tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72214880921242339842024-03-19T04:48:37.069-04:00 Permanent PressThe South is permanent press. It doesn't wash out.Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.comBlogger2030125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-66004541466598384072017-09-12T13:55:00.001-04:002017-09-12T13:55:11.919-04:00The End<div style="text-align: justify;">
As you probably have noticed, I haven't really blogged at all in the last several months. It's been an accumulation of several factors.</div>
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First, I've been working more than ever with my new law practice, so I don't have time to generate all the content I used to on a regular basis. Owning your own business is pretty time-consuming. Don't get me wrong, it's really rewarding, and I wouldn't trade it for anything, but it does consume a lot of time.</div>
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Second, my kids are at that age where they really need/want a lot of my time. When I get home from work I'd rather be out playing catch with my son, or doing an imaginary tea party with my daughter. My wife and I really guard our family time, so when it comes down to an issue of family time vs. blog time, the family wins. And as Don Corleone famously said, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPjxJKvMdZg" target="_blank">A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man.</a>"</div>
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Finally, if I'm honest, I'm suffering from a little bit of Blog Burnout. I've been doing this blog since <a href="http://permanentpress.blogspot.com/2011/07/first-post.html" target="_blank">2011</a>. I've been through six years of it, and I'm sort of burning out of it. It's been a great run, and I've enjoyed all the connections I've made, but I think it's time to hang up the keyboard.</div>
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See you around, BlogSpot.<br />
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<a href="https://previews.123rf.com/images/wayoutwest/wayoutwest1003/wayoutwest100300032/6653598-Macro-close-up-of-The-End-in-a-vintage-book--Stock-Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="800" height="418" src="https://previews.123rf.com/images/wayoutwest/wayoutwest1003/wayoutwest100300032/6653598-Macro-close-up-of-The-End-in-a-vintage-book--Stock-Photo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-59853621465657254742017-07-12T16:39:00.002-04:002017-07-12T16:39:22.306-04:00Donkeys and HarpsA little Tom Wolfe on Harps and Donkeys from <i>Bonfire of the Vanities:</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2n5H_WwSRtlsP5wcel5pb4yYBDumTO2rG9vre8qXxXLsL0b7varuiGaFC9jmkMHP7yyfndHxNGXNsxYrR8a-mTXVvwAh_uCLeWb8Y3K9OKbwdxXEdloSNHFV7uQIa-3YLeuGx6bYtD48/s1600/Donkeys+and+Harps.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="534" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2n5H_WwSRtlsP5wcel5pb4yYBDumTO2rG9vre8qXxXLsL0b7varuiGaFC9jmkMHP7yyfndHxNGXNsxYrR8a-mTXVvwAh_uCLeWb8Y3K9OKbwdxXEdloSNHFV7uQIa-3YLeuGx6bYtD48/s640/Donkeys+and+Harps.JPG" width="570" /></a></div>
<i> </i>Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-5799829297460586432017-07-10T14:58:00.001-04:002017-07-10T14:58:05.998-04:00Mattis Grants Interview to High School Newspaper Once again, Jim Mattis proves he's the best person in the current Presidential Administration.<br />
<br />
Apparently, the high school got in touch with Mattis after <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news-other-defense/341255-high-school-newspaper-lands-interview-with-mattis" target="_blank">his personal cell phone number was accidentally leaked</a> by an aide in a photo run by the <i>Washington Post</i>, and Mattis agreed to do the interview.<br />
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<a href="http://mihsislander.org/2017/06/full-transcript-james-mattis-interview/" target="_blank">It's a great interview</a>. Great questions and great answers. Here's a snippet:<br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #cccccc; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
TEDDY:
You were quoted recently in the The New Yorker as saying that what
worried you most in your new position as secretary of defense was “The
lack of political unity in America.” How do you believe younger
generations of Americans should be working towards improving America’s
political climate?</div>
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<br />
MATTIS:
I don’t care for ideological people. It’s like those people just want
to stop thinking. I think the first thing is to be very slow to
characterize your fellow Americans. I know that when people have to run
for office they have to say “I’m smart and my opponent’s dumb,” or “I’ve
got better ideas than my opponent.” That’s politics there’s nothing
wrong with that. But, I get very very concerned when I hear people start
characterizing their opponents as stupid. I still understand that
because politics is a little rough and tumble at times, but I don’t buy
it and when they start calling each other either crazy or evil. You and
I, we don’t compromise with crazy people or evil people. And so, I don’t
think that’s helpful. Generally speaking, just because someone
disagrees with you doesn’t make them crazy or evil. <br />
<br />
By
sitting down and talking with them, after having a good strong
