President Obama Is A-OK Tonight!

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President Obama is the man. Yes, I am rather hard on him sometimes. Okay, all the time. And, yes, that included this very morning. But that’s just kidding around about fun and games: war, terrorism, the economy, etc.

Today things are different. Whatever else he may have done, today Obama struck a blow for freedom.

This morning, around 11:30, Obama issued an Executive Directive which chips away hard at one of the last vestiges of the idiotic Cuban Embargo. Since 1962, Cuban cigars (and rum) have been off-limits (officially) to Americans. As the Cuban people were mightily harmed by the economic limitations of the embargo, so American cigar enthusiasts have been hampered by the import ban.

Today, Obama undid that. Thank. You. Brother.

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Pinterest.

Last year America lifted most tourism limits on island visits. As of today, those tourists can bring back up to 100 fine cigars and multiple bottles of rum. For those out of the loop, that means 4 – 5 boxes of cigars. And Cuban rum is something else; I’ve actually had bad Cuban smokes, but never bad rum.

Several hundred thousand Americans have already visited Cuban, including a few of my friends. A very good friend is down there right now. Hey, Jake! Bring me back a few Bolivar Belicoso Finos! There’s a good chap.

And Jake knows what he’s doing; he’s a professional. The rest of you venturing to Cuba, please be careful. There are Cubans and then there are Cubans. The production is pretty much maxed out at present and we have a bit of a supply problem to deal with. That’s why the retail sale of Cubans in America may not commence so quickly as one might think. They don’t have that many to send us.

Cubans and *Cubans*. The very best sticks leave home for Europe, Asia and the Middle East – places that have not foolishly hobbled their smoking gentry for the past 54 years. I suppose the very best stuff stays on the island, in the hands of the Castro Brothers and their friends. The rest is … sub-par on average. Of course, Cuban sub-par still may be “good.” But, then again, we already have plenty of good (even great and awesome) cigars from places like Nica and the DR.

It will take a while for us to get a decent cut of the really good merchandise. In the meantime, if you go to Cuba, beware of what you find. There is an existing “Cuban” market just for Americans in the Caribbean. They know they can sell us anything, and they do. Low-grade leftovers and floor sweepings. And fakes. Buyers beware. Consult a good tobacconist when you’re planning your trip. This situation will improve in time.

And what improvement we had today! Thank you, President Obama, for doing the right and decent thing. I promise to lay off my usual political comments (as to Obama…) for the rest of the weekend.

Smoke it up!

Bet The Russians Are Scared Now

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Shaking in their boots.

Hussein Obama is meeting with assorted military yes men and foreign policy hacks today to discuss martial options in Syria. I’m sure the one option not discussed is leaving everything the hell alone and minding our own business.

Ahead of the conclave an anonymous source quoted Hussein:

If it is to be destabilized, we must appropriate. Money … for rebels fighting Aleppo. More refugees and Hillary … and we must show [Putin or Trump(?)] we mean democracy. If you like your quagmire, you can keep your quagmire. Many women were offended. I know that there are extremist Christians who believe guns and God will vote. Nowhere, America. Shanked it right. Affordable generals. Healthcare. Flooding Matthew over Haiti. Vacation.

No-one is yet sure what Dear Leader was saying but it certainly sounded important. Out of an abundance of caution a psychiatrist and a caddy have been summoned to the oval office.

In related news the Pentagon recently published a 72-page field guide for implementing transgender weirdness in the politically correct freak show formerly known as the U.S. Armed Services. The booklet addresses “‘gender dysphoria,’ or ‘the distress that some transgender individuals experience due to a mismatch between their gender and their sex assigned at birth.'”

You can now plainly see why Putin must tremble with fear. I wonder if the poor man can even sleep at night.

I’m not making this up. You can’t make this stuff up anymore. Science fiction cannot compete with the new reality. The Policy Guide.

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U.S. Department of Queer Studies and Abject Fantasy.

I say again: this crowd cannot beat the Russians. And they will be fools to try. They’re fools period.

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To Russia With Love

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For a short while now I have pondered sending a friendly letter to President Putin of the Russian Federation. I wish to express my thoughts regarding the state of international affairs (rapidly deteriorating) and the condition of the American Empire (lost but not dead, and still very dangerous).

If you’ve been under a rock or out chasing the Pokemon, know now that, for the first time in a generation, the threat of nuclear war has resurfaced. This is something I haven’t really thought about since the U.S.S.R. dissolved while I was in high school.

