Fate: The Great Equalizer

What is YOUR view of Fate? 

Do you know what will unfold in your life a second from now - a day, week, or year? A world of con artists will tell you what yours is - for a suitable fee. Don't fall for it. In my humble opinion fate is NOT predictable.  

 

This makes it an equalizer among all individuals or species. It is this aspect of fate that gave rise to faith and religion in the first place. People need something to explain the unknown. Religion has been taking advantage of this from the beginning of time (whatever that means). 

 

What triggered this column? Yesterday I was talking to my neighbour and playing with a young and beautiful dog in my unfenced back yard. He had been pet-sitting and came across from his own yard to talk. The dog darted around in freedom - a large dog in a large yard. She is usually in a condo.   

 

Today while I was drinking a coffee inside and observing my front yard the same neighbour suddenly appeared chasing the frisky unleashed dog. She usually darts away a few yards and waits for him to catch her. We live on a busy highway - 5 lanes of traffic. Suddenly I witnessed fate several times.  

 

1. The dog while dragging its leash decided to take off across the highway at full speed. There was a lot of traffic. Thankfully a couple of cars managed to avoid her by inches.  

 

2. Then my neighbour had to run - with some caution - across the same lanes to retrieve her from a ditch opposite our houses. He managed to slow down cars enough to avoid being hit himself. 

 

3. I expected the dog to run through the traffic, returning to our side as his keeper approached. To her this is a game. 

 

4. He emerged from the ditch with the fortunate dog on leash at his side. Luckily he had managed to secure her. 

 

5. They both managed to cross back safely to our side. 

  

Both of their fates could have unfolded in a far more tragic way. Why was he lucky?  

 

In California several families wake up one day and everything they own - businesses, homes, and personal belongings have turned to ash in an instant by a wildfire.  Most survive with their lives. Some do not. 

 

A friend repeats an activity performed hundreds of times and verifies a lottery ticket. He is suddenly rich beyond his wildest dreams. Fate can be good. Meanwhile a close relative is told by her doctor that she has ALS. 

 

Entire countries and populations are being demolished by greedy dictators. The fate of a nation depends on an election. One child is born with a brain like Einstein's. Beside it in a hospital bed is another with a mental handicap. One elephant, moose, or whale is slaughtered while others survive. 

 

As humans we can attempt to minimize the effects of some horrible and some beautiful events, but few other animals can. 

 

Destiny we can control and we alone can mitigate the destiny of every living thing on this planet. We are failing. Will fate punish the worst perpetrators?  

 

Are you one of them? 

#thebrewsterblock

The Deep State

English itself is DEEP

Anyone who had to learn English as a second language must have experienced great difficulties. Just look up words like "go"; "run", or "up" and find how many shades of meaning they possess or contexts in which they can be used. I don't envy foreign students. 

If you study another language's grammar you might think it very confusing to have 2 or 3 genders for nouns and their articles, regular and irregular verbs, declensions, conjugations etc. but aside from gender, English has all of them and then some. As far as expressions are concerned, you need to take a separate course just to become proficient.

"Deep" is another word that must confuse non-natives. Some immediate dictionary meanings are profound, bottomless, fathomless, and plunging. There are also various uses in sports, theatre, facial expressions. 

But here I am thinking about politics. DEEP STATES have been associated with many governments and countries - including the good old USA. Recently The Donald - Deep Donald - has made a mantra out of the term and vowed to eliminate it from America.

Does anyone else see the irony here?

 (Monsters of 2020: Trump’s Fascist Fist Pump – Mother Jones).

Look at the fist pump itself. You just know that it is a signal to his zombie followers - his own Deep State. He comes from a family that was a mini deep state unto itself with Fred as its chief dictator. He passed the Trump deep state on to his obedient son and many people think Fred used it to keep Daffy Donald out of any active military duty. 

The only bullets Donald dodges are the ones he shoots at his own feet - when they are not in his mouth.

