Years Go By, Memories Linger On

I can remember that day.  It was a warm, sunny and eventful day for myself, as I was into my second week of being a student at Hofstra University.  I had morning classes, and had just finished an English Literature course which would be followed by a Political Science course.  It was about 9:30 am that I and my fellow students and professors heard the first reports of two passenger airliners crashing into both World Trade Center towers.  None of us in the room knew what to make of the events, although for myself I did remember the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.  So for me it did not come as much of a surprise to hear of a second incident, this time more fatal than the first.  After a few minutes of discussion regarding our thoughts on the developing matter, a student in the nearby building barged in to announce that a plane had crashed the Pentagon.  There were unconfirmed reports of a bombing in the Washington Monument and a car bomb going off at the State Department; thankfully those turned out to be false.

We and others went to the nearby Bits N' Bytes on campus to watch the news reports coming in.  When I got there, the South Tower collapsed 1 minute later.  Within less than a half hour after that, the North Tower collapsed. All told, with the WTC, Pentagon and a plane crash in Shankesville, Pennsylvania; some 3,000 or so people lost their lives that day.  This included hundreds of NYPD and FDNY officials. The date has been etched in my memory for the last 15 years; September 11, 2001.  I personally did not lose anyone that was family or close friends that day, yet I knew of far too many that faced an irreparable loss.  My father, who had only retired from the FDNY two years prior,  lost several firefighters that he personally knew, including at least a select few from his same ladder company.

For myself, I got home at my usual time, and got back to attending classes the next day.  Life went on, although my perspective of life had irreversibly changed on 911.  I suppose for many, including those younger than me, a day such as the one 15 years ago had its purpose and is looked at as part of a history lesson: maybe life to them has always felt the way it seems now.  Yet, I guess you would have needed to be there during the years, months and even days before 911.  Bill Maher in his book of essays "When You Ride Alone, You Ride With Bin Laden" I think put the 10 years or so before 911 to its proper meaning; the Seinfeld decade.  Yes, much like the famed Jerry Seinfeld sitcom, the era 1991-2001 was one of trends and scandals and ideals and innovations that, with few exceptions, did not matter in the slightest.  How low did it get?  In my opinion, 1998 was the nadir, a year in which the world and particularly Americans were so fixated on President Bill Clinton's affairs with other women.  In case you forgot, Pres. Clinton was impeached though not convicted for lying to a purported grand jury over an extramarital relationship (which was just oral sex) that any sane person would also deny until caught red handed.  As a confirmation of the abject stupidity of the year, Time Magazine had as its People of the Year not only Pres. Clinton, yet also Kenneth Starr; the independent counsel and Iran-Contra figure who quickly faded into academia obscurity.

Well, if the 90's were the Seinfeld decade, it can be said that 911 was the Seinfeld series finale.  All those incidents that were trivial came to nip us in the bud, and the consequences of our collective carelessness came to fruition that day.  For myself, the rest of 2001 was in effect my social political and economic awakening.  I had realized that all I was interested in, from the Clinton sex scandals to the Rep. Gary Condit incident to which politician had an interest in pop culture, meant not one thing.  I had probably started the awakening earlier in the year when I registered to vote and started watching Meet The Press with Tim Russert every Sunday, though I was in that phase of in one ear and out the other with the issues at hand.  That all changed after that September morning.  Many that know me know my ideas and beliefs regarding 911 and the years afterwards.  I am not here to regurgitate what I am aware of and what I feel on this matter.  I will mention that on every Election Day from 2001 onward, and on many Primary Days in recent years, I have voted.  For every elective office and proposition on any given ballot.  And I'm voting this Election Day as well.

The 2016 election however has been concerning to say the least.  Not least of which is the growing reality of a low turnout followed by a perceived apathy among the voting public.  And if it is not apathy, it is certainly a desire to be selfish in approach and temerity.  I am not pleased with this degradation of the issues both foreign and domestic that need to affect a campaign for any elected office.  Believe me, many may not care; but there are those that will do the caring for them, and will inevitably make life worse for the uncaring.  If that means the United States loses its influence on geopolitical issues to a number of developing countries, then that is the fate the US has chosen.

