November 5, 2016

This might be my last blog for a long while. 25 years ago today, my mother died. She had been suffering from lymphoma for about 3 years by that point. She was at the (since-shuttered) Baptist Downtown Hospital in Memphis, TN, for an (at-the-time) experimental stem-cell treatment. She died about 12 hours before she was scheduled to get out of the hospital. My mother's death destroyed what was left of my family. My father and grandmother died 4 years later, and my mother's family in Chambersburg rarely communicated with my father after that.

For about the next 80 hours, the country I currently call home faces the most divisive Presidential campaign in the last 156 years. The votes should be counted by late evening of Tuesday the 8th. By the following morning, the world should know if the next so-called leader of the free world is a billionaire idiot with some good ideas on fixing corruption and replacing Obamacare- or a corrupt leftist female canine who is anti-male, anti-Catholic, and under FBI investigation. Regardless of who wins, I see a lot more civil unrest in America's future. This election has caused deep rifts in America. Democrats blame it on Trump's caustic personality. Conservatives blame it on the corruption of the establishment. Some people believe in and advocate racial divisions (i.e. minorities against "Whitey"). Many believe in affirmative action, a deliberate form of racism. Some believe law enforcement is evil. Many believe infanticide should remain legal and be expanded. Most Democrats support government funding of Planned Parenthood, the nation's biggest infanticide provider and an organization created to prevent inferior (i.e. minority or disabled) people from reproducing. Some people believe racial diversity is a bad thing. Some think thoughts should be controlled. Some think the government should control everything and punish those who defy or oppose government regulations. Some think male nature has to be changed. Some think women are too uppity for their own good. Some think women should be beaten or killed for defying a man. Some people think guns should be banned. Many disagree, and the vast majority of those aren't criminals. Many of both parties think people of my faith (Catholicism) don't belong in the public sphere. Indeed, some of Hillary Clinton's allies (including John Podesta) advocated "infiltrating" the Church to make it more left-wing American, while others (including Andrew Cuomo) have advocated their relocation outside their political jurisdictions.

The last time such differing and incompatible ideologies competed in the national sphere, the result was the Civil War from 1861-65. For obvious reasons, unless the elements of American politics that are openly hostile to my beliefs and existence are dealt with defeat and permanent obsolescence, I don't see a future for myself in this country. I don't believe in government over-regulation. I don't believe in legalized infanticide. I don't believe in discrimination against people of different races, and I don't believe in government sponsored discrimination in legal or hiring or immigration or educational practices. I don't believe in the government telling me I have to pay more for health care than what I presently pay in rent, and that I have to pay a huge percentage of my income in government fines if I don't get their mandated insurance. I don't believe in stifling competition. I don't believe in throwing people out on to the street and denying them shelter (partially because that has happened to me before, most recently in January 2015). I don't believe in being branded a traitor or worse because I can't support or defend a country that is at best hypocritical and at worse a growing threat to the world and trying to become as much a part of the Axis of Evil as the mad mullahs of Iran, North Korea, Putin's Russia, the Chinese Communists, and Daesh/ISIS already are.


For probably the last time, here are my election endorsements for this Tuesday:

President:

I ended up voting for Trump, not because I agree with his stands on Immigration or trade or celebrity treatment of women, but because unlike McMullin or Gary Johnson, he actually stands a chance of defeating the one candidate who will make me defect somewhere else (Hillary Hildabeest Clinton). Anyone idiotic and stupid enough to vote for Clinton should contribute to the GoFundMe page I plan on activating November 9 (if Clinton wins) to pay for my international relocation, Obamacare fee, and renunciation of American citizenship fees (approximately $2-10K, $1-2K, and $2-4K, respectively).

Congress:

District 35: Susan Narvaiz over liberal Lloyd Doggett. What idiots in Austin thought it was a good idea to put SE Austin and the east side of San Antonio in the same district?