argument, going out and having a root beer with them, maybe showing up
at the same church, maybe going to the hospital to see their kid when
they’re having their appendix out, reminds you that they’re human beings
too. There’s no reason to get all worked up as if someone is evil or
crazy. For one thing, none of us are perfect and all-knowing, so this
might be their right, and that’s why I don’t care for ideological
people. It’s like those people just want to stop thinking. They know
what they think, they don’t read anything but one newspaper that agrees
with them or they watch only one television news show because it
reinforces them, instead of listening to the ones that don’t agree with
them. So, I think the way you get over it is, you take people one at a
time and you give them the same credit you give yourself and your
ideas. </div>
</blockquote>
Go read the whole thing.Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-28374729361473599312017-07-07T22:40:00.001-04:002017-07-07T22:40:50.649-04:00The American Spirit - According to Benjamin Rush<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm currently taking a short sabbatical from the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey%E2%80%93Maturin_series" target="_blank">Aubrey-Maturin series</a> to go back to my sweet spot of reading history books. I started <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1206073.Washington_s_Crossing" target="_blank">Washington's Crossing</a></i> on the Fourth of July, and I'll probably finish it this weekend while at the beach. So far, it's very good.</div>
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I'm currently reading through the part of the darkest time for the Americans in the Revolutionary War. It's right after the British have captured New York, Rhode Island, and have driven almost to Philadelphia. The Cause is beginning to look lost. It is the winter of 1776, when Thomas Paine publishes his famous pamphlet "<a href="http://www.ushistory.org/paine/crisis/c-01.htm" target="_blank">The American Crisis</a>" following the bitter defeats and a period where victory looked remote.</div>
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I was struck by this paragraph:<br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #cccccc; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">"Doctor Benjamin Rush, who had a major role in the event, believed that this was the way a free republic would always work, and the American republic in particular.<b> He thought it was a national habit of the American people (maybe all free people) not to deal with a difficult problem until it was nearly impossible. 'Our republics cannot exist long in prosperity,' Rush wrote 'We require adversity and appear to possess most of the republican spirit when most depressed.'"</b></span></blockquote>
Perhaps this is still true today. Perhaps our peace and prosperity have sapped our republican (small r) spirit.<br />
<br />Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-90504177550687286932017-07-06T12:18:00.000-04:002017-07-06T12:18:21.946-04:00British SAS Soldiers Outnumbered and Trapped by ISIS Fighters<div style="text-align: justify;">
Earlier this week, some British SAS soldiers were trapped in a small river bed in Iraq. The Brits were down to ten total bullets between everyone. They were surrounded by about 50 ISIS fighters.</div>
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4658438/SAS-hero-drowned-ISIS-fighter-puddle.html" target="_blank">As the chaps in the SAS like to say: "a pretty fair fight".</a></div>
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<blockquote style="background-color: #cccccc; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;">
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Sources
told the Daily Star that they were convinced they were going to
die in the battle, so they chose to 'go out fighting' in the hope that
they would kill as many ISIS fighters as possible before they
died....'They knew that if they were captured they would be tortured and
decapitated.</div>
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<div class="mol-para-with-font" style="text-align: justify;">
'Rather than die on their
knees, they went for a soldier's death and charged the IS fighters who
were moving along the river bed. They were screaming and swearing as
they set about the terrorists.' </div>
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<div class="mol-para-with-font" style="text-align: justify;">
The soldiers then used everything at their disposal in the desperate fight for their lives.</div>
</blockquote>
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<div class="mol-para-with-font" style="text-align: justify;">
The Brits charged out, fought hand to hand after their ammo ran out, used their guns as clubs, used knives, and brute strength. One SAS solider drowned an ISIS fighter in a puddle with his bare hands.<br />
<br />
After four hours of fighting, there were 32 dead ISIS fighters, and the rest had fled. The SAS troops then made it back five miles where they were picked up and brought to safety.<br />
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Feel good story of the day. </div>
Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-18398042252889479582017-06-27T18:48:00.001-04:002017-06-27T18:48:07.009-04:00The Supreme Court’s 2016-2017 term – ‘the calm before the storm’That's what the headline is over at the Washington Post's <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2017/06/27/the-supreme-courts-2016-2017-term-the-calm-before-the-storm/?utm_term=.d73ab7b20816" target="_blank">Volokh Conspiracy</a>. Here's what the Court has next term:<br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #cccccc; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #111111;">The court had already agreed to hear cases concerning the </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2017/06/26/the-travel-ban-endgame/" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(213, 213, 213); box-sizing: border-box; color: #1955a5; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 18px; zoom: 1;">Trump administration’s immigration executive order</a><span style="color: #111111;">, </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-to-take-case-on-baker-who-refused-to-sell-wedding-cake-to-gay-couple/2017/06/26/0c2f8606-0cde-11e7-9d5a-a83e627dc120_story.html?utm_term=.ec247aa5d93c" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(213, 213, 213); box-sizing: border-box; color: #1955a5; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 18px; zoom: 1;">religious objections to providing services for same-sex weddings</a><span style="color: #111111;">, the constitutional limits (if any) on </span><a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/gill-v-whitford/" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(213, 213, 213); box-sizing: border-box; color: #1955a5; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 18px; zoom: 1;">partisan gerrymandering</a><span style="color: #111111;">, the limits on state ability to maintain (or “purge”) </span><a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/husted-v-philip-randolph-institute/" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(213, 213, 213); box-sizing: border-box; color: #1955a5; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 18px; zoom: 1;">voter rolls</a><span style="color: #111111;">, the </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2017/06/05/supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-carpenter-v-united-states-the-fourth-amendment-historical-cell-site-case/?utm_term=.b6f56bcd9859" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(213, 213, 213); box-sizing: border-box; color: #1955a5; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 18px; zoom: 1;">application of the Fourth Amendment to historical cell-site data</a><span style="color: #111111;">, the </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2017/01/14/wotus-goes-to-scotus/?utm_term=.d20009331e1f" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(213, 213, 213); box-sizing: border-box; color: #1955a5; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 18px; zoom: 1;">“waters of the United States” (aka “WOTUS”) rule</a><span style="color: #111111;">, the </span><a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/jesner-v-arab-bank-plc/" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(213, 213, 213); box-sizing: border-box; color: #1955a5; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 18px; zoom: 1;">Alien Tort Statute</a><span style="color: #111111;"> and </span><a href="https://nyti.ms/2jCMZy1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(213, 213, 213); box-sizing: border-box; color: #1955a5; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 18px; zoom: 1;">mandatory employee arbitration</a><span style="color: #111111;">, as well as </span><a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/jennings-v-rodriguez/" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(213, 213, 213); box-sizing: border-box; color: #1955a5; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 18px; zoom: 1;">two immigration-related</a><span style="color: #111111;"> cases for</span><a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/lynch-v-dimaya/" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(213, 213, 213); box-sizing: border-box; color: #1955a5; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 18px; zoom: 1;"> which the court scheduled reargument</a><span style="color: #111111;"> (</span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111;">Jennings</em><span style="color: #111111;"> and </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111;">Dimaya</em><span style="color: #111111;">).</span></span></div>
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In addition to all that, we've got rumors of Justice Kennedy's retirement swirling. Throw that into the mix, and it's going to be a pretty big term for the Court. </div>
</div>
Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-69179492799098099382017-06-21T12:32:00.003-04:002017-06-21T12:32:34.248-04:00Illinois Budget Meltdown<div style="text-align: justify;">
Illinois has long been spending more money than it's been taking in. When you aren't the federal government, and you have to actually balance a budget, that's eventually going to be a problem. <a href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-06-20/illinois-comptroller-state-can-no-longer-function-we-have-reached-new-phase-crisis" target="_blank">For Illinois, the day of reckoning is soon.</a></div>
<blockquote style="background-color: #cccccc; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">“The state [of Illinois] can no longer function without a responsible and complete budget without severely impacting our core obligations and decimating services to the state’s most in-need citizens,” Mendoza wrote. “We must put our fiscal house in order. It is already too late. Action is needed now.”</span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Things that can't go on forever, won't.</span></span></div>
Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-26130863529620606102017-06-19T12:45:00.001-04:002017-06-19T12:45:17.851-04:00An Interesting Discussion about SCOTUS and Political Gerrymandering<a href="http://www.bradwarthen.com/2017/06/a-new-hope-court-to-consider-fixing-gerrymandering/" target="_blank">Come over to Brad's site and add your two cents.</a> Do you think the Supreme Court might wade into the political issue of partisan gerrymandering?<br />
<br />
As you'll see from my comments, I certainly think partisan gerrymandering is an issue that needs to be addressed, but I'm not convinced it's the court's province to do so.Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-3842887494735904922017-06-13T16:03:00.001-04:002017-06-13T16:03:08.270-04:00Comey Tells Lawmakers in Closed Door Session: Lynch Obstructed Justice<a href="http://circa.com/politics/comey-privately-told-congress-about-second-confrontation-with-the-former-attorney-general" target="_blank"> This seems like obstruction of justice</a>.<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote style="background-color: #cccccc; border: 2px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 10px;">
During the conversation, Comey told lawmakers he confronted Lynch
with a highly sensitive piece of evidence, a communication between two
political figures that suggested Lynch had agreed to put the kibosh on
any prosecution of Clinton.<br />
<br />
Comey said "the attorney general looked at the document then looked
up with a steely silence that lasted for some time, then asked him if he
had any other business with her and if not that he should leave her
office," said one source who was briefed.</blockquote>
</div>
Trump's a buffoon, but he's doing pretty dang good at the job description of: "Not Being Hillary Clinton and her Corrupt Crime Syndicate". If Hillary had won the election, there's no telling how much crap like this would be going on. Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-10124534860655542112017-06-12T11:39:00.002-04:002017-06-12T11:39:49.762-04:00Happy Thirteenth Anniversary!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Thirteen years ago, I married a girl better looking that me, smarter than me, and nicer than me. She's the best thing that ever happened to me, and I'm looking forward to many more happy years!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKhGiqBkkklmLOcxkbA13YTP4VRIuUoO-6rj-nWR3PwaZVl33seLGupNFWlmyJHhOy1BZyGbDEdDV3gZ3OxwyJXtZpF2xj0L6dDegKbP8FfLmPQsjjuHuNbPrSYdwi48uVml5cX_NgHR1/s1600/Wedding+Day.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="185" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKhGiqBkkklmLOcxkbA13YTP4VRIuUoO-6rj-nWR3PwaZVl33seLGupNFWlmyJHhOy1BZyGbDEdDV3gZ3OxwyJXtZpF2xj0L6dDegKbP8FfLmPQsjjuHuNbPrSYdwi48uVml5cX_NgHR1/s320/Wedding+Day.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6-12-04</td></tr>
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Thanks for being my shade tree and best friend! </div>
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<br />Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-6685961507976270522017-06-08T17:53:00.002-04:002017-06-08T18:52:29.828-04:00Thoughts on Comey, Trump, and Fish<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/styles/article_small/public/thumbnails/image/2016/07/07/17/james-comey-hearing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="620" height="426" src="https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/styles/article_small/public/thumbnails/image/2016/07/07/17/james-comey-hearing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is true that among the impeachment charges leveled against
President Richard Nixon was one for obstructing justice, but didn’t
Nixon commit the independent crime of instructing his aides to lie to
the FBI? I think that was sort of the "hook".</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I’m just saying that I don’t think there is an actual, criminal
statute that applies. I’m not 100% sure of this, but I think the reason
that the FBI is in “independent agency” isn’t because of some particular
law. I think it’s this way because there has been decades and decades
of Presidents who have ceded their authority over the FBI because of
republican deference. (That’s republican with a little “r”.) In the
past, Presidents have directed that the DOJ prosecute (or not prosecute)
individuals. That’s a historical fact. You can go look it up.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What if Trump had told Comey, “You are no longer authorized to
legally investigate Flynn because I’ve decided to pardon him.” Would
that be obstruction of justice? No, obviously.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But we elected this knuckle-head who doesn’t really do “deference to
power” or worry about “conflicts of interest”. Rather, he did the
clumsy, classless, entitled guy thing of just being stupid. I think it’s
abuse of power, unethical, and outside of the standards of decency that
have been set and respected by Presidents since time out of mind.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But I don’t think it’s actually a crime. Sorry if you don’t like it.
