Category: Uncategorized

America is celebrating our 245^th year since the Declaration of Independence. Parades, concerts, flags, fireworks, and family picnics have us back close to a normal celebration.

The Biden Administration got in a pickle when they bragged that a picnic for 10 people would be 16 cents cheaper this year than in 2020. Maybe we should ignore the fact that last year Covid-19 kept us from even having a picnic. Saving 1.6 cents per person is a drop in the bucket compared to the higher cost of driving to the picnic.

By the way, our 2021 Fourth of July picnic for 10 is about $5 higher than in 2019. What Americans ought to be celebrating it that the entire meal costs less than $6 a person. Every year the American Farm Bureau calculates the cost. This picnic includes real meat (cheeseburgers, pork chops, chicken breasts). And potato salad, beans, strawberries, and fresh-squeezed lemonade. For dessert, ice cream and chocolate chip cookies. (I’m getting hungry just writing about it.)

This might be a good time to suggest that all current 2021 economic comparisons be made to two years ago. Life was “normal” in 2019. High employment, good wages, no shortages of food or toilet paper, and plenty to celebrate on the Fourth of July.

Back to our Independence Day. We celebrate. But no one forces us to celebrate. A mediocre athlete can steal the spotlight from the best two in her sport by dishonoring our flag and national anthem. A hundred people can come together to complain about unfair police actions, while being protected from those who disagree… by police.

While celebrating, we also argue and debate. The President is a Democrat and Congress is led by Democrats. Does that mean Republicans have to remain quiet for two years? Shucks, not even for two minutes.

China, meanwhile, is “celebrating” 100 years of Communism.

You won’t see anyone in China turning their back on their flag or wearing a shirt that says, ‘Impeach Xi Jinping.’ In China, like Russia, your criticism is your epitaph.

The Communist Dictator Xi Jinping announced in his “celebratory” speech that China will become #1 in the World and anyone who disagrees will suffer “broken heads and bloodshed.” If you believe this is just bluster and political jabbering, ask the Uighurs. And ask people in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Those two are “free” and produce 3 or 4 times as much per capita as does Communist China. But Xi is determined to bring them under his Communist rule, along with most of Africa.

If you don’t believe the part about busted heads and blood, you may not believe this either. In 100 years, the Communist Party in China has killed 40,000,000 to 80,000,000 of their own citizens. Mass starvation, being gunned down, poison, and diseases, including Covid. While we have lost 600,000 with Covid-19, China claims to have 4,636 deaths. In the country that created Covid and let it spread around the world. Sure.

So, if 95% of Chinese people are NOT Communists, why don’t they take back their country from the 5%? Well, unlike our colonists in 1776, those Chinese do not have muskets. No Colt 45s or AR-15s either.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“There is a big communistic hold in certain parts of China. The influence is growing rapidly.” WA #520, Dec. 11, 1932

“The Chinese have the reputation, even among their friends, for being the most cruel nation in the world, even to their own people. If one is only going to get his head chopped off, he is tickled to death. That he (would be) unmercifully tortured before death is his fear.” WA #488, May 1, 1932

“And the speeches (on the Fourth)? Did you read them? Never was as much politics indulged in under the guise ‘freedom and liberty.’ There was 5 percent what George Washington did, and 95 percent what the speaker intended to do.” DT #2782, July 5, 1935

I am combining a historic event with our current situation. Stay with me and I promise it will make sense in the end.

Once upon a time, a nation prospered in peace and affluence for many years. But trouble lay just across the border. The neighboring lands were over populated and the people eyed the vast inviting lands with envy. For a few years small numbers of intruders would sneak across the border, and the government would catch them and force them out. But many avoided detection and many more intruders followed.

Before long the intruders were pouring into the nation. Some were legitimately hired, but others sneaked in. Quite a few committed crimes.

Finally, citizens got so annoyed they contacted elected officials of the nation. One wrote, “Are we powerless to enforce our own laws? Are we to submit to these people who are not citizens? Our laws are not enforced. How in the world can we hold up as a nation when our leaders don’t respect the law and the oath they took to uphold the law?”

Ok, this is where “history” gets scary.

 The U. S. Congress jumped into the fray. After much debate Congress made a decision: they came down firmly on the side of the… intruders.  How could this be? Prosperity in the nation was not good enough to satisfy the U.S. Congress and keep this nation protected from intruders.

