Blast from the Past

Babe Ruth with George H.W. Bush

Headlines

All from Internet news sites. Guess which from the Drudge Report?

Republicans flee from McConnell in 2018 primaries

DOJ deals blow to liberals, okays appointment to lead finance regulator

Trump and TIME dispute 'Person of the Year' plans ...

David Brooks: Blames Trump for 'polluting our national culture'

Van driver tries to cut into Trump's presidential motorcade

Dem insider says his party's list of POTUS candidates is chock full of divas

Battle erupts over control of Manson's remains, estate ...

Report: Self-driving cars will have to decide who dies during crash

Want to know why Roy Moore might win? Blame the media.

Florida jury's verdict thrown out because they weren't tested for homophobia

George H.W. Bush becomes longest living president in history ...

Centuries-old [English] church bells silenced after single complaint

Headlines

All from Internet news sites. Guess which from the Drudge Report?

Judge denies request to force Trump to pay Obamacare insurance subsidies

DOJ frees up Uranium One informant to [testefy to] Congress

Five women accuse journalist Mark Halperin of sexual harassment

Report: 42% of American children under 8 own a tablet

Republicans seize on dossier revelations to counter Russian probe

Poll: [Republican] Gillespie takes a huge lead in Virginia governors race

Cohn floats idea of gas tax hike for infrastructure ...

Trump Admin. bypasses Congress, tightens H1-b guidelines

Corker vows to get answer on Trump's Russian sanctions delay

CNN butchers the facts about the dossier

Plague warning in 9 countries ...

George H.W. Bush apologizes for 'sexual assault' on actress

Predictions

Every year a group of our friends get together to celebrate New Year's Eve. One tradition is for us to make predictions for the ensuing year and then, come the next New Year's Eve, prizes are given for the most prescience. Here are a few of this year’s more interesting predictions:

                                                                                                                    

• New vaccine to slow the onset of Alzheimer’s disease

• Prince and Elton John appear together on tour      

• Amazon takes over US Postal Service

• Drop in oil price puts kibosh on XL Pipeline

• President Obama’s approval rating reaches 58% 

• Republicans will lose two more House members due to misbehavior

• Superbowl will be lowest scoring game in history

• Google will buy Netflix      

• Greece will be asked to leave the European Union

• Joe Biden is not VP at the end of 2015

• Cosmic pulse disrupts communications for days

• Deval Patrick appointed judge of a high court or ambassador

• Hillary urged to drop out in favor of Elizabeth Warren

• Lost Malaysian jet debris discovered in unexpected location

• Joyce Carol Oates will win Noble Prize in literature

• Putin removed from office as Russian economy tanks

 • RIP – George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter

• George Clooney and wife separate

• Miley Cyrus marries Patrick Schwarzenegger

• Patriots win Super Bowl

• Iran acquires atomic weaponry

• Stock Market will correct by at least 10%

• Eddie Redmayne wins Best Actor for “Theory of Everything”

• “Selma” wins Best Picture

• Major LA earthquake … extensive damage
• Latin America pushes Middle East off of 24/7 news casting    

• Brazil will launch a satellite

• Sony Pictures will sell off its library of movies
• Apple stock soars 50%

• Keith Richards dies

• Aaron Hernandez found not guilty

• Marathon bomber – guilty but no death penalty

• “Boyhood” wins Best Picture

• Russia will default on its debts … again

Tune in this time next year for the results …

God and Country

I'm not a religious person, but to see at least half of those delegates at the Democrat National Convention boo and jeer at the thought of putting the word "God" back into this party's Presidential platform cannot be good for Obama's re-election chances.  Ditto for their collective derision at recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.  See: Real Clear Politics.  Will this be the equivalent of Michael Dukakis in the tank turret ... or George H.W. Bush looking at his watch during the debate with Clinton ... or John Kerry riding his sailboard?  Only time will tell ... but I can hope.

The Party of War

There is a popular myth that the Republican party was the belligerent during most American armed conflicts.  If one looks at who was running the U.S. when we have sent our soldiers into battle, this clearly proves wrong, viz:

First World War -- Woodrow Wilson (D)
Second World War -- Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
Korean War -- Harry S. Truman (D)
Vietnam War -- John F. Kennedy (D)
Vietnam War Escalation -- Lyndon B. Johnson (D)
Bosnian War -- William J. Clinton (D)
Kosovo (Monica's) War -- William J. Clinton (D)
Kuwait War -- George H.W. Bush (R)
Afghanistan War -- George W. Bush (R)
Iraq War -- George W. Bush (R)
Afghanistan War Escalation -- Barack H. Obama (D)
Libyan Incursion -- Barack H. Obama (D)

Even the Spanish American War, although started under William McKinley (R), was really instigated by the Democrat congress at the time (see Spanish-American War.)  So, we see, popular myths are often just that.

Afterthought:  I (conveniently) forgot about Ronald Reagan's (R) incursions into Granada and Panama.