EDITORIAL: If You Claim "He's Not My President", Maybe You Are In The Wrong Country

I do not usually stray from travel and food related topics, but given the fact that the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States has caused such consternation here in the U.S. and abroad, I feel the need to address those anxieties here and now.

Many Americans are claiming that Donald J. Trump has said and done horrible things and that he did not win the popular vote, now stating "he's not my president". 

Got news for you assholes ... if @realDonaldTrump isn't your #president, you're in the wrong fucking country! #POTUSTrump #LoveItOrLeaveIt

— TravelValue (@CombatCritic) January 21, 2017

I do not disagree with those that think Trump has said and done some terrible things, that is a widely known fact. However, Donald Trump won the electoral college as formed in Article II, Section 1, Clause 3 of the Constitution of the United States of America (1789) and as clarified in the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution (1804). 

If people chose to ignore the U.S. Constitution and its Amendments in this case, where does it all end? We cannot pick and choose those articles and amendments we will abide by and those we will not, so I think it's extremely arrogant and ignorant for people to say "he's not MY president". He is our president, like it or not, and the sooner people accept the reality of the situation, the sooner we can unite and start changing things for the better. 

This liberal divisiveness is only hurting the country, not helping and the sooner people start acting like patriots instead of sore losers and whiners, the sooner we can heal and start solving problems like homelessness, poverty, lack of access to affordable medical care, terrorism, inadequate education and underpaid teachers, and the many other problems we face as a nation. 

Has Donald Trump said and done things that I and many Americans disagree with? Yes, of course, but that doesn't change the fact that he was legitimately elected President of the United States of America and there is no doubt about that fact. Get over it and focus on making OUR nation, the nation I served 20 years to support and defend, a better, safer, and more prosperous UNITED States of America.

Do Americans have the right to complain publicly about our new president? Absolutely! Fortunately, unlike many countries around the world, the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America provides for "freedom of speech" by its citizens. I served the United States of America for over 20 years, defending our right to speak freely in addition to the many other rights afforded us by the constitution and its amendments. I took this oath to "support and defend the Constitution on August 2nd, 1985:

“I ... having been appointed a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me God.”

So, I and others may agree or disagree with the things people say and do, whether it be claiming that Donald Trump is not your president or burning the American flag, but you absolutely, and thankfully, have every right to do so.

Ask yourself, had Hillary Clinton been elected president under the same circumstances, winning the electoral college, but not the popular vote, would you still claim that she is not your president? Absolutely not. Thankfully, she was not because she has committed crimes by mishandling classified information and lied to the FBI and the United States Congress. She should have been disqualified from running for or serving in the Office of President of the United States for those reasons alone. Let me explain.

Many Americans have been prosecuted for and are serving time in prison for mishandling classified information. I held a Top Secret security clearance while serving in the military and if I had taken classified documents home or anywhere other than the safe or classified computer in which they were stored, I would have a) lost my security clearance for life; b) been discharged (fired) from the military; and c) probably served time in prison and/or been fined a substantially large sum.

Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, kept Top Secret information on a private "unclassified" and unsecure server at her residence as well as her mobile device without the proper authorization or necessary firewalls. She also sent classified information through her personal and unsecure email account over unsecure networks and systems. What ramifications were there for these extremely serious security breaches and potential leaking of Top Secret information to our adversaries as well as lying under oath? Nothing! A slap on the hand! I find it unbelievable that she was even allowed to run for the highest office in the land, requiring the very highest security clearance available and with access to the most sensitive information in the world.

What has Trump done? 

1. He talked about grabbing women by the genitalia many years ago while not knowing that he was being recorded. Inappropriate? Of course, but even he admitted it and apologized for it. 
2. He was accused by several women of sexual harassment or assault, but where are these so called victims and their accusations now? Disappeared, gone, never to be heard from again because they were obviously lies likely initiated by the Democratic Party.
3. Early on, Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." That statement has been twisted into statements and beliefs insinuating that Donald Trump is a racist and that he hates Muslims. Not true. He made a broad statement before he had all of the facts that he later clarified and backed down from.

