floundersgreatadventure

Well I think a lot of people are going to hate me after this post. It looks like the Republicans will retain a majority in the Senate and the Dems will gain control of the house which sadly meant Congress will go back to doing just about nothing. This will allow the Republicans to blame everything that goes wrong on the Dems.. Here’s another little tidbit that the Dems won’t like I think the Trumpster will win a second term. Now I can hear all the Dems going WTF are you serious noway. Well I think the problem that the Democrats can’t produce a candidate that would appeal to all their voters and lets be serious old school Dems aren’t really looking for young Women are Minorities to shoe up their ranks. Yes they want young people but listen to this I was once young and joined the Democratic party as a elected county community rep. This was a few years after Kennedy and they wanted to tap into that young base. Only trouble was when we tried to help set the direction of the party we were ignored an decisions were made in back rooms by old party members. Old party loyalists control who gets to run and how much support (Money) their campaign will receive. So based on my experience and that of others I really don’t see them getting together on one candidate to oppose the Trumpster. When this happens its very difficult to get people to vote or campaign for someone simply because they are on the Democratic ticket. Also you have to take into consideration the fact that the Trumpster minions are very motivated as a result I see the country in a very bad place with not a so Rosie future. This Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.

A few years ago I watched the comedian Chris Rock do a stand up on HBO. As usual it was laced with profanity so it was definitely not a family affair. It was more or less about business and health care. The first question he brought up is why isn’t there, after all this time, a cure for the common cold? His answer was the best I ‘ve ever heard. “Because there’s no money in a cure”. Now think about that for a moment as it relates to manufacturing. Companies build into there products a obsolescence factor. Now that doesn’t mean if you buy a car it will self destruct in 2 years, it does mean that based upon the humans competitive desire, you will want the new design that your friends have. I ‘m sure you know somebody that every time Apple buts out a new phone they have to run out and buy it. The reality is it really isn’t that much different then the one you have except it cost a lot more. They’ll tell you the camera is better. Well that might be but it’s still not better that that 6 year old Olympus you have in the closet. These are just little examples now lets look at the big ones like Heart disease and Cancer. We have spent billions of dollars and millions of man hours trying to find a cure. We were able to invent the A Bomb and put a man on the moon faster. So whats the hang up well I agree with Chris Rock that theres no money in the cure, but I also believe its because they kill people same as war. Now I know there are people screaming at me right now saying that governments and medical people would never do something like this. Well they would if they were convinced it was he only way for the world to survive. You hear about the planet getting hit by an Asteroid and Global Warming and the threat of Nuclear war. Well how about the lack of food and water because the population has outgrown the planets natural resources. Have I got anybody thinking yet. If all the people killed by Heart Disease and Cancer in the last ten years had been cured what would be the worlds population right now? This is a very hard statistic to come up with because one it would appear each country has it’s own set of statistics and a lot of countries don’t have accurate ones at all do to large rural populations. But needless to say populations would grow at a much higher rate than before. Take that along with other improvements and the encouragement of religions to procreate. You have unsustainable population growth. Now even if I ‘m wrong about the fact that there’s no cure because they kill Chris Rock is right saying there’s no money in the cure the real money is in the treatment. In 2003 the estimate was 40 billion dollars a year in cost of medicine and lost wages. Now thats just the common cold add the new various flus that pop up every year and the cost keeps going up. So people looking at all this do you believe we’ll see any of these diseases cured in our life times. This is Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.

I guess from some of the comments I get here and from Facebook, Twitter and Tumbler that people have given up on the world and are tired of hearing from me on the subject. To those people all I have to say is BITE ME. This is my blog and my opinions and if in the process I piss you of f I feel that I ‘ve done my job and made you think. So as you can tell from the title today this is more of the same. The confirmation of an accused sexual predator to the Supreme Court is really the continuation of the demise of Democracy that began back in the Nixon administration. With this appointment things like Roe vs Wade, labor protection laws, environmental safe guards, voter protections and many other improvements to our way of life that I have witnessed the fights for will be gone. People are expecting me to say we’re headed for the Orwellian future I have talked about here, but now I think it will be a combination of Roller ball and 1984. Roller ball is about how the corporations divide the world up as to what parts can handle what manufacturing process’s best. 1984 is about the government controlling everything we do and observing us 24/7. Now I can here some of my friends saying I can’t be bothered by this or I ‘m tired of this shit I just want to live my life. Well that’s how all dictators have come to power in the world. If my generation hadn’t got pissed we’d still be fighting the Viet Nam War. Politicians are not qualified to bring peace to this world it going to take young people who are willing to take a chance on the unknown to bring peace and stability to this fucked up world. If people back then were afraid to get beat up or put in jail they wouldn’t of been able to effect the changes that they have. It’s one thing to post to Twitter or Facebook, or any of the other social media sites and quite another to stand facing a police line for something you believe. Now before you say well isn’t hat what I’m doing well you’d be right I don’t even live in the United States anymore so what gives me the right. Well I did my protesting I got involved in politics and tried to make changes and we did to some extent. I mean we ended a war didn’t we. I ‘m old now and this is all that I ‘m really capable of doing these days, sitting on my ass with Flounder listening to Bob Dylan and writing shit trying to get other s to think and get out there before it’s really to late. Well this is Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.

