My March For Science

Back on Friday, 4/22/17 I jumped in the Gripe Mobile and headed south in I-81 towards our nations capitol, Washington, D.C.  Of course the drive down boarded on a vehicular Bataan Death March with multiple construction zones and dozens of road mules (tractor trailers) impeding a smooth flow of traffic.  By the way, I hate tractor trailers on the highway.  Don't get me wrong, I know they are a necessity when it comes to interstate commerce.  How else would we get 20,000 pounds of banana's to Price Chopper. What I don't like about them is when the drivers place two trucks along side each other and they both go the same speed.  I call it the old side by side.  This drives me insane!  These mule drivers will clog up 2 lanes while they go the same speed for miles.  It's like a game to see how pissed off they can make all of the drivers stuck behind them.  After a 4.5 hour drive that I normally make in 3 hours and 58 minutes, we arrived at the home of my Washington operative in Virginia.  After a nice dinner and a few beer's, it was time to hit the sack to get a well deserved rest.  We had a long day ahead of us Marching for Science.

Saturday came quickly and it was time to hit the streets of D.C. to protest The Trumpster and his administrations views on science.  I was really looking forward to this March since I had never been involved with a protest of this magnitude.  Hell, we have protests in Wilkes-Barre, but usually 12 people show up.  I don't think the people of the Valley really give a rats ass about anything but themselves.  They know how to bitch and butt their noses in where they don't belong, but God forbid if they actually took a stand on something.  Anyway, the 5 of us who were marching jumper in a car and headed down to a free parking spot by the Pentagon.  Not many people know about this spot so I will not tell you exactly where it is.  It's Top Secret information that Trump most likely gave up to Chancellor Merkel at the G7 Summit.  Once we got to our lot, we summoned an Uber and headed down to the lawn by the Washington Monument.

Once we arrived, we walked by the Lincoln Memorial, down the length of the Reflecting Pool and right to the Washington Monument.  Another by the way, the Reflecting Pool is a shallow body of water filled with duck and goose feces.  If you fell into it you would contract some sort of disease in seconds.  As we walked up toward the Monument we could see thousands of people focused on a stage where people of science were speaking.  We were now at the epicenter of the event and guess what?  It's starting to rain.  Are you freakin' kidding me?  I come all the way to finally officially protest against Tonald Dump and its raining.  Thank goodness our group was prepared with poncho's.

After a few speeches, chants and roars from the crowd I heard the words, "It's time to March"!  A huge cheer went up and the several thousands descended onto Pennsylvania Avenue to parade down several blocks and to the Capitol Building.  It was thrilling to walk with people of science.  They were very prepared for the occasion with signs and chants.  Most of the signs protested The Trumpster in one way or another and his personal views on global warming and climate change.  In case you don't know, this buffoon does not believe if global warning and climate change even though scientific facts have been reported to support it.  He is blind to anything that may result in him and his evil minions losing a few bucks.

After about an hour or so of marching, we finally made it to the Capitol Building, the home of the U.S. House and Senate.  Of course they were not in session.  They were on one of their many breaks that they get throughout the year.  Did you know that the member of the House and Senate only work about 133 days out of a year.  Most Americans log about 240 days a year at work.  For working almost half less time than most Americans, our illustrious law makes make $174,000.00 per year in salary.  Doesn't this make you want to charge the Capital Building.  In fact, I wanted to but the members of my group held me back.  They said that they would not forgo a nice dinner to bail mew out of jail.  I was surprised that no one charged the building or caused a small riot.  I guess people of intelligence know better.

The Bottom line here is that this march made a statement.  It showed our current buffoon riddled government that the people have a voice and it's going to be heard.  Did the thousands there make a difference?  I really don't know.  Did they take a stand on what they believe in?  You bet they did.  This was just one of many demonstrations that have and will be held across these great 50 states.  The organizers of this March did a great job overall.  The only thing I was disappointed in was the end of the March.  We got to the Capitol and that was it.  No rally.  No war cries for science.  No speeches and certainly no riots.  It was anti-climactic to say the least.  I guess there were no paid protesters involved with this March as The Trumpster would claim.  A final by the way, Trump was not there to see it.  Guess where he was?  YEP, MAR-A-LAGO. 
    

Proposterous PennDot

I have spent a boat load of time bashing our President for the things he has done so far in office and rightly so.  However, I have a Gripe about something that hits home right here in the Kingston and Forty Fort area of the Wyoming Valley.  This Gripe has to do with our wonderful state department called PennDot.  Believe you me, it is easy to have an issue with what PennDot does, especially when it comes to the roads in the Keystone state.  In most cases, it seems that the PennDot road crews are constantly working on the same stretches of roads like Interstate 81 between Dupont and Dunmore without finalization of their project. 

A few weeks ago, PennDot started to work on the bridge portion of Rutter Ave. or what I call the hump of the Cross Valley.  This is a very high traffic area that links Kingston to Forty Fort and both communities to the Cross Valley Expressway.  It's a vital link between the West Side communities and the shopping areas up and around the Wyoming Valley Mall as well as Interstate 81.  Speaking of the Mall, does anyone actually shop there anymore?  Anyway, PennDot started work on the lane coming from Kingston to Forty Fort and blocked off the entire road starting just after the CV entrance.  Believe me, I am thrilled to death that they are repairing the bridge and the road to make it safer for drivers.  However, it seems to me that not a lot of thought was put into this plan other than to tear the place up and fix what may be broken.