Listen to how he rattles on about Biden's Deep State but vows - if he is every back in power - to punish all who did not bow down to him. He also intends to dismantle and fire huge swaths of the civil service - those who make the government run from one administration to the next. 

He thinks that he - DONALD - himself can act on all of their behalf. We saw that vividly when he decided that he alone should be running the Covid 19 task force. He also addressed the nation daily about the pandemic - which he helped to create through his denials. It should have been Fauci, Pence, or anyone else who actually knew something about the topic. Donald certainly didn't.

Last night on CNN I heard a renowned photographer who took portraits of Trump state that he thinks the Donald in a very intelligent man!  This guy has met political, sports, and entertainment greats all over the world. I was as shocked as many of you probably were (those of you who can actually think for themselves.) 

But every day we see the media going deep - reporting on him like he was Jesus or any other renowned spiritual leader. He has created a media deep state through them. Was this through cleverness or blatant narcissism? 

Take deep note of what he says he will do if he reclaims the White House. It will become the Dark House - the Deep State personified. Many gutless members of the U.S. Congress have already drowned in the depths of his depravity and will do anything to get back on board the Trump Titanic.

#thebrewsterblock

Biden, Trump, Haley, or other?

Two futures are at stake in 2024: America's and The World's  

With all of the events taking place around the world and in America you can just smell major trouble in the air. It is like an approaching destructive weather system: smelling rain, hearing thunder, seeing lightening, hearing the locomotive sound described when a tornado hits. The international leaves in many nations are going limp and turning upwards. The animals are getting restless.

LIke many of the post WW2 generations, many of us thought we were fortunate not to have lived through another major international madness. Now I am not so sure. Whether you favor the Jackass party or the other Dumbo one, America has become a human depiction of two rams, moose, bears, lions - pick your species - battling it out for dominance. Only winning matters - compromise has all but disappeared.

Over the pond you have even more choice - the Middle East, Russia and Ukraine, Sudan, Syria, China to name a few - all allowing base human instincts of greed and power to boil over into death and destruction already or very soon.

Recently I saw an Email with attached "posters" showing the worst of Donald J. As a Canadian they seemed to depict so clearly to me and I suspect the rest of the world just why he must not be in the White House again. They also make us wonder how so many of the MAGA crowd can be totally befuddled by him and his cronies.

There is for sure a LOT wrong in the Biden camp as well - most notably the old style of Washington politics which badly needs new and fresher thinking minds making decisions that are begging to be made. Note those words - making decisions!

The worst poster was that of the Donald mocking and mimicing a reporter with a physical handicap. Who does that? We have also seen him in a cemetary of America's fallen warriors asking somebody what was in it for these military heroes?  He actually called them suckers and losers.

MAGA or not, how can you vote for such a man? Seriously - HOW? Some of you must have handicapped friends or family members and for sure have lost family members who made the supreme sacrifice.

The only bullets this person has ever had to dodge are now rightfully showing up in courts across the nation. He is not as adept an artful dodger as he thought.

It's a good thing he seems to like orange.

#thebrewsterblock.

How many American Parents Buy their kid a Gun?

 A TV or a Phone OK. But a GUN?

The case involving Ethan Crumbley and his parents is tragic. Our hearts must first go out to the four kids Ethan shot dead when he was only 15, and their families. This is just one more reason that Americans should give their heads violent shakes - hopefully before another of their kids blows holes in them.

I read that federal law prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from owning a handgun. A youth can own and use a long rifle to murder people - but not a handgun. Right.

It is apparently the case that Ethan's father James bought him that gun using Ethan's own money! Seriously? It is also alleged that his mother Jennifer emailed him at school when he was caught doing a search for ammunition, telling him not to get caught! That's just as bad as the dad.

A big deal is now being made that if parents are potentially liable for their childrens' actions it would set a big precedent. IT'S ABOUT TIME when it comes to kids using guns acquired by adults. Giving it to their kid is a slam dunk. GUILTY!

