The POTUS Job Creation Gauntlet Has Been Thrown Down

In today's POTUSElect's first Press Conference since the election, the POTUSElect made this statement:

"I will be the biggest jobs creator God ever created".

That is a big claim and one that can be easily measured.  Here is the measurement that we can/should all look towards -

As the statistics show, in the current President's 8 year term, nearly 15MM jobs were created.

There is the gauntlet that has been thrown. I'd be the first to stand and applaud if that kind of job growth can be surpassed.



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IF = THEN, Then Why Not This?

IF the ISIS threat = Build and register all Muslims

IF the Immigration threat = Build a wall between Mexico and the US

THEN the Mental Illness Epidemic = A Gun No-Buy List and More Thorough Background Checks

Right?

Repeal and Replace ObamaCare Process Reminds Me of The Old Prisoner - Cobbler Joke

A convict spends 35 years in prison. Upon his release he receives a bag with his personal items that were confiscated and stored when he entered prison.  As he leaves the prison he opens his wallet and finds a few dollars and a claim ticket for a pair of shoes.  Knowing there wasn't any chance the Cobbler would have his shoes, much less still be in business, with nothing else to do, he drives to the shoe store.  Amazed, he sees that that store is still there and open.  He parks his car and walks into the store.  The same bell from 35 years earlier rings as he opens the door and the same Cobbler, much older now comes from behind the curtained back of the store and says, "Can I help you?"

The ex-prisoner says, "I'm here to pick up a pair of shoes I dropped off to be resoled".

The Cobbler looks quizzically at the ticket and says, "Just one moment" and returns to the back.

The ex-prisoner stands there, waiting and looking around wondering if he has any recourse if the shoes have been lost or thrown away.  Just as has convinced himself that he should just leave rather than have to explain why its been 35 years, the cobbler comes out from behind the curtain.  The ex-prisoner speaks first.

"Do you have them?", he asks?

"Yes", says the Cobbler.  "They will be ready tomorrow."

And this is how I feel about the replacement of The Affordable Health Care Act.  The Republicans have voted how many times to repeal the Act and promised it would be there for signature on Day One of the President's new term.  That means there have been nearly eight years of time to have a replacement bill ready to go.  Instead, the answer is, "We will have something to consider within six months".

Sounds very familiar to the Cobbler and the shoes, "They will be ready tomorrow."

It's one thing to joke about what we can expect from the stereotypical Cobbler, it's another thing to expect more from those who represent us and govern us.

We should expect more!

My 2016 Life Highlight Reel

2016 Life Highlight Reel - Events throughout the year that stood out!

January -       Patti's 60th Birthday Celebration in Sonoma

February-     "Champions" @ SF Jazz

March -         Khaled Housseni @ our House to preview "A Thousand Splendid Suns"

March -         Cuba Trip with President's Advisory Committee on the Arts

April -           Rollout weekend of Life Apps 2.0 @ Cornerstone

April -           Seeing "Hamilton" and "The Humans" on same day in Manhattan
May -            Kentucky Derby 142

May -           Weekend at Clear Lake

June -            Speaking @ HireVue Disrupt in Park City

August -        Sandra and Bobby's Wedding

August -        Rhode Island weekend with Ram's Gate event

August -        First "Impossible Burger" @ Momofuku Nishi in NYC

September-   Victor's 50th Birthday Party

September-   The Spicer Mansion

September-   Kennedy Center National Symphony Season Opening Gala

October -      Hawaii visit + Kona Shuttle

October -      Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize Award weekend - co-chairing the event

October -      Criminal Trial Jury Service - 4 days

October -      Beginning of the releases of Hamilton MixTape

November -  LifeApps 3.0 Series @ Cornerstone

November-   Election Night 2016 @ Ro Khanna for Victory Celebration

November-   Napa Valley Film Festival (Big Sonia, Lion, Burn Your Maps)

December -  Kennedy Center Honors

December -  Patti Birthday Dinner @ Manresa
December - White House Holiday Celebration (last foreseeable one for us)

December -  Christmas Trip Home to Indiana

2016 Rusty Rueff Reading List

My 2016 Reading List:

Between the World and Me - Coates - NF                             
(d) Fate and Furies -Groff - F                               
(d) The North Water: A Novel - McGuire -F                             
A Separate Peace -Knowles -F                              
Oracle Night - Auster -F                                
(d) Mr. and Mrs Doctor -Iromuanya -F                                
(d) Everybody Rise: A Novel -Clifford -F                                
(d) Strong and Weak -Crouch -NF                             
Heels Over Head - Small - F                                 
(d) American Nations:  A History of Eleven Rival Nations - Woodard - NF             
(d) The Underground Railroad -Whitehead -F                                  
(d) The Fifth Season - Jemison -F                                  
(d) The Nix - Hill -F                                  
(d) Hillbilly Elegy - Vance - NF
(d) Racing the Rain: A Novel     Parker   F

Only 15 books in 2016 (started The Sympathizer in December and will be a 2017 finish)

73% Digital

73% Fiction

Best Non-Fiction: A tie between Between the World and Me and Hillbilly Elegy (just coincidence that I began and finished the year with these two cultural bookend books).

Best Fiction:   The North Water: A Novel.  Surprised me given I thought I would rate The Underground Railroad, Fates and Furies and The Nix above it. It didn't get the recognition it should have. But, Underground Railroad and The Nix, and Fates and Furies still great reads!

Knowledge referenced the most throughout the year: American Nations.  A great primer to HillBilly Elegy and the rest of the understanding of political and economic understanding.

Biggest head snapper:  Hillbilly Elegy when I realized that JD Vance not my age but 20 years younger and his life pattern is still the same as my generation's experience.