I Don’t Remember Who Said It, but It Smacks of Genius

I Don’t Remember Who Said It, but It Smacks of Genius

You know all those DEI hires we’ve read about at the Secret Service? Well, Presidents Clinton, Obama, and Biden, and their families were all hired for diversity purposes and permitted to score lower on all sorts of metrics. Well, how admirable that was for these Democratic Presidents, and if they failed at their duties—oh well, at least quotas were met.

 

Was I the Last One to Get the Memo? 

For those who really know me, you know I have been a lifelong fan of two things—Superman and Star Trek. As far back as I can remember, I spent countless hours reading their adventures and watching every show and movie. But now, Superboy is bisexual in the comics, and a Star Trek captain is kissing another guy on a bridge. That’s not the Supes and Trek I grew up with. DC and Paramount have drunk the woke Kool-Aid and feel they must represent all colors of the gender and sexuality rainbow.

 

File This Under Who Gives a Damn 

In an interview on MSNBC, failed Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz admitted that losing the election was “pure hell.” He went on to confess that he, like everyone else, was fatigued. His time as Governor of Minnesota has been one disaster after another, beginning in the summer of 2020 with George Floyd and the ensuing riots that decimated over 1,500 properties and caused  over $500 million in property damage. He waited three days before calling out the National Guard while we watched Minnesota burn on TV. If you were to ask me who was the worst candidate on that ticket—Harris or Walz—I honestly could not answer that since as I think both of them are terrible government servants.

 

Geriatric Senate Buffoon Jerry Nadler Is Mad as a Hornet 

Nadler is irate that the American people had the sheer audacity to reelect Donald Trump. It wasn’t so long ago (November 2024) that Nadler actually fell asleep during a Congressional hearing on antisemitism and ultimately voted against the Antisemitism Awareness Act. Along with many others, Nadler is another poster child for term limits in Congress.

 

Lego Madness

I was caught off guard reading a Fox News headline about a science museum claiming that Lego toys push a “heteronormative agenda.” Seems there was an LGBTQ tour going on called Seeing Things Queerly, and they called out how Lego purposely excludes other gender identities. They were focusing on how the plastic pieces connect with each other and how they might be termed male and female connectors. Well, I’m going to come right out and say it. These people are bat- shit nuts. I recommend they get a life and stop criticizing toys that have been around for over fifty years, Next, they will be calling out Teletubbies, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Ken and Barbie, and on and on. Even the Addams Family won’t be safe.

 

Off to the Races with a Brand New Democratic Call for Impeachment 

WOW! I thought it would take longer, but Democrat Texas Congressman Al Green has filed articles of impeachment against Donald Trump, alleging, among other things, “ethnic cleansing in Gaza.” What’s more, Green alleges that the President has (and you can’t make this up, folks) proposed dastardly deeds and done dastardly deeds. You might recall that this Houston, Texas, excuse for a lawmaker filed articles of impeachment against President Trump in his first term— not once, but three times.

 

Note 

I am impressed with the speed of change that our President has brought to the federal government. Obviously, the American electorate voted for change, not more of the Biden-Harris failed policies.

President Trump has hit the ground running and accomplished more in a month than Biden did in years. He has brought a new vitality to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue that has been absent for years. He has likely participated in more press conferences than Biden did during his entire administration.

Meanwhile, the usual suspects—Democrats Waters, Schumer, Nadler, Schiff, Raskin, Jeffries, Pelosi, and others—are screaming in rage at the drastic changes Trump has announced. In particular are the video clips I watched of Waters, along with 30 House

Democrats, attempting to bully their way into the Department of Education without an appointment. They demanded to speak with the Secretary of Education, shouting,  “We pay your salaries!”

Sorry, Ms. Waters, the Department of Education falls under the authority of the Executive Branch of the government, and you have no right to barge in without an appointment. However, it was a real spectacle as the Congresswoman from California shouted at the lone security guard and demanded to see his ID while he stared straight ahead.

 

100 Coal Plants? Yes, Chairman! 

It seems that China doesn’t have much respect for AOC and her merry band of Progressive Green New Deal Democrats. In fact, I read that China is planning to build 100 new coal plants. I’m going out on a limb here, but I’m pretty sure China has its own version of the EPA. They won’t care about wacko ecologists who would rather save a tadpole than grow a strong economy.

And what about China’s commitments to help fight global warming and climate change? Well, let’s just say it’s not at the top of their to-do list right now. The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) believes that reducing carbon emissions is fine for the other guys. An April 2024 article by Carbon Brief indicated that China is responsible for 95 percent of all new coal-fired power plants globally. Seems they didn’t get Joe Biden’s memos.

 

A Firm Grasp of the Obvious 

Leave it to Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren to tell everyone who will listen that DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) appears to be “a venue for corruption.” Forget for a moment that Elon Musk and his team have identified scores of government programs that do nothing to advance the interests of America but, in fact, spread DEI and LGBTQ programs around the world. Warren lectures Musk that she has a list of thirty tax-saving ideas for cutting waste. Her thoughts are to lower Defense Department spending, reduce spending for charter schools, break up large corporations, and look into some pet projects of this left-wing lunatic. Meanwhile, DOGE has identified for elimination scores of left-wing pet projects at USAID and the State Department (see below).

 

  • Assisting Indonesian coffee companies become more gender friendly ($425,000)
  • Building EV charging stations in Vietnam ($2.5 million)
  • Creating Irish musicals promoting DEI ($70,000)
  • Promoting job opportunities for LGBTQ individuals in Serbia ($1.5 million)
  • Promoting DEI among LGBTQ groups in Cypress ($8,000)
  • Pressuring Lithuanian corporations to promote and adopt DEI values ($10,000)
  • Fostering “a united and equal queer-feminist discourse” in Albania ($16,500)
  • Supporting an LGBTQ community center in Bratislava, Slovakia ($80,000)
  • Promoting being LGBTQ in the Caribbean ($3,315,446)
  • Supporting an LGBTQ-centered comic book in Peru ($32,000)
  • Boosting French-speaking LGBTQ groups in West and Central Africa ($1 million)

 

What President Trump, Elon Musk, and DOGE have brought America is a revolution of common sense. I will debate Elizabeth Warren all day long on her ideas to slash government spending versus the waste that DOGE has identified in less than three weeks.

 

From Indoctrination to Ambition ─ What Hath Trump Unleashed?

Might America’s young be veering off the horrific Biden-Harris kumbaya path after four long years of gender-bending higher education that prepared them only for jobs in inclusive engagement offices and HR departments? Gone will be groups of students holding hands, each proclaiming their preferred pronouns and genders for the entire campus to hear and celebrate.

While some of them view Trump’s changes as extreme gender hostility, many others view them as a return to common sense—that there are only two genders, absent a surgeon’s scalpel and pharmaceuticals to stop or bypass the human body’s natural functions.

 President Trump’s Executive Order covers colleges and universities that have endowments of more than $1 billion and receive federal money for research. Stop all DEI everything immediately. Here are some of the universities this targets:

Johns Hopkins University Stanford University Harvard University Arizona State University Michigan State University

North Carolina State University Northeastern University

University of California San Francisco And scores more

Perhaps the trickle-down theory of economics will morph into the trickle-down theory of we don’t do that anymore as dozens of universities lose their federal funding if they don’t toss all DEI/CRT directives in the trash.

 

We Will not Go Quietly into the Night

While not a rampage, it’s still interesting (well, maybe) that META employees have staged a pushback to Chairman Zuckerberg’s plan to remove tampons from all men’s rooms at corporate facilities. As absurd as this is, most every major legacy media outlet saw fit to report it. The media termed it “quiet rebellions” after about five employees circulated a petition to “save the tampons.”

 

The Clown Called Harris

 If you sat through any of Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign speeches or TV spots, you would have witnessed what the media called “word salad.” You would have immediately picked up on the broad generalities (Trump is bad, I’m good) and these standard liberal Democratic talking points:

  • More trans rights and DEI
  • Government-guaranteed sex change surgeries for prison inmates and all illegals
  • Government-paid abortions for all
  • Universal healthcare and universal income
  • Tax the rich
  • MAGA is bad

I don’t recall Harris focusing on a single unambiguous policy point—ever. She spoke in circles, careful never to be pinned down to specific policies. It was as if she was trying her hardest not to say anything credible. Meanwhile, across town, Donald Trump was hammering home specific policy issues such as close the border, deport illegals, lower inflation, address crime, drill baby drill, deregulate, the Panama Canal, fentanyl, and more.

Trump won by appealing to America’s minds, asking if they truly wanted four more years of Biden-Harris liberal identity policies. He pointed out that Harris had accomplished nothing as Vice President, that she had four years to fix the ills she spoke of yet fixed nothing at all. Trump campaigned as a meaningful specific. Harris campaigned as a wandering generality. By now, Kamala Harris has crawled back under the rock from whence she came.

 

Adam Schiff ─ The Congressman That California’s Idiots Elevated to the US Senate 

It is not often I include Congressional resolutions in these bi-monthly updates. But the scheming, lying, and colluding that Adam Schiff is guilty of is both sickening and overwhelming. I have included the resolution in its entirety because I doubt that most Americans are aware of the depth and breadth of his illegal schemes and deceptions.