Is there any other country on the face of this planet, that seems to rank having guns in the house right up there with stocking the shelves with salt, pepper, and ketchup?Should parents in ANY country allow underaged kids to even handle a gun?

NO!

We all know that the gun makers, sellers, and lovers will repeat the old crap that it is people who kill people, not guns. So I am going to repeat my usual response. That kid did not stab the victims to death, club the victims to death, or poison them to death - he SHOT them to death - with a GUN doing exactly what it was invented and then perfected to do.

Wake up America - while you still can.

#thebrewsterblock

Social Media - Good or Bad?

Social Media has become the Unsocial Media

I am not a big fan of social media. Is it a good thing or not? If not what can be done to make it better? The majority will probably say it is a good thing.

Electronic media from the first cumbersome email networks now allow real time contact . What has not changed is the tendency for people to write things that they would never say face to face. Anonymity makes people brave and brazen while hiding behind an electronic shield.

Networks like FOX News and those on them, know they are spreading lies but don't care. In some cases, legitimate corporations do rein them in. The potentially criminal part is that these "news" celebs know what kind of audience will get fired up by what they say and that many will resort to violence as a result.

Free speech is important in a democracy - it is cherished and fundamental in America. That is not always a good thing - hate mongering is an example which should be restricted and come with negative consequences for those guilty.

The violent ones often act without any true fact checking of what they have been fed. They were just looking for an excuse in the first place. People like Trump and his former crew throw chunks of beef to them as they would to a school of sharks or piranha. They also know where the fish reside. America will probably experience more Jan. 6th incidents.

Social media just accelerates the apparently insatiable need for many people to be FIRST to hear something so they can forward it. The content and its impact don't matter anymore as long as you are first. Hollywood and celebrity gossip have always been an example of this even without immediate access. It is prime entertainment for some people.

Try this: read a good book and pass THAT on.

Imagine the following analogy and we have seen some examples almost as extreme. Some poor soul is on a rooftop or bridge contemplating jumping. There was a time when everyone would be united in trying to de-escalate the situation and talk the person down. Now half of the onlookers would only be there to video the jump and the resulting horror. Then the race to be first would be on - first on Facebook; first to text to a "friend"; first scoop to a paying media company.

What has happened to people? Every person with a phone is now both a paparazzi and a shark. Is social media the cause or has it always been inside people just waiting to come to the surface? I suspect both are true.

I suggest that Social or Unsocial Media has been responsible for many more deaths than other forms of media before it. It is really unfortunate but now that ot os in the hands of the truly evil it will be resposible for thousands - possibly millions - more.

Greed and Apathy are Destroying the Environment

 The Buck for Destroying Mother Earth Stops at YOUR Doorstep

There are two overriding factors that I see destroying our planet: 

1) Apathy 2) Greed

APATHY: most of the apathetic also exhibit some GREED

Very few can say they have NEVER been guilty of some degree of apathy regarding the environment. It is so easy to blame someone else but we are all contributors in some manner or other. Have you ever not bothered to vote - after all what difference does my one little vote make? Besides - it's Monday Night Football! THAT is apathy!

If you actually DO give a rat's ass about your kids' futures, then I tip my hat to you. In that case please add your comments below.

Ten common and very bad consumer habits

Here are 10 really bad habits which over many, many years have resulted in scenes like the images in this post. The solutions are all things that YOU can and should do yourselves. Yes, it might cost some of your prescious time but thanks to us future generations might not have any time.

1. Buying bottled water in throw away plastic bottles. 
2. Failing to properly recycle waste - especially that from the previous item. 
3. Disposing of perfectly useable items instead of taking them to Salvation army, a shelter, or many other places which will give them a second home. 
4. Dropping things where you are - LITTERING. 
5. Including compostable items in your regular garbage. 
6. Driving a big, gas guzzling car or vehicle often because of its immense power. 
7. Over use of paper towels, This is a big one. Most can be used over and over if you are merely soaking up some type of liquid. 
8. Inefficiently using washers - dishes AND clothes and dryers as well. Both of these produce a lot of polluted water and use a lot of energy. 
9. Illegally dumping on the side of the road when you are out of site. 
10. Overheating and overcooling your homes.
    
