“I’m Angry! So I’m Voting For Donald Trump.”
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Andrew:
Very good! Totally agree.
What, no one here is angry ;)
Laurie:
HAR!
A mystery book author? Really Robert?
I voted for schmuck Ronald Reagan.
Why do you guys hate Donald Trump so much?
No one here “hates” Donald Trump. I have a great deal of skepticism that he will do what he says he wants to do and I am not alone in this skepticism. And expressing skepticism is not the same as “hating” someone. The distinction is quite gigantic, as I am sure you recognize.
I base my skepticism on Trump’s background and history, on what he has actually done in the past, instead of what he has said during this campaign. Experience has shown me that what people have done in the past is a much more reliable indication of what they will do in the future then what they say now, in the present.
Alexy,
At the risk that you are being sarcastic (I am sarcasm challenged):
Disagreement does not translate into hate. We may even agree to disagree (maybe even you and I will end up doing this on this very point), but this does not mean that we simultaneously love and hate.
Anger is also not hatred. It may look that way, and it is important to reassure pets and children that you still love them after you have expressed anger, but it is not hate.
Neither are sarcasm, mocking, confusion, political incorrectness, or any other things expressed by Andrew in the video, and neither is the skepticism expressed by Robert.
Alexey:
Personally, I do not like Trump’s personality, but I for one, certainly don’t “hate” him.
-Never wanted to watch his TV shows, read his books, admire his real-estate wheeling-n-dealing, nor ever listened to his business “advice,” at-all.
–I was aware he actively funded people I do hate, or rather “hate their actions,” to be polite.
If I thought about Trump at all in the past 30 years, it was as “another wealthy guy” who came from money, and with a “colorful persona,” not to my liking.
Now, he wants to be the Leader of the most powerful nation on Earth, and I am not on board his train. Initially intrigued, but “no.”
What is scary to me— He’s getting very good at/with his presentation skills & continues tapping into a very real discontent with the current Regime & the Crony’s & Ideologue’s, on both sides, who just seemingly will never stop their machinations against the people.
(I believe he offers a false way out, of our mess.)
He’s co-opted a once great-party that unfortunately, lost its way, roughly 100 years ago. (with few exceptions & always at their overt/covert resistance.) I don’t believe Trump has a solid handle on our Constitution, Free-Market Capitalism, nor our Classical Liberal history. He exploits the worst of our Culture and is cultivating a Cult of Personality of sorts, much like Obama.
Take all that & the Media Frenzy over him, and we are perhaps getting another Hoover at best (or Wilson/Obama at worst) who I believe would surely set us up for another FDR type lurch to the extreme left, further than even Obama has dragged us.
It’s less about “emotion” & “hate,” for me & more about a fundamental disagreement of Core Values & Principles.
I do not want him stifled, at all. He has a perfect right to say & do almost anything, within our Laws and Customs. (Sunshine is always the best disinfectant.)
I have the belief my fellow Americans would reject his simplistic, strong-man type, “philosophy” if he even has one at all.
But then again, Obama was elected twice. So I fear even more, not for myself so much as I am getting old, but more for the fate of my child, grandchild, & the Country I was handed on a silver-platter by my ancestors.
We are an exceptional Nation & People. As Reagan said, “the Last Best Hope of Mankind on Earth.” We were given a Republic, “..if we could keep it…”
Edward:
Nicely stated.
Cotour– weigh in on this!
(still love you man, just don’t agree with you on some fundamental stuff!)
Why is Trump apparently sooo popular Mr. Klavin ? (you really fail to even investigate that question)
When the people understand that their leadership is leading them down the path and away from their sovereignty to a place where they intuitively understand is against their own self interest they will revolt, and that is what D.J. Trump’s popularity is all about.
This leader below, who has lead her country much further down that road and is getting direct and firm feedback from her citizens. Apparently they see her as seeing them as just subjects and this and other political actions, and in-actions, is what is driving our own flavor of political revolution. So while its easy for Mr. Klavin to enumerate why Trump is offensive he conveniently misses what is driving the people to support him. Just like its easy for someone like Bernie Sanders to tell everyone whats wrong with vile capitalism he has no real solution to create wealth, he only knows how to spend wealth. (I don’t want him as my president, but I personally like him)
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/german-anti-immigration-party-celebrates-dizzying-rise-202547094.html
When the people for cause really get extremely pissed off they take extreme action. And I again state that Trump must some how raise himself up above these low statements that he makes and bring himself and his movement to a presidential level.
