Welcome

Welcome to my ever-evolving blog. It started out as a blog on Beachbody workouts and products, mainly when I was a Beachbody coach. I no longer coach, not because I don't believe in Beachbody's programs (I subscribe to Beachbody on Demand and use their workouts every day), I am just not a salesperson and hated that aspect of it. I am more than willing to answer questions about my experiences with their products and the various workouts, and I feel freer to do so without the appearance of giving a biased review of something.

I have also started adding reviews for various things I have purchased like movies, books, CDs, and other products. This was brought about by a fight with Amazon in which all of my reviews were removed over a completely bullshit allegation that I posted a review that violated their terms of service. After going back and forth with the morons in the community-reviews department (even after they admitted that my posts did not violate their guidelines) they restored my account (which took them six months to do), but I have been posting my reviews on my blog to have them preserved in case something like that happens again. And here, I will post uncensored reviews so I will swear from time to time and post reviews that may be longer than Amazon's character limit. Everything I post here on any topic or product is my personal opinion, and I take no compensation for any product reviews I post. I am a member of Amazon's vine program and because I get those products for free, I keep those reviews on Amazon only, but everything I have purchased with my own money, whether from Amazon or some other store/website/outlet, I will post here.  

I also plan to do some longer blog posts on various topics, such as how to learn physics, how to get through calculus, and longer reviews of workout programs as I do them. Basically, whatever strikes me as interesting at the time.  As you can see if you navigate around the blog, I had many years in between postings. During that time I was going back to school to get an engineering degree, and learning material that I avoided my first time through college was a different experience and one that gave me a lot of insight into how to do well in those classes, which I will try to impart here for those who are looking to get a science or engineering degree. 

Friday, March 29, 2024

Book Review: Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy From the Next t***p

 


Blowback is a book by Miles Taylor, a former Department of Homeland Security staffer, published in 2023. As many are likely aware, Taylor also wrote the very controversial op-ed piece in the New York Times published under the pseudonym Anonymous. In the book, Taylor describes his time in the former administration and gives a first-hand account of the orange genital wart becoming more and more unhinged as time went on and detailing all of the crazy shit that agent orange wanted to do at the southern border (which he became more and more obsessed over the course of time). Taylor makes it clear that he always despised t***p and that he, like many in the administration, thought t***p was dangerous and stupid (and dangerously stupid). Taylor also makes it clear that he only agreed to join the DHS because he respected John Kelly and knew that there had to be "adults" in the administration to keep little donny diapers in check. And, the only reason Taylor stayed as long as he did was because anyone who replaced him would be a MAGA asshat who would be slovenly loyal to t***p and completely unqualified for the job. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 300 pages, not including the index. Taylor discusses the span of his political career first as a Congressional page, his work at the DHS, his decision to write the initial Anonymous op-ed and the follow-up book, his decision to speak out against the administration under his own name, and ultimately reveal that he was Anonymous. Taylor also discusses how his life started to spiral out of control during that time and what life has been like since then.

The overall subject matter of the book is clear from the title. It is basically a warning that the Republican party of old is dead and gone, that t***p will not go away easily, and that t***pism will be around long after he finally does. And Taylor makes clear that, if given power again, the next t***p will succeed where the orange dipshit failed the first time because they will get around (or ignore) all of the guardrails, and there will be no adults in the room this time. Taylor also discusses that most of those who were said adults in the first administration are not exactly profiles in courage and will not speak out because of fear of political retribution (and physical harm by the MAGAT cult members). The book is absolutely a must-read.

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