You People Make Me So Mad!

Hello, again, People! I'm back. It's been over 5 months since the last time you ripped me out of retirement. Let's face it, with the vitriolic response to any dissenting opinions today, it's hard to muster the enthusiasm to even try. Beside, the hate mail was clogging up my inbox! But, you know, a Cat's got to do what a Cat's got to do. So, here goes....
You "Vote No to Con-Con" people are giving me a rash!  All of this nonsense plastered all over social media is dumbfounding. How can so many people know so little? There are, in my humble opinion, only two possible answers. Either you actually believe that We The People are incapable of intelligently participating in our own government or you really don't know what's going on and just share Farcebook memes to pretend that you do. Either way, you're wrong. So, please allow me to address the most frequently shared, yet utterly ridiculous statements being made by the "Vote No" crowd.
The Constitutional Convention proposition was cleverly placed on the back of the ballot so you wouldn't see it. Beware, they say, a blank ballot will be counted as a yes! LOL!
All propositions were put on the back of the ballot in 2010, when New York State starting using scannable paper ballots. It should really go without saying that a blank ballot is not counted either way.
Teachers, Fire Fighters, Police and all public employees could lose your pensions! Collective bargaining rights could be taken away! Seriously?
Let's start with the obvious. Collective Bargaining on the part of public service employees is not even covered under the State Constitution. It's protected by the Taylor Law, which, by the way, was enacted by the legislature and can be undone the same way. No Con-Con needed. As far as losing pensions go, highly unlikely. The NY Constitution makes public employee pensions contractual and protects them from "impairment". Any attempt to reduce benefits for retirees or take accrued benefits from current employees would violate the Contract Clause of the US Constitution. Either way, you're covered people. Your pensions are safe. Now, could a change to the State Constitution affect pensions for future employees (those who have not yet been hired)? Yes. But that's already happening. In 2012 the legislature put the new Tier (Tier VI) in place, restricting pensions for anyone hired after April 2016. Again, no Con-Con necessary.
The Con-Con will affect health care benefit protections for many people. Nope.
Health Care Benefits are not protected under the State Constitution so there are no protections to lose.
Delegates to a Con-Con will be the same politicians we have now. "Regular" people are not delegates. Well THAT'S ON YOU!
If there is a Con-Con the election of delegates will be free and open. ANYONE can run to be a delegate. If you want "Regular" people to represent you at a Con-Con then get off your butt and vote for them!
This is my favorite! Anything that could be done by a Con-Con can be done through regular legislation in Albany. LOL!!
For this to be true, you would have to believe that our current elected officials would vote to cut their own throats. Term Limits, Strengthened corruption laws, Real campaign finance reform. These are things that elected officials fear the most. These are the things a Con-Con could produce!
Here's what you really need to understand. Anything produced at a Constitutional Convention, any changes to the Constitution, would have to be put before the voters. YOU have the final say. Nothing changes unless the majority of voters in New York State say they should change. So, unless you actually believe that voters will collective say, 'Hey, you know what, I think clean water is overrated', the other scare tactic of telling you that environmental protections will be eliminated is just that; a scare tactic. You really have to ask yourself why, if a Con-Con is so bad, do the Vote No people have to lie? Could it be that the Vote No movement is actually the evil power brokers and special interest groups trying to maintain their stranglehold on New York Politics? Maaaybee.
 So, in closing, vote yes or vote no. That's up to you. But, please take the time to find out what you're actually voting for or against before you vote. Our future depends on it.
Thank you for your time
Nava Blue

My Two Cents About Success

Hello People. All this blogging is really wearing me out! Anyway, today I'm doing something I've never done before. I'm actually admitting that I read other people's blogs and, for the first time, am actually responding to one. If you're not interested, and why would you be, stop reading now and be gone with you! Okay. Now that we're alone...

