LINCOLN THE PRESIDENT

J. G. Randall

This early political history of Lincoln (1947) is invaluable to 1862. It is a life and times of Lincoln. It sells in detail the political and social forces confronting Lincoln and whether he acted, shifted, remained still or moved by deflection.

The description of 1860-1861 America before the inauguration presents the United States in a time more unsettled than any other time in American history, including today: Attempts by the Democrats (favoring slavery, opposing slavery) to get elected themselves by fouling and goofing the Electoral College (mostly within the state legislatures). There were adamant positions especially in the South where the minority view became the majority position. The anti-Slavery forces in the North were weak.

Politicians attempted to conciliate North and South to no success. In 1860 an appalling Constitutional Amendment obtained two-thirds (2/3) majority in the House and Senate. It would have solved many or all of the South’s problems. It was never added to the Constitution as Number 13 because the War began, and its ratification was forever dropped.

Reading through 1861 (Fort Sumpter adequately described), First Battle of Bull Run (sketchy) and onto the 1862 (few words to Henry, Donelson, and northern Tennessee thus securing Kentucky), the author had to become a military historian. Randall fails.

The story collapses. No one can defend George B. McClellen, except he trained the eastern army and had a disciplined army that needed another general to lead it into battle. In essence George B. was Baron Von Steuben, or a glorified drill sergeant, but no more.

There are many historians to read which tell of military issues form 1862-1865 directing and guiding Lincoln’s political decisions. I recommend this book to early 1862 and stop reading. It is entirely possible that the failure of military history after 1861 is why this book is no longer in print.   

2020 Election Headlines, Last Week

Newt Gingrich should spend all his time in Georgia, where suppressing the votes of African-Americans and other minorities always gave Newt a victory. No suppression, no victory for Don and none for Newt.

Rudy Guiliani complained 450,000 votes were suppressed in Pennsylvania. A later figure said 650,000 votes. The votes suppressed were mail-in ballots which broke for Joe Biden three (3) to five (5). 

The public can understand Guiliani’s confusion. He scheduled a press conference at a Four Seasons [Lawn Care] business. Are they Republicans? The place looked right to Guiliani who walked into the porno shop next door, believing it was Trump’s Headquarters. Not finding the candidate but pictures, perhaps of notable campaign workers, Guiliani left and was comfortable: Outside he saw a crematorium (are they Republicans?) was close-by to incinerate the remainder of the Trump 2020 campaign.

The Georgia Secretary of State said he was sure illegal votes were cast in the Presidential election. The Secretary of State did not identify which ballots were illegal, or where they came from. It was easier in the old days when ballots were marked “W” or “N.” All “N” ballots were illegal. When one considers illegal voting, one thinks of Illinois, and the graveyard voting. The question for the Georgia Secretary of State is how many Confederate honored dead voted for Trump?

Jonathan Turley. Anyone remember Jonathan. On Fox News he urged Americans “to look at the votes.” That’s very nice, Johny boy. Look but don’t count the votes. Of course, Jonathan is a guy people once went to when they had legal problems and needed explanations. Legal questions are always based upon fact, a commodity which Johnathan has in short supply.

How refreshing were some of Richard Nixon’s employees. Caught in a misstatement of fact, an outright lie, Ron Ziegler, Nixon’s Press Secretary identified the false sentence as an “inoperative statement.” There is a trace of honesty, reality and humor in that confession. Kayleigh McEnany has neither the wit or judgment to appreciate Ron Ziegler’s standards. 

Mike Pence, Vice President, leader of the Virus Task-Force, on vacation while more than 10,000 Americans died of Covid-19. Mike Pence is fat, dumb and unhappy and is sulking: On January 20, 2021 he no longer has a job. Who in Washington D.C. wants to talk to him? He’ll have to return to Indiana.

Samuel Alito, Supreme Court Justice gave an advisory opinion: Covid-19, a public health crisis, is creating “unimaginable restrictions on individual liberty.” BOGUS.

Stop being a HIPPIE, Sam, promoting dirt, filth and infection in human society.

Sam sounds like he regrets not going to the first Woodstock festival, where he could swallow a lot of mud. He regrets not going to Altamont where he could see Hells Angels – the security team -209 beat up fans and musicians and kill one of them.

Sam should take a shower, wear a face mask, social distance, and wash his hands. And Sam should stop annoying the women and clerks around the Supreme Court, if that’s what Sam calls individual liberty of a Don Trump fashion.

The Stolen Election: If Democrats stole the 2020 election, why did Republicans pick up 13 seats in the House of Representations? Why is it Republicans managed to keep 50 seats in the Senate, and may keep the Senate majority?

