Wednesday 29 December 2021

Ghislaine Maxwell Verdict the Right One

There's Hope for American Justice Yet!

There have been a few crucial trials in America this year that seem to have gone the right way. The trial of Jeffrey Epstein's girlfriend / spouse / ally was one of them. Most of their major trials turn into the Jerry Springer show and I think they are a joke. O.J. was a prime example.

I didn't really follow it but have to admit I felt she was guilty of something for sure. How could she possibly been as close to Epstein and part of his inner circle without knowing that something very, very wrong was going on? If she did then she had a duty to report it to someone at a minimum.

Try Googling "Prominent American Sex Offenders". Then try "Prominent American Political Sex Offenders" - the list is long on both sides of the aisle. Many have to do with children. You can insert "Global", "Celebrity", "Religious", "Coaches" and other filters but you will still find lots of offenders.

You tend to think of ancient societies and empires when it comes to depravity - British Kings and Queens; the Roman Orgies; Chinese Dynasties, and even the
Church to name a few. It turns out you don't have to look very far to see that sex, pornography, and child abuse are still with us. Unfortunately they always will be.
Apparently it is always there just below the surface.

So much for moral codes and religious dogma. Many of these people - especially the politicians and leaders, cultivate a public image of being good churchgoing people. You have to wonder if any such offenders have children of their own. Are they abusing their own children?

There is some speculation that Epstein was murdered in prison. Isn't it ironic that it takes some of the most hard core criminals to finally administer true punishment when it comes to men who abuse children and often women?

Perhaps Maxwell will suffer the same fate.

#thebrewsterblock

Sunday 26 December 2021

Kim Potter and other Big Mistakes

Is "Guilty" Justified?

There are many who feel that the guilty verdict for Kim Potter is just, while many others disagree. This is a tough one but it raises a larger point. Take it up to the 10,000 foot level and view the forest rather than the trees.

I think most would agree that Kim was horrified at what she did. The act itself was a mistake - an accident. Let's ignore other factors like fellow officers not detaining Daunte away from the open car door. The focus here is on Kim.

She had years of training. We know about carrying tasers on the opposite side from a firearm, the different color and weight of a taser etc. We also know that the Wright family will be without Daunte forever. None of that can be changed.

It would be more clear cut if, for example, Kim did not carry her Taser on the opposite side. Another remote example would be if any officer intended to draw their firearm but accidently fired it killing a bystander because they triggered their finger too soon before taking aim. In that case they clearly would have neglected an established procedure. Here it seems to have been an accident. Society is weighing a life against an accident, preventable or not.

So I am going to invent a different scenario to make my point. Let us say that an Air Traffic Controller with many years of experience makes an innocent mistake and hundreds of people die. Perhaps there was a situation like 9/11 and under extreme pressure with immense air traffic and they mistook one plane for another or misunderstood a pilot's words. Should they spend decades in prison because they were supposed to be able to handle it?

There is a big difference between "should have known" or "should have been able to" and negligence. People seem to have an overwhelming need for blame or retribution when someone else has suffered. It is worse in America where filing huge lawsuits is almost a distinct career path. That has yet to come in this case.

From what I heard and saw Kim followed procedure, especially if she thought Daunte might be going for a weapon. There is no question she should have been immediately dismissed because she caved under pressure. But how much of this was to satisfy a thirst for revenge or to satisfy a whole group who would have seen an acquittal as another injustice for a black man?

I hope no-one ever trips and falls on my property resulting in an injury. I am too old to go to prison.

#thebrewsterblock  




Thursday 23 December 2021

History's Greatest Death Mongers vs COVID-19

Real Life Doctors of  Death

According to the following website, the men (no women) outlined are leaders and tyrants responsible for over 160 million deaths. The total time span covers many decades. Read the article to see just how little these butchers cared about their fellow humans.

8 World Leaders With The Highest Death Tolls (whatculture.com)

On the other hand the following website outlines the horror of 10 known pandemics and their death tolls since 165 AD. The total was over 310 million - about twice the above number. The time span is many centuries.

Outbreak: 10 of the Worst Pandemics in History - MPH Online

HIV/AIDS (2005 - 2012) killed 36 million. The 1918 flu death total was estimated to be 20 - 50 million; the Black Death (Bubonic Plague) 1348-1353 killed 75 - 200 million and is the largest in the article.