Today I read an interesting piece on success and what it means to you. First, in the spirit of transparency, it was written by our boy, who is actually a full grown man. I would like to say that it was well written but….apparently grammar, syntax and punctuation are generational things. Anyway, it was well thought out and, syntax aside, thought provoking. In the piece he writes about a generation, his generation, where “everyone was convinced they would grow up to be super rich rock stars”. It made me think about one of the biggest differences between my generation and the young adults of today. Reality. I don’t mean that in a nasty way. Think about it. Think about how reality, or the perception of reality, has changed since you were young. We all wanted to be rock stars too but, for us, it was a wild dream that 99% of us knew would never happen. We didn’t have YouTube, turning plain Janes into overnight sensations, or the Kardashian’s proving that talent is necessary for celebrity. We didn’t actually believe that we would be rich and famous if we just wanted it enough. We dreamed about it, fantasized, and then settled in to our futures. Not so for this generation. They’ve had the fantasy showered upon them since birth. Justin Bieber, Dot Com Billionaires, Video Game Celebrities all make that dream seem just outside your grasp. But, the reality is that 99% of us will never live that dream. Therein lies the problem. Too many young people today confuse dreams and goals. Dreams are big and elusive; something motivating to reach for. Some dreams do come true. Many do not. That is certainly no reason to stop dreaming. Just because you’ll never make the NBA doesn’t mean you should stop shooting hoops with your friends. Goals are different. Goals are concrete and achievable. Every time you set a goal and reach it, you have succeeded. Be proud of that success. Success is a series of goals achieved. Goal #1 should be to strive to be the best at everything you do. Even if you’re not happy with the job you have today, be the best damn ‘here’s what I’m doing today’ guy there is. At the end of the day, a job well done is something to be proud of.  Pride breeds confidence and confidence breeds success. If you constantly compare your life, your reality, to your dreams you will probably never feel successful. Life rarely measures up to our dreams. We can’t make all of our dreams come true. But success; we can control that! So, set your goals and use each one that you achieve as a stepping stone to the next. Before you know it, maybe that dream won’t seem so far out of reach. Okay. I’m done. Hopping off my soapbox and heading home. It’s not my dream home, mind you, but it’s a damn fine home none the less!

Sway

P.S. If you’d like to read the boy’s article, and I highly recommend that you do, it’s right here:

https://michaelfight.wixsite.com/theclub/single-post/2017/05/03/Measuring-success

It's Finally Happened!

Hello People. I never thought I would see the day, but here it is, in all it's glory! The New York Times, via an opinion piece, has deemed SALAD....wait for it.....RACIST! That's right. Times columnist Bonnie Tsui has taken up the long awaited battle against racist Asian Salad. Why? Because it's made by "Westerners", not Asians, thus, it's cultural appropriation, vis-a-vis Racist! Tsui rants, or in this case writes, that "racist Westerners often use offensive stereotypes to name such Americanized cuisine while fetishizing Asian culture". Huh? Tsui goes on to say that "The casual racism of the Asian salad stems from the idea of the exotic" and is "rooted in the wide-ranging 'all look the same' stereotype of Asian culture". Wow. Really? You got all of that out of an Applebees salad? Wait until she finds out that French Fries aren't really French or that Buffalo Wings come from chickens! I shouldn't be surprised. In the last year or so the "OK" sign, chopsticks, The Constitution, the words 'thug', 'urban', 'inner city', and, my personal favorite, 'American' have all been deemed racist. Earlier this week, on the campus of Colgate College, a call came in to the security office from a student who said that a black man carrying what appeared to be a gun had entered a building on campus. The head of security sprang into action. He sent out an alert for students to shelter in place, contacted the police and implemented to 'active shooter' protocol in place. It turns out the man was a student and the weapon was a glue gun. When the facts came out, it was obvious that the security chief reacted to the report of a black man, not the whole gun thing, when he acted. So, he was, of course, suspended. Had the report been of a white man with what looked like a gun, I'm sure he would have just continued doing his crossword puzzle and called it a day. Thank goodness Colgate weeded out that bad seed! Oh, wait, before I forget, Friday is May 5th. Be careful what you call it. If you're even thinking about a celebration, think again. Don't be a racist! It's not your day, or your culture, to celebrate. Just say no to Cinco de Mayo!, Which, by the way, isn't even a national holiday in Mexico. Also, in case you missed it, Hawaiian Luaus are also a no-no. So, just to be safe people, stick with BBQ, Wings and Kraft cheese slices. And, if you want a day to celebrate that shouldn't offend anyone, try Tuesday the 22nd. The next one is in August. It's always been a favorite of mine.
Sway

An Actual History Lesson

People, people, people. Every time I think I'm out, you drag me back in. I'm done being nice. The following is for all of the morons who have been making asinine comments about President Trump's statements about Andrew Jackson. Your smug little snide remarks about what the President said just prove to me, and anyone else with an actual knowledge of history, that you're an idiot. First, let's address the actual statement:

"I mean, had Andrew Jackson been a little bit later, you wouldn't have had the Civil War." "He was a very tough person, but he had a big heart." "He was really angry that-- he saw what was happening with regard to the Civil War." "He said, 'There's no reason for this

If anyone had taken even a moment to think about this, instead of immediately jumping up and down screaming that Andrew Jackson was dead before the Civil War, you'd see that it makes perfect sense. Here's an actual history lesson for you, not the "idiot's take on history" we've become accustomed too. The "Sectional Divide" in America (North vs South) was rampant in 1835, mainly over the issue of Slavery. President Jackson saw the growing controversy as artificial and political with both abolitionists and southern extremists looking to divide the Union to serve their own separate ends. This made the President very angry. Jackson saw this as a threat to the Union and the "American Experiment in Liberty". As such, President Jackson worked to placate both sides just enough to keep them talking without taking a side and forcing the issue. In other words, he negotiated. In doing so, the Union remained together and the experiment in liberty continued. 26 years later, long after Jackson's death, the Confederates bombed Union soldiers at Fort Sumter and the rest, so they say, is history. So, with this in mind, let's re-examine what they President said:

"I'm mean, had Andrew Jackson been a little bit later, you wouldn't have had the civil war"

Jackson held the Union together in 1835. Who's to say that 'if he'd been a little bit later' he couldn't have held the Union together in 1861. 