Well I wanted to get away from politics this week but unfortunately thats not possible. The Senate judiciary committee decided to release the kavanough nomination to the Senate with the provision that there be an FBI investigation into the allegations of sexual misconduct. Unfortunately I don’t think that will make a lot of difference and he will be approved. The effects of that approval vote will be with the country for a long long time. Rape victims will ow be more afraid than ever to come forward and report the crime. Women will be afraid to report workplace harassment as well. This vote will help continue this administrations efforts to bring the country back to the 1930’s. They have already overturned environmental laws, labor laws, made rich people even richer and are planing to do away with Social Security and other benefits for the regular guy. I have never in my 72 years ever advocated taking to the streets in protest but I think now more that ever its necessary. These old white men both Democrat and Republican need to be reminded that they serve at our pleasure not theirs. They need to see protesters in their dreams they should not be allowed get away with this. Now I in now way want these protests to be violent I think a thousand people sitting peacefully in front of every residence of every senator and congress man will begin to get them the message. Protests on this scale worked for Segregation and to end the Viet Nam War. I don’t know if the American people have the stomach for this. But this and VOTING these old white Politicians out of office is Americas and the Worlds only hope. We wish you luck this is Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.

Ok this is a post that asks the question how can Americans be proud of a president that got laughed at by the General Assembly of the United Nations. I’ve sat here and written that people of the world think he’s a joke and nobody took me serious they thought it was all sour grapes. But there he was in front of many of the worlds power brokers and he was being laughed at. Listen America there is one thing in America you can make great again and thats The Office Of President Of the United States and the sooner you make a change there the better it will be for all the world. This is Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.

I can’t believe whats been happening in the country the last few weeks. In one 24 hour period there were three work place mass shootings. Yet nothing is done to prevent more. The first thing you here is gun control and that will come but not like people want. I believe that eventually thee will be a move to take all guns away from civilians. I think it will start with combat style weapons then large capacity magazines. Shortly there after the move will be weapons above a certain caliber. All the above if the violence continues will not be a hard sell to the country. Then will come Marshal Law in certain areas. Now this sounds like the anti government propaganda I know. That is true and they’re right to an extent. You see I believe and have believed for awhile that the politicians or money people in this country want an Orwellian type state. Now if you have no idea what I’m talking about when I say Orwellian type state I suggest you go and try to find a copy of George Orwell’s book 1984, because I thinks that what they’re trying to do. They will use the violence in this country to enact laws much worse than the Patriot act. You President will see to this as he urges his followers to violence against those that disagree with him. You heard him say hat if he’s impeached his people will riot in the streets. If this was to come to pass it would cause Marshall law and would be supported by both parties. Now people want to see change and I understand that but to say lets put the Democrats back in charge I don’t think that will change much. Hat is needed is to get rid of all the old white men who are running our government both Democrat and Republicans. Then it might be feasible to calm the country and get some real progress made maybe then we can educate the violent ones and remove those we can’t. I don’t think that the present course of action of replacing Republicans with Democrats or other old politicians has or will work. Right now replacing the Republican majority with Democrats in November will not change much. Impeaching the Trumpster could just make matter worse. The Vice President is a religious fanatic who thinks he and God have meaningful conversations. If nothing else in November these change would result in a once again stagnant government which resulted in whats going on now. What is necessary before it becomes to late is for the American people to stop caring about how Tiger is doing, or whose in the World Series or what team won last week. They must get their heads up and start seeing and thinking for them selves, not letting their parents or bosses influence their thinking and make sane thoughtful choices on who they want to run their government or be willing to live in a world where BIG BROTHER will watch you and tell you what you can and can not do. This is Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.