Five years after the U.S. government got involved, Congress passed a bill abolishing the laws of this “nation” and mandating that all land be divided up equally among its citizens.

WHAT?! Can the President and Congress abolish or ignore our laws? Could this actually happen to American citizens in just 5 years, by 2026??

The end of that “nation” as we knew it occurred in 1898. That “nation” was the Cherokee Nation. It was part of Indian Territory, now the state of Oklahoma. The “intruders” were mainly from Kansas and Arkansas.

(The “citizen” quoted above was Clem Rogers, Will’s dad. The U.S. government divided the 7000 square miles of land among every Cherokee man, woman and child listed on the “Dawes Rolls.” A primary source for these facts is Ben Yagoda’s biography of Will Rogers, published in 1993.)

Thanks for staying with me.

Why is President Biden determined to welcome millions of “intruders” regardless of the effects on over 300 million citizens? Why did Vice-President Harris go to El Paso, Texas, 600 miles from where the bulk of intruders are wading across the Rio Grande? Yes, El Paso is on the border. But she never got within 8 miles of the actual border. She may as well have been in Amarillo. (Or Paris, TX, which could have counted as being in Europe.)

El Paso is protected by 131 miles of wall along the Mexican border. VP Harris did not want to be photographed standing in front of a 30-ft tall border wall. That wall was built by our previous president. Somehow, she blames him for the current crisis.

She pretends to search for “root causes” while ignoring global polls that show over 100 million people would move here tomorrow if they had a chance. The “root cause” is that Americans live better than 95% of the world’s population.

Biden does not want to control the border. Democrat leaders want to add twenty million immigrants before they lose an election. Not a crisis, an opportunity. Having a President whisper, “We aim to ruin the country,” is no different than shouting it. (He didn’t say that, but actions imply it.)

Is the Biden Administration (supported by Congressional leaders) dismantling the United States as the Cherokee Nation was dismantled in 1898?

We can only hope and pray, as Will Rogers said in 1928, “None of them from any party are going to purposely ruin the country.”

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“America is a land of opportunity and don’t ever forget it.” DT #1541, July 1, 1931

“I generally give the party in power, whether Republican or Democrat, the more digs because they are generally doing the country more damage.” WA #100, Nov. 9, 1924

President Biden got serious with Russia’s Putin on cyber-attacks. A pipeline company and meat processor recently paid millions in ransom. Biden gave Putin a list of our Top16 critical entities and ordered him to call off the Russian hackers. Putin glanced over the list, pondered a moment, and thought, “Which is Number 1?”

Americans are pondering, “What is Number 17?” And how would President Biden retaliate?

In case you are wondering, the Top 16 includes energy, food, dams, banks, trains, manufacturers, hospitals and nine more.

But it’s personally scary to realize that comedians and professional speakers are not on the protected list. But we may be safe from attack anyhow. It would take a whole passel of us to come up with, say, a $20 million ransom payment. Considering how many motivational messages, worn out starfish stories, and old jokes they would have to endure to collect, Putin would decide it just ain’t worth it.

Victoria’s Secret is famous for their provocative lingerie. They have stores in almost every Mall in the country (but oddly, not in Strip Malls). They’re very popular. It’s a $7 Billion industry. Maybe you’ve noticed, when husbands get tired of following their wife from store to store, they’ll often find a bench opposite one of those shops. Just sit there, stare and smile, waiting for her to return from Lane Bryant or Sears.

Unfortunately, low sales have ended the runway shows with beautiful models. Instead of showcasing lingerie-clad Angels on network television, they are replacing the models with female activists. Apparently, Victoria’s Secret will interview these women and broadcast only in audio. Based on the list of women I’ve seen, there aren’t many men, even old husbands, who would be captivated by seeing them in lingerie. (I made up my own list but my Editor made me take ‘em out, to keep me from being canceled.)

Are you annoyed by the WOKE notion that seems to permeate life today? The 99 percent of us need to ignore the self-proclaimed WOKE police and stop giving them a platform. A few people are scouring through huge, fifty-year old unabridged dictionaries searching for words to be offended by. In the old days, these overly zealous, pretentious people would be ignored or sent to an institution. Now, with Twitter, they claim “Mother” must be replaced by “birthing person.” I guess that relegates “Father” to “birth contributor” or “sperm donor.”

