February 14, 2023

Watching Local News about MSU shooting-- and SUSPECT confirmed DEAD!

Yes, 3 are announced dead as well as 5 more in the hospital with "life-threatening injuries"...
(Yeah, anytime you are SHOT it is a life threatening injury, IMHO)

I was never a student at MSU, but I have spent much time there... When I was college-age, I went there to participate in many political activities--- and yes, I went out there to party! Had a student girlfriend there for a while, who took me down into the basement of one of the residence halls, where they were supposed to "take shelter" in case of nuclear war (that was in the early 80's)... That sort of traffic has never stopped, and many non-students are often present on-campus and off, coming from outside East Lansing. Later in life I was a taxi driver, ferrying drunk students and non-students home when the bars closed, especially on Friday and Saturday nights-- they were the major source of my income. That is why am well aware of all the non-student traffic going in and out of MSU and East Lansing..

Presently, the MSU campus has been flooded with police for nearly 4 hours, but no suspect has been apprehended. They have released camera footage of the suspect, still photos thus far, which identify him as a "short" (so they say), but clearly African-American individual wearing a jean coat, red-orange shoes and a ballcap and mask. His face is totally obscured, in the photos I have seen. The only way he could be possibly identified in the photos I have seen, is from the clothing that he was wearing.

I have absolutely nothing to back this up-- other than intuition and personal experience with the area:

My best guess is, that this suspect is a non-student, who had connections with students on-campus... The first assault occurring in a classroom building may undermine that assumption, but I am loathe to believe that an AA student at the university has committed this crime. I could be wrong, but I do know that many AA's from outside the university make their way back and forth to MSU/East Lansing, and they are much more likely to be armed.... (One night when cleaning out my taxi, I found one or two shotgun shells spilled on the floor in back-- disturbing? lol)

In four hours, more than a hundred police have not been able to apprehend any suspect, as reported. I suspect the suspect had a vehicle parked somewhere, and he made his way to it on foot, and got the hell out of the area-- unless he had a residence somewhere nearby, and is himself "sheltering in place"....


JUST IN THIS MINUTE:
The suspect may have been caught at Larch St. and Lake Lansing (in Lansing, about 5 miles away from the scene of the crime)--

and "may" have killed himself...


I hope it is accurate.

stupid newspeople "that is a long way away from the scene of the crime, if true, how did he get there??"

Obviously it is only a 10-15 minute drive, if you have a car....

(too close to my neighborhood now, he was headed in my direction... )


(edit)
SO--- that is less than half a mile from my house, where the suspect purportedly killed himself.... an intersection I often visit-- to shop at the 'Quality Dairy', a convenience store--- directy across from them is a Dominos Pizza outlet... oddly enough, I sometimes visit it at about that time of night (shiver)

too damn close for comfort, right ???

Seems I was correct about the suspect getting the hell out of East Lansing after committing the crimes....
Whether it was a 'non-student' remains to be seen, but the direction of his flight would seem to back up my intuitive asserion... We shall see.

------------
UPDATE:
Just about 2 a.m., local law enforcement (MSU/East Lansing) announced that the deceased shooting suspect
"had absolutely NO official connection to the MSU community"-- not a student nor employee.

So it seems my intuition was correct.
I don't claim to be any kind of genius, but this IS my neighborhood...

It is very sad that the blood has come to my community, and the MSU community...
My sympathy goes out to those familes who are experiencing loss or injuries among family members.

I hope that there are no more deaths...

February 9, 2023

President Biden WON the 2024 Presidential Election LAST NIGHT..! (with CNN flashpoll)

Hyperbole? Well, perhaps just a touch... but the way he owned the Republicans last night, and the way he touted the accomplishments of his administration, give me total confidence that he is our candidate, and he will be victorious over whatever 'person' the GQP decides to put forward!

Results of a CNN "flash-poll" after the speech were very positive.

Given the degree of 'polarization' of the country, I don't think we could have hoped for any better. The President's poll numbers increased most dramatically on various issues among independents-- and among those who had been most skeptical of President Biden, per CNN flash-poll results below.