If the President has the Constitutional authority to fire the FBI
Director, he <i>certainly </i>has the authority to tell him what to do (or not do). It doesn’t mean that he <i>should</i>, but it sort of does, in fact, mean that he <i>can</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
At the end of the day, it’s not Trump’s fault. It’s our fault. We
elected this scrub. So, it’s sort of hard for me to come down really
hard on the moron we elected President because the country did, in fact,
elect him. It would be like electing a fish to run a 100 yard dash and
then getting mad at the fish because he can’t run. <i>It’s not the fish’s
fault it can run. It’s your fault for making a fish try to run. It’s a
freaking fish, you ninny.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Democrats, maybe next time around you won’t run the most unlikable,
entitled harridan to be the candidate. Everyone owes a big apology to
the founders. We really screwed up. Who knows, y’all don’t really seem
to be getting this particular lesson. Maybe Hillary will be the
candidate for President until she either dies or wins. Anything is
possible with the Democrats.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I’m not trying to carry Trump’s water. I have nothing invested in
him. I didn’t vote for him. I wish he weren’t the President. But, I can
look at the facts, look at the law, look at how our Constitution works,
and see that this isn’t a crime based on what I’ve seen thus far.</div>
Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-496650134600182272017-06-07T22:56:00.001-04:002017-06-07T22:56:27.478-04:00Wednesday Art Open ThreadIt's been a long day. Here's an open thread to get you through the night.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://uploads4.wikiart.org/images/tom-roberts/trafalgar-square-1884.jpg!Large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="750" height="318" src="https://uploads4.wikiart.org/images/tom-roberts/trafalgar-square-1884.jpg!Large.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trafalgar Square, 1884 Tom Roberts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-52999863506051937242017-06-06T05:10:00.000-04:002017-06-06T05:10:01.097-04:00D-Day: 73 Years Ago73 years ago, over 150,000 Allied troops landed on the shores of France, intent on reclaiming Europe from the German army that had overrun and occupied Europe. It was a calculated gamble, and the outcome was far from certain. In the early morning hours of darkness before the sun rose, thousands of men dropped from the sky in connection with the landings.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://wwiihistoryblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/d02340.jpg?w=487" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="487" height="526" src="https://wwiihistoryblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/d02340.jpg?w=487" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Of the over 150,000 Allied troops that landed that day, <a href="https://www.army.mil/d-day/history.html#honor" target="_blank">4 received the Medal of Honor for their actions on that day</a>. One of those men was Teddy Roosevelt's son.<br />
<br />
When the first waves hit the shore at Omaha Beach, they were immediately met with withering fire from fortified German positions. Omaha Beach is a curved beach, like a crescent moon, and it has high bluffs overlooking the shore. Accordingly, it was the most easily defended by the Germans. Here's what it looked like that day.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ww2today.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Omaha-bluffs-595x469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ww2today.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Omaha-bluffs-595x469.jpg" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="595" height="504" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good view of the high ground at the rear of Omaha beach, known to the Americans as ‘bluffs’, that made such a natural defensive position. The Naval gunfire had set fire to the grass, which provided a certain amount of unintentional cover.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Separating Omaha Beach and Utah Beach was the highest point - Pointe du Hoc.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qXrYUNLkJVk/VumX5BotRMI/AAAAAAABMSg/z-DEBAVRXFo/pointe-du-hoc-166.jpg?imgmax=800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qXrYUNLkJVk/VumX5BotRMI/AAAAAAABMSg/z-DEBAVRXFo/pointe-du-hoc-166.jpg?imgmax=800" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pointe du Hoc as seen from the air today. It separates and overlooks both Omaha and Utah Beach.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The American Rangers were assigned the task of scaling these cliffs and taking this point. Here is President Reagan recounting the assault:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eEIqdcHbc8I" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Think about all the things you do this morning. You might have had to deal with some young kids who didn't want to go to school. Maybe you got stuck in some annoying traffic. You might have to do some difficult work at your job. But stop for a second to think about what you <i>didn't</i> do.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You didn't cram into a plywood thing that was half-boat and half-target that took you out on a choppy ocean channel. You didn't have to wade out into cold ocean water when the front door on that boat dropped open, which was the cue for thousands of men to start shooting at you in your little plywood target. You didn't have to fight through artillery rounds, mines, bullets, grenades, and make your way over the beach to the men shooting at you from protected bunkers.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You didn't have to ride in an airplane with heavy gear strapped to you, fly into the teeth of anti-aircraft fire, and then drop thousands of feet in the dark, only to find yourself scattered and surrounded by hostile German soldiers trying to kill you, and all that you had to fight back was the gear you carried with you.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When you think about what the men of D-Day did seventy three years ago, what we do today in our daily lives seems pretty small. There aren't very many veterans of D-Day left anymore, so you probably won't get a chance to thank one of them personally.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you're in Columbia today, chances are you'll run into a soldier from Ft. Jackson if you're around town. Take a moment to stop and thank them for their willingness to serve. Everyone who has worn the uniform of the United States military had the willingness to serve.</div>
Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-28241598629339420372017-06-05T13:57:00.000-04:002017-06-05T13:57:00.654-04:00South Carolina Doesn't Have an Official State Flag<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/6uaw9e/picture154267314/alternates/FREE_1140/4flags" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/6uaw9e/picture154267314/alternates/FREE_1140/4flags" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="800" height="496" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Which one of these flags do you like the best?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Okay, the headline is a bit misleading, but it's not entirely false. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote style="background-color: #cccccc; border: 2px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 10px;">