One of the things Americans can do well is come together in a crisis. Of course, it depends on the crisis. Sometimes when an essential, critical, positively “must act now” emergency comes along the House, Senate and President can git ‘er done. Take this week, for example. It was not the virus from a China Lab, nor higher payments to NATO, nor retaliation for Putin’s hackers. No, it was a different issue that required (and received) rocket-fast action: On Tuesday, the House passed the bill; Wednesday, the Senate passed the House bill; Thursday, President Biden signed it; and Friday, yes Friday, all federal employees got a new day off because Saturday became a National Holiday! Juneteenth.

Although most schools are out before mid-June every year, the #1 question students will be asking is, what day is Juneteenth? And #2, then why isn’t it called Junenineteenth?

A better question is: Why isn’t the day Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves, named as the official holiday. That was January 1, 1863. But because they didn’t have long-distance telephones or internet, it took two and a half years, until June 19, 1865, for the news to reach Galveston, Texas. Now, I can poke fun at the “slow speed” in the 1860s and the “super-fast speed” in 2021. But establishment of this national holiday has been in process for over 150 years.

And today is Father’s Day. It’s always on Sunday, so no paid time off. I recently learned the first Father’s Day in America was held in Fairmont, West Virginia. It was in memory of more than 350 men who died in a coal mine disaster in 1907 at nearby Monongah, leaving a thousand without fathers. Father’s Day slowly caught on across the country, mainly promoted by commercial interests selling items such as fishing gear, tools, and ties. It became an official national day in 1972. Those “commercial interests” collected about a billion dollars today.

Happy Father’s Day!

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

(A day after FDR’s inauguration) “Say, this Roosevelt is a fast worker… this President closed all the banks and called Congress into extra session.” DT #2055, March 6, 1933

(Ending Prohibition, unofficially) “Roosevelt says, ‘Let ‘em drink.’ That’s all. And he collected $10 million in revenue in the first two weeks. And if he’d had good beer, he’d have paid the national debt by now.” Radio, Apr. 30, 1933

(In a tribute on Mother’s Day) “Father had a day, but you can’t find anybody who remembers when it was. It’s been so confused with April the first.” Radio, May 12, 1935

 

If you got all your news from the so-called mainstream media for the last couple of years, you may want to stop reading. The information and opinions that follow may be too much to digest. I don’t want your head to explode.

Have you played dominoes? Regardless, I bet you have seen dominoes set on end in a line so if the first one is tipped it knocks over the next one. And the next one, and so on. Some elaborate patterns might have 5 or 6 starting points with the domino lines all ending up at the same point.

Suppose we use a domino pattern to explain the 2020 Trump-Biden Presidential campaign. One starting point, the main one, was Covid-19. President Trump said it might have started in a virology lab in Wuhan, China. The mainstream media scolded Trump for saying it started in China and insisted it was probably from a bat. China officials could identify the source, but refused then and now to let unbiased scientists investigate.

President Trump suggested hydroxychloroquine was a possible treatment for Covid. The media said it was dangerous quackery even though it has been used to treat malaria and arthritis for 80 years.

Trump sometimes questioned the views of Dr. Fauci. At various times Dr. Fauci said, “Do not wear a mask,” “Shut down all non-essentials so we don’t overwhelm the hospitals,” “Wear a mask outside,” “Get vaccinated so life can return to normal,” “Even if vaccinated, wear a mask,” “Wear 2 masks,” and “We did not fund gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Lab.” The media worshiped Dr. Fauci (and they still do).

Trump was criticized for not wearing a mask in public, while Biden has worn a mask constantly, even outside alone or on Zoom calls. In reflection, the sanity of the country would have benefitted if they had “met in the middle” on mask-wearing.

Trump pushed a vaccine development program called Warp Speed, supported by Congress, with the goal of having millions of doses available by October. Media insisted it would take at least 3 to 5 years, not a few months. One company, miraculously, had a vaccine ready for FDA approval in October. But the “good news” announcement was delayed until 3 days after the election. Back to the domino analogy, this line failed Trump because of timing.

On June 1, 2020, Trump walked to Lafayette Square and held up a Bible in front of St John’s Episcopal Church. Earlier, federal officials had forced protesters to move back a block or two so construction of a more secure fence could be started. Media shamed Trump for tear-gassing peaceful protesters (who had set fire to the church the previous day) simply for a photo-op. This was the start of another “domino line” which resulted in reluctance of federal officials to bring in National Guard reinforcements to protect the Capitol on January 6, the day Congress verified the election results.

