Fluff.

You're not going to get any here.

Sure, I'll cite someone else's work from time to time, but that's usually when an important point needs to be made. It quite effective in this position.

But other than that, I write only when I feel truly inspired to do so.

I could write fluff stories about things happening every day, but what's the point of that?
Everyone knows what's going on with Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman. I'm not going to sit here and bore you to death with things that are being rehashed and rehashed on a constant basis.

I like to keep things interesting.

I have other responsibilities to attend to. I write when I have the time and energy.
Writing is not my top priority.

I'm not a stenographer or kid sitting in at the meeting with a notepad in the corner anymore.
I'm seated in a leather chair at the table.
Yes, my job has changed.

I'll still do my best to keep you informed on major developments, but not day-to-day "fluff."
In the meantime, let me do my thing the way I've been doing my thing.
It's been working, no?

It's more effective to tell a story or get a point across rather than saying it outright sometimes.
You're bright people.
I'm sure you've figured that out.

Most writers only have one job.
I'm sure you've also figured out that other people get to worry about nothing but writing and research.

I'm stretched in 14 different directions.

That's it in a nutshell.
Writing is not my top priority, but I'll have goodies for you every now and then.

Let it be known...

Abigail Van Buren, a.k.a "Dear Abby," is a lying, paid-off shill of the Democratic Party who has taken to telling outright lies to score political points for her team.

Not little white lies.
Whoppers.

How pathetic.
She has 0 credibility left.
Just ignore her.

That's all.

It was worth posting.

This isn't just a disgruntled employee's sour grapes.

Letter of resignation from a senior Goldman Sachs employee, Greg Smith.

Reminds me of my current taxi gig at times.
It's funny.

My boss calls people "jokers" and gouges prices.
Gives me extra work beyond our agreement and refuses to compensate me for it.
Any dissent or calling him out?
He threatens to tell you to park the car and go home.

Do you think this thinking is isolated to just Goldman Sachs?

Must I go there?

The above also applies when I am exhausted.

As long as I am not exhausted or depressed, I keep myself in decent shape.

I keep my fingernails trimmed. I use the hottest water I can stand and soap when I wash my hands.

Sometimes, I fall asleep from exhaustion in my street clothes and fail to shower.
Oops.

Other than that, I get in at least one shower a day, and always after I exercise.

The past few months, I've taken a renewed zeal in caring for my teeth (even during depression), taking care to brush twice daily, as well as floss and use mouthwash. I've had enough needles stuck in my gums.

Ever have to recycle a worn piece of clothing because you couldn't afford to go to the laundromat?
I know I've done it. I know I'm not the only one who's cheated.

Ever wear pajama pants in public because you just didn't care?
Guilty.

Other than that, I smell like roses and petunias.
I'm on my game when it matters, even when depressed.

I guess you could say I suffer from "Bacheloritis" at times.
The cure for that is "Woman."

That tends to nip that stuff right in the bud.

Operation Fast & Furious

The DOJ had all the control, power, and ability at any time step in to make sure that this operation was not compromised, and to make sure that every reasonable precaution was taken.

What surprises me the most is that the DOJ hasn't magically found some way to blame Brian Terry for his own death.

"He shouldn't have signed up for the job," or something ridiculous like that.

The blame, as usual, rests near the top.
Those actually signing off on the decisions.

Brian Terry wasn't reckless.
He was a Border Patrol agent just doing his job to the best of his ability with the cards he was dealt.
Unfortunately, he was faced with preventable circumstances that were beyond his control.

Border Patrol isn't under the DOJ, but it's the DOJ who has been reckless, irresponsive to the needs of its federal agents, and even culpable in compromising sensitive materials and details involved in missions, potentially leading to their premature "conclusions."

Deflecting the blame all along.

Running on a false "Do-Nothing Congress" (I have called and visited more times than I can remember. I have never received a phone call back) narrative and a false "Blame Brian Terry" narrative isn't going to win anything but a moving van.

"Flip-Flop"

Flip-Flop:
v.
1. To change or shift policies or positions based solely upon political expediency rather than a genuine change of heart.


n.
1. A change or shift in policy or position based solely upon political expediency rather than a genuine change of heart.


Feb. 2009


Now he wants 5 more years.


Aug. 2009 on raising taxes during a recession. Talking with Chuck Todd, no less.


Instead of pro-growth tax reform, he wants to hike marginal rates.


July 2008 on the national debt.


Over $6 trillion in debt in one Obama term.
If Bush was unpatriotic, what do you call this?

Let's be serious here.
Were not talking about things you changed your mind on in your teens.
We're talking about seasoned adult politicians.

The commercials write themselves.

They say if you're not part of the solution...

Iran.

With all the naval and aerial exercises and sabre-rattling coming out of Iran, tensions have been mounting in the Persian Gulf region.

Tehran also apparently seems intent on building nuclear facilities buried deep in nearly-inaccessible mountainous regions.

Pressure from the West, in an expected exclusion from SWIFT, which would ban more than 40 Iranian banks and institutions from the clearinghouse, signifies punitive sanctions with some teeth. Mounting sanctions, including sanctions against Iran's central bank, have had serious effects upon the Iranian currency and economy. Inflation and the price of goods has risen. This means it is affecting real people.

I find it a silly notion to believe that a nuclear-armed Iran (they deny ambitions for nukes, citing a need for energy) poses an existential threat to the United States.

Whether or not it poses an existential threat to the state of Israel (which would be a much more logical argument if you wanted to have it) is an entirely different story. Patriot missile batteries exist, but they are imperfect. It's much akin to hitting a bullet with another bullet.

What is most important here is the psychology of those calling the shots in Tehran.
For one, I don't buy the "nuclear energy" bit for one second.
They want nukes like most everybody else.

Are they a suicidal theocracy?
Can they be reasoned with, or deterred through the concept of mutually assured destruction (M.A.D.)?

The fate of Israel is one point to consider here.

What would another result of a nuclear Iran be?
One possibility is a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, with countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, or even Egypt entering the fray.

So, as you can see, this is much larger than just Iran and Israel. This has ramifications for the stability of the entire region.

For these reasons, I support efforts to derail Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
Sabotaging their centrifuges with Stuxnet was a good idea.
Assassinating top Iranian nuclear scientists? Sure.

One missed opportunity was not supporting the Green Revolution in Iran that took place in 2009.
Obama whiffed on that one. It was a golden opportunity.

In an ideal world, there would be some way to convince Moscow and Beijing to twist some arms in Tehran to curb their nuclear ambitions.

They couldn't care less about the safety of Israel, but what about the stability of the region and the world in general?

If sanctions and diplomacy aren't enough, it seems as if nothing good will come from this situation.

What happens when and if Israel attacks?
That's the million-dollar question.