I’m not generally a conspiracy theorist. But, I’m starting to rethink that. So many conspiracy theories of late have turned out to be true. From the “Russian Collusion” hoax, to the Hunter Biden laptop, to the Covid “misinformation police” and so on, we now know there actually were conspiracies on all of these issues between the government, the media and big tech to block the truth and feed us lies. They did this knowingly.

The current federal budget process was signed into law in 1974. Congressional Democrats wanted to spend more money than Republican president Richard Nixon did. Some things never change. The ’74 budget process was designed to make increased spending easier to pass than had previously been the case. Nixon didn’t like it, but signed it as he was weakened by the Watergate crisis.

It was just a year ago that I started this blog. Thanks to all of you loyal readers, year two is beginning. If you read the “about” section of this website, you will find my explanation, written a year ago, of why I was writing this blog and why it carries the name that it does. “I expect we are on the cusp of entering that chaotic period,” I wrote.

As I write this, a Speaker of the House has still not been chosen. Obviously, I did not experience this in my time in Congress since it has been 100 years since that last time this choice went beyond the first ballot. That said, I am very familiar with the sort of mentality that has caused this inter-party gridlock to occur.

This is not an old carol, since it was written in 1991. But the music is beautiful, the lyrics are powerful, and the overall affect is transformative. Good things and great creation are still going on, in spite of the travails and heartbreaks we see in the world today.

I live in Arizona and so obviously pay more attention to political happenings there. But that is not why I am writing about the Arizona senior senator’s recently announced departure from the Democratic party. This move is particularly interesting at this moment in time, and how it plays out from here is far from certain.

I used to love San Francisco. It had a great history, beautiful setting, a temperate climate and fantastic food. Along with London, it was one of my favorite cities in the world. I looked forward to going there every time I could. No more. It has become a cesspool and I’m being kind with that description. I hope Tony Bennett went back to get his heart that he left there, or he would no longer recognize it.

I remember a time when a company needed to earn money. You know, actually make a profit with real cash flow, in order for the executives to make money. Sell a product or service for more than it costs you to produce. If the company didn’t make any money, neither did the executives.

By now, you all have heard lots of analysis on why the “red wave” broke just north of Jacksonville, and the polls were wrong again, albeit in the other direction this time. I do not intend to give you some new analysis of why things happened as they did on November 8th. You can read all about whose “fault” it was or who gets the “credit” from others. Instead, I will give you some observations and point out some trends and details about which you might not be aware.

All signs are now pointing to a good night for Republicans nationwide on Tuesday. Why? We all know many of the reasons. But one major one is contained in the clip below. This is a link to an interview on “Meet the Press” (the Palm Pilot of news programs) in which host Chuck Todd interviews New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu.

Elections, like sporting events, have their ups and downs. For a while, one side can be winning. Then something changes and the other side prevails in the end.

You may not get too upset about what we have begun to call wokeness. You may think that economics and foreign policy and crime prevention are more important. After all, those are the things our elected officials have power over. I understand the point.

No, I have not fallen off a cliff or driven one of my fast cars into a barrier. You have not heard from me in several months. Yes, I’ve been a bit busy and I have had some sickness which will lead to sinus surgery in November. But, those are just excuses. The main reason I have not written is because I have been quite negative about all that is going on at the moment. I did not want to be a “Debbie Downer” and write you every week about another bad thing that is happening. That would be too much like the 6 o’clock news.

Here are two pieces I consider worthy of your time to read. They are both unlikely to come to your notice as they have not appeared in major publications. The first is a speech given just a few days ago by Trump’s former US Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer. He lays out a compelling case for why the trade policies towards China and others started during the Trump presidency should be continued and supported even by “free trade” conservatives.

One of the major schisms between the left and the right, is how we look at those who have gone before us. On the right, we value the wisdom of the ages; the words of sages who have gone before; enduring values that transcend any given political or societal movement. On the left, they believe that they are smarter than that. Thousands of years of history have made today’s persons (no way they would say “men and women”) more omnipotent than anyone who preceded us. There are no enduring values. Only old mores that need to be rejected or revised.