Of all the purported lessons and legacies 911 was supposed to exemplify, none that have appeared in nearly all publications and media are feasible and none are worthwhile.  For myself, 911 provided only one lesson to be learned, though it is a big lesson:  we have been and continue to be willingly conned.  When we stop caring, we should not be surprised that the void left in the socio-political structure will be filled by people and ideas that do not give a flying fig about you.  I am sadly seeing this again, which in these times will lead the populace on a path to ruin.  That is what we should remember when we remember 9 11.  Simply stated, all need to be aware and involved in our social political and economic world of whom we are and what we need to become.  We would be living in a better and more humane world if people stopped caring about their trivial matters and started focusing on the betterment of all in their lives and those that will come after we leave.

As a unique addition to this blog, which I need to write on more often, I can remember a time when popular music and rock music took stands on issues that needed to be addressed.  I rarely hear anything close to a protest song these days.  Here are some that I can remember hearing after 911 and the years that followed which mattered for me in artists stating the truth.

And of course many more .

Not the end of the matter, only the beginning,

Robert

Bush Swerve coming right up!

You can learn a lot on life without ever really focusing on the matter at hand.  One of my most favorite recurring sketches on Sesame Street, namely the Jim Henson years, was Grover the Waiter.  It usually took place at Charlie's Restaurant, and involved Grover agitating his main customer, Mr. Johnson.  The sketches, which branched outside of Charlie's, would involve Mr. Johnson ordering something, and getting something entirely different from Grover.  And it didn't always mean food; often Mr. Johnson would be delayed of his appointment by Grover.  Now, these sketches needed Grover to muck up Mr. Johnson's plans in order to make an educational point, and it was always difficult to hate what Grover was doing because he is so fun and lovable and adorable.  None the less, Mr. Johnson always got the swerve handed to him, eventually ending with him fainting.  I do have some examples of Grover twisting Mr. Johnson's needs and wants from old YouTube videos.

I was thinking about this recently in light of the past week in our political world.  Now for myself, I should be enthralled; Sen. Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, she is leading in the polls, and my vote for her was counted.  In other news, all other campaigns are doing their part in self-immolating their campaigns.  Donald Trump, for one instance, is becoming unhinged and has now realized he got in to this campaign way over his head.  As I said, I should be happy about this; yet I know something is up.  The elite of this world of ours are not going to allow populism and chaos to erupt when there is plans for Continuity of Government.  In the mind of David Rockefeller, the goal of elite immortality supersedes all other needs of a population.  And Donald Trump knows this all too well.

There is not going to be a Clinton vs. Trump election this year.  See, here is what has happened.  Earlier last year, President Bill Clinton phoned Donald Trump, and during the conversation convinced Mr. Trump to throw his hat into the ring as a Republican candidate for President.  What Pres. Clinton and Mr. Trump were doing, as were their families, was a long-term approach in steering the Democratic nomination into Sec. Clinton's hands.  To that, the stated goal was to convince President Barack Obama to not disrupt the return of the Clinton people in leading the DNC.  Pres. Clinton, like many of us, have admiration for Pres. Obama yet feel abjectly disappointed in both Obama's policies and need to make everything a campaign. Indeed, Bill Clinton felt Mitt Romney should have won the election in 2012.  It was also their opinion, as well as mine, that Pres. Obama was helping to prop up all other Democratic candidates and potential candidates (Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vice President Joe Biden) in order to dilute Sen. Clinton's chances at the nomination.

On the side of the GOP, putting Donald Trump to the lead in polls and eventually the nomination was being utilized for ulterior motives by President George H.W. Bush, President George W. Bush, Jeb Bush and yes any Republican named Bush.  You see, Jeb Bush was supposed to be given the nomination easily.  And yet, a number of Republicans were aghast by this idea.  So, how does the Bush family get their way?  By allowing Donald Trump to run roughshod over all other Republican candidates!  Yes, Bush 41 and Bush 43 allowed for the Trump insurgence to happen, so that their long term plan gets implemented.

Here is how it works:  Jeb Bush is taken out of the race for now.  Donald Trump wins the GOP nomination, while Sec. Hillary Clinton wins the DNC nomination.  Since the Bushes are the only family the Clintons seemingly must adhere to, Sen. Clinton is given more than enough information and talking points to start the seed in having people in the Republican Party think twice about their initial Trump support.  Letting Mr. Trump get unhinged by his own foibles is an added bonus.  Give it at least another week from now, and many more Republicans will be calling for a do-over on the nomination; and this includes voters that pulled the lever for Trump.

