Is America having a Political Intervention?

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Americans Lost Control of America a Long Time Ago

Government of the people, by the lobbyists, for selfish reasons has been the U.S. mantra for decades.

The pieces never change in Government Monopoly. The banker owns Boardwalk and stomped backwards to Baltic Avenue.

For the record, I’ve identified as Republican most of my life, but I never thought I’d feel this ashamed. Not because of what Republicans were, it’s what they’ve become.

There’s a huge disconnect between the ‘Republican’ people think they are and the Republican party they support.

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American Politics is Basically a Dog’s Diet

Dog food is bland, predictable, and rarely changes. Brands market flavors, but they’re basically the same. Variety comes in scraps. Whenever ignored or left unattended, dogs eat anything they want.

Make America Trust Again

Politicians have failed America and Americans are failing each other. We don’t know what we don’t know, but we’re damn good at pretending we do! We’re all sure of one thing: The other candidate is more corrupt!

Good politicians are mostly useless in this twisted bundle of knots. Americans become angrier as power trumps policy and money keeps the U.S. in a federal and state government stalemate.

Believe

Too many Americans don’t believe in our political system. Too many don’t care. Many voters will shrug their shoulders and choose whomever they consider the lesser evil. It’s pathetic.

Show me the Money!

Remember President Obama’s early first term trade deal with Panama? It seemed shady at the time. Within the past couple years, a small, important bribery case flew under the radar.

For more context, here’s a related post: The Three Ring Circus of Crime.

In April 2014, SAP fired Miami-based sales executive Vicente Eduardo Garcia. In August 2015, Garcia pleaded guilty for bribing ex-Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli to purchase SAP software.

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If you understand SAP’s license and maintenance game, this won’t shock you.

In December 2015, Garcia was sentenced to 22-months in federal prison. In February 2016, the SEC fined SAP $3.7 million under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

When pleading guilty, Garcia called the bribe “necessary.” Interesting. Has the global corruption nut been cracked?

Supposedly, ongoing investigations involving SAP continue. Is this related to The Panama Papers? We haven’t heard much about those recently either.

Making Sense of the Nonsensical

I never believed Donald Trump was serious. Maybe I’m wrong. I sleep better knowing I never supported him.

Trump has the GOP in a choke hold. Permanently smug, he’s exposing everything the far-right believes, unfiltered, while the ‘old guard’ silently watches the controlled demolition of their party.

When you think you’ve heard it all, he gets worse.

It’s ugly. Really, really ugly.

Trump wants to win like anyone wants antibiotic resistant gonorrhea.

Within a year, Trump evolved from barely decent to indigestible and was the only candidate standing for the last nine Republican primaries.

Voila! Republicans nominated an inexperienced, obnoxious Democrat pretending to be Republican.

Since being nominated, Trump’s earned more Republican endorsements for Hillary Clinton than her campaign ever could.

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Is America having a Political Intervention?

How are Americans supposed to elect a president when they’re united by fear and deeply divided by lies? Give them an obvious choice: Trump vs. Clinton. We’re either in purgatory or political intervention and I assume we aren’t living a real life version of Lost.

An intervention makes sense. Cash-susceptible hypocrites who have no business in public service plague both parties. In a shameless quest for power, our government became lobotomized by lobbyists. It’s about money bundled in a web of conflicts of interest.

Unless the cycle is broken, the U.S. will spend its way to oblivion. Until the web of corruption is unraveled, nobody – and I mean nobody – can claim fiscal responsibility.

A Tale of Two Extremes. Most Americans don’t identify with a major party. You’re either Pro-war or a terrorist; fiscally conservative or a communist; racist or Black Lives Matter; for the 2nd Amendment or against it. Party support can be about a single issue – many of them social and unnecessarily political. Basically, you cannot support the LGBT and care about national security. Excuse me?

Stuck in the Middle. The majority of voters rest somewhere between the two major parties. One-by-one, issues take center stage highlighting problems that shouldn’t be political. These are the issues that sway the middle who ultimately decides which party holds the presidency.

