Why are some States Red and Some States Blue? Well, I'll tell you.

Did you ever wonder where the colors ‘blue’ for Democratic states and ‘red’ for Republican states came from?  I did.  The colors seem counter-intuitive, don’t they?  Lincoln was a Republican and the Union Army wore blue.  Political leftists, socialist, anarchists, and dare I say communists, have, over the years, been referred to as ‘Reds.’  The 1981 motion picture ‘Reds’ staring Warren Beatty was about a leftist activist and socialist writer.  Democrats are now described as on the ‘left;’ and Republicans on the ‘right.’

So I wondered if modern day journalists, or even politicians, sat down together and decided that calling the Democratic states 'red states' cut a little too close to the bone; and was, perhaps, inappropriate.  But, why are there Blue and Red states anyway?  Why not green and yellow, or some other combination?

Well, it appears that the color coding of states during elections was mostly due to color television.  During the 1976 Presidential Election, NBC constructed a large illuminated US map.  If Jimmy Carter (the Democrat) won a state, it lighted-up red.  If Gerald Ford (the Republican) won a state it lighted up blue.  This manner of reporting the states’ election results subsequently became very popular and ubiquitous.  But, as you might have noted, the colors, at the time, were the opposite of what they are now.

In the 1984 Presidential election, CBS used the opposite color scheme; red for Republican and blue for Democrat.  However, various networks and news sources used either.

During the 2000 Presidential election, most news sources had decided on red for Republican and blue for Democrat.  When a Time Magazine representative was asked why that was.  He remarked that ‘red’ starts with an R and so does Republican.  Yes, well, OK, I guess that makes sense.

So there you have it.  Believe it or not.

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Brittany Maynard / and the 'God' Issue

I wasn’t going to comment on this situation.  It is so intensely personal for her and her family.  I know most of you have already read much about this.  I’m referring to Brittany Maynard, the young woman, who on Saturday took her own life under Oregon’s Death with Dignity statute.  A recent resident of Portland, she and her husband had moved here from California so that she could have some control over her remaining days.  She had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and had only weeks to live.

Brittany, 29 years-old at the time of her medically supervised self-inflicted death, must have been an extremely brave and pragmatic person.  Some call it suicide.  Some call it a merciful end.  It appears that Brittany made her decision to relieve her own suffering, as well as the suffering of her immediate family.

That said, I’m writing because the ‘God’ issue has come up.

As reported in the news media:  “A senior Vatican official has condemned as wicked the assisted suicide of Brittany Maynard, an American woman suffering from terminal brain cancer.”  And per the official:  “… to commit suicide is not a good thing, it is a wicked thing because it is saying no both to one's own life and to everything which signifies respect for our mission in this world and towards those closest to us.”

In view of circumstances, this statement by the Vatican was, to me, offensive.  I’m not a Catholic.  I should acknowledge that fact.  I can best describe myself as an Agnostic.  And, I am not qualified to discuss religious doctrine.  However, it appears that God is the issue and the fanciful dictates of those who presumably are in the know.  Am I right?  And, is not the Vatican attempting to speak on behalf of God?

I know these two facts.  No one, including the Pope, knows if there is a God.  On the other hand, no one including our most learned scientists know that there is not a God.  No one.  Absolutely no one.  And, as a result, no one knows what constitutes sin in the eyes of a possible God or an improbable God – depending upon your perspective.

Mr. Senior Vatican Official, I wish you would have kept your comments to yourself.  Let this young woman rest in peace.  And, if you have some spare time on your hands, how about pontificating on ISIS?  Talk about wicked.


True Nelson

Oregon Election / Candidates and Ballot Measures / How I Voted

November 4^th, Election Day, is fast approaching.  I sent in my ballot today.

For those outside of Oregon, you should understand that we have a vote-by-mail process.  Ballots have already been received by the registered voters in the State and quite a few Oregonians have already voted.