 

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. RES. 437

 

Censuring and condemning Adam Schiff, Representative of California’s 30th Congressional District.

 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 23, 2023

Mrs. Luna submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ethics

 

RESOLUTION

Censuring and condemning Adam Schiff, Representative of California’s 30th Congressional District.

Whereas the allegation that President Donald Trump colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 Presidential election has been revealed as false by numerous in-depth investigations, including the recent report by Special Counsel John Durham, which documents how the conspiracy theory was invented, funded, and spread by President’s Trump’s political rivals;

Whereas Representative Adam Schiff, who served as ranking minority member and then Chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives (HPSCI), occupied positions of extreme trust, affording him access to sensitive intelligence unavailable to most Members of Congress;

Whereas for years Representative Schiff abused this trust by citing evidence of collusion that—as is clear from reports by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz, and Special Counsel Durham—does not exist;

Whereas by repeatedly telling these falsehoods, Representative Schiff purposely deceived his Committee, Congress, and the American people;

 Whereas Representative Schiff lent credibility to the Steele dossier—a collection of debunked collusion accusations funded by President Trump’s political rivals—by reading false Steele allegations into the Congressional Record at a HPSCI hearing on March 20, 2017;

Whereas, once again abusing his privileged access to classified information, Representative Schiff composed a false memo justifying the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant application on Trump associate Carter Page, which Inspector General Horowitz later found was riddled with 17 major mistakes and omissions, provoking FISA Court Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer to state unequivocally that the Federal Bureau of Investigation “mislead the FISC”;

Whereas by publicly smearing Carter Page as a Russian collaborator and justifying spurious investigations of him, Representative Schiff contributed to the gross violation of a United States citizen’s civil liberties, thereby committing the very abuses HPSCI is tasked with identifying and thwarting;

Whereas, as HPSCI ranking minority member and Chairman, Representative Schiff  behaved dishonestly and dishonorably on many other occasions, including by falselydenying that his staff coordinated with a whistleblower to launch the first impeachment of President Trump;

Whereas, as part of his impeachment efforts, during an HPSCI hearing on September 26, 2019, Representative Schiff recited a false, concocted rendition of a phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky;

Whereas Representative Schiff exploited his positions on HPSCI to encourage and excuse abusive intelligence investigations of Americans for political purposes; Whereas Representative Schiff used his position and access to sensitive information to instigate a fraudulently based investigation, which he then used to amass political gain and fundraising dollars; and

Whereas the American taxpayers paid $32 million to fund the investigation into collusion that was launched as a result of Rep. Schiff’s lies, misrepresentations, and abuses of sensitive information: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That—

  • the House of Representatives censures and condemns Adam Schiff, Representative of California’s 30th Congressional District, for conduct that misleads the American people in a way that is not befitting an elected Member of the House of Representatives;
  • Representative Adam Schiff will forthwith present himself in the well of the House of Representatives for the pronouncement of censure;
  • Representative Adam Schiff will be censured with the public reading of this resolution by the Speaker; and
  • Representative Adam Schiff be, and is hereby, fined in the amount of $16,000,000.

 

The Bartender Calls Out the Billionaire

What can I say about one of the least intelligent politicians on Capitol Hill? Plenty, it seems. 

Long-time readers of The Equal Opportunity Times are familiar with my utter disdain and contempt for Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Her loud mouth and progressive socialist banter have made her a social media darling with millions of idiots following her every word. Her latest tirade involves Elon Musk whom she terms an “unintelligent billionaire.” This résumé-light former bartender and Bernie Sanders supporter who calls Trump a fascist insists that people can change genders and sees Elon Musk as a danger to America. And truth be told, I got a kick out of her line (caught on video)—“This dude is not smart, and the danger in the lack of intelligence and the lack of expertise that Elon has, I mean, this guy is one of the most morally vacant, but also just least knowledgeable about these systems that we know of.”

Before we close out this discussion of high-minded Democrats and Mr. Musk, I found it amusing that MSN characterized Elon Musk’s review of federal government expenditures by his team as “he and his henchmen”—like it was a criminal gang involved in the heist of a jewelry store. You may want to pay attention to the adjectives used by left-wing corporate media. Could they have said Musk’s associates? Of course they could have. But they chose to use henchmen, reminiscent of Batman battling the Joker, Riddler, Penguin, and their henchmen!

 

An Idea Worth Sharing 

Several years ago I attended a celebration of life for a dear friend who was a professional musician. He passed away way too soon. The event was a musical tribute and featured his family and many of his close friends playing his favorite songs on the stage. His family brought his record collection to the event. Hundreds of his albums were arranged on tables in the back of the room with signs that said, “Take as many as you wish—he always wanted to share his music, and we think he would approve.”

I smiled as I combed through dozens of albums and finally selected one to take home with me. You see, he and I grew up together, and for many years we were inseparable. The album I chose was one we purchased together as kids in Greenwich Village. And in case you’re curious, it was the Beatles—the Magical Mystery Tour album, complete with the 24 -page color picture book in pristine condition. It sits in my home library, a constant reminder of my wonderful friend.

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Where’s the Security in Social Security?

Where’s the Security in Social Security?

We have all heard that the Social Security trust funds will go bust sooner or later due to gross incompetence on the part of the federal government. Nothing new there—I fully expect gross incompetence from career bureaucrats and politicians. Am I a little biased here? Well, yeah, I have witnessed the government screw things up for decades. Why change now? The new Trump Administration, along with DOGE, may well shake things up, but what’s needed is an act of Congress passed by both chambers and signed into law by the President. That’s a tall order. Does the Beltway crowd have the political will to pull it off? We shall see.

So for now, here is some hard data, compliments of the Social Security Administration. The new maximum earnings subject to Social Security taxes is $176,100. That means employees and employers only pay Social Security taxes on that amount or less of taxable income. Everything over that amount is not subject to the dreaded Social Security tax. Incidentally, the total amount of the tax is 12.4%, split evenly. The employee pays 6.2%, and the employer also pays 6.2%.

I have heard many potential solutions to combat the trust fund’s demise, and some of those schemes seem to be worth considering. Obviously, none of them will be popular. Various groups—from the Boy Scouts to the Sierra Club to Over Achievers Anonymous and the ACLU—will shout at the top of their lungs that any proposed increase is unfair, racist, homophobic, anti-American, and so on. But here are two viable ideas for Congress to consider. Keep in mind that these are not my ideas. They come from research I have studied from the

Social Security Administration, the Congressional Budget Office, the MIT AgeLab, and others. Understand that there are no perfect solutions, but there are a host of pretty damn good ones.

The first idea: Over a five-year period—not 20 to 50 years—increase employer and employee contributions by 1.75% each from the current 6.2% to 7.95%. The total Social Security tax for an employee would be 15.9%, up from 12.4%. That one strategy would allow Captain Kirk and the entire crew of the USS Enterprise to enjoy full Social Security benefits when they return from their five-year mission. Nuff said.

The second idea: Remove the maximum salary cap of $176,100 and make it half a million. Or better yet—and I hear the screaming now—have no cap at all. You make $40 million? You pay Social Security tax on the whole enchilada. Scream at your Congressperson. Serves you right for making $40 million in the first place.

Okay, I’ve solved the Social Security crisis and put the security back in Social Security. What’s next?

 

Odds ’n’ Ends 

An odd Newsmax headline caught my eye in January. It seems that forty-three escaped lab monkeys were captured in December following a spectacular breakout caused by a clumsy lab worker who failed to check that the cage locks were secured. The lab, located in South Carolina, reported the breakout in November, so apparently the monkeys took leisurely strolls through nearby forests, pranked local farmers, and made a general nuisance of themselves before being transported back to the lab. It’s reported that one of the monkeys raised its fist in an act of defiance, kind of like President Trump did when he was shot in Pennsylvania.

A Fox News article written by Jackson Thompson and published January 4, 2025, tells the story of trans varsity runners who have more rights than “regular girls.” While I am not willing to wade waist deep into this mess, I don’t see how one individual is entitled to more rights than another. If you feel like having your stomach turned, take a look at the article online and see this mess for yourself.

FLASH! New York Post ─ A December 31, 2024, article written by Steve Janoski stated the following:

  • There was a body of a woman
  • Said body had tattoos
  • The body was found in New Jersey
  • Said corpse was found in a refrigerator in a forest in New Jersey

Folks, you just can’t make this shit up.

Media reports that Joe Biden still regrets dropping out of the presidential race and believes he could have beat Donald Trump. I had planned on writing at least one long paragraph about this delusion, but I am at a loss for words.

 

A Waste of a Perfectly Good $250 Million 

I don’t care who you are or how much money you’ve got in the bank, $250 million is a very large number. It’s so large, in fact, that the University of Michigan has reportedly spent nearly that amount on DEI efforts since 2016 with little if nothing to show for it. As reported in a scathing Newsmax article in the January 2025 print edition, interviews with students and faculty found no discernable benefits from the extraordinary investment in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Makes me wonder what the $28,600 tuition for the 2024─2025 fall semester actually pays for. Perhaps it’s $25,0000 for DEI and a grand each for professors, heating, and grounds maintenance. Is the whopping $600 left over for administrative salaries?

