military news

Hegseth = smarmy

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I looked this word up in search of a term to describe Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The word was “smarmy,” and here is what I found. It is an adjective that describes someone who is “excessively or annoyingly flattering, suave or polite in a way that feels insincere, phony or self-important.”

I believe the term captures Hegseth’s personality. Do you agree with me? No need to answer, although I welcome comments.

Most defense secretaries bring a sense of seriousness to their job. Guys like Bob Gates, William Perry, Chuck Hagel, Lloyd Austin, Richard Cheney, Leon Panetta, James Mattis … all are men of high standing earned over years in public service and military heroism.

Then we get Donald Trump for a second term as POTUS and he reaches into the entertainment scrap heap and delivers Pete Hegseth to us. He found Hegseth on the Fox propaganda channel’s “Fox and Friends Weekend” gab show. I haven’t watched a minute of that program, but from what I understand, Hegseth took part in the fomenting the many lies about Democratic administrations, which is standard fare for Fox channel talking heads.

Then the dipshit takes office at the Pentagon, fires leading military officers, many of whom happen to be Black or women. Then he talks Trump into changing the name of the department into the “Department of War,” which seeks to elevate the standing of the nimrod in charge. It’s delusionary, not to mention it is an illegal act, given that Congress voted on the name change to “Defense” after World War II.

Hegseth has no knowledge or understanding of his role, so he resorts to smarmy behavior. When talking about the brave men and women in battle, he sounds to me like he’s cheering on a high school football team. Then, when given a chance to honor the sacrifice of Americans who have died in battle, he delivers speeches that sound cheap and political.

I’ll do my best to set Hegseth’s empty rhetoric aside and rely instead on what we all hear about the bravery demonstrated in the field by the finest young people in the world.

national news

They talk and yell over each other

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I am going to express one of the many frustrations that have erupted in this Age of Trump in Washington, D.C.

Have you spent any time watching Cabinet officials testifying before a panel of House members or senators? Until I started a boycott of the national news, I admit to spending time trying to learn something from congressional questioners and officials sitting before them.

The frustration with the hearing process has driven me away.

I am going to blame congressional Democrats along with the Trumpkins they have summoned to testify for the confusion and chaos that too damn often dominates these so-called hearings.

Here’s how it goes. The Donald Trump acolyte takes an oath to tell the truth, sits down and begins fielding questions from members of Congress. The acolyte often seeks to preface his or her answer to an explanation. The Democratic questioner has none of it. The member of Congress interrupts. “I don’t need a filibuster,” the questioner might say. “It’s a simple question, requiring a yes or no answer.”

The bickering often escalates into name-calling. In one exchange, a Republican senator actually challenged a Democratic witness to a fistfight. Man, that was a treat!

But I have to tell you that Democratic congressional questioners seem to enter these hearings with little if any patience with the witnesses they summon for testimony. As for the Trumpkins who get the summons, they ought to refrain from speechmaking and stick solely to answering the questions they get. And if the questioner says up front that the question requires only a yes or no answer, well … they ought to stick to the script.

The frustration cuts to the heart of the value of these hearings. They ought to be of immense value. They instead have become sh**shows … and a monumental waste of time and money.

media news

Democracy needs dissent

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While it is true that journalism and democracy are mutually inclusive, democracy also need another vital tenet if it is to thrive … that tenet is dissent.

The fired “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley spoke eloquently the other day about the need for journalism to function without interference in a democratic society. I want to chip in with the notion that the 18th century founders of this great democratic republic all acted out of a need to dissent from the mandates of the King George III. The Declaration of Independence, let us remember, contains a long list of grievances that the founders laid at His Majesty’s feet, telling him that he could not operate in a world in which he denied his subjects the right to dissent.

Dissent is essential, therefore, for a democracy to thrive. Our nation owes its very foundation to the principle that dissent must happen. It is guaranteed in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Among the rights that grant us freedom to worship — or not worship, to speak our minds freely, a free press, it also allows us to petition the government for a “redress of grievances.”

And yet we continue to hear reckless, feckless and dangerous talk from the center of power in our government, that a free press and the right to dissent make those who believe in them “the enemy of the people.”

There can be little more unpatriotic or sinister than to label dissenters the “enemy” of our nation.

The founders knew what they were doing. Today’s MAGA morons are the traitors to what our founders created.

economic news, local news

Data centers deserve close look

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Well … the swirling controversy over data centers has entered my North Texas city of Princeton, where the city council is laying the groundwork to begin a series of regulatory measures to ensure the protection of the commnity.

It was a matter of time before we got caught up in the debate that has swallowed up a lot of cities’ attention.

Data centers are those projects that manufacture chips and other electronic power devices. I have read about how they demand lots of energy to produce and lots — and even more — water. I’m still unclear about the need for water, but I do know that this region of Texas is beginning to discuss openly the need to protect its source of fresh water to accommodate the population explosion that is still underway.