In October, a computer belonging to Hunter Biden was left (abandoned) at a computer shop. The hard drive had incriminating evidence against Hunter, and tied his dad to Hunter’s business dealings in China and Ukraine. Media blocked this evidence that would have swayed votes in November. An intricate “domino line” where the first domino was never tipped.

While President Trump was out and about almost every day in 2020, answering reporters’ questions, Joe Biden claimed he had to stay home because of Covid. Why didn’t the media insist he answer serious questions the same as Trump? (He had a phone and Zoom.)

All of these examples are “lines of dominoes” that help show how Joe Biden beat Donald Trump on November 8. The June 1 incident directly affected both the election and the lack of Capitol security for January 6.

Historic quote by Will Rogers:

“People ask me: ‘Will, where do you get your jokes?’ I just tell ‘em, ‘Well, I just watch the government and report the facts, that’s all I do, and I don’t even have to exaggerate.’” June 11, 1933 (Notes?)

Do you remember the first time you heard that Covid-19 apparently came from a virology lab in Wuhan, China? For you, it was probably early last spring. For most Americans, it was only last week when their favorite news media acknowledged the Wuhan Lab was likely Ground Zero.

Up until recently, most news media agreed with the World Health Organization (WHO) that the source was a bat sold at a fresh food market in Wuhan. Most networks made fun of anyone who said it might have originated in the Wuhan Lab, even though it was doing “change of function” research on a coronavirus. Facebook banned all posts that suggested it came from the Lab.

The whole world knows the coronavirus came from China, even though we’re not allowed to say so. While the world has suffered 170 million Covid-19 cases and 3.5 million deaths, you might expect that China, with almost 20% of the world’s population, has suffered about a million of those deaths. After all, it infected people in China for about 3 months before being identified elsewhere.

Well, China has not reported a million deaths. Would you believe 4,600? And only 91,000 cases. The Communist Chinese leaders only count ones who were not cremated. We should know by now, we cannot trust the Communists.

You might remember I commented earlier that the federal government would give each child a $3000 tax credit, which I called a salary. Now, you might agree with this generosity. President Biden announced he would start sending out checks this summer, $250 a month for each child.

Suppose you have three teenagers who get wind of this payment. They might say, “Why should we get jobs at McDonald’s or the farm down the road. We’re getting $750 a month and it’s deposited into YOUR bank account. And don’t expect us to do any chores for a tiny allowance. What’s the use of working?”

On Friday President Biden submitted his first budget. He is asking Congress to appropriate $6 Trillion, which is 26% more than what President Trump asked for two years ago. A friend on Facebook applauded Biden’s budget request because it has essentially no increase for the Defense Department, “We have 13 aircraft carriers, China has only 2.”

A foreigner on Facebook asked why the U.S. has a Memorial Day, and honors Veterans on November 11, and has Armed Forces Day for those currently serving. He said we glorify and waste money on Armed Forces that would be better spent on helping humanity.

I think if Will Rogers were still around, he would ask, “Do our allies and friends in Europe, Asia and elsewhere in the World want us to bring home all our troops? And if we’re supposed to balance China on Defense, do you want us to lay low until they build 11 more Aircraft Carriers?”

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“The budget is a mythical bean bag. Congress votes mythical beans into it, and then tries to reach in and pull real beans out.” DT #2047, Feb. 24, 1933

“If you want to know when a war is coming just watch the United States and see when they start cutting down on their defense. It’s the surest barometer in the world.” DT #2116, May 16, 1933

Back in the old days, entertainers and businesses usually tried to attract as many friends and customers as possible. That didn’t mean everyone liked you. And a business might ignore or reject a small percentage of the population.

But now it’s common to turn off half or more of potential clients and audiences. Coke, American Airlines, Nike, Major League Baseball, and late-night hosts on TV, for example, are living with the results.

You may remember that the U.S. passed the 18^th Amendment prohibiting liquor production and sale in 1920. That did not mean people stopped drinking; bootleggers filled the vacuum. Liquor flowed freely despite the attempts by federal “revenuers” to destroy moonshine stills and stop the rumrunners. After 13 years, the U.S. did something never done before or since: the 21^st Amendment was passed to cancel the 18^th.