 

For What It’s Worth

 I tend to ignore articles that begin with the words convicted mommy blogger.

The Belgian Food Safety Authority has issued a warning not to eat Christmas trees. I don’t know, maybe the Belgians are idiots and must be told that.

If there is any justice in the universe, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries’ next job will be scrubbing pigeon shit off signs above the Lincoln Tunnel. A more deranged politician is hard to find.

We are finally done with Biden’s reign as Criticizer-in-Chief. Like an infection, nasty ol’ politicians take a long time to go away.

The media report that the Biden Administration pressured—“yelled and screamed”—at Meta/Facebook execs during the Covid pandemic to take down posts questioning the vaccine. It seems that Biden and Co. were hell bent on suppressing any free speech that did not support their narrative. This recent revelation came from none other than Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s Chair and Chief Executive.

And no, I’m not done with Meta yet. Evidently this monstrosity of a tech giant recently announced the removal of tampons from men’s rooms at their facilities. Even stranger, this announcement was made by Mark Zuckerberg. One thought—I guess all the men employed by

Meta must be soccer players, football players, or boxers. After all, they are the guys who end up with bloody noses more than the general population and hang out at Starbucks, patiently waiting for their mocha grande, extra whip, extra hot, two pumps of vanilla. We all know that men stick tampons up their noses to stop the blood flow after being hit in the face repeatedly. Okay, enough of Zuckerstein and his merry band of gender-neutral tech heads.

I for one am looking forward to reading Congressman James Comer’s new book, All the President’s Money. It details and highlights the years-long congressional investigation into how the Biden family amassed a fortune of over $30 million by peddling “the Biden Brand.” The Congressman details the 170 suspicious activity reports (SARs) filed with the U.S. Treasury detailing the money trails and over 20 shell companies that facilitated the Biden family’s illicit fortune. Particularly interesting is that the Biden family did not own or operate any legitimate businesses while they siphoned off millions from enemies of the United States. And to top it off, recent photos released by the National Archives show Joe Biden with his son’s business associates—the people President Biden insisted he never met.

 

No, It’s Not Madness ─ It’s Just New York City

The media reports that due to the new vehicle congestion fee of $9 for traveling by car or truck in parts of Manhattan, funeral parlors are considering adding a surcharge to funerals since hearses are not exempt from the congestion fee. When asked about how the extra cost would appear on the dearly departed’s bill, a funeral director was quoted as saying, “We will just add it to the cost of the funeral. A separate line item would appear insensitive.”

Apparently, placing the cadaver on mass transit in New York City is a no-no. Buses and subways explicitly prohibit the transport of the unliving. So for now, busy funeral homes will have to suck up the expense or add it to the funeral services bill under “miscellaneous expenses.”

 

The Promise of America

Remember back when you were in grade school and learned of American exceptionalism? We were told that our country was unique, not like the monarchies of old Europe, and with no royalty or thousand-year-old traditions. We were an upstart nation, born in 1776, young by global standards, yet extraordinary and different from all other nations. From George Washington to John F. Kennedy to today, we became a global superpower unlike anything the world has ever seen. Yet we lost our way and let many of our wonders slip away, instead embracing globalism, socialism, Marxism, and sameness. YES, there are extraordinary Americans such as Elon Musk, Ben Shapiro, Mark Levin, and others. These individuals tower over the average American like a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier towers over an eleven-foot sailboat. America has lost much of its exceptionalism as universities and teachers have beat equality of everything into the heads of our young. You can be smarter than the average of all your classmates, but it is considered unfair if you have strengths that others do not possess.

BULLSHIT! Americans are capable of extraordinary feats of accomplishments, and they must be free to excel to the limits of their gifts and beyond. We have become a nation of sheep with our heads down, grazing (and smoking) grass. My hope is that it is about to change.

 

Banish Idiots from the Senate . . . Please!

Readers of The Equal Opportunity Times are aware that I have previously opined on progressive politicians’ love affairs and fascination with the 32-hour workweek with no reduction in pay.

Nutcase Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced legislation in the last Congress, proposing a nationwide 32-hour workweek. His arguments mimic the idiotic, how massive wealth inequality cries out for a shorter workweek in order to enjoy more of what life has to offer without the high stress many career-minded folks deal with. And with the advent of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies, we will no longer need to work as hard because robots will repair farm fences, paint bridges, and remove pigeon shit from municipal buildings. All this, the Senator says, will lead to massive increases in productivity. He pounds the table—veins popping out of his forehead—and proclaims that productivity gains are not just for billionaires. It’s sad to think that Bernie could not pass an intro to accounting course at a community college. Although I generally hate to repeat myself, Senator Sanders presents an airtight case for term and age limits in Congress.

 

Oh the Pain!

On January 19, 2025, TikTok went dark in the United States. China pulled the plug hours before the American ban was to begin. The chorus of screams from Millennials, Gen-X, and mostly all other gens was deafening. How can this be? How can governments steal our income, our pastime, our porn shorts? Will influencers march on Washington, DC, and burn down the FCC, the Supreme Court, and any other buildings they view as fair game?

TikTokers, as they are known, are spectacularly ignorant of geopolitics, national security, and, well, most other important things. They refuse to recognize that China is our adversary in most everything and will stop at nothing to steal everything in America that is not nailed down.

Some TikTokers are more affected by this than others. Many just enjoy water-skiing cats, monkeys, and tigers. Others earn money with beauty secrets, dating strategies, and more. And those screaming at the top of their lungs—the ones who have figured out how to monetize their time spent on TikTok—are sobbing uncontrollably, not understanding how evil governments have stolen their sole source of income. While I try not to laugh at their stupidity, I am reminded of one of the most important lessons that Dan Kennedy taught me. Here is the lesson: The most dangerous number of all is one. Yes, the number sandwiched between zero and two. So why is the number one so dangerous? Well, if you have one employee you rely on and they leave, you’re screwed. If you have one vendor who supplies everything you need to run your business and they close, you’re screwed. If you have one source of income and that app, platform, or market goes away, you guessed it, you’re screwed. Oh the pain of it all!

So all these influencers, TikTokers and malcontents screaming that governments (China, the United States) have put them out of business have no one but themselves to blame. They never learned that one app, one platform, one of anything places them in a dangerous and fragile financial position. My recommendation: Start reading some of Dan Kennedy’s dozens of books and gain an education so you don’t repeat their stupid mistakes.

P.S. President Trump has evidently placed TikTok on a respirator until further arrangements can be made. Don’t bet that all those affected will have learned a lesson.

 

A Bang and a Whimper Recorded on the Same Day

Donald Trump’s triumphant return to the White House began with a very loud BANG as opposed to the soundless whimper of departing President Biden. In a flurry of activity that will be written about for months if not years, the executive orders signed into law on day one of the Trump Presidency are staggering:

  • The official policy of the federal government pertaining to gender ideology guidance is that there are only two genders—male and female.
  • A national border emergency was declared, reversing years of the Biden Administration’s failed policies, including catch and release, the CBP-1 App.
  • The Remain in Mexico policy was
  • The Southern border wall will be
  • Cartels are designated as foreign terrorist
  • The United States is withdrawing from the Paris Climate

 

Revenge of the Childish Federal Idiots 

By now it’s common knowledge that President Trump has ordered federal workers back to their offices. After all, why have 10 million square feet of federal office space for the 267 workers who actually show up at the office? What you may not know is that there is a cadre of Washington, DC, feds who are actively promoting the boycott of local businesses such as eateries, drugstores, gas stations, and the like in order to not improve the city’s economy.

According to the leftist MSN media website, “Spiteful government workers have vowed to boycott struggling mom and pop businesses near their offices.”

Another idiot was quoted as saying, “On principle, I will bring my lunch (or starve) every day rather than give a dime to DC businesses if this is part of the justification. Boycott DC needs to become a thing for all feds ASAP.”

I have several observations to make about these asshats who are employed by our government:

  • The fact that the federal government actually employs people with a spiteful attitude is repulsive and sickening.
  • It’s obvious that these deranged individuals don’t understand or care that they are hurting local entrepreneurial businesses and families.
  • It is my fervent hope that OMB tracks down these idiots and fires them because I do not want them working for my government.
  • How these government malcontents got it in their heads that they have a right to work from home is beyond me.I welcome the voluntary wave of resignations from protesting, indignant federal

    As I reviewed this prior to publication, I recalled my old friend and publisher Adam Witty of Advantage Publishing. He shared with me that he was always on guard for any employees who exhibited anti-work-ethic behavior. When I asked him to explain, he told me that outward signs of this are overhearing employees talking about TGIF and hump day—two sure-fire signs that these folks are not really interested in furthering corporate goals. This placed them on the short list for potential termination.

