No Fish On My Car

As I write this, the news is that the Supreme Court precedent of "Roe v. Wade" may be overturned. What this means is that a woman's right to choose to have an abortion will no longer be a Federal issue, but will be left up to the individual states. With many states already pushing laws limiting, or in some cases eliminating, abortions, you can see why this is such a hot topic.

Let me be clear, I really don't care whether or not "Roe v. Wade" stands or falls by the wayside. Why? Because, according to high school civics, the Supreme Court does NOT make the laws. That's the job of Congress. The Supreme Court's job is to interpret those laws in accordance with the Constitution. "Roe v. Wade" is not a law; it is a precedent. Like an Executive Order, it does not have the weight of a law and can be overturned by future courts (or Executives, in the case of the latter). 

Many on the "right" (Republicans / conservatives) have been playing footsie for years with challenges to the precedent. Such are the laws in the individual states. However, Congress has never made a LAW that states that a woman has the right to choose what she does with her body, including the right to an abortion. What is really needed is an amendment to the Constitution. But really, who wants to go to all that trouble (see the 18th and 21st Amendments and you'll understand the drug war)? 

Let me be clear: I am a Caucasian male who identifies as a Christian. Got it? Okay, continue. 

Christians are considered anti-abortion/anti-choice/pro-life (depending on which side of the subject you stand). And here is why: If abortions were "normal", Jesus may never have been born. 

Luke 1:35 - "The angel said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.'" 

What you just read is what Catholics call the "Immaculate Conception", because it was a conception and it was immaculate - no mess. 

According to Christian doctrine, every pregnancy is due to immaculate conception. If a woman has an abortion, she is killing something holy and pure. 

I'm kidding. The reason they call it the "Immaculate Conception" is that there was no penis involved (thus "no mess"). 

But apparently, those on the "right" believe the doctrine joke above. Why? Because EVERY law limiting a woman's right to choose has no impact upon the penis-bearer involved. And that too is Christian doctrine: 

John 8:3-6 "As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 'Teacher,' they said to Jesus, 'this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?' They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger." 

The Bible does not state what Jesus wrote, but I've heard a few speculations. The best was He was writing the name of the MAN she was caught in adultery with. Think about it: it takes two to tango. 

We in the United States are anti-Sharia Law. It is Islam's legal system, derived from their holy book (Quaran) and other writings, and states such things like a woman has to be covered head to foot in public, a woman cannot walk around in public without a male family escort, and in many cases, cannot receive an education. I understand the reason behind Sharia Law: Islamic men are WEAK, COWARDLY, and have NO control over themselves. Instead of making laws to limit the MEN, they make laws to limit the WOMEN because the men can't control themselves. This is also known as a patriarchy. 

We too have a patriarchy for the same reason. We men here in the United States are also WEAK, COWARDLY, and have NO control over ourselves. Most of those involved in writing our laws are men, which explains the laws in the states impacting a woman's right to choose. Which is why we blame the woman for getting pregnant - as if they did it all by themselves. 

If you are a Christian reading this, the rest is directed at you. If you are not a Christian, and know a Christian, please pass this onto them as well. 

The title of this post is "No Fish On My Car". You may have seen a fish symbol decal on the back of the car in front of you. This symbol is stating that the person driving this car is a Christian. I have no such symbol on my car, though the driver is a Christian. Why? Because I don't always DRIVE like a Christian. 

2 Corinthians 3:2 "You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men;" 

Or, as Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary."  

Ever see those protesters outside of an abortion clinic with signs stating life begins at conception (apparently WITH a penis)? Some even hold pictures of aborted fetuses. They, my friends are what are known as "hypocrites".  

James 2:15-16 "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" 

Want to claim to be pro-life? Want to legislate your religious morality? Then put your religion where your mouth is. Go to these women and tell them, "Here is a legal contract between you and me. You agree to carry this baby to term and I will PAY all of your expenses, drive you to all of your medical appointments, and hold your hand during the delivery. Afterwards, I will ADOPT this baby and raise it as my own. If you DO decide to keep it, I will PAY all of your expenses, drive the child to soccer practice, dance recitals, etc., and provide all needs until the child graduates college."  