What Donald Trump fears the most, along with harm to his family, is a full public audit of his finances.  Mr. Trump is a rich and powerful man, but he is not that rich and powerful.  As I write this, the GOP, the Bushes and the world elite have Mr. Trump's financial records.  It is not my business, but the revelations might prove embarrassing.  I am convinced that soon enough, or it may have happened already, Donald Trump will be will be told to meet privately with Pres. George H.W.Bush, and other elites.  In a deal that may not be refused, Trump will be told to end the campaign for President P.D.Q. (Bach:), else the Trump tax records and business ties with the Clinton family will be made public.  As part of this deal, in addition to spinning the end of the campaign however he sees fit, Mr. Trump will be awarded anywhere from $150 million to a near billion and the Trump University case will be settled out of court.  Of course, Donald Trump will need to take the money and run; he just might need that $150 million at least.

So who becomes the nominee for the Republicans then?  Why it is the only candidate endorsed by two past Republican Presidents: Jeb Bush!  But wait, the GOP does not want Bush.  Well, a lot can change when you are in a state of regret.  The GOP is now willing to have as their nominee the person they had chosen from the onset.  As it will be, the Convention will become a Bush love fest, there will be no riots, and Jeb Bush will take the lead in the polls along with whoever is the Vice-Presidential nominee.

And the Coup de Grace; Jeb Bush will become the 45th President of the United States.  I know, we all think it will be Sen. Hillary Clinton, and it should be Sec. Clinton.  Yet it will not be happening.  Putting Jeb Bush as the GOP nominee effectively ends the advantages the Clinton campaign has so far.  And as I mentioned before, the Bush family allow for when and how the Clinton family will be world leaders.  At this time, due to Hillary Clinton's relative lack of trust among the public, her age (69 on October 27), perceived scandals and health; a decision has been made that Jeb Bush will be given the Presidency.  These sorts of deals have happened before.  In the Terry Reed book regarding the Bush Sr. Iran Contra deals, Compromised, it was mentioned that in light of Judge Lawrence Walsh's indictments of senior Bush Administration officials and the ensuing drop in polls; a meeting between Bush 41 and Pres. Clinton took place.  In that meeting, Bush 41 allowed for Pres. Bill Clinton to get elected in exchange for Presidential Pardons of senior Bush Administration officials and a ceasing of Iran-Contra investigations and public revelations.  Do not be surprised that 24 years later, another meeting and understanding has been made regarding the elections.  Only this time, it will be Jeb Bush that becomes the President in exchange for the Republican party to cease any investigations and perceived problems regarding the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton family.

I can already hear from many of those in the alternative right wing internet media their opposition towards this done deal.  Many, such as the fraudulent Mike Rivero, are claiming that if Trump is not nominated, the GOP will have handed the vote to Clinton.  Frankly, the Paul bots have now become the Trump bots.  Never mind the fact that Corey Lewandowski, Donald Trump's campaign manager, was fired today.  You will not hear the Trump bots mention that.  Heck, their Trump offense has considerably been weakened.  They cannot anymore defend the indefensible.  So, all this talk of riots in Cleveland, the GOP tanking, low turnout, etc. is only talk.  You watch as Jeb Bush becomes the nominee the latest by the day before the RNC Convention starts.  And you want to know a little secret: those that are decrying this done deal today will vote for Jeb Bush on election day.  Because clearly their hatred of Sen. Hillary Clinton, which is a microcosm of all that they hate about themselves (is that not right, Mike Rivero?), and their mentality which is ABC (Anyone Besides Clinton), they will privately yet gladly vote for Jeb Bush.  You want to know why?  It is because these same people 16 years ago voted for George W.Bush for the Presidency, thinking that all would be well for themselves and the country in their utmost selfish behavior.  We all know what happened one year later.  And for a while there, the alternative media began to see the error of their ways.  None the less, the alternative media can never shake their right-wing ideals.