What the brain surgeons at Penn Dot did was to prohibit traffic from moving in the North bound lanes totally while maintaining the two lanes moving South.  They did not split the South bound lanes into two lanes moving North and South.  Wouldn't that have made sense?  Instead the traffic can only move in one direction which causes drivers to go up E. Bennett St. to access Wyoming Ave to travel North.  This detour has now caused traffic jams at the light on the corner of E. Bennett and Wyoming Ave.  The jams have occurred because no one at PennDot thought far enough ahead to change the traffic signals to accommodate additional traffic.  Also, you have another light about 30 yards down the Ave., for the turn onto Church St..  When this light turns red, the traffic backs up past Bennett St. and stops people turning right with the green light to sit and wait.  Of course, when the light at Church turns green, the light at Bennett turns red.  A proverbial log jam of stupidity.

Speaking of stupidity and lights, lets talk about the light at the end of the CV exit ramp into Forty Fort.  Yes, its still functional even though absolutely NO traffic can come from the Kingston side.  WHAT?  WHAT?  ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?  Drivers have to actually stop at a red light even though there is a (0) zero chance of traffic coming from the other direction.  It may be one of the dumbest things I have ever seen.  Has anyone at PennDot actually thought about this?  I'm sure the answer is NO!  I just don't get it.  Maybe, they don't know how to change the signal pattern.  Maybe they forgot about it or maybe they just don't give a rats ass about it.

The Bottom Line here is since this functional light is so stupid, I regularly slow down and simply blow through it.  I drives me crazy when something doesn't make sense and I have to abide by it.  To all of you motorists who exit on this ramp, I say blow through this light whenever you can.  There is no way in hell that you can get hit by oncoming traffic while the lug nuts of PennDot are working on the bridge.  If someone in front of you is dumb enough to actually stop and wait for the light to turn green, lay on your horn until the nitwit in front of you goes deaf or runs the red light.  Wake up PennDot and think through these projects.  Think about not only the traffic problems that are caused by the direct work, but also the jam ups that may occur from the detours.

The U.S. House - Unfathomable Pinheadery

I know I was supposed to write about my weekend in Washington, DC and my participation in the Science March.  However, this past week, the U.S. House of Representatives jammed through a Republican created Healthcare Bill that is being referred to as the AHCA or Trump Care.  I felt that this would take preference over my march since this bill and the way it was handled really made me sick to my stomach.  The passage in the House of the AHCA was hailed as a major victory for the Republican members as well as President Trump who promised his supporters that one of the first things he would do once in office would be to "repeal and replace the disaster that we know as Obama care".  The Trumpster got his wish on May 4th when the Republican majority House led by Speaker of the House Paul "The Pinhead" Ryan virtually rammed this down America's throat.  This victory was so big for the Trumpster and his evil minions that he had all of the Republican "Yea" voters bused over to the White House for a big press conference in the Rose Garden.  Of course, he took credit for something he had very little to nothing to do with as usual.

For the record, I liked some of the parts of Obama care but did not care for others.  I guess most people could say this because certain areas of the plan helped or hurt Americans in different ways.  For example, I liked the part that allows your child to be on your health care plan until they are 26.  I liked it because my youngest son is 21 years old and could not currently afford to pay for health care.  One of the parts I didn't like was the mandatory health care for everyone or you get fined part.  I always have a problem when the federal, state or local governments tell me that I "have" to do something or else.  It's kind of like making the wearing of seat belts mandatory.  By not wearing a seat belt, I am not harming anyone but myself so why do I have to wear one?  By the way, I wear my seat belt every time I get in the car.

As for Trump Care, I have a few problems with it.

1. First off, this plan was put together and passed by the House in less than 2 months.  It makes me wonder if any legitimate thought about the American people was put into it.  Compared to the several months of preparation for Obama care, this was lightening fast.

2. Did you know that the Trump Care bill was actually submitted to the House as a budget reconciliation bill as part of the 2017 Federal Budget process?  It was presented this way because rules will not allow for any filibusters and that it can be passed through the Senate with a simple majority vote.  It would repeal the parts of the Affordable Care Act within the scope of the federal budget, including provisions contained within the Internal Revenue Code such as the individual and employer mandates and various taxes, and also allow modifications to the federal Medicaid program.  This seems somewhat underhanded, however it is within the rules.

3. The MacArthur amendment which was added to the plan to lure and reel in doubting Republicans allows insurers to charge enrollees in their 50s and early 60s more than younger enrollees.  I am 58 years old and have two words for this.  FUCK YOU!  It also allows states to waive essential health benefits and certain sections of the community rating program. The revised version of Trump Care weakens protections for insurance consumers with preexisting conditions while allowing insurers to charge people significantly more if they had a pre-existing condition.  This is a kick in the ass to many of our Senior citizens who struggle with major infliction's.

4. I have a real problem with a health care bill that effects the American people being created and passed by a bunch of rich men and women in Washington who have the best health care that the tax payers money can buy.  These ass clowns health care will not be effected in any way by this bill.  Maybe if it was, they would take their time to come up with a better bill or maybe entertain the thought of our federal government getting out of the health care business all together.

5. Finally, I really have a problem with a bill like this being passed without first being reviewed and approved by The Office of Management & Budget.  The OMB dissects and analyzes all budget type bills to access their financial stability.  In other words, they make sure that a bill makes sense financially.  Our members of the House rammed this bill through without getting a true view of how it will effect the federal budget as well as the pocketbooks of the American public.

The Bottom Line here is the Republican majority House rammed a new health care bill down America's throat without regard for "We the People".  They were more interested in pounding their proverbial chests to say that they got rid of Obama care.  This actually makes me sick!  I threw up 4 times when I heard this passed.  Instead of taking their time to create a plan that benefits most to all Americans, they jammed through a bill so they could finally get a victory.  It's wrong and it's time to get these unfathomable pinheads out of Washington.