If not? Shut your pie hole.  

How many are planning on removing that fish? 

©Emittravel 2022

Where's That Little Mustache?

Ukraine. 'Nuff said. We all know what's been going on there. Well, maybe not.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has put the kibosh on his people's ability to know what's been going on. If anyone posts/says anything that does not agree with the state's version of the "news", they can be thrown into prison for 15 years. Why? Because he believes that the rest of the world is pushing "fake news" and that his people should only know the "pravda" (truth). ESPECIALLY when it comes to his invasion of Ukraine.

Oh, wait. It's not an "invasion" according to Putin.

Let's think about this for a moment. Only Putin's version is the truth and the rest of the world is "fake news". So, does that mean that Putin does NOT listen/read what the rest of the world is saying? Of course not. He DOES pay attention. Why? Because he KNOWS that the world is telling the truth. If he didn't, he wouldn't even listen. But no leader, especially when in a war, would ignore the news available to him. But his people? That's another story.

Putin knows the first rule of slavery: Keep them ignorant, because once they know what you know, YOU CAN'T FOOL THEM ANYMORE!

So, if you are in Russia and are able to read this, YOU ARE A SLAVE according to your despotic leader. And if you are in Russia and are unable to read this, there you are.

(And no, I'm not going to take the obvious path of pulling former President Trump into this. HA! Just kidding!)

Which reminds me: where IS his little mustache??

©Emittravel 2022

Stuff My Brain Says #87

"Who do you think you're kidding?!?"

Remember when Congress wanted then candidate Donald Trump to turn over his tax returns? Yeah. Fun times.

Now Congress is telling us that the multi-trillion dollar infrastructure spending bill will be paid for by making companies and the rich pay their fair share. You know, "The middle class won't be left holding the bag. The rich who haven't been paying their fair share will cover the bill." 

To quote Dana Carvey: "Isn't that special?"

(Side note: when Social Security was first "sold" to us, we were told only the very rich would pay for it. Have you looked at your paystub to see the lump that goes out for Social Security? Welcome to the very rich ... )

Did you see the commonality of the above two statements? Yup. Congress. Now, here's the funny part: Congress is the very entity that created the tax code that ALLOWS people like Donald Trump to not pay taxes.

IF those "evil" rich aren't paying their "fair share", wouldn't there be charges brought up against them? Ask folks like Wesley Snipes, Nicolas Cage, and Willie Nelson about what happens when you don't pay your "fair share". Sounds to me that if a rich person or company isn't already paying their taxes, they would have been caught by now.

Maybe Congress has been watching too many Tim Misny commercials. Of course, the reason he can "make them pay" is that they've done something illegal. You'd think since Congress is made up of a bunch of lawyers, they'd already know that.

Would somebody please ask those folks who've been in D.C. seemingly forever what changes to the tax code they plan on making? After all, one of the reasons that a lot of these companies aren't "paying", is that a POLITICIAN promises tax cuts/abatements for opening a business in their district. NOW they are crying that these very companies actually embrace those cuts and abatements?

Even if Congress were able to get more money from the rich and businesses, they would simply outspend it. It's been their modus operandi for decades. They have an addiction: other people's money.

Maybe Congress should live by this simple financial code: If your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall.

© Emittravel 2021

Maybe Man IS To Blame For The Climate

I used to be a "climate denier". By that I mean I believed that climate change was real, but man's impact has been minimal to nonexistent. But that has changed.

Back in August of 2020, Death Valley, California posted a temperature of 130 degrees (Fahrenheit, cause, come on, if Celsius we wouldn't be here!) This was reported as the highest temperature since 1913, when it reached 134. What has happened between 1913 and 2020?

We had an industrial revolution that pumped a lot of pollution into the atmosphere.

We had reports of Global Cooling in the 1970s - the world was going into a new ice age. I know, you can't believe that - but that was what scientists reported.