District 23: Will Hurd over Pete Gallego. At least Hurd has campaigned against both Trump and Clinton, while Gallego spews the DNC anti-Trump line.


And I would recommend Canada, Ireland, and the UK for potential expatriates regardless of ideology. Ireland and the UK are a bit more conservative than the US, while the current Canadian government is more liberal. But all 3 are far less likely to explode into civil war than the US is right now, and all 3 are freer than America.

February 22, 2014

A lot has changed since I last posted here. I am now in Austin, Texas- in almost the same place in the same building I was in 51 weeks ago. I now have a Texas Driver's License (which is considerably cheaper than its New York counterpart). Unlike last time, I was not forced to sleep on the street because the shelter was full, and I hadn't finished changing the local address from the hostel I spent a week at (and used as an address for over 20 job applications) to the ARCH (Austin's main homeless shelter) before I got back into the transitional housing program I was in for March, April, and half of May last year. Things have changed in Austin, too. Few of the people I was in contact with last year are around now- possibly due to moving out of the area (or possibly even death). I recognized a few people who didn't remember me. I ran into my primary local job reference (and former case worker) at her new Goodwill assignment. One of my former running partners is well established in his new job, and too busy to meet up with me, yet he still liked some of my Austin and New York photos on Facebook. I also ran into a film/theater instructor from Israel who got me into that 6th Street Video project last year (the results of which are below) and now has me enrolled in a special theatrical project with the ARCH, UT, and a few other organizations called "Am I Invisible". I created a song that could possibly accompany this project, but I have already reached the limit of SoundCloud free space. Now I have a few hobbies to occupy my time between job search, and whenever I get my final paycheck from a certain messenger service in NYC next week, I can finally pay off some bills and maybe see if I still qualify for the discounted membership at the Austin YMCA. And maybe I can qualify for one of those under $600 per month apartments once I start working. But I am enjoying not being in snowstorm after snowstorm, and I am enjoying not have that hypocritical Sandinista De Blasio as my mayor and that intolerant scumbag Cuomo as my governor. Video of De Blasio's latest miscue

November 1, 2010

As tomorrow is election day, I have decided to publish my own endorsements for various races.


COLORADO (my current home state)

Governor: No endorsement. The Republican, Dan Maes, has been caught in various lies, is deeply in debt, and is polling at 5-8%, bad enough to where despite the potential Republican victories in other state offices, they will be (for legal purposes) a 3rd party in this state. The two main candidates (tied at around 40-45% of the vote) are former Republicans John Hickenlooper and Tom Tancredo. Hickenlooper switched his party affiliation to Democrat so he could run for and win his current job (Denver Mayor). While Hickenlooper is running as a conservative budget balancer and government job trimmer, his true colors came out at last week's debate when he came out against Colorado's anti-Obamacare Amendment 63, and for potentially raising taxes to keep the state's budget in balance. Tancredo, on the other hand, bolted the Republicans for the American Constitution Party this year because Maes and his primary opponent Scott McInnis wouldn't drop out of the race. And let's not forget Tancredo's extremism on the immigration issue (supporting an Arizona-style immigration law is one thing, but trying to restrict the ablities and options of legal immigrants is another). Colorado in 2011 could end up as messed up as New York, where one of the architects of the Great Recession (Andrew "no homo" Cuomo) is way ahead in the polls to replace David Paterson.

Judiciary: Colorado is one of those states where a judge can be voted out of office after a few years (2 years for recently appointed judges, 10 for incumbent members of the state supreme court). Part of the reason Amemndments 60, 61, and 101 are on the ballot this year is because 4 liberal judges found loopholes around the state's TABOR law and used them to hike state fees dramatically. Three of those liberal supreme court judges are up for a yes or no vote this year (the fourth, Mary Mullarkey, who was the state's chief justice, decided to quit rather than face a certain no vote). I urge Colorado voters to VOTE NO on the 3 Supreme Court justices up for a vote- Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, and Nancy Rice.

