Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, January 10, 2022

At 65, actor Bob Saget is dead. He was known for is role the sitcom Full House and will be dearly missed.

America is on edge and no one seems able to figure out why. Experts say that Trump was divisive, but the nation was already divided. Biden hosting a speech in the Capitol—with partisan attendance—will not help unify a divided America. Unity is no more Biden’s goal than it was Trump’s. Everyone pushes forward with what they view is best for the country. And, “what is best” is something over which the country itself disagrees.

With the pandemic’s quarantine rules, homeschooling rises. This runs contrary to the political ideals of those pushing quarantine rules for the pandemic. Democrats want everyone to stay at home, but children to attend school. More importantly, Democrats believe that school curriculum shouldn’t be decided democratically.

Let’s look past the obvious contradictions in our political ideologies. And, let’s not start on ideologies that are “Pro-Life” while being in favor of the death penalty, or “Pro-Choice” opposing school of choice. Just look at the stark contrast in the mindset of Americans.

The Pilgrims founded the North based on the idea that parents know that everyone can learn and read and write. Families controlled what their children were taught. That built a powerful nation and a free-thinking, slave-free North. Relegating control to supposed “experts” can be debated as good or bad, but it is certainly a digression from the good path that brought us here.

Some want our path to continue; others want our path to change. That difference is why people voted for Trump or Biden. Trump had time and we saw many things happen. Now, history will put the popularity of the Biden ideal to the test.

Divided

Watch President Biden’s entire January 6th speech // YouTube @ CNN

We Are In a New Civil War … About What Exactly? // Politico

Is the US really heading for a second civil war? // Guardian

Violence, Radicalism & Terrorism

Judge Timothy Walmsley held a minute of silence before sentencing Ahmaud Arbery’s killers // CNN

Education & Placement

Homeschooling Rising, Public Schooling Down during COVID-19, BU-Aided Research Finds // Boston University

Homeschooling meets a need // Boston Globe

Homeschooling numbers in Illinois way up // Axios

“I don’t [understand] that parents should decide what’s being taught.”
Meghan McCain Just Gave DRAMATIC Warning to All Democrat Parents // YouTube @ The Next News Network

Pandemic

Florida’s COVID cases and hospitalizations are surging, but the state has the second-lowest death rate in the nation. What’s going on? // MSN News

Some Angelenos say it’s time to learn to live with COVID // Yahoo News

Music & Entertainment

Comedian Bob Saget Dead at 65, Found in Orlando Hotel Room // TMZ

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Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, December 20, 2021

America is clearly divided. Democrats get vaccinated, Republicans don’t want to. Now, vaccine demands are rising for a virus clinically proven to cause no harm 40% of the time. Two in five people with the Omicron variant of COVID won’t have symptoms. When Democrats hear that, they fear the virus more because lack of symptoms makes it more sneaky. When Republicans hear that, they fear the virus less because lack of symptoms is lack of real threat. The same virus invokes opposite reactions.

Republican states argue to block vaccine mandates over technicalities. Democratic-controlled governments argue “science”—when “40% asymptomatic” means 40% zero risk of harm. Neither side presents the strongest case in their own favor. Republican states should argue lack of symptoms and Democrats should argue that workforce hubs do matter.

Our response to the virus is not the problem; our polarity over any response is devastating. The virus hasn’t torn the country apart; our division has. As the saying goes, it’s all in the mind. The strange part is that a billionaire’s daily 40 minutes of meditation is making headlines in a nation that mostly doesn’t see the contradiction of its own thought life. But, some do, enough to make headlines about mind time worthwhile to the ever changing news industry.

Trump

House oversight committee releases report detailing efforts of Trump administration officials to ‘undermine’ Covid-19 efforts in US // CNN

Think & Grow

Billionaire Ray Dalio credits his success to 40 minutes of meditation per day — here’s how he does it // CNBC

News Media, Journalism & Free speech

Why Are So Many Prominent Journalists Abandoning Journalism? // Reason

Soc Media, Cybersecurity & Tech

Jack Dorsey Got Bored of Twitter Too // The Atlantic

Pandemic

Retiring NIH director Francis Collins warns of enormous omicron wave // NPR

Omicron cases double overnight: Variant is now confirmed in 44 states // Daily Mail

NY governor plans to add booster shot to definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ // The Hill

Court rules Biden’s vaccine mandate for large employers can take effect // Guardian

Over 91% Democrats vaccinated, while only 60% Republicans have taken one shot, data reveals // Guardian

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Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, June 15, 2020

America faces a new kind of reconciliation. Democrat voters in Seattle have decided that government can be overbearing. Usually, that was a patent held by Republican-voting Conservatives. A group of citizens expected the government to obey their desires, another idea Conservatives faced opposition for. And, the news media falsely claims that this group in Seattle wants to become a separate nation and erase all borders. Usually, slander from the media was an honor reserved for Conservatives.