It seems to me that one of the biggest problems has been, that most people are unaware of the legislative and economic accomplishments of the Biden administration... We need to do a better job of 'blowing our own horn'! We have the lowest unemployment numbers in 50 years! That is a major accomplishment that should be trumpeted by every Democratic candidate from the president all the way down to township trustees! The Republicans are never shy about bragging-- (and much of the time they are lying about their results, particularly during the former administration)--- but we have the numbers to prove it! This is DEMOCRATIC PROSPERITY!!!

The alternative, aptly illustrated by "our Republican friends" last night, is chaos, and lack of support for things that most Americans consider to be good and simple common sense...

Ok, on to the poll results:
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/biden-state-of-the-union-2023/h_2ba5925736eda5fb0883e61d8004793d

::snip::

The biggest movement came among those who were skeptical of Biden to begin with. Among those who said in the pre-speech survey that they disapproved of the way Biden is handling his presidency, just 7% said before the speech that they thought Biden’s proposed policies would move the country in the right direction, rising to 45% post-speech. And among political independents, the share saying Biden’s policies would move the country in the right direction rose from 40% pre-speech to 66% afterwards.

Overall, 66% who watched the address said that Biden’s policies would move the country in the right direction on the economy – that’s in comparison to 62% of speech-watchers who said the same about his economic policies following his speech last year, and 72% following Biden’s first presidential address to Congress in 2021. The share of viewers this year who felt Biden’s economic policies would mark a shift in the right direction rose 16 percentage points following his speech. That shift was also heavily concentrated among independents, who went from 38% saying his economic proposals would move things in the right direction pre-speech to 64% post-speech.

A two-thirds majority also said that Biden’s policies would move the country in the right direction on foreign affairs (67%) with somewhat more modest majorities saying the same of his policies on gun laws (63%), government spending (59%) and immigration (55%). The share of viewers who said Biden’s immigration policies would move the country in the right direction rose 14 points post-speech.

::snip::
Read all:
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/biden-state-of-the-union-2023/h_2ba5925736eda5fb0883e61d8004793d


I recall a theme from history, perhaps more than once, that "you don't switch horses in the middle of the stream"
(most notably from the Roosevelt re-election campaign of 1944).

If that is true, you most certainly do not attempt to switch horses in the middle of the stream,
when you are already riding the WINNING horse!!!

The vast majority of the American people are with us and Joe on the issues!

While many of the younger folks who support our party may wish for "a new flavor"--
(and when I was young, I often wished for "new flavors" also)--
there is NO potential candidate who could adequately replace
President "Fighting Joe" BIDEN at this moment in history!

I don't want to entertain any more "what-ifs" about 2024.
President Biden has said from the very beginning,
that he WOULD RUN for re-election, as long as he was able to do so.

Last night, off-script and under attack by extremists, he proved that he was VERY able!
He OWNED and HUMILIATED the far-right bastards, and forced them to physically "stand up" to protect Social Security and Medicare!
(two programs they have been plotting against for decades, almost 100 years ago Republicans opposed the creation of Social Security when they called it "SOCIALISM"...... ((yawn)) )


Yes, we will still have to "do the work"--
but President Joe Biden is the BEST candidate we could hope for, at this moment!

In 2020, he was also our best candidate, with experience and maturity and empathy!

But now, he is the candidate with RESULTS as well!


"FINISH THE JOB!"

BIDEN-HARRIS 2024!

February 8, 2023

"Airlines can't treat your children like a piece of baggage!"

Damn good line, by President "Fighting Joe" Biden!!!



(referencing airlines charging an extra $50 so that flying families can have seats together...)


All the Republicans remaining seated and refusing to applaud, for all these things that help working families--
it is not a good look....


LET'S GO 'BRANDON' 2024!!!!


and I am tired of all this 'if Joe does not run' bullshit---

He is running, and I am WITH JOE!!!

