I'm Smart About Intelligence, Most Times. But Senator, I'm Telling This Investigative Committee I Don't Know A Thing About America's Intelligence Ops

If this blogger were in position to make large bank but was handcuffed in my business dealings by being bound to secrecy, then I would separate (erect a bulkhead, firewall) my activities from that which binds me.

For instance, if I were a mega-million/alleged multi-billionare, and there were critical payment deadlines coming in my business affairs just as I was about to be sworn in as some country's chief executive, why I would firewall my CEO activities from any compromising national secrets until the coast was clear, say 12-18 months into the 4 year term...know what I mean.

And what is great is the system is set up - I mean, 'the system just might be set up so that my second-in-command could take over the role of directly managing that secret-activities department. You see what I'm getting at? Why, I could hold that top dog position forever and be untouchable as for conflict-of-interest...while, ahem, making very uuuge bank. They don't call me 'OP' for nada.

Sound familiar?

Election 2016: What happened, Why And Can It Be Returned for Credit (No!!)?

After a pause that did not bring clarity or even acceptance, Pericles21 felt it necessary to at least clear the mind of these musings about Election 2016.

At the base of these musings are two proposed 'Lessons for Future Dem Campaigns': (1) Give some love and scenarios for change to the common folk and their stresses, (2) Get serious about winning, stop the squabbling and bickering, get a unified and harmonious platform where the Johnson's and Steins and what else have to give up hoping for a miracle win and instead negotiate for a practical and vote-believable agenda.

Thoughts:
1. The Dems gave away the election.

2. Johnson and Jill acted like grade schoolers when they couldn't win the spotlight at the Democratic Convention and in spite took off with their marbles and doll babies...and wound up losing everything.

3. This topic merits its own item number: more, much more, was expected from the Dem Party women. They were looked at as breakers-of-the-mold (old WM behind-the-curtain deal makers). They were expected to give America and the world a solid, nurturing-of-planet earth but no bullshit seriousness for gamesters who seek only self-profit and delay and detouring of serious efforts by these women to FIX THINGS. Instead, they gave us junior high cliques and queen-bee adolescent, hidey-secret bound-to-fail frothiness and non-seriousness. Was it just only about HC's 'turn'? Wake up Dem women, American politics is not play-house time, this is serous shit times...get YOUR SHIT together..instead of fucking over each other give the opposition a good f'g over...there will be another go round on this story so..be present, be prepared and be serious.

4. On TV, Hillary acted like she was acting so she was not always with us - Hillary did not seem genuinely hungry or pissed. She seemed more tuned into big $ than to decades-ignored common folk who in turn seem to have forgotten her. (Lesson for the future)

5. Dems Forgot what a Convention was supposed to achieve - a unified, coherent and politically appealing platform reflecting a progressive agenda for the nation. An agenda that gave hope for ordinary long-ignored folk and hope for the several millions voters who found themselves left with no recourse for their economic stress except to vote for a default, 60% disliked Change Agent, DT.

Note: even tho there might have been major skullduggery by the Repubs in partnership with Russian state hackers, nevertheless, Pericles21 seemed to notice a vacuum in the Dem messaging when it came to offering help to, and appealing for help from, common folk. (Lesson for future Dem campaigns).

6. All in all, the Dems - party, Hillary, Johnson, Stein, Wasserman-Schultz, Brazile, etall - behaved like junior highschoolers play-acting at a pretend-election, class project that included clique shannanigans, favoritism, secrets...kid stuff. And with all the hacking going on, why didn't the players understand their shifty emailings would be hacked too (DB? W-S? HC?).

Citizen, Have You Heard, 'The Goths Have Entered Rome'?

An oral history, of five parts, in canto style:

Stanza One. Introduction.
The Goths Have Entered Rome. They sit at Caesar's table and gorge on the sacred geese. They eat sloppily off golden plates and slyly slip them into their mangy cloaks. Then toss gnawed bones to the floor. Caesar winces but none of the 'guests' notice his grimaces.

Stanza Two.
The Barbarians have breached Rome's gates. They defile the sacred Vestal Virgins (all 10's) while the august Senate, all acquiescent and smiling through slits in their fool-masks, bent-knee and mock-cheer through open but soundless mouths.

Stanza Three.
The Barbarians strut the Capitol's avenues all in wonder. Yet they yearn to be elsewhere, among more familiar prey, around dancing campfires brightly sparkling with agreeable company agog in wonder at loot and booty pillaged from Rome's coffers. More booty, of various nature, to decorate the fort Towers of this other land, of the Barbarians.

Stanza Four.
Caesar and Romans-publius have yearnings also and offer sacrifice and pleadings that the Gods may grant the Barbarians' wishes and return them forthwith to wherever they dream - places that match their natures, their lusts, their insatiable purposes . In Rome, the Barbarians find no quenching of their lust and restless pacing. Forever are in thrall to the call of their lust-filled horizons.

Stanza Five.
The Barbarians seek to assume Rome's mantle by taking over her affairs of state. They call treaty gatherings and seek to impress ambassadors from Caesar's dependencies. Who they entertain with tossings of gold, banquets served with their most favored and still bloody slain forest creatures, and tales of orgiastic conquests and bold-lie conquerings. Only to see the ambassadors in flight confused, fearful and lamenting.

How shall this tale end? Who shall prevail? What die faces will Fate, gambling, toss? Will sly Comey-tus, Rome's darting-eyed, slithering serpent from the gutters experience chopped head or will his bite be felt again - but this time by his handlers?