Things have reversed.

If a group of people have bad beliefs, the best way to survive those beliefs is to have those beliefs known so they can be rebutted fair and square. Listening is a vital part of proving someone wrong. The nation has a lot of growing up to do.

Democrat voters and Republican voters hold this in common more now than ever: refusal to listen. Republican voters believe that if a group in Seattle has an opinion, they are automatically wrong and therefore shouldn’t be heard nor should any claim of what they say be confirmed. Likewise, Democrat voters think if Trump says something, he is automatically wrong and anyone who says otherwise should be ignored without checking facts.

We have much more in common than we thought. But, the mutual refusal to listen tells us that fighting will only increase. Peace only comes to those who want it. Perhaps, the troubles our voluntarily deaf ears create will drive us to want to not fight more than we want to not listen—maybe.

Russianewsgategate

GOP votes to give chairman authority to subpoena Obama officials // The Hill

Tim Graham: Rosenstein testifies – and suddenly mainstream media say this about Russia collusion // Fox News

Hillary must testify
JW v State HRC testimony hearing order 01242 5056 // Judicial Watch

Full court hearing
Hillary Clinton – June 1, 2020: The United States Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit // YouTube @ United States Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit

Hillary Clinton Lost Her Appeal In Court – Will Have To Testify In Email Case // JoshWho NEWS

Trump

Jim Jordan’s Big Idea: Enact FISA reform to fix ‘system-wide problem’ // Fox News

Nothing negative in this, interesting
New Melania Trump book says she renegotiated her prenuptial agreement // CNN

CNN is on record!
The remarkable collapse of Donald Trump’s polling numbers // CNN

Dissent
As George Floyd protests rage across the US, why does Donald Trump insist on posing in front of churches? // SCMP

Trump to restart MAGA rallies this month despite coronavirus // Politico

White House is considering a Trump speech to the nation on race and unity // CNN

Election

We’ll see in November…
Trump Wins Again! ‘…according to CNN and MSNBC, he’s united 90% of the country in hating him’: AdviceAnimals // reddit

Flashback 3 years…
How did Trump win if so many people hate him?? – NoStupidQuestions // reddit

State & Local

Polling Places in Black Communities Continue to Close Ahead of November Elections // Governing

The official demands of CHAZ
The Demands of the Collective Black Voices at Free Capitol Hill to the Government of Seattle, Washington // Medium

Spin sin
Tammy Bruce on Seattle ‘mayhem’: Americans have to stand against this // Fox News

Official:
Our Demands | Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County // Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County

Trump renews military threat against Seattle’s Capitol Hill // kiro7.com

Seattle Mayor says President’s threat to send military is unwelcome, illegal // MyNorthwest

Trump threatens to ‘take back the city’ if Seattle, state officials don’t // KING5 NBC Seattle

Trump says domestic terrorists have taken over Seattle and demands CHAZ be retaken // Daily Mail

Antifa Activists Claim First Territory in Seattle // City Journal

Rapper organizer of the Seattle autonomous zone says Trump has ‘put a hit on his head’ // Daily Mail

A dam problem!
Whitmer wanted to cut dam repair program; $1.6M denied for Edenville dam // Detroit News

In Whitmer’s face!
Michigan Supreme Court sides with barber who reopened in defiance of Whitmer’s coronavirus lockdown // Fox News

Republicans

Bec ‘lynching’ is anything, as defined
Rand Paul stalls bill that would make lynching a federal hate crime // Guardian

Security & Public Safety

Donald Trump : We will not be defunding, dismantling, or disbanding our police // Christian Daily

Bold experiment
Minneapolis To Disband Police Department // Forbes

The US shoots, kills and imprisons more people than other developed countries. Here’s what the data says // CNN

Culture & People

Gun Sales Shoot Up Amidst Unrest: 80% More In Last Month Than May 2019 // Yahoo News

Flashback 1 week ago…
Morgan County Sheriff experiencing an increase in concealed carry permit applications // WHNT News 19 Huntsville, AL

Flashback 1 month…
Gun Sales Are Up Across Appalachia. Here’s Why // YES! Magazine

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Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, May 4, 2020

America is furious, both of them. Conservatives are fed up with restrictions against a virus that has no symptoms. Liberals are fed up with Conservatives not entering panic mode with them.