COVID-19 is estimated to have killed just over 5 million people in less than two years. This number already surpasses four of those pandemics listed in the above article. We don't know how bad it will get.

We have every right to be worried about these pandemics but there is little we can do to prevent them. We are spending billions to minimize their effects, including the rapid development of vaccination technology.

But the biggest take away is that for the limited timeframe involved, man is his own worst virus. The atrocities committed by some of the men mentioned above are just as horrible to the victims as the worst of any pandemic. I am assuming a virus really does not know what it is doing. Men on the other hand, do. We are worried about a tiny group of molecules and meantime, mankind is destroying the planet on which we live and will probably initiate wars which will kill millions more. In a few decades - mere seconds in the continuum of time - man will probably destroy this planet - and all men and microscopic bugs on it.

According to some, COVID-19 was created by men and many other of the bugs that have killed millions. This makes the case against us even worse.

Let me say it again - man is his own worst virus. That greedy, selfish, look out for number one now and who cares after I am dead man, should be worried about himself.

I am not a great believer in Holy books. The problem is that they were written by - you guessed it - men. But one quote is worth all of the books combined: The actual quote from the Bible is from Luke 6:31, “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” The Golden Rule.

#thebrewsterblock




Tuesday 21 December 2021

The Origin of Human Beings, COVID-19, et al.

So God Created Man...


So God created man they say,
Those men who wrote the books.
Doubters are subjected,
To some pious frowns and looks.

If you believe the holy books
You can't just pick and choose.
Accepting lessons that you like,
While others you refuse.

True believers must commit
For their entire life.
Never to betray yourself,
Your children, or your wife.

Can you find such saintly ones
In politics or church?
Very few my friends and mine
Has been a lifelong search.

To Atheists there is no God,
A stance both stark and bland.
Agnostics say mere human beings
Could never understand.

Myself I am an Atheist-
Agnostic to be sure,
But there are many faiths to choose
And all of them endure.

It makes me wonder though
When I hear COVID news each day.
Why the God who formed the things
Won't make them go away.

You need electron microscopes
To see them move about.
Did God make them as well back then?
I must confess some doubt.

If mystic powers created Earth
And the whole universe,
Then we had best clean up our act
Before their final curse.

********************

Just think about it. Man has still not mastered the atom. Sure we can blow apart the entire globe but that is hardly mastery. Yet here this miniscule thing consisting of a few molecules and without our superior brain or any brain at all can bring us to our knees by controlling a few vital molecules we need to live. 

Merry Christmas
Have a Great New Year
Get vaccinated.

#thebrewsterblock





 



Thursday 16 December 2021

Time to Remember at This Special Time of Year

This Season Remember Those Who Just Lost Everything They Own

Some people pray and some people not.
Some have a little and some have a lot.
If you believe that your troubles are many,
Remember some soles just lost every penny.

Maybe it's time to forego that vacation.
Maybe instead make a welcomed donation.
Nature just ravaged the lives of so many.
Remember with gifts to those without any.

Thank those on high for being alive.
Thank everyone who helps you survive.
If you still have a roof o'er your head,
Remember the ones who lost even their bed.

A person of faith to some is a fool.
A God who loves would not be so cruel.
If you're depressed and don't know what to do,
Remember your fate is determined by you.

When you celebrate with laughter and joy,
When you watch your kids unwrap a new toy,
While some are wondering why did I survive,
Remember to hope there are some still alive.

Because you still can, have a great Holiday Season.

#thebrewsterblock













Monday 13 December 2021

Top 10 Selfish Habits of People

Peoples' Bad Habits Continued


The last post was about lazy people. This is about selfish ones. Many of the examples overlap and involve both characteristics. You could do a list of selfish ones from driving habits or cell phone use alone so I include just a few here.

What do you think of people who (no particular order):

- Don't give a damn about other drivers. They won't let you in. They don't thank you if you let them in. They take 2 parking spots to protect their special baby. We need "Bone Head Onboard" stickers for their back windows. The previous post cited  people who are too lazy to correct their bad parking. This one is about those who take 2 spots deliberately.

