Trump announces ban on transgendered people in the military

This is a common sense move by our president. Call me cruel, but I view transgenderism as a mental illness.

From Fox News:

President Trump tweeted Wednesday that the U.S. government will not allow transgender people “to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military.”

In a series of tweets, he wrote:

"After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow...Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming..victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you."

Teacher’s union president compares school choice to segregation

Sheesh, where do they get these people? The president of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, compared school choice to segregation.

Most inner city kids are already segregated into failing government-run schools, or course.

I'm back from vacation

Yes, I am back from vacation!

From Da Tech Guy: A brief summary of the witch hunt plots to oust Trump

Hello friends. First, an announcement. I will be on vacation this week. Blogging will be close non-existent. Before I leave, I have my latest Da Tech Guy post for you. Enjoy! A brief summary of the witch hunt plots to overthrow Trump.

Johnny Cash: Big River

I work in Des Plaines, Illinois--and in case you haven't heard, the Des Plaines River, mostly north of me so far, is at flood stage.

Rivers have been on my mind, understandably of late, so naturally, as most sane people do in troubled times, I am turning to Johnny Cash as he sings "Big River."

Trump Weekly Address 7/14/17

In his weekly address, President Donald J. Trump declared that the "ObamaCare nightmare" will soon be over.

"We are very, very close to ending this healthcare nightmare. We are so close. The legislation working its way through Congress provides the choice and control people want, the affordability they need and the quality they deserve in healthcare," he said.

Dobbs: Leftists are attempting a coup against Trump

Of the constant barrage of exaggerated if not completely false stories of collusion between Donald Trump and Russia, Lou Dobbs tells Sean Hannity, "This is about a full-on assault by the left--the Democratic Party--to absolutely carry out a coup d'etat against President Trump, aided by the left-wing media."

Read the bill! Madigan sneaks gasoline tax hike into Illinois budget bill

Did the Madigan 15 turncoat Republicans--contact information in this link--read the 32 percent personal income tax hike bill? Oh, long-suffering Illinoisans will see smaller paychecks now thanks to Illinois Democratic Party boss Michael Madigan.

And the taxing isn't done there.

From ABC Chicago:

Tucked inside the 583-page budget bill are a few pages that detail a hidden tax hike. It's expected to raise $95 million for the state, but it means we'll be paying more every time we fill up our gas tank.

Gas prices in Chicago are currently $0.44 a gallon higher than the national average and they will soon be going up even more.

"It's just ridiculous," said Daphne Stratta, of Chicago. "I mean, gas is already so expensive in this city, I try as much to go to the suburbs, just the taxing is getting more and more."

That's because of the elimination of a 20-percent sales tax credit that was given to wholesalers on unleaded gas containing ethanol. That cost will be passed along to consumers - $0.04 to $0.05 a gallon - depending on where you live.

Illinois is having a Nancy Pelosi moment, "We have to pass the bill, so you can find out what's in it."

Make buying over-the-counter hearing aids easier

Can someone explain to me why can't someone purchase hearing aids over-the-counter and without a prescription?

Columnist Stephen Moore, writing for Investor's Business Daily, thinks it should be possible.
I mean, dudes, we're talking hearing aids, not opioids.

Soon I may need a hearing aid. No one's hearing gets better over time.

From that column:

Congress will soon vote on a bill called the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act that would allow much easier access to over-the-counter hearing aids. And get this: The bill is bipartisan, sponsored by Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Reps. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Joseph Kennedy, D-Mass. (This may be the first and last time I've ever been on the side of Elizabeth Warren!)

Here's why this bill is important to the health and well-being of millions of Americans like me. According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine's report "Hearing Health Care for Adults," more than two-thirds of the 30 million people in the U.S. with hearing loss may benefit from hearing aids but do not use them.

Why don't they? Because they're too expensive. A 2014 report by the Consumer Technology Association finds that the high price for prescription aids is a major barrier to consumers. Prescription hearing aids typically cost $1,000 to $6,000, or about 10 times the cost of OTC aids.

Current law prohibits over-the-counter personal sound amplification performance systems (PSAPs) from making any claim to treat hearing loss. The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates hearing aids, places prohibitions on advertising for these cheaper devices, claiming they don't significantly improve hearing. I can personally attest that PSAPs do help, especially when standing in a crowded room with a lot of ambient noise or talking on the phone.

Get rid of the anti-Muslim township trustee--and Illinois township government too

Belly Deep Slough, Palos Township

Illinois, which is America's worst-run state, has more units of government than any other state in the nation.

That's not a coincidence.

Lately there has been a call from some Muslim activists and others for the resignation of trustee from Palos Township, which is where I grew up.

From CBS Chicago:

Activists say Monday's rally against a Palos Township Trustee is just the beginning, after a string of Facebook posts the group calls anti-Muslim.

The most recent post by Republican Sharon Brannigan reads 'What is Palos doing? Why are all our schools filling with Middle Eastern students without proper documentation?" Another from 2015 criticizes the community's Muslim population for "keeping themselves and their activities hidden" from others, WBBM's Andy Dahn reports.

Brannigan, please quit now. And all of the other trustees in, for starters, Cook, Lake, and DuPage counties, please resign too.

Township government is a relic of frontier Illinois, it serves no useful purpose other than to provide high-pay and low-work jobs with generous pensions. Oh, sure, township government in Illinois does a few things, such as run food banks, but those duties can quickly be absorbed by other government agencies or, in the case of food banks, taken over by not-for-profits.

Consolidating government units has been hailed, correctly, by Governor Bruce Rauner as a way to save taxpayers money, and as his campaign slogan proclaimed, Bring Back Illinois.