When I was younger, Ronald Reagan, perhaps accurately, described the Russians as the “evil empire.” My, but things have changed. The Russians have spent the past generation knocking down barriers, cutting taxes, killing regulations, building businesses, modernizing and living in relative peace. They’ve done all of this while relentlessly defending traditional civilization and stubbornly resisting the hellish forces of the global elite. Their’s is a quest for peace, prosperity and freedom.

The U.S.S.R. is no longer. Thus, it is not a threat. Today the world’s greatest problem is the U.S.S.A. The Empire seeks to extend its control to everyone and everything, everywhere on Earth and even beyond.

The Bush and Obama regimes have made a menace of the U.S. to the whole world. And, as President, Hillary Clinton would do damage untold. She is openly hostile to Russia, one of two countries which can actively combat and defy American policies. She, being bought and paid for, morally debased, and utterly crazed or stupid, would have a war with Russia.

The U.S. has proven unable to conquer small, lightly armed, relatively unorganized bands of tribesmen in Iraq (for 25 years) and Afghanistan (for 15 years). I said only two countries (Russia and China) could actively resist the U.S. There are more which Washington could not totally dominate if push came to shove: the U.K., France, Germany, India, and perhaps others – certainly any with nuclear weapons.

But a war – an all-out (even conventional) war – with Russia is laughably stupid. Insanely stupid. Criminally stupid.

First, the Russians have the ability to incinerate the United States – from coast to burning coast. The fact that we could return the favor to them likely means this will not happen. At least we hope not. What could be worse than Donald Trump’s sexual attraction to women? I think a rain of ICBMs would be considerably worse, on a different scale of bad, in fact.

Second, Russia has a modern military capable of completely defending itself and projecting large-scale assault abroad. Washington cannot easily destroy Syria as it did Libya, Iraq, etc. because of the strong Russian presence there.

Now, incredibly, Washington extends its reach deeper into Yemen – all for the sole benefit of the Saudi criminal royalty. The Saudis oppose certain factions in Yemen out of hostility to Iran. Iran is allied with Russia. Thus the possibility of a broader confrontation.

Further confrontation brews to a boil, right now, in the Ukraine. There is a more likely than not chance of Russian military intervention there before the U.S. election next month. Given the failures of the past 15 years, one cannot reasonably foresee a Washington victory in any of these places against Russia.

And we can’t afford any of this either. We’re broke. Totally bankrupt. The Empire has spent tens of trillions of dollars over the past few decades on wars and banking schemes – money we don’t have for things that did not concern us.

As bad as things might be in Kiev or Damascus, none of it affects us. Or, it wouldn’t if not for the lunatics encamped on the banks of the Potomac. To make it all worse, Hillary and her corrupt friends and masters would have us war with a nation of people with which we, Americans, share so much in common. We should be allies and friends rather than enemies.

The British often refer to Americans as “Russians in pressed pants.” A dimes worth of difference, except when it comes to governance. As we were freer then, so they are now. As Moscow schemed to dominate then, does Washington today. Madness.

I am drafting my letter to Mr. Putin in hopes it will avert catastrophe. It’s sad that I have to do so. When I was a child, learning about the evil empire, Putin was a young KGB agent. Irony. Yet, he seems the only hope now. Not one “leader” in America is worth wasting time with.

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Hello, friend.

Others I know have already begun sending similar missives in hopes of avoiding missiles. I really hope Putin understands that the Washington elite in no way reflect the character of decent people in this country. Half the population doesn’t really count anyway. It’s likely that 50% or more don’t even know who Putin is. It’s for the rest of us that I’m planning to write. Those of us who would not be willing slaves to D.C. or anything or anyone else nor hostile to our Christian brothers and sisters.

I’d like to believe Putin already suspects this. I know the people of Russia are beginning to ask why Americans hate them. We don’t. The political crony class might – they hate everyone – but we do not. I may or may not post the letter here.

Tonight’s college felon ball being postponed, I hope these thoughts did not inconvenience anyone.

No Pain, No Gain – Chewing The Fat

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I read this morning that American school children are among the least fit on the planet – ranking 47th out of 50 scored nations. Such was the conclusion of the British Journal of Sports Medicine in a recent study.

The study measured aerobic capacity using a simple 20 meter run test. Children from Tanzania, Iceland and Estonia took the top placements. Mexico was dead last. Our kids weren’t too far from the Mexicans. Britain’s children placed alongside the Canadians in the middle of the pack.

The British Journal has released similar findings for years as have numerous other organizations. This particular study places, as have others, some of the blame on income inequality. Nations with a wider gap between the truly rich and the poor see an increase in childhood (and adult) obesity. Oddly, the obesity is generally concentrated among the poor.