What do I think about voting by mail?  Well, it's convenient, but there is definitely an opportunity for minor fraud with that system, and I am sure it exists to some degree.  I would prefer voting in person and showing photo ID prior to casting one’s ballot; but, of course, that concept is abhorrent to a predominately ‘blue state’ like Oregon.  So we tolerate a little fraud here and there.  Things like a friend or family member voting for an elderly person – and then having the elderly person scribble their name on the ballot.  Do I know for a fact that such practices have occurred?  Yes.

I don’t vote on every ballot measure or political position.  For example, I did not vote for the position of US House of Representatives.  Why bother?  Earl Blumenauer, the Democrat, will win this District.  It’s a no-contest.  Districts have been ‘gerrymandered’ to the point that there is no actual contest in some of them.  Party big-wigs pick the candidate, and the candidate wins in a landslide by acquiring as little as 10% of the votes of those citizens actually registered in the District.  It’s embarrassing.  It’s really kind of sad, kind of pathetic.

I voted for Measure 90; “Changes general election nomination processes: provides for single primary ballot listing candidates; top two advance.”  As an Independent, for example, I can’t vote in the Primary in any significant way.  Well, they try to make believe you can participate by organizing some hokey primary for the Independents, but it really means nothing.  Oh, I know, it’s possible under this proposed system that, in subsequent general elections, we could have two Democrats running against each other in this District.  But, we’d still have a choice – which we do not now have.

I voted against Legalized Recreational Marijuana.  If you’ve read my previous blog posts on this subject, that probably comes as no surprise.  My concern is for kids and young people.  It just sends the wrong message.  Enough said…

I voted against Measure 88; “Provides Oregon resident ‘driver card’ without requiring proof of legal presence in the United States.”  Yes, I’ve heard all the arguments in favor.  I just can’t understand why we should facilitate, encourage, act as an accomplice to anyone breaking Federal Law (Misprision of a Felony).  However, such dubious and vacillating legal standards seem to be becoming more and more prevalent.

Yes, and I am including Legalized Recreational Marijuana in this opinion.  We either have laws or we don’t.  And, please don’t tell me the roads will be safer with ‘illegal immigrants’ driving around and those others, who are so inclined, smoking a ‘joint.’

Think about this.  They say that the ‘illegal immigrants’ who are given a ‘driver card’ will be required to have insurance.  That’s nice.  What insurance company is going to give an ‘illegal’ liability insurance, without the State of Oregon indemnifying the company?  And, wouldn’t this insurance, logically, be very expensive?

Let me give you a hypothetical.  An ‘illegal’ is involved in a very serious accident to which he has been presumed liable.  Let’s say this is a multi-million dollar suit involving someone left permanently paralyzed.  In the meantime, said ‘illegal’ has returned to his country of origin and left his insurance company to defend a case without the insured being present.  Trust me.  Insurance companies consider these potential circumstances and charge premiums accordingly.

Answer:  The State of Oregon will have to make certain guarantees to indemnify insurance companies or those companies will not insure ‘illegals.’  And, as a result, if you’re still with me, you will already have guessed who ultimately will pay the multi-million dollar judgment, the Oregon taxpayers.

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Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber (Co-conspirator, Sugar Daddy or Naïve Victim) / Re: Cylvia Hayes

OK, let’s get serious.  You don’t seriously believe, do you, that Governor Kitzhaber (age 67) did not know about the past history of Cylvia Hayes (age 47), his long-time girlfriend and recent fiancée?  Come on, Kitzhaber is an educated man, an apparently sophisticated man, surrounded by advisors; and nobody, including the Governor, thought to check into Cylvia’s background:  her past marriages, her allegedly illegal marijuana grow operation, etc., etc.

Doesn’t this sound a little like the Neil Goldschmidt cover-up?  Neil, our past and possibly our most infamous Governor, molested a young girl over a period of time.  But, those around him who would have known, or suspected what was occurring, kept quiet.  Yes, unfortunately, that’s professional politics ladies and gentlemen.  And, when these little indiscretions surface, everybody denies knowledge or extends a weepy apology with the expectation that all will be forgiven.  Are we that gullible?  Answer:  yes.  Kitzhaber, the Democrat, supported by the public employee unions, minorities, abortion advocates, recreational marijuana advocates and the generally uninformed, will win re-election in a walk.

