MY 100th BLOG!

Nearly 15 years ago, I decided to write a Blog.  Actually about 8 years before that, I started a journal chronicling my training for a climb of Mount Princeton with my daughter. I found that unfinished Word document in 2010 and decided to update it in a blog and Roy's Journey was born. In a blog titled "My First Blog" (which on the list on the right side of this blog is actually the second entry!) I wrote:

 "Although this blog is intended to be free flowing - that is, I reserve the right to blog about anything I want to blog about -after reading what I wrote 8 years ago, I have decided to reproduce it here, along with my postscript dated today." (Note: That's the blog titled 'A Fat Man's Journey') 

"I am not sure if anybody is going to read my blog, and frankly, I am not sure I really care...but perhaps it can serve as my own sounding board and maybe one day my grandchildren will enjoy reading it and get to know their grandfather better!"   

Actually, it not only has served as my personal sounding board, but my personal therapy as well.  And it has been read by some, commented on by some and ignored by others.  While a lot of my readers think I only write about politics, only 37 of the blogs have been of a political nature and if the person who shall not be named (I refuse to use his name - he doesn't deserve that respect) had not entered the political arena it would have been a lot less.  I have written about grandchildren, dogs, family, TV shows, travel adventures, the story of The Sports Authority founding and even hamburgers.  I have written about new beginnings, births of my grandchildren and eulogized my Dad. This writing exercise has helped me through my kidney adventures and gave me needed distraction during my chemo infusions in 2022.  

I have always threatened to write a book, but have settled for sporadic missives through this blog.

I am frustrated by the negativism and the tribalism that is so prevalent today and want to encourage positive energy.  My loyalty is to the people who bring positivity into my life  My loyalty is to the people who want to build me up and see me happy. And I want to do the same for them. You never know what is going on in someone else's life and judging them without knowing contributes to the negativism that is so prevalent today.  That is not to say that I don't want to hear from those that disagree with my point of view.  I welcome intelligent, well thought-out, respectful discourse.

I am going to continue doing the best I can do and write about those things that I feel are important.  I may not have made all the right decisions at the right times nor always written about the appropriate subjects, but I can only be true to myself.  I will focus my energy on the fact that I have had the courage to stand up for my convictions and will keep that focus going forward.

Just recently, I decided to quit posting Roy's Journey on Facebook and only send it to those who have asked to be on my Blog Mailing list.  Unfortunately, I feel that given today's political climate, sharing to a larger audience is not prudent. However, you are always welcome to forward to others that you think might enjoy my writings.  Some of you have commented directly to me via email and I welcome all comments whether you agree or not.  Some have commented on the blog itself.  If you do that, it shows up as coming from "Anonymous" unless you sign in.  So, if you want the comment attributed to you, be sure to identify yourself.

Recently, I mentioned to a friend that I was writing my 100th blog, and she said that she must have missed some!  In case you haven't noticed, there is a list of dates on the right and ALL 100 have been archived...so if you see a title you think you might want to read, they are ALL here!  So, while this landmark blog isn't something cheesy like '100 Things I Love' or 'My 100 Deepest Thoughts,' it is what it is!

Thanks for reading and being a part of my community. Here's to the next 100!

And The Journey continues....

    

Civics 101

I might be old and maybe my memory isn't what it use to be, but I clearly remember taking a Civics class in 8th grade.  That's where I learned that the Federal Government is made up of 3 equal branches of government - Executive, Legislative (The Congress) and The Judiciary.  The whole idea is that there is a set of checks and balances that makes sure that one branch does not overstep their boundaries.  That's how THIS Democracy is suppose to work.

But, no more!

The Constitution gives Congress (not the President) the power to impose tariffs.  However, The International Emergency Economic Powers Act allows the President to impose tariffs if he declares a National Emergency under the National Emergencies Act.  So, of course, that's what the person calling himself President did on February 1st.  Now (follow me here), this is where checks and balances come in to play....that same law allows Congress to end such a declaration of emergency if such a termination is introduced and it has to be taken up in Congress in a matter of days.

So, why hasn't this been done?  The Democrats introduced a bill of termination.  But, because the Republicans are so scared to go against their overlords, the orange man and Musk, they passed a resolution that for the rest of the congressional session, "Each day shall not constitute a calendar day for the purposes of terminating the 'Felon's' emergency declaration....in other words, a day is not a day!

Now, I might be called simple, but even to me, that is ABSURD!  My question is when is Congress going to get some balls and fight the tyranny that Musk and his lackey are imposing on our Country.  When are we going to rise up and demand that something be done?  Where is the Supreme Court in all of this?  Oh, that's right...The Supreme Court is so compromised (see Alito and Thomas being paid off by Billionaires), they won't uphold the Constitution either!

Yesterday, a Federal Court ruled that the firing of those federal employees that had probationary status was illegal and they should be rehired immediately.  But, who is going to make sure that Musk, DOGE and their puppet President follows the ruling?  Congress? The Supreme Court?  The Military?  Nope...all of them are controlled by the Billionaire Class and since the Supreme Court already ruled that everybody is not subject to the same laws, nothing will be done.  The felon puppet President can't be held responsible for following the law or the Constitution...at least that is what the Supreme Court has said. 

In other words, we are faced with a Constitutional Crisis and the beginning of a country ruled by a Dictator who has cozied up to Putin.  His determination to "take over" Greenland, make Canada the 51st State and other lame-brain ideas is straight out of the strong-arm, dictator playbook.  His ability to lie to the American public is supported by the MAGA crowd who are blind to truth and honesty.  

He bragged about releasing water from two dams in California...it was all for show, as it was actually harmful to the region and the 2.5 billion gallons released in response to his order could not be delivered to Southern California.  According to the experts, the release is potentially ruinous as the sudden surge of water will damage the lands downstream and waste water that will be needed during the hot growing season.  But, he NEVER consults nor listens to the experts, because in his simple mind, he is smarter than anyone.  

And don't even get me started on how this POS has treated our Allies.  He has all but withdrawn the US from NATO, abandoned Ukraine, and placed onerous tariffs on our neighbors and friends.  You and I are the ones that will be paying for these tariffs.  It is just another tax on the American consumer...a necessary tax so that tax breaks can be given to Billionaires and Corporations.  We have had some self-serving politicians in our history, but none to the level of corruption that exists today.

His fixation on deporting millions of immigrants is already causing huge problems in the farming and ranching communities throughout the country.  There is nobody left to pick the crops and tend the lands. I recently saw an interview with a rancher from Montana that said that all of their workers have gone into hiding out of fear of being arrested and as a result there is no labor to do those jobs other Americans don't want to do.  They lamented the fact that their MAGA vote is throwing them into bankruptcy and is directly responsible for putting them out of business.

I don't even have the strength to address the impending Stock Market Crash and his assertion that we "might" feel a little bump but will come out of it stronger nor the lack of credibility or expertise for most of his cabinet appointees.  

Now that the White House has been turned into a used car lot and the President is doing infomercials from the lawn, there is zero deserved respect for the individual holding the office.  I refuse to use his name and will continue to refer to him as the Felon, the orange buffoon, the Musk puppet, the POS and the wannabe Dictator.  (If you have any other names, let me know!)

While I was hoping to not write about politics and the state of our Country and concentrate my writing on more pleasant subjects, I cannot sit still and not express my outrage.  Maybe next time I can write about rainbows, unicorns, grandchildren and ponies.  But I doubt it.

And The Journey continues....