To Hell with a Third Party (this time). Many Americans desire a third party – one that knows the role government should play in our private lives and prioritizes accordingly. One that’s socially liberal and fiscally conservative; one that doesn’t squander funds in an endless war against boogeymen who have the home of the brave living in constant fear.

The only candidates participating in the first presidential debate are Trump and Clinton. If that doesn’t tell you voting third party is a wasted effort, nothing will.

Distraction is the Main Attraction. When perception’s reality, the truth is irrelevant. It’s either incredibly telling or massively insulting how U.S. media ignores anything other than the election. On any given day at least half of the top headlines on most ‘news’ sources are about Trump. You won’t find world, business, technology, economic, or political news unless you dig. Significant M&A activity is occurring within major industries around the planet, but you wouldn’t know it if you live in the U.S.

Do you know anyone affected by the VW diesel emissions scandal? What about Lockheed’s $400 billion F-35 logistics system fiasco? Did congress just approve over $1 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia while Obama, on Friday, vetoed a law giving 9/11 families the right to sue Saudi Arabia?

Sacrificing the GOP. First, I thought Trump’s purpose was destroying the GOP. He accomplished that the minute Jeb Bush suspended his campaign after Super Tuesday. It wasn’t until Cruz and Kasich’s conveniently timed exit that exposed a more consorted effort to make Trump the nominee. According to RNC rules, if either Kasich or Cruz stayed in for one more primary, they could’ve had a legitimate contested convention.

However, they both dropped out right before the primary that would make that possible. Curious, isn’t it? Especially since Cruz refused to endorse Trump at the Republican convention.

Tipping the Scales. It’s as if a conscious dismantling of the establishments began with the GOP. The DNC has seen some shake-up, but nothing to the extent of the GOP…yet. The Republicans had 17 contenders a year ago and the only one to gain traction was the guy with zero political experience, acts like a 5-year-old, and lashes out on Twitter like a thin-skinned crybaby.

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Herding the Cattle. One way to corral support is for one nominee to have an epic public meltdown. Let him espouse racial epithets. Add hate, fear, and discrimination to the party platform and, ultimately, you’ve made support of said nominee regretful, embarrassing, and/or unconscionable.

Even still, some supporters are stuck to him like barnacles. Barnacles are a bitch!

The Ridiculous Decision. Nobody likes voting for people they don’t trust. Most voters believe politicians and trust are mutually exclusive. That’s Clinton’s biggest problem and that’s probably why Trump is so incredibly bad. Trump demonstrates daily why he’s not trustworthy while Clinton battles years of character attacks, lies, and political spin. Clinton has to be the most corrupt politician with the shortest rap sheet.

Republicans have spent many more millions investigating Clinton than they approved for the full investigation into 9/11 and the subsequent production of the 9/11 Commission Report.

When are coincidences no longer coincidences?

Hindsight is 20/20. History is written by the victors. Question everything and you begin seeing possible explanations of why we’re in this massive political cluster.

It would take an unthinkable bipartisan effort to fix America’s political crisis. It would take an even more unthinkable global cooperation to fix worldwide economic crime. If what I believe about SAP, international governments, and U.S. dollars is true, then the fix is in. We just don’t know it yet. Could this be the October surprise?

For starters, the timing of Paul Ryan’s appointment as Speaker of the House which happens to be #3 in line for the presidency.

Endless extensions for the release of Clinton’s private server emails concerning the Special Access Program classification. (December 31, 2015 to January 31, 2016 to February 29, 2016 when the FBI finally elevated responsibility to the DOJ).

On July 5, 2016, FBI director James Comey, in his recommendation to not charge Clinton, stated he didn’t want to be the one to alter the course of political history. That doesn’t mean Clinton did anything wrong. Sounds like it’s someone else’s job to alter the course of political history.

Were the emails on a private server in order to be exposed in the first place? The same could be said for Snowden. How did her private server get exposed? The Benghazi investigation, of course.

