Category Archives: Real Life

via LA Times Admits Trump Right About What’s Causing California’s Massive Wildfires

by Tim Pearce

Adopting more active forest management policies such as increased thinning of trees and conducting controlled burns will help mitigate damage from future wildfires, The Las Angeles Times editorial board writes.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke began advocating similar policy prescriptions earlier in the year after President Donald Trump blamed California’s “bad environmental laws” for creating a wildfire-prone environment.

California forests have grown dryer and less healthy from overcrowded trees, infestations of bark beetles and the effects of climate change, the Las Angeles Times writes. California’s restrictions on active forest management have contributed to the poor and worsening conditions of the forests, allowing them to grow uninhibited while suppressing fires that would normally naturally control the forests’ growth.

“Fire is not necessarily bad for forests. California used to burn with regularity, and low-intensity fires are vital in some ecosystems to clear excess brush and small trees from the landscape,” the editorial board writes. “But there’s been a change in fire behavior over the last century, as the state and federal government began dousing the blazes. Decades of fire suppression have allowed forests to grow dense with trees.”

“Combined with drought, insect infestations and the stress of a warming climate, those management practices have led to more intense and destructive fires that are more dangerous to people living near the forests and more damaging to air quality,” the op-ed continues.

California’s environmental laws entered the national spotlight in early August when Trump blamed them for the severity of the wildfires that were ravaging the state.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was soon at the front of the administration’s push for California to begin adopting more active land management policies. Zinke traveled to California to see the damage from the fires and meet with local officials and firefighters Aug. 13.

Zinke ramped up calls for greater forest thinning while also dismissing the idea that climate change is playing a significant factor in the wildfires’ intensity.

“I’ve heard the climate change argument back and forth,” Zinke told Sacramento-based KCRA. “This has nothing to do with climate change. This has to do with active forest management.”

California Gov. Jerry Brown partnered with state lawmakers to introduce changes to the state’s policies. The bill would grant $1 billion toward forest thinning and ease regulations on cutting trees on private property, according to the Las Angeles Times.

Kind of reminds me of something I hear many many years ago.

Setting: Courtroom with the Forest Service Manager (FSM) on the stand.

Lawyer: “Sir you are in charge of all the national forests in the United States. Correct?”

FSM:  “Yes Sir.”

Lawyer: “For purpose of demonstration, we will equate one wooden matchstick for one million trees.  Please hold out your hands, as he placed a couple of boxes of match sticks in the FSM’s hands.  This should equal the amount of trees that were around when you department was formed.  Now, over the years, your department has sold off lumber rights to harvest for private and public industry.”  The Lawyer takes a few off the FSM’s hands.  “With a few outcries of deforestation, your department gets an expert guidebook to run your forests.”  The Lawyer adds a few matchsticks back. “Now with trees doing what trees do in the forest and new science backing your guidebooks,” adding a few more matchsticks to the pile, “Your department was slowly breaking even keeping the forests healthy and productive, correct?”

FSM: “Yes.”

Lawyer: “Now we have the interference from people running around with unproven scientific facts and Lumber companies and corporations trying to tell you how to do your job, making your department spend all your allocated money in the court system which is not allowing you to do your job to keep the forests healthy and productive.”  All this time the Lawyer has been adding to the pile in the FSM’s hand.

FSM: Looking down at his hands and seeing that he is holding about four boxes of match sticks in his hands. “That’s about right.”

Lawyer: “Now to be fair, I am going to remove the percentage that you were allowed to sell off.”  He reached up and removed one matchstick from the FSM’s hands and holds it up for the court to see.  Turns to the FSM and looks him in the eye, “What do you think Mother Nature’s solution to your problem would be?” 

The Forest Service Manager’s eyes got very big as he saw the Lawyer’s thumbnail scratch the head of the lone matchstick in his hand.

I believe in conservation but to go too far left or right really upsets the balance.  Mother Nature has been doing this for millions of years and we can see what she has done with mistakes over that time period.  The bigest problem we have today is too many theorys that are broadcasted by the media, our leaders and schools and not enough facts.