We started a campaign to address the pollution. The EPA got its start. The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland stopped burning. The catalytic converter became the norm in our cars.

Then around 2000, the Rev. Al Gore (Minister of Mother Earth) started showing a slide show of the dangers of Global Warming.

And in August of 2020, Death Valley, California posted the highest temperature since 1913.

So what does this tell us? Man, by his pollution, brought the earth to the brink of an ice age, and by eliminating pollution, brought the earth to the brink of a worldwide Death Valley. 

Maybe man IS the reason for global climate change. 

The thing that scares me is that we have scientists telling us what we need to do to fix it. And each group has a remarkably different method. For instance, some want to "seed" clouds with reflective materials to bounce sunlight away. 

What if scientists are wrong? What if what they tell us swings us deeper into the embrace of Heat Miser - or, back to Snow Miser?  

I for one have little faith in what the scientific experts of 2020 tell us. After all, the experts DID tell us of the coming ice age in the 1970s. 

"But J.P., the scientists of today are much smarter than those in the 1970s. They have more data and know more of how things work."

Can you tell me that the scientists in 50 years aren't going to prove today's scientists wrong too?

Does man have an impact on the climate? I believe so. But can man fix it? I don't know. I'm more afraid that he will cause more damage in the process.

©Emittravel 2021

Christians Love A Whiner - er - Winner

Several days ago I posted the following on Facebook and Twitter: "President Trump is the winningest President ever! He is the ONLY President to be impeached ... TWICE! Now THAT'S winning! Let the door hit you in the a** on the way out!"

I admit, my Facebook and Twitter feeds aren't my blog; however, the "My Humble But Accurate Opinion" theme does tend to carry over to other parts of my online life. 

I really don't get that much social interaction from my posts on Twitter. On Facebook I get loads. Especially when they have even a hint of a derogatory emphasis on President Trump. And mostly from my friends of Christian faith. Which got me to thinking: why are so many Christians so enamored with President Trump?

Before I go any further, I want to state that I am a Christian. If you have read some of my older blog posts, you will also realize that I am not a "religious" Christian. I do recommend you check out some of those posts if you need more of an explanation. Go ahead. I can wait.

Finished? Okay, I'll continue.

From what I can tell, Christians (I'm going to use them as a group - even though I know many Christians do not consider President Trump to be all that awesome. If you are a Christian and don't think Trump to be the Second Coming, don't worry - I'm not referring to you.) think that Trump is the most Christian President we have ever had as a nation. He stands for family. He's pro-life. And he stands against evil (the mainstream media, Democrats, China, etc.) Any comment that would detract from that message is considered anathema. 

Well, if you ARE a Christian who believes Trump walks on water, you may want to stop reading.

(As you might have noticed, I dropped the "President" and refer to him just as "Trump". No disrespect is meant by this. It is simply to tighten my verbose writing.)

I believe that if you ARE a Christian, Trump should be the LAST person you should adore. And here's why:

Let's start with the "stands for family" bit. Trump has the honor of being the President with the MOST divorces - more than any other President in history. To quote the Elite Daily, "In 1990, Trump's first wife Ivana divorced him after his affair with model Marla Maples was revealed. Trump later married Maples in 1993, three months after she gave birth to their daughter Tiffany Trump. The couple was married for four years until they separated in 1997. That brings us to first lady Melania Trump, previously Melania Knauss, who met Trump at a party in 1998. The couple dated for six years before tying the knot in 2005. Melania gave birth to their son, Barron, nearly a year later." Tiffany was conceived and born out of wedlock. A very Christian ideal indeed.

Okay, let's look at his being "pro-life". This may come as a shock, but Trump was pro-choice (for Christians "PRO-ABORTION") up until he decided to run for President in 2015. Why the big change? Did he suddenly decide that every sperm is sacred? Doubtful. More likely he decided that he had a better chance of winning as a Republican than as a Democrat, and running as a pro-choice Republican would not even get him out of the Primaries.

How about that he stands against evil? Surely, that's a good reason to faun over him. Actually, no. The very Democrats that he calls evil were his brothers and sisters up until he decided to run for President in 2015. Again, see the above paragraph.