This trend runs counter to the bulk of the 10,000 year history of settled or civilized human history. Usually the poor are rather thin, being unable to afford adequate foodstuff. This was a universal condition until about 100 years ago and still holds for most of the world. The American poor are among the wealthiest and heaviest poor in the world. The indigent in developing nations are rarely overweight.

I think there are three answers to this riddle. The first two have to do with societal evolution, particularly in the first world. One: our modern lives are more sedentary than they used to be. Consumed calories are not burned efficiently. Two: science and capitalism have given us an abundance of easy, fast, relatively cheap, but less-than-healthy quantity of food. Three: our government subsidizes the consumption of the junk food, especially among the poor.

The first factor is something individuals will need to address as time progresses. As the robots take over the workforce people will need to adopt other means of exercise. This may be a golden opportunity for some fun.

The second will likely work itself out. Humanity has never experienced food production and distribution such as we see now. Invariably, quality should overtake quantity as the new systems mature.

The last factor is perhaps the most troubling. Governments supply people with food not out of kindness but, rather, from a desire to control the population. Handouts breed dependency and docile conditioning – and obesity. This has to be part of the grand scheme of the elite.

The problems for Americans have grown considerably over the past 30-40 years. Our children mirror our adults. Today 70% of all Americans are either overweight or obese. This is a hefty and growing problem. The solutions, in and of themselves, are very simple: eat less, move more. The application, bound by conditioning and psychology, are more difficult.

Even if one breaks away from the expectations of sloth and fast food corpulence, one may still have problems. Overzealous attention to fitness can lead to problems. As I noted yesterday, my attention to extreme anaerobic strength has left me nearly crippled today. My daily venture from the bed to the coffee pot took about 20 minutes this morning. I have the sensation that a shovel is lodged in the small of my back.

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Standing, sitting, moving, and resting are painful. Instant relief is afforded only by elevating my knees while lying down and,simultaneously placing my lower back in traction. This is difficult and unsustainable. Fortunately the body and mind become accustomed to pain. And the pain never lasts long. And from it comes new strength.

For now, Advil is a dear friend. I also consider alternative pain relief.

One good thing about an acute injury is that it immediately takes away other, minor pains. I had a strain in my bicep and a catch in my neck. Both were aggravating. Now? Ha! Can’t even notice them. There’s always something to be grateful for.

So it is with our slow, weak, and bloated society. 70% in bad health means that 70% can enjoy marked improvements. I hope they do, I think they can.

Now, where’s my walker?

The Ravening Wolves

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“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Jesus Christ, Matthew 7:15 (KJV).

Three and a half years ago the wolves pondered ravening against the Catholic Church in America. Wikileaks revealed that current HRC Hitman John Podesta and Sandy Newman of Voices for Communism discussed destroying the Church.

This whole controversy with the bishops opposing contraceptive coverage even > though 98% of Catholic women (and their conjugal partners) have used > contraception has me thinking . . . There needs to be a Catholic Spring, in > which Catholics themselves demand the end of a middle ages dictatorship and > the beginning of a little democracy and respect for gender equality in the > Catholic church. Is contraceptive coverage an issue around which that could > happen. The Bishops will undoubtedly continue the fight. Does the Catholic > Hospital Association support of the Administration’s new policy, together > with “the 98%” create an opportunity?

– Newman to Podesta, 2/10/12.

The whole exchange (and so much more) can be viewed here, thanks to Wikileaks.

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Wikileaks.

The plot failed to materialize thanks to a lack of leadership. At the time the leadership was busy arming ISIS and looting Libya for the banksters.

As an aside, I found via Wiki a quasi-funny email about the Libyan money too. It had the ring of a Nigerian “Prince” solicitation. Some schmuck in Libya “representing” the interests of the late Gaddafi desperately tried to get a small percentage of the stolen money back. He offered the various banksters a 40/60 split on any returned funds. You can’t con the ultimate and original con men. That money’s gone like the Old Republic. Ha!

Back to the con men, the liars, the wolves in sheep’s clothing and their failed coup against the Church: this raises interesting questions and points:

  • Why hasn’t the Church jumped all over this?
  • What happened to the separation between church and state the liberals always jibber about?
  • If you’re Catholic (or merely of any Christian faith) these people think of you as peasants from the Middle Ages, beholden to your secular lords.
  • They would supplant themselves in place of those lords.
  • They would supplant The Lord with their dark, fallen version.
  • They have no concept of faith beyond earthly power.
  • The Church existed over 1,700+ years before the United States formed.
  • The Church is founded on laws eternal.
  • The U.S. is founded on lies, fraud and force.
  • The Church was still around when the Old Republic fell (recently).
  • The Church will endure long after the Empire is forgotten.
  • If you value freedom and Holy worship, unfettered, then keep your church as far away from the government (any and all) as humanly possible.
  • Let this little peek serve as a warning, be forever vigilant.