Climate change in nature is an ongoing thing.  If humans are speeding it up or slowing it down is the question we need to answer.  I turn on the news and someone is spouting something about it but it is all theory with little or no facts behind it.  They trot out some unknown science person that says in the last twenty, thirty, or fifty years there has been this amount of change  but when asked, they have no clue what climate did in a certain area one hundred, one thousand, one million, or one trillion years ago.

The Truth of it is, that while it is sad for the lives lost and the damage done to the forests, we need to return to the middle of the road to continue to survive.


Merriam-Webster’s definition of a hypocrite is:

How can one preach about the life of socialism when you live the life of a capitalist?

via Bernie Sanders Earns Over $1 Million in a Year, Again

Financial disclosure forms show that the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate who campaigned against the millionaires and billionaires is in fact one of them.

Last year marked the second year in a row that Sen. Bernie Sanders topped $1 million in earnings, according to Vermont Digger.

Sanders, on his campaign website, proclaimed that “wealth and income inequality is the great moral issue of our time, it is the great economic issue of our time, and it is the great political issue of our time.”

The Vermont independent, who caucuses with the Democrats, made almost $1.06 million last year. Of that, $174,000 came from his Senate salary and $885,767 from advances and royalties for his book deal.

The figures were similar in 2016, when Sanders joined the 1 percent by earning $858,750 from his book deal on top of his Senate salary, CNBC reported.

Some said Sanders’ wealth shows he plays the capitalist game even as he proclaims himself to be a socialist.

The disclosure forms show that Sanders owns three homes, including one on an island in Lake Champlain he bought in 2016 for $575,000. Sanders also lists two mortgages, one on a property valued at between $100,001 and $250,000 in value, and the other between $250,001 and $500,000.

When many people today can barely pay rent and feed themselves due to the policies and laws that people like Mr. Sanders and his fellow politicians have worked into our nations laws is sad.  These same people say they are on the side of the poor and downtrodden of our nation and they think that what is needed is to take from everyone and then give to everyone.

This has been done in the US and around the world at one time or another.  There was a time that you went to work for a company, paid by the company, lived in company supplied housing, bought everything you needed at the company store, and you never was able to get out of the manufactured debt you where in.  It is a way to control the masses.

If you believe that our capitalist system that we have in the US is so bad, I challenge you to pick a Marxist socialist country in this world today and move there for at least a year.  Before you go, after you have paid for your tickets, passport, and visa to your new home, place everything that you have here in a one year trust with instructions that you cannot withdraw anything, I mean “anything” ie. money, advances, or property, for that one year period.

Once you arrive you will have to find a place and a job for that one year.  You schooling will maybe allow you to game the system when you get there but they have laws and policies that may make you end up in jail or prison for thinking like a capitalist.  You can look for work and if you know somebody or have a skill that is needed, you may get a job if all the paperwork is filled out correctly.  You will have co-workers that may show up one day in a pay period and still get the same pay that you do for working the whole pay period.  You will find that if you tried the same thing, you will probably get a beat down by your fellow co-workers with the boss supervising because you are an outsider.  If you walk away from your job, you may have to wait awhile before you can get another job and you will have to find your food and lodging elsewhere.  In this workers paradise, all the laws support the worker and you will never get fired because one of those laws is that if you are fired you are to get five years severance pay all at once.  They would rather have your friends beat on you of find something that gets you placed in prison than give what little money, if it is worth much, to you.

After living and working in some of these places and actually talking to the locals, I have learned that with our many faults the United States is still one of the best countries to  live in.  My question to many that think that socialism is the way to go is ” What are you willing to give up to live this way?”.  Would these college professors that embrace the ideals of socialism willing to talk about it if their only payment for their job is a room to live in and a basic ration to live on?  In these countries alternative talk and ‘safe places’ is not encouraged.

Well Mr. Sanders, what are you willing to give up for your dream or is being a politication on capitalism working well for you?

In the below joint statement, two of the worlds leaders have a face to face discussion and set up an outline to further talks and future it may hold.

via Joint Statement of President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea at the Singapore Summit

President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) held a first, historic summit in Singapore on June 12, 2018.

President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un conducted a comprehensive, in-depth, and sincere exchange of opinions on the issues related to the establishment of new U.S.–DPRK relations and the building of a lasting and robust peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.  President Trump committed to provide security guarantees to the DPRK, and Chairman Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Convinced that the establishment of new U.S.–DPRK relations will contribute to the peace and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula and of the world, and recognizing that mutual confidence building can promote the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un state the following:

  1. The United States and the DPRK commit to establish new U.S.–DPRK relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity.





President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea have committed to cooperate for the development of new U.S.–DPRK relations and for the promotion of peace, prosperity, and security of the Korean Peninsula and of the world.

President of the United States of America


June 12, 2018
Sentosa Island


The Media stuttered because they were not the conveyor of news between two world leaders.  The propaganda machine tried to speculate, discuss, and outright fabricate many scenarios.  But all failed because the leaders in question made a private deal to get together and for the first time in many years and just talk.

Many things may come out of this.  Some good and some bad.  That is to be expected.  After seventy (70) years of conflict and bashing propaganda that set the region on edge, this is a good start.

There have been many attempts in the past by many US leaders, Presidential, Congressional, and other individuals, but all in all, they were worried about their political future rather than actually finding a peaceful solution.  There will be the naysayers and their puppet media outlets but if a good solution is presented to the American people and they feel it is in their best interest, the American people will force their congressional elected leaders to approve it or get replaced.  For if the diplomatic process ever fails and sometimes it does.  The final option doesn’t allow for safe spaces.

Trump: I am Not Playing Your Game.

via One Magnificent Photo Sums Up Donald Trump’s G-7 Visit | HuffPost



A seemingly unimpressed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe gazes at the group.

World leaders are learning that America and President Trump will not lockstep march arm in arm no longer.  Everyone wants their economies to flourish and thrive but when even one country requires a tariff on their products it begins to get unfair fast.  All you need to do is look at what a country exports and imports to maintain their economy.

We will use Milk for an example.  using the website and all prices in the US Dollar.

In Canada the price for Milk will range from $3.66 to $10.34 with the average at $6.42 per gallon.

In the US the price for Milk will range from $2.20 to $4.00 with the average at $3.18.

Canada has a smaller Milk industry than the United States and in both Countries the industry supported by either direct support by the governments or by using tariffs.  For US milk to be sent to Canada, a 200% tariff or $2.76 is added as to not undercut the Canadian Milk industry.

Every country not only wants to keep their own industries running for their own economy but the political powers in every country make their money from the different lobbing groups of all these different industries.  If the Canadian government would drop the tariff then the sudden inflow of US Milk would devastate their industry and look at all those cows and people who would be out of work.  If both sides quit supporting the Milk industry the Canadian industry would still fold up while the US side would probably decrease a lot due to the rising cost at the store.  If you force people to pay more for something there will not be a need to buy it.

When you really start looking at what is imported and what is exported you will start getting a headache.  For truly fair trade you have to produce something the other guy really needs.  The US has been on the giving side when it comes to most of major manufacturing products that we export.  Previous administrations have been giving, giving, and giving causing a downturn in the economy and jobs while allowing cheaper and sometimes very inferior products to come into our marketplace.  This is something we have to turn around and having a businessman like Trump in office we have a chance.

We are Losing Vital Information

via Ag education desperately needed in schools









Diagnoses: Lack of the TRUTH

via Nearly 7 in 10 in U.S. feel worn out from too much news | Pew Research Center

If you feel like there is too much news and you can’t keep up, you are not alone. A sizable portion of Americans are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of news there is, though the sentiment is more common on the right side of the political spectrum, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted from Feb. 22 to March 4, 2018.


While majorities of both Republicans and Democrats express news fatigue, Republicans are feeling it more. Roughly three-quarters (77%) of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents feel worn out over how much news there is, compared with about six-in-ten Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (61%). This elevated fatigue among Republicans tracks with them having less enthusiasm than Democrats for the 2018 elections.