     

    Yes, That’s What the Article Said ─ “Stunned into a Stupor”

    If you know me at all, you would think that “stunned into a stupor” means I’m talking about some ill-informed progressive liberal. Ordinarily, you would be right, but today you’re barking up the wrong tree. It seems the Arctic cold spell has had a profound effect on some Florida wildlife, namely the iguana. There is the potential for falling iguanas who lose their grip on palm trees and fall to the ground in a spectacular example of gravity. Isaac Newton would be proud! It seems these cold-blooded green iguanas came from Central and South America years back and made a cozy home in the warm, breezy environment of South Florida. So I wouldn’t walk too close to trees for now or you may be at risk of a comatose iguana landing on your head. Should you run across one seemingly dead iguana that is still on the ground, give them a wide berth rather than startling them and causing them to lunge and bite you. You will thank me for all the pain, discomfort, and money not spent at the local hospital.

    And just so this story is not lost merely on animals, stunned into a stupor pretty well describes the blank looks on many hardcore Democrats’ faces as they realized during the first week of Trump 2.0 that there is a new sheriff in town and life as they know it has ended.

     

    Famous Last Words Uttered by the Failed Vice Presidential Candidate

    During the presidential campaign fundraiser at California Governor Gavin Newsom’s home, liberal pinhead Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said, “All of us know the Electoral College needs to go.”

    Later, a spokesperson for the Harris-Walz team backtracked the Governor’s comment with this: “Walz believes that every vote matters in the Electoral College, and he is honored to be traveling the country and battleground states working to earn support for the Harris-Walz ticket. He was commenting to a crowd of strong supporters about how the campaign is built to win 270 electoral votes. And he was thanking them for their support that is helping fund those efforts.”

    Well, Governor, here are a couple of inconvenient points that may have slipped your mind. First, the Electoral College was established by the U.S. Constitution. Gee, why is that important? I’ll tell you. We would need a Constitutional amendment to do away with the Electoral College.

    Second, I am in awe at how Governor Walz, the Vice Presidential wanna-be, thinks he is smarter than the appointed committee of the Founding Fathers who wrestled for months to come up with a grand compromise—the Electoral College. After all, Walz attended Minnesota State University, so he must be an intellectual giant on par with Hamilton, Madison, Adams, Sherman, and all the other Founding Fathers who, in the Governor’s mind, are not as smart as he is.

     

    See ya soon…

     

     

    You will find many of my interviews on my website at https://eocritic.com./

     

    This private email message, including any attachment(s), CCs, BCCs, or REPLIES, are covered under this NOTICE and is limited to the sole use of the intended recipient and may contain privileged and/or confidential PRIVATE information. Any and all political, private, or public entities, federal, state, or local corporate government(s), municipality(ies), international organization(s), corporation(s), live individual(s), person(s), agent(s), investigator(s), or informant(s), et al., and/or third party(ies) working in collusion by collecting, observing, monitoring, and/or analyzing my email(s), using any means of spying and/or data collection is PROHIBITED. Without my exclusive WRITTEN permission, all communications herein are PRIVATE. In de jure freedom.

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    DISCLAIMER: This is solely for entertainment purposes. Published and distributed by EOCritic LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of recording, nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise copied for public use or private use—other than “fair use” as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews—without the prior written permission of the publisher and/or the author.

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    No liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken, the author and publisher assume no liability for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

    Copyright © 2025 EOCritic LLC

    Looking Back on My Career as I Contemplate Retirement

    Looking Back on My Career as I Contemplate Retirement

    Born in 1956, I have racked up numerous jobs over the last 68 years. Not all were memorable, but some were dreadful, some cool, others temporary, some permanent, and some sucked. One came with a bed (more about that later). They included accessing blood vaults, babysitting, loading dry cleaning machines, cleaning mimeograph machines, counterboy, three-wheel bicycle deliveries, compliance auditing, operations manager, busboy, mailroom boy, laundry delivery driver, cotton cubicle folding assistant, and retirement strategist/wealth manager.

    Stranger than the foregoing list is the number of titles I have actually held—internal auditor, staff auditor, assistant vice president, vice-president, first vice-president, second vice-president, senior vice president, senior investment management consultant, managing director, and yeah, delivery boy.

    Having a job that actually comes with a bed might sound like a perk, but working fifteen-hour shifts at a big city blood bank with urgent calls for blood coming in at midnight, 3:00 a.m., or 5:00 a.m. doesn’t allow for a good night’s sleep, no matter how soft the mattress.

    But that job wasn’t as bad as being a busboy in a college town diner with all my friends deliberately making messes, knowing I had to clean it up while they paid their bills and shuffled out the door. It wasn’t good for the ego, yet I was grateful it only lasted long enough to pay rent and the phone bill.

    The lowest salary by far was babysitting for Dr. Buxbaum across the hall from our lower eastside apartment in Manhattan. She paid me 50 cents an hour. I’d walk away with a $1.50 spending money, feeling on top of the world until I understood how little $1.50 actually bought.

    If you ever worked for your parents, you know it comes with “special issues.” I can’t remember the number of times I wished I could trade places with my dad and let him fold 265 draperies while I sat in his air conditioned office yakking on the phone. Worse was how he made me feel when I screwed something up (hey, I was 13 years old, give me a break), which was often. He would explain something, I would dutifully nod, and then totally forget what he said and proceed to screw up the chore. Couldn’t help feeling like a butthead, like I couldn’t do anything right.

     

    Not good for my self-esteem.

    My time as an internal auditor for the New York based E.F. Hutton lasted about two and half years before I took a promotion and became operations manager in their sprawling Washington, DC, office. I started with Hutton in 1980, and my job was to interview stockbrokers at their offices all across the country. As a compliance auditor, my function was to make sure stockbrokers abided by the rules and regulations of the New York Stock Exchange, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the SEC. Yes, it proved mind-numbingly boring, despite the travel to such magical destinations as Rock Island, Illinois; Carmel, Indiana; Tonawanda, New York; and Parsippany, New Jersey.

    I now look forward to turning the page and not working for a living. I have put in enough years to enjoy the autonomy I have earned. The struggle will be to keep myself intellectually occupied. A dear friend wrote a series of books on Sudoku. Perhaps I will need to read them so my brain doesn’t turn to goo.

     

    Geopolitical Intrigue and Mind-Numbing Idiocy 

    It seems that President Biden saw fit to pardon a Chinese spy who was caught with massive amounts of child pornography. It further seems the fellow was related to a high-ranking member of the Communist Party. YES, I feel Biden is the most unfit President in the last 200 years, and this is mind-numbing idiocy.

     

    The Final Word (to borrow a phrase from my friend Vance)

    Surely a sign of American imperialism—a law in place since the 1990s PROHIBITS the wearing of jeans in North Korea. You will find NO denim in the country since possession will land you in jail. Just in case you were wondering, North Korea also prohibits TikTok and birth control devices of any kind, including condoms.

    I’m told that hundreds of Starbucks employees are on strike. It seems the baristas have much to gripe about, but what interests me most is one barista wanting “work from home flexibility.” Perhaps this person keeps creamer and vanilla in their home fridge? Perhaps what’s lost on these folks is that Starbucks, like McDonald’s, is a career steppingstone and not meant to be permanent employment. It reminds me of my busboy and delivery days.

    The antics of the Biden Administration never seem to stop, and yes, they continue to piss me off. Recent articles detail how that Administration has spent millions of dollars of taxpayer money creating transgender animals and then performing experiments on them. See the Washington Examiner story dated December 21, 2024, by Robert Schmad for the gruesome details.

    I have no interest in reading an article that begins with the words P. Diddy, Taylor Swift, or Whoopi Goldberg.

    Fair warning: If you happen to run across an article describing how late night TV hosts failed to stop the Trump presidential win, don’t read it. You have much better things to do, like cleaning your gutters or oven.

    Have you heard of Woke Cinema? Evidently, there is a class of cinematic productions that focus on the woke life and the progressive liberal political climate. I’m sure Hollywood insider Rob Reiner is all over this. You can probably expect new versions of Marvel and DC superhero movies featuring a bisexual Super Boy, a lesbian Wonder Woman, and a transexual Martian Manhunter.

    I would not be surprised to see a new and improved version of Friends where they all identify as whatever they want, complain that everything is lame, work from home, still qualify for state SNAP programs (food stamps), and argue amongst themselves about student loan cancellations because owing all that debt creates anxiety. And because Hollywood is known to be racist, all new Disney films will feature Latino and African American leading ladies as well as a new and improved American history featuring trans Founding Fathers.

    Take note:

    • It is illegal to drive blindfolded in Alabama—just sayin’.
    • In Arizona, it’s illegal for a donkey to sleep in a bathtub—you have been
    • In Kentucky, a woman cannot marry the same man four
    • In Massachusetts, it’s illegal to tell fortunes without
    • In New Jersey, bullet-proof vests are banned while committing a

     

    Turnabout Is Fair Play

    Equal Opportunity Times subscribers might recall that about a year ago, I penned a quiz called “How to shut down your crazed liberal relatives at holiday dinners.” The quiz received more- than-expected comments, both positive and, well, not so positive. I was blunt and pulled no punches. For those who know me, that’s par for the course. For the crazed liberal relatives who are clueless that socialism is the path to communism, I hold no mercy. By the way, that’s not my line. It was first uttered by Vladimir Lenin. If he happens to be your role model, not only will I not invite you to holiday dinner but I won’t let you step foot in my home.