"He was really angry that--He saw what was happening with regard to the civil war"

He saw the Sectional Divide growing over, among other things, slavery. He was really angry that this issue could tear the nation in two, which it eventually did. So, What President Trump was saying was that Andrew Jackson understood that a sectional divide over any issue could destroy the promise of America; and that compromise and negotiation we're needed to keep the Union whole. Jackson was ahead of his time. If he had been President in 1861, perhaps he could have avoided the war. 

So people, the moral of the story here is; Our President may not be articulate but he isn't stupid. Maybe, instead of racing to prove he's wrong, we take a minute to actually hear what he's saying. Who knows, you might learn something.

Nava

Stupid Is, Well, Stupid

Hello People. The winds of stupidity are blowing strong across our Country again. Let's start with today's glaring headlines about the outrage over Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking for the resignations of the remaining 46 US Attorneys held over from the Obama administration. The fact that there's nothing unusual about that seems to have alluded the media. Most US Attorneys resign after an administration change, 47 of them did step down.In 1993, Bill Clinton removed all 93. I guess I missed the "outrage" then. I've said it before and I'll say it again, just because you don't remember it doesn't mean it didn't happen.
March 2017: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the health care reform proposal must be fully read and presented to the public with "ample time" to review.
March 2010: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the health care bill must be passed so we can find out what's in it. As much as I appreciate her new found love of reading, her hypocrisy is overwhelming.
Okay, enough about politics, because there's plenty of stupid to go around.
An elementary school in Sacramento, California has nixed the annual Father-Daughter dance in favor of the Family Dance, to make it more inclusive. The school board said they would also be reviewing all "gender related activities" moving forward. I can't speak for all people but, I know that when the captor was growing up, her brother couldn't wait to go dancing with his dad!
The brain trust at the University of Southern Illinois has organized a "Nap-In". Yes, it is what you think it is. They're encouraging students to come to the library for a two hour nap to "dream of diversity". Then, it gets better, when they awake they can write their Utopian dreams on the dream wall for all to see! How charming. May I suggest that when/if they graduate they lay down and dream about getting a job. That will work!
Students at a Des Moines, Iowa high school, after wearing red, white and blue to a school basketball game, were forced to hand-deliver an apology to the opposing school. Why? Because their actual school colors are black and orange and, because the other team had players who were the children of immigrants, it was determined that wearing the colors of the USA was offensive. Let's see; living in America (check); going to school in America (check); offended by the colors of America (check). Sounds about right to me!
"Comedian" Samantha Bee, on her show Full Frontal, did a hysterical bit on young CPAC (conservative political action committee) members and their "Nazi haircuts". She showed a video while she mocked the young men. Funny thing. The young man she focused her venom on was undergoing treatment for brain cancer. Chemo took his hair. Hysterical, right?
I read an article from Psychology Today about a group of "psychologists" who have diagnosed the President as mentally ill. In defending their ability to diagnose someone they have never met, one of the geniuses, a Harvard man, offered this analogy: (paraphrasing here) 'The actual medical exam is not the be-all end-all in making a diagnoses. If the man in the back of the bus is sniffling and sneezing, you don't have to examine him to know he is sick'. Makes sense, right? UNLESS he's allergic to, say, perfume, and is being affected by a woman sitting near him. Why, he's not sick at all. Maybe if you had examined him you would have known that asshat! Just like Ms. Bee, your ability to judge someone just by looking at them is not as keen as you seem to think.
I'll leave you with this. In the immortal words of the Boomtown Rats "Cos I know what I read ain't true; I know; And I'm telling you; I know".
Respectfully,
Nava

That's On You Goober

Hello People. I have a bit of wisdom for you. Just because you don't remember it, doesn't mean it didn't happen. I say this because of the onslaught of ridiculousness that has been blanketing social media. First, let me start with the resignation of General Michael Flynn. Whatever happened there, and I say 'whatever' because none of us actually know, there was an issue and he resigned. Fine. Then the floodgates of lunacy burst open. The resignation of this one nominee was earth shattering! It's scandalous! The greatest blow to an American President in history! LOL. Please consider this:
Obama’s nominee to chair the National Intelligence Council, Chas Freeman, withdrew over questions about payments from the Saudi Arabian government, business ties to the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp., and negative statements he made about U.S. support for Israel. After he resigned he issued a combative public statement blaming the “Israel lobby” for “character assassination.”