Will Rogers was in his prime as an entertainer and columnist during Prohibition. So, did he “pick a side?” No, he kidded both “wets” and “drys,” as they were called. And both sides laughed. He often joked that people “vote dry but drink wet.”

Here are two of hundreds of his comments:

“The South is dry and will vote dry. That is, everybody that is sober enough to stagger to the polls will.” (DT #66, Oct. 28, 1926)

“Just let the bootleggers alone; they are getting so prosperous they are drinking each other’s wares now, so they will gradually kill each other off.” (WA #42, Sept. 30, 1923)

Will Rogers was a skilled humorist; President Biden is not. You may have seen where he messed up a punchline in his speech at graduation ceremonies for the Coast Guard. I won’t pile on the President because very few people are consistently good at humor. There is one advantage of his jokes falling flat; some of us won’t be irritated as often by the “unusual” laugh of our Vice-President.

I will hit him on his choice of pipelines to approve. Why cancel one that supports the U.S. and Canada because of global warming, but approve one that benefits Russia?

Today, on Kiawah Island in South Carolina, 50-year-old lefty, Phil Michelson, won the PGA golf tournament. You might say he won one for all the old golfers. His win inspires talented young folks too. If you stay in shape or get in shape, physically and mentally, you too can be a winner. Even if you’re left-handed.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“From what I can gather from everyone I talk with, things are definitely picking up. If they just get more folks to working, there is no way to stop this country. Just quit listening to the politicians…. The Constitution will remain as is. The Russians are not going to take us. Everywhere I have been there is a fine feeling. Let folks quit arguing over who did it, or didn’t do it; just join in it.” WA #655, July 14, 1935

“I had heard (golf) called an old man’s game. Every one of (the players) looked big and strong enough to work at something. Now I am not going to make the mistake of the usual fool, just because I don’t play the game, and tell you that there is nothing to it. There is skill in anything. Spitting at a crack don’t get much recognition among the Arts, but you just try to hit one sometime and you will never laugh at another spitter again.” WA #163, Jan. 24, 1926

We got big news out of Washington. Huge. No, it was not a decision to finish the 30-foot wall on our Mexican border. It was not an announcement to finish the Keystone XL pipeline. And it was not a streamlined Trillion-dollar Infrastructure bill.

It was still huge, even though President Biden did not announce it the way I suggested two weeks ago, “remove mask, hold it high, strike a match, light it on fire, and let it burn.”

But the President finally admitted what most of the country figured out months ago: Get vaccinated, toss the mask. (Unless you choose to wear one.)

And outside, in wide open spaces, they finally admitted it is almost impossible to “catch Covid.” Originally our CDC said, “less than 10%” of patients got Covid from an infected person outside. Last week they admitted it is quite a bit less than 10%. Yes, 0.1%.

And inside, if you have been vaccinated (or recovered from Covid), toss the mask. Maybe Speaker Pelosi will allow our Representatives in Congress to remove their masks. But the way a few have been acting lately, they might want to keep their faces hidden.

Do you remember the warning about touching anything because a person with Covid might have touched it earlier? Wear gloves when pumping gas. Don’t touch the hand rails on stairs. Don’t touch your mask then rub your eyes. It was hard to find hand sanitizers, disinfectants, and bleach because “essential” businesses and schools spent hours cleaning surfaces. Some schools that were open skipped Wednesdays so the janitors could thoroughly disinfect. Disinfecting overnight or on weekends was not enough.

The head of the big teachers’ union finally admitted she might let teachers in her union return to their schools in September. Of course, the majority of other teachers have been in the classroom since LAST September (at least most days).

The Russian hackers shut down a pipeline that supplies half of the gasoline to Southeast states and up to New Jersey. The company paid a ransom of $5 million so the gasoline is flowing again. But the shortage has wreaked havoc. Long lines of vehicles waiting for hours to fill up. And not just “fill up” their tank. Hoarders filled up livestock watering troughs, plastic laundry baskets, and garbage bags. The danger is unbelievable. But if one of those hoarders has a garbage bag burst on the garage floor, they probably have plenty of toilet paper to soak it up.

I saw a “cartoon” of two young guys talking to the clerk at a gas station, “We’d like to return some gas, please. We have it in our pickup. 110 gallons. We paid $419.79 for it. You can have it back for $400.”

Clerk, “So, you have 110 gallons in two 55-gallon barrels?”

“No ma’am, it’s in 11 garbage bags.”