February 8, 2023

DeSantis pushes gun bill which would make it easier to shoot him

(this is snark-- but my subject line is also completely accurate. Perhaps he has not thought this through to its logical conclusion?)


By
News Service of Florida
Published Dec. 16, 2022

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday he expects lawmakers during the 2023 regular legislative session to pass a major change in Florida gun laws.

The change would allow what supporters call “constitutional carry.”

Under current law, people who want to carry guns must get concealed-weapons licenses from the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Constitutional carry would allow people to carry guns without the licenses.

“Basically, this was something that I’ve always supported,” DeSantis said. “The last two years, it was not necessarily a priority for the legislative leadership. But we’ve been talking about it, and he’s (Renner’s) pledged publicly that’s moving forward, and it’ll be something that will be done in the regular session.”

https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2022/12/16/permitless-carry-constitutional-carry-gun-law-desantis-renner/


GOD BLESS AMERICA, GUNS & FREEDOM!!!!

January 9, 2023

I am trying to listen to "Tora, Tora, Tora" while posting here....

Seems to have been an extremely poor choice, since all the Japanese speak in Japanese, and I cannot see the subtitles from my computer position.... LOL


Guess I will have to give up and move back in front of the television...

I remember first seeing this movie before I was ten years old,
it was the choice of a major network for the 'Friday night movie'...


My father was about 12 years old when the Japanese attacked us...
his 2 older brothers made it into the armed forces before the war ended,
but he was just a shade too young...

December 8, 2022

HEY--REPUBLICANS!!-- HERE'S A "NEW STRATEGY" FOR YOU!!!!----

BECOME MORE LIBERAL!!!


Stop trying to force everyone else to subscribe to your political beliefs!

STOP trying to legislate your RELIGIOUS beliefs!!!



Stop trying to take away bodily autonomy from 50% + of American voters!

Stop trying to re-litigate the 2020 election!! ---- You LOST, end of story.. and Rightly so!


and---


STOP trying to re-fight the civil war, in favor of the side who sought to destroy this union and continue the enslavement of black Americans!!!!

(AND---- STOP supporting those in favor of the side who opposed the positions taken in the founding of YOUR OWN political party--
which remains the proudest moments of your party,
when even I would have voted Republican!!!!)


The political positions of the modern Republican party repudiate their own founding principles...


Modern Democrats have more claim to Lincoln than his own party does....

(and if you look at the electoral map of modern presidential elections, and compare them to the results of 1860, the modern Democratic map is eerily similar to the Lincoln map of 1860)....



Of course, the GOP bigwhigs are unlikely to read my advice on this somewhat obscure Democratic web discussion board--

and I am happy with that--- I hope they keep doing as they have been doing!

"TOO MUCH WINNING!" Right ??? LMAO

December 7, 2022

WARNOCK 2028 !!!!!

Just sayin'....

He is a rock-star!

(watching his victory speech now)

December 7, 2022

Georgia Republicans! TIME TO EVACUATE!!!!

You might as well move your asses to Florida or Texas--- fascism is pretty secure there (sorry Democrats),
but Georgia is LOST to you!!! Things will only get WORSE from here on out!

And thank God for that! DEMOCRACY WINS TONIGHT

(and the Democratic party also!--- Not the racist Democratic party of the past,
of which you were probably partisans, if you were alive at the time--
but the diverse Democratic party of the present and the future--
from which you deserted at some time after they passed the civils rights and voting rights bills!)


Here's just another reminder, that your side (conservatives) LOST 'the war of northern aggression'!)

"Hurrah! Hurrah! We bring the jubilee!
Hurrah! Hurrah! The flag that makes you free!
So we sang the chorus from Atlanta to the sea!
While we were marching through Georgia!"

Another victory for democracy!!!

December 6, 2022

My childhood trip into the sewer system, underground...

Not too smart ?? Yeah...

(At the time I was too young to have any idea of 'noxious gases' that could be present down there...)

It was a very warm summer day... and I was with our little 'neighborhood gang'. (OK, we weren't really a 'gang', just all the friends in the small neighborhood, one block's worth of a city street really..)