Attorney General: John Suthers is the clear choice over liberal Boulderite Stan Garnett.

Secreary of State: I recommend Scott Gessler over Democrat Bernie Buescher.

Treasurer: Despite the recent DUI charges (which the Democrats have distorted to the point where even the liberal newspapers are condemning their last minute campaigning on), I still endorse Walker Stapleton over Cary Kennedy.

Senate: I made no endorsement in the Republican primary back in August because no matter if Jane Norton or Ken Buck had won, either would have been preferable to liberal Andrew Romanoff or Obama puppet Michael Bennet. Ken Buck won, and is leading the polls despite a few gaffes and the full force of the Democratic establishment condemning him. I strongly endorse Ken Buck for the Senate. If Michael Bennet was serious in his recent ad about having his pre-teen daughters transporting gullible voters to the polls, then that alone should disqualify him from ever holding public office again. (I will never endorse my former Congressman, the Weiner, due to his cookie bribing incident at a polling site I worked at back in 1998.)

House District 3: The clear choice here is tea party-endorsed Scott Tipton over anti-Springs Puebloite (and more recently, Obama and Pelosi puppet) John Salazar. Fortunately, this is one of those races which has gone from toss up to soon-to-be-former-Democrat.

I'm also endorsing Republicans Cory Gardner for District 4 and Ryan Frazier for House District 7.

Colorado State Senate: The Republicans have a shot out of wresting this from the Democrats. One of the tightest races is in my Senate District 11. My current state senator, the state Senate leader John Morse, is running annoying "boots" commercials complete with talking boots denouncing Air Force Academy graduate Owen Hill as anti-Military. Those boots need to be used to kick Morse's posterior (and various other jackasses) out of Denver- I strongly endorse Owen Hill.

Colorado State House: This chamber could also flip to the Republicans. My liberal state representative Michael Merrifield is abandoning this seat for a probably losing race for one of the El Paso County Commission spots (which hasn't gone to a Democrat in years). The clear choice is Republican Karen Cullen over Democrat Tim Lee in District 18.

Amendments and Propositions: Voting on these are crucial to fixing the state government.

Amendments 60, 61, and Prop 101: Hell fucking yeah I support these! Don't believe the scare tactics that these will cause massive job losses and a "voter approved "recession". They will cause public sector layoffs (which even Hickenlooper wants to do as governor), while at the same time lowering taxes and automotive and telecommunications fees.

Amendment 62: Yes, if passed, this amendment will outlaw unrestricted abortion on demand in Colorado. For that reason alone, I strongly support this amendment.

Amendment 63: If passed, this will outlaw in Colorado the most odious aspect of Obamacare, the requirement that all people must have health insurance or else face massive fines from the government. I have not had health insurance for most of my adult life because it is too damn expensive and most insurers won't cover me anyway because of my asthma. Forcing me to pay for a product that I can't afford and in most cases wouldn't be able to use anyways is so immoral that I would seriously consider leaving the US if the "insurance requirement" survives Constitutional challenges. I support Amendment 63.

Amendment Q: This amendment allows for relocating state government in case something catastrophic happens in Denver. I support this amendment, and would go further as far as suggesting the state government should move out of Denver now- preferably to the Springs, Castle Rock, Cripple Creek, or Grand Junction.

I also support Amendments P and R.

NEW YORK

Governor: Rent is too damn high in this state, Paladino is a bit nuts, but Andrew Cuomo is one of the architects of the Great Recession, and considering he's from the same party apparatus that put job-killing prostitute-loving sleazeball Eliot Spitzer into the Governor's mansion 4 years ago, there is no way in hell I can endorse Cuomo. I support Carl Paladino for New York governor, and I hope that the NY polls are wrong tomorrow.

Comptroller: Albany shill Tom DiNapoli vs Harry Wilson? Of course I'm endorsing Harry Wilson.