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Pinterest.

The wolves are always around, posing as sheep. The wolves are always hungry. Fortunately, they will always, ultimately, fail.

*Note: Some have asked why I, a Catholic, here quote generally from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, a Protestant edition to be sure. Answer: I like it; it is artful and beautiful. The deuterocanonical books are included therein, in apocraphal format.

 

The Dead Man’s Lift

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Ah, deadlift, my old friend.

The good news is I offed those pesky pounds I fretted about last week. Water, I suppose. And they took another one more with them. 174 pounds at 5′ 10″. That equates to a “normal” BMI of 25. That number means little. This one counts for a little more:

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That’s the really good news. Still stumbling into my strength program and recently returned to deadlifting, I pulled 405 this morning. Twice. Two reps. Consecutively. Non-stop.

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I’d like elite. I’ll settle for advanced for now. By the way, 86% of y’all are weak.

Now, the bad news: I also pulled my back, and my legs, and I think I pulled my knees, if that’s possible.

This blog, and all other work, may continue from bed. Horizontal typing. Hmmm.

Stay strong!

Foreign Exchange, Silly and Sober

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The world is an interesting place. It’s so complex and faceted that one could almost be lulled into belief in “reality.”

Divergence of the reality happens daily with our: two-sided single political party; left/right media, and; Democrat/Republican friendships.

The attention of the left/Democrat fact is right now centered on Donald Trump’s (old) comments about lewd women. “He’s a sexual predator,” they say. In addition to his words, they have a NY court case to point out. It is a transfer from CA. The discovery clock is ticking and the deposition of the plaintiff is noteworthy, chiefly because the plaintiff doesn’t exist. No matter. And it doesn’t matter; everyone knows how Trump acts and thinks. And they defended the same things done by their guy, Clinton, in the 90s.

The attention of the right/Republican crowd is now centered on Hillary Clinton’s corruption at State and in her campaign. “Put her in jail,” they say. They also have a large web of connexions (Yes, I went English with the “x”) between Hillary, State, The DNC, the DOJ, etc. None of this matters either. Everyone knows politics and government are corrupted to the point where corruption is the defining characteristic. And they defended the same things done by their guy, Reagan, in the 80s.

There are other things these people could focus on, like:

  • The fact that the U.S. is utterly bankrupt;
  • The U.S. is 100% controlled by a small clique of international criminals;
  • A major invasion of the West is currently underway; and
  • Strong potential for (pointless) war builds with Russia.

But, never let actual reality get in the way of tabloid nonsense.

Whitney sang that, “the children are our future.” They are. So, let us look at the divergent interest in and of the children in the context of the mixed modern reality – from perspectives Russian and American.

The Russians are recalling their university students, abroad, home – immediately, given the possibility of war and the diplomatic failings in and around Syria. They’re also calling home their retirees. I would say war is a rather far-fetched prospect except that there is one right now and both sides are in it. Escalation is what we (the sane) hope to avoid. The student recall has a political/nationalist angle but it does show Moscow is taking this seriously. They are a serious people.

Americans are a foolish people. Our university students, from out the safe spaces, still cry about what Milo is saying on campus. And the crying of late comes from Bama not Berkeley or UMass or Yale. Things aren’t what they used to be in Tuscaloosa. Never mind that nuclear war thing, there’s a dangerous faggot on the loose!

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The YouTubes.

Fortunately Saturday will bring another round of felon ball and attentions will further divert. Progress, some say.

 

Smoke Them Out, Socio-Political Warfare (fair and otherwise)

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A cursory look around the news tonight followed by a little story with big potential:

BREXIT came too late. The Brits have cracked. Men in London are now paying a £1,000 a year for virtual nagging, saying “it makes things feel normal.” Sad. A once great people.

In America the corruption continues unabated. The same Department of Justice [SIC] that refuses to prosecute Cabinet level corruption and politically connected arms dealers also refuses to enforce certain federal laws, like those concerning immigration. But the same government will prosecute a sheriff who does enforce the law. Justice? Just Us.

The Good News

Comes from the Philippines.

President Duterte is a loose cannon, funny until today. He now moves to impose one of the strictest smoking bans in the world on his people. One can only assume this includes cigar lovers. And, this may portend a complete ban on the leaf in the future.

That’s bad for them but, maybe, good for us. The Philippines gets a smaller allotment of Cubans but they do get them. Real cigars, not the Caribbean American tourist garbage and so many fakes. We should do all we can to prompt Crazy Man into a full ban. That will open up a Cuban market source for us once President Giant Meteor does away with the stupid embargo a little later next year.