    I spied a recent media article that discussed how liberal leftists should not allow Trump-voting relatives into their homes for holiday dinners. It seems that turnabout is fair play. The article went on to explain how righteous Democrats should not share bread or make toasts with those who are against reproductive healthcare (read abortion and genital mutilation surgery for minors), secure borders, or deportation of illegals.

    Other media pundits have suggested that Trump-voting relatives are a deal-breaker and that holiday get-togethers should be cancelled all together. WOW! No gifts, no holiday cards, no roast turkey, no eggnog, and absolutely no songs sung together around the family piano. Talk about sore losers! Bing Crosby and Perry Como would roll over in their graves. Others suggested that if Uncle Paul and Aunt Minny are the offending Trump-voting Republicans, you should simply fail to invite them. This appears to be the 21st century version of the Hatfields and the McCoys.

     

    Just So There’s No Confusion

    Just so there’s no confusion—that’s how the letter began that I received from Louisiana Senator John Kennedy. Yes, it was an appeal for a campaign contribution, but what a letter! Long-time readers of the Equal Opportunity Times are aware that I consider Senator Kennedy an intellectual giant and one of the finest Senators ever to grace that chamber. The left hates—no, despises— Senator Kennedy with a passion. That should tell you all you need to know.

    I have watched many videos of Kennedy questioning Biden’s judicial appointees about the U.S. Constitution, only for the candidate to squirm in their seat and reply that they aren’t familiar with that clause of the Constitution. Kennedy’s grilling of liberal judicial nominees starts with basics like this: Can you tell me about Article II of the Constitution or the meaning of the Commerce Clause?

    Through intense questioning, Kennedy uncovers the unadulterated stupidity of inexperienced and unqualified liberals nominated to important government offices. As many of you are aware, I am not a citizen of Louisiana, yet I will be contributing a healthy sum to Senator Kennedy’s campaign because his voice of reason is needed in the U.S. Senate.

     

    Yes, There Are Congressional Republicans Past Their Prime Too

    If you don’t live in Texas, you may not be familiar with GOP Congresswoman Kay Granger (R- TX). Apparently, this representative hasn’t voted on a bill in six months and lives in a nursing home. Granger is 81 years old and has served in Congress for 26 years. Unfortunately, she is a poster child for term limits.

    Brandon Granger, the Congresswoman’s son, is reported to have told a local Texas newspaper that his mom is “having some dementia-related issues.”

    Yet her 25- person-strong staff keeps her Capitol Hill office running in her absence, proclaiming, “Move along; nothing to see here, folks.” This is reminiscent of the deceptions hoisted upon the American people by President Biden’s handlers that insist the President is at the top of his game. The best solution is term limits and severe monetary penalties for staffers who deceive the American people about their bosses. Better yet, toss their asses in jail.

     

    NY Governor Champions Efforts to Fight Crime While Horrific Crimes Take Place

    Yes, it’s my personal opinion that New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) is one of the worst governors in the history of the Empire State. Media reports that while she was touting New York subway safety, there where two stabbings, and one woman was set on fire and later died.

    All this happened on New York subways while Hochul was hyping improved safety underground. While a gruesome murder was taking place, the governor posted on social media that crime was going down. Unfortunately, this liberal excuse for a high-ranking Democrat is clueless and would serve humanity better by inspecting concrete footings at upstate New York prisons.

     

    New York Governor Lunacy ─ Part 1 (of course, I will follow up with part 2) 

    Yet again, New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s name is splashed across media headlines proclaiming that she signed a bill forcing “big oil” to pay for climate change damage.

    On the other side of the country, California Governor Gavin Newsom is blaming his state’s budget deficit on climate change and by extension blaming it on “big oil.”

    Let’s try to unpack some of this, shall we? First, it screams that these governors’ actions reflect their attempts at hoisting new fees on the industry responsible for them not sitting in the dark and shivering in the winter. That said, I sincerely doubt that the governors’ mansions are 100 percent powered by windmills and solar collectors.

    My beef is how the Legislation links oil industry actions to an alleged injury. Can New York’s new law, beyond any doubt, tie Chevron’s actions to a tornado, a hurricane, or a cold spell? Did Exxon, through its actions or inactions, cause a heat wave or tropical storm that wiped out a California pier in a town that now has the right to extort funds to pay for a pier replacement? Did Valero Energy and its refining capacity conclusively cause a deluge of rain that wiped away a community center? How exactly can these laws link a supposed crime or outcome to a weather pattern that began in the Gulf of Mexico or for that matter in the Pacific or Atlantic Oceans?

    Show me the math.

    January saw a polar vortex form over much of the US reaching as far down as Florida. My guess is that thousands of acres of orange crops might freeze and be thrown in the trash. In a Democrat politician’s mind, obviously it’s the fault of occidental Petroleum and Exxon and they have to pay for all damages! These lunatic laws force energy companies to pay for supposed damages that cannot be proved. I will go out on a limb here and put it out into the universe that laws such as these will only become fact in blue states. Care to argue that?

     

    Is This New, or Have I Been in the Dark All This Time? 

    I recently came across a reference I have never heard of before—Weather Porn. I’m somewhat familiar (at a distance) with the regular type, but weather? A lot of folks across the nation seem to be glued to the Weather Channel, watching hour upon hour of hurricanes and tornados rip through towns, causing untold disaster and misery in their wake.

    Far be it from me to declare a tornado unsexy, but I kind of understand people gluing their eyes to the destruction—kind of like passing a wreck on the highway and struggling not to look. But the wise guy in me wonders that if some folks are weather porn junkies, then what other type of porn are they binging on? Just a thought…

     

    It’s Not About Skin Color ─ It’s About Character 

    I’m happy that we as a nation are closing the chapter on the Biden-Harris Administration and its war on character. Individuals are chosen for high positions, notwithstanding deeply flawed characters, ethics, and lack of experience. The Administration was populated by checking the correct progressive leftist boxes, along with the inclusion of bureaucrats based on sexual orientation, leftist politics, and skin color rather than character and credentials. Character matters. I’m not saying that the new administration won’t have its flaws as well, but I think that starting from a foundation of do they have the skills, credentials, and experience to do the job is a good beginning. It’s high time that we match the job with the skillset and character of the individual, not on characteristics that don’t matter.

     

    Will the Squad Ever Get It Right? 

    Evidently, when a murderer is caught, convicted by a jury of their peers, and sentenced to death, that death penalty is now considered racist. It appears that Squad members are applauding President Biden’s clemency of 37 murderers. They—the murderers, not the Squad members (unfortunately)—will now receive life in prison at a cost of millions and millions of dollars.

    About 98 percent of federal death row inmates are Caucasian and African American males convicted of murder. How the political morons that make up the Squad deems the death penalty racist is beyond me. Should you have the answer, please contact me at 1-800-Don’t-Give-A-Shit.

     

     Elections Have Consequences

    The American people have spoken. They voted against four more years of the disastrous Biden- Harris policies. Recall how Kamala Harris stated in a nationally televised TV interview that she would not change anything that Biden had done. If that is not a vote of confidence for a diminished mental capacity chief executive, I don’t know what is.

    Various media sources tell me that Democrats, especially progressive nut-job liberals, are readying an anti-Trump, in-your-face campaign. Recall how Congresswoman/asshat Maxine Waters (D-CA) encouraged her followers to hound Trump Administration employees in church, restaurants, and on street corners to let them know they were not welcome among civilized (liberal) Americans. So I expect a number of articles to detail shouting matches at Starbucks, Denny’s, Chipotle, Taco Bell, and the local diner—all focusing on the evil, godless employees of the Trump Administration.

    And in case you missed it, some Washington, DC, food workers have vowed to make Trump officials not welcome at their establishments. I hope the owners and general managers of the restaurants fire their asses on the spot for disrespecting customers.

    Notwithstanding the socialist wannabees’ outrage that law and order is coming back to town, I fully expect foot-stomping, mass protests, bellowing, and a loud racket to persist for months if not years. It’s amazing that there are tens of millions of Americans who persist in believing that unchecked immigration, 7 percent mortgage rates, ongoing inflation, out-of-control crime, insane identity politics, and wasteful government spending policies are good things to be defended at the ballot box.

     

    You will find many of my interviews on my website at EOCritic.com.

     

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    The Morally Superior Democrat – Yeah, Right…

    The Morally Superior Democrat – Yeah, Right…

    Truth be told, I was NEVER a fan of President Obama. Lately, he has taken to the media to warn that “one side” is going to weaponize the justice system and rig elections. This smacks of a Russian false flag operation where the Russians sabotage X and then blame the west for the sabotage. We are guiltless, we have been wronged, the other side did it!

    What Obama is describing is how the left and powerful progressive Democrats have used America’s justice system to go after their political enemies, yet he projects these wrongs on Republicans with his typical smugness and air of superiority. And yes, Joe Biden has torn a page from Obama’s playbook. The only politician worse to listen to is AOC with her own brand of socialist lunacy. Obama is not a 21st century prophet; he is an elitist, and I for one would like to see him thrown off his sanctimonious high horse and relegated to the trash heap of American failed policies.