Part of the problem is while S.C. law says the flag will be blue and
have a white palmetto tree and crescent on it, that law does not set
specifications for their exact placement or design. As a result, some
variations have found themselves into the state flags produced by
competing flagmakers.</blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article154267319.html" target="_blank">And one lawmaker has decided it's high time South Carolina have an official flag</a>.<br />
<br />
Growing up here in South Carolina, I've seen all the different flags variations, but I sort of always figured that the one in the upper left hand corner was the "official" flag. Maybe I just sort of saw that one most of the time. What about y'all? Which flag looks right to you? </div>
Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-44628278670385626322017-05-31T10:42:00.001-04:002017-05-31T10:42:07.412-04:00Davidson College Students Tricked Into Saying They Don't Want Socialism<div style="text-align: justify;">
As you can see, almost all of the students don't think it's "fair" that those who work hard should have their GPA lowered, with part of it being "redistributed" to raise the GPA of the students at the low end.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fpAPf5mBatg" width="560"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
The best part is <a href="https://www.thecollegefix.com/post/32762/" target="_blank">the reaction that the students had</a> after they realized it was just a hypothetical to make them think about larger issues.<br />
<br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #cccccc; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But after students discovered later the petition was a hoax played on
them by conservative students in an attempt to illustrate the
unfairness of wealth distribution, they hastily called a teach-in at the
campus union at which they denounced the effort and vented their
frustration.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Some students said the fake petition made them struggle with feelings
that they do not belong at Davidson, while others aggressively attacked
the video, calling it “oppressive,” “illegally filmed,” and
“inflammatory bullsh*t,” according to a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/davidsonteachin/videos/vb.756503627839775/822026151287522/?type=3&theater" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video</a> of the April 27 teach-in on Facebook.</div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So instead of examining their position on redistribution of income as potentially hypocritical, (or at least inconsistent when it comes to other things) these students got mad that they've been tricked into thinking about things.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Everyone is conservative about their own work. Other people's? Eh, not so much.</div>
Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-14140214046389188602017-05-30T11:56:00.001-04:002017-05-30T11:56:08.492-04:00Movies, Politics, Sports, and Other Randomness<div style="text-align: justify;">
I hope everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Day. Now it's back to work and the regular routine. I'm going to try and be a bit better with the regular posting, since I sort of fell off the wagon lately. I'll be trying to at least one post a day, even if it's not a big in-depth one.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
With that in mind, here are a few of the things I saw recently that were interesting:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
1. <a href="http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19492344/bryce-harper-washington-nationals-hunter-strickland-san-francisco-giants-start-bench-clearing-brawl" target="_blank">Bryce Harper charges the mound on Hunter Strickland and goes nuclear</a>. I have to say, I'm all in Harper's corner for this one. Strickland is upset about something that happened in 2014, and has been nursing a grudge since then? Come on, man. That's just sad. Move on dot org and stuff, bro.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
2. In other violence related news, <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-legislature/2017/05/29/fistfight-nearly-erupts-final-day-caps-contentious-legislative-session" target="_blank">Democrats and Republicans in the Texas statehouse</a> did their own version of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVspqShcXSA" target="_blank">Sharks and the Jets</a> fighting it out. In true Texas form, threats of gun-play are prominently featured. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
3. W<a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/05/logan-lucky-trailer" target="_blank">atch this trailer for the movie <i>Lucky Logan</i></a>. No, seriously. If you haven't already seen it, stop reading this, click the link, and watch teh trailer. It's worth the price of admission just to hear Daniel Craig (Yes, James Bond) cast as a redneck southerner with what my ear detects to be a high Alabama redneck accent. The man has some serious acting chops.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
3. In news of the ironic, Germany's PM Angela Merkel said t<span style="font-size: small;">he </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"<a href="https://pjmedia.com/trending/2017/05/29/merkel-warns-u-s-no-longer-a-reliable-ally-for-europe/" target="_blank">U.S. No Longer a Reliable Ally for Europe</a>" which is pretty rich if you consider that it's all the European countries who aren't actually spending the agreed upon amount of GDP on their military. Maybe it's a good thing that Merkel said this, maybe Germany and the rest of the NATO members will decide to actually spend some money on defense rather than just being free riders.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
4. In other baseball related news, USC Athletic Director (and former baseball coach) Ray Tanner has to decide <a href="http://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-baseball/article153229379.html" target="_blank">whether or not Holbrook keeps the job as head baseball coach</a> after missing the NCAA tournament two out of the last three years. If nothing else, go read the article for the first line.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here's how I would like to see it play out.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-Qk8ZhkY9_w" width="560"></iframe></div>
<br />
