If you live in fear, fear wins. The people behind the political puppets that are bought and paid for by them want us divided and fighting among ourselves.

Is Trump owned I'm not sure, what I am seeing gives me hope that he is not. But time will tell all things.

Clinton we know is owned we saw proof of that when she was secretary of state, someone would "donate" to the Clinton Family Foundation and they would get a meeting or a deal that sure looks like pay to play to me. Farther proof of this is the fact Clinton Global Initiative is shut it's doors and the Clinton Foundation is also faltering because "donations" have dried up, as in NONE sense Hillery lost to Donald Trump.

If you can add one plus one and come up with two and them add five to four and come up with nine, then add both of them together and come up with eleven... You come to the conclusion that CF and CGI were set up for money laundering and play to play. There is a bright spot to all of this there is still an on going investigation into the Clinton Foundation and it's actions by the FBI.

I should have saved the first post, you'd have loved it.

And like I said, two of us had basically suggested that we need to see what Trump's made of rather than 'fearing' him. they'd left comments claiming that both of us just don't 'get it'.

I checked later and found they'd 'hid' our comments and their replies - and no one else had bothered to make a third comment. Then when this one popped up I found I was blocked and the other journal deleted.

They say you can lead a horse to water, but I think that mule has had too much of the Hillery kool-ade.

Yeah what did the liberals say when Obama got into office... Give him a chance than judge him. Double standards the left and liberals are known for.

Living in a country with one of the most restrictive gun laws I can't remember a civillian carrying a firearm and I never heard a real shot being fired. As an american living here stated, 'If I hear a loud bang here in Germany, I know that it was neither a car or a gunshot'.

And by the way, if firearms are restricted, criminals quickly wise up. If you see a civillian carrying any kind of firearm around here you have a good cause to call the police to have him checked. We have so few legal firearm owners and even fewer with a license to carry it conealed that the cops don't mind if it turns out the one you called in was legal.

What little I hear from the US with paranoid cops shooting first and asking questions later and at least some people now fearing the police is something that worries me. I do realize that the many firearm owners are only a part of the problem. After all, the cops don't want to get shot either.

To each their own and I like the situation here.

I'm happy you like your situation, sadly since there's no way to make all guns 'disappear' I'm glad I have the right to own one as well.

I remember hearing of some crazy hacking at people with a large knife and they couldn't deal with him because they couldn't safely get close enough - until a cop with a gun showed up. (can't remember the country, but I think it was 8-10 people killed or injured.)

Like the Trump news, our media says what their masters want the masses to hear. They blow up everything they can to stir the fear - the better to control the animals - and downplay anything that suggests things aren't as bad as they claim. A case in point was was another mall shooting (not a robbery if I remember) where another CC citizen stopped it by drawing their gun. They didn't fire it, but the shooter stopped when 'they' no longer had the upper hand.

One thing a lot of people don't realize is a gun in the hands of someone that has had at least basic training with it is the gun is an 'equalizer'. That little slip of a girl is now just as deadly as a lumberjack. And most of your thieves/rapist/muggers don't want to be 'equal' with their victims, they want to be the ones in control. In a land where 'anyone' might have a CC and be packing they look for safer (for them) pastures. It's by no means perfect, but I still think it's better than a lot of other options I see other places trying.

The thing is, there are so many angles you can discuss this from. That's why I compare the situations instead of judgeing them.

BTW, while I don't doubt that thing with the crazy knife guy happened and that that could happen everywhere, it's easier to run away from a guy with a knive than one with a gun. With a knife I can throw the bag I always have with me at him and maybe give me a head start. I can simply sprint in a straight line away from him. The only thing I can hope for if he has a gun is a corner I can hide behind and even then I have to find another cover when he comes after me.
So, I prefer the crazy with the knife to the crazy with the gun.

And considering we recently had an 10-year old idiot throwing his bag into a cafe shouting 'Inshallah' (at the time he thought it funny) and a 12-year old getting caught at his second try of building a bomb (the first didn't go off) I am glad we don't have 'equalizers' laying around.

Like I said, so many angles.

Yeah, part of it's the mindset, which seems to be going downhill thanks to our 'no idiot child left behind' and our media which is trying to stir up riots so they'll have 'news' to show.

And would either of your idiots have tried their stunts if they'd known there was a good chance that they'd be shot by those trying to defend themselves from the attacks?

A while back they were having an art/drawing show in Texas that the Isis didn't like, so they sent some of their members to 'protest' it. As I recall, they got off a few shots trying to get in, hitting one person in the foot in exchange for none of 'them' surviving the encounter.

Like any other thieves/rapist/muggers, they prefer soft unable to defend themselves targets. But how do you choice a target when 'any one of them' might be able to protect themself, and if not them anyone else in sight? This is why most shooters do it at schools and other places that forbid guns as they are assured that law-abiding types wouldn't be able to stop them. Make it 'dangerous' for them and they'll try to find a safer/easier target.

The problem over here is there's no way to make 'all' the guns go away, not that that would help against the gangs that you have in some places. You say them having a knife is 'safer' for you, what if there's more than one or you can't just run away? Over here in Texas getting a CC requires you taking/passing their training, which includes when to draw and if/when to try to take a shot. Unarmed you can run, carrying you can defend yourself and others.

As somebody else on FA has joked, 'What's the first thing those anti-gun types do when someone's breaking into their gun-less house? They call someone with a gun and hope they get there in time.'

Want to know the even better joke? Our 911 services all too often warn the callers not to get in the burglars' way because the cops might be 30 minutes or more. The funny part is that the cops seem to show up a hell of a lot faster if the caller tells 911 that the delay is no problem, they are armed and will be able to protect themselves if push comes to shove ...

Like I said, so many points of view. We could argue and compare until the sun goes out.

About the media, that was another thing I had a laugh about recently. Trump wanting to fight the media? Isn't he aware that he has been elected president of a country were a media outlet as successfully sued for the right to lie to their viewers?
Emperor Palpatine in a Star Wars comic: "No one should have the power of rewriting history. No one except me that is."

As I like to tell people when the topic comes up (fortunately, quite rarely), your right to be paranoid ends at my ears. Do as you will, think as you will, just don't bother me with it, because I have my own opinions. Ask politely and I may share them with you.

Yes, I voted for Trump. First time since 1984 the person I voted for President actually won. to be honest, in my opinion, polly ticks is what happens when your parrot swallows your Timex.

Yup, your right to be heard doesn't mean I or anyone else has to listen.

It's going to be an interesting four years.

I looked at that other post. Up a whole day and no replies listed.

The writer must have a real bad case of Adolph Hitlers phobias. Fortunately they are sticking to the block and delete buttons to protect their world.

They'd 'protect their little worldview' more by typing out their journal and then hitting delete instead of send, the better to not offer a view others might point out the errors of. Since they are so sensitive about it, my no longer watching them will save them from my thoughts.

Did a check back on that journal.

C-S and I are still the only comments posted.

Yeah, anyone that disagrees with him knows they'll get burned/blocked, and it seems like those that might agree with him are afraid of being considered to be just as bad as he is.

My biggest issue with the election and the aftermath is the mainstream media's insistence on getting Hillary elected, and then continuing to do everything to tear down President Trump before he had even taken office!

At this point, I absolutely distrust CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC and MSNBC about anything having to do with the administration. They continue to spread lies about Trump's history with women, minorities and LGBT, and the left continues to believe every bit of it!

Trump is about as socially moderate of a Republican as has ever been president. He has always supported gay marriage, unlike, oh, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama! His support of LGBT and minorities led him to purchase and reform a country club. He was the first major developer to put women and minorities into positions of power in his organization, in the late 70s and early 80s! His settlement with HUD about discriminatory housing practices corrected those issues when they were brought to his (and his father's) attention, and never repeated afterwords from the early 70s (every major housing developer was brought in for the same thing at the time).

Was Trump my first (second or third) choice? NO! But he's a hell of a lot better than Hillary, who is in everyone's pocket. This talk now of emoluments after what Hillary did WHILE SECRETARY OF STATE, with her own foundation selling access to government... it's just ridiculous to compare a foreign government renting hotel rooms from the Trump organization to Hillary's foundation taking millions of dollars from foreign governments... that oppress women! And Trump has plans in place to donate all profits at his properties from foreign governments to... the US treasury to pay down the debt.

Trump is also taking a $1 salary per year (not the $400,000 he's entitled to), as he is required by law to take some salary. To me, he's the best chance of having a politician that's not interested in money on the side, as he already is independently wealthy.

56 of the organizations sponsoring the women's marches last weekend were paid for by... George Soros. The same Soros that contributed greatly to Hillary and was making billions off of the Wall Street centric policies she'd have continued to support. The same Soros that absolutely loathes Donald Trump...

The other real benefit of this election is that the press is finally watching and reporting on the administration... which they obviously failed to do in the last 8 years, and would have continued to do under Hillary. I don't trust the media, but the government should behave better when someone is watching.

In this last election, my vote wasn't for Donald Trump. It was against Hillary Clinton!

Yeah, as I told Dreamfox, our media is bought and paid for. We're in for an interesting ride.

Not that you don't have to check Trumps speeches against the truth. His speech about import tariffs for German cars could end up hurting the US more than it will help considering this article: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-u.....-idUSKBN1500VJ

One detail that's not in the article? We won't buy more american cars as long as they don't match the mileage of ours. We have so many taxes on fuel we can't afford the fuel for some of the american cars. Today a gallon of the cheapest gas type is $5.60 around here.

I've owned a few made in Germany cars, a 1996 VW Passat TDI sedan (50MPG, drove over 800 miles before refueling!), a 2005 VW Passat TDI sedan (only 43 MPG), and three BMWs (1988 325iX, 1989 325iX, 2006 330xi), considered doing a European delivery on a new one, but couldn't find a month I could take off to make it worthwhile...

Considering a good chunk of BMW SUVs are built in the US, along with a lot of 3 series cars, maybe they should work out an import/export deal... if you export more vehicles than you import, you don't pay a tariff on the imports, or only pay tariffs for those imported over the export count...

I understand the differences in fuel economy, and some US vehicles are doing much better (Pacifica plug-in hybrid minivan, for example).

My next vehicle will likely be either a Chrysler Pacifica plug in hybrid (38 miles on a charge before needing to run the engine), or a BMW 535d Xdrive (I live in a snowy area, snow on the ground right now). They'll both get close to 40MPG highway... the Pacifica's electric range is enough to get me to work. But I do like the BMW diesels...

Either one will do better than the 19 MPG my 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee gets (love the Hemi and Quadra-Drive II system, though).

All I can say is "sit back with a bag of popcorn and watch the show" it'll either be great, mediocre, or a flop and the only way to find out the result is watch and see.

However, I can add some possible observations...

Re: the cars, I can understand what he's done there, by forcing companies to localize their factories, which includes non-local brands like VW and Mercedes etc, he's assured jobs in the US and that means the US have some degree of control over how a vehicle is made.
For foreign brands to bypass/reduce the tax costs, all they need to do is build factories in the US and train, then use local man-power to do the work. That in itself would create new local jobs and potentially improve the US export economy.

Guns? I'm not American, and our gun prohibition laws mean that if you're not licensed to carry (military/army/armed police... etc), carrying a firearm is an automatic 4 year (minimum) jail sentence... With that in mind how can I have an opinion when what we have is so different?

I'm ordering popcorn from Amazon now (will need the big bags me thinks!)

And I've recently replaced my hot air popcorn popper with a new model that can dispense a single serving of kernels from a reservoir instead of me manually measuring them out. Plus an on-off switch on the unit instead of having to add a cord with a remote (such as would be used for tree lights around Christmas).

I like mine remote from the popper for when it goes into nuke-em mode and is too dangerous to get too close to.

Not to break from the conversation, but where did you find that popper? I thought they were a pipe dream someone made up. ;)

Bed, Bath, and Beyond. It's a West Bend "Popcorn On Demand".

As I read your journa, I felt relieved that there are others out there that feel the same as I do. I did read the other journal and ,,,,,, wow. Must have lost his Binki.

Yeah, and I saw you commented on his and as far as I can tell, no he's not venting -- he's looking for like-minded idiots so they can vent together (and he's very upset no one seems to agree with him.)

ohhh I DO feel soooo sorry for him.

What is really sad is these people are all over the net. I don't have a single forum where there isn't some paranoid idiot crying about Trump winning and that he is the next Hitler and he is going to turn back the clock so women and minorities lose their rights as citizens It has gotten to the point with one guy (kurtbrindly.com) became so annoying with his negative rhetoric that I told him off, politely, then bid farewell. Now, I have a 20-something daughter of my preacher and doctor who refuses to see the truth and continues to spout crap about Trump without checking her facts on top of baiting and bullying the family of a transgender friend of hers when they asked why he went by another name rather than his birth name. Frankly, that kid is going to be deleted and blocked but her actions will be brought to the attention of her parents and let them know what she is doing to their reputations via association.

Kids today have no clue and she is rather protected from the harsh realities.

And when the chickens come home to roost and it bites her on the ass you'll know she'll be blaming someone else for her actions.

It's just sad, and I've got a book to write, so I'll just leave him and that daughter to stew in their juices.

Eh, booth sides are to blame.
Birther movement. Nuff said?

Yep. I just shake my head and keep moving forward. Trump may not be a great prez, but he is a far cry better than the last one.

I stopped listening to or believing mass media a long time ago. If you can not verify information from three separate and independent sources it is hearsay and nothing more. The touchstones are still if you hear "it's common knowledge", "everyone says" or "you know" it is almost always bs. Let common sense be your guide ( but these days I fear old fashioned common sense is becoming rare enough it may be going extinct).

I have to admit though that every time the new Administration makes the media scream and squeal it causes me to smile and think just how much indignation and angst the insufferable gas bags are suffering and enjoy it. I am an American. Tell me the facts truthfully and let me make my own decisions. When you try to mold my opinions and thoughts or try to make me bend to your will not only will I ignore you I will actively push back against you. This may have been a deciding factor in this election as We the People are really getting tired of the "innalechuals" who know so much better than we do and need to tell us how to live/think/etc. Misspelling intentional.. Yes I can go redneck at need and no, redneck is not demeaning. Do not let me get started on "PC culture"

Trump was not my first choice. Does not mean he was a bad choice either. Had more than a few people go off on me about him being elected and several cut all ties with me over it. As far as I am concerned it is their loss, not mine. Only time and his actions will tell if he was a good or bad choice, and for that we can only watch and wait ( I need to order some popcorn as well. If we all get different kinds we can pass the bowls around too! ). Remember though, being a republic means we need to be informed and be active participants in the show too.

Guns are tools. Nothing more and nothing less. period. Tools are neither good or bad, it is all in the use of the tool in question. That being said there are people who should not be allowed tools. ANY tools as they are could be a danger to themselves and everyone around them. And I fully agree that anyone who owns a gun needs to be trained and proficient in its use. Gun Control means being able to accurately hit your target. I am glad to live in a place which gives me the right to defend myself and those around me if need be. I also believe crimes committed with firearms should be prosecuted to the full extent possible and not used as plea bargaining tools.

Eesh, wall of text. Sorry.

On a side note we seem to be in the same state from your comment about the mall robbery attempt. If you get into the west part of the state I would be honored to offer you dinner and drinks at the Cattleman's restaurant here as a tribute and thank you to one of my favorite authors! Thoroughly hooked on your stories and I watch carefully for each new one you create.

No worries on the wall, me does them too.

Yeah, I'm in San Antonio and another shooting outside a mall this time. With luck we'll kill off the stupid thieves/robbers and the smart ones will move to one of those states trying to take the guns away from honest people.

Thank you for the kind offer (and for liking my silly tale! )

More as there is more.

Here in El Paso, as far west as you can get. On second thought make that lunch and dinner. L&J Cafe has Tex-Mex that is outstanding, even for a border town. And more when there is more, well worth being patient for.

"the last prez wanted to remove handguns from those that have a right to bear arms"

Keep in mind that the "right" is actually defining the National Guard's responsibility. It allows for citizen-soldiers to own their own weapons, to help keep order if the military can't respond. It doesn't give everyone the right to carry around assault rifles...

No one said anything about 'assault rifles'. And no, the right to bear arms is not just for the National Guard (if it were, they'd have tried much harder to take our guns long ago.)

Not Quite.

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

One of the best explanations I have heard so far:

"In every one of these definitions however, there is no doubt that it involved the people being armed, making it hard for any common sense evaluation of the clause that the government can pick and chose who can or can not be armed. In fact, the words "shall not infringe" could never be more clear as to the intent of the Amendment. Simply, that the government can not break this law.
So, if the government broke this law, the militia would not be well regulated, and the States would not be able to secure freedom. Since the Second Amendment is well known to have the purpose of protecting rights, its practical to assume that those rights would have the intent and the design to secure those rights, and that rights are freedoms. This Amendment therefore says that this freedom is protected by all of the people who can bear arms in order to secure this liberty, providing them with the capability to doing so. This capability is what makes the militia in good proper order and uniformity, thus the riddle behind the meaning is fully resolved.

A "Well Regulated" American Militia is the entire population free to possess arms in order to secure the liberty of the place in which they live, in their own homes, in their communities across each State and ultimately encompassing the entire nation.

Without any Amendment to the contrary, this means that the militia must contain every person capable of bearing arms. Just who is capable or authorized? The people, which are every individual which make up each one of these United States, who in accordance with the rights granted by the laws of nature and force of arms may fully execute their sovereign authority over their domain to secure liberty, period!

No mention of the National Guard. And no, the Constitution is not a "living document" to be "interpreted" to any definition desired. It is the groundwork laid to set out the limitations to the power of the Government , rights of the American Citizen and responsibilities thereof.

John F. Kennedy said, and I quote: "In my own native state of Massachusetts, the battle for American freedom was begun by the thousands of farmers and tradesmen who made up the Minute Men -- citizens who were ready to defend their liberty at a moment's notice. Today we need a nation of minute men; citizens who are not only prepared to take up arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as a basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom. The cause of liberty, the cause of America, cannot succeed with any lesser effort." This is every bit as true today as it was when he said it in 1961.

To change the rules? Change the constitution. Legally. Properly. With a convention of states. Not the diktat of a politician.

Enough said, Apology redbear. Will not hijack your thread here.

No problems on my part, you spelled it out better than I was going to bother with.

Two quotes by Heinlein I find incredibly appropriate during the current drama that politics are stirring up:


“A rational anarchist believes that concepts such as ‘state’ and ‘society’ and ‘government’ have no existence save as physically exemplified in the acts of self-responsible individuals. He believes that it is impossible to shift blame, share blame, distribute blame… as blame, guilt, responsibility are matters taking place inside human beings singly and nowhere else. But being rational, he knows that not all individuals hold his evaluations, so he tries to live perfectly in an imperfect world…aware that his effort will be less than perfect yet undismayed by self-knowledge of self-failure."

“I will accept any rules that you feel necessary to your freedom. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.”




Neal, btw, very much fits what I would consider a rational anarchist. Especially the second quote.

I have watched friends of mine nearly break out into a fistfight in the days following the election because they were on opposite sides for their votes... I nearly had to jump in the middle to calm things down! I've been asked by people who should know better what my opinions are, and actually had folks get mad because my opinion was that I'd rather stay out of the whole mess. Both sides had pros and cons, with more of the latter no matter who would win. In that regard, it's been the same as every other election I've seen in my lifetime, which is perhaps admittedly shorter than some chiming in here, but I'm a fast learner and age does not equal maturity.

So true on so many levels, thank you.

While both candidates were both not in the countries interest, you do realise that today's government uses Weapons of Mass Distraction to stupify the masses. Just as assholes in riots or peaceful protest stir the shit cause they want to watch the world burn. They would rather the masses are idiots so they can do whatever they wish without accountability. I do not like Trump and time will show what a stupid thing we did to elect him or he shows that he might be just an holder till the next election or that the people revolt and do what needs to be done.

In case you hadn't noticed before/during/after the election, the media was hoping to get Hillery in. Since they blew it they're doing what they can to stir the pot. Deities only know the games they'd be playing if she'd won.

He's an ass, but at least he's not her ass. If he at the very least kills that un-affordable Obomber health care which over doubled my rates I'll say he was a good prez.

Like many before him, only time will tell.

What is the worst though is when the Republican party is in charge they believe that the treasury is their personal bank loans to do whatever they want.