- Queue jumpers in any situation. I call them out whenever I can. If you don't queue it's like watching seagulls or pigeons being fed in a parking lot!

- People who pee or defecate on a toilet seat then walk away. Others plug the toilet with paper towels they used to avoid any skin contact. Covering the seat is OK but please put paper towels in the trash. To protect their ass hole they are acting like one.

- With COVID-19 there is an entire class on its own - the unvaccinated. No need to expand on this one except for one point: in this case selfishness kills!

- Golfers who take 6 practice swings/putts holding up every other golfer on the course. Sometimes it is a foursome and they all do it. Then they miss the fairway or cup entirely.

- Those who stop dead in the middle of an aisle or at the bottom of an escalator with no thought that there might be others around them. Try this while driving. OOPS. Many already do.

- This one will get a reaction for sure. How about people who can't leave their phone alone the moment it makes a sound in the middle of a conversation. Also those who use it while talking in a very loud voice in public. Which came first - diagnoses of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Cell Phones?

- Once again phone users who still persist in using their phone while driving. This can and does have fatal consequences. Nothing less than hands free is acceptable, even at a red light. You might as well drive with a blindfold on, ear protectors, and your hands tied.

- People who filled their carts with toilet paper, hand sanitizer, masks etc. when COVID-19 hit. This has passed but it will return for sure. Thankfully some retailers took action to quell this trend. Do these folks keep their seat on a bus/subway when a 95 year old senior with 2 crutches gets tossed around in front of them? Probably (maybe they are too busy on their cell phone.)

- Guests at a dinner for Christmas etc. who, after their plates are full, start to eat before everyone is served, especially the hosts. Good hosts will probably say to go ahead but it is polite to wait just the same.

As usual, please comment with your own.

It is great to be so perfect!!

#thebrewsterblock





Friday 10 December 2021

Top 10 Lazy Habits of People

Smarten up People. Really?

This list could easily double or triple in size but 10 is a nice round number. Perhaps I am too lazy to come up with a longer list when I know that most people are too lazy to read more than a Tweet. These affect me and probably you almost every day.

If you are guilty of any of these you deserve a special place in Hell, especially if you use that old standby about providing a job for someone. These are in no particular order.

Are you annoyed by people who:

- Leave shopping carts that are hidden between 2 parked cars. You only see them when you attempt to snag what appears to be a lucky spot just for you! I often return them. Do you?

- Deposit groceries, especially frozen ones, which they no longer want or can't afford, so they just dump them anywhere - usually many aisles from where they belong.

- Remove clothes from hangers or packages to try on or examine only to leave them in a heap on top of others.

- Are litterbugs when a trash bin is only steps away. Burning at the stake in Hell is reserved for those who spit out their chewing gum in this manner.

- Toss their butts out the car window. The burning stake in Hell again if it is still lit. Look at today's forest fires. Lazy AND stupid.

- Are too lazy to get a moderate amount of personal exercise daily. OK, this only affects the rest of us in terms of our medical and insurance rates being high. But they could live so much better lives if just a half hour brisk walk was part of their daily routine.

- Park their cars at ridiculous angles and nowhere near the centre of their spot. This makes it difficult for the adjacent car to park and results in door chips and dents. A second attempt will normally fix the problem.

- Don't bother to keep tissues with them in which to cough or sneeze. If they forget, then coughing into their sleeve or coat/jacket is acceptable. This is selfish and rude in addition to lazy. I confess to sometimes forgetting the tissues.

- Won't keep their own trash until their pickup day. Instead they dump it when a bag is full into a public trash bin or business dumpster paid for by others. Once again, also selfish.

- Don't keep their properties at least as neat and tidy as their surrounding neighbours' places thus becoming an eyesore.

In the next post the annoying characteristic will be selfishness instead of laziness although there is often an overlap!

Feel free to contribute your own.

#thebrewsterblock






Tuesday 7 December 2021

That Old Question: Is Rap Music?

 Music of any form is: What you want it to be!

I was just reviewing an interview from 2019 between commentator Ben Shapiro and rapper Zuby. Shapiro had maintained several times that Rap was not music! It was not popular. Naturally Zuby disagreed.

It did remind me of thoughts and pieces I have written in the past of a similar nature. I am not a Rap fan - so what? Many people are.

