The Gumpling

I’m not a Smart Man, so, I try to use little words, not too many of 'em & make sure they're spread out a bit. In risu veritas . . .

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

@BREAKINGNEWS830 My Internal Combustion Conveyance is among the chiefest of enablers in my pursuit of happiness. If these boot-lickers so foolishly insist on meanly grasping and reaching out to remove it from me, I say only: Having Come, Take It.

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

@tonydixonUK @SoothingDave https://t.co/3WPUm0QhVx

[Eli Steele @Hebro_Steele]

Longtime friends and colleagues Shelby Steele and Thomas Sowell have warned the West for decades that its most poisonous enemies are white guilt and the racially engineered diversity racket. They argued that it would breed tribal hatred and undermine the West's greatest creation: the individual. Henry Nowak was not treated as an individual but as a representative of a race deemed guilty due to its white skin.

“White guilt morally and culturally disarms the West. It makes the First World apologetic. And this, of course, only inflames the narcissism of the ineffectual.” -- Shelby Steele

“We are among the biggest fools in history if we keep on paying people to make us hate each other. Whether it is called by pretty names like 'multiculturalism,' 'diversity' or gender awareness,' that is what it all boils down to.” -- Thomas Sowell

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

@YellowFlashGuy https://t.co/50oSqTGsKP

[Global Box Office @GlobalBoxOffice]

THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU surpassed the $165M mark at the global box office on a $165M budget.

Domestically, the new Star Wars movie hit $102M over its 4-day opening, surpassing industry early projections.

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

@JudiciaryDems

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

One wonders if John Yoo would accept a nomination to SCOTUS?

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

@BasedMikeLee Wait . . . So, America has won (here, I pause to carefully count on my fingers, and, one toe) Eleven World Wars? But of course, ‘cause we’re awesome!!

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

@epaleezeldin @JaneyMackWriter @rosadelauro Splendid.

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

Tell you what, so far I like King Charles’ remarks at the state dinner and - don’t love the guy personally and a few things they’ve done - but: his remarks are pretty good. So far.

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

Ron DeSantis unveils new Florida congressional map that would give the GOP an extra four seats https://t.co/MxcAEmTXiD #FoxNews

[U.S. Senator John Fetterman @SenFettermanPA]

We were there front and center.

That venue wasn’t built to accommodate an event with the line of succession for the U.S. government.

After witnessing last night, drop the TDS and build the White House ballroom for events exactly like these.

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

@Snoow_Ball_06 I’m guessing they’ve named the cat . . . Daniel? Yeah yeah - I know this is a tiger cage - but STILL…

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

#SPLC told #JussieSmollett #HoldMyBeer

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

This whole business in Virginia stinks, and if they’re trying to make things fair, why would you want fairness to be temporary? it should go straight to the Supreme Court. There’s no question about this. it’s outrageous.

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

@DiscussingFilm Chuck Norris would approve

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

@SceneinCinema The sincerest form of flattery

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

Awesome watching coverage of #NASA getting ready to launch the #Artemis mission. I gotta say the ground crew at NASA looks more like a pit crew at NASCAR. In a good way!

[The Real Mike Rowe @mikeroweworks]

If you haven’t heard, and even if you have, Jimmy Kimmel said this about Markwayne Mullin, former Senator from Oklahoma, and our newest Secretary of Homeland Security:
“We have a plumber now protecting us from terrorism.”

Apparently, there has been some backlash. Plumbers were offended, obviously, as were parents of plumbers, spouses of plumbers, children of plumbers, and millions of people who have had a plumber show up when they needed one. Comedians were also offended, (the funny ones, anyway,) along with a surprising number of terrorists - especially those with access to hot and cold running water. However, in spite of the ensuing kerfuffle, @jimmykimmel doubled down.

“I’m not upset that the head of Homeland Security was a plumber,” he said, “I’m upset that he isn’t still a plumber." He further elucidated by adding, "I wouldn't put a plumber in charge of Homeland Security for the same reason I wouldn't call a five-star general to pull a rat out of my toilet, OK? We all have our areas of expertise.”

Being offended is always a choice, and I don’t choose to be offended by a joke, even one that comes at the expense of the skilled tradespeople my foundation tries to elevate. But I am a tad butt hurt by the suggestion that skilled workers should never evolve into something new, and that competence is somehow limited to one vocation. Obviously, expertise and skill are important. If I need a new kidney, I’d prefer a doctor do the surgery, not a late-night talk show host. But if the doctor in question used to host a talk show, why would I hold that against him?

Ten years ago, during one of the presidential debates, @MarcoRubio answered a workforce-related question by arguing that America needed to get shop class back into high schools. He concluded by saying, “What our country needs are more welders and fewer philosophers.” A lot of people on this page commented that Rubio and I were singing from the same hymnal, but in fact, we weren’t. At least not entirely. Because I don’t think the current shortage of welders has anything to do with an overabundance of philosophers. In fact, I think it’s a mistake to promote one vocation at the expense of the other. What we really need in this country, are more welders who can talk intelligently about Aristotle, and more philosophers who can run an even bead. More Generals, in other words, who can fix their own toilets, and more plumbers who can hold a powerful government job.

This is what Mullin did. He was a private citizen who mastered an essential skill and then turned that skill into a multi-million-dollar company that employed a lot of people and served a lot of customers. That gave him the freedom to do other things with his life, including a career in public service which got him into Congress, where he’s spent the last eleven years doing whatever Congressmen do. Now, he has a very consequential position in the Cabinet of the current administration.

Is that not the embodiment of the American Dream? I get that Jimmy Kimmel might have a problem with Mullin’s politics, but what possible objection could he have about the trajectory of his career, or his desire to do more than one thing with his life?

The only sensible thing to do in the wake of a moment this tone deaf, is remind America that the skills gap is wide, and getting wider. The shortage of skilled tradespeople is now headline news and closing it is nothing less than a matter of national security. This year, my foundation has set aside $10 million dollars to help train the next generation of plumbers, and lots of other essential workers. I'm talking about hundreds of thousands of AI-proof, six figure jobs that don't require a four-year degree, waiting to be filled. The money is currently available to anyone who wants to master a useful skill at https://t.co/uolhGspFtN. Apply today.

As for those of you genuinely offended by Kimmel's comments, consider expressing your disappointment with a modest donation to mikeroweWORKS. Our work ethic scholarship is making a real difference, and your money will be well spent, I promise. The donate button is big and red and hard to miss, at https://t.co/uolhGspFtN

I’d love to chat but I’ve gotta pull a rat out of my toilet…

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

Trump will be visiting China soon: one suspects this may be very soon after we take control of Kharg Island. It’ll make for an interesting conversation between the United States and China.

[Nick Sortor @nicksortor]

🚨 TERRIFYING: The US has reportedly intercepted encrypted conversations from the Iranian government meant to trigger "SLEEPER CELLS" across the west, including in the US, per ABC

Thanks to the Democrats, we have NO CLUE how many of these sleeper cells are in the US, and Schumer is STILL keeping DHS shut down.

Democrats are enemies of the people.

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

@LangmanVince @BarackObama It, actually, seems a fairly accurate representation, if meant to be a memorial to his being, his self.

[The Gumpling @Gumpling]

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei dead after IDF strike hits Tehran compound, Israeli source confirms https://t.co/tYyzNUcgrG #FoxNews