     

     Rich and Stupid Too… 

    Not many people can afford to build a $3 million mansion. A person would have to be sitting on a significant pile of assets to afford that. Still, that doesn’t mean the person has any brains outside of the one area that made them rich. For example, assume I am a genius at franchising. Somehow, I was gifted with the superpower of being able to sell franchise units of fast-food places, and I made myself a handsome nest egg in the eight figures.

    Let’s further assume that approaching Thanksgiving, I think it would really be kind of neat to fry a turkey, so I make all the arrangements and set it up in my huge garage, far enough away from my Maserati so oil doesn’t splatter on it. You can probably guess where I’m going with this because I picked up the paper recently and read how a $3 million Connecticut mansion was engulfed in flames due to a harebrained scheme to fry a turkey in the garage. 

    One question: Who’s the turkey?

     

    Save Some Seats on Your Plane

    Recent news stories suggest that Democratic megadonor —yes, that’s a real word—Reid Hoffman is mulling (normal folks don’t mull, only rich folks do) leaving the United States after Donald Trump won the November 2024 presidential election. If the name sounds vaguely familiar, Hoffman was the cofounder of LinkedIn.

    It seems this multi-zillionaire is embarrassed at wasting millions of dollars on Kamala Harris’s utter failure of a campaign. I would like to suggest that he pack his bags and invite many of his Democratic friends to fill up all those empty seats on his private plane. If asked, I can provide a list of Hollywood “A names” as traveling companions. The more left-leaning Harris groupies who leave the country, the better. Remember, these are the folks who created many of America’s problems over the last four years.

     

    Antisocial Media 

    I can’t recall who came up with the term social media. Perhaps it was around the birth of Myspace or Facebook. I really don’t care. What I do care about is that it has morphed into antisocial media with malcontents of every persuasion posting mean-spirited ideas that they dare not say in public or face to face with other Americans.

    The cloak of Twitter/X and other platforms provides a curtain to hide behind so folks can say any damn thing they please without being hauled off their lawn and called out as an ecoterrorist, a Green New Deal moron, or a Biden wannabe. These platforms, to the best of my knowledge, were created to bring people together, not spew vicious hate memes and threats.

    Look, everyone is entitled to say what they please; however, many might want to abide by Rodger’s mother-rule. What’s that? Glad you asked. Before posting spiteful, cruel, and hateful words, consider what your mother would say if you said those words to her face. Would she pat you on the back and call you a sweet ecoterrorist, or would she haul you off to the bathroom and wash your mouth out with soap?

    Hopefully, Americans will begin to be more thoughtful in their posts. While speaking their mind, they can be respectful of others and not come across as an unfit baboon ready for the zoo.

     

    An Overpopulated Government 

    Think back. Have you ever heard anyone mention that the US government is not large enough or that more government workers need to be hired? Well, I can’t remember ever hearing that, and I am looking forward to a ringside seat to watch the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) get up and running and take a scalpel to both the federal head count and the federal budget. Personally, I’m okay with firing the entire U.S. Department of Education and returning all educational responsibilities to the states—where they belong.

    Mr. Google tells me that the 4,400 employees of the U.S. Department of Education have a budget of some $68 billion, and yet they are a near-perfect example of the gang that can’t shoot straight! Kamala says that efforts to close the Department of Education would be disastrous for the nation. I beg to differ. The Department has become a lightning rod for everything wrong with bloated government.

    Biden’s Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, was quoted as saying, “If you support eliminating the Department of Education, you do not support our students.” That’s like cigarette companies proclaiming that their product doesn’t cause cancer. The only good liberal Democrat politician is an unemployed one.

     

    DEI Obsession 

    Did you know that Columbia University has a School of Climate—yes, they really do. What do you expect from a Marxist University in New York City? Anyway, they boast their own earth observatory. Their mission, direct from their website, is to seek fundamental knowledge about the origin, evolution, and future of the natural world. Okay, I get that. Then WHY would they have their own Director of DEI (“Divisiveness, Entitlement, and Intimidation”)?

    Notice that we are talking about a DEI Director for the observatory, not the school! It seems that a lot of marginalized folks have had it tough when it comes to earth sciences, and the director’s focus is equality for all among the Ivy League reform-minded elitists. Just so it’s not lost on you, I want to include a statement from their website that should provide some insight into these folks’ state of mind.

     

    Statement on Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s Commitment to Anti-Racism and Institutional Change—June 2021

    Black lives matter. 

     

    We the leadership of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences are committed to making Lamont a diverse, nurturing, and vibrant community founded upon the fundamental understanding that all its members deserve dignity and have value. We have failed science and ourselves over the last half century by unintentionally and/or intentionally excluding representative numbers of Black people, and other people of color, from our ranks. A renewed and effective dedication to anti-racist practices is imperative to the operation of a just institution and our ability to undertake the most creative, innovative, salient, and beneficial research.

     

     

    For the Last Time, the Trump Tax Cut Was NOT Just for the Rich 

    I have been interviewed a couple of dozen times over the last year, and I take exception when interviewers ask me about how President Trump in his first term gave a tax cut only for the rich. What generally follows is their statement that billionaires pay no taxes at all. Unfortunately for the interviewer, the facts do not support this. The query shows that the questioner has not done their homework because if they had, they wouldn’t have asked the question in the first place.  

    Let me explain without holding a tax policy class that none of you signed up for. If you look at IRS data for the full year of 2022, you will find that 48% of all federal income tax revenues were paid by the top 1% of American earners. Let that sink in for a moment. One percent paid nearly half of all federal income taxes. Further, the top 10% of American taxpayers ponied up 72% of all federal income tax revenues. If that were not enough, the bottom 50% of taxpaying Americans paid about 3% of total tax revenues collected. How is that for lopsided math?

    What follows is a question-and-answer period of how it is impossible to provide tax cuts only for the bottom half. Wouldn’t that be treating the other 50% differently? We are all given equal protection under the law. The IRS or some brain-dead President cannot declare that African American cab drivers in Detroit will receive an income tax holiday for five years, nor can fast- food workers in Mississippi pay a flat 10% tax for ten years. Were this to happen, the federal government would in fact be discriminating against all groups of people who are not fast-food workers in Mississippi or cab drivers in Detroit.

    The Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution would invalidate unequal tax rates for different groups of people. By the way, this would also apply to failed candidate Kamala Harris since she wanted to provide cash incentives only to African Americans. 

     

    The Media: It’s Not All Black and White

    I felt disgusted as I read an article detailing how Harris campaign staffers felt underserved and bypassed leading up to election night. Apparently, “staffers of color” were not provided resources to effectively get their jobs done. The article suggests that they were denied basics such as water, staplers, paper, chairs, and tables. This sounds like an obvious lack of resource planning by campaign leaders. But I found the lack of respect for folks of every color, or any color for that matter, to be disgusting. Such discord in the campaign of a candidate of color smacks of sheer idiocy.

    If the last four years of the Biden-Harris Administration have taught me anything, it is that individuals are categorized, labeled, and classified by their skin color rather than their character, integrity, ethics, and abilities. Rarely do I see the media characterize someone as well-rounded and experienced. Instead, they brand people as a Black candidate, a White candidate, or a Latino. I’m told that someone’s skin color is but 1/16 of an inch thick, yet the media chooses to classify people based on something so small and meaningless.

    If the mainstream media wishes to classify someone, why not do it based on their character and abilities? Why do they always use the least important characteristic? If someone is to be judged, let them be judged by the sum and substance of their character and their deeds.

     

    Let’s Lock Some People Up! 

    I have been involved in the finance world since 1980. That’s a lot of years. During that time, I witnessed countless cases of corporate executives involved in wrongdoings, and no one was really punished except the shareholders. I think back to the Enron clusterfuck and recall that C- suite execs Skilling, Lay, Causey, and Fastow were imprisoned for their wrongdoings. And by wrongdoings, I mean lying, cheating, stealing, and committing securities fraud. We need to see more of the lock ’em up attitude. I hope that Trump’s SEC and DOJ put the teeth back into the law. 

    It’s no secret that hundreds of billions of dollars of company stocks are owned in 401(k) and 403(b) employer-sponsored retirement plans. When company shares are flushed down the toilet at the first hint of impropriety, the real losers are the shareholders—the retirement plans for you, me, and our neighbors. While Jeff Skilling, Enron’s former CEO, was charged with oodles of criminal counts, he was only given a 24-year sentence and released after 12 years.

    How many people’s lives were destroyed over the Enron debacle? How many retirement plans were decimated? How many college plans went up in smoke due to a C-suite full of lying, cheating thieves?

    I say lock ’em up for the rest of their lives with NO possibility of parole. Let it be known in corporate C-suites that all execs will be held responsible for criminal wrongdoings. Their pensions will be cancelled and their benefits will be erased, and they will be imprisoned until they take their last breath. Maybe that will put the right amount of fear in them that they must abide by the letter and spirit of the law.

    What do you think, dear readers? Let me know.