Anyway, I digress. There’s something brewing in Washington and it’s only a matter of time before this simmering mess boils over. And it’s about time.

Americans are better than this.

If you haven’t succumbed to election fatigue, you’re a sucker for punishment. I am sick of the charade. It’s insulting.

The arguments aren’t worth having. Not at this point. Not anymore. It’s not worth losing relationships with your friends and family.

Sit back and let it all unfold. Meanwhile, live life. Focus on things that matter. Spend time with those you love. Make those around you smile. Stay true to yourself despite the political turmoil. It’s all bullshit.

Your only political responsibility is to show up for election day and vote your conscience. By now, the decision should be clear.

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A Wake of WTF is Right! Trumpnado Deemed Category 5.

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TrumpnadoSharknado

The moment Donald Trump went on his rant about banning Muslims, I predicted the path this storm would take. I still don’t believe he will be president. Even more, I don’t believe he wants to win.

Read the original “Has Trumpnado Jumped the Sharknado?”

The damage since has been monumental.

This scheme has every indication that Trump’s only goal in all of this was a multi-layered take down of the GOP. He won the day Jeb Bush fell off the face of the Earth.

Jeb should bottle and sell his tears on Ebay. “Saltier than the Dead Sea!”

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A Man Walks into a Restroom…

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He used it and left. Nobody thought about whether he had a penis or vagina.

Nobody cared.

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Restrooms are no less safe than they’ve always been. 

A woman walks into a restroom. Only the middle stall was available. She ate Taco Bell for lunch. She offered a courtesy flush as she let go. A bashful gal, she waited until everyone left before exiting the stall.

The “bathroom bills” are distractions intended to cause fear and division to support broader LGBT discrimination.

A man walks into a restroom. He has to piss, but there aren’t dividers between urinals. Self conscious, he uses a stall. He didn’t wash his hands before leaving.

This isn’t about restrooms. Trans men are men. Trans women are women. These laws, if followed, will create the problem that didn’t exist in the first place – co-ed restrooms.

Born female, these transgender men would use the women's restroom. Photo source: Occupy Democrats Facebook
Born female, these transgender men would use the women’s restroom. Photo source: Occupy Democrats Facebook

Three girlfriends walk into a restroom. One fixes her hair. One freshens her face. One takes a selfie for Instagram. They criticize themselves and compliment each other until everyone believes they look cute. The restroom selfie had 15 ‘likes’ before rejoining their group.

Lawmakers claim it’s a ‘safety issue’ and, without these laws, restrooms – especially for women and young girls – are dangerous places where anyone can enter regardless of gender. 

As if laws don’t exist for public misconduct, lewd behavior, and sex crimes – even in restrooms.

NotAboutSafety

A father carries his toddler daughter into a restaurant restroom. She’s sipping water like a bottomless margarita. Simultaneously, another man enters. It’s a small restroom with two toilets. He tells the father he’ll wait outside until they finish.

It’s an election year and it’s time to divide voters. Certain lawmakers add fuel to a smoldering fire by attaching a non-issue to anti-LGBT legislation in order to stoke emotions, cause confusion, and manipulate voters. 

A restroom attendant walks into a nightclub men’s room to prepare for his shift. He organizes the gum, mints, cologne, candy, cigarettes, tissues, and towels. He works for tips and remembers who takes care of him. He ignores the fact they don’t use the toilets after locking their stall.

Restroom scandals aren’t new. In the news, they usually involve the men’s room and undercover cops.

A homeless veteran walks into a restroom. He’s looking for a sink with running water. As he washes his face, he’s unaware people are more concerned he’s dangerous than he doesn’t have a home.

Restrooms are no less safe than they’ve always been. 

A mother escorts her son, age 10, to a restroom. He enters on his own and she waits outside. Three men exit as she waits. He emerges unscathed. He always has. Even still, she accompanies him to public restrooms without exception.