    There are known alternatives and solutions for each of these but few of us follow through. Think of how stupid this is: people fill their phones with hundreds of pictures of their kids and grandkids but they are quite willing to leave those same relatives a total gabage dump of a planet in which it will be too hot to live.

Have you EVER spoken out about pollution, especially to your friends?

GREED: most of the greedy also exhibit some APATHY

This has been a topic of mine before - greed at the HIGHEST level - the super rich. These are the people who own and profit immensely from the industries producing many of the items mentioned above and many more.

Some of these poeple are so rich they can isolate themselves, their families, and probably their beneficiaries from the worst of what is happening on this globe. Many of these people don't have the personality (they certainly have the wealth) to lend a helping hand or handout to those who need it.There are a few exceptions but not many.

Ten examples of super wealthy Industies that are killing Mother Earth  

1. Auto 
2. Oil
3. Pharmaceutical 
4. Exotic Woods from and development in Rain Forrests
5. Stock Brokerages: Imagine! Sitting at a desk and bidding stock prices up and down for a living. Have any of them ever gotten their hands dirty with REAL work?
6. Politicians - let's not forget THEM, local, region, and national
7. Racing - cars, boats, planes, monster trucks
8. Education. This is after all, where our future needs can be instilled in young enthusiastic brains. 
9. Religion. If people truely follow a faith, then its leaders should take more of a stance on ALL of these issues. Find quotes in indiviual holy books to help make their congregation passionate believers.
10. Media. Many do make a contribution here but others only focus on what sells press and broadcast time. Encourage people to produce more content that addresses this topic. Provide incentives - like Oscars - in this category.

So when are you going to purchase your first water filter for your fridge? When will you next keep your chewing gum wrapper for your spent gum and then walk it to a bin? Maybe it was YOURS I am cleaning off my shoe. How about writing to the car executives or a journalist with suggestions?

Some Hope:

Several decades ago we all heated our homes with coal. A lot of that has disappeared in developed countries - very good news. Unfortunately the population keeps climbing, so each NEW problem caused by industrialization and consumerism is that much worse. There are even more apathetic and greedy people.

Are you going to start leading by example? Recycle centers really don't cost much. The minimum charge usually covers most of my stuff. Try it. Buy a smaller car next time. Get mad as hell and let leaders know you won't take it anymore. OK - maybe a bit melodramatic but I will try anything.

#thebrewsterblock

 

Seriously? Over 75 Million Americans WANT The Donald as POTUS?

Perhaps 75 Million Russians want Trump - but Americans?

Hundreds of millions of rational people around the world shake shook their heads at this and are still doing so. A fresh salmon heading up river to spawn caught by a hungry grizzly would have a better chance at surviving than America does if Trump gets back in. Just like the bear he will immediatly turn around in search of another fish.





The bear is just instictively trying to avoid starvation for another season. Trump is trying to survive prison for the rest of his life. HIS instinct put him in this precarious situation. The bear has no ulterior motive. Trump is a living example of an ulterior motive - and it's DEFINITELY not to help you!






This man never fishes for salmon - that can be dangeroius and hard work. He lets others do that and SUCKERS are his preferred catch. As with the bear, there is an abundant supply to be had.

How can this person be a President?

Yesterday Someone forward this video documenting a huge list of the failures, charges, and crimes of this person - I am loathe to say "man":


How can this person be a President, ANYWHERE, let alone The United States? He surely must have a Guiness record for a head of state. You can fact check these for yourselves but even if half of them are true he should not lead a country.

I knew the list was long but professional mobsters don't have a wrap sheet as long as his. He also deserves the same treatment as they receive. Remember those gallows on Jan. 6 and everyone yelling "Hang Mike Pence?" Trump actually said - and the entire world heard him - that maybe Pence deserved it! Whether he meant the chanting or the hanging is a moot point.