Depending on how you perceive the news, even if you really like the story it is not being given to you correctly.  When the media gives you a story, you should expect the truth of the story, not someone’s slant of it or missing some facts.  You should not get a story from un-named source without any real facts to back it up.  We are being bombarded with stories without any real sources or facts.

What happened to real stories or breaking news from someone we trusted to give us the real truth, not someone’s agenda of what they think may, should, or what really did happen?  What happened to the real news stories that even with an un-named source the story was good enough to have the local DA or Police doing a follow-up and really expose the wrongdoers?

On the local news you still see this on this level but when you turn on the national news you have no clue if anything they are saying is true or not.  There is no follow-up or incorporation of the other side of the story.  You know what channel or network you are supposed to be watching but you feel like you are in the Twilight Zone.  I guess we could sit through all this “Unknown News but the News we want you to have” and get the list of all their sponsors and advertisers and ask them why they are giving money or buying ads from a company that does not tell the world the truth.


Privacy Concerns

Just read an article about a Congressman trying to hype privacy concerns in regards to the upcoming Congressional questioning of Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. I had to laugh.

Why, you ask?

Privacy in America, let alone in the world is a joke. How do you think the Junk Mail industry got started? How do you think Credit Cards got off the ground so fast?

You go to the store and you buy something and then when you get home and turn on your desktop computer and start looking at you social media page and there it is an ad for what you just bought, but it was cheaper next door to the store you just came from. How did this start you ask yourself.

Way back when it was implied in those old comic books where you just had to buy that toy through the mail. The person or company got your name and address from when you bought the item. From that item they were able to assign some values like age, gender, and what you may like. Then someone came along and paid him for that information. Then turned around and convince some other company that you may become a customer to them if they would pay for him to send you these advertisements to you. BINGO! You are now on a list to get JUNK MAIL!

The same thing happens today, just at the speed of electrons. Remember all that fine print that you just browse over? Yep. That’s it. You just agreed to all of that, when you clicked.

Even when you get a new smart phone you have already passed over most of the legalize fine print and signed for it. Sometimes you may think you have optioned out of certain aspects but they come back to the fine print when you bought your smart phone or other items. Most option outs start at the time you option out. They already have your information.

Did these companies and organizations take advantage of you while covering their backsides? Probably. We are not all lawyers, or big corporations, we are just regular citizens trying to make it through the day.

You keep hearing about all these data breaches, but after a week or two you hear nothing more. If your information was part of the breach, the company involved will usually send you a notice that your data may have been exposed and they offer you a year free monitoring service to watch for misuse of your data.  That is like hiring an armed guard to watch your house and notify you if someone tries to get in.  The armed guard will only watch your house, not stop someone from entering and doing what they will.  They will not protect you from the loss.  There needs to be updates through the media about these breaches that hold these people responsible.  There are some companies that will help you recover any loss due to a data breach but you have to pay for that service.

If there is anything to come about all these known data breaches it will probably be buried to cover a company’s bottom line.

The Truth – How do we find you?

You read or see a report in the newspaper, on TV, or hear it on the radio. Do you accept it as true or do you dismiss it as propaganda?  In the last few years you cannot accept anything at face value anymore.  You will actually find more truth at the local coffee shop or gossip mill than you will find in print or on the boob tube.  Gone are the days when you could pick up the paper or tune into the news on the television and be confident that what you read or heard was the truth or really, really close to the real truth you would ever get to outside a courtroom or a church confessional.

We used to rely on the Media to gather all the facts and then present them to us as un-biased as they could. Now, they would rather speculate some out of this world story that fits their agenda.  Remember when they would do all sorts of things to get ALL the facts before trying to tell us what has happened?  Some of those reporters really went too far at times but the Truth or as close to the Truth came out.

Do you remember growing up and first learning about the Truth? As we got older the Truth started to have varying degrees of Truth to fit the needs of the one telling it.  As it stands now, you cannot trust what the media is telling us and you most definitely cannot believe what our elected officials keep spouting.

We need to take every story told to us and do our own research to try to find the real TRUTH. Unfortunately, most people today cannot handle the Truth.