Have a good one, folks.Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-16338482438035818902017-05-24T17:52:00.002-04:002017-05-24T17:53:01.542-04:00Wednesday Art Thread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've been reading Bible stories to our five year old at bed-time, and we skip around a lot, but the story of Daniel in the lions den is one of his favorites.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Personally, I like the story of S<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">hadrach Meshach and Abednego, but I found this nice painting, so we're going with Daniel.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://uploads2.wikiart.org/images/briton-riviere/daniel-s-answer-to-the-king-1890(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="600" height="422" src="https://uploads2.wikiart.org/images/briton-riviere/daniel-s-answer-to-the-king-1890(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h1 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 30px; margin: -5px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-transform: capitalize; vertical-align: baseline; width: calc(100% - 90px);">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Daniel's Answer To The King - </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Briton Riviere<span style="background-color: transparent;">, 1890</span></span></h1>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"></span>Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-80493141498500502362017-05-22T18:39:00.001-04:002017-05-22T18:39:29.400-04:00Holbrook: "I can get the Gamecocks back to Omaha"<a href="http://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-baseball/article151946342.html" target="_blank">How about try and make it to the field of 64, bro.</a><br />
<br />
If it's a traditional early exit for the Gamecocks at the SEC Tournament, they will be lucky (Lucky!) to make the field of 64 for the NCAA baseball tournament.<br />
<br />
(Omaha is the "Elite Eight" of the NCAA Tournament)Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-22943340901109122772017-05-19T10:38:00.000-04:002017-05-19T10:38:02.423-04:00Friday Art Open Thread<div style="text-align: justify;">
Getting some work done and then going to cook some BBQ in Camden. Enjoy your weekend, everyone.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/a5/07/26/a50726af6e26228ecfe51a8f69ead14e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/a5/07/26/a50726af6e26228ecfe51a8f69ead14e.jpg" width="498" /></a></div>
<br />Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-11641507421660745152017-05-17T10:02:00.002-04:002017-05-17T10:02:46.129-04:00Come to the Battle of Camden This Weekend!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.camdenjaycees.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/bbqjaycees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.camdenjaycees.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/bbqjaycees.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
No, it's not a Revolutionary War re-enactment, it's better. <a href="http://www.camdenjaycees.org/news/" target="_blank">It's a BBQ festival</a>!<br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #cccccc; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Battle of Camden BBQ Festival, a barbeque contest to benefit the
Camden Jaycees’ Annual Stocking Fund, will take place on May 19<sup>th</sup> and May 20<sup>th</sup>
of 2017 at 222 Broad Street in Historic Camden, South Carolina. The
event will include a Chicken Wing Competition on Friday Night, barbeque
from some of the finest BBQ Competitors in the Southeast on Saturday,
delicious food and drink from local vendors, and live music both days.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is a Battle with a Purpose: The festival is hosted by the Camden
Jaycees, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to improving the
lives of the most disadvantaged citizens in Kershaw County by providing
meals and toys to families during the Christmas season.</div>
</blockquote>
I'll be out there cooking with some friends, so if you make it out there, feel free to stop by our area and say hello. It's BBQ for a good cause; doesn't get much better than that.Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-76601046247362736432017-05-16T16:40:00.002-04:002017-05-16T16:41:12.173-04:00Will RompHims Catch on This Summer?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://static.pjmedia.com/lifestyle/user-content/36/files/2017/05/download-16.sized-770x415xc.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://static.pjmedia.com/lifestyle/user-content/36/files/2017/05/download-16.sized-770x415xc.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/tomvellner/romphim-i-hardly-knew-him?utm_term=.mawDpnNQv#.ji8kOb0d4" target="_blank">No. No, they will not</a>.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I know that every so often, something comes along that is supposed to be the Next Big Thing, but this is not going to be it. I'm not sure what problem these folks were trying to solve with men's clothing, but this is not the answer.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
First, there's no problem with men's clothing. We have shirts, pants, and (if it's hot and we're feeling casual) these things called shorts. They're like pants, but shorter, so you can stay cool.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There's really no need to combine the shorts and shirt into one item. It's really not necessary. I've never heard a guy say: "<i>Bro, what I could really use is a shirt and and shorts item that is just one thing. This whole two pieces of clothing thing is so overwhelming and stressful</i>."</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sorry Buzzfeed, this is the worst idea in a while.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
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Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-46066292862450817712017-05-15T12:17:00.001-04:002017-05-15T13:28:44.350-04:00North Korea: Our new missile can support a "large" nuclear warhead<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-05-15/north-korea-says-new-missile-can-carry-large-nuclear-warhead" target="_blank">The thing is, even small nuclear warheads really ruin your whole day.</a> Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-88210839478227450962017-05-12T14:02:00.001-04:002017-05-12T14:04:25.661-04:00Erick Erickson: "Shut the hell up, Mr. President" a/k/a The Inverse Rule of Trump<div style="text-align: justify;">
Do you ever find yourself reading something and nodding along the whole time?</div>
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Yeah, I did that today with <a href="http://theresurgent.com/shut-the-hell-up-mr-president/" target="_blank">this column from Eric Erickson</a>. Erickson begins by recounting all the breathless reports that have swirled around the Comey firing, and how they've been shown to be entirely incorrect.</div>
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He then makes the point that I think is beyond dispute:</div>
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Everything made sense and was justified, despite the partisan outrage. It was defensible, even if the timing looked bad.</div>
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But God help us all, the President felt overshadowed. He was
subservient to checks, balances, systems, and recommendations. So what
did the President do? He lashed out and said he’d made up his mind to
fire James Comey even before the Department of Justice recommendation.