A First! Ted Cruz said nothing stupid this week. 

COMMIE-THUG: TEDDY BOY CRUZ

“Who the hell elected you and put you in charge of what the media are allowed to report and what the American people are allowed to hear…?” asked TBC.

TEDDY-BOY CRUZ (TBC) does not believe in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. TEDDY BOY CRUZ does not believe in the flag, free enterprise, capitalism and in the American way.

TBC is a senator from Texas. As Senator TBC is a member of Congress. What does the First Amendment of the Constitution state? “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…” Why is TBC, as a member of Congress, asking any questions? Why is TBC investigating? The Constitution states, “Congress shall make no laws…” End of questions. End of investigation. End of story.

See that TBC asked the witness why he had the power to determine what was posted? TBC forgets, and the reason he forgets is fat. I could have done without the witness with a nose ring and the goofy beard. But TBC is growing a very sketchy beard. What is TBC hiding behind that bush? I think it’s fat, and like all of Don Trump’s ardent supporters, TBC has become fat, dumb and happy. Indeed, much of TBC’s fat has gone to his brain.

TBC never made an investigation of any other media company. Of course, every media company has a right to post, or not to post, to broadcast or not to broadcast. Indeed, the sources of the information in question reeks of propaganda from Joseph Goebbels. It was initially printed in 

The New York Post, a common Goebbels outlet. No New York Post reporter wanted a by-line which means the story came straight from the Propaganda Ministry. [The publisher was so unimaginative that he failed to make up the name of a reporter and give a by-line.] Investigation into the facts of this material cannot substantiate events or a time-line. The human beings are alive, but nobody went to a Texas football game and rooted for the Russians.

Note under the First Amendment of the Constitution no one must publish anything. And no one has a right to have published erroneous, malicious and fake claims. The story might have been accepted if it had elements of humor. But the Nazis were humorless bastards, especially when the materials’ primary source is Rudy Guiliani. He is beyond humor, satire and parody. Saturday Night Live no longer bothers.

If Trump loses, will anyone ever speak to Rudy? There will be no book deals. Rudy is not the type of guy to kiss and tell. Roy Rogers wrote a very revealing book about Trigger. The Russians are finished with Rudy. Perhaps Roger Stone and other thugs Trump wants to pardon will say hello but nothing else. 

Given the background and the sources of the New York Post printing, Teddy Boy Cruz cannot demand anyone print falsehood and take news. Yet, TBC insists the media companies have done everything wrong! Like a Commie-Thug TBC wants lies and fake news published, BUT TBC has made no investment in those companies. He has no financial interest.

While worrying about falsities, falsies and fake news, TBC have not subpoenaed and questioned Rupert Murduch, Gauleiter of Fox News. Imagine Teddy Boy Cruz’s first question to Murdoch: “Wasn’t that a wonderful story this morning where Fox News ripped Hillary Clinton a new one?”

However, Fox News and Sports has not published anything that can be verified. For example, Fox News and Sports has never claimed that Don Trump is a better golfer than Barrick Obama.

IMPRESSIONS – THE SECRET AGENT

JOSEF CONRAD

Read and have in your library.

Rarely does a novel present its subject, anarchy, and impress itself in my thoughts and memory. The Secret Agent has that effect both in language and in the telling.

Most novels begin with character and advance though events – beginning, middle and end – through the eyes on one character or another. However, the subject matter, anarchy, does not lend itself to follow a character and narration. Instead, parts of anarchy are told by introducing characters unrelated to one another but necessarily involved or not involved with anarchy: Revolutionaries, the anarchist, wife, human relations, police and by-standers. The reader follows the subject matter through a series of events – a senseless act, a humorous description of anarchy (chapter 2), killing of a character in the bombing is identified half way through, police investigations, police politics, domestic relations, and on to the end: No one emerges happy, satisfied or comfortable. 

It must be noted that Josef Conrad interjected reality about himself (and every aging man in the world) by giving it to a character: “He had grown older, fatter, heavier, in the belief that he lacked no fascination for being loved for his own sake.” (Chapter 11) 

Unusual language describes anyone, anything or a state of mind reflecting observations detached from humanity, much like an Anarchist ruminations: “Uncommonly useless.” “A man supremely confident in the privileges of his righteousness.” “He had lost the habit of consecutive thinking in prison…” “Inimical sentiment against social distinction.” About emigration to get away from the police: “It was not very clear whether he had in his mind France or California.”

Indeed, for more than a century California has been a place of second chances. Failures elsewhere arrived in the state and made good. And for true fugitives, Whitey Bolger of Boston fame, lived quietly for a decade. But to be real, those militia clowns in Michigan claim to be anarchists. They are ignorant. They should read Conrad’s novel.