So, based on those debacles, Donald Trump is now a woman, hater and racist and half the country is freaking out, crying in public, offering and needing intensive therapy, and making ridiculous statements like "he is not my president". Did he say and do some stupid things? Yes, absolutely. Did he do anything illegal, prohibiting him from holding a security clearance or being elected president? Absolutely not.

So get over it folks. Donald Trump is OUR duly and legally elected president. If you do not like it and refuse to acknowledge him as our legitimate president, then move to Russia, China, Iran, Somalia, Singapore, North Korea, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia or any of the other dozens of countries that do not permit free speech, jailing, flogging or killing those that do. I will very happy to start a Kickstarter campaign in your name, chip in, and buy you a ticket wherever the hell you want to go. Bon voyage!

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie





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Title: EDITORIAL: If You Claim "He's Not My President", Maybe You Are In The Wrong Country

Key Words: Donald Trump, Donald, Trump, Hillary Clinton, Hillary, Clinton, Bill, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, editorial, president, President of the United States, America, election, top, secret, not my president

Overland Park, KS: Not Cheap And A Few Kinks In The System, But Fun Was Had By All

Topgolf

10611 Nall Avenue

Overland Park, KS 66207

Phone: (913) 562-9713

Website: topgolf.com

Prices: $$$$

At first glance, this place is pretty cool, a driving range on steroids. They have food, bar, and this ridiculous set-up with 3 levels of hitting bays, sensors in the golf balls, and 10 or so targets around the massive enclosed hitting area that you aim for and rack up points. It is basically bowling for golfers ... Disneyland for golfers even.

You pay $20 to $40 per hour for a hitting bay with a maximum of 6 players, not bad when you have four or more players splitting the tab. You score points for hitting targets because the golf balls have sensors in them which allow your information to be captured and displayed on the computer screen. You get more points for longer shots and if you are closer to the center of the target. There are several different games you can play and the bays are heated so you do not freeze when the weather does not cooperate.

We were "logged-in" to our hitting bay by a staff member before our party had finished getting their membership cards ($5), so the clock was ticking on our first hour well before we were ready to play. Our server then pounced on us seconds later asking if we wanted anything to eat or drink even though we had not had a chance to take our jackets off or look at a menu. "Could we have a couple minutes to get settled please?", I asked. She was very attentive, almost too attentive, the rest of the night, very friendly, but pushy and a bit annoying considering the fact that we were trying to play a game.

Food and drink prices are moderate, in the $6-$14 range, and the menu is interesting and eclectic ... burgers and sliders ... appetizers and sandwiches ... flatbreads, salads, wraps, and mushis (whatever they are). Drinks run from $3 for a PBR to $8-$12 for mixed drinks and wine. The drinks and food portions are small for the price. I had a bloody mary ($8) and although decent, not worth the money. My bacon cheeseburger ($12) was also very small, maybe a 4-5 ounce patty, and the fries not overly abundant. Let me just say that I was still hungry after my so called meal. My buddies tater tots were exactly that, straight out of the bag and extremely greasy.

The biggest problem I saw golf-wise in two visits was the fact that points are not always awarded even when the ball obviously hits the target. It does not happen often, but often enough that it can affect the outcome of the game. The computer would also change players on its own occasionally, so shots were wasted with players inadvertently adding points to an opponents score. If you are competitive and play to win, be prepared for some irritation and a possible loss that is not under your control,

Being retired military, I am a "lifetime hero" member and should get a 10% discount on play, but I noticed after I got home that my discount was not applied and I paid full price ($40/hour) instead of the discounted $36 I should have paid. Another thing I do not like about Topgolf is the fact that when it comes time to add time and money to your account to pay for the bay, the only options are rounded off in $20 increments instead of allowing you to pay exactly what you owe. They also add tax to the $20 or $40 per hour rate, so you end up with a $43 tab (for example), but the next higher option to add credit after $20 is $40, so you end up with a large non-refundable balance on your Topgolf players card instead of getting a credit back on your credit card. I asked the server why I had to carry a credit over that I may never use and she told me "that's just the way it is".

Recommendations for a higher review rating:

1) Give folks a chance to get settled and ensure the entire party is ready before starting the clock on the bays and pouncing on us for drink and food orders. 