I live in a city that continues to grow in giant leaps. Princeton is now home to more than 40,000 people. That number is going to keep growing for the foreseeable future. Princeton’s council met this week in a marathon session; it took no action on any data center proposal, but it did agree to begin applying new rules to welcoming these projects here.

According to the Princeton Herald, the city decided to “move forward with non-zoning amendments and debated how quickly the city could begin the public hearing process.”

The centers have created concerns about noise pollution, visual impact, construction traffic, utlity demands and limited job creation.

The idea of looking strategically ahead seems to be new to Princeton, which didn’t seem to think too much about community impact when it allowed residential and apartment construction to run ahead of the city’s ability to provide service to the new residents. The city imposed a months-long moratorium on new residential development with the hope of allowing infrastructure to catch up.

I am glad to see the city looking ahead to study the impact of data centers. What I’ve read is that the produce a mixed-up of positive and negative impacts. Let’s keep our eyes and ears wide open as we move ahead.

political news

Waiting for bipartisan good wishes

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I know we’ll have to wait for Donald Trump to exit the White House for this to occur, but a major part of me wants a return to what used to be a bipartisan custom among those elected to the nation’s highest office.

No matter the party of the outgoing president, they traditionally have extended congratultions and. expressions of good luck and will to their successor who often comes from the opposing party.

President George W. Bush famously invited all the living for presidents to the White House to welcome his successor, President-elect Barack Obama in early 2009. He told the new president that “no matter our party, we want you to succeed.” President Lyndon Johnson did the same thing when he turned the keys to the Oval Office over to President-elect Richard Nixon. Presidents Ford and Carter, who waged a ferocious campaign in 1976, became best friends for life after that campaign and Ford was more than gracious when he wished Carter well as he surrendered the office.

Donald Trump has brought an entirely different outlook to the White House. When he lost the 2020 election to President Biden, he never extended the hand publicly to the victor. Oh, no. Instead, he decided to launch an insurrection, a violent assault on the Capitol Building and a horrifying episode that could have gone wildly wrong had the rioters succeeded in their ghastly mission.

We’re still living with the consequences of that disgraceful display. I want a return to bipartisan good will.

International news

Ceasefire? Uhhh, where?

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I am acutely aware that at times I can be painfully slow on the uptake, that things happen long before I realize it.

However, I know a ceasefire when I hear about one. Two sides are exchanging fire, killing each other, then they say “Stop the shooting!” Then it stops, giving the sides time to talk to each other to settle the issues that resulted in the shooting and bombing in the first place.

Some weeks ago, they declared a ceasefire in the Iran war, launched by Donald Trump for reasons that remain a mystery. It’s a three-way battle. The United States has teamed with Israel to bomb the daylights out of Iran. The ceasefire seems to involve only American and Iranian forces, or at least it did.

Israel has started firing missiles at Iran, which has returned fire to Israel. So has the United States returned to the bombing campaign. But wait! The media keep referring to the “ceasefire” which they report is still in effect.

C’mon, man! The ceasefire has vanished under the hail of missiles launched by both sides!

Those of us watching from a distance are growing increasingly frustrated by the messages being conveyed from Washington, Jerusalem and Tehran. Israel keeps talking tough. U.S. rhetoric is tough, but is laced with hopeful language from the POTUS that the end of fighting is in sight. Iranians keep blustering about their intense anger at the United States, which started this war.

I want an end to this damn war!

local news

Good news … and news you need to ponder

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I have some good news and some news that we’ll need to consider as it takes shape

First, the good news. Donald Trump’s time as the nation’s leading loudmouth politician is drawing to a close. It’s not just around the corner. Not yet anyway. But each week that passes means it’s getting a bit closer and for that I am extremely grateful we have a U.S. Constitution that won’t buckle under pressure that the dipshit in chief will seek to apply to it.

Now for the questionable news. How is Trump going to react when they count the ballots in November 2028? Especially if the winner happens to be a Democrat? I suppose I could ask the same thing if the winner in two years is a Republican, one who isn’t of the MAGA moron variety, but is more of a principled conservative with actual ideas.

It well might be that the MAGA moron in chief will rant and rail against both major party nominees.

I read something earlier today that Republicans in Congress have endorsed a resolution allowing for Trump to serve a third term. It won’t happen. The 22nd Amendment is clear: Two terms and that’s all someone gets to serve as POTUS.

It’s the process, the inexorable march toward the end that allows me to wake up every morning feeling good about the day that is unfolding before me. Each day closer to the end renders this asshole less relevant.

OK, I’ll have to toss one more uncertainty onto the mix. Trump will be gone no later than Jan. 20, 2029, but that MAGA movement will still be around. Good news once more? Without their leading Main Man, the MAGA morons will be left to fend for themselves. My gut tells me they won’t survive.

media news

Not a normal Sunday for me

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On a normal Sunday evening in North Texas, I would be settling down for an hour of news analysis from “60 Minutes,” the heralded CBS News program that until this past week was a staple in my home for as long as I can remember.