At the south end of our street was property owned by the local radio station, which amounted to about 4 city blocks, containing their transmitting towers.... it was open, poorly maintained (nature had control of most of the area), and it was often our favorite hunting ground to capture and collect butterflies (for a year or two when we were into that), and when we were older, we would go there to smoke cigarettes, and set off illegal fireworks (which was anything more than a "sparkler", when I was young... one night me and my best friend almost set the entire field on fire, lol, but we stamped it out in time)...


Anyway.... I was a 'follower', not a leader--- but one day one of the more forceful members of the neighborhood suggested that we open the manhole cover at the north end of that space, and go down there and look around... so we all did. I think I was between 9 and 12 years old at the time--- the field in question was part of my route home via the path, from my elementary school in 4th grade, so it was familiar ground--- above ground...This was in the early 1970s.

This was probably the worst act I participated in, at such an age--- I knew damn well, we shouldn't be down there, but peer pressure and curiosity prevailed...lol. We were all boys... lol

We descended into a pipe 4 or 5 feet tall, with a tiny trickle of water running down the bottom.
There was evidence of other people having been down there, a little graffiti on the wall, and a few empty beer cans discarded...

So we began to traverse it for a distance... Every so often we could see where the "sewer inlets" from the street connected from the side... At times there was a smell of 'sewage', but no evidence of it in the tunnel we were navigating...

A block or 2 from our entrance point, the bravest of us traveled up a ladder to another manhole, and lifted it enough to "take a look". It seems it was in the middle of the road there... I was not one of them. LOL

We wandered for maybe as much as an hour before making our way back to our entrance point... We never did that again, at least I never did... it was one of the most frightening experiences of my life, at that age--- but I was usually a pretty 'good boy' so I felt extremely guilty. lol

Thank GOD my Mother never found out!!!! lol


Now in my adulthood, I realize how dangerous that could have been--- but at least it was a very dry day in mid-summer...
if a sudden big rainstorm had occurred while we were down there, that would have been a 'bad thing'..


Also, I now know, that this would have been one of the safest places to be, in case of a direct nuclear attack on our town...




Anybody else every do this ??

December 5, 2022

Why not DELAWARE for the FIRST PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ??

In 2028, if not 2024--- proud home state of Our Fighting Democratic President !!!


NO state is smaller in area, except Rhode Island!
(meaning it is smaller in area, than even New Hampshire!)


THIS is a state where even obscure Democratic candidates could compete fairly in "retail politics"-- !

and demographically, it is 22% African-American--
which likely translates to nearly 50% AA in a Democratic presidential primary!


I do not oppose President Biden's preferences for the 2024 primary schedule, but I don't necessarily support all of it, either..
However, he is too modest to propose his home state as the first primary---
so I will do it for him here, in our obscure forum !!!


If we want states which have not previously 'had a voice' in the primary process, to finally HAVE a voice---
who better than DELAWARE?

Who knows when Delaware has been scheduled, and who remembers the results from any year???
All I know is that Joe Biden won it in 2020! hahahaha



As a very small state, where retail politics can make a difference, Delaware would appear to fit the bill even better than New Hampshire, as it is a smaller area.....

It was a slave state, who remained in the Union, and a border state.... and the ONLY 'slave state' who organized NO regiments to fight on the side of the confederacy in the civil war...)



Just throwing it out there.... I don't oppose my president's preferences for the 2024 schedule
(although I think NH and Nevada should not be on the same day, nor both only 3 days after South Carolina, that gives no-one any time to campaign)


The current proposed primary schedule is only for 2024, and I expect President Biden to run for re-election, rendering the question mostly moot, I hope... but I do agree with those who suggest that South Carolina should not be the first Democratic primary FOREVER---
since they have not supported our presidential candidate since 1976--


Yes, they DO represent AA voters in the party--
but Delaware could do that just as well...

and when was the last time the Democratic party lost Delaware??? Not sure...