Conrad wrote the female protagonist as carefully as any other player. Yet, reflecting the times of its writing, the novel avoids making the woman thoughtfully conniving and successful, as might happen today.

FOOLISH REALITY

FOOLISH REALITY

This phenomenon is not new. Don Trump is a piker. Witness a list in S.I. Hayakawa, Language in Thought and Action, Chapter 2.  The author writes, 

Discrepancies between maps, and territories have been the subject matter

of comedy, satire, and general outbursts of moral judgment, throughout most human history….

Vilhjalmur Stefansson, The Standardization of Error (1927). How people

seem to prefer nonsense to fact – a witty and disturbing work.

Bergen Evans, The Natural History of Nonsense (1946). An amusing 

catalogue of errors, superstitions, and mistaken folk beliefs.

Martha Wolfenstein and Nathan Leites, Movies: A Psychological Study

(1950). A classic study of the ways in which movies create false maps

of reality in our heads.

Robert Lindner, The Fifty-Minute Hour (1955). Case studies of 

individuals with extremely distorted maps of reality. Many psychiatric

and psychological books in addition to those of Dr. Lindner provide 

examples of pathological fictious map-making.

cover -19, reopening theaters

Orange County, CA is reopening movie theaters. Social distancing, five theater seats between viewers. No one behind one another. Everyone wears a mask – that will muffle laughter, quiet gasps of horror, and suppress awe when the monster on the screen does something disgusting. The real social setting in movie houses is when the monster in the theater actually does something.

Look at what Covid-19 has done to America! Teenagers once sat in back and necked – explored, and did other things – there are plenty of verbs in the language to describe their activities. NO MORE! Any pair that wants to sit next to one another, honeys touching and thereupon, a creep in uniform and a flashlight will shine a beam in eyes and say, “SOCIAL DISTANCE!” How can anyone social distance and do what is necessary in dark theaters. Don’t talk about prostheses. A first learning experience, learning more about the partner while offering directions and instructions. The glory of learning and satisfaction reinforcing everything public education needs. ALL THAT IS GONE!

The activity, the wandering, the imagination – American teenagers will be crippled forever! Something tells me no vaccine will improve these circumstances for good, soon. 2025 sounds all right after health security is fixed. And a whole slew of teenagers will be stunted, unable to act impulsively, intrusively: Boys and girls, young men and women, will wonder what is wrong and what they should do as a species.


I say, KEEP THE MOVIE THEATERS CLOSED1 

LOS ANGELES TIMES 9/6/2020

“I think fiction benefits from ambiguity whereas obviously life doesn’t.”

This sentence in this morning’s Los Angeles Times is in a review/interview of a book/author. The sentence indicates that neither the author nor the journalist/reviewer/critic of the book know much about writing English and especially fiction. The journalist let this statement slide rather than explore the author’s state of mind allowing this sentiment escape her mouth.

Fiction is tied to fact, to logic, to reason and uses devices to bring forth a story. Nothing needs to be told chronologically but in order to use and employ a metaphor an author must have a firm understanding of facts, impressions, implications and words, so that the metaphor works. Likewise, allegories,, fables and every other invention authors have conceived in this language or in others require the same rigorous understanding of communication.

Yet, it is apparent, especially in Don Trump’s world – the present life – that ambiguity is prized. There is no truth, only claims and assertions with no anchor to circumstances. The flurry of statements reveal unreasonableness, illogical wanderings and fantasies.

For instance, scenarios alerting people about others invading suburbs in droves, lemmings coming to play in parks, be educated in schools and generally a force making life interesting. Like all people those outsiders want peace, not violence. But I’m much more fearful of home grown kids who know much about computers, the Internet, communication systems, and  procedures allowing them to spy. They don’t need to wear face masks to do that. And most of the young people don’t believe they carry Coronavirus. Let America speed up society to foster Logan’s Run communities. 

Which sounds more plausible? My perception of where society might be going, or little discomfort and unfamiliarity of having new neighbors.  The job of the artist is to advance understanding and comprehension of what most of us can see and realize. Stick to the new neighbors.

LAST WEEK’S NEWS

Having poisoned their own lands, and over harvesting new species to sell in wet-markets, the Chinese are after the pristine sanctuary around the Galapagos Islands. Kill everything – leave nothing. Perhaps a new virus will move from animals to humans. Pollute the oceans. Destroy nations. They have enough people. It’s the Chinese way.

Next came Trump loyalist, an oxymoron of the first order, the dumbest person to favor Don. Hermann Cain. Remember 9-9-9? That does not work except to turn it over 6-6-6: six feet social distance, on your six, six feet under. Old Hermann died of Corona.