Attorney General: Albany shill Eric Schneiderman vs Staten Island DA Dan Donovan? I'm endorsing Donovan.

State Senate and House: The NY Senate was a "chamber of horrors" last year. The Democrats are disorganized, corrupt, and need to lose 3 seats to reclaim the minority in the state Senate. Unless they are running on the Conservative, Republican, Right-to-life, or Tea Party lines, I cannot endorse anyone running for New York's state legislature. Most deserving to go: Assembly sleazer leader Sheldon "Shyster" Silver.

Senate seats: I endorse Jay Townsend and Joseph DioGuardi over Chucky Schumer and his parakeet Kirsten Gillibrand. While both Republicans will probably lose, Schumer will probably be the next US Senate Majority Leader if the Republicans don't win back the Senate tomorrow.

House: I endorse Altschuler (NY-1), Gomes (NY-2), and King (NY-3).

House District 4: Colin Ferguson shot the wrong McCarthy. I'm endorsing Fran Becker.

House District 8-9: Don't vote for "Jerrolmander" Nadler or the Weiner. Sheepshead Bay and Forest Hills don't belong in the same Congressional district. Neither do the West Side and Brighton Beach. Hopefully redistricting will redraw the 8th and 9th districts into something that is sensible, competitive, and less leftist, especially since Southern Brooklyn is one of the most conservative parts of NYC.

House District 13: I endorse Michael Grimm over too-liberal-for-Staten-Island Michael McMahon. This is the one NYC seat that should flip back to the Republicans tomorrow.

House District 19: John Hall sucked when he was with Orleans in the 1970s, and he is just as lousy a Congressman now. I'm endorsing Nan Hayworth, and according to most polls, she should win tomorrow.

I'm also endorsing Chris Gibson (NY-20), George Phillips (NY-22), Matt Doheny (NY-23), Richard Hanna (NY-24), and Tom Reed (NY-29).

CONNECTICUT

Governor: I'm endorsing Tom Foley for governor over Dan Malloy.

Senate: I strongly endorse Linda McMahon. I hope tomorrow she will layeth the smacketh down on Vietnam faker Richard Blumenthal.

Also, I encourage all Connecticut voters to wear WWE gear to the polls tomorrow.

NEVADA

Down with the Reids! I'm endorsing Brian Sandoval for governor and Sharron Angle for Senator.

FLORIDA

I'm endorsing Rick Scott for governor and Marco Rubio for Senator in my late father's home state. I know the governor's race here is tight, but isn't Sink the perfect surname for a Democrat?

PENNSYLVANIA

I'm endorsing Tom Corbett for governor and Pat Toomey for Senator in my late mother's home state.

KENTUCKY

House: I'm endorsing Todd Lally over way-too-liberal-for-Louisville John Yarmouth in the 3rd District.

Senate: I'm endorsing tea party favorite Rand Paul over Jack Conway, who disgraced his faith and killed any chance the Democrats had of taking this Senate seat with the infamous Aqua Buddah attack ad.

September 25, 2010

As of this writing, I have spent a combined total of 6 years in my hometown of Colorado Springs. But this city keeps changing (probably more so than NYC over the last 3 years), and not always for the better.

With maybe 3 exceptions, the people I knew and socialized with during my last stint in the Springs (May 2007-May 2008) aren't here anymore. This city has one of the highest turnover rates in the country. Some of it is due to the military presence. That's how my family ended up here in 1973 and why it left by the end of the 1970s. In 2007, medical marijuana had few dispensaries in this state. Now, there's too many to count in this city (including one just 2 blocks from where I go to Mass) and the unincorporated parts of El Paso County are trying to outlaw them. And it is not that difficult for a physically well pothead to get a prescription for a joint. Wisely, all the major colleges outlaw "legal" marijuana on their campuses. Maybe the Feds should step in and remind them that non-medicinal use of marijuana is still illegal under Federal law, despite what one would believe by reading the back "Cannabiz" section of the Colorado Springs Independent.