    Post Script: I read with great satisfaction an article stating that McKinsey & Company, the giant consulting firm, has been ordered to pay $650 million to resolve a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. It seems they advised Purdue Pharma on how best to boost sales of OxyContin, the addictive painkiller that contributed to the US opioid epidemic. A former senior partner has agreed to plead guilty to obstruction of justice.

    AND, folks, that ain’t nearly enough.

    Obviously, the firm had a flock of people working on how the drug company could significantly boost sales and make more money, while addicting millions more Americans on opioids. I’m pretty certain they didn’t assign the task to one guy. Why not indict a dozen or so marketers and consultants, throw them in jail, forfeit their pensions, and personally fine each of them $250,000. That would send a statement to other consultants that their asses are on the line when they accept work that is unethical.

     

    America Uncancelled

    I am grateful that the American people voted to throw off the yoke of Biden-Harris unexceptionalism and their poisonous cancel culture, once again embracing American exceptionalism.

    One example of American exceptionalism is in our history of Nobel Prizes. It’s no coincidence that about 71% (420) of all Nobel Prizes have been awarded to Americans. In case you were curious, Venezuela has one, and Iran has two. Russia has 30. America, the freest country in the world, provides more opportunities for intellectual expression, free of repression and the threat of arrest. It’s no wonder the largest companies on earth are predominantly American companies.

    The reign of elite globalists with their sacks of Soros-backed billions might be headed for a cliff, if we’re lucky. We will soon have in place a supercharged American government headed by President Trump who is willing to go toe-to-toe with the global players who have occupied powerful seats around the worldwide influence table. The Trump Effect is being felt globally in these weeks before he takes office, relegating Biden to an afterthought. Headline after headline is beginning with one word: Trump. In the coming months and years, we will see if America can shake off the failed policies of Obama and Biden and once again achieve the mantle of the greatest country on the planet.

     

    It’s Target Practice Time 

    You have probably seen media reports that drones have been spotted in 10 New Jersey counties near military bases and Trump-owned golf courses. I think we need a bunch of folks with 12- gauge shotguns to ready themselves for target practice. A Republican Congressman was quoted as saying about drones, “I’ve heard they taste a whole lot chicken.” He favors shooting them down. I couldn’t agree more. I understand how a Realtor might use a drone to fly over a property for sale to take photos. I understand how kids could enjoy them—with parental supervision—in open spaces. But when they shimmer up to a family’s home or near military bases or sensitive government installations, well, its clobbering time. I support open season on these invasive mechanical spies and would not have a problem with responsible patriotic Americans pulling out their shotguns and having some target practice. 

     

    Odds ’n’ Ends 

    I tend to ignore headlines that begin with Jay-Z, Prince Harry, and P-Diddy. I suggest you do the same.

    Reportedly, Cher and Eva Longoria are packed and ready to leave Trump Land. Whoopi is finally packing her bags, and we can all bid on who gets to drive her to the airport. It would be fitting to burn all three of their passports so they can’t return.

    While scanning media headlines on my computer, I saw one that referred to a nonbinary influencer. My next action was to close my laptop and continue reading Atlas Shrugged.  

    I spied a GREAT airport sign online: “Movie stars leaving the country – this way.”

     

    You Don’t Create Electricity by Rubbing Two Sticks Together 

    America doesn’t run on Dunkin’. It runs on energy. I feel right at home among the climate crazies, the Texas oil patch folks, and the solar and windmill crowd because I’m happy with a diversity of energy sources, namely:

    • Oil
    • Natural gas
    • Solar
    • Coal
    • Wind
    • Nuclear
    • Hydroelectric

    As long as I can flick a switch and the light bulb goes on, I’m happy. But it seems there are a whole bunch of people in charge of America who have it out for nuclear energy. Why do I say that? Well, I studied some recent research that detailed the number of nuclear plants being built around the world. Frankly, I was shocked by what I read.

    China is actually constructing 31 nuclear power plants. Europe is building four, and exactly ZERO are being built in the United States. We have all seen the headlines that AI and data centers will need astronomical amounts of electricity. The problem is that hardly anything is being built in developed economies, although the Chinese communists are doing an admirable job.

    The United Kingdom is actually working on a nuclear plant (Hinkley Point C Project), the first one in 30 years. The problem is that it won’t be online until 2030. Worse yet, the budget has exploded threefold, now coming in at $58 billion US.

    So if you’re intent on getting an electric car, it’s best you hope for drill baby drill because cloudy days ain’t a friend of solar, and nobody wants a 400-foot-tall bird-killing windmill in their backyard. And in case you forgot, we don’t mine electricity. We have to create it by spinning turbines and such from energy sources like those listed above.

    Personally, I’m happy with big- ass natural gas pipelines drawing natural gas from Texas’ Permian Basin or Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale. The wells are already in place, and they can pump enough natural gas for another 100 years, no matter rain or clouds.

     

    The War Is Over – and Character Lost

     In years past, I admired a great many in government for their intellect, ethics, patriotism, and character. The last four years, not so much. It seems there was a war on character, and it lay there defeated, ripped open by a roadside IED on the battlefield of partisanship, Green New Deal ideology, wokeness, CRT, DEI, Marxism, and progressive liberalism. Those shouting the loudest were of the least character—Adam Schiff, Hakeem Jeffries, AOC, Omar of Minnesota, Pressley of Massachusetts, Tlaib of Michigan, and lest we forget, Tim Waltz and Gretchen Whitmer. All would have failed a ninth grade high school ethics class.

    And yet I see a glimmer of hope with selected giants of character, forceful intellects, and an ability to get their ideas across to large groups of Americans. Yes, I’m speaking of Senator John Kennedy (R-LA), Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Senators Rand Paul and Tom Cotton, along with Congressmen Comer and Jordan. There are many others—too many to mention here. On the battlefield of ideas, their voices resonate with reasoned truths, something that has lately been kicked to the gutter. Yet I am optimistic that the new Trump Administration will revive much of the character that has been lost in government. I am heartened by his Cabinet selections— Americans of abilities and success who want to be part of the solution of raising America from life support to abundant vitality.

     

    Decrying Is All the Rage 

    Almost daily I spy a media story about a Sheriff, Congressperson, Senator, or some appointed official decrying something. Just today I read of an Oregon Sheriff decrying attempts by locals to write down license plate numbers of illegal alien felons. Apparently, only journalists are permitted to use the word and only when describing an act by an appointed or elected official. I can’t remember a time when my sixth grade home room teacher, Mrs. Baker, decried anything.

    Although with three dozen kids in her class, I’m sure she had plenty of opportunities. Ditto for my mom, dad, sisters, and brothers. None. Nada. Zip. No decrying going on there. In the media/political complex, there are dozens of headlines using that magic word. For example:  

    • S. Election officials decry Trump’s threat to jail them if… (Reuters)
    • Huffman leads lawmakers decrying FCC commissioner… (Huffman’s office)
    • Oregon leaders pen open letter decrying ‘political violence’ (YouTube)
    • After years of decrying mail-in ballots, GOP showing signs… (WUNC)

    You get my point. Folks like you and me, we don’t decry anything. I’m sure that the mothers of decrying word-using journalists are so happy with their children’s success that they choose not to decry about it at weekly card games at the senior center.

    So I ask you—and be honest—when was the last time you decried anything?

     You will find many of my interviews on my website at EOCritic.com.

     

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    Economic Policy and National Security Are Inseparable

    Economic Policy and National Security Are Inseparable

    Trump 2.0 lays out specific plans to bring America back from the brink of a Biden-Harris- induced disaster. China is not only our largest national security threat, but it is also our largest economic threat since it is the number two economic power on the planet behind the USA. China’s ongoing thefts of intellectual property and its complicitness in the worldwide fentanyl traffic and unfair trade practices create multi-dimensional threats. From what I have read, the Biden-Harris Administration has not been successful in challenging China on many issues. It seems that the lay down in the street and hope you don’t get run over strategy has not proved particularly useful when facing an adversary such as President Xi. I for one am grateful that Kamala Harris won’t be the one negotiating with him and that Donald Trump has the iron balls to stand up to him. 

     

    Labor Unions, Anti-Advancement? Huh? 

    The history of America holds one example after another of new technologies disrupting old and established industries. My guess is that the buggy whip manufacturers alliance and the horse- drawn carriage employees marched on Washington, DC, when Henry Ford announced his horseless carriage and magnificent production line. It seems they were on the wrong side of history since many Americans were more than ready to ditch their horses for a Model T. 

    I recall family trips as a kid to Macy’s at Herald Square in Manhattan, my dad pulling his BankAmericard out of his wallet and the clerk placing it in an imprint machine for billing. The clerk pulled down a large handle (looked like a giant stapler) that transferred the impression on the card to a thin carbon-backed receipt. These machines preceded today’s Mastercards and Visa cards. Modern credit cards are imbedded with chips that store all sorts of information. Before too long, they will probably be Bluetooth compatible and make pancakes for breakfast. If I recall, BankAmericard was a brainchild of Bank of America, and my guess is that the bank is doing just fine today with $2.55 trillion in assets.