On top of that, he said he would have fired Comey regardless of
Justice’s recommendation.</div>
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In one short interview, the President made liars of every single person
who mounted a credible defense of the decision — a decision that remains
defensible.</div>
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But the decision is not defensible if the President did it just because
Comey wasn’t loyal to him personally. The decision was not defensible if
the President did it because he felt personally offended by the FBI
Director.</div>
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The President’s behavior is juvenile and asinine. He undermines his
Vice President, his communications team, and the very foundational
reasons for firing Comey. He can’t help but make it about himself and in
so doing he undermines his own integrity in the process.</div>
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At some earlier point in the Trump administration, someone else came up with the "Inverse Rule of Trump", and this whole Comey thing is a textbook example.<br />
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The Inverse Rule of Trump posits that for everything the Trump Administration does, the <b><i>less </i></b>that Trump is directly involved in it, the <i><b>more </b></i>successful that action will be. However, the <i><b>more</b></i><b> </b>that Trump is directly involved in an action, the <b><i>less</i></b> successful that action will be.<br />
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With the Comey firing, everything was pretty defensible until Trump decided to just bigfoot everyone and make it all about himself. Now, Trump is facing even more legitimate criticism about the firing because he's gotten more involved. <br />
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Trump needs to take this advice and shut the hell up. Being Trump of course...he won't.</div>
Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-52631940988319257202017-05-10T14:39:00.002-04:002017-05-10T14:48:00.690-04:00The Proper Way to Observe Confederate Memorial Day<a href="http://www.bradwarthen.com/2017/05/confederate-air-force-launches-raid-on-columbia/" target="_blank">"Wouldn’t it be nice if folks who wanted to have an observation to respect the suffering and deaths of forebears (including several of mine) in the Recent Unpleasantness could come up with something less confrontational as waving those flags around."</a><br />
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Indeed. I'll take the folks who go out to the cemeteries and care for the grounds, place a wreath, and solemnly observe the day over the flag-waving yahoos. It's a <i>memorial </i>day, not a celebration.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdv49WWQTZgpFkHyoyC7QeGRjS9IUyu8x7i91ZD7oZIaKUzNU6SGCLwvBhBvgqFlYc6YymVSTlVPpCzNe5HP4l1ek3Daw1b8W9V3mRXxEnfQmWt2dZn96cT5OZz4KHRbMDxvoOzsXprMwa/s1600/Jackson+Statue+%2528Lexington+VA%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdv49WWQTZgpFkHyoyC7QeGRjS9IUyu8x7i91ZD7oZIaKUzNU6SGCLwvBhBvgqFlYc6YymVSTlVPpCzNe5HP4l1ek3Daw1b8W9V3mRXxEnfQmWt2dZn96cT5OZz4KHRbMDxvoOzsXprMwa/s640/Jackson+Statue+%2528Lexington+VA%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jackson grave site, in Lexington, VA</td></tr>
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Here's the statue of Jackson <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_Jackson_Memorial_Cemetery" target="_blank">at his grave in Lexington, Virginia</a>. It's a beautiful statue. When I look at it, I don't think of slavery, which has long been (and rightfully so) tossed into the ash bin of history. </div>
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Rather, I think of and remember the man's best attributes: his bravery, resourcefulness, and honor. Also, I don't think Jackson would hold with all these folks yelling and waving flags today. I think he'd rather you say a prayer for the thousands of men who died in a conflict that Shelby Foote called "The crossroads of our being".</div>
Bryan Caskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09235927600483403854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221488092124233984.post-45511945550346798832017-05-09T18:56:00.000-04:002017-05-09T19:04:30.349-04:00Trump fires ComeyCould be because <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/comey-misstated-key-clinton-email-evidence-at-hearing-say-people-close-to-investigation/2017/05/09/074c1c7e-34bd-11e7-b373-418f6849a004_story.html" target="_blank">he botched the investigation</a>. Could be because he's pushing <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/20/us/politics/fbi-investigation-trump-russia-comey.html?_r=0" target="_blank">the Russia investigation</a>.<br />
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Or...with Trump? Could be a situation where he shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.<br />
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