Well, you heard it here first.  Jeb Bush is the Republican Presidential Nominee after Donald Trump has self destructed by choice and by design.  Did any of you honestly think a Bush would be rejected for the nomination?  It was always supposed to be a Bush vs. Clinton election.  I had hoped that Clinton would prevail, yet I am convinced a deal was made to put Jeb Bush in the White House.  This has got to be the most impressive Bush Swerve in my political memory; rivaling the numerous swerves Vince Russo thought of during his years with WCW and TNA.  And those swerves put an end to my watching wrestling on a weekly basis.  And yet, I am not sure if we are Grover or Mr. Johnson in these situations.

I just realized I need to upgrade the blog to show video and audio files.  Just Google Grover and Mr. Johnson, and see what you think.  Also, I hope to eventually upload my own videos.  There is a lot more to come, and there is already something in the drafts that needed to be held over so I could mention this done deal.  

Talk to you soon,

Robert

PS.  A Blogger exclusive, for now.  Some of my favorite Grover and Mr. Johnson sketches.

The swerve is always revealed where you are least aware of it.  

2016: The Grand Theft Auto election

These past few weeks have been rather problematic and somewhat difficult to write about.  You see, I am a Democrat, and have been one since I turned 18 years old back in 2001.  Each year for the last 18 years, I have voted every Election Day, and recently in a many Democratic primaries in New York,  I can remember the first person I voted for was Thomas Suozzi for Nassau County Executive. I was very proud and satisfied with that vote; and I hope to be satisfied this November when Mr. Suozzi hopefully gets elected to Congress, likely in turn deposing Republican Rep. Peter King.

And yet, something has changed rather drastically in this concurrent election cycle.  The Republican party seems to be turning more populist and leftward; the Democratic party feels like it is coasting by.  Perhaps we are assuming a victory for Sen. Hillary Clinton is a given, at least that was the intention as early as a year ago.  An so, I am left every week looking at primary results and just being flabbergasted.  Sure, Sec. of State Clinton is leading the Democratic primary results.  But as we all know, Donald John Trump (I will not mention his whole name henceforth:) is leading the polling , the raw votes, and the amount of states and delegates won for the Republican primary.  At this stage in the election, Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee, as certain as Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee.  We will then, as a nation, be in uncharted territory.  The likelihood of a Clinton victory is lessened when Trump is in the picture.

How did this come to be?  I have y reasons, some of which I feel need to be shown by me posting a video one day.  None the less, I have begun noticing some truths and ideals being presented regarding our lives through rather unique means.  One of the better social and political commentaries utilized has been the Grand Theft Auto games.  Most recently, there is Grand Theft Auto V and GTA Online, a game I got for Christmas 2014 and still have yet to finish.  Sorry to say that; gaming is an interest, not my life.  What I have gone through either by playing the game or watching YouTube videos is a startling discovery on the Donald Trump campaign.  In my opinion, Donald Trump reminds me in one form or another of Jack Howitzer.

For those unaware, Jack Howitzer is basically the one important celebrity in the GTA universe who has never gotten over the end of the 80s and early 90s.  In one of the better non-gaming elements in GTA V, you can watch TV and see Jack Howitzer in a reality show attempting, and failing I might add, in staging a comeback.  At one point, his agent says that some of his ideas for a movie will not work and that it is not the 1980s anymore.  Howitzer's response is funny yet sad:

"The 80s are never over.  I'll say when the 80s are over.  The 80s are never over.  You just don't turn off the 80s!"

In point of fact, did I not tell you that Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman were bound to do a CNN documentary miniseries about the 80s, since the 60s and 70s were already done?  Well, it is happening and will be televised later next month.  It seems for many the 80s were the halcyon days.  I am here to point out that days and eras of the past were not always that good.  Indeed, tomorrow is not as bad as it seems.

Yet, Donald Trump, along with many of his supporters and others intrigued by him, feel they want to return to a bygone past that resembles the 1980s for all intents and purposes.  And whether that be in the business and junk bond prototype, the redneck prototype, the corporate Hollywood prototype, or as is quite likely the Miami Vice/Scarface prototype; people are lusting for this past.

