Ham Radio Benefits Local Government–Doty Land Podcast

What makes ham radio so relevant in today’s world, and why is AM radio so nostalgic and wonderful?  Doty Land, a podcast from Madison, Wisconsin takes up the task of providing some answers with two guests.

Paulette Quick joins in the discussion regarding how local government benefits from ham radio operators.  Insightful and charming, her interview provides background as to why ham operators are not just engaging in a hobby but also aiding in our communities.

Bruce Miller takes us back in time to examine what made AM radio so special and why today’s youth can still feel the excitement of past generations.   Gregory Humphrey packages a podcast with memorable radio clips and connects with the reason radio influenced listeners and made an impact.

John Bolton Must Testify

The cocksure Republican Party is not so sure about anything anymore. The body language and rhetoric from many of the mouth-breathers have changed.  At the start of the weekend, the GOP was sure the impeachment trial would be over in a few days.  Now there’s a distinct sense of confusion about when and how this will all end.

Senator Romney said that it is “increasingly likely that other Republicans will join those of us who think we should hear from John Bolton. … I have spoken with others who have opined upon this. It’s important to be able to hear from John Bolton for us to be able to make an impartial judgment.” Senator Collins said this will “strengthen the case” for witnesses.”

Former National Security Advisor John Bolton has made explosive new allegations about Donald Trump’s conduct in office. Now, he must take the stand to tell the Senate and the American people about what he knows.

In his new book manuscript, Bolton asserts that Trump said he planned to delay security funding to Ukraine until an investigation into the Bidens was launched. He also reveals new details about how senior cabinet officials — including Attorney General Barr and acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney — were involved in the scandal.

This is a major clue as to why John Bolton was one of several witnesses that the White House blocked from cooperating with the House’s impeachment inquiry. The information he might reveal in his testimony could completely undermine Trump’s defense.

And it’s possible that Bolton — who allegedly once equated the Ukraine scandal to a “drug deal” — would be a big crack in the dam, leading to more and more administration officials coming forward to tell the truth and avoid going down with Trump.

Bolton has already stated that he’s “prepared to testify” in the impeachment trial. If the Senate blocks a credible, high-level witness like Bolton from taking the stand — this trial will NEVER give the American people real answers or justice.

Made It Three Minutes Into The Grammy Awards…

…and then came this line in what is called music.

“I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m 100 percent that bitch”.

I refuse to put up with this trash and have it come into our home.

Period.

Time for a movie.

NO Coffee For Impeachment Trial!!

When it comes to the impeachment trial now underway for Donald Trump in the U.S. Senate there are many avenues to travel for conversation.  From constitutional law to the political impact the proceedings will have on the electorate.   We can disagree with each other over much of what is now happening.  But I suspect, in this time of partisanship and political tribalism in the land, there is one spot, however, where we all can find agreement.

We are now all aware that only water, sparkling water or milk can be consumed on the Senate floor.  Coffee is forbidden.  Only Senator Romney seems not to care.  That rule not allowing coffee for the senators who are listening to the trial is one step too far.   While I love traditions and long-standing procedures there are times when logic and common sense must rise up.

Yes, we have all sorts of bluster and rhetoric to use on the other side of the aisle, but for crying out loud it seems beyond the pale to not allow the ones who are required to sit and listen to the trial not at least be able to enjoy a hot cup of java.  Friend or opponent, this is one time we all should be able to agree on something.

All my readers are aware of how much better any situation is when there is coffee to sip.  We know how much more attentive we become, how the thought process becomes more engaged.  We also know how sluggish and dispirited we can become when deprived of our cups of coffee.

This past week it was noted in the press that water has largely been the drink of choice, but at least two senators — Burr and Cotton— were spotted with a glass of milk.

For history buffs let it be known that the allowance for milk stems from the 1950s, when it was thought to be a good treatment for ulcers.  That nugget came this week from Senator Cassidy, a doctor.  According to the Senate Historical Office, Senator LaFollette drank eggnog during a 1908 filibuster, and Senator Thurmond of South Carolina, while still a Democrat in 1957, drank orange juice during his record 24-hour filibuster against the Civil Rights Act.

If I were a senator I would have a trusted aide bring me a cup of my favorite coffee with three spoonfuls of raw sugar and meet in the Senate gallery.  I would not be on the floor and have no rules to follow other than to listen and not talk.  And there I would take in a slice of history with the proceedings below me as I drink coffee and become alive in the moment.

 

 

Talking With God, Richard Nixon Style

Art Buchwald is as fresh and entertaining today as when his columns were first published in newspapers around the nation.  That is one sign of being a great writer, and possessing a great wit.  With the impeachment trial underway for Donald Trump, I felt this a good time to offer a slice of history from when President Nixon headed off to Camp David to formulate the removal of his two closest aides as the Watergate investigation closed in around his White House.  (This column had been clipped by Aunt Evie and placed in a box with of all sorts of news clippings from over the decades.  I was waiting for the perfect time to post this item…the national mood says now.)

Because Impeachments Should Be Funny, Too

When No Words Are Needed About Our Priorities

With cloudy skies and January-like temperatures, we are spending a low-key Sunday in Madison.  With the heavy load of news this past week I am drinking coffee and catching up on the newspapers.   The world is, without my pointing it out to my readers, a rather unsettled place.   It can be rough, crude, toxic, and unforgiving.   But I must say it does not get more showcased for all that, and more, then from the pages of Friday’s Mansion section of The Wall Street Journal.

From the front page.  It is a story about the excess wealth that the Koch Brothers have used to buy hundreds of millions of dollars of luxury properties.

From the third page. A former auto executive’s home is now for sale.

From the fifth page.

 

Impeachment Trial As Seen Through Political Cartoonist’s Eyes

Some of the best political cartooning from this past week regarding the Donald Trump Impeachment Trial.