Unabashed Hypocrisy

Former Idaho State Senator Larry Craig. Photo Source: Wikipedia
Former Idaho State Senator Larry Craig. Photo Source: Wikipedia

Throughout history, anti-LGBT supporters have ruined their careers and families when their dirty little secrets involving their own sexuality emerge publicly.

Are their actions overcompensating self-hatred and their personal affinity for same-sex shenanigans?

Personally, I don’t care. It takes a big man to hurt others because they’re secretly miserable.

Here are names of some anti-gay hypocrites. Feel free to look them up if you’re interested in the extent of their hypocrisy and, in some cases, crime(s).

Dennis Hassert – Former U.S. Speaker of the House
Larry Craig – Former Idaho State Senator
Troy King – Former Alabama Attorney General
George Rekers – Co-Founder of the Family Research Council
Richard Curtis – Former Washington State Representative
Glenn Murphy Jr. – Former President of the Young Republican National Federation
David Dreider – Former California Congressman
Bruce Barclay – Former County Commissioner, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Roy Ashburn – Former California State Senator
Ed Schrock – Former Virginia Congressman
Bob Allen – Former Florida State Representative
Phillip Hinkle – Former Indiana State Representative
Roberto Arango – Former Puerto Rico Senator
Randy Boehning – Former North Dakota State Representative
Matthew Makela – Pastor in Michigan
Ted Haggard – Evangelical Pastor in Colorado
Steve Wiles – Candidate for State Senator of North Carolina

 

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Pets and the Responsibility of Euthanasia

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A tie that binds every pet lover.

Most pet owners face the decision to euthanize at some point. Situations vary, but all require two things. Deciding and coping.

It’s an uncomfortable topic, but it’s one of the most important moments we experience with our best friends.

It’s a moment we all become stronger.

The pictures herein are from friends who’ve lost their loyal companions.

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I’m inspired by their strength and remarkable stories. Thank you all for allowing me to include photos of your little angels.

Anticipation and excitement.

In 1999, my then-partner and I brought our first puppy home.

We both grew up with dogs. We understood the responsibilities of owning one, but never had our own.

We were prepared for Denver’s arrival well before we picked him up. We setup his crate, bought the necessities, and mouthfuls of toys. We hopped in the car; five hours later, Denver was home.

All in until the end.

I expected to outlive Denver. Most owners do, but in the beginning, I wasn’t thinking about the end. That day was so far away. I had plenty of time…look! Puppy!

I hit snooze.

Two years later, Marco arrived. Another puppy!

Snooze.

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We knew they would impact our lives, but didn’t realize how deeply. After they settled in, we finally understood the heartbreak that came with them.

Denver was 12 when we put him down. Marco was 14.

I’m awake now.

Having been through it twice, here’s what I can tell you about euthanasia and pet loss:

Saying goodbye will never be easy – Both were equally hard. I was – and always will be – present. Even Marco was in the room when Denver passed. That wasn’t the plan, but it was special. That’s another story.

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The responsibility was mine – At times, I wished someone would tell me what to do. Procedures, surgeries, scans, tests, medication, chemo, euthanize – your vet will advise you. Ultimately, it’s your call.

You can be thrown a curveball – Hidden ailments aren’t always diagnosed when there are no symptoms. In these cases, you may be faced with a decision within days or, sadly, hours.

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When deciding, put them first – With Denver we wondered, ‘too soon?’ With Marco we wondered, ‘too late?’ Health issue or age, you will know when it’s time. You’ll see it in their eyes. They will tell you. Decide, don’t look back, and don’t beat yourself up.

“It’s okay to let them go on a high note.” – Denver’s vet of 12 years said this. She helped us realize it was okay to let him go before we had no choice. He didn’t look sick. Regardless, his seizures were bad, more frequent, and he’d been on medication for 18 months. He was a different dog.

Make memories until the end  It’s your turn to be there for them. Comfort them with your voice and touch. Don’t leave anything left unsaid as if they understand every word.