A lot was on Don’a plate and he doesn’t have the heart to tell the truth: The Chinese are in the Eastern Pacific ready to print mail-in ballots for Trump and his opponents. Put off the election. But the more natural policy is, advance the election to the end of summer. Why put off an election for a Loser? Trump can leave office and play golf in the rough. By Halloween everyone will be wearing a mask which is appropriate.

The potential of a golf course on the Galapagos Islands had preoccupied Don Trump. It’s a perfect place. The islands are renown for their ecology and its pristine nature. Wild animals don’t run when humans approach, a prime hunting ground the Eric and Don, Jr. It will be super easy to kill the animals with the bulldozers. There is nothing natural about a golf course or a morbidly-obsess orange-haired man hitting a white ball with a stick and charging after it in off-course deviations. Don’s Galapagos Island course will be covered with grass, so there is no rough, but always a distance from the green. Don still has to avoid water traps, otherwise known as the Pacific Ocean.

It’s all been arranged. Little known about negotiations conducted by Jared Kutschner and the Chinese for the fish fleet to come this year were goodies, friends with benefits they called it. Once the sea life is erased, Don figures the price of the islands will plummet, and he’ll buy. The Chinese will get all the fish and birds they can salvage. Only insects will remain which is Don’s natural world. He has already lined up the bug concessions. While negotiating the Chinese taught Ivanka Trump their language. By the end of the visit, Ivanka was walking around the room greeting everyone with a big Chinese: “Howdy Doody.” 

TECH COMPANY CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS

Americans have had the usual Congressional hearings about Tech companies monopolizing markets, of various and sundry products and services that no one understands. A monopoly must be of a market, not of influence, money or a pretty face.

Congress asked wrong questions of the wrong parties. On April 1 during the 1990s a headline in a British newspaper announced that a British citizen or corporation had purchased all available intellectual property, to monopolize the intellectual property market. Since that purchase announcement, releases and sales has obviously been reduced: there is a paucity of ideas and a lack of cogency in the expression of English.

It was rumored that Jeffery Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell had money in this purchase.

Congress should interrogate the English. They claim it is their language, and they deserve to monopolize it. They are afraid of Americanisms like harbor, rather than harbour, color rather than colour. They have poor imaginations. The English don’t understand what Americans mean when they say, I’d like to come around and knock you up.

Questions that were missing from the Congressional interrogations involved the language and the use of individual imaginations. The suppression of American and forcing everyone to learn English is a monopolistic practice that no one should suffer. Thomas Paine wondered how a small country could predominate a large country, and before ourselves we are witnesses that England is monopolizing everything. It is England that should be broken up and punished! Congress should stop grilling tech companies, which are no better than newspapers, grocery stores with discount cards, and advertisers of laxatives. Interrogate the real culprits.

Of course before the English, there was Piltdown man. 10,000 years ago a resident of those islands was buried with his pet chimpanzee. About 120 years ago the bones were discovered and thereupon the English claimed they found the missing link, on their island. Bravo for England. But there are many missing links in England. 

Before the English were the Britons and before them the Druids who prized the spiritual world and witchcraft. The Druids are truly crafty, disingenuous, devious persons; they have been known not to tell the truth. But many Druids possess great imaginations and are profound thinkers. They began the language, primitive sounds unfettered by many conjugations and almost no declensions, easy to speak because it adopted words from many languages (many of which most native speakers today don’t know and do not understand). What the Druids knew the English adopted, perfected and used: Monopoly.  

The monopoly is the language.

Quit blaming the Tech giants who with little imagination beyond a balance sheet, don’t know or understand what the market is until products are offered and picked up, and truly aren’t worried about other individuals and forces in the markets. Note, does Google have bricks and mortar stores? Much is available on line without much investment, from a large middle-corporation handling details or an individual doing it all. Note that guy on TV with the super-glue who puts together a glass boat and drifts into the water. He still can’t see the bottom of the swimming pool, lake, sea or ocean. Perhaps he’ll get there on his own. The final analysis is the tech market has a foundation of quicksand.

Yet Congress wants to interrogate the big guys who have PR coaches giving them pleasing, polite answers because members of Congress are not asking the correct questions. No one asked a question is English or a descendant of Piltdown, of a Druid, of a Briton. But some of those guys answering questions looked pre-historic. 

Congress should stop pestering the rich guys who have no foresight into intellectual property and in its promulgation. Can anyone explain why Apple has such a poor Dictionary for editing and spelling? They are nuts and bolts guys who know how to add two plus two, but wonder why other persons come up with answers different from four.