Here Mr. Klavin again “explains” Obama and the Middle East soo simply as he soo simply describes Mr. Trump.
https://youtu.be/mFsnaeQQfhc
And again he only apparently is able to see the ends and not the means. While what he says about Obama is true enough he does not see the other side as to what may be motivating Obama. To me most everything that Obama has done domestically and internationally is about “righting” the misdeeds and offences to the world that have been perpetrated by America in the past 300 or so years.
All of these listed events are about righting the wrongs of America / CIA etc. To reward your enemy’s and to get no concessions is to me just flat out treason. You may not agree with how you got to where you are but to just unwind such things in such a way causes what he has caused, chaos and existential threats to our country.
Obamas apology tour: https://youtu.be/Ryc3uhrU1cA
Obama pulls troops from Iraq: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/iraq-crisis-disaster-obama-administration-article-1.1828286
Obama givess 150 Billion: http://www.msfanpage.link/obama-on-giving-iran-150-billion-we-have-achieved-historic-progress/
Obama opens relations with Cuba: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-to-start-normalizing-u-s-relations-with-cuba/
Me thinks he protests too much. Mr. Obama is righting the wrongs of G. Bush in the Middle east and what ever agenda he followed to achieve those offensives. (what agenda was he following?)
So Mr. Klavin, who has written many psychological thrillers, apparently knows nothing about psychology. What drives people to do what they do? Mr. Klavin sees only one half of the equation, the result and not the cause, that’s the easy part. Mr. Klavin considers himself a Conservative, but he really just sounds like a simplistic Bernie Sanders to me.
How does this related to the Trump situation? Klavin does not like Trump (and I understand why), but the people are angry Mr. Klavin, the people want and demand true leadership from someone that appears to have their interests at the fore front of their agenda, and that person at the moment is Trump. As base as he is. So lets not see this in such simplistic terms just because Mr. Klavin dislikes Mr Trump.
The people, some people, a lot of people, apparently do not agree with Mr. Klavin. Are they wrong?
Bernie the Schmuck wrote (in part):
[“A mystery book author?”]
Can someone enlighten me briefly– Mr. Klavan writes Mystery’s?
Have no problem with Mystery writers— signals to me he would have a knack for details & story-line construction. Differ slightly with the “..that’s just Evil..” adjective, ref; Trumps comments on Woman. (I’d choose a more vulgar term my Daughter called him, but it wouldn’t play well on Video & defeat the impact.)
I voted for Reagan 5 times; (’76, ’80, ’84 primary & 2 General) Best 5 votes I ever cast!
——————————————————
Cotour wrote (in part): (referencing Merkel– (exclusively I assume, or in-general (?))
[“When the people for cause really get extremely pissed off they take extreme action.”]
What I know of her– think she’s a weak leader overall & needs to go.
–The more “right-wing” Party that will be forming a new Government (It’s Parliamentary & I have no clue whom hold what seats currently.) is something like “German Alternative Party of the Future” (something) & is subjectively somewhat Nazi-esque.
–Not saying they are Nazi’s, but they are more akin to “Golden Dawn,” than not, which is darn-near a Nazi-esque party. (“populist-nationalist” to use our lingo)
Given the history of Germany & “strong-nationalist leaders,” I can’t say it’s entirely a positive development. (But I just do not know enough to say either way.)
And I don’t like the German “extreme action” trend.
[I have German/Dutch ancestry full disclosure, all arrived here 1890-ish]
–Fully understand most of Europe caved to Muslims & Lefty politics, a long time ago, especially Germany when they imported a huge amount of low-skilled, foreign-labor & now no longer “need” them.
Not directed at Cotour, > but does any of that sound familiar?
I find it interesting that you are always quick to note Cruz’s Bush associations as a terrible negative that we must not ignore and are naive if we do (even though few of his actions have ever done much to promote the Bush family agenda), while you never note Trump’s associations with the Clintons and any number of past Democratic politicians (even though Trump’s past actions have often done much to promote the Clinton family agenda).
Moreover, no one who has disagreed with you about Cruz has ever said they were unaware or unconcerned about those associations. Everyone on this site who has debated you has noted those associations but repeatedly pointed out to you that Cruz has done little to promote those associations. This is hardly naive analysis.