The media and politics are also screwed up here. Why is it that the Republicans have a better chance of taking back Albany than Denver? Because the Colorado state Republican party totally screwed up. An unknown candidate by the name of Dan Maes beat the establishment candidate of Scott McInnis (mainly due to Maes's strong support in this county, since excluding the El Paso Republican results, McInnis won everywhere else in the state). And what does that mean now? An underfunded candidate being attacked by the right (Tom Tancredo, who left the Republicans for the American Constitution Party) and the left (Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, who is a lot more liberal than outgoing Democrat Governor Bill Ritter). At least the tea party is actively supporting Republican candidates Ken Buck (for Senate) and Scott Tipton (who is running against a member of the infamous anti-Springs Salazar clan for Pueblo's Congressional seat). At least in New York, Carl Paladino has enough money to counter the Democratic machine. Hell, Carl Paladino and Rush Limbaugh recently discovered that Village Voice article from 2008 that ties Andrew Cuomo to HUD policies that caused the housing crisis that caused the Great Recession. What is it with New York Democrats and their love affair with candidates that are proven job and economy killers? Hello- read anything I've written on this blog between 2006-2008 with the keyword of "Spitzer".

And the local media... I understand Colorado Springs is too small to have all the dailies and free papers that New York City has. But 75 cents is way too overpriced for what the only paper in town gets you. And according to the Nielsen ratings, the number one station in this media market isn't even based in Colorado Springs or affiliated with a watchable network. Between KKTV, KRDO, and KXRM, are there are 3 pretty good alternatives. As far as broadcast quality, I would probably rate KRDO and KXRM ahead of their broadcast networks' owned stations in New York (although WABC and WYNW get better ratings in New York than KRDO and KXRM do in Colorado Springs). And now that the damn Pueblo station's main digital signal picks up in the Springs, why are they on both Channel 42 and Channel 30? KHWS TV is fairly good, but it can only be picked up on cable since they don't have a digital signal. And one also needs cable to get the Ion family of networks. And how come Accuweather isn't on any digital subchannels here? And let's not forget our local cable company is Comcast, which also now owns the worst network in broadcasting and gives it channel preference over most of the Springs stations.

And as far as KKTV, while they're no WCBS, they tend to have the best local news, although one would not believe that by reading the local Nielsens. But I do have a gripe with KKTV- despite being the last VHF station in town (and by far the strongest digital signal on my converter box), they want to move from Channel 10 to Channel 49. Why, so they can weaken their signal? So they can lose their coverage in the the southern Denver suburbs and in Southeastern Colorado? Ever since WCBS was forced to move to UHF in New York, they've lost a lot of coverage in Orange and Suffolk Counties. The FCC is allowing WCBS to get a repeater signal on 22 since WCBS's main signal on 33 conflicts with WFSB Hartford's signal, also on 33. Before 2009, WCBS was on Channel 2 and WFSB was on Channel 3, and both could be picked up in the far northern suburbs. Now, neither can be picked up without cable. Great going, FCC. I see KKTV moving to Channel 49, falling further behind in the ratings, and possibly losing their longtime CBS affiliation if they don't apply for more repeater signals.

While CBS is the dominant primetime network and (in NYC, Philly, Chicago, and LA) a heavily listened to radio news source, there is no CBS radio news in Colorado Springs. CBS lost their longtime affiliate, KVOR-AM (the original owner and callsign of KKTV) in 2007. Despite the fact that KRDO-AM/FM was (and still is) an ABC news affiliate, KVOR's owner decided to switch to ABC. But then KVOR's owner (Citadel) bought ABC's radio networks and could have easily yanked that from KRDO-AM/FM, but didn't. There are also 2 Fox News radio affiliates that pick up here (KZNT and KCSJ).

And now, I need an internet connection to listen to anything resembling a news radio station or a dance music station