JUST SOME POSTS

  The recent historic cold weather in Texas and the effects it had on the energy grid there has been bandied about by many politicians, newscasters, and just about everyone else that could (and still can) do so. The folks on one side are saying that the failure was due to the recent emphasis on green energy, especially the windmills that quit working due to freezing up. The other side is saying it is because Texas separated itself from the national electric grid and was unable to get help from others among other things. As with most statements that are polar opposites and extreme, the truth appears to lie somewhere in between those two positions. Here are some facts I have been able to find after hours of study and digging around on websites. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) runs the Texas power grid - which is somewhat independent of the national grid. FYI, most power companies have some level of autonomy and control over their own areas of the country that t...

I think there may be one other instance where in the over 10 years I have been doing this blog that I have used someone else's words instead of my own. I do not think I have ever just used someone else's words. This does not need anything I can give it other than an introduction. So here it is:  Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) delivered a strident address on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday afternoon in which he cited examples of Democrats encouraging violence and aggressive behavior against Trump supporters and Republicans. Paul highlighted the Democrats’ hypocrisy as he spoke against the impending impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, which is scheduled to begin Tuesday afternoon, though substantive proceedings will be delayed until February 8. Paul’s remarks, in full, are as follows. *** "This impeachment is nothing more than a partisan exercise designed to further divide the country. Democrats claim to want to unify the country, but impeaching a former president,...

  A lot has been made in the last couple of weeks of the President's (now past President) pardons and commutations (although most don't know what a commutation is - they "know" they should be upset with them. For the record a commutation is the substitution of a lesser penalty than originally given - typically time served. The conviction and criminal record still exists. A pardon is the overturning of the actual conviction. It exonerates the person and expunges their record of the crime.) Presidential pardons and commutations are a power granted to all Presidents from the U.S. Constitution. In the section enumerating Presidential powers and authority, Article 2, Section 2, Clause 1 states which states: "...he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States". Although there has been some arguments among Constitutional scholars, this power is considered to be only for convictions and/or violations of Federal laws, not Sta...

I have done a couple of fairly recent posts on perspective. I have been amazed at the fear shown over Covid-19 from young people. I am not making light of any deaths. However, statistically Covid-19 has not been a significant cause of death for those under 65 at all. If you look under 55, it is even less. There are many other things that are as if not more likely to kill you. Some US Covid-19 numbers The most deaths in number and as a percentage of that population is in those over 75. That demographic represents just under 7% of the total population (6.88% of the numbers I was using). However, they account for just under 60% (59.6%) of all the Covid-19 deaths. Read those numbers again - 6 out of every 10 Covid-19 deaths in the US are in people 75 and older!  If you include the next demographic - 65 years and older (so it would include the previous group as well as those from 65 to 74 years old) you are now at almost 81% (80.9%) of all deaths from Covid-19. This group represents jus...

Just a brief post with some reminders (or maybe some original thoughts for some of you!) 1)  Censorship, especially of speech, is a bad thing in almost every case . Freedom of Speech was made as part the First Amendment to the Constitution (in the Bill of Rights) because it was recognized that the most effective way to silence dissent was to limit its spread. To limit the spread of differing ideas is to limit the possibility of dialogue and growth and leads to tyranny.  2) Discrimination against a group of people will never counteract or neutralize discrimination that was fostered upon another group of people . (also can be read: two wrongs don't make a right - no more comment is needed) 3) Diversity for the sake of diversity is discrimination . See #2. If you select a person for a position solely based on the color of their skin, their gender, or any other attribute other than their ability, you are practicing discrimination. Selecting the best candidate, based upon their qua...

  I have been wrestling with doing a post since shortly after the last one. As I gave written here before, when I don't post it is more likely that I have too many ideas rather than none. There are many, many things that I have thought about writing on and a few I have actually "roughed out" in my head. But, then something else would come along before I got it written and take the space. So, I end up writing neither. Sigh.. So, here we go... I thought I would just do a post on a new group I am founding and am going to be soliciting for members of shortly. It is the   S top T rying to U nderstand P eople with I deas that are D ifferent  group  or the acronym -  STUPID . We spend entirely too much time trying to relate to all those other people that think differently than we do. It is time to get together to celebrate our agreement with the correct thoughts - ours.  I am still working out the details but I know the ideas we will believe in will have to be det...

  As I write this the 2020 election is 11+ days past. The news media, for the most part (there are still some that have the integrity to not call it yet) has called it a win for Biden. The issue there is, it is not over. News organizations, no matter which one, do NOT call the election results. They can REPORT election results. They use algorithms and projections along with exit polls and real vote counts to forecast a winner of each race. The State legislatures must certify the results and appoint the electors. As of this writing only eight States have certified their results. (that is not unusual, the dates for certification is still in the future for the others - I am not implying anything, just reporting) Now, I am not saying that the odds are not showing that Biden/Harris have won. It would be a long shot for President Trump to hold on to his office. But, it the race is NOT over. Some are not being reported at all, and most are not being reported widely; but as best I can find...