People who saw fit to compare Trump, while he was POTUS, to Hitler were usually slam dunked. I made the comparison myself. This substatiates the comparison whether his base wants to deny it or not.

Here is more:

Chronicling Trump's 10 most egregious abuses of power | CNN Politics

Don't like CNN? Try these

President Trump's worst offenses - CREW | Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (citizensforethics.org)

Opinion | The 10 worst things Trump did in 2020 - The Washington Post


Trump Is the Worst President in History - The Atlantic


New polling finds cracks in Trump's base; criminal cases making an impression (youtube.com)

FOX:
That Was Awkward: Fox News Forced to Fact-Check Trump’s Lies on Air | The New Republic
Fox News reportedly imposes ‘soft ban’ on Donald Trump | Donald Trump | The Guardian

What about the Bankruptcies?

Forget the legal aspect. Why would anyone want a man who has bankrupted so many companies to be President. He will bankrupt the Contry and in doing so profit himself and his rich friends - the few he has anymore.

Has the Liberty Bell surpassed the Statue of Liberty as a famous icon synonymous with America? 

The Lady stands for freedom and hope. Perhaps the Bell was supposed to represent the freedom available in America. Little did anyone know thehow important that crack would become. Better check the Bell again because the crack in the country is widening.

Has anyone checked the Lady recently? If there are no cracks then check for tears.

#thebrewsterblock

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Preserving Animal Species

Do Animal Preserves Protect? Maybe Not!

Ever been tempted to take in one of those apparent animal preservation attractions where you can get up close and personal with some type of wild life? Swimming with dolphins is a famous example. Perhaps you should think twice. I will do some research before I visit one. Some are not worth a visit. Why? Read on.

Is this Natural for the Species?

Try to think like the animal. If you are swimming with dolphins or mingling with and touching a species which would normally run from or attack humans, this is NOT natural.

• How did this "preserve" acquire these animals which are usually found elsewhere?
• Why has a normally wild species become tame?
• What kind of harsh training or conditioning have they received?
• Are they spending most of their time in a pen or cage? How wild is that?
• With a bit of research some of the answers you will find are horrible.

What prompted this post?

I was reading an article in my CAA Winter 2023 magazine (Canadian Automobile Association) called Creature Comforts by Vawn Himmelsbach which got me thinking about this. She sites several organizations you should check out. Here are some of them:

• nathab.com
• sanctuaryfederation.org
• worldanimalprotection.ca
• whalesense.org

Humans Helping Animals

It is uplifting to see that some people think beyond cats and dogs when it comes to animals. Many Zoos have come a long way in the last few decades from past prisons for poor caged animals to elaborate environments spanning hundreds of acres.

They are in some ways a necessary evil as THE dominant species grabs more of the world's resources for itself leaving less for those who pre-dated us by thousands of years.There are also more efforts to outlaw poaching for money to punish the guilty. More is needed.

Humans Helping Themselves

However looking back in history people have not changed much. The money and wealth motive still dominates. For years we have been seeing daily inhumanity inflicted on others in Ukraine and the Middle East to name a couple. America is full of its own unique horror shows and it is getting worse.

So on one level you have to wonder how you can expect humane treatment of animals when the two-legged variety keeps slaughtering its own. We often use the term "treat like an animal". That is disgusting in itself. Animals kill for need - never for sport or trophies. Phrases like scalping, tar and feather, burn at the stake, and skinning alive to name a few ae 100% human and 100% vile.

On another level perhaps those participating in war will find some solace in their down time by furthering animal causes.

Like an animal - don't hold your breath.

#thebrewsterblock

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If The Globe had a Hernia, it would be in The Middle East

Bad Marriage or Bad Divorce? Who Cares? It's BAD.

The controversy continues. This is as reliable as the sun rising and falling except that we can't live without the sun - we can live without the controversy. Why do we have to?

With almost any military attack in the world, there are at a minimum two sides to the conflict. It takes hours to read about and absorb the history here - it is ancient. I can see both sides but there are a few unanswered questions.

1. Since the majority of the people in the entire area spanning several of the wealthiest oil producing nations are Arab, why are surrounding countries not providing non-military assistance to their Palestinian brothers which they can surely afford? They need to answer this question.

I suspect that they are happy to let the battle continue because they also hate all Jews and this struggle unites a lot of the world against Israel. It is a perfect approach for them and costs nothing. In addition historically they have never wanted to absorb Palestinian people and never will.

2. Why are the leaders of resistance movements like Hamas living in safe havens like Turkey? This is a no-brainer. They are politicians and not military leaders. They can enjoy wealth without bullets.

3. Why has the world at large historically hated Jews? There are anti-Semites almost everywhere. There seems to be a stereotypical notion evolving from the likes of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice - that Jews control the money. People always resent this idea, especially have nots. My recent readings have shown that historically Jews were prohibited from the trades like furniture making and home building, so they became merchants and were good at it.

4. Do Jews really consider themselves a chosen people? They do seem to only marry and do most business within the faith. No doubt the constant discrimination has forced this - united we stand, divided we fall. If so how is that any different from other religions, races, or nations doing the same thing? In addition to this people always try to blame others for their own failings. Jews are just a favorite target.

5. Why do some Arabs want to kill all Jews when there has never been a reciprocal policy from Israel? In fact, there are many Arabs living productive and peaceful lives in Israel. The reverse is not true. Why? It would be easy for Israel to rid themselves of this segment of the population. They don't.

The IDF and Israeli politicians are constantly saying that human casualties of all types are just reality during war and that this IS a war. During the Great Wars, portions of entire cities and their residents were being demolished and killed every day - for years but it was happening all over to all combatants. Certain structures like power plants and munitions factories were targets but collateral damage was inevitable. In this case the focus is on one small area and the rest of entire world is merely observing. The same is still happening in Ukraine.

Even if this is war, it is difficult to accept when a hospital or camp is deliberately targeted and helpless, innocent people are blown apart. Tough as it is, Israel is not helping its reputation by doing this.

In summary this conflict could end in a relatively short timeframe if surrounding, rich Arab countries took in their brothers AND provided permanent housing and training.

I am not going to hold my breath and neither should you.

#thebrewsterblock

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More Second Amendment Crap

Guns Don't Kill People, People CARRYING Them Do!

After more American carnage by Robert Card you know we will hear it all again: "Guns don't kill people - people kill people". Really? Was that fake news we all saw in the bowling alley and bar the other day? Were the family members pouring their guts out and shamefully displayed on CNN and other networks just actors?

It IS true that this asshole slaughtered at least eighteen people for his own sick reasons. However, MY eyes told me that the object he was carrying was not a sling shot, baseball bat, or bow and arrow - it was a GUN. Moreover, it was designed to mow down as many people as possible in the shortest time and with maximum damage. My eyes also saw that the targets were innocent PEOPLE including youth - not pheasants, ducks, deer, or moose.

Oh yes - I live outside of America and - well - I just don't understand. I am the ignorant one.

I have said this many times and will say it again. Guns were invented to kill - purely and simply. That would not be so bad if the targets were indeed game for consumption, or predators of live stalk and crops. Not so once again. The primary targets were always human beings. So let me say it before anyone else does - Americans have the right to carry arms. The Second does not mention purchases or types of weapons but that's another debate.

I assume that I have the right to purchase a Mack Truck to take my kids to school, soccer practice, or to drive to work. I don't buy one. Why? Because they were designed for a different purpose and are very impractical for me. If I were to use it for commercial haulage it would be a perfect fit. So now I ask the same question I have also asked many times. If assault style weapons are designed only to rapidly kill people, if you own one or intend to buy one who do you intend to kill? Where and when do you intend to use it?

Perhaps YOU should be on a red flag list.

This time would some rational American gun owner/lover please explain? I suspect the rest of the rational world would also like to hear.

#thebrewsterblock