many predators and not enough allies yet.

In Colorado, I saw the Milky Way one night.  Tonight I saw bub kiss.   A few stars and a sliver of the moon.   My binoculars were useless unless I wanted to see darkness close up.    But there was a roar; a peaceful, lulling, pacifying, loving, soothing roar.   It is going to be a great week.

Session Whatever Last Week Was Plus One

No details on my session this week as this one was just for me.  Thera is amazing at asking the right question at the right time and bring back up previous points at the right time.   I enjoy the sessions thoroughly and feel I am better than I ever was thanks to her.  I want to talk today instead about a friend of mine who is going through a similar journey, only without the cancer.  

My friends, whom I will not name due to my policy on other people's lives, noticed an inner peace within me and remembered some things I said to him about removing negative music and movies from my life and he decided to begin his own journey.   Now I should pause for a brief moment to explain something about this friend: he is wise beyond his years, but just wise enough to get himself into trouble.   He is a man who knows far more than he realizes and from whom I learn quite a bit.

He and I talk life a lot and he is a confidant of mine.   My nihilism is not accepted by him, nor is anyone else's ideas of fate or destiny.   He believes life is what you put out there and most of us put out negativity, so that is what life shows us in return.   He agrees with my statement that life is inherently without meaning, but disagrees life is meaningless.   He believes in the reflective nature of reality and that what we put in ourselves is what we use for our lives and how we live our lives determines what we put in ourselves.   To use another cliche' (the sign of a tired writer): he believes life is simply an empty glass and we choose what we fill it with.   Most people choose piss and vinegar when they should focus on using only the most pure nectar of life they can find.

I think he may be on to something.