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Allow yourself to grieve – I felt the void. I cried a lot. One minute, I’d be fine and fully breakdown the next. Triggers were all around me, but they weren’t. I rode waves of emotions until they simmered.

Keep their memory alive – August 30 is Denver’s day. February 17 is Marco’s day. Anniversaries aside, they’re always in my heart. I reflect with those who knew them. Eventually, the tears became laughter and smiles.

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I wouldn’t change a thing  I think about them everyday and the memories they helped me create. They experienced life with me in ways nobody has. Our souls are connected forever.

Coping and time.

Pets and death is an unfortunate reality. It’s a moment you will carry for the rest of your life.

Over time, my emotions evolved. They hit hard, subsided, and occur less spontaneously. It was a painful lesson and I’m emerging more grateful than ever.

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The inevitable question.

People asked me, “Will you get another puppy?” I kept asking myself, “Was it worth it?” Dogless, I saw the whole picture. Unequivocally, my answer is yes.

That’s when the new adventure began.

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Marco’s Goodbye and Bella’s Hello

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I expected I would soon bid farewell to Marco. He was 14 and had surgery in October. By February, another ailment diminished his ability to walk.

MarcoDuo
Marco in 2012

We suspect cancer, but never confirmed. He deteriorated quickly so we simply made the best of his remaining time.

His spine became contorted and his hind legs couldn’t support his body beyond hobbling from bed to his bowls to the backyard and back to bed.

Eventually, he stopped returning from the backyard. Instead, he laid down in spots he never laid before. He looked sad and tired and finally looked his age.

WithDignity

His body was failing; medication was useless. One night he stopped walking entirely.

On February 17, 2016, we put Marco down, effectively ending the Denver and Marco era that began in 1999.

Marco’s Last Day.

The day I woke up knowing Marco would be gone before I slept again was one of the saddest days of my life.

We didn’t have a set time that day – we had an ‘arrive by’ time.

We reminisced and thanked Marco for all he gave us over the years. We cycled through laughter and degrees of breakdowns as the day wore on.

Every memory ended with the harsh reality that he was leaving us within hours.

The biggest hurdle was taking Marco to the car understanding it was his last exit from my house.

In the car, Marco had an energy I hadn’t seen in a while. He smiled and wagged his tail once again. The excitement in his eyes was comforting. It’s as if he knew and told us it’s okay.

We carried him into the vet clinic. Our tears spoke for us. There wasn’t a dry eye in the waiting area as the staff escorted us to a private room.

We cradled him as he was prepped for injections. By the time we were ready, Marco was sleeping. The vet explained what would occur. As the final breakdown ensued, a single nod gave the green light.

We sat with him until his final breath.

An unavoidable void.

I was sad leaving the vet clinic, but relieved. I felt lighter. The worst was over and it was time to grieve.

I broke down everyday for two weeks. My house felt empty. I felt empty. Everything reminded me of unconditional love lost. I swear I heard Marco bark from other rooms. I caught glimpses of him in my peripheral vision, but saw nothing when I looked directly.

Denver and Marco added so much to my life and the lives around me.

What dogs provide us is worth every painful responsibility required when owning them.

Through their lives and losses, it became apparent how much of a ‘dog person’ I am. Letting our loyal companions go will never be easy, but I will do it again.

Sooner than expected.

I wasn’t looking for a puppy when a friend sent me the link that led to Bella.

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She has this look mastered.

If you would have told me a girl would change my life this year, move in, and I’d pick up her crap, I would have told you that happened two years ago – and his name’s Eric.

Bella was born on January 30, 2016. I’ve accidentally called her Marco and Denver, but her nicknames are piling up.

BellaSunset
Adapting to her new home well.

She makes me smile. She’s a positive spirit and loves everyone. Her eyes say everything. She makes me happy and makes me think. I feel like a kid when she’s around. Best of all, she doesn’t care about my alleged snoring.

I pick up her poop and she tries to get in the bathroom when I poop. That’s a first.

Puppy energy is exactly what this house needed. It’s exactly what I needed.

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