If you don’t believe in God, you will believe in anything. For some, it is the belief that animals will live as if forever if we are all vegetarian. For some, it is the belief that crashing economies and avoiding other humans is the only way to survive. For some, it is the belief that outbursts of rage are the only way to become happy.

Neither of the Americas seem willing to give up their respective beliefs in whatever they hold most dear. The only changes are the removal of ambiguity and the level of rage that follows. There is no “moderate” politician anymore. There is no “gray”, only monochrome vision which will only find a way to gain evermore stark contrast.

They myth of people with different ideals living side-by-side is debunked. Maybe some ideals can live in a mixed society with one person living next to a neighbor who disagrees without being disagreeable; but not with Liberals and Conservatives. It’s not that the Conservatives don’t want it, but the Liberals won’t allow it.

Our different views must not mix, they can only be partitioned with Liberal in one city and Conservative in another. That’s the only way forward and it will happen because both will become too extreme for the other.

Russianewsgategate

FBI discussed interviewing Michael Flynn ‘to get him to lie’ and ‘get him fired,’ handwritten notes show // Fox News

Election

Fight for control of Senate intensifies as Democrats capitalize: ‘Odds have improved’ // Fox News

Joe Biden supporter Alyssa Milano changes tune on his accuser Tara Reade amid new developments // Fox News

White House

Do such headlines cause confusion?
Trump suggests injecting disinfectant to treat coronavirus // Aljazeera

Poison Control Center Calls Spike After President Trump Suggests Injections of Disinfectant // Democracy Now

Trump suggests ‘injection’ of disinfectant to beat coronavirus and ‘clean’ the lungs // NBC News

Washington as Usual

Activism, Unrest & Protests

‘Tell the hotels they are commandeered.’ Homeless activists are losing patience with L.A. // Yahoo News

Human Rights, Civil Liberties & Privacy

Oklahoma city ends face mask rule after threats of violence // NY Post

Texas park ranger pushed into lake while trying to enforce social distance // NY Post

Prices, Rates, Oil & Food

Coronavirus: Trump orders meatpacking plants to stay open // BBC News

Science, Weather & Health

AP: Most states fall short of coronavirus testing thresholds // AP

Alarm bells ring over controversial COVID testing // The Hill

Costco will start requiring customers to wear masks Monday // CNN

And mothballed hospitals
Tucker questions effect of coronavirus lockdowns: ‘The virus just isn’t nearly as deadly as we thought’ // Fox News

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Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, February 17, 2020

https://youtu.be/Bo68fqsQHh4

Democrats and Republicans are working in evil tandem. In a sense, Republicans have no choice. The attacks against Conservatives in America are so extreme and unfair that our laws might not be suited to defend us from them. Going easy on Roger Stone in his punishment for something that wasn't wrong seems like playing favorites, from more than one angle. It's okay when Democrats do it, but when Democratic Washington attacks men for less than John Brennan has done wrong it seems like those men must be unfair in order to receive justice.

We are in a spiral of decay.

Pure democracy is sheer tyranny of the masses, allowing the 51% to gang up on the 49%. But, a Democratic Republic, like the USA, doesn't—or shouldn't—allow the 99% to gang up on the 1% because every single person has rights that no one else can take away. But, in attempts to punish famous people for supporting a candidate in the "other political party", and in LGBTQ trying to change the rules of restrooms and use prison to punish people for grammar rules without classic literature, we are seeing the 1% try to gang up on the 99%. Some, not all, of the Left want an aristocracy that they steer.

But, it doesn't stop there. While a few in the Left try to gang up on the ever-less-so-silent majority, huge backlash is coming even against more moderate Liberals. The public-funding-driven Liberals, different from the social-driven Liberals, are getting a bad wrap from the Right. People are being hated for believing things they don't believe on both sides of the political spectrum. While the Right is rising up against the Far Left, another backlash is coming back against the Right in the more distant future. That will be when the nation's institutions are shaken, in the days when we all are forced to listen to each other—in the days when the nation's inner turmoil sees daylight and we find our hearts.

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