You might wonder, what is the penalty for a Russian hacking and collecting a ransom? So far, none. They just move on to another victim and demand more millions. I heard a good suggestion from a former Congressman: Congress should pass a law making this a federal terrorism crime, punishable by death. Then we can have secret agents sneak into Russia, or anywhere else, and kill ‘em.

Kinda like we did with that Iranian General last year. And we had better do it before they shut down our electric grid. Now, we don’t want to kill anyone. We just want to scare ‘em so they’ll stop hacking our computer systems.

Historic quote by Will Rogers:

“The difference between good times and bad times is gasoline, and what goes with it.” WA #636, March 3, 1935

I referred to this last week. President Biden spoke to Congress on April 28, reporting on his first 100 days in office. You might say it was presented with Biden passion and sincerity, and delivered on a Sanders platform. He outlined three major bills that add up to $6 Trillion.

First, the American Rescue Plan. “One of the most consequential rescue packages in American history.”

Second, the American Jobs Plan, which was promoted as the Infrastructure bill, “a once-in-a-generation investment in America itself. The largest jobs plan since World War II.” The jobs are focused primarily on climate change. “Electrical workers installing 500,000 charging stations. Farmers planting cover crops, so they can reduce carbon dioxide in the air and get paid for doing it.”

Now, I can report that farmers who already plant crops without plowing, and then plant a cover crop after harvest, are applauding this plan. They know carbon dioxide is removed from the air because it is transformed into organic matter in the soil. Farming continuously without tilling fields will keep storing more carbon. And it will stay stored unless someone shows up with a plow.

Third, the American Families Plan, which “addresses four of the biggest challenges facing American families today.” I’ve got to admit when I heard it was a “family plan” with 4 parts, I thought of a comment you have probably read many times. Thinking of teenagers, the recommendation for an “American family” is 4 steps, in this order: Finish your education; get a job; get married; then have children (if you choose).

What the President has in mind includes the first step: adding pre-school for 3- and 4- year-olds, then adding two years of free community college. His second point relates more to jobs; providing free child care for 3-month to 2-yr olds so Moms can get back to work. His third point gives Moms and Dads three months of paid leave to stay home with the baby, then the baby qualifies for the free child care. And fourth, the government will pay each child a salary of $3000 a year until they finish the 2 years of free community college. (Ok, it’s a tax credit.)

How does President Biden plan to pay for the extra $6 trillion in expenses? He started out by assuring 99% of Americans it will not cost them a dime. Rich people and big corporations will pay the entire cost. And they won’t complain about paying their fair share. See, up to now, they have been living off the 99%. Biden said, “We’re going to reward work, not wealth.”

And until September, he also plans to reward not working.

He said, “Look, I’m not out to punish anyone.” Of course not. According to the President, big companies like Walmart, Amazon, Ford, and John Deere won’t even notice a 20% reduction in profits. And any family making over $400,000 won’t see any change in their lifestyle, except they might sell their yacht or vacation home. And the rest of us, the 99%, we will prosper. Paraphrasing Margaret Thatcher, we will prosper until we run out of other people’s money.

President Biden commented on a lot of other topics: Covid vaccine shots; the $1400 stimulus checks; immigration; guns; and elections.

And since he was speaking in the Capitol, he referred to the January 6 insurrection. President Trump failed to adequately protect the Capitol ahead of time, did not call up National Guard reinforcements, and did not command his supporters to stay away. Instead, for about 5 hours, a mass of Trump supporters caroused through the Capitol, yelling threats, breaking windows, stealing Speaker Pelosi’s computer, and injuring officers. There was over a million dollars damage.

President Biden said, “Lives were lost.” Yes, five people died. Four because of health issues, and a protester was shot by police as she tried to break through a door. Trump has paid a price since January 6. He was forced off Twitter.

President Biden ended on an optimistic note, “There is nothing we can’t do if we do it together.”

Now, I have attempted to present the President’s points accurately, as I did last week with the rebuttal by Sen. Scott. If you agree with his spend and tax plan, that’s fine. If you disagree, don’t yell at the messenger.

Updating to May 7… The Jobs Report for April showed people prefer getting $15 an hour from the government instead of working for it. The only way employers can get their workers back is to pay them more than $15. That’s the indirect way for Senator Sanders, who lost the nomination to Biden, to get the minimum wage increased from $10. So, does that make him the winner?

