May 1, 2017

Bright Kid destroys Donald Trump on Ellen Show

Apologies if this has already been posted. This aired in early March 2017, and I just saw it today, May 1, 2017.

May 1, 2017

EMS: 1 dead, 3 injured in stabbing at UT campus; suspect in custody

Source: Austin American-Statesman

One person is dead and three others have been taken to the hospital after a reported stabbing attack on the University of Texas campus Monday afternoon, according to Austin-Travis County EMS.

Read more: http://www.statesman.com/news/local/ems-dead-injured-stabbing-campus-suspect-custody/xgYRXxAmqe43jV1QdgQU3M/

April 11, 2017

Trip from hell courtesy of United Air Lines

Five or six years ago, I took a business trip from Austin, TX to Dulles airport (DC) to Syracuse, NY, flying on United Air Lines. My flight from Austin to Dulles was delayed from taking off because the sink in the rear lavatory overflowed, and the water had to be mopped up before the plane could take off. While waiting for the delay, we were entertained by United employees running up and down the aisle with mops. The flight departed Austin approximately 1pm CT.

Because of the delay, I missed a connecting flight in Dulles that was going to Syracuse. United re-booked me on a later flight, however, that flight would not depart Dulles until 9:30pm ET. So, I had a four hour layover in the Dulles airport. Then, that flight was delayed four hours due to weather. Finally, the flight from Dulles to Syracuse departed at 1:30am ET. The plane landed in Syracuse, as I recall, around 2:15am ET. There was a really long wait for baggage, about an hour. Since it was after 3am in the morning, it took a really long time to get a taxi, and even then, I had to share the taxi with another of my fellow passengers on that flight from Dulles. I arrived at my hotel at 3:45am.

Because this was a business trip, I was obligated to start working at 8:00am, with about three hours of sleep.

February 9, 2017

Joy Behar calls out Trump and Conway on The View

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/02/fight-breaks-out-on-the-view-when-conservative-claims-obama-lied-just-as-much-as-trump/

#allliesmatter

February 5, 2017

Is the U.S. on course for a breakup?

Thirty years ago (late 1980's), I considered the possibility that the U.S. would eventually breakup into five or six countries aligned geographically or economically. For example, Texas would eventually become a nation again, but Texas would also include New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. The breakup would be caused by political divisions that were evident in the the Reagan era.

Now, given the political climate of the last 9 years, my gut feeling is that the probability of a breakup is now significantly higher. Three factors lead me to this belief:

1. Increased negativity of conservative political beliefs and ideology.

2. Increased differences in economic success among the states. According to Business Insider (RANKED: The economies of all 50 US states and Washington, DC, from worst to best), among the top 15 states are: Washington state, District of Columbia, Colorado, Massachussetts, California, Oregon, New York, New Hampshire, and Minnesota - blue states. All but one of the bottom 13 states in the same list are red states.

3. Increased intolerance. This is rather obvious, given the political rhetoric since June 16, 2015 when Trump descended the escalator and announced his candidacy for President.

If what we have seen so far in the past 9 years continues unabated, in my opinion, there is better than a 50/50 chance that the U.S. will break up during the time frame between 2020-2030.

My concept of the breakup:

1. California will be the first state to secede and declare sovereignty (call it the California Republic, or CR).

2. If the CR is successful, Oregon and Washington will secede, and join the CR (call it CR+).

3. If the CR+ is successful, Hawaii will secede and join the CR+.

4. New England states, New York, and possibly 3 other states in the Northeast will secede, then join together to form a new country. Or, they may petition Canada for admission.

5. Depending the level of success of the new countries, other states like Colorado and New Mexico may secede and form their own country, or possibly join the CR+.

6. Arizona and Nevada might secede and join the CR+, depending on those states' demographic trends over the next 20 years.

7. If the CR+ and the new country formed from the NE states are successful, Texas secedes.

8. If all of the above happens, Alaska will secede and become independent.