You however seem to repeatedly ignore Trump’s past behavior and political associations. You also never address his wishy-washy and sometime incoherent positions, as noted by Klavin in this video. Instead, you repeatedly pray that somehow “Trump must some how raise himself up above these low statements that he makes and bring himself and his movement to a presidential level,” as if by you saying this you are going to help make it happen.
To my mind, it is your argument that seems naive. I do not think you are naive, but I think you need to recognize that you haven’t addressed Trump’s problems in any way in your arguments, and that makes them very unconvincing.
Finally, Klavan’s whole point was to note how the anger people feel is making them thoughtless with an inability, like you, of addressing Trump’s problems. He wasn’t saying that Trump wasn’t an option, he was begging people to choose based on careful consideration, not blind angry emotion. That you seem to miss this point furthers my point that you yourself and your arguments for Trump on this site have themselves appeared naive.
Just sayin’.
I am ANGRY so I am voting for Trump over Clinton. Trump Lies too, but when caught he owns the lies. Hilary on the other hand wants the people to own her lies. Trump wins the election.
Rocco wrote:
[“Trump Lies too, but when caught he owns the lies.”]
Respectfully counter-differ–
I just don’t see a whole lot of “..in retrospect I was wrong, mistaken, uniformed, “whatever”…” sentiment out of Trump, if any.
When challenged on objective facts, he dissembles like a master-politician (in the worst sense) & launches into his ad-hominin attacks.
I spent some time looking at Klavan’s other (extensive) videos. Not my favorite/preferred delivery method, but I certainly can’t find a whole lot of fault with his facts or conclusions.
Ultimately, in this election cycle, we are deciding between the lesser of two evils. Regardless, our votes must be predicated on stopping Hillary from becoming president. I don’t believe Cruz has the ability to beat Hillary in the general election against anyone except Trump. Cruz is too stiff and too easily stereotyped by the typical drive-by-media attacks. I secretly imagine a fusion ticket of Trump/Cruz or Trump/Fiorina.
Jwing–
Respectfully differ, and/but, fully understand from where you come.
Personally, I’m totally sick of choosing between the lesser of two evils.
I’m going for the “geeky-kid in Debate Club,” while I still have a choice.
Jwing–
How ’bout a Cruz/Fiorina ticket? Personally, I think Carly would be extremely effective against a Hillary type.
No matter who the Republican nominee is, I think we all know the Left/Media will viscously attack them, non-stop, 24/7.
Dear Just Saying,
If you re read my posts related to this Trump for president subject you will find that I have pointed out many times his counter indications and have criticized him generously, your characterizations of my thoughts on the subject seems skewed and not objective. I have pointed out that he is the more “interesting” candidate and that he is a different kind of candidate that is seen rarely, if ever, so to come to an opinion about what he is capable of, both good and bad, because you are put off by his style and his rhetoric is a bit narrow for me. I have stated that he must raise himself up above this low common denominator type rhetoric and you find that delusional? People do it all the time, and I expect, no I demand, if Trump becomes president that he do the same! If he does not demonstrate this essential characteristic then he becomes unacceptable. (yes, I have high expectations)
In addition, I have given Trump no pass on anything that he does or says now or in his past, other than explaining his possible strategy and different think intuitive style, please show me where I have done otherwise. You freely confuse analysis with opinion. You might read my posts a bit deeper before assuming what you think I mean. I have stated plainly that I will fully support Cruz as I will support Trump should either become the nominee.
And as for Cruz and his Bush association, do you deny that he is closely connected to the Bush machine? Although if you read about that association you will find that G.W. Bush and the people that surrounded him did not happen to personally like Ted Cruz, and that is evidenced by the fact that Cruz quit working for Bush when he did not get a close White House appointment when he became president. (Bush did not fire him as it was stated by another poster earlier in this discussion, he quit and went back to Texas to look in the mirror for a while).
But the take away here is that although the Bush’s may not like personally Cruz they will attempt to control or strongly influence his presidency if he should prevail. Many might think that not “liking” Cruz” would indicate that the Bush machine (I know you love that term) will sit this one out and wait for another candidate that they can “like” and deal with. That is not how things work in the world of power and manipulation. Maybe in the minds of some of the public, but not in the real world of the acquisition of and retention of power.