Ok lets get back to things that piss me off today. For years politicians have been trying to screw with SOCIAL SECURITY. You know the annoying little deduction on your pay check. No one thinks about it at the age og 18 or so but if you get to be 50 or 60 it stars to enter your mind. Mostly because of an organization called AARP or American association of retired persons. Now they mostly deal with rich folks planing a vacation or such, but they get their money from people by supporting legeslation that protects Social Security. Now I can remember back when they reduced that tax and people were excited about more money in there paycheck yeah about 4 dollars I think. Now everybody wants to blame republicans for wanting to do away with it. But be sure it’s not just them. They will tell you you can do better managing your retirement yourself and that’s true if you make a lot of money. But the average person will only ave enough to save for vacation. Another thing when your 21 you don’t think about retirement you live life and have fun you really don’t want to think about being old. Most of you know I live outside the country down in Colombia but do you know why. Well all my life I worked physical jobs and I drank to much and smoked too much all of this started to wear on my body as I got older. Well I stopped smoking and drinking over 30 years ago but it still took a toll. Again we don’t think about these thing when were young and enjoying life. I knew I couldn’t keep working tending bar or cleaning buildings so when my wife said we should move to her country of Colombia I went for a look and here I am. I came here because there was no way I would be able to retire in America with only my Social Security check. I live quite nice down here with very inexpensive housing and medical costs. But if I was in America I would have to work and I probably wouldn’t be living at the standard I am now. That and I would have trouble, even with Obama care and the rest of paying for all my drugs and doctor appointments. Would I rather be living in the US well of course if I could afford to. The people that want to remove Social Security won’t need it and don’t care if you do. They want to use the money to pay for huge tax breaks for themselves and their rich friends. You may think of the deduction as a nuisance on your pay stub but unless your making a lot of money your going to need it if for nothing else to supplement your retirement. Remember if your my age and you started thinking about saving at the age of 21 gas was .35 a gallon. Now like everything else the cost has gone up but how many people could afford to substantially increase their savings. They would probably have a family and want to send their kids to college and get them a car. Well what usually suffers in these cases is their retirement fund. So now they’re going to need Social Security to help supplement whatever they have left and you know the kids aren’t going to help that much unless they’re Rock Stars or Pro Athletes. Ok the point of all this is we have to stop our politicians from borrowing on the future so they can get tax breaks. It’s time for Americans to take a real stand and I don’t care if your Republican or Democrat that money is money you earned and should be there when you retire. This is Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.

Ok today is going to be about razors not politics. I suppose most of you use either a disposable or electric razor. When I say most of you i’m really not sure but for this post I’m going to assume it is so. Now the razor companies have gone out of their way to convince you that theres shave s best but if your my age (over 70) you know that they’re full of shit. Most of us old guys remember going to the barber to get a shave. He would start out with a hot towel on your face and some conversation while the towel did its job. The towels job was to soften up the beard for the razor. Now depending the year the barber would either mix up some lather in what was called a shaving cup and then apply it to your face with a brush, he’d let that sit while he took out his straight razor and stropped it to restore its edge. Now you probably just went what the hell is stropping. Well a strop is basically a piece of leather that has or hasn’t had a polishing compound rubbed into it. It is used to remove the roll over on your blade just like a kitchen steel is used. It doesn’t actually sharpen the blade but rather does whats called honing the blade. When you use a razor or a knife the edge will have a tendency roll over slightly. For example your in the kitchen and you just chopped some onions and now you want to slice some tomatoes. Well you’ll find out that most blades have lost here edge now you have choices stop get out a sharpening stone, change knives. Or get your steel out. we’ve all seen the chef get the steel out and run the blade up and down about 10 times this restore the edge to the blade. This method is used on the so called never needs sharpening knives or Stainless steel knives. Now if you have a straight razor you use a leather strop instead. I have a couple that I use to keep my carving knives with a good edge. Now that doesn’t mean if your razor is high quality carbon steel that you don’t have to sharpen it on a stone once in awhile. To day the demand is ramping up for straight razors but before you go out and get one make sure your hands don’t shake and you have somebody how to use it. The advantage of a straight razor is it won’t clog with shaving cream you won’t have to have water running in the sink wastefully. The disadvantage is that everyone in awhile in the beginning your going to cut yourself. But if your willing to up with that and make a one time investment in a good straight razor your girlfriend or wife will love how close you can shave. This is Flounder and I don’t shave and Fats who does saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.

This has not been a great couple of weeks I lost a long time friend, then a great man and a great woman. Getting old and losing people you know just plain sucks. Then you have the ass holes that like to use the death of someone for their own personal gain and that sucks royally. I try when I go to write a post to stay away from politics, but the way these guys operate thats all thats in the news unless you want to talk about of people getting killed. You have politicians screaming Fake News all over the place and now one of the best investigative papers in the country the Village Voice has gone out of business. So you can see my point how writing a blog can be somewhat depressing. Thank God I don’t drink or do drugs anymore or I’d be a real wreck. I feel like I’m writing obits every week if not about a person its about the demise of democracy or some such thing. Those of you that actually take the time to read this thing know I’m not great philosopher or writer. This thing is just a way for me to voice my opinions because no one down here in Colombia gives a shit. It get frustrating that you take the time to put a blog together and voice an opinion in the hopes of starting some sort of dialog and all you get is one loyal reader and a shit load of Spam. I mean I could go on about politics but the reason things are so screwed up are the same reasons nobody reads this. They just don’t give a shit. I think I’ll go back to writing about STUFF and other bull shit since it doesn’t look like anybody will care. Oh and by the way I just found out I have to have hernia surgery and they didn’t like some they saw on my electrocardiogram. This is Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia