The Final, Final Goodbye

   It's been months since I posted anything on this platform, and quite frankly, I'm tired of it. That's why this will be the final blog here. I've simply run out of new, not re-hashed, material and (to be brutally honest) I've lost all interest and enthusiasm for this.
   I would like to thank all of you who have put up with the bullshit I've spewed over the years here. And looking back, it's been an awful lot of bullshit. Unlike the last time I quit, only to come back, this is the final goodbye.
   I wish you all well, and thanks for viewing this.

   So, for the final time: "Nuff Said"
Senor Ratbag.

Uh, Maybe They Should Change His Name

   Saw this on a pals Facebook page, and had to share. Seems Netflix is teaming up with other production companies to make a samurai type Game of Thrones-esque docu-drama based on feudal Japan. Sounds interesting. The show, "Age Of Samurai: Battle For Japan". It's billed as a multi-episode stylized drama about a real samurai.
   Our protagonist, Date Masamune, plucked out his own eye to combat a smallpox infection. That move, apparently, spawned his nickname. I'm not making this up, either "the One Eyed Dragon". Now maybe I'm still in junior high school, with my mind firmly in the gutter, but "one eyed dragon", to me and a few friends, could be misconstrued for a certain part of the male anatomy. I just wonder if he has a purple helmet.
   I told you my mind was stuck in a junior high school gutter. Will I watch? Probably not, although it would be interesting to see who gets to ride the dragon.
   'Nuff said.

It's Been Waaayyyyy Too Long

   In fact, it's been months since my last post, and I chalk it up to bone-idle laziness. No excuses. Just fucking lazy. So, what woke me from my stupor? Another Donald Trump gaffe? If that'd been the case, this forum would have been flooded. Another sexual abuse allegation against the catholic church? Once again, this forum would have been flooded. Another religious "televangelist" scamming his "flock" (maybe fleecing would be a better way of putting it)...Yes!
   Ken Copeland is the asshat in the Ratbag spotlight, and it goes back to 2015, when he said he "needed" a $54 million private jet. Not just for his "ministry", but also to jet to private vacations. Why not fly commercial Ken? Well, apparently he said if he did, he wouldn't be able to do 65% of the work he gets through on his private jet.
   Apparently, the whole thing stems from an interview the shyster did in late '15, which went viral not long ago. What's Kens defense? "It's a biblical thing". I shit you not, that's what he said. He's apparently also a "prosperity gospel" preacher, which basically cons the mugs (his "followers") by saying faith, in the form of donations, leads to "riches down the line". Seems to me the only fucker getting rich is Kenny baby.
   Anyway, he's got himself a nice, shiny Gulfstream V, capable of seating up to 19. Or just one televangelist asshole, and 18 bags of money.
   What's the point of this quickly becoming a rant post? Simple. Religion is a sham, and it's overlords like Kenny, the pope and others are running a pyramid scheme or a Ponzi in which the leaders get rich off the followers. 'Twas ever thus.
   And before you condemn me to hell, I remind you that like heaven, I don't believe it exists. Hell! Even pope Frankie says it don't!
'Nuff said.

Computers

   When they work, they're great, ain't they? When they don't work, they're just a fucking oversize paperweight. The hunk of junk I'm posting on went paperweight a while back, hence the lack of entries.
   What happened? Well, I had to do a hard power-down to get my printer to shut off. And not being able to wedge myself into the small opening where the power cord is for the printer (and also unable to get to the power input on the goddamn thing), I had to shut off everything.
   It worked. Only too well. Not only did my POS printer finally shut down, but (because I effectively pulled the plug on the whole system) everything did. It came up fine when I reset the power. But everything was fucked. Couldn't log on to FB, couldn't log on to You Tube, you get the picture. I eventually did, by having to sign on again to all the affected sites. But I lost fucking everything. All links, playlists and this blog.
   How did I get things back? A lot of trial and error. A lot of re-entering logons, passwords etc. I finally hit the right combination, and all my shit came back. Properly.
   Lesson learned: Don't fuck with your power cables when trying to shut down 1 piece of gear. Also, make room to wedge my fat ass into a space to pull the plug on just the piece of gear that ain't working. And also write down the log-on and passwords for EVERY FUCKING SITE somewhere so I don't have to go through all this bullshit again.
   'Nuff said.

More Words

   But still no action. Pope Frankie wrapped up a 4 day summit on sexual abuse by clergy saying abusers in the catholic church will "face the wrath of god". I'd rather have them face the wrath of fellow prisoners, who usually don't take kindly to kiddie-diddlers.
   He offered an 8-point pledge "going forward", calling for change in the church's 'defensive mentality', and a vow to never again cover up abuse cases. Fine, as far as it goes. But it don't go far enough. If Frank really meant to do anything, he would've ordered his minions to crack open the secret books I'm sure are stored somewhere inside the vatican, go through them, find out where the living abusers (and those who shuffled them around so they could continue to diddle) are and turn the whole file over to the cops in every country involved. As for those priests who raped nuns, same as above.
   Until and unless something concrete is done, this is nothing more than another slap on the wrist for the abuser assholes, and another crack (let them come quickly) in the wall of a truly evil institution that's been allowed to get away with far too much shit for far too long. If no action is taken, then this "summit" is just More Words.
   'Nuff said

Well, Well, Well

   Seems the catholic church is enveloped in yet another sex scandal. And this one's a bit of a surprise. Not that it's continuing to happen, or the pope was (again) late in addressing it. But the fact he's admitting it at all. No, it's got nothing to do with priests and/or bishops abusing children or other parishioners. In fact, it's close to 100% certainly been going on for centuries, and swept under the rug not only by Frankie, but all his predecessors It's their men of god (priests/bishops) raping nuns. Yup! You read that right. Priests/bishops raping nuns.
   Again, no real surprise. Things got so bad that one entire congregation of nuns was disbanded by pope Benny. But again, in case after case after case, they did what they always do, and are best at doing: Sweet. Fuck. All.
   Some of the rape victims were ordered to have abortions by the priests/bishops who impregnated them, and those who had the little bastard kids saw their fathers simply wash their hands of their own offspring. Most likely so as not to catch shit from the higher-ups. Who ignored the issue, as always.
   Hell, Frankie went so far as to say nuns were being held as sexual slaves. Again, not really a big surprise, since these assholes can't, or won't, keep their cocks in their cassocks. And if the scope of the whole sordid mess wasn't brought to light recently, I sure as fuck wouldn't be blogging about it now, because the church would again do Sweet Fuck All. Frankie admits it's a "problem" (big of him), and says "more action is needed". What that means wasn't said.
   I'm also near 100% certain there's consensual fucking going on between priests/bishops and nuns as well. With more bastard kids as a result. And it's parishioners who are paying to cover the entire mess up every week when they drop that envelope into that dish.
   Just another wholesome life lesson from the demonically evil institution known as the catholic church.
  'Nuff said.

Merry New Year (A Week Late)

   So, 2019 arrived, and in my household, safely. As custom (and old age) dictate, the missus and I did not ring in the New Year, choosing to retire, and fall asleep, several hours earlier.

   Lots of people make new years resolutions, only to see them broken by this point in the month. There are some who stick with their regimen, and kudos to them for doing it.

   I make the same resolution every year, and have for the past 35+ years. Every New Years Eve I resolve to not make any New Years resolutions. And I'm always successful in keeping it, which wasn't always the case in years past.

   Waking up with a pounding head, queasy stomach and "screaming eagle" shits January 1st almost always lead me to swear off booze. Which I'd manage to keep until I started feeling better. I do admit I did quit drinking 13 years ago, and, aside from the odd beer every 2 months, I've kept the promise.

   What does 2019 hold? If I knew, I'd be fucking rich right now. But I don't, and I'm not. So, I'll play 2019 the same as every year. Plod through the best I can. And not get fucking rich.

   'Nuff said. 

Happy Ho Ho!

   For those who believe in it, Merry Christmas. For the rest of us, Happy Holiday, and enjoy Tuesday off.

   'Nuff said.

Got What He Deserved

   That is, or more properly WAS, John Chau. The self-styled christian "missionary" met his end this past week on North Sentinel Island, in the Bay of Bengal off India. The selfish bitch was trying to "convert" the Sentinelese when he met his doom. No, not an accident. Not even an act of his so-called "god" (which failed to protect him, by the way).

   He was killed by the people who live on the island, and have done so for the past 55 thousand years. The Sentinelese are supposedly the direct descendents of the original people who started migrating out of Africa. They want to be left alone and uncontacted. The Indian government has declared their island restricted, off limits, a no-go zone, or whatever you wanna call it.

   Not that  there hasn't been contact in the past. A sailing ship in the 1800's was supposedly the first, and were greeted with outright hostility and aggression. A few years back, 2 fishermen accidentally drifted close, and both were killed. The only "friendly" contact, insomuch as they didn't attack intruders, was in 1991.

   Chau made the conscious decision to go. They fired arrows at him the first time he tried to land. The 2nd time, they broke his kayak and killed him. Good for them.

   I just hope the stupid dingle-berry didn't have something like flu or measles. Having lived in isolation for thousands of years, they're not immune, and the tribe (said to number anywhere from 40 to 500) could be wiped out.

   'Nuff said.

This Is Getting Tiresome

   Once again in America, the "Thoughts and Prayers" factory has gone into overdrive after a gun-toting maniac opened fire on a bunch of innocent people with the only goal to kill or wound as many as possible. This time 12 died when a 28 year old ex-marine supposedly suffering PTSD opened up in a bar in Thousand Oaks, California with a Glock 21

   And an extended magazine, before allegedly turning it on himself. Among the dead was a sheriff's deputy who was among the first law enforcement teams at the scene. Apparently the man (who's name HAS been released but who I won't identify 'cause he's a piece of shit) shot a security guard outside the bar before entering to start his rampage.
   It was just October 27th another nutbar with an assault rifle opened fire in a Synagogue, killing 11. Does America have a gun problem? The NRA and president "The Donald" would say "no". Bull Fucking Shit. It's become almost a daily occurrence when I tune into my local radio station and hear of yet another shooting. In fact, in the past 311 days of 2018, there have been 307 mass shootings, leaving 328 dead.
   Some of the people I follow on social media, who happen to be American, would suggest armed guards in public places. They also say if "someone had a concealed, the death toll wouldn't be so high", an actual quote. Bull Fucking Shit again. True, someone packing heat may get a lucky chance for a lucky shot to halt a rampage, but would more likely add to the death toll by hitting more innocent bystanders.
   This has quickly, and unintentionally, turned into a rant, but the bottom line here is that the U.S government, while not repealing their precious 2nd amendment, needs to look at some form of gun control. Either that, or start building more "Thoughts and Prayers" factories.
   Rant (now) over.
   'Nuff said.

Only In America!

   That's Dennis Hof. Republican and brothel owner. He was also elected to the Nevada State Assembly in Tuesday's mid-term elections in the U.S. The 72 year old called himself the "Trump of Pahrump". Pahrump being a town west of Vegas, near the California border. And also the site of the "invasion" in the 'Mars Attacks' movie.

   Hof defeated a Democrat to win the seat, but there's a problem. A very large problem. Hof was buried Monday. He actually died October 16th at his Love Ranch brothel. Despite his no longer being with us, his campaign manager kept the ball rolling, urging folks to vote for Hof. Which they did. In enough numbers to secure that State Assembly seat. Apparently, the rules state people can elect someone posthumously, and the party will select his/her successor.

   I don't know, or really want to, if part of his campaign at his brothels included a "Hump for Hof" event, with the prospective electorate doing the "polling". All I do know is with various governments all fucking us over, it kinda made sense for a whorehouse operator to get erected...sorry...elected. At least at his businesses, you could actually see what was going to fuck you.

   'Nuff said.

Discrimination?

   I might be treading on thin ice over deep water here, but this is, to me at least, a little bit of a double standard, and possible reverse discrimination. And it's over this:

   A "straight" flag that was flying outside a small town in eastern Canada. For a day. Until people complained, and it was removed. The town on question says flying the flag (and the request to do so) met Charter of Rights and Freedom criteria. Much the same as the pride flag

   Does for the LGBTQ community. Those are flown in countless communities across Canada, and I'm sure there are plenty of people who'd like to see it removed. For the record: I'm not a member of the LGBTQ community, but I have no problem with them celebrating. And that's where the double-standard kicks in, because if the LGBTQ community can celebrate, why can't the straight community?
   The backlash to the straight flag was swift, with one person calling it a symbol of hate. Which I think goes way too far. Without getting into the politics or histrionics of how and why the Pride movement started, I understand their concerns.
   Moving further over that thin ice, it almost seems like the "straight" community is now being marginalized, although I admit not to the extent of the LGBT.
   So, I have a simple solution. Lets forget about who's fucking who with what, gay or straight, and concentrate on being human regardless of orientation.
   Rant over:
   'Nuff said

Fuck You Frankie (With All Due Respect)

   Seems pope Frankie has pinned the blame for the recent spate of accusations about the catholic church's kiddie diddling priests. Nope! Not on the clergy, but on the devil, satan himself. Cough (bullshit) cough. Frankie also asked catholics to prey (sorry, pray. Prey is what priests sexually see children as) every day in October, to try and beat old Beelzebub back.
   Good fuckin' luck. The problem ain't with the man "downstairs", but your own clergy for not only raping children (allegedly), but covering it up, and moving those responsible to other parishes where they can diddle again. Just seems old Frankie has turned a blind eye to the problem. Like just about every other pope, cardinal (not the birds), archbishop etc.
   Apparently, one archbishop, who was the vatican's ambassador to Washington, is fighting back, accusing Frank of knowing about sexual misconduct by U.S clergy with male seminarians, and doing sweet fuck all about it. Which has been denounced, naturally.
   No, the problem is not with "the great accuser", as Frankie called the devil, but with priests etc. not being able to keep their cocks inside their cassocks.
   Apparently, the rot has started inside now. Bring it!
   'Nuff said!

Well Here's A Surprise (NOT) Part 2

   Seems the catholic church has struck...AGAIN. This time, the kiddy diddling clergy in Germany is under fire. Seems some 17 hundred perverts abused almost 37 hundred people between 1946 and 2014. And like the story from Pennsylvania, it's not likely any will face justice. Again, due to the fact that many of the assholes have died, along with some of their victims.

   And like the case in Pennsylvania, the higher-ups apparently did sweet fuck all, other than to move the abusers to other parishes, where they were free to abuse again. How high up? Well, the vatican says they're preparing "necessary clarifications" (whatever the fuck that means), about top officials, including pope Frankie, who may have covered up allegations against an American cardinal (not the bird) in the Pennsylvania case. No word what's going to happen with this new batch from Deutschland.

   You also gotta wonder how long it'll be before we hear more tales of debauchery about these so-called "men of god". All I can say it "bring it". The more, the merrier. And even more hammer blows against a vastly evil institution that needs to be crumbled and turned into dust.

   For the record, I was not brought up catholic, and have (luckily) never been the victim of abuse at the hands of any 'clergy', or others. Regular viewers will know I'm an atheist who sees religion as a demonic invention of man. Now it's up to men, and women, to end it all.

   'Nuff said.

You Want Us To What Now?

      That's 93 year old Russ Nelson, and he's 'president' of the mormon church. And he wants us all, even non-members, to stop using the phrase 'mormon". In fact, he is insisting we stop using the term 'mormon' and use the full name "the church of jesus christ of later day saints". And no more abbreviating it to LDS, either. I think old Russ is on LSD.
   His pronouncement comes after he supposedly 'heard from god in a 'revelation' to make the change from 'mormon'. Sure he did. I'll betcha if ol' Russ actually DID hear from the made up cloud rider in the sky, he'd probably shit his pants, wondering if he'd been 'called home'.
   I dunno how he's going to work the re-branding into the 'book of mormon' or the 'mormon tabernacle choir', rather than the new tcojcolds. Something tells me it won't roll off the tongue like 'mormon'.
   And as for his insistence that non believers quit using the term 'mormon', I don't think so.
   'Nuff said.

Well Here's A Surprise (NOT)

   Seems up to 300 former catholic priests and even higher ups in Pennsylvania have been implicated in a report by a Grand Jury of raping and/or abusing literally THOUSANDS of children over the past 70 years.
   The pedophiles are alleged to have done everything from raping a 7 year old girl, to getting a 17 year old pregnant, marrying and then divorcing her. One of the fuckers apparently abused 5 sisters IN THE SAME FAMILY. And why was nothing done? Because true to form, their higher-ups simply swept it under the carpet, and moved the ass-cunts responsible to another parish. Where they were free to do it all over again. Not only that, but one bishop is said to have thanked one priest who assaulted at least 12 boys, and fucking admitted it, for the "work he had done for god's people".
   How many of these shits will be brought to justice? Probably round about none. A lot of them have probably already croaked, hopefully of stomach cancer in some part of the world where the most potent pain reliever is kiddies aspirin. The other reason, is most of the incidents fall outside the State's statute of limitations.
   This just goes to reinforce a point I've made time and time again. The catholic church is an evil organization, where kiddie-diddling priests don't even get a pee-pee whack for their actions, let alone turned over to the cops for prosecution. It's a scam, pyramid scheme or Ponzi, where people have their money sucked out of them every week so the 'church' can pay off those brave enough to challenge it's 'authority'.
   Hopefully, this will be one hammer blow toward the eventual downfall and disintegration of a corrupt, violent, money grubbing Mafia-like organization.
   And no, you do not want to know how I really feel.
  'Nuff said

They Had A Child?

   Saw this on a friends facebook page, and had to share here. Especially after my last blog entry (They Met Part 2). Some wit at Time Magazine got very creative, and superimposed (or morphed. Whatever you wanna call it) Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin together. Sort of a post summit meeting of the presidents.

   My buddy said something to the effect of if the 2 were ever to have a love-child, this is what it could look like. He went on to thank Time for giving the world Vladonald Trumputin"..

   Only question I have is which one is the others bitch?

   'Nuff said.

They Met: Part 2 ***EDITED***

   This time, U.S prez "The" Donald Trump had a face to face with Russia's Vlad Putin. I'm not a political commentator, nor was I a fly on the wall of the meeting. But it's been interesting to hear and read what American politicians and others think.
   A former head of the CIA says Trump was "treasonous" for accepting Vlad's 'assurances' that Russia did not meddle in the 2016 election. Despite what Trumpty Dumpty's OWN intelligence community has told him (even though Dapper Don says he asked his bestie Vlad personally).
   Reaction from the Democrats was as expected, but even members of Trump's own Republican party are stating to ask WTF is he doing? Not surprisingly, the critics include Senator John McCain, who isn't exactly warm to Trump. And "The Governator" Arnold Schwarzenegger (who is REALLY not a Trump fan) also chimed in, calling the POTUS a "wet noodle"
   And even some of Don's inner circle said he shouldn't have even met Vlad. Did The Prez get played for a fool? I dunno, but I guess this image may be a lot closer to the truth than most of us (especially Trump) would like it to be.

   'Nuff said
   So, no sooner than I posted this, D.T came out saying he "misspoke" at the Helsinki summit, and has "confidence" in the U.S Intel agencies. He also went on to say he accepted their conclusion that Russia DID meddle in the election. Nice back-track Donny! So, if your Intel people ARE right afterall, will you do the honorable thing and resign? Oh, wait sorry. My bad. Trump has NEVER done an honorable fucking thing in his life!

They Met

   Kim Jong Trump and Donald Un did their summit in Singapore this week. Now, we just have to find out exactly what the fuck went on. And if they actually achieved anything. If you want all the political ins and outs, you might wanna check your favourite news feed.

   What I got out of the meeting was a lot of platitudes back and forth between The Donald and his new bestie. There were, from what I've gleaned out of the nearly non-stop coverage, a few vague promises from both leaders. Kim says he'll shut his missile test site (probably 'cause he don't need it anymore), while Donny says he'll halt joint military war games with South Korea (because he says it'll save the U.S money).

   That's all well and good, as far as it goes. Both leaders put on their best smiley faces for the cameras, but I'd like to have been a fly on the wall when they were flying back to their respective capitals. THAT would be some interesting listening, to be sure, as each gave an unfiltered view of the other. With the adult language filter off.

   Still, such a meeting is progress, and Trump apparently invited Kim to the White House, while Kim apparently invited The Donald to Pyongyang. Hopefully, we'll actually see some détente from this meeting, instead of the 2 trading insults and threats.

   But the sceptic in me wonders who played who as the biggest fool?

   'Nuff said.

Better Ideas, Huh?

   Yup! The "Better Ideas" people have come up with a real fucking winner this time. You no doubt know Ford is cutting all car production (except the Mustang, and maybe 1 or 2 others) by 2020. They'll instead shine the spotlight on trucks, SUV's and CUV's, citing customer preferences. So, bye-bye Focus, Taurus, Fusion, Fiesta etc.

   Another reason cited was cheap gas. Bullshit! A litre in my neck of the woods is going for about $1.27, roughly 1 U.S greenback. That means (in my neck of the woods) 1 U.S gallon costs about $3.68, in U.S funds. Taking into account the U.S gallon is smaller that the imperial unit we use here, about 4.54 litres per gallon. Which translates into about $5.65 an imperial gallon.

   I dunno what fuel consumption is like on the newer trucks, SUV's and CUV's, but you can bet your bottom dollar it ain't anywhere near what I'm getting on my Japanese compact. 45 MPG (in imperial measurement).

   I also dunno what insurance costs on the bigger vehicles. Truth to tell, I dunno what mine runs at. I just put money into my expense account 2 times a month, and let things fly.

   Bottom line here is I think Ford is making one huge fucking mistake here. Sure, it's great when gas is (relatively) cheap, but here in Canada, people are already drilling holes into other people's gas tanks and draining them. Maybe (but I doubt it) Ford will come to their senses and rethink cutting almost all of their car production before it's too late.

   'Nuff said.