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Why exclusive to the Frogs!? Maybe, just maybe, here soon. The Cigar Inspector.

Hope and Change? No. Hope and Smokes.

PS: I’m in the heart of The Nine Laws by Ivan Throne right now. It is an excellent work and I may have to do a review of two. I definitely recommend it.

The Brief Case Of the Briefcase

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I once read somewhere, maybe in The Art of the Deal, that Trump never carries a briefcase. Fine and well for him but I sometimes do. I have to have a convenient place for cigars, a laptop, brass knuckles and pens I appropriate from hotels.

Over the years I have been through a number of models. I had this terrible habit of using them as file cabinets, stuffing them with papers I would never read and tossing them around until they were destroyed. I try to be a little more careful these days and I try to avoid paper.

Anyway, until last week I ran with an old (16 years) Dell laptop case. It was worn, tattered and the zipper was coming apart. Still it worked for me. That is, until the handle fell off. Many defects may be tolerated. A broken carry handle is not among them. Thus began my search for a replacement.

Earlier this year I lamented my inability to find a decent man’s suitcase. I still haven’t found one and I ponder if they even exist at this point. At least three end of the year travels await and I’m still using the old, frayed Land’s End bag. And you thought the election was problematic.

I worried that perhaps the briefcase market would be equally bleak.

One warm morning I ventured to one of the big box office retailers. Midway through the store I stumbled upon a collection of modern satchels, attaches and book bags. All of them seemed designed for women, children, metros, weaklings, and colorblind rave-goers.

They were, all of them, huge. I need to carry a small computer, not hike the AT, end to end. They had a variety of wheels and straps. I’m not moving furniture. They were in colors and patterns better suited for signaling other intelligent life in the galaxy. I just need to tote a Chromebook to the cigar bar. One even expanded vertically into a standing desk. It had a desk lamp and a washing machine built in. Another featured Barbie riding a pony while waving a BLM banner at a pride parade scene.

My growing snarls, tremors, and the crushing of a steel shelf support brought the attention of a clerk. He nervously pointed out that they had a men’s selection.

And, there, far in the back of the store, back by the storage room door, away from the lights, and out of hearing of the Muzak, I found this:

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No wheels. No straps. No colors or themes. Simple, classy, utilitarian. Something your grandfather might have sported. And cheaper than its flashy cousins.

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And there you have it. Justice, economy and common sense in the modern world.

Case closed.

The Union And The Constitution Forever?

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I watched the second, low-rent, Jerry Springer Show-style presidential “debate” last night. My excuses are: academic interest and comedic value. These are only excuses.

One might have noticed the emblem hanging over the backdrop of the event – the eagle on the American flag surfboard, “The Union and the Constitution Forever”:

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Daily Mail, UK.

Look at it and then imagine that bird ripping the big one. Makes more sense than the candidates. The motto derives from a mid-19th Century speech by a Massachusetts minister.

And last night Hillary and Donald proved that motto a falsehood. Nothing in the Constitution says the Union is forever, Imperial Abe’s War notwithstanding. The ratifying States by and large reserved the right to exit when appropriate, some explicitly so.

Not that it matters. The Union is dead. The idea of 50 independent, sovereign states is a thing on the past, even to those states. Today they are merely regional sub-jurisdictions of the Empire. The Empire created by the Constitution, which is also dead.

Said Constitution received only the barest mention last night. It has joined the Magna Carta and Plato’s Republic on the shelf of quaint historical curiosities.

Most of the “debate” revolved around each of the two clowns telling us how horrible the other is. I, for one, believe them. Here and there a little policy leaked into the discussion. In those instances, there was consensus – big government will solve the problems created by big government. Style only separated the answers and suggestions.

Trump, for all his zingers, missed a golden opportunity to land one for freedom. He and Hillary were asked by a panelist what part of the tax code they would repeal to keep things “fair”. (And where did they get that cast of cartoon character audience panelists from?) Neither candidate answered. They used the chance to take further shots at each other. A real and better answer would have been: “The Sixteenth Amendment. The rich and the poor should pay both the same percentage and the same amount in taxes: zero.”

And, so it went last night. It was entertaining, if uninformative. Trump complimented Clinton for being a resilient fighter. The same could be said for him. Never before have we been offered two such pitiful choices. However, both are tough, almost bullet-proof – like blocks of steel. And that’s how I imagine each would govern: like a block of steel: heavy, immovable, bland, and unthinking.

You’d be just as well off voting for the Surfin Bird.