2) Charge people what they owe and get rid of the $20 incremental options for adding credit to our games. It is not technological rocket science and there is no reason we could not add an additional hour, see the balance, and swipe our credit card to pay exactly what we owe. Why should I give Topgolf an interest free $17 loan for God knows how long when I owe $43 and only have the option to add $80 with my credit card? Nice trick, get rid of it. 

3) Fix the problems with points not being registered when targets are hit and with the computer inadvertently changing players without input. It is annoying and detracts from the competition. It does not happen at a bowling alley, so it should not happen at Topgolf. 

4) Make sure "heroes" get their discounts or do away with the program.

Otherwise, Topgolf is a fun way to practice and relatively inexpensive depending on how many players you have and what time you go (the earlier in the day, the cheaper it is). They have a few bugs they need to work out of the system, but on a cold Winter's eve, it is a comfortable and entertaining way to spend a couple of hours.

CombatCritic Gives Topgolf 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Five Bombs Equates To:

"Continue Mission"

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

TripAdvisor - Top Contributor

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie





... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Overland Park, KS: Not Cheap And A Few Kinks In The System, But Fun Was Had By All

Key Words: Topgolf, top, golf, driving range, driving, range, practice, Overland Park, overland, park, Kansas, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Translation for Civilians: Charlie-Mike ="Continue Mission"

Overland Park, KS: Disneyland For Golfers ... AARP!. AARP!, AARP! ... HOOAH!

TopGolf 
10611 Nall Ave
Overland Park, KS 66207
Phone: (913) 562-9713
Website: TopGolf.com 
Prices: $$$$

This place is awesome. It's a driving range on steroids! They have food, bar, and this ridiculous set-up with 3 levels of hitting bays, sensors in the golf balls, and 10 or so targets around the massive enclosed hitting area that you aim for and rack up points. It's basically bowling for golfers ... Disneyland for golfers even.

You pay $20 to $40 per hour for a hitting bay with a maximum of 6 players, not bad when you have four or more players splitting the tab. You score points for hitting targets because the golf balls have sensors in them which allow your information to be captured. Cool place!

I have not had a chance to play yet or try their food, but after visiting the facility, it is definitely on my bucket list. Food and drink prices are moderate$6-$14, but the menu is interesting and eclectic ... burgers and sliders ... appetizers and sandwiches ... flatbreads, salads, wraps, and mushis (whatever that is). Drinks run from $3 for a PBR to $8-$12 for mixed drinks and wine. I will provide a more definitive and comprehensive review in the future.

CombatCritic Gives TopGolf An Initial 6 out of 10 Bombs ... More Bombs Are Better!

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "Elite '14/'15"

TripAdvisor - "Top Contributor" 

Tabelog - "Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - "Super Foodie"

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Disneyland For Golfers ... AARP!. AARP!, AARP! ... HOOAH!

Key Words: Topgolf, top, golf, driving, range, golfers, food, beer, Overland Park, Overland, Park, Kansas, CombatCritic, TravelValue, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor

* Photo links courtesy of Topgolf.com

CombatCritic Q&A: "Hill Top Swiss Cottage, Rishikesh"

Hill top Swiss cottage, rishikesh

04 December 2014, 02:35

Has anyone stayed at Hill Top Swiss Cottage? We are staying there for the whole of March 2015. I am wondering what the access is like as it looks very high up.

Helen T. (Nottingham, England, UK)

----------------------------------

15 December 2014, 09:27

Re: Hill top Swiss cottage, rishikesh

I've been staying for 2 of 7 nights and the property seems a good value. Rooms are big and bright, internet fast by Indian standards. 

It is a bit isolated from the Ganges (Ganga) and town, but offers a quiet environment and a few shops, restaurants, yoga/meditation/massage options.  I have bad knees, but the walk to the river takes only about 15-20 minutes and is not a bad climb up or down.

There is a wonderful new Italian restaurant a short walk away, A Tavola con Te (atavolaconte on TripAdvisor) owned by an Italian couple from Milan that make wood-oven pizzas, pastas and desserts. 

Let me know if you have any questions.

Chris S.

aka CombatCritic

Follow Me To TravelValue!

Key Words: CombatCritic, question, answer, TripAdvisor, trip, advisor, TravelValue, travel, value, questions, and, answers, Rishikesh, Hilltop, hill, top, Swiss, cottage, hotel, guest, house, India