Obama's White House “Green Jobs” czar Van Jones resigned after he it was discovered he signed a statement in support of a 9/11 “Truther” group.Former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota) withdrew his nomination to become Health and Human Services Secretary after it was discovered he failed to properly pay his taxes.Nancy Killefer, Obama’s nominee to serve as the government’s chief performance officer, withdrew due to tax problems.Governor Bill Richardson (D-New Mexico) withdrew his nomination to become Commerce Secretary because of an ongoing investigation into whether he doled out government contracts in exchange for campaign money.White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers resigned after posing for photos at a White House dinner that a couple crashed through security to attend.I can do this all day....Jonathan Z. Cannon, nominated to serve as Obama's deputy director at the Environmental Protection Administration, withdrew over questions about a defunct non-profit, America’s Clean Water Foundation, where he served as a board member. In 2007, EPA auditors accused the non-profit of mismanaging $25 million in taxpayer funding.Jide Zeitlin, Obama’s nominee to serve as U.S ambassador to the United Nations for management and reform withdrew his name while being accused of identify fraud and improper business practices.Erroll Southers, Obama’s nominee to serve as director of the Travel Security Administration, withdrew after refusing to answer questions about collective bargaining and false testimony he presented to Congress.Maj. Gen. Robert A. Harding, Obama’s second nominee to service as director of the Travel Security Administration, withdrew his name after it was discovered he received “service disabled veteran” status for sleep apnea.

I think you get my point. The problem is that so many of the "outraged resistance" movement just starting paying attention this year. They have no sense of history and no clue as to what has been going on around them. The TRUTH of the matter is that everything they are protesting began long before Donald Trump became President. Let's talk immigration. President Trump's travel ban was seen as "against everything that America stands for". Really? How many of those hundreds of protesters who chose to jam up airports are aware that President Obama deported more people than any other president in American history? As a matter of fact, Obama deported more people than all other Presidents of the 20 century COMBINED. Where was your outrage then? What? You didn't know that. Well, that's on you Goober. Before you pick up a picket sign, why don't you try picking up a newspaper. 

Respectfully,

Nava Blue

Make It Stop People!

Hello People. I swear that all of this nonsense is driving me to drink! I've had a long talk with my captor who has, in one form or another, worked in the media for the past 25 years. Today's media is out of control. I don't know if it's political, ideological or just plain ignorance but I have to tell you, it's driving me nuts! President Trump has the media on their heels. He keeps calling them out and they keep making their defense of themselves the headline. Here's a News Flash: It isn't. He's playing you. Let's take the President's contention that the media is downplaying or ignoring terrorist attacks around the world. The President's goal, by making that statement, was to remind people that the world is a very dangerous place, thus backing up his need for the travel ban. The media, which, as a whole, is clearly opposed to the ban, played right into the President's hand. What did they do? They spent days reporting on the President's list of terror attacks, reminding viewers of the ones they covered, justifying the ones they didn't and producing a list of other attacks that the President didn't mention. They made his case for him. He got exactly what he wanted. They can't see the forest for the trees. The media went on to report that the President continues to say things that he has no proof of; things that just aren't true. "It's unprecedented" they declared! Really? Last June President Obama said that "the steel industry is producing as much steel in the United States as it ever was. This is just plain false. It's not even close to true. Did the media "fact check" this? Did they report on the "lie". Nope. They never even questioned him. In February 2013 Mr. Obama claimed that during his first term his policies forced car manufactures to "double fuel efficiency" in their vehicles. True? Nope. Not even close. Fuel efficiency increase by 11%. In December 2012 Mr. Obama claimed that if Republicans didn't extend middle class tax cuts "114 million middle class families would suffer". That's interesting since, according to the US Census Bureau, there are only 76 million middle class families in America. Remember the outcry over that one? Me either. I could do this all day. My point is that these things happen all of the time. Does that make it right? Of course not but it doesn't make it headline news either. We cannot deny that there is a glaring double standard in the media and we will all suffer because of it. When I read post after post on social media stating beliefs based on half truths and misrepresentations I can't help but wonder where we are headed. One last thought. The Seattle judge who issued the stay on the President's travel ban stated, on the record, that since September 11, 2001, no foreign nationals from the countries on the banned list had been arrested for terror related activities. Do me a favor, Google the names Omar Faraj Saeed Al Harden and Abdul Razak Ali Artan. How about Mohanad Shareef Hammadi and Waad Ramadan Alwan? These are just a few that I am aware of. I'm sure there are many more. You see, when you don't get the whole story you can't make an informed decision.
Peace Out
Nava