(I’m writing this on Saturday night, so we can celebrate Mothers’ Day without politics. We’ve got enough to worry about with that Chinese rocket dropping out of the sky. If you are reading this on Sunday morning…it landed somewhere else.)

Historic quote by Will Rogers:

“These people that you are asked to aid, why they are not asking for charity, they are naturally asking for a job, but if you can’t give them a job why the next best thing you can do is see that they have food and the necessities of life. You know, there’s not a one of us has anything that these people that are without it now haven’t contributed to what we’ve got.  I don’t suppose there is the most unemployed or the hungriest man in America (who has not) contributed in some way to the wealth of every millionaire in America.” Radio, Oct 18, 1931

Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) raised a ruckus Wednesday night, in his rebuttal to President Biden’s speech to Congress. He stated, “America is not a racist country.”

Immediately folks on Twitter and TV reacted, “Uncle Tim, we ARE a racist country!”

Well, are we racist? Let’s do a few comparisons that have nothing to do with race. Is the air in cities perfectly clean? No, but it’s 99% cleaner than 75 years ago. Is the water flowing in our streams so clear you can see pebbles on the bottom of the Mississippi River? No, but our rivers and lakes are much less polluted than a hundred years ago. Has all soil erosion from rain storms and wind been prevented? No, but keeping farm fields protected with crop residue and cover crops has made a huge improvement. And the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s has never been repeated.

So, have all racists been eliminated? No, they still exist. But we hope and pray we have improved on racism as we have on air, water and soil.

As Sen. Scott said, “I know firsthand our healing is not finished… When America comes together, we’ve made tremendous progress… (but) people are making money and gaining power by pretending we haven’t made any progress at all, by doubling down on the divisions we’ve worked so hard to heal.”

Whether you agree or disagree with him politically, Sen. Scott wrote and delivered a great speech.

The Mask Debate. To wear or not to wear, that is the question.

Let’s go back to January: have you been fully vaccinated? “No.”
Then wear a mask. Stay 6 feet apart. Wash hands often.

Today: Have you been vaccinated? “Yes. In February. Two Pfizer shots.”
Then wear a mask. Stay 6 feet apart. Wash hands often.

Are you surprised millions of Americans are in no hurry to get vaccinated?

Who sees himself as the role model for Covid mask wearing? President Biden. Did you know he was fully vaccinated in December? Does he know he was vaccinated? (Sorry, cheap shot.)

He wears a mask all the time, except while speaking at a microphone. He wears a mask alone in a cemetery. He wears a mask walking outside the White House with his wife. She wears a mask. They are alone.

The President wore a mask Wednesday as he entered the House chamber to address Congress. He put it on again after speaking. EVERYONE there wore a mask. EVERYONE there had been vaccinated.

Here’s my suggestion. If they want to get more people vaccinated so they can get back to normal, schedule another televised speech before Congress. Have ALL of them there, plus Cabinet and Supreme Court. And State Governors and Legislators watching on TV. (Like a normal State of the Union).

Picture this: The President enters and walks up to the lectern. He removes his mask and holds it high. He strikes a match (Gasp!), lights the mask on fire (VP Harris and Speaker Pelosi behind him are in shock!). He holds it proudly for three seconds and drops it into a cuspidor. As the mask smolders, he instructs the entire gathering, “On the count of three, remove your mask. One, Two, Three!” Can you hear the resounding roar? Both inside the Capitol and across the country, it’s like the Indy 500 announcement, “Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines!”

I flew to Atlanta last Monday. Returned Thursday. First time on a plane in 18 months. Southwest 737’s were full, both directions. Packed. Everyone masked.

Southwest serves mini-pretzels and a drink. The message on the napkin handed out with the drink gives the instructions: Drink down, mask up. Between bites, mask up.

I got fairly proficient. Pull mask down to chin, insert a couple of mini-pretzels. Raise mask. Chew, swallow, and repeat. Mask down, insert pretzels, mask up. Chew. Swallow. Repeat.

By the time I finished (which wasn’t long; how long could it take to eat a dozen mini-pretzels?), I devised a better idea. It was too late for me to ask for another bag of pretzels but maybe you can try it on your next Southwest flight.

Here’s the idea. Lay your mask on the tray. Empty the entire contents of the snack bag onto your mask. Lean your face down close. Carefully raise mask to cover mouth and nose. Secure the elastic straps behind ears.