I am sure most of you had similar disagreements with your parents about the latest music trends compared to the "old" days. I started to follow pop music in the '50s - it was Rock and Roll. The only thing my folks rolled was their eyes at the claim that this was music! We in turn were not exactly fond of Frank Sinatra, Lawrence Welk, or '40s music like big bands. However even then I did not question that it constituted music - just square music!

Shapiro tried to define requirements for the label of "music" citing harmony, melody, and rhythm. Surely your priority as a fan or listener is what you like or what sounds or feels good to you. When I first heard Rap I had similar thoughts - how can such a monotone repetition of really bad poetry with a mechanically produced background pass for music? The basic problem for me was that there was no singing and since the performer didn't play anything, no talent was required.

The other day I heard one and have no idea of the performer's background, skin colour, or political beliefs. It consisted of a total monotone - one note. If there were two he was sharp or flat on one of them! So to me TALENT is a mandatory element and all Rap required was speaking rapidly. Fans argue that it has a message. So does almost any lyric.

OK, OK. I know that riled a few people. Let me continue. The debate requires a little more of a broad perspective. I once thought that Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen were terrible, not singing real music. Now I realize how wrong I was.

So consider these points:

Classical music seldom involves lyrics or vocalists but who would ever say that Beethoven and Mozart did not play music? What they did have was immense talent. The same goes for big bands and marching bands. You might not listen to them but it is clearly music.

Have you ever heard a very moving piece sung a cappello such as a national anthem? Think of Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, or even Frank Sinatra. They use their raw talent and magnificently trained (YEARS of it) vocal chords to leave you spellbound - with no harmony or rhythm. This is not music? Of course it is - so is a soprano or tenor singing a solo.

As to rhythm alone, have you heard solo efforts by any of drummers John Bonham; Buddy Rich; Keith Moon; or Max Weinberg to name a few? These are also music. If you tapped your foot or gyrated along with it, it was music! Listen to a steel drum/pan group and see if you disagree.

Another point - today you can use computer hardware and software to produce any of these. Does that also disqualify it as music? I don't think so. Great producers do this when working with singers or instrumentalists and the result is indeed great music.

Let us not forget those pieces that were immensely popular but made no real sense at all! Listen to Whiter Shade of Pale; American Pie; Wooly Bully. Others repeat lines and phrases over and over like Hey Jude; Roxanne; Chain of Fools; Ain't No Sunshine; and again Wooly Bully. This would debunk the belief that a deep or moving message is also required.

In conclusion if you have a recognized talent in any of the above singly or in combination then you are making music. When people dance or sing or clap to accompany you - same conclusion.

So you can decide for yourself if Rap or any other verbal or instrumental expression is music. If you dig it or can jive to it, who cares?

#thebrewsterblock


Monday 6 December 2021

Marjorie Taylor Greene and her Buds Never Cease to Astonish!

There is no political speak for Stupid!


We all know about political speak and spin talk. The best politicians are masters. Unfortunately some appear to be just plain oily. Others are more clever. Renowned orators like Churchill, Obama, and JFK can get their message across with astounding wit. We all know that Trump will never be in their league.

Occasionally the tide is turned. Eminent civilians can tear strips off politicians one layer at a time making your eyes water in the process. Terms like "spineless invertebrate"; "grey matter challenged"; "extemporaneous prevaricator"; and "head where the sun don't shine" come to mind.

But then there are those for whom or about whom there can be no political discretion. In some cases stupid is just plain stupid! There is no better word. Since the advent of Trump, the GOP has them coming out of the woodwork and out from under the rocks.

Once again MTG has made headlines the only way she can - by demonstrating my previous point. When she opined (I feel safe using that term) that 600,000 Americans die from cancer but no schools shut down as a result...well surely you get my point. Why didn't she add that we are not rushing to develop a vaccine for it and mandating its use? The auto industry attempts to make their cars safer every year but thousands die in cars every year so why bother? That one is for free Marjorie if you want to use it.

Then there is Matt Gaetz stating without tongue in cheek that COVID-19 was the best defence against COVID-19! Good one Matt. I guess child porn is the best solution to child porn and more guns will protect people from the existing ones. He should unite with Marjorie and they could publicly state that the best hope against Cancer is - wait for it - MORE Cancer!