I suppose we all can understand why.  Go for a walk in your neighborhood and you will see a microcosm of the haves, the have-mores and the never-will-haves.  There is an increasing amount of the latter category the deeper one looks. People in that category were sold from birth to now the concept of "The American Dream".  In short, if one works hard, sacrifices as much as can be, and is obedient to many; financial and emotional success will come.  Well, we all know it is a lie.  In the structure that the United States is governed today, many will be sold a bill of goods promising everything and delivering little.  The best we can do for our selves and our loved ones is to follow the paths that have been both chosen for us and we ultimately decided to embark upon.  More importantly, being educated and becoming smart will go a long way in living a better life.

With little to do and practically nothing to show, what can those at the bottom of the food chain do?  Well, not much that will not eventually harm them and their loved ones.  Do not be alarmed when I say this: it becomes easy for someone to have unprotected sex, self-medicate with alcohol and unregulated drugs, steal money, get involved with petty crimes, turn rightward in social-political thought, become more greedy and protective of assets, and quite honestly make life a miserable hell for themselves and their loved ones.  Not all that I have mentioned will happen; but at least one will, if even only for a brief time.

This however is nothing new.  A fragile economy, distrust in leadership, threats of wars and chaos, and an overall fear of changes will cause people to react, and not in a manner that will be evolving. The reaction, if I were to put a visual aide to this, would be as follows:

For those unaware, this is video of a young woman on the autistic spectrum having a meltdown.  For people on the spectrum such as myself, these sorts of actions are not condoned but are always bubbling under the surface. There is of course no excuse for this behavior, yet at times it cannot be helped but to let it happen.

Many in this life are prone to these sort of meltdowns, albeit not in the way that is much too obvious.  A simple vote of refusal to submit to a changing world, or at worst an out-and-out revolt involving violence, is the more sophisticated format of a tantrum.  And since violence is never the answer, voting for a reactionary conservative party and its people is the equivalent of a personal meltdown.  It goes deeper than these reactionary measures.  In short, many would like to subconsciously return to their childhood and their perceived innocence.  Point being, the conservative movement can trace its individual origins to a certain point in a person's life when criticism and consequences were not life altering.  Be honest with yourself; it has always felt this way.

The 2016 election for the American Presidency has been one in which sadly all political parties are pandering to the idea of a better tomorrow with little sacrifice and consequence.  Obviously, the Democratic primaries are a lot more realistic in telling prospective voters the truth.  The Republican Party is offering their prospective voters an I.O.U. which will not be enacted upon.

As I write this, it has been a little under 18 hours since the false-flag attack at an airport in Belgium.  Already both leading parties and their front runners are asking for increased military and counter-intelligence to combat this purported terrorism: although I agree with Sec. of State Hillary Clinton that we should not be demeaning an entire religion and its practitioners.  Donald Trump and Sen Ted Cruz on the other hand have been condemning innocents in each of their own unique styles.  Each time a false-flag inside job happens, we need to ask: who benefits?  I am sad to say that each time, who benefits are the war profiteers and their enablers mainly in the Republican Party.  It only adds to the conservative mindset that is bent on enforcing their will and their leaders on us all by Election Day.  I am particularly concerned that there will not be an election in which domestic and everyday life issues will be at the forefront: we know that on those all too immediate issues, the Democratic Party will win.  Once division and fear are presented, the Republican Party eventually wins.  We cannot have that happen.  And neither should we be allowing the internet media tell us otherwise and go all out for Trump.  Now, I find Donald Trump preferable to all other Republicans for sure; that does not mean I will vote for him.  Yet I think there will be many that will, although I can be sure in the immediate aftermath of a plausible Trump Presidency that regret and shame will take place within a year.  That is if there is no false flag in the interim.

My thoughts, prayers, and condolences go to the 35 or so individuals that were killed in this false-flag attack and the loved ones they have left behind.  As well, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford passed away today at 46 after suffering from cancer these past two years.  I was never a fan of Councilman Ford's politics and really felt he could be an asshole at times.  Heck, Mayor Rob Ford may have paved the way for Donald Trump to be where he is now.  None the less, Mayor Ford was an entertaining figure, and will be missed.

At least these infamous times did not involve the nuclear football.

More coming, stay tuned,

Robert

PS.  Please vote in the New York Primaries on April 19.  The stakes are too high to not be involved.