The only thing Trump values is Trump. His name is the sweetest sound in the world. That's why he puts it on his steaks and the top of towers. As President, he even refused to use the official @POTUS Twitter account, preferring his @realDonaldTrump account BECAUSE it had his name in it.

I also find it difficult to "worship" the guy who said it was okay to "grab them by the p*ssy", and use chemical agents against protesters to make a path for him to go to a church he never attended for a photo op of him holding up a Bible UPSIDE DOWN.

I think it's not too far from golden toilets to being a "golden calf". (I know, he didn't actually have a gold toilet, but it makes this funny!)

Was he an idiot? No. Actually, he was quite smart. One of the main ways to unite people is to give them a common enemy. Trump provided them in truck loads, and his "followers" gobbled them up. One of my Facebook friends made it a point to tell me that they were at the pre-Capitol riot speech and that he did NOT incite the crowd to insurrection. I'm sure the members of Jeremiah Wright's church didn't hear any "god damn America" language either. I got through about half of the transcript of Trump's speech. I gotta say, there was a quite a lot of "enemy" language spouted. Of course, about a quarter of the way through I kept getting mental images of Jim Carrey's Ace Ventura:

The Bible says that a person is "…not to think of himself more highly than he ought…" (Romans 12:3). Yet, Trump thought so highly of himself that BEFORE the 2020 election even happened he was stating that he won the election, and the only way he could lose was by voter fraud. Maybe he was a prophet too.

Speaking of the 2020 election, I'm not at all surprised that it has become the clusterf*ck that it is. Trump repeatedly told his followers that they should vote in person and not by mail. Since the coronavirus was of no concern to Republicans, all the Democrats would be too scared to go out and vote. And since Democrats would then vote by mail, all of their votes should be considered invalid. 

No surprise then, when after the polls closed many states then started counting the mail-in ballots and most went for Biden. Which is why Trump's "lead" started to disappear. That's not fraud. That's the system working as designed.

By the way, in the typical "do as I say, not as I do" Trump mentality, he voted BY MAIL.

When it comes to election fraud, I'm going to quote NPR: "The largest case of election fraud in recent U.S. history took place during the 2018 midterm elections and involved third-party ballot collection. A GOP operative illegally collected and potentially tampered with ballots in a U.S. House race in North Carolina, eventually leading state authorities to overturn the election results." As you can probably guess, Trump voted by third-party ballot collection for the 2020 election.

Of course, this also means Trump got all his election fraud tips from a reliable source: the GOP! (Or, did the GOP get the tips from Trump? Chicken? Egg?)

As far as the voter fraud allegations are concerned, Trump and his legal team have failed to provide ANY credible proof of fraud. Oh, they had a lot of theories, but no proof. During that pre-Capitol riot speech he mentioned the list of inmates who voted. To quote Monty Python in "Life of Brian" when Brian said to the crowd, "A man had two sons," and a member of the crowd yelled out, "What were their names?", I ask concerning those inmates, what were their names?

The list of individuals Trump has fired (or have "requested" letters of resignation from - same thing, by the way) since losing the 2020 election is quite extensive. If you weren't completely loyal to him, you were on the short list. 

As an example of Trump's inability to accept defeat, Chris Krebs, formerly the most senior cybersecurity official, was fired by Trump (via Twitter, no less) when he declared the election secure. Why? Because Trump wanted him to find proof of election tampering and he didn't. Because it's all about Trump, and Trump cannot stand to lose.

But firing people should come as no surprise. I think Trump may still believe he is in his reality show. 

Dominion Voting Systems has been so disparaged by Trump and his team, that they are suing. And unlike Trump's legal team, this isn't a frivolous lawsuit. We're talking defamation and slander.

Trump says that there is no way "Sleepy Joe" got more votes than him. And I have to agree. There is nothing about Biden that makes one think, "Now THERE'S a leader!" But that's the thing: people didn't vote FOR Biden; they voted AGAINST Trump. In 2016 we had to choose between two terrible candidates. Not so in 2020. 

(Full discloser: I didn't vote for Biden and I didn't vote for Trump. I believe that voting Democrat or Republican only reinforces bad behavior.)

Think about it. In order for the Democrats to overthrow the election in the way Trump says they did, it had to be a coordinated effort that knew WHICH counties would need to be impacted to turn the election, WHICH courts the legal team would file charges against so they could be thrown out, and how to get even the Trump-loving FOX News to admit that Biden won. Seriously, if the Democrats are THAT coordinated, maybe they SHOULD be in charge! 

Back during the 2016 election, Pastor Max Lucado posted the following to his blog:

"I don’t know Mr. Trump. But I’ve been chagrined at his antics. He ridiculed a war hero. He made a mockery of a reporter’s menstrual cycle. He made fun of a disabled reporter. He referred to the former first lady, Barbara Bush as “mommy,” and belittled Jeb Bush for bringing her on the campaign trail. He routinely calls people “stupid,” and “dummy.” One writer catalogued sixty-four occasions that he called someone “loser.” These were not off-line, backstage, overheard, not-to-be-repeated comments. They were publicly and intentionally tweeted, recorded, and presented.

Such insensitivities wouldn’t be acceptable even for a middle school student body election. But for the Oval Office? And to do so while brandishing a Bible and boasting of his Christian faith?" Read the rest here.

I find Max Lucado a much better example of Christianity than Donald Trump. Go ahead and prove me wrong.

I know of quite a few Christians who have left churches over less anti-Christian behavior, yet still suck from the "Trump teat" on a regular basis. (You know who you are...)

I’m not a perfect example of Christianity. I like the philosophy of "not perfect, but forgiven". The Bible says we are to be "…living epistles, read of all men" (J.P. paraphrase of 2 Cor. 3:2). I don't have a fish symbol on the back of my car because I know how I drive. And I don't have a Trump bumper sticker either!

Why do Christians insist that Trump is the best thing since unleavened bread? Maybe it's because they are tired and angry and want a change from the usual. The rhetoric, no matter how divisive, is captivating to them.

I don't know. But I can say for certain that the only thing Trump and Jesus have in common is the number of letters in their name.

©Emittravel 2021

Stuff My Brain Says #86

The big question of late (or, more accurately, as of this writing) is why hasn't President Donald Trump conceded the election to Former Vice President Joe Biden? After all, according to every media outlet, Joe Biden has won enough electoral votes to be "crowned" President Elect. And that should settle it, right?

On December 14, 2020, the Electors in each state will cast their votes. (Monday after the second Wednesday in December of presidential election years is set [3 U.S.C. §7] as the date on which the electors meet and vote.) 

(As an aside, I recommend the following: "The Electoral College: A 2020 Presidential Election Timeline".)

G.K. Chesterton once said that before you remove a fence, you should first determine why it was set up in the first place. 

If the Electoral College does not actually vote until December 14, why is there all of this angst over Donald Trump not calling Joe Biden "President Elect"? From what I can tell, the media is NOT the final arbiter of the election: the Electoral College is. And since the Electoral College does not ACTUALLY vote until December 14, Joe Biden isn't OFFICIALLY the President Elect - no matter which media outlet anoints him.

I understand the value of transition time. I have friends who have told me that I'm standing against over a hundred years of tradition (that the media declares the winner). Am I a Trump supporter? No. Do I think his grandstanding is a bit childish? Based on the lack of credible evidence to election tampering, yes. But do I think that the law should be circumvented for tradition? NO!

To quote the linked document above: "January 6, 2021: Joint Session of Congress to Count Electoral Votes and Declare Election Results Meets On January 6, or another date set by law, the Senate and House of Representatives assemble at 1:00 p.m. in a joint session at the Capitol, in the House chamber, to count the electoral votes and declare the results (3 U.S.C. §15). The Vice President presides as President of the Senate. The Vice President opens the certificates and presents them to four tellers, two from each chamber. The tellers read and make a list of the returns. When the votes have been ascertained and counted, the tellers transmit them to the Vice President. If one of the tickets has received a majority of 270 or more electoral votes, the Vice President announces the results, which 'shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of the persons, if any, elected President and Vice President.'"

Maybe we should ask why all the (apparently) "pomp and circumstance" of an Electoral College voting process, when all we need is for the Associated Press to declare the winner.

©Emittravel 2020

Russian Roulette Anyone?

I'm angry. Frustrated. Head-ready-to-explode, over-the-border vexed. Can you relate?

Here in Ohio we have a color-coded chart showing all of the counties and the level of Covid-19 cases. You have no color (no virus, but hey - there aren't any counties at that level), yellow, orange, red, and purple. As of this writing, only two are yellow, some orange, and the majority red. Many of the red counties have an "H" on them to indicate really high levels - borderline purple.

Now, this sounds like helpful information. You know, maybe we should change our behavior based on the level in our county. 

Yeah. No. 

Shortly after Governor DeWine started having weekly press conferences, he told us of a plan to start reopening the economy based on a tiered structure: if we go 14 days with no or decreasing levels, we would open certain things up. After another 14 days with no or decreasing levels, we would open more things up. If the numbers went up, we would shut things back down.

Good plan? Yeah. No.

This plan was ignored. As a matter of fact, it's not even mentioned anymore. Each time the level has gone up in the state, Governor DeWine tells us that now is the time to get serious; wear your masks and practice social distancing. Each time. So, what will he say when we go purple?!? "Now is the time to get serious; wear your masks and practice social distancing. I REALLY REALLY mean it this time."

My wife and I went to the church recently, where I have the wonderful opportunity to play in the worship team. It's a smaller church that has gone out of its way to make it as safe an environment it can according to recommended guidelines. They've moved the "pews" (chairs) to expand the distance between people. They've added high-filtration filters and have all of the ceiling fans on to move the air. They've added hand sanitizer stations and have someone to check temperatures as people come in. The worship team itself is spread out more, with fewer individuals on the platform. Me? I'm in my favorite spot: the back corner of the platform. 

From my spot I can pretty much see the entire congregation. What I saw added to the frustration I mentioned at the beginning. People came in wearing masks. Yet, some individuals decided to take them off once they got to their seats. It was really noticeable when everyone was singing. 

Now, I understand it is difficult to sing while wearing a mask. As a harmonica player I find it very difficult (that's a joke: I do take my mask off in order to play - but I play mostly with cupped hand and directly into a microphone). Yet, there is another name for singers: "super spreaders". When you sing you not only project more, but you have more, sustained air flow OUT of your mouth than normal breathing/talking.

Come on, people! God can hear you through your mask!

Needless to say, even though pre-pandemic my visits were about once a month, we are seriously reconsidering going back - especially since the county is in the red.

Imagine, if you will, that every time you leave you are playing a round of Russian Roulette. You know, you take a gun, particularly one of those Colt Single Action Revolvers - commonly called a "six-shooter", put a bullet into one chamber, spin the cylinder, point the gun to your head, and pull the trigger. Now, with one bullet, you have a 1-6 chance of blowing your brains out. Why would anyone play this? Because they see a ONLY a 1-6 chance of blowing their brains out. 

Okay, now add a bullet for every level of the virus. No color: one bullet. Yellow: two bullets. Orange: three bullets. Red: four bullets. Purple: five bullets. At what color would you refuse to pick up the gun?

"But J.P., I do wear a mask when I go out. I even make sure to cover my nose with it. So, I'm good, right?"

Let's change the game a little bit. You aren't holding the gun. Imagine that every person you are in contact with NOT wearing a mask (or, wearing it incorrectly) is holding the gun to YOUR head. At what color would you stop feeling comfortable going out in public?

I understand that the economy is important. I understand the virus is important. What I don't understand is why do our "leaders" think it is wise to not just "play footsy" with this pandemic, but "Russian Roulette"?

Remember, every ASSHOLE out there NOT wearing a mask and keeping their distance is holding the revolver to YOUR head. 

Want to play a game?

©Emittravel 2020