Of Note:

Hayes took $5000, in 1997, to participate in a sham marriage to an Ethiopian immigrant – allowing him permanent residency in the U.S.  Hayes’ action was a Federal felony.  She was never prosecuted because the information, reportedly, just recently surfaced.  Hayes made a tearful confession for the media saying that Kitzhaber never knew about the previous marriage.  Yes, of course he didn’t.

Another recent report discovered that she was involved with a “dangerous man” (her words) in an intended marijuana grow operation in Washington – if discovered, at the time, another potential felony.

And, then, of course, there have been complaints to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission that Hayes has used her close association with the Governor to further her own questionable career.  Complaints which, to no one’s particular surprise, were largely determined to be unfounded.

What is that saying?  ‘Birds of a feather flock together.’

True Nelson

My Associate, Watson, Unsuccessful Mole Hunt

Bear with me.  I will get back to my blog theme very shortly.  Today, however, I had some outdoor projects to work on.  My sidekick, Watson, kept busy trying to unearth a mole.  However, no luck.  As you can see, his bath was to follow.

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Mount Hood was Spectacular

Today, I put more important considerations aside, like Ebola and ISIS, and decided to visit Timberline.  The day was perfect and Mount Hood was spectacular.

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Prostitution: Everyone Has an Opinion, Everyone is Wrong (Final Comments)

When I was in corporate security with a major company, I was having dinner with one of the company’s facility managers.  Nice guy.  He was asking me about my previous experience in the FBI; and the topic of Margo St. James and prostitution came up.  He said that he wanted to ask me something – kind of personal.

He went on to say that his wife had, for the most part, lost interest in sex – and, in fact, she never had much interest, although they had conceived two children together.  He said that about every six months he and his wife would drive to Nevada and visit the casinos.  In addition, they would usually take a drive to one of the adjacent counties where prostitution is legal; and visit a business like the Mustang Ranch.  While his wife read a book in the car, he would go inside and hire a prostitute.  He asked me if I thought this was weird.  Although at the time I did think that our conversation had taken an odd turn, and that it was really more than I cared to know about his personal life, I responded:  “No, not at all.”  And, I was being truthful.  If that arrangement was fine with his wife, why would or should anyone else care?

And, why is most of the public, apparently, against prostitution (sex exchanged for money), when it’s all around us in various guises?  I’m really not quite sure.  Let’s be clear.  I’m not referring to pimping, violence or exploiting minors.  I’m talking about two consenting adults.

Oregon law reads as follows:

§ 167.007¹

Prostitution

A person commits the crime of prostitution if the person engages in, or offers or agrees to engage in, sexual conduct or sexual contact in return for a fee.

§ 167.008¹ 

Patronizing a prostitute

A person commits the crime of patronizing a prostitute if the person pays, or offers or agrees to pay, a fee to engage in sexual conduct or sexual contact.

Both are misdemeanors under Oregon law.

Pretty straightforward description of what constitutes the crime of ‘prostitution’ and ‘patronizing a prostitute,’ isn’t it?  And, I might add, it’s very cleverly worded.  If, for example, you were to remove the word ‘fee’ and replace it with the word ‘money’ or ‘gratuity’: well, you can see the problems that might jump out.  You would have opened Pandora’s Box.  This could then apply to many marriages, cohabitating couples, girlfriends and ‘one-night-stands.’  Unless the woman, in such a relationship, could prove that she was self-supporting or did not actually have sex with her partner, paramour or date; and if the more intimate circumstances were to become known, than we might have a prima facie case for prostitution.

Said law, ambiguous at best, victimless perhaps, begs the question; don’t our law enforcement agencies have something better to occupy their time?

The folks in Tigard should pose that question to the Chief of Police.

Tigard, Oregon Police Make Major Prostitution Bust!

Part 2

Part 3

Everyone is Wrong

Margo St. James / COYOTE

True Nelson