Voila, you have the entire bag of Southwest pretzels within millimeters of your mouth. This should operate somewhat in the nature of a feed bag on a horse.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“About ten days ago our President delivered his first message to Congress. You know that’s one of the things that his contract calls for, that every once in a while, he delivers a message to Congress to tell them the ‘Condition of the Country.’ This message as I say is to Congress, the rest of the country know the condition of the country, for they live in it and are a part of it…The country must have been in pretty bad shape for it took 12,000 words for Mr. Hoover to tell how bad it was. You see when a thing is in fine shape, it don’t need much explaining, you can then just write, ‘Country. O.K.’” WA #371, Feb. 2, 1930

“Lincoln was great. He freed the slaves and put the Southern whites in bondage for the duration of their natural lives. He furnished General Grant with cigars to smoke and poor [Robert E.] Lee had no gas mask so he had to surrender.   Lincoln tried his best to prevent that war between the Democrats and the Republicans.   Since then, they have been settling their difficulties at the polls, with about the same results.” Radio, June 1, 1930

** Yes, I give presentations. Virtual and in-person. And one-man shows.

President Biden picked Earth Day to hold a Zoom meeting with leaders from 40 nations.

In order to stop climate change, President Biden promised by 2030 we would cut by half the amount of carbon dioxide released compared to 2005, no matter how much it costs. Since we are responsible for only 15% of these greenhouse gases it won’t do much good unless other countries do the same.

Now, you may not have heard it on the News, but about 20 of the poor developing countries got in a huddle (actually on Zoom it’s called a breakout room) and they agreed. They said, “Mr. Biden, we’ll also cut greenhouse gases in half, no matter what it costs. As long as you pay for it.”

While the Mexican border remains a “situation,” climate change is a “crisis,” moving toward an “emergency.” And our Climate Czar John Kerry wants it to be “like a War.” Mr. Kerry, with his experience in Vietnam, should know how to fight a war. It’s not with ships, tanks, planes and drones powered with green energy.

With escalating rhetoric is it any surprise that when a mother asked her nine-year old what she learned about Earth Day, she said, “The earth is on fire and we’re all going to die soon.”

We might solve climate change quicker with technology and innovation. Think about how coal was mined 100 years ago compared to today. Do you know why natural gas is more plentiful and cheaper than 20 years ago? Drilling deeper into shale, improved hydraulic fracturing, and horizontal drilling that can reach 5 miles in any direction from the bottom of a well. Continued innovation in nuclear, solar, wind and batteries may someday replace fossil fuels. And give that 9-year-old hope for a full life. (See the first quote below.)

Democrats in Congress are determined to add two Democrat Senators by making a state out of little Washington DC, which is only 10 miles square. They say we are depriving residents of their right to be represented in Congress. Now, besides the fact that DC has special status in the Constitution, two-thirds of the residents moved there. They willingly left a state where they could vote for Senators. For the other one-third, I suggest we offer them $50,000 to move 5 miles so they can vote in Virginia or Maryland. Do you think any of them would accept that offer?

Well, I doubt any would move to Virginia, especially if they have bright children. The brilliant educators who run the State Department of Education plan to prevent students from taking algebra and higher math until at least their Junior year. They claim that teaching advanced math to students with the potential to become doctors, business managers, engineers or several great technology careers is unfair to those perceived to be mathematically challenged.

I hope my engineering background is not making me prejudiced, but a bordering state to the west (that Virginia often looks down on) will be graduating high school seniors proficient in advanced Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics. Country roads, take me home.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“We’re just now learning that we can rob from nature the same way as we can rob from an individual.  All [the old Pioneer] had was an ax, and a plow, and a gun, and he just went out and lived off nature.  But really, he thought it was nature he was living off of, but it was really future generations that he was living off of.” Radio, April 14,1935

“The only salvation I can see for the young is to increase the college term to an additional four years… You’ll say, ‘Well, what could they learn in another four years?’ Well, there must be some little something about making a living that they haven’t learned yet, and they could kind of work on that for the next four years.” Radio, June 2, 1935

“It’s funny how quick a College Boy can find out that the World is wrong. He might go out in the World from High School and live in it, and make a living in it for years and think it wasn’t such a bad place, but let him go to College and he will be the first one down on the Square to shout ‘Down with the Government.’ Course not all of ’em, but there is getting more and more.”WA #431, March 29, 1931