Random thoughts on current stories

 Start off positive.  Two things President Biden has done right with Executive orders.  First, the Buy American order.  He promises to use federal dollars to buy from American manufacturers and companies.  

Second, he promises to replace the current fleet of US Government vehicles with electric cars.  About time someone did that.  In the long past, I wrote a blog challenging government officials who were truly concerned about climate change to stop yapping and do something about it and one of the things they could do is create a bigger market for electric cars by insisting their government agencies buy them rather than gas powered cars.

Two attaboys for President Biden for those.  Because I wanted to start positive, I won't address the other Executive Orders, many of which aren't worth crap.  But I will get snarky now.

Now he says it Department - Anthony Fauci goes on Fox News and says "...after that [NY Times] interview I said to myself we really have got to look forward and ahead and just put that behind us."  Guess he trashed President Trump enough between the Times interview and going on Rachel Maddow, etc.

Do as I say, not as I do - A person gets in Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler's face protesting the Mayor's lack of a mask and coronavirus restrictions among other things.  The Mayor's reaction was to spray pepper spray into the man's face and toss him a bottle of water.  Hmm.  But I never read the Mayor recommend using that approach if a BLM protester walks up to you while eating dinner and screams at you, or if you're wearing a MAGA hat or carrying an American flag and someone starts harassing you.  Guess those are peaceful protests, but the guy in his face wasn't peaceful.

Insurrection investigation - After the "attempted coup" on January 6, during which people died, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi demanded, and got, the resignation of the Capitol Police Chief.  Now we find out the Capital Police Board, which consists of the House Sergeant at Arms and the Senate Sergeant of Arms and the Architect of the Capitol refused to allow the Capitol Police Chief to call in the National Guard for over an hour.  I read the prepared testimony of the House Sergeant at Arms which basically said building security sucked and their communication protocol sucked.  Have they not simulated situations like this before to test their security?  Terrorism is a known thing in this world and Congress is a likely target.  Why didn't Nancy Pelosi demand the House Sergeant at Arms resign too?  Always their first reaction, Dems blame the police.

Calling in the Guard - So the National Guard is called in to provide security at President Biden's inauguration.  When the cameras are on, members of Congress shake their hands, pat their backs, offer them treats.  When the cameras are off, the Guard is kicked out, literally, and sent to sleep in parking garages in Washington DC in January.  See specific examples below.

Who do you respect more - Contrast the pictures in the articles:

Congressman Henry Cuellar (D) delivers pizza to Guard members camped out in the Capitol building

https://cuellar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=406042#:~:text=Washington%2C%20D.C.%E2%80%94Congressman%20Henry%20Cuellar,for%20protecting%20the%20U.S.%20Capitol.

Newly elected Congressman Madison Cawthorn (R) delivers pizza to Guard members kicked out of the Capitol building.

https://wlos.com/news/local/rep-madison-cawthorn-meets-with-troops-after-thousands-were-forced-out-of-capitol-grounds

Which Congressman do you respect more, the guy who has pizza delivered to his office and walks down the hall to deliver them to the Guard or the guy in the wheelchair who leaves the Capitol building, picks up the pizza, drives to the parking garage and delivers them to the Guard?

Something positive again - Kudos to the Governors who, upon hearing how shabbily their Guard members were treated called them home.  I'm pleased to say my Montana Governor, newly elected Greg Gianforte, was one of those.

Guess not department - The headline says "President Biden Promises to Fire Any Staffer Who Treats Colleagues With Disrespect."  Guess Republican members of the House and Senate aren't colleagues, or at least not anymore.  Or perhaps President Biden doesn't think his press secretary calling them a bunch of "fuckers" isn't disrespectful, because she still has a job.  So the rule is don't disrespect your colleagues, but Republicans aren't colleagues so you can disrespect them all you want.  This is how unity works.

Someone didn't get a good night's sleep - Twitter permanently suspends the account of My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell.  Really?  This guy never says anything violent or hateful.  But he raises objections about the election and because the people at Twitter don't like it, poof he's gone.

I love it! - There is a massive "short squeeze" going on.  Hedge fund companies have for years "shorted" companies.  That means they are betting a company's stock will go lower.  In the past, if the stock really wasn't going lower, these sharks would start damaging rumors to cause the company stock to go lower.  Thanks to the internet, we're seeing the worm turn.  People sitting at home with nothing better to do thanks to the Coronavirus are researching which companies the hedge funds have shorted and they are collaborating on Reddit to send the stock prices of those companies soaring to outrageous new heights.  GameStop and AMC Theaters are two examples.  Hedge fund companies are losing their shirts.  I think short selling is a horrible practice.  If you think Company A sucks, then buy stock in Company B.  

A second unintended positive occurred - the AMC CEO says their company, which has struggled with closed theaters, will not go into bankruptcy now thanks to their higher share prices.

I love it, part 2 - ending on a positive note.  The CEO of the Green Bay Packers (full disclosure, my wife is a shareholder) on whether QB Aaron Rodgers will be back next year: "We're not idiots.  Aaron Rodgers will be back, he's our leader."  

"We're not idiots" - I love it.