No more, man. Not since the MAGA morons who run the network fired “60 Minutes” reporter Scott Pelley for telling the truth about what could be happening in this great country because of the whims and machinations of Donald Trump.

I’m going to have to figure out another way to spend the next hour or so. “60 Minutes” used to educate me on the story behind the story. It offered clear and unambiguous information on why these things mattered to us.

I’ve been treating myself to watching Pelley explain his view of what went down when he got word he was being canned. Trump called Pelley a “stiff” and a “low-IQ journalist” who “doesn’t care for his country.” Pelley told the interviewer he could buy the stiff description or the term Trump used to challenge the journalist’s smarts. He challenged Trump’s view that Pelley doesn’t love his country.

Pelleu said he’s “never worn the uniform, but I’ve been in combat” while covering war in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. “I’ve had people shoot at me,” he said, adding that he isn’t aware that Trump could make that assertion for himself.

He said journalists “love their country,” and declared that “democracy cannot exist without journalism.”

I am proud of Scott Pelley and I hope with all I have within me that he stays in the game of reporting our nation’s on-going story.

local news

‘Excited and engaged’ voters? Really?

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Jaisen Rutledge wants to serve on the Princeton City Council and he seems to think that a sweet-talk campaign is his ticket to City Hall.

Rutledge, a longtime Princeton resident, joined Jan Goria in a candidate forum on May 30, hosted by the League of Women Voters.

I was struck by something Rutledge said about the nature of the constituency he hopes to represent when the runoff election takes place on Saturday. Moderator Aaron Rodriguez of the LWV asked the candidates for their views on how they would describe Princeton to a newbie looking to move here.

Rutledge said this: “Princeton is a fast-growing city that still has a small-town charm to it,” he said. “I believe … it has done a really good job of retaining a lot of its culture and I think … there’s a lot of extremely excited and engaged residents that live here.”

Wow! That’s pretty darn nice of the candidate for Place 4 on the council to say. But wait a second. Let’s take a little deeper dive into one aspect of residents’ engagement in municipal policy. Rutledge and Goria finished No. 1 and 2 in the May 2 race to succeed former Councilman Ryan Gerfers, who resigned because of health concerns. The race was for all Princeton voters. The city has nearly 19,000 registered voters living here.

How many of them turned out May 2? 476, that’s how many! That figure amounts to 2.52%.

When I see numbers like that — I only can surmise that a relatively small number of votes is aware of the chaos that lurks at City Hall. We’re on a third city manager in less than four years; our fire chief is gone; we have a new city attorney; the public works director has vamoosed; the city is trying to find a permanent replacement for the manager who walked off his job in less than two years; the police chief is now doing double duty as acting city manager and as Princeton’s top cop.

All that being said, Princeton is not populated by an “excited and engaged” group of residents. I consider many of my fellow Princeton residents to be victims of that double curse of apathy and ignorance about what’s going on at City Hall.

The place is a mess.

crime news, political news

RFK: a serious political hero

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At 1:44 a.m., on June 6, 1968, a team of medical doctors gave up trying to save the life of a politician who suffered from a gunshot wound to his head. They declared this man dead.

Shortly after that declaration, Frank Mankiewicz stood before reporters and said, “Robert Francis Kennedy died today … he was 42 years of age.”

Mankiewicz served as RFK’s press secretary. He took no questions. He just walked away from the microphones and then let the political world try to make sense of the tragedy that befell arguably the nation’s premier political family.

Kennedy sought the presidency in 1968. He declared his candidacy in the same room his brother, John F. Kennedy, declared his own candidacy in 1960. We know what happened to JFK in November 1963 and many of RFK’s entourage feared the same thing could happen to the brother who guided JFK’s campaign to victory, served honorably as U.S. attorney general and then got elected senator from New York.

RFK was my first political hero. I miss him to this day. He’d be 101 years of age had he not been gunned down.

We cannot assess what kind of president RFK would make. He promised to end the Vietnam War. He vowed to work diligently to stem the deep racial divide in America. He wanted to improve health care. And yes, I believe he is spinning in his Arlington National Cemetery grave at the piece-by-piece dismantling of the nation’s health care system by his own son, RFK Jr. … in service to Donald Trump as secretary of health and human services.

I do believe that RFK’s victory in the 1968 California primary he was celebrating the night he was shot to death would have propelled him to victory at the Chicago Democratic convention and would have enabled him to defeat Richard Nixon in the race for the White House.

But the lunatic gunman who ambushed RFK in the hotel kitchen had other ideas. The pistol he used to kill RFK likely changed te course of U.S. history. He likely will live out his miserable life in the California prison system.

The rest of us who came of age politically in the turbulent 1960s will continue to mourn the passing of a 42-year-old politician who grew into the stature he claimed.

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