And Klavin, like I said states the obvious and chooses to gloss over the reason that the public is apparently “insane”. They crave real American leadership after being sold out to international interests for so long. The people of America love their country and their sovereignty and will not as a rule have it traded away to be ruled by some U.N. like conglomeration of corporations, governments and treaties. I can make an argument for it but only if sovereignty is a solid part of the deal. Let America Own or heavily influence the world, but it is suicide to surrender sovereignty, because along with that goes the Constitution. You can not have one without the other.
Klavins, and yours apparently “wish” that someone else would be a better candidate for the people to choose at this moment seems fantastical, please tell me who appears to be leading in most polls and in the numbers of delegates? Who might that be Mr. Klavin? Who, might that be Mr. Just Saying? Please provide the strategy, logic, and most important of all, the name of the individual leader.
Cotour wrote,
” I have stated that he must raise himself up”
You’ve been stating this consistently for months, and I agree that if Trump does become president, then he must raise himself. In this instance your fuller thought is “I have stated that he must raise himself up above this low common denominator type rhetoric.” Are you limiting “raising himself above” to this aspect, or do you mean it more broadly, in the sense of learning and growing into various aspects of a leadership position?
I’ve seen many people raise themselves up when placed in leadership positions at much lower levels,; in fact, when placing people in new leadership positions I often place more emphasis on their potential to grow into a role than on their current capabilities.
But I am hard pressed to find a modern president who has grown into the office. I’m no expert on presidents, but the most recent presidents I can make a case for doing this are Kennedy and Truman. The others, in my mind, acted as they had in previous roles (governor, community organizer in Obama’s case, general in Eisenhower’s case) or disappointed. And Kennedy and Truman, to my knowledge, only grew in certain aspects of the job.
Do you have more modern presidents in mind?
Also, not everyone is capable of growing into a leadership position; in my opinion, the most important characteristics that allow one to grow into a job are a recognition that one doesn’t have all the answers, and a willingness to eat humble pie once in a while in being proven wrong, then changing his mind in the face of evidence. A certain level of humility is a huge help in this; if people see you admit you were wrong they are more willing to follow you, than if you just change policy for no apparent reason.
I’m only familiar with Trump’s public persona, which comes across as the complete opposite of this. I have known leaders who were very bombastic in public and more humble within their inner circle, so I don’t discount the possibility that Trump may have these traits, but then again I don’t see any evidence that he does. I haven’t seen any appreciable, sustained change in Trump’s tone or approach, although I haven’t been studying him all that closely.
Please explain more precisely what you mean about Trump having to raise himself above, and why you seemingly expect him to.
Will Kasich be the great hope of the Republican party and knock Trump or Cruz out with positions like this?
http://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2016/03/14/john-kasich-goes-all-in-for-amnesty-illegals-made-in-the-image-of-the-lord/
IMO no he will not.
Kasich tells everyone that deporting illegal, he uses the word immigrants because he is being politically correct, the words that actual Americans connect with is “illegal aliens”, and he says “that’s not who we are”. Who does he sound like? Barack Hussein Obama and Andrew Cuomo, that’s who he sounds like.
Both party’s have actively created this immigration situation and have attracted these people to invade our country for their own selfish party interests. They have both created the incentive and both will continue their policies not in the interests of the people that they are suppose to serve. The candidates that stand for this to be reasonably and equitably settled within reasonable law will prevail. When a politician says “thats not who we are” they are telling the public that they will be force fed the agenda that is being indicated and it will be against their own self interests.
Gary,
I agree with your observations, what I mean by “raise himself up” is that anyone who attains a position of responsibility must understand their fiduciary responsibilities in the broadest sense, but not so broad that one hobbles themselves and are not able to actually lead because they come to the conclusion that leadership is about being liked by the broadest number of people though. leadership is much more than doing what is best for you as a leader. Being humble, being measured and having vision is essential.
I also use the term “force of vision” which is a term related to entrepreneurial endeavors and being creative. Not everyone has these abilities or IMO understands what is meant by the terms. You either have them as a natural function of your personality and conclusions about life in general or you do not, you can lean some aspects of them but the full expression of good positive and successful leadership will contain these characteristics.
Another thing to understand is the value of failure and whether the person who “fails” is able to make the lemonade of success out of the lemons of failure or they make a choice that their failure is about the unfairness of existence or some other excuse on their journey to success. learn the lesson to accept 100% of the responsibility for the results of your efforts both good and bad and you have made a choice to live in reality and not in a fantasy where you blame for your failures.