Let's not forget shirt sleeves Jordan. He has declared that REAL America is done with COVID! OK Jim. Let me guess - hundreds of other countries throughout the world should also be done with it - I speak naturally about REAL countries and the REAL world - because you make such a ludicrous statement? If the numbers keep climbing the way they are, repeat that in a couple of months. Here is one for you Jim. Trump would have pounced on it and announced it to the world from his daily podium with Fauci burying his head. Maybe you have proven that not wearing a jacket to work is the best protection of all!

Here is something the rest of the world also can't understand: Millions of Americans actually want to put these clowns back in power!

Choke me with a neck tie!

#thebrewsterblock



Saturday 4 December 2021

#CNN Chris Cuomo. School of Hard Knocks

Blood is Thicker than Ratings!

I have written about CNN, Chris Cuomo, and a few others like Lemon on the network before. Long ago with several others I also suggested at the beginning of COVID-19 that Andrew should run for President. That was long before any of his harassment woes. I was often critical of Chris but only because of his tendency to interrupt his guests. This was a phenomenon of most CNN anchors - as though they had to do it on command.

That being said I totally respect the network, even more now and Chris himself. I didn't realize he was their top anchor but I am not surprised. He is very articulate and obviously intelligent possessing a knowledge of grammar and vocabulary lacking in many of his co-patriots.

It must have been tough for the brass to cut loose one of their top attractions but to do so demonstrates integrity. Right wingers and FOX could have had a field day with their ridicule if he was permitted to stay. We all wish FOX would cut loose more people. Chris also goes up a notch for his loyalty to his brother and family. This has come through many times on his show. I guess it is part of the Italian personae. He must have known that it could get tepid for him. He shied away from any coverage of his big bro which was proper but I think it was a given that he would have tried to help Andrew however he could and vice versa.

He always said "I love you" to Don Lemon but this was the real deal. If you dare to badmouth Andrew in his presence then, lawyer or not, you'd better duck or run.

There is no doubt in my mind that he will land squarely on his feet. How about Andrew and he starting a new slightly more right Democratic Party? With any luck there will be a slightly more left Republican party. Imagine four parties in America from which to choose.

That just might calm the waters. Politicians would finally have to work for your vote, not just tell lies for it.

#thebrewsterblock

Thursday 2 December 2021

Oxford Tragedy

Americans are Lemmings and the Precipice is Getting Close

Once again American families are in deep mourning for their kids, both the deceased and those injured or traumatized. Most of you could write this introduction and they would be very similar. The standard expressions have all been repeated hundreds of times. When will it end? When will we come to our senses? Never again! Congress must act! Here is another fact - they never do.

As well on the other side the gun lovers echo their standard lines again. Most famous: "Guns don't kill people - people kill people." They always leave the second part out - people WITH GUNS kill people. More guns are still their answer.

I have written a lot about this. Apparently the rest of the world is wrong or doesn't understand that America is different. Americans must have their guns. All the countries with low numbers of deaths from guns are lying. They would be even more safe if they all had guns. OK NRA - whatever you say.

Sad as well is the fact that the family of the shooter will now watch as their son's life - although he is still alive - is ruined. If it is true that he used a gun his father recently purchased then they must also pay an additional penalty. Perhaps this will teach other parents to keep their guns away from their kids or face the consequences. The second amendment does not prevent punishment for misuse of the arms people bear. You can own and bear a weapon but you damned well better take care when it comes to why, when, and how you use it!

I am Canadian. Lots of Canadians own guns as well but you never see them and they are not typically on display or the subject of coffee chatter like some new car or toy.

Is it just me or is this not ironic in an 'only in the big, bad, U.S.A.' kind of way? Just a couple of weeks ago the media was dedicated to two trials - one a boy and the other men claiming in both cases that they had to shoot people because they feared for their lives. Now in the same country another boy cowardly murders as many as he can with no such justification at all. Young people feared for their own lives but their only self defense was to hide or to run. Guns were the implement of death in each case. They did indeed kill people.

The American solution? Those kids should have been able to shoot back. Guns under every Christmas tree!

Like other great nations in history, America is in sharp decline not only from the top down but also from the bottom up.

God help the country when the trends meet.

#thebrewsterblock