Bitchin Dave's newsletter

There's this weird thing going on (among the many things). It's this idea that we should always live in fear. That the boogeyman will get us.  I follow some of the people who talk about "ugly Americans" and the things they hear from some of those among us who travel outside the country.  The comments often focus on this notion of "personal protection" and not appreciating that other countries don't have an equivalent of the second amendment, and frankly don't feel the need to arm themselves. The locals in the countries mostly coexist and (with a few notable exceptions) feel safe and live their lives. Of course, there are occasions where things go wrong. But when they do, it garners a serious discussion and there is public outrage. Not simply thoughts and prayers, but an outpouring of emotion. Elected folks actively care about the people they represent and don't have to kowtow to a lobbying group that essentially promotes mass murder. It's wei...

This coming weekend, we once again change our clocks. What you may not know is that Benjamin Franklin is kind of the originator of the idea for Daylight Savings Time.  It comes from his time in France, as a new candle had been invented that didn't produce smoke.  He was captivated by it and it stoked his imagination. Being a thinker and a scientist, he considered how important candles were to life.  Once it got to be dark, you had to light one to see anything.  And over the course of an evening, a week, a month, or a year, he ran through many candles.  How many?  He ran the numbers.  And then he wrote a short piece about how if there was more daylight, then the need for candles would be reduced.  He determined that Parisians could save millions of French Livre every year if they had an hour of extra daylight, and didn't have to buy candles for that period of time with more light. That was pure Franklin magic.  He was good at dissecting a topic and giving a point of view that wa...

I have been tracking 4 items related to the "immigration crackdowns" that are happening.  First is the simple notion that mobilizing troops is necessary for some reason.  And some will tell you its to try and legitimize attacks on democratic-leaning cities and states.  If they can provoke a response, then they can impose more (illegal) restrictions and further their cause.   But seeing the costumes - especially the frogs! - meeting troops is uplifting.  The pushback is, indeed, peaceful.  And dare I say, awesome. Second, the troops that have been deployed (again, likely illegally) into some cities - particularly Oregon - are being denied access to some things, such as the use of restrooms and being served in restaurants, with the owners invoking the 3rd amendment.  This amendment is considered the least controversial of the amendments and rarely comes up.  But here we are, and I am all for it. The  Third Amendment  ( Amendment III ) to the  United States Constitution  places ...