If Trump or any candidate falls short of these truths of success (and they will all fall short to some degree) then they tend to disqualify themselves from leadership. But that does not mean that disqualified people never attain such positions, they do and the direction towards positive success suffers, and in this case of the presidency people and nations live or die when the American people “fail” in their fiduciary responsibilities.
Garry–
Good comments about leadership positions & potential to grow into them.
This is a Gem: (from your post)
“…a recognition that one doesn’t have all the answers, and a willingness to eat humble pie once in a while in being proven wrong, then changing his mind in the face of evidence.”
.
Cotour,
Thank you; I have a better sense of what you mean, and agree with the concepts you describe.
But I still don’t have a sense of whether you think Trump has these traits, or you merely think that, of the remaining candidates, you consider him the most likely to have them, or something else.
Trump certainly has the entrepreneurial characteristics and he certainly has the general leadership characteristics, but it remains unclear to me whether he is able to go to the next step in this national leadership roll. We could speculate that his pandering to the masses is mainly about that 1237 delegate number, but after that point if he should attain it, it remains unclear whether and how he can personally manifest that “higher” level.
Tomorrow this number issue will begin to resolve itself one way or another and where we go from their remains to be seen. But I will be looking for Trump to tighten up and refining his narrative to be more inclusive but still principled in the anti politically correct spin.
Trump only picked up 1 Delegate over the weekend, a fact which he conveniently did not brag.
Kasich is totally pandering to the amnesty-crowd; even if he wins Ohio, he would need over 100% of the remaining delegates. As Rush said; “Cruz can appoint him Postmaster General” and we’ll call it a day. (Name a Post Office after his father as well.)
Cotour wrote,
“We could speculate that his pandering to the masses is mainly about that 1237 delegate number, but after that point if he should attain it, it remains unclear whether and how he can personally manifest that ‘higher’ level.”
To my taste, this makes voting for Trump at this point too close in concept to “we have to pass the bill so we can see what’s in it.”
That doesn’t mean there aren’t good reasons to vote for Trump, but I for one do not bank on the idea that Trump’s approach will change after he hits the magic number. Your mileage may vary.
Garry remarked:
[“To my taste, this makes voting for Trump at this point too close in concept to “we have to pass the bill so we can see what’s in it.” “]
-Pure Gold!
I’m more in the “it’s the exact same thing,” camp.
Much like Obama, Trump is pure cult-of-personality stuff. It’s disturbing.
From our musical friends, Living Colour:
————————————————————
“I know your anger, I know your dreams, I’ve been everything you want to be.
I sell the things, you need to be, I’m the smiling face on your TV.
I exploit you, still you love me, I tell you, one and one makes three.
I’m the cult of…… personality.”
————————————————————
Rubio will perhaps prove his point, & then drop out after Florida. Except for his serious lapse on amnesty, I truly believe he actually loves the Country. He’s workable.
Kasich perhaps, wants to be Vice President, ala Joe Biden. A once-solid Reagan Republican, he’s turned into a Statist & spoiler.
Merkels obligation to her European governance family trumps her obligation to her fellow home countrymen.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/germany-mulls-fallout-elections-nationalist-gains-37625524
The people that she supposedly works for, (I forgot, its a socialist utopia, they work for her) how long do they stand for her position? Is this allowing / forcing the influx of migrants throughout the entire world from the Islamic nations progress or suicide or part of the required “reconciliation” with those who have been injured by the actions of America?
Of every one I know, only my sister is not angry. She is a pie in the sky leftist like you Mr. Zimmerman. In my town 1/3 of the downtown storefronts are empty due to an inverted tax system. No one can afford to try a startup there. At Dunkin’ Donuts no one speaks proper English, a situation common at most death food restaurants. Most are high profit outfits where pay is low. Do you think for a minute that if they did not have this semi-slave labor these company’s might have to take some of that profit and put some native born people to work? Just a couple of thoughts sir.
DJ
Where do you get the impression that Mr. Zimmerman is a pie in the sky leftist? You could not be more wrong on that.
Is it because he prefers other Republican candidates to Trump (and has stated that he would vote for Trump over the Democrat choices)? If so, I’d be interested to hear why you apparently think Trump is from the right.
Oh, this is going to be good.
Before its delivered lets all have a laugh.
https://youtu.be/k64rrkZSrWw
Cotour wrote:
“Oh, this is going to be good.”
–HAR!– :)
Cute video as well… HAR! :)
[You’re losing me on the whole trump ‘thang again, but always interesting comments & links.]
Holy Cow– I’m starting to memorize the reCAPTCHA challenge images!
Wow! You are second person in the last few weeks to call me a leftist. Diane is now certain to divorce me! :)
I think you might want to do a little more reading on BtB before making that accusation, as the accusation indicates that you don’t know much about what you are talking about. I have opposed liberal and leftwing policies for almost thirty years now, in my books, my articles, and on this webpage. Just because I am not afraid to note Donald Trump’s liberal history does not make me a lefty. You might want to think about that a bit.
Cotour wrote at March 13, 2016 at 6:04 pm:”Why is Trump apparently sooo popular Mr. Klavin ? (you really fail to even investigate that question)”
Probably for the same reason that the other Democrats are sooo popular. They say things that people like to hear. This does not mean that they are willing or able to provide or return the freedoms that we Americans crave.
Cotour wrote at March 13, 2016 at 7:15 pm: “Me thinks he protests too much. Mr. Obama is righting the wrongs of G. Bush in the Middle east and what ever agenda he followed to achieve those offensives.”
If Obama is righting those supposed wrongs, why are the same people of the Middle East still chanting “Death to America”?
The supposed “offenses” are lies, mere excuses that cover up the actual reasons they chant their chants: we are not them, and we have different values. The supposed wrongs are not being righted, we are merely giving enormous funds and nuclear bombs to our enemies, aiding and abetting their insatiable hatred of us.
Cotour also wrote at March 13, 2016 at 7:15 pm: “So Mr. Klavin, who has written many psychological thrillers, apparently knows nothing about psychology. What drives people to do what they do? Mr. Klavin sees only one half of the equation, the result and not the cause, that’s the easy part. … The people, some people, a lot of people, apparently do not agree with Mr. Klavin. Are they wrong?”
Apparently, the cause is not what you and Obama think it is, otherwise the chants would have gone away and happiness would be the rule of the day. So, yes, those disagreeable people are wrong.
Jwing wrote at March 14, 2016 at 7:01 am: “we are deciding between the lesser of two evils. Regardless, our votes must be predicated on stopping Hillary from becoming president. I don’t believe Cruz has the ability to beat Hillary in the general election”
All polls to the contrary. The polls show Cruz winning against Clinton and Trump losing against her.
Cotour wrote on March 14, 2016 at 8:44 am: “Klavins, and yours apparently “wish” that someone else would be a better candidate for the people to choose at this moment seems fantastical, please tell me who appears to be leading in most polls and in the numbers of delegates?”
There already *is* someone better, it is not fantastical at all, and he polls better against Clinton. As for the only person we should vote for is the one who currently leads in the number of delegates, that kind of reasoning would lead us to choosing the person who gets the most delegates in the first primary.
Why do you not want *my* vote to count?
Do you consider me to be wrong merely because my time to vote has not yet come up, and I have not yet had the opportunity to right the wrong that is being perpetrated upon my own country?
Wayne wrote at: March 14, 2016 at 3:06 pm: “Holy Cow– I’m starting to memorize the reCAPTCHA challenge images!”
Oh, no! To paraphrase the inscription above the gates of Inferno’s reCAPTHA hell: ‘Abandon all hope, ye hath entered here.’
Edward:
Good points.
-I for one want your vote to count!
Especially in a Primary–if everyone would try to avoid the “band-wagon effect,” and just choose whom they really want, this all might play out a lot more “naturally” as it were.
–Prior to 1960 or so, “Primary’s” didn’t even exist in America– they are not prescribed by the Constitution & wholly a result of the dominate two-party system institutionalizing their Party activities & what’s worse– frontloading certain States to force a quick outcome.
reCAPTCHA– HAR– occasionally I’ll get stuck in a re-challenge loop, ‘cuz some of the images are ambiguous as to content. But, much like with standardized-tests, I learned a long time ago not to overthink the question too much.
(show me AI programming that is as good at visual identification as human’s & I’ll be really impressed. I realize humans are “biased” as-to visual imagery, but we are better than machines.)
Think about it– the image your brain receives is upside-down & with a relatively large “black-hole” in the center, yet we all “see” stable, seemingly complete, images.