    While the jury is still out, the ability for students to learn via computer instead of being in a physical classroom has forever changed our idea of education. Students can earn college degrees without ever setting foot on a college campus. Of course, they will miss out on the whole socialization thing—fraternities, sororities, beer pong, and streaking across the soccer fields at midnight.

    And with all that computing power comes the entire work-from-home movement that has had tremendous effects on commercial real estate and the need for enormous, expensive office space. Who knew we didn’t have to get out of our houses or, in many cases, our pajamas to get work done?

    America may stop thinking, innovating, and coming up with new and better solutions to our problems, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Advancement is part of who we are, evidenced by our swapping caves and firepits for condos with terraces facing the Gulf of Mexico.

    Yet today, longshoremen and dockworkers are up in arms because they foresee a loss of jobs as more advanced technology is introduced to the docks via AI.

    It’s basically an issue of workers versus automation. Workers have demanded huge pay increases and promises that their jobs will not change due to technology. They term it “protections against automation.” The International Longshoremen’s Association is against any form of automation, whether partially or fully automated—and they won’t budge.

    They demand a total ban on automated cranes. In other words, they demand that we turn back the clock and that no innovation takes place in their sphere of influence. Global competition be damned. They are okay with China cleaning our clock when it comes to global trade. It’s okay that the internal combustion engine give way to eclectic vehicles or hydrogen-powered cars, just as long as there is no automation on the docks.

    The Longshoremen’s Association demands a 77% pay increase over six years. That’s 12.8% per year. That’s for entry-level positions requiring no education, beginning at $81,000 and reaching as high as $200,000 with overtime. Make no mistake, the all-powerful unions call the shots. They could shut down the ports and bring the American economy to a dead stop. With 36 port facilities on the Atlantic Coast and Gulf Coast, they handle or touch 57% of all container volume in the United States. No one even comes close to the amount of power they wield. 

    Since the founding of America, mechanized automation has always replaced or augmented manual labor. The fact is that American ports lag way behind European and Asian ports in mechanization, technology, and efficiency. If you were to compare a new Chinese port and the port of Baltimore, you would come away scratching your head. Are they in the same business?

     

    Odds and Ends

    I spied a headline that began, “TickTocker Stunned.” I didn’t have the stomach to read the rest. 

    Reportedly, a man in India regained consciousness just before he was to be cremated. I just don’t know what to say. Do you? 

    Justa hunch, but I think that Amazon’s Black Friday haul was most likely orders of magnitude larger than the GDP of Batswana.

     

    I Know ALL Words Are Made Up, but …

    I recently read that President Trump’s Cabinet picks are being threatened and “swatted.” I stopped and thought, what the hell is swatting? Is it like swatting at a fly with a rolled-up magazine?

    Google seems to be of the opinion that it deals with calling in fake threats, like pipe bombs to EMTs, police, and firefighters. These are heinous acts, and the perpetrators should be jailed.

    But to go a step further, I wish whoever is in charge of words would stop creating new ones. We have more than enough already. Hey, if it ain’t in Merriam Webster’s dictionary, circa 1985, we don’t need it. So enough of swatting, blogospheres, lawfare, infowars, Twitter wars and the like. There! I said my peace. I’m done.

     

    Hollywood Asshats 

    I hear that several Hollywood actors have called Trump supporters uneducated. I thought I would stand up for a change and call out these asshats. Some of the most educated folks I know— multimillionaires, entrepreneurs, attorneys, writers, members of Congress, and other supposedly uneducated Americans—stood in line for hours to vote the Biden-Harris trash out of Washington and replace them with American values, patriotism, and common sense. So, to all the Hollywood royalty pissing on us uneducated Americans, go screw yourselves.

     

    English … DOA 

    What am I to think when I see headlines like “AOC Rips MTG after DOGE Promotion”? My first thought is that journalists far and wide failed English and intro to journalism classes. Either that or they choose to speak a secret language that no one else cares about, which begs the question, what has become of the English language?

    Today’s acronyms spell the doom of intelligent conversation and written communication. Face it. Modern English is dead on arrival. Besides, who is in charge of anointing someone with initials instead of the name their mom and pop gave them? Is Elon Musk called EM by his close associates? Was Albert Einstein referred to as AE? If you are the world’s smartest or richest guy, it seems you would qualify. Evidently not. I’d like to file a complaint.

    Back in my formative and youthful days, I was taught conciseness in English even though I got a C in the class and was written up for poor classroom behavior. I was taught that words had meaning and we should strive to be understood in our communications. My teacher was very concise in her letter to my dad, alerting him to the possibility of both of us being called to the principal’s office for a not-so-friendly sit-down.

    Worse yet was the verbal lashing I got from my dad when we got home. He threatened to ground me until I went away to college—if I could ever find a college that would accept a behavior problem like his youngest son. It seems my pop’s threats worked as intended since I have indeed learned how to communicate and am ready to teach today’s media. 

     

    An Abuse of the Second Amendment 

    I get it. The Second Amendment was created to provide protection to Americans from the government seeking to confiscate their weapons. I am pro Second Amendment. I believe in the right of the people to keep and bear arms. What I am not pro about is an illegal alien trying to use the Second Amendment as a defense for having over 170 guns and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition.

    I am happy that a judge tossed out this felon’s Second Amendment defense and is preparing to boot his ass out of the country. By definition, an illegal alien is a felon and a criminal.

     

    Folks Absolutely Have the Right to Be Idiots 

    Where would we be without idiots in our midst? While scanning online media, I spied a story about a bunch of Wisconsin women assembled near Lake Michigan and engaged in a primal scream to mark their displeasure and frustration that the majority of Americans thought it was high time to dump the Democrats and elect Donald Trump as their next President. They termed it a release of their pain.

    You can find a video of it making the rounds on social media if you are so inclined, although I can’t understand why you would want to. Not one to criticize the mentally bruised, I sincerely hope their screams proved therapeutic and pray I never run into any of them.

    Obviously, I’m never ever going to step foot in Wisconsin. By the way, I googled my phone and learned that Wisconsin is about 1,100 miles from Canada, so these ladies can easily hightail it up north and not have to deal with the policies of the Trump Administration. Just sayin’….

     

    How a Government Goes from Bad to Worse ─ A Tale from 5,000 Miles Yonder 

    Thanks to my son Jason for sharing something chilling with me. In the 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged, author Ayn Rand detailed the exodus of leading industrialists and those of unusual capabilities from society since they were targeted by the government for their productive abilities and talent to generate capital. The more they succeeded, the more they were targeted with biased laws that singled them out and punished their ability to produce.

    My disdain for the Biden-Harris Administration is rooted in their belief that it was okay to practice the same sort of lawfare against their political enemies and committed numerous crimes in the process. So why have I shared this with you? Government overreach and socialist policies are not just the stuff of great novels; they are real and ongoing today, especially in current day Norway.

    Norway? Yes, Norway. About 25% of their richest folks have exited the nation due to punitive tax policies. Worse yet, the government of Norway has now imposed an exit tax of almost 40% in case you try to leave with your assets. This is yet another case of political extremists—think Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders’ policies actually becoming reality.

     

    Social Security and Your Blood Pressure ─ The Ugly Truth 

    Some folks pay tax on 50% of their Social Security income. Some folks pay tax on 85% of their Social Security income. President Trump has floated the idea that Social Security income should not be taxed at all.

    So, you ask, what does that have to do with my blood pressure?

    Well, everything. Your retirement lifestyle is what you experience after you have paid the taxman. As you know, an income of $40,000, $127,000, or $350,000 is seldom an after-tax reality. Like the 401(k) and IRAs of old, it’s what you have left after accounting for taxes. Many seniors and the mobs at AARP will be all over tax-free Social Security benefits. I just hope they don’t suffer strokes and heart attacks while watching House and Senate sessions tearing the idea apart and focusing on how much it will balloon an already gargantuan federal tax deficit time bomb.

    I can see the conga line of ambulances arriving at county hospital emergency rooms with a diagnosis of Social Security Syndrome, brought about by the evil dictator Donald Trump. The most likely outcome in Congress is that they manage to kick the can down the road (that’s their superpower by the way). All those seniors in emergency rooms hoping for a lower tax bill and more cash flow can have a night of bingo.

    An informed and aware American is a force to be reckoned with on Election Day.

     

    —Rodger Friedman

     

     

    Your Neighbor Voted for a Dimwit 

    Dimwit, buffoon, asshat—who’s to tell? But here’s what you do know about that neighbor. Whatever you discuss with them turns adversarial. They do not see your viewpoint on anything. Their belief is that Donald Trump will bring about the end of America, and you have learned by now not to waste any energy trying to convince them differently.

    Yes, they are a lost cause, and that’s okay because the world has been populated by lost causes since time began. Don’t try to convince them that Kelly Clarkson and Bernie Sanders are not qualified for Cabinet positions— you won’t change their minds. They refuse to believe that the Biden-Harris illegal immigration scheme has financially broken many states and caused untold misery and despair among the families of those attacked or killed by illegals. I’m told that some women on the far, far left have shaved their heads and sworn off sex. The more I think about it, the happier I am about their decisions. 

     

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