–Interesting tangent to boot; Your rods/cones won’t fire with less than 5 photons of light & they become quickly satiated so your eye-ball “jiggles” the image continuously at a high rate. And… your eyes have the virtue of being direct-extensions of your visual-cortex & not merely “sensors”
Wayne,
I didn’t know about the 5 photon phenomenon. No wonder I can’t see in the dark — not enough photons (maybe my rods need 10 or so). Eyes being a direct extension of the brain is new to me, too, but I suppose that is a way that evolution could work.
There is also a “blind spot” (actually it is more of a ring), and I have found that the side mirror and the rear-view mirror in my car are in mine. Go figure.
http://io9.gizmodo.com/5804116/why-every-human-has-a-blind-spot—and-how-to-find-yours
Thanks for wanting my vote to count.
Edward, they chant their chant for the most part when ever the TV camera is turned on, its for dramatic effect, its theater.
Cotour,
If it is just theater, why chant *that* chant instead of something more friendly, like “USA! USA! USA!”?
Perhaps I can answer that for you: they hate, not love, America, and would much, much rather see us die than succeed. They have no feeling that any wrongs they (don’t) think we committed have been righted. They hate us because we are not them and don’t share their misguided, primitive, ancient, barbaric, tyrannical, genocidal, death-culture values.
This is not “dramatic effect,” it is their reality, their culture, and their value system. They are sending a message: we hate you and we want you dead. There is no use chanting the message when the cameras are off, because the intended audience is missing and the message will not be sent. (Are you chanting “USA! USA! USA!” right now, or do you only do so when their is an audience — even when that audience is your fellow revelers?)
In fact, the only real wrong that America has done to them is Obama leaving their protesters hanging back in 2009. But instead of Obama righting his own wrong, he empowers the evil Iranian tyrants who so violently put down the 2009 protest, furthering (not righting) that wrong.
Edward-
–Yeah… “5 photons worth” of light-energy to trigger your rods/cones, “on average” –there are genetic variations & depending on the wavelength of the light, but that’s a pretty solid number. (for humans, slightly different for other animals.)
The eye “jiggling” serves to re-paint your rods/cones continuously with the visual image– they get satiated extremely quickly. Your visual cortex gets “bored” real fast—partially why humans are good at detecting motion— helps to keep you from getting eaten by larger animals.
–oh– your peripheral vision is definitely more acute than the center field– which is why you can see faint stars more clearly at night, if you look ever-so-slightly to one side or the other.
Try it, takes some minor practice but you’ll catch it very fast.
–Forget the name, but there’s a faint galaxy-cluster (?) you can see pretty clearly using that method, I mean– it’s still a fuzzy blob, but it will become a slightly “brighter” fuzzy-blob.
Yes– the blind spot is more of a ring, you are correct. Thanks for that link!
Yes–amazingly, your eyes are a direct extension of the visual cortex of your brain. Hearing is more akin to a microphone plugging into your brain. Your eyes “are-your-brain,” with some additional hardware to focus & concentrate light energy.
-Tangent (the story of my life.. HAR)
–In behavioral-psychology we define pretty much everything as “a detectable energy change in the environment.” (More precise & avoids mentalistic inferences.)
We want everyone’s Vote to count, because that IS the American Way!
[Vote Cruz, “In your heart you absolutely know, he’s Right!” Har]
:)
Edward wrote at 5:56 pm—(in part):
“They hate us because we are not them and don’t share their misguided, primitive, ancient, barbaric, tyrannical, genocidal, death-culture values.”
————————————-
Totally on board with every word of the entire comment.
Well said.
Wayne wrote: “Forget the name, but there’s a faint galaxy-cluster (?) you can see pretty clearly using that method, I mean– it’s still a fuzzy blob, but it will become a slightly “brighter” fuzzy-blob.”
It may be the Great Galaxy in Andromeda. I am not an amateur astronomer, but I play one on blog sites. This is the only galaxy that I know of that is visible without a telescope. It looks better through a telescope, but it is nothing like the beautiful posters that we can buy from the observatory’s gift shop.
Wayne wrote: “amazingly, your eyes are a direct extension of the visual cortex of your brain.”
Yes, I am amazed!
Edward wrote:
“I am not an amateur astronomer, but I play one on blog sites.”
(HAR)
-Me too! (And those Holiday INN Express’s are actually really nice places!)
You are correct about the Andromeda galaxy. Thank you. (I looked it up.) Try that trick of looking at it, just ever so slightly to one side or the other, you can definitely see the brightness increase.
–That’s the Galaxy we are going to crash into, in the distant future.